Shores of Dispair (part 6)

[CinderSuru]

Cinder fired her daggers after casting a fire spell on them hitting the hands deeply in it's flesh

Then she took out her bow and fired arrow after arrow. hoping iytwould lost it's grip. She was in a panic but her arrows eah caught the strange hands. Finally she deperatly called on a fire eagle who could easyly tare at it with it's talons and beak as well as burning it if it could be burned.
Finally the grip was lossened and Cinder pulled Adain from the weakened grip.
She kneelt by hin moving her hands over him trying to stableize him. She heald him close hoping there combined energy of rejuvination would help him recover. " Adain are you ok can you hear me? "
She once more she prayed to the dark maid. Tears feel down her face as she tenderly held him

[Adian Novar]

Adian gasped as he forced air back into his lungs. He felt bruised all over.

"It's above us," he said quickly, breathing hard. "There must be a level above ours. It's up there!"

He pointed to where he had sensed the thing...above and just ahead. But was there a route nearby that could get them up there?

[CinderSuru]

Cinder tryed to get a sence of what he was feeling " We could try the stair case i found it lead up to a balcony overlooking this hall, I did not notic if there was another staircase that continue further up. "
She suggested. " are you all right Adain " she asked. " lets just go and see if we can find another staircase, it is very likely. " she said
" Perhaphs we should over to see if Zarea was ok first. I think you should just take it slow for a few minites, You think "

[Adian Novar]

Adian shook his head and staggered to his feet.

"If we slow down, that thing will just hit us again," he said. "Show me where that staircase is. We have to take the fight to our enemy or it'll wear us into pieces."

He looked over at the others, breathing hard but up for another round.

"Neriah, how's Zarae?"

[veraka]

Veraka spun around just as Cinder freed Adian from the shade's crushing grasp.
"If it's a war of attrition that the thing wants, then let the blasted thing bring it on," the aasimar growled, beating a balled fist against his shield.

Neriah shook her head towards her husband; "and do what? Sit and wait while our allies fall prey to this thing. I for one won't see that happen."

Turning to Adian, she said "Zarae seems to be fine, though her strength is being drained by some negative energy. I'm not sure how to counteract its effects."

[CinderSuru]

I will take you Adain, but what about Zarae if she is being drained can you try and stop this drain on her engery, I am not sure what to do myself, except sheld her. Cinder tryed to reach Zarae with her mind and push the negative energy from her, there is a posin of some kind, i can extact it but that is all she said a spell to do so over her and sheilded her, I can conjure a mist around us I am not sure if the beast can penatrate it, but it is worth a try i suppose.
Once the mist was sorounding them she asked Verake if he could carrie Zerae a ways untile she gain some striegth back.
"The staircase is over here Adain " she lead him to it.

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

laying there nearly motionless, her breath shallow and only continued b/c of the involuntary reactions of the body. the mental pushed helped some to add to the spell Neriah cast around her, but it could not counteract [i:g7ewi1qp]all [/i:g7ewi1qp]the affects of the Shade's attack on her. that would take a bit more time. her hand reached for the sword, but to an observer, her arm just fell beside her basically limp. her mind screamed to give up, let go. only the stubbornness of the rogue kept her going, maybe some divine intervention.
with every effort available, her arm tried to reach for Moonshadow lying beside her on the floor. strength returning at an agonizingly slow pace.

it quickly finished off 'words' of the next spell, and the effects would take place rather immediately. the rogue suddenly found herself unable to move. her will had already been weakened from the shade. and another spell immediately afterwards didnt help.
( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holdMonsterMass.htm ; also feel free to do what needed for the big bad guy in your reactions.)

[veraka]

As Veraka went to lift up Zarae, Neriah halted him saying "wait, let me try something first."

As the aasimar warrior stopped in his tracks, Neriah wove her hands through the patterns to summon another [b:ekz5mhmm]Magic Circle against Evil[/b:ekz5mhmm]. The protection energies wove over and through Zarae, expelling any evil and negative effects from her body.

Right after Neriah had cast her spell, she and Veraka both felt a giant force grasp them both and hold them there. Veraka, with his paladins boost against spells, was able to keep himself free from the Hold Monster spell. Releasing himself from it, the aasimar unsheathed Marala Vharc and looked around for their enemy. Seeing Neriah not being able to move, the aasimar cast [b:ekz5mhmm]Dispel Magic[/b:ekz5mhmm] upon his wife.

Neriah moved her limbs about, testing to make sure that she was free from the spell. Turning quickly to Veraka, the fey'ri gave him a quick kiss on the lips, thanking him for her release, then got down to the serious matter of finding this new threat.

[Adian Novar]

Adian felt the cursed thing try to reach into him mind again, but this time he was prepared. With a great effort of will he cast off the enchantment as it tried to shackle his body through his mind. He took off at a full run for the upward stair that Cinder had pointed out...letting his Sight help him find his way to their enemy.

He stopped at the top of the stair...he'd almost missed the odd symbol scratched into the floor and coated with a layer of sulfuric ash. Another trap.

He backed up a couple of steps, then threw himself up and over. The fire trap exploded harmlessly behind him. With his back to the flames, Adian advanced to the chamber where the enemy was hiding.

Nothing was going to stop him this time...

[CinderSuru]

Cinder tryed a lesser restoration spell on Zarae and she quickly recovered.
Cinder helped her up " can you keep up with us Zarae? " she watch Adain take off up the stairs not wasting a moment. " I will stay with Zarae untile she is fully recovered. " she said to Adain in his mind
" Please be carefull and let me know what is going on untile I am able to catch up. " She rapped her arm around Zarae after collecting there things. " Come on Zarae let just start off at a slow pace you will get your strength back in a few minits then we will catch up.. "

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

((ok, assuming the holding spell on zarae was dispelled then.))

the rogue was still weak, but she was managing standing on her feet. with help she managed to get down and picked up Moonshadow. as it entered her hand, the dull white glow of the blade returned. again warning it sent to her mind. leaning on the druidess, she took a few wobbly steps, still having to cling on to keep herself off the floor.
"yall should go ahead, take that thing down. i can catch up."
she didnt want to slow the mission down, and at the moment she wasnt any help, but a hindrance.
"besides, your man might need you more than me."
to attempt to emphasize her point, she put out an arm on the cavern wall to balance and hold her self up. she only needed to do so long enough to convince Cinder, Adian needed her help more.

[CinderSuru]

" Zarae do you relly think i will leave you here alone besides maybe we can put are heads together can figure out some kind of spell combined spell we could use on this thing. " Cinder held her hand firmly insistanyly " I know not about the beast at all ,but it must have weekness, or we can give it a few " she giggled trying to lift her spirt. "Come on lean on me for a wile you will be good as new in know time "
They started up the stairs Cinder stopped to give Zarae and herself a drink from the skins and some of the bacon she packed from the table at breackfast. " I hope that we can get this beast brought down , I guess i understands Adain and Verakes hurry to do so. "

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

she chuckled, "i grew up in the city and manage to survive the destruction of my house, an attack on the city from our neighbors and get to the surface. I might can manage this."
she took the sip of liquid, but wasnt hungry at the moment. she sat down on the step, still thinking. she still believed CInder needed to help Adain, more so than her. Druids had access to divine magic, and would be a major help against a spell caster of whatever it was.
"my spells are rather limited. i remember some from what my brother trained me, but thats not an exhausted list by any means."

[CinderSuru]

Cinder embraced Zarae and emerced he in an invisability mist, this will hepl prevent anthing from tracing you. Perhaps you are right Zarae I should be with Adain, I will keep our line of communication open let me know if you are in trouble. Here is a root than may help you regain your energy."
She turned and followed the direction Adain went.

After she climbed the stairs she opened her mind to him, " I am on my way Adain were are you right now? I think Zarae will be ok , well i hope she will. " she said

[Adian Novar]

[i:2kpf8k3t]It's just ahead,[/i:2kpf8k3t] Adian thought back.

Aloud, he approached the last door between himself and the enemy. He could sense the pathological evil from the other side of the door like a foul stench.

"Come on out and fight like a man," he muttered. "You...[i:2kpf8k3t]thing.[/i:2kpf8k3t]"

Aware that the being on the other side was a magic user, he took a step and kicked the door open with a loud slam. Instead of charging in, however, he dodged to the side of the doorway. A blast of lightning filled the doorway, arcing over Adians's armor but only singing him compared to what he would have gotten if he'd stepped into the full blast of it.

In a second or two he would finally see their enemy face-to-face.