Medriev's FR Pyramid of Shadows - Concluded Nov 1

[Medriev]

Chapter 5 - Troubled Waters (Part 2)

On the other side of the bridge, Dulvarna stabbed her sword down into the water where the sahuagin had stood and connected with its shoulder, drawing more blood into the pool where Enlishia and Litiraan now stood. Dulvarna retreated along the bridge toward the harpies while Enlishia drew back from the sahuagin as it began to rise again and levelled her bow. She loosed two arrows into the sahuagin’s head at close range as it broke the surface and the sea devil collapsed back into the water and died there.

A water bolt lanced out from the other sahuagin as it rose to the surface, striking Dulvarna in the side again and sending her spinning into the rope hand rails along the side of the bridge. She felt pain spreading from the area as she breathed in an wondered whether the creature had managed to break ribs with the bolt. Dulvarna looked to her left and saw Erlmoor wounded again by one of his foes as his own blood pooled around him. Raising her blade, Dulvarna started along the bridge toward the harpies, determined to end the battle before more of her companions suffered.

Litiraan raised his wand and hurled lightning towards the harpies but the bolt flew over their heads and struck the far wall of the chamber. From the other side of the bridge, Lavren looked up as he saw the blue, crackling energy fly forth and knew that his brother-in-law was right to target the harpies. As he raised his wand and realised that Telkya blocked his view of the sahuagin, he too, took aim at the harpies and let forth two bolts of purple, eldritch power. The harpies both ducked and these bolts flew over their heads as Litiraan’s lightning had done. They seared into the wall beyond the bird-creatures and Lavren cursed.

Telkya turned and frowned at her husband for cursing and then raised her amulet toward the sahuagin. She uttered a prayer to Corellon and called down a column of divine light that burned the nearest sea devil. The creature snarled and hissed as its skin burned and turned towards the elf maid as though it planned to come for her next. Fortunately, Erlmoor blocked its path and held his ground, keeping the sahuagin at bay.

With piercing screeches, both of the harpies leapt into the air and swept along the bridge to meet Dulvarna. Both lashed at the warrior woman with their clawed hands and while Dulvarna beneath under the claws of one, the other’s claws tore at her cheek and sent her staggering away from the terrible creatures. Summoning what remained of her strength, Dulvarna turned back toward her foes and slashed her blade across, drawing blood from the belly of one and from the arm of the other. They screeched again and leapt back beyond the reach of the terrible blade.

In the water beside the bridge, Erlmoor roared and sprayed acid on the sahuagin before him and the harpies up on the bridge. He lashed out with his blade and chanted a prayer as he did so, his sword glowing brightly as it struck the sahuagin in the side. The creature lurched to its right and staggered as more of its blood stained the water around it. Erlmoor roared again and as he did so an arrow drove into the flailing sahuagin’s shoulder. He looked up and saw that Enlishia had regained the bridge and now stood above him with her bow raised. She reached for another arrow and Erlmoor smiled.

The sahuagin behind the two others barked out another command and then swam forward with its trident in its right hand. It raised the left hand as it reached the south wall of the chamber and with a series of click-like words, it hurled a blast of water at Lavren. The bolt of water struck the elf hard in the left shoulder and sent him staggering back through the water. He looked at his enemy and saw that the sahuagin was gesturing to the other sea devils and pointing at him with its trident. Realising that he had become the target that the sahuagin were seeking, Lavren looked around for the best way to retreat from his foes.
“We have to go,” he said to Telkya as a silver bolt from Litiraan’s wand struck one of the harpies on the bridge.

Telkya looked back at her husband and nodded so he turned away and clambered back onto the stone balcony. Turning, he raised his wand and cursed the nearest sahuagin, sending a crackling bolt of black energy into the water next to it. Telkya climbed from the water next to him and moved onto the bridge next to Enlishia. From there, she raised her amulet and saw that the sahuagin had wounded Erlmoor again but were now trying to get around the dragonborn to reach Lavren. She spoke the words of a prayer in her native tongue and loosed a bolt of golden light at the nearest sahuagin. The divine fire hissed into the water next to the creature and it rushed on, towards the stone platform where Lavren stood.

A harpy claw tore at Dulvarna’s shoulder but she paid the scratch no mind as she ducked under the claws of the other harpy. She slashed out low with her sword but the harpy beat its wings and rose two feet into the air to avoid the blow. It screeched again and Dulvarna hissed her hatred at the horrible creatures.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 5 - Troubled Waters (Part 3)

In the water next to the bridge, Erlmoor realised that the sahuagin were now trying to reach Lavren and moved in front of them again, lashing out with his blade at the wounded sahuagin. The enchanted sword glowed again as it struck home and this time, it clove through the creature’s neck and beheaded it. The sea devil collapsed into the water in front of its leader. Erlmoor turned on the other sahuagin and as he did, two more arrows flew from the bridge and drove into the creature’s arm. It hissed its annoyance and raised its trident to strike at the dragonborn. The sea devil stabbed at Erlmoor and he parried clumsily with his blade, hampered by the water but still he knocked the thrust aside.

The other remaining sahuagin swam along the south wall of the chamber and then rose to lash out with its left hand and strike the elf with another fierce jet of water that sent him reeling back from the edge of the stone platform. Litiraan crossed the platform to come to the warlock’s aid, raising his wand and unleashing a silver bolt toward the creature in the water. The bolt struck the water next to the creature and it hissed its annoyance at both elves. Lavren raised his own wand and cursed at the sea devil, hurling a black, crackling bolt at his enemy. The blast flashed past the sahuagin, missing it by a hands-breadth and struck the water with a hiss behind it. On the bridge beside her husband and her brother, Telkya raised her amulet and hurled a golden bolt of fire at the sahuagin and this time, the bolt struck home. The sea devil was wounded in its left shoulder and driven back a step but it hissed its defiance again and raised its hand to attack Lavren again.

One of the harpies lashed out at Dulvarna’s face and tore open her other cheek but as the other came forward, the warrior woman ducked under its flailing claws. As she rose, she wove her blade before her and then stepped forward, thrusting it into the harpy’s hip and driving it away from her, back along the bridge. Both harpies screeched their anger and then came forward once more.

In the water, Erlmoor raised his voice in prayer and lashed out with his blade, bringing it down on the sahuagin’s shoulder in a mighty blow. The sword struck with a loud thunder clap and the sahuagin reeled away and fell into the water. Enlishia, with her bow raised and an arrow nocked on the bridge above, waited for the creature to surface. As it did, she let fly with her first arrow but it flew over the sea devil and drove into the water beyond it. She nocked another arrow and let fly and this time, the shaft drove into the top of the creature’s chest. The creature screeched in pain and lashed out at Erlmoor with its trident but it was weakened and staggering. Erlmoor moved forward to finish it.

Another blast of water struck Lavren, hurled by the remaining sahuagin and almost at once, Litiraan answered with a silver bolt of his own. Again the missile flew wide and seared into the water next to the creature. Lavren lashed out with his own wand and sent a black bolt hissing into the water close to where Litiraan’s had struck. Again it was Telkya who found the mark, a golden bolt of flame searing into the sahuagin’s leg and driving it back a step. The creature snarled at the elf maid and then raised its hand to loose yet another blast of water.

Dulvarna leapt back as the harpies came forward flailing at her with their claws. She rushed back at her enemies and lashed out with her blade, scoring a wound along the belly of one of the harpies and driving both back along the bridge. She looked back to see how her companions fared and as she did, she saw Erlmoor plunge his blade into the throat of the sahuagin before him and drop it into the bloody water with its companion. The dragonborn waded to the bridge and clambered up onto the swaying structure beside Dulvarna. They exchanged smiles and then turned to bring death to their enemies.

Enlishia saw the sahuagin fall to Erlmoor’s blade and turned her bow toward the other creature a heartbeat later. She began firing arrows quickly then, two striking the water close to the creature but two more driving into the creature’s chest and driving it back a few steps. The sea devil lashed out with its left hand and hurled another blast of water into Lavren’s chest that threw him painfully back into the stout post that held up the bridge. Beside him, Litiraan raised his wand and hurled a silver bolt more accurately this time, the magical fire driving into the sahuagin’s hip. Lavren recovered and rejoined his brother-in-law on the edge of the stone platform, raising his wand and beginning a curse as he did so. As he loosed the eldritch blast he knew that his aim was awry and again, the arcane fire hissed into the water beside the sahuagin. To his right, Telkya raised her amulet and loosed golden fire but this too struck the water and the sahuagin recovered to come forward at the companions.

The harpies came fiercely at Dulvarna and lashed out with their claws, giving the warrior woman little chance to defend herself. They tore at her face and arms and drove her back along the bridge until she finally lashed out with a mighty swing of her blade. The sword clove into the ribs of one of the harpies and cut through both its lungs before stopping. The harpy gasped and then toppled over backwards, all but cut in half. The other creature screeched at its slain companion and Erlmoor came forward. The dragonborn’s blade sang out and slashed a wound in the harpy’s left leg that drew another screech from the creature. It looked up at its enemies as they came forward and knew that it had little chance to save itself.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 5 - Troubled Waters (Part 4)

Enlishia loosed two arrows into the water close to the last sahuagin but it was not enough to stop it hurling another blast of water at Lavren. Again the elf was thrown back into the bridge post and this time he cried out as something sharp drove into the top of his back. He staggered and both Litiraan and Telkya looked at him with concern before turning their attention back to the sea devil. A silver bolt from Litiraan’s wand seared into the water next to the creature as Lavren tried to recover from the hurts he had suffered. A golden bolt from Telkya’s amulet followed but still the sahuagin stood, defiantly in the water and raised its hand again.

The remaining harpy leapt at Dulvarna before either she or Erlmoor could react. Its claws reached her throat despite her efforts to fend the creature off and once they had reached there, they tore and ripped until blood was pouring down the front of Dulvarna’s armour. She stepped back and staggered as dizziness assailed her and then blackness overwhelmed her and she fell back onto the bridge. Erlmoor glanced down at Dulvarna and uttered a prayer while reaching down with his right hand. Divine light bathed his hand and reached out to Dulvarna, closing the terrible wounds in her throat. As her eyes opened, the dragonborn held forth his blade and rushed at the harpy. His blade sang out and the harpy fell back with a wound on its left arm. It screeched and hissed at the dragonborn as he came on at his enemy, a vision of vengeful wrath.

Enlishia raised her bow and fired again at the sahuagin only for the first arrow to drive into the water next to the creature. The second found its mark though, piercing the sea devil’s right shoulder and forcing it back. It hurled another blast of water into Lavren and flung him back but with that, it expended the last of its strength and staggered as it tried to come toward the stone platform. Litiraan raised his wand and loosed an unerring silver bolt this time that seared into the creature’s face and blasted out of the back of its head. The sahuagin fell into the red water to lie with its companions.

Lavren nodded his thanks to Litiraan and crossed to the north side of the stone platform from where he could attack the remaining harpy. He raised his wand and uttered a curse, hurling black energy at the creature. The bolt flew straight and seared into the harpy’s side, throwing it back along the bridge. Telkya came to her husband’s side and raised her amulet, loosing a bolt of gold fire that flew past the harpy to strike the wooden platform beyond it. The harpy screeched and leapt at Erlmoor, clawing at his arms as he tried to fend it off. He roared and lashed out with his blade, driving the creature away and as he did so, Dulvarna rose beside him. She lashed out with her blade and clove a deep wound in the harpy’s side. The creature staggered and as it did, Erlmoor stepped forward and thrust his blade into its chest. The sword point found the creature’s heart and with a gasp, the harpy fell back to lie beside its companion.

Next.....The Chamber of Ice

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 6 - The Chamber of Ice (Part 1)

“You suffered badly in that battle and yet you stood firm,” said Vyrellis as Lavren examined the orb in a corner of the wooden platform on which the companions had uncomfortably spent the night. “Truly you are the hero I have been seeking to save me.”

Lavren looked up to see Telkya watching him from the far side of the platform where she tended to the wounds of the others and ensured that each was ready to go on. They had decided to head north from this chamber and Vyrellis had offered no contradictory advice.
“My life force is scattered throughout the pyramid,” Vyrellis went on. “My life force was splintered by the pyramid when Draxius slew me and you must find the three gemstones that contain it. If they are reunited I will have rest at least or perhaps life will return to me.”
“And do you where these gemstones are?” Lavren asked although he suspected that he knew the answer.
“I do not,” Vyrellis answered. “They are scattered in the pyramid and my memory of this place has faded in the centuries that have passed since I came here.”
“Then we go on,” Lavren replied. “And I will find the gemstones so that you can be free.”

The elf rose then as the others did and together they gathered their belongings before starting off across the northern bridge. The double doors at the end opened easily onto a staircase that climbed upwards into the darkness. Raising her blade, Dulvarna started to climb and Erlmoor walked behind her. At the top of the stairs the passage opened into a wide hall with three more passageways leading west, north and east from it.
“Ah, I remember this place,” said Vyrellis loudly enough for all to hear. “There are many enchanted items in the chamber to the east. Look to the door covered in frost and beyond are items that might prove useful to you but beware the icy guardians that await you.”
“How do we know that such items are still there,” said Litiraan. “How long have you been imprisoned here and how much has changed since you have been here?”

“I was imprisoned with Draxius for I was his queen,” Vyrellis answered. “He beheaded me in rage once we were imprisoned here, though I had borne him a son and ensured that his line would go on. I seek only his death which will free you from this place. I would not lead you astray.”
“And from you we have learned more of this place already than we could ever learn by wandering its halls for weeks,” said Enlishia. “We should try the eastern door.”
“I agree,” rumbled Erlmoor. “If a queen of Cormyr speaks from that orb then we must obey her.”

The others nodded their agreement and even Litiraan accepted the decision. Dulvarna and Erlmoor started forward toward the eastern doors with their blades raised. They were indeed limned with ice but they opened easily as Dulvarna pulled on the iron rings that served as handles. A blast of cold air exploded from within as the door was opened and beyond, the companions saw a room covered in ice. It coated the floor, the walls and the ceiling while four large ice pillars ran from floor to ceiling. To the south stood a metal door, covered in frost.

Enlishia started into the chamber, nocking an arrow to her bow as she did so. She moved to the centre of the chamber slowly as the chill of the room seemed to pierce her bones. As she reached the heart of the room, she raised her bow and looked around the room, seeking the enemies that Vyrellis had said were there.
“The pillars are starting to melt,” she called back to the others as she saw water began to drip onto the frost-covered floor.

The others followed the ranger into the chamber, Lavren moving towards the southern door with Telkya to examine it while the others moved into the centre of the room with weapons and wands raised to deal with any threat that might appear.

Suddenly, the melting pillars collapsed and from them staggered zombies limned with frost and icicles. Vapour rose from their half-frozen limbs as they stepped from the ice that had held them and slowly, they turned towards the nearest of the companions. Enlishia turned on the nearest one and loosed an arrow that bounced off the icy skin of the creature. She fired again and this arrow flew wide to clatter into the wall beyond the zombie.
Lavren turned away from the southern door and uttered a curse that loosed black, crackling energy into the nearest zombie. It lurched and staggered but did not fall. Another zombie lashed out at Erlmoor who ducked under the clumsy swing as Telkya turned away from the southern door. She raised her amulet and sent a bolt of golden light toward the zombie before Erlmoor but the bolt flew wide and struck the wall next to the creature. Erlmoor roared and lashed out at the zombie, slashing his blade into its leg and sending it lurching to its right but again the creature did not fall.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 6 - The Chamber of Ice (Part 2)

Dulvarna turned to face the zombie that had emerged next to her, already wounded by Lavren’s eldritch blast. She slashed Aecris across from right to left and clove the blade into the creature’s side. It lurched back the other way and then awkwardly righted itself. To her right, Dulvarna saw Litiraan vanish in a shower of light motes as a zombie emerged from the pillar next to him. He reappeared in the western doorway and turned to loose a silver bolt at the zombie before Dulvarna. The bolt seared into the creature’s back and sent it staggering toward Dulvarna. She raised her blade and then ducked as the undead creature flailed at her clumsily with its frost-covered arms.

Enlishia reached for another arrow as the two zombies that had been entombed in the northern pillars lurched towards her. She ducked as one swung at her but as she rose, a frozen limb smashed into the right side of her head and sent her reeling. The chill of the blow slowed her limbs almost at once and frost stiffened the right side of her face. She shouldered her bow quickly and reached over her back to draw her sword, lashing out at the nearest zombie as she did so. The zombie jerked back with surprising speed and evaded the wild swing leaving Enlishia to curse her ill luck. She looked back over her shoulder and as she did so, the southern doors opened. There stood a demon, upright on two insect-like legs. Its chitin-covered torso sprouted four segmented arms and a roach-like head swollen to monstrous size. It wielded a wicked trident with bloodstained tines. In that moment, Enlishia knew that battle was truly upon them.

Lavren heard the doors slam open behind him and turned to glance at the terrible creature standing behind Telkya. He cried out without forming any words and raised his wand to hurl a bolt of black eldritch lightning into the creature’s chest. The demon stepped back as the bolt struck it but it registered no pain. Telkya turned toward the demon and as she saw it, she leapt back into the chamber, raising her amulet as she did so. She hurled a bolt of golden light wildly into the stone of the doorframe and then ducked back as the creature seemed about to come forward. Erlmoor only glanced quickly at the demon before turning his attention back to the zombie he faced. He chanted a prayer and as his blade glowed brightly, he slashed it into the hip of the zombie and almost toppled it from the ruins of its pillar. He roared again and Dulvarna drew strength from him.

Dulvarna surged at the zombie she faced and spun around behind it while slashing her blade in low at the backs of the undead creature’s legs. She drew the sword across where the hamstrings of a living man would have been and the creature lurched forward, staggering again. From the doorway, Litiraan hurled another silver bolt that blasted into the zombie’s chest and the undead creature exploded into shards of frozen flesh that struck Dulvarna and tore chilling wounds in her arms.

The zombies that Enlishia faced surged forwards together, one clawing her side and the other lashing a chilling hand into her right shoulder. She staggered back as the cold and the wounds sapped her strength but still managed to raise her blade and lash out at the zombies before her. Her sword struck one of the undead creature’s legs and sent it lurching to its left and almost into the other zombie.

The demon came forward suddenly and stabbed out with its trident, driving the points into Lavren’s left leg, forcing him back out of the doorway. He cried out and retreated into the chamber, cursing the demon to loose another bolt of black energy into the terrible creature. It lurched against the doorframe but raised its trident again to strike at the elf.
Behind the warlock, Erlmoor ducked under another clumsy swing from the zombie before him. Telkya retreated towards the dragonborn and hurled another bolt of golden fire from her amulet that struck the stone of the doorframe. Erlmoor looked to his right as the demon advanced and then chanted another prayer that brought a glow of white light to his blade. He lashed out and struck the creature in the side with a huge thunder clap that knocked it to the floor amidst the ruin of the ice pillar that had entombed it. The zombie awkwardly tried to lift itself up to its feet as Erlmoor raised his blade to strike it down again.

Dulvarna moved sluggishly to aid Enlishia as the cold numbed her limbs but as she reached the zombies, she found strength returning to her. She weaved her blade before her and then darted forward to stab into the zombie’s hip. It lurched back a step and as it did, Litiraan hurled a silver bolt that seared past the zombie to strike the north wall of the chamber. The creature lashed out at Dulvarna but she ducked under the clumsy swing. The other zombie rushed at Enlishia and lashed out with its clawed hands. The ranger ducked under the blow aimed at her and finally managed to retreat from the zombies and sheath her sword. Sheathing her sword and unshouldering her bow, she nocked an arrow and loosed it quickly, the shaft flying wide of the creature to strike the wall behind the zombie. She drew forth another arrow and fired quickly again but the cold numbed her fingers and again the shaft flew wide. Enlishia cursed and the zombies came forward, snarling again.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 6 - The Chamber of Ice (Part 3)

The demon came forward out of the doorway and stabbed out with its trident, driving the points into Lavren’s left shoulder. The elf reeled back and retreated a few more steps until he was back to back with Enlishia. He raised his wand and hurled a bolt of black lightning at the demon but it flew wide and struck the doorframe next to the insect-like creature. The demon snarled and took another step forward.

Next to Lavren, Erlmoor ducked under another wild swing from the zombie he faced. Telkya turned towards the zombie and raised her amulet to loose a bolt of golden fire into the creature that sent it lurching to its right and staggering as though it were about to fall. Erlmoor saw his chance and surged forward, driving his blade into the zombie’s chest. It opened its mouth but no last breath came out and then it exploded into shards of icy flesh. Erlmoor raised his arms to protect himself from the flying flesh and then turned to face the demon as it emerged from the southern doorway.

Dulvarna rushed at the zombies before her, momentarily forgetting the chill in the room as battle fury surged through her. She lashed out with her blade, cleaving a deep wound across the left thigh of one zombie and then driving her blade on into the leg of the other. Both lurched back clumsily as Dulvarna pressed forward and as she did, Litiraan raised his wand and hurled a silver bolt of energy into the side of the nearest creature. It staggered again, bleeding now from several wounds but still it would not fall. Instead, it lashed out at Dulvarna who ducked under its flailing limb. The other zombie swung at her from her right but again she ducked and then raised her blade to keep the undead at bay.

Enlishia moved towards the doorway where Litiraan stood but found her cold-numbed legs would barely obey her. She lurched to where the wizard stood and then turned to raise her bow with an arrow nocked to the string. She loosed an arrow at the demon but it bounced aside, defeated by the creature’s chitinous armour. She nocked another arrow and fired again but this flew wide and clattered into the stone beside the demon. The creature snarled and lurched forward, stabbing out with its trident to drive the points into Lavren’s left shoulder. They drove in deeply and the elf cried out while the demon roared in apparent triumph. The creature jerked the trident toward him and pulled Lavren with it, the points of the terrible weapon lodged firmly in his flesh.

“Let me leave here and the elf lives,” the demon growled to the companions. “If you do not, he dies where he stands.”
“Never,” cried Lavren. “You will die here, not me!”
Despite the pain he felt, the elf drew forth his longsword and lashed out at the demon but again, the creature’s armour protected it and turned the blow aside. Desperately, he tried to wriggle free of the trident’s points but they were buried deep and all he succeeding in doing was sending more waves of pain down his left side. He cried out again and in the corner of his eye, he saw Telkya start forward.
“No!” he called out. “It would be senseless for both of us to fall here.”

Telkya hesitated and Lavren relaxed his struggle as numbness spread down his left arm, though whether it was from the cold or the wound he had suffered, he could not tell. Telkya raised her voice in prayer and held out her amulet. As she reached a crescendo, a column of divine dire descended from the ceiling of the chamber toward the demon. She realised almost at once that her aim was awry as the light descended behind the creature. Ice melted and then boiled with a hiss but the demon stood unharmed with her beloved husband a hostage on its trident.

Erlmoor stepped forward beside Lavren while chanting his own prayer. He swung out with his sword and as he did, the blade glowed brightly. The demon reacted quickly and jerked its trident to its right to parry the blow with the end of the shaft. Lavren cried out as he was jerked towards the demon again but he kept his sword raised, lest the creature snap at him with its terrible, insect-like jaws. It did not but instead cackled at his pain and the elf gritted his teeth, determined to die here with dignity if that was his fate.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 6 - The Chamber of Ice (Part 4)

Dulvarna looked over her shoulder and knew that she had little time to finish the zombies if she was to aid Lavren and the others. With a guttural roar, she rushed at them in a fury, her blade slashing left and right into both with single blows. The zombie that bled from several wounds was slashed across the chest and belly while the other was wounds in the side and the leg. Both staggered back but the first reached down to its belly as its putrid and frozen intestines began to burst from the wound. It looked down with its dull eyes and then fell over backwards. Dulvarna knew what was coming next and raised her arms to protect herself as a moment later, the creature exploded in a shower of frozen flesh. Litiraan raised his wand before the other zombie could recover and loosed a silver bolt into the creature. It lurched back and, sensing the urgency of Lavren’s plight, he raised his wand again and filled the northern part of the room with a wave of searing fire.

The zombie lurched and staggered another few steps away from Dulvarna and the warrior woman raised her blade and started forward to follow it. As she reached it, the undead creature lashed out backhand with its right hand, smashing Dulvarna across the face and sending her reeling away in turn. The horribly burned zombie hissed something unintelligible and then lurched back toward its enemy.

Enlishia nocked another arrow to her bow and raised it, taking careful aim at one of the joins in the demon’s chitinous armour. She let fly with the arrow and felt sure that she would hurt it this time but again, her arrow clattered off the armour and landed on the floor nearby. She cursed and retreated towards Dulvarna, looking back over her left shoulder at the battle between her friend and the last zombie. The demon roared then, drawing the ranger’s gaze back to its horrible, insect-like form.
“If you will not let me leave, then you will all die here,” the demon called out and then roared again.

As it roared a second time, a thick, noxious fume spewed forth from its mouth. Lavren coughed for a few moments and then reeled and swooned on the end of the demon’s trident while Erlmoor ducked low and covered his mouth with his arm. Telkya reeled back against the east wall of the chamber and did not see Lavren swoon. Only as she recovered did she see her beloved slide ingloriously from the points of the trident and fall heavily to the chamber floor, where he lay unmoving. Telkya cried out and took a step toward Lavren but then she realised that she could yet save her husband. Raising her amulet, she chanted a healing prayer to Corellon and divine light engulfed the fallen elf. His eyes flicked open and as the terrible wound in his shoulder closed, his hand left closed about his wand and the other grasped his sword.

Erlmoor glanced down at the elf and saw his eyes open. Realising that he had to buy his companion some time, he rushed at the demon and lashed out with his sword. The creature brought its trident across and parried, snarling at the dragonborn.
“You will be next, wyrmkin,” it hissed in the paladin’s face and then twisted Erlmoor’s blade away as it raised its trident again.

Dulvarna twisted around on the spot as she tried to shaken off the numbing cold of the wound that the zombie had inflicted on her. Using her momentum, she lashed out a huge blow at the undead creature, cleaving her blade into its side and smashing into its left lung. It staggered again, halting its advance and as it paused, a silver bolt from Litiraan’s wand drove through its chest and out of its back. The zombie lurched to its right and then collapsed beside the ruined body of its companion. The last zombie exploded in a shower of frozen flesh more quickly than its companion had and Dulvarna was showered with pieces of its corpse. She fell back as the chilling flesh splinters pierced her body and then she turned away to face the demon.

Beside Dulvarna, Enlishia raised her bow and fired two more arrows quickly but both bounced off the thick hide of the demon. The creature looked at her, snarled, and then leapt toward the doorway. As it did, it stabbed out with its trident, driving the points into Enlishia’s leg. She cried out and fell pack, the weapon tearing painfully free from her left thigh. Behind the creature, Lavren rose to his feet and levelled his wand before cursing at the creature in elven. A bolt of black, crackling energy flew forth but missed the demon by a hands-breadth to strike the wall behind it. Telkya rushed to Lavren’s side, flashed him a smile and then raised her amulet to loose a bolt of golden light into the demon’s side. It lurched to its left into the wall beside the outer doorway and Erlmoor charged.

The dragonborn lashed out with his blade with a prayer on his lips and as the blade struck the demon’s left hip, a pulse of divine light flowed into it from Erlmoor’s hand. The blade clove through the creature’s armour and drove into the flesh and bone beneath. The demon snarled and reeled back toward the dragonborn but as it did, Dulvarna charged in from its left and plunged her blade into its side. The demon reeled back and roared its pain and defiance. From behind it, in the doorway, Litiraan loosed a silver bolt that struck it in the bottom of its back and again it roared. Two arrows from Enlishia’s bow clattered off its armour again and the enraged demon leapt into the doorway where Litiraan stood. The demon turned to its left, snarled at the elf, and drove its trident into Litiraan’s shoulder.

Litiraan cried out and Lavren answered him with his own cry of alarm. He raised his wand and hurled another black bolt at the creature but it struck the stone next to the demon, doing it no harm. Telkya moved forward as quickly as her cold-numbed limbs would take her and raised her amulet, uttering a prayer as she did so. A bolt of golden light lanced out and struck the demon’s chest, searing through its chitinous armour and piercing its black heart. It snarled one last time and then fell over to its left, one of its arms reaching toward the freedom that it had so long sought.
“We should get out of this cold,” said Dulvarna.
“Agreed,” said Telkya as she reached out to take Lavren’s hand.

Next.....The Chamber of Monoliths

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 7 - The Chamber of Monoliths (Part 1)

“We cannot leave the level,” said Vyrellis as the companions surveyed the chamber before them. They had tended to their wounds in the hallway outside the ice chamber and then had opened the double doors to the north that led out of the hall. A wide set of stairs rose before the company just beyond the double doors and rose into the gloom above. The stairs wrapped around the walls of the chamber, leaving a deep pit in the middle.
“”Why can we not leave?” asked Enlishia. “And why do you share your wisdom only when it suits you.”

“Lucky I am that you did not retrieve me from my captivity,” Vyrellis responded. “A sorry bearer you would have been.”
“But we still need to know,” Enlishia persisted. “Why can we not leave here?”
“We cannot leave because Draxius must be defeated three times,” the elf spirit answered. “And one of his forms resides on each of the levels of this pyramid. If we leave here, we will have to come back here to defeat him eventually.”

“Then if we turn back, you can lead us to him?” Lavren questioned.
“I cannot for I know not where he resides,” Vyrellis answered, softly this time, drawing a frosty look from Telkya. “But my memory returns all the time and perhaps I will know the place when we draw near to it. For now, though, we must turn back.”
“Then we shall turn back,” Lavren answered, drawing his own cold look from Telkya. “You have not led us awry thus far.”
“And I will not,” Vyrellis answered. “We go back and choose another path.”

“And what of those who do not believe you?” Telkya asked angrily. “Do we simply follow you blindly as my husband seems to do.”
“Telkya,” Litiraan said softly. “Vyrellis is right. We have not been led awry thus far. Although no treasures remained in the chamber they were likely taken by others years or decades ago. We have no other guide here and must trust the one that we have.”
“Your brother is right, Telkya,” Dulvarna said then. “We must put aside personal feelings and follow Vyrellis’ guidance. We have no choice.”

Telkya subsided then and the others, Enlishia included, nodded their agreement with their leader. Telkya simply frowned and followed the others as they turned away from the stairway and made their way out of the chamber and back into the wide hall. Dulvarna turned west into a wide hallway and the others followed.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 7 - The Chamber of Monoliths (Part 2)

The wide hallway opened after only a few feet into a wide chamber around which four stone monoliths had been arranged. Great plumes of energy streamed out of the monoliths and toward a central wall of arcane force. Vyrellis gasped as the companions took in the scene.
“My physical form is trapped within this arcane prison,” the elf spirit cried as Lavren retrieved the obsidian orb from his belt.. “For years I have waited for the magic that wards it to weaken and that time has now come. Free my body, and together we can escape from this horrid place.”

Litiraan stepped as close as he could to the crackling energy streams that came from the monoliths and as he drew nearer to the form at the centre of the four pillars, he saw that it was the headless body of an elf maid. Her flesh was perfectly preserved and her arms were crossed over her heart as though she only rested here and could return to life at any moment. He looked around at the monoliths for a moment and realised at once how the body could be freed.
“Topple one of the pillars and the spell will be broken,” he called to the others.

Lavren threw himself against the nearest pillar but it would not move and even when Dulvarna added her own efforts, still it would not be shifted. Only when Erlmoor added his weight to the struggle did the pillar begin to shift. Telkya even added her small form to the effort but still the huge monolith would not fall. Only Enlishia hung back, suspicion clouding her mind. She moved along the east wall of the chamber until she stood opposite the body that was suspended amidst the arcane energy and raised her bow, an arrow nocked. Lavren and Dulvarna gave one final shove and the monolith in the north east corner of the square fell with a crash to the floor of the chamber.
“Well done!” Vyrellis said to Lavren at once. “Now take me closer so that I might examine my physical form.”

The body of the elf maid fell to the floor and Erlmoor and Telkya moved to stand beside Litiraan who had remained standing at a respectful distance throughout the efforts to topple the monolith. Now, the elf wizard unconsciously reached for his wand at his belt as though he, as well as Enlishia, sensed some dark betrayal here. Lavren stepped forward until he stood next to the fallen form but as he reached the body, the obsidian orb that held Vyrellis’ spirit flew forth from his pouch and blasted into the chest of the elf maid’s body. There it lodged, where the heart once was with Vyrellis’ face visible in the breast of the fallen elf. Suddenly, the elf’s corpse began to move, pulling itself awkwardly to its feet while Vyrellis began to scream in terror.
“He has tricked me!” Vyrellis’ spirit cried out. “Slay the body and free me!”

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 7 - The Chamber of Monoliths (Part 3)

Dulvarna leapt forward without hesitation, her blade in her hands already. She lashed out as she reached the headless elf body and cut a wound across the body’s left thigh. Erlmoor rushed in behind Dulvarna and drove his blade into the headless body’s other leg, driving it back a step for a moment. The corpse responded with a backhand blow with its right hand that sent Erlmoor reeling. It lashed out in the same way with its left hand and sent Dulvarna spinning away, struck in the face. The corpse held its hands out before it then and a wave of blue force energy struck Dulvarna, Lavren and Erlmoor. Dulvarna and Erlmoor held their ground but Lavren was thrown back away from the headless body while Vyrellis uttered profuse apologies for the hurt that she had done her bearer.

Telkya saw Lavren sent reeling and circled behind him, raising her amulet as a prayer came naturally to her lips. She raised the symbol of her faith and let loose a bolt of golden light towards the elf maid’s body. At the last, the corpse dodged to her right and the bolt flew past to strike the pillar in the southeast corner of the square. Enlishia circled around to the other side of the headless corpse and raised her bow, loosing one arrow and then another. Both arrows drove into the right side of the elf maid’s body and it lurched to its left.

Litiraan moved to stand beside Enlishia and raised his wand, unleashing a curtain of flame that engulfed the headless body and stopped short of where Dulvarna and Erlmoor stood. The body staggered and Vyrellis called out to the companions urging them on.
“Well done, my allies,” she called. “Strike harder and I will be free.”

Lavren moved to stand beside Telkya, flashed his wife a smile to reassure her that her was not badly hurt and then raised his wand. He loosed a bolt of black energy a moment later but again, the elf body moved at the last moment and his bolt struck the monolith close to where Telkya’s golden bolt had struck. Dulvarna surged forward, thinking the animated body distracted but as she swung out her sword, the elf corpse leapt back with an agility that its bizarre appearance belied.

Erlmoor roared and sprayed acid from his mouth but again, the elf body moved quickly and ducked under the noxious liquid. The dragonborn followed with his blade, though, and this time the corpse was not quick enough. The dragonborn’s sword lashed across the elf maid’s belly and cut a shallow wound that the corpse seemed to ignore. Instead, it slammed its right hand into the side of Erlmoor’s head, once and then a second time. Even as it struck the dragonborn, its left hand lashed out, clipping the top of Dulvarna’s head as she ducked. The hand thrust forward a moment later and shoved the warrior woman in the chest, pushing her back a step. Again the headless corpse held out its hands and a wave of blue energy struck Dulvarna and Erlmoor. Erlmoor was thrown back from the elf maid’s body and sent reeling but again, Dulvarna held her ground. With a steely determination, as she realised that she faced a truly powerful foe, she raised her blade and rushed at the elf corpse once more.

Telkya prayed fervently and raised her amulet as a column of divine flame descended towards the elf maid’s body. Again the corpse moved quickly, leaping forward to meet Dulvarna so that the divine fire descended behind it. From the other side of the headless body, Enlishia fired two more arrows in quick succession and these too, drove into the right side of the corpse. It lurched left and as it did, Litiraan loosed a bolt of blue energy that flew past the corpse’s back. Lavren loosed a black ray that flew past the body and then the elf maid clashed with Dulvarna.