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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4827696" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 12 - A Measure of Revenge (Part 1)After hearing from Thorn that the southern ways out of the chamber were blocked by water pipes, the companions decided the take the northern stairway out of the chamber. They rested for a moment on the steps and tended to their wounds before continuing on their way and as they did, some voiced questions that all had in their minds after Thorn’s display in battle.“I had heard rumours that druids could change shape,” Erlmoor rumbled as the companions gathered up their belongings to move on. “But I had never seen it. Truly you are a fierce warrior in battle.”“My beast from grants power but my bloodline gives more power still,” answered Thorn. “My line is descended from werewolves and it is this that grants me a fury in battle when I am wounded.”“And does it ever possess you?” Enlishia asked. “As the wolf form possesses those cursed with it.”“I always have control over my actions,” Thorn answered as he picked up his scythe from where it rested against the stairway wall. “But the battle fury is fierce in me as it is in all warriors.”The druid started up the stairs and the others followed him, more puzzled now by their new companion, than they had been before.At the top of the stairs, double doors opened into an L-shaped room that bent around to the right and ended at another set of doors. Dulvarna and Erlmoor led the group forward to this next set of doors and as they reached them, they held their weapons against their shoulders in a now familiar routine and each reached for an iron ring handle. They pulled open the doors together and revealed a great hall with five massive pillars lining its walls. Three heavy double doors led out, as well as two narrow passages but one set of double doors was almost entirely hidden behind a pile of rubble and debris. Several figures stood arrayed around the hall, steeling themselves for battle and a few moments after the companions had opened the doors, the centre set of double doors opened. An impressive looking dragonborn in a mail coat and with a large sword in his right hand stood framed in the doorway.“So we have visitors,” he sneered.Telkya moved past her companions and went into the chamber ahead of them, moving right to stand next to one of the pillars. She raised her amulet in her left hand and her sword in the other and uttered a prayer that loosed a bolt of golden fire into the chest of the nearest man. It seared through his ribs, and burst out of his back. The man’s mouth opened agape and he fell back onto the stone floor, dead. Dulvarna rushed at the man nearest her as he fumbled with the club in his hand. Her sword swept out high, clove through his neck and his head rolled to the floor. His body followed a moment later.Erlmoor followed Telkya and Dulvarna into the chamber, rushing at the last of the three men who stood near the door. His blade swept out from right to left and clove into the man’s side before driving through his body and bursting out in a shower of blood on the other side. The man’s body fell to the floor of the chamber in two halves both of which were rapidly surrounded by pools of blood and gore.“An impressive start, but no one has yet defeated Gharesh Vren,” the dragonborn snarled.With that, he charged at Dulvarna and as he reached her, he roared, spewing lightning from his mouth. Dulvarna turned away but Erlmoor was struck in the side and sent reeling away towards Telkya. Vren lashed out with his sword then, slashing it high towards Dulvarna’s throat as she recovered from evading his breath weapon. She brought her blade up at the last moment and parried the blade over her head. Behind Dulvarna, Enlishia rushed into the chamber and stopped in front of the pillar that Telkya stood next to. She raised her bow, aimed and loosed an arrow that flew straight and true to drive into the shoulder of the dragonborn. It reeled back and staggered and as it did, it inadvertently avoided the second arrow that the ranger had loosed, which flew past its right shoulder. Then, a low growl came from the corridor from which the companions had emerged and Enlishia knew that Thorn was coming for the bandit that he hunted.Thorn burst from the side corridor as a black wolf the size of a small pony and rushed at Vren in a fury of teeth and claws. He leapt as he reached the bandit and seized its left arm in his jaws, tearing at the flesh and refusing to let go. Lavren emerged from the side corridor behind the druid and moved to stand beside Erlmoor. He turned, raised his wand, and then cursed the bandit in elven. Black, crackling energy burst forth from his wand and seared into the dragonborn’s left side as he tried desperately to shake himself free of Thorn. The dragonborn lurched and staggered and finally, the druid in wolf form fell free of his enemy’s arm and the bandit raised his blade again.</blockquote>

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