Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Viconia and Kagain ducked back as the monster came down, striking the ground before them like a snake, the acid from it's body sizzling as it ate into the stones.

The pair exchanged a glance. Dwarves and Drow had been battling underground, both against eachother and against others, for thousands of years. Certain tactics were used by both races in battle.

"The three-strike," Viconia whispered. Kagain nodded.

As the centipede reared up again, they stepped forward as one. Hammer and axe struck in unison, three quick strikes, duck back, three quick strikes again....

The creature, wounded by multiple fireballs and other attacks, was finally beginning to show signs of injury. It shook slightly, and blood was mixed in with it's slime.

It was at that point that Edwin shouted a Word. Suddenly, Hobgoblins appeared in the hallway, and began raining down arrows on the monster, which squealed and roared.

Xzar raised one of the wands they had found, and shouted a similar Word. Kobold archers joiend the Hobgoblins.

The monster began to be forced back, peppered by more arrows than it could withstand. Adrian's bolts and Safana's bullets joined the hailstorm, and the finally the monstrosity fell backwards in a pile of it's own ooze.

Badly shaken, the party members stared at one another, then walked around the dying thing, further in.

They found the tome twenty minutes later, and got the hells out. They were too exhausted to be angry that there was no magic in the tome.

Adrian wearily handed it to the ghost, who made it vanish. The Ghost vanished too, without comment. They stumbled away from Ulcaster southwards, wanting only to leave the mists far enough behind to sleep safely.

And sleep that night they did, though their dreams were nightmare carnival rides. The next day, they were a more tightly knit group than they had ever been before.

"Now?" Xzar asked Adrian.

"Now we visit the Firewine Ruins." said Adrian.

"I have the feeling," said Edwin, "That the tunnel beneath the Halfling village was actually part of those ruins."

"I agree," said Adrian. "But we're not going to go inside."

"Ah," said Edwin. "Exploring the exterior then?"

"For any stragglers we mighta missed," said Kagain, nodding in understanding.

They got about halfway there that day, and made to camp that night in sight of a dark silhouette of a castle on the edge of the horizon.

Durlag's Tower.

All of them looked at it without speaking. They were far too weak to enter that place of dark legend yet, and well they knew it. But one day. One day.