The Forgotten City XIX
General Summary
As the Yafwadi raiders pushed deeper into the entryway of the cave, Riven shot an arrow just past Theo's ear; it sank into the lead raider. Theo moved back to make space for Elissa and Kegho to strike and the spiritual hammer struck at the same enemy, holding him at bay and covering his retreat.
The ongoing battle continued to unsettle the camels despite The Jiam and Yahi's best efforts.
Kegho shot at a Yafwadi and kills her. Alex fumbled his shot badly and took time to re-string his sling-staff. One swiped at Theo while clambering over the corpses of his comrades, but missed the priest. As he came closer, Elissa drove her spear into his throat, felling him.
The camels became unmanageable and Alex moved to an alcove near the wall.
The next enemy in the hallway struck out at Theo and did him a greivous wound. Teleptyon intoned something and Kegho's arrows glowed red. He loosed another at the next enemy. Flames burst forth from his chest as he collapsed to the floor of the hallway. Khufu swung his hammer at the nearest enemy and heard the satisfying crunch of a hip bone being shattered. Theo chanted a prayer and several of the closest Yafwadi were held fast, but the stillnesss was not soon enough. The Jiam pulled one camel to the floor as the other three did bolt. Alex dodged one but was stepped on by another in the chaos. The leader trampled one of the held-fast Yafwadi before Kegho could calm them before they escaped into the desert.
Outside of the cave, the appearance of flames and frozen companions did drive a rout among the remaining raiders. Kegho shot one dead and another fled into the heat of the day alone. Theo kills the remaining held Yafwadi but the one Kegho had outside the cave. Kegho tied him, and Riven double-checked the horseman's knots and found them satisfactory.
Khufu then set about interrogating the remaining raider. He first applied pain, but the raider bore the suffering in spiritual ecstasy. Theo then brought the slightest touch of Lamos's healing upon the raider and he screamed in agony. The raiding party had seen Riven and Alex's scouting expedition in the desert and believed them to be weak and a source for slaves. At the treat of more of Lamos's gift, he told them that there were ten times as many raiders in the encampment and that if they were interested there was a great deal of product available including two half-ogres, and humans from as far as Eknopolis. Khufu asked if there were any more dwarves in the camp, and the raider's eyes flickered in devious recognition. "One but he is in the pit with the half-ogres, I doubt he yet lives." Khufu did apply a full measure of [IMHOTEP/THOTH-ANALOG HERE], the divine builder and healer and the prisoner's flesh did sizzle as he screamed an expired. Khufu caved in his skull to be certain.
"Should we be building a crypt nearby?" Alex asked surveying all of the dead bodies. "Burying them in sand seems difficult, and their decaying flesh in the open air will attract trouble." Khufu looked up from studying his hands after his new display of divine power, and replied "Part of the cliff wall a ways down has a perfect stone composition for a desert rock tomb, and I suspect the area would be a good source of greywacke, but I'd have to take some samples to be certain."
While they discussed this, Teleptyon and Theo rested and the rest of the party moved the bodies away from the cave and toward the pit that they had placed the shrieking mushrooms and scorpions and where the Jiam was tending the soil richened by those creatures.
Riven kept watch and her keen eyes did spot a serpent boldly undulating across the badlands near the cave. She sought the party's assistance for it was an impressive snake. Kegho thought that it might be the same size as the snake he had been unable to rescue from the ampitheater of Paruhapta. He howled into the cave "MAGICMAN. YOU COME. YOU FIX." Telepyton was unsure that it was the same snake but thought that it was odd that one would be so far in the desert in the noonday sun. He held his staff aloft and intoned the words that would reverse such magical effects, dubious that there were effects to reverse. To his surprise the bulk of the snake shifted and shimmered, as it warped the shape of Asbjørn was left lying nude in the sand, but he had not survived the transformation. Kegho looked from Theo to Tele and back, but by their stony countenances that they had no way to bring him back.
The party prepared a funeral pyre based on Theo's understanding of the pagan ways of the Aldarwis that his being might rise as smoke to be judged by Teuz. Alex rattled off a list of things Asbjørn had said were important for the ceremony, but noted that he was fairly certain live, nude virgins was an Asbjørn specific elaboration.
The Jiam and Khufu argued a bit and finally The Jiam scooped up a fingerbone and some ashes and tied them in a pouch. The snake seemed important to you and both of our traditions contain ways to bring one back, though in a different form, but they are powerful and rare and he must be willing. Theo retorted that a powerful cleric could bring even ashes back, but that they were far from any clerics. The Jiam handed the bag to Theo and smiled enigmatically.
