Day of the UnderDark- the battle that was won

*For events preceding this, see Before the Day of the UnderDark at the Briston Estate.*

Fog is rising slowly over the fields and road as the party arrives on the lands in front of the castle, just behind the armies you followed to this place. Ghujav gestures you quickly towards a hidden cave entrance that is buffered in the small hills. As he leads the party quickly through the tunnel, everyone following him based more on sound and feel as no one can seem to see thru the solid inky darkness, a coldness feeling as though it's creeping up and under armor, you hear harsh, ragged breathing that you only barely believe is coming from your compatriots. But all of this fades into the background of your consciousness. Each of you have seen and experienced horrors beyond this by now- and besides, you have a much more urgent task at hand. As you suddenly burst through the other side, squinting against the daylight shining off the covering of snow, several things become apparent.

First, the sounds of battle. The creak of armor and clash of swords, the screams of the dying that are only just-outweighed by the screams of monsters. As your eyes adjust, you see shapes and mounds of snow covered stones and ruins of what must have been the outer ring of a once-great castle. "Dragonspear," hisses Ghujav. You all quickly crouch and look around, but no guards come to meet you. "I sense no one around," whispers Iseon. "But there are hearts beating inside those walls." She nods to some stone stairs ahead that look to lead up past the first broken wall.

Iseon draws her black bow. "Ghujav and I will cover the rear. Therein lies the beast and it's mistress. This is your fight now. May your gods be with you." She glances at Heth. "..and the Mother be with you." Her eyes gleam gold once as she turns, Ghujav drawing his sword and following her as they both silently fade into the thick white fog.

The fog envelops you and the world seems to stand still for a brief second. Tren turns toward the party, his hands outstretched and glowing. He mutters under his breath, going among the group and casting spell after spell. A crown of runes briefly flashes around Krusk's head, as well as a shield in front of him. Tren then lays his hands on Krusk's arm and the barbarian suddenly seems to grow in front of your eyes. Tren then turns away and seems to pray before casting two more spells, these focusing in the palms of his hands before flashing down like lightning into the ground at his feet and briefly lighting up the surrounding area in a brilliant white circle 20 feet in diameter, before fading. He straightens and takes a deep breath, the lines around his eyes have deepened, making it obvious the spells cost him much in his ability. As he lifts his head, he suddenly gives a start and a hoarse shout as he sees a part in the fog, revealing a grisly sight.

A familiar body hangs beside the stairs, the slow pitter patter of blood hitting the stone beneath it. The armor gleans dully, ruined by having been split thru from throat to gullet. A holy symbol hangs from a neck that is barely attached, the sign of the goddess Tymora swinging gently as the blood runs down it. Tren runs up and struggles to lift the body from the hook before lowering it to the ground below. He groans, pressing his forehead against the one of his brother in Tymora. A whispered prayer is sent upwards, as the other party members gather around, everyone having drawn their weapons and formed a circle around Tren and Stec Aviancrester.

Hethurin closes his eyes and calls to Ty, finding her floating easily above the fog. She whispers in his head that she can see very little through it, but he knows she will always be able to find him and will come close when it is time to battle. Krusk takes deep breaths and stretches, becoming familiar with his gained reach and feeling fortified by all the spells that were bestowed on him. Kilana peers into the fog and draws her bow tight, ready to loose an arrow at a moments notice. She glances over her shoulder, hearing something large scraping against stone on the other side of the wall. "Does everyone remember the plan?" she says softly, her eyes going back to the fog, the bowstring touching her cheek. "Remember, keep the beast preoccupied so Krusk can sunder the heads. Kill the witch as fast as possible. Protect each other's backs."

Tren wrapped Stec's cloak around the body, gathered the holy symbol and slipped it over his own head, then stood and drew his sword. "I think it is time we end this witch." Everyone moved into the familiar formation, stepped up the stairs, over the threshold and into the outer stone circle ruins.

\* Krusk attempts to sunder head #3. Its AoO misses. Krusk misses with his first attack, but his backswing hits for 27 points of damage, taking a big chunk out of its neck (27 points).

\* Kilana fires an arrow enchanted with Silence at Aradel, the witch. The arrow hits, sticking out of her and creating a 20' silent radius. She then shoots an acid arrow at Hydra Head #4, but misses.

\* Aradel raises her hands, opens her mouth, and ... nothing happens.

\* The Hydra's five heads all roar at Krusk. They attack but all miss.

\* Tren casts Holy Storm, a storm of holy water which penalizes ranged attacks but also damages evil creatures.

\* Heth casts Scorching Ray at Aradel, hitting but only doing 8 pts.

\* Ty claws HH#1 for 4 pts.

\* Simon does nothing.

ROUND 2:

\* Krusk attempts to sunder head #3 again. Its AoO critically misses. Krusk does 17 pts. On the backswing he does another 24 pts and HH#3 IS CUT OFF. It squirms on the ground, but the neck that it came from immediately stops bleeding.

\* Kilana critically hits HH#4, putting the acid arrow through its eye. (Alas, the Hydra heals quickly.)

\* Aradel throws the arrow behind her, and casts a spell. Simon stands up.

\* The Hydra has one severed head and two preoccupied ones. The remaining two attack Krusk but miss.

\* Tren casts Silence on a point in space near Aradel.

\* Heth casts Scorching Ray again but misses Aradel.

\* Ty attacks HH#1 again but misses.

\* Simon fires an arrow at Ty, doing 6 pts.

ROUND 3:

\* Krusk attempts to sunder HH#2, but first its AoO hits for 10 pts. Krusk hits it on both swings, for a total of 46 points. HH#2 is still hanging on, though.

\* Kilana hits HH#4 with one arrow, and misses Simon with the second.

\* Aradel steps forward and tries to cast a spell, but nothing happens.

\* Hydra: connects with Krusk with one head, for 13 damage.

\* Tren: swings at Aradel but misses

\* Heth: Summon Monster II summons a celestial eagle, which attacks HH#5 but misses.

\* Ty: manages to claw HH#1.

\* Simon: hits Tren with an arrow for 7 pts.

ROUND #4:

\* Krusk attempts to sunder HH#2. The head's AoO misses. HH#2 IS CUT OFF with his first swing, and his backswing hits HH#1 for 22 pts.

\* Kilana: hits HH#4 with one of her new arrows. It does 5 damage, and then feels a flickering in the back of her mind but doesn't quite "open a channel." (Her Concentration check barely missed.) Kilana watches the arrow fly and believes the reason it hit was because of her skill and not the path she chose. She then hits Simon with a regular arrow for 7 pts. He doesn't react.

\* Aradel climbs up on the back of the Hydra, provoking AoO from both Tren and Krusk. Krusk connects for 23 pts.

\* Hydra: rears back, and makes its special attack: a jet of frost (10' w x 10' h x 20' long) bursts forth from mouth #5.

\*Krusk and Tren both dodge for half-damage: 4 pts for Tren, 7 pts for Krusk. It then takes a long step to its right, moving itself and Aradel out of the rain AND the silence.

\* Tren sprints off to look for the enchanted arrow.

\* Heth can now get a clean shot at Aradel again, but misses with his Scorching Ray.

\* The eagle manages to distract HH#5.

\* Ty distracts HH#1.

\* Simon: aims for Ty but misses.

ROUND #5:

\* Krusk attempts to sunder HH#1 (the AoO misses). His first swing misses but the backswing connects for 28 pts. The head is still connected.

\* Kilana: climbs up on some of the ruins for a better vantage.

\* Aradel: casts a magical hail spell that does 8 pts of bludgeoning damage and 6 pts of cold damage. Ty flutters to the ground, officially at zero HP! :-(

\* Hydra: HH#4 attacks Krusk but misses.

\* Tren: tosses the arrow towards the Hydra and Aradel, then attempts to cast Command on \*Simon\*, and tells him to drop his weapon, which he does.

\* Heth moves and hits Simon with a crossbow bolt.

ROUND #6:

\* Krusk CUTS OFF HH#1, then the backswing does 21 pts of sundering to HH#4.

\* Kilana: crit-hits HH#5, then hits Aradel with one of her new divine arrows. She calls on the power of Obad-Hai. She feels a surge in her being. As she lets loose the arrow, it flies true, striking Aradel in the chest. It does a total of 10 pts (+2 of it from the bonus against evil), and then a magical energy explodes in her chest, doing another 5 pts. Aradel reels but stays up.

\* Aradel and the Hydra flee! AoO from Kilana, Tren, and Heth. Heth misses, but Tren & Kilana hit (Kilana with another divine arrow), and ARADEL DIES! The Hydra doesn't know she's dead, and has no direction.

\* Tren heals Krusk for 15 pts.

\* Heth casts his last Scorching Ray at HH#5, doing 13 pts. His eagle crit-hits HH#5, distracting it for two rounds!

\* Simon pitches forward to the stone 20 feet below. :-(

ROUND #7:

\* Krusk sunders HH#4 for another 23 pts. It's still hanging on.

\* Kilana: hits HH#4.

\* The Hydra is too distracted to attack Krusk.

\* Tren: dives in to slit Aradel's throat. (Ding dong, the witch is dead.) One of the Hydra heads AoO hits him for 12 pts.

\* Heth: uses Magic Missiles to distract both heads.

ROUND #8:

\* Krusk CUTS OFF HH#4, which AoO's him for 10 pts, and then attempts to sunder HH#5, but it manages to counter (nat 20!).

\* Kilana: fires a fire arrow at HH#5 but misses.

\* Hydra is still distracted.

\* Tren: ?

\* Heth: abandons the fight to assist Ty. She's breathing. She has a couple of arrows sticking out of her but is not bleeding out. (She is soaked through from the rain, though.)

ROUND #9:

Krusk: does 56 points of sundering damage to HH#5, CUTTING IT OFF. THE HYDRA IS DEAD.