13: Shadow boxing in the dark Report

General Summary

Flashback to just after defeating the Gibbering Mouthers, as the party leaves the room Alsephina returns with a newly befriended Imp wearing a tinsel halo. Alesphina has named it Rainbow Chaos, the rest of the party gets the impression this may not be it's real name. Calister can understand the creature's Infernal cursing and vows to watch it carefully.   Flashforward to the present, Keith stands before an open cupboard from which a dark humanoid form, as insubstantial as shadow, silently reaches out towards him. Keith steps back from the thing's attack and it immediately darts off amongst some crates out of sight, a shadow hidden in darkness.   The party start to move together but more of the shadowy creatures attack from the darkness, their fast attacks often only visible as they are already happening. Each blow from them seems to rot the body and sap the victims very strength.   The party fight back swinging wildly at the Shadows as they dart back and forth from the darkness. They notice that some magical attacks seem to work better than others. Calister enthusiastically casts Shatter on one hiding amongst some crates realising too late the damage this will do the crates themselves and their priceless contents! (The party collectively groans a the loss of potential loot while meanwhile a semi-benevolent force smiles at no-longer needing to come up with some bullshit reason why the party can't take all the loot with them when they leave the dungeon.)   A few well-placed hits from Keith's Shillelagh and Zinnan's newly acquired Glowblade they are able to dissipate a couple of the shadows but just then another presence makes itself known. Swooping out of the shadows above them comes a winged shadow, larger than the others, with long clawed arms and a wide mocking smile. It lashes out at Ragnar, its claws doing no physical damage but still causing terrible mental pain.   A wave of psychic feelings, like the triumph of a hunter who now has its prey, sweeps over the party as the grinning winged Shadow Demon fades back into the darkness above them. The party brace themselves for its next attack, Alsephina summoning a sword of a similar shadowy nature and Ragnar preparing to strike out with his glaive to protect his companions.   As the demon falls again on the party, Calister unleashes his most powerful attack yet, a terrible joke! The creature is powerless against its magic and it remains floating there laughing, visible and vulnerable to attack from the rest of the party. The blows rain down on it before it can get away, once again hiding in the darkness above.   There is an eerie silence before another inevitable wave of attacks. The party drive the shadows back causing much damage to them but Calister is overcome with the psychic pain. Luckly the remaining party are able to spot the retreating Shadows and quickly put an end to them before they could completely get away. Some quick healing from Alsephina gets Calister back on his feet.   As the party tensely waits for any further attacks, suddenly a muffled voice is heard and a dim light is seen from the table in the corner. As they approach cautiously, the voice asks the party who they are and if they are part of the "Human Resistance".   The voice sounds increasingly distressed as it becomes more aware of its surroundings, babbling about "the attack", its broken "ambulatory unit", it's missing memories and being "suppressed for more than 500 years". Finally Calister picks up the talking glowing tablet and turns it over revealing a golden face made of interlocking triangles. The face looks back in fright at the party.   "Wait, you're not human.. What are you? You are not Arisen are you?", the face worriedly asked. "No, we are the Clam Hands," responded Calister, "and things have probably changed quite a bit in 500 years." The face looks sad as it responds, "Well, my name is Paralon, and I ran this facility."

Character(s) interacted with

• Defeated a Shadow Demon
• Met Paralon for the first time