Turn 146.0-146.5: Stranding Storm / A Taste of Covarc's Power / Dropping Joelen

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Turn 146.0: Stranding Storm

Posted: 3/19/01

Crayne, holding onto Amos sighs as they slowly ascent back up towards the bridge, looks up rather than down expecting some help from his friends. 'Surely!' Crayne thinks to himself, 'Emma or Elloharin have a few spells up their sleeves!' He then thinks about his good companion Storm. Perhaps he was wise when he said that we shouldn't have gone along with this. However, if Crayne had got what he wanted then the mage would be cringing on the floor in pain by now and the soldiers would still be attacking his illusion.

Nevertheless, it was not the case and so Crayne needed to think of something else. His illusion spell was still in operation so there was no reason why he couldn't add a bit of spice to it. Focusing his mind, he creates a sound off to the north west of the chamber. Using what he could remember from his discussion with Amos back in the temple when the party first arrived at El-Balans, he tries to mimic his accent as best as he can.

"Help me!" the voice says in anguish, "Help me! I'm over here! My leg! My leg!"

Elloharin slips carefully and quickly to the other end of the bridge, looking for a view of the mage. 'Drat! Crayne was right, we should have started the carnage as soon as he landed. What's the big deal? We destroyed about thirty of them outside!' But there is no time for this. He hears Amos' mimicked voice down the corridor, 'Brilliant, Crayne, may it work yet!'

El takes one of the arrows taken from the dead soldiers outside, and draws it to his bow. He thinks he may have finally gotten the hang of this bow. About damn time too. He aims at one of the soldiers armed with bows. Then he waits. At the first sign that the soldiers have seen Amos or Crayne, floating above them, he plans to release the arrow, and to continue firing at soldiers with bows until he can see the mage.

Emma crawls along the bridge, coming up next to Elloharin the Dimmed. She readies her own bow, nocking an arrow and aiming down into the cavern. "Pick a target," she whispers to the elf, "We'll both shoot at the same one and hopefully take him out with a single flight of arrows. But wait for the right moment..."

Her eyes flicker toward El to measure his resolve and then turn back to the scene below. Emma's heart feels tight inside her chest and she's unsure what they can do to get Storm to safety after Crayne levitates Amos back up to the bridge. 'Hold on,' she mentally prays, 'Anhur rewards patience with victory.'

As the party on the bridge continues to watch and wait, Emma whispers to them again. "If things go from bad to worse, I'll try to hold some of the soldiers while the rest of you scramble down the rope. I've seen the enchantment of that particular prayer affect up to four grown men before. But no more. In the meantime, let's give Storm a chance to rejoin us and do our best to cover his retreat. He's resourceful enough and comfortable enough underground that he just might evade them anyway. But stand ready, just in case...and if they spot Amos being lifted up here, well, we're definitely going to have to start firing arrows then. But let's hold our fire for now...and give Crayne and Storm the maximum amount of time to get away from them before we give away our position."

Down below, Storm looks left, then right, taking in the entire scene as quickly as he can. He curses several times in his mind, angry at his stupidity for getting caught in such a situation. This was ridiculous! He was down here with the entire Caerloon party--and only a few feet from them!--while everyone else was up on top of the bridge.

He looks over his shoulder to Crayne and Amos, almost at the top of their ascent. 'At least we finished the job...' he thinks. 'Well, almost...'

Then, as the battle sounds with the illusional scorpion rage on, Storm again realizes his predicament. And there was only one way to solve it: get the heck out of there! Storm inches backward a bit, then with a slight growl in frustration over the whole situation, he begins to move. He moves backward, trying to stay as quiet and as hidden as possible, but also trying to move as fast as he can. As soon as he sees his path is clear, he bolts for the entrance to the lower cave that the Caerloon troops entered the room from. 'Heck, if they found their way here through that door, there must be away back out,' he figures. He also figures should he be spotted by the enemy, his friends above can cover him with their arrows. If he indeed is spotted, he plans, he will all-out sprint for the doorway, hoping to find a spot to temporarily hide or find the entranceway back to the first cavern.

'Aye, gods, if ye be up there, get me out o' this!' He thinks as he moves as quickly as possible.

Hannibal sits nervously, on pins and needles as the saying goes. He knows the time for attack isn't now but may be soon. Edging ever closer to the overhang, he nocks an arrow and waits, picking out his targets below in strategic order.

"C'mon Crayne, levitate a little faster why don't ya!" he mutters to himself.

Skandor watches for many long seconds as Crayne and Amos ascend upwards to the bridge at an agonizingly slow pace. After a few moments, Skandor realizes his breathing has stopped, and he takes in a deep, silent breath, releasing some of the tension built up in his body.

Slowly crawling, he positions himself near the rope. Seeing Emma, El, and Hannibal with bows, the Sword Bearer assumes he would be one of the first to go down the rope should the situation call for a direct-assault. He watches further, gritting his teeth as he makes out the faint form of Storm, just mere feet away from the enemy! While rescuing Amos was a priority, the paladin would be damned if they would be willing to trade Storm for the Hathean priest!

Skandor watches as the party's bowmen (and woman) prepare to fire. Reaching down, Skandor takes the rope in his gauntleted hands, ready to swing downward and slide down the rope if the situation calls for it. Meanwhile, though, he prays silently to Anhur, hoping that His might would see his companions back up to the bridge safely.

Covarc, the Red Dragon mage, whips his head around as he hears Amos' voice calling out in pain. His eyes are narrowed as he cocks his head, listening intensely. Was he simply trying to figure out from which direction the voice was coming?

"That way, sir," Joelen, the officer, says to the mage, pointing to the northwest corner of the large cavern.

"Send two of your men," Covarc replies, his voice low and cold.

"You two," Joelen says to two of the nearby soldiers, sending them toward the voice. "The rest of you, hold position. Hold your fire."

"But the scorpion!" one of the remaining soldiers complains.

"Never mind the--!!" he screams. Then he catches his breath, "The scorpion matters not to Covarc, so it matters not to us."

Meanwhile, Storm is slowly slinking away, so far undetected. He passes the last of the statues, entering into the open area between the statues and the entrance to the cavern, which he can see on the northern side of the cave. He moves slowly so as not to attract too much attention.

"Go Storm," Canter whispers. He then flicks his eyes over to Amos' form, which is just about at the top of the bridge. "Grab him!" the fighter calls out to the paladin.

Skandor reaches for Amos' fleshy arm with a gauntleted hand. He grips the Hathean priest tightly, raising him up and onto the stone bridge with a little effort.

Amos opens his mouth, about to speak, but Skandor places a hand over it. "Don't speak," the Sword Bearer instructs the priest. "We're not out of the woods yet."

"Sir!" one of the two soldiers sent to investigate Amos' voice calls across the cavern to his officer and the mage, "There ain't nothing here, sir! I can't find 'im!"

"Nothin'!" the other soldiers adds.

"Just as I thought," Covarc replies quietly, such that only Joelen can hear. He then turns to Joelen, saying, "the Director didn't simply wander off. Those blasted upstarts from Rinder are here."

"Sir!!" the first of the two investigating soldiers then screams loudly.

Joelen and Covarc immediately turn to face the soldier, who is pointing across the chamber, toward Storm's position! "A dwarf!!"

Caught in the open, Storm is tempted first to scream in frustration, but stops himself, knowing that it would be wasted time and effort. What was needed now was speed, strength, stealth, and a little help from his friends above.

"Things just went south," Hannibal mutters, watching and hearing the two soldiers shout to their commander and the mage. Though he can't hear the latter's reply, he can plainly see the soldier's point toward Storm. First the thief glances toward Amos, making sure the priest is secure. Then he looks over to Emma as if awaiting the order. "Priestess..." he groans.

"Give me one moment..." Emma replies. Then she lays her bow down and stands, calling upon Anhur's power from deep beneath the desert. Pointing her fingers at the two offending soldiers, she whispers the prayer for Hold Person, and within seconds the soldiers below are affected, having been frozen in place. Then, she looks back to Hannibal and nods.

Nodding in response, the theif raises his bow to his chin, targeting one of the two held soldiers. With a quick yank and release, the first arrow is sent on its journey. It sails high, and Hannibal bites his lip as he loads and fires a second. This second one hits the soldier squarely in the chest, and Hannibal smiles.

Canter fires not more than a second later, aiming for the same soldier. 'Best to take out the most threatening target to Storm,' he tells himself as he watches both of his arrows strike the soldier below. As the second hits, the soldier dribbles blood from his mouth, his dead body suspended in the air by Anhur's power.

Elloharin fires his bow at the other held soldier. His first shot is a hit, striking the suspeded soldier in the thigh. His second misses, striking the dusty, hard-packed dirt on the floor of the cavern and splitting into wooden shards upon impact.

"Skandor," Emma says, looking to the paladin.

She need not even continue the sentence, the Sword Bearer quickly secures his things and grabs for the rope, preparing to descend to Storm's aid. "Mage Crayne?" he whispers, not wanting to collide with the invisible mage on the way down.

"I am here!" Crayne replies, standing next to Skandor on the bridge.

"Good," is all Skandor says as he tightens his grip on the heavy hemp and throws himself over the edge of the bridge, his body swinging awkwardly beneath the bridge like a pendulum until he can steady himself and begin the trip down.

Storm sees the arrows strike the two held soldiers and smiles, knowing that help is on the way. He can also make out with his excellent vision in the darkness a shape coming back down the rope...Canter? Skandor? It was hard to tell and he didn't have time to waste on that right now! As his gaze scans the scene from the rope toward the statues, he sees clearly the officer and the mage, positioning themselves on the (east) side of the statues away from the bridge. Did they know where the rest of Rinder's Six were, or were they just coincidentally taking up position there?

The question isn't exactly answered--at least not in any way Storm might like. With surprising speed and incredible force, the dwarf is suddenly struck in the chest as he quickly backpedals from the scene by three missiles much like Crayne's magical ones. The impact sends him flying backwards, landing on his back on the ground with a thud. (8 hp damage)

"Where in the nine hells did that come from?!?" Hannibal curses as he sees his dwarven friend thrown to the ground below. He searches his field of view for the mage, but the Red Dragon fiend has cleverly hidden himself behind the statues--and out of a direct line of fire.

"This is not good..." Canter moans, reaching for two more arrows from his quiver.

At the same time, Joelen orders his men: "New target! Commence firing on the dwarf! Fire at will!!"

Two of the six soldiers standing with Joelen and Covarc are already prepared to fire. The first lets loose his arrows, the first of which sails high but the second of which strikes Storm's leg just after the dwarf hits the ground. (4 hp damage) The second ready soldier then fires, also missing with his first but hitting with his second shot. (4 hp damage)

"The rest of you," Covarc yells over the whining of the illusionary scorpion and the sounds of his soldiers' arrows sailing towards Storm, "prepare to move out. Standard formation. That way!"

"Could you hear that?" El asks Emma.

"Not clearly," she replies, her eyes not looking to the elf but wide, scanning the scene below.

"I thought I heard 'move' and 'that way.'"

"Do they plan to retreat?"

El shrugs, reloading his bow. "I can't be sure. And even if I were, without seeing him we won't know which *way* they'll retreat!"

1. HP Status: Canter 32/44, Crayne 29/16, Elloharin 25/25, Emma 42/42, Hannibal 21/26, Skandor 35/38, Storm 11/50.

2. Rinder's Six:

CANTER, CRAYNE (invisible), ELLOHARIN, EMMA, and HANNIBAL are on the bridge. Canter, El, and Hannibal are armed with bows. Emma has just finished casting Hold Person, and Crayne has just finished bringing Amos onto the bridge. SKANDOR is on his way down the rope. Going as fast as he can (allowing some slipping and rope-burn) he should arrive at the bottom during the next round. STORM is lying on the cavern floor, a little more than half way between the statue formation and the north wall (along which he sees a doorway), just east of the bridge. He has just been hit by the Red Dragon mage's Magic Missile spell and by two of the Caerloon archers.

3. The Caerloon party:

TWO Caerloon soldiers were sent to the northwest corner of the cavern to investigate Amos' voice. They discovered Amos was not there. Both are currently being held by Emma's Hold Person spell, and will continue to be held until 147.1. One of these soldiers is dead, the other is injured but still alive. The RED DRAGON MAGE (COVARC) and the OFFICER (JOELEN) are positioned on the east side of the statue formation, effectively using the statues as cover from Rinder's Six on the bridge--though it is unclear whether they are aware that Rinder's Six is actually on the bridge, or whether the bridge exists at all! They could be in this position for another reason, perhaps? With Covarc and Joelen are SIX MORE SOLDIERS, two of which are currently firing upon Storm, and the other four of which are allegedly about to cover the mage's retreat, though it is unclear at this time which direction they will retreat toward.

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Turn 146.3: A Taste of Covarc’s Power

Posted: 3/25/01

(146.2)

Crayne quickly jumps up over the ledge and back onto the bridge. The perspiration trickles down his face. He is pleased to be on solid ground again. However, what worries him is his friend Storm. He is still down there in the middle of it all.

He looks to Amos, "You have done well, Amos! You are now with Rinder's Six! Stay low now!" Crayne says, "One of our friends is still down there caught up in the confusion! It is imperative that we bring him back to safety!"

Crayne, still invisible, scans the area down below looking for any sign of the mage. He then casts Detect Magic. 'What better method is there to trace a mage with?' he thinks to himself. Once his eyes adapt to the brilliant colours of magic he again searches for the mage's presence.

Looking down over the bridge his eyes are suddenly struck by a bright barrage of colors. He can see four bright orange spots of light--the statues?--and between them a softer, yet still present, glow of magical aura. Confused within this mesh of brilliance is another color, a deep red, almost blood, strong. The mage? It is very close to one of the strong orange spots. 'That would make sense,' Crayne thinks to himself, 'if the mage is still standing behind the statues...and if those orange spots are the statues!'

"Spread out," Emma suggests, quickly moving away from the group of archers to take up a position on the far side of the bridge. Hopefully, she could get a better line of fire on some of the other targets in the room...or at least see if there was a group forming up to retreat.

Moving down the bridge to get a better vantage point, Emma fires another two arrows, trying to eliminate as many targets as possible. 'We've got to do something to keep them from trapping Storm or harming him any further,' she tells herself. Her first shot misses, but her second strikes one of the two soldiers who had just a moment before fired their bows on Storm. The Shield Maiden smiles with the hit.

She glances back toward the others and calls across the bridge, "Canter? Let's join Skandor and get Storm out of there. There's enough bows up here with Hannibal and El to cover us." She passes by the others and leaves her short bow with them, knowing that a sword is all she'll need when she gets to the battle below.

Hearing Storm's muffled cry and curse, Elloharin is suddenly stabbed by a hitherto unknown fear. He'd noticed the dwarf massaging his body prior to his descent, he'd no idea the dwarf was so badly injured. He had not known Storm for very long, and granted he was a dwarf, but he knew Storm wouldn't last for very long down there by himself. He remembered Storm's forebodings and suddenly an angry tear starts from his eye. 'You and Crayne will be the best dressed pincushions I ever see if you be going down there.'

Well he and Crayne were safe now, but Storm, Storm was already about to fulfill his own terrible prophecy. He remembered fondly the dwarf thrusting food into his face while at Crayne's mentor's home, in a food contest with Skandor. He remembered the dwarf after they'd sacked the camp of Blood Clan, streaming bloody vengeance from every pore, complimenting the elf's blade. He remembered the hurt in Storm's eye from Emma's crushing admonishment, barely hours ago. He could not see the dwarf dead, he would not. An angry haze boils before his eyes and he stands upon the bridge screaming at the top of his lungs.

"JOELEN! You scum for brains, you mindless, brainless, son of a constipated goblin whore. You son and heir of a mongrel bitch, fight me you gibbering sycophant, or are you too scared to take a shot at me, I'm an elf and more of a man then you'll ever be, you simpering peasant rogue, you can't even stand up to an old cretin like Covarc. I bet you don't even have the courage to take a shit without his permission you blubbering sack of orc turds! Come on and fight me you pathetic stinking, half rotted carcass! Or is your aim too bad, maybe you can't even see me, you scurrilous, sniveling, wretch. What are you gonna tell your mother about today you, bloated piece of intestines, after you've had your way with her!"

Skandor steadies himself for just a moment, clinging to the heavy hemp rope, before setting his jaw for the pain that was sure to come. Loosening his grip slightly, he flies down the rope with amazing speed, and tightens his grip just before hitting the floor. Aye, the pain is sharp and tense, and the burning sensation he felt beneath his gauntleted hands is both hot and piercing. But all the while, his eyes are on the fallen dwarf.

The missiles of light had slammed his shorter companion hard to the ground, and for a moment, just a split second, Skandor thinks that perhaps it is too much for the dwarf. But he can see Storm moving slightly, sure sign that he is far from dead.

Upon landing hard on the ground, without pause, Skandor dashes to Storm, un-slinging his new shield on the run. He intends to kneel between the dwarf and the archers, shield raised in a protective fashion.

Hearing El's almost-evil taunt of the enemy named Jolen, Skandor smiles at some of the insults. Such language was not often heard in the silent, religious halls of his temple! But perhaps El's words will further serve to take away at least some of the attention from Storm.

For the first time in a long time, Hannibal is worried about something else. Even if he was a rude, crude, smelly, and morally offensive dwarf...he was the closest thing Hannibal had had to a best friend in some time. Knocking another arrow, Hannibal scans the cavern floor for more targets. He can see out of the corner of his eye Skandor hit the rope and almost decides to follow...but then decides he would be of far better use up here. 'Let Canter and El go down next, they're better swordsmen anyway.'

"Hang in there little buddy, help's on the way!" Hannibal mutters, already having doubts about not letting Crayne try his plan. The thought of Strom down there with a Red Dragon Mage alone were a bit unsettling. He fires his arrows upon one of the two soldiers who had recently fired on Storm (he chooses the one that Emma did not just hit). His first shot is good, impacting upon the soldier in the upper arm and causing the soldier to wince in pain. His second arrow flies wide, striking nothing but air.

Storm twitches on the ground for a moment, then musters up enough control to pull the two arrows out of his body. He gets up to his hands and knees rather quickly though can't immediately rise farther than that. He looks down to his shirt where three small holes have been burned away, the smoke entrails still flowing off them like a recently extinguished candle. "Blasted...mage..." he mutters, shaking his head to clear away the dizziness. He thinks he hears Elloharin yell something, though it all sounds garbled to him. Was the elf still up on the bridge anyways? What about the rest of the Six?

The thoughts of his situation and his friends suddenly sends a rush a adrenaline through his body and he is able to rise. He looks around him quickly, spotting the strangely-not-moving soldier in the corner near him and the two archers reloading their bows behind him. "Bastards Caerloons. I ain't puttin' up with this crap no more..." He wipes a trickle of blood from his mouth, then turns completely around and starts sprinting as fast as his injured body will carry him toward the door that the Caerloon troops first entered the cavern through. He starts running in a zig-zag pattern, trying to throw off any attempts to aim at him by the Caerloon archers.

As he begins to run, he glances up and sees a large figure--probably Skandor--landing on the cavern floor and turning toward him. He tries to yell "Stay!!" at the man, though all he manages is a blood dripping cough. Aparently yelling wasn't a possibility for Storm right now, and his friend would therefore have to find a way to survive down on this level. Looking back ahead of him, Storm continues to run.

Seeing Storm run as best he can and disappear under the bridge, Canter smiles. But the fighter doesn't wait too long before closing one eye and aiming his trusted bow at the archer Emma had just struck. He looses two arrows, but much to his frustration, both arrows miss their target, landing somewhere in the darkened distance beyond.

The archer Emma had just hit then turns his bow toward the priestess (and away from Storm), using the sounds of Elloharin's shouting to help locate the proper position along the bridge above. Thinking he has found his assailant, he fires his two arrows. Both sail wide, arcing over the bridge and landing somewhere to the west.

The second archer, the one Hannibal had just hit, turns his bow on the thief's position. He closes one eye as he focuses on his target, and then looses his two missiles. Both fly true, one after the other, and both strike Hannibal. The first lands on Hannibal's left arm and the second in his right calf. (8 hp damage, total)

A third soldier readies his bow, turning his attention toward Skandor just as the paladin reaches the cavern floor and begins to move toward Storm. This archer's first arrow is short, but the second catches the paladin in the side, causing Skandor to feel a sharp pain as the arrowhead rips into his skin. (5 hp damage)

The three soldiers move together away from the statue behind which they, and the mage and officer, had been using for cover. The trio moves quickly but deliberately, looking around to Storm and up to the bridge. They appear to be moving off to the south.

The officer, meanwhile, is incensed by Elloharin's jabs and verbal assault. Certainly the elf's Taunt spell was having some effect. Joelen's face grows red with rage as he realizes he cannot get to the elf and attack him immediately. So he instead draws his large sword and begins to trot toward the rope.

At the same time, the mage begins to move from his cover into the open, joining the three soldiers covering their movement. He looks up to the bridge, stopping for a moment, and then raises his hands and begins to whisper to himself. Then, suddenly, with a horrific "crack!" and a burst of light, a spiked surge of white-hot lightning fires forth from the mage's outstretched hands toward the bridge. It's journey is nearly instantaneous, leaving not a second for Rinder's Six to prepare for the assault. The searing bolt slices across the bridge, its powerful magical electricity sniping at those taking position up there. Crayne is struck (even while invisible) and thrown off his feet, his invisible body landing across Emma's as she too is struck. (19 hp damage to Crayne and Emma) From their positions, El and Hannibal are also seared, but not quite as badly. Still, the pain and heat is intense. (10 hp damage to El and Hannibal)

Amos screams with the impact of the lightning bolt, being thrown off his feet. But he doesn't appear to be in critical condition. Canter, however, is struck directly in the chest (19 hp damage), the sheer force of the magical lightning sends him flying backwards, clear over the edge of the bridge, tumbling through the air toward the hard cavern floor below!

(146.3)

Rising to her feet (and gently pushing Crayne aside), Emma looks to the others quickly, noticing instantly that Canter is missing. "Canter!" she yells, rushing to the edge as she can hear his scream echoing up from his falling body, below.

Elloharin the Dimmed is already working. Not even bothering to take the time to rise again, he inches to the edge of the bridge on his stomach, casting his Feather Fall spell on Canter's seemingly doomed body. Almost instantly, Canter's rapidly descending form slows as it becomes lighter, floating the last ten feet to the floor like a piece of down.

"Well done, El!" Crayne says, patting the elf on the shoulder as he lies prone on the edge of the bridge.

El smiles, not over his shoulder toward Crayne, but down toward Canter, as he sees the fighter's wounded body touch down on the floor below ever so delicately.

Seeing the situation with Canter under control, Emma moves to the rope and wraps her feet and arms around the line, preparing to rapidly slide down to the floor. She can feel the roughness of the braided hemp through her chain-gauntlets and worries about being able to control the speed of her descent. 'If I go a little too fast, I'll just have to roll out of the drop when I reach the floor,' she tells herself. She takes a deep breath, hoping her luck will hold true, and then launches herself over the edge and into the abyss.

Turning his attention away from El, Crayne narrows his eyes as he spies the Red Dragon mage below, finally in the open. He is tempted to address the mage, to yell at him and demoralize him as Crayne knew he could. But he also knows that time is short, and if he didn't act soon, the mage would surely slip away. So he points his finger and intones the words of his familiar Magic Missile spell, instantly sending three missiles toward the mage. They strike with muted explosions, sending the mage back-stepping and into the arms of one of his accompanying soldiers. He doesn't appear to be defeated, but is certainly physically wounded. Crayne smiles in satisfaction. 'That is a start!' he tells himself.

Looking at Storm with a grim smile, Skandor speaks to the dwarf in a guttural tone. "Let's give them a little larger target to shoot at, shall we?" Still holding his shield up with his left arm, his right hand crosses his waist to the hilt of his gladius. Drawing it smoothly, his mind instinctively recites the various pre-battle prayers hastily and reverently.

'May your might guide me and protect my companion... my friend,' he thinks to himself as he rises and charges the nearest archer with a war-cry. For the first time in awhile, he feels totally free of concern and worry. Emma is safe up on the bridge (or so it seemed!), out of harm's way. The enemy is before him, manageable, within sight and sound. This knowledge only spurs him on as his face twists into a mask grim determination: a mask of justice.

He soon reaches one of the archers who originally fired on Storm. Wielding his blade, he attacks, slicing into the soldier's arm. The soldier hadn't been prepared, still armed with his bow. But with Skandor's attack he tosses his bow aside, reaching for his own long sword.

Meanwhile, with Emma on the way down and Skandor covering him, Storm sprints as best he can for the doorway before him, directly underneath the doorway Rinder's Six had used to enter this cavern on the bridge level. He reaches the doorway in no time, throwing himself through the threshold and against one of the stone walls of the corridor beyond. Breathing heavily, the dwarf stops for a moment to catch his breath and look upon the scene. He can see Skandor attacking one of the archers, and he can see Emma as her feet just about touch the floor. And then, strangely, he can also see Canter! The leatherman's son was on the other side of the cavern. 'How in da blazes?!' Storm wonders to himself. Canter seemed dazed, a bit confused, but was standing alright and wasn't immediately threatened.

At the same time, up on the bridge, Hannibal groans. This battle was getting to be a bit much. He hadn't been in tip-top shape before, and that last lightning bolt didn't help. He can feel the warmth of his own blood seeping through his tunic, and can smell the stench of burnt hair. He turns his head to the side, spitting out a mouthful of blood and reaching for his bow. "Must...keep...fighting..." he whispers to himself, dragging his battered body toward the edge of the bridge facing the mage and his accomplices.

Looking over the edge, he spots the officer, Joelen, whom El had taunted. It looked like Joelen was heading for the rope...and Emma was coming down the rope at the same time! Thinking as quickly as he can, though his head is swimming, he readies an arrow, aiming for Joelen. He fires, but the shot is short, his arm too weak to pull the bowstring completely. He tries again, and this time manages to get a good distance on the shot, but it sails wide, missing Joelen completely.

Having just been struck by Skandor's blade, the archer throws his bow aside and unsheathes his own. With a labored swing he attacks the paladin, but Skandor is light on his feet and jumps aside, parrying with his own blade.

The second archer, however, is ready with an arrow in his bow. He takes a few steps back as the duel unfolds before him, and opens fire on Skandor, from almost point-blank range! The arrow needs not travel far, and lodges itself firmly in Skandor's side, causing the paladin to bite his lip in pain. (5 hp damage) Fortunately, he is not weakened too much, so that as this archer's second arrow comes his way, he ducks and lets the missile fly over his head.

As Emma reaches the ground, she is immediately confronted by Joelen, the officer. Much to her amazement, however, he does not attack her! Instead, he merely pushes her aside and reaches for the rope, beginning to pull himself up!

Shoving away the soldier into whose arms he was thrown, the mage Covarc looks around to his four troops remaining nearby. "We go now," he orders.

"But sir, what about--?" one of the soldiers protests.

"Joelen and the others will find us...if they make it!" Covarc screams in reply. Then he begins to speak in some archaic language once again, weaving his arms through the air over his head and in front of the four soldiers with him. Then, the spell complete, he points a finger to the south.

Two soldiers take the lead, then Covarc, then two taking up the rear guard. They run with incredible speed. It is almost inhuman! They begin to cover the distance to what is presumably another exit from the chamber very rapidly, such that it is almost difficult to see exactly where they are, though with concentration one might.

"Emma!" Canter screams to the priestess as she stands at the base of the rope. His head is clearer now, though his body still a bit numb. "They're getting away!!" He begins to spring after Covarc and his four bodyguards, but he is just too far behind and too slow.

Stopping about ten yards from Emma's position, he turns to the priestess once more, panting and asking loudly, "do we pursue?!"

1. HP Status: Canter 13/44, Crayne 10/16, El 15/25, Emma 23/42, Hannibal 3/26, Skandor 25/38, Storm 11/50.

2. Crayne has the following spells left: Color Spray (1), Read Magic (1), and Knock (2).

3. Emma has the following spells left: Anti-Vermin Barrier (1), Command (1), Cure Light Wounds (1), Augury (2), Cure Moderate Wounds (2), Remove Paralysis (2), Dispel Magic (3), Locate Object (3), and Summon Animal Spirit (3).

4. El has the following spells left: Wall of Fog (1) and Blindness (2).

5. Rinder's Six's positions: CANTER is about ten yards away from EMMA on the cavern floor, he is under no immediate threat. CRAYNE is still invisible and on the bridge. ELLOHARIN is still on the bridge. EMMA is on the cavern floor at the bottom of the rope. Joelen, the Caerloon officer is trying to scurry up the rope and doesn't seem to be threatening her. HANNIBAL is still on the bridge, quite weakened. SKANDOR is on the cavern floor, dueling with one of the two archers who originally attacked Storm. He is threatened by that enemy as well as the second archer who is attacking him with bow and arrow at near point-blank range. STORM is just past the threshold to the doorway into the cavern, directly undernearth the entrance that Rinder's Six used to gain access to the bridge. AMOS is still on bridge

5. Caerloon party's positions: One of the two held soldiers sent to investigate Amos' voice is still held by Emma's Hold Person spell (the other is dead). One of the two archers who attacked Storm is dueling with Skandor, while the other attacks Skandor from nearby. Joelen is scampering up the rope slowly, apparently intent on reaching the bridge (lasting effects of El's Taunt spell?). He takes little notice of Emma nearby. The mage and his four bodyguards (the four remaining soldiers) are running with unnatural speed to the south, suggesting another exit there.

The illusion of the scorpion is still there, but nobody seems to be paying it any attention anymore.

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Turn 146.5: Dropping Joelen

Posted: 3/30/01

(146.4)

Crayne smiles with the success of his magic missiles. He looks pleased with El too. He had put the lives of Rinder's Six in trouble, but he had done it to draw away the fire from Storm. If he hadn't done so, Storm would now more than probably be lying dead. Furthermore, with Canter plummeting to his death he had again saved his life too. Crayne looks to Elloharin the Dimmed, "Well done Elloharin! You have saved many lives today! Your methods are certainly original and effective! I no longer have any doubts regarding your presence within this group. You are a valiant member of Rinder's Six!"

Dazed from the blast and from the confusion flailing all around him, Elloharin stumbles to the edge of the bridge, looking down briefly. Canter made it. He breathes a sigh of relief and sinks to his knees for a moment. Crayne's words wash over him like cold water. Prove himself? Prove himself? As if he needed to prove himself, to he or any other member of the Six? And then he stopped. Wasn't that exactly what he had

been trying to do? Wasn't the real reason for his support of this disastrous rescue attempt, that he wanted--or needed--to prove himself? The thought fills him with immediate shame. That he could have been so selfish. And yet, he knows that this was not the first time that he had nearly killed all who knew him.

"It will not happen again. It will not happen again. Never ever ever again," he murmurs half-deliriously.

Crayne then looks down to Joelen who still tries to climb the rope. He addresses Elloharin, "Keep on taunting him Elloharin and when he climbs up a reasonable distance cut the rope! Although do not let him fall too far. He will be useful for questioning if the mage gets away!"

It is then, out of the corner of his eye, that El sees Joelen, the Caerloon Captain, rising on his rope! He stands shakily and approaches the rope, languidly looking over it. "Well, well well, looky here. The great Captain Joelen. Big daddy Covarc isn't here to help you now, Jolly Joelen. Think you can take on one little elf, all by your self? Oh poor baby, you look pretty scared, maybe you're having trouble controlling your bowels right about now. Well, don't worry, after I've taken care of you, I'll get your mother to come clean you up. On the otherhand, maybe she won't want to help you, I understand human women have a great affinity for elves."

Smiling grimly, El turns his back on the Captain who is only halfway, and quickly turns his attention on Hannibal, a few feet away, burnt nearly to a crisp, blood streaming out of his body from multiple wounds.

El murmurs in elven to the dying man, "Don't worry friend thief, the battle is over for now. You fought bravely and expertly. El quickly takes the blanket that Skandor had given him, days before, on the fateful road to El-Balans, and covers him with it. Wrapping it as tightly to his body as he can, trying to keep the blood in.

El returns to the bridge, watching Joelen nearly rise to the top. "Hey Joelen, about all that crap I said about your mother, I was only kidding. I'm sure she's a fine upstanding lady." With that, Elloharin looses the grapple from where it is stuck in the stonework of the bridge, and lets the man fall. Joelen's eyes widen as they perceive the elf letting go of the rope.

"No, wait, noooooo!!" he screams, his body falling all the way down to the hard cavern floor. He lands with a loud "crack!" in a clump not far from Emma. She turns to see him as he hits the floor, her attention drawn by the scream. She can see he is still breathing after the fall, but off-white bones stick up clearly through the skin of his legs and a pool of blood is gathering beneath him.

Stunned for a moment, Emma watches Joelen, the Caerloon officer, in a bloody heap on the floor. She had half-expected him to run her through with his sword, never expecting to meet up with someone at the bottom of the rope and completely taken by surprise. She had considered climbing up after the warrior, but then correctly thought to herself that El and Hannibal could handle him.

Stopping about ten yards from Emma's position, he turns to the priestess once more, panting and asking loudly, "Do we pursue?!"

Emma shakes her head. "No," she says, "If their mage can hurl lightning with such ease, we need to regroup so we can attack him and his men together. Right now we're just too split up to have a good chance of success. We need Crayne, Hannibal, and El to support us and if they get off into those tunnels, there's little our friends can do to help carry the field. Besides, we're all reeling from that last attack...and Storm has to be sorely wounded as well."

She points in Skandor's direction. "Let's help the Sword Bearer and find Storm. That's the important thing right now," she suggests. Not waiting for the leatherman's son, Emma then rushes off to assist the paladin. Her path takes her to the remaining Caerloon soldier immobilized by her god's power and the Shield Maiden quickly strikes a blow with the pommel of her broadsword that will insure the man falls into unconsciousness.

Skandor instinctively flinches as twice, now, arrows strike into his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees that Storm has made it safely out of the way...thank Anhur! Also, he keeps his focus on the wounded swordsman in front of him, while noticing that the archer has again reached for his quiver.

Recalling what he had learned about missile fire and close combat, Skandor barrels into combat again with the swordsman, trying to get as close as possible. If anything, the swordsman might provide a little shielding from his bowman compatriot. Thankful that he had thought to equip a shield, Skandor dances to the left, in an attempt to put the swordsman between himself and the archer. 'Two against one,' he thinks with a wry smile, 'Blessed is Anhur!'

"Rawwwwr!!!" he growls as he slashes left, an attack with the intent of his momentum taking him past the swordsman to his flank, again keeping his bladed enemy between himself and the archer. His blade sinks into the swordsman, tearing into his flesh with superior strength and skill. In seconds, Skandor pulls his sword from the soldier's body, a thick stream of Caerloon blood running down the blade. At the paladin's feet, the former carrier of that blood lies dead.

Once Storm makes it into the entranceway to the passage under the bridge, he takes a glance over his shoulder to see who's pursuing him. Much to his surprise and delight, no enemies are in pursuit! He quickly stops and slinks down against the wall, melding into what shadows he can find. He braces one arm against the wall to support himself, and he breathes heavily, his breaths coming short and with a rasp. He coughs, a bit of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Yet he still stands. Badly injured, though not out for the count, Storm's adrenaline keeps him going. Skandor had certainly made his way down to the cavern floor in a hurry and was successfully holding the enemies at bay. Storm finds himself having a deep appreciation for the sturdy human. And Skandor certainly liked the dwarf...'I's wonder why he be takin' a likin' to a scruffy dwarf? He probably the cleanest human I ever be seein'...what's he like me fur?' Storm thinks, a small smile cracking his bloody visage. A moment later, Emma makes her way down and moves to join her fellow Anhurian in the melee. That Caerloon captain had disappeared, though Storm didn't care at that point. As long as he was safe for the moment!

He lets out a soft grumble. His friends had ever faithfully comes to his aid as soon as trouble brewed. Storm smiles; they were certainly good friends! Even Emma, the one who had insulted him and who has still not apologized....she could certainly still hold her own in battle, and Storm respected that.

But he wasn't about to let her and the rest of his friends steal all the fun! That and he certainly wasn't willing to stand idly by as his friends dispatched the enemies. He was hurt, but no good dwarf in all of Rinder would ever stop fighting until the last breath had escaped his or her lips. Crouching lower into the shadows, Storm unhooks the crossbow from his pack and grabs three bolts from his quiver. 'Time ta get me some more practice with this thing,' he thinks, pulling back the string. He quickly loads and takes aim at the closest enemy to him.

He levels the crossbow at the last remaining archer on the scene, pulling the trigger and sending the barbed bolt hurling at the soldier. Unfortunately, the bolt sails wide. Storm groans in frustration, but reaches for another, trying to reload as quickly as he can.

Canter then arrives at Skandor's side, immediately focusing his attacks on the archer whom Storm had just missed with his crossbow bolt. Much to his surprise, he finds the archer very quick on his feet; both the fighter's attacks are evaded, though he does drop his bow and quiver in the process!

Crayne then turns his attention to the fast escaping mage and his soldiers. In his mind he lets go of the concentration he still uses on the illusionary giant scorpion. He then focuses his mind entirely on the ring of water command. He had been disappointed the last time he had used it. 'Perhaps the ring took a while to recharge its energies,' Crayne ponders. There was only one way that he could find out. Firstly, Crayne focuses his mind in an attempt to create an icy surface off to the southern end of the chamber. If the ring doesn’t respond Crayne will try and create a small tidal wave of water heading from the south of the chamber to the north. Just enough to sweep the mage and his four men off their feet.

At first Crayne can't tell if the ring is responding. Then, quickly, he feels the surge of power as it begins to take effect. He can feel it grow cold on his finger, and he shivers as suddenly the whole cavern seems to be colder. At the same time, a thin slick of ice begins to form near Covarc and his comrades. They run directly into it--with blazing speed--and immediately begin to slide. Two of the soldiers slip, their momentum carrying them across the ice patch with even greater speed than their legs could have! Covarc himself is flung forward, sent sliding on his chest in his initial direction. (Crayne thinks he can hear the mage scream "Blasted!!") Then the five figures disappear underneath the bridge, leaving Crayne unsure as to whether they made it out of the chamber or if something else happened.

Hannibal curses his bad aim. "What is wrong with me?!!" Then it hit him, like a sledgehammer to the back of his knees Hannibal's legs buckle and he falls hard to the stone bridge. Using what strength he has left he holds on, managing not to fall off to his death below. He had been hit, and badly too! His mind clouds as the pain overwhelms him and all he can do is moan in pain. Closing his eyes, Hannibal does his best to fight the pain but it was overwhelming to say the least.

"Hannibal?" The young thief opened his eyes to see he was now lying in the snow, a small cottage sat atop a hill some hundred feet away, a trail of smoke lazily drifting upwards from its single chimney. At the door stood a beautiful woman, although Hannibal could see her plainly, it was only her face that was recognizable to him.

"Mom," He muttered in an alien voice.

Slowly Hannibal rose and began to walk towards the woman, tears welling up in his eyes for a woman he had not seen in over a decade. "Mom is that you?"

The woman smiled warmly and waved him over, nodding in confirmation that she was indeed Abigail Winnie Smith.

Hannibal broke into a run, his legs carrying him swiftly across the hard winter’s ground. "Mom!"

As he neared her though, her form began to change and soon it was another familiar face in the doorway. "Hannibal!" he boomed in a way only he could. "Where have you been?"

Hannibal skidded to a halt, falling to his knees in respect all in one fluid motion. "My lord, you're alive?!!"

"No Hannibal, no I am not!" The voice boomed back and Hannibal looked up to get a better look, and was horrified by another change. Now, instead of a man, what stood before him was a rotting corpse. A skeleton of a man with decaying skin, no eyes, and a horrid and rancid smelling breath. "Don't you remember Hannibal, you left me! You left us all! We died there at Bigamore for you Hannibal and still you ran!"

Hands began to emerge from a thick fog that was not there moments ago. Hannibal fought to break free but could not; they were strong. "I had no choice lord, we had no support and the Orcs were too many! Please forgive me."

"No Hannibal, there is no forgiveness for a thief. That's what you are now Hannibal, you are the scum I wipe off my boot! You are nothing!!!"

Hannibal screamed as the hands began to pull at him, dragging him underground into what could only be his place of eternal rest. "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"

And then Hannibal was awake again, bathed in a light sweat and still aching from the effects of the lightning bolt. He felt alone, useless, and now as his friends were no doubt dying all around him, felt as if he failed again.

Silently he whispers a prayer, a prayer to a god he had not believed in 'til maybe now. "I'm coming Anhur, I hope you're in a good mood."

The remaining archer, having thrown his bow and quiver aside, reaches for his blade. He is unaware he has no backup left! He lashes out at Canter, managing to strike the fighter in the arm. Canter winces in pain, groaning as he can feel his warm blood once again rush to the surface. (6 hp damage)

(146.5)

Leaving behind the unconscious Caerloon soldier (still held aloft by the power of her holding spell), Emma enters the fray with Skandor. Side by side, Shield Maiden and Sword Bearer face down the enemy. The priestess feints an attack at the remaining archer, twisting past the soldier so the paladin can hopefully take full advantage of the opening.

Skandor attempts to attack in that opening, knowing full well the battle-pattern his Shield Maiden is running. He launches forward, but finds his blade knocked aside by that of the soldier. However, in blocking Skandor's attack, the soldier opens himself up for Emma's. She strikes hard, connecting with great force. Immediately following that hit, Canter's blade meets with the soldier's shoulder, sending the soldier first to his knees, then face down on the ground...dead.

Storm smiles as he sees the soldier die at the hands of his friends. He looks around the cavern, seeing the end of the battle before him. One soldier was alive but unconscious, held by Emma's Hold Person charm. And Joelen still lived, though was very badly hurt, Storm can see. There is no sign of Covarc and the other four soldiers with him.

"You guys okay down there?" El shouts from the bridge to his comrades below.

"Yeah," Canter responds, raising his head to look at the elf for the first time since he had saved his life. "Thanks for the help back there...I appreciate it."

El smiles, not sure exactly what to say. 'There will be time for words,' he thinks to himself.

Hannibal can hear the voices around and below, but the words are unintelligible. He shivers. Sleep. Sleep was calling him. His eyelids flutter and he exhales, relaxed. Curled in the elf's blanket, the thief almost drifts off to the land of dreams, but the horrifying image of that skeleton, with its rotting flesh, haunts him, and he keeps his eyes open, still.

1. HP Status: Canter 7/44, Crayne 10/16, El 15/25, Emma 23/42, Hannibal 3/26, Skandor 25/38, Storm 11/50.

2. Rinder's Six: CANTER, EMMA, and SKANDOR stand below the bridge near the bodies of two dead soldiers (the archers). STORM stands in the shadows near an entranceway immediately below the one the party used to get onto the bridge. CRAYNE, EL, HANNIBAL, and Amos are still on the bridge above. The rope is intact, but entirely on the cavern floor. The two groups are effectively separated for now.

3. The Caerloons: The mage and his four soldiers/bodyguards are gone, having slid painfully across Crayne's ice sheet toward a doorway directly opposite the one near which Storm stands. It is along the south wall of the cavern, directly below where the bridge meets the south wall. Of the two soldiers held by Emma's Hold Person spell, one is dead, the other is knocked unconscious. The other two soldiers present are the two archers whom Skandor, Emma, and Canter have finished off. Joelen, the Caerloon Captain, lies in a blood head at the spot where the rope used to let off. His legs are clearly broken and he is a painful mess, but he is still alive after his fall.

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