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Story Hour
Shackled City Epic: "Vengeance" (story concluded)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1897569" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 280</p><p></p><p>“Fall back, into the room!” Dannel cried, darting back out of the reach of the <em>black tentacles,</em> before seeing that a pair of the long tendrils had caught Zenna around the waist, and were even now beginning to tighten their grip painfully. The elf turned around to help, but hesitated; at least a dozen tentacles filled the space between them, and he knew that he would be of little help to her if he managed to get himself entangled as well. </p><p></p><p>Mole and Shensen were also ensnared, but both were able to slip free and dart back out of the radius of the spell. The three dwarves made up in strength what they lacked in nimbleness, but as the tentacles converged on them they had to fight for each step. Hodge was caught by a tentacle that snaked around his ankle, threatening to trip him up, but Beorna, who was nearby, grabbed him by the arm and helped him pull himself free. The dwarven woman, still infused with power from her buffing spells, shrugged off the tentacles that tried to ensnare her, snarling with frustration as she joined the others in retreat. </p><p></p><p>Arun was also able to fight free, and he moved to help Zenna. She was well and truly caught, the tentacles lifting her a pace into the air as they crushed the breath from her body. The paladin had already learned that his sword was of little use against the tentacles, so he sheathed the weapon, slung his shield, and simply grasped onto the pair holding her, drawing them apart just enough for the tiefling to slip free. With Arun protecting her retreat from the tentacles trying to snare her anew, the pair fell back until the last of the tentacles were left behind them. </p><p></p><p>But even as the companions withdrew to relative safety, their strength suddenly seemed to drain from their bodies. Their armor and weapons suddenly felt several times heavier, their limbs leaden and unresponsive. Zenna, already staggered from her clash with the tentacles, sagged and nearly fell, her strength barely enough to keep her upright. </p><p></p><p>“What be happenin’?” Hodge exclaimed, slumping to one knee as the weight of his armor, weapons, and gear threatened to overbear him. Some of the others unshouldered their packs, trying to lighten their loads. </p><p></p><p>“It’s another spell,” Zenna gasped out. </p><p></p><p>“Well, do somepin’ about it!” the dwarf replied, staggering back from the danger zone near the tentacles. </p><p></p><p>Zenna was about to reply that she could not, when the tentacles suddenly vanished, evaporating into air as if they had never been. The companions turned back toward the door, readying themselves for whatever threat might approach with the cessation of the spell. Zenna spoke the words of a spell, and became <em>invisible</em>, while the others readied weapons or spells in anticipation of battle. </p><p></p><p>A skittering sound accompanied by a sibilant hiss became audible through the open door, followed a moment later by the familiar clank of heavy armor. A man stepped through the portal, a heavily armed and armored figure equipped with a massive greataxe. His unnatural origin was instantly visible, for his armor had been designed to allow for the vestigal wings that jutted from his back, and the foot-long ebon horns that jutted from his temples. </p><p></p><p>The fiendish warrior was imposing enough, but on his heels came another entity, a grim monstrosity that Zenna knew instinctively was responsible for the <em>black tentacles</em> and the <em>waves of exhaustion</em>. It had the look of a giant serpent, but without skin, muscles, or organs; it was a creature of bones alone, a skeleton. Their gazes were drawn upward, to the head that reared up above as soon as it had cleared the threshold of the door. That head had belonged to no snake; it was vaguely humanoid, but with great flanges of bone on the sides of the skull, framing deep eye sockets in which bright points of blue flame burned with evil malevolence. Somehow in its presence the deep cold of Karran-Kural grew even deeper, as the undead thing radiated an aura of frozen death. </p><p></p><p>“More lackeys of the wizard, eh?” Arun said, unsheathing his sword, letting its bright radiance play over them, drawing the attention of their foes.</p><p></p><p>The bone naga reared, lifting its evil skull even higher above them, until it nearly brushed the ceiling fifteen feet above. It released a foul keening, a bitter noise that assaulted their senses, an unnatural sound that seemed to coalesce into ripples in the air that took on substance, solidity. Those waves of energy formed into an impermeable barrier of force, bisecting the chamber in two. </p><p></p><p>With Arun, Beorna, and Zenna on one side with the two enemies, and the other adventurers trapped on the far side, unable to help them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 1897569, member: 143"] Chapter 280 “Fall back, into the room!” Dannel cried, darting back out of the reach of the [I]black tentacles,[/I] before seeing that a pair of the long tendrils had caught Zenna around the waist, and were even now beginning to tighten their grip painfully. The elf turned around to help, but hesitated; at least a dozen tentacles filled the space between them, and he knew that he would be of little help to her if he managed to get himself entangled as well. Mole and Shensen were also ensnared, but both were able to slip free and dart back out of the radius of the spell. The three dwarves made up in strength what they lacked in nimbleness, but as the tentacles converged on them they had to fight for each step. Hodge was caught by a tentacle that snaked around his ankle, threatening to trip him up, but Beorna, who was nearby, grabbed him by the arm and helped him pull himself free. The dwarven woman, still infused with power from her buffing spells, shrugged off the tentacles that tried to ensnare her, snarling with frustration as she joined the others in retreat. Arun was also able to fight free, and he moved to help Zenna. She was well and truly caught, the tentacles lifting her a pace into the air as they crushed the breath from her body. The paladin had already learned that his sword was of little use against the tentacles, so he sheathed the weapon, slung his shield, and simply grasped onto the pair holding her, drawing them apart just enough for the tiefling to slip free. With Arun protecting her retreat from the tentacles trying to snare her anew, the pair fell back until the last of the tentacles were left behind them. But even as the companions withdrew to relative safety, their strength suddenly seemed to drain from their bodies. Their armor and weapons suddenly felt several times heavier, their limbs leaden and unresponsive. Zenna, already staggered from her clash with the tentacles, sagged and nearly fell, her strength barely enough to keep her upright. “What be happenin’?” Hodge exclaimed, slumping to one knee as the weight of his armor, weapons, and gear threatened to overbear him. Some of the others unshouldered their packs, trying to lighten their loads. “It’s another spell,” Zenna gasped out. “Well, do somepin’ about it!” the dwarf replied, staggering back from the danger zone near the tentacles. Zenna was about to reply that she could not, when the tentacles suddenly vanished, evaporating into air as if they had never been. The companions turned back toward the door, readying themselves for whatever threat might approach with the cessation of the spell. Zenna spoke the words of a spell, and became [I]invisible[/I], while the others readied weapons or spells in anticipation of battle. A skittering sound accompanied by a sibilant hiss became audible through the open door, followed a moment later by the familiar clank of heavy armor. A man stepped through the portal, a heavily armed and armored figure equipped with a massive greataxe. His unnatural origin was instantly visible, for his armor had been designed to allow for the vestigal wings that jutted from his back, and the foot-long ebon horns that jutted from his temples. The fiendish warrior was imposing enough, but on his heels came another entity, a grim monstrosity that Zenna knew instinctively was responsible for the [I]black tentacles[/I] and the [I]waves of exhaustion[/I]. It had the look of a giant serpent, but without skin, muscles, or organs; it was a creature of bones alone, a skeleton. Their gazes were drawn upward, to the head that reared up above as soon as it had cleared the threshold of the door. That head had belonged to no snake; it was vaguely humanoid, but with great flanges of bone on the sides of the skull, framing deep eye sockets in which bright points of blue flame burned with evil malevolence. Somehow in its presence the deep cold of Karran-Kural grew even deeper, as the undead thing radiated an aura of frozen death. “More lackeys of the wizard, eh?” Arun said, unsheathing his sword, letting its bright radiance play over them, drawing the attention of their foes. The bone naga reared, lifting its evil skull even higher above them, until it nearly brushed the ceiling fifteen feet above. It released a foul keening, a bitter noise that assaulted their senses, an unnatural sound that seemed to coalesce into ripples in the air that took on substance, solidity. Those waves of energy formed into an impermeable barrier of force, bisecting the chamber in two. With Arun, Beorna, and Zenna on one side with the two enemies, and the other adventurers trapped on the far side, unable to help them. [/QUOTE]
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