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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 2169891" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 370 offers a good cliffhanger for this Friday, so today will be a double-post day. Here's 369; tune in for 370 later today.* * * * * Chapter 369Cal and Dana, who’d remained near the entry of the chamber, found themselves directly in the path of the exploding wall and the huge intruder who materialized through the cloud of debris.  Shards of shattered stone struck Cal in the face and upper body, but bounced off of his skin, which had been magically treated with a stoneskin spell.  Dana, lacking such protection, staggered as a piece of volcanic rock the size of s sling bullet caromed off of her temple.  She spun away from the force of the blast and darted back as a massive stone limb swept through the open space where she’d been standing.  Cal threw aside dignity and hurled himself back down the corridor, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the tread of a giant stone foot as the creature moved forward through the breach in the tunnel wall. The companions responded swiftly to the sudden appearance of the greater earth elemental.  Dana’s planar ally spun and hurled itself at the foe, his mace lifted to strike, but the elemental’s considerable reach allowed it to pummel the deva before it could close to deliver the attack.  The elemental’s punch landed with devastating force, and the deva’s forward momentum was instantly reversed as he flew roughly back to land hard on the floor several paces behind where he had started. That display offered a powerful caution, but did not stop the rest of the companions from pressing the attack.  Dannel and Benzan drew back from the deadly circle of the elemental’s reach, already drawing their bows taut to fire, while Lok and Arun rushed in to engage the stone monstrosity in melee.  Great chunks of pulverized rock were shorn from the huge creature’s frame as axe and sword clove into it, while cracks were driven into its upper torso as steel-tipped arrows infused with magical power struck hard and drove deep into its body.  Against foes such as these, its advantages of size, strength, and the durability of its physical form were of little avail, proven again as Dana struck a considerable blow with her longspear at the joint of its left arm and torso, widening a crack already opened by Benzan’s arrow. But despite the injuries it had taken, the elemental did not falter, or pause, or retreat.  Instead it surged forward another step, shaking the floor with its movements.  Its shin connected with Lok, who brought his shield up and caught the blow.  Unfortunately the elemental’s mass overwhelmed Lok’s by several orders of magnitude, even with his adamantine armor and heavy kit.  The impact lifted the genasi from his feet, and he too clattered heavily to the ground several feet away, battered but not serious hurt. Arun shifted his position and lifted his holy sword to strike.  But the elemental’s movement had brought its right arm around, and before the paladin could unleash his attack its fist drove into his shoulder with the force of a siege ram.  Arun’s battered armor held against the onslaught, but he nevertheless was knocked to the side like a sporting pin struck by a lead ball.  Dana only narrowly avoiding being struck by the paladin, who crashed into the wall and sank down in a dazed heap. The elemental had gotten a few good licks in against its foes, but it was clearly showing the effects of the damage that had already been wrought against it.  Hodge rushed forward to take Arun’s place in melee; the elemental took a powerful swing at him as he drew close to melee range but the dwarf judged the distance well and darted underneath the blow with uncharacteristic agility.  He’d left his holy sword in his scabbard, choosing instead his old favored axe.  Even as arrows continued to slam into the elemental’s upper body, the sturdy dwarf hewed at the elemental’s legs like a berserk lumberjack.  Great shards of stone and packed earth went flying under the onslaught, and the elemental staggered back.  A sizzling sound became audible from the back side of its body; Cal had retreated to a safe distance and hit it with an acid arrow from one of his wands. The elemental reared, now barely cohesive, and lifted its arms for a final strike against the enemies it had been summoned to destroy.  But it was spent.  The final blow was struck by the deva, which had recovered and flew straight at the creature’s head like a missile shot from a catapult.  Its blessed mace struck one final blow, and the creature collapsed into a heap of inanimate rubble. Lok and Arun got up, accepting healing from Cal and Dana.  Dannel quickly surveyed the passage from which the creature had emerged, verifying that there were no more immediate threats in that direction.  Mole, whose tiny weapons had been of no use against the creature, continued her search of the chamber, while Benzan gave the elemental a quick examination to verify that it concealed no further surprises. “That wasn’t so hard,” the tiefling commented. “You didn’t feel its punch,” Arun observed, twisting his arm to make sure that his shoulder was still properly in its socket. “I think what he means is that they had the jump on us; I’m surprised that they only sent the one elemental to attack us,” Dannel observed.  The elf had taken up a position at the edge of the tunnel behind the secret door that the elemental had blasted through.  “Maybe they’re running out of resources,” Lok noted.  “The giant admitted that he and his haraknin comprised a significant portion of the Cagewrights’ military forces.”“I hope you haven’t forgotten that there are thirteen of them,” Dannel replied.  “We’ve only faced two, maybe three, thus far.”“Kaurophon is here as well,” Arun reminded them. “Another old friend?” Dana asked. “Let’s just say that we have a score to settle,” the paladin replied. Cal had been musing over the situation.  “I think the elemental’s purpose was to reveal this secret tunnel to us, without making it look overtly obvious,” he said.“So you’re saying this is another trap,” Benzan said. “I could’a told ye that, and I ain’ no wizzerd,” Hodge said. “There may be another way to get to the Tree,” Dana said. “You may be right,” Arun said.  “But time is against us.”“How long until the ritual is completed?” Dana asked, turning to the deva. “The paladin speaks truth,” the deva acknowledged.  “The evil power within this place grows exponentially, but I cannot be more specific.”“Well, let’s be about it, then,” Benzan said, turning to the passage.  “If we’re going to make a grab for the bait, we may as well have both feet within the jaws of the trap.”“Wait a moment,” the gnome said.  “Dana, what about your find the path spell?  It may reveal an alternative route to the Tree of Shackled Souls.”The mystic wanderer nodded, summoning the power of her connection to Selûne.  The casting took about twenty seconds, during which time Dana kept her eyes closed, her mouth moving as soft syllables filtered out, fading as soon as they hit the ears of the gathered listeners.  Finally, however, she opened her eyes, her frustration clear on her face.  “Something is not right.  I am not getting a clear reading.”“Maybe the Cagewrights are interfering with your spell?” Dannel suggested. “No, I don’t think so,” Dana said.  “The spell may fail, however, if there is no clear physical route to the stated objective.”“They may have collapsed the tunnels leading to it,” Arun said. “If that is the case, I may be able to help,” Cal said.  “But I’d prefer not to start burrowing blindly, given our current locale.”“Here’s an idea,” Benzan said.  “Let’s find us a Cagewright, and direct a few… pointed questions at him.  They must have a way to get to their precious tree.”“I will go ahead to spring the ambush, if you wish,” the deva said.  “I do not fear evil.”“Sounds like a plan,” Hodge chimed. “I do not like the idea of splitting up,” Cal said, even as Dana added, “I do not consider you expendable, Alyx.”  At that moment, Mole appeared again, shedding her invisibility to appear in their midst. “Gah, girl, ye goin’ to take a year or ten off me life, if ye keep doin’ that!” Hodge exclaimed. “Your niece has light feet,” Benzan said to Cal.  “I have to admit, I didn’t hear her at all, although the deva’s eyes shifted when she came out of the tunnel, which did serve as a giveaway.”“You scouted ahead while we were talking?” Dana asked.  “Don’t you know how incredibly foolish that was?”“Yer wastin’ yer breath, lady,” Hodge said.  “Gnomes don’ grasp common sense stuff like that.  Somepin’ broken in their heads, me thinks.”“Tell us what you found, Mole,” Cal said.  “Well,” she replied, with a slight huff at Dana, “The tunnel heads east for maybe forty feet or so, then bends sharply to the right.  There was some lava-light in that direction, and a pretty nasty smell of demodands.  Both kinds, I think.  I didn’t see any of them, but I’d bet they were down there, invisible or hiding.” “Demodands can see invisible creatures,” Dana said.  “I think it’s pretty safe to assume that they know we’re coming, now.”“Hey, I’m pretty hard to see even without my ring,” Mole said defensively. “I believe it is moot—I would be stunned if the remaining Cagewrights did not know exactly where we are,” Cal said.  “The result of Dana’s spell suggests that they have already shaped the battlefield to their choosing.  We either go forward or back, or blindly strike out in another direction.  The deva and I can manage the last, if it comes to that, but that approach also has its risks.”“Yes, burrowing into passage flooded with lava would be most inconvenient,” Dannel noted. “So our choice is made.  There is no going back,” Arun said.  “Mole, if you would… Mole?”There was no sign of the diminutive rogue. “Gnomes,” Hodge muttered under his breath.</blockquote>

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