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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 9809092" data-attributes="member: 143">This it the last chapter that I have finished, though I have an outline for the next few. I'm almost done with my NaNoWriMo novel, so I should be able to get back to this story next week.* * *Chapter 27The companions reacted quickly to the triggering of the trap. Ravani gestured Greghan forward, the two taking up flanking positions on either side of the far passage. Leana and Folgar remained near the doors, the heaped junk giving them some vestiges of cover.The four of them did not have to wait long. The two flankers had barely taken their positions when they heard the rapid tread of footprints approaching from deeper within the complex. Greghan lifted his sword, while Ravani readied an arrow. Leana held up her sigil so that the light from it could extend further into the corridor.When the two creatures finally appeared, they could almost wish that she hadn’t increased the light. They stood a full seven feet tall, larger even than Greghan, with long, lanky limbs. Their features were monstrous, a synergy of humanoid and beast, with mottled, matted fur that rose to a crest above their brows and down their backs. They wore ragged attire, half-rotten furs augmented with bits of salvaged armor and scraps of mail. They were armed with bows slung across their backs, but neither had bothered to reach for them, instead threatening the intruders with clawed hands and snapping jaws full of sharp teeth. On seeing Leana and Folgar, they let out loud howls that degenerated into sharp canine barks.Ravani didn’t wait for them to charge; he shot the first one in the throat. The monster staggered from the impact, its barks turning into coughing gurgles as blood spewed from both the nasty wound and its snapping jaws. For a moment Greghan thought that it would be enough, but the thing somehow managed to turn and lunge at the elf. Even as badly hurt as it was, Ravani only barely avoided its grasping claws. It shrugged off both a ray of frost from Folgar and a toll the dead from Leana as it pressed its attack, blood spraying from its terrible wound with each step.The second monster started to charge Folgar and Leana, but Greghan intercepted it. “Hey, monster!” he yelled. The thing instantly spun and lashed out at him, its momentum carrying it past the warrior so that it failed to connect. Greghan swept his sword at its head, but the monster nimbly ducked, and he only barely clipped it in one ear, half-severing the tufted but doing little real harm to the creature.“What are these things!” he yelled in alarm as the monster hissed and advanced.“Gnolls!” Folgar called.“Ware, there are more coming!” Leana warned. Even as she issued the warning, Greghan could hear the renewed clatter from the adjacent passage.The crippled gnoll had pressed Ravani back against the corner, but the loss of blood from the spurting wound in its neck had finally caught up with it. It tried to drag the elf down with it, but he drove his magical sword into the other side of its neck, finishing it for good. As two more gnolls burst into the room he withdrew, circling around the junk heap to rejoin Folgar and Leana near the entry.Unfortunately, that left Greghan alone to face the full fury of the enemy. Leana and Folgar continued to unleash cantrips at the one already engaged with the warrior, but while both scored hits, the monster barely paused in its wild frenzy of attacks. It lunged and seized hold of Greghan’s neck, trying to twist his head off with raw strength. His spine withstood that assault, but as he tore free its claws left deep gouges along his cheeks and neck. With a loud roar he swept his sword across the gnoll’s torso, opening a deep gash across its body.“Look out!” Leana warned, but before Greghan could do anything the other two gnolls were on him. One slashed him across the arm, opening a series of fresh gashes that added to his tally of wounds, while the second tried to claw him from behind. Only his armor kept him from being overborne by the raw fury of that combined assault, but it was clear that he wouldn’t survive those odds for long.But the warrior’s friends were quick to come to his aid. Leana hefted her mace and rushed forward to protect Greghan’s flank; she bopped one of his foes on the leg with the weapon, drawing its focus to her. Ravani, meanwhile, had switched back to his bow, and he drilled a shot into the back of the one Greghan had wounded, finally inflicting enough damage to overpower its wild frenzy. But even as it fell, the one that had tried to overpower Greghan from behind lunged past him, raking claws that left oozing marks down his other arm. The gnoll leapt at the elf, shrugging off a hit from Greghan’s sword that caught him in the back. The raging creature cleared the edge of the debris pile and seized hold of the elf’s left arm, swinging him roughly around and dashing him against the wall of the room with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. The thing bellowed and lunged forward, ignoring a blast of cold from Folgar that missed it entirely.Greghan started to follow it, but a cry from behind him drew his attention around in time to see Leana struggling in the last gnoll’s grasp. It had snapped its jaws down on her shoulder, lifting her from her feet as it shook her like a dog worrying a chew-toy. Greghan roared and slammed it in the back. The gnoll dropped the halfling, showing a mouth full of bloody teeth to them.Ravani got his sword back out of its scabbard as wounded gnoll continued to press him, but his limbs didn’t seem to be working right as it carelessly batted the blade aside. Folgar rushed up and tried to distract the gnoll, but his attempt to deliver a shocking grasp failed, and the creature ignored him and focused on the elf. The gnoll bit down hard on Ravani’s arm; the elf screamed as its teeth burrowed deep into his flesh, and he would have fallen if not for the solidity of the wall at his back.Greghan prepared himself for his foe’s assault, but it hesitated for a moment. Its lips twisted into a sinister smile as it reached down and smashed Leana hard across the face. The already-wounded priestess crumpled, blood splashing from the vicious cuts across her brow and cheek. Greghan roared again, but even as he raised his sword the gnoll spun and leapt at him. Its claws tore into his legs as it tried to bear him down, but he reached down and ripped it off him. The gnoll’s jaws opened wide to issue another challenge, but it was greeted by the descending arc of the warrior’s blade, which crashed into its neck and severed its head from its shoulders.The last gnoll, intent on its prey, heard Greghan’s roar and glanced back in time to see its companion fall. Seeing that it was alone, the creature tossed Ravani—still alive, but a mess—aside and darted toward the doors. The elf managed a feeble swing of his sword that missed it, and likewise Folgar reacted too slowly to block its escape, an icy beam riming the outer doors in frost as the gnoll darted through them and away.Greghan, barely able to walk himself from the gory wounds covering his face and arms, threw himself down at Leana’s side. “Wake up, wake up!” he shouted. “Ravani, the potion!”The elf had already taken out the vial, and while it looked like he could have used it himself right then he stumbled over to where Greghan was cradling the unconscious halfling in his arms. But even as he fumbled to get it open, Leana gasped and came awake. “What… what…”“Shh, don’t try to talk,” Greghan said. He accepted the opened flask and started to pour it into Leana’s mouth. She started to push it away, no doubt to offer it to one of them, but when he pressed she allowed him to drain the precious liquid into her. At first she started to cough, but as the magic took hold she let out a sigh of relief. “Is everyone…”“We’re just great,” Ravani said, as he cradled his ravaged arm against his body. “Super,” he added, before spitting a gob of blood onto the floor.“Here, let me take a look at that arm,” Folgar said, as he took out his healer’s kit. He was the only one who had not taken grievous wounds in the brief but violent contest. The elf resisted at first, saying that they needed to keep an eye out for more gnolls, but he quickly subsided and allowed the dwarf to carefully peel back the remains of his sleeve to examine his wounds.“You look… pretty rough,” Leana said to Greghan, who was still cradling her like a child.Greghan let out a desperate laugh. “I thought… I thought you were dead.”“Not yet,” she said. She lifted a hand and touched him on the cheek. A soft glow erupted at her touch, and his pain faded somewhat as the worst of the gashes on his face and neck closed.“What was that?” he asked in amazement. It had felt different from the healing spells she had used earlier.“The touch of the gods,” she said, with a smile. “Now… not that this isn’t pleasant, but you’d better put me down. Ravani is right… we might still be in danger here.”Greghan complied, though he made sure she was steady enough to stand unassisted before he reached for his sword. The weapon was covered in blood from the tip of the blade to the crossguard, and his clothes were covered with it as well, both his and the monsters’. As he looked around the room, and the hacked bodies of the three gnolls they’d killed, he let out a sigh of amazement.“That was close,” he said.Game Notes:As depleted as the Heroes’ resources were by this point, this encounter was quite nearly a TPK. At the end of the battle, everyone but Folgar was down to 3 hit points or lower. The gnolls got two crits, and used their Rampages to great effect. The last gnoll giving up was scripted in the book; if it had fought to the last it could have easily finished off Ravani. Leana rolled a natural 20 on her death save, bringing her back to consciousness right as things were wrapping up.Next: Kicking them while they’re down…</blockquote>

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