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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7618428" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 305</p><p></p><p>The five adventurers were well accustomed to facing horrible creatures and none of them so much as flinched as the skeletal apes rushed toward them. For all that they were lacking muscles they were fast, and they reached the edge of the map mural within seconds of receiving the command to attack from their serpentine master.</p><p></p><p>But the companions were ready for them, and even as they crossed over the black border and trod onto the representation of Voralis’s eastern shores they were greeted by a <em>fireball</em> that pulsed from Xeeta’s rod. Flames shone in her eyes and briefly wreathed her form as the explosion engulfed all four of the undead creatures.</p><p></p><p>The blast persisted for only an instant, and none of the companions were particularly surprised as all four of the skeletons, scorched and blackened but otherwise intact, emerged from the dying flames and kept on coming. But Xeeta noticed something else that was potentially of greater concern.</p><p></p><p>“The snake thing’s vanished!” she warned her companions.</p><p></p><p>“Keep an eye out… I’ll see if I can slow these things down!” Quellan called back. He lifted his shield and rushed forward to the near edge of the mural to confront the four skeletons. They all spread their many arms, opened their jaws, and rushed forward to meet him, almost as if they still had been the living apes they now only barely resembled.</p><p></p><p>Glori strummed her lyre and conjured a <em>wall of fire</em> that extended across the center of the room, bisecting the map from one pole to the other. The skeletons, lacking any survival instinct, came rushing through the flaming barrier without hesitation. One faltered, staggering as the surging flames burned through its already damaged bones, but the other three kept on coming, closing upon the waiting cleric.</p><p></p><p>“Quellan needs our help!” Glori said. She turned to Xeeta, who was already preparing another spell, the flames surging again around her as she lifted her rod.</p><p></p><p>But before she could unleash her magic for a second time, a flash of energy came streaking down from above them. The <em>lightning bolt</em> slammed solidly into Xeeta, surrounding her with a glowing halo for an instant before it continued on to sear Glori and finally discharged into the floor and the nearby pillar. The bard, grimacing in pain even though she had only caught the edge of the bolt, looked up just in time to see the body of the snake-creature slither up out of view behind one of the elaborate capitals that topped the giant pillars. An arrow bounced off the stone as she watched, just a fraction of a second too late.</p><p></p><p>“It’s above us!” she yelled. “It’s near the base of the dome!”</p><p></p><p>Quellan heard Glori’s warning, but his focus was of necessity on the multiple nine-foot skeletons closing on his position. He waited until all of them were within thirty feet, including the damaged straggler, before he raised his shield and invoked the power of his patron.</p><p></p><p>He could feel the divinity coursing through him, potent and familiar, but he also felt the expected resistance, as if the energy were flowing through a tiny hole rather than the expected gusher. He channeled that diminished flow toward the skeletons, but was not surprised when it failed to affect any of them.</p><p></p><p>“So be it, then,” he said, lifting his mace. But before he could get within reach to strike, one of the ape-skeletons laid into him, using its superior reach to pummel him with multiple clawed arms. He took the first few impacts on his shield, but one strike got past his defense and swept across his face, stunning him for a moment.</p><p></p><p>The second skeleton circled around to take him from the flank, but before it could strike something small and sharp passed through one of its eye sockets and began rattling around inside its skull. It turned just as Kosk rushed it, sweeping out with his staff. The impact struck its left knee with enough force to jar out the smaller bone that resided there, but not enough to knock the thing down. It immediately lunged at him, forcing him to quickly evade to avoid being torn apart.</p><p></p><p>Xeeta called her magic again as she focused on the ceiling and the gallery that ringed the dome. There were plenty of places where the naga could have hidden, but she saw Rodan take another shot and trusted in his instincts enough to follow his example. She couldn’t tell if his arrow scored a hit, but the <em>fireball</em> that blasted the target clearly hurt it, judging from the furious hiss that echoed down from above. Her powers were waning, even with the additional reservoir that her recent embrace of the Demon had given her. She needed rest, needed it desperately, but the need to find Bredan was greater and continued to drive her on.</p><p></p><p>She started to circle around to get a better vantage, but was interrupted by Glori, who offered another warning. “Remember, it can teleport,” she said, just loud enough for Xeeta and Rodan to hear.</p><p></p><p>Xeeta stopped and scanned the gallery above. With the size of the dome and the intricacy of the stonework there were plenty of places where the naga could have hidden. She didn’t see anything, but then she looked over at Glori as a thought came to her. The creature had carefully chosen its position so that it could hit both of them with one blast…</p><p></p><p>Even as that awareness struck her, she drew a mental line between her and Glori and continued it forward, looking up to exact spot where that line intersected the gallery above. Her eyes settled on one of the decorative features that connected the top of the pillar to the adjoining arch just as the serpentine head rose into view.</p><p></p><p>“There!” Xeeta cried, lifting her rod. But the naga was just a step ahead, and as it spoke a word of power a second <em>lightning bolt</em> blasted down from above. The warning was just enough to save Glori, who threw herself aside in time to avoid all but a few sharp but manageable jolts as the bolt shot past.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, Xeeta was not able to do the same. The <em>lightning bolt</em> slammed solidly into her chest, lifting her off her feet before it slammed her down into the ground. There was a bright flash as the electrical energy was discharged into the floor, leaving the smoking form of the tiefling sorceress lying motionless on the tiles.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7618428, member: 143"] Chapter 305 The five adventurers were well accustomed to facing horrible creatures and none of them so much as flinched as the skeletal apes rushed toward them. For all that they were lacking muscles they were fast, and they reached the edge of the map mural within seconds of receiving the command to attack from their serpentine master. But the companions were ready for them, and even as they crossed over the black border and trod onto the representation of Voralis’s eastern shores they were greeted by a [i]fireball[/i] that pulsed from Xeeta’s rod. Flames shone in her eyes and briefly wreathed her form as the explosion engulfed all four of the undead creatures. The blast persisted for only an instant, and none of the companions were particularly surprised as all four of the skeletons, scorched and blackened but otherwise intact, emerged from the dying flames and kept on coming. But Xeeta noticed something else that was potentially of greater concern. “The snake thing’s vanished!” she warned her companions. “Keep an eye out… I’ll see if I can slow these things down!” Quellan called back. He lifted his shield and rushed forward to the near edge of the mural to confront the four skeletons. They all spread their many arms, opened their jaws, and rushed forward to meet him, almost as if they still had been the living apes they now only barely resembled. Glori strummed her lyre and conjured a [i]wall of fire[/i] that extended across the center of the room, bisecting the map from one pole to the other. The skeletons, lacking any survival instinct, came rushing through the flaming barrier without hesitation. One faltered, staggering as the surging flames burned through its already damaged bones, but the other three kept on coming, closing upon the waiting cleric. “Quellan needs our help!” Glori said. She turned to Xeeta, who was already preparing another spell, the flames surging again around her as she lifted her rod. But before she could unleash her magic for a second time, a flash of energy came streaking down from above them. The [i]lightning bolt[/i] slammed solidly into Xeeta, surrounding her with a glowing halo for an instant before it continued on to sear Glori and finally discharged into the floor and the nearby pillar. The bard, grimacing in pain even though she had only caught the edge of the bolt, looked up just in time to see the body of the snake-creature slither up out of view behind one of the elaborate capitals that topped the giant pillars. An arrow bounced off the stone as she watched, just a fraction of a second too late. “It’s above us!” she yelled. “It’s near the base of the dome!” Quellan heard Glori’s warning, but his focus was of necessity on the multiple nine-foot skeletons closing on his position. He waited until all of them were within thirty feet, including the damaged straggler, before he raised his shield and invoked the power of his patron. He could feel the divinity coursing through him, potent and familiar, but he also felt the expected resistance, as if the energy were flowing through a tiny hole rather than the expected gusher. He channeled that diminished flow toward the skeletons, but was not surprised when it failed to affect any of them. “So be it, then,” he said, lifting his mace. But before he could get within reach to strike, one of the ape-skeletons laid into him, using its superior reach to pummel him with multiple clawed arms. He took the first few impacts on his shield, but one strike got past his defense and swept across his face, stunning him for a moment. The second skeleton circled around to take him from the flank, but before it could strike something small and sharp passed through one of its eye sockets and began rattling around inside its skull. It turned just as Kosk rushed it, sweeping out with his staff. The impact struck its left knee with enough force to jar out the smaller bone that resided there, but not enough to knock the thing down. It immediately lunged at him, forcing him to quickly evade to avoid being torn apart. Xeeta called her magic again as she focused on the ceiling and the gallery that ringed the dome. There were plenty of places where the naga could have hidden, but she saw Rodan take another shot and trusted in his instincts enough to follow his example. She couldn’t tell if his arrow scored a hit, but the [i]fireball[/i] that blasted the target clearly hurt it, judging from the furious hiss that echoed down from above. Her powers were waning, even with the additional reservoir that her recent embrace of the Demon had given her. She needed rest, needed it desperately, but the need to find Bredan was greater and continued to drive her on. She started to circle around to get a better vantage, but was interrupted by Glori, who offered another warning. “Remember, it can teleport,” she said, just loud enough for Xeeta and Rodan to hear. Xeeta stopped and scanned the gallery above. With the size of the dome and the intricacy of the stonework there were plenty of places where the naga could have hidden. She didn’t see anything, but then she looked over at Glori as a thought came to her. The creature had carefully chosen its position so that it could hit both of them with one blast… Even as that awareness struck her, she drew a mental line between her and Glori and continued it forward, looking up to exact spot where that line intersected the gallery above. Her eyes settled on one of the decorative features that connected the top of the pillar to the adjoining arch just as the serpentine head rose into view. “There!” Xeeta cried, lifting her rod. But the naga was just a step ahead, and as it spoke a word of power a second [i]lightning bolt[/i] blasted down from above. The warning was just enough to save Glori, who threw herself aside in time to avoid all but a few sharp but manageable jolts as the bolt shot past. Unfortunately, Xeeta was not able to do the same. The [i]lightning bolt[/i] slammed solidly into her chest, lifting her off her feet before it slammed her down into the ground. There was a bright flash as the electrical energy was discharged into the floor, leaving the smoking form of the tiefling sorceress lying motionless on the tiles. [/QUOTE]
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