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Message: <blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 600218" data-attributes="member: 96">Session Sixteen, Part One: Eaters of the Dead"They're all around us," said Di'Fier.  At the edge of the light, the creatures circled nervously."This light won't last much more than an hour," Shesara said.  "I don't think we can outrun them in that amount of time."Dru looked around.  "Into the hut.  There's only one entrance, and we can cut them down as they try to climb in.  Di'Fier, what are you doing?"The mage seized another of the huge ladders, dragging it awkwardly back towards the light.  "We can break this apart, use it for a fire."  Benares moved to help him, and as the elves stood guard, they maneuvered it into the longhouse.The circle of creatures began to close in as Shesara mounted the ladder and the light retreated.<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> The light was dimming.  Di'Fier shifted another of the thick logs onto the fire, looking out the doorway to see the things loping uneasily back and forth...back and forth, but slowly closing in as well.  A small knot of the things - perhaps braver than most - began to inch their way towards the dying light.  In the dimness beyond, others scratched and dug at the ground of the graveyard that sat in the center of the circle of huts."Remind me again why we didn't pull up the ladder?" Di'Fier asked, as he lifted one of his crude javelins."Because they might try to come up it and attack us," Dru said, holding out her hand for the weapons."That's what I meant!" the mage muttered as he passed it over, then armed Benares before picking up one of his own.  "On three?""Just throw them."  Dru fitted action to her words, the wooden shaft arcing out to slam into one of the creatures.  A moment later, Di'Fier and Benares' javelins did the same.The things squealed in rage and pain, tearing the shafts from their flesh and casting them aside."Good throw!""Shh!" Benares crept backwards into the longhouse.  "I hear something..."  He cocked his head, listening. "...they're on the roof."With a hellish shriek, one of the creatures exploded forward, leaping more than climbing the ladder, charging into the blades of Dru, Shesara, and Di'Fier - and crashing down to the ground."They can be killed," said Di'Fier.  "That's a good start.  Now, let's see if they burn." Releasing one hand from his blade, he summoned one of the few remaining spells from his mind, and a globe of slowly shifting flame formed on his outstretched palm, illuminating his face with a hellish red glow.  He turned his hand, and it arced towards the cluster of creatures, landing square on top of one.  The creature spun away from the globe, hissing, embers still briefly flaring on its charred skin.  Its companions rushed the hut, but Dru and Shesara formed a wall of steel that forced them back, and Di'Fier's spell leapt eagerly on those who fell.From the darkness behind them: "They're coming through!"Shesara ducked under the claws of one of the creatures, planted her blade on the ladder, and shoved.  Deprived of its footing, the thing scrabbled vainly at the floor, dangling from the entryway for a moment before Dru's blade pierced its eyesocket and sent it tumbling to the ground.Di'Fier spun, racing to back up Benares - three of the things had come through the roof, and they stank of death.  He kept a firm grip on his last meal and swung the sword, but the creature easily ducked the blow.Benares was already slowing, blood running from a bite on his shoulder, and Di'Fier could see him stiffening - and then a claw raked across his stomach, opening four bloody furrows to a world of pain.  Di'Fier slammed his blade into the offending creature, fighting the effects of its claw.  He could hear Dru's battered boots charging from the front of the longhouse, and saw her blade flash in the firelight, sending one of the creatures to its fate.Elvensong drifted through his hearing - Shesara's voice, bouying them up, giving them the strength to fight on as she dragged the motionless Benars away from the combat.  His blade sent one of the things crashing to the timbered floor, but the other's claws found him, and his muscles could no longer resist - they locked into place, and the momentum of his swing sent him crashing to the floor.He heard Dru's voice yelling in rage, a scream of pain, and then nothing.</blockquote>

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