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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 1007718" data-attributes="member: 9546">BRAIN DEADBefore Sal could shout a warning, Pez lifted into the air, “I’m going for a quick look around,” he called softly over his shoulder, “I’ll signal you if it’s clear.”Sal quickly rushed up to the others, “It’s a trap,” he whispered breathlessly, “Don’t you realize where we are?”They all turned to watch as Pez disappeared into the shadows.Pez flapped his great wings in large, slow arcs, trying his best to minimize the noise his passing made.  He made for the eastern balcony first, for there was a blind corner there they could not see from the doorway.  As he reached the corner, he sensed, rather than heard, a presence above him.  He back winged instantly, but it was an instant too late.  From the darkness near the ceiling, a long, purplish tentacle snaked towards him.  It lashed him across the chest, and he felt a burning pain shoot through his entire body.  It felt as if his every muscle had suddenly seized.  Soundlessly he dropped to the balcony, and lay motionless.“Pez!” Tilly cried in horror.  The company just caught a glimpse of the attack, but now they could see clearly what was taking place.  Something that resembled a large, disembodied brain drifted slowly down from the rafters.  Trailing below it were a dozen or more ropy tentacles.  Worst of all, from the middle of the brain-like, eyeless mass, a razor-sharp beak protruded, opening and closing with loud clacks, drool dripping from it.Tilly broke into a run, racing for the spiral stairs leading to the balcony, but in his current, clumsy state, he was easily outdistanced by the lumbering form of Rusty.Salazar cursed as his friends ran blindly into certain death.  “Oso,” he hissed, “cover them!”  Then he seemed to melt into the shadows as he darted between pillars and stones, making his way silently towards the balcony as well.Oso pulled his bowstring to his ear, bending the longbow nearly in two.  As the beast neared Pez, preparing to snap him in half with its maw, the ranger released.  His arrow was dead-on, and the monstrosity howled an unearthly shriek.  It scuttled quickly around the corner, seeking cover from the elf’s deadly shots.  However, it had not gone so far that its appendages could not still creep towards its fallen victim.Pez lay immobile, unable to even blink, but his mind still functioned and raced.  He concentrated mightily, calling upon the spark of divine favor that had been restored to him.  Telepathically he called out to his companions, ‘In my belt!  The elixir that is there!  It can aid me!’  He only prayed that they understood.Rusty reached the top of the stairway, but Tilly was only a pace behind.  With a roar, the priest ran for his fallen comrade, heedless of the danger lurking nearby.  Tilly saw the creature turn to follow the dwarf, its tentacles writhing in anticipation.“Here!  Over here, you…you….bird brain!” The halfling rushed forward, waving his arms to distract the beast.  His gambit paid off…in spades.  With amazing speed, the monster flew at the halfling, its tentacles snapping the air like whips.  One of them fastened around Tilly’s waist, hoisting him into the air and squeezing the breath out of him.  Tilly felt a burning sensation in his guts, but it quickly passed and he found that he could still move, though he wasn’t sure how much good it would do him.Oso had no clear shot from his current vantage.  Looking around, he spied the opposite balcony, and made a mad dash for it.  Sprinting up the stairs, he reached the top, and moved to the railing.  He could clearly see the plight of his companions, and though he knew he might endanger them, he had no choice.  He drew his bow back again, aimed as best he could, and opened fire…Salazar had reached the stair.  He could hear Tilly’s struggles above, and he feared for his friend’s life.  Hefting his blade, he moved quickly, but quietly up the staircase, hoping the element of surprise would be his.  As he moved out onto the balcony, looking for an opening, he suddenly knew his ploy had failed.  The creature turned its ‘face’ right at him as soon as he had left the stair.  While one tentacle continued to constrict the writhing halfling, another looped around Sal’s ankle, and jerked him from his feet.  His head struck the floor heavily, and his sword slipped from his numb, paralyzed fingers…“Damn!  Which pocket?  Which pocket?” Rusty growled as he rummaged through the pouches dangling from Pez’ belt.  Finally he saw the flask.  He yanked the stopper free with his teeth, and rolled the elf onto his back.  With one mailed glove, he pried the warriors locked jaws apart, and poured the draught down his throat.  He could hear the creature moving up behind him, and he braced himself for the blow he knew would come…and then he heard the thing shriek a second time…Oso’s aim continued to be true.  Arrow after arrow he fired into the thing’s chitinous hide, but still it held onto Tilly.  He could see Rusty struggling with Pez, and Sal lying seemingly lifeless nearby.  He had to buy the dwarf and the halfling a few more moments.  But then his time was up.  The creature had tired of being stung by this bothersome gnat.  It sailed into the air, angling straight for the ranger on the opposite balcony.  Oso quickly tried to knock one last arrow, but his bow clattered uselessly to the floor as a log-sized tentacle slammed into the side of his head.Sensation slowly returned to Pez’ limbs, and he heaved himself to his feet.  “Thank you my friend,” he said, clapping Rusty on the shoulder, “I owe you my life.  Hold here, I will do what I can.”The archon knew that he was no match in a one-on-one fight, wounded as he was.  And he surely did not want to end up paralyzed a second time.  He quickly flew from the balcony to the far side of the chamber.  From here, he could see both raised areas.  He closed his eyes briefly, calling on Tyr to grant him this boon.  Summoning his birthright once more, his eyes snapped open, and he uttered one word, that boomed like a drum throughout the chamber, “DIE!”The beast felt a wave of power wash over it, and for a moment its perceptions dimmed, but it quickly recovered, and realized that its prey was free.  It peered towards the far balcony and saw the dwarf there alone, unprotected.  It leaped into the air again, its tentacles reaching greedily forward, preparing for the kill.  Suddenly, pain shot through its arms, again, and again.  The little morsel that it held was biting it!Tilly had managed to free one hand, and the dagger that he gripped.  Gritting his teeth, he ripped at the creature as fast and as hard as he could.  His vision was going dark, and he felt light-headed, but he wasn’t going to give in without a fight…and then, he was falling.Rusty watched in amazement as the little fellow made one last, valiant stand.  Fortunately, he had managed to distract the beast again, and this time it floated only a foot or two beyond the balcony.  The dwarf drew his hammer, and climbed up onto the rail.  Raising it above his head in a two-fisted grip, he cried out to his goddess as he brought it crashing down into the gelid mass of the monster’s cranium.  The thing never made a sound.  It just dropped like a stone to the floor below…</blockquote>

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