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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 3941709" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 315</p><p></p><p>ROPERS</p><p></p><p></p><p>Allera rushed forward. She started toward Dar, but Marcus and Alexion got to him first. Marcus hewed at the tendrils holding the fighter, while Alexion dug his pick under one of the tendrils stuck to his armor, yanking it free with a solid tug. Dar himself, weakened but not helpless, managed to get <em>Valor</em> up and sawed through a tendril, cutting it in two. </p><p></p><p>The healer ran to where Nelan had fallen. She crouched over him, and saw that he was alive, if completely helpless and unable to move. His arm was trembling as he tried to reach for something. Allera looked and understood. She reached over and took up Nelan’s fallen shield, torn from his forearm by the monster’s initial volley. As she it, the <em>daylight</em> spell on its front space blazed out over the chamber. </p><p></p><p>In that light, their foes were cast into sudden and stark relief. Allera saw that there were three of them, misshapen pillars that were almost indistinguishable from normal stalagmites until they moved. The tendrils that they used to attack jutted from their sides, and in the center of each there was a huge, gaping maw that shone with crystalline teeth. </p><p></p><p>Now that the foe was clearly revealed, Honoratius blasted them with another <em>fireball</em>. The blast engulfed all three, but Allera could see that they possessed some sort of spell resistance, for two of them appeared to be untouched by the blast. The third, however, was ravaged by the flames, and toppled over, slain. The one that had assaulted Dar released him and drew its tentacles back, as did the one holding Alderis. Apparently the creatures were intelligent, and could identify and target the greater threats. Allera glanced over her shoulder at Honoratius, and saw that the archmage had recognized the same thing. </p><p></p><p>Zahera continued firing her bow, and now that she could clearly see her foes, her arrows were scoring hits. She got an arrow into the craggy maw of one of the creatures, and in response it fired a barrage of strands at her, hitting her with five of them. Zahera was tough, but she was not invincible, and her bow fell from her hands as she fell to the ground, utterly drained by the creature’s assault. This time it did not even bother to start pulling her in, retracting its tendrils into its body as it sought out another foe. </p><p></p><p>Allera had expected the other one to target Honoratius, but that was before Dar charged. As soon as the monster released him, the fighter rushed forward the stream, which was deep and fast-moving, and almost ten feet across at its narrowest. Weakened and burdened as he was, trying to leap it was a foolish gamble. </p><p></p><p>Naturally, he jumped. </p><p></p><p>His boots splashed as he landed on the far bank, on the very edges of the stream, and he nearly went down as loose rocks shifted under his feet. But then he was over, and charging toward the nearest of the creatures. Behind him, Alexion cleared the stream cleanly, but Marcus landed two feet short, and fell hard into the water. His momentum carried him onto the far bank, and he was in no danger of being swept off, but neither could he quickly get up, his hands clawing for purchase on the slick stone as he tried to get his footing. <em>Beatus Incendia</em> clattered into a shallow crevice a few feet away. </p><p></p><p>The creature shot its tendrils at Dar as the fighter charged. Again he was struck by all six, hitting him in the chest, legs, and arms. He fought in vain to free himself as the monster dragged him in, like an angler working a reluctant fish. </p><p></p><p>Allera used a <em>restoration</em> spell to purge Nelan of the weakness caused by the monster’s tendrils, but didn’t linger as he stirred and got up. Zahera was closer to her, but she ran over to Alderis, who was warded by his shield guardian, standing sentinel above his limp form. Without orders, the construct had not moved except to protect its master. A severed tendril lay on the ground where the guardian had ripped it free. The elf’s eyes followed her as she ran up, but he could not even muster enough strength to speak. </p><p></p><p>Honoratius stepped behind a stalagmite that offered at least some cover from the creatures. He targeted the one that had snared Zahera, and before it could fully retract its tendrils for another attack, he hit it with a <em>disintegrate</em> spell. This time he overcame its spell resistance, and the monster crumbled into dust as the green beam struck it. </p><p></p><p>Dar gave in and lunged forward as the monster brought him within reach, its ugly jaws opening wide to receive him. <em>Valor</em> glanced off its stony hide, and it roared something in a language Dar did not understand. Its tendrils drew him close against it, and he felt its jaws bite down on his arm. Fortunately the hide bracer protecting his forearm held, and he was able to yank the limb free before it could get a more solid grip. He looked up and saw its eyes, dark orbs recessed into its body, staring at him with hatred. </p><p></p><p>Alexion charged past him, driving his pick down with precision into one of those eyes. The monster spasmed as the pointed head of the weapon slammed through the socket, and Dar was flung free as it collapsed, the long tendrils going limp as it died. </p><p></p><p>It took him some effort to drag himself to his feet, but he was able to do it before Alexion was there to help. “That all of them? Is everyone all right?”</p><p></p><p>“We’re all right here!” Honoratius shouted back. Allera was tending Zahera, and she looked up at the three on the other side of the river. “You may want to let us string a rope before you come back over,” the healer said. Marcus, limping slightly, grinned sheepishly. </p><p></p><p>“What were those things?” Zahera asked, as Allera restored her strength to her. The rod that she had taken from Tribitz was almost completely drained of power, but she still had a small pouch of diamond dust in one of her pockets, and her wand of <em>lesser restoration</em>. </p><p></p><p>“They are known as ropers,” Honoratius said, as Alderis ordered his shield guardian to assist the others in recrossing the stream. “They are a not uncommon hazard in the tunnels of the Underdark.” No more of the things appeared, and they were reunited on the near bank of the stream in a matter of minutes. Allera treated Dar’s weakness using her wand, and then they set out again, Nelan again directing their course using his <em>find the path</em> spell. </p><p></p><p>His light revealed the path well before they reached it. As they drew close to the stream tunnel, they could see that a path ran along its side. Similar to the one that they had taken in the Great Cavern, this one was narrow but otherwise sized to accommodate human travelers, and appeared to follow the course of the stream for as far as Nelan’s <em>daylight</em> spell penetrated. </p><p></p><p>“This is the way?” Dar asked.</p><p></p><p>Nelan nodded. </p><p></p><p>“Wonderful,” Dar said. He glanced around at the faces of his companions, and settled on Honoratius. “How will we know when we reach this ‘Gates of Hell’ place?”</p><p></p><p>The archmage’s expression was inscrutable. “You will know.”</p><p></p><p>“Damn it, that’s what I thought you were going to say. Well, no sense waiting for that bastard to send more demons after us. Let’s get moving.”</p><p></p><p>He took the lead himself, heading into the tunnel, bending slightly to keep his head from scraping the low ceiling. The others followed in single file, the guardian again coming last, trudging through the stream, the swift current flaring around its chest as it followed in their wake.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 3941709, member: 143"] Chapter 315 ROPERS Allera rushed forward. She started toward Dar, but Marcus and Alexion got to him first. Marcus hewed at the tendrils holding the fighter, while Alexion dug his pick under one of the tendrils stuck to his armor, yanking it free with a solid tug. Dar himself, weakened but not helpless, managed to get [i]Valor[/i] up and sawed through a tendril, cutting it in two. The healer ran to where Nelan had fallen. She crouched over him, and saw that he was alive, if completely helpless and unable to move. His arm was trembling as he tried to reach for something. Allera looked and understood. She reached over and took up Nelan’s fallen shield, torn from his forearm by the monster’s initial volley. As she it, the [i]daylight[/i] spell on its front space blazed out over the chamber. In that light, their foes were cast into sudden and stark relief. Allera saw that there were three of them, misshapen pillars that were almost indistinguishable from normal stalagmites until they moved. The tendrils that they used to attack jutted from their sides, and in the center of each there was a huge, gaping maw that shone with crystalline teeth. Now that the foe was clearly revealed, Honoratius blasted them with another [i]fireball[/i]. The blast engulfed all three, but Allera could see that they possessed some sort of spell resistance, for two of them appeared to be untouched by the blast. The third, however, was ravaged by the flames, and toppled over, slain. The one that had assaulted Dar released him and drew its tentacles back, as did the one holding Alderis. Apparently the creatures were intelligent, and could identify and target the greater threats. Allera glanced over her shoulder at Honoratius, and saw that the archmage had recognized the same thing. Zahera continued firing her bow, and now that she could clearly see her foes, her arrows were scoring hits. She got an arrow into the craggy maw of one of the creatures, and in response it fired a barrage of strands at her, hitting her with five of them. Zahera was tough, but she was not invincible, and her bow fell from her hands as she fell to the ground, utterly drained by the creature’s assault. This time it did not even bother to start pulling her in, retracting its tendrils into its body as it sought out another foe. Allera had expected the other one to target Honoratius, but that was before Dar charged. As soon as the monster released him, the fighter rushed forward the stream, which was deep and fast-moving, and almost ten feet across at its narrowest. Weakened and burdened as he was, trying to leap it was a foolish gamble. Naturally, he jumped. His boots splashed as he landed on the far bank, on the very edges of the stream, and he nearly went down as loose rocks shifted under his feet. But then he was over, and charging toward the nearest of the creatures. Behind him, Alexion cleared the stream cleanly, but Marcus landed two feet short, and fell hard into the water. His momentum carried him onto the far bank, and he was in no danger of being swept off, but neither could he quickly get up, his hands clawing for purchase on the slick stone as he tried to get his footing. [i]Beatus Incendia[/i] clattered into a shallow crevice a few feet away. The creature shot its tendrils at Dar as the fighter charged. Again he was struck by all six, hitting him in the chest, legs, and arms. He fought in vain to free himself as the monster dragged him in, like an angler working a reluctant fish. Allera used a [i]restoration[/i] spell to purge Nelan of the weakness caused by the monster’s tendrils, but didn’t linger as he stirred and got up. Zahera was closer to her, but she ran over to Alderis, who was warded by his shield guardian, standing sentinel above his limp form. Without orders, the construct had not moved except to protect its master. A severed tendril lay on the ground where the guardian had ripped it free. The elf’s eyes followed her as she ran up, but he could not even muster enough strength to speak. Honoratius stepped behind a stalagmite that offered at least some cover from the creatures. He targeted the one that had snared Zahera, and before it could fully retract its tendrils for another attack, he hit it with a [i]disintegrate[/i] spell. This time he overcame its spell resistance, and the monster crumbled into dust as the green beam struck it. Dar gave in and lunged forward as the monster brought him within reach, its ugly jaws opening wide to receive him. [i]Valor[/i] glanced off its stony hide, and it roared something in a language Dar did not understand. Its tendrils drew him close against it, and he felt its jaws bite down on his arm. Fortunately the hide bracer protecting his forearm held, and he was able to yank the limb free before it could get a more solid grip. He looked up and saw its eyes, dark orbs recessed into its body, staring at him with hatred. Alexion charged past him, driving his pick down with precision into one of those eyes. The monster spasmed as the pointed head of the weapon slammed through the socket, and Dar was flung free as it collapsed, the long tendrils going limp as it died. It took him some effort to drag himself to his feet, but he was able to do it before Alexion was there to help. “That all of them? Is everyone all right?” “We’re all right here!” Honoratius shouted back. Allera was tending Zahera, and she looked up at the three on the other side of the river. “You may want to let us string a rope before you come back over,” the healer said. Marcus, limping slightly, grinned sheepishly. “What were those things?” Zahera asked, as Allera restored her strength to her. The rod that she had taken from Tribitz was almost completely drained of power, but she still had a small pouch of diamond dust in one of her pockets, and her wand of [i]lesser restoration[/i]. “They are known as ropers,” Honoratius said, as Alderis ordered his shield guardian to assist the others in recrossing the stream. “They are a not uncommon hazard in the tunnels of the Underdark.” No more of the things appeared, and they were reunited on the near bank of the stream in a matter of minutes. Allera treated Dar’s weakness using her wand, and then they set out again, Nelan again directing their course using his [i]find the path[/i] spell. His light revealed the path well before they reached it. As they drew close to the stream tunnel, they could see that a path ran along its side. Similar to the one that they had taken in the Great Cavern, this one was narrow but otherwise sized to accommodate human travelers, and appeared to follow the course of the stream for as far as Nelan’s [i]daylight[/i] spell penetrated. “This is the way?” Dar asked. Nelan nodded. “Wonderful,” Dar said. He glanced around at the faces of his companions, and settled on Honoratius. “How will we know when we reach this ‘Gates of Hell’ place?” The archmage’s expression was inscrutable. “You will know.” “Damn it, that’s what I thought you were going to say. Well, no sense waiting for that bastard to send more demons after us. Let’s get moving.” He took the lead himself, heading into the tunnel, bending slightly to keep his head from scraping the low ceiling. The others followed in single file, the guardian again coming last, trudging through the stream, the swift current flaring around its chest as it followed in their wake. [/QUOTE]
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