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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Plane Sailing" data-source="post: 830706" data-attributes="member: 114">Trajan asks Kazrak whether he would consider taking the risk of staying alone at this place in the stairwell to secure their rear. He correctly reasons that for the aggressive and honour-bound dwarves, being unmanned by some kind of magical fear would be the worst imaginable disgrace. Building on the friendship he has developed with Kazrak over the last few days he is able to persuade him of the importance of that particular task, and Kazrak agrees.Trajan then starts up the stairwell, with Anne-Marie, Dala, Arilyn and their respective familiars.The broad, shallow steps are easy to climb, but as they ascend the stairwell they become slightly uneasy. There is a continual feeling that something is looking over their shoulder. From the corner of your eye it looks like there is some movement in the eyes of one of the stone-carved dwarves… a quick check reveals that it is mere stone, but still…What is almost worse is that there is a noticeable change in the carvings of screaming dwarves – now all of the dwarves are shaved, faces portrayed shorn of all hair. It looks quite disturbing and unnatural. As they trudge up the stairs pondering these things a sudden blast of fear washes over them all. Trajan stands unaffected, and Anne-Marie and Arilyn are buoyed up by his steadfast presence, but Dala suddenly screams and starts running down the steps as quickly as he can, screaming like a little girl.In a flash, Anne-Marie starts off after him, and with the aid of her magic boots quickly catches up. Shouting at Dala makes no difference so she quickly trips him, grapples him and pummels his head into the stone paving, rendering him unconscious. Draping him over her shoulder, she makes her way back up the stairwell to the others.Arrk the raven flutters around distractedly by his unconscious master, obviously concerned with his bruised head. Anne-Marie steadies Dala on his shoulder and they continue up the winding staircase.Having climbed for nearly an hour, they notice another step-change in the carved dwarven faces lining the stairwell walls. The portraits are now much cruder, especially at the edges. Nonetheless there is a disturbing hyper-realism about them. It puts the company in mind of faces pushing through the rock as if pushed against fine silk. The expression on the faces, such as can be read, seems even more horrified and full of despair.Shrugging, they press on round the corner… and a horrific wailing sound crashes down around their ears, as if the throats of a thousand imprisoned dwarven souls are uttering cries of intense desolation! The sound batters at their wills, their sense of self, even their very life… Arrk and Zeph collapse instantly to the floor, Anne-Marie’s knees quake but she stands firm and Trajan is like a rock in the centre of the noise. The sound of Arilyns scream is lost amongst the horrific cacophony…Trajan rushes to Arilyns’ side. Her life is almost gone, and only a whisper of her soul remains. As the cry from the rocks fades away, Trajan Calls upon Asura’s power like never before and he pours life into her still, cold, form – and it is enough. She coughs, and then starts breathing again, yet chilled through to the bone.Meanwhile, Dala awakes. Unconscious throughout the wailing noise, he was unaffected by its evil magic. He sits up and looks around puzzled at the strange silence he feels inside his head. It is as if a part of him is missing. “Arrk?” he calls out. Then he spies the crumpled mass of feathers lying just a few feet further up the stairwell. He crawls over, and with unexpected tenderness gathers up the frail form. “Arrk? C’mon me old mate, come round” he whispers.“There’s fresh tasty treats for you… I’ve been saving them… special…”Dala dissolves into tears, curling over the tiny body of his dead familiar, friend and soulmate...</blockquote>

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