Unintended ConsequencesUnintended Consequences DM Note: There was much sniggering about the word "Fistula". WikiPedia has this to say on the subject: "The Latin word fistula (UK /ˈfɪstjʊlə/ or US /ˈfɪstʃələ/ or /ˈfɪʃtʃələ/,[1][2] plural fistulas /-ləz/ or fistulae /-li/ or /-laɪ/) literally means tube or pipe. In medicine, a fistula is an abnormal connection between two hollow spaces (technically, two epithelialized surfaces), such as blood vessels, intestines, or other hollow organs. Fistulas are usually caused by injury or surgery, but they can also result from an infection or inflammation.[3] Fistulas are generally a disease condition, but they may be surgically created for therapeutic reasons." So there. It's not like it's Biggus Dickus or something! |
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The thing that exploded through the gateway was an appalling mixture of ape and boar, ridiculously tiny wings keeping it airborne as it hurtled onto the Prime Material.
Baron Iraj had braced his halberd, expecting something to charge through after Siân's panicked return, but he'd expected it at ground level and the point passed under the demon. Everyone braced themselves to fight, and then Ozymandias the assassin calmly leaned out from under the workroom's table where he had been hidden and snapped a pistol crossbow bolt into the demon's right eye. Slain instantly, it dropped from the air, slid across the floor and smashed into the end of the worktable in a ruin of black blood, flesh, hair and broken glass.
Mastering her fear, Siân managed to gasp out the word, "Three!" and everyone turned back to the Fistula. Tallan launched three arrows through it, while Rative the Air Priest tried to Dispel its' magic without success. Iraj braced his polearm again while Sergio and Trixis drew weapons. Kry'Ojenix cast a Protection from Evil.Trixis looked at Ozymandias; "I forgive you for killing it before I'd converted it," he said magnanimously. Ozymandias rolled his eyes.
A moment later the second demon that had noticed Siân's foray into the lower planes jogged through the gateway. This was far larger, a hugely muscled toadlike creature with a vast toothy mouth. It was nimble on its' feet, as it dodged the braced halberd and came on. As it did so, a hideous stench emanating from it enveloped the party, and Rative, Sergio and the remaining Rigsworth soldier Geoff started helplessly vomiting. Ozymandias sent two more bolts winging at the beast but one bounced off and the other inflicted only a minor wound.
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Tallan slammed three arrows into it, drawing blood, and Kry'Ojenix' greatsword bit deep into it as he charged into the fray. The demon glanced around, focussed on the helpless and vomiting Rative, raked him with its' claws and then bit half his head completely off, killing him instantly. As the priest died, the survivors felt the effects of his Prayer spell drain away from them, robbing their mundane weapons of the ability to harm the demon.
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Trixis stared at it curiously. "Do you have a religion?" he asked it politely. The demon looked at him as it chewed. "Mugh mumph gumph slurgh," it said, leaving the paladin dubious as to whether this was a strange language or simply talking with ones' mouth full. "Could you say that again?" he asked, and the demon spat one of Rative's mandibles at him. "Fine," said Trixis, shooting two arrows at it. Both bounced off. "Bloody atheist," he complained, backing off. As his companions' missiles also started to rebound from the monster, it dawned on them that the loss of the Prayer prevented them wounding it with mundane weapons and there was some hasty changing of weapons. Benedicta stabbed with Redeemer, wounding the creature badly. Equipped with magical missiles, Ozymandias tried another shot and dropped the demon - just as the third demon that had been attracted to the portal squeezed itself rapidly through. It was too big to make it through in one movement; a vast spider-like monstrosity with a leg span of fourteen or fifteen feet. As it came, it slashed with its' claws.
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The poisoned fangs skated off her armour, but a claw struck home, felling Benedicta with a mortal head wound of her own. Iraj struck with his halberd to no avail, and Sergio - recovered from his nausea with the death of the cause - struck deep with his magial broadsword Calcoth. Kry'Ojenix engaged the demon just before it could finish Benedicta, and Trixis dragged her back to safety, using his paladin's healing to try and save her life. The dwarvish battlemage's greatsword, itself demonic in origin, tore great wounds in the giant spider-demon, and it staggered, losing strength. Then the vampire Tallan piled into it with her own magical sword to strike the death-blow and it sank down. Covered in her blood to the elbows, Trixis used his last healing of the day and saved Benedicta from the edge of death.
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As he did so, Tallan flipped the table in a shower of glassware and rammed it against the portal, bracing it with any other available loose weights. Like the blanket, it wasn't going to stop the sort of thing they'd just fought - but it might slow them down and make enough noise to warn them.
The party had taken wounds and was weary. Perhaps oddly, they chose the room with the Fistula to rest and recuperate; Ozymandias brewing poison and Tallan scanning for heartbeats above. She could hear ten smaller demons, one strong human (probably Mandalar) and one immensely strong demonic one. Whichever demon was strongest ruled, she knew, and it appeared that whatever the strongest demon here was, it had set up residence in Mandalar's personal chambers at the top of the tower.
Later on, Kry'Ojenix slipped into Invisibility and sneaked through the Fistula for a look around. It matched up to his expectations in every way, though no demons noticed him in his brief foray.
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Next morning, somewhat recovered, the party prepared to move on. Tallan was still trying to persuade Siân to become a vampire - with signs of success - but being four floors up in a stone tower, there was nowhere to set up a grave. They shelved the matter for later discussion...
Session Date: 29th Mar 2016