"Come on Mad, keep backing up. Good you guys, protect him. Mad do you need to see the target to maintain the effect?" he says as he watchs the dwarven bard run off into the room.

Seeing the angle of any potential shot could miss and awake the Emperor, Atan slings his bow and draws his long sword. Holding the mastercraft weapon with both hands, "Pogar stay here by me but let Mad pass through. Get ready."

[Atan holds his action, attack what ever summoned thing gets in range, +9/1d8+5]

Edited by: Atan at: 5/13/04 11:19 am

There is lots of hustling and bustling about the ruined main hall as the warriors get into position. Madragar (who waited to be led out of the room, but no one volunteered) slowly backs through the partially open double doors and gets to the other side of Atan and Pogar. Kyethe perches on his shoulder, warning him of any obstacles that might break his concentration.

Draxim sidles up to Sangraal who produces a time-worn (and quite valuable) scroll and reads from it. Scintillating light pours from the priest's outstretched hand and courses through the dwarf's body. His numerous wounds quickly close and Draxim is soon left with only a slight feeling of weariness.

[Did you know that if you cast a spell that's of a higher level than you can normally cast that it has a chance of failing, or even backfiring? It hasn't happened yet, but it will eventually.]

As Ulwe runs southeast to where Madragar and the others are positioned, Janes moves to join him, retrieving both javelins on the way.

Iron Horn Utama Amaranth Unfolding Watcher of the West continues to work on the apparatus. Uncoiling a bundle of grotesque leather tubing he makes a variety of connections between different points on the machine. The process is totally incomprehensible to anyone that cared to watch it.

Finally, the hemisphere of fiery brilliance vanishes revealing a hideous crimson snake-creature, its appearance accompanied by a wave of heat that washes over Draxim and Sangraal as if someone had thrown open a furnace door.

With the torso of a human, though much broader and more muscled than any normal man, but the lower body of a snake, the thing's shimmering red skin flickers with motes of fire. Its bestial head is a paragon of fury with a snarling mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and eyes that glow like open volcanos. Clutched in its powerful hands, each finger tipped with a black talon, is a ten foot long spear of gleaming copper.

The abomination scans its surroundings for a moment and bellows "sshhhraeeeelaa yrruuuulshaa!" There is no answer to its unintelligible challenge, but a moment later the creature's head snaps around and fixes its burning eyes on Madragar.

Khelzhad, poised to shoot at whatever emerged from the summoning circle, is stunned by the horror of the bizarre and terrible monster that suddenly appeared before him. He fires, but his aim is well off.

With one powerful undulation the creature pushes its way southward, trying to reach the meddlesome wizard without going straight through Sangraal and Draxim. With a flick of its wrist the blazing copper spear lashes out and catches Sangraal in the chest. The priest's armor absorbs the worst of the blow, but the bone-crushing impact, and the heat emanating from the weapon itself, knocks the wind from his lungs.

[Madragar and Pogar are moderately wounded.
Draxim is lightly wounded.
Sangraal is seriously wounded.]

Map.

[Round six. Go.]