Kallad tells Shanjalae to wait in place as he dodges across to attack O4 with his sword.

Illborn attempts to bind his own wounds and do a healing on himself, scooting away from any action.

Not able to fire arrows with the orc draped all over him, Joseph drops his bow and reaches for this sword in an attempt to strike his foe.

Shae swings her dagger at O4.  However, the orc rushes her at the same time.  She is thrown off balance with the orc on top of her.  He holds her dagger arm down, just over the edge of the gutter.  Shae struggles but is unable to move against the orc's pressure.  Meanwhile, the boulder rolls up the gutter toward you...

Illborn tries binding his wounds, attaching a tourniquet to his legs.  Meanwhile, he continues to lose blood profusely.  (-2 hp).

Kallad runs across the shifting platforms to help Shae, swinging his sword...but he loses his balance as the floor shifts position and sprawls onto the ground next to Illborn, barely managing to avoid stabbing himself in the fall.  (Critical miss.)

Shae continues to struggle against the orc, but he is much too strong.  She tries harder as the boulder approaches with her hand hanging over the edge of the gutter.  She jerks up, tries to butt the orc with her head.  She tries to kick and punch free, but he has her pinned, his eyes glued to the dagger in her hand.  The boulder rolls closer...

Sir Floradine swings his two handed sword, cutting a wide mark across the orc's belly.  (9 hp dmg).  The orc falls back dead.

Joseph reaches for his sword, but the orc grapples with him, and the two roll out onto the shifting floor.  Joseph is unable to grab his sword.  The orc is trying to roll him out and push him into the nearest gutter.  Joseph is able to resist for the time being but he the orc is holding him tightly in a lock that prevents Joseph from retrieving his weapon.

Shae can only cry out in horror as the boulder rolls down the gutter, reaches her, and she makes one last effort to pull free...but she cannot move, and it takes off her right hand just below the wrist.

The portal closes.


This message was last edited by the GM at 01:58, Tue 10 June 2003.

Shanjalae says calmly across the chaos, "The Oracle always demands a price equal to that requested."

Seeing the tragedy played out across the room, Sir Floradine runs across the shifting floors, carefully dodging the rolling boulders, and helps by attacking O4, pushing him off Shae and hitting with his two handed sword.

The shriek that escapes Shae's lips at the loss of her hand in enough to shatter glass.  Her eyes widen in shock as blood spills from her stump. Weaponless and in a vast amount of pain, she does what any cornered animal would do, she attacks the orc's face (or any part she can get a hold of), with her teeth.

Illborn slinks away from the battle as he continues trying to heal himself.

Shanjalae attempts to step across to Illborn and heal him

Kallad picks himself up and pushes the orc into the gutter.

Joseph is engaged in wrestling with the orc.  The two begin rolling around, each hitting the other and trying to gain the advantage.

Shae lunges biting at the orc, her teeth sinking into its chin.  (1 hp dmg)

Kallad jumps to his feet and shield rushes the orc.  He knocks the creature into the gutter, but the shifting floor also knocks Kallad off balance and into the gutter.

The boulder rolls forward towards the orc and elf.  Kallad tries to jump out, but the orc grasps his leg, dragging him back in as the orc rises to its feet.  The boulder moves closer to them.

Sir Floradine runs across the lanes...nearly tripping once but then gaining his feet.

Illborn slumps back against the statue and starts applying a balm to his wounds and using his healing ability.  (+1 hp)

Shanjalae waits for a moment for the boulder to pass her, then steps into and then out of the gutter.  She places one hand on each of Illborn's legs and looks him deeply and silently in the eyes for a moment.  Illborn's sweating face relaxes, the pain abates, and his wounds close.  Although his legs do not return, he is fully healed.  (Back to original health.)

Shanjalae's eyes roll into her head from the effort and she nearly collapses on the floor from exhaustion.

Kallad jumps up to the side of the gutter and onto the floor, but the orc will not let go.  The boulder comes closer, and the orc, realizing his peril, tries to climb out and save himself.

At that moment, Floradine arrives, his two handed sword chopping down.  The orc looks in surprise as the sword separates his arm from his body.  He forgets, to his mortal peril, about the boulder just behind him.  You hear the breath knocked out of the orc as the boulder rolls forward and hits the orc straight on with a thump.

Kallad, who was pulling hard to release himself from the orc's grip, falls backward, landing against the pointed ends of the statue behind him.  (5 hp dmg).

Joseph manages to extricate himself from the orc without any damage, and the orc jumps back.  Each grab their weapons, unaware of what just happened behind them.

There is now just one of the aberrant orcs remaining.  As the boulder next to Shae continues to roll in the gutter, she sees her Dragon Maw Dagger completely intact and unscathed by the rolling stone.

Sir Floradine next goes after the orc attacking Joseph, getting just a little dizzy from the running back and forth, the moving floors, and the rolling balls.

While the others dispatch the last orc, Kallad tends to Shae and Shanjalae, making sure they are okay and helping them across the moving floors and rolling boulders to the solid floor of the double doors.

Shanjalae gathers her strength, walks over to Shae, and heals her in the same manner.

Joseph grabs up his sword and strikes out at the orc.

Sir Floradine begins running across the floor.  However, because it is shifting underneath him, he has to move slowly and wait for the rolling stones to pass.

Shanjalae goes to Shae and puts her hands on Shae's bleeding stump on her right arm.  The wounds--all of Shae's wounds--almost immediately close, and the skin closes up over the stump.  [Full Hit Points Restore]

Kallad stares astonished at his daughter's feats before helping her and Shae across to the double doors...they make it safely across.  Kallad then turns back to get Illborn.

Joseph swings at the orc.  Unfortunately, the shifting floor makes his sword land high.  The orc swings back, but he too is thrown off balance and hits the statue just behind Joseph.  Then, seeing the approach of Floradine with his two handed sword and the death of his companions, the orc flees out the double doors and down the hall where you came.

Remember the Dragon Maw dagger the druid quickly goes to retrieve it careful to avoid the rolling balls before returning to her sisters side.

Shae looks at the healed stump where her hand use to be, and then to Shanjalae, her eyes filled with surprised awe.

"How did you do that?" she asked hesitantly, "To which god are you so devoted that you have been given such an ability?"

Shanjalae looks up at her sister devoid of emotion.  "I worship no deity, sister.  I have been to the other side and revere them all.  But it is the spirits from beyond the world who give me strength thus.  My kin, my ancient kin, give me strength from beyond the grave.  Thrice daily may I heal."  Her words falter as she seems about to faint.  "But the exertion takes a powerful toll on my strength.  I must rest for a time."  She sits next to the doors, her head reeling.

At Shanjalae's words the druid's expression becomes unreadable, those watching unsure if she is upset with the younger elf's words, or is more in awe.

Despite her own emotions, Shae moves to sit beside her sister, taking the younger elf in her arms so that Shanjalae can rest her head upon the druid's shoulder so that she is at least a little more comfortable.

"Rest little sister," her words a mere whisper, "Floradine and the others will soon be with us, and we will need Illborn to make his wish."

Her own eyes close for a moment before their golden depths focus again on her stump.

Sir Floradine watches the orc flee.  He sheaths his sword and says, "Let him go.  I never chase down and kill anyone running from me in fear, even an enemy."  Then he turns and carefully makes his way back to Shae and the others.

He is very weak and still suffering badly from the wounds of the previous orc battle.  "I do not have much left in me," he says.  "My wounds will take me down soon.  One more hit from an orc like that and you may be picking my remains off the floor."

Shanalae leans over and wearily places a hand on Floradine's shoulder.  "Be healed, good paladin," she says before drifting off to sleep in her sister's arms.

Shanjalae heals Floradine like she did the others.  [Full restore.]  The party regroups just outside the double doors.  Joseph is able to help drag Illborn across and avoid the rolling boulder.  You realize that it might be dangerous to try to open the portable hole in this room of constantly shifting floors.

The double doors in front of you are eight feet high and four feet wide each.  They are cut out of stone and look like they are meant to be pushed open.

Sir Floradine pats the young elf girl on the back and thanks her.  Then he turns to Shae.  "I feel somewhat responsible for your...uh..." he indicates her stump..."your lost hand.  It was the curse of the Oracle.  We should have been more careful, I guess."

But then he looks at Illborn.  "If you use the Oracle to restore your legs, what do you suppose will happen to you as the price it demands?  Lost arms?  Or worse?  I'm a little worried."

Shae's golden gaze moves to stare at the Paladin as he stands above the two elven women.

"It was my choice to wish as I did Ellid," her tone is calm, though her eyes betray her anguish at losing her hand, "I have no qualms about the cost, and neither should you. There is balance in all things."

She gives an encouraging smile as she says the last, before her eyes move to Illborn, "I don't think our good Doktor has much choice in the matter of his wish. He either takes his chance and has his legs restored, or he continues to live without them."

The druid pauses look about her, "And considering where we are, I think having legs would be an advantage of getting out of this place."

Illborn crawls forward.  "I will have to take my chances.  Why don't we go through the door so I can get this over with?"