Adventure 8
Behind Glazed Eyes
Copoc Kitzam (David Nickerson)
(GM Note: Nak Te Kan, Kanul Yat Balam, Yax Che Mal, etc. are spirits Copoc speaks to and gains spells from.)
The fly spell cast on me by my Spirit allies was still active after the fight with Wulvera, so I drifted downward to rejoin my comrades. I silently thanked Kanul Yat Balam once more for his timely dismissal of the stinging demon. For a while I felt that I was losing touch with my guardian spirit and all the other spirits as well, almost as if I wasn’t myself, as if a foreign entity clouding my vision and moving my very limbs. Although weary after this great struggle, I sensed an even stronger bonding with the spirit world.
Slowly, Kanul Yat Balam allowed me to see the true extent of his knowledge and wisdom.
My associates dispatched our remaining foes, although two slithered away through the many vents they scattered around their accursed lair. My comrades gathered a pile of magical loot from our foes. Skirting chunks of shattered statue and Yuan-ti entrails, I joined them. Urian suited up in some glamered full plate and donned Gauntlets of Ogre Strength gained from the warriors in the outer hall. I was fortunate enough to acquire a Circlet of Persuasion from Wulvera. (This will be a tremendous aid in dealing with capricious and sometimes volatile spirits!)
Gann suggested that I also take the Robe of Blending, so I may move among the humans with less notice. After some thought, he decided to don the second suit of plate himself. Makar took a pink and green Ioun stone and Gann one of a dusty rose color. Malcolm retrieved a +1 halberd. Brone, or Prince Vahana, as he bid us to call him, chose to give up his portion of the treasure as partial payment to the party. Finally, Urian hefted the green scimitar of Wulvera, Demogorgon’s tooth – instantly its evil drained him of some of his spirit, such was its evil. He threw it down but then wrapped it in some cloth and claimed it as a portion of his own treasure -- to be returned to his Holy Order, the Halaglaz, and destroyed.
Urian healed Gann repeatedly -- I healed Malcolm and myself. I assured Nak Te Kan that my use of a magical healing device is in no way an affront to her, and that only by her mere presence allows me to do this.
After some discussion, we decided to continue seeking Wulvera’s office. We entered the ruined hall debating whether or not we should visit Kedward and sell him the “vile” portion of our treasure. The debate proved to be short lived however, as the mere suggestion of such an act caused Urian’s impressive dekkalfar nostrils to flare. “Chaos mongers,” he mumbled. (Urian fails to see that there is a balance to all things, and that Chaos cannot be eliminated like leeches. It may be a lesson that only the spirits of time can teach.)
Cautiously we crept past the large statue, now inanimate after the death of their mistress, and spied scattered pieces of fiendish wolf, along with some grisly stains and dancing puffs of chaotic fur. Urian glanced at Makar and shook his head disapprovingly. Soon we are back at the sealed door.
Urian quickly broke out his pick, as dwarves are wont to do, and began smashing the barrier. He was successful after nearly ten minutes -- it was an very impressive feat, though almost as loud as tossing a fire cricket into a pocket of swamp gas!
Passing through, we were greeted by another inanimate statue. Makar tried detecting magic to no avail, and Malcolm locates a storeroom before sneaking down the hallway to do a little reconnaissance. To everyone’s astonishment he returns unscathed, and with news of strange noises. Vahana cast some spells on himself and returned to his half-rat form as we prepared to enter the room.
Gann threw open the door and we found two great chests, cleverly hiding a huge, fiendish, half green dragon viper! Malcolm slid in for an attack with his +1 axe and Gann moves in to strike as well. I am unable to see from my vantage, but I distinctly heard a horrid wail followed by a screaming hiss and several vehement Cimbri curses. A vile acid breath splatters on Urian as he rushed through the door in a rage to polish off the furious beast.
After providing some well-deserved healing for Malcolm, we shut the master thief inside the room and let him do his thing – alone. Silence follows, then a brief hum and whooshing noise. Even the wisest of spirits shall never understand how he is able to dismantle an acid-vapor sprayer, bypass a toxic dust dispensing mechanism, and yet prove incapable of opening the chests! Malcolm claimed, however, despite the acrid smells coming from his person that this is the case.
We tried an adjacent door and find a library of sorts. Vahana collected a few volumes before we moved on. I respect the shape-shifter, if not completely trust him by now. Perhaps finally knowing the identity of our employers will set my mind completely at ease.
Soon we were entering a laboratory. Makar was very impressed with the alchemical gear and his eyes lit up greedily. Unfortunately, we had no way to transport such a load, but were rewarded with four vials of Demon’s Breath and a Yuan-ti scroll depicting a recipe for the dread substance! Urian immediately smashed the vials and Vahana burned the formula to a crisp! I could guess that Malcom and Makar might have had other ideas about what to do with those items…well, doomed Theon would have been happy.
The adjoining room was untrapped -- a bedchamber of sorts -- covered in erotic snake motifs. It provided us with a gift for Kedward. In a portable writing desk we found a volume containing a detailed account of Wulvera’s plans. I silently confered with Yax Che Mal, expecting to be rushed by more black kulkans at any moment. None appeared. Perhaps they had all fled with their dark masters?
The journal was written in the snake-people’s language but Vahana translated some interesting parts for us:
“The alchemist Krace's formulae have, after some modification on my part, proven effective. The demon's breath elixir is now a popular item. As with the whores, I have given away twice what I have sold in order to stimulate my market! I have spoken with a representative coven from the Three Mothers about creating a regular supply for them. After my apotheosis, we will be able to deal with them on an equal footing, strengthening our negotiations with them."
…and…
"Krace's long years of exile among the dim-witted Silures should be acknowledged by The Nest and perhaps be put and an end. I have sent word to them via the Shadow Sea."
Vahana told us that "nest" referred to a group of Yuan-ti leaders (like Wulvera) that cooperate to some degree. He went on so say that while Yuan-ti are loyal to their "race," they have no central government/religion and their leadership is balkanized. Strong yuan-ti leaders, usually 3 or more, sometimes form these coalitions called, nests.
Not pausing long to ponder these clues, we also found a key. Makar discovered that a section of the floor radiated magic, but we ignore this for the moment and rush to the chests. They contain an impressive stash consisting of 40,000 silver pieces, 2000 gold pieces and 300 platinum pieces, divided neatly into small, 100 coin bags. It is determined that we shall leave the silver for Kedward to retrieve at his leisure. The rest is ours!
Returning to investigate the magic square, Makar determined that there may be some kind of teleportation effect there. Soon, we heard a faint drumming from below us. Ignoring that, Vahana tossed a bag of coins on the area radiating magic but it just slid across the floor. Then the drumming became louder however, so we decided to investigate. At this point Malcolm suddenly gets excited and quaffs a potion of glibness one unbelievable gulp. I realized immediately that the whole party is reacting to voices - curse these tympanic membranes! Apparently they’ve been listening to voices speaking Rogulkan and common, intermingled with violent choking! We scramble desperately through the hole knocked in the wall by the dwarf, trying to discern where the voices are coming from and avoid another confrontation. After some slick maneuvering, Malcolm sneaked down the stairs and glimpsed eight orcs in chain mail, all carrying shields with triangular devices. Leading them was one of the snake-humans!
I must say that I have never seen Gann truly rattled, but this news disturbed him greatly. “These are the monks of dire hunger,” he exclaimed, “the cannibal orcs of the Triad that rule Kostelna with an iron fist and an unending appetite!”
“We’re going to be orc-
e if we don’t think of some way around them, and they are standing in front of the only way out of here.”
Never lacking a plan, good or bad, Malcolm asked to borrow my newly acquired Robe of Blending and this is when I begin to comprehend the true genius of the master thief. He intended to appear as one of the orcs and use his Potion of Glibness to convince them to let him pass while the rest of us make good our escape. Not being fluent in Rogulkan, Gann taught him how to say a few quick phases that we hoped would distract him. To be extra convincing, he used the robe to conjure up some hideous mouth wounds, complete with a bolt protruding from his jaw.
Once again relying on invisibility, Gann and I prepared to sneak out. I sought Kanul Yat Balam’s aid as well, and he lent me his wisdom concerning the fine art of moving silently. (Being able to observe the material world for countless millennia certainly has its advantages…) Brone shifted into the form of a dire rat, Makar picked him up and they, along with Urian dimension doored outside the whorehouse.
Malcolm, with Gann and I following, passed by the guard-orcs and outside into a sea of nearly 6 platoons of the monks! A captain rushed over with one of the Yuan-ti escapees in tow. And Gann’s words delivered by the glib thief sealed the snake’s doom: “We’ve been ambushed; they have a temple to some snake god in there!”
The yuan-ti’s eyes barely have time to widen before the thick-bladed dagger of the orc captain spilled his entrails before the doors of the porphyry house!
“Looks like snake’s on the menu boys!”
We all ran for it as the horde went wild with anger and bloodlust. The most basic law of Kostenla had been broken. There would be blood.
We regrouped later at the Rusty Shunt. We wrapped Wulvera’s book with Kedward’s Wand of Invisibility, gave them to Old Lars for safekeeping, and send a half-orc stable mucker to inform Kedward. As we made our way to the docks we saw crowds of Kostelna’s residents swiftly approaching Porphyry House. By the time we heard the screams, we were safely aboard White Dragon.
Of course our transport is curious about Urian. We surrounded the dwarf and proceed to explain the rule of the ghost ship - “Don’t Talk About Ghost Ship!” Urian did not relish the idea of being thrown overboard, and so we seemed to reach a viable agreement.
As we related our adventures to White Dragon we observed curls of smoke rising from Porphyry House in the distance and paused a moment to take pleasure in a job well done. Evil teems evermore, but Theon would have been pleased to see such a blot put on the face of wickedness this day. May his spirit find peace now.
Once out of the harbor, we set sail back to Jormunsteinn and life was good for a few days. The fish were fresher, the turtles crunchier, and I was able to dive and hunt and bond with Balamob.
I spent hours with Makar, Malcolm, Solveig and White Dragon learning much about ships and sailing, a craft which I’ve come to realize can be very useful so far from land. I mapped my recent journeys for Nabok Chan, the very essence of Wanderlust.
Spiritually I have grown, becoming more familiar with my Otherworldly allies, but it was not enough. I yearned for more, for new and powerful contacts from beyond. I enjoyed a day of basking and endured a night of conversing with Xit Balbac, the crafty spirit of the Shadow Sea. He could tell me a name of one of the spirits of the Deep, but all he would tell me is: “Swim.”
For three days and three nights I tried to summon on of the ancient spirits of the Deep. Splashing and chanting I plunged into depths which threatened my very survival. I felt as if I might implode in the fist of Skia Thalassa.
I swam down, down beyond light, beyond life. I started to black out, but instinct took over and miraculously, I resurfaced, only to be rewarded with curious stares from my comrades and whispers of disbelief that even my accursed ears can detect. Finally I was able to wheedle a name of one of the Deep Sprits from Xit Balbac and on the fourth day Dalas Salik ascended from the Shadows and held me.
She was and is both beautiful and frightening. She laughed in tears and cried in mirth. She was everywhere, in my head, behind me, answering questions I haven’t asked. Agreeing. Yes agreeing. Agreeing to grant me her patronage if I promised to one day retrieve something for her. Dalas Salik is the most powerful spirit I have ever encountered, with the exception of Kanul Yat Balam of course, so I quickly accepted the offer. Suddenly I felt I might regret my decision, for this is the sort of thing that foolish shamans of legend did and often lived (or died) to regret.
I don’t remember surfacing or getting into the boat, I awakened as if from a terrible dream. All is quiet save the sea. I reached for my sacred vial, the healing balm of Nak Te Kan. But my hand closes instead around a black serrated claw fastened to a string of ebony pearls – this was Dalas Salik’s gift, her fetish. Dismissing my reservations, I rose to a new day.
After all, Kanul Yat Balam watches over me. He will guide me to my true destiny, and he is not to be trifled with.
Day six brings an unexpected squall. I leaped at the opportunity to gain yet another spirit ally, but with no time to prepare my summoning rites, I may prove to be woefully inadequate. Nonetheless, I attempted to arouse the Wraith of the Raging Storm. To everyone’s surprise, a watery fey humanoid appears. It is smallish, but appeared extremely pissed off.
The aqueous fiend greased Makar and promptly knocked him overboard before attempting to throttle Malcolm and then squirting him in the face. Giggling triumphantly, it disappeared in a fine mist as I attempted to capture it in a sack. Never before have I encountered a physical manifestation of a spirit in the material world! I could hardly contain my enthusiasm! But, trying to convey the significance of this event to my companions was futile. They backed away slowly and continued to eye me suspiciously. Gann told me not to get too excited, it was probably just a baby water elemental or something.
The remainder of our voyage proved most uneventful. Vahana/Brone informed us that upon reaching Jormunsteinn he must leave immediately to report to his superior, the Akkadian Aambassador to Iconium. He promised to secure our payment, and to show his gratitude and good faith he presented us with a scroll of Mass Teleportation concealed within a Glove of Storing. He also provided instructions on how to contact him in the future.
Upon viewing the rocky heights of Jormunsteinn, Urian seemed increasingly anxious, and asks that the master thief deliver his journal to the head of his order. He will not get off the ship until he is sent for. He paced relentlessly, threatening the various manifestations of Chaos. Fortunately, he is unaware that he is surrounded by chaoswisps, tiny mischievous spirits that mock him constantly and poke fun at his bravado. It is inconvenient to not have the sharp hearing of my companions, but I do not know how the rest of them can be content to only view one world.
______________________________________________
I wonder often about my tribe, and must decide if I, too, shall return home upon reaching the rock city. It has been many moons since the loathsome black kulkans last attacked my brethren, so I suspect that they will soon rise once more. The thought that they may now possess the secrets of creating Demon’s Breath plagues me incessantly. They must be extinguished! Perhaps my new companions will aid me in this endeavor. They would be welcomed as warriors all for their brave efforts in purging evil from the land. I must be patient in deciphering the perplexing riddles of Kanul Yat Balam, and then I must heed them to the best of my ability.
-- Copac, Kulkan Shaman
