Kalev's polearm, wielded over the heads of the smaller Guardians below him, swept left and right like a scythe cutting through wheat as the four smaller Undead charged. He cut down two of them before they reached the Guardian's lines, where they separately met their end, smashed apart by Ricter's flail and cut down by a two-handed swing of Casimir's blade.
The first of the lumbering cyclops' trampled over the fallen bodies, crunching undead flesh and armour underneath its bulky form. The beast seemed to moan and groan hungrily as it swung its axe in a wide arc; targeting Ricter. As though guided by some twisted divination, the Cyclop's seemed to predict Ricter's every movement, arcing its axe suddenly over where he had intended for shield to meet blade. The axe swing was unerring and eerie in its sheer accuracy, but instead of cleaving through Ricter's chest, his armour prevented the nasty wound from being deadly. The heavy swing continued, but Ricter's metal and flesh prevented it from having enough force left over ot penetrate Malthir's own full plate armour.
With not enough room to also assault the Guardians, the zombie cyclops at the rear simply hefted its axe high and waited for a suitable opening to step in.
From behind Fenna and Kip, the other two zombies began their own pincer maneuver, having gone around the pillar in a replication of their original plan once again.
Not taking his gaze off the foe, Ricter replies to Kip:
"As far as I can see, Magister, the more of those pits you use in a fight the better off we are."
The Hellknight's shout is strained by the serious wound inflicted by the cyclops
Glancing at the two cyclops zombies moving up from behind, Casimir calls out "Although we agreed to save the spells, I think using one to secure our rear would be well spent. Put them in a hole, Kip."
I would save your spells Kip, we can handle these.
Look at that, a pincer maneuver. Who would have thought? Kip thinks to himself sarcastically.
Kalev, would you mind switching places with Fenna and I? he says with a smile. And if it all the same to you Malthir, it isn't a question of if you can handle these, but when, he adds with a wink.
The halfling sorcerer then conjures another pit, placing this one below the nearest cyclops seeking to maneuver in behind the group.
The undead zombie giant Kip targeted was many things. Agile was not one of these things. It attempted to leap clear of the pit but reacted far too late, bouncing off the interior wall of the extra-dimensional space and landing in a heap below.
Despite the wide opening Malthir was left with to strike during the giant's hefty swing, he initially had trouble piercing the tough, animated hide of the cyclops as he stepped in to strike. Eventually his blade drew blood- or whatever this thing had in place of it; a kind of sickly looking, black ichor.
Round 2-
Ordered Initiative-
Kalev, Ricter, Casimir, Fenna- 14
Undead- 4
Kip- 3
Malthir- 2
Active Effects-
Fly on Kalev
Enlarge Person on Kalev
Map-
Notes-
Action-
Determined to bring down the undead monstrosities fast, Casimir steps forward and slashes twice at the cyclops zombie.
His first stroke cuts deep into the decaying flesh, but the backstroke bounces of the giant's armor.
Turning to face the new threat behind the Guardians, Fenna raises her buckler defensively towards the hulking forms shambling forwards, only sparing a glance to the front line in assessment of the situation once Kip's magic had provided a suitable obstacle to the cyclopean advance.
Seeing the gigantic foe still advancing on the rear, Kalev moved to stand between it and his two smaller companions, calling to the front line, I assume you can handle yourselves.
Then he swung Cleft in a great arch above his head, slicing into the torso of his foe with fierce determination.
Ricter steps up with Malthir, co-ordinating his swings with the sword strikes of the Baron:
The tight confines of the tunnel and his fresh injury conspire against him, though, and the flail he ricochets from the armoured zombie and crashes against the cliff face sending stone chips flying.
Kip watches the pit with interest, wondering how long it will delay the large zombie...
Kalev relished the room he suddenly had to swing Cleft and made good use of it- tearing open the zombie's stomach with a particularly deadly horizontal slash. Inside, the three smaller combatants continued to fight in tight formation, Casimir wounding that particular Cyclops further.
The cyclops that fell into the pit made a very swift climb out- but as its mottled arm reached up over the edge of the pit with the intent of hauling itself up, Kalev severed its arm at the shoulder; and it fell once again into the extra dimensional space.
The other cyclops carefully worked its way around the pit and finally got to bring its axe to bear. Much like when the other struck Ricter, the cyclop's rotting and putrescent eye provided it with a brief flash of insight into the next few seconds; enough for it to connect its axe perfectly with Kalev's oversized neck! His sturdy breastplate and quick movements were enough to at least limit the damage the deadly stroke could do to him.
Smart enough to recognise that Casimir's lightly armoured form was likely an easier target than the heavily armoured shield wall, the half-destroyed cyclops in the tunnel hefted his axe over his shoulder for another mighty horizontal swing; only to accidently embed it into the rock and be forced to waste precious seconds pulling it free, all whilst the front line of the Guardian force stabbed and bashed its animated form...
Kip keenly watches the battle as it unfolds, but does not directly contribute, preferring to keep some of his arcane power in reserve.
Malthir attacks into the Cyclops again.
Finally landing two solid blows, Malthir let out a satisfied grint. And that is for Varnhold!
The cyclop's divination did not reveal its fate; merely a single aspect of what could have been. As it raised its axe in what it knew would be a devastating wound, Kalev capitalised on the previous damage he had dealt and with a second brutal hack, cut the zombie in half.
Inside the tunnel, Malthir's swordplay sent the zombie crashing to the ground face first- only for its ally behind it to swiftly step up atop its lower back and use its superior reach and uncanny accuracy to plant an axe blade into Malthir's chest. His armour stopped it from cutting into his vital organs and with great effort, he and Ricter forced the axe back once more with their shield.
Finish it!
Casimir strikes again, the first blow catching on the monster's armor but the second one cutting a deep gash.
Kalev moves closer to the frontline and stabs over the heads of his allies.
As the muscles of the Cyclops are carved apart by Cleft and Brightclaw Ricter's flail slams into the back of it's skull, wrenches free and swings round into the bottom of it's jaw an instant later.
"Pharasma cannot be denied."
Kip looks around cautiously, Is that the last of them?
Ricter's flail strike brought down the last undead, his grave words acting as a spoken epitaph for the twice-dead. The cliffside was silent once more, the way forward now open.
Lets push on as long as we can. Obviously this evil is bent on destroying us. Anyone in need of healing?
"One strike made it through my guard, but it was a serious one. It would be a boon to close the wound before we continue"
The daylight faded as the climb up the cliff continued. The winding trail led up onto the top of the cliff itself. The group followed the trail further, going deep into the mountain range known as the Tors of Levenies. They stopped as they reached a truly impressive sight. The Little Sellen river ran through the Tors, flowing around a small island. The island protrudes dramatically from the water, almost like a stony finger pointing up into the sky- a stack of limestone that stood 100 feet tall. Plumes of black smoke seemed to seep out of cracks in the stack at various places on its higher sections, like some foul poison leaving the stony body. Various bird nests were visible in the seams and cracks on the high section of the stack- including what looked like an empty wyvern's nest at the top of it.
Even the most unskilled of trackers could not fail to notice the utterly trampled ground on the shores opposite the island. Churned earth and trampled ground stood testament to the thousands of undead that had obviously marched out from somewhere inside this central, limestone stack. At the foot of the cliff, where the beach meets the limestone scarp, a dark opening in the stone beckons, partially obscured by creepers and dangling foliage. The multitude of undead seem to have come from inside.
"Let us push forwards with all haste. Our enemy knows we are here, and surely uses every moment we hesitate to prepare further defenses. Fenna, can you form a moonlight bridge to that opening?"
Looks positively inviting... Kip remarks sarcastically.
Ricter looks up at the foreboding edifice as well
"Doesn't it just, Magister? If only the gods of law had seen fit to guide a trap-finder to the halls of Swordhaven...this is going to really hurt"
I have some skill in finding traps from my long years as a hunter and trapper, though it will be slow progress...
No time like the present, lets move on.
Kalev, I suppose you should take the lead then once we get past the entrance and see what you can see. I don't imagine they trap that kind of entrance with thousands of skeletons coming in and out. Let's go kick in the front door and see what kind of hornets we stir up.
Kalev first.
Malthir and Ricter right behind.
Kip, Cas, and Fenna bringing up the third rank.
"It's not the entrance that concerns me, it's the rat's warren of passages that we'll no doubt have to navigate before we can put this blasphemer to the sword."
Ricter falls into formation and steps onto the magical bridge without hesitation. He seems to trust it a lot more than Kip's flight spell.
Kip falls in line with the others...
"Indeed I can," Fenna confirms, "if there is no less obvious approach."
"Indeed I can," Fenna confirms, "if there is no less obvious approach."
"Though none seems to present itself." She continues after a brief pause, gazing up at the spire. "The direct route will have to suffice."
The group resolved to cross the river and bypass any lurking threat inside by use of Fenna's bridge of moonlight. The spectacle was rather breathtaking, as the very moonlight that shone down was slowly gathered by her guiding hands into a solid, magical form. Beckoning the other Guardians across, the Bleachling oracle crossed over last and the bridge faded away into nothingness once more behind her as she stepped back onto land. The tracks of thousands of undead left little doubt that this is where the armies had originally marched from.
The opening in the stone led to a dark passageway of stone- carved into the stack. This darkened passageway is decorated to the west and east with alcoves. Midway down the hall, just before the second set of alcoves is another archway carved in the stone. Upon its lintel are various runes and symbols. The eastern alcove just beyond this arch holds an ancient amphora that has broken open, spilling its contents into the corridor. At the north end of the corridor, a turn to the east is visible. The corridor is ten feet wide.
The symbols on the archway are an ancient kind of magical warding or alarm, akin to an permanent Alarm spell but likely imbued with much greater power.
However, you can tell that the ward's power has already been expended. Someone else triggered the wards here and woke what was within...
Kip sees the runes but does not recognize them... or the threat they may pose.
Fenna raises an eyebrow at the mysterious runes, uttering a brief cant to reveal any magical auras upon them.
"Kip?"
Yes Fenna?
"Do you recognise any of this? I can't make any sense of it."
I'm sorry, I do not. Not something I am overly famialr with I'm afraid. Perhals if I had studied for my arcane talents instead of coming by them naturally...
Well we are used to setting off traps...let get to it.
Kalev, you going to check for anything or do we just use our faces? :]
I can't make out their meaning either. Likely a trap or an alarm. If it's an alarm, it's useless. Our presence is already announced. If it's a trap...maybe a summoned creature, Fenna?