Day Nine, Midnight

   We were not prepared!
   This is what happened! I keep running it over and over in my mind to try and think if there was some way I could have saved the day but everything happened so fast and somehow I think it was my fault for not having the proper tactics prepared before hand. Something that could have somehow changed the outcome.
  We met at the Green Forest Inn as usual. We immediately set off full of piss and vinegar, even though Catosha was not among our ranks. She was apparently away on church business. We had found a new member in Abrandon, the priest of Pelor. ( I keep calling him Abaddon to mess with his mind, like I keep calling Draco, Dragon Boy ).
  We decended full of confidence, being better equipped than last time.
  Our first encounter was with a couple of Giant Cave Crickets. They sprang upon and tore into our Barabarian before we were able to dispatch them. I used one of my four Magic Missile's I had prepared but decided we needed to dispatch these large and fearsome foes quickly. The party made fun of me for shooting the ceiling again with my heavy crossbow, but in my defense that is where they Cave Crickets jumped from.
  Abrandon's curative magic was indeed exceptional and Mordin didn't even show a scratch from the crickets.
  Up until now we had faced goblins, centipedes and various other living creatures. So imagine my surprise when in the next area we encountered a quartet of entrenched skeletal archers. They had the high ground being up a few flights of steps and behind walls. We exchanged missile fire but they had to good of cover and we were to well armored for them at long range.
  Shakes dove into a large pool that stretched the length of the room and started swimming closer. he would rise every few yards to take a shot at the archers with his bow. The barbarian charged along with Abrandon, trusting their armor to protect them. Draco and I combined our spells to take down one of the archers. Him with a Firebolt and I with a Magic Missile.
  The barbarian charged up the steps, arrows bouncing off his enchanted chainmail, and swung his greataxe. Shattering one of the skeletons.
  The Cleric, Abrandon, raised his holy symbol and recited a prayer. The two remaining skeletons knees actually knocked together, and teeth chattering, they fled.
  The crazy barbarian gave chase.
  The cleric followed close behind. I, thinking it was unwise to separate the party to much, and that the safest place would be in the vicinity of Mordin, followed as fast as I could.
  I glanced over my shoulder to see the rest of the party look at each other and shrug. And start to search the room. We were on our own.
  Pell-mell I followed the cleric and barbarian down a hall. They entered a room, hesitated, and then cut to the left.  I charged in. My Morningstar ready, and was immediately wary. For one thing. There was a huge statue in the middle of the room. It was of a strange looking demon. Large and humanoid except for it's birdlike head and viscous beak. It's legs resembled serpents. The second thing I noticed was the room was totally without sound. It was silenced. I could not hear anything and would be unable to work my magic in this room. I gripped my trusty Morningstar tighter and looked to my left.
  I could see the cleric there looking out of the silenced room down a short corridor to another room. In the entrance of that room we could see the barbarian. he had apparently just taken a swing at one of the fleeing skeletons. He looked to his right, into this new room, and yelled something I could not hear. he raised his Greataxe to take a swing at something in the room.
  He never got the chance.
  It was a creature out of nightmares.
  It was obviously once human, but only resembled one now in the fact that it had two arms and two legs. I could see negative energy rolling off it in waves. A black sinister force.
  It grabbed Morden around the throat. Morden the Strong. Morden the Heavy. Morden that I thought would never meet his match in battle. And lifted him effortlessly off the ground. Mordens axe slipped from nerveless fingers as he went into weak convulsions. A white energy escaped the barbarians mouth and into the mouth of the dark creature. Energy flew from his eyes and into the eyes of the Nightmare.
  I had the distinct impression that the thing was eating his soul.
  Check that.
  Ate his soul, as it casually let Morden Fodders limp body fall to the floor.
  I screamed at the top of my lungs but nothing came out!
  The Wight, for I recognized it for what it was now, must have heard my silent scream, for it turned to look at me and the priest. Two zombies stepped up to flank it as it smiled a hungry smile at us.
  I did what any sensible person would do in this situation. I ran for my life. I tried to scream for the cleric to run also, but once again nothing came out. I needn't have bothered though as he was right behind me running as fast as he could.
  He was a sensible person too.
  We fled to the top of the steps, where the rest of the party was still searching the room with the pool. My screams of terror must have alerted them to our predicament as they fanned out around the room.
When we realized we could hear and speak again, Abrandon stopped, turned and began to pray.
  His prayers somehow gave me courage. I skidded to a stop, spun, and blasted a hole the size of a melon through the Wight's chest.
  He sneered and kept coming.
  A blast of fire from Draco hit him. He shrugged it off.
  Abrandon stepped forward boldly, presenting his holy symbol.
  The Zombies flanking the horror stopped.
  The Wight paused.
  And then took a step forward.
  A contest of wills took place. The Cleric called forth his faith. The Wight presented his dark menace. For a second I thought the cleric was going to win.
  Then the Wight stepped forward and sucked the soul right out of him. The look of surprise was frozen on the clerics face as he fell to the ground. I would have screamed again but didn't have the time. The Zombies and the Wight looked in my direction and they still looked hungry.
  Once again I was running for my life.
  And this time there was no slow ass cleric behind me to buy me time.
  I toyed with the idea to leap off the balcony into the pool 20 feet below, but quickly discounted it because of my new chainmail shirt. Taking the steps three and four at a time I fled away from the three horrors.
  If everyone ran, I did not like my odds of surviving. Shakes and Draco were not wearing armor. Skylar was dressed in leathers. They would all outrun me leaving me to the undead.
  I need not have worried though, for charging up the steps came a hero.
  Skylar charged the Wight, Magic shortword held low.
  I ran.
  I didn't think Skylar was going to last long. And I didn't want his sacrifice to be in vain.
  Out of the corner of my eye I watched Draco fling another Firebolt.
  Hell.
  If he was going to blast away, I might as well too.
  I turned to see Skylar at the top of the steps, still standing and holding his own against the three undead. he ducked and tumbled, swinging his shortsword to and fro, keeping his enemies at bay.
  I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves. I reached into my mind and called forth my power.
  "Shrug off this!" I cried, and Blasted the Wight right between it's eyes.
  It Died.
  Well it became more dead....without the 'Un' part.
  Everyone Cheered!
  Even Skylar.
  Which is about the time when one of the Zombies struck him down with a blow over his head. He fell at their feet and I thought for sure they were going to start munching on his brains.
  But instead they both looked at me and shambled forth.
  Sometimes it's a curse being so smart.
  Draco yelled " I'm out of spells!" and readied his light crossbow.
  Shakes Shot one of them in the gut with an arrow.
  At this point I realized this was a fight to the death.
  All right then.
  I prepared my last spell. and aimed my finger at the chest of the nearest Zombie. I called forth a beam of positive energy. If I missed it would have no effect, unlike my Magic Missile, which always hits its target.
  I did not miss.
  The bright beam struck the zombie and it literally blew apart into dust.
  Shakes and Draco got the last zombie in a crossfire and shot it till it stopped moving.
  We had won.
  But at what cost!
  We ran up the steps and Draco forced a healing potion down Skylar's throat. He stirred a little and then sat bolt upright, reaching for his sword.
  Cautiously we approached the body of the cleric. It was rumored that those slain by a Wight would become a Wight in turn. I fished out a potion of Restoration that we had found on one of the Goblins.
(Now we know why they were carrying it.) Force feeding it to the cleric I whispered " Come on Abrandon, your work here is not done."
  For a few moments. Nothing happened. Then a bright luminescence approached and entered the clerics body. He stirred and took a deep breath.
  Opening his eyes he said " I saw a bright light. And then heard the voice of my God. He told me my work here was not done."
  Ya Whatever.
  He was weak, but he would live.
  On the Wight we found the missing Signet Ring.
  KACHING!
  This made us all feel better until we remembered the barbarian. With trepidation we recovered his body. We were fresh out of  those nifty restoration potions so we tied him up. He was cold and bathed in sweat. He was heavy and it took three of us to carry him out to the Battle Temple. Brother Elerldast, the ranking priest there, put him in a tub of holy water and informed us if he made it through the night he may be able to recall his soul.
  I go to bed worried about Morden. I think he hates me but I still think of him as a friend. Not sure I will be able to sleep tonight.