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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wraithdrit" data-source="post: 1438053" data-attributes="member: 10820">Ruins of the Merchant DistrictMaerimydraUktar 8th, 1372, Mid-dayDelorian reappeared in the midst of the skulking heroes. “Found something. Looks like a pack of ghouls. They are feeding a fallen group of Kurgoth’s lesser minions.”Will glanced around at the others then muttered, “I guess that proves the giant-fiend does not have the undead as bottled up as we hoped.”Taran nodded and twisted his grip on his holy avenger a bit. “We should destroy them. They are already dead, their essence might not be drawn in like the giants.”YaDichi frowned. “Only one way to find out.” She replaced her standard arrow into her quiver and pulled out a black-shafted arrow and laid it across her bow. A plan was quickly hatched and the group moved up through the hanging smoke, toward the feeding ghouls. As Taran and Varick strode calmly forward the others stayed back a ways, watching for other enemies. Delorian was already on the other side of the small mass of undead, waiting for the combat to begin. One of the ghouls snapped its head up, having heard the approach of the heavily armored pair. It hissed something out in dark elven and began racing toward the priest and paladin. Soon all of its mates were charging in behind it, loping on all fours towards the waiting holy warriors.Varick glanced at Taran as the ghouls approached. He smiled and then turned to look back at the ghouls as he raised his morning star. “By the power of Mystra, lay down, and be at rest! May her light shine on the darkness of your souls and flow through your hearts, undead be gone!” Light ripped forth from his holy symbol and bathed over the ghouls. They cried out and threw up their hands. Already charging forward, their momentum brought them further into the light. Pale unnatural undead flesh turned the natural colors of rotting drow flesh and animated forms fell to the ground as cold dead corpses.Taran strode forward, his shield held in defense. Two of the ghouls had held back. They were moving forward now, but slower, watching and analyzing what the holy warriors had done to their companions. He noticed that they looked different. Their mouths opened to reveal a long snake like tongue that seemed to dissolve into a dark smoky end. He did not know what they were, but he knew his holy avenger would easily bite into their flesh. One of the demonic ghouls leapt forward, and Taran met it with a mighty strike of his holy sword. The ghoul screamed and spun away, clutching its side. But in an instant was back on him. He shoved his shield into the beast’s chest pushing it back. The other ghoul was circling around trying to flank Taran, but Varick moved up to get in the way. A trio of black-shafted arrows ripped through the ghoul, huge chunks of undead flesh burning away where the arrows had touched. Varick stepped up and slammed his morning star into the wounded ghoul’s head, sending it sprawling to the ground, never to stand again.The ghoul on Taran clawed at his armor, but the paladin easily stepped back and with two more strong blows of his sword send the thing into the ground. The field of battle was suddenly silent again. Will stepped up to beside YaDichi and whispered something to him. The archer nodded. Will spun quickly and fifty feet to one side a cloud of glittering dust exploded around a small imp shaped invisible form. Arrows flew from YaDichi’s bow, and before the little outsider could even cry out, it was dead.The group gathered together and Will growled, “Damned imps.” “What now?” asked YaDichi.Taran nodded to the ruins surrounding them. “We keep exploring.”A few minutes later as the group pushed on through the ruins Varick’s voice broke into everyone’s head through Will’s telepathic bond spell. “I just saw two drow watching us from that last window on the left side of the street.”Will responded with telepathy. “Keep moving. Delorian, go into the next good alleyway.”They gathered together in the alley and it was quickly decided that Delorian would go in and try to use his status as a shade to talk to the drow. After all, they knew there was a Shadovar ambassador somewhere in the city.Delorian appeared in the middle of the ruined inn, his hands held open and to the side. The moment he appeared, one of the drow yelped in surprise and fired off his hand crossbow. Delorian easily slapped the bolt out of the air. “I mean you know harm. I come to talk.”The young drow began reloading his crossbow, ignoring the shade’s words. Delorian spoke again, “You have seen that weapon is useless against me.”In Undercommon, the drow growled as he reloaded, “Just keep standing there, idiot surface dweller.”  Not understanding, Delorian relayed his words through the telepathic link. Will chuckled and told Delorian through the bond, “He doesn’t believe you.” The other drow in the room spoke in Undercommon to the younger one, “Wait… he is not attacking.” In accented common he spoke to Delorian, “What do you want, surface dweller?”“To talk to you. I mean you no harm. I am here to assess the situation in the city.”The older drow chuckled and motioned around him. “Easy enough to see. Now move along.”“Not yet. You and your friend are scouts for those in charge?”“Hardly. We answer to only ourselves.”“So you are former followers of Lolth.”“Lolth, Kiriansalee, Kurgoth… all masters we care nothing about.”“Interesting… the two of you survived this long alone.”“Who says we are alone?”“Interesting indeed. Perhaps we can help each other then…”“And how would you help me?” asked the drow.“I can give you information about what I have seen in other parts of the city.” Delorian watched both drow, having to glance around to see them both.“You think something goes on in this city that we don’t already know about? Not likely. But I tell you what. You will talk to someone else, not I. Wait here. I will get him.”Varick’s voice broke into Delorian’s head. “One more coming your direction through the ruins.” As the older drow went downstairs the back door of the inn opened up and an orange skinned female goblin walked in. She blinked at the strange sight. In Undercommon the young drow muttered, “We have company… watch him, he can block bolts with his bare hands.” The goblin looked at the young drows drawn and pointed hand crossbow and then to the monk. “Then why are you pointing that at him?”The young drow looked down at the hand crossbow then to Delorian. Understanding the exchange despite the language barrier, the shade monk just smiled ever so slightly. The young drow growled, “I might be able to hit him next time.”The goblin nodded, “Right.” She rolled her eyes and muttered something in goblin. Delorian assumed it was a disparaging remark.Soon the older drow stepped back upstairs with a third drow. This one was well built, with short black dyed hair. He had a greatsword strapped across his back. “Well, my companion has told me of your offer. I am intrigued.” The drow’s common was near perfect. “Why don’t you tell your companions to join us?”About that time Varick broke into the telepathic bond. “Um… guys… that rat has been watching us for the past five minutes. Rats don’t do that do they?”Delorian frowned, “You have a rat friend?” The drow leader’s eyebrows shot up. “Indeed. Tell your friends to join us, and the rat will watch for us.”Delorian nodded. In the telepathic bond he spoke, “Come on in guys… I think they are non-hostile enough that we might get information out of them.”Soon the entire group was escorted down into an old wine cellar that had been converted into an impressive little hide out. All sorts of fine drow furnishing and other items of loot were scattered about. The drow leader spoke as he sat down in a huge high backed chair. “I am called Hamadh. What is it you think you can do for me?”Will spoke up, “We have information about the city.”Hamadh looked bored. “I have more information about what is going on here than you could possibly know. Something I can use or spend would be much better.”Will nodded, “We could pay for information. Besides, we are here to do more than just scout. We intend to stop the cult of Kiriansalee. Surely this would benefit you.”Hamadh smiled now, “Of course it would. You will be leaving when you are done, correct?”Will nodded. “Of course, we’ve no desire to live here.”“And what makes you think you can do what Kurgoth’s army can not?”Delorian spoke up, “We are no army of brutes.”“So I see. Well then, what can I do for you?” Hamadh picked at the wood handle of the fine chair he sat in.“We need information on the castle’s defenses,” said Varick. An earlier communing with Mystra had revealed it to be the center of the cult of Kiriansalee’s operations.“I’ve never been inside, so I can not tell you what the interior defenses are like. But I can get you inside.”Taran nodded, “Somehow I knew you would be capable.”Hamadh grinned, “We have not just survived here… we see and hear much. The question is… how much money did you bring?”A short time later, a deal having been struck the heroes decided that they would spend the rest of the day exploring the ruins, then after resting they would meet back up with Hamadh’s hidden group when they were ready to enter into the castle. They knew that had to be fully prepared when they went into the castle, as once they were inside, the chances of getting out and then back in would be slim. Hamadh assured them that his getting them into the castle would only work once.The group stood upstairs in the inn. They had decided that they would check out the old temple of lolth. The dark creature that dwelled there was undead and thus probably on the side of the cult. It had used fear to paralyze Will before, and the magical feast that Varick had prepared for them at the beginning of the day rendered them immune from its frightening gaze. A plan set, and their best enchantments cast, the group locked hands for a quick Will-provided teleport. The moment they appeared Will began casting, Delorian concentrated, and several more shade monks seemed to appear around his form, YaDichi rolled her magic ring around on her hand, feeling the spell of true striking flowing through her body, Varick began a loud prayer, and Taran charged across the crater toward where Will said the massive form stood. The darkness seemed to swell around them, and Will’s spell of glitterdust erupted around the massive form, clinging to it’s invisible hide, showing right where it was. Taran thrust his holy sword deep into the surprised creature as Delorian stepped through the shadows, appearing next to the massive undead form, his nunchaku spinning and slamming into the thing.Varick’s prayer ended and he smiled as bands of color seemed to float up around the creature before disappearing. Into the telepathic bond he muttered, “Its resistance to spells is lowered Will. Do you thing.”The creature howled out and floated up into the air. Both of its hands glowed. From one hand black energy rolled out and exploded around Taran and Delorian, wracking them with pain, deep lashes and cuts appearing on their bodies. From the other hand a huge cone of cold blasted over Taran and sprayed back over YaDichi, Will, and Varick.  It had been surprised, but its reactions were powerful and dangerous.YaDichi took a few steps to the side, dropped down to a knee and fired off three arrows in rapid succession. Massive chunks of the creature dissolved away where the arrows touched, the mighty enchantments of her bow showing why it was a legendary weapon. The creature howled in pain, locking its fearful gaze on YaDichi, its eyes blazing with fury. The young archer just narrowed her eyes and reached for more arrows.Will ran to one side, stopped, skidding on the loose stones of the crater. His hands came up and he cast a spell, then spoke into the telepathic bond, “Binding it to this realm.” Huge mystical chains seemed to grow from the ground and wrap about the beast. While they stretched to move as it did, not binding it physically, Will knew it was not going to use magic to get out of there.Taran moved with the creature, his sword slamming into the thing once, then a second time, cutting deep into it. Delorian was on it just the same, his nunchaku slamming into it again and again. Still the creature stared its hatred at YaDichi, the massive arrow wounds still burning. Its eyes flashed and thick black ray shot out, slamming the archer in the chest. She screamed as her whole form shook. Her skin seemed to flash, and begin to disappear. Her insides where momentarily visible and the powerful death magic gripped her. As she fell forward she clutched her bow in her hand, and thought of all the good she had left to do in this world. With a scream she stood up and shook off the effects of the deadly ray. Blood ran from her eyes, nose, and ears. Her breathing was ragged, but she was alive. Her bow snapped up, an arrow already in it. The creature floated over Taran and began floating toward her. One hand was stretching out toward the bow, as if it was going to wrench it from her grasp. “You want it?” She growled. “Take it.” She loosed the arrow. Before it even landed she was pulling the next arrow from her back, and backpedaling toward the wall behind her. The arrow ripped a hole the size of a buckler through the beasts huge hand. It then ripped a hole through its chest and flew on into the darkness. The next arrow blew another chunk out of the hand then blew through its head. The last arrow slashed through the center of its forehead. With a mournful sigh it collapsed forward and dissolved into darkness.YaDichi fell to her knees and closed her eyes. She gripped her bow tight against her chest and concentrated on remaining alive. Varick jogged over and when he got there, he was surprised to see her starting to stand up. She was relatively unhurt for the punishment her body had just endured.Will spoke out through the telepathic bond. “We better get what ever treasure it had and get out of here fast. That light show would not have been hard to miss. I have a feeling that in about five minutes this place will be crawling with giants and imps.”</blockquote>

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