Kobal, Hoskar, Salen and Leaper advance across the stone archway, making it to the halfway point without coming under attack.

Leaper has his bow drawn and a charm ready to cast at the first sign of opposition. It's dark, the only light coming from the cave immediately ahead and from the three others to their left.

Bats swoop and there's movement from somewhere below them...Sounding as if several large somethings are hopping across wet rock.

No need for torches here, for they would only scare the bats and that was the last thing they wanted. Besides that there was enough light from the cave ahead to see where they were going, though Salen did his best to check the floor in front of them for hidden holes. There were sounds from somewhere below, though, and the Condor brave whispered to his companions as softly as he could.

"Toads? Up here? Only thing I can think would be jumping on wet rock is toad, but who knows. Let me take a look ahead..."

Using all the stealth for which he was known, Salen invoked the spirit of his fellow ranger Amara, and promptly slipped and fell over, sword and shield clattering loudly.

It's Salen's slip that saves his life, for as he hits the ground a flurry of arrows flow out of the cave, which all of a sudden is filled with Harpies.

They're not alone for out of the other cave comes another swarm of the feathered chaos beasts, launching into the air of the cave of echoes, which reverberates with their frenzied screams.

Arrows thud into shields, bounce off armour and ricochet off rock, leaving the four Rangers miraculously unharmed. Leaper gives a curse, his arrow having been magically glued of his bowstring. The pygmy crouches behind Hoskar as he begins to restring the bow, just as a disruption takes Kobal in the shin, tearing flesh and causing the brave to flinch.

In all there's a score of the beasts. Luckily small, unarmoured and armed with bows, darts and crude spears. Five of them hold the cave at the end of the archway, the rest soaring towards them, partially hidden by the gloom of the massive cavern...

What a racket. Horn and hide. Wha...?

Amazed to be unhit and unhurt, Hoskar glances round. Seeing no downed Rangers, he whirls his sling while feverishly muttering charms to assist his battle, then lets fly at whatever abominations he can see in range.

Hoskar gets off a perfect shot, sending a screeching Harpy that had suddenly appeared just in front of him in to a nose dive down into the dark depths below the arch.

Salen, stunned from his slip, gets up as arrow parts his hair, and prepares to fling his javelin. By his side is Kobal, who slashing at an attacker swooping over head, gets a garbled message from his familiar about whether Emesh-Ga can help those up above or something...

Finally stringing his bow, the diminutive Impala brave darts forward "keep moving...Let's go make for the other side." His bow is glowing as arrow after arrow flies in the direction he's running....

No time to think about the pain his leg.  Kobal shifts his javelin to his left hand for a moment, to grab a bottle and down its contents.  Then, he launches his javelin at the first harpy he spies, Waha guide its flight, before hurling more magicked shafts in quick succession at any enemies.  As he throws, he cries out at the birds, "Waha!  Storm Bull!"

What was that, Haaro? he sends back to his familiar, though he's focused primarily on defending himself and dodging any attacks.  "Lord Emesh-Ga, if you could help those above, now would be a good time!"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:15, Thu 22 Oct 2015.

Satisfied with his shot; elated in fact as the strength of the earth knight's shield and the steadiness of his owm aiming charm course through him, Hoskar can't resist a whoop as he shoots slingstones as fast as he can; advancing with Leaper as he does so.

Woe and warring we bring! For the green!