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Story Hour
Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5721624" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria had rested but her what short sleep she had gathered had been troubled and fitful. Resolving herself to their upcoming battle, Alaria released a couple of the spells she had memorized that morning back into the arcane either and took out her much bolstered spellbook.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Still thin, by any magical account, the book was nonetheless much more full than it had been a week or two ago. Another spell, maybe two, and she would need to begin a second one.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">She had shared the contents of book received from the dying elf sorcerer, Lethyllis, with Erevan. The elf had not been able to transcribe three of the spells (the more powerful) from the book. Alaria pulled that small book from her pack and studied it as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">She descended into the common room of the Silver Platter Inn and Tavern before the evening was fully realized. Several of the men who had been there earlier were gone. The few that remained grumbled quietly among themselves. One or two muttered a “Good morrow” to the magess.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The innkeeper, one Rulphus Bullnose, approached the woman and asked if she required any food or drink. “I apologize, Stormrider, that we have little of our usual fare. You’ll have to return to visit us after the curse has been lifted.” He attempted a half-hearted smile. The aging man had never expected his inn to be used as a barracks or refuge for nearly a quarter of Shafton’s remaining population.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria thanked the man and ordered a modest repast and elfvine. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The innkeeper looked thoughtful and then quietly informed Alaria that he thought he might have a bottle left, “for emergencies” somewhere in the kitchen. He winked and smiled warmly at the wizard.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Inquiring of some of the remaining men as to the whereabouts of her companions, Alaria was informed that Coerraine, Duor and Festus had gone with Borsem to survey the “defenses” in the “upper town.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Haelan had been in the basement attempting to soothe the non-combatants and see if he could glean anything further from the “useless Dunric priest.” He’d then emerged and gone outside “to pray, he said. Fer all the good that’ll d’us” one of the bowmen muttered.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The “elf and half-blood,” one particularly grizzled looked man informed her, had gone to the cemetery, “around the north side of the slope fer…wuh’d they call it?...‘Evidence of undead activity.’ W’ever that means.” A large hammer hung at his side and Alaria later discovered the grizzled veteran was named Drunac. He was Shafton’s preeminent blacksmith.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Of Shafton, she learned, the mines were primarily iron and silver with the occasional discovery of a cache of “firestones” <em><author/dm’s note: an uncommon Orean crystal commonly ground down to a gravely power. Used as an explosive for mining purposes and a component for several fire-evoking spells.></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The mines had been dwarven made, in the age before the original Dragonmage had ever taken up residence in the Vale nearly four centuries ago. The apparent wealth of the mine gave way to human prospectors and for a time dwarves and men had lived and worked in Shafton together before the ever-grumbling clan of the town’s founder, one Gorn Deepshaft, left Daenfrii for other lands and riches they could call their own. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">There had been, at the beginning of the kobold invasion, only ten dwarves still in residence in Shafton. Now, after two weeks of fighting (and subsequent fleeing of many of Shafton’s residents) only two remained. The “Deepshaft brothers”, Kordun and Kurn, were the last remaining relatives of Gorn’s original clan. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Kordun worked as a miner and had proven a warrior of no small skill. Kurn, Alaria was told, had all the valor and “toughness” attributed to dwarves, and had proven most skilled in the various skirmishes they’d fought, but before “the invasion” worked as one of Shafton’s several silversmiths.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria ate the simple broth flavored with a few chunks of root vegetables (which, the R’Hathi felt, lacked any kind of seasoning) and the crust of bread served with it. She sipped calmly on the golden elfvine that the innkeeper had surreptitiously served in an ale mug.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">What little light filtered passed the barricades against the front window of the inn were deepening from an orange glow to the rosy pink of later evening before any of her company had returned.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Erevan and Fen came back first.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“The cemetery shows no signs of disruption.” The elf tracker reported.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Thank the gods for that.” Alaria remarked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“It is odd, however, Magess.” Fen started.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria was taken aback, somewhat, by the druid’s formality. Since encountering the remains on the road to Shafton, the druid had become more serious than Alaria had ever seen the carrot-topped half-elf…almost ‘dark’ in his determination.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“The Abominations, what you call ‘the undead’, do not commonly arise from nothing. They must be called, dark souls summoned back into this world against all of the wishes of the Balance and the wills of the gods of Men. Save those which are spontaneously generated from some wellspring of evil or their own depravity.” Fen concluded.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“That is not entirely true, Fen.” Alaria said calmly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The half-elf looked at the mage with questioning surprise.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“For good or ill, and I take it as ‘ill’ believe me, the goddess Endore is one of the ‘gods of Men’, as you put it. Disease and Undeath are her dominion. Her servants, while vile and depraved individuals by any definition of civility, are said to be most potent and dangerous.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Also, while I am loath to admit it, the practice of Necromancy is not an entirely ‘evil’ pursuit. Not in R’Hath, in any event. There are necromancers who call forth servants of bone or mindless husks to do their bidding. Such beings, to my limited understanding of that school of study, are not actually inhabited by an evil intelligence, but simply ‘animate’ the unused physical remains through arcane energy.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen scoffed at the suggestion. “The philosophical nonsense used by arcanists to justify their own assault of the Balance with impunity.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Erevan begrudgingly agreed with the wizard but added, “You must admit, Alaria, that the accounts we’ve heard from the good sergeant do not make these creatures sound like skeletons or zombies.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria nodded her silent agreement before taking another long sip of her elfvine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Unfortunately not.” She admitted. The presence of a necromancer who would assault this town in such a manner was not a possibility Alaria wished to give any credence. Of course, she thought, the possibility of a priest of the Plague Mistress was equally unwelcome.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Haelan returned shortly thereafter. He was quiet, pensive. Significantly more subdued than Alaria had ever seen him. Even fear or sorrow would be more welcome, the wizard admitted, but the daelvar seemed singularly distracted in his thoughts. He politely asked for some ale and a received a mug along with a small bowl of the vegetable laden broth and another hunk of crusty bread.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen raised an eyebrow at Erevan. The full-blooded elf did the same to Alaria. She shook her head, determining to let the daelvar priest have his meal in peace.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The peace did not last long as the door to the inn began banging loudly. Just about everyone in the common room jumped at the sudden disruption. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Erevan was pleased to see the halfling did not dive under the table.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">After a cursory glance out the front window, the door was opened to reveal the satyr, Festus. The ranger goat-man came bounding into the inn’s common room rubbing his hands together and smiling broadly. “Ok. Ah, wonderful! You’re up already, Stormrider. We ready to go?”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Collecting their things, the “Defenders of the Tower” readied to leave. Several of the common folk with their weapons prepared to join them before Festus spoke up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Not you all. Borsem says you should remain here to defend the inn. The Stormrider’s company and those already at their posts will be meeting the enemy tonight. Be ready should we have to retreat. The square will be our fallback position. If you hear battle outside, don’t come running. We’ll use the Platter [dm’s note: which sat along the perimeter of the town square] as a last fallback if the battle goes badly. Until then, the sergeant requests you all get as much rest as plausible.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Erevan, Fen, Alaria and Haelan trailing behind, still silent, left with the satyr and made their way along the sloping switchback road up to the town’s defense perimeter in the “upper town.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Sergeant Borsem waited for them there. Two dwarves with lengthy beards, one blond and one russet, and another two townsfolk clad in studded leather awaited them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Introductions were made as the sun sank below the western horizon. The deep purple and blue of night fell over the companions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The upper town, Alaria noticed, was a curious construction. The buildings were all built along the steep hill/small mountain’s slope. The buildings were the stone construction of the lower town, tall and wide but not deep. Their upper windows and several of the doorways had been boarded up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">At the edge of the buildings a makeshift barricade of overturned tables, shelves and other furniture was ‘fortified’ by some stones and hastily sharpened branches and trunks pointing further up the road.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The road ran along in front of the buildings, only blocked from the steep incline down to what she presumed was ‘the lower town’, but a few small trees, scrubby undergrowth and a short stone ‘curb’ that didn’t even come up to Haelan’s waist. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Going to want to watch that.” Alaria said to no one in particular.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Haelan and Duor peered over the curb. “That’d be a good call, boss ‘Stormrider’ lady.” The dwarf mentioned with his usual sarcastic humor.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Duor was in a particularly good mood, having found others of his kind to relay his own, somewhat altered, tales of heroism and valor. The warrior-looking blond one, decked out in platemail and wielding a finely crafted broad sword, was Kordun. He and Kurn, who wore only a chainmail jacket and had a curious-looking crossbow nocked seemed adequately impressed and relayed their own tales of bravery from the passed two weeks. The four, Festus was sure to be a part of their conversation though he understood little of dwarves or their ways, shared a skin of ale the satyr had brought with him. The skin, Fen noted, was already half empty.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The company sat in wait. Haelan remained silent. Whether he was praying or meditating or fearing for his life, none knew. The only interaction he’d had was with Coerraine who explained his god-granted field of protection should extended the entire width of the broad roadway. The halfling had nodded his understanding at the paladin but said nothing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Borsem and Coerraine conferred with Alaria as to their ‘plan.’ Alaria nodded her understanding and agreed with the course of action. They would do what damage they could. ‘If’ the battle went badly, they would retreat with all speed to the square to regroup. In the event all looked lost, they were to get into the Silver Platter and defend it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria was told to act as she felt appropriate. Alaria took more than a little umbrage at the presumption of the sergeant to tell her what to do…even though it was to do what she felt best. She said nothing for fear of upsetting Haelan and then chastised herself for her own hubris. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Duor clapped the daelvar on the shoulder. “Not to worry Hilltender. Dwarven ingenuity will prevail this night. We’ve got a bit of a surprise in store for any nasties that come this way.” The dwarf then took a position in one of the building’s un-obscured doorways with Kurn. Both dwarves had their respective crossbows nocked and ready, a pail of burning pitch between them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Coerraine had assured the dwarf that he would remain close enough for his field of protection to encompass the dwarf. The paladin quietly apologized to Alaria that he must make Duor a priority in the coming battle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The magess nodded her understanding and assured Coerraine he had no reason to apologize. She had every intention of remaining close enough to the paladin to be within his blessed field.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Erevan took up a position up on one of the roofs of a building near the barricade. He had a small metal pail of burning pitch precariously placed next to him. The elf swirled an arrowhead in the bucket from time to time to keep the dark substance flaming. He’d pull the shaft from the pail and blow out the flames on the tip of his arrow. Well assured in his prowess with the bow, the elf sank into mental repetitions of the spells he had prepared. A magical assault was sure to be their first, and he hoped most effective, offense.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen had positioned himself beside a clutch of thin birch trees and bushes. The magic of his sacred cloak swathed him. It masked him from practically all view unless one was staring directly at him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Even then, Alaria noted, the druid’s form was ‘sketchy.’</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria whispered the detection incantation and took a moment to shift her vision. </span><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The air about the druid, a priest of Orea itself, was again charged with the strangely mysterious energies of his ‘Ancient Holy Order.’ The intricacies of the energies lost to her sight and understanding. She stood behind Borsem, Coerraine, and the two human townfolk in the middle of the road.</span><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Haelan stood silently at her side.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The wizardess found herself praying to the Blue Star that the daelvar would find security and strength in his faith in the coming hours…and use it to great effect.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">To Alaria’s horror, she noted the coiled mass of shadow near the druid. Its two red eyes glistened in her magical sight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The shadow snake seemed no larger than the one they had encountered at Rhea’s glade in Welford. One for observation, according to Rhea, the wizard recalled. She also realized that they had neither the time nor resources to deal with the creature. Hope your master enjoys the show. Bastard!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The night crept on, painfully slow. The green lesser moon, Sorilorr, was again nearing its fullness. The smaller satellite was nearly at its zenith despite the fact that it had only risen two hours prior. The silver greater moon, Arinane, was little more than a sliver. It lumbered its slow course, still low in the eastern sky. The mix of green and white light shone down upon the group, save the dwarves bathed in shadow of the recessed doorway.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The sound of something bounding down the road, as well as the odor, assailed the assembled ‘heroes’ before any creature was seen. The sound was one of claws scraping and scurrying along the stone-paved road which turned abruptly, almost one hundred and eighty degrees, a short distance ahead of the barricade. The road continued to slope further up the mountain. It was obscured by the buildings of the upper town and trees and undergrowth that rose up behind the buildings. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Here they come.” Said Borsem not too loudly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fool, thought Fen, the creatures would know they were there by their scent for living flesh long before they would hear the young soldier.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Not two heartbeats later, one of the creatures rounded the switchback into view of the company. It was bent, hunched over, charging along on all fours. Its feet and hands were oversized with long digits ending in obvious claws. Its head had no hair. Greyish dead-looking skin seemed to cling to the impossibly thin frame. Its maw was also oversized for its head/face with sported two bulging eyes, the whites or which were almost entirely bloodshot. A pointed unnaturally long tongue hung out of its fang-filled mouth. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The creature paused a moment to look at the assembled treats before it. The swollen lengthy pukish purple tongue licked, not just its thin lips, but encompassed its entire face. The thing roared an inhume sound.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Another appeared. Then another appeared. Another. There were five in total on the road. They began crawling slowly toward the barricade. They made sounds that sound like maniacal laughter and bounded one over the other, scrambling in a mass of grey skeletal horror toward the barricade. None, however, presumed to leap ahead of the first creature which had rounded the bend in the road.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Haelan, next to Alaria, made a small sound and gripped, shakily, his pinecone-headed mace in both hands. His magical small round shield was strapped securely to his forearm.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Enough of this, Alaria thought before raising her hands high and shouting the syllables in the language of magic. The energies flowed freely around her, her hair and golden robe swirled in the shifting ionized air.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“<em>Everx imberil rex!” <mage spell: Burning hands</em>></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">As her lips closed, flames of violet and bright red surrounded her hands for only a moment before bursting forth and arching over her allies and the barricade to crash down on the closely clustered creatures.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Howling, hoots and snarls burst from the collected ghouls as the fire rained down on them. The ‘leader’ shot forward and missed the the entirety of the arcane assault. Another leapt to the left and clamped onto the stone wall of one of the buildings immediately before the barricade. The other three were caught in the burning magical fire.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">All of the creatures charged forward three of them trailing violet and red flames as they came. The licks of magical fire passed off of them, though scorching black patches of flesh were evident on them. One in particular seemed heavily damaged but came up behind the others. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><em>“Everx zaar!” <mage spell: Magic Missle</em></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">> was shouted from somewhere over the heroes and a bolt of blue-green energy flew down to strike the lead ghoul. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The elf cursed that the creature was shunted to the side in mid-charge, a small sorch burst evident on its shoulder, but did not slow and in two bounds was leaping over the barricade toward the soldiers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">There was a dull thud as Coerraine slammed the butt of his spear into the ground in front of him before raising both shield and spear for the expected attack. Immediately, a circle of golden light burst forth from the paladin’s position. The sliver of light passed by Alaria and Haelan to fade somewhere behind them. It washed to the left and right, lighting up for an instant, the two dwarves in the doorway and the cluster of birch trees where, Alaria assumed, Fen still hid. The light spread forward and seemed to fade as it washed over the barricade.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The ghoul who had avoided Alaria’s <em>burning hands</em> by jumping onto the wall now leapt after its ‘leader’ and easily cleared the barricade toward the dwarf, Kordun. As the creature cleared the barricade, it was awash in golden light and shrieked in what all assumed to be pain as wisps of smoke began to trail off of it in midair.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The lead ghoul, similarly, began to smoke and hiss as it passed into the paladin’s protection field. Its arms seemed to extend from its body, like taffy, to reach for the Redstar Knight, while its body stayed well beyond the reach of his spear tip which gleamed with golden righteous power.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The odor was already overwhelming. The mental bolstering from Coerraine’s circle of protection was all that kept Haelan from wretching and fleeing for his life. But he stood his ground, unsteadily, grasping his mace and watching in horror as the entire group of creatures continued to advance, regardless of whatever it was the paladin’s field was doing to them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">One of the townsfolk did, in fact, become ill and incapacitated by the noxious fumes emanating from the creatures. His fellow townsman took a defensive position in front of the striken man as the remainder of the creatures leapt over the barricade and began to sizzle and smoke within the paladin’s protection.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">A bolt of green lightning flared across the road and stopped in front of the two normal men and Sergeant Borsem. In an instant, vines and roots leapt from the ground and ensnared two of the ghouls. They were bound tightly within the living coils and the creatures shrieked in defiance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Not wasting a moment of the opportunity, Borsem and the standing townsman began hacking into the trapped creatures, though their swords seemed to do very little to the greasy looking unnatural grey flesh.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen raced forward, his spear tip seemed to glisten solely with the green light of the lesser moon and he stabbed vigorously into the creatures within the field of writhing entangling flora. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Bolts tipped with flames from the pails of burning pitch shot out from the building doorway as the dwarves and satyr let loose with their weapon. Two more rained down from Erevan’s position on the nearby rooftop. Several made their marks but none of the creatures fell.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The one ghoul, heavily burned from Alaria’s attack, made a swipe at the druid. Its arms also stretching, seemingly impossibly far from its body.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen deftly twisted and turned to avoid both elongated hands of claws. The half-elf twirled his spear above his head like a propeller, incanting as he did so a bit too loudly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">While Alaria did not feel an assault from the primordial words, just far enough away, but Borsem and the townsman did seem effected and distracted by the cryptic forbidden tongue of othe druids.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen could not be concerned, the abominations must be eliminated. The Balance must be defended, it was the prime directive of his order.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">At the completion of his spell, the spear’s leaf-shaped blade was ensconced in a ball of fire and the druid struck, getting uncomfortably close to the undead creature. The full force of the druid’s attack, coupled with magical flame caused the creature to shriek in defiance and then go limp. It smoldered as it slid off of the end of the druid’s spear.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Without waiting a breath to savor his victory, Fen whirled about to renew his stabbing attacks on the entangled ghouls. He knew the enchantment would not last much longer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Borsem and the townsmen (the one who had been made ill had regained his feet) joined the druid in his assault. Again, their weapons seemed unable to pierce the undead skin.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Another round of fire-tipped arrows and crossbow bolts flew at the creatures from Erevan, Festus, Duor and the Shafton dwarf, Kurn.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Haelan still stood shaking. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Haelan, the men’s weapons! Call up Faerantha’s blessing! All of our weapons!” Alaria commanded. The mages assumed the silver end of her staff might have some effect, but a bit of divine “juice” couldn’t hurt.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Snapped from his fear-striken inaction, the Hilltender nodded and bumbled. “Yes. Yes, Faerantha’s blessing. Yes. Of course. Um…Dei…Deisa Fuh-Fuh-F’rantha…um…” The halfling’s large brown eyes scanned the scene before him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Coerraine jabbed and dodged at the lead creature. He smacked away raking claws with his shield and no attack had managed to pierce his defense though he was still unable to get in a solid strike on the ghoul.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The dwarf, Kordun, was similarly going <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />-for-tat with the other ghoul which had leapt from the building wall. His broadsword, despite the dominating everpresent green light of Sorilorr seemed to gleam with a white glow, as if only the light of the silver moon were touching the blade. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The two ghouls entrapped by the vines began to snap the green cords, slowly freeing themselves as the potency of the druid’s spell began to wane.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Haelan! NOW!” Alaria shouted. Her own mind was reeling through the spells she’d prepared and looked for an opening in the various battles occurring before her where her magicks might prove useful. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The first of the entangled ghouls broke clear of the vegetation and made a swipe with its claws that raked out at one of the townsmen still trying to keep the creature’s contained in the enchanted plants.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The strike tore through cloth and armor, completely disemboweling the man and he dropped with barely a sound in a great spray of blood.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Ferdrik!” shouted the other man in panic. His friend was dead before he could even hear the cry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Bollux, thought Alaria. Waiting for the “right moments” would only get them all killed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><em>“Everx zaar!”</em></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> the wizardess exploded. The speed with which the energy raced around and through her surprised Alaria, herself. A corner of her mind smiled at her apparent increasing aptitude with the power.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Two shards of violet-blue energy darted forth from her outstretched arm. Each flew up and around her companions, one to land on the lead ghoul embattled by Coerraine, the other streaked up and over the plate-clad dwarf to strike his foe. Both struck true, barely faltering the creatures but disorienting them enough to allow both the paladin and dwarven warrior to get close enough to land solid blows.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Another volley of flaming bolts flew at the creatures. Two struck. Three missed, bouncing and skidding harmlessly on the cobblestones.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><em>“Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras</em></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">.” <em><cleric spell: Bless></em> The divine invocation seemed to echo through the battle area. A honey-colored glow burst into view surrounding all of the weapons present except for the druid’s spear (which maintained its greenish sheen) and Kurden’s broadsword, awash in white light of its own. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Erevan was surprised to see that even his bow flared with the momentary divine light. The halfling was obviously increasing in power, the elf thought as he nocked another arrow from the pail of flaming pitch. </span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> A momentary breeze flew across the companions. It dispelled the rancorous odor of the undead, filling their senses, instead, with the scent of summer rain and pine trees. In the wake of the cleared air, Haelan was washed of his fear and filled with the divine peace of his goddess’ favor. A look of fervent determination came over the Hilltender.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> “’Bout bloody time, hairfoot!” Duor shouted across the field of battle.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">With their newly empowered weapons, Borsem and the remaining townsman (with assistance by Fen) were able to destroy the two ghouls. </span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Coerraine and Kordun, with another peppering of flaming arrows, dispatched the leader and final ghoul.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> For a moment, all stood tense and waiting, half-expecting the creatures to leap up again. Instead, the gaunt grey frames remained fallen, hissing quietly as they unnatural bodies continued to give off wisps of smoke within Coerraine’s protection field.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> A moment later, the smoking stopped as Coerraine relaxed and released the defensive power.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> “That…was…LOCKHORNS!” raved the satyr from the doorway. He pranced and clip-clopped out onto the cobblestone road. “My first battle with the Stormriders did not disappoint. HOOHOO!” Festus skipped around the other heroes on the street with a broad smile on his face. “Imagine the songs that will be sung of the ‘Heroes of Shafton’!”</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Alaria and Coerraine scowled disapprovingly at the satyr’s exuberance in the face of the dead townsman.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The satyr, not losing his smile, looked at the mage and paladin. “C’mon…That was lockhorns.”</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Borsem, who consoled the remaining man (the fallen’s brother), Bret. “The threat is not over, Festus. But it is a good start.”</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The bodies of the ghouls were dragged over to the barricade. A couple were tossed over the sharpened spikes as a warning, though Coerraine seriously doubted that other ghouls would care.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Erevan readied to descend from his vantage point when his ears twitched at a sound.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The elf sniffed the air.</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5721624, member: 92511"] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria had rested but her what short sleep she had gathered had been troubled and fitful. Resolving herself to their upcoming battle, Alaria released a couple of the spells she had memorized that morning back into the arcane either and took out her much bolstered spellbook. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Still thin, by any magical account, the book was nonetheless much more full than it had been a week or two ago. Another spell, maybe two, and she would need to begin a second one. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]She had shared the contents of book received from the dying elf sorcerer, Lethyllis, with Erevan. The elf had not been able to transcribe three of the spells (the more powerful) from the book. Alaria pulled that small book from her pack and studied it as well. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]She descended into the common room of the Silver Platter Inn and Tavern before the evening was fully realized. Several of the men who had been there earlier were gone. The few that remained grumbled quietly among themselves. One or two muttered a “Good morrow” to the magess. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The innkeeper, one Rulphus Bullnose, approached the woman and asked if she required any food or drink. “I apologize, Stormrider, that we have little of our usual fare. You’ll have to return to visit us after the curse has been lifted.” He attempted a half-hearted smile. The aging man had never expected his inn to be used as a barracks or refuge for nearly a quarter of Shafton’s remaining population. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria thanked the man and ordered a modest repast and elfvine. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The innkeeper looked thoughtful and then quietly informed Alaria that he thought he might have a bottle left, “for emergencies” somewhere in the kitchen. He winked and smiled warmly at the wizard. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Inquiring of some of the remaining men as to the whereabouts of her companions, Alaria was informed that Coerraine, Duor and Festus had gone with Borsem to survey the “defenses” in the “upper town.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan had been in the basement attempting to soothe the non-combatants and see if he could glean anything further from the “useless Dunric priest.” He’d then emerged and gone outside “to pray, he said. Fer all the good that’ll d’us” one of the bowmen muttered. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The “elf and half-blood,” one particularly grizzled looked man informed her, had gone to the cemetery, “around the north side of the slope fer…wuh’d they call it?...‘Evidence of undead activity.’ W’ever that means.” A large hammer hung at his side and Alaria later discovered the grizzled veteran was named Drunac. He was Shafton’s preeminent blacksmith. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Of Shafton, she learned, the mines were primarily iron and silver with the occasional discovery of a cache of “firestones” [I]<author/dm’s note: an uncommon Orean crystal commonly ground down to a gravely power. Used as an explosive for mining purposes and a component for several fire-evoking spells.>[/I] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The mines had been dwarven made, in the age before the original Dragonmage had ever taken up residence in the Vale nearly four centuries ago. The apparent wealth of the mine gave way to human prospectors and for a time dwarves and men had lived and worked in Shafton together before the ever-grumbling clan of the town’s founder, one Gorn Deepshaft, left Daenfrii for other lands and riches they could call their own. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]There had been, at the beginning of the kobold invasion, only ten dwarves still in residence in Shafton. Now, after two weeks of fighting (and subsequent fleeing of many of Shafton’s residents) only two remained. The “Deepshaft brothers”, Kordun and Kurn, were the last remaining relatives of Gorn’s original clan. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Kordun worked as a miner and had proven a warrior of no small skill. Kurn, Alaria was told, had all the valor and “toughness” attributed to dwarves, and had proven most skilled in the various skirmishes they’d fought, but before “the invasion” worked as one of Shafton’s several silversmiths. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria ate the simple broth flavored with a few chunks of root vegetables (which, the R’Hathi felt, lacked any kind of seasoning) and the crust of bread served with it. She sipped calmly on the golden elfvine that the innkeeper had surreptitiously served in an ale mug. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]What little light filtered passed the barricades against the front window of the inn were deepening from an orange glow to the rosy pink of later evening before any of her company had returned. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Erevan and Fen came back first. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“The cemetery shows no signs of disruption.” The elf tracker reported. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Thank the gods for that.” Alaria remarked. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“It is odd, however, Magess.” Fen started. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria was taken aback, somewhat, by the druid’s formality. Since encountering the remains on the road to Shafton, the druid had become more serious than Alaria had ever seen the carrot-topped half-elf…almost ‘dark’ in his determination. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“The Abominations, what you call ‘the undead’, do not commonly arise from nothing. They must be called, dark souls summoned back into this world against all of the wishes of the Balance and the wills of the gods of Men. Save those which are spontaneously generated from some wellspring of evil or their own depravity.” Fen concluded. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“That is not entirely true, Fen.” Alaria said calmly. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The half-elf looked at the mage with questioning surprise. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“For good or ill, and I take it as ‘ill’ believe me, the goddess Endore is one of the ‘gods of Men’, as you put it. Disease and Undeath are her dominion. Her servants, while vile and depraved individuals by any definition of civility, are said to be most potent and dangerous.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Also, while I am loath to admit it, the practice of Necromancy is not an entirely ‘evil’ pursuit. Not in R’Hath, in any event. There are necromancers who call forth servants of bone or mindless husks to do their bidding. Such beings, to my limited understanding of that school of study, are not actually inhabited by an evil intelligence, but simply ‘animate’ the unused physical remains through arcane energy.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen scoffed at the suggestion. “The philosophical nonsense used by arcanists to justify their own assault of the Balance with impunity.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Erevan begrudgingly agreed with the wizard but added, “You must admit, Alaria, that the accounts we’ve heard from the good sergeant do not make these creatures sound like skeletons or zombies.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria nodded her silent agreement before taking another long sip of her elfvine. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Unfortunately not.” She admitted. The presence of a necromancer who would assault this town in such a manner was not a possibility Alaria wished to give any credence. Of course, she thought, the possibility of a priest of the Plague Mistress was equally unwelcome. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan returned shortly thereafter. He was quiet, pensive. Significantly more subdued than Alaria had ever seen him. Even fear or sorrow would be more welcome, the wizard admitted, but the daelvar seemed singularly distracted in his thoughts. He politely asked for some ale and a received a mug along with a small bowl of the vegetable laden broth and another hunk of crusty bread. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen raised an eyebrow at Erevan. The full-blooded elf did the same to Alaria. She shook her head, determining to let the daelvar priest have his meal in peace. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The peace did not last long as the door to the inn began banging loudly. Just about everyone in the common room jumped at the sudden disruption. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Erevan was pleased to see the halfling did not dive under the table. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]After a cursory glance out the front window, the door was opened to reveal the satyr, Festus. The ranger goat-man came bounding into the inn’s common room rubbing his hands together and smiling broadly. “Ok. Ah, wonderful! You’re up already, Stormrider. We ready to go?” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Collecting their things, the “Defenders of the Tower” readied to leave. Several of the common folk with their weapons prepared to join them before Festus spoke up. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Not you all. Borsem says you should remain here to defend the inn. The Stormrider’s company and those already at their posts will be meeting the enemy tonight. Be ready should we have to retreat. The square will be our fallback position. If you hear battle outside, don’t come running. We’ll use the Platter [dm’s note: which sat along the perimeter of the town square] as a last fallback if the battle goes badly. Until then, the sergeant requests you all get as much rest as plausible.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Erevan, Fen, Alaria and Haelan trailing behind, still silent, left with the satyr and made their way along the sloping switchback road up to the town’s defense perimeter in the “upper town.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Sergeant Borsem waited for them there. Two dwarves with lengthy beards, one blond and one russet, and another two townsfolk clad in studded leather awaited them. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Introductions were made as the sun sank below the western horizon. The deep purple and blue of night fell over the companions. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The upper town, Alaria noticed, was a curious construction. The buildings were all built along the steep hill/small mountain’s slope. The buildings were the stone construction of the lower town, tall and wide but not deep. Their upper windows and several of the doorways had been boarded up. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]At the edge of the buildings a makeshift barricade of overturned tables, shelves and other furniture was ‘fortified’ by some stones and hastily sharpened branches and trunks pointing further up the road. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The road ran along in front of the buildings, only blocked from the steep incline down to what she presumed was ‘the lower town’, but a few small trees, scrubby undergrowth and a short stone ‘curb’ that didn’t even come up to Haelan’s waist. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Going to want to watch that.” Alaria said to no one in particular. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan and Duor peered over the curb. “That’d be a good call, boss ‘Stormrider’ lady.” The dwarf mentioned with his usual sarcastic humor. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Duor was in a particularly good mood, having found others of his kind to relay his own, somewhat altered, tales of heroism and valor. The warrior-looking blond one, decked out in platemail and wielding a finely crafted broad sword, was Kordun. He and Kurn, who wore only a chainmail jacket and had a curious-looking crossbow nocked seemed adequately impressed and relayed their own tales of bravery from the passed two weeks. The four, Festus was sure to be a part of their conversation though he understood little of dwarves or their ways, shared a skin of ale the satyr had brought with him. The skin, Fen noted, was already half empty. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The company sat in wait. Haelan remained silent. Whether he was praying or meditating or fearing for his life, none knew. The only interaction he’d had was with Coerraine who explained his god-granted field of protection should extended the entire width of the broad roadway. The halfling had nodded his understanding at the paladin but said nothing. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Borsem and Coerraine conferred with Alaria as to their ‘plan.’ Alaria nodded her understanding and agreed with the course of action. They would do what damage they could. ‘If’ the battle went badly, they would retreat with all speed to the square to regroup. In the event all looked lost, they were to get into the Silver Platter and defend it. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria was told to act as she felt appropriate. Alaria took more than a little umbrage at the presumption of the sergeant to tell her what to do…even though it was to do what she felt best. She said nothing for fear of upsetting Haelan and then chastised herself for her own hubris. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Duor clapped the daelvar on the shoulder. “Not to worry Hilltender. Dwarven ingenuity will prevail this night. We’ve got a bit of a surprise in store for any nasties that come this way.” The dwarf then took a position in one of the building’s un-obscured doorways with Kurn. Both dwarves had their respective crossbows nocked and ready, a pail of burning pitch between them. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Coerraine had assured the dwarf that he would remain close enough for his field of protection to encompass the dwarf. The paladin quietly apologized to Alaria that he must make Duor a priority in the coming battle. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The magess nodded her understanding and assured Coerraine he had no reason to apologize. She had every intention of remaining close enough to the paladin to be within his blessed field. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Erevan took up a position up on one of the roofs of a building near the barricade. He had a small metal pail of burning pitch precariously placed next to him. The elf swirled an arrowhead in the bucket from time to time to keep the dark substance flaming. He’d pull the shaft from the pail and blow out the flames on the tip of his arrow. Well assured in his prowess with the bow, the elf sank into mental repetitions of the spells he had prepared. A magical assault was sure to be their first, and he hoped most effective, offense. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen had positioned himself beside a clutch of thin birch trees and bushes. The magic of his sacred cloak swathed him. It masked him from practically all view unless one was staring directly at him. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Even then, Alaria noted, the druid’s form was ‘sketchy.’ [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria whispered the detection incantation and took a moment to shift her vision. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The air about the druid, a priest of Orea itself, was again charged with the strangely mysterious energies of his ‘Ancient Holy Order.’ The intricacies of the energies lost to her sight and understanding. She stood behind Borsem, Coerraine, and the two human townfolk in the middle of the road.[/FONT][FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan stood silently at her side. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The wizardess found herself praying to the Blue Star that the daelvar would find security and strength in his faith in the coming hours…and use it to great effect. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]To Alaria’s horror, she noted the coiled mass of shadow near the druid. Its two red eyes glistened in her magical sight. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The shadow snake seemed no larger than the one they had encountered at Rhea’s glade in Welford. One for observation, according to Rhea, the wizard recalled. She also realized that they had neither the time nor resources to deal with the creature. Hope your master enjoys the show. Bastard! [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The night crept on, painfully slow. The green lesser moon, Sorilorr, was again nearing its fullness. The smaller satellite was nearly at its zenith despite the fact that it had only risen two hours prior. The silver greater moon, Arinane, was little more than a sliver. It lumbered its slow course, still low in the eastern sky. The mix of green and white light shone down upon the group, save the dwarves bathed in shadow of the recessed doorway. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The sound of something bounding down the road, as well as the odor, assailed the assembled ‘heroes’ before any creature was seen. The sound was one of claws scraping and scurrying along the stone-paved road which turned abruptly, almost one hundred and eighty degrees, a short distance ahead of the barricade. The road continued to slope further up the mountain. It was obscured by the buildings of the upper town and trees and undergrowth that rose up behind the buildings. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Here they come.” Said Borsem not too loudly. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fool, thought Fen, the creatures would know they were there by their scent for living flesh long before they would hear the young soldier. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Not two heartbeats later, one of the creatures rounded the switchback into view of the company. It was bent, hunched over, charging along on all fours. Its feet and hands were oversized with long digits ending in obvious claws. Its head had no hair. Greyish dead-looking skin seemed to cling to the impossibly thin frame. Its maw was also oversized for its head/face with sported two bulging eyes, the whites or which were almost entirely bloodshot. A pointed unnaturally long tongue hung out of its fang-filled mouth. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The creature paused a moment to look at the assembled treats before it. The swollen lengthy pukish purple tongue licked, not just its thin lips, but encompassed its entire face. The thing roared an inhume sound. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Another appeared. Then another appeared. Another. There were five in total on the road. They began crawling slowly toward the barricade. They made sounds that sound like maniacal laughter and bounded one over the other, scrambling in a mass of grey skeletal horror toward the barricade. None, however, presumed to leap ahead of the first creature which had rounded the bend in the road. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan, next to Alaria, made a small sound and gripped, shakily, his pinecone-headed mace in both hands. His magical small round shield was strapped securely to his forearm. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Enough of this, Alaria thought before raising her hands high and shouting the syllables in the language of magic. The energies flowed freely around her, her hair and golden robe swirled in the shifting ionized air. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“[I]Everx imberil rex!” <mage spell: Burning hands[/I]> [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]As her lips closed, flames of violet and bright red surrounded her hands for only a moment before bursting forth and arching over her allies and the barricade to crash down on the closely clustered creatures. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Howling, hoots and snarls burst from the collected ghouls as the fire rained down on them. The ‘leader’ shot forward and missed the the entirety of the arcane assault. Another leapt to the left and clamped onto the stone wall of one of the buildings immediately before the barricade. The other three were caught in the burning magical fire. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]All of the creatures charged forward three of them trailing violet and red flames as they came. The licks of magical fire passed off of them, though scorching black patches of flesh were evident on them. One in particular seemed heavily damaged but came up behind the others. [I]“Everx zaar!” <mage spell: Magic Missle[/I][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]> was shouted from somewhere over the heroes and a bolt of blue-green energy flew down to strike the lead ghoul. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The elf cursed that the creature was shunted to the side in mid-charge, a small sorch burst evident on its shoulder, but did not slow and in two bounds was leaping over the barricade toward the soldiers. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]There was a dull thud as Coerraine slammed the butt of his spear into the ground in front of him before raising both shield and spear for the expected attack. Immediately, a circle of golden light burst forth from the paladin’s position. The sliver of light passed by Alaria and Haelan to fade somewhere behind them. It washed to the left and right, lighting up for an instant, the two dwarves in the doorway and the cluster of birch trees where, Alaria assumed, Fen still hid. The light spread forward and seemed to fade as it washed over the barricade. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The ghoul who had avoided Alaria’s [I]burning hands[/I] by jumping onto the wall now leapt after its ‘leader’ and easily cleared the barricade toward the dwarf, Kordun. As the creature cleared the barricade, it was awash in golden light and shrieked in what all assumed to be pain as wisps of smoke began to trail off of it in midair. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The lead ghoul, similarly, began to smoke and hiss as it passed into the paladin’s protection field. Its arms seemed to extend from its body, like taffy, to reach for the Redstar Knight, while its body stayed well beyond the reach of his spear tip which gleamed with golden righteous power. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The odor was already overwhelming. The mental bolstering from Coerraine’s circle of protection was all that kept Haelan from wretching and fleeing for his life. But he stood his ground, unsteadily, grasping his mace and watching in horror as the entire group of creatures continued to advance, regardless of whatever it was the paladin’s field was doing to them. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]One of the townsfolk did, in fact, become ill and incapacitated by the noxious fumes emanating from the creatures. His fellow townsman took a defensive position in front of the striken man as the remainder of the creatures leapt over the barricade and began to sizzle and smoke within the paladin’s protection. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]A bolt of green lightning flared across the road and stopped in front of the two normal men and Sergeant Borsem. In an instant, vines and roots leapt from the ground and ensnared two of the ghouls. They were bound tightly within the living coils and the creatures shrieked in defiance. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Not wasting a moment of the opportunity, Borsem and the standing townsman began hacking into the trapped creatures, though their swords seemed to do very little to the greasy looking unnatural grey flesh. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen raced forward, his spear tip seemed to glisten solely with the green light of the lesser moon and he stabbed vigorously into the creatures within the field of writhing entangling flora. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Bolts tipped with flames from the pails of burning pitch shot out from the building doorway as the dwarves and satyr let loose with their weapon. Two more rained down from Erevan’s position on the nearby rooftop. Several made their marks but none of the creatures fell. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The one ghoul, heavily burned from Alaria’s attack, made a swipe at the druid. Its arms also stretching, seemingly impossibly far from its body. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen deftly twisted and turned to avoid both elongated hands of claws. The half-elf twirled his spear above his head like a propeller, incanting as he did so a bit too loudly. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]While Alaria did not feel an assault from the primordial words, just far enough away, but Borsem and the townsman did seem effected and distracted by the cryptic forbidden tongue of othe druids. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen could not be concerned, the abominations must be eliminated. The Balance must be defended, it was the prime directive of his order. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]At the completion of his spell, the spear’s leaf-shaped blade was ensconced in a ball of fire and the druid struck, getting uncomfortably close to the undead creature. The full force of the druid’s attack, coupled with magical flame caused the creature to shriek in defiance and then go limp. It smoldered as it slid off of the end of the druid’s spear. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Without waiting a breath to savor his victory, Fen whirled about to renew his stabbing attacks on the entangled ghouls. He knew the enchantment would not last much longer. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Borsem and the townsmen (the one who had been made ill had regained his feet) joined the druid in his assault. Again, their weapons seemed unable to pierce the undead skin. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Another round of fire-tipped arrows and crossbow bolts flew at the creatures from Erevan, Festus, Duor and the Shafton dwarf, Kurn. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan still stood shaking. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Haelan, the men’s weapons! Call up Faerantha’s blessing! All of our weapons!” Alaria commanded. The mages assumed the silver end of her staff might have some effect, but a bit of divine “juice” couldn’t hurt. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Snapped from his fear-striken inaction, the Hilltender nodded and bumbled. “Yes. Yes, Faerantha’s blessing. Yes. Of course. Um…Dei…Deisa Fuh-Fuh-F’rantha…um…” The halfling’s large brown eyes scanned the scene before him. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Coerraine jabbed and dodged at the lead creature. He smacked away raking claws with his shield and no attack had managed to pierce his defense though he was still unable to get in a solid strike on the ghoul. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The dwarf, Kordun, was similarly going :):):)-for-tat with the other ghoul which had leapt from the building wall. His broadsword, despite the dominating everpresent green light of Sorilorr seemed to gleam with a white glow, as if only the light of the silver moon were touching the blade. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The two ghouls entrapped by the vines began to snap the green cords, slowly freeing themselves as the potency of the druid’s spell began to wane. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Haelan! NOW!” Alaria shouted. Her own mind was reeling through the spells she’d prepared and looked for an opening in the various battles occurring before her where her magicks might prove useful. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The first of the entangled ghouls broke clear of the vegetation and made a swipe with its claws that raked out at one of the townsmen still trying to keep the creature’s contained in the enchanted plants. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The strike tore through cloth and armor, completely disemboweling the man and he dropped with barely a sound in a great spray of blood. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Ferdrik!” shouted the other man in panic. His friend was dead before he could even hear the cry. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Bollux, thought Alaria. Waiting for the “right moments” would only get them all killed. [I]“Everx zaar!”[/I][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] the wizardess exploded. The speed with which the energy raced around and through her surprised Alaria, herself. A corner of her mind smiled at her apparent increasing aptitude with the power. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Two shards of violet-blue energy darted forth from her outstretched arm. Each flew up and around her companions, one to land on the lead ghoul embattled by Coerraine, the other streaked up and over the plate-clad dwarf to strike his foe. Both struck true, barely faltering the creatures but disorienting them enough to allow both the paladin and dwarven warrior to get close enough to land solid blows. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Another volley of flaming bolts flew at the creatures. Two struck. Three missed, bouncing and skidding harmlessly on the cobblestones. [I]“Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras[/I][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana].” [I]<cleric spell: Bless>[/I] The divine invocation seemed to echo through the battle area. A honey-colored glow burst into view surrounding all of the weapons present except for the druid’s spear (which maintained its greenish sheen) and Kurden’s broadsword, awash in white light of its own. Erevan was surprised to see that even his bow flared with the momentary divine light. The halfling was obviously increasing in power, the elf thought as he nocked another arrow from the pail of flaming pitch. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] A momentary breeze flew across the companions. It dispelled the rancorous odor of the undead, filling their senses, instead, with the scent of summer rain and pine trees. In the wake of the cleared air, Haelan was washed of his fear and filled with the divine peace of his goddess’ favor. A look of fervent determination came over the Hilltender.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] “’Bout bloody time, hairfoot!” Duor shouted across the field of battle.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] With their newly empowered weapons, Borsem and the remaining townsman (with assistance by Fen) were able to destroy the two ghouls. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Coerraine and Kordun, with another peppering of flaming arrows, dispatched the leader and final ghoul.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] For a moment, all stood tense and waiting, half-expecting the creatures to leap up again. Instead, the gaunt grey frames remained fallen, hissing quietly as they unnatural bodies continued to give off wisps of smoke within Coerraine’s protection field.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] A moment later, the smoking stopped as Coerraine relaxed and released the defensive power.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] “That…was…LOCKHORNS!” raved the satyr from the doorway. He pranced and clip-clopped out onto the cobblestone road. “My first battle with the Stormriders did not disappoint. HOOHOO!” Festus skipped around the other heroes on the street with a broad smile on his face. “Imagine the songs that will be sung of the ‘Heroes of Shafton’!”[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Alaria and Coerraine scowled disapprovingly at the satyr’s exuberance in the face of the dead townsman.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The satyr, not losing his smile, looked at the mage and paladin. “C’mon…That was lockhorns.”[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Borsem, who consoled the remaining man (the fallen’s brother), Bret. “The threat is not over, Festus. But it is a good start.”[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The bodies of the ghouls were dragged over to the barricade. A couple were tossed over the sharpened spikes as a warning, though Coerraine seriously doubted that other ghouls would care.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Erevan readied to descend from his vantage point when his ears twitched at a sound.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The elf sniffed the air.[/FONT] [/QUOTE]
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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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