Exilelog: New followers and licking wounds

So the party finished up training and found followers lining up to join them. Nahme the angelic had a first level cleric lost here for months and a scholar of elder lore and well versed in languages of Underland. Acula got several teen orc hopolites who listened to his every story with awe. The were evil but were impressed by possibility of reaching 20 years old so might mellow out yet. The tako octopus lad had grown in leaps and bound with party and he accepted a crabman with expertise in claws and squinty eyes. Nahme thinking of Thomas the cleric she scorned earlier on the surface world.

So up the stairs into the central citadel hub and up stairs to next level. All heard demonic chants and sopped. Acula, his orc wife olga and the theif boy went ahead to peak. A great plaza graffitied in demon runes and 16 bugbear templars with a chaos demon sigil emblazoned on their chests. On the opposite end of huge chamber was a demon with horns, red and black skin, hooves, wings the works leading a ceremony over an altar and a chest.

So party opened fire on demon with magical arrows. He was hurt and closest bugbears fell to missiles. Demon went out of view while mass of bugbears pushed party back into stairs which limited how many bugbears could fight. Demon lobbed a fireball. Most of new flunkies down. Acula's frilly ruff wearing courtier orc was vaporized. Party reorganized as Nahme began healing. Bugbears at back lobbed javelins so the Tako climbed up wall to get height advantage and lobbed fireball back. Bugbear javelineers all dead.  Many of others wounded. Demon hid around corner taunting Nahme. They could see each others alignment halos easily.

Party spirits raised even though most badly hurt and as last bugbear standing demon popped out and cast burning hands killing bugbear and knocking out a few more party members, Acula and Nahme hammered him. Nahme took him on with her good sword vs his burning sword and Acula filled him with magic arrows.

Party in shell shock grabbed look from altar, smashed it. Took whole cursed chest. As demon smouldered away Nahme poured holy water on him and among the ash found his soul stone, the means to summon him.

Fled down to the orc city and rested.

The sword was flaming with cruel barbs but make wielder bloodthirsty. Nahme wanted hear destroyed. Also found bugbear names on soul contract which Nahme burned. Got priest to remove curse on chestand inside was a girdle that granted mutations every time you murdered a thousand people. Went in the too be destroyed pile too. Was talk of fairness of destroying all the magic but Nahme stood fast in she was only here to destroy evil relics while Acula was here to suck up to orc king. Was discussion over god people giving bugbear meat to poor orcs in city but Nahme was assured bugbears were sentient so was wrong. Orc king guards gave coins for killing bugbear chaos cult.

Rested four days and marched back to find chaos graffiti now capped by orc bandit graffiti.