Bujilli: Episode 118

Previously...
A raid by Grunters has only just been driven back down one of the ventilation well-shafts when Bujilli and his companions discover a traitor in their midst. Their mission compromised, the saboteur has fled...

KRACK-KOOOOOM!

Leeja's overcharged gonne split open the sky like thunder. Unfortunately the barrel likewise split, only just barely avoiding a calamitous explosion. She discarded the ruined weapon in disgust, thankful that it had not destroyed her hand. She wondered what sort of weapons Idvard had on-hand in his arsenal that she might appropriate.

Zulli screamed. Leeja hit her target. She would have sworn it had been a good hit, close to the center mass. If it had been anyone else, it would have been a killing shot. But Zulli was a Vinkin and her body wasn't structured like most humanoids. The shot had torn away a chunk of fibrous flesh, but the wound was already closing-over before she hit the ground. She had been injured worse during her training.

They watched the traitor plummet down through the trees. She was quickly lost in the roiling toxic vapors that lingered from the recent battle with the Grunters. A host of winged monkeys scattered screeching and chattering in fear and agitation, their band disturbed by Zulli's falling into their midst.

Zulli screeched and chittered madly at the winged monkeys. Just like she'd been taught. It worked. They settled down around her, watching her, studying her, intrigued and so caught off-guard. She examined the band carefully, not making any sudden movements. The fifth one was a large specimen, broad-backed and powerful; a ring-tail. She couldn't believe her luck. The spell slithered off of her tongue in seconds and she had a slave. A few curt commands and she was carried aloft by the band of winged monkeys led by the ring-tail.

Bujilli caught himself before he reached for an arrow that wasn't there. He'd used all his arrows up in the battle. He needed to re-load his manticore pistol. He considered his repertoire of spells but Zulli was clearly out of range unless he wanted to push himself...and that might prove dangerous. He was still recovering from a nasty head injury. No sense doing anything stupid.

"Idvard. Can you stop her? Do you have a spell that might prevent her escape? We should try to question Zulli. find out who sent her and why."

Idvard fixed Bujilli with his middle eye as he floated over towards the glass doors opening out onto the balcony. "Yes. I might have something that should do the trick. One moment."

Bujilli stepped aside and set about re-loading his pistol. He was grateful that he now knew how to do it properly. He shivered at the thought of getting his hand blown off through mis-handling the thing in ignorance.

Idvard spoke six guttural words in a language Bujilli did not recognize. Lambent green light streaked outward from the Triloo Archivist's fingers to snarl and snare the winged monkey carrying Zulli. The green light sizzled as it coiled and slithered around and around the fleeing creatures who screeched in outrage and terror as the spell-light singed their fur and blistered their ears or sparked into their eyes.

A tug was all it took to convince the winged monkeys to adjust course and fly back towards Idvard.

"A most useful spell." Bujilli nodded in approval.

"You will find at least three versions of this one in my collection, if you're really interested." Idvard was proud of his personal archives.

"I would like to spend some time going over some of your spell-books and grimoires..." Bujilli felt a tug on his amulet. Hedrard was attempting to contact him. He knew he had to deal with her and with Shael and the Cuckoo-girl who had ambushed them, but he wasn't ready to do so just yet. He wanted to know what had happened while he was unconscious first...and he wanted to re-stock his arrows and take some time to get his armor on right before opening a connection to Hedrard that might very well drag him and Leeja off on an adventure all in itself. He would really appreciate a chance to get up-to-speed before getting dragged down into some perilous pit or whatever, if only this once.

"As would I." Leeja folded her arms across her chest and glared at the screeching winged monkeys as they settled upon the railing, spilling Zulli onto the cold stone floor of the balcony. The suddenly silent little beasts looked like guilty children caught in the middle of some mischief.

"Of course." Idvard nodded then floated towards Zulli. His left hand crackled with orange Unflames while a swirling cloud of caustic lime trailed along behind his right hand.

"Please!" The Vinkin saboteur pleaded.

"Traitor!"

"Have pity on me!"

"If you would save your own life, I suggest you tell us who sent you and what your mission was...before your former employer makes your last few seconds of life entirely too excruciating to contemplate."

Zulli could smell the lime, could feel the Unflames; both could destroy her painfully. Idvard knew well how to deal with her kind. Little good it would do him. He was soft. Weak. She knew he would consider showing her clemency if she said the right words. He was civilized. Unprepared for what was coming.

Her master was not prone to mercy.

---

Meanwhile...
Blood, fur and body parts flew in every direction. Putneys' rats fought fiercely, but they were drastically outnumbered. A dozen or more emaciated, diseased rats swarmed over each of his beauties. They could only bite or claw their way through so many at a time. He was proud of them. There was a rapidly-growing mound of dead rats all around them. His boots squelched through rancid rat-flesh churned into the mud. The war-lamp sputtered and died. He threw it as far from him as he could, his gloves smoldering from the unnatural heat cascading through the hexed thing. Knives it was then. He could see them just on the edge of the area that fell within the fitfully dying flashes and sparks of the lamp. He despised these pestilent, pretentious cadavers and their sickness and schemes. Whistling the shrill signal to go on the offensive Old Man Putney scrambled out of the light and plunged into the darkness where he and his rats did some of their best work. A nosferatu hissed only inches from his face. He lashed out...  

---

Idvard barked one harsh word and the band of winged monkeys evaporated in a flash of inversive green light. The railing was scorched with the frantic silhouettes of the unfortunate creatures.

Zulli struggled to her knees, still caught-up within the snarling, sizzling green light-strands. She looked up at Idvard, into his three eyes and knew all was lost.

"Why did you sabotage the bomb? Why would you do that?" Bujilli finished re-loading his pistol.

"I..." Zulli looked over at the not-quite-almas. He had livid purple scars across his forearm that ran across his chest where his shirt fell open. He was marked. He really was the one she had been warned about.

"You! There's no refuge for you here, nor for that deluded bitch you dragged here either!" She dredged-up as vile a curse from the deepest, darkest parts of her soul to fling at this not-man, this pretender to humanity, the sworn enemy of her master.

Leeja's ivory-flame hair snapped out, lashed across Zulli's cheek drawing forth a spattering of a yellowish substance that served her kind as blood.

Zulli bowed her head involuntarily. Her curse collapsed before it could truly take form.

"No you don't." Leeja stalked over to the kneeling prisoner and roughly grabbed her by the chin; "You think you recognize my partner, but do you know who I am?"

Zulli went still. Her eyes closed tight. All fight went out of her. It was true then. Too terribly true.

"I take it by your silence that would be a yes." Leeja squeezed the Vinkin girl's jaw; "Now look at me."

"I...I cannot. It is forbidden! You wear no mask!" Amber-yellow tears streaked down Zulli's cheeks but she refused to turn her head, would not look at Leeja no matter how much she tried to force her.

"This is not Aman Utal--"

"Even in this place you ever are and will always be a Princess of Deep Dendo. Do with me what you will--the Grunters will take my revenge for me!" Zulli glared at Idvard.

Sirens began to wail once more.

"The Grunters are coming up through another Well-shaft!" Zutissa stood next to Idvard, gleaming-glass long sword in-hand; "There's a lot of them!" She was gone.

BOOM!

The floor vibrated underfoot. Green smoke began to flood across the gardens and paths once more.

"Who sent you! Whom do you serve!" Demanded Bujilli.

"Let me tell you..." Zulli smiled broadly as deadly purple vapors began to stream from her mouth and nostrils...

What should Bujilli & Leeja do next?

You Decide!

---

Synchronocitor Status: Fully Recharged.

---

What should they do now?

First we need to Roll for Initiative: 1) Bujilli, 2) Leeja, 3) Bortho, 4) the Grunters, 5) Idvard, 6) Idvard's Defenders. (1d6 each as per LL p. 50)

We'll need a round of Saving Throws as well, while we're at it. This will require 1d20 for both Leeja and Bujilli, as per LL p. 54-55. We'll be using the Save vs Poison or Death column. Leeja rolls as a Thief, Bujilli as a Fighter. If they fail, they'll take some serious damage. If they make their saves, then the damage will be minimal as they were able to get out of the area of effect quickly enough.

We'll also need four or five d20 rolls.

Like we mentioned last episode, Bujilli certainly needs some fresh arrows. Next episode, he can request some from Idvard's servant-drones that carry such supplies to the defenders. Those drones are going to be kept busy, but Bujilli has priority, thanks to his previous contract with Idvard.

We will be checking-in on the Cuckoo-Girl and Headmistress Shael next episode. Promise. Things just sort of flowed this way, so we'll loop back to them next time. Bujilli is also going to put the Synchronocitor to good use, per reader suggestion, once he gets a better idea of the situation...possibly even before the purple smoke clears...

Feel free to ask questions or to discuss the situation in the comments. I'll do my best to respond to comments in a timely manner.

Let me know what you think they ought to do in the comments below, or via email and we'll resume things next week!

What do they do next?

You Decide!

---

Previous                            Next

---

Series Indexes

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six  |  Seven

---

Starting Page  |  Central Index

---

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

---

Episode Guides
Series One (Episodes 1-19)

Series Two (Episode 20-36)

Series Three (Episodes 37-49)

Series Four (Episodes 50-68)

Series Five (Episodes 69-99)
Series Six(Episodes 100 - 111)
Series Seven (112 - ongoing)

---

Labyrinth Lord   |   Advanced Edition Companion