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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7351585" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 126</p><p></p><p>Glori had an arrow out and fitted to her bowstring before the reverberations of the creature’s strike stopped echoing off the canyon walls, but she held her shot, perhaps doubting whether the mundane missile would have any effect against these beings. The two creatures blocked their way forward, but made no move to pursue them back into the narrower space of the cleft. “Elementals?” she asked.</p><p></p><p>“I am not certain,” Xeeta said. “I sense no animating intelligence within them. Guardians, perhaps.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, I’m not afraid of a couple of hunks of rock,” Kosk said. He started to take a step forward before Quellan grabbed him by the shoulder. “Wait,” the cleric said. “They are not attacking. Maybe their mandate is only to prevent entry.”</p><p></p><p>“I’m not sure how that changes our situation,” Kosk said. He looked over at Bredan. The young fighter had drawn his sword, but he kept the blade low as he took a step toward the stone guardians.</p><p></p><p>“Bredan, careful,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>Bredan acknowledged her with a nod, but continued to slide forward until he was directly in front of the two boulder-creatures. Neither had moved, but there was still something malevolent in their sheer size and obvious strength.</p><p></p><p>“I’m sorry,” Bredan said. “I have to pass.”</p><p></p><p>“Who’s he talking to?” Kosk asked, but desisted at a shushing gesture from Glori.</p><p></p><p>“It wasn’t my idea,” Bredan said, staring up at the blank faces of the guardians. “I was called to this place.”</p><p></p><p>“Look!” Glori hissed, but none of them could have missed the form that emerged from the far wall of the canyon, right next to the dark passageway that led into the mound. At first glance it resembled the animated boulders, but as it took on a humanoid shape and stepped forward they could see a pair of softly glowing points and other features that approximately resembled a face.</p><p></p><p>“Okay, now that one has an animating intelligence,” Xeeta said.</p><p></p><p>“What is it?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t know,” Quellan said. “Some kind of elemental creature.”</p><p></p><p>“Are we going to have to kill it?” Kosk asked.</p><p></p><p>“Bredan seems to know something about this place,” Quellan said. “I suggest we follow his lead… but be ready.”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, I’ll scrape him up off the ground when those things stomp him,” Kosk said, but he held his ground as the elemental being came forward to confront Bredan. Its animated servants stepped back to make room for it as it approached, but were still within easy reach of the human warrior.</p><p></p><p>The thing stopped right in front of Bredan, close enough that he had to crane his head up to look it in the “face”. They stood like that for a full minute, gazing at each other in silence, while the rest of the group watched tensely.</p><p></p><p>Finally, the stone creature tilted slowly, lowering one massive arm. It touched Bredan’s sword, and lifted it until the blade was between them. The afternoon sunlight failed to reach all of the way down to the bottom of the canyon, but for a moment the steel almost seemed to glow.</p><p></p><p>Then the creature leaned forward. Bredan started to draw back, reflexively pulling on the sword, but the thing still had its hand under it and it adjusted its grip so he couldn’t get free. The tip of the sword touched its chest and then slid effortlessly into the solid mass of its body. Bredan’s eyes widened as the stone creature came apart, crumbling into rubble. The sword came down again as its body disintegrated around the weapon in a loud clatter of falling stone. The animated boulders quickly followed, until there was nothing left except for three uneven mounds of debris.</p><p></p><p>The others entered the canyon behind Bredan, carefully moving around the mounds of rubble. “What was that all about?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>Bredan turned and looked at her. “You keep asking me, like I know what’s going on.”</p><p></p><p>“They seemed willing to let you pass,” Kosk said. “If the rest of the defenses of this place are equally accommodating, then this will be easier than I thought.”</p><p></p><p>“Do you think that’s likely?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“No,” the dwarf said.</p><p></p><p>“We should get out of the open,” Xeeta said. “I still sense something… not right.”</p><p></p><p>They made their way to the rectangular tunnel mouth. It was dark inside, but a thick, cloying odor greeted them as they approached.</p><p></p><p>“Gah, smells like something died,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“Soemthing did,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>Quellan paused to summon <em>light</em>, fixing it to the tip of his mace. The magical glow pushed back the darkness and revealed a messy corpse lying a short distance within the passage. There wasn’t much left of it, just some bloodstained scraps of fur and what might have been pieces of clothing.</p><p></p><p>“Wait here,” Kosk said. He moved warily into the passage, tapping the walls and floor with his staff, examining every inch of the ancient stonework before sliding his feet forward. He crouched over the remains, and after a moment turned with something in his hand.</p><p></p><p>“Hand axe,” he said. “Goblin make.”</p><p></p><p>“Goblins,” the others said together, staring at each other in surprise.</p><p></p><p>“So they <em>are</em> here,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“One goblin does not an army make,” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>“I’d say this was once a worg,” Kosk said, poking at the furry remnants with the tip of his staff.</p><p></p><p>“Do you know what killed them?” Xeeta asked.</p><p></p><p>“I’d say being crushed,” Kosk replied. He looked up at the ceiling, then back at them. “Sure you want to do this?”</p><p></p><p>He was looking at Bredan, and after a moment the young warrior nodded. “There’s something here, something important.”</p><p></p><p>Kosk nodded. “Step exactly where I step, touch only what I touch.”</p><p></p><p>The dwarf led them forward into the passage. Bredan followed a few steps behind him, then Glori, Quellan, and finally Xeeta bringing up the rear. The cleric held up his mace for the others’ benefit, though there wasn’t much to see except for bare stone blocks, joined together so that the seams were barely visible. The corridor ran straight into the interior of the mound for as far as they could see.</p><p></p><p>With Kosk moving so slowly, the others had to wait for him to clear the route ahead before they could advance. Quellan took advantage of the delay to turn to Glori. “I’d like you to wear the ring again,” he said. He started to reach for his pouch, but she stopped him with a hand on his.</p><p></p><p>“Not this time,” she said. “I understood the logic of it, before, even though I still disagree with you not telling me about the nature of the <em>Warding Bond.</em> But here… we’re entering another ancient shrine, one that we know nothing about. You’re the priest of knowledge, and you know more about these kinds of places than any of us.” She smiled at him. “This might be one of the rare instances when you’re more important to the group than me.”</p><p></p><p>He smiled back at her, and nodded.</p><p></p><p>“I think he’s ready,” Bredan said to them, drawing their attention back to the passage. Kosk had moved about ten steps ahead, and was gesturing for them to follow. One by one they made their way toward him.</p><p></p><p>Xeeta was just stepping over the mangled remains of the goblin and its steed when she heard something behind her. Turning back toward the canyon, she felt the stone settle slightly as her foot settled on it.</p><p></p><p>There was a loud rumbling directly above her. She didn’t hesitate, but desperately threw herself forward. Quellan caught her and dragged her out of the way just as a massive slab of stone came crashing down from above, sealing the passage behind them. For a moment she could only stare at the solid block that was close enough for her to touch without extending her arm.</p><p></p><p>“Thanks,” she said to the half-orc.</p><p></p><p>“That… was close,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“That was careless,” Kosk said. “Did you not listen to me, earlier?”</p><p></p><p>“Give her a break,” Glori said. “Nobody got hurt.”</p><p></p><p>“This time,” the dwarf said. “And now our way out is blocked.”</p><p></p><p>“The trap reset before,” Quellan said. “There’s no sense in lamenting things that we cannot change. We still have one way to go: forward.”</p><p></p><p>“All right,” Kosk said. “Stay alert this time.”</p><p></p><p>They resumed their way forward, but Kosk had only covered another fifteen steps when he stopped and raised his hand. “There’s something up ahead, a room, I think.”</p><p></p><p>Still checking every inch of the passage, the monk crept forward, the others following until the light coming from Quellan’s mace spilled out into a larger space ahead. He paused at the entrance to the room, crouching so that the others could see past him into the interior space.</p><p></p><p>The light revealed an octagonal vault, roughly twenty-five feet across. Its walls were the same unmarked blocks that made up the passage, but at the ceiling they gave way to a curving dome that reached its apex at least fifteen feet above the floor. There was one other exit immediately visible, an identical-looking passage in the wall to their left.</p><p></p><p>But the most striking feature of the room was directly ahead.</p><p></p><p>A massive stone seat rose against the far wall, facing toward them. It was occupied by a skeletal figure, clad in the remnants of what might have once been ceremonial robes. Wisps of that fabric still clung to its skull, which lay canted against one of the tall stone posts that flanked the back of the throne. A metal object, possibly a scepter or rod of some sort, lay tucked between one arm and its body.</p><p></p><p>“That does not look promising,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s wait for trouble to appear before we go asking for it,” Kosk growled. Still probing with his staff, he edged forward into the room. But he’d managed just a few steps when there was a sound in response, a low chuckle that seemed to come from thin air.</p><p></p><p>“Oh, you had to say it,” Bredan said. He unbuckled his baldric and snapped his sword into his hand as he stepped into the room, moving to the side to give the others room to come in. Glori followed with an arrow fitted to her bowstring, Quellan in her shadow with his shield on his left arm and his mace raised high in his right.</p><p></p><p>None of them had forgotten the skeletal guardian, so they were not unduly surprised when its skull creaked upright, the linen scraps draped over it disintegrating as it moved. But none of them could have expected what happened next, as the skull suddenly burst into green flames that formed a bright halo around it. Within that emerald radiance, two points of bright red materialized within the eye sockets of the skull, piercing them with a malevolent stare.</p><p></p><p>“Oh, damn it, damn it,” Glori said.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7351585, member: 143"] Chapter 126 Glori had an arrow out and fitted to her bowstring before the reverberations of the creature’s strike stopped echoing off the canyon walls, but she held her shot, perhaps doubting whether the mundane missile would have any effect against these beings. The two creatures blocked their way forward, but made no move to pursue them back into the narrower space of the cleft. “Elementals?” she asked. “I am not certain,” Xeeta said. “I sense no animating intelligence within them. Guardians, perhaps.” “Well, I’m not afraid of a couple of hunks of rock,” Kosk said. He started to take a step forward before Quellan grabbed him by the shoulder. “Wait,” the cleric said. “They are not attacking. Maybe their mandate is only to prevent entry.” “I’m not sure how that changes our situation,” Kosk said. He looked over at Bredan. The young fighter had drawn his sword, but he kept the blade low as he took a step toward the stone guardians. “Bredan, careful,” Glori said. Bredan acknowledged her with a nod, but continued to slide forward until he was directly in front of the two boulder-creatures. Neither had moved, but there was still something malevolent in their sheer size and obvious strength. “I’m sorry,” Bredan said. “I have to pass.” “Who’s he talking to?” Kosk asked, but desisted at a shushing gesture from Glori. “It wasn’t my idea,” Bredan said, staring up at the blank faces of the guardians. “I was called to this place.” “Look!” Glori hissed, but none of them could have missed the form that emerged from the far wall of the canyon, right next to the dark passageway that led into the mound. At first glance it resembled the animated boulders, but as it took on a humanoid shape and stepped forward they could see a pair of softly glowing points and other features that approximately resembled a face. “Okay, now that one has an animating intelligence,” Xeeta said. “What is it?” Glori asked. “I don’t know,” Quellan said. “Some kind of elemental creature.” “Are we going to have to kill it?” Kosk asked. “Bredan seems to know something about this place,” Quellan said. “I suggest we follow his lead… but be ready.” “Yeah, I’ll scrape him up off the ground when those things stomp him,” Kosk said, but he held his ground as the elemental being came forward to confront Bredan. Its animated servants stepped back to make room for it as it approached, but were still within easy reach of the human warrior. The thing stopped right in front of Bredan, close enough that he had to crane his head up to look it in the “face”. They stood like that for a full minute, gazing at each other in silence, while the rest of the group watched tensely. Finally, the stone creature tilted slowly, lowering one massive arm. It touched Bredan’s sword, and lifted it until the blade was between them. The afternoon sunlight failed to reach all of the way down to the bottom of the canyon, but for a moment the steel almost seemed to glow. Then the creature leaned forward. Bredan started to draw back, reflexively pulling on the sword, but the thing still had its hand under it and it adjusted its grip so he couldn’t get free. The tip of the sword touched its chest and then slid effortlessly into the solid mass of its body. Bredan’s eyes widened as the stone creature came apart, crumbling into rubble. The sword came down again as its body disintegrated around the weapon in a loud clatter of falling stone. The animated boulders quickly followed, until there was nothing left except for three uneven mounds of debris. The others entered the canyon behind Bredan, carefully moving around the mounds of rubble. “What was that all about?” Glori asked. Bredan turned and looked at her. “You keep asking me, like I know what’s going on.” “They seemed willing to let you pass,” Kosk said. “If the rest of the defenses of this place are equally accommodating, then this will be easier than I thought.” “Do you think that’s likely?” Glori asked. “No,” the dwarf said. “We should get out of the open,” Xeeta said. “I still sense something… not right.” They made their way to the rectangular tunnel mouth. It was dark inside, but a thick, cloying odor greeted them as they approached. “Gah, smells like something died,” Glori said. “Soemthing did,” Kosk said. Quellan paused to summon [i]light[/i], fixing it to the tip of his mace. The magical glow pushed back the darkness and revealed a messy corpse lying a short distance within the passage. There wasn’t much left of it, just some bloodstained scraps of fur and what might have been pieces of clothing. “Wait here,” Kosk said. He moved warily into the passage, tapping the walls and floor with his staff, examining every inch of the ancient stonework before sliding his feet forward. He crouched over the remains, and after a moment turned with something in his hand. “Hand axe,” he said. “Goblin make.” “Goblins,” the others said together, staring at each other in surprise. “So they [i]are[/i] here,” Glori said. “One goblin does not an army make,” Quellan said. “I’d say this was once a worg,” Kosk said, poking at the furry remnants with the tip of his staff. “Do you know what killed them?” Xeeta asked. “I’d say being crushed,” Kosk replied. He looked up at the ceiling, then back at them. “Sure you want to do this?” He was looking at Bredan, and after a moment the young warrior nodded. “There’s something here, something important.” Kosk nodded. “Step exactly where I step, touch only what I touch.” The dwarf led them forward into the passage. Bredan followed a few steps behind him, then Glori, Quellan, and finally Xeeta bringing up the rear. The cleric held up his mace for the others’ benefit, though there wasn’t much to see except for bare stone blocks, joined together so that the seams were barely visible. The corridor ran straight into the interior of the mound for as far as they could see. With Kosk moving so slowly, the others had to wait for him to clear the route ahead before they could advance. Quellan took advantage of the delay to turn to Glori. “I’d like you to wear the ring again,” he said. He started to reach for his pouch, but she stopped him with a hand on his. “Not this time,” she said. “I understood the logic of it, before, even though I still disagree with you not telling me about the nature of the [i]Warding Bond.[/i] But here… we’re entering another ancient shrine, one that we know nothing about. You’re the priest of knowledge, and you know more about these kinds of places than any of us.” She smiled at him. “This might be one of the rare instances when you’re more important to the group than me.” He smiled back at her, and nodded. “I think he’s ready,” Bredan said to them, drawing their attention back to the passage. Kosk had moved about ten steps ahead, and was gesturing for them to follow. One by one they made their way toward him. Xeeta was just stepping over the mangled remains of the goblin and its steed when she heard something behind her. Turning back toward the canyon, she felt the stone settle slightly as her foot settled on it. There was a loud rumbling directly above her. She didn’t hesitate, but desperately threw herself forward. Quellan caught her and dragged her out of the way just as a massive slab of stone came crashing down from above, sealing the passage behind them. For a moment she could only stare at the solid block that was close enough for her to touch without extending her arm. “Thanks,” she said to the half-orc. “That… was close,” Glori said. “That was careless,” Kosk said. “Did you not listen to me, earlier?” “Give her a break,” Glori said. “Nobody got hurt.” “This time,” the dwarf said. “And now our way out is blocked.” “The trap reset before,” Quellan said. “There’s no sense in lamenting things that we cannot change. We still have one way to go: forward.” “All right,” Kosk said. “Stay alert this time.” They resumed their way forward, but Kosk had only covered another fifteen steps when he stopped and raised his hand. “There’s something up ahead, a room, I think.” Still checking every inch of the passage, the monk crept forward, the others following until the light coming from Quellan’s mace spilled out into a larger space ahead. He paused at the entrance to the room, crouching so that the others could see past him into the interior space. The light revealed an octagonal vault, roughly twenty-five feet across. Its walls were the same unmarked blocks that made up the passage, but at the ceiling they gave way to a curving dome that reached its apex at least fifteen feet above the floor. There was one other exit immediately visible, an identical-looking passage in the wall to their left. But the most striking feature of the room was directly ahead. A massive stone seat rose against the far wall, facing toward them. It was occupied by a skeletal figure, clad in the remnants of what might have once been ceremonial robes. Wisps of that fabric still clung to its skull, which lay canted against one of the tall stone posts that flanked the back of the throne. A metal object, possibly a scepter or rod of some sort, lay tucked between one arm and its body. “That does not look promising,” Glori said. “Let’s wait for trouble to appear before we go asking for it,” Kosk growled. Still probing with his staff, he edged forward into the room. But he’d managed just a few steps when there was a sound in response, a low chuckle that seemed to come from thin air. “Oh, you had to say it,” Bredan said. He unbuckled his baldric and snapped his sword into his hand as he stepped into the room, moving to the side to give the others room to come in. Glori followed with an arrow fitted to her bowstring, Quellan in her shadow with his shield on his left arm and his mace raised high in his right. None of them had forgotten the skeletal guardian, so they were not unduly surprised when its skull creaked upright, the linen scraps draped over it disintegrating as it moved. But none of them could have expected what happened next, as the skull suddenly burst into green flames that formed a bright halo around it. Within that emerald radiance, two points of bright red materialized within the eye sockets of the skull, piercing them with a malevolent stare. “Oh, damn it, damn it,” Glori said. [/QUOTE]
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