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="Funeris" data-source="post: 1955127" data-attributes="member: 22792">Chapter 8: Into the Deep ContinuedThe northern tower shot up above the high walls of Llyndofare.  It was easily twice as high as the protective stonewalls of the castle.  Empty black windows looked down upon the courtyard.  Not a creature stirred, not a sound was made after the defeat of the Allip.  The tower was the only area in Llyndofare that had not been searched and cleared.  Heaving the heavy wooden backdoor over the well, the Heroes moved toward the tower.Once in the entry, two sets of wooden stairs drifted upward into the ceiling.  One set of stone stairs pierced the ground, spiraling downward.  Of the mindset to prevent any ambushes, the Heroes headed downstairs into the basement.The basement however was empty, with the exception of two dwem soldiers.  The soldiers had been dead for several days, as evidenced by the rot of the corpses.  Both had suffered several bite attacks, pieces of flesh ripped from their bodies.  Their gear lay unceremoniously in a pile next to their corpses.  The Heroes gladly helped themselves to the easily earned loot.  Then, they proceeded upward, past the entrance hall and to the second story.This level was also empty except for antique furniture from the days Llyndofare had been occupied.  A spare room near the northern wall held more free loot.  This loot also came from the deaths of two dark dwarf corpses.  Anticipation racked the minds of the Heroes as they gathered what could possibly be used, then headed to the third level.Upon finding another empty floor, exasperation coupled with anticipation.  This level yielded absolutely nothing, not even dwem corpses.  The party looked emptily at the last remaining staircases.  Tobias started up the right, just as Motega began the left.As their heads popped above the final floor the familiar clacking mandibles of the Scorpiots sounded behind.  Tobias unsheathed his greatsword, Motega knocked an arrow and the battle was joined.But despite the warning of the clicking mandibles and the anticipation, Tobias took the full force of a wicked claw attack to ascend the final few stairs.  Motega was more fortunate, pushing his attacker off the offensive with a well-placed arrow.  Both Motega and Tobias moved away from the stairs, opening a path for the mage and cleric below.Tobias forced his scorpiot adversary away from the stairs with a stunningly powerful attack.  The scorpiot barely deflected the arcing swing of the greatsword and retaliated with equal fervor, it’s poisonous barbed tail piercing Tobias’ armor.  The familiar burning of poison stung Tobias’ veins, but he shrugged off the poison and raised his sword for another attack.  A missile of magical energy exploded into Tobias’ back, damage he couldn’t shrug off.  Motega launched a volley of arrows at the scorpiot mage; his arrow-tips found only the walls of Castle Llyndofare.  Upon the explosion of the magical missiles, Magnus scrambled up the stairs and headed toward Tobias.  The mage had memorized a strength-enhancing spell that morning and moved into a position to deliver the extra power to Tobias.  As he took his place behind and slightly to the side of Tobias, a final viscous attack dropped the young fighter unconscious.  The scorpiot turned its attention toward Magnus.  Magnus gulped.Fitz finally ascended the stairs near Motega.  The Rornman had dropped his bow and now faced off with the claws and tail of the scorpiot mage.  The Cleric of Ceria peered around to find the best course of action and moved toward Tobias.Magnus pivoted, barely dodging a claw and ran toward Motega, drawing the beast away from Tobias.  But before he had made it halfway across the room, the beast’s barbed tail pierced his kidney.  Magnus remembered the feel of the poison as it coursed into his veins just before his world went black.Motega’s blade slid powerfully between the natural armor of the scorpiot.  Its beady eyes went wide as it embraced the death delivered.  The ranger lifted his boot to the scorpiot’s chest and kicked its corpse off his blade.  Then he turned to pursue the other attacker.Fitz had dodged nimbly by the charging scorpiot and slid to a stop in front of Tobias.  He leaned down withdrawing a wand and coaxed the healing into the fallen paladin’s body.  Tobias’ eyes flittered open.“Behind you!” Tobias’ raspy voice called out.  Fitz spun about to see the scorpiot drop Motega into a heap.  The scorpiot charged the cleric, a cacophony of noise spurting from its mandibles.  Fitz stepped back and the beast nearly fell upon him.Tobias leapt up at the last possible second, his greatsword raised high, using the creature’s own force to impale it.  The monstrous beast slid off the blade with a sickly slop sound.  Fitz looked around at the carnage and then moved to heal his party members.</blockquote>

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