The figure’s skin was like ash, peeled apart, not by the nature around, but by the death and decay that had occurred over a thousand years. Yet the tracks it had left behind were only hours past. Jurot he symbol the figure had mao write in their blood beside them, and as he scraped it, he threw a look to Kitool, the pair exging head nods. Kitool clutched her staff tighter, while Jurot donned his shield, and upon the sight, Jaygak did so too.
‘A Tribesfolk?’ Adam donned his shield too, and drew Wraith, while Lud Mara, feeling the air grow cold, and noting their panions arming themselves silently, drew their own ons.
Jurot held up his hand, before motioning forward, and he crouched down, though his steps were still swift. He followed the tracks, with Lucy following right beside him, while Mara followed Kitool, and Adam and Jaygak brought up the rear, the group having taken a triangur position in pairs.
They tinued forward through the hilly forest, and as the minutes passed, they could feel it through the trees, smell it upon the breeze, the chill of death.
The bottom of the hill bore a hole, the earth having given way, leading to dark depths. Jurot entered first, and as Lucy stepped in, Mara pced a hand on her shoulder. She slipped in first, followed by Lucy, and then Kitool. Adam and Jaygak gnced between one ahe pair sighing, before climbing up within their heavy armour, sliding dowuhe earth scraping against their armour louder than they expected. As they nded lightly on the earth, within the tre of the rge chamber, the skeletons around them turo face them.
“Sorry,” Adam whispered.
Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 9 (8)
Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 13 (3)Hit!Mana: 25 -> 24Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 28 (7)(12)28 damage!
Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 13 (3)Hit!Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 26 (7)(10)26 damage!
Wraith swerved through the air, tearing through each skeleton with ease, with such might that Adam’s axe actally sliced through another skeleton with each blow, each falling like blocks of wood, each of the people around him barely even swinging their ons with any effort.
Victory!XP Gained: +100XP: 14 500 -> 14 600
“That was eas-,” Adam said, only to be interrupted by a bst of ice from the side.
stitution SaveD20 + 6 = 12 (6)Failure!
Health: 91 -> 55
As the cold bhe party, Kitool pulled back, her body moving without even a thought as she flipped through the air, dodging most of the bst. ‘Fifth Gate.’
“More uninvited guests?” a voice called from the darkness, the voice raspy and low, yet brimming with great power. “Deathsingers? Oh? And just what are you three?”
Everyone here could hear the tone of voice. It was that kind of voice, like that of a hunter about to py with a kitten.
The figure stepped from the shadows, pale and thin, the face of death itself. His cheeks were gaunt, his eyes dark, with hints of green swirls, and though he looked like he could blow over at a single breath, his body, floating through the air, remained pletely rexed. He wore dark garbs, and he floated through the air so casually, it was as though he had just beeing cheese and drinking wine. Behind him, following his fingers, several bodies floated through the air, trailing behind him.
“Who the hell are you?”
“How rude,” the figure said, raising his hand, calling forth words of magibsp;
“Get down!” Jurot shouted.
Mana: 23 -> 20Spell: terspell
terspell CheckD20 + 3 = 15 (12)
“Who gave you permission to cast a spell in front of me?” Adam asked, pointing towards the figure with his axe, the magic c through his veins before it rushed against the magi the being floating before them.
“Oh dear,” the figure said, feeling the magic dissipate in front of him. He flicked his hand, tossing the bodies he group, and reached out his hand. A green orb floated towards him.
Adam felt his hairs stand on end, and his eyes fell to the green orb. All he could feel was the intense magiing out from the orb, and even Lud Mara could feel it, while the Iyrmen’s seold them that whatever was happening before them, couldn’t be allowed to happen.
“I suppose it is too te for me now,” the figure said, holding up a hand as Jurot’s axe tried to smash his skull, the staff remained a hair’s breadth away from his neck, and the glowing bde threateo slice through where his heart was assumed to be. He flicked his finger and the trio of bodies flew backwards a momehough they mao remain on their feet. The figure floated upwards, the ceiling beginning to glow for a moment, before he disappeared within it.
“Adam,” Jurot said, gng aside, pletely ign the groaning bodies on the floor, while green fire began to illumihe area, each fire at the top of peared to be coffins. The chamber around them, now the maire of attention for the group, was extraordinarily rge, only now ohe green fmes brought light to the area, could they see its true size.
Unfortuhe group couldn’t admire the architecture, which was a, from a time long before, due to the floating coffins. The lids fell, revealing five suits of armour, although as they shifted, Adam realised they were figures who were adorned in suits of armour, of intricate brohough rust had begun to take them.
Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Health: 55 -> 60
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 12 (2)D20 + 10 = 25 (15)Hit!Wraith: 3 -> 2Mana: 20 -> 19Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!2D6 + 2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 36 (8)(3)(16)36 damage!
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 22 (12)D20 + 10 = 30 (20)Hit!Wraith: 2 -> 0Mana: 19 -> 18Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!4D6 + 4D6 + 6D6 + 9 = 59 (19)(13)(18)59 damage!
Onward Soar: 1 -> 0
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 12 (2)D20 + 10 = 25 (15)Hit!Mana: 18 -> 17Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 17 (3)(5)17 damage!
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 12 (2)D20 + 10 = 25 (15)Hit!Mana: 17 -> 16Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 26 (6)(11)26 damage!
As the suits of armour floated out of the coffins, they were forced back within by the might of magical sword, axes, and staff. Adam, like a ravenous beast, tore into the armour of the warrior, feeling the dread emanating from the heavily armoured creature. He broke through to air, scraps flying all around him, until the a guard fell still. A siing ch beside him also revealed Kitool had silenced another forever.
‘…’ Kitool inhaled sharply.
“Gah!” Mara growled as one of the two remaining figures who had stepped out grabbed at her throat, lifting her up with ease, while her red skin turned pale and her skin started to wrinkle. Adam turo help, before Kitool beside him spinning, only to be grabbed by the st remaining guard, and she groaned as her skin turned pale and her veins bck, the young woman’s body shaking.
“Mara!” Lucy shouted, pivoting towards her panion, her rage filling her with a deep heat.
Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1Health: 60 -> 65
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 12 (2)D20 + 10 = 25 (15)Hit!Mana: 16 -> 15Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 25 (4)(12)25 damage!
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 16 (6)D20 + 10 = 19 (9)Hit!Mana: 15 -> 14Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite empowered!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 29 (7)(13)29 damage!
It was only after Adam’s fshing axe tore down one of the a guards, and the pair fell still, that the half elf realised the nd around him rumbled and shook. “Dam’s get out of here!” Adam shouted, before he unstrapped his shield.
Victory!XP Gained: +800XP: 15 000 -> 15 800
Mana: 14 -> 11Spell: Fly
Adam grabbed onto the a pair of the bodies which tio groan, while Jurot and Lucy grabbed another pair, and they swiftly retreated out of the crumbling ruins, Adam dropping down the people outside, before flying dowuo grab the others from the Rage Dancers who were waiting for him, passing them the bodies. Though they spent a short time doing this, time they could have spent looting the immediate area, Adam didn’t care for losing all the treasures beh.
Jaygak stared at the earth, which fell in on itself, while her panio about dealing with the half dead party of adventurers. She stared down towards her sword. ‘…’ She was certain, pared to all of her party, she was the weakest. She wasn’t even the weakest by a little, but the distaween them was the differeween herself and the treasures lost to time.
Quest plete: Survive the A CamityXP Gained: +800XP: 15 800 -> 16 600
Lay on Hands: 19
Adam had spent five on Kitool and Mara to heal their ditions, and though Kitool seemed to return to her lively self, Mara was still paler than usual. He had also spent a point on each of the six figures before him, who he had reised while healing them. The st figure hadn’t stirred upon Adam’s healing, which meant one of two things.
Mana: 11 -> 8Spell: Revivify
“Baktu, please returo us,” Adam prayed, the diamond worth three hundred gold turo dust, and not only did it scatter to the wind, it turo light and disappeared out of existence. However, the figure remaiill. ‘Damn.’
“Ah!” the young woman groaned, before crawling over to the young man. “John.” She panted for air. “John!”
“I’m sorry,” Adam said. “He’s dead.”
“What did you do?” she asked, her accusatre pierg through Adam.
“I tried t him back, but my spell didn’t work. He’s been gone for too long. I’m sorry.”
The woman tio gre at him, slightly fused, sidering their retionship, but soon tears welled in her eyes, and she thumbed the earth beside her. “Damn it. Damn it!”
The remaining four each came to their senses, noting their pani over the still body of ahey crawled over too, cheg on the young man, who Adam had met several times during his adventures. He stared down at the dead man’s face, those lifeless eyes, unmoving like the rest of him.
‘What’s going on this year?’ Adam thought. ‘Our paths have crossed again. The alchemist. The mert. The advehe other two, though, they deserved it more than this kid. What did he ever do to me? Pick a fight a his ass beat? Does that mean this kid should have died?’
“You tried t him back?” Lucy asked.
“Yeah.”
“Why?” Lucy asked, and as Adam turned his head, she met his gaze. She could see it within his eyes. The half elf’s eyes looked past her to aime, seeing the fmes of death engulf all around him. She wasn’t sure what happened, but in the past few years, Adam had ged. The st year, he had been shocked by the death around him, he had even beeant to fight. Lucy wasn’t sure if Adam was a killer or a little boy with the look in his eye. However, after a moment, the look in his eye ged.
“Because…” Adam said, his voice low, almost hesitant. “I ?”
Adam wasn’t fused by his words, but rather, fused as to why he o expin his as, especially to Lucy of all people. Adam looked out to his panions and then down to the adventurers. Adam remained silent for a long while, deep in thought.
“This is all your fault!” the woman accused, drawing her bde towards the half elf. “You must have done something to him.”
“Hey, what are you doing?” Lucy asked. “Adam tried t him back.”
“Shut up! Shut up!” she screamed, before swinging her bde towards the half elf, which weakly scraped her armour. “It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!”
Lucy stepped forward, but Adam held out his hand towards her, allowing the woman to swing her bde at his armour. Her panions quickly grabbed at her, pulling her back away from the half elf, still struggling as she tio scream and cry, Adam could see how little she resisted them. Even then, with the young woman sobbing before him, finally ying on the ground, Adam looked past her, seeing the fire all around him.
The pair had both e across an insurmountable foe. The differeween them wasn’t just that Adam was strong, and richer, but that somehow, Lucy had been brought back, but John?
John, the racist punk who had picked fights with Adam, was dead.
He was dead now.
He would be dead by the time she could e to her senses.
He would be dead every day she would live.
One day she would e to accept his death, but today was not that day.
:(
