Ayrus looks up into the mountain, his eyes drawn by the rumbling coming from the peaks. He quickly yells out and soon everyone's eyes are staring at the strange sight. As if the display of dark clouds with crackling lighting was not odd enough, a huge volume of water came roaring down from the mountains; the only path down being the narrow valley the heroes now stood in. The white froth leading the onslaught and the sound were nearly deafening. Ptellac looked up and yelled, "Flash flood! Grab onto something or it will sweep you down. Help me with Koreth, he still hasn't come about." The pterran continued gesturing towards the oncoming water from the peaks above as he struggled with the noble warrior; his voice was lost in the thunderous clamor.

The canyon side walls which the companions meandered through were close to vertical and the front was blocked entirely off by the stony face sloping upwards. The hard rock showed a few small crevices barely enough to fit a man. There was, however, a small ledge on the right hand wall which would fit about 3 or 4 people. It didn't look very stable and the recent earthquakes have taken a toll on it since part of it looked like it has crumbled away recently. This ledge was about 50 feet up and about 200 feet farther back from the spot from where the heroes were standing.

Mendi looks at the water running along the slope in horror, then his face is once again blank while he concentrates, gathering his will to mold the space and reality to create an escape route. The elf sights the only ledge around that will support more than one person. In the mindscape, a swirling rectangle appears in front of Mendi. Mental energy cracks, nearly engulfing the elf's mental image.

A shimmering rectangle appears in front of the elf. Mendi breathes a sigh of relief and he gestures the others to follow him, yelling: "Run, run for your lives and cross the door!"

Ptellac is the first one to react. The pterran is not sure what is going on but anything would be better than standing around and waiting to be crushed by the rushing waters. He sees Mendi gesturing wildly but does not hear him above the clamor of the wave. The saurian shoulders Koreth once again and quickly steps through the portal. He is shocked to find himself high above the canyon, standing on a precarious ledge. The pterran stops all of the sudden just in time to save himself from falling towards the canyon again. His three-toed feet knock down a few pebbles from the stone ledge as he regains his footing.

Mendi waits for the first two to pass through and then follows them on the ledge. The elf had no problems with keeping his balance since he was aware of where he going. He yells back to his companions and frowns as he surveys the small ledge that would not fit all of them. The elf quickly scans the walls trying to fathom a way to hang on a leave more room for his new found friends.

Quickly turning a circle and scanning the valley walls, Elric shouts "Gaigin get out your rope and throw me an end. Quickly everyone!" Elric drops to one knee, the fingers of his right hand lightly touching the ground. Drawing power from the shrub grass in the area, Elric stands prepared for his last ditch effort to avoid the wall of water. Shouting in defiance of the storm, Elric's arcane words echo through the valley, "Anoch ai akrammachamari".

Catching Gaigin's thrown rope Elric makes full use of the magical strength in his legs and leaps to one of the outcropping he had spotted earlier. Small rocks and gravel spray across the ledge as Elric lands. The niche he has found is about 20 feet of the ground; it is no more than a 2 foot deep, V-notch into the hard rock. The warlock fits himself in as best he can and wraps the ends of his cloak about his hands then grasps the rope with all of his strength and will. "Hold the rope...I won't let you get away. A fine catch you shall be indeed."

Gaigin was still tying his end of the rope around his waist and moves towards the rest of his companions. Everyone seemed set except for Tak, Ayrus, and Chit. "Kank's sour offal!", he screamed. There was this dammed kreen that was still up and about. It was time to get away but a battle was being fought. The crazed mantis warrior was about to finish off Chit who had been felled under the onslaught of sharp claws. Gaigin grabbed the rope and ran over to his friends.

The wall of water was an astonishing sight. Even the northlands did not contain such spectacles, so much water! Just as Aryus cheered at the success of his spell, his sense of the air about him told him of impending doom -- the wall of water. Quickly Aryus looks around seeing his companions struggling about for a quick solution, something that might save them. Aryus looks down over the ledge to the deep chasm below. "Oh how wonderful it would be to fly once again, to have the wind in my face, to have the mountain air in my lungs, to be one with the great breezes of Athas before my death."

The canyon floor was abuzz with activity, Elric and Mendi had franticly called upon their various talents as the flashflood approached. But they were concerned with the future, Tak’ was concerned with the present, and the life of his hunting-partner.

The ‘kreen which had felled Chit-Zik lunged towards the fallen hero, its single mandible obviously twitching furiously, obviously intent on starting a grisly meal. With a scream unmatched in savagery, Tak’ reached into his Will to construct a harbringer to end this threat once and for all.

In the mindscape, a Tyr storm, complete with crackling lightning, skull-sized pounding hailstones and hurricane winds gathered around Tak’, gathering strength and size. Here the kreen was a much less savage beast, its eyes and fidgeting betraying its growing terror.

The storm rolled forward, steadily and unstoppable, the fury of nature extending as far as the eye could see. The ‘kreen fled, trying to put distance between itself and the storm in a place where distance was a foreign concept. The edges of the storm passed over the running insectman, and the winds picked its chitin-covered body into the air, the claws of the hapless ‘kreen flailing wildly. Hailstones rained down, battering and denting the insectman's armor, and lightning tore holes, shocking the ‘kreen to the core.

Back in the canyon, the ‘kreen stops in midstride, and it starts twitching, its limbs waving pulsing with some foreign force. Suddenly there is a crackling sound, and the insectman convulsed, its arms and legs thrown back in unnatural position. The ‘kreen falls to the ground moving no more, its physical and mental bodies torn asunder.

Tak’ runs to Chit-Zik, his body unconscious, struggling futilely to pull the heavy druid towards the glowing portal. Desperation, a tone not usually heard from the calm halfling is heard as he calls to all within earshot, "Help me! Chit-Zik cannot hope to survive if the waters reach him!"

Realizing his task is futile, Tak’ still tries to drag the huge insectman, a burden more than ten times his own. As inevitability approaches, Tak’ offers a small prayer to Gaea, asking that his friend be given all the bounty that is due to him.

Seeing the dimension door is still open and that Koreth has been taken through by Ptellac, Ayrus looks towards the halfling hunter who is having a hard time dragging Chit towards the door. He starts going to try and help out when he is pushed aside by Gaigin. The warrior screams something incoherent and pushes Ayrus towards the portal.

Mendi looks at the water tumbling down the slope with visible fear. "That was close... so much water wasted..." The elf starts grabbing at the wall while Tak and Ptellac grab Ayrus by his cerulean cloak lest he falls backwards again into the rushing waters. The balance is held for a few seconds just as the giant wave passes by.

Meanwhile, the warlock hangs in the stone crevice as he sees the giant wave of water rush towards him. Gaigin wraps his arms and legs around the unconscious kreen; he then rolls on the canyon floor so the rope wraps around them both a couple of times. The first wave is upon them and Gaigin's scream is lost in the rushing waters. Elric also goes under the wave as the 30 foot high wall of water sweeps over him. The rope slack is quickly eaten up and the warlock feels a strong tug at the other end. Elric screams in pain, his instincts telling him to let go of the rope or his arms would be ripped out of their sockets. Just when the warlock's stamina was almost spent, the rope loosened a bit. The first giant wave receded and he was able to draw another breath again.

Dangling at the end of the rope were a very wet warrior and a still unconscious kreen. Gaigin held onto for life and inadvertently grabbed onto the druid. He lost his grip as the first wave hit but, sure enough, the rope had entangled him and kept him from tumbling down the canyon towards certain death. After the first rush went by, it had become much easier and the warrior had almost enjoyed the experience.

THE WATERS RUSH BY

The water left the valley just as quickly as it had appeared. The only telltale sign of the flash flood were the wet rocks and sediment the water left behind. There was no doubt that life would spring forth from the former barren rock now covered with wet earth.

Elric unwedged himself from the crevice with more than a few groans. The warlock jumped down onto the valley floor and tried moving both his shoulders. Pain shot up his left shoulder joint that made his face cringe. Elric would need some healing if he was to use his left arm anytime soon. (DM note: unless magical healing is used, Elric cannot fight with his left arm for three days.)

Mendi had materialized the dimension door once again and the heroes quickly stepped through. Ayrus went towards Chit-Zik who weakly twitched his antenna. The windmage raised his palms into the air and breathed in the wet earth smell brought to him by the wind; his healing spell mended cracked chitin and stopped the black ichor oozing from the kreen's now shinning clean body. Chit-Zik once again opens his bulbous eyes in wonder. Ptellac is surprised as his burden stirs and weakly struggles to regain his footing. Koreth would have slumped down again if not for the pterran's shoulder under him but the warrior recovered his senses once again. His body was slowly but surely fighting away the kreen's poison; it was a painful process but the noble warrior smiled as his strength and mobility slowly returned to his limbs.

Your actions…

OUT OF CHARACTER

HEALTH STATUS

Remember the scale:

Healthy (H) 100% hitpoints remaining

Slightly Wounded (SiW) 75% to 100% hitpoints remaining

Wounded (W) 50% to 75% hitpoints remaining

Seriously Wounded (SeW) 25% to 50% hitpoints remaining

Mortally Wounded (MW) 0% to 25% hitpoints remaining

Ptellac (SiW)

Koreth (W)

weak and sluggish for about 1 more hour, slowly recuperating movement

Elric (SiW)

left arm out of action

Ayrus (H)

Gaigin (SiW)

Mendi (H)

Chit (MW)

very weak, can barely walk slowly, no spells, needs 24 hour rest before any magic healing works

Tak (W)

Congratulation all! I didn't think all of you were going to make it. We are back together and all are allowed to roleplay again. I want some good roleplaying here but bear in mind your current health status.

Please roleplay your current situation. This will be your last night in the mountains and tomorrow morning (next turn) you will step onto the Forest Ridge (courtesy of Tak, I will explain later). I would like you guys to roleplay some other situation between that time and now (maybe late at night at camp or early morning, someone choose please).

WEAPONS AND ITEMS

Koreth does not have his spear nor his shield with him. As you backtrack to find another way through the mountains, Koreth finds his spear but the shield is nowhere to be found.

Chit will find his gyhtka later on like Koreth but will have lost two chatkas (only 2 left).

Gaigin has lost his blanket and two waterskins (only 2 left)

Questions, comments, and suggestions please.

L8r,

Fabian