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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Immort" data-source="post: 274738" data-attributes="member: 2001">Conlin was flush with their recent victory, the horror of the water elementals first attack had hung over the group like an ominous cloud.  To vanquish such a foe, one that had seemed unbeatable was a balm to their worn spirits.  Conlin’s self doubt and feeling of failure continued to haunt him but this victory seemed to give him renewed hope in himself.    Their departure from the water temple led them back into the seemingly endless  maze of corridors that comprised the outer ring of the temple.  The air became drier and hotter as the proceeded onward leading them to the inescapable conclusion that they were soon to face the fire temple.  They felt confident enough to continue even after having expended several spells during the fighting at the water temple.  Several of them had wounds though none were considered significant enough to waste any more of their dwindling healing on.    They proceeded as they always did, Jaer and his great axe in the lead, followed by Conlin, Jordan, Abdul, and Xar.  It was a pattern that had held up for a long time now.  Jaer always poised to strike and Conlin right behind him waiting for a clear shot.  This had the side effect of giving him that precious second or two he needed to asses the situation and react.  Jordan whose limber frame could squeeze past just about anything without effort made the logical choice to follow Conlin.  He could be in the action sometimes more quickly then Conlin could line up a shot.  The combination of Abdul and Xar to anchor the group made for a very stable spell casting platform.    So when Jaer rounded the corner to a hallway that opened up into a guarded room, Conlin watched his group spring into practiced action.  One of the guards was already ringing an alarm bell while the others moved to intercept them.  Jaer was quicker and had one laid open faster than the man knew what hit him.  Jordan’s follow up thrust was timed almost perfectly with Conlin’s first shot.  The battle seemed over before it had begun, the human guards clearly outmatched.  Then a large monster rumbled in from the hallway opposite the guarded door.    Tattoos covered the gray furred body.  It was vaguely minotaurish though in truth it was no creature Conlin had ever seen before.  He trained his arrows on it deeming it to be the most significant threat.  Vip!  Vip!  Vip!  Three arrows arced at the thing, but only one connected .  Irritated it began to lumber towards him, only to be intercepted by Jaer’s oversized frame.  Magical darts flickered over his head as Xar made his presence known.  Jordan toyed with the remaining human guards, things seemed under control.  Then the doors flew open.    It all broke loose at that point.  With a scream that pierced the heart and numbed the brain a seething mass of chitinous legs and bulk thundered through the door.  Looking like nothing so much as an unholy twenty foot wide spider-demon-thing, which it probably was, the monster tore into the melee like an avalanche.  It was utterly indiscriminate, attacking everything in reach.  The human guards were eviscerated almost as an afterthought as the horror advanced on Jaer.    FOOM!!  The blast of Xar’s fireball engulfed the terror blocking it from sight, and incinerating the remaining guards.  As the blast cleared the monstrosity stood there completely untouched by the flame, and then charged Jaer, swiping casually at Jordan as it did so.    “Oh my God, it’s a Bebelith!” screamed Abdul.  “We can’t take this thing, we have to get out of here!”    Confused, Jordan began to fall back, clutching at the terrible wound in his abdomen.  Jaer chuckled and sent Snowstorm careening into the beast.  Clang!  The axe rebounded without making so much as a scratch in the apparently invincible armour.  It retaliated by extending its huge fangs and tearing into Jaer.  The virulent poison that dripped from the fangs was pumped into Jaer’s helpless form, stealing his incredible strength from his limbs.  He fell back barely able to support his own weight under the effects of the poison.  Magic missiles flashed overhead even as Conlin loosed his own missile barrage.  Neither Xar’s magical darts nor Conlin’s own more physical missiles had even the slightest effect on the creature.    “What the hell is this thing?!?” panicked Jordan as he slipped over to help pull Jaer back from the beast, taking a wicked strike from one of the fangs himself.    “It  is some kind of demon!  How it got here I can’t begin to understand.” answered Abdul.    “Abdul!  Xar!  Get them out of here!  Abdul is right, this thing is more than they can handle.”    Dropping Ogrekiller Conlin charged forward whipping his enchanted bastard sword free.  He knew Mayaheine’s favor gave him the only chance any of them had of resisting that poison.    “In Mayaheine’s name you shall not have them fiend!!” he roared.    Summoning her holy might into his blade he swung the blade with all of his strength, desperately trying to smite the demon.  A casual swing from one of its claws threw him off balance and his blade “thunked” harmlessly into the ground, the holy smite wasted.  Seizing on its advantage the Bebelith lashed out with its wicked fangs, burying them deeply into Conlin’s frame.  SEARING pain flooded through him making the wounds themselves feel almost pleasant in comparison to the wracking pain of the poison coursing through his veins.    Even as he fought off the effects of the unearthly venom, the tattooed creature, in a strange and unexpected turn of events, laid into the Bebelith from behind.  Taking advantage of the distraction, Conlin looked for his friends.  They were already moving out of sight down the tunnels.  At that moment a strange peace came over him, they were going to be safe.  He just had to distract this thing for a little longer and they would be safe.  Finally, he was living up to his task, protecting them.  Even if it cost him his life, he would see them away safely.    He straightened his pain wracked form, a small smile coming across his face as he moved in to face his death, certain in the knowledge that he was selling his life for that of his friends.    “I am coming to you Mayaheine.” he thought.-Immort</blockquote>

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