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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 1134114" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #238] Heroes at the Gate[/PLAIN]Feln went through the portal first, stepping out of the dim cave into a brilliant morning in Byr. The sky overhead was free of clouds and so deep and bright a blue that it looked as though it had been freshly scrubbed. The ground beneath the bronzewoods that girded the clearing was shrouded in light mist - the ghost of a fog ready to burn away at the barest touch of Orin's Shield. The crisp morning air was pleasant, but promised to become a Wealsun day that would be hot and humid. Feln's nose was filled immediately with the familiar earthy scent of the forest, but beneath it was an unwholesome hint of rot and corruption.Of the giant, there was no immediate sign, so he followed the plan and crept gracefully westward, away from the portal, his staff held in one hand and his sling in the other. He saw scorch marks on the barren earth where Ixin's flames had burned away webbing, and noted the numerous gouges and splashes of blood that remained from the battle that had been fought there the day before. Vigilantly, he padded to the altar mound and looked at the weather-worn cube of black stone. Its surface was pitted from exposure to rain and wind and gouged by overzealous blows from a sacrificial knife. The whole was stained by years of blood-letting.Across the clearing from where he stood, visible between two ancient stone plinths, were some fallen trees and a mucky area of crushed plants and rotting vegetation. It was from there that the others had said the giant came, but Feln could detect no sign of the creature. He continued to sidestep south-westwards, away from both the portal and the area of fallen trees, his sling ready for the first sign of the giant.He motioned for Vade to come through and the halfling stepped out of the caves clutching his sling in one hand. The little rogue hadn't made it more than 15 feet when Feln caught sight of a shadowy movement amidst the trees. At once he spun his sling and let fly the scentbreaker he had cradled within its leather pouch. The bag wasn't particularly aerodynamic, but Feln's skill with the sling was excellent, and no sooner had the giant's rat-like head appeared from the shadowy bower of its lair than the scentbreaker struck it across the snout. An alchemical cloud erupted around the thing's head, eliciting a scream of discomfort from the giant.Even from his position some sixty feet away, Vade could smell the distinct odors of camphor, menthol, licorice and pine. He grinned, watching the rat-giant's eyes and nose stream with liquid as it came forward, toward Feln. It made it as far as the nearest standing stone when Windstryder stepped through the portal and crouched down on one knee. She had a small tin of bladefire and she set the burning container down by her side and readied her bow.Morier came through the portal next with Ledare right behind him. The albino had his glittering silver greatsword unsheathed and ready. His job was to protect Vade, and he moved up beside the halfling and readied his sword should the creature turn his way. Ledare stepped in and moved westward, away from Windstryder and Vade. She raised her hand crossbow and squeezed off a shot at the creature, but her arrow ricocheted off the giant's tough, rubbery hide.Vade placed a flashpellet in his sling and spun it around over his head before sending it at the creature. The tiny bead of chemicals fell six feet short of his target, erupting in a burst of light that never the less caused the giant to wail and blink, dazzled by the flash. "Yes!" Vade shouted before activating the Ring of Invisibility and fading from view.Ixin came through the portal last and as soon as she did so, an incantation was on her lips. She gestured at the dazed giant and shouted, "Vuthasjach!" The shadows that pooled beneath the monster began to writhe and claw their way up its body, but the giant did as it had done once before and managed at the last moment to step out of the spell's area of effect. The frustrated shadows collapsed across the ground.His quarterstaff spinning defensively in his hands, Feln stepped up beside the nearest standing stone, seeking partial cover against the attack that he suspected would soon be coming from the rat-headed creature. The giant didn't disappoint and it charged toward him with an angry roar, its claws slashing outward. Feln was able to expertly dodge the attack and its long nails scrabbled uselessly across the standing stone. Windstryder dipped an arrow in the tin of bladefire, took aim and sent it toward the giant's back. The flaming arrow arched up across the clearing, but clattered off the huge stone plinth behind the creature.Morier could no longer see Vade, so he could no longer protect the halfling as he had been directed. So he did what he felt any warrior worth his sword would do: he charged the creature menacing one of his companions. The move would have been an unintentional mimic of Draelond's doomed assault, except that the elf failed to injure his target. His greatsword struck at an unwieldy angle and slid harmlessly off its grey-green flesh.Ledare cursed and fired her hand-crossbow again. The bolt flew well wide of the mark, however.Vade flickered momentarily into view as he tossed a jug of oil at the giant. He missed unfortunately, and the ceramic container shattered against the standing stone, splashing both the rat monster and Feln in the process. "Oops!" the halfling shouted before activating the Ring and disappearing again.Ixin moved forward, getting within range to try her Net of Shadows again.Feln backed up five feet, keeping the giant flanked between himself and Morier. His quarterstaff whirled in his hands, a ready defense against the dazzled monster's attacks. Of course, it now split its attention between the two companions, and slashed its claws in two directions. Again, the partial cover provided by the standing stone saved Feln from a nasty slash from the giant's claws. Morier had no such protection, and he suffered a claw wound to the face that opened the elf's pale flesh to the bone. Before he could recover, the giant's jaws descended and tore flesh away from his right forearm.Morier reeled from the savage assault, realizing too late that he was probably overmatched by this creature in hand-to-hand combat. Still, he had to try. He put every ounce of his strength behind his sword and drove the weapon halfway to the hilt in the giant's right thigh. The silver blade scraped across the bone and sent a river of black blood streaming down the monster's leg when Morier withdrew the weapon. The giant let loose with a scream of pain unlike any they had heard from it yet.Both Windstryder and Ledare, startled by the giant's roar, fired their missiles off into the trees.Vade appeared long enough to toss another jug of oil onto the rat-monster and shout to Morier, "We're supposed to be trying to get passed this guy. Run away already!" This time the jug broke open across the creature's back, drenching half its body in oil."Vuthasjach!" Ixin intoned again, gesturing expansively as her magic urged the shadows up and over the rat monster. This time, there was no escape for the giant and it roared again as the Net of Shadows closed over it, completely concealing it from the Companions and concealing the Companions from it.</blockquote>

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