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The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 1066586" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #233a] When Heroes Go Down...[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>Ruze stared back at the huge monster and narrowed his eyes.</p><p></p><p>"My Goddess now is the time for thy shield," the Battleguard intoned. "Allow me to pass unmolested so I may reap the fallen and retreat." His holy symbol seemed to flash in the sunlight and he felt the protective mantle of a Sanctuary spell gird his body. He sucked in his breath and moved toward Draelond adding as an afterthought, "We have walked into a bit of a mess here, I am afraid."</p><p></p><p>The rat-headed giant opened its mouth in anticipation, thick ropes of saliva falling on Ledare's prone form as the creature eyed the cleric.</p><p></p><p>Ruze's eyes never left the huge monster as he reached down and grabbed Draelond by the collar of the fallen man's chain shirt. The cleric was happy to hear Draelond grunt in pain as he hauled his head and shoulders off the ground and began to drag him toward the portal.</p><p></p><p>That was the last thing that Ruze was happy about that day.</p><p></p><p>The giant came at him, thunderously, its claws ripping divots in the earth as it charged. Ruze had faith in his goddess, and he did nothing to avoid the creature's talons as it came at him since he was certain that it would be unable to actually strike him through his spell of Sanctuary. He was wrong. The creature's filthy nails ripped into his right forearm, trying to make him drop the scimitar in his hand. The initial pain was terrific and he felt his fingers going numb from the impact, but he maintained his grip on the weapon and the presence of mind to avoid both the monster's second claw attack and its snapping jaws.</p><p></p><p>From his vantagepoint near the portal, Vade watched his friend suffering at the monster's claws. For the first time ever, he wished he had a great big sword so he could stick that great big nasty and help Ruze out. But he didn't have a great big sword and his sling didn't seem to be doing much of anything to the giant. The cleric's wife, though... She had a big sword. Too bad she was sucking mud instead of fighting. Vade remembered the potion he'd found in the cave and pulled it out of his pouch. It was still crusted with yuckiness from that weird Devourer's place, but maybe it was a potion of healing. It was worth a try. He shrugged and darted across the clearing toward Ledare, tumbling acrobatically when he came within the creature's 10-foot reach.</p><p></p><p>On the other side of the portal, Ixin could stand no more. She reached into one of the impossibly deep pockets sewn into the lining of her cloak and produced a potion of her own. She remembered taking the vial from one of the racks in the Hibernian's laboratory. It was a potion of Divine Favor labeled with the grail symbol of the Bretoni goddess, Rhiannon, and it sent a waterfall of ice through Ixin's body as she drank it. Even as she cast it aside, she reached into another pocket and withdrew one of Dwardolin's scrolls before stepping through the portal into Spiderwood.</p><p></p><p>"Step back!" Ruze commanded, leveling his moonblade at the creature's head and the thing did as he bade it. It blinked at him in confusion but stepped away, allowing Ruze to drag Draelond out of range of its claws.</p><p></p><p>Vade rolled up to Ledare's side and came up short. The half-elf's breathing was shallow and ragged. The ground around her was growing dark with her blood and he could see a red gusher pulsing up from her wounded leg. The halfling grimaced and poured the potion down the Janissary's throat saying, "Through the teeth and over the gums... watch out belly here it comes." At once, the tiny fountain of blood dwindled to nothing and her breathing evened out somewhat, but she showed no sign of regaining consciousness. Frowning, Vade tugged at Ledare's sword arm; he may as well have been trying to uproot a tree, it seemed, but the Janissary's armored form moved a fraction after a few moments' strain.</p><p></p><p>"You. Need. To. Diet," he grunted, red-faced as he pulled.</p><p></p><p>Ixin stepped up passed Ruze with the scroll unfurled in one hand. The parchment crumbled into ash as she spoke the last words of the spell, "Fuco aspergo!" She gestured at the giant and a rainbow cone of clashing colors sprayed from her outstretched hand, enveloping the creature in the dizzying display. The rat giant's face went slack and it blinked crazily as the colors subsided, but it showed no sign of attacking.</p><p></p><p>Ixin and Ruze exchanged a glance. "That won't last long," she told him and the Battleguard nodded.</p><p></p><p>"Go. Help Vade drag Ledare back here," the cleric said. "I'll hold it off as well as I may."</p><p></p><p>The mage took off at a run and Ruze muttered another quick prayer as he unsheathed his second scimitar. "My Queen," he whispered, "I beg you for your guidance against this minion of chaos."</p><p></p><p>As if it had heard the spoken prayer, the giant blinked the confusion from its bulging yellow eyes and glowered down at the cleric. Its claws rose and fell rapidly and were just as rapidly turned aside by Ruze's scimitars. He couldn't avoid the bite attack that descended onto his right shoulder, piercing his scalemail and scraping off the bone beneath. Ruze roared in pain but kept his focus, maneuvering himself and his opponent away from the portal five feet at a time.</p><p></p><p>The Battleguard's agonized scream of pain caused Vade to whine in fear and redouble his efforts with Ledare's unmoving form. She was so heavy, though, and it was very slow going.</p><p></p><p>Ixin ran up beside the halfling, unfurled another scroll and spoke the magic trigger, "Contego!" As the scroll crumbled away to nothingness, an invisible disk of force materialized in front of the mage. She had no trouble sensing the temporary hardening of the Weave and she mentally directed it to face toward the giant before grabbing Ledare's shield arm. "Come on!" she urged and together, she and Vade made good time with the Janissary.</p><p></p><p>Ruze held his swords defensively and made a tactical adjustment, luring the giant away from the portal as he did so. The rat monster took the bait and moved to follow, slashing at the cleric with its claws. Ruze wove a masterful defense with his curved blades, easily deflecting the creature's first attack. The second came in, and almost found its way passed his defenses, but the Battleguard felt the hand of his goddess guiding his blade into place and the monster missed by the narrowest of margins. Its bite found only his whirling steel.</p><p></p><p>"The thingie!" Vade cried as he and Ixin got to the portal with Ledare.</p><p></p><p>The archway was filled with the luminous green vapor and for a moment Ixin's heart sank. Perhaps she had trapped them all here by stepping through from the Devourer's lair. She reached out a clawed hand and touched the rune that corresponded to the caves outside Strenchburg Junction. A wave of relief washed over her as the green mist thinned, revealing the darkened cave interior. She and Vade heaved the Janissary's body through the portal and went to do the same with Draelond's.</p><p></p><p>Ruze continued to lead the giant away, his swords held in their defensive positions, and they wove a nearly impenetrable net of flashing steel between cleric and monster. Its claws and teeth were driven back by the moonblades, but the Battleguard had used the last of Shaharizod's guidance, and this time, when a talon swept in low beneath his defenses, there was no divine guidance to turn his blade in the right direction. The giant slashed its nails across Ruze's left foot, tearing away flesh and sending the cleric to the ground on his back.</p><p></p><p>Symmetry, Ruze thought as darkness took him. He'd been in a similar position at the moment that he'd decided to devote himself to the Silver Queen. It seemed fitting that he should find himself in the same state when he went to meet her in the afterworld.</p><p></p><p>Vade saw the cleric fall and had a slightly different opinion. "We're dead," he said.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 1066586, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #233a] When Heroes Go Down...[/PLAIN][/b] Ruze stared back at the huge monster and narrowed his eyes. "My Goddess now is the time for thy shield," the Battleguard intoned. "Allow me to pass unmolested so I may reap the fallen and retreat." His holy symbol seemed to flash in the sunlight and he felt the protective mantle of a Sanctuary spell gird his body. He sucked in his breath and moved toward Draelond adding as an afterthought, "We have walked into a bit of a mess here, I am afraid." The rat-headed giant opened its mouth in anticipation, thick ropes of saliva falling on Ledare's prone form as the creature eyed the cleric. Ruze's eyes never left the huge monster as he reached down and grabbed Draelond by the collar of the fallen man's chain shirt. The cleric was happy to hear Draelond grunt in pain as he hauled his head and shoulders off the ground and began to drag him toward the portal. That was the last thing that Ruze was happy about that day. The giant came at him, thunderously, its claws ripping divots in the earth as it charged. Ruze had faith in his goddess, and he did nothing to avoid the creature's talons as it came at him since he was certain that it would be unable to actually strike him through his spell of Sanctuary. He was wrong. The creature's filthy nails ripped into his right forearm, trying to make him drop the scimitar in his hand. The initial pain was terrific and he felt his fingers going numb from the impact, but he maintained his grip on the weapon and the presence of mind to avoid both the monster's second claw attack and its snapping jaws. From his vantagepoint near the portal, Vade watched his friend suffering at the monster's claws. For the first time ever, he wished he had a great big sword so he could stick that great big nasty and help Ruze out. But he didn't have a great big sword and his sling didn't seem to be doing much of anything to the giant. The cleric's wife, though... She had a big sword. Too bad she was sucking mud instead of fighting. Vade remembered the potion he'd found in the cave and pulled it out of his pouch. It was still crusted with yuckiness from that weird Devourer's place, but maybe it was a potion of healing. It was worth a try. He shrugged and darted across the clearing toward Ledare, tumbling acrobatically when he came within the creature's 10-foot reach. On the other side of the portal, Ixin could stand no more. She reached into one of the impossibly deep pockets sewn into the lining of her cloak and produced a potion of her own. She remembered taking the vial from one of the racks in the Hibernian's laboratory. It was a potion of Divine Favor labeled with the grail symbol of the Bretoni goddess, Rhiannon, and it sent a waterfall of ice through Ixin's body as she drank it. Even as she cast it aside, she reached into another pocket and withdrew one of Dwardolin's scrolls before stepping through the portal into Spiderwood. "Step back!" Ruze commanded, leveling his moonblade at the creature's head and the thing did as he bade it. It blinked at him in confusion but stepped away, allowing Ruze to drag Draelond out of range of its claws. Vade rolled up to Ledare's side and came up short. The half-elf's breathing was shallow and ragged. The ground around her was growing dark with her blood and he could see a red gusher pulsing up from her wounded leg. The halfling grimaced and poured the potion down the Janissary's throat saying, "Through the teeth and over the gums... watch out belly here it comes." At once, the tiny fountain of blood dwindled to nothing and her breathing evened out somewhat, but she showed no sign of regaining consciousness. Frowning, Vade tugged at Ledare's sword arm; he may as well have been trying to uproot a tree, it seemed, but the Janissary's armored form moved a fraction after a few moments' strain. "You. Need. To. Diet," he grunted, red-faced as he pulled. Ixin stepped up passed Ruze with the scroll unfurled in one hand. The parchment crumbled into ash as she spoke the last words of the spell, "Fuco aspergo!" She gestured at the giant and a rainbow cone of clashing colors sprayed from her outstretched hand, enveloping the creature in the dizzying display. The rat giant's face went slack and it blinked crazily as the colors subsided, but it showed no sign of attacking. Ixin and Ruze exchanged a glance. "That won't last long," she told him and the Battleguard nodded. "Go. Help Vade drag Ledare back here," the cleric said. "I'll hold it off as well as I may." The mage took off at a run and Ruze muttered another quick prayer as he unsheathed his second scimitar. "My Queen," he whispered, "I beg you for your guidance against this minion of chaos." As if it had heard the spoken prayer, the giant blinked the confusion from its bulging yellow eyes and glowered down at the cleric. Its claws rose and fell rapidly and were just as rapidly turned aside by Ruze's scimitars. He couldn't avoid the bite attack that descended onto his right shoulder, piercing his scalemail and scraping off the bone beneath. Ruze roared in pain but kept his focus, maneuvering himself and his opponent away from the portal five feet at a time. The Battleguard's agonized scream of pain caused Vade to whine in fear and redouble his efforts with Ledare's unmoving form. She was so heavy, though, and it was very slow going. Ixin ran up beside the halfling, unfurled another scroll and spoke the magic trigger, "Contego!" As the scroll crumbled away to nothingness, an invisible disk of force materialized in front of the mage. She had no trouble sensing the temporary hardening of the Weave and she mentally directed it to face toward the giant before grabbing Ledare's shield arm. "Come on!" she urged and together, she and Vade made good time with the Janissary. Ruze held his swords defensively and made a tactical adjustment, luring the giant away from the portal as he did so. The rat monster took the bait and moved to follow, slashing at the cleric with its claws. Ruze wove a masterful defense with his curved blades, easily deflecting the creature's first attack. The second came in, and almost found its way passed his defenses, but the Battleguard felt the hand of his goddess guiding his blade into place and the monster missed by the narrowest of margins. Its bite found only his whirling steel. "The thingie!" Vade cried as he and Ixin got to the portal with Ledare. The archway was filled with the luminous green vapor and for a moment Ixin's heart sank. Perhaps she had trapped them all here by stepping through from the Devourer's lair. She reached out a clawed hand and touched the rune that corresponded to the caves outside Strenchburg Junction. A wave of relief washed over her as the green mist thinned, revealing the darkened cave interior. She and Vade heaved the Janissary's body through the portal and went to do the same with Draelond's. Ruze continued to lead the giant away, his swords held in their defensive positions, and they wove a nearly impenetrable net of flashing steel between cleric and monster. Its claws and teeth were driven back by the moonblades, but the Battleguard had used the last of Shaharizod's guidance, and this time, when a talon swept in low beneath his defenses, there was no divine guidance to turn his blade in the right direction. The giant slashed its nails across Ruze's left foot, tearing away flesh and sending the cleric to the ground on his back. Symmetry, Ruze thought as darkness took him. He'd been in a similar position at the moment that he'd decided to devote himself to the Silver Queen. It seemed fitting that he should find himself in the same state when he went to meet her in the afterworld. Vade saw the cleric fall and had a slightly different opinion. "We're dead," he said. [/QUOTE]
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