The Severed Hand

Barely breaking stride, Ug shifts the gem under one arm and picks up Zenni with the other. Carrying the elf over his shoulder Ug continues through the room.

ug hp 19

Seeing Zen's confusion, Ras does the only thing he can think of and blindly casts Dispel Magic at a high level. He continues running as fast as his little legs can carry him.

Vincent rushes over to the librarian and unleashes a torrent of blows. And then fades from view.

Vincent deals 21 damage to the librarian.

HP:75/75
AC:18

Round 2 Summary

The tower groans as magicks and monsters run rampant throughout the Hand. The companions can feel the corrupted mythal twist and rend like some kind of rabid beast.

As they try to make their way through the library, Ras does his best to rip away the enchantment that has hold on Zenithral's mind.

Larrel clutches his rotting hands into fists, the air and stones about him warping as he gathers power. "My daughter! My people... Who is responsible?!" The sheer might of the archmage's aura cracks stone, crumbles shelves, and obliterates books. Even as they try to flee, the heroes feel their bodies wilt as Larrel attempts to extinguish their lives (Al, Vince, and Erevain take 20 necrotic damage. Ras takes 10. After resistance, Ug and Zen take 5). "I must know!"

Knowing that the party needs more time to tend to Zenithral, Alalla turns to face the two undead elves in the room. To her comfort, Erevain stands with her. To her surprise, Vincent circles around to engage the librarian vampire. Together, Alalla and Erevain strike at Larrel.

Under normal circumstances, the undead archmage would never have allowed warriors such as these to come near him. Swords of flame and thunder flash again and again, and each connection results in multicolored sparks as layer after layer of Larrel's magical protections buckle under the ferocious assault.

The walls of the library begin to crumble, piece after piece being torn away as the tower devours itself.

The archmage raises his hands to reduce one of his assailants to dust, when a torrent of razor-sharp icicles sweeps over the combatants (Al and Erevain each take 15 cold damage. After resistance Larrel takes 7). The librarian stands alarmingly near with a wand outstretched, the tip aglow with frigid light. It bares its pointed fangs. "You are all destroying my work!" Erevain wheels about to cut at the librarian even as Vincent unleashes a flurry of blows from behind it.

Shrugging off the ice spell, Alalla takes advantage of the moment to bury her sword into Larrel's chest. There is a slight moment of resistance as the magical weapon bypasses one final ward, and then Larrel drops to his knees even as his form and robes catch fire.

A shining glow around Ras and Zenithral announces that the druid has shattered the charm spell (Zen is free of the charm! But still diseased...).

The undead elven lord looks about in shock at his home as more of the structure is ripped away. "None of this should have happened. It should never have happened! I will bury it all. All the monsters, all the horror. It ends now!"

His last spell leaves his throat as a scream of agony and loss (Larrel casts Meteor Swarm on the Hand).

"Oh, er, Uncle! It's been...a long time?" Zenithral says, stopping. "I'd love to help you clean up this mess, but some demonic entities are fighting just upstairs, and WHOOP---" He's cut off as Ug picks him up. "I'll be sure to help you in but a moment!" he calls out.

"We just need to grab a broom or t---" Zenithral blinks. "Snapple Gobs. Alright, Ug, you can let me go! Let's get out of here now!" He wriggles free of the Goliath and his eyes come alight, spectral wings forming behind him. He grasps Erevain's arm and jumps, rocketing down and away from the tower.

Vincent, having distracted the librarian sufficiently, turns away from the librarian. He runs and jumps on Ug's back.

"Fly big guy!"

Vincent casts fly on Ug. And spends a ki point to take the Dodge action.

HP:55/75
AC:18

With blows glancing off him left and right Ug staggers to the edge. Freaky new guy now piggybacked, Ug leaps into oblivion.

hp 14

Alalla's breath catches as Zenithral and Erevain leap from the tower. She sets her jaw as Ug and Vincent follow.

Al glances over at Ras in time to push the two of them clear of some falling rubble. "Have you got a trick up your sleeve?" Al asks, helping Ras to a stand. "I'll fall as hard as these rocks."

.

Ras turns into a giant eagle and grabs a friend to carry off into the sunset.

"Rastix? Hold on, lad!" Goggles in place, Uncle Oswald clambers up onto the precipice and scuttles inside. A quick glance at Ras' predicament is enough for the clever gnome. He pulls a bottle from his belt and wedges it beneath the fallen rubble with the stopper open. "No worries, lad. You'll be alright. Just got to be quick..." He coughs and covers his face, then pulls a short stick from another case on his belt. He strikes one end onto the floor and the tip sparks into flame. "This will hurt, but then we have to run like your Cousin Juergen. You know, that time he ran from the Snapple Gobs..."

Keeping up the chatter, he pats Ras' eagle head, and then drops the burning stick into the potion jar. There is a sudden, contained blast that shifts the stone just enough for Ras to pull his wing free.

"Not so bad, was it, Rastix? Now move, lad! Once we're out of this, we'll settle down with some nice, homemade turn-"

The Hand explodes.

Towers once pristine and graceful, then corrupted and stained, now shatter from the impact force of tons of molten metal. The palm of the Hand shudders, then collapses inward upon itself in an explosion the likes of which has rarely been witnessed upon the face of Faerûn.

Uncle Oswald, chipper to the end, does not make it out of the Hand. With a smile on his face he gives his nephew one final push, and Ras tumbles out into the air.

Erevain gasps as he hits the wooden deck. Seeing Zenithral sprawled nearby, the elf lays a hand on the archer's arm and wills healing into him.. "Zenithral, wake up! We - " he coughs. "We must get to Ras. He is the only one who knows how to fly the ship!"

Zen gains 4 hp.

Ug tumbles in a broken heap, his will to continue being suffocated by the fire and ash. His last thought comes as he glances at the heartsine gem in his bloodied hand. Mama

Strangely enough, it is not a vengeful magical cold desire that motivates Ug, but something simpler and more genuine. Ug was a barbarian.

Ug coughs and rolls to his side as the ship lurches. Forcing himself to his feet he staggers as he gains his bearings. He sees his friends sprawled across the deck, many not moving. It was all happening again. Ugs new abilities hadn’t saved anyone. But maybe his old ones could . . .

With a determination passed on from his mother to him, Ug the Goliath makes his way below deck to try and save his friends.

Ug searches for potions, or anything to help heal his friends.

In the bowels of the ship the chaos continues. Crates and supplies have been thrown about everywhere, the most horrific of which is a massive cabinet of turnips leaning precariously over a massive red button. Ug dives beneath the tipping vegetable supply and with his massive thigh muscles is able to lift up the cabinet and knock it backwards and away from the self destruct button.

why do we even have that button?

Ug grabs the supplies he needs and hurried back up the steps.

Zenithral opens his bleary eyes, looking up at Erevain with rock and fire raining down behind the elf. Wasting no time, Zenithral casts expeditious retreat and becomes a blur of misty white light. He stops, bent on one knee and pushes the misty light from his hands into the gnome, then picks him up as best he can and makes for the helm. (Healing Hands. Ras regains 12 hit points)

"Come on, Rastix!" Zenithral urges, "You can get us out of this!"


HP 4/86

Alalla blacks out as her body hits the deck for the second time, but only for a moment. Her body jerks her mind back to consciousness and she grunts as she stands.

Al searches the deck of the ship quickly, a knot in her stomach loosening for each party member as she performs her head count.

As Alalla looks around she sees rope. She can't fly the ship, but she can make sure no one else is lost today. She seizes the rope and ties a length around herself and the mast, then goes to each of her friends and does the same.