Nomen Infernale XLXX: Nor Favor to the Skillful
General Summary
As the din of battle between the Ayadin and the degenerate men of the Yafwadi wastes continued around them, Kegho sliced at Ngozi with his axe, wounding him, but less than he had hoped. Riven loosed another arrow at Ngozi but missed him. Alex crept behind the lumbering half-ogre zombie and with his sling lofted a small vial of Eknoi fire into the air. It crashed on the nape of the zombie's neck and it bellowed but seemed otherwise unperturbed as the fat of its neck and upper back began to sizzle and pop and its necrotic skin began to crackle and curl. Theophilus, filled with the righteous indignation of Aelos squared up against the plague shaman, Suphis. He brought his silvered mace down with inspired force, shattering the repulsive bone armor. Suphis knew that he would not long survive against the holy man, burning with rage and fled. Elissa began to move toward the pond hoping for a clearer position with which to charge either Suphis or the zombie. Teleptyon moved closer to the zombie and with his noodly wizard arms threw a flask of oil at the zombie's feet.
Ngozi struck back at Kegho sinking his blade deeply into the steppeland barbarians flesh, but Kegho was unphased. Ngozi licked his lips in anticipation of a great fight. The zombie brought its putrescent meaty fists down on Kegho and narrowly clipped him. Theo chased after Suphis, his holy work still not finished. and brought his mace swinging upward. It made contact with the shaman's jaw, sending the contents of his skull splattering across the ruins of the stone arch behind him.
Kegho struck again at Ngozi who raised his shield at the last possible moment. The shield was destroyed but Ngozi was not harmed. Asbjørn, deeply angry at Ngozi's mockery for juicing, and also the wound that had brought him so near death stalked off to the pond near the battle and threw a boulder at his bronze enemy who was otherwise engaged with Kegho, he was further enraged that the boulder merely stunned Ngozi rather than ending him. He reached for another stone.
Riven loosed another arrow at Ngozi but was unable to catch him in the chaos of battle. Alex snuck behind the zombie and carved off some of its flesh with the enchanted sickle. Rahet was horrified that Alex had gotten so close to the abomination and came running. Elissa charged it, ululating, and her spear pierced his flesh and sank through its thigh; it turned and swiped at her with it's meaty hand bringing her much closer to death than she was comfortable with. She pulled her spear and began to retreat.
Riven fired again at Ngozi and grazed him while Asbjørn threw his second rock at the warrior. Kegho sliced at the bronzeman and a third rock struck him. He began to retreat from the battle, sword dropped and Theo charged after him, flicking sparks at his eyes and bringing his mace down on the base of his skull when he flinched, ending him. Alex and Rahet continued attacking the zombie, but Alex dropped his sickle and pulled out one of the crude obsidian daggers of the Mycetons, Rahet chipped his sword on a rock as he swung at the zombie. Riven shot an arrow at it and it sank deep into its neck. Kegho now freed of Ngozi turns and cuts a leg off of the zombie with Wraithcleaver. Elissa wavered on throwing her spear knowing that she had terrible aim, but shouts of "DO IT" convinced her to launch it at the zombie's head, which she missed but pierced its undead heart instead, ending it.
When the dust had settled Alex shouted "you know the drill, relieve the dead of their possessions, pile them up here, take the dead outside the walls, behead them lest they come back to attack again, and if we have time and brush let's make a large funeral pyre." The Ayadin were horrified by the brutal efficiency with which La Compagnia worked and at the desecration of the dead. Alim stopped them from interfering. Asbjørn spent the last of the incredible strength granted by the bull's blood serum dragging the half-ogre corpses outside the walls. Alex folded up the human skin robes of the two shamans and said prayers for the dead as he did so. He passed them to Theo to give last rites to and destroy. [INSERT LIST OF SPOILS].
Theo became manic about destroying the staves of the shamans which were each topped with the skull of child, but Alex became concerned about destroying magical artifacts in an unsafe manner, but Theo was insistent until Teleptyon warned him it would unleash any of the stored miasmatic energies upon those nearby when the staves were destroyed. "Better to give them to someone more powerful than us who can destroy them safely."
The Bull's Blood serum wore off and Asbjørn became frail and ravenous.
Alim came to tell them that through all three attacks they had lost only 7 of their number and would mourn them and bury them as is their custom. Theo offered to help, but Alim politely declined. Kegho helped Asbjørn up to take him to lie down and rest, but Alim bade all follow him. As they walked he explained that he had misled the party as to the location of the Rusati but that he was truly unsure of whether they still walked on this plane. He told them that when the stone fell and corrupted the men of the Yafwad and poisoned the land, the Rusati were saddened by how easily men's hearts were corrupted and retreated further and further into their oases. The Ayadin and the Yafwadi were once one people guardians of the Rusati lands for 10,000 years, but the Yafwadi had given themselves over to the siren song of death emanating from the earth north east of the hermitage and the Ayadin had remained steadfast and guarded the way to the valley where the Rusati lived. He told them that the Ayadin sword dancing was an echo of the arts of the Rusati and brought them into a bare room. He touched a recess in the wall and a stone stairway opened up in the center of the room. He led them down to a room filled with treasures of a lost age: robes, weapons and a staff resting on a pedestal. Alim told them that this was a staff of power crafted by the Rusati, but that the word of power that allowed full command of it had been lost. He told them that if La Compagnia was intent on seeking the Rusati this would be a token that they had been sent by the Ayadin and perhaps they would be able to learn the word of power in Rusati lands. Theo, still agitated about miasmatic magical staves demanded it as Teleptyon reached for it and Alim was incensed warning him the staff was not meant for those who could not weild the Ar. The staff was 5' long, and lookedl ike it was made of advanced composite ceramics with a center stone of dark black shot through with electric blue. It was topped with a large knob.
As they came up from the treasure room Alim apologized as Kegho moved to set Asbjørn down but said that the hermitage would not survive another attack and the party must go. Alex asked if the artefact or the party was the cause of the attacks and Alim said "truly, it may be both or either." Alim gave them some advice about the land around them, and saw them out the gate. The party thanked him for their water and set out into the desert heading to the southeast. As they traveled Yahi, Alex and Riven queried Rahet about the desert to the south and Rahet seemed steadfast in arguing that they should not head that way and poorly drew an animal and a man and destroyed the image of the man.
"He can't draw very well." Riven said flatly. Yahi did not translate.
Related Characters: Yahi, Alim, Rahet son of Hershet, Suphis, Ngozi, Ebbo Location: Ayadin Hermitage, Yafwadi Waste, Senu Desert