==== Summary 186: Giranois Ex Machina (2018-02-18) ====
[[Giraine]] [[summaries-2018|Summaries]]
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Hey,

You faced off with Yomil and his undead and demonic minions. The Greeter used its staff to conjure waves of invisible force that kept you away from it, Yomil and the Collections, while occasionally the meek Scrivener tried using a Blind curse to defend itself, but otherwise just stood in the way. But the undead-mechanical Bookmaker did not hold back- it first summoned black tendrils of death-magick that ripped at you (wounding Miguel), then faced ?Ahappi (or was it Boamund?) in melee and was disarmed, then finally its head was pulverized with spear-wounds and it fell.

Yomil slowly incanted powerful sorcery spells at you, including a continuous magic that ripped flesh off of Miguel's head (and finally left him unconscious at the end of the battle), a magic-neutralizing spell, a curse that produced maggots in Miguel and Ahappi's mouth that ate their tongues (leaving them speechless), and more. You did not face Yomil in melee, and the one time Miguel sent an arrow through him it simply passed through harmlessly, whereas Fraud threw an iron dagger that did manage to give Yomil a small injury to his spiritual form. Miguel tried calling upon the Skinless Prince to burn down the library with his Firearrow spell and bow, but nothing special came of that.

Ahappi and Boamund, soon backed up by Fraud, faced down the series of flayed ghouls, draconic and bramble-demons, and then some "new" (but familiar) demons with masks or with eyes-all-over. A silent, spectral wraith came through a far wall, throwing a noose around Ahappi's and then  Boamund's neck before it was sent screaming back to the Spirit Plane by your magic weapons.  You'd done well so far, surviving a furious onslaught of foes and spells [a lot of good rolling on your end!! And oh so many Luck points-Party Luck pts = 0 now]. But the enemy was marshalling its forces again-howls and shrieks came from the courtyard, with new sounds of motion.

However, why did Yomil pause at one point, as the stale air suddenly moved throughout the complex? You found out soon enough. Hearing the new foes coming, and seeing Yomil conjuring yet another spell that might finish you off, you prepared to meet Makan in Solace (or whatever). But a voice called from down the entry corridor: Jzurte the war-leader of the Sharde clan, calling you to come with him to safety. Ahappi, conflicted by his feelings for the Giranois who were dying to save you and his heroic drive to slay your foes, relented and came with you- Boamund dragged Miguel's comatose form out and Fraud held the black book from the library tight as you fled.

And you made it out! The Sharde had brought several huge frog/toad-things to swallow the dead and undead, and wolf-toads and warriors to help occupy the horde of zombies, ghouls and demons that increasingly thronged the Courtyard. It was clear that there was no chance for even your strengthened alliance to take down all of these foes and press into the Library to face Yomil together, nor did Jzhurte remotely desire that-he had come for you, not wanting your bodies to end up as new additions to Yomil's army, and he urged that your troubles were not yet over. Nor were his, he complained; he had defied Sharde elders' wishes and entered the Wormweald. That may come at a cost, he knew.

The Gates of Yomilstone lay open, with a chill gale blowing out into the real world, and you fled back into the Maggotwood with your Sharde allies; Ahappi taking the key and closing the gates with Jzhurte, who fought well and was bloodied head to toes with wounds. Not long thereafter, Miguel's health-enhancing blessing ended and Ahappi collapsed. But you were in the frosty woodlands again and the Giranois put your two helpless comrades onto the backs of giant loping toad-things as you fled through the maze of giant rotten trees. Jzhurte warned that his band had fought hard to get in here and expected to fight more to escape, so your troubles were not over! Yet you had survived the Library again and escaped Yomil! He did not seem happy for you to leave... But he didn't pursue you out of the Library, either; perhaps his power was still limited.

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