Pathfinder 1E JollyDoc's Jade Regent

The Thundercaller

2 Pharast, 4715-4 Pharast, 4715

The companions gathered their wounded and their dead, and left Ravenscraeg, making their way back down the winding stair, and then into the marshland below. They found a secure location to make camp, and set up a watch schedule to look for signs of pursuit. They had found Boris still on the stairs, apparently having bumped his head on a stoney outcropping while stumbling around invisible, and knocked himself unconscious. No one was really in any mood for conversation until Lucian at last cleared his throat.
"So, what should we do about Yannus?" he asked.
"We could return him to Sandru and Koya," Piotr suggested.
"That would take too long," Mazael snapped. "Two days to Kalsgard, and two days back. Who knows what kind of reinforcements that place could have by then?"
"Well we can't just leave him here when we go back up there," Lucian said. "Scavengers would find him."
"Why don't we bury him here then?" Piotr asked. "Koya wanted to bury Koman on the road, in the Varisian way. This would be the same, wouldn't it?"
The others remained silent, but no one disagreed.
"Though I am Desnan, and Yannus was a Shelynite," Spivey offered, "I can perform the rites."
They all nodded, no one having the stomach to speak the words over their friend.

They buried the young evangelist there in the marsh, and Spivey appealed to Desna to guide him on to wherever his travels now led him. Boris sniffed and wiped at his nose with his sleeve.
"Yannus liked oatmeal for breakfast," he said. "He was good eater. He talked to Boris about war when he eat in Boris' kitchen."
The others stood in silence for awhile, and then it was done. They went back to the camp, none of them voicing what all of them were thinking: next time it might be them.

________________________________________________________________________

Later that evening, Boris and Lucian stood watch. The others slept on their bedrolls, save for Neko, who had retreated to a nearby tree. The normal night sounds droned on about them, but as Boris poked absently at the fire, a distant noise caused his large ears to perk up. He stood, cocking his head from side to side.
"What is it?" Lucian asked.
"Boris hear something," the goblin whispered.
"I don't," Lucian replied.
"That why Boris not know why you on guard duty," Boris sniped. "Wake others. Boris be back."

Before Lucian could protest, the goblin slipped quietly into the woods and disappeared from sight. He moved swiftly, but with almost complete silence, his eyes rapidly adjusting to the darkness, picking out shapes and shadows as if it were a moonlit night rather then overcast. He drew up shortly as he spied a slender figure moving among the trees, headed for the light of their campfire. Boris waited for the figure to pass before he fell in stealthily behind. He could tell it was a woman, young, and if he was not mistaken, Shoanti, one of the native barbarian nomad clans that roamed Varisia. She looked lightly armed and armored, though a large pouch hung from her belt. Boris moved up closer, and deftly sliced the strings holding the pouch, letting it fall into his hand, before touching the tip of his dagger to the woman's back.
"Hello pretty lady," he said. "Boris wondering what you doing out here in dark woods all alone?"
The woman stopped abruptly, stiffening, her stance tense.
"I'm a simple traveller," she said. "I'm not looking for trouble. I saw the fire ahead, and thought I might see if I could find shelter for the night."
"What your name, Lady?" Boris asked.
"Zula," she said, glancing around behind her, her eyes widening when she saw the goblin.
"Boris," he said by way of introduction. "Sure, you come to camp, but you leave weapons on ground."
"I'm not walking unarmed into a goblin camp!" Zula hissed. "Do you take me for a fool?"
Boris looked perplexed for a moment, then grinned his needle-toothed grin.
"Not goblin camp, pretty lady!" he laughed. "Boris not regular goblin. Boris' friends human, and elf-man, and angel-man, and butterfly-girl, and monkey boy. You come meet. Boris cook you special meal!"
Zula still looked dubious, but she could see activity around the campfire, and none of the individuals there looked like goblins.
"Lead the way," she said at last.

The companions watched Boris and his prisoner enter the camp with suspicion. For her part, Zula looked about with amazement at the assortment of individuals she was seeing.
"What have we here, Boris?" Piotr asked
"This Zula," Boris said. "She Shoanti-lady who just walking through dangerous woods alone at night. No big deal!"
Zula grimaced at him.
"That's not how I would phrase it," she said.
"Then why don't you tell us what you're doing out here?" Piotr asked. "Boris is right. This is not a safe place. We've just buried one of our own."
"I am sorry to hear that," Zula said, honestly. "I am not here by happenstance. I have heard rumors of a steading nearby called Ravenscraeg. I have heard its previous owner was a notorious pirate, and that he may have stashed some of his treasures there."
"That may be true," Piotr said, "but its current occupants might have something to say about that."
"Current occupants?" Zula asked. "I heard that it was empty."
"You heard wrong," Piotr replied. "Ravenscraeg has been purchased by a trading guild called the Rimerunners. For some unknown reason, their leaders have taken issue with us, and targeted us on more than one occasion. We came here seeking redress, and we were met with...hostility. They killed one of ours. We killed two dozen of theirs. We plan to return tomorrow and kill more."
Zula pondered this for several moments.
"I look around and I see symbols of goodly deities," she said at length. "I also can see that your companion there," she indicated Spivey, "is a celestial creature. I still don't understand why you are traveling with a goblin...,"
"He is an impetuous fool," Spivey laughed, "but he is good-hearted, and he is our fool."
"Thank you butterfly-lady," Boris nodded around a mouthful of food.
"...but I get the feeling you are good people," Zula continued. "I propose an arrangement: you lost one of your party today. I could aid you in your quest, in exchange for an equal share in whatever wealth you recover."
"I'm glad you feel that way," Piotr nodded, "but we don't know anything about you. Why should we trust you?"
"She is not evil," Helgarvarl said, helpfully.
Zula's eyebrows raised when she heard the helm speak.
"It's a long story," Pitor waved it off.
"Your...helmet is correct," Zula said. "I am no agent of evil. Among my people, I was a shaman...a thundercaller. However, there came a time when I felt the need to leave my tribe in search of answers to long-held questions. My quest led me to these lands, where I have made my way as an adventurer. I have no ulterior motives. You have my oath on this."
Piotr looked to his companions.
"Sure, why not?" Mazael shrugged. "We're dropping like flies. Another warm body can't hurt."
"She seems honorable to me," Haroldo said. "She has a warrior spirit."
"I don't think we have anything to loose," Lucian said, "as long as she understands that if she betrays us, she dies."
"Boris think she ok," Boris said, "but she need to pay more attention when people sneaking up on her."
"Neko agrees with Master Boris," Neko offered unnecessarily.
"She is a fellow traveler," Spivey smiled. "I welcome her upon our road."
"It seems we are in agreement then," Piotr said. "Welcome to our little band."
"Thank you," Zula said. "There is just one thing, however..." she turned towards Boris, "...can I have my pouch back now?"

___________________________________________________________________________

The next morning found the group scaling the high stairs once more to the gates of Ravenscraeg. To their surprise, they encountered no resistance on their ascent, but the gates of the steading were again closed. They positioned themselves in a battle formation, and pushed open the portals. Inside the great hall, all of the bodies were gone, only the blood stains remained. High above in the rafters, the raucous cawing of the ravens could be heard.
"Beware the birds," Haroldo warned Zula.
"And you," Lucian said to Boris,"if you decide to turn invisible or some such again, warn us! Last time you nearly got me killed because Piotr didn't know where to cast his glitterdust spell without catching you in it!"
"You big crybaby!" Boris snapped back. "If you no can take or yourself, why you not go back home to Shalelu?"
"I'm only saying that you need to be more of a team player!" Lucian countered, his voice rising.
"Boris have team you can play with!" the goblin snarled.
"Both of you shut up!" Mazael growled. "Before you bring this whole place down on us!"

As if on cue, the air overhead exploded with the black beating wings of ravens, once more descending on the companions in great swarms.
"Here they come!" Neko shrieked as he began firing into the flocks.
Haroldo slashed a dozen or more birds out of the sky as they whirled around Mazael, Piotr and himself.
"Damn it! My eyes!" Piotr screamed as talons scored his corneas.
Haroldo continued to hack at the birds, until over a hundred lay at his feet, momentarily giving him and his allies some breathing room. Suddenly, a woman's voice rose up above the cacophony, followed by a deafening boom that sounded as if a thunderclap had gone off inside the hall. As the noise rolled into silence, every last one of the ravens lay dead on the floor. As one, the companions looked at Zula. The shoanti woman gazed at her handiwork, and simply shrugged.
"It's what I do."

Piotr rubbed furiously at his eyes, relieved that the damage appeared to be minimal.
"Was that it?" he asked, looking around, expecting ninjas to come streaming over the balconies.
As if in answer, one of the doors under the balcony burst open, and a lone Ulfen warrior charged into the room.
"They're here!" he shouted in Skald.
It was the last thing he ever said as Haroldo's sword took his head from his shoulders.
"I think you're going to get you wish," the blood-rager winked at Piotr.
He wasn't planning on waiting for reinforcements to come to him, however. He began stalking down the hall, throwing open doors as he went. Behind the second door he opened, he was momentarily taken aback to find himself face-to-face with a black-clad ninja, simply standing there, motionless. The man's eyes went wide when he saw the beg warrior, then he screamed and ran towards Haroldo, driving with his wakizashi. Haroldo deflected the blade at the last moment, suffering only a glancing blow. The ninja stiffened a second later as Neko sent three arrows into his back.

At that moment, another door on the far side of the hall flew open, and eight more Ulfen's swarmed into the chamber. One made straight for Piotr, his battleaxe whistling towards the sorcerer's head. Piotr ducked, and the axe slashed his arm instead, but to his credit, he reflexively brought up his staff in defense, and managed to score a glancing blow at the thug, driving the man back a few vital feet. Lucian then put the man down with a well-placed arrow. Haroldo and Mazael rushed across the room to meet the new attackers, but before they'd gone more than a dozen feet, another thunderous call from Zula struck three of the Ulfen thugs dead in their tracks. Mazael and Haroldo each took down another, and Neko finished off the last two with well-aimed shots from his bow.

_________________________________________________________________________

"Maybe we hurt them more than we thought," Piotr said as they celebrated their relatively easy victory.
The companions went room-to-room off of the great hall, searching for more lurking enemies. Several of the chambers appeared to be empty dormitories or guard rooms. Upstairs, off of the balcony, they found a small armory, and a locked cloakroom. In the latter, they found several rolls of leather scrolls covered in tiny, cramped Skald runes stuffed into a chest. Piotr tucked them away to peruse later. At the master's table, on a raised dais near the back of the hall, Boris found Skald words roughly carved into the wood with the tip of a dagger.
'Time is the coin of fools, rendered due unto the gods,' it read.
Finally, in one of the abandoned dormitories, they came upon an iron trap door in the floor. Nearby, a closet had been turned into some sort of shrine, where a painted stone idol depicted a man with a fearsome scowling red face, bulging eyes, and a long beard, wearing red Tian robes and an iron crown. In one hand he held a noose, while the other held several shuriken. None of the companions could identify which deity it was meant to represent.

Boris moved to the trapdoor and inspected it carefully for any signs of booby traps. Finding none, he lifted the door, revealing a narrow chute sloping downward.
"Tight squeeze," he observed. "Butterfly-lady could fit."
"I could," Spivey agreed, "but why would I want to?"
"To explore," Boris shrugged. "Why else?"
"I don't know if you will fit," Spivey looked skeptical.
"I could make him...slippery," Piotr offered.
"Boris like the sound of that!" the goblin cackled.
"Ok," Spivey agreed,"but only on the condition that you wear a rope around your waist."
"Why?" Boris asked.
"So you can be pulled back up if we get into any...trouble."

Shortly, they were on their way down. The chute was dark, cramped and sooty, but thanks to Piotr's grease spell, Boris slid down easily enough. After perhaps fifty or sixty feet, the shaft terminated at another metal door. Boris pressed his ear against it.
"Boris hear something," he whispered. "Sound like ugly talking. Boris not understand."
"Let me try," Spivey said, changing places with him.
She listened intently for a moment.
"They are speaking in the Giant tongue," she said, her expression wary.
"Boris always wanted to kill giants!" the goblin grinned. "What we waiting for?"
Spivey jerked on the rope.

_________________________________________________________________________

The others saw the wisdom of Spivey's advice to find another way down to the lower levels and whatever waited down there, even though Boris pouted for a long time after. Behind the great hall, they found a service corridor and a covered kitchen off of it. A door there led outside to a picturesque dell squeezed between the steeply sloping flanks of the nearby crags that rose a hundred feet overhead. A narrow waterfall rushed in a torrent down one of those slopes and collected in a catch pond next to the kitchen. A small torrent exited this pond, and wound its way towards the great hall, where it disappeared into a metal grate in the hall's foundation. A path from the kitchen led over a narrow bridge of rough-sawn logs that arched over the stream and farther down the defile, until it was lost among the rocky outcropping beyond. A half-dozen sheep grazed in the pasture. It seemed the companions may have found a back door to Ravenscraeg, but they had no idea how to find it from the outside.

The companions went back inside and followed the service corridor to its far end, where it terminated in a large room hewn from the rock of the crag. A wooden stair rose along the walls to the north, while tables and workbenches filled the chamber, holding all manner of alembics, crucibles, burners, and assorted tools, as well as a large glass case. Within the case was what appeared to be a humanoid body. A variety of dried herbs and plants dangled in profusion from hooks on the bottoms of the stairs, and sacks and chests which held additional equipment and components, had been shoved underneath the stairs. A single torch mounted on one of the stair posts illuminated the chamber with a flickering glow. Boris walked over to the glass case, his head cocked curiously to one side. He reached out one hand and rapped his knuckles on the glass. To his shocked surprise, the body moved, lurching into a sitting position. He could see what looked like insects crawling beneath its skin. It opened its mouth and spoke in a strange, droning voice, whose words he could not understand.
"It is the language of the Hells," Spivey said, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
"What it say?" Boris asked.
"It's asking to be released," Spivey replied.
"Well that certainly has 'bad idea' written all over it," Piotr offered.
"It is Evil," Helgarvarl said helpfully
"What are you doing here, creature?" Spivey asked the thing in its own language.
"I am...beinnnng...helllld captivvve," the thing droned.
"By whom?" Spivey asked.
"Wizzzzzard...," it replied.
"And what would you do if we freed you?" asked Spivey. "Try to kill us?"
"Nnnnno," it buzzed. "Revennnnnge!"
"We aren't seriously considering letting it out, are we?" Lucian asked, incredulous.
"Why not?" Boris shrugged. "It say it help us kill enemies."
"That is NOT what it said," Lucian snapped.
"I agree with Master," Neko said.
"It is a fiend," Haroldo said. "Let it out, and then we can kill it. I don't like the idea of leaving a potential enemy behind us."
"If it could get out, don't you think it would have already?" Piotr asked.
"Who knows what tricks wizards are capable of?" the blood-rager asked, pointedly. "Suppose it was left here as a trap for the unwary?"
"You obviously have no idea how magical bindings work!" Piotr sniped back. "If it's been bound here, I'm sure it's for a very good reason."
"Didn't we hear about wizard named something-runeshaker?" Boris asked.
"Gotti Runecaster, Master," Neko supplied.
"Yes, that him!" Boris said. "Maybe he put dead bug-man in cage."
"So what if he did?" Piotr asked. "Even more reason to leave it where it is!"
"I agree," Lucian said.
"Big surprise!" Boris raised his hands in the air. "Cry-baby no want to fight! Run home to Momma Shalelu!"
"Enough!!" Mazael's voice boomed, and then the big man strode purposefully over to the cage and smashed the glass with his sword.

Everyone held their breath as the glass shattered to the floor. The figure inside began to writhe furiously, its mouth opening wide as if in agony. Then, a evil buzzing rose to a high-pitched drone as thousands of red and black wasps, each the size of a man's thumb, came pouring out of its throat. Mazael stepped back, swinging his sword furiously in a futile effort to beat back the swarm. Haroldo joined him, but their blades met nothing but air. In seconds, the swarm was upon them, stinging furiously. Haroldo felt something like liquid ice streaming through his veins as the virulent poison of the hellwasp swarm took hold of him. Spivey tried to cast a soundburst spell on the wasps, but it seemed to have little effect, and she found herself quickly overwhelmed by the swarm, along with Piotr and Lucian.
"Master, run!" Neko shrieked as he bounded back down the service corridor, snatching up Boris as he went.
Zula watched them go, then turned back to her newfound partners. Spivey was doubled over with nausea, her face pale from the effects of the poison in her system. Piotr had also broken out in a cold sweat from the venom, but he had managed to move himself clear of the swarm and then sent a cone of flames through it. The fire seemed to just wash mostly harmlessly over the fiendish insects. Zula drew in her breath and gathered her power to her. She opened her mouth, and thunder rolled through the chamber and the hall beyond, setting the glassware rattling. For the briefest of moments, the swarm broke apart, and several dozen individual wasps dropped dead to the floor. Then, it reformed and, as if possessed of a malevolent intelligence, it came directly at the thundercaller.

Things began happening very quickly after that. A hundred stings pierced Zula's skin, and she felt the venom turn her muscles to jelly. Again and again she summoned her magic, blasting the swarm apart, only to have it reform, though significantly reduced each time. Spivey managed to briefly regain her composure and try another another soundburst, this time with better effect. The swarm was momentarily stunned, flying about in random directions. Mazael took the opportunity to send Helgarvarl flying towards the wasps, where he unleashed a small blast of frost from his eyeholes. Haroldo was able to call upon his blood magic to set his hands aflame and send it into the swarm, before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the floor, rigid from the venom. A moment later, Zula loosed one last thunderclap before she too succumbed to the poison. The swarm was only a fraction of what it had been, but all of the companions remaining in the chamber were reeling from nausea and envenomation, save for Mazael. One last time he released Helgarvarl, and the brave little angel flew directly into the hellwasps, cold and frost pouring from him. When the frigid mists cleared, the last of the fiendish insects fell frozen to the ground.

______________________________________________________________________

Lucian used his healing magic to revive Zula and Haroldo, and to stabilize the others, including himself, though they were all still weak as kittens. The group gathered themselves, and limped back to the great hall, where Boris and Neko crouched in hiding behind one of the pillars. The pair rejoined the others. No words were spoken, but the air was thick with tension. They left Ravenscraeg for the second time in as many days and made their way slowly and painfully back to their campsite. There, oddly enough, it was Neko who broke the silence.

"If were back in the circus," he said, jabbing his finger towards Mazael, "that one would be stripped and flogged!"
"If you want to keep that finger, and the arm it's attached to," Mazael growled low, "you better take it out of my face, monkey-boy!"
"This is not the time for this," Piotr said, stepping between them.
Neko turned to Boris.
"Master," he said, "I am loyal to you, but I'm afraid with friends like these, they will be the death of you! I cannot stay and watch that happen. I will go back to Kalsgard and tell the others what we have found here. I hope to see you again."
"Wait...," Boris said, reaching toward the varra, but Neko clambered up a tree and disappeared into the canopy above.
"Good riddance," Mazael sneered.

________________________________________________________________________

It took two days until the heroes were recovered enough to even consider returning to Ravenscraeg. During that time, Piotr had time to read the scrolls they had recovered from the cloak room. They turned out to be personal diaries of Snorri Stone-Eye. They were the writings of a mad man. The Mad Reaver claimed that his magical artificial eye gave him the 'second sight,' allowing him to peer into both the past and the future and see the way things were and the way things would be. He predicted that there would come a time when the very gods waged war against each other upon Golarion, and the Rough Beast would slip his chains to ravage the world. Stone-Eye claimed that only those who were prepared would be spared the devastation and enjoy the fruits of a world ripe for conquest when the gods had destroyed themselves and the dust had settled. The Mad Reaver would weather the storm in his safe-hold, from which he would emerge as the strongest power in the North.
This was the place that the companions would be returning to for a third time: the fortified keep of a psychopath...

The Blood-Feather Raven

4 Pharast, 4715-5 Pharast, 4715

It was after midnight, but only Piotr and Mazael slept. The others sat near the campfire in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Thus, it was quite unexpected when Helgarvarl, who rested atop Mazael's backpack, suddenly began to speak.
"I sense something...," he said, but his thought was interrupted by a high-pitched whine.
Haroldo abruptly pitched forward, grunting in pain, and when the others turned towards him, they saw why: a long, black-fletched arrow protruded from between his shoulder blades. Boris cursed and rolled off the log he'd been sitting on, disappearing into the underbrush. Spivey spread her wings and rose into the air, gazing into the darkness from whence the shot had come. She saw a shadowy figure crouched among the trees several dozen feet away, and as she watched, it put a flask to its lips and vanished from view. The tiny priestess quickly began casting a spell, sending a quartet of dancing lanterns hovering over the spot where she'd last seen their assailant.
"There!" she pointed.
Piotr awoke rudely after Zula kicked him roughly in the ribs. Though his thoughts were still fuzzy, months with his traveling companions had taught him the value of quickly adapting to a situation. He rose to a sitting position and looked around for a moment before seeing the floating orbs of light out in the trees. Acting on his first impulse, he wove a glitterdust spell and detonated it in that vicinity. As the gold sparkles settled over everything in the blast radius, a woman's form was revealed. She wore a chain shirt, and carried a large, curved bow. Haroldo charged towards her at the same time that Lucian fired his own bow, striking her in the leg. She pivoted as the blood-rager closed and put a shaft into his shoulder at point-blank range. Then she cried out in pain as Boris suddenly appeared out of the darkness and drove a blade into her back. Before she could recover, Haroldo reached her, ignoring the pain from his own wound and slashing savagely at her with his greatsword. She fell, twitching, to the ground.

They searched her and found nothing identifiable. She was Ulfen, but she did not carry one of the jade raven statuettes that the thugs at Ravenscraeg bore. The following morning, Zula was able to follow her back trail, which led, strangely enough, towards Karlsgard. After a half-mile or so, they came upon a riding horse, saddled and picketed in a small clearing. In its saddle bags were 500 gold coins of Chelish mint.
"Didn't that damn wasp corpse say something about being captured by a Chelish wizard?" Mazael asked.
"Looks like someone has put a price on our heads," Piotr replied.

________________________________________________________________________

Once more, the intrepid heroes returned to the stairs of Ravenscraeg. This time, however, they had climbed no higher than the second landing, when bricks, rocks and other debris began raining down on them from above.
"Looks like they were expecting us this time!" Mazael growled as he ducked for cover.
Spivey quickly took to the air from her perch on his shoulder, and flew to the upper landing, where she saw four Ulfen thugs crouched behind the railing, throwing detritus over the side.
"There are only four!" she called. "Move quickly!"
Her friends wasted no time. Pitor cast a spell of haste upon them, and moving like the wind, they hustled up the switchback stairs, dodging falling rocks as they ran. Lucian guarded the rear, periodically sending arrows flying up at their assailants to buy his allies a little more time. Mazael was the first to reach the top level, but he was quickly followed by Haroldo, and even Boris. The Ulfens reached for their axes, but it was simply a formality. The war-priest and battle-rager tore through them, with the goblin taking advantage of the chaos to slip his sword into an exposed flank here and there. By the time Zula, Lucian and Piotr reached the top, the battle was over.

They found the doors to the great hall were again closed, and when they pushed them open, the evidence of their last battle had been swept clean. Above them, however, the ravens called, and both Mazael and Haroldo spotted black-clad figures hiding atop the balcony.
"Alright boys and girls," Mazael sighed, "we know this music. Let's dance!"

The companions had indeed learned from their past experiences. As the ravens swooped towards them, Piotr conjured fire to deter them, while Zula blasted them out of the air by the dozens with her thunderous voice. Mazael and Haroldo took the fight to the ninjas who sniped at them from the upper tier, while Lucian returned fire, and Boris crept through the shadows unseen until he was upon the assassins. Though the ninjas got off a few lucky shots, none were vital, and the heroes gave far worse than the received. The battle was over quickly, and this time, it seemed no further reinforcements were forthcoming.

_____________________________________________________________________


After dealing with their minor injuries, the group returned to the lab where they had faced the hellwasp swarm. Here, as in the great hall, there was little evidence of their previous battle. The wasps were gone, and the broken glass of the case had been swept away. More proof that the Rimerunners' resources were far from exhausted if they had time to tidy up after two incursions into their stronghold. There were two doors that led from the lab, as well as the broad stairs that wound further up into the keep's tower. The first door they tried gave onto a stairwell going down.
"Giants down there," Boris affirmed.
"All the more reason to take care of business up here first," Mazael said.

Boris pressed his ear to the second door, and then drew back with a look of surprise on his face. He had distinctly heard the sounds of weeping on the other side.
"Boris hear cry-baby," the goblin grinned. "Boris think it Lucian, but he standing right here."
Lucian just scowled at him.
Zula cleared her throat. "If you would allow me," she said, "among my people I was a Speaker. I have some skill and experience in handling...delicate...situations. Whoever is behind that door has surely been traumatized in some way. We may need to handle this with a bit more finesse than you are accustomed to."
"Huh?" Mazael grunted.
"She says to let her do the talking," Piotr sighed," and don't kill the first thing you see."
The war-priest shrugged. "Whatever."
Zula nodded, and Boris quickly worked the lock on the door, then pulled it open. A cramped cell, ten-feet deep and no more than five-feet high, had been excavated in a corner of the tower's foundation. It was rank with the smell of sweat and urine, and a pair of rats scurried among the rib cage of some former inhabitant. A middle-aged Ulfen man, who appeared to have once been corpulent but was now a wasted shadow, lay curled up on the floor, his face battered and bruised.
"Please...," he said in a ragged, hoarse whisper, "don't...kill me."
"Tell us your name," Zula said calmly. "We mean you no harm."
"Lute," he rasped. "Lute Haggersly. I'm from...Karlsgard."
"We are here to deal with the masters of this hall," Zula told him. "We will take you from here when we leave and return you to Karlsgard safely, but it would help us if you could tell us everything you know about this place and its occupants."
Lute nodded, a hopeful look in his eyes.
"I am a merchant," he began, after he had finished half of a water skin Zula offered him. "I serve on the Rimerunners Guild's board of shareholders."
"The Rimerunners?" Piotr interrupted. "They are who we have issue with. They have made several attempts on our lives, and we have reason to believe their leader is here. Why would they hold one of their own prisoner?"
Lute shook his head.
"I'm not certain, but I believe I earned the enmity of Thorborg Silverskorr when I voted against a measure that she had proposed. I was returning from a business trip to some of the outlying villages when I was abducted by brigands and brought here. I have only had contact with three individuals since."
"Can you describe them?" Zula asked.
"The main one was a wizard of some sort. He is not human. I...can't say what he is. Perhaps some species of orc? He never questioned me, only threatened. He kept saying that he was going to infest me with some sort of demonic wasps."
"Not any more," Zula said. "We destroyed them."
Lute nodded.
"Another was some kind of bear creature," he continued. "He didn't ask me questions either, just beat me periodically."
"We met him as well," Piotr said. "He's dead too."
Lute nodded appreciatively again.
"The last was a hideous purple ogre!" he said. "You won't believe me, and I can't prove it, but I would swear on my life that she was none other than Thorborg Silverskorr herself!"
"Why do you say that?" Zula asked.
"Because as soon as she left my cell," Lute said, "I heard first her monstrous voice, then suddenly, it was the voice of Silverskorr. I know her voice well."
"Intersting," Zula pursed her lips. "Well, in any case, we will discover the truth soon. It's not safe for you to come with us now, so I suggest you stay here. If we have not returned for you in three hours, leave this place and flee as best you can."
Lute looked frightened but he nodded again.
"Please, don't forget me," he said. "I will make it worth your while if you can get me back home."

_______________________________________________________________________

Single file, with Haroldo and then Mazael in the lead, the companions made their way cautiously up the tower stairs, passing a second floor landing. Ultimately, the stairs gave onto an airy chamber with windows open to the elements, bringing a chill to the room. A fireplace stood against one wall, its ashes cold, next to a stack of firewood. A trap door with a wooden ladder leading to it, opened in the ceiling. Several cots were spaced about the chamber, with small footlockers next to each. Crouched in combat stances about the area were seven of the bird-headed tengu ninjas.

Haroldo didn't hesitate. He rushed headlong into the room, hacking savagely at the nearest assassin, while Lucian squeezed past Mazael on the stairs and positioned himself in a corner so that he could have a clear line of fire with his bow. Spivey flew in as well, and when she saw a trio of ninjas closing in on, she quickly cast a sonic blast in their midst, leaving all of them reeling. She whirled suddenly as a familiar noise reached her ears...ravens! Before she could shout a warning, a cloud of birds swarmed into the room from an adjoining chamber, engulfing her friends. Haroldo and Mazael beat at them, but they were rapidly in danger of being overwhelmed. Still on the stairwell, Zula saw the situation deteriorating, and she knew that she had to act.
"Cover your ears!" she cried in warning, and then she unleashed the full fury of her thunder call.

The results were devastating. The ravens were completely obliterated, but Haroldo, Mazael, Lucian and Boris were all caught in the blast as well. The four of them were left staggering and stumbling about, all bleeding from their ears and noses. Piotr quickly conjured a cloud of glitterdust in the center of the room, hoping to keep the ninjas from using their disappearing trick, but it didn't matter. Stunned from the thunder clap, the heroes could not defend themselves when the assassins came for them. Two of them flanked Haroldo, stabbing and slashing at him repeatedly until he collapsed to the floor. Another drove his sword into Lucian, and the oracle felt his blood begin to burn as the poison that was on the blade soaked into him. Still another came for Piotr, and though the sorcerer was not as helpless as his friends, he was unable to ward off the attack, and when the ninja struck, the sorcerer's skin first flushed and then paled as he reeled back, the toxin taking rapid effect.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound began in the same small adjoining chamber from whence the ravens had come. It grew in intensity as it drew closer, and then the air in the room began to whip about as if a strong wind had sprung up. Abruptly, two small whirlwinds, no bigger than Boris, came spinning into the main chamber, twirling through the air straight towards Spivey.
"Elementals!" she cried as they slammed into her.
They circled around her, buffeting her to and fro, but her angelic make-up made her all but impervious to their blows. The bigger problem to her mind, was who or what had summoned them, and was that same individual controlling the ravens. Her question was answered a moment later when a large, black bird, about three-feet tall and with a single blood-red feather, came flying into the chamber from the adjoining room. As she watched in amazement, it began to speak the words of a spell, and a small ball of fire appeared at the tip of one wing.

Mazael was the first to shake off the stupor from Zula's blast. He raised his sword and squeezed himself between Piotr and his attackers. From behind him, the sorcerer began to cast, and a sheet of flames arced over Mazael's shoulder, setting four of the ninjas ablaze. The reprieve was short-lived, however, as the other assassins surged forward, pinning Mazael, Piotr and Boris in the corner. Lucian, in the opposite corner, and feeling himself growing weaker by the moment, snatched a brittle snapleaf from his belt and crushed it, instantly rendering himself invisible. As quietly as possible, he began extricating himself from his precarious position.

Spivey, completely ignoring the ineffective elementals, hurled another concussive soundburst into the midst of the trio of ninjas who had her comrades locked down. One of them fell dead instantly, while another staggered away, his head spinning. The last paused for a moment in his assault, and that was all Mazael needed. The war-priest slammed the pommel of his falchion into the tengu's head, and as it fell back, he ran it through cleanly. Spivey turned, trying to see the blood raven in the midst of the melee, and caught sight of it just in time to see it loose the ball of flame in its wing. The projectile sailed towards Piotr. Spivey cried out, and the sorcerer turned, but it was too late. The fire struck him in the chest, sending him careening into the wall, where his head struck with a sickening crack. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped limply to the flagstones.

Boris was the next to fall. The goblin moved sluggishly from the poison flowing through his veins, but he still managed to shank one of the ninjas who was busy trying to fend off Mazael. Blood erupted from the tengu's mouth as Boris's blade pierced its heart, but a moment later it was the goblin's turn to bleed as another assassin slid its blade through his back.
"That...hurt...Boris...," he wheezed just before he fell.
The ninja stood over him, and prepared to deliver a coup de grace, but then a bowstring twanged as Lucian reappeared. The arrow took the tengu in the throat and if died strangling.

Spivey could see that things were unravelling rapidly. Besides herself, only Mazael, Lucian and Zula still stood, and the former two were unsteady on their feet. Three ninjas were still up, not to mention the blood-feather raven and its pair of summoned elementals. The odds were not in their favor. She risked channelling her divine power to try and heal her allies, though she knew it would also benefit their enemies. She had no choice. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw both Piotr and Boris open their eyes. The sorcerer didn't waste time getting to his feet, knowing he would only be cut down again. He snatched a snapleaf from his spell pouch and promptly vanished. One ninja stared at the spot where he'd been, confused for a moment until Mazael ended his confusion permanently. Lucian snapped off an arrow at one of the remaining pair, and Zula quickly followed with another thunder blast, thankfully missing her friends this time and only catching the killers. One of them wobbled, and Mazael opened his throat. The last one danced away, slashing Mazael's sword arm as it went, but as it moved past Boris, the goblin stopped playing possum and rolled to his feet, driving his own wakizashi up through the tengu's groin. It opened its beak to shriek in agony, and that's when Lucian sent an arrow right down its throat.

And then it was only the blood-feather raven. Even its elementals had disappeared, their summoning expired. Zula wasn't about to risk letting it escape, and she hurled the power of her voice at it, buffeting it as it flew. Piotr then reappeared as he sent a volley of arcane missiles flying at the bird. It's raspy voice croaked out another spell, and a billowing fog engulfed it, hiding it from view. Zula didn't care. She didn't have to see her enemy to bring it down. Another thunderclap exploded in the middle of the mist, and then the fog was swept away as Piotr sent a blast of wind through the room, nearly knocking the raven out of the air. The bird screeched again, but this time it was in fear as Mazael charged towards it. The war-priest swept his falchion before him, and blood and feathers flew. The raven shrieked again, and flew out one of the windows, reaching down with its beak to draw a small scroll from a band around its leg as it went.
"Not this time, you little bastard!" Piotr snarled.
He thrust his hands out, and another barrage of missiles flew, streaking through the window unerringly towards the raven. They struck the bird full on, and it fell, tumbling through the air to the valley far below.

___________________________________________________________________________

The companions gathered around Haroldo, his face pale, his lips blue and lifeless.
"It...it was my fault," Zula said softly, her voice breaking. "I...I'm so sorry...,"
"It was the right call," Mazael said. "We'd all be dead if you hadn't."
"What we do now?" Boris asked. "We got no monkey-boy. We got no angry man. Boris still not feel so good."
The others had no reply. All of them, save Spivey and Zula, were still suffering the after effects of the ninjas' poison, and their numbers were getting smaller, while the resources of their opponents seemed limitless. Their prospects looked bleak...

Suishen

7 Pharast, 4715

Once more, the companions took their leave of Ravenscraeg, this time carrying the body of Haroldo Seigfreid, and with the merchant Lute Haggersly in tow. Recently, after the deaths of Koman and Yannus, the group had a frank discussion among themselves about what their wishes would be should one of them be next. Haroldo had made it clear that he wanted to return to the land of the living if at all possible. However, the Amatatsu Seal had last been used to try and revive Koman, who's spirit had refused, and it could not be used again in that way for another three weeks.

"We can't just leave him out here in the woods for the wolves," Mazael said.
"I can lay a blessing upon his body to preserve it," Spivey volunteered.
"That won't protect him from scavengers," Piotr noted, "and as much as he and I had our disagreements, I do not wish to see him become wolf scat."
"If you will give me a horse," Lute spoke up, "I will take him back to Karlsgard, and to your people there. I do not want to stay out here a moment longer than I have to."
The others looked at one another questioningly.
"We have no reason to doubt you," Piotr said at length, "but we have no real reason to trust you, other than that you were being held captive by our enemies. However, we also have limited options. Know this: if you fail to do this for any reason other than that you died in the attempt, we will find you and you will wish that the Rimerunners still had you."
Lute nodded.
"I understand. You have my word that I will do this or die trying. Find me when you return to the city."

They gave Lute the horse of the hired assassin they'd dealt with, and sent him on his way with Haroldo's body strapped across the back, then settled in to lick their wounds. A day and two nights passed with Spivey, Mazael and Lucian tending to themselves and their companions. It was during the second night, with Boris and Lucian on watch, that a slim figure slipped quietly and unseen into the camp.
"Where are Yannus and Haroldo?" a female voice asked quietly.
The two watchers whirled, their weapons coming up, and the others jolted awake, only to see the lithe form of Shalelu warming herself by the fire. Lucian's face went from alarm, to relief, to shame at being so easily taken by surprise.
"Shalelu!" he cried. "What...why are you here?"
"To make sure all of you where still alive," she replied. "It appears I have arrived too late."
"We have had more...resistance...than expected," Lucian said, his eyes downcast He then proceeded to tell his mentor all that had transpired since they left Karlsgard.
Shalelu listened in silence until he finished.
"This is grim news indeed," she said. "Koya will be distraught at the loss of another son. I'm afraid the tidings I bring are no better. Not a day after you left, the body of the Varki woman Uksahkka was pulled from the harbor. Her throat had been cut. Four days later, several members of our caravan took ill after the evening meal. It was determined they the food stores had been poisoned. Unfortunately, two of our drivers succumbed."
"Ameiko?" Piotr asked.
"Unharmed," the ranger replied.
"Did Boris' monkey-boy make it back to big city?" Boris asked.
"I did not see him before I left," Shalelu said, "but it is possible we missed one another on the road."
"We are glad you've come," Lucian said.
"I intend to stay," she replied. "It would seem that you need all the help you can get."

__________________________________________________________________________

Ravenscraeg again. The doors were shut and barred this time.
"I'd guess they're still expecting us," Mazael growled.
"Then let's give them something they do not expect," Shalelu said, looking up towards the roof.
"What do you have in mind?" Lucian asked.
The ranger glanced at Spivey. "How are you at tying knots?"

A few minutes later, the companions had scaled the wall of the keep and made it onto the slate tiles of the roof. Quickly they made their way to the back and lowered the rope again, clambering down into the hidden glen below. The kitchen door was unlocked, and the chamber itself empty. As quietly as they could, which was still like banging pots together as far as Boris was concerned, they crept down the service hall, and then through the wine and food stores which opened onto the main hall.
"Ready?" Boris asked as he gripped the door handle and looked back at his companions
Mazael nodded.

They were not disappointed in what they found. A group of seven Ulfens stood gathered around the front door expectantly, while on the balcony above, three black-clad ninjas crouched in the shadows. What was conspicuously absent, however, was the cawing of the ravens. Apparently, they were not as inclined to aggression without their blood-feathered master. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. The Rimerunners agents were caught completely off guard, and though well-trained and coordinated, they never had a chance to recover. Spivey and Zula worked in concert to stun their opponents with their magic, as Shalelu and Lucian picked off the ninjas above, leaving Mazael, Boris and Piotr to clean up the rest. It was over in less than a minute.

_______________________________________________________________________

The forces in the great hall seemed to be the only reinforcements in evidence. The companions met no further opposition as they made their way back to the laboratory where they'd found the stairs that led down to whatever lay below. The stairway descended into a plain room of mortared stones. The walls dripped with condensation, giving the air a cold, clammy feel. Plain, wooden doors stood to the north and west. Boris went to each of them and pressed a large ear against them.
"Boris hear water," he said of the northern door. "Boris hear nothing," he said of the west.
"Do I look like I'm built for water?" Mazael snapped, indicating the full plate armor that encased him.
Boris shrugged indifferently, and pulled open the western portal.

The door opened into a natural cavern thirty feet across and fifteen feet high. A waterfall poured in through a small aperture high on the south wall, filling a turbulent pool in the floor and sending a cold spray throughout the room. A smoothed ledge extended outward from the door, and two large barrels had been set to the right of it. Another ledge sat on the far side of the pool, with a smaller cask sitting upon it next to a heavy wooden door. Boris turned and looked over his shoulder at Mazael.
"You bad luck all around," he giggled.
He then turned, took three quick running steps, and leaped the entire length of the pool, landing nimbly on the opposite ledge. He barely glanced at the cask, but the glint of metal caught his eye. He reached out, almost as a reflex, and snatched a silver ladle that sat atop the barrel, then deftly shoved it in his pocket. He listened at the door for a few moments.
"Boris not hear nothing," he called back to his companions.
"Do you need any help?" Spivey called back.
"No, butterfly-lady," the goblin replied. "Boris call you if he need you."

On the other side of the door was a small, musty room hewn from solid rock. Near the far wall stood a low well. A winch and chain with a rusty steel bucket hung from the wall above it. In the far corner sat a pile of old wooden buckets and other debris, rotten and broken, with several different kinds of fungus growing on their remnants. No sooner had Boris opened the door than a flickering glow began to emanate from the depths of the well. In its glow, he could see that the ceiling appeared to be moving. Amorphous, black shapes creeped and undulated along its surface. Carefully, Boris backed out of the room.
"Ok, butterfly-lady," he called, "Boris need your help now! Bugs on ceiling, and fire in well!"
It was Zula who stepped forward on the far side of the pool.
"Stand back!" she warned.
Boris ducked behind the cask as the Shoanti woman unleashed her power, setting off a sonic boom in the middle of the small room. Boris peaked around the corner and saw a half-dozen creatures laying twitching on the floor. He smiled broadly back at Zula and gave a thumbs up. A moment later, Spivey flew across to join him. She peered into the room, focusing on the well.
"I sense no evil there," she said, concentrating, "but powerful magic is present."
She flew to the lip of the well and looked down.
"There is something aflame down there," she said, and then she dove in.
A moment later, she reemerged, a sword bathed in fire gripped in her hands.
'Scion of Amatatsu,' Boris heard a gravelly voice speaking in his head. 'I have been waiting many years, and had almost given up hope. I am Suishen, the ancestral blade of our clan. I sense three other Scions nearby. Who shall claim me?'

_________________________________________________________________

"Well, looks like we got what we came for," Mazael said as he held Suishen reverently.
"We still haven't found the Ulfen guide," Shalelu noted.
Mazael shrugged. "One guide's as good as another."
"Except there are none other available," Lucian interjected. "Besides, if the Rimerunners have this man, we can't just leave him here to die."
Mazael shrugged again. "Guess we'd better get moving then."

Boris turned to the second door leading out of the room at the bottom of the stairs. Opening it, he found himself looking down a long, dark corridor. A deep channel of flowing water crossed the hall about midway down. On the opposite side lay a heavy timber plank. A brass bell and clapper hung from the wall on the near side. Though his first inclination was to ring the bell and see what happened, Boris thought better of it and instead got a running start and hurdled the stream. Landing softly as a cat, he snuck down the corridor to where it ended at a T-junction. To his left stood a heavy door, while to the right was a large chamber, oppressively hot compared to the rest of the cellars. A coal furnace roared in one wall, giving the room a dull, red glow. A heap of coal was stacked against another wall, and an iron door opened in the ceiling above it. Three crude beds made of poorly cured bearskin and wolf pelts were thrown on the floor before the fire, and a hogshead rested between them, next to the bloody bones of some unfortunate creature. Warming themselves by the fire were three green-skinned, hook-nosed giants. The smell coming off of them was overpowering. Boris pulled back around the corner, then glanced back down the hall at his friends. He grinned broadly, and held up three fingers, then raised his hands as high as he could above his head. He then mimed shooting his bow and running.
"What in the Hells is he up to now?" Mazael growled.
'What are you doing, little one,' Suishen spoke into Boris's thoughts.
'Boris see three giants, glowey sword!' he giggled back. 'Boris going to shoot one and then run away! Then they come to Boris's friends! Good plan!'
"Prepare yourself," Suishen sighed to Mazael.

Boris drew back his bowstring and let fly an arrow. It struck the nearest giant with a satisfying thunk, and the brute grunted in pain and surprise. It turned and saw the goblin just as he darted around the corner. Mazael and the others saw Boris sprinting back towards them, and leaping easily back across the stream.
"Here they come!" he cackled.
Sure enough, from the far end of the hall, the three giants came lumbering, single file.
"Trolls," Shalelu snarled. "Careful my friends. They can heal their wounds. We will need fire to defeat them."
"Good thing we found our friend here," Mazael sneered, holding Suishen aloft, flames flickering along its blade. Then, to the amazement of his companions, the war-priest rose into the air, walking upon it as easily as he would the ground.
"Another little trick the sword showed me," he laughed.

Mazael began walking towards the trolls, and as he went, Lucian and Shalelu sent a volley of arrows past him, dropping the lead giant in its tracks. It went down just as Mazael reached it, and then Helgarvarl loosed a gout of fire upon it, searing its flesh black. It did not rise again. By the time the second troll reached him, the war-priest was hovering above the water, and the brute had to wade out to meet him. He gripped Suishen in both hands and brought the katana down in a wicked slash, the blade feeling completely natural in his hands. The troll roared in agony as fire danced inside the wound, but then it lunged forward, locking its jaws around Mazael's arm. He tried to pull away, but the beast was too strong. It dragged him towards itself. Then, the air whizzed with arrows again, and the troll abruptly fell back, burning as it died. That just left one. Mazael rushed towards it, and Boris went tumbling through its legs, coming up behind it. The two of them struck as one, and troll keeled over like a fallen log.
"See?" Boris grinned. "Good plan!"

_________________________________________________________________

The door opposite the coal room was locked, but Boris had no trouble bypassing it. On the other side was a grand chamber, the ceiling of which rose twenty feet overhead, its heavy beams serving as both rafters and supports for the great hall above. Teak paneling covered the walls, and the floor was of polished wood. Along the walls, wooden columns rose to the ceiling, bearing banners emblazoned with pictograms from far-off Tian Xia. Above these hung small oil lamps that gave off a dim glow. A small porcelain bowl rested before the center column to the south, and several reed mats were arranged before it. It was Zula who saw them first: figures clung to the columns at a point near the ceiling. She opened her throat and sent the thunder towards the nearest one, who recoiled from the blast, but did not fall as she'd hoped. Then, one by one they let go of their perches, falling deftly to the floor, and landing as softly as if they were made of air. They were all Tian, male and female, and they were dressed in simple, loose fitting robes. Their heads were shaved, and they each carried only a simple spear. The closest one hefted his and sent it flying at Boris, impaling the goblin cleanly through his thigh.

Suddenly, a door opened on the far side of the room, and two more of the monks quickly entered, followed by a woman dressed in a flowing black, silk robe with a half-mask concealing her hair and lower face. In one hand she carried a black-bladed dagger, glowing with dark light. Shalelu quickly snapped an arrow off at her, but she simply reached out her free hand and batted the shaft from the air. Abruptly, her form shimmered, and four shadowy clones of her separated from her body, surrounding her on all sides. This didn't bother Zula in the least. She simply blanketed the newcomer, as well as one of the monks, with her thundercall, killing the underling, and stunning the knife-wielding ninja. Spivey followed up a moment later with her own soundburst, stunning another pair of monks. Shalelu and Lucian took advantage of the distraction to go to work on the leader with their bows. Shalelu's shots stripped away the phantom images, while Lucian's struck home, leaving the ninja reeling.

One of the remaining monks summersaulted across the floor, and landed in a crouch before driving her bare heel solidly into Mazael's inner thigh. Boris went tumbling the opposite direction, trying to get behind the female ninja, but she shook off her stupor a moment too soon. As he tried to dart past her, she slashed down with her black blade, stabbing the goblin in the back. He screeched as he felt liquid venom pour into the wound. She raised the dagger to deliver another blow, but another sonic blast from Spivey staggered her again as well as another trio of the monks. Another deadly volley of arrows from Shalelu and Lucian finally put her down.

Mazael, limping on one leg, stabbed out with Suishen, impaling the monk at his feet. A barrage of magic missiles from Piotr finished another stunned one, while Lucian fired an arrow through the eye of a third. The last one fell to Mazael again, rage and Suishen's power overwhelming any pain he felt with the joy of glorious battle.

The Return of the Monkey-Boy

7 Pharast, 4715

Neko was troubled. It had been more than two days since he saw Shalelu walking through the woods beneath his treetop perch, headed in the direction from which he'd just come. He had not called out to her, and that was part of what troubled him. She was going to find them...Boris and the others. She was going to help while he...well, he didn't quite know what it was that he was doing exactly. When the hellwasp swarm had attacked, he'd felt helpless, and all of the fear and trauma that had been a part of his daily life with the circus came back to him. He couldn't face that again, so he had let his fear turn to anger at his new friends, and then it had been easier to leave them. But the anger was gone now, and only the fear remained. Fear and shame. Those were the feelings that had kept him rooted in his tree for the past two days. Fear at rejoining his comrades, and shame at not. Ultimately, however, it was that image of Shalelu, striding purposefully and completely without fear, that made his mind up for him. He leaped from his branch to another one nearby, and then another, and another until he was racing through the canopy back towards Ravenscraeg.

___________________________________________________________________

The monks' cells that ringed the dojo were largely empty, save that each of them contained a shrine to a strange Tian deity that Spivey identified as the Yama King, a death god. However, in the chamber that seemed to belong to the ninja woman, they found a large trunk that contained, among other things, a set of peasant clothing, a disguise kit, and a handwritten writ signed by Sveinn Blood-Eagle himself that gave the bearer the authority to commandeer any of the Linnorm King's huscarls within 2 miles of Kalsgard for up to 12 hours. Boris, being the only one able to read Skald, tucked this away in his pocket after telling his comrades that it was simply a grocery list. Finally, in the last of the cells, Zula noted a large amount of grit and dust on the floor, as well as faint footprints that led to one wall. A careful inspection of it revealed a hidden seam, and with a little effort, she was able to push aside an entire section of the wall, revealing a corridor beyond.

A single door stood in the lefthand wall of the passage before it continued on into darkness and then turned a corner. Mazael paused at the door, and then shoved it open before Boris could have a chance to examine it, earning himself a scowl of disgust from the goblin. A brazier in the corner of the room beyond glowed faintly with red coals, its smoke reminiscent of the stench of scorched flesh. A short bed with a headboard carved with the image of an open-mouthed demon stood against one wall, and a small table cluttered with books, scrolls, and a stuffed and mounted stirge sat across from it. A magic circle had been scribed in the center of the floor with chalk. Torn papers, bits of old food, and other debris were scattered about the room, collecting in corners and under the bed and table.

"I sense something," Helgarvarl spoke from Mazael's brow just as the war-priest heard a faint scuttling sound coming from under the bed.
Suddenly, a severed hand, easily the size of a shield and crawling along on its fingers, launched itself from beneath the bed towards Mazael. As it became momentarily airborne, it curled into a fist and slammed into his mid-section, forcing the breath out of him in a whoosh. It landed back on its fingertips, but before it could leap again, Lucian sent a pair of arrows into it. This gave Mazael time to regain his composure and bring Suishen crashing down on the horror. As the blade nearly split the hand in two, it erupted with putrid fluid that doused the war-priest, leaving him retching and gagging.

_____________________________________________________________________

The secret hall continued around a corner and ended in another descending stairwell leading into Ravenscraeg's sub-cellar. Boris took the lead, not trusting Mazael's ham-handed tactics. It was lucky for the group that he did, for just at the bottom of the stairs his sharp eyes spotted a small tripwire from which several small bells dangled.
"No step there," he pointed out to the others as he hopped over.
His companions followed his lead.

Another hallway lead off the stairwell, and at a point, it widened into a small chamber with a door on the south side, banded with wide straps of iron and bearing a large, heavy lock. A single brazier provided dim light to the area. Before they had even gotten a good view of the chamber, however, the heroes could hear moaning and shuffling. In the dim light, at least a dozen walking corpses milled aimlessly about, all Ulfens in various states of decay. As the zombies turned towards the intruders, Spivey flew above them, her body aflame with holy light as she channeled Desna's power. The walkers recoiled in pain, and boils and blisters erupted from their putrid flesh. They didn't pause for long, however, and came shambling forward en masse, completely clogging up the hallway ahead. Mazael stepped forward and held aloft his own holy symbol, channeling Desna's might again. This time, all but four of the zombies erupted into flames and fell into piles of smoldering ash. Those final four fell a moment later as they were blasted apart by Zula's thundering voice.

Shalelu stepped forward past the ruined corpses, her brow furrowed.
"What's that?" she asked pointing towards the wall opposite the one with the door.
She had spied a small crack there that seemed to be widening before her eyes into another doorway. Suddenly, she felt the ground moving beneath her feet. She looked down as a pit, ten-feet across and at least twenty-feet deep opened right under Lucian and herself. Both of them jumped clear, with the elven ranger landing on the far side, but separated from the rest of her companions. From within the new doorway, a solitary figure had appeared. He was humanoid, but beyond that Shalelu could not guess his race. His skin was mottled and green, and large tusks grew from his lower jaw, but he was tall and lanky, not like an orc or hobgoblin. He carried a large pickaxe in one hand, and a necklace of small bones and fetishes hung from around his neck. She didn't wait for an introduction before she drew and loosed three arrows. Two deflected off the creature's chain shirt, but the third found its mark, knocking him back a pace or two. She turned to see what had become of the others, and was relieved to see Mazael walking on thin air over the pit, while Piotr got a running start and leaped, though not particularly gracefully, over the pit. As he landed, his hand flared with light that he threw into the rival spellcaster's eyes. The creature reeled, rubbing at his eyes, and clutching at his throat at Piotr's magic momentarily stole his breath and robbed him of his voice.

At that moment, a brown-furred blur streaked over the heads of the companions and landed crouched on the far side of the pit.
"Neko??" Boris gasped, his mouth hanging open.
The varra grinned and winked over his shoulder at the goblin.
"Looks like I came back just in time to save you again, Master!" he laughed, and then darted towards the mute and dazzled Goti Runecaster, for that was whom the heroes faced.
Neko came to a stop right beside the sorcerer, his bow drawn tight from point-blank range.
"Not so big when you can't speak spells, are you?" he taunted.
Goti's still-watering eyes turned on Neko balefully, and then, disconcertingly, an evil smile spread over his face. His features clenched in concentration, and then, before Neko's startled eyes, he abruptly grew to twice his original size, his arms rippling with muscle like corded steel. The little varra took a step back, and then pumped three arrows in rapid succession into Goti's chest. He grunted, but it was rage that showed on his face rather than pain. As Neko tore more shafts from his quiver, Goti raised his now-enormous pick in both hands over his head.
"Neko, move!" Boris shouted, but it was too late.
Goti Runecaster drove down with the pick-axe, burying the point through the top of Neko's head. The varra went at first rigid, and them completely limp, sliding to the ground, blood and brain tissue leaking from his eyes and nose.
"Damn it!" Lucian cursed as he ran towards the pit and leaped.
His boots touched the far side, his arms pinwheeling. He struggled for a moment to catch his balance, but then the weight of his pack and quiver pulled him back, and he toppled over the edge.

Zula cursed as well, but she formed her words into a sonic blast that rocked Goti on his heels. Then Mazael was there and he slashed with Suishen, the sword shouting its encouragement into his mind. Piotr followed this up by conjuring a rolling ball of fire and sending it into Goti's feet. The giant sorcerer roared, his voice returned. He raised his pick again, this time over Mazael's head, but before he could strike, Zula spoke the words to a spell, and covered the haft of the weapon in a greasy coating. It slipped from Goti's grasp and clattered to the floor. He snarled and cast his own spell, opening another pit beneath Zula and Piotr. Both of them leaped clear at the last second. He then bent to recover his weapon, and Mazael struck him again. As Goti rose to his feet again, he swung back, connecting solidly with the war-priest, driving him back. Mazael, blood dripping from his face, gripped Suishen in both hands and charged back in, driving the katana through the sorcerer's heart. Goti toppled, returning to his normal size as he died.

_____________________________________________________________________

Boris stood silently over Neko's ruined form. The others kept a respectful distance while the goblin bid his friend farewell.
"Boris come back for you," he said. "Bury you in special monkey place with lots of bananas."
He sniffed, wiped his eyes, and turned back to his companions.
"Boris ready," he said flatly. "Let's see who left here to kill."

The large padlocked door proved to be a challenge. When Boris examined it, he found faint runes etched into the locking mechanism, a telltale sign of a magical ward. Fishing through his lock picks, he found a specially enchanted rasp and set to work scouring the rune clean before opening the lock itself. He was rewarded when he found that beyond the door was a veritable trove of valuables gathered into one place. Chests overflowed with gold and silver ornaments. Crates held trade bars of precious metals. Ornate, gilded drinking horns peeked out of a burlap sack, and coffers spilled forth gold and silver coins in quantities rarely seen in that part of the world. It looked they had found the bulk of the funds that Thorborg Silverskorr had been diverting from the Rimerunners.
"If only Neko still alive to see this," Boris bawled, tears of sorrow and joy streaming down his face.

The hallway continued on and rounded another corner, revealing yet another stair that descended to a trio of alcoves flanking an ornate double door. Standing in each alcove was a bronze statue depicting a warrior dressed in the ornate garb and armor of a warrior of distant Tian Xia. Beneath their broad helmets, the statues wore demonic face masks with snarling, fanged maws, while their hands clutched gracefully curved swords in poses of battle. Boris led the way to the doors, eyeing the statues in distrust as he passed between them. He listened at the door, and then pulled back.
"More water," he said.
Mazael grimaced, and then grabbed one of the opening rings. Just as he began to pull, however, the noise of stone scraping on stone drew his gaze upward. The statues had begun to move! One of them lumbered out of its alcove towards Shalelu, who snapped off a shot as it approached, only to see her shaft bounce from its stone hide, leaving only a small nick behind. Lucian tried the same trick with much the same results. Another one next to Mazael brought its katana down, slashing into his arm. He spun on his heel, counterstrikeing with Suishen, though when the sword connected, Mazael felt the reverberations all the way in his teeth.

Boris found himself trapped in the middle of all three statues, a place where he absolutely did not want to be. He ran, ducking into a low tumble, trying to dart through the legs of the golems, but he was just a hair too slow. As he darted past the last one, its katana opened a gaping wound down the back of his leg. The guardian turned to follow the limping goblin, but then Piotr hurled a flaming sphere into its path, trying to slow it down long enough to let Boris make his getaway. The ball bounced harmlessly off the statue, and it continued to lumber inexorably forward. Zula, seeing that Piotr's magic had no effect on the construct, tried another tactic. She conjured a puddle of slippery grease beneath its feet, as well as a second one. The first's legs came out from beneath it, sending it crashing to the floor, while the next in line simply couldn't gain any purchase to keep moving.

Lucian tried to ply his arrows again now that the momentum of the guardians had stalled, and though his shots were true, they failed to do more than scratch the surface of their stoney hides. The fallen golem climbed laboriously to its feet, but as it did so, Mazael lunged towards it, slashing with Suishen again. However, when he took his eyes away from the third guardian, it struck, driving its own blade deep into the war-priest's spine, sending him to his knees. Then, it was Piotr's turn to learn from his mistake. Following Zula's example, instead of trying to ply his magic directly upon the golems, he instead created a glitterdust cloud, unsure if statues could, in fact, be blinded. His question was answered a moment later when all three of the guardians began to stumble about aimlessly. Zula quickly followed this with her thundercall, and the impact of the blast sent one of them to the ground again as it slipped in the grease. Mazael, having levered himself painstakingly back to his feet, drove Suishen into that one's head, shattering it completely, and it did not rise again. After that, Boris darted back into the fray, stabbing at the joints of the remaining golems. Zula's voice blasted them again, and Mazael continued to deal devastating damage with the Amatasu ancestral blade until the last one crumbled.

______________________________________________________________________

After the companions had a chance to tend their wounds, they turned once more to the pair of doors the samurai statues had been guarding. Mazael pulled them both open wide, revealing a vast, impressive chamber. The interior had been transformed into a multilevel architetural wonder. The room was divided into two tiers, the upper one lying twenty feet above the lower, and rotated forty-five degrees. The peak of the ceiling rose to a pyramid sixty feet above the floor. The diagonal orientation of the upper tier formed four twenty-foot high ledges above teh walls of the lower tier. A fountain issued from the southernmost of those ledges, pouring in a waterfall to a decorative pool in the floor containing several ruby-hued koi. Black-lacquered folding screens had been set at various places about the room, creating a veritable maze of panels. As soon as the doors were opened, the companions heard a female voice from somewhere within the labyrinth.
"Welcome to Ravenscraeg and my twisted pagoda," she said. "You have been very busy, and you have caused me no end of trouble."
Abruptly, the voice changed. Though there was still something about it that identified it as female, it had become deep, guttural and booming.
"I trust you have enjoyed my hospitality," it continued, now seeming to come from somewhere above them. "Prepare to enjoy it one final time!"

Boris quickly darted into the room and disappeared into the shadows of the lacquered screens. As he passed a passage between the barriers, he glanced down it and spied a figure crouched in the gloom. It was a ninja, but it did not seem to spot him. As quietly as he could, the goblin crept towards the assassin, and before it realized he was there, Boris slid his wakizashi between the man's ribs.

When the others heard the commotion from within the maze, they all began to move, spreading out among the screens. As Shalelu stepped around a corner, a flash of movement caught her eye as another black-clad ninja darted at her and thrust a blade into her belly. She grunted and fell back, trying to bring up her bow to deflect the assassin's next blow, but then she heard a small but powerful voice call out from above her.
"HALT!" Spivey shouted, clutching her holy symbol in her hand and pointing it at the ninja.
To Shalelu's amazement, the man complied, coming to a stop and simply staring up at the azata. A moment later, the ninja erupted into flames as Piotr stepped into view, fire spewing out of his fingertips.

At that moment, the air above the companions filled with frigid air and razor-sharp ice crystals, blasting aside several of the screens, and rolling over Lucian, Shalelu and Mazael. As the blast cleared, a giant could be seen hovering on high. Clad in beautiful armor, the exotically garbed creature roared, its tusks glistening and its eyes afire with murderous intent. She carried a large bow in her hands, and across her back rested an enormous spiked club. Mazael, his joints still stiff and frozen, ducked for cover, but found his path blocked by a pair of ninjas.
"Swift as the wind. Quiet as the forest. Conquer like the fire. Steady as the mountain," Suishen spoke into his mind.
Mazael grinned viciously as he crouched low and thrust the blade through his first enemy's chest, then rose, spinning, and took the other man's head from his shoulders.

Boris's opponent was bleeding profusely from the goblin's first cut. His second solved that problem by opening the ninja's throat. Behind him, two more ninja appeared. One of them slashed at Piotr, but then both of them were blown off their feet by Zula's thundercall. One of them did not rise again, and when the other tried to, Piotr blasted him with a volley of magic missiles.

Lucian tried to shake the chill from his bones as his numb fingers gripped his bowstring. He brought the bow up and loosed at the giantess still hovering above the fray. To his amazement, on of his shafts went straight through her left eye. She screamed a high, ululating cry that chilled the oracle even more than the cold blast had.
"Keep her distracted!" Mazael shouted at him as he ran past.
The war-priest closed to Boris, and touched the goblin with Suishen.
"The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim," Suishen said to Boris as the little rogue suddenly felt himself become lighter than air.
"You're with me!" Mazael snarled.
Lucian kept up his barrage as Mazael and Boris charged into the air. Mazael reached the ogress first, but as he closed, she dropped her bow and drew her massive club in one swift movement, smashing it into the war-priest's chest. Boris used the opportunity to somersault through the air behind her, where he slashed viciously behind her knees. She screamed again as she flew towards the floor, swinging wildly at Lucian, whose arrows still peppered her. He club connected solidly with the oracle, flinging him against a far wall, where he lay stunned. Shalelu quickly took up where her apprentice left off, sending her own volley at the fiend. The ogress turned towards her, only to find Mazael, blood dripping from his mouth, standing above her. Suishen's flames flared as the war-priest swung, and the blade practically sang with power as it opened the oni's throat, spilling her life's blood to the floor. She sank to her knees, her remaining eye going dim before she collapsed completely.

"What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease," Suishen said. "You have earned the title of Scion of House Amatatsu. I shall continue to reveal my full power to you."
Mazael's eyes opened wide as the sword disclosed another of its secrets: the ability to resist even the most frigid of colds. He had the feeling this would be invaluable where they would soon by journeying.

The Coming Storm

7 Pharast, 4715-7 Desnus, 4715

A thorough search of the twisted pagoda of Kimandatsu turned up no sign of Ulf Gormundr, but Boris did come across a secret panel hidden away in a far corner. It was securely locked, but fortunately they had found of a set of keys on the oni's body. There was a passage beyond the door that carried a noticeable chill. Around a corner stood a pair of heavy wooden doors, one on each side of the hall, both secured with large locks. The companions paused before the first door, and Boris found a key on the ring that fit that lock. He unlatched it and pushed open the heavy door...to find himself face-to-muzzle with a white-furred wolf the size of a grizzly bear, with a rime of frost around its snarling mouth.

Boris waited for the wolf's jaws to clamp down over his head, his eyes squeezed shut. When his death did not immediately come, he partially opened one eye and saw that the beast was still poised, a low growl emanating from deep in its chest.
"That's a winter warg," Piotr said quietly from behind Boris. "They are highly intelligent. Let me try and speak with it. Keep your mouth shut, and don't move."
The sorcerer stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"We have no quarrel with you," he began. "We are here searching for a friend, and we have been accosted continuously by the denizens of this keep. Judging by the large lock on the outside of your door, I assume you may have been held prisoner by these same individuals. If so, then our interests may be in alignment."
"If not, then we kill you like we kill them!" Boris burst out, puffing up his chest.
Piotr hissed, and Zula snatched Boris behind her.
"Please," Piotr continued, "ignore that. I assure you that we mean you no harm...if you can say the same."
The wolf's cold, blue eyes glittered in the torchlight, but the growl grew quiet, and its lips once more covered its fangs.
"What has become of the ogre mage?" he asked in a distinctly masculine voice.
"She is dead," Piotr replied, "at our hands. You can see for yourself if you like. May I ask how you came to be here?"
"I was taken unawares from my home at the Crown of the World by that treacherous creature," the wolf replied. "She thought to tame and train me as one might a dog. I showed her differently, so she left me here to rot."
"The Crown of the World?" Piotr asked. "The man we are looking for is to be our guide for an expedition there. Do you know of other captives here?"
"I have heard pathetic human screams from further down the passage," the wolf replied. "You're going to the Crown of the World? Do you wish to die so fervently?"
"Not at all," Piotr shook his head. "But we must traverse it to reach the lands of Tian Xia. Is there anything you can tell us of the dangers we might encounter?"
The wolf issued a short bark, which might have been a laugh. "The dangers are as many as the hairs in my coat! Your human guide might know the way, but only one such as I can truly prepare you for the perils you will face."
"Is that an offer, Mr....?"
"Skygni," the wolf said, and then shrugged his massive shoulders. "I am returning home in any event. There is strength in a pack. I could accompany you, seeing as how you have done me a service this day."
Piotr looked to his companions, who nodded their agreement.
"It may be several days before we are ready to depart Kalsgard," he said to Skygni.
"Fine," the wolf replied. "I will meet you outside the walls of the human settlement in a fortnight. If you do not come, I will leave without you."
With that, he shouldered his way into the passage and then trotted back the way they'd come.

_____________________________________________________________________

Kimandatsu's keys also unlocked the last door in the hallway. Inky darkness filled the inside of the chamber on the other side, along with a stale, fishy smell mixed with the stench of unwashed bodies. The sound of dripping water and a low moan echoed through the still air. Boris's eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and he could see that the northwest corner of the room was flooded with tepid water, creating a shallow pool. Crouched in that water were a trio of frog-like creatures the size of short, stocky humanoids with webbed feet and claws, and glowing white eyes. Nearer to hand, curled into a fetal position, was an Ulfen man. He wasn't moving, and Boris could not tell if he was breathing.

The little goblin walked confidently into the room while his companions watched from the doorway. He went to the Ulfen, and bent down to listen for any signs of life.
"He just sleeping," Boris called over his shoulder, "or unconscious. Same difference."
He then turned towards the frog creatures, who were all staring at him.
"Hello frog-people," he waved. "We here to free you. That what we doing today...freeing everyone...wolfs, frogs, humans...all free!"
In response, the eyes of the creatures suddenly blazed with blinding light as they rushed forward. Boris's vision went white, and then he couldn't see anything anymore.

Though the light was intense, Lucian could still see well enough to put two arrows in the closest creature headed for Boris. The second little beast leaped towards Mazael, whose sight was also nothing but dazzling spots. The war-priest, however, was accustomed to fighting under less than ideal conditions, and with a bit of guidance from Suishen, he timed his strike perfectly to colide with the frog-thing just as it landed in front of him. Behind him, Zula had been struck blind as well, but she had had enough time to glimpse the layout of the room before that, and she hurled her thunderous voice towards the center of the chamber. The resulting concussion killed two of the things outright, and then Lucian fired another pair of arrows at the last one just as it raked its claws at Boris, dropping it before it could inflict more damage.

______________________________________________________________________

It took some time for the vision of the companions to clear, and for Spivey to tend to the wounds of the Ulfen man. He was disoriented once he regained consciousness, and at first shied away from the strange individuals surrounding him.
"Be at ease," Piotr said reassuringly. "Are you Ulf Gormundr? If so, we have been looking for you. Uksahkka asked us to find you."
"Uksahkka?" the man asked. "Is she with you? Is she safe?"
"She dead," Boris blurted, earning him another withering glare from Piotr, and a slap on the back of his head from Mazael.
"Yes," Piotr confirmed. "We only received word of this recently. She was murdered by the same people who kidnapped you, but we have avenged her."
"She will not be avenged until every member of the Rimerunners Guild is dead at the point of my blade!" Ulf snarled.
"We actually believe that the Kalsgard chapter of the Rimerunners was a front for another, far more dangerous organization called the Five Storms," Piotr replied. "They reside in Tian Xia, and we are journeying there across the Crown of the World to bring them to justice. If you would guide us there, you could have your revenge."
Ulf's eyes smoldered with rage, and he nodded once, curtly.
"You have your guide," he said.

_______________________________________________________________________

Two days later found the companions and Ulf Gormundr back in Kalsgard. Koya was inconsolable when she learned of the loss of a second son, but after time spent in mediation and prayer with her fellow Desnans, Spivey and Mazael, she came to realize that her goddess had larger plans, and her boys had played their part in the tapestry. She was at peace.

Lute Haggersly had kept his word, and returned Haroldo's body to the caravan, where Koya had kept it in a gentle repose. The merchant had since revealed publicly the truth about Thorborg Silverskorr and the Rimerunners Guild. This had caused a major shake up among the Kalsgard guilds, and Sveinn Blood-Eagle has suspended the Rimerunners' operations and seized all of their assets while investigations were conducted. The Linnorm King then publicly distanced himself from his formal cordial relations with Silverskorr.

For their part in avenging his blood feud upon Asvig Longthews and Thorborg Silverskorr, Fynn Snaevald officially relinquished ownership of Suishen to the Scions. He also offered to invest 2000 gold pieces into Sandru's caravan in exchange for a cut of any profits. Sandru was most pleased.

After all of her help, and for the loyalty she had shown, the companions told Zula of the true nature of their quest, and Ameiko offered her an official place among them. The Thundercaller felt strangely drawn to the young Tian woman, and accepted the offer graciously. Still, Sandru felt like they were short-handed, and with the recent revelations of the lengths the Five Storms were willing to go to to stop them, he suggested that they look into hiring on a mercenary or two. In fact, he had already gone so far as to put up postings, and had already received several inquiries. The others were less than pleased, and even less so when they saw the motley crew that had answered the flyers. Sandru was determined, however, and Ameiko supported his decision. They waded through the interviewing process, weeding out 9 out of every 10 applicants, until only four remained.

The first of those deemed sort of worthy was, of all things, another goblin. He rode into the caravan grounds mounted on a shaggy wolf, and carrying a long, golden lance. He introduced himself as Nex, and was quite well-spoken...compared to Boris. He boasted of his jousting skills, and Boris liked him immediately. Mazael was less than enthusiastic. The second candidate was a human, Kelishite by the look of him, named Zane. He was dressed gaudily, with a large peacock plume jutting from his jauntily cocked cap, and leather boots that rose to his thighs. He bore a scimitar that he carried in a bejeweled sheath. He was happy to demonstrate his skills, hopping and dancing about like a fool, all the while spinning his sword about him like a dervish. No one was impressed. Third came a Mwangi screamer named Fang, armed with a large axe carved out of bone. He was monosyllabic, and spoke mostly in grunts, though when he swung his great axe, he nearly cleaved a fallen log in two with one stroke. Last was an elven woman dressed in simple robes. A small, delicate dragon sat upon her shoulder, and the only name she gave was Sly. She didn't walk into the camp, but instead floated gently out of the air. She demonstrated many strange magical abilities, which caused Piotr to mutter the word 'witchcraft' under his breath.

The companions debated the merits and drawbacks of each of the candidates at length, weighing their own current strengths and weaknesses, and what role they were most in need of. They had more than enough people who knew how to swing a blade or shoot a bow, especially since they intended on resurrecting Haroldo just as soon as the Amatasu Seal was recharged. In the end, despite Piotr's protests, it was decided that Sly best suited their needs. Her spells and skills would nicely complement the sorcerer's, who, even he grudgingly admitted, had been carrying the lion's-share of mystical mayhem up to that point. Contracts were signed and agreements were arrived at. Sandru estimated it would be approximately two weeks before the caravan would be ready to leave Kalsgard and, upon the advice of Ulf Gormundr, the companions would do well to equip themselves for a long, cold journey.

________________________________________________________________________

Two weeks later, Sandru's caravan pulled out of Kalsgard, bound for the Crown of the World. Just beyond the city, Skygni found them, and took up position in the fore of the train. The horses whinnied skittishly, but the drovers managed to keep them under the control, though the men muttered to themselves under their breaths, and forked the sign of the Evil Eye at the warg.

Over the next month, the caravan travelled through the Thanelands of the Linnorm Kings before following the line of the Stormspear Hills to reach the taiga and tundra beyond. At that point, the two Avistani ends of the Path of Aganhei joined together to cross the Rimethirst Mountains. Along the way, the companions were able to use the Amatatsu Seal to restore Haroldo to the land of the living and bring him up to speed on all that had transpired since his demise. He was not particularly saddened to hear about Neko's death.

It was on their second day on the Path of Aganhei that Skygni brought the caravan to a halt when he stopped abruptly and lifted his muzzle into the air, sniffing intently.
"My brothers are near," he growled. "They will try and surround us. Prepare yourselves."
No sooner had he spoken, than four large shadows separated from the mists on all sides of the wagons. They were white-furred wargs, similar to Skygni, but slightly smaller than the big alpha. Boris quickly rolled underneath one of the wagons and hid himself behind the front wheel. From there he snapped off a shot from his bow into the nearest wolf, taking it through its left eye. At the front of column, Skygni lowered his head, a low menacing growl coming from his throat, and the fur on his back bristling. The warg in front of him adopted a similar pose, and then the two brutes charged one another, colliding with massive impact, teeth and claws ripping and tearing as they rolled through the snow. On the caravan's rear, Lucian fired off a barrage of arrows at the warg closing on him, while on the right flank, the final wolf charged at Piotr and Sly. Piotr prepared to unleash his magic upon the beast, but before he could, Sly stepped in front of him and her fingers wove a complex pattern. The wolf collapsed in mid-run, sliding to a stop mere inches from the witch, deep, rumbling snores echoing from its snout.

The half-blind, pain-maddened warg Boris had shot rushed towards the goblin, its jaws parting and a cloud of frost gathering there. At the last moment, Mazael stepped in front of it and absorbed the brunt of the frigid blast, Suishen's fiery glow bathing him and protecting him from the cold. The war-priest then reversed the blade and drove it through the wolf's throat, putting it out of its misery. Lucian continued to loose arrows at his wolf, and Shalelu joined him. With the combined barrage, the wolf never reached them. At the front of caravan, Skygni and his rival finally rolled to a stop, with the larger warg atop the smaller, it's throat in the alpha's jaws and its life's blood spilling onto the snow. Finally, Haroldo strode up to the sleeping warg and cut its head from its body.

"Well done," Ulf said as he walked among the corpses of the wolves, "but this was easy. We still have at least three months upon the Crown, and the danger is just beginning..,"

Giants And Mermaids

7 Desnus, 4715 - 22 Desnus, 4715

The caravan made its way through the tundral lands of what Ulf called the outer rim of the Crown. The weather was cool, but not unbearable, never rising above 40 degrees, but seldom dipping below freezing. Ulf explained that this was likely to due to the time of the year. The late Spring was the time of the Midnight Sun, where for twenty hours a day, the sun rode high and bright, and for the other four hours it only made it half way to the horizon. He warned them not to get to used to the relatively balmy weather, as the going would get much tougher once they reached the High Ice. Still, it was not unpleasant, and when they spied the aurora glimmering in the sky above them, it cheered them, especially when Koya told them all that this was a good omen.

As the caravan descended the northern flanks of the Rimethirst Mountains that formed the frontier of the Crown of the World, they entered a rugged hill country. Ulf informed the companions that the blustery, wind-carved badlands and folded hills of Urjuk were once home to a collection of giant realms. While some giants still wandered the tundra or the High Ice farther north, the Giant Downs themselves lay desolate and largely unoccupied. Still, Urjuk was remembered as an ancient homeland, and Ulf said that many giants still came there to die or be buried in the lands of their ancestors. When the caravan made camp for the first time in hills, the scouts spotted the shape of a large, solitary wolf on a distant ridge.
"Another of your kin?" Mazael asked Skygni.
The worg lifted his muzzle from his paws where he'd been resting and looked up at the ridge.
"Ignore him," he said after a moment, closing his eyes again. "Likely just a loner checking up on trespassers in his territory. He won't attack a group this big."
Boris wasn't convinced. Since they now had a winter wolf as a traveling companion, he had become more and more curious about the nature of the creatures. Most of the experience he'd ever had with wolves was with the non-talking kind who tried to eat your, or steal your sheep. While the others busied themselves with the normal camp activities, the goblin stole away into the rocky hills, carrying with him a rabbit carcass he'd liberated from the caravan stores.

Boris crested the ridge, still moving stealthily and clinging to what little shadows the midnight sun allowed. He saw the great wolf crouched there, peering out from between two large boulders.
"I can smell you, little rat," the wolf growled.
"I bring a gift for you," Boris called from his hiding place. "We travel with wolf just like you. We be friends!"
"Do not compare me to some whipped cur," the wolf snarled. "You and your kind had best move on from this place with all haste. You are trespassing on hallowed ground. Stick to the trail. If you stray from it, your lives will be forfeit."
"Boris understand," the goblin replied. "You still take gift."
He tossed the rabbit and then scurried back down the hill. He didn't bother to inform the others of his little side trek.

______________________________________________________________________

The following day, the caravan continued their journey through the Giant Downs, but about mid-day, Skygni and Ulf spotted movement among the barrows on all sides. They just had time to warn the others before a quartet of white-skinned ice trolls descended upon them. While two of them attacked the fore and rear, meeting Skygni and Shalelu respectively, the other pair charged the flanks, mauling two of the drivers before they could react. They then tried to grab the unconscious Varisians and flee with them. Fortunately, the companions rallied quickly, and through a combination of Mazael and Suishen, Piotr's fireball, Shalelu's acid bow, Sly's slumber hex, and Zula's thundercall, the giants were dealt with decisively. The drivers were badly wounded, but not mortally, and with Spivey's and Koya's healing magics, they were brought back to health, though perhaps still mentally traumatized.

As they travelled on through the day, Boris spotted the big wolf pacing them in the distance from time to time. At one point, he even thought he saw another large figure standing with the wolf, this one on two legs. Rather than concern him, this only served to further intrigue the goblin, and when the caravan again stopped to rest, Boris found that he could not help himself. He simply HAD to go and see one of the giant burial barrows for himself. He waited until most of the camp was asleep, and then scuttled off into the shadows once again. The nearest barrow was perhaps a hundred yards from the caravan. To all appearances, it was simply a large hill, with sparse grass growing atop it. Boris's sharp eyes, however, managed to spot an inconsistency in the irregular stone, and when he examined it more closely, he was able to trace the outline of a large, concealed doorway. He found a hidden latch, and when he flipped it, the door slid inward. Inside was a hollow space that contained a stone bier. Laid out upon it were the skeletal remains of a giant, white hair and beard still clinging to dry flesh. It was dressed in armor, and bore a great axe across its breast, but a quick glance told Boris that there was nothing of real value there. Satisfied, he exited the tomb and closed the door behind him, then slipped back into camp.

It was still an hour before true dawn when the attack came. The scouts had rigged several early warning devices around the camp, including animal traps, trip wires and alarm bells, and these were their first indications of trouble. The assault came from two sides. To the north, the massive winter wolf stalked out of the morning mists, accompanied by a second, smaller companion, while to the south, what looked like a roiling fog cloud appeared as if out of nowhere. Shalelu, who'd been on watch, was the first to respond. Kneeling, she fired a pair of arrows into the smaller wolf, causing it to stumble in mid-charge. To her left, she saw Zula, also awake, and the Thundercaller hammered the wolf the with force of her voice, leaving it stunned and staggering. Another shot from the ranger's bow took it down within a matter of seconds.

Boris didn't know what to make of the wall of mist on the far side of the camp, so naturally he darted right into it. He immediately wished he hadn't, for standing concealed in the fog was the biggest giant he'd ever seen. It was easily twenty feet tall, with pale blue skin and a snow white beard and hair. He bore an enormous axe in his hands, and as Boris stared up wide-eyed at him, he raised it into the air and ran roaring out of the mist.
"YOU WERE WARNED!" he bellowed as he charged straight towards Mazael. "YOU VIOLATED THE HOUSES OF THE DEAD!"
Mazael tried to bring Suishen up defensively, but it was like standing in the path of a hurricane. The mighty frost giant overran the war-priest, and brought his axe down upon Mazael as he fell. The giant didn't pause, and let his momentum carry him straight into Skygni, whom he cleaved with another huge blow from his blade. The winter wolf howled and snarled, but didn't fall back. Instead, he leaped for the giant and locked his jaws around its calf, hanging on for dear life.

Mazael rose groggily to his feet, only to have the giant hammer-blow him a second time. Then the brute turned its attention back to Skygni, but before he could strike, an explosion of fire detonated around his head as Pitor rolled out of the back of the wagon were he'd been sleeping. As the giant reeled backwards, Skygni shook and twisted his leg, tripping him up and sending him crashing to the ground. Suddenly, the air was filled with an animal-like scream as Haroldo came charging, naked, out of another wagon, his sword (and other things) swinging. He drove it into the giant's breast, piercing his heart.

Meanwhile, Lucian, Shalelu and Zula managed to bring down the other winter wolf, while Ulf delivered the killing blow. As the dust cleared and the companions regrouped, Piotr was the first to speak.
"What did he mean when he said we'd violated the houses of the dead?" the sorcerer asked.
All eyes turned immediately to Boris, who quickly slunk away into the shadows beneath the wagons.

___________________________________________________________________

Four days later, the caravan left the Giant Downs behind. The Path of Aganhei then crossed a wide tundra basin before turning northwest, skirting the Gaarjuk Hills and heading into the eastern lake country of Hasanaliat. At this point, Ulf Gormundr told the group that they had a choice to make.

"The primary route of the Path of Aganhei runs northwest through the Erutaki lands of Hasanaliat," he said. "It skirts the Bearleg Lakes and the Gaarjuk Hills, and then north of the hills it follows the Taraska River through the high tundra of Hoarwell March towards the town of Unaimo, the last major trading village before it climbs onto the High Ice through the Koumssa Gap. This route is easier and faster, but the lands it crosses are more inhabited, potentially exposing us to unfriendly eyes. I suggest an alternate route north directly through the Gaarjuk Hills. This will cut off a wide bend of our route and avoid the more civilized lands. However, the hill country is far more rugged and remote, with fewer chances for us to resupply or seek help if trouble should ensue. We would still need to ford the Taraska, and with greater difficulty than along the main route, and then link back up with the Path."
The others deferred to the guide's greater experience, and the decision was made to divert through the hill country.

On 22 Desnus, the caravan came into the small Erutaki village of Rimakak, which lay at the foot of a waterfall flowing into Lake Nallishoot. Ulf had visited the village in the past, and thought it might be a good place to rest and resupply. When the troupe pulled in, however, they found the lodges and huts completely deserted. Worse, they had been despoiled, with refuse, offal and filth smeared all about, and all of the furnishings smashed to splinters. No bodies nor blood could be found, however. It was fairly easy for the party scouts to determine that a large number of people had fled to the north recently, judging by the amount of booted footprints leading in that direction, as if a mass exodus of the entire population had occurred. There was something else, though: a smaller number of bare foot prints led towards the frozen lake. These prints were large, as if from a creature ten-feet tall or more, and the toe marks bore deep claw indentations, and it was apparent that the feet were webbed.

It was decided that Shalelu, Sandru, Koya, Ameiko, Ulf , Spivey and Skygni would stay behind and guard the caravan while the others followed the strange tracks onto the lake to see if they could discover what might have befallen the Erutaki. The prints led out into the middle of the lake before they abruptly vanished. It was then that Boris, Zula and Sly simultaneously spotted large, dark shadows moving just below the ice. Before they could warn their companions, the ice directly beneath Piotr cracked and fractured. A nightmarish creature reached up from the depths and wrapped its arms around the sorcerer. It resembled a monstrous humanoid woman with a lumpy, scaled hide and lank, tangled black hair. It wore ragged sealskin garments decorated with numerous shells and tiny living crustaceans. A curiously sweet smell wafted from her. Then the ice began breaking all around the companions as other creatures surged up from below. The new arrivals were giants with pale green, scaled skin and large, webbed hands and feet. On either side of their necks were slotted gills. There were eight of them in total. Two of them slammed their big fists into Haroldo and Mazael, while another pair hammered at Piotr, driving him underwater with his captor. She wrapped her arms more tightly around his, pinning them to his side, and then, before the horrified eyes of his friends, Piotr began to transform. His skin shaded towards bluish green, and his eyes became bulbous as gill slits formed on his neck.

Above, Mazael stepped into the air, under Suishen's spell, and surged towards one of the aquatic ogres, the katana opening the creature from stem to stern, spilling its bowels onto the ice. Sly rose into the air on her own magic, and flung one of her hexes towards another of the creatures, causing it to roll onto its back in the water, snoring loudly. Haroldo jumped nimbly across the ice floes, landing adjacent to one of the brutes, and then beheading it with a swing of his great sword. He then turned and slashed at another, which fell a moment later to Lucian's bow. Four more fell stunned in the water as Zula's voice boomed across the valley. The Shoanti then turned her attention to freeing Piotr. She cast a spell of grease upon the sorcerer, enabling him to wriggle free of the woman's grasp. Piotr struggled to the surface, gasped for air, then wove his own spell, causing his body to rapidly blink in and out of resistance as he swam for the shore, the horrid transformation already beginning to reverse itself.

Boris dove into the frigid lake, trying to swim around and beneath the hag. When he reached her, he thrust his blade into her back, but it was if he'd stabbed a slab of iron. She spun swiftly in the water, her black eyes meeting his, and then she cocked her head quizzically.
"You might just be the one...," she said, almost to herself.
Boris felt strange. He couldn't remember why he'd been attacking this lovely creature. She reached out a taloned hand and gently caressed his cheek.
"Breath," she said, and he found that he could.
He opened his mouth and drew in freezing water, yet it was no different than breathing air.
"Swim down, my love," she said. "Wait for me on the bottom. I'll be along. I have a gift for you."
"Boris like gifts, mer-lady," the goblin nodded enthusiastically, and then he swam down into the depths of the lake.

Mazael and Haroldo made quick work of the stunned merrow in the water, while Lucian picked off the one snoozing on its back. Soon the lake was quiet again. Piotr had made it back to shore safely, and Zula had followed to make sure no other dangers were lurking. Sly circled above, but could see no new enemies below the ice. It was only then that the companions noticed that Boris was nowhere in sight...and the strange, water hag was gone as well...

Great story JD, thanks for sharing!

Thanks! The group is really enjoying it, and there have been quite a few moments where the story has gone "off script." With my next two posts, I will be current with our game in real time

INTERLUDE

Boris looked around in fascination at the foreign landscape of the lakebed. He was equally amazed by the fact that he was actually breathing water! Beside him, his strange new friend swam in silence.
"Queen of the Deep," he said at last, trying to pass the time, "Boris appreciate you inviting him to your home and giving him the ability to breath water, but Boris don't think it was very nice of you to hug his friend Piotr the like that. Not to mention your other friends were very mean to Boris's friends. On other hand YOU are very nice, especially giving Boris this lovely trip to bottom of lake. We should work on our friends' not liking each other, teach them to be more like you and Boris. Take Boris's word, these humans are not very trusting and actually very racist. Unlike your generosity, it takes a lot to make them accept you into their home as friend. We can teach them a thing or two, if you ask Boris. When we get to your underwater palace, Boris would like to make you a special salmon and seaweed wrapped sandwich. See? You give Boris gift, and Boris make you sandwich. Fair trade, yes?"
"Your 'friends' just killed all of my children," she replied flatly.
Boris had no answer to that.

After awhile, they reached a cave deep below the surface. The interior held an odd array of fish bones, kelp, shell art, and scattered coins, as well as pieces of armor and a few scattered weapons. Once inside, Boris's host turned towards him.
"My name is Arnaalak," she said, "and I am a qallupilluk. I have lived in this lake, for some time, and for many years I had kept my distance from the villagers. However, I was also very lonely, and I thought it was time I paid my neighbors a visit. At first, they showed me respect, and invited me to a feast. When I demanded, as was my right, the honored portion of the feast, they agreed, but when one of their women came to serve me, the fool spilled the food all over me! I knew this was a deliberate insult, meant to taunt me! I was enraged, so I cursed the villagers and returned to my lake. I soon came back to the village, however, and began luring their children away, one by one, to take my revenge. I transformed them into the creatures that you saw, and when the village warriors came looking for them, it pleased me to have them die at the hands of their own mutated children, who now called me mother."
Boris thought for a moment, and then chose his words wisely.
"Well, Boris completely understand why you were offended by these humans. They were very stupid to have insulted you in such a way as to toss food on you. Boris care more about you and food than to do such things."
Arnaalak continued to stare at him with her black, pupil-less eyes.
"You see why they taunted me, yes?" she asked. "They knew I was childless, and they had many children. The cow that spilled food on me was even pregnant! They wanted to rub my face in it! But now," she lowered her gaze. "Now, their children...my adopted children...lay dead at the hands of your friends!"
Boris tensed, his hands sliding towards his swords.
"Then I saw you, and I had a revelation," she continued. "You see, my kind do not produce offspring very often. We are all females, and must mate with males from other aquatic races, but even then, children are rare. We have more luck when we mate with land dwellers that we have transformed. That is why I chose you. I want you to be my mate."

Looking her in the eyes, Boris again tiptoed around his words.
"Boris will be happy to do sexy things with you, but Boris does not want to be a Mer-King. He want to be goblin. Please do not take offense to Boris turning down this offer, but Boris is on quest that he has promised to complete. The Gods have revealed this to Boris in his fortunes through the Harrow Cards. You understand Boris, yes?"
Arnaalak looked a little disappointed, a little sad, and a little...angry. Then, a look of inspiration came into her eyes.
"The change is not permanent unless I sacrifice a portion of my own life force for you," she said. "I can change you, we can consummate our love, and then you will change back in one hour. If you agree, I will give you this."
She retrieved a gleaming, golden breast plate from the clutter and showed it to Boris.
"If you don't...I might have to eat you."
She smiled when she said that, and winked.
Boris nodded his head, but with reservation.
"If you will you give Boris your WORD as Mer-Queen," he replied, "that you allow Boris to continue on his journey to save the world. As you know, this very important to Boris and the rest of world. Boris need to finish this quest as goblin, but willing to be mer-man for little while. Boris realize he very irresistible and is willing to help new friend make the royal baby."
Arnaalak grinned horribly, and nodded as well. Boris began to remove his armor in a very seductive way....for a goblin.

After...Boris was true to his word, and made his lady-love a delicious salmon and kelp sandwich. She did indeed gift him with the golden breastplate, and in turn, he gave her a silver ladle he had filched from Ravenscraeg. An hour or so later, his transformation ended, and he returned to his former goblin beauty. Arnaalak bid him farewell, but invited him to return to her if was ever that way again, and perhaps he could meet his daughter...

The Evil That Men Do

22 Desnus, 4715 - 2 Sarenith, 4715

The Scions stared in horror at the dead children scattered upon the ice at their feet. As the merrows had died, each of them had undergone a rapid transformation, leaving behind the broken bodies of the Erutaki young.
"We couldn't have known," Mazael said, shaking his head.
"That could have been me," Piotr murmured.
"What does this mean for Boris?" Lucian asked. "If that...creature has taken him, what will become of him?"
Mazael shook his head again. "Suishen can't sense him, but that doesn't mean much. This lake could be hundreds of feet deep. There's no way we're going to find him."
"If we wait until morning," Lucian said, "there is a prayer that I know which can locate a unique object, such as his kami armor."
"Tomorrow," Piotr sighed. "That may be all that's left of him by tomorrow."

They returned to the abandoned village and informed their traveling companions of all that had transpired. None of them had any better idea of how to find the missing goblin, and so they resigned themselves to waiting out the long night. No one noticed, or if they did, they gave no sign, that they were being watched very closely as the hours ticked by. In the morning, Lucian settled in for his meditation. When he'd finished, he gathered the others around him.
"This should work," he said, "but we have to prepare ourselves that the only thing we may recover is Boris's body. Even so, we owe him that much. We may even be able to use the Seal to restore him if that's what his spirit wants."
Suddenly, a loud honking sound, followed by hitching sobs drew their attention to one of the abandoned houses. From out of the shadows there, a small figure stepped.
"You DO love Boris!" the goblin wailed. "Boris watch all night to see if friends sad for him, and you are! Don't be sad tall people; Boris back!"
A chorus of groans, sighs, and a smattering of cheers (mainly from Koya and Spivey) greeted this 'triumphant' return.
"Would you care to tell us just what you've been up to?" Lucian asked. "And did you kill that murderous lake-hag?"
"You no talk like that about Boris' Mer-Queen!" the goblin snapped. "Boris went to underwater palace, and now he is king of entire underwater kingdom!"
Lucian rolled his eyes, and Mazael growled deep in his chest.
"What is it with you and monsters?" the war-priest asked. "First the tengu, then the harpy, now this...hag-thing?"
"Her name Arnaalak, and she is fine lady!" Boris protested. "Humans in village insult her big-time and throw food at her just because she not have baby! She get even with them by steal their babies!"
"And turning them into monsters, which we were forced to kill!" Lucian sputtered.
Boris shrugged. "There is that, but she really not so bad. She nice to Boris and let him return to friends. She also tell Boris information about road ahead."
"I'm not interested," Lucian spat, and turned away, shaking his head.
"Fine!" Boris called after him. "Then Boris not tell you about three-headed flying monsters, or cannibals! Oh...and Boris almost forget: dragons!"

___________________________________________________________________

Three days later found the caravan north of Lake Nallishoot, where the hills became more rugged with cliffs and wind-carved badlands laced with rocky stream-beds. Those countless, nameless streams gathered themselves together to form the Kluani River, a rock-strewn watercourse that flowed out of the hills to join the Taraska River in the tundra beyond. The curious echoes and labyrinthine pathways of the badlands made it difficult for the company to discern normal noises from things more sinister. The caravan's route led along the base of an east-west ridge that sheltered it from the ever-present north winds. It was from the top of this ridge that the companions first heard a distant, sharp 'crack' followed by an ominous roar. They looked up, and all eyes widened in horror as they saw the avalanche of cascading rocks and debris, over one-hundred feet wide, bearing down on them. Sandru lashed at the horses drawing the lead wagon, and called for the other drivers to follow him. The wagons lurched into a faster pace, with the scouts and guides running along beside. The full force of the avalanche came crashing down behind them, just missing the trailing wagon by a matter of yards, obliterating their back trail.

Sandru stood in his seat and looked back over his caravan, taking a mental head-count to assure himself that everyone was safe. As his eyes travelled up to the top of the ridge, however, they narrowed. Two winged shapes had launched themselves from there and were rapidly bearing down on the companions.
"Beware!" he cried in warning.
The creatures swept down, and they were terrible to behold. They had the white-furred bodies of powerful polar bears, but with three heads. The center of these was that of a white-scaled dragon, while the other two were those of a polar bear and a walrus. Their wings and tails were also draconic. Sandru grabbed his bow and quickly loosed an arrow at the lead beast. The shaft found its mark, but the chimera seemed not even to notice. It broke its dive directly above Sandru's wagon, hovering in mid-air, its wings whipping up a dervish of dust and grit. It's draconic mouth stretched open wide, and a blast of frigid ice burst from its throat. Sandru leaped from the wagon at the last instant, landing in a rolling somersault on the ground, unharmed. He looked over his shoulder, certain the creature would be bearing down on him, but instead he saw the furry bulk of Skygni leap onto the wagon. The winter wolf raised his muzzle and exhaled his own wintery breath up at the chimera, causing all three of its heads to roar in pain as a frosty rime covered them.

The second chimera charged the back of the caravan, where Shalelu was struggling to bring her bow to bear. It blasted her with its breath as it streaked by, leaving the ranger coated in a layer of frost that chilled her to the bone.
"Shalelu! Get clear!" Lucian cried.
The wood oracle fired a shot from his bow, his magic imbuing the shaft with greater weight as it left the string, causing it to strike with immense impact. It pierced the eye of the chimera's walrus head, and as the creature reeled, Lucian loosed a second shaft, taking it through its foreleg. As it circled for altitude, Shalelu's numb fingers drew back her bowstring and released, sending a third shaft into its rump before she darted for cover behind the nearest wagon.

The first chimera locked the jaws of its bear head around Skygni's throat. The great wolf howled, and then clamped his own fangs down on the dragon head's neck. While the two beasts grappled, Mazael charged in, Suishen's blade wreathed in flame. He struck the chimera across its flank, and it roared, its walrus head whipping around to impale one large tusk through the war-priest's leg. It raked its front claws across Skygni's belly, trying to free itself from the wolf, and tear his throat out at the same time. Suddenly, a ray of black light sprang from the outstretched hand of Sly and struck the chimera. Immediately, its form began to wither and shrivel as its very life force was drained. A moment later, Piotr hurled a bead of fire at it, which exploded into an expanding ball of fire, completely engulfing the creature, leaving it a charred husk as the blast threw Skygni and Mazael clear.

The remaining chimera wheeled around and launched itself at Lucian, its draconic jaws tearing at his shoulder as he tried to move out of the way. The force of the blow sent him stumbling, but when he turned back towards the monster, his bow was drawn taught, and he loosed another heavy arrow, sending this one into the forehead of the dragon head and the brain beneath. The chimera went rigid, then fell to the ground, jittering as if struck by lightning before going still.
"See?" Boris said as he emerged from his hiding place beneath one of the wagons. "Boris tell you mer-Queen speak true! Now you don't come running to Boris when cannibals eat you!"

_______________________________________________________________

Two days later, as the caravan made its way along the Kluani River, where the Gaarjuk hills sloped down to the Taraska floodplain, the travelers came upon a small collection of sod huts partially buried in the riverbank. As they drew closer, the Erutaki hunters emerged from their dwellings and waved their hands in greeting.
"It should be ok," Ulf said. "They may want to trade."

The wagon train stopped among the huts, and the headman approached.
"I am Taranaak, of the Silver Marten clan," he introduced himself. "Welcome to our camp. Come, share meat with us, and perhaps we can barter and share news."
The companions glanced at one another, and then at Ulf.
"It's customary," the guide murmured. "To refuse would be an insult."
The tribesmen brought out wooden platters laden with meat, and the caravaners partook...all but two. Piotr pretended to eat, but Boris's warning echoed in his mind. When he was sure no one was watching, he tossed his portion to Skygni. Sly also did not eat, but she was more obvious about it.
"Is something wrong?" Taranaak asked, tension in his voice.
"Have you heard anything about cannibals around here?" the witch asked innocently.
The rest of the caravan collectively held their breath.
"Of course!" Taranaak laughed. "To eat of the flesh of one's enemy is to embrace their spirit. It honors their sacrifice. Also, we cannot simply refuse the bounty of the land in this place of privation. Now you have tasted of it as well. Join us!"
"No thanks," Sly said, dropping the meat in disgust.
The others threw their portions to the ground as well, their faces registering various degrees of horror and outrage...all except Skygni, who continued to gnaw contentedly on a large haunch. Taranaak's face darkened angrily.
"You dare insult us so?" he snarled. "Leave now, or you will be our next meal!"
His warriors reached for their weapons.
"Come," Ulf said quickly, before the others could react. "We will go our own way."

______________________________________________________________

"This cannot stand!" Koya said angrily.
It was actually one of the few times Sandru could remember seeing his mother angry. The caravan had come to a halt, perhaps a mile beyond the Silver Marten clan's campsite.
"I have eaten of human flesh!" the old fortune-teller shouted. "Desna will not forgive me for this!"
Spivey nodded her head solemnly.
"There must be some sort of atonement," she said.
"Agreed!" Mazael snarled. "And I know just the thing!"
Koya looked at her fellow Desnans sharply, and there was a dangerous look in her eyes.
"For once, my old friend," she replied to the war-priest, "I am in agreement with your thirst for violence. Cannibalism is an abomination in itself, but for those people to lure in unsuspecting travelers and deceive them into participating in their vile rituals is too much to bear! How many more of Desna's beloved will fall victim to this practice, or worse, wind up in the cook pot themselves?"
"What are you suggesting, Mother?" Sandru asked quietly.
"We return to their camp," Koya said firmly. "We offer them the chance to renounce their wicked practice. If they do not, then our atonement must be made...in blood!"

_______________________________________________________________

When the caravan returned to the camp of the Silver Martens, they were met by a dozen of Taranaak's armed warriors, as well as the chieftain himself.
"You were warned not to return here!" he shouted across the distance between the two factions.
"And you have sinned in the eyes of Desna!" Koya called back. "We offer you the opportunity to repent and beg for the Traveler's mercy, and our forgiveness!"
As she spoke, Boris ducked beneath one of the wagons and quietly broke one of the snapleafs he carried his his belt pouch. As the leaf's magic rendered him invisible, he crept silently down the trail until he stood among the cannibals.
"Hah!" Taranaak barked in scornful laughter. "We do not recognize your weak southern gods! Come! Let us show you the power gained by consuming your foes!"

"Boris hear enough," the goblin grumbled as he stabbed one wakizashi through the groin of the nearest cannibal.
The man roared in pain, and swung his huge club at Boris, but the little rogue scampered nimbly away.
"Bring me their heads!" Taranaak commanded.
His men surged forward, their war cries blood-curdling. As they ran, their jaws seemed to elongate, and their canine teeth lengthened to sharp points. Ulf and Haroldo rushed forward to meet the onslaught, their weapons slicing bone and sinew wantonly. Lucian took a knee and sighted with his bow, then put one arrow neatly through Taranaak's shoulder, though the chief stood well behind his warriors. Several of the Erutaki charged past Ulf and Haroldo towards the main body of the caravan. Mazael moved to meet them, but he was quickly overwhelmed. Cannibals swarmed around him, clubbing and biting. He was granted a short moment of reprieve when Shalelu, with deadly accuracy, took down three of the warriors with her bow. Sly put another one to sleep with her hexes, and Mazael drove Suishen through that one's chest, making sure he would never wake again.

Suddenly, Ulf cried out a warning.
"Haroldo is down!" the Ulfen called.
Beside him, the blood-rager lay on the ground, loud snores echoing from his barrel chest. Sly's gaze went to Taranaak. She cursed herself for not having recgnized another witch, but his familiar had not been visible before. Now, a small, beady-eyed weasel sat twitching upon his shoulder.
"Wake him!" she screamed at Ulf.
"How?" the guide shrugged.
"Kick him in the slats!" Sly snapped.
Ulf looked dubious, but he did as she commanded, drawing back one big, booted foot and slamming its toe solidly into Haroldo's ribs. The blood-rager grunted and jerked awake, his eyes darting around in alarm. To his credit, his disorientation did not last long. He grabbed his sword from where it lay nearby and, though still flat on his back, swung it wide and took the legs from under the nearest cannibal, the force of the blow carrying the blade straight through and into the thigh of the next man. He then fought his way to his feet while bearing the vicious bites of another pair of the savages who closed on him.

Mazael continued to lay about him with Suishen, fighting to keep the cannibals away from his more vulnerable companions. As he brought another one down, his efforts finally bore fruit when Piotr detonated a fireball near Taranaak, immolating a quartet of his warriors, and blistering the chieftain's flesh. As he flailed about trying to put out the flames, an arrow from Lucian's bow caught him in the throat, and he fell, choking on his own blood. And with that, only three cannibals remained. Boris took one, launching himself from the shrubbery and stabbing the man through his spine. Mazael finished off another after Sly put him to sleep as the man turned to run, and Piotr finished the last one with a blast of magic missiles.

Koya walked among the dead, pausing to touch each of them as she passed, murmuring a quiet prayer to Desna.
"Burn them," she said. "Send their souls to the heavens, and may they be granted forgiveness."
The others silently obeyed, adding the stockpile of meat they found among the cannibals stores to the pyre.
Boris whispered to Lucian as he passed,"That twice Boris' mer-Queen right. Now you watch out for dragon!"

_____________________________________________________________

They continued their trek north, but a sudden blizzard halted their progress for three days, then slowed them further for another two days as they struggled through the deep drifts left behind. Finally descending from the hills into the northern tundra of the Hoarwell March, the caravan then journeyed another sixty miles to the great Taraska River. Following Ulf's advice, they travelled along the Kluani River until it joined the Taraska, where they found a fording. That, however, was the easy part. Navigating the marshes south of the river took several hours, and the crossing itself took several more. This was partly due to the fact that when the troupe was halfway across the river, they drew the attention of a trio of enormous freshwater pike, each over thirty-feet long!

The horses began to panic as the fish circled closer, and the drivers, including Sandru, struggled mightily to keep them from bolting. The archers, Lucian, Boris and Shalelu, stood atop the wagons peppering the pike with arrows, trying to keep them away from the horses. Spivey managed to stun one of them temporarily with a focused soundburst, while Sly actually put one to sleep. Unfortunately, as it rolled over on its side, the river current carried it violently into the side of one of the wagons, quickly rousing it once again. Skygni loped through the water towards one of the fish. He breathed his frigid breath on it as he charged, but before he could get any closer, the pike lunged at him, seizing the wolf in its jaws, and then shaking him violently.

The archers finally managed to bring down one of the great fish, and Mazael, using Suishen's power to walk across the air, rushed to Skygni's aid, slashing and cutting at the pike until it released the wolf and sank, bleeding, back into the water. Sly hurled a bolt of lightning from her fingertips at the last fish, but it still managed to leap out of the water and seize the witch. She went limp as its jaws crushed her mid-section. Lucian fired arrow after arrow at the beast, and Piotr released a magic missile barrage. The fish rolled over as it died, dumping Sly into the water, but Mazael grabbed her up before the current could carry her away. He was relieved to find she was still alive...but just barely.