Tales of the Legacy - Concluded

[Delemental]

They saw it coming, of course, but the initial signs told of a minor squall of the sort that the Maiden, Mother and Crone had rode out a half-dozen times already during the voyage. The severe storm season was still at least a month away, and given that their only other choice was to put in back in the cursed hole of a port town they’d just left, the captain chose to ride this one out as well.

The storm hit them by early afternoon on the second day out of port, and by sunset they were fighting for their lives. The storm’s fury had seemingly come out of nowhere, tearing into their sails like claws. Everyone was on deck lending a hand as they could; Lanara and three other crewmen lashed themselves to the wheel, Autumn and Kavan joined other crew down in the hold trying to secure their cargo, and everyone else was on deck securing lines and helping where they could.

Dawn rose over a disturbingly calm ocean shrouded in heavy fog, illuminating the deck of a ship that looked as if it were manned by corpses. Everyone had worked themselves to exhaustion during the night, and simply collapsed where they stood. Slowly, as the sun climbed into the sky, the men stirred from their deathlike slumber. Tolly stood up, clutching one end of a rope that dangled over the side of the deck. He pulled on it, and the end came up out of the water, with a loop tied to the end that had clearly snapped in half. Tolly stared at the frayed ends for a while, then dropped the line to the deck. Kyle came up to his knees, still gripping a wand in white knuckles. Osborn was helping Lanara and the other crewmen untie themselves from the wheel, while Autumn and Kavan stumbled up the stairs, carrying a wounded sailor with them. He was laid on the deck, and examined by the first mate, who began preparing a splint for a broken arm. All the clerics on board, including the captain, had exhausted their spells during the storm trying to keep the crew alive and the ship in one piece, and they were far too exhausted to pray to their respective deities for more.

“Damage report, Mister Caruthers,” Captain Mohan said to his second mate, limping over to him.

“She’s still seaworthy, sir,” growled the orc-touched. “We sprung a few leaks but nothing we can’t stick a cork in until we make port. We’ve lost about half the sail, and a good deal of rigging, though we can piece together enough to get us moving again. Roll call says we lost one crewman, and we’ve got three more wounded enough that they’ll not be much use to us today.”

“Thank Krûsh for so few casualties,” said the captain. “I think we owe a debt to our passengers for that.” He nodded toward Arrie, who had come up from the ship’s stern to report in.

“I’ve saved the worst for last, sir,” Caruthers said. “It’s the mast. You’d… you’d best have a look for yourself, sir.”

The problem was obvious even from their vantage point. A large split ran most of the way down the mast, gaping open the width of a man’s fist in some spots. A quick inspection by a crewman told them that the split ran the length of the mast, all the way down to the keel.

“It’s good we lost as much sail as we did,” Captain Mohan said. “Under full sail she’d have snapped like a twig.” He turned to address his navigator. “Any idea of our position?”

“None, sir,” the hin admitted. “We’ve lost sight of the continent, not that we can see ten feet in this fog. We do seem to have drifted into a current – which one I don’t know, but it’s taking us west. I’ll be able to get our bearings again tonight once I can see the Eyes and the Earthworker*.”

“I see.”

“Captain,” said Tolly, approaching the water-touched, “Although my powers as well as those of my friend Kavan have been depleted today, in the morning we can easily restore the mast, and be on our way.”

“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” said Kyle, walking up next to them. “I took a closer look at the damage to the mast. The force from the split threw it out of joint with the supports. If you use magic to repair the split, the sudden shift in pressure will cause it to twist, and the mast will likely just drop straight through the bottom of the ship.”

“Can we fix it?” asked Tolly.

Kyle shook his head. “We’d have to cut the old mast out entirely in order to get at the damage, and it’s not something I’d want to try on the open sea.”

Captain Mohan nodded. “Then it seems our option is to find out where we are and get back to land. Anything you can do to strengthen the mast enough to raise a partial sail, Kyle?”

“Not much. Like the rest of you, magically speaking I’m tapped out for the day.”

“Perhaps in a few hours, I could create some bracing straps out of any spare metal we have,” said Tolly. “I can reshape steel and other metals magically once my power is restored.”

“It will have to do,” said the captain. “For now, we drift on this current, and see to what repairs we can manage.” He began shouting orders at his officers and crew.

The ship floated silently in the current for hours. The heavy fog refused to lift, even in the late afternoon sun. The crew began to mutter at how strange it was, casting wary looks at the fog as if expecting something to emerge from it. At one point in the afternoon, Kyle was at the bow, staring out at the fog, when Autumn walked up next to him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him.

“It’s… strange,” he replied. “I’ve been studying the fog for signs of magical auras, but I’m not getting any clear auras.”

“Well, that means no magic, right?”

“No, it means I can’t tell one way or the other.” He rubbed his eyes. “Maybe I’m just tired, or just not smart enough to figure out what it means.”

Autumn began to put her hand on Kyle’s shoulder to reassure him, then stopped. “Wait. I thought you told the captain that you’d used up all your power during the storm. How are you able to sense magical auras?”

“Oh, it was a gift from Princess Aralda for helping her to see that trying to lead three lives wasn’t working,” he said. “I can see magical auras any time I want, kind of like how you can sense the presence of evil. Didn’t I mention it?”

“No, you didn’t,” she said.

“Oh. Must’ve slipped my mind.”

Kyle continued to stare out at the fog. Autumn looked at him a moment longer, an odd expression on her face, and then she went to speak with Tolly.

As the sun began to set and the mist had still not lifted, the crew began openly questioning their fate. Stories began to circulate about ships drifting into a mysterious fog, only to emerge in a land of nightmares ruled by monsters. But suddenly, a cry went up from the navigator, who had climbed to the crow’s nest to try and see some stars (the captain only gave him permission to climb the damaged mast because he was a hin and the lightest member of the crew).

“Land ho!”

The crew rushed to the railing to try and see for themselves. Sure enough, after a few minutes they could see the silhouette of an island, crowned by rows of tall, straight trees.

“That’s not good,” said Autumn, when she heard the report of trees on the island.

“No, we want trees,” said Osborn. “We need a new mast.”

“It’s just a little creepy,” chimed in Arrie, answering for her sister. “Just what we needed in the nick of time?”

“Captain,” said Autumn, who was standing next to them, “is this island on your charts?”

“Perhaps,” he said, “but since we don’t know where we are on the charts, I can’t say for sure.”

The captain was shouting orders to the crew, who were breaking out the oars. The party lent a hand in rowing, until the ship finally dropped anchor in a shallow cove only a few yards from the shore. Captain Mohan left second mate Caruthers on the ship as well as a skeleton crew, and journeyed to the island with the party and the remainder of his crew.

“We’ll need to find a tree tall enough and straight enough to serve as a new mast,” he told everyone. “We’ll move out in a group and search for one. There’s only an hour or so of daylight left, so let’s get inland a bit and organize search parties for the morning.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kavan thought he saw movement in the forests surrounding them. He looked more closely, but whatever he’d seen was gone – or a trick of his imagination. He pointed the spot out to others, but they saw nothing.

The island was marshy, and soon they were up to their knees in muck. The odd mist that had followed them throughout the day was absent here, which at least made it easy to see. After going inland for a few hundred yards, Kavan spotted what looked like a game trail. But upon closer inspection, he realized that it was far too wide and straight to be made by animals. The elf pointed out the trail to the others.

“Looks like a good trail to drag a tree down to the ship,” he said.

“Or for the natives to attack the ship,” commented Autumn. “I think we should look for whoever made this trail.”

“We can explore the island further once we’ve found a new mast,” said Arrie. “For now we should stay with the crew and help them.”

A short distance away, Kyle was looking up the trail toward the center of the island. He pointed in that direction. “Um, guys? Lights coming.”

They all looked and saw flickering lights coming down the path toward them. “Torches?” asked Lanara.

Kyle shook his head. “A dancing lights spell.”

As the lights got closer, the party saw that the lights were floating over the head of a tall, thin human dressed in flowing robes decorated with gold thread and hanging jewels. His hair was very short and white, sticking up in small spikes. Behind him were a half-dozen men of various descriptions carrying spears, also dressed in loose, colorful clothing. The entourage stopped a respectful distance away from the party and the crew of the Maiden, Mother and Crone. The men leaned on their spears, not holding them in a threatening manner.

The party slowly drifted together to converse. “I say we just talk to them,” said Kavan, answering the unspoken question of ‘what do we do now’. “They aren’t threatening us, and they didn’t sneak up on us either.”

“I agree,” said Kyle. “But let’s not have Tolly talk to them.”

The Ardaran priest frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just, um…” Kyle stammered.

Lanara stepped forward. “Hello?”

“Greetings, travelers,” said the tall man.

“We’ve got a broken part on our ship,” Lanara explained. “We need to fix it.”

The man tsked and shook his head. “Oh, dear, that does tend to happen in this area. We have on occasion received other unfortunate visitors such as yourselves. I would like to welcome you on behalf of our lord to the island of Momuus. My name is Iolan.”

“Lovely island you have here,” commented Kavan.

Iolan smiled. “Thank you.” He turned back to address Lanara. “Our island is well off the normal trading lanes, so we receive very few intentional visitors. Thus we are always glad to see new arrivals, even if the circumstances that brought them here are unpleasant.” Iolan held out his arms benevolently. “We are, of course, happy to aid you in repairing your ship and getting you on your way as quickly as possible. But because we so seldom receive news of the outside world, we would ask that you join us this evening as our guests. We have fresh food and water, and can offer beds on hard earth instead of this marsh.” He gestured at the swampy ground just off the trail.

The party discussed the offer among themselves; Captain Mohan gathered his crew together a short distance away to do the same. “He seems like a nice guy,” said Kyle.

“I agree that he seems sincere,” said Osborn.

“Hey, I just want fresh fruit and a bed that doesn’t rock,” said Lanara. Sensing no opposition, the cansin looked up at Iolan. “I can’t speak for the captain and his crew,” she said. “But we’ll take you up on your offer.”

Captain Mohan stepped forward. “We accept your hospitality as well.”

“I am pleased to hear it,” said Iolan. “I understand should you wish time to clean yourselves off and prepare.”

Lanara leaned back. “I think that was a hint, guys,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

“No problem,” Kyle said. He pulled a brand-new wand out of a bandoleer across his chest, and pointed it at each of them, using magic to pull the sea salt, dirt, and grime off their clothes and bodies. When he’d finished with the last of Mohan’s crew, he slipped the wand back in place. “Just finished making that the other day,” he said proudly. “I figured with the number of times I’ve been asked to clean you guys off…”

Iolan looked pleasantly surprised. “Very well, then. Follow us, please.”

The group followed Iolan en masse back up the trail, toward the center of the island. They emerged into a large clearing in the forest, roughly a half-mile across. Scattered through the clearing were several wooden houses, built up on short stilts and with several gaps at the top and bottom of every wall for ventilation. Since the island was still quite warm even this close to nightfall, the need for the gaps was obvious.

The village was filled with people of all shapes, colors, and sizes. All the natives appeared to be human, but were not descended from a common ancestor. They were unified only in their common style of dress; loose, colorful clothes just shy of flamboyant.

“Seems a little odd,” said Autumn.

“Not necessarily,” said Xu. “Iolan said that they have had shipwrecked sailors land here before. Some of them may have chosen to remain. All of the people here may very well be descended from former sailors. In my homeland there are many tales of such ‘lost tribes’ found on remote islands, forgotten desert oases, and forbidden mountain passes.”

A small cluster of natives sat near the center of the village, playing a lively rhythm on drums. Other natives danced, while still others stood quietly off to the side. In the center clearing, across from where the party had been led, an unusual structure stood. It appeared structurally like any of the other homes, but a sheer, colorful fabric, which shrouded a single humanoid figure seated on a throne, had replaced the walls. The silhouetted figure seemed to be watching the celebration. As the group began to spread out at the edge of the firelight, Iolan broke away from them and strode across to the veiled structure, stopping a respectful distance away. The drums stopped playing, the dancers stopped dancing, and everyone turned to look at the strangers in their midst.

“Lord Momuus,” Iolan said, bowing elaborately. “I have brought outsiders, who bring news of the world. They, as many others before them, have been brought to us by the storms. We ask your permission to have them join us in celebration this evening, and then allow us to aid them in repairing their vessel.”

The figure inside the veil nodded its head slowly, and an instant later the celebrations resumed. Men and women went into some of the larger houses, and emerged with platters of exotic fruits and roasted game birds. The crew of the Maiden, Mother and Crone quickly dispersed among the natives, most of them gravitating toward the young women. Kavan’s eye roamed contentedly among the attractive women as well, and it was only with difficulty that he fought down his urge to approach one of them, instead focusing on watching the dancing while fingering his silver raven holy symbol.

Lanara joined the drummers for a while, and then went off and began singing her own songs, passing along news of the world through song and story. Of all of them, only Osborn and Tolly seemed uninterested in the festivities. One of the natives approached Osborn with a tray of food, as the hin sat chewing on a strip of dried bacon.

“There is plenty of food,” said the native. “Why do you not eat?”

“My people have special food needs,” he lied. “I have brought food from my homeland.”

“Surely you can at least drink the water,” said the native, noticing that Osborn was drinking from his waterskin.

“Of course. Leave a cup for me, please.” The man smiled and set down a large wooden cup. As soon as he had walked away, Osborn tossed the water over his shoulder. Kavan, who had seen the motion, gave Osborn an odd look but said nothing.

Arrie and Autumn walked up to Iolan. “Excuse me, we would like to pay our personal respects to Lord Momuus.”

Iolan considered the two women for a moment. “Very well,” he said. “You may approach, but maintain a respectful distance. I will accompany you and guide you in the proper observances.”

The three of them approached the veiled tent, and Autumn and Arrie followed Iolan’s lead, performing an elaborate bow. Arrie tried to get a glimpse of the person inside the shrouded room, but they were still a good twenty paces away, and in the flickering firelight it was impossible.

“My lord,” Iolan said, “this one wishes to pay her personal respects to you.” He gestured at Arrie, who stepped forward and recited a well-worn formal greeting learned at her father’s knee. When she stepped back, Autumn was introduced by Iolan, and she gave a similarly memorized display of her gratitude. Lord Momuus never spoke, but simply made indistinct gestures that Iolan told them indicated he accepted their thanks and was pleased.

“Lord Momuus is more pleased than I have seen in some time by your presence here,” Iolan told them as they walked away. “It is a sign of great respect.”

Arrie leaned in to Autumn and whispered as Iolan walked away. “That was ‘excited’? Looked more like ‘drunk on poppy wine’ to me.” Autumn elbowed her sister in the ribs, but there was a smile on her face.

A short distance away, Tolly frowned. He, like Osborn, had not partaken of the food and water offered by these ‘natives’. The entire island reeked of Chaos. He was sure that Lanara was in Paradise right now, but he felt uneasy. Looking around the village, he caught Autumn’s eye, and she smiled and waved at him. Tolly felt a surge of admiration for the sentinel. Though he was sure she was just as wary of this island as he was, she managed not to show her suspicion openly. Though he was schooled in the principles of diplomacy, his years among the proud, outspoken dwarves had colored his own development; he formed opinions quickly, and expressed them openly.

Tolly decided he needed reassurance, or at least information. “Kyle?”

Kyle turned to look at him, a bit of roast bird dangling from the corner of his mouth. He stuffed it in with a fingertip as he chewed and spoke. “What is it, Tolly?”

“This vision of yours that sees magical auras. What do you see with it now?”

“Oh, well, I hadn’t really been paying attention for a while.” Kyle looked around at the village, staring intently. When he returned to Tolly, his expression was puzzled. “It’s like I was getting before, in the fog. Nothing distinct saying whether there are auras or not. Occasionally I get a flash out of the corner of my eye, like there’s a really potent aura there, but it’s gone when I look directly. Even places I know should have auras, like you or me, are coming up blank.” Kyle scratched his head. “I’m starting to wonder if the magical powder Aralda gave me to give me this ability wasn’t as permanent as she thought.”

Tolly nodded, even though he didn’t like the sound of what Kyle said. “Thank you for trying, anyway.”

Kyle nodded, and was about to turn back to watch the dancing when he suddenly looked back. “Hey, when did I tell you about my aura vision?”

“You didn’t. Autumn told me about it earlier today.”

“Oh.” Kyle cocked his head, as if trying to think of when they might have spoken, then shrugged and went back to his food.

The feasting and celebration went on well into the night. As the faces of Nula, Dathel, and Shakar rose over the tree line surrounding the village, the fatigue of their harrowing night and day at sea began to catch up with them. Osborn was the first to fall asleep, nodding off while sitting against a large tree. Arrie and Autumn dozed off leaning against each other’s shoulders. Lanara practically passed out in the middle of dancing. Tolly and Xu fought sleep the hardest, but eventually even they succumbed to Dream’s embrace.

* * *​

Arrie woke up feeling very odd.

She opened her eyes slowly to adjust to the light of morning, but then discovered that the sun had not quite risen yet. She looked around, and saw that the central village square was mostly deserted, except for her friends and the ship’s crew, most of whom were still sleeping. She sat up, and it seemed as though her limbs were unusually heavy this morning. Looking around, she didn’t see Autumn anywhere; she must have moved during the night. Then Arrie blinked, and changed her mind; she must have been the one to move, because this wasn’t where she had fallen asleep. She must have been exhausted to not even remember moving. Arrie rubbed the heavy stubble on her face, trying to wake up enough to get moving.

The moment she realized what she was doing, she let out a very surprised, and very masculine yell.

Others began to stir at the sound. The crew of the Maiden, Mother and Crone remained fast asleep, but the rest of Arrie’s friends began to rise; yes, there was Kyle, and Osborn, and Xu and Lanara, and over there was Kavan, and across from him was Autumn and… herself. Arrie was only missing one, and as she rubbed the beard on… her? face, she knew where Tolly was.

The others were beginning to discover the problem, as sleep-addled glances turned to second glances, then to stares, then to frantic self-checking. Xu was studiously examining herself, as was Lanara. Arrie was staring at the ground as if she’d never seen it before, while Autumn was poking at her plate armor. Tolly was taking everything in, as was Kavan. Kyle looked furious, but Osborn was unusually calm.

Just as they began to approach each other to ask what was going on, they noticed that the sheer fabric veils around Lord Momuus’ hut were standing open. Sitting on a throne that appeared to be made of old children’s toys, a regal looking man wearing an elaborate harlequin’s costume regarded them coolly.

“Good, you are awake.” Lord Momuus said. “I’m glad you enjoyed my hospitality last night.” He glanced, oddly enough, at Xu and Arrie, and then said, “whether directly, by eating my food, or indirectly, by accompanying those who ate and sharing in the enjoyment of my carnival.”

“Okay,” said Lanara, “when is it over?”

“Well, you see, everyone had their chance to enjoy themselves last night, except for me,” explained Lord Momuus. “And I am the lord of this island. As such, it is now my turn to be amused. There is something you will do for me to provide me with amusement. It is a task that needs to be done, but I have chosen to have you do it like…” he gestured at all of them, “… this.”

Kyle’s hands clenched and unclenched rhythmically, as if eager to wrap his fingers around Lord Momuus’ throat. Nearby, Autumn’s fingers were matching his, but suddenly she looked down at her hands, and they stopped.

“You see,” Lord Momuus continued, “one of my… rather more precocious underlings has made off with part of my scepter.” He held up a thin rod, atop which was a theatrical face mask. As he turned it, they saw that it was a smiling face, although a disturbingly creepy one. The mask looked as though it had been split lengthwise, and the left half was missing.

“I would like you to retrieve it for me,” he finished.

“You know,” Autumn said, “you could have just asked us to get it without all this.”

“Yes, but that wouldn’t be as much fun, now would it?” said Momuus.

“So,” said Tolly, “what exactly are the ‘rules’ of your little game?”

“Find the other half of the scepter’s mask and bring it back,” he said. “Do this, and all will be made as it once was.”

“Is there no other way for you to be entertained?” asked Lanara. Though the bard had never been one to shy away from innuendo to gain an advantage (or a few extra coins out of an audience), this statement was laden with an especially strong suggestiveness that caught everyone by surprise, even though they knew Lanara literally wasn’t herself.

“Again, I find this to be far more entertaining,” Lord Momuus said, unmoved by Lanara’s offer. “Now, I have no real expectation of how long this task will take. However, understand that my people’s numbers decline over time, and so we must recruit new followers when we can. I’m afraid I can only restrain my people for so long before they decide to begin selecting recruits from the sailors you have brought with you. So it may be in your nest interest to ‘shake a leg’, unless you know how to sail a ship.” A broad grin crossed Momuus’ face.

“Why have the crew of the ship not awakened?” asked Xu.

“I chose to keep them asleep until we finished our conversation,” said Lord Momuus. “It would have taken ever so much longer if we’d had to explain everything to them.”

“Is the mask on this island?” asked Autumn.

“Yes.”

“Um, would you mind telling us what the mask does?” Tolly asked.

“In its current state, it does nothing.” He held his scepter up, allowing the mask to cover his features. “Except cover half of one’s face, of course. The fool who stole it thinks it will bring him power.”

“Well, in a way it does have power,” offered Tolly. “Power to get your attention.”

“Yes, that it does. But that is not a good power to possess.” He smiled again. “I’ll be watching.” He gestured at the curtains, and they slid closed by themselves. The sheer veils suddenly turned opaque. Kyle rushed forward, and pushed the fabric aside, holding his staff like a large club. But Lord Momuus and his throne had vanished.

-----------------------------------

* As is probably obvious, these terms refer to stars. The Eyes of Silko mark north and south, and Oringo the Earthworker is one of about ten constellations that are depictions of people from Aelfenn folklore known as the Paragons.

 

[Delemental]

“Damn!” Kavan swore. “He’s probably a worshipper of the same god as his…” Kavan glanced around at the others, then down at himself, “… my bastard son!”

The group was standing in the midst of the strange island village where they had been shipwrecked. They were still all trying to make sense of the bizarre situation in which they now found themselves.

Autumn seemed to be concentrating on Lord Momuus’ former location. “I don’t think I’m doing this right,” she muttered to herself. “How can she stand wearing all this heavy stuff?”

“I think we should get a move on,” said Tolly.

Xu looked at Tolly, shaking her head.

Arrie walked over to Osborn, and grabbed a hunk of bacon out of his pack. “Wow, I’m really far off the ground!” she said, chewing on bacon.

“Okay, well then,” said Tolly. “I guess I can figure out who’s in my body. I’m glad you like it.”

Kyle stormed over to Autumn. “I want to know who’s in my body.”

“It’s not Tolly,” said Xu, who still seemed to be mesmerized by her own body.

“We can discuss this as we walk,” said Tolly.

“Arrie’s got to be in my body,” said Xu. “No one else is that impatient.”

Meanwhile, Kavan had walked up to Autumn and Kyle. “I’d like to know who’s in my body, too,” he said, looking at Kyle.

“Kyle, it’s me.” Kyle gestured at Autumn, who looked back and forth between the two of them. “Okay, I’m getting lost here.” She glanced over at Lanara, who was looking at herself in a pocket mirror. “Does my hair always look that bad?” Autumn asked.

Eventually they settled down enough to go through systematically and discover whose minds were in which bodies. To make sure they had it right, Kyle wrote it out on a piece of paper:

Body/Mind

Arrie/Osborn
Autumn/Lanara
Kavan/Kyle
Kyle/Autumn
Lanara/Kavan
Osborn/Xu
Tolly/Arrie
Xu/Tolly

While figuring the whole situation out, some of the party admitted that they could still feel a residual presence of the original soul with them, which seemed to be coloring the way they thought and acted. Thus it wasn’t just Kyle in Kavan’s body, but Kyle, with a healthy dose of Kavan mixed in. After some discussion, the party agreed that it would be easiest to refer to each other by the name of the body, as that would be what was seen and therefore the first impulse of what to call someone.

The next issue that they encountered, after finding out who was who, was the realization that dawn had risen, which was normally the time when spells were prepared. After a little experimentation, however, they discovered that each of them somehow knew how to utilize the skills and abilities of the body they were in.

“It’s probably why we can feel a little bit of the original soul inside us,” offered Kavan. “Momuus wants his fun, but wants his scepter too, and knows we can’t get it if we’re cut off from our skills. So he left just enough of the ‘original us’ to allow us to function.”

“All I know is that if I get the chance, I’ll be cutting something off of Lord Momuus,” said Kyle. Lanara nodded in agreement.

The casters went off to perform the now somewhat unfamiliar task of preparing spells, while others spent time getting familiar with their new talents. Arrie ran around, grinning like a madwoman as she spun the spiked chain over her head. Then she ran over and picked up Osborn. “Look at me! I’m so small and cute! And so light!” The hin inside Arrie’s head had decided that since there was little he could do right now to fix the situation, and since some of his companions were obstinately refusing to hurry up and get going, he might as well enjoy himself.

Clearly annoyed at being picked up like a child’s toy, Osborn tried to kick Arrie, and looked frustrated when he missed. “I must learn to compensate for these shorter limbs,” he said. Then, after being put down by Arrie, he walked over to Xu, and looked up at her. “I would appreciate it if you would refrain from fondling yourself while you have stewardship of my body. I don’t recall giving you such permission.”

Xu slowly withdrew her hand from under her tunic. “Sorry,” she said. “I just find the experience rather unusual.”

“Yes, well, I suggest that when this matter is finished, you find another female with which to satisfy your curiosities.” Osborn missed Xu turning red as he walked away.

Kavan had wandered over to where Kyle sat with his spellbook. “Almost finished?” As Kyle nodded, Kavan peeked over his shoulder at the tome in Kyle’s lap. “Wow, it’s strange not to be able to read my own spellbook,” he commented.

“Finished,” Kyle said. He slammed the book closed, clearly still very unhappy with the whole situation.

“Hey! Careful! That one has loose pages!”

“Sorry,” Kyle said, as he put the books away. He looked up at Kavan. “You look unusually calm, under the circumstances.”

“Oh, well, I was just praying.”

“Yes, I know, to Erito for ‘your’ spells.”

“Well, yes, but there was something else. I had the oddest sensation at the end. At first it felt like confusion and curiosity, as if even Erito were trying to figure out what was going on. But then there was another feeling, one of comfort. As if Erito were glad to finally meet me. I’ve never had that kind of feeling when I offer prayers to Bles.”

“Interesting,” said Kyle, sounded as if he believed exactly the opposite. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get ready to hunt down this mask and get back into my own body.”

“Yes,” said Tolly, standing nearby. “For the record, I just want to make one comment – eww.”

“I agree,” said Kyle, walking off before he saw the slightly hurt look on Kavan’s face.

Slowly, the party organized themselves. They agreed to return to the beach where their ship had landed, and start their search there, spiraling inward toward the center of the island. Kyle wanted to spread out in pairs across the whole island, until Kavan pointed out that if one of them did find the underling that had stolen the mask, they’d be unable to call for help. Kavan offered to cast a locate object spell to help find the mask, but after casting it in the midst of the village, he realized that it wouldn’t last nearly long enough to be useful. Mumbling about ‘unfamiliar spells’, they pressed on.

Once at the beach, Tolly had a thought. “Kyle?”

“Yes?” said Kavan and Kyle at the same time.

“Which one of you is still connected to Violet?”

After a brief pause, Kyle said, “I am.”

“Why don’t you ask Violet if she’ll fly around and look for anything unusual on the island?”

“All right.” Autumn, inside Kyle’s body, tried sending her thoughts out to Kyle’s familiar. Violet?

You’re acting weird this morning, boss, came the mental reply.

That’s because I’m not ‘boss’, she answered. There was a long pause as Violet stared at Kyle. Don’t worry, Autumn added, it’ll just hurt your brain.

Too late, Violet said.

Autumn explained the situation to Violet, then relayed her request to the raven, and it flew off. Meanwhile the party began their search. The island itself was not large, no more that a mile or two in radius, so there wasn’t much ground to search. But most of the island was comprised of wet, marshy ground, and soon everyone was up to their knees in mud, especially those in heavy plate armor.

“This is gross,” said Tolly, pulling his leg out of a mud pit. He looked at Xu. “How do you stand it?”

“You’re trained to,” Xu said. “It is much like learning to deal with elves. It is unpleasant, but you get used to it.”

Eventually, after spending the morning wading through muck, the party decided to climb up some tall trees to try and sight something. “I mean,” Tolly said, “I’m assuming this guy with the mask has people with him. And unless they’re frog-people, they probably aren’t wading through this junk.”

Osborn, who was looking a little green (Xu, inside his body, had spent the morning pulling out hunks of bacon from his pack and chewing on them before realizing what she was doing and spitting them out), climbed a tall pine. In the distance, toward the far end of the island, he saw a small ridge with some dark spots that could be caves. He climbed down and reported this, and the party decided to check them out. About that time, Violet returned to Kyle.

No luck, ‘boss’, she said.

No luck? What about those caves over there? Didn’t you see those?

Well, sure, the raven replied. So?

Autumn wanted to scream. Why didn’t you tell me about those caves?

Because you told me to look for anything unusual, ‘boss’, Violet said. There’s nothing unusual about a cave. I know this whole familiar thing is new to you, but you should really learn to be more specific when asking for something.

Autumn found herself wondering what roasted raven tasted like.

Stringy and tough, came the answer in her head. I wonder what aasimar eyeballs taste like?

They agreed not to talk to each other for a little while after that.

It took the party a little over an hour to reach the caves, as they took a trail to get there. As the trail reached the tree-line and it opened up in front of the ridge, they looked around and saw several caves. Up toward the top, Lanara and Kavan spotted two humanoid figures hunched at one of the entrances.

Kyle and Lanara began to move up quietly, with Xu right behind them. Osborn also followed them, using what little cover there was to remain unseen. After a pause, Arrie also began moving forward, while the rest stood near the shrubbery just outside the tree-line, waiting.

As they got closer, Lanara saw that the two figures were disfigured, misshapen men, clearly warped by magic. She wanted to provide a distraction, but couldn’t even be sure the two creatures spoke Common. But they were men, and they were humanoid, and so Kavan, inside Lanara’s body, figured he had the perfect solution.

With a smile, a wink, and a flash of enough cleavage for a half-dozen tavern wenches, Lanara began to dance, and sing. Her song had no words, merely a tune, but still somehow held a tantalizing promise. Both of the creatures turned their heads at the sound, and one of them began to growl at her, while the other stood, drooling, watching the strange girl dance and shimmy.

Kyle stepped forward and tried to cast a spell on the menacing creature, but it shook off the magic. At the man roared and began to move forward, the rest of the party began to charge up the hill, but most of them were several yards away.

The snarling man-creature jumped for Lanara, raking his long, dirty nails across her face. As she tumbled back out of the way, her fascination of the other creature was broken, and it began to shake off the effects. Kyle, standing nearby, launched magic missiles at the man attacking Lanara, slightly singing its hairy body.

Autumn, charging up the hill, paused a moment to concentrate, and suddenly there was a flash of holy light as a silvery-gray wolverine appeared at her side, snarling with righteous fury. Arrie pulled out her double bow, but despite being easily within range continued to climb closer. Xu, who had been just behind Kyle and Lanara, stepped forward and punched the unwounded man-creature. The blow seemed to knock the wind out of the beast, but as her fist touched its flesh, she felt a dark, sinister energy crawling across her arm, pulling strength from her. The creature raked at Xu in response, while the other launched itself at Kyle. The wizard was saved by his mage armor, but Xu was struck and was now bleeding profusely. Although Tolly, inside Xu’s body, knew that the monk could dodge attacks, he was trained to take blows on his plate armor and shield, and thus his reactions inside the monk’s body were slowed.

Kyle quickly cast a spell and grabbed the creature attacking him, sending a jolt of electricity into it. But as Kyle stepped back, smiling, he saw that some of the burned flesh was beginning to heal over. The shock was enough for him to drop his guard, and he got a claw in the chest for his trouble. Snarling, he responded with a gout of flame, angling it to try and hit both of the creatures. For a split second, it occurred to Autumn that the spell would also hit Xu, but she trusted that the monk would get out of the way in the time.

Xu might have been able to get out of the way normally, but Tolly, in Xu’s body, wasn’t so lucky. She collapsed in a heap, still smoking. Fortunately, the rest of the party began to arrive as Kyle stood there, looking at the unconscious monk in disbelief.

An arrow flew from Arrie’s bow, striking one of the creatures, as Tolly, Autumn, and Osborn came running in. Kavan stepped up next to Lanara, and used a wand to heal the scratches on the bard’s face before charging in with his flaming sword, trying to ward off the creature that had leapt off of Xu to attack Lanara. Kyle was still under pressure from his opponent, taking more blows from its filthy clawed hands. Despite this, he still ran over and poured a healing potion down Xu’s throat, sighing in relief as he saw the monk stir.

Autumn and her celestial wolverine split up, each taking one of the monsters. Osborn did likewise. Though difficult, eventually both creatures collapsed. Tolly came running up just as the last creature fell. He suppressed a look of frustration.

Kavan went around healing everyone in the party with his wand, before turning his attention to Kyle, who had received a terrible beating from the creature.

“You need to be more careful,” Kavan said to Kyle before healing him. “You’re not going to be able to take that kind of punishment.”

“I don’t understand why you just don’t wear armor,” he replied.

Kavan shook his head. “Just hold still.” He placed his hand on Kyle and summoned healing power. When he finished, there was an odd smile on his face. “Say, that feels good!” he said. He went off to tend to Xu’s wounds next, and then checked everyone else a second time, seeming vaguely disappointed that no one else was injured.

The party began gathering together, giving each other advice on what they ‘should’ be doing in battle. At Kavan’s prompting, Kyle looked at the two bodies with his enhanced vision and saw a strong aura surrounding one of them. Tolly inspected that one, and found that it wasn’t quite dead. He could also feel the strange life-draining aura surrounding the creature.

“Say, someone want to fix this?” he said, pointing out the still-living creature.

Just then, the creature rolled over and sank its teeth into Autumn’s ankle, drawing blood. In response, Kyle ran up and blasted it with a lightning bolt, nearly decapitating it with the stroke. The rest of the party rushed over and battered the thing back down, and then dumped oil on the twitching body and lit it on fire for good measure.

“Holy cow!” said Tolly, looking at Kyle.

“I wanted it dead, and no one was cutting its head off,” Kyle stated.

The party gathered at the entrance to the cave, casting preparatory spells on each other. Knowing that any hope of a stealthy approach was shot, Lanara threw a thunderstone into the cave in the hopes of stunning anyone just inside, and then Osborn crept in to scout out the situation. He came back reporting that a few yards down into the cave there was a huge chamber with a pool in the back half. Osborn suspected there were creatures hiding in the pool. The party moved forward.

They stopped just a few yards inside the tunnel, to where the cave opened up into a huge chamber. The walls were lit by phosphorescent mosses, lending the chamber a eerie green glow. As Osborn had reported, there was a pool of water in the back half of the chamber, with water dripping from stalactites overhead. A number of creatures stood within the pool. Closest to the pool’s edge, four large creatures were standing with tridents at the ready. They were covered in green scales, and their heads were crowned with green fins. They looked vaguely piranha-like, with rows of tiny teeth adorning their gaping mouths. A few feet behind them, a similar creature sat waist-deep in the water, but its scales were glossy black instead of green. To the far right were a pair of creatures that bore a vague resemblance to lizardmen, but they were much more feral in nature, appearing more like crocodiles from the waist up; below that they looked like giant snakes. Next to the black-scaled fish-man was a giant-sized humanoid, also holding a trident and standing in the pool up to its knees, which looked as if it had been skinned alive. And in the very back of the cave was a huge creature that looked like a mass of tentacles emerging from the water. There were various odd objects being clutched in the tentacles; the party could see the half-mask they were after in one of them. Scratched into the glowing moss behind the tentacles was a simple message in Common.

WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW

“Um, Tolly?” said Arrie. “What was that you said earlier about ‘frog-people’?”

“So, what’s the plan?” Autumn asked. “Kill everything and take the goods?”

“Or grab the mask and run like hell,” Kavan offered.

Their discourse was interrupted as one of the tentacles waved in their direction, and a blast of sonic energy erupted in their midst, sending them flying.

The party sprang to action. Lanara summoned a large spider with her wand, even as she used her magical fiddle to summon a half-dozen mirror images. Kavan cast a spell at the black fish-man, blasting it with sonic energy just as its master had done to them and stunning it. Kyle, doing one better, launched an empowered fireball into their midst, severely burning the two lizard-creatures and one of the green fish-men, and killing a second fish-man. Arrie and Autumn charged forward to the water’s edge, as did Autumn’s wolverine companion.

The tentacles waved, and a deep mist rose up around the back of the cave, hiding the creature from view. The crocodile-men and fish-men moved forward to attack, though the one with black scales was still shaking off Kavan’s spell. The skinless giant casually rammed its enormous trident into Lanara’s spider, impaling it. Tolly chanted a spell, and much of the ground around the shoreline suddenly erupted in shards of razor-sharp stone, blocking the aquatic creatures’ advance onto shore. One of the crocodile-men tried to run through the stones to get at the intruders, but fell to the ground unconscious a moment later, its feet shredded and oozing blood. Tolly smiled gleefully. “Thanks, Ardara,” he said quietly.

Everyone had moved forward by now, except for Kyle. Having learned a lesson at the hands of the mutated humans, he’d held back the impulse to rush forward. But as his companions battled the aquatic humanoids, a sudden idea came to him. Hadn’t Kavan said something about grabbing the mask and getting out of there? A moment later, Kyle vanished, his disappearance unseen by anyone else. The wizard’s destination was similarly unobserved, as it was deep in the midst of the magical fog, right next to the tentacled creature. Unfortunately, had Kyle been himself he would have factored in the disorientation caused by a dimension door spell. As things stood now, by the time he got his bearings, Kyle found himself entangled by a pair of the thick tentacles, being slowly pulled apart. To add insult to injury, both Tolly and Kavan threw dispel magic spells at the area, hoping to eliminate the magical fog, but not only was the fog untouched, but some of Kyle’s protective spells were dispelled.

Xu had begun to circle around the chamber, running quickly along a narrow ledge at the back of the pool. One of the green fish-men broke off from the combat at shore and swam out to intercept her, and there was a brief struggle before the monk was able to stun the creature and send it under the water’s surface. Then she continued around, dashing into the fog. She saw movement, and struck out at it, but the mist made it difficult to make out her target. She was also completely unaware of Kyle’s presence, as she had come in from the other side and couldn’t distinguish his flailing limbs from the tentacles.

Autumn’s wolverine was jabbed in the side with a trident, and its eyes rolled up in its head. It launched itself at the offending fishy creature, tearing into it. The black fish-man launched bolts of fire at Arrie and Autumn, trying to keep them from eviscerating his bodyguards. Then Lanara cast a spell, and suddenly the skinless giant fell into the pool backward with a huge splash, laughing uncontrollably. Bubbles rose up from under the water as it continued to laugh. The black-scaled sorcerer, realizing that it was in trouble, started to back up, trying to throw a ray of enfeeblement at Autumn but just missing. Tolly dropped the spike stones spell, allowing them to wade into the water in pursuit. Arrie, seeing that she wasn’t needed in taking down the opposition here, began to make the long journey around the pool to get at the tentacled beast.

Kyle struggled against the tentacles, but was unable to pull free as they continued to pull his legs out of their sockets. The tentacles also lashed out at Xu, but found it harder to hit the monk. They tried to immobilize her with a spell, but she resisted it. The green crocodile-man that had pursued Xu earlier recovered and swam after the monk, hampered by crossbow bolt shots from Lanara before it plunged into the mist cloud.

A pair of searing light spells from Tolly and Kavan struck the black-scaled crocodile-man, as well as a crossbow bolt from Osborn. Caught between the party and its incapacitated giant ally, the sorcerer almost looked panicked. It tried to blind Kavan with a spell, but failed, and continued to try and avoid attacks from Autumn and her wolverine (mostly by keeping his sole remaining green-scaled bodyguard between them and himself), even as it reeled from a pronouncement of holy vengeance that Tolly invoked in Ardara’s name.

Kyle finally managed to pull free of the tentacles, and landed on the ledge with a hard thud. He struggled to his feet as the creature cast a spell at both him and Xu, trying to compel them to step forward into the water. Kyle shrugged it off, as did the monk. For a moment Kyle considered retreating, but the sentinel’s training overrode the wizard’s instincts, and he stayed put, casting a beam of energy at the creature that sapped its strength and vitality. The tentacles squirmed uncomfortably in the water as the spell withered the creature from within. In response it sent out a blast of negative energy that wounded both of its enemies. Xu concentrated for a moment on dispatching the irritating green fish-man, sending it down with a snap kick that put it under the water permanently. Then she turned her attention back to the mass of tentacles.

The black-scaled sorcerer cast a spell and quickly touched Autumn, draining her of intellect and will. It would have preferred using his spell against one of the damnable priests, but they were out of reach; he at least hoped that the spell might disturb the sentinel enough to get her to break off her attack. Rather than withdrawing, however, Autumn responded by hacking down the sorcerer’s last remaining bodyguard. At the same time, Tolly threw his magical hammer at the black lizard, and pushed it forward out of the water and close to the party. The wolverine leaped forward, and turned the black-scaled sorcerer into mincemeat. Taking advantage in the brief respite in the combat, Kavan stepped up and healed some of Autumn’s wounds.

Just as the rest of the party began to consider running around to attack the tentacled creature inside the mist, the skinless giant erupted from the water with a roar. Lanara silently cursed; she’d hoped the giant would drown under the effects of hideous laughter, but apparently it was unharmed. Tolly hurled his hammer at the giant just as Osborn shot a crossbow bolt at it, and Kavan called upon Erito to curse the skinless creature. Seeing the carnage surrounding it, and feeling the effects of the damage it had already suffered, the giant threw down its trident and began to raise its arms in surrender. Unfortunately for it, enraged wolverines rarely take prisoners. A ball of silvery fur leapt into the air, using Kavan as a launching platform to hurl itself at the giant, striking it in the chest. Under such an onslaught, the giant quickly succumbed, crashing back into the pool and taking the wolverine with it. Blood frothed up from the water.

Kyle threw another necromantic spell at the tentacles, beginning to drain more of its vitality. At the same time Xu struck some of the tentacles with her fists, leaving large bruises and tears. In response, the tentacles waved, and suddenly Kyle and Xu found themselves unable to continue their attacks, feeling as though some sort of ward was preventing their desire to kill the creature from translating to action. Arrie, who had just barely made it all the way around to the creature, found herself similarly blocked, and was forced to simply wait for a target to prevent themselves. Kyle took advantage of the respite afforded by the creature’s sanctuary to drink his last healing potion, while Xu focused her will on penetrating the creature’s spell. She was able to overcome the sanctuary, but when she lashed out with her foot, she found that in its brief respite the creature had improved its defenses, and her foot skidded off an unseen barrier. Kyle was also able to break free of the compulsion, and launched a few magic missiles at the tentacles, but the same magical barrier absorbed them. Then, without warning, the water surrounding them surged upward until it touched the ceiling above, and Kyle, Xu, and Arrie found themselves floating underwater. From this vantage point, however, they could now see the true nature of Lord Momuus’ ‘underling’ – it looked like a giant squid, though on its head was a large jeweled crown, and several jeweled armbands adorned the base of its tentacles. The half-mask they sought dangled at the end of one of those tentacles, just out of reach. The squid was obviously in pain, feeling the effects of Kyle’s necromantic spells slowly draining its essence.

The squid lashed out with a tentacle, trying to affect Xu with a curse, but the monk resisted the spell’s effects through her superior will. However, the attack on Xu caused the sanctuary on the squid to vanish, and they were free to act. However, the water proved a significant barrier in itself; Arrie swung her spiked chain, but the attack did little damage; Xu found herself in a similar position as the water resistance softened her blows. Kyle, who found himself unable to cast any spells underwater at all, began swimming away from the squid to get out of its reach. But a few yards away, he suddenly emerged from the column of water… several feet up in the air. As the radius of the water column matched that of the obscuring mist cloud that had hidden the battle with the squid, the party members on land suddenly saw a battered and bleeding Kyle emerge out of the fog in midair and land with a wet smack on the pool’s surface.

The party stared for a moment before the shock wore off and they could act. Kavan stepped up and cast a freedom of movement spell on Tolly. “You looked like you could use something to do,” he said with a nod toward the fog cloud. Tolly looked for a moment like he wanted to hug Kavan, then began to charge into the pool toward the squid. But just as he reached waist level, the fog cloud dispersed, and the column of water collapsed. The squid had finally succumbed to Kyle’s life-draining spells, and the tentacles twitched as they slipped under the water.

Kyle, who was being dragged out of the water by Tolly, looked back at where the squid had sunk to the bottom. “That’s right, you damned piece of calamari!” he shouted. Despite his grievous injuries, he stood at the water’s edge, grinning. “I totally kicked its ass!” Then he turned to Kavan, who had come up to heal some of Kyle’s wounds. “That was great! How come you never use any of these spells?” He continued to grin like a madman as Kavan used up the remainder of his power, then walked off with Tolly to get more healing, still talking excitedly about going toe-to-toe with the squid. Kyle completely missed the forlorn look on Kavan’s face as he walked away.

The party finished healing their injuries, and then went about recovering the half-mask as well as the other valuables on the aquatic creatures; Tolly and Osborn did most of the underwater recovery, aided by their ability to move unhampered in the water. Then, with the sun just touching the treeline, the party made their way back to the village where Lord Momuus hopefully waited. Along the way, Kyle’s excitement from the battle waned enough that he was able to thank Xu and Arrie for aiding him in battling the squid. The group began to talk about how eager they were to return to their own bodies, and what they would do if Momuus didn’t fulfill his promise to restore them. Only Kavan remained silent.

The party walked into the village just as the sky was beginning to turn a vibrant shade of orange and pink from the setting sun. The men of the Mother, Maiden, and Crone were still laying about the village, though several changes seemed to have been made. Some had marks or brands carved into their skin, while others seemed to have been marked as territory by wild animals. The Lord of the Carnival reclined in his throne, a smile touching his red, red lips.

"Ah, wondrous people that you are, you have returned. Not that I'd any doubts, mind."

"Of course not," murmured Tolly.

Lord Momuus winked at Tolly. "So, then...who has my mask?"

Kyle held up the piece, the half-mask leering devilishly back at Lord Momuus. "I do...and why should I give it up to such a fiend as yourself?"

The jester chuckled. "There are many reasons. We can start with enlightened self-interest. It's no good to any of you, whereas I can put it to great use...say, by upholding my earlier promise. I, for one, do not back out on my promises. "

Kyle flushed a bit, and loosed his grip on the mask. Before it could tumble to the earth, it simply vanished, with a small flash. When the group looked back, Lord Momuus' mask smiled back at them. Only the jewels of his eyes could be seen, twinkling in the evening sun.

"So," his voice echoed out from behind the mask, "you have fulfilled your part of the bargain. I shall fulfill mine. I must apologize for the loss of crewman Jax; however, as I said, such things do happen."

Xu cried out, "You said you'd put it right! Give him back!"

Nothing seemed to change about Lord Momuus, but the sun choosing that moment sink behind the mountain seemed to set a more ominous tone. "I encouraged haste; as you choose not to recall, I did advise you that not all of my crew were fully under my control."

Xu grumbled, but within her, Tolly's memory stirred, and nodded internally.

"Now, as for the rest of you..."

There was the sound of an intake of breath, and as the Carnivale King lowered his mask, the party saw naught behind it but mist, and void; and with the exhalation, that mist and void rolled out, and covered them all, infiltrating their bodies and minds...

* * *​

The party awoke to the sounds of creaking rigging. The ship had taken quite the pounding through the night storm, but thanks to the intervention of the adventurers, the ship had fared far better than expected. Some of the sail was torn, and the mast had come dangerously close to cracking, but through the night, the crew had only lost a single man overboard. Now everyone was laying exhausted on the deck, just listening to the quiet lap of waves on wood, and watching the morning sun burn the mists off.

 

[Delemental]

Wolves in the Desert

After their harrowing night at sea, the rest of the voyage was relatively uneventful. The damage to the ship was reparable, and after making some emergency patches and giving the navigator a day to get their bearings, the Maiden, Mother and Crone was soon back on course. For the next three weeks the party went about their normal business on board. Lanara was somewhat upset when she was told that they would be reaching their destination on the day after Skyfest, but was assuaged somewhat when the captain told her that they would try and make some sort of observance on board (sailors, for the most part, being more than happy not only to honor the wind, but to have an excuse to drink and dance). Osborn was also somewhat dejected at being away from family for another festival, but cheered up when Kyle presented him with a unique item that he and Kavan had crafted for him; a small pig carved of pink quartz, that would produce a pound of bacon when its belly was rubbed.

Kyle, in fact, had been spending more time than usual around Kavan. The two of them were seen quietly talking on deck frequently. Two weeks after their strange dream-encounter with the Carnival King, Arrie and Lanara were walking out of the hold toward the stairs as Kyle was walking by. Lanara put out a hand to stop him just as he was going past.

“Hold it there, big guy.” Lanara’s fingers snaked underneath the neck of his tunic, and she pulled out a simple silver chain adorned with a small icon of a raven in flight. “You should know better than to think you can walk by two women without talking about your new jewelry.” Lanara looked at the small symbol before letting it fall back to his chest. “Didn’t that used to be a deer?*”

“It was,” Kyle said, tucking the tiny religious symbol away. “But Kavan gave me this one to replace it. I’ve decided that Erito’s probably… more appropriate for me as a patron.” He nodded his farewell to the two women as he went on his way.

“Good eye,” said Arrie, as they kept going up the stairs.

“Actually, I noticed it a couple of days ago, and haven’t had a chance to ask about it. I’m guessing Kavan gave it to him on his birthday.”

Arrie stopped Lanara mid-climb. “Kyle had a birthday?”

“Yeah, on the twenty-sixth. Didn’t you know?”

“No idea,” Arrie admitted. “Autumn’s usually better at remembering things like that than I am. She never mentioned it.”

The Maiden, Mother and Crone slid into port at the Kruga River on the fourth of Ophos. The party unloaded their gear (and their two horses, who looked at once thrilled to be back on dry land and annoyed that they’d had to step onto the boat in the first place) onto flat-bottomed riverboats that were poled into the harbor. As the party waved their goodbyes to Captain Mohan and his crew, they turned and began preparing themselves for the Haran Desert.

It took most of the day to pole their way to the trading city attached to the harbor. As the party was separated onto several boats, they were unable to discuss their plan of action until that evening when they arrived. The nameless settlement was little more than a collection of tents. The party located the area where visitors could set up their own tents, and did some asking around as to the location of markets, horse traders, and other important resources before settling down for the night.

It was Kavan who first brought the subject up as the group sat around the campfire, warding off the chill of the desert night. “So, what are we doing now that we’re here, Tolly?”

“It is not entirely clear to me,” Tolly admitted. “When Archprelate Jerome commanded me to come to the desert to seek diamonds to replace the ones he used to return me to the world of the living, he did not provide further details. I have just spent some time in communion with Ardara – as you know, Kavan, the gods do not see fit to reveal too much of the future to their faithful. In addition, it is difficult for me to attain the proper connection to Ardara while on the deck of a ship, so my attempts at divination had to wait until we were on dry land.”

“So, what did Our Lady of the Granite Bosom have to tell you?” asked Lanara.

“Her message to me was not clear,” Tolly replied, ignoring the sacrilege. “But that is the way of such things. It is not given to mortals to know the minds of the gods. However, the message I received was ‘The alpha wolf in the desert will lead you to triumph’.”

Osborn sighed. “Remember the good old days, when the gods would just tell you what you needed to do?”

“So, it sounds like we have some questions to ask,” said Arrie. “We need to see if we can identify this ‘alpha wolf’. That sounds like something Lanara can do.”

“We’ll also need supplies,” added Autumn. “Most of us need new horses, and we need desert clothing to protect us from the heat.”

“Actually, the heat doesn’t bother me,” said Lanara. “It’s the cold at night that’ll be a problem.”

“I have enough raw material left over to make one more wand,” Kyle offered. “I could throw together an endure elements wand in a day, for emergencies.”

“Something to help us navigate if we’re in the deep desert would help, too,” said Arrie.

They spent another hour working out details, then turned in. The next day they separated in order to get everything done. Lanara and Tolly went off to investigate the ‘alpha wolf’, Osborn and Xu went to buy clothing, Autumn went to get horses and maps, and Arrie took care of food and other supplies. Kyle remained at the tents working on his wand, with Kavan keeping him company and watching over their belongings.

That evening they all came back with their wares. They had managed to find a few enchanted items to ward off the heat, and between those and their own resources figured they were well-equipped to handle the desert. Autumn, however, had come back empty-handed.

“I don’t understand it,” she said. “It’s as if people were going out of their way not to help me. Why would that be, Tolly?”

“Well, in this region your heritage may be working against you,” Tolly observed. “What the rest of us find pleasing about you, the locals may not care for.”

“What do you mean?” Autumn asked.

“You’re an aasimar, Autumn,” Arrie said. “Haven’t you noticed there are a lot of tieflings around here? Not to mention the fire-touched, and of course the orcs? You’re not exactly popular among these folk.”

“We can go out tomorrow for horses,” said Tolly. “The orcs are well known as horse traders, so that should present no problem.”

“Hey, Autumn,” said Kyle, “I’ll go with you tomorrow if you want.”

Autumn glanced over at him “No, that’s okay, Kyle. I think someone else should go get horses.”

“We did get a lead on this ‘alpha wolf’, said Lanara, changing the subject. “There isn’t anyone known by that name specifically, or a variation of it, but there’s news of two orc brothers that control rival tribes. Apparently the leader of one of the tribes, Keth, is unusual because he actually attempts to use discipline and structure – leads with an iron fist, is what they said specifically. One of the orcs I spoke to even described them as a ‘wolf pack’.”

“When we heard these descriptions of this orc’s leadership style, it reminded us that the totem animal of Estranë is the wolf,” added Tolly. “This Keth could be a follower, or even a member of Estranë’s clergy.”

“So we get to look forward to Tolly’s diplomatic skills with the Estranëans,” Lanara said.

“Sounds as good a lead as any,” said Osborn. “Where is this orc?”

“His tribe’s territory is not far,” said Lanara. “Two days following the river, then three days south.”

Arrie piped up. “Okay, then, let’s get our horses tomorrow and we can head out the next morning.”

The party followed Arrie’s plan to the letter the next day. With five new horses (as Arrie and Autumn had brought their own, and Osborn still had Rupert), the party set out along the southern bank of the Kruga River. Having been given advice on desert travel by the residents of the tent city, they stopped in the afternoon and rested, avoiding the worst heat of the day. Knowing that none of them had training in survival or navigation, they had managed to find a wand that would allow Lanara to keep their bearings. Autumn packed away her heavy armor for the journey, but Tolly insisted on keeping his on, using his clerical magic to keep the worst of the heat at bay. Lanara had tried to buy a map of local oases and watering holes, but she was told by an orcish trader that these oases were considered property of the tribes, and their locations not only closely guarded secrets, but also the site of frequent territorial battles.

As expected, their journey over the next five days was uneventful, as there was little sign of life in the desert other than the party themselves. Once they left the riverbank, the party’s lack of training in survival began to show as disagreements over the proper course of travel surfaced. Fortunately, Lanara’s wand kept them on track. The other problem they noticed was that as soon as they entered the deep desert, the clerical magic they were relying on to provide water diminished in power, providing mere pints instead of gallons. Thus both Kavan and Tolly had to dedicate far more of their power that expected to making enough water to survive.

On the morning of the sixth day, the party spotted a lone rider on the crest of a distant dune. The spear-wielding rider quickly turned and vanished over the horizon.

“I think we can expect company soon,” Osborn said.

The party prepared themselves to meet the tribe. Autumn strapped on her armor, and they moved to a defensive position at the top of a dune.

“Remember what I told you about dealing with orcs,” said Osborn. “Show enough strength that they know we can defend ourselves, but don’t make them think we’re here to take territory.”

A half-hour passed before they heard the low rumble that signaled the approach of riders. Soon they saw the telltale dust cloud, and a moment later about twenty orcish riders came over the horizon from the direction the sentry had come, the sunlight glinting off the tips of their spears.

“Um, guys?” Lanara said, looking nervous. “Do we have any tactical options?”

“We’ll be fine, Lanara,” said Arrie.

“Autumn, perhaps you should lower your visor,” advised Tolly.

“Why?”

“So the orcs can’t see your face. They might not react well to seeing an aasimar.”

Autumn reluctantly lowered her visor as the riders approached at an easy, but determined pace, and quickly encircled the party, lowering their spears to point at them while still maintaining a cautious distance. Those unable to position themselves in the front row had put away their spears and strung short bows, laying them across their laps in the saddle.

One of them spurred his horse a few paces forward. “Who are you, and why do you come to the lands of Clan Hulg?” he demanded in the human tongue.

Arrie stepped forward. “We come here searching for something,” she said. “We are adventurers from the east. We have not named our group, so I have no one name to give you.”

“I will name you trespasser unless you speak quickly,” the orc snarled. “Why are you here?”

“Can you help us find the alpha wolf?” Lanara asked.

“Why do you seek him?”

“It’s part of our quest.”

“Who has given you this quest?”

“The gods,” Tolly said, interrupting the conversation.

“Which one? There are many.”

“Ardara,” Tolly replied.

After a momentary pause, the orcs raised their spears. “Keth has told us that Ardara is to be respected, if not worshipped, within his lands,” the lead orc stated. “However, we demand a test of strength from all potential guests. Will one of you meet us in unhorsed combat?”

The party looked at each other before Xu stepped forward. “Unarmed?”

“If you wish,” the orc said, a sardonic smile on his lips. “Our tribesman will choose to keep his weapons.”

“I accept,” she said.

A few of the horses broke away, galloping down the side of the dune. Once they reached the base where it leveled out, they began to circle, marking out a rough circle in the sand with their hooves. As Xu descended the slope, one of the riders dismounted and stood in the center of the circle, having traded his long horseman’s spear for a scimitar. The party and the rest of the tribesmen watched from the top of the dune.

“What are the terms?” Arrie asked.

“Until surrender,” the orc spokesman said. “If your woman and our tribesman are stubborn, then it is to the death.”

“Could it be to first blood?” Lanara asked.

“No,” the orc said flatly. “This is a contest of strength, not a game to determine a winner or loser and award them some shiny trinket.”

It was a long battle under the oppressive glare of Karakor between Xu and the chosen orc warrior. The monk was able to land a few good blows, but the orc proved a fierce opponent, and Xu was unaccustomed to fighting in the sand. Finally, she had to raise her arms in surrender before her opponent felled her.

The party looked at each other uncertainly. Did this mean they would be chased off Clan Krug’s lands? Would they be seen as weak and attacked?

The orc facing Xu looked at her sternly. “You fight well for one with no weapons,” he said at last. “It is a style I have not frequently seen here in the desert.” He looked up the dune’s face, and waved a hand-signal at his leader, the orc who had spoken to them throughout their encounter.

The leader nodded, and turned to address Arrie. “You are welcome within our lands,” he said. “Come, we shall ride to our camp.”

The party mounted up as the orcs began to fan out and ride off, following the line of the dunes. Each of them held the same unspoken question in their minds; what lay in store for them in the lair of the desert wolf?


----------------------------

* The deer is the totem animal of Bles, goddess of agriculture and fertility.

 

[Delemental]

The group rode for nearly two hours before cresting a dune and coming upon a fortified encampment. Large wooden stakes planted in the sand, ponting outward to repel attackers, surrounded the encampment. Tents spread out everywhere haphazardly, and at the center were several large wagons carrying huge barrels, presumably of water.

Upon entering the encampment, the party was told to tether their horses at a spot near the camp’s edge. As it was approaching noon, they were instructed to find shelter, and that Keth would meet with them later. The party rested for several hours, talking quietly or sleeping, until the sun went down. As the sun slipped below the horizon, the party noticed that no torches were being lit; other than a couple of small cooking fires, the camp was pitch dark. Fortunately, three of Aelfenn’s five moons were out this night, and without a cloud in the sky there was enough light for those without darkvision to get by.

The orc who had led the scouting party approached the party. “Keth will see you now,” he said. “He has chosen to honor you by breaking bread with you.”

The party followed the orc to a large tent near the center of the encampment. Stepping inside, the party noticed that lanterns hung on each of the tent-poles lit this tent. Looking around, they could see why; there were shelves holding books stacked inside the tent, most looking well-used. The floor was covered in layers of rugs and cushions. A curtain made from hundreds of rough, uncut gemstones hung across the tent’s interior, dividing one corner from the others. Through the curtain, the party could see about a half-dozen figures lying on pillows; Osborn could see that they were scantily-clad orc women. In the center of the main portion of the tent, a large wooden plank was set on the floor. Food was stacked up on the makeshift table, consisting mostly of spiced meats wrapped in long grasses and roasted. On the far side from the party sat a powerful-looking orc. He wore simple clothing, and no obvious signs of rank or other affiliations.

“Welcome, visitors,” Keth said. “Please, sit and eat.”

“Lovely place you have here,” Kavan said as he sat, eyeing the gemstone curtain.

Keth nodded at the compliment. “There are few places of loveliness in this desert. We must carry them with us.”

“You seem to be doing very well,” Lanara commented.

“I am the chieftain.” Keth gestured toward the platters of food in front of them, encouraging the party to eat even as he took one of the wrapped bundles of meat and bit into it. Everyone took food, except for Xu, who couldn’t eat meat.

“I have been told that you have been sent here on a quest for the Ardaran church,” said Keth after a while.

“Indeed,” Tolly replied. “I have been sent forth by my church to replace some items that were used to my benefit.”

“What items do you seek?”

“Diamonds. My resurrection was costly.”

“I see. Then you seek not just diamonds, but large and well-formed diamonds, then.”

“Yes.”

Keth nodded. “Those are difficult to find even in the best of times. None of the gem fields in my lands could provide what you seek. However, I believe we can help each other out.” Keth shifted his position to recline on cushions. “Here is my situation. I am currently engaged in war with my brother. It is partially a war of control, and partially of vengeance. I was exiled from the desert at a young age by my brother.”

“Why were you exiled?” asked Tolly.

“It is the way of things in the desert. We were the sons of the chieftain. Only one may rule, and my brother feared the competition I might bring him. He did not want his road to power to be rough.”

Tolly nodded. “Then it was best paved early.”

“Indeed,” Keth agreed. “But my exile gave me an opportunity to travel the world and hone my skills. I also learned to see things much, much differently that those of the desert. I believe I can rule better than my brother. As you can see, I have many who share that belief and side with me. I believe my brother may also be somewhat mad. He talks of ‘expanding the orcish empire’ beyond the desert.”

“You mean like uniting the clans?” Lanara asked.

“Exactly, though the idea of an ‘orc empire’ is ludicrous.”

“Similar things have happened before,” Tolly said. “This is why Targeth has its shield.”

“Indeed,” Keth said. “And I fear another attempt to invade Targeth would lead to the decimation of the orc race, something I am naturally opposed to.” He gestured vaguely to the south, indicating the vast desert outside the camp. “My brother’s lands lie south of here. South of his clan territory are diamond mines that I believe will hold what you seek. It would be easiest for you to simply travel due south of here to find them, however I doubt my brother will grant you passage. But if you help me defeat him…”

“How many men does your brother have?” Tolly asked.

“He has a slight edge in numbers, perhaps a quarter more than what I have. However, my men are better trained and better equipped.”

“So how many men do you have? Can you give me numbers?”

Keth frowned. “That is a military secret I am not willing to share with outsiders. Suffice it to say that he has greater numbers, we have greater training.”

“So you see our presence as the edge you need.” Tolly said.

“That is true. In addition, however, my scouts report that they have seen my brother’s followers using a kind of magic they have never seen before.”

The party exchanged subtle glances. They had recently encountered ‘strange magic’ themselves – the powers of Xerxes.

“What about you? Do you have any magical desert tricks?” Kavan asked.

“We have our sorcerers, and our clerics of Grabâkh,” he said dismissively. “We offer the burned sacrifices, as I’m sure they do as well. They have something… strange. We do have our warsingers, a tradition that my brother appears not to favor.”

Lanara nodded, recognizing ‘warsinger’ as the orcish term for the bardic tradition.

“Are you a child of Grabâkh as well?” Tolly asked.

“No, my own patron is Estranë,” Keth replied. “I respect Grabâkh, and pay homage to him since he brings light to the world and allows things to grow. This is why I also offer respect to Ardara, and Feesha, and even Krüsh, as they all have their place in our survival, and thus deserving of our respect.”

“An enlightened view,” said Tolly.

Keth nodded. “Allow me to further enlighten you as to the ways of my people. It appears none of you have been to the desert before, save perhaps this one, who carries some of our traditional weapons.” He gestured to Arrie, who had placed her orcish shotputs nearby on the floor while she ate.

“I have had brief experiences with the predominant orc culture,” Arrie said.

“You may notice that our women and children are not here,” Keth continued. “There are two sources of wealth in the desert – one is of use to us, and one is of use to others. The first is water. It comes from oases and natural springs, as well as the few rivers in the Haran, such as the Kruga to the north. The locations of oases are closely-guarded clan secrets; you will not find them. If you did, you would either join the clan they belong to or die. The second source of wealth is the gems that lie buried beneath the sands. The smaller, plentiful ones are as dust to us – no more than affectations. We collect and trade these to other lands for things that we lack; forged weapons, metal armor which can be worn in the desert for short periods, and such. It is these things that we protect. The families – the women, children, the aged and infirm, they stay at the oases. We do not build castles or have standing armies as they do in other lands. Secrecy and mobility are our greatest weapons. Our armies move constantly, not only to intercept raids from other clans but to strike at their oases and more profitable gem mines.”

Keth leaned forward, gesturing at the party with half of a meat bundle. “We do not kill in the desert as often as most outsiders believe. A prisoner has value; the information they hold on the holdings of their clan. Those who give up that information are set free.”

“But wouldn’t they be outcast from their former clan, on suspicion that they had given up information?” Lanara asked.

“They would be hunted and killed, I would think,” Arrie commented.

“Do you offer prisoners the option of joining your clan?” Osborn asked.

“We do, though not many take it,” Keth said. “We are unique among the clans in this, as we are newly-forged. Other clans would not. This is how I have gathered many of my followers.”

“Where is your mother?” Kavan asked.

Keth blinked for a moment at the sudden change in subject. “She died years ago in a raid on Sargia.”

“Unfortunate,” said Lanara.

“It is the way of things,” he shrugged.

“The desert is harsh,” the bard added.

“Indeed. It tests us daily. That is why we are here; because orcs are the only race strong enough to survive in this land.”

Kavan continued his questioning. “Any other siblings?”

“None, except my brother. I have hordes of cousins; my father was a prolific man. Some are with me, some with my brother, others dead, or scattered among other clans.”

“So, how do you wish for our assistance?” Tolly asked. “I do not wish to step too fully into clan wars.”

“It’s a bit late for that,” Keth said. “If you do not wish to be involved in orcish clan wars, then in the morning my men will escort you to our borders, and you can return home.”

“What I meant was that I do not wish to become permanently involved. There is a difference between assisting due to a mutually beneficial agreement, or ending up hunted by your brother’s clan for the rest of my days.”

“Oh, well, if we win they will either join us or be wiped out,” Keth said dismissively. He left unspoken what would happen if his own clan lost. “What is your true concern? Is it the time involved?”

“Time is not of the essence, though I have been commanded to complete this quest within a year,” Tolly said.

“Let me enlighten you as to how we make war. Much of our effort is expended on information gathering – if we can’t find the enemy army, we cannot make war on them. Surprise is the most common tactic used.”

“You never attack an oasis?” Tolly asked.

“No, because accidents happen far too easily, and water is too precious to risk spoiling, even if it means ignoring an undefended target. It would be like blasting a pile of gold coins with a wizard’s fireball; the gold is still there, but is unusable without great effort.”

Tolly was silent for a moment. “If I could have time to talk with my companions – I cannot make all of the decisions for them.”

Kavan chuckled slightly at this, and Lanara and Osborn rolled their eyes.
“So, they are here of their own free will?” Keth asked.

“We have formed a bond,” Tolly explained.

“So, they follow you freely?” Keth asked again.

“Um, we travel together,” Lanara chimed in.

“We have no leader,” Osborn explained.

Keth seemed confused by this. Tolly quickly interjected. “Whoever is most suited to the task at hand is chosen as leader.”

“Ah, this I can understand. So, who leads now?”

“We are following Tolly’s quest,” Lanara explained, “but not following Tolly.” Lanara seemed unwilling to even give the impression that someone might be in charge of making decisions on her behalf.

“What are you really asking?” Arrie said. “Do you wish to know who speaks for us?”

When Keth indicated that was what he wanted, Lanara again stated they they spoke as a group. Tolly tried to explain that they had their own rules within the group for deciding such things. Finally, Keth held up his hands and conceded. “If you need to discuss, you need to discuss,” he said. “I will tell you this. You will not be mixed in with my troops, nor become part of my army. Your first assignment will likely be to guard the water casks. An army lives or dies by the water they carry, so they are an obvious target.”

“Do you ever poison the water in your brother’s casks?” Lanara asked.

“It is one tactic,” Keth agreed, “but it is difficult, as the casks are made of wood sheathed in metal, and hard to penetrate. And if we win the battle, then the water is useless to us as well.”

“How far away is your brother?” Kavan asked.

Keth frowned. “I cannot pinpoint his exact location, which is… vexing. I know he is relatively close, no more than a week out. Depending on which direction we travel, we could meet tomorrow, or not see each other for a month. It is the way of things.”

Autumn let out a low whistle to signal Tolly. The sentinel had kept her visor closed the entire time they were in the encampment, to avoid revealing her celestial heritage and possibly causing suspicion. She leaned over and whispered something into the cleric’s ear, and he nodded. “Keth, do your clerics or sorcerers ever use summoned animals as scouts?”

“It is uncommon, but not unheard of,” Keth said. “It is a careful balance between the benefit such creatures can provide, and the fact that it is yet another mouth consuming water.”

“We may be able to provide some assistance in that area,” Tolly stated.

“If you have such resources, they are welcome,” Keth said. “Much of our scouting, and theirs, is done through magical means, and therefore most of our defenses in that area are geared toward blocking scrying.”

The group took their leave of Keth, promising that they would return with a decision in the morning. While most of the group went off to set up their tents, Osborn stayed to speak privately with Keth, and Arrie and Lanara also remained behind to further discuss orcish culture. It was fully night by they time everyone had gathered around their two tents. Kyle had conjured up an opaque hemisphere that surrounded their camp and glowed softly inside, allowing them to have enough light to talk without the light being visible from outside. A couple of the orcs in the camp had come over to barter for a portion of Osborn’s bacon, as the smoked meat was unfamiliar to them. Osborn left the exchange richer by a topaz of moderate quality.

“So,” said Kyle, as soon as they were together, “at any point, did anyone else wonder if Keth was telling the truth about all this, or if he’s actually dripping evil and fooling us into doing his bidding?”

“He seemed genuine to me, Kyle,” said Autumn flatly. Osborn nodded his agreement.

“But, couldn’t we simply ask that before we agree to work with him that he submit to some simple divinations, to make sure?”

“Well, I have faith that Ardara would not lead me to seek out this man if his outlook was opposed to hers,” Tolly said. “And both Autumn and I carry these tokens of our respective faith, which will inform us if our actions are placing our souls in danger.”

“I have a question,” Arrie said. “Even if Keth is ‘evil’, does it really matter?”

“As long as he is respectful of order, then his moral leanings are of lesser concern to me,” Tolly said. “I’m interested in the goals of my church, not defeating evil.”

“I mean, personally, unless he’s lying, I don’t think it matters.” Arrie continued. “One side is as good as another in these kinds of conflicts. And if Keth is lying, then we go after him.”

The group nodded agreement, though Kyle seemed reluctant. “Another thing that worries me is this talk of ‘a strange magic that we haven’t seen before’,” he said.

“Yes, we’ve run into that before,” Tolly said. “Xerxes.”

“In which case,” Osborn said, “we have an obligation to look into it. If Xerxes, or some other source of pre-Cataclysmic power is aiding Keth’s brother, then we need to know.”

“I agree,” Tolly said. “The gods have forbidden that for a reason. We have an obligation to enforce that sentence.”

“I think that we should just stay on water patrol,” said Autumn, “and not get any more involved than that.”

“I don’t think Keth will agree to that,” Arrie said. “He probably expects us to fight.”

“And it limits our options,” Osborn said.

There was a bit of discussion on their role as part of Clan Hulg’s forces. Kyle, who seemed to have lost interest in the subject, went to tend the horses.

“One thing I’d recommend,” Arrie interjected, “is that we provide Keth with a speaker for our group. It’s obvious that he’s very orderly, and has difficulty with our more egalitarian ways. We need to give him a face.”

“Whose face might that be?” Kavan asked.

“I think it should be Tolly,” Autumn said.

“Is everyone comfortable with having Tolly speak for us?” asked Arrie.

“I think we should have faith in him,” Autumn countered.

“I don’t hate all Estranëans,” Tolly said, answering the unvoiced concerns about his last unsuccessful interaction with a representative of that faith. “The High Priest in Laeshir rubbed me the wrong way, and I was young.”

“It wasn’t that long ago,” Osborn said quietly.

“I would actually recommend Lanara,” Arrie said. “While Tolly is sensible, and appears to be compatible with Keth, Lanara is more worldly.”

“And she’s gorgeous,” Kavan added.

Lanara laughed. “I don’t think I’m his type,” she said.

“Orc-touched have to come from somewhere,” Arrie observed.

“He’s already got five wives,” Lanara said, “and those are probably just the ones he brought with him. What would he want with me? But hey, you want me to talk, I’ll talk.”

“Well, you would be better at concealing our motives than I would,” Tolly conceded. “In the event things worked out unfavorably for us.”

Arrie nodded. “Lanara is far more facile than any of us in expressing both purely what she believes, and disguising it when needed.”
“You mean I’m a good liar.”

“And I think,” Osborn added, “that she would be good at keeping the interests of those of us who are not so devout in mind.”

The party agreed to elect Lanara their spokesperson. Kyle was filled in when he returned, and went along with the group’s decision. The group turned in for the night, although Kyle remained awake a while longer.

The next morning the party arose, and watched as the sun caused an iridescent rainbow to flash across the sands of the desert. Lanara went to speak with Keth, meeting him outside his tent as his wives went about breaking it down and packing it.

“I have been chosen to speak for us,” Lanara said.

Keth looked slightly relieved at only having to deal with one person. “What is your decision?”

“We agree to guard your water supplies,” Lanara said.

Keth frowned. “I fear I have not made myself entirely clear. If you are to aid me, then I will direct what aid you will give. This is my clan, and my command. If you agree to aid me, then you will go where I say and do what I say.”

Lanara nodded. “Allow me to return to my group and make certain they understand this.”

Lanara went back and raised her concerns. There was some brief discussion; some felt that it was understood from the beginning that they were following Keth’s orders, others were worried that his orders might conflict with their interests.

“I think,” said Autumn, “that we should clarify the extent of how far we will follow his orders; not blindly, but to a point. If we feel uncomfortable with his orders, we will not follow them.”

“I don’t think that will go over well,” Lanara said.

“I will not follow an order that will cause me to go against my faith.” What Autumn left unspoken was that while listening to Keth’s desire for their absolute obedience, she had felt a twinge of warning from her phylactery of faithfulness; not a true sense of wrongdoing, but a sense that a blanket agreement with Keth might violate her ethics.

“Perhaps we needn’t say anything about it,” Kavan offered.

“Or we can be honest and tell him that some of us might have vows that could conflict with his orders,” Arrie said.

“I think I can do that,” Lanara said. She and Arrie went off to find Keth, who was supervising his wives as they loaded supplies on his horses.

“I believe we can agree to your terms,” Lanara said. “However, you should be aware that each of us follows a different path, and some of us have taken certain vows. Should your orders conflict with those vows, certain members of my party may not be able to comply.”

“Who, and what actions?” Keth asked.

“I can better speak for one of the primary objectors, as she is my sister,” Arrie said. “Autumn has taken vows as a member of the order of Sentinels. While your goals may be coterminous, there are certain actions that she cannot take.”

“I am familiar with the order,” Keth said.

“I think that as long as she isn’t ordered to slaughter innocents, there won’t be a problem,” Lanara said.

“I have no plans to give such orders.”

“Perhaps this arrangement will work,” Arrie offered. “We can agree that if a situation arises that causes problems for Autumn, she will inform you immediately and directly. And if at all possible, she will step aside.”

“It is highly unlikely that her oath will be called into question. I don’t foresee my brother bringing women and children to war. Forgive me; non-combatants. We do have some warrior women among our clan. It is from these that I choose my wives.”

“I noticed that your women were extremely competent,” Lanara observed.

“Indeed. I like my women to be competent. I have had to best each of them in battle for their hand in marriage.”

Under her breath, Lanara muttered, “Lovers and fighters, interesting.”

“As I said, her vows should not be called into question. In fact, she may be able to fulfill her higher purpose – it is not unknown for our clerics and sorcerers to summon extraplanetary aid in battle.”

“That would make Autumn very happy,” Arrie said.

“For today,” Keth said, “we have three water wagons. Normally, they are dispersed throughout the line. However, due to the proximity of an enemy force, today we will keep the wagons together. Half my forces will ride ahead, and the other half will remain behind with the wagons as a reserve. But if they are signaled to come to battle, they will come – leaving only you and a small squad of my men on each wagon. I must admit that it is not unheard of for my brother to attack and force me to bring in my reserves, and then attack our wagons with a small reserve force of his own. His greater numbers allow him to utilize such a tactic. You will ride with the wagons, and do whatever you feel is necessary to defend them if needed. An encampment will be prepared by nightfall. We will not make a full encampment for many days.”

“What is our authority in relation to the guards?” Arrie asked.

“Each squad has a captain, and there will also be a commander.” Keth nodded to Lanara. “You are the captain of your squad, and will report to the commander. Obey him as you would me – he knows what is needed for survival here, you do not. The other captains have no authority over you.”

Lanara and Arrie returned to find Tolly tracing intricate designs in the sand. He sat chanting and burning incense for a few minutes. Suddenly, the sand inside the circle began to swirl like a whirlwind, and emerging from the sand came a large wolfhound. The dog sat patiently, looking at Tolly. Arrie gasped, and looked truly delighted at the sight.

“We are looking for a certain amount of assistance,” Tolly said to the dog. “We need to find the location of the opponent of the orc, Keth, with whom we are currently allied. And we need knowledge as to what this ‘unfamiliar magic’ that he has mentioned might be.”

The dog sat back on its haunches, wagging its tail and panting. Then it grinned, and cocked its head to the side. “I’m so disappointed in you, Tolly Mulholland,” the dog said. “You get one task from me, and one task only. Which would you like me to perform?”

Tolly nodded, seemingly oblivious to being addressed by the name ‘Mulholland’, even though it was one none of his companions had ever heard. “I am more concerned as to the nature of this magic,” Tolly said. “My worry is that it is pre-Cataclysmic in nature, such as we have encountered in the recent past.”

“What do you offer for this task?” the dog asked.

Tolly frowned and thought for a moment. Meanwhile, Arrie reached out and petted the dog’s head. “I’m not certain how long this will take,” Tolly said at last. “Perhaps you have some suggestions as to what you are looking for?”

“You have some renown as a weaponsmith, yes?” the dog asked.

“Yes.”

“Excellent.” The dog suddenly stood up on its hind legs, stretching upward, and kept going up until he was standing fully upright. His paws had been replaced by human hands and feet, though his head was unchanged. The hound archon reached behind his back and pulled out a greatsword that had appeared there, placing the point in the sand and resting his hands across the pommel. “We have battles with Feesha’s followers from time to time. Though I am strong, her followers also have certain vulnerabilities. What I desire is for a blade such as this, forged of alchemical silver.”

“I will have time to finish this task before I start yours?” Tolly asked.

“Of course. These things take time. But it must be at your first opportunity.”

“Agreed.” Tolly spent a few minutes taking measurements and asking questions about grip and balance. Then the hound archon transformed back into its canine form, and trotted out into the desert, vanishing a few yards away.

Autumn took a moment to summon a celestial companion of her own – a hawk – that immediately took to wing and circled high into the sky. The party mounted their horses and rode into position near the water wagons as they began to roll out. Soon the entirety of Clan Hulg, plus eight additional members, was on the move into the deep desert.

 

[spidertrag]

I've sadly came to the end of this SH----I want more!
I, for one, enjoy the long posts----& the number of pcs. If I can get my right hand drawing again, I'll definately send some fan art yalls way. maybe its my exposure to having to watch soap operas as a kid, but I'm also lookin forward to seeing how the relationship between kyle & Autumn

again, good job

 

[Delemental]

I've sadly came to the end of this SH----I want more!
I, for one, enjoy the long posts----& the number of pcs. If I can get my right hand drawing again, I'll definately send some fan art yalls way. maybe its my exposure to having to watch soap operas as a kid, but I'm also lookin forward to seeing how the relationship between kyle & Autumn

again, good job

First of all, thank you. Comments help reassure me that I do, in fact, have an audience.

There's definitely more. I've actually got several sessions already written up after this, so even if our game abuptly ended tomorrow, I'd have enough to keep posting for a few months. I started writing this SH purely for the members of my gaming group, and it wasn't until about a year into it that I decided to post it here as well. It's one of the reasons my posts tend to be long, as I'm essentially cutting and pasting from our group's website (where the original stories are posted) to here.

Fan art... wow. Didn't expect an offer like that, but would certainly love it if you wanted to. Which means, of course, that I should probably offer some physical descriptions at some point in the near future. One of our players does do anime-style art, and has drawn a few of the characters already - I'll ask her permission to post those to the thread. We actually all have character portraits on our group website, but I don't give out the address - some of the artwork is by people who aren't in our group, and since I do have a modicum of respect for artists and copyrights, I figure the best thing I can do is keep those pictures within the group.

As far as Kyle and Autumn... well, at this point in the campaign things got interesting. See, as I mentioned before, Autumn's player and I decided to develop the romnace in the background, to see if it would go anywhere without worrying about interference from other characters (Autumn also has in-character reasons for not wanting to go public with it). This is why there aren't really any obvious references to the relationship in the story; Kyle and Autumn save the sappy love stuff for times when they're alone. One of the results of this decision was that Tolly's player also decided to try his hand at a romantic relationship with a PC, and also chose Autumn as his ideal mate. As you can imagine, we three players had to have a discussion about how to play this out. We decided it wasn't fair to shut Tolly out completely, as his player has just as much right to sub-plots as any of us. So, I sort of had to manufacture a rift between Kyle and Autumn so that Tolly's sudden interest wouldn't necessarily be rebuffed automatically. Tolly's advantage over Kyle was that he could press his suit more publically. This is why, in more recent stories, Autumn seems a bit distant toward Kyle, and she's rather complimentary toward Tolly (Kyle, because of other things going on for him, is a bit clueless to all this).

How does it all turn out? Patience... I will say that in a relatively short time, we end up making the relationship(s) public, so they'll be a lot more obvious.

Of course, what I should really do is dig out some of the game fiction that I and other players wrote, and post that too. It helps fill in some holes - not only for this particular subplot, but other characters as well.

 

[Delemental]

Autumn Evening

Of course, what I should really do is dig out some of the game fiction that I and other players wrote, and post that too. It helps fill in some holes - not only for this particular subplot, but other characters as well.

And, so I shall.

This is another fictional piece I wrote. Campaign-wise, it takes place during the 'Carnivale' adventure, on board the Maiden, Mother and Crone. In the future, I'll try to be more diligent in posting these side-stories closer to when they actually happened in the timeline.

----------------

Light from the setting sun danced across the water’s surface as the prow of the Maiden, Mother and Crone slid through the ocean. Dolphins swam just ahead of the ship, occasionally jumping out of the water and splashing. The captain had said it was a sign of favor from Krûsh, and that they would make good time to the next port.

Autumn was tired of looking at dolphins.

She sighed as she stepped back from the railing, and regarded the greater expanse of the ocean. The truth was, she was bored. She’d been on ocean voyages before, as a young girl growing up in the Verahannen household, but they’d never lasted more than three or four days, and between lessons and playing with Aiden and Arrie, there was never a dull moment. This voyage had lasted nearly three weeks already, and was due to last at least that much longer if not more. Autumn had quickly realized that she had no practical skills for a sea voyage, and the number of things she could do to keep herself busy was wearing thin. Her armor was dent-free and so polished she could see her reflection in it, as was her sword. There were only so many hours a day she could spend in sword practice, and only so long she could tolerate embroidery work. She couldn’t go riding, she couldn’t effectively practice archery, she had no books to read, and any letters she might have wished to write had been written and sent days ago.

Even her sister Arrie’s company had worn thin under the close quarters they now shared, and they now avoided each other – to be more accurate, Arrie was avoiding Autumn, as she’d been unusually snippy toward her sister recently. The only thing that had made the voyage bearable was Tolly. He’d been keeping himself as busy as everyone else, of course, but had taken the time to seek her out and talk with her, seeing how restless she was. She’d been surprised to discover that they held a lot of similar opinions and interests. A small smile crept across her face thinking about it.

After a few minutes of picking splinters out of the railing, Autumn turned and began walking toward the stairs leading down to the hold. She pointedly ignored the stares her passage elicited from the crew. She hated the way the ocean spray made her clothes cling to her body, and the looks that it provoked. She couldn’t understand how Lanara not only tolerated such looks from these men, but actually seem to encourage it by the clothes she chose to wear. She longed to be in her armor again, but wearing a suit of full plate on board a ship was highly impractical, if not suicidal. At least none of the crew had done anything besides stare while she was around.

No, that wasn’t quite true. There was that one crewman, barely three days out of Erum, who during the evening meal had grabbed her like a common tavern wench and suggested she… ‘climb his mast’ were the words Autumn remembered him using. The captain had put him off the ship at the next port with his wages. Autumn vaguely remembered wondering if the money would be enough to buy a set of false teeth to replace the ones she’d shattered.

Autumn descended below decks, thinking to spend a few minutes brushing Defiance before returning to her cabin and working on – she sighed – more embroidery. For a moment, she even considered joining Osborn at fishing off the side of the deck, but she’d never found the activity enjoyable, and so dismissed the impulse.

As she walked past the galley, she heard a loud commotion. Curious, she stopped and poked her head around the doorway. A group of seven or eight crewman sat at the far end of the room, surrounding a small barrel with cups in their hands. Autumn knew that Captain Mohan had taken on a small supply of rum at their last stop, and assumed that the cask was part of that supply. Watching the sailors, Autumn saw a flash of deep blue in their midst, and was surprised to see Kyle in the crowd. Just as she recognized him, the group broke into a drinking song. At first they were uncoordinated, the lyrics spilling out seemingly at random, but by the end they were mostly singing in unison.


And Mary McGregor, she was a pretty whore
She'd always greet you with a smile and never lock her door
But on the day she died, all the men in town did weep
For Mary McGregor finally got some sleep


Autumn smiled and shook her head. The lyrics were as atrocious as Kyle’s singing voice. He’d never have a career as a bard.

She stood at the doorway and watched him for a while, leaning against the doorframe. The song had come to a jumbled end, and now the men were swapping stories. She could tell even from this distance that Kyle had not had nearly as much to drink as the others – in fact, ever since Midsummer, when he’d won the bar brawl in Laeshir (the ‘prize’ being the honor of covering the tab for the whole tavern), he’d been very cautious about how much he drank. She watched the way his new, midnight blue robes flowed around his large frame. The robes had been an anonymous gift during their stay at the palace in Noxolt; Kyle had accused her of buying them at first, but she hadn’t been responsible. She had wondered for a while who had given him the robes, but in the end decided that he looked good enough in the new clothes that it didn’t much matter. His old green robes had been nice, but the deep blue suited him better, and these weren’t threadbare.

She studied his other features. His face had lost the slight softness it had acquired after their month-long stay at the Imperial Palace (in truth, they’d all lost a bit of softness; five weeks of overland travel and then a sea voyage had snapped the entire party back into shape). She was surprised to realize that his hair had grown longer; he used to keep it quite short, hacking off the ends with his dagger every so often, but now it was long enough he’d had to tie it back with a silver ring. A loose strand had escaped the ring and hung free next to his right temple, barely touching his cheek. Autumn’s gaze kept going back to that loose strand, strangely drawn to it and the way it swayed back and forth in front of Kyle’s beautiful blue-gray eyes. She felt a warm, pleasant feeling spread from her chest, wrapping her in comfort.

“Copper for your thoughts?”

Autumn blinked in surprise and realized that Kyle was now standing directly in front of her. Somewhere during her reverie she’d missed seeing him stand up.

“I’m sorry, what?” was the best she could manage in the moment. Brilliant, Autumn, she thought to herself, very eloquent.

“You were staring at me,” Kyle said. “I tried to get your attention, but you were kind of lost in thought there.”

In her own mind, Autumn laughed at herself. Staring at him. And here I was only a few minutes ago mentally castigating the other sailors for doing the same thing. Lesson in humility learned. Lord Pot, meet Lady Kettle.

For Kyle, she only smiled. “I was only thinking of… something nice.” Then, because she couldn’t help herself, she reached up and brushed the loose strand of hair back behind his ear. She pulled her hand away quickly in case anyone was watching, but it wasn’t what she wanted to do.

“So, Kyle,” she said, “Since I have your attention, I was wondering if you could help me with the horses? That is, if I’m not interrupting anything?”

“Oh, them?” Kyle looked back at the cluster of sailors, who had launched into another song about a sailor, which included a rather graphic description of why he was called ‘Three-Legged Pete’. “Nah, just enjoying a round with the boys. We finally finished replacing the support timbers in the aft hold this afternoon, so the first mate said it was okay to tap one of the casks.” Kyle looked back at the sailors again. “At this point, I don’t think they’ll notice that I’m gone.”

Kyle followed Autumn out of the galley and down the narrow corridor toward the next flight of stairs. As they walked, Autumn had the chance to ponder her rather strong reaction to seeing Kyle. Perhaps it was the thrill of stealing an illicit moment – no, that seemed unlikely. Their entire relationship was comprised of such moments. Perhaps it was simply a release from the frustration she’d felt at not being able to be alone with him, like she’d been able to do at the palace. That didn’t seem right, either. Though she admitted the separation was hard, it wasn’t as if she and Kyle were rutting animals unable to control their instincts (though on some occasions, Autumn secretly wondered about Kyle; and even more secretly, admitted that sometimes she didn’t mind).

But something on that line of thought seemed to stir her thoughts, so she mulled it over. She hadn’t truly had a private moment with Kyle since leaving the palace at Noxolt. There, even though publicly they still had to conceal their affair, there was opportunity aplenty for them to meet, given the expansive grounds and the huge staff of servants trained not to notice anything. But on the road to the port, and on the small, cramped ship, such opportunities had vanished. Looking back, Autumn realized that in the past five weeks she’d and Kyle had exchanged fewer than a dozen words in any conversation they’d had. As soon as she had that thought, something clicked into place, and the revelation was so surprising she nearly stopped walking.

The problem wasn’t that Autumn was bored – she was lonely.

At first, it didn’t make much sense to her; after all, she had her sister, and Tolly, and the other members of the group, all of whom she could spend time with if she wished. But Autumn had never been one to deny or discount her own feelings, and it came to her that there were many different forms of loneliness.

They walked down to the lower decks, where Autumn’s steed Defiance was being stabled alongside Arrie’s mount Ghost. Glancing at the gray-white horse next to hers, Autumn could tell that her sister had already been down to groom Ghost. With no other animals kept in this section of the hold, and with the rest of the crew under orders not to disturb the horses unless there was an emergency, it meant that for a few minutes they would be undisturbed.

“I’ve missed you,” she said, as she ran a currycomb across Defiance’s coat.

“Really? It’s not exactly like I’ve been far away.”

“You know what I mean.” Autumn was sure that Kyle’s comment was meant as a joke, but suddenly she didn’t find it very funny.

Kyle got the hint. “Look, I know. I’ve missed you too. But our situation…” he shrugged helplessly. “And besides that, I’ve been kind of busy.”

“I’ve noticed,” Autumn said, a little more harshly than she intended. “This is the most I’ve seen of you in three weeks.”

“Autumn, I talked with you about this before we even boarded the ship. For the first time since leaving the school, it seems that I have the time, the money, and the energy to work on some of the projects I’ve been planning. Who knows when I’ll get another chance at this? Besides, it’s not like I’ve spent the entire voyage in my cabin.”

“No,” she admitted, “but when you are out of your cabin, you spend the entire time working with the crew. Tolly has just as many ‘projects’ as you, but I still get to talk to him.”

Kyle just shook his head, clearly not agreeing with her.

Autumn focused on brushing Defiance for a few minutes, wanting the time to think. Kyle’s response hadn’t pleased her at all. But then again, didn’t he have the right to spend his time as he wished? But if that were the case, why didn’t he choose to spend any of that time with her? But, but, but.

If only I could talk to Arrie about this, Autumn sighed. But that was the problem with a secret relationship, now wasn’t it? The only person she could really talk to about it was Kyle, and his wasn’t exactly an objective opinion, nor was it a feminine one. In lieu of her sister, Autumn would have accepted advice from Lanara, Xu… even Kavan in a pinch.

She sometimes wondered if she’d gotten in over her head in choosing Kyle as her… what would she even call it? They were nowhere close to engaged (Gods! What a nightmare that would be explaining to Mother!), nor could she say they were intended. ‘Lovers’ was probably the closest, but the word had such a tawdry sound to her ear, it made their union sound cheap and crude. For a moment, Autumn wondered if her mother – her real mother – had thought these same thoughts when contemplating her own tryst with her celestial father.

“Exactly what planet are you spending so much time on tonight?” asked Kyle, shaking her out of her train of thought. She’d completed her brushing of her horse without conscious thought, and had been standing unmoving at his flank for Bail knew how long.

“None of your business,” she snapped, this time not caring that her irritation was coming out in her voice. He certainly hadn’t make things any easier on her recently, and it irked her that he was having a grand old time on this ship while she was ignored.

Now Kyle was beginning to get annoyed. “Hey, what did I do?”

“Nothing, Kyle. That’s the whole problem. You’re not doing anything.”

She turned on her heel and began to head toward the stairs, when Kyle grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him. “Now wait just a minute…”

They stared at each other, her brilliant blue eyes locked with his smoky blue-grays. The lock of Kyle’s black hair had fallen out of place again, dangling just to the side of his face. Now, instead of compelling, it just annoyed her.

Kyle looked as if he were about to say something to her. She waited, expectantly. She had to have faith in him. Had to have faith that he’d say the right thing now, that he’d make all this go away. Make her feel warm, safe, and happy, like he did the first night they were together.

Behind them, there was a noise as someone came down the stairs. Kyle held Autumn’s gaze for another moment, then his grip on her arm loosened, and he stepped back.

“I’m sorry to hear you’re not enjoying the voyage,” he said, a bit too cheery. “I hope you can find some way to pass the time.”

Her eyes blazed. “Don’t worry, Kyle. I will.” She stormed away, past a somewhat startled crewman coming down the stairs to check the cargo.

She ended up back on the deck, looking out at the ocean from the bow. She fought furiously to keep the tears from falling. She was glad that Kyle hadn’t tried to find her after she left, or she might very well have thrown him overboard.

Autumn couldn’t believe what had happened. She had thought that Kyle cared for her a great deal, but there was little evidence of that tonight. Had she misjudged him? Had his feelings for her waned? Had his feelings even been genuine?

She wanted to believe the best. She wanted to think that someone could truly care for her in this world – a world where she had already given up so much of what she should have. But now, as the first moon began to emerge from the endless ocean, she wondered if she had been used and discarded, like her mother.

The sound of heavy boots on the deck told her that someone was approaching. At first she thought it might be Kyle, and began searching for exactly the spot in the ocean she’d throw him in. But then she realized that the gait was wrong, and quickly took a deep breath to calm herself.

Tolly stepped up next to Autumn at the railing. “Good evening, Autumn,” he said. “How are you tonight?”

She had to suppress a bitter laugh. “I’m fine, Tolly. Just… having trouble sleeping. I guess I have a lot on my mind.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

She shook her head, then placed her hand atop his on the railing, squeezing softly. “You’ve already been a great comfort to me during this voyage, Tolly.”

Tolly looked down at her hand resting on his for a long time. When he spoke, his voice was unusually quiet. “Autumn, I came out here looking for you because I have something I want to give you. I was glad that I caught you alone.”

More alone than you realize, Autumn thought to herself. But to Tolly she said, “Something for me? Why, Tolly, I’m flattered. You shouldn’t have.”

“Well, I… wanted to give this to you.” He was stumbling over his words now, and a flush was rising on his face. Reaching into a pouch at his side, he produced what looked at first like a simple white rose in the dim moonlight. But as Tolly placed it in Autumn’s hand, she felt the cool, smooth texture of metal. She examined the token closely. It was a rose, cold-forged from iron. She nearly gasped as she saw the intricacy of dozens of overlapping petals connected to a slender stem.

“A token of affection,” Tolly said, almost whispering, “for a fellow adventurer true.”

The world seemed to spin. “Tolly…” Autumn said, still staring at the rose. “You… shouldn’t have…” Despite this, however, her grip on the iron stem only tightened. Finally, she looked up at Tolly, her face a mask of emotion. “Thank you, Tolly. I’m…” She found she could not finish the thought – she had no words.

For several minutes all she could do was look back and forth between the rose and Tolly. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and at times she thought she might faint. It was all too much for her.

The tears, so long in coming, finally started to flow. “Tolly, I… I need some time to be alone… please?” She didn’t want for his response, but bolted toward the stairs, her vision blurry.

Tolly stood watching Autumn leave, seeming unsure of what to do. He finally turned and stared out at the ocean, watching the second moon rise. Several minutes later, someone walked up behind him and stood at the rail.

“Hey, Tolly,” said Kyle.

“Good evening, Kyle.”

“Hey, am I going to be able to use our room tomorrow? Did you finish that ‘special project’ you were talking about?”

“Yes, I am finished.”

“That’s great. How’d it turn out?”

Tolly smiled a little. “Quite well, I think. Only time will tell. It was a bit of a chancy endeavor.”

“Oh, I’m sure whatever it is will work out perfectly for you. You shouldn’t be afraid to take chances, Tolly.”

“I think you may be right, Kyle.” Tolly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiping his forehead against the warmth of the near-equatorial night.

Kyle noticed the gesture. “Say, that’s some beautiful embroidery work there,” he commented. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a sweetheart somewhere.”

Tolly smiled and shrugged as he put the handkerchief away.

“Oh, ho!” Kyle laughed. “Seems our forthright Ardaran priest has a few secrets! Come on, what’s her name?”

Tolly opened his mouth to answer, but then Kyle slapped him on the back. “Oh, I’m just joking with you! Say, want to come down to the galley with me? If we hurry, we might be able to get in one more cup of rum before we turn in, before the crew starts tearing apart the barrel and sucking on the damp planks.”

“No, thank you.”

“Well, I could use one more stiff drink to end the night,” Kyle said, the good humor in his voice losing some of its fervor.
“Something wrong, Kyle?”

He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively in the air. “It’s nothing. Minor squabble with one of our friends today.”

“Really? Who?”

“It doesn’t matter, and I don’t want to embarrass them by naming names. Probably just getting antsy over this long voyage.” He looked slightly forlorn for a moment. “I just wish it hadn’t ended so rough between us. There were… things that needed to be said that weren’t.”

“Well, perhaps you’ll have that chance tomorrow.”

“Maybe. But maybe I’d best just let things lie for now. Just stay out of their way until things blow over.”

Tolly nodded. “You could be right, Kyle.”

“Sure,” Kyle agreed. “After all, no harm in waiting, right?"

 

[Delemental]

Arrie and Autumn

THis is another player-written fiction, this one by Arrie's player, Anne. It occurs immediately after the last one, picking up after Tolly presents the iron rose to Autumn.

Just FYI, Anne tends to abbreviate her characters' name as 'Ari' while I've gotten in the habit of using 'Arrie'. She says she doesn't mind either way. Just didn't want people thinking 'Ari' was an NPC.

-------------------------------


Ari sighed and ran a hand over her damp forehead. Her hands were developing new calluses from hauling and handling the ships ropes. While she didn’t have specialized skills like Kyle, and she wasn’t as eerily talented as Xu, Ari was finding that she was pretty good at quite a few things that the sailors aboard the Mother, Maiden and Crone did daily. She was strong enough to handle hard physical labor, quick enough to handle the tasks that required nimbleness and generally clever enough to take on the easier tasks without supervision. She was so tired that she fell asleep the instant she curled up in her hammock at night and frankly it felt good. All the strangeness and uncertainty she’d felt while they were staying amongst the elven court was gone. She started rummaging in the foot locker for her nightshirt when the door flew open and Autumn strode in.

Ari looked up, a smile on her face, ready to tease her adopted sister about being in a hurry but the words died on her lips as she saw tears glistening on the aasimar’s cheeks. The bundle of clothing fell from her hands and she reached for her chain without removing her eyes from the other woman’s lovely, tear-stained face.

“Who am I killing?”

A smile tried to brighten Autumn’s face, but she was so frustrated and confused that it came out as a lower-lip quiver.

“If it was another fresh sailor, he’ll wish you’d gotten to him instead when I get through with him.” Ari’s fingertips found the familiar weight of her chain but Autumn didn’t seem angry enough to merit someone getting a beating in the name of sisterly love. “What’s the matter?”

Autumn fumbled with her hammock, wanting to sit down, but the blasted thing was uncooperative and she ended up letting out a little whimper of dismay. She heard Ari’s chain drop back into the foot locker and a moment later, she felt a warm arm around her shoulder. The gesture was a little awkward since Ari was shorter than her sister, but the comfort of the gesture was certainly felt.

“Its just… men.” She huffed out the last word, putting all her frustration and confusion into the single syllable.

Ari interposed herself momentarily between the aasimar and the hammock and then guided her sister into it next to her. Seated, Ari could put her arms around her sister’s shoulders and gave her a fierce hug.

“What’s the matter?” Ari withdrew, giving Autumn room to share what she needed to but trying to be careful not to push her sister into sharing anything too personal. They had grown apart since re-uniting and Ari was doing her darndest to respect the other woman’s privacy.

Autumn took a few deep breaths. Her head cleared a bit and she realized that while they may have drifted apart, there was no one aboard who would more zealously defend her heart. Slowly, she told Ari about the interlude with Tolly on the deck.

Ari waited for a moment, waiting to make sure that Autumn was done speaking before adding her advice. “Well, it sounds like Tolly is interested in you are more than a friend. He respects you and the gods know that you’re gorgeous and talented. You both have particularly strong faith; I know if I were an impressionable young man I’d be enamored of you. The question is, how do you feel about this attention?”

Autumn frowned. “I’m not sure.”

Ari pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “Well then, I’d recommend avoiding Tolly for a little bit. Not running at the sight of him, just avoiding being alone with him until your feelings are a little more clear. It wouldn’t be good to alienate him if you decide you do want his attention, but if you decide you don’t like it and he presses his suit then it could result in some seriously bruised ego. Men are tricky that way.”

Autumn nodded and started to feel calmer. Too many problems on top of each other was overwhelming, but sitting in the tiny cabin with Ari’s earnest and occasionally bloodthirsty support was bringing things into perspective.

“Really,” Ari continued, “You could probably socialize with some of our other friends a bit more. Kyle could certainly use your help working on social skills and he’s got a quick mind. Perhaps you could do with a bit more intelligent discussion that doesn’t involve theology. Lanara and Osborne are lots of fun too. Xu is quiet but she’s very deep when you get her to open up. Tor’s hounds, even Kavan’s got some really interesting views of the world.”

Autumn nodded in agreement then frowned. “Is there a particular reason that you waxed poetic about Kyle and only briefly extolled the virtues of the others?” Perhaps their stolen moments had made her paranoid, but Ari seldom seemed to give anyone more than a two-word compliment and Kyle had earned a whole sentence. In the parlance of Ari’s mind that was akin to a glowing and poetic description.

Ari smiled. Leave it to Autumn to latch onto anything out of the ordinary. It was a quality that made her a great sentinel. “Well, a little. I do like Kyle, I mean what’s not to like about someone who’s genuinely nice and aside from his little social gaffs has a certain homey charm? Xu is so quiet that its hard to get her out of her shell sometimes. Lanara and Osbourne are great fun for me but I don’t know if they annoy you. Kavan has a really dark past and I don’t know if you want to deal with that. As for me, I don’t know if you’re still upset with me so I don’t want to force my company on you. You’ve got a mean right and I don’t relish the thought of being on the receiving end of it.” Ari paused and then raised her eyebrows. “Besides, its not as though Kyle’s hard on the eyes. I certainly appreciate attractive male company, don’t you?”

Autumn considered the other woman’s words for a moment. All of the assessment was pure Ari, colored by her remarkably simplified view of the world. “Well, while we’re talking about male company, I’ve got a question for you.”

“As long as it doesn’t involve re-introduction to Miss Right, I’ll answer any question you want.” Ari shifted a bit to get more comfortable and escape even for a few seconds her sister’s piercing blue gaze. Ever since they had first met, Ari had been strangely at ease with the god-touched girl but she’d always found the intensity of Autumn’s gaze disconcerting.

Autumn took a moment to gather and re-organize her thoughts. The question had been gnawing at her for quite some time but she had held it back, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer. “How do you think the family would take it if a man were to start courting me?”

Ari almost laughed with relief. She’d dreaded that Autumn’s question would involve a certain elven prince and she wasn’t quite sure how she felt and where she stood with Herion. With her family, she always knew where she stood and could generally trust on opposite notion to match her family’s thoughts. On the issue of familial duty though, Ari was pretty sure she knew their stance.

“Well, I can’t read Mother’s mind, but since we’ve had some rather spectacular discussions about it recently I think I can speak intelligently about it. Really, as long as you’re not interested in someone who is rooting for the downfall of the kingdom I think they’ll be ok with it. Really, they’ve already gotten their sacrificial virgin and you can’t marry into better in-kingdom alliances since Mother married Father and Aiden is helping the twins. There’s no trumping our alliance with the elven imperials unless you want to be Haxtha’s consort.” Ari paused a moment to shudder at that thought. “And if they do have an objection, they can lump it. Really, you’re the ideal daughter to them and you’ve already done so much to please them that I don’t think you can do much more. No matter what you do, Mom will disapprove, that’s what Mom does. Dad will be quietly happy, that’s what Dad does. These are like fundamental laws of the universe.

I mean, if you think about it, there are even some men we know who would work out. Take Kyle for instance. He’s human so you won’t run into my problem with marrying someone so many times your own age. He’s got a career ahead of him, the gods know that wizards are always useful. Tor’s hounds, he may not be cultured but at least he tries and its not like he’s of a mind to overthrow the kingdom.”

Autumn arched her eyebrow at her adopted sister.

Ari hurried on. “There are others who aren’t exactly the best choices. Take Tolly for example.” She held up a forestalling hand in case Autumn was going to protest. “This is all hypothetical. But look at some of his qualities. He’s so zealous about his faith, good in a cleric true, but bad in a politician. He’s good with words and at times I’m quite sure that he thinks of just the exact wrong thing to say to someone so that he gets them really riled up. He’s capable of good sense, but sometimes he chooses not to exercise it.”

Autumn leaned back and thought about that for a moment. Her mind would not be still. She decided to confide something in Ari that only a handful of other people knew. Her eyes hooded and distant, she put her hand on Ari’s shoulder. “What if there were more? I mean, what if there were more to me than just being adopted by your mother and father?”

Ari shook her head, confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, I know that you’ve never pressed it. I remember you hitting a boy who dared to ask about my parentage when we were little because it made me look upset. Ari, I know who my mother and father are.”

Ari looked excited, then worried. “So is it bad then?”

Autumn shook her head and laughed softly. “Not really. You remember your mother’s sister, yes?”

Ari nodded, remembering her aunt, Lysanne Coviere; the queen of Merlion. “She was always nice to me, and I remember she always treated you…” She trailed off.

Autumn nodded. “She was my mother.”

“But why would she have fostered you with us? Why didn’t she keep you with her?” Ari’s cheeks flushed a bit, her eyes flashing.

“No, don’t be angry. Its not bad at all, really. When she was young, she was visited by a servitor of one of the good gods. She fell in love with him and he cared for her. They were together for only a short time, but I was the result. Mother couldn’t marry him, she needed a consort to help her rule the kingdom.” Autumn looked down at her hands, wondering once more about the relationship between her father and her mother. “To make sure that there weren’t any problems in the line of succession, she gave me up. She couldn’t bear to let me go far so she gave me to her sister, your mother. The twins know, and your parents and now you.”

Ari took her sister’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for trusting me with this. I always knew you were special.”

Autumn nodded and squeezed back. “No more secrets.”

Ari grinned. “But now you’ve got to stop pretending to be a maid. I should pretend to be yours if you really think about it.”

Autumn flashed her sister a shy smile. “No more pretending.”

 

[Delemental]

Here's three of the character portraits, done by Anne in a manga style. Unfortunately for me, she says she only draws women because her male portraits look funny. So, no anime-Kyle in the near future.

 

[spidertrag]

Here's three of the character portraits, done by Anne in a manga style. Unfortunately for me, she says she only draws women because her male portraits look funny. So, no anime-Kyle in the near future.

I like 'em --tell her to keep practicing, she'll get those guys---faces in general were one of the things that took me forever to get 'right' (& I use that term loosely )

I'll use these as reference for drawing the girls---other descriptions (body type, equipment, etc...) will be useful---feel free to pass out my email address (in sig)

Ari's (Arrie's) story was great---seems yall are a creative bunch---btw, tell your DM, if he has any more creatures/interesting npc's he want a visual representation of, drop me a line---it'll give me a chance to put my regrowing artistic creativity towards something