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Oliver D. Bernuetz's Campaign Chronicles Back to my home page - back to campaign chronicles The New Chronicles - Part 3 Back to The New Chronicles - Part 2 Note: Afterwords are notes exchanged by e-mail by the players after the previous session. I decided to add them to the chronicles. 25) 1626 Sea Season, Disorder Week, Freezeday (Friday December 06, 2019) - Enter the Legion of Doom... Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.) NPC: Bjorn Brightspear, Skerrison, the spirit of the leader of the Border Marches Amberi clan who has vowed not to rest until the Maiden Harp is laid to rest in his clan's burial mound. He is a passive spirit sharing Belintar's body. Absent: Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.), Kannr Sword of Humakt (Henry S.)
The dawn of the first morning of the new year was full of bad
omens. It began oddly enough in the Wastes to the east of
Rabbit Hat Farm...
Lawrence settles down to do a
little less dying [PS]Belintar and the Balazaring participants of the Great Hunt were still camped out in the Wastes after the end of the Hunt and the celebration of Sacred Time. The Praxian hunters and the Balazaring Great Hunter who had judged the contest had all departed and they were camped for the night. Belintar was on watch and heard an odd rhythmic thumping sound, He looked in the direction of the thumping and saw a very odd sight. A giant basket woven of reeds was flying through the air in the direction of Rabbit Hat Farm. He woke the other hunters asking what they should do. The hunters deferred to him as this was his country, not there's. He decided to follow the basket and they all hastened to do so. Meanwhile in Pavis at the new Orlanth temple Bjorn was rudely awakened by someone impaling him in the arm with a dagger. He rolled out of bed and saw Savannah one of the temple's initiate looking crazed. He rolled out of bed and tried to mentally contact his hawk allied spirit. He couldn't contact it but noticed that it was asleep on its perch. There was a strange sickly smell in the air as well as strong smell of smoke. He befuddled the initiate but she immediately shook the spell off and grabbed his sword and unsheathed it. He grabbed his allied spirit in his good arm and ran out the door yelling for people to wake up and flee the fire. The initiate chased him into the hallway and swung the sword at him but missed. He ran into a room and dropping his allied spirit grabbed a sword. As she came through the he swung and beheaded her. Grabbing his allied spirit again and the sword he raced outside yelling for people to wake up. Once outside he saw that it was still dark but flames were shooting from the roof. People started gathering and he noticed that there was another fire burning closer to the Rubble wall. A bucket chain was quickly arranged and Zola Fel worshippers brought undines to help put the fires out. Everyone alive or dead in the temple were brought out. Chalana Arroy healers said that someone had put Mandragora, a soporific herb on the braziers to keep people unconscious and then set the temple on fire. Five people had lost their lives to burns and smoke inhalation. Meanwhile in the Rubble the events listed at the end of the previous session's write-up happened to Kannr. Back at Rabbit Hat Farm (henceforth RHF) the giant basket had stopped and made a landing around 80 meters from the walls. Out of it climed 25 skeletons dressed in heavt scale armour and armed with composite bows emerged. They started a bonfire with some wood they had in their baskert. Once the fire was going and as Yelm started his ascent on this holy day of his they started dipping their arrows in the bonfire and then started firing burning arrows at the stead. Durnfal was awoken by the sound of the alarm gong being rung. He cautiously looked out and saw one of his tenant farmers running in his direction stop and fall on his face with a burning arrow in his back! He ntocied people running around but he and his wife the Earth priestess quickly got people organzied with the non-combatants taking shelter in the former Karshtkid tunnels under the farm. Durnfal and Peracles the sorcerer started making preparations to repel the invaders. The first thought of course was that Praxians were raiding but the number of arrows coming over the wall was fairly low and they were only coming from the direction of the Wastes. Durnfal got Peracles to cast a Disappear spell on his allied spirit who was going to fly up and scout but as soon as the faithful Sunwing in his vrok hawk body cleared the top of the wall he was subjected to a barrage of arrows. Fortunately only one hit causing a minor injury. Sunwing dropped back down and was healed. Peracles then used a project vision spell to look out at the attackers. He saw the bonfire and the skeleton archers. He also saw the beginning of the Balazaring's counterattack. They tracked the basket all the way here and Belintar had decided to launch a sneak attack. The Balazarings split up and snuck up to hurl javelins using their atlatls. One hit a skeleton in the head destroying it and a few others lost an arm so they couldn't use their bows again. Unfortunately this was when the up to now invisible and somehow good looking giant skeleton armed with a club appeared and swung at one of the Balazarings. Fortunately it missed and the Balazarings ran for it! Belintar who was made of sterner stuff was forced to flee and took an arrow in the arm from the skeletons. He decided to circle around to reach Rabbit Hat Farm. The giant skeleton wearing greaves and a chain coif disappeared from view again and the skeletons began firing at RHF again. Durnfal got his armour on and got his spells up to do battle with this monster. He was calculating how quickly he could reach the bonfire and asked Peracles if his gnome could put the fire out. Before this question could be asked the giant reappeared outside the walls and started wailing on it. He quickly knocked it down and came inside and started knocking houses down. Meanwhile Peracles prepared a sling stone with a Boon of Kargan Tor spell and let fly! The stone struck the monster right in the chest and caused it to fall apart. As the head was still intact it wasn't disabled. The only mobile part was the lower torso which started running around kicking things. The arms flailed and the head gnashed its teeth but were easily avoided. Durnfal went out and struck the lower torso once and then twice destroying the legs. The it was the turn of the head and the menace was stopped. Meanwhile the skeletons had picked up their fallen kindred, chucked their bows into the basket and took off at speed into the Wastes. By this time the Balazarings and Belintar had arrived at RHF. There Durnfal wanted to send his allied spirit to track the skeletons back to their lair. (The party at this point decied to vow to not leave any more survivors). Belintar wanted to track the skeletons as well but Durnfal and Peracles weren't crazy about this idea. The Balazarings feeling ashamed of their cowardice vowed to track the skeletons no matter how far! This was agreed to but they were warned not to approach too closely. The hawk was to travel along as Durnfal's eyes. He quizzed Bjorn Brightspear's spirit as how best to deal with vampires and he readily shared what he knew. Five residents had been killed and several others were wounded but Hollista, Durnfals' wife quickly healed them. The farm wasn't too damaged though the watch tower, two houses and the wall would need replacing or repairs. Durnfal decided to part with his ridiculous golden torc to pay for the repairs. He sent messages to Pavis, the Paps (to let Halleljah know) and Chomorro. He tried to send Hollista and the children to the Sun Dome for safety but she refused to leave the farm. Sunwing the allied spirit was flying reconnaissance with the Balazarings but he roosted away from them at night. Which was a good thing as during the second night of the pursuit, Clayday of course, it's always Clayday, the hitherto unseen but suspected vampire struck and killed all nine of the Balazarings taking two of the bodies with him. He left the ravaged bodies lying in the form of an arrow pointing to the northeast! Sunwing having first located the basket then returned to RHF. Two days earlier back at Pavis Lawrence the Baboon and Sand Covers Stone entered the city and headed to the scene of all the kerfuffle. They found Bjorn and Placidus Treibonus the City Constable trying to figure out what had happened. Bjorn learned that the Humakt Hiring Hall was a total loss but there were no bodies in the rubble. The only witness/suspect was dead and the Chalana Arroy healers had already refused to resurrect her just for questioning. Sand Covers Stone offered his services which were gladly accepted. Sitting cross-legged at the base of a nearby wall Sand Covers Stone entered the Spirit World. His fetch was a strange beat with eyes up and down its spine that no one recognized. He was gone for a surprisingly short time when he came back. He was holding something in one fist and he went over to where the body of the initiate lay. He picked up her head and stuffed something in its mouth. Her eyes opened and her eyes started rolling in terror. Speak quickly Sand ordered, she will not stay long. They questioned her and found that she had followed her boyfriend Shrike the Humakt initiate into a back room at the Humakt Hiring Hall and met a beautiful women who had become her friend and ordered her to do what she did. She had been sure she was doing the right thing. She wailed some more and they asked if she knew where the lady had gone. She did not. Sand whacked her spirit back out of the head and she went back to the Spirit World. Bjorn sent a fast messenger to RHF and sent someone into the Rubble to make sure Kannr and his temple were safe. He arranged for repairs to begin and made arrangements for the funerals of the dead Orlanth. And that's where we called it a night. 26) 1626 Sea Season, Disorder Week, Freezeday (again) (Friday December 13, 2019) Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.), Kannr, Sword of Humakt NPC: Bjorn Brightspear, Skerrison, the spirit of the leader of the Border Marches Amberi clan who has vowed not to rest until the Maiden Harp is laid to rest in his clan's burial mound. He is a passive spirit sharing Belintar's body. Absent: Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.)Backtracking a bit we take up our saga at the site of the Humakt temple in the Rubble. Having defeated the disease spirits bound to the corpse of the Humakti sword Kannr starts making preparations to disband his temple. The initiates scurry around packing things up as breakfast is prepared. Once the oatmeal is done (it's the Gloranthan equivalent of steel cut, the most violent of breakfast foods!) and honey added they all sit down to partake. It doesn't take long for them to realize that something is wrong as one of the initiates stiffens up and falls face first into the cook fire. Everyone realizes that they're not feeling well. As another initiate falls he realizes it must be poison! Kannr calls on the god to transport the initiates into Pavis to the Chalana Arroy temple in the city proper. He was planning on riding his warhorse Bastion into the city but even Bastion has eaten some of the poisoned oatmeal! Kannr is forced to call upon the god once more to transport himself, Bastion and the last of the initiates into the city. The god whisks them into the city and he finds the place in an uproar. Someone has set the Orlanthi temple on fire and the Chalana Arroy's are all at that temple helping in the rescue operations. Kannr quickly gets their attention though and the healers race to the rescue. Unfortunately by this time the quick acting poison has slain all the initiates. Fortunately for Kannr the head healer treats him and the goddess shows great favour to Kannr healing him completely! Kannr is angered by the fact that no one seems willing to treat Bastion's poison but finally before it's too late one of the White Ladies agrees to use her treat poison skill on the horse. She manages to save him but he is greatly weakened. The horse has survived, barely and Kannr is unhurt but thirteen initiates of Humakt have gone to join the god! Once the fires are all out and the dead Orlanthi questioned (see the previous write-up) Kannr and Bjorn make arrangements for the proper burial/funeral services of the 14 dead Humakti and the 6 dead Orlanthi. Kannr officially closes his temple and checks the ruins of the hiring hall to see if the golden sword that had been found years earlier in Balastor's Barracks is in the ruins. No telltale puddle of gold or any other treasure is found. Kannr returns to the Rubble and retrieves the Maiden Harp and the rest of his temple's treasures and gold. He quickly visited the Storm Bull enclosure to ask for their aid against these attackers. The two initiates on duty refuse to aid him beyond trying to sense Chaos in the area. They fail and act obnoxiously towards Kannr. He knocks one unconscious and the other bars the gate against. Disgusted by their lack of quality he took the Harp from the granary it was stored in and wrapping it gingerly wrapped up in cloth he takes it to to King Argrath's palace where he demands access to the treasure vault. Once the major domo understands what he wants he readily allows him to place the Harp in the vault. He tells the major domo that he is done with the Harp and that it's Argrath's problem now. (The rain had of course followed the Harp into the city and immediately started dampening the surroundings).. After the hasty funerals they start to make arrangements to travel to Rabbit Hat Farm. Kannr tries and fails to arrange boarding for his war horse but no one in the city will take a horse not even the Sun Dome temple. He decides to hire a barge to travel down to Chomorro where they can travle overland to the Rabbit Hat Farm. Bjorn turns over leadership of the temple to his second in command and the pair takes their leave of the city accompanied by Lawrence the Baboon and the Shaman Sand Covers Stone. They make an uneventful trip down the river and travel overland to the Farm. Durnfal has sent a messenger to the Sun Dome Temple and asked to have a file of Sun Dome Templars sent to the farm. Once Coriander and his file arrive from Chomorro Durnfal orders them to let nothing happen to his family and guard the Farm. Then he and his initiates and some of his tenants, Peracles and Belintar had travelled out into the Waste to investigate the scene of slaughter where the vampire had slain the Balazarings and their dogs. They made the proper burial arrangements for Balazarings and headed back to the farm. Once they get back to the Farm they discover that Kannr, Lawrence, Bjorn and the Shaman have arrived. They all share their alarming stories of attack and betrayal. They vow to do something about it but first they have to travel to The Paps for the meeting about the Canal to the Sea. Durnfal agrees to cast a Heal Body on Bastion but they decide to leave the horse at Rabbit Hat Farm rather than take it overland to The Paps. Durnfal does however ride his zebra. Before they leave Kannr casts a Sword Trance stacked with 5 points of Extension so he got a huge boost to his sword skill for one whole year! The party makes good time to The Paps and arrives before the negotiations have begun. A large encampment has been set up and representatives of all the major tribes are there. Well, except for the Sable Riders of course. But the Morocanths, Bison riders, High llama riders, and Impala riders have all sent delegates. The Bulls from the Block have also sent a group and King Argrath and his entourage are there. Even a newtling priest to represent the Zola Fel and all the waters is there. Even some of the lesser tribes are there, the Ostrich riders, Rhino riders and a few Bolo lizard people. The party camps with the Zola Fel contingent as they await the arrival of the Earth priestesses from the Paps. Kannr approaches Argrath and tells him about the attacks in Pavis and the Rubble. He's irritated when Argrath states that these attacks are directed at the party and they're to blame! The rest of the party is unimpressed by this logic as well. Kannr tries to enlist Sax Boldersson aid as well but he refuses aid as well and points out that he had left only the most useless of his initiates at his compound to mind the place. Disgusted Kannr returns to their encampment to wait. Two days pass and finally a low rumbling is heard from the direction of The Paps. It grows louder and a procession emerges from the dark mouth of the sacred cavern. Followers of Maran Gor lead the way beating with bones on drums stretched with the skins from sacred beasts. Babeester Gor axe sisters freshly blooded and bearing their axes on their shoulders. Proud Eiritha herd mothers of all the tribes including some no longer found on the surface world. Finally Egajia Chewer of Flesh the chief priestess of The Paps emerges. After some sacred ceremonies and greetings the negotiations begin. The parties who were arguing pro and con for the Canal were: Waha Khans - against The Mothers - pro Storm Bulls - against Argrath - pro River - pro Bjorn Skerrison I decided to abstract the process by getting the players to roll on behalf of the various parties. The possible results were:
I set the chance for each day as 75%. Once either group got a 50 point lead the debate was over. Here's the results:
After four days it was finally agreed that a Canal would be dug from the southernmost tip of the swamp to the Sea. It was planned that Baroshi with the aid of priestesses from The Paps would dig the Canal from the southern most tip of the Devil's Marsh down to the Sea. Meanwhile fhe Zola Fel priest would summon the Good River to the Canal so She could travel once more to the Sea. The party was tasked with guarding the priest. A earthen ring fort was raised by Baroshi and he and the priestesses were set to begin their journey to the Sea. This is where we called it a night. 27) 1626 Sea Season, Fertility Week, Clay Day (Friday December 20, 2019) Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.), Kannr, Sword of Humakt NPC: Bjorn Brightspear, Skerrison, the spirit of the leader of the Border Marches Amberi clan who has vowed not to rest until the Maiden Harp is laid to rest in his clan's burial mound. He is a passive spirit sharing Belintar's body. Absent: Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.)Taking up where we'd left off the previous session I got the players to roll for the Earth priestesses. I decided that there were 6 priestesses and Baroshi and each day each participant would invoke their Earth rune to boost their dance skill and dance down the plains of Prax in a straight line to the Sea. The total distance in a straight line was 104 KM. I decided that each priestess had a 90 percent Earth rune and a 75% dance. I myself rolled for Baroshi. Here's the distance that the dance rolls would dig:
Baroshi of course couldn't fail his Earth invocation. This was not the case with the Earth priestesses, four of whom fumbled their rolls and had to return to The Paps in disgrace. Fortunately fresh priestesses were available and Baroshi always had six dance partners. (I imagined the whole process being akin to an elaborate Bollywood dance routine across the Plains of Prax). They made the following progress:
So it took Baroshi and crew a total of 14 days to dig their Canal. Meanwhile the party was guarding the Zola Fel priest who was trying to attract the Good River to flow to the Sea. The priest only had to lure the Good River around 40 KM but he was by himself. The party observed movement in the Marsh as the days passed and heard the sound of broo drums day and night. On Wildday, Fertility Week, a holy day of Mallia 36 broos attacked the earth fort. The broos are fairly basic and most are easily destroyed by the party with little effort and no disease. After two thirds fall the survivors run off into the Marsh and most of the survivors manage to escape. Peracles' earth elemental is used to dispose of the corpses. The next day Lawrence says that he wants to travel to the nearby Block so he can participate in the Storm Bull holy day ceremonies on Freezeday Stasis Week. Peracles agreed to fly him near to the Block using his air elemental. As he neared the Block a Storm Bull riding a Sky Bison intercepted them. They quickly landed to avoid an aerial combat. Lawrence explained why he was there and the Storm Kahn allowed him to proceed to the camp at the base of the Block. He took part in the worship ceremony and then with the aid of the waiting sorcerer returned to the camp. Days pass without sign of any more broos though more and more drums are heard every night and much movement is seen far off in the Marsh. After a total of 19 days (on Godday, Movement week) the priest claims that he has contacted the River and she is on her way. But so is an army of broos who have finally gotten up the courage to attack. Hordes of them start moving towards the fort. The Storm Bulls on the Block had been watching the movements though and 6 Storm Kahns on Sky Bison had flown to join and warn the party. They also observed a draconic form writhing through the Marsh in their direction! The army of broos and other misshapen Chaos monsters nears but before they reach the fort a blue dragon falls upon them and scatters them! It's the Good River and after dispersing the Chaos force she rushed towards the sea! The Storm Kahns, Lawrence and Kannr charge into the Marsh and slaughter the scattered broos with no casualties or diseases! Finally the River has been appeased and the Maiden Harp can be lain to rest. The party travels to the Border Marches again with Argrath and his followers on Freezeday, Movement week,. The Harp is placed in the Amberi Barrow and Bjorn takes his leave of Belintar. He gives Belintar the Brightspear which his mother won from a Yelm Sun Lord. Having achieved his goal of returning the Harp to the tomb he departed for the other side. The party exited the barrow but them noticed that one of their number was missing. This proved to be Elusu who soon emerged from the Barrow with a bundel under her arm. She passed this to Argrath who shrugged at the party's shocked expressions. "I promised to help return the Harp to the Barrow. I did not promise to leave it there." There was nothing to say to this what with all of Argrath's followers being present. Orlmarl returned them all to Pavis where Bjorn immediately started spreading the word of Argrath's treachery. Unfortunately for him no one seemed to fault Argrath in this. Belintar vowed a hatred of Argrath and the rest of the party shrugged their shoulders and got on with their lives. By Windsday of that week they had all returned to Rabbit Hat Farm where they were greeted with the horrible news that his wife Holista and all six of their children have been abducted! See An Abduction for details. This is where we called it a night. 28) 1626 Sea Season, Movement Week, Wild Day (Saturday January 04, 2020) Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.), Kannr, Sword of Humakt NPCs: Harjoon Sleeps with Every Eye Open, retired Sun County wilderness scout, Impala tribe follower of Yelmalio. Absent: Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.), Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.)A very angry Durnfal interrogated Coriander, leader of the Boatmen who had been left to guard RHF in Durnfal's absence. After explaining what had happened, see An Abduction for details, Durnfal and the party realized that they needed to pursue the wagons. Peracles immediately cast some geomancy and discovered that they were much farther into Vulture's Country than could be explained by wagon travel. They were about 55 KM into VC which indicated they had been travelling at mounted speed for at least two days. He also discovered that Little Vega was moving along with the main party which indicated she'd been captured. Or perhaps been turned? Kallista and her abductors were still travelling in a remarkably straight line in a north easterly direction. After much speculation about how best to remove slave collars they decided that they needed to gather some resources before heading out. Everyone in the party, except Belintar agreed to have two long duration sorcery spells cast on them: Boon of Kargan Tor on their main weapon and a dagger plus Solace of the Logical Mind on themselves. (Belintar accepted the Boon of Kargan Tor but refused the Solace as he didn't want his mind affected by as he put it evil sorcerous magic. Durnfal also refused the Solace as he wanted to be able to summon his internal rage1). These spells were cast to last an entire season. Peracles spent all of Godday casting these spells. The combination of this spell and the extended Sword Trance Kannr was already under made the Sword quite emotionless and scary. Durnfal made arrangements for Coriander to keep guarding RHF in his upcoming absence. He also made sure to gather personal items from his family both to comfort them and to help Belintar's dogs with their tracking. Afterword from Lawrence: "Lawrence waits his turn while H'sss is enchanting people for the hunt. "Boon Of Kargan Tor +1d6 one weapon for one season" Lawrence thrusts his spear into the ground a few times to see how far it goes. "Yes, I would like on my brother's spear". Afterward, he thrusts the spear into the ground a few more times to see the difference then smiles showing his fangs. "Haste +8 for one season", "Yes quickness is good." Lawrence casts strength then runs full speed to the nearest building, scrambles up the outside and then jumps off the roof, bares his fangs and lets out a howl. Then he draws a deep breath and enjoys then smells of life around him. "Yes, life is good. This is good for killing Chaos". "Solace of Logical Mind for one season ", Lawrence pauses, this sounds like a descendent rune power, then he thinks back to fighting with a charmed Bjarni. "Yes, I want to fight against Chaos, not for Chaos". Stands for a minute runs, climbs up the building again and jumps down. "So this is what happens when the descendent rune ascends and the beast diminishes, actions are the same but there is no passion, no joy. It is like your senses summon no feelings just knowledge. This is how humans live." Lawrence falls silent and does what is necessary but no more, waiting in silence for Chaos to fight." On Freeze Day Illusion week they set off. They decided to split up at least temporarily. Durnfal would ride his cavalry zebra to the Sun Dome Temple to see what assistance he could request. The rest of the party would travel first to Eiskolli to see what assistance they could obtain from Kallista's family and from there on to the headwaters of Nisa's Stream. They would travel under the effects of yet another sorcery spell, Speed of the Saints, cast by Peracles so they travelled as fast as a mounted party. Both trips would take two days or so. The party noticed that Kannr had difficulty with any activity not involving combat. He gave off a very scary and very noticeable vibe. They reached Hollista's family village and explained what had happened. The family said that they had nothing to offer other than food and some animals to carry the food and offered to put them up in their barn. Kannr instructed them to knock or call before entering as he would strike first and ask questions later. They begged him not to kill their animals and he said he'd do his best. Meanwhile Durnfal reached the Sun Dome and asked for an audience with Count Vega. This was immediately arranged as she had heard of what had happened at RHF. She was very sympathetic and approved of leaving the Boatmen to guard RHF. She agreed to find a guide to help the party travel more safely through Vulture's Country and said he could ask the Chief Priest of the Sun Dome for what assistance they would provide and the Ernalda temple as well. Durnfal went to both temples and asked for assistance. Neither temple would let him borrow magic items as they bluntly told him that they didn't expect to see him come back but they did agree to cast some rune spells on him extended for an entire season. He received four points of Shield and Truespear from the Sun Dome Temple and a Glamour and 4 points of Absorption from the Ernalda temple. The guide Vega arranged was an elderly Impala rider who had retired to the Temple after many years of service. This man was named Harjoon Sleeps with Every Eye Open who was the most experienced and seasoned scout the Sun Dome had ever had. Resigned that this was all the assistance he'd receive Durnfal set off the next day to rendezvous with the rest of the party at the source of Nisa's Stream. Having spent the night without killing anything the rest of the party left Eiskolli with two healthy gelded bisons bearing lots of supplies. They headed to the source of Nisa's River where they found the ludicrously charismatic Durnfal (CHA 37 for a season). After checking on Hollista's location the party proceeded into Vulture's Country with Harjoon's guidance. He told them the path the kidnappers were following would more or less parallel the Serpent of the Seven Eyes. He also told them that they would pass through the Krjalki Bog if they kept going in that direction. Or the Copper Sands if they diverted southwards at all. The party headed cross country towards the Serpent of the Seven Eyes. The allied hawk spirits scouted from a safe eight and did spot the two abandoned wagons back towards RHF. They ignored them and headed towards the Bog. As they neared the Bog their scouts spotted a small group of Sable Riders heading in their direction. Peracles summoned his gnome which prepared some earthworks on top of a rise. The Sable Riders who proved to be a family group carefully skirted where the party was and headed back along the way the abductors had come. Jeers and catcalls were barely heard coming from them. Kannr wanted to stab them all but they didn't come close enough. Once they reached the Bog they quickly found the tracks of the kidnappers. Harjoon who knew nothing about the Bog said that he would take the zebra and the bison into the Purple Flowers Grassland to see if he could find any of the Impala Tribes which normally lived there. If they survived the Bog he would guide them back to Sun County. (The next section is in italics because I decided it didn't do the source material justice and we replayed it the following session). The party set off into the Bog. Despite the flatness and aridity of Vulture's Country the Bog was full of swampy water and towering twisted trees. Belintar and his dog companions had no trouble tracking the kidnappers. Kannr tried as well but found his tracking skill was negatively impacted by the Sword Trance. [For every non-combat skill he lost the critical adds the Trance provided 22%]. Travelling into the Bog the party started noticing ruins of some lost civilization. They also started noticing Broo spoor on the little islands they traversed as well as evil runes marked everywhere! The islands were connected by little bridges of varying quality, some slipshod and others quite sturdy. Fortunately no one slipped and fell into the water as they spotted many crocodile like creatures in the water. As they landed on another island they encountered a strange being. Suddenly out of the bushes a ball about 1 meter across rolled into the clearing ahead of them. It suddenly deflated and turned into a short hairy naked man-like creature. It did not detect as Chaos to anyone (Storn Bull initiate, detection rod or white mouse) nor did it seem to speak any language the party could understand. It's strongest rune were Disorder and Earth. Bjorn tossed him, it was obviously male, some food which it gladly ate. When it gestured for more he did not offer any more. The little man narrowed his eyes and made the universal I've got my eyes on you gesture before sticking his thumb in his mouth and reinflating himself and rolling off. They heard him enter the water and then quite a bit of splashing as the crocodiles scattered. On the next island they heard raised voices in corrupt Beastspeech yelling. The voices were not intelligible but they were raised in anger and then fear before a loud explosion was heard. The party investigated and found a dead Broo and torn up vegetation. There was an odd pink and purple goo scattered everywhere and this appeared to have been the cause of the Broo's death. They proceeded with caution. They found a larger island with ruins and crude Broo shacks on them. A large crude statue of a Broo was a feature. The party kept on following the spoor of the kidnappers. They found an even large island with unfamiliar ruins on it. In the centre of a large courtyard was a large well which they avoided. They followed the trail to a large temple which was surprisingly intact. They entered the temple and found it empty except for three of the rolly polly men who they were again unable to communicate with. The men were in a large silo-like room where they were rolling around the room even going up the walls as far as the roof! They left the men to their rolling and found a statue of a beautiful woman in strange clothing. The statue gave off a peaceful feeling of Harmony and unlike the rest of the temple was not covered by slime or fungus nor marked with evil runes. Kannr was even drawn far enough out of his sword stupor to offer up a sacrifice of MP to the statue. Past the statue they found another round room with a tall, empty pedestal which Belintar investigated. At the foot of the pedestal was the opening to a dank, slippery spiral staircase. Since the spoor led that way they started to descend into darkness. This is where we called it a night. 29) 1626 Sea Season, Illusion Week, Clayday (Saturday February 01, 2020) Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.), Kannr, Sword of Humakt, Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.) NPCs: Harjoon Sleeps with Every Eye Open, retired Sun County wilderness scout, Impala tribe follower of Yelmalio. The Brightspear, ancient artifact of Yelm which seems to have a mind of its own. Absent: Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.) The GM feeling that he didn't do the subject material justice rewound the scene to just before they reached the Bog. They crested a rise with their guide Harjoon and saw the Purple Flowers Grasslands and the Krjalki Bog before them. The Grasslands were beautiful as they were in bloom but the Bog was a strange sight rising out of the grasslands with hardly any transition between the grasslands and it. They could hear the faint sound of broo drums and cries coming from the Bog. Harjoon said that he would take their mounts and wait for them for one week in the Grasslands before assuming them dead and head back to civilization to sell their mounts. The party followed the trail into the Bog. They noticed that broo spoor was everywhere and trees were scarred by attacks and defaced with Chaos, Beast, Darkness and Death runes. Here and there in the Bog were pieces of worked stone marked with the remains of human runes, Harmony and Earth mostly. As they proceeded they found the trail led over small islands in the Bog and crossed bridges. They spotted many shapes in the water and speculated about the presence of alligator gorp hybrids, alligorps or perhaps gorprdiles or even gorpvials.
As they landed on another island they encountered a strange
being. Suddenly out of the bushes a ball about 1 meter across
rolled into the clearing ahead of them. It suddenly deflated
and turned into a short hairy naked man-like creature. It did
not detect as Chaos to anyone (Storn Bull
initiate, detection rod or white mouse) nor did it seem to
speak any language the party could understand. It's
strongest rune were Disorder and Earth. Bjorn tossed him,
it was obviously male, some food which it gladly ate. When
it gestured for more he did not offer any more. The little
man narrowed his eyes and made the universal I've got my eyes on
you gesture before sticking his thumb in his mouth and reinflating himself and rolling off. They heard him enter
the water and then quite a bit of splashing as the crocodiles
scattered. Belintar grabbed his spear and went to mercy kill the crocodiles. Durnfal helped Kannr climb back up onto the island where he killed any crocodile stupid enough to want to drag dead bodies into the water. Belintar meanwhile dealt a fatal blow to the giant crocodile whose spirit then attacked him! Fortunately he managed to strike it with the Brightspear before he was caught up in spirit combat and managed to defeat it after two close fought rounds with the help of a sorcery spell that worked like Spirit Block. After regrouping the party continued tracking the kidnappers and found that their tracks led through the middle of a broo village over which loomed an enormous wicker broo with an enormous wicker whatsit. Kannr wanted to kill everyone in the village, there were over 100 broos present but Durnfal promised that he could kill them all on the way back. The path led over another bridge guarded by a pair of broos who backed away and let them through. They wandered through the aroused crowd of broos who did nothing more than snarl and gesture menacingly. As they passed an altar they saw a badly abused female body with a hood over her head on the altar. Durnfal pulled the hood over, realizing it was no one they knew right before being attacked by a disease spirit with Wasting Disease. Of course he easily defeated it and Kannr chopped the corpse's head off sending it into the water. Leaving the body behind the party continued along. They heard the horrific sound of rending flesh and cracking bones coming from behind them and vowed to clean the Bog. Crossing over a fallen obelisk covered with carvings depicting life in Genert's Garden they found themselves on a big island had quite a few ruins on it including one large cube shape. This was the most intact building and they headed towards it. The cube had enormous jade doors (Belintar immediately started planning their return to carry the doors off!) carved with more scenes from Genert's Garden mostly depicting one of his daughters. Inside the temple they found a statue of the goddess which exuded Harmony and Peace and was immaculate despite the filth everywhere. Kannr, Bjorn and Lawrence all said prayers and sacrificed MP while Durnfal said a prayer to Ernalda. One tall room had a group of roly-poly men racing around the inside walls. Finding a spiral staircase leading down they descended. Below they found a hallway lined with crypts. Down the hallway was a line of roly-poly men seemingly waiting for something. Some were in ball form and bounced slowly. A pair played beach volleyball with a third one. A broo with a whip came along and hastily retreated when he spotted the party. Proceeding cautiously along they had reached an open space where a terribly sight met their eyes. An enormous bronze pot hung from a chain
that passed over an enormous toothed wheel. Inside the pot
are Hollista and her children and Little Vega and four broos
holding wickedly sharp knives.
Hollista and the children are dirty but unharmed.
Poor Vega has been terribly abused though.
As the party enters the room an unfamiliar voice orders
them to halt. Just past the north hole stands a figure in
iron plate behind an arbalest on a stand.
Six other figures in iron armour hold heavy crossbows all
trained on the party. “Don’t come any closer if you want these
loved ones to live!
I hold in my hands two flags, one green, one red.
If I drop the green flag the pot will go down at a
controlled speed. If
I drop the red flag the pot will fall uncontrolled.
I order you to drop your weapons and surrender
yourselves! Before anyone can respond there is a screeching sound as someone drags an iron blade along the floor. “Not so fast, this one was promised to me.“ A cadaverously lean, but tall figure in full iron plate emerges from the fog dragging the tip of his broadsword on the stone. With his left hand broadsword he points at Kannr. He bears the runes of Humakt and even has a death rune branded on his face. It’s the missing Humakti rune lord from Pavis Finess but there is a crazed look in his eyes. “I challenge you to a Humakti duel to the death!” They party asks the ogre with the arbalest who the hell he is. Already irritated by all the unscripted appearance of the Humakti the ogre explains that they've never met but that they killed his friend Bigclub. He ask them again if they'll drop their weapons and surrender. Kannr tells the Humakt runelord that he has to kill the ogres before they can duel. The ogre denies this but still wants the rest of the party to surrender. They carefully put their weapons down. The ogre drops the green flag and after a while the pot starts descending. The ever invisible Peracles and his familiar Jaws grabbed ahold of the chain and followed the pot down! Everyone else follows the Humakt rune lord as he leads Kannr back to the large open area near the staircase and indicate a crude circle he’s scratched in the floor. The edge comes perilously close to the drop. The seven ogres cover the party with their crossbows and Kannr and Finess cast their spells. Kannr decides to strike twice with his greatsword while Finess fights with two broadswords which he strikes with four times a round, twice each. Each is over 600% with their swords. Kannr was doing 4D8 (because of Trueblade) plus 4D6 (1D6 for Boon of Kargan Tor plus 3D6 for Strength bonus plus 5 points for Bladesharp). Finess was outmatched as he only did 2D8+7 + 2D6 Strength bonus. Kannr struck first each round and did quite a bit of damage to Finess' swords with his parrying. He got the first blood maiming Finess' arm. A quick DI and Finess was back in action. Another few passes and Finess was maimed again. Another quick DI and he was back up only to be struck in the head for enough damage to knock him down but not kill him. He asked the God for healing again and found himself on his back having lost a duel he didn't remember starting. (The god's healing removed the compulsion he was under). Kannr demanded he yield but he claimed to not have started the duel.Kannr told him he would kill him if he didn't yield and he DI'd away. Meanwhile the ogres not liking the look of this had turned and ran. Only their knowledge of the layout allowed them to escape. They all leapt a hole in the floor and disappeared down a sewer. Bjorn, Kannr and Durnfal followed them over the hole in the floor while Belintar and Lawrence chose caution and went around the long way. Meanwhile as the chain holding the huge pot went down Peracles realized that he was hanging onto a chain that was 700' (213.36 m) in the air. He and Jaws decided to hang on for dear life. This is where we called it a night. 30) 1626 Sea Season, Illusion Week, Clayday (Saturday February 15, 2020)Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.), Kannr, Sword of Humakt, Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.) NPCs: The Brightspear, ancient artifact of Yelm which seems to have a mind of its own. Absent: Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.) Bjorn, Durnfal and Kannr pursued the ogres until they slid down some 4 foot sewer pipe. They stood there and discussed what they were going to do as they heard the sound of iron armour scraping on stone fade as they descended into the unknown. After some discussion Kannr agreed to follow Durnfal's lead. Bjorn cast flight on himself in order to descend the pipe as they all decided a controlled descent was best. This meant that they would have to have both hands empty so they could maintain their balance. Meanwhile Belintar and Lawrence having returned to the elevator decided to go down on the chain like Peracles had. Not that they knew that, as far as they all knew Peracles had vanished or maybe fallen through one of the holes in the floor. So having split up some more4 As the three rune levels headed down the pipe they met a group of roly-poly men coming up who immediately backed down the pipe until they reached a junction. One way continued forward while the other descended to the south at a steeper angle. They decided to head down the steeper pipe even though there was no way to know which way the ogres had gone. They made their descent successfully and Bjorn flew into a large room full of moldy sacks. He tried to remove some but found it impossible due to their rotten state. They were full of moldy floor and the room quickly filled up with flour. Durnfal who was next and Kannr who was last landed safely in the room but managed to get covered with sticky flour. All battered and ready for the deep fryer. They decided to exit the room and following some tracks found themselves in a large dark natural cavern. Suddenly someone cast light spells and the party saw a large group of broos, 25 skeletons and 3 ogres. The skeleton and ogres were raised up so that they could fire over the broos and they did so. Bjorn was impaled in the leg but the other two weren't even scratched. They pulled back and Kannr guarded the tunnel. He slew two broos who tried to push through and weathered a hail of arrows and a couple of quarrels before they could pull back into the room they started off in. They pulled the quarrel out of Bjorn's leg and healed him. They decided to dash down the hall to a door across the hall. This room was a bust, some sort of records place with clay tiles with indecipherable writing on it. They found a backroom that had a ghost sage they would answer one question from them before going on to the other side. Sadly said ghost knew diddly squat and had knew nothing about the succubus creature they'd encountered in the sea cave. They decided that rather than risking opening more doors to useless rooms they would dash down the hallway to an area they could see down the hall. This was subject to shooting from the skeletons but they made it all the way with only Bjorn getting hit. At the end of the corridor they passed through some sort of invisible, but opaque barrier and found themselves in a large building that had a river running through it. The river entered in one corner, flowed across the room in a rough, strong current and passed out to the main cavern in a tall waterfall.They also found an earthen mound on top of which rested a voluptuous female roughly 2.5 times the size of a normal human who possessed more than a passing resemblance to the statues of the goddess they'd seen up on the surface. All three dropped to their knees in proper obeisance. The goddess resembled one of the Neolithic Venuses of our world but she had neither feet nor hands. She did not seem to understand anything the party said but suddenly one of the roly-poly men in ball form came down the waterfall in the room and rolled over in front of the goddess. He inflated himself and without preamble engaged in intercourse with the goddess. After he was finished he suckled on her breast for sometime. Before he was even finished suckling the goddess suddenly gave birth to a new half-sized roly-poly man. She nursed him as well and the pair started talking to each other and the goddess. This inspired Kannr to try suckling on the goddess' divine breast as well. He wasn't sure whether this was the right thing to do or not so he decided to let his runes decide for him. Comparing his Death rune with his Harmony rune his Harmony rune actually won. Suddenly overcome with desire he took off his armour and engaged in intercourse with the goddess. Afterwards he suckled on her breast and found that he could communicate with her. She told him that she was stuck in this room and knew only what her children/lovers could tell her about the outside world. They were of limited intelligence and fairly flighty to boot. Long ago when Chaos had slain her father and threatened her children she had turned to Eurmal for help. In exchange for her hands and feet he had hidden her city and turned her people into the roly-poly men. Kannr said he didn't know if he could do anything about it but he swore he would try and retrieve her hands and feet. She kissed him on the forehead and made her his champion for the day bestowing Charisma on him. Moved by Kannr's example Bjorn also made love to the goddess and became her champion. Both acts of divine intercourse resulted in the creation of two little roly-poly men that looked like Kannr and Bjorn. She told the pair that she would look after their children as best she could. Exploring the only door in the room the party found a long counter with a five ghosts behind it. The ghost in charge seemed to be a clerk and under the misapprehension that Bjorn was a long dead individual who owed some taxes. When Bjorn couldn't pay it the clerk sicked his guards on him. Kannr and Durnfal easily destroyed two of the guards but the other two got into spirit combat with Bjorn. Despite his recent huge increase in Charisma Bjorn still lost the spirit combat and was possessed by one of the ghosts. He tried to escape but Durnfal knocked him out with his spear. Investigating behind the counter they found a room with two empty alcoves. Other than the alcoves the room contained piles of clay tokens once used as currency along with three skeletons, two equipped with shovels. Dragging Bjorn's body back before the goddess she sucked the ghost out of Bjorn with a kiss and sent it to its rest. She explained to the party that there were two exits to this level. Climb down the cliff under the waterfall, or return to the natural cavern where the broos, skeletons and ogres were waiting and either climb up an old chimney back to a higher level which connected to the sewer or descend through a natural cavern to the bottom of the cavern. They pondered on this and waited for Bjorn to regain consciousness. Meanwhile Belintar and Lawrence were going down on the chain along with Peracles. Peracles was alarmed when the counterweight pot passed by filled with roly-poly men and they waved at him. No one seemed to notice though. Unfortunately watchers on the ground did notice Belintar and Lawrence among them three ogres and these ogres started shooting at the pair. See Get My Point? for an account of this. The pot hit the ground a little rougher than expected but no one was injured. Two large bronze clamps were attached to the pot to hold it in place and the passengers were removed. Peracles watched as Hollista, Little Vega and the children were led away by some different ogres. After he deemed it safe he climbed down and snuck after them to see where they were being taken. This is where we called it a night. Afterwords:
Musings of a dead Baboon while heading to the courts of
silence. (Grant M.)
Walking down the all too familiar paths to courts of silence again. I think this is my worst death yet. Being beaten to death by a Broo Runepriest or a gutted by a Cacodemon has a heroic panache to it but a friendly spear through the eye not so much. The worst part is that whenever Torn Ear summons me I will always have to listen to him talking about how I was killed by a spear that hit the bull's eye. Still, I am grateful if it means my body is not being eaten by broos right now. Musing of a Live Sorcerer while descending into the depths. (Jeff N.) As the bulk of the party and ogres departed to do who knows what, the pot began to slowly descend in to the depths. While not exactly known for his tendency to take risks, Peracles (no doubt due to the influence of his Solace of the Logical Mind spell) calculated that to complete the primary mission (rescue Durnfal’s family) it would be less risky if he went ahead to try and do something to help that family while the rest of the party dealt with the big baddies. So, with a prayer to the Invisible God and an invocation to St Orlanth to carry him safely, Peracles took a couple of steps and leapt to the slowly descending chain (and no he didn’t close his eyes when jumped, that wouldn’t have been logical .. even if it would have been comforting). Grasping the chain firmly he beckoned Jaws who jumped and clamped itself to Peracles back. Jaws, despite his own Solace spell, did not agree that this was the most logical act and carped endlessly about ‘insane risks’ until Peracles commanded him to silence. Together they gazed down wondering exactly how far they would descend. At first, mist blocked their view but as they passed through that they soon realised exactly how far they had to go. ‘Insane risk’ suddenly seemed to be an accurate summation of their actions, though Jaws was hardly mollified by this concession. Just then, the chain shook, and then a second time very violently and .. the whole assembly began to accelerate in a downward direction. Shrieks rang out from the pot’s passengers. Peracles hung on for dear life and eventually looked up to see that Dog Boy and the monkey had decided to join the ride down. Peracles looked down and hoped that there would be no welcoming committee or else those guys would be helpless. Fortunately, all he could see at the bottom was a bunch of ants. A bit of a shock as the pot going up passed by. It was full of the balloon people who waved at Peracles (who declined to wave back but did check that his Invisibility spell was still on). Peracles made a mental note to tell Old Mencius that his list of things that could see invisible sorcerers was going to have to be amended several times. The balloon people also waved at the dog and the monkey (who also declined to wave back). Peracles took another look down and realised that he needed an adjective stronger than insane to describe risk. The ants had turned into broos and crossbow wielding ogres, whose eyes had all turned up when the shrieking started. First one and then another began to point up. At first, Peracles thought they were pointing at him (just what spell had Old Mencius actually taught him?) but he soon realized that they were indicating the two above. Ogres began winding crossbows. This was bad bad bad and Peracles frantically tried to think of some way to help. Cast invisibility (or whatever spell it was)? But not only would he risk falling off the chain but he would draw attention to himself and just alert the ogres that they had a third target to aim at. Peracles watched helplessly, only able to contribute a prayer to the 7 Saints to aid these hapless chumps in this moment of desperation. Much to Peracles shock his prayers were answered! Old Mencius hadn’t entirely been full of it when he said the Saints moved in mysterious ways as this aid was very mysterious indeed. As the bolts began to rise first the Dog Boy and then the monkey fell from the chain but then St Orlanth’s spear descended from the heavens and caught first one and then the other and carried the two off to safety. Peracles could not quite see how the spear or understand how spears catch things but any miracles should have some mystery associated with it. And surely a miracle had just occurred before his disbelieving eyes. Certainly from the shouts of consternation below the disbelief extended beyond himself. With a thump the pot finally grounded, which brought Peracles and all the assembled back to matters at hand, as the Sacred Spear itself flew off into the darkness. The ogres shook themselves and latched the elevator down and escorted the occupants off. Once most of the crowd had moved on, Peracles descended and followed and vowed to say his prayers daily and to keep an extra pair of pants in his pack. 31) 1626 Sea Season, Illusion Week, Clayday (Friday February 28, 2020)Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.), Kannr, Sword of Humakt, Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.) NPCs: The Brightspear, ancient artifact of Yelm which seems to have a mind of its own. Absent: Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.) Lawrence and Belintar found themselves alive once more in the presence of the Goddess (See Get My Point? for an account of this). The Birgthspear was lying on the ground and seemed vacant which alarmed Belintar but then he realized the spear was just sleeping? Lawrence engaged in congress with the Goddess and was rewarded with a bouncy baby baboon roly poly cross. This allowed him to communicate with the Goddess and he communicated that they were looking for their friends. The Goddess made some sort of sweeping gesture and suddenly their friends were there! The newly reunited party decided that the only "safe" way out was back through the natural cave with all the broos, skeletons and ogres. The Goddess was able tor restore personal MPs the party had lost so they started making preparations for their major battle. Kannr tried to persuade some of the roly poly men to help but they didn't seem to think the broos and ogres were anything that needed dealing with. He gave up this line of enquiry. Meanwhile a level down Peracles was following the broos and ogres who led the prisoners into a large circular room with a cage to one side. The prisoners were placed in this cage and then he was horrified when someone addressed him. "Hello invisible sorcerer, think you're hiding?" He turned and recognized the succubus from the Sea Caves. She yelled for some broos to come and capture him. Peracles hightailed it out of there and managed to get away. He wandered around doing some exploring and saw two ogres who talked about some weird rooms where the roly poly men went in but if any of their followers went in they did not come back. He made a note of this but did some more exploring. He found a literal mess hall where roly poly men were rolling around in troughs of food and splattering it all over the walls. The food stank and he just narrowly avoided getting covered with the smelly stuff. He was near a large corridor split by a river when he saw two groups of broos apparently trying to find him. He decided to make himself scarce. The rest of the party decided that they would push a lightwall ahead of themselves into the cavern and try to engage the broos without getting shot to pieces. Kannr and Durnfal led the way, Lawrence and Bjorn were second and Belintar brought up the rear. They entered the room and once the wall was seen the broos jumped to their feet and started preparing their weapons. The lightwall was quickly dispelled and they saw that Fil-ith the broo shaman from Snake Pipe Hollow was there along with the ogres at the back of the chamber. Belintar used a sureshot to take out one of the ogres right away be shooting him in the head. The other ogres and the skeletons started shooting into the melee with no regard to their broo allies. The party didn't take much damage from the shooting other than Lawrence who was shot in the leg. Kannr was almost shot in the head with a critical but managed to roll a special dodge to turn survive the shot. Belintar having used up his rune points went into melee and got stabbed in the leg by a broo. Durnfal and Kannr were slaughtering broos, other broos were being felled by their so-called allies and then suddenly the vampire was there. Since he couldn't get a Kannr he attacked Belintar who was slashed in the arm. Belintar failed his CON roll (he had already failed three 80% rolls to get Thunder Lung from a broo) and dropped to the ground. Lawrence managed to drag him out into the corridor to get away. The broos had had enough at this point and the few survivors had started retreating down the nearby exit. The two conscious ogres had slapped a heal 2 on their unconscious friend and done the same. The skeletons started by trying to hit the party but then switched to just shooting at random which increased their crit and special chances but randomized the person they hit. They managed to injure Bjorn a bit who seemed to be an arrow magnet! Durnfal and Bjorn moved over to attack the skeletons. Fil-ith dispelled Kannr's shield spell and he and the vampire dueled. Kannr destroyed his iron scimitar with one hit and then went for an aimed shot to the head and rolled a critical! The vampire dropped and Kannr ended him. The skeletons dropped and Fil-ith fled after his fleeing broos! And this is where we called it a night. Afterwords See: The Epiphany of Lawrence the Dying: a Baboon is born again. 32) 1626 Sea Season, Illusion Week, Clayday (Friday March 13, 2020) - An Ending of Sorts.Party: Belintar Fatesson, the Dog Boy, Initiate of Foundchild, Yelmalio and Brother Dog, prophesied uniter of the Balazarings (Owen B.), Bjorn Windchaser, Storm Voice of Orlanth, Durnfal Strongspear, Baron of the Golden Ears fief and Light Son of Yelmalio (Gary H.), and Peracles, Aeolian Sorcerer (Jeff N.), Kannr, Sword of Humakt, Lawrence of the Desert, Baboon Storm Bull and Grandfather Baboon initiate (Grant M.) NPCs: The Brightspear, ancient artifact of Yelm which seems to have a mind of its own. Absent: Hallelujah Harnsdottir, Babeester Gor Axe Maiden (Doug S.) Last session of the campaign. As a change in pace I present the story told from the villain's point of view: After Hollista and the children (and Little Vega) were rescued they asked Sax where he and Tamerlan had come from. The now white-haired Tamerlan replied, "Hell". Then they rode out of the chamber and the story. Durnfal D'Id everyone back to Rabbit Hat Farm (taking two trips to do so) and life returned to normal. Back at Rabbit Hat Farm, next best site to see after the Monkey Ruins. We are all pretty tired, Lord Durnfal and his family have to deal with people who come to see them alive, I get some food and wait in a quiet spot for things quiet down. I will take my leave in the morning and head back to Pavis by the way of the Sundome Temple. I have an obligation to fulfill which I now may understand. In the morning goodbyes are simple although we may not meet again for a long while if ever unless one of them takes my invitation to join in my attempts to raise a force to liberate the Golden Goddess's city from the broos. I head down to Sundome temple as it is the closest place to hire passage upriver to Pavis. I have some spare cash that the ogres left some behind in their hurry to get as far as possible in their day's head start, which Kannr found. On arriving in Pavis the first thing I do is go to petition for an audience with Baroshi or the White Bull. I am recognized as a member of the group that went off to hunt a vampire, a succubus, a Mallia Rune Lord, and a bunch of ogres with crossbows in the wastelands but all that gets me is a comment of "Didn't expect to see alive again. Did you die again?" "Once."" "You shoulda been a Yinkin, not a Stombull. Leave a message they might get back to you." "It is a long message I will have it delivered in writing". No respect, well it's a chance to practice humility and self control, which not that much of challenge under this mind spell. Yinkin is allied to with Grandfather and friendly with Stormbull so maybe ... I have to remember to make a donation if I ever meet a Yinkin priest. Next stop the Stormbull temple to tell the initiate that I have seen Sax Balderson and he was heading off to distant land. After paying my tithe to the temple coffers I stash my cash there for safety. Pavis is rough but not so rough that some would try to mug a 6'2" StormBull in full armour with a spear, no I am more worried about bargaining with Lhankor Mhy when I have cash on me. Being recognized as part of the party that brought the Harp raises mixed reactions. After listing all magic items I have on me and possible curses I may be under they are willing to talk to me. I offer them the information on an unknown Goddess living in time and the language she speaks in exchange for 5 written copies of the story with a short message attached. They are pretty skeptical and ask me to come back tomorrow when they will have a sage check out my story. When I get back in the morning there is a guy there who speaks beast speech, his northern accent is pretty thick, he sounds like a baboon who has never been south of the block. He asks me to repeat a few things back to him in Rolly-Polly then they send me out of the room. They come back and we start negotiations (failed roll). They agree to write 5 copies of what happened to me in exchange for 5 days work as bodyguard guide in the Rubble at some time they request in the future. This sounds good to me. They ask me to be back in a few days at sunrise on Fireday Truth week. They will cast some spells on me and it will take a week of me sitting in a room the being questioned. I can rest on Godday. I go off to find Sand Covers Stone and buy him a few drinks to celebrate and ask him a favour. It is not hard to find him or convince to let me buy a few rounds at a bar. I tell him about the good deal I made with the Lhankor Mhy and he praises my skill, "Oh yeah, you're a great bargainer." I don't remember much more after we started drinking but he agreed to let me commune with Grandfather Baboon for a week in his sanctified space that he uses for sacred time worshiping so I can get Summon Specific Ancestor and talk to Grandma Munchie. I go back to the Lhankor Mhy Temple on Fireday where the guy who talks like a Northerner is waiting with a couple of other Sages. They cast a Total Recall, a Mind Reading, and Truth Speak on me and tell they last a week. They also cast a bunch of spells on themselves. They are burning a lot of Rune points all this for 5 days work as a guard in the rubble I really played them for gorillas. Starting from entering the swamp I have to relive every moment and describe it all in Beastspeech which that one sage writes down. I didn't know you could write Beastspeech. Then I had to repeat everything in Rolly-Polly which he also wrote down, I guess writing doesn't work like I thought. How can he write a language he does not know? It was exhausting I was glad for the break on Godsday. Now that I have a little time to think, I am pretty sure I am the one who was played for a gorilla, not them. Another lesson in humility from Grandfather Baboon, a pretty gentle one, almost a pat on the head compared to his past lessons. Next at sunrise, it started again with them all casting a bunch of spells on themselves with their newly refreshed Rune points. It went pretty well but they were not pleased that even with the spells I could not recall the worship ceremony with the Golden Goddess. I was pretty disappointed about that too. In the end, they wrote out five sets of scrolls detailing the Golden Goddess and exactly how to get to her city. Added a little piece from me petitioning the formation of a force to go and liberate her city from the broos. One copy went to each of Baroshi, the White Bull, Hallelujah Harnsdottir in the Paps, and Storm Bull temple on top of the Block. One copy I keep for myself. My immediate obligations taken care of, I when off to commune with Grandfather baboon. After the week was done I ask Sand Covers Stone to watch over me while I summoned Grandmother Muchie for a day of conversation. He was not too pleased with this request until I handed my month's tithe for Grandfather Baboon to him, which put him in a pretty good mood again. Talking to Grandma Shaman Munchie It was good to sit and talk with Grandma. She quickly asked what had happened to me that I was so cold. I told her it was a side effect of a spell that protected me from the charms of succubus I have made enemies of and was hunting. Hunting succubus was a worthy deed and she commended me for it. Next, she wanted to know about the strength of the Death Rune she felt about me. I related that I had joined Storm bull and was hunting a Mallia Rune priest who had killed me once. Hunting a Mallia Rune Priest was very good, disease and broos were a scourge on Prax but she still did not like the idea of me joining a Death cult. I told her impeded chaos was very practical for hunting broos and the Orges who were allied with them not to mention a vampire who had joined them. She conceded Impeded Chaos was good but I should avoid the Stormbull Berserk for it would leave my soul marked with death. I admitted I used it, but only once while fighting the Mallia Rune Priest while unarmed, unarmoured and bound. She agreed this was an extreme circumstance and acceptable but it would have been better to not have been so impetuous and taken time to cut my bonds and kill a Broo for its weapon first. "Your a bright boy but you need to use your head" I ducked out of habit to avoid the ear tweak that always accompanied that scolding, but she was a spirit so my ears were safe. Fighting Orges and Vampires was also good, but I might be a bit young to be hunting Vampires. I spent the next little while apologizing for not keeping up my seasonal duties to my ancestors but she agreed to let this pass since I did the full Sacred time rituals, if I promised to find a shaman for my seasonal holy days. I agreed to make more of an effort each season and to talk with Sand Covers Stone about it. This lead to detailed questions about my friendship with Sand Covers Stone. That I had a friend who was a Shaman in the Dak Fal sub-cult pleased her, but she would check out his reputation in the spirit realm before coming to a decision. Other than lacking the Beast Rune knowledge she felt that Daka Fal had not strayed from the path and if I kept up my meetings with Munchi she could rectify that shortfall. She encouraged me to spend as much time as possible with Sand Covers Stone and learn what I could from him, for now. They would let me more on how to conduct myself after they had a chance to check him out. At the end of it, I was left with the feeling like a cub who had just gone on what he felt was a great adventure but really had just crossed the river and played with some other cubs he had not met before. My elders were humouring me and would check out my new friends to make sure they would not be a bad influence on me. Next month I will ask Sand Cover Stone if he will take me on as an assistant Shaman. Until the Solace of the Logical mind wears off I will do some upkeep on the Storm Bull temple and worship the Orlanthis since Sax will not be back soon. When my mind is back to normal I will go get drunk for a week or two with Sand Covers Stone. Kannr Chronicles [PS] Chapter 1 Kannr goes into the caverns under Rabbit Hat Farm to "get his head straight", and spends weeks down there alone in the dark with his allied spirit. (there might be some reflection on how ironic this is after his time in Naul's sword, and some speculation about how these events have affect Kannr's sanity) While worshiping with a sword kata, they are attacked by a disease spirit. Investigating, they find it came from upstream, and swim/follow it to an empty cave a few dozen yards away - filled with disease spirits. They manage to defeat them, although at one point Vitus (did you know Kannr's spirit had a name? had to take over Kannr's body. They try to swim further, to find the source, but that's as far as they can go. Worse than that, while swimming, they are attacked again, by a single spirit. Returning to the cave, they form a plan. They stay there, stopping any new spirits that arrive (only one or two a day) and prepare the space. Kannr prepares a sword-stand for Vitus and carves into it (and into Vitus himself) MP enchantments, matrices and runes. They sacrifice POW for some immediately. but carve many more. While "off-duty" Kannr carves runes into the cave, too, and quickly realizes that his greatsword is taking a lot of damage. Three quick Gifts (and 5 new geas rolls!) and it has 36hp and does double damage after armor. Now, the site is Sanctified, Yelm's Sun is overhead, an Earth Rune lies below, Death Runes are all around and the sword stand has the form of a huge Truth Rune. The next Holy day (Fire-Death-Fire) they worship together one more time and Kannr leaves Vitus to stand guard in the cave. Before leaving the farm, Kannr briefs Durnfal about his work. Finally, Kannr mounts his horse and rides back to his empty temple in the Rubble (and into chapter two) Chapter 2 It's a long, quiet ride from Rabbit Hat to the Rubble, but it's nice, too. Kannr finds himself reflecting on the long, strange path he's taken. Not the external struggles (although they have been frequent, and frequently spectacular), but more on the internal ones. He still finds himself searching for answers about the fundamental nature of Humakt--and Humakti. We're more than just sword-carriers, he mused to himself, more than just custodians of Death, though that's important. Svart - that shadow voice living in the back of his mind - had been stripped of both roles while he lived, and he had remained a Humakti. Should he have died? Probably. He would be at peace now, training with comrades in the Hall. He didn't though, instead he had been locked away in the Dark, with no one to talk to but Naul Aur. Not that HE talked much, unless it was about HIS Humakt (sorry, "Hum'Akt") and all the dark ceremonies the Hazar had mastered. Sure, so now he how to make brass plate armor from a lion-skin, and how to cut the Truth from someone (always fatal). He even knew how to make a Lead Cross (shudder), but most importantly, he'd learned that Humakt was BIG - bigger than anything he's been taught as an initiate. He'd started his search then, in the Dark, at first within his own memories and in the answers he could pry from Naul's mind. Later, when he finally returned to the World he found Lapsas waiting for him. The Tarshite's death allowed him to continue his search, but his death had to be honoured and so Svart was gone, too and Kannr - the Seeker - was born. The rest, they say, is...what the hell? The journey itself had been uneventful, no one seemed to want to start a conversation with him, much less a fight. Finally Kannr arrives at his abandoned Temple in the Rubble - but it's not abandoned! It's been taken over by a large group of warriors, who look to be mostly Storm Tribe from a distance. The anger Kannr feels at this violation doesn't quite make it through the Solace spell, but no one could mistake his intent as he drew his greatsword and kicked Bastion into a gallop--headlong into chapter three! Chapter 3 As Kannr
rode closer to the Temple, he shouted a challenge to warn the
sentries at the gate and cast spells in preparation. His body glowed
- green first, then red and finally bright white. He noted with grim
satisfaction that the warriors took his threat seriously; troops
rushed inside and the gates slammed shut. Soon six figures appeared
at the rampart and prepared bows. Adjusting his angle to reduce
their accuracy, Kannr closed the distance as quickly as possible. As he entered the archers' range, a great roar
sounded from the Stormbull camp and a huge Baboon leapt to a roof
nearby. Ignoring the
Stormbull, arrows flew and two struck Kannr but bounced off his
armor. Something strange about those shots though, a corner of his
mind noted. They almost seemed to be angling the arrows *away* from
Bastion. A new figure atop the wall appeared, waving, no, signalling--in
SwordSpeech!--"Identify Yourself!" Too late now, he thought, and gathered himself,
then rose up to stand on Bastion's saddle.
At the last moment he signalled Bastion to stop, then LEAPT,
throwing himself high over the Temple walls, spinning over the heads
of the archers and landing in a perfect 3-point stance a dozen yards
into the courtyard. He rose slowly, greatsword at the ready, and
replied "I wish no conflict with you, warriors, but this is MY
Temple, and you're here without my permission".(6) Several rounds passed in stunned silence,
allowing Kannr to move into the corner of the courtyard, limiting
the number of attackers. Still, a few arrows flew, harmlessly
bouncing off his armour. A new group began rushing toward Kannr, and as
he prepared himself for them, he noted that they seemed to be Vingan,
all red-haired women, armoured and armed with spear and shield. As
the first warrior arrived she winked, and then turned her
back to him, catching an arrow on her shield. She began shouting
insults at the archers, berating them for being bad guests! The
other women began shouting, too, calling out individual warriors on
the wall and on the sand, warning that they’d tell their Mothers if
some respect wasn’t shown RIGHT NOW! The first warrior turned back to Kannr, “We’ve
got this, my Lord, they’re nice boys, just excited and confused.” “Call me Kannr.”
Hmm..she has Vingan runes (Movement, Earth and Air) but also
Fire, Truth and Mastery… “Yessir, Lord Kannr!” From the back of the Temple a battleground
voice: “Stand DOWN! Finmal,
secure the perimeter and set a watch! The rest of you…three ranks
along the walls, weapons DOWN, this man is MINE!” The crowd scattered, following their orders
with speed, if not precision, and a familiar figure approached, iron
armor, spear and shield…Death and Truth runes prominent. It’s
Finness (Kannr’s “number two”, last seen in the duel to the death
under the Bog) “Sir, that Baboon’s back!”. Lawrence had no
trouble leaping to the top of the wall, arriving in time to watch
the events inside. “Leave him be, he’s with me.” Kannr growls. Finness gives Lawrence a hard look, grumbles
something about “security upgrades” and turns back to Kannr. “I’m glad you survived,” he began to trace out
a large circle in the sand, “we have unfinished business.” “Good to see you too.” Kannr completed the
circle with the tip of his greatsword, and stepped inside, “Terms?” “As before. To the Death.” “Of course…Are you sure?” Kannr gestured at the
spear. “Yes,”, Finness shrugged, “our Lord has made it
clear how He feels about someone who leaves a duel unfinished – so
I’ll have my Honor back, here or in His hall.” “I understand…good luck, Brother.” From the start, it’s clear that they’re both
Masters, sword and spear seem to dance like living things, predators
flashing in the sun, each seeking the other man’s life, each being
turned aside at the last instant only to spin and strike again. The warriors at the walls disagree about how
long the fight took. Seconds? Minutes? All agree on the ending,
though. Finness crouches, dodging a vicious slash to
his head, and tries an impaling strike, low to Kannr’s left leg.
Kannr simply steps on the spear, finally trapping the weapon. As
Kannr swings again, a vertical slash sweeping down onto the other
man, Finness simply…kneels, head bowed, neck open to the blow. The greatsword stops, and a single drop of
blood falls from Finness’ neck. The defeated Sword is shocked, and angry.
“FINISH IT!” Kannr meets Finness’ gaze coolly, “It IS
finished. You wagered your life and lost. Now that life is mine.” “You’ll work for me, wherever I send you.
You’ll follow my orders until I release you or Humakt calls you
Home.” Kannr sheathed the greatsword and drew another,
“Now, come Brother, take this broadsword – you look silly without a
blade in your hand.” The crowd cheered as the Masters embrace. “Carmanian!” a voice in the back shouts. “Right, Carmanian. And a few other Orlanthi,
too. A Kolati, a couple of strange Lhankor Mhy, a Storm Voice…” “What about the Fire runes?” Kannr looks
around, “Bows and spears, and…horse sweat?” “They’re a delegation from the Dundealos
Valley. Pol Joni relatives. Orlanthi especially loyal to Elmal and
Hyalor. THEY heard the story of the attack on the Temple, how
assassins poisoned everyone—even the horses. They also heard how you
saved your horse and then carried him off to be healed—a true act of
horse-friendship. They say they’re following a Vision to establish a
new clan site – here in the Rubble.” “I didn’t carry him”. “What?” “I didn’t carry him. He couldn’t walk so I put
him in a cart and pulled it to the River.” “Close enough, they’re going to want to talk to
you – and so are the...um…other guests.” “What now?” “They wouldn’t talk to me except to say that
you were coming, and they would wait for you inside. They aren’t
enemies…but they are creepy. Did you ask Argrath to introduce you to
the Arkati? I think they came.”
-
There wasn’t enough
space for this many people, and this spot had always felt like a
“loan” from the Stormbulls, any way. They would have to move a
bigger Temple soon.
-
The Elmali had come
with a small herd of horses…the Praxians would be a problem, sooner
or later.
-
They had to go back
out and catch the Ogre. He had the relic from the Pavis Temple.
(Kannr had thought it had been destroyed, but Finness knew it had
been kept as a trophy.)
-
Kannr had to find
out what each group of warriors wanted, and what that Elmali
“vision” was all about. More soon? (chapter four awaits!) Peracles remembers all that has happened in the past 11 years since he left Karse to bring the word and works of the Invisible God to the heathens and savages of Prax. - His arrival in Prax as one of Sax Bolderson’s strange menagerie of followers - Dealing with drug-dealing ogres which seriously annoyed at least one ogre - Helped a Lunar Duke build a settlement - Sailed up and down the Zola Fel - Travelled the even more primitive wilds of Balastar, killed pigs and made sure a goddess was not married - Returning home for 7 years, so nice to be in a normal place until the Great Winter and other assorted disasters occur - Disturbed by ominous dreams he returned to Prax - Helping relocate the survivors of a settlement he helped build 10 years earlier - Went to an old Sun Dome temple and annoyed a vampire - Helped some newtlings keep their tails - Annoyed many Yemalios - Went to Snake Pipe Hollow and annoyed a Rune Broo, killed a giant (for the first time), saved a healer, found a god and reintroduced him to the world - Cleansed some chaos and got a thank you from the Red Goddess5 - Found some sea caves and annoyed a Lamia, or was it a Succubus? - Dug up a harp we wished we hadn’t, raised spirit we wished we didn’t and somehow made it all right by digging in the dirt - Faced some mysterious attacks, killed a giant (for a second time! A recycled giant? Who knew that vampires were so green!) - Learning of a kidnapped family, a long chase in which we find an underground city in the middle of a chaos swamp, meet many annoyed personages and encounter many ridiculous events, not least of which was Peracles not standing in the middle, and the circle closes with meeting Sax Bolderson once more. When Peracles reflects upon his mission statement (spread the word of the Invisible God) and looks at his KPIs (converts, respect for IG, people not spitting on him in public) he realizes that in 11 years, while he done some quite good and valuable things, he hadn’t really made much progress in bringing the Invisible God to Prax. Truly, if they were going to be shown the good word, it wasn’t going to be by him. It was time to go home. Peracles memorizes Durnfal’s bedroom dining area and promises to look in at dawn of the first day in Sea Season each year to see if there were any messages for him. Then, he packs his bags, says his farewells and heads back to Karse. Home is the sorcerer, home from the plains His far-borne spells furled He stands returning on the quay Ready for a new world. Footnotes [1] Durnfal gained the ability to fanaticize himself without the need of the spell way back when See Tales from Grandpa - Chapter 4 (Out of the Belly of the Eel). [2]. The ever useful makes agonizing sounds when it moves. [3]. Reflected 2 point spells, made agonizing sounds when it moved, and attacked its killer in spirit combat! [4]. Last session Peracles and Jaws had jumped on the chain to follow Hollista, Little Vega and the kids. Now Bjorn, Durnfal and Kannr are going one way and Belintar and Lawrence are going another way. [5] Lawrence had completely forgotten about the Red Goddess's thanks and when solace of the logical mind wears off he feels with a little effort he can forget again. [6] Last updated June 16, 2020 Glorantha is a trademark of Chaosium, Inc. Gloranthan material on this page is copyright ©1997-2020 by Oliver D. Bernuetz or by the author specifically mentioned on an individual page. Glorantha is the creation of Greg Stafford, and is used with his permission. Email me at bernuetz@mymts.net
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