Darkwood--Into the blackness....

[Sorchat]

I fly to the ladder. I sit on one of the rungs. I'm impatient, and nervous.

[Kalindriel Ec'urb]

Several tense moments pass before the surface of the portal ripples and Kalindriel comes charging through. She pauses before hitting the ledge, nearly toppling over, but catches herself in time.

She calls down below, "All clear!"

[Katrina]

Light seems to fade from Katrina as she merges into the shadows.

[Sorchat]

"All clear!"

I fly straight up the ladder. At the last minute, I remember to move the Shield out of the way, so I don't hit Kalindriel with it. I grab on to her neck and squeeze tight.

[Vynarkus]

With Detect Magic still active, Vynarkus looks at Kalindriel to remove the possibility of her being under the influence of any mind controling magic.

[Led Pighp]

Led climbs up the ladder, moving around Kalindriel and Sorchat near the top, and enters the portal. He moves quickly into the center, looking around but not really attempting much stealth.

This is the only place the summoner could have gone. If he's not here, then there must be a hidden door or something, where he left.

[Search checks all around the interior.]

[Annalysei]

I try not to be too obvious about staring.

Anna catches Sigrid looking out of the corner of her eye, and her small smile borders on wicked.

[Led Pighp]

Led emerges again from the portal, clearly frustrated.

"Where could he have gone? There's no way out of there, and no other paths he could have taken." Led looks around for something he can smash, and there's not even that much. "I hate fighting magic users. They ruin logic."

[Kalindriel Ec'urb]

Kalindriel mutters something under her breath about it not being magic users which defy logic.

She looks over at Led, Sorchat still wrapped around her neck. "I sent the uglies home. Thus the 'all clear'."

"There might still be some at the top of the tower. It and the path through darkness, if that leads anywhere, are the only sections left."

[Led Pighp]

"I know you sent the uglies home. I saw the goo on the floor. Nice work, by the way. But what about the one who summoned them? He has to be around here somewhere, right?"

[Kalindriel Ec'urb]

Kali seems momentarily surprised by Led's compliment. Recovering she explains, "They were bound to the altar and we cannot know for how long. They probably summoned the fiends we fought below. Whatever brought them forth may have done it some time ago."

"If it is still around, then I would suggest the tower or a secret area we have yet to discover."

[Led Pighp]

"Wait... fiends can be summoned for more than short periods? Someone could have summoned those stains you made, and just left them there... calling other fiends the whole time?"

"It's an invasion... damned abyss fiends trying to take over my world? Not on my watch!"

Empowered with fresh enthusiasm for the hunt, Led proceeds back down the ladders to the tower. [Are there any other paths out of the tower, maybe on other levels?]

[Kalindriel Ec'urb]

Kali considers clarifying further, looks down at Sorchat, and shrugs.

[Seven Words]

The vertical goes further up..meaning, the vertical tube the gargoyles came down...the tunnel leading to here was NOT the end.

Skyseeker gracefully slides down the ladder, and back to the vertical tunnel.

[Sorchat]

I tell Kalindriel, "Get out of the tunnel. Someone just cast Clairvoyance and Clairaudience by the portal. They're watching us."

[Sigrid]

"Those spells are short ranged. Whoever is watching us must be close. Less than 1000 feet from there."

I follow Led to the tower.

"Sorchat, fly ahead and look for traps in the tower. That spell will wear off soon."

• 25hp (max)
  Two minutes since casting:
  See Invisible on Sorchat (90min).
  See Invisible on me (90min).
  Protection from Evil on Kalindriel (9min).
  Bull's Strength on Kalindriel (9min).
  Protection from Evil on Sorchat (9min).
  Shield on Sorchat (9min).
  Find Traps on Sorchat (4min).
  Shield on me (9min).
  Bull's Strength on Annalysei (9min).

Code: Select all

Cleric 0    |Cleric 1    |Cleric 2    |Cleric 3       
*Resistence |*Prot Evil  |*Bull's Str |*Disp Magic 
 Resistence |*Prot Evil  |*Bull's Str |*Disp Magic 
 Resistence | Prot Evil  |*Bull's Str | Disp Magic 
 Resistence |*Magic Weap |*Bull's Str |            
 Resistence | Magic Weap |            |            
------------|------------|------------|------------
Sorc 0 (6/6)|Sorc 1 (5/7)|Sorc 2 (3/6)|Sorc 3 (3/4)   
 Acid Splash| Burn Hands | Scorch Ray | Fireball   
 Arcane Mark| Identify   | See Invis  |            
 Dance Light| Mag Missile|            |------------
 Light      | Shield     |            |Wands       
 Mage Hand  |            |------------| Acid Arr 15
 Prestidigit|            |Spell Store | DetSecrD 15
 Ray o Frost|------------| CLW        | FindTrap 23
------------|Turn ( 8/11)| CLW        | Knock    15
Empower(1/3)| Sacred Heal| CLW        | SonBlast 26

[Kalindriel Ec'urb]

"Oh?" she says to Sorchat.

Kali lets the shadows engulfing her body fade, slicks her hair back then turns to face the portal. She speaks into the air as if there is an audience before her. "Greetings. We are going to clear out this tower and your feeble efforts will only slow us. We shall accept your surrender upon reaching your position. If you haven't annoyed us too much by that point."

She gives a sweeping bow and steps off the ledge to disappear dramatically. [Turn to catch the rungs a bit below the ledge and reapply Wreath in Shadow]

[Sorchat]

I kiss Kalindriel on the tip of her pointy elf ear.

I fly ahead to the tower, and search for traps. I'm careful not to get very far ahead.

• 13hp (max)
  See Invisible (88min)
  Protection from Evil (7min)
  Shield (7min)
  Find Traps (2min)

[Vynarkus]

Vynarkus, still invisible flys over and lands next to Skyseeker.

he says, loud enough for her to hear, but hopefully not loud enough for the caster of the Clairaudience spell, "You were the only person who was not in range when whoever cast Clairaudience did so. They may not know that you are here, and they may not have seen through my invisiblity. We shouldn't rely on these 'may's, but it might be a good idea to work out some strategy to take advantage of that fact. Having two more people than the enemy knows about could be very helpful."

[Led Pighp]

Led begins his climb back up the tower interior. As he goes upwards, he spots a turn crank up above. He moves up further, climbing from level to level, until he gets to the crank.

[Search check: what does the crank do?]