"Second Son of a Second Son" - An Aquerra Story Hour (*finally* Updated 04/19)

el-remmen

Moderator Emeritus
Session #20– “Moor-Tomb Denouement” (part 2 of 3)

Balem, the 12th of Keent - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)

Outside in bright Aquerra, Ra’s Glory rose in the distant east shining down on the waters at the edge of the world, even as its light raced to reach the other edge – But the Signers of the Charter of Schiereiland could get no pleasure from its light and warmth, trapped beneath a hill of dark rock in the crypt of Dalvan d’Amberville with only the echo of Tim’s chiseling to pass the time. They had been awake and making half-hearted searches of both rooms for a couple of hours when Tim came back down to announce he had found the way out.

“It is just going to take a couple more hours of picking,” he said. The shaft ended in a narrow passage about fifteen feet long and only seven feet high. This led to another shaft, but it was relatively shorter. Bleys climbed back up with Tim to help out and to send a radiant spark up the second shaft to see how far up it really went. It turned out to be just another thirty feet. There a metal wheel served as the means to open a circular concave metal hatch, which Victoria reminded the others to check for dweomers before it was touched, as she feared that in the young nobles’ eagerness to get out they might accidentally set off another trap. Markos, Dunlevey and Tymon were particularly wounded from the ghastly vile stone knife, and so the healing from the two priests and the day’s rest had not done them much good, so it was wise to not take unneeded risks.

But there was no trap, magical or mundane (as Telémahkos was allowed to check as well) and soon the hatch was opened and the cool late afternoon air of the moors came wafting in. As soon as the hatch was opened, they heard the door down below slide closed, but it no longer mattered. They had collected everything they wanted and preferred that the place be sealed off. The outer side of the hatch was camouflaged as black stone covered in withered ivy atop the great black hill that hid both the tomb of Dalvan Meir and the hideout of the Broken Circle. The hatch was closed and as Bleys, Tim and Telie and Tymon looked around for a path down the craggy hill, Laarus of Ra faced the setting sun and gave a silent prayer of thanks for their escape.

The journey back to the huts and caves of the Broken Circle took much longer than they thought it should have, but the way down the hill was delayed by frequent back-tracking to avoid sheer drops, jagged rocks and choking thistles. The early part of the journey back Timotheus bubbled with excitement, his joy at a well-accomplished mission and packs full of loot evident in his smile and in his voice.

As one point, as he walked near the rear of the line with Victoria, he asked her, “You know… I’ve been wondering… Do you think that old woman, Fallon, that we met was really… you know… Fallon? The goddess?”

Victoria of Anhur laughed. “Why don’t you ask her when we see her next?”

“Maybe I’ll do just that,” Tim replied, his good feelings slowly being worn away by the journey and Victoria’s apparent dismissal of his theory.

Eventually, they were found by Fiss’iss who was patrolling the area and heard them bumbling in the growing gloom at the edge of the thicket that protected the hideout and she led them back.

Ethan the Pearl was happy to see them, but pleasantries were cut short as the Signers were exhausted and soon dropped off one by one in the cavern they were given to share. Bleys the Aubergine was the last to lie down, spending some time filling Ethan in on the details of what had occurred in the tomb.


Teflem, the 13th of Keent - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)

The young nobles spent the next day resting as much as possible and discussing their options. Laarus of Ra cast consecrate with the last of the powdered silver he had, and healing was doled out, though Timotheus had to remind the priests that Falco needed to be healed as well. The raven-haired ranger of few words shook Dunlevey’s hand when they returned, but just nodded politely to the others. No one seemed to really care or notice. Fiss’iss was asked if she could supplement the healing with the graces of Nephthys so that both Falco and Crusta could be totally cured of the vile damage caused by the green stone.

“I assume that once we leave here and return to the Ray-Ree camp we will be returning to civilization?” Bleys asked when everyone was gathered. “That is, if there is nothing else we want to do here, like hunt more goblins…”

“Did you just wink?” Timotheus asked the watch-mage, suspecting Bleys of trying to be humorous, but having no evidence.

“Yes, we should go back so that we can help the Broken Circle and find out all we can of the plots of the Nine,” Markos said.

“I am glad you mentioned that,” Bleys replied. “We need to get in the habit of not talking about the Nine, for once we return we will not know who might overhear us…”

“Easy enough for me!” Timotheus scoffed. “I don’t wanna talk about them at all…”

“Speaking of that, it occurred to me last night that Harliss… What was her name?” Markos scratched his chin.

Harliss Javell?” Bleys said.

“Mmmmm, that Harliss…” Timotheous’ eyes clouded over with daydreamed possibility.

“She’d as soon stick you as let you stick it to her,” Bleys told the tall Briareus warrior.

Timotheus smiled widely. “That is part of her appeal!”

Markos cleared his throat loudly. “As I was saying, it occurred to me that Harliss might have been working for Misery the Pirate-Queen… In other words, for the Ni… For the group we aren’t going to mention by name anymore…”

Telémahkos’ eyes widened. “That could explain what she was doing with the pearl, delivering it to her boss to be used to sow chaos… Just like their connection to the hobgoblins…” 1

“I also wanted to bring up one other thing,” Markos continued, the tone of his voice making it clear that he was preparing for the inevitable quarrel on the issue. “We should bring Crusta to retrieve her tokens…” He was wrong about a quarrel. Instead his suggestion was met with icy silence.

Finally, Timotheus spoke. “I would rather we return to civilization right away rather than tarry down here any longer…”

“We have to wait for Kermit to return anyway,” Markos reminded the others. “By his own guess he will not be back for another week, at the least…”

It was agreed to allow the topic to drop until the Signers got back to the Ray-Ree camp and saw whether Kermit had returned by then or not. It would take several days to get back, especially as slowed down as they would be dragging the improvised sledge that Telémahkos and Victoria had strapped together with help from Falco and Fiss’iss. The large sardoynx statue of the angel was tied to it.

The Signers of the Charter of Schiereiland and their hirelings and followers got started for the Ray-Ree camp late in the day. Ethan, Harber, Fiss’iss and Uri gathered to wished them good-bye and Ethan handed Bleys a scroll, and a sealed later to be brought to Jacoba the Brown in the Border Shires.

Timotheus handed Ethan a sack full of hundreds of iron pieces. “I figured you all could use these more than I could…”

“Farewell, and good luck,” Ethan the Pearl told them. “And remember what we told you about the importance of secrecy…”

They were guided by Fiss’iss for the first few miles as she knew a time-saving route that would lead them away from the danger of Moor-Wall. A little while after she left them and headed back Timotheus swore aloud. “Damn! I forgot to ask if Fallon was the goddess or not…!”

Victoria and Telémahkos chuckled, and Markos shook his head with a condescending smirk.


Osilem, the 17th of Keent - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)

Four days later the young nobles walked into the Ray-Ree camp, greeted by Marysus and Trititia, and the placid faces of the old and young of the tribe. As usual the barbarians were solemn in their offer of gifting the party a hut to stay in, and Victoria and Bleys were led to where their horses had been kept in order to check on them.

An hour or so later they were all summoned to meet with First Elder Admentus again, and on the way there, Bleys warned Timotheus, “No more fermented goat’s milk…” 2

“Sure, I didn’t like it that much anyway,” Timotheus replied.

“None,” Bleys said again. “Not a drop…”

“Okay! Fine! What’s the big deal anyway? We’re going to be here a few days…”

Bleys did most of the talking when the young nobles informed Admentus about the events in the tomb, leaving out anything about the Broken Circle. The watch-mage presented the First Elder with the smooth river stones marked with runes and Admentus was awed by them. He explained the tradition of those stones had already died out when he was a child, but that long ago couples betrothed to each other would risk the journey out to the tomb to offer those rune stones to the spirit within, as a way to appease it and keep away bad luck for the coming marriage.

“And now they are returned to your people, as a gift from us…” Bleys said. “So that you may re-inter them as your customs dictate…”

After sharing dinner with the tribe and listening to one of Trititia’s chanted tales of the tribe’s history, which resonated with the beauty of her voice, even if the young nobles could not understand what she sang, they retired to their hut to continue their discussions on the fate of Crusta.

“Markos, do you understand the consequences of bringing Crusta back with us?” Telémahkos asked.

Markos snarled. “As I have explained to my dear cousin, I understand full well the hypocrisies of our society, and frankly I am offended by the condescending attitude everyone in this group seems to take with me on such matters. Don’t you think I have considered that what is best for her and for us may not be the same? I plan to bring her to the temple of Isis… If they will take her in they may be able to influence her towards a better use for her arcane skills…”

“So the idea is to make her into a white witch?” Timotheus asked. Markos nodded.

“Who said that she would be coming with us at all?” Victoria asked. “It could take time to make such an arrangement, and in the meantime we are saddled with having a degenerate half-breed witch among us… I don’t think we’ve agreed that she should be with us any length of time…”

“She won’t be…” Bleys said.

“You know…” Timotheus said. “She’s sitting right here…” He pointed to where Crusta listened on from one corner of the hut, sniffling and snarling behind Markos.

“So…?” Bleys replied. Markos frowned and crouching next to the gray skinned hairy woman gently asked her to excuse them so they could continue talking.

Crusta stood and wiped her face and mouth, looking at each of the Signers of the Charter of Schiereiland as she walked out of the hut. At the entrance she turned around, “Me just want to say, me won’t go anywhere without me tokens…” She stalked off.

“Well that settles it…” Telémahkos said.

“I think we should retrieve her tokens and bring her with us,” Markos replied. “Not only will it be a good social experiment, but she represents the hope that if she can change her ways any of you scum might change…”

Oh! If you put it that way…” Telémahkos’ voice dripped with sarcasm. “You know Markos, as usual you have the best way of putting things to garner sympathy… You are a master at it…”

“Oh does my not being as good a liar as you are offend you?” Markos’ face twisted in the red hot anger he had not let loose for some weeks. “I’m sorry if I am not a flagrant enough hypocrite for your moral sensibilities!”

“You… I… Erg…” Telémahkos’ hands balled into fists and he leaned forward as if to step into a punch, but instead he turned around sharply and left the hut.

Timotheus followed his cousin, as Victoria of Anhur explained how Crusta’s very blood made her untrustworthy.

“The worst part is that I agree with him and yet I still want to choke the life out him,” Telémahkos said in a low voice, fists still clenched, when Tim caught up to him.

“Agree with him?” Timotheus was confused by this.

“Yes… I mean, she helped us, we should help her… It is that simple,” Telémahkos explained. “We would be hypocrites not to try to help her. It’s just that Markos cannot be trusted to handle her coming with us with the finesse it requires…”

“Those are both very good points,” Timotheus replied. “Let’s go back and put it to a vote…”

And so the nobles voted on whether or not to retrieve Crusta’s tokens, as her accompanying them depended on her having them. It was a tie. Bleys, Laarus and Victoria voted against retrieving them, while Telémahkos, Timotheus and Markos voted for getting them.

“So how do we break a tie around here, anyway,” Timotheus asked.

“Honorable combat,” Victoria of Anhur replied.

“…So… Wanna fight?” Timotheus gave a half smile and jabbed an elbow playfully at the militant.

“I was speaking in jest, though such terms could be reached if we so desired,” the militant said. “It is not as if we have not solved arguments by those means in the past…” 3

Instead, a compromise was reached. The Signers of the Charter of Schireiland would split into their two groups. Telémahkos, Timotheus and Markos would go with Crusta to retrieve the tokens while Laarus, Victoria and Bleys would go and visit Brother Cineas, as Laarus wanted to share what they learned of the Moor-Tomb to the young monk. A further stipulation was added that the priests would examine the tokens for evil influence, and any deemed as evil in source would be destroyed.

Markos accepted the compromise, but Crusta did not return that night while he was still awake for him to explain it to her. When he awoke in the cold morning she was cuddled up with him.

. . .to be continued. . .

----------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:

(1) Telémahkos is talking about the party’s theory of the Nine’s connection with the Hobgoblins of the Blue Claw based on the information they gathered from Hezrah’s lair regarding ‘the Master’ Stygian Demonborn. (See Session #16) You can read more about the party’s theories and collected information in a series of pages on the Aquerra.wiki called, “SSoaSS Plot Lines.” Warning: This information is up to date for the campaign, so it may contain spoilers for the story hour as the game is currently seven (going on eight) sessions ahead of the re-telling here.

(2) The fermented goat’s milk was considered at least partially responsible for Timotheus’ recent illness (See Sessions #10 and #12)

(3) Victoria and Markos had a fight in Session #4. Telémahkos and Markos had a fight in Session #5. Timotheus has considered fighting and threatened to fight Markos several times.
 
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Martin Olarin

First Post
Great post - this was one of the more memorable Tim moments for me. Markos racking his brain trying to figure out the way out while Tim just rolls up his sleeves and gets to work :)

I recall a slightly slower build to anger over the Crusta situation but I certainly understand wanting to cut to the chase here. Removed from the situation now and seeing it written impresses upon me how consistent the players are regarding how they have played their PCs and how they handled the question of what to do with Crusta. Good job everyone.
 

handforged

First Post
I'm glad to see everyone out and safe again. Good job Tim for getting to work. Go team for tying all the story arcs together. Is all the help staying in camp, or going with the split up groups?

Can't wait for "civilization." I wonder what has happened while the kids have been away.

~hf
 

el-remmen

Moderator Emeritus
handforged said:
Is all the help staying in camp, or going with the split up groups?

Let's just say the matter does not turned out to be quite as settled as the PCs thought it would be at that point. Stay tuned for the next installment to see what I mean.
 

el-remmen

Moderator Emeritus
Session #20– “Moor-Tomb Denouement” (part 3 of 3)

Tholem, the 18th of Keent - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)

“Crusta?” Markos gently nudged her, noticing that everyone else was either still slept or had left the hut. “It has been decided that we’re going to take you to retrieve your tokens…”

“Oh! Thank you, Ko-kos!” She nuzzled her face into his neck and Markos stiffened and sat up, gently brushing her arms off of him.

“But there is more,” Markos continued. “When they are retrieved we have to let the priests examine them… Because… Well, because if any of them are deemed evil they will have to be destroyed if you are to accompany us back to civilization…”

“What?! No! Why?” Crusta sat up and Timotheus grumbled and rolled over. Markos stood, taking Crusta’s hand and leading her out of the hut. “Only bad if used bad… Me use them good for you Ko-kos!”

“I would like to agree with you, but this is a compromise you are going to have to make if you want to come with us,” Markos replied.

“Why you doing this, boyfriend?” Crusta’s shoulders sagged and her scabrous black lips pouted. She was dressed in a dirty gray and brown smock that one of the elder women of the Ray-Ree had given her, her natty locks were tied back with a piece of twine. “They might lie when they check! They hate me!”

“I trust them,” Markos said, softly.

“Why? Why stay with them? You hate them. I hate them. Mister Tim would have been a good boyfriend, but I like you better!” Crusta’s voice had a pleading element to it. “Why not leave them? Come with me?”

“Because I have to…” Markos replied. “I have a duty to them now… And I want to see you change. I want you to learn to understand what that means. It can be hard, I know… I know if can be hard…”

“If you have something hard, Crusta can help you with it,” the half-orc woman changed her tactics and sidled up to Markos, letting her hand creep down to his pants.

“I cannot describe how uncomfortable it makes me when you do that,” Markos said, pushing her arm and stepping away. “I have no interest in you in that way. I want to be more like a brother to you…”

“Brothers is how Crusta learned…” She moved to press her body against him again, but again Markos stepped away. “Wow… That makes me even more uncomfortable… Anyway, do you agree…?”

Crusta was quiet for a long moment, and as each second passed her face grew darker with a flush of anger. “No!” She barked. “Tokens mine! Me fought and sneaked and fΩcked for them! Not giving them up!” She lifted one fist wildly, but spun around and brought it down heavily against her thigh twice and then let out the beginning of a sob that she sucked back in instead.

“Crusta… I’m sorry…” Markos put a hand on her shoulder, and she spun around to grab him in an embrace. Again, he pulled away… “No Crusta… Look… Admentus said that you can stay here and practice witchcraft as long as Rudwilla is willing to take you in… I’m sure she will… She seemed like a reasonable woman and she owes us… Do you think you’ll do that?” 1

“I will have to, since you abandoning me!” Crusta stalked off and did not respond to Markos’ one half-hearted call for her to come back.

At breakfast he explained to the others that Crusta would not be coming and so they didn’t need to go after her tokens or split up. By late afternoon it was clear that the half-orc witch had already left without saying goodbye to anyone. Eventually Laarus, Victoria and Bleys did make a trip to visit Brother Cineas, and he congratulated them on their success with a lack of enthusiasm only a monk of Anubis could have. 2


Isilem, the 23rd of Keent - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)

Three days later Kermit Buckleburr and his riding dog, Duckhunter, returned, but the halfling insisted on two days of rest before leading the party back to the Border Shires. He assured the young nobles that he had sent off the messages just as they directed3, and the only news of Thricia he had to share was some vague word of some kind of riot in Sluetelot. This made the Signers uneasy, but there was nothing they could do about it. And so, the night before they were finally to go back to Thricia, the Ray-Ree gifted them with a roasted aurochs and some kind of white pudding made from nuts. There was also plenty of the fermented goat’s milk, and Bleys eyed Timotheus warily whenever the tall Briareus took a sip or three of it in order to not be rude to their hosts.

In addition, Admentus announced that they would be getting four days of food each for their journey to add to whatever was left of their own store of trail rations, along with some feed for the horses. And finally, each of them was given a simple hemp necklace with a jackal head charm carved from aurochs bone. Bleys the Aubergine gave them the worn pick Timotheus had used to carved a way out of Dalvan’s tomb, as any forged tool was a great boon to the barbarian tribe, and Timotheus added the battle-axe he had taken from one of the skeletons in the tomb. The gifts were appreciated.

After dinner there was one more gift to be given to the Signers of the Charter of Schiereiland. Trititia came to them in their hut. She opened her palm there she held nine small black mushroom caps.

“These are spirit mushrooms,” Trititia explained. “They will give you insight into…”

Timotheus Smith did not wait. He picked one up off her hand and threw it in his mouth and began to chew. He grimaced at the bitter earthy taste.

“…insight into your role in this mortal world, or a view of the world to come…” Trititia continued, smiling. Telémahkos took one and looked at it cautiously, and Tymon, as usual mimicked his master. Markos took one and after a sniff, began to chew it down as well. Not wanting to be rude, Laarus of Ra and Victoria of Anhur followed suit. With a shrug, Telémahkos began to chew on his, fighting back gagging to swallow it down and following it with some water. Dunlevey and Falco ate a mushroom each as well, but Kermit shook his head and took off with Duckhunter, saying he’d be back in the morning for the trip. Bleys the Aubergine took a mushroom, but put it away instead of consuming it, figuring it might be a good idea for one of them to remain sober, and not being one for altered states as it was.

It was less than a half hour later that Victoria Ostrander founder herself standing in one corner of the hut looking very intently at each of her companion’s faces. She had never noticed before how much each of them looked like a different animal. Markos especially suddenly reminded her of the small tan monkeys she had sometimes seen for sale at the market, or trained to run around with a cup and beg for copper pennies. He had a withered little old man face that seemed to suggest both age and youth, and she had to suppress a smile when she imagined him clapping two cymbals together. She shook her head. Everything suddenly seemed kind of strange and connected. Telémahkos’s plumage ruffled as he whispered to Tymon who was covering his face like a turtle pulling its head into its shell.

“Is Victoria looking at me? I think she’s looking at me…” Markos asked Laarus nervously. The militant of Anhur walked towards the hut exit and encountered Bleys, who watched the slow change in his companions’ behavior with a chiseled smirk. Victoria noticed his nostrils flare and how he stood proud and tall, haughty. His face was long, almost equine… Yes! Like a horse.

“My horse!” She suddenly said aloud and began to jog towards the corral at the edge of the barbarian camp.

“Victoria! Wait! Perhaps riding right now is not a good idea! The watch-mage went after her, and Telémahkos looked up suddenly from where he sat with Tymon, causing his portly servant to scramble into a corner whimpering.

“That’s a good idea,” Telémahkos said, standing. He looked over at Timotheus who was holding his saber to the lantern light and counting motes that danced up and down its blade with Dunlevey. They both had wide indomitable smiles. “Tim! Tim! It’s too suffocating in here!”

“Then go outside,” Timotheus replied, not looking at him.

“Good idea,” Telémahkos said again. He looked over at where Tymon alternately shaking and nodding his head to some invisible figure he was cringing from, and shrugging his shoulders went out to the see the last light of the day fade in west. “Gods! The sky! It’s so big! It’ll swallow me up!” He grabbed onto the edge of the hut and stood in the doorway, bouncing slightly. He noticed Bleys walking back towards the hut and he called out to him. “Bleys! Be careful! The sky so huge you’ll fall in!” Telémahkos ran out to the watch-mage and started trying to hurry him back to the hut with real fear. However, as soon as Bleys refused to be hurried, the foppish aristocrat grew calm in the watch-mage’s presence and began to try to convince him to eat the remaining mushroom.

“Leave me alone,” Laarus said to Markos. “I want to observe the room from up here on the ceiling.” He was lying on his stomach on the hut floor, with his arms and leg spread.

The scrawny mage’s head darted around filled with nervous energy. Suddenly he heard a voice blathering about some arcane mathematical precepts, and he turned around quickly to see who it was. The voice stopped. He looked over at Timotheus. Dunlevey was lying with his head in the big warrior’s lap, telling him the story of the first time he had to kill a human. Suddenly, the voice returned, and Markos spun around again… And then he realized that the voice was himself, and that he was just mumbling arcane factoids under his breath whenever he became distracted. Suddenly fascinated with his own sense of hearing, he wandered outside to find out what else there was to hear in the wider world of the barbarian camp. On wind he heard the strain of drums, and followed the sound popping up and down to the beat out of instinct, and as soon as the practiced drumming of the young barbarians 4 was loud enough for him to hear clearly, he stopped and began to dance. His body shook to the music and he grunted and shouted as the spirit of the rhythm moved him. Soon some of the Ray-Ree were standing at distance to watch him. Markos knew he was dancing perfectly. They picked up the tempo.

Having successfully convinced Bleys she was fine, Victoria patted Ironsides’ neck. She admired the animal’s fine coat and the solid muscle beneath it.

“I realized that I left my saddle and gear back at the hut,” Victoria said aloud.

“That’s okay, mistress Victoria,” Ironside turned his huge equine head and looked right at the dumbstruck militant. The horse had a deep and reassuring voice. It reminded her of her father. “You can ride bareback. There is no way you can fall tonight…”

“Ironsides… I didn’t know you could talk!” Victoria replied, still astonished.

“You just never had the ability to listen,” the horse replied. She climbed up on to him and with the slightest urging, they took off, leaping over the corral fence and off into the night.

Back in the hut, as Tymon continued to whimper cringing away from Dunlevey and Timotheus who were laughing as they drunkenly wrestled, Telémahkos continued to chatter at Bleys, now eager to draw the watch-mage to somewhere private to discuss ‘the deeper interconnectedness of everything everywhere all the time!’ Bleys clucked his tongue and let his disdain grow thick on his face. He walked away.

Laarus Raymer of Ra stepped out of the hut. He looked up at the night sky and noticed that the constellation known as ‘the Dolphin’ was stuck in the twirling tentacles of ‘the Squid.’ The whole vault of the blue-black sky warped, and the stars stretched out into disorienting smears as the world dropped out from beneath him. There was a seemingly interminable silence, but suddenly bolts of lightning broke it and thunder reverberated from all directions. A flat-topped pyramid filled his vision. Atop it was a golden pearl that pulsated. He suddenly felt as if he were hovering near to it, but was now flying further and further away from the pyramid as it melted and twisted and changed into a fiery mountain shooting molten rock into the sky turning everything orange. Laarus burned. He writhed in an agony that made everything black. He lost any sense of having a body. Laarus became a dancing mote of golden light bouncing around in front of an immense golden lion. It swatted at the mote and suddenly the young priest’s perspective has changed again. He was seeing the mote buzz around the roaring lion. It stood before a silver gate. Behind the gate: darkness.


Teflem, the 27th of Keent - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)

Three and a half days later, Telémahkos could close his eyes and remember clearly the visions of his mother, his true mother, holding him in her arms. He could not recall when the hallucinations of the spirit mushroom had melted into the ordinary dreams of sleep, but what he could recall remained vivid. He smiled even though his ass ached from three long days on the saddle. He looked over at Victoria of Anhur who rode parallel to him and smiled again. Between them their horses dragged the makeshift sledge that carried the heavy sardonyx statue of the angel. They brought up the end of the long staggered line of horses.

The day after the visions, Kermit Buckleburr began to lead them north, often taking off on Duckhunter to return hours later with some small game, or news that a new path would have to be taken because of some sign of predators. He trusted Falco to lead them the general way, and no one was moving fast anyway. The days were as hot as they had ever been, and their progress was slowed by the need to water the horses often.

It was mid-morning and Kermit had just returned from looking for a shady spot to wait out the mid-day and rest the horses. He led them north by northwest over open dry ground that was easily kicked up into a dust cloud visible for miles by the sheer number of horses. The plant life here was stubborn flowering vines that strangled large broken rocks, or spread out along dried streambeds seeking out whatever moisture it could. Some vines sported long narrow spines that sometimes glistened with dew, which Duckhunter would carefully lick off.

Kermit referred to it as the Land-Sea of Sharnth, and explained that they were skirting along the western edge of it as to best avoid… “LAND SHARK!”

There it was, a stream of dust and earth shooting high into the sky as something came towards them from the southeast, burrowing at an unsettling rate.

“As fast as you can! To the stone!” Kermit pointed to the shadow of large rounded black rocks coming out of the earth a few hundred yards ahead. Everyone spurred their mounts, but the heavy statue they were dragging weighed down Victoria and Telémahkos.

Timotheus slowed his mount and turned it to get a better view of the approaching plume. “Pick up the pace!” He called to them as he turned back around to continue on.

“On three!” Telémahkos said to Victoria as she pulled a dagger from her belt to mimic the blond Briareus’ action. They cut the leather straps of the sledge and it fell into the dust with a echoing thud. The horses nickered nervously. The earth was shaking, and they could hear the approach of the creature as tiny stones were driven into the air with great speed. Their horses were more than eager to obey the flick of the reins and the spur of the heels, and they were soon catching up with Timotheus and Markos were falling to the back of the thundering line of the eight horses before them.

Victoria stole a look back. The statue disappeared as the plume reached it, and then with a crack it was flying into the air and disappearing into the tumult of dust and rocks. And still the monster came on…

End of Session #20

-------------------------------------------------------
Notes:

(1) The party met Rudwilla after they rescued her from Crusta’s mother Hezrah. See Session #11

(2) This was handled in a rather unproductive InterSession where no one seemed to remember what it was they wanted to accomplish by going to visit the young monk again. The party first visited Brother Cineas in Session #12.

(3) See Session #16

(4) Ray-Ree warriors play drums with large mallets they use in battle and part of the coming of age process for the tribe’s young men is practicing their drumming.
 

handforged

First Post
Well, I bet that statue looks like the Venus de Milo now! Glad everyone had fun on the shrooms. Good ol' Bleys a stick-in-the-mud as always. I wonder in this riot in Slutelot will be related to the actions of the party?

~hf
 


el-remmen

Moderator Emeritus
So, I am working on writing up Session #22, which was a breeze for the first 10 pages and then became agonizingly slow for the next 10 (well 8, but I figure it will be 20 pages all told by the time I finish), and as you know I don't start posting a session until the session after it is written up.

But I expect to be done with #22 sometime today and then will post the first installment of #21 either this evening or tomorrow.

A lot of interesting and exciting things have been happening in the campaign lately and I can't wait til the story hour gets to it. A week from tomorrow we'll be playing Session #29, so yeah, I am falling slowly more and more behind, but that's what happens when you are in graduate school and you have a bad back that is making it difficult to sit at the computer for an extended period of time.

I'm an old man.

And speaking of old men, be sure to wish Eric G. (aka Telémahkos, aka Ratchis) a happy 40th birthday. It is not until tomorrow, but he is probably too hungover today to check this at least til then, so it won't be premature to do the well wishing. . . ;)

Peace.
 

el-remmen

Moderator Emeritus
Session #21– “The Journey Home” (part 1 of 3)1

Dunlevey’s horse screamed as the beast exploded from the dusty earth. The landshark was a wedge of hardened flesh covered in a thick tan hide dusted gray. Its powerful limbs were short compared to the sixteen feet of its length. It had hooded eyes that gleamed yellow in the sunlight, as it roared, dirt pouring out in torrents amid row upon row of alternately jagged and blunted teeth.

Markos, Falco and Kermit were already at the rounded sun-blasted black rock. The halfling guide did not need to urge Duck-hunter, for the dog ran with evident fear, ducking between the legs of Markos’ horse as the mage stopped a few feet onto the rock, in order to get even further away. Falco pulled out his bow, bringing his horse only slightly further onto the large smooth rocks than where Markos was. Bleys did much the same as Falco did, drawing his bow and getting even further away from the loose earth the landshark burrowed through as if swimming. It was the same loose earth that obscured their sight of exactly what was going on with their companions.

Telémahkos and Tymon upon their horses were dark figures that emerged from the cloud even as it began to dissipate. Laarus arrived behind them. They could see Victoria moving Ironsides towards the rock looking to either side of her with expectant caution, while Timotheus turned his horse around as Dunlevey galloped past him towards the rocks. There was a bloody gash in the horse’s flank, but it had escaped.

“It went back under!” Victoria called to the others.

There was another explosion. This time, right beneath Timotheus’ horse. The horse leapt frantically and Tim managed to barely to hold on. The horse’s hoof kicked at the earth and found the landshark’s teeth instead nearly collapsing, but barely managing to get away, thick with the lather of its own fear.

“Back! To the rock! There’s no line to hold!” Timotheus warned the others as he spurred his horse on, but the others were all already there. “Sagitta caustus! Markos chanted, and a blue arrow of acid went flying towards the creature as it breached the pit it emerged from and dove back down in another explosion of earth. It was not clear until moments later when it re-emerged whether or not he hit it. It roared as it cracked the edge of the black rock, ripping at Ironside with broad swipes that tried to shove the whole horse in its mouth.

Sagitta Aquom! Markos cast again, sending his magic missles into the spot where could see the acid of his previous spell still burning. Arrows came flying in from Bleys and Falco, bouncing off the thing’s hide and Timotheus dismounted. “Get back!” He shouted, but Markos was doing just that as he cast, and Laarus had already dismounted some ways behind where the bastard Briareus now was.

Victoria of Anhur spurred Ironside and the horse whinnied in dismay as it galloped higher up on the rock and wheeled. The creature disappeared beneath the earth again. She dismounted and slapped the horse on the rear sending it towards Bleys who was keeping his own mount and the packhorse at a safe distance.

“Is it gone?” Telémahkos asked, still up on his mount, finally turning it as he drew his lance from its sheath on the horse’s side.

“It may come back,” Timotheus said, slipping his helmet on as he drew his saber.

“You might not want to be so close to the edge,” Kermit warned from sixty feet away. “Those things can jump pretty far…”

“How far can they jump?”” Timotheus called back.

“Far.” The halfling replied.

“Okay, Victoria, you take the right… Laarus to my left… Everyone else stay back and get ready a volley of arrows or spells, whatever you got!” But in that moment the earth before them exploded and echoed with thunderous claps of cracking rock. The landshark roared and bit at Victoria. Laarus’ voice rose above the din and he called to Ra for the light of his holy glory, but the beam of holy sunlight missed, scorching the rock beside it as it sidestepped, rending into Victoria’s scalemail, and nearly knocking her over. Bolts and arrows from Falco and Tymon bounced off the thing’s hide ineffectually.

Laarus moved behind it and noticed for the first time that an angled fin of hard chitinous skin rose up just below the center of its back. The skin beneath was pink stained with brown. It looked vulnerable. 2

“Its fin is its weak spot!” The priest of Ra pointed it out to the others. “There is a soft spot to strike underneath.”

Telémahkos came riding up, but the melee was too frantic and he reigned in his horse’s charge, waiting for the dust to clear so he could get a clear line towards the beast. “Get out of my way! I’ll run it down!” he called.

The landshark bellowed, and they could see that its shell-like hide was desiccated with age. Victoria’s spear thrusts traced ridges of ripped up hide that swelled with pus and blood. Timotheus hurried forward and spun around it, trying to leap to avoid one of its four claws, all of which it used with equal proficiency. It caught him on the leg and he stumbled and grunt, but somehow he managed to keep his footing despite the pain, and thrust the blade of his saber under the fin, nearly extending himself horizontally on the thing’s back to do so.

The thing shook and began to claw at the rock below it as if to escape, but Dunlevey came rushing in with Markos close behind, still on his horse. The sell-sword’s great blade cracked the thing’s hide open and it bellowed again, this time more in agony than anger. “Digitum electrus!” Markos cast, taking a deep breath to focus his concentration before doing so, and leaning over brushed his hand across the landshark’s back as it attempted to flee. There was a crackle of electrical energy and the monster shook with convulsions before finally vomiting up pink bile and dying.

“Dinner!” Kermit cried happily. “Landshark steaks are delicious!”

“Do these things hunt alone?” Victoria asked the halfling.

“Thankfully, yes, or else no one would ever be able to travel out here,” Kermit replied, as he walked over, Duck-hunter trailing behind him.

“Dusty! Come here!” Timotheus called and whistled, and his horse came trotting back.

“I’d like to try to preserve its organs,” Markos said looking down at the carcass.

“I’d like a trophy myself,” Timotheus said.

“We should try to save as much of it as we can,” Telémahkos suggested. “Including its head…”

Bleys the Aubergine watched carefully as Kermit and Falco began to butcher the thing, cutting off huge rolls of its thick hid. Markos with nervous eagerness pointed out where he thought which organs would be where, annoying Kermit.

Telémahkos asked Victoria to accompany him to find what was left of the abandoned statue.3 Victoria had called on Anhur to heal her mount, and Timotheus borrowed Tymon’s horse to accompany them. One corner of the statue’s base emerged from the bottom of a deep sandy depression. They hauled it out with one of the horses, and were surprised that it was mostly in one piece. It had lost its remaining wing, and the body was worn, blasted by its trip through the earth.

At Telie’s instance they began to look for the broken wing. It took some time, but they found it and began to drag the statue back between two horses as afternoon waned.

Victoria and Timotheus struck up a conversation about tactics when fighting large monsters, which turned into a tactical review of several of the party’s combats against larger creatures, such as the ogre and the savage lizard thing in Kraken’s Cove. 4

Back at the rising black rocks, it was agreed that the party should spend the rest of the day here as butchering the landshark took time and there was an injured horse. Bleys and Markos prepared to use preserve food spells to keep the organs they’d extracted from going bad any time soon.

“I would think you’d want to preserve the landshark steaks,” Kermit complained, seeing it as a waste.

“We can preserve them in here,” Timotheus patted his stomach.

It was then that they noticed Laarus Raymer of Ra returning from having wandered up the shallow grade of the black rock. Near its apex there was a channel carved into the stone, disappearing deep into it and flanked on either side by tall jagged stones.

The young priest of Ra called Bleys the Aubergine over, and Markos followed closely, curious as always.

“I feel a strange…pulling, I guess I’d call it, from down there,” Laarus of Ra pointed down into the black corridor of stone. “Like some compulsion to go down there…”

“I feel nothing,” Bleys said.

Markos shook his head. “What does it feel like exactly?”

“Pulling,” Laarus repeated.

“Physical pulling?”

“No, like I said, a compulsion…” Laarus turned and looked down the ragged channel, the tall flanking stones draped the place in deep shadow. “I feel it… inside… It is hard to describe…”

“Like when you commune with your god to prepare spells?” Markos asked.

“No… Not like that,” Laarus replied. “And also, I don’t know… Like we are being watched…”

“We should not camp here if we are being watched,” Bleys said. He instinctively scanned the trench for movement.

Leaving Falco, Kermit and Tymon behind to finish making camp and getting started on cooking the landshark steaks, the Signers made their way down the trench to investigate the source of whatever it was Laarus was feeling.

“I think this is a bad idea,” Telémahkos said from near the back of the line. The trench was fifteen even twenty feet wide in some places, but mostly it was no more than eight feet wide and as they walked it grew deeper and deeper. Laarus called to Ra and suddenly light as bright as day shone around him. He walked behind Timotheus who led the way. As they walked, Victoria called on Anhur to close some wounds Tim still suffered from the battle with the landshark.

“The feeling grows stronger,” Laarus said.

“So is this like when you get your visions,” Timotheus asked, a chuckle in his voice. “Are you going to puke?

“Dunlevey!” Bleys called to the sell-sword who was taking up the rear, great sword resting on his shoulder. “Make sure the avenue of egress does not leave your sight!”

Coerced by the growing dread, Victoria called on Anhur to give her bull’s strength.

They had gone perhaps eighty yards when the narrow canyon split in two directions, one branch breaking sharply to their right.

“We should just come back and check this tomorrow,” Bleys said. Victoria agreed.

“Well, at least let me take a look and see what is beyond,” Telémahkos said, squeezing his way forward.

“I thought you were against us coming here?” Victoria asked.

“I was… I am… But while we’re here I might as well sate my own curiosity,” Telémahkos winked, and the crept to the fork to see what lay beyond. Straight ahead the way became narrow and then sank down into a very steep shaft, while to the right the trench only went another forty feet before disappearing into a cave entrance with a nearly perfectly symmetrical shape that suggested a doorway. Above it were three runes carved into the stone. He crept back and told the others and Laarus went forward to examine the runes.

“If Laarus’ power to resist this calling proves insufficient, it may be necessary to restrain him,” Bleys said quietly to Timotheus. Tim nodded

“Earth. Mind. Fire,” Laarus read. “These are runes of the Ancients… The feeling is much stronger, as if… As if something were pushing at my senses trying to make itself felt more fully…” The priest of Ra took a step towards the cave entrance, and Timotheus and Victoria stepped forwarded and gently took a hold of his arms.

“I think we should enter and investigate,” Laarus said.

“This is dangerous…” Bleys said.

“How can you trust something that compels you so?” Victoria asked. “That is, if it is not some holy calling?”

“It is not a holy calling… It is something… different,” Laarus spoke as if distracted, deep in thought. “Yes?”

“Yes what?” Timotheus asked.

“I hear… I sense… There is a voice… In my mind, a voice not my own…” The priest of Ra explained.

Bleys did not hesitate, but cast resistance on Laarus to give the priest whatever aid he might need against a potentially malevolent will.

“We should go and come back in the morning when the light of Ra sheds light on this whole trench,” Victoria said.

“I am not leaving…” Laarus said. “There is something here… Something important… I must find out what…”

“Very well, converse if you must, but do it quickly because we should be going soon,” Bleys said. “We should not camp here…”

“It says…” Laarus hesitated. “It says… ‘I swear by the Bones of the Earth there is no violence here that you do not bring with you…’ It is swearing by Geb.”

“Oh! Okay then… Let’s march right in!” Telémahkos mocked.

“They… It… He… wants to talk to me… To us… now…” Laarus continued to relay what the telepathic voice said. “Need it be now? ‘The definition of need is ever changing…’ It is now or never.”

“You trust this voice?” Timotheus asked.

Laarus nodded. “It swore by Geb… I am willing to put faith in this for now…”

“If you all think it’s safe, I am willing to go and see what is going on here…” Timotheus said, looking to the others. Bleys had pulled Telémahkos and Victoria aside to discuss the matter out of earshot of Laarus.

“Well, I’m ambivalent,” Markos said. “I’ll do whatever the rest of the group decides…”

“It wants to grant us knowledge,” Laarus added, continuing to hear the voice. “And when I asked if it was for weal or woe, it said it depends on what knowledge we seek…”

“Maybe it’s an oracle like in the old stories!” Timotheus said, suddenly excited. He dropped Laarus’ arm.

“Alright, I will go,” Markos decided.

…to be continued…

-----------------------------------------------------------
Notes:

(1) This session was played in Maplewood, New Jersey on Sunday, November 25th, 2007.

(2) In trying to recreate the old 1E varying AC for a bulette to account for the vulnerability under its fin. I decide any time the thing was flanked there was a 50% chance of getting to aim for that soft spot under the fin which only had a +1 natural armor bonus as opposed to the +9 it had everywhere else. As it was an old bulette, so I ruled that its hide was not quite as strong and thick as a younger healthier one.

(3) They dropped the statue in order to outrun the bulette. See Session #20

(4) These are references to battles in Sessions #14 and #7, respectively.
 


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