Immediately the BattleSmiths were assaulted by the numerous lesser skeletons. Jacob swung his astral staff sweeping away a dozen skeletons only for another dozen to take their place.

From the darkness poured forth ever more lesser skeletons. Many appeared old wearing little to nothing. It would seem that those skeletons the lord of the manor had originally brought to the fight were the cream of the crop on this floor.

Jacob turned his attention from the lesser skeletons and refocused his efforts upon the boss. “Thomas, with me!” Jacob spoke with his voice of authority wishing to ensure his voice was heard. Before racing forth to kill the boss.

Thomas swung once more with his crimson astral great axe, laying waste to a dozen skeletons in armor. He turned and raced to join Jacob in his assault of the floor boss.

Jacob’s mind was silent, this was a fight for not only his life but those of his friends. “I will not lose to you!” Jacob proclaimed. His astral bear form when it stood had a height on par with the undead giant, 25 feet. Their heights were limited by the ceiling, for one does not fight in a room where your head scrapes the ceiling.

It was but a moment before Thomas had caught up with him and they laid siege to the armored undead giant. Thomas leapt into the air and swung his great axe at the monster only for it to be blocked by the sword of darkness. As they struggled to overcome one another the undead boss laughed. The crimson of Thomas’ astral axe began to drain and as it dis the great sword made of darkness began to glow with the same crimson light.

Thomas leapt back and taking its opportunity the undead took a swing at him. Had he jumped a second later, he would have been bisected by the now dark crimson blade of the undead. A large straight gash appeared upon Thomas’ chest. The undeads blade had slashed through the chest of his astral form, wounding him in turn.

Jacob could not reach Thomas in time to parry the strike but while it was distracted, he took a swing of his own. The astral staff in the hands of his astral bear form burst into flames as the totem of the pheonix began to glow ever brighter.

Jacob swung his staff with all his might only for the Death knight to release its blade, which dissolved into crimson mist, and to then catch his staff. The flames emitted by the staff licked impudently against the armor of the death knight giant.

Jacobs panic began to rise in his throat, until he beat it back down. “He has magic armor. He appears resistant possibly immune to fire!” Jacob shouted for his party to hear.

The death knight attempted to tear the staff from the hands of his astral form and succeeded, for a moment before the staff reformed in his hands. Hellen brought out her holy symbol, the symbol of her lady Hethara. As her true form did so too did the form of her astral bear hold a symbol of her lady. A hammer beating on an anvil next to a forge. “My lady of the forge I beseech thy. Burn away the darkness!”

Hellen attempted to turn the dead. From the holy symbol there was a pulse of golden flames. The flames spread outward in every direction. As the flames swept over the lesser skeletons they were reduced to ash. There was the sound of metal striking stone as those that had been wearing armor too turned to dust.

The wave washed over the death knight, but it seemed unaffected. “I do not fear your pitiful GODS!” the death knight bellowed. Jacob suspected it had either resisted the effect or was simply immune to fear.

The death knight shifted its attention to the paladin, beginning to march in her direction. Jacob watched as the death knights’ movements were suddenly arrested by a surge of plant life that had broken through the walls and ensnared the undead giant.

“Hurry I can’t hold him for long!” Archival shouted as the death knight struggled to free itself from the twisted and webbed mess of plant life ensnaring it. Jacob reach out his hand toward the death knight and cast a spell, “Dawn’s Light!”

The death knight howled in pain as the interior of its armor began to shine daylight upon its unprotected form. Jacob smirked proud that he had thought of that one. The bright light shining through the gaps and visor of the death knights’ armor.

The death knight summoned its great sword once more attempting to block another strike from Thomas but due to its restricted movement failed to do so. His strike hit home and as he pulled back his great axe, he found himself blinded by the bright light being emitted from the interior of the armor.

The death knight raged against its restraints, howling in pain from damage it was receiving from the magically created sunlight. From the hole in the armor there was the sound of shattering glass as a shadow passed by the death knight. Jacob watched as the from hole in the armor erupted green flames.

Jacob was getting less anxious by the minute, they appeared to be winning that was until the death knight spoke once more, “This is no fun! Let us mix it up!” proclaimed the death knight. Its head shot a glance into the darkness, and it ceased to scream, it spoke a word and rapidly the plant life restraining was consumed by the same green flames.