NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1432374" data-attributes="member: 2292">After the bodies of the Sulrathi archers are stripped of valuables and piled close the tunnel leading to the exit for removal on the way out, the Copperheads turn their attention to the statues that frame the two pathways leading off into the darkness. The three towering figures are representations of orcs dressed in heavy armour, although it is difficult to be sure with the melted features and blistered soot that covers the stone.  The shadows cast by the lava give the statues an evil expression, and even when Geoffrey climbs to tip to shine the light of an ever-burning torch on the face the impression of anger and power isn’t quite dispelled.“Anyone recognise it?” Halgo asks.  No-one does, so it is quickly filed as something of secondary importance and the important job of hunting Sulrathi takes precedence.  The sum total of their knowledge regarding the tactics and skills isn’t much, but it’s enough to let them know that they haven’t brought enough spells and antidotes to cure poison – it is common knowledge throughout the empire that where there are Sulrathi there are serpents, and Amarin cheerfully points out that while this isn’t necessarily true it’s reliably reported that many Sulrathi nobles, assassins and warriors are known to use poison.  This doesn’t cheer people up any, and it’s quickly agreed that if they are forced to rest in the caverns, Geoffrey will be memorising a few spare spells to help eradicate the effects of poison.  Further pooling of resources doesn’t turn up anything out of the ordinary from your run of the mill evil-doers – the sulrathi are rumoured to consort with dark powers, serve the forces of evil, and kill the puppies of innocent Seldan youths.  All of which is unspeakably bad, but doesn’t really say much about their capabilities in a kill-or-be-killed melee.  The decision is made to press on, continuing to follow the tracks as they lead right.The tunnel winds back and forth, a twisting tube through the stone.  Half-way along its length, an ornate rune covers much of the passage floor.  Yip takes to the ceiling and examines it from above, quickly identifying it as a glyph of warding that’s far beyond his ability to disarm.  He reports this to the others, and its decided that Amarin’s construct should be the person to trip it.  The construct moves forward, crosses the glyph’s border, and disappears in a haze of fire and smoke.“At least not me,” Yip thinks to himself, the racial memory of his order giving him a shuddering sense of fear every time he sees something die at the hands of a trap.He checks the glyph to make sure its unlikely to be set off again, and when he’s satisfied its magic has been used he motions the group forward.  It doesn’t take long for Yip to spot a second intersection up ahead, again being guarded by a small force of Sulrathi.  Fortunately, this time Yip is scouting by prowling along the ceiling with his slippers of spider-climb, so he manages to slip in behind the two Sulrathi standing guard with their mounts – giant scorpions that stand nearly as high as the kobold.  He signals his comrades before sneaking past them, and when the rest of the Copperheads come roaring into the clearing with weapons at the ready Yip is already positioned to take down the riders with a quick flurry of blows.  Although the scorpions prove more than willing to sting their way to freedom even without riders, they have neither the strength nor the raw instincts necessary to overcome the group.“Convenient of them,” Geoffrey comments as they strip the valuables from the second group.  “We just follow the chains of rear-guards until we find the main group.”Yip scratches at the scales on his tail as he considers Geoffrey’s statement.“They not watch for Copperheads,” he says cautiously, mentally reviewing the fight.  He points at the tunnel leading left.  “They watch that way, not turn until they hear armour.”“So they’re watching for something else,” Halgo says, gazing down the darkened corridor.  His darkvision lets him make out some of what lies beyond the range of the torchlight, but the tunnel quickly twists away into the unknown.  “This place might have some kind of natural guardian that they’re guarding against, or they might just be waiting for their comrades to circle back here for some reason.  The layout of the tunnels seems to suggest they may connect together sooner or later, if their anything like similar cave formations back home.”“Is that good thing or bad thing,” Blarth asks, nursing an arm wounded by a scorpion sting.  “Blarth not want to fight things that scare scorpions.”"Scorpions don't scare," Amarin points out cheerfully.  "They're mindless creatures.""So is he, and he manages fear well enough," Halgo says.“Enough.  If there's something out there, we’ll deal with it when we come to it,” Geoffrey says, his voice stern.  “Whatever else there may be, we know that the Sulrathi are here, and that they seem to be focusing their attention to the left.  They either believe their backs are guarded, or they fear whatever may be out there more than what may come after them.  Either way, it gives us an advantage, one that we should probably take.” He gestures down the right-hand passage with his mace, sending Yip scurrying back up to the ceiling.“Lets go,” he orders.</blockquote>

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