The chamber the delvers enter after having grouped together is dimly lit by flickering torches near the entrance, but dark beyond that area. As the adventurers enter, huddled together in a defensive formation, multiple sets of torches along rows of pillars light up one by one, bathing the spacious chamber in a warm glow, until eventually they illuminate a raised dais at the end of the hall. Atop the dais rests a large throne hewn of solid stone, in which rests an empty set of armor. Some pieces of lie discarded around the throne. Other than that, the hall is empty.

When the final pair of torches illuminate, the adventurers have reached about a third of the way into the hallway, and stop there. A voice echoes throughout the room, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.

“So you come to my halls, like those other two before you. Are you, too, interested in going into the forest? … Then, step up and prove your ability.” it says, as the discarded pieces of armor begin to float up as the main set of armor that was seated on the throne begins to rise. The disconnected pieces dramatically clink into place as the figure steps forward, forming the full appearance of my dear boss monster.

Siegfried raises his sword and shield, and with a glance that even unnerves me a little from within his hollow helmet, enters a fighting stance as the helmet’s visor falls closed.

“Come at me!” he yells out his challenge.

And the delvers respond. Having taken the time during which my boss assembled himself, Nathan, the painter, has prepared a spell, painting a shield on all of his allies which begins to glow dimly as he empowers it with his essence. The other two bards begin to play their instruments, waves of essence emanating out from them rhythmically, carrying buffs for their allies.

Kallion, the party’s mage, focuses and the temperature around him plummets, the nearby torches flickering as he brings a large icicle into existence, and then shoots it at Siegfried along with the arrows delivered by Allea’s bow. The two frontliners, Simon and Astrid, charge towards my knight, splitting up to flank him and take advantage of their superior numbers.

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Siegfried brings up his shield to deflect the icicle, letting the accompanying arrows bounce off him harmlessly as he turns to face the approaching melee combatants, backing up to make it harder for them to flank him. As he does, they are forced to widen their arc of approach while their allies cover them with ranged attacks, which Siegfried blocks or angles his body to deflect harmlessly, before suddenly turning and charging at the cluster of ranged combatants through the gap left by the melee fighters, bringing up his shield to deflect several more icicles and arrows, as well as several bolts of fiery red and airy green paint that have joined the assault.

Breaking through the hail of projectiles, Siegfried’s shield crashes into a wall of ice that was hastily erected to slow down his charge at the last second, sending fragments of ice hurtling throughout the room and across all the members of the rearguard, who are similarly scattering into all directions. Picking a target within a split second, Siegfried continues his charge towards Kallion, who stumbles away while raising his staff protectively in front of himself. He manages to barely block the sword that comes down on him, before backing up away from Siegfried before he can continue his assault. And before he can move to follow, Siegfried is assaulted by the two melee combatants that have caught up to him thanks to the ice wall slowing him down. Turning his back to the Ice Mage, Siegfried receives Astrid’s overhead blow with his shield while parrying Simon’s sword with his own.

“Not bad” he says, before battering Astrid with a shield bash that sends her flying back. Projectiles impact across his back while he turns towards Simon and begins a rapid exchange of blows, their two swords impacting on shields or one another as the two knights unleash their swordplay, before slamming their shields against each other, sending Simon skidding away to the sound of metal grinding across the stone floor.

Amidst a hail of projectiles, Siegfried turns and charges the nearest of the bards, Nathan. A discordant sound rings out as Nathan plays a note on his flute that unleashes a shockwave upon my boss and the surroundings, sending him staggering back.

With a break in the brief exchange, the delvers reform their formation while Siegfried steadies himself and assumes his fighting stance once again.