As the first clash of arms rang out across the ruined fort, Yrsa scrambled over the ruined wall of Idrima’s shrine. Pausing on the crumbling parapet, she surveyed the unfolding disaster surrounding her. Here and there were dotted the bodies of those Enthralled that had fallen in the initial Chaos onslaught. However, the warrior training of many Enthralled was beginning to tell, as some began to form into warbands. Where the groups were too small or too exposed, they were swiftly overwhelmed by howling Broo and other, fouler things. Where they were more numerous or took refuge in the ruins, many were able to hold back the foe for a while. Here and there, groups were even beginning to coordinate their actions, fighting their way towards each other in a bid to join forces. Before leaping down into the shrine to join her companions, Yrsa saw two such bands join together , one led by Jayvis Thunderthroat and another by the unnamed Dark Troll who had been enthralled by Idrima’s power.
As Yrsa joined them, the heroes quickly formed a rough battle-line, locking their shields into a barrier across the entrance to the shrine. Racing towards them across the stony ground, screaming foul battle cries, was a group of Broo, all of them unnatural and mutated mockeries of life. Similar groups could be seen running here and there without apparent direction, hacking at isolated Enthralled or sometimes at each other when no enemy was nearby. Broo were notoriously undisciplined, as might be expected given their chaotic origins, but could be brought together by larger examples of their kind through fear, especially where those vile warlords were favoured by their dark gods. It was clear to them that somewhere within this horde was a guiding intelligence of some sort, as how else could they have penetrated so far into Orlanthi lands without their knowledge?
Whilst his companions formed the shield-wall, Terrastal yelled to Idrima, trying to draw her essence from the Underworld to inhabit the huge stone form before him, as he had seen in his visions. “Here is Chaos, Idrima! Here is your ancient foe! Waken and strike them down!” But Idrima remained unmoved by his pleas. Turning towards Jenest Fair-Tongue, he caught the look of panic and fear in her eye: “Idrima demands blood!” she yelled over the howls of the Broo. Perhaps her fear was for her unborn child, reflected Terrastal, or perhaps it was knowledge of how Broo delighted in taking live captives. Broo were rightly feared by all beings for their foul practices when it came to procreation.
A shout went up from one end of their meagre shield-wall: “Beware Dragonsnail!”, yelled Sandene. Behind the charging Broo, a misshapen beast loomed above them. With the apparent form of a huge, mutated snail, the creature slid over the ground leaving dying grass in its wake. Two heads on sinuous necks swayed back and forth, searching for prey. More than once, the heads snapped at each other in blind idiocy, but Sandene knew they could be fearsome foes. She caught Magana’s eye and saw in her face a mirror of her own manic grin; the familiar battle-lust was beginning to fill both of them, and they welcomed it whole-heartedly.
As Yrsa took her place to his right, Randel felt another presence to his left. Glancing over his shoulder, he was met with the sight of Eirissa locking her shield with his and hefting her spear to a guard position. Witnessing the shouted words of Terrastal and Jenest, she had seen a gap in the wall and snatched up a spear and shield to fill it. Noting the cold and determined look in her eye, Randel thought to himself “I’m not sure what the Broo will make of her, but by Issaries she scares the Hells out of me!”
Before he could voice this thought, however, the charging Broo finally hit home against their shield-wall. Their world shrank to be taken up by the clash of weapon on shield, the hurried parry and dodge from thrust blade, and the stink of blood as it splashed from wounds. Desperately, the heroes’ battleline held; although a few wounds were taken, the Broo took the worst from the opening flurry of blows. One of the Broo appeared to shift and shimmer as it moved, promising to be a difficult foe to bring down. Noting this, Sandene contemptuously hefted her axe and gave a mighty overhead swing, almost severing the beast’s arm and laying it low in one blow. As the creature writhed and snorted imprecations from the ground, Sandene hawked and spat: “Death is here for you, beast!”
Meanwhile, Randel and Eirissa fought side by side. Eirissa proved herself to be an effective warrior, although Randel was forced to parry blows meant for her as well as for himself, as her enthusiasm for the fight left her open to the enemy on more than one occasion. For her part, Eirissa appeared to be almost enjoying herself, singing an Orlanthi battle hymn through clenched teeth between spear thrusts.
As Yrsa put her foe to the floor, she glanced up to see the swaying heads of the Dragonsnail approaching her part of the line. Stepping forward, she set to work with spear and shield, although the snail’s shell and thick skin proved surprisingly effective. In reply, the creature thrust one of its heads forward with surprising speed and power, shattering Yrsa’s shield and biting through her vambrace. Yrsa momentarily felt the acid burn of what could only be poison in the wound, although her strong constitution enabled her to fend off its worst effects.Stepping back, she noted a discarded Broo shield on the ground at her feet. Hesitating only momentarily, Yrsa snatched up the shield and prepared to defend herself, hoping that the shield’s former owner wasn’t as diseased as others of its kind.
Seeing his companions in peril, Terrastal entreated Idrima one last time before rushing into the fray. As he turned away, he thought he saw dust falling from the statue’s joints, almost as though it was beginning to move. Once in the fight, after exchanging a few blows he glanced back at the statue again, only to see the sight of Jenest sawing at her neck with her knife and falling to her knees. On witnessing this, Terrastal leapt to her aid, summoning his healing spirit magic. As it flowed from him, he put his hands over Jenest’s self-inflicted wound, her blood coating his hands. As Jenest looked into his eyes, her panic fading, she whispered “she demands blood…” as bloody froth coated her lips. Rising to his feet, he stepped forward and placed his blood-soaked hands on Idrima’s statue. As the stone seemed to drink in the blood, Terrastal hissed ‘Now help us, you bitch!”. As he did so, he felt power begin to fill the stone form as it took a faltering step. Turning back to his companions, he yelled “She needs more blood!”
On hearing this, Sandene didn’t hesitate. Heedless of the risk of infection, she dropped to one knee and scooped up the writhing form of the injured Broo at her feet. With Terrastal’s help, she half-dragged, half-carried the creature to where Idrima was taking her first steps in millennia. Dropping the creature before her, they stepped back, foul blood caking their arms. The Stone Woman appeared to raise her head and look at them momentarily, before raising the stone column of her leg and stamping it down, silencing the Broo’s howls instantly. Again, the beast’s blood seemed to be absorbed by the stone.
Things happened quickly from that point, and seemed to form a series of bloody tableaux; the Stone Woman, charging forward and cracking the Dragonsnail’s shell with one blow before striding off to wreak havoc amongst the Chaos horde; the companions, stealing out from the stone tower and joining up with smaller groups of Enthralled before being halted by a larger group of Broo; Terrastal striking up an Orlanthi batlle-song to inspire their growing warband, before his faltering voice was bolstered by Randel’s rich voice; Sandene and Magana attempting to flank the Broo before being forced back into the safety of the shield-wall.
Finally, time slowed once more. The heroes, together with some thirty Enthralled, stood in a shield wall facing off against twice their number of chaos beasts standing some sixty paces away. Sharing the shield wall was Jayvis Thunderthroat and the Dark Troll who, despite their size difference, appeared to have become stalwart battle-companions. Behind the shield wall stood Jenest, supported by Eirissa. In the distance, Idrima could be seen in the throes of crushing her enemies; but she was not with them, and their fate would be resolved before she could reach them. As they contemplated this fact, the mass of Broo parted and a huge example of their kind stepped forward and sounded a braying battle-horn. What new foulness did this portend?
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