Odd, Bold Fellows

Skeleton Game

The yellow mold upon the floor began to writhe as skeletal remains reformed. Dirk yelled, "How do we defeat this vile creature, Pog?!"

The goblin answered from above, "We're in a lot of guano, guys."

Two skeletons rose from the floor, draped in mold that hung from bone like tattered flesh. Beyond, the winged abomination tossed a rat-headed wand to the side with a sigh of regret.

Dirk stepped into the room, shield high, and sword mighty. K'chak loomed above, terrible spear poised to strike. Pog climbed the ceiling as his comrades engaged.

K'chak's four-bladed spearhead slammed into a yellow skull, sloughing slime away from bone. Yet the head of the grisly contraption remained, as it lifted its own shield against Dirk's. Imperial and skeleton fought for advantage, seeking a hit, as K'chak turned to the second undead construct.

With his haft, K'chak accepted his opponent's shield, lifting the end under a skeletal arm to lift its sword away. The tall warrior delivered a kick into the ribcage of the fiend, but it only staggered back, held together by the mold.

Dirk circled right, avoiding the cuts aimed for his left side. The skeleton was predictable, and with a flick of the elbow, Dirk's shield shattered the ancient blade. The skeleton stepped back, and Dirk stabbed into the rotted boards of his opponent's shield, shredding them from the yellow arm.

K'chak stabbed at his skeleton, then again, pieces of shield flying away as the thing fell to a knee. The mighty warrior did not relent, but continued as bone crunched and the skeleton crumpled. Still, it tried to rise, still K'chak brutally brought his weapon down, until the moving pieces could no longer purpose one another.

Dirk found his skeleton grasping his shield with both hands, even after a heavy chop removed the skull. The stocky man slammed his pommel into bony fingers, crushing the use out of each in turn. Dirk backed away from the shambling thing, and a great overhead swing from K'chak laid it low in pieces.

The winged beast lifted another wand, and once again, the yellow mold on the chamber floor raised and twisted with a disturbance from beneath. K'chak glanced to Dirk. "Pog's aunt is crazy, man!"

Dirk sighed as he readied himself. "That's most of them, trust me. I've been through this before."

As Meghan was tossing away her last wand of necromancy, Pog fell on the back of the throne to cling and regard her with his great purple eyes. His skirl tickled her core. "Why do you do this?"

"This is an honest surprise. I was just experimenting with odd tools. I thought I was out of the way, but here are adventurers to foil my plots! How can I resist the game?" Meghan admired her newest, and final, undead creation.

Six skeletal legs supported twin spines with few ribs, yet four arms. The skull was tucked just over the pelvis, well guarded from attack. No weapons did the abominable undead structure wield, yet even as the winged woman tossed her spent wand aside, mold continued to ooze over bone. The tattered fungus writhed, as though with its own purpose. On that day, the men learned the definition of 'guano'.

Pog was terrified for his friends as they circled around the multi-limbed skeletal construct. "Aunt Meg, your game could kill them!"

Meghan was nonchalant, "In truth, I do not care for your friends much. Fear not, nephew, you will sleep safe in Amplexus tonight."

K'chak stabbed at the skull, but skittering legs dodged even as two bony hands grasped the white haft. Unwilling to arm the bone gollum with his own spear, the tall warrior found himself grappling for the weapon.

Dirk came in hard, successfully clipping an arm away. But the legs walked upon hands, and they clawed at Dirk's legs, drawing a grunt of pain. Yet he could not abandon his brother to the terrible gollum of bone and mold, yea though the flesh of his thighs burned with rot.

Pog spied three unused wands on the arm of the ancient throne. One was affixed with a small bird that was bound to the manna pool by copper wire. The goblin licked it up, passing it to his hand. "Don't make me use this!"

"Oh, nephew," Meghan sighed with a grin, "I have command of alteration. Why should I care if you drain that wand?"

K'chak's loud bellows filled the ancient burial room as Dirk was drawn under the bone construct. The tall warrior fought for his spear still, desperately trying to save his friend.

Pog hopped down to stand next to the throne, and lifted a wand with ivy leaves around the end, wondering if it represented life. Meghan had just revealed the purpose of the alteration wand. He thought he knew what that word meant. Pog saw two rusted daggers on an altar behind the throne's dais. The goblin had a wild idea, and he leapt to the altar.

Dirk had this vile abomination right where he wanted it, and he stabbed up into the skull. It lifted up the twin spines as he made contact, and glared at K'chak with an unhinged jaw. The tall warrior seethed into red orbs of light within black sockets as Dirk fought to do some damage. Davenport was succumbing to the poison, and was slowing.

The spear suddenly grew light in K'chak's grip, and he caught the weapon in its spin by virtue of muscle memory. The two arms that had contended with him twisted upon themselves, tangling in the yellow mold.

Dirk suddenly felt his head clear and his vitals pump with renewed vigor. He still ached, but his struggles gained him freedom as he backed away from the skeletal legs that imprisoned him.

Pog fell from the ceiling, grasping the tops of the twin spines of the construct with his forelimbs. He immediately burned from contact with the mold, yet his bladed hind legs attacked the four shoulders. His great feet were now permanently clawed with gleaming steel; Pog's manifestation of using two manna pools made by a wizard.

K'chak redoubled his attacks, marveling at the lightness of his destructive weapon. Dirk moved in using the lower rim of his shield to shatter knees. As a skeletal hand gripped into Pog's hide, a great green leg sheared the arm's shoulder away.

As K'chak stabbed at the hips, Dirk slashed at the knees he had broken. Pog attacked the last shoulder for good measure, then fell to his back, succumbing to the mold.

K'chak bashed at what yet stirred as Dirk knelt by the fallen Pog. Davenport dropped his shield, and lifted the great black toad to his lap. He looked up at the green horror and demanded in a great voice, "RESTORE HIM!!!"

Dirk glared as K'chak stood over him, defiant of their foe and adversary. The draconian woman sat impassive, though Pog began to stir.

The feminine monster lifted her nose in disdain of her defeat, and vanished in a cascade of white sparkles. "Well done, Your Highness."

Pog lifted his eyes, then hugged his brother Dirk. K'chak studied the wicked spurs on the goblin's feet, then considered his enchanted spear. This had been a profitable battle!

Dirk gently set his odd brother down, and stood. "I wonder what's in these tombs!"

"No! I am done with dead people, today!" declared K'chak . On this, the party could agree.