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Elementals!     Golem

The information is digested and the party suspect that the columns of trapped souls would be the obvious source of necromantic power - something that Suva can vouch for - and that the Hawker bags being set to "zero" could be the way to bring true sunlight directly to them. Unfortunately, Calrhuvianne has very little extra information in repsonse to Suva's query:

"Alas, my friend, I read but one account wherein two of these Dreadnoughts were used to besiege a city. The dwarves employing them were the victors and levelled the city, so little clue to their defeat there. Once the walls and buildings had been torn down, the account said that the Dreadnoughts simply stopped and slowly collapsed into hundreds of ravaged corpses; where they fell disease would spring up and the razed city was left to rot in
pestilence for one hundred years.

He shudders.

"From what I can ascertain, Hawksmoor seems to be a necromancer of some sort - and a powerful one. The Dreadnought being created would support that. What little else I have read so far indicates a ruthlessness beyond compare: this place was not littered with undead when I was kept here which seems to tell me that Hawksmoor happily sacrificed a small army of ogres, reducing them to undead before transforming them into the Dreadnought.

"The only thing of small hope - but I will keep trying to uncover more - is that most of the major dread magicks I have read about all reply upon some source of power. Like the columns you have come to destroy. Finding
Hawksmoor's sources may be a better way to defeat him than leading a battle against his undead hordes and faithful worshippers."

Very soon the party decide that the best way to defeat the Dreadnought is to continue with their original plan and destroy the columns - so the wraithking and sand giants are to be face and they head back into to Ghorak Lan. When the time is right, Calrhuvianne will take one Hawker Bag outside to provide thelight source as he heads back to Galent, armed with the note Balin had found, but for now he accompanies the mission.

All is much as it was, so progress is made carefully but quickly. At the top of the steep stairs, tendrils of smoke still roll across floor and lantern light reveals the walls to be sootied - but the 18 hours since the pyromania have worked well, it seems. Although the stench is foul, this was never a perfumed abode and it is easy to ignore.

No ogre zombies stand at the western corridor as they had before but this is a minor concern with the ultimate fate of the zombies now witnessed.

In double quick time, the party are assembled at the top of the spiral staircase and ready to descend into the huge temple room where wraithking and sand giants await. Quick checks enroute have not revealed any changes of statue, lighting or any other major detail, and a brief - and extremely cautious - check ahead by Morin indicates that, although the temple room is still a little smoky, there is no new oil, just dark residue where the
original layer has been burned away. It is safe to enter and wage war against the unholy guards!

Jiriki blesses his brother in arms in the name of Kord as Suva adds St Cuthbert's protection to Darius' array of party items, and thus readies him further for the task ahead.

The party head down the spiral stairs into the temple and move slowly towards the double doors where a very faint dull glow can be seen through the remaining few trails of sooty smoke. As a little of the distance is covered, Jiriki and Morin move out slightly to one flank as Balin and Jarek move to the other.

Suva mutters something, preparing a spell or a blessing as he draws his mace, and Darius takes a step forward, eyes trying to pierce the partially lit gloom to find the wraithking.

The two sand giants stand, hulking, at either side of the double doors, their moonglow eyes giving them away. The doors are open now - beyond them is the room that houses the columns of souls and between the sand giants and the columns are four skeletal archers, arrows notched and ready to fire at anything that might enter their eyeless sight, bones slightly luminescent and producing the faint glow.

Nothing moves towards the party as their eyes strain to adjust and they take in the situation.

And then, from somewhere near the base of the stairs, a figure glides silently towards the party - Suva somehow senses its approach and hisses a quiet warning in time for the party to be aware of the shadowy form. A pinpoint glow of red eyes mark out its position and there is the hint of a shape, a caped and armoured body. Every now and then, there is a glint above the eyes where a thorned crown momentarily seems to sit.

This must be the wraithking and a whisper in the air like gentle waves indicates that the sand giants have also stirred.....

As the sand giants begin to move, the skeletal archers step swiftly into the room, advancing as one with a 'clack' of bones. One of the sand giants steps back behind their line as the other advances forward and this falls perfectly into the party's plan.

Even as a volley of arrows lets fly, Kin conjures a fireball at the group of skeletons and sand giant whilst Dalrylshana hurls one of the trinkets from her necklace; it's bang on target and explodes almost at the same point that Kin's magic does. Calrhuvianne moves to protect the two spellcasters from the wraithking as the fireballs detonate with a boom; the sand giant is pushed backwards by the impact and the skeleton archers utterly destroyed!

The second sand giant has moved into the room, Jiriki, Morin, dodging gracefully into position, Balin and Jarek all dashing to intercept it as Suva slows it with a divine invocation that has fearful cracking sounds emanating from the hulking creature. Even so, it barely slows.

Meanwhile, Darius steps up to attack the wraithking as it advances with silent pace.

"With St Cuthbert's blessing and Shuridien' steel, I will end your presence here Wraith," he cries, and launches himself into battle.

The wraithking makes no sound as Darius slashes at it. There is no indication that any harm has befallen the incorporeal foe but neither does its touch slow Darius.

Kin and Dalrylshana pause, their eyes misting momentarily; "not this time" mutters Dalrylshana as she throws off the oh-so-nearly affect of a blinding spell and prepares a counterstrike; Kin is not so lucky and reels, eyesight gone.

A lightning bolt erupts from Dalrylshana's hand, zigzagging through the air to strike the sand giant, now exposed since the archers have fallen. It twists under the ferocity of impact, glass shards tinkling to the ground at its feet, but keeps barrelling forward, slamming into Dalrylshana with bone-crunching force.

Across the room, the other sand giant is attacked by a raging Jiriki who in turn is hammered brutally by the giant's fists; Balin is already there to aid him and Morin and Jarek also hack at the undead giant for all they are worth - it staggers under the blows and shudders as Suva's magic cripples it again, even as he avoids the crashing, flailing arms of the sand giant that has attacked Dalrylshana.

Darius fails to harm the wraithking again but this time his own defence is not as stout and his face pales as his life energies are sucked away.

The archers are down but the speed of the sand giants has separated the party unexpectedly, as Calrhuvianne rallies to Dalrylshana's defence, there is still some battle left to be had.

All at once, the party flow and rearrange their position: Dalrylshana lurches unladylike out of the way of the sand giant, regaining her balance and unleashing a second bolt of lightning at it. This time, the bolt has less effect but slows the approach enough to allow Calrhuvianne chance to oppose it, steering Kin out of the way as he goes. The demihuman strikes as best he can but the sand giant's massive fists turn to him without pause and he is lifted from the floor by the ferocity of the blows and the way through to Kin and Dalrylshana is cleared again.

Jiriki dives out of battle to recover himself and then sets off after a brief pause, a magical glow about him now and the name of Kord on his lips, to come to Calrhuvianne and the mages' aid; he will be there in scant seconds...

Meanwhile, the other sand giant's eyes glow momentarily and Balin has an aura about his head for a moment; whatever was intended, the dwarf battles on without flinch or pause, hacking at the giant foe as its sandy form swirls and reforms around each strike. Jarek is there, too, fighting for all he is worth and taking advantage of his flanking position and allowing Jiriki and Morin to escape without harm but both warriors are struck hard for their endeavour.

Across the room, Morin has sped and tumbled to assist the battling Darius, arriving in time to witness Suva's searing light surge forth from his upraised hands; the wraithking recoils and its shadowy form rolls like ink on water for a moment and it fails to strike Darius who turns a second later towards Suva.

Morin screams out "Suva -watch out! Darius is charmed!", and Suva notes the dim red glow about Darius' eyes as he approaches the cleric and Morin charges at the wraithking, slashing at shadow.

Kin is struck, the blinded mage's half-prepared spell lost to the ether, but Calrhuvianne just manages to block a fatal strike on Dalrylshana as she struggles for her greatsword. The demihuman strikes the giant, grimacing through bloodied lips and then suddenly at its flank, Jiriki appears with devastating effect to strike the sand giant. It staggers noticeably and piles of sand shed from its form.

The other giant is fairing better against Balin and Jarek, but slowly they are reducing its threat, even as its great fists batter them. Suva ignores Darius' approach for a moment, the warrior clearly battling the sapping of his will, and unleashes a second bolt of searing light at the wraithking which shudders and fades for a second under the onslaught but still manages to strike at Morin, who fortunately is unphased and strikes back.

At the middle of the room, Jiriki, Dalrylshana and Calrhuvianne finally destroy the sand giant they are battling but one more and the wraithking, though wavering, still stand.

As Darius approaches Suva, the cleric weaves a spell and commands "sleep"; the warrior rocks lightly and the battle against domination goes out of his eyes - with a smile, he slumps to the ground.

Nearby, the wraithking is suddenly moving very quickly - however hard Morin tries to block it, the incorporeal undead can pass through objects and his efforts fail as it passes right through him, his body snapping rigid for a moment before he collapses to the floor, unconscious.

Jiriki, barely pausing after the defeat of the first giant draws upon Kord's strength and summons a magical greatsword which hacks at the wraithking as it glides through the gloom, clearly harming it now, by its avoidance.

Dalrylshana sheaths her sword and turns her attention upon the wraithking also, as it speeds in the direction of the sand giant, pausing it for but a fraction of a second.

The remaining giant is still battling toe to toe with Jarek and Balin; the dwarf lands one useful blow, as does Jarek, but the sand giant - fighting now for its existence - summons all of its fading strength: Jarek has a great fist strike him across the chest, sending him flying into the edge of the statue where he slumps to the floor and lays still. Balin takes a perfect blow straight to the face and reels backwards, choking on sand that swirls about his lips and throat, unable to concentrate and falling to one knee, dazed.

Dalrylshana suddenly drops to the floor unconscious as the wraithking flows effortlessly through her body but then the undead beast pauses as Suva calls upon St Cuthbert with all his faith. The cleric has made up ground as best he could as spiritual weapon and spells slowed it slightly and now he drives it back, away from its impending meeting with the sand giant, sweat beading his face.

But now there is nothing to stop the sand giant advancing itself.

Nothing except Jiriki.

Weakened but enraged, the spiritual sword hovers near him as his attention changes to the giant and with one blow the chamber echoes to the boom of steel shattering old, sea-worn bones as the great beast collapses under the impact.

He turns to the wraithking as Suva holds it back but Kin has been concentrating on sounds of movement as best he could and unleashes a spell. Blind as he is, by some miracle, the arcane magic strikes its target and finally the dread wraithking dissipates.....

Jiriki and Suva act quickly to stabilise Dalrylshana and Jarek, who are almost fatally wounded, and then the party can pause and relax a while. Silence reclaims the temple room. Half the party are unconscious - although already Morin and Darius stir - but the foes have been vanquished!