The Queen cackled her delight as the young elf stumbles about barely able to lift his sword. The huge scrab clips her large claws as she closes in with the mortally wounded elf. Young Lirón spits forth blood in an incoherent cry as he rushes in to meet his death. The scrab Queen deflects the sword snapping it from the warrior's hand and brings her second claw-like appendage underneath the elf's neck. With incredible strength, the scrab slowly lifts the elf of the ground. The elven boy tries in vain to pry open the claw from his neck as his legs slowly leave the ground to kick wildly in the air. The queen screeches her delight as she closes the claw snapping the elf's head at the neck with a sickening crunch. Liron's body and head fall obscenely apart from each other as the maddened queen screams in hoarse elven, "Kill them all…."

Koreth grinned at the weakness of his foe, the scrab would soon fall to his blade! He was almost too lost in his own bloodlust to notice that the queen was searching for a new opponent. Grumbling curses under his breath, he kept a wary eye on her bloated form. <I'll return you to the dung heap from which you came,> the noble warrior thought as he tried to maneuver himself so as not to expose his back to the marauding queen <then I'll kill that bloated kank queen of yours!> He feinted a thrust. As he withdrew his blade, Koreth was quick to notice just how slow the scrab had become. With a smile more fitting on a madman, he stepped towards the scrab and lashed out with his bone blade.

The blade slid easily between two chitin plates on the scrab's side, starting a slow flow of ichor. Koreth withdrew his blade, quickly checking the queen. <I'll get to you soon enough,> he thought, before returning his attention back to the scrab warrior. Koreth fills his lungs with a deep, calming breath. The scrab warrior was a tough foe, determined to claim the noble warrior's life even while its own was dripping onto the chamber floor. He sneered at the scrab, the light in its eyes understanding the animalistic gesture. Koreth brought his blade above his shoulder, gripping it tightly with both hands. The blade flashed in the strange light of Rayne's worm as it arced downward.

The bone blade struck the scrab in the shoulder with a loud crack. Chitin split and broke under the force of the blow, as the noble warrior's blade bit deep into the scrab. It screeched pitifully, sagging slowly towards the floor. Koreth could almost take pity in the creature's suffering, if it had not been out to devour him. The insectman slumped to the floor and moved no more, its long carapace laying flat against the rocky ground; cracked and broken in too many places

Blood seeping from her open wounds, and Liron's bone-crunching death still lingering in her ears, Rayne lashes out at the scrab with a ferocity meant to end this battle. Her opponent - more covered in its own ichor than she in her own blood - was no longer much of a threat as he weakened steadily faster than the strong mul. Striking out quickly, her razor blades flash in the glow of the worm, as they slice smoothly through a previous wound causing an ear piercing scream from the scrab.

The pain knocks the beast off its feet and Rayne silently strikes the final blow to end its suffering. The obsidian razors sink deep into the unprotected neck of the insectoid, The mul withdraws the forked weapon dripping in ichor ready to strike again but the scrab twitches a couple of times and lays silently still.

Rage filled Gaigin's hard gray eyes as he stood, muscles straining, gazing into the viciously thrashing mandibles that strained ever nearer the warrior's exposed throat. This scrab was no push over, and its deadly claws, still dripping hot blood, strained against Gaigin's bulk. In these close quarters, Gaigin's long, heavy spear was far more hindrance to help, and with his arms held, there seemed little the warrior could do. Yet this scrab had not reckoned with one who had fought for his life in the slave pits of far off Raam. Gaigin knew how to fight vicious and dirty when he had to. The warrior grinned evilly beneath the swirling colors of his mask as he made his desperate move. With all his strength, Gaigin coiled himself, ignoring the sharp pain of his wounds, gritting his teeth and biding his time. Then the big fighter let his guard drop an instant, long-spear drooping to the side. The scrab, seeing his opportunity, darted in with its deadly mandibles, ready to tear Gaigin's vulnerable throat and end his life forever. Then Gaigin struck. Throwing all his weight and strength behind him, Gaigin slammed his hard-wood masked head strait into the scrabs lowered face, seeking to drive the creature back, and force him to lose his grip.

The sturdy fighter's armored head crashed into the scrab's jaws, cracking mandible and chitin and sending a spray of gore into the air. Thick ochre blood and deadly, foul saliva joined the wild paintings of Gaigin's mask as the scrab reeled back, releasing its grip on the warrior and shrieking in inhuman pain. The beast backpedaled but its claw automatically closed on the arm sending jolts of pain into the warrior's mind; its second claw slashed away but came up empty as the ex-caravan guard is released from the insect's embrace. Free of the beast's deadly grip, Gaigin dropped his useless spear and whipped his warclub free of his belt, holding it ready for the next pass.

Elric curses through the pain of his burns. "Should have known to strike more quickly. You will not be so lucky this time bug!" Leaping forward to engage the scrab, Elric sends his bone blade in a fast hard thrust toward the gash opened previously. Even if the scrab blocked the obvious attack, the warlock’s goal would still be gained. The scrab’s spell would be broken.

The bone blade impacts against the scrab’s mid section, inches above the gash. The scrab’s backward motion pulls the force from the blow and it harmlessly strikes the hardened chitin. With a devious smile that glowed hauntingly in the dim cavern, Elric slices across then down with the mighty Tempest. A soft blue-white glow trails the arcing blade. The arc places the razor sharp metal sword close to the scrab’s body with a downward momentum. Perfect for dismembering the small appendages the scrabs called arms.

But the warrior's timing is way off and the scrab steps nimbly to the side. The scrab slashes both its claws at its wounded opponent; the warlock is weak from the blood loss and is stumbling about without much coordination. The insectman strikes with its claws and one of them slashes very close to the half-elf's main artery drawing another painful gasp from the warlock who is now having serious doubts as to his fighting prowess

The wind mage sees the queen lumbering about and draws his bow upon her as she turns her full attention on him. "Swish… clack; swish…. thud"; the first arrow is deflected and the second arrow sinks deep into the bloated body of the matriarch.

The queen's eyes flare an angry tone as she looses herself into the mindscape.

MINDSCAPE

Ayrus is alone on a vast featureless plane when terrible, horrible shrieks bring him about. The insect queen has decided to project her full image on the half-elf. She saunters over to him and strikes with a deadly fury seen twice by few. She brings her tremendous claw underneath the air cleric's defenses and lifts him up catching his waist in her huge appendage. Ayrus´ body dangles freely while the queen starts to close her claw about his midsection sloqly squeezing all the air out of him; the air cleric screams pitifully as his body starts to bleed and turn blue-black around his waist in the real world.

A surge of adrenaline rushed through Tak's body. He had bested the scrab mindbender - something even Wek'Lo'Raq would have been proud of. Running forward, his short spear pointed at the mindbender, the feral halfling lined up his conquered psionic opponent, wanting to skewer the insect where it stood.

The distance between the charging halfling and the motionless scrab closed quickly, Tak' letting out an alien war-cry as the insectmen tried in vain to respond with its physical body. Aiming at the dead center of the insectman's carapace, where two chitin plates joined, Tak' tensed his muscles, and involuntarily blinked just as the jolt of impact occurred.

Holding his spear tightly in both hands screaming an honorific to his ancestors, Tak' let his momentum drive his sharply pointed spear deep into the scrab. Not even able to writhe or convulse, the scrab could only silently bleed and die as Tak' viciously twisted his weapon shredding internal organs and ending the terminal agony of his opponent.

Standing above the fallen scrab, Tak' pulled out two daggers, his life dagger glowing eerily in the dark enclosure of the royal chamber. The victorious halfling turned to the massive bulk of the queen, the fire of hatred and purpose flashing in his eyes. In his native tongue, loud and clear, even over the clamor of battle Tak' shouted "as the 23rd son of Gre'Nak the entire clan of 'Raq stands against you!"

Cursing his helplessness, Mendi saw in despair that Migdalia was also in a desperate situation. The elf had been subconsciously scanning the mindscape, so he noticed abruptly that the scrab mindbender that held her was defenseless.

Using his last psionic strength, gathering the last drops of his Will, Mendi projected a mental fist toward the scrab. The hand tried to grab the mental figure of the scrab...Despite his best efforts, Mendi couldn't gather enough strength to launch his power... The fist vanished in the nothingness, and Mendi couldn't stop a cry of anguish... this was too stupid, so many death because the fight had been badly prepared...

Mindscape –

As the tagsters continued to circle, a smaller more defined tagster appeared at their center. The small tagster, little more than a cub, watched with intent interest as Mendi’s harbringer streaks across the mindscape. The small cub fades back until all that are left are the large guarding tagsters. The young hunter had seen the attack and learned.

NEXT ROUND

Koreth takes in a long breath, calming himself as he surveys the battle. The chamber is dimly lit with an almost eerie light, Rayne's worm not fully able to light the entire scene. His heart thumped faster than the drums of Nibenay's caravan gate. The imposing bulk of the queen stood before him, causing every one of his survival instincts to scream run! His lip curled in a sneer, his hands gripped his blade in what soon might become a death grip. Eyes flashing with madness, Koreth charged. A dwarven war cry rumbling in his throat, the noble warrior rushed across the chamber to an uncertain fate. The queen had heard his challenge and turned to face him, her massive pincers clicking in anticipation.

Koreth ducked as one pincer, barely avoiding Liron's fate as he charged. He slashed across her bloated body, using the force of his charge to push the sword through her. Noxious fluids mixed in with ichor spill out onto the floor of the chamber, the queen screeching in pain. The queen brings up another claw that slashes deadly swift into the warrior's side. Even Koreth's augmented strength was not enough to totally deflect the appendage and part of the razor sharp chitin rips into his body taking away tanned skin.

Ayrus breathes easier as the queen is occupied in something else and takes advantage to sink another arrow into her. Maybe the air cleric could survive as long as the queen's attention was on someone else for he would surely fall to another direct attack by her highness.

Rayne quickly scans the room to see how her companions are fairing. Seeing she remains somewhat secure for a moment, Rayne turns some attention inward.

MINDSCAPE:
A wounded young mul calls forth to Marteu who stands guard outside the tent. Entering, he rushes to her side and begins to heal some of the gushing wounds. The mul's physical body begins to feel some renewed strength, and her wounds cease their incessant bleeding. "I cannot protect until you get some rest little one . . . until next time take care." With those parting words, the old man fades from view and Rayne turns her full attention to the battle still going on before her. The mul flexes her tired arms and feels somewhat better, the incessant screeching and the sounds of battle bring her back to the real world as she scans the scene to see who needs her most.

Gaigin gave this beast no chance, dashing forward and sending his heavy club around in a wide swing, aiming strait for the creatures damaged face. The blow connected with a resounding *crack*, and once again the scrab reeled backwards, arms flailing as its face once again felt the force of the 'nightmare warrior's" blows. The scrab stumbled about and pitifully tried to hold his head together with its two claws but the smashing club backed up by Gaigin's formidable strength had been too much. The insectoid's head literally fell apart as part of its head fell one way while the rest of its body crumbled to the ground.

Running quickly towards the queen Tak' placed himself as close as he could to the bulk of the royal monster. Tak's twin daggers would prove useful in close quarters - and Tak' was counting on his natural size and dexterity to cramp his opponent. Still, against a beast as large and powerful as this was a risky proposition. Knowing that slashing with his daggers would only cause cosmetic damage, Tak' thrust with his twin blades, knowing he would have to strike deep and true to succeed.

The queen had been hit by Koreth and Ayrus and did not see Tak coming; the small hunter applied all his skill and strength into his life-dagger. The artifact seemed to guide itself as it finds a weakened spot and buries itself into the queen's body. The matriarch twist savagely in pain and the halfling is thrown off; his dagger hand covered in ichor up to the wrist.

Elric stumbles about trying to sell his life dearly. He looses his grip on the bone blade and grabs Tempest with both hands on the long hilt. A metallic ring echoes through the cavern as Tempest strikes solidly against the chitin. The chitin was strong, yet the blade of Tempest was hardened in ages past. The chitin forearm of the defiler flew up and away, dislodged from the scrabs body. In a soft harsh whisper "Try and cast now stump!"

The defiler screeches in pain and slashes at a mortally wounded Elric with its only appendage left. The claw, this time, tears away a major artery in the half-elf's body and the warlock is down in an instant. Tempest lies discarded next to the warlock illuminating his neck that pours out his life blood at the fluttering rhythm of a weakened heart …

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

Gaigin (SeW), (W) Scrab warrior 1 DEAD

Koreth (W), (W) Scrab warrior 2 DEAD

Ayrus (MW), (U)

mind opened Scrab Queen (SeW)

Tak (W), (U)

Male elf DEAD

Rayne (W), (U) Scrab warrior 3 DEAD

Migdalia (H) Scrab psionicist DEAD

Held (cannot move)

Mind opened

Mendi (MW), (MW)

can move "very" slowly (no attacks)

Elric (U), (W) Scrab defiler (MW)

unconscious

GENERAL

Give me two more rounds please.

Again, everyone is close enough to switch opponents.

Mendi can get up, talk and walk around but his actions are sluggish at best.

Questions, comments, and suggestions please.

L8r,

Fabian