{"id":1970,"date":"2014-09-23T07:08:20","date_gmt":"2014-09-22T21:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/?p=1970"},"modified":"2016-05-27T04:19:25","modified_gmt":"2016-05-26T18:19:25","slug":"gurps-banestorm-dark-clouds-rising-book-ii-session-6-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/?p=1970","title":{"rendered":"GURPS Banestorm: Dark Clouds Rising, Book II, Session 6.21"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dramatis Person\u00e6<\/em><\/h3>\n

Brother Mendel (Herodian)
\nDane Sardock<\/a> (Winston)
\nGabriel Auditore<\/a> (Rigil Kent)
\nGestlin the Unpredictable (CommJunkee)
\nMagnifico the Clown<\/a> (Feste)
\nMerasi\u00ebl Alethmist (Melissa)
\nRainald North-Hammer<\/a> (Gigermann)<\/p>\n

\n

\"bs-labyrinth\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Of Mazes and Monsters<\/h3>\n

13 May 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

The Heroes emerged from Brother Mendel\u2019s portal before the \u201ctemple\u201d structure atop the hill in the center of the labyrinth without any detectable ill-effect, save for feelings of \u201cstrangeness.\u201d They searched for some time about the structure for the expected entrance to its underground, but found none. As they expanded their search, down the hill, they spied a pair of small, ungainly-proportioned men clumsily fetching water from a well in the middle of an abandoned village of some kind. The Heroes observed as these small strangers finally filled their bucket and took it up, waddling their way down a path further down the hill, toward the labyrinth. Gestlin activated his magical harness and took winged flight, speeding to stop the small strangers to inquire of them the location of the goddess, Persephone, that governed this place. At the same time, Gabriel, followed shortly by Merasi\u00ebl and Dane, quickly crept closer. The little men were frightened at Gestlin\u2019s approach, and dropped their water-bucket to flee, slipping easily through a man-sized crack in wall encircling the hilltop structures, and continuing down the hill as quickly as they could toward a similar opening in the labyrinth\u2019s inner wall. Gabriel lithely squeezed through the first opening and pursued them; their stubby legs were no match for the fleet-footed Gabriel, and as they ducked through a the crack in the labyrinth\u2019s wall, Gabriel caught one by the coat, at the same time Gestlin, airborne, loosed a Fireball<\/em> at the ground on the other side of the wall-crack, halting their escape. Meanwhile, Dane and Merasi\u00ebl scaled the first wall with the aid of ropes secured in place by the flying Gestlin, followed much more slowly by Rainald, while the remainder of the Heroes were instead able to wriggle through the crack. At the same time, Gabriel attempted to calm his \u201cprisoners\u201d such that they might be of aid.<\/p>\n

\"bs-harpy\"<\/a>However, Gestlin\u2019s aerobatics had attracted the attention of a distant harpy, one of many here and there atop the high walls of the labyrinth as far as could be seen; Rainald, still descending the first wall, caught sight of it as it approached and called out loudly to warn Gestlin, but his bellowing attracted the attention of other harpies nearby, and the one was soon joined by a few others. They attacked as before, but the foul, flying creatures were no match for the Heroes, and in moments they lay dead upon the ground, skewered, burned, and smashed. During the fray, the captured little-folk had fled through the opening, into the labyrinth\u2014the Heroes were all reluctant to enter and pursue them, knowing the place would shift and change to entrap them, and began discussing what to do next.<\/p>\n

Brother Mendel decided to attempt to use his magics to locate the end of the tree-portal, as he had before when Persephone had left through it. Though successful, Brother Mendel felt a wave of sickness wash over him, as if he were aboard a storm-tossed ship, and he could stand on his feet only with great effort; he could still point to their destination\u2014into the labyrinth. So, the Heroes resolved themselves to go into it, in hopes that tracking the little-folk, combined with Brother Mendel\u2019s guidance, would provide a sure route. Again, Gestlin fetched the ropes and secured them atop the wall for those too large to fit through the fissure in the labyrinth\u2019s wall; Merasi\u00ebl, Dane, and Rainald climbed, as the rest squeezed through.<\/p>\n

\"bs-minotaur\"<\/a>The trail of the little-folk was easy enough to find and follow. The winding path was narrow, forcing them into a single file, and the walls high, and the way tended to close or change behind them, with the telltale grinding sound of heavy stone, as they passed. Ahead, as their quarry\u2019s trail ended at a wall, Gestlin turned sideways to allow his wings room to span, and he flew to the top of the wall to spy the other side, and verbally guided the others to a detour from above. However, as they moved, the walls began to shift, and a few had to leap clear to avoid being cut off from the others. They pressed on with Gestlin\u2019s occasional scouting, and further detours and close calls. At a dead-end that opened before them at their approach, they encountered a massive beast-man, nearly as tall as the walls, with the head of a bull, bearing an axe and flail too large and heavy for even Rainald to wield; it immediately charged at Dane with a monstrous roar, goring him with his horns and throwing him back. Rainald stood his ground against it; Merasi\u00ebl moved into the void left by Dane and attacked, while Dane got to his feet; and Gabriel nimbly dodged his way forward from the rear to join the defense, but failed to tumble past the creature, instead striking from the corner. Then Magnifico began to sing a strange song and gyrate oddly, the sight of which caused the creature to pause in stunned bemusement; a lethal mistake, as the Heroes took advantage of its confused state and slew it quickly, lest its wits recover.<\/p>\n

\"bs-nelwynvillage\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Some time later\u2014they could not say how long in this place\u2014the labyrinth finally gave way to a small village, that is, small in height more than apparent population; the tracks the Heroes had followed now mixed with others, and they deduced this to be the little-folks\u2019 home. The denizens of this village shuttered their windows and slammed their doors at the Heroes\u2019 approach, and would not come out for fear of the these tall, menacing-looking fellows. Glad to be rid of the labyrinth, the Heroes took their rest in the village square. Magnifico brought forth his lute and began to play, hoping to soothe the villagers\u2019 fears and bring them forth, that they could speak to them of Persephone; of such beauty was Magnifico\u2019s performance that not only did the villagers finally emerge from their homes to gather \u2019round, but even a little of the Heroes\u2019 own inhibitions were loosed. Brother Mendel, remembering the dropped bucket of water, cast Create Water<\/em> and filled all the buckets, barrels and troughs in the village. He then inquired of a more-important-looking fellow where they might find Persephone, and the little-man relented to send a guide with the Heroes to take them to the entrance to her demesne, though these folk were forbidden to ever enter there. And so the Heroes followed their guide a short distance to a wall much like all the others, with an ornate archway, long sealed up with brick\u2014that is, it appeared so, until Rainald tapped it with his hammer and found it to be incorporeal, an illusion (Brother Mendel cursed himself for not thinking of it). They thanked their guide and sent him back to his village, and then boldly passed through the arch.<\/p>\n

\n

Notes<\/h3>\n