Nomen Infernale XXXIX:
General Summary
After calling on Lamos for blessing, Brother Theo prays blessings upon La Compagnia as they continue to fight the trogolodyte leader and his two hench-trogs. Kegho's skin prickles at the attention of the gods, but his hand is guided by Ator as he slashes at the leader, slaying him. Asbjorn misses, but Riven follows up by loosing Brandy from her bow. It pierces the eye of the eye of her target and sinks deep into his brain, killing him instantly. Asbjørn chases the last trogolodyte into the darkened room and is mid swing when the beast leaps at him, impaling himself on the barbarians fine scimitar. Alex checks the corpse of the leader and finds religious fetishes which Alex adds to his collection of prayer foci before noticing a lock box in the corner of the room. Alex picks the lock but realizes as he finishes that one of the bone charms the leader had been carrying had carved teeth that matched the lock. They find gold and a crystal decanter.
They work to decapitate any of the trogolodytes whose heads were not entirely destroyed and Theo spreads oil around the room, asking Alex to touch it off with his torch. Alex obliges as he exits and the corpses are engulfed in flame.
Alex creeps close to a bend in the hallway, melting into the shadows as his torch sputters and goes out. He catches the outline of a hall moving toward a larger cavern and moves cautiously as close to the entrance of the cavern as he can get based on the flash he saw before the light went out. He pauses and listens: squishing, movement, a spawning pool maybe, water, and the sniffling, soft sobs of crying children. Alex knows the effect the crying children will have on Theo's decision making and couches the topic obliquely, but not obliquely enough. They move too quickly into position and do so clumsily up only to be greeted by trogolodytes moving in to attack them.
Alex is attacked first, but nimbly barely dodges the attack. Riven shoots the attacker before Kegho swoops in to behead it. Alex hears movement in the dark near him and brings his staff down hard on a trogolodyte he cannot see. Theo moves forward, lantern aloft and what it illuminates revolts them: a giant larva that takes up much of the space. Theo's immediate desire is to purge the abomination, but Teleptyon senses that it is magically enlarged, not actually a deity even if the trogolodytes are worshiping it. To one side they see a spawning pool filled with large eggs and carcasses, and at the furthest end of the room they see children who begin wailing when the party enters begging to be saved from becoming like them.
Elissa slips down the hallway impaling from behind the trogolodyte who had been clobbered by Alex. Riven shoots one, one misses Asbjørn and one grazes Elissa who moves out of the way so the barbarians can have their fun. Alex sends a vial of Teleptyon's Eknoi fire sailing into the room. He misses badly, but the creature is so large it is spattered down the side with the flaming substance. Teleptyon begins to rain down bolts of Ar on the beast. The larva attacks Asbjørn and though it misses him, he is overcome with rage at its presence. Theo strikes out at it, but in doing so positions himself between Kegho and the larva. Keg tries to manuever around him, but the vile worm takes up so much space he cannot and he gives up and fires a bolt at it, but misses. Alex hopes to climb the wall lining the entryway, but finds no purchase. He fires a bullet at one of the creatures eyes. Kegho enters battle ecstasy and begins clearing the remaining trogolodytes. He cleaves the nearest one in twain with his trusty axe Wraithcleaver. Riven looses another arrow and strikes the worm. Kegho's attack on the trogolodyte leaves him open to attack, but he is so deep in his experience that he feels no pain even as the worm sinks its teeth into him. Teleptyon hands Alex another vial of Eknoi fire. Riven fires two more shots at it and while it is distracted, Alex lines up a shot and sends the vial flying down the beast's throat. it glows and expands with the internal explosion and part of its side blows outward, drenching Kegho with ichor. The barbarian laughs lustily at the carnage. Teleptyon attempts to throw an acid dart at the beast but misses. A trogolodyte which has climbed the wall swings at Kegho but Kegho ducks the swing as if it were nothing and keeps his focus on the worm. Theo strikes at the worm. The worm, in its damaged state, fails to attack Kegho.
