Bane the Barbarian – Session 13

DAY 43 (cont.)

It took us some time to recover from our encounter with the manticore. I am pleased to say that Sol was a lot tougher than he looked, but his wounds were still severe and it required a lot of healing before he was ready to continue. Fortunately Halgar’s magic soon had him back on his feet, and there was enough left to heal me too.

Once he was feeling better, Sol went off scouting again.

We waited in the shadows for him to return, listening to the eerie sound of the chanting, which had continued.

When Sol came back he told us there were two passages ahead. The one to the right finished in a dead end. The cave it led to was empty save a large number of human skulls. The one to the left however opened into another cavern and beyond it the passage led on. In the cavern there was some kind of winged creature, a bit like a large bat, lurking up on a ledge. Sol thought it might be there as a lookout to watch the path.
There was no chance of us all sneaking past, so to prevent the creature from flying off to raise the alarm, Muratis turned Sol invisible. That way he could move through the cavern undetected and cut off its escape.

We waited for a long while to give Sol time to get in position and then we moved on.

As we had anticipated, when the creature became aware of our presence it squawked and took to the air, flying off into the far passage where Sol was waiting.

Sounds of a scuffle ensued and we hurried to get there in case the little guy was having any trouble.

When we arrived the bat winged creature was scrabbling around on the floor making unhappy screeching noises. It looked like it was a bit stunned and was trying to get up. Sol was nowhere to be seen but I assumed that he was somewhere around.

Thinking that I would put a stop to the commotion the creature was making, I cleaved it in two with my sword. To my surprise however, though it stopped the noise, the two halves began to meld back together and to grow.

At that point Halgar intervened. “Surrender your will to me”, he commanded.

Who me???

Then I realised he was talking to the creature, which appeared to comply. It became docile, ceasing its struggles and returning to its original form.

I looked to Halgar and he signalled that I should finish it.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s a mephit” Halgar replied. “They are lesser creatures of the Earth plane, but this one has been corrupted and twisted to evil by the priests of the Elder Elemental Eye. Destroying its form here will free it and allow it to go back to where it belongs.”

“Could we ask it what we’re up against before it goes?” I suggested.

“Hmmm … perhaps we can” Halgar replied thoughtfully. “That may be a good idea.”

While Halgar attempted to communicate with the mephit I went up the tunnel a short way to listen and see if there were any signs that the racket it had made had raised the alarm. In addition to the chanting, which had continued unabated, there was a distant metallic sound that could have been the movement of armoured soldiers, but it was difficult to tell.

“Could be an ambush”, Sol piped up from the shadows nearby, startling me a little.
By the Gods! I wish he wouldn’t do that!

“Muratis and Halgar think we should fall back for a while” he continued. “They’re heading back to the last rope trick.”

“Listen” I said.

The chanting was slowly getting louder, as though it were building to a crescendo.

“Come on, we better go” Sol urged.

It was then that I noticed that the walls had begun to radiate a sickly green colour.

“What the hell is that?” I asked.

Sol did not reply.

“Sol?”

Apparently he had taken his own advice and departed.

I decided to do likewise and hurried back down the passage to rejoin the others.

A short while later we were all back up the rope trick. Once again I was stuck feeling like a caged animal. My nervousness about being caught in there like a rat in a trap was not improved when Muratis admitted that various methods of magical detection could reveal the rope trick’s presence. So why exactly was being up there such a good idea? I mean do you feel safe? I sure as hell don’t!

DAY 44

As the hours went by we passed the dawn of another day. Not that you could tell from where we were. In the rope trick there was nothing to mark the passage of time and out in the catacombs there was only endless night.

To overcome our problems with illumination, Halgar used some of the time in the rope trick to enchant Tangrel’s sword with a continual flame. Now, when I drew it, liquid fire danced along the blade. There was no heat to it however and so it did not burn. It was fascinating. For quite a while I was occupied by just watching the magical flames.

Eventually, after switching to a second rope trick when the first ran out, we came down again. There was no longer any sign of the unnatural green glow that had emanated from the walls and the chanting had ceased, but in its place there was the distant beating of a drum.

Drums, drums in the deep …

Carefully we made our way back into the dark tunnels. Once again I felt a growing apprehension about what might lay ahead, lurking in the inky blackness beyond the light.

We must have taken a different route that time, as initially we entered some rooms that I did not remember from before. There were furs and sacking on the floor and some signs of habitation. In one chamber there was a book with an ornate cover depicting a flaming eye, and with it a chain that bore a medallion carrying the mark of the Enemy.

We moved on, and once we had passed through those rooms we came back into an area that I recognised from before.

Certain warnings had been left for us there.

First a severed troglodyte head on a stake, with the words “Go Back” written in common in the dirt on the floor.

Then a headless corpse with a piece of parchment pinned to its chest, bearing the words:

“Brave adventurers, we have no quarrel with you. Return the Sword of Earth and you may pass freely through”

The Sword of Earth?

“I suppose they must mean this”, said Halgar, indicating a large sword shaped bundle that was strapped to his back.

I tried to recall how exactly he’d come to be in possession of that particular item. Then I remembered, it was the sword that the troglodyte had kept striving to pick up the day before. I guess that explained why he’d been so determined to get it. Obviously it was of some importance to them.

Treating their messages with contempt, we pressed on.

As we descended into the catacombs again, the drumbeat continued relentlessly and the sound of distant chanting resumed.

With each step we drew nearer. The beat of the drum grew ever louder and the chanting resolved itself into a single voice intoning some dark enchantment in the guttural hisses of the troglodyte tongue.

By the time we reached the point where we had turned back before, we were very close to the source of the sounds.

Sol came back from scouting ahead and told us that we were approaching a natural defensive position where stalagmites and stalactites protruded all around. They almost completely blocked the tunnel and made it treacherous for us to pass. The far side of the barrier was guarded by two troglodytes, and a short distance beyond them the tunnel appeared to open out into a large well-lit cavern. All the indications were that this was where the noises were emanating from.

While the others hurriedly put their heads together to come up with a plan of attack, I listened to the beat of the drum. It seemed to me that it was steadily increasing in tempo and I assumed that meant that whatever dark rite was being performed was coming to an end.

We needed to act soon, there was very little time.

After a few minutes my colleagues appeared to notice it too, for they broke off their discussion and began to advance. I fell into line.

I was going to ask them if they had come up with a plan but it was apparent that Muratis and Halgar had already begun casting, so I didn’t interrupt. Predictably Sol was suddenly nowhere to be found. Besides it probably didn’t matter. I couldn’t remember a time when one of our plans had survived past step one. You could pretty much guarantee that we would end up just charging in and killing them all, which was fine.

At that moment Muratis gestured and a huge web materialised at the far end of the barrier ensnaring the two troglodyte guards. As they struggled to free themselves they appeared to be calling out but without making any sound. A silence spell I presumed. So far whatever the plan was appeared to be working well.

Halgar and Muratis then began running toward the start of the stalagmites and stalactites so I set off after them.

Our progress was slowed once we reached the obstruction. The stone spikes were razor sharp and snagged repeatedly on our clothes and armour. We were reduced to walking pace, as we had to carefully wriggle through the gaps. Initially Muratis had tried to get through more quickly but he had been rewarded with a painful gash to his side, so we had chosen a more cautious approach after that.

When we finally got to the other side we were faced with the web and the two troglodyte guards. The latter, though seriously restricted in their movements, were still a hindrance to us getting past. Attacking them in the confines of the stalactites and stalagmites was a difficult proposition and as I was at the rear I could only watch as Halgar and Muratis attempted to batter their way through.

All in all it took far too long and I seriously doubted that the occupants of the cavern could have failed to observe the spectacular array of pyrotechnics that Muratis had to use on the troglodyte in front of him. Not to mention the fact that, after we had dealt with them, we then had to burn a path through the web.

The plan was not looking so well thought out at that point.

By the time we finally interrupted the proceedings in the cavern beyond, we were too late.

Before us in the torchlight there was a grizzly scene. On an altar, atop a large three-tiered ziggurat, sprawled the ruined body of a female elf. Whoever she was, it had been her misfortune to be sacrificed to the dark powers of the Elder Elemental Eye. Her chest had been rent open and her lifeblood ran in rivulets across her pale skin and down the surface of the stone. Standing over her, a black robed troglodyte priest gripped her heart in his blood soaked claws and raised it toward the roof of the cavern.

I felt a great anger inside of me, and a deep sadness that we had failed her. If we had been a few moments sooner we might have been in time to save her from this. How I now cursed all that waiting around. If only I had known.

In addition to the invocator, there was a second robed priest on top of the ziggurat. It was apparent that he had been the one responsible for beating out the cadence on the drum, which now stood silent before him. And another half-dozen or so troglodytes in robes, knelt in supplication a short distance away.

As we took in this scene there was a slight rumbling sound, a tremor in the earth, and then at the foot of the ziggurat a powerful heavy-set creature with a huge gaping maw emerged from the ground. I would later learn from Halgar that this creature they had summoned was a Xorn.

At that moment a crossbow bolt flew from the shadows, pierced the heart and snatched it from the troglodyte priest’s hand. It was an incredible piece of marksmanship. The bolt and heart disappeared into the darkness at the rear of the cavern and the priest was left glowering at the intruders who had dared such irreverence within the Earth temple.

Then suddenly the whole area was consumed in a massive fireball.

Not waiting for an invitation to join the party, I charged.

As the smoke and flames cleared, I could just make out that the robed onlookers were all down. Unfortunately, though their robes were smouldering from the heat, the two priests on the ziggurat appeared largely unharmed, and I briefly caught sight of the Xorn burrowing back into the ground. I hoped it was leaving for good, but I suspected otherwise.

I clambered onto the first tier of the ziggurat as the priest who had been drumming pulled out a wand. The second priest was simultaneously bending to arm himself with a morningstar and a large steel shield. I noted with a little trepidation that beneath his robes he appeared to be wearing full-plate armour. It occurred to me that this could present us with a problem. We had experienced no small amount of difficulty dispensing with the troglodyte attempting to wield the Sword of Earth the day before, and he had only been wearing half-plate armour!

Not wanting to be zapped by the wand I turned my attention to the drummer troglodyte first.

THUNK

Arse! It was clear that he too was heavily armoured.
As I swung again he dropped the wand and made some gestures with his large reptilian hands. Damn! I was frozen. The effect only lasted briefly but it was enough to disrupt my strike. When it finally landed there was hardly any force behind it and for a second time the blow glanced harmlessly off his armour. I could tell he was going to annoy me!
I went to try and hit him again but aborted my attack when a swarm of magic missiles suddenly streaked around me to flare against the troglodyte in a shower of coloured sparks. From where I was standing they had been a little too close for comfort, but I was relieved to see that I was unharmed. Unfortunately the same could also be said for my opponent, who still seemed unperturbed by our attempts to injure him. It was turning out to be just as I had feared.

I was vaguely aware that the other priest had descended to the middle tier of the ziggurat to engage Halgar who seemed to be having a hard time. If he was having as much trouble breaching the armour as I was, I wasn’t surprised!

Then suddenly something happened and I couldn’t move again.

Damn it! Was that you, you scaly f*cker? I furiously scowled at my opponent. I strained with all my might to hit him, but to no avail. Oh you’re gonna be sorry! Grrrr … Just … you … wait!

I nearly fell over as I suddenly broke free again.

Hah! Couldn’t hold me could you!

CLANG … CLANG

Bugger! I’d got a couple of pretty good blows in that time but had done nothing more than slightly dent the surface of his armour. His robes were becoming a little tattered but that was scant consolation. And now his stubby clawed hands had begun to glow a sickly purple colour, which didn’t look good. There was no telling what effect they might have on me if he hit me with them.

CLANG … THUNK … THUNK … CLANG

By all the Gods!!

I tried to keep him back by raining blows about his head and torso but he seemed impervious to them. Taking a couple of heavy strikes to his helm, that would have killed most adversaries, the troglodyte waded through my defences and grabbed me with his hands. Arrrgggghhh!! The pain was excruciating. It seared through me and I doubled over. I wrenched myself free from his grasp and staggered away. Sweat poured from my brow and my body shook uncontrollably as I tried to steady myself.

What the hell was that!? It had felt like a burning brand had been stuck right through me!

I was relieved to see that after having this effect the troglodyte’s hands were no longer glowing and that he had backed away to the far side of the ziggurat to retrieve his morninstar and shield. I hoped that this was an indication that he’d used up all his cursed magic tricks and that the glowing hands thing was a one shot deal. If not I was in serious trouble, because a couple more like that would finish me and as yet I didn’t think I had done him any damage to speak of.
I buried my doubts. Drawing strength from my fury at their sacrifice of the elven female I advanced determinedly toward him.

One way or the other these s*dding reptiles were going down!

Despite my bravado it was a considerable relief to me when my adversary was suddenly entangled in another huge web that magically appeared to cover the far side of the ziggurat and most of the rear of the cavern. Though you might have noticed that I am not particularly fond of magic or wizards, I was beginning to appreciate Muratis’s timely interventions. This particular case was no exception.

There was no letup however as the other troglodyte was still going and I could see Halgar had taken a lot of punishment from its attacks. The troglodyte priest had repeatedly bashed him with a morningstar until he could barely stand. It was a testament to his strength of will that he was still upright but he didn’t look like he was going to last much longer.

I had already been too late once today and the female elf had died, on this occasion I was determined that I would be in time.

I leapt down the steps and with all my strength I dealt the troglodyte a mighty blow.

CLANG!!!!!!!!

He staggered back a few paces but I had done little more than put an impressive dent in his armour.

For pity’s sake! What have I got to do to hurt these guys!!!?

At least I had achieved my immediate aim of intervening in time to prevent Halgar from being killed. Though I got a bash from the troglodyte’s morningstar for my troubles.
Sol had also joined the fray at that point, and I was impressed by the little guy’s tenacity as he worried the troglodyte from behind. Between us we succeeded in keeping our opponent off balance and more than once Sol used his agility to dart in and slip his blade between the plates of the troglodyte’s armour. Though my own attacks were far more powerful they rarely caused any real damage and it was the nimble halfling who was doing our adversary the most harm.

At times we gained the upper hand when Muratis and Halgar were able to join the melee, but initially they had their own problems with the troublesome burrowing Xorn. In fact, Muratis was severely mauled and nearly died before Halgar finally succeeded in banishing the creature.

So, for a while at least, Sol and I were left to handle the troglodyte priest on our own. As the combat became a matter of endurance, I began to worry that we were outmatched. It still seemed as though our opponent was relatively unhurt whereas the cumulative effect of my own wounds was beginning to tell. I would never give in, but I could feel myself weakening. I summoned all my strength and fought on.

Once Halgar and Muratis had dealt with the Xorn however, the battle turned. Our battered and weary fellowship surrounded the single troglodyte and together we beat him down.
At the end, part of the troglodyte’s armour gave under one of my blows and Halgar and Muratis struck simultaneously with burning and freezing hands. The combined attack was too much for the troglodyte, which staggered and fell to the ground dead…