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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 425178" data-attributes="member: 202">Temple of Elemental Evil - part 61 (session 26)Milo whirled to see the shadows take on menacing forms.  They were almost humanoid, but certainly not natural.  The chill down his spine developed into a full-fledged case of goose bumps.  The pall of undeath emanated from the eight wafting shapes.  Before Milo could react Mazi cast a wide arc of lightning that spanned the entire passage behind them.  Unnatural shrieks of pain filled the hall as the electricity streaked through each of the shadows.  Four of the eight dissipated, their incorporeal forms seemed shredded by the fierce lightning bolt streaming from Mazi's outstretched fingers.Milo raised his holy symbol, fully intent on banishing the rest of the undead aberrations.  Just as he was about to call on the power of Usamigaras another chill struck his spine.  He whirled again and found that eight more shadows had detached from the walls and floated towards he and Brigit.The dwarf was undaunted.  She struck out with Trollgrater and completely shredded one before the others beset her.  All four of the heroes fended off the shadows as best they could but the inexorable press made it impossible.  Milo felt his strength ebb as one of the shadows passed its billowy darkness through his flesh.  His muscles sagged from the contact with the evil shade.  Mazi was in worse shape as two of the shadows picked up speed and streaked through her being like a wind through the boughs of a tree.  She wilted visibly.  Milo shook himself free of the malaise and lifted his holy symbol once more.  This time the holy power of Usamigaras coursed through his being.  Shining white light poured from the holy symbol and washed over the closest shadows.  More of the insanity-inducing shrieks filled the hall as five of the shadows melted away from the pure light of Usamigaras."Make way!" Mazi shouted to Brigit and Jeremiah.The two fighters pressed their backs to the walls as Mazi finished another casting of her lightning bolt spell and gestured at the three remaining shadows from the front.  The wide stream of electricity was more than the shadows could bear.  Their shrieks were cut off as the lightning shredded away their spectral darkness.  Jeremiah swung around behind Mazi to dispatch the last three shadows.  The Windsword trailed smoky shadow as it sped through one shade, but Jer wasn't ready for the onslaught of the undead.  His magic armor couldn't save him from the strength-sapping touch of the shadows.Milo ran to his side and raised his holy symbol again.  The shadows visibly quailed before the divine light poured out.  The last three shadows dissipated like a dark flame snuffed out by a windstorm.Milo waited for the hairs on his neck to settle down before letting down his guard.  When he turned to take stock of the aftermath he could see that his friends were in a bad way.  Brigit had been the only one to avoid the sickening touch of the shadows.  Jeremiah and Mazi had both been severely drained.  Jeremiah was visibly shrunken in his armor, as if the plate mail was built for a slightly larger man.  "You said that staff of yours could heal strength as well as wounds, Milo?" Mazithra asked."Heal," was all Jeremiah said."That it can, but I can pray for the spells to do that as well," Milo began.  "Why don't we leave for camp and I'll restore you tomorrow, along with myself?"  Milo wanted to save the last few charges from the staff of healing for a desperate emergency."Hold yer horses.  Ah wanna see what them shades were so intent on protectin' 'fore we run outta here with our tails 'tween our legs." Brigit said, hale and hearty as when she woke that morning."Fine Brigit, but you're the only one still at full strength.  You're going to have to pull the weight if something else finds us while we tempt fate." Milo said."Yeah, yeah.  Ah'm used ta carryin' yer weight 'round, li'l man," Brigit said with a wink.Milo didn't have the energy to think of a retort.  He turned to examine the contents of the room.  The skeletons had thankfully remained quiescent during the battle.  They seemed to be normal bones sheathed in rotting armor.  The crossed swords and shields spaced on the walls were decorative at best.  As they turned from the end of the skeleton hall Milo saw where the second group of shadows had emerged.  As the hallway expanded from ten to twenty feet another hallway led back the direction they had come.  A similar passage led back where the hall lengthened to thirty feet.  Both passages hooked to the right and opened nearly identical rooms.  Milo's lantern illuminated plastered walls and junk-strewn floors.  He kicked garbage to the side in the first room as he looked for anything of value.  His foot made contact with something much more weighty than old clothes and pottery as he searched.  Milo bent down to find a ewer fashioned from solid silver.  Not far from the ewer was a matching serving platter as well as a bowl and serving utensils.  Meanwhile Mazi had come across a finely wrought set of golden candelabras.  The precious metals were stowed in her magic box and they left for the second room.The second room was much like they had found the first.  Milo spent a few minutes shuffling through the refuse.  He found nothing but broken pottery and discarded clothing.  Just as he moved to leave Jeremiah brandished a particularly putrid ceramic pot.  He motioned for Milo and Mazi to come closer.  Inside was a thick black paste."Great, you found a pot of black paste.  You can hang on to it if you want, I don't need any," Milo said.Jeremiah held up a finger to signify patience before reaching into the paste and withdrawing a string of beads.  Milo examined them closely, trying to buff off the paste with his sleeve.  After a few seconds of polishing Milo was disappointed to see that the paste wasn't coming off.  His disappointment evaporated when he realized that what he thought was paste caked onto the beads instead began to shine with a pearl-like sheen.  Jeremiah had found a fine bead of black pearls."Milo, I can't make heads or tales of this," Mazi said as she handed a newly discovered scroll to the halfling.He studied the text for a second before discovering its use. "It's a scroll of invisibility to undead," Milo shook his head wryly. "This really would have come in handy a few minutes ago."Mazi had been concentrating on a vial of liquid she had found in the refuse while Milo examined the scroll.  "Well it's not poison, I can tell that much.""Ah'll tell ya what it is." Brigit approached from her lookout.She grabbed the vial from the elf, uncorked the top, took a whiff of the contents and wrinkled her nose, then took a sip.  She swished the liquid in her mouth a few moments before gulping it down.  She hiccupped and her armor strained for a second before settling back down."Bull's strength!" Milo declared before she could speak."Aye, tha's what Ah'd think too.  Ah say tha' Jer could prolly use this most until ya can heal 'im up, Milo." Brigit said as she handed the vial to the barbarian.Brigit went back to her lookout, as the others made ready to leave.  All three were more than ready for a good night's rest after their most recent battles.</blockquote>

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