thing, Ariana?” Erendell frowned, examining the cube minutely, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“It’s just in case I forget that I’ve set it off.” Ariana fiddled with the Mech, opening a flap, turning a dial and pressing a button or two, seemingly randomly. “They just dig continuously and should we be interrupted and I don’t get a chance to stop it, I’d lose it.”
“Aye, Mechs o’any sort are on the expensive side o’costly. We would nae want tae lose it.” The dwarf grunted through his prayer. With a final smattering of Dwarfish, he finished and kissed the medallion. “There, that should do it.”
“I hope I’m not prying, Arnhammen, but what exactly does this barrier do? It doesn’t look very substantial,” Aranok asked.
“’Tis a Warding o’ Holy Tyr. Should any undead chance upon it, they will feel Lord Tyr’s wrath upon their unholy forms,” The dwarf said.
Aranok didn’t feel confident about the almost non-existent shield, so he put Grald and Erendell on opposite sides of the blue lit area and set himself just beside Ariana as the Mech began its work.
The small copper cube unfolded and expanded itself into what looked like a metal gremlin with clawed scoops instead of paws. The Mech leapt into the air to cling to the wall near the ceiling with its feet, then rapidly dug with its front paws, sending rock flying until it broke through the stone facing on the wall. Once through that, the Mech began to dig down until its feet were on the floor. As soon as the Mech had created a shallow niche it expanded again, becoming taller than Grald and wider than Arnhammen.
“Ye set it to the barbarian’s height? My compliments, Lady, ye hae been studying the rudiments o’tunnelling it seems.” Arnhammen said.
Ariana blushed. “It seemed like a good idea when I bought it. The Mech usually needs a second Mech behind it, shoring up the walls and ceiling, but Eliethor added a spell to its body that solidifies the dirt it leaves behind. She said it should stop any cave ins, but could still be dug through by other creatures.”
“Mother always was oddly practical for someone who lived with her head in the clouds.” Erendell sniffed.
The Mech moved forward and began to dig, shifting the loose soil behind it. As the soil left the thing’s scoops, it shrank to the size of peas.
“Another of Eliethor’s spells?” Aranok asked, scuffing his feet in the loose dirt.
Ariana nodded. “She said that she’d modified it with as many things as she could think of, so it may do a lot more than the Mechs of Arnhammen’s childhood.”
Ariana stayed with it and once they had moved into the new tunnel, Arnhammen stood and moved with them, the barrier cubes following him and still enclosing them.
The Mech moved methodically, digging in the direction Ariana had set, so it came as no surprise when they were attacked from behind by a group of skeletons.
“I knew it was too quiet,” Aranok said, slipping his sword from its sheath and positioning himself to protect Ariana.
The skeletons charged.
The barrier made several fall apart. The skeletons ignored their companion’s bones, walking straight over them.
“They’re still attacking!” Erendell called to the dwarf.
“Aye, Lassie. We’d best be crunching some bones then.” Arnhammen dropped the barrier spell, the light flaring brightly before going out and laid about him with his mace.
Grald contented himself with a thick-bladed sword breaker, the notches catching the bones and snapping them easily. Erendell had brought a holy dagger out from somewhere. The barbarian, dark elf and dwarf soon dealt with the threat.
Aranok put his sword away. I didn’t need to worry after all. He felt oddly self-satisfied at the thought.
Moments later, the digger hit a stone wall and Ariana stopped it untying the leash from her wrist.
“I need to use an All-Seeing Eye spell to see what is on the other side, before I use the Mech to dig through.”
“It’s just in case I forget that I’ve set it off.” Ariana fiddled with the Mech, opening a flap, turning a dial and pressing a button or two, seemingly randomly. “They just dig continuously and should we be interrupted and I don’t get a chance to stop it, I’d lose it.”
“Aye, Mechs o’any sort are on the expensive side o’costly. We would nae want tae lose it.” The dwarf grunted through his prayer. With a final smattering of Dwarfish, he finished and kissed the medallion. “There, that should do it.”
“I hope I’m not prying, Arnhammen, but what exactly does this barrier do? It doesn’t look very substantial,” Aranok asked.
“’Tis a Warding o’ Holy Tyr. Should any undead chance upon it, they will feel Lord Tyr’s wrath upon their unholy forms,” The dwarf said.
Aranok didn’t feel confident about the almost non-existent shield, so he put Grald and Erendell on opposite sides of the blue lit area and set himself just beside Ariana as the Mech began its work.
The small copper cube unfolded and expanded itself into what looked like a metal gremlin with clawed scoops instead of paws. The Mech leapt into the air to cling to the wall near the ceiling with its feet, then rapidly dug with its front paws, sending rock flying until it broke through the stone facing on the wall. Once through that, the Mech began to dig down until its feet were on the floor. As soon as the Mech had created a shallow niche it expanded again, becoming taller than Grald and wider than Arnhammen.
“Ye set it to the barbarian’s height? My compliments, Lady, ye hae been studying the rudiments o’tunnelling it seems.” Arnhammen said.
Ariana blushed. “It seemed like a good idea when I bought it. The Mech usually needs a second Mech behind it, shoring up the walls and ceiling, but Eliethor added a spell to its body that solidifies the dirt it leaves behind. She said it should stop any cave ins, but could still be dug through by other creatures.”
“Mother always was oddly practical for someone who lived with her head in the clouds.” Erendell sniffed.
The Mech moved forward and began to dig, shifting the loose soil behind it. As the soil left the thing’s scoops, it shrank to the size of peas.
“Another of Eliethor’s spells?” Aranok asked, scuffing his feet in the loose dirt.
Ariana nodded. “She said that she’d modified it with as many things as she could think of, so it may do a lot more than the Mechs of Arnhammen’s childhood.”
Ariana stayed with it and once they had moved into the new tunnel, Arnhammen stood and moved with them, the barrier cubes following him and still enclosing them.
The Mech moved methodically, digging in the direction Ariana had set, so it came as no surprise when they were attacked from behind by a group of skeletons.
“I knew it was too quiet,” Aranok said, slipping his sword from its sheath and positioning himself to protect Ariana.
The skeletons charged.
The barrier made several fall apart. The skeletons ignored their companion’s bones, walking straight over them.
“They’re still attacking!” Erendell called to the dwarf.
“Aye, Lassie. We’d best be crunching some bones then.” Arnhammen dropped the barrier spell, the light flaring brightly before going out and laid about him with his mace.
Grald contented himself with a thick-bladed sword breaker, the notches catching the bones and snapping them easily. Erendell had brought a holy dagger out from somewhere. The barbarian, dark elf and dwarf soon dealt with the threat.
Aranok put his sword away. I didn’t need to worry after all. He felt oddly self-satisfied at the thought.
Moments later, the digger hit a stone wall and Ariana stopped it untying the leash from her wrist.
“I need to use an All-Seeing Eye spell to see what is on the other side, before I use the Mech to dig through.”
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