Session Nineteen, Part One: The Shaman's Gift
"This is the place...just like we saw in the spirit world," Di'Fier said.
"It's about time." Dru rubbed the fang she'd taken from one of the tigers that had assaulted them - yet another example of the island's overgrown and underfriendly fauna. "I feel like we've been hacking our way through this jungle for weeks."
"What now? I don't see any monkey people..." Shesara laid one hand on the trunk of a massive tree, staring up into the tangled net of branches and creepers that obscured everything above them.
"Well, the shaman's hut was up," mused Di'Fier. "But none of us can fly, so I suppose we make camp and wait here until somebody notices us."
That's strange, thought Spruce.
I know
I didn't leave a lamp burning in the file room. Just to be sure, he checked - yes, the one in his hand was the same one he'd had in there earlier.
I wonder if someone's working late? Or maybe...
The little file clerk crept forward.
Maybe someone's snuck in... he thought to himself. His hand reached out to touch the door. Even at this hour, a shout from him would bring a dozen Watchmen running from all over the building. But he had to know, first.
He pushed the door open.
For an instant he saw the shape: squat and powerful, holding a file in one thick fingered hand. The light that he had seen under the door played from a stone held in the other - a light that was quickly snuffed, leaving a red glow through clenched fingers, and then nothing.
Before the file hit the desk, the figure was gone.
Spruce stood in the doorway, his words frozen in his throat. There was no sign of the intruder anymore - only the files he'd left on the table.
It's too late to catch him, but Captain Donnach will want to know, the records clerk thought wildly. Still unable to summon a sound, he turned and fled.
Behind him, a shape detached itself from the shadows. "Careless," it growled to itself, drawing the glimmering stone from under its cloak and reopening the file.
By the time Spruce returned, the room was again empty.
Grey mists surrounded grey trees rising from a grey landscape. Grey vines hung around them, and grey bushes knotted across the land. The cords that trailed away from them were silver-grey, and the only spot of color was the faint green of the thread that connected Dru to the Jade Serpent of Yig.
"This looks familiar," Dru commented dryly. "I suppose now, we go up."
They rose into the trees, and found the shaman waiting for them. He sat before a bowl of smoking incense, the orange-red fur bright in the midst of the colorless world around him.
"We have done as you asked," Di'Fier said, hesitantly. "The Swamp Hag is dead."
"The Swamp Hag is dead, the Swamp Hag lives. It is good. The spirits are appeased." The muzzled face split into a grin, and long-fingered hands reached forward. "Show me what has slain her."
Dru unbuckled her swordbelt, slowly, and at a gesture from the creature, Di'Fier shrugged his off as well.
The shaman took one in each hand, setting them carefully across his lap. He lifted the rapier carefully, inspecting it, holding it just inches away from his eyes. His nostrils flared as he sniffed it.
Di'Fier's blade was next, and given no less attention. Finally, the shaman set it down as well. "These are good," he stated. "The spirits have spoken. They will awaken these blades."
With those words, he lifted the war-sword and placed it in midair, where it hung, drifting slowly. The rapier followed it, both floating above the incense burner. A few more grains of the scent fell onto the coal from long, dark fingers, and a deep hum - almost a growl - came from the shaman's throat.
Di'Fier blinked. He had been staring at the blade for...he didn't know how long. Even so, the change that had come over it was subtle, so subtle he couldn't decide when it had happened. No longer was his sword only shades of grey, like everything else in this strange world. Color had crept into it: the sweat-stained leather that wrapped the hilt had become its familiar deep brown, and the bronze fittings shone golden.
Looking to Dru's sword, he saw it was the same: the polished steel of the swept hilt reflected the thin green line that stretched from Dru into infinity.
He reached out, and the hilt settled into his hand.
"Captain, he was
right here."
Donnach laid a hand on Spruce's shoulder. "You've been working hard lately, Spruce. Maybe you should take some time off."
"A dwarf! Captain, there was a dwarf, and he was reading files, and he had no hair, and the side of his face, it was all scarred up!" Spruce looked frantically over the room, as if the dwarf in question was just waiting to be found.
"Which files was he reading, Spruce?"
The little clerk looked over the table. "These ones...they're out of place." Moving the lamp closer, he looked at them. "Captain, they're - they're Dru and Di'Fier's."
Donnach sighed.
Looks like Spruce is creating conspiracies again. "Spruce...I know you're worried about them, too," he said gently. "But there's nothing we can do right now. Even the Wizard's Guild can't find them. If this mysterious dwarf can, then let him."
"Gods...what happened here? Hey! You! Where is Mnembe? Can you bring us Mnembe?" Dru scowled as the Tanaroan opened fearful eyes and moved away from them. "Why is he acting like that?"
Di'Fier surveyed the village. Something had happened while they were gone. Something terrible. He could see it in the eyes of the Tanaroans. "The Zombi Master of Burowao said that it was ill luck to speak the names of the dead."
"Then I guess we'd better find the people from the ship. Maybe one of them will know what's going on."
Compiler's Note: This occasion marks the first major change from campaign to Story Hour. In the campaign, there was actually a lot more with the shaman's people, including the introduction of an NPC who I sadly tended to forget about all the time and a fight with a triceratops.
Anyway, since it didn't really lead anywhere or provide any useful information (and since I was having a tough time writing it), I decided to just leave out the whole mess so that it didn't slow down the pacing, replacing it with the spirit world scene you just read.[/b]
And what did they get for it? Well, I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say they more than made up for what they lost.
