The Hundred Seas

[GreyOne]

(I-II) Ulfghar
Unfortunately, the fear overcomes you, sending the last vestiges of your courage into panic. Your incantation against the dead turns to mumbled gibberish as you back away, eyes wide with terror.

(OOC): You start to flee the scene as quickly and directly as you are able. You will need to make a Dexterity check (DC 12) to stay on your feet as you flee. If you succeed you may move another 20 feet away from the apparition.

You may take no further actions this round. You will begin to regain your senses in one minute, assuming the source of the fear is no longer present. (In the absence of the fear-causing situation, a hero with the Diplomacy skill can attempt to shake the hero out of his panic).

 

[Ulfghar]

(I-II)

(OOC) Ulfghar rolls a 17 (17 + 1 = 18) on his dexterity check

 

[GreyOne]

(I-II) Ulfghar
You turn desperately to flee, your feet tripping through the high grass but you scramble through without falling. To fall means death. Or worse.

Ahead you see Bragon and Chaufan, both seemingly rooted in place. There is no sign of Keios.

Fear courses through your veins, your blood turned to ice. You must get away, as far and as fast as you can flee. You are no longer able to see the apparition that seeks you, but you know its behind, and getting closer.

 

[GreyOne]

--Being an excerpt from the Chronicle of Graves, by Ghano

The journey along the Janek river proved eventful for Preda and her remaining retainers. The Bucha a'Lei, the "Wood of Spirits" has long held its reputation of fear and disappearance, a place shunned by all except its inhabitants, the Ashaad(1).

Into this great wood the boat containing the four companions and their charges drifted. Their first landing proved costly, for four of the group, intent on scouting the area came upon a crumbled ruin beyond the river. Here it is said they ran across an apparition that chilled the blood and sent all fleeing into the woods. One of Preda's armsmen was lost at this time, his trail the next day being followed deep into the woods. The accounts hold that Fintain and Nado, in search of the missing man came across a hunting party of Ashaad. These huge men, each sporting a wooden mask demanded a tribute. Had not the quick-thinking Nado bartered their way past these barbarians, this tale would have ended more quickly. Eventually, the two warriors abandoned their tracking and returned to the boat.

Throughout the next day, the boat continued its course down river. They were to come across a pool warded by a single large figure, again according to all accounts of the time, an Ashaadi shaman of some sort. This figure, brandishing a spear demanded the boat make an offering to a "goddess" of the river or risk the deity's wrath. This Preda freely did, tossing great riches into the pool. The shaman made a mark on the boat and so they continued on their way down river.


(1) It is the general contention among sages that the Ashaad were a remnant of a non shipborne people, a precursor group who had fallen deep into barbarism, their remnants inhabiting the woods that had once covered the northern Hollow Lands. Little knowledge, even at the time of these events, remained or remains of their mark in the history of the west.

 

[GreyOne]

--Being an excerpt from the Chronicle of Graves, by Ghano

Later that same day, the travellers came to an open lake and found themselves propelled across its surface with great momentum, the journey taking a tenth the time it should have. Doubtlessly a water spirit of some kind aided their progress. The wild places about the Nashia Eliar are even in this day inhabited by many of the ley-o, their ties to the land ancient and deep.

At this point in the accounting, it may be worthwile to note the land into which the companions now found themselves traversing. The bogs of Narlann, the land of the Whispering Marsh are today a broad expanse of marshlands and salt flats. Through this the Janek and numerous tributaries ply a winding course pass great swathes of bog, dead trees and muddy lakes. The bogs of Narlann existed even in the time of the Hollow Lands, and the Imperium, and were generally shunned. Spirits and abominations were said to walk its hidden paths and never was it said to be inhabited except by those fleeing the laws of king or priest.

Thus, hours after the passing of the lake, the boat and its crew again made landing under the westering sun and camped upon an islet in the middle of the bogs. The next morning, however, revealed the disappearance of two of the villagers, their trail leading off into the marshes. It was decided that they must be found, and thus the companions set off in search. The villagers' trail was joined by a third set of prints and finally all were replaced a single set of larger, more feral footprints.

As already pointed out by this sage, the Narlann is a forbidding place, home to abominations and things best forgotten. The companions followed this strange trail and avoiding several pitfalls came to a foul bridge, built solely of bones and ending at the opening of a briar hedge...

 

[GreyOne]

(OOC: post 2nd Game Session-The bridge of animated skeletons has been passed)

Images of boney fingers grasping and clawing, of chattering teeth and staring skulls still dance in your minds as the last of you clamber across the channel and up the opposite embankment. The rotting, lumbering corpses you cut down will provide you with night terrors still to come, but for now, they will have to wait. Chaufan is nearly beside himself, his terror palpable.

The enclosed yard into which you now find yourself has a beaten down path alongthe perimeter of the hedges and two visible exits, one leading back to the collapsed bridge and another barred by a gate made of bones and skulls. The yard's only landmark is a tangle mass of briars near its centre.

 

[bragon gault]

Bragon draws his sword and cautiously apporaches the tangled mass of briars.

 

[fintain]

Fintain also draws his sword and cautiously approaches the briars.

 

[Ulfghar]

Ulfghar has his crossbow ready, staying back a few steps to watch the surrounding territory and prepare for anything unexpected.

 

[GreyOne]

(OOC): Each of you needs to make a Spot check. Fintain you can roll for Nado and Chaufan.

There are droppings of some sort spread around on the ground, and a faint trail leads past the briars to the gate beyond. The enclosure is roughly oval and encircled by briar hedges. In total it is perhaps 180 paces long and 60 wide.