Feldus is torn between following and waiting for their prey to panic. As he sees the beast move out followed closely by Lenneth, he thinks I hope it is not easily led astray... as he slinks along behind the others.
There is a hissing noise, and around you multi-colored smoke bursts up from the floor, the plumes smell of lavender and crimson, looking for all the world like tendrils of snaking scales that expand in to clouds of honeyed wine, coating you and the entire area in sparkling diamond dust that seems to fade even as you stare at it...
There still appears to be no visible enemy, though Echoes was headed around that orb at the time the smoke appeared.
Feldus sees the dust swirl around him and quickly closes his eyes, clamping his mouth shut and avoiding the worst of the dusts effects.
That must have been a spell, so our friend must be getting nervous here... Feldus sniffs the air behind him to make sure nothing is sneaking up behind him.
Melo shakes off worst of the smoke's effect. But feeling the pit of his stomach clench up. Frustration hit him hard as he shouts to Echo. "Hunt!"
He then steps around the orb club held high attempting to cut-off whoever is there.
Valex, peering around intently, is unprepared for the wash of sensation. Moments later, he is on all fours, voiding himself of his most recent, scanty meal as he tries to cope with the overwhelming visions.
Flynn feels the pain in his stomach but he grits his teeth and pushes the sensation away. With blade in hand he turns in a slow circle, trying to see everywhere at once.
Where is it Melo, just give me an idea...
Claws skittering across the stone floor, three apparitions from nightmare coalesce from the shadows and rush forward towards you at breakneck pace, glowing red eyes wide with hunger as ropy strings of fetid drool drip from their cracked and blackened teeth.
One fetches up against Melo, skull butting him in the chest before its teeth catch hold of his arm, tearing out a bloody chunk.
Another dashes in whisper-quick under Feldus' guard, scything talon opening up a stinging wound in the were-rat's gut.
Echoes engages the third one, and the savage play of fur and claw plays out in front of you as if in slow motion, surely an effect of whatever narcotic energies were released in the cloud a moment ago.
Feldus: Sickened, 2 rounds left
Melo: Sickened, 2 rounds left
Echoes: Sickened, 1 round left
Valex: Nauseated, 2 rounds remain
Lilith: ?
Lenneth: Nauseated, 3 rounds remain
Flynn: May act as normal (lucky roll!!)
Valex will stagger behind one of the globes to F5.
Feldus staggers under the assault yet maintains his cool. Eyeing the foul shadow like creature closely, his features blur and are replaced by rodent-like features while streaks of black and white sprout on his fur. He then motions for Flynn to hold his ground, clawed fingers gesturing in a pincer movement.
Once finished, his rapier glows briefly with an eerie glow as he thrusts hard into the apparition, then stepping back to allow Flynn to strike at the apparition.
Stepping up Flynn slashes vertically onto the monster's head, his blade glittering in the dim light.
"Show yourself! Whatever you at" Melo shouts out as he swings in frustration.
His heavy club missing.
Echo's continues to scrape with the creature, lashing out with claw and tooth.
HP - 59/66
The globes rest on the floor, balanced impossibly in place.
Valex staggers around the orb, and despite his churning stomach taking most of his attention, has the uncomfortable feeling that someone is watching him. Feldus' actions are whip-quick, but his blow with the rapier goes wide.
Flynn's sword blade digs in to the reptilian creature, leaving a dripping crimson line in its wake. It responds by lashing out with one scything foot, opening up a gash across the halfling's leg
Lilith is unable to determine the spell used as she did not watch it being cast, however she *is* able to discern that these are summoned creatures that have been twisted with shadow magic.
Melo's club goes wide, the small beast takes advantage and sinks its sawblade teeth in to the druid's arm
Echoes savage teeth and claws rip in to the shrieking monster, blood and darkness pooling from its many wounds, it is dragged to the floor where the alien beast rips it limb from limb before finally biting down and stilling its thrashing.
Feldus: Sickened, 1 round left
Melo: Sickened, 1 round left
Valex: Nauseated, 1 round left
Lilith: Nauseated, 1 round left
Lenneth: Nauseated, 2 rounds left
Flynn cries out in pain, his leg turning white hot as the claws rip through him. He feels the wetness of the flowing blood but doesn't have time to check how bad it is.
He slashes out again but wildly this time.
Feldus again motions for Flynn to move back, hoping to draw the shadowy creature into the pincer. His rapier again flashes out but he miscalcluates where the creature dodged to...his blabe is wide of its mark.
Melo grits his teeth in pain as more blood is drawn. Echo notices his pain and is quick to its feet as compelled to help its new friend, gaining excitement in the hunt.
Melo swings once again lifting his club high and bringing it down hard. Attempting to crush the creature.
Echo moves in at the same time wanting to stop the creature from moving.
Flynn's return blow goes wide, bouncing off the reptilian scales.
Feldus continues to have poor fortune and his rapier also misses its mark as he scrabbles to keep the lizard's teeth away.
Melo's club smashes in to one of them, and Echoes finishes it off, teeth crunching down it uses one foot to hold the body in place as its neck arches, ripping the head from the body in a shower of gore.
The remaining lizard continues to snap and bite at Flynn and Feldus, scoring a grazing bite on Feldus
As the creature turns it's head to snap at Feldus, Flynn seizes his opportunity to slash mightily at it's exposed neck.
Feldus again strikes hard at the shadow creature, ever mindful they were not the true threat...
Melo moves over to where he thought the creature hiding from there could be as Echo's continues to hunt down the summoned animals.
Lilith's magic crashes in to the lizard like hammer blows, disoriented it stands no chance as Flynn's blade runs it through, it collapses on the floor and slowly fades away along with the other bodies.
Nothing else is visible to the party, Echoes sniffs the air but does not move.
They can just hit and run us here. We should move on as quick as wel can. Flynn warns.
Feldus nods as his body shimmers back into his more familiar human form. "Yes, who ever summoned those is still out there. We need to keep moving."
"This is extremely frustrating, I think I could only open them." He says over gritted teach, moving next to Echo's he lays a hand on its head and strokes it. "You think we should just leave? Let me try once more." He looks down at Echo and says commandingly. "Hunt."
He attempts to push it.
Hey, I'm all for freeing prisoners. We chanced a lot when we went after Feldus and I'm glad we did it. But not at the cost of our own lives, if we fall then I believe there is no one to put an end to all this.
I'm just saying that buried here in this mountain is it's domain. When we launched the rescue for Feldus we had time to plan and did things on our terms, but here we are like rats in a maze.
He squeezes Lilith's wrist and offers a wan smile.
I'm just saying whatever you need to do, please do it fast!
Thanks, Lenn
Valex finally manages to shake off the roiling discomfort and stand straight, wiping his face with the back of his hand and shaking his head. He stares around into the surrounding darkness, shaking his head regretfully.
"Not one of ours..." he mutters to himself, moving in to join the others.
The essence appears to have been completely subsumed by Melo and Echoes when it was released and they bonded. Melo has the distant sense that there are other creatures, flashes of life energy, held at the cores of these spheres, but that's all.
Echoes paces up and down, padding around the spheres. Eventually it scratches the floor and snorts, a plume of blue-tinged mist emanating from its mouth. It locks gaze with Melo then begins moving off towards the northern end of the room where you have yet to explore, evidently having found a trail to follow.
Feldus nods in reply to Lilith, "The essence is the key to unlocking the spheres, yet dispelling the bindings surrounding the spheres would also work. But we have others to contend with." He finishes as he prepared to move out after the others.
Melo nods at Echo. "It's found a new trail, let's see what Echo can find atleast. It keep us moving." He then moves off after Echo.
Echoes leads you deeper in to the cavern, and you pass more black spheres than you can easily count, there must be hundreds inside this one cavern. Eventually the magical light guiding you illuminates the far end of the cavern, where a giant set of double doors is inset in to the stone. One is partially ajar. To one side of the door, there is a pile of broken clay urns with sigils on them.
Echoes pauses, sniffing the air and then circling. It makes a shuddering, snorting sound and paws the ground, but does not move any further.
Feldus nods in agreement with the witch, again keeping his rapier at the ready. "Watch your back." He warns as he slowly sniffs the air as he circles behind the others making sure no one catches them off guard.