Medriev's FR Thunderspire Labyrinth - Concluded Apr 13

[Medriev]

Chapter 18 - The Face of Baphomet (Part 4)

“This is a forlorn hope but I must say it,” said Lavren as he stared into Telkya’s eyes. His keen elven vision picked out every beautiful feature of her slender features and her eyes were pools of deepest blue-green. They sat at the edge of the light in a shadowy alcove as they had done many times since the terrible captivity had begun. For the first time, Lavren and Telkya had shared more than just furtive glances and had found that they truly did enjoy each other’s company. They shared a passion for stepping beyond the boundaries of their ancient culture but Lavren found that with Telkya’s rebelliousness there was also an innocence that her found entrancing. She for her part had found him to be unusually sensitive beyond his brash and roguish exterior. The fact that they were doomed had brought an urgency to their conversations and they had discovered more about each other in the days of captivity than some elven couples discovered about each other in years of courtship.

“Though the last of the rations are all but done,” Lavren continued softly. “I must tell you that you have become the dearest thing in this world to me. I truly love you and would have you be my wife in spirit if not in fact for you are the only priestess here and cannot bless your own union.”

Telkya returned Lavren’s deep and piercing gaze while her heart fluttered at the words that he had just spoken. Never had anyone confessed love for her and now, the elf that she had come to love herself had asked her to be his wife. A sadness settled on her heart then that this marriage would not be a true one as her suitor rightly said and that it would last only for whatever days remained to them in this terrible place.
“I would be your wife even if we stood on the edge of the Abyss itself and endured our last moments together,” answered Telkya. “I love you too, Lavren Strongbow.”

Suddenly, she gave a shocked scream and Lavren panicked, wondering what had provoked such a reaction. She was looking over his should and as he glanced around, he saw that an unarmed gnoll had appeared in the chamber just a few feet from where he and Telkya sat. From around the corner, Erlmoor roared and rushed at the gnoll, drawing his blade as he charged. Even as he reached the gnoll, the companions all felt a nauseating spinning as the chamber around them seemed to blur and twirl. Then it vanished altogether and the companions found themselves sitting in the once-curtained entrance to the chamber with Erlmoor and the gnoll, standing amidst them with blade and claw ready.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 18 - The Face of Baphomet (Part 4)

Lavren leapt to his feet and looked left and right. The chamber with the mirrored columns was spread out to his right but all the mirrors had been smashed. Two gnolls stood a short bow-shot away and immediately turned towards the new arrivals. One had viciously sharp claws much as the one that Erlmoor faught did, while the other wore a headdress of bone. The elf knew that he had seen such before and that the headdress denoted a priest of Yeenoghu, the foul gnoll god. Looking to his right, Lavren saw that he was behind the gnoll that Erlmoor faught and so he drew his sword and move to stab at the creature.

The others leapt to their feet with similar surprise, amazed that they had escaped their terrible prison but conscious too that they faced enemies who could just as easily condemn them to death or captivity. On the other side of the gnoll from Lavren, Enlishia unshouldered her bow, nocked an arrow and retreated back through the open double doors to the chamber. Dulvarna leapt up beside Erlmoor, drew her sword and lashed it into the gnoll’s shoulder. Yelps and whoops filled the chamber to the north and around the corner from the western wing of the hall ran a hyena the like of which none of the companions had ever seen before. This beast stood almost as tall as a man at the shoulder and its mouth was so large that it seemed exaggerated. Its teeth were like thick daggers, its eyes blazed with green fire and spittle that smoked as though it were acid dripped from its jaws. The beast’s black hide was striped with dark green, and a ridge of curving spikes jutted from its backbone. With yelps that sounded like canine laughter, the terrible creature rushed at Litiraan as he leapt to his feet.

Litiraan drew his sword as he got to is feet and stabbed out at the hyena, keeping it at bay for a moment. Beside him, Telkya leapt up and drew her own blade, stabbing it into the beast’s shoulder and forcing it away from her and her brother for a little longer. Behind her, the gnoll facing Erlmoor recovered from its confusion and leapt at the dragonborn, slashing a claw into his shoulder. Beyond the hyena, the other unarmed gnoll growled and rushed at Telkya with ferocious speed. As it reached her, Telkya ducked the first claw attack but the creature lashed at her with its left claw and struck her across the face, spinning her away to her right towards Lavren.

Another gnoll rounded the corner from the western part of the room and this one held a long, black bow with an arrow nocked to its string. The gnoll raised the bow and fired, loosing the arrow towards Lavren who saw it too late. The black shaft drove painfully into his shoulder and twisted him away from the gnoll that he had been trying to attack with his sword. Erlmoor roared and slashed his blade across the chest of the gnoll and drove him back towards Lavren but the elf had decided upon a new enemy now. Turning towards the gnoll archer, he prepared a curse but before he could unleash it, the gnoll priest advanced towards him, raising a huge flail in its right hand. The creature blocked his view of the archer and he stepped back, deciding to use his curses upon this new foe. Behind the priest, he saw another archer emerge from the western part of the chamber but he paid the creature no mind. Retreating until his back was against the south wall of the chamber, Lavren unleashed his curse upon the priest and loosed back, crackling energy from his left hand. The gnoll ducked to the right and the eldritch blast struck one of the ruined mirrors on a stone pillar behind the gnoll.

Enlishia loosed her arrow towards the gnoll that Erlmoor faught but it drove into the leather shoulder armour that the gnoll wore without piercing its flesh. She loosed another shaft quickly but this flew past the gnoll and Telkya before clattering into one of the pillars of the chamber beyond. The ranger cursed and reached for another arrow from her quiver. The gnoll glanced towards Enlishia then and Dulvarna took her chance, driving her blade into the creature’s arm and forcing it back a step. The gnoll snarled its defiance despite the fact that it was surrounded as it knew that its companions had come to aid it. Then it leapt at Dulvarna with its claws slashing out before it and the warrior woman was forced back in turn as she evaded the furious attack.

The hyena leapt at Litiraan while the elf desperately raised his sword to fend the beast off. The hyena paid it no mind and seized the elf’s sword arm, dragging it down and tearing open the flesh between hand and elbow. Litiraan cried out as he felt searing acid enter the wound and burn his raw, bleeding flesh. With his sword arm hanging down to one side he retreated from the gnoll until he stood against the south wall as Lavren did on the other side of the chamber entrance. Uttering one of his most powerful spells, Litiraan called forth a globe of orange flame that coalesced in his hand. He hurled it beyond the hyena and watched as it exploded, showering flame over his enemies. The hyena yelped and leapt clear of the burst but one of the archers and both the gnolls beside the hyena were burned by the flames. Telkya looked over at her brother and winked before retreating to stand beside Lavren. As she did so, she stabbed out to her left with her blade and drove it into the back of the leg of the gnoll that Erlmoor faught. The creature snarled and looked back over its shoulder at her but it knew it could not turn away from the dragonborn and warrior woman that it faced.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 18 - The Face of Baphomet (Part 5)

Litiraan looked over at his sister with pride and then looked down at his right arm as the pain of the acid lanced through him again. He thought he could see the white of bone through his ruined flesh and almost swooned at the prospect. Deciding to concentrate on his enemies, he looked up, just as the archer that his flames had seared advanced around the nearest pillar. The gnoll raised his black bow and fired leaving Litiraan no chance. The arrow drove into his left leg and threw him back against the wall as red blood flowed all too swiftly from this new wound. Another archer appeared around the other side of the pillar, raised his bow and loosed an arrow. Litiraan dodged to the left but the arrow drove into his right shoulder, sending more waved of pain through the limb. Nausea and dizziness assailed the elf as he fell back against the wall. As blackness took him, he hoped with all his heart that Telkya and Lavren would be happy together.

Erlmoor roared his defiance and thrust out with his blade, driving it into the thigh of the gnoll before him and forcing the creature back. From his left, more gnolls and a huge, black hyena were coming and he knew he had little time to defeat this first enemy. He saw the headdress-wearing priest rush at Telkya and land a glancing blow on her shoulder that drove her back. They did not have much time, the dragonborn decided. This gnoll had to fall quickly or they would all be overwhelmed by these newcomers. Lavren ducked away from the priest and loosed more black energy from his left hand that seared into the gnoll to drive it away from Telkya for a moment. It was a reprieve, Erlmoor knew, but it would not be a long one. He looked back to the foe before him and as he did, an arrow from Enlishia’s bow drove into the creature’s side. A second arrow flew between the dragonborn and his foe but Dulvarna was already advancing again. She came forward fiercely, feinted left and then brought her blade across high from the right. Aecris clove through the gnoll’s neck and sent its head spilling to the floor while its body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Erlmoor had no chance to acknowledge his companion’s success as the hyena leapt at him and seized his left arm.

As the gnoll priest came forward again, Telkya jabbed her blade out into its shoulder and then leapt back along the wall beside Lavren. The remaining unarmed gnoll leapt towards Dulvarna but she was ready for it and ducked back beyond the reach of its vicious claws. Telkya looked for her brother beyond her companions but Erlmoor’s huge form blocked her view of her brother. She prayed to Corellon that he faught on and would survive the battle.

Erlmoor shook the hyena from his arm by slamming it against the wall beside him and as he did so, he looked down and saw Litiraan half-sitting, slumped against the wall. The elf’s eyes were closed and from the terrible wound in his arm and the bloodstain spreading from the wound in his leg, he knew that the elf was sorely wounded. Beyond him, Erlmoor saw an gnoll archer creeping into the corner of the chamber and raising his bow. The gnoll loosed the shaft and Erlmoor tried to duck back into the entryway of the chamber but still the shaft drove into his calf as he did so. The dragonborn roared his defiance and began a prayer to Lathander that he hoped might still save Litiraan. His blade glowed brightly for a moment and as it did so, Erlmoor brought it down on the hyena’s back. As the huge beast yelped and leapt away, white light burst out and touched Litiraan’s arm. The wound there seemed to close a little and the white bone was covered by new flesh. Slowly, without moving lest his enemies see, Litiraan opened his eyes and looked up at Erlmoor, smiling weakly. The dragonborn smiled back for a moment but then a second arrow drove into his side and he fell back into the entryway.

Telkya raised her sword and parried the huge flail of the priest as it came down towards her head. Lavren hurled more searing black energy into the gnoll’s side and drove it back from Telkya then, allowing her to retreat towards the eastern wall of the chamber where he now stood. The gnoll snarled its anger but even as it did so, an arrow and then a second drove into its chest from Enlishia’s bow. Dulvarna saw her chance and darted forward, swinging Aecris in a wide arc and cleaving the head from the gnoll priest as she had done with the first gnoll to fall. The priest fell in a crumpled heap beside its companion and Dulvarna turned on this new enemy. Her blade lashed out low and cut into the side of the gnoll’s leg drawing a yelp of pain forcing it to back away from the warrior woman.

The hyena came forward then, cackling terribly and Dulvarna stopped her advance as fear took her for a moment. Telkya and Enlishia felt it too but Erlmoor roared his defiance and as the beast came at him, he dodged backward and evaded its terrible jaws. He looked down to smile at Litiraan but the elf’s eyes were closed again and smoke rose from the wound on his arm as the acid continued to sear his flesh.
“Telkya,” Erlmoor cried out. “Your brother needs your aid!”

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 18 - The Face of Baphomet (Part 6)

Telkya answered by raising her voice in a brief prayer. White light engulfed Litiraan and his eyes opened as the wound on his arm was partly healed once more. Erlmoor looked down at the elf and was pleased but then an arrow clattered into the wall beside him and he turned his attention back to his enemies. With a roar he breathed acid over the hyena and the gnoll that he and Dulvarna still faced and then began a new prayer to Lathander. His blade glowed with white light and he lashed out with it, tearing a wound across the hyena’s neck as it fell back before his acid breath. The beast yelped but as it did so, acid blood sprayed out of the wound. It covered Litiraan’s right arm and seared it anew sending the elf back into blackness for a second time while the spray struck Erlmoor’s face and neck. The dragonborn roared but the defiant sound was strangled off as the acid burned into his throat. He felt his breath fail him and collapsed to the left against the wall next to Litiraan.

Dulvarna felt the acid burn her left arm but paid the pain no mind until she saw Erlmoor slump to the left and collapse against the wall. Beyond him, Litiraan was slumped unmoving once more and she knew then that they were all in trouble. Three gnolls and the terrible hyena yet faught them and they had already lost two of their number. An arrow struck the wall behind her and Dulvarna glanced to her left to see that the two archers stood against the west wall and had chosen her as their next target. Risking a glance to the right, she saw that Telkya and Lavren remained as defiant as ever. Even as she looked, the warlock cursed the nearest gnoll and slavering fangs appeared around the gnoll, snapping and tearing at the flesh of the warrior. Telkya raised her left hand to the heavens and gestured downwards as she prayed. A column of searing light engulfed the gnoll, burning its flesh and searing its fur. It howled once and then collapsed to the ground, laid low by the two who had seemingly found happiness together.

Dulvarna turned towards the hyena and as she did so, an arrow drove into the beast’s neck. It yelped and staggered, almost falling. Dulvarna leapt forward and brought Aecris down on the beast’s head, splitting open its skull and felling it where it stood. She turned her fierce, vengeful gaze upon the two archers who stood next to the west wall and strode towards them. Desperately, they reached for arrows before throwing their bows aside and drawing axes with curved blades from their belts. One lashed at Dulvarna from the left and she parried too slowly, the blade tearing a gash from her shoulder to her elbow. The other gnoll came at her from the right and she moved Aecris over the meet the axe and parried solidly. Lavren came to her aid then, loosing black energy into the gnoll on the right and forcing it back against the wall. Two arrows drove into the other gnoll and hurled it back beside its companion and as Dulvarna came forward, both had fear in their eyes. Aecris sang out and lashed across the chest of one of the gnolls and it lashed out desperately with its axe to keep the warrior woman at bay.

Telkya surveyed the battle against the last gnolls quickly and decided that Erlmoor and Litiraan needed her aid more urgently. She rushed to her brother’s side and laid her sword beside him while laying her left hand on his chest. She uttered a prayer to Corellon and as golden light washed over him, his eyes opened. She smiled at him and turned to Erlmoor while glancing up at the battle against the last gnolls. Dulvarna was parrying their axes with typical skill while Lavren and Enlishia added magical and archery support. Even as she looked, an arrow from Enlishia’s bow took one of the gnolls through the throat and felled it where it stood. Dulvarna turned her fury on the last of the gnolls while Telkya began to pray over Erlmoor as she felt his heartbeat fade beneath her fingers.

Dulvarna felt the pain of the acid burn to her arm from the hyena’s blood fading and turned on the remaining gnoll. She lashed out with her blade and cut deep into its right arm as it tried to raise its small axe to parry. It lashed out wildly with sudden ferocity and caught Dulvarna’s shoulder, spinning her away. A blast of black energy struck the wall next to the gnoll as it howled its defiance and then it dodged to the right as first one arrow and then another struck the wall where it had been standing. Dulvarna thought for a moment that the gnoll would put up a defiant stand but then she heard Litiraan’s voice behind her chanting a spell. A silver bolt seared into the gnoll’s shoulder and drove it back against the wall. Around the pillar to Dulvarna’s right came Telkya and with the words of a prayer, the priestess loosed a bolt of golden light into the wall next to the gnoll. The gnoll lashed out once more with its axe but Dulvarna parried and from behind her came a familiar roar. Erlmoor had recovered. The gnoll died quickly after that, an arrow from Enlishia’s bow felling it.

“Fierce fighter,” Erlmoor rumbled as he looked down at the fallen gnoll.
“Maybe he faught for this,” said Dulvarna as she reached down and took something carved from black wood from the gnoll’s belt. It was a mask, carved to resemble the face of a fierce minotaur.
“It is Baphomet’s face,” said Litiraan. “This must be the mask we are looking for. We should go back to the gnoll hold and rest now that we have only one item to seek.”
“Agreed,” said Dulvarna. “We go back to the gnoll hold. But we go cautiously. It seems that there are more gnolls abroad here than those that dwelled in the eastern chambers.”

Next.....Tides of Blood

 

[Medriev]

Note for DMs - The Face of Baphomet

I felt that this encounter was also deserving of a note to DMs running or likely to run this adventure.

The PCs here fell victim quickly to the trapping mirrors close to the door of the chamber and, despite using the escape clause written into the adventure, I felt they would likely fall victim to them again. This could therefore have been a frustrating encounter so I decided that the gnolls, searching for their missing companion, smashed the mirrors in anger and frustration. This did, of course, make the encounter much easier and so the PCs only got xp for defeating the gnolls. I would advise DMs to look at this encounter carefully lest an annoying cycle of PCs being trapped result. There are only so many times that gnolls or other creatures can luckily happen by here before this gets implausible and boring!

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 19 - Tides of Blood (Part 1)

Dulvarna looked over at the others who slept in the former quarters of the gnoll priest and debated whether to wake them. She felt sure that she had heard something from the shrine and anything that appeared there would likely bring trouble upon them but her companions had little sleep remaining to them this night and it seemed a shame to wake them. Drawing her sword quietly, she made up her mind and left the small chamber through the open doorway. Turning left, she made her way towards the shrine but before she had drawn near to the doors she stopped, sniffing the air. The smell of brimstone was unmistakeable and the last time she had smelt such here it had heralded the arrival of the first ape-demon they had faught.
“To arms! To arms!” she called out. “A demon is among us.”

Dulvarna retreated from the double doors to the shrine and raised her blade as she heard her companions begin to stir but even as she did so, a demonic form came through the doors as though it were a mere spirit. It was a small creature that resembled a goblin with dark red skin and large ears. It bore no weapons that Dulvarna could see and as she raised her blade, it raised its hands to show they were empty.
“I seek to aid you not to attack you,” said the creature and Dulvarna lowered her blade.
“Then you will not mind if I call my allies,” Dulvarna answered.

She called out to the others and then stood warily across from the creature with her sword still in her hands. When the others emerged from the side chamber, they also raised weapons and wands but Dulvarna put up her sword and waved for them to lower their weapons.
“This creature claims to wish to aid us,” she said. “Though I know not where it comes from.”
“It is a quasit,” Litiraan spoke up. “Likely a messenger and servant of some higher demon.”
“You are clever elf,” answered the quasit. “But as I said, I am here to aid you. Those I serve would see you prevail here.”
“And how will we know that we can trust anything you say or any aid you give,” said Litiraan. “You surely would serve your own ends and those of whatever you serve.”
“I do,” answered the creature. “But I am instructed to answer three questions for you in exchange for payment.”
“What payment?” asked Lavren.
“I will accept a hundred gold coins for each question,” the creature replied. “Or a portion of your life energy.”
“Then we will have no truck with you, demon,” Telkya spoke up. “If you would drain our lives then we can prevail without your aid.”
“Are you certain?” asked the quasit. “I am tasked with offering you this aid.”
“Take what you need from that,” Lavren said, tossing his pouch of gold to the floor at the quasit’s feet. “I for one will not turn down aid that can be bought with gold.”

Telkya glared at him and he deliberately avoided her gaze as the quasit counted out its payment in gold and tossed the much lighter pouch back to Lavren. No sooner had the demon done so than Litiraan spoke up.
“Where will we find the fourth item we seek to take into the Proving Grounds?” asked Litiraan and Telkya turned towards him, glaring furiously.
“It lies to the west of the chamber of spirits and south of the place of mirrors,” the quasit answered and Litiraan nodded in response.
“And what will happen when we place all the items in the circles at the same time?” Lavren asked.
“The Inner Sanctum will open and you will face the final enemies here,” the quasit replied.
“Will we find the last of the slaves here?” Enlishia asked.
“They are within the Inner Sanctum,” the quasit answered as it finished scooping Lavren’s gold into a sack that hung on its belt. “Farewell.”

A puff of sulphurous smelling smoke rose from the floor of the corridor and the quasit vanished. Telkya turned towards Lavren and Litiraan and glared at each in turn. Then she folded her arms and marched brusquely back towards the side chamber.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 19 - Tides of Blood (Part 2)

“This looks to be the place we seek,” Erlmoor rumbled as the group stopped before a pair of dark, wooden double doors that faced west. The companions had spoken little since the visit of the quasit and Telkya was determinedly ignoring the efforts of Lavren and Litiraan to speak with her. Dulvarna and Erlmoor looked back at their troubled group and with their blades held against their shoulders, they each reached out for an iron ring handle attached to one of the doors. They both pulled the doors back together and taking their blade sin both hands stepped forward into a chamber that seemed to hold a scene torn from the Abyss. They stood on a small stone platform overlooking two large pools of blood. A stone walkway divided the room and sat just above the surface of the pools while on opposite sides of the room, large bronze statues of snarling minotaurs faced each other. Each minotaur statue held a long, barbed whip, as if about to strike while a smaller minotaur statue stood beside the doors and beside another set of double doors further south along the east wall. Flanking the large statue on the far side of the room were two pedestals that rose out of the blood. On one rested a grey dagger-sized blade while on the other rested a matching hilt.

Lavren was the first to start forward, his wand in his left hand and his sword in his right. He moved past Erlmoor and Dulvarna and started down the steps into the blood pool. The blood came up to his waist and the metallic smell was almost overpowering. As he started to wade forward, he felt a burning pain around his legs and his waist and terrible nausea threatened to overwhelm him.
“The blood is poison,” he called back to the others through gritted teeth.

Despite this he strode forward and then he realised that he was not alone in the pool. The eerie magical light in the chamber showed a dark form close to him beneath the surface of the blood. As he watched, it began to move and he held up his wand and his blade, ready to defend himself.
“We have no choice if we are to retrieve the dagger,” said Dulvarna, starting down the steps.

She felt the same terrible burning and nausea as she waded into the pool and as she drew near to Lavren, she saw the same dark form moving beneath the surface. Raising her blade, she brought it down towards the creature but struck nothing but blood.
“Something dwells within here,” she called out but then she saw a more dangerous menace.

Beyond the walkway, the farthest minotaur statue was beginning to move, lashing out with its whip in each direction as if seeking any nearby enemies. Dulvarna looked nervously towards the nearest statue that could easily reach her with its whip and Enlishia, still back on the ledge, followed her gaze. Nocking an arrow to its string, the ranger raised her bow and loosed an arrow at the nearest statue. It drove into the bronze but still the minotaur construct began to move. Enlishia loosed another arrow but this shaft bounced aside and splashed into the crimson pool at the statue’s base.
Telkya closed her eyes and vanished in a cloud of light motes. She reappeared on the plinth next to the closest statue and lashed out at it with her sword. Her blade clanged off the bronze of the statue and struck the stone of the plinth. She cursed and looked up at the statue as it began to swivel at the waist.

Erlmoor rushed forward into the pool of blood and felt the same burning and nausea that the others had felt. He waded to join the others as quickly as he could and lashed out at the form moving beneath the water. His blade struck flesh and with a roar, a crimson skinned demon of the kind that had plagued the companions so terribly in the chamber of the howling pillars, rose from the blood pool. It lashed out with one of its claws and Erlmoor drew back, evading the blow. Then, the scourge that the bronze statue wielded cracked over the head of the dragonborn and he knew that he faced a more terrible danger.

The statue’s whip cracked out again and struck Dulvarna, dragging her from her feet to fall face down in the blood. Lavren was struck next and similarly pitched forward before Litiraan was dragged from his feet by the scourge and pulled towards the steps into the blood pool. The statue turned towards Telkya and struck her with the handle of the whip, pitching her from the plinth into the blood pool. The whip cracked again and this time, the red-skinned demon was struck and dragged from its feet. Litiraan pushed himself to his feet as the statue swivelled again and uttered the words of a spell that he had only penned to his spell book the previous night. He added a silent prayer to Corellon that the spell would work and then uttered the final phrase. As he had expected, the room around him twisted and vanished and he reappeared on the ledge between the two blood pools and next to the north wall. He reckoned he would be safe from the whips of the statues where he was and took a moment to pause and survey the scene so as to plan his next move.

Lavren saw Litiraan’s travelling spell take him across the chamber and could not help but be impressed. As he watched the whips of the statues lash out, he realised that Telkya’s brother had discovered a place where they could be safe from the terrible scourges. Concentrating, he closed his eyes and vanished into a cloud of light motes. An instant later, he appeared next to Litiraan with a wink and a smile.
“What do we do now, then?” he asked the elf.
“No idea,” answered the other. “I was hoping you might know.”

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 19 - Tides of Blood (Part 3)

Dulvarna pushed off the bottom of the blood pool and rose to her feet, spitting out a mouthful of the crimson liquid as she did so. She glanced left towards the platform in the centre of the chamber, looked towards Erlmoor and nodded, and then darted left towards the place that she hoped would be their salvation. The demon lashed out as she fled but she ducked under the blow and struggled through the crimson liquid towards the central platform.

Enlishia nocked an arrow to her bow and leaned around the corner, taking careful aim at the nearest statue. After a moment she let the arrow fly and as she had planned, the shaft drove into the body of the minotaur stature and shattered, sending splinters into the intricate mechanisms that drove it. There was a grinding sound as the statue turned again and Enlishia nocked another two arrows to her bow before letting fly. The two shafts separated as they flew and drove into the shoulders of the statue. Another grinding sound came from the statue and then it stopped, its scourge falling loosely into the blood pool between Dulvarna and Erlmoor. Litiraan and Lavren looked back and smiled at the ranger and as she pulled herself to her feet in the blood pool, Telkya nodded her thanks.
“Destroy the other statue,” Dulvarna called out from close to the middle ledge. “It’s our only chance.”

Telkya turned away from the statue and waded towards the central set of steps that led up to the middle ledge. Erlmoor roared his own response and breathed acid on the demon in front of him before turning away after Dulvarna and Telkya. A claw lashed across his back but he paid it no mind as he surged towards the steps with the elf maid. He heard the demon roar its own defiance and surge after Dulvarna. The dragonborn opened his mouth to shout a warning but the demon was too quick and it leapt on Dulvarna before she had a chance to turn. The warrior woman fell forward and she and the demon splashed into the blood pool as a mess of flailing limbs.

On the middle platform, Litiraan made a decision and began one of his most powerful spells. As the words reached their conclusion, a glowing orange ball of flame flew forth from his hand and crossed the blood pool towards the statue. The construct lashed out with its scourge in each direction mindlessly, unaware of the fire that was coming for it. The fireball exploded against the statue’s belly and tore off a hunk of metal that splashed into the blood pool. Beneath, the mechanism that turned the intricate trap was exposed and the flames seared the gears and cogs too. Still, the statue turned and lashed out with its scourge as though it had barely been touched. Suddenly, a roar came from the blood pool beneath the centre platform and Litiraan looked down. From the pool, two demons were emerging and making for the steps before them, one close to the northern end of the platform and the other close to the southern end. Beside Litiraan, Lavren saw the new threat at the same time as Litiraan and raised his left hand to level his wand at the demon. With an uttered curse, he sent black, crackling energy towards the demon but the blast flew wide and the demon growled up at the two elves in response.

Dulvarna pushed off the bottom of the blood pool and pulled her feet underneath her before pushing off again more fiercely and throwing the demon back into the blood behind her. She emerged from beneath the surface and dived forward towards the centre platform only for the demon to recover its footing and grab at her. Claws tore down her back but she escaped the creature’s terrible grasp and grabbed the edge of the platform. With an effort that seemed to take the last of her strength, she hauled herself up onto the centre platform and lay there, gasping for breath and hoping that the demon would not follow her too quickly. She heard the scourge of the second statue crack out and she flinched but she was beyond its reach. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet and raised her sword, ready to meet her enemy beyond the poisonous blood pool.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 19 - Tides of Blood (Part 4)

Enlishia moved to the edge of the platform by the door and took aim at the farthest statue just as its scourge cracked out again. She heard demonic roars beyond the centre platform but could not decide whether they were roars of defiance or of pain. Slowly, she took aim and then, letting her breath out, she let fly. The first arrow drove into the shoulder of the statue but before it had even struck, Enlishia had nocked another to her bow. She loosed this a heartbeat later and it too, flew straight and true, driving into the hip of the statue. The grinding that she had heard from the first statue before it stopped moving, filled the chamber as the mechanism of the far statue struggled to cope with the damage that had been done to it.

With an effort that she did not know she could muster, Telkya dragged herself out of the blood pool and up the steps to the centre platform. She heard the grinding from the far statue and knew that it too had been damaged by Enlishia’s unfailing accuracy with her bow. Telkya raised her left hand weekly and uttered a prayer, calling down a column of golden light that seared the statue. The construct ground more loudly for a moment and half-turned as the heat seized its innards but then it was still Telkya added her own thanks to Corellon for his aid and then turned to the left as a demon rose from the blood pool and started forward for the second time towards the steps at the southern end of the platform.

Even as Telkya turned, Erlmoor rose from the blood pool behind her and made his own way up the steps. As he crested the centre platform he let forth another roar of defiance and then started towards the southern steps where the demon would climb up from the pool. Raising his blade, the dragonborn uttered his own prayer, calling on the Morninglord to aid him. Ribbons of searing golden radiance engulfed the demon and it cried out the pain pierced it to its heart. Fixing the dragonborn in its gaze, it started forward again and began to climb slowly up the steps. Then the dragonborn heard a startled cry and a roar behind him and as he glanced back, he saw that the first demon, the one that had nearly felled Dulvarna, had climbed the steps behind Telkya. The demon lashed out with one of its claws and the elf maid ducked but then it lunged forward, seeking to seize her sword arm in its terrible teeth. Telkya stepped back and slammed the hilt of her sword into the side of the demon’s head. She had prevailed for the moment but Erlmoor feared that she could not lat long alone against such a foe.

At the northern end of the ledge, Litiraan loosed a wave of flame from his wand that engulfed the advancing demon close to the northern steps but the creature did not even break its stride. It reached the steps and climbed them quickly before rushing at the two elves with a roar. A claw struck the side of Litiraan’s head and sent him reeling while Lavren raised his sword and slashed it into the arm of the creature, turning its attention away from Litiraan for a moment. With a snarl, it started towards the warlock and Litiraan recovered but both elves knew that they were trapped against the wall. Their place of safety from the scourges of the statues had become a trap and without aid, it would be the place where they would fall.

Dulvarna watched Telkya fend off the demon for a moment while she gathered her strength and then she raised her blade and charged at the demon. She raised her blade above her head as she drew near and then brought it down, thinking to cleave open the demon’s skull. At the last, the creature turned towards her and her blade missed its head by a finger’s breadth cleaving instead into the creature’s shoulder. The demon roared and turned to face the enemy it had fought in the blood pool. From her left, Dulvarna heard Enlishia’s bow release and knew that the ranger was lending aid to Lavren and Litiraan. Grimly, she turned back to the demon before her and raised her blade, determined to finish her foe this time. She nodded to Telkya, signalling the priestess to withdraw and the elf maid did as she was bade but as she did so, she began another prayer. Golden light washed over Dulvarna and restored her strength while healing the worst of her hurts. The warrior woman nodded her thanks to the elf and turned back to the foe before her as the demon came at her, lashing out with its claws.

Erlmoor roared again at the demon before him and then uttered a short prayer to Lathander. His blade glowed with divine light as a portion of his own strength filled it and he swung out at the demon, tearing a wound across the creature’s chest and driving it back. Erlmoor stepped forward and uttered another prayer. Again his blade glowed and again it sang out but this time, the demon ducked under the swing. From a crouched position it snarled at Erlmoor and then leapt forward. A claw lashed out and struck the paladin’s hip, spinning him to his right and forcing him back in turn, away from his enemy. Demon and dragonborn roared then, challenging each other and defying each other, and knowing that only one would survive the battle.

 

[Medriev]

Chapter 19 - Tides of Blood (Part 5)

Litiraan turned back to the demon and stabbed out with his sword, driving it into the creature’s hip. The demon snarled and turned, lashing out at the wizard with a clawed hand. He struck Litiraan’s arm above the elbow and spun him back into the wall for a second time. Lavren took his chance, darting in from the demon’s right and stabbing his sword into its side and then its thigh. The demon snarled again and turned back towards the warlock. Litiraan pushed himself off the wall and turned back towards the demon, preparing to do the same again and give his companion yet another chance to strike at their shared foe. As he turned, a second arrow drove into the demon and with a smile, Litiraan realised that he had been foolish to doubt himself and his companions. The demon would fall to the three that now faught it and the knife that rested on the two platforms at the far end of the chamber would be theirs.

Dulvarna leapt back as the demon came at her and then feinted to the left with her heavy blade. As the demon dodged, she reversed her swing and slashed Aecris into her foe’s right side. The creature lurched to the left and roared with pain as dark blood began to pour from the wound. To her right, Dulvarna heard Telkya praying once more and as golden light engulfed the elf, she knew that the priestess had been sorely wounded and was now healing herself. Then, with a roar, the demon came forward again and Dulvarna was forced to turn her attention back to her foe. A claw lashed out and she ducked under it while raising her blade to strike at the demon again.

Erlmoor raised his voice in a hymn to Lathander and as he did so, he stepped forward towards the demon he faced. His blade sang out and smashed into the creature’s shoulder sending it spinning around to the left as it did so. The creature roared but Erlmoor’s hymn was louder and as the others heard it, strength that had fled returned to them. The demon roared again as Erlmoor sang and, mustering a sudden recovery from its terrible wound, it leapt at the paladin. Its claw lashed out and tore into the side of Erlmoor’s throat, driving the hymn from his lips. The demon tried to bite at his arm but it met only the hard, scaled elbow of the dragonborn and was sent reeling back once more. Silently now, Erlmoor turned on the demon and promised it death with nothing more than his fierce eyes.

Litiraan leapt at the demon and stabbed his blade into the side of its chest before darting back. It turned towards him and he stabbed out again, driving his sword into the creature’s shoulder. The creature twisted around the blade and back-handed Litiraan across the side of the face, sending him spinning to the left and filling his mouth with blood. He turned back but he was too slow this time and the demon leapt upon him. Teeth found his throat and tore at it but as warm blood flowed down his neck, Litiraan saw Lavren drive his blade into the demon’s side. An arrow drove through the creature’s throat then and with a gasp, the demon let Litiraan go. It fell to its knees and then collapsed on the floor. Satisfied that he had played his part, Litiraan let blackness take him.

Dulvarna wove her blade in front of her as the demon looked for an opening and then she darted forward. The demon reacted quickly and dodged to the left, leaving Aecris to only graze its hip as it slipped past. The demon snarled and turned to slashed at Dulvarna but as it did so, Telkya’s voice rose in prayer again and the priestess drove her blade into the demon’s left side. The demon snarled and turned away from Dulvarna towards this new foe, but as it lashed out wildly at the priestess, she ducked and leapt away. The demon roared its defiance one last time and then Dulvarna and Telkya came forward together to finish their foe.

As Telkya’s blade struck her foe, a shower of light motes descended on Erlmoor at the southern end of the platform and the dragonborn felt new strength flow through him. Despite his torn throat, he found his voice and roared defiance once again. He rushed at the demon and lashed out with his blade but his enemy ducked under the blow. The demon leapt at the dragonborn, slashing its claws across his belly and then seizing his throat once again in its terrible jaws. Erlmoor pushed at the demon with all his strength and forced it away from him but it snarled and spat in response. The paladin staggered, sorely weakened and bleeding from his throat but raised his blade anyway. The demon roared its own defiance then, sensing victory and rushed forward once more.

Dulvarna darted forward and struck at the demon first, slashing her blade across its belly and driving it back to the bottom of the steps at the edge of the blood pool. Telkya stepped forward to finish the creature but as she did, an arrow drove through its throat from back to front and with a gasp, the demon fell backwards into the blood pool.

Telkya looked up at Enlishia and nodded her thanks before turning away from the top of the steps and rushing to aid Erlmoor. As she reached the dragonborn, she placed a hand on his shoulder and uttered a powerful healing prayer. White divine light flowed from her hand and washed over him, closing the wound in his throat and restoring his strength. The dragonborn roared again, his voice restored and his blade sang out after it as he advanced on the demon and drove it back. Dulvarna was beside him a heartbeat later and then behind him, Erlmoor heard Enlishia’s bow sing out. An arrow drove into the demon’s shoulder and then another pierced its side. It staggered and Telkya rushed at it with her blade before her. She stabbed at the demon’s shoulder but it twisted aside and she barely nicked its flesh but every wound was weakening the creature now. Again the demon staggered and this time, Erlmoor was the one who took advantage. The dragonborn stepped forward and drove his blade point-first into the chest of the demon. It opened its mouth but no air came forth and it slid slowly off the paladin’s blade to the floor.

Only then did the three companions remember fallen Litiraan and as the demon bodies began to smoke and collapse into the Abyssal ash from which they had been formed, they turned as one towards the northern end of the platform. There, Lavren was tending to the wizard’s wounds but Litiraan looked pale as death and the front of the white tunic he wore was stained red with blood down to his waist.
“He will live,” said Lavren as he looked towards the others. “But only just.”

Next.....Proving Ground