<font color=skyblue>For TAOWolf</font>

<font color=cadetblue>The woman has come as the Devourer had hoped she would. Yes, let her enter these stormy mountains with her suspicions that all is not as it should be. A soft chuckle floats toward her, a mocking laugh that will lead her to a very special place .....</font>

<font color=skyblue>Yes! O yes! Come, child. Follow the laughter ...... There is simply so much for us to share!</font>

<font color=skyblue>Outwardly, she seems calm and collected, but inside she is raging.......

"I know this voice....... Who are you?? ...... "

She can practically smell the evil oozing out of the cleft in the rocks. Her eyes shine a bright silver as she narrows her eyes at the cleft.

Lifting her staff, and drawing her sword she cautiously approaches the shadows and with a final look back to the plains beneath her, she disappears into the cleft........</font>

ooc: I got it Cyril. I was hoping that Azrael would post first so that I had something to go off of, but I guess not.

ic:<font color=lightgreen>The figures of Dantes and Dankorona approached the boulder and Syrathic was ready for them. They expressed their interest in seeing the runes for themselves and Syrathic insisted on accompanying them. he had the best senses and he'd be able to raise the alarm if they were surprised.

The elf creeped forward slowly and silently keeping out of the light of the runes. There was nothing yet, but Syrathic was cautious all the same. He moved forward and found that the passage began to bend just ahead. Nothing seemed to be amiss, but there were strong smells resonating from the tunnel. He was about to turn back when he heard a low growl further down the tunnel. It sounded like the shadow creature he had fought just a short while earlier. "Why hasn't it noticed us yet?" he thought to himself. Then he realized that the smells from the tunnel probably masked their scent. "Lucky for us."

He quickly snuck back to Dankorona and whispered, "There's another shadow hound ahead of us and it sounds like there are more grimlocks as well. The shadow beast hasn't noticed us yet, so I think if I can take care of it without it making a sound, we would easily be able to surprise that group of grimlocks. But if I fail, I'm retreating as fast as possible. But at least you'll know what's following. Warn the others."

The elf slunk back to his position near the bend and peered out tring to pinpoint the exact location of the beast. He wanted to make sure he knew exactly where he would be striking. There was no room for a mistake here.</font>

ooc: Is Syrathic able to see the shadow mastiff? Or is he just going by the low growl?

<font color=indianred>Brendon Grey

Brendon heard the plan while the rest discussed it. Syrathic was going in to try a sneak attack on the dog that he knew was their most dangerous foe currently, and if he got into trouble, he was going to high-tail it outta there. Brendon dropped to one kneww, planted three arrows in the ground in front of him, and notched a fourth. He had positioned himself on the right side of the cave wall, aiming into the looming darkness where Syrathic would travel. Looking up at the brave elf, he said..."You're covered from here. If you come running...don't worry about what's chasing you. Though I would like a volunteer to stand at the left of the cave to help me out if it comes to melee combat."</font>

<font color="99ff00">Listening to the brief message from Brendon, Morguerat stalked forward as stealthily as his elven mail armor would allow, slowly drew a smaller sword (a non-magical long sword) and set it on the ground in front of him, then prepared a bolt for his crossbow, after shielding the light-casting coin mounted to the front of the weapon. whispering he told brendon "I'm here, we can definitely hold off anything that comes down the passage between the two of us, and those behind us can take care of spell-slinging or whatever their other talents allow."
</font>
OOC: Ruby and I are back from Idaho, and once we get the house back into a livable condition we'll probably be on here more.

<font color=indianred>Brendon

Brendon looks to his left to hear and see Morguerat's claim to the position. He nodded and smiled, thankful that he had brave companions, then looked back up the cave, trying in vain to make out movable shapes. </font>

<font color=skyblue>For TAOWolf</font>

<font color=cadetblue>It is a shallow space, this cleft that opens out into the swift moving winds. Nearly a dozen small owls lie dead inside and a patch of withered grass moves listlessly in the stormy air. The air in this space is rancid with much more than evil, it is heavy with desecration, a corrupting touch whose foulness reaches even to the thoughts of those standing within it. More terrible still, the desecration which fills this place is desecration which has found voice.

<font color=skyblue>Yessssssss ..... She has come, the woman of the silver-banded throat! ..... So pleasant indeed to meet you ..... Yes! O yes! And so right to meet here where he who had named you in that wonderfully descriptive manner prepared his assault on the Mage ..... What is it that he was named in this place? ..... Ah, yes! ‘Windbringer’ ..... Such a splendidly ironic name! ..... Allow me then, to introduce myself, woman ...... I am the Wind which follows in his passing ......</font>

Outside the cleft nothing can be heard save the gusting of wind and the striking of rain against stone, but the inside of this narrow space echos with a laughter that desecrates.</font>

Dantes studied the area ahead and the mysterious runes etched into the ground for several tedious mintues before acknowlegding the rest of the group.
"ohh yes these runes are very powerful indeed. I would like some time to study these if possible. I don't really have anything that can directly stop the hound, but I might be able to at least disable a good number of the grimlocks, so we can move on. But we would need to be ready to strike. Syrathic, Why don't you scout it out and let us know if there is anything else in that room, that we can't see. If not I can turn the floor under them to mud and we can destroy them while they are stuck in it, or I can just create chaos. Unless there are any other suggestions? Well I will plan on casting a chaos spell into the area, unless syrathic gets caught. If you do, lead them back here into our trap and I will pull the rug out from underneath them, so to speak."
**********
Dantes casts two spells. An improved invisibility on Syrathic, and a stoneskin on himself if need be.

OOC: sorry have been busy busy busy [img]smile.gif[/img] should be more active now

Edit: another idea ;)

[ 01-07-2003, 07:13 PM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]

ooc: Okay, here goes nothing! ;)

ic: <font color=lightgreen>Syrathic realized that Dantes had casted an invisibility spell on him, but he wasn't sure if it would sense the mastiff had a good sense of smell. He continued to peer out, but could not see the creature; he only heard its low growl. Even though the cavern walls might distort the sound and make it appear to come from a different location, the elf was almost certain that he had pinpointed the creature's position. He pulled out his blades and moved forward as stealthily as possible.

As he approached, he thought he saw a movement by the beast. It came from the spot that Syrathic had heard the growling, and he hoped it was the mastiff and not a figment of his imagination. With a quick silent prayer to whatever gods were listening, he bounded forward, blades searching for their mark.</font>

ooc: Okay, Cyril, I'm going to put this in your hands. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color=indianred>Brendon Grey

Brendon watched the elf disappear into the darkness, wondering why invisibility had been cast on him. The Grimlocks were blind, using superior hearing to detect an enemy and the shadow mastiff had a nose! Nevertheless, it was okay because who knows what else might be up there. Maybe these creatures were being led by something greater that did need eyesight.
Brendon cleared his mind, and checked Morguerat's posistion, to see him at the ready with his cross-bow. Peering back up the pathway, Brendon tried to concentrate on any movement or sound that might appear from the gloom. He'd have to hold off firing his arrow until he was sure it was not the elf that he was firing at. Hopefully, Syrathic would know enough to not run directly down the middle, but to veer to the side, and ride the cave wall to allow some good clear shots from himself and / or Morguerat.</font>