The cavern remained dark, light only by the lights left around the space by the humans and the faint thrumming glow from the husk protecting the corrupted stone. The party was split around the grotesque thing spouting from the wall. A massive flowering core splayed open on the far side of the room which was elevated on a large platform. Many vines both thick and thin spread out from the corrupted stone and lead to the massive red and black flower that was like a twisted form of a once beautiful lotus. Sharp petals surround a gorged middle that opens at the top. Vines braided around the cave into the chest of the fallen gnolls, thrumming and growing within and out of the bodies it took over. The husk's eye glowed red and projected the eerie scenes, experienced when they arrived. The vines pulsed into the darkness and shadows and across and through piles of new and old rotten corpses. As the pulse thrummed through them, it was hard to tell if it was fueling their twisted forms

Serene moved forward tracing the vines and calling out to her party, "We must strike on pulses." She found what she was looking for, a thick braid of pulsing vines. "Listen once, all of you." The party stood at the ready, their grim face determined as they took in her instructions. "The anchor feeds in layers. We've severed some but we must make our way to the flower in the center, then cut it from the stone itself. Outer feeders, the smaller vines and husks around the wall, they make the visions." She pointed a few out to be sure they understood. "The paired feeders carry the strength. Those are their attacks we may not know where or how they will come but be sure in the shadows their strength lays hidden still. Beneath that sits braid, it connects them all feeding from those already lost back and fueling its host. We must first remove the outer defenses and projections, then remove the muscles, then take away its ability to sustain itself. Then and only then will it be weakened enough to remove."

She allowed her friends and comrades only a breath or two to take in her instructions before turning back to Lirian. "I have found the braid, now count the pulses. If we strike wrong, the flower will flood us with soul-light, which would make us little better than Armand now."

Armand moved when the vein pulsed, as if the floor itself had lifted his heel. The greatsword rose another finger's width and found its line.

Stronric met him a step from the ring with his feet set to a workman's square. "Stay wi' me," he said, voice low enough to keep the room from grabbing it. "Eyes here."

Armand did not answer with words. The sword spoke for him. A clean shoulder-to-hip draw came first, the kind that does not crowd its own recovery. Stronric rolled the haft and took the blow on the axe's bearded cheek, not the edge, and gave the space back without ceding the ground. The next cut came low and climbed; Stronric met that one with a short hook and a heel set behind it. Metal rang against metal in tidy sentences that left no spare vowels.

The husk answered them, the thrum through the cords quickening. From the shadows and slithering from the thick braided cord large vines whipped out, guarding the platform's skirt made of the various life carrying cords that draped over the elevated ledge. The gorged almost flesh like sac in the center of the flower pulsed then spit out a cloud of red grit. "Soul bile!" Serene shouted, hoping the others would turn away and protect their eyes as the dust fell in twirling patterns narrowing into formations aimed at the attacker's eyes. Serene tilted her staff and a dome appeared. As it expanded out the soft glow of a summer sun and the warmth of noon slid across the line. The soul bile fell, turning to mist as it stuck her spell.

The vines lashed out with more whips trying to remove the cause of its failed attempts. The eyes of the fallen husks seemed to turn and watch noting where the party stood. A cord whipped toward Serene and Predator thumped. The bolt parting the wine and the Mountain Canary struck the next seam like a chisel and came away with shining rot on her beak, but her strike was true and the vine fell with a wet splat on the floor.

Armand pressed his attack again, almost more furious than before. The glow of the images seemed to burn brighter, keeping the Knight entranced to do the husks biding.

The greatsword did not move like iron that size should. He whipped it as if it were a yard blade half its weight, hips quiet, wrists clean, recovery on the half-beat. Stronric had seen masters, Armand was the measure they used.

"Fast," Stronric said, more for the ring than the man. "Faster than a sane arm wi' a blade that long."

Armand's answer was with steel. He completed a high feint, then lunged forward becoming a cut upwards hiding the next move as the knight ended with a molinello. The combination should have cost the knight balance but with testament to his skill or his state, it didn't.

Stronric stole lines and fed angles back, and used haft checks, beard catches, and short turns to ensure the attacks prevented injury to himself and his friend.

The flowers center again bulges and twisted, but no soul bile rose from its maw. Instead the sounds of tinkling glass, almost like rain on a roof, could be heard. Dane turned first following the sound. From below the platform holding the soul flow flower, cracks were forming, not forming but opening from the great vines moving. From the cracks the darkness vomited shards of sleet, all crystal edges and mixed with bone. Dane stepped forward, planting his shield toward this new unknown while driving his armored fist into one of the three-corded joints. He leaned his weight until the bundle squealed and gave way to his weight and strength.

The cords moved again, releasing large seams in the floor that exhaled steam and heat. Dane pulled away from the burning vent, his job complete here and called out, "Corner's mine, stay out of the vent. It's hotter than a devil's ass hole."

A seam in the floor took that moment to punctuate his point and shot another gust of heated steam. Kara lifted a hand, and ice shot across the floor snaking over the seam in a thick sheet of ice, blinding the vent and cutting the breath short.

Armand stepped through a bind and punched Stronric with short, brutal, knuckles to cheek. Stronric's head snapped back from the iron hitting his teeth. Stronric let the hit run through his shoulders and roll off his spine. Stronric didn't retaliate with a blade, but instead used the haft of his axe to shove the great knight in the breastplate. The move was hard enough to steal the breath from the human's lungs and earn the dwarf a step of respite.

The cave answered Dane's attack and three anchor-made figures pulled themselves from a wall-stain and came on without breath. They were lifeless husks, their bodies twisted forms of decaying gnolls and humans. From their chest vines sprouted twisting around them to for a second skin, like armor and extended from their hands into sharpened spikes. They moved toward Giles and Kara, who stood ready for their turn in cutting the thick braid. The creatures moved in ragged and erratic steps as if they ran on the memories of movement and not with their own minds or eyes.

Giles met the first lifeless twisted form with a set-strike-set rhythm, longsword and shield tidy as drill. His steel slid easily through the sinewed armor stopping the first as it fell to a heap. Kara iced the second's legs, which looked like twisted memories long forgotten and left to rot. The creature fell to the floor and giles stuck again, once to cut off its head and a second a plunge into its rotten chest. Kara cast a cold wind at his back, creating a wind shield that kept Giles's flank clean. Dane ran and smashed into the third attacker sending it sideways. Kara hit it with a layer of ice slowing its speed as it stumbled toward Giles. Giles twisted back around and caught the creature on this blade straight though the neck, he twisted and separated its head. Giles then leapt forward bringing his blade down in an overhead arc through the braided vines just as it pulsed past. The light tried to retreat back to the core but Serene's staff barred the light and it guttered like a poor candle.

Armand came harder, eyes red and swollen, tears burning as rage. "Give zem back!" he roared, the greatsword's edge hissing past Stronric's beard and carving a bright half-smile into the wall. Stronric met it with his axe's beard and cheek, not the edge. The shock shivered down Stronric's forearms sending the painful vibrations into his ribs. He shoved the bind aside, stepped inside Armand's next attack arc and bumped Armand's elbow to spoil the next swing.

"Listen, man," Stronric said, voice level even as their boots scraped and hammered. "This won't bring 'em back. Think o' the family ye stand wi' now. Let us finish the work, then we hunt who did it, together."

Armand's reply was a shoulder like a ram straight into the dwarf's chest. It drove Stronric back two steps and cracked his back on a bulged seam. Stronric came off the stone like a spring, slamming his head into Armand's helm with a clanging kiss meant to rattle his opponent, not break his bones. This fight was not waged to win but to hold. Stronric then chopped the greatsword's flat with his axe's toe, turning the lethal attack into nothing but sound.

Giles staggered as the boom reverberated throughout the cavern. His eyes ripping to the fight and worry creased the newfound lines of the younger human's face. Dane shouldered Giles, bringing him back to their own fight ahead. Kara solidified the wind, forming a cool wall for the others to lean against and protection from at least one side.

Serene's voice cut through the moment, "Outer left, starve the eyes," She pointed to the next goal, nodding to Lirian.

Lirian's blade whispered, dicing easily though the foliage and sinew of the slew husked form of the gnolls. Its glowing eyes faded and the wall-pictures thinned like paint in rain.

The flower thrummed and lashed out with tendrils of cords trying to stop the blade's cut. Bauru's bolt pinned the whip to stone and the Canary pecked the cord through. Rugiel stepped in and hammered the meatier hinge of the lash, blue-white heat trembling along her steel. "Morgal, keep our edges true."

"We must take the outer right sections next. " Serene said her voice level and not betraying the urgency she felt.

"Feeders together, cut its strength." She called again, Rugiel moved to a husk laying pinned to the wall, while Giles moved the one next to her. Lirian had already made his way to the last one in that section. Dane, Bauru, and Kara spread out forming a line of protection with shield, magic, crossbow and bird. "Be prepared for the next round and its fight."

"Left, right," Lirian answered, as he sliced through each respectively. He lifted his head seeing the others doing the same. For now they stood on edge waiting to see the response for their last attack.

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Armand spun that long blade on a coin and cut on the recovery, no pause, no apology. Stronric took it on the haft again, but the wood of the weapon complained in response. Although it was dwarven made, the might, strength and will of the man before him was no idle task to catch again and again. Stronric hooked a heel behind Armand's boot trying to trip the man. Armand stumbled for a breath but he saved his fall, ripping his foot free and using the momentum to drive forward. Armand attacked with a mighty slash that would have opened a lesser man from shoulder to knee.

"Ye're a monster wi' that steel," Stronric said with a chuckle. There was no mockery in the laugh, only respect for the skill of the Knight before him, even if that skill was forced upon him now. Stronric slipped the beard of the axe under the fuller of the greatsword and pushed up, levering the tip a thumbs length off true and preventing himself from being skewered. "I'll not cut ye. But I'll not let ye cut mine either, friend." Stronric grumbled.

"Zen stand aside," Armand hissed, tears bright through grit. He stood motionless for a half-beat but then if compelled from an outside force he feinted high while his off-hand seized Stronric's wrist. The dwarf answered with a short elbow to the vambrace and a palm-heel to the guard, dirty shop-floor motions that made fine fencing look like a costume.

The floor thrummed from the anchor, the echo or both. Pebbles skittered across the floors and the Mountain Canary hissed in response. Bauru swore once knowing what to come would likely be worse than before.

The flow again thrummed and then erupted, sending out another fan of grit. It lashed wildly out with 2 more tendril whips and spat out more sharlings. More shard shards poured out of the crack. The little glass-bone crystals that then shook and twisted to become small spindly creatures made of sharp edges and teeth. They skittered across the floor aiming for the delicate ankles and tendons of those fighting. As a shardling ran at Giles, he stamped out, crushing it below his boot. It shattered, but did not reform, allowing a small gleam of victory in his eyes. Then he began to move, crushing the creatures to prevent them from attacking the others.

Dane stood ahead, his shield raised and his fist held ready as he fought off the new whips. He pressed forward cutting the bundles where he could and using the edge of his shield to smash or catch the delicate edges of attacks of the tendrils, weakening them each time. Kara drove a sheet of ice across the crack that had been pouring out new shardlings, before firing snowballs and ice shards at the newly forming shards. The dust was being held at bay by Serene's raise staff. The warm glow and warmth almost melted the fallen soot. When the air was clean, she turned back to Dane and sent out another pulse of warmth. The new raw bite on Dane's forearm began to glow then healed over before the next attack of the whip landed.

Stonric and Armand crashed again and again the blade's slice was faltered by the axes flats. Stronric took a glancing strike off his shoulder, easily deflected with his Ironhide activated. Although no cut broke the skin, his Ironhide did little to block the blunt attack and the pain caused by the man's strength behind it.

"Stay wi' me Armand," Stronric shouted. "Ye're not alone in this cave. Ye're ours. The pains of the past may hurt, but we need you in the present not lost to the horrors of your past."

The swings of the tendrils lashed at Dane and Lirian took that moment to ghost under the swinging cord. As he danced beneath the dangers he stuck his new blade, a gift from Bauru, into the husk's blind seam. Bauru's dagger wrote the finishing stroke severing the whip at its base, and giving them another small moment of reprieve.

Serene's voice rang clear over the thundering battle of strength between Stronric and Armand. "All we need is the ground cord. It's the last link between that hideous flower and the stone. Rugiel to the cord, your flames could be the only thing to burn through it and prevent it from regenerating." Rugiel quickly followed her command and moved towards the remaining cord. It was like a root made from sinew and flesh, much fainter pulse of red glow fed through it moving towards the Soul flower.

As Rugiel approached, the remaining husk's eyes turned from the walls. The projections lighting the walls shimmered and lit the center of the room.

Armand screamed in rage. "You are forcing zem away! You will make me lose zem again! I cannot allow eet, I won't!" His voice roared, echoing back and compounding, like the rage fueling his attacks. He launched himself wildly at Stronric, sending a two-cut burst so fast the air seemed to skip. Stronric met the first with haft and hip, the second with the axe's cheek. Stronric twisted, locking the intertwined blades between them and bringing his friend close.

"See through it, man. It's naught but lies an' trickery!" Stonric shouted back. "They're gone, lost to time itself, but we're still here. I won't be lettin' ye chase after them into the afterlife."

At his words, Armand shoves hard, catching the dwarf by surprise and being pushed back. In the second between breaths Armand leapt forward, bringing his blade over head and towards Stronric's form. Stronric reacted by bringing his axe up, and taking the blow to the haft.

A mighty boom erupted, sending shock waves out from the impact of the attack. Small spidering cracks spread from where Stronric impacted the floor on one knee. "My friend, I will have you see reason." The dwarf shoved up and went on attack, not to harm but to reposition.

Dane moved to protect Rugiel's rear as she positioned herself to strike the grounding cord that ran from between the stone embedding in the wall glowing red, through the first soulless gnoll husk and the demonic flower on the platform. The others spread about the room with Serene and Kara in the middle.

"Strike on Three Rugiel"Serene shouted to her, watching the thrum and intensity of the husks gaze. "The stone will not go willingly, make ready. One…" Dane set his shield, raising his gauntlet. Liraian and Buarua exchanged nods then split to either side of the party for when speed was needed. "Two…" Serene's voice called, the intensity building in her voice to match what was to come. The sound of Armand's frenzy to make it to the party and follow the projected memories, and Stronric's refusal continued with the sounds of metal on metal and the connections of might.

"One!" Serene screamed over the noise. The ground shook and new chords slithered out from the flower growing in size and numbers. Many of the husk's zombied bodies rose, dampening the projected memories to instead fight for the cord that gave them life.

Rugiel lifted her hammer, flames burning bright blue and increasing in intensity as a roar tour from her lips. "By Morgel's flame!" She shouted before bringing the weapon down. A sickening crunch followed by a horrific sucking sound could be heard as Rugiel hammered into the cord again and again. Smoke and the smell of burning flesh and wet foliage wafted from the carnage before her, but she didn't stop. She was fueled with anger for this dungeon, fear for her kin and friends, and hope to save the knight she held dear before he made a mistake he would not overcome.

Around the room the others engaged in the onslaught of attacks. Dane shield bashing and smashing the skulls of those lifeless husks. He fought hard but one slipped around him, and instead of going for Rugiel it leapt on the man's back. He lost balance, tripping over the fallen bodies before him. The creature moved with speed not known before flipping the human. Dane called out in a grunt, "Get off me!" he shouted, but his shield arm was trapped under the fallen and his weight was wrong to free it. The creature crawled up his body, stopping before his face, forcing the man to look into its red glowing eyes. Dane still fought with his free hand but the fight was fading, as the memories of safety, his wife and daughter living in comfort were forced into his mind. The creature's hand clawed at the man's chest trying to burrow through as if to plant a new core.

Rugiel broke through her war haze when the choked sobs of a man bleed into her ears. She turned to find Dane, unmoving, his eyes locked to the creature gaze with a smile on his lips. She raged against the horror, her hammer lashing out and catching the creature in the chest. The husk went flying and skittered against the ground. IT landed in the center of the party and Lirian wasted no time in ending it.

Dane's eyes cleared and Rugiel held out a hand. "Enough daydreaming man." She taunted before helping the man up and taking off back into the fray.

The glow of the projecting husks intensified as it tried to protect its last bit of power, hoping it would retreat back into the flower. Armand's need to reach the memories rose again. He pressed forward causing Stronric to give ground. The pair fought back till they joined the fray of the battling party.

Armand's head turn, mid-attack, locking onto a less lethal target, and his greatsword's tip found a lane that was no longer Stronric. He pivoted with practiced grace toward Giles. Giles saw the white along the blade rushing toward his chest, too clean and too fast. His reaction slowed by surprise and unwillings to accept this attack, and his shield raised too late. Stronric read the attack and its intent and moved.

Stonric shoved off his back foot and lifted the axe high, not to strike but to brace. The greatsword came down with the weight of the memories the old knight fought for behind it. The top of the Axe of Hearth Fire caught it in a ringing clash. Stonric grunted and shoved the blade up and away. The intensity of the strike sent a wave of heat towards Gile's face. "A blow like that… I'm sure ye'd never be comin' back from it." Stronric shouted, as he fought to prevent more attacks.

Serene left the center, running and jumping up to the flower. She climbed up and quickly laid her staff across the cord, just before the thrum and pulse of power tried to retreat back into it. She held tight fighting the tidal wave trying to return. Slowing the red glow faded, each pulse less than the one before. She looked back over to her party and saw the creatures all slowing, falling. The lashes from the whips, limp and lazy.

Finally the last pulse thrummed, then stopped all together. The room faded into darkness only lit by Rugiel's flames and those left about the room. Armand's next attack stopped mid swing, frozen as he blocked at the Dwarf before him. Stronric was already countering and was unable to pull back, and hit the man in the chest with the butt of his haft. The old knight fell back, no fight left in him.

The flower's petals involuted on itself, letting out a foul sound and dust settled on itself. It quickly began to decay like an old gourd left in the sun. The creature and whips all stopped, meeting similar fates as that of the dying flower.

Stronric moved towards the old knight, retrieving his fallen blade, and placing it across his lap. "Naught your fault old man, but have a moment to come back to us. When ready we will be here." Armand simply laid a hand on the blade and sat.

"Is it done Serene?" Stronric called.

"I believe so, yes." Serene replied, with a quick hit to the flow, that caused it to fall in on itself, before she leapt back down and met with the party converging on Stronric position as he moved towards the anchoring stone.

The stone no longer held the radiance it had before, the red glow fading each second that past. Stonric approached, "Can I remove it?" He asked, unsure of the ways of anchors and demons.

"Once the glow has faded completely. But use caution, and wrap it in cloth. It is unlikely to come back, but it will wait for opportunities to find a new host and to become linked to the others."

Bauru stepped forward and used his smaller dagger to dig the stone from the wall. Stronric held out a torn sheet of cloth and caught it as it fell.

The script behind Stronric's eyes wrote three clean lines:

Optional Quest — Crystal Hunter

Anchor neutralized: 1 / 3

Rift stability reduced in this zone.

Reward: deferred to main quest.

Bauru stayed inspecting the hole and quickly pushed aside the husk and foliage that covered the wall under it. The party all looked as cracks spread out where vines and cords broke off further into the cave. The cracks turn to seams.

"These are connections that will lead us to the others." She said as she leaned over the seams. "The crystals within the seams will guide us to the other anchoring stones. The good news, it seems the others are not as well planted as this one. The stones and cords connecting them are thinner, duller. So this will likely be our biggest fight."

Stonric nodded as he placed the stone within his pocket.

"Rugiel, have a look at the old knight." He said. She quickly did as he asked. "The rest o' ye, gather the lights. Clean yer blades now, an' be ready to move. We've only a moment to make sure the other stones don't go expandin'. Eat an' drink while ye can, for it'll be quick goin' after." The party followed his commands without protest.

Those with weapons cleaned them, Serene made rounds healing those that needed it, and Kara spoke low to Giles. Giles kept looking back towards Armand with an unreadable expression.

"I 'ave lost them again," the knight said, his head hanging low. "I know it was not real… but the feelings, they still burn in me, as if it 'as only just 'appened." He exhaled softly. "Please… forgive me for my actions."

"There is nothing to forgive. You were entranced and alone, but we are here now." Rugiel said calmly, plancing a hand on his. She turned and nodded towards Giles, "He may need to hear your words. Share them but do not take blame to heart, one's loss is a cruel and terrible weapon to be wielded as a blade."

She rose and helped Armand to his feet. THe knight approaches Giles, "Son, please forgive my grievances. My mind was not my own."

Bah, it is nothing we cannot move past," came the reply. "It is good to 'ave you back—mind and body." Giles said smiling, though it did not seem to reach his eyes.

Stronric broke up the reunion, "Are you sane Armand?"

"Oui… yes. I am myself once more." Armand replied

"Aye. Eat up an' form ranks. The others are ready." Stonric said, giving the man a steading pat. Armand took the food and drink provided by Bauru and ate and drank while the others spoke the plan.

They formed without chatter. Lirian returned into the mouth of the tunnel, balancing across the seam neat as a cat on a beam. He leaned over and set another reed where they started and over his shoulder. "Honest for ten," he said. "Then the echo goes strange again."

"On his word," Giles said, eyes on Stronric.

"On mine," Stronric answered.

The cave breathed them in. A cold draft threaded the seam, carrying limestone and old iron. The echo answered first. They stepped into it.

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