Bane the Barbarian – Session 10

DAY 32

In the morning we made our way cautiously up toward the mine. Az led us to a place in the rocks overlooking the entrance and we hid there and watched while Muratis attempted to scrye inside. We waited and waited… and waited… there was scrying… and more scrying… and more waiting. Az was turned invisible and went off scouting for a while. Then we waited some more. It was boring. Tediously so. And to make matters worse, while we were waiting, we were told about the things that lay ahead, lion headed creatures, and gnolls and a huge spiney dog thing. Hearing about it didn’t improve my nerves any. I just wanted to get on with it. The bad feeling I had about this place only grew worse with the passage of time.

We were also told that, beyond the mine, the crater was filled with deep black lifeless water. Three bridges stretched out across its surface like spokes linking the centre to the crater wall. And there, out in the middle where they met, rose the huge spire that we had seen from afar. Perhaps this was the Temple of All Consumption of which we had heard. Ferocious beasts were chained at the end of each causeway, guarding against entry. Or, as Muratis observed, “Perhaps they were keeping something in”. I didn’t like to think about that.

Az had also expressed misgivings about the place and once again he had spoken of his wishes should he be slain. It worried me to hear him talk that way. He is the one true friend I have. I will not let anything happen to him here.

By the following morning we were finally ready to go. We had waited till first light for Muratis to recover all the magical energy he had used. And during that time the others had come up with something resembling a plan.

Muratis would turn us all invisible and then we would sneak up to the entrance wall outside the guardroom. Krallovar would use his magic to Stoneforge an opening and then we would charge through it and kill all the guards. In order to stop the alarm being raised, Rae would be carrying a stone with a Silence spell cast on it. When she went into the guardroom she would drop it on the floor to deaden the sound and then she would run to the doorway and prevent any of the guards from escaping.

Rae had been chosen for this particular task because she had purchased some magic boots in Verbobonc that allowed her to move very fast. It was anticipated that with these she would reach the door in quick time.

And so, a little later that’s exactly what we did… Well almost.

It was a strange experience being invisible. I couldn’t help feeling nervous about standing out in the open, apparently in plain sight. Obviously no one could see me, but it still seemed wrong somehow. And I also felt a little isolated not being able to see my companions. They could have all left and I wouldn’t have been any the wiser. Though I guessed that Rae and the Silence stone must still be around because I couldn’t hear anything either.

I waited for long moments and then all of a sudden Krall and Az magically reappeared near the wall to the left of the entrance and a portion of it seemed to melt away until an opening had appeared.

I jogged forward, not running at full speed for fear of colliding with one of my invisible comrades. It was surprising how darned inconvenient not being able to see or hear each other actually was.

I headed for the hole and dived through into the room beyond, narrowly missing a gnoll who was standing on the other side. I successfully avoided him and rolled to my feet in front of three of his companions who were effectively blocking any avenue to the door. Beyond them were four human guards who had been playing dice at a small table in the corner. There was no sign of Rae but the silence was still there. Blast it! Where had she gone? There was no way she could have gotten past them to the door. There was no time to hesitate. If we did, then the advantage of surprise would be lost. So I laid into the gnolls, becoming visible with my first strike. One of the three went down under the blow and I pressed home my attack against the others.

I was vaguely aware of Az somewhere close behind me. And then a moment later he rushed past, through the gap I had created, toward the guards at the door. Hopefully he could stop them getting out. Where was Rae? Then one of the gnolls cried out, and it occurred to me that I wasn’t supposed to be able to hear him… or the clatter of our swords. Where had the bl**dy silence stone gone? And for that matter where the hell was Rae?

I cut down the second gnoll mid-scream and turned on the third. He didn’t last for long. Looking around, I could see two of the four guards by the door were down, and Az and Rae were both there. Finally! Though I wasn’t too sure what Rae was doing. While Az fought with one of the guards Rae appeared to be struggling to seize control of the table from the other. Back and forth it went as each of them tried to wrest it from the others grasp. What was she playing at? I ran forward and joined the fray, killing one guard while Az finished the other. The last gnoll had disappeared out the hole so finally the guardroom was clear.

I turned to Rae as she toppled the table back away from the door and said “…………..”

My lips were moving but no sound came out of my mouth. Hmmm… It looked like I had found the silence stone. Everyone watched in silence as Rae walked purposefully back into the main part of the guardroom, took out the stone, placed it on the floor and then came back.

“What the hell happened?” I repeated.

“OK, so I forgot to drop the stone” Rae replied a little snappily. Actually I was kind of wondering why she’d been f*cking around with the bl**dy table instead of just killing the guards. But perhaps now wasn’t the best time to get into this. “It didn’t matter anyhow” she went on, “there was a bell.” She pointed up at a chain that was hanging from the ceiling.

“Bugger!” I said, “Did they ring it?”

“Uh-Huh”

Oh great! I went over to the door and listened. I could hear someone coming. “There’s someone coming”, I said. But of course only Rae could hear.

We stepped back just as the door began to open and a scared looking face peered in. It was another guard. I grabbed him and yanked him inside, silencing him with a quick thrust of my sword.

At that moment we had a choice to make, since the guard’s arrival confirmed that the alarm had been raised. Either we could press home the attack or withdraw. There was no time for a debate so I plunged through the door. Rae followed close behind.

It was only dimly lit out in the corridor but I could still tell that pressing home the attack might not have been the best idea. To the right, in the direction I had turned, an ogre wielding a huge spear and great club sat astride a massive dog-like creature covered from head to toe in wicked looking spines. He was flanked on either side by gnoll archers. From behind me, off to the left somewhere, there was the slightly more distant sound of chanting. Rae skidded to a halt beside me.

There was a brief pause before I heard her say “I’ll take the cleric” and then she ran off in the other direction. I stood in the path of the ogre and his ferocious looking mount and thought to myself “Oh arse!”

“Lay down your weapons or die” the ogre bellowed.

I was quite relieved when at the same instant Az, Muratis and Krall piled out of the guardroom and joined me in the corridor.

Muratis took a moment to assess the situation and then began a casting. Magical energy started to coalesce in the air. In response the ogre and his mount charged. Even carrying the large bulk of its rider the spiny beast was extremely agile. It quickly closed the distance, scattering our small band and bearing down on the wizard. Obviously identifying him as a threat. I tried to intervene but the creature was already upon us.

In a frenzy of spines and claws the howler, for a massive one of those is what the beast was, attacked. I tried to strike at it as it came toward me, but it was too fast and its talons raked across my arm and chest as my blow fell. Then quills punctured my side and thigh as it forearmed me aside and ripped into Muratis. My attempts to protect him had been to no avail.

In the end he saved himself with an incredible feat of concentration. Despite the mauling he was being given he was somehow able to get off a spell. The corridor around the howler was suddenly filled with webbing and the beast itself, the ogre and the gnoll archers were all ensnared. That single act probably saved our lives. Though at the time they were still hanging in the balance.

The howler was caught but it strained against the webbing and at any moment it would break free. Part of its body was already clear. Muratis tottered there right infront of it, he needed to back away out of its reach but his robes were covered in blood and his face was deathly pale. A couple of large quills stuck out of him. I don’t think he could move. He was using all of his will just to stand there.

Sh*t! This doesn’t look good!

I staggered to my feet. If the howler struck him again he was a dead mage and its claws were very near. Somebody had to get to him, but in those first few instants I too had been grievously injured. A number of the howler’s quills also protruded from my body and my movements were painful and slow. Even with all my strength I could not get there. I was going to be too late.

I watched helplessly as the howler reached out and its claws rose and fell in a vicious strike that would have finished Muratis for sure, but suddenly there was a blur of motion from the shadows and a stout dwarf appeared. Az dived across the corridor, knocking Muratis out of the way. He was just in time and paid for it by taking the blow that would have killed Muratis himself.

It was about then that I heard a shout from back down the corridor. It was Rae. “I’ve got a room full of undead back here!”
So? What did she expect me to do about it?
“I’m a little busy right now”, I yelled back, somewhat tersely.

I pulled out some of the quills that were embedded in my body and armour, broke off others that were too deep. Muratis was in a bad way and the howler and the ogre were nearly loose. Rae would not be coming. It was down to me.

I advanced toward the webbing. A little voice inside my head was telling me that if the howler got me again like the last time I’d be dead. I ignored it. Pain heals, Chicks dig scars, Glory last forever!

Taking advantage of the howler’s movements still being restricted by the web, I put all my strength into a mighty blow. It bit deep and the creature howled in pain. Its struggles to be free intensified. Then Az and Krall joined me, fighting at my side, pressing home the attack.

We were having to avoid the ogre too by that time. He was lunging at us from the beast’s back, swinging his club and jabbing with his spear. As I narrowly avoided the howler’s claws the huge warclub struck me with a glancing blow and knocked the wind out of me. Ouch! That hurt!

It was at that instant that with a last effort, the howler wrenched itself clear.

Oh Arse!

I plunged my blade into it once again. Getting stuck with a couple of quills for my trouble.

Bl**dy thing! Come on you f*cker, die!

… but there was still life left in it. It turned on me with a frenzied snarl, blood and drool dripping from its maw.

I am certain that would have been it for me, but at the last moment Az interceded, impaling the beast with his spear. The creature screamed in pain and fury, swinging around toward him, breaking the spear shaft and tearing at him ferociously with teeth and claws. I saw him go down.

“NOOOOOO!!! Az!!” I cried out, leaping to his aid.

I dodged the ogre’s spear and furiously slashed into the howler again and again in an attempt to drive it back. “Get off him!!” I yelled as it continued to rend Az’s body. At last the monstrosity staggered and toppled, throwing the ogre to the ground, but alas I could see that it was too late for Az. His mangled body lay in a pool of blood on the floor. Through the tears that welled in my eyes I ended the howler’s thrashing by stabbing it through its brain.

Rising to its feet the ogre roared. I wiped away my sorrow. One more challenge remained.

We stepped out to face each other, and then Rae appeared. I do not know why, but the ogre took one look at her and snarled, “You and me, one on one.”

I looked at Rae. It was hard to tell if there was some kind of history between them. If it wasn’t a personal beef then the ogre had obviously taken an instant disliking to her. Though that was understandable. I wondered if she was going to accept the challenge. From her actions it wasn’t clear, and as usual it was impossible to know what she was thinking under all her armour.

After only a moment of hesitation she strode purposefully toward the ogre. He waited, grinning evily at her. It looked as though she might be going to say something, but without breaking stride she walked up to him and lashed out with her flail. There was a surprised look on the ogre’s face for a moment and then she hit him again and he went down.

It was over. Rae had blocked the door to the room of undead using a magic feather token that created an oak tree, so there was time for us to get away. We had no thoughts of continuing, Az was dead, Muratis and I were badly injured, and there was no telling how soon, or in what numbers, reinforcements would arrive. It was time for us to go.

I carefully lifted Az’s crumpled body and carried him out. He was gone. My dear friend had fallen and his wishes had been clear. There was no bringing him back…