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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 1711" data-attributes="member: 202">Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-eight (session 6)They approached the wide opening into the large chamber with trepidation.  It seemed that they all felt that something momentous was waiting for them.  From a distance Milo could make out four large pillars stretching to the vaulted ceiling.  Three robed figures had their backs turned to the entrance.  As they drew near Milo could hear them chanting.  A queer shiver crawled up his spine and he felt somehow defiled by just the sound of the words that were being chanted.  He could see the figures hunched over some kind of desecrated altar.As they entered the room, weapons drawn, the chanting stopped.  The central figure's hooded head raised and he turned around slowly.  Grey skinned fingers reached up and pulled the hood back to reveal a face that none of them thought to see ever again.It was a kindly face at one time.  Once rosy cheeks were fallow and dull.  The smile it wore was much different than the welcoming, friendly grin that it had once shown.  There was no doubt who the figure was, he had a gaping hole right at the center of his forehead where one of Mazithra's first arrows had once lain.  Bordamere, the rogue cleric stared back at them."At last!  Do you have any idea how much this hurt?" came the raspy voice from the figure as he pointed at the grisly wound in his head.  "I miss the taste of wine!  But I have learned to love the taste of flesh!"With that he gestured at Mazi, hate gleaming in his eyes.  Mazi stiffened, it appeared she was being held magically.  As suddenly as she went still she was moving again though.  The ring she had taken from Bordamere's body weeks ago was now burning hot on her finger.  She grinned at the undead cleric and began her own incantation."ARRRGGHHH!" Bordamere shouted in inarticulate rage.The other two figures had turned and started to approach the party.  They were still shrouded in their robes.  Milo chanted as well.  He finished before the cowled figures reached them and touched Brigit.  A glow passed from his hands to suffuse her body before fading away.  "Evil will have a hard time harming you now Brigit, go get em!" He said to her.The figures reached the group and attacked.  Their hoods fell back as they both threw themselves at Jeremiah.  Their faces were familiar as well.  It was Paul and Charles, the mercenaries that fought with them in the goblin caves those many days ago.  Milo felt a pang of guilt for leaving the bodies of the once stalwart warriors.  Now they had been twisted to evil.  Jeremiah was successful in fending off the initial attack of the undead mercenaries, their sharpened fingernails clawed ineffectively at his armor.Jeremiah was unable to bring his great sword to bear.  He kicked Paul away to make room for his weapon.  Paul stumbled back just as Brigit swung her axe.  The axe head bit deep into the dead man's side.  He kept clawing despite the deep wound.  Behind the battle Mazi had finished her incantation.  Two bright orbs or light formed on her hands.  She shot her arms out at Bordamere and the spheres flew straight at him.  The light impacted with force into the undead cleric, wounding him and drawing another cry of outrage.Bordamere tried a different tack.  He completed another chant and pointed at Brigit.  She paused in the battle for a split second, shivering in her armor, before throwing the effects of the spell off."Hah!  Yer lackeys already tried that 'un Bordy!  It ain't gonna work on me."  Brigit scoffed."ARRRGGHHH!" came again from the evil cleric in frustration.Milo raised his hand and willed the power of his deity forth.  The light shone from his palm, but the two undead mercenaries seemed completely unaffected.  Milo look quizzically at his hand, he didn't understand why it wasn't working.Charles and Jeremiah were locked in a brutal battle.  Charles clawed at Jer, scratching his face and drawing blood.  Jeremiah roared in anger and swung his great sword into the undead mercenary.  The blade cut deep into his shoulder, leaving one arm truly lifeless at his side.Paul and Brigit were in a more cautious fight.  It was as if the soldier could feel the effects of the spell Milo placed on the stout dwarf.  She taunted Paul with her axe.  He sprang at her, trying to claw past her shield.  He jumped back as quickly as he had jumped forward, Brigit's axe tore through the fabric of his tunic.  Paul held the hand that scratched Brigit's shield, as though attacking her hurt him.Behind it all Mazithra finished a different chant and formed her hands in a strange symbol.  A large badger appeared behind Bordamere, glowing faintly.  It immediately attacked but its bite was unable to pierce his armor.  Bordamere turned to the badger and swiped at it with clawed fingernails.  The badger died instantly, shriveling as if its life force had been sucked out.Milo raised his hand again.  The light shined yet again, but still there was no effect.  He was getting frustrated, thinking that perhaps his god had already abandoned him.Right in front of him Brigit blocked another clawed attack with her magic shield.  She did not pause as Paul cringed back nursing his fingers.  Her axe fell in a vicious arc, cleaving into the undead mercenary.  The light of unlife faded from his eyes as he fell.  He looked almost peaceful, as if Brigit had released him from a great pain.An inhuman scream came from Charles as he leapt for Jeremiah's throat.  Jer swung his sword in a desperate attempt to keep him at bay.  The blade tip slashed through his tunic and gouged into his grey flesh.  Charles screamed again, a high-pitched, piercing cry.From across the room Milo saw the badger stir.  He thought that maybe it was made of sterner stuff than he was aware.  He was sorely disappointed as he noticed the feral attitude of the once celestial beast.  It was wightspawn, which meant Bordamere was a wight."Don't let Bordamere touch you, he can turn you undead if we're not careful!" Milo shouted to his friends.  Bordamere growled and gestured at Jeremiah.  "DIE!" he said in his gravely voice.Jeremiah didn't even notice, he was deeply involved in his battle with Charles."ARRRGGHHH!" yelled Bordamere again.  Milo almost laughed in spite of the situation.  Good old Bordy couldn't get a break.  He grew serious as he raised his hand again, determined to turn these undead away.  For a third time the light shone from his palm with no effect whatsoever.  Milo was disheartened as he watched the wightspawn badger approach.Next to him Mazi finished a minor incantation she memorized especially for that day.  She gestured at Bordamere.  The undead cleric convulsed for a few seconds.  Whatever Mazi had cast at him had disrupted him severely.The undead badger reached and bit at Brigit but was unable to penetrate her armor.  She kicked at the beast before stowing her axe and drawing her bow to fire at Bordamere from a distance.Next to her Charles and Jeremiah struggled back and forth.  Jeremiah fended off claw after claw but couldn't quite get in an attack of his own.  His sword always seemed one second behind the undead mercenary.  He was surprised by the soldier's dexterity.Mazithra chanted the same cantrip and pointed at Bordamere.  The evil priest was ready for her spell this time.  He made a sign with his hands right as Mazi gestured.  The convulsions didn't affect him this time.  He screamed at his enemies and jumped towards Brigit.  His claws found no purchase in her armor as she shrugged off his attack. "ARRRGGHHH!" he screamed impotently.Worried about the relative proximity of the wight, Milo chanted his protection spell again, this time conferring its defenses to Jeremiah.  Just in time it appeared, for Charles made it past his defenses and scratched at Jeremiah.  The spell prevented the undead creature from damaging the barbarian.  Jer once again pushed Charles back, this time his sword found its mark.  Charles fell with a brutal thrust to his chest.  Jeremiah pulled his sword back and thrust again, this time at Bordamere.  The cleric's full plate armor protected him though.  The sword skittered off the breastplate.Brigit drew her axe and shield to attack the undead priest hand-to-hand.  Mazithra gave up her spell casting for a space and leaped into the battle with her sword brandished.  She circled behind Bordamere and slashed at his back.  The wight was well armored though, and her blade caused no wound.Bordamere sidled away from Mazi and attacked Brigit again, his claws scratched at her shield and armor, but no damage was caused.  Milo ducked and rolled to get behind the cleric.  His tumbling was clumsy and as he brushed past the wight he reached down a claw.  Half-lucky, Milo rolled safely past him.  He sprang to his feet and whirled around to fire his crossbow.  The bolt bounced off Bordamere's plate mail.Jeremiah moved up to Bordamere's flank, he was quickly becoming surrounded.  Jer thrust in his great sword again, this time puncturing the steel of the undead wight's armor.  "ARRRGGHHH!" Bordamere shouted one last time.Brigit cut his anguished cry short with a brilliant sneak attack to his unguarded waist.  Bordamere fell to the ground, dead again.  "And stay dead!" Mazi said with a nod.</blockquote>

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