Failing Under the Falls

"Bit of a place, ain't it? A bit orn tha dirty an' grey side" mutters Sordoc, still somewhat disorientated from the trip through the etherium. He trails behind the scout, somewhat ready to leap if need be. As he steps into the centralized room, surveying the expanses and the large pile of bones, there comes a deep rasp and groan echoing round the chambers. The dust surround the chamber begins to swirl and dance around the pile of bones, many of which seem to come from many unrecognisable remains.

Suddenly a flare along one of the walls begins to light, giving off a strange octarine light. Then another bursts into flame, and another. Soon many torches are burst into light as the dust continues to swirl around and around the pile of bones, as they begin to stir and move. Slowly at first and then with speed as the bones begin to assemble themselves into a monstrous mockery of a giant. As it assembles, it reachs out one hand to grab the largest bone in the pile, that looks like some ancient titan's thighbone.

"Wha' tha hells be tha'?" shouts Sordoc, as the others prepare for the assault of this twisted mockery. As Mineva rushes forward, Sordoc darts to the left, rummaging round for anything useful against the giant skeletal thing. The bone golem sweeps around with the titan's thighbone, trying to hit the multiple assailants and kill those who dare to invade it's sanctum. With it's attention on Mineva, Sordoc pauses slightly to grab something from the bottom of his bag. Too busy trying to grab the item, he doesn't see the wide back swing of the bone golem. Wthe barely a chance to cry out the head of the thigh bone strikes Sordoc centrally, lifting him off his feet and sending him backwards towards a passage off the chamber leading down. His bag is ripped from his hands and is sent flying, still open.

As the bag tumbles through the air, several glinting items tumble from the top of the bag, several highly dangerous and improved lantanese incendiary devices. The gnomish firebombs strike the cracked and damaged wall with force and break open. One manages to get stuck in a large crack running down the wall. As the devices crack and detonate, the cracking running the wall runs wider, stretching with ferocious speed along the wall, the floor and the ceiling. With Alarm and speed and juddering rumbling, the cracks spread, getting wider and longer until... *booom* with a rumble, rubble begins to fall from one wall and ceiling, parts of the roof begin to collapse.

The Mage covered his eyes, his preparations ruined, the spell to destroy the undead monster was a long and precise one, interrupted by the massive blast. It was all he could do to switch pace. Casting a great defensive shield, holding the rubble back. It became quickly apparent that this was not enough, cracking and splintering all the magical barrier could do was buy the group some time. He blast the creature with a few volleys of force missiles to hopefully soften it up fearing anything more powerful would threaten to speed the deterioration of the room, the magics splintering bone but hardly stopping the monstrosity.

But more than a single beast resided in that massive pile of bones, skeletons of various shapes and sizes began to rise from the mass. Slowly assembling snapping themselves together, moving to flank and attack the party, an uncharacteristic bolt of lightning extended from the mage, dispatching several but it was a useless endeavor. The skeletal minions reassembled as if nothing had happened at all. As the ceiling could take no more stress the shield faltered massive tiles began to fall, crushing indiscriminately.  

He looked for ways out, and chose the closest passage to move for. A plaintive cry "Run! This is our only chance!...." before He realized he had lost track of the others as the ceiling rapidly deteriorated, earth and stone pouring from in-between the cracks before falling entirely. He had tried to hold the sections above the party the longest, hopefully giving them time, they would need it. To fight, or flee or whatever they hoped to do, he was cut off from them now.

Arran didn't know how much of the room had collapsed all he knew was that his way out of the hallway would have to be different from his way in. He followed it deeper, a whisper of magical words, he closed his eyes seeing all around him without the illusion of sight. The sense of urgency lost he strolled down into the dark, no point in running when there is no where to get to.

Sordoc's Path

The movement in the broad wide dark cavern halted as the battered and bruised body of rags finally bounded to a halt down the long stair way that led to the black expanse. The ragged body rolled to a stop amongst the floor of the darkened carvern, amonst which were scattered piles of rubble, decaying remains of various parts of once living animals and of odd carven flora. After a few moments the bundle of rags begins to stretch and groaned.

"Ooh...something new? Has the mistress sent us a new toy?" A multitude of voices hisses out of the dark.

Sordoc, in his damaged clothes, rolled onto his back, He squints, trying to peer into the gloom for the owners of the whispering hissing voice, he'd heard.

"Ooh, what is it? Another one of the small rats? Looks a bit big for one of those small ones, the heads too big." The voices calls again into the dark.

"Urgh...mo' be best idea... tha' was..." grumbles the gnome as he slowly and painfully shifts from his back to a sitting position. "So... who be tha' in tha shadows?"

The voices in the dark hisses once again, "It speaks... it moves... The guardian isn't doing it's job properly is it, my dear?"

The gloom rustles as shadows move around the cavern walls.

"No, it's not doing it's job properly, dearest... only one though... and barely a morsel for us"

Sordoc continues to discern the location of the voices, but they seem to come from everywhere and nowhere. He reaches for his bag, only to finally notice it isn't on his back. He slowly remembers the actions that led him down the painful stairs.
"Ah... crap... no backup fer tha moment... now ta deal wi' thissen... problem first" He mutters to himself.

"A morsel it maybe... but smell that... it smells beautiful, sumptious and tasty... of many magics and food...perhaps this toy will last longer then the last one... my Dear," The voices hiss excitedly, as the shadows rustle again.

"Hmmmph... I ain't ya dearie... who e'er ya be! Come art, show us yassen, I ain't inna mood fer riddles an' such" The gnome calls out as he unsteadily gets to his feet, his eyes adjusting to the shadows. He rummages on his belt and removes a battered but intact tankard and his flask. He pours himself a small amount into the tankard, and as he goes to take a swig, a large shadow plunges from the cavern roof. A wide thing beam of shadows strikes across the cavern floor towards the gnome sending him backwards and spilling the drink.

"Tha's me drink, ya be spillin', who e'er tha scrag ya be!" Yells Sordoc as settles himself from the strike. He whirls around, settling himself into a defensive stance as he scours the walls and ceiling for the unknown assailant.

The voices return, "My dear, this one has spirit, we might have a decent feast out of this," and the shadows dive again.

Sordoc, somewhat more prepared for another attack, dodges to one side and lashes out at the assailant. The gloves flash with radient light as they strike something both solid and not. The large shadow shudders and drops to the floor of the cave and turns in anger.

"It hurts... the little rat can hurt us," the voices wail in unison, the large shadows steps forward towards the light of the stairway, revealing it's large form as that of a monstrous nightwing, seemingly bloated in size, far larger then it's more common brethren. It's head draws back and then lunges forward towards Sordoc, unleashing a vast torrent of cold towards the stair way, leaving a thick trail of glittering frost and ice across the floor.

Except for a small spot around Sordoc, where it seems to have melted close to but not have touched the gnome, forming an almost perfect circle around the gnomes feet. Sordoc reaches for his wands strapped to his forearm and tries to ready it. The nightwing in it's rage and astonishment clambers forward and strikes out at sordoc, snaring him in it's claws. It spreads its wings, taking off towards the cavern. Sordoc is twisted around and grasped, held tightly by the nightwing's claws. He struggles trying to get at the correct location on the wand he carries, and gives a large wide slasher grin towards the nightwing.

The voices, confused, cry around "It grins, why does the rat grin so? Doesn't it know it will be smashed on the rocks below. Wait... isn't that thing a gnome... don't they-!"

There is an audiable click as the correct button on the dragon rod is pressed, and Sordoc's mouth opens in a torrent of belched flame, direct to the underside of the nightwing. The searing flames scorch the underside, causing some of the shadows of the nightwing to begin to unravel. The Voices shriek in tremendous pain and unison, as they release the grasp on the gnome and let him drop from the heights. The monstrous nightwing begins gathering magic as it begins the casting of the spell to return it home, as Sordoc lets loose with another dragon's breath from the arcane rod. The shadows blink as the gnome crashes into the ground as blackness and pain swarms in.

To be continued...