With spikes flying, a revolving floor, wall and ceiling with a door on the far end offering freedom the time had come to make choices.
The first to act was the new comer Evie, finding herself half way between both doors she decided to go towards the exit, Rope thrown off and legs pumping she made it almost all the way untouched but then her luck ran out as not 1 but 3 spikes slammed into her. The pain almost blinding in its intensity almost made her pause, however the impact of the 3 spikes combined with her high dexterity actually helped to push the Thief/Bard the last few feet to the door. Taking a moment to breath the pain away she went to work on the door before her.
Conall seeing no way to help for the moment did the only thing he could think of and thus quickly knelt down close to the ground, his shield positioned as best he could for protection. With the sounds of spikes striking the shield, but not him, for the moment he was out of everybody’s way, a very good choice as events would prove.
Cor crouched and ready was thinking of the best way to give the others protection against this swarm of spikes and the helmet on his head was what he thought at first to use. However as he shifted to gain a better of view of just how he would do so, he felt the extra burden of Niamedris under his tabard and knew that the cat would have to come first this round. Summoning the power of a spell he quickly touched the cat and cast upon him a Cure light. It was good timing as just after the spell was successfully cast he was hit a glancing blow by a spike.
One second earlier and the cure spell would have been a waste and the Elvin cat would not be stirring as he was even now.
The next to act was the samurai Kenji, with his ki focused, he moved quickly just managing to avoid Rayne, Cynil and Divot as they too began to move forward. Though he had avoided them he still could not avoid all the flying spikes taking 2 into his body at various points. The impacts actually helping him to keep his balance on the narrow bridge he found himself quickly beside the newcomer Evie as she examined the door. Trying to cover her as best he could he awaited the out come of her search.
Althena, knowing it was too risky with so many of the party doing so, to try to make the far side of the room on such a narrow bridge, did as Conall had and crouched low seeking as much cover as possible. However unlike Conall she had no shield and the paladin in the heat of the moment had not offered to share his. Her eyes tracking the spent spikes as they hit and fell onto the rotating wall was taken aback as she watched them melt and reenter the making of the wall itself.
No steel spikes were these as first thought but crystal ones made to look as if steel. Crystal spikes that with failing to hit a living body came to rest at the bottom apex of the revolving wall and then within seconds melted back into it, giving it an endless source of ammo to shoot back at the party. As she started to shout a warning about what she had just seen, her luck or lack of, at that moment ran out as she was hit by no less then 5 spikes. The words of warning formed on her lips turning to a cry of pain as she, with the loss of over half her hit points, was knocked into unconsciousness.
With Cynil, Rayne and Divot all headed to the far side of the room at the same time, chaos’s and confusion were bound to happen. The narrowness of the stone bridge allowing only one person to cross it was just a matter of poor timing that found all 3 attempting it almost as one.
Added to the fact that spikes were flying everywhere the result of their attempt was bad. With 2 spikes hitting Cynil, a spike hitting Rayne and Divot totally missed by dodging at just the right time the three were forced physically into each other.
Dexterity not withstanding the whole incident ended with Divot on the bridge, still headed for the far door. Cynil forced by the impact of both spikes and teammates back towards the entrance door and Rayne, even with her high dexterity unable to keep her balance, found herself hanging for dear life off the side of the bridge, a spike embedded in her shoulder.
Then it was Ulthoks turn to act having made no move to cross the bridge he had watched as all of this had gone on before him. Evie making the far side of the bridge, wounded but alive, just behind her Kenji also hurt but he too alive. Althena was hit and quickly dropped to the ground, Cynil hit and forced back to the entrance way. Divot as always seeming to have the luck of the gods missed and moving across the bridge, and Rayne hanging from the bridge wounded and bleeding out. With no hesitation, even as 2 spikes struck him hard, he did the only thing he could do he turned to help Althena calling as he did to Cor whom he now saw had also escaped any major wounds.
“Cor, Althena is down, help me protect her.!”........
It was here that Evie finally got past the mundane protections on the exit door and picked its rather easy lock. With a quick intake of breath she swung the door open to find beyond it.... a stone wall, the door was a fake!....
INTERLUDE HAILA
She was in a small area, the crevasse entered through her only way out, hungry rats at her feet attacking, Haila mouthed the words of incantation quickly and cast the spell of Polymorph Self and was at once changed into a Owl. With her wings flapping she gained enough height to be out of the rats reach and with her size now small enough to manage the contours of the creavase she moved into its depths. However lacking the night time sight of a natural Owl her way was marred by a number of bashes as she ran into its walls. In what seemed like no time at all she had found her way back to the main tunnel of the redoubt and before a strange yet somehow familiar door.
As she hovered to listen to the sounds coming from within she could hear the noise of banging as if a number of mailed fists were striking the walls and the door. Then even with her human hearing she heard the muffled sound of a voice so very familiar.
“Cor, Althena is down, help me protect her.!”.......
(OK There you have it my post for the week enjoy…. Or not,
Next post next weekend same dungeon channel, same dungeon danger.)