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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4533169" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 21 - The End of the Beginning (Part 2)When they opened the southern doors, the smell of rotting meat poured from the chamber beyond. Gnawed, partially eaten humanoid corpses were strewn everywhere. Shambling undead figures moved towards the doors as soon as they saw the light from Litiraan’s wand but Telkya moved to meet them. She held her holy symbol before her in one hand and her sword in the other. From the amulet, light seared forth and tore through the two zombies nearest the door. From the shadows beyond the doorway came another figure, one that filled Dulvarna’s heart with horror.“A ghoul leads them,” she said, naming the creature. “Surely we have nearly reached the heart of the evil here.” Ghouls were terrible undead formed either from the twisted souls of cannibals who had died or in dark rituals. However they were formed, they lived only to sate the ravenous hunger that filled their dark souls and to placate their deity Doresain, the King of the Ghouls and servant of the Demon Lord of Undead, Orcus. Dulvarna roared her hatred for the terrible creature and charged at it with her blade held high.Dulvarna slashed her sword into the ghoul’s side and it staggered for a moment just as Erlmoor reached it. The paladin prayed to Lathander for the Morninglord’s power to strike down the undead monstrosity and, as his sword glowed bright with divine radiance, he plunged it into the ghoul’s chest. At the same time, he breathed acid upon the creature and drove it back another step. Behind them, Enlishia burst into the room and loosed an arrow into the next undead creature as it shambled from the shadows to her right. More poured forward and above them hovered a small humanoid figure with bat-like wings. Lavren met them with his sword held high and kept them from Telkya and Litiraan. The wizard slew one with a silver bolt but still more came, in seemingly limitless numbers. One shambled towards Lavren, lashing out with the back of a fist and sending the elf reeling. Another swung at Litiraan and yet another struck Dulvarna while the ghoul hissed its hatred at all and leapt at Erlmoor, tearing at his flesh. Dulvarna twisted on the spot and slashed her blade in low at back of the ghoul’s legs. The steel swept through both limbs, severing muscle, tearing flesh and blasting through bone. The ghoul fell back from Erlmoor and collapsed on the floor, its severed legs beside it. Dulvarna plunged her blade through its face and it lay still. Erlmoor staggered and then lashed out with his blade beheading the nearest zombie to him.Telkya drove her blade into the belly of one zombie as Litiraan retreated before it while Enlishia loosed an arrow into another, felling it beside its companion. More still came forward, though, to replace the fallen, one grasping at Erlmoor and clawing at his arms. The flying creature swooped at Litiraan but the wizard ducked under its assault while reaching for the blade at his belt. He drew his sword and lashed out at the creature, forcing it to turn away from him to evade his steel. More zombies surged forward, one slamming a shoulder into Dulvarna and knocking her back. She raised her gore-stained blade and lashed out left and right to cut down her foes.The zombie before Lavren darted forward with unusual speed then and seized the elf in its rotten arms. It tried to drag the elf away into the midst of those that came behind it but Lavren resisted, his feet finding any purchase on the floor to hold his place. He ducked as another zombie swung at him, pulling his opponent downwards as well. He twisted to his left and saw that Dulvarna was desperately trying to reach him. Two zombies fell as her blade swept from left to right and back again but more blocked her path to the elf. Erlmoor cut down another beyond the warrior woman but still Lavren struggled alone. Another zombie fell to an arrow through the throat and for a moment, the zombie seemed to react. Lavren took his chance, ducking low and wriggling out of the zombie’s arms. He turned, cursing the zombie and drove his sword into the undead creature’s hip. It staggered back and Lavren made to retreat out of its reach. Again the zombie was quick and this time a flailing fist struck the side of the elf’s head and sent him reeling away.Telkya slashed out at the flying creature and nicked one of its arms as it darted backwards. She looked left and saw Dulvarna cut down another two zombies with a single blow. The warrior woman turned and winked at the elf maid before turning her attention back to the last foe she and Erlmoor faced. Even as she did so, the dragonborn plunged his blade into the chest of the zombie and it fell at his feet. Both turned to aid their companions and Enlishia darted across between them, loosing an arrow into the zombie before Lavren as she crossed.The flying creature swooped down and bit at Litiraan’s cheek before taking to the air once more but it was too slow this time and the elf lashed out with his blade, gouging a deep wound across the creature’s belly. It faltered in flight and Telkya took her chance, plunging her own sword through the creature’s throat. It dropped to the gore-soaked stone floor of the chamber. Both turned to aid Lavren just as the elf ducked another swing from the zombie he faced and then plunged his blade into the creature’s belly. It staggered and then collapsed at his feet, its terrible existence over at last.</blockquote>

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