Uktar 4, 1372 DR (12:00 AM) Deep Wastes: Szith Morcane to Lake of Shadows

An hour into the watch, a column of flame descends in the midst of the sleepers, scorching Igor severely. Tebryn, also caught in the column, resists the magic, while Brianna instinctively dodges, and also avoids all injury. Three crossbow bolts whiz towards her and one strikes her arm. "Oh!" she gasps.

Veracity wheels around and comes to stand next to her partner, drawing her weapons as she comes. She peers into the darkness and can see a dozen zombies approaching. Staying far back are three drow in studded leather armor, pointing hand crossbows in her direction, and a drow priestess in full plate.

One of the rangers fires his crossbow at Veracity. The bolt flies wild. Hazen, awakened by the heat and sound of the magic, stands, and moves up the passage, drawing his weapons, until he stands next to Tebryn. The drow cleric mutters and gestures, seemingly casting a spell, but with no visible effect. One of the zombies slowly approaches the prone Igor. The second ranger attempts to shoot his hand crossbow, but drops it instead and curses. Brianna starts to sing an inspiring song. She draws her rapier and moves to stand right behind Veracity. Kress, also awakened by the blast, stands up, and moves up next to Hazen, drawing his battle axe as he moves. A second zombie slowly approaches Veracity. Igor stands up and draws his greatsword.

Yol stands up. Quickly assessing the situation, she deftly plucks a small piece of guano from her spell component pouch and hurls it at the clump of enemies while muttering an arcane phrase. A ball of fire blossoms in the midst of the foes. All three of the rangers are somewhat scorched, but the cleric resists all damage. The clump of zombies is much less resistant: eight fall to the ground in flames, leaving only two of those who had not yet approached still standing.

Tebryn stands up. He raises his eyebrows and nods his approval. "Nice, Yol! My turn." He too plucks a ball of guano from his pouch and hurls it, while muttering the same arcane phrase. The two remaining zombies fall, charred, as do two of the rangers. The third ranger stands, reeling, and even the cleric is unhappy.

Veracity steps up to the zombie near her and slays it with a single blow of her sword.

The cleric and the ranger turn and run, as well as they can on the treacherous ground. The zombie next to Igor slams its fists at him, but misses wildly. Brianna continues to sing. Kress peers into the darkness. "I can't see nothing! Where are those guys?" Igor slashes his zombie, felling it. Yol mutters and three bolts of force fly from her hand, striking the retreating ranger. They fizzle harmlessly, and she scowls. Tebryn moves forward thirty feet until the retreating foes are within sight. He tosses some silver pins to the ground, which disappear as he mutters. A bolt of lightning strikes the cleric, felling her, and arcs to her ranger companion, felling him. "That's it!" says Tebryn.

"I was going to cast one of those chain thingies, Tebryn," says Hazen. "but I didn't want to take away your thunder!" He chuckles. Tebryn snorts.

"Let's loot the bodies," suggests Veracity.

"Let's cure, first," says Brianna. "You were not injured today, but you still have some of yesterday's wounds." She sings, and touches her companion, curing her of all injury. After casting her spell, Brianna gasps and slumps to the ground.

"Brianna!" Veracity kneels next to her companion and finds that she is simply unconscious. "Yol! Come here!"

Yol examines Brianna. "Was she hit with a drow weapon? This is just drow poison. I'll fix her." Yol incants and neutralizes the sleep poison. Brianna sits up groggily. "Thanks," she says to Yol.

Veracity lets out her breath and hugs her friend, while Yol goes to Igor and cures him of all his damage, using several spells.

"That will teach them to wake us up so rudely! Now, let's see what they brought us," says Igor.

Ignoring the dead zombies, the party searches the four dead drow and strips them of their valuables. All three rangers are equipped similarly, with magical studded leather, scimitars, and cloaks, as well as masterwork short swords and hand crossbows. The cleric has nice-looking full plate armor and also has a magical great axe and hand crossbow. She is wearing, as expected, the holy symbol of Kiaransalee.

"Well, all the fewer to stand against us in Maerimydra, I guess," comments Veracity. She and Brianna resume their watch, and the rest of the evening passes without incident.