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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1146441" data-attributes="member: 2292">The half-orc lets go of the chains which restrain the hounds, then uses his free hand to draw a thin dagger and fling it at Blarth.  The short blade reflects of Blarth’s shield, and the psi-warrior closes the gap between the door and the closest hellhound with his sword raised high.  Luckringer seems to leap forward of its own accord, striking the hound deep in the chest.  Burning blood splatters over the flagstone floor, and the dog staggers to one side with a whimper.  It almost falls, seeming to regain it’s footing at the last second and launch a half-hearted snap at Blarth’s weapon arm.  The teeth clip the edge of Blarth’s cloak, but little else, as the half-orc shuffles out of range.  The second hellhound glares angrily at the door, opening its mouth and expelling a stream of burning flame that engulfs Geoffrey and Halgo.  Both feel a shock of searing pain run through the bodies, and Geoffrey is quick to turn his attention to his Wizardly companion and heal the worst of the fire damage.  Halgo, healing magic flowing through his limbs, fires a crossbow at the half-orc houndsman and drops him to the ground.Blarth snarls at the hellhound and finishes it off with a single strike, his momentum carrying him through to strike the second hound even as the first one falls.  The hellhound lets out a frightened yelp, wraps its teeth around Blarth’s leg and lets loose with another gout of flame.  Fortunately, Geoffrey’s protective magic keeps Blarth’s leg from becoming charcoaled, but it does little to stop the hellhound teeth from breaking the skin.  Blarth feels blood seeping down his leg, and it’s all he can do to keep the dog from pulling him off his feet.  Geoffrey moves in to help, his morning star crushing several of the dogs ribs, and Halgo targets the creature with a ray of frost that draws one of the loudest howls of pain yet.  Even as the dog’s wild eyes look for Halgo and his cold magic, Blarth plunges a blade through the creature’s neck.Everyone pauses for a moment, catching their breath, before Geoffrey points down the corridor.  “Gromeck and Targ,” he grunts.  “Keep moving.  I’ll heal as we go.”The path splits within a few dozen feet of the hellhound lair, one path leading into the darkness while a second echoes with the sound of orcish chanting and softly flickering flames.  Everyone looks at one another for a moment, but it’s hardly a choice.  With weapons at the ready, they follow the path towards the flames and chanting.  Blarth concentrates carefully as they walk, using his newly acquired mastery of his own body to take control of his own blood flow.  He manifests biofeedback, mentally closing down the blood flow around his wounds and enjoying the feeling of mastery the technique gives him.  In the room at the end of the passageway there are nearly a dozen chanting orcs, all kneeling before a giant pit of fire and swaying back and forth in a state of religious ecstasy.  On the far side of the room, Gromeck is handing the holy symbol over to an eight-foot tall orc with a Mohawk of pure flame.  Red skin ripples as it reaches forward to take the symbol, turning it over in his hands for a few seconds before it melts in its hand.“Fool,” the red-skinned orc seethes.  “It is fake.”“But Gromeck checked,” Gromeck offers quickly.  “Used magic, like Targ said.  Orcs said they stole from Justicar…”“Then you were tricked,” Targ announces.  His head swings towards the entryway, where the Copperheads are listening in the shadows.  Everyone’s hands tighten around weapons as the flaming red eyes focus in on them, squinting through the smoke of the fire pit.“Intruders,” Targ rumbles.  “Kill all.  Do not let them stop us.”The orcs don’t need any further urging, rising to their feet and charging forward with short, sharp daggers clenched in their fists.  They get no more than a few feet from where they started before Blarth reacts, instinctively putting his whistle to his lips and sending a shockwave of pure sonic force through the room.  The charging orcs are scattered, some falling to the ground with broken limbs and bleeding ears while the rest are swept into the fire pit by the force of the blast.  Gromeck and Targ are both rocked by the blast, but neither fall.“Fool.  You ruin everything,” Targ snarls, and he scoops his oversized hands into the flames before him and pulls forth a burning palm of flame.  With a roar he lobs the flames at Blarth, covering him with fire that burns through the protection of Geoffrey’s spell.  The bulk of the damage is cosmetic, Blarth pulling as much blood and muscle away from the flesh as he can with biofeedback, but its enough to give Blarth pause.Halgo steps calmly into the room, ignoring the sweat soaking his face, and casts a color spray that leaves Targ stunned and Gromeck momentarily blind.  Geoffrey takes the opportunity to circle around the fire pit, hitting the stunned orcish fire-cultist with the Hammer of St Gustav.  It’s a clumsy strike, fully displaying Geoffrey’s unfamiliarity with the hammers weight and techniques, but it glows brightly as it strikes and the red-skinned orc screams in rage.  Gromeck, blind and panicking, rips through the words of a healing spell and backs up against the curved wall of the chamber.  It does him little good, as an angry Blarth circles around and cuts him down with a single strike.  Targ starts to shake off the effects of Halgo’s spell, but not before the wizard hits him with a ray of frost.  Targ glares across the fire pit, but the more pressing concern is the cleric with the hammer nearby.  He lashes out with sharp claws, his touch tearing through Geoffrey’s skin and burning at the same time.  Geoffrey, already fighting awkwardly with the hammer in hand, swings uselessly in retaliation and Targ starts to laugh in amusement.“You will pay, mortals,” he rumbles, burning eyes glaring coldly over the flaming pit.  “You have ruined my plans, but I will take your souls.”Then Blarth’s sword appears through his throat.“Puny demon orc,” Blarth says, then decapitates Targ with a second stroke.</blockquote>

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