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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4497022" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 6 - Death at the Keep (Part 6)“We must withdraw,” said Lavren, once all were gathered near the entrance once more. They had found some gold and a holy symbol of Lathander amidst the ruin of the former floor and Erlmoor now wore the symbol proudly.“Are you sorely hurt?” asked Dulvarna. “For me, I have strength to carry on.”“As do I,” rumbled Erlmoor. “And I can pray to heal your wounds.” Erlmoor did so then and the decision was made to carry on. The companions tracked back to the stairs that descended to the south and made their way down. The finely wrought stairs and flagstones and the dungeon gave way to a wide, natural cavern. The ceiling dripped with dozens of stalactites, and the floor rose unevenly with loose rocks and stalagmites. The rocks and debris became thicker to the east and west, and both directions offered only narrow paths of unobstructed terrain. Dulvarna saw movement from the left and all heard large rats chattering from that direction and darting in and out of the shadows of the ceiling as they climbed from stalactite to stalactite.A rat dropped to the cavern floor beside Gevarn and snapped at him. Lavren stepped to his right and hurled a black, crackling blast at the rat which darted back. It was an oversized creature with sharp, elongated teeth and vicious eyes that gleamed with hunger and malevolence. Dulvarna drew her sword and slashed down at it, cutting it in half. Erlmoor drew his own sword and moved off to the left. He slashed out at a rat on the ceiling above him and it fell with a squeal to lie unmoving on the floor. Another dropped behind him and pit painfully into the back of his leg. He roared his anger and reeled around to face this new foe. Another dropped on his shoulder then and sank teeth into his flesh there until he swatted it away. Another darted out from the stalagmites beside Lavren and Enlishia turned and loosed an arrow at the creature that clattered along the floor beside it. Another rat dropped from the ceiling next to Lavren and he shrank back, hurling more black blasts of eldritch power. Dulvarna stepped forward and cut down another of the rats to give the elf some respite.On the other side of the cavern, Erlmoor was surrounded by rats and bleeding from several small wounds. Erlmoor lashed out with his sword and turned on the spot to keep the rats at bay. Then he darted forward, running one through and then beheading another. He moved back towards the others and the rats followed him. Another dropped from the ceiling behind him, blocking his way back to his companions and he half-turned towards it. He felt a bite tear at his left ankle and kicked out at another rat there. Lavren blasted one with dark eldritch fire and Erlmoor nodded his thanks. Behind the elf, Enlishia shot a rat with an arrow but Erlmoor felt only pain as another creature bit him. He staggered as the dizziness of blood loss assailed him. Another dropped onto his shoulder and tore at his neck and he cried out in pain. Dimly, through the pain, he saw a crimson coloured mass of undulating jelly oozing forward with seemingly menacing intentions.Lavren seared another rat to blackened flesh with dark fire, seeing Erlmoor’s predicament and to his right, Dulvarna cut another rat in half. She looked around for a moment, to see if more were coming, and then she moved to aid Dulvarna. Her blade flashed out again and pierced a rat, pinning it against the cave floor. Erlmoor roared and breathed acid reducing a rat to smoking pink flesh and white bone before him. He slashed out with his blade and clove another in two and then he turned on the last, conscious of the ooze creature that came on behind. The rat bit at his leg and then retreated leaving the dragonborn to stagger once again. Gevarn began to pray then and new strength washed over Erlmoor as white light enveloped him. With a roar, he challenged the jelly creature and the last of the rats. He would not be beaten.Gevarn rushed to aid his companions just as the jelly surged through the stalactites, molding its form around and between them until it faced Erlmoor and Enlishia and lashed out at the dragonborn. Lavren cursed at the ooze and then tried to call forth terrible dreams and hallucinations in the creature’s mind. When he reached out for the creature, though, he felt no mind and could find nothing to torment and so the spell died on his lips. Erlmoor slashed at the last rat that still bit at him while the others struck at the ooze with blade and spell and arrow. Gevarn struck at the ooze with a mighty blow, praying as he did so and again, Erlmoor was bathed in light as healing power washed over him. The jelly seemed to react and struck out at the priest, striking him in the chest with an amorphous limb. Acid burned into his chain link shirt and the cloth beneath, painfully wounding him. The cleric staggered back a step as Lavren vanished from behind him and appeared beside Enlishia on the other side of the ooze. He tried to call forth another curse but again his spell failed and the ooze was unharmed. Enlishia loosed an arrow into the ooze and it seemed to retreat from her but still it struck out at Gevarn and the priest fell to its blow this time, his face burned by acid and smoking as the liquid ate into his flesh.Dulvarna and Erlmoor surged at the ooze and hacked at it and then the dragonborn retreated, praying as he did so. Searing ribbons of radiance engulfed the jelly and it split apart, tearing in two down the middle.“We’ve beaten it,” said Erlmoor.“We have not,” answered Enlishia as both halves of the creature began to move on their own.She nocked two arrows to her bow and fired them, one lancing into each of the separate oozes. The nearest creature surged towards Enlishia and Lavren and lashed out at the ranger but she ducked back. She shouldered her bow and drew her sword while Lavren retreated and loosed more dark fire from his wand. It seared into the ooze and the creature shrank back. Enlishia strode forward and plunged her sword into the creature, and it slumped to the floor, dissolving into a red blood-like fluid. Erlmoor meanwhile, slashed at the last rat and slew it before surging forward at the other ooze beside Dulvarna. The ooze lashed out at Dulvarna and struck her shoulder but then Lavren hurled more dark, crackling energy into the creature from the other side. It seemed to hesitate then as if it did truly have a mind and Dulvarna took her chance. She plunged her blade into the creature and it collapsed to the floor to dissolve as its counterpart had. Erlmoor rushed to Gevarn’s side then but he could see at once that the acid had burned the side of the priest’s face and one side of his neck away. He reached to feel for a lifebeat anyway though he knew there would be none. The others waited for his verdict though they too knew the truth already.“Brother Gevarn is dead,” he said grimly and bowed his head. The others did likewise.</blockquote>

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