Previously...
Bujilli was summoned away from the Academy in Wermspittle by a demoness who once manipulated him as a small child. It didn't work.
"So now what?"
Bujilli turned away from the snow falling outside. The storm had passed. There was little wind now. Just heavy white flakes drifting down to cover everything. Obscuring all traces. He could almost smell the hot blood of a hunting party somewhere out there in the swirling snow.
"This is Yeren weather."
"So it is." His Uncle stared at him inscrutably. The old bastard had gotten fatter since he'd left. Fatter and more full of himself.
"This snow...it will probably last for another few hours at this rate."
"Probably."
"You never told me why you helped Ahtrishka to summon me back here."
"Are you asking?"
"Are you telling?"
They glared at each other for long minutes. His Uncle looked away. Sighed. Walked past him to go outside and take a piss in the fresh snow.
Bujilli waited. Considered his options. He wondered how Leeja had handled his sudden disappearance. He missed her. She'd have killed his Uncle. Probably. Good thing she wasn't here after all. Or was it? He considered his options. Perhaps there was some way to form a link back to her, to let her know he was safe enough...that he would be returning to her...
Hmmm.
Would he?
Should he return to Wermspittle?
And if so, then how?
"Hurm. hak. You're right about the Yeren. The old monastery over across the gorge is burning. They're the only ones who'd bother. Idiots."
Bujilli stared at his Uncle. He was sick of demons and machinations and other people's schemes. He wanted to be free of it all. Once and for all. He felt clear, sharp. It was time for some answers. One way or another.
His Uncle squatted down by the far wall of the cave. His joints clicked. He spat to the side in disgust.
"Yes. I helped the bitch call you back. I gave her the lock of your hair. She already had your blanket. You left a lot behind you."
"Not by choice." Bujilli's voice cracked.
"Yak Shit! You ran off. Stole my property and ran away. Stirred up a lot of trouble too. Not that you care one bit." His Uncle scratched himself. Settled in next to the hard-packed cave-wall. As if he was planning on taking a nap.
"I took what was mine. As for the rest...no one had to chase after me, least of all Jorra."
"Do you still have it?" His Uncle looked up at him. The old sorcerer was shaking. Like an addict going through withdrawal.
"What?"
"The Green Gem..."
"No."
"Ah." His Uncle sagged visibly. Disappointed. Or was it something else? "So you learned your lesson then..."
"What? Never to trust whispering jewels? Not to trust manipulative demons? Not to trust vicious old bastards like you? Yes. I think that I've learned a few lessons from you--"
"But have you learned the most important lesson?"
"Which is?"
"Don't become like me. Ever."
"I'm hardly in any danger of that--"
"Idiot! You come back here and you're so full of yourself that you don't even bother to think about HOW it was done. You react, but you do not anticipate. I can see that I've made a poor sorcerer of you after all."
Bujilli barked harshly once. A strange not-laugh. He knew what he needed to do. He cast Zone of Normality. He revised his surroundings to more closely resemble the conditions prevailing in Wermspittle when he was dragged away from there. The cave got a little warmer, at least within a 10' radius.
"You--you learned that from the Gem, didn't you?"
"Yes." Bujilli cast his Clairvoyance spell, using the ring of white tendril-hair about his finger to connect to Leeja.
"Bujilli? Is that you? Are you alright?" echoed Leeja's voice.
"Yes. I'm fine. Just dealing with some old crap."
"Are you coming back?"
His Uncle burst out laughing. Bujilli glared at him until he shut up.
"Yes. I'm not sure how, but I am coming back, just as soon as I take care of one last thing."
Everything went sickly green.
His Uncle cast Voorish Sign.
Leeja screamed.
The connection was severed.
Four Yeren were entering the cave...
ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!
Series Indexes
About Bujilli (What is This?) | Who is Bujilli? | How to Play
Bujilli's Character Sheet | Leeja's Character Sheet | Cast of Characters
Bujilli's Spells | Little Brown Journals | Loot Tally | House Rules
Series Two (Episode 20-36)
Series Three (Episodes 37-49)
Series Four (Episodes 50-68)
Series Five (Episodes 69-99)
Series Six(Episodes 100-ongoing)
Labyrinth Lord | Advanced Edition Companion
Series Six(Episodes 100-ongoing)
Labyrinth Lord | Advanced Edition Companion
And the plot continues to thicken! Untrustworthy relatives are always trouble.
ReplyDeleteWith that old Uncle of his, Bujilli doesn't need enemies...
DeleteI rolled a 6 for Initiative.
ReplyDeleteOkay. We'll go with that.
DeleteI'm working on the assumption that Voorish Sign was used to make the Yeren visible rather than hurt Leeja or have some other effect on Bujilli, but if so, could there then be more of the Yeren still invisible that either made their save or are out of range?
ReplyDeleteRegardless, now would be a very good time to ask what Bujilli knows about them.
Also, back in the comments in episode 58 we had the chance of suggesting what he brought across from Wermspittle with him, maybe to be rolled for. If the Yeren are flesh and blood, I'm guessing he'd reach for his tulwar right about now, or maybe his bow if the range is still decent.
If they're within the Zone of Normality already, or could be with a quick move by Bujilli, could he now modify or reverse the Zone of Normality to make the area highly abnormal for the Yeren physiology, or do something like reverse gravity to pin them to the ceiling?
Bujilli's Uncle used Voorish sign precisely because it would hurt Leeja. He meant to hurt her and sever the connection.
DeleteThe Yeren are indeed flesh & blood. They are entering the cave with obvious bad intent. They are quite skilled at using the falling snow to obscure themselves, but that's outside, in the wilderness. Once they enter the cave, they can't use that skill. They think that they have Bujilli trapped.
Bujilli is used to fighting the Yeren with his tulwar and hand-axe. He spent a few years fighting them before he managed to make his escape. There is an old enmity there. A long standing feud. The bow is a possibility, but arrows aren't the best thing against Yeren when they're this close. This is a job best done with the blades, up close and personal. Especially in the confined space.
The Zone of Normality collapsed with the use of Voorish Sign--it disrupted Bujilli's concentration and he lost the spell. This was intentional on his Uncle's part. He meant for that to happen.
If the ZoN spell was still in effect, yer, Bujilli could do exactly like you suggest. But his Uncle deliberately used Voorish Sign to cause the maximum upset and negative feedback he could do with the minimum effort.
Leeja is now enraged. Gnosiomandus will have to act quickly. But what will he do?
Bujilli is beginning to realize that there is more to his being summoned back than just the schemes of a demoness--his Uncle is up to something foul and brutal...as usual...
Oh...as to what Bujilli knows about the Yeren...
DeleteYeren are taller, shaggier and much more violent than the Almas. Yeren have long, wickedly tapered talons on hands and feet, and lots of pointy teeth. They are cannibals, love to hunt Almas, and are a very bloodthirsty abhumans.
There are three main types of Yeren. These are the bigger ones, of the three. The mountain-dwelling Yeren are very clever hunters, ambushers and bandits who make the passes and trails through this regions exceeding treacherous and dangerous. They like to set-up deadfalls, spike-pits, and avalanches all over the place so that they don't have to be present in order to cause mayhem and trouble for others. They have also gotten to like looting corpses a bit more than having to fight live prey that resists...
...but in Bujilli's case, there is an old, mutual hatred between them. These Yeren intend to skin him alive and worse.
He is the only Almas whom they have learned to fear.
For a reason.
Working on the assumptions that 1) Bujilli's uncle is familiar with Bujilli's spell repertoire (up to the point Bujilli left), and 2) Bujilli's uncle prepped the Yeren with what he knows about Bujilli's fighting and spellcasting skills, Bujilli needs to use what he's learned since he left to present as much of an unknown as possible.
ReplyDeleteBujilli should call on Counsel for assistance. Perhaps it can do something similar to the Pursuit Deterrence Protocols it offered to Bujilli in Episode 30. Something to neutralize the Yeren.
Bujilli has also become fairly adept at modifying his spells on the fly. A strengthened version of Thought Wall (which his uncle may not know since Bujilli learned it from the Green Gem) could be helpful in blocking any further interference from his uncle.
Beyond that, and probably above all, Bujilli needs to remember he's not who he was when he left here and he gets to deal with the Yeren, his uncle, and the whole situation as who he is now.
On the Leeja / Gnosiomandus side of things, Bujilli initially was sent to Gnosiomandius by the Transveyance so he could "learn more about traveling between the worlds. I require a teacher, someone who can instruct me in how to do this without getting killed by making a stupid mistake or overlooking something obvious to anyone skilled in this sort of thing." (Episode 19) Can Gnosiomandus send Leeja to where Bujilli is to help him out? Ideally with a Return device or spell so they can get back to the Wermspittle they left when they left it.
I rolled 5d20s in the widget on the sidebar and got 15, 18, 15, 14, 16.
Hi ETP. It's good to see you again. I feel much safer with you around, thinking like that, and I second it all. You and C'nor are both super sharp.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Bujilli's awesome-fun and I enjoy reading everyone's comments as folks come up with ideas and perspectives that wouldn't have occurred to me. They help. :)
DeleteOkay. We'll be resuming Bujilli as of today. Thanks for the die rolls--they have come in handy. Entirely Too Perky raises a few very good points, especially the bit about Bujilli needing to remember that he is no longer who he once was, that he has grown and become quite a bit more than the bitter child who used to fight against the Yeren all those years ago. Leeja/Gnosiomandus will feature in the next episode--this one is all Bujilli. Those Yeren are much too close for any but the most reflexive attack spells. It'll be some old fashioned hand-to-hand combat. At least until he can make some space...and then there's his Uncle to consider...
ReplyDelete