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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 96911" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>drnuncheon: thanks for the info! One of the things I love about D&D is how it is so inclusive of <em>global</em>, not just western, myths and stories. </p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Book III, Part 18</p><p></p><p>Fooled by their understandable emotional responses to a particularly terrible illusion, the companions came under attack from still-hidden adversaries. </p><p></p><p>A sudden lassitude fell over them, a feeling of lethargy that penetrated their bodies and settled deep within their very bones. Those with a particularly strong force of will—Delem, Dana, and Ruath—were able to fight off the effect, but Lok, Cal, and Benzan each felt themselves slowing, their reactions dulled by fell magic. </p><p></p><p>“There!” Delem cried in warning, as a dark form shuffled in the webs above. Their eyes turned as one as a giant spider appeared along one of the lower branches, moving within the cover of the webs. The creature twisted and pointed its abdomen at Lok, releasing a slender thread of webbing at the slowed fighter. The webs gathered around him like a net, pinning him against the surface of the tree as he struggled to free himself. </p><p></p><p>From around the base of the nearest tree came a pair of additional adversaries, tall and powerfully built humanoids with gray fur, pointed ears, and uneven, fanged maws that snarled in challenge as they spotted the adventurers. They carried heavy morningstars and multiple throwing axes stuck through the bandoliers that they wore across their chests. </p><p></p><p>Cal recognized the creatures instantly, although this pair seemed far more imposing than those he had encountered in the Western Heartlands back in Faerûn. “Bugbears!” he cried in warning, although his slowed reflexes kept him from reacting further in time. The bugbears launched their first volley of missiles at the embattled companions, hitting both Delem and Dana despite the benefit of the protective mage armor. </p><p></p><p>Back at the edge of the clearing, Horath and the sailors witnessed the attack upon their companions. The elf captain yelled a cry of battle and hefted his bow, charging to their aid. The others followed after him, with Varrus lagging slightly in the rear. They had barely managed a few paces, however, before both Maric and Elly staggered and collapsed, falling into magical sleep. Horath turned and saw what had happened, and retreated to the side of his unconscious crewmembers, while Varrus scanned the trees for signs of their attacker, holding his crossbow in nervous hands. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, the rest of the companions were having a difficult time responding to the sudden ambush. The effects of the slowing magic was making it all but impossible for Lok to burst free of the webs that held him, and he could not pull his axe free of the ensnaring webs to cut himself free. For the moment, the mighty warrior was out of the fight. </p><p></p><p>Dana launched a crossbow bolt at the spider-mage that had immobilized Lok, but while her aim was true the bolt glanced harmlessly aside at the last minute, deflected by an invisible shield that protected the creature. Delem raised his hand to summon his fire against it, but before he could cast the spell a cloud of glittering golden flashes engulfed him and his companions, dazzling them in the brilliance of the display. Delem’s mind, disciplined both by his arcane and divine gifts, allowed him to fight off the afterimage of colors that threatened to blind him, and he called upon the raging magic inside of him. The flames shot up in a roar toward the spider, but it managed to dart backward out of the main course of the stream, taking only minor damage. </p><p></p><p>Benzan, however, was in far worse shape as he staggered out of the radius of the glitterdust, both slowed and blinded. As he tried to get his bearings, his path took him directly toward the bugbears, who closed eagerly for battle. </p><p></p><p>Cal had managed to close his eyes at the first explosion of the spell, and although he was still slowed he could just manage to see despite the hanging cloud of particles in the air. He took out his wand of color spray, but could not see any targets within the range of the device. Cursing the magical slowness that gripped his already short legs, he began making his way toward where Benzan had staggered off toward the bugbear warriors. </p><p></p><p>Ruath, meanwhile, stood overlooked in the center of the battlefield, lost in her focus on her goddess. With the same single-minded determination that had so vexed her companions on this journey, she fought through the haze that separated her from Tymora’s divine power, and released the energies of her patron through a powerful spell. The result was immediate, as the glittering dust vanished, and the slowed companions felt the magical lethargy that had gripped them fade, restoring to them full control over their bodies. </p><p></p><p>Too late for Benzan, as the first bugbear lashed into him with a mighty blow that knocked him roughly back and nearly sent him sprawling to the ground. He managed to draw his sword and slashed at the second as it rushed at him from the flank, but with his eyes still dazzled from the lingering effects of the glitterdust the stroke missed by a large margin. The bugbear slammed him hard in the chest with its counter, and while the blow was partially absorbed by the tiefling’s magical mail, Benzan still thought he heard a rib crack from the force of the impact. </p><p></p><p>Lok had not been idle as the battle raged around him. He managed to reach the dagger at his belt, and used it to hack away at the webs holding him. Once he had cut enough to pull himself free, he reached back into the webs and grasped his axe, drawing it out of the clinging strands through brute strength. He could make out moving shadows in the webs above that indicated that the spider-things were still active, but realizing that he could not reach them, he instead lowered his head and charged toward the pair of bugbears that were beating on Benzan. </p><p></p><p>Thus far, despite the exchange of spells and weapons, neither side had been really blooded in the confrontation thus far, but that was about to change as each side got its measure of their adversaries. While Cal, Benzan, and Lok were engaged with the bugbears, Delem, Dana, and Ruath were left in the center of the battlefield, where the ambush had first begun. Delem was aware of the skittering shadows moving through the webbed branches above, but he suspected that the third creature—the one casting the more powerful spells—was still concealed higher in the boughs. He opened his mind to the arcane power at his command once more, and summoned a sphere of liquid flames atop the highest branch that he could see through the shroud of webs. With an almost frightening intensity etched on his face he guided the sphere along the branch with his mind and then rolled it down to the next. Everywhere the flaming sphere passed webs flared and burned, until a wide swath of angry fire had erupted throughout the lower reaches of the tree. </p><p></p><p>So intent was he that he barely noticed when a strand of thick webs shot down from another tree behind him, twisting around his legs and binding him securely to the ground. Delem was lost in his magic, and his concentration upon the rampaging sphere remained unbroken. </p><p></p><p>He could not help but see, though, a dark shadow high in the tree that shifted away from the spreading flames and started down through the webs toward him. </p><p></p><p>Lok charged into the bugbears, his axe sweeping hard into the first to announce his coming. The frost-edged weapon bit deep, but the creature managed to twist with the force of the blow, turning what might have been a fatal wound into a merely serious one. It immediately countered with a fierce swipe of its morningstar, but Lok was ready and took the blow without flinching on his shield. </p><p></p><p>“You’re going to have to do better than that,” he growled, as he raised his axe to attack again. </p><p></p><p>Cal, meanwhile, had gotten into position to use his wand on the second creature, still menacing the seriously injured Benzan. Before he could act, though, he felt a net of sticky strands engulf his upper body, tangling him hopelessly in their web. He tried to struggle against them, but could only twist in horror as he felt himself being drawn upward. </p><p></p><p>Where the hungry fangs of a spider-mage waited for him. </p><p></p><p>The creature that had ensnared Delem was also looking for another target, but it only found an arrow waiting for it, the missile digging deep into its bulbous abdomen. With its attention—and its magical shield—focused on the combatants below it, it was not prepared for Horath and the crewmembers of the <em>Raindancer</em>, finally roused from their magical sleep and now returning to the battle. The spider-thing darted back, retreating back into the webs, but took another hit, a bolt from Maric’s crossbow that stabbed painfully into a leg joint. </p><p></p><p>Dana fired her crossbow at the spider-mage moving down out of the webs toward them, but this creature too was prepared and her missile was deflected by another shield. Ruath called down a blessing of Tymora upon them, boosting their morale and filling them with the confidence of victory. </p><p></p><p>Delem’s sphere finally rolled off of a branch and fell to the ground below, landing with a soft burning plop a short distance away. Immobilized by webs, he stared up into the sinister eyes of the spider-mage as it fixed a hateful glare upon him, arcane power flaring in its alien eyes. </p><p></p><p>Both magic-users, human and alien, began casting, drawing upon their innate magical powers. The spider-mage finished first, and a glowing green arrow appeared from between the prehensile humanoid hands that tipped its front-most limbs, and darted unerringly toward the entangled sorcerer. </p><p></p><p>“Delem, look out!” Dana cried in warning, but the sorcerer was already lost in his own casting—and he could not have moved away in any case, caught as he was by the webs. Reflex replacing thought, the cleric leapt in front of him and slapped the magical arrow aside with a chop of her hand. As her hand contacted the missile, however, it exploded into a spray of liquid. </p><p></p><p>Dana screamed in sudden agony as the magical acid of the spell spurted all over her hand and forearm, with fat gobs splashing onto her exposed chest and face. Staggering, she tried to fight off the waves of sickening nausea that rushed through her with the smell of her own burning flesh. The acid continued to burn as she stumbled forward and finally collapsed to the ground, whimpering as the merciless barrage of pain continued unabated. </p><p></p><p>Delem released the power of his spell into a raging stream of flames that rose from his hands to slam into the face of the spider-mage. Its shield proved of no use at the fire ripped through it to ravage the evil creature. As the webs around it began to catch with the backblast of the spell it darted nimbly backward, seeking shelter from the growing conflagration around it. </p><p></p><p>It was running out of places where it could go, however. The fires started by Delem’s flaming sphere had already turned much of the lower branches into an inferno, which continued to grow as each strand of webbing turned into a brief flare. Large pieces of burning foliage were falling to the ground around the battling companions, and the fire threatened to spread to the other trees as well, all connected to the same lattice of webs.</p><p></p><p>Delem felt the roar of the flames, and the surge of power that flowed like life itself through his veins. His eyes followed the course of the spider-mage as it sought escape, and he summoned another flaming sphere onto the branches above it, directly in its path. The creature let out an angry cry in its own unfathomable language, and tried to twist away, darting down another branch with the flames close behind it. </p><p></p><p>Just a dozen paces away, the battle on the ground continued. Lok and his adversary faced off, but with the genasi firmly planted and ready it rapidly became a very uneven contest. The bugbear was clearly an experienced and canny fighter, but Lok’s axe swept through its defenses the same way that Delem’s flames were sweeping through the webs above. A stroke from that axe tore open a deep gash in the bugbear’s armored belly, and even as it raised its morningstar to counter Lok suddenly brought the axe back around in a vicious backstroke, chopping into the creature’s knee with so much force that the bugbear went down, like a sapling felled with a single blow of the woodman’s axe. Even as it bled out its last Lok was already charging toward the second creature. </p><p></p><p>Benzan gave ground against his adversary, using his new sword to parry the powerful attacks of the bugbear. The magically enhanced bronze of the blade was proving stronger than the best dwarf-forged steel, although the shock of each impact told him that one more solid connect might bring a rapid end to this battle. His own counters, though, were not proving very effective, glancing off of the unmatched but effective pieces of crude plate that the bugbear wore about its person. </p><p></p><p>A roar and the sound of clanking armor, however, told him that he’d managed to hold out long enough. “Looks like your time is up,” he said to the bugbear. </p><p></p><p>The bugbear couldn’t understand him, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of Lok charging into battle. He only turned slightly, to better shift his defenses against two opponents, but it was enough. Taking advantage of the lapse of concentration on the part of the bugbear, Benzan struck, the bronze blade stabbing deep into the throat of his opponent. The bugbear’s eyes widened in surprise as he staggered back, and he fell easy prey to a mighty swing of Lok’s axe. </p><p></p><p>“Damn,” Benzan said, trying to shake off the haze of pain from his wounds. He looked up to see flames raging all around them, as the trees seemed to be rapidly turning into pyres. </p><p></p><p>Then he heard a muffled groan behind him, and turned around to see Cal dangling high in the air above him, just a few feet from the fangs of the spider-mage that was rapidly drawing him closer. </p><p></p><p>“Cal!” he cried, knowing that he would never get his bow readied in time. </p><p></p><p>Cal continued his struggles against the web, but was so entangled that he could neither cast a spell nor move his wand where it might have a chance against the creature. He could see the fires Delem had started moving through the branches of the trees, but saw that they would never reach this creature in time. He looked up, and stared right into the eyes of the spider-mage. The eagerness there was palpable, and the gnome felt a sudden dread as the creature tugged him up the last few feet. </p><p></p><p>And then, at the last instant, he heard a raging growl from behind it, as a celestial badger appeared from nowhere and landed square on the thing’s back. </p><p></p><p>Delem harried the spider-mage mercilessly as it sought escape from his flames. Finally, it could flee no longer, and turned again to face him, its little hands moving in the gestures of a spell. Delem was ready for it, however, and a final stream of fire shot up into the trees, engulfing it in a raging inferno that it could not escape. The creature let out one last scream and fell, landing in a smoldering heap on the hard ground thirty feet below. </p><p></p><p>Delem felt a surge of exhilaration mixed with weariness as the madness of the flames retreated. His blood suddenly froze, though, as he looked down and recognized the form lying unmoving on the ground just a few feet away.</p><p></p><p>“Dana!” he tried to reach her, but the webs still held him fast. “Dana!” he screamed in frustration and grief, tearing at the strands with his hands. Ignoring the pain, he summoned a fan of fire that knifed through the webs and scorched his own legs, and thus freed dove immediately to the side of the stricken priestess. </p><p></p><p>“Dana,” he sobbed, turning her over as he cradled her in his lap. His eyes widened when he caught sight of her hand—now just a blackened, bloody claw, with the white of bone showing through—and the horrible acid burns on her face and chest. </p><p> </p><p>Thrown off balance by the sudden attack of the summoned badger, the spider-mage lost its grip on the branch. Badger, spider, and gnome fell to the ground in a tangled heap. The spider-mage managed to shake off the badger, which had been stunned by the fall, and turned to seek the fastest route of escape. </p><p></p><p>It found Lok and Benzan instead. </p><p></p><p>The final creature, seriously wounded by the fire of Horath and his crew, had retreated high up into the boughs of its tree. It was clear that its sanctuary was only temporary, however, as the flames continued to spread, threatening to ultimately turn all three trees into great flaring torches. Bits and pieces of flaming matter continued to fall in a steady shower around the battlefield, and it was clear that soon the victors would also be claimed by the fire, if they didn’t retreat. </p><p></p><p>Ruath arrived where Delem was holding Dana, tears streaking the young man’s face as he tried to summon healing. For a moment, it seemed as if he was too late… but then, as the halfling watched, the familiar blue glow spread from the man to the woman, and Dana took a deep breath of life into her lungs. The halfling saw the woman’s hand, though, and knew that even her talents would not be able to restore that injury. </p><p></p><p>With Dana stabilized, the companions quickly gathered themselves up and hurried out of the radius of the inferno, Lok cradling the crippled young woman in his powerful arms. They made it to the edge of the clearing just as the dying screams of the final spider-mage reached them, and they made their way quickly back into the shelter of the forest, leaving the burning pillars of the three trees behind them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 96911, member: 143"] drnuncheon: thanks for the info! One of the things I love about D&D is how it is so inclusive of [I]global[/I], not just western, myths and stories. * * * * * Book III, Part 18 Fooled by their understandable emotional responses to a particularly terrible illusion, the companions came under attack from still-hidden adversaries. A sudden lassitude fell over them, a feeling of lethargy that penetrated their bodies and settled deep within their very bones. Those with a particularly strong force of will—Delem, Dana, and Ruath—were able to fight off the effect, but Lok, Cal, and Benzan each felt themselves slowing, their reactions dulled by fell magic. “There!” Delem cried in warning, as a dark form shuffled in the webs above. Their eyes turned as one as a giant spider appeared along one of the lower branches, moving within the cover of the webs. The creature twisted and pointed its abdomen at Lok, releasing a slender thread of webbing at the slowed fighter. The webs gathered around him like a net, pinning him against the surface of the tree as he struggled to free himself. From around the base of the nearest tree came a pair of additional adversaries, tall and powerfully built humanoids with gray fur, pointed ears, and uneven, fanged maws that snarled in challenge as they spotted the adventurers. They carried heavy morningstars and multiple throwing axes stuck through the bandoliers that they wore across their chests. Cal recognized the creatures instantly, although this pair seemed far more imposing than those he had encountered in the Western Heartlands back in Faerûn. “Bugbears!” he cried in warning, although his slowed reflexes kept him from reacting further in time. The bugbears launched their first volley of missiles at the embattled companions, hitting both Delem and Dana despite the benefit of the protective mage armor. Back at the edge of the clearing, Horath and the sailors witnessed the attack upon their companions. The elf captain yelled a cry of battle and hefted his bow, charging to their aid. The others followed after him, with Varrus lagging slightly in the rear. They had barely managed a few paces, however, before both Maric and Elly staggered and collapsed, falling into magical sleep. Horath turned and saw what had happened, and retreated to the side of his unconscious crewmembers, while Varrus scanned the trees for signs of their attacker, holding his crossbow in nervous hands. Meanwhile, the rest of the companions were having a difficult time responding to the sudden ambush. The effects of the slowing magic was making it all but impossible for Lok to burst free of the webs that held him, and he could not pull his axe free of the ensnaring webs to cut himself free. For the moment, the mighty warrior was out of the fight. Dana launched a crossbow bolt at the spider-mage that had immobilized Lok, but while her aim was true the bolt glanced harmlessly aside at the last minute, deflected by an invisible shield that protected the creature. Delem raised his hand to summon his fire against it, but before he could cast the spell a cloud of glittering golden flashes engulfed him and his companions, dazzling them in the brilliance of the display. Delem’s mind, disciplined both by his arcane and divine gifts, allowed him to fight off the afterimage of colors that threatened to blind him, and he called upon the raging magic inside of him. The flames shot up in a roar toward the spider, but it managed to dart backward out of the main course of the stream, taking only minor damage. Benzan, however, was in far worse shape as he staggered out of the radius of the glitterdust, both slowed and blinded. As he tried to get his bearings, his path took him directly toward the bugbears, who closed eagerly for battle. Cal had managed to close his eyes at the first explosion of the spell, and although he was still slowed he could just manage to see despite the hanging cloud of particles in the air. He took out his wand of color spray, but could not see any targets within the range of the device. Cursing the magical slowness that gripped his already short legs, he began making his way toward where Benzan had staggered off toward the bugbear warriors. Ruath, meanwhile, stood overlooked in the center of the battlefield, lost in her focus on her goddess. With the same single-minded determination that had so vexed her companions on this journey, she fought through the haze that separated her from Tymora’s divine power, and released the energies of her patron through a powerful spell. The result was immediate, as the glittering dust vanished, and the slowed companions felt the magical lethargy that had gripped them fade, restoring to them full control over their bodies. Too late for Benzan, as the first bugbear lashed into him with a mighty blow that knocked him roughly back and nearly sent him sprawling to the ground. He managed to draw his sword and slashed at the second as it rushed at him from the flank, but with his eyes still dazzled from the lingering effects of the glitterdust the stroke missed by a large margin. The bugbear slammed him hard in the chest with its counter, and while the blow was partially absorbed by the tiefling’s magical mail, Benzan still thought he heard a rib crack from the force of the impact. Lok had not been idle as the battle raged around him. He managed to reach the dagger at his belt, and used it to hack away at the webs holding him. Once he had cut enough to pull himself free, he reached back into the webs and grasped his axe, drawing it out of the clinging strands through brute strength. He could make out moving shadows in the webs above that indicated that the spider-things were still active, but realizing that he could not reach them, he instead lowered his head and charged toward the pair of bugbears that were beating on Benzan. Thus far, despite the exchange of spells and weapons, neither side had been really blooded in the confrontation thus far, but that was about to change as each side got its measure of their adversaries. While Cal, Benzan, and Lok were engaged with the bugbears, Delem, Dana, and Ruath were left in the center of the battlefield, where the ambush had first begun. Delem was aware of the skittering shadows moving through the webbed branches above, but he suspected that the third creature—the one casting the more powerful spells—was still concealed higher in the boughs. He opened his mind to the arcane power at his command once more, and summoned a sphere of liquid flames atop the highest branch that he could see through the shroud of webs. With an almost frightening intensity etched on his face he guided the sphere along the branch with his mind and then rolled it down to the next. Everywhere the flaming sphere passed webs flared and burned, until a wide swath of angry fire had erupted throughout the lower reaches of the tree. So intent was he that he barely noticed when a strand of thick webs shot down from another tree behind him, twisting around his legs and binding him securely to the ground. Delem was lost in his magic, and his concentration upon the rampaging sphere remained unbroken. He could not help but see, though, a dark shadow high in the tree that shifted away from the spreading flames and started down through the webs toward him. Lok charged into the bugbears, his axe sweeping hard into the first to announce his coming. The frost-edged weapon bit deep, but the creature managed to twist with the force of the blow, turning what might have been a fatal wound into a merely serious one. It immediately countered with a fierce swipe of its morningstar, but Lok was ready and took the blow without flinching on his shield. “You’re going to have to do better than that,” he growled, as he raised his axe to attack again. Cal, meanwhile, had gotten into position to use his wand on the second creature, still menacing the seriously injured Benzan. Before he could act, though, he felt a net of sticky strands engulf his upper body, tangling him hopelessly in their web. He tried to struggle against them, but could only twist in horror as he felt himself being drawn upward. Where the hungry fangs of a spider-mage waited for him. The creature that had ensnared Delem was also looking for another target, but it only found an arrow waiting for it, the missile digging deep into its bulbous abdomen. With its attention—and its magical shield—focused on the combatants below it, it was not prepared for Horath and the crewmembers of the [I]Raindancer[/I], finally roused from their magical sleep and now returning to the battle. The spider-thing darted back, retreating back into the webs, but took another hit, a bolt from Maric’s crossbow that stabbed painfully into a leg joint. Dana fired her crossbow at the spider-mage moving down out of the webs toward them, but this creature too was prepared and her missile was deflected by another shield. Ruath called down a blessing of Tymora upon them, boosting their morale and filling them with the confidence of victory. Delem’s sphere finally rolled off of a branch and fell to the ground below, landing with a soft burning plop a short distance away. Immobilized by webs, he stared up into the sinister eyes of the spider-mage as it fixed a hateful glare upon him, arcane power flaring in its alien eyes. Both magic-users, human and alien, began casting, drawing upon their innate magical powers. The spider-mage finished first, and a glowing green arrow appeared from between the prehensile humanoid hands that tipped its front-most limbs, and darted unerringly toward the entangled sorcerer. “Delem, look out!” Dana cried in warning, but the sorcerer was already lost in his own casting—and he could not have moved away in any case, caught as he was by the webs. Reflex replacing thought, the cleric leapt in front of him and slapped the magical arrow aside with a chop of her hand. As her hand contacted the missile, however, it exploded into a spray of liquid. Dana screamed in sudden agony as the magical acid of the spell spurted all over her hand and forearm, with fat gobs splashing onto her exposed chest and face. Staggering, she tried to fight off the waves of sickening nausea that rushed through her with the smell of her own burning flesh. The acid continued to burn as she stumbled forward and finally collapsed to the ground, whimpering as the merciless barrage of pain continued unabated. Delem released the power of his spell into a raging stream of flames that rose from his hands to slam into the face of the spider-mage. Its shield proved of no use at the fire ripped through it to ravage the evil creature. As the webs around it began to catch with the backblast of the spell it darted nimbly backward, seeking shelter from the growing conflagration around it. It was running out of places where it could go, however. The fires started by Delem’s flaming sphere had already turned much of the lower branches into an inferno, which continued to grow as each strand of webbing turned into a brief flare. Large pieces of burning foliage were falling to the ground around the battling companions, and the fire threatened to spread to the other trees as well, all connected to the same lattice of webs. Delem felt the roar of the flames, and the surge of power that flowed like life itself through his veins. His eyes followed the course of the spider-mage as it sought escape, and he summoned another flaming sphere onto the branches above it, directly in its path. The creature let out an angry cry in its own unfathomable language, and tried to twist away, darting down another branch with the flames close behind it. Just a dozen paces away, the battle on the ground continued. Lok and his adversary faced off, but with the genasi firmly planted and ready it rapidly became a very uneven contest. The bugbear was clearly an experienced and canny fighter, but Lok’s axe swept through its defenses the same way that Delem’s flames were sweeping through the webs above. A stroke from that axe tore open a deep gash in the bugbear’s armored belly, and even as it raised its morningstar to counter Lok suddenly brought the axe back around in a vicious backstroke, chopping into the creature’s knee with so much force that the bugbear went down, like a sapling felled with a single blow of the woodman’s axe. Even as it bled out its last Lok was already charging toward the second creature. Benzan gave ground against his adversary, using his new sword to parry the powerful attacks of the bugbear. The magically enhanced bronze of the blade was proving stronger than the best dwarf-forged steel, although the shock of each impact told him that one more solid connect might bring a rapid end to this battle. His own counters, though, were not proving very effective, glancing off of the unmatched but effective pieces of crude plate that the bugbear wore about its person. A roar and the sound of clanking armor, however, told him that he’d managed to hold out long enough. “Looks like your time is up,” he said to the bugbear. The bugbear couldn’t understand him, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of Lok charging into battle. He only turned slightly, to better shift his defenses against two opponents, but it was enough. Taking advantage of the lapse of concentration on the part of the bugbear, Benzan struck, the bronze blade stabbing deep into the throat of his opponent. The bugbear’s eyes widened in surprise as he staggered back, and he fell easy prey to a mighty swing of Lok’s axe. “Damn,” Benzan said, trying to shake off the haze of pain from his wounds. He looked up to see flames raging all around them, as the trees seemed to be rapidly turning into pyres. Then he heard a muffled groan behind him, and turned around to see Cal dangling high in the air above him, just a few feet from the fangs of the spider-mage that was rapidly drawing him closer. “Cal!” he cried, knowing that he would never get his bow readied in time. Cal continued his struggles against the web, but was so entangled that he could neither cast a spell nor move his wand where it might have a chance against the creature. He could see the fires Delem had started moving through the branches of the trees, but saw that they would never reach this creature in time. He looked up, and stared right into the eyes of the spider-mage. The eagerness there was palpable, and the gnome felt a sudden dread as the creature tugged him up the last few feet. And then, at the last instant, he heard a raging growl from behind it, as a celestial badger appeared from nowhere and landed square on the thing’s back. Delem harried the spider-mage mercilessly as it sought escape from his flames. Finally, it could flee no longer, and turned again to face him, its little hands moving in the gestures of a spell. Delem was ready for it, however, and a final stream of fire shot up into the trees, engulfing it in a raging inferno that it could not escape. The creature let out one last scream and fell, landing in a smoldering heap on the hard ground thirty feet below. Delem felt a surge of exhilaration mixed with weariness as the madness of the flames retreated. His blood suddenly froze, though, as he looked down and recognized the form lying unmoving on the ground just a few feet away. “Dana!” he tried to reach her, but the webs still held him fast. “Dana!” he screamed in frustration and grief, tearing at the strands with his hands. Ignoring the pain, he summoned a fan of fire that knifed through the webs and scorched his own legs, and thus freed dove immediately to the side of the stricken priestess. “Dana,” he sobbed, turning her over as he cradled her in his lap. His eyes widened when he caught sight of her hand—now just a blackened, bloody claw, with the white of bone showing through—and the horrible acid burns on her face and chest. Thrown off balance by the sudden attack of the summoned badger, the spider-mage lost its grip on the branch. Badger, spider, and gnome fell to the ground in a tangled heap. The spider-mage managed to shake off the badger, which had been stunned by the fall, and turned to seek the fastest route of escape. It found Lok and Benzan instead. The final creature, seriously wounded by the fire of Horath and his crew, had retreated high up into the boughs of its tree. It was clear that its sanctuary was only temporary, however, as the flames continued to spread, threatening to ultimately turn all three trees into great flaring torches. Bits and pieces of flaming matter continued to fall in a steady shower around the battlefield, and it was clear that soon the victors would also be claimed by the fire, if they didn’t retreat. Ruath arrived where Delem was holding Dana, tears streaking the young man’s face as he tried to summon healing. For a moment, it seemed as if he was too late… but then, as the halfling watched, the familiar blue glow spread from the man to the woman, and Dana took a deep breath of life into her lungs. The halfling saw the woman’s hand, though, and knew that even her talents would not be able to restore that injury. With Dana stabilized, the companions quickly gathered themselves up and hurried out of the radius of the inferno, Lok cradling the crippled young woman in his powerful arms. They made it to the edge of the clearing just as the dying screams of the final spider-mage reached them, and they made their way quickly back into the shelter of the forest, leaving the burning pillars of the three trees behind them. [/QUOTE]
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