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Medriev's FR Pyramid of Shadows - Concluded Nov 1
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<blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4891566" data-attributes="member: 21864"><p><strong>Chapter 23 - Lost Souls (Part 2)</strong></p><p></p><p>The western passage led the group back to the chamber of three gates and they made their way back through the western doors that they had come through. Passing the slain medusa and ogre and the chamber of demonic faces, the adventurers turned east and made their way at last to the staircase that led up to the third level of the pyramid. At the top of the stairs, a corridor led east to west and another staircase led upward across the passageway.</p><p>“There is a fourth level, it seems,” said Enlishia.</p><p>“That way must lie Draxius’ sanctuary,” said Vyrellis. “There you will defeat him a final time and win your freedom. If only it were the same for me.”</p><p>“If we can find a way to free you once we escape this place then we will,” Enlishia answered solemnly.</p><p></p><p>Dulvarna looked east and then west and then east again before turning back to the west and leading the companions down a long hallway. The passage turned northward after a while and then ended at a set of double doors. In a now familiar routine, the adventurers made ready weapons and implements and spells and then Erlmoor and Dulvarna pushed the doors open. Beyond lay another short hallway that ended at another set of double doors. Dulvarna and Erlmoor moved forward and pushed these doors open and found before them a well-appointed study lit by two candle holders close to the doors. In the south east and south west corners stood statures of elegantly clad tieflings while a table piled high with books stood in the north east corner. Heavy, purple curtains hid the room’s north west corner but at the table sat a tiefling that could only be Draxius the Neverdying. He seemed younger than the images that had spoken to the companions but there was no doubt that it was him.</p><p>“That’s him!” shouted Vyrellis as if to confirm this. “That’s Draxius!”</p><p></p><p>Enlishia rushed into the chamber, raised her bow and fired, the arrow flying over the tiefling’s head and clattering into the wall. She nocked another shaft and fired again but this arrow flew wide of the mark and drove into the wooden table. Draxius began to scream in terror but by then, Telkya was already in the room and chanting a prayer. She raised her amulet and hurled a bolt of light that seared into the tiefling’s back and toppled him from the chair on which he sat. He clambered to his knees, seeming to reach out for the Telkya and then he fell face down on the chamber floor, apparently dead.</p><p>“Too easy,” said Dulvarna and as she did, a black wall appeared in the doorway, sealing the room and blocking all sight of Enlishia and Telkya.</p><p>“A trap!” she exclaimed a moment later as the realisation struck the others.</p><p></p><p>Immediately, Dulvarna raised her blade and struck at the wall but her blade only sent golden sparks across the surface of the barrier. Lavren watched the sparks, looking for some floor in the enchantment while Thorn and Erlmoor set about the wall with their own weapons. Sparks arced across the surface but still no flaw appeared as the companions began to wonder what had befallen Enlishia and Telkya within the chamber.</p><p></p><p>As soon as the wall had appeared, a thick green gas began to billow from the candle holders. Enlishia and Telkya began to cough and choke almost at once and as the ranger cast around, looking for another way out, she realised that she knew the poison that was killing them.</p><p>“Stranglemist gas,” she said to Telkya. “It will choke us unless we can stop its flow. Strike at the candle holders.”</p><p></p><p>The ranger raised her bow and began loosing arrows into the nearest candleholder while Telkya began hacking at it with her blade. Stone chipped away from the holders with each hit but the flow of gas showed no sign of stopping. The friends looked at each other for a moment as they realised that they could be doomed and then they turned their attention back to the task in hand. Enlishia fired volley after volley of arrows into the candle holder and Telkya chipped away at the stone while around the two, the green mist filled the room and thickened. The companions paused every few moments to cough as the gas tightened their throats and lungs, making it more and more difficult to breathe. Finally, as both felt their strength waning, an arrow from Enlishia’s bow shattered the stone stem of the candleholder and it collapsed into rubble on the floor. The gas flow stopped from that outlet at once but the other candleholder still spewed the noxious vapour into the room. Grimly, Enlishia turned her bow on the other candleholder and fired while Telkya made her way unsteadily across the chamber to hack at the other ornament.</p><p></p><p>In the corridor outside, Dulvarna, Erlmoor and Thorn hacked at the barrier, spreading arcs of golden energy across the black wall of magic. Still Lavren studied the patterns, focussing now on one corner of the enchantment where he thought he had seen a weakness. Suddenly, Erlmoor stumbled and struck his blade on the floor in front of the wall as the ferocity of the blows he had been striking began to weaken his limbs.</p><p>“Find the weakness, elf,” he growled at Lavren. “Else your wife will likely not come out alive.”</p><p></p><p>Enlishia staggered and coughed as she aimed her bow and the arrow flew out and clattered into the floor at the foot of the candleholder. She nocked another arrow but could only draw back her bowstring halfway before her weakened limbs let loose the shaft. It struck the wall behind the holder and Telkya looked over at her companion, truly worried that they would both die in the chamber with a false Draxius. The ranger raised her bow and loosed another arrow that nicked the stone of the holder and then she fired again, this shaft nicking the bowl of the holder. Telkya lashed out with her sword but in that moment, her strength failed her as well and her blade cut the air above the holder before striking the wall with a clang. Enlishia loosed another arrow that drove into the shaft of the candleholder and chipped the stone but as she drew back her bow to fire again, her breath rattled in her throat and she staggered. The arrow flew from the bow and skittered across the floor of the chamber to land close to Telkya’s feet.</p><p>“We have to hold on,” Telkya gasped. “The others will come for us.” Enlishia managed a smile in response and then raised her bow again.</p><p></p><p>Dulvarna struck at the barrier for what she felt was the hundredth time and again all she saw was the cascade of golden energy lancing across the surface of the night black magical wall. Thorn raised his scythe but as he did, Lavren held up a hand.</p><p>“Here,” he said, gesturing at the bottom left corner of the wall. “Strike here and it will shatter.”</p><p></p><p>Thorn brought his scythe around underarm and smashed it into the barrier where Lavren had pointed. Again, lines of golden energy cascaded across the wall but this time, in the corner where the druid had struck, the lines stayed as though the fabric of the barrier had cracked. Erlmoor stepped over and swung his sword with all his strength at the same point. The blade struck home and as it did, the golden lines spread across the wall until it shattered into shards of black, shadowstuff. The shards dissipated and the room, filled with green gas lay open to the companions. Enlishia turned toward her friends and managed a faint smile before, with a gasp, she collapsed on the floor of the chamber. Telkya staggered but reached an arm down to try and drag her friend out of the gas.</p><p>“Help me,” she gasped to the others and as one, they rushed into the chamber.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Medriev, post: 4891566, member: 21864"] [b]Chapter 23 - Lost Souls (Part 2)[/b] The western passage led the group back to the chamber of three gates and they made their way back through the western doors that they had come through. Passing the slain medusa and ogre and the chamber of demonic faces, the adventurers turned east and made their way at last to the staircase that led up to the third level of the pyramid. At the top of the stairs, a corridor led east to west and another staircase led upward across the passageway. “There is a fourth level, it seems,” said Enlishia. “That way must lie Draxius’ sanctuary,” said Vyrellis. “There you will defeat him a final time and win your freedom. If only it were the same for me.” “If we can find a way to free you once we escape this place then we will,” Enlishia answered solemnly. Dulvarna looked east and then west and then east again before turning back to the west and leading the companions down a long hallway. The passage turned northward after a while and then ended at a set of double doors. In a now familiar routine, the adventurers made ready weapons and implements and spells and then Erlmoor and Dulvarna pushed the doors open. Beyond lay another short hallway that ended at another set of double doors. Dulvarna and Erlmoor moved forward and pushed these doors open and found before them a well-appointed study lit by two candle holders close to the doors. In the south east and south west corners stood statures of elegantly clad tieflings while a table piled high with books stood in the north east corner. Heavy, purple curtains hid the room’s north west corner but at the table sat a tiefling that could only be Draxius the Neverdying. He seemed younger than the images that had spoken to the companions but there was no doubt that it was him. “That’s him!” shouted Vyrellis as if to confirm this. “That’s Draxius!” Enlishia rushed into the chamber, raised her bow and fired, the arrow flying over the tiefling’s head and clattering into the wall. She nocked another shaft and fired again but this arrow flew wide of the mark and drove into the wooden table. Draxius began to scream in terror but by then, Telkya was already in the room and chanting a prayer. She raised her amulet and hurled a bolt of light that seared into the tiefling’s back and toppled him from the chair on which he sat. He clambered to his knees, seeming to reach out for the Telkya and then he fell face down on the chamber floor, apparently dead. “Too easy,” said Dulvarna and as she did, a black wall appeared in the doorway, sealing the room and blocking all sight of Enlishia and Telkya. “A trap!” she exclaimed a moment later as the realisation struck the others. Immediately, Dulvarna raised her blade and struck at the wall but her blade only sent golden sparks across the surface of the barrier. Lavren watched the sparks, looking for some floor in the enchantment while Thorn and Erlmoor set about the wall with their own weapons. Sparks arced across the surface but still no flaw appeared as the companions began to wonder what had befallen Enlishia and Telkya within the chamber. As soon as the wall had appeared, a thick green gas began to billow from the candle holders. Enlishia and Telkya began to cough and choke almost at once and as the ranger cast around, looking for another way out, she realised that she knew the poison that was killing them. “Stranglemist gas,” she said to Telkya. “It will choke us unless we can stop its flow. Strike at the candle holders.” The ranger raised her bow and began loosing arrows into the nearest candleholder while Telkya began hacking at it with her blade. Stone chipped away from the holders with each hit but the flow of gas showed no sign of stopping. The friends looked at each other for a moment as they realised that they could be doomed and then they turned their attention back to the task in hand. Enlishia fired volley after volley of arrows into the candle holder and Telkya chipped away at the stone while around the two, the green mist filled the room and thickened. The companions paused every few moments to cough as the gas tightened their throats and lungs, making it more and more difficult to breathe. Finally, as both felt their strength waning, an arrow from Enlishia’s bow shattered the stone stem of the candleholder and it collapsed into rubble on the floor. The gas flow stopped from that outlet at once but the other candleholder still spewed the noxious vapour into the room. Grimly, Enlishia turned her bow on the other candleholder and fired while Telkya made her way unsteadily across the chamber to hack at the other ornament. In the corridor outside, Dulvarna, Erlmoor and Thorn hacked at the barrier, spreading arcs of golden energy across the black wall of magic. Still Lavren studied the patterns, focussing now on one corner of the enchantment where he thought he had seen a weakness. Suddenly, Erlmoor stumbled and struck his blade on the floor in front of the wall as the ferocity of the blows he had been striking began to weaken his limbs. “Find the weakness, elf,” he growled at Lavren. “Else your wife will likely not come out alive.” Enlishia staggered and coughed as she aimed her bow and the arrow flew out and clattered into the floor at the foot of the candleholder. She nocked another arrow but could only draw back her bowstring halfway before her weakened limbs let loose the shaft. It struck the wall behind the holder and Telkya looked over at her companion, truly worried that they would both die in the chamber with a false Draxius. The ranger raised her bow and loosed another arrow that nicked the stone of the holder and then she fired again, this shaft nicking the bowl of the holder. Telkya lashed out with her sword but in that moment, her strength failed her as well and her blade cut the air above the holder before striking the wall with a clang. Enlishia loosed another arrow that drove into the shaft of the candleholder and chipped the stone but as she drew back her bow to fire again, her breath rattled in her throat and she staggered. The arrow flew from the bow and skittered across the floor of the chamber to land close to Telkya’s feet. “We have to hold on,” Telkya gasped. “The others will come for us.” Enlishia managed a smile in response and then raised her bow again. Dulvarna struck at the barrier for what she felt was the hundredth time and again all she saw was the cascade of golden energy lancing across the surface of the night black magical wall. Thorn raised his scythe but as he did, Lavren held up a hand. “Here,” he said, gesturing at the bottom left corner of the wall. “Strike here and it will shatter.” Thorn brought his scythe around underarm and smashed it into the barrier where Lavren had pointed. Again, lines of golden energy cascaded across the wall but this time, in the corner where the druid had struck, the lines stayed as though the fabric of the barrier had cracked. Erlmoor stepped over and swung his sword with all his strength at the same point. The blade struck home and as it did, the golden lines spread across the wall until it shattered into shards of black, shadowstuff. The shards dissipated and the room, filled with green gas lay open to the companions. Enlishia turned toward her friends and managed a faint smile before, with a gasp, she collapsed on the floor of the chamber. Telkya staggered but reached an arm down to try and drag her friend out of the gas. “Help me,” she gasped to the others and as one, they rushed into the chamber. [/QUOTE]
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