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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4596927" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 7 - Beyond the Gate (Part 3)Dulvarna lashed out at the dwarf she faced but her blade struck only the table beside the duergar and as she tried to pull Aecris free, the dwarf brought his hammer down on her right arm. She cried out and drew back as pain lanced up her arm. She heard shouts from behind her and knew that more dwarves were coming into the chamber behind them. Dulvarna dared not look back as she yanked her sword free and parried the next blow from the duergar. As she did so, an icy ray struck the wall above the dwarf, freezing part of the stone and she knew Litiraan was trying to aid her. She wanted to turn and thank the elf but instead she could only parry the next hammer blow from the gray dwarf.Lavren loosed another black bolt at Rundarr but this time struck the west wall of the chamber as the bolt flew wide of the dwarf. The duergar flinched nonetheless and Erlmoor surged forward, slashing out with his sword only to have it parried by the hammer of the mighty gray dwarf. Behind the dragonborn, Telkya felt sudden pain as a quill drove into her back. She staggered forward, fell to her knees and then, with a gasp, she fell to the floor of the chamber. Another quill flew past Erlmoor and drove into the wood of the table next to him and the companions knew then that they were surrounded. They would triumph or die in this chamber.Dulvarna surged forward, weaving her blade before her and then striking only for the duergar to parry. She thrust her blade in low but again the dwarf met her blade with his hammer. She cursed the skill of her enemy then while also, deep down, feeling some admiration for the dwarf. She saw Erlmoor step back and half parry a blow from the duergar her faced but the hammer struck the dragonborn’s hand nonetheless and must have hurt him though he showed no sign. Dulvarna turned her attention back to her own foe as the fierce dwarf came at her once more. She parried desperately but the duergar’s warhammer came down painfully on her shoulder.Enlishia turned as three more duergar entered the chamber behind her. She loosed two arrows in quick succession, one striking the stone beside the double doors and the other driving into one of the dwarves and forcing it back a step. One of the dwarves rushed through the doors and charged at Lavren. The elf rushed to draw forth his sword and leapt back as the duergar swung its hammer out at him. Litiraan turned towards the doors then and loosed flame from his wand that filled the northern end of the chamber and the hallway beyond the doors. The duergar in the hallway ducked back, using the doors as cover but the dwarf that had charged at Lavren was seared by the flames and driven against the east wall. Lavren came forward with his sword and began to drive the duergar back.Erlmoor feinted left and then slashed his blade around to come in from the right. The duergar parried but then the dragonborn twisted his blade away from the dwarf’s hammer to cut up from below and into the thigh of his foe. The duergar roared his anger and as he did so, he grew larger, his muscles bulging and his legs growing thicker. He roared again but this time the sound seemed to shake the very walls of the stout stone chamber. Erlmoor stepped back from the monstrosity that Rundarr had become and then rushing back in to battle his now-huge foe.Litiraan reeled back as the next duergar into the chamber hurled a quill from his red beard at him that drove painfully into his shoulder. He felt numbness spread from the wound and the arm grew limp as the duergar rushed in at him with its hammer in its hands. The heavy weapon swung out and struck Litiraan’s other arm as he raised it to protect himself and he staggered back, reeling from the pain in both his limbs. Another quill zipped past the elf’s ear and then a second duergar rushed in from the right. The dwarf’s hammer lashed out crosswise and smashed into Litiraan’s side with an audible crack of a rib. The elf gasped as the wind was driven from his lungs and scrambled desperately back from the foes he faced. He looked down at his sister and knew there was little time to save her Dulvarna glanced over her shoulder and knew that she too had little time if she was to aid her companions. She gave a guttural cry of sheer fury and raised her sword over her head. She brought the blade down in a huge blow that was aimed at the head of the duergar she fought. At the last moment, the dwarf moved and raised its hammer but Aecris smashed through anyway, missing his head by half a hand-width and cleaving through his collarbone and into the shoulder beneath. The dwarf staggered and lashed out wildly with his hammer as he began to retreat from the fiercesome warrior woman before him. Dulvarna plunged her blade forward above the duergar’s hammer and pierced his heart. With a rattling gasp, the dwarf staggered back, fell to his knees and then fell forward on the stone, his hammer clutched tightly to his chest.The huge creature that was Rundarr surged forward at Erlmoor and slashed out with its hammer, knocking the dragonborn back across the floor and off his feet. The paladin went to rise but a second, devastating blow to his chest smashed him back down again. He tried to rise again, praying softly as he did so but the huge dwarf-creature was unforgiving and stepped forward to stand over him, raising its hammer for a killing blow. As the duergar did so, Erlmoor’s blade glowed white and he drove it upwards into Rundarr’s groin. Blood gushed forth and with a roar, the duergar staggered back from Erlmoor allowing the paladin to leap to his feet and let out his own powerful roar. Suddenly, he noticed movement at his feet and looking down, he saw Telkya stir a little as some of the white glow from Erlmoor’s blade drifted over her. She opened her eyes and smiled faintly and hope returned to the paladin as he rushed at Rundarr once more.</blockquote>

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