Rel
Liquid Awesome
Oh, wait, I promised you an update too, didn't I?
Moradin, Give Me STRENGTH!
It was as though the weight of the world settled on his shoulders.
Raven suddenly felt himself barely able to move under the heavy load of his armor. His hammer felt like an anvil in his hands. Dark forms swarmed around him. It was these black, disembodied ghosts of the damned that had stolen his strength. He meant to make them pay for it. He raised his hand that bore the ring taken from Macer and let go with a blast of pure radiant light. The beam tore through one of the shadows, ripping it to shreds and sending it to oblivion. But there were more. Many more.
Scar was not ignored either as a pair of the shadows homed in on his position just inside the pavillion. He felt the coldness of their touch and the pull as the weight of his gear seemed to drag on him. But he had no attention to spare them. In front of him was one of the Dark Druids, his face twisted in a rictus of hatred. Scar decided to try and twist it a bit more with his hammer but most of the blow was turned aside. As he glanced around at the hovering shadows, he knew that this battle was going to be a painful fight.
Above, Speaks could tell that his Creeping Cold spell was hurting the Dark Druid that he had cast it upon. But he felt that before the battle was over he was going to need more than just his magic. He called upon the power of the wild to empower his natural attacks. Even as he completed his magic, he felt the heat of flames around him and was engulfed by a sheet of fire emanating from the outstretched wings of the soaring Dark Druid. His magical protections saved him from the worst of it but he felt a couple of his tail feathers get singed.
Back in the pavillion below, the Dark Druid facing Scar cursed in a language the Half-Orc didn't understand. He drew forth a rod that looked as though it was carved from bone and with another utterance a burst of unholy, green light enveloped everyone inside the tent. Scar felt the sickening taint on his spirit and looking across the tent, he saw another Dark Druid, who had just entered, cringe before the evil blast as well. Clearly the Druid with the rod had no regard for the safety of the others. That would make him the leader then. Hauling back his hammer, he sent another blow at the Dark Druid, this time with a more satisfying thud. Without pause, Scar sent a blow at one of the shadows as it moved past him and felt the slightest resistance as his hammer tore shreds from its being.
Outside the tent, Raven stepped back from his attackers and unleashed another blast of Searing Light at one of the shadows and was pleased to see it disperse as well. That left only two of them but one lashed out at him and he felt his strength even further decreased.
Speaks turned on his pursuer and sank his beak into the Dark Druid's feathers, tasting blood. They began to tumble earthward but Speaks disengaged and put a bit of distance between them. The avian Dark Druid recovered quickly however and managed to fire off an incatation that called forth a Stinking Cloud of noxious gas around Speaks.
The Dark Druid facing Scar swung the rod like a club and scored a glancing blow against the Half-Orc. His compatriot summoned a small sphere of fire into his grasp and hurled it at Scar, hitting him but only burning him slightly thanks to the fire wards Scar had received. Scar did manage to stay out of the clutches of the shadows for a few moments and for that he was thankful. Focusing his attention back on the Dark Druid leader, he lashed out with his hammer and again struck a minor blow. The might he had lost to the shadows was playing hell with the accuracy and strength of his strikes and he roared in frustration.
Raven heard Scars roar and decided that his companion might be in trouble. He backpedaled away from the shadows, barely staying out of the grasp of one of them.
Overhead the acrobatic aerial battle raged as Speaks burst from the Stinking Cloud, gasping for breath. The pair of airborne Dark Druids followed but gained no ground as they had to maneuver around the cloud themselves.
In the large tent below, the Dark Druid leader tried to use his magic but failed to get out of the reach of Scar. The angry Half-Orc swung his hammer and knocked the breath from the elf, befouling the magical words he was using to summon his magic. Across the tent, the other Druid grabbed a nearby spear and ran to the aid of his leader. Just then, Raven burst into the tent. "In the name of Moradin, begone creatures of unlife!" A wave of holy energy sprang from Raven's hammer and both of the shadows around Scar and one of the ones chasing Raven disappeared beneath the earth. It appeared that the companions might finally be getting a break. Looking up at the Dark Druid leader, Raven challenged, "Prepare to die!"
Above, Speaks Produced a Flame in his claw and flung it toward one of the falcons chasing him. The ball of fire struck the Druid who was already suffering the effects of the Creeping Cold and it was obvious that he had little fight left in him. The other however was still quite capable and he let his malice be known in the form of a column of fire that descended from the heavens and blasted Speaks in mid flight. Speaks let out the scream of an eagle as all around him the air crackled with unholy fire and he smelled burned feathers. He was astonished that he could still fly. He winged over and swooped back toward the encampment. As he did so he saw another pillar of flame form in the sky ahead and slice down toward the roof of the large tent. Speaks cringed as he thought about its destination.
Back in the pavillion, in answer to Raven's challenge, the Dark Druid leader stepped out of Scars reach and used his magic without being struck by the Half-Orc this time. Suddenly, the roof of the pavillion above them disintegrated as a column of evil Flame Struck the pair of them. They were fortunate in that the hide roof seemed to dampen the fires enough that they dodged the worst of it. Most of the rest of the heat was absorbed by their magical protections. Adding insult to minor injury, the other Dark Druid stepped up with his long spear and inflicted a shallow wound across Scar's thigh.
Scar ignored him for the moment and struck again at the leader, this time landing his most solid blow yet. A few feet away, Raven dodged out of the grasp of the last of the shadows and called upon the power of Moradin to heal himself. Both felt weary out of proportion to the time they'd been in battle as their lack of strength had taken its toll. Neither had any reason to hope that they were even close to victory.
Speaks pulled his wings in slightly and rocketed toward the encampment. He was simultaneously racing to the aid of his companions and fleeing the fiery wrath of his pursuers. As he came closer to the encampment, his spirits sank as he saw yet another pair of the Dark Druids had managed to free themselves from the tangle of Briar Webs and stood ready to greet him.
The leader of the Dark Druids moved still further from Scar, seeking safety behind the long spear that his minion wielded. Once safely behind his ally, he held forth the bone rod again and with an unholy word, a blast of negative energy engulfed the interior of the tent once again. Raven caught the full brunt of it and found himself back on the brink of unconsciousness again. Scar steeled himself but was still somewhat weakened by the blast as was the Dark Druid who held him at bay with the spear. The Dark Druid looked at his leader with undisguised malice and though he continued to hold forth his spear in Scar's direction, he witheld his attack.
Hoping that the Druids may start fighting amongst each other, Scar turned his attention to the shadow still plaguing them. He slashed out with his hammer but struck nothing. Raven prayed to Moradin yet again to deliver him from the wounds his foes had inflicted and felt the welcome surge of positive energy fill him.
Speaks was already weakened and needed a moment to heal himself before he could engage the pair of Dark Druids below. He called on the grasses and weeds around them to Entangle them to buy him some time. It didn't buy much.
Slowing down to use his magic allowed Speaks pursuers to catch up to him. The wounded one kept his distance still but called down yet another Flame Strike upon Speaks who managed to avoid some but not nearly all of the flames. The other Dark Druid in falcon form shot in close to him and a crackling sheet of fire shot from the forward edges of his wings but the damage paled in comparison to the column of unholy fire that he had just endured.
Below, one of the new pair of Dark Druids managed to maintain his concentration amid the grasping vines long enough to Dispel the Entanglement. The other let fly with a Ray meant to Enfeeble Speaks as he flew overhead but he managed to shrug off the effects. His path took him over the edge of the hedge surrounding the encampment and he descended toward the ground. For now, his companions would have to try and deal without him for he had to have healing if he was to continue the fight.
With the rest of his allies tied up outside the pavillion and no signs of lending any aid, the Dark Druid leader decided to abandon his ally who surely must want to kill him by now. As Scar and Raven watched, he transformed in much the manner they had seen Speaks do. Only the form he assumed was not that of a normal creature of the woodlands. He became a skeletal bat and somehow took flight on skinless wings, escaping through the hole in the roof of the tent. Like a dog running after its master, the shadow raced from the tent after him. For a brief second, all was quiet, as the two companions looked at the lone remaining Dark Druid. For the first time since the battle started, they outnumbered the opposition.
NEXT: An Incredibly Brief Respite
That brings us up just shy of halfway through the battle. Look for more to come somtime next week. Thanks for reading.
Moradin, Give Me STRENGTH!
It was as though the weight of the world settled on his shoulders.
Raven suddenly felt himself barely able to move under the heavy load of his armor. His hammer felt like an anvil in his hands. Dark forms swarmed around him. It was these black, disembodied ghosts of the damned that had stolen his strength. He meant to make them pay for it. He raised his hand that bore the ring taken from Macer and let go with a blast of pure radiant light. The beam tore through one of the shadows, ripping it to shreds and sending it to oblivion. But there were more. Many more.
Scar was not ignored either as a pair of the shadows homed in on his position just inside the pavillion. He felt the coldness of their touch and the pull as the weight of his gear seemed to drag on him. But he had no attention to spare them. In front of him was one of the Dark Druids, his face twisted in a rictus of hatred. Scar decided to try and twist it a bit more with his hammer but most of the blow was turned aside. As he glanced around at the hovering shadows, he knew that this battle was going to be a painful fight.
Above, Speaks could tell that his Creeping Cold spell was hurting the Dark Druid that he had cast it upon. But he felt that before the battle was over he was going to need more than just his magic. He called upon the power of the wild to empower his natural attacks. Even as he completed his magic, he felt the heat of flames around him and was engulfed by a sheet of fire emanating from the outstretched wings of the soaring Dark Druid. His magical protections saved him from the worst of it but he felt a couple of his tail feathers get singed.
Back in the pavillion below, the Dark Druid facing Scar cursed in a language the Half-Orc didn't understand. He drew forth a rod that looked as though it was carved from bone and with another utterance a burst of unholy, green light enveloped everyone inside the tent. Scar felt the sickening taint on his spirit and looking across the tent, he saw another Dark Druid, who had just entered, cringe before the evil blast as well. Clearly the Druid with the rod had no regard for the safety of the others. That would make him the leader then. Hauling back his hammer, he sent another blow at the Dark Druid, this time with a more satisfying thud. Without pause, Scar sent a blow at one of the shadows as it moved past him and felt the slightest resistance as his hammer tore shreds from its being.
Outside the tent, Raven stepped back from his attackers and unleashed another blast of Searing Light at one of the shadows and was pleased to see it disperse as well. That left only two of them but one lashed out at him and he felt his strength even further decreased.
Speaks turned on his pursuer and sank his beak into the Dark Druid's feathers, tasting blood. They began to tumble earthward but Speaks disengaged and put a bit of distance between them. The avian Dark Druid recovered quickly however and managed to fire off an incatation that called forth a Stinking Cloud of noxious gas around Speaks.
The Dark Druid facing Scar swung the rod like a club and scored a glancing blow against the Half-Orc. His compatriot summoned a small sphere of fire into his grasp and hurled it at Scar, hitting him but only burning him slightly thanks to the fire wards Scar had received. Scar did manage to stay out of the clutches of the shadows for a few moments and for that he was thankful. Focusing his attention back on the Dark Druid leader, he lashed out with his hammer and again struck a minor blow. The might he had lost to the shadows was playing hell with the accuracy and strength of his strikes and he roared in frustration.
Raven heard Scars roar and decided that his companion might be in trouble. He backpedaled away from the shadows, barely staying out of the grasp of one of them.
Overhead the acrobatic aerial battle raged as Speaks burst from the Stinking Cloud, gasping for breath. The pair of airborne Dark Druids followed but gained no ground as they had to maneuver around the cloud themselves.
In the large tent below, the Dark Druid leader tried to use his magic but failed to get out of the reach of Scar. The angry Half-Orc swung his hammer and knocked the breath from the elf, befouling the magical words he was using to summon his magic. Across the tent, the other Druid grabbed a nearby spear and ran to the aid of his leader. Just then, Raven burst into the tent. "In the name of Moradin, begone creatures of unlife!" A wave of holy energy sprang from Raven's hammer and both of the shadows around Scar and one of the ones chasing Raven disappeared beneath the earth. It appeared that the companions might finally be getting a break. Looking up at the Dark Druid leader, Raven challenged, "Prepare to die!"
Above, Speaks Produced a Flame in his claw and flung it toward one of the falcons chasing him. The ball of fire struck the Druid who was already suffering the effects of the Creeping Cold and it was obvious that he had little fight left in him. The other however was still quite capable and he let his malice be known in the form of a column of fire that descended from the heavens and blasted Speaks in mid flight. Speaks let out the scream of an eagle as all around him the air crackled with unholy fire and he smelled burned feathers. He was astonished that he could still fly. He winged over and swooped back toward the encampment. As he did so he saw another pillar of flame form in the sky ahead and slice down toward the roof of the large tent. Speaks cringed as he thought about its destination.
Back in the pavillion, in answer to Raven's challenge, the Dark Druid leader stepped out of Scars reach and used his magic without being struck by the Half-Orc this time. Suddenly, the roof of the pavillion above them disintegrated as a column of evil Flame Struck the pair of them. They were fortunate in that the hide roof seemed to dampen the fires enough that they dodged the worst of it. Most of the rest of the heat was absorbed by their magical protections. Adding insult to minor injury, the other Dark Druid stepped up with his long spear and inflicted a shallow wound across Scar's thigh.
Scar ignored him for the moment and struck again at the leader, this time landing his most solid blow yet. A few feet away, Raven dodged out of the grasp of the last of the shadows and called upon the power of Moradin to heal himself. Both felt weary out of proportion to the time they'd been in battle as their lack of strength had taken its toll. Neither had any reason to hope that they were even close to victory.
Speaks pulled his wings in slightly and rocketed toward the encampment. He was simultaneously racing to the aid of his companions and fleeing the fiery wrath of his pursuers. As he came closer to the encampment, his spirits sank as he saw yet another pair of the Dark Druids had managed to free themselves from the tangle of Briar Webs and stood ready to greet him.
The leader of the Dark Druids moved still further from Scar, seeking safety behind the long spear that his minion wielded. Once safely behind his ally, he held forth the bone rod again and with an unholy word, a blast of negative energy engulfed the interior of the tent once again. Raven caught the full brunt of it and found himself back on the brink of unconsciousness again. Scar steeled himself but was still somewhat weakened by the blast as was the Dark Druid who held him at bay with the spear. The Dark Druid looked at his leader with undisguised malice and though he continued to hold forth his spear in Scar's direction, he witheld his attack.
Hoping that the Druids may start fighting amongst each other, Scar turned his attention to the shadow still plaguing them. He slashed out with his hammer but struck nothing. Raven prayed to Moradin yet again to deliver him from the wounds his foes had inflicted and felt the welcome surge of positive energy fill him.
Speaks was already weakened and needed a moment to heal himself before he could engage the pair of Dark Druids below. He called on the grasses and weeds around them to Entangle them to buy him some time. It didn't buy much.
Slowing down to use his magic allowed Speaks pursuers to catch up to him. The wounded one kept his distance still but called down yet another Flame Strike upon Speaks who managed to avoid some but not nearly all of the flames. The other Dark Druid in falcon form shot in close to him and a crackling sheet of fire shot from the forward edges of his wings but the damage paled in comparison to the column of unholy fire that he had just endured.
Below, one of the new pair of Dark Druids managed to maintain his concentration amid the grasping vines long enough to Dispel the Entanglement. The other let fly with a Ray meant to Enfeeble Speaks as he flew overhead but he managed to shrug off the effects. His path took him over the edge of the hedge surrounding the encampment and he descended toward the ground. For now, his companions would have to try and deal without him for he had to have healing if he was to continue the fight.
With the rest of his allies tied up outside the pavillion and no signs of lending any aid, the Dark Druid leader decided to abandon his ally who surely must want to kill him by now. As Scar and Raven watched, he transformed in much the manner they had seen Speaks do. Only the form he assumed was not that of a normal creature of the woodlands. He became a skeletal bat and somehow took flight on skinless wings, escaping through the hole in the roof of the tent. Like a dog running after its master, the shadow raced from the tent after him. For a brief second, all was quiet, as the two companions looked at the lone remaining Dark Druid. For the first time since the battle started, they outnumbered the opposition.
NEXT: An Incredibly Brief Respite
That brings us up just shy of halfway through the battle. Look for more to come somtime next week. Thanks for reading.
I think I remember he said something about his charisma and beating undeads rather than turning them once... 
