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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 1035234" data-attributes="member: 9546">AND ONE SHALL FALL…The company stood staring at the elevator platform, certain that this path would lead them to their goal, but at the same time quite uncertain of the consequences of reaching that destination.Pez spoke first, “If we are going deeper, we are sure to be encountering far greater dangers than we have already.  One of us should return to the temple and inform Jenya of our status.  She should be aware of our last known location should we fail.”Oso glanced sharply at the holy warrior, “I will go.  I have no love of these deep places.  I feel confined, closed in.  I will tell Jenya what has occurred thus far, but know this…if you do not return, I will come in search of you.  I swear this to you.”Before the others could protest, the ranger turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness.Pez looked around at his remaining companions, quietly gauging their resolve.  “Our descent on this platform will not be a quiet one.  If the fortress below has been forewarned of our approach, we could very well be walking into a trap.  I will go ahead and scout the area.  You three wait here, and I shall come back swiftly.”“Now just a minute!” Salazar protested, “How are you going to scout any quieter than the rest of us?  Tilly and I are somewhat more familiar with infiltration, if you know what I mean.  If we lose you, we’ve lost our best swordsman.  I don’t think we should split up.”“Trust me,” Pez said quietly, “I have abilities beyond your comprehension.”  As if in proof, the elf’s body began to dissolve into a misty vapor that still bore the general outline of Pez, but no substance.  The cloud then flowed through the central hole of the platform, and out of sight.“Blast him!” Rusty spat, “I’m guessin’ he don’t recall what happened the last time he went scoutin’.”Pez flew silently down the darkened shaft, deeper and deeper into the earth.  After a while, the walls of the shaft turned from bare gray stone to polished black malachite.  It took the archon several minutes to reach the bottom, which he guessed to be some two hundred feet below the chamber in which his friends waited.The room at the bottom was completely bare.  He could see the chains attached to a pulley mechanism on the floor, and then rising up into the darkness.  A single, iron reinforced door seemed to be the only exit.Pez drifted over to the door, and then slipped soundlessly under the crack beneath.  Beyond he found himself in a large hallway, its ceiling rising to an apex some twenty feet above.  The floor, walls and ceiling were all composed of smooth, black stone.  Two cylindrical, iron cages dangled from the ceiling by iron chains, one nearby and the other some forty feet further down the passage.  A strange sculpture stood in the middle of the hall between the two cages.  It seemed to be a five-foot tall column of roughly hewn gray stone covered with sharp protrusions.  Four crystal-tipped appendages jutted from the stony mass, each one pointing in a different direction.  Some sort of guidepost, Pez assumed.  He flew on down the corridor, past the statue and the cages.  Ahead, the hall seemed to reach a dead-end.  Another iron-reinforced door stood closed to his left.  Again, he sank down to the level of the floor and flowed easily beneath the portal.  Instantly he was assailed by a putrid stench.  The room he had entered was splattered wall-to-wall with filth, bile, bones and other disgusting remains.  No furniture was present, per se, but some of the older refuse had hardened into a crude chair.  Seated on this dung throne was a large, gangly creature.  It would be at least nine feet tall standing, Pez estimated.  It was dressed in a boiled, hide breast piece, and a great, curved falchion rested across its knees.  Large yellow tusks protruded from its undershot jaw, and its red-rimmed, yellow eyes immediately focused on Pez.Xukasus was bored, and he was irritated…not a good combination.  His boredom stemmed from the fact that he was charged by Kazmojen to stand guard over this approach to the fortress, and to oversee the hobgoblins as well, neither of which was particularly challenging.  After all, the only ones who ever came down the shaft were those miserable skulks or the hairy little creepers.  True, they often had a slave shipment with them, but he wasn’t even allowed to sample those wares.  They were strictly off-limits.  His irritation was due to the fact that he grew more and more weary of this form he was forced to wear.  You see, Xukasus was not the ogre that he appeared to be.  He was, in fact, an otyugh, a creature that revels in filth and debris.  He had been seeking a particularly tasty bit of decaying refuse in the gnome enclave above, when he had triggered one of their blasted traps.  He found himself instantly transformed into his current guise.  Kazmojen had found him thus, and had promised to find a way to restore him if he agreed to serve the slaver.  So, here he sat, day after day with nothing to break the tedium and monotony…until now.At first, Xukasus did not know what to make of the misty cloud seeping under his door, but as it assumed a humanoid shape, he recalled that a few days ago one of those sneaking skulks had come down the shaft in a panic, claiming there were intruders above.  Xukasus had dismissed the rantings as more of the paranoia that the skulks were so noted for, but is seemed now that they were telling the truth.  How fortunate for him.  He lurched to his feet, bringing his falchion up above his head, “Fresh carrion for my larder!  Very nice!”Pez knew he was in trouble.  The gaseous form he had assumed was fine for unobtrusive spying, but totally unsuited for combat.  He could bring none of his weapons or abilities to bear, nor could he move particularly fast.  As the ogre’s sword came whistling down, he quickly zipped back under the doorway, and began moving up the hallway as quickly as he could.The door behind him slammed open and the ogre came roaring into the passage.  “You can run, but you can’t hide!  Xukasus hungers, and his appetite won’t wait!”Pez tried to move faster, but the giant was gaining.  He had just passed the guidepost, when he was given a second shock as the statue began to move!The statue’s base began sliding across the floor towards Pez, and its spiked appendages began swinging in large, deadly arcs.  “You see,” the ogre cried, “My little pet has a surprise for you!  Hawr, hawr, hawr!”Pez could tell that he wouldn’t make it to the elevator shaft in time.  Thinking quickly, he darted between the bars of the cage which hung nearby, hoping for a brief respite to gather his wits.The ogre roared in frustration, and began shaking the cage with one great hand.  The lock held fast and Xukasus’ huge fingers could not fit between the bars.  Enraged, the giant drew back with his falchion and began hacking at the iron bars.  On the other side, the stone statue was also raining blow after blow against the cage.  Pez knew his time was running out.  He could see the cage bars starting to buckle.  He waited for just the right moment, when both of his opponents were winding up for another blow, and then he quickly flowed through the bars on the back side of the cage, and made a break for the door.  He made it beneath, and managed to fly several feet up the shaft before the ogre threw the door open and charged inside, his stone pet right behind.  “Get down here and fight!” Xukasus raged, shaking his fist at his escaping prey.“Not just now, thanks,” Pez taunted back, “Perhaps another time, when you’re not so busy.  Good hunting to you!”  With that, he soared back up the shaft, the shouts and curses of the ogre diminishing in the distance.Several minutes later, Sal, Tilly and Rusty breathed easier as they saw the misty form of Pez reappear on the platform.  As quickly as he had dissolved, the warrior now solidified back to his normal form.  “We’ve got trouble,” he began, “The approach is guarded, and not just by a few lowly skulks.  It’s an ogre, and he’s got some sort of animated stone construct with him.  We…”Abruptly, Pez’ words were cut off as the platform lurched into motion, rapidly sinking into the shaft with him on it.  The platform was already twenty feet down before the others realized what was happening.  “Come on!” Tilly cried, and he leaped out into the void.  He attempted to cushion his landing by rolling with it, but in his current, clumsy state, he fell in a heap, turning his ankle as he hit.Salazar followed and was able to land nimbly in a crouch.  He rolled to the side as he heard a dwarven curse from above, and just narrowly avoided the hurtling missile that was the armored priest as he struck the wooden platform with the force of a hammer.The companions gathered themselves and drew their weapons, knowing they had lost the element of surprise and would likely be in for the fight of their lives.  “We may still have a chance,” Sal said.  He removed the glowing circlet that he wore around his head, which had provided light for the group since being enchanted by Jenya with an ever-burning flame.  He flung it to the far side of the platform, creating an area of shadow on the near side.  “Everyone stand out of the light.  Be as quiet as you can, and don’t move until you have no choice.  We may be able to salvage a bit of advantage.”Xukasus waited.  He had opened the hidden door in the shaft and entered the control room for the elevator.  Triggering it, he hoped, would either crush his prey, or bring it back down to him.  If nothing else, he would ride the platform back up and hunt the little morsel down room by room.  Now, he crouched within the darkness of the little room, gazing out into the gloom, waiting for the platform to arrive.  His sharp eyes could see in total darkness, and he could pick out the form of his pet across the way, standing in the doorway and blocking the only way out.The elevator platform settled to the floor with a bump.  Immediately, the companions could see outlined in the light, the lumpy stone shape standing in the doorway.  Pez also noted the new opening on the far side of the room, but could see only darkness within.Tilly, however, saw something else…a hulking shape crouched in hiding, waiting to spring.  He opened his mouth to shout a warning, but at that moment, the construct charged.Sal forced himself to wait for the last possible moment.  Despite his attempt to hide, the stone creature seemed to arrow right for him.  It’s massive arms drew back to strike, but just as they fell, the rogue deftly tumbled to the side and behind it, his blade striking a glancing blow as he passed.  At the same moment, Xukasus erupted from his concealment.  Shouting in fury, he rushed for Pez, picking his now solid quarry out from among the shadows.  Pez knew that it was no use hiding any more, and he raced forward, meeting the ogre head on.  “For Tyr!” he cried as the two collided, their blades ringing together.  For a brief moment, Pez held his ground against the onslaught, but then the giant’s strength overwhelmed him.  The huge falchion crashed down, crushing the archon’s shoulder plate, and biting into the flesh beneath.Rusty and Salazar both saw that Pez was in trouble.  The priest moved first, attempting to rush in beneath the giant’s reach, but he was stopped cold by a kick from the ogre’s tree-trunk sized leg.  Sal used the distraction to move to a flanking position behind Xukasus, but as he did, he momentarily forgot about his other opponent.  The statue swung its club-like arm with deadly accuracy, hammering Sal between the shoulders.  Sal felt his lungs gasping for air, but he managed to keep his feet and ducked quickly into the elevator control room.  Pez staggered under the blow from the ogre.  He reeled backwards, putting his back to the wall of the shaft, and bringing his sword up in a defensive crouch.  Xukasus stalked in, grinning broadly, his tusks dripping in anticipation.  He lifted his blade high above his head, and brought it down squarely towards Pez’ upraised sword, but at the last minute, he reversed his blow, instead turning it into a slash towards the warriors midsection.  Pez saw the feint a fraction of a second too late.  The falchion sliced deeply into his abdomen, hurling him against the wall.  The archon’s vision grew dark, and he slumped to the floor in a growing pool of blood.As Xukasus moved to pursue Pez, his companion followed Sal.  The rogue backed cautiously away from the approaching monolith.  He saw there was no way out of this room…just a lever jutting from the far wall.  He reached into his pack, and drew forth the spiked length of chain he kept inside.  As the statue approached, Sal whipped the chain out, wrapping it around the base of the column.  With a tremendous jerk, he managed to topple the thing completely over.  Now was his chance, he could leap past it and back into the shaft chamber.  However, just as he made his move, the statue heaved itself up again, and slammed one of its spiked arms into Sal’s chest.  The rogue staggered back, but before he could recover, another blow crashed into his skull.Tilly watched in horror as events unfolded.  He had tried to help his friends, but he wasn’t quick enough.  His clumsiness made his attempts slow and easily avoidable.  He had been forced to retreat time and again, and now the ogre was turning its attention to him.  Across the room, he saw Rusty backing up as the statue exited the room it had chased Sal into, its arms dripping blood and gore.  Not Sal, he thought, not Sal.“Tis no use lad!” Rusty shouted to him, “We’re done fer.  I’ll hold’em off best I can.  Run fer it!”Tilly dashed between the ogre’s legs as it tried to swing for him.  He raced past the statue and into the control room.  He had a last, desperate idea.  “Rusty!” he cried, “Come on!  In here…quickly!”The dwarf retreated, step by step towards Tilly, his shield deflecting blow after blow from the construct.  He was almost to the door, and turned to dive in, but at the final moment, the stone statue landed a solid blow across his lower spine.  He crumpled to the floor of the platform, inches away from Tilly’s outstretched hand, unmoving.Tilly saw both the ogre and the statue now moving for him.  With a wail of despair, he slammed the door to the control room shut, and rushed towards the lever on the far wall.  His heart quailed as he saw the bloody form of Sal lying on the floor beneath it.  He couldn’t grieve for his friend now, there was no time.  He grabbed the lever just as he heard the door smash behind him, and threw it up.  He heard the gears engage, as the platform rose into the shaft, carrying his assailants away…but also Pez and Rusty.</blockquote>

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