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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Corey" data-source="post: 445414" data-attributes="member: 140">Session 1 Part 1Session 1 (Part 1): Fear and Loathing in JehnaDeciding to ignore the strange figure staring from the narrow goat-track above, Ajax began looting the dead Tadu warriors. The tattooed halfling was a problem for keener minds. Ajax preferred to concern himself with acquiring the dead men’s possessions.  From behind, he heard the animal summoned from the ether by Corum screech in pain. Whipping his head around, Ajax saw Initiate Cato collapse, white froth erupting from the priest’s mouth. Shocking as that was it paled next to the feeling of the dead man jerking his arm from Ajax’s grasp. Eyes gutted of life locked with Ajax’s. Jerking back, Ajax snatched up his short sword.“Come on,” he swore, “I just killed this guy.”  **********************************************Earlier that afternoon, Initiate Cato stood among the warriors still milling around Jehna’s fortified stone gateway. Consciously or not, they tended to cluster by tribal and ethnic affiliation.  Here were the Hazars and Afrids, there the Ionians. During the course of the afternoon, the headmen of Jehna had come by, each pulling seasoned fighters from the crowd and leading them east, up the Darya River Valley toward the approaching spearmen of the Tadu tribe. Remaining were Jehna’s less practiced warriors.  Cato watched the dung-collector, Nur Hazar-Jehna, experimenting nervously with his spear. While he had few problems finding uses for it over the years, Nur obviously had never considered using it for its intended purpose.Cato walked over and, placing a hand on Nur’s shoulder, said, “Avasara will watch over you, my friend.” The tribesman seemed reassured.  Brother Ismail, the long-serving head of Jehna’s Sanctum guardians, spotted Cato and waved for his attention.“Cato, bring your ferenghi friend and the Dost,” he said. The ferenghi, a not entirely polite reference to Ionians and other outsiders, he was referring to was Ajax.  Newly arrived in Jehna by way of a difficult ordeal through the mountains, Ajax had frequently sought Cato’s assistance in dealing with certain inner turmoils.  Volgar was also new in town. Like any Durrani, his tribal affiliation –in Volgar’s case the Dost clan- was easily discerned from any number of personal details. Wearing a particular item of clothing or growing one’s facial hair in a certain manner told any Duranni all they needed to know.  Volgar was not speaking about his reason for coming to Jehna.  Durrani hospitality frowned upon asking a guest the reasons for his visit, so no one had. Frequently, he kept company with Ajax.  Beyond that, Cato knew nothing. Scanning the crowd, Ismail spotted another inexperienced recruit.  “You,” he said. “You are one of Catrika’s students, yes?”Catrika of Jehna, an Ionian, was Jehna’s most skillful wizard.  Her mathematical formulae were gaining her a reputation beyond the isolated village. “Yes,” the young man replied.“Good,” Ismail murmered.  His tone implied this was a duty he wanted done with quickly.  He pulled a few more boys and men from the crowd.  Setting off at a jog, he led them west- away from the approaching Tadu spearmen.After a few minutes, he stopped by one of the goat-tracks that led into the mountains surrounding the town.  He sent a few men up the trail then moved on.Again he came to a trail-head.  Here, he pulled out Cato and his companions.“This trail widens a short distance from here, Ismail said.  “At the far end of the open space you will see two narrow tracks.  Guard them. Anyone coming along them will not be from our town. Stay there until either the sunrises or I return.  Understood?”  Cato nodded.  The seriousness of the situation belayed any conversation among the four. The sun was setting as they were entering the southern end of the gorge Ismail spoke of. It was about two hundred feet long. At the north end, one toward the right side the other to the left, were the tracks the group was charged with guarding.  Along the gorge’s western side, about thirty feet up a cliff face, ran another track. About midway up the gorge toward the right a natural pillar of stone jutted upwards.  Thirty feet short of the left hand track, conveniently large enough to conceal a man, was another swelling of rock.Several of the low thorny scrub trees common in the Sind Killer Mountains struggled for existence on the gorge’s floor.Splitting up, the inexperienced warriors placed themselves where they felt best.  Corum spent a few moments climbing the stone pillar and went prone with his crossbow.  Volgar found a spot behind the swelling of rock where he could see the right and left hand trails.  Ending up between the two, Ajax crouched down almost in the open.  Behind them all, Cato stood, watching.The setting sun was replaced by a gloriously bright moon.  Time passed and each of the companions occupied themselves with their thoughts.Finally, Corum began hearing the sounds of fighting to the east, in the direction of Jehna.  Glancing that way, the student wizard saw the horizon suddenly flash bright and then go dark.  Volgar too, heard the sounds.  It became distracting, filling his mind with thoughts of troubles back home.  Swinging his eyes away from the direction of Jehna and toward the left-hand trail, Volgar saw movement.A man was emerging from the trail.  He was crouching low, keeping a crossbow leveled to his front.  Moving about ten feet into the gorge, he paused as if listening.  His own breathing far too loud in his own ears, Volgar tensed.  The Dost briefly toyed with the idea of surprising the man and cutting him down, but his father’s teachings stayed his body.  This man was not alone, he was a scout.  Let him think the gorge was unprotected.Seemingly satisfied, the man turned and scurried back up the goat-track.  Ajax’s inquiring face appeared next to Volgar.“Scout,” Volgar said.  Nodding Ajax ventured forward.  Placing himself just to the right of where the trail met the gorge he froze, blending into the shadows.To the east, the sounds of destruction grew more chaotic.From his hiding spot, Corum saw the approaching Tadu warriors first.  Even his inexperience saw that Ajax was in serious trouble.</blockquote>

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