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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4916328" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 25 - The Palace of Bones (Part 2)Erlmoor saw the fireball burst around Lavren and Telkya and searched the upper platforms for the new enemy that had unleashed the spell. He saw almost at once a glowing, flame-wreathed skull floating above the right-hand platform and another on the left platform.“There are more enemies on the platforms,” he called out to the others and then lashed his blade into the leg of the skeleton before him.Thunder clapped as blade struck bone and the skeleton lurched back and away from its enemies. Behind the dragonborn, Enlishia’s bow sang out and two arrows flew past the skeleton while from Gendar’s stave, lightning arced out and struck the skeleton, forcing it backwards. Rendil leapt after the skeleton and lashed his blade into its leg, shattering it, and the skeleton collapsed into a heap of lifeless bones. Rendil rushed ahead of Erlmoor to attack the last skeleton and as he did, another amber orb flew down, this one from the left platform. Erlmoor flung himself forward and felt the flames burn his back as the fireball burst. He looked back over his shoulder and saw that Gendar’s robes were alight and the drow’s face was horribly blistered and burned. The dark elf groaned once and then slumped lifeless in the grip of the skeletal arms.Lavren ducked under another of the skeleton’s swings and retreated toward Telkya but as he did a bolt of flame struck the floor next to Telkya. He looked up and saw the flameskull on the platform to his right. He looked back to Telkya just as she finally wriggled free of the skeletal arms of the rack and leapt past him toward Erlmoor. The skeleton smashed down its club just behind the elf maid and then she raised her amulet and hurled a bolt of divine fire into the creature’s chest. It staggered back a step and then lashed out with its club, smashing the weapon into Lavren’s chest and throwing him back toward the rack. Draxius hurled another screaming skull missile at Erlmoor that struck the dragonborn in the shoulder but the paladin roared his defiant response and charged the last skeleton. Enlishia’s bow sang out as she came forward behind the dragonborn and two arrows drove through the creature’s skull. The skeleton’s head shattered into shards of bone and the creature collapsed as the others had done.Rendil leapt forward over the bones of the fallen skeleton and looked around to see that the others followed him. Lavren suddenly vanished into a black mantle of shadow and as the halfling looked around, he reappeared beyond the next set of bone pillars, close to the stairs. He raised his wand and loosed a bolt of black, crackling energy at Draxius that struck the tiefling in the chest and forced it back a step. Rendil rushed after the elf but he had barely gone two steps when arms from the pillars in front of him reached out and seized him, tearing at his flesh and crushing him. He cried out and looked back at his companions, who had no choice but to follow. Then he looked back toward Lavren, who stood alone against Draxius as bolts of flame flew from the flaming skulls on the platforms. One struck the elf and sent him lurching to the right while another struck the floor near his feet. Telkya rushed past Rendil and for a moment, the halfling thought that she might pass the columns and reach her husband but then the skeletal arms reached out and seized her, trapping her as Rendil had been trapped. Draxius hurled a screaming skull that struck the elf maid in the chesty and with a cry, she fell back into the crushing embrace of the bone pillar.Erlmoor roared and rushed at the pillars, hoping to force his way through. An arm reached out for him but he shoved it aside and thought for a moment that he would pass between the horrible columns. Then, just as he thought he would escape, an arm seized his leg and dragged him to his left where another reached out to tear at his flesh. Roaring, he sank back toward the pillar and then began to struggle to free himself. Behind him, he heard Enlishia’s bow sing and on the platform, an arrow drove into Draxius’ leg. Another struck the bone archway behind him and the tiefling roared in anger and pain. Lavren cursed at the tiefling and another black bolt struck him in the chest, throwing him back another step. Again, Draxius roared in anger at his enemies. Erlmoor wondered how long the elf could last alone against the flameskulls and their master but then Rendil appeared in a shower of light next to the elf, his blade held high before him. Even as the dragonborn wondered at the halfling’s power, Rendil vanished again, becoming a bolt of lightning that lanced up from the floor to the left platform. There, the halfling appeared next to one of the flameskulls and lashed out with his blade which was wreathed in lightning. He struck at the skull, sending it spinning back and away and then he became lightning again, arcing across to the central platform and slashing his blade at Draxius. The tiefling leapt back and avoided Rendil’s sword but before he could react further, the halfling was gone, transformed to lightning again that arced back toward the left platform where he reappeared, between the flameskull and the tiefling. A bolt of flame seared from the flameskull’s mouth and struck the halfling, sending him reeling and then another bolt from the other skull creature struck him. Again the halfling vanished, appearing next to the first flameskull on the left platform with his blade in his hands. Erlmoor smiled to himself at Rendil’s prowess and then roared as he strained to pull free from the skeletal bonds that held him.Lavren looked up at Draxius as Rendil danced back and forth across the platforms and could not help admire the magical prowess of the halfling. He had seen swordmages in training when he was growing up but never had he seen one in battle and he could not help but be impressed. Rendil must surely be a true-hearted halfling to have been taught such sacred Art. As the halfling appeared beside the flameskull, Lavren looked up at Draxius. Angrily, the tiefling lashed out with his right hand and hurled another screaming skull missile toward the elf. Lavren leapt to his right and then spoke his own incantation of travel. He vanished into a cloud of shadowy darkness for a moment and then reappeared on the central platform a few feet from Draxius. Lavren lashed out with the wand in his left hand and spoke a curse that would assail the tiefling with nightmarish dreams. As the elf completed the curse, Draxius reached up to his head and grasped at it, tearing at his own flesh. He staggered back along the platform toward where Rendil battled the flameskull. An arrow and then a second thudded into the tiefling’s side and again he cried out in anger and pain. Rendil lashed out with his sword and struck the flameskull again, forcing it back toward its master and Draxius looked around, desperately seeking his undead allies to save him from defeat.Erlmoor watched the battle on the platforms as he struggled to free himself and decided that despite Draxius’ desperation, his friends needed his help. He roared and struggled against the bones that surrounded him again but could not break free. A bolt of flame flashed across in front of him and struck Telkya, throwing her back into the bony embrace of the pillar. They had to kill Draxius and free Telkya and Gendar, the dragonborn knew. He had to escape from the bones. With one last effort, he strained against the bones as Draxius hurled another screaming skull past Lavren. Then, the bones around Erlmoor snapped and he began to rush forward. He paused to reach over and touch Telkya’s arm, sending healing power into the elf maid and then he ran on toward the steps up to the platform. Arms and hands grasped at him from the stairs as he started up them but he strode through them and reached the platform to stand beside Lavren.“You die now, Draxius,” Erlmoor roared at the tiefling.“Better death than this eternal torment,” Draxius answered.</blockquote>

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