Session 239, Part Two
Greenteeth
It was up to Uriel to guide the others through the miasma. Only he had the arcane mastery, insight and perception to penetrate this lightless, empty maze. On top of fighting off the bewildering effect of the miasma, he needed to weave the fate of many of his friends, such that they could not lose him as he went. (Though they tried to stay linked together, they found they drifted apart, coming close to losing consciousness at points.)
After a journey that seemed to take forever, and left the travellers feeling woozy and disoriented, they finally came upon something solid: a group of figures clustered in the distance, on what must have been a solid surface, though no clear distinction between where they stood and the rest of the black fug could be perceived. Even from this distance they could make out two hags crouched at the centre of a cluster of lacedons and scrags.
Jenny Greenteeth they knew, some better than others, though it was a very long time since any of them had laid eyes on her. She was wiry and bare-limbed, her skin such a dark green as to be almost blue; hair jet black and wild. She loomed over the shoulder of a hooded hag, who seemed to be conducting a ritual of some sort – a ritual which caused this miasma, and the incredible warping of time and space. This was Weary Enid. Runes could be seen floating in the air before her, along with an image of both of their ships.
Though mentally fatigued, Uriel threw everything he had into a powerful spell that would overawe Enid and trap her in a beam of radiance, incapable of further action. This done, he cried out for aid, which Korrigan duly provided, bathing most of his allies in pure, positive energy.
Leon had already dropped Uru in behind Enid. When Uriel’s spell struck her, Uru went for Greenteeth instead, shrugging off the fey charm that prevented him from doing so. But his shot didn’t kill her as he’d hoped. She cried out in pain and surprise, and vanished.
Lavanya had accompanied Leon, invisibly. “Get me close to her,” she whispered in his ear.
Quratulain stepped through Leon’s portal, used her magical mask to cast truesight and shot her with a freeze ray from her Lantern Blaster. This time, Greenteeth became incorporeal. “Us girls should stick together,” the hag admonished Quratulain, seeking to dominate her with a powerful spell. Quratulain felt herself bending to Jenny’s will, before Korrigan freed her with his bracers of liberty. Jenny gave a cry of frustration, and for the first time became aware of the cluster of enemies who had stayed at a distance. She cast a confusion spell at them, which they were all able to resist, except Rumdoom, who fell back on a trusty magical item: “She’s knocked my naughty word hat off!” he cried in outrage.
Jenny tried to sound defiant, despite this sudden, unexpected counterattack, and the undoing of their subtle but powerful ruse: “Give me the child and your friends will live! Otherwise, Enid’s minions will feed on their flesh!”
Now the nearby dozen lacedons and the half-dozen scrags mobbed Quratulain and Uru. They defended themselves as best they could, and Quratulain continued to attack Jenny Greenteeth relentlessly. Jenny teleported away; Leon used the Wand of Egal the Shimmering to prevent her from doing so again.
Uriel, bolstered by Korrigan, continued to pin Weary Enid. Rumdoom stepped through Leon’s portal and set about obliterating scrags. On Korrigan’s orders, Quratulain attacked Weary Enid. All the while they were swarmed by lacedons; one claw nicked Quratulain, who struggled to fight off their paralytic poison and landed a final, killing blow on the sea hag.
Jenny swept through the air towards Uriel, Korrigan and Leon, who were still some distance away from the melee. Leon teleported to meet her, dispelled her magical defences and attacked her with the Dreaming Blade. Whatever Lavanya hoped to achieve, she failed. “She’s too powerful!” she lamented, clearly surprised. Jenny tried to control Leon, but could not do so (though his mental defences were exhausted).
Korrigan summoned a future self, who stepped through Leon’s portal into the melee with the ghouls. “Which one of us do you want?” he goaded. His second self joined the fight beside Quratulain. “I really appreciate your help,” he said as she cut down lacedons left, right and centre.
“You know I love it,” she replied, sounding almost as if she really meant it!
With Enid dead, the scrags and lacedons fell back, though they had nowhere to run. Rumdoom continued to attack them, regardless.
Although he couldn’t see her, Uru knew Greenteeth was somewhere near Leon and flew on Little Jack to help him. Leon, flagging, teleported away, concerned he might not be able to resist another attempt to dominate him. Uriel cast truesight too, and threw a radiant bolt at the witch. Then Quratulain took another shot and killed her.
Or at least, killed her host. She cried out and ‘fell’, only to hang in mid-air, contorted but stiff, as bright-green vapour poured out of her mouth, nose and eyes. This sentient cloud sought a target and fixed upon Uru. It seethed towards him and he braced himself, whereupon Lavanya manifested in ghost form and deliberately absorbed the noxious mist, inhaling it like therapeutic vapour. She cried out, her form blurred and shifted. Leon flew closer to see if he could help. The ectoplasmic spasms went on for a short time, then stopped. When he form stabilised, it was no longer the spirit of Lavanya, but of Kasvarina.
“That was unexpected,” she said.
Leon was speechless.