Lausen has been feeling his way down the pitch-black tunnel when he starts to hear voices. They are still too far for him to make out, but… “Could it be him?â€

Graft pick himself off the ground and stomps his feet..
"Yep just asleep ...god I hate the feeling of needles in your feet"
Graft draws his scythe and starts towards the big spider.
As he starts to sprint to the spider he looks back to the man that freed him and yells
"If I don't come back I just want you to know one thing........you smell like pee! You might want to do something about that"

@ Kayn & Graft:

Graft surges forward, scythe drawn back for a blow to the spider's head. The lumbering beast swings out a leg, attempting to swat Graft aside. At the same time it spits a sticky stream of web past Graft at Kayn.

@ Lausen:

The spider responds to your taunt by lashing backwards with one of its legs. The leg itself is thicker than your entire body, and it's aimed straight at you.

@ Ende: You slam down on the elf's throat with your heel, crushing his esophagus with little resistance. He gargles helplessly and blood begins to well up from with mouth.

Dark Elf: Hp 0/18

@ Wargolth: You enter the cavern to see Ende crush a helpless Dark Elf's throat. In the cavern you also see Lifth and William, as well as another Dark Elf whose body is much larger than the others and partially contorted. There's a horrific chill in the air.

@ William: Before you can act the demon/dark elf looks at you and smiles. He then disappears, and then reappears next to you, all in the space of a second. He slams his arm into your side, knocking you past Lifth and into the cavern wall, right next to the entering Wargolth. Your connection with Ende is instantly severed.

William: Hp 1/9

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In an instant the tides of battle are drastically changed for the worst. The last dark elf has sacrificed his soul to perform a partial demon summoning, allowing a minor demon to take over his body. Though the demon is of lesser power and though his power is reduced further by not being in his usual form, his is more than a match for any of the warriors.

After casually knocking William aside he pauses, scanning the crowd as if deciding which will be his next victim. His eyes settle on Lifth.

Lifth's voice is steady as she begins to speak. "This is an unfortunate event. I had hoped our travels would be able to forge you all before we were deterred by something of this power. But plans can go array. Do not think that you have failed in your duties. You have much to do and to learn before this all comes to an end. For now stand behind me. That includes you, former Aesir. I shall deal with this."

Lifth steps forward hands held out from her sides. She cries out, her voices echoing through the cavern, “Come Grim! Come Tyr!" A heavily adorned spear and sword appear in her left and right hand.

With his eyes closed, Kayn could see more clearly than ever. His senses as Dark Elf not only gave him the ability to see the life force of others around, but also helped sooth the fear that wrenched at his gut.

Kayn could clearly see Lausen behind the spider, and saw the blurr of the unkown (and somewhat rather strange) warrior darting past him. Also, Durring this time, he was able to also see the webbing being shot directly at him. Without flenching, Kayn drops to the ground on all four... from this crouching possition, he thrusts forward. Kayn, still keeping low to the ground, focused as much of his strength into his arms and attempts to plant a Force Strike directly underneath the Spider's chin.

... 'Looks as though there wasn't any time for the paralyzed forest elf to find the courage within himself to make a decision; the dark elf had already made it for him.

Before William could comprehend it, he found himself knocked breathlessly into the cave wall by a mere thrust from the monster's elbow. A few shards of scattered earth flew around him, coating the little elf in a fine coat of shimmering dust. William was in serious pain. He closed his eyes and ground his teeth against the awful feeling of sensing cracked bones haphazardly moving against each other with every shallow breath he took and every movement within slender and well-formed but virtually numb fingers. But, amongst all of the starry, hazy pain that swam in front of the elf's eyes, William somehow felt his formerly gentle and romantic mind returning to command - the mind of a forest elf, not a barbarian human. Once he had taken in this realization, the elf swordsman had come to an immediate decision; the monster's attention was turned fully upon his companions in the black distance, having seemingly discarded the swordsman as any more of a threat entirely, so William felt the desperation to act now in spite of leaving himself completely vulnerable in order to do so. He summoned the magical flute Solus Elru with the flourish of one hand, and dutifully brought it to his lips, huffing and puffing with exhaustion but intent on casting the only healing spell he knew in order to keep himself and his friends alive against this last but most difficult opponent. This is it, he thought, with a heartful tremble of his entire body, however wounded and helpless it was lying there against the cave wall. Either I can try to save our lives now, or I can die like a pitiful insect at this monster's vengeful hand, unable to fight back in my wounded state or help my friends overcome it.

'... Heal!"

A sense of relief began to build up as the dark elf drowns on his own blood. Something excited about taking him out in such a brutal manor. I couldn't help, but grin as the enemy lie helpless before me. This, however, did not last for long. I felt my body thrown to the hard floor. The pain in my head was almost too much. Never had I been disconnected so suddenly from my little puppet trick. I was lucky that no serious damage was done to my psyche or ego. Could have lost my individuality. Once again, my attention was brought back to my injured arm. I have neglected to treat it correctly. The bleeding hasn't seemed to have stopped. In my state of agony, I barely manage to hear Lifth's words. I don't care anymore, let her pull her own weight for once.

Lausen's momentum is carrying him too fast toward the spider. In the dark he doesn't notice the spiders attack until it's too late to dodge. "Not good!" Lausen reaches out with his left hand and braces for impact. He sends a burst of energy down his arm. "BARRIER!"

Graft jumps slightly back, trying to dodge the incoming blow from the spiders leg. If successful Graft is poised to somersault onto the spiders back where he will attempt a deadly slice at the spider's head.

@ William, Ende, and Wargolth:

As Lifth marches forward she hears a soft tune as magic fills the air. She smiles a grim smile and thinks to herself,"It's good that the young elf has come so far when we have traveled so little. I do not think he would have been able to withstand such a blow when we first met, not to mention doing anything afterwards." She glances at Wargolth and Ende. "At least the Aesir is coming to rely on others, even if it is in a roundabout way."

-----------
OOC:
All players are fully healed by Williams song except for William himself who now stands at 5/9 HP.

-----------

Lifth continues forth, sword and spear in hand. The Demon, steps forward to match her, summoning a large flaming battle axe from thin air. The air within the cavern thickens to the point of choking. And then they clash, a whirl of blades, each one move as though dancing with death itself.

Both are sustaining visible damage, but it seems clear that the Demon's wounds are becoming increasingly more severe than Lifth's.


--------------

@ Lausen: You summon forth a Barrier just before the spider's leg collides into you. Leg and barrier meet, slamming into one another and though you are completely save from damage the force of the impact sends you flying backwards. Your barrier begins to flicker and flashes out, spent from the impact. The spider seems to think that it has killed or injured you with that attack cause it makes no moved to attack you a second time.


@ Kayn: Your assault has not gone unnoticed by the spider but because it was doing so many things at once it cannot react to you in time. The blades of your staff cut upwards slicing through most of the spiders exoskeleton before cutting into its under flesh. You blow was solid, but it seems that the exoskeleton was hard enough to keep it from being critical.

---------
Kayn deals 9 damage to the giant spider.
Giant Spider: HP 25/40
---------

@Graft: You dodge nimbly out of the spider's reach and preform a daring feat by somersaulting over Kayn and onto the spider's back. You act swiftly, slicing your scythe deep into the spider's neck. The tip of your scythe parts cleanly through the exoskeleton and gouges deeply into the spider's innards. A split moment later a dark streak of magic, sharps as sharply as any blade slices into the cut created by your scythe.

------------
Graft Critically hits the giant spider for 12 damage.
Shadow Blade procs for 4 damage.
Giant Spider: HP 9/40
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The spider roars in fury and pain. It lunges its body upwards, intent on crushing Graft into the ceiling. You have only a SPLIT SECOND to react.

[SPLIT SECOND - Under this situation your character must decide what he will do instantly. Under these circumstances your characters next action may only be described in 10 or less words. This may be severely limiting, but smart decisions in SPLIT SECOND moments can be very rewarding.]

Kayn was rather suprised with how difficult it was to get his weapon into the spider. Even under force strike, the blow nearly jarred his arm. But no sooner did he land his blow did he see the traveller bond over him only to see the screeching of the spider a second later.

Kayn didn't even pull out his weapon from the spider as the spider lifted up off the ground. It was at this moment Kayn had an idea. Trying his best to keep the energy stored in his arms from his last blow, he took his weapon and pulled it back as if it were a javelin. With as much force as possible he let it fly towards the under-belly of the spider. If his aim was true and his nerves under control from the caves dark walls, maybe the attack to crush the traveller will be the spider's undoing as it leaves it's soft underside unprotected.



OOC: Using Force Strike for the second time, not trying to milk the same one for an extra turn.

Graft attempts to cut threw its spine while laughing mockingly

I stare at my arm to witness as the tears slowly disappear. Can't help, but chuckle at the sight. That elfling isn't completely useless, after all. Finally able to focus properly, I witness the bout between the demon and Lifth. Well, my suspensions have been confirmed. It wasn't us who were to protect this woman nor was it the other way around. She is using us for something... though, I have no idea as to what. Matters not. After all, I too am using them for my own reasons. Hmm... her style seems vaguely familiar. Ah, who cares?

I walk over to the elfling. "You have something that belongs to me."

Lausen's post -


Lausen lands hard on his feet, sliding backwards a few feet and dipping down to one knee before the force of the blow dissipates with the shield. He sees the blows inflicted on the spider and the spider's responding rage.

When the spider begins to lunge upwards and the newcomer and Kayn begin to make the moves Lausen sees an opportunity to help the situation. He just hopes that his aim isn't off.

Lausen somersaults forward, and at the height of the flip he slashes out vertically screaming "SHOCKWAVE!" A burst of raw energy rushes out from his sword vertically down the tunnel, directly at the spider.

@ Graft, Kayn, and Lausen

At the spider's roar you all three hurtle into action. Kayn lets fly his bladed staff which soars towards the spiders belly. Graft rears back, bringing his scythe down in a huge arc, intent on slicing clean through the spider's back. Lausen's shockwave of energy flies through the air towards the spider's rear, aimed at slicing straight through the spider.

All three attacks slam into the spider at the same time, splitting and fracturing different points to the extent that the spider is literally cut in half. This causes graft to immediatly drop between the two halves of the spider as its momentum carries it into the ceiling. Unfortunately this dropped Graft into the path of the still on coming shockwave which hits him half force, slamming into him and throwing him out of the spider's carcass and directly into Kayn, who, having focused so intently on his throw is caught totally off guard.

---------------

Graft is hit by a shockwave.

Graft HP: 4/7

Kayn breaks his landing.

Kayn HP: 7/10

Giant spider is torn in half

Spider HP: 0/40

--------------------------

@ Ende and William

William, stilled numbed by the strain on his body hands Ende his spear without a word.


Lifth and the Demon clash together one last time, straining, weapons locked together. Lifth proves stronger as she sweeps the flaming axe from the Demon's hands with her spear and slices deep into his abdomen with her sword.

The Demon's arms fly up and he lets out a thunderous roar that shakes the entire cave system as flames begin to burst around him. Lifth turns from him and begins running, calling to William and Ende as she passes them, "He'll bring the cave down on us in his death throws! Get out as fast as you can."

------------------

@ Kayn, Graft, and Lausen

You all hear a massive roar and the cave starts to shake. Rocks begin to fall from the roof and you get the feeling that this cave is no longer a good place to be.

As soon as he let go of his weapon, he could do nothing but watch. And sure enough, his target was hit... along with two other attacks. What happened next still is hard to concieve as it consisted of their foe splitting into two half and that weird guy from before come tumbling down on top of him... and was soon after showered with the remains of the spider.

Sighing, Kayn shoved the un-named traveller off and slung off as much of the spider's remains as possible. "what the hell have I got myself into?" Kayn questioned himself. Kayn walked over to his weapon, which lay motionless on the ground. But just as he reached to pick it up, a loud roar broke the silence. The cave began to violently shake.

Kayn quickly focused on his sixth sense to find out where the others were....

"Ende.... William... and-" Kayn was almost struck out of his state with the shock from what he sensed. "What the hell is that power coming from Lifth?! It's... it's unnatural!"

Pushing that aside, he was able to tell they were trying to make their way out of the cave. "Lausen, follow me... I know where the others are. You-" Kayn points at the newly met fellow, "if you wish to live, you'd best come along, what you do when we're out of here is your call... but at least let me repay the favor for what you've done here."

With that, Kayn takes off after Lifth and the rest of the party using his sixth sense.

Still numb and half-blind from the wounds he had endured in this last battle, the forest elf silently handed Ende's spear back to the barbarian human, without a word, keeping his face turned pointedly away from Ende's face. William had no desire to give so much as a passing glance at someone who had just used his delicate mind as an instrument of murder; it made no difference to the elf that the victims of the spear he had somehow managed to fluently wield were monsters of greater malevolence than someone like Ende could probably ever possess. ... Still, the little swordsman had to keep reminding himself, he had consented for Ende to do so. It had seemed hopeless to fight otherwise.

... It had then dawned on William that all of this time the human girl had suddenly intervened and actually attempted to fight the transformed dark elf on his behalf, although at first William had his hands and concentration completely full with casting a healing spell to narrowly escape fatal injury, and therefore he could not fathom the gravity of what Lifth was trying to do. .... But he could now. William jumped and turned back to the girl whom he had heard struggling with the monster several yards behind him, afraid of seeing her already torn to pieces.


...... Yet such was not the case. All this time, she had looked to be nothing more than an ordinary human female with an ordinary human female's body and an ordinary human female's skill in wielding arms to the forest elf, but as William's eyes caught her deftly knocking the demon's large and highly deadly axe out of his grasp with a much less formidable-looking sword in her own two hands, and then fatally wounding him with just one thrust through the torso that immediately followed upon disarming him!

"Wh - Who is this girl?" He wondered. "How could she have possibly .....?"
There was no time to ponder such a mystery, however. Before long the stalactites on the cave ceilings had begun to drop and crash into the stone and dirt floor of the barrens, some falling so perilously close to William that the tip of one had actually punctured through the tail end of his cloak that lightly trailed along the ground, causing him to momentarily jump with fright. The curses and shouts of warning that were exchanged between those in the cave with him became a meaningless rabble of sounds to the elf. All he could do was hastily strap the Northern Longblade to its proper place at the back of his cape and run as fast as his light elven feet could carry him after his friends and out of this wretched place of abysmal darkness forever.

Hmm... the cave is collapsing thanks to the demon's death. What to do, what to do. I know! I'll just stay here and be crushed by the falling rocks! What is a little death, anyway? Come on, like she needed to tell us to flee. I was headed for the exit before the words even escaped her lips. This is not how I'm going to die. I didn't leave Asgard to be buried here, instead.

Graft picks himself off the ground and brushes himself off only to find that the shock wave has his ears ringing and some strange man that looks very pissed points at him and mouthing something about suffering from a urinary track infection. Graft shrugs at the strange man and grabs a small piece of what was left of the spider and starts munching on it as he sprints for the exit.

Lausen's Post - Lausen doesn't know whether to be amused or disgusted as the scene between Kayn and the new fellow unfolds in front of him. When the fellow picks up a piece of the spider and begins to run out of the cave while munching on his new snack, Lausen decides disgusted is the better route. Never-the-less he follows behind at an increasingly fast pace as the cave continues to shudder.

@ All

The group manages to meet up at the tunnel connection, all at a dead run. The cave ceiling is crashing down behind them, rocks smashing down mere inches behind you. As you all reach the entrance the earth rolled beneath you, launching you forward and out as the cavernous maw collapses in a thunderous roar of dust and debris.

You hit the ground hard, rolling as the earth continues to tremble beneath you. No-one bothers standing until, a few minutes later, the ground decides to cease its lurching.

As you all begin to stand and brush the dirt from yourselves Lifth looks to Kayn and stalks towards him. "You, Kayn!" She stops mere inches from him, huffing angrily with a aura so menacing it seems she it growing larger. "You will keep those eyes to yourself! I shouldn't even have to tell you what could happen if you were to 'see' the wrong thing!" She begins to turn from him but whips around. "No, I don't think I'll take that chance!" Her arm sweeps towards Kayn's face pausing mere inches away as a bright flash emits from her palm. The flash goes off with a loud boom, launching Kayn backwards and to the ground. "There, now you will only see that which you should." She stalks away towards the edge of the woods.

The group shows mixed emotions: Kayn looks half furious, half terrified, Ende looks like he just wants to throttle everyone, William looks dazed and confused, Lausen looks entirely confused, and Graft seems to not be paying attention in the slightest.

Moments elapse as the party begins to pull itself back into reality. Before much can happen though, Lifth again stalks towards Kayn. "Look, I'm sorry. I probably over reacted. But surely you must understand the dangers of having such a gift?! One wrong glance while using it in a crowded area could bring hell down upon us." She waves her hand in from of his face. "I'll trust you with it for now. Do not make me regret this decision."

She whirls, facing Ende, "And you of Fallen One. I know what goes on in that head of yours. But you know as well as I do, you have no choice but to make this journey. It's for the best, not to mention the only way. Please, consider the benefits of actually going through with all of this."

Her glance shifts to William and softens. She speaks in a much smoother tone as she says, "You did fine work young elf. Never doubt the horror of this world, but never doubt its splendor either."

Without changing her position she speaks to Lausen who is standing behind her. "I must ask that you journey with us at least as far as we can find a safe place to explain everything. I feel as though we should trust you, so I hope you will accept."

"And you!" She whirls to Graft who doesn't seem to have been paying the least bit of attention. "I have no idea why you are here. But if you are to remain in our company you will keep yourself restrained. I have no wish to witness the slaughter your kind is known for!" Her eyes focus on the spider residue on his hands and mouth. "And you will keep filth like that from your jaws while you are in my presence."

She whirls towards the horses and mounts Alsvider in a trice. "Let's go ladies, The dawn is rising and if we're lucky we can make it to the mountain village of Grefit by noon. Oh, and congratulations on your survival!" She kicks her heels to Alsvider and is off through the forest in a flash.


-------------------------------

OOC: And truly congratulation on surviving through the battle. It appears you've been fighting most of the night. I'd mount your horses and be after Lifth quickly or else be lost in the mountains.

Also congratulations on leveling up! You've all made it to level 3 and earned yourselves 5 additional stat points! You know the drill by now, send them to me in a pm and I'll send your updated sheet back to you. This time however, you've all gained an additional prize for leveling! A Skill Up! A skill up allows you to level up one skill of your choice. Just tell me which one you would like to level and I'll chance it in your character sheet. As a warning for the future. No skill may be leveled higher than 3 levels above your lowest level skill. Basically is you have two skills and 1 is level 1 and 1 is level 4 you may not level the second until after leveling the first. that shouldn't be a problem for anyone any time soon, but I thought I would mention it now.

If you have any questions just pm me or ask in the OOC thread. Now get to it!