Cedron and Raven - In the Lair of the Lady (Part 3)

09 Newkolt 349 AC

Beginning of round

Wickerbell cries out, "Ellessandra! That's enough! It's folly to persist! You cannot win!"

The annis hag snarls, "Begone, fool! My revenge will not be stayed a moment longer! Fight, or count yourself among my enemies!"

The small bee-riding fey recoils at the vitriol in her friend's voice. She kicks her heels into the flanks of her bee and it darts forward, slipping between Cedron and Ellessandra to land, straddling Cassidy's limp form.

Raven starts to take a step toward the green hag but the arrival of the trolls causes Thorgrim to start throbbing again. The iron blade rattles against the floor. Raven snatches it up once more and mystic fury takes hold again. He bellows a challenge and leaps into the fray, the cursed giant-slayer leading the way. 

Awestruck, but focused, Cedron witnesses the Little Black Bird of Death strike again and again against literally giant enemies…

Cedron steadies himself from the impact of the magic missiles. He focuses on his ring again, and lifts the mithral crown from Ellesandra’s head, and flings it between Raven and Cedron away from Cassidy.

The spiders and millipedes stop advancing instantly, retreating back up the pillars and into the shadows, away from the fighting. 

As the Crawling Fey fall back, Cedron then calls upon his connection with Malazzarr to strike Ellesandra with another ray of concentrated sunlight. Flesh burns away at the touch of the divine radiance. The hag shrieks, shielding her eyes from its intensity. 

The doors that Raven and Cedron entered through burst open, revealing another trio of ogres. These brutes look much fiercer than the three that have already been slain, each clad in hide armor fashioned from the pelts of bears and holding wickedly-notched axes. 

Ellessandra lunges forward, dropping her dagger and reaching for Cedron with outstretched claws. The first passes directly through the throat of the priest's conjured illusion without resistance, causing her to stumble and miss with the second claw entirely.

The trolls charge directly at Raven, slavering for blood. They are met with unfettered rage. The first swipe of Thorgrim splits the head of the leading troll down the middle. It crashes to the floor, twitching and jerking as it's healing factor tries to repair the damage. Quick flashes of the blade leave long gashes in the chests of the other two trolls but they remain standing, lashing with their terrible claws and terrible teeth. Raven dodges and weaves, juking left and right to avoid the blows.

Beginning of the next round 

Wickerbell pats her bee on the shoulder and makes a buzzing sound. The giant insect scoops the kender up in its two front legs and takes to the air, flying backwards and away from Ellessandra. 

Raven presses his attack against the two remaining trolls. Streaks of silver steel and green blood flash through the air as the elf's attacks dismember the trolls. Arms, legs, and a head tumble free. Troll bits, all strewn across the floor twitch weakly and begin trying to drag themselves back to the bodies they belong to.

Cedron focuses his spiritual energy into his harmonic blade. It erupts in divine flames, and he attacks Ellesandra with all his might while shouting. “Revenge brings no peace! Listen to your friend!” The bard leaps in, thrusting with his blade. The fiery steel strikes sparks from the hag's preturnaturally tough hide but her tattered gown catches fire. Ellessandra shrieks in pain and anger, falling back to avoid Cedron’s subsequent strikes.

The green crone laughs as Wickerbell turns on Ellessandra. She takes a deep breath and spews another cone of swamp water at Raven. The swordsman's momentum carries him past the leech-infested vomit as he rushes to meet the newly-arrived ogres.

Raven meets the charge head on, Thorgrim striking each of the giants in turn. The brutes respond with heavy chops of their axes. He ducks, dodges, and parries the blows but the effects of the magical rage begins to drain his stamina and he starts to slow.

As Ellesandra recoils from Cedron’s fiery sword, she opens her hand, palm first in the bard's direction. A torrent of blue-black energy tears from her hand, passing through his illusory form, missing his real body by scant inches.

Beginning of the final round

Wickerbell calls out, "Ellessandra! Please! You cannot win!" 

Raven snarls inarticulately and slashes with Nightwatcher once again. He opens the throats of two ogres with a single swing before spinning around to thrust the adamantite blade through the heart of the final one. And, just like that, his rage evaporates, leaving him gasping for breath and his heart pounding in his chest from the exertion.

With Cassidy moved away from Ellesandra and direct danger, Cedron steps back a few feet and summons a column of pure fire to rain down upon her. “End this now!”

Flames, white-hot holy fire blasts through the ceiling of the ruined cathedral. Ellessandra looks up just in time to raise her arms above her head but she is struck with the full force of Malazzarr's summoned power. Her blue skin blackens and splits like an overcooked sausage, her scream cut off by the roar of the inferno.

As the flames die away, Cedron reaches out with his ring of telekinesis to grab the fallen crown and toss it into a fold of his cloak.

With everyone's attention on Ellessandra, the Green Hag quietly slips out of the west door and flees into the marsh.