Events+of+Hammer+11+1374+DR

The party bedded down in the Elmanessee Village after their foray into Myth Rhynn. The elves had set up a tent on the forest floor for their stay and left simple fare. A team of guards kept vigil while they slept.

The next morning, a messenger invited them to a roundtable with the council. They were notably cold-shouldered, but it was gathered that Elecath had left after years of obsession over Alaerquil, the courtblade they sought.

Kethiel had his mind open to the possibilty of raising and redeeming Elecath, and the elves were intrigued at the prospect. A visit to Elecath's quarters revealed he kept a detailed journal, which chronicled his fall from grace as he listened to manifestations of what he believed to be the triune goddess. By noon, however, it was clear there was little that could help them in battle in the Village.

In Myth Rhynn they were greeted by the same cloud of slavering ghosts that had followed them before. Locate Object (on the blade) led them underground, to what was likely the vampire's lair. As it became clear this would be the hall where they would face Elecath, the party rested, preparing themselves for battle. Stairs descended into a long, grand lobby. Lia and Variska swooped in on arcane wings to investigate, but two slaughter wights revealed themselves from the shadows as they did so. One sounded a trumpet, raising the alarm for whoever was listening. Swift and unbrightened by magic items (which would have lit up the sight of Lia and Kethiel), they struck without warning and left Dacker Reeling on his perch at the foot of the stairs.

As the party reacted, Marcus moved to the fore and Vytorrin and Dacker let steel fly. The wights were notably tough and Variska's Defenestrating Sphere proved the most effective weapon against them. Through a combination of steel and magic, the wights were defeated uneventfully, but not before Dacker and Marcus had been drained of some of their life force. Marcus had magic on hand to remedy this condition in Dacker, however.

Kethiel returned, notably absent from the battle. He informed the company the cloud of ghosts wouldn't be a problem any longer.

They proceeded cautiously to the location of the 'ping' that indicated where the sword, and like the vampire, was. An underground avenue of military tombs awaited, but it was the first on the left that called out as their target. It read as warded; Lia dispelled the ward. Everyone was at the edge of a knife as Marcus pushed the stone wall aside so that everyone could storm inside at once. Lia, Variska, and Kethiel hovered on wings of magic over the party.

A bolt of flame trailed along the feet of the shadowed figure, whose eyes were as dim as night. He rushed toward lia, sword afire, and made a devastating swing. No introductions, no pleasantries. And swift as the wind. Lia was left reeling and close to unconsciousness. Just as soon as Elecath had shown himself, he vanished again into a mote of shadow that darted back into the nightdark tomb.

Variska threw a sunrod into the chamber, Kethiel squinted wih arcane eyes, and Dacker edged inside, seeking his quarry. Lia took the moment to back away, where Marcus administered a quick healing charm that restored her to health. Silence. And waiting. Lia revealed that she'd been summoning a Shadow Mastiff in the meantime, which darted into the tomb, seeking the vampire by scent.

The pause ended with Elecath leaping handily over one of the statues in the tomb, and darting into the midst of the party. He stood calmly between Marcus, Dacker and Kethiel, without atacking. His withered eyebrow cocked, beckoning combat.

Marcus backed away to cast a spell, but Elecath edged next to him and swung, defensive casting moot...as his sword hit home, his feet began a throw that would send him flying into Vytorrin and Kethiel, leaving them all bruised, damaged, and incredulous at his martial prowess. By some miracle, Marcus still managed to cast his spell as he flew into his comrades, letting a ray of light shoot wide past Elecath--a dissapointing miss.

Dacker readied his flail and made to put an end to this combat, by laying Elecath low by depriving him of his sword. Dacker's trademark unluckiness hit home again, and it was Elecath that disarmed dacker. Lia's shadow mastiff bit slaveringly into the dead flesh and pulled Elecath to the ground. A small, unlikely victory.

Elecath darted away again, having lost the initiative to the party. Kethiel blasted away with his staff, but the vampire proved lucky at each blast and easily avoided death. Variska let fly a dispel, and in another surge of luck, Elecath's sword's magic was suppressed. His strikes had trouble finding purchase without the aid of the sword.

Still, Elecath had fight in him, and he pushed Dacker aside as he attempted to charge, beckoning more onslaught and consolidating what strength he had left. Dacker limped away, and elecath mirrored his retreat; When Kethiel let the staff go again, Dacker fell victim to the blinding effect. Lia summoned a Dire wolf that held him at bay, and sound lances from Kethiel and Variska hit home, eroding his strength. In a final, desperate bid to escape and regroup, Elecath slipped from dacker, then Marcus, then Kethiel, Striking each, and attempted to slip past lia into the corridor. Lia stood firm, ancestral staff in hand, and his escape was deflected.

A quick ray from Rena, and it was over. Well, almost. Like any good horror movie, he slipped out of gas form and made a menacing look...and ate lead from the party in a wave that knocked him to gas, again.