Vark lets out a frustrated growl as he is once again engulfed by the cloaker's leathery wings. Realizing this will continue to happen if he stays isolated up on the second level, the sorcerer begins moving towards his friends below. It's a struggle to run with the aberration wrapped around his body, and by the time Vark has staggered to the edge of the mezzanine he practically tosses himself out into the open space. Again a burst of thunder and dark clouds announce his escape from the cloaker's clutches. He reappears amidst his companions on the lower level with his spear upright in his two hands. Two successive blasts fire up from the tip, both of which slam into the creature's underside with arcane force.

Jex steps from cover letting a snapshot off at the cloaker. It frustratingly clatters off a wall somewhere in the darkness and he swears in frustration as he backs around the corner out of sight again.

Val sees no way to get at these creatures with Rook, so she quickly pulls one of the few javelins she keeps at her side. With a grunt of effort she hurls one up and smiles with satisfaction as her aim is perfect, but the creature’s thick hide prevents the point from actually penetrating!

The cloakers plunge towards Valen and Valaith, wrapping themselves around the warriors' heads as they clamp down with jaws lined with needle-like teeth.

Valaith takes 9 points of piercing damage to vigour, reduced to 5 by DR, reduced to 2 by resistance -> 43/45 Vigour

Valen takes 11 points of piercing damage to vigour, reduced to 4 by DR -> 18/32 Vigour

Aiden's action.

"And that," Aiden says, gesturing to the cloakers enveloping his new allies' heads, "Is even more annoying." 

He runs towards the engulfed cleric and channels a mote of Thor's guidance into him. "Free yourself," he shouts, preparing to strike with his warhammer.

Thurston sees how one of the creatures tries to engulf Val and he drops the hammer to the ground wich makes a sonorus thud. He runs towards it and grabs it from the wings, near the head of the creature.

"You have " he pulls it out of Val's shoulder " a very tiny arms!!" 

The Norscan raises the cloaker above his head and jumps, spining in the air to land over the creature. Before it can react, Thurston extends his right hand and the hammer flies towards it and he smashes the cloaker with it. 

Valen gives a heave, and rips the beast from his head. Shield up and blade ready, these things seem more like persistent nuisances than true threats.

Val lets out a primal shout as Thurston rips the foul-smelling creature from off of her. She immediately hefts Rook over her head and with another shout, she brings the weapon down with tremendous force that knocks the cloaker from the air. The massive head of the maul slams the creature into the stone ground with a thud and crunch as most of the bones in its body are destroyed by the blow. Gore and liquefied internal organs spray in all directions as the monstrosity is ripped open by the horrible force behind the swing! As she hefts Rook from the mess upon the floor, blood and pieces of flesh still clinging to it, the black sparks pop and swirl up from the gory remains into the marks upon Val's arms...

Now in a more confident position near his friends, Vark digs in and launches another volley of crimson blasts. One goes wide, but a second bolt grazes the flapping aberration. Vark seems about to continue his assault immediately, but with the threats nearly vanquished he decides to pace himself.

Jex takes the opportunity of the cloaker twisting in pain to launch another well placed arrow into its torso. It screams out, and though it isn't instantly taken to the ground, it is clearly a mortal wound. 

The cloaker flaps weakly, twisting away from those on the ground as it makes to escape.

Aiden reaches out after the cloaker, attempting to wrest more of its life force out of its existing wounds, but the cloaker resists the magic. "And yet more annoying," he mutters under his breath.

Thurston looks up to the fleeing creature and with a powerful movement of his arm he throws Rikkazarik towards it. 

The mighty hammer impacts it on the head, making it literraly explode into pieces with the impact. 

As the hammer flies back to his hand Thurston puts his feet over the dead body of another of the creatures, his cape moving at his back on its own. 

"Let's be known that we are not going to suffer any of you! Let us pass or suffer the consequences!" he yells to the darkness. 

After a few seconds staring at it, as if he waits an answer from the very walls of the dungeon he just turns and asks his companions.

"Everybody ok? I still don't understand how they attach so strongly with that tiny arms... " 

Jex comes out from behind the pillar at the top. "OK, I'm going to throw down the rope, then lower myself down. Val, Thurston, would one of you like to catch me? Maybe pull one of those things we just killed tight between you for me to jump into?"

Larkin's ghostly form shimmers and shifts as the icy rage fades as a quiet silence fills the halls around them. "I am uninjured thanks to Rook." She walks over and slaps Thurston on the back. "Thank you, my friend. I did not like that foul smelling thing wrapped around my head like that." She grimaces before glancing up to address Jex. "We can try, but... I feel like this may not hold your weight. Vark? Do you have any spells that can help with this?"

"Nonsense! It will hold. Trust me, I've done this before." He shrugs. "Kind of. It was a tent, and I watched another person do it. It looked fun though." He stretches his legs. "He died later. Big accident, someone cut a hole in his tent. Ready?" 

Thurston smiles back to Val 

"They smell funny indeed" 

Then they both turn to Jex

"Are you sure?" he says patting one of the things with his boot " You could end with one of their tiny arms in your butt... they are small enough for that... " 

"Hold it the other way up then, I'll land on it's back. You ready?" 

He pats his back making sure the rope is secure, springs off from the side to give the wall some clearance and lands squarely on the tightly held cloaker corpse. Springing back off he pulls a backflip and lands on the floor next to his friends.

"There, nothing to fuss about." He gives a theatrical bow. "Shall we?" He gestures across the cavern to where their destination presumable lies. Quickly running back off into the darkness to check ahead.

The ancient Dwarven hall is vast and grand. On the far side, two doors can be made out in the dim-light of luminous subterranean plants, lead off in different directions, while a lamp shedding pale blue light marks another path that leads off ahead past the foot of a tower.

Aiden adjusts the heft of his warhammer and gestures at first the two doors, then the lone one. "Which way, then?"