Following Shae's statement Rathyl brings his full weight down on his front paws, slamming into the ground from a standing position.  He releases a roar of beastial fury.  He then stares at the creature before him, breathing heavily, his gaping maw displays his large teeth.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:56, Wed 03 Sept 2003.

Kallad steps forward.  "Bezbathal, it is I, Kallad.  We walked together as friends once.  I ask now only for your patience.  There are powers at work we do not understand, but this is no time for rash behavior.  These are my trusted companions.  I believe we can work together for a peaceful solution.  Let us appear before the Council.  We demand it be convened to hear us out.  We have learned much we must share."

Shae seems to relax over Kallad's words, suddenly moving to kneel before Bezbalath. "You are mighty milord and as my father says, we have much to learn from each other."

Her head is bowed slightly as she says the last, her gaze not directed at the floor, but at the two symbols within the folds of the evil one's cloak.

Bezbalath throws back his hood and cloak, revealing the hideous creature underneath and the purplish wings folded at his back.  The two symbols are tied securely to his belt along with a small pouch.



"Do you think me a fool, Kallad?  I know your intent.  I know your thoughts."  With this, he touches a clawed finger to his temple.  "I know now that your daughter intends to reach for one of these artifacts."  He indicates the two symbols.  "I know that your knight intends to kill me if he can.  And your ranger will fire his arrows at me, although he does not comprehed that they will never reach me."  He concentrates for a moment, as if probing the thoughts of the others.  "Ah, yes, and I know your other daughter hides behind this coffin holding the very item I have come to take away."  A clawed hand retracts as though to attack the first person who tries to come after him.

"I have known you for the traitor you are from the beginning.  And thus I have played and manipulated you to reach this very moment, as I have manipulated him."  With that, he points at the wary form of Garanon.  "Nevertheless, our association must now sadly come to an end.  I will make it quick for you...and painless."  He takes a step into the room and pulls back his claw to attack.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:06, Thu 04 Sept 2003.

Kallad concentrates hard for a moment, creases showing on his brow.  "I will give you a gift, Bezbalath."  He then calls back, "Shanjalae, please bring the sceptre forward and give it to Bezbalath."  He then turns back to the creature, one of the most powerful members of the Brotherhood.  "I believe you have misjudged me, Bezbalath.  While it is true my loyalties have been divided due to my family, I will gladly serve you and will choose to serve the Brotherhood above all else.  I believe in your cause, whether you believe that or not."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:18, Thu 04 Sept 2003.

Bezbalath pauses, again trying to probe.  He stops, expressionless.  "Bring it forth then, and I will spare your life."  A violent quake rocks the mountain.



Bezbalath looks at the party.  "But not their lives.  Only you.  And Garanon.  You two can explain your actions to the Council."
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:16, Thu 04 Sept 2003.

Kallad nods slowly.  "As you wish."  Then he turns back to the stone coffin.  "Shanjalae, come forth."

The frown marring Shae's forward grew deeper and deeper the more Kallad spoke, her lips forming into a grim line as he spoke of loyalties.  With Bezbalath focussed on obtaining the Placating Figure, the druidess suddenly acts.  With a gasp of exertion she swings the Dragon Maw dagger at Bezbalath, but her aim is not to wound, instead she directs the blade at the belt holding the two symbols, hoping to sever them from their secured position.

"Don't do it Shanjalae! Give no more power to this thing of evil!" she yells.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:29, Thu 04 Sept 2003.

Kallad reaches out to try to stop Shae before it is too late.

Kallad's attempt to stop Shae is unsuccessful.  She breaks free and swings straight at the belt.

But the creature Bezbalath is swift and mighty.  He easily dodges to the side, and the dagger finds only air.  As he steps to the side, he mutters something in some demonic tongue...

...Shae finds herself held in place, unable to move, completely helpless...Floradine shakes off the spell...as does Rathyl...but Joseph is also caught in the hold position, his hands still holding his bow out at Bezbalath.

Shanjalae rises from her place behind the coffin and follows her father's instructions, walking forward and handing the artifact to Bezbalath.

With an angry roar, Rathyl lunges forward to swipe at the demon's midsection with his paw.

Rathyl lunges at Bezbathal, but he also is too slow for the demon-like creature, which easily sidesteps the bear.  With a disinterested wave of his hands, Bezbathal casts another spell, and a wall of force slams into the bear, throwing it back towards the coffin, where it shakes its head and climbs back to its feet.  (11 hp dmg)

Shanjalae steps forward, barely looking at the scene around her.  "It is time for my wish to the Oracle to be fulfilled," she says as she steps to the front to hand Bezbalath the sceptre.

A violent quake shakes the chamber, raising dust from the floor like a mist from the earth.  Shards of pottery fall to the floor...and Shae and Joseph, inert and unable to concentrate, fall to the floor.  Unable to brace themselves, they feel the cold stone hit their sides and head as they lay sideways, powerless to do anything but watch the spectacle before them.

After the brief earthquake, you hear something...a clattering...coming from the hall behind Bezbalath--the Hall of the Dead.  After a moment, you realize it is the clattering of bones...as though the bones were moving, coming together--and clicking into place.

Floradine swings his two handed sword at Bezbalath before Shanjalae can give him the artifact.

Somehow, Floradine manages to hit Bezbathal with his two handed sword.  (14 hp dmg).  Unfortunately, Bezbathal seems more annoyed than injured, and he swipes a claw around quickly...barely missing the paladin.  But with his second attack, he sends a ball of electricity flying through the air...and it slams into the paladin's chest, throwing Floradine to the floor in a fit of spasms.  (16 hp dmg).

With the paladin temporarily out of commission, Bezbathal turns his attention back to Shanjalae, who steps up and hands him the sceptre.  With a victorious chuckle, Bezbathal reaches for the sceptre.  His hand grasps it, and his smile turns into a surprised wince of pain.  He opens his mouth to scream, but his body begins twitching.  Smoke begins rising as he shakes.  He lets out one mind-numbing scream of pain before falling to the ground, his body a burnt carcasse and his hand still clutching the sceptre as the corpse in the niche had been.

Another earthquake-like shudder rocks the ground.  The party is trying to collect itself while Joseph and Shae are still held in place by the spell.

That's when you notice the movement--shadows from your lantern light moving in the Hall of the Dead beyond the archway.  And the clacking of bones from that area gives you no comfort.

A sound behind you makes you turn.  The corpse that once held the sceptre is moving on the ground, its rotted hands moving to the ground to pull itself to its feet.  One of those hands curls around Joseph's leg where he lies helpless on the ground.

As the party turns to help Joseph, the spell ends, and Joseph and Shae are free to move again.

Rearing on his hind legs, Rathyl spreads his front paws wide and releases a furious roar.

As soon as she is able to move Shae scrambles her way to Bezbalath's body, ripping the Symbol of Life free from its bindings. Turning towards the undead attacking Joseph, she runs at it, trying to touch its lifeless body with the symbol.

Shae grabs the Symbol of Life from its bindings and touches the corpse that is coming to life.  The Symbol seems to reinvigorate the corpse, making it stronger, and you see its tendons and muscles growing stronger, flesh seeming to grow on top of it, animating it.  Its grip around Joseph tightens.

The noises from the hall grow louder.

Another quake shakes the chamber, knocking...Garanon off his feet.

As the feeling of movement returns to his body Joseph begins to push away from the skeletal body that is trying to grab his leg.  Before he can slip away from it's grasp Shae leaps forward and touches it with a object and the body begins to take on more life than before.  Now joseph struggles even harder to get free as the hand becomes stronger with the addition of new muscle.

Shae looks horrified as the undead creature gained life from the Symbol, “By Lynx! I would have thought an artefact of life would have an adverse affect on a creature of death!! Sorry Joseph!”

Turning on her heel she bolts back to Bezbalath’s lifeless form, this time freeing the Symbol of Death.

“Please let this work.” she mutters as she touches the creature again, this time with the second symbol.

Floradine rushes over to cut off the hand of the undead creature with his two handed sword.

Rathyl turns to face the door, cocking his head to the side as he stares at the entrance to the room.

Floradine easily chops off the arm of the partially reanimated corpse.  Shae arrives a moment later with the Symbol of Death and touches the creature.  The Symbol has no apparent effect on the moving corpse, which squirms out of instinct but is not willful.

Rathyl stares out the entrance.  An amorphous group of bones, mummified body parts and partially reanimated corpses seems to move like an unguided horde, partially toward the archway and partially the other way.  Some seem to be coming back to life, some are beyond that.