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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4825107" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 47</p><p></p><p></p><p>Carzen would have cursed if he’d been able to manage the breath for it, but whatever was holding him had a grip like that of a giant. He remembered the thing that had scuttled away, and tried to break free, but it had him fast; he couldn’t escape. </p><p></p><p>He got his shield up just in time as the hyena slammed into him. He’d hoped its impact would have jarred him free of the chokehold around his neck, but if anything the grip seemed to grow tighter. Bright lights began to flash in front of his eyes. </p><p></p><p>Surina and Gral held their ground as the hyenas rushed toward them, although they both lacked the armor protection that shielded the others from harm. Surina’s lips twisted into an almost eager grin, her eyes flashing as her magic coursed through her. But before she could attack, she was suddenly thrust roughly aside by Vhael. </p><p></p><p>She growled something harsh in Draconic, but the reason for the warlord’s odd move became clear an instant later, as the werewolf shot through the space Surina had occupied, its bloody claws slavering as it yanked the arrow out of its chest and tossed it aside. It met a hyena in mid-leap and bore it to the ground, its jaws crushing its neck, ripping out huge chunks of flesh from the hapless creature as it jerked its head up and let out a violent roar. </p><p></p><p>The gnolls had spread out around Gral’s <em>freezing cloud</em>, just as Carzen had predicted. The huntsmen lifted their bows to fire, most of them targeting the werewolf, while the two spearmen rushed forward to melee. Gral targeted them with a pair of <em>icy rays</em>, blasting them with magical cold that temporarily delayed them as their muscles stiffened in response. Vhael stepped in front of the dwarf and intercepted a charging hyena, delivering a powerful two-handed chop with his sword that opened a bloody gash in the creature’s shoulder. The hyena yelped and snapped at him, while another leapt for the warlord’s legs, landing a bite that tore though his leggings but failed to do more than scratch the dragonborn’s durable hide. </p><p></p><p>Most of the hyenas fell upon the werewolf, coming at it from all sides, trying to tear it apart. But the werewolf fought like a thing possessed, tearing one hyena from him and hurling it aside, slashing a second across the face with its claws. A hyena sank its teeth into the werewolf’s leg, locking its jaws, but the thing that had been Terrlen merely reached down and seized the hyena’s head, snarling as it pulled, and pulled, and then tore the hyena’s jaws fully open with a sick snapping noise. The creature fell to the ground, making a keening noise that sounded like death as its broken jaw flapped loosely under its head. </p><p></p><p>The ferocity of its counterattack had driven the hyenas back for a moment, but before they could regroup, a pair of arrows sank into the werewolf’s back. The creature spun and snarled, springing out of the circle of attackers, and landing in a full charge that took it right into the midst of the gnoll archers. </p><p></p><p>Carzen’s vision was starting to constrict into a narrow tunnel that was continuing to shrink. The hyena kept snapping at him, but thus far it hadn’t managed to get a solid bite through the armor protecting his legs and torso. For a moment, it was so ridiculous that he might have laughed, had he been able to breathe. To come all this way, to die thus…</p><p></p><p>He never saw the dark form that emerged from the passage behind him, but he felt the sudden impact as Gezzelhaupt sliced his shortsword across the extended arm of the choker, just above where it had latched onto Carzen’s neck. Air, a blessed flood of it, filled his lungs as the strangling grip went slack. The choker, seriously hurt, retreated, trailing its crippled arm after it as it slowly fumbled its way back to the crevice in the ceiling from whence it had emerged. Neither Gez nor Carzen were in any position to stop it, as they had more pressing concerns on their mind by then. </p><p></p><p>The battle had not paused while Carzen had fought for his life on its periphery, and now combatants were starting to fall. One of the gnoll archers was down, blood oozing from a dozen deep gashes in his flanks, but the werewolf was starting to look like a pincushion, with the other huntsmen firing arrows point-blank into its body. The magical curse that had transformed Terrlen had given him an unnatural boost to his vitality, but it was obvious that even he could not absorb this level of punishment. The werewolf turned and lunged at the nearest archer, but its attack was slow and ineffective, and the gnoll easily evaded it. </p><p></p><p>Vhael, Surina, and Gral had their hands full with the surviving hyenas, which had been reinforced by the two gnoll marauders, which had finally shaken off the linger effects of the dwarf wizard’s <em>icy rays</em>. Gral hit them with a <em>thunderwave</em> as they approached, but he was hit by an arrow, and forced to withdraw behind his companions. The marauders moved to flank Surina, who met them with a spray of fiery rays that failed to stop their advance. Vhael tried to come to her aid, but a particularly persistent hyena seized his ankle, nearly managing to knock him over. </p><p></p><p>Thus far the companions had managed to hold their own, especially with the werewolf throwing the gnoll forces into disarray, but the defenders of the Well of Demons had not yet been fully mustered. With a clank of metal and a whiff of brimstone, another trio of figures emerged from one of the passages on the far side of the room. The leader was clad in the familiar trappings of a gnoll demonic scourge, his armor grimly decorated with slashses of red. Another huntsman followed behind him, an arrow fitted to his bow. </p><p></p><p>But more disturbing by far was the last newcomer, a hulking ape-like monstrosity that came in the wake of the scourge, overshadowing the gnoll with its sheer bulk and ferocity. One glance was enough to reveal that this was no otherworldly foe; the companions didn’t need a second look to recognize it, as they’d already tangled with this type of foe. </p><p></p><p>The two gnolls, accompanied by the barlgura demon, charged forward to tip the scales back against the surface-worlders that had dared to intrude upon the Well of Demons.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4825107, member: 143"] Chapter 47 Carzen would have cursed if he’d been able to manage the breath for it, but whatever was holding him had a grip like that of a giant. He remembered the thing that had scuttled away, and tried to break free, but it had him fast; he couldn’t escape. He got his shield up just in time as the hyena slammed into him. He’d hoped its impact would have jarred him free of the chokehold around his neck, but if anything the grip seemed to grow tighter. Bright lights began to flash in front of his eyes. Surina and Gral held their ground as the hyenas rushed toward them, although they both lacked the armor protection that shielded the others from harm. Surina’s lips twisted into an almost eager grin, her eyes flashing as her magic coursed through her. But before she could attack, she was suddenly thrust roughly aside by Vhael. She growled something harsh in Draconic, but the reason for the warlord’s odd move became clear an instant later, as the werewolf shot through the space Surina had occupied, its bloody claws slavering as it yanked the arrow out of its chest and tossed it aside. It met a hyena in mid-leap and bore it to the ground, its jaws crushing its neck, ripping out huge chunks of flesh from the hapless creature as it jerked its head up and let out a violent roar. The gnolls had spread out around Gral’s [i]freezing cloud[/i], just as Carzen had predicted. The huntsmen lifted their bows to fire, most of them targeting the werewolf, while the two spearmen rushed forward to melee. Gral targeted them with a pair of [i]icy rays[/i], blasting them with magical cold that temporarily delayed them as their muscles stiffened in response. Vhael stepped in front of the dwarf and intercepted a charging hyena, delivering a powerful two-handed chop with his sword that opened a bloody gash in the creature’s shoulder. The hyena yelped and snapped at him, while another leapt for the warlord’s legs, landing a bite that tore though his leggings but failed to do more than scratch the dragonborn’s durable hide. Most of the hyenas fell upon the werewolf, coming at it from all sides, trying to tear it apart. But the werewolf fought like a thing possessed, tearing one hyena from him and hurling it aside, slashing a second across the face with its claws. A hyena sank its teeth into the werewolf’s leg, locking its jaws, but the thing that had been Terrlen merely reached down and seized the hyena’s head, snarling as it pulled, and pulled, and then tore the hyena’s jaws fully open with a sick snapping noise. The creature fell to the ground, making a keening noise that sounded like death as its broken jaw flapped loosely under its head. The ferocity of its counterattack had driven the hyenas back for a moment, but before they could regroup, a pair of arrows sank into the werewolf’s back. The creature spun and snarled, springing out of the circle of attackers, and landing in a full charge that took it right into the midst of the gnoll archers. Carzen’s vision was starting to constrict into a narrow tunnel that was continuing to shrink. The hyena kept snapping at him, but thus far it hadn’t managed to get a solid bite through the armor protecting his legs and torso. For a moment, it was so ridiculous that he might have laughed, had he been able to breathe. To come all this way, to die thus… He never saw the dark form that emerged from the passage behind him, but he felt the sudden impact as Gezzelhaupt sliced his shortsword across the extended arm of the choker, just above where it had latched onto Carzen’s neck. Air, a blessed flood of it, filled his lungs as the strangling grip went slack. The choker, seriously hurt, retreated, trailing its crippled arm after it as it slowly fumbled its way back to the crevice in the ceiling from whence it had emerged. Neither Gez nor Carzen were in any position to stop it, as they had more pressing concerns on their mind by then. The battle had not paused while Carzen had fought for his life on its periphery, and now combatants were starting to fall. One of the gnoll archers was down, blood oozing from a dozen deep gashes in his flanks, but the werewolf was starting to look like a pincushion, with the other huntsmen firing arrows point-blank into its body. The magical curse that had transformed Terrlen had given him an unnatural boost to his vitality, but it was obvious that even he could not absorb this level of punishment. The werewolf turned and lunged at the nearest archer, but its attack was slow and ineffective, and the gnoll easily evaded it. Vhael, Surina, and Gral had their hands full with the surviving hyenas, which had been reinforced by the two gnoll marauders, which had finally shaken off the linger effects of the dwarf wizard’s [i]icy rays[/i]. Gral hit them with a [i]thunderwave[/i] as they approached, but he was hit by an arrow, and forced to withdraw behind his companions. The marauders moved to flank Surina, who met them with a spray of fiery rays that failed to stop their advance. Vhael tried to come to her aid, but a particularly persistent hyena seized his ankle, nearly managing to knock him over. Thus far the companions had managed to hold their own, especially with the werewolf throwing the gnoll forces into disarray, but the defenders of the Well of Demons had not yet been fully mustered. With a clank of metal and a whiff of brimstone, another trio of figures emerged from one of the passages on the far side of the room. The leader was clad in the familiar trappings of a gnoll demonic scourge, his armor grimly decorated with slashses of red. Another huntsman followed behind him, an arrow fitted to his bow. But more disturbing by far was the last newcomer, a hulking ape-like monstrosity that came in the wake of the scourge, overshadowing the gnoll with its sheer bulk and ferocity. One glance was enough to reveal that this was no otherworldly foe; the companions didn’t need a second look to recognize it, as they’d already tangled with this type of foe. The two gnolls, accompanied by the barlgura demon, charged forward to tip the scales back against the surface-worlders that had dared to intrude upon the Well of Demons. [/QUOTE]
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