Derek chuckles a little.
"Well, when one has as much muscle as big brother, few things can scare you in the long run." His voice grows quiet and serious, "Besides, we're about to avenge his lady love here, *I* for one would NOT like to be standing between big brother and the being responsible."
Fingering the points of the mithril trident clasped tightly in one hand, Derek frowns.
I got a score to settle myself here...
Maddok puts a meaty hand on Derek's shoulder.
"My time with the Gardeners has taught me that there is little that can stop strong spirits bound together in purpose."
"And that strength is useless without a heart to show it the way."
That comment draws a laugh from Derek.
"Well spoken big brother, I should ask my grandfather to put you on retainer for when the Keegan Company writes its next play.
Shall we say half a crown per page?"
Grinning, Derek prepares to face what lies beyond the door of obvious doooom.
That calmed my nerves, let's find and defeat the fool who dared mess with the gardeners. I'll trim him down to size and make mulch out of him.
Another four vampire spawn stand guard in the chamber beyond, all of whom attempt a failed domination against the intruding party.
Two sets of double doors lead further from this chamber, one set to the west and one to the east. The stench of sewage seeps in from the western doors, while the stench of death and decay seeps in from the eastern doors.
***
The archons spin and whirl firing off rays of brilliant energy.
Maddok closes on one that was wounded by the archons' assault and smashes into it with his hammer.
Round 2
Appario is nervous about having an barely tamed Shadow at his back and show it by quickly taking the opportunity to dance away from it to attack he spawn.
Spring Attack to E33, attacking #1, ending in D33.
to hit;
damage;
(+2 to hit and + damage if they are FF).
Maddok's hammer and the archons' light rays nearly, but not quite, destroy their spawn.
Appario's chosen spawn suffers a slice of Extortion's blade.
***
Xerath will move forward and strikes at #1.
More thralls? These do not require me to expend any favors.
Yahirma moves to -D-36 and prepares to guard Xerath or Maddok's flank against canny foes' attacks.
Derek moves up besides Maddok, striking at the rightmost spawn.
***
Xerath's spear hits, while Derek misses with the trident.
Almost as one, the four spawn step back and attempt to dominate again. The attempts against Appario and Xerath fail due to the magic circle, while Derek and Maddok feel the assault upon their minds.
Both brothers fight away the attempt, but Derek senses that this was a close call.
***
The archons let loose another volley of light beams at the retreating vampires.
Maddok advances and continues to pound and smash his foes.
Round 2
Appario will spring attack #1 (avoiding #3) and ending up in H34.
to hit;
damage.
The light rays of the two archons destroy the right-most spawn, while Maddok's hammer smashes down the next in line. Both spawn turn gaseous and begin floating away.
***
Appario's attack, enhanced by Maddok's distraction, slices a fine gash into the spawn's chest.
***
Derek moves up against the leftmost spawn, flanking with Appario and making sure to stay close to his big brother.
Xerath steps into E34 and strikes at spawn #1
Yahirma circles around to G-32 and warily guards the western doors to discourage any of the spawn from fleeing.
Xerath's strike misses the spawn.
***
The two misty spawn drift south into the hallway, past the commanded greater shadow.
Having had no success with their attempts at domination, the two remaining spawn elect to attack instead.
Both spawn appear to have no chance at hitting their formidable opponents.
***
The archons try to fire their glowing rays through the frantic melee.
And Maddok brings his hammer to bear, eager to be done with these distractions.
Maddok and the archons take decisive care of spawn #2, leaving only the one near Appario.
Appario swings Extortion twice in an effort to finish off #1.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
Edit, pot crit:
to hit;
damage
With two well-placed swings, Appario vanquishes the final spawn.
Both join in the misty journey to their coffins.
"Right, that is done with, nobody was hurt I think? Moving on then."
Derek shakes his head a little worried.
I certainly hope we can end this before the hour is up and we get swarmed by spawns.
With more time to enjoy the room's scenery, the group notices a large, but very grimy window next to the western doors. There's some sort of winch-system underneath the window, and another winch-system on the adjoining wall. Both systems are placed to be easily operated while looking through the window.
"Something to be understood later", the big Shoanti says dismissively.
Maddok moves to the western doors and opens them.
"Hmmm...yes, probably. But I can't help but wonder if the grime is meant to block sunlight or something? Probably not right? If it had a function like that, the vampires would have borded it up don't you think?"
"Ah, never mind, just thinking out loud, besides, we are still pressed for time."
Appario fiddle-faddles with the wench.
Disable Device
Derek watches Appario fiddle with the winches and levers, a little unsure of what he is trying to accomplish.
"What's up Appario? Whatever you do, don't take too long, we have only a little time to spare."
He is so unlike the holy warriors in most stories I've heard...but the great irony is that he is VERY much like Tybian...
***
After a few moments spent fiddling with the winches, Appario figures he has made it difficult for anyone else to operate them without spending time undoing his changes. He also notices that these winches appear to not having been used for a good amount of time; perhaps a couple of months, if not more.
***
Upon opening the door, the group is bathed in the strong smell of sewage, while supernatural darkness battles the daylight emanating from the Morrowfall. In the resulting dim light, another large natural cavern opens before them. Unlike the previous cavern's dirty water, the floor of this one is filled with rank sewage. The fetid muck has splashed onto the window, causing the grime there, as well as onto the stone landing built along the cavern's eastern wall.
The ceiling soars to a height of 30 ft. A wide hole in the ceiling at one area provides a few occasional wafts of fresh air (which is quickly swallowed up by the stench of the sewage), as well as allowing a few strands of sunlight to hit the sewage directly beneath the hole.
Some kind of crane, fitted with a block-and-tackle system, is placed on the northern half of the stone landing. The wires from it are drawn along the ceiling towards the room you just came out of, coming down across the center of the window and into the wall, likely attached to one of the two winches.
Another set of wires (likely attached to the other winch) are drawn along the ceiling near the cavern's southern wall, leading somewhere into the darkness to the west.
***
Before anyone can do more than get a glimpse of the cavern, however, a cone of fire, as from a dragon's breath, rages over the group from somewhere above.
***
Appario takes no damage, not only realizing that this is an illusion, but also easily able to evade the fire.
Derek and Maddok are also able to partly dodge the fire, but they still take 17 damage .
Xerath and Yahirma both realize that the fire is an illusion, but they're unable to evade the fire. Xerath takes no damage due to his fire resistance, but Yahirma takes 7 damage .
The two archons are both destroyed by the fire, while the greater shadow takes 8 damage.
***
In the wake of the fire, a vague, shifting humanoid creature is seen in the air 10 ft above the sewage. A mass of black, bramble-like tentacles writhe from its back, appearing to function as wings. Numerous tendrils of wispy shadow sprout from its inky black skin in an umbral haze surrounding the creature to a range of 10 ft, while ebon claws curve long and thin from the tips of its fingers. Clearly, this is the nihiloi Rizzardo and Amaya spoke of.
***
I remember what Yahirma said, I won't be caught by that trick again...
"Shadow lord indeed...time to meet your match in pure light!"
Derek hears an alien voice in his head. "!lightbringer ... !you die today ..."
"Time to fight fire with fire. Except this is real, foul creature."
Noticing Maddok suffered the brunt of the magical attack, the remaining spirit drifts down and touches the Shoanti with a new blessing, filling him with hope despite her weakened state.
Maddok grips his hammer tightly and glares up at the creature, "Where is Tarvi? What have you done with her?!"
***
Maddok's question prompts the alien voice to enter his mind as well. "?Tarvi ... ?who is she ..."
Maddok recoils in discomfort as the voice intrudes on his thoughts.
"The woman you snatched off the street at the behest of your master", the big man snarls aloud.