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Story Hour
Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5733703" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The party descended back to the cavern chamber. Duor quickly found the switch to cause the cave-in again. When they were sure all of the kobolds had come through, Duor set off the trap and blocked the passage to the cavern of the Hargak and the kobolds. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Kordun assured them that first order of business when he got some of the other miners was to create another to fully block off the passage. “Shouldn’t be too difficult.” Said the dwarf warrior-miner as he looked around the carved passage. “They’ve done a good bit of damage down here. Prolly have to close off other passages and reinforce others from the yappers’ shabby work.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">With some difficulty, the party managed to tote the treasure sacks and chests from the roper and kobolds up and out to first floor chamber where they’d fought the carrion crawler.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Thank Manat for the additional dwarves, Alaria thought to herself. Else it would have been quite the ordeal to get it all up at once.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Haelan went to stand near the side passage that had the lingering ghoul smell. He seemed troubled.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Are we going to go down this way?” the daelvar asked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen stood near the entryway and looked serious. “We did slay a lot of the creatures. But we have no way of knowing if we got them all.” The druid pointed out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">It was quickly agreed they would check out the passage. Kordun told them what to expect from the passage, but he and Kurn were assigned to wait in the chamber with the load of treasure. Duor and Festus, despite their volunteering to wait, were ushered into the passage ahead of the party.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">They were only a short distance down before weapons were drawn and spells called to mind when they rounded a bend to see the back end of a green and purple, multi-legged body in the passage.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Tension eased when they were close to notice, the creature did not move. Its front half was squarely pressed into the floor beneath a ten foot long section of “wall” with sharpened saplings and stone spikes. Green ichor had oozed out and puddled all around the creature.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Heh. Looks like it’s ‘<em>crawler carrion’</em>, now.” Duor joked, thoroughly pleased with his own wit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“HA!” burst Festus quite by accident. The burst of laughter echoed down through the passage. The satyr received several disapproving looks from the human and elvish contingent of the party.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The odor of the ghouls had not lessened or increased, however. So the readied-party stayed a bit on edge as they climbed around (or in Duor’s case “over”, with a few good stomps on top of the trap) “Just to make sure.” The dwarf defended his actions to the questioning party.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Festus chuckled softly. He did like the dwarf’s style.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Shortly after the crawler’s corpse, they came to a small chamber containing a lift that only went down, as Kordun had told them they would. The platform for the lift was lost somewhere in the dark shaft below. None desired to make another descent and after Erevan and Duor listened carefully at the railed pit in the middle of the room, nodded that there was no strange noise coming from below.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">They carried on down a smaller passage that struck out into the darkness heading west, “obviously freshly carved” according to Duor.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">They came across several scatterings of small bones and half assembled skeletons. One half-eaten disembodied head proved to them all that they were kobold remains.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Duor spat on one skull. “Too bad the rest of yer ilk didn’t share yer fate.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Festus relieved himself on another collection of bones. “Maybe you’ll think twice before assaulting Daenfrii and clashing swords with the Stormriders.” The satyr said to the newly dampened bones. He received no reply.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Alaria continued down the passage, ignoring the satyr’s utterly repugnant actions. She was accompanied by most of the party. Duor gave the satyr a high-five.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">They moved with caution, Festus and Duor back in the fore to seek out other possible pitfalls and traps. After a while of slow-going, they saw the passage ended in a chamber, seemingly much older than “fresh construction” they’d been moving through. There were many bones scattered about. A cursory inspection by Erevan and Fen confirmed that some were kobold, others human.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">As they moved into the narrow passage between the slightly arched walls, they realized they were in a catacomb. Slots in the walls to either side, three high, were carefully carved into the walls in neat rows. Between the slots, some of which contained tattered rags and scattered bones, others were sealed with at least partial slabs of stone which had not been disturbed. Etchings of the”Y” symbol of the goddess Desri and the “X” shaped symbol of hammers and chisels crossed, the holy symbol of the smith god, Dunric, lined the walls between the alcoves of the dead.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">They were elegantly created and decoratively etched. Other sections of the stone walls bore prayers in Dwarven and Selurian writing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“These must be the catacombs of the Dunrician shrine.” Haelan said quietly, voicing what many of them already suspected. “Could we have traveled so far within the mountain? I wish Kordun was here.” The Hilltender muttered distracted. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The whole area smelled of death only slightly overwhelmed by the “ghoul-stank.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“We should not be here. Let the remaining dead rest in peace.” Coerraine said. “We should complete the circuit. If this is the catacombs beneath the shrine, we should be able to go up and out through here. We can double back through the mine entrance and collect Kordun and Kurn.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“And our treasure, pally! Let’s not forget why we’ve been riskin’ life n’ beard through this hell-hole.” Duor said, still mirthful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Things then got very serious very quickly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Coerraine was tackled by a gaunt grey shape that fell on him from one of the upper slots. The paladin cried out in pain for a moment before the ghoul toxin seeped into his blood from the thing’s bite and froze his muscles and joints.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Shite!” shouted Festus in alarm.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Another ghoul appeared at the edge of their flickering torchlight from further in the catacomb and lunged at the closest warm-blooded body it could. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fortunately, that was Erevan. While the elf was knocked back by the creature’s swiping claws and the chilling pain ripped through his body, the Miralostae’s blood rejected the unearthly toxin and he was able to rip his finely crafted longsword from its scabbard before the ghoul could make another attack.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Haelan!” cried Alaria as she stepped back behind the elf. Her mind searched through her remaining spells for something that might help. She had, somewhat foolishly in hindsight, she thought, expended more magic on the kobolds than was probably wise.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Fen’s spear tip flared with its green glow as the druid angrily stabbed into the creature attacking Erevan. His aim was somewhat off as he fought to stay the rumbling in his stomach form the creature’s foul scent.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The nimble grey-skinned creature avoided the blow. The other, atop Coerraine’s frozen form, ignored strikes from Festus’ curved falchion and Duor’s missed swipe of his ethereal dagger.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></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'">Instead, it chose to rip into the fallen Redstar to get to more of the sweet warm red blood. Coerraine’s eyes teared up in agony, since his body utterly refused to even make a sound.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“HAELAN!!!” Alaria shouted again at the halfling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The daelvar priest had heard her the first time, but was engrossed in mustering the divine might of his goddess. Finally, the Hilltender raised the amulet from around his neck and called up Faerantha’s glory to push these abominations from Her holy presence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The medallion flared with the golden light, as it had a couple of nights before, and then burst forth from the halfling in all directions. The area surrounding the party was filled again with the scent of pine trees and fertile soil.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></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'">But there was something else.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></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 could feel the pressing of evil upon him in the deep enclosed space...it “fought” his invocation in a way he had not been pressed upon in his last “turning.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The ghouls were all but thrown from the area ensconced in the cleric’s holy power. One behind them. One before. Neither more than ten feet away from the party and the light. They did not dare come closer, but neither did they flee as Haelan (and Alaria and pretty much everyone else) had hoped.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“There’s…something here…it tries to block Faerantha’s grace.” Haelan said strained. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Well done, Haelan. We just need a bit more time.” Alaria assured the cleric.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Erevan cast the spell of energy darts and a blue-green shard of energy shot forth from him to squarely strike the ghoul ahead of them. A small scorch mark and wisp of smoke on the creature’s chest was all that remained a moment later. It opened its impossibly long jaw and flared its thick long purple tongue at the party with a howl of defiance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Festus and Duor had taken back to their bows for the creature waiting behind them outside the sanctified area. It cried and howled as it also took to the walls, even scurrying up onto the ceiling shrieking unknown curses at the satyr and dwarf. Most of the bolts missed or skidded off the creature’s greasy flesh.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Could use some o’ that holy mojo juice fer the weapons, hairfoot.” Duor shouted unceremoniously.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> “It…shall…not…succeed.” Haelan said completely unaware of the actions that occurred around him. The devout daelvar’s mind and faith felt as though under a weight. The strength of the Hillmother would not be crushed by so simple and vile a force. He would not allow it.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Fen called forth his ball of flame and launched it from the leaf-shaped spear, like it were a sling.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">It struck the waiting ghoul before Erevan and himself and the creature hopped and scurried up onto the walls and rolled about on the floor for a moment before finally crouching to the ground and staring menacingly at the druid. Its skin was severely blistered and blackened, but it was still ‘alive.’</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Then, barely entering the light behind the burned ghoul came a black robed figure. It was lanky and hooded, but bore a skull face-mask that covered the figure’s face down to the nose. Two long fangs protruded down either cheek. The glint of living eyes reflected the flickering light of the torches and Haelan’s holy glow behind the bone eye-sockets.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The figure raised its arms and chanted in some language none of the party understood. It was twisted with corruption and dripped with the taint of evil. It was like some inverted form of the Old Selurian used by priests.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><em>“Suetssssid maleviiiicaaa, sarap meit suolsss, Endore ssresssstim!” <cleric spell: Curse (reversed Bless) “Curse these interlopers, reap their souls, Mistress Endore.”</em></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The air around the party seemed to dim. The holy glow of Haelan’s medallion flickered and then went out. The halfling was shaken to his knees, defeated and exhausted. With the loss of the Hilltender’s holy presence, all of the party felt a weight upon them. Not physically, but a weight on their souls, for no better way of putting it. The catacomb seemed darker than before, despite the torches. More foreboding.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> “Haelan, our weapons! You must bless the weapons!” Festus shouted, surprising himself at his presumption of commanding one of the Stormriders.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The satyr was barely able to get the sentence out before the ghoul he and Duor had been targeting leapt back into the fray. The satyr dove/tumbled to avoid the ghoul’s elongated arms that tried to sink its claws into him. The hoofed ranger came to a standing stance between the ghoul and still incapacitated paladin.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Duor climbed one of the walls up to one of the second alcoves. He gripped the lip with one hand and re-drew his glowing dagger, which lent its eerie green smokey light to the gloom that had descended on the area.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The other burned ghoul leapt straight for the accursed nature priest. One arm extending toward the druid and the other to the elf archer beside him. </span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Its one hand dug into the half-elf who felt the unnatural thing’s poisons course through his body. Unfortunately, his diluted elf-blood did not save him and Fen was able to mutter a curse even as the ghoul’s body came to land upon his spear and impale itself with its own weight. The druid and destroyed ghoul fell back in an unmoving heap.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The evil priest of the Plague Mistress raised its arms to its sides and again began to chant. Almost immediately, the bones scattered around the catacomb and even those still within their slots began to jostle and shift positions, pulling themselves together to form warped skeletal beings.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Alaria withdrew the Ihs Repahl from its pouch. There was no time for delicacy or creativity. With a thought, wind twirled around Alaria, raising dust and small chips of bone and tattered cloth. In the following second a blast of air moved through the narrow chamber striking the black-robed figure with the force of a battering ram. </span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> The lanky figure immediately was thrown from its feet and disappeared into the darkness before them. Breaking the cleric’s concentration (and Alaria hoped wounding him “at least a little?”) , the joining bones faltered and fell to the ground, inanimate. </span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Coerraine moaned and began rousing himself. His joints still felt like ice, but the creature’s effect was fading. He bled from a large gash in his back and another on his shield-arm shoulder. Weakly, he placed his other hand on his shoulder and through unsure lips murmured a prayer to Celradorn before again collapsing to the floor. The bleeding ceased, but the wounds remained evident and seemed to fester before the eye.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Festus was doing what he could to avoid the remaining ghoul’s attacks, knowing he couldn’t possibly stop the thing himself.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"> Duor dove off of the wall of the catacomb and sank his green-glowing dagger deep between the greasy grey flesh of the ghoul’s protruding shoulder blades. It screeched an unearthly sound and fell limp beneath the dwarf who quickly covered his nose and mouth with hand before becoming physically ill, finally overcome by the “ghoul-stank.” </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, quickly now.” Alaria shouted. “We must get that priest of Endore.” She looked behind her for the first time since the encounter began. “Oh, sorry. Are you ok? Coerraine!? Manat’s Star! Haelan can you heal him?! Fen? Fen!”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The druid, relieved of his undead burden by Erevan, was still unable to move and looked pleadingly at the Miralostae.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“Alaria, I fear we are in no condition to mount a hunt.” Erevan said plainly. He didn’t look up from the half-elf, but smiled weakly and nodded at Fen. “<em>It will pass soon.</em>” He said in elvin. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“If he gets away, we will have another horde of ghouls in Shafton in no time. Festus? Duor? You are unharmed? Come with me. The rest of you follow as you are able.” Alaria said in that commanding tone she sometimes adopted.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">None could argue with her logic, though the satyr and dwarf looked at each other nervously. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">The magess whispered a basic cantrip and light flared from the ironshod end of her staff. “Come on!” she shouted before she took off down the catacomb which ended abruptly at the foot of a staircase leading up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Festus nodded, setting his face with a determined look.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“She likes me.” The satyr said with a sidelong wink to the still questioning dwarf. This caused Duor to smile despite himself as the two took off after the headstrong wizard.</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5733703, member: 92511"] [FONT=Verdana]The party descended back to the cavern chamber. Duor quickly found the switch to cause the cave-in again. When they were sure all of the kobolds had come through, Duor set off the trap and blocked the passage to the cavern of the Hargak and the kobolds. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Kordun assured them that first order of business when he got some of the other miners was to create another to fully block off the passage. “Shouldn’t be too difficult.” Said the dwarf warrior-miner as he looked around the carved passage. “They’ve done a good bit of damage down here. Prolly have to close off other passages and reinforce others from the yappers’ shabby work.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]With some difficulty, the party managed to tote the treasure sacks and chests from the roper and kobolds up and out to first floor chamber where they’d fought the carrion crawler. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Thank Manat for the additional dwarves, Alaria thought to herself. Else it would have been quite the ordeal to get it all up at once. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan went to stand near the side passage that had the lingering ghoul smell. He seemed troubled. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Are we going to go down this way?” the daelvar asked. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen stood near the entryway and looked serious. “We did slay a lot of the creatures. But we have no way of knowing if we got them all.” The druid pointed out. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]It was quickly agreed they would check out the passage. Kordun told them what to expect from the passage, but he and Kurn were assigned to wait in the chamber with the load of treasure. Duor and Festus, despite their volunteering to wait, were ushered into the passage ahead of the party. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]They were only a short distance down before weapons were drawn and spells called to mind when they rounded a bend to see the back end of a green and purple, multi-legged body in the passage. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Tension eased when they were close to notice, the creature did not move. Its front half was squarely pressed into the floor beneath a ten foot long section of “wall” with sharpened saplings and stone spikes. Green ichor had oozed out and puddled all around the creature. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Heh. Looks like it’s ‘[I]crawler carrion’[/I], now.” Duor joked, thoroughly pleased with his own wit. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“HA!” burst Festus quite by accident. The burst of laughter echoed down through the passage. The satyr received several disapproving looks from the human and elvish contingent of the party. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The odor of the ghouls had not lessened or increased, however. So the readied-party stayed a bit on edge as they climbed around (or in Duor’s case “over”, with a few good stomps on top of the trap) “Just to make sure.” The dwarf defended his actions to the questioning party. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Festus chuckled softly. He did like the dwarf’s style. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Shortly after the crawler’s corpse, they came to a small chamber containing a lift that only went down, as Kordun had told them they would. The platform for the lift was lost somewhere in the dark shaft below. None desired to make another descent and after Erevan and Duor listened carefully at the railed pit in the middle of the room, nodded that there was no strange noise coming from below. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]They carried on down a smaller passage that struck out into the darkness heading west, “obviously freshly carved” according to Duor. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]They came across several scatterings of small bones and half assembled skeletons. One half-eaten disembodied head proved to them all that they were kobold remains. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Duor spat on one skull. “Too bad the rest of yer ilk didn’t share yer fate.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Festus relieved himself on another collection of bones. “Maybe you’ll think twice before assaulting Daenfrii and clashing swords with the Stormriders.” The satyr said to the newly dampened bones. He received no reply. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Alaria continued down the passage, ignoring the satyr’s utterly repugnant actions. She was accompanied by most of the party. Duor gave the satyr a high-five. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]They moved with caution, Festus and Duor back in the fore to seek out other possible pitfalls and traps. After a while of slow-going, they saw the passage ended in a chamber, seemingly much older than “fresh construction” they’d been moving through. There were many bones scattered about. A cursory inspection by Erevan and Fen confirmed that some were kobold, others human. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]As they moved into the narrow passage between the slightly arched walls, they realized they were in a catacomb. Slots in the walls to either side, three high, were carefully carved into the walls in neat rows. Between the slots, some of which contained tattered rags and scattered bones, others were sealed with at least partial slabs of stone which had not been disturbed. Etchings of the”Y” symbol of the goddess Desri and the “X” shaped symbol of hammers and chisels crossed, the holy symbol of the smith god, Dunric, lined the walls between the alcoves of the dead. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]They were elegantly created and decoratively etched. Other sections of the stone walls bore prayers in Dwarven and Selurian writing. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“These must be the catacombs of the Dunrician shrine.” Haelan said quietly, voicing what many of them already suspected. “Could we have traveled so far within the mountain? I wish Kordun was here.” The Hilltender muttered distracted. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The whole area smelled of death only slightly overwhelmed by the “ghoul-stank.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“We should not be here. Let the remaining dead rest in peace.” Coerraine said. “We should complete the circuit. If this is the catacombs beneath the shrine, we should be able to go up and out through here. We can double back through the mine entrance and collect Kordun and Kurn.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“And our treasure, pally! Let’s not forget why we’ve been riskin’ life n’ beard through this hell-hole.” Duor said, still mirthful. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Things then got very serious very quickly. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Coerraine was tackled by a gaunt grey shape that fell on him from one of the upper slots. The paladin cried out in pain for a moment before the ghoul toxin seeped into his blood from the thing’s bite and froze his muscles and joints. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Shite!” shouted Festus in alarm. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Another ghoul appeared at the edge of their flickering torchlight from further in the catacomb and lunged at the closest warm-blooded body it could. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fortunately, that was Erevan. While the elf was knocked back by the creature’s swiping claws and the chilling pain ripped through his body, the Miralostae’s blood rejected the unearthly toxin and he was able to rip his finely crafted longsword from its scabbard before the ghoul could make another attack. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Haelan!” cried Alaria as she stepped back behind the elf. Her mind searched through her remaining spells for something that might help. She had, somewhat foolishly in hindsight, she thought, expended more magic on the kobolds than was probably wise. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Fen’s spear tip flared with its green glow as the druid angrily stabbed into the creature attacking Erevan. His aim was somewhat off as he fought to stay the rumbling in his stomach form the creature’s foul scent. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The nimble grey-skinned creature avoided the blow. The other, atop Coerraine’s frozen form, ignored strikes from Festus’ curved falchion and Duor’s missed swipe of his ethereal dagger. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Instead, it chose to rip into the fallen Redstar to get to more of the sweet warm red blood. Coerraine’s eyes teared up in agony, since his body utterly refused to even make a sound. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“HAELAN!!!” Alaria shouted again at the halfling. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The daelvar priest had heard her the first time, but was engrossed in mustering the divine might of his goddess. Finally, the Hilltender raised the amulet from around his neck and called up Faerantha’s glory to push these abominations from Her holy presence. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The medallion flared with the golden light, as it had a couple of nights before, and then burst forth from the halfling in all directions. The area surrounding the party was filled again with the scent of pine trees and fertile soil. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]But there was something else. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Haelan could feel the pressing of evil upon him in the deep enclosed space...it “fought” his invocation in a way he had not been pressed upon in his last “turning.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The ghouls were all but thrown from the area ensconced in the cleric’s holy power. One behind them. One before. Neither more than ten feet away from the party and the light. They did not dare come closer, but neither did they flee as Haelan (and Alaria and pretty much everyone else) had hoped. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“There’s…something here…it tries to block Faerantha’s grace.” Haelan said strained. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Well done, Haelan. We just need a bit more time.” Alaria assured the cleric. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Erevan cast the spell of energy darts and a blue-green shard of energy shot forth from him to squarely strike the ghoul ahead of them. A small scorch mark and wisp of smoke on the creature’s chest was all that remained a moment later. It opened its impossibly long jaw and flared its thick long purple tongue at the party with a howl of defiance. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Festus and Duor had taken back to their bows for the creature waiting behind them outside the sanctified area. It cried and howled as it also took to the walls, even scurrying up onto the ceiling shrieking unknown curses at the satyr and dwarf. Most of the bolts missed or skidded off the creature’s greasy flesh. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Could use some o’ that holy mojo juice fer the weapons, hairfoot.” Duor shouted unceremoniously. “It…shall…not…succeed.” Haelan said completely unaware of the actions that occurred around him. The devout daelvar’s mind and faith felt as though under a weight. The strength of the Hillmother would not be crushed by so simple and vile a force. He would not allow it.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Fen called forth his ball of flame and launched it from the leaf-shaped spear, like it were a sling.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] It struck the waiting ghoul before Erevan and himself and the creature hopped and scurried up onto the walls and rolled about on the floor for a moment before finally crouching to the ground and staring menacingly at the druid. Its skin was severely blistered and blackened, but it was still ‘alive.’[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Then, barely entering the light behind the burned ghoul came a black robed figure. It was lanky and hooded, but bore a skull face-mask that covered the figure’s face down to the nose. Two long fangs protruded down either cheek. The glint of living eyes reflected the flickering light of the torches and Haelan’s holy glow behind the bone eye-sockets.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The figure raised its arms and chanted in some language none of the party understood. It was twisted with corruption and dripped with the taint of evil. It was like some inverted form of the Old Selurian used by priests.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [I]“Suetssssid maleviiiicaaa, sarap meit suolsss, Endore ssresssstim!” <cleric spell: Curse (reversed Bless) “Curse these interlopers, reap their souls, Mistress Endore.”[/I][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]> The air around the party seemed to dim. The holy glow of Haelan’s medallion flickered and then went out. The halfling was shaken to his knees, defeated and exhausted. With the loss of the Hilltender’s holy presence, all of the party felt a weight upon them. Not physically, but a weight on their souls, for no better way of putting it. The catacomb seemed darker than before, despite the torches. More foreboding.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] “Haelan, our weapons! You must bless the weapons!” Festus shouted, surprising himself at his presumption of commanding one of the Stormriders.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The satyr was barely able to get the sentence out before the ghoul he and Duor had been targeting leapt back into the fray. The satyr dove/tumbled to avoid the ghoul’s elongated arms that tried to sink its claws into him. The hoofed ranger came to a standing stance between the ghoul and still incapacitated paladin.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Duor climbed one of the walls up to one of the second alcoves. He gripped the lip with one hand and re-drew his glowing dagger, which lent its eerie green smokey light to the gloom that had descended on the area.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The other burned ghoul leapt straight for the accursed nature priest. One arm extending toward the druid and the other to the elf archer beside him. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Its one hand dug into the half-elf who felt the unnatural thing’s poisons course through his body. Unfortunately, his diluted elf-blood did not save him and Fen was able to mutter a curse even as the ghoul’s body came to land upon his spear and impale itself with its own weight. The druid and destroyed ghoul fell back in an unmoving heap.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The evil priest of the Plague Mistress raised its arms to its sides and again began to chant. Almost immediately, the bones scattered around the catacomb and even those still within their slots began to jostle and shift positions, pulling themselves together to form warped skeletal beings.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Alaria withdrew the Ihs Repahl from its pouch. There was no time for delicacy or creativity. With a thought, wind twirled around Alaria, raising dust and small chips of bone and tattered cloth. In the following second a blast of air moved through the narrow chamber striking the black-robed figure with the force of a battering ram. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] The lanky figure immediately was thrown from its feet and disappeared into the darkness before them. Breaking the cleric’s concentration (and Alaria hoped wounding him “at least a little?”) , the joining bones faltered and fell to the ground, inanimate. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Coerraine moaned and began rousing himself. His joints still felt like ice, but the creature’s effect was fading. He bled from a large gash in his back and another on his shield-arm shoulder. Weakly, he placed his other hand on his shoulder and through unsure lips murmured a prayer to Celradorn before again collapsing to the floor. The bleeding ceased, but the wounds remained evident and seemed to fester before the eye.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Festus was doing what he could to avoid the remaining ghoul’s attacks, knowing he couldn’t possibly stop the thing himself.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] Duor dove off of the wall of the catacomb and sank his green-glowing dagger deep between the greasy grey flesh of the ghoul’s protruding shoulder blades. It screeched an unearthly sound and fell limp beneath the dwarf who quickly covered his nose and mouth with hand before becoming physically ill, finally overcome by the “ghoul-stank.” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Haelan, quickly now.” Alaria shouted. “We must get that priest of Endore.” She looked behind her for the first time since the encounter began. “Oh, sorry. Are you ok? Coerraine!? Manat’s Star! Haelan can you heal him?! Fen? Fen!” [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The druid, relieved of his undead burden by Erevan, was still unable to move and looked pleadingly at the Miralostae. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“Alaria, I fear we are in no condition to mount a hunt.” Erevan said plainly. He didn’t look up from the half-elf, but smiled weakly and nodded at Fen. “[I]It will pass soon.[/I]” He said in elvin. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]“If he gets away, we will have another horde of ghouls in Shafton in no time. Festus? Duor? You are unharmed? Come with me. The rest of you follow as you are able.” Alaria said in that commanding tone she sometimes adopted. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]None could argue with her logic, though the satyr and dwarf looked at each other nervously. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]The magess whispered a basic cantrip and light flared from the ironshod end of her staff. “Come on!” she shouted before she took off down the catacomb which ended abruptly at the foot of a staircase leading up. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana]Festus nodded, setting his face with a determined look. “She likes me.” The satyr said with a sidelong wink to the still questioning dwarf. This caused Duor to smile despite himself as the two took off after the headstrong wizard.[/FONT] [/QUOTE]
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