Bane the Barbarian – Session 12

DAY 43 (cont)

While Muratis and Halgar had been talking at the crossroads about what to do next, Rae had stood impassively nearby. She had said nothing, but after some minutes had passed she appeared to come to a decision.

“It’s no good” she declared, “I’m afraid this is where we have to part company. I have tried to be as accommodating as I can, but frankly, it doesn’t work. I have tried to build up trust between us, but it has been unsuccessful. If you do not have trust or faith in me this cannot work, and to compound it all, I find myself having doubts about people’s commitment. We have been in each other’s company too long, and I must take my leave before circumstances lead to a more … final departure.”

What??? My brain tried to take in what it had just heard.

Without waiting for a response Rae turned away and marched towards the main entrance doors, leaving a stunned silence behind her.

For long moments I stared after her somewhat incredulously. “So that’s it? You’re just going to leave?” I eventually called after her, as no one else had said anything.

“There is more than one way to fight the Enemy, and more than one place. Look inside yourself, and ask if there is any other reason why I should stay” she replied, before continuing.

“Look inside myself!? What’s that supposed to mean? We’re in the mines leading to the Temple of All Consumption and you’re going to go and fight Evil… SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!?” I yelled.

The only response was the distant thudding of the doors as she went out.

“I don’t believe she just did that!” I exclaimed to no one in particularly. “I mean… well… I just don’t believe it.”

I looked to the others, as though I expected someone else to have an explanation. Halgar shrugged helplessly and Muratis seemed to be engrossed in the shadows of a nearby corner. He was mumbling incoherently and I wondered if the shock had caused him to lose his mind.

“Muratis?” I said, trying to gain his attention. “MURATIS?”

“Huh?” He still seemed a little preoccupied. “Oh well I suppose you better come out now”

What’s this? Had he acquired some kind of an invisible friend?

“This is Sol”, he said, gesturing toward thin air.

“Er … Muratis … ??”

“Hi there” said a small figure, stepping out from the shadows.

I leapt backward a couple of feet, half drawing my sword.

“Who the Hell are you?” I exclaimed.

“Sol the Halfling” the little fellow said, extending a hand. “Finder of Lost Things. Pleased to meet you”

Initially I didn’t accept the hand.

“He’s from Brindinford” Muratis offered.

“You know him then?” asked Halgar a little dubiously.

“I suppose you could say I know ‘of’ him” Muratis replied.

“OK, but what on Oerth is he doing here?” I put in.

“I’m looking for something” Sol answered for himself “It’s what I do. I thought I might tag along with you, if you don’t mind?”

Tag along!? You don’t just bl**dy tag along here mate!! This is the s*dding doorstep of the Temple of All Consumption!!!!

“Perhaps we better retire to the Rope Trick before we more properly make each other’s acquaintance” suggested Muratis before I could respond.

Oh come on! On top of everything else that’s just happened you’re not expecting me to go up there? I thought. But I could see that he did. I supposed that it was either that or leave, and if the forces within re-fortified we would be unlikely to get in again.

“OK” I conceded “but just this once”

When we were inside the Rope Trick, Sol explained what he was doing there and how he had got in, and some other things that I didn’t hear. I wasn’t exactly paying attention, because I found it very disconcerting being up there. It seemed like we were in the Rope Trick for a very long time and all I wanted was to be out of it. The others took turns sleeping and keeping watch, but I didn’t. I just sat and waited. I spent most of the time watching to see if the feeling that I had that the walls were closing in was real.

Much later, after Sol had gone out scouting to make sure the coast was clear, Muratis let us out.

I can’t begin to describe how good it felt to have solid rock beneath my feet once more. Damn magic bubbles give me the creeps! Even the stagnant air in the mines seemed sweet at that point.

It wasn’t exactly nice being out in the tunnels either though. Other than the eerie luminescence being cast by Halgar’s morning-star it was completely dark. It didn’t appear to affect Sol and Muratis much but, as for myself, I could see so little that I began to feel quite anxious about what might be lurking only a few feet away.

Sol went ahead and we followed the passage in the direction the troglodyte had gone. Far off in the distance I could hear something that sounded a bit like chanting, though it was indistinct and did not seem human.

Eventually we came to a room with a large triangular sigil, an earth rune, carved into the stone floor. There was an ominous feeling there, a sense that something or someone was waiting for us in the dark.

Halgar and I edged forward, weapons at the ready, but to be honest, with only the glow from Halgar’s morning-star to go by, I couldn’t make anything out. I was peering into the gloom when I thought I saw something. Was it a figure? I couldn’t be sure. Suddenly the shape made a hissing sound and then moved.

I yelled a warning – “HALGAR!” And then a powerful blast of dust and gravel hit me full in the face. I was momentarily blinded as particles of grit blew in my eyes and mouth, and small stones bounced off my armour. I could imagine the desert storms I had heard of being like that. As I tried to shield my face I heard a cry from Muratis and when I looked back behind me, there was just enough light for me to make out a troglodyte female with a spear attacking him. She was the only adversary I could see at that point so I ran over to assist. Unfortunately, as I approached, Halgar must have moved, because the dim light from his mace went away. Bugger! I couldn’t see anything again. Then suddenly there was a hiss and something came past me into the room. It was too big for a halfling and I couldn’t make out any wizard’s robes, so it had to be the troglodyte, I struck out and whatever it was went down.

Turning back to the room again, I could just make out another reptilian in half-plate armour bending to pick up a sword from the ground. Further to the right, in the darkness, there were more sounds, including a guttural hissing noise that kind of reminded me of someone making an incantation of some kind. Oh Great!!! Still, there wasn’t much point in worrying about that. If I went over there, I wouldn’t be able to see, so instead I went after the swordless troglodyte.

Hopefully I could get it before any untoward magical effects occurred. I charged in, winding up for a hefty blow and … CLANG … my blade deflected off its armour. The troglodyte rocked a little, its reptilian eyes blinking at me in annoyance, and then it bent over again toward the sword. Hmmm … this one was a tough son-of-a-bitch!

I tried to be more precise with my second blow, but as the strike went in I was suddenly blinded by the whole room being illuminated with bright light … CLANG … Bl**dy Hell! Not the armour again!

This time the troglodyte came after me, raking the air with stubby but dangerous looking claws. My eyes were still adjusting to the light and it caught me with a glancing blow.

Oh boy! Now you’re gonna get it!

CRUNCH!!

Ouch! Something had snuck up on me and knocked me down. I had been blindsided by an earth elemental! Where the hell had that come from?

I rolled quickly to my feet. With two adversaries to choose from I had to go on the defensive a little while I worked out which way to turn. Then I heard Halgar’s commanding tone tell the elemental to begone and it melted back into the earth. My attention went back to the swordless troglodyte, except I noted that now it was holding the sword.

It fixed me with beady reptilian eyes and something vaguely resembling a wicked grin spread across its mouth, so I let it have it. This time my blade found a weak spot in its armour and bit into scaly flesh. The troglodyte hissed furiously at me, swinging its sword around in a powerful strike which I narrowly avoided.

Who’s laughing now lizard boy?

Then it dropped the sword on the floor again. I got the impression the weapon had slipped from its grasp. Hmmm… I wondered if Muratis had anything to do with this or whether the troglodyte was just inept. Either way it was time to take the scaly armoured critter down. My blade slashed between metal plates and satisfyingly cut into its scales for a second time but then … CLANG … Let’s not start that again … CLANG … Arse! Now I was just making it angry.

The troglodyte picked up the sword once more and tried to smash my blade but failed, losing its grip again in the process. I was beginning to feel sorry for it. It obviously wasn’t having a good day. Why didn’t it just forget the damn sword and let me put it out of its misery?

To make matters worse for it, while all this had been going on, Halgar had taken the opportunity to get round behind it and had started burning it with flaming hands, which it obviously didn’t like. It began roaring in fury, so I kept it occupied by hitting it repeatedly … CLANG … CLANG … CLANG … Then, after a few seconds, with an ever-increasing stench of burned reptile, it fell to the ground.

Thank the gods! I had been beginning to wonder if it would ever go down!

Meanwhile Muratis and Sol had seen to the magic wielding troglodyte and the battle was over.

After the fight with the troglodytes we moved on, heading deeper and deeper into the catacombs. As we went further the strange chanting that I had heard grew steadily louder.

We passed or went through many rooms. Some bore signs of occupation, others did not. Often they had strange demonic markings painted on or carved into the walls. Sometimes there were skulls or other skeletal remains on display. And the stench of evil was ever present. All in all it wasn’t very nice.

At one point I found five or six sets of humanoid tracks leading away into the darkness but that was the closest we came to encountering any more of the followers of the Elder Elemental Eye for some time.

Eventually we came to a large cavern, with stalactites and stalagmites all around. The chanting was much louder there.

Sol crept forward, quickly vanishing amongst the shadows. There was no doubt that the little guy was good at sneaking around. One moment he could be right there in front of you and the next he’d disappear. I’d tried watching him closely a few times, but it was never long before he faded out of sight. His proficiency at scouting had also proved invaluable during our exploration of the tunnels and I had decided that it was a good thing we had him around.

A few minutes had gone by when I suddenly saw the little fellow sprinting back towards us as if his life depended on it. I soon found out why, it did! From behind some boulders a manticore appeared. There was a crossbow bolt stuck in its side and it looked pretty annoyed.

It bounded forward, and snapped its tail like a whip, hurling out a number of wicked looking spines. Sol was nearly back to us at that point but the quills flew toward him with unerring accuracy and found their mark, sending him sprawling mid-stride.

From where I was standing it looked pretty nasty. I was not even certain whether the halfling had survived. I hoped he would pull through.

Halgar and I immediately ran forward, Halgar to Sol’s side and I toward the manticore.

Well somebody had to deal with the thing! And before it had an opportunity to fire off too many more of those bl**dy spines!

I charged toward the beast.

Suddenly everything around me appeared to slow down. It was as though I was moving much faster than normal. Some of Muratis’s magic perhaps? It seems that he and Halgar are both prone to casting beneficial spells on me during combat. Generally the effects were pretty handy but it could be a little disconcerting some times.

Anyway, in this instance the hastening effect I felt allowed me to cover the ground to the manticore without being repeatedly bombarded with hails of spines. In fact, the creature only had time to get off a single volley, and as a result my wounds were light.

Arriving in front of the manticore, I summoned all my might and swung my blade, dealing a heavy blow to its shoulder. The impact caused it to stagger backward, which was rather gratifying. It responded by raking me with its claws, but the hastening continued to give me the upper hand. I hit it twice more before it could recover and then a crossbow bolt whistled by me and buried itself in the creature’s brain. It was apparent that our resident scout had somehow survived.

The manticore on the other hand was very dead. Its eyes rolled up into its head and it collapsed to the ground…