Arao: Ancient Prison; Epilogue

The party tended to its wounds as best and as fast as we could. We were able to resuscitate both the cleric Guy and the warlord Lloyd. Their wounds from the boneshards were deep and severe but they would pull through with the proper amount of rest.

Speaking of rest, the site was totally unsafe for that task. The shadows seemed to creep closer and closer into the illumination given off by Gryffin's Light spell on the ranseur. Nerve-wracking sounds could be heard from the passageways beyond. The palpable aura of evil hung heavily in the air, threatening to crush our good spirits.

Thinking back at the last scene of the battle, I mentally kicked myself for not advising the others to stop attacking the boneshard skeleton before Lloyd had a chance to get Guy and himself some decent cover. That should not happen again, I thought. I silently mouthed a prayer to Pelor to provide me with enough foresight for our next battle.

Taking stock of the situation, I studied the conditions of my comrades. Jarek our ranger sat in a corner alone still mumbling to himself. He seemed pretty spooked by the darkness, and the monstrosities that lie await for us here. The wizard was visibly fatigued from casting all his magical spells. The cleric, warlord and I were in pretty bad shape also, having bandages all over our body.

I felt we were now ill-prepared to face another crucial encounter such as this. Valor is good, but risking our lives like this would be reckless hubris. I cleared my throat to address the party.

"My companions, the last battle drained and tested our capabilities severely. I would suggest, and place for a vote, to return to the surface for some proper rest, and maybe ask the elders about this horrid place, and how to fight these vile monsters."

While waiting for their consent or dissent on my suggestion, I sat beside the pile of bones the sinspawns were squabbling about earlier. A sparkle caught my eye, the telltale glint of metal reflected from the magical light. Rummaging further down the pile, I came across the last piece of equipment, which was serving as the low table for all the other junk and trinkets above. I dusted off the grime and dirt, and the equipment began to take shape. Lo and behold, it was a solid dark gray plate armor of steel, the quality of which was profoundly excellent because of the absence of rust. It was also large and albeit with some difficulty, would be a good fit for my bulky frame. I found the greaves and the leggings inside, so it was a complete set! I closed my eyes and gave a short and earnest prayer of gratitude to Pelor for his grace. For the first time today, a genuine smile of gladness formed on my lips.