Campaign log 10-08-2005

[Boric Glanduum]

10/08/05 Session Notes (possibly)

The horkuldaren {paladins} took me to where ol' Spugnor's body was lyin' alaghamorn {in state}, awaiting the mornin's melalund horlin {resurrection ceremony}. When they left, they closed and barred the main doors, lockin' me in for the night. I spent the first hour walkin' around the walls--checkin' for hidden doors and ensurin' there was no other entrance to the room: door, window, or otherwise. I worked me way to the body from the walls checkin' the floor for any openings of any kind. It took some time, but I was finally satisfied that I was alone with the body, and the only way in was the main doors. Then and only then I settled meself on the floor next to the naemorn {bier}.

It had been but a few hours, sitting next to the naemorn, me axe across me knees, me eyes closed in thought. I had been meditatin' on the past few days, and upon me honor. 'Til the end of me days, I may never know whether 'twas a dream or 'twas real. I heard a slight scratch at the door; me eyes snapped open and I sprang to me feet, me axe in hand. For several minutes, there wasnae sound. I had just started to believe ‘twas me mind playin' tricks, when somethin' heavy struck the door. Whatever ‘twas, it hit hard enough to shake the door in its frame.

I took no more'n two or three steps toward the door when it flew open--the first noise I'd heard musta been the bar bein' raised from the sockets, ‘cause it opened too easily. A young horkuldar fell backwards into the room, stumbling and tripping, until he finally fell to his knees. A mass of tomornkinen {undead} flooded in after him, kept barely at bay by his twin blades. I remember thinkin' when I'd seen him earlier that ‘twas strange to see a hurm {human} horkuldar with twin blades across his back. Through the crowd of tomornkinen I could see several of the hormen {clerics} layin' on the floor beyond. They were clearly beyond help; a few of the tomornkinen had already started to feed.

Two quick jumps took me to the horkuldar's side; "Good paladin, tell me your name," I said as I swung Urglanthur side to side, cutting down two of the foul tomornkinen. He shot me a quick glance, with a rakish smile, one in keeping with his youth. "I want to know who the brave hurm is that shares this glorious fight with meself, Azarr Stonetower!" I had to roll out of the way as one of his blades snicked just past me ribs to impale one of the foul creatures. Feet and hands pummeled me and forced me to keep tumbling away until I was clear and could stand again. The gap between meself and the horkuldar was quickly filled by the rotting fiends, until I couldnae see him at all.

"They... <ugh> ...call...me... <oof> ...Sir.. .<unh> ...Doumadeus... good Dwarf... and it is... <hah> ...my... distinct pleasure... <aahh> ...to meet you...." I felt the Beast begin to rise on its own, strength coursing into me arms; I couldnae lose control, though--nae with the hurm unseen in front of me. It wouldnae do to cut him down as well. I took a deep breath, turned towards his voice, and began flailing away with me axe. Urglanthur, too, was just barely under control. If it hadn't been tethered to me wrist by a strap, I surely would have lost me grip, from the sweat and vile fluids coursing down the haft. Unbidden, a chant came to me lips, composed on the spot; Urglanthur danced to the rhythm, me feet stamping out the beat.

Me blade flies left,
me blade flies right;
Oh ho.
Me blade she strikes
with grace and might
Just so.
Oh ho.

Me blade swings up,
me blade swings down;
and me foes' heads
roll ‘pon the ground.
Ah ha.

With one stroke there
and two strokes here
--Oh ho--
Me foes' faces pale
with dismay and fear;
they try and run, so full of dread
me axe splits apart their bodies and heads
and just like that,
the maggots be dead.
Ah ha.

Doumadeus' twin blades,
and me stout axe
put these beasts down
flat on their backs.
Oh ho.
For a human,
his courage is great, you see,
and from his rage and strength
all beasts seek to flee.
Oh ho.
But they turn to run
and meet me blade
then with the garbage
their bones be laid.
Ho ho.

Your breath will we take,
your death will we give,
his swords will ye stab
me axe will ye rive.
Just so.

Me blade swings up,
me blade swings down;
and me foes' heads
roll ‘pon the ground.
Ah ha.

Me blade flies left,
me blade flies right;
Oh ho.
Me blade she strikes
with grace and might
Just so.

No halfling or elf
just the human, our blades, and meself
Hey ho.
Between us will fall
all foes in this hall
Oh ho.

Your breath will we take,
your death will we give,
his swords will ye stab
me axe will ye rive.
Just so.

No tra-la-las or derry-days;
there will be no trilling.
Oh no.
With me axe in me fist
There'll be only killing.
Oh ho.

Me blade swings up,
me blade swings down;
and me foes' heads
roll ‘pon the ground.
Ah ha.

I confess, ‘twas not dwarkar remarn, but it did the job. The words calmed the Beast--or at least brought it somewhat under control--and the rhythm calmed me strokes. I'd noticed the same thing when Barr sings; me song didnae have the same skill, and didnae have the full effect that Barr's song woulda done, but ‘twas enough.

The beasts were single-minded and didnae have the sense to move away from either me voice or me blade; they wouldnae even look at me, and so they fell like kindling. I dinnae count how many went down before I could once again see Sir Doumadeus through a break in the crowd. The poor hurm was stuck on his knees unable to rise, bleeding from countless wounds. The tomornkinen were pressing forward from three sides and ‘twas clear he could barely breathe. The fiends pushed around the both of us and I lost sight of him.

Within seconds, I could tell that I had met me match. There were simply too many of the creatures and little enough room to swing me axe. Me arms were growing heavy and me breath coming in gasps. That's when I heard the horkuldar cry out: "Dwarf! I am done for. Avenge my death! Avenge me! For the glory of Tyr!" The tomornkinen surged over him and with one last shriek, he was gone. At that moment, the Beast surged as well, and me control over ‘twas lost. The Bestial tide was overwhelming and I remember a spray of blood and nauseating fluids, then nothing else.

As I said, I will never know whether ‘twas real or a dream. When I came to me senses, I was sitting slumped against the bier, me axe across me legs. There was no sign of mishap; there were no bodies, including Sir Doumadeus' corpse. No blood or fluids to be seen, and no damage to the door. If the room had been cleaned, those who did so did an impeccable job. There wasnae a scratch on me body; I felt more rested than I had in a long while. If others had been in the room, they musta used some gulm marnarn {healing magic}.

Tel!

It wasnae long before the hormen came to collect Spugnor for the horlin and me colleagues met me at the temple gates. The gundlin {bard} seemed puzzled when I related the story to him; it was plain that they had not been involved in any of the night's events and so could not verify for me whether the events actually happened. The two of us passed the time traveling back to the ruined moathouse quietly discussing my--possible--experiences.

When we arrived, we found the remains of the graun {acid} -spewin' black dragon waitin' for us. Literally; the remains had been reanimated. It was tomornkin. It took a bit more doin' than the last time, and it cost us dearly, for we lost Anyn and his henchman to the fell beast. As warriors, they are stalwart, these olven, but they seem to find nothing but derlend {ill fortune} in our company.

I can only hope that the derlend willnae spread.