IC III

[rremedio]

Meagnor the elf agrees: "Good plan, Lanny. Maybe we can break the charming before they go too far away."

[riftstone]

Thordin the dwarf

"I am good with that plan. I tire of all this sorcery and enchantment! Let me in there and see if this thing can stand up to cold steel!"

[thirdkingdom]

Quinthos, elf

"Very well. I shall attempt such a thing."

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

The entire party retreats to the outside, followed closely behind by the horde of shambling elves. The companions quickly duck off the the side, hiding in the dripping undergrowth. As the elves Quinthos calls out in a quavering uulation, devoid of words but bursting with emotion. As one the horde locks eyes upon him, and begin to pursue him in strange shuffling gate that is faster than it appears. It seems quite likely the companions have little time to act!

[riftstone]

Thordin the dwarf will charge in with deadly intent, attempting to thrust his sword directly into the eyes of the creature.

[sulldawga]

Marodin the Cleric will also charge, warhammer at the ready!

[Luis]

Saul will try to shoot at it's legs to incapacitate.

This is one of the elves, correct? If it's some sort of monster he'll shoot to kill and I'll edit later.

[Bouv]

Tratiln, finally with a free moment, drops his destroyed shield and joins his companions outside in hiding. After the elves shuffle by, he'll join his companions in trying to destroy the monster that has enslaved the village.

[zebediah]

Drudsa follows the others back inside the cave.

[Makofan]

OOC: I don't see a monster, I see a unified horde of elves we don't want to kill. One or more of us are reading it wrong?

[Finglas]

OOC: I don't see a monster, I see a unified horde of elves we don't want to kill. One or more of us are reading it wrong?

Bregalad the elf

I think the elves have exited the cave and are pursuing Quinthos (who is playing rabbit). However, the horde is moving surprisingly fast. So, we may have not have much time to act.

[thirdkingdom]

Finglas is correct.

[Bouv]

OOC: I don't see a monster, I see a unified horde of elves we don't want to kill. One or more of us are reading it wrong?

There is a giant metallic box that is the "monster" we are trying to kill.

[Finglas]

Bregalad the elf

Bregalad will enter the cave with the others. When it is time to attack, the elf will wait until Thordin and Marodin have entered the far room first, and then will follow them in, keeping his eyes lowered when fighting the creature.

He hopes to avoid being enthralled by the many-colored lights.

"Lantharios, if you intend to use your bow, would you mind loaning your rowan shield to Marodin? He may need it for protection against enthrallment."

If Lanny decides to attack with his bow, then Bregalad will give him both of his Traladaran arrows.

[riftstone]

OOC: I don't see a monster, I see a unified horde of elves we don't want to kill. One or more of us are reading it wrong?

We are going to attack the thing you ran into in the second cave, trapped in the rocks. The thing tried to enslave you before.

[rremedio]

Meagnor the elf will follow the others: "Tratiln, I think it would be wise to keep a torch ready to be lit, just in case we need to burn that thing."

[thirdkingdom]

The companions wait until the elven mob shuffle past and us out of sight before plunging back into the dimly lit cave. The secondary chamber is much as Grey Jake described. A small pile of rubble has appeared near the cleft -- it seems the elves had begun to dump the rubble here once it became apparent they were under threat.

At the far end of the cavern the strange cube awaits, half-entombed in the calcinous accretions of centuries -- millennia, perhaps. The tendrils emerging from its "mouth" hang motionless. The lights upon its face are blinking furiously, and coming into sight of the malevolent metal monster all experience the same strange vision as occurred when it spoke. All feel the weight of ages pressing down, a sense of time and loss and senile madness coupled with cold rationale.

There are torches lit throughout the cavern. Heatvision is not so great at distinguishing detail.

[Bouv]

Tratiln will use one of the torches on the wall to light one of his torches, just so the party has one nearby. Torch in one hand, sword in another, Tratiln slowly approaches with the rest of the party, wary of tentacles that lay motionless. "Maybe one or two of us should stay out of the main room, just in case. Lanny, with your arrows and somebody else would be a good bet.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

As the adventurers head back into the caves, Lanny asks Grey Jake:

"You said it created a feeling of enthrallment upon you... Was it due to the blinking colored lights you mentioned, or something else? If it is the blinking colored lights that causes the charm, we would do well not to look directly upon the cube. Carry your shields high in front of you, gentlemen..."

As the adventurers enter the cube chamber, Lanny sees the tentacles which appear to be motionless.

"We need to get inside the mouth of that cube to find and kill the creature dwelling within... And we need to do so quickly, before the elves catch Quinthos and tear him to pieces!"

Following the lead of Thordin and Marodin, Lanny will start to approach the mouth of the cube (while not looking directly at it) with sword and rowan shield at the ready.

Lanny will glance from side to side at his companions, both as they enter the room and as they approach the cube. He is looking for signs of enthrallment in any of them. He fully intends to charge at any companion that exhibits such signs, attempting to knock them down to the ground with his shield and then using his superior stength to keep them down.

[Finglas]

Bregalad the elf

Bregalad struggles to recall the sight of the dead elves, their heads mounted upon stakes, others hung by their necks from the sacred tree, the tree itself charred and possibly lifeless -- all this devastation caused by the unnatural fiend before them!

edit -- changing Bregalad's actions.....
"This madness ends now!" Bregalad attempts to blind the creature's eyes using his Light spell!

[rremedio]

Meagnor the elf stops walking for a moment. His eyes pale and without showing any emotion he whispers the words: "kill the intruders".

He draws his sword and attacks the nearest companion.