Lost City of Gaxmoor - The Borderlands Campaign

[S'mon]

Leo's account

Aftermath

Leo rode back into the camp at Jarrakig. A great deal had changed from that first day after the battle. Most of the wounded were on their way back to Dulleaburg or Gaxmoor. The dead from both sides had been buried and there were only able-bodied troops camped around blazing fires. He saw Tarquin approaching. The cleric looked as tired as Leo felt. There were dark circles under his eyes but there was also a sense of power. Tarquin, more than most, had grown in stature during the conflict. His efforts for the wounded had been truly amazing. Thanks to him and his team of clerics from the temple, the casualties were far lighter than first feared. Now, seven days after the conflict, he had done as much as he was able in these circumstances.

“Well, did you find any more today”? he asked the mage.

Leo replied, “Yes, another group of goblin archers. We killed some of them, and scattered the others. Our scouts are hunting the individuals.”

“Good. The more you kill now, the less we will have to kill in the future. Where are the others? I think its time to get back to Gaxmoor. I have something very important I need to do soon.”

Leo was slightly taken aback. Tarquin was unusually determined.

“Xiang, Sigurd, Aos and Titania were with me. As usual, my eyes found the enemy groups and they led the troops. They should be coming back soon. I have no idea where Cho or Elros are. I assume they are hunting and harrying the enemy like us but in their own way. Both of them can take care of themselves so I am not too worried. If they do not come back in the next few days, then I will start to worry. I am not sure where Saphie is.”

Tarquin grunted and strode back to the campfire. Leo sighed and thought. It was time to leave. It was getting harder and harder to find enemy stragglers. He would put it to the others tonight that it was time to go back to the city. They had had great success in mopping up. The gnoll shock troops had suffered the most. Demoralised and leaderless, they had been wiped out almost to a gnoll. The orc and hobgoblin heavy infantry had retreated in good order. They had presented more of a challenge. The goblin archers had suffered both in the battle and the aftermath. The worg riders were uncatchable because of their speed although Cho had had some success in eliminating individuals. She also reported heightened bandit activity. Not surprising. Kanor needed to get a garrison here as quickly as possible.

Later that evening the others came back. They had wiped out another group of twenty goblin archers. There were no casualties in their ranks. In close combat, the archers presented little challenge. Sigurd strode about in a foul mood, muttering to himself. The others also seemed tired and annoyed. Leo knew what was troubling them. They may have won the battle, but Harecules had escaped. As long as the cambion was loose, this area would be threatened. Privately, Leo thought that the cambion was probably in some trouble from his superiors in the Hel cult. He had made a major blunder. By disappearing in the middle of the battle, his troops had lost heart. It had been a very close-run thing. If he had appeared, even in the background, during the later stages, it may have swung the balance. He had lost a lot of face by the early abandonment of his troops. Leo also thought that fate was not going to be kind to the losers when they returned to the Doskan Heights. Mother Nature tended to be very selective in the world of the Dark Folk. Other tribes and races were going to be keeping a close eye on the relative strength of the Broken Bone orcs, the goblins and the others. Any sign of weakness and they would take advantage.

“Enough” bellowed Sigurd. “Tomorrow we ride to Gaxmoor. We rest, split the loot and then we will go after Harecules and kill him.”

Leo groaned inwardly. This pronouncement had all the hallmarks of another “let’s go kill the Overking “ mission.

The return to Gaxmoor was uneventful. The city was crowded with wounded troops, refugees, camp followers and families looking for their loved ones. Wryly, Leo thought that if Kanor wanted to recruit craftspeople to come and settle in the new city, this was possibly the best way to entice them. Stone buildings, secure walls and powerful individuals who had helped to defeat the Dark Folk army. The city was going to gain several hundred if not thousand inhabitants after this.

Upon arrival, the group split. Tarquin went into the Temple of Urnus Gregaria and wasn’t seen for almost two weeks. Leo joined him for about a day. He had an idea he wanted to discuss with Petronius, the High Priest. Leo then went to the White Way building where he discussed a variety of new ideas with Dovistar. He suddenly found that what he had only been able to theorise, he could actually do now. Discussions with Dovistar meant that the old mage could instruct him in new ideas, concepts and effects. How to make his spells last longer, his abilities stronger and above all, access to magical writings which before were so much gibberish. The frontiers of his knowledge were stretched yet again, and yet again it made him realise that really he knew nothing.

At the same time, the two magicians and Laera debated the problem of Harecules. The cambion was a dangerous opponent with many powers. If the opportunity existed for an attempt to eliminate him, it had to be taken. So many problems though. Trying to track to his lair in the Doskan Heights was not practical due to the size of the area. The only small chance lay in attempting to scry him and then to transport a team to that spot in that instant. It was difficult but possible.

Leo invited the group to discuss this. On meeting them, he noticed several changes. Cho and Elros had come back from the wilderness on their own. As usual the Western woman said little, although she now had a small stone whizzing around her head. Elros seemed even deadlier with his bow. He had had it enchanted with a flame effect; his arrows now spectacularly burst into flame as they hit their target. Aos, surprisingly, had spent some time in the company of Astragard. Leo thought this wasn’t the most obvious combination but the two seemed to get on famously, much to Titania’s chagrin. He still shuddered at the thought of the hysterical woman attacking him in his study. Leo wondered whether Aos was still having his odd dreams; he hoped not. Finally, Tarquin came out of his temple with a phylactery tied around his head. A beautiful light blue jewel in a gold setting, tied with a thin gold band with tiny scrollwork runes.

The scrying idea was outlined to the group, who accepted it enthusiastically. They were also keen to try to finish the demon once and for all. Preparations were made and then the scrying attempt was made. It failed miserably. Not only that, but Dovistar shook his head and said that the level of resistance he felt from the cambion was such that it would take a completely freak occurrence for the spell to work. Reluctantly, the group accepted that the demon had evaded them yet again.

Therefore, the group decided that they would continue with the mission to accompany Astragard on his expedition to the tomb of Gutheron. Dovistar would transport the group in two halves to the point in the Southern Wastes from where he had extracted them some weeks ago. The first four to go were Astragard, Leo, Cho and Elros. Upon arrival, Leo created a small planar pocket where the four waited until the next day for Xiang, Titania, Aos and Tarquin. The night passed uneventfully except that Elros, watching in the early morning, saw a large reptilian winged creature hunting in the desert. It looked like a small dragon but fortunately it was not able to see the planar pocket. Curiously, it hunted with a sonic attack. Leo had heard that such beasts existed but they were very rare. Even from a great distance, Elros was affected by its unearthly shriek, which caused his ears to bleed. A little bit later the other four arrived. Leo then created eight phantom horses. These sped along the desert much faster than normal horses. The group was a little wary of these strange apparitions at first but soon lost themselves in the exhilaration of the speedy ride across sandy dunes into the endless horizon. The ride was made even more magical by the ability of the horses to gallop in the air for brief periods of time. The night was spent in the usual planar pockets and the group then set out on the steeds the next morning. Travelling during the day, the late afternoon produced an encounter that Leo thought truly bizarre even by the standards of his last few years.

Standing on the top of a dune in the distance, the group saw a figure. The group approached and Leo gaped. A tall, attractive copper skinned woman stood next to a camel. She was wearing an elaborate headdress, a long split skirt and nothing else.

She called out in a peculiar archaic dialect. “Greetings champion. Thy coming has been foretold in my dreams. I am Amitha Sethen Re, High Priestess of Isis in Arypt. The great Evil in the South rises in the Gorge of Osiris and you have been Chosen to vanquish it. My goddess hath told me I am to put myself in your service”.

Aos immediately called out. “Thank you my lady. My goddess has been talking to me in my dreams and indeed it is foretold that I will fight this evil. I must seek the Champion of Thoth. Would you have knowledge of this individual.?”

“Indeed such a man has come to my attention. His name is Konsu Khibet and he is in the village of Artuaat.”

Leo’s head was spinning. Yet again, someone had been able to find them in the middle of a godsforsaken wilderness. In the Southern Desert no less. He had never seen this woman before, yet Aos was talking to her like a friend and accepting some religious babble. She was supposed to be a High Priestess which would explain why she was out here with little fear but she talked like a fanatic. More importantly, so was light-hearted, irresponsible Aos, the greatest duelist in Gaxmoor. Was he actually taking this Champion thing seriously? Leo hoped not.

Suddenly the woman seemed to see Astragard for the first time. “You,” she hissed. “What are thy affairs here, Black Serpent? You are forever doing things only for thy interest. Leave! You have no business here.”

At this point conversation degenerated into a series of discussions and debates. Astragard did not seem at all fazed by the Priestess and wanted to proceed on his mission as quickly as possible. Leo, Tarquin and Cho felt that they had agreed to accompany him at the beginning and since this was the first time that they had heard about this great evil in the South, they felt that it was nothing to do with them. Xiang, Elros and Aos felt that this evil should be vanquished. In the end it was decided to proceed to the great Oasis where there was a temple of Isis. The Gorge of Osiris was on the way to Gutheron’s tomb and Leo was convinced by Aos that they could at least peek into this Gorge to see what was going on. Supplies would be purchased at the village of Artuaat whilst collecting this other Champion.

The journey to the Oasis was uneventful and there, Xiang, Elros, Aos and Titania went to stay at the Temple whereas Tarquin, Leo, Astragard and Cho stayed in the planar pocket. During that night, Leo and Astragard had a conversation. Since there was a likelihood that the group was going to be dragged into some legendary gorge, Leo wanted to know a little bit about this land of Arypt. Astragard had obviously been here before. His name of the Black Serpent also suggested a certain reputation. Astragard informed Leo that Arypt was a land obsessed by the past, obsessed with death and a feeling that the whole world revolved around events in their region. Their last great civilisation was called the Second Kingdom and it fell due to an unspecified disaster brought about by Rahotep, their pharaoh, and High Priest of the Evil One. Presumably people didn’t know he was High Priest of the Evil One at the time (GM: Rahotep was an usurper, never accepted as Pharaoh by the Kheri-Heb). He made his last stand at a place called Therios, now a ruined city. It is also called a Necropolis or a City of the Dead (GM: Therios was the ancient capital of Arypt, on the banks of the Nyllus/Mosquito River. After defeat there by the Kheri-Heb mage-priests, Rahotep and his followers fled into the wastes, making their last stand at the Gorge of Osiris, the Necropolis). Anyway, legend goes that he would rise again to conquer the world etc. A variation of a legend retold countless times in other cultures of madmen drunk on power. Leo thought that Tarkane and this Rahotep would get on like a house on fire.

The next day, the group set out to the village. The Priestess maintained an icy silence where Astragard was concerned. She did confirm pretty much what Astragard said albeit in much flowerier prose and also revealed that the key to much of Rahotep’s power lay in nine objects including something called The Blood Red Moon. Leo idly speculated if this Rahotep was a lich and this was in fact its phylactery in nine parts. He hoped not. Speedily travelling on the wondrous horses, the village soon came into view on the horizon. The most substantial building was the caravanserai, or caravan supply post. The rest of the village seemed built around it. Approaching it, soldiers could be seen. This was strange as the settlement itself consisted of a few buildings, several hundred people and a bunch of skinny domestic animals. Be that as it may, the soldiers treated the priestess with great respect and the group found that it was most likely that Khonsu Khibet was to be found at the inn. As the group was walking through the streets suddenly the group heard cries for help. Elros, Xiang, Aos and Titania rushed off to see what was going on. Leo groaned and made a mental note to have a conversation with the others that cries for help where not always what they seemed. It was the oldest trick in the book. Leo was told later that they saw a large lake and a very large crocodile was trying to eat somebody. Aos and the others rushed forward and a few moments later it was no longer alive. Someone in the crowd than shouted that it was a “demon crocodile”. Leo went forward to look and saw a very big crocodile. Nothing remotely demon-like about it. The man who was about to be eaten then introduced himself as Khonsu Khibet. Leo breathed a sigh of relief. That meant that they would be able to investigate this Gorge quickly, perhaps tomorrow. He had been fearful that this Khibet character had gone to the place on his own and hadn’t returned. Fanatics had a habit of doing irrational things like that “because their gods told them to”; or because they dreamed it.

That night, Leo and Astragard held another conversation where they was decided that Astragard would wait here for the group until they came back from their survey of the Gorge. The priestess was obviously unhappy with “the Black Serpent’s“ presence. The next morning, the group purchased camels and set out. Leo thought that camels must be some of the ugliest, most bad tempered creatures he had ever come across. Thinking dark thoughts about feeding his beast to the nearest desert predator he could find, he set out with the others.

A few miles outside the village, Elros stopped and jumped to the ground. With a puzzled frown he told the group that there were fresh horse tracks on the path ahead. As he was saying that, a hail of arrows rained upon the group followed by an amazingly silent coordinated charge of desert horsemen. There were approximately two dozen of them. As they charged forward, suddenly two balls of fire erupted in the middle of the group, severely burning everyone except Cho, who acrobatically jumped out of the way. Leo frowned. This was powerful magic. These were not just some desert bandits. He disappeared and moved away. He saw both Cho and Aos move forward, taking the fight to the enemy. Xiang, Amitha and Titania were severely hurt. As the horsemen arrived, they surrounded Cho and Aos. Cho looked to be in little danger, but Aos was suffering. One particular opponent was stabbing him repeatedly with a sword, causing large wounds. They were also keen to kill the priestess but she was ably defended by Xiang and Titania. Elros as usual, coolly aimed and fired his arrow at a particular individual. The arrow took him in the throat, killing him instantly. He later informed Leo that he had spotted him as the man who cast the ball of fire. Leo cast a powerful effect, killing the men around Cho. She then rapidly moved and engaged another man who was not engaged in the melee. Although the bandits had achieved surprise and had caused a great deal of initial damage, with the targeting of their powerful individuals, the battle slowly but surely was being won by the group. Cho stunned her opponent, rendering him helpless, Elros was deadly with his arrows and Xiang and Aos soon dealt with their weaker opponents. The group was victorious.

The bodies were searched and various dweomered items were found. Most unusually, there was a symbol of an ankh entwined by a serpent made of a black metal and a crimson disc. Leo and the others thought that this could the Blood Red Moon. This was safely stored in an extra dimensional container. The ankh was destroyed by the Black Spear.

In a very strange turn of events, Xiang found this same ankh on his chest the next morning. Upon this revelation, Amitha ventured that this could be another of these nine objects of power. Maybe it should be stored in another extra dimensional space until it could be studied further. The group then made ready to go out again to the Gorge of Osiris.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I'm curious as to why Leo never mentions his spells by name, always referring to them obliquely.

Surely "Leo uttered a powerful spell, sending a Chain Lightning into their midst and killing them" sounds better than "Leo cast a powerful spell, killing the men around Cho."

 

[StalkingBlue]

Cool stuff.

I'm glad we are getting such complete reports from Leo's point of view. They're fun to read, plus they let me focus on the Cho POV without feeling I'm not doing everyone justice if I leave out things she didn't witness.

 

[StalkingBlue]

Baking Sands

Cho starts violently awake. Heel sinks into rolls of fat, the sleeper she's kicked at struggling to her feet snorts and rolls away.
Astragard.
Leo’s Rope Trick. Stifling but safe. Even though the harmony is broken.

She sits back and rubs her face free of the familar clinging nightmare.
Leo shoots a glance over the edge of the book he’s studying, and disappears again. The place of the fourth sleeper is empty: Tarquin has already left. Dawn soon.

Cho braces against the desert’s morning cold and drops out through the hole, breath cloud trailing as she lands. The stench of camels hangs heavy in the caravanserai, different from horses somehow. Less manure; more burping.

There is Tarquin’s form, bent in prayer. Judging by the degree of light, he will be a while yet. Cho settles at a polite distance and drops into a mind exercise.
Thoughts keep shoving her back.
She lets them flow past. Of no relevance.
But the harmony has been broken. Thoughts batter, and more thoughts.
With a sigh, she yields. Best to order those thoughts and try to make sense of events.

***

She had rejoined the others in Gaxmoor. At Margrave Kanor’s request, it was agreed to make another strike against Harecules while his hold on the Dark Folk was weakened after his recent defeat. Plans were made to locate him in his hideout in the mountains, teleport in, kill him and teleport back to Gaxmoor. Those who joined Dovistar on the agreed morning were: Aos, Elros, Leo, Red Ivy, Tarquin, Titania, Xiang, and Cho. Saphie appeared to be absent on some mission for her brother. Sigurd was busy showing presence amongst the remains of his army, presumably working to smooth the waves thrown up his unfortunate absence and sudden reappearance on the threshold of the recent battle.

Tactics were discussed and further refined, diamond dust scattered, protective spells cast. Dovistar muttered arcane words and turned towards his silver mirror – only to declare after a moment of tense concentration that the Cambion’s will had proven too strong for his scrying attempt to get through.

In intense frustration Xiang and Elros went and killed an ochre ooze that had the terrible karma to lurk near.

And so, the group picked up where it had left off when Harecules invaded the Borderlands: by returning to the southern desert. Dovistar sent Astragard, Cho, Elros and Leo to the spot from where he had summoned them on the morning of the battle, depositing them in baking afternoon heat. They hid overnight in Leo’s Rope Trick, safely concealed from a winged reptile that Elros reported flying over and hunting desert creatures with sonic attacks that made the Sidhe scout’s ears bleed. Aos, Tarquin, Titania and Xiang arrived safely the next morning.

Leo conjured up soundless, hoofless magic horses for each member of the company.
The memory draws a breath from Cho. What speed! Intoxicating to the point where it takes an effort to stop or even rein in.

Was the harmony broken then?
Cho scans the expressions of her companions in her mind. Xiang looking hung over. Leo with more attention for Astragard than anyone else. Titania visibly raw from some recent argument with Aos, him displaying unconcern – none of which was new. No. There was nothing more wrong than usual at that point.

Then came the priestess.

They had been travelling on Leo’s horses towards the village from where Astragard was planning to set out for his tomb. On the last dune outside a village a rider waited with her camel. She was tall and striking and shown by her dress to be a priestess of a local goddess, Isis. She came forward and greeted Aos with honeyed words as Champion and Chosen of her goddess, come to deliver her land of some lurking evil. Aos seemed unsurprised, if feverishly dazzled. It could have been her revealing dress.

Part of the company ended up invited to spend the night in the priestess’s temple. Astragard was excluded. The priestess was not ashamed to insult the old man to his face, calling him a Black Serpent. Leo went with Astragard, Tarquin with his friend Leo. Cho joined them, out of reluctance towards their new hosts as much as in order to provide better balance for safety.

Yes. It was that. The priestess. Like a crack snakes across a crystal mirror, she broke the company’s fragile skin of harmony.

***

Tarquin straightens carefully and starts to walk towards the well, his face smooth now. What a peace he appears to draw from speaking with his god. A peace Cho manages to inadvertently shatter when she approaches him with what has long burdened her mind.

Tarquin turns out strangely tight-lipped when asked about his god and matters of the faith. (What a contrast to the wordy desert priestess!) Yes, there is an item particularly holy to the faith. It is the called Staff of Urnus Gregaria. It is now in one of the Deeper Hells in the possession of a demoness, who tricked a party of heroes into retrieving it for her. No explanations are asked or given. but a brief flare of emotion reveals that most likely, Tarquin had been involved in that. And suffers for it still.

He does mention (as Cho turns away to leave him to regain composure) that like Leo, he is not too happy about turning away from Astragard’s task. Cho agrees. What is your word worth if you set it aside at the first distraction?

***

The group assembles. Astragard, though disgruntled by the delay, has agreed that a detour may be made to investigate a certain gorge where the priestess’s supposed evil is said to be lurking. In order to do that, yet another champion must be collected from a nearby village.

The division is even clearer today. Aos swings himself into the saddle of Leo’s magic steed with a feverishly self-righteous air, followed by a silent Titania. Xiang and Elros as well keep close to the priestess during the day’s ride.

They arrive at the village Artuat shortly before nightfall. Strolling around trying to find the priestess’s Champion of Toth, the group hears screams and cries for help ahead. Aos, Elros and Xiang rush in, followed by Titania. Elros’s bow twangs, and moments later the four reappear around a corner to report that they slew a large demonic crocodile the Champion of Thoth appeared to be wrestling.

A night at the local caravanserai, a wait while the priestess haggles over the purchase of a number of camels, and once again the company sets off towards the gorge, now accompanied by the priestess and the Champion of Toth, but without Astragard, who remains at the caravanserai.

***

With the slow sneakiness of shadows, the riders’ shadows creep to hide underneath the camels’ bellies. Air shivers above the path, the sand bakes. It is not even noon yet but the heat grows steadily worse. Xiang, in plate armour today, wipes his face.

Cho walks, slowing her strides to match the swaying trot of the camels. Behind her, Leo mutters educated curses. Aos rides, his face clenched in that expression of righteousness he has assumed lately. Titania follows, trying to be invisible. Tarquin’s face is once more set in his priest’s calm mask. Elros turns in the saddle, scanning around. Yet, he discovers nothing.

Suddenly the air sings and the camels dance madly as a volley of arrows drops on the party from above. Elros looks shocked. Xiang with supreme confidence taps his mount’s neck with the riding stick, controls it. Leo’s mutter rises to a shout as he is either thrown or leaps off his bolting mount.

Almost simultaneously, magic erupts: a column of fire and then a fireball wash over the party, leaving behind a stench of burnt flesh and smouldering heaps of saddles and bones where an instant ago were camels. The priestess drops, unconscious. A pale Leo draws invisibility around him or steps into the Void. The others are scorched but reaching for weapons – not an instant too soon: a second volley of arrows follows and already the ground trembles under the charge of two dozen horsemen now dropping their bows and drawing curved blades.

Titania is moving towards the downed priestess. Elros looses an arrow and shouts in triumph. Cho has no time to register more as her focus narrows – seeking a target. The charge drums up a heavy cloud of dust. The spellcasters are either hidden in the throng or invisible. Later then. Cho chooses a rider at the front of the charge and leaps forward. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Aos’s rapier flash as he does the same further on the right.

Her target dodges ineptly – too ineptly. She knows even before she connects that she should be able to take him down – and that she has miscalculated. She succeeds merely in winding him. Immediately more riders sweep around her, surround her. None of these is hanging back like a mage or a priest would; they are out for blood.

The riders attack in concert, each with his flanking partner, horses’ flanks sidling into her while blade cut down from the opposite side. It is a narrow dance. Almost she would have evaded all of them; all but one, who strikes a heavy blow. Muscles tear, bone crunches under his blade. Instinct fumbles to repair, pull the edges of that wound together – Not now. Too many. Allow them to hamper each other. She dances, ready for the bead that will announce Leo’s fireball.

Between heaving horses’ flanks she gets a glance in Aos’s direction. He is surrounded as well, and taunts ring out with an edge in his clear voice – betraying that he, too, has been wounded and is hard pressed.

At least the charge is broken, or mostly. Hopefully this will buy time for the healers to get around to those who desperately need them.

Then the air hums, heavy with ozone. All around Cho, lightning flashes. Horses bolt madly, throwing and dragging the seared lumps that until a moment ago were their riders. She turns for a quick grin towards her ally, but cannot spot him. Elros and the Champion of Thoth have arrows nocked and are busy selecting targets. Xiang has a foot on a downed man’s chest to wrench the spear out. More lie around him. The priestess is still down, but now defended by Titania against a small number of bandits.

What next? Aos is holding up against his attackers. Xiang is now wading up to him through the sands, throwing up waves of dust before him. And just beyond the group surrounding Aos, a single man hangs back. He wields neither bow nor other weapon. Him, then.

She catches a glimpse of Aos as she flies past, white and clenched and bloodied. Help? Too late now: her charge is set.
And for a second time this day she miscalculates her attack. His breath whooshes out under the blow to his sternum, his jaws clack shut around an ugly grin as he straightens, his eyes clear.

Expertly dodging and weaving her feints, he gestures with a religious symbol and speaks a foul prayer, then lunges at her: “Die!”
Hawk’s marble eye! She dodges his touch but of course he will try again.

Suddenly a wall of fire springs up next to the two of them. Strands of the enemy cleric’s hair curl and powder away as sparks eat their way up them. Men scream behind Cho. She hopes it is not Aos; and her next slash goes precisely where she has aimed it. The cleric’s mouth opens and closes as his eyes bulge in horror. He does not get another chance to deliver his killing spell.

Moments later, Cho drags the unconscious cleric away from the wall of fire, which turns out have been placed by Leo. No one particularly wishes to question the cleric, not even the priestess and the Champion of Thoth, who purport to be so eager to learn what the gorge of Osiris holds. Strange but true. Xiang kills the cleric with the Spear and destroys his religious symbol, an ankh with a serpent woven through it.

Much loot is found on the bodies and some horses are retrieved. Several enemies are found dead from a single arrow, easily recognisable by bearing Elros’s fletching. The enemy sorcerer is one of those, felled at the outset of the battle. Clearly today the Sidhe archer has exceeded himself. An item called a Blood Red Moon is found on the sorcerer’s body – said by the priestess to be one of nine evil items that she wishes to see retrieved.

The party returns to the village. There is elation at the victory, but the rift remains. A decision will have to be made soon on which quest to follow: explore Astragard’s tomb as promised, or set aside a word given to hunt down a “great evil” described in flowery words but with few facts to back it up?

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Blood Guard

Xiang had grown used to the Spear's quiet whisperings. Day and night, whether it was in his hand or not, there was that almost-silent voice in the back of his mind, bidding him to destroy the evil that it claimed was all around. Xiang sometimes wondered whether the Spear really cared who it killed...that is, until he struck down another evil Priest or Mage and felt the Spear thrill in triumph only he could hear.

But after the battle, it sounded stronger. It wanted more from him. Xiang had spent most of the battle either struggling to keep command, getting almost killed by Ogre Magi, shot at by goblins, and eventually watching as the spellcasters flew invisibly into the sky and rained down magical death from above. Even worse, the cavalry had been on the far side of the river. He'd seen their glorious charge, wanting desperately to be a part of it...and to top it all, Herecules had escaped. Now he understood why the others wanted to kill him.

Xiang made a short stop off at the Tower of the White Way. His face was well known there now, it was well known everywhere since he'd briefly led the army. He dropped off his magical cloak and around 3000gp worth of gems, with a promise from the Wizards that the magic would be enhanced. He knew the value of such an enchantment.

Xiang left behind all his possesions bar the Spear and a suit of breastplate he had taken from the battlefield. He turned and walked out of Gaxmoor, looking for a little solitude. The Spear hummed quietly to itself.

He hadn't got more than ten minutes walk out before Cho found him with her uncanny speed. A short conversation followed in which he assured her he wasn't leaving, and that he would be perfectly safe by himself, and that he was not to be disturbed or sought out for any reason less than an attacking army. Cho departed, puzzled but satisfied.

Ten minutes after that, he had to go through it all again with Elros.

Finally shaking free his well-meaning companions, he strode further into the wilderness.

-----------------------

Four days later, he felt as though he was getting somewhere. Something nagged him in the back of his mind - was he doing this to learn more about the Spear or was the Spear driving him to do this to learn more about him? He hadn't eaten, had slept in the armour he was wearing. Walking into the forest the first day, he'd found a clearing. This same clearing was where he now stood, holding the Spear.

Once again he spun into action, the full sequence of moves and stances that he'd been working on. Each flowed into the next, including blocks, guards, parrys, deflections, strikes, leaps and spins, the Spear whipping through the air. Xiang, his chest heaving in effort, his eyes wide, moved to the final whisper of wind to the north sequence, but his concentration had gone again. Before he started it, he knew he hadn't got it, but tried all the same. Tried as he had spent four days trying.

The Spear thudded into the ground, flat, raising some leaves with the impact. Xiang crouched, whipping the Spear around and from side to side, increasing the speed, before stepping backwards and bringing into into a precise vortex, the end of the Spear circling around, making the leaves dance around it, being drawn in, until with a sudden reversal of direction and thrust he finished. Xiangs eyes moved down to the Spear...only one leaf had been impaled. Failure again. If he had got it right, five leaves would now be stuck upon it.

you need a little more help...do not fight me...become one with me and i will show you power/precision/movement

The voice in the back of his head was a little clearer. Knowledge dropped into his mind, and before he had time to really think about what he was doing Xiang did as it bid.

He made up a fire, stacking wood and twigs, until it burned bright in the evening. Standing before it, glad in the breastplate of a fallen warrior, he drew the Spear slowly across his wrists, then even slower across his neck. He was a fighter. He knew these could be lethal wounds. Somehow, it didn't seem to matter.

Xiang dropped to the ground, lying unconscious on the carpet of leaves, the Spear still clutched in his hand.

endless battles have i fought
i have killed a demigod
was brought low by ambush
i have struck down men, devils, demons, orcs by the score
i am yours now - and so
you are mine

Images flew through his mind. Techniques against creatures, their vulnerable spots. More knowledge.

the white foul flame
the shield of green fire

He saw a man, weilding the Spear against a robed figure who fought with a sword of spells. The figure chanted for a moment, and Xiang knew that the spell was one to confound the man, to make him believe the robed figure was his friend. But the Spear suddenly flared green, bursting into emerald flame that covered the man without burning him, and the spell shattered upon the Spear. The man thrust the Spear through the chest of the robed figure, and the vision faded.

now you learn another of my secrets
and i one of yours
we are more than fighter/weapon now
you/i are equals/part of a whole
we are one
i am yours and
you are mine

Xiang awoke. It was morning. And on his wrists and neck there was no sign of an injury.

Later that day, as he continued to practise, he once more attempted the final technique. This time, as he moved backwards, circling the Spear, the leaves spun silently in the middle of the vortex, instead of flying around it, and with the final reversal and strike, it seemed to Xiang as though the world held it's breath for him.

He looked down.

Four leaves, impaled on the Spear.

He turned and went back to Gaxmoor. His fast was at an end.

blood guard
my blood guard of the Spear

whispered the voice in the back of his head.
____________

Notes: This passage describes Xiangs change in level from 11th to 12th. He acquired the feats Endurance and Greater Weapon Specialisation, the Shield of Green Fire special ability of the Spear, and the second stage in the Oraskh style from Quintessential Fighter. He is now a Blood Guard of the Black Spear, and a formidable fighter.

 

[S'mon]

Cool posts Matt & Kerstin - give your PCs 300XP each (feeling generous)

 

[StalkingBlue]

Very cool training scene, Matt. Four leaves. I loved that.

 

[StalkingBlue]

The Pool of Hepi

The Moon climbs. Beyond the line of trees, the sands shiver and whisper in the night breeze. A fig drops somewhere. As the night deepens, cold creeps up and clouds your breath. Slowly, the path ahead turns into a serrated blade of pale light curving towards the Pool. Waiting.

Tarquin’s words of last night turn around and around in the monk’s mind.
Would you retrieve the Staff of Urnus Gregaria if you could? she has asked him. He would; if he could see a way of going about it without being suicidal. He is a perfect companion to Leo, of course. They are so similar in many things – then again, so different in others.
Would you go ahead with it even if a friend stood in your way? The priest has looked strangely at her as he replied that surely, no true friend would think of standing in his way; and one who did could not be counted a friend at all.
Simplicity.
A thing Cho is starving for: for life to be simple again.

Not likely.

A figure moves into the moonlight from the far left, breaking the pattern of shadows of the trees that lean over the path. As Cho rises, Elros strides up, unsurprised: he has long seen her, of course. The talons, dull with dried blood, are handed over and accepted in silence with a wry look of gratitude.

As they turn and walk towards the Pool together, both warriors know that this is also a farewell. Decisions have been made at last. Tomorrow, Aos will head towards the Gorge of Osiris with Elros and Titania and the Champion of Toth, while Leo, Tarquin, Saphie and Cho will go with Astragard to explore his tomb. Xiang plans to remain at the Pool for a while to explore his bond with the Spear in more depth. Sigurd is to stay with him.

The sundering is complete. By a strange alchemy of their own, five mistakes committed in a single day have led up to this splitting. Five mistakes, five elements.



***



By the time the party had made its way back to Artuat after the bandits’ ambush the previous night, the sun was sinking fast and the elation of victory had faded before the stiffness of unhealed wounds and unspoken disagreement. Tension had returned.

In the morning Saphie and Sigurd arrived via Dovistar’s sending teleport spell. They were gladly greeted and provided with news by the group and by the Champion of Thoth, assembled in a back room of Artuat’s single tavern. Sigurd cursed at Leo’s mention of the flamestrike and fireball that had hit the group the previous day; this promised no good for the two dogs panting under the table, which he had purchased and brought with him to be trained for war.

Definitive decisions were again postponed, partly to give Tarquin time to regain his arsenal of spells that he had all but exhausted in the morning’s long healing queue. Leo would take the time to identify the magic booty taken from the bandits. Aos was going to talk to a fisherman in the village whom the Champion of Thoth had mentioned, the brother-in-law of the sorcerer who had been killed by Elros’s arrow in the ambush the previous day.

When Cho offered to go along to help observe the fisherman’s reactions, Aos actually appeared surprised but accepted gladly, shaming the monk. How had they come to allow themselves to be on opposite sides of such a gaping rift? Surely the balance must be restored.

No information of value was gained from interviewing the fisherman, who was remarkably difficult to see through. When his eleven-year old son stole away, Elros followed him invisibly into a merchant’s store. The sidhe scout had no Aryptian, but observed that the boy spoke fearfully to the angry merchant, then in the company of a number of muscular men.

At Elros’s report, the group decided to go see the merchant. They found him alone with his wife in the store and spoke to him at length, again without obtaining much valuable information other than that the priestess had been in the store and questions about her made them nervous.

Then suddenly Elros shot and wounded the merchant’s wife when she nervously fingered an amulet at her throat. He apparently expected her to start attacking the group with spells.
Mistake, of the element of Fire. The archer all too ready with his bow.

At the outcries Cho, who had been outside the door and unable to follow the conversation, somersaulted into the store past Saphie, in time to see the merchant’s wife sag with an arrow in her flank and the merchant stumble back, grey with fear. First things first. She quickly moved through into the back room to cut off the merchant’s retreat. Aos’s rapier snaked forward and stopped an inch from the shuddering merchant’s throat. The man was begging for his life now. Titania started singing spell notes, while in the back room, the fisherman and his son saw Cho and promptly ran away through a side door.

The monk stood for an instant, undecided. What was going on? Aos was shouting at the merchant, his wife screaming about invisible demons until she was cut off by Titania’s spell. Within a heartbeat, somehow the store had turned into a bloody witches’ cauldron.
Whatever Aos and the others were doing, they had instants at best to accomplish it before the fisherman and his boy could bring in guards from the caravanserai – or possibly worse, the group of men Elros had reported seeing with the merchant earlier.
Prevent that? Unlikely, as they were already out in the street in broad daylight. Slow them at least, then, buy time. Neck hairs dancing with misgiving, Cho launched herself out the side door in pursuit of father and son, intent on containing what essentially had become un-containable.
Mistake, of the element of Lightning. The monk whose feet outrun her mind.

She had not expected the fisherman to turn back at her command. Then again, she most certainly had not expected him to attack and club her twice, heavily, before she had time to gasp, while his son drew a dagger and moved swiftly around into the monk’s back.
Again, the monk acted with the speed of lightning. The Talons found and slashed through iron-studded leather underneath the fisherman’s tunic. Moments later, the man was down and Cho was dragging the boy back into the store to throw him at Aos’s feet.

The store seemed to have been frozen in time: everyone stood where they had been before. Questioning seemed to be going on but going nowhere.
Mistake, of the element of Earth. The questioners scratch at the bedrock of lies lacking effective tools, or failing to use them to good effect.

Already Cho was sprinting out through the back room again, hoping to reach the fisherman in time –

Too late.
Six guards came running just as Cho reached the unconscious and bleeding man. The monk suffered herself to be disarmed and arrested and led towards the caravanserai, purportedly for questioning. She hoped she would not have to find out exactly what that meant.

The guards could not possibly have failed to notice where Cho had come from and gone to; yet by some strange twist of fortune and even though the store was mentioned in passing, none of them remembered to go and check on the boy. That at least was good. Let them forget there were other strangers around. Buy time. Once Aos had finished whatever he was doing, surely the next steps in the path would become clear. Doubtlessly involving some discomfort, possibly involving a breakout. It would be up to Aos to mend the group’s relationship with the village guard if he could.

So far, so acceptable; in the circumstances.
Only then came Sigurd.

He rounded the corner of the tavern, Xiang and his two dogs trailing in his wake. Both men looked like they had spent the greater part of the morning happily alternately drinking and puking. Nothing new in that – except that Cho recognised a sinister quality to Sigurd’s swagger. He had looked precisely the same the afternoon of the Battle of Jarrakig when he had stormed onto the battlefield eager to wrest back command of an army already engaging the enemy.

A spark of fear fluttered inside the monk, was instantly stamped upon.

Sigurd stopped in his tracks, blinked, lurched towards the leader of the party of guards bellowing in outrage. None of his companions was to be arrested and so forth.

The guards drew closer around their prisoner in response. One guard now held his scimitar to Cho’s throat. This was getting dangerous. With hands tied behind her, there was little the monk could do to save herself if the man got nervous and decided to cut. One way out remained, of course. For the briefest of instants, Cho focussed inward, touched her reassuring thread to the Void.

Xiang moved around to one side asking politely to be allowed to speak with the monk. Hurriedly, in Verdorian, their common native language, Cho started to explain about the tension in the store, the wounded merchant’s wife –

Which was when the sergeant of the guards slapped Sigurd’s hand away in anger. Gold rained into the sand. Evidently, an attempt at bribery had gone awry.
Mistake, of the element of Water. The warrior’s fury drains and gushes like date wine spilled onto hot sands.

Immediately guards moved forward and engaged Sigurd. Blades rang against his armour as he swayed, swinging his sword above his head. Puzzled, his eyes found Cho’s, widened in sudden realisation of unforeseen consequences. “I surrender,” the monk heard him bellow, fading out of her focus as the man guarding her pressed his blade harder against her throat, “I surrender but nobody touches my sword!!” More guards were being waved forward by their leader.

What a waste. With deep regret, the monk breathed out and dropped backwards into the Void –

… the guard’s fingers on her arm clawing, clenching, loosening …


– stumbling out into a jumble of weapons and armour spread out on the floor of Leo’s tavern room and narrowly catching herself from falling into Leo hunched cross-legged over a ring set out on a black cloth.

“Go away. Can’t you see I’m busy,” the wizard grunted, then startled and looked up.

“I know. If you will just cut this rope for me. I have to get back there.” Leo was still shaping a reply when Tarquin stepped over from his window seat and drew his knife. Astragard looked on, blinking with mild interest.

Again Cho hastily tried to explain what was going on in the store, that Xiang and Sigurd were being arrested … No one appeared to be listening particularly closely. As she bounced down the stairs, still staggered by the realisation that she failed by a hair’s breadth to drag that guard with her when she stepped through the Void, Leo and Astragard were already deep into discussion on whether to save the rope or burn it – presumably for spell components or some other outlandish magic research.

No signs remained of either the guards or Xiang and Sigurd by the time the monk arrived at the spot where she had left them. At least no blood appeared to have been spilled here. Just in time to evade a group of guards rounding a corner, Cho dove back into the tap room of the tavern and headed out the back way. She might have time for a final warning.

The monk made it to the side door of the store without being caught, but the village was crawling with guards now – and with a sinking heart she found the scene inside the store just as before. She stopped only long enough to warn Aos that guards were searching the village. Then, as she must, she went to the caravanserai to give herself up.

A brief interview with the commander of the caravanserai followed, unsatisfactory to both sides because Cho remained determined to say nothing that would draw attention to the store or merchant and volunteered only the bare bones of information. The guards promptly dragged her to a cell and chained her to a wall.

It was not long before the monk heard voices proving that her companions were being brought in. An eternity passed before anything else happened – which rather unexpectedly turned out to guards coming to release her. It was only half a blessing. Sigurd had seen himself forced to pay a bribe, large enough this time to be accepted (and to make him grumble and spit); and amidst much squabbling amongst them, the group was being turned out of the village. It soon became clear that Aos and the others had not succeeded in their goal – this had been to force the merchant and his wife to assist them in tracking down the priestess Amitha, which the monk now learned had been kidnapped that morning. Nor had anyone succeeded in being heard by the commander of the caravanserai. It appeared that rather than try to give a full account of the crimes they suspected the merchant and fisherman had been up to, each had spoken by himself, each with a different strategy and goal in mind – most concerned only and too narrowly with how to obtain a release of the monk.
Mistake, of the element of Void. Divided in spirit, the party finds itself unable to rally.

After various hot-headed suggestions of returning to burn the village or heading for the gorge of Osiris to take on whatever had kidnapped the priestess had been rebutted, the party finally went south, walked out of the village by a tight line of guards.

Elros soon turned back invisibly to get the monk’s Hawk’s Talons from the commander’s room. The others, guided by the Champion of Thoth, went on to the Pool of Hepi where the resident priest bade them welcome for the night.



***



The Moon floats quietly on the Pool of Hepi. Without a word, Elros and Cho part and walk each to their own spot in the group’s small camp. The monk picks up her waterskin and dampens the blood on the Talons, sparing with the water because tonight is not a night she would wish to ask anyone for oil. Or for anything.

The cleaning complete, the monk lies back, willing herself to drift downwards to that murky surface beyond which the nightmares wait.
Titania’s soft murmur drifts from Aos’s tent.
Five mistakes; five elements.
Tomorrow they will split. The balance is restored – but at great cost.

Regret again, at losing Aos, and Elros.
And then, already mostly submerged in sleep, Cho drifts past a thought thinner than a wisp of river mist: what a cruel thing it is to have a task placed upon one by a god.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Fantastic write-up! And I'm glad you liked mine, I spoke with my flatmate Kie who does Tai-Chi spear forms, and he gave me some ideas about what I could do with a training session like that. I might take a shot at something else while I'm in York, see if I can gain a little more xp whilst you guys are off looting tombs.

 

[S'mon]

Arypt

Leo calmed himself. It had happened. Nothing could be done about it now. It was a disaster but it could have been worse. No one had died. No one was in prison. They were seen as a nuisance and people to be avoided but not outright criminals. Not murderers or pillagers; or demons and warlocks and any other thousand names that the ignorant or superstitious could hurl. Instead they had just been kicked out of the desert village of Artuaat. Annoying but not disastrous; and so much better than it could have been.

So, under the stares of suspicious town guards, the group walked out of the village. They were heading into the desert. Khonsu Khibet, the champion of Thoth, was leading them to the Pool of Hapy, some local deity which he claimed was friendly.

A sufficient distance away Leo stopped. He turned to the others and asked, mildly under the circumstances, he felt.

“Now, could someone please tell me just what happened back there?”

There was a confused babble.

“.…she was going for her amulet…..”

“….and everyone owes me five thousand gold pieces….”

“….Aos, Elros, are you two completely insane…..”

“…..Titania, you had that woman dominated. Why didn’t you…”

“….there’s no time to be lost. We must go and rescue the priestess….”

“…..if you think I am going anywhere near that gorge with you right now then you must think I am stupid…..”

“….we should burn this bunch of hovels around their ears. They are just a bunch of unbelievers….”

“…..Tarquin, could you cast all or any Detect spells you have. I really think Aos has been possessed again….”

This last comment came from Cho. The Western woman was unusually agitated, showing anger. Most unlike her; she was normally serene, as if untouched by the world. At this moment she was disheveled, staring daggers at Elros and Aos in equal measure and sporting a large bruise on the side of her head. There was no sign of her punch daggers or Hawk’s Talons as she called them. Leo shook his head. What had happened to the well- honed team he thought he knew? These were squabbling children.

“Could we please just get to this Pool? And could everyone please mentally prepare themselves to relate exactly what happened in a calm and collected manner, that way we can maybe put together an account of just what occurred.”

The Pool of Hapy was not far. It was an idyllic location. A large pool was fed by a small waterfall, which in turn came from a small cave in a hill. The water provided nourishment for the myriad of palms and other vegetation around. The air was cool and there was a gentle breeze. The area was cared for by a holy man of Hapy by the name of Mahu. He lived in the cave. Upon arrival, Khonsu, Aos and Xiang went to pay their respects to the priest while the rest of the group set up camp beneath the palms. Soon the others came back. Khonsu and Aos were still tense but Xiang was much more relaxed. He seemed at peace in this setting. He reveled in the atmosphere. Strange for someone so used to violence. He even stopped looking at his spear all the time. It was as if this shrine to Hapy was making him take stock of the events of his life so far.

As supper progressed, everyone relaxed. It was almost impossible not to here. Instinctively everyone understood that this Oasis was safe. Finally, after supper a small swig of Sigurd’s precious brandy was passed around. Elros appeared and with a shy grin, handed Cho her Hawk’s Talons. Then everyone told their stories and like a jigsaw, an account was put together. Leo at this point had gone to an area by himself where he was casting a long and complicated spell, which would allow him to understand the properties of certain items that Elros had given him. He finished in the early morning and Tarquin was able to let him know just what everyone believed had happened.

Scrolling back time to this morning, the group was augmented by two members. Petronius contacted Tarquin asking him to remove his Amulet. Sigurd and Saphie had come back from their missions on behalf of Gaxmoor and were anxious to join their companions in the South. Dovistar, kindly, had arranged to transport them to the group’s current location. This was duly done. It was the middle of the tavern in Artuaat. Fortunately, there were no other customers in the common room at the time otherwise all sorts or rumours about witchcraft would have started. As it was, Saphie and Sigurd arrived without mishap. A certain amount of surprise was expressed when it was seen that Sigurd arrived with two large dogs under his arms. The poor beasts immediately started panting in the intense heat. Sigurd and Saphie were both brought up to date about events that had occurred since their separation and both were keen to explore the Gorge of Osiris. At the same time, Khonsu corrected Leo about certain historical facts he had misunderstood. Leo was still not happy with the direction this whole expedition was taking but he sighed and reconciled himself to the fact that with Sigurd and Saphie the majority of the group was committed to the exploration of the Gorge. Astragard was fairly disgusted but willing to wait. He was a very patient being.

With hindsight, the group now did the most foolish thing they could have done. They separated. Amitha Re decided that she was going to go and buy a set of hide armour for herself. She went to the general merchant. Leo, Astragard and Tarquin went to Astragard’s room where Leo was going to spend all of the day and a lot of the night ascertaining the properties of the magical items taken from the bodies of the bandits. Aos, Titania, Cho, Saphie, Elros and Khonsu were going to go and talk to a man named Gurheit, the brother-in-law of the sorcerer who attacked the group the day before. Xiang and Sigurd decided to stay in the tavern.

So, Astragard, Leo and Tarquin were in the tavern practicing magic in private. Xiang and Sigurd stayed in the inn. They rapidly became bored, asked for the strongest brew in the house and then indulged in a drinking contest. That was as much as either of them revealed but Leo could imagine the rest. It wasn’t a pretty picture.

The others went to visit Gurheit. They approached a ramshackle dwelling where they saw an older man and a small boy. The dwelling itself was little more than a one-room hut, smelly, dusty and old. The man introduced himself as Gurheit and the boy as his son. He was friendly and conducted a conversation with the group. However, little information was coming from him. Frustrated, Titania decided to charm him. An easy feat for someone of her looks and power. However, she found out very little considering, except that the sorcerer cast some spells, didn’t do his fair share of the work and seemed to have a mysterious source of funds. It was at this stage that Elros noticed the boy edging away from the group. As soon as he was a little distance away, he started moving towards a particular building. Unseen, Elros was on his heels. Surreptitiously the invisible Elros spied on them through a window and saw an agitated boy chattering in Aryptian to a large, fat, bald man. He also saw a variety of strong looking men carrying goods and an open trap door into a cellar. At this point a tall, handsome, regal looking woman approached the building. Suddenly she stopped and looked very uneasy. She looked around, sniffed the air and frowned. It was obvious that although she couldn’t see Elros, she definitely knew he was around. Rapidly she strode into the building and chattered in Aryptian. Elros had seen enough and hurried back to the group. In the meantime, Titania finished her conversation with Gurheit, finding out little more and she and the rest of the group were about to go back to the tavern. Elros caught up with them and related what he had found out. The group conferred and decided that they should visit the fat man as soon as possible.

They hurried to the after Elros to a large warehouse type dwelling with apparently two rooms and a cellar. Titania cast an effect making everyone faster and Elros made himself invisible. As they approached, they could hear raised voices, one of which they recognised as Gurheit’s. Then there was silence. Elros entered the building first and went into a corner, his bow ready. Then Aos entered, followed by the rest of the group.

They were greeted. “Good afternoon, honoured ladies and gentlemen. You honour my establishment. My name is Heptfha and I am the merchant. How may I serve you?”

Aos replied. “We are looking for our friend. Amitha Sethen Re, a priestess of Isis. She came here this morning.”

“I am afraid no one by that name came here this morning,” said the merchant, beginning to sweat.

Aos, frowned. “She said she was going to buy some hide armour. Could she have gone elsewhere?”

Heptfha grinned falsely. “No she couldn’t. Oh, you mean the lady this morning. Yes, she did come in but never gave her name; but she left. I don’t know where she went”. By now, he was sweating profusely. Cho, very discerning in these matters, could see he was lying.

The woman Elros had seen earlier had been standing quietly in a corner but at this point she stared directly at Elros, even though he was unseen. She started to chatter in Aryptian. Alert, Titania cast her ability to understand all languages and caught the last words of a sentence about “invisible demons”. The Aryptian woman also started to finger a bone amulet she was wearing. Elros, suddenly remembered this was the same type of amulet as worn by the sorcerer two days ago. He panicked and though she was about to attack. He let loose with his deadly bow and shot her in the flank. She shrieked and collapsed. The merchant shrieked and started begging for mercy. There was chaos. Elros was shouting that she was going to fireball them. The woman was screaming in agony. The merchant was begging for mercy. Cho, inhumanly fast, sped to the next room to see Gurheit and the boy leaping through the window.

Titania, remarkably calm, used one of her most powerful abilities. It was the ability of domination. Aos told the merchant to keep quiet. He complied although there were small whimpers from him. The woman was also quiet and looked at Titania. There was hate in her face and her whole demeanour changed. She was very strong. Titania asked her a few questions while in this state but could only find out that the priestess had been captured and taken North. Then the effect was broken. The merchant at this stage stopped whimpering and grinned maliciously at the group. Now he realised that they wouldn’t kill him out of hand it was almost as if he was taunting them.

In the next room, Cho leapt out of the window and gave chase to Gurheit and his son. It was child’s play for her to catch them. Thinking him nothing more than a simple fisherman, she relaxed. Suddenly she was struck a heavy blow by his club and even more surprised to see the little boy with a dagger, endeavoring to cut her to pieces. It was at this point that Cho’s story gets confused. It is not known if she realised that she was in full sight of the guards of the caravanserai or not but she made short work of Gurheit making sure that she didn’t kill him. She also caught the boy but at the same time a detachment of guards had been sent out to investigate. Half a dozen approached Cho and commanded her to cease and desist. The Westerner decided that she would not fight them and that when she explained the situation, Gurheit would be apprehended and questioned. She allowed her hands to be tied behind her back and let herself be walked with the patrol. Gurheit and the boy were also taken along.

On the way to the caravanserai, the guards walked past the tavern. Xiang and Sigurd had just recovered from their drinking contest and gaped as they saw Cho, obviously arrested.

“Ho,” both cried. “What are you doing with our friend.? There must be some misunderstanding.”

The rest again is confused but it seems that Sigurd tried to bribe the guard, failed, and both were arrested after a slight scuffle. Fortunately, both Xiang and Sigurd sensibly did not attack the patrol although Sigurd did surrender with the words “you are not touching my sword”. The guards, not being stupid, decided to take the two formidable looking warriors with them. Their superior could decide what to do with their weapons. That’s what he was there for. However, in the confusion of the melee, Cho suddenly used an interesting ability. She seems to have an ability to transport herself, much like magicians. Although she calls it “going into the void” or some such mystical nonsense. Whatever it is, it worked. She appeared in Astragard’s room. Out of sheer instinct from his days in the Tower of the White Way, Leo sensed her and remarked: “Go away, I am busy” before he realised what he was saying.

The other two did not show such composure. They gasped. Cho sprang to Tarquin and said: “Cut my bonds now. I haven’t time to explain. Wait for me and I will be back shortly.” With those words she ran out of the room.

The three looked at each other for a long moment. “I…suppose she knows what she is doing,” muttered Tarquin to himself. Leo was already busy looking at a ring and Astragard was studying Leo’s techniques. Leo was explaining certain refinements he was thinking of adding to this divination.

Aos and the others were still trying to question the merchant and his wife but not getting very far.

Xiang and Sigurd were taken to the caravanserai, where they met the lieutenant of the guard. Again he looked at the two formidable figures and decided that asking them to give up their weapons was not going to work. Therefore a compromise was agreed that the two would go into a cell with all their equipment until the rest of their friends arrived. The lieutenant then would strive to solve the mystery of the whereabouts of the “yellow woman”.

A patrol went to the merchant’s house and was met with beautiful unearthly music that told them to go away. A stronger patrol was then sent and the rest of the group decided to go with them to the caravanserai but by that stage, Titania was dubbed a conniving witch. Another black mark against the group.

The guards sent to Astragard’s room knocked on the door and bellowed “Open in the name of the Pharaoh. You are wanted in the caravanserai in connection with the yellow woman.” The three occupants looked at each other. They could transport themselves out. But they might end up in a different place. Getting back would be a pain. All three had a full set of spells and the ability to transport themselves out of trouble so they decided that it was better to find out what was going on. They were treated respectfully and taken to the caravenserai into the cells to join the others.

Cho had seen the mages being taken by the guard. At this stage she decided to surrender herself, trusting that the truth would protect her. She arrived at the caravanserai. She was chained as a precaution and her Hawk’s Talons were taken away from her. Then she was interviewed by the guard lieutenant.

“Why did you attack Gurheit, one of our respected citizens?”

“I didn’t attack him. He attacked me.”

“My guards saw you chase him and his son and attack them.”

“He is evil and he attacked me”.

The rest of the interview went along those lines. Even with Cho’s rendition later that night, Leo could see the problems. Cho was seen chasing a citizen of Artuaat with his small child, a fight ensued and then the guards found her with her bloodied Hawk’s Talons next his body. No doubt some conspiracy was going on but there was no actual proof against anyone. Added to that these were pillars of the community while she was “the yellow woman” with her friends, the “demon” with the pointy ears and various other strange individuals.

The lieutenant frowned. “Your answers are not satisfactory. Take her away. Bring the others here”

The rest of the group was brought to the lieutenant. “You are free to go. It is recommended that you leave Artuaat. Your friend is here. Her answers were not satisfactory. She will be tried by a judge.”

Leo asked. “How long will it take for him to get here”?

“About three months. Four at the most.”

Sigurd snorted. “We cannot afford to take that long. Is there anything we can do instead?”

“Wait here.” The lieutenant went out of the room and came back after a few minutes. “Gurtheim is willing to forget the whole thing for a fine of five thousand gold pieces”.

Sigurd paled. For a moment Leo thought he was going to draw his sword and go on the rampage. “Done” he grated. With that he drew various pouches and slowly carefully, put them on the lieutenant’s desk, glaring at him all the while.

The whole group was escorted outside of town.

The next morning at the Pool of Hapy several momentous decisions were taken:

Xiang decided to stay at the Pool for a time. His experience in Artuaat had not been pleasant but his eyes had been opened to Aos’s newly acquired fanaticism. The duelist’s comment that the whole village should be burnt as unbelievers came as a shock to the warrior from the west and made him understand just what Aos was becoming. Saphie and he talked for a long time. Their concern about the “great evil of undeath” had not subsided but it was overwhelmed by their concern about the direction that Aos was taking.

Aos, Titania, Elros and Khonsu were now even more determined to go to the Gorge of Osiris. Elros was acting like a sulky teenager after having been told that far from a devastating device the bone amulet the woman had been fingering was a shielding device.

Cho was now calmer although this was belied by her flat refusal to go anywhere with Aos. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking most of the time but when she looked at Aos, it was obvious she thought him mad, bad and dangerous to know.

Sigurd made one last attempt to keep Aos by his side for the sake of their friendship. However Aos was totally committed and Sigurd was disgusted at having to hand over a large amount of money, which Aos did not even acknowledge with a thank you.

Leo and Tarquin were talking quietly on one side.

“Are you going to tell him?” asked the priest.

“He is an adult. He also claims to be a Champion of a Goddess.”

“Yes, but he is also Aos. He hasn’t thought about this at all. He is also leading Titania and the other two. Tell him, magician.”

“As you will”. With that Leo approached Aos.

“So, Aos, you are committed to going to the Gorge.”

Aos replied. “Yes. Elros, Khonsu, Titania and I are going. With the blessing of my goddess we shall prevail.”

“So be it. Sigurd, Astragard, Cho, Tarquin, Saphie and I plan to go to Gutheron’s Tomb. I will leave you with these thoughts though. Whatever or whoever is in the Gorge of Osiris know who you are; they know what you are; they know your abilities; they know what you look like and above all they know you are coming. Think about it.”

Leo then created his magical horses and the group set out until they reached a particular point where Aos and his companions split off from the main group. Perhaps for the last time.