The Severed Hand

Zenithral leads the party from the hall with the bleeding floor to a corridor that he remembers will lead to stairs up to the next floor. As they leave the room behind, the heroes hear wet thumps as the creatures begin to pull themselves free of the goop.

With squelching feet sounding behind them, the party hurries forward through the corridor. It almost seems as though the surrounding stones shrink to squeeze around the companions, giving them the feeling of being swallowed by some enormous beast.

Fortunately, they do not have to go far to arrive at the staircase. They round one bend and find the spiraling stairs - and four sad-looking creatures with bony spikes for arms. From their features, they might be the twisted remains of elf guards from centuries ago, or perhaps they are simply lost souls warped and doomed to wander these halls.

Either way, when the heroes arrive these four rise to shamble forward, dirty gray tears tracing paths through the grime on their faces.

These sorrowful creatures lean in, blinking slowly. Then the slapping of bare, wet feet on stone sounds from behind the party, signaling the arrival of the creatures from the previously room. They seem to be armless, but their circular mouths quiver with anticipation.

The four elf things panic at the sight of the oncoming flood, and then one of them cries out in pain as an extra bone arm grows from its spine. They all shudder and wade forward towards the party and the wretched, as though compelled to fight.

Round 1 Player Phase!

The twins do have names, but they do not share them with Fluphy. Watching the twins, Zenithral finds them looking back at him every few minutes, eyes wide. They might very well accept any names that he gives them.

Round 1 Summary

The party moves forward with all speed, focusing on getting through these strange creatures and up the stairway.

As they approach the lost, the creatures tremble as more spike-like arms sprout from their bodies. Their twisted features show emotions that are unmistakable to the heroes: extreme anxiety and fear.

Alalla hits the creatures first, doing her best to throw them to the ground and allow her party to pass. She drives her shoulder into one, sending it tumbling away, but for all their thin appearance these creatures are surprisingly sturdy. She loses her balance and struggles to keep her feet.

One of the Lost reaches for Alalla, but Erevain interrupts with his shield, then lashes out with his thunderous sword. The elf limps up the stairs, then is quickly overtaken by Fergy, whose magic cloak keeps him safe through the tangle of bodies.

Alalla has nearly recovered her balance when another of the lost stumbles against her. Its spiked arms wrap tight about her, digging in to hold her in a terrible embrace (Al takes 19 piercing damage). It leans in, pressing its gaping mouth against her face as it sobs uncontrollably with fear and loss. Alalla feels its dread infect her, and finds dirty tears running from her own eye in response (Al is also both grappled and frightened).

Zenithral's weaving antics attract one of the Lost to him, but the archer easily deflects the blow with his magic and continues out the other side of the fray.

Ug makes it through with only a nasty cut on one arm (Ug takes 17 piercing damage - or 8 if raging?). Once past, his frigid glare is enough to keep one of the Lost from following up the group up the stairway.

Ras' small legs pump to keep up with the rest of the party, but two of the Wretched catch up to him. One bites at him and misses, falling to the ground. The other leaps upon the gnome's back, and Ras soon feels the wide mouth latch onto his neck and bite down (Ras takes 4 piercing damage, and the Wretched is attached to him). He scurries forward past his companions and finishes his spell, releasing the magic into the floor below, where it ripples through the floor tiles until it reaches the mass of Wretched, where it explodes in a fountain of stone and ceramic. When the dust clears, there is only a sticky black mess staining the broken floor. Unfortunately, the one on his back and attached to his neck yet lives.

Alalla dimly feels another pair of arm spikes dig into her as one of the other Lost grabs hold (Al takes another 27 piercing damage, and is grappled and frightened by another Lost). With the two of them hanging on her, the stench of their fear is overwhelming and she sinks into their state of mind. To her perception, she is lost and wandering in a cold, dark void, alone and fearful of every sound that reaches her ears.

In a sudden moment, the heroes find themselves nearly all safe on the stairs - except for Alalla, who has two of the Lost hugging her tight, spiked limbs piercing her flesh.

More squelching footsteps sound from the corridor as more of the Wretched continue to arrive. These newcomers are hampered by the tiles blasted by Ras' spell, but surely will soon swarm through.

Round 2 Player Phase!!