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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 27370" data-attributes="member: 143">Hey, thanks everybody!  I appreciate the words of praise.  MasterOfHeaven, yes, I've been trying to "break in", as they say, for some time.  It's very difficult these days, even to get someone to take a look at your work.  I've been writing fiction since grad school (ten years now), and have shopped a few novels to publishers and agents, but without luck so far.  This story, and the great feedback I've been getting, has motivated me to keep at it.Broccli_Head, your point is well taken, and it's true that one can take certain liberties with a story that might be dangerous in an actual campaign.  The people I used to game with were generally pretty good, though, and I could usually throw tougher challenges than the "book" levels at them.  Of course, this challenge might just be too much for our heroes...* * * * * Part 28The four companions crept down the steeply sloping stair that led even deeper under the ground than the cellar they had just left.  All could feel a growing sense of unease that seemed to hang in the very air.  Maybe it was Benzan’s earlier awareness that had led them in this direction in the first place.  Maybe it was the fact that the secret door that warded the entrance to these stairs had been left slightly ajar, as if whatever lurked below was waiting for them…“Man oh man, I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Benzan said.  “Wait a moment,” Cal said, urging them to pause.  “What is it?” Lok asked.“Well, if whatever’s down there is prepared, then we should be as well,” the gnome said.  With that, he handed his sunrod to Lok, took out his wand of mage armor, and touched it to himself and to Delem, in turn.“What about us?” Benzan asked.  “The protection won’t help you beyond the armor that you already wear,” the gnome explained.  Still, as he put the wand away, he could not shake off the nagging feeling that he was missing something…Thus fortified, they continued their progression down the stairs.  Benzan took the lead, carefully checking for traps.  The stairs ended in a heavy stone door that also was open, with a small antechamber located beyond.  The light from Cal’s sunrod revealed that the walls and ceiling were fashioned from heavy blocks of stone that seemed ancient.  “How far underground are we?” Delem asked.“About thirty feet,” Lok said, as they turned to the only feature of note in the small room, a narrow archway through which another room was visible.  Lok moved toward the arch.  “Wait,” Benzan said, already moving to investigate.He was too late.A flash and a roar of flame announced the triggering of the trap, and Lok vanished for a moment as fire exploded around him.  Benzan was caught on the edges of the blast, but his reflexes took over and he dodged back.  The flames that did reach him seemed to fade just as they touched his flesh, as if reluctant to burn him, and he landed back by the others virtually unharmed.  The same could not be said for the genasi, who staggered back from the arch ravaged by the explosion.  His incredible constitution had allowed him to weather the trap through sheer fortitude, although wisps of steam continued to rise from his armor where the flames had engulfed him.  “Hold on just a second,” Cal said, already coming to his friend’s aid with his wand of healing.  He had just reached the genasi when Delem suddenly cried out in surprise.Benzan, Lok, and Cal spun around to see Delem struggling against a dark form that hung around his torso like a wisp of smoke.  As the brilliant light of the sunrod fully illuminated it, they saw with horror that the attacker was in fact a man-shaped, nearly insubstantial being, with eyes like black pits that stared out at the four companions mockingly.  They could see the effect that the thing’s touch had had upon Delem, as the sorcerer swayed, clearly weakened.  Their horror deepened as three more of the things, which had until minutes ago been the life essences of the three guards above, drifted through the far wall and moved menacingly toward them.* * * * * Part 29, later today...</blockquote>

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