Bandaluthia Session 58

Bandaluthia Session 58

The abyssal bitches hovered. Rätsel, Shaniqua, Ti Ying, Orc, Gannon and Ellodee stood on the deck. The sailors – following orders – had gone below.

One succubus swooped and unleashed a lightening bolt, which struck the front mast; it fell. The group were now ready for the next attack: another came and this time Rätsel sent a web in its direction, encasing the abyssal beast which hit the ocean and disappeared. ‘Not so good at flying now, are you, demonic whore?’ muttered Hell’s Outcast.

Next time the creatures coordinated. This time the Tiefling offloaded a fireball, singeing the bitch’s wing. Ellodee cast deep slumber, but its spell resistance protected it. The clouds above began to growl with thunder. Again they flew down. More fire, and deep slumber. Two more succubi sent back to the Abyss.

Now all Abyssal-spawn descended. The Animals coalesced in the middle of the ship. Lightening bolts struck the masts, and the remaining two masts fell to the evil onslaught. At the back of the ship demons landed, and shouted, in Abyssal, ‘We come to parlay’. The blood rose in the Half-Devil – ‘I have not turned away from Hell to embrace the Abyss’. Screaming, he cast a potent evocation, shouting for the demons to ‘Begone’. The succubi summoned vrock to fight for them. Gannon, Orc and Ti Ying created a defensive wall, and sought to strike. Once more the demons called for parlay, once more Rätsel spurned them, shouting again: ‘Demonspawn’. The pain burned their enemies.

Ti Ying struck with a flurry of blows; Orc, with his mighty axe. Gannon, the newest of the group hit the succubi with powerful blows. Lightening erupted and Rätsel flew thirty feet through the air. He landed, his heart stopped and lungs empty. Still, the Animals did not concede (though Ellodee hid behind a box). Shaniqua struck one of the creatures a fearsome blow from behind, but the response was brutal. She withdrew. The battle had turned ill. ‘Are they trying to hurt you’ asked a small boy – ‘that makes me angry’. An emanation began, both healing the Animals and burning the abyssal hoard like paper magnified by a lens. They departed, screaming.

Ellodee talked to the boy, named John. She tried to ascertain the nature of his power. He healed the fallen heroes, and she explained their predicament. The Boy seemed not to understand. Mist surrounded The Saxon, and the Animals recuperated. Hours passed and daylight began to filter through the clouds. The mist began to clear and a port came in to view – a Jongelese port. By some bizarre twist The Saxon had journeyed to its home port, to the Animals’ relief.

After some difficulty the party landed. They sought the Ship’s owners and paid the lease for the year, and the cost of repair. In part the payment was met through the sale of the cargo. A ton of black powder from the hold – moondust – was sold to pay for the refit, and a tidy sum of profit was made. Some of the slaves left the ship at this stage, with a bursary to allow them to being a new life. The humanity of the Animals was apparent, even if only Orc was human (the irony).

After a number of days The Saxon set sail once more. The journey took over a week and the party were followed at every turn by the erotic beasts. The Boy, at each moment, drove them away. As the Animals entered the port in Bandaluthia they were relieved to be home. But, mysteries remained. Was the ship cursed, and could the curse be lifted (and appropriated)? Had they managed to lose the succubi in their waterborne journey? What of the Boy? From where did he derive his power, and could he be taught to control his emotions. These questions, and more, would be answered in the next thrilling episode of Bandaluthia.