Emerald Isles, Unknown location
From: 25, Movianable 1590	To: 25, Movianable 1590 +1min 18sec

Sareth’s Journal

Beldin’s Journal

Mesinplas’s Journal

Graham’s Journal

Mai-Khai’s Journal

Cherry’s Journal

Ill-Dal’s Journal

Morgan’s Journal

This begines the dungeon crawl of the second layer. No NPC was present during the dungeon crawl.

Sareth stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back to make sure every one was ready. Faces in various states of grimness met her eyes. She wished there was another way for them to see, the mage light on her belt buckle would give away possition, but with so manny it was the easiest way. She looked down the hall, just in front of her she saw the bolt from last time, bit ahead of that was the pit… with somthing moving in it.

As she moved past she looked in to the pit trap, clear and translucent a mass filled the pit. It pulsed and ungulated as if in anticipation for its next meal. She had seen this befor, mages and priests would summon these creatures in narrow confined areas in order to act as gaurds or road blocks. She extended her right hand toward the pit in a fashion of warning the others as she moved around the left side of it. She continued to the entry on her left and took quick peaks around the corner taking in the next room. She heard the others move up behind her.

“Is it wrong for me to find a dungeon crawl relaxing?” came the horse whispper of Messinplass’s voice. She would have given him an admonishment if it where a normal voice, as it was it probaly wouldn’t cary far enough to be more of a problem than the lights.

The room was undesturbed from the last time they where there. Three doors and a stair well. She waited but a breath for them to settle after the 45 foot movement, befor she moved again. She fanned to the left scanning an arc around the room as she went. Stopping at the first door she began going over it in fine detail with various tools.

Graham was suprised at how fast this all went. Only a hand full of breaths had passed befor they where in the first room. He followed sareths lead initially, stepping past her and a bit towards the center of the room once she stopped. He bent to one knee and took aim on the door she was working on. He heard Mai move into the room and take up possiton on the other side of Sareth he noted that even thoguh she no longer had eyes she still moved her head from side to side as if she did.

Beldin was close behind Mai, marveling at the ease she moved at able to “see” things as well as others. As he moved into the room his attention focused on the stairs. Nothing out of the ordinary stairs going down, his conection with Sareth allowed him to know that some one need to watch them. He moved quickly settleing in front of the stairs and looked down into the blackness. He felt a small hand on his back as Illi moved past him, taking a possition to his right watching that door but keeping him in the side of her vision.

Cherry had thought of a thousand things she would rather be doing. But she was here and she was doing somthing. so when the others moved she moved, she took a position just befor the entry in to the room the others went in trying to keep an eye behind them and an ear for them. Messinplas moved pass her and took up a flanking position on the door watching the other side. She was glad that he too had a light.

The door apeared clear, but try as she might it remained locked. She waisted no time, pulling out her chalk, she marked the door as locked and moved to the next. The nature of this door stopped her for just a half breath. Glistening in the light strands of what first apeared as spun crystal seemed to have been grown into the shape that was needed. It was stunning as she aproached details became clear. small carcasses intwind in the delicate seeming strands Cave off faint nuances familiar to the eye. They where spiders, THe entire door was a series of intercate webs. She was carefull at first fearfull that the door would be sticky, it wasn’t. Instead it was hard and calcified. Their where no traps and no lock on this door, so she pushed. What ever was behid it wouldnt give way. Graham moved up beside her and through his wait into it, the sound of his own grunt was all he got for it.

“Need some help?”

“Illi, watch the stairs.”

A concerted effor was given. Between the four of them the door opened, pushing back a pile of debris. Imediatly Sareth began moving in, fanning to the right this time, only to curse her self as she fell to the floor. Graham moved in behind her tacking up a possition so that he could watch the two new exits. Mai was short to follow taking one step in the rom and stopping. The room was 30 feet sqaure, littered with broken items that might have once held displays and valubles. A door ocupied the center of the walls right and left of their entrance.

Cherry moved in quickly and gave sareth a hand up. A simple nod was the only thanks she gave befor continuing. The door here was yet another of the beutifull monstrosities made out of webs. Again she began checking the minute details of the door. She could hear the party behind er trying not to make to much sound which naturaly made them make even more noise. Once again she looked behind her and took invitory of the party befor proceading. This door gave freely, having the debris swept away from it in the search. Unfotunantly what was behind it made her wish it was stuck.

Writhing and twisting plates of purple hue met her face. As she moved to have the door closed the creature reared up and made to attack. Quickly sareth flicked her wrist and stabed as two bolts came whistling past her. Liitle damge was garnered however the thick palted hide of the beast was just too tough.

“Calm the minor anoiances that distract me from the task at hand, let not the twitch of an eye fetter my aim, the itch of a hand corupt the arcane intraces, nore the ache of my feet root me to the floor. Anoyia in your name wash clean my minor problems as i would wash the feet of a traveler.”

Beldin moved into position and fired sinking the bolt to the flight. Followed closely by Illi-Dal whos bolt wasnt so lucky, it sunk, deep, into sareths back. a jolt of pain hit her body like a mallet. Beldin felt a shiver of it through his spine.. strangly tinged with pleasure.

“Blessed are those that congrigate for consumation, lest not htese loves wither and dye. for those that would stop this holy bliss in the name of pettiness they shall be cursed the same. let this area stand as testomony for those that would hear the word of the lovers.”

“Arcanus tri-Balistalis!”

Three bolts of purple energy flew over her head dipping around the corner unearingly striking the creature, as its head snashed violently into the frame of the door. With tail and maw it thrashed, shards of rock flying in its throws. Sareth struck at it again, and again.

Graham took aim once more, with no clear shot and sareth in the way he was hesitant to pull the trigger. He quickly moved to another possition dodging debris flying from the door. The footing was unsure causing him to nearly fall twice, Finally he decided it was to long to wait for a good position. His movement was swift and steady almost fluid, his knee hitting the ground and the sights of the cross-bow meeting the level of his eye near in sync. He heard Mai move in behind Sareth disgruntled at the lack of space to strike. in an instant her eyeless sockets glowed with a keen light, a blink was all but now Sareth and Mai where switched. Sareth sttod behind Mai ready to strike.

Beldin moved in quickly, the boost of adrinaline causing his heart to race as soon as sareth opened the door. The link had steadly been geting stronger over time, now he thought that he could nearly anticipate her next move if he would just concentrate. As he came into position he lifted the cross bow clearing his mind of all distractions, a trick he learned from his time in boccobs service, the sharp twang resounded. Despight the fact that his arms had kicked up to block his vision, he knew that it had hit. A flash of pain lanced his back, hot, searing pain with it a since of pleasure. Sareth had been hit with an errant bolt, but the pleasure puzzled him.

“Fel creature, you have scorn a lover and for that you will face a lovers scorn. Protected with tooth and claw, protected with sword and spell.”

A bead of light apeared just beside Sareth, then widened as it swung to strike the monster, apearing as a long sword with a stiff lanyard. Runes decorated both sides of the blade, on one side those of the infernal creatures the other Celestial in nature. Pure force struck with the swiftness and deadliness of living steel.

Again Mesinplass called forth arcane energies, striking at the creture with beads of purple force. The lashing of the creature sent more rocks flying, causing them to dodge the larger ones. Tiny beads drew on their exposed skin from the smaller shards that scraped and cut their cheeks, the creature was almost through.

Sareth took little time to decide, with a pained effort she pulled her arm up and sent the dagger flying toward her target, burying the dager deep. Two bolts followed it quickly, Graham was taking no prisoners.

Mai unleashed her fury, though she had no eyes, her target was clear in her vision. Details she would have never been able to pick out, scars more mental than physical adorned its writhing body. Bright flashes of mental pain lit the creature for an instant with each strike.

Beldin felt the odd disoriented confusion of sareth, and he felt it vanish. His bolt flew again. He knew that Mai had some power that was strange, not god given or arcane, but exactly what was the extent of this power. Surely if she could instantly change the position of people with no word or material, it was limitless.

Illi adjusted her aim, carfull this time not to hit one of her own. Dark dank caves, Spider created doors, writhing purple masses, she needed a drink…

Cherry moved to sareth, leaving her Spiritual weapon to do the dirty work. she took stock of the wound on sareths back. it took but an instant befor she was sure she could pull the bolt loose without further damage. If she had been any one else, she would have missed it. A cry of pain and pleasure escaped the lips of her patient, her kness weakened only slightly not from the pain Cherry expected. What truly happened to this child she wondered. While attending to Sareth she heard the shear scream of the creature. Evidently the spirit sword did the trick.

Messinplas stopped where he was, strated examining the furniture. It apeareed to be display cases elogant at one time but a heap now.

“A squeak awakens those who sleep. A torn cloak chills the child who needs warmth. and the hens need be chased given an unmended fence. These are the little things in life, aliviate these and the large things are easier to deal with.”

As if living pieces began moving togather and rejoining. A second later the Stand was once again sitting there as if it was never broken. Unfortunantly there was no time to admire craftsmanship the party was already moving.

Sareth led them across the room to the other door with a brief bit of amusement when Beldin triped in the rubble. The door was more webing, this time unlocked and clear. Opening the door revealed an expanse of room farther than even her elven vision could see… This would take a while. She began checking the area in front of the door, seeing nothing out of the ordinary she moved foward, Graham and Mai moving in behind her…

To be Continued….