Part 7>>>The Shadow of Love (an LoF adventure)

[Legolas]

Inquisitor Marcos of Snowdale - 17/98

It slammed through an obstacle - its final one perhaps. The creature was tall, strong and noble. Granted, it was a foul undead abomination, but to the inquisitor the hammer-bearer was an omen instead. The bones bespoke its state of death, the rotting robe the decay of the physical form. The weapon...
A quick glance showed his own, the hammer rich in decoration and history, lost somewhere in the mud. Why he should chance upon another, likewise threatening to be lost as the ripples from its landing faded, was not for him to question.

The inquisitor struggled forwards, groping around for a handle or head until he found the object of his search. Had the skeleton king resurfaced he would have granted it a mercy by ending its unlife, but it was as if it had never been. He wasted no energy wondering about its ties with the castle and perchance his own blood. Instead, he started towards the only exit, following in the daemon's wake.

[Larry_OHF]

For Marcos

The Inquisitor was heard coming up behind her. She turned, a strange look on her face when realizing that the man was burned horribly and had to be in immense pain. The look in his eyes told her that he'd not stop until he'd engaged her and died in doing so. It will only take a second, she mused...and turned to face this foe as was his desire. Not many men had she known to be so brave and fight to the last breath...and his health was the poorest that she'd ever seen a living man endure. Yet onward he came. Maybe she had been wrong in thinking that the only real fight be with the blades of the elf. This human was finally showing his true worth! What an honor it will be to kill him!

She had four blades and had shrunk down closer to his size in order to fit through the corridors of this doomed castle. Still, the odds were all in her favor. One good strike should do it. She took her stance and waited for him to start this dance.

OOC>>>This is Marcos' fight. There are no others left nearby to help him. Vincent is capable of catching up to Yevaud quickly since his health is better than the elf's and also he's not carrying baggage.

[ 06-20-2006, 06:30 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

Yevaud 29/45

As Yevaud reached the stairs he slowed down, and as gently as possible lifted Kaylisa's limp form, trying not to move the sword wedged into her, and quickly ascended the stairs, leaning against the left wall to brace himself against his injury and keep the movement as smooth as possible. He saw Vincent coming up behind him and asked "Anarrima's ahead of us, could you check it out and see if she's still in the building, I'm not going to be as fast as normal," he said glancing down at the injured woman he carried.

[ 06-22-2006, 08:52 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

[Elif Godson]

Vincent Pathfinder 74/98

Running with all his might after tossing the jar at the demon he caught up to Yevaud and Tao with no issue. She looked in dire straights and the Bladesinger didnt look to be much better off either. Hearing Yevauds request to go ahead and check with Ana he complied with a nod and headed up. What he found when he entered the room made his hair rise even more. Ana appeared to be attempting a prayer as several of the undead were reaching for her. Slashing out with his blades he set to keeping himself between her and them and trying to cut down these long dead souls and send them to there final resting place.

[Larry_OHF]

Vincent had made it just in time. He kept the skeletally-doomed at bay until which time the cleric could say her words and invoke the holy powers to turn these souless individuals away. He fought with everything he had, chopping up as many as he could but they soon began to overtake him and he was being driven back, getting nasty scratches and bites...

"...and in the name of Ahurani Fairhand, Begone creatures of the Damned!"

Instantly, several skeletons exploded into dust and were finally at peace. Most of the others in the room that had been clawing to get at her and Vincent fled from the two heroes, running over some of the ones in the back that the Turning could not affect, and when the masses of bones that obstructed the rear skeletons were finally found in the line of effect, they too either exploded or fell back in unholy fear.

Anarrima stood there with her hand out, palm facing the skeletons, fingers together, and held this position so that Vincent could finish the job and clear the room.

The most interesting thing to Vincent...while he was slicing through the skeletal figures...was that in one of his horizontal slices to seperate a skeleton's spine in two, the slice produced a magical affect that equally cut through four more skeletons' bodies at the same height on their figures that were standing behind the one that took the attack. It only happened once so far, and he had no idea how it even happened.

OOC>>>In the attacks, Vincent took 18 hp damage from the skeletons before they were turned.

[ 06-22-2006, 01:08 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Elif Godson]

Vincent Pathfinder 56/98

Using every trick he had learned to this point, he parried, and weaved and sliced with every ounce of his being. The undead were just to many and they kept coming with the yearning that only the dead can have for the living. Then as if out of no where, the bone yard started exploding. Vincent could only assume Ana had completed her spell, with the blood rushing to his ears he could hear very little. As the skeletons exploded, the dust of age's past blew into the air almost choking him as he breathed deeply from the combat. With another slash he came down one particular skeleton that was giving him a difficult time, and not only did he cleave this one, but four others as he completed his cut. Momentarily awed by this event, a smirk came to his face at the thought of the power in the blade, he was soon brought back as a skeleton took a bite out of his leg. Kicking at the head of the creature he managed to seperate it's head from its spine sending it across the room and into the midst of several skeletons that were already fleeing from the chaos. Looking over his shoulder to see if the cleric was alright he smiled and continued the slaughter clearing the way so that the rest could advance in hopeful saftey. He would have to ponder how and why the sword did that after he got out of this accursed place.

[Morgeruat]

Yevaud 29/45

"Ana"

The cry was weak and came from the stairs where Yevaud was just reaching the top, As he passed over the lip it became more apparent why it had taken so long to climb the stairs, the amount of blood being lost from the elf and his shapeshifting parcel made the stones slick with blood and the scent of copper filled the whole of the stairwell. Yevaud took another slow, unsteady step and slipped in the fluid as he had been forced to step away from the wall when he left the narrower passageway.

An elven curse was heard as he tried to roll and managed to get himself under Kaylisa as they hit, cushioning her from the impact. "I'm fine, but she's near dead." he said after a moment or five of labored breathing.

OOC TAO still has a rather large sword protruding from her side (I figured it would do more damage to remove it and open up more bleeding that leaving it in and not jostling it)

[Legolas]

Inquisitor Marcos of Snowdale - 17/98

He took a moment to catch his breath, his lungs protesting in another fit of agony as the air grated down inside.
This would be it then. His final folly, for it was clear to him that he would not survive to reach the surface now. His sacred task, the trial of Silverfall, would remain unfulfilled, but he was secure in the knowledge that this had but been a path set out to lead him here, in the remains of a sunken castle, fighting a curse which had affected his bloodline for centuries outside his awareness. He might fail his order, but it was how he had been destined to execute the will of the gods. After many years of training and trials beyond counting, he had reached that ultimate moment.

The burns on his face were raw pain, and still her evil presence sent his head near to bursting. One good blow, and it would all be over one way or the other.

The inquisitor planted his feet firmly on the ground, and attempted to swing the hammer at the shrunken foe.
And tried again.

To his dismay, the hammer did not move. Had his strength deserted him at this of all times?

He relaxed his stance, waiting for fate inexorable to make herself heard.

[Larry_OHF]

Ssayonele

She watched and waited for her rival to come after her, but he stood there, appearing to taunt her with his hammer and she took it as a challenge to initiate the attack. What bravery this poor doomed mortal has! Maybe he has already been resigned to his death. Either way, she was ready to be rid of him and catch up to the elf before he could escape...and this whole castle fall into ruin on top of her.

In she came then, deciding to not let him have any chance of making a hit with that new hammer he had acquired from somewhere. It obviously was special...she could feel it. It had been a treasure in this place and he had lucked upon it. She came in offencively with three longswords, her fourth being reserved to defence. Rearing up high and then coming down hard and fast, she let her blades lead the way as her attack began, cutting into the wounded man and making three fatal cuts and jabs to his life. He was doomed and never had lifted a defence against her!!!

That is when the surprise came. The hammer, being held in the hand of the dying Marcos came alive. Judgement had been passed on the marilith and she was to receive her due. Three attacks had been calculated and three would be returned to her. In the hands of the dying man, the hammer that belonged to some long-dead king and before that, who knows who...inacted its own revenge, striking in turn three times at the surprised Ssayonele, each blow carrying with it damaging effect to her physical form. She fell back, dropping her blades and holding her wounds which she could hardly remember how she got, for everything had been so blindingly fast! She lay upon the floor and glared at the man who had also fallen, the wounds he had received killing him. She realized then that she was looking into a mirror, for she would die here with this man!

The castle began now to buckle under the weight of the castle above-ground, and the left-end wall cracked and broke apart. Marsh water poured in and as it did, the building tilted heavily again, and more rock began to fall. Ceiling stones were now coming down and all she could do was stare at the man...the broken man who lay there dying near her...the one that had bested her in this battle of melee and she hated him for it...

And more rock continued to fall...



Anarrima50/67

Vincent had done a magnificent job, clearing the path. She turned to see Yevaud carrying Tao and she realized her fear of the demon had subsided after she had prayed. Now she could think more clearly and she was ashamed of her actions that brought her here...where was the human?

She wanted to rush forward and aid Yevaud with the woman, but suddenly the castle buckled again, and sounds from down below sounded catestrophic. The castle that sat on top of them was breaking through the top-floor ceiling of this building but doing so unevenly, even as the submerged castle continued to sink as it took on water. There was nothing to do. They had to just run.

"We cannot stop, or we'll be buried here! I'll never be able to pray for healing she needs in this place...we have to get out and safe!!!!

COME ON!!"

She hoped that Yevaud had it in him to continue onward. They were close. Just down the hallway, into that little room and out a window...if the window was still there...

She ran onward behind Vincent and found the room. The window was still there, and its magic was still holding the marsh out from pouring in...as now they were submerged deep enough in the marsh that they'd have to swim through it to get to air. She and Vincent paused for just a second, and she looked back to see if Yevaud was coming before she jumped through and swam, dug, or whatever it would take to get through that murky mud.

[Elif Godson]

Vincent Pathfinder 56/98

The ground was ah tremor, and footing was compromised with the earth quake of the collapsing building. He had just finished with the last of the skeleton's when Yevaud had made it to the top of the stairs. He was to far away and there was to much noise for him to hear what was said between the two companions, but what he did catch was Ana's command to move out. And so as she ran past him he followed suit, blades at the ready in case of any more surprises. Up they went and down came parts of ancient craftmanship. The castle was dieing and so would they if the window was no longer open or there, to his delight, as they entered the room again, the window was still there. Darkend and submurged but still there." The God's willing we will make it out. " He said as they paused for breath and to see where there companions were. He assumed Marcos gone due to the crushing imapct he felt from the floors below. Then Anarrima jumped through the opening before he could say anything else. " Damnit " Reaching back into another sack on his person, he did a quick rummage and pulled out what looked like a shriveld bladder. He quickly loosened the draw strings on it and shook it out, expanding it like an accordian, it pulled in air. He tightened the draw strings, and set the loose end with the strings in his mouth, and then dove through the window. If the water is deep or there is an issue, at least he will have some back up air.