[Horde] Chapter Four: Session Thirty-Two
Appearing Characters: Arthak Saurfang, Azgadaan, Azuka Stormbreaker, Dieworth, Go'el, Halno, Levia Blackflight, Morran, No'Rash, Nyxxa, Ravandywr Somberwind
Appearing Creatures: Arcane Elemental, Mageslayer, Mana Invader, Mana Seeker
Outland Day 40
The battle continues to rage on as Nyxxa activates the flames on her glaives and swings into the nearest mana seeker. With two quick slices, the tormented creature is carved to bits and dissipates. No’Rash, in the midst of his partial fel transformation, swings his club down on the nearest mana invader and then grabs it, tearing its head off with his teeth. He rounds on one of the wraith-like mageslayers with a roar, his club whipping through the creature’s incorporeal body. He tries to grab the creature around the throat, but his hand passes right through its body.
Go’el runs by and swings his axe through the the mana invader wrapped around Azgadaan, a burst of frost erupting through the creature as he runes back to engage with a few more of the swarming creatures.
Meanwhile. Arthak is getting dogpiled by mana seekers and the battered elven arcanist continues to spar with his own mana seeker as it passes through him with a slash of its claw. A mageslayer reaches out to Arthak with a claw, and he feels a zapping, tingling sensation as a small portion of Arthak’s life essence is drawn into the spectral creature.
Azgadaan brings his maul down on the mana invader, the pike of the weapon burst through the creature’s body as its form dissolves, and he swings the maul around into the nearby mana seeker. He glances at the elf.
The arcanist blinks as he stares at the demon in confusion.
Arthak slams Champion’s Forge into one of the mana seekers, trying to cripple it, but it is manages to hold on just a second longer before Arthak finishes it off with a cleave through it and into the second mana seeker--the second creature also dissipating. He then runs for the elven arcanist to offer some backup.
A mana invader attempts to latch onto Levia with a high pitched screech but she shoves it off with her shield as she runs over to No’Rash’s other side. She uses turn undead, and she holds her shield up as it is rimmed with white light.
The two mageslayers and two mana seekers are blasted backwards, and the mana seekers are completely disintegrated by the light. Levia then casts [Spiritual Weapon], and the spectral sword appears next to the mana seeker engaged with Azgadaan and slashes through it. Levia looks at No’Rash as the mageslayers start to flee.
No’Rash, however, is lost in his frenzy and slams his club into the fleeing mageslayer--an attack that has enough hesitation that the spirit evades the strike.
The mana seeker that was trapped in the sphere starts to roll the bubble closer to Nyxxa. It tries to reach out to her, but it can’t because the magical sphere of force is in the way.
The arcanist shoots a [Fire Bolt] but the remaining invader consumes it. Halno fires his own from a distance away, the flames bursting into a mana seeker before he leaps on the animated carriage as it rolls forward.
No’Rash charges at the bubbled mana seeker next to Nyxxa and swings his club at the sphere. However, his club bounces harmlessly off. Growling in frustration, he charges into the sphere and sends it flying backwards.
Nyxxa runs up to the sole remaining mana invader and it slithers around her first strike, but her second lands true--leaving its body battered and flickering.
Azgadaan devastates the mana seeker engaged with him before retreating to back up the elf.
The elf looks unconvinced.
Arthak, meanwhile, carves through two mana seekers at once, and they promptly dissipate into nothing as he moves onto the mana invader and destroys it as well. He continues running, his armored form heaving over the broken stairs and driving his blade into the remaining mana seeker, which is also immediately destroyed.
The remaining creatures are fended off and the ghostly battle-sorcerer calls out the few retreaters.
The arcanist steps cautiously away from Azgadaan and the ghostly custodian floats closer and bows.
No’Rash had bent over to start to get his transformation under control.
He looks at the arcanist who is dusting himself off with his one good arm.
The older custodian ghost bows.
He glances warily at the orcs.
Ravandwyr gets a look.
He points at the pillar of light in the distance.
No’Rash straightens, listening to the translations offered to him.
Azgadaan translates.
He runs over and starts poking around the rubble.
He pulls a Kirin Tor staff from the wreckage.
Ravandwyr looks at his arm.
He looks at Levia.
The group take a brief rest while No’Rash and Nyxxa keep watch. Nyxxa casts [Detect Evil and Good] briefly, and notes the two undead and also that No’Rash seems to register as a fiend. At the conclusion of the rest, she uses [See Invisibility] again.
Go’el checks in with No’Rash.
He gives Go’el a pat on the shoulder.
Go’el glances at Azuka.
Thankfully, the perimeter around them had stayed safe, for the most part. No other wraiths seem to be drifting closer, at least not yet.
A translation is offered to the spirits.
She points to Ravandwyer.
He glances at Halno.
Halno facepalms.
Ravandwyr’s eyes hover on Arthak for longer than the other orcs.
-.Nyxxa says [common]: Which avenue would you be more comfortable pursuing?
He points at Levia.
Levia snort-laughs. The group starts to head back towards the chapel, and Arthak, Azuka, and No’Rash notice their nonmagical weapons had started to crackle with some sort of energy. As they approach, they try to make their way as quietly as they can through the haunted streets of Kirin’Var Village. There is a low, violet mist over the grounds, and they all notice the sounds of rattling bones and armor scraping across stone. They see the busted up ruins and walls of the chapel up ahead, and several of them immediately attract attention.
There is a hiss as soulless empty eyes hone in on the loudest of the group. There are a good number of skeletons, their clothing and armor patchworked. Two mageslayers also emerged--seemingly coming in with a vengeance, and a few more mana seekers. There is also a large, roiling mass of arcane energy as an arcane elemental rises and turns its attention to the group. There is also a skeletal warhorse with a rider that seems to be drawn to their location.
A mana seeker immediately charges at Arthak while skeletal archers begin to fire arrows at the group. Nyxxa leaps out of the shadows at the nearest mageslayer. She manages to stun it. One of the unliving mages uses arcane missile and the three darts slam into Nyxxa before it closes and swings at her with its blade.
Suddenly, three more skeletal mage guards charge into the combat, flanking the group. One blasts Azgadaan with [Arcane Missile], but he uses [Shield] to block it, however, it then closes with an attack at the same time the same combo is used on No’Rash.
Levia charges into the midst of the skeletons and uses turn undead. Several skeletal villagers promptly burst into holy flames while others flee from the surge of Light. She then casts [Spiritual Weapon].
No’Rash grabs the nearest unliving mage-guard and drags them to a skeletal villager, swinging their body around into the other undead. The village promptly crumbles, and the mage-guard staggers onto the ground.
A skeleton fires an arrow at Levia, which grazes her shoulder.
Arthak starts to charge right down the middle, swinging Champion’s Forge as he enters a rage. One skeletal villager crumbles beneath his blade, and he carries through to one of the unliving mage-guards, which is able to hold its ground slightly better. However, Arthak continues running--straight into the room with the unliving champion.
The champion holds its hand out, and rusted chains of white light try to hold him in place--but the hold person does not stick as Arthak resists the spell. However, the nearby mage-guard fires an [Arcane Missile] and then slices into him. The mage-guard tries to disarm him, but Arthak holds firm on his blade.
The arcane elemental roils forward and arcane bolts of energy starts to break off from it and fire wildly into the air. Three go at Arthak and three go at Azgadaan, successfully breaking through his shield spell as more skeletons dogpile Arthak.
Halno creeps forward, narrowly evading a strike from a mageslayer. He then uses [Living Bomb], marking a rune on one of the mage-slayers as concussive air starts to surge into it--the damage type of the spell changing to bludgeoning.
Azgadaan squeezes past the mage-guards engaged with him--taking some hits in the process before he hurls his maul using the whirling weapon spell. Two unliving villagers are immediately pulverized as the weapon streaks through them and then returns to Azgadaan’s hand.
Nyxxa continues to carve into the mageslayer and promptly dispatches it as she swings into the engaged mage-guard. Arrows are flying in every direction, and a stray one manages to wedge itself in Arthak’s armor.
Levia holds up a small, jet black stone and shadows start to waft from it.
Shadows wreathe her as she casts [Shadowform]. Her body becomes obscured and translucent, and a mage-guard manages to cut through--but the shadows lash out at the mage-guard in response. Azuka leaps in at that moment and manages to land a hit on the same mage-guard.
Arthak swings into the arcane elemental with a flurry of attacks, activating his fire rune to bolster the attack. It starts to waver slightly with the influx of damage, but remains standing. There is a magical pressure around it that seems to shut down the magic of weapons and items. He looks at the unliving champion and points, trying to goad it forward before he disappears into the obfuscation of Levia’s shadowform.
One of the mana seekers swings at Halno, clawing at his life essence.
No’Rash enters his fel transformation and starts to charge at the arcane elemental. However, as he closes, he feels the strength of his club fade. He tries to swing anyway, the first attack glancing off the elemental, but the second landing true.
Azgadaan puts an [Ice Barrier] on and then starts to run through several enemies. One of the mana seekers connects, and explodes from the whiplash of ice, as does the critically wounded unliving mage-guard.
Halno uses a holy [Inflict Wounds] on the remaining mana seeker, and it explodes into nothing. Suddenly, the concussive force Halno had placed in the mage-guard near the arcane elemental explodes--obliterating the two mage-guards and inflicting another of the marks on the arcane elemental.
A skeleton villager runs for No’Rash and slices into his arm, causing a thin trail of fel blood to trickle down his arm.
The unliving champion’s warhorse rears, and a facsimile of paladin-like magic appears over the unliving champion. He charges at No’Rash, driving his weapon past No’Rash’s arm. The concussive force in the elemental then explodes, destroying both skeletons and knocking the unliving champion off its back. The arcane elemental swings at No’Rash, and it manages to hamstring him.
The unliving steed then explodes, more concussive force going over the clustered group. The steed shatters into splinters, but No’Rash is still taking the brunt of all the damage. However, the mark then carries over to the unliving champion.
Nyxxa finishes off the skeleton she was engaged with.
Levia uses [Holy Light], healing No’Rash, and then swings her spiritual weapon at the mageslayer. The mark on No’Rash then explodes, and he roars as his fel blood starts to pump wildly.
He swings at the arcane elemental, clawing and beating at its face as he rips the elemental’s arm off and proceeds to beat the corpse of the elemental with it before the elemental dissipates. He looks towards the unliving champion and the unliving villager beyond and runs for the villager.
The unliving champion also explodes, blasting concentration for the haste spell he had cast on himself off and leaving him dazed for a second. Arthak runs for him and swings Champion’s Forge, but the skeleton is able to deflect both strikes.
Azgadaan retreats to help Nyxxa and swings his maul into one of the remaining mage-guards as he triggers a branding smite. He hurls the mage-guard to the side. Halno casts a piercing [Inflict Wounds] at the mageslayer, driving his hand through the wraith’s chest. The mageslayer attacks Halno in response, and Levia is able to cancel the critical hit.
Nyxxa manages to decapitate one of the remaining mage-guards, and then spins around to an unliving villager--decapitating it as well. At which point, she quaffs a potion. Just in time to get hit with another barrage of [Arcane Missile].
Annoyed and frustrated, Halno reaches out with a tier 5 [Inflict Wounds], and he surges holy magic through the mageslayer. He completely obliterates the creature. He suddenly feels like he’s short of breath… something he hasn’t felt in a long time.
No’Rash finishes off the unliving villager and then runs down to help Arthak with the unliving champion.
The champion points up at Arthak as he casts a spell, and then he starts to swing his weapon into him with a surprising amount of strength as the weapon chips away at Arthak’s armor.
Levia incinerates the remaining unliving villager with a [Fire Bolt].
Azuka tries to attack the champion, and distracts it, and Nyxxa leaps at the unliving champion, slashing into it twice. No’Rash follows behind her and slams his club down on on the champion’s head, caving in its skull. The remainder of the skeletons are dispatched, and No’Rash crumples to the ground.
His body is shaking and convulsing. Go’el and Azuka approaches, closely followed by Ravandwyer.
Arthak helps him to his feet.
He looks at Azuka.
Azuka looks away bashfully.
Azgadaan casts [Beacon of Hope] over the group so that Levia’s magic and natural recovery can take a greater hold. They look at the dark doorway into the chapel, and they start to head in..