Sapphire:Sessions:20200307
Although the area is oppressive with Aakbarath's influence, there's the sound of birds chirping. Belandrie refuses to let Tara and Solant (the two rangers originally met in Wicera) scout ahead.
Without warning, thirty yards ahead four ape-like monsters rises out of the ground. The apes stand 7' tall, are covered with shaggy white fur, and wield stone clubs. Chalker, thinking they resemble trolls, calls out, "Hey, how much is the toll?" In each person's mind sounds the rightmost ape's response, in Common: All that you desire and hold dear.
Shawna feels a "slight touch of Charesoon and chaos." Intrinsius builds up an explosive fireball. Chalker and Cal move toward the first ape. Shawna starts toward another ape, shouting, "Move aside or die!"
The ape's voice sounds again: Will you pay? Chalker answers, "Yes, come and get it!" The apes raise their clubs, which start to glow. Shawna charges. Chalker runs. Belandrie extends his hands, sparkling with magic. Intrinsius throws his fireball at Ape3's feet, setting its fur ablaze.
Belandrie throws his spells at Ape4, which absorbs one of the spells with its club, which stops glowing and now crackles with lightning. Chalker chops at Ape1's club hand; the ape "easily" parries. In turn, Ape1 thrusts its club at Chalker's chest; Chalker parries, Dink-Dink chipping the stone. Ape2 steps back from Shawna and glances to its left; it grunts and its club's glow doubles. Ape3 collapses and drops its club, which bounces toward Intrinsius. Ape4 charges Belandrie, swings, and misses. Shawna feints, the stabs Ape2 in its side. Cal and Loop flank Ape1; both swing and miss. Tara and Solant fire their bows at Ape2 and Ape4. Intrinsius draws his katana and drops it, but quickly picks it up.
Belandrie fast-draws his sword and slices Ape1. Tara's next arrow bounces off Ape2's hide, and Ape4 dodges Solant's arrow. Chalker chops Ape1 in the neck. Ape1 begins a whirlwind attack, shattering Loop's sword. Cal hits Ape1 in the vitals. Shawna feints high, then stabs Ape2 in the armpit; dropping its club, Ape2 collapses. Intrinsius tries to scoop up a club; it's quite heavy. Suddenly three black birds dive at the burning ape, and the group can see more birds coming.
Chalker again chops Ape1 in the neck; the ape staggers but remains standing. Intrinsius drops the club and yells, "Blackbirds!" Shawna strikes Ape2 in the vitals. Belandrie attacks Ape4, which falls down. Tara and Solant shoot at the birds and miss. Loop punches Ape1 with his broken sword. Cal swings and Ape1's head rolls off. Chalker yells, "Whaddaya mean, 'blackbirds'?" Three birds fly into Intrinsius' fire and go up in puffs of smoke. Chalker counts three more birds flying toward Ape3, six birds apiece flying toward Ape2 and Ape4, and six more birds flying erratically toward the now-headless Ape1.
Chalker peers inside Ape2; within its body is a stone with a symbol on it. The rangers shoot two of the three birds headed toward Intrinsius. Intrinsius swings at a bird; it flies into the fire and goes poof. Belandrie kills three birds, but three others fly into Ape4 and are absorbed. Shawna knocks away two birds while two other birds enter Ape2. Cal looks around for more birds, and Loop picks up a club.
Raising one hand, Belandrie looks toward where the birds had come from. Intrinsius shoves his katana through Ape3's head and hears a scream in his own mind. Chalker cuts a line through Ape1's sternum and feels "a static charge" through his sword; he could swear that an expression of surprise appears on Ape1's face. Belandrie kneels and brings his sword across Ape4's neck, then fast-draws a knife and stabs its torso. Three birds dive into the ground near Ape3, one of them breaking a wing. Shawna cuts open Ape3 and strikes something solid inside it; two "somethings" attempt to come at Shawna but die.
Chalker reaches into Ape1's chest cavity and pulls out a cube. The cube is made of stone, one side is marked with a rune, and the other sides are colored red and black. "Belandrie, what is this? What does the rune mean?" Belandrie: "The closest translation would be 'Control Body'." Chalker now sees there are two runes, one superimposed upon the other. Similar cubes are cut out of the other apes. Belandrie: "That is a runic script not seen for 3000 years. I ran into it in my youth." Chalker: "Are they dangerous?" Belandrie: "They would require activation." Chalker: "So if we plug the cubes into people, we could control them?" Belandrie: "Yes, with limitations."
Shawna casts a wind spell that knocks the remaining birds to the ground; she methodically kills them.
The group burns the apes' corpses. Runes on the apes' clubs read "Absorb Energy, Redirect, Return Weapon," and a fourth unknown rune.
Chalker opens up Tiny Wagon and brings out a sword and buckler which he presents to Loop. Intrinsius puts away his staff and takes out his bow and arrow. Chalker bags up the clubs and the rune cubes and puts the bag in Tiny Wagon. Intrinsius gives Loop a heavy crossbow (since Loop carries iron-tipped bolts but no bow). Loop tells him, "Thanks. I lost my bow in an unfortunate accident."
After another 100 yards' march, the upright corpse of a richly-dressed young man, a short spear driven through his body into a tree, hangs 10' off the ground. His face and shoulders are scratched and the front of his shirt is torn. Chalker hooks the spear's metal head and pulls it out; the corpse sags and falls to the ground. Any identifying markings such as house insignia have been cut off the clothing. The spear is marked with a rune meaning "enhance pain;" it is made to prolong the victim's suffering.
Shawna determines that the corpse is two days old. Any tracks that were around the tree have been removed to a radius of 15', but there are bootprints leading toward and away. Shawna figures that the wearer of the boots is a small human female.
Chalker has Cal strap the spear to his back. Shawna remarks, "When we're done, we destroy the spear, right?"
In the next 180 yards the group finds the corpses of seven leather-clad guards and five men dressed similarly to the first corpse. These have been dead for at least five days, most of them apparently killed with an edged weapon. Chalker says that one man was "scared to death" (his heart burst), and another died from Deathtouch or some similar spell. Shawna sees the woman's tracks again. The corpses seem to have been transported on a 10' worm(?).
Another short walk and the group is about 1/8 mile from their target. There is no more underbrush, but trees block line-of-sight. Chalker feels a "brush against his mind" slide off of his will and identifies it as the touch of Aakbarath. Shawna knows it centers on the "small woman" and originates from Aakbarath and Aup. Belandrie is not affected at all.
Chalker says to Cal, "I understand why you would be jealous." Intrinsius sends a tiny prayer to Santash for protection for the group.
The group comes to a clearing cultivated with thick grass. 15 yards ahead of them stands a mahogany throne, upon which a woman is seated. She is 5'4" with "vivid" blonde hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin. On a stand beside her is a rack with three spears. At her hip is a longsword. To her right is a giant worm somewhat resembling a centipede, 5' high and 10' long, with "a Mother of Night vibe." Extending from its back are two long arms ending with claws articulated for grasping.
Chalker checks her Aura: She is "one with Aup" but is not quite an avatar; level 3 mage; strongly blessed, has strong psychic Suggestion; strong Animal Empathy; strong link to Aakbarath (from the sword).
Chalker says aloud, "There sits someone who is one step away from avatar." The woman, who gives her name as Brigid Lumodu (BL), replies "Please, may we talk?" Chalker: "Sure." Shawna, however, continues forward and attacks the worm, which does not try to attack or defend; its hide is like heavy armor, and it bleeds ichor.
BL gestures. The centipede strikes at Shawna with one claw; Shawna chops at the arm but her blow has no effect. Intrinsius fires and hits the worm in one eye. Belandrie charges and swings, striking BL in the torso. Chalker moves up on BL's other side and asks, "Before he hurt you, who hurt you?" Tara and Solant fire at the worm; their arrows bounce. Cal suddenly screams "Vile newcomer!" and charges at Loop, who parries with his new crossbow.
Intrinsius drops his bow, fast-draws his katana and shortsword, and charges at BL, swinging; she dodges. Belandrie's face contorts; he takes half a step and collapses. Tara and Solant shoot the worm in the eyes. Chalker hooks BL's sword (it is blessed by Aakbarath and feels like grabbing a lightning bolt). Loop fast-draws his sword and parries Cal's attacks. Shawna chops into the worm's arm.
The worm attacks Shawna who wounds it with her aggressive parry; the worm then "steps" toward Solant and rears up. Shawna strikes the worm. BL grabs the sword hilt, looks at Chalker, and says, "Really?" Chalker replies, "Please yield." Intrinsius stabs BL with both swords; she staggers, muttering "Damn." Two more arrows hit the worm. Chalker steps into BL, pins her arms, and whispers in her ear, "Do you yield?" Loop continues to parry Cal.
Shawna strikes the base of the worm's arm twice. Chalker feels something spiritual "flow up" the sword and "wrap around" his mind. BL answers him, "No." Despite Chalker's greater strength, BL pulls the sword an inch toward herself. Her sword seems to be acting as an independent entity; a bolt of energy shoots from it and Chalker (with a crit on Theology) realizes that Aup is working through the sword (and there must be a "big deal" going on for them to have "teamed up" this way... "a very significant gambit." This weapon must be a holy artifact of Aakbarath).
Replying "Okay," Chalker headbutts BL and her head rocks back. The worm moves past Shawna toward the archers. Intrinsius kicks over the throne; it cracks and skids along the grass. Cal attacks Loop who is strictly defending. Two more arrows bounce off the worm.
Chalker, by force of will, still holds "it" off. BL releases the sword and tries to break Chalker's hold (but he crits). Shawna moves up behind BL. Chalker jumps up and slams BL to the ground, landing lengthwise atop her and knocking her breath out. Intrinsius rushes the worm and swings twice. Tara's bowstring breaks. Solant runs to the left, out of the worm's path.
Chalker notices that BL is not bleeding; he figures that Aup is healing her through the sword. BL struggles and breaks Chalker's armhold. Shawna kicks BL in the head. Chalker, seeing no indication that BL will surrender, flings the sword away. Loop maintains his self-control and does not retaliate against Cal. Solant aims. Tara picks up Intrinsius' bow. Intrinsius casts Rain of Fire over the worm's back; the fire slides off.
Chalker hooks Magekiller, rolls off of BL, jabs the dagger into her stomach, and utters the activation words. BL goes limp, bleeding and burnt. The worm flips around toward the throne. Intrinsius attacks the worm's head [7 damage does not penetrate]. Shawna runs up beside Intrinsius and strikes the worm. Cal hits Loop, who barely holds his temper.
Shawna stabs at the worm's eye, but somehow it parries. Intrinsius jabs both of his swords deep into the other eye. The worm attacks Intrinsius, who parries. Chalker takes hold of Magekiller, then hooks Cal's spear and pulls it straight back such that Cal loses his balance. Loop kicks at Cal's sword.
Chalker sits up and checks BL; she appears to be dead, but for good measure he yanks out Magekiller and then stabs her in the heart. Intrinsius again stabs the worm's eye twice, leaving his swords embedded. Cal stands up slowly. Loop spin-kicks, striking Cal's sword hand; Cal's hand opens and he drops his sword. Shawna stabs into one of the worm's wounds. Chalker shouts, "Cal! Stop!"
Shawna stabs again. The worm attacks Intrinsius, who parries with judo. Intrinsius grabs the worm's mouth and tries to pull it open. Cal looks over at Chalker, "Huh?" Loop steps away from Cal. Chalker stabs BL in the heart again.
Chalker stands up, pulls out Magekiller, fast-draws Dink-Dink, and beheads BL. Shawna stabs the worm, shouting, "Yasseph, slay this thing!" Intrinsius prays, "Santash, help me vanquish this worm!" He casts Flame Jet into the worm's mouth.
Chalker takes the spear and pokes it into one of the worm's wounds. The worm attacks Intrinsius and Shawna, who both parry. Intrinsius casts Flame Jet again while yanking his swords out of the worm's eye. Shawna strikes the worm. Chalker thinks the worm is "pulling" from the Mother of Night and is somehow connected to BL's sword.
Shawna snarls, "Charesoon filth!" She strikes the worm and it finally collapses. Intrinsius shoves an Exploding Fireball into the worm's gullet.
Shawna orders Tara and Solant to watch the perimeter.
Chalker searches BL. He finds three rings with burned-out gems, and a pouch containing 7gp and a holy medallion of Aup and Aakbarath. On the small of her back is a "tramp stamp" tattoo honoring Charesoon. Chalker slices through the tattoo, keeps the money, and gives the rings to Intrinsius.
Belandrie is unconscious, but his breathing and heartbeat are fine. Shawna cats Awaken and he thanks her. "Aakbarath and Aup, they were going for my jealousy. The force of their will knocked me out."
Chalker retrieves the scabbard and sheathes BL's sword.
Cal looks sheepish. Chalker calls Loop over to him. Loop has a few cuts that were inflicted by Cal. Chalker hands Loop 5cp. Then he turns and pops Cal on the head. "Be better! I understand you were overcome by the First Chosen. But don't be jealous of Loop."
Intrinsius sets the throne on fire. He brings over a box containing a "hit list" and the insignia that BL had removed from the corpses. The last name on the hit list is Duke Jorgenson of Pinehurst.