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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5519710" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p><strong>Pearl Jam</strong></p><p></p><p><em>“Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras</em>.”<cleric spell: Bless<em>, “Holy Faerantha, bless your loyal followers in this time of need.”</em>> Haelan called out, his arms outstretched over his helmed head.</p><p></p><p>He felt the difficulty of connecting to his goddess’ graces through the blanket of darkness that oppressed the ether of the chamber. Still, the halfling priest received a glimmer of hope as he perceived, in his spirit, a sensation like a cooling summer breeze blowing over a grassy knoll. At the completion of his appeal, Haelan’s mace as well as the weapons of all of his fellows became surrounded by a golden honey colored light.</p><p> </p><p> Braddok barely had time to notice the enchantment of his blade as he dodged one massive claw and strained to stay on his feet as the second bashed into his shield. Braddok returned the assault with a decisive strike of his own. The magicked blade was able to crack the demonic crab-man’s hard-shelled shoulder. A slight stream of black ichor seeped from the new wound. His enemy let out an airy cry of, what Braddok presumed to be, surprise and anger.</p><p> </p><p> Coerraine, similarly, did not waste a moment with his newly enchanted weapon. Having moved into a position between the fallen druid and the watery serpentine creature, the blond paladin jabbed with his spear. The golden light of the blade slipped into the liquid form and tore thrown supernaturally formed wyrd. With a forceful swing to the left, the blade severed the creature’s neck enough to cause the neck and head above it to collapse back into the cistern. The Redstar Knight had a moment to be thoroughly pleased with himself before steeling himself in position as two more “necks” rose from the pool and quickly formed glowing-eyed-tooth-filled serpentine heads.</p><p> </p><p> Duor, stil surprised by the apparent magic nature of his pilfered dagger struck out with the green-glowing blade, effectively knicking the neck attached to the head that had, moments before, almost took off his beard. The dwarf was happy to see the blade did seem to wound the creature, as it withdrew from his reach, but did not damage it enough to create yet another head. “Hey Pally, look at that. Maybe if we just hurt it without cutting off the heads?” </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Alaria rushed for the cistern. Perhaps, she reasoned, with the water-hydra-thing’s heads occupied by her companions, she might be able to get to the pearl. Her reasoning was somewhat askew as one of the newly formed heads turned its attention to the spear-wielding paladin protecting the water and nature priests. The other, unfortunately, was keenly aware of the magess’ movement and lashed out in her direction.</p><p> </p><p> Alaria was terrified as a living stream of water flashed before and behind her and in the blink of an eye, found herself constricted and lifted from the ground and pulled towards the cistern pool, a watery snake-ish face hissing at her face-to-face. The pressure holding and carrying her was crushing. </p><p></p><p>The wizardess’ mind swam with the options of spells available to her, but her arms were wholey bound and the crushing force barely allowed her to take the shallowest of breaths. It seemed the creature meant to pull her down into the magicked pool. She would drown, surely.</p><p></p><p>Despite herself, her consciousness faltering, Alaria’s mind turned to the stories in her training of the old tortures of witches in the Lost Ages, before R’Hath’s formation, by dunking suspected spellcasters into water…”Shall I float or sink?” Alaria wondered. Then shouting filled her quickly clouding mind.</p><p> </p><p></p><p> Noting the effects of Haelan’s casting, Erevan quickly quivered his bow and drew his slender longsword from its sheathe. The elegant blade glowed with the honey-colored blessing of the halfling’s nature goddess. The sword’s hilt was shaped of ivy leaves and vines that twined their way up the blade, a common decoration for elf-made blades. </p><p> </p><p> Erevan remembered the soft spots among the joints of the giant crabs and a couple of well-placed joabs later, the crab-man he faced was oozing black fluid from his waist and one elbow. The elf’s natural grace and dexterity saved him from a series of would-be crushing blows. Erevan took a moment, ducking another snapping claw to survey the room. </p><p> </p><p> Braddok seemed to be making some progress against the other crab man with his momentarily enchanted sword, though the dark-haired warrior was bleeding from a nasty looking wound in his shoulder. The battle raged at the cistern at the other end of the chamber. A barely perceptible moment of fear crossed the elf’s face to see the magical water beast now sported three heads. Coerraine’s invoked defenses seemed to help keep one of the heads at bay. The knight covered the druid as the water-priestess cast her healing magics. Duor was lunging and tumbling, deftly avoiding another head’s lashing attacks. </p><p> </p><p> He dodged and slashed again, but his sword made no contact.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan appeared torn. Frozen in place between the two clashes, his glowing mace-head slumped to the ground as the halfling’s large eyes, filled with fear, darted from their companions at the cistern to the monstrous crab-men.</p><p> </p><p> “Haelan, aid Braddok.” Erevan called. “Remember the giant crabs? Your mace is our best chance against the creature’s shell.”</p><p> </p><p> This seemed to snap the cleric from his indecision and he charged with what could, kindly, be called a battle cry to slam the crab-man in the knee. The golden light surrounding the pinecone-shaped weapon flared on impact and a loud crack echoed through the chamber, followed by another hissing bellow of pain.</p><p> </p><p> Turning his attention back to the motion at the fountain, Erevan was surprised to see Alaria being lifted from the floor before his senses were blasted by the pain of a huge claw crushing his waist. The elf cursed his distraction and returned his focus to his adversary.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Braddok made another telling blow against his foe with the glowing sword. </p><p></p><p>“This was a great spell, Haelan. Well done.” Commended the warrior. He withdrew his black ooze-covered blade just in time to see the honey colored glow of Haelan’s enchantment flicker for a moment and then disipate.</p><p></p><p>“Of course,” muttered Braddok.</p><p> </p><p> He looked from his now mundane blade to the toothy maw of the crab-man who, Braddok was sure, grinned from bulbous black eye to bulbous black eye before smacking Braddok halfway across the chamber with a monstrous claw. The fighter landed with a heavy thud and had the wind knocked from his wounded body. A short distance before him on the right was Fen, Trihna and Coerraine. To his left, a water-snake wrapped Alaria was nearly at the cistern’s short wall. The magess seemed to be faltering in consciousness. </p><p> </p><p> “Hey!” shouted Haelan, “That was my friend.” The indignant cleric swung again and with the last remaining divine might of his spell, the mace landed a solid blow on the monster’s abdomen. The pinecone shaped head crushed shell and sinew, black ichor gushed from the opening and the creature, looking as surprised as a demon crab-man’s face can look, the monster slumped forward to lie at the blond-tufted feet of his less-than-half-sized foe.</p><p></p><p>“So there.” Haelan said with a victorious nod.</p><p> </p><p> It was then, Haelan, Erevan, and the rest of the company heard the unnatrual sounds, or was it that they “hyper-natural”, echoing through the chamber. The syllables, what could have been words, assaulted the ears of the party and their crustacean foe.</p><p></p><p>Yes, thought Haelan, they are words…but not words…</p><p></p><p>Erevan took the momentary distraction of his foe to regain his footing and turned to the source of the oddly familiar, yet not at all, sound.</p><p> </p><p> From the ground behind Coerraine, Fen lay with arm outstretched towards the serpent drawing Alaria in to the pool. The young red-headed druid was the source of the bizarre words. They came from his lips but seemed, almost, to be coming from the very walls and air of the cavern itself.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“--/./…][--.-…--!”</em> <druid spell<em>: Reversed Create Water</em>. <em>Druidic magic is cast in the secret language of the druids. It is unknown and incomprehensible to any not initiated in the Ancient Order.</em>> </p><p></p><p>As Fen spoke, his hand was surrounded by a greenish blue light which increased with his “words” to flash out of existence at the climactic sounding finale.</p><p> </p><p> The length of the water-beast’s neck which was pulling Alaria to the pool burst in an explosive manner, separating the magess from the pool. The other two heads of the creature let out roaring cries of obvious pain.</p><p> </p><p> Alaria dropped to the ground, as did all of the water surrounding her. She coughed and sputtered from the impromptu shower. Alaria quickly swept her soaked tresses from her face and twisted in sopping robes to face the cistern, completely expecting to see two more heads forming before her. When they did not, Alaria noticed the unnatural glimmer within the water that had held her, now surrounding her on the ground, had disappeared. The completely normal looking water quietly seeped into the dry dusty earthen floor. </p><p> </p><p> “My thanks, again, master druid.” Coughed Alaria. “Trihna, can you do anything about this creature?”</p><p> </p><p> Trihna had <em>only</em> brought the druid back from the brink of death, she thought to herself. But replied unphased to the soaked mage, “My initial spell to control the waters of the pool utterly failed. The power of the tainted pearl is simply too strong for me.”</p><p> </p><p> “’The tainted pearl’…” the words resounded in Alaria’s head. “That’s it! Trihna you are brilliant.”</p><p> </p><p> Pleased as she was by the compliment, the water priestess thought their situation still on the dire side for such a celebratory tone.</p><p> </p><p> While Duor continued to slash and run on one of the wyrd’s heads the other continued to attempt attacks on Coerraine, its attacks hedged off by the paladin’s protective invocation. Fen rose with Trihna’s help and sought a decent angle to again attack the creature. Haelan moved to aid Erevan in bringing down the last crab-man and Braddok also rose and moved to helpthe magess to her wet feet.</p><p> </p><p> “Do you have any more of the Tidemaster’s Pure water?” Alaira asked the warrior at her side.</p><p> </p><p> “Well yes. But how are you going to defeat water with water?” Braddok handed over the half-full waterskin. Without taking a moment to answer, Alaria uncorked Braddok’s flask and her own nearly empty flask. </p><p> </p><p> “We must get closer. Defend me.” Alaria said. The swordsman took a defensive stance between the sorceress and the water creature as the two came to the very edge of the cistern. </p><p> </p><p> Another stab with his magic dagger and Duor cursed to see the creature destabilze and two new necks quickly streamed into formation.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“Extermiz maguuz”</em> <mage spell/cantrip: Mage Hand> A spectral greenish mist coalesced into the form of a three fingered hand linked to Alaria’s own. She placed her own flask into the magical appendage and the hand floated over the cistern to the ledge where the pearl sat, pulsing its unnatural energies.</p><p> </p><p> “What is this?” came wheezing cry from the back of the chamber. “Stop them!”</p><p> </p><p> Braddok turned to see, at the passage at the very rear of the chamber (the one which had smelled of earth) a hunched form with a grey beard clad in layers of black robes and cloaks. The figure leaned upon a staff engraved with markings the warrior could only assume were magical in nature. Upon the figure’s head, a reptilian looking skull sat over his hood and shadowed most of the man’s face beneath the toothy-snouted visor. Two more crabmen rushed into the room at the figure’s command.</p><p> </p><p> Erevan lay at the feet of the remaining original crab-man. He saw the elf’s figure move slightly in a failed effort to rise. Haelan stood in defiant defense over the elf only to be casually swept aside by a massive claw. The halfling tumbled end-over-head over the body of the fallen elf and the crab-man charged forward toward Braddok and Alaria. The warrior looked worriedly at the giant liquid hydra then to Alaria who was concentrating, seemingly unaware of the foes about to be upon them.</p><p> </p><p> The spectral hand poured what little remained of Alaria’s pure water onto the pearl. The orb hissed and seemed to bubble and fizzle where the water touched it. For a moment, Alaria noticed the color of the light pulsing within the pearl shift to a clear blue-white before being again consumed by the sickly green.</p><p> </p><p> The three-headed serpentine form shifted all of its attention to the mage and warrior. Coerraine, noticing his charge in imminent danger moved to stand with Alaria and Braddok. He arrived just in time to throw the creature’s attacks from them, hedged to the side by his protective field.</p><p> </p><p>Braddok readied to begin a new battle with the wounded crab-man, not having the faintest idea how they could outlast another two of the ogre-sized monsters.</p><p> </p><p> Again the air around them charged with an unfamiliar force as Fen, leaning heavily on Trihna, cast again. He purposely subdued his volume to spare his companions from the assault of the eerie tongue of the druids.</p><p> </p><p> As the two new arrivals neared Haelan and Erevan’s position the earth between them and the halfling cleric, fully engrossed in his healing prayers over the elf’s limp body, erupted with roots and sprouting vines to fully entwine the monsters’ legs. Their flailing claws were soon, similarly<em> entangled</em> and they set to snapping their way free of the magically induced growth.</p><p> </p><p> With the water-hydra’s attention now firmly on the wizardess, swordsman and paladin, Duor took the opportunity to climb up onto the cistern’s short wall and leap onto the back of the nearest neck. The green-glowing blade sank easily into the watery form, slicing it in twain for the majority of its length as the dwarf’s weight pulled him down its “back” and into the pool. As expected, two new necks formed and the two new heads turned their attention to the dwarf, now, up to his chest in the enchanted pool.</p><p> </p><p> Alaria sent the magic hand back to the ledge, this time with Braddok’s much fuller flask. The serpentine heads paid the spell no mind, entirely focused on attacking the bodies before them.</p><p></p><p>Braddok stepped outside of the paladin’s holy protection in an attempt to draw the heads away from Alaria. The ploy worked, too well. One of the necks whipped around the warrior and, as easily as it had Alaria, lifted the armored warrior from the ground. Being as near to the cistern as they were, Braddok didn’t have a moment to think before finding himself pulled into and under the pool of water.</p><p> </p><p> Chanting from the back of the room, behind the entangled crab-man, told the party that the dark-robed arrival was casting something. The incantation came to an end as the pure water from the flask began to strike the pearl.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan watched as, for a moment, the entire far end of the chamber was enshrouded in darkness.</p><p></p><p>Erevan rose, wearily taking up his sword again. The elf saw the darkness spell drop upon their friends and began to half-lead half-drag the daelvar priest toward the passage they had entered.</p><p> </p><p> Then, from within the inky black cloud, a silver light began to pulse, then flicker, then glow steadily, rising to a strong shine. The impenetrable darkness dissipated in a moment. Ribbons of blackness gave way to the growing light until none remained.</p><p> </p><p> The form of the water hydra simply stopped for a moment, as if held, before the waters fell, losing all form, lifeless back into the pool.</p><p></p><p>Duor quickly grabbed the half-drowned Braddok. Gasping for breath, the warrior grabbed the gleaming blue-white pearl without a thought. The two climbed out of the pool as fast as possible.</p><p> </p><p> Braddok handed the pearl over to Trihna, who simply held it out in front of her, at something of a loss for what to do with it. She was soon filled with feeling secure and overwhelmed with the grace of her goddess.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan, similarly, felt a renewed connection with his goddess as the oppressive evil that had flooded the chamber seemed to shred even as the magical darkness had.</p><p> </p><p> “You shall not deprecate the power of the Ocean Mother with your malignancy ever again, evil one.” Called Trihna across the room. She neither knew nor cared if the dark robed figure heard her.</p><p> </p><p> The chamber was filled with the sounds of roaring waves crashing upon a shore, the blues of the water-priestess’ robes again swirled and churned, looking for a moment, like she was clothed in the sea itself.</p><p> </p><p> High-pitched shrill cries escaped the three remaining crab-men as they seemed to strain against some unseen pain. Then the three explored in columns of water and bursts of green flame, leaving nothing in their wake but puddles, quickly claimed by the dry earthen floor.</p><p> </p><p> As the shrill cries trailed off as the puddles were quickly claimed by the earthen floor, the shining silver light returned to a glimmering pulse within the large black pearl.</p><p> </p><p> “Meeessh beees freeeeeeeee.” the steam mephit clapped in adulation before his form and voice trailed off and disappeared in wisps of steam and mist.</p><p> </p><p> “Bye Mister Meeessh! Thank you!” called Haelan to the quickly dissipating form.</p><p> </p><p> With the light levels returned to normal, there was no sign of the robed-figure.</p><p> </p><p> “Let’s get out of here,” commanded Alaria. “Hurry, that evil priest will no doubt return with reinforcements.”</p><p> </p><p> Duor ran over to the orb on the other ledge and splashed it with his remaining pure water. Sure enough, the orb fizzed and hissed and the blackness of the orb seemed to trail away into the empty cistern surrounding it. This orb, Duor was pleased to see, was definitely not a pearl. It appeared to be made of quartz or other clear crystal of some kind. “Hey look.”</p><p> </p><p> “Just grab it, Duor. Come on!” was Braddok’s curt reply.</p><p> </p><p> The companions hastened through the passages through which the mephit had led them. The less wounded aiding those more so.</p><p> </p><p> They had little choice but to simply sprint through the chamber of hellhounds. Trihna hoisted the black pearl menacingly over her head and, whether it was the grace of the goddess of the seas or simply the creature’s defensive posture, the chained hounds backed off as the company sped through their guardpost.</p><p> </p><p> Breaking forth from the mountain into the early afternoon air, Alaria insisted they not stop until they’d reached the boat or night fell. </p><p> </p><p> “But what about the harpy’s treasure?” cried Duor in horror. “Yeh can’t just mean to leave it!”</p><p> </p><p> “We may return to it when we are rested,” Alaria sternly replied as she helped the still badly wounded Erevan to carry on as fast as they could. “But for now, safety is our first concern.”</p><p> </p><p> “Besides,” added Coerraine, “it would seem you have availed yourself of more of that treasure than we knew.” The paladin gave the dwarf an accusatory scowl and nodded at the enchanted dagger, still in the dwarf’s grasp.</p><p> </p><p> The dwarf, heartbroken, was completely out voted and without the detour to the harpy’s lair, did reach the beach and their small vessel by shortly after sundown. They camped upon the moored ship and spent an anxious night binding their wounds and making plans to leave the following day on the first available tide.</p><p> </p><p> Of all of the company, Trihna seemed the most at ease, full of confidence that by regaining the pearl, they need fear nothing upon the sea.</p><p> </p><p> Shades of her belief in their ‘Shoal spirit’, no doubt Alaria thought. But the R’Hathi wizardess finally settled in for some much needed rest and the assurance that the next day, their errand to Welford could be renewed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5519710, member: 92511"] [b]Pearl Jam[/b] [I]“Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras[/I].”<cleric spell: Bless[I], “Holy Faerantha, bless your loyal followers in this time of need.”[/I]> Haelan called out, his arms outstretched over his helmed head. He felt the difficulty of connecting to his goddess’ graces through the blanket of darkness that oppressed the ether of the chamber. Still, the halfling priest received a glimmer of hope as he perceived, in his spirit, a sensation like a cooling summer breeze blowing over a grassy knoll. At the completion of his appeal, Haelan’s mace as well as the weapons of all of his fellows became surrounded by a golden honey colored light. Braddok barely had time to notice the enchantment of his blade as he dodged one massive claw and strained to stay on his feet as the second bashed into his shield. Braddok returned the assault with a decisive strike of his own. The magicked blade was able to crack the demonic crab-man’s hard-shelled shoulder. A slight stream of black ichor seeped from the new wound. His enemy let out an airy cry of, what Braddok presumed to be, surprise and anger. Coerraine, similarly, did not waste a moment with his newly enchanted weapon. Having moved into a position between the fallen druid and the watery serpentine creature, the blond paladin jabbed with his spear. The golden light of the blade slipped into the liquid form and tore thrown supernaturally formed wyrd. With a forceful swing to the left, the blade severed the creature’s neck enough to cause the neck and head above it to collapse back into the cistern. The Redstar Knight had a moment to be thoroughly pleased with himself before steeling himself in position as two more “necks” rose from the pool and quickly formed glowing-eyed-tooth-filled serpentine heads. Duor, stil surprised by the apparent magic nature of his pilfered dagger struck out with the green-glowing blade, effectively knicking the neck attached to the head that had, moments before, almost took off his beard. The dwarf was happy to see the blade did seem to wound the creature, as it withdrew from his reach, but did not damage it enough to create yet another head. “Hey Pally, look at that. Maybe if we just hurt it without cutting off the heads?” Alaria rushed for the cistern. Perhaps, she reasoned, with the water-hydra-thing’s heads occupied by her companions, she might be able to get to the pearl. Her reasoning was somewhat askew as one of the newly formed heads turned its attention to the spear-wielding paladin protecting the water and nature priests. The other, unfortunately, was keenly aware of the magess’ movement and lashed out in her direction. Alaria was terrified as a living stream of water flashed before and behind her and in the blink of an eye, found herself constricted and lifted from the ground and pulled towards the cistern pool, a watery snake-ish face hissing at her face-to-face. The pressure holding and carrying her was crushing. The wizardess’ mind swam with the options of spells available to her, but her arms were wholey bound and the crushing force barely allowed her to take the shallowest of breaths. It seemed the creature meant to pull her down into the magicked pool. She would drown, surely. Despite herself, her consciousness faltering, Alaria’s mind turned to the stories in her training of the old tortures of witches in the Lost Ages, before R’Hath’s formation, by dunking suspected spellcasters into water…”Shall I float or sink?” Alaria wondered. Then shouting filled her quickly clouding mind. Noting the effects of Haelan’s casting, Erevan quickly quivered his bow and drew his slender longsword from its sheathe. The elegant blade glowed with the honey-colored blessing of the halfling’s nature goddess. The sword’s hilt was shaped of ivy leaves and vines that twined their way up the blade, a common decoration for elf-made blades. Erevan remembered the soft spots among the joints of the giant crabs and a couple of well-placed joabs later, the crab-man he faced was oozing black fluid from his waist and one elbow. The elf’s natural grace and dexterity saved him from a series of would-be crushing blows. Erevan took a moment, ducking another snapping claw to survey the room. Braddok seemed to be making some progress against the other crab man with his momentarily enchanted sword, though the dark-haired warrior was bleeding from a nasty looking wound in his shoulder. The battle raged at the cistern at the other end of the chamber. A barely perceptible moment of fear crossed the elf’s face to see the magical water beast now sported three heads. Coerraine’s invoked defenses seemed to help keep one of the heads at bay. The knight covered the druid as the water-priestess cast her healing magics. Duor was lunging and tumbling, deftly avoiding another head’s lashing attacks. He dodged and slashed again, but his sword made no contact. Haelan appeared torn. Frozen in place between the two clashes, his glowing mace-head slumped to the ground as the halfling’s large eyes, filled with fear, darted from their companions at the cistern to the monstrous crab-men. “Haelan, aid Braddok.” Erevan called. “Remember the giant crabs? Your mace is our best chance against the creature’s shell.” This seemed to snap the cleric from his indecision and he charged with what could, kindly, be called a battle cry to slam the crab-man in the knee. The golden light surrounding the pinecone-shaped weapon flared on impact and a loud crack echoed through the chamber, followed by another hissing bellow of pain. Turning his attention back to the motion at the fountain, Erevan was surprised to see Alaria being lifted from the floor before his senses were blasted by the pain of a huge claw crushing his waist. The elf cursed his distraction and returned his focus to his adversary. Braddok made another telling blow against his foe with the glowing sword. “This was a great spell, Haelan. Well done.” Commended the warrior. He withdrew his black ooze-covered blade just in time to see the honey colored glow of Haelan’s enchantment flicker for a moment and then disipate. “Of course,” muttered Braddok. He looked from his now mundane blade to the toothy maw of the crab-man who, Braddok was sure, grinned from bulbous black eye to bulbous black eye before smacking Braddok halfway across the chamber with a monstrous claw. The fighter landed with a heavy thud and had the wind knocked from his wounded body. A short distance before him on the right was Fen, Trihna and Coerraine. To his left, a water-snake wrapped Alaria was nearly at the cistern’s short wall. The magess seemed to be faltering in consciousness. “Hey!” shouted Haelan, “That was my friend.” The indignant cleric swung again and with the last remaining divine might of his spell, the mace landed a solid blow on the monster’s abdomen. The pinecone shaped head crushed shell and sinew, black ichor gushed from the opening and the creature, looking as surprised as a demon crab-man’s face can look, the monster slumped forward to lie at the blond-tufted feet of his less-than-half-sized foe. “So there.” Haelan said with a victorious nod. It was then, Haelan, Erevan, and the rest of the company heard the unnatrual sounds, or was it that they “hyper-natural”, echoing through the chamber. The syllables, what could have been words, assaulted the ears of the party and their crustacean foe. Yes, thought Haelan, they are words…but not words… Erevan took the momentary distraction of his foe to regain his footing and turned to the source of the oddly familiar, yet not at all, sound. From the ground behind Coerraine, Fen lay with arm outstretched towards the serpent drawing Alaria in to the pool. The young red-headed druid was the source of the bizarre words. They came from his lips but seemed, almost, to be coming from the very walls and air of the cavern itself. [I]“--/./…][--.-…--!”[/I] <druid spell[I]: Reversed Create Water[/I]. [I]Druidic magic is cast in the secret language of the druids. It is unknown and incomprehensible to any not initiated in the Ancient Order.[/I]> As Fen spoke, his hand was surrounded by a greenish blue light which increased with his “words” to flash out of existence at the climactic sounding finale. The length of the water-beast’s neck which was pulling Alaria to the pool burst in an explosive manner, separating the magess from the pool. The other two heads of the creature let out roaring cries of obvious pain. Alaria dropped to the ground, as did all of the water surrounding her. She coughed and sputtered from the impromptu shower. Alaria quickly swept her soaked tresses from her face and twisted in sopping robes to face the cistern, completely expecting to see two more heads forming before her. When they did not, Alaria noticed the unnatural glimmer within the water that had held her, now surrounding her on the ground, had disappeared. The completely normal looking water quietly seeped into the dry dusty earthen floor. “My thanks, again, master druid.” Coughed Alaria. “Trihna, can you do anything about this creature?” Trihna had [I]only[/I] brought the druid back from the brink of death, she thought to herself. But replied unphased to the soaked mage, “My initial spell to control the waters of the pool utterly failed. The power of the tainted pearl is simply too strong for me.” “’The tainted pearl’…” the words resounded in Alaria’s head. “That’s it! Trihna you are brilliant.” Pleased as she was by the compliment, the water priestess thought their situation still on the dire side for such a celebratory tone. While Duor continued to slash and run on one of the wyrd’s heads the other continued to attempt attacks on Coerraine, its attacks hedged off by the paladin’s protective invocation. Fen rose with Trihna’s help and sought a decent angle to again attack the creature. Haelan moved to aid Erevan in bringing down the last crab-man and Braddok also rose and moved to helpthe magess to her wet feet. “Do you have any more of the Tidemaster’s Pure water?” Alaira asked the warrior at her side. “Well yes. But how are you going to defeat water with water?” Braddok handed over the half-full waterskin. Without taking a moment to answer, Alaria uncorked Braddok’s flask and her own nearly empty flask. “We must get closer. Defend me.” Alaria said. The swordsman took a defensive stance between the sorceress and the water creature as the two came to the very edge of the cistern. Another stab with his magic dagger and Duor cursed to see the creature destabilze and two new necks quickly streamed into formation. [I]“Extermiz maguuz”[/I] <mage spell/cantrip: Mage Hand> A spectral greenish mist coalesced into the form of a three fingered hand linked to Alaria’s own. She placed her own flask into the magical appendage and the hand floated over the cistern to the ledge where the pearl sat, pulsing its unnatural energies. “What is this?” came wheezing cry from the back of the chamber. “Stop them!” Braddok turned to see, at the passage at the very rear of the chamber (the one which had smelled of earth) a hunched form with a grey beard clad in layers of black robes and cloaks. The figure leaned upon a staff engraved with markings the warrior could only assume were magical in nature. Upon the figure’s head, a reptilian looking skull sat over his hood and shadowed most of the man’s face beneath the toothy-snouted visor. Two more crabmen rushed into the room at the figure’s command. Erevan lay at the feet of the remaining original crab-man. He saw the elf’s figure move slightly in a failed effort to rise. Haelan stood in defiant defense over the elf only to be casually swept aside by a massive claw. The halfling tumbled end-over-head over the body of the fallen elf and the crab-man charged forward toward Braddok and Alaria. The warrior looked worriedly at the giant liquid hydra then to Alaria who was concentrating, seemingly unaware of the foes about to be upon them. The spectral hand poured what little remained of Alaria’s pure water onto the pearl. The orb hissed and seemed to bubble and fizzle where the water touched it. For a moment, Alaria noticed the color of the light pulsing within the pearl shift to a clear blue-white before being again consumed by the sickly green. The three-headed serpentine form shifted all of its attention to the mage and warrior. Coerraine, noticing his charge in imminent danger moved to stand with Alaria and Braddok. He arrived just in time to throw the creature’s attacks from them, hedged to the side by his protective field. Braddok readied to begin a new battle with the wounded crab-man, not having the faintest idea how they could outlast another two of the ogre-sized monsters. Again the air around them charged with an unfamiliar force as Fen, leaning heavily on Trihna, cast again. He purposely subdued his volume to spare his companions from the assault of the eerie tongue of the druids. As the two new arrivals neared Haelan and Erevan’s position the earth between them and the halfling cleric, fully engrossed in his healing prayers over the elf’s limp body, erupted with roots and sprouting vines to fully entwine the monsters’ legs. Their flailing claws were soon, similarly[I] entangled[/I] and they set to snapping their way free of the magically induced growth. With the water-hydra’s attention now firmly on the wizardess, swordsman and paladin, Duor took the opportunity to climb up onto the cistern’s short wall and leap onto the back of the nearest neck. The green-glowing blade sank easily into the watery form, slicing it in twain for the majority of its length as the dwarf’s weight pulled him down its “back” and into the pool. As expected, two new necks formed and the two new heads turned their attention to the dwarf, now, up to his chest in the enchanted pool. Alaria sent the magic hand back to the ledge, this time with Braddok’s much fuller flask. The serpentine heads paid the spell no mind, entirely focused on attacking the bodies before them. Braddok stepped outside of the paladin’s holy protection in an attempt to draw the heads away from Alaria. The ploy worked, too well. One of the necks whipped around the warrior and, as easily as it had Alaria, lifted the armored warrior from the ground. Being as near to the cistern as they were, Braddok didn’t have a moment to think before finding himself pulled into and under the pool of water. Chanting from the back of the room, behind the entangled crab-man, told the party that the dark-robed arrival was casting something. The incantation came to an end as the pure water from the flask began to strike the pearl. Haelan watched as, for a moment, the entire far end of the chamber was enshrouded in darkness. Erevan rose, wearily taking up his sword again. The elf saw the darkness spell drop upon their friends and began to half-lead half-drag the daelvar priest toward the passage they had entered. Then, from within the inky black cloud, a silver light began to pulse, then flicker, then glow steadily, rising to a strong shine. The impenetrable darkness dissipated in a moment. Ribbons of blackness gave way to the growing light until none remained. The form of the water hydra simply stopped for a moment, as if held, before the waters fell, losing all form, lifeless back into the pool. Duor quickly grabbed the half-drowned Braddok. Gasping for breath, the warrior grabbed the gleaming blue-white pearl without a thought. The two climbed out of the pool as fast as possible. Braddok handed the pearl over to Trihna, who simply held it out in front of her, at something of a loss for what to do with it. She was soon filled with feeling secure and overwhelmed with the grace of her goddess. Haelan, similarly, felt a renewed connection with his goddess as the oppressive evil that had flooded the chamber seemed to shred even as the magical darkness had. “You shall not deprecate the power of the Ocean Mother with your malignancy ever again, evil one.” Called Trihna across the room. She neither knew nor cared if the dark robed figure heard her. The chamber was filled with the sounds of roaring waves crashing upon a shore, the blues of the water-priestess’ robes again swirled and churned, looking for a moment, like she was clothed in the sea itself. High-pitched shrill cries escaped the three remaining crab-men as they seemed to strain against some unseen pain. Then the three explored in columns of water and bursts of green flame, leaving nothing in their wake but puddles, quickly claimed by the dry earthen floor. As the shrill cries trailed off as the puddles were quickly claimed by the earthen floor, the shining silver light returned to a glimmering pulse within the large black pearl. “Meeessh beees freeeeeeeee.” the steam mephit clapped in adulation before his form and voice trailed off and disappeared in wisps of steam and mist. “Bye Mister Meeessh! Thank you!” called Haelan to the quickly dissipating form. With the light levels returned to normal, there was no sign of the robed-figure. “Let’s get out of here,” commanded Alaria. “Hurry, that evil priest will no doubt return with reinforcements.” Duor ran over to the orb on the other ledge and splashed it with his remaining pure water. Sure enough, the orb fizzed and hissed and the blackness of the orb seemed to trail away into the empty cistern surrounding it. This orb, Duor was pleased to see, was definitely not a pearl. It appeared to be made of quartz or other clear crystal of some kind. “Hey look.” “Just grab it, Duor. Come on!” was Braddok’s curt reply. The companions hastened through the passages through which the mephit had led them. The less wounded aiding those more so. They had little choice but to simply sprint through the chamber of hellhounds. Trihna hoisted the black pearl menacingly over her head and, whether it was the grace of the goddess of the seas or simply the creature’s defensive posture, the chained hounds backed off as the company sped through their guardpost. Breaking forth from the mountain into the early afternoon air, Alaria insisted they not stop until they’d reached the boat or night fell. “But what about the harpy’s treasure?” cried Duor in horror. “Yeh can’t just mean to leave it!” “We may return to it when we are rested,” Alaria sternly replied as she helped the still badly wounded Erevan to carry on as fast as they could. “But for now, safety is our first concern.” “Besides,” added Coerraine, “it would seem you have availed yourself of more of that treasure than we knew.” The paladin gave the dwarf an accusatory scowl and nodded at the enchanted dagger, still in the dwarf’s grasp. The dwarf, heartbroken, was completely out voted and without the detour to the harpy’s lair, did reach the beach and their small vessel by shortly after sundown. They camped upon the moored ship and spent an anxious night binding their wounds and making plans to leave the following day on the first available tide. Of all of the company, Trihna seemed the most at ease, full of confidence that by regaining the pearl, they need fear nothing upon the sea. Shades of her belief in their ‘Shoal spirit’, no doubt Alaria thought. But the R’Hathi wizardess finally settled in for some much needed rest and the assurance that the next day, their errand to Welford could be renewed. [/QUOTE]
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