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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 1860845" data-attributes="member: 99">Beyond the Abattoir they found more of the large hallway similar to that in the Forge, sized for the easy passage of Ogres.  After a short distance the corridor turned and turned again to head south again.  This architectural oddity caught Lazarius’ attention and he paused to examine some markings along the wall at this latest turn.  As the others continued on up the hallway, a terrible recognition settled in and Lazarius cried out, “WAIT!”  But it was too late.The hallway ahead of them lit up with flashing blue light as the Bolt of Lightning surged through the corridor from ahead.  Even as Lazarius ducked to the side of the corridor, avoiding the worst of the blast, he knew that the worst wasn’t over.  As the wave of electricity hit this end of the hallway, the Glyph inscribed on the wall lit up and sent an identical Lightning Bolt back up the hall in the other direction.Except for Marius, who seemed to dodge like the very lightning itself, all of them were badly scorched by the twin blasts of crackling pain.  Albius went down in a shivering, smoking clatter of armor and lay still.  The others found themselves thrust into battle in an instant as a group of Ogres emerged from a side passage some eighty feet ahead.Miraculously unscathed by the lightning, Marius was the first to react and assumed a defensive posture.  Cathal joined the Imperial Explorer and was ready to hold the enemy at bay while his companions collected themselves from the devastating pair of lightning blasts.  Behind this thin line of defense Speaks called upon the Wild to provide them with an ally who was not already on death’s door.Lazarius soared above Speaks, Marcus and the fallen Albius, plucking a small grey stone from his Haversack as he did so.  Weaving magic around the inert rock it suddenly blazed with brilliant Daylight and set it spinning around his head.As this light filled the chamber, Marcus knelt at the side of young Albius and saw him draw a ragged breath.  Filled with elation that the boy was not dead, Marcus placed a hand to his chest and let a surge of holy magic flow into him, healing the worst of his burns.  But the young Cleric still lay unconscious.The Ogres formed a phalanx with their longspears bristling steel death in the direction of the party as they advanced slowly up the hallway.  They stopped some forty feet away and seemed to await the party’s attack.Not quite ready to charge into battle, the companions opted to take advantage of this brief respite to gird themselves for the combat ahead.  Marcus gave further healing to Albius who’s eyes fluttered open.  Standing quickly from the youth’s side, Marcus grabbed the lip of his breastplate and pulled him to his feet.Cathal and Marius still stood shoulder to shoulder.  The Brigante gestured with his left hand and summoned forth his mystical Shield.  Just behind this pair Lazarius wove a charm around himself to Resist Fire.  As the Wizard completed his enchantment there was a faint pop at his side and he glanced down to see the Ally that Speaks had Summoned.  There stood a badger the size of a small dog.  “This is all you could come up with?!” demanded the Imperial War Wizard.Whether Speaks had a retort ready or not didn’t matter since he was already in the process of transformation into the form of a large bear.  He did let out a growl but it wasn’t directed at Lazarius and instead was a magical enchantment that caused the badger to double in size.Lazarius glanced nervously at the line of Ogres with their spears but they seemed content to guard the hallway further ahead.  Perhaps they waited for reinforcements.  As he pondered this, the Wizard felt his muscles try and seize and he fought to keep from being paralyzed.  Certain that this was the work of the Blue Demoness, he withdrew from behind the front rank and quaffed a potion that healed some of his wounds.Plenty of recovery was taking place from the lightning blasts as Marcus used his healing magic on himself this time.  Desperately wishing to be useful in their first real battle against the Banites, Brother Albius ran to support the front line.  Seeing the smoke still rising from some of Cathal’s wounds, Albius lay a hand on the shoulder of the Brigante and sent a rush of healing magic to soothe his injuries.Speaks decided that it was time to carry the battle to the enemy and badger, bear and boar charged up the hallway toward the waiting Ogres.  The badger closed to within range of their spears and the others gathered themselves to charge in after the trio of large animals.  But they pulled up short and gaped in horror as Speaks’ bear-form suddenly vanished when the floor gave way and he plunged into the depths of a pit full of spikes…</blockquote>

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