The Diary of Raoul Grincheux

Part 61

In which our heroes battle the Ogres in the tower…

Waterday, Mobilityweek, Earthseason, 614 – mid-afternoon – the tower

It’s a good job Oleg’s wiv us ‘cos we’d all ‘av got lost in the Shadowlands wivout him – you can’t see were you’z goin’ there, know wot I mean?

So we’z lookin’ at two geezers gawpin’ at us. Regal casts Sheeld on him an’ Stella an’ goes frew the Shadowdoor, steppin left sharpish to take wun ov the varmints while Stella follers ‘im an’ takes the uvver. They bofe yells there’z more varmints outside the tower.

Redwing backs up Regal an’ then I steps frew, I can see them Ogres outside cummin frew a side door to me left, under the stairs. The Ogre misses Regal but Regal shoves hiz spear rite frew the Ogre’s shield, wot shatters in bits, an’ sticks the Ogre in the guts – it’z ded! Wow! That woz scary! Stella gets her axe parried but her Ogre’z busy castin’ a spell. I’z gonna ‘elp Stella but she’z on her own for the mo, like.

Two varmints cum frew that side door – Regal takes wun an’ Redwing the uvver but there’z still anuvver Ogre outside. Wun ov ‘em shouts, “There’z loadz ov ‘em – they’z poorin’ in!”

I jumps for Stella’s Ogre ‘cos she needs sum ‘elp. Blen cums frew the Shadowdoor an’ goes far left to ‘elp Regal. Then Eliza cums in an’ takes a looksee down the stairs to the rite. Hassan cums frew after, weavs hiz way past Stella an’ checks the big door is bolted.

Regal’z spear iz parried an’ he parries hiz Ogre but then Blen takes the Ogre’z arm off an that’z anuvver wun down. Redwing an’ his varmint parries each uvver.

Stella’s varmint stares hard at her but can’t beet her Power. Then he parries her but her axe wrecks hiz shield an’ slashes hiz leg so he’z hoppin. I go for ‘im wiv me sword an’ dagger az he spits sumfink ova me hed. He parries me sword but I sticks him good wiv me dagger in hiz uvver leg an’ he’z down!

Sumwun upstairs shouts sumfink in a weerd lingo wot Regal shouts iz Gibberish.

Redwing gets parried but he parries back. The last Ogre cums frew the side door an’ he walks strait into Regal an’ Blen. He shouts sumfink in that weerd lingo an’ parries Blen but Regal stabs him in the arm.

We can ‘ear feet cummin’ down the stairs on the left so Stella heds up the stairs an’ meets three more varmints ‘alf way (wun ov ‘em’z ded small wiv Duck feet). Hassan backs her up. Oleg cums frew the Shadowdoor an’ follers Hassan. On the stairs, her new Ogre parries Stella an’ then she shows ‘im how to do it proper, like.

But I’z got uvver ideas – ever since I cum frew I’z bin sniffin’ the stench ov Chaos! I reckon it’z cummin’ from the stairs goin’ to the basemint so I heds down. Eliza follers me, just in case. We finds the basemint is full ov junk but there’z two holes in the floor. Putain! It bluddy reeks ov Chaos down ‘ere but that ain’t no problem, I can deal wiv that!

Me nose tells me the first hole is a well but the uvver iz a pit ov Chaos slime! Urgh! That ain’t wot I calls hyjeenik, the well’z just four foot away! I edges closer to the Chaos pit in case there’z sumfink hidin’ down there. When I’z close enuff, I casts Purge Disease on the Chaos slime an’ it all goes ded. King Rat dunt like Chaos an’ we’z ded good at snuffin’ it, know wot I mean? I turns round an’ follers Eliza back up the stairs, loadin’ me crossbow az I goes.

Meantime, up top, Stella an her Ogre parry each uvver. Redwing duz the same wiv hiz Ogre. Regal’s Ogre casts a spell at ‘im but it bounces ‘cos Regal’s too tuff. Regal hits the Ogre in the arm, wot goes limp. Then Blen hits the same arm. The Ogre hits Regal wiv hiz sheeld but Regal shrugs it off an’ kicks him in the leg an’ that’s anuvver Ogre down.

Regal asks Blen to check outside for eny more Ogres while Regal ‘elps out Redwing wiv hiz Ogre. The Ogre parries Redwing but he goes rite frew the sheeld an’ stabs him inna leg. The Ogre falls down an’ starts bleedin’ theez black stones wot sumwun sez iz jet, wot’s wurf a mint! Keep bleedin’, chum!

On the stairs, Stella swops parries wiv her Ogre. Blen cums back inside – all he saw woz a duzzin’ ‘orses.

Hassan shouts sumfink at the Ogres – I dunt get wot he sez but then he’z a furriner. Blen steps back an’ frows a dagger at an’ Ogre on the stairs but it clumps off itz armour. Oleg backs up Hassan, wot’s rite behind Stella.

Regal wunders if he an’ Redwing shood fly up to the battulmints but he reckons it’z too daynjrus so we shood stick togevver so Eliza locks the side door an’ Regal an’ Redwing piles up behind Oleg.

I shoots at the middl Ogre on the stairs but sumfink dark an’ shadowy sort ov knocks me bolt out the way – bluddy Chaos! Stella an’ her Ogre iz still parryin’ each uvver but the Ogres is backin’ up to the next floor. Stella an’ the rest follers ‘em, ov cors. I drops me crossbow an’ get on the stairs, next to Redwing. Eliza’s just behind me.

Regal asks wun ov hiz spirits to possess Stella’s Ogre but just then the Ogre misses hiz parry an’ Stella’s axe hacks hiz arm off. He kinda slumps to hiz knees, holdin’ the stump an’ Stella kicks him off the stairs! She leads us up to the next floor…

There’z four Ogres next floor up, includin’ the two that woz on the stairs a minit ago. There’z anuvver in levvers but the forth must be they’z boss ‘cos he’z got a mail horberk an’ he’z usin’ a big sword insted ov an axe.

But it’s kinda hard to see ‘em ‘cos there’z this weerd sorta ‘hole’ in realty in the middl ov the room an’ it’z wailin’ an’ moanin’ fit to bust – sumwun sez it’z a Chaos void an’ nun ov us shood tuch it ‘cos it’ll suck yer out ov realty!

Stella goes for the Ogre far rite, wot woz the wun I shot at. Hassan goes for an Ogre the uvver side an’ Oleg backs him up. Regal steps reel close to Stella an’ sends two spirits to possess the mailed Ogre an’ Blen iz next to him.

Stella swops parries wiv her Ogre an Hassan duz the same wiv hiz…

…but then this monster Troll (sumwun sez Cave Troll) steps out the Void rite next to Stella! Merde!

Regal ‘elps Stella wiv the Troll an’ Oleg ‘elps Hassan wiv hiz Ogre. Redwing steps left so we’z bofe lookin’ up the stairs az two more Ogres cum down. I stops at the bottom, waitin’ for ‘em, cos I reckon we cood get two or three gainst wun if we plays our cards rite. Blen moves ova to ‘elp Oleg an Hassan.

Stella wacks a hole in her Ogre’s sheeld an’ into hiz guts! Then she parries him perfect, like, az it sits down. The Troll misses Stella, even tho it’z bezurk. Regal spears it in the guts – ‘cos it ain’t parryin.

Hassan swops parries wiv hiz Ogre but then Oleg hits it in the arm – an that’s anuvver wun down!

Turns out the two Ogres cummin’ down the stairs iz akterly four Ogres – lucky I gets to fite ‘em wun at a time an’ Redwing’s ‘elpin’ wiv hiz spear an’ Eliza’s rite behind me.

But then sumfink else cums out the void – a cockertrees – rite in frunt ov Blen! Hassan takes on the Ogre in mail while Oleg ‘elps Blen wiv the cockertrees.

Hassan an’ the mailed Ogre swops parries but anuvver Troll cums out the void rite next to ‘im! Blen an’ Oleg bofe miss the cockertrees, wot’s flyin’ bout in the air an’ iz ‘ard to hit. Blen parries itz bite.

I sees my Ogre’s got a scorpeen tail – I’z not an ‘appy rat! I stabs him in a leg an’ he’z hoppin. I parries his axe wiv me sword but then that stinger cums ova an’ prangs me in the guts! Ow, ow, ow! I’z poisond! But then Redwing stabs scorpeen-tail in the chest an’ he’z ded.

Regal stabs the Troll fitin’ Stella in a leg an’ he parries the Troll’s swipe at her – it’z got a nasty lookin’ spiked club – but then Stella wacks the Troll in the guts wiv her iron axe an’ it’z ded!

Regal’s spirits attack two Ogres – the mailed Ogre just ignores it but Duckfoot slugs it out – but bofe Ogres get drained a bit.

Wiv her Troll a gonna, Stella goes back to her Ogre while Regal passes tween Stella an’ the void an’ goes for the second Troll fitin’ Hassan. Anuvver Ogre cums down the stairs an’ I takes him on but the wun behind him (wiv ram’s horns) jumps down rite behind Stella. Redwing goes for Mr Horns an’ Eliza moovs ova to ‘elp me.

Hassan backs away from the mailed Ogre wot dunt foller ‘im ‘cos he’z battlin’ a spirit. The Troll follers ‘im, tho.

Stella an’ her Ogre swops parries but hers iz neater. Redwing parries Mr Horns but misses wiv hiz spear. I stabs the new Ogre in the hed an’ Eliza sticks it in the guts. It’s still goin’ but its axe bounces off her armour.

Blen an’ Oleg bofe miss the cockertrees aggen but it misses Blen an’ hiz parry clips itz hed.

Hassan an’ Regal bofe hit the new Troll but they’z blades go rite frew – iz it a luzhun?

Then wun Ogre gets possessed by a spirit but Mr Mail iz still fitin’ hiz off.