The Labyrinth, page 13
part #2 of The Gods' Game Series
Better. “Right, here is the plan,” whispered Kyran. “I will initiate with grasping roots. Gaesin, cast ice wall across the entrance. We will remain on this side—outside the cavern—and hopefully out of the scorpions’ reach. I will beast bond them, starting with the empress. Once tamed, it will turn hostile to the others and likely be attacked. Adra, distract the untamed scorpions with ensnaring arrows. Be careful not to strike any of the bonded ones. They will become unbound if you do.
“Our primary goal is to bond the scorpions—not kill them. So unless this turns sour, avoid damaging any. Understood?”
The pair nodded. “Good, ready then? Here goes,” said Kyran.
Kyran has cast grasping roots (radius: 17.9m, chance to resist: 61%, duration: 3 minutes), 2 scorpions entangled.
Gaesin has cast ice wall (length: 12.3m, Wall HP: 123), 0 frozen.
Adra has fired ensnaring arrows (radius: 1.8m, chance to resist: 61%, duration: 18 seconds), 2 scorpions ensnared.
The grasping roots sprang from the rocky floor, reaching up to entangle the scorpions but many offshoots encountered the bubbling venom and were eaten away. Yet the roots served their purpose, delaying the scorpions. Adra widened her stance, set three arrows to her bow and channelled essence into each. Drawing back on her bow, she launched the flight into the path of the scorpions. As the arrows fell back, they transformed into gyrating cords that wrapped around the scorpions’ limbs. Most failed to find purchase but enough succeeded, to lock two scorpions in place.
At the same time, Gaesin’s ice wall thudded across the cavern entrance, trapping the scorpions within. The empress screeched her rage and flicked her tail forward, signalling the smaller scorpions to attack. Ignoring the scorpions rushing forward, Kyran peered through the ice wall and sent tendrils of his will racing towards the empress.
You have successfully bonded a level 22 empress scorpion. Duration: 4 hours.
His will overwhelmed her meagre defences and forced the bond into place. A bubble of awareness that was the empress took residence in his mind. He added her to the battlegroup and ordered her to hold position.
Meanwhile the other scorpions charged the ice wall, furiously chipping away at it with clawed pincers and envenomed stingers. The venom splashed and sizzled against the wall but did little damage whereas, with each blow, the pincers carved out huge chunks.
A giant scorpion has hit an ice wall for 20 blunt damage. Remaining: 60/123 HP.
A giant scorpion has hit an ice wall for 10 blunt damage. Remaining: 50/123 HP.
A giant scorpion has hit an ice wall for 13 blunt damage. Remaining: 37/123 HP.
The wall would collapse soon. Contrary to his expectation, the smaller scorpions had ignored the tamed empress. Possibly because she was not the closest target. He hesitated. Should he order the empress to attack or…
“Retreat a pace,” he said and taking two steps back, he reinforced Gaesin’s ice wall, casting his own behind it.
Kyran has cast ice wall (length: 17.9m, Wall HP: 179), 0 frozen.
With the time the new wall bought, he tried bonding a second scorpion but failed the first attempt. Gaesin’s wall collapsed and his own took damage. Adra fired another volley of ensnaring arrows, slowing down the scorpions further. He tried again.
You have successfully bonded a level 20 giant scorpion. Duration: 4 hours.
This time the bond slipped effortlessly into place and the remaining wild scorpions—of which only two were free to move—refocused their attacks onto the new threat. Without pause, Kyran moved onto bonding the third, succeeding on the first attempt. He smiled in satisfaction. The battle was well in hand now. In short order he bonded the fourth and fifth scorpions.
However, as the tendrils of his will reached out to the sixth and last scorpion, he encountered a new problem. The psi tether slipped easily enough onto the scorpion but had nowhere to anchor in his own mind. He had reached the limit of beasts which he could control simultaneously.
You cannot bond any further beasts. At your current rank (novice) you can bond a maximum of five beasts. You have failed to bond a level 20 giant scorpion.
“Attack that one! I can’t bond it,” said Kyran. The party, strengthened by the addition of five scorpions, quickly overwhelmed the remaining one.
Battle Log (Giant Scorpions)
The battle has ended.
Combat Results
Creatures bonded: 5.
Hostiles killed: 1.
Party XP gained: 161,910 XP.
Level Gains
Kyran: 1 level (9 SP, 2 AP). New combat level: Level 11.
Adra: 1 level (3 SP, 1 AP). New combat level: Level 13.
Gaesin: 2 levels (6 SP, 2 AP). New combat level: Level 10.
Party Status
Kyran Seversan:
HP:
S:
W:
E:
Adra Maeko:
HP:
S:
E:
Gaesin Illineiros:
HP:
S:
E:
Giant Scorpions x 4:
HP:
Empress Scorpion:
HP:
The battle over, Kyran assembled the tamed scorpions for inspection. Gaesin stepped gingerly around the dripping venom, healing the injured ones while Adra looked on warily from afar. The scorpions dwarfed the companions but for all their menacing appearance, followed Kyran’s commands docilely enough.
“What do you think, Adra, Gaesin? Are these reinforcements enough?” asked Kyran cheerfully.
Adra stared at her young lord, not sure if it was a serious question. “I don’t know about the kobolds, Kyran, but I am certainly terrified of these monsters,” she answered solemnly. Kyran nodded happily.
“How long will they remain tamed?” asked Gaesin, finished with his healing.
“Four hours. So, we will have to hurry. I don’t want to risk renewing the bond.”
“Risk?” asked Gaesin apprehensively. “You mean you might lose control of them?”
“Nothing to worry about,” he assured the youth. “Not as long as we hurry. Let’s be off.”
✽✽✽
Chapter 10
11 Augi 2603 AB
Three hours later, back at the kobold camp, Adra crept into position. She inched her way to within twenty metres of the kobold guards. Even with blend, Kyran could not sneak as close. The guards' detection cones were too large. To put their plan into play, he would have to cast through Adra.
Simply charging the camp was too risky. If the guards barred the gates, the camp would be given time to rouse and prepare, and the party would lose the element of surprise.
Kyran’s plan was to disable the gate before attacking. To enact it, he learnt channel novice spells and raised his mage lord skill to maximum.
New ability learnt!
Ability: Channel Novice Spells
Skill: Mage Lord.
Description: This ability creates a temporary ley line between the caster and a vassal, enabling novice spells to be cast through the linked vassal but at significant essence penalty. The spell is cancelled if hostiles enter the presence of the caster.
Rank: Novice.
Cost: 80 Essence per hour.
Execution time: 60 seconds.
Range: Maximum distance of 100m x skill.
Duration: Infinite (activated ability).
Buff: Can cast novice spells through the linked vassal at 3x the essence cost.
You have used the ability, more skills, and converted 6 AP into 12 civilian SP. Remaining civilian SP =12 and AP=1.
Base skill in mage lord has increased to 12. Vassal channelling essence penalty: 242,4%.
“I’m in position,” said Adra. Kyran, waiting fifty metres back with the giant scorpions and Gaesin, sat down and cast shared sight. Looking through Adra’s eyes, he activated channel novice spells. Essence flowed into the ether, forging a temporary ley line between Kyran and Adra. The ley line was a conduit for transferring energy, although at his low level it was poorly carved and would result in significant losses. The conduit would remain in place as long as the channel novice spell was active.
The essence wastage was acceptable if it enabled the party to catch the guards unawares. He pushed his essence through the ley line and using Adra’s sight, cast ice wall on the palisade, preventing any attempt to seal the gates.
Kyran has cast ice wall through Adra (length: 17.9m, Wall HP: 179, essence cost: 85), 0 frozen. Adra has taken hostile action. Stealth lost.
In surprise, the kobolds spun about searching for the threat, and spotted Adra. Her stealth had fallen away when the spell was cast. She turned and fled with the guards in chase.
Kyran ordered the scorpions forward. In a mass of waving pincers and swinging tails they charged past Adra towards the four kobold guards, who ground to a halt at their appearance. Instead of turning and fleeing—which Kyran would have done in the face of such a threat—the four braced themselves to meet the charge. And unsurprisingly, were bowled over and trampled underfoot. The scorpions stabbed repeatedly down into their trapped prey, injecting them with multiple doses of deadly venom.
A feral kobold fighter has died from critical overdose of venom.
…
A feral kobold fighter has died from critical overdose of venom.
Kyran stared in open-mouthed horror, the skirmish over before the rest of the party could even react.
In the camp, a horn screamed in alarm, rallying the kobolds and pulling Kyran’s attention back to the battle. He sent the scorpions charging forward again, following closely behind with the party. Realising the strength of the scorpions’ poison, he rapidly revised his tactics.
“Gaesin,” he shouted, “change of plans. Focus primarily on healing the scorpions. Any damage we can do is minimal in comparison.” Gaesin nodded sharply in acknowledgement. From within the camp, a fireball arced overhead, splashing across the ice wall. The shamans had entered the fray.
A kobold shaman’s fireball has critically hit Kyran’s ice wall, destroying it.
The scorpions, nearly at the frozen palisade, were flung back as the ice disintegrated under the blast of the fireball. In a jumble of limbs, the singed scorpions, picked themselves up and scuttled through the gate and into the camp, where kobold warriors—many half-dressed—scrambled into line in front of a trio of shamans. As they charged the line, the empress sprayed her venom into the massing kobolds.
An empress scorpion has cast venom spray (cone length: 2m, chance to resist: 35%, damage: 60 HP over 10 seconds), 8 kobolds poisoned.
Running after the scorpions, the party skidded to a stop outside the gate. The shamans were level nineteen, stronger than previous ones he had faced. “Adra, ignore the warriors and focus your fire on the shamans.” Adra went down on one knee and channelling her essence, imbued an arrowhead with fire. She pulled back her bow and sniped a flaming arrow straight through the eye of the leftmost shaman, killing him instantly.
Adra has sniped a kobold shaman with a flaming arrow, killing him with a vital strike through the eye.
Terrified by the fate of their comrade, the remaining shamans fled back into the camp. Adra didn’t hesitate. She nocked a blunt-tipped stunning arrow and targeted the trailing shaman but as she let fly, fire shields sprang up around the shamans and the arrow bounced off harmlessly.
Adra's stunning arrow has hit a kobold shaman for 0 damage (20 blocked by fire shield). Remaining shield: 180/200 HP.
The scorpions ploughed through the venom-drenched kobold line, only to be surrounded by troops rallying from elsewhere in the camp. With impressive discipline, they formed defensive lines on the scorpions’ flanks and advanced in tandem. The scorpions, outnumbered and pushed back, infected as many warriors as they could but the kobolds did not allow them to overdose any, jabbing away the beasts with long spears.
16 kobolds poisoned from 5 scorpions' stingers.
16 kobolds have hit 5 scorpions for 117 piercing damage.
Gaesin worked to keep the scorpions alive with healing aura. Kyran had forbidden him from using restore health (others), a touch-based healing spell. Within melee range of the kobolds, Gaesin would not survive long. Healing aura was an activated spell that boosted the health regeneration of allies around Gaesin.
Gaesin has activated healing aura, restoring 14 HP/min to 5 scorpions.
Next, the half-elf secured the scorpions’ flanks by placing an ice wall and slippery ice field to their left and right.
Gaesin has cast ice wall (length: 12.3m, Wall HP: 123), 5 kobolds frozen.
Gaesin has cast slippery ice (radius: 12.3m, chance to resist: 63%, duration: 2 minutes), 4 kobolds slipped.
Meanwhile, Kyran like Adra, focused his attacks on the fleeing shamans, sending a stream of mind shocks their way. The shamans’ fire shields did not protect against the psi attacks—only against physical and magical ones—and Kyran nearly slew the second shaman before he disappeared amongst the tents.
Kyran’s 9 mind shocks have hit a kobold shaman for 145 psi damage. Remaining: 35/180 HP.
Kyran ground his teeth in frustration and returned his attention to the battle around the scorpions. Despite their numerical advantage, the kobolds were losing, the scorpions’ poison slowly claiming their victims while Gaesin’s steady healing aura kept them alive.
Battle Status
12 feral kobold fighters have died from poison, 28 remaining.
1 kobold shaman has died, 2 remaining.
Average scorpion health: 80%.
But that changed when the kobold shamans re-entered the fray. Hidden behind the tents, they lobbed fireballs into the centre of the skirmish, heedless of the damage to their own troops. Both the scorpions and kobold warriors took damage, the scorpions more so, not sharing the kobolds’ racial resistance to fire.
A kobold shaman has cast fireball.
28 feral kobold fighters hit, 5 average damage sustained.
5 giant scorpions hit, 20 average damage sustained.
He searched for the shamans, but in the heat of the battle couldn’t differentiate them from the mass of red dots on his player’s map. “Adra, where are the shamans?” he shouted.
“I’ve lost them,” she returned. Damnation, thought Kyran.
He hesitated. “Target the warriors then, let’s finish them off. Be careful with your attacks, friendly fire will turn the scorpions hostile.”
Adra acknowledged the order and sniped the kobold warriors, picking off targets on the fringes. Gaesin did the same, launching magic missiles. Kyran added his own contribution with confusion, earth tremor and poison wards, each carefully placed well outside the scorpions’ position.
Kyran has cast earth tremor (radius: 9m, chance to resist: 35%, damage: 9 HP per target), 17 kobolds knocked down.
Kyran has cast poison ward (radius: 1.8m, chance to resist: 35%, damage: 90 HP over 10 seconds), 4 kobolds poisoned.
Kyran has cast confusion (radius: 20.4m, chance to resist: 23%, duration: 3 minutes), 18 kobolds confused.
But their attacks did not go unanswered. The shamans responded with a deluge of fireballs and the situation deteriorated rapidly. The ice wall disintegrated, the slippery ice field evaporated and the empress scorpion's venom pool ignited, dealing its own damage over time.
The scorpions began to die. As did the kobolds, the combination of fire and poison whittling down their numbers. But the party was losing the war of attrition. The scorpions would be dead before the kobold warriors were down to manageable numbers.
Battle Status
24 feral kobold fighters have died, 16 remaining.
1 kobold shaman has died, 2 remaining.
2 scorpions have died, 3 remaining.
Average scorpion health: 40%.
The shamans were killing the scorpions too fast. Left with little choice, Kyran ordered the surviving scorpions to withdraw through the flaming palisade.
He had to kill the shamans. “Adra, Gaesin, the scorpions are retreating to the gate. Help them hold the line. I am going after the shamans.” Afraid, in the face of what appeared to be certain defeat, the two nodded uncertainly.
Kyran teleported to the far end of the camp and immediately spotted two garish figures hiding behind the red tent—both fully healed. Aargh. He pulled in his will and unleashed a salvo of mind shocks against the nearest figure. The shaman stumbled forward a step, then spun around snarling, searching for his attacker. Seeing Kyran, he aimed his staff and unleashed a hail of magic missiles. The second shaman followed suit, whirling around and adding his own stream of fire.
Kyran’s 5 mind shocks have hit a kobold shaman for 70 psi damage. Remaining: 110/180 HP.
A kobold shaman’s 5 magic missiles have hit Kyran for 0 damage (60 blocked by fire shield). Remaining shield: 195/255 HP.
A second kobold shaman’s 5 magic missiles have hit Kyran for 0 damage (75 blocked by fire shield). Remaining shield: 120/255 HP.
Under the onslaught, Kyran flew backwards, the shamans’ magic missiles packing more of a punch than he expected. He rolled to his feet as he landed. His shield had absorbed most of the damage and was dangerously low. But he was given no respite. The shamans lowered their staffs and renewed their attack, forcing Kyran to dodge while trying to respond with fire of his own.
Kyran’s 3 mind shocks have hit a kobold shaman for 50 psi damage. Remaining: 60/180 HP.
A kobold shaman’s 3 magic missiles have hit Kyran for 0 damage (35 blocked by fire shield). Remaining shield: 85/255 HP.
A second kobold shaman’s 3 magic missiles have hit Kyran for 0 damage (30 blocked by fire shield). Remaining shield: 55/255 HP.
✽✽✽
Meanwhile the scorpions, down to two and badly injured, completed their retreat to the gate. Pressing hard against them were the remaining twenty kobold fighters. With the shamans distracted by Kyran, Gaesin was able to douse the flames around the palisade with ice wall and slippery ice while the empress renewed her venom pool. The scorpions fared much better now. But Adra knew it was not enough. They had to be healed or the remaining warriors would overwhelm them, before themselves being overcome by the scorpions’ venom.
