"Cor! Save the spell until they are safe. The fight's not over yet! Maggot, help get the fallen away from these creatures! They are just as dangerous dead as alive!"

Alasdair, still smoking a bit from the heat of the fireball's blast charged in towards the nearest beaked brain. He attempted to parry the flurry of tentacles as he charged towards the creature, slashing down at its main body. Despite his apparent recklessness, the paladin was deliberately positioning himself between the creature and his companions, in an attempt to not only block their attacks, but to minimize the affect of their caustic blood. He would do his best to defend his companions as they moved behind him, trying to end the battle.

He had failed, and now two of his companions lay dead...

Odin... forgive me...

Kenji felt the spray of the Black Beak’s blood as it exploded… he gave it a second before turning his face back towards the front… his eyes narrowed as he saw the two Red Beaks begin to retreat … he grinned as he started forward gripping his two blades more firmly.

He came up short as he crashed into … nothing… he stopped and reached out and found a solid invisible wall… feeling around he soon discovered it went around him effectively sealing him in… he snarled his anger and then he calmed himself… he performed Chiburi .. Blood flick with both the blades to clear the creatures fluids and flesh hanging off of them… then he reversed the Wakizashi and sheathed it … then sheathed the Katana

He knew this was a magical barrier … and was sure it would be futile to pit his blades against this magic … his best bet was to hope one of his companions would assist him… if they were able.

“I am encased in some magical barrier,” he said loudly yet in a calm voice, “if someone with magic could free me if they know how.”

Whilst he waited… he calmed his mind and kept his eyes upon his targets… the Red Beaks… he recalled the two he had ‘seen’ when the ruse had first walked into the camp … he would remember these things … if freed he would wreck a terrible punishment upon them … he was so focused upon his enemies that he did not know yet of the deaths of two of his companions… when he did his ‘punishment’ would become ‘vengeance’ .. yet for now he waited… slowed his heart rate… meditated towards the healing of his body as he waited to be released from this invisible prison.

Cor was frustrated that the creature had moved out of reach; even for a jumping dwarf. But since his spell was still active as it had been sucuessfully cast but never targeted, Cor waited ready to attack any creature that came within his reach.

Conall arrived in the thick of battle in the hope of “saving” one of his fellowship and watched as Utholk’s familiar form was replaced by that of a colorless ooze. It flowed out of the grasp of the Black beaks tentacles and started to move away. The Black beak lashed out with its full attack only missing with its beak against the ooze as Conall watched in dismay.

Hearing the beat of huge wings upon the air, the Paladin looked up and saw Cynil running past him, in the direction he’d last seen Kenji, and behind her breaking the edge of the chasm a dragon…a very large silver dragon. “By Odin’s Beard, a dragon! Odin prepare the halls of Valhalla for your servants or grant us your aid, for this test may truly be the end of us all,” Conall silently formed the prayer yielding it up to his god, and then he saw, “Wait! What! Is that my shield!? What is that dragon doing with my shield?” As the last of that thought flashed through his mind…a fireball exploded bathing everyone around in flame.

Once the spells energies had expended themselves, Conall forced his eyes open to see not one, but two of his party members, their forms still, upon the ground. In the instant that his eyes fell on the bodies of his comrades the icy cold calm that had come over him evaporated in a flash to be replaced by the white hot seething flames of rage.

Shifting his battle stance from balanced to fully offensive Conall changed his grip on his sword, placing both hands on its hilt for maximum power in his strikes. Ignoring his wounds and the shouted commands from Alasdair, Conall took a step back and to the side in order to keep both of the Black beaked creatures in view and struck at the Black beak that hovered above the now still form of the Halfling. His first strike in motion Conall used the momentum from it to flow into a second strike against the black beak betwixt Alisdair and himself without so much as pausing in his swing.

(OOC: I'm hoping that I can shift enough with a 5' step to put myself in a position to attack both and keep an eye on them.)

Haila rose swiftly from the chasm floor the sound of her powerful wings reverberating off the cavern walls. Rising above the gorge she looked out from whirling bright dragons eyes at the scene before her. She could smell scorched flesh and saw her companions littering the battle field, some wounded and some, worse still, dead. Haila felt anger building up inside her, muscles tensed and air filled her lungs as she let out a loud roar of protest in response to the scene before her.
Haila launched herself toward the enemy, dropping Conalls shield along the way.

((ooc: I’m tired and just not feelin it today . May alter to add details later however the action remains the same. I roar. Rawr!! And will deliver shield and attempt to scare the bird brains. Probably by attempting to pick one up and squish it!))

The deafening thrum of beating wings filled Cynil’s ears. The she elf could only surmise that it belonged to Halia, but there wasn’t enough time to check. The threat still loomed before her. Kenji had eradicated the black beak in front of him and it exploded in a shower of acidy blood. In the back of her mind, Cynil was mildly surprised that the spray missed her.

The red beaks seemed to be moving away from them; the magic that they cast looked odd coming from the weird brain-like creatures. Kenji stood immobilized – somehow Cynil didn’t think he was faking it this time.

There was only one thing to do. Weed out the root.

Cynil launched herself forward and aimed to strike the nearest red beak with her claws. She prayed to the woodland spirits that it would be enough to take it out.

The first to attack on this fourth round of combat was by the luck of the dice the Brain Eater closet to Cor and Rayne. Feeling the food before it was almost beaten it lowered itself to attack, hitting with 6 out of 10 tentacles. However as it tried to deliver what it hoped was the killing blow with its beak, it was touched by the Dwarf Cleric Knight Cor. The same enemy it had risen to avoid in the last round it had forgotten about in this one. That lapse of memory was it’s last as the Heal spell reversed shattered it into an acidic cloud. The cloud surrounded both Knight Cleric and Ranger/Cleric and combined with the damage taken from the now dead Black Beaks tentacles pushed Rayne over the point of consciousness and into the realm of negative life......

Cynil having reached Kenji’s side saw the two Red Beaks retreating and though they had moved away some distance yet still tried to attack. However as had happened with Kenji now happened to her as she was suddenly frozen in place. Unable to move forward the Elf Druid watched as the two Red Beaked Brain Eaters easily made their escape......

The next to act was the Ranger/Bard Maggot. With his target, clearly moving away and rising he was still able to score what at first appeared to be a light hit. However within seconds this Brain Eater as had the rest exploded covering Maggot, thanks to its height, in only a light coating of acid causing only minor damage......

The Paladin Conall having finally arrived within melee range decided to attack both remaining Black beaks at once to more quickly end this fight. His first attack was aimed at the brain creature floating above Ulthok, who with his death had returned to his original Halfling form. His first attack a solid hit upon the previously unharmed Black Beak, his second attack at the Black Beak creature to his right also a hit, though a minor one in terms of damage.

However, he need not have worried about that one as with his attacks over he braced for defense. Then his shield suddenly was lying on the ground in front of him and the silver dragon was roaring as it successfully grabbed the black beaked Brain Eater to his right and speared it with its left claw. The creature already halfway dead was finished, its life crushed by the huge black claw as if a rotten tomato.....

Alasdair seeing this continued his charge, barely missing being hit by the dragon’s right claw in accident, but changed his target to the last of the Black Beaks remaining. His sword Purifier swinging with a whistling sound struck twice true, causing the Black Beaked creature yet more damage. However, it still somehow was alive and its return attacks lashed out missing completely!.....

Knowing its time was almost done the Black Beak did what its fellow brain creatures had done and began to rise and move away. Althena still on her knees watched as the creature begin to head towards the cavern’s ceiling and over the deep chasm. Determined not to let this one escape as had the two Red Beaks grabbed for her two daggers of armor piercing and let fly, desperately hoping the two would penetrate whatever magical shield these creatures had. To her joy and amazement, they did hitting the creature squarely within it huge center eye. Exploding harmlessly away from the party the last of the parties current foes died......

The Red Beaks fled seven Blacks Beaks dead, two party members dead, one near death and unconscious. With two trapped, one within a spherical wall of force, the other held, no Ring of Free Action to help her, and the rest all hurt in some form or other, for them all this battle was over..... At least for now......


(DM OOC: Ok good posting everyone time to heal, raise dead and free YeOlde and Cynil from their prisons .
Next post next Sunday and your back to normal non-combat posting.)

Their foes either slain or fled, the paladin lowered his sword, its tip burrying itself in the ground.

Three friends have fallen. How many more will we lose to this evil...
But there wasn't time for reflection. He had to get the bodies of the fallen cleaned of acid so they could be raised. After a glance at Althena to make sure she was okay, Alasdair walked the battlefield soaked in blood, the acid of this foes still sizzling painfully on his flesh. He cleaned himself off as best he could while he walked, examining each of his fallen comrades, until he came upon Rayne. The shallow rise and fall of her breast told of life still held within.

Quickly he placed his hands near her wounds, calling on the power of Odin. The warmth of his faith slowly spread from his hands and her wounds began to close. He could not heal them all, but her breathing was more regular now. She no longer seemed to be on the brink of death. His energy expended he began to clean off the sizzling acid from hir clothing and her skin, taking care not to touch it with his own bare flesh.

"Odin, thank you for teaching me that I cannot protect them all. Yet I would be failing you if I did not continue in my attempt to do so." he whispered, clitching the symbol of the All Father to his chest.

That being done he stood, surveying the battle site once more. Seeing his other companions tending to the fallen, he moved to clear away the remains of the dead brain creatures.

"Maggot, do you think you can free our samurai friend from that sphere?" he says in between grunts as he drags one of the tentacled creatures to the edge of the chasm.

"I think we'll have to recover a bit before attempting to move on. If nothing else, we need to recover our strength and see if our fallen companions are willing to return to their corporeal shells." Sadness creeps into his voice as he speaks, his last words seeming to drift into silence.

(OOC: I am using my full Lay Hands ability on Rayne, as well as other healing spells as necessary. I am assuming the healers are moving through the group healing as they are able, if not I may have to change a few things. His comment to Maggot is meant to be said after he has at least tended to himself.)

The old man lunged and only felt the faintest of hits as he watched the flame dance under the floating beast he simply flicked his wrist up and at that time diverted his eyes down and held his breath. His feet came softly to the ground below. It seemed like time slowed as he once more crouched and prepared for more to come but soon was greeted with small droplets of ooze that burnt his skin and clothing where it landed upon him.

He took in a bit of air and when it did not burn he sniffed at it. Smelling none of the creators’ stench he took in his other senses. Silence had fallen upon him and his companions. The old man tuned and took in the end of battle. He watched as others began to come out of the excitement of battle, each in their own way.

Maggot opened his hand and with his palm facing up, “Thank you old friend.” The three foot flame that danced from his hand slowing faded from sight and as it did so he grabbed at the staff in his left hand that once more became a stick for the old man to lean upon. He then found a small bit of burning twig or vine and snuffed it out with his boot. He took the ash and rubbed it on the burning parts of his flesh. The Ash had a soothing effect, he knew not why but remembered it being told to him a long time ago.

Maggot was about to tend to the fallen when, "Maggot, do you think you can free our samurai friend from that sphere?" Alasdair requested of him.

He let the ash fall from his hand and gave a nod, “I will see what I can do for our friend from afar, Alasdair the found.” He stood and made his way to where Kenji was standing calm and at complete ease with himself. Maggot stood for a moment and watched Kenji, “Such control,” he whispered to himself. He then tilted his head to the side just a bit, “Yes, there are two. Seek for them and keep them safe and guild them if you can.” He paused.

Rolling his eyes and in a frustrated manner he speaks again. “I know what I am to do”… “If we can help it they will not be staying long, now go find them if you can.” Maggot then examines Kenji and can’t help but notice Cynil standing close beside him. He begins to pace from one to the other. Talking to himself, at first is whispers and then almost as if he is arguing with some one. “Yes, I know what he said but then there is her and I can do it yes, But!”… “Look, you have your job and I have mine.”… “No, I can not do that! What does she have in her pockets?”… “That is why I can not do risk it!”… “Well thank you. Now go and find them if you can!”

Maggot then moved to where Kenji stood in his small room without walls. “At least you can feel your walls, there are some who never know what walls surround them until it is too late.” The old man then smiled, “But we waist your time and theirs.” Maggot steps back a few steps, “Let that, that has been done be undone, Remove these walls from Kenji’s path.” And with a wave of his hand...

(OOC: Maggot after some debate has decided to cast ‘Dispel Magic’ upon the spell that keeps Kenji in the space where he stands.)

Her strike failed her jump fail.,she relaxed as she fell. None-the-less she hit the ground with stunning force. Though not enough to knock her unconscious. More by instinct than reasoned thought she fought the effects of her fall but only managed to set to her knees her head swimming.

Knowing that she had to do her part, Rayne dug down into herself as she had before fighting through the stunning effects . She rose from her her knees as she scanned for the enemies and friends accessioning the situation. She noticed that one of the brain creatures fleeing others were down but not all. What concerned her was that several of her companions were down or missing. While the Cleric in her called out for that aspect to take precedence

The ranger in her knew that any enemies attacking them must be eliminated first.

Rayne will moved towards the nearest floating brain that is still attacking or near enough to threaten them, bent on making sure they were all down or fled before any healing.

If there are any are still threatening them, she will run to Althena first. The success or failure of the mission depended her reaching the sword. All their efforts would be for naught if they lost her so close to their goal.

Sirene seeing the creature that had hit her so hard in the beginning of this fight yet floated before her and Maggot withdrew her scimitar and finally was able to enter this fight. The creature having used all of its attacks vs. the Ranger/Bard could only maneuver in its own defense and the Druid/Mage was quite faster then that. Her blade gaining a critical hit cutting two tentacles badly, one completely off, one left hanging and useless. The druid could feel her blade connect with two limbs, and a smile found her lips as she had greatly injured the creature.

The Enchantress had balanced herself to keep her center of gravity beneath her as she finished through with the attack. Her blade before her in a defensive posture awaiting the next attack from the now retreating black beak.

The Red Beaked to the right having also readied a spell to cast, did so aiming for the center of what had become the main area of combat. Here three of its black beaks and six of the party had come together in a group of sorts. Its spell on target a ball of fire erupted among the six party members outright killing the Thief/Mage Ulthok and the Druid/Mage Sirene and dealing only half damage to Conall, Cynil, Maggot and Althena. Alasdair on the fringe of the fireball’s blast radius was able to save for only a quarter of its full damage. The three Black Beaks still protected from magic took no damage, ready to continue the fight the next round.

The elf's eyes widened in disbelief as a large orb of fire flashed towards the gathered group. Lady Luck seemed to have passed her by as Sirene's life flashed before her eyes. The heat of the impending attack could be felt upon her skin burning it severely before it even connected with her. Seconds before the fireball connected her gaze turned towards Ulthok. It was the last thing she would see, as the fire engulfed her body, burning it to a lump of coal. The once beautiful Druid now lay upon the soiled earth the ground around her smothered with soot from the fireball's blast. The woman's skin was covered in burns and was black from exposure to the intense heat of the flames.

Sirene's life flashed before her rapidly, her journey with the group, meeting the group, the forest of her childhood. Of the visions of her youth, and back to her earliest memories of her parents. The forest surrounding her at tender age of 10, walked along the path with her mother to the Goddess. Sirene had a glimpse of future events, and it was only she who could see them. The memory that lingered the longest was of the moment of her fall. It had been years since she had seen this memory and had forgotten the sight she had seen of her death. The words of her Goddess fading from her memory when she had joined in this mission. The Enchantress' emotions had found nearly every side of the spectrum starting with surprise, burning to anger, then to pain, and sadness, and finally to the most painful of all. The pain that she knew would be felt in the heart of another upon learning of her death.

Suddenly her memories faded to darkness, an endless void of nothingness. Emotions, thoughts, everything faded from her being as she remained motionless on the plane of existence. The blackness was immense and she was naught but a bright light soaring through the endless void of an unknown dimension. Thousands of lights of colors from every range of the color spectrum was laid out before her. Floating around in the void of death. A sea of color that one may consider beautiful had it been a painting, however in this dimension you could nothing but emptiness. Emotions no longer existed, no pain, no fear, no happiness or sadness, naught but emptiness could be felt while in this dimension. You could spend an eternity looking through the empty eyes of the void, and yet if you were granted another chance at life, you would remember nothing of this journey. Time, emotions, thoughts, feelings, they did not exist in such a form. No gender, no name, nothing that a human would feel, she was naught but a colored light awaiting the breath of life to breath back into her body.

One step. Cynil took just one hostile step past Kenji. The red beak that was retreating waved its tentacles and she found herself stopped in her tracks. The elf tried to keep moving forward, but she felt oddly disconnected from her limbs. Maybe this is what Kenji was feeling. She tried to turn her head, but that didn’t work either. Her eyes were set focused toward the vanishing brains. After trying to call out to her friends, Cynil found that her voice was gone as well.

“What’s going on here? Kenji could move a little bit and talk, why can’t I?” Panic began creeping in at the corners of her mind. A battle was continuing behind her, but she had no way of telling what was going on. Disjointed grunts, weapon slashes and the roar of Halia told her that at least some of her party members were still alive.

Am I still alive?
The sounds of fighting soon died out, and Alasdair’s voice was the first to speak. It sounded like he mumbled something before raising his volume and saying, “Maggot, do you think you can free our samurai friend from that sphere?"

Maggot’s response was soft, “I will see what I can do for our friend from afar, Alasdair the found.”

Samurai friend? Not samurai and druid friends? What’s going on?
"I think we'll have to recover a bit before attempting to move on,” Alasdair continued, “If nothing else, we need to recover our strength and see if our fallen companions are willing to return to their corporeal shells."

Dear Spirits, I am dead. Why haven’t I moved on? Cynil attempted to remain calm, but reason was quickly fleeing from her mind.

The old man’s form came into her peripheral vision, but she couldn’t get a good look at him. He began muttering to himself, “Yes, there are two. Seek for them and keep them safe and guild them if you can.” Maggot continued his musings to himself, and Cynil couldn’t understand half of what he was saying. It sounded like he was arguing with someone else there, but she couldn’t imagine who it could be.

“I know what I am to do”… “If we can help it they will not be staying long, now go find them if you can.” His body started weaving in and out of view as his talking grew more agitated. “Yes, I know what he said but then there is her and I can do it yes, But!”… “Look, you have your job and I have mine.”… “No, I can not do that! What does she have in her pockets?”… “That is why I cannot do risk it!”… “Well thank you. Now go and find them if you can!”

It looks like he can see me. Can he see ghosts? He is a mage, maybe he has magic that I know nothing about. He shifted out of her line of sight and began talking once more.

“At least you can feel your walls, there are some who never know what walls surround them until it is too late.” She heard him say, presumably to Kenji, “But we waste your time and theirs. Let that, that has been done be undone, Remove these walls from Kenji’s path.”

Too late?!? Onset panic filled Cynil’s brain. Desperate and not knowing how to react to the situation, the Druid’s emotions ran away with her. Hot tears began to leak onto her face, but she had not the power to wipe them away.

With his first strike in motion Conall used the momentum from it to flow into a second strike against the black beak betwixt Alasdair and himself without so much as pausing in his swing. His first attack struck the previously unharmed Black Beak solidly, his second attack flowing from his first target to his second hit, though not as solidly as the first. His full out attack success the young paladin shifted into a defensive posture and gaped in amazement as his shield landed in front of him dropped from the claws of the dragon.

“Praise be to Odin!! The Dragon’s on our side!” He shouted with glee as he reached down to collect his shield. In doing so he almost collided with his brother paladin, Alasdair who dispatched the adversary that Conall had attacked first. Conall’s second target was snatched up in the claws of the roaring dragon its body crushed like a rotten tomato.

The last of the black beaks was gaining altitude in a futile attempt to flee from the combat as its leaders had when a pair of daggers found their mark and pierced its huge center eye. The creature’s body exploded. The shower of acidic gore that was once its body fell harmlessly to the ground away from the party.

The last of the vile things were dead or fleeing; the battle had ended. The adrenaline and rage that had sustained him through the end of the battle was fading, Conall began his recovery by cleaning his sword of the creatures gore and sheathing the Holy Avenger.

“Thank you Odin for seeing your servants through this battle. Pray lend us your strength to heal our comrades and friends.” Conall murmured in prayer as his sword slid home.

Looking about the field of battle he watched as Alisdiar drug one of the brains to the chasms edge and heard him call out.

"Maggot, do you think you can free our samurai friend from that sphere?" he spoke between grunts. "I think we'll have to recover a bit before attempting to move on. If nothing else, we need to recover our strength and see if our fallen companions are willing to return to their corporeal shells." Sadness crept into his voice as he spoke.

“Fallen Companions! Who is the second?” Hearing Alasdair’s statement Conall began looking around the battle for his beloved Cynil. He knew that Ulthok would be fine since he was wearing his fancy medallion.

“I will see what I can do for our friend from afar, Alasdair the found,” replied the Half-elf. Hearing Maggots response Conall looked to where he had last seen Kenji engaged in combat with three of the floating brains. There he saw his beloved standing as though a statue, one of a flawlessly beautiful elven maid, in a courtyard. Her body posed as if caught mid-stride. His heart caught in his throat as he gazed at her perfect form held motionless. Quickly and cruelly he wrenched his thoughts away from his love and moved to heal Ulthok’s body.

“Come on, old friend it is time to return to your body for we have need of you and your magics,” Conall murmured as he knelt beside the body of his fallen friend. The paladin placed his hands upon the still chest of the Halfling and closed his eyes in prayer. ((OOC: I’ll cast Heal Moderate Wounds and if that’s not enough to get him back on his feet I’ll go ahead and use my cure light wounds spell for the day also.))

Maggot watched as Kenji was released from his room of unseen walls. He watched for wounds yet unfelt or perhaps any ill effect of his captivity, but none came. Kenji took it all in stride, like a true master of his own. A smell came to Maggot and he sniffed the air deeply. He looked back at Cynil in time to see a tear escape the confines of her eye and fallow a damp line down her snow white cheek.

The old man quickly moved into her line of sight and clearly had the look of a small child who knew not what to do. “No, No, No. Do not do that. Please.” His unsureness of the moment could be heard in his voice. He quickly used a bit of his cloak and whipped the tears from her face. “Oh dear,” his eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped open a little. He took a step back and looked around as if he was looking for something. When he found not what he was looking for he stepped back into Cynil’s line of sight and held up his hands, “Don’t move, I will be right back.”

Maggot ran over to his pack and rummaged through it. Something caught his eye and for a moment he looked deep into his pack, “Her tears must have been poisoned, for now I am wasting away…” The old man shook off the memory and was back in the here and now. He continued his search and soon removed a clean dressing cloth and ran back to Cynil. He held it up to show her. “See? I have a clean cloth. You see my cloak is used and messy, full of road dust and such.” He then held up the end of his cloak so she might see it. “And well when I wiped away the tears,” he pointed to her cheeks, “I left a bit of dirt on your cheek. So I have a clean cloth.” He held up the clean cloth and gave a proud childish grin. He then gently wiped the dirt and tears from her cheek.

When he was done he stepped back and smiled, “Now that is all better, you don’t cry any more. Your friends are here and they are not going to leave you behind. Now, are you hurt?” Maggot once more dipped below Cynil’s sight but quickly returned into it. His face had turned a bright red, “No! Well perhaps you are.” Maggot then looked passed her and spoke aloud after clearing his throat, “Could I get the help of a Lady type or perhaps one of the faith over here please!?” Maggot then looked back at Cynil, “Just one second and no more tears.”

(OOC: As I stated in the Q&A… Dispel magic wont work on a Wall.. Or Sphere of Force… so since we are not on the round clock here.. I will instead assume the round count of the spell has expired in my post.)

Kenji watches patiently as the Old man Maggot casts a spell at his invisible prison… and then waits… he assumes it must take some time to remove the spell… he stand waiting as the old man moved over to see what he could do for Cynil who seemed to be held in place by magic.

After a couple of minutes… the hand that he held out in front of him resting lightly on the wall suddenly fell forward… he reached out further and found the wall was gone.

As the healers of the group tended to those that were down or seriously injured…the Samurai took up a defensive position keeping watch over the group… his wounds were not as severe as the rest and his mental meditation caused the pain to ebb and allow him to stand his post as he waited for the others to do what he could not… heal and raise those that were dead.

Kenji had no reservations about raising the dead… well not any more … when he first joined the group he had reservations about a lot of things… things he thought were evil… but now he didn’t consider them evil… abilities … he realized… were not evil… they could be used for good purposes as well… only intentions were evil… if the person using the spells or abilities was good then the actions were good… so while magic was being used to bring back the soul to a dead body… he thought nothing of it… instead he kept alert and kept watch for anything that might be threatening them.