[CHURCH]  COMPENDIUM X
THE RESCUE CONTINUES


	*****		*****		*****

As the female mage disapears Dryctor releases the Globe and pull his 
longsword. "It looks like your mistress left you here to die alone, Who 
will be the first to feel the sting of my blade?" One of the ogres Lets 
out a mighty bellowand charged ... Only to stop and look down at the 
blade where it went clean thru it's chest "So nice of you to impale 
yourself for me brute" Dryctor pulls the blade free as the ogre falls 
dead. he then fires a quick Hold spell at the Guards with the crossbows 
and turns to see if the other ogre is still up or if anyone in his 
little group needs help (or to see where that mage went if she 'popped' in 
behind them). 
--Barron Featherston

She came to feeling cold touch of stone on her cheek, and like her nerves 
were on fire, but beyond what her body told her brain, she could sense 
nothing else, and she wondered if she was even conscious. She had the 
nasty idea that she was though, and carefully pushed herself into a 
sitting position with still manacled hands. The cell she found herself 
in was small and permeated with a feeling of emptiness. 

Cari held out no hope when she checked for her dagger or darts, in case 
her guards had been too much a hurry to return to the battle, and she 
wasn't disappointed when she found nothing. She stood and went to the 
door to listen for approaching battle, but heard only silence.

Never before, not even her lonely travels on winter roads, had she felt 
so isolated. No voice to call out with. No way to send  her thoughts to 
her friends. And the knowledge that she carried knowledge that could damn 
many resistance cells. 

Anger at ending this way, at herself, filled her, and she hammered 
against the rough wood with bound fists. "I should never have risked it! 
There are too many at risk for one or two people!" she shouted within 
herself. But she knew she lied to herself. She did not regret the risk 
she took for her new friends; it had been time to stop running and fight.
She knew she was afraid and she did regret that she had been captured 
before she had been of more aid to the rescue. 

Cari knelt by the door, cradling scraped and bloodied hands in her lap, 
and hoped she would soon hear the sounds of approaching battle. 
--Cathy Mosley

Grym loped along the smooth stoned floor sniffing the air around 
him for guards or prisoners. He had released a few already,but none were
Jarrad. They had no weapons, but followed him as best they could, helping 
their fellow prisoners who had been tortured. 

He stopped at another door and broke it down. Soon Inquisitors
would come, he hoped he found Jarrad soon. 

The man in the cell shielded his eyes and face from the wood 
splinters. Grym towered over him looking intently. "You Jarrad? Grym 
came to rescue Jarrad." The ogre hefted his club hearing the sounds of 
Inquisitors coming several corridors away and waited on a response... 

At the welcome sound of battle in the corridor Cari had stiffly moved 
from where she had knelt by the door, and had waited in the back of 
her cell.

The door crashed in and Cari raised her hands to shield her face 
from the flying wood pieces and from the torch light that shown in a all 
too dark cell.  

"You Jarrad? Grym come to rescue Jarrad." A deep, harsh voice 
said.
--Phaedra Whitlock

She lowered her hands and saw a massive shape in the doorway, and
heard the battle coming closer. She stepped forward so he see that it was 
not Jarrad he freed, as she got closer she could see her rescuer was an 
ogre, and at the moment a very welcome sight. He moved aside so she 
could come out and once she was free of the dampening abilities of the 
cell she thought to him, "Grym. I'm Cari."

Grym growled in disgust and kept going down the corridor. The 
sounds were coming closer. 

The scene that met Cari's eyes was one of contained chaos. Ahead 
of her were other prisoners Grym had released, all jammed in the narrow 
dungeon corridors. 

On the far side of the prisoners she saw Jarrad and "called" out to him. 
She knew he had to get out of there, he had the potential of being a 
leader in the resistance. She sent the knowledge he would need to jaunt.
Just as she gave him the matrix Jarrad' s confusion and rage expanded 
out, shaking her,  but she felt grab hold of the matrix and flee. 

Grym suddenly called out as Inquisitors came from a back corridor. Cari 
turned to help her rescuer, but her last thought to Jarrad was one of 
regret. Regret that she had not had a longer time to call him friend.
--Cathy Mosley

Grym stood against the wave of prisoners surging away from the 
Inquisitors and as the first came into range attacked him with his spiked 
club. In the corridor, three could face him at once.
--Phaedra Whitlock

Cari stayed behind Grym, but she grabbed hold of any susceptable minds of 
the Inquisitors that were coming, pleased that not all were of the elite 
guard. She managed to cause one pup to attack the man in front of him, 
and others to stumble in eachother's way. She knew it wasn't much, but 
she hoped it would buy Grym some advantage.
--Cathy Mosley

Grym went into a berserk frenzy, attacking anything in black 
before him. Nothing was coming past him. The Inquisitors wounded him 
several times as he slowly moved them backwards down the corridor over 
the bodies of their own wounded. He had no time to make certain they were 
dead. Mages appeared behind the Inquisitors and Grym absorbed several 
spells intended for the escaping prisoners.
--Phaedra Whitlock--

It wasn't too hard for Mauq to find his way down into the dungeun.  
He followed everybody else. Hearing the fighting before he he hurried even
faster, nudging past several inquisitors.
--Samson Gonzales

Shan had joined the fight next to Grym.  He was getting used to the idea
of swinging that claw around, and was able to avoid striking Grym.  As soon as
an inquistor seemed to get passed Grym and attack him from the side, Shan would
swing down with the blade, severing arms and armor alike.  

The men inside the armor were struck as well. This, Shan could feel.  It
was as if he was ripping them apart himself.  He could feel what was happening
down the entire length of the blade; it was one of his strands, after all.  The
resistense of the armor.  The cracking of bone.  The snapping of a sword.

He didn't like it at all.  Worst of all was the feeling that he was
harming them in other ways.  It almost felt as if it ripped right through their
souls.

Though he didn't attack with practeced skill, the men still fell in
agony.  (Dead?...)

When the fighting seemed to slacken a bit, and the half-ogre once
again had the upper hand, he turned back down the hall and looked at all of the
prisoners.  

"How are we going to rescue all of these people?"  (And how could I be
so selfish as to just come here to save Sylpie.)
--Sam Gonzales

Mauq saw the arcing blue light and the red aura ahead.  (He is a
L'Arain?  How did he escape the attack that night?)

The blue sword stopped flying through the tunnel before him.  
Inquisitors were beginning to loose their eagerness to fight, and Mauq was
able to make his way forward.

He unsheathed his sword.  But he and it began to glow.  The sword 
screamed loudly as it arced through the air and swipped at the club of the 
monstrosity before him.  
--Sam Gonzales

He stumbled slightly from his wounds as a new Inquisitor stood before 
him. Grym squinted at the red hazed figure and attacked...
--Phaedra Whitlock

Shan heard the new noise behind him.  He turned to see Grim faced with
a new opponent.  This one was using the Way to make his sword vibrate.  An 
interesting idea.

The effect on Grym's club was astounding.  It had sheared though it 
twice, making it no more than a stub.

Mauq was shocked by the creature's strength.  It had killed several 
men in the hall, not a few of them by having their sculls crushed between the 
the thing's club and the wall.

He slashed forward with his vibrating sword and chopped twice at the
giant club the half-orc had been using as both weapon and shield.  

Where a lage club had been now was only a stick.  He stepped forward
and prepared to do the beast in.

He raised his sword to strike.
***
Shan was two far away to attack.  He tried something and prayed it
would work.
***
As Mauq brought down his blade down on Grym he stopped and looked
at the strands that were forming on his chest.  (No, he couldn't..)

His answer was to see Shan flash red, and then he didn't see much of 
anything.
***
Shan didn't know what became of the man, only that he had sent him
hurtling backwards at the oncoming inquisitors.  He did feel a crunch, though,
as the shockwave slammed into the man's chest.

He himself was knocked backwards by the blast.  He landed on the 
splinters of a crushed door in the hall and had one go into his left hand 
between the carples of the pinky and ring fingers.
--Samson Gonzales

As the Inquisitor went backwards into the others with him, Grym 
threw the last of his club at them and leaped on top of the black wave 
falling to the floor.

He landed heavily on the top two, using his massive weight to 
advantage. People kept calling him a half-orc. If he wasn't an understanding 
ogre, and the corridor WAS dim, he'd have been incredibly insulted. He was 
anyway, and took his frustrations out on the nearest Inquisitor. 

Grym grabbed a flailing arm and twisted it until it was loose in his 
hand, and used it to bash at the Inquisitors trying to get up. He headbutted 
the one directly underneath him, Grym had a helmet on so he knew it would hurt 
the Inquisitor more.

Ripping with his claws and pummeling any target he could reach, 
screams echoing through the dungeons, Grym sank once more into a blood 
fury.
--Phaedra Whitlock

Cari had manuvered to stay out Grym and the other warrior's way, and 
concentrated on scrambling the Inquistitors' thoughts - it was easier to 
cause widespread confusion amongst them then try to direct individual 
reactions. In her concentration she wasn't aware of how close the 
fighting had come to her and a guard stumbling into her pushed her back;  
her foot slipping in blood and she fell back into some of the dead.
--Cathy Mosley

 Shan got up and winced at the pain.  He looked at all of the people
standing around the hall.  "Don't just stand there!  There's plenty of swords
and stuff over there."  These people were just farmers and so on.  Being in 
the dungeun didn't do much for their health either.  He realized quickly what
he had to do.
--Samson Gonzales

Seeing that the half-ogre was now weaponless, the inquisitors came in
for the kill.
--Phaedra Whitlock

Cari got to her feet and again began trying to direct the junior 
Inquisitors to attack their comrades.
--Cathy Mosley

Shan walked into the center of the escapees' and shattered the crystal
that Rellira had given him into the floor.  "Comon, everybody get close."
As everyone bunched into a group Shan saw Grym attack the oncoming inqs.  
"GRYM!!"

The white flash overcame the group.  The last thing Shan saw was Grym
keeping the inquisitors at bay. 
--Sam Gonzales--

And Sachiko howling in despair.
--Phaedra Whitlock

Leaving the bodies of Randall and Caitrine unconscious on the floor, 
Semareth bolted down the stairwell to the dungeons. His long strides took 
him four steps at a time, and his breathing was loud and regular as he 
approached the sounds of combat below. He could see a pile of dead 
soldiers at the bottom of the steps. Realising his bastard sword would be 
useless in the enclosed corridors, he picked up a longsword from a 
fallen Inquisitor. He bounded down the last steps, and dodged just in 
time as Mauq landed in a heap against the wall beside him.

He whirled, his cloak fluttering behind him.
Before him stood an ogre, bloodied and furious, his giant frame 
blocking the corridor like a wall of muscle. A flash of blue light backlit 
the behemoth before him for an instant, and their eyes met. Both roared 
in visceral fury.

Sachiko stood several yards behind Grym, crying in fear for her mate. 
Something wasn't quite _right_ about his new opponent, but she could do 
nothing to help. She pressed herself against a wall and sobbed, while Grym 
launched himself at the High Inquisitor, swinging his morbid weapon before 
him.

Semareth dodged the human limb which swished through the air beside his 
head, hitting the wall and splattering blood and flesh everywhere. The 
longsword felt clumsy and unfamiliar in his hand, but he swung it 
visciously at the ogre's outstretched arm. It smashed into the piecemail 
sleeve, shattering metal, but somehow failed to penetrate further. He 
brought the sword back in front of him, his forearm aching from the impact 
of metal on metal. (Aching? the sensation nagged at him, but he pushed it 
out of his mind.)

Grym growled, and swung his body around, pushing off the wall to launch 
himself into Semareth. He brought his borrowed limb in front, swiping 
away the High Inquisitor's sword as he smashed into him.

The air rushed out of Semareth's lungs as he was squashed against the 
stone wall by the ogre's huge body. He felt something snap in his chest, 
and a stabbing pain soared through his lungs. The ogre stumbled back 
against the far wall, grunting as he regained his breath. Semareth 
doubled over, clutching his midriff, and groaning in agony. His sword 
dropped to the ground, a piece of twisted metal.

#Sh'al?!?# he screamed silently. Nothing replied but the ringing in his 
ears, and a rising feeling in his belly.

He felt a massive fist slam into his back like a mace head, and he 
gritted his teeth as he collapsed on the ground. His body seemed to be 
shot through with excrutiating pain as his ribs landed on the stone 
floor. He groaned again, and brought himself up onto his hands and knees. 
Through blurred and swimming vision, he saw the ogre step forward, it's 
massive bulk blocking out the torch light.

Grym snarled, and paused, the human limb no longer in his hand. He heard 
Sachiko wailing behind him.

Semareth pulled himself onto his knees, and removed his gloves. Both 
hands were already drenched with blood, glistening in the torchlight. He 
breathed in tentatively, tendrils of pain encasing his body.

Then with an unearthly roar, he summoned up the last of his strength and 
threw himself at the unprotected throat of the ogre, hands outstretched. 
Grym stepped back in surprise, never had he seen a human resist death so 
strongly.

Semareth's hands gripped the bare flesh of Grym's throat, and he felt a 
sudden surge of ... life... jolt into his left arm. Through blood filled 
eyes, he stared at his left hand, and remembered Proctor John's unholy 
'present'. He felt warmth and power flow through his body, surging 
through every muscle, every artery. His ribs ceased to ache, and he threw 
his head back as Grym's life force drained into him till it seemed he 
would burst.

He felt himself being thrown into a wall as Grym fought to shake him off, 
felt his arm bend and snap, but he felt distant to it, numb.

The thrashing slowed, and his opponent slumped to the floor.

He opened his eyes. Grym's shriveled body lay in a steaming heap on the 
floor beside him, brown and withered. The ogre's face seemed almost 
mummified, mouth split open in what looked like an obscene parody of a 
smile. Semareth felt the stolen life force begin to leave his 
body. He examined himself. Several ribs were broken and his left arm hung 
limply at his side, bent shockingly half way up his forearm. Grimacing, he 
stood slowly, expecting the movement to set off all the pain-receptors in 
his body. It did not.

An inquisitor lay wailing on the ground a few yards away. Tears streamed 
from his face. Semareth guessed he had been blinded by a spell, he should 
be fine soon.

"You," he said, kicking a piece of rubble at the man, "Find the 
deaconess, and be quick about it!". He leaned against a wall, and 
breathed in slowly. Sh'al had chosen a poor time to test him...

Sachiko rose slowly, barely maintaining her grip on the Inquisitor form. 
Fighting back tears, she stumbled up the stairs. Nodding to the High 
Inquisitor as she passed. She would avenge Grym's death another time. 
Semareth would pay.
--Nick Takayama

Bonedancer had merely a moments warning before the web engulfed 
him.  Thai's anger provided enough energy to the spell that Bonedancer 
was completely encased within the web, scarely able to move.  The only 
areas not enmeshed in the web were his bracers, which dissolved the web 
on contact.  Unfortunately for him, his restricted ability to move kept 
him from freeing himself.  "Now I remember why I don't usually get 
involved in this sort of thing,"  He spoke out loud to the world at 
large, "I wish just once that rescuing someone could be easy.  Just once."

>From around a corner Bonedancer sees a flash of bright white 
light, and the continuing sounds of battle.  "Hmmm, nobody screamed, so I 
suppose that means that the flash was an escape attempt of some sort."  
Bonedancer shook his arms in a half hearted attempt at doing something, 
as, through the webbing he watched Dryctor face off against the 
overwhelming odds.
--Jeremy Farnham

Dryctor Spots BoneDancer in the web and fires off a quick Dispel Magic 
to free him.

"BD I could use a bit of help here if you feel up to it." He then ducks 
to avoid a blow from the ogres club and takes a swing back with his 
sword. But he only manages to nick the ogres arm making it mader "Bad move 
Dryctor. He was bad enough before. <sigh>"
--Barron C Featherston

Thai stormed out of Jarrad's cell and immediately saw bones
enmeshed in silken strands. "So it's you again."

Thai smiled slowly in a way that Bonedancer didn't much like.

"They say dead men tell no tales, but if I were you I'd start
telling me everything I want to hear. I suggest you make it quick as I
see the elf is looking this way, not that that will help you in any way,
or him for that matter."

Thai glanced at Dryctor and the torch nearest the mage exploded
in blinding fury.

"You were saying..."
--Phaedra Whitlock

Bonedancer jerked slightly in puzzlement at Thai's request.  "Okay, 
what is it that you want to hear?  I've been told that I have a wonderful 
singing voice, I suppose I could seranade you for a while.  Though I must 
admit that even my best efforts would be inadequate to your beauty.
--Jeremy Farnham

The flames washed over Dryctor with no effect (I'm glad I cast that Fire
Prot!) but the ogre was not so lucky. the flames set it's fur (hair?) and
clothing on fire causing it to stumble back and giving Dryctor just the
opening he needed to end it's breathing. With the 4 guards held and the
webs even now disolving from the dispel magic, Dryctor turned toword the
female mage. "I thank thee for thy help with the ogre" Dryctor said with
a heavy touch of irony and sarcasim in his voice. "I don't suppose you
would be willing to let Bonedancer and me leave now and save yourself some
grief and pain?"
--Barron Featherston

Thai stepped back and raised her sword.

"You're the one at the Cleansing, the one who saved the girl
child from the burning building. You're also the one who was casting at
me up above. First your name and school, 
--Phaedra Whitlock

Dryctor Bows with a flourish "Dryctor Ben Rei at your service 
milady, As to the 'School' I was trained by the best Mages in the Taejak 
Valley, A Long LONG way from here." 
--Barron Featherston

...then would you care to fight a private duel over him?"

Thai nodded at Bonedancer, just in time for the stone of the
floor to wrap up around his leg bones and hold him prisoner.

"I know just the place..."
--Phaedra Whitlock

As the web dissolved away from him, Bonedancer pulled himself free 
and prepared to run.  His escape attempt was cut short however, by the very 
stones themselves rising up to entrap his feet.  Staring down, he made a 
small sound of disbelief before turning his head to glance at Thai.  
Crouching down he pressed a bracer against the stone, to no effect.  Heaving 
a sigh of disgust he drew his dagger and began to chip away at the stone.
--Jeremy Farnham

Dryctor edges closer to BD "As for the Duel. I would really rather not. I
think BD and I will be leaving now" With that Dryctor Calls on Corellon
Larethian and points at Thai, Suddenly a bright light flares in Thai's
face as Dryctor's Light Spell manifests. With Thai thus blinded Dryctor
Quickly moves to BD and slices him free. He then cast a Teleport spell
aiming for the room he has rented at the Dragon's Inn. Dryctor and BD
disapear in a flash just as the Hold wears off the guards.
--Barron Featherston

Sachiko quickly left the High Inquisitor's 
presence to look for the Deaconess. The black robed woman 
was surrounded by four Inquisitors and two of her grey robed 
acolytes when Sachiko found her. 

Thai's face was obscured by a blinding white 
light, but even as Sachiko watched the light went out, as did 
the lives of two of the prisoners who hadn't made the jump in 
time. Thai had killed three other prisoners in the course of 
the battle to replenish her spell energy. A few more meant 
little to her. 

Thai gave orders for the Inquisitors to return 
the other prisoners to their cells and turned back to find 
another Inquisitor had come up behind her with a message.

Semareth had asked for her? Thai delegated her 
acolytes to bind the wounds of the injured Inquisitors and 
followed Sachiko to the High Inquisitor.

The first thing she noticed was the number of 
dead bodies. There had been a massacre here.Normally not 
squeamish, Thai avoided as much of the blood and gore as 
she could.

The Inquisitor she had slapped above was there 
lying on a pile of bodies, some moving some not.

Semareth was his normal height and looked to 
be in pain. His arm was at an odd angle and he was bruised 
and bloodied everywhere. It couldn't all be his blood, or he 
wouldn't be standing. Not without Shal'jien. What had 
happened to his hand? It was black and shiny, with a 
strong necromantic aura.

"Semareth?"
--Phaedra Whitlock

Scowling, Semareth looked down at Thai. His arm throbbed unmercifully, 
and he noticed that he had not covered his new hand. He covered it with 
his cloak self-consciously, despite the pain caused by the sudden 
movement.

"Nothing." he said, his voice hoarse. "I'll have a herbalist look at it." 
He did not say whether he was referring to his hand or the injuries he 
had sustained... to him they were one and the same.
Realising he had called for her, he spoke again. 

"Have you a report on our losses?" was all he could think of.
--Nick Takayama

"Jarrad escaped. That skeleton creature returned, 
along with a mage named Dryctor. Some of the other 
prisoners were freed... Do you know if they got Smith?"
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth shook his head. Smith was still secure. The intruders had not 
discovered the entrance to that part of the dungeon. If they had, any 
attempt to free Smith would have resulted in an explosion which would 
have collapsed the entire section.
--Nick Takayama

"Proctor John isn't going to like this. I can 
repair the tower before he returns and destroy most of the 
evidence of the fighting, but this is the third time security has 
been breached."

"We also lost a lot of Inquisitors, and these new 
ones can only be replaced by him. He won't enjoy asking the 
Redeemer for more of them."
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth frowned. This was true. However, he had an alternative which 
would suit him all the better.

"Don't concern yourself with the Inquisitors, Deaconess," he deliberately 
pronounced her title. He bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement, and 
hid the cringe of pain which threatened to reveal itself. "I will deal 
with it.".

Then, summoning a messenger, he strode back to his rooms. He had things 
to think about.
--Nick Takayama