The Age of Worms - Morrus' Campaign - Finished 6th August!!
killjoy68116
First Post
OK... hahahaha... jokes over huh... i need the stuff man... come on, stop holding out man... i need the junk man... I NEED it dude... spiders, spiders crawling on my skin man...
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
By 11 am the next morning, we were back in the arena, fully equipped and having been scanned by a series of wand-wielding mages. We were then raised in the winched lifting platform to the screaming noise of the arena. We stood alone, as a referee announced our names to the crowd, before shouting out,
“And the Rough Diamonds will fight Mad Tooth the hungry!”
We looked at one another. Mad Tooth the hungry? That didn’t sound like the frost salamander we’d been told about by one of the guards. Perhaps the rumour in the Coenoby from the previous evening that the salamander had fallen ill and had been taken to a cleric was accurate.
At the same time, a cry came from the far side of the arena. Talavir, chief of the guards, appeared and looked hassled. He shouted to the referee that they were having a tough time with ‘Mad Tooth’. With a tremendous roar echoing from behind him, he ducked back through the archway whilst uncoiling a glowing whip.
.oOo.
As tem slow minutes passed, we stood around nervously as the crowd became ever more irritable, even angry in some quarters. Small coins began to fall down into the arena, and the referee cast a spell to ward himself from the missiles which began to fall around him.
Some quarters of the stands were on their feet, yelling and screaming in fury before the doors to the arena slammed open, and a massive iron cube was dragged in by 20 rope-hauling guardsmen. Each side of the huge box was emblazoned with the words “Mad Tooth” in fresh red paint which still dribbled and ran down the sides. The box itself shook and crashed with the roars and thunderous movements of whatever was inside, and each heavy movement sent water sloshing out of the base of the iron cube.
As the box was pulled into the centre of the arena, we backed off cautiously and some of the irritable crowd members began to jeer and turn their attention to us. Suddenly, the box stopped moving, and the 20 guardsmen dropped their ropes and dashed for the way in, heaving the solid doors shut behind them. We could hear an incredibly heavy bar falling into place and locking us in with the beast in the box.
A single rope, raised on a pulley, was hauled up to Raknian’s box – he took up the rope in one hand and smiled condescendingly down on us as he pulled it with a sharp tug. From the box, there was a metallic ping as a complex series of weighted pins flew from the sides of the crate, and simultaneously the four painted iron walls fell outwards, crashing to the sand of the arena floor.
.oOo.
As the dust settled, we could see an absolutely massive squat and ugly form, seemly a truly colossal frog, but with three eyes which extended from its slimy green head on a tentacle. Its front legs branched into pairs of long writhing tentacles, each clearly capable of reaching a long distance. It opened its mouth, revealing row upon row of razor sharp teeth and a massive pink, barbed and sticky tongue.
We all turned to Endo, expecting him to tell us about the creature, but it was Malachite who spoke quietly.
“That’s a froghemoth. The very worst the Barrier Peaks have got to offer. It can swallow a horse in a single mouthful, and is completely unharmed by fire. It will also shrug off great amounts of electrical charge. It’s got to weigh at least 5 tonnes, how they captured it I don’t know.”
“RIBBET”
The croak echoed around the whole of the arena which fell still in an instant; the only movement being Flynne scrabbling to draw an arrow, dashing off to one side and firing an arrow which sank into the creature’s thick hide but which seemed to have no effect other than drawing its attention.
Flexing its legs, the creature hurled itself up into the air, and slammed to the floor near my elven companion, with one of its long front tentacles already curling around him. The tentacle curled instantly around Flynne and tightened, and he writhed in agony at the pressure.
Malachite produced the rod of quick casting, and tapped Igmut on the shoulder, giving his features the sheen of stone before casting a second spell which sent chunks of ice crashing from the clear blue sky around the creature, hammering it with cold and beating hailstones. Meanwhile, Sheba dashed to far side of the arena on the other side of the froghemoth.
Endo, meanwhile, dashed away to a safe distance and sent a series of bleak and dark lines hurtling at the creature; his spell struck the flank of the beast where it burst into a shower of ineffectual sparks.
As I began to sing encouragement, Igmut stepped forwards and swung his heavy sword at the creature twice; the second blow struck true and burst with sunlight. We held our breath, but the damage was nothing like as grievous as we were accustomed to – his arm wasn’t as strengthened as it usually was by empowering magics.
The creature opened its gaping maw and simply tossed Flynne in with a flex of its tentacle. The mouth closed, and it swallowed. We could see Flynne’s struggling form as he lashed out on his way down the froghemoth’s throat.
Malachite tossed the rod of quickening to Endo, and cast a spell on himself, whilst Endo (still moving backwards) cast two spells – one generating a skeletal hand and sending it hurtling towards Igmut carrying his second which burst into dramatic effect. Igmut’s pale green skin darkened considerably as he swelled and grew upwards. His armour warped and twisted to wrap around his new shape as he stood facing the froghemoth as a large and saggy-breasted hag.
I kept singing, louder than ever with the hope that my voice might reach Flynne in the creature’s belly and help him in his efforts to break free.
Wading in, Igmut clawed and bit at the froghemoth, his sword and spear forgotten in his enthusiasm. Great tears and rips appeared in its side, whilst at the belly, Flynne’s rapier bit twice, stabbing through the stomach wall, but his hands didn’t quite manage to tear a way out.
Suddenly, we could see the blade stopped sawing and fall free from nerveless fingers. Flynne was dead, killed by the creature’s vicious stomach acids.
The froghemoth bit down at Igmut, but the teeth simply scraped along the line of his armour. Its tongue glanced off his thick green scaly hide, whilst tentacles began to lash out at him. Only two of them were sufficiently powerful to grab hold of him, and they wrung at his massive body like a dishrag before dropping him to the dirt. However, the stony spell and other enchantments now flowing through his system meant that he simply stood back up and continued his assault on the beast.
I noticed at this point that Malachite had stopped chanting, as a huge white bear appeared next to the creature, adding its claws and teeth to the assault, whilst Endo (a metal magical rod gripped in each hand) cast spells as though there would be no tomorrow. A tremendously dark and powerful ray of enfeebling slammed into the creature’s head, tearing through its magical defences like a bandsaw and the beast sagged under the tremendously powerful draining energies. A second spell saw the beast wreathed in spirits which began chattering and tearing at its wounds.
I joined the spellcasting, giving myself, Malachite and Igmut the gift of speed, and the effects of my spell were immediately visible as Igmut, revelling in his hag-form, clawed and tore at the creature, ripping lumps of flesh out of its sagging form.
Weakened, many of its blows crashed off Igmut’s armour, but he was again grabbed and twisted by two of the tentacles. I could hear his joints popping as it twisted at him, but he was again safe within his stony enchantments.
A rhino appeared and crashed into the froghemoth, which bit at the incoming grey beast, but the damage was insufficient to stop the rhino’s momentum. The rhino’s heavy horn crashed at great speed into the froghemoth, driving the point through the back of its mouth and into its brain. The creature moaned once, and then collapsed.
.oOo.
Although we worked quickly to cut Flynne’s body free, the acids had done their work and he was dead and terribly maimed. Once we had been given the gold trophy and 10,000 gold pieces, we once again pooled our resources. Once again I crept out of the Coenoby and once again purchased a trememdously powerful scroll, and shortly after I had returned then Igmut ensured that Flynne could recover.
As the arena overhead echoed with the cheers at Auric’s victory, Flynne coughed and rose from his bed, screaming and clutching at his wounds as the acid damage disappeared in the glowing light of the resurrection spell.
“And the Rough Diamonds will fight Mad Tooth the hungry!”
We looked at one another. Mad Tooth the hungry? That didn’t sound like the frost salamander we’d been told about by one of the guards. Perhaps the rumour in the Coenoby from the previous evening that the salamander had fallen ill and had been taken to a cleric was accurate.
At the same time, a cry came from the far side of the arena. Talavir, chief of the guards, appeared and looked hassled. He shouted to the referee that they were having a tough time with ‘Mad Tooth’. With a tremendous roar echoing from behind him, he ducked back through the archway whilst uncoiling a glowing whip.
.oOo.
As tem slow minutes passed, we stood around nervously as the crowd became ever more irritable, even angry in some quarters. Small coins began to fall down into the arena, and the referee cast a spell to ward himself from the missiles which began to fall around him.
Some quarters of the stands were on their feet, yelling and screaming in fury before the doors to the arena slammed open, and a massive iron cube was dragged in by 20 rope-hauling guardsmen. Each side of the huge box was emblazoned with the words “Mad Tooth” in fresh red paint which still dribbled and ran down the sides. The box itself shook and crashed with the roars and thunderous movements of whatever was inside, and each heavy movement sent water sloshing out of the base of the iron cube.
As the box was pulled into the centre of the arena, we backed off cautiously and some of the irritable crowd members began to jeer and turn their attention to us. Suddenly, the box stopped moving, and the 20 guardsmen dropped their ropes and dashed for the way in, heaving the solid doors shut behind them. We could hear an incredibly heavy bar falling into place and locking us in with the beast in the box.
A single rope, raised on a pulley, was hauled up to Raknian’s box – he took up the rope in one hand and smiled condescendingly down on us as he pulled it with a sharp tug. From the box, there was a metallic ping as a complex series of weighted pins flew from the sides of the crate, and simultaneously the four painted iron walls fell outwards, crashing to the sand of the arena floor.
.oOo.
As the dust settled, we could see an absolutely massive squat and ugly form, seemly a truly colossal frog, but with three eyes which extended from its slimy green head on a tentacle. Its front legs branched into pairs of long writhing tentacles, each clearly capable of reaching a long distance. It opened its mouth, revealing row upon row of razor sharp teeth and a massive pink, barbed and sticky tongue.
We all turned to Endo, expecting him to tell us about the creature, but it was Malachite who spoke quietly.
“That’s a froghemoth. The very worst the Barrier Peaks have got to offer. It can swallow a horse in a single mouthful, and is completely unharmed by fire. It will also shrug off great amounts of electrical charge. It’s got to weigh at least 5 tonnes, how they captured it I don’t know.”
“RIBBET”
The croak echoed around the whole of the arena which fell still in an instant; the only movement being Flynne scrabbling to draw an arrow, dashing off to one side and firing an arrow which sank into the creature’s thick hide but which seemed to have no effect other than drawing its attention.
Flexing its legs, the creature hurled itself up into the air, and slammed to the floor near my elven companion, with one of its long front tentacles already curling around him. The tentacle curled instantly around Flynne and tightened, and he writhed in agony at the pressure.
Malachite produced the rod of quick casting, and tapped Igmut on the shoulder, giving his features the sheen of stone before casting a second spell which sent chunks of ice crashing from the clear blue sky around the creature, hammering it with cold and beating hailstones. Meanwhile, Sheba dashed to far side of the arena on the other side of the froghemoth.
Endo, meanwhile, dashed away to a safe distance and sent a series of bleak and dark lines hurtling at the creature; his spell struck the flank of the beast where it burst into a shower of ineffectual sparks.
As I began to sing encouragement, Igmut stepped forwards and swung his heavy sword at the creature twice; the second blow struck true and burst with sunlight. We held our breath, but the damage was nothing like as grievous as we were accustomed to – his arm wasn’t as strengthened as it usually was by empowering magics.
The creature opened its gaping maw and simply tossed Flynne in with a flex of its tentacle. The mouth closed, and it swallowed. We could see Flynne’s struggling form as he lashed out on his way down the froghemoth’s throat.
Malachite tossed the rod of quickening to Endo, and cast a spell on himself, whilst Endo (still moving backwards) cast two spells – one generating a skeletal hand and sending it hurtling towards Igmut carrying his second which burst into dramatic effect. Igmut’s pale green skin darkened considerably as he swelled and grew upwards. His armour warped and twisted to wrap around his new shape as he stood facing the froghemoth as a large and saggy-breasted hag.
I kept singing, louder than ever with the hope that my voice might reach Flynne in the creature’s belly and help him in his efforts to break free.
Wading in, Igmut clawed and bit at the froghemoth, his sword and spear forgotten in his enthusiasm. Great tears and rips appeared in its side, whilst at the belly, Flynne’s rapier bit twice, stabbing through the stomach wall, but his hands didn’t quite manage to tear a way out.
Suddenly, we could see the blade stopped sawing and fall free from nerveless fingers. Flynne was dead, killed by the creature’s vicious stomach acids.
The froghemoth bit down at Igmut, but the teeth simply scraped along the line of his armour. Its tongue glanced off his thick green scaly hide, whilst tentacles began to lash out at him. Only two of them were sufficiently powerful to grab hold of him, and they wrung at his massive body like a dishrag before dropping him to the dirt. However, the stony spell and other enchantments now flowing through his system meant that he simply stood back up and continued his assault on the beast.
I noticed at this point that Malachite had stopped chanting, as a huge white bear appeared next to the creature, adding its claws and teeth to the assault, whilst Endo (a metal magical rod gripped in each hand) cast spells as though there would be no tomorrow. A tremendously dark and powerful ray of enfeebling slammed into the creature’s head, tearing through its magical defences like a bandsaw and the beast sagged under the tremendously powerful draining energies. A second spell saw the beast wreathed in spirits which began chattering and tearing at its wounds.
I joined the spellcasting, giving myself, Malachite and Igmut the gift of speed, and the effects of my spell were immediately visible as Igmut, revelling in his hag-form, clawed and tore at the creature, ripping lumps of flesh out of its sagging form.
Weakened, many of its blows crashed off Igmut’s armour, but he was again grabbed and twisted by two of the tentacles. I could hear his joints popping as it twisted at him, but he was again safe within his stony enchantments.
A rhino appeared and crashed into the froghemoth, which bit at the incoming grey beast, but the damage was insufficient to stop the rhino’s momentum. The rhino’s heavy horn crashed at great speed into the froghemoth, driving the point through the back of its mouth and into its brain. The creature moaned once, and then collapsed.
.oOo.
Although we worked quickly to cut Flynne’s body free, the acids had done their work and he was dead and terribly maimed. Once we had been given the gold trophy and 10,000 gold pieces, we once again pooled our resources. Once again I crept out of the Coenoby and once again purchased a trememdously powerful scroll, and shortly after I had returned then Igmut ensured that Flynne could recover.
As the arena overhead echoed with the cheers at Auric’s victory, Flynne coughed and rose from his bed, screaming and clutching at his wounds as the acid damage disappeared in the glowing light of the resurrection spell.
Inconsequenti-AL
Breaks Games
Ah - the sheer horror of the Froghemoth - that thing was absolutely terrifying. Although the mega turkey might have been all the more frightening?
Am up to date now after a touch of slacking on my part.
Thanks for the sympathy there El Jeraldo! It was put right again, but only just - if not for our arena winnings, I'd have been playing something else!
Nice writing Mr Eccles!
Am up to date now after a touch of slacking on my part.
Thanks for the sympathy there El Jeraldo! It was put right again, but only just - if not for our arena winnings, I'd have been playing something else!
Nice writing Mr Eccles!
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
That evening, in preparation for the final round of the games, we agreed that we should dine with Auric and his team, both as a grand gesture, and also to tell them of what we expected to happen during the combat so that they could prepare for an invasion by an army of the undead.
I therefore left to visit their lodge within the Coenoby, but was disappointed to see that Auric, his team, and all of their equipment seemed to have disappeared. When I cornered one of the guards and demanded to know where our opponents were, he told me that they would be “dining with Raknian”, at his invitation.
Rather concerned at what Raknian might get up to with our opponents, I nonetheless left an invitation for them to have breakfast with us, and headed back to the others.
.oOo.
Auric and his team (including the three stone golems) came back to the Coenoby the following morning, having apparently stayed overnight in Raknian’s palace and even eaten breakfast with him. Their wizard, Khellek, came and knocked on the door to our lodge, however, and waved the note curiously.
Dropping the slight disguise illusion I had taken to wearing, I stepped out to join him and sat on one of the many low stone benches.
“You know us,” I explained as I gestured at my own appearance. “We’re a group of lads with high aspirations and enough nerve to have a try at things which might normally be beyond our reach. But we’re still not as experienced as you and your comrades. What’ve you been adventuring for? Three, four years?”
“Five,” he replied haughtily.
“Exactly my point. We’re a bunch of chancers who’ve managed to get through to the final round of a nationally reknowned competition of the martial arts. We’ve out-fought monsters and men, and managed to outwit even the very champions of this arena. And now we’re facing you. You have to have wondered how we’ve done it.”
“Well, I had - ” he began, but I cut him off.
“We’ve been asking the Gods themselves for help. Igmut has divined the results of what is going to happen in the next round. We had him speak to Kord and ask what will happen this round, and he was granted a vision.”
We both sat for a while as Igmut recounted his vision of the last fight once again, seeing Auric in the background as the earth was torn open to reveal a gigantic undead monstrosity, with a gaping maw and tendrils lashing around it.
When he had finished, I turned back to the wizard and finished my explanation as to why we should be ready for anything. I used every trick I could think of, and when I had finished he looked at me for a second.
And then Khellek laughed.
“Really. I have heard of some weak attempts to intimidate an opposing team, but this?”
Chuckling, he walked away across the Coenoby. It took me a moment to realise that the slight grinding noise was my teeth. I unclenched my jaw and turned to the others.
“Well, that didn’t work. What should we try next?”
.oOo.
We were still bickering as we were raised into the arena, to the triumphal roar of over 10,000 people who screamed and chanted. The rules were read out to us, and I could feel my teeth grinding again before the referee had finished.
The arena was divided into 17 areas. Each of them had been enchanted by some of the greatest mages in the realm. Every 5 or 10 seconds, the spells would be triggered and anybody within them would be transported at random to another part of the arena. Each corner of the arena and the centre were enchanted with specific effects. We were to begin in the ‘fire’ themed corner; this had been enchanted to rain devastating fire down on anyone within it immediately after the teleports had taken place.
The other corners were themed with ‘air’ (which would hasten anyone within it), ‘earth’ (which would slow occupants down), and ‘water’, where Auric and his warband would be starting. This area would heal the occupants of all wounds.
The central zone, which overlapped four of the others, was set to dispel any magics on anybody who was still in it after the teleportation effects had taken place.
As soon as this had been explained, the horn was sounded – the last combat of the Tournament of Champions had begun!
.oOo.
Whilst the trumpeter still had his lips to his instrument, Flynne had stepped out of the ‘fire’ region and strung his bow. A single arrow arced across the entire length of the arena and crashed home into Khellek in the far corner. I was pleased to note that the wizard wasn’t laughing any more.
Malachite (in the form of an eagle) then cast a spell, screeching and batting Igmut with his wing. The half-orc’s skin abruptly turned a rough stony hue with the protective powers of the spell, before Malachite and the new Sheba hurtled across the arena to the ‘air’ zone, where they would be safe from the teleportation and would benefit from a quickening of their reflexes in a moment.
As Auric stepped out of his corner towards us and quaffed a potion, I also stepped away from my friends whilst singing to inspire my comrades for the fray ahead. Khellek, under the effects of a flight spell, took off out of the ‘water’ zone; his casting was echoed by Endo, who also took to the air, but not before he cast a spell of hasting on himself, Flynne, Igmut and I.
Slowly, the rumbling stone golems stomped out into the arena, before the entire coliseum was filled with a golden light. As we all looked around the arena blinking from our sudden relocation, we could see a truly colossal ball of fire erupt in the place we had started.
Finding himself far closer to Khellek, Flynne fired 4 more arrows at the wizard, but only one of them struck home before he was charged by the sword-wielding form of Auric. The warrior’s sword stroke went wild, however.
Finding myself practically at the feet of one of the massive stomping stone golems, I chanted swiftly and, invisible, dashed away from the lumbering form. Meanwhile, Khellek quaffed another potion and his skin also took on the patina and hardness of stone.
Seeing Flynne in combat with Auric, Endo cast a spell, and we could all see Auric’s eyes turn glassy with his utter domination. Endo then employed the staff of quick spells, dispelling the stoneskin effect from Auric, although his flight spell stayed in force.
The golems continued to lumber around, one breathing a thick chalky dust over Igmut, but my half-orc comrade shook off whatever ill-effect it was supposed to have on him; in response, Igmut slashed out at the rocky monster several times, only landing one deep gouge. I could see Khellek’s eyes open wide at the sidden glimpse of the scarab which held Igmut’s cloak to his shoulders and allowed him to cut deeply into the golems without thinking of their tough hides.
Once again, the entire arena filled with the golden light, and we were once again dispersed from our various situations. Igmut bellowed in shock at finding himself in the ‘fire’ corner, and we could see him diving away from the centre of the titanic blast of fire which burst in the air around him.
I suddenly realised that I was standing slightly off the centre of the arena, and I could feel the tendrils of magic try vainly to strip away my invisibility spell, but when I looked down, I was relieved to realise that the spell had held against the onslaught. I then looked up, and could see Auric, framed on his own against the stone wall of the arena.
Suddenly, the arena floor began to shake and quake, and the ground practically at my feet was torn asunder with a deafening cracking noise. My view of Auric was suddenly obscured by dozens, perhaps hundreds, of long and writhing tendrils. I looked down at the crack in the earth by my feet, and could see the onrushing maw of the colossal undead worm. Several rings of glittering teeth chewed at the falling rocks, and as it closed I could smell the appalling stench of rot and decay coming from the thing’s belly.
Stepping hastily away from the crevasse, I could hear Raknian shouting across the arena, his voice carrying even over the screams of the thousands of terrified spectators who were even now yelling in terror and climbing over one another in a mad scramble for the exit.
“Lo,” bellowed Raknian. “The Apostle of Kyuss is among us! There are the Champions you seek!”
He gestured down at those of us in the arena, before falling back onto his cushioned seat in a fervour, smiling in grim delight in expectation of the carnage to come.
.oOo.
I cartwheeled and ducked away from the creature’s maw and found myself in the ‘fire’ corner, although it was apparent that the magic had been destroyed along with the greater portion of the arena floor. This combat would be completed without fear of random teleportation, but without the healing of the ‘water’ part of the arena.
Once again, Flynne leapt into action before the rest of us, and it was his bow which spoke for him. Four arrows crashed into the putrescent flesh of the Apostle’s flank, but simply crashed into the flesh and fell to the floor. Even as it was still pulling itself to the surface, Malachite concluded a spell and two huge rhinos began a rumbling charge across the arena. Rapidly, the beast turned and snapped at them, missing one, but gouging the second deeply with its many razor-sharp teeth. The two mighty beasts slammed home, however, and they each dealt grievous wounds to the terrible monstrosity. Large chunks of dead flesh simply crashed off it as it was struck, but the damage from the two charging beasts seemed not to have phased it in the slightest.
Fire crashed from the heavens at Malachite’s insistence, but the mighty spell seemed not to have burned, or even touched, the Apostle of Kyuss.
Although he was struck by the flailing tendrils and a welt scored down his forearm, Auric sprang into the fight and slashed at the beast with his heavy sword, before ducking back away again, even as he ordered the golems to attack. (Although it was strange to note that he seemed to look at Endo for permission before taking any action).
I finished my flight from the tendrils, and cast a spell of protection on Igmut, making him appear to be several feet from his true location, whilst at the same time Khellek hurled a ball of fire at the monstrosity. The flame guttered and died just a scant few inches away from the titanic undead worm, leaving it untouched.
Endo chose to spend his time flying over to Igmut, and casting a spell which warped the orc – his body swelled up and his muscles bulged as he turned into a very tall troll, as the Apostle bit down twice on one of the rhinos, leaving two massive rings of deep incisions in its flank.
The many long tendrils lashed around the Apostle; a full 40 feet around the huge grey body which rattled around and pattered off the stoney hides of the golems and Igmut; all of whom then round in and pounded on the massive putrescent body. As the first closed, the huge ring of teeth gaped open and closed at the heels of the stone golem, swallowing it completely. Bizarrely, this didn’t seem to phase the golem in the slightest, and it continued to pound on the beast from the inside.
Flynne, under the effects of a potion of flight, fired 4 arrows before flying upwards to be safe from the creature’s lashing tendrils. The arrows buried themselves deeply within the rotting flesh, whilst the two rhinos backed away and turned, pawing at the ground and ready for another charge.
Whilst I sang another encouraging song, Auric once again dashed in and slashed once with his two-handed blade, whilst Khallek produced a wand which he used to fire a beam of sunlight at the creature, scorching its flesh with its power.
The sudden effects of Endo’s next spell were pronounced, as a dark ray from his fingertips was empowered by another metamagic rod he was carrying; this drained the massive rotting creature of a great measure of its strength.
The creature inhaled, before vomiting out a terrible rush of putrescence, sickness and bile washed over Igmut, who shuddered, and then ducked as the heavy form of the stone golem was also vomited out by the disgusting creature’s actions.
The golems pounded on the creature, and it bit the air near the one it had just vomited out. Igmut followed, slashing three deep and telling blows with his greatsword on the creature’s flank.
As Flynne fired another set of arrows, two of which simply striking flesh which was already sloughing off the creature and the other two causing some level of pain to the Apostle, the two rhinos charged once again. The first crashed into the side of the huge grey worm, whilst the second ran straight into the creature’s open maw. Shards of teeth were shattered in the impact, but the Apostle tilted back its head and swallowed the charging rhino whole.
Auric darted in and slashed at the creature once again, whilst I produced the staff of fireballs. Despite my best efforts, the fireball which was produced guttered and died before it made contact with the creature, and was outmatched by the effects of Khellek’s wand – the beam of light he send speeding down at the beast once again left a patina of scorchmarks across its flesh and left another crack in its skin which ran down to meet the huge gouges where Igmut’s swordstrokes were connecting.
Endo’s spell also faild, before the beast’s maw slammed onto Igmut, dealing remarkably little damage due to the stoney skin. The beast tilted its head back to try to swallow him, but he simply slipped from its rotting lips and regained his footing. He looked around and grunted.
“Freedom of Movement spell,” he grinned as he raised his sword once again and struck deeply at the creature. Once, and then twice he struck, cleaving vast swathes of dead flesh off it to fall in rubbery and lifeless chunks at his feet.
Then, suddenly, the beast began to wail. It raised its long body almost entirely off the floor, sending shivers through the floor of the arena. The long cracks in its flesh stretched and flaked, but then a ripple burst in the air from the Apostle. The cracks in its flesh widened, and the entire outer skin of the beast peeled away, revealing flesh which was red and raw in its exposure to the open air.
As the slippery, thick grey skin fell to the arena floor, it somehow dissolved into the ground, and the oily patina in the floor rushed out in the wake of the ripple and the wail. As it passed, dark ghostly spirits rose from the arena floor wailing as they flew.
The rising spirits paused to form clusters, which then descended on the few unfortunates who had not yet managed to fight their way free of the arena. Each of these men and women were dragged down kicking and screaming, and spirit after spirit sank into their body, possessing and suppressing their own life energies until each of them lay dead amongst the stands.
A cluster of the spirits dived towards Raknian, who had now stood from the cushioned seat and was raising his arms as though inviting the spirits towards him. They sank, wailing, into his body, which suddenly burst into gouts of bright red flame. Screaming and thrashing in his agony, we could see Raknian’s eyes as they faded through the flame, before bursting back to life as deep red pinpricks of light. Stepping free of the burning spirits, the monster which had been Raknian reached down and produced a dark helm, before gesturing. A towering black horse with flaming hooves appeared from nowhere, and Raknian mounted, thanking Kyuss for his blessing before simply fading from sight.
.oOo.
We turned our attention back to the worm, which glistened sickly and wetly in the light. Having sloughed off so much of the dead skin, the creature was somehow thinner and looked more predatory as it flailed around with its dozens of lashing tentacles. None of the deep wounds which had marked its outer skin were on this thinner body, and it opened its maw wide as it searched for new targets.
Flynne fired once again at the beast, whilst Malachite cast a protective spell to cover Sheba’s fur with a thick layer of bark, whilst I fired another vast fireball from the staff. This struck home, and the creature seemed to write in pain; having lost the outer layer the creature seemed to be more in pain and unable to struggle as much damage as it had before.
Khellek’s wand-shot fizzled before making contact with the Apostle, before it bit down and through the spine of one of the rhinos, swallowing it in one mighty gulp before it also bit at Igmut. The golems and Igmut crashed a series of blows onto the monstrous beast, although many of Igmut’s blows went wide of the mark. Auric once again dashed in, and his greatsword also missed the creature’s body before both my fireball and Khellek’s wand-spell burst and then faded inches from its putrescent body.
Endo flew over the creature, dumping a flask of holy water down which immediately made one patch of the skin turn grey and flaky; it simply stared up towards him where he flew out of reach and roared in impotent fury.
Still weakened from Endo’s earlier spell, the creature continued to bit at those around it, but was unable to damage either Igmut or the golem, before Igmut slashed twice into the beast, finally remembering to trigger the spell stored in his own sword. There was a flash of light which burst up through its chest, turning all of its skin ashen in an instant. As we watched, the radiant light burnt the massive worm-like Apostle of Kyuss from the inside, and by the time it crashed to the floor then much of its skin had dissolved, leaving only the rapidly burning and decaying ribs which rotted and blew away on the dust even as we breathed heavy sighs of relief.
.oOo.
By that evening, things had returned to a semblance of normality. We had met Akame, and introduced him to the decaying form of his sister. He took her with him as he announced his intention to find someone who could restore her to normality.
The great and the good of the town treated us as heroes, and to Auric’s apparent disgust were given the Champion’s belt. There was, however, no prize money, as Raknian had clearly taken this before his descent to the depths of depravity.
We visited Eligos’ manor house, but to our horror both he and his manservant had been slain; their throats slit. Igmut stood in the room with the bodies and cast a spell; he was rewarded with a vision from Kord to see Raknian’s guard-chief together with two assassins slaying both men.
After a degree of pressure, Eligos’ lawyers agreed to spend a portion of his estate on a spell of resurrection so that he might be brought back to the dead and explain what he had been working on. The local priests, however, did not have enough magic prepared to cast the spell immediately (possibly something to do with my comrades and myself buying any scrolls with the spell in the last few days).
Before Eligos could be restored to us, we spent several days relaxing and celebrating in the manor house. On the third day, our reverie was interrupted by a messenger.
“Gentlemen,” he announced. “I come with an urgent message from the proprietor of the Feral Dog tavern in Diamond Lake. He; we have urgent need of your assistance - a dragon has come to town!”
We looked at one another. Adventure had sought us out once again.
I therefore left to visit their lodge within the Coenoby, but was disappointed to see that Auric, his team, and all of their equipment seemed to have disappeared. When I cornered one of the guards and demanded to know where our opponents were, he told me that they would be “dining with Raknian”, at his invitation.
Rather concerned at what Raknian might get up to with our opponents, I nonetheless left an invitation for them to have breakfast with us, and headed back to the others.
.oOo.
Auric and his team (including the three stone golems) came back to the Coenoby the following morning, having apparently stayed overnight in Raknian’s palace and even eaten breakfast with him. Their wizard, Khellek, came and knocked on the door to our lodge, however, and waved the note curiously.
Dropping the slight disguise illusion I had taken to wearing, I stepped out to join him and sat on one of the many low stone benches.
“You know us,” I explained as I gestured at my own appearance. “We’re a group of lads with high aspirations and enough nerve to have a try at things which might normally be beyond our reach. But we’re still not as experienced as you and your comrades. What’ve you been adventuring for? Three, four years?”
“Five,” he replied haughtily.
“Exactly my point. We’re a bunch of chancers who’ve managed to get through to the final round of a nationally reknowned competition of the martial arts. We’ve out-fought monsters and men, and managed to outwit even the very champions of this arena. And now we’re facing you. You have to have wondered how we’ve done it.”
“Well, I had - ” he began, but I cut him off.
“We’ve been asking the Gods themselves for help. Igmut has divined the results of what is going to happen in the next round. We had him speak to Kord and ask what will happen this round, and he was granted a vision.”
We both sat for a while as Igmut recounted his vision of the last fight once again, seeing Auric in the background as the earth was torn open to reveal a gigantic undead monstrosity, with a gaping maw and tendrils lashing around it.
When he had finished, I turned back to the wizard and finished my explanation as to why we should be ready for anything. I used every trick I could think of, and when I had finished he looked at me for a second.
And then Khellek laughed.
“Really. I have heard of some weak attempts to intimidate an opposing team, but this?”
Chuckling, he walked away across the Coenoby. It took me a moment to realise that the slight grinding noise was my teeth. I unclenched my jaw and turned to the others.
“Well, that didn’t work. What should we try next?”
.oOo.
We were still bickering as we were raised into the arena, to the triumphal roar of over 10,000 people who screamed and chanted. The rules were read out to us, and I could feel my teeth grinding again before the referee had finished.
The arena was divided into 17 areas. Each of them had been enchanted by some of the greatest mages in the realm. Every 5 or 10 seconds, the spells would be triggered and anybody within them would be transported at random to another part of the arena. Each corner of the arena and the centre were enchanted with specific effects. We were to begin in the ‘fire’ themed corner; this had been enchanted to rain devastating fire down on anyone within it immediately after the teleports had taken place.
The other corners were themed with ‘air’ (which would hasten anyone within it), ‘earth’ (which would slow occupants down), and ‘water’, where Auric and his warband would be starting. This area would heal the occupants of all wounds.
The central zone, which overlapped four of the others, was set to dispel any magics on anybody who was still in it after the teleportation effects had taken place.
As soon as this had been explained, the horn was sounded – the last combat of the Tournament of Champions had begun!
.oOo.
Whilst the trumpeter still had his lips to his instrument, Flynne had stepped out of the ‘fire’ region and strung his bow. A single arrow arced across the entire length of the arena and crashed home into Khellek in the far corner. I was pleased to note that the wizard wasn’t laughing any more.
Malachite (in the form of an eagle) then cast a spell, screeching and batting Igmut with his wing. The half-orc’s skin abruptly turned a rough stony hue with the protective powers of the spell, before Malachite and the new Sheba hurtled across the arena to the ‘air’ zone, where they would be safe from the teleportation and would benefit from a quickening of their reflexes in a moment.
As Auric stepped out of his corner towards us and quaffed a potion, I also stepped away from my friends whilst singing to inspire my comrades for the fray ahead. Khellek, under the effects of a flight spell, took off out of the ‘water’ zone; his casting was echoed by Endo, who also took to the air, but not before he cast a spell of hasting on himself, Flynne, Igmut and I.
Slowly, the rumbling stone golems stomped out into the arena, before the entire coliseum was filled with a golden light. As we all looked around the arena blinking from our sudden relocation, we could see a truly colossal ball of fire erupt in the place we had started.
Finding himself far closer to Khellek, Flynne fired 4 more arrows at the wizard, but only one of them struck home before he was charged by the sword-wielding form of Auric. The warrior’s sword stroke went wild, however.
Finding myself practically at the feet of one of the massive stomping stone golems, I chanted swiftly and, invisible, dashed away from the lumbering form. Meanwhile, Khellek quaffed another potion and his skin also took on the patina and hardness of stone.
Seeing Flynne in combat with Auric, Endo cast a spell, and we could all see Auric’s eyes turn glassy with his utter domination. Endo then employed the staff of quick spells, dispelling the stoneskin effect from Auric, although his flight spell stayed in force.
The golems continued to lumber around, one breathing a thick chalky dust over Igmut, but my half-orc comrade shook off whatever ill-effect it was supposed to have on him; in response, Igmut slashed out at the rocky monster several times, only landing one deep gouge. I could see Khellek’s eyes open wide at the sidden glimpse of the scarab which held Igmut’s cloak to his shoulders and allowed him to cut deeply into the golems without thinking of their tough hides.
Once again, the entire arena filled with the golden light, and we were once again dispersed from our various situations. Igmut bellowed in shock at finding himself in the ‘fire’ corner, and we could see him diving away from the centre of the titanic blast of fire which burst in the air around him.
I suddenly realised that I was standing slightly off the centre of the arena, and I could feel the tendrils of magic try vainly to strip away my invisibility spell, but when I looked down, I was relieved to realise that the spell had held against the onslaught. I then looked up, and could see Auric, framed on his own against the stone wall of the arena.
Suddenly, the arena floor began to shake and quake, and the ground practically at my feet was torn asunder with a deafening cracking noise. My view of Auric was suddenly obscured by dozens, perhaps hundreds, of long and writhing tendrils. I looked down at the crack in the earth by my feet, and could see the onrushing maw of the colossal undead worm. Several rings of glittering teeth chewed at the falling rocks, and as it closed I could smell the appalling stench of rot and decay coming from the thing’s belly.
Stepping hastily away from the crevasse, I could hear Raknian shouting across the arena, his voice carrying even over the screams of the thousands of terrified spectators who were even now yelling in terror and climbing over one another in a mad scramble for the exit.
“Lo,” bellowed Raknian. “The Apostle of Kyuss is among us! There are the Champions you seek!”
He gestured down at those of us in the arena, before falling back onto his cushioned seat in a fervour, smiling in grim delight in expectation of the carnage to come.
.oOo.
I cartwheeled and ducked away from the creature’s maw and found myself in the ‘fire’ corner, although it was apparent that the magic had been destroyed along with the greater portion of the arena floor. This combat would be completed without fear of random teleportation, but without the healing of the ‘water’ part of the arena.
Once again, Flynne leapt into action before the rest of us, and it was his bow which spoke for him. Four arrows crashed into the putrescent flesh of the Apostle’s flank, but simply crashed into the flesh and fell to the floor. Even as it was still pulling itself to the surface, Malachite concluded a spell and two huge rhinos began a rumbling charge across the arena. Rapidly, the beast turned and snapped at them, missing one, but gouging the second deeply with its many razor-sharp teeth. The two mighty beasts slammed home, however, and they each dealt grievous wounds to the terrible monstrosity. Large chunks of dead flesh simply crashed off it as it was struck, but the damage from the two charging beasts seemed not to have phased it in the slightest.
Fire crashed from the heavens at Malachite’s insistence, but the mighty spell seemed not to have burned, or even touched, the Apostle of Kyuss.
Although he was struck by the flailing tendrils and a welt scored down his forearm, Auric sprang into the fight and slashed at the beast with his heavy sword, before ducking back away again, even as he ordered the golems to attack. (Although it was strange to note that he seemed to look at Endo for permission before taking any action).
I finished my flight from the tendrils, and cast a spell of protection on Igmut, making him appear to be several feet from his true location, whilst at the same time Khellek hurled a ball of fire at the monstrosity. The flame guttered and died just a scant few inches away from the titanic undead worm, leaving it untouched.
Endo chose to spend his time flying over to Igmut, and casting a spell which warped the orc – his body swelled up and his muscles bulged as he turned into a very tall troll, as the Apostle bit down twice on one of the rhinos, leaving two massive rings of deep incisions in its flank.
The many long tendrils lashed around the Apostle; a full 40 feet around the huge grey body which rattled around and pattered off the stoney hides of the golems and Igmut; all of whom then round in and pounded on the massive putrescent body. As the first closed, the huge ring of teeth gaped open and closed at the heels of the stone golem, swallowing it completely. Bizarrely, this didn’t seem to phase the golem in the slightest, and it continued to pound on the beast from the inside.
Flynne, under the effects of a potion of flight, fired 4 arrows before flying upwards to be safe from the creature’s lashing tendrils. The arrows buried themselves deeply within the rotting flesh, whilst the two rhinos backed away and turned, pawing at the ground and ready for another charge.
Whilst I sang another encouraging song, Auric once again dashed in and slashed once with his two-handed blade, whilst Khallek produced a wand which he used to fire a beam of sunlight at the creature, scorching its flesh with its power.
The sudden effects of Endo’s next spell were pronounced, as a dark ray from his fingertips was empowered by another metamagic rod he was carrying; this drained the massive rotting creature of a great measure of its strength.
The creature inhaled, before vomiting out a terrible rush of putrescence, sickness and bile washed over Igmut, who shuddered, and then ducked as the heavy form of the stone golem was also vomited out by the disgusting creature’s actions.
The golems pounded on the creature, and it bit the air near the one it had just vomited out. Igmut followed, slashing three deep and telling blows with his greatsword on the creature’s flank.
As Flynne fired another set of arrows, two of which simply striking flesh which was already sloughing off the creature and the other two causing some level of pain to the Apostle, the two rhinos charged once again. The first crashed into the side of the huge grey worm, whilst the second ran straight into the creature’s open maw. Shards of teeth were shattered in the impact, but the Apostle tilted back its head and swallowed the charging rhino whole.
Auric darted in and slashed at the creature once again, whilst I produced the staff of fireballs. Despite my best efforts, the fireball which was produced guttered and died before it made contact with the creature, and was outmatched by the effects of Khellek’s wand – the beam of light he send speeding down at the beast once again left a patina of scorchmarks across its flesh and left another crack in its skin which ran down to meet the huge gouges where Igmut’s swordstrokes were connecting.
Endo’s spell also faild, before the beast’s maw slammed onto Igmut, dealing remarkably little damage due to the stoney skin. The beast tilted its head back to try to swallow him, but he simply slipped from its rotting lips and regained his footing. He looked around and grunted.
“Freedom of Movement spell,” he grinned as he raised his sword once again and struck deeply at the creature. Once, and then twice he struck, cleaving vast swathes of dead flesh off it to fall in rubbery and lifeless chunks at his feet.
Then, suddenly, the beast began to wail. It raised its long body almost entirely off the floor, sending shivers through the floor of the arena. The long cracks in its flesh stretched and flaked, but then a ripple burst in the air from the Apostle. The cracks in its flesh widened, and the entire outer skin of the beast peeled away, revealing flesh which was red and raw in its exposure to the open air.
As the slippery, thick grey skin fell to the arena floor, it somehow dissolved into the ground, and the oily patina in the floor rushed out in the wake of the ripple and the wail. As it passed, dark ghostly spirits rose from the arena floor wailing as they flew.
The rising spirits paused to form clusters, which then descended on the few unfortunates who had not yet managed to fight their way free of the arena. Each of these men and women were dragged down kicking and screaming, and spirit after spirit sank into their body, possessing and suppressing their own life energies until each of them lay dead amongst the stands.
A cluster of the spirits dived towards Raknian, who had now stood from the cushioned seat and was raising his arms as though inviting the spirits towards him. They sank, wailing, into his body, which suddenly burst into gouts of bright red flame. Screaming and thrashing in his agony, we could see Raknian’s eyes as they faded through the flame, before bursting back to life as deep red pinpricks of light. Stepping free of the burning spirits, the monster which had been Raknian reached down and produced a dark helm, before gesturing. A towering black horse with flaming hooves appeared from nowhere, and Raknian mounted, thanking Kyuss for his blessing before simply fading from sight.
.oOo.
We turned our attention back to the worm, which glistened sickly and wetly in the light. Having sloughed off so much of the dead skin, the creature was somehow thinner and looked more predatory as it flailed around with its dozens of lashing tentacles. None of the deep wounds which had marked its outer skin were on this thinner body, and it opened its maw wide as it searched for new targets.
Flynne fired once again at the beast, whilst Malachite cast a protective spell to cover Sheba’s fur with a thick layer of bark, whilst I fired another vast fireball from the staff. This struck home, and the creature seemed to write in pain; having lost the outer layer the creature seemed to be more in pain and unable to struggle as much damage as it had before.
Khellek’s wand-shot fizzled before making contact with the Apostle, before it bit down and through the spine of one of the rhinos, swallowing it in one mighty gulp before it also bit at Igmut. The golems and Igmut crashed a series of blows onto the monstrous beast, although many of Igmut’s blows went wide of the mark. Auric once again dashed in, and his greatsword also missed the creature’s body before both my fireball and Khellek’s wand-spell burst and then faded inches from its putrescent body.
Endo flew over the creature, dumping a flask of holy water down which immediately made one patch of the skin turn grey and flaky; it simply stared up towards him where he flew out of reach and roared in impotent fury.
Still weakened from Endo’s earlier spell, the creature continued to bit at those around it, but was unable to damage either Igmut or the golem, before Igmut slashed twice into the beast, finally remembering to trigger the spell stored in his own sword. There was a flash of light which burst up through its chest, turning all of its skin ashen in an instant. As we watched, the radiant light burnt the massive worm-like Apostle of Kyuss from the inside, and by the time it crashed to the floor then much of its skin had dissolved, leaving only the rapidly burning and decaying ribs which rotted and blew away on the dust even as we breathed heavy sighs of relief.
.oOo.
By that evening, things had returned to a semblance of normality. We had met Akame, and introduced him to the decaying form of his sister. He took her with him as he announced his intention to find someone who could restore her to normality.
The great and the good of the town treated us as heroes, and to Auric’s apparent disgust were given the Champion’s belt. There was, however, no prize money, as Raknian had clearly taken this before his descent to the depths of depravity.
We visited Eligos’ manor house, but to our horror both he and his manservant had been slain; their throats slit. Igmut stood in the room with the bodies and cast a spell; he was rewarded with a vision from Kord to see Raknian’s guard-chief together with two assassins slaying both men.
After a degree of pressure, Eligos’ lawyers agreed to spend a portion of his estate on a spell of resurrection so that he might be brought back to the dead and explain what he had been working on. The local priests, however, did not have enough magic prepared to cast the spell immediately (possibly something to do with my comrades and myself buying any scrolls with the spell in the last few days).
Before Eligos could be restored to us, we spent several days relaxing and celebrating in the manor house. On the third day, our reverie was interrupted by a messenger.
“Gentlemen,” he announced. “I come with an urgent message from the proprietor of the Feral Dog tavern in Diamond Lake. He; we have urgent need of your assistance - a dragon has come to town!”
We looked at one another. Adventure had sought us out once again.
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