Rune
Once A Fool
The following portions of Session 7 is recreated from the player of Dashing Orcblood Croons’ copious notes. The original story seems to have been irrevocably lost. I have edited the many detailed notes of the player. In addition, I may edit these portions of the session again in the future, if the author informs me that I have got something wrong. These portions of Session 7 are still written from the point of view of Dashing Orcblood Croons.
Session 7, part 2
When I wake up, the little halfling’s little monkey is perched atop my chest. I am too weak to move.
I can see a man approach the back of the warehouse and walk over to a small chest. He opens it and rummages through it. The darling little halfling seems to vaguely recognize the man, but I am certain that I have never laid eyes upon him. The poor little one seems to be too weak to move, as well. We are at the mercy of this strange man!
The tiger that climbs down from the ceiling seems to belong to this man, although there is a palpable sense of tension between the two. There is something strange about that tiger…
This man, whom the halfling calls Intelligent Chameleon Survives, seems an utterly dispassionate sort. Even his tiger can’t seem to stand him and leaves the warehouse. Fighting Man Dances sends his little monkey after the tiger. What a brave little monkey!
DM note: the tiger is actually Chameleon's familiar. It's actually celestial (Remember the ring of spiders around the tiger cub in the second session? It wasn't just foreshadowing), which means it is Lawful Good. Which is funny, because Chameleon is very much Chaotic Neutral. For most of this session, the tiger was mad at Chameleon and kept "not talking to him." For some reason, the player of Chameleon keeps insisting that familiers should "obey" their "masters," just because they are supposed to "serve" them. Feh.
Chameleon seems distraught over the disappearance of his tiger, but Fighting Man Dances tells him that his adorable little monkey has followed the beast to a temple of some sort. When the two creatures return, some time later, the tiger has some sort of stick in its mouth. Fighting Monkey Dances is hopping up and down, making impatient monkey sounds. In a moment, we know why; the halfling’s precious little voice rings out in alarm: "Someone has been stolen from the temple!" Oh dear.
The tiger taps me with the end of it’s stick and I feel a sensation of unparalleled euphoria shoot up and down my spine. I am healed! This stick is a miracle stick! The tiger seems to want me to keep the stick and use it. I have my concerns, because, after all, the tiger undoubtedly stole the stick from the temple. I feel a thrill of danger at the thought of possessing this holy item unlawfully. I feel I should faint!
DM notes: actually, Chameleon kept chastising his Lawful Good familiar for this act. I don't know why he assumes that the tiger didn't ask for it.
I tap the wand on the young halfling and feel a jolt of energy flow from my heart, through my arm, into the stick, and, finally, into the poor boy. He is up and about in no time. I perform the same ritual on the two hostages.
Then we find out the bad news.
Passion Readily Follows is very, very dead. Her body is bloated, withered, and otherwise prematurely decomposing. The dwarves are gone. They have simply vanished, along with the body of assassin, whom they slayed. Those unfortunate, adorable dwarves are simply nowhere to be found. I am nearly heartbroken.
The monkey once again insists, vicariously through his halfling, that there is a "stolen person" in the temple.
It looks like that is where we are headed. Chameleon, bless that beautiful man, lifts up my dead friend Passion and bears her over his shoulder. I carry the halfling on my own shoulders. The monkey rides on top of the tiger; they make such a cute pair!
The temple is not the Shugenja temple in the northern part of the city, but a small shaman’s temple in the west. There is an unconscious woman curled up at the foot of the alter; judging by her attire, I would hazard a guess that she is a sohei, guardian of the temple. She is hurt, so I run over and tap her with my miracle stick. She wakes up and frantically looks around, saying in a rush of breathless words that the "workers of madness" took her superior. The said something about "the Blessed," that "they hear the voice of dreams," and that "the sound of gongs would signal the end of time." This woman is so morbid, I could just scream!
The sohei is named Waterfall Softly Runs. She is adamant about seeking out her superior and we are content to help her; perhaps, in doing so, we may ease the troubled soul of our newly departed friend. The tiger hunts by scent, but the trail ends abruptly in the center of the street. Something strange is afoot.
DM note: I'll have to look up my notes before I update the NPC list. Waterfall Softly Runs may actually be the name of the shaman, not the sohei.
All around us, the air seems to shimmer, the sky rips open, and three creatures, each larger than the small houses on either side of the street, looking vaguely like worms crawl out. They have translucent skin and many organs can be made out just under the outer layer.
Out of the corner of his eye, our lovely little halfling spots a humanoid figure on the rooftop of a nearby house. His monkey is already chasing it. The worm-creatures are large and mean, but they are certainly slow. We have plenty of time to shout warnings to all of the inhabitants on the street and to pelt the creatures, one at a time, with arrows, bolts, and fire.
DM note: fire? Of course, fire!
I think this is the perfect time for an inspiring song and, for once, I am allowed to play my flute in peace. The music is so lovely.
As the first of the worm-monsters comes close, I stop playing my song and begin to sing a little spell that I’ve picked up somewhere over the years. The dream flinches in disgust, but I summon a swarm of tiny insects, which crawl all over the worm, and leave nothing of it when they move on.
We make short order of the other two worms in like fashion (one we hack up after Chameleon manages to paralyze it, somehow). Each time, the air around the creatures splits apart and swallows the beasts. They are so icky.
DM note: that Summon Swarm spell took me by suprise. It sure was cool, though!
Session 7, part 2
When I wake up, the little halfling’s little monkey is perched atop my chest. I am too weak to move.
I can see a man approach the back of the warehouse and walk over to a small chest. He opens it and rummages through it. The darling little halfling seems to vaguely recognize the man, but I am certain that I have never laid eyes upon him. The poor little one seems to be too weak to move, as well. We are at the mercy of this strange man!
The tiger that climbs down from the ceiling seems to belong to this man, although there is a palpable sense of tension between the two. There is something strange about that tiger…
This man, whom the halfling calls Intelligent Chameleon Survives, seems an utterly dispassionate sort. Even his tiger can’t seem to stand him and leaves the warehouse. Fighting Man Dances sends his little monkey after the tiger. What a brave little monkey!
DM note: the tiger is actually Chameleon's familiar. It's actually celestial (Remember the ring of spiders around the tiger cub in the second session? It wasn't just foreshadowing), which means it is Lawful Good. Which is funny, because Chameleon is very much Chaotic Neutral. For most of this session, the tiger was mad at Chameleon and kept "not talking to him." For some reason, the player of Chameleon keeps insisting that familiers should "obey" their "masters," just because they are supposed to "serve" them. Feh.
Chameleon seems distraught over the disappearance of his tiger, but Fighting Man Dances tells him that his adorable little monkey has followed the beast to a temple of some sort. When the two creatures return, some time later, the tiger has some sort of stick in its mouth. Fighting Monkey Dances is hopping up and down, making impatient monkey sounds. In a moment, we know why; the halfling’s precious little voice rings out in alarm: "Someone has been stolen from the temple!" Oh dear.
The tiger taps me with the end of it’s stick and I feel a sensation of unparalleled euphoria shoot up and down my spine. I am healed! This stick is a miracle stick! The tiger seems to want me to keep the stick and use it. I have my concerns, because, after all, the tiger undoubtedly stole the stick from the temple. I feel a thrill of danger at the thought of possessing this holy item unlawfully. I feel I should faint!
DM notes: actually, Chameleon kept chastising his Lawful Good familiar for this act. I don't know why he assumes that the tiger didn't ask for it.
I tap the wand on the young halfling and feel a jolt of energy flow from my heart, through my arm, into the stick, and, finally, into the poor boy. He is up and about in no time. I perform the same ritual on the two hostages.
Then we find out the bad news.
Passion Readily Follows is very, very dead. Her body is bloated, withered, and otherwise prematurely decomposing. The dwarves are gone. They have simply vanished, along with the body of assassin, whom they slayed. Those unfortunate, adorable dwarves are simply nowhere to be found. I am nearly heartbroken.
The monkey once again insists, vicariously through his halfling, that there is a "stolen person" in the temple.
It looks like that is where we are headed. Chameleon, bless that beautiful man, lifts up my dead friend Passion and bears her over his shoulder. I carry the halfling on my own shoulders. The monkey rides on top of the tiger; they make such a cute pair!
The temple is not the Shugenja temple in the northern part of the city, but a small shaman’s temple in the west. There is an unconscious woman curled up at the foot of the alter; judging by her attire, I would hazard a guess that she is a sohei, guardian of the temple. She is hurt, so I run over and tap her with my miracle stick. She wakes up and frantically looks around, saying in a rush of breathless words that the "workers of madness" took her superior. The said something about "the Blessed," that "they hear the voice of dreams," and that "the sound of gongs would signal the end of time." This woman is so morbid, I could just scream!
The sohei is named Waterfall Softly Runs. She is adamant about seeking out her superior and we are content to help her; perhaps, in doing so, we may ease the troubled soul of our newly departed friend. The tiger hunts by scent, but the trail ends abruptly in the center of the street. Something strange is afoot.
DM note: I'll have to look up my notes before I update the NPC list. Waterfall Softly Runs may actually be the name of the shaman, not the sohei.
All around us, the air seems to shimmer, the sky rips open, and three creatures, each larger than the small houses on either side of the street, looking vaguely like worms crawl out. They have translucent skin and many organs can be made out just under the outer layer.
Out of the corner of his eye, our lovely little halfling spots a humanoid figure on the rooftop of a nearby house. His monkey is already chasing it. The worm-creatures are large and mean, but they are certainly slow. We have plenty of time to shout warnings to all of the inhabitants on the street and to pelt the creatures, one at a time, with arrows, bolts, and fire.
DM note: fire? Of course, fire!
I think this is the perfect time for an inspiring song and, for once, I am allowed to play my flute in peace. The music is so lovely.
As the first of the worm-monsters comes close, I stop playing my song and begin to sing a little spell that I’ve picked up somewhere over the years. The dream flinches in disgust, but I summon a swarm of tiny insects, which crawl all over the worm, and leave nothing of it when they move on.
We make short order of the other two worms in like fashion (one we hack up after Chameleon manages to paralyze it, somehow). Each time, the air around the creatures splits apart and swallows the beasts. They are so icky.
DM note: that Summon Swarm spell took me by suprise. It sure was cool, though!
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