Session 8 (131) - The Keepers of Cheshimox
Leon investigated the strange behaviour of Thrag Vidalia and discovered that he had been the victim of an enchantment. The body of the woman he claimed had tried to assassinate him has also been magically affected by some sort of transmutation. Nevertheless, Cavallo de Guerra stripped him of his command, and would have kicked every foreigner out of his citadel had Alonsa Frolian not intervened.
For her part, the half-giant was keen to help the effort to deal with the Dragon Worm infestation in any way she could, and did not want to alienate those who were making the attempt, whatever their motives. Doctor von Recklinghausen and Gupta worked closely together for many days, and after Leon and Melissa Amerie left for Seobrega on Day 5, they spent their evenings on the terrace, joined occasionally by Captain Rutger Smith, who turned out to be an erudite and entertaining companion. Gupta and Wolfgang also dined aboard his ship, the breathtaking RNS Impossible. They discussed matters philosophical, tending toward the Captain’s fervent advocacy of Millerism.
The Fuego goblins were repatriated. Their attacks ceased.
Almost a week went by. On the Cantabrilla railway, the workers of Surtan Liss were making good progress. Rumdoom and Uru kept up their vigil in and around Aigotsura in case bandits returned. Conquo/Xambria lent their strength and intelligence to the practical matter of railroad building.
On day ten, all parties were alerted to dark clouds on the horizon by a sending from Surtan Liss. “It is as my father warned: the Keepers of Cheshimox are coming.” Kithilrak was able to get Rumdoom and Uru to Seobrega. Meanwhile, Conquo pounded a rail cart back to the workers’ camp from the railhead. The workers were frightened. The storm clouds had thickened to the north, and temperature had dropped alarmingly. Before he fled, Liss told Xambria of the legends: cannibal dragon worshippers. When a worker found the severed head of lizardman ghoul in a ditch near the camp (still wearing some elaborate head dress that might indicate high status) the reality was confirmed. By now, Xambria had brought Leon, Uru and Rumdoom through a reverse portal. (Korrigan could not be spared, as he was speaking at a hugely important meeting of Panoply supporters that after noon, prior to the Rock Rackus concert in a few days’ time.)
Unfortunately, having taken over to cast the ritual, Xambria would now be in charge of Conquo’s physical form in the event of a combat: trading ‘states’ was difficult and could not be frequently accomplished.
Leon sent Rahu Ketu, his spirit familiar, into the air, and surveyed the landscape through her eyes. Then he created an illusion of the terrain which the cunning and perceptive Uru could study for an ideal spot to intercept the raiders. Sadly, no such spot existed. The plains were almost featureless, save for cacti and lechuguilla. Having taken almost an hour just to reach the camp, they now needed to move fast to intercept the Keepers. Xambria loped off at a relentless pace, carrying Uru on her back. Rumdoom leapt into his mechanical carriage. Leon teleported.
The tribe of Cheshimox was fifty strong. At the heart of their warband was a spectral sled, ridden by four priests, and bearing a six-foot dragon skull. Hoping that it would give the lizardfolk pause, Xambria threw the head of their chieftain onto the ground before the sled, but they ignored it and kept on coming. Leon had set up the illusion of a unit of warriors and these took the brunt of the first salvo from the dragon skull – a beam of intense cold that hung in the air before dissipating.
Xambria/Conquo charged into the midst of the tribe and grabbed one of the priests off the sled. Uru took pot-shots from Conquo’s back. Another priest turned the skull towards them and they felt the full force of the dragon’s breath. Leon stayed mobile and took out clusters of ghouls with witchfire. Rumdoom drew as many upon him as he could before throwing grenades at his own feet, convinced (rightly or wrongly) of his immortality. When he ran out of bombs, he set about them with the Hammer of Lost Riders. At last, the others witnessed exactly why Kvarty Gorbatiy had told him to leave that evil hammer well alone. Unbidden, a terrible storm – worse even than those conjured by the Icy End – swirled around the dwarf and when he finally emerged his fine moustache and tall bowler were coated with snow and ice.
Besides the terrible power of the skull, their most dangerous foes were a pair of terrormasks who could disappear from view and reappear to beset the unit with ululating moans and blows so deep they froze the bloodstream. But, eventually, the Keepers were beaten. It had been long, hard fight, especially for Xambria.
When he took a closer look at the skull of Cheshimox, Rumdoom could see why Kithilrak had been so excited when he heard the legends: he could see eschatological runes carved into the skull. When translated later, one section read, “Cry Out, for at the End of Time I Rise” – a legend Rumdoom recognised as having been carved on Kvarty’s rifle. They avoided touching the freezing artefact when dragging it home, but later that night Rumdoom felt compelled to lay hands on it. When he did so, he was subjected to visions of a dead northern city, long buried in ice. But this vision was cut short by the searing pain of contact, and he cried out and fell back. He felt cold. When he went to bed, he was shivering. He asked Hildegaard to unpack his bearskin coat and lay it over him. The next day, he was still cold and wore the coat all day, in the hot Beran sun. Fog could be seen curling between his lips.
The next day, one of their trains was derailed. This was a disaster. Xambria made hasty calculations and realised that this would bring work to a halt every two days unless something could be done. Surtan Liss suggested they follow the trail of the Keepers and see if any of Cheshimox’s hoard still remained. They did so, and the treasure they found got them back on track.
Unbeknownst to them, despite an accidental derailment for Griento Constructions on exactly the same day, the situation was now such that they couldn’t hope to win. But then word came through that Cavallo de Guerra had agreed to pay for his part of the Selestala railway. This would have meant nothing, were it not for Damata’s promise to Rumdoom: he had the bonus for reaching the true midway point, and now had all the excuse he needed to coast at one mile a day. His decision to send workers off at such a late stage infuriated Rush Munchausen who, despite protestations from Merton Goncala, struck Damata a sound blow to the nose. This caused the loyal Griento workforce to rise up as a man and drive the Ob out of their camp.
The end result was that Liss Railways won the Cantabrilla Railroad challenge by just half a day.
Dignitaries awaited them at the halfway point. The message was that, ordinarily they would have to return to the Summer Palace at once, but given the extraordinary circumstances, they would be given leave to remain and witness the connection of the railroad if they wished.
There was a grand celebration. A drum-heavy mariachi band kept the workers entertained and when the time came for the last few feet to be laid, Damata and Surtan Liss themselves took up sledgehammers and engaged in a mock ‘race’ for the finish. They began good-naturedly jostling for the opportunity to hammer home the final spike, ending in overly polite back-and-forth insistence that the other go ahead and do it. In the end, to the cheers of the crowd, Damata’s wife sighed in feigned impatience, pushed them both aside and did the job herself.
With the party still in full swing, the unit bade farewell to Surtan and Damata, and teleported back to the RNS Impossible, which was now just off the coast close to the Summer Court.
