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 Sent: 5/5/99

Guilliam whispers tensly "This isn't good. We could all be impailed in an instant if just one of use farts!" A broad grin overcomes his face as he waves his hand under his nose. Then, he starts feeling the rock of the tiny chamber, tapping it occasionally, searching for a secret passage. Happily, as if without a care in the world, he remarks "Boys, there's either a passageway from here that we can't see or we've just walked into a trap. Personally, I'm hoping that there's a passage. But perhaps some of you should stand with weapons ready while Storm and I quickly search this tomb...uhm, I mean room."

Hearing Guilliam's comment, Storm also begins looking for secret switches or doorways in all the ways he knows how. So hoping for the excitement that would ensure should he be successful, his search of the walls, ceiling and floor is quite fervent. So much, in fact, that a few times he bumps or pushes another party member unnoticingly.

Also in response to Guilliam's comments, Edryd draws his weapon and raises his shield to prepare for anything that may be on the other side of a secret door... He whispers behind him to those in the rear to turn about and watch their backs...

Cy also takes a moment to look around thoroughly, poking the walls with a dagger and so on. After a few moments he appears frustrated (if he finds nothing) and smashes a guantleted hand into the nearest rock formation.

"Nothing," he says aloud, "Well, I say we search the rest of the mine and be leavin' quickly."

Frustrated with the futility of the situation, Crayne kicks a few pebbles on the cave floor, sending them rolling toward the dead end. He turns to the group, saying "Yes, this seems useless."

"Wait!" Guilliam says, interrupting the mage loudly. "Where did that pebble go?"

"What?" Canter asks, confused by the absurdity of the bard's question.

"That pebble. You kicked it, Crayne! Where did it go?"

"How should I know?" Crayne responds, showing his frustration.

"I saw it roll toward that wall...but it didn't stop!" Guilliam says, nearly disbelieving his own words. "It just kept going!"

Storm grumbles a few nonsensical words and pushes Guilliam aside, moving toward the wall in question. Raising his hand to the stone, he turns to the group while reaching the wall behind him, saying, "Ya see? Stone -- woah!" Instead of his fist landing on solid stone as he expected, the dwarf loses his balance, seeming to fall through the wall!

Recovering his balance and brushing off some dust, Storm seems a funny mixture of embarassment and pride in making the discovery--or at least aiding in it! Crayne, in the meantime, moves slowly closer to the wall, his mouth open but no words arriving.

"I've heard of these things," Canter says.

"Yes, illusions," Crayne says.

"Is this one of those?" Edryd asks the mage. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know any of those spells, but I know they exists. They cause things to appear which really aren't there. Like this wall..." the mage explains. Edryd nods in understanding.

"Can we just pass through?" Cy asks, not wanting to stay stationary for long.

"We might be able to. Storm certainly did, when he fell through. I wonder what's on the other side?" Crayne says.

Just as he finishes his thought, though, a new sound reverberates through the corridor. "What ho!" The words come echoing off the stone walls. "Are ye there?" The party can hear the shouts.

Cy and Edryd quickly turn to face the direction of the noise, their weapons drawn and at the ready. "Identify yourself!" Cy calls into the darkness, squinting.

"Easy, thar, men! Ye don' recognize me face?" a short figure asks, emerging from the shadows. His long beard and balding head give him away.

"Biln!" Canter shouts with a smile, "What are you doing up here?"

"Well, we hadn't seen yers in a few days, an," he explains, approaching the group, slightly out of breath, "Me men were gettin' worried. We thought we'd lost ya like the others." He wipes the persperation from his scalp and mustache.

With a little laugh, Edryd pats the older man on the back. "We're fine, friend. In fact, we just made quite a discovery up here..." As Edryd's voice trails off, a low rumbling can be heard. The floor shakes slightly, sending small stones falling from the walls and cieling. Biln looks around frantically, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Stand fast, men!" Cy shouts over the rumbling, which is growing louder. Then, suddenly, the wall next to Biln seems to explode, sending rocks and shards in all directions. From the wall emerges first a large claw which reaches into the chamber, smacking Biln hard on the back with such force that the poor man is sent flying forward, landing on top of Canter and Guilliam (sending all three to the cave floor). Then the rest of the body emerges: a large, wide, massive legs and arms, extremely tall.

"This is it!" Cy screams loudly as Biln flies by. "Let us rid this realm of this--" before he can finish his thought, the Umber Hulk's other claw lands hard on Cy's chest, forcing the warrior to fall backwards to the ground. (2 hp damage)

With a loud roar (which causes more small stones to fall from the cave's ceiling), the Hulk pounds its claws into the two side walls in a massive show of strength to Rinder's Six and one unfortunate miner in the wrong place at the wrong time...

This is it, guys! Fortunately, you've now also got Biln on your side to help with the fight (armed with a pick axe), if he can be of much help. Also, consider that space is very tight in that mine shaft!

HP Status: Canter: 22, Crayne: 6, Cy: 19, Edryd: 16, Guilliam: 16, Storm: 22, (Biln: 16).

Please send me your moves for the second half of round 33.0, as well as 33.1 and 33.2 (if you can plan that far ahead!).

Edryd's eyes go wide with revulsion at the sight of the horrifying beast. Whispering a quick prayer for courage (and thanks that he was already poised for combat) he lunges forward toward the creature, keeping shield high to deflect or at least soften any attempted strike by the creature. He attacks with a fury, thoughts of the dead they encountered and the missing miners sent mercilessly to their deaths by this... thing! Yet try as he might, his first attempt is thwarted; the large creature simply brushing the blade aside.

Storm jumps a little at the large monster's appearance, but recovers quickly. He withdraws both his long swords in whatever space he can find, and with agility tries to make his way to the front of the party to dive into the monster. Brushing past Edryd, he calls out, "aaarr, move to ye left!!" in an attempt to free up room on the right side to attack from. As he yells, he tucks his right sword under his left arm and lets loose a dagger from his belt, making sure not to hit Edryd. The dagger flies from his hand, but sails wide of the Umber Hulk. Storm stamps his foot on the dusty cave floor in frustration.

Crayne, then decides to begin casting a spell from his position behind the party. With determination, he raises his hands and face toward the Umber Hulk, yet as his eyes meet with the creature, he suddenly can't seem to remember much; not the words to the spell, not even where he is. For a moment he just stands there, a look of puzzlement on his face. He then takes a few tentative steps back from the battle scene, scratching his head in confusion.

Cy closes the visor on his helmet... making it that much easier for him not to look in the umber hulk's eyes. He draws his sword and dagger, realizing that his large shield won't be of much use here. He begins fighting with thrusting attacks from both weapons... Though his dagger misses, his broad sword lands squarely on the monster's thick hide, seeming to open up a shallow laceration. The Hulk lets out some kind of moan in response. Cy then moves as far to the side as he can to make sure others can get in on the battle, calling out, "Do nae be lookin' at its eyes! It'll drive ye mad!"

Guilliam franticly wriggles his body from beneath Biln. Leaping to his feet, he takes a step back, then another. For a moment, he stands transfixed and terrified.

Seeing the fighters surge forward to engage the horrifying beast steadies Guilliam's fears and their courage strengthens his resolve. "Come on you fool" he whispers to himself, "Don't let your friends down". Then, almost unconsciously, he finds himself reaching into his pockets. He pulls out some sand that he had gathered with Crayne while they were resting. Then he pulls out more. Gathering together sands coloured in many different hues, Guilliam shouts "Boys, let's fight smart. Attack and retreat. Attack and retreat. When you here me give the word fall back and I'll try a little of Crayne's magic on that beast."

Canter and Biln, standing by Guilliam's side, clench their teeth and fists, seeing that there just isn't enough room in the cave to get close enough to the Hulk to attack.

(33.1) The Hulk then lets loose a roar and with one of its claws attacks Edryd. The sharp weapons scratch Edryd's upper arm, opening up a long, bloody wound. (4 hp damage) Edryd lets out a yell with the impact, but stands his ground.

The other claw then reaches for Cy, striking the warrior hard on the helmet. The impact sends him flying backwards towards the stone wall, and a sharp rock from the wall punctures the back of his armor, slicing into the small of his back. (5 hp damage) Cy shakes his head, steadying himself, and removes a chunk of rock from his armor, frustrated with the pain and the fact that the armor will need repair.

The Hulk also goes after Storm, but the dwarf manages to jump aside, allowing the claw to brush past him. It hits the wall behind, sending a few stones to and fro.

Edryd then presses his attack, swinging hard with his sword. He connects, striking the hulk's hard outer hide. Storm, too attacks with his two swords. The first misses, but the second hits. Though he was aiming for the Hulk's wrist, with the movement of the creature the blade struck its upper arm, but still Storm is not disappointed with the hit.

Cy then slashes at the Hulk with his sword. The blade swings through the air, missing the monster. The warrior's blade meets with the same fate, but with a quick twist, Cy manages to land his blade back on the hulk, driving it into the creature's shoulder.

Seeing an opportunity to step forward, Canter sprints to the front line. Remembering his years of training, and finally getting comfortable with his new sword, the fighter hits the hulk hard, thrusting his sword deep into the monster's torso. The hulk twists and turns, screeching in pain.

"Canter, get down!" Biln then yells. Obeying instinctively, Canter ducks just in time for Guilliam's Color Spray spell to whiz over his head and past him. The rainbow hues, accompanied by the bard's songlike words, strike the monster. Instantly, the Hulk seems sedated, stunned and unaware, though still awake.

Crayne, unfortunately, is still confused from his eye contact with the Umber Hulk. Reaching for the cave wall far from the front line, he steadies himself, rubbing his forehead to clear his mind.

(33.2) With the Hulk stunned, Edryd jumps in to attack. He strikes the hulk, chafing its arm. Storm, too stikes the monster. Cy pounces, his sword landing hard on the hulk's hard outer skin.

Pleased with the results of his spell, Guilliam smiles. And seeing his comrades beating on their foe, he yells words of encouragement, pushing them onwards. Crayne, behind him, shakes his head, which is beginning to clear, just in time to see the terrific battle in front of them. Canter and Biln come to Crayne's side; Biln shaking the mage and Canter calling, "Don't you have some trick up your sleeve to help finish this beast?!"

HP Status:

Canter: 22, Crayne: 6, Cy: 14, Edryd 12, Guilliam: 16, Storm: 22, Biln: 16.

The Umber Hulk is currently stunned. Though it has taken a number of hits, it seems far from capitulating or turning away from the battle.

Please send your actions for the next two rounds of battle...

Cy, though in some pretty serious pain by now, has decided that this thing is WAY too dangerous to let live. Remembering his friends who were killed or maimed by umber hulks in the past, he fights with his head to make sure he can kill this thing. With the Hulk stunned, Cy takes the opportunity to try to get behind it into its own tunnel and attack it from behind. Seeing the space between the hulk and the tunnel behind quite small, he lowers his shoulder and charges at the beast, attempting to knock it aside in order to get through. He hits the hulk's hard outer skin with a lot of force, and just manages to squeeze by.

Spinning around, he lets loose with his sword, striking at the beast as hard as he can. His strike is quite successful, and a small smile comes across his face at the sight of the creature's own blood.

Guilliam, in the meantime, fights his instincts to marvel too long at his magical handiwork. Feeling the adrenalin of battle, he rushes over to Crayne shouting "Biln, Canter, I'll look after him. Now's our chance to attack the beast while it's stunned!". Canter and Biln nod at the bard and rush forward as Guilliam then continues the work of his friends and try to snap Crayne out of his delerium. While talking to the mage, he will goes into his backpack and pulls out a flask of water to spray on Crayne's face. "C'mon Crayne, snap out of this. Remember all you taught me about mind control. Get control of yourself. Use your mental training to regain consciousness!"

The clouds behind Crayne's eyes seem to clear, as he reaches for Guilliam's chest and pushes the bard away. "Okay! I think I'm okay....I'll be allright, now! Thanks!"

Edryd feels an almost supernatural surge in purpose and energy as he charges forward on the stunned beast. He strives to strike at the spot that looks the weakest, his first thought being to try to reach up and drive his sword through the roof of its mouth into its cranial area, or even through an eye... With the beast stunned, he aims his sword with greater ease, and its sharp blade cuts into one of the beasts outer eyes. As his blade strikes, however, Edryd feels he must look away for a moment. He looks around him, unsure of his surroundings.

Biln, arriving at Edryd's side, sees the state the Paladin is entering. "Not you too!" he calls out. And with an open fist, he slaps Edryd hard on the cheek.

Feeling the sting, Edyrd immediately focuses on the balding miner. "Thanks," he says with a quick smile.

Storm takes the oppportunity of the foe being stunned to again try to disable the creature's weapon, aiming to sever or otherwise incapacitate the foe's claws. He raises his blades and they come crashing down on the hulk. Though they cut deeply into its flesh (at the nearest claw), they do not cut off its claw completely.

Canter, also arriving at the front line, finds an open spot (where Cy used to stand) and thrusts his sword at the hulk, poking through its hard outer skin.

(33.4) Feeling all these attacks, the hulk is rudely and painfully awakened. Coming to its senses, it lets out an excruciatingly loud scream and pounds its fist on the nearest wall. The impact knocks a huge, heavy chunk of rock from the wall, which is thrown in the direction of the attackers. It lands on Storm, driving the dwarf warrior to the tunnel floor, and cutting into his neck. (6 hp damage) A larger boulder also lands on Biln, seriously hurting the miner and trapping him on the cave floor.

Then, the hulk attacks Edryd with its undamaged claw. It stikes Edryd hard on the shoulder, sending him, too, to the floor. A large wound is opened up, and Edryd quickly reaches for it, writhing in pain. (5 hp damage)

Reacting to Storm's attack on its other claw, the hulk forcefully pulls the claw back, throwing the arm backwards and directly at Cy. Perhaps accidental, or maybe on purpose, the strong arm of the hulk rams into Cy's face head-on. Thankfully, Cy was wearing his helm, but the impact is still damaging, and sends the warrior stumbling backwards into the tunnel behind. (6 hp damage)

Guilliam, seeing Crayne return to his senses, yells at the mage. "Cast a spell! Let's finish this beast!" He then turns back to face the action, drawing a dagger to guard the mage.

Crayne responds, yelling "Okay! I've got it! Canter, get out of the way!" and raises his wrist to his forehead, wiping away some sweat. He begins intoning the ancient words of magic, moving his arms in intricate patterns. Soon, small streaks appear in the air, flying directly at the Umber Hulk. They hit the beast head-on with small explosions.

Edryd, seeing Biln struck from his position at his side, turns from the Hulk and rushes to the miner's side. "You okay?" He calls out, reaching for Biln beneath the heavy rock. "I'll get you out!" He then grips the chunk of rock, attempting to lift it. Sweat pours from his temples as he struggles with it, slowly raising it from atop Biln. He then rotates slightly, dropping the rock at Biln's side. He kneels down next to Biln's head, seeing his blood-stained shirt and disfigured arm below. "We'll get you out of this!" he says, trying to comfort him. "Canter! Help me move him out of the way!"

Canter, hearing Edryd's request, takes one quick look at the hulk to make sure the coast is clear, and then turns and rushes to their position, crouching at Biln's feet. "God's be merciful!" He whispers, looking at the body beneath him. He grabs Biln's feet as Edryd reaches for his armpits, and together they drag Biln's crushed body back away from the battle.

Cy lifts himself and shakes his head, tapping his helm back into place. Tasting some blood from his lip, he tightens his jaw and rushes forward at the back of the hulk. Unaware of the events in front, continues to press his uninterrupted attack from behind. He seems almost to enjoy himself, complaining jokingly under his breath, "'Tis not even a challenge!" His sword, again, driven deeply into the monster's back.

Storm picks himself up, cursing under his breath. He reaches for his swords, knocked from his hands, and rushes forward to fill the hole in the line vacated by Canter and Edryd. Charging at the Hulk he attacks, but finds his attempts thwarted by the hulk's remaining claw, which seems to brush aside the dwarf's blades.

(33.5) The Umber Hulk, as if in some kind of fury, lashes out at Storm, striking him hard. Storm let's out an "Oomf!" with the impact, tasting some of his own blood at the same time. Stumbling backwards, he struggles to remain on his feet, negotiating the force of the blow and the uneven, rock-studded floor beneath him. (5 hp damage)

In the same fell swoop, the hulk's claw reaches to Guilliam. The bard thinks for a second to jump aside, but remembering Crayne behind him, stands his ground and braces himself for the blow. He holds his dagger out and closes his eyes, taking the hit. He is thrown back into Crayne, sending the two to the floor. (6 hp damage to Guilliam; 3 to Crayne)

The Hulk then turns around, coming to face Cy behind him. With its damaged claw, it reaches for the warrior. Cy, trying his best to stay on his toes, moves aside to get out of the way, but finds that space is tight. Though he is able to avoid the brunt of the attack, he is still struck. (3 hp damage) He thinks to himself, "that was a bit of a challenge..."

Storm feeling the pain of his wounds, begins to backpedal. He sheathes his swords and removes a dagger, preparing to throw it at the Hulk. Then, he notices the creature turning around (to attack Cy). Changing his tactic, he lurches forward (on pure adrenaline!), a dwarven battle cry resounding through the tunnels. He leaps onto the creature's back, driving the dagger into the back of its neck. The hulk lets out another wail, this one starting strong and growing weaker as the pitch lowers.

Canter, placing Biln's feet on the ground, grabs his sword and rushes forward, too. He strikes at the creature's side (carefully avoiding Storm!), slicing deep into its skin. "I think it's almost finished!" He calls out, his voice cracking with all the effort.

Cy, hearing Storm's battle cry, the beast's wail, and Canter's encouraging words, leaps forward. With one last effort, he lashes at the Hulk. His blade pierces its outer skin and continues deep inside--up to the hilt. Storm can feel the Hulk collapse beneath him, and Cy continues to push on his sword as it guides the beast to its death on the tunnel floor.

Rinder's Six then find themselves standing around the massive body of the Umber Hulk. Their shoulders rising and falling with each heaving breath, torches burning low, having been dropped to the cave floor in the heat of the battle. Cy's helmeted head (though battered) emerges from behind the Hulk, his hand raising the eyepiece. His eyes meet with those of Storm and Canter, a silent but understood look of warrior's respect conveyed between them.

Cy's gaze then turns to Edryd, who he sees kneeling at Biln's side, looking up at Guilliam and Crayne, who stand staring down at the crippled, crushed miner's body.

HP Status:

Canter: 22, Crayne: 3, Cy: 5, Edryd: 7, Guilliam: 10, Storm: 11, Biln: 2

Phew! That was one heck of a battle! What will you do about Biln? Will you do anything about/with the dead Umber Hulk? What about the illusionary wall? WHAT NEXT?

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