Apr 11 08 - Story Form - The Bigger They Are
Ramone? took advantage of the opening left in the doorway and attempted to fly around the combat in the doorway and gain access to the main temple area. He easily had enough height to clear the Hell Hound but as he swung around the side his foot clipped the Fire Giant on the shoulder tipping him off that someone was inside. Ramone? quickly took advantage of the moment to get behind one of the two Fire Priests that were chanting among a row of caged fire elementals. With a mighty blow from behind Ramone? destroyed one of the priests.
While Ramone? was creating chaos inside the temple Finglas took the opportunity to pepper the remaining Fire Giant outside the temple with arrows, creating a pin cushion that only another elven archer could duplicate. Kit slashed at the Fire Giant that was defending the doorway to the temple, heavily wounding him forcing it to stagger where Anterias brought it down with a sharp blow. The remaining Hell Hound snapped at Anterias and let forth gout of flame from its jaws that washed over the two of them.
Then inside the main temple area the remaining Fire Priest called out his curse “YOU FOOLS, NOW YOU DIE” as he dropped his chanting that was holding back the fire elementals. Suddenly the room was filled with six angry pillars of roiling flame that struck out to attack everything in their path.
Kylia seeing this let loose a bolt of lightning across the path of the Fire Priest singeing him and disrupting any further attempts he could make to control the chaos that he had let loose. This proved fatal for him as one of the fire elementals took the chance to grab the priest in its fiery fist and crush him to death. Three of the remaining freed creatures moved as a wall of flame towards the doorway, flailing at Kit and Anterias wrapping burning arms around them. Ramone? took blows from two of the flame creatures as he tried to move further into the temple.
(end of round ten)
Ramone? quickly slashed around him with his magical dagger, slicing through the flames and dispersing one of the fire elementals. Hearing movement from further inside the temple the group saw a Fire Priest come out from behind the sacristy curtains and lay hands upon the large statue of the fiery devil in the front of the temple, attempting to invoke some sort of magic. Finglas struggled to find a way off of the roof of the temple and on solid ground to be able to assist.
Paul seeing this new threat let loose his own bolt of lightning to cut across the remaining Hell Hound and three of the fire elementals, nearly slicing them in half. Kit looking for an opening considered scaling the dead Fire Giant corpse that was partially blocking the doorway then decided to face one of the fire elementals head on, becoming a whirling dervish of flashing claws. The fiery beast blew apart in her rage, dispersing back to its home. Anterias bashed the Hell Hound with his shield and slashed its legs out from under it, leaving a bloody pile to step over. Kylia let forth a blast of ice from her hands, washing over Anterias and the fire elemental that was still blocking the doorway. This disruption caused the elemental to miss its attempts to lash out at Anterias. The other fire elemental that remained at the front of the temple enveloped Kit in an embrace that sucked the air out of her lungs; severely wounding her. Near the center of the temple the battle between Ramone? and one of the fire elementals continued to battle with Ramone? getting burned time and time again.
As Ramone? and Paul moved further into the temple they saw two more Fire Giants that were guarding huge pools of lava along either side of the nave. Then the curtains opened and Fire Giant strode through apparently with all intentions of bringing a wave of magic down upon the group.
(end of round 11)
Ramone? seeing this new threat spun and stabbed with all his might at the fire elemental that was still attacking him. In a burst of sparks it was destroyed. Finglas called upon the power of the wind and floated down from the rooftop to land in the doorway of the temple. The priest at the devil statue continued to invoke its power, just as Paul used his spectral hands to grab him around the throat and strangle him to death. Kit limped backwards to try and reach Kylia for healing, while the last two fire elementals pursued. Anterias and Percival moved to intercept them and protect Kit.
Anterias brought the full force of his shield down upon the fire elemental stamping it out for good. Percival and the fire elemental attacking him swung at each other in a flurry of blows that ended with Percy slicing it in half and striding through the remaining flickers to face the Fire Giant spell caster at the far side of the temple. Kylia’s healing touch upon Kit granted some small relief.
As that Fire Giant seemed to slide out of focus for the group one of the other Fire Giants cast a protection from good spell upon itself to stop the Paladin from reaching it. Finally the spells cast by the center Giant seemed to blur all together and a bolt of light reached out towards Ramone?, but he was able to avoid its effects.
(end of round 12)
Ramone? sized up the remaining three Fire Giants and flew over to the one that had cast protection upon itself. Stabbing it in the back Ramone? caused only slight damage. Finglas stood in the doorway of the temple and aimed carefully at the spell casting Giant. With a single arrow he pierced its heart like an apple, watching it slowly tumble to the ground. Paul flew to the side of the temple and aimed at the remaining healthy Fire Giant, seeing her about to scoop handfuls of lava out of the pool and onto the group. Battering her with his ghostly fists Paul lightly wounded her, but she still let loose a large glob of lava. Victoriana and Paul were doused in the burning goop, but managed to avoid the worst of the mess.
Anterias snuffed out the remaining fire elemental in the doorway as Kylia again spent time healing Kit.
The Fire Giant standing in the pool of lava attempted to grab Ramone? as it fell backwards into the pool to try and protect itself. It swatted at Ramone? with its huge hand grasping at him, when at the last moment Ramone? managed to squirm through the fingers. The giant landed backwards in the pool with a huge splash of lava erupting around him, which Ramone? narrowly avoided.
(end of round 13)
As Ramone? floated above the submerged Giant Finglas let loose yet another volley of arrows this time at the Giant who had thrown the lava, moderately wounding her. Then Paul turned his fists to stone and struck at the same Fire Giant causing further damage.
Kylia continued to repair more of Kit’s damage as the rest of the group slowly made its way down towards the front of the temple. The Fire Giant enraged by the attacks charged at Paul attempting to pin him to the far wall of the temple and crush him. She took a quick two step run and snatched Paul out of the air, but he was able to twist around and slide down out of her grasp just before impacting the wall. Percival turn to attack the Giant as she hurtled past slicing her belly open and bringing her to her knees. Then the Giant that was lying under the lava surged upward to swing its sword at Ramone?, but missed the invisible flying gypsy. Standing growling knee deep in lava the Giant knew its best chance was blown.
(end of round 14)
Ramone? quickly retaliated with two quick slashes but missed the Fire Giant completely. Finglas continued to let fly his arrows into the female Giant as Anterias moved up to hamstring her and finish the job. Kylia cast healing yet again on Kit, attempting to restore her to fighting shape. Percival moved to the edge of the lava pool where the last Fire Giant still took refuge, cursing at; it daring it to come and fight. The Giant swung its sword again at Ramone? narrowly missing him.
(end of round 15)
Then Ramone? dove down and managed to slice the Giant directly in the neck, nearly cutting off its head. As it slid down into the lava pool for the last time the group looked around. Paul and Percy moved up to tear back the curtain in the sacristy finding a pentagram etched in the stone work directly in front of a set of double doors that obviously lead into the rest of the temple. The rest of the group slowly moved forward knowing the battle was not yet over.
(end of round 16)
The group was exhausted and exhilarated at this point. Fifteen dead Fire Giants, six dead Hell Hounds, six dead Fire Elementals and seven vanquished Fire Priests; all accomplished without any deaths in their own party. They knew at least one of the Fire Priests had escaped to warn the rest of the temple and the battle would now be taken room by room.
Story continues on Apr 25 08S.
