THE HISTORY OF THE COUATL

ADVENTURE TWELVE [A]

“Welcome to Kharzho”

Characters:

Count Dovinyae : Druid from the Unknown Lands with wild psionic

talents. Often has difficulty paying attention.

Count Amren : Ophyrish ranger on a quest for the Ring of the Silver

Tree. Wishes Dovinyae would pay more attention so

that he doesn’t have to re-explain things.

Count Toki: Indorian warrior seeking a boat in this world, or the

dream world.

Count Alrek: Indorian warrior convinced to seek boats. Wants

Thosan’s Dream Ship.

Count Ragnar: Runecaster who needs a Ritalin Rune to help Dovinyae

pay attention.

Sir Xavier : Paladin of the Silver Tree who is willing to lead an assault

on the Nightmare Lands.

Xamn Doge: Female Drychtnothian rogue who was very nice about

having her name misspelled in the last write up.

The Time : 8th Age, 6th Year, 28th Timbal through the 5th of Thomtain. (winter).

The Place: Drychtnoth (Talp Kolj); Drychtnoth (Kharzho)

Notes on Kharzho:

The capital city of Althenratok is Kharzho. Karzho, with the Karzhon Palace, is one of the magical foci of the world. Magic here is cast as if the caster is two levels higher and magic resistance is lowered by 20%. The only exception is Divination magic. It is cast as if 5 levels higher and magic resistance is 50%. This is similar to the other magical foci in the world of Inzeladun (Atman Tor [enchantment/charm or song]; The Tower Site [Evocation]; Golgaryllgar [Necromancy]; Hrothton [conjuration/summoning]; Latipac City [Alteration]; Catemar [Illusion]; and the Mountain of the God Men [Abjuration]).

In Kharzho, one can buy the rare Blue Lotus drug. This is a Dream drug that allows the mind to fully enter Dream World. Also there is another dream drug, more potent than the lotus, it can bring one bodily into dreamworld. This is the bark of the dreamwillow tree. There is only one dream willow tree left in the world and it is protected by Kharzho Palace.

A powerful blizzard hit Northern Drychtnoth as the party reached Tolp Kolj. The couatl continued their journey along the coast of Tolp Kolj. As they slept, the Couatl appeared to them in a dream and told them about the lands they were about to enter.

Dream Lake was frozen over for several miles off the shore, so they traveled on the solid lake, skirting the magic forest. Dovinyae wanted to see the magic forest, and Amren explained to the inattentive druid that the magic forest terminated at the shore of this lake and they were passing it right now. Dovinyae wanted to check it out. They did.

Each member of the group had an identical dream that night: a warrior battled ghouls. The warrior kept repeating, “I want out, I want out.”

Tho’ef was discovered to be missing the next morning. Amren tracked the elf. The former Guardian of the Silver Tree gave Amren, Alrek, and Sir Xavier dream skills as parting gifts. He gave Amren the powers of Lesser Prophecy and Sleep Communication. Tho’ef gave Alrek the power of Regenerative Sleep. The elf gave Sir Xavier the power of Detect Lie.

Each night for the next five, the party dreamed simultaneous, identical dreams (except for Dovinyae, who managed to block them). Pirates, demons, monsters, and such battled the warrior in turn. The most notable feature on the warrior, other than his out-dated armor, was a blue crystal amulet.

The party crossed through lands of Straratmok without incident. They finally reached the border of Althenratok on fourth of Thomtain. The border fort checked their travel papers and, because they were counts, let them spend the night at the fort.

After yet another dream of the warrior in peril, they were on their way in the morning. They traveled with an escort of troops. They encountered a group of blue-robed pilgrims.

Soon enough, they arrived at the gates of Kharzho. The city was resplendent, made of gems, jewels, and costly materials. The towers spired to impossible heights, colors glowing with unparalleled brightness. No snow lay on the rooftops, despite the blizzard that had raged for the past week and was only now dying down.

On the gate was a greeting to all newcomers.

Welcome to Kharzho

We’ll show you things

That in your life

You’d never thought you’d know.

So now, before the ghosts arrive,

It’s welcome to Kharzho.

Minstrels, kings, explorers

Fantasies on order

Ghosts and dreams awakened

Stories long forsakened

The minstrel and the sorcerer

Are switching their disguise

The jester drinks and starts to think

That he alone is wise.

The warlord and psionicist

Exchange a lover’s kiss

And now, before the tale is done,

The plot begins to twist.

Ghosts and lost explorers

Fate with all her daughters

Saints and helpless sinners

Wise men in their winters

Know

Welcome to Kharzho

They read the welcoming poem as the gate guardsmen checked their travel papers. They were allowed to enter the city quickly and easily. They were immediately pressed by the black marketers, but they went on, giving the criminal element of Kharzho little heed.

The group went directly to a temple of Byleth Hob. They spoke a priest named Elium. He showed them the Tower of Flight. He sold Xamn Doge a quantity of liquid essence of Blue Lotus. The group then decided to see if they could get an audience with Daragru, the warlord of Kharzho. They passed by the dilapidated temple of Olanigan. It had been closed down by Daragru.

They arrived at the Palace. It was guarded by unarmed female guards in crystalline dream armor. The group was led to a waiting chamber where they played around with the magical properties of chair creation.

The group was led to the throne room of King Ghokin. The king, queen, and warlord sat on their ornate thrones. The chamber was huge, filled with retainers, servants, and courtiers. Introductions were made and Dovinyae asked the warlord, Daragru, for a private audience. The king excused his warlord and the oineromancer took the group to see his collections.

Daragru showed them his collection of magic weapons, coins, art, masks, and statuettes. The three statuettes of Vendulamon (the ape, tiger, and cobra) were there. Dovinyae asked Daragru for a price. Daragru responded in kind, hoping to buy the elephant and shark statuettes from Dovinyae. No agreement was reached at this point, but they parted on excellent terms.

The couatl returned to the Temple of Byleth Hob. The priest Elium led them to the Nature Room. Elium guided the party into the dream world, using an old ritual to make the transition less jarring (and helping them to avoid the Nightmare Lands, usually the first stop of the inexperienced). Dovinyae met the druid he is most likely to have to face in combat to achieve rank. The group looked around briefly for the warrior, but could not find him. Alrek saw the Dream Ship and the evil that is now in command of it. Elium identified its evil master as Thosan. Thosan was in his long red robes, identifying him as a Warlord. Elium told the group that Thosan was one of the Council of Warlords, the nominal rulers of Drychtnoth. Thosan was surrounded by a crew of devils. They could feel evil radiating from the ship even at the considerable distance they stood from it. Amren learned that he needed to be on the fourth “level” of Dream World to cast his spell about the Silver Tree Ring. Dovinyae decided he wanted to speak to Daragru so the party returned to their sleeping bodies. Aided again by the soothing rituals of Byleth Hob, they landed in their bodies easily). The couatl returned to the palace.

Daragru gave them further information on Thosan and his Dream Ship (see Notes below). He told them about the onyx pyramid Thosan was building using slave labor stolen from the free classes. Daragru told the couatl that King Ghokin was very angry at the usurpation of his authority. Dovinyae asked if this “Thosan” could be a deception, as he had heard all the warlord council had perished in the destruction of Sprakxorclerat. Daragru answered that Isaxar, the head of the Council, and the rest had returned, announcing the restructuring and rebuilding of the central government. Isaxar was rumored to say they would seek out and find a new High King (or Emperor) for Drychtnoth and the Council to serve.

Dovinyae again began bargaining for the statuettes. He offered to take them for two weeks, then let Daragru have them for the same period, afterwards beginning bargaining anew, since neither of them knew what the powers of the completed set were. Daragru grew mistrusting and countered that Dovinyae should begin the process, giving Daragru the statuettes for two weeks first, then Dovinyae, then the bargaining. A man of quick decision, whose thought equates to action, Dovinyae surrendered his two statuettes, amending the time to one week each.

Daragru offered the group “Imperial” training in Dream Proficiency, which would take five days of intensive conditioning. The couatl agreed. They would begin the next day.

The couatl then went out to the onyx pyramid and tried to talk to the slaves, only to discover they were drugged or magically influenced. They were not far from the truth.

Each Player was awarded 2,000exp. for accomplishing this much of the adventure.

Current Events : A blizzard is beginning in Northern Drychtnoth. Isaxar and the Council of Warlords have returned to Drychtnoth. The Warlords have been building huge onyx pyramids at Kharzho and Atman Tor.

Notes on the Border Fort between Straratmok and Althenratok: Commanded by Captain Krul Regan, this fort also serves as a tavern/rooming house for travelers to the Talp Kolj region. They maintain extra horses and provide escorts for visiting nobility. During the reign of Thosan as warlord of Althenratok, Capt. Regan was a commander in the king’s royal guard. When Thosan departed he was given command of this border fort. He has served this post for 15 years. The border fort was originally built at the end of the Fifth Age, but has been added onto extensively over the past few years. Tired of the boredom, Capt. Regan added on a tavern and rooming house for travelers ten years ago. He tried to do it before then, but the warlord Ecclavg would not allow it, but the warlord Daragru thought it was a great idea when he replaced Ecclavg ten years ago.

The Temple of Olanigan: Once a thriving temple in Kharzho, it’s priests long since lost the trust of the Kharzhon people and was abandoned. Most of this distrust by the people came about through the indirect propaganda perpetrated by Daragru.

Elium: A priest of Byleth Hob. He knows all the rituals, but is unable to cast priest spells. He is very proficient in the ways of Dream World. He has been using the blue lotus drug for the past 32 years. He is the head of dream education and interpretation in the church and is very skilled at both. He was born in Lamapacher and found that he had natural talents concerning dream interpretation. He sought out a priest of Byleth Hob that was speaking in Alisander when he was seventeen. He began his discipleship at that point and was given his first taste of the blue lotus drug. He traveled with the priest back to Drychtnoth, using his powers of dream interpretation at most of the stops to earn food money. Arriving at Kharzho, he was given formal education in the ways of the church. For the next six years he worked as a dream interpreter for the church. He was soon given the opportunity to teach dream interpretation methods. He took the opportunity and soared with it. In three years, he expanded his teaching to include the geography of dreamland, history of dreams, and use of ritual in safely negotiating dreamland. By the end of his ninth year of teaching, he had written three treatises on dreamland and ritual, and forty-five smaller missives on miscellaneous subjects concerning dreams. He became the most sought after of Byleth Hob’s Kharzhon teachers. Seventeen years ago he was made the minister of dream interpretation, but he continued to teach and write. He created a vast network of dream interpreters and he wrote the definitive volume on dream interpretation. Nine years ago he became the minister of dream education as well. He hopes to achieve a point where he is granted spells, as he would someday like to be the High Priest of Byleth Hob’s Kharzhon Temple (available only to spell casting priests). He is very pleased with the changes King Ghokin and the warlord Daragru have brought about in Kharzho. He did not like Thosan (too evil) or Ecclavg (too cautious) as warlords, though his loyalty to the kings has never been in question. Currently, dreams have been indicating that, after the arrival of the couatl, destruction will come to Kharzho at the hands of its old warlord, Thosan. He has also seen images in people’s dreams of Isaxar the Vile in black with a crown of blue.

Daragru: Warlord of Althenratok. When young, Daragru longed to be one of the Druids. He absolutely loved animals and nature. Born in 31 VI (thirty first year, sixth age), Daragru grew up along the Drychtnothian/Ophyrian border in the town of Mokan and was witness to a lot of druid activity. Forced to join the Drychtnothian military at the age of 14, Daragru managed to gain a place as a horse-handler. To gain the position he used excellent political tricks and maneuvers. This caught the attention of the warlord Imtherix, who sponsored Daragru, sending him to the Imperial School of War to study as a warlord. Daragru began his actual magical training at the age of 17, a year after joining the academy. He was a bit of a trouble maker because he did not like to defile the land, preferring the slower, “preserving” method of warlord spell casting. He also tried resisting the indoctrination that becomes imbedded into every warlord’s manner. Daragru quickly learned that magic items could cast spells without destroying the land. At the age of 18, he already had a group of explorers working for him, finding magic items.

That same year he came across veiled references to the ancient Angustian methods of oineromancy. His insistence to research this long lost art attracted the attention of Thosan, one of the twelve Council members. Thosan gave Daragru study materials, but grew impatient with the young warlord’s slow spell casting. During this time, Daragru attempted to contact and join the druids, but they shunned him as a defiler. He remained an apt pupil in the art of diplomacy and politics. Due to a lack of interest, however, he became only an indifferent strategist. Daragru soon grew tired of Thosan’s evil morality. He continued to study oineromancy on his own, establishing an excellent rapport with Ecclavg, the warlord of Althenratok, who sent Daragru shipments of blue lotus and dream willow bark.

At the age of twenty, he received from his adventurers the Ape statuette of Vendulaman. Pleased with the druidical powers now conferred upon him, he began an intensive search for the rest of the statuettes. Later that year, Daragru met Prince Ghokin during a visit to Kharzho. The prince and the apprentice became fast friends, maintaining contact via dreamland when Daragru returned to Sprakxorclerat.

His training was complete at the age of twenty six. Daragru was assigned to serve King Mykez. He served King Mykez for two years. During this time, Daragru managed to acquire the second statuette of Vendulaman. His friend, Prince Ghokin, became the king of Althenratok when Daragru was 28. Ecclavg, warlord of Althenratok, decided to retire, so King Ghokin petitioned the Council of Warlords to assign his friend Daragru to his side. The Council contacted Daragru and sent him to Kharzho as the warlord of Althenratok.

Once in Kharzho, Daragru and King Ghokin continued the work begun by his grandfather and father, building an incredible city of dreams, free from the oppression of Drychtnoth’s usual tyranny. Arms were abolished (something Ecclavg would not do) and the guards were trained as either dreamers or psionicists. Daragru also, via political pressure and propaganda, managed to engineer the fall of the Temple of Olanigan in Kharzho, emphasizing instead the Temple of Byleth Hob. Daragru found the third statuette of Vendulaman during an adventure in Dream World. Daragru has now served the kingdom of Althenratok for the past ten years and is now 39 years old. He is of neutral alignment and refuses to cast defiling magic (except in the defense of his king, in which case he has no choice). Daragru wants to see Ghokin become the High King of Drychtnoth, instituting the liberal policies of Kharzho all over Drychtnoth. He hopes to disband the Council, replacing them with druids. Daragru idolized the Guardians of the Silver Tree. He tried fruitlessly several times to meet Emperor Grimhelm and Ahgy the druid, but as the defiling warlord of a very minor kingdom, he was always denied a personal audience.

His political reputation is very high. Amongst most of Drychtnoth, he is known as Terrible Daragru. His propaganda makes him and Ghokin appear to be more sadistic and warlike than they really are, leaving him and his king free to work peacefully, undisturbed by enemies who are led to believe Kharzho is invincible. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

Thosan: The most powerful oineromancer in the known world. Thosan is a member of the Council of Warlords. As an archmage, his powers are formidable. Generally he disagrees with Isaxar, the head of the Council, on most matters of method, but he does respect his leader’s results. Thosan reintroduced oineromancy to the world, discovering it among ancient Angustian writings hidden deep in a Sprakxorclerat library of antiquities during his days as a student at the Imperial School of War. He was born in 7 VI (seventh year, sixth age), which makes him 58 years old as of this date (6 VIII).

Thosan served King Mykez for six months after he left the school. Thosan then served King Kethigan II of Althenratok for seventeen years (29 VI through 46 VI). Thosan discovered the dream willow trees growing there amidst the well-known, but rare, blue lotus. He used the armies of Kharzho, Althenratok’s capital, to create a larger, more lucrative, kingdom out of the little thing he was in charge of, conquering eleven baronies, enslaving thousands to build Kharzho to a city of great defensive strength. Grindill, still wanting to destroy the Red Robes, managed to destroy the dream willow groves. Thosan saved one tree and built the new Kharzhon Palace around it. Thosan used his considerable powers to directly threaten the archmage demigod in an attempt to stop Grindill from further attempts to destroy the dream willow. Grindill wisely heeded the threat and never again tried to gain access to the last dream willow tree.

After seventeen years of loyal service, Thosan achieved Arch-Mage status and was offered a position on the Council of Warlords by Isaxar in 46 VI (19 years ago). Thosan accepted the offer and left Kharzho. He first served High King Andoriax VI, then the Council ruled Drychtnoth for 11 years. Then he served High King Fraz Urb Luu for three years, Emperor Grimhelm for a year, and then the Council ruled alone again for the past two years, per Grimhelm’s command.

When Sprakxorclerat was destroyed by Thigru and Yam ibn Saud, Thosan left with the remaining ten Council members, headed for the Outer Planes of Existence. Led by Isaxar the Vile, they began new metaphysical training. They were aided considerably by the Lord of Magic, Hitenno Tomodachi.

Thosan has recently returned to Inzeladun, hoping to have a shot at forever ending the magical tyranny of Grindill. He has begun building an onyx pyramid in his old home of Kharzho. He is not pleased with the development of Kharzho since he left it years ago.

The powers gained with Daragru’s training: Although faster than Elium’s methods, Daragru’s are less comprehensive. But speed is sometimes more essential than completeness. The following powers were taught to the couatl during the five days of intense training:

Lucid Dreaming; Deep Sleep; Light Sleep; Awareness Sleep; Empathic Sleep; Direction Sense (dreamworld); Know Location (dreamworld); Dream Ritual I; Dream Ritual II; Dream Ritual IV; Dream Ritual IX; and Mind Blank.

Notes on Dream Lake and environs:

Talp Kolj is a large body of freshwater located in Northern Drychtnoth. Two official kingdoms can be found along its shores. The kingdom of Straratmok, which is ruled by King Ulthox and his warlord, Mynylia. King Ulthox is a noble warrior of much repute. Mynylia is a water-elementalist. Straratmok is along the southern shore. Along the eastern shore of the lake is Althenratok, the kingdom of King Ghokin and his warlord, the terrible Daragru. King Ghokin is a powerful myrmidon and comes from a long lineage of kings and warriors. Daragru is the third most powerful oineromancer (dream mage) on the entire planet.

The first kingdom, Straratmok, is largely undeveloped. They have one moderate city and a few scattered villages throughout the kingdom. It is probably the most peaceful kingdom in all of Drychtnoth. This kingdom also borders the Ratakquixtadat, the Magic Forest. This forest seems to produce all manner of monsters. None of these towns or villages are built on Dream Lake due to the legends.

The second kingdom, Althenratok, is larger and more developed. Many of these towns and cities are built right on Dream Lake. In this area of Dream Lake grows the elusive Blue Lotus. The flowers to the blue lotus are the necessary component for dream magic as well as a powerful drug. In Kharzho Castle grows the last known dreamwillow tree (also known as the dreaming willow tree). Its bark is also a component to the dream spells and can be made into a powerful drug.

This kingdom, Althenratok, is unique in all of Drychtnoth because of its attitude toward other. Elves and other non-humans are not given prejudicial treatment here. King Ghokin’s grandfather, King Khorat III, offered the oppressed elves of Drychtnoth complete amnesty here. Elves who choose to fight as gladiators are never made to kill other elves. No one is permitted to own a slave past three years here. After the third year of slavery, the slave, by law, is a free person, and given a small parcel of land to cultivate, making him/her a citizen of Althenratok.

The warlord of Althenratok, Daragru, is a powerful dream mage. There are only four confirmed dream mages in all the world, and three of them are warlords. Daragru, indeed the entire nation, is very tolerant of magic and magic-users of all sorts

The kingdom of Althenratok, as mentioned above, is very, very tolerant of foreign magic-use and psionics. They feel magic makes dreams come true and they do not condone dampening anyone’s dreams.

Byleth Hob is the primary deity of this kingdom of Drychtnoth. Byleth Hob is the deity of dreams and sleep. Although there is a huge temple to Olanigan here, very few in this land actually worship him as he is too concerned with the here and now (the temple is mostly for show). The theatre is strong here, and dramas, comedies, and tragedies are all very popular. Artwork is emphasized over utilitarianism, creativity over destruction.

The capital city is Karzho.

Notes on Thosan’s Dream Ship: The ship’s name is Kuthal Xamal. The ship is huge, the size of a classic galleon. Indeed it is very similar in most respects to Earth’s old Spanish galleons used by pirates in Errol Flynn movies. It requires three dedicated shipmates to operate. One mate is the captain of the Prime World and controls the ship when it is in the real world. Another is the captain of the Dream World and controls the ship when it is in dreamland. The third operator is the Transitor, the one who can command the ship to make the transition from one world to the next. The ship itself makes the decision who commands it where. A first mate, however, may be chosen by each captain to command the ship in case the captain is incapacitated. The ship is intelligent and, therefore, very difficult to steal, but it has been known to mutiny against evil captains in favor of good ones. Thosan killed the previous owners, a trio of priests dedicated to Kalendor Hob (god of healing) and took command of the ship in the dream world. Isaxar the Vile commands it in the real world. Yatamitil the Troglodyte, a horned devil in the service of Larbius the Gelugon, is the current Transitor.

The ship carries a person physically into dream world and back. It also has magical cannons mounted along its sides, but the ammunition is expensive and must be custom made. Its current supply of ammo is limited as the only known ironsmith able to make large balls of iron lived in Sprakxorclerat and is now, of course, dead.