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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sniktch" data-source="post: 483176" data-attributes="member: 7704">The drider battle continued and a farewellGrick heard the dwarf’s battle cry suddenly cut short, followed by the sound of insectile laughter.  He rounded the corner as he heard a distant muffled crash and beheld the two driders standing about fifty feet away, but saw no sign of Jack.  The misshapen things saw him enter and started floating upwards, levitating off the ground and hiding within the enfolding shadows near the ceiling of the chamber.  Grick leaped into the air, his powerful muscles propelling him across the gap that separated him from his foes and, unbeknownst to him, over the hidden pit where the dwarf had fallen.  The driders gestured toward the fast approaching monk and six streaking red missiles zipped through the air and burned smoking holes into his flesh.  Grick gritted his teeth to keep from crying out and crashed into one of the monsters, smacking it hard in the chest before gravity took over and he tumbled back to the floor.  The monk immediately raced to the wall and started running upwards to force his opponents back into close combat.Malobar joined him, flying around the corner and straight toward the closest drider, swinging his shortsword wildly.  The elf felt the shock of impact run up his arm as his sword struck an invisible shield of force and was turned aside.  The monsters scuttled away across the ceiling, flinging another barrage of stinging red missiles into the monk and elf.Quinn, Artimas, and Welby all reached the intersection at the same time and saw the furious battle raging across the roof of the chamber.  Artimas pulled forth the wand he’d recovered from the dark elf mage they’d faced the day before and pointed it at one of the arachnoid creatures.  A bolt of electricity leaped from the tip of the slender shaft and slammed into one of the driders, sending the monster into a wild series of convulsions as the lightning played up and down its limbs.  Welby sheathed his sword, readied his bow, and disappeared into the shadows, while Quinn prayed to Dumathoin and called forth a beam of red-hot light, unfortunately missing her target and scoring a line of scorched earth across the ceiling.*****The dwarf lay stunned and groaning at the bottom of a deep hole.  He slowly recovered his wits and became aware of pain, agony calling from so many wounds that he could not begin to catalogue his many hurts.  He tried sitting up but a wave of nausea passed over him and he realized that he was impaled on several of the wicked spikes sticking up from the floor.With a great effort, Jack pulled himself free of the spikes and slumped to the ground beside them, his hand pressed to his stomach to keep the guts from spilling forth.  He tried to rise but nearly fainted when he tried to place his weight upon his left ankle and he realized that the bones were shattered.  Probably not the only ones, he thought as he gingerly prodded the injury with his stubby fingers.Stumpwater Jack concentrated with all his willpower on clearing his mind and fell into a meditative trance.  As his mind sank into an empty void, he began mumbling the mantras of Clangeddin Silverbeard, Dwarf Lord of Battle, and his body became suffused with a glowing, golden aura.  The positive energy spread through his body mending the various cuts, punctures, and breaks – sealing the wicked holes in his stomach and side and fusing the bones in his leg and ankle back together.  The glow winked out and Jack opened his eyes, restored to health save for some minor scrapes and contusions.“Now,” he said to himself as he rummaged through his pack, “now, we give those driders a surprise they weren’t expecting.”He retrieved a potion and pulled the cork, draining the contents in one gulp.  The dwarf readied his axe as the potion took effect and he felt his feet lifting off the ground.  A soft chuckle escaped the warrior’s lips as he flew toward the sounds of combat raging above.*****Welby readied an arrow and prepared to fire at the back of an unaware drider.  The halfling had moved deep into the shadows of the chamber, well out of reach of the light shed by Artimas’ torch, and it was doubtful the driders were even aware of his presence.  He aimed carefully, seeking a headshot on his closest opponent, when a strange sight almost caused him to drop the weapon.The figure of Stumpwater Jack floated up from the floor of the room like an avenging apparition and shot upwards at one of their foes, his axe leaving a trail of blue sparks in front of the halfling’s vision.  “Clangeddin!” the angry dwarf roared, coming up underneath one of the monsters and slashing his axe across its soft abdomen.  The drider screamed in pain and ran backwards across the ceiling, surrounding itself with a globe of darkness.The second creature moved to the side and cast another bolt of lightning through the air, burning through Jack, Grick, and Malobar as they started to pursue the wounded drider through the magical darkness.  It started to weave another spell, but stopped with a sudden outraged shriek when an arrow flew from the gloom and impaled the beast through its side.  The drider whirled around, seeking its unknown attacker, but could see nothing in the direction from which the missile had traveled.  It gestured at the ground and a series of torch-like lights appeared, illuminating the room with a soft glow.The lights also exposed the small figure of a halfling with an arrow nocked and aimed directly at the drider.  The little warrior loosed his shot and smiled as it buried itself in the beast’s abdomen.  Another globe of pure blackness appeared around the second drider and Welby lowered his bow as Malobar flew into it with his sword drawn.  An ululating scream rang out from the darkness and then the bloated corpse of the drider fell to the ground, the elf slowly floating earthward behind it.Artimas watched the other globe closely as the monk and dwarf disappeared inside of it after their foe.  Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of the drider emerging from the back of the area of magical darkness and start to flee, trailing its guts behind it.  “Thought to escape?  Think again, foul beast, no one escapes the embrace of Arawn!” he yelled at it and flew in its direction.  The drider whirled and tried one last desperate attack, throwing a trio of missiles to impact harmlessly against the wizard’s magical wards.  Artimas closed the gap and brushed one of his fingers against one the creature’s long legs and it fell apart, aging millennia in a matter of heartbeats.  A dry, desiccated skeleton and a shower of dust fell from the ceiling and the necromancer reveled in the feeling of omnipotence as he bound its shade to his service.Their opponents defeated, the group set about the task of examining the area and binding their injuries.  The chamber was clear save for the drained husks of the driders’ last meal and a large refuse heap.  Welby plunged into the muck and recovered several gems and a couple of potion bottles, but the stench clinging to the halfling was so strong afterwards that Grick finally held him down while the others poured water over him and washed the miasma away.The explored the rest of the small cave complex and found one more chamber, empty except for thick cobwebs and the husks of many large spiders.  The area was cleared and secure now and they began to set up camp.  Welby pointed down the hallway the way they had entered and asked, “Now seal hole?”“Yes, about that.  Welby, I think we’ve been going about this all wrong.  They city is obviously well defended against a frontal assault, and I believe we need to know more about what we’re up against.“Welby, you are nearly invisible, and in fact you are completely invisible in the absence of light, thanks to that ring you wear.  Why don’t you return to the city alone and scout its defenses while we rest?” Artimas queried.The halfling nodded, seeing the logic behind the idea.  He had been badly injured in the day’s fighting, but Quinn had cast several spells upon him and he was back to nearly full strength.  Barely three hours had passed since they’d entered the cavern complex and he would not be tired for some time.  It seemed the perfect opportunity to learn more about their foes.They walked the rogue back to the wall of stone and he stepped through and prepared to climb down the shaft leading to the drow settlement.  He paused and looked back at his friend one last time, a frown playing across his features.  “Seal hole?” he asked again.Quinn shook her head, “Welby, once I close the hole how will you be able to get back in?”The halfling scratched his head for a moment before answering, “Um, secret knock?”The priestess still looked doubtful.  “A secret knock isn’t going to matter.  I cannot cast the spell to reopen the wall until tomorrow morning.  You’ll be stuck on the other side the rest of the day and all night, Welby.”The halfling shrugged.  “Ok, see you tomorrow.  Welby be fine.”“No, Welby.  I’ll seal the wall after you return, but I couldn’t bear to leave you stranded out there.  Just hurry back to us and then I’ll cast the spell.”The halfling had grave misgivings about the hole remaining open.  He knew that he could stay hidden from the dark elves and other denizens of the underdark, but if they sent any drow in pursuit of the group they would find the new hole in the wall of stone immediately.  He seemed about to speak when Malobar joined the debate, patting the barbarian on the shoulder and assuring him, “Don’t worry, little one.  I will remain by the entrance to guard, and I will see the approach of any attackers immediately with my keen senses.  Go scout and return as quickly as possible, and let us worry about what happens in the meantime.”Welby was still dubious but could see that he wasn’t going to win the argument.  He waved to his friends one last time, then slid into the hole and set out towards Szith Morcane, the city in the canyon.</blockquote>

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