Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tormenet" data-source="post: 1672687" data-attributes="member: 15690">A fight and more complicationsThe stone head of the weapon ripped into Ajax’s shoulder blade as he flung himself back through the waterfall.On the other side, Volgar saw the Ajax tumble into the whirlpool.  Then a Grymirri pushed its way through the waterfall, then another, and another.“Dost!” the warrior yelled.  Axe in hand he leapt into the water and began trading blows with his adversaries. Ajax scrabbled at the water, trying to get out of the way. Cato’s mace impacted on the knuckles of one of the creatures. Its axe flung from its grip.  Volgar’s axe replaced it and the creature howled as a hand sank into the black water. Finding his feet, Ajax thrust his xiphos into the creature’s back.Axe and mace, iron and magic quickly felled the other two creatures.Pushing through the waterfall, the companions found a single chamber with four piles of mold covered goat skins.  The odor of rotting meat was close to overpowering.  Quickly, the group searched the beds. They found little of practical value— a few silver drachma that a Grymirri had deemed worthless.The cavern’s cold had the group shivering.  They pushed through the waterfall once again and explored a few unoccupied chambers.  A lengthy tunnel that seemed, after a great distance, to open into the light beckoned them. However, group consensus was the Grymirri problem was resolved- four beds, four dead beasts.  They went back to see the goatherd.Afsheen Hazar rejoiced at the news. Cato picked the moment to broach the subject of the goatherd returning to Shar Jehna in the group’s protection.  The unlimited vendetta made the Hazar and his family a target.  Afsheen rejected Cato’s every argument. His goats could not pasture in the Darya River Valley.  No Tadu would venture this high into the mountains to kill an old man.  His wife was too old to inspire a bride-theft.  This place was his home.Dejected, Cato decided to seek Sanctist Naraka’s advice.  Bidding Afsheen and his wife goodbye, the four young men headed south, back down out of the mountains.Approaching Shar Jehna’s mud brick Darya Gate, Ajax noticed a man who met his gaze and deliberately held it.  The man scratched his ear and then mopped his face with his hand.  “I’m really exhausted,” Ajax said to Cato.  “I’m going to go get some sleep.”Cato shrugged and plodded on.  He was trying to phrase his report to Naraka.Inside the Darya Gate, Ajax accompanied the others along the narrow main throughfare through the town.  The buildings to either side were constructed so they blocked any exit from the street, unless it was through one of the interior gates into a section of the town controlled by a tribe or the Ionians.  Ajax turned right into the Ionian gate and let his friends continue on towards the Sanctum.  Once they passed out of sight, he hurried back toward the Darya Gate.Cato’s trepidation built as he marched up the Sanctum’s stone stairs.  His shoulders went back as he walked into the Sanctum’s cool interior.  His eyes took a moment to adjust to the light.  The form standing in front of him resolved itself into Sanctist Naraka. The man was contentedly sipping from a leather cup filled with green tea, a Sindi commodity.“The goatherd refused to return with us,” Cato said.“What?!” Naraka shouted.  The tea cup flew across the room and bounced off a wall.“We solved the problem with his herd, but he did not wish to return to Shar Jehna,” Cato said.  His voice remained even.“You fo…” Naraka took a deep breath. “Go back and get him.  Tell him that is my personal request.  We have Hazar and Afrid tribesmen coming in from the outlying areas.  They are too many for the town’s food stores.  We will need his herd to get through the winter.”Stung, Cato turned to Corum and Volgar.  “Tomorrow,” Corum said. He smiled, but his legs burned at the thought of another hike.Volgar grunted agreement.Outside of town, Ajax made his way toward the Darya River.  On its bank was the fortified homestead of Duros.  Since Ajax’s arrival in Shar Jehna, the merchant had provided Ajax with a meager source of income discreetly delivering small packages.  Ajax did not ask questions; Duros never offered answers.At the homestead's entranceway, an Ionian man stood wearing Durrani-style trousers and boots.  A baldric supporting a xiphos was slung over his shoulder.  The man’s muscles were well defined, in the way idealized by Ionian poets.“Bull,” Ajax nodded.“Boy,” the man returned.Ajax pushed through the heavy carpet that hung over the doorway.  In the mountains, few could afford to waste wood on doors.Corum made his way to Catrika’s home.  He told her about the Grymirri in the mountains and asked her opinion. She told him that Grymirri usually stayed in their subterranean realm. Violations of the creature’s holy sites were usually the key impetus behind conflicts between the beasts and the Duranni tribes. Corum was certain the filthy room behind the waterfall was no holy site.Catrika also said that she and Naraka discussed the situation of the walking dead. Catrika recalled reading a document that quoted a document that reported an oral history relating “the power of Avasara repelled the shayateen” and “the wicked arts of the Perfect People.” She said she saw it while in the company of Kakanda, a Sindi poet and storyteller. Her last contact with Kakanda was a letter he sent a year ago from Purushanda, a city well east of Jehna. Meanwhile, Volgar returned to the home where he resided with Ajax.  He was mildly surprised to see that the young Ionian was not there.  Volgar lay down on his own blanket.  He had secrets of his own and did not care to pry into those of another. Yet.</blockquote>

Verification