Leaving Gades

 Present:

• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• MARMALADE: Elia Ildaria, 24, Basque Pagan Barbarian from Gasteiz  - Richard
• Luigi Abundus Bertolini, 23, Roman Nicene Priest from Ravenna - Chris
• MARMALADE: Merkel, 24, Vandal Arian Temple-fighter from Gades - Kevin
• Vanker Polyester, 22, Vandal Pagan Rogue from Gades - Shane
• Velito Rosso, 24, Roman Nicene Barbarian from Venice - Darryl
• MARMALADE: Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades - Ian

By Jeff

"What now then?" wondered Luigi to the group.

"We need to go to the Island and kill that Geryon thing" stated Velito.
"NO!" replied everyone else.

"We still need to find and off that pagan traitor spy pretending to be a soldier" suggested Abel hopefully.
"NO!" replied nearly everyone else.

"Let's skip town and run away to somewhere safe" proposed Owl.
"NO, I think there is more to do here yet" Abel countered firmly.

"Let's investigate the evil well" suggested Luigi, "At least it's close by"
"YES" everyone agreed, and we hurried outside to the well.

The well looked quite normal

The circular well looked quite normal; a series of annular steps descended to the water level and the well shaft dropped away below into darkness.

"A light?" wondered Vanker.
"Let me" responded Luigi, beginning his hour-long prayer to request a miracle.

Everyone waited around until Luigi had created a glowing rock which was then tied onto a length of rope and lowered down into the dark waters. The light illuminated the full shaft diameter and we all peered down into the well as the light was slowly lowered into the depths. 

About two meters down, a strange spike in the centre of the well came into view.

"What's that? whispered Velito.
"It's got a pointy tip" noted Able.
"It's some sort of spike" replied Luigi.

"News" yelled Acolyte Felix who had come out into the yard behind us.
"Bishop Alaric is gathering troops to come and arrest everyone here at the church"

"Time to run away to somewhere safe" proposed Owl.
"YES" everyone agreed, except for Luigi.
"I shall stay and check out this spike" stated Luigi. "You all go, and take Sister Justina with you"

Abandoning Luigi to his continuing investigation of the evil-infested well and the strange spike thing therein, the rest of the party quickly gathered up some supplies and equipment, including Sister Justina from her confinement in her rooms, and cautiously snuck away from the Church towards the centre of Gades. Velito obtained rooms in the Sapphire Scab Inn, and everyone quietly slipped in keeping a low profile.

Luigi squeezes down the well

Back at the Church, Luigi had stripped down to his stripy undergarments and standing on the bottom step of the well had lowered the light down past the spike till the rope ran out of length. He hadn't spotted anything else out of the ordinary, so he fastened the light off at the depth of the spike and slipped into the cold waters. He figured a two-meter dive wouldn't be too challenging. But he hadn't counted on his recent culinary adventures and lack of significant exercise, and he struggled to plunge his considerable bulk down the relatively narrow shaft.

But eventually he managed to drag himself down the wall of the well shaft, get a firm grip on the spike, and with much effort and tugging managed to haul it up. A spear!

A Geryon Spear had been in the well.

"This is the same type of spear that Geryon was using" he mused.

"This indeed must be the source of the evil here" he surmised while getting dressed.

As Luigi stored the spear out of sight he pondered.
"I wonder how it got here? Could there be a tunnel to the bottom of the well from the island? No, surely not, it's much too far. And the water is fresh, no salt contamination. Someone must have placed it in there" he eventually concluded.

"Who could have done that? Another puppet of that Geryon creature no doubt"

Just then a contubernium of soldiers arrived from the town militia. They stomped up to Luigi who was standing in the front courtyard, and their decanus demanded that Sister Justina, Vanker, and Aulius be handed over immediately, by order of the "true" Bishop of Gades.

A loud scream of "WHORE" echoed down from Father Valerius's chambers causing the soldiers to look around nervously. One even drew his sword.

"So, where are Sister Justina, Vanker, and Aulius?" demanded the decanus.
""They are not here" replied Luigi calmly.
"Well, where are they then" the decanus shouted.
"I do not know" replied Luigi.
"We shall search the church" the decanus declared, "Show us everywhere"

Luigi showed them around the church, opening every door and letting the soldiers have a good look into all the rooms and spaces. As they entered Father Valerius's room, Father Valerius let out a mighty scream of "WHORE, WITCH, SLUT" from the bed and started to thrash around, spittle flying from his mouth and his eyes wide and bloodshot. 

Stepping back in alarm, the decanus asked "What's wrong with him?"
"Oh, don't mind him, it's just a religious thing" responded Luigi.
"Right then" the decanus replied nervously, "I can see that the others aren't here, we'll be off"
"But, if either of them come back, send them immediately to Marcus at the Arian Cathedral"
"But of course" replied Luigi demurely.

And the soldiers left, marching out the front gates and back up the street towards the town.

Luigi watched them go.

"Bloody Marcus at the bloody Arian bloody Cathedral" spat Luigi, "Of course .... NOT. Bloody Heretics."

"Now, lets have a good look at that spear"

Retrieving the Geryon spear from the store, Luigi gathered his thoughts, settled into his contemplative prayer state, reached out for his God, and prayed for a Detect Evil miracle. 

Sometime later (one hour) Luigi opened his eyes to see the spear glowing with a sickly green aura. Nodding his head, he gathered up the spear and carried it down to the furnace. Dosing it with oil, he set it alight and tossed it into the heart of the furnace. Maintaining an all-night vigil, Luigi fed the furnace throughout the night, fully expecting the thing to be destroyed. 

Bleary eyed, Luigi opened up the furnace doors in the morning hoping to clear out the ashes and bury them in the sanctified graveyard. To his shock, the spear was still there, whole and unchanged, nestled in the warm ash at the bottom of the furnace. "Oh crap" he exclaimed.

Meanwhile, back at the Sapphire Scab Inn, the rest of the party had had a peaceful quiet night and were well rested. Even sister Justina seemed quite normal. Following a hearty breakfast delivered to their rooms, Owl and Able snuck over to the church to check in with Luigi and see what was going on. Luigi reported his encounter with the soldiers, his discovery of the spear, its decidedly evil nature, and its resistance to fire and destruction.

"Give us a look then" asked Owl, picking up the spear.

A strange tingling sensation ran up Owl's arm as he grasped the spear. His hairs all lifted along his arms, and the hair on his head briefly fluffed up. Sparks crackled along the spear from Owl's hand out to the tip, and Owl's eyes lit up with a red glow.

"Wow" exclaimed Owl, "Are you sure this is evil?"
"Yup, and we need to get it away from the church in case those soldiers return" replied Luigi.
"No problem" confirmed Owl, "We can hide it in my family warehouse"

"EVIL, EVIL, RUSTY ANCHOR INN, Eeeeevilllll" screamed Father Valerius.

"I wonder what is at the Rusty Anchor Inn?" wondered Luigi aloud, "I will have a quick look"
"You lot wait here till I return" Luigi instructed Owl and Able, "And keep that spear hidden!"

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the only thing Luigi found at the Rusty Anchor Inn was Vanker, nominally hiding out there, but openly drinking at the bar and raucously cavorting with half the town's compliment of "working" girls. "Oh crap" muttered Luigi, "At least we know where he is now"

What was in the slaver's woodshed?

Racing quickly back to the church, Luigi let Able and Owl know what the "evil" was at the Rusty Anchor Inn. While he had been out investigating, Father Valerius had also been moaning and muttering about "Slavers compound wooooodshed" and "Sapphire scabbbbb"

"This guys knows everything" exclaimed Able, "Let's hope no one actually listens to him"

Owl suggested that Able and Luigi should gather up the party at the Sapphire Scab, for a next step discussion, while he hid the spear in his family warehouse and then met them all at the Sapphire Scab.

Owl unconsciously rubbed his hand along the shaft of the spear, hidden below some sacking, as he hurried off to his family's warehouse. "Evil? It would be evil to destroy this thing" he mused to himself, "It has useful powers. Anyone can tell that. No wonder Luigi couldn't destroy it. Fire, pugh, it's made of fire! So warm to the touch, so smooth, so much potential. I must keep it safe. I'll be able to control it, use it, to help us all"

Arriving at the warehouse, Owl slipped in through the hidden rear entrance and made his way to a dark corner where he knew no one would find the spear. He placed it gently into the corner, tip upward, and just before he released it, he decided to try a small experiment. Grasping the centre of the shaft firmly in his right hand, Owl closed his eyes and bent his thoughts to the island and the creature they had met there. "Geryon" he whispered quietly.

"WELCOME FRIEND" was the immediate response.
"Ah, .... hello there" responded Owl with a small grimace, "Is there anyone over here I can trust?"
"VANKER OF COURSE"
"Yes, but anyone else?"
"JUST RUN ANYONE THROUGH WITH MY SPEAR, AND THEY WILL BE MINE TOO"
"Oh, ah ... right. Um, I think Father Valerius knows about you ... this ... us"
"RUN HIM THROUGH WITH MY SPEAR"
"Um, right ... yup. But we might have to leave town. They are looking for us!"
"TAKE MY TOY WITH YOU, YOU WILL NEED IT"
"Oh yes, of course. Must rush now, talk later ..."

"Wow" thought Owl

Owl stepped back and raised his eyes in rapture.

Twin beams of light speared up into the dusty ceiling of the warehouse. The dust was swirling in a chaotic maelstrom, dancing about like stars in the black void of the heavens.

Then the light faded away and the darkness of the ceiling returned.

 "Wow" Owl thought briefly, then he slipped out of the warehouse and raced off to the Sapphire Scab.

Arriving back at The Scab, Owl rejoined the rest of the party for a discussion on their next steps. Vanker had been summoned from his "hideout" in the Rusty Anchor and everyone was together. The town guard and the Arian Church were hunting for them. Father Valerius was way to accurate with his rambling shouts and mumbling. It seemed that Gades was no longer the place to be hanging about.

Which was all confirmed when Acolyte Felix suddenly arrived through the front door of the Scab, looking a bit flushed, his eyes darting about nervously. He rushed over.

"Father Valerius said you would be here" he started.
"You have to leave town" he gasped, "That false Bishop has declared Owl and Vanker as heretic and they are to be tried and killed. Well, just killed really"
"Take Sister Justina with you and head straight to Portus Gaditanus, a few hundred meters over the Gades River mouth in the estuary. I have arranged for you to be met at the Silent Harp Inn and provided with assistance there. Do not linger here too long!" he concluded.

So, thus ended the discussions and a flurry of activity resulted. Supplies for travel and an extended trip were gathered, transport for the "marmalading" party members arranged (a small cart), Vanker concluded his business with the local working girls (just a few minutes), Owl retrieved the spear from his family warehouse, and the party gathered near the town gates ready for a dawn departure.

As soon as the morning dawned, we slipped out of town. Owl and Vanker with hoods pulled up, and Able leading the loaded cart.

"'Orning 'ficer" Able mumbled, "Ust eading ome to Portus Gaditanus afer a appy ight of borchary and tainment"
"You got any stolen sceptres in there?" asked the guard at the gate, "Cause we'll be taking a quick look"
"Ook way" replied Able, "Nofin ere but the ole pig spit n som dunkin sods"

A day from Gades to Portus Gaditanus

It was a quick and uneventful trip down the causeway on the old Roman Road. No trouble with the guards at the Hercules end of the causeway, trundled safely past the Chapel of Santa Teodora, over the Betis Marches, across the Gades River bridge, and safely into Portus Gaditanus before night fell.

We arrived in the middle of the day, found the Silent Harp Inn, and looked around the common room for whoever might be meeting us here.

"Isn't that the pagan witch we moved on a few weeks ago?" whispered Luigi.

Sure enough, Daphne of the Light, who we had indeed moved on from the Christian Shrine at the base of the Gades causeway in our first mission together, was seated in the common room. She was looking very happy to see us, and in fact stood and came over towards us.

Daphne of the Light

"Welcome, welcome" she exclaimed, "I assume you know Felix, and that has sent you here to see me"
"We know Felix" responded Luigi warily, "Acolyte Felix from Our Lady of Perpetual Succour?"
"The very one" chuckled Daphne, "We have an arrangement"
"Oh yeah?" asked Luigi, "Why then did he 'arrange' for us to bust you up a few weeks back?"
"Oh, don't worry about that" Daphne laughed, "A small misunderstanding. He has told me that some of your lives are in Danger. Owl and Vanker, yes?"
"Mayyyybeeee" muttered Luigi, looking warily around the room.

"No need to worry" stated Daphne, "I have arranged for you to take temporary employ with the caravan guard of the Lady Florinda, the wife of Count Julian. They are travelling through to Corduba via Hispalis and Astigi while the Count remains in Gades. He has lost his sceptre apparently!"
"Really?" questioned Luigi.
"So I've heard" replied Daphne, "But you will need to catch them up, they left a few days ago and the country along that road isn't totally .... safe. Best depart immediately"

So, that then was settled. Daphne handed over a sealed letter for the captain of the caravan guard, and we headed straight off. Back towards the Gades river, and then left, heading inland (North) on the Hispalis Road. We travelled for the rest of the day across the pleasant rolling countryside, the sun shining warmly down upon us, and set up a camp just before dark.

"I hope that letter doesn't say 'Kill these traitors immediately'" pondered Velito suspiciously.
"Or anything like unto it" laughed Luigi, "You must have more faith brother!"

Watches were set for the night, which passed peacefully, and we set off at dawn after a quick breakfast. Around mid-morning we passed two bodies swinging from the branch of a tree beside the road. Both male, and apparently peasants by their threadbare clothes. Luigi said a brief prayer and we moved on.

A little further up the road we passed an old half burnt cart on its side beside the road. The smell of smoke lingered in the air, and fresh bloodstains were smeared across the back of the cart. There were scuff marks all around, but no bodies to be seen. No goods or equipment either, much to Velito's disgust.

"You'd think bandits would leave something" he grumbled.
"There has obviously been trouble" noted Owl, "Let's just be a bit more cautious from here on"

An overturned cart ahead

Another kilometre up the road we rounded a bend to see an overturned cart in the middle of the road ahead. Some items had spilled across the road and two figures were crouched behind the cart, which bristled with arrows. Somewhere ahead bandits were hidden and had ambushed the two travellers.

We hung back out of sight while Vanker was dispatched through the surrounding bush to stealthily reconnoitre the scene and report back. 

The standoff at the wagon continued while Vanker was away. We remained hidden. The occasional arrow thudded into the side of the tipped cart, and the two figures flinched every time. But they were safe behind their shelter, unless they moved and broke cover!

Vanker slipped out of the bush to report that there were at least two male bowmen hidden in the woods.

"I got within three meters of one of them and he never even noticed" Vanker boasted.
"Could you have killed him then?" asked Able.
"Sure, but that would have alerted the other one" snorted Vanker.

Just then another arrow thudded into the cart and one of the figures leapt up and made a bolt for the bush on the side of the road. He never made it as a pair of arrows pierced him immediately and he collapsed, only meters from the safety of the bush. A moan of despair came from the second figure behind the cart.

"Save them" yelled Owl, shoving Able and Velito forward.

So we charged, headlong towards the unknown and hidden archers, yelling and waving our swords in a show of competence and bravado. Able, Vanker, and Velito spread out across the width of the road, sprinting forward. Owl and Luigi followed in the second rank, sheltered by the brave warriors in front.

Two arrows shot towards Vanker, the first piercing his breastplate, vest, and chest, while the second ricocheted off his cap.

"Oww" screeched Vanker, slowing slightly, but only to let Velito and Able do the honours.
"Stay down" yelled Able as he sprinted past the cart and the women sheltering there.

Luigi skidded to a stop beside the downed figure, a man, and attempted to help him. But he quickly looked up and shook his head. Dead.

When Velito and Able arrived at the bush where the bandits had been sheltering, there was no sign of anyone. No more arrows were shot at us; the cowards had fled. Murderers!

Julia and her husband had been travelling to Gades, but with her husband dead and the cart effectively disabled and not easily repaired, we convinced her to travel with us to the next town, Hasta Regia. We gathered their items from the cart, buried the body, said prayers, and carried out the appropriate death rituals. Well, as much as could be done without having consecrated ground anyway.

"How about a Holy Cure?" grunted Vanker, snapping off the arrow protruding from his chest.
"The ground is not consecrated here" stated Sister Justina, "So, no, a cure is not possible"
"What if you used a Holy Relic?" asked Owl.
"If we had a Holy Relic, sure, that could be used instead" confirmed Sister Justina.
"Well, I have a Holy Spear of God" noted Owl, "Just saying"
"Impossible" stated Sister Justina, "There is no Holy Spear of God"
"Why don't you try using this?" prompted Owl, unwrapping the Geryon Spear.
"Ha" mocked Sister Justina, "It will not work. But, OK, let me touch it"

Sister Justina gripped the wooden shaft of the Spear in one hand, placed her other hand on Vanker's arrow wound, and went through the Cure prayer rituals. As soon as her hand grasped the Spear, her eyes began to glow and her hair frizzed up. As she spoke the words of the prayer, a red glow began to build up around her hand that was placed over the wound, and as she concluded the red glow transferred directly into Vanker's chest. The weeping blood was sucked back into the wound and his torn skin knitted tidily together. 

"Mmmm" sighed Vanker pleasantly.
"Ohhhhh" exclaimed Sister Justina, "That was ... that was .... Wonderful"
"Brother Aulius, you are right" she continued, "Praise the Holy Spear of God"
"Where did you get this mighty relic? Is it the actual spear that pierced our Lord's side?"
"My ancestors met the Lord Jesus you know" commented Able.
"Brother Aulius, you are blessed indeed" gushed Sister Justina, "Can I ... carry it?"

Sister Justina carries the Holy Spear of God

Owl lets Sister Justina carry the Spear, for a bit, and she is ecstatic.

Her eyes glow with the typical Geryon effect while she does, but she is convinced that her own God has bestowed this mighty Holy Relic on Brother Aulius and repeatedly comments about "being bathed in the Holy Light of God". She practically skips along the road singing. 
Able and Velito refuse to touch the Spear at all.

"Too happy" grunts Velito, "Nothing good will come from this"

As we get closer to the town of Hasta Regia, the "Holy Spear" is re-wrapped it its covering and tucked away safety on the cart. 

Sister Justina's glowing eyes return to their normal state, but she remains ecstatic and cheerful for the rest of the journey into the town. 

Taking some rooms in the Hasta Regia Inn, we hear that Lady Florinda's caravan had passed through the day before yesterday, so only a few days ahead now. We are praised for our dramatic rescue of Julia from the bandits, which have been an increasing problem in recent weeks.

The night at Hasta Regia was uneventful and the next morning we set off for Nabrissa, about a day's travel north along the Hispalis Road. 

Nothing much to report about that trip, although the road was in minor disrepair, with significant potholes in a couple of places. In fact, near one excessively large pothole we found a broken wagon that had obviously hit the hole and smashed a wheel. It had been pushed off the side of the road and abandoned. It looked to be a few days ago it had happened. Empty of course!

We arrived at Nabrissa in the early evening and booked into a local Inn. Lady Florinda's caravan was now only a day ahead. We appeared to be travelling at about twice the speed of the caravan, so we should catch them in the middle of the day tomorrow. We had another uneventful night and first thing in the morning we set off towards Orippo, the next major town on the Hispalis Road. 

Just before midday, we spotted a large wagon caravan in the distance ahead. We would encounter their rear guard pretty soon as we could see a few soldiers on horseback between us and the caravan.

Our location when we spotted the caravan

Burn Them All!

 Present:

• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• MARMALADE: Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• MARMALADE: Elia Ildaria, 24, Basque Pagan Barbarian from Gasteiz  - Richard
• Luigi Abundus Bertolini, 23, Roman Nicene Priest from Ravenna - Chris
• MARMALADE: Merkel, 24, Vandal Arian Temple-fighter from Gades - Kevin
• Vanker Polyester, 22, Vandal Pagan Rogue from Gades - Shane
• Velito Rosso, 24, Roman Nicene Barbarian from Venice - Darryl
• Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades - Ian

By Jeff

We picked Velito off the ground after his beating by Lucius's "negotiation" team and laid him on his bedroll to recover. Sister Justina was summoned and came rushing down from the church to cast a "Heal" (or two) on poor Velito while the rest of the party stood around and "tut-tutted" Velito's unwise approach to dealing with thugs and bullies.

A brief vision overlaid the sister

As Sister Justina waved her hands around over Velito's battered and bruised body, her eyes flashed intensely red, fangs seemed to sprout from her mouth, and the air crackled as the healing aura erupted around Velito, much quicker and much more strongly that we had ever see the Sister Heal before.

"Whoa" muttered Vanker, stepping back and looking around worriedly.
"That was super-fast" noted Able to Sister Justina as she stepped back herself after only ten seconds.
"Nope" she replied, "Just like normal"
"Whoa" muttered Vanker again, stepping even further back and staring daggers at the Sister.

"Maybe the church's enchanted ground has been souped up?" suggested Victor.
"Let me try then" instructed Luigi as he stepped up to Velito and started in on his own Heal.

An hour later he looked up.
"Some of that bruising cured" he noted, "How long was that?"
"Just like the actual normal" noted Vanker.

In the meantime, Sister Justina had wandered off back to the kitchen.
A hasty conversation ensued, resulting in Luigi and Able rushing off to the well to see if anything strange had happened there (nope) and then talking to Acolyte Felix about what we had seen.

"Impossible!" stated Acolyte Felix.
"Go check with Father Valerius" suggested Luigi, "And we'll keep an eye on the Sister"

Acolyte Felix headed upstairs to check in on Father Valerius, while Able and Luigi slipped into the kitchen to "see how its going"

As Acolyte Felix entered the poor Father's sick room, he heard mutterings from the bed.

"Bones, bones, whoring bones. Them, them, Justina and them. Arggggh .... snakes" the Father was yelling.

"He said Justina" Felix mused to himself, "Could there be a problem with her? Is he actually right?"

Back down in the kitchen, Sister Justina was just putting the finishing touches to a lovely roast chicken dinner and enlisted Able and Luigi to help serve.

"May as well help if you've nothing better to do" she commanded.

Over dinner Vanker kept a close eye on Sister Justina, but she seemed quite normal. Luigi and Velito had an extended argument about the merits, or otherwise, of gambling, but Luigi couldn't convince Velito to give up his dice.

"Stubborn fool" muttered Luigi to himself.
"Stubborn fool" muttered Velito to himself.

Luigi suggested that Sister Justina try to cast a Detect Evil from outside the consecrated church grounds.

"Ha" she scoffed, "Miracles don't work off consecrated ground. Waste of time"

That night Able received another summons (via street urchin) to meet with Lucius Brutus and hurried quickly off, with Victor along to watch his back.

"Got a wee job for your crew" Lucius instructed, "although your lot might be too namby-pamby to take it on"
"It would involve offing a fella. A nosy prick by the name of Marcus Squirrel" he noted.
"You would find him in the employ of Count Julian, poking his nose where it's not wanted"

"Oh" responded Victor with a wink, "You mean that dirty heretic pagan bastard pretending to be a decent Christian?"
"Yeah", replied Lucius with a wink, "Dat's the one."
"Sounds like a tough sell" noted Able, "But we'll see what we can do"

Arriving back at the church sometime later, Able and Victor could hear yelling from the upstairs sick room.

The whores bones

"Justina ... pagan whore ... bony snake in her ... burn her ... the whore ... penetrateher"
"That doesn't sound good" commented Victor, "I hope the boys are keeping an eye on her"

Checking in on on Sister Justina, who actually appeared quite normal, Victor suggested she do "one of dem find evil miracle things", just in case there was something "lurking round and possessing the Father"

Which she did. In only ten seconds, and with a pulse of red light from her eyes and a flash of fangs.

"Whoa" squealed Victor leaping back, "What the heck?"
"Oh yes" Sister Justina noted, "There is evil out by the well!"
"We'll ... check ... it ... out" stammered Able, backing out of the room, "You just ... wait here"
"WHOREEEeeeeeee" echoed from upstairs.

Victor and Able fled outside to the tents.

After reporting everything to the rest of the party, Luigi decided it would be good to cast his own Detect Evil miracle, which took a whole hour, but did confirm there was an evil presence at the well.

"I'll talk to Acolyte Felix" Luigi stated and hastened off to find him. 

Father Valerius floats up off his bed

He found him in Father Valerius's room, standing with his back to the door and watching nervously as Father Valerius thrashed about in his bed, alternately muttering and screaming about the evil whore and her two evil pimps Vanker and Owl. While they were watching him, the Father actually floated slowly up from his bed, still wrapped in his sheets, his arms dangling down towards the bed.

Acolyte Felix and Luigi quickly backed out from the room.

"Not right" muttered Felix, "What the hell was that?"
"Possession" confirmed Luigi, "Better get that Holy Relic up here right now, and plenty of Holy Water"

The Holy Relic (the Finger of Solomon) was bought to the room and its box opened to reveal the relic. Holy Water was liberally splashed about place, with a decent quantity over the possessed Father Valerius. Prayers were said. But there was no effect, no sizzles or wounds from the Holy Water, no light or tingles from the relic, no screaming or undue noises from Father Valerius.

"Do the exorcism thing" Acolyte Felix instructed Luigi.
"What?" exclaimed Luigi, "I am just a lowly Brother who keeps bees, I can do none such miracles"
"Burn them ... burn them all" yelled Father Valerius.

Luigi figured that the Holy Water treatment would be a sensible action to take to test Sister Justina. She was certainly acting normally, but the strange eyes, flashes of a hideous visage, and much accelerated casting was all very implicating.

Sister Justina was more than happy to subject herself to the Holy Water treatment.

"A good idea" she stated.
"Owwww" she yelled when Luigi sprinkled her though.
"This can't be right" she muttered.
"OK then" instructed Luigi, "Vanker, you're next"
"No I'm f'n not" complained Vanker, backing away.
"Well, Owl then" Luigi conceded.

Owl was outside in the tent, curled into a foetal position with the Marmalade dribbling from his mouth. As Luigi sprinkled on the Holy Water, a quiet sizzling could indeed be heard, and the skin touched by the Holy Water became reddish and aggravated. 

"Let us see what Father Valerius says about this" suggested Luigi.
"Burn them, burn them all" he yelled.
"Better secure you for your own good then Sister Justina" instructed Felix, "Guard, bring the manacles"

Sister Justina humbly submitted to the manacles and was secured in her rooms.

Vanker backed quickly off, and then rushed out into the night, as the guards approached him.
Owl, Marmalading in the tent, was also manacled by the guard, "For his own protection" 

After such an eventful evening, everyone was happy to get to bed and sleep, perchance to dream.

Around 5am, one of the local urchin's snuck into the tent, woke Able, and let him know that one of our group was hiding out in their trash heap, a block down the road from the church.

"Bloody Vanker" muttered Able, as he rolled over and went back to sleep.

In the morning, Able and Victor, more worried than ever about Father Valerius and what he might potentially reveal, decide to head over the the Arian cathedral and see if Bishop Athalaric has any thoughts about the whole Valerius and Geryon Island situation.

The ultimate solution

"Burn them all" he promptly commanded.
"Would you like me to take action against those Nicene heretics at the Perpetual Succour immediately?" he asked.
"Oh, maybe not quite yet" Able responded.
"Well, I shall inform the Dux" the Bishop noted pompously, "I meet with him regularly!"
"Get me word if you want that heretic church burnt to the ground" Bishop Athalaric instructed.

"Wow" Victor commented as we walked back to the church, "Perhaps Vanker had the right idea"
"Yeah, lets get Owl out of there and to somewhere safe" confirmed Able.
"Yeah, and us too" suggested Victor.

Back at the church, Acolyte Felix reports that Father Valerius has not improved at all, and has been screaming about "The whore" and "Vanker in the rubbish" and "Vanker anchored with the busty" and "Maybe the rusty?"

"BURN THEM ALL" echoes down from the Father's rooms. 

Despite Velito's protests, Victor picked open Owl's manacles and Able slung him over his shoulder and they both rushed him away from the church into town.

"I know the Rusty Anchor" stated Victor, "It's a small Inn near the other side of town"

Sure enough, Vanker had obtained himself a room at the Rusty Anchor and was closeted within with three busty wenches. After having to wait for five minutes at his door, we passed over Owl and updated him on the various potential solutions to the current situation.

"Burn them all" spluttered Vanker, "I'm not keen on that solution at all"

The Rusty Anchor

We gathered the party at the Rusty Anchor for a planning discussion.

"We must go to the Island" instructed Velito firmly.
"No way I'm going to that Island" stated Vanker.
"No way I'm going to that Island" stated Able.
"No way I'm going to that Island" muttered Owl from his Marmalading sleep. 

Count Julian's Sceptre

 Present:

• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• Elia Ildaria, 24, Basque Pagan Barbarian from Gasteiz  - Richard
• Luigi Abundus Bertolini, 23, Roman Nicene Priest from Ravenna - Chris
• MARMALADE: Merkel, 24, Vandal Arian Temple-fighter from Gades - Kevin
• Vanker Polyester, 22, Vandal Pagan Rogue from Gades - Shane
• Velito Rosso, 24, Roman Nicene Barbarian from Venice - Darryl
• MARMALADE: Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades - Ian

By Andrew

Spine snake bite

The group had just returned to Gades from Geryon Sepulchre island on the church's boat Llaga Supurante. Owl and Vankar both had gleaming eyes, and Velito had the infected bite from the spine snakes. The wound was starting to go grey as the necrotizing fasciitis apparently set in.

Back Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, they went and saw Father Valerius. But he was still ill and barely aware of them as they circled his bed in mock concern. Acolyte Felix said that the delirium was getting worse, and then visions were becoming more disturbing.

"He claims you and Vanker are possessed by skeleton demons," said Felix to Owl with a snort.

"Owl and Vanker;" croaked Father Valerius, his eyes bloodshot and yellow. "Growing darkness in their souls. Purged they must be."

 

Aulius and Vanker looked awkwardly at each other.

"Something I should know?" asked Felix.

"No no... but look at poor Velito!" said Aulius, quickly changing the subject. "Can you fix his wound?"

"Puuuurged!" screamed Father Valerius.

Acolyte Felix shook his head slowly. "The only one here who could hope to pray strongly enough would be the ill Father. But not in his current state. Perhaps God will guide you to another church in Gades. Nicene, of course!" 

Nuestra Sagrada Virgen
de las Tetas Blasfemas

Sister Justina nodded solemnly. "I can help show you way, friends."

They considered going to Nuestra Sagrada Virgen de las Tetas Blasfemas, (Our Lady of the Blasphemous Boobs), but the good sister said she was not so sure of the rigor of that place. 

"There are uncomfortable rumours... strange goings-on ... secrets unsaid," she said with a blush. "Let us gave it a wide berth."

Next choice was the Capilla de Santa Maria, but that was only a chapel, and run by a mere Deacon.

"He has not the fervour," she mused sadly.

There was only one Nicene church left to try: Nuestra Sagrada Virgen de la Paz Eterna (Our Lady of Eternal Peace). 

"We will have to go to la Paz Eterna," said Sister Justina. "Despite their unusual foot-wear rules. They demand that you must enter the nave barefoot, like our Lord."

On the way there, townsfolk were gossiping in the streets of Gades. There was news from official runners from Cordoba: The new King Roderic had recently appointed a new Dux for the Duchy of Baetica: Dux Ramiro, (Roderic was the former Dux of the Baetica, so the position was made vacant when he became king). Ramiro's wife would now be Duchess Isabella. They had a son Alfonso and daughter Beatriz. They were based in Cordoba (two week's travel from Gades).

Velito, Able and Justina turned up at Our Lady of Eternal Peace, removed their shoes & boots, and sought the priest. They managed to cajole him enough to get him to perform the Neutralize Poison miracle. And praised be, Velito was cured!

Monoreme

On the way back to the party's church, there was some more even more exciting news!  A fleet of six monoreme galleys had arrived in the Gades harbour: twenty-five oars a side, brightly coloured sails and pennants, soldiers on the decks with gleaming shields, ladies-in-waiting dressed in their finest, and beautiful dancing girls in scandalous attire.

These galleys were from Septum, across from the other side of the (Gibraltar) straits. This was Count Julian, and his wife Florinda. And a contingent of 120 soldiers, servants and slaves. Apparently, the couple was headed to the royal capital Toletum, for Florinda to attend the recently-built palace university there. She had expressed interest in learning medicine, blood-letting and piety.

The Dux of Gades, Arvandus and his wife Livia welcomed them to Gades, in a small ceremony at the docks.

Back in the party's church at about the same time, an urchin boy rushed in looking for Able. He had an important message. The head of the Slavers' Guild, Lucius Brutus, wanted to speak to Able. "Right now". So, Able rushed off. Brutus was not someone you kept waiting.

Able went to the slave pits and was shown to Lucius Brutus, surrounded by his lieutenants and his usual coterie of slave girls. 

"I have a job for you, my good friend," said Lucius. "There is an heirloom I want. Go fetch-ah me it from one of the Count's boats. It is a golden rod; a sceptre. My spies tell-ah me it will be on-ah board the Star of Septum, Julian's fifth galley. Help-ah you-self to anything you find on-ah board, but you will give-ah me half."

Able returned to the group. "We have a job..."

That night it was clear but there was no moon.

The group used the church row-boat Llaga Supurante again. It could seat 12. They rowed out to the fifth galley. 

As they approached the monoreme, first they met the stench of the sweat and filth from the rower slaves, then they could hear drunken singing coming from the deck.

The Sceptre

They pretended to be drunken fishermen, and had a firkin of wine. The drunken sots on board were only too happy for more, and helped the group and the barrel up on board.

Elia separated herself from the group and snuck into the the central cabin on the deck. There were some guards cavorting with some winsome slave girls in the cabin, but they were all pretty drunk and too busy to notice Elia. She managed to take three bags of coins from there and she found a gold sceptre in a trophy case. This, she took.

Elia hid one bag on her person, then snuck out of the cabin, onto the deck and made her way to the railings. Here, she handed the two bags of coins and the sceptre down to the Owl, standing in the Llaga.

Then all quietly rowed back to the shore, and went back to their church. 

In the safety of the narthex, under torchlight, they examined their spoils. Each bag had 60 silver coins [each worth $100 in today's money]. The sceptre was gold and beautifully made. No-one noticed that Elia had an extra bag.

Lucius Brutus

Able was getting antsy. "We better not linger. Lucius does not like to be kept waiting."

He took one bag of coins and the sceptre, and headed to the Slavers' Guild. Sure enough, Lucius Brutus was here. He was most pleased.

"You have-ah done well."

Next morning there was a big hue and cry. "Some evil thieves had stolen Count Julian's Sceptre of Office!" was the astounding news.

It didn't take long for Count Julian and Gades Dux Arvandus to proclaim a 200 silver coin reward for recovering the sceptre, and info on the thieves that stole it.

The Gades militia was tasked to search the town for the sceptre. 

Aulius, a former militia member himself, reported to his friendly Sergeant and volunteered to help. The militia was going door to door.

Later that day, Sister Justina, who was tending the sick Father Valerius, came and told the group.

"The good father says the missing sceptre is hidden in a bone hut in the Slavers' Guild!" she said. "I'm afraid his delirium is getting worse. Brother Felix is bleeding him now. The humours are strong."

She added, with a dubious tone: "And he says the demons inside Owl and Vanker are getting stronger."

 

Soldiers came and searched the church. Aulius was part of this squad, and he gave the group a cheery wink as he went through their personal items in their tents. Anything that could fit a sceptre-sized object was searched. Elia's pack was very thoroughly searched - multiple times - as they carefully examined her exotic Basque lingerie.

Florinda of Septum

There was new news around town. Count Julian was scheduled to leave for Hispalis today (one week's travel) and thence on to Toletum, but he needed his sceptre, so he had changed his plans and was now staying in Gades to help with organizing the search. 

However, Florinda, his wife, would still be leaving. Her entourage was all the ladies-in-waiting, a handful of slaves, and twenty soldiers.

When Velito heard the news that the sceptre was so important and so valuable, he thought that the party had been duped and this this matter ought to be remedied. So, he headed off to the Slavers' Guild to talk to Brutus. When Velito arrived, Lucius's guards stopped him.

"The Boss ain't here."

"Well, I wanna to see him," replied Velito. "It is-ah important."

"He's out on business. Now piss off."

"Well, tell-a him Velito want-sa to talk-ah to him. Contact at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour."

That evening, back at the church, six bully-boys arrived, and they beat the living snot out of Velito. Sister Justina was distraught at such violence, but the rest of the group stood idly by and watched.

"Think about your life choices," they hissed as they left him bruised and battered on the ground.

WELCOME TO MY DOMAIN

 Present:

• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• MARMALADE: Elia Ildaria, 24, Basque Pagan Barbarian from Gasteiz  - Richard
• Luigi Abundus Bertolini, 23, Roman Nicene Priest from Ravenna - Chris
• MARMALADE: Merkel, 24, Vandal Arian Temple-fighter from Gades - Kevin
• Vanker Polyester, 22, Vandal Pagan Rogue from Gades - Shane
• Velito Rosso, 24, Roman Nicene Barbarian from Venice - Darryl
• Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades - Ian

By Jeff

Dusk was fast approaching as Velito and Able peered down into the dark shaft that slipped into the depths below Geryon Sepulchre Island. They considered the option of scrambling down and hunting down the mysterious large creature that had been spotted twice now. The same creature which had thrown the huge spear at Merkel. Mysterious rattling noise occasionally echoed up from below.

"Best wait for morning" suggested Velito nervously.
"Yeah, that'll be best" agreed Able, nodding wisely.

Victor joined them as they pulled back, and they all retreated to the temporary shelter erected over one of the old stone walled building ruins and joined the rest of the party. Owl had revived from his previous comatose state and was looking around in surprise.

"Are we on Geryon Sepulchre Island?" he asked.

Dark clouds overhead

Sister Justina had just finished her Control Weather supplication and was looking suspiciously up at the dark clouds overhead. 

"Demonic forces oppose us" she muttered.
"God must trust us to deal with this ourselves" she reluctantly concluded.

Luigi and Sister Justina set about supplicating for Cures on the injured, Owl and Vanka, while lots were cast as to who would stand watch for the night. Owl drew first watch and settled down near the entrance of the shelter once his Cure had been granted. Able and Victor drew the midnight watch, while Velito took the dawn watch.

A few hours later, with the soft sounds of sleep filling the shelter, Owl's sharp ears picked out a strange shuffling/slithering noise from over near Victor's bed. Not having heard anything like it before, Owl leapt up and rushed over towards Victor, his small flickering lantern held forward and his sword clutched tightly in his right hand.

"'Ware" Owl yelled, having spotted some form of snake like creature slithering down the stone wall towards Victor's head. Owl ferociously swung his sword at the thing, hitting it dead centre and shattering it into pieces. Pieces of hard white material exploded from out and rained down onto Victor.

"What the hell?" muttered Victor, startled awake by the yelling and falling pieces of debris.

The spine-snakes

It turned out to be made of bone. Some form of articulated snake-like bone creature with nasty evil looking spikes of teeth in a clearly discernible head. Slightly less than a meter long, it had a vaguely familiar look.

"Does that look like a human spine to you?" Luigi asked rhetorically.

At this point everyone had been awakened by the commotion, except ....

"Bzzzzzzzzz" snored Velito from the corner.
"How didn't he wake up?" wondered Owl.
"Sliiiish sliiiiish" sounded from the stone wall.

Two more of the spine-snakes were slithering down the walls towards Merkle and Vanker. Merkle was prone and sprawled on the ground, as though his soul was absent, and his body was unattended. Oh right, it was! A defenceless target for the cowardly spine-snake, shame.

Owl and Able stepped forward and intercepted the cowardly spine-snake, while Vanker attempted to Dodge his attacker, supported by Luigi who stepped forward to assist.

A ferocious battle eventuated with screaming, yelling, and wild sword swinging, which fortunately woke Velito just as a third additional spine-snake launched itself at him from above. Engaging his Dodge ability, Velito managed to avoid his attacker, while Able destroyed the cowardly spine-snake and Owl was bitten by the other one. The thing clamped its jaws down on Owl's arm and its two bone spikes penetrated into his flesh and locked on.  

"Arrggghhhh" screamed Owl.
"Arrggghhhh" echoed Velito.

Throbbing wounds

When the battle was over, both Owl and Velito were found to have received nasty bite wounds, with rapidly reddening pustules developing around the puncture marks.

"Urrggghhhh" moaned Owl, "It's throbbing horribly"
"Urrggghhhh" echoed Velito, "No, no, mine's throbbing more horribly"

Sister Justina whipped out her holy water and applied it liberally to Owl's wound, while Luigi whipped out his honey infused holy water and applied it to Velito's.

"Arrggghhhh" screamed Owl as the holy water bubbled and hissed across his flesh.
"Hmmm", mused Luigi to himself, "That's mighty strange"
"Thank you, Mary Holy Mama of God, thank you" chanted Velito as the throbbing slowly faded over the next hour as Owl and Sister Justina concluded their initial supplication.

Velito's wound was still looking red and sore though, so Owl spent another hour in prayerful supplication, which did the trick. And just like that, Velito went back to sleep! For a few hours anyway. Able woke him after the end of the second watch, and Velito took over until morning. The rest of the night passed peacefully.

Sometime during the night the dark clouds overhead let go, and a thunderous downpour drenched the area. Thunder and lightning crashed continuously overhead. Torrents of water sheeted off out temporary sail roof, and rivulets of water ran down the inside of the old stone walls and onto the ground. 

By morning, the weather had calmed, and the rain had stopped. The dark clouds were still present though, and they still swirled unnaturally, centred directly over the island.

Victor and Owl went looking for any tracks that the slithering spine-snakes might have made. Despite their different findings and disagreements, they concluded that the creatures had emerged from the shaft during the night, and their source was definitely below.

While Velito and Able organised some ropes off the boat and anchored them to the rocks near the descending shaft, Sister Justina and Luigi offered yet another round of prayerful supplication on behalf of Owl's wounds of the night before. In fact, they both exhausted all their supplication opportunities. 

[The Divine Powers only tolerate a limited quantity of prayerful supplication in any particular time period, measured in-game by the Magic Points skill. When you have used all your magic points, you are unable to perform any more magic until your points are replenished. To replenish your points, you must undertake a period of peaceful rest, normally twelve hours, and you will recover D4 points. This process can be uncomfortably slow, so there is an accelerated method utilising the magic-user's "grape" or the priest's holy wafer (or similar), and a Transfer process where one Supplicant of the same Divine Power can Transfer points to another. 

In this current eighth century game, the predominant magic is divine, i.e. prayers granted by the Divine Powers, Gods if you will.

A person (NPC or PC) who prays to a Divine Power is called a "Supplicant".

CHOICE: The Supplicant must decide which Divine Power to worship. This is a conscious decision. Children default to their mother's choice (at birth). 

Choice can be made at any time after puberty, but it involves a one-hour dedication ceremony (put on by the local church/temple) which culminates in a three-step professing of their choice.

The available Divine Powers align with the beliefs of the time including the One God of the Christians (Nicene or Arian), the assorted Saints of the Christians, the One God of the Jews, and the pantheon of Gods of the Romans and other Pagans, and NONE.

NONE is a valid choice, but consciously choosing NONE results in the chooser becoming an Infernal (arcane magic-user). Children born to mothers who have chosen NONE are Imps.

The Supplicants exercise their divine magic ability through CONTACT with their God.

There are three states of Contact:

QUIESCENT - in this state, there is no communication to or from the Supplicant.
This is the default state.

OPEN - this opens the mind of the supplicant and allows the Divine Power to initiate communications. When this communication happens, there is a "Divine interruption" and the Supplicant's event-handler switches into CONTACT state.

CONTACT - this allows two-way communication between the Divine Power and the Supplicant. All conversation is done by intense conscious thought. It can be voiced out-loud (thickos do it this way), but the reply is not heard by anyone but the Supplicant. The Supplicant always has control and can terminate communications at any time and drop out into the QUIESCENT state.

It is during CONTACT that the Supplicant communicates their desired spell effect to the Divine Power, uses their Magic Divine skill to determine if successful, and if so, the Divine Power will grant the appropriate effect. This CONTACT takes one hour, with the success roll being made at the end of the hour.

During CONTACT, the Supplicant is in direct communication with their chosen Divine Power and thus in a somewhat euphoric state. Their body takes on a kind of euphoric holiness, manifested by a glimpse of Divinity within their eyes and observed by others as a "happy glow".]

With the ropes securely fixed to rocks above the shaft and running down into the darkness below, the party carefully descended into the depths. Able took the lead, with Owl, Vanker, Victor, Velito, Luigi, and Sister Justina following one after the other. Almost immediately, Able noticed that the surfaces of the shaft were covered in a wet, slimy liquid that made it all very slippery. The dim light from the flickering candle-lanterns suggested that the slimy liquid was probably red in colour.

"Ewwww" squealed Owl, "I hope this isn't blood"

"Sssshhhh" whispered Able, "What's that noise?"

A now familiar shuffling/slithering noise rattled from just ahead, and a spine-snake dropped off the ceiling of the shaft straight down towards Able, its jaw spread wide and it's two fangs heading for his face.

"Crunnnnch" echoed up the shaft as Able's sword swung dextrously into the snake and smashed it into pieces.

"Ummmm" warned Owl, "More ahead"

"Down" yelled Vanker from the middle of the group.

Able and Owl immediately ducked low as Vanker fired at the first of two more spine-snakes that were slithering along the walls of the shaft towards us. The arrow embedded itself into the snake's head and was immediately followed by Able's sword. The snake shattered and dropped off the wall, but the second one was then right on top of us. But both Able and Owl were able to strike it, and it too shattered and dropped off the wall to rattle down into the darkness below.

Pausing for a moment, but hearing nothing, we started back down.

After descending about ten meters the shaft opened up into a large rocky cave, steamy hot, covered in the red slime, and filled with the strong stench of brimstone. A deep rumble and faint red glow issued from far down a tunnel that run out from the far side of the cave, and two human skeletons lay on the floor of the cave off to the left. Neither had a spine.

The glow of fire ahead

"Nooo" moaned Luigi, "God preserve us. It's the second death. The lake of fire"

"Owwww" complained Owl, "these old bites are throbbing painfully again"

"Owwww" echoed Velito, "I'm sure mine are worse"

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed into everyone's head and a deep angry voice spoke.

"WHO DARES ENTER MY DOMAIN?
IDENTIFY YOURSELVES"

[In fact, only those who failed their saving throw against arcane magic heard that booming threatening message. Which was everyone, except for Owl and Vanker. They both heard a different message!
They both heard "WELCOME TO MY DOMAIN. COME FRIENDS"]

"I am Abellinut" stated Able boldly, "Who are you?"

"GERYON" boomed the response. 

"Oh no" groaned Luigi, "Geryon, the three-bodied Giant, the strongest of all men, the spear thrower, the cattle herder. We are doomed"
"Not me" exclaimed Velito, "I'll stay back here. You deal with him"

"But wait .... Heracles killed him!" exclaimed Luigi, "It must be a trick"

Despite various grumblings and much nervousness, we all moved forward into the wide tunnel ahead, Vanker and Owl striding boldly at the fore. The tunnel went on for some hundreds of meters ahead, the strong stench of brimstone increasing with each step. The heat was also increasing, and it was becoming more difficult to breathe with every step. Owl and Velito particularly were wheezing and gasping, their old wounds aching painfully.

At the front, Vanker and Owl could see a figure silhouetted by the red glow at the end of the tunnel. It was tall, much taller than a man, and carried a long spear in each hand. More spears were silhouetted above its head, probably strapped to its back. Vanker and Owl both hear a load soothing voice booming "STEP FORWARD FRIEND, INTO THE EMBRACE OF GERYON"

"I'll take care of this" states Owl, and strides forward towards the figure, Vanker right beside him.
The rest hesitantly move slowly forward also. The figure could be seen striding forward towards us. The gap was closing rapidly, and Velito began muttering to himself.

"No, no, this is wrong" he moaned quietly. "Mama preserve us. It's a time to retreat"

Geryon revealed

Then the dim light from Owl's lantern illuminated the figure. Tall indeed, and perhaps still a man, although dubious that it was "alive". It stood twice the height of Able, half skeletal with flesh hanging from it like slabs of cut meat and dripping red-stained pus from every piece. Each arm held a giant spear, and another eight were indeed strapped across its back.

"WELCOME FRIENDS, BRING FORTH THE SACRIFICES" heard Vanker and Owl.

"It says it's OK to proceed" translated Vanker.

Velito grabbed Luigi, turned, and dragged him back down the tunnel towards the larger cave. Victor and Sister Justina rapidly followed them, both muttering and moaning quietly to themselves.

Vanker, Owl, and Able were the only ones left in front of the creature, Able clutching his sword nervously in his sweaty grip and looking up at the giant in front of them.

"FETCH YOUR OTHER FRIENDS" Geryon's voice boomed.
"Um, they have gone" noted Vanker.
"I WILL SHOW THEM" 

Geryon drew back an arm and hurled one of his spears down the tunnel. It shot over Ables head like a thunderbolt, sped down the tunnel in a low arc, and shattered the tunnel wall beside Victor's head. Victor squealed, ducked and sprinted off into the cave, ducking around the corner and cowering on the floor.

Velito and Sister Justina, hauling Luigi along, hurried after Velito, their heads low and extremely fearful of a spear in the back. Fortunately, the second spear also missed, chipping rock of the tunnel wall just beside Sister Justina, and thudding across the floor of the cave ahead. Victor leapt over the spear as it skidded across the floor and raced up the exit tunnel, leaving Sister Justina, Velito, and Luigi crouching in the cave away from the tunnel.

"What do you want demon?" yelled Velito from around the corner.

There was no reply from Geryon, he was busy talking to Able.

"FRIEND, YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN YOUR OTHER TWO FRIENDS" Geryon invited.
"Who are you though" asked Able.

"I AM GOD HERE IN MY DOMAIN"

Geryon paused and hurled another spear down the tunnel. Velito had pulled a net from his backpack and laced it up over the tunnel entrance. Then he, Sister Justina, and Luigi had made a break for the entrance shaft. The net was only partially successful though. The spear ripped through the net, deflected away from Velito, and thudded into Luigi's back. The net had slowed the spear somewhat, and although Luigi was injured, he was also propelled into the shaft, and he scrambled away up towards the surface.

"THEY ARE GONE NOW" Geryon told Able, Owl, and Vanker.

"GO, DESTROY THE BOAT, BRING THEM BACK"

"Yes, yes" replied Vanker, "Can you gift us with some power to help us in this mission?"

"MY POWER IS OVER THE STORMS BUT TAKE THIS" he boomed.

Sparks burst from Vanker's fingers

Reaching forward, Geryon laid his hands on Vanker's head and with a crackling of power, pulses of light travelled down the giant's arms and into Vanker. Vanker's arms rose to the horizontal, sparks bursting off his fingers, his eyes rolled up and pinpricks of light flashed across the whites of his eyes.

"YOU MAY NOW CALL LIGHTNING" Geryon noted, "ONCE A DAY."
"Did you want our companions in particular?" asked Vanker, grateful for the bestowal of power.
"THE MORE THE MERRIER" Geryon replied.

"What about me?" queried Owl eagerly, "I'll need something to help our efforts too"

Reaching forward, Geryon laid his hands on Owl's head and with a crackling of power, pulses of light travelled down the giant's arms and into Owl. Owl's muscles twitched as pulses of light flashed down his limbs, lingering at his fingertips.

"YOU MAY NOW REMOVE SPINAL COLUMNS AND FORM MINIONS" Geryon noted,
"ONCE A DAY, WHEN SUCESSFULLY ATTACKING."

Able wisely didn't say anything, and then we all hurried off out of the tunnel to "go get the others"

After climbing to the top of the entrance shaft, we hurried over to where the rest of the party were loading everything onto the boat and preparing to depart.

Vanker pondered on the wisdom of destroying the boat with his new lightning power, to appease Geryon. As he pondered the thought, he heard "YES, JUST DO IT" echo inside his head.

"Oh crap" he muttered.

Sister Justina saw us coming and intercepted us with her cross held out in front of her.
"Your eyes are glowing!" she exclaimed fearfully, "Did you deal with the demon?"

Owl's and Vanker's eyes were glowing!
Not as in projecting a beam of light glowing, more of a happy excited euphoric glowing. 
In fact, just like a priest in CONTACT with their Divine Power!

A hasty departure from the island

"Um" stuttered Owl, "hardly a deal. More of a discussion, to allow us to escape!"

"Let's get out of here" exclaimed Vanker, "He might come up again!"

That was enough motivation, and everyone clambered onto the boat. Velito pushed us off and we rowed madly back towards town.