Hiya,
Miguel rushed down the tower to join you as another wave of enemies approached the fortress from all sides. And in they came: first two Iron Mostali brandishing iron axes and odd tubes that turned out to be smoking, bellowing projectile weapons (blackpowder pistols). They glowed dimly with Mostali magics and wore almost impregnable iron armour. Next came a pair of spider-monsters with bolas and nets and axes. Finally a bizarre hovering Godlearner/Zistorite/who-knows-what thing came in, humming and chanting- it was a giant brain-body with bronze machinery holding it aloft and supporting multiple grasping tentacles, some of which ended in mysterious devices.
The battle was fierce! First the spider-monsters, their cunning cowardice buoyed by outnumbering you, threw bolas at you (blocked) then rushed Fraud and Boamund; but quickly got hacked down. The brain-machine unleashed a wicked blasting bolt of swirling crimson-silver energy that ablated armour and flesh alike, wearing many of you down; and it threw a potent “Diminish Strength” sorcerous spell at Boamund and Fraud but they shrugged it off. The Mostali lived up to their reputations as stalwart, fearsome foes. While they were slow, their armour fended off many blows and they tried their best to hew at you with their axes after shooting you with their tube-weapons. Bog bravely faced both of them at first, and held his own very well, even though he risked terrible wounds from the poison-metal of their axes. He learned that Captain Sarginn's mace bashed through Mostali armour well enough, but not as well as his terrible maul did. Quickly, Boamund came to help him, and the battle began to turn.
Fraud and later Miguel engaged the floating brain, who tried fending them off with magics and tentacles but was outnumbered and forced to defend more than attack, to protect its vulnerable brain. It did, however, blast Fraud's shield to pieces. Slowly it took wounds, and Miguel's sword spoiled one of its powerful spells. Boamund then tripped his Mostali foe, and Bog smashed in the head of his, so soon those two dwarves were dead or dying- and then it was over quickly, with Boamund(?) dealing the final death-blow to the brain-thing. You finished off your foes.
Hearing no more enemies coming, you left the tower and saw that the swampspiders were doing a good job defending the fortress elsewhere. The tube-weapons of the Mostali were making a strange ticking sound and soon there was a pair of explosions in the tower, spewing smoke and shaking dust from the ruins. Bog threw the exploded Mostali remains into the pool beside the tower.
Ollamor then called to Fraud and everyone but Miguel (who kept watch from the tower-top) returned to the central platform. Ollamor warned that “The foe came not for the Arkatzar or its secrets, but for you. Their intents are varied- some would just kill and eat you, but like in my Age their masters want you as servants or dupes, or even undead slaves. They will not relent. Soon Good Toad Food will be unsuitable even for heroes such as you; the enemies are rising quickly. This land has given you what allies it can, and they can hold the foe at bay. Rest this night in Zorak Zoran's tower if you must, but tarry no longer here. I advise to seek more allies outside of Good Toad Food, and prepare for real battles to come. This was nothing. But the Arkatzar can take care of itself for some time now. I will raise old magics again, and allies might join me here. We will fight on. And we will fight together with you when the time comes.” The swampspiders seemed welcome here for the longer-term, as some of those allies Ollamor mentioned.
Bog's proven might in enlarged troll-like size was discussed, and Ollamor showed a mix of contempt and what seemed like new respect for the enlo. Bog said that he'd turn into a proper Uz forever like Arkat did. Ollamor found that an interesting claim, then told Fraud and the group that Arkat was returning in this Age, and that Arkati must prepare for a new Arkati struggle-including gathering holy (or at least useful) relics. “You lack all four weapons of the so-called Saints. In my Age, those heroes worked best together, with the weapons together. It was when they were divided that schisms formed and the foe best worked their evil schemes, singling out their targets. And so I also advise to rejoin the weapons by what means you must, and learn to wield them as a united hero band. You must be strong together, much as our young alliance of old must be. Do not fall into monstrous betrayal as those 'saints' did. That is the way of the enemy; the Vadeli.”
You retired to the Zorak Zoran tower and Miguel crafted some bronze to replace Fraud's shield and some of Boamund's armour. You rested and Bog was greeted by a dream-visit from the scorpion-demon of Crolar at the shrine, who told him that he'd fought well and should seek fellow worshipper Bradde Mukkh in this land. The next morning, you spoke with the swampspiders. They were to stay here to use the fortress as a base for defending the land against their foes, as their new God-spider had told them to do. The three-banded swampspider wove a complex web in one corner of the jungle-gardens, which Fraud strummed and learned that it told the story of how its perception of you had changed through the years, from disliking and distrusting you when it first met you at what became Aria's Well, to now when it saw you as worthy of trust and respect (or the spider equivalent). Fraud reciprocated these feelings and expressed hope for even greater progress together.
You left the Arkatzar, opting to head southwest to Siphula's Child before departing Good Toad Food at last. With your absence from civilization of almost 3 seasons, you wondered what changes had occurred on Giraine-especially given the changes here, with enemies appearing anew.
Travelling out of the swamp-jungles into the badlands of “location 9”, Boamund soon saw a strange sight of some spectral Arkati warriors battling spiritual Old Seshnelan soldiers. He told you of it, watching with dark humour and hope that the Arkati would lose, and all but Bog had the strength of mind to watch the terrible fight unfold, with the Arkati speedily and horribly defeated by merciless and efficient Seshnegi. The spirits then turned to look at you, and Boamund stepped forward… one pointed at him and then they all vanished. Those watching had learned a little about spectral combat. Curious, Boamund investigated the site and found small signs of an ancient battleground here. You soon roused him from his digging and Bog shook himself of his unease (bad old feelings of the Second Age had overwhelmed him), and you departed.
There had been tremors since the battle, and new ones as you travelled. Boamund next saw a strange thing: within some typical old ruins there was a pristine, rather nice bed! Closer inspection revealed that it was half-material: anything touching it soon sank through it, and there were vile growths of fungi underneath it in the deep shadows. But it was harmless enough, and Miguel's Sense Life spell found nothing unusual, so you moved on.
You found a campsite on the edges of the swamps back near “location 6” for the night. While you rested, Fraud took first watch and alerted you to a strange sight: a pale light was approaching the camp, dragging fog with it like thick blankets. Cold, damp air pushed ahead of it. It came quickly as you all awoke (Bog needing some shaking from his snoring by Miguel), and revealed itself as some sort of malevolent force that sought to force itself into your throats and drown you with foul fog-borne fluids. It could be outrun and evaded, and most of you managed to do that but Miguel had to hurry back and grab Bog who was being drowned in its relentless clutches. While you dragged Bog away, with Miguel finding a suitable escape path, Boamund used his ring of fire spell to keep it at bay. Fraud tried his fan without success and his sword to no effect, so fleeing was chosen as the best option. Miguel discovered an ideal cave on high ground not far away, with an excellent view of the area, and you rested there safely for the night-whatever that sinister fog-light was, it did not find you again.
The next day as you hiked through the swamps, passing not far from where the “Lone Eel” had its lair, Boamund saw a monstrous, rotting shark slithering across the muddy ground straight for him. He warned you and you rushed to battle. With a few quick blows its head was bashed and slashed apart, then a strong earthquake shook the area so vigorously that you had to steady yourselves or fall down. The vibration shook the shark's corpse and out of it came two large armoured “pillbugs” (isopods), scuttling for Boamund and Fraud with snapping mandibles hungry for fresh flesh. Yet these were just pesty scavengers and you dispatched them easily, leaving two delicious crunchy snacks for an eager Bog.
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