It was much as the bestiary had stated, that the skeletons would come back, and would keep doing so over and over until they were properly stopped. The problem was that it had given no clues as how that was meant to happen. Simply beating them down didn’t seem to do the job; not even broken bones seemed to stop them.

That wasn’t Chance’s main concern though, as they weren’t too hard to beat down in the first place, as long as they didn't all come at once; no, it was the other undead in the chamber, the one at the stone chair. It was different from the rest and though it had made no hostile moves towards them, Chance doubted that it was friendly. Not while keeping company with skeletons that were most definitely not friendly. He focused his view on it, seeking more information.

Knowledge Check

Affinity: Lore [Undead]

Type: Revenant

A revenant. He had no idea what that was, let alone what it could do, not without consulting the parchment, and he didn't have the time for that, what with the skeletons making a return. He was beginning to suspect that due to his lack of the appropriate affinity, along with his low level of skill and level, that he wasn’t getting as much information as he could from those glances. That was something to aim for, to at least know what he was dealing with, its strengths and weaknesses from the look, rather than having to dig it out of the parchment.

“We need to take that revenant out while we have a chance,” he told the other two. “Shags, I want you with me to deal with it. Yrip, see wat you can do to keep those skeletons from reforming and off of our backs.”

“Yrip will deal with rattle bones, master,” Yrip promised and dashed off. He rushed around the chamber, kicking apart piles of bones with gleeful intent, scattering them far and wide. It wouldn't stop them permanently, as it was only a delaying action for as long as Yrip had energy remaining. It did buy them some extra time though.

Zhuri. Chance intoned the word as he walked forward, spear lowered, and his skin hardened, ready for the battle to come. Only at their approach did the revenant react. It still did not say anything, nor even made a noise. Its silence was unnerving. It pointed towards Chance, and as it did, a cold chill began to form around its hand, the air shimmering with it. Ice rimed its hand and then a bolt of ice shot through the air at him, much as as how he had sent stones at the skeletons.

It struck, and even despite the protection of the Iron Skin, pain shot through Chance, a deep, numbing cold that struck to his core.

Damage Taken: Low

Health Remaining: Unknown.

Injuries: None.

Whatever the revenant had thrown at him, it was more powerful than his Stone Shot, exceeding the threshold of his Iron Skin; though it had soaked up some of the damage, not all could be. The thing had hit harder than anything he had encountered before. He was beginning to suspect that this was his first boss fight.

With a low growl, Shags went bounding forward, dashing across the ground to leap at the revenant; before he could strike, it raised a hand again and a barrier of thin ice sprung up around it, a wall that Shags crashed into, before falling to the ground. Thin cracks appeared across it but it held.

Shags picked himself up, growling as he shook his head.

The revenant stayed behind its barrier, simply standing and watching then, while in the background came the cheerful sound of Yrip kicking bones about filled the chamber. Until they got the barrier down, they could not get to the revenant; that it appeared happy to simply stay there indicated that it merely wished to delay them long enough for the skeletons to return.

Vasqut! Chance bellowed the incantation and sent a stone shrieking forward, slamming it into the ice barrier. It shattered on impact, the ice falling away, to evaporate into the ether from where it had first come. Again the revenant showed no reaction to the turn of events, not a trace of surprise, not even a sound.

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Shags leapt again, tackling the revenant, fangs savaging it. It held its feet under the onslaught, unlike the skeletons, and slashed an ice rimed hand down across Shag’s back, fingers arched like claws. The wolf yelped as blood stained his furs, and a patch of ice spread across his back.

Zhuri! Chance yelled the word as he ran forward. The deep cold was still chilling him from the attack he had suffered, and he wanted to avoid the full force of an attack like that again, out of fear for what it could truly do.

His spear lanced through the air as he reached the two combatants, slamming square into the revenant’s chest.

Damage Inflicted: Negated

Injuries: None.

The spear tip failed to even break the skin of the revenant, failed to penetrate, instead scrapping off its body. It felt like hitting a stone; evidently the revenant had some form of defence up like his Iron Skin as well, just more powerful. Shags, at least, appeared to be able to do some damage though, if minimal, through sheer brute force, exceeding the limits of even the revenant’s defences.

Uthaq. Chance directed a surge of healing energy towards Shags, trying to keep him up and healthy. He felt rather useless, unable to actually do anything to the revenant; there had to be something though. Shags snarled and tore with ferocious savagery at it while Chance considered the situation. If the revenant’s defences worked as his did, then there was a limit to the amount of blows it could soak up before it was expended.

Vasqut! Chance slammed a flung stone into the revenant and it rocked back on its feet.

Damage Inflicted: Negated

Injuries: None.

Once more the blow failed to have any impact upon the revenant, but there was a difference this time. A pale blue-white energy rippled across its body, like a film of ice melting away. Its defences had been depleted. Before he could do anything about it, the revenant motioned in his direction once more and another shard of ice lanced through the air to slam into him.

Damage Taken: Low

Health Remaining: Unknown.

Injuries: Slowed.

The sharp pain struck him, but more than that, so did the freezing cold, a chill that spread through him, settling into his bones, his limbs stiffening, thoughts slowing; everything felt numb and hazy. He hated it. Hated the feel of it. Hated the experience of it. It was far too much like the operation in his youth, the anaesthetic that had coursed through him, robbing him of control.

His reactions were muted and as he tried to move, he saw that the revenant slashed at Shags again as the big wolf savaged its legs, tearing gashes in them. The cold fuelled strike ripped across Shags’ back and the wolf went down, whining, a sheet of ice covering much of him.

Anger exploded in Chance. He could feel the pain from Shags through their link, as much as if it had been him, and the wound of the wolf in pain was almost too much to bear.

Uthaq! Healing energy exploded through him and the haze that clouded his mind and numbed his reactions lifted.

Damage Healed: Low

Health Remaining Unknown.

Injuries: None.

“Right,” Chance sad with grim conviction, “My turn now.” Gripping his spear right in both hands, he stabbed hard at the revenant, putting every sinew and fibre of his dwarven body behind it. The spear bit deep and even if the revenant did not react to the strike, not even making the barest sound, Chance could see that it had done damage to it even if the messages had not told him so.

Damage Inflicted: Medium

Health Remaining: Unknown.

Injuries: None.

Crouching low, Chance kept his spear threatening the revenant, jabbing at it, testing it out. He had the reach advantage and he exploited it to the full, using it to keep the revenant from bringing its rime coated claws to bear, the ones that had done so much damage to Shags. And each time that the creature tried to gesture his way, to send another ice shard at him, he batted away the hand, preventing the attack from being made. He needed to keep it at bay; he wasn't sure just how much more damage he could take and there had been no time to activate his Iron Skin again. All his focus and energies and thoughts were on keeping the revenant on the defensive. Any slip of concentration could spell disaster, the icy touch waiting for him.

A loud yip reverberated around the chamber and Yrip came bounding over, hurtling passed Chance. The small kobold hurled himself on the revenant, stabbing at it with his dagger, biting into its undead flesh with his sharp teeth. The revenant gave Yrip a fearsome backhanded blow, sending the kobold tumbling away, battered, bruised and half frozen.

The strike had left an opening though, and Chance took it, lunging forward, roaring with all his soul as he did. The spear slammed home, deep.

Damage Inflicted: Medium

Health Remaining: None.

Chance ripped the spear clear and the revenant fell away, defeated.