"The Gods Are Gone Part 3"

"The group nearly gets taken out! By only two Ban!" - The Gods Are Gone Part 3.
== Plot Synopsis ==
The group finally reaches their destination and are greeted by a Lily Clan guard stationed at the catacombs named Relban. He congratulates the group on being the first to arrive at the catacombs and sets off a signal flare to let the other guards know as well. Ashe requests that Relban give them a more in-depth brief on their trial but he tells them that they need to wait till all the entrants arrive or until the deadline is passed. Realizing that they can't do much until then, the group takes a short rest while waiting for the others. Three of the flares go off in quick succession but the last flare, presumably Zalvetta ’s, goes off at the last possible moment. With the last entree in position, Relban begins to give the final set of instruction on the trial.
He explains that the pit in front of them was actually a sacrifice pit for the spiritfolk god, which they have been tasked with slaying. After being briefed on the human diet this spiritfolk has sustained itself on for many years, the group prepares to descend into the catacombs. Markus immediately jumps into the pit without even looking inside of it. Ashe goes to grab him but can't get to him in time. While this is happening Gregor also jumps in, assuring Ashe that he would be fine since he is good at jumping. This prompts Ashe and Kyr to try and get any information out of Relban, but he tells them that finding out what is in the catacombs is also part of the trial. Ashe sets up her rope and climbs down while Kyr jumps down after her.
Ashe repels to the bottom of the pit and finds the others safely caught in a spider web. They reunite with Ashe, yelling at them for diving down the pit but is interrupted by a voice coming from below. The voice talks to itself about its new meals and compares them to the sacrifices it used to get. Markus and Gregor attempt to get the owner of the voice to appear. However, when Markus sets the webs on fire, a swarm of bile bats appears from the hole.
The Bile Bats start spitting acid and Markus goes to punch one of them. The bat just ends up biting him but Markus’ resistance to acid makes the attack ineffective, so Markus merely looks over and eye beams the bile bat, killing it immediately. Gregor also easily dispatches another bat in one hit from his glaive. Markus then goes for another bat but misses, and uses his mist form to get above it and give it the people’s elbow. He then sets both defeated bile bats ablaze. This cause an even large swarm to rise from the fire. They begin to run out of the room to avoid the new hoard.
They continue sneaking through the catacombs and come across green liquid coming from the ceiling. Kyr attempts to collect some of it but panics when he sees it begin to move. Worried that Kyr may have alerted any enemies of their location, Markus uses a shadow bubble to try and keep them out of sight. While they move through the room, Markus collects some of the green slimes for himself. He also spots a set of eyes watching them from the ceiling and uses shadows to try a cover them.
After going through a narrow hallway they enter into another open room. They reminisce about their journey through the Prison of Lights and how this is almost as bad but it could be worse. Just then a warhorn goes off, as another swarm of bile bats appear as well as a pair of Ban.
Attempting to put his acid resistance to work, Markus tries to punch a bile bat. As he does, a Ban comes at him, but he evades it by using his mist form. Ashe tries to help Kyr by stabbing the bat that was biting him, covering them both in acid. Markus regroups with the others and takes out another bat with an eldritch blast. Gregor then takes the front and start squaring off with both Ban. Ashe goes in to support Gregor and causes one of the Ban to miss and hit a bile bat instead. Markus attempts to protect Gregor from the acid, but then almost falls into a hole when Gregor try to get both of them out of the way of the Ban. Kyr then tosses Markus a rope and saves him from the fall. Gregor and Ashe then engage one of the Ban in the front. The Ban pull back once more green slime comes from the ceiling. Ashe pushes the other back and Gregor jumps the gap and uses Kyr's rope to regroup with them. 
While they have a moment to plan, they figure out that the mask’s voice altering properties has something to do with the Ban’s fear spell. Markus comes up with a plan and immediately puts it into action. Charging at the Ban and slamming some of the green liquid on them. This does little to the Ban and they prepare to use their fear spell. Markus then uses an illusion spell to make the voices of the Ban high and squeaky. Ashe, seeing the Ban prepare their fear spell, punctures her ears. The ban uses his spell but thanks to Markus the effect of the fear is replaced by pain. One of the Ban tries to go for Kyr while he is down, but Ashe catches him off guard and knocks them into the pit, losing the mask as well. The other Ban, enraged, goes for Ashe. Gregor tries to defend Ashe but sees it coming, it did not expect Markus jumping on to it, however. They lay into the Ban as it attacks them with Ashe landing the killing blow with a stab to the neck.
With the last of the Ban and bile bats down the group takes a moment to rest and tend to their wounds. Markus tries to see if the first Ban’s body is still nearby but to no avail. So instead of waiting for the mask to detach from the second Ban, Markus detaches the head. They leave the room with one mask now in their possession. 
== Trivia ==
*His character sheet is the first to use his new name of Kyr instead of Kier Fiore.
== Quotes ==
*Relban: Unless of course some of the entrants go missing on the way, there are bad in the woods after all
*Markus: Oh we should have stayed behind and killed off the other contestants.
*Ashe: Whoa.
*Markus: Wait no that's... I'm not... that's dark.
----
*Markus: It's a good thing there's all this fire here. Oh god, the bats are on fire!
*Kyr: Oh god they're on fire! Oh, Markus your fire resistant too.
*Ashe: I’m... Were not Kyr!
*Kyr: Oh my God we're not!
----
*Markus: Yeah I have a plan.
*Ashe: Fill me in.
*Markus: No. I put a hand on Ashe's shoulder. It's better if its a surprise. Markus leaps into battle.
Category:The Gods Are Gone episodes