Chapter 4: Shadows and Piercing Light

[Rukellian]

The group manages to come to a temporary truce in motives and all silently agree with elf's latest proclamation about the tremors. The group follows the trail of blood that Rand and Elithil were about to scout and find it curving to the left. They pass the enormous portrait of an ancient king and descend down the hall. There are piles of bones and rotted flesh toward each side of the corridor as you progress, signs of previous fighting becoming ever more prevalent. The one's who escaped and met their fates in the spider's den, they sure did put up quite the fight!

The corridor turns right and proceeds down a set of stairs. From your vantage point, you can see a red glow emanating from the distance. Finding no immediate threats around the corner, you descend down the stairs, Rand checking for traps as they go. The group stops at a level platform that splits into two paths, one continuing down another set of stairs, and another to your left. Intense heat can be felt emanating from the left path and the echoes of a chant can be heard down the stairs.

Actions? Marching order?

[MonkeyWrench]

Quietly Rand points down the stairs, towards the chanting. He has his dagger readied in his hand.

[Grognardsw]

Flynn motions down the stairs, where the sound of chanting is heard. Deceidon has an arrow nocked.

From what direction is the red glow coming from?
Flynn is in front of marching order, Deceidon in the rear.

[onlyme]

Whitsell will stay behind the archers and follow.

[Zhym]

Elethil looks to see if a thiefly type will scout down the stairs. He readies his bow.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand see's Elethil's suggesting gaze and points to himself to go scout silently. If no one objects he will quietly and cautiously descend down the the stairs.

[Rukellian]

The red glow is emanating from leftern passage on the leveled platform, where the heat source is emanating from.

From what I was able to piece together, Rand is up front scouting the stairs below, with Flynn leading the group right behind the thief. Behind Flynn is Elithil and Captain Hal (Kinda slipped him in), Sunshine and the archer guard, Amberlynn and Whitsell, and then Deceidon bringing up the rear? Does this look about right?

Rand does not find any traps as he descends, but has to step over some more debris as the ground shakes every now and then. The chants become louder and it sounds like a group of men. He reaches the bottom of the stairs and finds the passage opening up into a larger room, there is not a lot of lighting inside, but its not pitch black either.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand crouches down and attempts to enter the room for a better look as to how many people are here chanting and if he can make out any other details. He sticks to the shadows as much as he can and moves cautiously.

[Rukellian]

Rand crouches down and attempts to enter the room for a better look as to how many people are here chanting and if he can make out any other details. He sticks to the shadows as much as he can and moves cautiously.

Entering the room a bit farther, you notice that there is a wall to your immediate left. It looks like you are in lower left corner of a room. Towards the center, you can see five robed men standing around a glowing circle on the ground. A red pentagon is found in the circle and you see some torches in the outer perimeter flickering ominously purple glows.

Farther back in the room, you think you can see another robed man standing on some sort of pedastal, his arms raised as well like the others. Shadows can be seen dancing between the jumping lights on the walls and floors, skittering in and out of the shadows, the chant growing more intensely as it continues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxNwZ0_xvP8

The first minute of the song pretty much sums up what it all sounds like in the background The rest.... well, you will all find out.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand slowly makes his way back to the others, whispering lowly, "Looks like 5 people in a circle with one more directing it nearby... Sounds like they're summoning something."

[onlyme]

Whitsell whispers,
Shall we stop the summoning now, or devise a plan?

[Zhym]

"We could rush down the stairs and launch a hail of arrows," whispers Elethil. "That would probably stop the summoning. But I am concerned about our ability to withstand a magical counterattack.

"They seem preoccupied with the summoning. Perhaps a stealthy type could sneak behind the one in charge and attack from behind? That would be the signal for the rest of us to attack. We might have better odds that way."

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand whispers, "I can volunteer for that part."

[Grognardsw]

Flynn the fighter agrees with the others on the plan.

"We must stop this magic!" he says.

[Dizlexus]

Sunshine

Sunshine, holding his hollow cane, says,
I'm ready. I have a good chance of taking one out with a dart. Let's go.

[MonkeyWrench]

Seeing no objection to him volunteering, Rand will crouch down low again and stick to the shadows and any debris or objects to hide him from view as he makes his way to the man at the pedestal. He will be overly cautious and take his time as he moves around to sneak up on the man.

[Rukellian]

I will provide a map of the ritual room tomorrow.

[Rukellian]

I'll provide an action update later today, compiling all of the actions and intentions stated. Also, the map is up for your viewing. The room is large but poorly lit, the group's torch and the center ritual being the only lightsources. Tread carefully.

On another note, sorry for the delay in my posting. These last few days have been quite hectic at work, inventory check having come and gone, the cleaning up afterwards, very exhausting and straining on the mind. I had to take a couple of days for myself before getting back on this.

[Rukellian]

Seeing no objection to him volunteering, Rand will crouch down low again and stick to the shadows and any debris or objects to hide him from view as he makes his way to the man at the pedestal. He will be overly cautious and take his time as he moves around to sneak up on the man.

Because the room is almost pitch dark in nature, maneuvering outside the circled ritual will reduce your movement speed by half (a fair deal considering that you are going into the darkness blind). This translates into 45 ft per round or 4 and a half squares on the map provided.

Flynn and the rest of the crew stand by, waiting for the chance to safely charge in, if there is such a thing as safely... Deceidon and Sunshine both descend into the darkness as well, Sunshine mentioning the use of darts with his cane. PMs sent.

Dizlexus, please provide the range for your hollowed cane, because I only have the range for a dart and that's 15 ft, one and half squares on the map provided.

[onlyme]

Whitsell will wait cautiously while the others sneak around. He will hold his sword ready