"Out of the Frying Pan"- Book IV - Into the Fire [STORY HOUR COMPLETED - 12/25/06]
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Session #101 (part iv)
Osilem, 17th of Keent - 564 H.E.
Ratchis of Nephthys found himself under the dark shadows of some pine trees. The coolness of night made the hairs on his arms and neck bristle, but he knew instinctively, that it was the coolness of a late summer night in Derome-Delem, not the cutting cold of the Gothanian fall that he and the others had left outside of Hurgun’s Maze.
The moon was rising and he could hear the crackle of a fire and the voice of men ahead of him. The half-orc crept forward as quietly as he could, shaking his head at how eerily familiar this all was.
“I’m telling you, the King of Gothanius is calling for fodder from abroad,” one of the men was saying.
”I heard tell it was slaves,” said another. “Whole caravans of wanna-be adventurers and draft-dodging cowardly Herman-landers who will be pressed into irons when they get there.”
“That tricky bastard, always decrying us because of slaves, and now…”
“He saw what Menovia accomplished in Rhondria,” said the second man again. “He probably realized he needed slaves to keep up.”
“Next they’ll be worshipping Set,” said another.
“Eventually everyone will worship Set,” said the second man again. It was clear he was the leader.
Ratchis crept up to a small clearing. There was a fire just off center, and a group of armored men gathered around it. They wore black leather and studded, and had travel stained cloaks, and Ratchis noticed several pairs of manacles on a nearby pack, and then he remembered. These were the slavers he had first heard about the caravans to Gothanius from. It had been here that he heard the rumor regarding the king of Gothanius. (1)
Ratchis of Nephthys smiled his frightful smile of crooked jagged teeth and slowly drew his great sword.
Silently he jogged over the grass, and with a barbaric yawp brought this great sword down atop the captain’s head, cleaving it twain. There was uproar in the camp, but even as the men about the fire spread out, another lay dying, his innards sprawled out behind him.
The largest of the Menovian slavers turned as he scooped up his great cudgel. He was a huge fresh-faced man-child that snorted happily when he saw Ratchis charge at him. He brought the club down and it cracked over Ratchis’ shoulder, and smashed it against the side of the half-orc’s face. But Ratchis thrust his sword before him and jerked it to one side, and then the big man lay dying as well.
The friar of Nephthys, spun around to get a look at the positions of the others, but one of the men had run and had never looked back, and another took off when the big man went down. (2) Ratchis’ shrugged his shoulders and made to begin tracking them, when his eyes were drawn to a large form leaping from tree to tree around the clearing. It was a large ape with blue-black fur on its head and shoulders that slowly became gray towards the legs. but the top of its head was sliced off, revealing a pulsating blue-green brain. (3) It swung around, and seeing Ratchis, brachiated in that direction.
“Nephthys, I call on you to close my wounds, as this might be the only respite from battle I am to get,” Ratchis prayed. And then he lifted his sword, ready to meet the ape’s leap, but it did not come. At the edge of the clearing, it leapt to a tall tree branch and slamming a fist against it chest once simply looked at Ratchis. The half-orc felt a searing pain behind his eyes and for a second he feared he might black out, but instead he focused through it wit ha grunt, swinging his sword back and forth and grunting at the ape.
Again, the pain came and again, Ratchis squinted and roared and there was no lasting effect. (4) Ming the Dakkon King hooted and beat his chest again. He leapt down in fearsome rage, but Ratchis did not hesitate. As soon, as the gorilla landed, Ratchis charged in, bringing his great sword down. There was a flash of blood and a cry of pain, and suddenly all was dark for the half-orc, as he was crushed against the dakkon’s chest; great arms wrapping around him.
With a deep breath and a roar, Ratchis burst out of the ape’s grasp, happy for the strength granted by his belt. There was another flash of blood, and then Ratchis felt the ape’s hand smack across his face in an attempt to grab him again. The half-orc leapt back, bringing his sword between them.
Ming the Dakkon King leapt back and flicked his gaze at Ratchis, and once again the tough-minded Friar fought off the effects of the mind blast. There was a rustle in the brush, and suddenly Kazrack came charging out from under the trees. The ape leapt up into a tree once again.
“What is that thing?” Kazrack asked. “Where are we? Be careful, Adder might be lurking about.”
“Adder? What are you doing here?” Ratchis asked, keeping an eye on the foe. The gorilla was making his was around the clearing from tree to tree.
“I don’t know. Last I remember I was back in Verdun… Back at the time when we were in the cemetery outside of the city, just before we came to Derome-Delem… You weren’t there yet, but…but… Jeremy was there, and Beorth and Jana… Adder attacked, and I fear he defeated me, but here I am again… And I guess that gives me hope that the deaths Adder caused back there are not permanent…”
“Things are already different, there is nothing we can do,” Ratchis replied. “This ape-thing was not here before. And I killed all the slavers last time, this time two got away.”
“What is happening?” Kazrack asked.
“I am not sure, but the time elemental must have scattered us across time and space,” Ratchis’ brow furrowed. “Except… Well, I seem to have all the abilities and memories I gained since this time…”
“It is with good reason that time is the domain of the gods,” Kazrack said. “Our mortal minds were not meant to handle such dilemmas.”
Ratchis nodded. Kazrack called to Rivkanal and cast a healing spell on his companion, but suddenly there was the buzz of cutting air and an arrow nicked a gap between plates in the dwarf’s armor.
“Look out!” Ratchis pushed the dwarf away.
“Is the ape shooting arrows?” Kazrack asked.
”The slavers are back!” Ratchis cried, turning in the direction the arrow came from, as that was nearly the same as the Menovians had fled. But it wasn’t slavers; a figure popped out of the brush and fired another arrow. This one bounced harmlessly off of Kazrack’s chest plate. It was Adder.
“Where did he get a bow? He didn’t have a bow before! I still don’t have my halberd!” Kazrack complained.
“He must have gotten it from one of the fleeing slavers,” Ratchis reasoned, and he charged towards the brush. (5)
Adder popped up again, tearing a bead from the necklace he wore hidden beneath his robes. He hurled it, and where it smashed against a stump there was a explosion of fire. Ratchis dove to the ground, rolling to avoid the worst of it, but Kazrack was badly singed. He called to his gods for their divine favor, as Ratchis scurried to the cover of brush that was not burning; standing up behind a tree.
The monk rushed out of the brush and landed a devastating kick in Kazrack’s face, forcing the dwarf to stumble back, nearly off his sturdy feet. But he recovered quickly, and soon Ratchis was moving in to flank the monk. Adder showed no emotion as he barely blocked a blow from Ratchis only to have the head of Kazrack’s magical flail slam him in the kidneys. The monk took off for a nearby tree and ran right up the side, his sandals adhering to the trunk as if he were a spider.
Kazrack moved to follow, but Ratchis held him back. “Wait! Why are we fighting him? There might be a reason we are here. Let’s withdraw, and if he comes after us then we know what is going on has something to do with us. If he doesn’t, we can track him and figure it out.”
“Hmmph!” Kazrack disagreed, but for once did not argue with his companion.
The two Keepers of the Gate withdrew from the clearing and made their way towards another smaller one.
“Ratchis?” came a voice from the brush as they approached, and Roland, in panther-form came stalking out. “Where am I? How did I get here? When are we?”
“The best I can guess, we are about two to three weeks before I met Kazrack and the others for the first time. About five or six days northwest of Tallow’s Post,” Ratchis replied.
“Have you been anywhere… uh… anywhen else?” Roland asked. “I was with my former party, many years ago, and… and Adder was there!”
“He is here as well,” Ratchis replied.
“Where?” Roland growled. He cast greater magic fang and turned in a circle throwing his nose in the air to catch the scent of the monk. “I am going to make him pay! I could have saved them this time if it weren’t for him!”
“What are you talking about?” Kazrack asked.
“Back the way you came from?” Roland asked, but he did not wait, hurrying in that direction.
“I guess he made our choice for us,” Kazrack snarled and chased after him. Ratchis followed as well with a sigh.
The Bastite came bounding through the brush, and on one great leap he spotted Adder creeping out of the clearing in their direction.
“Great Queen Bast! Smite this cruel foe that he may be stopped from committing wanton evil!” Roland called, and there was a blast of divine energy. Adder stumbled and then ducked into a roll, changing direction to head back to the clearing.
As the monk leapt into a tree, Roland called to his goddess again for another holy smite, but this one fizzled as it came down, not getting through Adder’s spell resistance. Kazrack hustled right up to the base of the tree, and regretted it, as Adder feigned as if he were going to leap into the higher branches, but came down instead with a heavy kick to the dwarf’s shoulder.
Grunting, Kazrack spun and slapped Adder with his flail, knocking the monk down. He followed up with another crunching blow as the monk rolled to his feet. There was a blast of searing light from Roland, but Adder leapt up out of the way, completely avoiding it. The monk made to tumble past Ratchis who had moved in to block escape, but he was not quick enough and heavy chop from the half-orc’s great sword had the monk bleeding out on the grass.
Kazrack walked over. Roland stalked over still fuming.
“I guess we should stabilize him,” Kazrack said.
“Let him die,” Roland said.
Ratchis’ head sagged. “I don’t know. Maybe he needs to actually die so we can stop hopping around in time.”
“Yes, that’s good…” Roland said, pacing in a circle. “Let’s go with that theory. I like it. I’ll even speed him along so he won’t suffer…”
“No, he is helpless and might still offer us some information that will aid us,” said Kazrack. The dwarf grasped his bag of runestones as he knelt beside the dying monk. With a word to his gods, he touched Adder on the chest, and the monk’s wounds stopped the worst of their bleeding.
“Well, let’s at least see what magic he has on him,” Roland said, beginning to cast, but there was no time. A spiral of blue-white erupted from where Kazrack had touched Adder, and a sudden sensation of falling was washed away by a blue-white flash.
-----------------------------------------
Notes:
(1) Ratchis told Beorth and Kazrack about this encounter way back in Session #10.
(2) DM’s Note: Once again, I handed out these character for the other players to use as to not have others left out. However, the battle with the slaver went so quick, I no longer remember who played which of them (perhaps the players can chime in and say one way or another, but I doubt they remember either). Keep in mind, that while this encounter was never originally played out, it was something discussed as part of Ratchis’ background to lead him in the direction of the other PCs, thus it had to be an encounter that a 2nd level priest/ranger could reasonably expected to handle on his own, considering that it was originally described as him taking them out one by one as they went to relieve themselves, and then later went looking for each other.
(3) Ming the Dakkon King was released from the mirror of life-trapping in session #92, and discovered a prisoner of the time elemental in session #95.
(4) DM’s Note: As I had not settled on a system of psionics for use in Aquerra campaigns at this point, I “faked” Ming’s psionic powers, by just giving him some basic mindflayer-like abilities. The problem was, they were Charisma-based and his Charisma was a measly 7. So, what was supposed to be a fierce opponent, was not all he could be. But that’s alright, the Fearless Manticore Killers had plenty of very difficult fights, so if this once did not turn out as tough as I expected it to be – it all evens out.
(5) DM’s Note: That is exactly where he got it.
Osilem, 17th of Keent - 564 H.E.
Ratchis of Nephthys found himself under the dark shadows of some pine trees. The coolness of night made the hairs on his arms and neck bristle, but he knew instinctively, that it was the coolness of a late summer night in Derome-Delem, not the cutting cold of the Gothanian fall that he and the others had left outside of Hurgun’s Maze.
The moon was rising and he could hear the crackle of a fire and the voice of men ahead of him. The half-orc crept forward as quietly as he could, shaking his head at how eerily familiar this all was.
“I’m telling you, the King of Gothanius is calling for fodder from abroad,” one of the men was saying.
”I heard tell it was slaves,” said another. “Whole caravans of wanna-be adventurers and draft-dodging cowardly Herman-landers who will be pressed into irons when they get there.”
“That tricky bastard, always decrying us because of slaves, and now…”
“He saw what Menovia accomplished in Rhondria,” said the second man again. “He probably realized he needed slaves to keep up.”
“Next they’ll be worshipping Set,” said another.
“Eventually everyone will worship Set,” said the second man again. It was clear he was the leader.
Ratchis crept up to a small clearing. There was a fire just off center, and a group of armored men gathered around it. They wore black leather and studded, and had travel stained cloaks, and Ratchis noticed several pairs of manacles on a nearby pack, and then he remembered. These were the slavers he had first heard about the caravans to Gothanius from. It had been here that he heard the rumor regarding the king of Gothanius. (1)
Ratchis of Nephthys smiled his frightful smile of crooked jagged teeth and slowly drew his great sword.
Silently he jogged over the grass, and with a barbaric yawp brought this great sword down atop the captain’s head, cleaving it twain. There was uproar in the camp, but even as the men about the fire spread out, another lay dying, his innards sprawled out behind him.
The largest of the Menovian slavers turned as he scooped up his great cudgel. He was a huge fresh-faced man-child that snorted happily when he saw Ratchis charge at him. He brought the club down and it cracked over Ratchis’ shoulder, and smashed it against the side of the half-orc’s face. But Ratchis thrust his sword before him and jerked it to one side, and then the big man lay dying as well.
The friar of Nephthys, spun around to get a look at the positions of the others, but one of the men had run and had never looked back, and another took off when the big man went down. (2) Ratchis’ shrugged his shoulders and made to begin tracking them, when his eyes were drawn to a large form leaping from tree to tree around the clearing. It was a large ape with blue-black fur on its head and shoulders that slowly became gray towards the legs. but the top of its head was sliced off, revealing a pulsating blue-green brain. (3) It swung around, and seeing Ratchis, brachiated in that direction.
“Nephthys, I call on you to close my wounds, as this might be the only respite from battle I am to get,” Ratchis prayed. And then he lifted his sword, ready to meet the ape’s leap, but it did not come. At the edge of the clearing, it leapt to a tall tree branch and slamming a fist against it chest once simply looked at Ratchis. The half-orc felt a searing pain behind his eyes and for a second he feared he might black out, but instead he focused through it wit ha grunt, swinging his sword back and forth and grunting at the ape.
Again, the pain came and again, Ratchis squinted and roared and there was no lasting effect. (4) Ming the Dakkon King hooted and beat his chest again. He leapt down in fearsome rage, but Ratchis did not hesitate. As soon, as the gorilla landed, Ratchis charged in, bringing his great sword down. There was a flash of blood and a cry of pain, and suddenly all was dark for the half-orc, as he was crushed against the dakkon’s chest; great arms wrapping around him.
With a deep breath and a roar, Ratchis burst out of the ape’s grasp, happy for the strength granted by his belt. There was another flash of blood, and then Ratchis felt the ape’s hand smack across his face in an attempt to grab him again. The half-orc leapt back, bringing his sword between them.
Ming the Dakkon King leapt back and flicked his gaze at Ratchis, and once again the tough-minded Friar fought off the effects of the mind blast. There was a rustle in the brush, and suddenly Kazrack came charging out from under the trees. The ape leapt up into a tree once again.
“What is that thing?” Kazrack asked. “Where are we? Be careful, Adder might be lurking about.”
“Adder? What are you doing here?” Ratchis asked, keeping an eye on the foe. The gorilla was making his was around the clearing from tree to tree.
“I don’t know. Last I remember I was back in Verdun… Back at the time when we were in the cemetery outside of the city, just before we came to Derome-Delem… You weren’t there yet, but…but… Jeremy was there, and Beorth and Jana… Adder attacked, and I fear he defeated me, but here I am again… And I guess that gives me hope that the deaths Adder caused back there are not permanent…”
“Things are already different, there is nothing we can do,” Ratchis replied. “This ape-thing was not here before. And I killed all the slavers last time, this time two got away.”
“What is happening?” Kazrack asked.
“I am not sure, but the time elemental must have scattered us across time and space,” Ratchis’ brow furrowed. “Except… Well, I seem to have all the abilities and memories I gained since this time…”
“It is with good reason that time is the domain of the gods,” Kazrack said. “Our mortal minds were not meant to handle such dilemmas.”
Ratchis nodded. Kazrack called to Rivkanal and cast a healing spell on his companion, but suddenly there was the buzz of cutting air and an arrow nicked a gap between plates in the dwarf’s armor.
“Look out!” Ratchis pushed the dwarf away.
“Is the ape shooting arrows?” Kazrack asked.
”The slavers are back!” Ratchis cried, turning in the direction the arrow came from, as that was nearly the same as the Menovians had fled. But it wasn’t slavers; a figure popped out of the brush and fired another arrow. This one bounced harmlessly off of Kazrack’s chest plate. It was Adder.
“Where did he get a bow? He didn’t have a bow before! I still don’t have my halberd!” Kazrack complained.
“He must have gotten it from one of the fleeing slavers,” Ratchis reasoned, and he charged towards the brush. (5)
Adder popped up again, tearing a bead from the necklace he wore hidden beneath his robes. He hurled it, and where it smashed against a stump there was a explosion of fire. Ratchis dove to the ground, rolling to avoid the worst of it, but Kazrack was badly singed. He called to his gods for their divine favor, as Ratchis scurried to the cover of brush that was not burning; standing up behind a tree.
The monk rushed out of the brush and landed a devastating kick in Kazrack’s face, forcing the dwarf to stumble back, nearly off his sturdy feet. But he recovered quickly, and soon Ratchis was moving in to flank the monk. Adder showed no emotion as he barely blocked a blow from Ratchis only to have the head of Kazrack’s magical flail slam him in the kidneys. The monk took off for a nearby tree and ran right up the side, his sandals adhering to the trunk as if he were a spider.
Kazrack moved to follow, but Ratchis held him back. “Wait! Why are we fighting him? There might be a reason we are here. Let’s withdraw, and if he comes after us then we know what is going on has something to do with us. If he doesn’t, we can track him and figure it out.”
“Hmmph!” Kazrack disagreed, but for once did not argue with his companion.
The two Keepers of the Gate withdrew from the clearing and made their way towards another smaller one.
“Ratchis?” came a voice from the brush as they approached, and Roland, in panther-form came stalking out. “Where am I? How did I get here? When are we?”
“The best I can guess, we are about two to three weeks before I met Kazrack and the others for the first time. About five or six days northwest of Tallow’s Post,” Ratchis replied.
“Have you been anywhere… uh… anywhen else?” Roland asked. “I was with my former party, many years ago, and… and Adder was there!”
“He is here as well,” Ratchis replied.
“Where?” Roland growled. He cast greater magic fang and turned in a circle throwing his nose in the air to catch the scent of the monk. “I am going to make him pay! I could have saved them this time if it weren’t for him!”
“What are you talking about?” Kazrack asked.
“Back the way you came from?” Roland asked, but he did not wait, hurrying in that direction.
“I guess he made our choice for us,” Kazrack snarled and chased after him. Ratchis followed as well with a sigh.
The Bastite came bounding through the brush, and on one great leap he spotted Adder creeping out of the clearing in their direction.
“Great Queen Bast! Smite this cruel foe that he may be stopped from committing wanton evil!” Roland called, and there was a blast of divine energy. Adder stumbled and then ducked into a roll, changing direction to head back to the clearing.
As the monk leapt into a tree, Roland called to his goddess again for another holy smite, but this one fizzled as it came down, not getting through Adder’s spell resistance. Kazrack hustled right up to the base of the tree, and regretted it, as Adder feigned as if he were going to leap into the higher branches, but came down instead with a heavy kick to the dwarf’s shoulder.
Grunting, Kazrack spun and slapped Adder with his flail, knocking the monk down. He followed up with another crunching blow as the monk rolled to his feet. There was a blast of searing light from Roland, but Adder leapt up out of the way, completely avoiding it. The monk made to tumble past Ratchis who had moved in to block escape, but he was not quick enough and heavy chop from the half-orc’s great sword had the monk bleeding out on the grass.
Kazrack walked over. Roland stalked over still fuming.
“I guess we should stabilize him,” Kazrack said.
“Let him die,” Roland said.
Ratchis’ head sagged. “I don’t know. Maybe he needs to actually die so we can stop hopping around in time.”
“Yes, that’s good…” Roland said, pacing in a circle. “Let’s go with that theory. I like it. I’ll even speed him along so he won’t suffer…”
“No, he is helpless and might still offer us some information that will aid us,” said Kazrack. The dwarf grasped his bag of runestones as he knelt beside the dying monk. With a word to his gods, he touched Adder on the chest, and the monk’s wounds stopped the worst of their bleeding.
“Well, let’s at least see what magic he has on him,” Roland said, beginning to cast, but there was no time. A spiral of blue-white erupted from where Kazrack had touched Adder, and a sudden sensation of falling was washed away by a blue-white flash.
-----------------------------------------
Notes:
(1) Ratchis told Beorth and Kazrack about this encounter way back in Session #10.
(2) DM’s Note: Once again, I handed out these character for the other players to use as to not have others left out. However, the battle with the slaver went so quick, I no longer remember who played which of them (perhaps the players can chime in and say one way or another, but I doubt they remember either). Keep in mind, that while this encounter was never originally played out, it was something discussed as part of Ratchis’ background to lead him in the direction of the other PCs, thus it had to be an encounter that a 2nd level priest/ranger could reasonably expected to handle on his own, considering that it was originally described as him taking them out one by one as they went to relieve themselves, and then later went looking for each other.
(3) Ming the Dakkon King was released from the mirror of life-trapping in session #92, and discovered a prisoner of the time elemental in session #95.
(4) DM’s Note: As I had not settled on a system of psionics for use in Aquerra campaigns at this point, I “faked” Ming’s psionic powers, by just giving him some basic mindflayer-like abilities. The problem was, they were Charisma-based and his Charisma was a measly 7. So, what was supposed to be a fierce opponent, was not all he could be. But that’s alright, the Fearless Manticore Killers had plenty of very difficult fights, so if this once did not turn out as tough as I expected it to be – it all evens out.
(5) DM’s Note: That is exactly where he got it.
handforged
First Post
I know that these flashbacks are going to have some sort of effect on the present, and I can't wait to see what it is. This last one, where Kazrack and Roland have joined Ratchis threw off my earlier guess as to how it might go. Do we get to see one for Richard the Red also?!? That would be quite interesting!
Can't Wait for the next installment, and I'm looking forward to the next campaign as well.
~hf
Can't Wait for the next installment, and I'm looking forward to the next campaign as well.
~hf
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
I just started on the next installment tonight - so I am kind of behind schedule with earlier predictions.
It is the last installment of Session #101, but the next installment of the time-hopping scene continues on into the session after that - which of course, is the penultimate session of the whole campaign.
I am amazed that I am really truly nearly done with this monster of a story hour (well, not including the two "reunion sessions") - and yet, the closer I get to the end, the further away it seems somehow. . .
Crazy. . .
It is the last installment of Session #101, but the next installment of the time-hopping scene continues on into the session after that - which of course, is the penultimate session of the whole campaign.
I am amazed that I am really truly nearly done with this monster of a story hour (well, not including the two "reunion sessions") - and yet, the closer I get to the end, the further away it seems somehow. . .
Crazy. . .
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
Out of curiousity, what was Martin's player doing during all of this. Did you intersperse his (already told) story with the story now playing out (everyone has their own scenes) or was his scene already done with by now? If so, who did he end up running? As you can see, I'm a bit curious about the table mechanics of all this.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Elder-Basilisk said:
All of Martin's scenes in the Negative Material Plane took place in one session.
After Martin's death, his player continued to run Gunthar in combat, and offer the occasional lewd remark, and of course in all the scenes, I gave out NPCs to run - so he played Beorth in Kazrack's scene, and he played the Wayfarer of Ptah in Roland's scene - and one of the quickly killed slavers.
He has a role to play in the next scene as well, and in session #102 we get a hint at Martin's ultimate fate - though we do not find out for sure until the last one.
RedShirtNo5
First Post
Blame the time elemental.el-remmen said:
It certainly feels that it is reaching a conclusion, in that it is clear that the primary goal of the FMK will be resolved. And I think pacing and intensity of the story itself go along with that. But with many plot hooks left open, it doesn't necessarily feel like the conclusion.el-remmen said:
