Struggle for Paruhapta IX: With Confused Noise

The party heard the scuffle and roar of bearmen making their presence known as they approached while Alex grew frustrated by the complicated door. Kegho aimed out the door at the leader of the bearmen and sank an arrow into his torso through his thick hide armor. Riven loosed an arrow as well grazing his cheek. He pushed his way into the room where Theo and Elissa took shots at him, noting his pinprick pupils and the rictus grin they had last seen when Asbjørn had been deep in rage. Khufu closed his eyes and chanted a hymn to Xam as the space around him grew briefly still his eyes snapped open and he shouted "Betray!" at the bearman chief. Something flashed between the two, both masked in uncertainty before the chief's face hardened and he turned and howled a challenge to his warriors and Khufu flashed relief and then triumph.

The next largest bearman saw his opportunity for promotion to leader and charged at the chief, but the chief batted away the spearpoint and growled. Kegho sank Wraithcleaver into his shoulder while his back was turned. He howled at the betrayal of his betrayal.

The injured bearmen also heard the challenge issued by their leader and came into the room to join the fray. One missed Antonious and a second sliced at Alex, grazing his ribs and leading to an extended discourse on the moral hazard of breaking detente in broken Ancient Khemian.

The chief turned and struck at Kegho injuring him like for like. While he was focused on Kegho, Riven slid her short sword, shot through with enchantment, into his abdomen, tilting her head for a moment as she watched blood and viscera trickle, then flow in rivulets down the blade. Teleptyon raised his staff and shouted as the tip crackled with violet energy and two bolts of pure Ar careened across the room, one killing the chief and the other hitting the bearman who had struck Alex.

A third bearman charged into the room, Antonious missed him by a hair as he ran by, he missed Khufu as he skidded to a stop, blocked by the mass of adventurers milling in a narrow space, and Khufu missed him in turn.

Alex dragged his dagger across the femoral artery of the bearman who had already been wounded before attacking him and being struck by a bolt of Ar. The bearman looked down at him, a mix of sadness and relief on his face as his lifeblood drained out, his eyes closed and he crumpled to the floor in the deepest sleep he could have.

Brother Theo attempted to pull the door shut, but the new chief grabbed it from his side and a tussle began. Herk moved in, uncertain of whether he would pull shut the door or lay his axe into the bearman on the other side of it, but Antonious took the moment of chaos to his own advantage and sliced down the back of a bearman attacking Khufu. Elissa jabbed at the bearman in the doorway. Rivven attempted to shoot at the bearman opposite Antonious twice but Alex's turban partially obscured him. Kegho stepped past Alex and bisected the bearman opposite Antonious.

Theo abandoned his attempt to keep the door shut and slammed his mace onto the offending bearman's shoulder. The last of the wounded bearmen chose to die attacking Kegho, but while his back was turned Khufu made a mighty leap and threw his weight into his mace, staving in the bearman's skull.

The bearmen at the door backed away, the erstwhile leader began to taunt the party in broken Khemian "You no have key, you no go. We hungry, we eat you, but we not so hungry we not wait!" Alex whispered to Theo "we did take over their breakroom and put a lot of skewers of unidentified meat into a bag, maybe if we return their lunch they'd leave us alone?" Theo was about to scoff at the idea, but instead asked for the bag and put the honey of Maya into his voice as he said "Friend hungry? Why no say? Have meat!" and threw the bag into the hall.

"We eat meat now, you later!" The new chief said with a distinctly friendly warmth; Theo closed the door. Alex's keen ears heard the soft rending of undercooked flesh and he shivered.

Riven searched the chief's corpse, while Alex oversaw the searching of the other three. They found silver and a bone scimitar, which Elissa took, but no key. Alex and The Jiam searched the bedroom but it had but two mats and little else. Khufu and Riven searched the break area, but also found nothing but upturned empty crates and a brazier.

Teleptyon grew weary of waiting and with a raised palm and words that rattled in the ears of his companions before sliding off into the ether the door flew open. Alex, Elissa and Kegho moved into the large hall with small pillars, two doors on either side what seemed to be twin apses at the far end. Alex lifted the hood off his lantern and the dusky red light filled the room.

Riven stepped into the room and crinkled her nose "urine." Elissa joked "how could you smell that over La Dona?" but she simple said "no, different urine," and looked up where two lap-dog-sized bats hanged. Riven was delighted to see creatures of Bira before they turned and had sallow human faces. She gasped and loosed an arrow at one as she stepped back. In the other room, two bearmen charged through the door after hearing the ruckus of Teleptyon's spell. Teleptyon quickly cast one last spell and the familiar chains and got bearing its horns for a charge enveloped the door as it slammed shut. Theo suggested he needed therapy as battle was joined by the two bearmen who had made it through.

With the thread being bat-like creatures, Alex slid the red filter from his lantern filling the room with light like a noonday sun. He fired his sling staff, but missed, Kegho sank an arrow into the nearest and Khufu battered one with his staff. The nearest creature began to scream as it dropped from its perch and circled the room before fluttering into the left-most apse. The screech caused intense pain in almost all who heard it, and they dropped their weapons and fled the room. Even the bearmen just on the other side of the room gripped their ears in pain. Theo and Antonious slightly further away took the opportunity to strike at their bearmen with great success. Herk too sank his axe into his enemies. Teleptyon, unbothered by the sounds of animals in great distress strode into the room and loosed a concentrated blast of fire at the now nearer creature doing a great deal of damage to it.