The One True Game: According to Hoyle, and Others

[howandwhy99]

As Gwenna and Miklesh doused the fire, Dram and Dalin removed the weapon crates for the Front into the bed of the wagon. Rose was hoping the Keep’s commander would find a way to send them to the Front for her. Hanz was resituated on top of the crates. The team started off, but had trouble gathering speed. The wagon was much heavier now. Upwards they climbed cutting back and forth along the nearest mountain’s edge. The path narrowed and fell off sharply to one side.

Darius sat in a daze letting his horse follow Dram’s. His quest was near an end. His mount, which he had bonded with long ago back in Keep Margrave, was here. He could feel it. Thor’s gift was near enough, but it was unsure of how to approach. Darius scanned the high mountain peaks and noticed two horned birds perched below him on a lower crest staring back. They were large birds with antlered deer heads; one with six points the other eight. Darius suddenly realized he was looking through the eyes of his mount. Looking further down, he saw the ribboned road looping up the mountain pass. A wagon was approaching with several riders. Then he saw a dwarven figure on horseback… himself. Darius realized the deerbirds were positioned for an intercept course on the caravan.

Using his mount’s eyes he looked down at himself. He had a golden-feathered chest and long feathers on his legs leading to golden scales and claws. Large wings furled behind him with a feathered tail at end. Darius looked through his own eyes. Ahead two mountains closed in on either side of the path. To the right 1000’ upwards he saw his mount for the first time, a huge golden eagle perched high on a rocky crag. He looked to his left and saw the two predator deerbirds about 800’ above. Even from a distance they looked vicious and loathsome. He stopped the caravan and pointed out what he had discovered to his friends. Grog had never seen anything like the birds before, but the mercenaries had. “The first time I saw them both was a month or so ago,” said Gwenna.

Darius used the eagle’s eyes to scan the mountains again. The walls of Alderweg Keep were beyond the next few mountain ridges. The team was still some ways away. Rose cried out to the deerbirds in a shrill language. She sounded like a bird. “OY! You want food!? No fight.” The pair did not move, but Darius realized he could understand what Rose was saying though his eagle’s ears. Rose repeated herself, this time using the deer tongue. The larger deerbird called down in perfect Common,
“Give us one of the human.” It’s voice sounded like no animal sound at all. Dram leaned over to Darius and whispered, “Hanz?” Rose bartered with the creatures. She convinced the pair to accept three horses for passage. It was all they could spare.
“The Eagle?” screeched the deerbird again.
“I can control it,” said Darius quietly and Rose conveyed the message.

Three of the wagon’s draft horses were switched out for their own. Rose did not like what she had to do. Telling the three horses food was ahead; they sauntered forward to their deaths. As soon as they were separated from the caravan the deerbirds soared into the sky and dove down with the sun at their backs. Two horses died quickly. The third galloped away in terror when the others shrieked. The predators expertly mauled open the horses’ gullets. Each tore out a single organ from within and went off to chase the third horse around the bend. Neither predator nor prey returned. When the violence was over the wagon lurched forward again. Rose inspected the two horse carcasses in the road. The deerbirds had torn out the hearts of the beasts leaving the meat to rot. It was such a terrible waste in her mind. She suggested taking the meat with them, but no one else wanted to eat horse.

A few minutes later a massive 12’ tall eagle landed in the middle of the roadway. Its wingspan was easily twice its height. The horses spooked and their riders struggled to keep them under control. Darius dismounted and handed his reins to Rose to calm his horse. The eagle was ready for him and he eagerly climbed aboard. WHOOOSHHH!!!!! Darius was moving faster than he thought possible. His mount climbed high into the sky, so high it was hard to breathe. They were above the clouds. The rest of the team on the ground saw the bird’s form grow smaller and smaller. Then it reappeared in a dive. “YEEEEHAAAWW!!” shouted Darius, but he could hardly hear himself. As flew he was the eagle. Their hearts and minds were as one. He learned several things during that first flight soaring over the mountains. Their connection would always be felt, but within a mile’s distance of each other they could share each other’s thoughts and senses. He could understand and speak in ‘eagle’, as it could speak his languages. After what felt an interminable wait for those on the ground Darius finally landed again. He instructed his eagle to fly above the mountain pass and to watch for danger.

When it looked like they might finally get on the road again Kayla spoke up, “We need to warn the other caravans about the price of passage. If they try and ride through, they will be slaughtered.” It was wise council, but also another impediment to reaching the Keep. Father Ben gave his horse to Miklesh to ride back down and warn the others. As they waited for him, Ben went into the back of the wagon to escape the winds. Hanz was still passed out on the bed. Kayla and Diedre had pulled out and were inspecting Lavinia’s chest. Because of how Darius had called it, ‘Lavinia’s other son”, they believed someone might be trapped inside. Ben suddenly felt tingly all over. He heard a voice in his mind. A voice that was different than the others.

"OPEN THE CHEST."

"YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS DO NOT STAND A CHANCE OF SURVIVING THE HAZARDS OF CASTLE ALDERVEEG UNLESS YOU RELEASE ME FROM WHENCE I AM IMPRISONED. IT TOOK ALL I COULD TO HAVE THE BLUE MAN DROP HIS CLOAK.”

“YOU MUST LET ME OUT.”

Ben collapsed to the ground falling backwards out of the wagon. He began babbling.

"No.... no, no.... I will not listen to you. .. . No! We must not open the chest.. You are ... the cloak.... up to the heavens.. .. no.. not the chest... It cannot be so.... blue man dropped the?... we will survive the keep you are wrong.... uhh.."

He passed out.
.
.
.
.
And then began to float. About 3' off the ground.

 

[howandwhy99]

Rose looked at Kayla and Dierdre "See, I told you he could fly"

Kayla jumped up and rushed over to Ben. Seeing that he appeared unconscious she then called for Darius. "Darius I need your assistance." She then looked at Rose and asked, "Was he unconscious the last time he was flying?"

Rose: “No he was very angry actually and promising fire and vengeance on the gnoll...fire, vengeance, hell, eternal pain...something like that I can't remember exactly

Darius trotted over on his horse to the wagon and saw Ben. He looks him for a moment, then began to pray and see if Thor would give him insight as to why this was happening. He received no answer. He called Dram over to attempt to rouse the priest.

Ben awoke with a start his eyeballs spinning around at the others staring at him on what he believed was the wagon bed.

Ben: "Ahh.. yes, well. It seems like I've blacked out again. I heard more voices like the dreams we all had back in the water cave. Only these were not dreams. These spoke.... whoooaah!"

Ben noticed he was aloft and tried putting a foot on the ground only succeeding in spinning to the roadway below. Pushing himself up he hung his head sheepishly.

"Well, I was trying to keep this from you all. It seems though I cannot any longer. The truth is...I have been cursed. Cursed by what may be an evil god. Or perhaps it's a demon." he said looking frightful. "It is why my parents sent me to stay with the Fathers in Sylverton Abbey in the first place."

"Well, you don't need to know all that. What is important is that the curse has returned. I think it may have been in part to what we found in the caves below Quesquaton. What I called the Godnail. What I believe may be the missing piece from a God. Whether benevolent or malevolent I do not know. All I know is the time I spent studying with Father Hetrick did not lead to further revelation in the faith. Instead, my mind twitches more than ever. Like a muscle after a long day's travel."

"After returning to Outpost Xavier is when I first noticed another event. The floating. It started accompanied with a number of nightmares. I awoke in terror only to find myself 'above' the blanket. There were many nights with changed bedsheets after that."

"I am sorry now that I tried to hide this fact as long as I have. I fear I may be putting us all at risk. Undoubtedly the County is better off with me not as head of the temple in Keep Margrave. It is why I agreed to travel with you to the Dwarven Kingdoms in the first place and abandon Margrave to its own cruel fate."

Rose: "Why do you think that it's evil simply to have the ability to fly without a giant eagle?"

Ben: "Well the voice in the cave was very evil. It spoke to me in my head using a language I did not understand. It tried to climb inside me. I cannot see any positive side to that."

"Also it is similar to other such vices. I feel urgings that I must strive to control. They usually come in the night. I must be stern lest I am tempted to lift myself up and float to the heavens or... somewhere else. I am not ready to leave this place yet. So I fight and struggle against this ascension."

"Then there was the rat we believed was Elion and I spoke to it, but only later did I realize it was not aloud. It was verminous and we later learned not truly Elion, but might have been part of the attack."

"And just now I heard an evil voice telling me to release the sheets from the chest in our newfound cloak-hole. It said something like: 'you will surely die in the Castle Adlerweg if you do not release me immediately! I made the blue man drop me! I must be released!'"

"Only it sounded much worse. Surely this is an evil curse."

Darius: “Perhaps the head of my order can assist you somehow, my friend.”

Rose: “So if you knew about this then why did you deny what happened with the Gnoll some days ago?”

Dram: "Father Ben, you are my friend and have healed my wounds, and I thank you for that, so please do not take what I'm going to say the wrong way. Have you considered the worship of Thor? He would smite these demons from your head! A curse on a cleric of his? Not likely! Your God has left you, which is surely why you float. Thor's iron will is my anchor. Let him be yours! But, apart from the evil voices and the floating, is there any other harm that this curse may cause you or your comrades?”

Ben: "Well uh... um... er no. I guess not. But the wrath of these evil beings may be brought upon all near me, not just myself. It is a risk you need to know."

"And I do venerate the Goodly God Thor. His importance is made even more relevant in this time of war. But I still revere other Gods as well and strive to learn what is holy in all things. Given that this door was open before I ever became a Brother I do not think the curse of divine fault. Maybe I should sequester myself though? For the good of all?"

Darius: "I hardly find that needed, Father Ben. However, perhaps it would be best to remain unarmed until as such time as you need your weapon again?"

Dalin: Agreeing with Darius, "In fact, I think the opposite is true. Rather than being sequestered, one of us should be certain to watch over you at all times, to be sure you bring no harm to yourself or others and also to note anything you might say or do when overcome by one of these spells. The more information we have about them, the better."

Ben: Handing his flail over "A sound idea. I will keep the sling just in case. It is poor defensively in case of... By the by, I would like to be of some aid if we are attacked."

"I do think it is unwise to enter the Adlerweg Keep. Now Livinia and her sons lie within she may have called an alarm. The gnolls mentioned their troll leaders having taken over the keep and his having a friend 'we would not want to wake'. The deer-birds spoke clearly in the common tongue too. And I suspect they are wild creatures working with the trolls as lookouts. Our presence is already known."

Dalin: "While I do not doubt there are dangers within the Keep, can we truly take the chance of Dram's brother being in there?"

Reluctantly, Father Ben gave in. He would go with them into the Keep, but he asked for his flail to be returned to him if there was trouble within. Dram and Dalin had moved off to one side to talk. Kayla and Deidre were busily storing the chest back in the cloakhole. In truth, Father Ben’s revelation had set off a number of different conversations around the stalled wagon train. An hour after his departure Miklesh finally arrived back from the other caravan. The team was on its way again.

 

[howandwhy99]

[Session 15]

A little further up the road, Dram spotted a large nest in the rock face above. He guessed it was the deerbirds’. As the others looked up, Rose moved over to the cliff’s edge on the right side of the path. The vertigo did not seem to bother her. Far below in the ravine were the remains of the third horse. The thin line of a river ran along the bottom. It paralleled the road up and down the mountain. After a few more hours of travel Dram finally called out, “Halt the wagons! Around the next bend in the road they saw Keep Adlerweg. It was built right into the side of the mountain. As tall as it was, the Keep was still dwarfed by the surrounding cliffsides. It hugged the edge rising up over five stories in height. The road wound around its large base perched on an outcropping of rock. Warmachines that looked like giant crossbows could be seen on the lowest rooftops. Numerous windows were cut into the upper levels and arrowslits along the base. Adlerweg was a truly amazing sight to behold.

“A little young, but not too shabby,” said Darius. He placed it at two centuries old give or take a decade. He was certain Dwarfs must have helped in its manufacture. Father Ben just felt fortunate there were no guards for the Keep in sight.
“Traveler on the road!” shouted Ormand the Redd. Further around the bend, about fifty yards away, a man was cowering behind some stones. Rose took out her club and approached. She could tell the man was human even with his dark skin and exotic features. He did not resemble any of the dark-skinned humans she had seen in Kera.

When Rose drew closer she heard him whimpering.
“Please don’t eat me. I am very sick and have been forced to eat rats.” The man’s accent was as just as unusual as his appearance. As he knelt in the road prostrate like a slave begging its master she looked at his dress carefully. He wore only a dirty robe and a cloth wrapped around his head in a knot.
“Get up. We’re not going to eat you.”
“Thank you, Thank you,” the man kept bowing low. “Praise the Gods you have found me here. Are you a spirit or a demon? Who do I thank for my rescue?” Rose could not help her amusement. She twirled her club playfully.
“It is…. complicated. Are you injured?”
“No. No. I am a lost traveler from far, far away.”
“In that we have a commonality. Do you seek our aid?”

The dark-skinned man bowed even deeper and lower if such a thing was possible. A greasy smile came over his windborne face. “Oh yes. I seek to go where you are going. I seek to follow you in your path.”
Rose was smiled again. “Okay… If you are prepared to enter the keep behind you, you may follow.” Rose began telling the stranger the team’s reasons for venturing all the way from their homelands to this mountain pass, and about the slaves in Kera City, and the search for Tankurd.
“NO!!” shouted Dram running forward. He and Darius had been approaching. Dram pulled Rose backwards. Looking at the kneeling foreigner he said, “What are you? Some kind of slave?”
The stranger sat up studying Dram and then callously regarded him. “No barbarian. I am not.” He turned his gaze back to Rose ignoring everything else. “I was a servant to a great merchant such as you have never seen.” Dram pulled out his sword, but the stranger did not break eye contact. “We had an accident. Or I did, at least. We were to travel to a distant land. I was to go first and prepare the way. The next thing I knew, I awoke here.”

“How long ago was that?” asked Rose sympathetically.
“About… a few days ago. Only this morning did I find this road.” Darius finally arrived next to Dram.
“What is the name of the land you come from?” asked Rose.
“The land I come from? It…it cannot be pronounced in this trade tongue we converse in.”
“That is to bad. Hmm… What other languages do you know?” The stranger listed off some strange tongues, none of which she had even heard of before. Then Rose remembered her manners. “My apologies. This is Darius our Dwarf Paladin. And this is Dram. He is… of Margrave. I am Rose from the Front. Who might you be?”
The stranger finally stood up and bowed formally. “My name is Houshang.”
”Come again?” said Dram. It was nearly impossible for him to understand the foreigner. He only knew this ‘Wu-Tang’ had the thickest accent of any man alive.

 

[howandwhy99]

Darius was willing to take on new followers, but only if they were fully aware of the dangers of entering the Keep. He wanted no one captured and sold into slavery without first knowing the risk beforehand. “I am far from home,” said Housang. “I need coin, money, cash, how do you say? Gold. If there is such inside, I will help cleanse it for you.” Darius was unsure of what he meant, but the team needed any help it could get. In his mind, the eagle had messaged him more disturbing news. Leaving the dwarf behind, Rose took Houshang back around the bend and made group introductions.
The others agreed on Houshang’s joining, but Father Ben had one question. “What Gods do you worship in the land you come from?”
Houshang bowed curtly. “We have many.” And he left it at that.

“More wagons!” shouted Miklesh. The second caravan was coming up behind them. The team had wasted far too much time.
“We need to stop them from entering,” said Darius. “My eagle has been watching the Keep for the last several days. Dozens of large green, hairy men have moved in and out during that time. These must be the trolls the gnoll warband warned us about.” Father Ben and Ormand the Redd moved to block the path with their horses. Rose jumped up next to Gwenna in the wagon’s driver’s seat.
“We need to talk,” she told the mercenary leader. “I need to get rid of the Earl’s spiralstone, so I can use both hands again. You must have used one before.” Gwenna explained there was a box just inside the first gate with many such stones inside.
“This is where the keeplord has always stored them.”
“Wait just a minute!” shouted Rose standing up. “That’s my sword! Those are for the Front!” She had just noticed the mercenaries were wielding some of the Earl’s contribution.

“It was part of the deal for hiring us. Take it up with your Dwarf.”
Rose was fit to be tied. “He had no right to give them to you! They are my responsibility, not his!”
“Tough luck for you.”
Rose regained control of herself. Politely, she agreed to talk about the matter later when appropriate. “Now. When were you last at Keep Adlerweg?”
”Gee…” Gwenna considered. “About two… maybe three weeks ago. There was no avalanche then. Everything was normal. The guards were out. You understand.” Behind Rose Gwenna saw the other caravan’s wagons pull up and stop. She quickly jumped down and ran over to go talk with their drivers. Rose watched her run off without a word.

Darius was concentrating on his eagle again. His new mount had seen a veritable army of red people, goblinoids Darius believed, fighting the tall green people near their stone nest. He knew by now, the eagle termed the Keep a people-nest. The Red Army was fighting the Green Army to get inside. I had been repelled every time so far. Darius asked if it had seen any humans and fixed Dalin’s face in his mind. It had. Six riders entered a day ago and had not left. “Heeere bird bird bird bird bird.” Rose was calling birds to her and he could understand the meaning of her chirping. Rose asked a sparrow to go inspect the Keep, but it kept calling out ”Seed? Seed?”

Dram and Dalin ducked back around the bend. Three figures had come out from the Keep and were walking towards them. Peeking around the stone again, they saw the grey figures reenter the Keep through the nearer gate. “We can’t just sit here,” whispered Dalin. Dram agreed. The two went back and interrupted Darius who was simply standing in the road with his eyes closed.
“Listen,” started Dram. “That keep is full of trolls. We both know it. I don’t think they are just going to let us stroll in there like slavers from Kera and buy my brother back. I think we’re DEAD, if we go inside – if you don’t mind me sayin’ so – or even if ya do! But I have better plan. If someone were to sneak inside, we could see where they have Tankurd tied up. Then we know he’s been sold to the trolls, right?”
Darius nodded solemnly. “It’s good of you to volunteer.”

“Oh no! I’m not so big a fool as to sneak in a keep o’ trolls!” said Dram. “That’s suicide!” Rose hopped down from the wagon and ran over. She had overheard the conversation, as did half the team.
“I’ll go. I need to get rid of this thing anyways,” Rose said holding up the spiralstone. Darius looked over at Dram who twice as tall as Rose and three times as heavy.
“Thor’s Hammer was never so heavy! Here! Take this.” Dram handed the Fey a potion in an unmarked vial. “It should make you harder to see.”
“Thanks!” said Rose gleefully.

“Just a moment,” Darius told her. He had been interrupted trying to learn as much information about the Keep from his eagle as possible. His mount knew of a much smaller structure farther up the road where more people stayed. Darius did not quite understand if more people meant goblins or the Keep’s original human occupants. The eagle then showed him a second path. A narrow trail wound back along the roadway some seventy above the team. It led to a door in the Keep at a much higher level. Darius believed the original occupants had fallen back using that exit. In his mind’s eye he saw it wind upwards to the mountain’s precipice. Unfortunately, the eagle had seen no human people during its stay here, only more red walking on the high narrow path.

Rose was tired of waiting. She swallowed all of Dram’s potion and unexpectedly disappeared. Dram and Dalin watched as her little footprints formed in the dust walking away. Suddenly a large hole appeared in the middle of the road. Dalin went over and picked up the cloakhole. “If the Gods are with us Dram, she’ll come back alive.”
“I sure hope so,” replied Dram. Behind them Ormand the Redd still watched sadly as the little tracks marched closer and closer to the Keep.
“Get a move on!” shouted Gwenna. Miklesh was already helping her maneuver the wagons around for a quick getaway.

 

[howandwhy99]

Rose could smell the sweat of gnolls before she even entered. The Keep’s bottom floor was by far its’ largest. Two arrowslits overlooked the road. Then a large gate loomed open to any who dared enter. Beyond more arrowslits followed the wall around a corner. As Rose walked she saw a furry shadow standing behind the second arrowslit. She stopped and inspected the first gate. Two gnolls guarded the entrance, one to either side. “They must have spotted us,” thought Rose. “They are waiting to ambush anyone who comes through.” She looked at the open gateway. Even some twenty feet below it, the raised metal portcullis tickled her skin. In front of the portcullis were three, curiously small, dark windows angled downwards. Rose wished she could climb up without being heard and stick her head inside to get a better view. But she did not dare try it. Still, the windows was perplexed her. “Maybe they’re slides for cats?” she guessed.

Very quietly Rose tiptoed past the two guards and into the Keep. The gateway walls funneled inwards and then opened into a single large space. Torches lit the room. Rose did not breathe as carefully moved deeper inside. Looking to her left, she spotted the gnoll behind the arrowslit. Two more guarded the second gateway across the room. The far wall held the only interior door, a wooden one with banded metal. In the room’s center several large piles of stone were jumbled. Each was carved, as if it were once a statue, but now crushed to pieces. She could not determine if they were dropped or simply piled in place. Then she saw it: a large wooden crate without a top. It was against the wall near the gnoll in the arrowslit. Quietly walking over, Rose saw three more spiralstones inside. She gently placed her own stone in the bottom and drew her hand back. The stone was still stuck! She tried touching it to other stones or to the crate, but nothing worked.

Rose knew the cursed stone would be nothing but trouble. After a few more experiments, she finally relented and walked around the room searching for secret passages. She found two. One was in the interior stone wall just to the left of the normal door. The second reminded her of a covered pit trap. It was built into the floor several feet across from the first secret door. Rose listened at both, but heard nothing. Moving to the normal door she immediately heard rough voices within. Light streamed out a large keyhole in the door tempting her to peek through. Rose obliged. Beyond was a smaller room. Four half-humans sat playing cards around a wooden table. There was so much gold on it her eye tickled just looking. “Let’s take stock,” she thought to her self. “Five gnolls, two with bows, three with axes, all in scale armor and shield. Add to that four half-somethings in leather armor – obviously weaker. I think we could take them. The key is getting inside without being seen beforehand.” Trying to think of what to do next, she decided to wait.

A full hour later, four more large gnolls marched inside through the far gateway. “They must have been patrolling the pass,” Rose thought. The five guarding the exits switched positions with them. Rose was amazed at how regimented they were. Every one marched in formation, whether they were paired, in a group, or alone. Rose followed the five gnolls as they left out the second gateway. They marched down the road and just as the soldiers reached the end of the Keep’s wall they stopped. One stepped over some fallen rocks where the wall abutted the stone. Somehow it opened yet another secret door. Rose could barely see a set of stairs inside before the gnolls entered and the door closed. Checking the wall for seams she found the sides to the secret entrance. “It’s very cleverly hidden, but once you know where to look…” she thought. Taking her time, she checked the rest of the Keep’s exterior wall, but found nothing.

Rose walked back around the mountain bend and towards Darius. She could see Father Ben walking like he had a full bladder again. “Rose?” Diedre searched around blindly with her hands out. Somehow the woman had sensed her return.
“I’m back,” said Rose. The rest of the team gathered around. Rose had to grab a hold of Darius to avoid being stepped on. She gave as full a report of everything she had seen. The team listened in dismay. A long discussion followed afterwards about whether or not to the Keep could be entered by force. In the end, they decided to head back towards Kera and make plans that night.

Rose tugged at Kayla’s robe. “How long do invisibility potions last?” she asked.
“I am unsure,” said Kayla. “We may need to find an antidote.”
”What!” cried Rose. She enjoyed walking around unseen, but with large slow-moving humans about it would be dangerous. She stared at the large feet moving around her sullenly.
“Did you bother to look for Tankurd?” asked Dram.
“I-I couldn’t. They would have seen me,” Rose whimpered.
“What about your stone?” asked Ormand. Rose pouted and wanted to cry. She shook her head, but no one saw.

 

[howandwhy99]

Gwenna led the team’s large wagon down the mountain. As Houshang had no horse he walked beside it. The merchants of the second caravan followed the group a good distance behind. They were very afraid of the deerbirds for some untold reason. Darius concentrated on his eagle again. He learned the deerbirds were gone, probably out hunting. As the caravan descended dark clouds covered the sky and the wind picked up. Drops of rain began to fall slicking the road and slowing travel. At dusk the campsite from the previous night was at last reached. A fire was built for warmth and for the watch to see, but most slept in the covered wagon to stay out of the rain.

Hanz was fully awake and active after having slept the whole day on Rose’s feather mattress. Ben removed the man’s bandages as Darius tried to convince Hanz to join the worship of Thor. The mercenary only listened humoring Darius without asking questions. He did not even ask about his missing ring that had been taken from him as he slept. When Darius set the watch order Hanz suggested he could stay up all night and sleep in the next day. Wisely, Darius decided against it.

Lightning crashed amoung the mountains illuminating the night sky in flashes. Dram and Miklesh sat in the rain near the fire on first watch. Dram reflected on the prospect of finding his brother alive, if at all. He believed Keep Adlerweeg would be impossible to attack without an army. And if Darius was right, a goblin army already stood on the far side of the pass waiting to attack even if they were successful. None of it boded well for rescuing Tankurd. Miklesh silently pulled out a tarp for the two to share. Dram regarded the man. He said little and was surer of himself than Ormand was. “And he doesn’t complain like most people,” thought Dram. He was glad to have him on his side. Lightning flashed again. For a second Dram could swear he saw a shadow of a man coming up the roadway. The lightning flashed again and he was certain of it.

“Go wake the fighters, Grog first.” Miklesh followed orders and crawled under the team’s wagon to where Grog slept. Dram unsheathed his sword and regarded the thing approaching from below. From afar the figure looked like a huge giant, but distance was deceiving. “Thor’s hammer, he must be twice the size of Grog!” thought Dram. Darius joined him by his side, but said not a word. The whole team was awake now. Dram sent Grog out to talk with the Giant.
“Draw your sword first!” called out Rose over the wind. Grog grew to over twice his normal height, twenty feet tall. Then he strolled down to meet the Giant. Darius could tell it was moving much faster than the half-ogre. Father Ben saw Whoshang hiding under the wagons. “Who you!” called out Grog. The Giant man held up his hand in greeting. It was difficult to see his features in the rain. “Come close to light. Talk to Darius. He know more.” The figure climbed higher and higher. As it did so it seemed to slow down and grow shorter and shorter. The dimensions of the slope and the road readjusted themselves in Dram’s eyes. When the Giant finally reached the firelight, it was only a normal human.

“Hello my friends. It is one named Darius I seek.” The stranger grinned broadly. His misshapen body and horribly scarred face distorted the smile. Darius approached him and looked in the man’s eyes. Then the two moved down the path a little to talk in private about things like ‘Thor’, ‘Odin’, and the ‘Rainbow Bridge’. When Darius returned he introduced the team to Jakob the Monk. “He and I actually dreamt of each other,” explained Darius. “It happened shortly after Pax was killed. I don’t know the reason behind the dreams, but he wishes to follow me. And I have agreed to hire him on. Out of my own funds of course.” Grog blinked sleepily. The rest of the team gave their general assent. Ben asked Darius to watch over Jakob until he could be tested.

The second watch passed without incident. The wind and rain had lessened by the time Grog and Houshang sat alone on the third. “Grog! You are a mighty warrior!” said Houshang. Grog looked over at the foreigner he had been ignoring. The man’s mouth had not closed once since he sat down. “And you carry a mighty sword and shield! If only I had such weapons, then Houshang would be as great a warrior as Grog!”
“Grog sword not for sale man. Grog win sword. This sword of Krag, King of Giants! Grog steal this sword.” Houshang coaxed the whole story from Grog of how he killed many trolls in revenge of his brother’s death. It was during his battles with these trolls, and orcs, and other strange creatures that Grog had come upon the sword. “And now sword Grog’s,” he finished. “Grog carry and remember brother.”

“And a very compelling story it is, if I may say so,” said Houshang. “Grog,” the stranger sprang to his feet. “Grog, I must tell you a secret. Will you keep a secret between us two?”
”What secret?”
“A most powerful secret, my tall friend. You see, I can make you stronger!”
Grog slapped his knee. “Ha! Haaahaa… Grog already strong!”
Houshang was not deterred. “Please bend down so I might show you precisely how strong I mean.” Grog crouched and looked into the stranger’s eyes. Suddenly he realized the stranger was actually a great friend of his. “Here,” said Houshang, “take this gold this coin from my hand.” He held out a cheap lead coin to the half-ogre.
“Grog like. Grog feel stronger already!”
“Ah Yes! And as long as you keep that gold coin and… and show it to no one, then you shall remain strong.” Grog told his new best friend many secrets during their watch. In return Houshang was allowed to test Grog’s sword. The stranger grew to four times his height, swung the sword, and laughed merrily.

 

[howandwhy99]

[DAY 103 – Holyday, Sceptre 7th, CY 81]

“Yep, two of ‘em,” said the other caravan’s leader. “Run off in the night. I’d’ve suspected foul play, but nothin’ could’ve attacked us up here without someone seein’.” Gwenna listened closely. It was early morning. The clients she was currently working for were taking their sweet time in choosing what to do next: either go to the Keep, or go back to Kera. She was actually sad, however, to hear about the loss of two caravan guards. It could easily have been her and a mate. If the men were lucky, the caravan would find them on the road back to the City “If they decided to go off trail into the hills…” Gwynna did not want to finish the thought.

Rose had been on last watch. To her dismay she was still invisible. She overheard Gwenna and the other caravan leader talking and decided to search for the lost guards. Scouting the perimeter she found signs of a scuffle near the cliff’s edge. Three pairs of booted feet were involved, but only one pair led away. Over the edge she saw nothing but rocks and the river. A gust of air suddenly blew up and almost pushed Rose off the side. Darius’s giant eagle landed. The paladin had decided to ride on his mount for the rest of the trip to Kera. The team had not reached consensus and put off working on one yet again. When they reached Kera, they would see what resources were available and then make a decision. Rose secretly hoped the Earl would send an army to take back the Keep. Other members did not believe his rulership was so benign.

Under cover in the wagon Kayla and Diedre pulled out Lavinia’s chest to inspect it again. Rose took advantage of her situation and hid in back to watch them. Her own horse was harnessed to the wagon anyways. Kayla showed Diedre a new discovery. The cloakhole could be folded in on itself. She shrunk it down to the size of a handkerchief and left it on the floorboards next to the chest. Deviously, Rose stuck her hand in the little hole and whispered. “The servant that pushes the items out” Her fingertips tingled then a powerful shock coursed through her hand and up her arm. Instinctively Rose jerked backwards, but not before screaming out in the pain. “Who’s there!” shouted Diedre accusingly.
“Nobody, but us nobodies… Ohhhh, I think I need to lie down.” Rose’s form pressed into the featherbed.
“It is dangerous to test things you know nothing about,” said Kayla. Then she returned to attentions to the closed chest.

“LET ME OUT!” Ben heard in his mind. The voice had returned… the one that sounded just like his own voice. “LET ME OUT!” Ben reined his horse to a stop thinking he might pass out again and fall off. Dismounting, he sat down in the road and felt the gravel in his hands.
“Who are you?” asked Ben.
Dram rode up behind Ben and called out “Stop the wagons!”
“I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THE KEEP”
“The guardian? But what is your name?” The rest of the caravan halted. Darius rode over to Ben’s side and dismounted.
“THE SENTINEL”
Darius gave Ben a shake. “You’re talking to yourself again, Father.”
Kayla and Diedre hopped out from the back the wagon. “I think he can hear Lavinia’s son inside the chest!” called out Kayla. “If we can release him from the chest, maybe he can tell us how to sneak inside Adlerweg?”

“LET ME OUT!” Ben heard in his mind again. Kayla’s proposal sounded quite plausible to him at the moment. Grog was already pulling Lavinia’s chest out from the wagon.
“I think we should do it,” said Ben. “Either way, the ghosts must be destroyed.” The team arrayed themselves around the chest in the middle of the open road. Gwenna and Miklesh drove the horses and wagon a good distance away for safety. Darius was already formulating a plan. He would hide behind the chest, while Grog in Giant-form smashed the sheets with his sword.
“Be careful not to hit the chest,” Darius cautioned him. Father Ben was given a spear to pop open the chest. He was to look inside for Lavina’s son as soon as it opened.

“Ready?” shouted Darius. “One… Two… Three… Pull!” Ben flipped the lid open. The two green sheetghosts slowly drifted out left and right from the interior. Darius slammed the chest lid back down from behind. NOW!” he shouted. The two sheets hung one from either side. Jakob threw a curved blade about the size of a knife. It stuck into the side of the chest missing. Ben swung awkwardly with the spear and missed horribly. He had never used such a weapon before. Grog in Giant-form heaved his massive sword downward and struck the left sheet. It tore and turned white around the wound. A disembodied voice was heard speaking a strange language. Ben looked behind him, but could not find the source.

“Damn it all!” Both of Dram’s shots missed, ruining his the precious silver arrows he had chosen. Ormand the Redd hit the torn sheet twice with his own arrows. It turned completely white and then dissolved into ash.

The second sheetghost struggled to pull itself out of the chest. Dram fired a third silver arrow missing again. Ben called upon the power of the Gods, but the ghost resisted. Grog moved to over and swung his sword. The swing rent the other sheet in two. It turned white and then deteriorated on the ground like the other. “We won!” shouted out the disembodied voice.
“That was much easier this time,” said Dalin.
“Let’s open it up!” called out Kayla. “Father Ben, do you hear anything?” Jakob moved up to the chest and opened it. Ash from the dead sheetghosts covered the contents. Blowing it away, he saw silver and gold coins filled the chest to the brim. A gold statuette stuck out of the pile on one side. Lying on top in the center was one white glove.
Ben peeked over Jacob’s shoulder. “No one’s in there!” he said. Then in his head he thought to himself, “Are you the glove?”

“I AM THE SENTINEL”
Ben was confused. He remembered back to Kustler and Urkwin the thin man. “For Keep Adlerweg? You’re the Sentinel of what or who?” Ben stared off into space not speaking aloud this time.
“What is it?” asked Kayla. She moved forward and looked inside the chest. The stranger Jakob was curious as well. Seeing the glove inside, he reached for it. ZAP! He flew backwards ten feet and hit the ground hard. His body was still shaking and smoking from the blast when Darius reached his side.
“What was that?” the dwarf shouted. Darius searched for wounds on his new friend. There were none, but the monk was still gravely injured.
“It’s a blasted trap!” said Dram and he kicked over the chest with his boot. Coins spilled all over the roadway. The rest of the team ran forward to pick them up before they rolled over the edge. Grog shrank down to normal size and nearly squashed Rose who was trying to avoid the wave of rolling metal.

 

[howandwhy99]

Ignoring the scene around him, Ben casually reached down and picked up the glove that had fallen from the chest. When his hand touched it, the glove came alive and molded itself onto his right hand. Then it returned to normal as if Ben had put it on himself. It was made of smooth white goatskin and finely stitched. The glove was so soft and light it felt like wearing nothing at all. “Can you still hear me?” he thought to it.
”GIVE ME TO THE WOMAN” Ben looked around for Kayla and saw the rest of his team crouching down and picking up coins. They was mostly silver, but a good smattering of gold and even small white gems were strewn across the roadway.

“It is worthless,” Houshang was telling Darius. “It is trash that no one would ever buy.” The stranger held the gold statue in one hand and several coins in another. “I would be doing you a favor in getting rid of it for you. Please, let me sell it to someone for twice its price and we can split the profits, yes?”
Darius disagreed. He took the statuette away from Houshang. It was far too heavy to be anything but solid gold, hardly worthless. The figure resembled a human warrior with its hands thrust outward. “It resembles the jade statuette,” he thought to himself. “Perhaps it’s a twin?” To Houshang he said, “We’ll be keeping it until we know what it is for certain... until then, hand over the coin. We have yet to come to terms on how you will be paid or even what you’ll be doing.”
Houshang pocketed the silver coins defiantly. “They are mine. I found them on the road. They had no owner until they reached my palm.” Darius decided to let the incident pass for now.

Kayla looked at Ben who was standing in the pile of coins and whispering to himself. “What have you found? Ben! Are you still with us?” Bizarrely, a severed hand floated out from the back of the wagon.
“WE ARE THE GUARDIAN OF KEEP ALDERWEEG” Ben repeated back what he just heard to Kayla. ”GIVE ME TO THE WOMAN” Ben closed his mouth. He had known for months now Kayla was a witch, but one who used her sorcery for his benefit and the others. Still, he did not know how long her good intentions might continue. Unexpectedly he felt a rock in his right hand and he grasped it.
“Rose’s spiralstone? What’s this?” said Ben. Still invisible, Rose giggled from behind Kayla.
“Well at least she’s rid of it,” said Kayla. “The glove must have something to do with the Earl. What are you hearing? Can it answer questions?”
Ben nodded. “It’s been slow to speak. Quick! Get me some of your parchment and a quill and ink. Remember the skinny man? I just had an idea.”

Ben picked out the writing utensils he used for letters to Father Stauk-Flezr while Kayla retrieved her books. The rest of the team finished brushing the fallen coin into the cloakhole now placed in middle of the road. Out of the corners of their eyes they studied Ben and the glove he now wore. Gwenna and her two mercenaries directed the other caravan’s wagons past the congregation in the road. When all was ready Ben set his inked quill to the page and the glove began to write:

IT IS OUR DUTY TO FREE THE KEEP ALDERWEEG FROM THE OPPRESSORS THAT NOW HOLD THE PASS TO ALL FREE LANDS

“Which side are the free lands!” called out Diedre. She, Kayla, and Darius had gathered close to the book. They were the only others who could read. Houshang the stranger watched over Darius’s shoulder intent on watching anyways. Ben repeated the question in his mind.

NEITHER NOW UNTIL WE FREE THE KEEP OF ALDERWEEG.

“Well then, which side was free?” grumbled Darius. Ben tried to repeat the question his head, but the answer came before he began.

THIS SIDE WAS FREE

“What’s it saying? shouted Dalin. Kayla started reading the answers aloud.
“Ask it what it can do!” spoke Rose’s voice.

I CAN OPEN ANY DOOR WITHIN THE KEEP.
I CHASE THOSE WHO ARE EVIL AWAY.
I EMBOLDEN THE GUARDIAN AND THOSE WITH MAGIC I STRENGTHEN.
I ALSO COMMAND WITHIN THE KEEP AND I KNOW THE AURAS OF THOSE WHO ENTER WITHIN

Ben immediately tried to use the last power. Calling on the glove like he did the Gods’ power he scanned for auras. It did not work. “Perhaps it means the powers work only within the Keep?” he said aloud.
“Ask it how often it strengthens the guardian with magic,” said Kayla.
Ben was a little put off. He suddenly realized what the glove had written. Dropping the quill he asked in his mind, “Is it sorcerous magic you command?”
“YES”

Ben screeched. “I don’t want it! Get it off me! It’s sorcery! Likely a trapped demon!”
“GIVE ME TO THE WOMAN” it said in his mind again. Ben’s distrust was all that stopped him.
“Pray tell, what exactly are the gloves powers?” asked Houshang. “Perhaps it needs a magician to properly control the forces within?” The strange man with the funny hat held his hand forth as if to touch the glove. Ben hastily jerked it away.
”GIVE ME TO THE MAN” the voice said.
Ben was confused. He knew virtually nothing about the stranger Whoshang, but he suspected he may be some kind of wizard-in-training like Kayla. Closing his eyes he whispered a little prayer asking for guidance on what to do.
“GIVE ME TO THE MAN” The voice would not shut up.

 

[howandwhy99]

Deciding the best thing to do was to leave the choice up to the Gods Ben repeated his prayer. Divine energy filled him and the light in his eyes changed. He could see the auras of those around him again. Kayla’s was white, but so was Whoshang’s. “Well that doesn’t help,” thought Ben. The glove was strangely silent. Ben held it up to his face, but saw no aura other than his own. Looking around he noticed Dram’s green aura had turned whiter in nature. Ormand’s too. Ben pulled out the gold ring he had taken from Hanz. It gave no aura either, but that was normal for mundane objects. Looking across the roadway at Hanz he saw the mercenary still had no aura just as before. “Did this ring steal his soul?” thought Ben. He quickly pocketed it again.

“I have prayed for guidance, but received no revelation to help me choose,” Ben said aloud.
“Next time try Thor!” shouted Dram from in back of the crowd.
“Here! Let me take it!” said a voice. Ben felt something grab his gloved hand. Power jolted from the glove outward and he heard a voice in his mind scream in pain. Rose’s now visible smoking form appeared unconscious on the ground in front of him. Ben backed away as others rushed forward to help. Darius channeled healing power into Rose healing her wounds, but she did not wake. Dalin and Ormand carried her into the wagon’s bed. Dram and Darius laid Jakob comatose body next to her.

“I think the glove believed it was being stolen,” said Father Ben. “I probably have to give it up willfully.”
“I agree. That is the wise choice,” said Kayla. “But you must choose a user of magic to wear it.” Ben pondered the situation. There was a discussion on the nature of what the glove might be. During it Houshang admitted to dabbling in the mystical arts. In the end, Ben resolved to choose the lesser evil in his mind though it grieved him to do so.
“Perhaps if one of you agreed to give a donation to the church? Kera is in dire need of a temple.”
”What is this?” shouted Dram. “Some sore of bribe for your Gods?”
Ben looked away embarrassed. “No. But if the owner of the glove rules Keep Alderweg, maybe the new owner could promise to introduce religion in the nearby area?” Both Houshand and Kayla readily agreed to the stipulation.

Ben pondered again. “What Gods do each of you follow?” he asked.
“I grew up learning from Balorn,” said Kayla. “He didn’t really have time for Gods or religion. And I must admit I have learned nothing about them.”
”I’ll teach her!” called out Darius. “I will teach her about the ways of Thor. Will that suffice?” Ben still waffled on what to do which angered the dwarf.
“In my land we have many Gods,” said Houshang. “The wind and sand are venerated.”
“Wind and Sands?” mused Ben. “They are Gods?” The decision was getting more difficult, not easier.
“Listen. I will vouch for Kayla,” said Darius. “That should be enough!”
Grog moved forward and put his hand on the strangers shoulder. “Grog pouch for Whosang

Ben scratched his head trying to think clearly.
“Enough of this! Give it to Kayla!” yelled Darius. “She’s going to get it in the end anyways!” Ben took step back. The dwarf looked ready to fight.
“I-I don’t know…” Darius drew his hammer and moved to a fighting stance as if he were going to smite Ben. The priest cowered.
“Okay! Okay. I will give the glove to Kayla,” said Ben. Looking over to Whoshang he apologized. “I have known her much longer I have you. This is probably the best choice, okay?” The stranger said something in a tongue no one understood.

Ben reached forward with his gloved hand and touched Kayla’s. The glove melded over to her and reformed. The conflict was over.
“Wow!” exclaimed Kayla. “Ben, you were right about the voice in your head!”
“Oh yes! Though it’s not like the voices I normally hear. Or like the voice I heard when…” Ben rambled off looking embarrassed again. He moved away from the group to go bind Rose’s wounds in the wagon.

“FIND THE ENEMY” Kayla heard in her mind.
“Who?” she thought back
“THE OTHER IS THE ENEMY. FEED US THE ENEMY”
“Who is the Other? This Enemy you speak of?”
“THOSE NOT OF THE LIGHT IN THE KEEP”
Kayla conversed in her mind as most of the team watched. She learned the powers she now commanded, beyond those Ben had written of. “Darius,” she called the dwarf near. “It says I will have the ability to hurt flying creatures when in the Keep. I think this Enemy it speaks of might have the same power. You should tell your eagle not to get too close.” Darius nodded and relayed the message.

 

[howandwhy99]

“How long are we going to be?” asked Gwenna who had walked up the road. “The other caravan’s already left and has a good head start on us.” Another long discussion broke about what to do. Now Kayla had the glove taking back Keep Alderweg was near unavoidable. Gwenna wandered back to Miklesh, Hanz, and the wagons throwing her hands up in frustration.

Ben wanted to stay in Kera and spread the word of the Gods. Kayla felt compelled to conquer the Keep now she wore the glove. Darius wanted to go to the Dwarven Kingdoms. Rose had always said her mission was to go to the Front. Dram wanted to get his brother back. Houshang was mostly interested in counting the gold and finding a way to get more. Grog wanted to kill trolls. And Dalin just wanted to do “Something, please!” Fortunately, their hirelings stayed quiet throughout. In the end they decided to go to Kera to seek aid from the Earl. With any luck they could conquer the keep and save Tankurd.

“I cannot go with you then,” said Darius. “The Dwarven Thanes sent me to Margrave as an ambassador of the Hold. I must go back to give my report.” The rest of the team was stunned. The Dwarves were at least two weeks away. “I will fly south on my eagle and meet you back here. But I must return home,” said Darius. The group conceded to his decision. Plans were made to meet again at the campsite in the mountains in ten days time. The coin was counted out, over twenty pounds of it for each member, and divvied up. Darius mounted, said his goodbyes, and flew off into the sky. The rest of the team regrouped and finally headed back to Kera.
“Grog?” said Houshang. “Please carry me.” The strange foreigner had found his own special mount.


[DAY 104 – Sunday, Sceptre 8th, CY 81]
– [DAY 113 – Feastday, Sceptre 17th, CY 81]

For three days Darius flew south over the mountains on his eagle. He had heard many stories as a child of the dangers in the Hellfurnace peaks and like most Dwarves he had avoided going above ground whenever possible. It was his desire to meet new people and his habit of making quick decisions that ultimately convinced the Thanes to send him to the human lands. But now he was glad to be heading home. During the night Darius slept on the barren lands west of the mountains. He did not even dare to cross over east of the Hellfurnaces when he flew during the day. When he finally recognized the peaks of Thoria, those of his Hold, he thanked Thor for blessing him with a safe trip. As fast as his eagle flew most voyagers never returned from entering the mountains alone.

The Dwarven Kingdoms were the same as they had always been. The floor of the stone cut Hold echoed under his footsteps. Darius’s first appointment was with his family. He gave his sister a gift from the human lands and learned some surprising information. When he had left his Father was being considered to become a Thane. The decision process was still going on. It was all Darius needed to remember how different Dwarven culture was to the human’s. Everything took time to decide. The next day he was allowed to make his report to the Thanes. It took all day as they questioned him ensuring every detail was known about his journey. Darius formally requested they send a contingent to fight at the Front and save County Margrave. He also asked for weapons to be sent, if no soldiers could be. The petition was tabled for further discussion at a later time – which meant any decision would not be reached for many months.

The second day home Darius went to the smiths and showed the headsmith the sword he found in Quesquaton. To his surprise the smith said he did not recognize the mark, but that it looked dwarvenforged. Darius searched through the weapons and shops nearby, but remembered how costly everything was compared to the human lands. He could afford almost nothing. On Thunderday he went to the priests and paid due fealty. From the priests he learned of three holy weapons and of past quests of paladins for renowned weapons. Choosing one, the beginning of a bond was created and he felt its presence far northward. On the last day Darius trained with the Thanes. In the morning before leaving for his journey back north he spoke with his father. Darius was curious about dropping dwarven powder kegs from the back of his eagle. His father said he would look into it when he had more time. With a last wave goodbye he soared up into the air again. Three more treacherous days north and he could reunite with his friends.