Marikel automatically springs towards Alicia.
Seeing the cleric bolt toward Alicia, "Watch yerself, lad! Get her and bring her back here for blasted sakes! There's a blasted giant not much more'n fifteen feet from her!"
As Marikel hurries forward, the light he carries advances as well, illuminating a Large, armored figure, its back turned, blocking the end of the tunnel by which Alicia is advancing.
Spotting the giant figure, Ali ignores her companions' warnings and sneaks closer to it.
Assuming she can tell it's ambulatory (alive or undead), she takes a stab at it with her rapier.
Alicia's thrust is turned by the armor.
The next moment, the seemingly-empty giant-sized set of half-plate armor turns and swings at Alicia, the rogue just managing to dodge its heavy gauntlet.
Ali takes another jab at the animated armor, then scrambles backward toward the party.
This stab manages to find a chink in the armor into the nothingness within. As Alicia retreats toward the others, the gauntlet swings again, dealing the nimble rogue a heavy blow as she makes her escape.
The suit of armor follows deliberately, squeezing through the narrow part at the far end.
Rolling his eyes and groaning in annoyance, "What are ya daft?! I saaaid: 'BACK UP!', lass, not 'Why don'tcha go ahead and try ta destroy that thing by yerself'! At least, I'm pretty sure that's not what I said," he says with obvious sarcasm. "Now for real this time: BACK UP!!! You too, Marikel! No way we can fight that thing in that crowded corridor! We need it out in the open."
"It is undead; called phantom armor."
To Marikel, he adds "Alas, it may be fortified against your god's wrath."
He readies a scroll and reads the first spell on it. He then points a finger at the armor and releases a beam of white light at it. He keeps the scroll in hand, since he is pretty sure he'll need the rest of the spells on it before this is done.
Casting disrupt undead from a scroll.
To hit, ranged touch attack.
Damage
Mahath's spell can hardly miss the giant suit of armor framed in the tunnel, though the damage inflicted seems minimal.
Dorn moves up next to Mahath, "Get ready, lad, this'll be a load of fun," he says to the wizard, winking, as he innately increases his defenses.
Skyreaver delays.
Marikel glances at the giant armour, then back to Alicia. In a less than gentlemanly manner, Marikel puts his hand in the centre of Alicia's back and shoves her.
"Move!"
Alicia stumbles forward from Marikel's gentlemanly shove, and she lets the momentum carry her a few steps before turning to dash off to the side for cover behind a boulder.
"Maybe this will slow it..."
Marikel then retreats next to Malkith.
Presenting his holy symbol, Marikel calls on his goddess's power against the undead before falling back to the rest of the party.
The phantom armor moves forward, metal epaulets scraping the stone as it forces its way into the narrow opening, and swings again at Alicia, this time to no avail as it reaches awkwardly around the corner of the intervening boulder.
With one hand still stretched forward, Mahath reads another instance of the spell off of the scroll. He emits another beam of white light at the armor.
Casting disrupt undead from a scroll.
To hit
Damage .
Mahath's ray strikes the armor once again.
"Here it comes, lot. Hit it with everythin' ya got." Dorn then calls forth a bit more magic to aid in combat.
The blonde takes a step back from the animated suit of armor and attempts to will the wand to work...with less than spectacular results that elicit a decidedly grown-up curse from the 16-year-old's lips.
Marikel glances across to Mahath and nods before pulling out a scroll of his own.
Marikel frowns at the scroll and stows it away again. Instead, he mutters a quick prayer and the party feels a wave of energy wash over them.
The empty armor inches forward out of the tight opening and swings a heavy gauntlet at Alicia, striking her once again. The other gauntlet takes a swipe at Marikel but fails to connect.
"Alicia!"
Marikel reflexively lashes out at the thing with his sword.
Marikel's sword deflects off the empty armor.
Somewhat alarmed that the thing is closing on them without apparent harm to it, Mahath steps back a stride and, with one hand still stretched forward, Mahath reads yet another instance of the spell off of the scroll. He emits another beam of white light at the armor.
Casting disrupt undead from a scroll. Third of four on the scroll.
To hit
Damage
Step to AD63.
"Blast! This isn't goin' the way I was hopin'. Reaver! Let's get it!" The dwarf commands the large bird to attack as he steps up and does so himself.
Skyreaver takes to the air and moves up and attacks the empty armor.
The dwarf and his bird close ranks in front of their wizard. The dwarf's hammer fails to connect, but Skyreaver's talons seem to gain some purchase in the phantom armor.
Alicia takes another step back () and attempts to activate the wand again. This time, she succeeds, and a wave of healing magic washes over her--leaving her at least a little less bloodied.
Alicia puts a little more distance between herself and the fight and succeeds in coaxing some healing out of the wand.
The suit of armor swings its empty chain sleeves again, once at the roc, which deftly dodges the blow, and once at Marikel, the heavy gauntlet missing the priest only because it scrapes against the rough rock wall that partially intervenes.
Marikel grunts under the armour's blow and joins the others beating at it.
Marikel's sword rebounds harmlessly off the metal breastplate.
Is this it? Are we going to die down here, like this?
He glances at the others, who are holding their ground and fighting hard. He digs deep for courage, and reads the last spell from the scroll. When it is done and the beam of white light shoots from his extended hand, he drops the worthless parchment.
Casting disrupt undead from a scroll. Last instance of it.
To hit
Damage
Dorn continues his attack upon the armor, hoping to contribute in some way this time.
Skyreaver lashes out again at the large enemy.
Mahath moves to the top of the giant stairs to get a clear shot at the armor. His ray hits, as he drops the expended scroll at his feet.
Dorn swings mightily at the empty suit of armor, delivering a blow that rattles the chain links and resounds off the solid breastplate.
The roc lashes out with talon and beak, and the armor suddenly collapses with a clangor of metal.
As the armor falls in a heap, the dwarf raises his hammer high, "YES!!! Take that ya walkin' piece of worthless metal!" The dwarf wallows in victory for a moment before turning to the others, "Okay, how are we all doin'?"
"I'm fine," Marikel rubs at the wound he took.
He extends a hand to Alicia. "Are you alright Miss Alicia?"
With the phantom defeated, Mahath steps forward and inspects the collapsed armor.
Knowledge (religion)
Alicia resheathes her wand and retrieves her dropped hopeknife before rejoining the others. "Yeah," she says to Marikel. "I was expecting something with flesh and bones. Figures the only things moving around down here are the undead." She shudders.
Marikel pats Alicia's shoulder in what he hopes is a comforting manner.
"I can heal us all. Iomedae's power doesn't just harm the undead. But it isn't limitless either and if there's more of those things..."