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Liquid Awesome
With no one fighting at her side for the moment, the Blue Demoness opted for the better part of valor and beat a hasty retreat before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Marius slashed at her flank as she fled but his blade made only a thin scratch on her blue skin.
Marcus still found himself engaged with the flail-wielding Ogre whose back was against the wall and front was against a giant pig. The Ogre ignored Brutus for a moment and swung his flail at Marcus, striking him but unable to bring him down.
Marius and Cathal were both nearby but Marius looked like he might topple over and die at any moment. Rather than risk stepping inside the Ogre’s reach he attempted to use his Wand of Healing. He drew the thin rod from his belt but was rewarded with only a tiny spark when he focused his will upon it. Cathal, seeing his companion in distress stepped forward and offered him a healing potion that he kept handy.
It now appeared that one of the Ogres that had fled in fear was regaining his composure and turned to fight once again. Speaks wanted to keep the momentum and charged but his shillelagh was largely repelled by the Ogre’s armor. Fortunately Brutus came charging once again to aid his ally and plowed into the Ogre’s breastplate, rending steel with his mighty tusks.
Lazarius could see that the battle was starting to move up the hallway and that his primary target was gone for the moment. He flew forward over the pit to see poor Albius struggling to escape and bleeding from at least two wounds inflicted by the spikes below. In an uncharacteristic act of compassion, the Wizard flew down into the pit to aid the young Cleric. “Maybe next time you’ll come when I call you?!”
Oordgul, the Ogre had been given one simple order by his superiors: “No one goes beyond the Rune Door!” And he knew the consequences of failing the High Priests of Bane. Far better to die fighting in this hallway than live to face their wrath. And if he died well then perhaps his masters would deem him worthy to be Raised as they had others. He gripped his flail and charged after the Human who faced one of the Guard.
Speaks never saw the Ogre coming and was nearly crushed to the ground by the massive head of the flail as it clipped his shoulder. Marcus ran to aid the Druid but the Ogre spun and swung the flanged head of the flail crashing into his armor stopping the Warrior-Priest’s momentum and rendering his attack feeble.
Albius seemed to be making some headway with the assistance of Lazarius. Too weak to pull the armored Cleric by himself, the Wizard was at least taking some of the weight of his armor off the young man and making it easier to pull himself up the wall. “Have you got it?” asked Lazarius.
“Yes, I think I can make it!” said Albius.
“Good, because I’m needed up top!” Lazarius let go of Albius’ armored collar and flew back up out of the pit, drinking a potion to soothe his wounds as he went. As the full weight of his armor sank back onto him, Albius struggled to maintain his grip on the wall.
Blackness clawed at the edges of Marcus’ vision. He glanced back to see if Albius was close by and able to help him but the youth was nowhere in sight. Marcus stepped backward from the hulking Ogre in front of him and drank another potion, hoping desperately that Albius was not dead in the bottom of the pit.
Cathal tumbled past Marcus to press the attack and stabbed the tip of his blade through the Ogre’s thick, hide armor drawing more blood but still the Ogre kept his feet. Speaks saw that the Ogre with the flail was distracted by Cathal and kept up his attack on the one with the spear. His long club struck the Ogre at the neck and there was an audible CRACK as the creature feel to the ground.
Oordgul could see that holding this end of the hallway was a losing proposition. The Priest had retreated into his chamber and that was the best place for them to make a stand. And he doubted that these intruders would try the Rune Door while he and the Priest yet lived. He took his soul into his hands and fled into the side passage. Cathal was not about to let the Ogre depart so easily and he pursued in two bounding steps. But his foot slipped on the ample blood pooled upon the floor and his strike went wide of its mark.
The others were less eager to pursue. All were bleeding and Marius still staggered, seemingly barely on his feet. Marcus moved to his side and gave him the healing blessing of St. Cuthbert. Marius was grateful but waved away any further healing. “Go. Get in there and help the Brigante before he gets himself killed.”
Marcus was reluctant to leave the hallway with Albius still unaccounted for but took heart when he saw a gauntleted hand reach above the lip of the pit and grab the edge. Lazarius alighted next to the other two Imperials. “What’s the plan?” he asked as he quaffed yet another potion.
“You two GO! I’ll be fine!” insisted Marius. As if to punctuate the fact that the battle was moving away from the party, Speaks and Brutus charged down the side passage after Cathal and his prey.
Inside the large room, Cathal found himself outnumbered. In addition to the Ogre with the flail, the Ogre Cleric was also there and appeared to have summoned some sort of Demon, covered in spines and barbs, into a circle inscribed on the floor near the corner. The Cleric stepped up next to the other Ogre and began to do some sort of magic upon him. Cathal struck at the Ogrish spellcaster but his blade was turned by the giant’s armor. The Brigante saw with frustration that two deep cuts on the flail-Ogre sealed themselves and quit bleeding. The Cleric also said something in a guttural tongue to the Demon. Whatever it was, it didn’t bode well for Cathal and his friends.
In response to the Cleric’s request, the creature in the circle let loose an Unholy Blight that filled the room with a greasy, black cloud of corruption. Speaks, Cathal and Brutus all felt their life force diminished by the evil magic and sickness welled up within them. But they were seasoned by the evils they’d seen done by the Banites and refused to succumb to this malaise.
Back in the hallway, Marcus turned and dashed off in the direction of battle…just in time to miss Albius’ hand slip from the edge of the pit and hear his cry as he plummeted back down…
Marcus still found himself engaged with the flail-wielding Ogre whose back was against the wall and front was against a giant pig. The Ogre ignored Brutus for a moment and swung his flail at Marcus, striking him but unable to bring him down.
Marius and Cathal were both nearby but Marius looked like he might topple over and die at any moment. Rather than risk stepping inside the Ogre’s reach he attempted to use his Wand of Healing. He drew the thin rod from his belt but was rewarded with only a tiny spark when he focused his will upon it. Cathal, seeing his companion in distress stepped forward and offered him a healing potion that he kept handy.
It now appeared that one of the Ogres that had fled in fear was regaining his composure and turned to fight once again. Speaks wanted to keep the momentum and charged but his shillelagh was largely repelled by the Ogre’s armor. Fortunately Brutus came charging once again to aid his ally and plowed into the Ogre’s breastplate, rending steel with his mighty tusks.
Lazarius could see that the battle was starting to move up the hallway and that his primary target was gone for the moment. He flew forward over the pit to see poor Albius struggling to escape and bleeding from at least two wounds inflicted by the spikes below. In an uncharacteristic act of compassion, the Wizard flew down into the pit to aid the young Cleric. “Maybe next time you’ll come when I call you?!”
Oordgul, the Ogre had been given one simple order by his superiors: “No one goes beyond the Rune Door!” And he knew the consequences of failing the High Priests of Bane. Far better to die fighting in this hallway than live to face their wrath. And if he died well then perhaps his masters would deem him worthy to be Raised as they had others. He gripped his flail and charged after the Human who faced one of the Guard.
Speaks never saw the Ogre coming and was nearly crushed to the ground by the massive head of the flail as it clipped his shoulder. Marcus ran to aid the Druid but the Ogre spun and swung the flanged head of the flail crashing into his armor stopping the Warrior-Priest’s momentum and rendering his attack feeble.
Albius seemed to be making some headway with the assistance of Lazarius. Too weak to pull the armored Cleric by himself, the Wizard was at least taking some of the weight of his armor off the young man and making it easier to pull himself up the wall. “Have you got it?” asked Lazarius.
“Yes, I think I can make it!” said Albius.
“Good, because I’m needed up top!” Lazarius let go of Albius’ armored collar and flew back up out of the pit, drinking a potion to soothe his wounds as he went. As the full weight of his armor sank back onto him, Albius struggled to maintain his grip on the wall.
Blackness clawed at the edges of Marcus’ vision. He glanced back to see if Albius was close by and able to help him but the youth was nowhere in sight. Marcus stepped backward from the hulking Ogre in front of him and drank another potion, hoping desperately that Albius was not dead in the bottom of the pit.
Cathal tumbled past Marcus to press the attack and stabbed the tip of his blade through the Ogre’s thick, hide armor drawing more blood but still the Ogre kept his feet. Speaks saw that the Ogre with the flail was distracted by Cathal and kept up his attack on the one with the spear. His long club struck the Ogre at the neck and there was an audible CRACK as the creature feel to the ground.
Oordgul could see that holding this end of the hallway was a losing proposition. The Priest had retreated into his chamber and that was the best place for them to make a stand. And he doubted that these intruders would try the Rune Door while he and the Priest yet lived. He took his soul into his hands and fled into the side passage. Cathal was not about to let the Ogre depart so easily and he pursued in two bounding steps. But his foot slipped on the ample blood pooled upon the floor and his strike went wide of its mark.
The others were less eager to pursue. All were bleeding and Marius still staggered, seemingly barely on his feet. Marcus moved to his side and gave him the healing blessing of St. Cuthbert. Marius was grateful but waved away any further healing. “Go. Get in there and help the Brigante before he gets himself killed.”
Marcus was reluctant to leave the hallway with Albius still unaccounted for but took heart when he saw a gauntleted hand reach above the lip of the pit and grab the edge. Lazarius alighted next to the other two Imperials. “What’s the plan?” he asked as he quaffed yet another potion.
“You two GO! I’ll be fine!” insisted Marius. As if to punctuate the fact that the battle was moving away from the party, Speaks and Brutus charged down the side passage after Cathal and his prey.
Inside the large room, Cathal found himself outnumbered. In addition to the Ogre with the flail, the Ogre Cleric was also there and appeared to have summoned some sort of Demon, covered in spines and barbs, into a circle inscribed on the floor near the corner. The Cleric stepped up next to the other Ogre and began to do some sort of magic upon him. Cathal struck at the Ogrish spellcaster but his blade was turned by the giant’s armor. The Brigante saw with frustration that two deep cuts on the flail-Ogre sealed themselves and quit bleeding. The Cleric also said something in a guttural tongue to the Demon. Whatever it was, it didn’t bode well for Cathal and his friends.
In response to the Cleric’s request, the creature in the circle let loose an Unholy Blight that filled the room with a greasy, black cloud of corruption. Speaks, Cathal and Brutus all felt their life force diminished by the evil magic and sickness welled up within them. But they were seasoned by the evils they’d seen done by the Banites and refused to succumb to this malaise.
Back in the hallway, Marcus turned and dashed off in the direction of battle…just in time to miss Albius’ hand slip from the edge of the pit and hear his cry as he plummeted back down…
