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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 1377" data-attributes="member: 11">Session #16 (part II)“Open the door,” Belear said through the door. “What are you doing in there?” “Don’t come through that door!” Jana cried. A moment later (after Belear banged some more), Jana opened the door. She looked flush and the scent of sulfur surrounded her. “What were you doing in there?” Belear demanded. “And it became your business what I do when?” Jana replied in her best snotty tone. “I heard the cry of fiend from in here,” Belear said. “You heard no such thing,” Jana said, her regularly practiced frown curling into a smile at the edges. “And what is that smell of sulfur then, girl?” Belear said. He cocked his head to look around the young witch. “And what is that!” The old dwarf pointed to a circle drawn in blood on the ground, a piece of bone discarded beside it and what looked like the skull of some animal in the center of the circle. “None of your business,” Jana replied. “Please leave.” “Very well,” Belear said in his deep voice. “But understand that I am watching you.” Jana slammed the door. ----- Much later, as Kazrack finished a rune stone, Belear spoke to him. “Kazrack, tell me of the one name Jana,” the priest said. “Whenever someone was in danger, she would be the first to suggest not helping, but when we agreed to help, she would risk her life with the rest of us. This is a contradiction I have not yet resolved,” Kazrack replied. “I think she is involved in something that is a danger to herself and all those around her,” Belear said. “There was a circle in her room and the smell of brimstone.” “Oh, she controls demons,” Kazrack said casually. “What?!”“Yeah, she controls demons,” Kazrack repeated. “You mean you know she summons demons?” Belear said incredulously. “Shouldn’t they be controlled? I mean, they shouldn’t be let to go running around loose,” Kazrack said naively. “She is summoning them first,’ Belear explained. “Who knows what kind of foul tasks she is having them accomplish!” “Oh,” Kazrack said, finally truly understanding. “This has to be told to the others, and to the gnomes,” Belear said. “I agree,” said Kazrack. “Belear, I wanted to ask you about something else.” “Go ahead.” “We helped free this town of a curse of undead, but while doing it found this amulet that seems evil and cursed. We could not destroy it by strength. I was hoping you could look at it and tell me what you think?” “I will look,” said Belear. Later, Kazrack fetched Beorth and the Ghost-hunter of Anubis showed the old dwarf the amulet he had been carrying since back in Stonebridge. Belear laid the amulet down on a table, spoke some words and let a handful of runestones scatter about the object. He examined the stones and then spoke, “Yes, this thing is evil. It comes off of it in waves.” “I never thought to check for that,” said Beorth glumly. “How can we destroy it? Ratchis tried to smash it, but even his great strength failed.” “An item of this power, has several ways it might be destroyed. For example, the fire of a dragon, the faith of a powerful priest, or being dropped into the Bottomless Pit of Derome-Delem,” Belear said. “Unfortunately, it is beyond my power to destroy. It seems that you may need to carry this burden longer.” “The way of the Gods is revealed with patience,” said Beorth. “You speak as a dwarf would,’ Belear said, with the first smile either Beorth or Kazrack had seen the old dwarf give. “Kazrack, this is a good companion. I can sense much stonish wisdom in him.” ------------ At supper that evening the pyramidal-creature was let out of its room by Distilbowden again. “Haaaaahnt! Hoornt!” “You know it only makes two sounds,” Martin observed. “It could be a clue to its language. It could be similar to the samples of gnomish written language I have seen, only two symbols.” “I wouldn’t know,” said Distil “I’m illiterate.” “I’m learning my letters,” said Cornelius happily. “Haaaaahnt! Hoornt!” “Why don’t we take it outside and give it a shovel?” Kazrack said. “Because the gnomes need big holes in the ground?” Ratchis said. “To clear snow,” Kazrack said exasperated. “He’d be good for digging graves,” said Jeremy. “That’s morbid,” said Martin. “Well, it’s true,” said Beorth. “Haaaaahnt! Hoornt!” “Martin,” Belear suddenly said, and the table was quiet. The old dwarf had never addressed any of them at dinner before. “Do you make circles in your own blood in your room?” Martin paused and shot a confused looked at everyone else. “No, that would be witchcraft,” Suddenly, Martin’s eyes widened and he looked over at Jana. “Here we go again,” the young witch said with a sigh. “Earlier today Jana summoned some fiendish creature. I heard it and smelled and saw the circle of summoning in blood on the ground, and notice the bandage on her hand,” Belear said. “I told you before that is none of your business,” said Jana. “If you are summoning creatures against their will to do your won, then it is my business,” Ratchis said coldly. “I was not .summoning. I was merely contacting a token,” Jana explained. “What is a token?” Kazrack asked. “Remember the goblin shaman we fought when we first got to Derome-Delem? I took it from him. It is how those of my kind learn spells. Each token has a creature from another world that is bound to it,” Jana explained. “Against their will?’ Ratchis asked. “I do not know,” Jana replied. “Nor do you care,” said Ratchis. Jana merely shrugged her shoulders. “Beorth,” Martin addressed the bald paladin. “Earlier when you told me about the pendant and what Belear told you mentioned being able to tell if something is evil. Can you do that to this token?” “Yes, I can,” said Beorth. “Perhaps you should,” Martin said. “Perhaps I’d better,” Beorth added. “Jana would I be able to tell if the token was evil?” “I don’t know.” “Why are you summoning things you know little about?” Jeremy asked Jana. “You don’t seem to know very much about this, maybe you should give it up.” “Why dunya give the garl ah break?” Chance said. “She’s never dun anything ta mick us thank she’s uh dann-ger ta us.” “I cannot travel or work with someone who binds being against their will whether they be good or evil. Nephthys will not tolerate it and nor will I!” Ratchis said, his anger very evident. “It is akin to slavery.” “I am sorry. I did not mean to be a destabilizing influence on your group,” said Belear. “I will adjourn to bed and allow you to sort this out on your own.” The dwarf stood to go to bed and everyone watched him, but Chance who leaned in close to Jana and whispered, “But… you yourself are not a demon, right?” “No, Chance,” Jana replied. “Whew! Good,” Chance said, and then he suddenly stood speaking in a louder voice. “Time to be off. Got a game of Bartich Balls to bet on.”  And with that he left. (21)Ratchis stood as well. “I’m sorry, but I will not violate my own principles and those of my goddess. I want evidence that such a thing is both not evil and not a form or charm or slavery.” “And who’s going to give it to you?” Jana said smarmily. Ratchis grunted and walked off to his room. “What if you summon it in front of us?” Kazrack proposed. “That way we could all see and undertand for ourselves?” “No way I am doing that!” Jana protested. “I cannot risk that one of you might do something stupid.” “What would happen?” Kazrack asked. “Don’t worry about it. I am just not letting that happen,” Jana insisted. “What if only one person was there with you and promised to not do anything, except listen to you instructions (if any) very carefully and to not interfere in the summoning,” Martin suggested. “It is not a summoning, really,” Jana said. “What about Beorth? Would you allow Beorth to come observe?” Martin said. “Hmmm,” Jana mused. “Okay, but it can’t be until tomorrow.”  (22)“Beorth is that okay with you?” Martin asked the paladin. “Yes, I’d be happy to represent the rest of the group,” Beorth said. “And report back to us,” Kazrack said. “Of course,” Beorth said. “I will give you a detailed account of what I observe.” Osilem, the 24th of Syet – 564 H.E.The next day began as all the others had, with First Meal, and then Jeremy going out to help take care of the young gnomes in the nursery. Kazrack continued with his training with Belear. Martin went to go help Socher and Briandel and finally learn a new spell from them, and Chance did not return even after the sun had come up. Ratchis began his first of what would be seven days of fasting and self-mutilation in an attempt to summon a vision from his goddess. Beorth and Jana went to the room she shared with Chance after the first meal. “Okay,” she told Beorth. “I want you to sit quietly in that corner and don’t say a word no matter what. And no matter what happens, do not approach the circle, address the creature or distract me. Okay?” Beorth nodded. Jana removed a piece of bone from her bag and placed it on the ground in front of her as she got down on her knees. She then pulled out her knife and cut her palm, squeezing it into a fist to make the blood flow faster, then dipping the bone into the blood, she traced a circle about four feet in diameter. She withdrew the baby wolf’s skull from her bag and placed it in the center of the circle and began her chant. It was low and long, and became faster and louder. Suddenly smoke began to billow out from the skull’s eye sockets and mouth. The inside of the circle became obscured, but even though Beorth could smell the noxious odor coming out of the token, the smoke itself did not seem to leave the circle. There was a sudden flash of movement in the smoke, and it dissipated a bit, lowering down to reveal a creature that made even the usually stoic paladin shudder. What was standing with in the circle of blood was a skeletal creature nearly nine feet tall. It had decaying skin for a face, stretched taut on an oblong and inhuman skull. It was crouched to avoid the ceiling, and it had a tail curled up over its head with a cruel bony barb on the end. It let out a horrific screech that could not be described to any who has never heard it. It could only be described as infernal. It’s head swung around wildly taking in its surroundings. The room seemed darker and colder to Beorth. Jana never flinched. Her gaze was directly on the creature’s face and nowhere else. “You called us again, mortal girl,” It said, its voice was a sound like bones in being split by a butcher. “So frightened of us were you the first time that you sent me away quick, my delicious morsel? Do you not know that it does not do you well to anger one of my kind? Being summoned makes us hungry.” “Your hunger is not what I summoned you to talk about,” Jana said steadily. “Oh, you plan to sate us with that tender morsel we see in the corner?” The creature craned its head towards Beorth. It smacked its chops disgustingly. “Bring it closer to us, mortal-girl. We want to smell its fear better before we devour it. It looks pale and lovely. Delicious.” “No one is being eaten today,” Jana said again. “Let it speak to us itself. Let it say it does not want the pleasure of being devoured,” the creature insisted. “No,” Jana said angrily, and the creature stopped its swaying and looked directly at her. “You seem less scared of us than you did of whatever was at that door the fist time, sweetness,” the creature leaned way forward to meet Jana’s gaze at equal level. “Break the circle and we will take care of whatever bothers you. Free us and we will owe a great debt.” “You will not be freed and you will not be fed,” Jana said. “You will do what you have been brought here to do and that alone. Tell me what you have to teach me.” “Oh, we could teach you many things,” It straightened up again and it’s bones crackled with the motion. “We could teach you how to suckle the black sorrow from the breast of a new mother who has had her child murdered by its father. Ooooh, delicious.” “No, you know what it is I want,” Jana said. “Spells. Magic.” “You are mortal aren’t you?” Not appreciated the more delicate horrors of your plane and mine,” It crouched again, its tail swishing back and forth.” Jana and the creature discussed several spells it might teach her for a few minutes, while Beorth listened. “Or we can offer you a piece of information,” The creature’s face twisted into its version of a smile. “Something that you might want to find out before we find out.” “What kind of information?” Jana asked. “Oh, we hear things in the nether-regions, rumors, legends, news – Perhaps a piece of it would be interesting to you and yours. All you need do is free us.” “I will not free you,” Jana replied. It shrieked again in anger. “If not free in your world, then destroy the token and free us in ours. Do you know what it is like to serve a hundred generations of imaginationless goblin scum, lower than larvae they are. We long to roam our home freely without fear of being called back here.” “I will consider what you have offered me,” Jana said and with that she waved a hand and dismissed the creature. Beorth breathed for the first time since the thing had appeared. “So?” Jana asked, breathless herself. “What will you tell the others?” “I don’t know yet,” Beorth said, and returned to his room to meditate on what he had seen. ------------ At lunch everyone (except Chance) gathered in the common area. Ratchis walked in, but sat in a chair away from the food and refused to eat. “So, Beorth, what do you have to report?” Martin asked. “Well, the creature she summoned… it was a ghastly creature,” the paladin said. “Some of our own group aren’t all that attractive, but they’re good people. The question is: was it evil?’ “It was a tortured soul,” Beorth said. “What does that mean?” Kazrack asked. “Is it evil?” Ratchis asked. “From all appearances, I would say… Yes.” “So, this thing is basically your prisoner?” Ratchis said, turning to Jana. “No, he is just bound to the token,” Jana said. “So he doesn’t have to come if summoned?” Ratchis said. “Well, some of them fight harder than others to not be summoned,” Jana explained. Ratchis grunted. “I don’t think any of the creatures I have bound to tokens can be called exactly innocent,” Jana said. “How many of these token things do you have?” Jeremy asked. “Some number,” Jana snapped. “Why do you care?” “I cannot abide the enslavement of any being!” Ratchis roared. “My goddess does not give me the luxury of traveling with slavers. I do not differentiate between these beings and human life, gnomish life or orcish life. It cannot be tolerated. I will not tolerate it! Getting up from his chair, Ratchis grabbed a fork off the table and went to his room, slamming the door. “Jana?” Kazrack said quietly after a moment. “Can you learn magic from Martin?” “No.” “Do you mean it’s impossible, or that you just don’t want to do it?” “Are you suggesting that I renounce my ‘evil, witchy ways’ and start learning magic anew?” Jana asked, spewing sarcasm. “Yes,” replied Kazrack. “You are deluding yourself,” said Jana, folding her arms across her chest. Kazrack stood and walked over to Ratchis’ room. He found the Friar of Nephthys bending the tines of the fork back and forth to break them off, and then sharpening them. “Is that a weapon?” Kazrack asked. “Of course not, it is an instrument of cleansing,” Ratchis replied. “How does it cleanse you?” “Pain is a method I will use to prepare for my prayers,” and with that he pierced his left eyebrow with the sharpened bit of metal. Kazrack winced, “Do you need help?” “I need to do the preparations alone,” Ratchis said. So Kazrack returned to his training, and Martin spent the afternoon practicing illusions with Socher and Briandel – That night the Watch-Mage slept on the floor in Beorth and Jeremy’s room, as he did not want to disturb Ratchis’ personal ceremony.Tholem, the 25th of Syet – 564 H.E.The next day Captain Fistandlus came to see them. The party gathered sullenly, their foul moods evident on their faces. Chance had finally returned, but was sleeping. “Distilbowden sent me a message that you wanted to speak to me,” Fistandlus said with less of a cheery air than the party had become used to in dealing with the gnomes. “We want to know about the Interim Chief,” said Kazrack. “When is he coming and when can we leave. We cannot stay here all winter.” “You are our guests,” the captain said. “Are you not comfortable? Are we not good hosts? Why this impatience? What are a few months spent somewhere warm with kind people?” “We have other places to be. Things to do, the dragon for insistence,” said Jeremy. “Dragons are a thousand years old if they are a day, what will one more winter matter?” the captain said. Then he sighed and sipped the kafka Distil had brought him. “Look, the truth is that the rules state you cannot be dismissed until the Chieftain or the Interim Chieftain get to ask you questions. I don’t know if I’d try to stop you from leaving, but you really don’t have much of a choice. The winter is hitting pretty hard out there and you’d never find your way back. In fact, as I came back from patrol not long ago I saw a big storm coming down from the northwest. You might as well stay comfortable. The Interim Chief will be back soon enough. I know you’re human, but show some patience.” “I am not human,” Kazrack said. Captain Fistandlus Ironhammer shook his head and spoke again, “I have the defense of this place and my people to worry about. I have to go. I hope you are enjoying your stay and tell Distil if you are wont for anything.” The Captain left and everyone went back to whatever was they were doing to pass the time. Teflem, the 27th of Syet – 564 H.E.Ratchis did not eat the next two days, and followed the piercing of his eyebrow with that of his opposite one and then the right nipple, and then he cut open old scars on his arms and let the blood run fresh. He felt light-headed when he stood and would see or talk to no one. Jana called Beorth to her room; Chance had disappeared the night before and was still not back. “I am going to summon the token creature again,” Jana said to him. “I want you present again as a witness that I intend to use this thing for good and not for evil. Beorth simply nodded. Closed in her room, Jana began the ceremony again. She drew the circle in her blood, her hand now red and raw from all the times she had done it and began her chant. There was a longer pause this time, and for a second Beorth thought perhaps that she had failed, but suddenly the acrid smoke billowed from the wolf skull a second time and in it appeared the fiendish creature. Again is bellowed a chilling cry, and seemed enraged, rocking back and forth in the tiny confines of the summoning circle. “You summon us again, mortal-morsel,” the creature said, the cadence of its voice like an arrhythmic axe chopping wood. It looked around and settled its gaze on Beorth. “Have you changed you mind and will feed use this white tender giblet you have here?” “No,” said Jana sternly. “I want one of the spells we spoke of.” “Oh, is that all?” the creature drooped its head down to face the witch, menacingly. “You bore us. Let us free to stretch our legs and claws.” “You know that is not going to happen,” Jana said. “We are tired of this trap. We will give you something special. Something we have kept a long secret from the long like of vermin that had the token afore you did. Free us on our own plane and this we will give to you.” ‘And what is that?” Jana asked. The creature paused and leaned backward, and Jana could see its hips bent equally far back, its huge rib cage and spine at an odd angle, it’s wide shoulders tipped forward. It was a mockery of nature. “The ability to make more tokens,” the creature hissed.  (23)Jana smiled. “Do you make the promise and know it is binding?” the creature asked. “Yes,” said Jana. The next six hour were spent with Jana and creature exchanging strange words and gestures that Beorth could not understand. The time stretched out into an eternity, and the paladin’s head pounded by the time the creature was once again dismissed. Without pausing, Jana went outside and rooted around in the snow until she found a large stone and came back inside. Hefting it above her head, she brought it down on the skull smashing it into a million tiny pieces. “We’re even,” she said to the pieces and then she looked at Beorth and smiled. ---- That evening at Last Meal the party was gathered together, even Chance, who again was looking glum and was not decked out in the gems and jewelry of before. He kept nodding off at the table. Beorth explained to them what had happened that afternoon (omitting the part about Jana learning to make more tokens). “…And the end result was that she set the spirit free,” Beorth concluded. There was a pause. “You don’t sound very happy about it,” said Martin. “Oh, I am very pleased,” Beorth replied in his typical flat tone. “How many more do you have?” Ratchis asked Jana. He looked pale, and his shoulders drooped some. “Yeah, did you destroy all the other ones?” Jeremy added. “There aren’t ‘all the other ones’,” Jana said. “The one you had objection to is now gone.” “Beorth, you were there,” Ratchis said, weakly. “Tell me more about what this summoning is like. How does she coerce it to do her will?” “I don’t think it was coercion,” Beorth said, as if he were thinking hard about it. “More like, it proposes something, she proposes something; an agreement is reached between the two.” “But it roared in pain, I could hear it from my room,” Ratchis said. “It appeared with a scream of rage, not necessarily pain,” Beorth replied. Ratchis paused. “Based on what I know,” he said. “I will not try to remove the token from you by force, but I cannot call you companion. When we leave here, I will go my own way and those who want to come with me may, but you are not welcome.” Jana sighed angrily. “As far as I can tell that creature was bound in punishment for something it did in its own plane,” Jana said. “It is paying its debt.” “Where did you get that?” Ratchis asked. “That’s what it told us,” Jana said. The half-orc looked at Jana skeptically. Frustrated, Jan woke Chance and dragged him off to bed. Ratchis looked to Kazrack, “We agree that her actions are - -“ “Unacceptable?” Kazrack guessed. “Reprehensible,” Ratchis said. “No better than a slaver’s.” “Perhaps we can influence her actions, help her to make better decisions,” Kazrack mused. “Perhaps, but I do not have time for that right now,” Ratchis said. “I plan to offer my aid to the Interim Chief in dealing with the humans of Gothanius – that might mean that I may stay behind when the rest of you leave.” “But what about the contract?’ Kazrack asked. “If it turns out the king brought us here under false pretenses then breaking the contract is not a problem for me, but if not, we have a responsibility to help with the dragon.” “We’ll see what the Interim Chief says,” replied Ratchis. “My mind is not totally made up. I am still awaiting a vision from my goddess. Only then will I know for sure.” Anulem, the 28th of Syet – 564 H.E.Ratchis woke up to a blurry world. His stomach lurched and squirmed and he and tasted bile come up in the back of his throat. He drank some water and quickly spat it out. It had been four days since he had eaten. He walked into the common area where some of his companions and gnomes were gathered eating some meal. Ratchis was not sure what time of day it was. The spoke to him, but the voices sounded as if they came far down a long narrow cave. Ignoring them he scooped up some firewood from over by the stove and walked outside, just forcing his massive frame through the deep snow. Digging a hole in the snow, he plopped down the wood and began a fire, which he sat over, a blanket positioned over the hole so he could breathe in the smoke and feel the intense heat. He did not know how long he had done this, when he suddenly stood and swayed in his disorientation.  (24)Ratchis heard the warped and distant sound of a metal cup being dragged back and forth against cell bars. And then there were voices… “Come on McCreevey. Time to go to the salt mines,” said a gruff voice. “Oh going to make a slave out of me huh?” a voice like a mouth full of greasy cracker crumbs said. “I ain’t done nothing.” “You killed a man, and this is your debt. Work,” the other voice said. Now Ratchis could see cell bars before him and the form a dwarf and two humans dragging a manacled man away. “Their making me a slave, junior,” the man said, as he dragged past Ratchis’ cell. But then Ratchis a familiar voice of another man - It was soothing and reassuring. “I understand your worry Ratchis,” the voice said. “But that man made a choice and that choice cost him his freedom, but the choice was made freely. He has a debt to pay.” Had time passed? Ratchis thought he might have spoken, asked a question about the manacled man that someone was answering across a table. Where did the table come from? He did not remember speaking. Ratchis could see a swirl of bright colors before his face twirling faster and faster, until he felt a sensation as if he were floating a few feet off the ground and moving feet first to somewhere else. Ratchis awoke to a strong smell and a warm towel being pressed to his forehead. He tried to lift his head up, but felt dizzy. “What were you doing out there?” Distil’s voice said. “You nearly killed yourself.” Ratchis opened his eyes, and could see Cornelius handing Distil a large steaming cup of something. “I was trying to talk with my goddess,” Ratchis croaked. “Next time, try praying,” Distil said, “Now, I want you to sit up and drink this.” Ratchis obeyed, but his mind was on his vision. What did it mean? He did not feel any closer to knowing what to do about Jana, and he still felt a red hot fury that cloaked his disappointment when he thought about her summoning beings against their will. “It is going to take you a few days to recover,” said Distil. “Where do I have to go?” Ratchis said, lifting his head and sipping the black tea. End of Session #16 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Notes:(21) “Bartich Ball” is a gnomish game that is playable inside and outdoors. It involves rolling a ball on a stony surface and trying to get it as close to a line 10 yards away without crossing it.(22) A witch may only summon a token creature once per day.(23) DM’s Note: Jana is the first witch being played in Aquerra – so it is really a playtest. Originally, Create Token was going to be a series of spells – on reflection I decided it worked better as an item creation feat. Even though Jana did not have an available feat slot – we made compromise later. She could have the feat if she agreed that her next available slot (at 6th level) would have to be used for that and I would grant her one extra known spell of 2nd level from a specific list of spell that token creature had available to make up for the change. She chose blindness.(24) Ratchis was actually using what he knows of orcish shamanism to gain his vision, hoping that Nephthys would indulge him.</blockquote>

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