With his blade held in his hands, Lothor followed his allies as they in turn followed the floating head. The great warrior had expected to had been lead to the undead queen, not this site/sight of slaughter. Headless bodies lay side by side on the ground with their heads mounted as what seemed to be like trophies. There was no honor in this, for in death warriors deserved to be treated with dignity. It was with a heavy heart that he watched the next body dragged forth before a large man who held a blade such as his.

"If it was just another time," the words came from his mouth in a near whisper. Lothor held his blade outward in one hand, the muscles of his arm straining as the blade was meant to be held in two hands. The greatsword pointed to the man with a smile coming across Lothor's face. After the queen's demise and perhpas if he survived the battle, he would rest up and come face this man. Pound some honor into him.

Lothor spoke to the group, "Friends, promise me that if we survive, we will come back here and take care of these fiends." For fiends are what they truly were; vile, evil creatures. But he could not battle them now, not while they were dead and he had the living to worry about.

The floating ball started leading the way, Ulthok drew his sword and followed close behind. The thing guided them though the hushed halls of the citadel. The ways smelled of foul oders of the evil creatures that live here along with grim and mold. As they approached a room the smell noticeably change. The doors swung open and the ichors of death assaulted the mage’s senses. Entering the room it was evident that the enemy felt it could further it’s cause by displaying a terror of it battle. The sadly common act of displaying the headless bodies filled the room. Death and blood now replaced the dank odors. At far end of the room stood a headsman as orcs carried another body to the chopping block.

Casually the ball addressed the party, “I know what your thinking…Attack…However the creatures here have been told to let you pass unless you attack them first. They are doing what you would do, cleaning up after a battle.” As the mouth says that the two Orc’s place the body on the table and the giant sized human in one quick strike cuts off the body’s head.” Ok maybe a little more brutal, but the same nonetheless. Follow the East hallway and you’ll find my Queen in her audience chamber where she waits for you”. With that and a huge Cheshire cat type grin, the mouth disappears.
The mage gripped his blade as Cor’s voice came to him, "I know ye want ta fight here and I donna blame ye. I too feel the pull. But, we must nay be drawn into this trap for that is what it is and a fine one at that. We might save a few of our own troops but at what cost in the coming battle. Wasting energy and spells is what the queen is counting on us doing in this room. As hard as it is, we must move forward. If we fail now the fate we see here will be the fate of every creature of good in the world." Roan after him, "I made a promise to Ulthok and by my blades and the favor of Odin my promise shall I keep!" Followed by Rayne, “Tread carefully my friends. Remember that we must stay focused on the Queen. We cannot go in there fighting with anger, and we cannot let emotions get in the way. We must try to gain advantage over the Queen, as she already holds many advantages over us. She has one of our own, she is in her own domain and she knows that we would have loved to fight against these creatures which would in turn weaken us for the final battle. Have courage friends, together we shall defeat our enemy! Keep calm, and stay alert!”
In a near whisper Lothor added his voice, "If it was just another time,……friends, promise me that if we survive, we will come back here and take care of these fiends."
Nodding to himself, “These have done their job and continue by keeping these creatures busy in their vile task. We will not have worry about coming back for them, they will attack us from behind when we have gained an advantage. Better we move on to see what lies beyond. These creatures cannot take the honor of those fighter, they still fear them so much them must rend their corpse. “ Controlling his anger Ulthok strode on.

Valene awoke to the face of an angel hovering over her own. Unnaturally beautiful she knew it was no elf or demi-human creature, perhaps one of the Valkyre’s come to take her to Valhalla. For Valene it had been one moment in the middle of a battle to the next here facing a lady of death.

“Am I dead, Mother Valkyre?”

“No you yet live and I am not your mother” The face replied as she helped Valene sit up. Once sitting up, her back against the wall the female Halfling slowly came awake. Slowly she was able to take in her surroundings. Bars, a single bed, well used, and a very beautiful woman helping her, her hands in glowing steel cuffs, yep she had found the Dragon Queen. After a few moments Valene was on her feet holding out her hand.

“You must be the Dragon Queen; Hi I’m Valene Beestinger, nice to meet ya”

Valene watched as a perplexed expression crossed the Dragon’s Queen’s face as she pondered Valene identification of her.

“Yes I am, my true name is too long and too complicated for mortal mouths, but you may call me Majesty.”

“Well Majesty you have to come with me, we’re here to rescue you, and destroy this castle too” A wide grin on the Halfling Cleric/Thief’s face.

Valene’s words were greeted by a rich laugh as Majesty gazed around the shared cell.

“Thank you small one you have made me laugh for the first time in months. However I must ask how do you know of my fate as a prisoner here?”

“Oh that’s easy, Odin told Cor, Cor told us, and we volunteered to come attack this flying castle with all the rest.” The wide grin on Valene’s face never fading as the Halfling stood and started looking over the door to the cell.

“The God Odin told a mortal of my fate? Who is this Cor you speak of?” Valene could hear in Majesty’s voice her disbelieve.

“No really Cor’s a Dwarf Knight Cleric, I think the only one, or maybe more then one, I don’t know. He is co-leader of our party with my boyfriend Ulthok. Like I said we’re here to rescue you” As she spoke a loud clank was heard and the cell door swung open. Moving quickly Valene was out into the cell block.

Majesty’s surprise could not be hidden even for a Dragon and she quickly followed her out of the cell.

“How?” The Queen asked.

“How what?” replied Valene

“How did you open the cell door?” A smile a mile wide appeared on Valene’s face.

“Magic, now lets hurry we need to find my friends.” Grabbing the Queen's hand Valene led them out of the cell block room............

Weaver looked upon the gruesome seen that played out before him. Weaver with his sharp eyes he glimpse something on the tattering of cloth that still cling to the armor of the one being brought in by the large Orcs. This one was from the Highland Guard.

The Mouth of the evil one spoke again, some kind of attempt to justify the actions of brutality and a promise that for now is kept but as we all know scorpions sting because that is what they do. When the Mouth fell silent and drifted away Weaver began…

Oh, I see, I see the great mountains

Oh, I see, I see the lofty mountains

Oh, I see, I see the corries

I see the peaks beneath the mist
I see, straight away, the place of your birth

You will be welcomed in a language which you understand

Find hospitality and love when you reach there

This I would not trade for a ton of gold
I see woods there, I see thickets there

I see fair, fertile fields there

I see the deer on the ground of the corries

Shrouded in a garment of mist
High moutains with lovely slopes

Folk there who are always kind

Light is your step when you go bounding to see them

You will willingly remain there for a long while

As these words were done Weaver withdrew a small flute from one of the ones around his neck and began to play the tune that accompanied those words and the party moved on.

Bodies piled upon bodies awaiting desecration. Orcs, humans, and other vile beasts butchered the bodies of fallen heroes, leaving behind great piles of macabre trophies. It sickened her to the core, but such was the way of mortal war. There was no honor, only a swift victory over ones enemies. Peace would not be had even in death, for these beasts dismembered their fallen enemies in one final insult. It was an abomination.

This was why the fey witches of her ordered stayed their hands in acts of war. Let the mortals kill one another if they wished, for such violence was their way. As blood flowed, the fair folk would recede even further from the world. Cloaked in their ancient ways they would remain eternal, aloof and cold.

Siréne felt the chilling touch of fey serenity fill her and beckon her away from the world of men. With every new horror the song of faerie grew sweeter, calling her home. She could leave the world of men and let it burn.

Yet her hands had touched the warmth of this mortal realm and she drank deep its passions. These mortal flames were so brief, and yet how bright they burned. Could she abandon them now to their passions and blood.

Her cerulean gaze took in the horror before them and then the resolve of each of her companions. Together they faced death, but they would face it standing. A tightened jaw and a clenched fist revealed a churning rage within. They each, one and all, would have gladly turned rage upon these beasts to avenge their allies. Yet they stayed their hands and walked onward through the tide of rage. Perhaps a similar fate awaited them, but they would not let such fear stop them.

Siréne knew she could do no less. Again she clung to the passionate fire of this band of heroes and stepped forward. Together, they would end this all.

((OOC: Continues on with the others and does not engage the orcs))

(PLEASED BE ADVISED THE FOLLOWING POST IS GRAPHIC IN NATURE AND IS RATED ‘R’ FOR DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLANCE AND SEXUAL REFERANCES
The party watched as the Orcs and the large human carried out their tasks. Though the urge to attack was great each member thought if they were to attack here, it would cost them too much in their forth coming battle with the Githyanki Lich Queen. Moving past and through the doorway, they left the gruesome scene behind.

Moving down the hallway, they could see cleared scenes of combat, bloodstains on the walls, bloody drag marks of where bodies had once laid and nicks in walls from arrows and weapons. Then they found themselves in a medium sized door less room, a guard room, and with it their first actual scene of combat as lying on the floor were a number of bodies.

A human male in full chain mail, holding a longsword in one hand, a shortsword close by. His face ripped open and a large section of his stomach gone. The second body this of an Elf in robes, hanging, embedded, on the wall. A large great sword pinning him there as if crucified, below him the charred body of one of the Giant Orcs. A third body, a female human in plain leather, the top of her scalp severed from her severed from her skull. A second large wound, resembling that of deep scratch marks above her bare breast, the armor there gone. The wound appearing as if from a large claw strike. In addition to these bodies a number of normal Orcs and two, more Giant Orc’s were scattered in death. As the party moved on out of the alcove behind them appeared two of the same large Orc’s from the room behind them. Bending down they lifted the Giant Orc male and begin to carry him out and back towards the large human’s charnel house.

Another 100 feet and after a turn in the hallway once again the party found themselves in a room of death. This room bigger then the alcove was the scene of a much bigger fight and the party’s first view of dead Githyanki bodies. Along with six dead Githyanki and ten dead Orc bodies, a human male in full plate, his hand dismembered and missing. A gash through his skull telling of how he had died. A Dwarf, also in full plate, the plate now smashed back into his body from some type of giant blunt weapon. Blood covering the outside of the armor. A Half-Elf in studded leather, his body now in three parts having been cut in two at the waist and his head severed. From the lack of blood the head removed post death An Elf in chain, his eyes gorged, the top of his skull missing exposing the remains of his brain. A large sword type hole in his chest going through and out the back. Lastly a female human in robes, now open and ripped, showing the trail of a sword cut from shoulder to stomach to hip.

As they stood looking at this area of death, four Githyanki phased in. Seeing the party three of them drew weapons before the fourth shouted something at them. Replacing the weapons the four spilt up into pairs, each pair picking up a dead Githyanki, and were gone. The party could see to the North a doorway leading further on into the hallway. With the silence now in the room as if a heavy weight, the nine-member party once more moved out of the room and down the hallway. Walking another two-three minutes they found themselves reaching a twin set wooden door guarded by two 6-foot tall something’s in full white plate. With the armor and helmets hiding their true nature, and the white armor showing no seams or creases. It seemed to suggest to the party the armor was made up of one single sheet of metal. Turning to the stylish engraved wooden doors, they each grabbed a handle to open them for you to enter. Showing with an ease of movement the flexibility of the armor. Once open they moved to step back out of reach.

With no moment of hesitation, the party of nine moved into a large 100x100-throne room with paintings and drapes hanging upon the walls. With both standing lamps and wall torches lighting the room, a floor made of ivory tiles and chandeliers of glowing glass, features fit only for the high nobility. With the whole room quite clean and seemingly spotless, it could easily be a ballroom of a dozen kingdoms and not the den of a Lich Queen. Eyes once more drawn back to the room itself they could see that the main feature was a large black, white and gold throne placed against the center of the North wall.

Seated upon this throne was a sight that none of the party had possibly foreseen. Where they had expected a skeleton female Lich in fine clothing they found themselves facing a very lovely blonde haired human female dressed in leather. With her legs draped over one arm of the throne chair, she seemed to be paying you no attention, her gaze drawn down. An anguished cry of help, laced with pain, brought the party’s eyes down to the throne’s base. There an Elvin female very naked lay with her face down looking towards you, her eyes begging for help. Behind her a somewhat scrawny robed creature in the act of raping her. Looking towards your entrance the creature now clearly revealed as a male human, his face disfigured horribly, smiled. Leaning forward quickly and without hesitation, a blade appearing in his hand, he cut off the Elf females head.

Slowly standing as the head rolled to a stop, the disfigured faced human brought his robe closed and walked towards the throne. Reaching its left hand side, he stopped there to be flanked on his inner right side by the Shadow-Wraith Dark Whisper. Looking towards you her eyes lite up and a smile crossed her face at the sight of Peri upon Ulthok’s shoulder. She in turn was standing to the left of the same type of warrior in full white plate as the party had met at door. A second such white plated figure, an exact match to the other three, flanked the throne on its left side. To the left of the throne and slightly behind it floated the happy faced mouth, his grin bigger then yet seen by the party. Moving forward it came to float just inches above the dead girl. After a moment, a red mist beginning to rise into its form, almost as if the mouth was feeding.

“Welcome to my Queens Audience chamber. She wishes me to tell you to put down your weapons and prostrate yourself before her and she will grant you an extra week of life. So fight and die now or surrender and be glad of another week living upon this world.” Moving slightly higher, the mist of blood following, the mouth looked as if to lean forward. “Personally I hope you fight and die… I’m HUNGRY!”

The smiling face now full of jagged teeth and eyes framed in flames, smiled.....................

(Ok there you have this week’s new post I hope it did not gross you all out. Next post next Sunday the 19th and good posts by all. Please keep it up. From this point it‘s up to you how it goes down and I‘ll get a map up by Tuesday nite)

The party moved through the aftermath of viscous fighting. Such as Cor had seen too many times before. His heart felt sadness that so many had lost their lives but other than that he felt nothing. He knew that the sights were intended to create despair or anger for both of those distracted an opponent. Focusing further on the task at hand he moved onward. Once in the audience chamber he was surprised to see the lich queen in a pleasing form; at least physically for there was no way to make her character pleasing. A female elf being raped and then decapitated seemed sadly expected at this point and Cor was only glad she was free of pain. Finally the voice spoke requiring groveling in exchange for a bit of bonus life.

"I am Cor, the sole Knight-Cleric of Odin, and I will nay bow down before other than the all-father himself. Death donna cause me fear for I know I will sit with Odin when I fall. So, if you please, let us end this."

Rayne kept her calm, focusing on her breathing as she started isolating herself from her surroundings. Her eyes saw everything, her ears heard everything, and yet she saw nothing at the same time. Movements caught her attention as she followed the party through the double doors to the queen's room.

Having seen two white guards on the other side of the door, she tried to find a way to block the doors so that they were not trapped in the middle of the room at an even bigger disadvantage. Rayne ensured she had reached the ultimate calm so that she could focus and prepare her spells for the battle ahead. Her eyes kept glancing behind her through the double doors hoping to find a way to seal the doors.

The fight that would follow would definitely be one that would be written in stories that would be passed down from generation through the generations. The epic battle that would make children have nightmares for years to come. The kind of story that would inspire the greatness that is dormant within all of us to boil up to the limits of their very existence.

Rayne decided it was time her animals assisted them to have even more eyes ready. She called to her ferrets and asked them to keep their eyes behind the group watching to ensure the others did not come up from behind them and flank them.

Keeping her calm she kept her hands on her weapons and listened to the words exchanged by the others. The smiling face seemed to expect they would fail in their attempt to free their friend...and yet Rayne knew that they would be injured in the attempt, they would survive this encounter to live another day. No words were needed as she had embraced the very existence of calm.

Barreel had held himself back for the sake of the party, and ignored the mutilation of fallen warriors. This last bit was too much for his self control, however. Barreel was a dwarf of action and spontaneity, and his impulses screamed at him to end the creature in charge of all this evil. He was ready for this fight. Either he would die a glorious death in the biggest fight of his life, or he would be victorious and cleanse the world of a great evil. He gripped his axe, knuckles turning white, and set himself to charge, a song on his lips...

Then he realized Valene wasn't there. He knew that Ulthok wouldn't want to die here in a fight without having found her. He also knew that they had a job to do, and that was take down the castle. Barreel wasn't sure what the correct action was: do we fight now, or find Valene and the Dragon Queen? This call wasn't his to make.

Taking a deep breath, he reigned himself in and waited for the party's choice.

Cor sent a silent prayer to Odin; one he hoped would be answered quickly for his next action might depend on the answer. "Father Odin, he who sees all, where is the Queen and Valene? Our mission is to rescue her not to kill this abomination before us. Grant me the wisdom to know if it is time to fight or time to flee."

Roan surveyed the scene quickly as his keen eyes quickly viewed the opposition, while sizing up the area of possible battle, or possible escape.

We have a Mission to Fulfill in the sight of All Father Odin. Locate and Rescue the Dragon Queen and Free Valene. Then Blow this Floating Castle from the Sky! Help Me All Father Odin to Act and React According to Your Purpose to Do My Part to Bring Our Mission to Pass!
Roan began to separate himself from the rest of the group, but did manage to quietly whisper to his companions the following, as he slowly kissed his Bracers of Odin:

"I will take a Post near the Door on the Left. Perhaps one of you could slowly follow me and examine yon door for Traps or Magics?"

Then as non-threatening as he was able, the Ranger/Cleric of Odin sauntered in the direction of the door in as nonchalant a manner as he could muster, without arousing suspicions or provoking an attack from the opponents assembled at the other end of the room.

He then took his position a few paces past the door and slightly to the left, striking a pose to suggest a curious watchfulness, as if Roan were merely content to watch the drama unfold, rather than to become a catalyst for action against their foes.

((OOC: Roan figures to guard against an attack from the doorway, if the party moves forward to confront the denizens in the room, plus defend his comrades if they choose to exit stage left for any reason, before following them out the door! He is also relying on someone to double check the door, which he casually walks by, looking for any hints or traces of a possible Trap from said door!))

Weaver’s eyes widen as he scanned the room. He blinked hard and scanned again pausing at each face in the room. Again he did not see the one he was looking for. The young looking half-elf stepped forward to stand just to Cor’s right and a step forward of the Knight Cleric.

He then looked again; a sense of urgency filled the air around him. Wanting was in his eyes ‘She’s not here!’ he spoke harshly looking up at the ceiling. His eyes then fell to the yellow orb, ‘You know nothing of hunger, of longing, of wanting.’ He then pointed at Whisper, ‘Where is she!?’ Not waiting for an answer he looked to the Queen, ‘Is she pulling your stings from behind the door?’ as he said this he pointed to the door to the left and began to walk toward the door, ‘Is she behind this door!? NO!’ He stopped and looked to the robed rapist, ‘You, raper of the dead. You seem to be the Queens errand boy, go and fetch her. Or does she prefer to hide behind closed doors while others do her bidding?’

Alyia found herself starting at her feet an Ulthok's an Cor's backs. Alyia clenched her teeth an focused on their bloodied an battered armour in front of her to keep her focus off of the goading scenes set before them like horror stage play.

Alyia felt crowded amongst the party as they were seeming herded into yet another larger chamber.

the fear an anger in Alyia was quickly turned into irritation as the smiley faced creature spoke. the bravado speech seemed like grandiose melodrama rather then an actual threat. though Alyia didn't doubt from the previous atrocities that their corpses lest they fall would be desecrated in some manner.

the tension in the room seemed to become Palpable as members of the party assessed the surroundings. Weavers voice broke Alyia's thoughts like a explosion, drawing her eyes to the half-elvin ranger.

‘She’s not here!’ ...‘You know nothing of hunger, of longing, of wanting.’ ...‘Where is she!?’ ....‘Is she pulling your stings from behind the door?’...Is she behind this door!? NO!’ ...‘You, raper of the dead. You seem to be the Queens errand boy, go and fetch her. Or does she prefer to hide behind closed doors while others do her bidding?’

Ulthok saw the horror of the rape and death of Elven female and heard the taunting words of the thing that had lead them to the. As sure as the snap of a fall against its anvil he knew they had fallen into a perhaps in inescapable trap. The bait, Valene, was nowhere to be seen and on the dais before them was more evil power than he had ever seen before. His success had always been because of his stealth and cunning, but this was a toe to toe with thing he should run from. The small mage pasted a thought to Peri, “Protect yourself little one, the witch may try to steal you again.”

Loud enough so the rest could hear, “Steal your minds, don’t let them hit you like we were in the lab. Now split up.”
Ulthok heard Cor call out the enemy and then Weaver toss his own challenge. He knew it would draw their attention and now was his time to act. Then Halfling dashed to his left away from Peri and the others, he draws his wand of frost and released a cone of cold to hit the guard, the advisor and perhaps the yellow creature. He knew a Lich on the throne would not harmed by the cold but perhaps the singular figure beside the throne and White armored creature would be slowed.

Peri…….

They pasted through the great doors and the first thing Peri saw the robed witch that had made her do bad things to her friends. Then the other awful things in the room caught her attention . Before she could do a thing the evil in the room that was forcibly mounting a female elve killed her without moment’s concern.

As it moved to stand next to the witch Peri saw the witch smile at her. A shiver of panic ran though her and pushed off Ulthok shoulder. She fluttered away to near the side doors and heard Ulthok’s warning to her. Willing a spark of spirit into the band around her neck, a globe of invulnerability sprang up around her. She hoped it help shield her from the witch.

As she watched she saw her mage make the first attack and knew this may end badly. Wishing to help she cast a spell to hold the guards, the advisor and the Queen. (Casts Hold Person)