KidCthulhu's Scarred Land story hour

[Morgaine]

Okay, since I can't simply cut and paste posts (I'm not a moderator...hint, hint) this is the next update in the story. It was originally posted at the beginning but I'm copying it here. More to follow.

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The party crests the hill and gets their first glimpse of Otenazu, nestled as it is at the foot of the Keldar Mountains. A twin city, forming the boundaries of the Canyon of Souls, Otenazu is home to people from all walks of life. Its citizens are hale and hearty, with the rugged disposition that comes from making a frontier town home. The small city sprawls out before the troupe and the giant base of the Keldar Mountains seems to rise up from within its midst, overshadowing the entire area.

At the base of this hill is the cottage in which Morgaine lived with her grandmother for several years before the old woman passed away a year ago. Tears fill the mage's eyes as she sees her home for the first time in over a year. “We’re home, “ she whispers softly. Borin grunts, “No, you’re home.” But she doesn’t hear him, running as she is toward the squat wood hut nestled just on the outskirts of town. Smoke curls up from the chimney and it looks as though someone has done some work to fix up the place – though she knows she did not leave anyone in charge. Morgaine left in too much of a hurry to think about those kinds of details. If the truth be told, Morgaine would not think of those details if she’d had a month to plan.

The painted wooden sign atop the door reads “Penderwen’s Rest” in bright gold letters above a small green bottle tipped in a perpetual pour. “That’s funny, that’s my name but I know we didn’t have a sign like that.” Morgaine muses to her companions who have by now caught up with her. Inside there is a clamor and loud shouts carry through an open window on the side of the two-story building. Deke looks inside the window and sees several large, burly travelers in a fistfight with some obvious local patrons. He ducks as a tall brunette in a traveling outfit is tossed out the window by two older men wearing suspenders. “How is this happening??” Morgaine despairs as she and Gemma tend to the unconscious woman strewn on the ground amid shards of glass.

 

[Morgaine]

In a strange twist of irony, the woman regains consciousness – thanks to the ministrations of Gemma – only to attack her healer with her fists. “It’s YOU!!!” she shouts as her fist connects with Gemma’s temple in a blow that knocks the hooded ranger back a step. Gemma quickly returns the favor and the stranger is once again knocked unconscious. In the woman’s other hand is a wanted poster with the likeness of each member of the group hastily drawn and a reward offered for their successful capture and return to Amalthea. Marja takes one look at the picture and petulantly remarks “that looks nothing like me!” Borin decides to enter the tavern when he hears someone inside cry out in indignantly, “not our Morgaine!”

Once inside, it becomes obvious these bounty hunters are getting the better of the locals in the brawl. Xenia, anxious to use her new “waymaker” shield, also makes a beeline for the door. After all, she does enjoy a good bar fight. Kalina follows on her heels, casting flame blade once inside. Marja enters the bar as well, muttering something about “at least they could have tried to make it a decent picture.” Gemma, Deke, Morgaine and Fergus are left outside, watching through the windows.

Inside the lodge turned tavern, there is a long wooden bar lining the back wall. Behind it are an assortment of libations, pint glasses and beer steins. Tables that were once neatly arranged are overturned and scattered about the room, some in splinters where several townspeople have been thrown into them. Mugs of ale spill languidly onto a now dingy, bloody floor and the place bears small resemblance to the quiet country inn Morgaine has described. In the center of the room are six motley bounty hunters, each holding wanted posters on yellowing parchment paper. A belligerent dwarf who is obviously the leader of this gang is threatening an older man, grabbing his lapels and waving the wanted poster in the man’s face. Various other townspeople are wildly swinging at a small, half-elven man who easily sidesteps their intended blows.

 

[Morgaine]

Upon their entrance, the entire tavern stops short as Borin grabs his battle-axe and bellows, “what do you want with my friend Morgaine.” A flutter of whispers whips through the crowd at the thought that she is a friend of this unkempt, wild-looking dwarf. The bounty hunters stare at their fugitives in suspended belief for a few seconds. One half-orc pulls out his wanted poster, looks at the picture, looks at Borin, looks at the picture again and then charges the dwarf with a club. Kalina wields her flaming sword in wide arcs and attempts to intimidate their foes. She succeeds only in frightening the townspeople who quickly scamper behind the bar at her request.

Twenty people cram themselves in the small space between the bar and the wall, whispering nervously to themselves and praying this wooden structure affords them protection. Marja casts magic missile at the giant bearing down on Borin, two glowing green orbs of energy sparking from her outstretched fingers and sinking deeply into his reddish flesh. He howls in pain, momentarily stunned, but quickly regains composure, landing a violent blow on Borin’s shoulder.

From outside, Morgaine pokes her head into the window and is greeted with cheers and warm wishes from several people behind the bar. She greets them happily with a winning smile. Trying her best to remain focused, she then casts sleepinto the melee, as her “fans” ponder what she is doing. Drawing upon the powerful magic within, Morgaine utters the final words of the spell, sonabulus plurum. Two rag-tag humans fall to the floor, snoring softly, sending a cheer through the crowd watching her every move.

Fergus begins singing through the window – a rousing chorus of the bravery and triumph of an adventuring party, heartening his companions to act boldly and swiftly. Gemma ensures that her “patient” will not die from her wounds but will not pose any further threat to herself or her friends. She then binds the woman’s hands and feet together, tying the knots perhaps a tad tighter than they need to be. Very few people have the opportunity to cuff Gemma. Fewer still live to tell the tale.

 

[Morgaine]

Once hit, Borin becomes delirious with rage, foam spewing from his mouth, and swings his great axe with every ounce of strength he has. Not only has this beast attacked him, he’s spilt several pints of beer in the process -- both unpardonable offenses. As a dwarf, Borin has an innate hatred of these hulking creatures. A fact that becomes obvious when the half-orc stops mid-stride while his head continues its journey, landing with a sploot in the chandelier hanging from the second floor ceiling.

At this, one of the bounty hunters dives out the window, landing in a heap at Deke’s feet. Unfortunately, Deke is too stunned to react and the mercenary leaps to his feet and takes off at a dead run in the opposite direction of town. Realizing this half-elf is faster than he is, Deke activates his ring of jumping, landing at the fleeing man’s feet. Unhappily, because it was a standing jump, Deke barely grabs the man, who trips but keeps running. Fang now begins to pursue Deke and the bounty hunter, quickly gaining ground on his “prey.” Once again, Deke activates his ring of jumping. In an impressive display of acrobatics, he takes a running leap and lands deftly on the retreating man’s shoulders, tackling him to the ground. After a brief struggle, Deke pins him down while Fang attacks brutally. In one swift motion, the rogue slices neatly into his throat with his rapier, killing the stranger instantly. He mutters something about half-breeds as he makes his way back toward the tavern.

Another man sails out the back window and disappears around the corner of the building. Morgaine gives chase only to find him standing just on the other side, panting furiously and obviously terrified. Chanting quietly, Morgaine methodically and rhythmically waves her hands in front of his eyes. In seconds, she watches his eyes lose focus and his mouth grow slack. Hypnotized as he is, she commands him to follow her back inside the building, where she ensures that no one attack him while he is under the spell. She also commands him to wipe his chin and is chagrined to realize that, seconds later, he is still wiping.

 

[KidCthulhu]

We played a hilarious game last night, featuring drowning dwarves, monkeys, and finally, redemption. On the negative side, the {spoiler} got away and that rotten {spoiler} too.

 

[Morgaine]

Inside, Xenia runs full tilt into a man slightly shorter than her 6’ frame, shield leveled into his chest and stomach. They trample back into a curtained alcove and the sounds of a struggle can be heard over the din in the main room. The greasy, filthy dwarf/leader stands toe-to-toe with Borin, hurling vile insult upon insult at the already raving barbarian. Some of the local patrons look horrified as they learn the translations of the dwarven obscenities. Borin charges at the ragged Dwarf and they tumble to the floor, also landing behind the thick blue curtain. The curtain sways and flaps haphazardly, occasionally revealing the wrestling match beyond. Periodically, the patrons glimpse a foot or arm jabbing through the gap, but it is impossible to discern to whom they belong. Intermingled with unintelligible grunts and groans, are the sharp sounds of the dwarf still swearing violently at Borin. Some allege they also hear the distinct sound of bones breaking, but none venture into the alcove to check.

Kalina and Marja rush back into the storage room to find Xenia still repeatedly punching a young man in the face, though he is incapacitated and nearly unconscious. Borin is sitting atop a cursing dwarf who is bleeding profusely from his broken nose yet still struggling with him. Marja casts ice knife at the bounty hunter, watching the icy dagger spring forth from her hand. Unfortunately, because of the entanglement, she misses her target and looks on in horror as the glass-like shards burst in midair. As luck would have it, no one is seriously injured. No one except Marja, herself, that is. She gasps in pain as the shards bury themselves in her skin. She shivers uncontrollably as they melt into her bloodstream. Admittedly, this was less than effective.

Ultimately, Borin manages to subdue his insolent opponent, one last fist to his mouth renders it useless. The party manages to bind the bounty hunters in their own shackles. They drag all six mercenaries into the back room where Deke carefully searches their possessions and weapons. He finds little of value, but does take their remaining wanted posters. While deciding what to do with the outsiders, an old friend of Morgaine’s grandmother offers to accompany the gang to the town jail. Being a retired (and still honorary) member of the city Guard, it does not take much convincing that the bounty hunters should be charged with destruction of property. In the ensuing confusion, the townspeople gather around Morgaine, hugging her and inquiring about the reason the motley crew is after her. Borin exhaustedly slumps in a chair, demanding beer.

 

[Morgaine]

A plump, middle aged woman with graying hair hastily shoves everyone out of the way as she makes her way to Morgaine. Morgaine instantly recognizes her as Nelly Windlass, her grandmother’s best friend, and gratefully enters the woman’s outstretched arms. After a long, warm embrace, Mrs. Windlass dabs away her tears. She remarks how good it is to see Morgaine after so long then scolds her for leaving so suddenly and without any word. Morgaine quickly wipes her own moist eyes as she tries to explain, finding a sudden lump in her throat prevents coherent speech. Borin once again demands beer, this time much louder and more forcefully, reminding Morgaine of her surroundings. Introductions are hastily made and they all settle down with pints of beer. Mrs. Windlass sends her husband for lunch for the weary travelers and the townspeople gather around to hear Morgaine’s tale of life in the “big city” of Amalthea.

Several hours and even more pints later, with their story told and their bellies full, the group decides to head to the only inn in Otenazu. Since this cottage has been turned into a tavern, there is no place for the group to sleep. Morgaine becomes despondent upon learning that Mrs. Windlass sold her possessions to a gnome several months prior. “He told us that he worked for you, dear. You mean you never got that stuff? Oh, dear.” It may very well explain all the strange visions she’s been having lately. In an effort to soothe the forlorn young woman, Nelly offers to clean out Morgaine’s room the next day so that she may at least have some place to stay. With a sigh, she agrees and the party makes their way through the darkened streets of Otenazu en route to secure lodging.

 

[The Traveler]

We played a hilarious game last night, featuring drowning dwarves, monkeys, and finally, redemption. On the negative side, the {spoiler} got away and that rotten {spoiler} too.

Damn, that's tantalizing.

Especially since I wrote something that could drown a dwarf, so now I'm curious.

 

[Morgaine]

Damn, that's tantalizing.

Especially since I wrote something that could drown a dwarf, so now I'm curious.

Suspense....it's all about the suspense. I planned it that way. (Actually, Grad school got in the way of me keeping up with the writing.) But it sounds so much better to be a master of suspense. )

 

[Morgaine]

What follows is new material. (For those of you keeping track, the subsequent three or so posts are tales that fit in before our encounter with the Spider Queen -- at the very beginning of this thread.)

Enjoy!
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Walking through the darkened streets lit only by the occasional lamppost, the party happens upon a lively pub. Light streams out onto the cobblestone pavement from the swinging doors and giant front window. Inside, many of the locals are drinking heartily and singing along with an out of tune piano being played zealously by an older man. It is a bawdy drinking song and the party is eager to join in the raucous crowd. The rough-hewn wood tables are laden with pints of ale and mead, and the townspeople line the bar along the side wall. Several of the patrons appear to have been drinking for several hours. Morgaine, exhausted and emotionally drained, begs off from the festivities and continues on to the inn where Gemma has already procured their lodgings. Borin offers to accompany her there and she gratefully accepts. Once settled, he quickly takes his leave of her and re-joins the others.

Upon his return, he is envious to see his friends have started without him. Marja is firmly ensconced on a perch at the bar surrounded by what looks like every young male in the town. She laughs gaily at some secret joke and flirtatiously pats the arms of an exceptionally good-looking young man with dark hair and a roguish look. Fergus has relieved the old prospector of his duties at the piano and is banging out an even bawdier drinking song, all the while encouraging the rest of the bar to join in. Xenia has a pint of ale in each hand and a third in front of her as she compares scars with another fighter, also wearing heavy armor. Kalina is engaged in conversation about the local flora and fauna with a tall man named Thomas, who is wearing the garb of a scout. And Deke is challenging a halfling to an arm wrestling match. Borin quickly procures himself a few pints of ale and settles in to a chair near Deke to get in on the battle of strength.

Meanwhile, back at the inn, Gemma is kneeling in fervent prayer before a makeshift altar in one corner of the large room. She does not acknowledge Morgaine’s presence and the young mage does not interrupt the elder woman’s devotions. Head bowed, whispering softly, she lays her bow and quiver atop the shrine and thanks the Lady, Tanil, for her gifts that day. Gemma genuflects low before the divine offering in reverence to the Huntress, asking for the wisdom to walk the path the Goddess has set for her and Her blessing in battle that her own shots find their mark. After some time, she rises and collects her belongings, then rolls her mat on the floor and lies quietly, slowing her breathing in quiet meditation.

Morgaine, no longer able to suppress the tears she has been holding back since their arrival in Otenazu, makes her way to one of the cots on the far wall sobbing silently. Unprepared to be inundated with so much emotion, the ache for her grandmother feels as raw as it was a year ago when she fled in grief. That she no longer has a home to speak of only further adds to the pain and the realization that she is an orphan gnaws at her fiercely. Even Taylor’s companionship and concern does little to assuage the anguish and sorrow eating away her very soul. Hiccuping sobs wrack her body as the disconsolate young woman cries herself to sleep.