Post by Carin on Jul 29, 2015 18:35:18 GMT
[ Prior to this quest, Nox and Lorelyn met when Lorelyn trekked by foot from the Wild Lands to Ptolus' Necropolis, where Nox's apothecary was set up near the gate. Lorelyn sought out Nox for information on the area, and received it. To repay him, she offered to do something for him or give him a meager amount of coin, to which he accepted the joint quest to find an ingredient within a crypt of the Necropolis. That leads to this dawn-based quest. ]
2015/07/29 ~0930-1630 PST
Nox Falon reached the gates of the Necropolis early in the morning, just before sunrise. There was nobody else around, just the empty gates that lead to the graveyard. Checking through his robes, he made sure his scalpels were in good condition, and ensured that he had the proper amount of potions and poisons, both splash based and gas based. He had no armor, but had no real use for it. Nox resigned himself to wait outside the gates for Lorelyn to show up, and begin the small quest.
Lorelyn Avera was probably audible to the average ear, as it was relatively quiet in the district, and her armor made its usual rubbing and clinking sounds; she certainly would not be so successful if stealth was demanded. Expecting to see the Drow she had met the night before, merely hours ago, she was not disappointed as she neared the Necropolis-- there he was, checking himself. She chose not to speak until she was close enough that she would not have to raise her voice, as that was undesirable at this time of the morning. "Good morning," she said with a smile, and she looked quite well-rested. Aside from a few nicks on her well-fortified plate mail, she looked clean and healthy, as opposed to her visage the night before. "You are ready? I feel since you must already know where this ingredient you desire can be found, I would like a little more information before we enter.. I would suggest I lead us, given your attire.." Her eyes shined their red tinge, almost bashfully to make a judgment of him. It was not meant to be insulting, but it may have come off that way; she observed him as easily attacked, and after all, it was her job to be a living shield.
Nox Falon watched the paladin approach, the clink of her gear a clear giveaway. He had originally hoped to move through the crypts with a small semblance of stealth, but that was impossible now, given her armor. However, she did seem more than ready for a fight, so he supposed that that strategy would have to suffice. "Of course, you can take the lead, I'm not the type to accept blow after blow. However, on the other hand, you're rather... bulky. Try to move quickly, it's bad to get caught in one place. Do you have experience with the Undead?"
Lorelyn Avera laughed a little out loud when the dark elf asked her to be agile. "I will certainly do my best. What I lack in speed, I make up for in solidity. In this kind of situation, it is best to keep moving I imagine, so we will try that method." She then nodded to his follow-up question. "Only the minor fiends.. but I have yet to experience this kind of undead perhaps. I presume holy magic is effective? I can be of use when it comes to smiting." Clenching her armored fist, her partner might notice that she even had armored gloves, which were fitted for each finger to allow for a great amount of dexterity, and seemed to have quite strong steel around the knuckle areas. The gate seemed to beckon to the two as they stood near it, preparing to enter. " .. My name's Lorelyn, by the way." She gave a slight nod of her head as a bow, again her hair flowing. She never bothered to adjust it, as her armor made that difficult. "I suppose we should know each other's names in case of the worst, yes? At least one of us might make it out alive." Her last comment was followed by a kind of excited yet brief giggle.
Nox Falon shrugged at her suggestion. "Very well." He listened to the rest of her small spiel. "Yes, Holy Magic is effective against most Undead. I introduced myself yesterday, but in case you didn't notice, it's Nox. And I'm sure we'll be fine, it's not too deep." Turning to the gates, he swung them open. The sun was just rising above the horizon. "Perfect timing. We should move." He set off into the Necropolis, and rather casually strolled down a beaten path. He obviously knew precisely where he was going, and they quickly reached a small stone tomb. "They crypts begin here."
Lorelyn Avera knew that Nox was wise, so she trusted that they would have little trouble knowing where to go, it was more of an issue of what was in store for them in the duration. "I will take the onslaught of creatures, you can attempt to collect whatever it is you need within." The two would enter the crypt, and a relatively foul stench flowed through the air, coming with a breeze from deeper inward. Lorelyn's hair blew a little in the breeze and she felt a little nauseous, but she was able to quickly overcome it with the power of the light. In the dim area within, only a small torch lit with some kind of magic provided lighting, and dark shadows were everywhere within the confined space of the tomb. Lorelyn grasped at the hilt of her tremendous flamberge, nearly as lengthy as she was tall, and pulled it from its sling on her back around to her front. With both hands firm to it, a slight residual holy energy surrounding them, she advanced forward a little deeper until a kind of sound caused her to stop. Moving to the side, she examined her dim surroundings and saw nothing yet, but from a distance, she could hear it closing in. Creaking, grinding, an almost dead give-away to the presence of one, maybe two skeletons. They approached from in front. Lorelyn temporarily held her ground, a very clearly defensive position which highlighted the intensity of her fortitude.
Nox Falon followed the walking shield into the Crypts. It was dark, and the air was still, but it was a feeling he had grown accustomed to. He walked forward and retrieved the small torch, using it to light his way farther into the tomb. As he walked, he casually drew one of his scalpels, as the enemies here were generally very weak, due to the only unlife energies in the area being those from the corpses themselves. The pace they set was slow, slower than he would have preferred, but it was unavoidable due to the great bulk of Lorelyn's armor. He noticed two skeletons shambling towards them, certainly not much of a threat. They bore no weapons, and no armor to be seen. Glancing over at Lorelyn, he was surprised to see how defensive her stance was, even against weak creatures like these. "Why the stance? A pair of skeletons isn't much of a threat, especially for a Paladin like you." To prove his point, he walked forward at a brisk speed, closing in on the two. The skeleton in front took a fast lunge at him, which he nimbly sidestepped and reciprocated with a swift slice through it's spinal cord, rendering it immobile and pacified. With a quick following strike, he severed the skull of the second from it's decayed body, his scalpel gliding through the bone like it was paper.
Lorelyn Avera could only smile to the swift and agile movements of Nox's attack ensemble. "Now you have met with a paladin who knows her profession, my friend! One can never be too cautious in a new environment." Lorelyn immediately relaxed her stance, and one-handed her flamberge as she moved out to get in front of Nox again. Their progression quickened a bit, as her uneasiness was settled by the clarity in which she now could view the crypt. A nudging, sliding sound to her right followed by a small drop of heavy material suggested something was nearby, and sure enough, a very degenerate, rotting corpse stepped out of a vertically standing casket. It moved somewhat quickly, though it was slower than the skeletons. "This one is mine," she whispered to Nox nearby, and immediately she shoved her armored self toward the undead as it prepared itself. With the hilt of her sword brought into both hands again, she struck outward, bashing the soft corpse with both fists and the hilt itself in a sword-bash, hitting it in its decaying solar plexus with a little spurt of holy energy. The entirety of its chest caved inward quickly, and the momentum of Lorelyn's rush sent the proverbial zombie backwards, stunned. To finish it, she brought her sword across its body from left shoulder across in a cleave, rending it in two. A mere grunt was all that came from her in all of this, her stamina clearly outmatching the simple undead creature. She was actually impressed with her ability to be offensive in such ways, but perhaps she was just used to stronger creatures. "There! Let us move on." A few more undead were rustling about in the next room, but they would be no match for Nox and Lorelyn.
Nox Falon watched Lorelyn fight. She wasn't efficient, but she knew her way around a sword, and that would have to do. She was obviously proud of her triumph over the singular undead, and she had started moving towards the next room almost immediately. Nox placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're eager to fight, but I'd like to remind you that we're here for a reason." Nox pushed her towards the side of the room, where a small hole could be found. While it was several feet in diameter, it was in a rather dark corner, and was generally unused. The pit was dark, and was nearly vertical. "I use this hole often, it lets you bypass the next level of the Crypt. My ingredients are just a short walk from the bottom." Without hesitation, Nox jumped into the hole, pressing his hands and feet into the wall to slow his descent. After 10 meters or so, the hole deposited him through the ceiling, and he landed gracefully.
Lorelyn Avera nodded slowly as Nox checked her enthusiasm. Team work was new to her, after all. Listening to him, she confirmed his explanation with more nods, and watched him descend into the darkness, not able to really hear him hit the ground beneath when he landed. "Ready?" She called down to him, and apparently he was, so placing her sword directly downward to prevent it jarring loose, she began her own descent. Not so gracefully, her body and combined armor weight pushed her downward through the hole quite violently, destroying pieces of it here and there, but she managed to come out beneath and hit the ground with a heavy thud. She was unscathed, despite a few scrapes on her armor from embedded rocks. Her eyes, showing that she was disgruntled about the short-cut, looked to Nox for direction, and then proceeded as such. As the two walked on, a strange kind of smooth tapping and sliding could be heard, accompanied by groaning. It was just out of view, whatever it was, but the corridors were quite small so that made it hard to determine what was around for Lorelyn. In an inquisitive glance, without words, she beckoned Nox to answer what might have been ahead.
Nox Falon cautiously paced ahead of Lorelyn, scalpel now firmly in hand. The creatures on this level of the crypt grew much more sinister, and this particular area was a popular place for Necromancy rituals. Hoisting the torch high, he suddenly noticed the sound of bone sliding over bone. He quietly whispered to himself. "Not right now... damn." As he entered the next room, the flickering light of his torch slowly illuminated plates of bone, and scythes. An eery, rasping groan drifted across the room as the Bonefiend came into view. "Damn it! Lorelyn, Bonefiend!" He cast his torch into the center of the room, and it flared up, now shedding light on the lone monstrosity. He drew his second scalpel. The Bonefiend now was fully aware of their presence, and came rushing at the pair with a chilling shriek.
Lorelyn Avera witnessed the horrible fiend come into view with the dim light of the torch, its figure distorted even more by the lack of brightness. Its long, scythe-like appendages made an awful clicking sound accompanied by its own fearsome shriek, a kind of instantaneously terror-inspiring call. Immediately stepping before Nox as he made evasive moves, she was the only object between him and the six and a half foot tall creature; her own stature around a foot less than its full height. "Bonefiend?!" By the reaction Nox made to this things presence, she was immediately much more stiff and fortified than the relaxation she sunk into earlier. Now her defensive instincts kicked back in, and she brought her tremendous sword to the front in a horizontal position, preparing to defend against whatever form of attack this thing would muster against her. As it came, she stared it down with intense focus, digging in. An aura of quite bright holy magic came from her feet upward, surrounding her in a defensive-looking manner, but it was incomplete before the terribly fast creature came to strike. It brought one of its slinky claw-like hands across in a downward motion to slash at her, and the bones caught against her blade with quite a bit of force. As they were quite long, one of them hit her on the shoulder pauldron, which fared pretty well against the bone initially, only very slightly denting to the hit. Meanwhile, the rest of its scything arm was held by her flamberge and her own weight, and she winced as it struck, absorbing the blow. She shoved back against it with all of her might, managing only to push its strike away as another from its other arm came, and her response was barely quick enough to shield with a more intense deadlock, blade-to-blade proverbially, her body glowing in holy energy to fortify her defense. "I am holding out!" She shrieked, as she took the barrage with grunts here and there.
Nox Falon jumped back out of the way of the Bonefiend's initial strike, and watched as Lorelyn dove in to receive the creature's next two blows. Thinking quickly, he realized that Lorelyn wouldn't have knowledge of bonefiends or how one should fight them. He yelled out quick advice, as he rummaged through his robes. "Stop trying to block, parry! It attacks with too much force to just accept blows!" After several moments of scavenging, he found what he was looking for, a small glass tube filled with black liquid. He shattered the vial on the ground, and a pervading stench immediately filled the room, one of rotting flesh and burnt corpses. He readied his scalpels, and within seconds, the sounds of scuffling feet and squeals filled the room. Several dozen Ghuls flooded in from the side of the room, drawn to the inescapable stench. Several moved to attack him, but he was able to quickly cut them to ribbons, as most of the creatures flooded to meet the Bonefiend. While they failed to really do any damage, they did prove to draw it away from attacking Lorelyn, but that would only last for a few seconds, as the Bonefiend cut several ghouls into oblivion with each swipe of it's scythes.
Lorelyn Avera immediately reacted to Nox's words, and pushed away out of the blade-lock she was in with the creature, rolling back and out of its way, just as the disgusting stench hit her nose. In the vigor of the battle, she ignored the stench and parried to the right of the creature as it was completely swarmed with Ghuls that were essentially summoned by Nox's potion. "Got it!" She was able to reply to Nox. She then realized if he had a better response to the creature he would have used it, so she knew it was up to her to vanquish this thing. Her only thought was one blind-siding, powerful smash that she would have to focus all of her strength on its core. The mass of thick bone appeared to have a center, so to the side she held her sword tightly, its flame-shaped appearance giving it its signature name and style. The blade, and her hands, radiated with a slightly brighter holy energy than before, as she built up for a exhausting smite that she put her faith in. The new challenge was exciting, but also terrifying.. this was definitely the type of adventure she had craved for. This is what real paladins did. Now, with little time left, a tenacious Lorelyn pounded forward, and with all of her might she delivered a single smiting stab to the central bone mass, praying briefly to Ilucan for the strength to smite this fiend. Her flamberge, backed by the built up holy light from within her, struck the bone mass as it was distracted by a few remaining Ghuls, and Lorelyn pressed hard into it, piercing deeply, as she let out a battle howl that she may never have let out before. Light in the form of holy energy could be seen transferring from her torso and core through her arms and into the blade, in an attempt to send a surge of energy through the Bonefiend.
Nox Falon darted forward as the Bonefiend screeched a final time and crumbled into a pile of dust and bones, now devoid of the life it's creator had given it. Lorelyn appeared to have put her all into that strike, but there were now quite a few hungry Ghuls who had just been robbed of their target, and would undoubtedly be turning to the now vulnerable paladin for a meal. Leaping in, he swiveled around the paladin, killing Ghuls in quick succession with his blades. Even with his blades, and the work of the deceased Bonefiend, there were more and more Ghuls flooding into the area, drawn by the aftereffect of the lure he had placed. Nox gritted his teeth and tried to break away from several of the Ghuls for just a second, as he dashed over to the flickering torch he had cast on the ground earlier, trailing a stream of liquid behind him. Pushing through several Ghuls, he dove for the torch, grasping the wooden handle, and flung it in an arc over his head towards the trail of liquid. The room erupted in a blinding flash of light. Taking advantage of the Ghul's distaste for light, he barged through the sea of stunned and prone Ghuls, reaching Lorelyn and pulling her behind him into the next room. The pair kept running.
Lorelyn Avera witnessed the deterioration of the Bonefiend and was pleased with the results, though she immediately found herself using her sword as a cane in the ground where the ash came to rest, just as the remaining Ghuls saw her as a fresh target. "...Heh," she sighed, as she only had time to do so before Nox broke into swift action around her. She managed only a weak protective spell to ensure that if she was hit, the effect would be reduced. It turned out however that Nox provided more than adequate protection for her momentarily exhausted state, and with a burst of energy, she clung onto Nox as he pulled her out of the room and through the mess of Ghuls and corpses. Now out of any form of magical energy, her spells would have to wait, but her stamina was building back again enough for her to maintain a jog. Carrying herself through the next room into a tight corridor, she made a breathless suggestion aloud to Nox. "Get what you need, then we should retreat to a safer level." The room, or at least a nearby chasm through it, must have contained what Nox was looking for, as they seemed to be in an area similar to what he had described to her before. The path was short and led a short run from the other area where-in they met the Bonefiend. Ghuls were slowly making themselves present again from the walls, but took some time to climb out, providing Lorelyn with a decent chance to swing her flamberge in their direction had they came too close to the two.
Nox Falon quickly scavenged throughout the room, snatching small samples of a certain red fungus as he went. He spent several minutes in the room, although he would have like to stay longer in order to get the maximum amount of fungus out of it, but that would have to wait for another day. Glancing back at the way they came, he chose to instead guide Lorelyn through rooms ahead, and before long, they reached a set of stairs leading to the floor above. This area of the crypt wasn't particularly dangerous, and the pair were able to make their way up through most of the crypt with relative ease. After a half hour of minor skirmishing and travel, the pair neared the exit to the crypt. Nox glanced over at Lorelyn, who seemed to have recovered rather well from her earlier fatigue, although her armor was somewhat worse for wear.
Lorelyn Avera smiled to Nox, making the judgment that their mission was fairly successful, and left both of them unscathed in body at least. "You have your treasure, mm? But it seems there was still quite a lot left in there. I would be happy to assist you again, if only for the spark of adventure." Their reaching the Necropolis grounds once again from within the crypt was quite a revitalizing experience, Lorelyn feeling a very uplifting energy coming from the cleaner, fresher air; granted, it still smelt of the dead. Now at almost one hundred percent again, she examined her armor and frowned. "This is a mess. I almost want to invest in a new breast plate all together.. this one has seen its days." She wondered then, what kind of wares the blacksmith might have for a paladin of her type. Naturally the dragonscaled mail that descended from under her breast plate was intact and rarely saw combat, but her shoulder pauldrons and the sides of her full breast plate were quite scraped and even dented in some locations. Underneath, a strong bound leather protected her, but for anything to penetrate the outer layer was already defeat in her mind. "Do you think perhaps we could visit the smithy? I have the coin, for at the very least a polish." Her expression was warm for the kind of stone-wall serious quality she carried about her. Her eyes gleamed, remaining on Nox for his reply.
Nox Falon shrugged, glancing down at his own equipment. He was well off, and had avoided all but a few glancing blows, nothing he couldn't fix up himself. Glancing down at the bag he had collected the fungus in, it seemed that he had enough of the material to last for a month or so. "Yes, this amount should suffice, but I'd gladly go again with you sometime for a more... reliable amount." He looked at the sheer disrepair of her outer armor, and noted that she'd probably need entirely new gear. Deciding to humor her, he waved her ahead. "Then let us see a blacksmith."
Lorelyn Avera was pleased that Nox was willing to adventure with her further. "That is good news." The two of them strode out of the Necropolis within a few moments, and as Lorelyn gazed around, she noted that a smithy was just down the road as per the signage-- how did she miss that before? It was likely the way she entered the city, trying hard to ignore its form, as she was not particularly fond of the way it was built. Nonetheless, she indicated the smithy with her arm, and then proceeded down the road until just across, they arrived. The smithy would have seen her and Nox approaching from a bit back, most likely. Lorelyn greeted the smith with a short bow and a "Good evening," as per her usual mannerism, and then, not as if she had to suggest it, but she show herself in the light as she spoke. "My armor is in a fairly worn state, and as a Paladin, I am looking for either a fortifying repair, or perhaps a new breast plate with pauldrons.. such that high-impact is in highest defensive priority, next being piercing. What would you suggest? Defense is more important than money, so please feel free to name your price."
2015/07/29 ~0930-1630 PST
Nox Falon reached the gates of the Necropolis early in the morning, just before sunrise. There was nobody else around, just the empty gates that lead to the graveyard. Checking through his robes, he made sure his scalpels were in good condition, and ensured that he had the proper amount of potions and poisons, both splash based and gas based. He had no armor, but had no real use for it. Nox resigned himself to wait outside the gates for Lorelyn to show up, and begin the small quest.
Lorelyn Avera was probably audible to the average ear, as it was relatively quiet in the district, and her armor made its usual rubbing and clinking sounds; she certainly would not be so successful if stealth was demanded. Expecting to see the Drow she had met the night before, merely hours ago, she was not disappointed as she neared the Necropolis-- there he was, checking himself. She chose not to speak until she was close enough that she would not have to raise her voice, as that was undesirable at this time of the morning. "Good morning," she said with a smile, and she looked quite well-rested. Aside from a few nicks on her well-fortified plate mail, she looked clean and healthy, as opposed to her visage the night before. "You are ready? I feel since you must already know where this ingredient you desire can be found, I would like a little more information before we enter.. I would suggest I lead us, given your attire.." Her eyes shined their red tinge, almost bashfully to make a judgment of him. It was not meant to be insulting, but it may have come off that way; she observed him as easily attacked, and after all, it was her job to be a living shield.
Nox Falon watched the paladin approach, the clink of her gear a clear giveaway. He had originally hoped to move through the crypts with a small semblance of stealth, but that was impossible now, given her armor. However, she did seem more than ready for a fight, so he supposed that that strategy would have to suffice. "Of course, you can take the lead, I'm not the type to accept blow after blow. However, on the other hand, you're rather... bulky. Try to move quickly, it's bad to get caught in one place. Do you have experience with the Undead?"
Lorelyn Avera laughed a little out loud when the dark elf asked her to be agile. "I will certainly do my best. What I lack in speed, I make up for in solidity. In this kind of situation, it is best to keep moving I imagine, so we will try that method." She then nodded to his follow-up question. "Only the minor fiends.. but I have yet to experience this kind of undead perhaps. I presume holy magic is effective? I can be of use when it comes to smiting." Clenching her armored fist, her partner might notice that she even had armored gloves, which were fitted for each finger to allow for a great amount of dexterity, and seemed to have quite strong steel around the knuckle areas. The gate seemed to beckon to the two as they stood near it, preparing to enter. " .. My name's Lorelyn, by the way." She gave a slight nod of her head as a bow, again her hair flowing. She never bothered to adjust it, as her armor made that difficult. "I suppose we should know each other's names in case of the worst, yes? At least one of us might make it out alive." Her last comment was followed by a kind of excited yet brief giggle.
Nox Falon shrugged at her suggestion. "Very well." He listened to the rest of her small spiel. "Yes, Holy Magic is effective against most Undead. I introduced myself yesterday, but in case you didn't notice, it's Nox. And I'm sure we'll be fine, it's not too deep." Turning to the gates, he swung them open. The sun was just rising above the horizon. "Perfect timing. We should move." He set off into the Necropolis, and rather casually strolled down a beaten path. He obviously knew precisely where he was going, and they quickly reached a small stone tomb. "They crypts begin here."
Lorelyn Avera knew that Nox was wise, so she trusted that they would have little trouble knowing where to go, it was more of an issue of what was in store for them in the duration. "I will take the onslaught of creatures, you can attempt to collect whatever it is you need within." The two would enter the crypt, and a relatively foul stench flowed through the air, coming with a breeze from deeper inward. Lorelyn's hair blew a little in the breeze and she felt a little nauseous, but she was able to quickly overcome it with the power of the light. In the dim area within, only a small torch lit with some kind of magic provided lighting, and dark shadows were everywhere within the confined space of the tomb. Lorelyn grasped at the hilt of her tremendous flamberge, nearly as lengthy as she was tall, and pulled it from its sling on her back around to her front. With both hands firm to it, a slight residual holy energy surrounding them, she advanced forward a little deeper until a kind of sound caused her to stop. Moving to the side, she examined her dim surroundings and saw nothing yet, but from a distance, she could hear it closing in. Creaking, grinding, an almost dead give-away to the presence of one, maybe two skeletons. They approached from in front. Lorelyn temporarily held her ground, a very clearly defensive position which highlighted the intensity of her fortitude.
Nox Falon followed the walking shield into the Crypts. It was dark, and the air was still, but it was a feeling he had grown accustomed to. He walked forward and retrieved the small torch, using it to light his way farther into the tomb. As he walked, he casually drew one of his scalpels, as the enemies here were generally very weak, due to the only unlife energies in the area being those from the corpses themselves. The pace they set was slow, slower than he would have preferred, but it was unavoidable due to the great bulk of Lorelyn's armor. He noticed two skeletons shambling towards them, certainly not much of a threat. They bore no weapons, and no armor to be seen. Glancing over at Lorelyn, he was surprised to see how defensive her stance was, even against weak creatures like these. "Why the stance? A pair of skeletons isn't much of a threat, especially for a Paladin like you." To prove his point, he walked forward at a brisk speed, closing in on the two. The skeleton in front took a fast lunge at him, which he nimbly sidestepped and reciprocated with a swift slice through it's spinal cord, rendering it immobile and pacified. With a quick following strike, he severed the skull of the second from it's decayed body, his scalpel gliding through the bone like it was paper.
Lorelyn Avera could only smile to the swift and agile movements of Nox's attack ensemble. "Now you have met with a paladin who knows her profession, my friend! One can never be too cautious in a new environment." Lorelyn immediately relaxed her stance, and one-handed her flamberge as she moved out to get in front of Nox again. Their progression quickened a bit, as her uneasiness was settled by the clarity in which she now could view the crypt. A nudging, sliding sound to her right followed by a small drop of heavy material suggested something was nearby, and sure enough, a very degenerate, rotting corpse stepped out of a vertically standing casket. It moved somewhat quickly, though it was slower than the skeletons. "This one is mine," she whispered to Nox nearby, and immediately she shoved her armored self toward the undead as it prepared itself. With the hilt of her sword brought into both hands again, she struck outward, bashing the soft corpse with both fists and the hilt itself in a sword-bash, hitting it in its decaying solar plexus with a little spurt of holy energy. The entirety of its chest caved inward quickly, and the momentum of Lorelyn's rush sent the proverbial zombie backwards, stunned. To finish it, she brought her sword across its body from left shoulder across in a cleave, rending it in two. A mere grunt was all that came from her in all of this, her stamina clearly outmatching the simple undead creature. She was actually impressed with her ability to be offensive in such ways, but perhaps she was just used to stronger creatures. "There! Let us move on." A few more undead were rustling about in the next room, but they would be no match for Nox and Lorelyn.
Nox Falon watched Lorelyn fight. She wasn't efficient, but she knew her way around a sword, and that would have to do. She was obviously proud of her triumph over the singular undead, and she had started moving towards the next room almost immediately. Nox placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're eager to fight, but I'd like to remind you that we're here for a reason." Nox pushed her towards the side of the room, where a small hole could be found. While it was several feet in diameter, it was in a rather dark corner, and was generally unused. The pit was dark, and was nearly vertical. "I use this hole often, it lets you bypass the next level of the Crypt. My ingredients are just a short walk from the bottom." Without hesitation, Nox jumped into the hole, pressing his hands and feet into the wall to slow his descent. After 10 meters or so, the hole deposited him through the ceiling, and he landed gracefully.
Lorelyn Avera nodded slowly as Nox checked her enthusiasm. Team work was new to her, after all. Listening to him, she confirmed his explanation with more nods, and watched him descend into the darkness, not able to really hear him hit the ground beneath when he landed. "Ready?" She called down to him, and apparently he was, so placing her sword directly downward to prevent it jarring loose, she began her own descent. Not so gracefully, her body and combined armor weight pushed her downward through the hole quite violently, destroying pieces of it here and there, but she managed to come out beneath and hit the ground with a heavy thud. She was unscathed, despite a few scrapes on her armor from embedded rocks. Her eyes, showing that she was disgruntled about the short-cut, looked to Nox for direction, and then proceeded as such. As the two walked on, a strange kind of smooth tapping and sliding could be heard, accompanied by groaning. It was just out of view, whatever it was, but the corridors were quite small so that made it hard to determine what was around for Lorelyn. In an inquisitive glance, without words, she beckoned Nox to answer what might have been ahead.
Nox Falon cautiously paced ahead of Lorelyn, scalpel now firmly in hand. The creatures on this level of the crypt grew much more sinister, and this particular area was a popular place for Necromancy rituals. Hoisting the torch high, he suddenly noticed the sound of bone sliding over bone. He quietly whispered to himself. "Not right now... damn." As he entered the next room, the flickering light of his torch slowly illuminated plates of bone, and scythes. An eery, rasping groan drifted across the room as the Bonefiend came into view. "Damn it! Lorelyn, Bonefiend!" He cast his torch into the center of the room, and it flared up, now shedding light on the lone monstrosity. He drew his second scalpel. The Bonefiend now was fully aware of their presence, and came rushing at the pair with a chilling shriek.
Lorelyn Avera witnessed the horrible fiend come into view with the dim light of the torch, its figure distorted even more by the lack of brightness. Its long, scythe-like appendages made an awful clicking sound accompanied by its own fearsome shriek, a kind of instantaneously terror-inspiring call. Immediately stepping before Nox as he made evasive moves, she was the only object between him and the six and a half foot tall creature; her own stature around a foot less than its full height. "Bonefiend?!" By the reaction Nox made to this things presence, she was immediately much more stiff and fortified than the relaxation she sunk into earlier. Now her defensive instincts kicked back in, and she brought her tremendous sword to the front in a horizontal position, preparing to defend against whatever form of attack this thing would muster against her. As it came, she stared it down with intense focus, digging in. An aura of quite bright holy magic came from her feet upward, surrounding her in a defensive-looking manner, but it was incomplete before the terribly fast creature came to strike. It brought one of its slinky claw-like hands across in a downward motion to slash at her, and the bones caught against her blade with quite a bit of force. As they were quite long, one of them hit her on the shoulder pauldron, which fared pretty well against the bone initially, only very slightly denting to the hit. Meanwhile, the rest of its scything arm was held by her flamberge and her own weight, and she winced as it struck, absorbing the blow. She shoved back against it with all of her might, managing only to push its strike away as another from its other arm came, and her response was barely quick enough to shield with a more intense deadlock, blade-to-blade proverbially, her body glowing in holy energy to fortify her defense. "I am holding out!" She shrieked, as she took the barrage with grunts here and there.
Nox Falon jumped back out of the way of the Bonefiend's initial strike, and watched as Lorelyn dove in to receive the creature's next two blows. Thinking quickly, he realized that Lorelyn wouldn't have knowledge of bonefiends or how one should fight them. He yelled out quick advice, as he rummaged through his robes. "Stop trying to block, parry! It attacks with too much force to just accept blows!" After several moments of scavenging, he found what he was looking for, a small glass tube filled with black liquid. He shattered the vial on the ground, and a pervading stench immediately filled the room, one of rotting flesh and burnt corpses. He readied his scalpels, and within seconds, the sounds of scuffling feet and squeals filled the room. Several dozen Ghuls flooded in from the side of the room, drawn to the inescapable stench. Several moved to attack him, but he was able to quickly cut them to ribbons, as most of the creatures flooded to meet the Bonefiend. While they failed to really do any damage, they did prove to draw it away from attacking Lorelyn, but that would only last for a few seconds, as the Bonefiend cut several ghouls into oblivion with each swipe of it's scythes.
Lorelyn Avera immediately reacted to Nox's words, and pushed away out of the blade-lock she was in with the creature, rolling back and out of its way, just as the disgusting stench hit her nose. In the vigor of the battle, she ignored the stench and parried to the right of the creature as it was completely swarmed with Ghuls that were essentially summoned by Nox's potion. "Got it!" She was able to reply to Nox. She then realized if he had a better response to the creature he would have used it, so she knew it was up to her to vanquish this thing. Her only thought was one blind-siding, powerful smash that she would have to focus all of her strength on its core. The mass of thick bone appeared to have a center, so to the side she held her sword tightly, its flame-shaped appearance giving it its signature name and style. The blade, and her hands, radiated with a slightly brighter holy energy than before, as she built up for a exhausting smite that she put her faith in. The new challenge was exciting, but also terrifying.. this was definitely the type of adventure she had craved for. This is what real paladins did. Now, with little time left, a tenacious Lorelyn pounded forward, and with all of her might she delivered a single smiting stab to the central bone mass, praying briefly to Ilucan for the strength to smite this fiend. Her flamberge, backed by the built up holy light from within her, struck the bone mass as it was distracted by a few remaining Ghuls, and Lorelyn pressed hard into it, piercing deeply, as she let out a battle howl that she may never have let out before. Light in the form of holy energy could be seen transferring from her torso and core through her arms and into the blade, in an attempt to send a surge of energy through the Bonefiend.
Nox Falon darted forward as the Bonefiend screeched a final time and crumbled into a pile of dust and bones, now devoid of the life it's creator had given it. Lorelyn appeared to have put her all into that strike, but there were now quite a few hungry Ghuls who had just been robbed of their target, and would undoubtedly be turning to the now vulnerable paladin for a meal. Leaping in, he swiveled around the paladin, killing Ghuls in quick succession with his blades. Even with his blades, and the work of the deceased Bonefiend, there were more and more Ghuls flooding into the area, drawn by the aftereffect of the lure he had placed. Nox gritted his teeth and tried to break away from several of the Ghuls for just a second, as he dashed over to the flickering torch he had cast on the ground earlier, trailing a stream of liquid behind him. Pushing through several Ghuls, he dove for the torch, grasping the wooden handle, and flung it in an arc over his head towards the trail of liquid. The room erupted in a blinding flash of light. Taking advantage of the Ghul's distaste for light, he barged through the sea of stunned and prone Ghuls, reaching Lorelyn and pulling her behind him into the next room. The pair kept running.
Lorelyn Avera witnessed the deterioration of the Bonefiend and was pleased with the results, though she immediately found herself using her sword as a cane in the ground where the ash came to rest, just as the remaining Ghuls saw her as a fresh target. "...Heh," she sighed, as she only had time to do so before Nox broke into swift action around her. She managed only a weak protective spell to ensure that if she was hit, the effect would be reduced. It turned out however that Nox provided more than adequate protection for her momentarily exhausted state, and with a burst of energy, she clung onto Nox as he pulled her out of the room and through the mess of Ghuls and corpses. Now out of any form of magical energy, her spells would have to wait, but her stamina was building back again enough for her to maintain a jog. Carrying herself through the next room into a tight corridor, she made a breathless suggestion aloud to Nox. "Get what you need, then we should retreat to a safer level." The room, or at least a nearby chasm through it, must have contained what Nox was looking for, as they seemed to be in an area similar to what he had described to her before. The path was short and led a short run from the other area where-in they met the Bonefiend. Ghuls were slowly making themselves present again from the walls, but took some time to climb out, providing Lorelyn with a decent chance to swing her flamberge in their direction had they came too close to the two.
Nox Falon quickly scavenged throughout the room, snatching small samples of a certain red fungus as he went. He spent several minutes in the room, although he would have like to stay longer in order to get the maximum amount of fungus out of it, but that would have to wait for another day. Glancing back at the way they came, he chose to instead guide Lorelyn through rooms ahead, and before long, they reached a set of stairs leading to the floor above. This area of the crypt wasn't particularly dangerous, and the pair were able to make their way up through most of the crypt with relative ease. After a half hour of minor skirmishing and travel, the pair neared the exit to the crypt. Nox glanced over at Lorelyn, who seemed to have recovered rather well from her earlier fatigue, although her armor was somewhat worse for wear.
Lorelyn Avera smiled to Nox, making the judgment that their mission was fairly successful, and left both of them unscathed in body at least. "You have your treasure, mm? But it seems there was still quite a lot left in there. I would be happy to assist you again, if only for the spark of adventure." Their reaching the Necropolis grounds once again from within the crypt was quite a revitalizing experience, Lorelyn feeling a very uplifting energy coming from the cleaner, fresher air; granted, it still smelt of the dead. Now at almost one hundred percent again, she examined her armor and frowned. "This is a mess. I almost want to invest in a new breast plate all together.. this one has seen its days." She wondered then, what kind of wares the blacksmith might have for a paladin of her type. Naturally the dragonscaled mail that descended from under her breast plate was intact and rarely saw combat, but her shoulder pauldrons and the sides of her full breast plate were quite scraped and even dented in some locations. Underneath, a strong bound leather protected her, but for anything to penetrate the outer layer was already defeat in her mind. "Do you think perhaps we could visit the smithy? I have the coin, for at the very least a polish." Her expression was warm for the kind of stone-wall serious quality she carried about her. Her eyes gleamed, remaining on Nox for his reply.
Nox Falon shrugged, glancing down at his own equipment. He was well off, and had avoided all but a few glancing blows, nothing he couldn't fix up himself. Glancing down at the bag he had collected the fungus in, it seemed that he had enough of the material to last for a month or so. "Yes, this amount should suffice, but I'd gladly go again with you sometime for a more... reliable amount." He looked at the sheer disrepair of her outer armor, and noted that she'd probably need entirely new gear. Deciding to humor her, he waved her ahead. "Then let us see a blacksmith."
Lorelyn Avera was pleased that Nox was willing to adventure with her further. "That is good news." The two of them strode out of the Necropolis within a few moments, and as Lorelyn gazed around, she noted that a smithy was just down the road as per the signage-- how did she miss that before? It was likely the way she entered the city, trying hard to ignore its form, as she was not particularly fond of the way it was built. Nonetheless, she indicated the smithy with her arm, and then proceeded down the road until just across, they arrived. The smithy would have seen her and Nox approaching from a bit back, most likely. Lorelyn greeted the smith with a short bow and a "Good evening," as per her usual mannerism, and then, not as if she had to suggest it, but she show herself in the light as she spoke. "My armor is in a fairly worn state, and as a Paladin, I am looking for either a fortifying repair, or perhaps a new breast plate with pauldrons.. such that high-impact is in highest defensive priority, next being piercing. What would you suggest? Defense is more important than money, so please feel free to name your price."