NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mathew_Freeman" data-source="post: 4719324" data-attributes="member: 1846">The Cathedral of Blood, Part 2The adventurers moved warily into the large chamber beyond the archway. In the dim flickering torchlight it was impossible to tell just how ancient this temple of evil was, but it had existed long before the keep was built upon it. The brave soldiers that guarded the outside world from the lingering menace of the Shadowfell were long since destroyed, and all that now stood between the hordes of Orcus and the mortal realms was this small band of heroes for hire.As they entered, the blood smeared berserker cultists who had been standing ready advanced to intercept them, hefting huge and viscious axes.. At the vanguard of the adventurers, Elwanen let out a battle cry and led the charge. Alongside him, Cass, Fangorn, and Ryam. The two front lines met with a tremendous clash of steel, and the battle for the Cathedral of Blood had begun.The melee surged throughout the chamber. Fangorn charged right, piling into a pair of berserkers, his maul seen swung high from across the battlefield and then crashed down upon his savage opponents. Cass, Ryam and Elwanen piled through the center, shoulder to shoulder. The feral warriors howled with bloodlust as they piled upon them. The Paladin and the Fighter yelled signals to each other, making well coordinated strikes when their foes were most vulnerable, and raining down crushing sword and axe blows that held the rest at bay in the meantime.The spell casters took a more circuitous approach. Theron and Sabbat Fau diverged around the north and south edges respectively. Moving through the ruins of ancient crumbling walls that once divided the chamber into what may have been priests quarters, or the prisons where the doomed awaited a horrible death, they picked out targets from amongst the fray and hurled bolts of fire and force. Splug was never far from the warlock, drawing spears from the sheath he had been collecting as the party slaughtered their way through the keep and throwing them at the enemy with surprising accuracy.Ryam had climbed atop a pile of bodies and lifted a banner bearing the symbol of the broadsword, driving its shaft down into the bloody remains of fallen berserkers.“I see you have acquired a new friend, since last we met!” sneered the underpriest. “Let us test his mettle!” The underpriest launched a bolt of searing energy into the air. Arcing over the melee it illuminated the combat for an instant before slamming into the halfing warlord. Staggering to his feet Ryam yelled the command words that released the bolstering magic of his standard.“Rub some dirt on you!”Screaming from out of the shadows came several packs of feral humanoids. As they entered the dim light they could be seen to bear the fangs and ghastly visages of undead.“Vampire spawn!” shouted Elwanen in warning. The heroes spun about in the melee to guard against the new assailants. From the large pit in the center of the chamber, the sound of ominous chanting could be heard far below…DM's note: And we're back!crater has been horribly busy at work and has been unable to update the Story Hour, but today he sent me through the new material. This will follow Mon - Wed - Fri over the next few weeks as I do my best to catch up.This particular battle was great fun for me as DM, offering minions, the Underpriest, the barbarians and various bits of interesting terrain. I really enjoyed it - hope you enjoy the write-up!Next time: The battle continues!</blockquote>

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