Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Thorns of Winter -(updated 8/1/2023)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 8707539" data-attributes="member: 6971069"><p><h2 style="text-align: center">The Eyes Have It -07/27/2022</h2><p></p><p></p><p>With the sound of metallic snaps, bolts were flying everywhere. One bounced off of my shield with a loud clink. As for the other bolts it appeared that the diminutive creatures were terrible shots as only one other found its mar.. As I raised my shield to better protect myself, more bounced off of the metal. And the one bolt simply bounced off of Sage’s armored form, as he readied their arm blade. With a burst of green flame, Sage’s weapon lit up the chamber. He charged at one of the tall thin creatures and the smell of burning flesh flooded the chamber.</p><p></p><p>The creature made no outbursts of any kind, no yelling, no screaming. Just a hiss from its gaping maw as its long sinewy tongue thrashed about. It started to flail against the warforged, when another one attacked me. It was fast, and despite the empty eye sockets, it was clear it could see just fine. It hit my shield with its palm, causing it to resonate with the strike. I was distracted, as I tried to maneuver my shield, so it was between myself and it. However, I didn’t see that creature had spun around, and it then used its momentum to kick away my shield, and me nearly off balance. As my left arm was flung wide, I was struck by one the long fleshy tentacle across the face. I tasted blood in my mouth, and as I shook my head to regain a semblance of sense, the second one wrapped itself around my waist and thighs. I stumbled a bit, but I was unable to move.</p><p></p><p>The Blade was somewhat more fortunate. He took aim at one of the crossbow wielding creatures and a single arrow was enough to knock it off it’s feet, the shaft protruding from one of the creature’s maws. A second shaft from his bow had the same result and I thought I saw The Blade grin in satisfaction. But it was short lived, as another one of the thin ones, pounded at me with its hands, each one hit my breastplate, causing me to stagger. But it focused its tentacles on the elf, each one stretching out over my head and wrapping themselves around The Blade’s torso and his bow arm.</p><p></p><p>Rosa ran around the room, trying to find cover, while Adrissa followed her. The girl interposed herself between Rosa and the four limbed assailants that persued them. Her blades cut deeply into the sides of one of the creatures, spraying purplish pink blood across the chamber wall. Each cut put a wider and wider grin on Adrissa’s face, even as the thin creature was unable to secure a hit against the agile girl. She even batted away the tentacles that stretched by her in an attempt to hit Rosa.</p><p></p><p>Doxx also had her hands busy, as the old woman faced off against another tentacle assault. She was able to match it, blow for blow, with neither making much in the way of damage to the other. It was a flurry of kicks, punches, slaps and elbows, which were simply a blur as each probed the other’s defensives, looking for an opening. But they were equally matched defensively, and both were too canny to make themselves an easy target.</p><p></p><p>Bookshelf pointed a finger, and a frosty ray shot out, missing their target, and struck the wall behind them. The warforged sighed, looked around and motioned to us, shouting, “Come to me, I have an idea!” Doxx nodded, and spun her staff, striking the head of her opponent and leaving it dazed. She then planted the end of the staff on the rock and then vaulted over towards Bookshelf and landed upright next to her.</p><p></p><p>“I would love...to…” I gasped, trying to pull myself away from the creature. Its other tentacle wrapped itself around my neck, and it was all I could do to keep it from choking me, as its fists pounded again on my armor. I thrashed and tried to use my shield as a wedge to force the tentacles off me without success. It leaned towards me with its long whip like tongue, like it was going to flay the flesh from my face when it smiled at me, and I felt excruciating pain around my torso and thighs where it had wrapped me up with its tentacles. I could feel it tearing at my soul, pulling parts of it no matter how much I tried to resist. Nearby The Blade grunted in pain, and at a glance I could see it was doing the same thing to him, robbing him of energy.</p><p></p><p>I shouted, “Blade! Come to—”</p><p></p><p>“—THE Blade—” he responded between clenched teeth.</p><p></p><p>“—sodding Baator! Grab! My! Rod!” and I stretched the rod towards him. He looked it and with his right hand grabbed the end, and together we pulled closer to each other. When his body was close enough, I felt within, and grabbed for a strand and wrapped it around us, while I cast away another one, next to Bookshelf. And for the second time in a day, I snapped it, causing our bodies to vanish from where we stood, leaving behind a blast of thunder, knocking the emaciated figures to the ground.</p><p></p><p>We reappeared next to Bookshelf, freed from the entanglement of the slimy tentacles. Sage simply pivoted, stomped over and started cutting through our enemies with ease, while Adrissa took down two more crossbow wielding creatures on the ledge, “Only two more left!”</p><p></p><p>“Where are they?” Bookshelf asked as he pulled a crystal from a pouch, and it began to glow.”</p><p></p><p>Adrissa fired an arrow behind the group and upwards to the ledge nearly above us. “Directly above us! I can’t get a clear shot.”</p><p></p><p>“No need,” and Bookshelf tossed from his hand a small, that glowed with a bright orange light. It continued upwards until it was level with the ledge, and then it exploded in a blossom of flame. I instinctively crouched down, as did the others from the conflagration above, but we needn’t have worried. The flames danced across my cheeks, and I felt only the hints of heat.</p><p></p><p>Above us, there were screams as each of the crossbow wielding creatures each howled from each of their two mouths, each one its own chorus. They each collapsed in a smoldering heap, the odor of burnt hair and seared flesh wafted down from the ledges above us. Bookshelf was looking upwards and nodding, “There that was…easy?” Bookshelf had lowered their gaze and they took a step backwards along with the rest of us.</p><p></p><p>Of the half dozen of the tall lanky humanoids, one stared at us with empty sockets hissing weakly. Its skin was almost burned away, leaving behind a shell of a creature. Its arms dropped limply to the sides, and it then fell onto its knees before falling forward to the rocky floor, with a heavy, wet sound. However, my eyes were locked on the five behind it, that seemed unharmed and unconcerned.</p><p></p><p>“Why are they still alive?” Doxx hissed.</p><p></p><p>“The others just flattened themselves on the floor or the wall,” Sage grumbled.</p><p></p><p>The five charged at us, their tentacles outstretched, and their hands clenched into fists. As they closed the distance, Adrissa and The Blade, fired their arrows at them each one’s arrow sinking deeply into their torsos but doing nothing to stop their onslaught. I found myself standing next to Doxx and he was next to Sage, each of us trying to interpose our bodies and our shields to protect her and the rest behind us. It was futile thought, as I was pummeled by their fists, while their tentacles just reached around us grasping Rosa, The Blade and Adrissa. I was furiously trying to do anything to protect anyone, when I heard Adrissa behind me scream and with horror I saw the arrows falling out of their wounds, and the holes closing up.</p><p></p><p>Rosa behind me grunted, and I heard her start to chant. Where before we had felt the dry rush of wind and flame, now suddenly the air turned damp. The hairs on my arms stood on end and as I heard crackling noises above me. Suddenly, an almost blinding bolt struck in the middle of the pack, and the sound of thunder echoed in the chamber. The white spots in my vision began to fade but what I saw brough no comfort. It seemed that the streaks of lightning were just something more for them to dance around, as not a one was struck by the bolt. I could hear the frustration in her voice as she exclaimed, “This isn’t fair! How can they move that….<strong><em>Augh!</em></strong>”</p><p></p><p>Her scream made me cringe in sympathy; the creature’s ability to pull at your very vitality was excruciating. I was beating back more fists against my shield, when I realized that the storm above us was now swirling and fading away as the spell slipped away from Rosa’s control.</p><p></p><p>Doxx swung her stick overhead, and beaned one on its skull, “We’ll have to focus one down at a time.”</p><p></p><p>“Breathe Sage,” Bookshelf said simply. Sage nodded and opened his mouth and from it a gout of foul liquid sprayed over the creatures. But they twisted around the bile, as if their spines and bones just weren’t there. Or at least most of them, as one was grazed, giving off an acrid stench as it grazed over its shoulder and back.</p><p></p><p>“That did not seem to help,” Sage shouted, as he kept swinging his armblade, the green flames sometimes finding their marks, but as much as he cut, the wounds just closed as they took the other’s life energy to heal their wounds.</p><p></p><p>“We had better do…ugh…something!” The Blade muttered, sounding exhausted.</p><p></p><p>I felt a tentacle slip past me and wrap around my thigh. The pain started again as I felt like I was feeding it. Not muscle or blood but my soul instead, piece by piece. I glared at the one right in front of me and grit my teeth as I spat, “You want my soul? Allow me to show it to you!”</p><p></p><p>I pulled on every white strand within me. I had always played with the dark ones or wrapped light and dark together to manipulate the world. But I didn’t want to make simple miasma of darkness, or even to just pull me away to another place I could see as I did before. I yelled, in my own tongue, for the first time in a long while:</p><p></p><p><strong><em>“Na koʻa ʻālohikane e ʻā i ki aʻuha mani!”</em></strong></p><p></p><p>I could feel the wings, erupt again. But it wasn’t a simple warmth or flush I felt up and down my spine. The strands flew from me I as I cast them in a lattice in front of me. The weaving was rough, but it wasn’t what mattered. What did, was the light bursting forth as a conduit for my soul.</p><p></p><p>“What did she do?” Doxx yelped. “The floor is glowing!”</p><p></p><p>“I am not sure, but it’s affecting them.” Sage said.</p><p></p><p>They stood there cringing, and it was clear that their legs were about to buckle from the way they shook and staggered. I could feel the tentacle’s grasp around my starting to quiver and loosen as my light started to overwhelm them. “If we can keep them in the light—”</p><p></p><p>“Say no more dearie,” Rosa said and suddenly from the rock, sprouted roots and vines. They stood there helplessly as the strong tendrils held them fast. Their skin started to blister and smoke as the light scorched their flesh. “Let’s get out of reach of them!”</p><p></p><p>Sage and Doxx, pulled on my arms and I stumbled backwards. The monster’s grip was now so weak, that their tendrils’ s strength had melted away, and was weakening further by the moment. It was then easy for all of us to move away from their long grasp. I continued to pour myself into the lattice, and as we watched from across the room, they each collapsed on the rock floor their breathing ragged. One by one, their labored breathing suddenly shuddered a final time, before stopping entirely.</p><p></p><p>I let go of the lattice, and felt the strands dissipate, as did the dim light where the monsters once stood. I could hear everyone’s breathing slow down, and I felt my heart’s own beat become more measured. “That was…impressive,” Sage said. “The wings and light are one thing. But I no idea that just light would be enough to kill.”</p><p></p><p>“Light can cause pain,” Bookshelf said.</p><p></p><p>“You have no idea how often a noble from Fairhaven would come out to the Eldeen to play, only to head back to the inn after being kissed by the sun for too long,” Rosa said. “Light can hurt. I’ve heard in some places like the desert, it can even kill.”</p><p></p><p>“That seemed to be a bit more than light,” Doxx said slowly.</p><p></p><p>I nodded in agreement, “It is difficult to explain it, but I poured a bit of myself into it.”</p><p></p><p>Adrissa looked at me with a mixture of awe and concern, “Did it hurt?”</p><p></p><p>I looked at the girl and smiled, “Not as much as they did. But it is tiring. So…what are they?” and I pointed to the corpses.</p><p></p><p>“Dolgrim,” Bookshelf pointed to the ones on the ledges before gesturing to the one on the ground, “and Dolgaunts. Creatures of corruption from ancient times. I had heard of them, but this is first time I have seen any of them.”</p><p></p><p>“The Dalkyr created them,” Rosa said, slumping down on the floor and exhaling with relief. “Too bad the Gatekeepers couldn’t seal their works away. They are horrible things.”</p><p></p><p>“Sadly, these aren’t the worst of them.” Sage said.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s not plan on finding something worse, shall we?” Doxx said.</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p>We rested for a while, before continuing to follow the passage way down. Gossamer was again in front just ahead of the curve while we looked for some hidden steel within us to keep us going. The river of water was gone from the passage, all of it spilling into the pit in the room behind us. So, it was not surprising when I could hear the echoes of dripping of water ahead.</p><p></p><p><em>--Another round room. Another pit. But no other exits either.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>They must have climbed up from the pit. Is that all.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>---Yeah that’s all I can…wait no. There is a platform on the far side, and it has a wooden box on it.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>That’s it?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--Nothing else…I’m looking down the pit, and it has a tight spiral ledge coming up. But nothing down there I can see. But there is a lot of warm air coming up.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Don’t go in, we’re almost there.</em></p><p></p><p>“Gos is in the next room. Empty of Dol-whatever’s, a pit, and a box on some stone,” I relayed to the others.</p><p></p><p>“Think that is it?” Adrissa asked.</p><p></p><p>“If it isn’t the raven will gleefully point it out<em>.”</em> said Doxx.</p><p></p><p>We rounded the corner and entered the room, and it was as Gos described. The river of water above, a now dripped from the hole above not in a single rivulet, but multiple ones, which shifted as around and dribbled from different points in the ceiling and into the pit below. On the far side, was a simple plinth of ston. Upon it was what appeared to be a square oaken chest, no more in length than my arm. Unremarkable, if it weren’t for the dents, scratches and gouges all along the outside. It had no lock or even hinges, as it appeared you could just lift off the top to see the contents.</p><p></p><p>“This seems too easy,” Bookshelf said.</p><p></p><p>“There aren’t any ledges overlooking everything here,” Adrissa noted, as she twisted around looking for another band of assailants.</p><p></p><p>The Blade approached the hole and looked down. “Warm. Smells like brimstone a bit. And something else. But if the Dolgrims climbed out of there, it will be hard no to notice them.</p><p></p><p>“I can remedy that,” Sage said. The juggernaut moved to the edge and pointed his armblade at the hole. From a panel on his arm, a small shard of crystal emerged, and it flashed. White fibers flew from it and stretched as the widening ball flew down the pit.</p><p></p><p>I moved inside and peered over the lip of the pit, and it was now covered in a giant web, covering it entirely. I nodded approvingly. “That will make it problem for anyone coming up.”</p><p></p><p>We approached the box with trepidation. It was nothing spectacular, just battered. And as I suspected, all you had to do was lift open the lid to reveal the conents.</p><p></p><p>“This has got to be a trap,” Doxx said.</p><p></p><p>“Nonsense,” The Blade said shaking his head. “We already ran into the trap. Why would you put another one right here?”</p><p></p><p>“Dear, aren’t those the same thing?” Rosa chided.</p><p></p><p>“No, they aren’t,”</p><p></p><p>The pair leaned in towards each other arguing their points.</p><p></p><p>“Yes, they are!</p><p></p><p>“Later!” I admonished.</p><p></p><p>“Honey don’t touch---“ Rosa started.</p><p></p><p>“I…I can’t,” Adrissa said. I turned to look and her hand was outstretched and flattened against something in the air above the box. I squinted and used my rod to try to touch it, and instead contacted a hard smooth surface above it.</p><p></p><p>“Nothing is ever easy,” Doxx said.</p><p></p><p>“It’s a magical ward. I can probably remove it,” Bookshelf said and he pulled out a black shard of crystal and muttered a quick incantation. He finished, and said, “Try now.”</p><p></p><p>Adrissa looked at the warforged and reached for the box and once again contacted an invisible surface surrounding it. The girl turned and looked at him and said, “Not quite."</p><p></p><p>"That should have worked,” the slender warforged said, perplexed.</p><p></p><p>“It happens to everyone I’m told,” Sage said.</p><p></p><p>“Not to me,” Doxx whispered under her breath.</p><p></p><p>Bookshelf glared at the old woman, “Funny. But I know this enchantment. Breaking it shouldn’t be this difficult.”</p><p></p><p><em>--Myrai…</em></p><p></p><p>“Unless it was empowered somehow,” Sage pointed out.</p><p></p><p>“I suppose…”</p><p></p><p><em>--Myrai!</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Gos later, we’re in the middle of something.</em></p><p></p><p>“Myrai, do you have…something?” Bookshelf asked me.</p><p></p><p>“Me? No…not for something like this.”</p><p></p><p><em>--Myr…oh sodding Baator…</em></p><p></p><p>In annoyance, I vocalized, “Gos is it…that…imp…imp…” my voice trailed off as my heart started to pound.</p><p></p><p>Rising from the center of the pit, were the wispy remains of webbing floating in the air and draped on top of a round mass of chiton. On its lower third a large toothy maw smiled, and slime dripped from its purple lips into the depths below. The red and blue mottled skin was covered in crusted scales that shifted and pulsed with every breath it took in that maw. In the middle of the orb or what you might generously call a face., a large lump in the center reminded me of an eye still closed, while on its crown staring at us, ten crab leg like stalks, each ending an eye, each with a different iris and sclera.</p><p></p><p> It gazed at us, and its maw opened wide into a vicious smile, as it made a deep resonating grunting sound, and licked it lips with chilling anticipation.</p><p></p><p><strong>Session Notes:</strong></p><p>Welcome to khyber and please pick up your hot towel. Dolgaunts have evasion, so that made things far more difficult. The Dolgrim were not as much as an issue, but the casters kept choosing dex save spells. It didn't work as intended. Fortunatly a well timed combo, did.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nthal, post: 8707539, member: 6971069"] [HEADING=1][CENTER]The Eyes Have It -07/27/2022[/CENTER][/HEADING] With the sound of metallic snaps, bolts were flying everywhere. One bounced off of my shield with a loud clink. As for the other bolts it appeared that the diminutive creatures were terrible shots as only one other found its mar.. As I raised my shield to better protect myself, more bounced off of the metal. And the one bolt simply bounced off of Sage’s armored form, as he readied their arm blade. With a burst of green flame, Sage’s weapon lit up the chamber. He charged at one of the tall thin creatures and the smell of burning flesh flooded the chamber. The creature made no outbursts of any kind, no yelling, no screaming. Just a hiss from its gaping maw as its long sinewy tongue thrashed about. It started to flail against the warforged, when another one attacked me. It was fast, and despite the empty eye sockets, it was clear it could see just fine. It hit my shield with its palm, causing it to resonate with the strike. I was distracted, as I tried to maneuver my shield, so it was between myself and it. However, I didn’t see that creature had spun around, and it then used its momentum to kick away my shield, and me nearly off balance. As my left arm was flung wide, I was struck by one the long fleshy tentacle across the face. I tasted blood in my mouth, and as I shook my head to regain a semblance of sense, the second one wrapped itself around my waist and thighs. I stumbled a bit, but I was unable to move. The Blade was somewhat more fortunate. He took aim at one of the crossbow wielding creatures and a single arrow was enough to knock it off it’s feet, the shaft protruding from one of the creature’s maws. A second shaft from his bow had the same result and I thought I saw The Blade grin in satisfaction. But it was short lived, as another one of the thin ones, pounded at me with its hands, each one hit my breastplate, causing me to stagger. But it focused its tentacles on the elf, each one stretching out over my head and wrapping themselves around The Blade’s torso and his bow arm. Rosa ran around the room, trying to find cover, while Adrissa followed her. The girl interposed herself between Rosa and the four limbed assailants that persued them. Her blades cut deeply into the sides of one of the creatures, spraying purplish pink blood across the chamber wall. Each cut put a wider and wider grin on Adrissa’s face, even as the thin creature was unable to secure a hit against the agile girl. She even batted away the tentacles that stretched by her in an attempt to hit Rosa. Doxx also had her hands busy, as the old woman faced off against another tentacle assault. She was able to match it, blow for blow, with neither making much in the way of damage to the other. It was a flurry of kicks, punches, slaps and elbows, which were simply a blur as each probed the other’s defensives, looking for an opening. But they were equally matched defensively, and both were too canny to make themselves an easy target. Bookshelf pointed a finger, and a frosty ray shot out, missing their target, and struck the wall behind them. The warforged sighed, looked around and motioned to us, shouting, “Come to me, I have an idea!” Doxx nodded, and spun her staff, striking the head of her opponent and leaving it dazed. She then planted the end of the staff on the rock and then vaulted over towards Bookshelf and landed upright next to her. “I would love...to…” I gasped, trying to pull myself away from the creature. Its other tentacle wrapped itself around my neck, and it was all I could do to keep it from choking me, as its fists pounded again on my armor. I thrashed and tried to use my shield as a wedge to force the tentacles off me without success. It leaned towards me with its long whip like tongue, like it was going to flay the flesh from my face when it smiled at me, and I felt excruciating pain around my torso and thighs where it had wrapped me up with its tentacles. I could feel it tearing at my soul, pulling parts of it no matter how much I tried to resist. Nearby The Blade grunted in pain, and at a glance I could see it was doing the same thing to him, robbing him of energy. I shouted, “Blade! Come to—” “—THE Blade—” he responded between clenched teeth. “—sodding Baator! Grab! My! Rod!” and I stretched the rod towards him. He looked it and with his right hand grabbed the end, and together we pulled closer to each other. When his body was close enough, I felt within, and grabbed for a strand and wrapped it around us, while I cast away another one, next to Bookshelf. And for the second time in a day, I snapped it, causing our bodies to vanish from where we stood, leaving behind a blast of thunder, knocking the emaciated figures to the ground. We reappeared next to Bookshelf, freed from the entanglement of the slimy tentacles. Sage simply pivoted, stomped over and started cutting through our enemies with ease, while Adrissa took down two more crossbow wielding creatures on the ledge, “Only two more left!” “Where are they?” Bookshelf asked as he pulled a crystal from a pouch, and it began to glow.” Adrissa fired an arrow behind the group and upwards to the ledge nearly above us. “Directly above us! I can’t get a clear shot.” “No need,” and Bookshelf tossed from his hand a small, that glowed with a bright orange light. It continued upwards until it was level with the ledge, and then it exploded in a blossom of flame. I instinctively crouched down, as did the others from the conflagration above, but we needn’t have worried. The flames danced across my cheeks, and I felt only the hints of heat. Above us, there were screams as each of the crossbow wielding creatures each howled from each of their two mouths, each one its own chorus. They each collapsed in a smoldering heap, the odor of burnt hair and seared flesh wafted down from the ledges above us. Bookshelf was looking upwards and nodding, “There that was…easy?” Bookshelf had lowered their gaze and they took a step backwards along with the rest of us. Of the half dozen of the tall lanky humanoids, one stared at us with empty sockets hissing weakly. Its skin was almost burned away, leaving behind a shell of a creature. Its arms dropped limply to the sides, and it then fell onto its knees before falling forward to the rocky floor, with a heavy, wet sound. However, my eyes were locked on the five behind it, that seemed unharmed and unconcerned. “Why are they still alive?” Doxx hissed. “The others just flattened themselves on the floor or the wall,” Sage grumbled. The five charged at us, their tentacles outstretched, and their hands clenched into fists. As they closed the distance, Adrissa and The Blade, fired their arrows at them each one’s arrow sinking deeply into their torsos but doing nothing to stop their onslaught. I found myself standing next to Doxx and he was next to Sage, each of us trying to interpose our bodies and our shields to protect her and the rest behind us. It was futile thought, as I was pummeled by their fists, while their tentacles just reached around us grasping Rosa, The Blade and Adrissa. I was furiously trying to do anything to protect anyone, when I heard Adrissa behind me scream and with horror I saw the arrows falling out of their wounds, and the holes closing up. Rosa behind me grunted, and I heard her start to chant. Where before we had felt the dry rush of wind and flame, now suddenly the air turned damp. The hairs on my arms stood on end and as I heard crackling noises above me. Suddenly, an almost blinding bolt struck in the middle of the pack, and the sound of thunder echoed in the chamber. The white spots in my vision began to fade but what I saw brough no comfort. It seemed that the streaks of lightning were just something more for them to dance around, as not a one was struck by the bolt. I could hear the frustration in her voice as she exclaimed, “This isn’t fair! How can they move that….[B][I]Augh![/I][/B]” Her scream made me cringe in sympathy; the creature’s ability to pull at your very vitality was excruciating. I was beating back more fists against my shield, when I realized that the storm above us was now swirling and fading away as the spell slipped away from Rosa’s control. Doxx swung her stick overhead, and beaned one on its skull, “We’ll have to focus one down at a time.” “Breathe Sage,” Bookshelf said simply. Sage nodded and opened his mouth and from it a gout of foul liquid sprayed over the creatures. But they twisted around the bile, as if their spines and bones just weren’t there. Or at least most of them, as one was grazed, giving off an acrid stench as it grazed over its shoulder and back. “That did not seem to help,” Sage shouted, as he kept swinging his armblade, the green flames sometimes finding their marks, but as much as he cut, the wounds just closed as they took the other’s life energy to heal their wounds. “We had better do…ugh…something!” The Blade muttered, sounding exhausted. I felt a tentacle slip past me and wrap around my thigh. The pain started again as I felt like I was feeding it. Not muscle or blood but my soul instead, piece by piece. I glared at the one right in front of me and grit my teeth as I spat, “You want my soul? Allow me to show it to you!” I pulled on every white strand within me. I had always played with the dark ones or wrapped light and dark together to manipulate the world. But I didn’t want to make simple miasma of darkness, or even to just pull me away to another place I could see as I did before. I yelled, in my own tongue, for the first time in a long while: [B][I]“Na koʻa ʻālohikane e ʻā i ki aʻuha mani!”[/I][/B] I could feel the wings, erupt again. But it wasn’t a simple warmth or flush I felt up and down my spine. The strands flew from me I as I cast them in a lattice in front of me. The weaving was rough, but it wasn’t what mattered. What did, was the light bursting forth as a conduit for my soul. “What did she do?” Doxx yelped. “The floor is glowing!” “I am not sure, but it’s affecting them.” Sage said. They stood there cringing, and it was clear that their legs were about to buckle from the way they shook and staggered. I could feel the tentacle’s grasp around my starting to quiver and loosen as my light started to overwhelm them. “If we can keep them in the light—” “Say no more dearie,” Rosa said and suddenly from the rock, sprouted roots and vines. They stood there helplessly as the strong tendrils held them fast. Their skin started to blister and smoke as the light scorched their flesh. “Let’s get out of reach of them!” Sage and Doxx, pulled on my arms and I stumbled backwards. The monster’s grip was now so weak, that their tendrils’ s strength had melted away, and was weakening further by the moment. It was then easy for all of us to move away from their long grasp. I continued to pour myself into the lattice, and as we watched from across the room, they each collapsed on the rock floor their breathing ragged. One by one, their labored breathing suddenly shuddered a final time, before stopping entirely. I let go of the lattice, and felt the strands dissipate, as did the dim light where the monsters once stood. I could hear everyone’s breathing slow down, and I felt my heart’s own beat become more measured. “That was…impressive,” Sage said. “The wings and light are one thing. But I no idea that just light would be enough to kill.” “Light can cause pain,” Bookshelf said. “You have no idea how often a noble from Fairhaven would come out to the Eldeen to play, only to head back to the inn after being kissed by the sun for too long,” Rosa said. “Light can hurt. I’ve heard in some places like the desert, it can even kill.” “That seemed to be a bit more than light,” Doxx said slowly. I nodded in agreement, “It is difficult to explain it, but I poured a bit of myself into it.” Adrissa looked at me with a mixture of awe and concern, “Did it hurt?” I looked at the girl and smiled, “Not as much as they did. But it is tiring. So…what are they?” and I pointed to the corpses. “Dolgrim,” Bookshelf pointed to the ones on the ledges before gesturing to the one on the ground, “and Dolgaunts. Creatures of corruption from ancient times. I had heard of them, but this is first time I have seen any of them.” “The Dalkyr created them,” Rosa said, slumping down on the floor and exhaling with relief. “Too bad the Gatekeepers couldn’t seal their works away. They are horrible things.” “Sadly, these aren’t the worst of them.” Sage said. “Let’s not plan on finding something worse, shall we?” Doxx said. [HR][/HR] We rested for a while, before continuing to follow the passage way down. Gossamer was again in front just ahead of the curve while we looked for some hidden steel within us to keep us going. The river of water was gone from the passage, all of it spilling into the pit in the room behind us. So, it was not surprising when I could hear the echoes of dripping of water ahead. [I]--Another round room. Another pit. But no other exits either. They must have climbed up from the pit. Is that all. ---Yeah that’s all I can…wait no. There is a platform on the far side, and it has a wooden box on it. That’s it? --Nothing else…I’m looking down the pit, and it has a tight spiral ledge coming up. But nothing down there I can see. But there is a lot of warm air coming up. Don’t go in, we’re almost there.[/I] “Gos is in the next room. Empty of Dol-whatever’s, a pit, and a box on some stone,” I relayed to the others. “Think that is it?” Adrissa asked. “If it isn’t the raven will gleefully point it out[I].”[/I] said Doxx. We rounded the corner and entered the room, and it was as Gos described. The river of water above, a now dripped from the hole above not in a single rivulet, but multiple ones, which shifted as around and dribbled from different points in the ceiling and into the pit below. On the far side, was a simple plinth of ston. Upon it was what appeared to be a square oaken chest, no more in length than my arm. Unremarkable, if it weren’t for the dents, scratches and gouges all along the outside. It had no lock or even hinges, as it appeared you could just lift off the top to see the contents. “This seems too easy,” Bookshelf said. “There aren’t any ledges overlooking everything here,” Adrissa noted, as she twisted around looking for another band of assailants. The Blade approached the hole and looked down. “Warm. Smells like brimstone a bit. And something else. But if the Dolgrims climbed out of there, it will be hard no to notice them. “I can remedy that,” Sage said. The juggernaut moved to the edge and pointed his armblade at the hole. From a panel on his arm, a small shard of crystal emerged, and it flashed. White fibers flew from it and stretched as the widening ball flew down the pit. I moved inside and peered over the lip of the pit, and it was now covered in a giant web, covering it entirely. I nodded approvingly. “That will make it problem for anyone coming up.” We approached the box with trepidation. It was nothing spectacular, just battered. And as I suspected, all you had to do was lift open the lid to reveal the conents. “This has got to be a trap,” Doxx said. “Nonsense,” The Blade said shaking his head. “We already ran into the trap. Why would you put another one right here?” “Dear, aren’t those the same thing?” Rosa chided. “No, they aren’t,” The pair leaned in towards each other arguing their points. “Yes, they are! “Later!” I admonished. “Honey don’t touch---“ Rosa started. “I…I can’t,” Adrissa said. I turned to look and her hand was outstretched and flattened against something in the air above the box. I squinted and used my rod to try to touch it, and instead contacted a hard smooth surface above it. “Nothing is ever easy,” Doxx said. “It’s a magical ward. I can probably remove it,” Bookshelf said and he pulled out a black shard of crystal and muttered a quick incantation. He finished, and said, “Try now.” Adrissa looked at the warforged and reached for the box and once again contacted an invisible surface surrounding it. The girl turned and looked at him and said, “Not quite." "That should have worked,” the slender warforged said, perplexed. “It happens to everyone I’m told,” Sage said. “Not to me,” Doxx whispered under her breath. Bookshelf glared at the old woman, “Funny. But I know this enchantment. Breaking it shouldn’t be this difficult.” [I]--Myrai…[/I] “Unless it was empowered somehow,” Sage pointed out. “I suppose…” [I]--Myrai! Gos later, we’re in the middle of something.[/I] “Myrai, do you have…something?” Bookshelf asked me. “Me? No…not for something like this.” [I]--Myr…oh sodding Baator…[/I] In annoyance, I vocalized, “Gos is it…that…imp…imp…” my voice trailed off as my heart started to pound. Rising from the center of the pit, were the wispy remains of webbing floating in the air and draped on top of a round mass of chiton. On its lower third a large toothy maw smiled, and slime dripped from its purple lips into the depths below. The red and blue mottled skin was covered in crusted scales that shifted and pulsed with every breath it took in that maw. In the middle of the orb or what you might generously call a face., a large lump in the center reminded me of an eye still closed, while on its crown staring at us, ten crab leg like stalks, each ending an eye, each with a different iris and sclera. It gazed at us, and its maw opened wide into a vicious smile, as it made a deep resonating grunting sound, and licked it lips with chilling anticipation. [B]Session Notes:[/B] Welcome to khyber and please pick up your hot towel. Dolgaunts have evasion, so that made things far more difficult. The Dolgrim were not as much as an issue, but the casters kept choosing dex save spells. It didn't work as intended. Fortunatly a well timed combo, did. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Thorns of Winter -(updated 8/1/2023)
Top