After we bury the dead and feast our victory of the Lightning Lizards with a goat buffet fit for a king – thanks to Jarl’s talents, equally impressive at the pots as at threadweaving – we continue with our journey. Sadly, it’s not too long before our water supply starts dwindling. The search for water becomes paramount. Jarl and I go hunting and manage to stumble upon a puddle of unidentifiable contents. Should we risk our luck and drink it? We decide against – although we do allow our horses to partake of some of the liquid.
As it happens, we were right not to risk it as the horses ended up very poorly later in the day. Whether through the mysterious liquid or simply through fatigue, it was impossible to determine. But thank the Passions, they soon returned to their former self and the following day we set off on our journey once more.
Around the afternoon we discover a beaten path leading to what looks like a small village. As we draw closer, we hear the ringing of a bell and see women rushing their kids indoors, bolting up their doors and windows. Can it be that us five adventurers instill such fear in the heart of these simple villagers? We walk up to the cluster of huts, warily. The villagers bow in our direction, equally warily. We decide to clarify our position as Jarl and myself explain how we have just conquered the Lightning Lizards and vindicated the death of the shepherd living some way off. A certain Lybaden seems to take leadership and informs us that we were welcome as long as we didn’t cause any trouble.
Mindful of our horses’ plight, we request access to water and lead the beasts to a trough. While the beasts lap at the water thirstily, Lybaden introduces us to Darren, who turns out to be the second in command. We learn that this Darren has a quest to entrust us with – there is a good reason why the villagers are in the throes of fear. Someone, or something, has kidnapped a little girl called Myra while she was playing in the woods with two of her friends. A search party that was sent out for her never came back.
Although we feel sorry for the girl we are tempted to refuse this quest. We are still tired from the previous fight and the story recounted by Darren is certainly a spooky one. We smell dangers ahead, possibly even the dreaded Horrors. Darren’s words, however, strike straight at our Heroes’ Hearts. What kind of heroes would we be if we refused these villagers our assistance? And so, with a heavy heart, we decided to find out more from the two children, Beth and Enolu, who were with Myra at the time of her disappearance.
Despite using my best charms on them, the little ones cannot remember much. They talk of a flash of light, their friend laughing and suddenly disappearing. Another eleven people went missing while searching for her. There is nothing left for us to do but embark into these woods.
Sure enough, before long we see what looks like a small light fairy flying in our direction – followed by others. At first glance they appear to be little will’o the wisps, filled with energy, created for the specific purpose of doing some mage’s bidding. Realised like this, they can do a lot of damage. Especially to me, as they happen to have the power of flight – or rather air flotation – and can easily damage me when other creatures can’t get near me. I feel a flicker of doubt and it’s only the fact that my four fellow adventurers are flanking me that keeps me from abandoning the quest.
The light fairies don’t take long to attack. Although I do my best to wound them, I fail miserably and before I know it I’m wounded. Thankfully Elessar, Ahmok and Ivor seem to have more luck and before the creatures cause too much damage they get beaten. Ivor even manage to knock one unconscious so that Jarl can imprison it in one of his famous ‘jarls’. You never know when such a creature might come in useful after all…
Some metres away we see a pit, with bodies inside it. This is, then, what happened to the search party. We descend in this pit and discover that it seems to be an inverted pyramid structure, sloping into the ground. We go inside this dungeon like building and are soon stopped by a huge body of water. Ahmok, blessed with underwater breathing, manages to scout underwater and to find a hidden labyrinth as it were. Panic ensues with the discovery of what Ahmok believed to be a dead body in an air pocket – when the zombie like creature lashes out at him and follows we fear the worst but Ahmok ably gets rid of this Cadaver Man.
We realise that there’s only one thing for it: we have to go under the water to find out more. The only problem, of course, being that windlings are notoriously bad swimmers. Although Ahmok helps me find my way in the underwater passage, the swim takes its toll on my poor body and when we get to the first airpocket I’m gasping for air. Finally we make it into what appears to be a big library-like room, adorned with the statues of the 12 Passions. I offer a silent prayer to Astendar. The books are rotting. As we explore, we realise that two bodies that we thought were dead were also Cadaver Men. We look at each other, resigned to another fight with these creatures.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The Symbol, a new mission and some very nasty Lightnin' Lizzies
From the Chronicles of Ahmok, Swordmaster.
After some well deserved R&R and after learning some new moves, we all met to decide what was to be done next. After some deliberation it was decided that we should investigate further on the strange symbol tattooed on our bodies by that twisted elf that had us in captivity. Elissar and Ajisha had a go at the Travar library. He zeroed in on a book but the librarian told him that that particular book had just been taken by a dwarf, seconds earlier. That dwarf was exiting the building at that same moment. Our two heroes decided to follow him through the city streets but after a while, the streets being so busy, they lost him. As Ajisha is trying to locate him from her vantage point, Elissar turns a corner into an alley and is cornered by the same dwarf he was hounding. The cowled dwarf demands an explanation but after revealing his face Elissar sees it is Lau Ben, the dwarf who escaped with us from the prison and who was also branded with the same symbol we had. That also explained the interest he had in the book. After moments of deliberation, Lau Ben convinces Elissar that he has better means and resources to research the symbol than us and that a friend of his working in the local Throal embassy needs our services.
Meeting back with us, Elissar and Ajisha tell us their story and we decide to go to the Throal embassy and speak with this person. He turns out to be yet another dwarf by the name of Varadifarion. He describes his predicament which basically consists of caravans travelling between the Twilight Peaks and Tylon Mountains that are disappearing at an alarming rate and also that he needs us to investigate the matter. As an incentive he also gives us an earth elemental coin each as down payment. We are to go to the city of Daiche, the place where we originally escaped from and try to meet a contact of Varadifarion if he is still alive; he tells us that he has not heard from him in a while and fears for his safety. This contact is a human who goes by the name of Forrest with black hair and green eyes; not very common features I must say.
That done we go to some reputable stables to buy some riding horses and our songstress manages to get a slight discount with some hay to boot on them.
That same afternoon we leave Travar on to our destination, Daiche.
The first few days are uneventful and we meet various caravans, merchants, mashalls and adventuring parties on our way; the road to Travar is a very busy one indeed. Eventually even these start to get scarcer the further out we go from Travar. The terrain also starts to get a bit hilly.
On the third day our hawk eyed elf spots a clearing with a solitary tree in its middle; dangling from it are four cages, we get closer. From a closer view the tree is sooty black and nothing grows underneath it, like the ground around it had been salted. using astral sight Elissar notices that it has a sort of pattern. We get even closer and see that two fo the cages are occupied by dried desiccated bones. Opposite each of the two occupied cages is an inscription on the bark. In astral sight Elissar tells us that the imprints look like they are possessed.
Elissar and me approach even closer and we are able to read the inscriptions. One reads thus, 'Herein is trapped Morath, consortor of horrors, destroyer of the village Fabian's grove, may he suffer to his last breath'.
The other reads, 'Herein is trapped the assassin Paulus, Vestrial's questor, may he suffer to his last breath.
Looking up I also notice some berries growing out of the bark of the tree and climb up to investigate them. I decide not to pick them upon Elissar's council but curiosity has the better of Jarl and Ivor and the latter stretches to pick some of the siclky berries up, put them in a container and hands them over to Jarl. We decide to put some distance between us and this ominous place before we make camp for the night.
The following day we find some goats in a pen surrounded by rubble walls. Apart from the milling goats there are also the carcasses of some of them. We decide to investigate and Ivor literally trips over what he originally thought was a goat carcass and eventually turned out to be the corpse of a dwarf, probably the shepherd. With a sidelong glance I managed to glimpse the tail of something flitting inside the hut. I warn the others and we prepare for battle. Scant seconds after we draw our weapons four huge lizards rush out of the hut and charge Ivor and me. The nasty creatures pack a surprise we did not expect; apart from the usual biting and clawing you would expect from a giant lizard, they also start shooting lightning bolts from their eyes (no I will not say it). An extra hidden surprise is that when one hits them they can discharge lightning through the weapon. The damage dealt, especially to me, with these lightning attacks is considerable but after some good swordplay and very useful spells we manage to dispatch the creatures. Jarl also tells us that the eyes of these creatures are worth something so we pop them out of their sockets and put them in our backpacks for future sale.
We bury the shepherd with his staff, his tool of the trade, in the goat pen, next to his hut; his home. We also free his goats and let nature take its course but not after we butcher two of them for our nourishment and culinary pleasure. That night we feasted on goat meat and cheese in memory of the poor shepherd who died protecting his livelihood. We slept in his hut and the next morning, after a last goodbye to the dwarf shepherd, we are on our way to Daiche again.
After some well deserved R&R and after learning some new moves, we all met to decide what was to be done next. After some deliberation it was decided that we should investigate further on the strange symbol tattooed on our bodies by that twisted elf that had us in captivity. Elissar and Ajisha had a go at the Travar library. He zeroed in on a book but the librarian told him that that particular book had just been taken by a dwarf, seconds earlier. That dwarf was exiting the building at that same moment. Our two heroes decided to follow him through the city streets but after a while, the streets being so busy, they lost him. As Ajisha is trying to locate him from her vantage point, Elissar turns a corner into an alley and is cornered by the same dwarf he was hounding. The cowled dwarf demands an explanation but after revealing his face Elissar sees it is Lau Ben, the dwarf who escaped with us from the prison and who was also branded with the same symbol we had. That also explained the interest he had in the book. After moments of deliberation, Lau Ben convinces Elissar that he has better means and resources to research the symbol than us and that a friend of his working in the local Throal embassy needs our services.
Meeting back with us, Elissar and Ajisha tell us their story and we decide to go to the Throal embassy and speak with this person. He turns out to be yet another dwarf by the name of Varadifarion. He describes his predicament which basically consists of caravans travelling between the Twilight Peaks and Tylon Mountains that are disappearing at an alarming rate and also that he needs us to investigate the matter. As an incentive he also gives us an earth elemental coin each as down payment. We are to go to the city of Daiche, the place where we originally escaped from and try to meet a contact of Varadifarion if he is still alive; he tells us that he has not heard from him in a while and fears for his safety. This contact is a human who goes by the name of Forrest with black hair and green eyes; not very common features I must say.
That done we go to some reputable stables to buy some riding horses and our songstress manages to get a slight discount with some hay to boot on them.
That same afternoon we leave Travar on to our destination, Daiche.
The first few days are uneventful and we meet various caravans, merchants, mashalls and adventuring parties on our way; the road to Travar is a very busy one indeed. Eventually even these start to get scarcer the further out we go from Travar. The terrain also starts to get a bit hilly.
On the third day our hawk eyed elf spots a clearing with a solitary tree in its middle; dangling from it are four cages, we get closer. From a closer view the tree is sooty black and nothing grows underneath it, like the ground around it had been salted. using astral sight Elissar notices that it has a sort of pattern. We get even closer and see that two fo the cages are occupied by dried desiccated bones. Opposite each of the two occupied cages is an inscription on the bark. In astral sight Elissar tells us that the imprints look like they are possessed.
Elissar and me approach even closer and we are able to read the inscriptions. One reads thus, 'Herein is trapped Morath, consortor of horrors, destroyer of the village Fabian's grove, may he suffer to his last breath'.
The other reads, 'Herein is trapped the assassin Paulus, Vestrial's questor, may he suffer to his last breath.
Looking up I also notice some berries growing out of the bark of the tree and climb up to investigate them. I decide not to pick them upon Elissar's council but curiosity has the better of Jarl and Ivor and the latter stretches to pick some of the siclky berries up, put them in a container and hands them over to Jarl. We decide to put some distance between us and this ominous place before we make camp for the night.
The following day we find some goats in a pen surrounded by rubble walls. Apart from the milling goats there are also the carcasses of some of them. We decide to investigate and Ivor literally trips over what he originally thought was a goat carcass and eventually turned out to be the corpse of a dwarf, probably the shepherd. With a sidelong glance I managed to glimpse the tail of something flitting inside the hut. I warn the others and we prepare for battle. Scant seconds after we draw our weapons four huge lizards rush out of the hut and charge Ivor and me. The nasty creatures pack a surprise we did not expect; apart from the usual biting and clawing you would expect from a giant lizard, they also start shooting lightning bolts from their eyes (no I will not say it). An extra hidden surprise is that when one hits them they can discharge lightning through the weapon. The damage dealt, especially to me, with these lightning attacks is considerable but after some good swordplay and very useful spells we manage to dispatch the creatures. Jarl also tells us that the eyes of these creatures are worth something so we pop them out of their sockets and put them in our backpacks for future sale.
We bury the shepherd with his staff, his tool of the trade, in the goat pen, next to his hut; his home. We also free his goats and let nature take its course but not after we butcher two of them for our nourishment and culinary pleasure. That night we feasted on goat meat and cheese in memory of the poor shepherd who died protecting his livelihood. We slept in his hut and the next morning, after a last goodbye to the dwarf shepherd, we are on our way to Daiche again.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Skyraiders, vengeance and a wedding.
Session 10
from the journal of Jarl Skalder,
10th of Charissa
-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++
Looking at ramp leading to the top of the skyship nakes my stomach lurche Seems like the days on a sea going vessel and the subsequent bad health were just the appetizer for the grandest ship voyage of them all. A voyage hurtling through the air at great speed, on a warrior ship commanded by tough trolls. I pray to all the passions in case any are listening. Slowly i drag my way up the Drakar's deck and subconsciously scan the surface for the safest place.
But lets start from the beginning, the previous day was spent getting ready for the voyage to Travar. We stay hidden as the plan obviously dictated. I spend the day focusing and getting attuned with empowering my second spell matrix, I can feel that soon enough I will fill it up with better spells. Forward back to the morning, thankfully a pleasant day. We smuggle Omaron towards the awaiting troll ship.
With one mighty bellow from the Captain, the skyraiders heave and the ship lifts off! What speed and sound the wind makes as the land below rushes away! For a mind-perplexing second it seems like the ground is falling and us standing still, but soon the eyes focus and the greatness of it all fills my mind, flying! I cling to the railing but soon the waves of fear dissipate and instead of sickness I eventually grow calmer and the fear is replaced by a sudden rush of good being, I feel exhilarated! Seems like air is much more my element than water.
The hours rush by, I can barely move off the side of the ship, and looking around I seem the same of my companions, transfixed, doubtlessly for them this kind of travel is for them a new experience as well. Seemingly lost in reverie, we are startled back to reality with a loud bellow from one of the crew, we follow his finger to where he points to a single line of black smoke in the horizon. The ship banks to one side, masterfully controlled by the crew and soon we arrive to the source of the smoke.
A destroyed hamlet comes into view below us, the burned houses and charred pile of bodies in the centre lead only to one conclusion - Theran slavers. The skyraiders almost in unison decide their next move - we hunt down the bastards! The ship speeds off, the raiders rowing doubled in strength and timing. Pretty soon the Theran ship is spotted in the horizon, we rise up above it, gaining further momentum for the dive downwards. Then at some unspoken moment the rowing stops and the ship swoops downwards like a seagull in a majestic dive. We hold to the sides of the ship as the crew laugh heartily and curse and pray to the passions. Some dozens of yards before the ships would pass close to each other the trolls that were not manning the ship leap off our vessel and land deftly on the Theran ship taking the Therans by total surprise and preventing them from cut the ropes that will soon grapple their vessel and lock it to our Drakar. The ships now stand side to side, grappling hooks tying the two ships together, the Theran deck rapidly filling up with Theran soldiers from under the decks and with troll skyraiders from our ship. The battle commences, more than a hundred man, elves and trolls fighting at close quarter, falling off the side of the ship would mean certain death. We join the fray.
The battle rages, we stand confused, unused to the heaving and rolling footing and the strangeness of trying to fend your enemy when every second you have to keep balance. The screams and showers of blood as another troll axe finds purchase in some miserable Therans chest do not help. Though we do not pull off much of a show, we did at least keep the attention of many of the enemy soldiers on us, as the skyraiders cut through the rest. Ahmok and myself are grievously hurt, and Elessar recieves a nasty wound from a lucky Theran swipe, but we hold our ground. Pretty soon it is us and the skyraiders that stand victorious.
The trolls free a hundred or so slaves the Therans had locked in the hull, and soon the captain of the enemy vessel (an elf warrior named Skie) walks the plank. The Therans that surrendered are locked up on the troll vessel, and the troll second-in-command takes over Captain duties on the captured vessel. After we heal, we are given a generous share of the spoils of the battle and ordered to join the slaves on the second ship, the first vessel heading off into a new, unknown direction. We make landing a few hours walk away from the city walls, its quite late in the night and grudgingly we start the final leg of our journey. Pretty soon the walls of Travar are in view, and after the usual routine at the gates we finally get behind the city walls. I never had rested so fitfully until that night.
Morning dawns and a visibly agitated Omaron spends the whole day getting ready to meet his future parents in law. More good news reaches us as Gehebu, Wilks and the rest return from the decoy mission. An assassin was indeed sent but they where ready for him, hopefully that was Vistum's last attempt at treachery. After much walking around and admiring the great city of Travar, we head off to Omaron's future wife Rhianna's family lodge. We are welcomed as guests in the fine house, us standing uneasy in unfamiliar clean clothing as Omaron lays down a great speech to his father-in-law (a wealthy merchant by the name of Ronal) on our bravery and the odds we went through with him so he can finally meet his beloved. Ronal treats us like guests of honor and pretty soon we are left free in the magnificent house, watching the complex preparations for the wedding as Omaron seals off the wedding dowry exchange.
And what a wedding it was, a whole night of merriment, jest and much laughter. The party lasting till the following morn, wine flowed in abundance and we take our fill of delicious food; welcoming the change from troll slop on the airship and dried jerky. I don't even remember how I ended back in the inn, one of my companions must have helped me over. I wake up with a smile as I slowly remember the night before and waving the last goodbyes to Omaron after he gave us our pay. Its certainly been one great adventure and one great start for my newly started adventuring career, we had actually pulled it off with all our limbs intact.
I meet the other guys and Ajisha downstairs, all of them chatting loudly and clinking their bulging bags of silver in hand. Seems like we agree to have some much needed time off, I nod then get myself some breakfast...
from the journal of Jarl Skalder,
10th of Charissa
-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++-----+++++
Looking at ramp leading to the top of the skyship nakes my stomach lurche Seems like the days on a sea going vessel and the subsequent bad health were just the appetizer for the grandest ship voyage of them all. A voyage hurtling through the air at great speed, on a warrior ship commanded by tough trolls. I pray to all the passions in case any are listening. Slowly i drag my way up the Drakar's deck and subconsciously scan the surface for the safest place.
But lets start from the beginning, the previous day was spent getting ready for the voyage to Travar. We stay hidden as the plan obviously dictated. I spend the day focusing and getting attuned with empowering my second spell matrix, I can feel that soon enough I will fill it up with better spells. Forward back to the morning, thankfully a pleasant day. We smuggle Omaron towards the awaiting troll ship.
With one mighty bellow from the Captain, the skyraiders heave and the ship lifts off! What speed and sound the wind makes as the land below rushes away! For a mind-perplexing second it seems like the ground is falling and us standing still, but soon the eyes focus and the greatness of it all fills my mind, flying! I cling to the railing but soon the waves of fear dissipate and instead of sickness I eventually grow calmer and the fear is replaced by a sudden rush of good being, I feel exhilarated! Seems like air is much more my element than water.
The hours rush by, I can barely move off the side of the ship, and looking around I seem the same of my companions, transfixed, doubtlessly for them this kind of travel is for them a new experience as well. Seemingly lost in reverie, we are startled back to reality with a loud bellow from one of the crew, we follow his finger to where he points to a single line of black smoke in the horizon. The ship banks to one side, masterfully controlled by the crew and soon we arrive to the source of the smoke.
A destroyed hamlet comes into view below us, the burned houses and charred pile of bodies in the centre lead only to one conclusion - Theran slavers. The skyraiders almost in unison decide their next move - we hunt down the bastards! The ship speeds off, the raiders rowing doubled in strength and timing. Pretty soon the Theran ship is spotted in the horizon, we rise up above it, gaining further momentum for the dive downwards. Then at some unspoken moment the rowing stops and the ship swoops downwards like a seagull in a majestic dive. We hold to the sides of the ship as the crew laugh heartily and curse and pray to the passions. Some dozens of yards before the ships would pass close to each other the trolls that were not manning the ship leap off our vessel and land deftly on the Theran ship taking the Therans by total surprise and preventing them from cut the ropes that will soon grapple their vessel and lock it to our Drakar. The ships now stand side to side, grappling hooks tying the two ships together, the Theran deck rapidly filling up with Theran soldiers from under the decks and with troll skyraiders from our ship. The battle commences, more than a hundred man, elves and trolls fighting at close quarter, falling off the side of the ship would mean certain death. We join the fray.
The battle rages, we stand confused, unused to the heaving and rolling footing and the strangeness of trying to fend your enemy when every second you have to keep balance. The screams and showers of blood as another troll axe finds purchase in some miserable Therans chest do not help. Though we do not pull off much of a show, we did at least keep the attention of many of the enemy soldiers on us, as the skyraiders cut through the rest. Ahmok and myself are grievously hurt, and Elessar recieves a nasty wound from a lucky Theran swipe, but we hold our ground. Pretty soon it is us and the skyraiders that stand victorious.
The trolls free a hundred or so slaves the Therans had locked in the hull, and soon the captain of the enemy vessel (an elf warrior named Skie) walks the plank. The Therans that surrendered are locked up on the troll vessel, and the troll second-in-command takes over Captain duties on the captured vessel. After we heal, we are given a generous share of the spoils of the battle and ordered to join the slaves on the second ship, the first vessel heading off into a new, unknown direction. We make landing a few hours walk away from the city walls, its quite late in the night and grudgingly we start the final leg of our journey. Pretty soon the walls of Travar are in view, and after the usual routine at the gates we finally get behind the city walls. I never had rested so fitfully until that night.
Morning dawns and a visibly agitated Omaron spends the whole day getting ready to meet his future parents in law. More good news reaches us as Gehebu, Wilks and the rest return from the decoy mission. An assassin was indeed sent but they where ready for him, hopefully that was Vistum's last attempt at treachery. After much walking around and admiring the great city of Travar, we head off to Omaron's future wife Rhianna's family lodge. We are welcomed as guests in the fine house, us standing uneasy in unfamiliar clean clothing as Omaron lays down a great speech to his father-in-law (a wealthy merchant by the name of Ronal) on our bravery and the odds we went through with him so he can finally meet his beloved. Ronal treats us like guests of honor and pretty soon we are left free in the magnificent house, watching the complex preparations for the wedding as Omaron seals off the wedding dowry exchange.
And what a wedding it was, a whole night of merriment, jest and much laughter. The party lasting till the following morn, wine flowed in abundance and we take our fill of delicious food; welcoming the change from troll slop on the airship and dried jerky. I don't even remember how I ended back in the inn, one of my companions must have helped me over. I wake up with a smile as I slowly remember the night before and waving the last goodbyes to Omaron after he gave us our pay. Its certainly been one great adventure and one great start for my newly started adventuring career, we had actually pulled it off with all our limbs intact.
I meet the other guys and Ajisha downstairs, all of them chatting loudly and clinking their bulging bags of silver in hand. Seems like we agree to have some much needed time off, I nod then get myself some breakfast...
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