The Lays of the Thirteen Claws League - Session 92

     Our last session was Thursday (2021/04/01). This is another sort-of-IC retrospective by Bert, the party's thief locksmith-turned-bard. Bert himself pulled a sicky, so that his player could try out a new character, Anubesia of Ultioch, for the fight with the lich. I give +1 character point (XP) for those players who submit a summary for me to post here on the blog. 

    The Lays of the Thirteen Claws League

Canto 8:

Part 4: 

So, I forget where I left off before:

yes, Davin facing the lich, I recall,

both locked in their own private wizards’ war

Davin conjured an image of a wall

(to block her view) but the lich hurled a ball

of some sort of magickal concussion

which stunned them and caused the image to fall.

Even in all the battle confusion

she was not to be checked by a mere illusion.

Our monk now played the role of a bishop

moving quickly between the battle lines

using his holy touch to heal and stop

bleeding, more refreshing than the best wines

    – our strength grows as our enemies’ declines!

especially that of super fit Yvor

whose protean strength the monk’s touch refines

leaving him twice as healthy as before

(he also healed others, including Aesalor).

Now comes a too tragic part of our tale

by which I mean the sad fate of Miao’s cloak

which she had wrapped around her arm to flail

and defend her, and in this case to soak

up ghoul spit, which corroded and thus broke

this very fine cape of treated bearskin

made only by the best tailors: bespoke!

The lichess’ flames hastened its ruin

    – such are the sacrifices we must make to win.

As the lich blinked in and out of the fight

the party couldn’t score a single hit

against her, as she struck out left and right

dealing wounds to my friends, in that dread pit,

leaving brave Yvor as near death as it

gets (again) but he persevered 

matching his brawn versus the monster’s wit

getting angry each time she disappeared

but knowing in deep his heart that the end game neared.

Renewed (again) Yvor kept up the chase

he, Miao and Anubesia split out

into the bowels of the lich’s palace

but she knew all the wiles of her redoubt

using its thick walls as she blinked about

finding the party’s wizards unguarded

too far from the fighters for them to shout

for help, Adam and Davin were wounded

leading to them dropping to the floor, nearly dead.

The fighters ran through tunnels clogged with fog,

searching for the foe in professional style

covering their back, advancing in leap frog

fashion: and they came upon the last vile

ghoulish pawns of Hers and cut them down while

running back into the hall where their friends

were being hacked by the lich, in her bile

she stabbed at supine Davin who defends

by blinking himself away, defeating her ends.

So, the return of the fighters then checked

the undead monarch of this so foul hive

who by force of massed arms worked to eject

her from her hall, keeping their friends alive

to stand up, regroup and heal to then strive

to find a way to unwind the stalemate

and get the victory so none can revile

them – Hemmu reckoned it wasn’t too late

to draw Axam, her fearsome weapon and best mate.