Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 1696" data-attributes="member: 202">Keep of the Borderlands -part seventeen (session 5)Before heading to the next cave complex Milo decided to use one of his healing spells on Jeremiah.  After he had finished the chant and touched his hands to the barbarian's wounds, he shook his head sadly.  The spell didn't heal much, perhaps Milo wasn't focused enough.  Jeremiah supplemented the spell with his last healing draught, healing many of the wounds he had received.The group made their way up the slope and to the next cave mouth.  Near the entrance was a multitude of signs in many languages.  Mazi and Brigit only recognized one, orc.  Jeremiah and Milo couldn't make out any of the characters and waited for the two women to translate.  Brigit muttered something about a recruitment office.  Mazi told them what the sign said:"Welcome humanoids.  Come inside for food, shelter, and warmth.  Please apply to the guard station at the left."It was obvious to the adventurers that they would encounter intelligent foes in this cavern.  They discussed various options, finally settling on a stealthy approach.  Milo and Mazi would go invisible, Milo using a spell that was specially granted to him and Mazi using the potion that they had found days ago.  Milo readied his short sword before casting his spell.  He hoped to get close to his opponent and surprise them with a viscous sneak attack before they knew what hit them.  Brigit and Jeremiah would come in after Milo and Mazi as soon as the fighting started.The two stealthily crept into the cavern.  Not far from the entrance they arrived at an intersection.  Remembering the sign, they headed to the left.  After another intersection and a length of passage they spied a fire.  Around the fire sat three large humanoid shapes.  Bugbears!  All three were roasting something over the heat with skewers.  Milo tiptoed behind one of the hulking beasts and took careful aim.  Both he and Mazi struck simultaneously.  Rendered visible, the two adventurers were spied by the bugbears.  The beast before Milo dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding his sword.  Mazi slashed down at the bugbear in front of her, leaving a nasty gash along its back.  The bugbears roared in defiance.One roar was cut short as Jeremiah's arrow whistled out of the darkness.  It plunged deep into the wounded bugbear's chest.  The creature fell to the ground with a great "whomp".  Brigit quickly ran in after Jeremiah's arrow, hacking away with her dwarven waraxe.  The head cleaved through the gut of one bugbear, spilling its contents on the ground.  The weapon continued through the air to slash through the hide of the next monster.  The bugbear bled profusely from the wound but mustered the strength to spear Brigit with its skewer.  The flimsy weapon skittered off her shield as Milo moved behind the beast.  His sword flashed quickly and the bugbear fell to the floor."Whew, fat lot of good the invisibility did me." Milo said as he wiped his blade clean with a rag torn from the bugbear's tunic.  "At least we took them down before they could sound an alarm.  I'm sure there's more about."The others agreed and they set about looting the corpses.  After they had found a few gold pieces on each corpse, Brigit began her grisly work.  She hacked away at the large bodies until she was satisfied that no necromancer could bring them back, at least not easily.They decided to skip the second intersection after noticing that the passage sloped upwards and possibly into another cave system.  As they continued past the entrance, trying to tread as softly as possible, Brigit stumbled.  Her armor clanked loudly as she righted herself.  The sound startled Milo who was already on edge.  He too stumbled, his lantern swinging wildly before it bounced off the cavern wall with a loud din.  Mazi shushed them both as they stood as silently as possible.  They waited for a few seconds, fearing that an alarm may be sounded.  But they waited in vain.  No running feet, no shouts down the halls, nothing.The party continued on, suspicious that no one came to investigate the clamor.  The passage terminated in another intersection.  This one branched to the north and south.  The southern passage led down a flight of stairs.  They decided to head north and finish the main level of the caverns before going down into the depths.After a short curve to the east the tunnel ended in a door.  "OK everyone, considering that the whole cave probably knows we're here, why don't we take the old tried-but-true approach?"  Milo said after checking the door for traps. "Which one of you wants the honor?" He asked Brigit and Jeremiah, bowing to them while motioning to the door.A glint appeared in Jeremiah's eye.  He stomped up to the door, leaned back, and heaved himself forward with his foot extended.  The door burst open behind his weight, slamming into the opposite wall.  Over a dozen mildly surprised bugbears stared back at them.  Three large males stood in front of seven considerable females.  Three young bugbears peaked through from the back, their own weapons ready.Milo fired a bolt at the first bugbear, winging the beast.  Brigit rushed in past Jer and hacked into the wounded bugbear.  Her ax clove through the first and into the female standing next to it.  Both died almost simultaneously.  Mazithra moved next to Brigit and slashed at the male to her right.  Her sword swished through the air, failing to make contact with the snarling monster.  The bugbears recovered from their initial shock and pressed in on the two fighters.  Mazi deftly dodged the ugly brutes' attacks.  The male she attacked swung a heavy blow down at her, but she was no longer there.  She spun to the side and hopped back a half step to avoid two attacks from the females to her right.  Brigit was not as agile as her companion was, but the bugbears had no more luck attacking her than they did her elven friend.  The bugbears' maces made loud reverberations throughout the large cavern as they bounced off her magical shield.  Jeremiah spied an opening from his position next to Milo and fired his bow.  The arrow sped past Mazi and Brigit but did not meet any resistance before it shattered against the far wall.  The barbarian looked anxious to draw his great sword and wade into the battle but drew another arrow instead.Another bolt from Milo's crossbow flew into the fray.  It sunk into the big male's hide with expert precision.  Regardless of the accuracy of Milo's shot, the beast roared and fought on.  It swung its bludgeon at Mazi.  It roared again as she dodged the blow.  Mazithra performed a graceful pirouette, attempting to avoid the two females.  She completed her spin and swung her sword arm out to attack the male when one of the females brought its mace down hard.  She pulled her arm back quickly, a large bruise already forming under the skin.Oblivious to Mazi's plight, Brigit swung her ax for another attack.  The other male fell to her mighty swing.  It made to claw at her as it fell back, barely missing one of the approaching young.  Her ax continued its lethal work and the female attacked her moments ago fell with a harsh scream.Two more females took their place against the hated dwarf.  Three females and one youth were arrayed against the dwarf.  Unfazed, Brigit warded off each of their blows easily.  She scoffed at them and watched in satisfaction as an arrow grazed the youth.  She glanced back to see Jeremiah reloading his bow.  He nodded to her quickly then focused on the enemy, taking aim.Another young bugbear approached Mazi.  Milo lined up his crossbow and pulled the trigger.  The youth fell with the bolt protruding from its chest cavity.  Mazi was busy attacking the last male and avoiding his mace.  Neither combatant hit the other, but one of the females landed a blow on the slender elf.  She jumped away from the offending mace before it could strike again.Mazi took care not to get too close to Brigit's deadly ax.  The head bit through bugbears as easily as air.  The dwarf didn't even appear to break a sweat as she cleaved through two more females.  A mist of blood floated to the floor, following the bodies of the dead monsters.  Two more youth approached Brigit.  One had a chance to swing at her before it was cut down by Jeremiah's arrow.  The other youth and the female tried to bring their maces down on the dwarf.  Her shield once again deflected the heavy weapons.  Brigit pulled back, heaving her ax above her head.  The lethal blade crashed down upon the unprotected shoulder of the bugbear youth, cutting it from neck to waist.  She brought the ax up in a curving motion, slicing through the female to the side.  It fell atop the cleaved body of the youth.Mazithra sprung at the last remaining male, her sword finally inflicting a wound.  The bugbear bared its yellowed fangs at the elf and roared.  Its mace swung at the elf, causing the wound Mazi dealt to bleed even more.  It missed her completely, she had already spun around the reach of the clumsy bugbear.  The two females tried to hit the madly whirling elf but couldn't land a blow on her graceful form.Jeremiah and Milo moved into the room, through the pathway cleared by Brigit.  They fired their missiles at the male.  Jeremiah's arrow landed in its chest, puncturing its lung.  The beast fell back with a loud wheeze.  Its body crashed to the floor.Milo quickly reloaded his crossbow and fired at one of the remaining females.  His bolt found its target, wounding the bugbear gravely.  Mazithra spun to the side and sliced through it.  Her sword made short work of the injured female.  Brigit stumped to the final female.  Her ax literally whistled in the air before sinking deep into the female's chest.  Brigit grunted as she pushed the heavy bugbear off of her ax blade."Not a very hardy bunch, is they?" Brigit said to no one in particular."Bah, I hate the stupid louts." Mazi said as she spat on the corpse of the bugbear that gave her so much trouble.  "They can all rot!""A little upset at your battle prowess today, Mazi?" Milo teased.  "I'm sure you'll have more chances to spill bugbear blood." he finished with a grin.  Milo was already floating over the corpses, his little fingers working deftly to remove any valuables he found.  One of the males had a large key ring.  Milo clipped it to his belt for future inspection.  The males and females all carried gold.  It began to strike Milo as suspicious.  Almost every humanoid they had fought so far had some sort of coin on them."All of these beasts we've been battling have got to be in the employ of that robed guy."  Milo thought some more.  "Well, maybe not the cultist kobolds, but I've noticed that the rest of them have all had money.  I bet they're paid by that fiend."The others considered the idea while they finished looting the bodies.  Once they were done, Brigit set about hacking the arms, legs, and heads off the corpses.  The others stood to the side and looked on.  The dwarf was quickly earning the nickname of Brigit the Butcher.  At least it's for practical reasons, thought Milo.</blockquote>

Verification