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Message: <blockquote data-quote="andrew_kenrick" data-source="post: 1180199" data-attributes="member: 6870">Events are moving swiftly, far too swiftly. The unnatural veil of darkness invoked by Errowin has just been lifted by the mage, Ertai, and Owyn lies still, felled by the fallen paladin’s blade. Aramil is the first to react, stepping forward to stand guard over the body of his fallen companion. He eyes Owyn and then glances up to Errowin before beginning to chant a prayer of vengeance to his goddess, Rahana. Behind him, and unseen by all but the keenest eyes, Fyanilin the Shadow Dancer works his way silently round behind Errowin and the gnolls. As one were needed, an added sense of urgency is added to the proceedings as the sounds of hoofbeats grow ever nearer – no doubt more of Errowin’s cursed servants.Marenon and Gwylith continue to keep the gnolls at bay, sniping any who venture too close to any of the party members. It is all the gnolls can do to keep down and avoid the lethal archer’s gaze. Behind Lord Errowin Fervil, wildshaped into a bat, swoops silently about, weaving a natural spell as he does so. The bat then swoops down, clattering off Errowin's breastplate ineffectually. The sharp-eyed amongst the party notice a small patch of brown appear in the metal armour where it was touched, then it quickly shrinks and is gone. Elsewhere Niltsiar prepares his escape, should it become necessary, by summoning a mount.Lord Errowin shifts his stance to face Aramil, hefting his greatsword menacingly. “He made his choice.” The fallen paladin sneers, motioning towards the still form of Owyn. “Now you must do the same. What do you value more? Slaying me or freeing your comrades in Murkady. If you do one, you cannot do the other.” Aramil looks up, his prayer complete. “And why should I believe you deceiver? Your charade is at an end - we will never do anything that will help you. If that means our comrades are lost, then so be it”“So ... be ... it” Errowin lunges forwards to strike at Aramil but slips on the uneven ground, going down on one knee before the elf cleric as if in submission. “Treachery!”Waldair seizes the opportunity to strike at their foe, leaping and dancing between the axes of gnolls before slashing at Errowin with one of his longswords. Despite his display of bravado, the blow lands awkwardly and glances off the thick armour.Aramil is not so unfortunate, reaching out a hand to touch the kneeling Errowin. “Fitting. Now my Rahana curse you until the end of your days.” As his hand settles on the fallen paladin’s head there is a flash of green light, a rustle of wind and the whisper of trees and a thousand ethereal voices mutter “the goddess take you, the goddess take you, the goddess take you.”And then she does. Errowin's eyes bulge green and burst, sap running like tears down his cheeks and then his body topples backwards, his skin pallid and thin as parchment and his very life oozing into the earth around him. The grass begins to grow about the body and in but a few seconds the corpse is decaying at an unnatural rate. First becoming a rotting corpse, then a skeleton, and then nothing more than dirt, blowing away in the wind.For a moment there is silence, and then the shock is broken by a loud cheer from Marenon, quickly echoed by the rest of the party and a loud “Huzzah!” from Waldair.Aramil turns to the encroaching gnolls and speaks, a great air of command and authority in his voice. “Stop. It is over. Let there be no more death this day.” The gnolls pause and then, one by one, begin to howl but whether in mourning or victory nobody knows. Niltsiar moves to speak with the leader of the gnolls, previously charmed by the mage, and implores him to calm his followers down, urging him that the party mean them no further harm.At Aramil’s feet, Owyn begins to stir and groan in pain. Aramil looks down in surprise. “You still live - the Lady be praised.”Owyn groans once more. “A..aramil? What's going on, where's Errowin?”“We kicked Errowin's ass for ya.” Comes the reply from Waldair. Owyn smiles at Waldair. “Good to hear it my friend.”Nearby, Fyanilin emerges from the shadows and profers a healing elixir to Owyn, but the ranger waves it away. The halfling  puts away the potion, then kneels on both knees, touches his forehead to the ground, and softly utters out, “Please forgive me.”“What ails you friend?” Asks Aramil. “What need have you for forgiveness?” Aramil helps Owyn back to his feet as Fyanilin sits back on his feet, a single tear falling down his cheek from his orange eyes. “Thank you, friends, for your efforts, and for slaying that monster. I now beg your forgiveness.”As they speak, Fervil and Waldair move to a better vantage point and spot at least a hundred horsemen approaching the camp. They do not look like allies. Waldair shouts a warning down to the party and hurries back down the slope to rejoin them. Fervil follows him, now back in his gnome form.Ignoring the shouts of alarm, Aramil continues to question Fyanilin. “For what could you need forgiveness?”“I say again, I beg your forgiveness. Since before I came to adventure with you and yours, I have not been entirely …”He does not have time to finish as Fervil interrupts. “There is much I would like to know about what's happened, but right now there are a hundred horsemen approaching.”Mallisent echoes his sentiments, preparing a spell as he does so. “As welcomed as his defeat is, I suggest we leave. Gather round, if you feel you can move and I shall make us all vanish. Gather up his belongings - we may be able to turn them against him.” The party do so and prepare to be made invisible.As they do so, Fyanilin and Aramil continue to talk. “I have served, for many years, the man whom I knew until today as The Knight, and whom you knew until today as Captain Morgaine. He, who we both know to be Lord Errowin.”“Many were deceived by him, including I. I will not blame any for following his lies. Hush. There will be time for apologies and explanations when we are all safe.” The elf cleric gestures for the halfling to join the rest of the party. “You served Errowin?” Asks Owyn, suspiciously. “Was it voluntary?”“It was my voluntary choice at first, but then I could not stop, lest I lose my life in trying.”Niltsiar completes his discussion with the leader of the gnolls and moves to the party’s side. The gnoll leader snarls and quickly regains control of his warriors and they begin to move to engage Errowin’s horsemen. Waldair nods towards Niltsiar, Ertai and Mallisent and asks, “ I know we fought with these new guys, but we know squat about them. We just going to let them join us blindly?”“For now yes - unless you fancy your chances against an army? Or perhaps have some better means of escape?” Aramil replies calmly. Waldair shrugs in reply.Mallisent prepares to cast an invisibility sphere centred on Niltsiar, urging the party to tie themselves together so they do not become separated. The party do so as Mallisent turns them all invisible. Marenon works a spell, and the horses tracks vanish from the party's wake, completing the illusion.Mallisent’s voice sounds nearby. “Now go. There is a settlement of gnomes a days ride to the west of here - they are allies and will shelter you. You can lie low for a day or two until Errowin's men finish searching the area. I cannot come with you, but I shall delay these men as long as I can.” At that moment the horsemen become visible to all of the group, leaping the rudimentary barricades erected around the village and charging at the gathered gnolls. Mallisent appears as he hurries out of the invisibility sphere and towards the combat, trying to buy valuable time for the rest of the party with his magic.[Notes: for those of you keeping track of the actual game mechanics here, this combat featured an example of what we like to call "The Dice Love Cinema!" rule. Errowin ended up on the floor in front of Aramil by fumbling his attack roll, and then failing his Dex check. Then, once Aramil hit him with the bestow curse he could only fail his Will save on a 1 or a 2. Guess what he rolled? A 1. So, his dropped by 6 points, which caused enough hit points to be lost to take him seriously into the minuses. Ick. Bye bye one big bad guy.]</blockquote>

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