# Lost City of Gaxmoor - The Borderlands Campaign



## S'mon

Tallarn suggested I post the account of my Lost City of Gaxmoor campaign to the story hour - more info at http://www.geocities.com/s.t.newman/Borderlands.htm


Dulleaberg, 2737 YE

Several fortnights ago, merchant caravans and traveling pilgrims began disappearing on the trail between Dulleaberg and its ally the Barony of Pan Charak to the west. 

Soon after, reports of monsters and malign folk lurking about came in from outlying farms and border patrols. Next, some scouts returned to tell of the appearance of a strange rock mesa where there had previously been only a river valley. They said that on top of that mesa stood a great, seemingly devastated city. It was reported that this city had an odd, disquieting look. Massive outer walls, with higher inner walls beyond, surround it. Its towers, gates, and buildings were all of an unfamiliar style. They reported that various eerie sounds were heard throughout the night, and dark figures were seen moving along the walls. The unintelligible sounds that echoed throughout the city walls during the night—moans, screams, and an eerie, almost speech-like, howling—frightened even these intrepid scouts. As the early rays of the sun crested the hills, the whole group dared to move closer so as to obtain a better look at this weird city. A handful rode into the place, but those who passed through its gates did not return. Those who remained safely outside heard nothing, and waited for hours; growing fearful with the coming of night, they eventually left.

The scouts returned to Margrave Kanor of Dulleaberg with the tale. They told that the newly appeared city was along the Charel River, about forty miles west of Dulleaberg itself. Clearly, there was sorcery afoot. The Margrave asked for the counsel of sages, scholar-priests and wizards to unravel the mystery. None of these savants knew what this strange city was, how it came to be where it was, nor what its sudden appearance could mean.

Priests praying and communing for knowledge from their deities received only vague and cryptic answers. Wizards cast spells of lore and legend, and likewise garnered only slight hints, such as:

"It is the City of Journey’s End."

"What was forgotten has returned, and what was loved is now hated."

"The secrets of the City of Journeys are now in the hands of the malevolent."

Such cryptic answers are all that the wise could learn. As the divinations and auguries were cast, and as scholars pored over ancient texts in search of answers, news of terrible events came to town. Farms and steadings along the western border in the vicinity of the strange city were found abandoned. Evidence of a terrible slaughter was discovered. Monstrous things have been seen roaming the hills. The native hillmen and others dwelling there have now disappeared…


M4 2737 YE

Vasquez, High Sorceress of Boccob, came to the Borderlands with her followers in search of adventure. Entering the Chaos Shrine of Kollchap in Netlorani she battled the priests of Chaos and recovered the Sword of Amaul, called the Sword of the Sorcerer, but at the cost of several followers. Later she joined with other adventurers including the monk, Tak Lok, a wanderer from the Heavenly Mountains, and fought the hordes of the chaos warrior Lord Vorloth at Dendridi Village and in his mountain lair. They allied with a party led by the Ksarulist mage Gavoil Umyorir, but although Vorloth was slain, tragedy soon struck when Vasquez was killed by an ettin and then Tak Lok by a gelatinous cube, while Gavoil and his followers stood by.

M6 2737 YE

Learning of his sister Vasquez’s fate, the sorcerer Drake travelled from Imgart with his wife Calysta and comrade Grebulous the elven bowman, on a mission of vengeance against those who had allowed Vasquez to perish. On the way they met and allied with Chin Li, sister of Tak Lok, embarked on the same quest. 

M7 2737 YE

Reaching Carrisqui Town they tracked down Gavoil Umyorir and his band, and followed them north to Coldbrook, defeating an evil necromancer and his enchanted portrait. From his corpse Chin Li gained the dread Ebony Horn. They then battled and defeated Gavoil and his adherents, but magnanimously spared their lives.
Reaching the village of Jarrakig, Drake, Chin Li and company tracked down the source of the mysterious drought afflicting the land, slaying the Hsung Saio responsible and bringing on the late summer rains in time to save the harvest. Turning down monetary reward, they travelled on to Dulleaberg.
In Dulleaberg they consulted with the sage-sorcerer Botolf, and encountered Gavoil’s band again in a sleazy tavern, but the ensuing melee was brought to an abrupt end by the arrival of the Lady Alia Brax, who hired both parties to clear out her newly acquired mansion on the Firenze Estate of the ghosts and monsters said to inhabit it. With them went her agent, Cedric Quezada, a man like Chin Li trained in the mysterious Arts of Crane. At the Firenze Mansion, battle soon ensued between the rival parties, with Cedric’s intervention ensuring the victory of Drake and Chin Li. This time the lives of the defeated were not spared. Together the survivors cleared the mansion of its inhabitants, and traced the source of the infestation to the dread Soulscape Painting, which they took to Botolf for destruction, freeing the souls of its victims. For this, Lady Alia rewarded them with one hundred pieces of gold. 
M8 2737 YE:

Chin Li, Drake, Calysta & Grebulous were hired by Lady Alia of House Brax, a member of the Dulleaberg Ruling Council, to escort her on the dangerous road from Dulleaberg to her cousin Baron Burin Brax's castle at Pan-Charak. With them came Alia's agent, the mysterious Cedric Quezada. On the road they rescued the dwarf Jasper Goldhammer from an ettercap's lair, and after battling the horde of the hobgoblin General Gysshk, they looted the tower of the gnome alchemist Albrect. Reaching Pan Charak, a disagreement with Lady Alia over payment resulted in them attacking Baron Burin's castle, killing six men, kidnapping Alia (and stealing her silver bikini), extorting 2000gp from Baroness Jasmine, and escaping, dumping Alia bound and naked on the Dulleaberg road before making off. 

Sadly on the road Drake's wife Calysta was slain, when the group attacked a hungry goblin-bear. Returning to Dulleaberg they met the mage-nun Sister Vash, who asked their help in recovering the flute and eye-patch of the great bard Lyranos, relics sacred to her Order, from the dungeons of the Thunder Witch. Entering the Thizzi marshes, Drake killed a hostile hill giant, while Cedric befriended Blinkie the Blink Dog. In the dungeons of the Thunder Witch beneath the blasted Shriven Oak, the party found their mettle tested as they battled goblinoid hordes, undead revenants, deadly traps and many foul beasts.
M9 2737 YE 
After Jasper was slain by an Ettin in the witch's dungeon, the group returned to Dorroad, on the way battling the deadly Quezada-clan bounty hunter Thoto, and barely defeating him. In Dorroad they purchased rations and healing potions, but were attacked by Doskani mercenaries seeking the bounties on their heads posted by Baron Brax. Angered, Chin Li unleashed a horde of Spectres upon the unfortunate city, before they departed.
Returning west to the Witch's Lair, they were attacked by savage trolls on the edge of the Thizzi marshes, and Grebulous was tragically slain. Re-entering the lair, Vash's sorcery located the Eyepatch of Lyranos, but it was guarded by Devil Wolves and an invincible Iron Devil. Vash perished, but Chin Li managed to steal the Eyepatch and the survivors fled, heading to Netloran. There they met the witch Alfhid and the Ndalu Sister Zhana, who received the Eyepatch and tasked them with recovering the Staff of Urnus Gregaria from the Lost City of Gaxmoor. Drake summoned a Familiar, Hudson Owl, and recruited the philtre-enamoured Avanthe priestess Herda, while Cedric bonded with Blinkie and Chin Li recruited Ivy & Bear, as well as dispatching some presumptuous brigands. Heading west towards Gaxmoor, they were attached by blue crested humanoids and, defeating them, found a map on their leader which they decided to follow into the Forest of Illimitable Green.

In the Forest the party met Lith the Weaver, a scantily clad damsel, and following her plaintive entreaties recovered for her the Tapestry of Ariventa from the monster Chun the Unavoidable in the Palace of Whispers, who fled before their wrath. Lith used the Tapestry to leave this world - the party wrapped it up and took it with them. On the road to Malri Cedric slew a messenger of Baron Brax with a missive for Margravine Eloise of Arkand. After terrorising the unfortunate Sheriff of Malri and his Doskani mercenaries, the party headed west, to find that gnoll hordes had conquered Pan Charak and were besieging Castle Brax. Bright blades, lightning bolts, and lightning fists flashed as the party attacked the monstrous hyena-men.

The party soon defeated the gnoll horde, aided by a ranger friend of Drake's, but when they entered Castle Brax to announce their victory the welcome was not warm. Drake was captured, stripped and manacled, along with Herda, and was cast into the castle dungeon.
Drake managed to get out of his manacles with a Knock spell, freeing Herda's as well and went Invisible, but his spellcasting was hindered by lack of material components. When a Thrinist priest came in to 'console' him before his excecution he had apparently vanished, the guard was alerted, Trenton Dirge came in and spotted where Drake was lurking, Drake surrendered but Baron Brax had Trenton execute him anyway. Drake's Ranger friend Kwgwrth denied his affiliation with the sorcerer and was comfortably incarcerated in guest quarters.
Chin Li and Cedric escaped the castle. On the road from Pan Charak to Dulleaberg they met and allied with the hobgoblin General Gysshk and his horde, who brought a war catapult to the scene, along with his naked captive, the Lady Alia. After engaging in banter with Baron Brax, catapulting Alia over the wall, and besieging the castle for several days with the catapult, a breach was formed in the north wall. While Gysshk's horde assaulted the breach that night, taking terrible losses, Chin Li and Cedric scaled the almost undefended southern wall and attacked the defenders from behind, slaying many. In the assault on the castle walls Cedric and Chin hacked down the baron's two teenage sons. Baron Brax saw this, and seized with fury he climbed up the ladder after them. The monks flanked him and made short work of the unfortunate paladin... 

M10 2737 YE: Xyzzy & co’s Saga
“The wise and powerful now call upon their allies, vassals, and all brave adventurers to lend a hand. You are among those answering the call for help. Many stalwart, experienced adventurers like you have already entered the mysterious city. But none that entered this city have returned...
Your mission will certainly be long and intense, and much thought must go into the actual search-and-destroy missions if any real success is to be gained. Those who have preceded you, though organized and well armed, have failed to return! Caution may win where bull-headed might has failed, or so those who would recover the place hope. Are you ready for high adventure, lost magic treasures, and devious tricks and traps?”

Xyzzy of the White Way: SOR 8
Sigurd Ravenskjold, FTR 3/BBN 4 
Austin 'Aos' of Imarr FTR 6/ROG 1
Hugh Burke, priest of Urnus Gregaria (NPC): CLR 4 
'Red' Ivy (NPC): FTR 9 
Captain Larius of Gaxmoor FTR 7 


Answering the Margrave of Dulleaberg’s call, the magic-user Xyzzy and his companions, the Ranger Phelps and half-orc Fighter Unglar, trekked west through the wilderness towards the Lost City, befriending the cleric Hugh Burke, priest of an obscure travellers’ deity, who claimed to have been attracted to the city by strange dreams. Attacking a gnoll baggage train they freed the human captives and looted its contents, then encountered soldiers dressed in archaic armour, speaking a language two thousand years old! Unable to understand them, they pressed on, camping a little beyond. The next morning they reached the outskirts of Gaxmoor and met the native witch Grimhelda, who told them of evil forces beyond, including the dark wizard Evander. Entering the city through a wall breach they attacked a mansion full of goblins, fireballs and blades slaying over a hundred, before an abortive strike against a catapult tower manned by hobgoblins. Retreating through the northwest gate they were assailed by demonic stony-hided gargoyles, and would have perished but for the welcome intervention of the adventurers Ivy and Bear. Bear’s bastard sword broke against a gargoyle’s enchanted hide, but Ivy’s sorcerous blade cut deep and soon dispatched the fiends. Ivy informed the party of rest and refreshment to be had at the Shapely Siren pleasure house to the north, and led them there, while warning that none who had passed beyond Gaxmoor’s walls had returned. At the brothel, Xyzzy and co met Crystal, the saturnine House Physician, and were given luxurious rooms on the upper level where Phelps camped and the party made ready for new struggles on the morrow.

Next day, Phelps departed, while the party were joined by the Norseman Sigurd, a warrior of Trafalgis. They decided to reconnoitre the northern outskirts of the city, encountering orcs, hobgoblins, kobolds, and a large spider up a chimney, which nearly ate Sigurd. Returning to the Shapely Siren, they ambushed and wiped out a small gnoll band attempting to break down the door.
Next day, emboldened by their successes, the party decided to assail the breach near the northwestern gate, but were attacked by massed ranks of hobgoblin archers and the goblins laired within the nearby mansions. Xyzzy wreaked havoc with his fireballs before the party withdrew. That evening however, the angry goblinioids at last came in force against the Shapely Siren. Sigurd challenged their leader, the mighty bugbear warlord Panchmo Sargiles, to single combat, but was defeated and forced to flee, saved by a handy 'invisibility' from Xyzzy. As hundreds of goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears closed in on the pleasure-house the party and the rest of the Siren's inhabitants retreated into the secret passage that led into the heart of the Citadel.

With the newly-arrived adventurers Austin the Rake and the Tyr-priest Sven of Skjaergard, Xyzzy and co fled into the secret tunnel; Sigurd and Captain Larius of the Gaxmoor Royal Guard holding the bugbear hordes at bay while they escaped. Making their stand in the cellars of the Royal Guard Barracks, they inflicted heavy losses on Panchmo's attacking hordes, until he called off the assault with dozens dead. Piling the slain humanoids over the passage entrance, the party and their Gaxmoorite allies were able to rest in the barracks before deciding to investigate the Governor's Palace, Xyzzy's owl having scouted the area and spotted an ogre mage within library on the upper floors. Their attack met with disorganised though enthusiastic resistance from the occupying gnoll horde, but the heroes prevailed, killing dozens, until the cambion Harecules himself entered the fray. His Ettin Snaggle-Snerk, clad in blue dragonhide armour, proved a dangerous foe, killing Unglar, before being felled. Angered, Harecules raised his terrible sword and attacked, slaughtering Bear, the unfortunate barbarian cleaved into salami-slices. Realising themselves outmatched, the party retreated, a parthian-shot fireball from Xyzzy finishing off the Ettin, all swearing to return another day.

Escaping the city via the north-eastern gate, the party and their new Gaxmoorite allies returned to Dulleaberg, where Ivy departed to take news of Bear's death to his home clan, and Xyzzy attended to private business. Meanwhile Sigurd, Austin and Sven were recruited for a new mission against a dangerous new threat...

EN World (UK) GenCon game 31/08/02: 
M11 2737 YE: The Lair of Gysshk.
"Following his failure at the Siege of Castle Brax, General Gysshk departed from the human renegades Cedric Quezada and Chin Li, leading his remaining forces eastwards into the forested hills bordering on Dulleaberg. Occupying an ancient dungeon complex, Gysshk's army soon embarked on a reign of terror against the disheartened peoples of the Borderlands, and as the first snows of winter fell, new horrors flocked to his black banner..." - Gysshk's Saga.

Sven of Skjaergard, Clr 5 (Upper_Krust)
Sigurd Ravenskjold, Ftr 3/BBN 4 (Lars)
Austin 'Aos' of Imarr, Ftr 6/Rog 1 (Andrew)
Yasir of Sasan, Wiz 4 (Poilbrun & Richard)
Ragnar the Mighty, Wiz 4 - RIP (Zander)
Leilah of the Sidhe, Ftr 4 (Miho)
Smiling Jack, gnome Rgr 3/Sorc 1 - RIP (weird guy with beard)
Lathan Bryant the archer, Ftr Lvl 4 - RIP (Tallarn)
& 6 other heroes, Lvl 4.

Sven of Skjaergard, Warpriest of Tyr, was appointed leader of the assembled fourteen, the greatest force of heroes Dulleaberg had ever assembled! They were recruited by the Margrave Kanor of Dulleaberg to attack the lair of the legendary hobgoblin warlord General Gysshk, whose foul minions had blazed a trail of destruction across Dulleaberg's western border. Dulleaberg's scouts had tracked the raiders down to an ancient fortified dungeon complex in the western hills.
In the Dulleaberg Council Halls, Margrave Karnor gave an impassioned speech about the importance of their mission - the Margravine Eloise of Arkand, while travelling to Dulleaberg to consult with the Council, had been attacked and kidnapped by Gysshk's horde! She needed to be rescued, as much as Gysshk's foul head needed to be cleaved from his shoulders.
Led by an insane gnome Ranger, the party rode west from Dulleaberg, reaching Gysshk's lair as dusk fell. Sven's battle-planning was immediately disrupted as Smiling Jack the crazy gnome took it upon himself to attack the enemy ramparts single-handed with his shortbow, immediately alerting the goblinoid defenders. The element of surprise lost, Sven quaffed a potion of flying and led the heroes' charge up the scree slope to the stone walls that protected the dungeon's entrance. 
A bloody battle followed, although Sven's prayers calmed many of the defenders and prevented them joining the fray until too late. A brave paladin smashed the gates with his mighty destrier, leading the assault. Sigurd scaled the walls and jumped in amongst the wolves within, battling a terrible dire wolf that badly wounded him before it was dispatched by well-aimed arrow shafts from Lathan Bryant on the parapet. The alerted goblins poured arrows from within the hold. As more heroes reached the walls the tide turned, a reckless half-orc fighter bull-rushed into the goblin archers, scattering many as he plunged into the tunnel. The defenders, although savage, seemed few in number - surprisingly few... then from within the tunnels, Hong struck. The mighty troll barbarian, hugest and foulest of all trolls, fell upon the heroes like a ravening whirlwind! The brave half-orc was rent limb from limb, as was the crazy gnome. A web spell from Yasir slowed it only a moment, and a chance blow crushed Ragnar's spine. As more heroes fell, the attack faltered. 
But then a small band, entering the dungeon via an icy stream that flowed from the rock, attacked the troll from behind. Austin's thrown daggers plunged into its neck, while Leilah helped the others into the chamber. The troll was suddenly surrounded, threatened from two sides at once! Lathan Bryant's arrows pierced its leathery hide. Yasir's burning hands scorched its flesh. Sigurd Ravenskjold charged, hewing it with mighty blows, while more arrows flew above him, piercing the monster's upper chest. At last, with a despairing wail, it fell!
The survivors stopped to burn their fell foe. The two surviving goblins begged Leilah piteously for mercy, and were tied up and left as the party pressed onwards, rogues scouting ahead. Deeper into the dungeon, voices were detected outside two doors - including that of a human female!
The paladin burst through one door, surprising two hobgoblin warriors playing dice within, while Sigurd's great axe cleaved the other - beyond, a hobgoblin chief, recently in flagrante with a beautiful red-haired girl, hurriedly readied himself for battle! He charged Sigurd, and axes clashed savagely, as Austin's daggers flew past Sigurd to strike the chieftain. While the others swiftly cut down the two lesser brutes, Sigurd's axe hacked the chief's head from his shoulders, and the redhead fell gratefully into his arms - Leilah recognised her as Margravine Eloise's handmaiden, Eryla. At the same time, however, lupine howls were heard from the north, and a great Dire Wolf charged into the fray, followed by two vicious worgs. Howls and screams rent the air as Lathan Bryant bore the brunt of the attack. He fell, torn apart by terrible jaws, but Leilah's deadly spear, the Gae Bolga, came into play. As deadly as she was beautiful, she struck fast, twin blows slaying both dire wolf and worg with lethal skill. The Necromancer Morrius appeared, blasting the band with spells - one hero was struck asleep, but Leilah resisted both charm and magic dart. Morrius' nerve cracked, and he fled with the surviving worg, screaming for reinforcements! As the sound of many running feet came from deeper within the complex, the battered heroes withdrew. Their mission had not succeeded, for Gysshk still lived, and Margravine Eloise yet languished in his clutches, but a prisoner had been rescued, and Sigurd at least, was happy.

M11 2737 YE: A New Hope?
Sigurd Ravenskjold, Captain of Dulleaberg, Ftr 5/BBN 4 (Lars)
Austin 'Aos' of Imarr, Ftr 7/Rog 1 (Andrew)
Xyzzy of the White Way, Wizard of Dulleaberg, Sorc 9 (Jamz) 
Lilliana, Xyzzy's Cohort, CLR 8 (Jamz) 
Jen the Mongali RGR 3/ROG 4 (Zippy) 
Captain Larius of Gaxmoor, Sigurd's Cohort, FTR 7 (Lars)

Sigurd and Aos agreed to serve Margrave Kanor until the Spring thaw, in exchange for enchantments laid upon their weapons by Botolf the Sage-Sorcerer. Sigurd tried to persuade Kanor to launch a military campaign against Gaxmoor. Eventually Xyzzy and Ivy returned, and a second mission was quickly launched with Sven, Sigurd and Aos. Together they attacked Gysshk's lair, and after a fierce battle with swarms of ratmen, goblins, hobgoblins, wolves, and the terrible minotaur Enoar, they defeated the Necromancer Morius, who fled severely scorched. They captured General Gysshk, and rescued Margravine Eloise and several other prisoners, returning in triumph to Dulleaberg! News of the victory against evil would have a profound effect upon the people of the Borderlands...

The success of the mission, Eloise's safe return and the fount of informartion obtained from the talkative hobgoblin warlord, give a great boost to citizen morale in the free cities of Dulleaberg and Arkand. After much urging from Sigurd Ravenskjold, Margrave Kanor of Dulleaberg convenes a Council of Nobles from the local cities and dominions of the Scornic League, and plans a spring campaign to finally cleanse the Lost City of Gaxmoor of the foulness that lies within. Sigurd is offered a position training the recruits for the war that will follow.
As winter sets in over the lands of the Old Empire, the Noble Council of Dulleaberg, Margravine Eloise of Arkand, Fyodr the Steward of Pan Charak, and the Guildmasters of Carrisqui meet in conclave to plan their next actions.

"To our Most Dignified Host, Margrave Kanor and Good Lords and Knights of the Borderlands and the League hear ye to what I, Sigurd, Son of Orm, Earl of Ravenmark, Son of Tyrn Jernneve, will tell you about the Lost City and the circumstances we, the men of good will and fortune, find ourselves in these dark times - where the strength of noble men is called upon to save our lands from destruction. During my travels I have seen many cruel and hideous things, yet the world has seen such a pestering evil as the unholy Heraceles the Half-Demon, the wretched evil lord of Gaxmor, and his legions of Gnolls and other fiendish creatures. To add to our misery, we have Pashmoo, the foul and brute hogboblin, who through his savagery has been a great pest to the nearby lands for years, and has been allowed to thrive because the cities stood divided - and divided we fall weak and defenseless. No, together we come on this blessed day, to form a union against the evil forces that besiege us, and I urge you to take this oath with me - and let the Gods be our witness - that no man shall break our holy covenant until its purpose has been fufilled - to take sword and fire to the gates of our enemy and prevail - and let no man, lord or soldier, depart in shame and dishonor of his own treachery, if so, the Gods shall surely punish it, as well as they shall reward us with glory and riches if we stay true to our cause - until death and the brave man's everlasting afterlife in Valhalla! 

I, Sigurd, and my companions, among which can be counted Aos the Swift Swordsman of Imgart, and Xyzzy the Mighty Sorcerer of the White Way, have braved our way to his inner sanctum and confronted his legions, yes, even the Half-Demon himself, and I can only say that this enemy must be approached with caution and good planning - and the favour of the Gods if they may be with us. By Odin, I swear, we shall plunge Pashmoo and his bugbears, Heracles and his Gnolls into Hel's eternal darkness before spring - but we will need the support and utter determintion of each one of you good sirs - and a good share of wit if we are to return triumphantly with our enemy's heads on stakes by spring.

I accept my position with humble gratititude and ask of each one of you to place thy trust into my skill and that of my companions - we have seen many battles, and recieved many scars, but in the spite of gravest danger we have stood firm and laughed in the face of Death - and through the strength of our swords and spells, succeeded in spite of beeing outnumbered and outmatched - this time around we the strength of your armies behind us - and by the Great Gods Odin, Thor and Tyr I swear we shall have revenge for our fallen, the sacked villages and the gruesome heineous acts done upon our lands and people - and I shall humbly serve this noble cause with strength and valor - until death!"

-Sigurd Ravenskjold, Captain of Dulleaberg.

M12 2737 YE 
As winter set in in earnest across the Borderlands Captain Larius of the Gaxmoor Royal Guard, newly equipped with a Helm of Comprehending Languages, proposed to Margrave Kanor of Dulleaberg a mission to rescue the Governor of Gaxmoor, Tyberius Mycellus Gelasius, from his hiding place beneath the Royal Palace. True, the cambion Harecules meant death to all who faced him, but Gaxmoor's sewer network offered an opportunity to reach the Governor without facing the half-demon. Together with Xyzzy, Ivy, Xyzzy's new cohort Lilliana, Aos, and the Mongali woodsman Jen, they trekked to Zenden Post, then southwest towards Gaxmoor through the snowy forests of east Pan Charak. Reaching the northeastern outskirts of the city, they surprised and defeated a band of tough Red Axe orcs, capturing the orc warlord Grond and rescuing the 'pilgrim' Nirjan, who had come to Gaxmoor seeking the Crown of Quentis and apparently been caught trying to steal Grond's enchanted axe. As dozens more orcs arrived, Jen executed Grond and they withdrew into the woods under cover of a Wall of Ice, Xyzzy quickly routing the Red Axe orcs with deadly fireballs.
After a cold night camped in the wintry forest, they headed for Gaxmoor again, avoiding the orc-occupied northern suburbs to approach the city from the east along a sluggish stream. After battling two vicious feral swamp-gobblers, they reached the eastern sewer exit and made friendly contact with the civilized Sobekki, a race of lizardfolk who maintained Gaxmoor's sewers and storm drains. Their leader Hsithra provided the party with a guide into the sewers. 
Navigating the sewers, the party and their Sobekki guide battled vicious ratmen and mutant two-headed rats, Aos and Larius receiving a drenching from the cold waters. They eventually reached the palace, Jen searching out the secret doorways, and located Governor Tyberius and his staff, who were glad to be rescued after months esconced in their secret hiding place. While heading back through the sewers, however, the group was ambushed by ratman hordes from both sides and from the frigid waters, and for a moment things looked grim, although a protective Wall of Ice from Xyzzy and a deadly lightning bolt from the Governor's magist Excellantus Pompius Mageris gave momentary relief. But then the water level fell, and the ratmen mysteriously withdrew - the reason became clear as a rogue Water Elemental, sweeping up the sewer, attacked! The Governor's magist was enveloped by the monster, and in dire straits. Lilliana tried to Dispel the Elemental, but failed. Excellantus was badly battered, but Xyzzy's spells and the enchanted blades of his companions turned the tide - literally - in the nick of time! With the Elemental vanquished and the magist saved, the party were able to leave the sewers and escort the rescuees safely back to Dulleaberg without loss, receiving the Margrave's thanks and rewards.

Get Panchmo!
On a stormy New Year's eve 2737 YE, Captain Sigurd, Ivy, Captain Larius, Lilliana & Xyzzy, Wizard of Dulleaberg, were summoned away from the new year festivities to Margrave Kanor's mansion, where Margravine Eloise of Arkand and Steward Fyodr of Pan Charak were already in attendance. Kanor informed them of the following: recruitment proceeded well, but Carrisqui town was refusing to provide its promised financial contribution towards the League war effort against Gaxmoor, claiming that a young adult red dragon was demanding tribute from the town and that they needed all their money for this, and/or to hire adventurers to kill the dragon. Meanwhile the Governor of Gaxmoor wanted the Staff of Urnus Gregaria, a powerful artifact, recovered from beneath the Royal Palace in Gaxmoor. And the captive hobgoblin General Gysshk was offering to lead a team to assassinate the bugbear warlord Panchmo Sargiles, in return for his freedom. 
Xyzzy opined that the dragon was best avoided for now, while Larius advocated seeking the staff. Sigurd's desire for vengeance against Panchmo, however, carried the day, and the party left a few days later, at the first clear day, heading via Zenden Post towards the Lost City. 

2738 YE 
M1
Approaching Gaxmoor from the northwest the party was attacked by two gargoyles, whom they swiftly defeated before encountering the Gaxmoorite witch Grimhelda, who greeted Xyzzy. Sigurd & co were shocked to discover that Grimhelda had been supplying Panchmo with potions, and harsh words were exchanged. Pressing on, Xyzzy turned all but Gysshk invisible, and he led them through the northwestern gate to Panchmo's mansion, where the starved, half-frozen form of Colonel Tiberius hung from an iron cage. Gysshk knocked on the door and blagged his way in, the bugbear guard taking him to Panchmo's hall. Panchmo started to knock him about but hadn't got far before Sigurd struck! His Norse broadsword hacked savagely at the arrogant bugbear, while swarms of Xyzzy's magical bolts blasted the warlord. Panchmo barely had time to strike a blow before going down to the victorious Norseman. Sigurd hewed down Panchmo's angry owlbear, and the guards were swiftly defeated. However Sigurd decided to capture rather than slay Panchmo, and the group departed with their wounded captive, Xyzzy's fireballs clearing the street of swarms of alerted bugbears and hobgoblins.

Retreating through the northern suburbs the party were pursued by Panchmo's angry horde - more bugbears, hobgoblins, droves of goblins. Xyzzy blasted them with fireballs, then flew away with his magics exhausted. Sigurd took a lone stand against the horde as the others hurried to safety. Surrounded, he cleaved through piles of attackers, bugbear, hobgoblin and goblin alike, the Norseman swiftly surrounded by heaps of mangled corpses. At last no goblin dared come against him, resorting to bowfire that cut down more of their own side in the crossfire. Seeing his chance, Sigurd withdrew, escaping into the trees. Escaping their demoralised pursuers, the party again encountered Grimhelda, who had decided to return with them to Dulleaberg, and their horses, before a night-ride back, reaching Zenden post and safety just before dawn. Xyzzy set free Gysshk as promised, even providing him with trail rations. The hobgoblin departed promising never to return.

Back at Dulleaberg, the gems taken from Panchmo's hauberk and the fire opals from his owlbear's Sobekki-hide collar proved greatly valuable, and Sigurd was able to have his broadsword further empowered by the application of Botolf's battle-runes. He presented Larius with the bugbear's witchfire shortsword, and accepted Larius as his cohort. However, some Norse-southerner animosity between Sigurd and Ivy boded less well. Xyzzy spent the next several weeks consorting with merchants, and was at last able to acquire a valuable Cloak of Charisma.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Finally a story hour that I was a part of!

Hope to see updates regularly, S'mon, otherwise there shall be trouble... 

I want to see the adventures of my character in print...is that strange?


----------



## S'mon

M2
Zenden Post
Ori Neasta, battlepriest of Thrin: CLR 7 (Matt)
Orstadt of the Blue Light: Trans 6 (Ori's cohort) 
Captain Sigurd Ravenskjold: FTR 5/BBN 4 (Lars)
Austin 'Aos' of Imarr, Ftr 7/Rog 1 (Andrew)
Captain Larius of Gaxmoor, Sigurd's Cohort, FTR 7 (Sigurd's cohort)

The late winter snows lay heavy upon the hills and valleys of the Borderlands as Captain Sigurd and his companions Larius and Aos were sent on a routine mission to the garrison at Zenden Post. Approaching the outpost as dusk fell, they spotted a group of riders on the trail behind them. Sigurd challenged them while the others hid. The riders turned out to be bounty hunters led by Mussa Kharif, in the employ of Gio Carluchi, Chief Magistrate of Imarr, on the trail of the wanted fugitive Austin Speere! A battle soon broke out - Sigurd was paralysed by a 'hold' spell from the Heavenly Mountainer Kamazaki, and Larius fled to the outpost with his inanimate body. Austin battled valiantly, but was clearly overmatched, and soon also paralysed. Larius alerted the guards at the outpost, and two adventurers also there - the Thrin-priest Ori Neasta and his companion the Blue Mage Orstadt. As the hunters put Aos' body onto a horse and prepared to leave, Ori and the guards struck! Spells and swords flashed as a brutal battle raged. Most of the guards fell to the bounty-hunters' sleep spells. Their sergeant felled the cleric Erling from his horse, but was cut down by a deadly blow from Kharif. Ori the Thrin war-priest was surrounded, but wreaked havoc amongst the bounty-hunters, and the snow crimsoned red with the blood of the fallen as he cut down Kamazaki and Erling. Larius and the outpost's archers provided a withering bow-fire in support, while a 'slow' spell from Orstaft sealed the foes' doom. Kharif tried to flee, but Orstadt rode in and blasted him with burning hands, slaying the Marrakeen. The bounty-hunter bard Hedini turned invisible and tried to flee, but Sigurd, returned to the fray, tracked him into the woods and slew him. At last the foe were defeated - three dead, two - Erling and a woman - captured and taken to the outpost for interrogation. Sigurd decided to spare their lives, and they begged to remain at the outpost overnight. The battered party settled down to rest, but eerie howls in the distance presaged a new danger...


----------



## Dispater

-BUMP-

To keep this thread away from the edge of the abyss.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

I just enjoyed the look on S'mons face when Ori started carving those guys up. He'd never faced a maxed out Cleric in combat before...

I think Ori had _Divine Favour, Divine Power, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste _  and _Bless_ running when he went into battle. Hee hee hee...

It was just a shame I didn't get a chance to add _Shield of Faith, Magic Vestment, Cat's Grace, Endurance _and maybe even _Jump_ or _Expeditious Retreat_ to the list too...


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *I just enjoyed the look on S'mons face when Ori started carving those guys up. He'd never faced a maxed out Cleric in combat before...
> *




Yeah, I did once create a Cleric PC, Telak, to get revenge on a DM who wouldn't let us have any magic items.  He only got to 6th level though so he had Magic Vestment (armour & shield), Bull's Strength & Endurance, but no Greater Magic Weapon.  Also he had low WIS (14) but high CHA (16) and STR (18), being created as a frontline undead-killer - my previous PC, Varioth, had got turned into a ghoul.   Varioth was a 3rd level Fighter, still with the regular chain shirt & mundane sword & shield he started with at 1st - we were regularly facing packs of ghouls, so it was only a matter of time before he failed a paralysation save.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Austin 'Aos' of Imarr has now qualified for the duelist prestige class...hurrah!

I shall be bringing my new Dragon magazine tomorrow so he can take a look at the new swashbuckling feats. I'm sure this shall lead to some interesting developement in his character. I hope other participants in the story hour start posting here too!


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## Mathew_Freeman

We played today! Safe to say it was an excellent session (thanks S'mon!) with much danger and even more heroism...

Of course, I shall leave it to S'mon to post the story itself...


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *We played today! Safe to say it was an excellent session (thanks S'mon!) with much danger and even more heroism...
> 
> Of course, I shall leave it to S'mon to post the story itself... *




My first dragon.


----------



## S'mon

22/2/2738 YE: The Return of Morrius
Xyzzy, Sorcerer of Dulleaberg Sorc 9 (Jamz) 
Lilliana, Xyzzy's Cohort Clr 8 (Xyzzy's Cohort)
Lorne, agent of Margrave Kanor Ftr 4/Rog 3 (Alex)

Hurrying through the night from Dulleaberg to warn Aos of the bounty-hunters on his trail, Lorne saw a flash of eerie green light from the direction of Zenden Post. With Xyzzy and Lilliana he hurried onwards, Xyzzy sending Hudson Owl forward to scout ahead.

At the post, the huddled guards and adventurers were woken from sleep by a loud knocking on the rear trading post door, and a hoarse voice beseeched them:
"I'm so cold... let me in..."
The guards blanched - it was the voice of Arf, their Sergeant, slain in battle earlier that day! They wouldn't let him in, and his entreaties continued.
Xyzzy's owl reported that the outpost seemed quiet, but the tower look-out lay dead at his post! 
Reaching the outpost, Lorne spotted a slight shimmering in the air ahead - and the gnolls in hiding all around the perimeter! Before they could react, Morris struck, appearing from Invisible as he blasted Xyzzy with waves of magic missiles, and the gnoll horde surged forward! 
Meanwhile at the post, Morrius' Shadow emerged through the wall to strike Aos from behind, severely weakening him, before being dispelled by Ori. Opening the door, Sigurd beheld the animated corpse of Sergeant Arf, a rictus grin on his frozen dead features. The zombie reached for Sigurd, but the Norseman struck and cleaved its head from its shoulders with a single mighty blow.
Battle was joined as the gnoll horde surged forwards. Sigurd stepped out into the fray, hewing about him with his mighty broadsword. Xyzzy tried to spellcast, but failed as the gnolls assailed him. Lilliana tried to hold off the attacking horde. Aos opened the front door of the outpost, giving those within a clear view of Morrius - Larius charged, stabbing him from behind. As the Necromancer turned to deal with Larius, Lorne spurred his horse forward and took a clear shot from his bow, the arrow taking Morris in the back and felling him. Things did not go well for Xyzzy as he fell beneath the gnolls' attacks. Lilliana managed to heal him, though, and a desperate Dimension Door to the outpost tower gave them momentary safety. 

As Sigurd hacked through piles of gnolls, the tide began to turn. Lorne was sore assailed, but Ori managed to fly up and carry him from the surrounding paack - promptly fireballed by Xyzzy, leaving devastation in their ranks. Aided by Aos, Larius and the others, Sigurd cut a bloody swathe through the gnolls. As the battle ended, though, a figure from the ancient legends strode out of the wintry night - a frost giant, fully 18' tall, accompanied by a great silver wolf. The weary defenders readied themselves for more battle, but the giant demanded only the corpses of the gnolls, his prey! Warily, Sigurd agreed, and the giant departed with a dozen or so gnolls in his bag.

The next morning, Sigurd ordered the guards to have a statue constructed to poor Arf, then the battered party headed for Pan Charak, reaching the barony after nightfall. There at Castle Brax they consulted with the young Baron Abu Brax, and met a band of five Thrinian Knights come to aid Pan Charak against the hordes of Gaxmoor - and kill the red dragon troubling Carrisqui Town! Aos got on very well with a female member of their company.

Two days later the party departed for Carrisqui Town, along with the Thrinians, reaching Dulleaberg in two days, where Sigurd reported to the Margrave. Then they departed for Carrisqui Town, and the dragon...
At Carrisqui, Sigurd berated the Mayor for his lack of loyalty to the League, and somehow extracted the magical greatsword of Vorloth from him! 

30/2/2738: Dragonfight 
Lorne, Ori and Orstadt waited hidden beneath the dragon's sacrificial cows in an open field southeast of Carrisqui Town. The others waited in the trees. Lilliana summoned two celestial stewards of Carthea, and beseeched their aid - which was granted with the proviso that Lilliana travel to Imarr and free the city from Overking Tarkane's tyrannical rule!

The red dragon Wormscather was spotted, approaching from the southeast. His fiery breath incinerated most of the cows, but as he landed to feast, the adventurers struck. Ori, struggling with a barbecued cow, got to his feat, only to be flattened by the angry dragon. The Thrinians charged on horseback, but their lances proved ineffective against the dragon's magical Shield. Sigurd flew up to attack from the flank, doing some damage. The party closed in on the dragon - fully thirteen adventurers to face the beast! The celestials dispelled the dragon's protective magics, giving the party the chance to draw blood. It bit, clawed, beat its wings and slapped its tail furiously, injuring many, but Sigurd hacked furiously, while Aos tried to leap on its head, and Xyzzy threw spells. At length the wounded dragon took flight and flapped away. Larius, Lorne and Sigurd followed flying, doing further damage, but at length it outdistanced them, returning badly wounded towards its distant lair. The party had triumphed, and claimed their reward, but the dragon still lived and had best be tracked down before it recovered, or it would go ill for Carrisqui.

Ori had perished in the battle, but Lilliana felt that he could be returned to life, should she but gain a little more power from Carthea's grace.  And so, bringing his preserved corpse along, the party headed towards the Dosk Heights...


----------



## Dispater

We'll get that dragon... hopefully.


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## ZosKia

I do hope we get it  I only need less than 5000xp for 1st level Duelist!


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## Sniktch

*Re: Dragons*

heh heh heh... good luck, a wounded wyrm can be even more dangerous.

My group has run into two dragons thus far - a black that chased them screaming from its swamp and a green that they defeated at the cost of half the party's lives.  Dragons are so much fun for me as a DM that its a pity I can't use them all the time, but I think my players would revolt.  Besides, part of what makes them special is their rarity - when the hear about a dragon or see one coming, they know they are in for a memorable evening.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Orstadt has plans for that dragon. Now he's hit 7th level, he's capable of casting a brand new spell..._polymorph other_. Hah. Let's see that dragon fly away when it's a dwarf.


----------



## Sniktch

*Re: Dragon*

Good luck, those dragons have excellent fortitude saves, although I must admit that my sorcerer uses the same tactic when faced with such a beast (see my Rogue's Gallery for his character sheet).  Last time we fought a huge red dragon and I was prepared with Stoneskin, resist elements (fire), shield, mirror image, mestil's acid sheath, extended haste, and greater magical flow enhancement.  

First round I fired two polymorph others, my save DC's due to flow enhancement, feats, cha, etc. set at 27.  Sure enough it failed the second save and we were faced with a small enraged frog.  BTW, frog is definitely the way to go with polymorph other spells - turn the dragon into a dwarf and it still has spells and can attack and such.  Turn it into a frog and you get a nice snack of frog legs  

Needless to say our DM was a little upset that we dispatched his dragon so quickly (hey, it kinda bothered me too but it's better than dying), but I did waste a bunch of spells preparing for the fight.

We fought another red at an earlier level and I employed an entirely different set of tactics to bring it down - stoneskin, fire shield, haste and fly, then flew up real close to draw attacks of opportunity and started blasting away with snowball swarms.  The dragon essentially caused its own death, my fire shield punishing it with cold damage from every attack while my stoneskin absorbed the brunt of the damage it inflicted upon me.  Before I hit upon my plan we were losing the fight pretty badly.  So S'mon, make sure you deck that dragon out with some sort of protection from cold attacks.


----------



## Dispater

Hey! Don't give our DM any good ideas, he's got plenty allready.

Our sorcerer picked cone of cold for the fight but failed to use it because too many NPCs and PCs were in the way. If we just could have had those Avorals cast dispel in the first round. Oh well, we learned now.


----------



## S'mon

*Re: Re: Dragon*



			
				Sniktch said:
			
		

> *So S'mon, make sure you deck that dragon out with some sort of protection from cold attacks. *




Bien sur - what kind of a red dragon doesn't have cold protections?


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## Mathew_Freeman

Frog it is, then.

And IIRC, the dragon was resistant to fire, electric, cold...etc etc before the avorals _dispelled_ them all. Ach, if we'd done that first, instead of them battering away with their 1/day _lightning bolts_...if...if...if... 

Next time!


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## ZosKia

Next time we will be ready for the dragon and it will be ready for us. Can the hivemind that is Tallorn, Dispater, ZosKia, Jamz and Alex outwit the mighty S'mon. Does anyone outside the group care? Tune in next week


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## Dispater

big bada-BUMP!


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## S'mon

**ribbit**

Congrats on killing the dragon, all - the Geocities file manager is down so I haven't been able to update the web page yet.  See you next Sunday!


----------



## S'mon

*Into the Dosk Heights*

At the ruins of Dendridi Village the party rendezvoused with the Avorrals, who had tracked Wormscather to a volcanic cavern high in the Dosk Heights. From there they headed south-east up a steep glen, camping at the entrance of Vorloth's dungeon. Entering the high mountains Xyzzy, Lilliana, Orstadt and one Avorral flew on towards the dragon's lair, while the other Avorral returned to Dendridi with the horses and Ori's corpse, and the remainder of the party trudged on afoot through the mountains, entering a sinister valley of bones. The flying party spotted great Snow Eagles in the distance, which came close to inspect them, then a pair of wyverns attacked from out of the setting sun. Xyzzy and co fled down into the clouds below. The wyverns followed, but one, was blasted by cold-cone and lightning bolt, swiftly slain, the other disappearing into the murk. Eventually they reached the ice plain before the dragon's lair, and camped there within an igloo. The foot party passed a dark cave, reached the Giant's Head Bluff beyond the valley of bones, then fought and killed two trolls that sought to make a meal of them before rendezvousing with the second Avorral. Looting the cave they took the trolls' treasure. A week's hard travel through the snowy mountains followed, rarely making more than five miles a day. Up perilous cliffs, along narrow paths and across glacial plains they trekked. The Thrinian cleric Erlin was lost crossing an ice crevasse, but eventually the rest of the party reached the glacier beyond which lay the mountain of the dragon. Negotiating their way past a hill giant and his goblin hunters, they approached the igloo of Xyzzy and co, but spotted four strange shaggy-pelted white forms on the ice around it. Aos went forward and attempted to negotiate with them, but the Yetis charged forward and attacked, badly wounding him as he tried to flee. Things might have gone badly for him, but Lorne struck swiftly from behind, killing three of the beasts with deadly blows, while Sigurd ran forward to dispatch the last, and Xyzzy, emerging from the igloo, blasted it with magical bolts. 

The party rested overnight in the expanded igloo, and the spellcasters prepared their magic for next day's battle... 
*Ribbit*
From the dragon's cave, a hundred feet above the ice plain, a clear stream tumbled down the cliffside into a pool of unfrozen water upon the ice. Xyzzy magically transported some of the group up to the cave, while the others climbed up more laboriously. Lilliana summoned a celestial lion and sent it ahead. Reaching the end of the tunnel it immediately activated the dragon's Shrieker fungi around a pool, beneath a 30' cliff. Xyzzy, heavily warded, proceeded down the cave, and the dragon's fiery breath blasted him from a lava-tunnel atop the cliff. The fire enveloped him but left him unharmed. The party advanced to do battle, the Avorrals dispelling the dragon's protective wards while the warriors attempted to climb the cliff. Wormscather quickly killed one Avorral then took flight, great wings buffeting Orstadt as it swooped past, heading out of the cavern. Orstadt wheeled and swiftly shot off two 'polymorph' spells. Somehow the second spell penetrated the dragon's innate resistance - and suddenly a very annoyed frog plummeted down the cliffside to the ice plain 100' below! The party followed swiftly, Aos executing a flashy dive into the pool, within which the dragon-frog had taken refuge. The group were unwilling to let it go. After much debate, Xyzzy hit upon a brilliant plan - while 'detect magic' revealed the frog's location at the bottom of the pool, a simple 'mage hand' spell levitated it from the depths, and held it helpless while the warriors dispatched the foe. Dying, Wormscather returned to dragon form, crumpled upon the ice. The party had triumphed.


----------



## S'mon

*party roster*

Party roster at start of last Sunday's game:

Xyzzy, Sorcerer of Dulleaberg Sorc 10 (Jamz) 
Captain Sigurd Ravenskjold: FTR 5/BBN 4 (Lars)
Austin 'Aos' of Imarr, Ftr 8/Rog 1 (Andrew)
Lilliana, Xyzzy's Cohort Clr 8 (Xyzzy's Cohort)
Lorne, agent of Margrave Kanor Ftr 4/Rog 3 (Alex)
Orstadt of the Blue Light: Trans 7 (Matt) 
Captain Larius of Gaxmoor, FTR 7 (Sigurd's cohort/Lars)

Lord Arnulf, Thrinian Knight FTR 11 (NPC) 
Lady Celia, Thrinian Knight FTR 7 (NPC)
Sir Ragnar, Thrinian Knight FTR 7 (NPC)
Sir Funor, Thrinian Knight FTR 9 (NPC)
Erlin, War Priest of Thrin CLR 6 (NPC)


----------



## ZosKia

*Re: Into the Dosk Heights*



			
				S'mon said:
			
		

> [. After much debate, Xyzzy hit upon a brilliant plan - while 'detect magic' revealed the frog's location at the bottom of the pool, a simple 'mage hand' spell levitated it from the depths, and held it helpless while the warriors dispatched the foe. Dying, Wormscather returned to dragon form, crumpled upon the ice. The party had triumphed. [/B]




Hmm, wasn't Xyzzy's brilliant Detect Magic plan actually AOS's brilliant Detect Magic plan?


----------



## S'mon

*Re: Re: Into the Dosk Heights*



			
				ZosKia said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hmm, wasn't Xyzzy's brilliant Detect Magic plan actually AOS's brilliant Detect Magic plan? *




It was the Mage Hand that was brilliant.


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## S'mon

BTW I've decided l'll give roleplay XP awards (typically 150-300 or so) for written in-character PC accounts of events, such as might be delivered to the Margrave of Dulleaberg or the Mayor of Carrisqui Town.  So if you're nearly up a level, get typing... 

-Simon


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

XP awards, is it? 

The Journal of Orstadt

Having sucessfully driven off the dragon in our initial combat, we decided to pursue it further into the mountains and destroy it once and for all. Such creatures do nothing for the world, they cause only pain and destruction thus it is necessary to spare no effort in hunting them down and killing them.

We began our trek into the mountains, taking the body of my good friend Ori Neasta with us. After some discussion it was decided that the horses, being unable to continue, would be left at a ruined village, along with Ori's body. I am assured by Lilliana that his flesh will be safe. Myself, Xyzzy and Lilliana shall fly on ahead to prepare ourselves, whilst the rest of the group catch up on foot.

I am worried as to the effectiveness of the other Thrinians in this venture. They seem ill-prepared to cope with any shift in tactics by the dragon. All of them still act as though it will merely stay still and fight fair. I fear this is not the case.

Once the group was reassembled, we slept overnight and prepared ourselves. Despite some complaining from some members of the party, spells and resistances were dolled out. I myself intend to use a potion of _levitation_ to ascend the cliffs. It should also allow me greater freedom within the cave.

After a short battle in which the fighters were shown to be badly unprepared, it was magic that won the day! My researches into _polymorphology_ were sucessful! I managed to turn an enraged, fighting fit red dragon into an enraged, fighting fit, frog. It was later discovered and vanquished by the combined actions of the other members of the party.

Now we have the accumulated wealth of the dragon, Ori can be restored to life and carry on his mission. Sigurd has been talking about his plans to raise an army, and the magical suit of chainmail he found in the cave seems to have furthered his resolve. I am sure Ori will want to counsel him in the ways of Thrinian battle. Together, we shall be a force to be reckoned with.

Orstadt of the Blue Light, Transmuter.


----------



## S'mon

Nice Matt, give Orstadt 150 XP.


----------



## Dispater

First we encountered a bunch of goblins and a hill giant in the mountains. 

Sigurd, tired of fighting, convinces them that they can get fresh meat elsewhere, as one of the NPCs had recently fallen into an icy ravine and died instantly.

Negotiaion works. The party passes peacefully.

Encouraged by trying to talk their way, Aos walks up to the beasts of the next encounter to parley. "Hail" he says. 

The beasts abruptly turn around and almost shred him to pieces.

Aos sways as he stands, blooded and badly injured by the snow monsters.

Sigurd, with a slight scratch, walks up to Liliana, Xyzzy's cleric cohort.

Grunts "Heal me."

Liliana "Of course"

Aos: "Hey!!"


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Oh, and I forgot to mention just how smug Orstadt was the night following the successful 'frogation' of the dragon. Put it this way - he was *very* smug indeed.


----------



## S'mon

Dispater said:
			
		

> *First we encountered a bunch of goblins and a hill giant in the mountains.
> 
> Sigurd, tired of fighting, convinces them that they can get fresh meat elsewhere, as one of the NPCs had recently fallen into an icy ravine and died instantly.
> 
> Negotiaion works. The party passes peacefully.
> 
> Encouraged by trying to talk their way, Aos walks up to the beasts of the next encounter to parley. "Hail" he says.
> 
> The beasts abruptly turn around and almost shred him to pieces.
> 
> Aos sways as he stands, blooded and badly injured by the snow monsters.
> 
> Sigurd, with a slight scratch, walks up to Liliana, Xyzzy's cleric cohort.
> 
> Grunts "Heal me."
> 
> Liliana "Of course"
> 
> Aos: "Hey!!" *




50 XP to Sigurd for remembering this when I forgot it.


----------



## ZosKia

Well if we are talking xp then...

The diary of Austin Osman Spare

The dragon that had been terrorising Carrisqui has proved to be a major boon to me for many reasons. Indeed it may even prove instrumental in restoring my fortune and position. 
We had no idea what waited as we journeyed to Pan Charak after defeating both the Necromancer and the hunters that the fool Carluchi sent after me at Zendon post.  But at Castle Brax we met a group of Thrinians sent both to aid us against the Gaxmore hordes and to slay a dragon! I normally have little time for Thrinian knights, they take themselves rather too seriously for my liking, but one of them did catch my eye, a Lady Celia. She seemed rather taken by my wit and charm and we managed to spend quite some time together. I had initially thought that Celia was the lover of Lord Arnof the leader of the Thrinians but when I asked her she said no, though Arnof has been rather cold towards me, perhaps Celia has rejected his advances? During one of our meetings Celia told me that the Thrinians seek to remove Overking Tarkane of Imarr and replace him with the leader of their order! Many beautiful women have said many wonderful things to me, but that news was the most wonderful! If Tarkane falls Carluchi will fall too and I can restore myself, and the others who have suffered at the hands of Carluchi to our rightful positions, particularly if I have the favour of one of the knights. Meeting Celia is the best thing that has happened to me since my exile.
Within a few days, another beautiful woman, another stunning piece of news. Lilliana, the clerical cohort of Xyzzy decided to summon holy assistance against the dragon and two avorrals were sent by her god in return for a quest. So what was Lilliana’s quest? To free Imarr from Overking Tarkane! This dragon will indeed be the making of me! Lilliana and Xyzzy do not seem pleased at being given such a task but they cannot refuse. Siguard seems pleased. He has fantasies about leading an army against Tarkane, he will learn.
Our attempt to deal with the dragon as it claimed its tribute from Carrisqui did not go particularly well. We lost Ori the priest who had saved me at Zenden when after getting trapped under a sacrificial cow he freed himself just in time to get torn apart by the dragon. But Lilliana has sworn to restore him to life once she has the power.  The Thrinians thought the beast could be killed while on the ground and charged in union. I was reminded of a famous Imarrin saying ‘It’s magnificent but is it war?’ The dragon had powerful protective magics, which the knights could not penetrate but once the avorrals had dispelled these we were able to damage it and drive it off. Siguard and myself along with one or two others pursued with the help of fly spells but we could not catch up with it. Vowing to finish it off we sent an avorral to track it to its nest.
The beast’s nest turned out to be high in the mountains, a very long and hazardous journey. Xyzzy, Lilliana and Orstadt used magic to fly themselves high into the mountains. Leaving the rest of us, including the Thrinians, to track through the snow to the cave where the dragon awaited us. On route we killed a couple of Trolls, I managed to impress Celia with some fast and accurate dagger throwing. We even managed to start a fire, despite the conditions, and burn the bodies to prevent their return. Other obstacles to our progress were a crevasse where the Thrinian priest Erlin slipped and fell to his death and a party of goblins led by a giant. Siguard and I managed to persuade them to let us pass with food, gold and the promise of the body of the priest.
Eventually we arrived at the foot of the cliff, which led to the dragons cave. There we found a curious ice shelter being watched by four strange beasts. As they were not being hostile I attempted to parlay with them as we had so successfully with the giant, alas these beasts were feral and damn near tore me apart! Fortunately Lorne’s quick attacks felled a couple of them and I was able to get away badly bleeding before the beasts were finished off by the rest of the party including Xyzzy and companions who emerged from the ice shelter. During the fight Siguard suffered a bruise to his ego and immediately demanded healing from Lilliana. I pushed him aside pointing out that  I was actually rather badly injured! We spent the night in Xyzzy’s ice shelter and in the morning the assault on the dragon’s lair began.
We had spent the night formulating a plan. The avorals were to dispel the dragon’s protective magic before the warriors closed and Xyzzy hit it with cold-based spells. Orstadt claimed that if he got the chance he would turn it into a frog!
The mouth of the dragon’s cave 100’ up had a clear mountain stream gushing from it and pooling unfrozen at the base of the cliff. I guessed that the cave must be must be pretty hot to heat the water and stop it from freezing – well it was a red dragon. Some of the party were able to fly or levitate to the cave but the rest including myself had to climb. Eventually we assembled just inside the cave. There was no sign of the dragon and so Lilliana summoned some sort of lion beast and sent it on ahead to scout. The lion soon activated some sort of shrieking alarm and we all hurried into the cave. Xyzzy, having cast many protective spells took the lead.  We found Lilliana’s lion clawing at the base of a 30’ cliff surrounded by strange fungi, which were making the awful shrieking we could hear. These dragons are clever beasts. Xyzzy bravely flew to the top of the cliff and was promptly consumed in dragon fire. It did not appear to cause him any harm but he did immediately disappear, presumably to work some more magic unhindered. The avorrals rushed forward to dispel the dragon’s magic while the rest of us charged to the base of cliff. Before we could begin climbing the dragon ripped apart one of the avorrals that had got too close and took flight heading for the cave mouth! As the dragon swooped past him Orstadt worked his magic and to everyone’s astonishment, including I suspect Orstadt’s the dragon suddenly became a small frog which plunged over the cliff! We had to find the frog and quickly. While the rest of the party stood at the cave mouth working out how to get down the cliff I, being unencumbered by armour took the plunge, literally, and dived 100’ into the pool. It was quite a dive; I do hope Celia saw it. Lorne also dived though not as spectacularly and the magic users flew down the rest. Now, how to find a small frog? I suggested that as it had been magically transformed why not try and detect magic. Sure enough this worked and the frog was revealed at the bottom of the very pool into which I had dived. At this point Xyzzy had a brilliant idea and used a levitation spell to lift it out of the water and hold it while the party despatched it. The beast returned to its true form upon death and it’s large scaly form proved evidence of our victory.
All that remained was to distribute its horde; the most valuable item was a golden chain shirt of legendary repute, which was claimed by Siguard. I thought it looked rather gaudy myself but to each his own. I took no magic items, only gold; it is my intention to pay a sorcerer to further enchant my rapier possibly with a flaming ability. Also up for division was the beast’s corpse. Many people took scales; intending to have dragon scale armour made, others took claws or teeth. I myself took skin from the fleshier parts. When I return to Imarr I shall have Stephan my boot maker sew it into a pair of riding boots. I did take one scale, I have etched it with an intertwined A and C, I shall present it to Celia as a token of my love.
…And so to Imarr…


----------



## S'mon

Tres cool, 350 XP to Aos. 

You should add these to Jamz's Wiki!


----------



## Dispater

Sigurd's Account of the Events

"Let it be known, lords and gentlemen of the Scornic League, that the dread Wyrm Wormschather has been slain, not much by the might of our arms, but by the incredible powers of the most honorable magician Orstadt, who, after much tumble and fumble to find and confront the mighty beast, decided to to turn it into a simple frog. No, men of good fortune, 'tis no joke or pun intended, it is a true tale eyewitnessed by me, Sigurd, Son of Orm, Earl of the Ravenmark. 

For such was this incredible feat that Orstadt, by a simple gesture of his hand, was able to transform Wormschather into a small and pathetic frog in the midst of his flight. Upon so, we dispatchrf of this once fear-inspiring beast near it's cave lair, after which the poor creature reverted to it's former state upon being hacked and mangled to pieces by the many brave warriors we were. See here, I bring the horns and scales of this dragon before your eyes, so let no disbelief cloud your minds. Rejoice, for for the days of Wormschater are over and his reign of terror over Carisqui town has come to a brutal end!

Let not this lead your thoughts into believing the undoing of Wormschather then was an easy task, for such is to say that our journey to it's lair was not filled with it's share of perils and hazards of it's own. We encountered many beasts and beings man has seldomly seen close to civilisation, and were required to brave the icy cliffs and vast slopes of the mighty mountains in a precious few days such as to not let the mighty dragon gain time on us to set out on a retributional strike against the weak and vulrneable town of Carisqui - whose helpless mayor is unable to protect his own people and relies on the good will of knights' errants to champion his cause.

And so with this ancient evil dead and buried, we look forward to the completion of our alliance and so us all turn our efforts towards that which we came together to destroy - the villainry that brews in the east, the Lost City and the hordes of foul creatures led by the Half-Demon whose name is ever-cursed. By Odin, we shall not fail."

-Sigurd


----------



## S'mon

Dispater said:
			
		

> *Sigurd's Account of the Events
> 
> "Let it be known, lords and gentlemen of the Scornic League, that the dread Wyrm Wormschather has been slain, not much by the might of our arms, but by the incredible powers of the most honorable magician Orstadt, who, after much tumble and fumble to find and confront the mighty beast, decided to to turn it into a simple frog. No, men of good fortune, 'tis no joke or pun intended, it is a true tale eyewitnessed by me, Sigurd, Son of Orm, Earl of the Ravenmark.
> 
> For such was this incredible feat that Orstadt, by a simple gesture of his hand, was able to transform Wormschather into a small and pathetic frog in the midst of his flight. Upon so, we dispatchrf of this once fear-inspiring beast near it's cave lair, after which the poor creature reverted to it's former state upon being hacked and mangled to pieces by the many brave warriors we were. See here, I bring the horns and scales of this dragon before your eyes, so let no disbelief cloud your minds. Rejoice, for for the days of Wormschater are over and his reign of terror over Carisqui town has come to a brutal end!
> 
> Let not this lead your thoughts into believing the undoing of Wormschather then was an easy task, for such is to say that our journey to it's lair was not filled with it's share of perils and hazards of it's own. We encountered many beasts and beings man has seldomly seen close to civilisation, and were required to brave the icy cliffs and vast slopes of the mighty mountains in a precious few days such as to not let the mighty dragon gain time on us to set out on a retributional strike against the weak and vulrneable town of Carisqui - whose helpless mayor is unable to protect his own people and relies on the good will of knights' errants to champion his cause.
> 
> And so with this ancient evil dead and buried, we look forward to the completion of our alliance and so us all turn our efforts towards that which we came together to destroy - the villainry that brews in the east, the Lost City and the hordes of foul creatures led by the Half-Demon whose name is ever-cursed. By Odin, we shall not fail."
> 
> -Sigurd *




Very nice, another 150 XP to Sigurd.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Orstadt applauds Sigurd for his speechmaking, and for crediting him so much in the slaying of the dragon*

When is the update from Sunday planned, S'mon? I'm looking forward to seeing what happened in my absence.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Nothing? Awk. Hope your PC is fixed soon (that's computer, not character...)


----------



## ZosKia

Hi Tallarn,
Hope the show is going well.
It's my pc that needs fixing! AOS is currently an ex swashbuckler. Due to return on Jan 12th (next session unless S'mon fits one in on 15th Dec)


----------



## S'mon

Got a new PC on Saturday, however am having email trouble - it appears to have wiped all my stored Outlook Express email including RPG stuff.  Also I can't post from my work account.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Well if you've lost your email addresses, here's mine again.

matt@msfreeman.co.uk

Tell me what's happened, someone! Who killed Aos?


----------



## ZosKia

Who killed Aos? 


Well technically a frost giant - morally Lorne!
On our way back we encountered three frost giants led by the one we met at Zenden post. We successfully negotiated safe passage past them when Lorne, who had snuck off earlier, decided to fire an arrow at one of them. Celia was standing right in front of the leader giving him some gold when Lorne fired so AOS rushed forward, despite only having twenty odd hit points after dueling with one of the giants earlier, and was killed by the giant who had combat reflexs and hit him despite AOS having an AC of 31!


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Ow...nasty.

Did you get Ori raised, or did Orstadt just leave with his share of the dragon's treasure?


----------



## ZosKia

Eh not sure. I know Orstadt flew back to be with the body, thus missing the frost giant episode. But I missed the last one, I'm guessing  that Ori and AOS are are enjoying hot and cold running handmaidens somewere. AOS would certainly invite  Ori to the Chaotic Good afterlife! I'm guessing that Ori will return at the same time as AOS (two for the price of one?). AOS has lost a level so I'm guessing Ori has too, you may want to get his sheet sorted out ready for his return.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Hmmm...Ori wouldn't want any part of a CG afterlife! He's LG all the way...

I'm not sure about what I'll do on my return to the campaign. I may wait and see what S'mon says. I have some ideas about moving towards other characters, ones with more long term goals. Ori and Orstadt...I'm not really sure what to do with them...


----------



## S'mon

I'll get the story hour updated ready for the next game on 12th January.  Meanwhile rem you can still get XP for in-character accounts of the last 2 games! 
The group reached Carrisqui Town with the corpses of Ori & Aos, you should be able to get them 'raised' next game.

-Simon


----------



## randomling

Found it.

Bump!

My character's journal coming up later tonight.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*The Journal of Galak, Cleric of Girru*

I have finally found my way to Gaxmoor. Alas, I find myself arriving too late to take part in the main attack, and must content myself with what remaining takings may still occour. The cleansing of the city with holy fire must take a different course to that which I imagined.

The leaders of the attacking force are gathered in the central Palace. According to my instincts, I sought them out and spoke of my own abilities as a Cleric of Girru. I spoke first to Sigurd, asking him if he would consider taking me along with any further action that may take place in the near future. I explained to him that I had heard of his actions and wished to ally my life with his. He seems a man of destiny, and having met him and his companions my opinion that they are going to achieve great things has been confirmed.

Let me write of the actions of this day. I have seen greater treasures this day than ever before in my life! But more of that later...

Sigurd introduced me to the other members of the group - Xyzzy the Sorceror, Lilliana, Aos and another new face, a woman named Maryse Lithine that said she was a diplomat. She seems very friendly, but I wonder at her ulterior motives. Sigurd had been informed that there were several powerful points of resistance still in the city, and that we had been asked to sort them out.

The first was a building nearby. There had been reports of demons inside, and so we approached with caution. Sigurd strode forwards and opened the doors. Within seconds, a small horde of minor demons and three gnolls had attacked him!

At this point I began to appreciate how the reputation of this group had been earned. Sigurd tore into his opponents, dropping several of them with powerful blows. Xyzzy threw a _fireball_, killing more of them and Aos, who up until then I had discounted as a noble fop, showed incredible skill with the rapier to kill two of the gnolls. I myself _summoned_ a fire elemental, but once it arrived I realised my error. These creatures were resistant to fire! I sent it on upstairs, where the gnolls had come from, and we pursued them.

Upstairs were more dretches and two much larger demons, one carrying a huge black sword, the other a mace with the head made of a single ruby! We engaged them in more prolonged combat, with Sigurd and another Xyzzy _fireball_ destroying most of the dretches with ease, although Xyzzy caught both Aos and Sigurd in the blast. I attempted to _dismiss_ one of these creatures, but it's innate resistance to magic prevented me. I focused my will and blasted it with _searing light_, wounding it.

But the fight belonged to Aos and Sigurd. They took one demon on each, and fought them both to a standstill. With the aid of my magical attacks, Aos dropped the first, and soon after the second was overwhelmed by our combined attacks. We took their weapons and a set of magical bracers, and Aos proved his worth yet again, finding a large chest of coins in the downstairs room.

The question of rest was raised, but we decided to press on. Reports had come in that soldiers had been sent into the old prison building, but that none had returned. We decided ourselves to follow up this lead, as we still had plenty left in us.

Again, we explored swiftly, finding nothing on the upper levels. Downstairs was the torture chamber, and the group readied itself for combat. In a small chamber off to one side, Aos killed a small viper that when dead, transformed into a hybrid snake man, which Maryse said was called a yuan-ti. We proceeded down the corridor, my shield giving light via a prayer of _daylight_.

As I entered the room at the end of the corridor, I was imprisoned by a net! Several figures dropped from the ceiling, and the fight began. I was quickly dragged from the room by Maryse and freed, and whilst that was happening the rest of the party dealt with our enemies. The yuan-ti attempted to turn both Sigurd and Xyzzy into rabbits (the preferred food of snakes), but Sigurd managed to resist their spells. Xyzzy was not so fortunate. However, his time as a rabbit was cut short as his cohort Lilliana managed to _dispel_ the magic and return him to human form. His revenge was incredible.

He first blasted the monsters with a _cone of cold_, and hit the survivors with yet another _fireball_, and finally a _quickened magic missile_! The one remaining creature was struck down swiftly by Sigurd. Again there was some treasure to be found, and the bodies were swiftly looted.

The final area that had been brought to our attention was that of the High Priest's house, where the Demoness commander of some of the Gaxmoor forces had last been seen. Fearing to encounter her, we were concerned for our safety, but it was felt that we could easily flee the scene if we found ourselves outmatched.

Making our way into the house, we were approached by the ghost of it's owner, the High Priest! We parleyed with him, and he spoke of how he had been tricked by the Demoness into returning Gaxmoor to this plane. He desired her destruction above all else...and warned us that she was close to regaining the staff that was a part of the city and would give her great power.

Aos managed to persuade him to give us some aid in destroying her. The Priest told us of a secret area that contained a _staff of life_ and some _celestial armour_. After a short discussion, it was agreed that I could wear the armour. I was amazed by the generosity of the group, but it seemed that I was the best candidate. This armour is light to the touch, incredibly strong and will allow me to _fly_ once a day! Truly a great gift.

The other treasure was divided up and identified by Wizards on our side. We rest tonight, and tomorrow we go to kill the Demoness, deep underground in the labyrinthe of Gaxmoor...


----------



## S'mon

Very nice Tallarn, give yourself 250XP.

-Simon


----------



## ZosKia

AOS’s Diary

Celia has gone to evening prayers, she still asks me to join her and accept Thrin as my patron. I have told her any number of times; I place my faith in only three things, my wits, my blade and my love for her. 
The gods have chosen this day to demonstrate that they do at least have a sense of humour. For a day that ends with us hunting a demoness began with the arrival of one!
Actually I jest. I have never had a problem with Maryse despite her reputation. But what is she doing here? Gaxmoor is not the place for a woman of her undoubted talents. She did not seem surprised to see me so perhaps she has come for the bounty Carluchi has placed upon me, some 10,000GP or so I hear. But I very much doubt that she intends to try and kill me. Maryse is feared for her words rather than her blade. Even if thoughts of the bounty did occur to her I believe that the skills I demonstrated today will have proved the folly of such an attempt.
Of more note was Maryse’s companion, a priest of Girru named Galak. Maryse, like most Imarrans is not known for her piety. Perhaps they met en-route to Gaxmore?
Galak seems terribly keen to ‘cleanse Gaxmoor with holy fire’ so not surprisingly Sigurd welcomed him like a brother. 
The soldiers have cleared much of the centre of the city but have encountered a couple of ‘hotspots’ so we were asked to deal with them.
Our first job was clear out the guest palace which had been occupied by some demons. As usual we charged straight in and were met by a horde of minor demons, which I’m told are called Dretches and some Gnolls. Xyzzy fireballed them, Sigurd cleaved some more and the rest fell to my rapier. Galak keen to be involved summoned a fire elemental, a nice idea but not terribly useful against demons which have fire resistance (although not enough to cope with Xyzzy’s fireballs)! The Gnolls had come from upstairs so Sigurd and I led the way up. Upstairs were yet more Dretches and two much larger demons who were immediately engaged by Sigurd and I. The beasts possessed a foul stench and it was difficult to fight them without retching. I was able to run mine through quite quickly with the aid of some magical bolts from Galak but while doing so I was hit by a fireball. Damn demons I thought before I heard Xyzzy’s mumbled apology. It was hard to resist a smile as Xyzzy succumbed to the beast’s stench and fell to floor retching. Fortunately he was near the door and Lilliana dragged him out and down the stairs. The thunk, thunk of his head on the steps was particularly pleasing!   Sigurd was having rather more trouble with his demon which did seem slightly tougher than the one I had slain; however with help from Galak, who had already tried and failed, thanks to it’s spell resistance, to dispel the beast and Maryse, who was able to sneak in and fire some crossbow bolts at it before collapsing from the stench, Sigurd and I were able to finish it. Xyzzy’s fireball, apart from singeing Sigurd and I, had seen off the Dretch and so the palace was clear. We took some powerful items from the demons including a great sword, a mace with a ruby head and some bracers of health which I shall use. In addition on our way out the palace I spotted a loose board which concealed a large chest full of coins and gems. So a profitable trip!


Spurning rest we moved on to the former Gaxmore prison. Apparently three squads of soldiers had entered the building but none had left! I was expecting undead but what we found was actually much stranger. There was no sign of life on the ground floor of the building and so we pushed on into the basement. In one of the cells I found a small viper which attacked me and took quite a bit of killing. When I had killed it I found my blade sticking not in a viper but in a man! Maryse had heard of such men and said they were called Yuan-Ti. While I finished off the snake-man, the rest of the party went on into the torture chamber Galak in the lead. Suddenly our lights were extinguished and a net fell upon Galak. More Yuan-Ti dropped from the ceiling and began casting spells. Suddenly Xyzzy turned into a Rabbit! Fortunately Lilliana quickly restored his humanity and his revenge was swift. As Maryse dragged the unfortunate Galak back into the corridor Xyzzy stopped Siguurd and I from entering the room and unleashed a cone of cold, quickly followed by a fireball and some magic missiles. Not surprisingly the Yuan-Ti quickly fell to this assault. One happy side effect of the spells was that they split open the iron maiden revealing the Yuan-Ti’s treasure horde. Quickly gathering the horde we left the now safe prison.

It seemed the last major obstacle left in Gaxmore was Heracules’s mother, some form of demoness. She had last been seen in the house of the High Priest of Gaxmore. We decided to scout the house in preparation for an assault on the demoness once we were rested. Sigurd and I climbed into the house and met the others, who walked in through the unlocked door, in the entrance hall. Suddenly the ghost of the High Priest appeared and demanded to know what we were doing in his home.  Sigurd and I persuaded him, that our intentions were honourable and he revealed what he knew of the demoness including the fact that she had tricked him into returning Gaxmore to this plane and that she was searching for the staff which had given him the power to do so. He said the staff was hidden in a labyrinth under the royal palace and that was were we should look for her. I asked if he could help us in any way and he revealed to me a secret chest containing his magical flying armour and a staff containing powerful healing magic. We thanked him and vowed to find the demoness and free him to pass on.

Once we have rested and recovered our spells we shall journey into the labyrinth and free Gaxmore once and for all!

I do hope Leo returns before we set out. I miss his castings of cats grace and keen edge!

AOS


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Andrew - 250xp for you too. 

-Simon


----------



## Upper_Krust

Hi S'mon! 

...and hello Jamz; Lars; Andrew and Matt.



			
				S'mon said:
			
		

> *Thanks Andrew - 250xp for you too.  *




So its free XP to any player who posts in this thread?


----------



## ZosKia

Hi Craig,
Yup! But it can only be used by current characters... AOS will take yours off your off your hands for you


----------



## S'mon

I dunno - a nice in-character post by Thrin might be worth a couple hundred xp. 

-Simon


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

The continued diary of Galak, Cleric of Girru.

It seems that the attack upon the demoness is to wait. Sigurd, Aos and Xyzzy are preoccupied with research of various kinds. Sigurd seems to be researching the killing of orcs in the southern section of the city, Xyzzy researches the labyrinthe, and Aos seems to be researching his girlfriend...

Maryse has also gone missing. No doubt she is talking to the nobles, preparing the way forward to Imaar in the near future. No matter. In the mean time, I have been introduced to three new allies, Lorne, Leo and Tarquin.

[Note: Lorne and Leo are other PC's that weren't able to play last time, and Tarquin in Leo's cohort. Lorne is a Fighter/Rogue, Leo a slightly unorthodox mage, and Tarquin another cleric.]

Captain Larius called us into his office. It seems that in the abscence of the others, we were to take over clearing out Gaxmoor of the troublesome spots. There are four more to deal with - a group of ogres, some trolls, a mysterious ampitheatre where soldiers reported a _fireball_ and the residence of a necromancer who may be launching some sort of counterattack. The four of us decided to take those tasks in that order, and asked a notable fighter, Red Ivy, to accompany us.

The ogres were scouted by Lorne, and swiftly despatched in melee combat by myself and Ivy. The trolls, despite showing a marked resistance to Leo's spells, fell swiftly to my _flame strike_, and we burned the corpses. We also recovered a suit of ornate bronze breastplate armour from the building.

The source of the _fireballs_ was revealed to be a curious creature of red skin and considerable height, perhaps ten feet in all! He wounded Leo, somewhat accidentally as he was scouting in bird form, and continued what seemed to be a performance of acting and poetry! He was clearly quite mad...

We prepared ourselves and charged at him, but before we could reach him he blasted us with fiery breath! My skin crisped from the impact and I was forced to heal myself instead of moving to melee range. Red Ivy took him down, to my regret. I had been keen to test my most potent combination of spells upon him. My preparations were all for naught and the short durations of the spells made them irrelevant.

Examining the body, we found him to be a half fire giant/half red dragon, a dangerous combination indeed. We took his magical items and a large gemstone, and reported our success to Captain Larius.

It seemed that this necromancer was a notable alchemist. With some aid from the Witch that has allied herself with the army, we moved to his house. Leo took bird form again and reported an earth elemental guarding steps downstairs. He then took earth elemental form and burrowed into the earth, returning some minutes later to say that he had found another way in!

We moved to the front of the house, and smashed a downstairs window to get inside...only to be met by a horrific Iron Devil, weilding a powerful scythe! Ivy and Lorne fled in fear, and the group scattered. Tarquin used a _dimension door_ to flee, Leo sunk back into the earth and we, lacking magical movement abilities, fled. The Devil followed and struck Red Ivy again...this was all too much for me. I concentrated all my will upon it - and managed to _dismiss_ it back to wherever it had come from! We regrouped and attacked again...

Looking downstairs, we saw the elemental had moved to block us. Without a pause, I dropped a bead from my _necklace of fireballs_ down the gap, scorching it badly. Ivy dropped in next, along with Lorne and myself, and proceeded to destroy it. The necromancer threw a net of entangling power, which we all managed to avoid, and we took the fight to him.

However, his numerous magical protections meant that we were unable to hurt him in any real way, and he used a scroll of teleport to escape. Note to self - keep a _dimensional anchor_ prayer ready at all times.

We took what loot we could from him, and reported back to Larius. He praised us for our help, and said that nearly all of Gaxmoor was clear of humanoid forces. All that really remained was to kill the Demoness in the labyrinth below...

Edit: Added in Ivy's name to the above, and corrected myself on the Iron Devil. Thanks, S'mon!


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *
> [I can't remember our allies name! If you could tell me S'mon, it would be much appreciated!] *





Thanks Tallarn, 200 XP. 
The fighter was 'Red' Ivy, now FTR 11.  The 'demon' was actually an Iron Devil (thanks to Krusty, I love those guys!)


----------



## Upper_Krust

Hi all! 



			
				S'mon said:
			
		

> *The 'demon' was actually an Iron Devil (thanks to Krusty, I love those guys!)  *




I am glad you like it; though I suppose I'll I have to face one eventually. 

By the way S'mon I had some submissions accepted for the Creature Collection 3: Savage Beastiary so expect my secondary copy to be winging its way to you when that book eventually surfaces (in about six months time I imagine?). Perhaps you will find something else in that to torment players.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

hey everybody!

Go the Gary Gygax thread in General discussion, on pages 4 and 5 he's answered some questions both I and S'mon had about Gaxmoor...

Prepare to get VERY paranoid, my friends.


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *hey everybody!
> 
> Go the Gary Gygax thread in General discussion, on pages 4 and 5 he's answered some questions both I and S'mon had about Gaxmoor...
> 
> Prepare to get VERY paranoid, my friends. *




Heh heh heh...


----------



## S'mon

The Battle of Gaxmoor M4 2738 YE 
Following the brilliantly successful assassination of the Ogre Magus Saburo Sato, the evil genius behind the forces occupying Gaxmoor, the League army launched its assault under Captain Sigurd of Ravensmark. With them came an elite strike team under the famed warlord Lu Bu: the cleric Gregory Belmont, rogue Sly Peterson and witch Xun Huo, hired by Margrave Kanor for the sole purpose of destroying the Cambion Heracules. The humanoid and human mercenary defenders were swept aside as the League army drove towards the Palace. Heracules was badly wounded by a volley of enchanted arrows and retreated under cover of ethereal form towards the Palace, the rogue Sly Peterson and the rest of the Strike Team in hot pursuit.
But when the Royal Palace is occupied by League soldiery, no resistance is encountered. However, in an upper chamber a gruesome sight is discovered. The room is awash with blood, not all of it human, and strewn with body parts - the decapitated, dismembered and stripped corpses of the 'great' Lu Bu, Gregory Belmont, Sly Peterson and Xun Huo. Of Heracules there is no sign.

Aftermath
Sigurd was found by the margrave observing the ruined city from the window of the top floor of the palace as the sun dawned. His wounds had nearly healed thanks to the countless clerics that were travelling with the party, but the Margrave was well aware that certain wounds never healed completely and that the battle had its toll on his mind, as his face was white with strain and exhaustion. He almost barely noticed Larius, who sat soundless in a corner of his room, watching over the captain while polishing the glinting blade of his short sword. 

"You and your friends did well today." The margraves' red cloak swooshed along the dirty marble floor as he walked up to Sigurd. 

"We did what we pledged, my liege." Sigurd's shoulders tensed. The costly golden chain mail had been replaced by a simple white shirt and breeches. The Margrave smiled nervously. The nordic warrior was no doubt very well favoured in the courts of the Scornic league. But no doubt he had ambitions of his own. What plans did he ponder in the silent hours of the dark, in his sleepless nights? 

"The very fact that we are standing here, in a palace of a city two thousand years old, speaks for itself." 

"There's still work to do." Sigurd stated. 

"Yes, but..." 

"I know, I know." 

There was a pause in the conversation. 

"So what will you do then?" Tharkand finally touched on his intention of seeing Sigurd this late hour. 

"If they don't surrender, I won't rest until they're all dead and buried." 

"No Sigurd... I wasn't thinking about the orcs. After all this... is over." 

Sigurd turned around and looked Tharkand into his face with his weary and blood shot eyes. 

"It's no longer up to me. Those are matters of the state. You will need to repopulate this city so that it never ever falls into darkness again. But I am just... a traveller without a home. What do I know." 

"I am willing to prolong the contract - and ensure you a well-paid position as a captain of Dulleaberg. You will no doubt be knighted and you'll have what you've always wanted. Land. A home for yourself and your family." 

It was a lost cause. The Margrave could see the restless spirit flicker before him, running away from himself. 

"I... am grateful.". Larius raised his attention from the sword. "But I cannot accept. I suggest Larius here. He is a fine man, allready an experienced leader. Over two thousand years old" 

The Margrave and Sigurd smiled at the joke. Larius seemed to become slightly agitated in his corner. The Margrave shifted his attention to Larius. 

"Would you? I mean, you allready know this city like the back of your hand. I could make you governor." 

"I do graciously decline, my'lord. My place is with Sigurd." Larius said, with a certain forced strain in his voice. 

Sigurd turned to look out the window again. The Margrave shrugged and began to walk out. He could always find ambitious men who wanted glory and riches. 

The problem was finding those who didn't desire the job, like these two. 

"So I take it you and your friends are going away after this." The margrave stopped short just before the door was opened by the guards. 

"My friends...I cannot speak for them. We're all trying to find our place in this world. I just don't belong... here." Sigurd said. 

The margrave closed his eyes. 

"I know. When you have a home, you are drawn to it. In the end - even though we are alone, banished, restless travellers on the face of this earth, seeking adventure and riches we will always go back. Go home, Sigurd, lest this world of intrigues devour you." 

Sigurd turned around to reply to this astonishing answer, but the margrave was already gone. 

Larius stood up from his table. 

"Why d'you do that?" he said, sullen. 

Sigurd sighed. 

"Do what?" 

"Ask him 'bout me. You know I'd never take that post." 

"You sure? I'm not. Maybe I care too much. You should do like he said, settle down. Not foolishly walk into danger just because of me." 

"Eh, well what 'bout you?" 

Sigurd got this feverish look when he got weary and angry but Larius didn't stop at this - he'd seen Sigurd in a rage and knew this was only light mood swings compared. 

"What about me?" 

"Wha' danger? I won't just leave ye to it." 

Sigurd clenched his fists. He had just about had enough for one day. 

"What do you think, Larius?" He said with raised voice. "What d'you think? What was my plan ever since I came here? Riches. Glory. Land. None of which I really ever got. Or really wanted. No, the only thing I ever realised here in the borderlands is that I am foolishly pursuing all these assets while my people are divided or in chains, suffering under Imgart's tyrrany. How deccadent and blind I have been all the time! How could I ever have gone away from the Ravenmark? The tall white mountains, the mighty rivers... all running with blood of the innocent because no one was there to lift a shield for them. That is the sad truth of my homeland. But even at this moment, I am a coward. I am still unsure. And not a day goes by without the question rising in my thoughts. Should I go home? That is what bothers me, Larius. It really bothers me." 

Sigurd sank down in a chair. Larius took some time thinking about what Sigurd had just said. Eventually the old warrior's stern face softened and turned into a compassionate smile as he placed his strong hand on the friend's shoulder. 

"Then know ye, brother, that wither the outcome, I'll fight at yer side, to the end of this and everything."

Clearing the City
The next day the party was augmented by the Girru-priest Galak (Clr 9) and the Imarran rogue Maryse (Rog 9). They engaged in clearing the remaining evil forces from the Royal Citadel - a host of dretch demons in the Guest Palace led by two Hezrou, and a pack of Yuan-Ti in the old jail, were both swiftly dispatched. Investigating the residence of the High Priest of Urnus Gregaria, Claudius Varan, the party encountered his apparition, which told them of his seduction by the daemoness Tracassa, now seeking the Staff of Urnus in the labyrinth beneath Gaxmoor. The apparition instructed them to bring him the Staff, and gifted them with powerful magic items to aid them in their quest.

Next day, while Xyzzy studied the records within the Imperial library and Sigurd commanded the League armies clearing Gaxmoor of remaining orc and goblin forces, Captain Larius instructed Galak, Leopold the wizard, and Lorne the scout on remaining points of enemy resistance. The party battled ogres and trolls on the southern side of the city, before dispatching an oddly drama-enamoured half-dragon, half-fire giant fellow who had taken up residence in the Amphitheatre to the south-east. Finally, advised by the witch Grimhelda, they assaulted the residence of the Red Wizard Evander, protected by an earth elemental. Things went ill as he summoned the terrible Iron Devil from its Stygian pit, but the power of Girru dispelled the beast, and Evander was forced to flee, leaving the heroes triumphant.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Tomorrow we fight the Demoness! At least, if the in-party arguing allows us to get there we do, anyway 

Here's hoping it's not a TPK!


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*The Continued Journal of Galak of Girru*

It has been a long time since I got a chance to update my journal, and this will explain why.

We reconvened at the Palace in Gaxmoor to discuss our next move. All of the group was there except Sigurd, who had been sent away to Dulleaburg on another mission, since most of the fighting within Gaxmoor was now done.

We discussed what we had already learned from the studies of the library about Trakhassa, which was not much. Lilliana and I decided to attempt to gain more information through the _commune_ spell, and retired till the next day. Leo also intended to try his favourite _clairvoyance_ trick.

The next day dawned, and the two clerics cast their _communes_, learning much about Trakhassa. It seemed that she was not in contact with Heracules, something of which the whole party was glad, although she did have allies within the labyrinth. We also gained information about her ability to withstand weapons of an enchanted nature*, confirmed that she could be sneak attacked and discovered she had no additional spellcasting powers beyond her natural abilities. However Leo's attempt at _clairvoyance_ failed badly, as feedback slammed into his mind, forcing Tarquin to heal him. The group discussed the answers, gave out a few more magic items that seemed appropriate, and selected spells for the journey into the underground passages beneath Gaxmoor the next day.

We had discovered that the key phrase was "Revelation is a journey, not a destination", a mantra of the God of Travel who had built this place. We drew back the drape and saw the secret door that had survived for so long unnoticed. Xyzzy and Lilliana stood at the front of the group, with Aos and Celia beside them. Lorne, Maurys, Leo and Tarquin were next, whilst I took rearguard duty that I may cast my spells to aid the party. The initial search of the doorway set of a series of glyphs, damaging several membes of the group. The joint efforts of the clerics swiftly repaired the damamge, although Lilliana suffered twice, not only being caught in the blast herself but also taking damage from the _shield other_ she maintained on Xyzzy.

The glyphs disarmed and spent, we moved into a further room. It appeared empty, but Maurys told us she had discovered that it was an "elevator room". We recited the mantra together "Revelation is a journey, not a destination", apart from Lorne, who in a fit of paranoia declined to be involved immediately. He moved outside of the door. The rest of us were transported downwards, and once we got there we awaited Lorne's arrival. Much mocking of his caution ensued. I wonder to myself sometimes why he bothers to adventure, he seems so cautious and paranoid. Has he no faith in the Gods or himself that he will achieve his goals?

We searched the immediate area, finding several empty rooms and a long passage that lead to the guest palace. Xyzzy and Aos told of how they had fought a huge number of hobgoblins, and we swiftly retraced our steps. This was clearly not the way we wished to go.

Returning to near the elevator room we took a left turn this time, searching carefully all the way. It was during this search that Aos found a hollow section of wall, and then a switch that caused the door to open! We swiftly moved inside, seeking to discover where this passageway lead. We were afraid of meeting Trakhassa at any time...everyone was nervous. Aos had taken over scouting duties from Lorne, since Lorne seemed to afraid to actually move any great distance from the party. He found another secret door at the end of the corridor, opening out into a room with a strange whistling, wind like noise.

Xyzzy moved forwards and cast a _detect magic_ and as he did so four humanoid yet air-like figures coalesced and attacked! However the lightning battle reflexes of Aos and Xyzzy kicked in, and one _cone of cold_ and several rapier strikes later, the creatures had fallen, leaving only remnants behind.

Xyzzy reported that at the same time as casting the _detect_ maigc, he had sensed an emanation of incredible power to the right of the next room. We swiftly searched for secret doors, and found another. It was opened, to reveal a staircase going downwards, with a white light at the bottom.

We swiftly pressed onwards, and I realise now this was our mistake. As each person laid his foot upon the stairs, they disappeared! I was at the back, and moved on to see what had happened to my friends...

...I found myself in a fog like corridor, which seemed to open in all directions. This seemed to be the labyrinth we had expected. Someone called out "There's something here with us! There is a sound, a huge sound of sniffing over there!" We fled in the other direction...

But the creature was gaining on us! We turned and prepared to fight. Running down the fog tunnel was a huge creature, something like a giant armoured porcupine with metal spikes. Aos moved to my side and prepared to strike it if it came near, but it stopped before it reached us! Xyzzy just had enough time to comlpete his _mass haste_ spell before it bent over and fired volley after volley of spikes at us! Aos and I managed to avoid them, our armour and speed preventing us from being struck. In fact, of the whole party, only Leo suffered multiple quills, dealing him horrible damage and poisoning him as well!

I stepped forward, moving now with magically assisted speed. My battleaxe crashed into it, dealing it some wounds. Leo managed to drink a potion of _lesser restoration_ to negate some of the poison damage, and Lorne shot two arrows into the creature. However, it's tough hide mean the arrows bounced off with damage. Xyzzy acted again, and fired two volleys of _magic missiles_ at it, ten missiles in all. The creature slumped backwards, falling, but when it hit the ground a second set of quills exploded from it in some sort of death throe! Again, most of the group seemed to be able to avoid the blast, but Leo and Maurys both were damaged and poisoned again. Lilliana used the Staff of Life to _heal_ Leo of damage and poison, but Maurys said she could continue without healing. The creature left behind a large sapphire, as big as a man's fist. It was placed within Xyzzy's bag of holding.

We continued to explore the corridors...and explore...and explore...and explore...all the places looked the same. We paused for a moment, and same conclusion hit Lilliana, Leo, Xyzzy and myself.

This was a _maze_ spell of incredible power, one without duration. Unless we could work out a way out, we were stuck her for all eternity. After some discussion, we decided to try using the _plane shift_ spell. Lilliana and I both memorised it, and awaited the results in the morning. In the mean time, all the wounds the party had suffered were healed by the clerics.

The _plane shifts_ proved very poor, as there seemed to be some sort of magical barrier in place that Lilliana and I estimated we about a one in twenty chance of breaking through!** We tried several times, and finally Lilliana's group (herself and Xyzzy, Leo and Tarquin and Lorne) were able to leave. However, the remainder of the group were stuck here. All I could do was to keep trying and resting.

I don't know exactly how long we spent in that mist filled place, resting and relearning the same spell over and over. In between times, we talked and told stories, trying to keep our spirits up, but with each failed casting attempt we grew more despondent. We were simply glad not to be attacked by something in the meantime.

Eventually, the spell worked and we found ourselves back on the stairway with no sign of the others. We decided to go back up to the Palace and see if there was any news. Returning, we found that some Bloodhammer Knights had arrived, and were looking for Aos! We hid him in our quarters, being as his relations with the Bloodhammers were less than cordial, and were relieved to find that the rest of the party had returned safely and without incident. They had been praying for our return, and had some other news.

Xyzzy had theorized that a _dimensional anchor_ spell would prevent the _maze_ effect from occouring, and was proved right! He and Lorne ventured to the bottom of the stairs, and discoverd the diorama of Gaxmoor that was the location of the Staff! Our mission had suceeded. However, once they stepped into the room, three giant earth elementals had burst forth and begun to advance. Lacking the ability to battle such creatures, and after a short attempt to converse with them, Lorne and Xyzzy beat a hasty return, covering their backs with a _wall of ice_. The elementals were unable to climb the stairs. The party had returned up to the Palace and waited for us.

As a group, we returned to the stairs. The three Clerics had memorised multiple _dimensional anchors_ and cast them on all members of the party. We were prepared to battle the elementals and claim the Staff for ourselves! Once we moved into the room and elementals attacked, Maurys showed bravery that put some of the party to shame. She attempted to fly between the elementals, in order to gain space and attack them with her wand of _magic missiles_. Tragically, the elementals read her intentions and struck together, crushing the life from her body and shattering her spirit. She crashed to the ground, quite lifeless.

The rest of the group attacked in a fury, _mass hasted_, with Aos leading the way in melee with Celia by his side. Lorne raged as his arrows once more bounced off the natural rocky hides of these creatures, and Xyzzy and Leo cast their spells, _slowing_ two creatures and _holding_ the other. I started to cast a powerful combination of clerical magics, _Righteous Might, Divine Power and Divine Favour_. I too joined in the battle now, with Xyzzy having _held_ all three elementals! We quickly and forcefully reduced them to rubble between the sword of Aos, my battleaxe and Xyzzy's _cone of colds and fireballs_. The battle was won, but the cost was high. We grieved over Maurys' death.

Walking towards the diorama, we found that it appeared to move away from us! This problem was quickly solved by the use of multiple _fly_ spells, and the group hovered above a miniature map of Gaxmoor, precise in every detail. The Staff of the God of Travel was ours!

We proposed to rest here, being as Trakhassa seemed unable to reach this area, and again protected by powerful spells we crossed over the area of the _maze_ spell. We returned to the surface, convinced that at any moment we would be attacked by Trakhassa or Heracules himself! We decided to return to the High Priests villa and see if he had any further information for us, now we had the Staff.

The ghostly visage of the High Priest appeared again before us, and asked whether we had the Soul Gem that the Daemoness had imprisoned his soul in as well as the Staff. We confessed that we had not found it, although we had discovered a sapphire in the _maze_. He asked to see it, and was overjoyed to tell us that this was indeed the Gem he needed to free him from her spell. We placed the Staff and Gem in his hands...

...hands which turned scaly and deformed before our eyes! Trakhassa was revealed, and she cackled "Fools! I have been trapped her for over a year, awaiting the Staff that was the only item that could set me free!" and before any of us could begin to recover from the shock, she _teleported_ away.

Distraught, the group returned to the Palace and the Marquis of Dulleaburg, telling him the full story. We had failed, and set a great evil loose upon the world. Only time would tell what Trakhassa did with her new found power.
---------
Out of game note: At the end of the session, we realised that the 'Gaxmoor' part of the campaign was now more or less over. The group has several issues to deal with in Imaar, however. Lilliana has been tasked with overthrowing the Overking as the price of using two _lesser planar ally_ spells, Aos is seeking revenge against the chief magistrate of Imaar, who has taken his title and land, and Galak himself intends to restart the Church of Girru in Imaar since the Overking banned it. We also want to spend some time creating items and researching spells. So those capable of magical movement are doing their thing, selling on some powerful magic items we have and sharing out the money. Those that have to walk or ride are heading slowly for Imaar, a journey that will take several weeks by horse and boat. We have agreed to meet in a nearby town to make plans for the future.

Second note: There were two outstanding quotes from todays session. One from James, Xyzzy's player, when faced with the giant armoured porcupine:



> Are you sure it's a giant porcupine? Check to see if it has a pouch, it might be giant echidna!




And the second from Aos, whilst in the elevator:



> A magical elevator, eh? Does that mean we'll have to listen to magical elevator music?




To which the whole group started humming muzak, much to the chagrin of S'mon the DM!

This was a great session, and not only that, both Aos and Leo levelled, making them respectively a Fighter9/Duellist2 and a Wizard10. Galak himself is now a Cleric10.

*We believe she has DR ?/+1

**Caster level check of 30, and we're both Cleric10. Eeek.


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## Mathew_Freeman

Forgot to mention that Maurys has now been replaced by a new character...an archer who is also the cousin of Lilliana! She is a mercenary, and once she realised the fighting in Gaxmoor was just about done (the city now being held entirely by humans) she jumped at the chance to journey with us to Imaar and help her cousin in her fight against the Overking!

If randoming would care to post her details, that would be great.


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## S'mon

Great stuff Matt, 300xp to Galak. 

Just a note that Tracassa had been trapped in the High Priest's villa for only a year, since the initial conquest of Gaxmoor by the evil forces - apparently she had killed the high priest but was herself stuck there by some sort of extremely powerful planar binding spell, needing the Staff of Urnus Gregaria's artifact's power to free herself.

Also, Leopold the Wizard of the White Way reached 10th level.


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## Mathew_Freeman

OK, it's edited now, but still *sigh* it's not quite as _dramatic_ you know? 

Thanks for another good session, S'mon!


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## Mathew_Freeman

*Continued Diary of Galak of Girru*

Although much time has past, it has been a while since my last update. It seems we have spent much time travelling this past month or two, and I have finally started to create lasting items of power. Most satisfying.

We left Gaxmoor, the group splitting and heading in many directions. Sigurd rejoined one group, but I myself journeyed with Thana, Lorne, and Tarquin to the small town of Whiton near Imaar. We had selected this as a base since it lay near Imaar, but was far enough away that Aos could move around with being arrested. The incident with the Bloodhammer Knights in Gaxmoor had worried him slightly, but he still seemed intent on recapturing his villa and lands. Thana was also pleased by this decision, since it meant she could spend some time with her two sons. Apparently, one wishes to be a fighter, the other a magic user. Maybe I should attempt to convert them to the idea of being a cleric and smithing thy enemies with Holy Fire, as I am convinced that there is no greater joy in life.

Whilst at the Inn of the White Pig in Whiton, I finally had the chance to sit and indulge myself in a skill I had been taught - the creation and augmentation of magical items. I was able to upgrade my _cloak of resistance_ and fashion a _periapt of wisdom_ for myself. Both items took time and patience, but in the long term they will pay off.

After some waiting, the others all caught up from their various journeys. Leo had gone into Imaar to learn about the current owner of Aos' villa, and to make inquiries about meeting a man named Adam that could help to tell us about the state of the rebels in the city.

Lilliana had visited her High Priestess in Scornel and had recieved information to help her with her great quest - the removal of Overking Tarkane from power. She had also engaged the services of the former Greatest Duellist in Imaar. The title had apparently been lost to Aos in an epic battle as he described it. This man was also banned in Imaar, but his fighting skills were (almost) unsurpassed. With these new allies our chances of success were greatly increased.

We then travelled to meet Ulfius Bloodhammer, leader of the Thrinian Knights, owner of the Legendary Bloodhammer itself and highest regarded Champion of Overking Tarkane. He is an imposing figure whom many have tipped as the next Overking of Imaar, and having met him I can see why. He has a huge force of personality, and commands strong respect from his Knights. We spoke with him and his advisors, and he told us that although he could not move against the Overking directly due to politics, if we were to succeed in our attempt to slay him he would reward us personally. He also sent two strong fighters to our cause, although according to one of the group one of these knights - a lord Alfus or somesuch is not as fearsome as his reputation.

After the weighty discussions, a more lighthearted conversation took place. We had several powerful items from Gaxmoor which none of us used or cared to use, including a _no-dachi of sharpness, a huge mace ruby topped mace, and a greatsword of life-stealing_. We were able to trade these with the Knights and also spend the money we had collected from Gaxmoor's residents. I myself purchased a magical shield, improved the enchantment on my celestial armour and worked on more magical items for the other members of the party. Aos and Sigurd both comissioned _luckstones_, although Sigurd later seemed less than happy with his decision. I was also able to help Thana choose a magical set of bracers to acquire, ones that improved her already formidable archery skills. Truly she will be a fearsome ally in combat.

Leo spent him time researching new spells, the others also bought and improved their weapons and the group found time to truly relax for the first time since arriving in Gaxmoor. We bid a farewell to Ulfius and made our way back to Whiton.

We met this Adam of the rebels, and he told us many bits of useful information. Foremost of these was the knowledge that a secret way had been found into the Overkings Central Palace. It had been used many years before to overthrow the Red Wizards when they held Imaar, and indeed it was an Albine hero that led the assault, although he tragically died in the assault. Adam assured us that the passage remained secret, since if the Red Wizards had failed to detect it then the allies of Tarkane surely had failed too.

It seemed as though this is our best chance of success. We intend to find out more information by trusting to Sigurd to infiltrate the Bloodhammer Knights and learn more about the defences. In the meantime, the rest of us have to trust to Leo to scout out the Palace magically. I myself have to consider how I can aid the preparations of the party. Perhaps another _commune_ spell is in order.

Finally, there is one final thing I would like to record in this journal. Of late at night I have been dreaming strange dreams. I dream of Albine banners flying above Imaar, I dream of the symbol of Girru engraved on my heart, I dream of my axe bursting into flames, I dream of myself leading a force of celestials against an unseen foe. I know not what these dreams mean, although I guess. I have told no one of them. Some secrets are not meant to be revealed.

[ooc - S'mon, hope you like the flavour text at the end there! It's to do with the PrC I intend to take later in the campaign, let's keep that secret for now, OK? Also, if there are any errors above, please tell me. If any other players want to chip in with further details, great too!]


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## S'mon

> *
> [ooc - S'mon, hope you like the flavour text at the end there! It's to do with the PrC I intend to take later in the campaign, let's keep that secret for now, OK? Also, if there are any errors above, please tell me. If any other players want to chip in with further details, great too!] *




Thanks Matt - nice ending there! 
200 XP to Galak.
Imarr is spelt Imarr, the low-hp Thrinian Knight is Lord Arnulf (btw you lot didn't mention taking the Thrinian Knights Ulfius offered back to Whiteton- not sure where they are?).  The legendary Albine hero who died assassinating the Red Wizard emperor Carnac was Lord Skartan, best friend of the Albine emperor Gallak 'the Magnificent'  (now ascended & worshipped as a demigod), after whom your PC is named.


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## Mathew_Freeman

This is the text of the speech Lilliana gave when she met her High Priestess Aquila in Scornel:



> _By Lilliana:_*
> Greetings High Priestess, it has been much time since I have come before you last and thus I have much news to report.
> 
> I have found and befriended a powerful sorcerer, but be not fooled by his robes - yes he once was part of the White Way, but he has no love for the overking and he is noble and good. Together he has helped me achieve great things in the name of Carthia and the Scornic League.
> 
> I have recently returned from a city named Gaxmoor in the vicinity of the Thrinians to the south at Dulleaburg.  We have cleansed the city of evil and chaos - but although the demoness and her son escaped, the city can now return to being a shining light of Imarian culture, uncorrupted by Tarkane the usurper.
> 
> Together we have saved the Scornic league from considerable evil however in the process and in exchange for our god’s help in these matters I have been tasked with devoting myself towards the effort to expel the overking Tarkane and his evil assistant Ulfius Bloodhammer from their tyrannical rule of the heartlands.
> 
> This task is not a simple one, Tarkane and Ulfius have suppressed the peoples of Doskan and Coladel in collusion with the Sultanate of Marrak. Much damage has been done in the name of the Overking, and the Doskan people have suffered the loss of their sovereignty to Ulfius and they long for the return of their Queen Khelia as the rightful monarch to the castle Doskan.
> 
> I believe spreading democratic bliss in the heartlands will be impossible until both Tarkane and Ulfius are banished as well as the containment and possible punishment of the Sultanate of Marrak for their traitorous collusion.
> 
> I am here today with humility to pray and ask for guidance from our great Carthia in the knowledge that she is powerful.  Once again we have a vast evil to rid from the world, but Carthia has shown us that we can achieve anything if we believe.  Last time she showed us the believers her true power when she appeared before us at Carthan to smite the evil Thantos ending the age of Hel.  Once again it is up to us the believers to give her the power to end the time of chaos and to give the gift of democracy to all suppressed people.*


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## ZosKia

The diary of AOS
At last we begin to make plans for the overthrow of Tarkane. But still I leave Gaxmoor with a heavy heart. Not only was Heracules able to flee but also through our own stupidity we set his mother free of her imprisonment. I do hope we have not undone all the good work we had done previously.
As we prepared to leave the city Lilliana came to me and asked if I would journey with her to Scornel, home of the High Priestess of Carthea. She said that apart from the priestess there was someone else in Scornel who I really should meet, and so accompanied by Celia, Xyzzy and Sigurd we set out for Scornel while Leo and the clerics Galak and Tarquin made for Whiton, a small town near Imarr.
Celia did her best to raise my spirits but still I spent most of the journey brooding over our mistakes in Gaxmoor. I was only roused from my melancholy by being told the name of the person Lilliana wished me to meet; Erin Whist!
The man is a legend. He is known as The Greatest Duelist in Imarr! 
On arriving at Scornel Lilliana was granted an audience with the High Priestess at which she was to tell of her quest to overthrow Tarkane and ask for the priestess’s help with it.  Following Lilliana’s audience the priestess addressed the whole group, telling us of Carthea’s plans for a post Tarkane Imarr, and debating theology with Celia and democratic values with Sigurd! It was at this meeting I met Whist. Like myself an outlaw from the Imarran justice. I was pleased that he had heard of me and my skill with a blade. Whist is a master of the Imarran long sword and buckler fighting style while I favour the Brittonic solo rapier technique. It was suggested we duel to prove whose style was best, never one to refuse a challenge I of course agreed. At last, a chance to prove myself against a worthy opponent. 
We quickly adjourned to the training hall, where watched by a crowd of Whist’s students, Carthean priestess’s and others we bowed, touched blades and leapt to the attack.
Whist seemed shocked by the speed of my attacks and I quickly started to force him back, again and again my rapier snaked past his shield. Suddenly it seemed as if Whist had got to grips with my style as he started to force me back, long sword blows rained down, as my rapier was deflected by his buckler. I feel sure that without my magic bracers I would surely have been bettered, but eventually my superhuman constitution began to tell and Whist seemed to tire as my rapier again began to find its mark. Two or three more strikes and Whist, lowering his sword, yielded!
“It seems I am no longer the greatest duelist in Imarr” he said as I offered my hand.
”But you have been a most worthy holder of the post” I said, “I hope I will be able to live up to your reputation”. “Will you join us in the fight against Tarkane?” “I would be honoured to fight alongside you and together we would be unbeatable”
Whist agreed to join us and together with our new ally we set out for Whiton.
After a long river trip we arrived to meet Leo, Galak, Tarquin and also another new ally. A mercenary archer named Thana who is apparently Lilliana’s cousin. Thana is a widow whose husband was killed in a war leaving her with two young sons. The elder one, some 10 years old, called Arrick carries his late father’s rapier everywhere and claims to be me! I do hope the Bloodhammer Knights don’t hear him; they are stupid enough to believe I am a small child!
Having been assured of Carthean support we now had to convince any potential ally. Lord Ulfius Bloodhammer, the head of the Thrinnian Knights. Bloodhammer is alledgedly Tarkane’s deputy but it is a fairly open secret that there is no love lost between them.
Celia has told me much about Lord Ulfius but in the flesh he is possibly even more impressive than the tales suggest. A man of huge stature and great force of personality, I can see why Celia holds him in such awe.
Uflfius confirmed that yes, while he could not be seen to personally lead an attack on Tarkane he certainly would not be opposed it!
Ulfius agreed to one of his paladins accompanying us, as well as Celia and her ex lover Lord Arnulf. He also offered to trade the magic weapons we took from the demons in Gaxmoor but could not use for cash or enchantments from his court wizard. The prices he offered were very generous and everyone was able to acquire something of use to them. I asked the wizard to make my rapier keen and give it the ability to burst into flame. The Thrinnian mage is not the only person capable of creating enchanted items, Galak, the cleric, also has some skill in this area and has made a luckstone for me. Seeing mine Sigurd has also asked him for one.
Bidding farewell to the Thrinnians we returned to Whiton. 
Leo the Wizard teleported to Imarr and persuaded the leader of the Carthean cause in the city to come and see us in Whiton. He is an advocate by the name of Adam Dickinson. It seems that the Cartheans are organised but not in a military way. The most vital information we gleaned from him was that there is a secret entrance into the palace, apparently unknown to Tarkane or his allies! At the moment our plans are to use the secret entrance to enter the palace and kill Tarkane; but first we have asked Sigurd to join the Bloodhammer guard to scout out the defences and hopefully create a diversion. We shall see.

In the meantime we are spending all our time in Whiton. I am giving Arrick, Thana’s son, fencing lessons! I have bought a rapier, broken the top third off of the blade, blunted it and covered the broken end. It makes the rapier slightly unbalanced but easier to use for a 10 year old. If he can learn with a slightly unbalanced blade imagine how good he will be when he is big enough to use a perfect one! In 20 years time he will be ready to take revenge upon his father’s killer! Seeing Thana’s children seems to have had a strange affect on Celia. She was saying how the Thrinnians are quite keen to have children because all their enemies have a higher birth-rate than they do. Celia is very good with the children; recently, towards the end of one of Arrick’s lessons, Celia, who had been watching, gently took Arrick’s arm and began to guide his blows. Even with two they could not find a way past my defence and so Celia leaving Arrick to attack me from the front ran round behind me and, throwing her arms around me, wrestled me to the ground, at which point both she and Arrick leapt upon me, much to the amusement of those watching! It is reassuring to note that even in times of great seriousness there is room for lighter moments.

AOS


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## S'mon

Great piece Andrew - 300 XP to Aos.


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## Mathew_Freeman

I'm back in Sussex visiting parents, so the story hour update will come later in the week! Your chance to get in first for a change, guys...!

Thanks for another good sesssion, looking forward to the next game already!

Tallarn/Galak.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*The Continued Diary of Galak of Girru*

It has been some time since I made an entry, and we have been busy.

First, I must speak more of our talks with Ulfius Bloodhammer, leader of the Thrinian Knights. We talked to him about Tarkane, looking for answers to the problems we knew we faced. Ulfius could tell us little however, save that Tarkane was protected at all times by a group of around 20 hardened warriors. Of course, being slightly paranoid as all good leaders are, these warriors are not _too_ powerful. It is not good practice to keep your most powerful followers on guard duty - they tend to get ideas about how they could be running things better...

We have also spoken more with Adam Dickinson. Leo was insistent that we attempt to determine his true morale values, and persuaded me to visit him in Imarr and view him with a _true seeing_ spell. The spell, however, failed to reveal anything, which means that Dickinson is hiding himself magically. I believe that this is entirely sensible on his part, although Leo thinks that he may be hiding something from us.

The group have spent many hours talking and trying to determine what the effects of our sucess may be. Leo is worried about the reaction of the Knights Bloodhammer to us staging a coup in this way, he believe they will run riot through the city. I believe that this may be a necessary evil to remove Tarkane from power, and that Ulfius would be able to keep them in check, but it seems that historically speaking large powerful martial orders do have a history of rampaging in the city when their leader is killed.

Once we decided to enter Imarr, we hit an immediate problem. Although the majority of the group can move around Imarr without worry (Leo is in fact a resident of the city!), Aos and Whist are both wanted by the authorities, and I myself am a leading Cleric of a forbidden religion. Leo advised me that I could go into Imarr so long as my holy symbol was covered and I kept myself quiet. I am reluctant to hide my faith, but it is a fool who starts trouble for no reason. Myself and Leo retured to Dickinson to ask him if he could get Aos into the city without being detected by the guards. He referred us to the Barge people who populate the sewers of Imarr, and summoned their leader to speak with us. We arranged payment and details, and were told that Aos would be safely within the city in two days.

The rest of the group took the delay to find time to look around Imarr. Most of us had not been there before. Xyzzy and Leo went to the Tower of the White Way, speaking to Dovestar the head wizard and enjoying looking through the extensive library. Thana and Celia went shopping, Lilliana simply stayed in an inn and I myself did something that surprised even me...

I went to the main shrine of Thrin in Imarr, and spoke to a young cleric there, asking to see the High Priest. Once shown in (and spotting a well armed lady lounging in a chair), I told him who I was. I should be clear here, announcing myself as a cleric of Girru in Imarr is very dangerous. Girru worship is utterly banned in Imarr, at the command of Tarkane. However, I believe that the church of Thrin and the church of Girru should be allies, regardless of history and details of dogma, and I trusted his sense of Good to win out over his Law. We spoke of possible alliances, aid and the future of both churches in Imarr. He is a good man, and I believe strongly that he will not speak of my name to the authorities. I was somewhat surprised to learn that the High Priest had heard of my exploits in Gaxmoor, but also somewhat flattered. Apparently, I am now considered amongst the lower echelons of the powerful in these parts. I explained that my situation prevented me from speaking on behalf of the Church of Girru, but that did not stop me speaking on behalf of the Faith. I could make no firm deals, but I believe that my actions will have postive reverberations in the future.

I left the Temple, leaving a donation in the collection box. It can never hurt to be good to one's potential allies.

I stayed that night in a more wealthy inn, near to Dickinsons house. It felt good to stay in a comfortable bed, rather than the less well furnished quarters I have been staying in recently. Thana ended up in the same Inn, by chance, and we talked of nothing for an hour or so before retiring to our seperate rooms.

The next morning, I went to Dickinson's house at the appointed time to meet the others. Myself and Thana arrived first, and then everyone except Aos arrived shortly after. Aos made a suitably dramatic entrance, announcing that the Barge people had left him near the docks, and that he'd killed a man that was spying on the house. Worrying news, although the fact that Dickinson was being spied upon was not great surprise, as Leo pointed out.

We made our way into the sewers, meeting the Barge people again. They told us the location of the secret tunnel that we intended to use to get into the Imperial Palace, and also mentioned that it was in the domain of another underground gang. They took us to the border, and wished us well, before punting away into the darkness.

Another update shall follow shortly.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Diary of Galak - part 2*

Having made our way into the territory of this other gang, we proceeded with caution. Leo used his new _permanent darkvision_ to keep an eye out for us, whilst Aos and myself punted the boat forwards.

Xyzzy suddenly cried out, and we heard the sound of objects striking both him and the boat! Xyzzy called out that it was slingshot hitting him, and the party went into swift action.

I myself called upon my faith to make my shield shine like _daylight_, illuminating the room. We realised we under attack my wererats, foul lycanthropic creatures, and with a combination of spells, swords, arrows and faith we set about them! They were attacking us on both sides, staying hidden in the darkness where they could. Xyzzy blasted one side with a _cone of cold_, but the rats evaded it, causing him to curse. Thana then showed her skill, rapidly shooting magically enhanced arrows at our foes, hurting them badly. The fight didn't last long once Leo put a _wind wall_ across the room, preventing the rats from attacking by slingshot from that side. Thana continued to shoot the other rats, whilst Celia leapt from the barge to engage them in hand to hand. I found myself face to face with one that had boarded us, but managed to knock it back into the water, from where it did not reappear.

With Aos and Celia striking them down in hand to hand combat, and Thana destroying them with arrows, not to mention Leo _confusing_ some of the others, the battle was quickly won. We left the bodies and the barge behind and continued on foot.

Leo used his _polymorph self_ spell to scout ahead in the form of a rat, hiding in the water. The passage turned right up ahead, and then lead to a large room filled with stench and slime. Leo believed there to be some sort of creature hiding there, and we began to plan how to deal with it. Leo volunteered to keep watch behind us, a plan that nearly cost him dearly!

He, Tarquin and Celia were waiting behind us, when Leo was struck by two crossbow bolts and 10 _magic missiles!_ He reeled back, badly hurt, and Tarquin managed to react in time to _dimension door_ the three of them back to the main group and the lights. We quickly realised we were under attack by many wererats and some sort of mage, possibly invisible! We were also caught in single file, there not being any more space to move on the walkway...

Celia was forced to fight them off, facing several foes from both land and water. Thana supported her with accurate shooting, Aos with thrown dagger, as I myself summoned three lantern archons to our cause. They shot their light rays at the enemy, but were quickly cut down. However, they had bought us a moment. Leo was healed, and began to protect himself, Xyzzy flew to meet them, and the battle began in earnest!

The unseen wizard blasted Leo with more magical missiles, seeking to bring him down. His cohort Tarquin was hard pressed to keep him alive with curative magic, but Leo managed to cast his _shield_ spell to protect himself. Celia continued to battle the wererats face to face, but was rapidly being outnumbered. Aos tumbled in to face them too, striking one powerfully with his rapier, whilst I activated the power of my armour to rise slightly in the air. I had a surprise for our invisible friend!

Xyzzy then showed his power once more! He called forth another powerful _cone of cold_, killing most of the wererats but failing to harm the wizard. Celia, Thana and Aos combined to kill the final rats, as I cast _invisibility purge_ and flew forwards! Our foe was revealed as a flying wererat wearing ancient tattered robes of Red. Leo hissed as he came into sight, recognising instantly the robes designated our opponent as a former Red Wizard! The spellcasters now combined extremely effectively, Tarquin dispelling his _invisibility and mirror images_. Leo was just beginning a _feeblemind_ when the wizard struck with a powerful _lightning bolt_, hurting all of the party, but completed the spell and reduced our opponent to a drooling wreck...He was struck with more spells and arrows, injuring him further, but began to fly away.

Xyzzy and I followed him at full speed, being the only members of the party able to keep up, and we managed to spot him hiding. One set of _quicked magic missiles_ later, our foe lay dead. Victory.

We stripped the body of items, finding a set of bracers, the wand he had been using to blast us and some potions. The body was to be used in an inventive manner shortly...

Again, I shall continue soon.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Diary of Galak, final part*

The body of the wererat wizard was to be used as bait. Observing the refuse pile ahead of us, we summoned a creature to investigate it. The celestial dire lion ran forwards, and was promptly grabbed by two large tentacles and dragged out of sight!

We had a tactical problem here, in that the pit was dug at the top of a slope, thus meaning that Xyzzy and others could't effectively draw a line of sight to it. In the end, after much argument (MUCH argument) we agreed that Thana, myself and Aos would attempt to draw it out whilst the flying Xyzzy and others would ready attacks for when it appeared.

The plan went awry almost immediately when it attacked Thana instead, grabbing her! Aos struck with rapier, I fired off an _empowered searing light_, Xyzzy blasted it with magic missiles, and one tentacle whipped back into hiding with the other badly singed! Thana herself managed to keep her arms free and shoot an arrow into the other tentacle, and with a few more arrows, crossbow bolts and more magic missiles the creature retreated.

There was an effort to locate and kill it, but it hid within the mud and sludge. Even a _control water_ failed to bring it out, so we merely moved around the edge and continued on.

We'd come all this way to find the secret tunnel that lead into the Imperial Palace, and another good spell by Leo found it. We gently moved into an undisturbed room, with a staircase and trapdoor leading upwards. Aos volunteered to look around, and Xyzzy cast _improved invisibility_ upon him whilst I _silenced_ the trapdoor itself. Aos vanished from view.

When he eventually came back he told us what he had found, although we had some idea due to Xyzzy's ingenious notion of letting his familiar Hudson the Owl ride on Aos's shoulder, also invisible. Above us was another corridor, this one leading to an abandoned torture chamber. Beyond the chamber lay a large room containing guards, and beyond that sounds of chanting. Aos decided to venture no further than that, feeling it too risky!

We rested in the secret room, and eight hours later made our way back through the refuse room. Once again the creature, sensing us as food, attacked with tentacles, but Xyzzy rather surprisingly manifested a new power which I recognised as a variant on the powerful _chain lightning_ effect. Xyzzy's ability to cast this spell means he now ranks almost as highly as the leader of the White Way in raw magical power, although Dovestar is far more versatile. We are becoming a group that can do things, achieve great goals.

We made our way back through the tunnels, guided by the barge people again, and returned to Adam Dickinson's house. Aos still kept out of site. I think we must now plot and plan for ourselves. I feel as though my faith has increased through this adventure, my mind filled with a greater sense of power. An idea is forming, Girru has a planetar servant, a celestial of great power. If I could learn his name and summon him, he would be a most potent ally that could swing the tide of battle in our favour. I must see if such a thing is possible.

Our tale feels like it way only just be beginning. I feel as though I am about to enter the history books.


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## S'mon

Nice Matt, 300 xp to Galak.  

Edit: The wererat Red Wizard was Morbius.  BTW the Otyugh was a fully Advanced (15hd) beastie.


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## ZosKia

Imarr Dockside 8:30 am

A cloaked figure approaches the Sultan’s Turban inn and knocks upon the door.
The viewing slit is drawn back to reveal a hard faced Marrakeen woman

“Go away we’re closed”

The woman attempts to close the viewing slit but the cloaked figure puts his hand in the way preventing her from doing so.

“I wish to speak to the Prince”

Again the woman tries to close the slit; again the cloaked figure stops her.

“Tell him it’s an old friend and I shall make it worth his while”

“You’d better”

The woman opens the door to admit the cloaked figure and beckons for him to follow her upstairs where she knocks loudly upon a closed door.

“Prince, Prince, wake up. Someone to see you, says he’s an old friend”

The door is opened by a bleary eyed Marakeen man dressed in gaudy nightwear.

“Austin?...”

The cloaked figure pushes his way into the room and kicks the door shut behind him leaving the woman on the landing.

“Hello Prince”

“Hello Austin. They said you were dead”

“I am, and you will be if I hear the slightest rumour otherwise”

“Now, now Austin, I never give up a customer, it’s bad for business.”

“I’m glad to hear it”

“I was quite sad when I heard you’d died. I nearly sent flowers but you know how it is; a man in my position can’t be seen to have known a member of the criminal classes”

“Of course, I fully understand. A man in your position can never be too careful, that’s why he would know a good advocate”

“I know several, anyone in particular?”

“Dickinson, Adam Dickinson”

The Marakeen’s eyebrows rise slightly

“Yes I know him, one of the best”

“I need to get to his office without being seen”

“It’s possible, it will cost 30 gold”

The cloaked figure nods

“OK, but don’t involve the bargees. They were supposed to take me but dropped me here”

“No, it won’t involve them. It’ll be one of my boys. Above ground all the way”

“Fine”

The cloaked figure places 30 gold coins on the bed. The Marakeen quickly scoops them up and goes to the window, where he makes a discreet signal, before turning back to the cloaked figure.


“He will be here in five minutes. Austin, what with the early hour and my surprise at seeing you I’m forgetting my manners. How are you? Would you like a drink?”

“Just water please. I’m fine thank you Prince, and you?”

“Oh, surviving. Tarkane’s taxes make it impossible to earn an honest living”

“Lucky you don’t then! I see you’ve kept Sabina on”

“I can’t just throw her out Austin, she doesn’t have anywhere else to go, and besides, I do have feeling for her. We are not all like you, forever seeking someone younger, prettier, and richer. I don’t suppose you will ever settle down”

“Well…”

“No! Surely not! She must be very special if she has stopped you looking”

“She is. She’s a Thrinnian knight”

“SHE’S A WHAT?!! You scare me Austin, you really do”

There is a knock at the door

“That’s your guide now. Good luck Austin. I think you may need it”

The End


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## S'mon

Nice Andrew, made me smile.  
120 XP to Aos.


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## S'mon

*bump* for big fight yesterday.


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## Mathew_Freeman

Story Hour going up later today, everyone!


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## Mathew_Freeman

*The Journal of Galak, Cleric of Girru*

I have learned the name of the Planetar that serves Girru as His Right Hand Against the Darkness. It is Dorakin, and he is mighty indeed. He aided Thrin many years ago in the battle against Chaos in the North, now he shall aid me.

There was some discussion amongst the group as to whether or not I should call him. Leo and Tarquin were, unsurprisingly, against it. Leo I find difficult to deal with. He has a fine tactical mind, and is almost paranoid in his ability to forsee problems, but he has no faith. To his credit, when I told him that I and only I would need to fufill the quest laid upon me by the Planetar, he replied "As if we'd leave you to do it alone." I have not told him, but my heart was gladdened. He is a most potent ally.

Thana, ever practical, said that if we could summon aid to our side, then we should. Her support was gratifying. Lilliana rather unexpectedly supported me as well, saying that to do otherwise would be hypocritical. After all, it was her summoning of two Avorals that led the group to this action. Xyzzy also advised against the summoning, I feel he is wary of a creature more powerful than he is...

Aos and Celia both voted for. They felt that with Dorakin aiding us, the foul Tarkane can be cast down, and Imarr would be a better place for it. It was agreed by consensus that should I still desire to do so, that I could try and summon Dorakin and ask him for help.

Before we made the assault on the palace, Aos elected to scout it out. Xyzzy loaned him Hudson, his Owl familiar, and made them both invisible. However, after some time, Aos was spotted and was forced to flee. It seemed that our route into the Palace may now be under watch, a most regrettable state of affairs.

We were also introduced by Adam Dickinson to Darius, a scout and tracker*. After submitting him to a barrage of magical tests, we accepted that he was aiming for the same target as ourselves. He told us that Tarkane had launched a surprise attack on Imgart, killing most of his enemies there. This was good news, as it meant that many of the Imperial Knights Bloodhammer were gone from the Palace. Tarkane himself did not go, but Ulfius and his Mage were largely responsible for much of the damage. Ulfius is not a man I wish to cross at any time.

Leo managed to negotiate with Ulfius, in secret of course, as regards a monetary reward. It seems we shall be due a vast amount of money, should we succeed. Such things are not as important as the task itself, but money is always welcome to fund further attacks upon the forces of Chaos and Evil. Ulfius seemed wary of me, but so long as our goals coincide, I can see no reason why we should not be able to work together.

Whilst Leo locked himself away preparing many scrolls to help us, we practised working in the area of silence spells, whilst Xyzzy practiced trapping moving guard parties in the _wall of force_ spell. Our preparations were almost complete, and I felt confident that we would achieve our goal.

We all made our way down to the sewers of Imarr, and onwards to the secret tunnel. We knew it was probably guarded now, and that caution would be ultimately important.

Spells were cast, increasing the powers of all present. Leo and Tarquin aided many of the party with _bull's strength and endurance_, plus _cat's grace_ for those who wanted it. Finally, when all else was done, I prayed to Girru and asked him for his Planetar's aid.

In a conflagration of fire that scorched my skin, Dorakin appeared before us. The Planetar stood some 9 feet tall, green skinned and with powerful wings. His greatsword gleamed in the light.

"You have summoned me, Galak of Girru. What is it you want?"

"We seek to go into the Imperial Palace and kill Overlord Tarkane this day. I humbly ask for your aid in this task, and will pay any price you deem proper."

"The price I seek I shall not set now. It will involve a fight against the forces of Chaos to the North. Will you accept this price?"

"I will."

"Then it is agreed."

The Planetar cast several spells upon itself, and we were ready to go.

_Next: Entering the Palace! A great disturbance in the Force, as it were! Battling demons, and the IKB running scared!_

*We had a new player joining the group.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Journal of Galak, Part 2*

The way into the Palace remained the same as before. From the room we were standing in, we needed to go up through a trapdoor, along a corridor, and up through a second trapdoor in order to arrive inside an abandoned torture chamber. It seemed simple enough.

Xyzzy and Aos went first to clear the way. Moving swiftly, Xyzzy went straight ahead to the second trapdoor and checked it for magic. Sure enough, our attack was now anticipated, and the door registered several magical auras. Concentrating, Xyzzy _dispelled_ them. Aos stepped forwards again to go to open the door...and the first guards appeared.

They stepped out of the walls, blasting him with energy rays and flanking him in melee combat. Reeling from the deadly onslaught, he nevertheless engaged one in combat with his rapier, wounding it severely. He also managed to call out, warning the rest of the group!

Dorakin acted swiftly, flying up through the trapdoor and slicing one creature with his greatsword. These creatures appeared to have vulture like heads, and Dorakin informed us later that they were servants of Gruganu, an evil deity who was the cohort of Ksarul. Ksarul worshippers were known to be amongst Tarkane's allies.

Despite another set of attacks by the creatures, known as Stalkers, Dorakin swiftly struck two of the down, with Aos also showing his combat skills in killing another. The last one disappeared back into the walls.

The group swiftly attempted to move into the torture chamber, but as we emerged, we were attacked by four more creatures, the zombie-like Hra! Xyzzy was wounded, his _shield other_ spell transferring damage to Lilliana, and Aos found himself hard pressed once more. Xyzzy was lucky to avoid being killed outright as the remaining Stalker emerged through the wall again to kill him!

Once more Dorakin showed his worth by emerging from the tunnel below to wreak havok amongst our foes. He swiftly struck down two of the Hra, and wounded the Stalker again. Within a few moments more, Aos had killed the final Hra with Celia's aid, and we prepared to enter the main room.

Dorakin paused.

"I feel a great evil beyond the door."

As he said that, I wished Leo had come with us. His spells would have been even more of a help! Thinking of Leo made me realise something...

"If we have short duration spells, now is the time to cast them."*

Xyzzy cast _mass haste_, I put forth a _shield of faith_ and then Dorakin manifested one of his most powerful spells. A _holy aura_ surrounded the party, giving each of us protection from evil creatures. We set ourselves ready for whatever was beyond the door, and with four massive strikes of his sword, Dorakin shattered it into splinters.

The sight that greeted our eyes was terrifying. An Avatar of Gruganu was there to face Dorakin, along with two horned devils. The rest of us stood little chance against it. This was the deadliest foe we had ever encountered. Instantly, reacting to our destruction of the doors, all three creatures threw _fireballs_ at us. The impacts jolted everyone, but only Aos was seriously burned, although several other members of the party suffered injuries. I myself was scorched by the fire, but if they seek to kill me by fire then they have much to learn!

Darius moved out of the room, seeking space to keep us from being attacked like that again, and Xyzzy also flew forwards and cast a _wall of force_ around the Avatar, enclosing it. Then I saw the greatest site of my life. Dorakin, Planetar, in full attack.

He sped forward, leaping out of the room with his wings opening in a whooomph as he sped towards his foe. He looked at one horned demon and spoke a _power word, stun_, and it reeled backwards. He followed it with a _quickened flame strike_ upon the other, burning it with holy fire.

The rest of the group spread out into the room beyond, staying clear of groups. I myself flew forwards and attempted a _searing light_ on the burned horned devil, but I failed to penetrate it's innate spell resistance.

Gruganu, named the Black Sword of Doom, sneered at Xyzzy's attempt to trap him, and _teleported_ across the room to where we had just been. Dorakin cried out as his foe evaded him. Aos was left more or less alone with the avatar. He quickly moved away, seeking healing. Xyzzy also found himself under attack yet again from the final Stalker, as it attacked from the walls.

Dorakin turned and flew back towards Avatar, and cast _destruction_. The holy fire failed to consume Gruganu, but it did burn him. The Planetar followed this with a _quickened_ searing light which failed to get through. Celia charged the stunned horned devil, whilst Thana ploughed arrows into the other, hurting but not killing it. It collapsed to the ground, but we could see it's wounds beginning to heal.

Gruganu charged Dorakin, his awesome sword crashing into the Planetar. However, Dorakin and I had cast _shield other_ upon each other, and so I absorbed half the damage. The pain was awesome, but Dorakin was already beginning his counterstroke. He summoned the _divine fortune_ of Girru, and aided by the _mass haste_ spell of Xyzzy, laid into the Avatar with his powerful sword. Gruganu was warded with a _stoneskin_ spell, however, and not all the damage got through. However, it was the first time in a long time that the Avatar had suffered such damage.

Xyzzy, meanwhile, blasted the Stalker with his _wand of lightning bolt_, and the horned devil too. The bolts scorched both creatures, but not enough to kill. Lilliana used the Staff of Life to _heal_ Aos, who promptly tumbed behind the Avatar and began to attack it! Truly, he is either brave, or foolish, and I have to concede that it is more likely the former.

Gruganu and Dorakin exchanged another series of attacks, and I could feel myself becoming close to death. Summoning my powers, I made use of my new found faith to _heal_ myself. I would be able to take damage for a while yet!

As Dorakin was creating an opening for a death blow, the Avatar of Gruganu showed his more cowardly side. Bleeding from several wounds, he _teleported_ away, leaving us to pile the stunned demons together. Dorakin called down two _flame strikes_ and burned them to ash, before thanking Aos and Thana for their aid in the battle. Thana had fired several arrows at the Avatar, and their effect had damaged him somewhat.

Xyzzy reported that Hudson had spotted several Imperial Knights Bloodhammer skulking up some stairs. Our mission was not completed, and whilst the first line of defense had been breached, Tarkane had not been discovered. We caught our breath, thankful that there were no casualties, and quickly made a decision about what to do next...

*End*

Note: As a result of this fight, Aos is now 12th level, and Leo was granted a special XP bonus for all the planning he had been doing, which took him to 11th. We got no XP for the Avatar, but if it doesn't returned we stand to get 3000 each. If it does return and we manage to finish the thing off (it was down to 10hp!), we'll get 6000 each. I'm still not sure whether I want to face it again or not!

*Peter, Leo's player was practically screaming at us to cast buffs at this point. We're very glad he did.


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## S'mon

Thanks Matt, good account - 250xp to Galak.  Would've been 300 but you left out the sewer meeting with Ulfius & Clarendon.  >


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

S'mon said:
			
		

> *Thanks Matt, good account - 250xp to Galak.  Would've been 300 but you left out the sewer meeting with Ulfius & Clarendon.  > *




Drat.

For completeness' sake, we met with Ulfius and Clarendon, in which Ulfius moaned that his enemies weren't strong enough and died too easily, and Clarendon said almost nothing but revealed that he'd recently learned _teleportation circle_.

But I did mention that we'd negotiated with them about a reward. Oh well. I'll go update my character sheet now.

BTW, if anyone else wants to post their characters thoughts on what just happened, I know that I'd be interested!


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## ZosKia

Leo put down his quill and pushed the book forward, letting the ink dry. He glanced at Tarquin who was still engrossed in his book. He looked around his study. An ordinary room. Not too large, but not small. Wood paneled, a couple of drawings of the Tower of the White Way on the wall had been joined by a small panorama of Gaxmoor which he had drawn one evening; a desk on one corner  was piled with books, which were also piled on the floor, and the shelves; some were open and some closed. The piles were precarious. Finally, the sense of clutter was finished with three old but comfortable armchairs that were moved wherever they were needed. Tarquin was sitting in one at the moment. Leo looked up at the ceiling. Yes, the crack in the corner was still there. When he learned the secret of Polymorphing, he changed into a lizard and climbed into that crack as an experiment. He almost got stuck there when he miscalculated the length of the effect. One of the walls still had a dark tinge to it from the time he lost control of a Burning Hands experiment; and the top shelf near the ceiling still had a small dent where he had banged his head against it during one of his early attempts at his Flying spell. Strange how one remembered those details.  

His thoughts came back to the decisions he must make in the next few hours. Could he leave all this behind? Did he have to? Would his life be in danger or more importantly, would his presence endanger the Order? His newly found insights suggested this could be the case. A few days ago, he found that his insight, his consciousness, his arcane capabilities and his general being suffered a seismic shift. For a few hours he felt nauseous and suffered a migraine that incapacitated him. After it was over he felt that he had finally stepped over an invisible line; one that he had never realised was there. Now, he felt that the possibilities were limitless. With a newly acquired ritual, which he was able to retrieve from the recesses of his memory, he suddenly had access to obscure and mythical knowledge that awed him. This was going to take careful investigation.

He heard rapid footsteps approaching his door, followed by a knock. Without waiting, Dovistar entered his study. His eyes seemed slightly out of focus and he was breathing quickly. Leo abstractedly thought that he had rarely seen Dovistar so agitated.

“Dovistar, I was hoping to see you later. I have some writings you may wish to look at.”

“Yes, later. More importantly, did you know that a planetar has been summoned here recently?”

“Theoretically I may have some hypothetical knowledge of this” answered Leo.

“What is this hypothetical knowledge? What kind of word games are you playing? Just answer the question”. 

Leo gazed at Dovistar for a moment.

“Very well” grated the elder mage, “what is your theoretical knowledge of what may have happened to summon this being”?

“What may have happened is that a religious fanatic summoned this entity to help him in a quest.”

“Didn’t this individual realise the consequences of his actions? You don’t summon any celestials lightly. They are very dangerous. The planetar would have wanted a service in return for his help. More importantly, we both know that in these matters, for every action there is often an opposite reaction.”

Leo shook his head. “The vocabulary of the individual concerned didn’t really contain words like consequences or reactions; and yes, there was a balancing reaction to the summoning which you have also felt. Alas, the individual has paid the ultimate price and the celestial has gone.” Leo shuddered. “I don’t know what has happened to the balancing  entity. No doubt it has also exacted a service from its summoners. I am not a religious man but I pray to Avanthe that I never find out what that service was.”

“Why did he summon the entity?”

Leo took a deep breath. “Theoretically, there was hypothetical mission to the Imperial Palace; to try to catch the Overking unawares. In short it failed miserably. The group responsible suffered casualties. With the resources of the Palace, it is only a matter of time before their identities are discovered. They have fled. No doubt they will be declared outlaws and a heavy bounty will be put on their head; and no, before you ask, I was not involved. I take my responsibility to our Order too seriously to jeopardize it with such a half-baked scheme. I was with witnesses while the mission was in progress.  However, the people on the quest were known to me. This could be discovered. It is for this reason that I will leave Imarr. I will visit intermittently but I will remove my belongings from the tower.”

“Leo, Leo, how many times have I told you that you should be beyond grubby politics”.

Leo smiled gently.” Dovistar, I am going to have to tell you some harsh truths. You will not like to hear all that I have to say. Bluntly, your statement about grubby politics is contradictory because at the same time you continuously express your concern about the influence that the Blue Light is gaining at court. Well, I have some news for you. I fear the influence of the Blue Light is much greater than you believe. This is specifically due to their willingness to involve themselves in grubby politics.  In fact I think that at this moment, the White Way is existing at the sufferance of the Blue Light. Sad as I am to say this, I think that if the Order of the White Way was to step out of line, then we would have the Bloodhammer Knights and the Blue Light on our doorstep in a few hours. I fear you have lived in the Tower too long and not realised just how deeply the Cult of Ksarul has become entrenched in Imarr.

Dovistar blinked. He wasn’t expecting a conversation like this. “Your exaggerate.”

“No Dovistar, I am not exaggerating. I believe that you will have to make same very radical decisions about the future of the White Way in the very near future. I do have some further thoughts about this matter but I am not sure you want to hear them at this time.”

Dovistar was silent for a few moments. Then he straightened his back and said, “Go on”.

Leo made eye contact with Dovistar. “Tarkane has a ranking member of the Blue Light as his consort. His chaplain is an individual who is able to summon an entity which is closely allied to a Shield Brother of Ksarul himself. Tarkane witnessed this and encouraged it. Tarkane himself could be a member of one of the Inner Circles of Ksarul. A question in a Holy Commune was asked specifically about this matter and the answer given was Unknown. Not a denial but Unknown. The only known opposition to Tarkane in Imarr  is a ragbag of individuals who call themselves Democrats. They are kept under continuous watch and their idea of internal security would make you think they are a bunch of jesters. The Temple of Carthea has been decimated. Do you realise what that means? It means that as an offensive threat you rank below the Temple of Carthea and about as effective as a bunch of jesters”

“Exactly”, exclaimed Dovistar, “it is due to our lack of involvement in politics that we are not perceived as a threat”.

“You may not be perceived as a political threat but we both know that sooner of later Tarkane will turn his attention to such a potential power base as the White Order. He has to either convert it to his cause or destroy it. He cannot allow it to continue outside his control much longer; and even if he doesn’t, you can be sure that the Blue Light is eyeing our premises, our resources, libraries and our students and younger members with interest. They will convert them or kill them. I am sorry, but when they are ready they will move against us. In case you still doubt me, I am sure that the tribes in the North that Tarkane has just attacked also felt they were safely outside his reach.” 

“ I am not convinced ” Dovistar said.

Leo filled a mug with water and some leaves. He glanced at Dovistar and Tarquin who both nodded. He repeated the operation twice more and then muttered a few syllables and the three mugs started steaming. All three men watched the steam rising, lost in their own thoughts.

Leo sipped his mug. “ I believe the White Order has lost this battle. However, we have not lost the war. To my mind we have two possibilities: we could ally ourselves openly to the only feasible opposition to Tarkane. To me that is Ulfius and his Thrinnians. That is a risky proposition. Ulfius plays his own game and he has been doing it for decades. I cannot help but feel that he is somehow using Tarkane for his own ends. We would be a powerful tool in his hands but only a tool. There are also aspects of Thrinnian philosophy that I find grating.”
“The other possibility is to cede the ground.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Dovistar.

“I mean leave Imarr. Keep a skeleton staff in the Tower but move anything important, including yourself. All the libraries, laboratories, smithies, students, everything and everyone. When I said I was leaving Imarr, I will be going to Gaxmoor. It is a wondrous city, which has been lost to our civilisation for millenia. Now that Heracules and his minions have been driven out, large parts of it are empty. Both lands and buildings. I have some acquaintance with the Marquis of Dulleaburg. The city falls under his purview. Imarr’s influence there is scant at this time. If the White Way moved to Gaxmoor, I feel it would be very welcome. However, it is a dangerous area. Gaxmoor is not completely free of evil and the surrounding area is very wild. I believe that is one of the reasons why the Order would be welcome. However, Dovistar, I feel that your days of keeping apart from temporal politics would be over. You would be expected to take a direct approach to helping the city reclaim its former glory. It could be an exciting opportunity. Think of it. Being able to conduct conversations with people who were last on this plane two thousand years ago; learning the lost lore of the ancients; helping to turn the city into a metropolis of learning and trade. ”

Dovistar drank his tea and grimaced. “I must think on this. You are telling an old man that he has failed.”

Leo quickly looked up: “Dovistar, never ever think that. The White Way is large, respected and growing. Those are the reasons why we are a threat to the Blue Light. We are tentatively reaching out to an arcane spellcasting branch that we have never come across before and most importantly of all, we still exist. I feel that one of the deciding factors that has stopped Tarkane and his minions from attacking to this time is your leadership.

Dovistar finished his tea and stood up. “ You are correct Leo. I don’t like the things you have told me; but I must think on what you said.” 

With those words he left the room.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Wow! Great stuff! Presumably this has come out of conversations and so forth since the rather hideously bad failure of the Tarkane Mission?

I can't wait to get back into this campaign when I get back from York! Thanks guys!


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## ZosKia

Hi Tallarn,
I'm glad you liked the post. It was all Leo's work. I'm just the post person as it were.
I trust things are going well inYork? I may try and get up there. If not I'll see you when you return.


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## Mathew_Freeman

Yup, everything in York is going very well indeed. Having lots of fun, off to see Tim Vine at the York Comedy Festival tonight with free Press tickets...


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## Mathew_Freeman

Proposed new Monk character, using 3.5e rules:

Human male Monk 10

Str 16, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10.
Fort +10, Reflex +14, Will +10, Initiative +5
AC 20 (+5 Dex +3 Wis +2 Monk) flat 15 touch 20
hp 78
Skills: Tumble +20, Jump +30, Balance +20, Sense Motive +16, Listen +16, Spot +16, Diplomacy +2
Feats: Stunning Fist, Dodge, Mobility, Combat Reflexes, Weapon Finesse, Improved Disarm, Weapon Focus (spear), Lightning Reflexes
Monk abilities: Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike, Improved Evasion, Still Mind, Ki Strike (lawful, magic), Slow Fall (50ft), Purity of Body, Wholeness of Body
Equipment:
+1 Spear; atk +15melee, 1d8+5, 20/x3; full atk +15/+15/+10, 1d8+5, 20/x3
Unarmed strike; atk +13melee, 1d10+4, 20/x2; full atk +13/+13/+8, 1d10+4, 20/x2

Not sure yet about the rest of his equipment, since I'm waiting for S'mon to tell me how much money he has. Plus, he doesn't have a name yet.


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## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *Proposed new Monk character, using 3.5e rules:
> 
> Human male Monk 10
> 
> Str 16, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10.
> Fort +10, Reflex +14, Will +10, Initiative +5
> AC 20 (+5 Dex +3 Wis +2 Monk) flat 15 touch 20
> hp 78
> Skills: Tumble +20, Jump +30, Balance +20, Sense Motive +16, Listen +16, Spot +16, Diplomacy +2
> Feats: Stunning Fist, Dodge, Mobility, Combat Reflexes, Weapon Finesse, Improved Disarm, Weapon Focus (spear), Lightning Reflexes
> Monk abilities: Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike, Improved Evasion, Still Mind, Ki Strike (lawful, magic), Slow Fall (50ft), Purity of Body, Wholeness of Body
> Equipment:
> +1 Spear; atk +15melee, 1d8+5, 20/x3; full atk +15/+15/+10, 1d8+5, 20/x3
> Unarmed strike; atk +13melee, 1d10+4, 20/x2; full atk +13/+13/+8, 1d10+4, 20/x2
> 
> Not sure yet about the rest of his equipment, since I'm waiting for S'mon to tell me how much money he has. Plus, he doesn't have a name yet.  *




Hi Tallarn - looks good.  Does he not need a weapon proficiency feat to use a spear?  Am in bad way w lots of back pain right now - hard to type,


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## Mathew_Freeman

Do you remember me talking to you about that Quintessential Monk option that allows you to forgoe all other proficiencies in order to gain one other proficiency of your choice? I'm hoping to do that. I'm also hoping that you'll allow me to take Weapon Finesse and apply it to the Spear, because otherwise my character is going to really suck in combat. 

Without these too options, I'm going to think of a different character, I'm afraid.


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## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *Do you remember me talking to you about that Quintessential Monk option that allows you to forgoe all other proficiencies in order to gain one other proficiency of your choice? I'm hoping to do that. I'm also hoping that you'll allow me to take Weapon Finesse and apply it to the Spear, because otherwise my character is going to really suck in combat.
> 
> Without these too options, I'm going to think of a different character, I'm afraid. *




Bring round Quintessential Monk next time & I'll give it a look-over.


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## Mathew_Freeman

OK, I'll bring Quint Monk so you can look at that. The using of Weapon Finesse on the Spear is a house rule all of my own, though. 

I can't remember, what are your feelings on Druids? And how do you feel about Cohorts with the current set of characters? I was thinking a Druid with a Ranger cohort might work...although, you have the final say, of course.


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## ZosKia

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *OK, I'll bring Quint Monk so you can look at that. The using of Weapon Finesse on the Spear is a house rule all of my own, though.
> *






Yes we had noticed!!!


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## Mathew_Freeman

BTW, when we rejoin the campaign, do you think we should start a new thread? Calling this the Gaxmoor campaign is not strictly accurate any more, is it?


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## S'mon

You'll be restarting in Gaxmoor, so near enough!


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## Mathew_Freeman

Is the Black Spear a _shortspear_, _spear_ or a _longspear_?

Shortspear - one handed melee weapon - Dmg 1d6, crit x2
Longspear - two handed melee weapon - Dmg 1d8, crit x3, reach
Spear - two handed melee weapon - Dmg 1d8, crit x3

I would prefer the standard spear, for obvious reasons. Thanks! This affects all feats and so forth...


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## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *Is the Black Spear a shortspear, spear or a longspear?
> 
> Shortspear - one handed melee weapon - Dmg 1d6, crit x2
> Longspear - two handed melee weapon - Dmg 1d8, crit x3, reach
> Spear - two handed melee weapon - Dmg 1d8, crit x3
> 
> I would prefer the standard spear, for obvious reasons. Thanks! This affects all feats and so forth... *




It's a Spear - what was a Shortspear in 3.0


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## Mathew_Freeman

Thanks! I'll get the final version up tomorrow, then, including some sort of history.


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## S'mon

You can use the following form for info:

Character Name:
Class:   Level:
Rank/Position:
Sex:
Species: (normally human)
Homeland:
Age:
Height: 
Weight:
Colour of - Hair:        - Eyes:       - Skin:        
Appearance: 
Typical clothing: 
Demeanour:
Motivations:
Background:


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## Mathew_Freeman

Character Name: Xiang-San Chang ("Xiang")
Class: Fighter  Level: 10
Rank/Position: 
Sex: Male
Species: Human
Homeland: The Mountain of Fire
Age: 27
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 156lbs
Colour of - Hair: Dark brown, tied back
 - Eyes: Brown
 - Skin: Deeply tanned       
Appearance: Martial arts master, traveller.
Typical clothing: Full plate, no helmet. Sturdy boots.
Demeanour: Hungover, or full of the joys of battle!
Motivations: Get drunk, prevent the Spear from getting into the wrong hands, find a hangover cure
Background: Raised in the Spear style of the fighters of the Moutain of Fire, Xiang recently realised the full evil of the place and decided to escape. As a member of one of the cavalry units, he had easy access to a horse. In the dead of night, he made a dramatic escape after managing to steal the legendary Black Spear. He is now persued by the vengeful forces of the Mountain, determined to reclaim the Spear.

Xiang escaped from the Mountain about a month ago. Ever since, he has been on the road, tending to find a tavern and drink himself unconscious. The evil of the Spear and his previous actions weighs heavily on him, and only in battle, when morality has little bearing, does he find any joy. He has earned money mostly by being attacked by people who are less skilled than he is. One battle brought him the lucky find of the armour he now wears, which remains dented from the battle in question.

Xiang is a master with the Spear, from horseback or on foot. He is still learning it's many powers.

*Xiang-San Chang*
Str 20, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 15; BAB +10; Initiative +1; hp 83; Fort +11 Ref +5 Will +7 Grapple +15; Craft (weaponsmithing) +14, Handle Animal +15, Ride +14, Intimidate +15;
Feats: Weapon Focus (spear), Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Cleave, Iron Will, Weapon Specialisation (spear), Ride By Attack, Spirited Charge, Greater Weapon Focus (spear), Improved Critical (spear), Combat Expertise.
Equipment: Full Plate +1, Cloak of Resistance +1, Ring of Protection +1, Light Warhorse, The Black Spear

atk:
Black Spear +22/+17melee, dmg 1d8+14, 19-20/x3 crit
with Power Attack
Black Spear +17/+12melee, dmg 1d8+24, 19-20/x3 crit


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## StalkingBlue

*Tsui Yio Cho*

RANK/POSITION:  Master Student of Hawk’s Palace, never officially initiated as a full Guardian 

SEX:  Female

SPECIES:  Human 

HOMELAND:  Heavenly Mountains 

AGE:  18

HEIGHT:  4’5’’

WEIGHT:  90 lbs 

HAIR/EYES/SKIN:  
Japanese type:  Black hair, oiled and braided.  Brown eyes.  Deeply tanned, with a scattering of sunburn scars across the cheekbones. 

APPEARANCE:  
Her peasant clothes sit on her like a sheepskin on a mountain lioness.  

TYPICAL CLOTHING:  
Local peasant shirt and trousers, with forearms and lower legs wrapped in extra lengths of cloth, square-cut jacket (Heavenly Mountains type).  Sandals or soft leather boots.  
On formal occasions Cho would prefer to wear wide, cloth-belted trousers and a stiff quilted jacket with wide sleeves, emulating a kimono with its over-jacket (she does not currently carry such clothing) 

DEMEANOUR:  Poised, sometimes brooding, with a ready if mischievous sense of humour once she unwinds.  Truly free only in battle.  

MOTIVATIONS:  
Survive.  Perfect herself.  Return to Mount Fire and kill the traitor sorceress Ling Wa, preferably with her own hands.  



BACKGROUND:  

Tsui Yo Cho is swept out of Hawk’s Palace and down the Shrouded Falls on the night of the attack, three years ago.  Blinded either by the traitor Ling Wa’s magic or by the powder thrown by Ling Wa’s assassins, she is jostled and trodden upon by fleeing or fighting monks and pushed down from the battlements into the river boiling around the rocks at the head of the waterfall.  It is the eve of her initiation ceremony as a full Guardian, which would have involved prayers, ritual fighting and the Black Spear.  Cho has just turned fifteen.  



She is found downriver by peasants, three quarters dead and feverish.  They take her in, then realise that Hawk’s Palace has fallen.  After some discussion, they burn her clothes and continue to care for her anyway, hoping that she will have the good grace to either die or mend and leave the village soon.  

Instead, Cho settles in.  Her body mends but she is still blind.  And the burden of the nightly nightmares of a smiling, blood-spattered Ling Wa, followed by screams in utter darkness, is made still heavier by Cho’s shame:  at having escaped where no one else seems to have.  
An extra pair of hands is always wanted in a mountain village, where new fields must first be gnawed from the rock, ledge by narrow ledge.  And Cho is strong, and growing stronger.  So, if grudgingly at first, her help is accepted by the villagers.  


During the winter, some of the younger villagers persuade Cho to teach them to fight.  This is done in secret because out of fear of retribution from far-off Mount Fire, the village elders forbid it.  The less monkish pranks seen in the village, the better, is the edict.  

Teaching others the beginnings of the five elements and three forces makes Cho’s memories return:  painful memories they are, but among them lives the Guardian’s eternal longing for perfection.  Before Cho knows it, she has taken up her own practice again.  


Early in spring, Cho’s eyesight gradually returns.  She attributes this to her prayers to Lady Hawk and Lady Crane and an oath that she has made to learn to “live by her hands”.  It is not much later that she learns of a rumour about a group of armed women living in the mountains farther north.  She has to go and see, of course.  

They exist.  They are Guardians all right, a dozen familiar faces and some additions from Crane’s Palace.  They receive her.  They embrace her and smile to her face.  
When are we going back to retake Hawk’s Palace?  she asks.  Soon, they say.  First they need a message taken, they say;  a message to the Lady Ochi, an elder Guardian and Cho’s former mentor, who, they say, has gone down into the Western Plains:  to enlist a friendly hunting tribe’s aid.  
Cho determines to ignore the prickling on her neck.  Surely one must trust one’s sister Guardians?  Half of her can’t wait to see the Lady Ochi again anyway.  She agrees to take the message.  



A day out from the Guardians’ camp, she is ambushed and faced off by two of them, the Hawk I Na and the Crane Kiko.  They demand surrender.  Cho refuses.  The ambushers hesitate.  There’s a parley.  
Ling Wa has been seen calling across and smiling to Cho, it seems, on the night of the attack.  By contrast, no one has seen Cho fight the attackers.  The story about the Lady Ochi was a ruse to get Cho away from the camp until they could decide what to do abut her.  
Cho explains about the blinding and the fall.  She has scars to show where the rocks bit her.  
Kiko seems convinced.  I Na remains hostile.  There’s more negotiating.  Kiko suggests a non-lethal duel of honour, to decide the matter.  I Na insists that Kiko let her be the one to fight.  

Cho fights I Na and overcomes her.  She steps back to breathe;  which is when Kiko steps in and slits the unconscious I Na’s throat – and makes ready to either kill or capture Cho, I Na’s “killer”.  From now on, Kiko says, the others will trust her blindly:  to be led straight into the jaws of War Master Kung and Lady Ling Wa.  Cho fights and kills the traitor and takes her sai and jacket.  She leaves a warning message with the bodies for the others to find, doubting that they will believe her.  



Embittered and ashamed at having caused the death of Guardian I Na, Cho resolves to return to the village.  She will leave her monk’s life behind and never fight again.  

It is not to be.  On the winding goat path to the ridge beyond which the village’s topmost fields lie, she is greeted by trickling, greasy smoke.  The village is a smouldering ruin, its people crucified and burnt on the rubble of their own homes.  

It is a raging Cho who follows on the killers’ heels, Mount Fire warriors on a rampage.  She starts by picking them off, one by one at first, drunk and gorged stragglers, then sleepers in the night.  Not one of that patrol returns to tell the tale.  By the time the bodies are found, she has already moved on to new hunting grounds.  

She stalks the mountainsides now in search for Mount Fire warriors to kill, getting food and shelter where she can:  from villages half frightened of her at first, then as she moves ever closer to Mount Fire, occasional shepherds only.  She learns swiftly not to kill near where she hopes to eat.  Mount Fire retribution to villages is quick and thorough.  

The nightmares still come.  Now when she sees Ling Wa smile before the darkness falls and water rushes around her, a glassy I Na glares at her in reproach.  






It is bitter work, killing:  merely to move on and kill again.  A year and a half later, Tsui Yo Cho still survives.  She has recently reached the level of master student, which back at the Palace would have been celebrated in a special ceremony.  The day Cho was first able to stop her bleeding from a sword cut by focussing on the three forces alone, she celebrated by finishing off her opponent first and then going after the rest of the troop – rather than withdrawing, as would have been prudent.  Two of the troop escaped.  

They know now where she is.  They will come.  Maybe she will welcome them, she thinks.  Surely if the traitor Ling Wa is with them, she will welcome her.  She determines to go for the sorceress even if her eyesight should fail her again.  

She sits on a sweltering hot mountainside to bind her footrags tighter.  The herbs crackle and smell sweet and dusty.  The sun beats.  There is drowsiness in the air.  

A bird flees!  

The bird rises from the treetops downhill.  It is too far away to hear really, but Cho will always swear later that she heard the rush of every single feather in that wingclap.  She will also swear that the bird who woke her was a hawk (another impossibility because those birds are never seen in that area).  

Mounted warriors are breaking from the trees in a wide line.  They have come then, dozens of them, and Cho, instantly awake, is up and already running to meet them.  
Only they do not meet her at all.  They are going another way.  
Cho slows, then stops as the hunt thunders past and disappears around a fold in the mountain.  

They all appeared to be following one man.  Not following him, but homing in on him.  Like a pack closing in on the kill;  only they were having difficulty closing.  

Cho has to go and see, of course.  Not just because this is the first time she has seen Mount Fire warriors hunting one of their one.  But because of the bird that was a hawk when it couldn’t have been, and woke her when it couldn’t have.  
And because of the weapon the hunted man was carrying as he bent low over his horse’s neck:  a weapon that – the third impossibility, surely, all the more at this distance – looked precisely the same as Lady Hawk’s own Black Spear.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Great write up for background, and nice to find out your ENworld name, too. Here's some of an account of what happened upon the revival of the new game...
-------------
Gaxmoor Campaign, Sunday 24th August

The figure on the horse rode as hard as he could towards the distant walls. It was the first sign of real habitation that he'd seen in several days. Alongside him ran his new companion, the female Monk, Cho. They'd faced some of the Deathbringers, but these final six had proved the most tenacious. He glanced round - they were likely to catch them before they could reach the walls of the city.

Just at that moment, Cho stumbled for a pace. Xiang slowed his horse for a beat to keep along side her, and in that beat the six mounted foes caught up, drawing weapons and engaging!

The commander swung his horse round to strike as Cho leapt from the ground and stunned him with a flying kick. As the other five closed in, striking with swords, no-dachi and the commanders spiked chain, Xiang-San Chang spurred his horse forwards, the Black Spear levelled at the enemy leaders heart.

"Falling Star Strike!" he called out as he struck with all his might and training, the Spirited Charge crashing into his opponent and finding his heart. In one tremendous blow, Xiang killed his foe cleanly, and the Black Spear fed on his soul. Meanwhile, Cho was almost floating between the sword strikes of the other Deathbringers, spinning and striking back. The two fighters worked together, preventing their foes from surrounding them and with Cho's ability to stun her opponents combined with Xiang's awesomely powerful attacks, the Deathbringers were defeated, only one managing to flee.

He didn't get far.

Following on foot at the same speed as a running horse, she leapt towards a tree, using the momentum to push off and bring the man clean off his horse. As the both rolled to their feet she punished him with a series of punches and kicks, leaving him almost unconscious. With contempt for her beaten foe, she stepped forwards and finished him off, his horse bolting into the distance.

Xiang, meanwhile, with a experienced campaigners eye, had rounded up the other five horses and started to strip the bodies of equipment. Once done, the two warriors led their horses further towards the city.
*****
Aos was summoned to the Margraves chambers, along with Titania, his new cohort. They had been staying in Aos' new business venture, the Sultry Siren Brothel on the edge of Gaxmoor. Leo of the White Way was also told to attend, receiving the message in his room in the tower of the White Way. It seemed the Margrave wished them to perform another mission.

They were also introduced to Xiang and Cho, who stood in the chambers of the Margrave after some questioning by the guards. Their weapons remained outside the room, which Xiang found slightly unsettling. He had not been away from the Spear for many days, and had grown used to it's continual presence in the back of his mind.

The Margrave told them that the Gaxmoor graveyard had become unquiet, with strange lights appearing in the sky overheard. Some local scouts were keeping an eye on it, but were reluctant to investigate further. The Margrave suggested that Aos, Titiana, Leo, Tarquin, Cho and Xiang should investigate and solve the problem. The group agreed, seeing that profit and fame would surely follow.

With a short overnight break for healing and supplies, the group headed just outside the walls to the graveyard. They met the scouts, a half-elven group, and Leo took his usual route of using magic to scout the land. His _prying eyes_ spell brought him much information, including the valuable knowledge that four gnoll corpses lay just inside the gates. The group knew they were likely to attack once anyone entered.

The following day everyone was woken by the captain of the scouts. One of his men had gone missing whilst on sentry duty. The group swiftly dressed and resolved to find her, aided by the scouts. With practised ease, they headed towards the gates. The expected ambush was easily dealt with, Tarquin obliterating the gnoll zombies with a blast of channelled divine energy. The scout leader proved an able tracker, and soon the party was heading deeper inside.

After some exploration, confirming what the _prying eyes_ had reported the day before, the company hit the target. A mausoleum held what appeared to be a large collection of undead, including two massive figures, almost giant size! The problem was that they were behind a large metal grill which proved difficult to open.

Whilst everyone discussed what to do, their enemies were not so slack. With a suddeness that confused everyone, a strange demonic creature appeared, looking comely apart from her huge bat wings. Speaking to the group, she _charmed_ Aos and then Titiana, and it was only when Leo shouted a warning and Xiang set to the attack that the fighting started!

The succubus (for that was what she was) concentrated and managed to summon forth a Vrock to aid her. The creature appeared, saw the Black Spear that Xiang carried and leapt at him, biting and clawing. He fought desperately, but was horribly wounded. Cho leapt forwards, but the _charmed_ Aos intercepted her as she struck at the succubus, and even though her blow landed, the innate powers of the demon prevented the blow from doing any damage.

Tarquin and Leo were not idle, casting _dimensional anchor_ and _Evard's Black Tentacles_ upon the group. The succubus and Xiang were trapped, but Cho and the Vrock broke free, the Vrock doing yet more damage to Xiang. Leo, realising his error, dismissed the spell, which allowed Xiang to step up and strike the succubus down with the Black Spear! This caused the _charm_ effects to stop and the Vrock to vanish. However, whilst we were distracted, the second part of the plan was unfurled...

A gnoll had crept up to the grill and lifted it from inside, and now a small horde of undead and living foes poured out, including a huge Ogre. Regrouping, the party fought them head on. Most of the skeletons were destroyed by Tarquin as he channelled the power of his God, whilst Aos drew the rest of the zombies. The brave scouts died holding off the Ogre, as Leo withdrew and blocked the doorway with a _web_ spell, gaining us valuable time. He was aware, though, that someone inside was trying to dispel his magic.

Striking down the undead outside whilst Cho dealt with a goblin rogue, Aos checked around him. The group had finally brought the Ogre down, Aos himself striking the final blow as Xiang hung back, not willing to risk himself in his wounded condition. Healing was dished out by Tarquin and the magic of Titiana, and everyone faced the doors to the mausoleum.

Aos and Xiang, now fully healed, burnt the magical web and began to enter, but they were met by the two huge zombies glimpsed earlier. Once more, the power of Tarquin turned them, and they fled back inside. Cho followed, noticing that there were still several zombies inside, as well as a Gnoll archer...and the evil necromantic priest behind it all! The battle was joined again!

Xiang headed right, taking on a group of zombies as Aos ducked left to do the same. Cho ran the gauntlet, making it all the way across the room to stun the cleric! The group made swift work of the remaining forces and the stunned cleric, capturing the gnoll archer. Xiang almost brought down one giant zombie with a burst of acid projected from the Spear, to the amazement of the other members of the group, but Aos, in true style, finished it with a lazy throw of a dagger. The evil Cleric was killed unceremoniously by Cho, and the bodies were looted.

In a back room, the missing scout was found bound and gagged, and once freed she and the others took the gnoll for interogation back within the city walls. The group took all useful items and money from their defeated foes, and returned to the Margrave to report their sucess.

Over the next few weeks, much of the loot was sold. The Ogres Maul was put up as a trophy in the Siren, along with the goblins armour, and Xiang and Cho found themselves with plenty of money after selling the horses and equipment of the Deathbringers.

There are but two more noteworthy occourences. During the debriefing with the Margrave, Xiang saw a crane bird land at the window ledge, and then flap away. When he ran over to see what it could be, and how such a bird could be here, it had vanised entirely. The Margrave informed him that the Mountain of Fire and the Mongali were on the verge of allying against the Scornic League - a group of cities that included Gaxmoor. This alliance could be in part because the Mountain of Fire wished to see the return of the Black Spear to it's posession. Xiang instantly volunteered his services in the event of such a war.

Leo was dogged by bad luck. Seeking to create a headband that would increase his intelligence, he spent all winter trying to perfect the device, but failed twice, costing him vast amounts of money and the personal energy he invested in the creation process. He resolved to perhaps set his targets a little lower when he had the time to take another go.

As spring approached, the group decided that perhaps other adventures and battles awaited them in the graveyard...


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Matt - very quick!
300 story XP to Xiang.  Also, 150 story XP to Cho for her detailed backstory.  

BTW it's 'Shapely Siren' - I have to say I like Sultry Siren better though...


----------



## S'mon

Here's the bridging text from the previous stage of the campaign:

Imarr, 20/9/2738 YE: The others' attempt to kill Tarkane failed as their plans were discovered, and their subsequent attack encountered overwhelming force. The Archpriest of Ksarul dispelled the Girruite planetar Dorakin, and summoned an avatar of Gruganu, the Black Sword of Doom, which slew Galak of Girru, Aos' girlfriend Lady Celia, and Xyzzy's cohort Liliana.
Leo had avoided participating in the assault, while Xyzzy, Aos, and the rogue Darius managed to escape.

The survivors fled west, back to the Borderlands and Dulleaberg, where Xyzzy took up residence (30/9/2738), retiring from active adventuring. Gaxmoor was now occupied by Scornic League forces headed by Margrave Kanor of Dulleaberg, and in the process of being resettled. At Leo's urging the White Way wizards under Dovistar established a base in a mansion on the eastern side of the city, while Aos went into partnership with the madam of the Shapely Siren Brothel and began to enjoy a life of leisure far from the threat of the Overking's soldiery. 

M11 2738 YE

30/11/2738: Two months have passed since the adventurers returned to Gaxmoor, and Leo has had plenty of time to work on his researches. Aos' own 'researches' are also going on apace... However, this idyll is interrupted as strange goings on are reported from the old graveyard south of the city walls. The Margrave's soldiers fear to enter, so he calls upon a band of veteran heroes to investigate further. Meanwhile a warrior of strange clothing and exotic appearance approaches from the north, harried by a band of lethal killers...


----------



## S'mon

Leo's Story:

Leo hurried through the hallway. A hundred and one things to do and now this; the masons were late, the carpenters hadn’t finished the shelves as promised and Dovistar was insisting that the alchemical laboratory be finished before the library. It was all very stressful; nothing could be done though. One of the prices of being allowed to stay in Gaxmoor and indeed be given this building in the newly nascent city was to be co-operative to the Margrave. When he sent out a summons, then attendance took precedence over everything. Fortunately, the Margrave did not use his power lightly.
Leo arrived at the Margrave’s residence without incident and was shown through without ceremony.


"Greetings Leo. Thank you for coming so quickly. Your colleague Austin should be here any time now. As soon as he gets here we will begin."


Almost as soon as he had finished speaking there was another knock on the door and Aos was shown in, followed by a tall striking woman Leo had not seen before. She was carrying a lute


"Hello my lord. Let me introduce you to Titania, a wandering player who has decided to grace me with her companionship. Titania, this is the Margrave and Leopold, a good friend of mine."


" Good of you to come so quickly," replied the Margrave. "Now this is what I want to talk to you about….."


At this point, there was another interruption. A wall guard knocked and came in through the door.


"I am sorry to disturb you my lord but you insist to be informed any time we feel someone unusual enters the city. Two such people arrived a short while ago. They claim to have just defeated some assailants outside Gaxmoor."


Two disheveled individuals entered at this point. Both were occidentals with the characteristic flat faces and almond shaped eyes of that region. The man wore a battered suit of plate mail and was obviously a warrior. He was not armed in the presence of the Margrave but the guard behind him was carrying a short spear. The woman was more non-descript without any visible weapons and normal winter clothes, swathed against the cold.


"Welcome to Gaxmoor", said the Margrave. " I am told you have just fought outside the city. Where are you from?"


The man replied, "My name is Xiang and this is my travelling companion Cho. We are both from the region of Mount Fire. The people we fought were pursuing us from there. They are known as the Death Dealers".


Leo had kept quiet but he was finding both the people and the situation intensely interesting. For these two to have traveled all this way, to have survived the normal hazards of travel and to then have also fought off a group of Death Dealers marked them out as formidable indeed. Evidently the Margrave thought so as well.


"I may have a job for you. Would you be interested? Before you answer, let me introduce you to Leopold, a wizard and Aos."


Aos exclaimed at this stage." I am Aos, formerly the greatest duelist in Imarr now the greatest duelist in Gaxmoor."


Leo groaned under his breath. So much for anonymity after their disaster in Imarr.


The two occidentals looked at each other and nodded. "Yes my lord, we would be interested." 


The Margrave nods, pleased. "For some time now there have been strange occurrences in the graveyard to the south of the city. My guards refuse to go there but there is a group of mercenary Sith scouts who report walking gnoll corpses and strange lights at night. I would be grateful if you could investigate. The leader of the scouts is named Ahlrand."


With this the Margrave makes it obvious that the audience is over and the four leave the room. Aos invites the strangers to the Shapely Siren to discuss what to do next and Leo points out that before they go much further they should call on the priest Tarquin who would be most useful in this venture. Tarquin is duly collected, introduced and briefed. It is now late and the group arranges to meet in the morning to travel to speak with the Sith. 


Everyone meets in the morning. Leo doesn’t know what the strangers thought about the nightly activities in the Shapely Siren but prudently he doesn’t ask. The journey just outside the city to the former inn that is the headquarters of the Sith passes without incident. There is a brief moment of tension before the Sith are convinced that the two occidentals are not related to the Mongali in any way and the group is invited into the building. There, Ahlrand confirms what he reported to the Margrave with some embellishments, including a few attacks by walking corpses on his men. At this stage, Leo decides to take a look at the graveyard himself through his arcane means. He informs the others of his plan and then mutters a few syllables and makes some strange gestures. After a brief period, the others note the appearance of approximately a dozen small spheres. These dart around Leo impossibly quickly, being very difficult to see or follow. Leo sends them into the graveyard and for the rest of the day, these spheres keep coming to Leo and then dart away again. Each time, Leo imparts a new piece of information about the graveyard. 


A high fence with a large entrance gate surrounds a variety of crypts and mausoleums. These vary greatly in richness, style and building quality. It is the latter that also determines their state. There is a variety of coloured stonework and architectural styles, from the very elaborate to the downright simple. Leo presumes that this is to reflect the wealth of the various families. There is no sign of walking corpses but the spheres do spot a grouping of gnoll rotted corpses just inside the entrance gates. Tarquin is suspicious of their placement. The whole area exhudes a feeling of quiet menace and despair. Some of the buildings have been ransacked while others have been left alone, suggesting that even the walking dead were afraid to touch them. 


As with the rest of the city there are also a large amount of statues of all types and sizes.


This information gathering has taken quite some hours and Leo is exhausted. A decision is taken to wait until the next morning and enter the graveyard during the day. 


When dawn breaks the next day, there is a banging on Leo’s door and an agitated Ahlrand comes in with the news that one of his people was abducted whilst she was on sentry duty. He suggests that his scouts and himself should accompany the group on the understanding that the party prioritises the rescue of his sentry. The group agrees to this and prepares to enter the area. It is at this point that the quiet lady, Cho puts herself forward and decides to go ahead of the group. Strangely, she is unarmed but there is a grace and fluidity to her movements Leo has not seen before though her demeanor reminds him of something he has heard or read. He cannot quite place it but it is in the back of his mind. Cho strides forward and as she enters the gates, four walking gnoll corpses suddenly erupt from the ground and attack her. Fortunately, Tarquin is alert to the danger and using the power of his deity obliterates these abominations.


The group strides forward and Cho, more prudently rejoins the group. Using the tracking skills of Ahlrand, the group strides forward, Leo marveling at the architecture and detail of the buildings. One of them captivates his attention to such an extent he uses his arcane ability to look inside it. He doesn’t like what he finds and he decides to leave it alone. All this time, another set of little spheres flits back and forth, regaling him with information. They pass a shrine to Urnus Gregaria, the lost travelling God of the city and approach possibly the oldest crypt in the whole graveyard. Investigation reveals that it was used by the Agylliz family. Leo sends one of his little spheres inside and finds massed ranks of walking corpses waiting inside. The group briefly confers about tactics and then approach only to be stopped by a heavy lowered iron grate. The strong warriors try to lift it but with little success and Xiang is reduced to smashing it with a morning star. Again the group confers on their next course of action when a voice behind them speaks out.


"What do you want and what are you doing here?"


The voice is superb. It sends shivers down everyone’s back and all the group turn around. They see a stunningly beautiful nude woman with large gilded batwings. She is everyone’s perfect partner and the most alluring being anyone has ever seen. Aos is instantly smitten and a moment later, strangely, so is Titania. By this time, alarm bells are ringing and both Leo and Tarquin are shouting warnings. A green beam shoots from Tarquin’s hand only to bounce off her. She screeches in a language never meant to be heard by humans and suddenly a vulture headed monstrosity appears next to her. Cho rushes forward to strike her only to be impeded by Aos, who lashes out with his rapier, ferociously defending the new object of his desire. Xiang moves forward to be engaged by the vulture-head. The fighting is brutal and he is soon bleeding from dozens of wounds. Another beam shoots from Tarquin’s hand and this one attaches itself to her. Suddenly the ground around the whole group erupts with large tentacles, which flatten everyone except the vulture head; confusion is everywhere and Leo curses. This was not a spell he had used before and he miscalculated the area. The lady Cho was fine but Xiang was in trouble since the vulture head ignored the tentacles. Conversely, the beautiful woman was also in the tentacles and cursed obscenely as an effect failed her.


At this point the grate behind the group opened and a horde of the enemy came out. Amongst the undead were also a raging ogre, an orc and a goblin, grinning maniacally while clutching a spear. The ogre struck Tarquin who was visibly staggered by the blow. The half orc and the goblin charged and injured Titania, who vanished into thin air. They then looked for other targets and found them in Cho, Xiang and some of the Sith scouts. Suddenly the black tentacles disappeared. Xiang gave a bellow of joy and savagely attacked the winged woman. She could not withstand his fury and Tarquin could have sworn that there was a satisfied moan from Xiang’s spear as she succumbed and died. He later put it down to his imagination. Vulture head disappeared with her. Tarquin rose into the air and soon the undead abominations were exploding in multitudes as he used the power of his religion. At the same time, a mass of sticky wet looking strands appeared in the room behind the grating, preventing any more of the enemy from coming out until this group had been dealt with. It was hard bloody work but with this group being cut off and Aos finally shaking off his unnatural infatuation, the enemy was destroyed.


Everyone regrouped and Tarquin and Titania both used healing spells. When everyone was ready, the sticky strands were burnt and the group entered the crypt in force. There was still a large grouping of the living dead inside as well as a gnoll archer and above all, a humanoid figure, with a golden circlet around his brow. Leo let loose with a ball of fire, while Tarquin again called upon the power of Urnus Gregaria to destroy these abominations. This time, they were only driven away. The evil priest suddenly whirled and ran to a hereto-unforeseen door in the wall. At this point, Lady Cho, moving with extraordinary speed and skipping past opponents with unearthly ease, ran to the priest and with one blow, incapacitated him. Not to be outdone, Aos joined her and together with Leo, the priest was finished off. It then became an issue of mopping up the rest of the evil forces although a prisoner was taken.


The gnoll prisoner revealed disturbing news. The cambion Heracules, former ruler of Gaxmoor, had visited the graveyard only a month ago. He also revealed that Heracules has a stronghold in the mountains. The priest was a worshipper of the Undead Goddess Hel and hopefully, further interrogation will reveal just what his plans were. 


The Sith sentry was found and rescued, the prisoner was handed to the Margrave and the group retired to Gaxmoor with a variety of spoils. Most of these were dweomered weapons and armour with one exception. Upon attempting to identify the golden circlet, Leo was surprised to find engravings of snakes that almost seemed to come alive upon eye contact. When donning it, Leo suddenly felt the urge to explore a massive path of necromantic magic revealed to him. Voices inside his head whispered about the power that could be his. The potential to rule this place, this country, this world, this plane; with no opposition. He should explore this newly acquired fascination with death, and in fact, undeath, which was the true state, the right state. A small corner of his mind was screaming warnings at him and with a titanic wrench, he wrested the circlet from his head. He found his eyes and ears were streaming blood while his head felt as if it was being split in two. He could still hear the voices whispering. 


Greatly chastened and using a much more cautious approach, it was revealed that the circlet was the Crown of Quentis, a fabled Red Wizard noted for his affinity to the school of necromancy. The Crown was sacred to the goddess Hel and one of the major posessions of her priesthood. Careful study provided the method of its destruction. It should be melted in the furnaces of the White Way while being blessed by a priest of Urnus Gregaria. Unbeknownst to all, Leo was suffering from nightmares the voices were still whispering in his head. 


As a sad postcript, during the winter months, the voices inside his head hurt Leo more and more. His work, his studies, his skills suffered greatly. After two months, a scream was heard from his chambers and he was found unconscious, a small broken piece of jewellery found in a corner as if flung there in disgust. Concerned, Dovistar and Laera took him to the Temple of Urnus Gregaria where Leo sat in a dark room with Tarquin, concentrating upon methods of expelling the voices from his mind.


The effect was immediate. Under the influence of the temple and the priests, the voices were first suppressed and then silenced. Thus the last malevolent legacy of the Crown of Quentis was expunged forever.


----------



## S'mon

Grave Matters
Austin 'Aos' Speere: Fighter-10/Duellist-3
Titiana, Aos' cohort: Bard-10
Leopold of the White Way: Wizard-11
Tarquin, Leopold's Cohort: Cleric-9
Tsui Yio Cho: Monk-10
Xiang-San Chang: Fighter-10
Xiang and Cho fled towards Gaxmoor, outdistancing all but a handful of their fell foe. Within sight of the city walls, 6 Death Dealers caught them - and perished in a bloody battle. 5 fell to the Black Spear, the last tried to flee - but his horse's fleetness could not outdistance Cho. Reaching the city, guards questioned them and escorted them to Margrave Kanor, who requested their assistance along with Aos, Leo & co in investigating the old graveyard south-east of the city. 

1/12/2738 YE 

The next day the party did so, basing themselves in an inn north of the graveyard inhabited by a small party of Sidhe scouts under the ranger Ahlrand. That night one of the Scouts, Saria, vanished from her sentry post, and Ahlrand's band requested the party's aid in recovering her.

Within the graveyard the party encountered undead raised by the half-orc necromancer Lamesh, along with several tough humanoids. Lamesh summoned demons against them, but the heroes triumphed (at the cost of four Sidhe), rescuing Saria and killing all but a gnoll captive, who revealed that Lamesh and co were working for Heracules, now esconced in a new lair within the Dosk Height mountains southeast of Gaxmoor. Apparently Heracules still plotted against the city.

As winter fell upon the land, Leo spent the next 76 days esconced in magical researches, fruitlessly attempting to construct a headband of intellect that proved to be beyond his capacities. The cost was high. For the others, the midwinter festivities gave a chance to relax and enjoy the absence of danger. However, the occasional sighting of a great crane bird gave Cho and Xiang pause for thought. 

1/3/2739 YE


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## StalkingBlue

Ha!  And I thought I was fast.  

Great updates so far.    Here's another:  

*Letter from Tsui Yio Cho*

_The brush moves swiftly across the parchment, creating symbol after fluid symbol in the uncertain light from the fire.  A reader practised in the Veridoran script, as ancient as it is alien to Ea, will notice that this is not calligraphy.  The writer moves at a rapid pace –a draft for a business letter, possibly, or a hastily scribbled spy’s report?  _

The 30th Day of the 12th Month of the Year 2738 
3 Years 7 Months 11 Days after Hawk’s Palace’s Fall 

I saw a crane again today.  

They do not know cranes around here.  When I try to describe them, people look at me sideways from their round piglet’s eyes.  It is strange how sanity can lie in that which seems insane.  (There is a koan in here somewhere, which surely the Lady Ochi would have made me find.  Strange, too, that I would write of this to you, who would not know a koan if it hit you in the belly;  who, if I spoke of hawks and cranes, would turn back to your sheep and tend to an injured hind leg.  You had such patience, always, with wounded things.)  

***

I am in Gaxmoor.  It is a city on the green southern plains, full of strange people with even stranger customs.  Their noses are long, as long as in the tale of Lady Sun melting the bandits’ faces.  Their eyes are round like pigs’ eyes.  Their knowledge of the civilised peoples is fragmentary.  You will not believe this, but I have met men unable to tell a Heavenly Mountain face from a Mongali one.  

The bread they bake here is flabby and devoid of spices.  Their sheep grow fleece as thick and curly as Mongali beards, and are fat and incapable of climbing from their rich green feed.  

Of unarmed fighting I have seen little except among drunken men in the brothel;  and that of inferior quality.  Warriors here are trained in the same way as in accursed Mount Fire.  At least Mount Fire is currently regarded as an enemy here.  

The strangest custom I have yet encountered is that they give proper funerals only to poor people.  (Yes, I can see you listen up at that.)  The wealthy families hide their dead bodies away, unburnt, either in holes in the ground that are then filled in or in stone caskets placed inside houses they construct for their dead, on a hill outside the city dedicated to the purpose.  Needless to say, the place attracts rats and all sorts of unhealthy things.  But I start by shearing the sheep’s tail.  

***

I came to Gaxmoor in the company of a deserter from Mount Fire, Xiang.  We were pursued all the way down from the Mountains and around the Sea of Dust by bands of Death Dealers.  

By the time we reached the green plains and forests we had either killed or outrun most of our pursuers.  One band, however, staid at our heels, no doubt fired by the prospect of winning fame through capturing a certain weapon that Xiang had stolen in his escape.  I have become so fearful of treason that even now my brush pulls back from writing it, even to you:  Xiang the deserter has stolen the Black Spear.  

We were within sight of the city walls when our six pursuers caught up with us.  Xiang the deserter showed himself more honourable than I would have thought him by not making his escape when I stumbled and fell behind, but turning to make a stand.  

The commander of the band wheeled around us to cut off our retreat while the others attacked from behind with blades drawn.  I was lucky enough to stun him for an instant, time enough for Xiang to set the Spear, wheel his horse round and charge him.  The Spear killed him in a single thrust, his face distorting in a horror worse than anything I have ever seen when a man dies.  It is a horrible thing, this Spear, and yet it defines my path.  

We made short work of the remaining Death Dealers.  While I pursued the last one, who tried to reach safety, Xiang had the good sense of collecting the others’ armour, weapons and horses.  We found later that many of these items were magic and brought high prices in the city.  I suppose I could have grown rich by just coming south to sell all those things, useless to me, that I used to chuck into crevasses or leave on the corpses … – you knew what I was and what I did, of course, though we never spoke of it.  

At the city gates, Xiang was quick to introduce himself as a deserter from Mount Fire.  The guards, far from showing themselves disgusted at the dishonour, admitted us in and brought us before the Margrave, the current ruler of the city.  (It took me a while to realise the importance of this man.  No one bows formally to him and I heard only one man actually address him as Lord.)  

Some others were already present, involved in a council of war with the Margrave.  As could be expected in a city that fights in the Mount Fire way, Xiang the deserter’s armour and bearing made much of an impression.  We were heard, and it turned out that by defending our lives on territory claimed by Gaxmoor, Xiang and I had infringed some privilege or other of the lord of the city (did I not warn you they have strange customs).  The Margrave invited us to join forces with the three longnoses already present, and redeem ourselves by helping investigate some trouble in the city’s place for the dead.  Naturally enough, we accepted.  

The three longnoses were:  Leo of the White Way, a wizard.  Aos, who fights with a rapier and lives in a brothel;  and Titania, Aos’s companion, who plays the lute and has a trick of disappearing in the midst of battle.  Aos was hospitable enough to procure rooms and baths for Xiang and me.  Leo went to fetch his friend and helper, Tarquin, a priest.  

***

The next day, we went out of the city to an inn near the graveyard where the rich store their dead bodies, to speak to a band of Sith scouts guarding the area.  Will you believe it, they had to be reassured first that Xiang the deserter and I were not Mongali!  I found later that their captain had heard rumours of Guardians.  He had heard they all died.  

The Sith told us about strange lights in the night at the graveyard, and a recent attack on the inn.  Leo, whom up to then I had mostly seen mumbling over his books filled with scraggly runes, now conjured up a number of eyes, which flew through the air at his command and returned later, to report to him what they had observed at the graveyard – namely, a number of decayed but moving bodies in the bushes and some sets of giant tracks.  

A discussion was held about strategy.  We decided to wait for morning and settled down to rest at the inn rather than return to the city.  

The Sith captain woke us.  One of his sentries had disappeared.  The tracks, the scouts assured us, led towards the graveyard.  We set out immediately in the hope of rescuing the Sith sentry, accompanied by the entire Sith band and preceded by a number of Leo’s flying magical eyes.  

Four walking dead gnolls sprang up from the ground as soon as we came near the gate into the graveyard.  Their stench was horrible.  Strips of decaying flesh dangled from their flanks.  They had hardly appeared, however, when Tarquin the priest chanted a religious phrase and they crumbled to dust.  

Guided by the Sith trackers, we came first to a dead-house deep within the graveyard, which was infested by masses of rats.  Leo’s magical eyes detected magical writing on an inner door, together with a warning against breaking the seal banishing the being beyond the door.  After brief discussion we left this dead-house be and moved on.  

The tracks led us to a temple building, which had a locked grate on the outside and an inner door – beyond which, Leo assured us, waited a large pack of zombies (half-decayed walking dead) and walking skeletons.  Nobody had a key to open the grate.  Various plans were discussed for getting it open, the more promising ones involving tearing it open by bare strength, or coming back tomorrow equipped with more appropriate magical means.  

While we were talking, we were surprised by a woman of demonic appearance with batlike wings yet startling beauty, addressing us from our backs.  The Sith recoiled.  Aos, immediately smitten with the deomoness’s beauty, immediately left the grate and pushed his way to the front, crying out ingratiatingly that he was our leader.  

In the ensuing fight the demoness conjured a beaked demon of twisted and horrible appearance, which I learnt later was called a vrock and was much feared.  True to our previous tactic of first focussing on the leader, Xiang the deserter and I both went for the demoness while the Sith scouts shot arrows at the vrock.  As I tumbled past Aos, I received a most painful wound from his rapier.  He apologised later.  The demoness’s magic washed over me tearing at the veil of my focus;  but my concentration held.  (I learnt later that Titania had been enspelled by it just like Aos.)  Tarquin cast a spell to prevent the demoness from fleeing to her own dimension.  Leo conjured up black tentacles writhing from the ground around us, which failed to catch the vrock but ensnared Xiang, who was slowed down by his armour, together with the demoness.  I stepped back among the tentacles and closed again with the demoness, but to my frustration found my power insufficient to wound her.  

Meanwhile at our backs the grate to the temple screeched open and a multitude of living and dead monsters spilled out to attack.  An orc severely wounded Titania, who promptly vanished into thin air.  (She came strolling back to dispense healing once everything went quiet again, claiming she had returned to the inn.)  The orc and a misshapen dwarfish hill giant called ogre, who foamed at the mouth most dramatically, then proceeded most of the Sith scouts.  Brave men, but too quick to throw away their lives in battle.  If we had known how easily they would die, surely we should have protected them better.  

Tarquin called upon his god and flew straight up into the air and hovered out of reach of the undead, whom he pelted with his religious phrases, destroying them in groups at a time.  

Xiang finally killed the demoness with the Spear.  The vrock vanished without a trace and Aos was released from her spell.  Between us we made short work of the monsters that still moved outside the temple.  

Tarquin dispensed his god’s healing grace to those of us who needed it.  We regrouped at the doors of the temple and burnt a magical web that Leo had laid to ensnare another band of undead.  Tarquin put the fear of his god into a group of undead gnolls.  Leo, who had warned us to expect a powerful priest among our opponents, now worked some true battle magic in the form of exploding balls of fire.  It is true that hardly any of our foes evaded them, though that may well be because most of them were already dead.  I found that the dead do not fight with the quickness of the living.  

I went into the inner temple first to find and engage their leader.  It was a half-orc, already trying to escape into a back room behind the altar with the cowardice characteristic of the kind.  Aos and I quickly killed him.  I was relieved to see that this time Aos’s weapon did not stray in my direction.  I should mention that Titania played the lute to encourage our fighting;  but I fear most of us were focussing too narrowly on our foes to benefit greatly from her play.  

The last living gnoll surrendered.  We finished off the remaining undead monsters, which were cowering in fear of Tarquin in various niches around the temple.  One strange thing:  when I found time to breathe, I saw Tarquin, no longer flying, in melee one of the rich decaying citizens on the temple floor.  Clumsy as the walking dead attacked, Tarquin still was receiving wounds.  The others stood and laughed until I went to help him.  What a strange way to treat a priest.  

We learnt from the gnoll prisoner that he and the other living monsters had been sent to reinforce the evil priest’s band of walking dead, by a demon lord called Hercules.  Hercules appears to have rules over Gaxmoor until very recently, when the city was overrun and taken by its current longnosed rulers.  Naturally enough, he is now plotting to retake the city.  

Tarquin and Leo determined which of the items we took from our dead foes and found in the back room of the temple were magic or otherwise valuable, and as the arrangement with the Margrave was that we might keep any booty, we took the items with us.  We reported back to the Margrave, who showed himself pleased, if mildly concerned at learning that yet more mysteries were waiting in the graveyard.  

***

The next day Leo cast magic to determine the specific powers of the items.  A few items were claimed by various members of our company.  The rest was sold, again yielding staggering amounts of gold.  I will have to find a trader I can trust and convert my new wealth into gems.  

Two items we destroyed:  a cursed spear and the golden circlet the monstrous priest had worn.  When analysing the circlet, Leo had suddenly felt compelled to put it onto its head, where it whispered to him thoughts of great and corrupting power.  He tore it off with a great effort and threw it from him with all signs of horror and disgust.  

The other longnoses agreed that this was a frightening indication of the circlet’s power.  I said nothing.  Xiang the deserter claimed he did not understand what Leo said.  I wonder.  Even I can feel the Spear calling, tugging.  

Leo consulted other wizards in the city.  The result was that the circlet might be an artefact created by a mighty necromancer of old, which was called his Crown.  The wizards permitted the circlet to be melted down in their tower’s furnace.  Those who were present report that they felt a wave of magic wash over them.  

They had a priest say prayers over the melted gold to protect from any malicious after-effects of the destruction.  Nevertheless, in the ensuing weeks Leo suffered some frustrating setbacks in his studies, which appear to have involved attempts to make dweomered items for Aos and for himself.  He still grumbles about the lost expense in gold and what he calls ‘life energy’.  

***

About a month ago Xiang the deserter and I were summoned into the Margrave’s presence.  He informed us that Mount Fire is seeking an alliance with the Mongali and may go to war against Gaxmoor and its allies, to retrieve the Black Spear.  

Xiang smoothly replied that in the event of war, he would gladly volunteer his services.  The Margrave thanked him and dismissed us.  Xiang appeared satisfied that this was the end of it.  

The Spear must be blinding him.  Surely it is only a question of time until the Margrave considers it more politic to return the Spear than to pay with his army’s and his citizens’ blood to protect a deserter’s hide?  

And the Margrave is not the only one.  Leo has made remarks about the Spear to Xiang that made my scalp prickle.  And do I have to say to you that the last word has not been spoken on the Guardians of Hawk’s Palace?  To this I must hold, if to nothing else.  

***

The wind scratches at the shutters.  Old ghosts whirls with the snowflakes and crowd around the threshold to the new year.  Dawn soon.  I should finish this before my fire dies.  

They have other beliefs here than we do in the mountains.  Yet … if our priests are right, then your soul has long been reborn – quite possibly more than once, in these terrible times.  I can but pray that the essence of these words will reach you, will travel to find that fragment of your soul, that tiniest of splinters residing in the Void from eternity to eternity, anchoring us, waiting.  

Ladies, let these words find him.  

Tsui Yio Cho

_The letter ends.  No seal, but then, no need to seal it.  The flames in the grate curl around it, push fingers through the writing, gobble the parchment up.  Smoke trails up through the chimney.  Ashes crumble.  The letter is gone.  _


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## S'mon

Cool Kerstin, I got a lump in my throat at the final passage! 350 story XP to Cho.


----------



## ZosKia

The diary of AOS
I have been summoned to see the Margrave. I hope he is in better humour now, when I saw him a couple of days ago he was rather short with me. Titania says it was because he didn’t get a better price when he visited the Siren. I don’t know why he blames me. I have nothing to do with the day to day running; I merely paid towards the rebuilding and took rooms there. He also seems I think I spend too much time carousing. If he looked out the window he would see me morning and evening running around the walls of Gaxmoor, lifting stones and sparring with the guards. Perhaps I should challenge him to a duel, then we shall see who spends their time carousing!
But that thought, however amusing must wait. It turns out that his grace wishes Leo, Titania and I to investigate strange lights at the Gaxmoor graveyard. Before he can fully detail our mission there is a knock at the door. Two guards enter with two strangers of unusual appearance. A shortish but heavily built man whose plate armour would seem to indicate that he is some sort of warrior and an even shorter woman in travelling clothes who I initially thought was some sort of mage. 
Apparently they are from Mount Fire, far to the West and they had been pursued from there by a number of Mount Fire soldiers; the last few having been finally defeated just outside the walls. They introduce themselves as Xiang (male) and Choo (female). The Margrave welcomes them to Gaxmoor and introduces Leo, Titania and I, Leo glares me as I introduce myself as the greatest duellist in Gaxmoor but I believe that we should be proud of our achievements; Leo is a powerful wizard but so self effacing that you would think he was an apprentice! The Margrave then asks if Choo and Xiang if they will help us to investigate the graveyard! They agree and the Margrave says that a group of Sith scouts are based in an inn just outside the graveyard, they will be able to brief us further. The meeting over I suggest we adjourn to the Siren to plan for the mission, collecting Tarquin from the temple en route. By the time Tarquin has been collected, introduced to the newcomers and basic plans have been made it is rather late and realising that Choo and Xiang have nowhere to stay I offer them a room and a bath at the Siren. They graciously accept, though Choo does seem rather wary of me.
Early next morning we set out to see the Sith. At first they refuse to see us because they believe that Choo and Xiang are Mongali, it seems the Mongali invaded the Sith lands. Having been convinced that they were not Mongali the Sith invited us into the inn and told us what they had seen; namely strange lights and walking corpses. Leo decides to magically scout the graveyard with numerous magical eyes which whirl around and return to inform Leo what they have seen. The magic took all day but did yield valuable information about the layout of the graveyard; such as the fact there were four gnoll copses just inside the gate, walking dead sentries no doubt. Entering the graveyard at night did not seem wise and so rather than return to the city we stayed overnight with the Sith. 
Early next morning the Sith captain woke us to report that one of his warriors had gone missing during the night. Rising swiftly we set out into the graveyard with Choo scouting ahead. As she entered the gate the gnoll corpses rose up to seize her. However upon seeing this Tarquin raised his staff and calling upon his god turned the gnolls to dust, most impressive! The Sith captain proved a most able tracker and quickly led to a large mausoleum which contained a number of skeletons and zombies. The undead seemed inactive and the mausoleum entrance was sealed by a metal grill. Xiang and I tried to open the grill so that Tarquin could destroy the undead as he had done previously however before we got very far there was a noise behind us, whirling around I saw a most beautiful woman with golden wings. “Who is the leader here?” she called. As no one said anything I pushed myself forward “I am” I said. Truly she was most beautiful….
Suddenly I was confronted by hordes of undead and an ogre! Apparently I had been charmed by the winged woman who had now been killed by Xiang breaking the spell. During my enchantment I had apparently attacked Choo, an act for which I later apologised.  Tarquin flew above the group and destroyed many of the undead but not before I heard Titania scream. It turned out she had been received an almost fatal blow from the Ogre. Staggering away Titania used her magic to return to the inn leaving the ogre to rampage through the Sith. Having recovered from the charm I proceeded to bring down the ogre while Titania having healed some of her wounds came back to help Tarquin heal Xiang who had received some serious wounds in defeating the demon who had charmed me. The woman Choo had also been wounded but has the ability to heal herself, is she a priest?
While I had been charmed the grill had been opened allowing some of those within out. Fortunately Leo resealed the entrance with a web spell before we could be overwhelmed trapping a lot of the enemy inside while we dealt with those who had got out.
We now presed on into the tomb Xiang and I burning through Leo’s webbing with torches. Tarquin stepped forward and using the power of his god destroyed many of the lesser undead and forced the larger ones to flee. Leo cast a fireball (his first?)
at the remaining undead and their master an evil necromancer. The battle was over quickly; Choo rushed forward and stunned and stunned the necromancer, who was attempting to escape through a secret door,  with an unarmed attack before I helped her finish him off; the two giant undead were destroyed, one by a blast of white fire from Xiang’s spear and the final foe, a gnoll, surrendered. 
In the secret room we found and freed the missing Sith.
The gnoll prisoner revealed a link between the necromancer, Heracules and the godess Hel, apparently Heracules planned to recapture Gaxmoor with an army of undead created by the necromancer who was a priest of Hel.
We returned to the city with the necromancer’s treasure but vowed to return to the graveyard to explore further although killing the necromancer did seem to put an end to the mysterious lights.
The most intriguing item we found in the necromancer’s horde was a circlet engraved with snakes which Leo took away for research. I later discovered that he been tempted into donning the circlet which had offered him the opportunity to become a powerful necromancer. Apparently he managed to remove the circlet only by a massive force of will, and seeing the effect of it upon Leo Dovistar, the leader of the White Way ordered it melted in the orders furnace. I attended the melting and was almost overcome by the noxious fumes it gave off.
Leo seems to have been badly affected by the circlet, which was apparently linked to Hel and feels that he has been cursed by it since he has twice failed to create an item of power for himself. These failures have apparently cost him some 18000gp in materials and a lot of what he calls life force. Tarquin says he has rid Leo of the curse of Hel. I do hope so.
Speaking of life force I used to find that engaging in combat greatly increased mine, however destroying the necromancer didn’t seem to energise me in the same way; perhaps I am getting old?
AOS


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## S'mon

Thanks Andrew, 250 story XP to Aos.


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## StalkingBlue

Dang.  No updates yet?  Where are the cool Xiang action scenes, the well-considered Leo sequences, the deeply self-centred Aos comments??  I was going to settle back for some nice reading here, guys!  


... 

(waiting ... tapping foot ... tapping other foot ...)

OK.  Sniffle.  

Here's a letter then.  

(Seriously, I was pretty tired on Sunday because my brother cum girlfriend left literally before dawn to catch an early plane - so if I got things horribly wrong, shout and I'll correct them. In fact, if I find out my horrible mistakes by reading your updates, I'll go and correct them anyway.) 

------------


*Letter from Tsui Yio Cho*



The 24th Day of the 3rd Month of the Year 2739 
3 Years 10 Months 5 Days since Hawk’s Palace’s Fall 


We are off tomorrow.  My heart sings at the prospect of getting back on the road.  
We have gained two new companions:  Saphanie, the Margrave’s own sister, a lady with a temper and an impressive gift for magic;  and Sol, a taciturn wood elf security specialist.  We have also accomplished one mission and failed in another – there is much to tell.  

***

A few mornings ago I was out on the plain west of the city, practising.  I find that I breathe easier away from those walls, the streets where people still stare when I pass.  

I decided that it was a day of Water:  spring has come, wet and early, and the grass bruises deeply where your feet touch it.  Some shepherd children were sitting near.  They have given up on aping me and just watch.  I like to flatter myself that given enough time, even their undisciplined eastern minds may start picking up a thing or two.  

Anyway, I was finishing the form of First Water and flowing into the second one, when a woman approached me.  I recognised her as an advisor to Margrave Kanor, Grimhelda, who deals in magic potions and in the telling of fortunes.  Grimhelda claimed she had been visited in her dream by what she called a great marsh-bird, which had given her a message to pass on to me.  These are the words of the bird’s message.  

“Guard the Wielder of the Spear and protect Him until such time as It can be restored to Its rightful place.  Grow strong and seek the Queen held prisoner in the Mountain of Fire, for She has the Power to free the Guardians of Crane from Their long sleep.”  
 I knew then for certain that what I have been following were true signs.  I also knew that an ally might be gained for the Heavenly Mountains, here in Gaxmoor.  Surely I am not the person to go on such an errand but you see, there is no one else.  So I went, to see the Margrave.  Gods know that I hold him in terror, though I sincerely hope that he does not.  I was not born to speak in Courts.  

I think the Margrave believed me.  He said that he would pass my report on, in confidence, within the League.  I expect that means all I told him has by now reached Mount Fire through the Traitor’s spies.  If I have made a mistake in telling him, may the consequences fall on me alone.  

***

Two days ago, the Margrave summoned our company.  He requested that we act as guards to the Margravaine Eloise Brax-Arkand on a diplomatic mission south into Bretania.  The Margravaine appears to be in some danger due to certain intricacies of local politics, the details of which escape me.  I have still not worked out who is a retainer to whom in these strange lands.  We are to set out tomorrow on the first stage of our journey, towards Carrisqui.  

At Leo’s request, however, the Margrave granted us leave to first return to the graveyard that we had visited once before in autumn.  Saphie and Sol (the Margravaine’s security chief) agreed to accompany us.  

Leo and Tarquin had conducted some research during the winter in the city’s archives with the help of the Margrave’s advisors and priests.  They were confident that we would be able to defeat Xerxes Diccus, a former prince of the city turned blood-sucking ghoul, who had been locked up in his tomb for some centuries;  though likely we would be no match for the lich reported to be sealed up in the even older tomb of the Mageris family.  

***

Leo demonstrated to us a new magic contraption he has, a translucent floating hand that can deliver spells by touch.  We then entered the graveyard and went to Xerxes Diccus’s tomb.  The red-eyed rats we had already seen in autumn swarmed around us again as we approached the doors.  

There was much preparatory spellcasting.  Both Sol and Saphie immediately proved useful in that we were not forced this time to stand outside a locked tomb debating how best to break in:  the outer doors were swiftly opened by Saphie’s spells and Sol’s clever hands.  

The inner doors still bore the protective runes that Leo’s magic sight had detected at our last visit.  When Saphie dispelled the magic, a tongue of fire licked out of the doorway.  Luckily we had all withdrawn to a safe distance.  

We got ready to enter.  Xiang and Aos pushed the door into the inner chamber open.  Instantly a monstrous demon of towering height reared up inside, wreathed in flames and spitting words of glee and hate.  I later heard Tarquin and the mages call it a Pit Fiend.  In superhuman courage, both Xiang and Aos charged the monster, managed to strike it but were grievously wounded by its claws.  

A thought tugged at a corner of my mind, complaining that such a towering monster could hardly fit into the low chamber of the tomb – but I pushed the thought back to narrow my focus as I somersaulted over Xiang’s and Aos’s shoulders into the chamber.  Desperate to strike the demon, I only realised when my shin passed through its flank freely that here was a transparent illusion!  I pushed myself off the wall in mid-spin and leapt through the magically faked form, calling out to my companions.  The demonic image screamed in outrage and disappeared.  

Tarquin healed Xiang and Aos, whose wounds were real enough, for having been slashed by an illusion.  We pressed on.  

Beyond the imaginary Pit Fiend’s chamber, we found another chamber that contained a desk, a wine rack, and a sarcophagus, next to which Sol detected a hole in the floor.  There was concern that the vampire, if that was what Xerxes Diccus had in fact become, might escape through the hole in the form of a gas cloud.  Leo cast a wall of force, a thin invisible thing that for the length of a few breaths will keep anything from coming or going through.  (Sol later bounced off another such wall, which in the heat of battle he had forgotten was there.)  

Leo had hardly finished casting when Sol called everybody’s attention to an almost invisible cloud that moved and appeared to be coalescing in a far corner.  It was cut off from us for the moment by Leo’s wall, so we decided to deal with it later.  We stood around the sarcophagus and lifted off the lid.  The sarcophagus was empty.  

It was then that the cloud beyond the wall took shape – or shapes, I should say:  a number of overlapping images of one of the same man.  I saw this once before, in a place I shudder to write of, from that woman who has become the worst thing a person can possibly turn into:  a traitor.  No more of that here.  

We got ready for Leo’s wall to go down and then charged the vampire.  Aos’s rapier and Xiang’s Spear hit it in quick succession.  It stumbled back against the wall, spread its fingers in front of him chanting arcane phrases, and a fan of fire leapt from him, flat and easy to dodge.  The flames did little damage other than to a sleeve of one of Aos’s favourite shirts.  

Aos had hardly done cursing when I struck the vampire.  It crumpled almost instantly.  We all had heard its neck crack and its head was lying at an angle – yet as we stood over it, its wounds were closing.  Tarquin brought out some wooden stakes he had had blessed for the purpose, and drove them through the vampire’s heart.  The undead body crumbled to dust.  

***

This had been easy.  So, elated and still charged with the heat of battle, we collected what valuables we could find in Xerxes Diccus’s tomb and withdrew, to return the next day for the Mageris family tomb.  

This turned to be an ill-advised decision.  The first warning sign that we were not on a lucky path came when Titania attempted to read the ancient writing on an inner door inside the tomb, thereby setting off a burst of magic that injured her and everyone else inadvertently standing close.  

We proceeded.  We found a corridor with five secret doors with stairs leading down into the darkness beyond them.  Saphie through her magic sight discovered that four of the sets of stairs involved magical illusions.  When I tapped my foot on one, it went right through.  Beneath the illusory stairs lay only spiked pits.  

Leo warned us that he had sensed magic melt away from the fifth door when it was opened – likely an alarm of some kind.  Yet, nothing came at us.  This should have warned us.  

We followed the one set of real stairs down into a pentagonal room.  This room’s walls were fascinating in that they represented the five elements:  four of the walls had doors and beside them murals showing elemental creatures of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, respectively, and the fifth wall was the one we arrived through by means of an archway, the lack of a door and absence of any mural fittingly, if crudely, representing the Void.  

We suspected that the elemental creatures represented in the murals would break free and attack us when we opened any of the doors.  Leo sealed off half of the chamber with a wall of force by way of precaution.  Sol tried to open the door nearest to the elemental of Earth.  The door was locked, but the guardian creature broke forth from the mural – a mass of rock that shook the ground with the stomping of its legs and slamming of its granite fists.  Sol flew out of its way hastily.  We killed the creature, then proceeded to the Door of Water.  Moments later we had dispatched all the elemental guardians.  

By this time many spells had been expended by Saphie and Leo, and astonishing skill been displayed by Sol in disarming magic traps and overcoming locks.  Again, things were going smoothly.  In our elation we determined to press on.  Tarquin put his hands to the stone around the door locks and by the grace of his god shaped the stone so that one by one, each door came loose and fell in with a crash.  

Beyond three of the doors lay chambers with ancient embalmed corpses lying on biers in their finery.  The longnoses were concerned that these corpses might rise to defend themselves, so Saphie set the ones in the first room ablaze with a fireball.  The corpses did nothing, other than burn merrily.  By the time we went in, their jewels and some scrolls and other objects had been eaten by the fire from their belated pyres.  

No more fireballs were thrown into the next two rooms, and the treasures were eagerly collected from the corpses.  Saphie objected at first to what she called grave robbery (is there some law here that grants ownership in grave treasures to the nearest city?);  but she allowed herself to be convinced that we were acting with her brother’s permission.  

The fourth and last room contained no corpses but a single stone sarcophagus, sealed with lead and bearing a plaque that proclaimed this to be the final resting place of Lucius Maximus Mageris.  After repeated efforts and with the help of Sol’s crowbar, Xiang and Aos together levered off the sealed lid.  

Inside the sarcophagus stairs led even further down.  Sol scouting ahead, we went down into a wizard’s laboratory.  Beyond the door at the far end, Sol heard flames crackle and a parakeet croak.  He produced a set of interlinked mirrors to peer underneath the door, and reported an armchair with a figure sitting in it.  

More plans were made, more protective spells cast.  We readied ourselves.  Saphie and Leo went invisible.  With a spell, Saphie opened the door from a distance.  

The man in the armchair rose to his feet.  He was elegantly dressed and wore a circlet with a single precious stone on his forehead.  We hardly had time to take in the skeletal form of his hands and face under ages-old leathery skin, when he spread his arms and spoke warm welcoming phrases.  

No one had taken time to think why our foe had not risen to meet us, when he must have clearly heard our approach.  Now no time was to be left us.  
The lich’s words washed over us – already the only course that seemed to make sense was to calm down, follow his invitation, come into his study.  The only ones who kept their heads even for a breath were Leo and Aos.  Aos charged in to strike our undead host with his rapier, while Leo threw a magic ray at him narrowly past Aos’s ear.  

An instant later Aos, too, was caught in the lich’s inescapable net of silken phrases.  Leo, judging that on his own he had no chance of overcoming our opponent, pretended to be enchanted along with us.  I dully remember the hours that followed:  the flickering of the fire, the press of the rim of the carpet where I sat down to stretch my leg;  the murmur of the lich conversing with Leo about the history and politics of the last few centuries – all of which appeared as new to him as to me, yet vastly more understandable to him.  With what ease a man dead for half a millennium finds his way back into this world!  

The lich left at last, leaving us a gift of sorts:  a bag of runed tiles to choose from.  Only Saphie and Titania tried their luck at this game of chance.  

Saphie went first.  When she drew her first tile, her hands shook and her hair turned grey.  (I saw Xiang, who had been half-eager, shudder and draw back.)  The second tile made Saphie cringe and turn pale, sapping some of her life force, which fortunately Tarquin was able later to restore to her, though to her dismay, the grey hair remains.  The last tile at least appears to have been of some benefit – a future favour owed her by the divinities or some such.  

Titania’s luck was similarly mixed, combining damage that Tarquin later mended with future divine favours.  Unbelievably enough, Titania reports having been able to talk directly to her goddess.  She asked some questions about her own future, about Aos and about the fate of Gaxmoor, receiving answers of varying usefulness.  

There was little of value to be found in the lich’s old apartment, but Leo kept the lich’s parakeet.  I understand that in its true form this red-eyed bird is a dangerous demon, of the variety that we encountered briefly at our last visit to the graveyard, when fighting the bat-winged demoness.  The cage appears to be its magic prison.  

***

We returned to the city and made our report to the Margrave.  I found that he accepts failure with the same equanimity as he did desertion.  Will these people ever cease to surprise me?  

***

Before I end, here are two more things.  

First, to my puzzlement, Titania has had a look in her eyes for me ever since we returned from the graveyard:  a look that I have not seen in what seems aeons or more.  She is misguided, of course.  It may well be that her exchange with her deity (if that was indeed her counterpart was) has touched her head.  Or else it is her karma to travel down a path without hope.  I shall make an effort not to add to her pain.  

Second, I have understood only in writing this that I must tell Xiang of my bird’s message.  He may well turn the knowledge against me when the time comes.  But who am I to hope that I may eventually be found worthy of overcoming the Traitor, if I myself start out on my path in a spirit of deceit?  Who am I to hope in any case?  But that, I suppose, is beside the matter.  

Live, my love.  Live and walk the path destined for you in this life, and in all others.



_(edit: sp)_


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## S'mon

Leo’s new account: 

The winter had been harsh. Bitterly cold winds and sullen skies had combined to keep the population of Gaxmoor inside for longer than normal. People stayed in their houses and amused themselves with indoor pursuits. Only the hardy ventured outside. 

The group was no different. Tarquin found a lot of his time used by temple activities. With some surprise he found that he was now one of the senior priests with the high priest leaving more and more of the day to day running of the temple to him. Aos and Titania spent most of their time at the Shapely Siren although Aos did religiously practice his swordsmanship every day. Xiang seemed to spend most of his time making the acquaintance of every landlord in the city and Cho mysteriously came and went as she wished. Where she stayed was anyone’s guess. As for Leo, well after his misfortune with the Crown of Quentas, he left the temple and resolved to be more cautious and careful about researching strange items. A long conversation with Dovistar revealed that Dovistar himself suffered similar episodes and that it is part of a magician’s lot to risk one’s life and sanity for the sake of knowledge. Dovistar was surprised that this was the first time that Leo had suffered an event of this type. Leo had lost weight and gained a pallor after his experience but his zest for the unknown had finally come back. 

So, it was with more enthusiasm than normal that he responded to the Margrave’s summons. On the way to the palace he collected Aos, Titania, Tarquin and Xiang. He also tried to find Cho but was told she was already with the Margrave. As normal, the group was shown to the audience chamber without ceremony to find it already quite crowded. Besides the Margrave and Cho, three other individuals were present. The most prominent member of the trio was a striking, beautiful woman with blonde hair and a steely sheen to her eyes. Leo had never met her but he recognized her immediately as the Margravine Eloise Brax of Arkand. Famous or infamous, depending on your point of view, she had married the aging Margrave Varnior of Arkand and was widely thought to be the power behind the throne in that city. With her was another woman wearing a striking red dress and bearing a strong resemblance to the Margrave himself. Finally, another figure, eclipsed by the two women, was lurking in the background. Difficult to make out his features, he stayed watchfully behind the two ladies. 

“Greetings my friends”, said the Margrave. “Please allow me to make the introductions. This the Margravine Eloise Brax; with her is my sister Saphie Kanor and the Margravine’s bodyguard and chief of security Sol. Both of them are temporarily attached to her staff.”

Polite greetings were exchanged and Leo turned curiously to the Margrave, unsure as to why these people were here. He was under the impression that their next project was the further investigation of the graveyard. It was still a mystery as to why Heracules was spending valuable resources there. 

“The Margravine is going South on a diplomatic mission to the High King of the Makyans in Ankheight” explained the Margrave. “I would like you to accompany her and make sure she reaches her destination safely. You will travel to Carrisqui Town where you will join a merchant caravan and travel with it until you reach your destination. The Margravine’s mission is of the utmost importance.”  

“I’m sure it is”, Leo thought wryly. With Mount Fire threatening a war, Tarkane of Imarr wrapping his war up in Imgart, and the Mongali up to no good, the Scornic league were desperate for any sort of help. Sending a charismatic, intelligent woman on a diplomatic mission to the Makyans was a logical move. What worried him more was the quality of the escort. Whilst Leo didn’t often think about it, he was aware that he and his friends were some of the more powerful individuals in the city. They had resources that the Margrave needed desperately. For him to be willing to send them South meant that either the Margravine’s mission was even more important than Leo thought or that for some reason serious trouble was expected along the way. Then something else occurred to him. Deals had already been struck and they were part of them with the Margravine brokering their services. 

“Before you go however,” continued the Margrave,” there is still the matter of the graveyard. Urgent consultation with the High Priest of Urnus Gregaria and former Governor Tiberius' Magist, Excelantus Mageris, has revealed what Heracules may have been after. Please investigate the tombs of Xerxes Diccus and the Mageris family. It is believed that Diccus was a son of the Elder Empire that somehow or other turned into a blood sucking ghoulish creature.” The Margrave made a moue of distaste. "He was imprisoned in the crypt for both his own good and the good of the city. The Mageris were a famous family of magicians of which the most eminent member Lucius Maximus, is believed to have become immortal in a most disgraceful manner. The priest mentioned a creature known as a Lich although he was unsure of Lucius’s status or power in this form. It would be very serious for us if either one of these two creatures joined Heracules. Finally, the Margravine leaves in two days. I would like you to have concluded your investigations by this time. To help, the Margravine has kindly decided to let you have the services of both her staff members, Sol and Saphie.”

Leo gaped at this statement. “My Lord, your sister on such a mission….”

“I think you will find that my sister has strong arcane powers Leo” the Margrave retorted coldly.

At the same time the lady herself stated “I can take care of myself, thank you”. 

At this point, Leo decided to keep his own counsel.

With little time to waste, the newly augmented group set off to the graveyard. The self- effacing chief of security shyly admitted that he had some knowledge of traps, secrets and locks.  

For once it was a sunny day. As the group walked down the road, a certain amount of banter was exchanged, with Leo being the butt of many jokes. No one had seen him for a long period of time and he could see that some of the group was startled by his appearance. He didn’t mind. They were all very capable people and for all of their seeming lack of respect, when the time of crisis arrived everyone knew each other’s particular strengths and weaknesses. 

Arriving at the graveyard, Leo attempted to magically discern the inside of Xerxes Diccus’s tomb. He did manage to find a small antechamber. As the group approached the crypt Sol suggested that he looked at the doors but due the their nature, he was held back and a Detect Magic cantrip was cast by Saphie.  A strong dweomer was found on the doors. Saphie was insistent that she could dissolve the magic. Leo watched with interest as she practiced an incantation. She was obviously a seasoned enchanter. Unfortunately, this time the magic was too strong for her; there was an impressive flash and a tongue of flame shot out of the door. However, Saphie was too far to be affected by this. At this point Sol stepped forward and after a short period of time, very professionally picked the lock. The door was opened into the small antechamber which Leo had scryed. Upon examining the door, again arcane symbols and runes were carved into the door. Sol cautiously stepped forward to search for secrets on the door when there was an odour of brimstone and a horrendous creature suddenly appeared in a flash. This was a being out of nightmares, wreathed in flames, with a gigantic whip and an aura that would make strong men panic. Aos and Xiang had seen nightmarish creatures before though and they were determined to test the mettle of this new enemy. The enemy proved strong and powerful and wounded both of them with its claws and bite. A most curious thing happened then. Cho acrobatically tumbled past the creature into the room only to apparently tumble through it. The group gaped and then it hit them. This was a seeming. After that it was a matter of time. The group did not believe in the seeming and it quickly disappeared. 

Sol stepped forward and again professionally opened the door. A large plush chamber was revealed. It contained a writing desk, a wine rack and a stone sarcophagus. Sol’s sharp eyes also spotted a small hole beside the sarcophagus. Thinking that the creature could become gaseous and seep from the sarcophagus into the hole in the ground, Leo cast one of his more powerful dweomers into the room. An invisible wall could be felt in a straight line between the sarcophagus and the hole. After this the group entered only to find a gaseous shape trapped behind the wall. Inadvertently, Leo had managed to seal the vampiric ghoul behind the wall. This gave the group enough time to organise themselves, seal the hole which was the creature’s escape route and finally when the wall came down, the battle was short and sharp. A blessed stake was driven into its chest and it dissipated into fine dust. 

A certain amount of wealth was collected and the group went back to Gaxmoor. 

The next day, the group again made their way to the graveyard. They were more optimistic. The haul yesterday had included some fine items, including a purple prism now magically circling above Tarquin’s head. Leo had tried to scry inside the Mageris mausoleum but had found the structure to be strongly warded. As the group approached, they could see why. Made of richly dressed stone, the building was covered in runes, writing, reliefs and wardings. Saphie detected strong warding magic all around. This was a powerful, old structure. The entrance led into three richly embellished antechambers, which were carefully searched and found to be empty. In one of them a set of stairs going down revealed what appeared to be a blank corridor. Sol’s sharp eyes revealed some secret doors, but others were so carefully concealed even he was deceived. Leo stepped forward and looked with magically enhanced senses. They revealed the last door and even its intricate method of opening. He uttered a phrase in a language that was millenia old and the door swung open. The other doors were also opened and revealed steps going down. Saphie then quickly said that they reeked of illusion magic so it was decided to go through the main door and down the stairs. Sol carefully checked the stairs and the group followed him until they reached a lit five sided chamber with four additional doors, each guarded by an elemental. These were conjured guardians, which were swiftly dealt with. Doors to three of the crypts revealed deceased members of the Mageris family. The last revealed a large stone sarcophagus. This sarcophagus was opened to a set of stairs leading down which in turn led to an alchemical laboratory with a door in the far wall. Some clever sleight of hand and mirrors allowed Sol to discern a plush study with someone sitting in a chair beyond the door. This was almost certainly the last room and the group got ready. The door was opened, the chair swung round and an imposing desiccated form opened his arms and greeted the group as saviors and long lost friends. Most of the group seemed bemused, looked at each other and then the creature. Their weapons were no longer ready, they approached it. Not so Leo; a beam of fire shot from his hand and slightly scorched the being. Aos valiantly stabbed the creature with his rapier. Unfortunately it seemed to find both their efforts more amusing than anything else and again a feeling of welcome and friendship radiated from it. This time, Aos put up his rapier and Tarquin also approached it. Seeing this, Leo felt he had no choice but to pretend to be its friend like every one else. To his great surprise, far from meaning any harm to the group, Lucius was eager to hear of the world outside, of the political situation in Gaxmoor and of Ea in this age. He questioned Leo ferociously for many hours until he was satisfied. 

Finally he said: ”Thank you for your help in releasing me. I will go now. For your trouble, please accept this gift. Use these tiles wisely. They may or may not help you.” After these words he disappeared. Leo breathed a sigh of relief although a small part of him regretted that he didn’t get a chance to exchange any knowledge with Lucius.

Saphie then quickly seized upon the tiles, which had strange effects on her. Mainly they seemed to be harmful although Tarquin was able to nullify most of the effects. One of them however seems to be permanent. She suddenly aged many years before everyone’s eyes. Titania also read the tiles although curiously they seemed mainly beneficial for her, teaching her new abilities and spells. No one else used them. 

Slightly chastened although grateful to be alive, the group made their way back to the palace. Both  Saphie, now more world weary, and the sharp eyed Sol, who seems to have a substantial amount of Sidhe blood in him, have proved to be very useful.

There were several interesting byproducts from this last trip. Tarquin seems to have acquired a new status. He rapidly went to the temple and suddenly the acolytes came running from the whole city. Bells pealed and there was a very long service. Leo wasn’t sure what the excitement was about but he was pleased for his cohort. 

Leo wasn’t sure, but Titania’s behavior had subtly changed. Whereas before, she was constantly by Aos’s side, now more and more she was seeking both the approval and companionship of Cho. Leo really didn’t understand this change in the social dynamics of the group and Aos seemed to be taking it in his stride but he did find it rather odd.
Leo was also concerned that with Lucius free, he was going to seek out Heracules and make common cause with him. However Titania assured everyone that this wasn’t the case “because her goddess told her so”. Leo really wasn’t sure what to make of this but Titania was adamant. Finally, Leo acquired a new pet; one of the strangest things in Lucius’s study was a cage with a parakeet. A jet black one with blood red eyes that seems to have lived for several thousand years. Further investigation showed that this was a Vrock Tanar'i, which had been changed into this form and magically imprisoned in some sort of space while at the same time making it appear to be cage. In short, unless the cage is opened the Vrock is imprisoned. This level of magic is so far above Leo at the moment that it is making him nervous. However, mainly due to a loss as to what to do with this thing, at the moment it is rather ridiculously hanging in his quarters, scaring the living daylights out of the students that come to clean his rooms. Fortunately, Dovistar is very much aware to what it is and during Leo’s absences, he will keep an eye on it.

Now, it is to be hoped that this trip to the South will not prove too eventful.


----------



## S'mon

StalkingBlue said:
			
		

> Dang.  No updates yet?  Where are the cool Xiang action scenes, the well-considered Leo sequences, the deeply self-centred Aos comments??  I was going to settle back for some nice reading here, guys!
> 
> 
> ...
> 
> (waiting ... tapping foot ... tapping other foot ...)
> 
> OK.  Sniffle.
> 
> Here's a letter then.
> 
> (Seriously, I was pretty tired on Sunday because my brother cum girlfriend left literally before dawn to catch an early plane - so if I got things horribly wrong, shout and I'll correct them. In fact, if I find out my horrible mistakes by reading your updates, I'll go and correct them anyway.)




Pretty good I thought - give Cho 270 story XP.  
I didn't see any horrible mistakes - technically Lucius Mageris the proto-Lich was imprisoned for 2300 years of Ea time, but indeed only 500 years of his own Gaxmoor time as the city recently spent 200/2000 years in an extradimensional pocket (ca 737-2737 YE) where time passed 1/10 as fast as on Ea!

-Simon


----------



## S'mon

BTW I particularly liked Cho's application of Western Magic '5 Elements' meataphysical theory to the Mageris crypt.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Simon, thank you.  I'm glad you liked it.  

Peter, cool!  I love to read Leo's POV.  We write so differently, that's great.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

S'mon said:
			
		

> BTW I particularly liked Cho's application of Western Magic '5 Elements' meataphysical theory to the Mageris crypt.




I had to go back and check that, must have missed it first time through, but yeah, that's a nice touch.

I think Xiang is going to leave off his account this time. I didn't really do that much, bar get hit by a few things and kill a bunch of elementals. Oh well.

Here's looking forward to being attacked on the open road where I can attack people with a true Spirited Charge!


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## StalkingBlue

Tallarn said:
			
		

> I had to go back and check that, must have missed it first time through, but yeah, that's a nice touch.
> 
> I think Xiang is going to leave off his account this time. I didn't really do that much, bar get hit by a few things and kill a bunch of elementals. Oh well.
> 
> Here's looking forward to being attacked on the open road where I can attack people with a true Spirited Charge!




And here I was thinking, Yay - another update, just on time for a nice little lunch break!  
Well.  
OK.  
I suppose I still have my lunch.  

I hope you get to Spririted Charge someone next session.  I want an account.


----------



## S'mon

*test...*

Zoskia & me were unable to post yesterday


----------



## ZosKia

Is it working now?


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## ZosKia

Hmmm. Only for one line posts it seems. Anything longer times out...


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

14th September, Game Account.

The group swiftly assembled on the morning, preparing to take the Margravine away down south for her diplomatic mission. The only thing that was changed was that money was converted to large, expensive diamonds, since Tarquin had revealed that he now had the power to cast the _raise dead _spell. Sol was the only one to opt out of paying for the cost of the gems. "My family is dead. My village is destroyed. If I do die - I don't want to come back."

The Margravine, her handmaiden and the party rode out easily and early, passing the newly reopened tannery on the southwest side of Gaxmoor. Cho had elected to scout ahead, since she had the speed on foot to match the horses that everyone else rode. After a decent days travel, filled with virtually no conversation, camp was made near to the river in a sheltered area. The group was about halfway to Crisqui town, the first major settlement on the way to our destination.

Watches were set, with the simple discovery that Sol only needed four hours of sleep. He offered to stay near the camp for the rest of the time, as he had nothing much else to do. It stayed quiet during the night, but on the final watch, Leo and Tarquin thought they might have heard something...

They had. They had heard Sol off to one side of the count shouting at the top of his lungs and shooting his bow at the large gnoll that was aiming an arrow back at him!

Sol's arrow found it's target first, striking into the gnoll almost before it could react. Striking deep. Somewhat surprised that he hadn't killed it, Sol was further surprised as two gnolls fired back, following it with the charge of two further gnolls! Sol ducked and weaved before their blades, taking only minor damage.

Out of the darkness came more foes. Two hideous ratmen charged Leo, chittering. With great luck, he took only a tiny scratch. The Margraves handmaiden Eryla was not so fortunate, being struck by an arrow and remaining unconscious. Another arrow struck Xiang in his sleep, awakening him. And then Tarquin suffered worst of all, dodging one arrow but being hit by another, and then seeing three hulking Orcs charge him, one hitting him again! Another Orc leapt out of hiding and struck Titania as she slept, hurting her badly.

Sol dropped his bow, still yelling for the others to awaken, and drew his paired swords. But his attacks failed to wound his opponents as they loomed over him. Aos fared better as he awoke, leaping to his feet and slashing one orc across the neck, almost killing it. Cho also showed great awareness, leaping to her feet straight from sleep, charging a gnoll and stunning it for a moment. Titania's effort fared badly. Although she rolled to her feet and dodged another sword swing, a second axe blow from an orc crashed into her side. Momentarily distracted perhaps, her _confusion_ spell was launched directly at her feet, the waves of magical energy arching out to all around her. Her own mind became clouded, as did that of Aos and the three orcs stood closest. Leo glanced round and sighed heavily in his head, mentally making a note to teach her a few things about the finer points of spellcraft the next day. Assuming they all survived...

Saphie woke groggily from sleep, but went from nought to angry in three seconds. Glancing around, she saw Sol and Cho battling gnolls on one side of the clearing, and with no hesitation launched a powerful _fireball_ in precisely the right place. Sol flung himself backwards, dodging the blast entirely, and three gnolls were instantly incinerated. The fourth remained standing, but was badly burnt. It growled angrily.

In response, the enemy forces attempted to grapple Saphie, perhaps mistaking her for the Margravine. Two goblins came out of the darkness, but Saphie - showing surprisingly strength and making the best of her larger size - managed to throw them off.

It was Leo's turn to be in trouble next, as the forces of evil closed in around him. First the two ratmen lunged forwards, one catching Leo a nasty blow to one arm. Next, a hobgoblin stepped forwards, magically _hasted_ and moving fast, and launched another deadly onslaught on the battered wizard. Leo dodged as best he could, but the wiley hobgoblin dealt him a fearsome blow. Finally, yet another goblin struck a small but well placed thrust into his leg.

One of the _confused_ orcs lunged at Titania, cutting her. The other appeared to decide that cowardice was the best strategy, and fled. The final _confused_ orc turned and struck his friend, all the time with a puzzled look on it's face.

Tarquin came to Leo's rescue, as he had so often before. Moving up, he laid his hands upon Leo and healed him of damage, buying him precious time. And then finally, the ever-slow to react Xiang-San Chang got up, snatched the Black Spear off the ground and dealt the goblin in front of him a mighty blow, ignoring the feeble blow dealt to him in return. Disdainful of his lack of armour, he scanned the battlefield, and realised that from his exposed position on one side, there was little he could do.

Finally, Leo used his brain and cast a _dimension door_ to get him out of trouble, transporting him across the road to the horses. The humanoids cursed as a weakly armoured foe escaped them.

_[Note - ladies and gentlemen, all that was one surprise round and one full round of action. The whole party was now up and on it's feet.]_

Sol utilised his well learned battle tactics, sneaking around to flank an orc and despatch it with a sharp blow to the base of the neck. However Aos was still _confused_ and stood still, his powerful rapier and expert fighting skills made useless by the miscast spell. Titania, too, stood still, apparently attempting to claw her own face off in a fit of madness.

Cho charged another orc, but this time missed, as behind her, the Margravine ran to safety and Leo by the horses. She kept her composure, however, and remained a little concerned for her handmaiden, struck down before the fight even really began.

Again Saphie showed forth her arcane power, projecting a sheet of flame in front of her, singeing and burning the goblins, ratmen and the hobgoblin that had begun to surround her. As they closed in, striking at her, she felt like her life was draining away before their attacks, her blood staining the grass below her. The orcs pressed the attack on Tarquin as well, although another _confused_ orc decided to run away. Tarquin, concentrating hard, managed to use his domain spell to _dimension door_ away to the group by the river.

Xiang showed forth his worth to the party, and Saphie in particular, with a blow of awesome power. The Black Spear ripped through one goblin, splitting it almost in two as the strike cleaved through to the second goblin. A second strike on the backswing, and there were two goblin bodies lying on the ground.

_[Note: First ever critical with the Black Spear whilst Power Attacking. 82 points of damage! Fear me!]_

From his position of safety, Leo launched a series of _scorching rays_ at the foes surrounding Saphie, killing another goblin. She still looked to be in a vulnerable position, however, but the path to the river was at least open to her now.

Sol again flanked an orc with Titania, even though she was under the effects of her own spell - a spell that couldn't be dismissed! Sol's devastating attacks felled the evil humanoid, his swords cutting it to the ground. Aos still suffered, again standing with a dreamy look on his face.

Seeing that Saphie was still in danger, Cho flung herself across the battlefield, past Aos and on to the ratman, killing it with a single blow. She then switched targets to the hobgoblin, striking it twice more, making it reel back in pain.

Titania found an interesting bit of darkness to look at, whilst in the very back of her mind she berated herself for casting _confusion_ where she could hit herself.

Saphie took Cho's intervention as a moment to flee away from the goblins that surrounded her, running across to Leo and Tarquin. The gobbo's simply followed her, one striking her across the back, making her cry out in pain again.

The hobgoblin trades blows with Cho, but misses horribly, whilst the gnoll commanded reappeared briefly at a short distance, hitting Sol with an arrow. Tarquin moved amongst the goblins blades, healing Saphie and earning her heartfelt thanks.

Then Xiang again proved his awesome power, charging across the battlefield and bringing both goblins low in a powerful cleaving attack! _[Second crit of the fight!]_ Seeing the path clear before him, Leo made swift use of a _Magic Missile_ spell to kill the hobgoblin.

Sensing the tide of battle had shifted in the heroes favour, Sol went into the surrounding forest to find the two orcs that had fled. Aos, still confused, ran off in another direction. Cho followed Sol into the forest, looking for the gnoll commander who had retreated, whilst Titania, in the final throes of her _confusion_ charged the Margravine - before Saphie _dispelled_ the effect. Titania promptly apologised.

In the forest, Sol found the orcs quickly and began duelling. One orc, a split second before ambushing him from behing, _confusedly_ ran away again.

Back in the clearing, Tarquin moved over and prepared to heal the Margravine's handmaiden, as Xiang checked over the horses. Leo, his mind ever ticking over, cast _Greater Invisibility_ and began to hunt for the gnoll as well. The fight was won.

Sol killed the two orcs in the forest, after some cat-and-mouse stalking, and as the party piled up the bodies and searched them for treasure, a resounding _Boom!_ told the tale that Leo had located and _Chain Lightninged_ the final gnoll.

Battle won. No casualties. No enemy survivors. Great treasure was found, including several magical items that would need to be identified at a later date.

*More coming soon!*


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Part 2*

Once healing has been dispensed, items and gold collected, and bodies disposed of, the group makes an early start on their way to Crisqui town, arriving in the early evening. After a short conversation with the guard gates, they are admitted and find the *Laughing Unicorn*Inn. Speaking with the owner reveals that the first merchant caravan will be leaving tomorrow, and it's owner is...Ghyssk the Hobgoblin, former warband leader and previous kidnapper of - The Margravine. Things immediately become tense.

The Margravine refuses point blank to travel with Ghyssk, and is on the verge of asking Aos to duel him to the death. Aos manages to talk her round, over time, and he and Xiang go over to Ghyssk to talk over details. Tarquin and Leo go up immediately to rest and relearn spells, whilst the rest of the group makes themselves comfortable in the bar.

Aos intimidates Ghyssk into accepting the party as guards, and the two groups converge and talk. Well, exchange comments is more like it. Sol does not react well to being called 'elfy' by Ghyssk. Xiang threatens Ghyssk when he starts asking questions about the Spear, defensively holding it to him. With a great show of restraint, all sides move away from each other and peace resumes. Aos finds a pretty barmaid on his lap, and Titania tells Cho that she's much nicer than he is. Cho is still baffled by Titania's apparent infatuation with her, but manages to respond politely.

Xiang, who is sleeping in the room next to Aos and Titania, hears them arguing in low voices when they finally come up to bed. He groans, stuffs the pillow over his head, and tries to sleep.

The next day dawns, and caravan starts it's slow meander south. Leo has his _prying eyes_ spell active, and the day is punctuated by occasional floating eyes coming back to report to him. It's almost funny how the rest of the group take no notice. Some of the other hangers on that are part of the caravan are a little surprised to see magic being used so openly.

Kanuu is reached within two days. Ghyssk managed to stay civil long enough to mention that he'd heard some funny rumours about the place. Apparently a previous caravan owner had lost half his guards there, they had simply broken their contracts and stayed after participating in some sort of religious festival.

Arriving at Kanuu, the group quickly notices that the peasants in the fields are listless and slow. In fact, with the night drawing in it's a little surprisingly to still see them out there.

The Margravine goes straight to the Manor House. A relative of hers, the local Lord, is in charge. However, his guard refuses us entry, and after some wheedling and persuasion agrees that the Margravine and two others are permitted inside. Leo, and several others, are dead set against this. A polite withdrawl occours.

Meanwhile, the peasants start building a bonfire. They appear to be using the Church pews. Looking across, the Church itself seems somewhat disused, and the guards are trying to keep the group out. Saphie uses her weasel familiar to take a look inside, but sees nothing unnusual.

While plans are discussed, Sol makes a terrible mistake. Keeping an eye on everyone, he wanders nearer to the bonfire, and notices the flames are burning blue. He also spots several members of the Caravan guards standing around it. He moves in for a closer look, calling for Leo to come see, when suddenly...

Turning to see what Sol is shouting about, Leo and the others see him suddenly stop shouting, turn, and stare listlessly into the flames. Getting the idea with comendable speed, the group as one takes several steps away from the fire. More words are exchanged, more plans discussed. The Margravine is persuaded to go back to the caravan with Titania. Ghyssk offers to look after them, and Xiang mentions to Titania that if he tries anything he should be _dominated._ Eventually, it's decided that the best thing to do is to go in the back entrance of the Manor House and find out what's going on. Two guards that are watching the party are swiftly despatched by Aos, and with the use of a bit of _stone shape_ by Tarquin, they are in.

A short corridor with a door leads to a ladder. Aos starts to climb it as Xiang stands guard below. Flipping open the door and moving up, Aos is not too surprised to be attacked by three guards, and is hit several times. The Greatest Duellist in Gaxmoor is not concerned, however. Hearing the sound of fighting, Saphie casts _Mage Armour_, and Xiang starts looking for more stairs upwards, since Aos is currently blocking the way. Aos is returning the blows, fencing as best he can from the top of a ladder.

But his foes are striking him, working together in uncanny unison, and more are arriving. Aos' eyes widen as Sol enters, twin swords drawn and begins to attack him! Downstairs, Leo hears the sounds of running feet and readies a spell, warning Cho not to step outside the door. Saphie, having learnt from her previous fight about the power of defensive magics, casts _Shield_. Aos carries on fencing, dropping one guard and moving off the ladder, clearing a space for Xiang to begin to climb up and force his way into the room.

Sol attacks Aos relentlessly, scoring a remarkable number of hits. In the crowded room, Aos can't move around as much as he'd like, and it's costing him.

At the back door, Leo's cunning spell goes off. As guards and villagers run to attack the party, a number of _Black Tentacles_ burst up from the ground. The villagers are all grabbed and crushed immediately, and the guards fair little better. Cho holds back as Saphie readies a spell to throw at anyone coming down the ladder.

Back upstairs, Aos kills another guard and moves further into the room, as Xiang gains a foothold into the room and starts to try and knock out his former ally Sol. They can hear the yelling of the guards downstairs as the tentacles continue to squeeze them.

Saphie is surprised to find the door next to her is thrust open, and more guards pour into the small corridor. Now the party is trapped all around, by guards and the spell! Three of the guards manage to get through Saphie's magical defenses, wounding her severly. She responds with a 
_Mirror Image_ spell, as the other man that finds himself on the front line, Tarquin, casts _Sanctuary. _Cho then proves her acrobatic prowess as she almost floats across the room, dancing between sword thrusts and ending up behind the new influx of guards, standing at the bottom of the ladder.

Upstairs, Aos takes yet more damage from swords and Sol, but Xiang, in a flurry of blows, manages to KO the security chief. Things seem to be turning up here, as Xiang also helps to wound another guard. The guards up here are working with incredible precision, stepping in and out of combat to maximise their attacks, and focusing exclusively on Aos, who is being rapidly worn down. He does manage to strike back again.

The tentacles finally kill the guards downstairs, apart from one who is quickly destroyed by Leo's _Magic Missiles_. Saphie's protective magics are doing the trick as her opponents all miss her, and Cho manages to evade her opponent. Saphie backs off and starts casting her most powerful spell - one of summoning. Cho attacks, stunning her opponent and hitting him twice.

Yet more attacks on Aos, and he's beginning to really feel them. Backing off for a second, he drinks a potion of curing, feeling his wounds clear up for a second. Xiang, his Spear spinning, finishes off two more guards upstairs and settles into a defensive stance.

As the battle continues, Leo also casts a _Mirror Image_ of his own. The guards knock out one of Saphie's images, and four guards move around Cho in an intricate pattern, allowing all of them to hit her. She manages to duck all but one attack, however. Tarquin casts _Fly_, ready to go to the aid of the two upstairs, as Saphie's Hound Archon appears in a blaze of glory and immediately steps to work, slashing with it's greatsword and then biting down with it's huge dog-jaws, almost ripping a guards head off. Saphie herself fires a volley of _Magic Missiles_ into a guard, and then in a flurry of movement Cho kills one guard, moves forwards and kills another, her hands and feet a blur of motion.

In the room above, Aos dodges yet more blows as several more reinforcements arrive, including a menacing figure in black armour holding a large waraxe. Aos cries a challenge, kills the man in front of him and steps forwards to kill another, opening a gap for Xiangs attack. He doesn't waste it, bringing the Spear across to jab into the Black Armour's arm and then thrusting it clean through the chestplate and out the back! The figure jerks as the Black Spear eats his soul...

_[NOTE - 3rd critical of the session!]_

The battle is now firmly in favour of the heroes. Leo's _Scorching Ray_ kills another guard as the Hound Archon strikes. A guard strikes Cho, but Saphie fires yet another _Scorching Ray_ and burns him in return, and he drops to the floor. Now the area is clear, Cho takes a second to clear her mind and heal her wounds.

Xiang comes under sustained assault from three guards, being hit twice, as Tarquin flies up the ladder and heals Aos. Encouraged, Aos steps forwards and drives his rapier through the guard's heart, leaving just two left. Xiang reduces that to one with a few swift motions. As the guard makes one final attempt to kill Xiang, Tarquin heals him too and the Aos steps up and finishes it.

The Hound Archon steps into the side room and is commanded to open the trapdoor that Xiang found earlier. Magical darkness is revealed below, and the decision is made to hold off for a moment.

Healing spells are cast, mostly on Aos and Xiang, and then just as Aos and Xiang are about to go downstairs, Aos spots a man hiding across the hallway. Running across to stab him, Aos smells the blue smoke! A second man had thrown a pouch on to the open flame! But he resists it's deadly effects and backs out again. The Hound Archon is sent upstairs to kill the man, and does so easily before disappearing again, back to it's home on another plane.

The company convenes around the trapdoor, taking a moment to think what may be lurking down there...


----------



## S'mon

Thanks for the blow-by-blow account Matt, have 350 XP.  Hope Xiang & Cho can level!


----------



## S'mon

30/2/2739 YE
While training in the Citadel, Cho was approached by the Gaxmoorite witch Grimhelda, who brought a strange message:

"Guard the Wielder of the Spear and protect Him until such time as It can be restored to Its rightful place. Grow strong and seek the Queen held prisoner in the Mountain of Fire, for She has the Power to free the Guardians of Crane from Their long sleep."

1/3/2739 YE

New PCs
Saphie Zerlor: Sorcerer-10
Sol: elf Rogue-10

Margrave Kanor asked Aos, Leo and co to escort Margravine Eloise Brax-Arkand into Makyan territory on a diplomatic mission for the Scornic League. The Makyan High King Marowa had indicated that he might be amenable to an alliance with the League. With the League threatened by Tarkane's Overkingdom to the east, Harecules the Cambion in the south, and rumours of a Mongali-Mount Fire alliance in the west, such an alliance could prove desperately important.

Eloise had just arrived at Gaxmoor with her companions, and planned to depart in two days. Kanor suggested that Eloise's magist Saphie - Kanor's sister, and Sol her Sylvan-elf chief of security, assist Leo & co in investigating reports of two undying entities imprisoned within the old graveyard. One, Xerxes Diccus, was the degenerate bastard son of an ancient Imarran Emperor, now a vampiric entity. The other, Lucius Maximus Mageris, was the progenitor of the Mageris line of court wizards, rumoured to be a "proto-Lich". It was possible that Harecules sought to free either or both these fiends.

Investigating the tombs, Xerxes was soon discovered, and swiftly dispatched. The Mageris tomb proved more problematic. Defeating numerous wards, traps and elemental guards, the party at last reached Lucius - only to have all but Leo fall under the power of his enchantment. Lucius talked for hours with Leo, then, his confining wards having been broken, departed to investigate the new world beyond Gaxmoor.
At least the party had gained considerable loot.
4/3/2739 YE 

The party travelled south from Gaxmoor towards Carrisqui town. Camping on the trail, they were attacked by a mixed band of 15 humanoid raiders, but killed them all in a fierce fight. Reaching Carrisqui they met the hobgoblin Gysshk, now a merchant, at the Laughing Unicorn Inn, and after some squabbling (Eloise not being happy to see him again) the party joined his caravan, heading south to the Makyan territories.

7/3/2739 YE
Reaching the pass settlement of Kanuu, the last village before the Makyan territories, after dark the group's suspicions were aroused by the oddly lethargic, mechanical behaviour of its inhabitants, and the strange fire they lit, whose bluish fumes had an immediate effect on Sol. Eloise feared for the safety of her cousin Amari, the local lord. After investigation and discussion, the group attacked his manor, meeting fierce resistance from a large number of guards, almost a score of men backed up by three of Gysshk's men and by Sol, all apparently under some form of mind control. Xiang knocked out Sol, and the other defenders were slain, along with some dominated villagers who perished to Leo's Black Tentacles. Aos discovered and stabbed a man who turned out to be Amari. Another cowled figure in the room threw dust on the fire, and blue fumes billowed up, causing a hasty retreat. Saphie summoned a hound archon to attack the stranger, but it reported that its sword had struck nothing, the figure's robes collapsing into an empty pile.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

S'mon said:
			
		

> Thanks for the blow-by-blow account Matt, have 350 XP. Hope Xiang & Cho can level!




Yup. I only needed 24xp to make 11th level, which means that Cho is also now 11th level. I'll email you to talk about the Black Spear.


----------



## S'mon

Leo's account:
The Margravine’s Journey Part I


Having semi-successfully dealt with the two problematic tombs in the graveyard, the group was now ready to escort the Margravine Eloise on her diplomatic mission to the High King of the Makyans in his capital Ankheight. The plan was to make a short two-day journey to the town of Carrisqui where it would join a trading caravan heading South into the Makyan lands. Leo was still speculating about the motivations of the Scornic League in attempting to establish diplomatic relations with a nation whose main export was slaves but his main concern was to get the aristocrat to her destination in one piece. This tied in directly with Leo’s worry that the first two days of the journey through the wildlands outside Gaxmoor were going to be very dangerous as it was likely that Heracules was aware of the Margravine’s mission and would consider her a prime captive. Therefore, there was a strong possibility that an ambush was being prepared.

The first day of the journey proved uneventful. The group, along with the Margravine and her handmaiden Eryla, traveled on horseback and made good distance. A camp was made for the night and watches were set. On the last watch, just before dawn, the expected attack came. Tarquin and Leo were on watch while Sol, having little need for sleep, was loitering nearby. Stealthily, an array of Dark Folk, mainly orcs, gnolls, ratmen and goblins, crept through the woods and approached the camp. Unfortunately, Leo and Tarquin were watching the wrong side of the encampment and it was Sol, who at the last moment, shouted a warning. The enemy rushed and were able to land severe blows on Leo and Tarquin; several archers shot into the sleeping group. At this moment the situation erupted into frenzied action. Most of the sleeping people leapt up and armed themselves as best as they could. Xiang was unfortunate as he was only in his light clothes; Aos and Titania were lightly armored but this was their usual state while Cho was unaffected and relied on her amazing dodging ability. However, the people most at risk were Saphie and the Margravine. Saphie bravely arose and shouted words of power. A moment later a ball of fire swept a group of gnolls as well as Cho and Sol. Strangely, both of them tumbled through the ball and seemed unaffected although Cho did look slightly charred. The gnolls however were decimated with most of them falling while their leader ran into the dark woods. At this point the situation was made even more chaotic by Titania’s actions. Misconstruing the range of her spell, she shouted mystic words and a strange lassitude settled over the enemy, who didn’t seem to know what they were going to do from one moment to the next. However, this same pall also affected Aos and Titania herself. Leo at this point transported himself out of harm’s way and called the Margravine to him. The enemy had suffered set backs but obviously they had been given their orders. Capture the unarmed woman; therefore they swarmed first Tarquin and then Saphie, landing heavy blows on both of them. Xiang sprang into action and was able to alleviate some of Saphie’s problems, and she herself burned her opponents around her. Tarquin had to transport himself out of harm’s way also, but at this stage the tide was turning. Both Cho and Xiang were carving through the enemy, Sol was stalking them in the woods while Titania and Aos were still in the grip of this strange pall. Finally the enemy were fully routed, and hunted in the woods. The gnoll commander was attempting to get away, but Leo found him and used one of his more powerful effects (chain lightning), sending the gnoll to his just desserts. He also managed to recover some interesting items from his corpse. In the meantime, Tarquin dispensed healing blessings to alleviate injuries.

In good spirits, the group set off first thing in the morning after their battle and after an uneventful day, reached Carrisqui just after dusk, only to find the wall gates closed. Titania, using her wit and charm, was able to convince the wall guard to let the group enter, ascertained that the first caravan of the season was about to set off and that the caravaneers were at the Inn of the Laughing Unicorn. In the right circumstances, she was a most useful person. The group made its way to this establishment, which was full of the usual assorted riff raff. Both Tarquin and Leo had had a very long day and a previous night of interrupted sleep so they both decided to retire early. Leo was able to establish what happened the next day. Contact was made with the caravan master, a person by the name of Gysshk. This individual had a history with the Margravine, which resulted in her demanding that Aos to challenge him there and then to a duel to the death. Fortunately, Aos was not quite so hasty and was able to reason with the aristocrat. Tension was also high as the caravaneers were their usual irrepressible selves. Phrases such as “oh look, its an elfie; we thought you were all dead” and “the Mongali chick looks a bit of all right” were bandied around. Thinking that they were being very funny, they didn’t realise just how close they were to death in both cases. Neither Cho nor Sol take insults lightly but luckily for all concerned they were able to hold their tempers. At the same time, there was talk of strange occurrences in the town of Kanuu, a stopping off point for the caravans and also the home of a cousin of the Margravine, Lord Amari. Finally, only Aos would have the front to openly flirt with Lilith the barmaid in front of Titania. Leo was not sure what the consequences of this were, but he was pretty certain that he really didn’t want to know. He had long ago come to the conclusion that Aos led a complicated domestic life.

The next day, in the late morning, the caravan set out to the south. It was an uneventful day and the group was able to enjoy new views and sights. In many cases this was the furthest south that any of them had ever been. Again nothing happened that night (in the village of Chembre) and hopefully the caravan would reach Kanuu at end of the next day. The Margravine was looking forward to seeing her cousin again. The caravan duly reached the town and set up camp outside while the group went with the Margravine to the manor in the town. It was an eerie place. The local population was quiet and went about their business in a very mechanical way. Everything was done in total silence and total uniformity. Leo’s alarm bells were beginning to ring. This was not normal. The group made its way to the large manor in the town, being inspected suspiciously by several groups of guards, who seemed ubiquitous. Upon reaching the door, the Margravine excitedly rapped on the door and demanded to see her cousin. A guard opened the door and informed her that the Lord Amari was unwell but that he was willing to see his cousin along with two other people. At this point, it was obvious to several members of the group that something was seriously wrong. Cho was uneasy and uncharacteristically protesting about these arrangements; Leo didn’t know what the problem was, but his instincts were screaming; both Aos and Titania were very uneasy and Sol was prowling around the edge of the group looking very worried. Finally, both Cho and Leo prevailed upon the Margravine that she would see her cousin tomorrow but later letting her know that the group had to investigate further. The group withdrew, still being viewed with suspicion by groups of guards, when Sol noticed that a pile of flammable material was being put together by a group of townspeople. At this point, the group withdrew slightly calling Saphie to them. She had wandered off, trying to ascertain what had happened to the local temple of Avanthe. Sol was still a little bit too far away, and suddenly a waft of blue flame and smoke came from the bonfire. Alarmed, Sol called Leo but the smoke wafted over him. He tried to stumble out of it but the wind  perversely blew it towards him again and suddenly he was mechanically walking over to the bonfire in the same entranced way as the rest of the population of the town.

The group withdrew to the caravan site. The Margravine  was left in the care of Grysshk and Titania. The group was now thoroughly annoyed and decided that a direct investigation of the Lord’s house was the best course of action. A plan was made to go through the back door. As they approached the house, two guards followed them at a distance. Brooking no interference, Xiang and Aos approached them and Aos quickly and efficiently ran them through. Xiang looked slightly askance at him after these actions but Aos just shrugged. The door was opened to reveal a corridor; it had a door and a ladder leading up to a trapdoor. The group entered the house and Aos ascended the ladder. Unfortunately, stealth is not one of the group’s strong points and as soon as his head came through the opening, a guard rammed his sword through Aos, hurting him considerably. Battle was joined immediately!!  Xiang opened the door downstairs, revealing a room with a trapdoor and another door, which led to a kitchen. Aos was battling guards on the upper floor. Further guards were getting ready to come and assault the rear of the party, but Leo caught them in one of his more powerful dweomers, a field of black tentacles which caught several of the ensorcelled guards and townsfolk and held them. Xiang then joined Aos upstairs. The battle up there was fierce, with both sides suffering heavy blows. One unfortunate occurrence was that Xiang and Aos found themselves fighting Sol. He landed several fierce blows on Aos who struggled not to retaliate. When Aos withdrew to recuperate with a potion, Xiang stepped up and was able to knock the elf unconscious. In the meantime downstairs, further guards swarmed through the front door, trying to overwhelm the rest of the group. However, Cho, Tarquin and the two wizards were able to cope with them although it was a close battle for a time. Upstairs the battle also turned, with both Aos and Xiang battling strongly, both admiring each other’s different but efficient techniques. Finally, both sets of guards had been dealt with. Saphie had summoned a Hound Archon and ordered it to open the trapdoor. This revealed a curtain of unnatural darkness and a feeling of cold. Upstairs, Aos, Xiang and Tarquin were about to leave when Aos spotted a cowled figure in one of the neighbouring room. Running towards this figure, Aos ran him through with his rapier; the figure gurgled and fell over, revealing a pale aristocratic face. Xiang and Tarquin approached when another villain hurled a pouch on to the fire, filling the room with the same deadly blue smoke. This time though, everyone resisted its effects, although the rooms were quickly vacated and the door was shut. After a brief discussion, the group decided that Saphie should summon another Archon and get him to investigate the room and attack all enemies. The Archon came back to report that (he attacked the figure but) all he found was a set of empty robes.

Now, the group is getting ready to open the trapdoor and tackle the curtain of forbidding darkness.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Yum, updates.  

Now where to steal the time to read them ...   

I guess I'll print them out and read them on the flight.
Or something.


----------



## S'mon

Leo's account:

The Lord of Kanuu


Having dispatched the blank eyed guards, rescued the dominated Lord of Kanuu and gathered on the ground floor of the manor house, the group was getting ready to descend into the depths of darkness found under a trapdoor in the storeroom. Suddenly, the door opened and Sol moved in the room. Still possessed, the Sidhe moved with a graceful and lightning fast move, striking at Xiang and wounding him severely. Somehow, when they subdued Sol upstairs, Aos and Xiang had forgotten that they had to be very thorough when tying-up him up and he had escaped. Roaring in fury, Xiang, seemingly goaded into an supernatural frenzy, repeatedly struck Sol. The elf staggered. Aos then stepped forward and calmly ran his rapier through the unfortunate elf, who slumped onto the ground. Eerily, a small puddle of green slime leaked out of the ear of the corpse and laboriously started crawling across the floor towards the trapdoor. With a grunt of distaste, Xiang used his spear’s acid strike to obliterate it.  

Slightly shaken, Leo then cast an effect onto a coin, which he knew would counteract the unnatural darkness present in the room below. The coin was dropped, revealing a cellar with an archway leading into further darkness. This unnatural darkness was present throughout the room and corridor, creating strange effects and unsettling shadows beyond the countering light of the coin. Led by Aos, the group descended. Approaching the archway, Aos reported that he could see another set of stairs leading down. The group formed up behind him and with his darkvision Leo could see a room with a myriad of small bones scattered on the floor from a variety of animals, including some crushed human remains. There were also four side alcoves with skeletal remains. Cautiously moving forward, Aos stiffened and with sign language reported that he saw movement ahead. Xiang was the first to react, swiftly moving forward, followed rapidly by Aos. Leo could hear a strange swishing sound, reminiscent of arrows in flight, an angry roar from Xiang and several heavy thuds. Then he heard a cry of “hold”. Both Tarquin and Leo moved forward to a T-junction in the corridor. As they stepped on the centuries old stone flagstones, their boots made eerie crackling and rustling sounds as they crushed the bones. Approaching the corner, they found Aos and Xiang facing a humanoid figure, clutching a powerful longbow. It was difficult to see it properly in the darkness but it was speaking in Ean (?). It was bleeding heavily.

“Drop your weapon”! cried Aos.

“You drop yours” replied the figure. “If you don’t attack me, then I won’t attack you. You don’t look like the minions of Spidron”. 

“That sounds fair” added Xiang. Leo thought that was remarkably restrained of Xiang as he had three arrows stuck in him at the time. 

Leo was not paying a great deal of attention at this moment. He didn’t know why, but he felt very uneasy. There seemed to be a slight echo to the rustling caused by the group’s movement; but the echo didn’t seem natural. He tried to concentrate on the sound but maddeningly it seemed just out of his hearing range. The whole place was eerie. It was obviously some sort of ancient catacomb that had been recently opened and it seemed to be full of strange rustling and skittering sounds. Leo was aware that somewhere in here must a powerful being capable of dominating a whole village. 

The stranger was talking to Xiang and Elros. 

“My name is Elros and I am a tracker. Several months ago, a spirit creature from the Deeper Darkness, calling itself Spidron came to my village and completely took over all the inhabitants. They all perished. I have been following it for several months and finally I have tracked it to this place. It is doing the same again. It is imperative that I find and destroy it. I have been looking for it in this accursed maze but it is dark and the enemy hides well. You are the first normal people I have seen for a long time.”

Leo moved closer to the stranger. He could now see that Elros had a lot of Sidhe blood in him. Possibly he was of mixed parenthood. 

Elros suggested that the group take a particular direction. Leo wasn’t happy that a complete stranger had suggested this course of action but he kept his peace and decided to watch him very carefully. It could be just possible that the mythical Spidron was the stranger himself. The group formed up and was ready to move forward when suddenly, at the back of the group, right next to Leo, a heavily armoured, large, bearded helmeted figure appeared out of thin air. To say that Leo was alarmed would be an understatement; then to hear his name being called out by this figure nearly made him faint. Fortunately, a moment later he recognised it, mainly by its large winged helmet. It was Sigurd; or Captain Sigurd of Gaxmoor, or Lieutenant Sigurd of the Bloodhammer Knights. Also a long-time friend and adventuring partner of Leo, Tarquin and Aos. Another figure appeared out of the darkness; Larius follower of Sigurd and another friend of the three. 

“Leo my old friend,” boomed Sigurd. “ How are you? What are you doing here? Where are we?"

It was still taking a little time for Leo to recover from his shock. Here he was, in the middle of the catacombs of Kanuu, a mountain village in the middle of nowhere. He was tracking down a spirit creature, while escorting the Margravine to the lands of the Makyans. Someone had been able to track him and place a pair of old time comrades right beside him. While the sight of Sigurd and Larius was very welcome, the thought that someone was able to do all of this without his knowledge made him feel queasy.

However, this flashed in his mind briefly and then he had to get down to the business at hand. Brief introductions and explanations were made. Suddenly, as they were being finished and Leo was about to ask some questions of Sigurd, there was a rustling, skittering noise and several dozen skeletal and zombified rats rushed the group from both directions. Small razor sharp teeth and fangs glistened in the darkness as the swarm hurled itself at the front ranks. The warriors found it difficult to cope with these pests as they attached themselves to clothes, armour and weapons, climbing up trouser legs and burrowing down boots. Fortunately they were undead and Tarquin’s holy power was able to get rid of many of them at once. Whilst annoying, they weren’t really dangerous and the warriors were making short work of them when suddenly a new clicking noise was heard and a horde of large bats flew at the group. They were cloaked in more unnatural darkness and it was most difficult to see them. However, again they were more annoying than dangerous and while they did cause a bit more hurt to the warriors they were soon dealt with.

The group got ready to move forward and at this stage Sigurd explained that he had been sent by the mage Clarendon; he also explained that Tarkane had grown tired of the Democrats and had arrested various individuals such as the lawyer Adam Dickinson. Others were wanted for questioning, including Leo.  Sigurd had been told to give Leo and Aos an amulet that would make it very difficult for them to be located. The ramifications and consequences of this news bounced inside Leo’s brain but it was not the right time or place for it. He also had to reconcile this oddly jovial Sigurd to the morose figure he remembered when he had seen him previously. Things must have gone well for him. So, he forced himself to concentrate on the problem at hand.

Using Elros’s tracking skills, the group made their way forward. They met another attack of small insect creatures, which was again dispatched without too much aggravation. The group then moved forward. At this point Elros’s uncanny keen hearing became very useful. Carefully moving back, he whispered: “I heard a slight slithering sound coming from that direction. It could be Spidron.” The group moved at speed but did not find the creature. Doubling back, Elros again thought he heard the same sound. Turning one corner, he moved towards another when he stopped and with swift grace fired an arrow into the darkness. Suddenly a pair of slimy unnatural hands grasped themselves around his neck with an iron grip, almost choking him into unconsciousness. 

“Why do you hunt me in my home” whispered a strange seductive voice in the group’s mind but they paid it no attention, rushing forward. 

Elros suddenly slumped and was dragged into the darkness but it was too late for the enemy. Titania cast a powerful effect in her clear soprano. Tarquin moved forward with unnatural speed to face the creature. A beam of dazzling light sprang from his hand and struck it in the chest. A sizzling sound was heard and followed by a foul stench. Sigurd rushed forward and struck it with his sword. There was a flash of icy blue as the blade’s freezing touch seemed to have a stunning effect on the foe. Finally, Leo moved forward and a swarm of missiles left his hands and struck the figure. The robes crumpled and the stench became even more acute. Then a mass of slime started moving away laboriously. With a disgusted look on his face Xiang stepped forward and obliterated this abomination. The Lord of Kanuu was no more.

The group then found a large cave, which was the creature’s lair. Various valuables were found as well as a set of black full plate, covered in runes and filigree, made of a metal that Leo could not identify and strangely slick to the touch. Also inside the cave was a glass cabinet, which had a body inside and radiated slight magic. Leo carefully examined this thing and determined that it was necromantic in nature and seemed to be some sort of draining device. Due to his recent experience with necromantic items, Leo immediately recommended this thing be destroyed.

Affairs were reasonably straightforward after that. The group went back to the Margravine, who was very surprised to see Sigurd and Larius. Elyra the handmaiden and Sigurd’s ex was even more surprised and most curious as to what had happened to him. Lord Amari recovered from his domination and was most unhappy about the state of his town, which had systematically been looted by the Spidron. The townspeople were finally beginning to recover their wits but it was taking a long time. The group rested there a couple of days and took the opportunity to identify some of the dweomered items they had collected. Most of these were very useful although some were designated as surplus to requirements and therefore to be sold at the earliest opportunity. Leo debated whether he should transport himself back to Gaxmoor with Sigurd’s news. In the end he decided that Dovistar was a wily old fox, who was perfectly aware of what was going on in Imarr and had already taken precautions about the Order’s small staff there. He also breathed a sigh of relief that the order had transferred itself to Gaxmoor. So the caravan and the group left Kanuu and finally entered Makyan territory after purchasing a trading license on the border. 

The caravan and the group arrived at a trading post. This was as far as Gysshk was going. After this point the group and the Margravine were on their own. The group took advantage of this area to buy and sell various bits and pieces and with their purses jingling and riding their new horses, they set out. The first few days were uneventful although the terrain was getting even wilder. Elros was scouting and as usual Leo was surrounded by his swarm of little seeing balls. The group was approaching a pass through a ravine. The cliffs on either side were at least forty foot tall and topped with boulders that looked unsteady. Elros was very uneasy and was certain he spotted someone on the cliffs. Leo, now more than happy to trust the newcomer, sent his “eyes” up there. After a long and minute search, Leo finally was able to discern what was making his companion so uneasy. Four figures were hiding up there, almost invisible against the background, close to the unsteady boulders, obviously waiting for the group to enter the ravine. Carefully the eyes moved forward to gather greater detail. Upon their return to Leo he was able to describe them to the rest of the group.

“Death Dealers”! hissed Xiang.


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Peter, give Leo 200XP.


----------



## Dispater

S'mon said:
			
		

> Leo's account:
> ...
> 
> later he recognised it, mainly by its large winged helmet. It was Sigurd; or Captain Sigurd of Gaxmoor, or Lieutenant Sigurd of the Bloodhammer Knights.
> 
> 
> ....
> 
> He also had to reconcile this oddly jovial Sigurd to the morose figure he remembered when he had seen him previously. Things must have gone well for him.





Enjoy while it lasts.

Excellent work by Peter allthough i have to point out that Sigurd does _not_ wear a winged helmet. Whenever he feels like becomming an opera singer, I'll let you know. 

-Lars


----------



## S'mon

On 22 Sep 2003, at 6:26, EN World - Morrus' D&D/d20 News & Reviews wrote:

> Excellent work by Peter allthough i have to point out that Sigurd does
> not wear a winged helmet.

Maybe Sigurd had the cheek-guards on his helm raised, and Leo being a wizard thought they were wings?


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Xiang's comment upon reading Leo's account:

"Excuse me, but you missed a bit. Allow me."



> The group formed up and was ready to move forward when suddenly, at the back of the group, right next to Leo, a heavily armoured, large, bearded helmeted figure appeared out of thin air. *Leo squealed with alarm, his paranoid mind racing, and leapt into the protective arms of his cohort, Tarquin. Then he recognised the figure as Sigurd...*.



"I believe that was how it happened, yes?"

Xiang then comments at length about how unafraid he is at the sight of four more Deathdealers come after him, and how his brilliant planning won the day...


----------



## S'mon

*Aos has a visitor*

AOS awoke feeling aroused. He went to reach out for Titania, but before he could do so she appeared naked in the flap of the tent. Strange thought AOS, and not a good idea to go out without a robe even if it is Leo and Tarquin on guard. AOS laughed to himself as he thought of the two men’s embarrassment at seeing a naked Titania strolling past them!
Instead of entering the tent Titania motioned for AOS to join her outside. 

‘What is going on?’ thought AOS as he rose from his blanket and stepped through the tent flap.

He was surprised to find himself not in the campsite but back in the Shapely Siren. Closer inspection suggested this wasn’t the Siren but what the Siren would be like if he had invested ten times as much gold in it, being a large bedroom of immaculate and very expensive taste.

Somehow AOS no longer felt the situation to be that strange, particularly when Titania gave him a glass of his favourite wine and beckoned him to join her on the bed…..
…..Titania rose from the bed and went to get more wine. 

‘Do you know who I am AOS?’ 

As she spoke her hair rippled and shimmered becoming shorter and blonde; 

‘Well you aren’t Titania’ joked AOS trying to hide his nerves. 

‘Not anymore’ laughed Celia, handing him a glass and pulling him towards her. Once again his nerves seemed to fade…..
…..AOS felt strangely relaxed despite the woman he knew to be dead wrapped in his arms. Suddenly Celia spoke: 

‘Why not Thrin?’, 

‘I don’t understand’ said AOS. 

‘I mean why worship me, why not Thrin?’ Why worship me?' 

The words shook AOs out of his relaxed state and he tried to pull away; Celia wrapped herself tighter around him and once again he felt his fear begin to fade. 

‘My worshipers aren’t warriors AOS they are whores. Thrin can give you power’. 

‘I know that Goddess, I don’t seek power’. 

‘Do you not AOS?’ 

'No, I have seen the power seekers; first they want to rule a village, then a city, then a country and so on. Once they have their empire they live in constant fear of someone with more power taking it from them, is that a life? I am a warrior because I enjoy fighting, I enjoy showing off my skill with a blade, just as I enjoy carousing and beautiful women.’ 

AOS rather bravely plants a kiss on the goddess’s forehead, she smiles. 

‘That is why I worship you’. 

Dlalemlish laughed, 

‘You are an interesting man, I shall be watching you.'

Dlamelish paused, her expression sobering.

'I shall have need of you, my champion.  A great force of Undeath is arising in the southland desert.  It threatens to consume this world.  You will need to find the champion of Thoth if you are to succeed against… AOS’….AOS…AOS….AOS WAKE UP!'

As Sigurd prepared to aim a kick at the sleeping figure a hand reaches out and grabs his ankle 

‘kick me and I’ll break your leg...’ says AOS.


----------



## Dispater

"One of these nights Sigurd within the heat of the campfire, watching his piece of lamb getting roasted slowly over the fire. He was drinking the last container of his Ravengardish ale, and allthough slightly tipsy, immersed himself in his own thoughts.

He was at ease among the group, but also felt out of place, out of time.  Seeing Leo and AOS brought back some old memories. Battles fought and the blood shed. 

He suddenly remembered the time when he first appeared before the Margrave with Xyzzy and presented his sword. He missed the companionship of the pyromaniac. 

He remembered being knighted after the victory at Gaxmor. In the depts of his mind he still could see a monsterous face staring back at him, a terrible black sword wielded by two black claws. Heracules.

To Hel with him. 

And now, finally, becomming the Jarl of the Ravenmark. The holmgang with Jarl Jerv had taken unexpected turns. He had thought the battle be an easy one. He had let down his guard too easily and opened for that back-stabbing bastard. Had Jerv had more stamina, Sigurd's head might be on a stake outside of Ravengard right now.

But Mighty Odin had acted with righteousness and bestowed him the victory in the last moment. A plunge with his sword had put the old coward to rest in Hel's bossom.

He was reluctant to speak of this to the group. He didn't know if he could trust the newcomers. He certainly couldn't trust Gisshk. How convenient that the old hogoblin was now a merchant member of the caravan. How convenient it would be for him to eavesdrop every here and there. 

Tarkane might be listening. If the King knew that he was plotting with certain members of the resistance, he could expect some serious trouble.

And then there was the hissing, black spear. The man that wielded this was strange on all accounts, but he knew how to fight when it need be done.

It was time to move on. The Margravess had spoke of the rising tide of Mongali. This would be bad news for all of the West. He felt Ravenmark was in danger every moment he spent away from his Jarldom.

When he woke up the next morning he tried to give AOS a wake up in the old traditional way. Some things hadn't changed. It was pleasant to see his old companion as fiery as usual."


----------



## S'mon

Nice post Lars, give Sigurd 150 story XP.


----------



## S'mon

Lord of Kanuu:

Sol returned, attacking mechanically until slain. Green slime poured from his ear and slithered across the room, but Xiang blasted it with White Foul Flame. Investigating the darkened catacombs beneath the village, the party encountered and battled Elros, a Sidhe Arcane Archer who had come here tracking the foul Spidron that had enslaved his village in Angarin. Misunderstandings cleared up, Elros joined the party. Jarl Sigurd & Captain Larius appeared, sent from Trafalgis with a warning from Ulfius - Adam Dickinson had been imprisoned and the Overking would likely be hunting Leo & co. Battling undead rats, dark bats and giant beggar-lice, the party advanced through the caverns. The Spidron attacked, but was swiftly defeated. The party destroyed its cabinet in a large cavern, looted its lair and returned to the surface, surviving villagers freed from its domination. 

Into Bretania:

Journeying south into Makyan territory, they left Gysshk's caravan at a Trade Post. Some 200 miles into Bretania, Elros' keen sight spotted a Death Dealer ambush atop the cliffs ahead. The Death Dealers were attacked and wiped out, 11 of Kung's elite assassins crushed like ants. Another 100 miles brought the band to the great clifftop city of Ankheight, where King Marowa held court in the Royal Palace Gardens of the former Grand Duke. Margravine Eloise introduced herself and made a very good impression on the Makyan king, who warmly welcomed them. At a feast that night, an ancient Makyan crone presented Cho with a gift - Hawk Talons, magic fist-blades to complement her fighting prowess. A 'great bird' had instructed the wise woman to make them. 
Leo returned to Gaxmoor via teleport, reporting events to Dovistar and Margrave Kanor. Rumours of movement in the Dosk Heights boded ill. Leo had the White Wizardess (Witch?) Laera add a shock enhancement to Sigurd's mighty sword. Dovistar had a guest, Astragard, who said he had a mission for Leo and co - Archduke Ulfius had recommended them for an 'archaelogical' expedition into the Wastes of Gizen in the Southland desets, to the lost tomb of Gutheron of Org. Leo, a little reluctantly, accepted the proposal and returned to Ankheight. After two weeks, Eloise seemed to be getting along splendidly with Marowa, and Sigurd received back his enhanced sword. The party departed Ankheight with Astragard, Larius remaining behind as bodyguard to Eloise.
After three days' travel through the hills and savanna east of Ankheight, the party entered the deserts east of the Dosk mountains, heading for Arypt. That afternoon a terrible sandstorm blew up, the party taking shelter in a magical hut erected by Leo. When the storm blew over after dark, far-flung ruins were revealed around them - strewn with many, many bones. Among them the freshly slaughtered remains of the party's mounts! From the darkness swarmed hideous ghoul-beasts, 12 apelike Ghulaz and 4 huge, terrible Gholles. Ghulaz spit paralysed Saphie, while Aos was paralysed by the gaze of a Gholle, his throat ripped out by hungry Ghulaz. The battle was long and hard, but Leo's fire magics and the weapons of Elros, Cho, Sigurd and Xiang at last defeated the foe. Tarquin raised Aos from the dead, his soul somewhat reluctant to return from Dlamelish's welcoming embrace. 

A sudden return:

The next morning, Tarquin received a sending from Petronius - the Hordes of Harecules were attacking the Borderlands! The party was returned to the Borderlands via magic, assembling at the village of Jarrakig as the army of Harecules, well over 3000 strong, approached from the south. To face it the Borderlands had assembled 1800 men - would it be enough... 
Taking control of operations, Sigurd had Jarrakig levelled - over Saphie Zerler's objections - creating a clear field of fire for the League army east of the Thizzi river. Margrave Kanor assembled another Strike Team under Aos to attack Harecules once battle was joined - including 'Red' Ivy, Trenton Dirge and other Borderlands heroes. With the mailed fist of the League's knights waiting in ambush in the Wildland forest to the north, the soldiers awaited the coming of the foe...


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Upon hearing that we were required back up North, and seeing Leo get teleported out by powerful magics, Tarquin asked Xiang if he would accompany him north to Gaxmoor, in order to help out. Xiang swiftly agreed, knowing that his talents lay with warfare on any scale. One spell later...

...they found they were in the wrong place. The fight was not to take place in Gaxmoor, but further south. Grabbing horses, the two rode forth throughout the night, exhausting themselves in the process. During the night, in order to help keep the less experienced rider awake, Xiang spoke about how he viewed the other members of the party. Tarquin didn't have much to say in reply...

"It's a difficult thing, coming to terms with new comrades-in-arms," said Xiang. "You have to adapt to new fighting styles, new habits of warfare. All this spellcasting too, that's not something I'm used to in the middle of a fight. And having to fight on foot all the time! I much prefer fighting from horseback...you can get a real proper blow in from horseback. Go straight through a man." Noticing a slight green tinge to Tarquin's complexion at this point, Xiang swiftly moved back to his original point.

"You're a good man, Tarquin. I've heard tales of Clerics, always preaching and trying to convert people. You're different. You've got a good head on your shoulders. Trying to turn those undead creatures when a lesser man would have panicked and struck at them. That showed true courage. And what you did for Aos, well, that's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Raising a man from the dead..." Xiang fell silent for a moment.

"Leo, I can admire and dislike at the same time. On the one hand, he's a brilliant planner. He makes his spells work so hard for the group. If his _prying eyes_ hadn't spotted those Deathdealers, we might have been in real trouble. And he has a fine grasp of when to hit hard with more flashy magic, too. However, he is almost paranoid with caution. He needs to learn, in my opinion, that sometimes a straight charge, right into the teeth of the enemy, can be the most effective weapon you have. If he had the courage to take more risks, he might become even more fearsome."

Xiang shifted himself in his saddle, and glanced across to Tarquin. The Cleric of the Travelling God didn't seem to be enjoying this ride too much, but he was listening.

"Aos is someone I have to constantly evaluate. His ability one-on-one is probably unmatched, but his team play is not quite there. His reliance on his fencing style works well against ordinary humanoids, but suffers against undead. Still, that flaming rapier of his is a wonderful weapon, and he certainly moves around the battlefield well. Just so long as he concentrates, he's great. His girlfriend, or whatever she his, Titania, she's pretty much the same. Makes a few mistakes, that _confusion_ spell being a case in point, but she's settling down and focusing a little more. _Haste_ is a wonderful piece of magic, and when combined with her singing, she really makes a difference. And her diplomacy skills are excellent. I'll certainly be asking her to get hold of equipment for me in the future."

"I have to talk about Sigurd next. Ah, now there's a warrior! That rage, that complete disdain for physical pain...what a fighter! There are few people I've met that I wouldn't like to go up against, and he's one of them. Inspiring type, too. Fights very well. We'll have to sit down and have a talk someday. But for now, I think I'd follow him wherever he lead. He's a man of destiny, that's for sure." Xiang paused again, viewing in his mind the way Sigurd had run riot against the undead. "That sword! Electricity and frost combined in one weapon...a fantastic idea. Still, his weapon can't do what my Spear does..." Almost unconsciously, one hand fell from the reins to check the Spear was safe on the horse. Tarquin had noted that Xiang did this every couple of minutes, whether Xiang was aware of it or not.

"Elros I don't know that well...he's certainly a very competent archer. Good long range on him, too. Someone I knew once said that 'an archer is never a wasted thread', and she was right. Whatever your situation, an archer is often best placed to react to it. He needs to learn to follow orders, although I do believe he made the right choice against the DeathDealers. And speaking of following orders, Saphie. Now, she might weild mighty destructive magics, but if she doesn't learn to ask before running off with an idea, or protect herself before destroying the enemy, she's going to get herself killed. I try to look out for her where I can, such as against the ambush just south of Gaxmoor, but none of us can spare an eye for her all the time. In contrast to Leo, she needs to find the balance a little closer to caution."

"And that leaves Cho. I know she dislikes me, seeing me as a Traitor, but I hope she understands what I did and why. I certainly appreciate her skills. Her ability to stun the opposition is invaluable, and her speed and grace are weapons no one else has. With those new Hawk's Talons, she's a true fighting force to be reckoned with." Xiang glanced across at Tarquin again. He seemed to be nodding off a touch.

"Hey! Cleric! Keep awake, we've a long ride to go, yet!"


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Matt, cool post - give Xiang 250 story XP.  

BTW why would Cho dislike Xiang for being a traitor to Mount Fire?  I'd think she'd dislike him because he used to be a loyal soldier of Mount Fire!


----------



## ZosKia

Tallarn said:
			
		

> "And that leaves Cho. I know she dislikes me...




Actually Cho's quite fond of you compared to the rest of us....


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

Leo's account:

The Margravine in Bretonia.

The pass hid a deadly ambush. Forty foot cliffs rose above a narrow road with little room for maneuvre. Both Elros and Leo had spotted Death Dealers ready to push rocks down the steep inclines. Death Dealers were the elite troops of Warmaster Kung of ruler of Mount Fire. They specialised in “removing” troublesome individuals or recovering things, which the Warmaster felt were rightfully his. They were expert in fighting and stealth with powerful supernatural support in the guise of weapons, armour and potions. In the army of the Warmaster, they were seen as the best of the best with the pick of the finest equipment.

Fortunately, the group had spotted them otherwise the situation could have become a bloodbath. Although only four had been found, Leo believed that there were others close by. So, a plan was formulated. The Margravine, her handmaiden and Larius were left behind. Saphie was able to make most of the group fly and others improved themselves in appropriate ways, including Titania who cast an effect, which made everyone faster. The group flew to one side, while Leo created a field of fiendish black tentacles managing to catch one of the enemy. The other scrambled out of the area. This ensured that the group flew unmolested towards the opposing side. Saphie was also softening up the Death Dealers with various damaging effects. Suddenly, the rest of the enemy squad decided to act. Out of a cave and some shadows at the bottom of the ravine, seven other soldiers showed themselves. Three of them were riding horses and had bows while four started flying and rapidly reached the group; or Cho to be exact as she was slightly ahead of everyone else. Suddenly the air was full of whirling blades; one of the weapons was a flame blade, another crackled in the afternoon air and the other two longswords gleamed powerfully in the light. The warriors tried to strike the agile woman but she avoided their blows with almost contemptuous ease. Arrows flew from the others but again they struck few targets. A ball of fire struck the melee and Cho performed a fast and powerful maneuver, avoiding this effect. The warriors however were buffeted by the blast and severely burnt. Then the group’s warriors acted. Sigurd, Aos and Xiang all struck powerful blows to the main enemy while Cho managed to stun the enemy commander with one of her precise blows. The battle was all but over then. The rest of the squad on the ground tried to ride away but were brought down with a combination of a lightning strike from Leo and arrow fire from Elros while the main warriors were easily dealt with by the group’s warriors. There were no casualties to the group. The Death Dealers were well equipped with dweomered weapons and armour, which was collected with a variety of potion bottles. Satisfied the group went back to Larius and the Margravine. 

The rest of the journey was uneventful. The group arrived to see a spectacular view of the Ankan Lake, the largest freshwater lake on Ea. Built on the cliff above it was the city of Ankheight, now in ruins. This had been the capital of the Grand Duchy of Bretania. The group slowly made its way forward, the Gaxmoor flag prominently raised. Soon they were met by a patrol of Bison riders. Strong-looking men, dressed in leather and carrying powerful curved bows on strange shaggy beasts, far removed from the docile cattle that Leo was familiar with. These bison looked like effective war beasts, trained to follow the commands of their riders. The group was escorted through the city gates; inside the buildings were  shattered. The normally voluble Titania paled at the sight and kept very quiet. The group was able to see the devastation spread throughout the settlement. Here and there were groups of tents. Dogs, children and adults stopped to stare curiously at the strangers, briefly ceasing their activities. A few riderless bison were grazing in nearby meadows. The city had more of the air of a nomad camp than a permanent settlement. Finally, the group reached the citadel where, after waiting briefly, they were taken to a rich, luxurious tent in the palace gardens. Leaving their weapons outside, the group was asked into the interior where they met the court of the Bison Rider King, Marowa. Introductions were made and gifts were exchanged. The Margravine and the King were obviously of a like mind and they quickly started a long and involved conversation. The group was invited to a state banquet that evening. In the meantime, the group was given a tent for their use and preparations were made to try to identify the various items taken from the corpses of the Death Dealers. Later, during the banquet and as Sigurd was yet again challenging someone to a drinking contest, a bent old crone approached Cho and started talking to her. Cho looked nonplussed until Titania approached and used one of her most useful tricks. She muttered a few phrases and made some passes with her hands and suddenly Cho was able to understand the old woman.

“A big bird comes to me in a dream” she claimed. “It told me to make these for you”. With that she gave Cho what appeared to be a pair of bladed gauntlets. Razor sharp, they slipped on to her hands as if they had always been there. 

Leo found this exchange interesting. He had already guessed that this was one of the famous Makyan wise women; a powerful group with supernatural abilities who often acted as advisers to Makyan nobles. He had no idea where the bladed gauntlets came from, but Chos looked pleased though puzzled at the same time. He approached and asked Cho if she would ask her newfound friend to mediate for the group in a variety of barters. Hopefully this lady would facilitate matters. So it proved. The wise woman was called Hiragi and she was able to introduce the group to a variety of merchants. Leo had also decided to will himself back to Gaxmoor. There were many reasons for this. He talked to his friends and they asked him for various favours, which he was happy to oblige. They involved the acquisition of items or enchantments. 

Arriving back in Gaxmoor, Leo received a great deal of news. The most immediate and disturbing fact was the activity of Heracules, who was gathering an army in the Dosk Heights. Having been foiled in his attempt to kidnap the Margravine, the cambion felt that it was time for more direct action. Margrave Kanor was employing a lot of scouts and was keeping a careful eye on the situation. It was very serious. There were also some political news from Imarr, where the democrats were being arrested in numbers although the White Way was not being targeted yet; and Tarkane was tightening his grip in Imgart where a woman called Magda Kullervo was declared Duchess of Imgart. This “lady” was the half sister of the sorceress Zalindra the Destroyer, consort to Tarkane. With dizzying speed, Tarkane was consolidating his hold on his new conquest. The province of Trafalgis was becoming a new client state to Imarr. Finally, Leo was approached by Dovistar and a stranger. A stocky individual with fair skin, a large nose and a bushy red beard. 

“Ah, Leo,” said Dovistar. “Let me introduce you to Astragard. He is a friend of Clarendon and he has a proposition for you.”

Leo felt a shock course through him. He had come across this name through his studies. If this was the Astragard then this being was legendary. 

“Leopold I believe”, said the stranger. “My name is Astragard and I was given your name by Clarendon. I have a project that I would like to pursue which I hope you will find of interest. In the deserts to the South lies a tomb from the early days of the Empire. It belongs to a man called Gutheron of Org and it contains many objects of archaeological interest. Please examine these two ancient fragments of a history which will give you an idea of what I have in mind.”

Leo looked at the fragments, written in an ancient tongue. They told the story of a lavish tomb built for a ruler by a master builder, Koram. There were hints of many traps inside. They also told of the ritual murder of the tomb workers, suggesting vicious trapped souls forever tasked to defend the structure. Finally they mentioned a small statue of the Demon Lord known as Thunder in the Mountain.

“I will be happy to let you and your companions have anything you find in the tomb. I only want the statuette of Thunder in the Mountain”, continued Astragard. “I have already been to the tomb once with another group. Unfortunately, they proved insufficient to deal with its defences. We also met Koram himself, who has now become a wraith. I almost lost my life but I am willing to try again.”

Leo shuddered. These powerful undead beings had many powers.  

“If you would like to come with me”, said Leo, “I will put your proposal to the others. It is likely that they will accept as it sounds very dangerous.”

Leo then met with Margrave Kanor and apprised him of developments in Bretania. He also made various purchases for Saphie and Xiang as well as broking a deal with Laera on behalf of Sigurd to add an enchantment to his sword. Then he was ready to return to Ankheight. 

Upon Leo’s return to Ankheight with Astragard, the latter had little trouble in persuading the rest of the group to join him in his project. Sigurd had already been complaining about how bored he was after he had won several drinking contests with the Makyans.  The trip would take approximately several weeks and would enter the mysterious deserts of the Southlands. Preparations were made and after a fortnight, the expedition set out with the exception of Larius who was left as a personal bodyguard to the Margravine. As the group went further south, the weather became hotter and the terrain more arid, with slight scrub and hardy vegetation that did not need a lot of water. Striking, ancient solitary trees dotted the horizon and strange animals could be seen in the distance. From his reading Leo identified these as lions, zebras and antelope. Sigurd was delighted as it allowed him to pursue his passion for hunting and these were exotic creatures, which provided new challenges. With the fighting, drinking and hunting Sigurd again seemed almost jolly. The trip through the savannah took three days and as the group went further east, larger and larger areas of desert appeared. Eventually, it became areas of savannah in the desert and finally there were no areas of vegetation at all. 

For Leo, the journey was exotic, uneventful and informative. He took careful notes about the flora and fauna, practiced his dweomers and held long conversations with Astragard, a fascinating companion. The rest of the group also fell into a routine and enjoyed the trip. 

Then on the second day in the desert, Astragard pointed to a wall of sand that was rushing towards the group!

“Quick,” he shouted. “Take cover! Sandstorm!”

Leo then used an effect he rarely cast. However, having read about sandstorms in the accounts of past explorers he had memorised this sheltering spell. An opaque barrier appeared in a circle around him and his companions. Sands swirled and wind roared outside but inside all was quiet. The group sat down and at first listened to the sandstorm in fascination. It was difficult to imagine being in such a maelstrom. Several hours later, boredom had set in and some of the group was resting. Elros was looking out and reported that the storm seemed to be dying. About half an hour later, the storm died out. Elros was still looking in a particular direction and then he called to the others.

“Aos, Leo. Come and take a look. I can’t find the horses and there seem to be buildings that have been…”

The others had joined Elros on that side of the sphere when out of the darkness, a group of hideous creatures jumped towards the group. Moving with unnatural speed, these were humanoids with the heads of hyenas. Their bodies were the colour of the sand and they were able to hide with great skill.  Some were small, some were enormous but they all had gleaming fangs and long razor sharp claws. Moving in an arc they closed upon the group. 

The first to react was Elros who shot two arrows into one. Then he gasped in horror as he saw his arrows being unnaturally expelled from the body of one of the things. The enemy then closed upon the group bringing with them a hideous overwhelming stench. Several stayed back, catching the eyes of some of the group with a mesmerising stare and others spat at Saphie. Aos was paralysed by the stare while Saphie was paralysed by the spittle, which entered her system. Meanwhile the first wave attacked and dealt several blows to the group. The group then retaliated. The warriors returned the blows and Leo was able to cast one of his balls of fire, which was particularly damaging to them. He then prudently retreated to make sure none of them could reach him. After this, both Cho and Sigurd were able to contain the enemy on the left flank and eventually, they were able to subdue the creatures on that side. The other side was disastrous. With Saphie paralysed, there was no arcane support available for the right flank. Two of the creatures sprang upon the paralysed Aos and ripped out his throat. Tarquin called upon the power of his god to drive off these monstrosities but they proved to be strongly resistant to his faith. Xiang fought valiantly but took a fearful beating and miraculously seemed immune to their paralysing stare. Fortunately, both Sigurd and Cho were able to abandon their flank and provide support for the opposite side. This turned the tide and with spell support from Leo the enemy were finally routed although at fearful cost. Aos, the greatest duelist of Gaxmoor, had perished. 

The situation was still dangerous. Tarquin sat down and prayed to his god. It was a long and complicated prayer, needing great sacrifice. As the last of the jewels disappeared, groaning, the corpse of Aos started stirring slowly. There was a muttering from his lips, “Please Dlamelish, take me back”.  Several moments later, the figure of Aos, pale, weak and now with a scar across his throat, sat up. He seemed withdrawn and very angry. His demeanour made it clear that he did not wish to talk at this moment. 

In the dusk a bonfire was lit. The unnatural corpses were burnt on this pyre. Revealed by the pyre and the moonlight was the gleaming of coins and jewelry, which the group collected. Rapidly they then left the area and set up camp for the night. The next morning, they were about to set out when Tarquin was contacted by an urgent sending from Petronius. 

“Tarquin, get Leo to take off his scrying protection and gather three people. Heracules is on the march to Gaxmoor”.

Quickly Leo gathered Sigurd, Aos and Saphie and they were summoned to Dulleaburg. Tarquin and Xiang teleported to Gaxmoor.

Leo was greeted by Dovistar. 

“Thank goodness we were able to find you Leo. Heracules has gathered an army. It is made up of orcs from the Broken Bone tribe, gnolls, hobgoblins and a substantial group of goblin warg-riders. With it he plans to retake Gaxmoor. He is on his way north now. Against him, we have the household knights, Goldhammer Clan dwarves, crossbowmen, longbowmen, pikemen and the infantrymen of Gaxmoor. He has about 3000 troops, we have about 1800. However, we also have a gathering of famous and powerful individuals. As well as yourselves, there are ourselves, the mages of the White Way,  Grimhelda the Witch, Red Ivy the warrior, Xyzzy the sorcerer, Botolf the Sage, Sir Kohnar of Thrin,  Petronius the High  Priest and Mageris the magist of Gaxmoor although I am aware that he is a bit eccentric. You were successful in defeating Heracules last time and the Margrave is hoping you will repeat this feat.”

Sigurd hurried to speak with the Margrave as did Saphie. Leo went to consult with Dovistar about getting the rest of his companions from the southern desert. Tarquin and Xiang, surprised to find Gaxmoor almost deserted, rode hell for leather to Dulleaburg and collapsed exhausted upon arriving into camp. 

After consultation between the various military commanders, it was decided that the battle would take place just outside the village of Jarrakig. There the forces of the Scornic League would meet Heracules and his Dark Folk to decide the fate of this region. Sigurd would command the Scornic forces, the famous heroes would take strategic positions throughout the army, Dovistar and Laera of the White Way would provide support, while the group and a few others would take a roving role with their main task being to find and attack Heracules himself. 

The die was cast.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Great updates.  




			
				S'mon said:
			
		

> XsnipX
> BTW why would Cho dislike Xiang for being a traitor to Mount Fire?  I'd think she'd dislike him because he used to be a loyal soldier of Mount Fire!




Dislike?  You mean hate.    
I merely hate Mount Fire warriors.  What I really really disdain and distrust is disloyalty.  Desertion isn't exactly glorious in my book.  

And yet .... 




			
				ZosKia said:
			
		

> Actually Cho's quite fond of you compared to the rest of us....




Good thinking.  For a Longnose.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

> Xiang fought valiantly but took a fearful beating



I feel somewhat misinterpreted here. So far as I remember, I pushed through the lesser creatures to reach the big scary one, beat it down, and despite being partly surrounded, took only 21hp damamge, before moving over and using the White Foul Flame to keep a second big thing down. Hardly a fearful beating.


----------



## Dispater

"On his way, Sigurd recalled many things. Things that were not important and do not deserve mention, and other thoughts that carried him on through the night. His mind raced. It had from the beginning when he had heard about the return of the half-demon. He had feared this for some time now, but never spoken of it, in fear of it becoming true. All this drove him into a nightmare of recollections and memories, above all he saw the lone demon lord with his sword, standing atop a mountain of fire and darkness, howling into the night.

The rattling of the wheels and the clattering armour of the knights woke him up at even distances. Low muted voices spoke nervously. Here and there he could his hear his men asking one another, if there had been any more rumours; of the enemy they would face in the South. None knew, but all asked, and the confusion spread. Sigurd closed his eyes and dozed off again in the saddle of Buchelas.

A torch was lit up near by. In the distance, wolves howled. Sigurd hoped they were far away, beyond hills and mountains. A wolf is bad luck; seeing them before the eve of battle is a sign of defeat. Then, he imagined seeing hordes of goblins mounted atop worgs, wooing and shouting, charging at him. 

Sigurd prayed for hours to Odin, that the Wise One would send him a sign, an omen, of what to do. Odin remained silent.

The troops began arriving early next morning at the village; Sigurd looked up the situation. The plain stretched before him was excellent for manoeuvring and carrying out the battle. In many ways it was too perfect, this could be maybe what Heracules had hoped for, that the humans would rush to meet him as soon as possible in the field and that with his superior force he could outflank them. He looked over at the party; Leo was worn out by riding and his slouched body barely got off the horse. Aos looked pale and distant, as if he had seen a ghost beyond worlds; this was probably true. The newcomers were huddled together in a group, Elros the archer counting his arrows carefully, Xiang polishing the tip of this black spear that everybody seemed to be after. In the middle of the train of wagons rode the Margrave and his guard proudly, he was wearing his finest cloak and with a ceremonial sword on his hip; this would do him no good in the oncoming onslaught, he thought. 

What would they do if they lost? They had emptied nearly every garrison from here to Gaxmor; they had pitted together every available force; they had gambled everything on this one card. Dulleaberg and Gaxmor could maybe have survived a drawn out siege, Heraceles would retreat in the winter, or the Scornic league would hopefully send aid; all this was too late now. If Heracules won, there was not a soldier between him and Dulleaberg.

After two hours the razing of the village began. Sigurd had ordered this and the Margrave agreed reluctantly; he felt a certain disdain for himself, if he could have picked a better place to fight the enemy, he would. But only the river, small as it was though, would slow down cavalry and give the pikemen a good position, besides stakes could be planted in the mud and burning oil ran from upstream onto the enemy crossing. A clear line of fire was needed, so he could utilize the longbowmen to the best of their ability.

Sir Alfius Kalakos, proud commander of the 200 land knights, approached him upon seeing the initial destruction of the village. He had doubt in his face. He questioned Sigurd's right to do so. His relatives had lived in this village for years. Sigurd was but an outsider, who knew little of the Borderlands or how war was fought. The Norseman snorted at his questions and showed the arrogant knight a map. He pointed at the northmost forests of the area the battle was to be fought. 

"Here you will hide with your men, and when I wave the banner of Dulleaberg, you will charge out, falling the enemy in the flank. Then you will drive into their centre, smashing them like a hammer against the anvil."

Alfius looked at it, and nodded. It was risky, and the knights had no option of retreat. He might have disapproved if there were other circumstances. Right now they didn't have much time to argue. He saluted Sigurd and within an hour the landknights departed from the camp, crossing the river in silence. They knew that if things went wrong, they might not see the other side again, ever. They looked back with fear clouding their minds.

Smoke and dust filled the air where once the houses of men had stood on the gray morning before dawn. Sigurd rode along on Buchelas as the men were digging ditches and setting up the wooden stakes on the riverbank. The goldhammer dwarves with their long beards and sweaty faces nodded as he passed. He had given them the honour of holding the centre against the orcs. Seeing centuries old racial hatred flaring up in his eyes, he nodded back and thought they would suffice; if not there would be many dwarven mothers cursing the orcen race for days to come.

Saphie, another witch that had joined the party came up and nearly pulled him off his horse where he sat; she was angry and furious that he had ordered the destruction of the village. He listened patiently to her concerns and reassured her family and whatever valuables they had lost would be compensated. He sent her on her way back to the camp, saying they would have greater concerns when Heracules arrived here with his horde of orcs.

"Sigurd, Sigurd. You have returned, and I would love to hear the tales of your travels, but there is little time." He hadn't seen the Margrave arriving. "I pay you to defend us, but you do Heracules work for him." he joked and gestured at the remains of the war-torn village.
"The way we fight in Trafalgaris." Sigurd remarked. "We never give the enemy an inch of our land, and even if we do, it will be completely useless for him."
"It’s not the way we fight here."
"Would you rather sell him Gaxmor?"
The Margrave laughed and tactfully changed subject.
"You friends were... rather shaken when they got here. Are you sure they will be able to fight him and win?"
"I am not sure, because Odin has not yet given me a sign. But I can say that I trust them with the task. Leo is a good man, he dabbles in witchcraft but he is as powerful as Xyzzy; he can unleash lightning and flame with mere words and gestures. But he can also create houses out of nothing; as for to shelter against sandstorms and cold, he can see far away with his eyes and he can make himself fly; I hope he will be able to control his powers, and that they do not run him astray."
"And what of Aos and Titania?"
"Aos is a peculiar man; he fights with unmatched skill and elegance but is perhaps more preoccupied with his Goddess than anyone in the group would like. What her motives are and what she tells him, remains his secret. I can tell you for sure, he has probably stared too closely into the face of Death one too many times. Titiania seems a likeable person, more I cannot say. As for fighting, there is a man in our company, his name is Xiang, and with the spear he wields he fights with the strength of many men. And then there is Saphie, who seems quite furious for the moment." Sigurd smiled.
"Odin has not given you a sign yet?"
"He remains silent, as does Thor and Tyr, the great gods of strength and war. I search the skies for clues, but the clouds are cold and empty and the wind blows hollow, without voice. I take the silence as a sign of faith; it seems we must decide this battle ourselves."
"I seems so." The Margrave smiled mysteriously and rode away.

He knew that he would just sit here and wait. Wait until sunset. He would watch and absorb every detail of the battlefield. When he woke up in the morning fog he would give his friends a handshake; wishing he were by their side to fight the half-demon, wishing that Fate had decreed other circumstances for this battle. 

Then he would arrange the troops and wait for the enemy to come, hoping they would take the bait and fall into his trap."

[here's to hoping I get that 397 XP for nxt session] 

-Lars


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Saphie: "You destroyed all those houses! How dare you!"
Xiang: "You've never been in a military situation, have you?"
Saphie: "No, I haven't."
Xiang: "Shut up, then."

Here's to Sigurd getting his level up...c'mon Simon, what more suitable time could there be?


----------



## ZosKia

When did it suddenly become National moan about AOS week?


----------



## S'mon

> [here's to hoping I get that 397 XP for nxt session]
> 
> -Lars




It's nice, but only 250 XP I'm afraid!    
You might like to prep your stats to level up though (except the hp die roll), maybe on a side sheet of paper - once Sigurd achieves something, I'll give him his XP for it and he should be able to level. 

BTW Saphie is Margrave Kanor Zerler's _sister_ - Jarrakig isn't her village, she's just funny that way...

On the morning of the battle Kanor goes into his tent and reappears in a shiny polished brand new suit of full plate armour, the first time Sigurd's ever seen him in armour - he looks at the Norse warlord and grins a little sheepishly.


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

The Battle of Jarrakig.

Leo stumbled from his horse. He had never particularly liked horses but he actually hated this beast right now as several hours of hard riding had chaffed his thighs raw. He straightened and looked around him. The village of Jarrakig was in ruins. The hastily collected army of the Borderlands was already encamped along the river. As befits their discipline, their camp was laid out along neat lines. Most prominent were the Knights of the Scornic League. Heavy cavalry with deadly lances, large swords and armour on both man and horse. Squires ran about, feeding, polishing, sharpening and repairing. Sigurd was there at that moment, discussing matters with Sir Alfios Calekos, their leader. Sir Alfios didn’t look happy and Sigurd was glaring at him in a manner familiar to Leo. Sigurd was forcing something on the man. 

Leo wasn’t interested at the moment. He had a lot to think about. Sigurd, Aos, Saphie and he were in the camp. He had no idea where Xiang and Tarquin had gone he just knew they were not in the Southern Wastes because he had clairvoyed his friends and he had found only Elros, Cho, Astragard and Titania. Even so, he trusted the cleric and was not unduly worried about his whereabouts. He continued walking around the camp, calculating the make up of the Borderlands forces. The largest section was made up of pikemen. The archetypal “grunts”, solid, unspectacular, their main job was to hold and repel enemy charges with their huge spears. The encampments of the Gaxmoor Guard and the Goldhammer dwarves were close together. Leo wondered how the Margrave had managed to convince the dwarves to help him. He suspected it was something to do with the Broken Bone orc tribe who made up a lot of the enemy army. Both of these groups would be described as heavy infantry. Heavily armoured and armed, each trained to fight as a team, they were both formidable. If the Knights were the hammer of the army then the heavy infantry were the anvil. Finally, there were the archers. Lightly armoured, fast and mobile they were deadly but vulnerable. There were contingents of both crossbowmen and longbowmen. 

Leo went to see Dovistar. He found him with Laera, Grimhelda, Petronius, Mageris and Xyzzy his old friend as well as an assortment of less powerful mages and clerics. First things first. 

“I suffered some scratches in the South”, Leo said, “could someone take care of them please.” This was quickly done. “Now, what do we know?”

Dovistar answered. “This is what we have been able to find out. The enemy army has a large contingent of goblin archers and a large contingent of orc infantry. This is most of the Broken Bone tribe of orcs. We don’t know where the goblins come from. They make up the bulk. Both are deadly in their different ways. There is a smaller contingent of hobgoblins and gnolls both of whom are possibly shock troops and there is also a group of worg riders.”

Leo groaned. Worg riders were not good news. They were very good light cavalry and the worgs were far deadlier than their riders. 

Well at least he didn’t have to worry about the army. He was part of the team whose job was to destroy Heracules. Sigurd was in charge of the army. Aos was in charge of the strike team. There had been some discussion about the composition of the strike team but in the end it was settled. As well as the group the team also had Xyzzy, the magician of Dulleaburg, Sir Kohnar of Thrin, Trenton Dirge and Red Ivy. Of these Leo knew Xyzzy and Ivy well but had never met Kohnar and Dirge. Having established the members of the team, Aos then turned and said “Work out a plan, Leo”. So, that’s what he was doing. 

“Their command structure”? he asked. 

Again Dovistar answered. “Heracules is known to be with the army. Disturbingly we also have reports of a figure wearing red robes often seen with him; but that’s all we have been able to gather.”

Leo thought. A red-robed figure. Possibly a red wizard. There had been one in Gaxmoor before he had disappeared via a teleport effect. He had it! Evander had been his name and he had summoned an Iron Devil. An evil creature, which briefly threatened the whole city. The summoning had been powerful magic. Yet another headache. 

Leo asked. “I have some friends who are still in the Southern deserts. Can anything be done about that? It would be very useful if they could join the strike team”.

Dovistar said. “If I use my most powerful magic, I will be able to get them here in the morning”. 

“Thank you very much”, retorted Leo.

Leo and the others exchanged more information. He then tried to put himself in Heracules’s place, imagining what he would do in his position and taking into account what he knew about the cambion. Some time later he felt the glimmerings of an idea. He then went to his tent, laid out his bed and lay down. He started thinking, working out the details, trying out various options and making mental notes. Thinking about the different spells and effects he was going to have to learn. Finally he fell asleep.

Leo awoke early the next morning with a clear idea of his plans. He learned his spells. On leaving his tent, he was told that Xiang and Tarquin had arrived in the middle of the night and were still asleep. He then approached Dovistar.

“Could you please get my friends now?” he asked. 

Dovistar obliged and Elros, Astragard, Titania and Cho duly appeared, looking bewildered. It was powerful magic. 

Leo greeted them and went to fetch the others. He hated to wake Xiang and Tarquin but it couldn’t be helped. Explaining was going to take some time and they had to prepare. 

As with most plans, when broken down, it was based on simple basics. Leo calculated that, going by past performances,  Heracules and his command team would attempt to kill the Borderlands army commander. The trick was to defend Sigurd yet not get involved in the battlefield beforehand. This was going to be managed with a peculiar effect, which would allow the strike team to hide in a strange dimensional pocket, invisible to enemy archers and soldiers. Questions were asked, further details were mentioned and wrinkles were ironed out but finally everyone agreed. Leo then approached Sigurd and Kanor, letting them know of the plan. They both agreed enthusiastically. Leo was a little perturbed to see the Margrave in his armour, clearly meaning to be on the battlefield. After leaving the two men, he sought out Dovistar.

“Dovistar, the Margrave means to be on the battlefield. I presume you and the other spellcasters will be with him in the command group,” he said.

Dovistar nodded.

Leo continued. “It is imperative for all of us that Kanor does not perish. If things are going badly and you have to get out quickly, please take him with you.”

Dovistar nodded again. 

Leo had one final little trick up his sleeve. He had consulted with the cavalry commander and Sigurd. The cavalry was going to be used as a shock force on a pre-arranged signal at the most opportune moment. To help with the surprise of the charge, Leo made forest appear where such a forest did not really exist. Sir Alfios did not question this but gratefully accepted this as it would make his charge all the more deadly. 

On returning back to the camp, Leo learned some disastrous news. Sigurd was sick! Leo hurried and found him surrounded by clerics. His first thought was that Heracules’s agents had poisoned him, but the clerics assured him that this was not the case. He couldn’t believe that Sigurd was suffering from a hangover on the day of a battle. Again the clerics assured him this was not the case. So for some reason only known to the gods, Sigurd had been struck by an illness that was not responding to the ministrations of the clerics and he was unable to assume command. The command group held an emergency meeting and it was decided that Xiang, though untried, was the best man to take charge. The plan unchanged, the strike team entered their dimensional pockets.

The Borderlands army deployed along the river. Although the bridge had been destroyed, the river was easily fordable along most of its length. Cunningly, stakes had been placed in the river bottom, making such crossings deadly for a charging army.

Suddenly, a swaying figure rode up. Sigurd was not going to be kept out of the fight. Making an inspirational speech to the troops, he bolstered their spirit although, several times he swayed dangerously on his horse. Realising that his health was still an issue, he joined Xiang at the head of the Goldhammer dwarves and a fragile joint command was formed. 

The first sign of the enemy came mid afternoon. First came the sound of drumming. Then came the goblin archers and cavalry, followed by the orcs, gnolls and hobgoblins. There were thousands of them! The enemy army then settled down for a few hours. They were the attackers therefore they would choose the time of their attack. That time came at dusk, when the Dark Folk were not hampered by sunlight. 

First, the worg cavalry made a wide sweeping movement down river, swimming across and planning to hit the Borderlanders from the rear. On the right, goblin archers advanced under withering fire from the longbowmen followed by the gnolls. Finally, the fearsome Broken Bone orcs made their appearance with the hobgoblins. The archers exchanged fire, both sides taking fearful losses, but in the end sheer goblin numbers told. On the left, the crossbowmen were almost wiped out and had to retreat. On the right, the longbowmen fared better due to the range of their weapons. However, there, the gnolls were preparing to rush across the river and engage the lightly armoured archers. At this moment, the commanders gave the signal and four hundred heavy cavalry charged out of a forest that wasn’t there. They were devastating. Riding down squad after squad of goblins and gnolls. Fierce fighting followed. On the left, the goblin archers were more effective, keeping up constant fire while the orc and hobgoblin infantry advanced. As the first orcs charged the pikemen across the river sharp eyed soldiers could see the enemy command group. The most noticeable was Heracules himself, escorted by a hulking hill giant, as well as four ogres, a pair of trolls and an ettin. A horrible assortment of giant kind. The orcs reached the pikemen across the river and spitted themselves on their weapons and the stakes. The first brigade did not survive. It was then that Heracules ordered back his orcs and projecting his voice, called out: 

“Single combat”!

To which both Xiang and Sigurd replied in a rude manner. 

Heracules and his motley crew approached. The Goldhammer dwarves made a wide arch around the commanders. Then, eleven other figures appeared around the two soldiers, seemingly out of thin air. The strike team felt now was the time to make their presence known. Heracules was still several hundred feet away, but he did not seem unduly worried. The team began preparing. Elros took out his best arrows and stuck them in the soft ground in front of him. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Then in a dazzlingly fast and expert motion he drew his bow and shot at the cambion. Almost before the first arrow had left his bow another was ready and drawn. Again he shot his arrow and another after. In total four left his bow in seconds. Heracules stared in a puzzled manner at the four missiles sticking from his torso, two of them transfixing him. He stared unbelievingly into the distance. Then he roared and disappeared. The four ogres disappeared. The giant, trolls and ettin still made their way forward. 

“The ogres are invisible and flying towards us” Leo called out, then realisation hit. “They are ogre magi.” 

He thanked the gods that he had had the foresight to cast an effect allowing him to see invisible things as if they were normal. Then suddenly, just behind the ogre magi, he saw another invisible blurred, red-robed figure. He called out a warning about it as well, almost certain that he had found Evander. Xyzzy and Saphie and Elros in the meantime, unable to see the invisible beings, concentrated on the giant, the trolls and the ettin. They managed to put together such a concentration of power and arrows that they sent the monsters back to their lines, leaving the corpses of the ettin and one of the trolls. The Borderlanders cheered as they perceived a victory. This cheer was quickly cut short as an intense ball of fire blossomed amongst the group, affecting almost everyone. Leo cursed. It was that damned Evander. He had something prepared for him but had to wait until he was in range. He quickly drank one of his more powerful potions of healing. The enemy was still heading this way. Finally Evander was in range. Leo cast his dweomer. It was a powerful one. He waited… then he saw Evander acting very erratically. He breathed in relief. The red wizard now had the mind of a small reptile. He wouldn’t be casting any more spells for a long time. Then the world went black briefly. There was an intense feeling of life draining cold, the kind of cold that kills instantly. Leo had blacked out briefly but he knew another spell had helped him, but it would only keep him conscious for minutes. Desperately he drank his strongest potion of healing, but it tasted strange and it had obviously lost a lot of its potency. However, he now felt truly conscious. More importantly, the ogre magi had  become visible after their attack. Balls of fire erupted around them from Xyzzy and Saphie, dropping them. Seconds later, two of them suddenly sprang up and turned invisible again. Leo saw them and bolts of force shot out of his fingers against one causing him to drop again. He then expertly directed Xyzzy to place one of his balls of fire on top of the creature, frying him. Unfortunately, the final one ran away. 

Whilst this was happening, fierce fighting was still occurring in other parts of the field. The knights were ruthlessly dealing with the last of the goblin archers and the gnolls, until the last few scurried into the nearby wood. The price had been high. They had killed many enemy but almost half of the knights had perished. They now faced an almost fresh phalanx of orc heavy infantry who charged them. The knights suffered terrible loss and again there was vicious fighting on the right. The worg cavalry was charging the rear of the Borderlands army, straight at Kanor and the command group. However, the spell casters bombarded the coming enemy and did their best to disrupt them. Almost a squad of the worgs was wiped out as it looked as if all the liquid had been drained from their bodies. A few fireballs exploded here and there together with localised areas of falling hail, which swept riders from their mounts. Finally when it looked as if the cavalry were going to reach their target, blocks of solid ice started appearing in front of them. Unnerved by such a show of unnatural power, the goblins wheeled around and galloped away. 

On the left, hundreds of goblin archers had been left unscathed and they were taking their toll. Firing volley after volley, they were causing many casualties in the Borderlands army. The knights and the orcs were slowly wiping each other out.  Xiang and Sigurd realised that they couldn’t afford to stay in that position on either flank; in good order they started to withdraw. The knights were helped by the “wood that wasn’t there” which helped them to confuse the pursuing enemy. The infantry started to withdraw out of the range of the goblin archers; suddenly balls of fire and small areas of vicious hail started appearing in the goblin ranks. They started to point to the sky. High, high above them three little figures were causing havoc in their ranks. Goaded to breaking point, they charged across the river, taking fearful casualties on the stakes. The fanatical goblin archers were engaged by the Gaxmoor Guard and the pikemen. Against such heavily armed and experienced opponents, their fanaticism was useless and they perished almost to a man. At the same time, on the right, the remaining orc infantry had formed up in good order, ready to charge across the river. However, seeing their cavalry fleeing, most of their archers decimated, three flying figures about to rain magic on them from above, the paltry remains of the gnoll shock troops yipping in the woods, the cunning hobgoblins about to retreat and above all, no sign of their glorious leader, they decided to leave the field.

The Battle of Jarrakig was over leaving an exhausted but victorious Borderlands army.  

The aftermath was anticlimatic. Once the enemy had left the rest of the army concentrated on reviving their comrades. Heroic work was done by Tarquin, Petronius and other clerics in keeping many men and dwarves alive. The mindless Evander was found and Xiang slew him with his spear. Many objects of power were found on his body, including two books containing his magical writings. Heracules would miss his cunning. The ogre magi were found to have the markings of the Sato clan. Leo remembered that Heracules’s father was from the same clan. Above all, everywhere there were symbols, shields and medallions dedicated to Hel. The clerics worked hard in blessing this site so that it would not become an area of power to the goddess of the undead. Nearly two thousand of her followers had perished here. Tarquin, now with new knowledge of these matters, insisted that all the corpses had one of their feet and hands chopped off in case the priests of Hel tried to work an unholy rite on this battlefield. In the end there were more than two thousand feet buried in a mass pit.

Finally, gathering their wounded, taking their dead, exhausted and hurt, the victorious army of the Borderlands started on the road to Gaxmoor, content in the knowledge that the cambion had lost more than half his army.


----------



## ZosKia

The Bard's Tale 

‘AOS’ Leo called his name and he walked up to the table loaded with magic items…
…AOS turned on his heels and strode out of Leo’s study, his face like thunder. Titiania rose and went to follow him but he pushed her away.

‘….white wizards’, AOS swore to himself as he strode back to the Siren. 

‘I couldn’t agree more’. A voice came from the shadows followed by its owner Astragard the Demonist. 

‘Take the battle, no Demons they told me!’ 

‘I know’ said AOS. 

‘The White Way wouldn’t know power if it bit them on the part of their anatomy that they are so fond of sitting on’.

The Demonist subtly placed an arm around AOS’s shoulder and led him into the shadows 

‘Come AOS let us talk not of powerless wizards but of your Lady, the Mistress of Demons…’

Titania was worried, very worried. AOS’s disappearances were semi legendary but he always came back in the morning or at worse late afternoon, usually smelling of perfume. This was different; no one had seen him in a week. Not since he stormed out of Leo’s study. 

Two days ago she went to Leo and pleaded with him to use his magic to find AOS. Leo said that although he too was worried he couldn’t magically locate AOS because of his Amulet of Non Detection. It was at this point that all her worries and frustrations got the better of her and screaming 

‘It’s all your fault!’ she leapt at the wizard, trying to claw his face with her long nails. Leo half jumped, half fell out of his chair and tried to get away from her. She chased the frightened looking wizard round his study at least twice before he leapt into a large cupboard and magically locked the door. Even that didn’t pacify her and she proceeded to hammer angrily upon the door; while from within came an echoic voice yelling for Tarquin to 

‘Do something about this mad woman!’ Eventually Tarquin did arrive, roused by the noise, and half carried her, now sobbing, back to the Siren.

Since that day Tarquin had spent as much time with her as his own schedule allowed, as had the Monk Cho. While she appreciated Tarquin’s visits and his reassurances that the travelling god would see AOS home safely she did not put much faith in them. She herself had offered up prayers to Dlamelish but the goddess seemed strangely quiet.
She was happier with Cho’s visits for although the Monk provided reassurances about AOS’s return she also spoke of her homeland far to the West. Titania had never been to the Heavenly Mountains but Cho certainly made them sound beautiful. The two women also talked of Cho’s companion Xiang; Titania subtly quizzing the monk about whether she had any feelings for the spearman.

On the seventh day of AOS’s disappearance there was a knock on Titania’s door, a message had been delivered for her. She recognised AOS’s writing and quickly opened it. All it said was ‘In case you are wondering I am talking to Astragard’. Titania threw down the paper and quickly ran downstairs and out of the Siren heading for the house she knew the Demonist had rented in the city. Having been admitted by a servant she stumbled breathlessly into the main room where she found AOS sitting in a large armchair holding a glass of wine. He seemed somewhat surprised to see her 

‘Titania? What’s the matter? Did you not get my message? I suddenly realised that I had spent the last few hours here and you might wonder where I was’ 

‘The last few hours?’ Titania shouted’ ‘AOS you have been missing a week!’ 

‘Have I? Really? It didn’t seem that long…


----------



## StalkingBlue

Ye gods, someone is impersonating Cho!! 

The real Cho is off chasing worgriders, of course, not holding lovesick bards' hands.  


Now that can't be good ...


----------



## StalkingBlue

Okay, there wasn't a whole lot more to tell about the battle, so ... here's what I came up with instead.   



*Interlude:  Clover Oil*



_Still your breath.  You will need it.  _

The old command rises to her mind easily, as freely as the crow circles, flits across the surface of the little mountain stream.  Beneath its reflection, blood trails away in threads and clots as the woman crouched at the water’s edge rinses, blackish to watery crimson, mingles and merges with the icy stream.  A bit of fur clings, wedged where blade meets thong:  it bends a nail back before it tears free and is swept away.  

_Clarity.  Quiet.  Still your breath.  _
Her breath ceases to become as still as she would wish.  
Xiang – 
Cho pushes at a stubborn clot with more force than needed.  Pain flashes through her flank and shoulder.  Water ripples.  The circling crow’s reflection shivers, breaks.  

She sits back and focuses, knowing it will be in vain.  She has spent all she can on stopping various heavy bleedings.  Her pulse hammers against walls of flesh swelling around the gashes from the lamed worg’s bite.  Infection rising.  Deal with that tomorrow.  Rest, a treacherous corner of her mind whispers, sleep a while before you run further.  The day will be long.  

Ambushed.  The last run, Cho had promised herself, before she would turn back and let them go.  It should have been easy:  a single goblin, mount tired and lamed, javelins spent.  
Instead, they almost had her – would have had her, in fact, if they had not decided she was easy enough prey to catch alive.  Well, she did change their mind on that one.  If now she could convince that little pack to break off pursuit ...  

Above, a second crow has joined the first.  

Elros would have seen them in time, of course.  Leo’s floating eyes would.  Of no relevance.  Yet, Cho can see almost them:  Aos fluttering wide sleeves and flourishing his rapier with that deadly grace;  Saphie’s and Leo’s pellets of fire streaking past to explode into fireballs;  and Xiang clanking forward with that inarticulate battle cry of his, eyes expectantly wide.  It is strange how things come back to Xiang, always Xiang.  

It is the Dream Bird’s command to protect him, of course.  Or is it?  Some things are difficult to disentangle without a mentor’s aid.  Such as – Cho pushes away the crowding images of a warrior in battered armour.  Of no relevance!  
Best to remember that he may well become a deadly enemy one day.  

Instead she bends her mind to that new thing that found her, as light as the stroke of a passing wing, two morning ago as she sat to meditate.  She did not have that keeping still inside Leo’s magic balloon with the others, while beneath them on the battlefield men and dwarves and goblins and orcs fought and died.  She did not have it dropping down onto that field muddy with blood, ready to meet a target that would never come within reach that day;  nor afterwards when Kanor’s army celebrated their costly victory and she knew suddenly that she must either lose herself or get away from all the foreign incomprehensibleness and squabbling.  But she has it now:  a an icy silver thread, unbroken, like a narrow mountain stream.  

It is not a thing to be lightly used, this touching the Void.  That is what the teachers said, long ago.  She has already learnt to her cost that she cannot go through the Void more than once in a given day;  yet it was worth coming here, for that if for nothing else.  

Time to move.  Cho shakes water off Talons and cold-stiffened hands, and gingerly reaches around for her bag.  The oil sloshes as she uncorks the bottle:  a scent of clover spreads.  Not much left.  Soon she will have to make do with what the longnosed warriors use to oil their blades.  Not hog’s grease though, which is what one of them must have used that day in the Rope Trick.  The stench was abominable.  Wonder what Xiang –

“You’re not a goblin.”  

_Hawk’s Tattered Wings!_  Cho swallows what surely must be a dreamy moron's smile.  

The child crouches on a rock a mere three or four paces away, arms wrapped around bony knees, hair sticking out in many dirty fraying braids.  There’s something … that makes Cho put down flask and rag to free her hands.  _Go.  Quickly.  _
Instead, she keeps still, trying to gauge the wrongness.  

"What are you?" 

“I am from the Mountains.  Far west from here.”  She points, careful to let the sleeve fall to conceal her hand and Talons.  The child’s eyes do not follow her gesture.  

“I’m hungry.”  

_So am I._  How old those eyes are.  How do people here talk to children?  “What is your name, girl?”  

She has already heard his last few steps along the far bank when he speaks.  “You leave my sister alone, Witch!”  He is a boy still, armed with bow and arrow:  the type peasants make to hunt rabbits.  His aim is shaky.  

For no good reason than to reassure him, she gets up and steps back.  The boy’s eyes widen and he steadies his aim.  The little girl watches, unmoving.  

Wrongness.  Trap!  That thought comes at the same instant at the shout from behind and above her.  

“Down on your face.  Now!” 

Five, no, six that she can see. They have taken the high ground and rocks to give them cover.  She does not need to look back to know the little girl and boy are unsurprised.  
Smoothly done.  

“I mean no harm to the child.”  Buying time.  They wear no one’s insignia and their bows are real war bows.  That mixture of arrogance and a hunger that is not of the stomach:  bandits.  (With astonishment a far corner of her mind registers that she recognised them as outlaws before she ever noticed that they are, of course, longnoses.  So she is learning to read their expressions now?)  

“Down!”  The one who stands broadest, speaks again, obviously assuming leadership.  

Calculating how many of them will be trained to shoot without harming the child, or cold enough to shoot regardless;  calculating the distance to the nearest trees.  “I drank from the stream.  I will leave now.”  

He likes that.  “On the contrary.  You’ll be paying.”  

Too far to run.  Too many to take on, Hawk gnaw their eyes out.  “This is not a safe place to be.” 

“You don’t say.  I’ll have those boots of yours.  For a start.”  

“There are seven goblins on worg mounts, not half a morning behind me.”  Six mounts.  Two are riding double.  “They are dangerous.  They are trained –”  

“Dangerous, yeah?  And you personally summoned them to rescue you, I take it?”  A snicker from the far left.  Another man, too thick-headed to hear sarcasm perhaps, flicks nervous glances.  

It is no use.  “– Trained to work together,”  she finishes, merely to cover the beginning of her dive.  

The girl sees her coming but merely claps hands over ears and shrieks, shrieks even as she is shoved roughly and tumbles off the rock.  An outcry from the boy (really her brother, then?) Arrows whistle, too close, but there is no time to think about arrows.  Focus deepens, narrows into an icy silver thread of awareness.  Here is the Void, expanding around her, and like a crow’s reflection on a rippling stream, her image breaks.  



_Bitten off more than you can chew?  Again?  Amused. 
Lady?  _
Almost she falters.  The Void pushes her on.  



She slams back into Time with feet already running, stumbles and rolls.  A bramble whips, missing her eye by a hair’s breadth.  An arrow twinges as it hits a tree off to the left;  already branches are slapping shut behind her as she starts sprinting.  _Next time,_ she thinks savagely, _remember to come out on clear ground.  And to keep breathing.  
And to run away when you see a little child.  _

Angry commands fade behind as she settles into her long-practised step.  Warmth fingers down her flank as she runs:  her fall has started the worg bite bleed again.  
That voice.  Neither female nor male, neither one nor a chorus – perhaps in the end nothing but imaginings of her own mind.  The paradoxes of the Void are many, and more confusing with no mentor to explain them.  

Uphill turns to downhill, and uphill again.  And suddenly, at about the same time she knows that, Hawk willing that she can shake off those worgriders, it is time to go back:  back to a city full strangers and a bunch of new, if at times incomprehensible, friends.  At about that same time laughter bursts from her – the first in perhaps a lifetime or two – as she realises that she has left her last precious bottle of clover oil behind.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Wow. Fantastic stuff!

Now I think I'll have to put together something for Xiang in return...which of course is the way it should be.


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

Aftermath

Leo rode back into the camp at Jarrakig. A great deal had changed from that first day after the battle. Most of the wounded were on their way back to Dulleaburg or Gaxmoor. The dead from both sides had been buried and there were only able-bodied troops camped around blazing fires. He saw Tarquin approaching. The cleric looked as tired as Leo felt. There were dark circles under his eyes but there was also a sense of power. Tarquin, more than most, had grown in stature during the conflict. His efforts for the wounded had been truly amazing. Thanks to him and his team of clerics from the temple, the casualties were far lighter than first feared. Now, seven days after the conflict, he had done as much as he was able in these circumstances.

“Well, did you find any more today”? he asked the mage. 

Leo replied, “Yes, another group of goblin archers. We killed some of them, and scattered the others. Our scouts are hunting the individuals.”

“Good. The more you kill now, the less we will have to kill in the future. Where are the others? I think its time to get back to Gaxmoor. I have something very important I need to do soon.”

Leo was slightly taken aback. Tarquin was unusually determined. 

“Xiang, Sigurd, Aos and Titania were with me. As usual, my eyes found the enemy groups and they led the troops. They should be coming back soon. I have no idea where Cho or Elros are. I assume they are hunting and harrying the enemy like us but in their own way. Both of them can take care of themselves so I am not too worried. If they do not come back in the next few days, then I will start to worry.  I am not sure where Saphie is.”

Tarquin grunted and strode back to the campfire. Leo sighed and thought. It was time to leave. It was getting harder and harder to find enemy stragglers. He would put it to the others tonight that it was time to go back to the city. They had had great success in mopping up. The gnoll shock troops had suffered the most. Demoralised and leaderless, they had been wiped out almost to a gnoll. The orc and hobgoblin heavy infantry had retreated in good order. They had presented more of a challenge. The goblin archers had suffered both in the battle and the aftermath. The worg riders were uncatchable because of their speed although Cho had had some success in eliminating individuals. She also reported heightened bandit activity. Not surprising. Kanor needed to get a garrison here as quickly as possible. 

Later that evening the others came back. They had wiped out another group of twenty goblin archers. There were no casualties in their ranks. In close combat, the archers presented little challenge. Sigurd strode about in a foul mood, muttering to himself. The others also seemed tired and annoyed. Leo knew what was troubling them. They may have won the battle, but Harecules had escaped. As long as the cambion was loose, this area would be threatened. Privately, Leo thought that the cambion was probably in some trouble from his superiors in the Hel cult. He had made a major blunder. By disappearing in the middle of the battle, his troops had lost heart. It had been a very close-run thing. If he had appeared, even in the background, during the later stages, it may have swung the balance. He had lost a lot of face by the early abandonment of his troops. Leo also thought that fate was not going to be kind to the losers when they returned to the Doskan Heights. Mother Nature tended to be very selective in the world of the Dark Folk. Other tribes and races were going to be keeping a close eye on the relative strength of the Broken Bone orcs, the goblins and the others. Any sign of weakness and they would take advantage.  

“Enough” bellowed Sigurd. “Tomorrow we ride to Gaxmoor. We rest, split the loot and then we will go after Harecules and kill him.”

Leo groaned inwardly. This pronouncement had all the hallmarks of another “let’s go kill the Overking “ mission.

The return to Gaxmoor was uneventful. The city was crowded with wounded troops, refugees, camp followers and families looking for their loved ones. Wryly, Leo thought that if Kanor wanted to recruit craftspeople to come and settle in the new city, this was possibly the best way to entice them. Stone buildings, secure walls and powerful individuals who had helped to defeat the Dark Folk army. The city was going to gain several hundred if not thousand inhabitants after this. 

Upon arrival, the group split. Tarquin went into the Temple of Urnus Gregaria and wasn’t seen for almost two weeks. Leo joined him for about a day. He had an idea he wanted to discuss with Petronius, the High Priest.  Leo then went to the White Way building where he discussed a variety of new ideas with Dovistar. He suddenly found that what he had only been able to theorise, he could actually do now. Discussions with Dovistar meant that the old mage could instruct him in new ideas, concepts and effects. How to make his spells last longer, his abilities stronger and above all, access to magical writings which before were so much gibberish. The frontiers of his knowledge were stretched yet again, and yet again it made him realise that really he knew nothing. 

At the same time, the two magicians and Laera debated the problem of Harecules. The cambion was a dangerous opponent with many powers. If the opportunity existed for an attempt to eliminate him, it had to be taken. So many problems though. Trying to track to his lair in the Doskan Heights was not practical due to the size of the area. The only small chance lay in attempting to scry him and then to transport a team to that spot in that instant. It was difficult but possible.

Leo invited the group to discuss this. On meeting them, he noticed several changes. Cho and Elros had come back from the wilderness on their own. As usual the Western woman said little, although she now had a small stone whizzing around her head. Elros seemed even deadlier with his bow. He had had it enchanted with a flame effect; his arrows now spectacularly burst into flame as they hit their target. Aos, surprisingly, had spent some time in the company of Astragard. Leo thought this wasn’t the most obvious combination but the two seemed to get on famously, much to Titania’s chagrin. He still shuddered at the thought of the hysterical woman attacking him in his study. Leo wondered whether Aos was still having his odd dreams; he hoped not. Finally, Tarquin came out of his temple with a phylactery tied around his head. A beautiful light blue jewel in a gold setting, tied with a thin gold band with tiny scrollwork runes. 

The scrying idea was outlined to the group, who accepted it enthusiastically. They were also keen to try to finish the demon once and for all. Preparations were made and then the scrying attempt was made. It failed miserably. Not only that, but Dovistar shook his head and said that the level of resistance he felt from the cambion was such that it would take a completely freak occurrence for the spell to work. Reluctantly, the group accepted that the demon had evaded them yet again.

Therefore, the group decided that they would continue with the mission to accompany Astragard on his expedition to the tomb of Gutheron. Dovistar would transport the group in two halves to the point in the Southern Wastes from where he had extracted them some weeks ago. The first four to go were Astragard, Leo, Cho and Elros. Upon arrival, Leo created a small planar pocket where the four waited until the next day for Xiang, Titania, Aos and Tarquin. The night passed uneventfully except that Elros, watching in the early morning, saw a large reptilian winged creature hunting in the desert. It looked like a small dragon but fortunately it was not able to see the planar pocket. Curiously, it hunted with a sonic attack. Leo had heard that such beasts existed but they were very rare. Even from a great distance, Elros was affected by its unearthly shriek, which caused his ears to bleed. A little bit later the other four arrived. Leo then created eight phantom horses. These sped along the desert much faster than normal horses. The group was a little wary of these strange apparitions at first but soon lost themselves in the exhilaration of the speedy ride across sandy dunes into the endless horizon. The ride was made even more magical by the ability of the horses to gallop in the air for brief periods of time. The night was spent in the usual planar pockets and the group then set out on the steeds the next morning. Travelling during the day, the late afternoon produced an encounter that Leo thought truly bizarre even by the standards of his last few years. 

Standing on the top of a dune in the distance, the group saw a figure. The group approached and Leo gaped. A tall, attractive copper skinned woman stood next to a camel. She was wearing an elaborate headdress, a long split skirt and nothing else. 

She called out in a peculiar archaic dialect. “Greetings champion. Thy coming has been foretold in my dreams. I am Amitha Sethen Re, High Priestess of Isis in Arypt. The great Evil in the South rises in the Gorge of Osiris and you have been Chosen to vanquish it. My goddess hath told me I am to put myself in your service”.

Aos immediately called out. “Thank you my lady. My goddess has been talking to me in my dreams and indeed it is foretold that I will fight this evil. I must seek the Champion of Thoth. Would you have knowledge of this individual.?”

“Indeed such a man has come to my attention. His name is Konsu Khibet and he is in the village of Artuaat.”

Leo’s head was spinning. Yet again, someone had been able to find them in the middle of a godsforsaken wilderness. In the Southern Desert no less. He had never seen this woman before, yet Aos was talking to her like a friend and accepting some religious babble. She was supposed to be a High Priestess which would explain why she was out here with little fear but she talked like a fanatic. More importantly, so was light-hearted, irresponsible Aos, the greatest duelist in Gaxmoor. Was he actually taking this Champion thing seriously? Leo hoped not.

Suddenly the woman seemed to see Astragard for the first time. “You,” she hissed. “What are thy affairs here, Black Serpent? You are forever doing things only for thy interest. Leave! You have no business here.”

At this point conversation degenerated into a series of discussions and debates. Astragard did not seem at all fazed by the Priestess and wanted to proceed on his mission as quickly as possible. Leo, Tarquin and Cho felt that they had agreed to accompany him at the beginning and since this was the first time that they had heard about this great evil in the South, they felt that it was nothing to do with them. Xiang, Elros and Aos felt that this evil should be vanquished. In the end it was decided to proceed to the great Oasis where there was a temple of Isis. The Gorge of Osiris was on the way to Gutheron’s tomb and Leo was convinced by Aos that they could at least peek into this Gorge to see what was going on. Supplies would be purchased at the village of Artuaat whilst collecting this other Champion.

The journey to the Oasis was uneventful and there, Xiang, Elros, Aos and Titania went to stay at the Temple whereas Tarquin, Leo, Astragard and Cho stayed in the planar pocket. During that night, Leo and Astragard had a conversation. Since there was a likelihood that the group was going to be dragged into some legendary gorge, Leo wanted to know a little bit about this land of Arypt. Astragard had obviously been here before. His name of the Black Serpent also suggested a certain reputation. Astragard informed Leo that Arypt was a land obsessed by the past, obsessed with death and a feeling that the whole world revolved around events in their region. Their last great civilisation was called the Second Kingdom and it fell due to an unspecified disaster brought about by Rahotep, their pharaoh, and High Priest of the Evil One. Presumably people didn’t know he was High Priest of the Evil One at the time (GM: Rahotep was an usurper, never accepted as Pharaoh by the Kheri-Heb). He made his last stand at a place called Therios, now a ruined city. It is also called a Necropolis or a City of the Dead (GM: Therios was the ancient capital of Arypt, on the banks of the Nyllus/Mosquito River.  After defeat there by the Kheri-Heb mage-priests, Rahotep and his followers fled into the wastes, making their last stand at the Gorge of Osiris, the Necropolis). Anyway, legend goes that he would rise again to conquer the world etc. A variation of a legend retold countless times in other cultures of madmen drunk on power. Leo thought that Tarkane and this Rahotep would get on like a house on fire.

The next day, the group set out to the village. The Priestess maintained an icy silence where Astragard was concerned. She did confirm pretty much what Astragard said albeit in much flowerier prose and also revealed that the key to much of Rahotep’s power lay in nine objects including something called The Blood Red Moon. Leo idly speculated if this Rahotep was a lich and this was in fact its phylactery in nine parts. He hoped not. Speedily travelling on the wondrous horses, the village soon came into view on the horizon. The most substantial building was the caravanserai, or caravan supply post. The rest of the village seemed built around it. Approaching it, soldiers could be seen. This was strange as the settlement itself consisted of a few buildings, several hundred people and a bunch of skinny domestic animals. Be that as it may, the soldiers treated the priestess with great respect and the group found that it was most likely that Khonsu Khibet was to be found at the inn. As the group was walking through the streets suddenly the group heard cries for help. Elros, Xiang, Aos and Titania rushed off to see what was going on. Leo groaned and made a mental note to have a conversation with the others that cries for help where not always what they seemed. It was the oldest trick in the book. Leo was told later that they saw a large lake and a very large crocodile was trying to eat somebody. Aos and the others rushed forward and a few moments later it was no longer alive. Someone in the crowd than shouted that it was a “demon crocodile”. Leo went forward to look and saw a very big crocodile. Nothing remotely demon-like about it. The man who was about to be eaten then introduced himself as Khonsu Khibet. Leo breathed a sigh of relief. That meant that they would be able to investigate this Gorge quickly, perhaps tomorrow. He had been fearful that this Khibet character had gone to the place on his own and hadn’t returned. Fanatics had a habit of doing irrational things like that “because their gods told them to”; or because they dreamed it. 

That night, Leo and Astragard held another conversation where they was decided that Astragard would wait here for the group until they came back from their survey of the Gorge. The priestess was obviously unhappy with “the Black Serpent’s“ presence. The next morning, the group purchased camels and set out. Leo thought that camels must be some of the ugliest, most bad tempered creatures he had ever come across. Thinking dark thoughts about feeding his beast to the nearest desert predator he could find, he set out with the others. 

A few miles outside the village,  Elros stopped and jumped to the ground. With a puzzled frown he told the group that there were fresh horse tracks on the path ahead. As he was saying that, a hail of arrows rained upon the group followed by an amazingly silent coordinated charge of desert horsemen. There were approximately two dozen of them. As they charged forward, suddenly two balls of fire erupted in the middle of the group, severely burning everyone except Cho, who acrobatically jumped out of the way. Leo frowned. This was powerful magic. These were not just some desert bandits. He disappeared and moved away. He saw both Cho and Aos move forward, taking the fight to the enemy. Xiang, Amitha and Titania were severely hurt. As the horsemen arrived, they surrounded Cho and Aos. Cho looked to be in little danger, but Aos was suffering. One particular opponent was stabbing him repeatedly with a sword, causing large wounds. They were also keen to kill the priestess but she was ably defended by Xiang and Titania. Elros as usual, coolly aimed and fired his arrow at a particular individual. The arrow took him in the throat, killing him instantly. He later informed Leo that he had spotted him as the man who cast the ball of fire. Leo cast a powerful effect, killing the men around Cho. She then rapidly moved and engaged another man who was not engaged in the melee. Although the bandits had achieved surprise and had caused a great deal of initial damage, with the targeting of their powerful individuals, the battle slowly but surely was being won by the group. Cho stunned her opponent, rendering him helpless, Elros was deadly with his arrows and Xiang and Aos soon dealt with their weaker opponents. The group was victorious.

The bodies were searched and various dweomered items were found. Most unusually, there was a symbol of an ankh entwined by a serpent made of a black metal and a crimson disc. Leo and the others thought that this could the Blood Red Moon. This was safely stored in an extra dimensional container. The ankh was destroyed by the Black Spear. 

In a very strange turn of events, Xiang found this same ankh on his chest the next morning. Upon this revelation, Amitha ventured that this could be another of these nine objects of power. Maybe it should be stored in another extra dimensional space until it could be studied further. The group then made ready to go out again to the Gorge of Osiris.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

I'm curious as to why Leo never mentions his spells by name, always referring to them obliquely.

Surely "Leo uttered a powerful spell, sending a _Chain Lightning_ into their midst and killing them" sounds better than "Leo cast a powerful spell, killing the men around Cho."


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## StalkingBlue

Cool stuff.   

I'm glad we are getting such complete reports from Leo's point of view.  They're fun to read, plus they let me focus on the Cho POV without feeling I'm not doing everyone justice if I leave out things she didn't witness.


----------



## StalkingBlue

*Baking Sands*

Cho starts violently awake.  Heel sinks into rolls of fat, the sleeper she's kicked at struggling to her feet snorts and rolls away.  
Astragard.  
Leo’s Rope Trick.  Stifling but safe.  Even though the harmony is broken.  

She sits back and rubs her face free of the familar clinging nightmare.  
Leo shoots a glance over the edge of the book he’s studying, and disappears again.  The place of the fourth sleeper is empty:  Tarquin has already left.  Dawn soon.  

Cho braces against the desert’s morning cold and drops out through the hole, breath cloud trailing as she lands.  The stench of camels hangs heavy in the caravanserai, different from horses somehow.  Less manure;  more burping.  

There is Tarquin’s form, bent in prayer.  Judging by the degree of light, he will be a while yet.  Cho settles at a polite distance and drops into a mind exercise.  
Thoughts keep shoving her back.  
She lets them flow past.  _Of no relevance.  
But the harmony has been broken.  Thoughts batter, and more thoughts.  
With a sigh, she yields.  Best to order those thoughts and try to make sense of events.  

***

She had rejoined the others in Gaxmoor.  At Margrave Kanor’s request, it was agreed to make another strike against Harecules while his hold on the Dark Folk was weakened after his recent defeat.  Plans were made to locate him in his hideout in the mountains, teleport in, kill him and teleport back to Gaxmoor.  Those who joined Dovistar on the agreed morning were:  Aos, Elros, Leo, Red Ivy, Tarquin, Titania, Xiang, and Cho.  Saphie appeared to be absent on some mission for her brother.  Sigurd was busy showing presence amongst the remains of his army, presumably working to smooth the waves thrown up his unfortunate absence and sudden reappearance on the threshold of the recent battle.  

Tactics were discussed and further refined, diamond dust scattered, protective spells cast.  Dovistar muttered arcane words and turned towards his silver mirror – only to declare after a moment of tense concentration that the Cambion’s will had proven too strong for his scrying attempt to get through.  

In intense frustration Xiang and Elros went and killed an ochre ooze that had the terrible karma to lurk near.  

And so, the group picked up where it had left off when Harecules invaded the Borderlands:  by returning to the southern desert.  Dovistar sent Astragard, Cho, Elros and Leo to the spot from where he had summoned them on the morning of the battle, depositing them in baking afternoon heat.  They hid overnight in Leo’s Rope Trick, safely concealed from a winged reptile that Elros reported flying over and hunting desert creatures with sonic attacks that made the Sidhe scout’s ears bleed.  Aos, Tarquin, Titania and Xiang arrived safely the next morning.  

Leo conjured up soundless, hoofless magic horses for each member of the company.  
The memory draws a breath from Cho.  What speed!  Intoxicating to the point where it takes an effort to stop or even rein in.  

Was the harmony broken then?  
Cho scans the expressions of her companions in her mind.  Xiang looking hung over.  Leo with more attention for Astragard than anyone else.  Titania visibly raw from some recent argument with Aos, him displaying unconcern – none of which was new.  No.  There was nothing more wrong than usual at that point.  

Then came the priestess.  

They had been travelling on Leo’s horses towards the village from where Astragard was planning to set out for his tomb.  On the last dune outside a village a rider waited with her camel.  She was tall and striking and shown by her dress to be a priestess of a local goddess, Isis.  She came forward and greeted Aos with honeyed words as Champion and Chosen of her goddess, come to deliver her land of some lurking evil.  Aos seemed unsurprised, if feverishly dazzled.  It could have been her revealing dress.  

Part of the company ended up invited to spend the night in the priestess’s temple.  Astragard was excluded.  The priestess was not ashamed to insult the old man to his face, calling him a Black Serpent.  Leo went with Astragard, Tarquin with his friend Leo.  Cho joined them, out of reluctance towards their new hosts as much as in order to provide better balance for safety.  

Yes.  It was that.  The priestess.  Like a crack snakes across a crystal mirror, she broke the company’s fragile skin of harmony.  

***

Tarquin straightens carefully and starts to walk towards the well, his face smooth now.  What a peace he appears to draw from speaking with his god.  A peace Cho manages to inadvertently shatter when she approaches him with what has long burdened her mind.  

Tarquin turns out strangely tight-lipped when asked about his god and matters of the faith.  (What a contrast to the wordy desert priestess!)  Yes, there is an item particularly holy to the faith.  It is the called Staff of Urnus Gregaria.  It is now in one of the Deeper Hells in the possession of a demoness, who tricked a party of heroes into retrieving it for her.  No explanations are asked or given. but a brief flare of emotion reveals that most likely, Tarquin had been involved in that.  And suffers for it still.  

He does mention (as Cho turns away to leave him to regain composure) that like Leo, he is not too happy about turning away from Astragard’s task.  Cho agrees.  What is your word worth if you set it aside at the first distraction?  

*** 

The group assembles.  Astragard, though disgruntled by the delay, has agreed that a detour may be made to investigate a certain gorge where the priestess’s supposed evil is said to be lurking.  In order to do that, yet another champion must be collected from a nearby village.  

The division is even clearer today.  Aos swings himself into the saddle of Leo’s magic steed with a feverishly self-righteous air, followed by a silent Titania.  Xiang and Elros as well keep close to the priestess during the day’s ride.  

They arrive at the village Artuat shortly before nightfall.  Strolling around trying to find the priestess’s Champion of Toth, the group hears screams and cries for help ahead.  Aos, Elros and Xiang rush in, followed by Titania.  Elros’s bow twangs, and moments later the four reappear around a corner to report that they slew a large demonic crocodile the Champion of Thoth appeared to be wrestling.  

A night at the local caravanserai, a wait while the priestess haggles over the purchase of a number of camels, and once again the company sets off towards the gorge, now accompanied by the priestess and the Champion of Toth, but without Astragard, who remains at the caravanserai.  

*** 

With the slow sneakiness of shadows, the riders’ shadows creep to hide underneath the camels’ bellies.  Air shivers above the path, the sand bakes.  It is not even noon yet but the heat grows steadily worse.  Xiang, in plate armour today, wipes his face.  

Cho walks, slowing her strides to match the swaying trot of the camels.  Behind her, Leo mutters educated curses.  Aos rides, his face clenched in that expression of righteousness he has assumed lately.  Titania follows, trying to be invisible.  Tarquin’s face is once more set in his priest’s calm mask.  Elros turns in the saddle, scanning around.  Yet, he discovers nothing.  

Suddenly the air sings and the camels dance madly as a volley of arrows drops on the party from above.  Elros looks shocked.  Xiang with supreme confidence taps his mount’s neck with the riding stick, controls it.  Leo’s mutter rises to a shout as he is either thrown or leaps off his bolting mount.  

Almost simultaneously, magic erupts:  a column of fire and then a fireball wash over the party, leaving behind a stench of burnt flesh and smouldering heaps of saddles and bones where an instant ago were camels.  The priestess drops, unconscious.  A pale Leo draws invisibility around him or steps into the Void.  The others are scorched but reaching for weapons – not an instant too soon:  a second volley of arrows follows and already the ground trembles under the charge of two dozen horsemen now dropping their bows and drawing curved blades.  

Titania is moving towards the downed priestess.  Elros looses an arrow and shouts in triumph.  Cho has no time to register more as her focus narrows – seeking a target.  The charge drums up a heavy cloud of dust.  The spellcasters are either hidden in the throng or invisible.  Later then.  Cho chooses a rider at the front of the charge and leaps forward.  Out of the corner of her eye she sees Aos’s rapier flash as he does the same further on the right.  

Her target dodges ineptly – too ineptly.  She knows even before she connects that she should be able to take him down – and that she has miscalculated.  She succeeds merely in winding him.  Immediately more riders sweep around her, surround her.  None of these is hanging back like a mage or a priest would;  they are out for blood.  

The riders attack in concert, each with his flanking partner, horses’ flanks sidling into her while blade cut down from the opposite side.  It is a narrow dance.  Almost she would have evaded all of them;  all but one, who strikes a heavy blow.  Muscles tear, bone crunches under his blade.  Instinct fumbles to repair, pull the edges of that wound together – Not now.  Too many.  Allow them to hamper each other.  She dances, ready for the bead that will announce Leo’s fireball.  

Between heaving horses’ flanks she gets a glance in Aos’s direction.  He is surrounded as well, and taunts ring out with an edge in his clear voice – betraying that he, too, has been wounded and is hard pressed.  

At least the charge is broken, or mostly.  Hopefully this will buy time for the healers to get around to those who desperately need them.  

Then the air hums, heavy with ozone.  All around Cho, lightning flashes.  Horses bolt madly, throwing and dragging the seared lumps that until a moment ago were their riders.  She turns for a quick grin towards her ally, but cannot spot him.  Elros and the Champion of Thoth have arrows nocked and are busy selecting targets.  Xiang has a foot on a downed man’s chest to wrench the spear out.  More lie around him.  The priestess is still down, but now defended by Titania against a small number of bandits.  

What next?  Aos is holding up against his attackers.  Xiang is now wading up to him through the sands, throwing up waves of dust before him.  And just beyond the group surrounding Aos, a single man hangs back.  He wields neither bow nor other weapon.  Him, then.  

She catches a glimpse of Aos as she flies past, white and clenched and bloodied.  Help? Too late now:  her charge is set.  
And for a second time this day she miscalculates her attack.  His breath whooshes out under the blow to his sternum, his jaws clack shut around an ugly grin as he straightens, his eyes clear.  

Expertly dodging and weaving her feints, he gestures with a religious symbol and speaks a foul prayer, then lunges at her:  “Die!”  
Hawk’s marble eye!  She dodges his touch but of course he will try again.  

Suddenly a wall of fire springs up next to the two of them.  Strands of the enemy cleric’s hair curl and powder away as sparks eat their way up them.  Men scream behind Cho.  She hopes it is not Aos;  and her next slash goes precisely where she has aimed it.  The cleric’s mouth opens and closes as his eyes bulge in horror.  He does not get another chance to deliver his killing spell.  

Moments later, Cho drags the unconscious cleric away from the wall of fire, which turns out have been placed by Leo.  No one particularly wishes to question the cleric, not even the priestess and the Champion of Thoth, who purport to be so eager to learn what the gorge of Osiris holds.  Strange but true.  Xiang kills the cleric with the Spear and destroys his religious symbol, an ankh with a serpent woven through it.  

Much loot is found on the bodies and some horses are retrieved.  Several enemies are found dead from a single arrow, easily recognisable by bearing Elros’s fletching.  The enemy sorcerer is one of those, felled at the outset of the battle.  Clearly today the Sidhe archer has exceeded himself.  An item called a Blood Red Moon is found on the sorcerer’s body – said by the priestess to be one of nine evil items that she wishes to see retrieved.  

The party returns to the village.  There is elation at the victory, but the rift remains.  A decision will have to be made soon on which quest to follow:  explore Astragard’s tomb as promised, or set aside a word given to hunt down a “great evil” described in flowery words but with few facts to back it up?_


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Blood Guard*

Xiang had grown used to the Spear's quiet whisperings. Day and night, whether it was in his hand or not, there was that almost-silent voice in the back of his mind, bidding him to destroy the evil that it claimed was all around. Xiang sometimes wondered whether the Spear really cared who it killed...that is, until he struck down another evil Priest or Mage and felt the Spear thrill in triumph only he could hear.

But after the battle, it sounded stronger. It wanted more from him. Xiang had spent most of the battle either struggling to keep command, getting almost killed by Ogre Magi, shot at by goblins, and eventually watching as the spellcasters flew invisibly into the sky and rained down magical death from above. Even worse, the cavalry had been on the far side of the river. He'd seen their glorious charge, wanting desperately to be a part of it...and to top it all, Herecules had escaped. Now he understood why the others wanted to kill him.

Xiang made a short stop off at the Tower of the White Way. His face was well known there now, it was well known everywhere since he'd briefly led the army. He dropped off his magical cloak and around 3000gp worth of gems, with a promise from the Wizards that the magic would be enhanced. He knew the value of such an enchantment.

Xiang left behind all his possesions bar the Spear and a suit of breastplate he had taken from the battlefield. He turned and walked out of Gaxmoor, looking for a little solitude. The Spear hummed quietly to itself.

He hadn't got more than ten minutes walk out before Cho found him with her uncanny speed. A short conversation followed in which he assured her he wasn't leaving, and that he would be perfectly safe by himself, and that he was not to be disturbed or sought out for any reason less than an attacking army. Cho departed, puzzled but satisfied.

Ten minutes after that, he had to go through it all again with Elros.

Finally shaking free his well-meaning companions, he strode further into the wilderness.

-----------------------

Four days later, he felt as though he was getting somewhere. Something nagged him in the back of his mind - was he doing this to learn more about the Spear or was the Spear driving him to do this to learn more about him? He hadn't eaten, had slept in the armour he was wearing. Walking into the forest the first day, he'd found a clearing. This same clearing was where he now stood, holding the Spear.

Once again he spun into action, the full sequence of moves and stances that he'd been working on. Each flowed into the next, including blocks, guards, parrys, deflections, strikes, leaps and spins, the Spear whipping through the air. Xiang, his chest heaving in effort, his eyes wide, moved to the final _whisper of wind to the north_ sequence, but his concentration had gone again. Before he started it, he knew he hadn't got it, but tried all the same. Tried as he had spent four days trying.

The Spear thudded into the ground, flat, raising some leaves with the impact. Xiang crouched, whipping the Spear around and from side to side, increasing the speed, before stepping backwards and bringing into into a precise vortex, the end of the Spear circling around, making the leaves dance around it, being drawn in, until with a sudden reversal of direction and thrust he finished. Xiangs eyes moved down to the Spear...only one leaf had been impaled. Failure again. If he had got it right, five leaves would now be stuck upon it.

_you need a little more help...do not fight me...become one with me and i will show you power/precision/movement_

The voice in the back of his head was a little clearer. Knowledge dropped into his mind, and before he had time to really think about what he was doing Xiang did as it bid.

He made up a fire, stacking wood and twigs, until it burned bright in the evening. Standing before it, glad in the breastplate of a fallen warrior, he drew the Spear slowly across his wrists, then even slower across his neck. He was a fighter. He knew these could be lethal wounds. Somehow, it didn't seem to matter.

Xiang dropped to the ground, lying unconscious on the carpet of leaves, the Spear still clutched in his hand.

_endless battles have i fought_
_i have killed a demigod_
_was brought low by ambush_
_i have struck down men, devils, demons, orcs by the score_
_i am yours now - and so_
_you are mine_

Images flew through his mind. Techniques against creatures, their vulnerable spots. More knowledge.

_the white foul flame_
_the shield of green fire_

He saw a man, weilding the Spear against a robed figure who fought with a sword of spells. The figure chanted for a moment, and Xiang knew that the spell was one to confound the man, to make him believe the robed figure was his friend. But the Spear suddenly flared green, bursting into emerald flame that covered the man without burning him, and the spell shattered upon the Spear. The man thrust the Spear through the chest of the robed figure, and the vision faded.

_now you learn another of my secrets_
_and i one of yours_
_we are more than fighter/weapon now_
_you/i are equals/part of a whole_
_we are one_
_i am yours and_
_you are mine_

Xiang awoke. It was morning. And on his wrists and neck there was no sign of an injury.

Later that day, as he continued to practise, he once more attempted the final technique. This time, as he moved backwards, circling the Spear, the leaves spun silently in the middle of the vortex, instead of flying around it, and with the final reversal and strike, it seemed to Xiang as though the world held it's breath for him.

He looked down.

Four leaves, impaled on the Spear.

He turned and went back to Gaxmoor. His fast was at an end.

_blood guard_
_my blood guard of the Spear_

whispered the voice in the back of his head.
____________

Notes: This passage describes Xiangs change in level from 11th to 12th. He acquired the feats _Endurance_ and _Greater Weapon Specialisation_, the Shield of Green Fire special ability of the Spear, and the second stage in the Oraskh style from _Quintessential Fighter_. He is now a Blood Guard of the Black Spear, and a formidable fighter.


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## S'mon

Cool posts Matt & Kerstin - give your PCs 300XP each (feeling generous)


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## StalkingBlue

Very cool training scene, Matt.  Four leaves.  I loved that.


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## StalkingBlue

*The Pool of Hepi*

The Moon climbs.  Beyond the line of trees, the sands shiver and whisper in the night breeze.  A fig drops somewhere.  As the night deepens, cold creeps up and clouds your breath.  Slowly, the path ahead turns into a serrated blade of pale light curving towards the Pool.  Waiting.  

Tarquin’s words of last night turn around and around in the monk’s mind.  
Would you retrieve the Staff of Urnus Gregaria if you could?  she has asked him.  He would;  if he could see a way of going about it without being suicidal.  He is a perfect companion to Leo, of course.  They are so similar in many things – then again, so different in others.  
Would you go ahead with it even if a friend stood in your way?  The priest has looked strangely at her as he replied that surely, no true friend would think of standing in his way;  and one who did could not be counted a friend at all.  
Simplicity.  
A thing Cho is starving for:  for life to be simple again.  

Not likely.  

A figure moves into the moonlight from the far left, breaking the pattern of shadows of the trees that lean over the path.  As Cho rises, Elros strides up, unsurprised:  he has long seen her, of course.  The talons, dull with dried blood, are handed over and accepted in silence with a wry look of gratitude.  

As they turn and walk towards the Pool together, both warriors know that this is also a farewell.  Decisions have been made at last.  Tomorrow, Aos will head towards the Gorge of Osiris with Elros and Titania and the Champion of Toth, while Leo, Tarquin, Saphie and Cho will go with Astragard to explore his tomb.  Xiang plans to remain at the Pool for a while to explore his bond with the Spear in more depth.  Sigurd is to stay with him.  

The sundering is complete.  By a strange alchemy of their own, five mistakes committed in a single day have led up to this splitting.  Five mistakes, five elements.  



***



By the time the party had made its way back to Artuat after the bandits’ ambush the previous night, the sun was sinking fast and the elation of victory had faded before the stiffness of unhealed wounds and unspoken disagreement.  Tension had returned.  

In the morning Saphie and Sigurd arrived via Dovistar’s sending teleport spell.  They were gladly greeted and provided with news by the group and by the Champion of Thoth, assembled in a back room of Artuat’s single tavern.  Sigurd cursed at Leo’s mention of the flamestrike and fireball that had hit the group the previous day;  this promised no good for the two dogs panting under the table, which he had purchased and brought with him to be trained for war.  

Definitive decisions were again postponed, partly to give Tarquin time to regain his arsenal of spells that he had all but exhausted in the morning’s long healing queue.  Leo would take the time to identify the magic booty taken from the bandits.  Aos was going to talk to a fisherman in the village whom the Champion of Thoth had mentioned, the brother-in-law of the sorcerer who had been killed by Elros’s arrow in the ambush the previous day.  

When Cho offered to go along to help observe the fisherman’s reactions, Aos actually appeared surprised but accepted gladly, shaming the monk.  How had they come to allow themselves to be on opposite sides of such a gaping rift?  Surely the balance must be restored.  

No information of value was gained from interviewing the fisherman, who was remarkably difficult to see through.  When his eleven-year old son stole away, Elros followed him invisibly into a merchant’s store.  The sidhe scout had no Aryptian, but observed that the boy spoke fearfully to the angry merchant, then in the company of a number of muscular men.  

At Elros’s report, the group decided to go see the merchant.  They found him alone with his wife in the store and spoke to him at length, again without obtaining much valuable information other than that the priestess had been in the store and questions about her made them nervous.  

Then suddenly Elros shot and wounded the merchant’s wife when she nervously fingered an amulet at her throat.  He apparently expected her to start attacking the group with spells.  
_Mistake, of the element of Fire.  The archer all too ready with his bow.  _

At the outcries Cho, who had been outside the door and unable to follow the conversation, somersaulted into the store past Saphie, in time to see the merchant’s wife sag with an arrow in her flank and the merchant stumble back, grey with fear.  First things first.  She quickly moved through into the back room to cut off the merchant’s retreat.  Aos’s rapier snaked forward and stopped an inch from the shuddering merchant’s throat.  The man was begging for his life now.  Titania started singing spell notes, while in the back room, the fisherman and his son saw Cho and promptly ran away through a side door.  

The monk stood for an instant, undecided.  What was going on?  Aos was shouting at the merchant, his wife screaming about invisible demons until she was cut off by Titania’s spell.  Within a heartbeat, somehow the store had turned into a bloody witches’ cauldron.  
Whatever Aos and the others were doing, they had instants at best to accomplish it before the fisherman and his boy could bring in guards from the caravanserai – or possibly worse, the group of men Elros had reported seeing with the merchant earlier.  
Prevent that?  Unlikely, as they were already out in the street in broad daylight.  Slow them at least, then, buy time.  Neck hairs dancing with misgiving, Cho launched herself out the side door in pursuit of father and son, intent on containing what essentially had become un-containable.  
_Mistake, of the element of Lightning.  The monk whose feet outrun her mind.  _

She had not expected the fisherman to turn back at her command.  Then again, she most certainly had not expected him to attack and club her twice, heavily, before she had time to gasp, while his son drew a dagger and moved swiftly around into the monk’s back.  
Again, the monk acted with the speed of lightning.  The Talons found and slashed through iron-studded leather underneath the fisherman’s tunic.  Moments later, the man was down and Cho was dragging the boy back into the store to throw him at Aos’s feet.  

The store seemed to have been frozen in time:  everyone stood where they had been before.  Questioning seemed to be going on but going nowhere.  
Mistake, of the element of Earth.  The questioners scratch at the bedrock of lies lacking effective tools, or failing to use them to good effect.  

Already Cho was sprinting out through the back room again, hoping to reach the fisherman in time – 

Too late.  
Six guards came running just as Cho reached the unconscious and bleeding man.  The monk suffered herself to be disarmed and arrested and led towards the caravanserai, purportedly for questioning.  She hoped she would not have to find out exactly what that meant.  

The guards could not possibly have failed to notice where Cho had come from and gone to;  yet by some strange twist of fortune and even though the store was mentioned in passing, none of them remembered to go and check on the boy.  That at least was good.  Let them forget there were other strangers around.  Buy time.  Once Aos had finished whatever he was doing, surely the next steps in the path would become clear.  Doubtlessly involving some discomfort, possibly involving a breakout.  It would be up to Aos to mend the group’s relationship with the village guard if he could.  

So far, so acceptable;  in the circumstances.  
Only then came Sigurd.  

He rounded the corner of the tavern, Xiang and his two dogs trailing in his wake.  Both men looked like they had spent the greater part of the morning happily alternately drinking and puking.  Nothing new in that – except that Cho recognised a sinister quality to Sigurd’s swagger.  He had looked precisely the same the afternoon of the Battle of Jarrakig when he had stormed onto the battlefield eager to wrest back command of an army already engaging the enemy.  

A spark of fear fluttered inside the monk, was instantly stamped upon.  

Sigurd stopped in his tracks, blinked, lurched towards the leader of the party of guards bellowing in outrage.  None of his companions was to be arrested and so forth.  

The guards drew closer around their prisoner in response.  One guard now held his scimitar to Cho’s throat.  This was getting dangerous.  With hands tied behind her, there was little the monk could do to save herself if the man got nervous and decided to cut.  One way out remained, of course.  For the briefest of instants, Cho focussed inward, touched her reassuring thread to the Void.  

Xiang moved around to one side asking politely to be allowed to speak with the monk.  Hurriedly, in Verdorian, their common native language, Cho started to explain about the tension in the store, the wounded merchant’s wife – 

Which was when the sergeant of the guards slapped Sigurd’s hand away in anger.  Gold rained into the sand.  Evidently, an attempt at bribery had gone awry.  
_Mistake, of the element of Water.  The warrior’s fury drains and gushes like date wine spilled onto hot sands.  _

Immediately guards moved forward and engaged Sigurd.  Blades rang against his armour as he swayed, swinging his sword above his head.  Puzzled, his eyes found Cho’s, widened in sudden realisation of unforeseen consequences.  “I surrender,”  the monk heard him bellow, fading out of her focus as the man guarding her pressed his blade harder against her throat,  “I surrender but nobody touches my sword!!”  More guards were being waved forward by their leader.  

What a waste.  With deep regret, the monk breathed out and dropped backwards into the Void – 

	… the guard’s fingers on her arm clawing, clenching, loosening … 


– stumbling out into a jumble of weapons and armour spread out on the floor of Leo’s tavern room and narrowly catching herself from falling into Leo hunched cross-legged over a ring set out on a black cloth.  

“Go away.  Can’t you see I’m busy,”  the wizard grunted, then startled and looked up.  

“I know.  If you will just cut this rope for me.  I have to get back there.”  Leo was still shaping a reply when Tarquin stepped over from his window seat and drew his knife.  Astragard looked on, blinking with mild interest. 

Again Cho hastily tried to explain what was going on in the store, that Xiang and Sigurd were being arrested … No one appeared to be listening particularly closely.  As she bounced down the stairs, still staggered by the realisation that she failed by a hair’s breadth to drag that guard with her when she stepped through the Void, Leo and Astragard were already deep into discussion on whether to save the rope or burn it – presumably for spell components or some other outlandish magic research.  

No signs remained of either the guards or Xiang and Sigurd by the time the monk arrived at the spot where she had left them.  At least no blood appeared to have been spilled here.  Just in time to evade a group of guards rounding a corner, Cho dove back into the tap room of the tavern and headed out the back way.  She might have time for a final warning.  

The monk made it to the side door of the store without being caught, but the village was crawling with guards now – and with a sinking heart she found the scene inside the store just as before.  She stopped only long enough to warn Aos that guards were searching the village.  Then, as she must, she went to the caravanserai to give herself up.  

A brief interview with the commander of the caravanserai followed, unsatisfactory to both sides because Cho remained determined to say nothing that would draw attention to the store or merchant and volunteered only the bare bones of information.  The guards promptly dragged her to a cell and chained her to a wall.  

It was not long before the monk heard voices proving that her companions were being brought in.  An eternity passed before anything else happened – which rather unexpectedly turned out to guards coming to release her.  It was only half a blessing.  Sigurd had seen himself forced to pay a bribe, large enough this time to be accepted (and to make him grumble and spit);  and amidst much squabbling amongst them, the group was being turned out of the village.  It soon became clear that Aos and the others had not succeeded in their goal – this had been to force the merchant and his wife to assist them in tracking down the priestess Amitha, which the monk now learned had been kidnapped that morning.  Nor had anyone succeeded in being heard by the commander of the caravanserai.  It appeared that rather than try to give a full account of the crimes they suspected the merchant and fisherman had been up to, each had spoken by himself, each with a different strategy and goal in mind – most concerned only and too narrowly with how to obtain a release of the monk.  
_Mistake, of the element of Void.  Divided in spirit, the party finds itself unable to rally.  _

After various hot-headed suggestions of returning to burn the village or heading for the gorge of Osiris to take on whatever had kidnapped the priestess had been rebutted, the party finally went south, walked out of the village by a tight line of guards.  

Elros soon turned back invisibly to get the monk’s Hawk’s Talons from the commander’s room.  The others, guided by the Champion of Thoth, went on to the Pool of Hepi where the resident priest bade them welcome for the night.  



***



The Moon floats quietly on the Pool of Hepi.  Without a word, Elros and Cho part and walk each to their own spot in the group’s small camp.  The monk picks up her waterskin and dampens the blood on the Talons, sparing with the water because tonight is not a night she would wish to ask anyone for oil.  Or for anything.  

The cleaning complete, the monk lies back, willing herself to drift downwards to that murky surface beyond which the nightmares wait.  
Titania’s soft murmur drifts from Aos’s tent.  
Five mistakes;  five elements.
Tomorrow they will split.  The balance is restored – but at great cost.  

Regret again, at losing Aos, and Elros.  
And then, already mostly submerged in sleep, Cho drifts past a thought thinner than a wisp of river mist:  what a cruel thing it is to have a task placed upon one by a god.


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## Mathew_Freeman

Fantastic write-up! And I'm glad you liked mine, I spoke with my flatmate Kie who does Tai-Chi spear forms, and he gave me some ideas about what I could do with a training session like that. I might take a shot at something else while I'm in York, see if I can gain a little more xp whilst you guys are off looting tombs.


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## S'mon

Arypt

Leo calmed himself. It had happened. Nothing could be done about it now. It was a disaster but it could have been worse. No one had died. No one was in prison. They were seen as a nuisance and people to be avoided but not outright criminals. Not murderers or pillagers; or demons and warlocks and any other thousand names that the ignorant or superstitious could hurl. Instead they had just been kicked out of the desert village of Artuaat. Annoying but not disastrous; and so much better than it could have been. 

So, under the stares of suspicious town guards, the group walked out of the village. They were heading into the desert. Khonsu Khibet, the champion of Thoth, was leading them to the Pool of Hapy, some local deity which he claimed was friendly. 

A sufficient distance away Leo stopped. He turned to the others and asked, mildly under the circumstances, he felt.

“Now, could someone please tell me just what happened back there?” 

There was a confused babble.

“.…she was going for her amulet…..”

“….and everyone owes me five thousand gold pieces….”

“….Aos, Elros, are you two completely insane…..”

“…..Titania, you had that woman dominated. Why didn’t you…”

“….there’s no time to be lost. We must go and rescue the priestess….”

“…..if you think I am going anywhere near that gorge with you right now then you must think I am stupid…..”

“….we should burn this bunch of hovels around their ears. They are just a bunch of unbelievers….”

“…..Tarquin, could you cast all or any Detect spells you have. I really think Aos has been possessed again….”

This last comment came from Cho. The Western woman was unusually agitated, showing anger. Most unlike her; she was normally serene, as if untouched by the world. At this moment she was disheveled, staring daggers at Elros and Aos in equal measure and sporting a large bruise on the side of her head. There was no sign of her punch daggers or Hawk’s Talons as she called them. Leo shook his head. What had happened to the well- honed team he thought he knew? These were squabbling children. 

“Could we please just get to this Pool? And could everyone please mentally prepare themselves to relate exactly what happened in a calm and collected manner, that way we can maybe put together an account of just what occurred.”

The Pool of Hapy was not far. It was an idyllic location. A large pool was fed by a small waterfall, which in turn came from a small cave in a hill. The water provided nourishment for the myriad of palms and other vegetation around. The air was cool and there was a gentle breeze. The area was cared for by a holy man of Hapy by the name of Mahu. He lived in the cave.  Upon arrival, Khonsu, Aos and Xiang went to pay their respects to the priest while the rest of the group set up camp beneath the palms. Soon the others came back. Khonsu and Aos were still tense but Xiang was much more relaxed. He seemed at peace in this setting. He reveled in the atmosphere. Strange for someone so used to violence. He even stopped looking at his spear all the time. It was as if this shrine to Hapy was making him take stock of the events of his life so far. 

As supper progressed, everyone relaxed. It was almost impossible not to here. Instinctively everyone understood that this Oasis was safe. Finally, after supper a small swig of Sigurd’s precious brandy was passed around. Elros appeared and with a shy grin, handed Cho her Hawk’s Talons. Then everyone told their stories and like a jigsaw, an account was put together. Leo at this point had gone to an area by himself where he was casting a long and complicated spell, which would allow him to understand the properties of certain items that Elros had given him. He finished in the early morning and Tarquin was able to let him know just what everyone believed had happened. 

Scrolling back time to this morning, the group was augmented by two members. Petronius contacted Tarquin asking him to remove his Amulet. Sigurd and Saphie had come back from their missions on behalf of Gaxmoor and were anxious to join their companions in the South. Dovistar, kindly, had arranged to transport them to the group’s current location. This was duly done. It was the middle of the tavern in Artuaat. Fortunately, there were no other customers in the common room at the time otherwise all sorts or rumours about witchcraft would have started. As it was, Saphie and Sigurd arrived without mishap. A certain amount of surprise was expressed when it was seen that Sigurd arrived with two large dogs under his arms. The poor beasts immediately started panting in the intense heat. Sigurd and Saphie were both brought up to date about events that had occurred since their separation and both were keen to explore the Gorge of Osiris. At the same time, Khonsu corrected Leo about certain historical facts he had misunderstood. Leo was still not happy with the direction this whole expedition was taking but he sighed and reconciled himself to the fact that with Sigurd and Saphie the majority of the group was committed to the exploration of the Gorge. Astragard was fairly disgusted but willing to wait. He was a very patient being. 

With hindsight, the group now did the most foolish thing they could have done. They separated. Amitha Re decided that she was going to go and buy a set of hide armour for herself. She went to the general merchant. Leo, Astragard and Tarquin went to Astragard’s room where Leo was going to spend all of the day and a lot of the night ascertaining the properties of the magical items taken from the bodies of the bandits. Aos, Titania, Cho, Saphie, Elros and Khonsu were going to go and talk to a man named Gurheit, the brother-in-law of the sorcerer who attacked the group the day before. Xiang and Sigurd decided to stay in the tavern. 

So, Astragard, Leo and Tarquin were in the tavern practicing magic in private. Xiang and Sigurd stayed in the inn. They rapidly became bored, asked for the strongest brew in the house and then indulged in a drinking contest. That was as much as either of them revealed but Leo could imagine the rest. It wasn’t a pretty picture. 

The others went to visit Gurheit. They approached a ramshackle dwelling where they saw an older man and a small boy. The dwelling itself was little more than a one-room hut, smelly, dusty and old. The man introduced himself as Gurheit and the boy as his son. He was friendly and conducted a conversation with the group. However, little information was coming from him. Frustrated, Titania decided to charm him. An easy feat for someone of her looks and power. However, she found out very little considering, except that the sorcerer cast some spells, didn’t do his fair share of the work and seemed to have a mysterious source of funds. It was at this stage that Elros noticed the boy edging away from the group. As soon as he was a little distance away, he started moving towards a particular building. Unseen, Elros was on his heels. Surreptitiously the invisible Elros spied on them through a window and saw an agitated boy chattering in Aryptian to a large, fat, bald man. He also saw a variety of strong looking men carrying goods and an open trap door into a cellar. At this point a tall, handsome, regal looking woman approached the building. Suddenly she stopped and looked very uneasy. She looked around, sniffed the air and frowned. It was obvious that although she couldn’t see Elros, she definitely knew he was around. Rapidly she strode into the building and chattered in Aryptian. Elros had seen enough and hurried back to the group. In the meantime, Titania finished her conversation with Gurheit, finding out little more and she and the rest of the group were about to go back to the tavern. Elros caught up with them and related what he had found out. The group conferred and decided that they should visit the fat man as soon as possible.

They hurried to the after Elros to a large warehouse type dwelling with apparently two rooms and a cellar. Titania cast an effect making everyone faster and Elros made himself invisible. As they approached, they could hear raised voices, one of which they recognised as Gurheit’s.  Then there was silence. Elros entered the building first and went into a corner, his bow ready.  Then Aos entered, followed by the rest of the group. 

They were greeted. “Good afternoon, honoured ladies and gentlemen. You honour my establishment. My name is Heptfha and I am the merchant. How may I serve you?”

Aos replied. “We are looking for our friend. Amitha Sethen Re, a priestess of Isis. She came here this morning.”

“I am afraid no one by that name came here this morning,” said the merchant, beginning to sweat. 

Aos, frowned. “She said she was going to buy some hide armour. Could she have gone elsewhere?”

Heptfha grinned falsely. “No she couldn’t. Oh, you mean the lady this morning. Yes, she did come in but never gave her name; but she left. I don’t know where she went”. By now, he was sweating profusely. Cho, very discerning in these matters, could see he was lying. 

The woman Elros had seen earlier had been standing quietly in a corner but at this point she stared directly at Elros, even though he was unseen. She started to chatter in Aryptian. Alert, Titania cast her ability to understand all languages and caught the last words of a sentence about “invisible demons”. The Aryptian woman also started to finger a bone amulet she was wearing. Elros, suddenly remembered this was the same type of amulet as worn by the sorcerer two days ago. He panicked and though she was about to attack. He let loose with his deadly bow and shot her in the flank. She shrieked and collapsed. The merchant shrieked and started begging for mercy. There was chaos. Elros was shouting that she was going to fireball them. The woman was screaming in agony. The merchant was begging for mercy. Cho, inhumanly fast, sped to the next room to see Gurheit and the boy leaping through the window. 

Titania, remarkably calm, used one of her most powerful abilities. It was the ability of domination. Aos told the merchant to keep quiet. He complied although there were small whimpers from him. The woman was also quiet and looked at Titania. There was hate in her face and her whole demeanour changed. She was very strong. Titania asked her a few questions while in this state but could only find out that the priestess had been captured and taken North. Then the effect was broken. The merchant at this stage stopped whimpering and grinned maliciously at the group. Now he realised that they wouldn’t kill him out of hand it was almost as if he was taunting them. 

In the next room, Cho leapt out of the window and gave chase to Gurheit and his son. It was child’s play for her to catch them. Thinking him nothing more than a simple fisherman, she relaxed. Suddenly she was struck a heavy blow by his club and even more surprised to see the little boy with a dagger, endeavoring to cut her to pieces. It was at this point that Cho’s story gets confused. It is not known if she realised that she was in full sight of the guards of the caravanserai or not but she made short work of Gurheit making sure that she didn’t kill him. She also caught the boy but at the same time a detachment of guards had been sent out to investigate. Half a dozen approached Cho and commanded her to cease and desist. The Westerner decided that she would not fight them and that when she explained the situation, Gurheit would be apprehended and questioned. She allowed her hands to be tied behind her back and let herself be walked with the patrol. Gurheit and the boy were also taken along. 

On the way to the caravanserai, the guards walked past the tavern. Xiang and Sigurd had just recovered from their drinking contest and gaped as they saw Cho, obviously arrested. 

“Ho,” both cried. “What are you doing with our friend.? There must be some misunderstanding.”

The rest again is confused but it seems that Sigurd tried to bribe the guard, failed, and both were arrested after a slight scuffle. Fortunately, both Xiang and Sigurd sensibly did not attack the patrol although Sigurd did surrender with the words “you are not touching my sword”. The guards, not being stupid, decided to take the two formidable looking warriors with them. Their superior could decide what to do with their weapons. That’s what he was there for. However, in the confusion of the melee, Cho suddenly used an interesting ability. She seems to have an ability to transport herself, much like magicians. Although she calls it “going into the void” or some such mystical nonsense. Whatever it is, it worked. She appeared in Astragard’s room. Out of sheer instinct from his days in the Tower of the White Way, Leo sensed her and remarked: “Go away, I am busy” before he realised what he was saying.

The other two did not show such composure. They gasped. Cho sprang to Tarquin and said: “Cut my bonds now. I haven’t time to explain. Wait for me and I will be back shortly.” With those words she ran out of the room.

The three looked at each other for a long moment. “I…suppose she knows what she is doing,” muttered Tarquin to himself. Leo was already busy looking at a ring and Astragard was studying Leo’s techniques. Leo was explaining certain refinements he was thinking of adding to this divination.

Aos and the others were still trying to question the merchant and his wife but not getting very far. 

Xiang and Sigurd were taken to the caravanserai, where they met the lieutenant of the guard. Again he looked at the two formidable figures and decided that asking them to give up their weapons was not going to work. Therefore a compromise was agreed that the two would go into a cell with all their equipment until the rest of their friends arrived. The lieutenant then would strive to solve the mystery of the whereabouts of the “yellow woman”. 

A patrol went to the merchant’s house and was met with beautiful unearthly music that told them to go away. A stronger patrol was then sent and the rest of the group decided to go with them to the caravanserai but by that stage, Titania was dubbed a conniving witch. Another black mark against the group.

The guards sent to Astragard’s room knocked on the door and bellowed “Open in the name of the Pharaoh. You are wanted in the caravanserai in connection with the yellow woman.” The three occupants looked at each other. They could transport themselves out. But they might end up in a different place. Getting back would be a pain. All three had a full set of spells and the ability to transport themselves out of trouble so they decided that it was better to find out what was going on. They were treated respectfully and taken to the caravenserai into the cells to join the others.

Cho had seen the mages being taken by the guard. At this stage she decided to surrender herself, trusting that the truth would protect her. She arrived at the caravanserai. She was chained as a precaution and her Hawk’s Talons were taken away from her. Then she was interviewed by the guard lieutenant. 

“Why did you attack Gurheit, one of our respected citizens?”

“I didn’t attack him. He attacked me.”

“My guards saw you chase him and his son and attack them.”

“He is evil and he attacked me”.

The rest of the interview went along those lines. Even with Cho’s rendition later that night, Leo could see the problems. Cho was seen chasing a citizen of Artuaat with his small child, a fight ensued and then the guards found her with her bloodied Hawk’s Talons next his body. No doubt some conspiracy was going on but there was no actual proof against anyone. Added to that these were pillars of the community while she was “the yellow woman” with her friends, the “demon” with the pointy ears and various other strange individuals.

The lieutenant frowned. “Your answers are not satisfactory. Take her away. Bring the others here”

The rest of the group was brought to the lieutenant. “You are free to go. It is recommended that you leave Artuaat. Your friend is here. Her answers were not satisfactory. She will be tried by a judge.”

Leo asked. “How long will it take for him to get here”?

“About three months. Four at the most.”

Sigurd snorted. “We cannot afford to take that long. Is there anything we can do instead?”

“Wait here.” The lieutenant went out of the room and came back after a few minutes. “Gurtheim is willing to forget the whole thing for a fine of five thousand gold pieces”.

Sigurd paled. For a moment Leo thought he was going to draw his sword and go on the rampage. “Done” he grated. With that he drew various pouches and slowly carefully, put them on the lieutenant’s desk, glaring at him all the while. 

The whole group was escorted outside of town. 

The next morning at the Pool of Hapy several momentous decisions were taken:

Xiang decided to stay at the Pool for a time. His experience in Artuaat had not been pleasant but his eyes had been opened to Aos’s newly acquired fanaticism. The duelist’s comment that the whole village should be burnt as unbelievers came as a shock to the warrior from the west and made him understand just what Aos was becoming. Saphie and he talked for a long time. Their concern about the “great evil of undeath” had not subsided but it was overwhelmed by their concern about the direction that Aos was taking.

Aos, Titania, Elros and Khonsu were now even more determined to go to the Gorge of Osiris. Elros was acting like a sulky teenager after having been told that far from a devastating device the bone amulet the woman had been fingering was a shielding device.

Cho was now calmer although this was belied by her flat refusal to go anywhere with Aos. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking most of the time but when she looked at Aos, it was obvious she thought him mad, bad and dangerous to know.

Sigurd made one last attempt to keep Aos by his side for the sake of their friendship. However Aos was totally committed and Sigurd was disgusted at having to hand over a large amount of money, which Aos did not even acknowledge with a thank you.  

Leo and Tarquin were talking quietly on one side.

“Are you going to tell him?” asked the priest.

“He is an adult. He also claims to be a Champion of a Goddess.”

“Yes, but he is also Aos. He hasn’t thought about this at all. He is also leading Titania and the other two. Tell him, magician.”

“As you will”. With that Leo approached Aos.

“So, Aos, you are committed to going to the Gorge.”

Aos replied. “Yes. Elros, Khonsu, Titania and I are going. With the blessing of my goddess we shall prevail.” 

“So be it. Sigurd, Astragard, Cho, Tarquin, Saphie and I plan to go to Gutheron’s Tomb. I will leave you with these thoughts though. Whatever or whoever is in the Gorge of Osiris know who you are; they know what you are; they know your abilities; they know what you look like and above all they know you are coming. Think about it.”

 Leo then created his magical horses and the group set out until they reached a particular point where Aos and his companions split off from the main group. Perhaps for the last time.


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Peter & Kerstin - give your PCs 300 XP each.

I guess you've seen that words can be more powerful than swords & spells sometimes, eh?


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Another great description of the somewhat chaotic events, but I would like to point out that Xiang has never cried "Ho!" in his life.


----------



## Dispater

Maybe, one day we can look back on all of this and laugh. 

(Peter _is_ right, 5000 gp and not even a thank you.. grrr)


----------



## StalkingBlue

S'mon said:
			
		

> Thanks Peter & Kerstin - give your PCs 300 XP each.
> 
> I guess you've seen that words can be more powerful than swords & spells sometimes, eh?




Ours didn't seem all that powerful ...   


I thought it was great fun.  Even though we messed up incredibly.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Tallarn said:
			
		

> Another great description of the somewhat chaotic events, but I would like to point out that Xiang has never cried "Ho!" in his life.




I can confirm that I heard no one cry "ho!" in the circumstances.  Not even Sigurd.   

Of course no one would insinuate that a valiant warrior like Xiang would ever cry "ho!".  Not if they knew what "ho" means in Xiang's native language, anyway.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Dispater said:
			
		

> Maybe, one day we can look back on all of this and laugh.




 



			
				Dispater said:
			
		

> (Peter _is_ right, 5000 gp and not even a thank you.. grrr)




Just you wait for next session.  
Uhm.  
In fact, no.  I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the next story hour update.


----------



## StalkingBlue

*Gutheron’s Tomb*


Cho drops down the shaft and lands in a double puff of dust.  Leo’s Prying Eyes swarm down around her and flit into the dark tunnel ahead, past frescoes of funeral processions with beast-headed gods.  Nothing else moves.  The monk picks up the magically lit coin and follows as behind her the others start sliding down the rope.  They are in:  this is the first bit that Astragard, still startling in his new young man’s shape, says he has not explored before.  

***

They arrived at the tomb the night before and found an Aryptian trap-finder, Garak, already camped in front of the sand dune half drowning a pyramid with a female stone head of enormous size.  Garak appeared to have been waiting for another group of explorers who, however, never turned up.  He accepted an offer to accompany the party into the tomb for a share in the gains.  

At this point Saphie and Sigurd were informed that they were urgently required in Gaxmoor and were promptly teleported away.  The party asked for Red Ivy to be sent instead to reinforce their fighting arm.  

A tense moment followed when another Aryptian approached, who introduced himself as Ramu Khan, a leaderless warrior who also wished to join and was asked by Leo to demonstrate his fighting skills first.  Dark with anger, Ramu threw down his weapons and stepped out:  more a challenge than acceptance of the proposition to spar with Cho.  The tall Aryptian showed himself trained to some extent in unarmed fighting and focussed on the attack, if sometimes quick to sacrifice defence.  

Another tense moment followed later that evening.  At Leo’s insistent questioning Astragard finally admitted a number of facts he had previously kept secret from the party, admitting that he was the son of a certain desert demon, was about five thousand years old and had come to the tomb to recover an idol that might give him much power over Thunder-of-the-Mountain, another demon and his father’s ancient deadly enemy.  He showed himself in what he said to be his true form, that of a young man of almost unearthly beauty.  (Someone mused that Aos should be here to see this.)  At this point Ramu started making cutting remarks and vague threats, finally admitting that he was an Avenger of Horus and sent to stop Astragard from “doing evil”.  Astragard shrugged this off, merely insisting that the two Aryptians spend the night outside the party’s Rope Trick.  

The next morning the party, now reinforced by the two Aryptians and by Red Ivy from Gaxmoor, headed into the tomb.  Astragard led them past a colonnade and through a secret tunnel into an inner chamber where he had destroyed a wraith and then been forced to withdraw, a millennium and a half ago.  Leo and Ramu took a moment to hunt down and kill a tiny invisible creature, which Astragard said was a Gremlin and a bringer of bad luck.  

They went on into the former wraith’s chamber without further incident and found the shaft leading down into the tunnel system below.  

***

And here they are.  Tunnels, and more tunnels, weaving and leading back into one another.  Some have side chambers with gleaming gold and sparkling gems in them, some angle around on themselves or lead into dead ends.  The party passes the treasure chambers by, wary of traps and intending to come back for loot only after they have penetrated into the heart of the tomb and found the idol Astragard seeks.  

After much searching and mapping they find their way into a chamber with a shaft leading into it from above and a pentagram with a bell with sun symbols in its centre.  Another tunnel slopes down from the chamber, walled with mirrors on both sides and with a mirror above the door at the far end.  Learned discussion follows and a scroll describing certain features of the tomb is brought out and studied again – without notable results.  The party decides to wait a while until sunlight creeps down the shaft and slowly walks across the pentagram.  Nothing.  

Finally the party decides to head down the mirrored tunnel.  Garak goes first searching for traps, with Cho close behind him in case of other threats.  Traps they find none, but without warning black clawed demons swarm through the mirrors all around them.  Garak immediately runs back into the pentagram chamber, leaving Cho to deal with the threat.  In the ensuing fight, short but bloody, a Searing Light spell from Tarquin is reflected off onto the monk.  

After a slight delay for healing, during which Ramu demonstrates that he is able to cure wounds to some extent, the party heads down the mirrored tunnel.  They take a moment to explore a side chamber and recover a suit of armour displayed beyond a chasm filled with smoke, hoping that this will be Gutheron’s legendary suit of Harmonic Armour.  They still have to find Astragard’s idol and the helm.  

The hall beyond the door at the end of the mirrored tunnel seethes with thousands of poisonous snakes.  A fire elemental called by Astragard takes care of those of them in its reach and an Ice Storm or two from a wand dispatch the ones hanging down from the ceiling.  The party moves on along yet another tunnel that begins high up in the wall and leads steeply up into a room layered deeply with human bones and a throne at the far end.  

A mist swirls in the centre of the throne room as a demon forms.  Astragard warns that this specimen may have a breath weapon and the party scatters.  About two dozen skeletons rise from the layer of bones and are quickly dispatched, together with the demon that has had time to breathe but once and without catching any of the party.  

The throne bears an ancient inscription warning that no one but Gutheron may sit in it and promising “death to the usurper”.  Experiments with dead snakes from the other chamber demonstrate that sufficient weight on the throne will cause it to rotate together with a portion of dais, to be replaced by an identical copy from beyond the wall.  Dull thuds turn out to be impacts of three javelins into the throne.  The next rotation does not bring any more javelins, so on the third turn the party decides to trust themselves to the mechanism.  Which brings them into a tunnel again.  

Over the next hour or so Ramu and Cho narrowly avoid getting squashed by a sliding stone slab in an upwards-leading tunnel, everyone is somewhat debilitated by magic frescoes of various desert beasts on a tunnel wall, Astragard takes the idol from Gutheron’s animated body and teleports away, and Garak contracts mummy rot before Tarquin has had time to turn Gutheron.  And that is all.  Cold night air drifts in through four openings made by more sliding slabs of stone.  

It has been a long day.  The party returns to their camp outside the sand dune – only to find in the morning that Garak has quietly slipped away on his own during the night.  Having lost their only trap-finder, they decide against going back into the tunnels for more loot.  Instead they will teleport to Gaxmoor to sell the Harmonic Armour they have retrieved from Gutheron’s tomb.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Damn.  I knew I had forgotten something.  

Yes, 5000gp go from Cho to Sigurd.


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Kerstin, give Cho 250 XP.

-Simon


----------



## ZosKia

"I'm not sure they are coming AOS, I think you have angered them with suggestion to burn the village" 
"I was angry Titania, it was a comment said in anger, they know that" 
"I'm not sure they do AOS" 
"What do you suggest Titania?" 
" I think we should leave this place and seek them out, if you apologise for your moment of madness they may be willing to come and help us, we cannot tackle this place on our own, we need them AOS" 
"Hmmm, you may be right, but will they listen?" 
" They might if you apologise, I think I can convince Cho, she seemed keen to come once she had discharged her obligation to Astragard" 
"Leo?" 
"He seemed less keen to come but then he often seems less keen to do most things, I know he can annoy you AOS but I don't think he means it. It's just his manner. I truely believe his heart is good. He just needs an incentive, perhaps we could convince him that a millennia old tomb will contain many mystical secrets, that should appeal to his scholarly nature, if that doesn't work perhaps I could try appealing to Tarquin?" 
"How would you do that?" 
Titannia pushed her breasts forward and winked at AOS 
"Really? I thought.., anyway you have a good point, we do need them, Elros, Konsu-we are leaving to see if we can persuade the others to join us, are you coming?"
(OOG - Thanks Kerstin for suggesting I post this here)


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

Gutheron’s Tomb.


Hot wind blew accross the desert. The dizzying speed of the conjured horses was as intoxicating as ever. The group now consisted of Cho, Leo, Tarquin, Saphie, Sigurd and Astragard. The others had left to try to rescue the priestess in the Gorge of Osiris. So be it, that was their decision. Frankly Leo had had enough of deserts, sun, dust and heat. The ancient writers had made their experiences much more romantic than the reality. As soon as they had completed the investigation of the fabled tomb then he was going to try to convince the others to leave with him via a teleport spell back to Gaxmoor. Considering their past experiences in this land of Arypt, he couldn’t see them disagreeing. 

Enough musing. It was getting towards dusk and their destination could finally be discerned in the distance. As they approached and slowed down Leo drew his breath. It was a most impressive sight. The time-worn remains of a sandstone path led to a large, tall sand dune. Looking out from beneath the sand was the stone sculpture of a human face. The sandstone had been blasted by hundreds of years of desert winds and sand. Yet a vaguely female visage could still be seen. To the right of the pavement were the remains of a colonnade while to the left there was a small pool next to which was a tent with a figure sitting outside. 

Leo was disconcerted to find another person outside of the tomb. This place was deep in the Wastes of Gizen. People did not just camp outside the tomb for recreation. However, he kept his thoughts to himself. 

Leo approached the figure slowly, making sure to let the other know he had no weapons. 

“Greetings. My name is Leo and these are my colleagues. We are going to investigate this tomb. May we know what your purpose is?”

The figure looked human although, as it was veiled, it was difficult to confirm that. 

The figure rose, made a strange hand greeting and answered in heavily accented common. 

“Greetings. My name is Garric and I am here waiting for some companions who will be arriving soon.”

“Thank you”, answered Leo. “We will set up our camp over there.”

The figure bowed corteously.

The group soon set up their camp. They were going to sleep in their Rope Trick as usual so there was not need for tents but there was still a need for dinner. After dinner, Leo needed Astragard to do something. He hoped that it was going to be agreeable to their employer. However, before this could start there were more distractions. First, Petronius contacted Tarquin from Gaxmoor to let him know that Sigurd and Saphie were urgently needed in the city. Dovistar transported them back, but just before he did, Cho approached Sigurd and dropped a large sack of coins in his lap. Sigurd looked happy. Tarquin also asked that Red Ivy be transported to the desert in the morning to help boost the fighting power of the group. Then, in the distance, another figure could be seen approaching. Leo’s suspicions were aroused. Another lone rider in the Wastes of Gizen? At first he thought this was one of the companions that Garric had mentioned but the course that the figure had taken was clearly taking it towards the group. The figure approached the group and dismounted, making sure it kept his hands well away from the large scimitar it wore. It unveiled itself to reveal a very tall man, in clean Aryptian clothing. He seemed to wear authority like a cloak and his physique suggested he was a warrior. 

“Greetings,” the newcomer called out. “My name is Ramu Khem and I seek adventure. May I join your encampment?”

Leo looked at the others. Everyone seemed bemused by the figure with the exception of Cho whose face was showing nothing as usual. 

“Greetings,” answered Leo. “My name is Leo and these are my colleagues. We are about to investigate this tomb tomorrow.”

“May I join you,” asks the stranger. “I am a former member of the Order of Horus and a former warrior of the Pharaoh. I would be very useful for your expedition.”

Leo looked at the others. Most of them shrugged their shoulders. Leo thought about it. He wanted to say yes but he needed to test the stranger. Although he didn’t look like it, appearances could be deceiving and this could be a novice warrior who would killed in the first encounter. Leo had no wish to bear the fault of yet another death on his soul. 

“We would be pleased to have you join us but before you do, we do need to see the extent of your expertise. Would you be so kind as to have a sparring match with my friend Cho.      

Ramu did not look pleased but he stepped slightly away from the group to show he was ready. Cho joined him. The two faced each other in the desert dusk. Suddenly Ramu moved and for a few seconds the two combatants struck each other. Leo had not idea who was winning. The blows were so fast he couldn’t keep track of them. A few seconds later, they two stopped and bowed to each other. Cho had a small bruise on the side of her head. Ramu had fared slightly worse. He had a cut to his lip and another bruise to his cheekbone. Cho walked back to the group and nodded. Ramu came back to the camp where Tarquin attended to both combatants. Garric had left his tent and had approached to watch the sparring match. He watched with interest. 

After it was over he turned to the group. 

“To be truthful, and my apologies for the subterfuge, my companions are overdue. I would be grateful if I could join your expedition. I specialise in finding and disarming traps.”

Leo thanked providence. That was the one area where their group was very deficient.

“Garric, you would be most welcome!”

 Dinner was served and after the meal, Leo turned to Astragard. 

“Astragard, I would be grateful if you could now reveal details about yourself, your father and also the details of your last expedition to this tomb.”

Astragard looked at Leo, slightly ruefully but in the end he stood up albeit reluctantly. Leo had to gently probe several times but finally Astragard’s story was told.

“My name is Astragard and my father is Eldir, an outer planar entity associated with charm, suggestion and persuasion. My mother was a mage of some renown. I was born in the deserts Northwest of here and I am approximately 5000 years old. I have been seeking the statue of Akresh or Thunder in the Mountain for hundreds of years. My purpose for it is my own. 
As regards my previous expedition, if we go to the colonnade, we will find alcoves filled with demonic statues. Behind the statue of the gremlin, there is a secret entrance, which leads to the burial chamber of Koram the original architect of this pyramid. When we came here last he attacked us in the form of a wraith but we managed to dissipate it although he did weaken me substantially. Beneath his sarcophagus is an opening leading to the interior of the pyramid. That is the way I suggest we go”.

With that, the air around the stout jolly red-bearded Astragard shimmered and another figure stood in its place. This figure was beautiful if totally androgynous. Its outer planar ancestry was immediately obvious. 

Leo turned to the others. “Right, now you know as much as I. I want you all to be aware just who we are working for and what we are doing. If anyone wishes to leave the expedition, now is the time to do so”.

No one left although Ramu seemed to have difficulty in accepting Astragard. He muttered under his breath. Leo thought he could hear the words “demon” and “evil”. After some conversation, Ramu admitted he was still a member of the Order of Horus and that he had been sent to stop Astragard from doing “further evil”. Astragard looked exasperated but not very worried. Leo looked at the two strangers who had offered to join them so conveniently and thought. Then he made a decision. Astragard had taken care of himself for thousands of years. He was much better at it than Leo right now and no doubt would be in the future.  

The night passed uneventfully and finally the group made ready to investigate Gutheron’s Tomb. Leo could hardly believe, after all the past events, that they were finally going to go inside. The initial stages of the investigation were as described by Astragard. The colonnade was old and impressive, full of alcoves with demonic statues with one exception: one showed a statue of Gutheron himself. Leo looked at the figure with interest. A tall powerful warrior in metal armour, a rarity for this land. Leo assumed this was the legendary Harmonic armour mentioned so many times by Astragard. Garric easily found the secret door behind the statue of the gremlin; Leo sighed with relief. It seemed their new companion knew what he was doing. At this point Leo cast his usual spells including the floating eyes, which had proved so useful in the past. Having done all that, the group then readied to enter the tomb proper. The first thing that Leo noticed was the darkness. It was like a darkness he had never seen before. Inky, a total absence of light, almost like a wall. Fortunately, the group was well provided with light sources. The group made their way through a narrow corridor, with Garric again proving very useful with his sharp eyed searching skills. There was a little bit of excitement along this corridor. Ramu stiffened and hissed. 

“There is chaos nearby, a lot of it!”

Leo, who was next to him thought he saw a small goblin like creature slinking in the shadows. The creature realised it had been discovered and quickly ran around the corner. 

“Astragard, there seems to be a goblin around here. Is there such a thing as a desert tomb goblin?” Leo called forward, a bit facetiously. 

Astragard called back. “ That’s not a goblin. That’s a gremlin. They are a pest. Get rid of it if you can. They are said to be very unlucky.”

Leo scowled. He had never heard of gremlins. He started stalking this one although it was Ramu who actually found it. With his chaos sensing ability, the creature couldn’t hide. When it tried to run away, bolts of force shot from Leo’s fingers and the creature was no more. Sensing chaos could be most useful; Leo filed that fact away for later use. 

The group then resumed on their way. First they entered the chamber of Koram the former wraith. A desiccated corpse lay on the ground. Astragard kicked it a couple of times in a gesture of contempt. The chamber itself was quite bare although the sarcophagus was elaborately carved. On Astragard’s instructions it was moved, revealing an opening down into the tomb. If anything, the darkness was even greater there. As usual, Leo sent his flying eyes just to the edge of the light, so that he could avert any unpleasant surprises if possible. Then, using a rope, the group dropped down one by one. The first part of the journey was simple. The main corridor was decorated with the paintings of a funeral procession and split into two branches. One branch led to a series of alcoves, which had a collection of offerings in each one. These were ignored. The main purpose at the moment was to get to the main tomb to gain the idol and maybe the armour. The other branch led into an odd chamber. First, it was illuminated, the first light that Leo had seen in this place. On the floor was a pentagram, inside of which there was a bell, engraved with religious symbols pertaining to the sun. In the ceiling was a small shaft and in the far wall, a corridor led away into the complex. Further investigation by the flying eyes showed the shaft led to two large crystals, which were in a position to serve as “eyes” for the large face outside. The corridor was lined with mirrors and led to a door at its end. A certain amount of discussion ensued. Obviously, something was supposed to be done with the equipment provided but no one knew what. Finally, after some thought and also a wait for the sun to hit the crystals and illuminate the bell, it was decided that the group was going into the corridor and devil take the hindmost. As Cho and Garrick advanced into the corridor, three shapes seemingly made out of shadows came from the mirrored walls and attacked them. Astragard had warned the group that these creatures were acting as guardians. They were demons, not hugely magical but very strong and fast. Garric, wisely, managed to get out of there, leaving Cho in combat with all three. The Westerner was in her element, striking fast and seamlessly into the creatures. They may have looked as if they were made out of shadow but they seemed solid enough to hit. Soon, Cho had spell support coming in and finally, although the fight was tough, the group triumphed and the creatures were sent back to whatever plane of the abyss they came from. 

Having finished them off, the group moved down the corridor. As they approached the main door, Garric looked strangely at one mirror but then shook his head and moved on. Then, everyone could hear a hissing noise from behind the main door. It was as if there were thousands of snakes. This was impossible of course. How could the creatures get into a chamber in a tomb that was deep underground and had been sealed hundreds of years ago. No lock could be seen on the door. Garric still seemed to be fascinated by a section of a wall and while the group was discussing what to do next, he exclaimed and unearthed a secret door. Since the secret door was easier to deal with than a door with no lock the group got ready to open it. The door was opened to reveal a small room more than half wreathed in a peculiar smoke or vapour. Leo sent his eyes in there and he could discern a large crevasse and beyond it a small ledge that on which stood a large set of armour which was carved in strange runes and arcane symbols. At the same time, Leo felt as if something was trying to attack him through the eyes. He withdrew them rapidly. There was great excitement in the group. This must be the legendary Harmonic armour. The chasm was a bit of an obstacle until Leo calculated that one of the functions of his ring could create a bridge across. This was quickly done. It was a bit surprising. Not only was it a stone bridge, it also had walls and buttresses. Most impressive. Cho and Ramu went across. All the time they felt as if they were being attacked by something but couldn’t see what. However, the attacks were unsuccessful and the precious armour was collected. Astragard then remarked that the helm did not seem to be there. Many of the armour’s powers were effective only when it was complete. He said that it was most likely that the helm was with Gutheron as a deterrent to robbers. 

This left the main door. Since there was no lock Leo had to use magic to open it. The room beyond was quite large with a sarcophagus in the middle. It was also nightmarish. Thousands upon thousands of snakes writhed on the floor, the walls, the rafters, everywhere. There wasn’t and inch of floor that was not covered by a sinuous reptile. 
In the brief instant before the door was closed, Garric reported that one of the stone blocks in the ceiling was jutting out slightly from the wall. Apart from that, there seemed to be no obvious exits from the chamber. A discussion was held and at this point, Astragard mentioned that he could summon a fire elemental to burn the snakes. He promptly did so. He also summoned a small repulsive little demon to help him locate his idol. The demon promptly pointed towards the wall with the stone block that was out of place. There were still a few snakes left but Leo cleared those with a useful wand. The group decided to leave this sarcophagus for the moment and they managed to lever the stone block out of the wall. It fell out to reveal a tunnel going into the darkness. 

The group organised itself and everyone climbed into the tunnel. With the help of the flying eyes, the group knew that the tunnel led into a large chamber. The floor of this chamber was completely covered in human bones. The unfortunate builders of this structure was what Leo surmised. The far side of the room had a dais upon which sat an elaborate throne. The group was experienced enough to realise that it was likely the undead were going to animate out of the bones. They just didn’t know what else was going to appear. So, cautiously they entered into the room. Immediately, mist appeared and a demon materialised. A foul thing with the head of a fly, moldering wings and runnels of flesh peeling from its body. At the same time, two dozen skeletons animated from the pile of bones on the floor. 

“Don’t let it breathe on you!” Astragard called out. 

Thus warned, the group scattered with the main fighting force concentrating on the demon. Wise choice. In the next few seconds the skeletons started exploding. Tarquin’s phylactery seemed to be flashing a deeper blue and the cleric was concentrating fiercely. As he was doing this, skeletons were exploding. There was one exception. One of the undead had escaped the effect and had engaged Leo in combat. Finding himself in such an unusual position the wizard took out his staff and promptly smashed the thing to bits. It was the first being he had defeated in physical combat for years. It was an unusual feeling. In the real fight, the demon stood little chance while confronted by three hardy warriors; and so it proved as it was quickly dispatched with little damage to the group. 

The group then approached the throne. Garric examined it and discovered after a time that it rotated into an opening behind it if enough weight was placed on the seat. After some discussion, the group put dead snakes on the seat, which activated the mechanism. Upon the rotation, there was a hiss of air and half a dozen thuds, as if missiles were striking the throne. More weight was placed on the seat and it was found that there were no more missiles. So the group used the secret mechanism and found themselves in a dark tunnel leading to what seemed to be a chamber with no ways out. Fortunately, Garric found a secret tunnel on the ceiling. After a quick discussion, Cho and Ramu climbed into the tunnel. Strangely, they passed some carvings of jaguars, spiders, eagles and scorpions which made them feel very unwell. Ramu then came to a plaster wall in the tunnel. He smashed it down and released a stone block, which started coming down the tunnel. Fortunately, both Ramu and Cho were able to run down the tunnel and jump down and out of the way of the hurtling block of stone. Had it caught them, it would have crushed them completely. They then made their way up the tunnel again and this time, they saw a room with four exits, which led to the outside wall of the pyramid and a large open stone sarcophagus. In it was a figure wrapped in cloth, with a primitive idol at its head, a helmet and a sceptre in its hand. This seemed to be the real tomb of Gutheron at last. Leo calculated that this was the exact centre of the pyramid. 

The group prepared. Tarquin was able to dispel the strange weakness, lassitude and heavy headedness of the three fighters as they passed the strange unsettling carvings. They then entered into the room. Astragard, so close to his quarry after all these centuries, eagerly stepped towards the sarcophagus. He was followed by Garric whilst the warriors took watchful positions around the room. Both Garric and Astragard examined the inscriptions on carved on the sarcophagus. Suddenly four stone blocks hurtled out of the exits and uncannily stopped just beside the sarcophagus. With supernatural coolness, Astragard held his ground. He then stepped towards the primitive idol, grasped it, and exclaimed: 

“Ah, Gutheron, you always were a fool!” He then drew his scimitar and disappeared. 

With a despairing cry, the mummified figure sat up, clutching at empty air. It then swiftly rose up and attacked the nearest person, Garric. In his scramble over the stone blocks, poor Garric was not quite quick enough and the creature caught him with the merest of brushes of its hand. It was enough. The spot on Garric’s flesh turned black and the flesh seemed to deaden. At the same time, the Harmonic armour, previously in a sack carried by Tarquin, stood up on its own, trampled over the cleric and moved towards the centre of the room. Tarquin had had enough. He stood up, concentrated and felt the power from his phylactery. The effect on the creature was immediate. It wailed and ran away from the cleric and cowered against the far wall. The warriors made short work of it after that. 

Leo felt exhilarated. They were standing outside the dune. Their job was done. The riches of the tomb was now theirs for the taking. The next day, they were going to go back inside and look for other things. Their only worry was Garric, who was looking very unwell. Leo hoped Tarquin would be able to do something about the problem. 

It was not to be. When the others woke up the next morning, it was to find that Garric had gone during the night. Leo sighed. It would have been nice to get the rest of the loot but without someone to look for traps, it was too risky. Gutheron’s Tomb was famous for its deadly traps. Never mind, there was the Harmonic armour. Leo was sure Ulfius would pay a pretty penny for it. He suggested to the others that they transport themselves to Gaxmoor now with a view of selling the armour and sharing the money. They agreed.


----------



## S'mon

Great account Peter, give Leo 300 XP.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Here's a flashback scene I wrote for Cho last week.  Simon suggested that I post it.  

It's set about a year and a half after Hawk's Palace's fall, a little over a year before Cho joined the game.  

 


*Tea-With-Bread*



… the warm ice … the hot slippery ice … 

… the bell jingles as the lamb hobbles away, three-legged … that she must catch or die … 

… here is that barrel of a man, scale mail scissoring, tearing and mangling her flesh as he smothers her … only now his face is that of the Lady Ochi, scorning her to get up and perform the Form of Ice that she ought to have practiced, maggots worming out the hole where her thumb gouged the man’s eye … laughing, foul-teethed mouth laughing as he presses down upon her … 

_No!  _

Her head hits a soft obstacle and is bounced back down;  her legs have twisted under her and brought her upright before she is aware enough to know where upright is, madly kicking free of some cloth entangling her.  A splintery pole holds her more than she holds on to it;  as her vision clears, the vague image of fangs snapping, fur bristling melts down into a wolfhound, which settles back down with a nervous groan at a word from the man who sits cross-legged at the tiny dung fire.  

No attack.  

A tent.  Its walls flap violently in the night wind and rain.  
Not the same man.  _Lady be thanked. _ She killed that one, barely.  

This one sits quietly watching her with eyes that show neither fear nor greed.  There is a weathered knife on the ground beside his left knee, blade whittled down into a frail moon shape.  Left-handed?  

She steadies herself against the tent pole, fighting to control her breathing, stop her legs from shaking so.  The bell from her nightmare maddeningly keeps tinkling.  There is the lamb, too, curled on the man’s lap, bell on a collar around its neck, broken foreleg tightly wrapped in scraps of leather;  it is sucking on the thumb of the man’s right hand.  

He has had three of his fingers cruelly twisted, and lost the nails of two.  Yes, he would fight left-handed.  

She remembers diving at the lamb:  too dense with loss of blood and cold and hunger to think properly;  too slow to catch it.  It is the last thing she remembers.  

Something about that fire is not quite right.  

“Devil’s moss,”  the man with the lamb says suddenly.  “There was not spider web enough for all of … that.”  His glance alone points, his hands rest on the lamb.  

She glances down herself.  There is not an inch of her she can see that is not mottled, mangled, criss-crossed with cuts with blackening and swollen edges.  All the wounds are covered in thick grease;  black spiky things straggle from the ragged slash that curves down the outside of her thigh, and from one of the deeper cuts running down her right breast and stomach.  

Scimitar;  and scale mail.  So close –  

_Distraction.  
Where?  _She shakes her head free of memory, looks back towards the fire.  
There it is.  One of the supports for the spit from which the kettle dangles is a forked branch;  the other a dull metal thing.  Taken as it is with rust, with soot and gristle from many cooking fires, she knows its shape.  Its bit of leading blade is rammed into the soil, the curved prongs rest on the ground on either side;  the spit runs through the angle formed by hilt and wrist guard.  This is a sai:  a Guardian’s weapon.  This is the object he did not want her to notice.  Devil’s moss indeed.  

He reaches forward and twists the sai out of the ground, holding the spit up with his good left hand.  For a heartbeat the sai hovers, then he chucks it, hilt first.  The sai slithers to a stop at her feet.  The wolfhound flinches.  

“I killed no one for that,”  the man says.  

A red rim runs across his forehead where a straw hat would sit.  His shirt and trousers are simple and patched many times.  There is no armour evident in the tent, nor other weapons.  

Next to the cloak under which she has been lying is the tidy stack he has made of her things:  the bracers, the amulet made of hawk’s feathers, on top of the wreckage of her footcloths and sandal soles.  

It takes focus to go down on one knee and bend, and not black out.  She makes sure to place a foot across the sai to control it, but picks the bracers up first.  They are heavy with rainwater and icy on the skin.  Every fibre in her screams against going back out into that cold;  her fingers fumble with the thongs.  There is a furry taste on her tongue.  

The man watches her from the corner of his eye while he stacks stones from the ring of fire to build a support for his kettle spit, then scoops boiling water into two wooden bowls, breaks bits off a brick of tea and crumbles them into the bowls.  The bitter scent of Plains tea rises.  

One bracer on;  the second.  The man breaks a loaf of hard spiced bread across his knee and stands two pieces in the bowls to soak.  The amulet, hawk’s feathers sodden and half frozen.  _Shield me, Lady.  _

He starts to reach for the knife just as she picks up the sai.  His hand flinches, withdraws.  
Slowly he lifts the lamb from his lap and puts it down on the far side of him, with the quietness of one putting himself between a danger and a child.  

The sai is beautifully balanced, and blissfully warm from having been so close to the fire.  There is the wingspread stamp at the end of the hilt:  Palace-forged.  The rust is thick, but then this weapon does not need a cutting edge.  It is a weapon to disarm or batter with.  

“I killed no one for that,”  the man says again.  

_Oh?  _

“It was a gift.”  

Of course.  She has seen peasants take ‘gifts’ like this one.  “A gift, is that so?  She happened to be dying?”  

“She died.”  Perhaps he does not understand sarcasm.  

“Did you trouble to learn her name first?”  

“I can show you the place where I gave her ashes to the wind.”  He will not be stared down.  

She straightens.  “My shirt.”  

“Yes.”  It is no more than acknowledgement of her ownership in the clothes hanging beyond the fire to dry.  

By the time she ties the drawstring of her clammy trousers he has found a string of dried meat in a sack;  he cuts two strips to place on the side of each bowl, then puts the knife back down.  

By now she is calm enough to look down on him coldly;  to coldly remember that other man she killed three days ago.  Her shirt is shrivelling to threads.  Curse that scale mail:  scale mail with about a ton of man in it, struggling to crush her to death.  He would have succeeded in that, and in other things too, if he had not been so distracted by his rage at losing an eye to her thumb, and his urge to rape her even as they were killing each other.  So close.  

The man with the lamb leans and gingerly sets a small jar beside the bowl of tea-with-bread he has placed on her side of the fire.  

“Milk of poppy.  It will take the edge off your pain.”  

_And dull my senses.  _Isn’t that the furry taste of it on her tongue already?  

“Perhaps you should feed that to your lamb,”  she says, to keep him occupied while she ponders the double obstacle of tent flap, tightly laced with intricate knots, and wolfhound, crouching tersely inside of it.  

His crippled hand strokes the lump of hooves and lamb pelt.  “Not mine.  If you had killed her today, I would be in trouble come midsummer day.”  

He has seen her then, bumbling at catching a lamb on three legs and blacking out in the process.  Fine hawk, that.  

“Please do not tear the strings,”  he says suddenly.  “I will open the flap for you.”  

And at that, finally, her legs fold quietly and she sits.  

Two bowls of tea-with-bread and dried meat, leaning to keep hot by the fire:  taken together they would make a satisfying meal for one.  Over the past year many bowls have been set out for her by villagers at firesides or on benches;  but always she has had to eat alone.  Few dare offer guest right to a Palace-trained stranger these days.  

_Oh Lady.  What have we become.  He takes me to shelter and cleans my wounds.  And I would have killed his dog if I could;  and him, too, if he would have dared stand in my way.  And only because I have forgotten how to trust?   _

She leans forward and sticks the sai back into the ground next to the stack of stones that he has made, avoiding his eyes.  “You were putting this to a useful purpose.”  

She has no way to judge the amount of tension running out of him other than by the relieved grunt from his wolfhound, which flattens and promptly begins to yawn.  

She draws her feet under her and sits on her heels, in the straight formal posture.  
“You fed me milk of poppy,”  she says.  

“Some of it may have gone down,”  he admits.  

She reaches for the bowl of tea-with-bread, careful to neither touch nor overturn his precious milk of poppy.  Almost the bitter soggy scent of the dish overwhelms her, but she controls herself;  halts politely for the correct interval, then speaks the correct words:  

“I shall eat now.”  

Silence while he waits for her to take the first sip, then he lifts his own bowl with the ancient formal reply.  

“You honour my hearth.”  

There.  He has bound himself.  Their eyes meet through the two columns of steam.  If he betrays her now while she is under his roof, three lifetimes’ guilt upon his soul.  Trust?  Asking much, that.  At least tonight she may sleep almost without fear.


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

Snake Eyes

Leo gasped. It was so cold. After the desert of the Wastes of Gizen a few moments earlier, the more temperate climate of the Gaxmoor was a shock to the system. They would probably all get ill due to the temperature change, he thought dourly. 

The decision had been taken that morning. With the disappearance of Garrick during the night, the rest of the group deemed the Tomb’s traps too dangerous without a specialist. The fabled Harmonic Armour was already in their posession and most of the Northerners were fed up with the eternally hot, dusty desert. Therefore, Leo used his transport spell to take everyone back to the Tower of the White Way in Gaxmoor. The teleport chamber was the same as ever down to the large construct which was ever ready to attack in case everything was not as it should be. It loomed over the group until Leo stepped forward. Satisfied, it stepped back upon recognition. Quickly, arrangements were finalised: Tarquin would go back to his temple. Leo would go to see Dovistar and then find accommodation for Ramu Khem. The Aryptian had decided to accompany the group north. Cho was going about her own business as usual. They then decided to meet back at the Tower to make decisions on the fate of the Harmonic Armour. 

Approximately an hour later, everyone met back at the Tower. Ramu was now esconced in a comfortable inn, Tarquin had seen Petronius the High Priest, and Leo had related their adventures to Dovistar. The old mage was most interested in Arypt and the strange people and customs he had seen. He was also most perturbed about Aos. He wondered if he had been possessed but Leo remarked that it was something that could be speculated about endlessly. The end result was that the duelist was off on a mission on his own. Due to the wide spread of the group at the moment, Leo asked Dovistar if he could teach him a communication spell he had seen in the past. This was agreed. Leo also asked Dovistar if he could send a message to the palace to let Margrave Kanor know that they were back. 

The next hours were spent researching the armour. It was a powerful, legendary set. It made the wearer very strong and woe any spellcaster who decided to attack the wearer. There was a good chance that the effect would be reflected upon the caster. However, for some strange reason, it was only half plate and its defensive capabilities were negligible. The same research was performed upon Gutheron’s sceptre but this proved to be linked to Gutheron himself and of no use to anyone else. After some discussion, it was decided that Archduke Ulfius would be offered the armour. A link was established and arrangements made to meet Ulfius and Clarendon. A reply was received saying the armour was of interest and the meeting would take place the next day.  

At this point, there was a break as the Margrave had invited Leo to lunch. The group decided to go en masse, something that put the Margrave out slightly. However, he tolerated the others although he was quite suspicious of Ramu Khem. He also elucidated upon his theory of building forts along the route that would be taken by future enemy armies from the Doskan Heights. This was a reminder that Heracules the cambion was still at large and planning mischief. He also mentioned that the Scornic League was not going to ally with a warlord for fear of antagonising the Mongali. Leo told the Margrave about the meeting with Ulfius and Clarendon. Kanor nervously replied that he would prefer if the meeting took place in the outskirts of the city at best but preferably outside if possible. Finally, upon being told about Aos, he expressed puzzlement as to why affairs that were so far away had become so important to him. Then the lunch ended and the group left. 

Nothing of further note happened until the next day in the afternoon when Ulfius and Clarendon met the group. The abilities of the armour were demonstrated by the uprooting of several trees. Leo was glad there were no druids around. They misunderstood certain things. Afterwards, there was a certain amount of haggling before an agreement was reached. Payment was made in diamonds. 

After this the group split briefly to pursue their personal agendas and in some cases to gloat over their new wealth. Sigurd also came back from Scornel where he had been engaged in some politics on behalf of Gaxmoor. He was, of course, most curious to find out as much as possible as to what had happened. 

The group then met to discuss their next course of action. With Leo’s new ability, they made contact with Xiang, who was well and then with Titania, who reported that everyone in their small group was alive but wanted to talk to the others. So, with Dovistar’s help, Aos and his companions were transported back to Gaxmoor.  

Everyone was most curious to learn what had happened to Aos and the others. A fascinating tale. 

“We approached the Gorge. The entrance is a massive pylon. We entered into it and suddenly a jackal headed being stepped out of the shadows. He asked us to relate what good and what evil we had done in our lives. After we had done so he deemed us worthy to pass to the Underworld. After we had made our way through we were attacked by some animal headed beings. The jackal head, Anubis he called himself, seemed more annoyed than worried. He felt that these creatures were his to command and when they did not obey his command, he was very vexed. However, we managed to kill several of them but at this point. However, we realised that we couldn’t explore the Gorge on our own and asked Anubis if we could return with friends to progress into the Underworld. Anubis replied that they too would have to subject themselves to his judgement. So, after that we made our way back to the Pool of Hapy and here we are.”

Sigurd was looking at Aos in a pitying way. “You are crazy” he muttered.

Leo also groaned inwardly. “Relate what evil and what good you had done in your life”. He remembered that kind of sophistry from his student days. It was best discussed at two o’clock in the morning with other students and a large barrel of mulled wine and the knowledge that they knew what was best for the world and if only people listened to them then…... It didn’t have any place in real life. For a brief moment, Leo wondered if they should try to get in touch with the lawyer Adam Dickinson and ask him to come with them to argue their case. Unfortunately, Dickinson had been arrested and was not taking any commissions at the moment. 

Leo however was becoming more interested in Aos’s quest. His interest was primarily of a mercenary nature. His conversation with the Magrave suggested that things around Gaxmoor were very quiet at the moment. Also, his brief trip to Arypt and the deserts convinced him that this was a very old land, much older than the borderlands. Old lands tend to have more powerful and interesting magic. Certainly if Gutheron’s Tomb was anything to go by, it must be the case. Leo had never come across anything like the Harmonic Armour and certainly it had raised a lot of money. Then there was the other consideration that the customs and mores of this ancient culture were very interesting. It was also important to Aos. Leo wondered if the new convert to Dlamelish had changed his more mercenary ideas for the greater worship of his goddess. Finally, a consideration was that one of his newly acquired effects was the ability to transport himself and a few others vast distances without any danger. So, he reasoned that if he really didn’t like it down there, or if Aos decided to go temporarily insane again, he would just get out of there. 

So, Leo put it to the others that he was willing to go to Arypt providing everyone else was interested. The others thought about it and everyone agreed albeit without any great enthusiasm. The impression Leo got was that they were doing it as a favour to Aos and an interest in potential loot than anything else. Strangely enough, the “Great Evil of Undeath” that had been such a feature of Aos’s vocabulary had not been mentioned. Before the group went though, Sigurd asked Leo if he could set up a meeting with Archduke Ulfius. Leo agreed although he was a little reluctant. He really didn’t want to bother the great man unnecessarily but Sigurd just stared at Leo in that northern way. So, again, arrangements were made for Ulfius to arrive in Gaxmoor. 

The next day, preparations were rapidly made for the trip South. Sigurd went to meet Ulfius. Leo and Tarquin were with him. Ulfius and Clarendon both arrived, the former wearing his new armour and offering his old armour for sale. Tarquin promptly took advantage of that opportunity. There then followed a political discussion about the Northern Lands, specifically Trafalgis where Sigurd had his Jarldom. Leo didn’t pay that much attention but Sigurd looked satisfied in the end, which suggested that he had achieved his objective. After the meeting the group made ready to go South.  

Early morning the next day, Sigurd, Aos, Titania, Leo, Tarquin, Cho, Ramu and Elros  arrived at the Pool of Hapy. There they found a contented Xiang although he now wanted to go back to Gaxmoor. Dovistar was happy to oblige. Ramu decided to go back to his superiors. Leo idly wondered what the secret policeman was going to do. He didn’t know the details but he was fairly certain that his mission had been to stop Astragard. He had failed. He hoped that Ramu’s superiors understood his failure. Of course, Ramu was now a wealthy man. Wealth brought a certain amount of freedom. The others decided they were going to walk to the Gorge. This took the rest of the day but with no incident. As the group approached the sun began to set and the whole effect was dramatic. The pylon that Aos described turned out to be a massive structure, like a tower, very smooth and beautifully built. These Aryptians were master builders. Leo couldn’t tell the details but the whole pylon was covered in bas-reliefs. It must have taken decades to build and carve. The group decided that they were going to sleep and go in the next morning.  

At sunrise, the group looked out of the Rope Trick. Leo examined the pylon with interest. In the daylight, the structure was even more massive. Shaped like an enormous tower, it was made of sandstone. Every single section of the walls was covered in bas-reliefs, all of them of a religious nature. Leo didn’t really understand them but he could admire them. Some of the carvings were gigantic possibly of the various divinities while others were tiny. There were animals, people, animal headed people, streams, boats, reeds and rivers; almost a whole nation in the stone. Finally, in the lower centre of the structure there was an opening. It was to that opening that Aos pointed as the entrance. 

Whilst the group had been told what to expect, there was little discussion about how they were going to deal with the questions. Leo thought that it was quite a personal question and that most people were not willing to reveal what they were going to say ahead of time. Certainly everyone looked confident as they approached the dark opening. Entering into a corridor the group advanced. As expected, a large humanoid emerged from the shadows. Approaching the group, it took note of Aos, Elros and Titania as if recognising them. It then turned towards Sigurd.

“Tell me, what good have you done in your life?” its voice boomed.

Sigurd proceeded to relate deeds of battle for a long time.

“And what evil have you done in your life?”

Sigurd proceeded to relate deeds of battle for a long time.

“You are obviously a man of war. I judge you fit to enter the Underworld”.

The creature then turned to Cho. 

“Tell me, what good have you done in your life?”

“I don’t understand the question. What is good and what is evil? I come from a land far away. Our mountains are tall, our gods wear different faces and I don’t know what you mean by good.”

The creature did not waver in its regard of Cho.

“Tell me, what evil have you done in your life?”

“Again, I repeat, I don’t understand what you are asking. I have tried to keep to path that I have chosen. I don’t know what you mean by evil.”

The creature continued looking at Cho for a long moment. Then it said:

“I have given you another life. Go now and seek the answers to the questions you have asked me. When you have found them, return and tell me what they are. You cannot go to the Underworld.”

With that the creature turned to Tarquin:

“Tell me what good have you done in your life?”

The cleric looked at the creature.

“I have done no good and I have done no evil. I have followed the path of my god. What my deeds have been, are and will be are between He and I only.”

“Who is your God?”

“My god is a travelling God. He goes to places that we can only dream of and that I am only beginning to fathom.”

The creature loomed. “Your soul is barren. You cannot enter the Underworld.”

Finally only Leo was left. 

“Tell me, what good have you done in your life.”

Leo answered. “The good that I have done is striving to fulfill my potential. All my actions serve towards this goal. I have done no evil. How can fulfilling your potential be interpreted as evil?”

The creature looked at Leo for a long time. 

“You are fit to enter the Underworld.”

The others looked helplessly at Cho and Tarquin. Leo had already made up his mind that he would not go further without his cohort.

“Great and mighty Anubis,” he called out. “Our two friends are part of our mission. We have information that Set and his evil are corrupting people nearby. We go to rescue a priestess of Isis. Then we must see if great evil is about to rise. If it is, we will try to prevent it. Surely that is a cause worthy for entering the Underworld.”

“You say Set is the cause.”

The creature seemed to ponder for a time. Then it said: “Very well. They may enter, but they must come back to me and relate what good and what evil they have committed in their lives after they have finished.”

With that the creature turned around and strode away. 

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been impossible to continue this without the participation of Cho and Tarquin. The group advanced and was promptly attacked by the remaining creatures with animal heads mentioned by Aos. These were quickly dispatched with the exception of one, which escaped. Leo then sent his eyes outside to see what lay ahead. 

A wide stone avenue led to a walled building. This was a large rectangular sandstone structure again extensively carved in bas-reliefs. The avenue led between two rows of stone statues of animal headed sphinxes. These included ones the heads of ibises, lions and hippos. The group marched boldly on the avenue and felt surprisingly optimistic while doing so. Approaching the entrance to the temple, they proceeded to go inside. 

The temple was dark, lit only by torches; the walls were covered in brightly coloured paintings, again of a religious nature. The air was heavy with thick incense and the ceiling was black from smoke. The entrance hall was deserted so the group advanced further into the temple. Soon, they heard chanting in the distance. Cautiously, they approached. As they closed in, they could see three figures in the distance. These began approaching and soon they were discernible. One was a muscular man wearing a loincloth, sandals, an elaborate headdress and a strange piece of armour on his chest. He was accompanied by two beautiful young priestesses who seemed to be wearing normal Aryptian religious garb; ie very little. 

“Who are you and what do you want?” asked the priest. The priestesses remained quiet although they were eyeing the warriors of the group with interest. 

The group had agreed their story previously. “We are on an important mission and we seek the blessing of the High Priest of Osiris to aid our quest”, replied Aos. 

The man looked at them for a moment and then seemed to come to a decision “Come with me. My name is Chari Chep. I will take you to see the High Priest.” Chari led them into the chamber from which came the chanting. It was full of carvings of snakes and other animals. The one common factor among them was the green stones used for their eyes. Several acolytes were still prying to their god. He led them through the room and into another elaborate chamber with many other carvings. These were all snakes and this time their eyes glittered red in the torchlight. At this point he left them saying he would announce them to the High Priest. The group was left in the chamber with the two priestesses. 

“So, what’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?” Sigurd had approached one 
of them, eyeing her bare chest. She looked at him with interest.

Leo goggled. The group knew the temple was corrupt. These girls were likely to going to be trying to kill them soon. Amitha was being held prisoner in here somewhere. Most likely, the corrupt High Priest was about to enter any minute and Leo expected all hell to break loose in the next few hours. Yet here was Sigurd basically trying his luck. Leo wouldn’t put it past him to tell everyone that he was going to slip away with her for a little time. Leo was sure that it must be something in the Aryptian desert sun that adled certain people’s brains. First Aos and now Sigurd was acting…..unusually. 

At this point Chari came back with the High Priest and thankfully, Sigurd stopped paying attention to the girl. 

“Hello. My name is Sethem Nephtha and I am the High Priest. I am told you seek my blessing. So be it. Tell me, are you the people who helped get rid of the demon crocodile in the village of Artuaat?”

“Yes,” replied Aos. 

“Well, we have a problem with a similar creature here. Something is in the cellars under the Temple. We would be willing to reward you if you could help us get rid of it. I would take you in a boat, which only responds to my command; we would go to a large pool in which something lurks. Will you help?”

Leo thought hard. This was almost too good to be true. Amitha was under the Temple and here they were, being offered a way to go under the Temple. Wait; it was too good to be true. He looked at the others. Most of them were impassive, but he could tell that this amazing “good fortune” was as disturbing to the rest of the group as it was to him. 

Slowly, whilst looking at the everyone Aos said: “We will help you. Lead us to your boat.”


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Peter, give Leo 290 XP.  Although you got this wrong...  



			
				S'mon said:
			
		

> As expected, a large humanoid emerged from the shadows. Approaching the group, it took note of Aos, Elros and Titania as if recognising them. It then turned towards Sigurd.
> 
> “Tell me, what good have you done in your life?” its voice boomed.
> 
> Sigurd proceeded to relate deeds of battle for a long time.
> 
> “And what evil have you done in your life?”
> 
> Sigurd proceeded to relate deeds of battle for a long time.
> 
> “You are obviously a man of war. I judge you fit to enter the Underworld”.


----------



## StalkingBlue

*Passage *



_They are merely questions,_  Cho tells herself as they step forward through the trapezoid-shaped archway into the wide tunnel beyond, which is to lead them through to the Gorge of Osiris.  The party is going to meet the mad holy man Aos and Elros have encountered before, and judged too powerful for them to fight and vanquish.  The air in here is neither warm nor cool.  _Merely questions._ 

The trouble is, long uncomfortable practice has taught the monk that ‘merely’ is something questions like these rarely turn out to be.  More likely to find yourself tripped up in the questions beyond the questions, the veils beyond the veils, the truths beyond the truths beyond the words thought and actually spoken.  
Good deeds and evil deeds.  Was not there a _koan,_ one about pairs of opposites?  Unsurprisingly, the memory escapes her.  

They have walked almost half the length of the tunnel between sunglare and sunglare (will they pass unhindered then?), when a being with the head of a beast but the overall shape of a man steps forward from the shadows.  Fox’s snout, hound’s ears:  a jackal.  This is the priest Aos and Elros have met here before;  the one who calls himself by the name of Anubis, the Aryptian god who judges the dead.  

The man (if that is what he is) stands to one side, half inviting, half forbidding.  The tunnel, in fact wide enough for five or six to fight abreast, suddenly seems narrower.  The ancient yellow stone flakes, like the wall of the cell in Artuaat.  _Merely questions …  _

“Who seeks passage to the Underworld?  Identify yourselves!”  the jackal-headed priest demands.  His voice is a man’s.  

Not a good time to be seen, the monk decides and moves towards the back to observe in peace – and by a shirt’s thickness avoids collision with Sigurd, who is striding forward, eager to be in the lead.  

“I am Sigurd, Jarl of Ravenmark.”  

“Sigurd Jarl of Ravenmark, what good have you done in your life?”  

The Northern warrior leans forward on his sword as he lapses into a joyous declamation of his deeds.  “I have killed men.  I have killed demons.  I have killed a red dragon in the mountains ...”  

Surely there is a pattern here, a pattern to be taken from Aos’s and Sigurd’s answers?  Pairs of opposites.  What was that _koan_ again?  

She finds not the _koan_ but a chant and a night of bitter cold.  

*** 

_“Wind eats rock.  Fire drinks frost.  I am the balance to hold them in check.  I am the Void between them.  Wind eats rock …”  

The wind flattens the fire and groans through the jutting remains of the ancient battlements.  It is Midwinter Night Watch, her first.  Older students swathed in thick layers of clothes move around the circle of coatless children around the struggling fire, take turns chanting, feed pinecones to the flames, correct postures with a gentle nudge.  They are on the roof of Broken Tooth Tower, or rather on the part of it that will not crumble under your weight as you climb the steps winding up from the rear of Forms Hall.  First year lessons are hard, and simple.  This lesson is simply about staying;  and surviving the night.  It is cruelly cold;  and perhaps cruellest is to know that if you cannot bear it, you are free to go.  

There is a shuffling of places and Yukio takes over the chant, Master Student Yukio whom the children secretly call Sun-on-the-River, for her quick easy smile.  The child, too stiff with cold to sigh, cringes with relief:  Yukio’s voice seems to warm you when nothing else can.  “… hold them in check.  I am the Void between them ...”  _

***

“But what good have you done?”  

The jackal-headed priest’s interruption of Sigurd’s tale brings Cho back to the tunnel.  Sigurd takes a sharp breath.  Clearly the mad priest is not as easy to satisfy as the Northerner expected him to be.  Then again, that much might have been expected.  Aos reported that he stated having killed men as his evil deeds.  

Sigurd shifts position and starts over, more soberly this time.  A tense exchange of words follows, in which it appears to be established that the demons Sigurd has killed had done evil.  The priest nods.  

“What evil have you done in your life?”  

Sigurd’s reply throws Cho off thinking about opposites and patterns.  
“I have been a coward too many times in my life,”  he says calmly.  “Also I feel that I have betrayed my people.”  

The priest is silent while he appears to weigh the warrior’s answer.  “You may pass,”  he states finally, and turns to Leo.  

A coward?  A traitor?  Sigurd strikes her as a number of things – but surely neither of these?  

“What good have you done in your life?”  the priest is asking Leo.  And Cho is no closer to discovering her own answer.  

***

_“Good girl.”  _

An echo from even further back, and it does not refer to her, somehow this one never does.  

_“Be a good girl now, Anemone, and get soap and water.  Your sister has got her shirt dirty again.”  

“It is not my blood,”  she mutters, though even at the age of four she knows dimly that such niceties never seem to make a difference.  _And it was not my fault either, _she thinks._  Please?  I was merely going to watch the Evil Man?  

_She has had to go see, of course.  Practically the entire village has turned out to watch the stranger being driven through the main street:  a man from down South, covered with filth and trailing a stink.  He has done Evil and been cut for it (she thought at first they have cut his arms off but they are merely tied cruelly behind his back), and now he is being taken to Bu Pei to be given to the river priests.  If he lives that long.  Tone implying that it might be better for him if he did not.  

“Will the priests drown him?”  she has asked and one of the boys has called her stupid.  

“Stupid yourself!  You said he was Evil-Man-of-the-Mountain, when everyone knows that Evil-Man-of-the-Mountain stands ten feet high and has red skin that writhes and fire coming from his eyes!”  

“Did not!” 

“You did!”  

“Did not!”  

“Did!”  

In the wake of the three Guardians serenely passing with their prisoner, neighbours pull the two children apart and resignedly drag each of them off to their respective homes.  

“Hold still,”  Anemone says in that tone she has when she is almost ready to tear your hair out.  The child stands still and submits to being brushed down harshly with soap and cold water, thinking how it was not her fault at all and soon she will go to be a Guardian and there will be no more brushing, nor tearing of hair …_

*** 

In the tunnel in the desert, the mad priest moves his head slightly as if sniffing the air.  Leo has replied that all he has done in life was aimed at helping allies and friends and reaching his own full potential.  
“And that can never be considered evil,”  Leo says.  He is glowering at the priest in the shadows now, as if locked in some arcane battle of wills.  A heartbeat or three later, his stare gives way to a rather smug look.  

“You have been judged and may pass,”  the priest proclaims.  

This time Cho is too slow in trying to slink further back into the shadows.  The jackal’s head swivels around and his eyes glint directly at her:  he has seen her.  

“Identify yourself,”  he demands.  

“This traveller’s name is Tsui Yio Cho,”  she says in an attempt at respectful formality, which as always sits awkwardly with the words of the Common Tongue.  

“What good have you done in your life?”  

At which, as the worst possible moment, the forgotten _koan_ returns to her mind.  
_What is the sound of a single hand clapping?  _
It is the one she has never been able to find an answer to.  

*** 

_Five masters glower down at her from the dais.  Silence has descended on Forms Hall.  Hot air swishes and giant carapaces crack in the ducts below as the spiders wake from their long summer’s sleep:  first heating day.  It has snowed last night.  

The sound of a single hand clapping … a single hand clapping … sound of a hand …
She is nine and the words run circles around her helpless brain.  _

*** 

The silence in the tunnel in the desert thickens.  Steel clinks faintly as one of the armoured warriors shifts behind Cho.  The priest’s eyes glint at her above his jackal’s snout:  waiting.  

“I have tried to stay true to the path I have chosen,”  she says helplessly.  

“What good have you done?”  he repeats.  

_What does good matter?  _she thinks.  _What does evil matter? _ The one thing that counts is following your path, is it not?  And preserving the balance?  

“I am from a land of mountains,”  she says,  “far away from here.”  
That of course must be the answer:  the age-old balance between two opposing forces.  _We who guard and cull.  He who burns and destroys.  _Kung.  And he has upset the balance.  He must be brought to his downfall.  
Where to find the words?  

“It is cold there,”  she goes on, unsure now whether she is explaining or requesting guidance.  Spirits and demons speak through a mad man’s mouth, that much everybody knows;  why not also a god?  The priest’s jackal eyes glint, waiting.  

“Our gods wear different faces,”  she says.  

***

_The girl kneeling on the flagstones claps her hands. A waking snort bursts on the far left of the dais, where the Eldest has nodded off while this student was groping.  
“Like this,”  the girl says.  “Only but a single one of them?”  And looks defiantly up at five stares of patient disapproval.  _

***

In the tunnel in the desert, the monk takes a breath.  It is no use.  Defeat;  once again.  
“I do not understand what it is that you ask of me.”  

“What evil have you done?”  

Cho shakes her head, suddenly tired.  “My answer is the same.”  

“You cannot pass,”  the man or god declares.  “You are not ready.  I hereby raise you, and charge you to return to the living and seek the answers so you may return.”  
His magic washes over her, sweeps effortlessly through her defences, sends her to her knees gasping.  And he turns to Tarquin to continue his questioning.  

_Not ready.  _
And then, as she struggles to breathe and find strength to force herself back on her feet, two things happen.  Tarquin states that he has done neither good nor evil in his life, and is proclaimed barren of soul and is also, but permanently, denied passage.  
And for Cho, a veil is suddenly torn away from a deeper layer of truth.  

_I found other answers to that koan, but never one that satisfied them.  And yet they would have made me a Guardian.  

Would they still?  _

That of course is the true question, the one that matters.  Truth behind truth, veil behind veil, question behind question.  

Vertigo rushes through the monk, as between two heartbeats, truth opens to reveal a glimpse of a world suddenly larger than it seemed before:  a world so large that Warmaster Kung and his rise or downfall and even the suffering between the two passes in the Mountains might seem small and insignificant by comparison.  A world so large that many things appear possible:  even a return;  even a life healed and whole.  

The glimpse ends.  Nothing remains but the flaking walls and floor of the tunnel;  and the priest Anubis, and her longnosed friends.  

There is talking.  Cho gropes for focus.  

Leo and Aos are prevailing on Anubis to allow Tarquin and her to pass for the sake of their quest, for the purpose of rescuing a person from the clutches of Set.  For this purpose alone, the mad priest finally agrees;  on the condition that the two of them promise to come back from the Underworld when this task is done.  

“Will you come back?”  the priest asks.  

She stands, shakily.  “I will come back if I can.”  
Startlingly close behind and yet in a different world, Tarquin echoes her words.  

_Would they still?  Would they?  _

The priest retreats into the shadows.  Three beast-headed monsters emerge from a side passage and are greeted by the double singing of Aos’s rapier unsheathed and Elros’s first arrow launched:  tension suddenly released into promise of combat and a passage freed.  

_The sound of a single hand clapping.  
Shield me, Lady.  I will return if I can.  _


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

How very very interesting. I've finally come back from York and got up to date. I look forward to finding out exactly what's going on, and getting involved again!

Still think you were robbed on the price of the armour, though. And the fact that Ulfius immediately started wearing it makes me think you undervalued it even more.


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> How very very interesting. I've finally come back from York and got up to date. I look forward to finding out exactly what's going on, and getting involved again!
> 
> Still think you were robbed on the price of the armour, though. And the fact that Ulfius immediately started wearing it makes me think you undervalued it even more.




Well it may technically have a market value of millions of gps, although its poor AC (base 19 for +2 half plate) is a liability, but no one on Ea would be likely to pay millions of gps for it no matter how good it is.


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

Crimson Shadows


As the group approached the ancient reed boat in the middle of the Temple, Leo again marveled at the artistry of this ancient culture. Torches flickered casting a thousand shadows. Hundreds of red-eyed statues of snakes of all types and sizes seemed to follow the group of adventurers as they walked. Some seemed oblivious to the atmosphere. Aos had his now usual fervent stare fixed on the High Priest. Cho’s face was inscrutable. Elros could not be seen. Sigurd was still trying to catch the eye of the priestess and Tarquin was silent, watching the by-play. Suddenly, Tarquin stumbled and seemed distracted. He then approached Leo and whispered in his ear. 

Leo frowned and called out. 
“Your reverence, we have just had some news. Please would you indulge us? We have been informed that Sigurd is urgently needed in our city for a mission only he can perform. Fortunately we have also been told that two more of our colleagues in the city wish to join us. However, we will have to go somewhere where we can be seen from a great distance so they can be transported here. Can you wait for a little time?”

Sethem nodded without speaking. Chari Chep and the two priestesses led the group out of the temple into the avenue of Sphinxes. Suddenly there was a brief shimmering in the air and Saphie, Xiang and Elros appeared. A moment later Sigurd disappeared, casting a regretful look at the priestess. The others approached the three newcomers and there was a certain amount of greetings and camaraderie. Then Aos quickly filled them in as regards the situation the group was in. Cho also exchanged a short conversation with Xiang in their language. Leo assumed that she was telling him of their assumptions about the Temple and the imprisonment of Amitha in one of the cells. The group was then led back to the room with the strange reed boat. 

“Your reverence, can you tell us how long will we be in the boat before we reach to place with the demon crocodile?” Leo asked.

“Yes; the journey is very short. It will take only a few minutes”.

“In that case, could we wait a brief period of time while I cast certain spells on myself and others to make our task easier”.

The High Priest nodded.

Leo began casting. He didn’t really care that much about the spells with the exception of one. He took out a scroll and read out a spell and then scanned the room. Yes, the High Priest, Chari Chep and the two women radiated evil of varying strengths. Considering what they knew about the situation, this did not come as a great surprise to him and he kept his face impassive. 

Using the code phrase that had been agreed before, he turned to the others and said: “Come ladies and gentlemen, evil awaits.” This let the others know that their guides were evil as had been suspected. A new sense of readiness enveloped the group although Leo noticed that Sethem Nephthah also seemed less affable than before. The group got into the boat, Elros vacilating for a long time. Finally, slowly, he also climbed aboard. 

As soon as the group was fully on, Sethem cried a word of power that no one could understand and a strange translucent sphere surrounded the craft. Then it began sinking. It sank only briefly onto water in a tunnel and then it moved with unearthly speed. As it moved, the others curiously looked to the front, wanting to see where they were going. However, warned of the danger, Xiang and Aos stayed close to the priest, ready for any danger. Then Leo heard Aos’s voice in the rushing air. “Hold”. He turned around to see that Aos had stabbed the priest but to no avail. The Aryptian disappeared. Leo cursed. His first thought was to get out of here. He put it to the others that now was the time to try to get back but everyone else wanted to see if they could still continue. 

A few moments later the boat slowed down and came to a stop in a large dark cavern. The odour was truly offensive, the water looked fetid. In the distance there seemed to be a structure. Before the group could make out what it was though, Aos shouted out a warning. Swimming strongly towards them were four creatures out of their worst nightmares. More than thirty foot long, they had the bodies of huge crocodiles, the heads of massive hippos and tusks that were more than a foot long. They moved through the water with uncanny swiftness and attacked Cho, Elros, Xiang and Aos. Just looking at these monstrosities, Leo realised that this was going to be a brutal battle. Their plates of bone was incredibly good defensive armour, their size meant that they would be very difficult to overcome with certain spells and their otherworldliness gave them powers that he could only speculate about. One of these was immediately apparent. Aos, as usual, had incredibly fast reactions and he slashed at the thing with his rapier. Not only did the fire effect of the weapon seem completely ineffective against the beast, but his weapon only seemed to annoy it. The four creatures were slow and ponderous but the rest of the group was suffering from shock at seeing such unearthly monsters and the beasts took full advantage. All four grabbed their victims in their maws and proceeded to try to pull them into the water. Finally the group reacted. The most dramatic result was obtained by Tarquin. Uttering divine syllables, he strode forward to the beast with Xiang in his maw and touched it. The creature simply disappeared, leaving an unbalanced Xiang on the boat. Aos managed to wriggle out of the grip of his attacker. However the other two dragged Cho and Elros under the dark water although Cho had done considerable damage to her opponent. The group then concentrated its firepower fully on the beast fighting Aos as it was the only one they could see. Saphie loosed her fireballs time and again at it. Acid burst from Xiang’s spear and scorched its length, Aos still stabbed at it with his rapier which was beginning to score more effective hits, Leo hit it with a black ray which made it more sluggish. Xiang then stepped forward and unleashed the might of the Black Spear against it. The weapon seemed almost to be humming at fighting such a major opponent. The beast was still incredibly dangerous but did not seem to be as strong as its companions so Leo turned around and unleashed his most mighty lightning bolt into the water, hoping to the hurt the two that were drowning his other two companions. He was rewarded when he dimly saw two shapes outlined by his effect deep in the water. The last beast on the boat was finally dead so Leo did it again but catastrophically, the two creatures had left the area, obviously through some underwater tunnels. Leo was still worried that the creatures could come back so he cast a variety of defensive effects on himself.

The group looked at each other silently. They were shaken and shocked at the speed and brutality of the attack. Two of their companions were gone, almost certainly dead. Leo looked at Aos and Xiang. Xiang was still fervently looking for something to kill, upon which to vent his rage. Then he spat: “I am going to raze and pillage this place if it’s the last thing I do.” Aos was also still looking dazed but also determined. “Amitha is still missing.” Leo thought. Then he said: “We have to think about this. Two or our companions are missing. Our priorities have changed. We have to get back their bodies as soon as possible. Our best chance may be back in Gaxmoor”. Xiang and Aos looked dubious. 

During the conversation, the boat was still drifting towards the structure. A stepped stone jetty led to a colonnaded platform with a square building in the middle of it. Xiang pointed. “Whether we go back to Gaxmoor or not, I think that the bodies may well have been taken to that building. We should at least investigate that.” Reluctantly Leo agreed. There was a possibility that it was the case. As the boat docked on the jetty, the group saw the head of a huge serpent rise out of the water and stare at them. The group rapidly left the boat. They were so vulnerable to drowning. As they stepped onto the jetty, angry purple and crimson points lit up on the stone blocks under their feet and in the stones close to them casting crimson shadows. The whole effect was the stuff of madness. The columns had bas relief scenes of the triumphs of Set. Demons cavorted with unwilling women. Evil races drove thousands of human slaves into building monuments of worship to Set. Several scenes showed mass human sacrifices and above all, the columns showed all the other deities paying homage to the Great Serpent. Approaching closer to the building they could discern four stone sphinxes. However these were parodies of the mighty statues on the Avenue of Sphinxes. Even in their stone form, the group could see that the stain of madness lurked in the eyes of these beasts. 

Leo first sent one of his Prying Eyes towards the door of the stone building. As soon as the eye approached the statue animated and let out a stream of gibberish. Leo couldn’t quite make out exactly what it said but it asked the warriors of the group to lay down their weapons before entering the stone building. Leo then sent his eyes to each of the other three doors and received variations of this gibberish. Leo then asked Saphie if she could open the door magically from a distance. She tried but then said that the building was defended with powerful magic and the spell hadn’t worked. The group was pretty certain that the statues were going to attack them as soon as they approached the doors. Aos did so and it duly happened. The statue animated and maniacally attacked Aos and Xiang who had both gone forward. However, this opponent was not the same calibre as that of the hippo headed demons and both warriors soon made short work of it. Immediately, the another one animated and again the two warriors finished it within a few seconds; then it happened again and then finally for the fourth one. All four statues had been dealt with. Then Saphie summoned a Hound Archon to open the door. The group got ready and the celestial duly opened the door. A huge four headed statue of the snake headed god was inside. As soon as the door opened it cried: “Welcome worshippers. I will give you wealth and power beyond your wildest dreams. Lay down your weapons and your items of power at my feet and worship”. The words were sweet, seductive and for a brief moment Tarquin was overcome. The stress of losing his friends, lack of sleep and of trying to keep everyone alive with his healing led him to briefly lose his sanity and he knelt down in front of the statue. The Archon then stepped forward and hit the statue. It shattered into many pieces. The effect on Tarquin stopped immediately, the angry crimson lights went out and the bas relief sculptures on the columns seemed to melt and change in front of their eyes. Upon closer examination they showed the worship of Osiris and above all the defeat of the minions of the Great Snake. Leo even noticed a section of the relief showing an uncanny likeness of members of the group driving back the worshippers of the Evil One. At the same time, a glowing narrow green bridge appeared from the back of the platform leading to the wall of the cave. Finally, in the remains of the statue everyone noticed a book together with a little crimson statuette of a snake. The archon informed the group that both were objects of great evil. The book itself was one of the great evil objects needed to invoke Rahotep. It was safely stored away and the statuette was shattered with the Black Spear. 

Leo suddenly thought. If the power of Set was broken in this section there was a possibility that the titanic entities in the water may have gone. It must be worth checking. Quickly a plan was formulate and Saphie, with her magical stone that allowed her to sustain herself without air dived into the water. Almost immediately, she appeared again through magical transport means. “They are still there. I barely got away.” Everyone looked glum. A careful search in the building revealed nothing, so the group stepped carefully onto the strange green walkway. A huge snake again raised its head to look at the group but did not attack. As they reached the far wall, the group could see that there was a carving of a large portal, with again relief of the four mad sphinx guards defeated earlier by the group. The group searched the wall and Leo found that the heads were moveable. It was decided to move them in the order that the group met the statues. Silently, the portal slid open revealing a dark corridor leading up into the darkness. Positioning themselves in fighting formation, the group strode forward. Having moved several hundred feet into the darkness, suddenly everyone felt a wrenching sensation. A sibilant hissing, like a thousand snakes with the malevolence of time immemorial seemed to chuckle: “Now you are mine. Welcome to my world. Prepare to worship me, minions. Tremble before me puny humans.” With that Leo felt a wave of coldness, a soul destroying coldness of a type he had never encountered before and of which he had never even realised was possible. Then a warm presence dispelled this coldness and a bell like voice, pitched at a contralto, countered: “No, Set, you cannot have them. They do not worship you and they have yet things to do.” With that the group found themselves in a heap in front of a shield guardian and a surprised apprentice of the White Way. They were back in Gaxmoor. 

Everyone took a few minutes to recover. The experience had been unearthly and not one Leo cared to repeat. However, practicality asserted itself. There were various priorities that needed to be addressed. Tarquin went back to his temple. He had a good idea of what was going to be done and he had to get ready. Saphie went to the Margrave, her brother to report what had happened. Titania and Aos went back to the Sultry Siren. Dovistar and Leo consulted deep into the night discussing how best to combine magics to try to find out what had happened to the two missing companions. Leo and Tarquin worked deep into the night and then had to rest to recover their spells. The next day everything was as ready as it was going to get. Both Leo and Dovistar chanted in unison. They met great resistance which drained Leo in particular but they managed to overcome it and at the end of the ritual a badly mangled female body appeared in the tower. It had been partly digested. It was covered in acid burns, with bones showing in sections of the limbs and almost hairless. Cho was unrecognisable. The corpse was rapidly taken to the temple. Again, Pretorius and Tarquin worked together. The rite was long and complicated. The body had to be healed and then the soul had to be returned to its shell. Fortunately, Cho had a strong soul and suddenly she coughed and heaved. Surrounded by everyone else, she opened her eyes; and the diamonds disappeared.  

The next day these powerful preparations and magics were repeated for Elros. However this was much more problematic. When the body appeared, it was discovered that the corpse was missing its head. It had been digested. There was nothing even Tarquin could do for the elf. The group mourned their archer. He had been a boon companion. 

The Margrave then asked the group for a meeting. When the group arrived with a still pale Cho he greeted them one by one and asked for a report on the activities in Arypt. He frowned several times and then said: 
“Whilst I admire your attempts to help others in the deep south, I would ask you to remain in Gaxmoor for the near future. Spies have told me that Heracules has been spotted in the Doskan Heights. This time he is trying to forge an alliance with Frost Giants. If he manages this, he will again threaten the borderlands.” Kanor smashed his hand against the table. This uncharacteristic outburst served to emphasise his frustration with the cambion. “He must be stopped once and for all otherwise all the deaths in the Battle of Jerrakig will be for nothing. I would like you to mount an expedition to the Heights. If he manages this alliance then it will be a winter campaign. Please mount it before then. An old friend of yours has volunteered to guide you into the area. Ghysk, the hobgoblin.”

Xiang nearly spat out his wine. The others were not quite so obvious but everyone looked dubious. Cho was no doubt still remembering his description of her as the “Mongali chick” and Aos may also have been thinking about Ghysk’s kidnapping of the Margravine Eloise. The wily hobgoblin was a byword in treachery, deceit and rudeness and if there was one thing guaranteed, it was that Ghysk considered himself to be his number one priority and anyone else came a long way down. However, he also had unrivalled knowledge of the Heights and a great deal to gain if Heracules was finally brought down. 

Both Tarquin and Leo were keen to go to the Heights but before they went, both had to do some research and crafting to do. It had now become very important to them. Both felt they could finally attempt to craft some items of great power. 

Finally, when the meeting was over, Aos approached everyone and said.
“I don’t know how to say this but here goes. Without meaning to, we have actually succeeded in achieving our main aim in Arypt. I have been told by Isis that Set Rahotep needs the Nine Objects of Power to rise. We have three of them. So long as he does not obtain those he will never become the power he threatens to be. His whole ploy depended on luring powerful adventurers with strong souls to both bring him the objects and feed his hunger at the same time.”

Leo didn’t know what to say to this.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

One small correction, so far as I remember it was Xiang who broke the statue of Set, not the Hound Archon. I only say it because I was able to avoid the effects of it's little speech due to the Shield of Green Fire.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Cool account, Leo.  Wonderfully dark mood.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Cho's account might go here if I have time to write it. Which most likely won't be before next Sunday's game, so I'm being cocky and reserving space.  Wouldn't want to upset chronological order.  


Edit:  Here it comes.  

---

*Little Black Snow *



It has been instants.  The snapping of an insanely huge maw around her, the coiling of a scaly body, the fetid tunnel waters boiling up and over her.  Her head snaps back, she scrambles for the thread holding her to the Void but the thread shivers, breaks under the strain.  _Focus.  Focus!! _ Ribs snap and her spine is slipping apart under the pressure of the monster’s giant jaws, limbs going out like dying candles;  then the very water implodes around her and an unbearable whiteness sears her inside and out –  



_… no balance … _



Snow whirls as her little feet patter down the path.  “Jifu, Ji-Jifu!”  Father, little father.  “You are back!  Are you back?”  
He catches her and swings her into his embrace.  Ice crackles on his quilted sleeves.  “Snow, my girl.  My own Little Black Snow.”  He’s smelling of frost and travel and old beard.  
“What have you brought me, father?  What have you brought me?  Did you see the Guardians?”  



_… no balance … without faith … _



A face as large as the sky, whispering a song:  shapes and words hazy in the mists of memory.  Safe.  A mother’s nuzzling flesh …  



_… no faith … without love … _



Fabric tears under the shepherd’s crippled hand as she folds into their shared need:  another rend in a shirt already almost past mending.  At this instant, neither of them cares.  
“Why now?”  she whispers as their mouths mingle.  “Why only now?”  
“Because you are healed.”  Because you are leaving.  
“Why don’t you hate me?  You should hate me …”  



_… no love … without balance … 



… no … balance … 



No!  Where?!  Where are you, Lady?  I have lost you!  I have lost my path. 
I am here, Child.  I am always here. 
I have failed you.  I died?  
You are here.  
But why now?  I cannot die now!  I have not – 
You are here, Child.  That path ends.  
I have failed my friends. _

And as that last thought pearls away, with it, or an aeon later, rides acceptance, and quiet.  

Time wheels.  Aeons of peace spread, a pair of dark, endless wings.  No more meaning.  Balance at last.  



***



Balance.  



***



Far away, a calling.  A groping.  A ripple in the quiet.  
All that still remains turns away from that imperfection.  _No.  _
The ripple spreads;  shimmers with sorrow;  and with a promise of pain.  
_No!  _
But already the balance is broken.  
_Please no … _

_They were your friends once.  They are searching for you.  They have made sacrifices.  
Will I go then?  _she asks sadly.  
_Would you stay, Child of Crane?  _
It is, of course, not a question.  
_I shall go if you command me, Lady.  I am ready.  _

So she summons what strength she can find here:  fragments of an unbeating, heavy heart.  Memory.  Focus, long shattered and forgotten.  And as peace and quiet peel away from her in layers, a new path begins.


----------



## ZosKia

Tallarn said:
			
		

> One small correction, so far as I remember it was Xiang who broke the statue of Set, not the Hound Archon. I only say it because I was able to avoid the effects of it's little speech due to the Shield of Green Fire.




Well if we are being pedantic I think AOS & Xiang struck it pretty much simultainiously  . The Hound Archon definately wasn't involved.


(AOS's account to go here  )


----------



## Dispater

Although Sigurd's envy of hearing about your demon-croc bashing adventures is great, he's certainly looking forward to putting H. in the sh*thouse next sunday.


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

Mountain Slaughter

Gods what a disaster! Leo blinked, making sure of reality. Yes, he was in the teleport chamber of the White Way Tower in Gaxmoor. Yes, the Shield Guardian was staring at him impassively. He lurched to the side of the room. He was hyperventilating. Every single bone and muscle in his body hurt abominably. He looked at himself and grimaced. He was a mess. His clothes were little more than tattered rags and he was covered in blood. His blood. It still oozed out of several massive cuts and gashes scattered throughout his body. Thank the gods they were beginning to clot. He stared briefly at one of the Bracers that had been revealed through the remnants of his shirtsleeve. It was a wondrous piece of craftsmanship, covered in sigils and runes. It was very expensive. It took a very long time to make during endless days of frustration, sleeplessness and agony. It had just saved his life. He closed his eyes briefly. He saw flashes of orcs, ogres, trolls and above all than damnable hill giant. The massive club struck him again and again. Leo was still reliving those blows. His shoulder and ribs were reliving those blows. Quickly he opened his eyes again.

Suddenly the Shield Guardian tensed as the teleport circle in the chamber lit up. Barak and Sigurd appeared. Leo breathed a sigh or relief and then asked “Aos? Titania?” The other two shook their heads. 

Leo cursed in a way he had rarely done before and then he got up and unsteadily made his way to his quarters and slumped on his cot. 

A few minutes later Dovistar burst into his room.

“Leo! My gods man what happened? Look at you”.

With that the old mage hurried out of the room. Things moved quickly after that. First a bath was brought into the room, filled with hot water. Leo carefully bathed. The water turned red. He was only allowed a brief period of privacy. New clothes were brought into his room. A priest was sent for. Food was brought Leo was finally beginning to feel a little more human. Some time later, Leo had bathed, drank and eaten. He received notice that a priest and some other people had come to the tower. Some more of the Heroes. “Praise the Gods” thought Leo. “Tarquin did what I thought he would”. As time went on, his cohort priest was turning out to be more and more reliable and powerful.    

Looking refreshed Leo went to greet his other friends. He found Tarquin, Xiang and Saphie, together with Barak and Sigurd waiting for him. Dovistar and Laera were also in the room. 

Leo looked at everyone. “I presume everyone knows about Aos and Titania. I may have had my differences with the man but he didn’t lack courage and he was very effective at combat. He certainly didn’t deserve to die the way he did. Titania was a great help to the group. She knew things no one else did. She had very useful spells and her music lifted our spirits. I say we heal, rest, learn from our mistakes, review our tactics and then go up there to clear that place out for good. If we don’t, that miserable cambion and his oversized monstrosities will sweep through the lands of Gaxmoor laying waste to all before them in the winter. No one will survive. They will burn, pillage and enslave. And the goddess Hel shall rule the land.”

Leo spoke calmly. He had come to the conclusion that this was Heracules’s last throw. It was also his most dangerous. Using the giants as shock troops and combining them with the remnants of his last army could spell the end of Kanor’s rule of the Borderlands. This would also be in combination with a winter campaign, something most soldiers dreaded. 

Laera chimed in at this point. “Leo, what happened?”

“What happened? Too much and not enough. First, Cho decided to continue in her travels I think. To be honest I don’t know. When we were ready to go she was nowhere to be found. I did contact her with a Sending and she told me that she must follow another path right now. So be it, I wish her luck. We may or may not see her again. She knows where we are. 
Fortunately, the Margrave had managed to gain the services of Rhianne, a druid. I must confess I don’t know a great deal about druids. It is a mysterious branch of the spellcasting network but from what little I have heard I know they can be very powerful and useful. Especially outdoors. She was most welcome; and of course, you know Barak decided to join our little group. So, we gained some powerful allies even though we had lost Cho and Elros. 
Anyway, the Margrave invited us to the palace to discuss our problems. You know these of course. We have discussed some of them before. The Mongali are gathering. It is easy to see where they are going. It is impossible to know where they are going to stop. Luckily we did manage to get that Treaty with the Makyans. That could just turn them North. We will see. 
However, we were discussing more immediate problems, namely Heracules and his alliance with the Frost Giant Jarl. We now know he is named Gungir. Not only is he the Jarl but he is also a priest of Thrim, some giant deity. 
Kanor told us that Gysshk had been in touch with him. He claimed to know the location of Gugnir’s secret fortress. To cut a long story short, we discussed the situation to an extent and then Xiang, Aos and I went to get the hobgoblin. He lives in Carrisqui. We teleported there, had a quick discussion, handed over his fee and he agreed to come back with us. Once here, he gave us the location. It is a fortress in the Dosk Heights. Not in a desolate, icy wasteland, but in the more temperate accessible zone, lower down the mountains. There is a gorge with a stream running through it. It is quite picturesque if you like that kind of thing. On one side there was an entrance which has been artificially worked. Gysshk was familiar with the layout but he believed that the giants had done quite a large amount of enlarging and digging. So, he gave us a good description of the place. Good enough that Tarquin could locate it with magical means.”

Dovistar and Laera looked at Tarquin. Whilst they couldn’t cast the spell to which Leo referred, they knew of its existence and they also knew the level of seniority needed to use it. It was quite possible that he was now the most senior priest of Urnus Gregaria. He certainly was in Gaxmoor. It was fortunate that this God was a remote, travelling deity who did not believe in interfering with the lives of mortals. It made the religion much quieter. 

“So, to continue the story. We decided the travel there on phantom steeds. It was very taxing on my daily spell learning but it was worth it for the distance we traveled in just a couple of the days. Little of note happened. We ran into some large boars, you know, the enormous ones; we also found out that Rhianne could change into an eagle shape. Useful ability although she couldn’t keep up with our speed. She could also talk to animals. One morning we found a gigantic bear eating the boars we killed and she just talked to it so instead of it trying to have us for desert we just went around it. Anyway, so we get to the area. Rhianne flies around and finds the entrance; it is an archway with a ledge in front of it. Vast amounts of rubbish have been thrown over the slope. She also saw an orc, which confirmed it was the place we were looking for. Having had to cast nine spells on that day already and with the possibility of facing Heracules, his entourage, a spell casting Frost Giant and at least a further dozen Frost Giants never mind what else was in there, I really felt that I should replenish my magic. Barak then bravely volunteered to see if he could scout the entrance part of the cave.”

Leo smiled at his former teacher.

“Barak always did have more courage than most of the wizards I know. Anyway, we cast some effects on him. He could now fly and he was also invisible. Then we settled down to wait.”

Leo looked at Dovistar to see the old mage was frowning. 

“We arrived there in the morning; we had to use some time before we cast the Rope Tricks and climbed in them to sleep. So Barak went scouting. He came back a little time later, very agitated. He found a large antechamber, with a guard consisting of an ettin, a Frost Giant, a Hill Giant and a troll. Unfortunately, they also spotted him and he had to get out fast. We surmised that they are likely to send out a scouting party to find out what was going on. Rhianne volunteered to go and oversee the entrance. Unfortunately, that is the last we heard from her. I have a horrible feeling about that. Tomorrow I am going to try to cast a Sending to her. I must confess I am not very hopeful of the result. 
So, in spite of Rhianne, suddenly about a dozen orcs appeared from the wilderness around us. They are quite tough for orcs but by the time Xiang, Aos, Sigurd and Barak finished with them, they are wiped out to a man. 
We had an argument then. A part of the group wanted to follow up our “advantage”. Twelve orcs. Considering what came later that’s some advantage.
So, after the discussion we rode out on the Phantom Steeds for several hours.  The next day, we came back at dusk, ready to cast the Rope Tricks to learn our spells for the coming battle.
We cast the spells and went to sleep. Somehow or other that misbegotten, miserable, unnatural demonspawn found them. His demon mother must have shown them to him or something. Dovistar, you know how hard it is to find a Rope Trick. Anyway, the next thing I know, a Hill Giant is in front of me, having squeezed through the window. He lays into me. Soon he is joined by a troll and then two orcs. At this stage of course I am screaming for the others to wake up. Anyway, all of these monsters beat the living daylights out of me as you saw but at the last moment I managed to dismiss the Rope Tricks and then just get the hells out of there, trusting that Tarquin will get the other two out. Obviously he did. Thank the gods. Just before I left, I spotted several more frost giants, together with many more orcs, and ogres. I didn’t really bother counting.”

He turns to Barak. “What happened in your Trick?”

Barak answered: “Pretty much the same. Except that we had Heracules climb into ours. He and his mates did for Titania and Aos.”

Leo groaned inwardly. That meant that the chances of recovering the remains of their two comrades were non existent.

He turned to the others and said. “Saphie, would you be so kind as to inform your brother of the latest happenings. This has been a disaster. We cannot avoid that description of events. Recently we have lost Elros, Aos, Titania, and Cho has left us. That is too many comrades. However, it could have been worse. Under the circumstances we could all have died. We must send word to the druids that one of theirs has fallen and who was responsible. Looking for a positive side, we now have a much clearer idea of what we face. I think it is also likely that when we return Heracules will still be there. Why should he leave? He beat us with ease this time. He probably can’t wait to meet us again while he drinks out of Aos’s skull.
If you please, I am now very tired and I need to rest. I hurt all over.”

Leo then stood up and made to leave the room. In the doorway, he turned around and pointed to Sigurd. “Oh Dovistar, before I forget, please meet the new King of Trafalgis. He is very well disposed to both the White Way and the Temple of Urnus Gregaria. At some point we must talk about that.”

With that, Leo left the room.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

_Out of game note: for some reason, while I was out of the game, it was decided that Xiang would return to Gaxmoor. I've still not decided why this should be, and so I'm going to write this as though Xiang was teleported from the Pool of Hapy straight to the rest of the group at the Gorge of Osiris. Hopefully that'll still make sense._

After an amount of time at the Pool of Hapy, Xiang recieved a _sending_ from Dovistar back in Gaxmoor. The others in the group had decided to return to the Gorge of Osiris, despite earlier misgivings, and wanted him along.

Xiang sighed. It seemed his brief and ill-concieved attempt to take some time away from the rest of them was doomed to failure.

Once again feeling the remarkable power of Dovistars _Teleport Summoning_ spell, Xiang travelled the immense distance to Gaxmoor in an instant, arriving in the now almost familiar teleport chamber in the tower of the White Way. Xiang took a split second to ponder whether his skill at arms was enough to defeat the Shield Golem that stood watch, as he always did, and as ever resolved never to try. The White Way had gained many things through an association with the party, and it would be foolish in the extreme to ever get on the wrong side of them.

Still, it does no harm to question one's own ability. A quick conversation ensued with Dovistar, and he was sent onwards to the Gorge of Osiris.

A long discussion of events that he had missed ensued, with Aos excitedly pointing towards the various divine communications he had had, and their accuracy, Cho telling the story in her clean, precise manner, and Leo's somewhat dry account of events. The only section that really caught Xiang's attention was the armour they had recovered from the Tomb of Guthron.

"It did _what?_ And you sold it to _Ulfius?_" Xiang was slightly shocked. To give such a powerful item to another when they knew it would enhance his power to an incredible amount...then he forced himself to think about things from the point of view of the others. They weren't sure that they'd see him again. The group that had recovered the armour made around 45,000gp each in selling it. At this point Xiang noticed that Tarquin seemed to be wearing Ulfius' old armour, meaning that Ulfius himself was now wearing the Armour. Combined with the Hammer that he weilded, Xiang reckoned that Ulfius was probably the most dangerous fighter in the area, possibly the world. He took a deep breath and put it behind him.

"So what now?" asked Xiang.

Leo filled in exactly what they were planning. It seemed that the Priests in the Temple were asking them to voyage in a magical boat to clear out an infestation of demon-crocodiles in the area underneath the Temple. Apparently these crocodiles were far larger than the one they had fought before. Cho spoke in the language that they shared that the Priests were not to be trusted, but that the group had come to no firm conclusion about what to do should this be proved.

Xiang shrugged. His job was to attack the enemies of the group, but given that so many in the group had quicker reflexes than him when it came to starting fights he normally just went with the flow. Once Aos started dancing around with his little rapier, his undoubted skill and speed working, Xiang's options quickly cleared up for him.

They re-entered the Temple. Xiang was also filled in on what the party had gone through to gain entry, and was extremely happy to learn that he had missed explaining what good and what evil he had done in his life. The question stayed with him was several days afterwards. What would he had answered? During his time serving under the command of Warmaster Kung, he had fought in many battles. But did that make his actions evil? He had, at that time, merely been a good soldier - following orders. At what point did he realise what he was doing, and begin thinking of the theft of the Spear and subsequent escape? And the deeds he had done with this group? Were they any better? All he had done was continued to kill things. In the end, Xiang did what he almost always did. He filed the thought away at the back of his mind and added it to the long, long list of things that he had to think about one day.

The main Temple Hall was certainly impressive. Shrines lined it's edges, each to a different Aryptian God or Goddess. Aos and Titania moved to one immediately, leaving a small donation. Xiang snorted quietly to himself - such a donation served no purpose. At Mount Fire, the Warmaster was considered almost a God himself, and to insult him by leaving a few paltry coins was to invite disaster. Far better to avoid the sight of the Gods entirely, unless you were prepared to draw their eye entirely upon you.

Leo was in conversation with the High Priest as to the exact nature of what was about to happen, and with a nod of assent from Priest began casting spells, including reading one from a scroll. As he completed the scroll, he turned and looked around the room again as if searching for something. The he looked directly at Aos and Cho and said "Come then, evil awaits."

There was an immediate sense of tension in the room. Elros in particular became very twitchy, pausing for several seconds before joining the rest of the group on the boat. There was a great sense of uncertainty around everyone, but after a few seconds the High Priest spoke an arcane word and the mysterious reed boat sank into the floor.

For several seconds the boat moved through solid stone before settling down neatly onto an underground river. The High Priest stood at the rear of it, and Aos moved up next to him. Sensing that this would be a good idea, Xiang joined him. The boat increased in speed, moving at a pace that could only be possible with magical assistance.

With a start, Xiang realised that Aos had stabbed the High Priest, who had clutched at his side and then vanished with his other hand upon an amulet. A short but intense argument followed, with Aos apologising for not grappling the Priest. Xiang kept his eyes on the water, now that the treachery was clear.

The boat moved into a larger cave, the walls opening out around them. Ahead was a small island, with some sort of structure upon it surrounded by pillars. However, what really caught Xiang's attention was the large creature moving rapidly towards the boat. Shouts from other people indicated that there was more than one of these creatures. They looked similar to the demon-crocodile in the villlage, but larger...and with hippo heads? Xiang took a moment to be surprised, then set the Spear in readiness.

There was a brief moment of confusion as the demon reared up out of the water and placed it's front legs on the boat, snapping at Xiang with it's massive mouth and catching hold of him! Xiang scored a desperate scratch with the Spear, but struggled to escape the creature's grip. A low _boom!_ behind him told him that Saphie was _fireballing_ another one. Help was at hand as Tarquin moved across the boat and cast _dismissal_, sending the creature back to it's home plane! Xiang was relieved, such a creature was incredibly dangerous if it chose to try and drag him underwater.

Others in the boat were not fairing so well. Spinning around to assess the situation, Xiang was just in time to see Cho and Elros disappear off the boat in the jaws of two of the monsters, and that Aos had apparently escaped one by the skin of his teeth. Xiang fired a shot of White Foul Flame at the only visible creature, scorching it's side, and then moved forwards to strike at it with the Spear. Between himself and Aos, the creature was killed, but Cho and Elros had disappeared from sight. Leo cast a _chain lightning_ into the water, but it seemed as though the two powerful warriors had been lost.

The boat floated quietly on towards the island. After quick discussion, the group attempted to move on. As they ascended the steps, various stange colours swirled around them. Xiang looked around at the various pillars, seeing scenes of evil worship taking place upon them. The central building was surrounded by four statues. Stopping the group, Leo sent his ever-present _prying-eyes_ spell forwards. As an eye moved next to each statue, it spoke, speaking of the laying down of weapons or spell equipment that the weilders might worship inside and promising greater treasures inside. 

The group, as one, dismissed this idea.

Moving forwards, the statues animated one at a time. And one at a time Xiang and Aos slew them. The fight was short and brutal. To attempt an entry to the temple, Saphie summoned a Hound Archon, and bid it open the gates. As it did so, Xiang invoked the _Shield of Green Fire_ to protect him from any magical effects that might affect his mind.

The statue of Set inside came as no great surprise to anyone. And when it spoke, telling all present to bow down and worship him, Xiang felt the enchantment roll off his _Shield, _and stepped forwards. One blow from the Spear and the statue crumbled, broken. Only Tarquin had fallen for it's enchantment, and he quickly regained his composure.

Exiting the temple, it was clear that destroying the statue had had a powerful effect. The columns now showed pictures of Osiris worship, and a pathway of light led across to a ledge on the far side of the water. Saphie attempted to determine if the guardian creatures had been dismissed as well, allowing recovery of the dead party members, but it became clear that they were still there. She hurridley retreated.

Moving across the pathway, the group found a bas relief of a doorway surrounded by other images. Four of the images were those of the statues outside the temple, and the group quickly determined that the heads could be moved. Moving the heads in the order the statues had attacked them in, and then opening the door, a long upwards leading corridor was revealed.

The party advanced cautiously, but after a fair distance they felt a tug, and were swept forwards. A voice boomed in their heads as Set claimed them for his own...and then a second voice, that of Aos' Goddess spoke and rescued them! As vision cleared, everyone found themselves in the Gaxmoor teleportation chamber.

Once Dovistar had been brought up to speed, he agreed to teach Leo a powerful spell - _limited wish._ With this spell, it was hoped that the bodies of Cho and Elros could be recovered. The following day, Leo and Dovistar worked their magics togther, returning the bodies to the Tower of the White Way. Both were in a bad way, but Elros had lost his head and was thus unable to be resurrected. Cho's body was taken to the Temple of Urnus Gregaria, and with the help of the High Priest and Tarquin was returned to life.

The mission had been a failure, but word from Arypt arrived. The group had achieved some sort of success, since they now held several of the items that the undead lord needed to gain full power. Without them, he could only threaten a small area...it seemed by luck more than judgement the party had succeeded.


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Matt, give Xiang 250XP.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Fantastic updates.  Wonderful character flavour I thought. 

I especially liked Leo's "...blood.  His blood."  And of course the deadpan mention of H using Aos's skull as a drinking cup.    

And I loved Xiang's musings about whether and why not to challenge the White Way's Shield Guardian, and how to best keep away from the attentions of the gods.  





I've also completed Cho's last account.  I'm posting it in my last post above (the "reserved space").


----------



## Dispater

Bit of background drop for you guys...


********

*Kingdom*

Cold wind and sleets of snow and ice swept against Sigurd's face as he came to the end of his journey. Through this bleak, mountainous landscape he had gone for several days without food or rest. Two Trafalgaric guards, eastlenders, looked up at him with curious faces as he stopped by their stand and dismounted. One of them intensified his look as he caught glimpse of a golden chainmail behind Sigurd's rain dripping, ragged cloak. 
"Where be the Council Hall?"
"Up the hill, you'll see the Tower of Truth. The Jarls are gathered there today, sire."
"I know."
"And you are?"
"I am Sigurd."
The guard didn’t need more explaination. The rumours had travelled like the northern wind in the last few days. 
"Jarl Sigurd, you are late. They feared you had been waylaid."

_As expected._ Sigurd could hear the raised voices of angry jarls even before set foot in the building. He handed his sword and cloak to the thralls, and walked up the long wooden stairs. Before the two massive doors leading to the Chamber of Kings, two honorary guards in full chain mail eyed him with fierce looks.
"The Council is in hearing."
"I can hear that." 
Without giving more heed to the guards, he kicked the doors aside and they swung open. He stared into the circular room. The Chamber of Kings, finally. It was decorated with all the Jarls’ banners and their shields. They were all gathered around a huge, square table, and at the end of the room, stood the statues of bygone kings with their backs to a windows in red and blue painted glass. All chairs were occupied apart from two empy seats next to each other. He knew the simpler, wooden chair with a black raven burned into the back had long belonged to his ancestors, and now to him, whilst the royal throne, inlaid with gold and silver, had long stood empty. Sigurd strode right across the room. The Jarl of Sudvik, Harald Ulvson waved away the guards and raised his voice. 
"Hail, Sigurd Ravenskjold, Son of Orm, Jarl of Ravenmark. We have long awaited your arrival. There are several urgent matters ahead."
"Hail Harald Ulvsson, Son of Ulv Jarsson. I appologise for my late arrival. I have travelled and crossed many dangerous perils in order to get where I am today." Odin knows, Sigurd thought.
"All hail!" The Jarls stood. 
"Now sit, as one." The Sudvik Jarl kept the council by tradition. He owned one of the wealthiest and most successful trade fleet in the west and was at least by Trafalgaric standards considered a very powerful man.
"I have an… anouncement to make." Sigurd calmly put a hand on each of the chairs in front of him. 
"Yes, why do you not sit first and listen, like it is custom?" Harald frowned. At this moment, Erik, Jarl of Eastmark jumped up and clenched his fist. A plump, red-haired man in his middle-years, Erik had acquired the title "Angry-Erik" upon his tendency to axe messengers who brought bad news, well in fact, any news. 
"He dares touch the King's Chair!" The other jarls sighed and looked up at Sigurd. 
"I come before you as the King. I have the final documents signed and approved by the Folksting. I have a legitimate claim to this throne."
"By Odin! Blasphemy! Mockery!" Erik and several other eastern jarls jumped up, some instinctively moving their hands to their belts, only to remember their arms had been left behind. Passively, Harald of Sudvik glanced down and up at the rebelious jarls. 
"Silence!" he thundered upon them. "Are you, Erik, son of Gorm, not the great-grandson of the great Jarl Karl who pledged to lay his arms at the feet of our next king? Or did you, perhaps, forget his promises and sell your jarldom to Overking Tharkane?"
The room fell silent and it was as if a shadow of hurt pride fell over them. Sigurd tapped his fingers on the King's chair.
"You didn't all think that when Imgart fell, your problems were past?" Sigurd said. "Granted, maybe you could have peace for some years, even prosperity. But war is imminent, either with the Mongali or Tharkane. By Odin, their superior forces could march through our lands and mow down any resistance.  When you were busy taking land from one another, I marched an army into Ravengard and took back what is rightfully mine. I could have stopped there. But now I am here to take back what is ours."  
"We have long been aware the situation in Ravengard and your claim to the throne, Sigurd. We thank you for beheading that coward Jerv and are glad that one of the true Ravenskjolds have returned. Now our only concern is that you will just be another of Tharkanes puppets on the throne, not the King of Trafalgaris." said the Jarl of Sudvik.
"A puppet? The Ravenmarklings has always been good and loyal to the line of Kings and the people of Trafalgaris. I don't see why you shouldn't." Sigurd stared dauntingly at the assembly.
“Perhaps there are those who think that in the absence of a King they have been free of obligations to the Kingdom of Trafalgaris. Those who think their strength alone can fend off the hordes that will descend upon us. Those who let their warriors row and bring ill fate upon their own kinsmen" Erik's face reddened.
"But what do you suggest, _Jarl Sigurd._" Erik's voice was ladden with sarcasm.
"We need to raise a unified, disciplined, national army. Right now we are too weak."
"Maybe you and your westerners are too weak to beat these Gulmen dogs." Erik and his fellows barked and laughed.
Sigurd folded his arms and smiled diabolically.
"I have seen these 'Gulmen'. They rise from Hel's underworld in thousands. They are born on the horse. Whenever one dies, ten springs into his place. Mercilessly, they destroy every city in their wake."
"Impossible. If my memories recollect correctly, we beat these savages at Blaaberg." Erik countered.
"And if you also remember correctly Jarl Tyrn of Ravengard gave his life for that victory." Sigurd triumphed. Erik looked down, his angry scowl fading away. 
"Now, that was many years ago. They have returned with renewed strength and numbers. Unless we send help, the Scornic League will fall, no doubt, very soon." 
"You speak wisely, Sigurd, as do we honour the memory of Jarl Tyrn." The grey, wizened, Jarl of Torsgard spoke, his voice crackled but proud, his face scarred but expression mild.
"Aye." Harald and the other westerlings nodded. He leaned forward.
"But why should we aid these soft southerners? They never really cared for us under Imgart. Now that we finally have some freedom, why throw ourselves into war for someone else's cause?"
"War is inevitable. What you see now, is the silence before the storm, a momentarily breath of fresh air."
"We have never had a standing army. You should know that the King has always relied on the support of the Jarls."
"Which is why I am here. As your King, I will create a Royal Army."
The crowd remained baffled at the mere mention of the word ‘King’.
"Tharkane will not be pleased." 
"To the hell with Tharkane! Now is our chance, now that the gnarly old bastard stops for his breath after his invasion of Imgart. I will raise an army by spring. With your swords and lances at my side, I will defend this nation against our enemies."
For the first time he could see hope lit it in their eyes. The older Jarls were starting to remember old legends, of the Elder Kings, of mighty warriors, of sacrifice and deeds of bravery on the field of battle. Slowly, the Jarl of Torsgard stood up. 
"I have heard rumours about this Ravenskjold, this Son of Orm..."
He paused.
"I have heard rumours," The Jarl of Torsgard said. "I am sure you all have. They say he has slaughtered orcs and goblins by the thousands. They say he has journeyed far south where the Sun touches the earth, that he has faithfully served under foreign Kings and lords, defeated mighty dragons, the legions of a half-demon and other creatures of Hel. Is it you, that stand before here today, whose deeds that these scalds speak so eloquently of?"
Sigurd remained silent.
"I say, if all this is true, he is too good to be true. But nevertheless..." One by one the Jarls stood up, even Erik. However reluctantly.
_"I do believe it is time for a new king.”_

The stout horses trashed through mud and snow in the small, narrow street outside the Tower of Truth. Sigurd smiled and waved back at the commoners who had lined up upon the sight that the Flame of Kings had been rekindled. It would be kept burning until his coronation the next year. On his left rode Jarl Harald and his six sons, each that had after the Council fallen on their knee and pledged their loyalty.
"Well performed." The old Jarl remarked. 
"No, _thank you._" Sigurd pretended nothing.
"Paying the scalds to perform eloquent recounts of your battles was a nice touch. And where did you get this amazing golden chain mail..."
"Most was true. But as scalds go, they tend to exaggerate." Sigurd smiled as he passed a group of young maids flocked together to see their new king.
"Ah, don't get to big-headed, son. I've known you since you were a kid. And one more thing. No more drunken brawls or chasing young maids around."
"No more drunken brawls?" Sigurd's smile faded away.
"Aye. It does not befit a King to crash around in a beer-tavern at midnight."
"And no more..."
"Kings marry princesses, Sigurd, they don't fool around in the haystack with barmaids."
"Hmm."
"Yes, I do suggest you have a look around. Tharkane might have a couple of daughters."
"Tharkanes's daughters."
"You wait and see, son. Princesses have a certain... political charm."

Two weeks had barely gone until the old Overking's spies snapped up the news. Sigurd was now riding hastily to Sarukar city with his newly appointed bodyguard under a banner of truce. Lines of weariness and stress had already appeared under his eyes. He had barely had time to sleep or recuperate upon being declared the sovereign ruler of Trafalgaris, and no longer pondered over why many Kings died early. The Imarr royal guards scowled at this upstart King and his companions, but speedily escorted them to the royal palace, outside where the towering figure of an old acquaintance awaited.
"Hail Sigurd... or is it _King Sigurd?_" Ulfius smiled.
"Hail Arcduke Ulfius, I give you thanks for your… support." Ulfius shrugged.
"Tharkane's not too pleased."
They proceeded into the royal hall a long columnar walk up to Tharkane's throne. High windows on the walls beamed sunlight onto Tharkane's slumped position in a purple satin throne. Sigurd halted his pace a far distance away.
"I Sigurd, Sovereign King of Trafalgaris, give heed to the Overking Tharkane of Imarr and the recently conquered Imgart."
"You will still refer to me as Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty. I hereby give my resignation as an Imperial Knight."  Sigurd continued his walk.
"Ah, you slippery, scheming knight, Sigurd." Tharkane snarled. "Is this how you repay me when I give you an army to claim your jarldom? I don't give away armies like candy, you know. I thought Northmen still kept their words."
"And they still do, which is why I am here today."
"Hah, Trafalgaris with all its unruly Jarls. Good riddance, I say. And good luck."
"It is still in your interest that Trafalgaris is strong and unified."
"Why? Before you, Trafalgaris was a land of mad, raging barbarians. Now, let’s see, what we have is still a land of mad, raging barbarians, but with an equally mad King with delusions of grandeur. Tell me, why should the world need more Kings and armies?" he lamented.
"The army will be there to protect ourselves against the barbarian incursions. Against our common enemy, the Mongali."
"Hah, who says they're the enemy. I'm not going to let you slip between my fingers this easily. Ulfius,"
Ulfius laid a roll of parchments and papers with the Imarr royal seal on the table in front of them.
"This treaty will recognise you as the King, but makes certain obligations. Look at it as a... defence treaty."
Sigurd rolled out the papers and skimmed through their content. It was a strong treaty of defence but clearly favoured the Overking. He knew these were just papers, but maybe Tharkane thought he could bind him by these words. However, he needed to buy himself and his jarls some time. If this could stall Tharkane's attention until spring... 

Keeping his face calm, Sigurd picked up the quill and dipped it in the inkpot. He paused. He suddenly saw war, Mongali horsemen, blood on snow, burning longboats, Imarr soldiers, a free country, a king with a sceptre in his hands. Then he imagined the King in shackles, a calm village, a peaceful nation, a nation of slaves. All this, with a stoke of the pen or with the blow of a sword. 

Drops of ink fell down on the paper. Sigurd finally signed.
"I graciously accept."
The Overking smiled, coldly.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Xiang is now 276xp from becoming a 13th level fighter. I'll be writing up an account of sundays session later tonight.

Love Cho's final account. Simon, maybe Kerstin's next character should gain a little bonus xp for it, since it's the same player?

And Sigurd! Becoming more like Conan upon the instant! He shall lead us to war, and there shall be a great battle, and the Spearman shall strike upon the Serpent, etc etc etc. We like the looks of this. Much fighting.


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> Love Cho's final account. Simon, maybe Kerstin's next character should gain a little bonus xp for it, since it's the same player?




I guess Kerstin could give the 250 XP for Cho's account to her next character.  

Lars - nice piece, you can give Sigurd 250 story XP also.


----------



## ZosKia

*Goodbye*

It fell to Tarquin to inform Madam Stella of the deaths of AOS & Titania. He wasn’t looking forward to it. However when it came to it she had taken the news quite well although some of the girls had been visibly upset.
Later that day as Tarquin relaxed in his study and thought of what the ill fated expedition had cost the group there was a knock at the door. Tarquin opened it and in came Madam Stella accompanied by a man Tarquin didn’t recognise carrying some bags. “AOS and Titania’s personal effects for you to dispose of” said Madam Stella as the man put the bags down. “Thank you” said a slightly surprised Tarquin as the couple left.
Tarquin peered into the bags; they seemed to contain lots of clothes. “What am I going to do with these?” thought Tarquin. “I could give them to the poor but they need warm clothes, not flamboyant silks”.
Tarquin decided he would sort the clothes into two piles. AOS’s he would give to the Margrave to do with what he saw fit and Titania’s he would give to give to girls in the Siren to fight over.
As he was sorting through the bags he came across some books, two were large rather untidy with random sheets of parchment inserted between the pages. He opened one of them and realised they were books of songs and music, some written in Titania’s hand, some not. He looked thoughtfully at the books before deciding that they may be useful and putting them on a spare shelf. He picked up the remaining book; it was smaller than the others and tied shut with a leather thong. He carefully untied the thong and opened it. He recognised instantly AOS’s rather flamboyant hand. It was the duellist’s diary. Tarquin smiled as he read AOS’s rather self centred accounts of the group’s adventures. “A shame to throw this away” he thought, retying the thong and placing the diary on top of the music books.
Buried right at the bottom of one of the bags was a rolled up parchment. “Titania must have had a scroll” he thought but unrolling the parchment revealed not the expected sigils but a picture of Avanthe-Dlamelish in her Isis form. Tarquin re rolled the parchment and was about to put it on the shelf when he stopped; reaching down he picked up the ribbons which the couple had used to tie back their hair, red for AOS and green for Titania. Tarquin carefully twisted the ribbons together before tying them round the parchment. He smiled at his handiwork before placing the parchment carefully on top of the books and closing his eyes. He could picture the couple strolling together through the realm of Isis, they were arguing…


----------



## StalkingBlue

S'mon said:
			
		

> I guess Kerstin could give the 250 XP for Cho's account to her next character.




Hey, I almost overlooked that!  Thank you.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

I feel like a union representative, getting xp for my poor union workers.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Tallarn said:
			
		

> I feel like a union representative, getting xp for my poor union workers.






Poor, exactly.  Very.  Not to mention cute and harmless ...   

Thanks to you, too.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

After the mixed success/failure of the previous mission, the group took some time off. With a new sense of purpose, Leo returned to his lab in the Tower of the White Way, creating two new powerful items for himself. When he finally emerged, some seventy odd days later he was wearing a new circlet that he explained boosted his intelligence, and some metallic bracers that he said would raise his constitution. The rest of the group had not been idle either. Xiang had spent the intervening time checking on the progress of the many forts that the Margravine had started to build along the borders of his lands, and simply enjoying having time to ride.

In the meantime, there had been two new arrivals and a departure from the group. Cho, following her death and resurrection had opted to leave, striking out on her own. She had left a message for Xiang - "I go to follow another path." Xiang still didn't know exactly how he felt about her, but he knew he would miss her in combat. The two new arrivals were of great interest to him, though. One said she was a Druid, and claimed power over the enviroment and great destructive power with her spells. Xiang had little time to speak with her, as she had spent much of her time in the wildnerness around Gaxmoor.

The other new arrival was a Dwarf. Apparently, and Xiang enjoyed replaying this moment in his head, he had been a teacher of Leo's several years ago, and had journeyed here to check on his pupil's progress. Barak had been quite surprised at the level of magical skill the human wizard had shown - and was even more surprised when he realised Leo now was more powerful than him!

Word had come that the Mongali were massing a great horde that would sweep through the Scornic League. Xiang had mixed feelings on this...on the one hand it would mean war, a chance to prove himself again in combat, to protect these people with the power of the Spear. Sometimes he found himself missing the cavalry charges, the joy of massed combat. Then he would remember the aftermath. The friends, buried. Comrades, brothers-in-arms. Always the stench of death after an engagement.

He reined the horse in, staring across the fields at his adopted home, the City of Gaxmoor. Since he had first arrived, the warriors of Mount Fire hard on his heels, it had changed somewhat for him. Once it was simply a promise of hope, now he found it welcoming. Xiang smiled to himself, a rare smile, and rode for home.

*                          *                       *
More news had arrived.

"Heracules?" exclaimed pretty much everyone around the table. The Margravine spoke again, confirming the story. Not only had word arrived that Heracules had joined up with the Frost Giants of the Doskan Peaks, not only was he allegedly planning a winter offensive...not only these two things but Ghyssk of all people had informed the Margravine that he knew the location of the Frost Giant's lair. A pre-emptive strike was entirely possible.

With a short _teleport_, Xiang, Leo and Aos transported themselves to Ghyssk's location. With a minimum of fuss, money was handed over and a map purchased. Ghyssk explained how he would rather not join the expedition himself, and under the authority of the Margravine he was promised more gold if the mission was a success.

Rhianne the Druid and Barak agreed to join the other survivors from the Aryptian mission, bringing the group back up to full strength. In a surprising moment, Sigurd also made his return, claiming to be King of Trafalgis. Xiang was a little unclear on the politics of other kingdoms, but was frankly surprised to see that Sigurd could apparently leave his kingdom and take the time to hopefully finish Heracules off once and for all.

In short order, the plan was laid. Using a spell that Leo knew called _Phantasmal Steed_, the group could ride through the hills to their destination with amazing speed. Once there, they would rest up overnight and make their attack.

Aside from a brief encounter with a trio of dire boar, who ended up making a nice dinner, the journey there was swift and easy. A decision was made to send a scout in, to see if any advance intelligence could be gathered. Barak volunteered, and was made invisible and able to fly.

A short time later he teleported back to the group, claiming to have been spotted. Xiang rolled his eyes. What the hell had the scout been playing at? He should have found out what information he could and got the hell out of there. Once the Giants were alerted all sorts of problems started. During a brief and intense discussion it was decided to see if the group could stay in the area and avoid detection until Leo had a chance to relearn his spells. Rhianne was sent to keep a watch on the cave in which the Giants were located.

She never returned.

Instead 12 orcs made the acquaintance of the party. A combination of a _chain lightning_ from Barak and Xiang's own destructive power, mixed with Aos, Sigurd and the rest meant that they were quickly despatched, but the game was up. A retreat was sounded and the _phantasmal steeds_ pressed into service again.

A day later we returned, again seeking to rest in the magical _rope tricks_. Xiang had settled down to sleep, dressed in the lighter armour he wore at night in case of attack. The next thing he knew he was awoken by a terrible scream, looked up to see a hideous orc face above him, was grabbed around the ankle and _teleported_ out.

"What the hell just happened?"

Once everyone who made it out had recovered, the story was put together. It seemed that Orc guards had spotted the rope tricks and sent word to the inhabitants of the lair. Aos and Leo, the two people on guard in respective rope tricks, had been attacked by giants, trolls, orcs...and Heracules himself. Leo had somehow survived a battering and _teleported_ out, with Tarquin managing to grab Saphie and Xiang before doing the same.

However, in the other _trick_, things had not gone so well. Heracules himself had entered the tent and killed Aos in single combat, his giant friends eliminating Titania as well. Barak had managed to keep himself together, huddle under Sigurds defiant defense, and _teleport_ the two of them out. Much of the groups gear had been lost, including the contents of more than one _bag of holding_.

This meant war, as far as Xiang was concerned. It meant one thing, and one thing only. They prepared, they attacked, and they did not stop until Heracules was dead. This time there was to be no respite, no escape. Xiang was willing to die if it meant Heracules died with him.

Time would tell if this was necessary.
---------
Final note to Simon - please, please, please may I have enough xp to level off the back of this?


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> Final note to Simon - please, please, please may I have enough xp to level off the back of this?




Hm, I wouldn't normally have given more than 220 XP for that, but I'll give you 276 XP so you level and you can take 56 off your next XP award.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

That sounds like a fair and equitable solution to me.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Tallarn and I figured we shouldn't leave our mutual sub-plot dangling as Cho leaves, so here is our common ... 


*Flashback - In The Orchard *

(It's early summer, a few days after the party's return from the desert and Cho's return from the dead.  Cho has asked Xiang to meet her alone outside the city.)  


Cho is sitting on her heels between the rows of cherry trees.  She has got a set of peasant clothes from somewhere to replace the temple robes, and looks almost her former self.  

As she notices Xiang approaching, she bows formally, her eyes as always flicking briefly to the Spear before they acknowledge him.  "Xiang Chang-san. You honour my request."

Xiang is dressed, as always, in the Black Fullplate. The Spear is held casually in one hand. "I am glad to meet with you. Are you recovered from your...ordeal?"

He's a little unsure about how to approach the subject. He's never really had to speak with someone who was dead only a few days before. Apart from Aos, and Aos doesn't really count in this case...

Cho smiles. “I have no particular wish to die again soon. I believe I understand now why in some instances a quick death is considered mercy. 
“Will you sit with me?” She gestures with a hand strangely soft and unfamiliar, with the Talons gone. 

Water steams from a pot sitting in a tiny fire at her side. She pours into two bowls and sets them out. An acrid, perfumed scent rises: Mountains tea. A wooden training spear, roughly cut, leans against a tree behind her.



Xiang sits down, quietly, sensing that this is going to be a somewhat unnusual meeting. He can't help but glance at the wooden spear behind Cho. 

"You seem...troubled. What is the matter?"



The meeting is already unusual in that the two of them are alone - which they haven't been in a long while;  not in fact since they first arrived in Gaxmoor.  

"It is almost a year since we first came here together,"  Cho says.  "If you had not slowed your horse on the plain outside the city gates, I would have died that day.  I have never forgotten that. 
"You know what that thing really is, don't you? What it stands for?"  She's staring at the Black Spear more openly than she ever has before.



"It is a weapon forged of evil, that uses evil to fight evil. I have companion to it for, as you say, a year now. It has become a solid friend to me. But I do not understand what it means to you, what it stands for. To me, it is a tool that has helped me make a break from the evil of Mount Fire to this place where I have done good." 

"I have never forgotten that day outside the city gates. The way you kept up with me on foot though I was on horseback, your courage in the face of death, your bravery against overwhelming odds. I gained a friend that day, though I have not had the courage to say it." 

"Please, speak to me of what troubles you. Tell me what it is that has brought me to this place on this day."



Light flits across Cho’s face at the mention of friendship, but her eyes don’t leave the Spear.  

“It is an ancient artifact from a faraway part of this world;  and of deep religious importance.  This weapon you have wielded for a year now rightly belongs to the Lady of Hawk’s Palace.  

“Understand that any Guardian who saw you carry it would likely do everything in her power to take it from you.  You have seen me fight, Xiang.  You must know what I am – or could have been.  If Kung had delayed his assault on Hawk’s Palace for but one day longer, I would have been Guardian.  In fact, I would have claimed that in everything but form, I was. 

“When we first met in the foothills of the Heavenly Mountains, it was only the Black Spear I saw.  All I waited for was a day of peace from our pursuers, and then an opportunity to kill you in your sleep.”  She smiles strangely.  “I had killed others of your sort, so why not you?  

“Then came Gaxmoor, and our first expedition to the graveyard.  Still I was waiting, thinking I’d let an enemy do my work and simply pick up the Spear ... until that demon appeared in the doorway to the crypt and threatened to tear both you and Aos to shreds.  It was at that instant that to my dismay I realized you had become a friend.  

“I fought it.  I hated myself for, I thought, being indecisive.  I hated myself for what I was, for what you were, for what I might have to do to you when the time came.  

“I had to die first to understand.  Hate is no way to achieve balance.  Hate is no way to follow any path.  I see now that I cannot betray a friend.  I cannot, will not betray you, Xiang.  Not even for the sake of the Black Spear.”  



Xiang's hand tightens slightly on the Spear as he listens. 

"The Lady of the Hawks Palace lays claim to this Spear? You told me she is sleeping, locked in a magical stasis. Do you then propose to awaken her? What would she use the Spear for?" 

"I have always said that I only weild the Spear because I trust no other to hold it. I understand it, what it is capable of, what it might be in the hands of one such as Warmaster Kung." 

"I am glad that we have become friends through our deeds, not through words. This is as it should be, to judge each other purely on their actions, their decisions and the way they follow through those ideas that they hold. Any number of politicians and merchants can promise the world, but it is those that act that hold my respect." 

"You hold my respect. You have since I met you."



A great weight lifts off Cho and floats away on the late summer breeze. “And you hold mine, Xiang Chang-san. You are not only by far the most skilled warrior I have ever seen wield this weapon. You also stand among the most honourable of them. And that is saying much, from someone raised among Guardians.” 
Is that irony in her little smile? She is changed after all. 

“The Lady of Hawk’s Palace is dead. Kung’s minions hunted her down and took the Spear from her. But there may be – there must be a successor. Earlier this year I was given a message speaking of a ‘Queen held prisoner in Mount Fire’, and of a future time when the Spear must be returned to its rightful wielder. I must find a way to free this prisoner if I can. I cannot be sure when I will be able to return here … My path changes and I cannot see where it leads me. 

“If – when I find a way to free Kung’s prisoner, I may call upon you as a friend. There is no one I would prefer to you to stand beside me in such a battle; you, and our other friends. If, one other hand, you chose not to follow that call ... I will understand.”



Xiang sits down next to Cho, lost in thought for a moment. Finally, he turns to her and speaks again. 

"If that call comes from you, then I will follow it and lend my Spear against the forces of Mount Fire. At such a time, it is all any man of any worth can do - to answer the call of those he calls friends." 

"But I cannot say how I will feel afterwards. To give the Spear to another, it is a difficult thing to think of. It would require much thought and the new weilder would have to be worthy of it in my eyes. And of course, I would have to find a replacement weapon." He smiles faintly, and then takes your hand lightly in his own. 

"This I say to you now. Cho the Guardian, Cho the warrior woman, Cho the friend - there will come a time when we two shall meet again, and it shall be at a time when enemies are all around, when friendships are tested and when the way is unclear. We two shall meet, and we shall overcome these enemies, pass the test and see the way forward. And Warmaster Kung shall feel the point of the Spear his men stole." 

Xiang graps Cho's hand in the warriors grip - wrist to wrist - and rises. 

"Fare you well and good journey to you, Cho." 



“And to you, my friend.  Stay safe!  –  Shield him, Lady,”  she murmurs under her breath as Xiang moves away.


----------



## S'mon

Nice piece - Xiang can have the XP to put him exactly at 13th level.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Excellent. That puts aside any further worries on that score.


----------



## StalkingBlue

And I'm now the co-boss of the union.  Right?


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*The Party vs. Heraclues II - This Time It's Even More Personal*

After his strong words, Xiang and the others calmed themselves somewhat. Recuperation was needed. The party needed to lay some plans, and possibly gain reinforcements. The fallen members of the party were not recoverable - Heracules would already have decapitated them*. To make matters worse, Sigurd was called away for important matters in Trafalgis**, and was _teleported_ away.

Xiang fretted a little. However, there was some good news. Apart from the notable fighter Red Ivy agreeing to join the return attack, there were two new arrivals, one he had heard about, the other entirely fresh. The man he had heard about was Ramu Khan, the Aryptian warrior that had aided the party in Gutheron's Tomb. He said he had decided upon a "sabbatical" from his homeland, and wished to explore the North. Leo filled him in on current events, and he willingly and eagerly agreed to join the party.

The other man was a Knight of the Order of the Griffon, which initally meant nothing to Xiang. The Knight explained it was an order dedicated to honour and Good, and that he was interested in adding his sword against the Giants. His name was Helm. Long may it be remembered.

With the group reinforced, plans were laid. Leo and Barak, after some discussion, agreed to _teleport_ the group to the location of the Fortress. After that, the plan was to use _fly _spells to get to the precise location needed. Once there - attack, and leave none alive. Xiang liked this plan.

The next morning, with Leo and Barak having readied themselves, the spells were cast. The two groups arrived safely at their campsite of a few days previously, and began to cast spells. Leo, Barak and Saphie enhanced themselves in various ways, and then the _fly_ spells were activated. The stronger members of the group bore the lighter aloft, and with speed the group circled around the valley, and then dropped over the cliffs to land in front of the Fortress.

In front of the nice, new ironbound doors that had been erected across the opening.

Xiang swore quitely under his breath, and briefly considered trying to blow a hole in the doors with the Spear. Before this thought could really be completed, Leo, showing remarkable quick thinking even for him stepped up to the wall by the side of one door and gestured at it. The stone simply melted away, forming a neat tunnel into the room beyond and causing the near door to tilt and fall forwards. Beyond the doors lay the guard group that had been there before - two trolls, a hill giant, an ettin, and to one side a Frost Giant. All looked ready to attack!

The group had discussed this situation, however, expecting to meet guards in the entrance hall. The fighters paused for a moment as Barak gestured and incanted. Before the giants in the room beyond could move or react to the fall of the doors, a mighty _empowered fireball_ exploded in their midst. The creatures fell screaming, the Frost Giant in particular fearing the red hot spell power. The ettin's heads ceased their chattering as it's body collapsed, and the two trolls felt the burn of a force they couldn't regenerate. Even the Hill Giant fell backwards.

Xiang used the _fly_ spell to move inside, gliding smoothly up to one troll as it lay on the floor and using the Spear to finish it off. He looked down the corridor to his right, seeing a tall door at the far end of it.

Leo acted next, placing a _Wall of Force_ across the other entranceway, preventing any access. The rest of the party moved into the room, Ivy moving in front of Xiang alongside Helm and Ramu Khan. Tarquin moved into the middle of the group, casting a _sanctuary_ on himself. As he did this, Orcs came from both sides, as the door opened revealing two more Frost Giants behind them, who threw boulders at Red Ivy, injuring her. The battle was joined in earnest.

With some speed, the group damaged the orcs and Giants with another _fireball_, this one from Saphie. The fighters made quick work of them after that, and Red Ivy moved swiftly up to engage the Giants themselves, a serious error. As she got near them, they used their long arms to strike at her, dealing her considerable damage. Her charge connected, but failed to bring her target down, and then the Giant swung with his huge axe and felled her. The other Giant laughed and swung the door shut in the face of the party.

Tarquin rushed forwards and used one of his most powerful spells, _heal_ to bring her back from the brink of death. She stood, unsteady for a moment, and thanked him. The rest of the group moved up, enjoying the sight of the orcs on the far side who were unable to penetrate the _wall of force_ and raged impotently as their evil friends were slaughtered. Leo tried his magical tunnel building again, but this time misaimed and the tunnel led nowhere. But all was changed as the Giants opened the doors again, brutally reaching over the heads of the fighters and attacking Barak, who had moved forwards with the rest. His Dwarven training protected him as he dodged away, and with two injured Giants in front of them the party wasted no time hacking them down with sword, scimitar and Spear. Xiang struck the final blow on the second one, and wiped the blood clear. "That's three Giants down, now where are the rest?" he snarled.

The party swiftly explored this side of the Fortress, discovering that they had gone as far as they could on this side. This came as a relief to Xiang, as the prospect of being trapped between two opposing and powerful enemy forces was about the worst it could get. Everyone regrouped in front of the _wall of force_, seeing that the orcs were doing the same. It seemed that the instant the spells duration ended, both sides would seek to react as quickly as possible. The party spoke swiftly amongst themselves, deciding that Leo would first cast his spell, followed by Barak and then leaving the rest to the fighters.

A female Frost Giant had been spotted talking to the Orcs, but she had now disappeared. Several mangy looking Ogres had joined their ranks and been pushed to the front. There was an expectant pause, and Leo counted down the final seconds of the spell.

With perfect timing, Leo cast his spell, and a _Circle of Death_ spread across the enemy, killing all but one of the four ogres and an orc. The orcs and ogres pressed forwards towards the party, not quite able to get to them before Barak's _chain lightning_ erupted in the middle of them. Bolts of lightning blasted another orc, and scorched the rest. In this weakened state, Red Ivy and Ramu Khan went through them like hot knives as Xiang shot the surviving Ogre with the White Foul Flame from the Spear. Red Ivy cleaved perfectly through the Orcs, destroying them with grim efficiency.

Two doors on the far side of the room were quickly explored by Xiang and Helm, and confirmed empty, although one led through to a further room with another door. Xiang left this alone, reasoning that a door that led away from a pantry next to a kitchen was unlikely to hold enemies.

The only other exit from the room was a narrow corridor, that looked somewhat recently excavated. The group formed up in single file, Xiang first, and advanced after Leo tried sending some _prying eyes_ down there. They didn't return, indicating enemies. As Xiang moved forwards he was ambushed by six Winter Wolves - favoured pets of the Frost Giants. Six cones of icy breath surrounded him, sapping his energy. Again, the party reacted with commendable speed and efficiency, Leo killing four of them with another _circle of death_ and Helm and Ramu moving into the room to deal with the reamaining two. Tarquin moved up and healed Xiang, earning his thanks yet again.

Red Ivy moved forwards into the next room as the battle against the wolves raged behind her...only to discover it too had an occupant! A deadly Cyrohydra; a multi-headed monster that also breathed icy fumes from it's seven heads! Ivy and Xiang felt the pain again, but moved forwards and engaged it swiftly. With a few short seconds, and at the cost of but a few light wounds, the hydra died, as did the wolves, falling before the might of Helm and Ramu Khan.

More healing was applied as Leo sent his _prying eyes_ down a further tunnel. The eyes reported a small barricade built about twenty feet further down the tunnel. After that the tunnel opened out into a much larger room. The party began to quietly discuss how to get past the barricade when disaster struck.

Barak gasped as Heracules calmly stepped out of the wall in his ethereal state and swung at him. With one accord, the party went to react...when they heard the sounds of approaching orcs from behind the barricade. Things had gone from fine to horrendous in a split second.

Seeing that they were in serious trouble, Leo _dimensioned doored_ out to the entrance hall as Heracules continued his attack on Barak, his ebony black sword slicing through him and dropping the Dwarven wizard to the floor in scant seconds. Heracules stepped forwards, using his reach to attack Saphie and sending a spray of blood across the wall as she collapsed as well. The sword screamed a song of death, a supernatural ability that inspired fear but the party had strong wills and all resisted it's effects.

In this moment, in a supreme act of heroism and knowing that he almost certainly was throwing his life away, Helm of the Order of the Knights of the Griffon charged Heracules the Cambion, his sword swinging in a hard arc towards his foe. The sword cut into Heracules as a stream of acid spat from the Black Spear as Xiang joined the fight from distance. Tarquin showed his mettle by risking the Cambion's blade to drag the almost dead Saphie from where she had fallen.

Then the enemy showed it's guile, as a previously invisible Ogre magi cast a _cone of cold_ down the corridor, injuring everyone in the party. Xiang inwardly thanked the magical protections of his armour as it protected him***, but the wave of cold energy struck the helpless and dying Saphie and snuffed her lifeforce out completely. Xiang stared around him, unable to engage either foe in combat.

At that precise moment, a further torrent of Orcs poured forth from behind the barricade, engaging Ramu and Red Ivy in combat. The two of them defended themselves, but it left Xiang awkwardly placed in the narrow corridor. He couldn't get to either enemy!

Heracules smiled and tore into Helm, striking with little regard for accuracy but wanting power. In three short strokes the brave man lay dead on the floor next to Barak, and as he fell Heracules looked up and saw the Black Spear. "At last, a foe worthy of my attention!" he called out in challenge.

The challenge was to be denied. Seeing that all seemed lost, Tarquin darted across the corridor and siezed Xiang, Ramu Khan and Red Ivy and used his prayer of _teleportation_ to take them all back to the Temple of Urnus Gregaria in Gaxmoor. The last thing Xiang saw as they left was the smile of mocking triumph playing around the Cambion's lips...and was that a hint of relief?

Arriving in Gaxmoor, the survivors quickly discovered that Leo had also teleported away. Once again, the forces of Heracules and the Frost Giants were victorious.

"We cannot face him in combat. Not yet. We are simply not skilled enough." Leo spoke boldly and honestly, and Xiang was forced to agree. He had seen the skill of his opponent first hand this time, and even though Heracules had been striking for power he had penetrated the defences of Helm, who was an accomplished warrior in his own right. Although Xiang was confident of finding gaps in the armour of the Cambion, he knew that his own ability to defend himself and resist damage was not enough.

"If we can persuade Archduke Ulfius and his wizard Clarendon, however..."

* In this campaign, _resurrection_ requires a whole body. It is therefore standard practice to behead the bodies of your enemies.

** Or the English train system failed to deal with some snow, take your pick. 

*** Xiang's armour grants him SR13, which seems pitiful, but that's twice it has saved him from Ogre magi _cones of cold_. Seems S'mon just keeps rolling low there...


----------



## S'mon

Great account Matt - give Xiang 320 XP.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Cool writeup of a cool session.  Loved reading it.


----------



## Dispater

What? Almost TPK... again?

Great writeup of a tragic day in our small band of adventurers' history. They'll have to start digging mass graves back in Gaxmor for fallen adventurers if this goes on for much longer.


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

The Frost Giant Jarl

Leo swore this time it was going to be different. After the last disastrous expedition to the Dosk Heights he was determined he was going to be better prepared. Heracules the cambion had caught the group in a situation straight out of a nightmare. Two Rope Trick spells housing the group as it was sleeping. The only silver lining of that whole situation was that only Aos and Titania had been lost. His brow furrowed. Aos and Titania had been good, strong allies. Combined with the death of Rhianne the Woodswoman, the whole loss had been griveous. 

The group was determined to go back and have a final accounting with Heracules.  So, he questioned Barak and Sigurd carefully about what little they had seen of the cambion during his appearance in the Rope Trick. The observations they made were chilling. Whilst Leo had not forgotten what a fighting machine the cambion was, it was brought to him with brutal clarity by the accounts of his two companions. His strength, his speed, his footwork, his expertise, his intelligence and the various items looted from the bodies of dead adventurers made him a formidable opponent indeed. Even the strongest of warriors fell quickly to his vicious efficiency. Leo absorbed everything they said. He researched his abilities carefully, consulting with both Dovistar and Barak. There were methods of neutralising the enemy. His new headband was of invaluable help in these matters. Leo now found he could calculate, theorise, devise and evaluate at breathtaking speed. Just as he was finalising his plans, he received a message. A strange, rather odd figure was at the gates of Gaxmoor asking for him. He was described as a tall, handsome man, wearing strange clothes, a large scimitar and shivering in the cold. He was asking for Leo the White. Leo looked in askance at the guard. He had an inkling of who the stranger was but he had no idea why he was here. 

He accompanied the guard to the gate and saw the figure. It was Ramu Khem, the Aryptian. A stalwart warrior with strange quasi mystical abilities he had proved himself to be a boon companion whilst some of the group had been investigating Gutheron’s Tomb. He had left Gaxmoor to go back to Arypt with his fortune after the disposal of the Harmonic Armour. Leo remembered he was something in the Order of Horus, some Aryptian bird headed god. He wondered what he was doing here. 

“Ramu”, he said. “Its very good to see you although very unexpected.” 

“I have decided I wish to explore this northern land. My last stay here has shown me that there is a huge world outside my country. I wish to travel to broaden my mind.”

Leo was impressed. Most of the Aryptians he met were insular, arrogant and convinced that their land was pivotal to all that happened in Ea. Ramu was an exception.

“Well, if you are interested, we are in the middle of a mission at the moment.”

He then proceeded to explain their last encounter in the Dosk heights, describe the cambion and relate the potential Frost Giant threat. 

Ramu pondered and frowned. “Your mission is just and good. If you will allow, I would like to accompany you. I hope I will be of service.”

Leo was pleased. He had hoped Ramu was going to react in such a manner. So far as he was concerned, the more people they could take on the mission the better. 

“Shall we go to the inn where you stayed last time and I will gather the others and introduce you. I am afraid that many of the people you met are either dead or have gone. Tarquin is still here. Cho has decided she wishes to follow another path. Please bear with me. I will be back in a few hours.”

Leo then left and went to the Margrave. A barrage of good news awaited him there. 

After exchanging pleasantries with the Margrave, Kanor rapidly told Leo his latest news. He looked tired and drawn as if he hadn’t slept for several days. 

“Leo, could you please come with me to Scornel in a month’s time. We are having a counsel of the Scornic League as to how best to meet the threat of the Mongali.”

Leo had several solutions to the Mongali threat. Most of them involved packing and leaving but he kept his thoughts to himself. 

“My fort at Dendridi was destroyed and burnt by a Red Dragon. It was then seen flying off to the Dosk Heights. The descriptions suggest it was much bigger than Wormscather.”

Leo groaned. Heracules and the Frost Giants, Imarr, the Mongali and now this. Just how much more trouble could this city attract. An infinite amount judging by this news.

“Yes of course I will go with you to Scornel. As for the dragon, we will deal with it when we can. At the moment, as you know, we are going back after Heracules.”

“Ah yes, Saphie was talking about that. Oh, just to let you know. She has just received a knight. A relative of her fiancee.”

“Oh, the missing one. Has he been found then?”

“I presume so. The fact that Saphie isn’t here enthusing about a journey to Imgart, makes me suspect that the news is not good. Be careful there Leo. Oh, one last thing. Sigurd has had to go back to his kingdom. Something to do with ruling it I think.”

“Of course Margrave. Could you let Saphie know that we are meeting at this inn. Ramu Khem the Aryptian is back and we need to discuss various things with the others about going back to the Dosk Heights.”

With those words Leo left and collected Xiang at his favourite drinking haunt, Tarquin at the Temple, Barak at the Tower, Red Ivy at the training salle and took them all to the inn. There he introduced all of them to Ramu and they talked about plans to approach the complex. Leo had gone to Carrisqui earlier where he obtained a more detailed map of the layout from Gysshk the Hobgoblin. As they were still discussing their approach, Saphie approached with a stranger. A well armoured, powerful looking man, with a large shield, a sword and an ornate helm. Obviously a warrior. 

Saphie said. “Hello everyone. This is Helm. He is a cousin of my late fiancee. He would like to come with us to the Heights. He is a Knight of the Griffin.”

Saphie had said that as if it was meant to mean something but Leo had never heard of this knightly order. There were so many of these orders though. However, Saphie was composed and dry eyed, suggesting that she had already done her grieving. So, room was made for the two arrivals and plans were discussed. 

It was decided that the main method of transport was to teleport to an area close to the entrance and fly down to the ledge. From there the best thing was to go in with everything blazing. 

The rest of the day was spent preparing and the next day everything was ready. As arranged the group teleported to the specified location. Various spells and effects were cast. Then the group flew along the cliffside to the entrance ledge. There had been a development. Large wooden iron bound doors barred the way into the complex. The group debated briefly and then Leo used one of his few items to make an entrance into the rock, which was then used by the others. Looking in, they could see the same set up as previously. There was a hill giant, an ettin, two trolls and a frost giant standing in a large entrance chamber. As the group stepped forward they took the enemy by surprise. Leo sealed off one of the exits from the hall and Barak cast a mighty fireball. When the fire cleared away, the four figures were on the floors, badly burned and dying. The group rushed in and congregated on the exit that had not been sealed. 

Beyond the exit was another room with a large door on the opposite wall. Half a dozen hardened, fanatical orc warriors formed ranks with disciplined, military precision. They attacked Helm and Ivy. The doors behind the orcs opened and two more Frost Giants appeared, balancing large rocks in their huge hands. As was their wont, they threw these and wounded Red Ivy. Then Saphie this time cast a large fireball, felling the orcs and badly damaging the giants. In a fit of enthusiasm, after seeing the effectiveness of the spells, Ivy charged forward to attack the giants. She was quickly brought down to earth with four sharp blows from the giants, which left her a heap on the floor. Tarquin had to step forward quickly to save her, taking a glancing blow from one of the giants as he did so. The giants then shut the door. 

Leo called the others and looking at Gysshk’s map, prepared to create another doorway through the wall. The group made ready and the entrance was promptly created. It made a tunnel into the rock. Cursing, Leo made a mental note to visit Gysshk and have a word with him about the accuracy of his mapping. The doors then opened. One of the giants stepped forward, looking healthier and engaged the group’s warriors. It was soon followed by the other. However, they were still hurt and the warriors and Saphie made short work of them. 

The group examined the rooms quickly and then went back to the entrance chamber. Barak had reported that he had seen groups of orcs, ogres and a frost giantess in the chamber which had been sealed. The group got ready and waited for the wall to go down. They made ready and as soon as it did, two major spells were unleashed. One was a death effect, which felled most of the ogres and one of the orcs. Leo disliked using that effect. It was very expensive. Barak unleashed a lightning bolt at one orc that then forked and struck the other orcs albeit with less power. The warriors then advanced and mopped up the rest. 

A quick search was made of the small complex of rooms in the area which seemed mainly a dining room, kitchen and pantry. A worked narrow tunnel leading further into the depths was found. Leo sent his prying eyes into it and found several open areas. He sent a couple into another area and they did not return. Thus warned, the group formed up into a single file and followed the tunnel, using a sunrod as a light source. Although Xiang approached the dangerous area cautiously the group did not expect the combination of deathly cold breaths emanating from six wolf like creatures the size of small ponies. Xiang stumbled back several steps, his skin white, his hair and eyebrows frozen. Leo cast his last death effect. It proved quite effective, killing four of the creatures. Helm and Ramu then engaged the final two. Tarquin healed Xiang and Red Ivy  investigated a larger opening in front of the group. Chained to the floor, she found a strange seven headed reptilian beast, slightly resembling a tiny dragon but without wings. All seven head promptly breathed cold on both her and Xiang again, this time enraging him. However, the creature was not as dangerous and the warriors soon dealt with it as well as the remaining two wolf-like creatures. 

As the party healed, Leo sent another of his eyes to investigate another corridor. When it came back it showed him a closed wooden barrier. The group briefly discussed how to circumvent this when a flicker made Leo whirl around. 

Calmly, Heracules emerged from a wall just behind Barak. Leo watched in horrified fascination as the cambion stepped up and with a calculated, vicious efficiency hewed into the defenseless magician. Moving with a dancer’s grace he struck the first blow, then a second and Barak fell down, almost hewn in half, with most of his insides over the walls. Whirling in a perfect pirouette he struck another blow and Saphie fell down. Then he reversed his steps and struck two blows into Leo. Leo rocked but still stood. Heracules looked at him in mild annoyance as if insulted that he hadn’t fallen. Leo knew that he couldn’t take any more of this and he immediately cast his transport effect that took him into the entrance chamber. He vaguely hoped that the rest of the group could maybe make a fight of it. Tarquin dragged Saphie into the side cave. Helm engaged Heracules and the rest of the group made ready to receive the other denizens of the complex. These could be heard massing behind the barricade. As it opened, a blast of freezing cold affected Xiang, Ivy, Ramu and Saphie and an ogre mage appeared. Tarquin groaned as he recognised that Saphie had now died, frozen to death. Heracules engaged Helm and efficiently cut him down. He now had a clear path towards the line that was preparing to fight the orcs, which had just emerged from behind the barrier. Tarquin realised that their position was untenable. Heracules was cutting down people as if they had no defences, all their spell casters were dead or gone and they hadn’t even seen the Frost Giant Jarl and his court yet. He stepped forward and teleported with Ramu, Ivy and Xiang back to Gaxmoor. 

Leo was back in the Tower of the White Way. He quickly made his way to the Temple of Urnus Gregaria, hoping that more of the group had made it back with Tarquin. He was met by the survivors. Again it was a bitter pill to swallow. Barak, his old teacher, was gone forever. Saphie, the Margrave’s sister was also gone as was Helm, whom he did not get to know, but who didn’t lack courage. He would need to talk to Kanor. He had seen Heracules close and had seen his potency as a warrior. He would have to admit that they were completely overmatched. It would be suicidal to go up against the cambion again. More people would be lost. He would have to tell Kanor bluntly that Gaxmoor didn’t have a warrior who could match the cambion at the moment and that they would have to make ready for a winter campaign.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Here's a little scene that randomling (as Saphie's player) and I (as Helm) came up with before last Sunday.  It was originally meant to be an intro for my new character.  Little did we suspect that it was destined to stand in place of an obituary for both of us.    


Content warning:  As the title might suggest, this is ... different.    


*Knights At Home*


Helm has arrived in Gaxmoor, got a bath and a shave and changed into his court dress in record time. He's grabbed a man he judged appropriate to announce him to Saphie, and already his vaguely familiar stomping resounds as he approaches down the hallway ... 

"Helm of Gorn, to pay his respects to your Ladyship," the guardsman announces, far from self-assured in the feminine environment of the Margrave’s sister’s apartments.  In and around the poor man Helm strides, heels clicking together as he takes a flawlessly correct, if squarish bow, sword at his side. 

"Most honoured Cousin..." the knight begins, somewhat strained.



"Helm!" Saphie's face lights up as she rises to her feet. "It's so good to see you!" 

She looks at him for a moment, taking in the sober expression on his face. "What is it? Do you have news of Tarin?"



Helm strides forward, hands outstretched to meet hers. "Saphanie. You must arm your heart with courage. It is news of Tarin that I bring."



Saphie falters... but just a little. "Come and sit down," she says, somewhat unsteadily, guiding him over the table where she's been sitting. "Can I get you something to drink?"



"Saphie. Listen." Helm pushes gently for her to sit down (but continues whether she'll sit or not). "It was at Justiminium. We were fighting a retreat. It was a bloody day.  Tarin gave his life for us."



Saphie sits. 

For a long moment, she stares at Helm, then forcefully blinks back tears. 

Drawing a deep breath, she says, "Were you with him at the end?"



"He died in my arms. His last words were of you. He smiled. He bade me assure you of his - undying devotion. Saphie, he died well, and no man better. It was Ukko's will."



Saphie shakes her head, closes her eyes, and falls silent, groping for Helm's hand.



Helm takes her hand in both of his and pats it, awkwardly, for the briefest of moments, then draws away.  

“There is something you should know.  It is not right that should be bereaved of all protection as well as love.  So I thought –.  In fact, I pledged my word to Tarin on it.  Cousin –“ 

Something is obviously distressing him.  Remain a knight, or follow ancient family tradition?  There can be no question, really.  –  Helm gulps and hurtles onward at the more terrifying enemy.  

“So if our recent defeats have not changed your heart about a possible alliance with an Imgart house.  And if it be Ukko’s will that I live through this coming week – I will be prepared and willing to step into Tarin’s place and take you to wife.”  

There.  It is done.  A long breath whistles out of him.  “If that is any comfort.  I cannot tell you how I have wished that lance had found me and not him.”  


Saphie takes a moment to wipe away her tears, then opens her eyes. She finds herself once again staring into his face and once again reaching for his hand. 

"Helm..." She flounders a little, then smiles. 

"I am honoured to accept, Cousin." Briefly, she links her fingers with his, then lifts her hand gently away.



Something in Helm’s thunderstruck silence must have been unsatisfactory.  For  …  



A moment later, Saphie is standing and turning away from her cousin, pulling her hair nervously back from her face with one hand. 

"Helm... I _would_ be honoured. I am honoured..." He can see her twisting her hair through her fingers. She turns back to face him. "You do not love me, Helm. Not as Tarin did." Her gaze drops to the floor. "Nor do I love you." 

A long pause, then: "I would not marry at my brother's behest. I won't marry at Tarin's either. Thank you for your kind offer, Helm, but I'll marry for love, and no other reason." 

She turns to leave him, her composure regained, and takes a few steps before looking back. "I'm sure my brother and I would be honoured if you would join us for dinner this evening, Helm. Good day." 



Helm sways slightly in the fury of Saphie's wake. The door bangs. 

A moment of silence before Helm recollects himself, looks startled at the femininity of his surroundings, and hurriedly stomps away. 



***



Which could have been the awkward end of that.  But wasn’t.  Or not quite.  About an hour before dinner …



Saphie finds out which guest room Helm has been put in, and makes her way there. She clears her throat, smoothes her dress, and knocks on the door three times.



“Come!”  



Saphie takes a deep breath, opens the door, and steps into the room. 

"Cousin, I want to apologize to you for my appalling conduct this afternoon. I was extremely grateful for the news of Tarin you brought, and most honoured by your proposal, and I should not have responded with such unforgivable rudeness. Please forgive me." The entire speech is delivered at high speed, and is clearly a prepared speech, but sincere in its sentiment. 

She takes another step into the room and shuts the door behind her.



Helm clearly had expected anyone but Saphie.  As the door opens, he glances up from the window seat where he’s sitting, shoeless, cleaning his sword with a cloth – and shoots up from his seat in the greatest discomfort, colour rising as her speech unfolds.  

“Well,”  he says.  “Well.  Cousin.”  He starts forward, suddenly remembers to put the sword and cloth down, turns back.  “Come in then – I mean to say, welcome to have come in.  Cousin?  I may still call you that, mayn’t I?  Even if –.”  
Shoes.  He wriggles into them as unobtrusively as he can, which is not very.  “It is I who should apologise.  I ought not to have spoken to you so soon of such matters.”  He smiles ruefully.  “I suppose Ukko in His wisdom knew why he denied me the hands of a healer.  Will you not come and tell me how you have been?”  (Picking the sword and cloth back up from the window seat and looking around for another place to put it.)  “Unless of course you prefer to … have a third party present?”  



Saphie smiles in response as she takes a seat beside him. "My dear Cousin," she says, "I'm sure you will be the perfect gentleman, as ever."



“Well. Well … Tell me, Saphie. Have you been well?” Helm grows serious as he lowers his heavy shape down on the seat beside her, sword and cleaning cloth disposed at this feet. “There was talk when you left Justiminium so suddenly. Stories you were being magicked back here against your will.”


"I've been..." Saphie clears her throat. "The last few months have been somewhat eventful. My brother had me - he didn't want me in Imgart after the invasion, and he sent for me to come home. I didn't want to leave Tarin, but he, um..." Saphie trails off, takes a couple of breaths, and regains her composure. "He hired some mercenaries to have me removed. They overpowered me..." She pauses. "...and, so here I am."



“Overpowered!!”  The seat groans and the window panes sing and shiver as the heavy knight, barely seated, leaps to his feet again.  “Overpowered you!  You mean – Do you mean –?”  He casts around, fails, glowers down at her.  “Saphanie, you must tell me, very carefully now.  Are you free to come and go as you please?  Has anyone, and I mean anyone made attempts on your honour?”  



"Oh!" Saphie's colour rises a little as she realizes the impression she's given. "No! No, Helm, it was nothing like that." She takes a deep breath. "I didn't see them coming. I was packing, and somebody came into my chambers unannounced. I tried to defend myself, but they grabbed me, bound my hands and mouth, and brought me home." She lowers her head, twisting her fingers in her lap.



Helm blinks, and blinks again, completely at a loss for a moment. Then a rumble rises deep in his chest - and explodes in a roaring fit of laughter. “Grabbed you? Oh, oh, oh – grabbed you! 

“Remember - remember that Midrentide Dance two years ago? When Carl had drunk more than his fill as usual, and – and – And you -.” Choking with laughter, he spreads all ten fingers out in front of him in an inept but vaguely recognisable imitation of _burning hands_.  “To this day he will swear every - oath that you - turned into a writhing demon and breathed Hel’s own fire on him. I don’t think there was a man in Justiminium who’d care to try and grab you against your will. In fact, Tarin used to say –” 

The memory sobers him. “Pardon, Cousin. 

“I should have remembered you were well able to care of yourself. In fact, I mean to ask your opinion. That group of assorted heroes your brother has collected. What can you tell me about them?”



Saphie laughs with Helm at memories of social occasions past, but like him, sobers when Tarin is mentioned. 

"Heroes," she says contemplatively. "Well, let's see. There's Leo, who's a high up in the White Way and the most paranoid man in a thousand-mile radius. His companion Tarquin, a kind man and most devout priest of Urnus Gregaria. Then there's Sigurd... whom you no doubt know of, Cousin. There's Xiang. He's a cavalier by training, I believe... a very serious man, quiet, but stronger in battle than you would imagine by looking at him. And we've recently acquired a new compatriot, a wizard from the dwarven citadel. I regret I've forgotten his name..." She pauses. "And myself, of course."



“Tarkane’s new minion king.”  Helm’s gaze wanders out of the window in deep thought.  “Yet, he must be a man of both strength and courage.  You can fault the Jarls for many things, but not for placing their vote on a coward.  I wonder how far he can be trusted …”  



… And so amidst talk of past glory and current local and not-so-local politics, old friendship overcomes the obstacles of long separation and recent embarrassment;  and an agreeable hour passes until (discreetly well-timed) the dinner bell rings.


----------



## S'mon

StalkingBlue said:
			
		

> Content warning:  As the title might suggest, this is ... different.




Glad to see, not *that* different...   
(bad PBEM experiences, you know)

Great stuff, Kerstin & Lucy - please give your new PCs 300 XP each.


----------



## StalkingBlue

S'mon said:
			
		

> Glad to see, not *that* different...
> (bad PBEM experiences, you know)




I remembered that perfectly well, of course.  That's precisely why I put that warning there.  I was thinking, a bit of initial apprehension never hurt anyone ...   



			
				S'mon said:
			
		

> Great stuff, Kerstin & Lucy - please give your new PCs 300 XP each.




Hey!  XP.  Fabulous.  Thank you.


----------



## StalkingBlue

OK, enough with the clowning around.  Story hour.   

Actually, this is sort of long, so I'm going to split it into two posts.  



*Death in Arkand*



“Margrave Kanor of Gaxmoor sends us!  Lower the bridge and let us in!”  

Fjorent snakes up to the rim of the pocket to look out.  Captain Xiang’s thumb, wrapped around the Black Spear, and the horse’s twitching ear block half her field of vision.  Craning to one side, she can just make out her old dwarven friend Raven sitting his saddle a little ahead, head tilted back to peer up to the top of the castle wall above the drawbridge.  Several helmets and upper halves of faces can be seen there.  Three dozen or more guards are spread out along the battlements and the towers with the ballistae, as Fjorent has seen on an overflight earlier this morning.  Clearly, Arkand Castle is ready for a siege.  

The holy dwarf warrior takes a long breath, expanding his black-armoured figure to its full breadth.  “I am Raven, of Stormhammer Clan!”  he shouts in reply to the reluctant guard’s enquiry.  

Helmets are wagged and shaken.  The bridge doesn’t move an inch.  Then at the top of the wall a gauntleted hand appears and points – at _her?!_  Impossible, surely …  

“Captain Xiang?  Is that you?”  the man calls.  “Your pardon, sir, we didn’t see you there for a moment.”  

Xiang’s horse snorts as he guides it forward beside Raven’s.  “We are an envoy from Margrave Kanor of Gaxmoor,”  he calls.  “To commiserate on the death of Margrave Arngrim’s father.”  

Only half a lie, that.  Margrave Varnior’s death does concern Gaxmoor’s ruler – if merely because his old ally, Varnior’s widow Eloise, has been arrested by her stepson Arngrim for murdering Varnior.  It is to free Eloise, and to kill Arngrim and his sidekick Hrethel that Captain Xiang has brought them here:  Fjorent of Beskarn;  her old friends Cailin the Huntress and Raven, holy warrior from Cirith Ardrad;  and a tall southern desert paladin named Ramu Khem, who wears no armour.  

At Xiang’s call, helms wag some more at the top of the wall, then start nodding;  and with a screech of chains on iron, the drawbridge moves.  The party is met at the gate by a sergeant nervously requiring them to surrender their weapons, which are brought into the South Tower and locked away.  Cailin blinks slowly and looks the other way.  Fjorent knows from experience that locks tend to fall away almost unbidden under Cailin’s nimble fingers.  

Xiang (with Fjorent coiled safely in his pocket) is then escorted up the stairs to the West Tower for an audience with the new Margrave, while the others are invited into the kitchens for refreshments.  

Fjorent’s scales twitch and ripple at the dankness of the room – the lingering mists of drink and too much iron hang in the air.  There are two heavily armoured men with Margrave Margrave, a small dark man who wears too much fat for his years.  He languidly waves for Captain Xiang to sit.  

Xiang sits;  courteously expresses Margrave Kanor’s condolences;  commiserates with Arngrim on the horrors of injustice and the and the cruel necessity to see that justice be done.  All diplomat, to hear Xiang now, his tongue all velvet.  

Hard to believe this is the battle terror who wields the Black Spear;  the man who on a night off duty holds more drink than Cailin at her worst did (thankfully, long past);  the enemy important enough to Warmaster Kung to have his sorceress send demonic wire assassins after him … Fjorent throws an instinctive coil of disgust at the too-fresh memory of the abomination – at which instantly all outside light is blotted out as a concealing palm falls flat across the pocket and viper-witch.  

***

_“It’s a ball,”  Raven, on point on the road to Dulleaberg, the first stage of their journey to Arkand, calls out with a shrug.  “A ball of wire.  It’s rolling towards us.”  

More shrugs all around – which turn to worry in instants as the ball approaches and sends out tentacles of razor-wire, throwing Raven up in the air and dropping him in a clatter of dwarf and armour, then grabbing Xiang and proceeding to tear him to shreds.  Cailin’s arrows pass through it harmlessly, as do the pummelling fists of an earth elemental, hurriedly summoned;  the Black Spear is ineffective and a flame strike from Fjorent makes the thing glow and actually look --- faster?  

Raven, none the worse for his fall, pushes his helm straight and declares the horrid creature evil.  

“Beast of Chaos!”  shouts Ramu nearly at the same time and with a similar mixture of triumph and distaste.  Between the two of them they dispatch the creature, which spews out a mummified head (split in two by Ramu’s scimitar) and promptly smokes away into nothingness.  

“What unnaturalness was that?”  

“It was after me,”  Xiang says, and explains about his enmity with Mount Fire, from where he took the Black Spear about a year ago.  

A man to learn from, surely, it occurs to Fjorent as they ride on towards Dulleaberg.  It’s an ancient saying in Beskarn:_  Show me his enemies and I’ll show you what man he is.  

*** 

In the chamber at Arkand Castle, another enemy, Margrave Arngrim graciously extends an invitation to Xiang (as graciously accepted) to witness the murder trial coming up this very afternoon.  Arngrim claims a priest will be present to monitor whether truth is spoken.  More pleasantries are exchanged, more poisoned half-lies are smiled at one another;  Arngrim grants Captain Xiang’s request to see his old acquaintance, Captain Jethis (hoped by Xiang to be an ally to his cause);  and clothes and iron-clad feet shuffle.  The audience is at an end.  

For now Xiang can do little more than exchange greetings with Captain Jethis in the armoury (another dank unhealthy place practically crawling with steel and iron) – Jethis looks pale and is clearly reluctant to talk in the presence of Constable Hrethel, Xiang’s escort.  

***

A late lunch follows, during which Fjorent finds her pocket hiding-place suddenly invaded by groping fingers.  She lets herself be picked up – to be dangled in front of lots of eyes with the whites growing huge around them and mouths trembling and falling open.  

“Completely harmless,”  Xiang assures everyone as he drops her on the table, in the voice of a cavalryman talking to restive horses.  

_Bones crunch satisfyingly in huge writhing coils _– Actually, better not.  Especially not now.  Instead, she pours herself along the table and disappears underneath the sloping sides of a soup bowl.  

“Tsk, Mongali, “ she hears one of the servants mutter.  “Trust them to keep slimy snakes in their pockets, tsk.  Did you see that?”  


_[To be continued]_


----------



## StalkingBlue

As soon as plausible the group retires to its guest quarters in the South Tower to discuss tactics.   A night attack is settled upon as the most likely course.  Cailin hears shoes creaking outside the door and motions a warning;  instants later Constable Hrethel knocks and bids them come into the courtyard for the trial.  

Which, for a trial, does not take long at all.  A man wearing the silver mask of a priest of Ksarul, God of Hidden Knowledge, is already waiting as the group (Fjorent once more concealed in Xiang’s pocket) takes their seats.  Margrave Arngrim and Constable Hrethel arrive.  A moment, then a beautiful blonde woman, hands tied, is brought along the battlements and down the stairs from the North Tower and sat in a chair in front of the audience.  
Eloise confirms her name and denies the murder (to which the silver-masked priest first nods, then shakes his head).  A serving girl is brought and amid much sobbing claims that she saw Eloise pour poison into her husband’s ear so he died.  
Arngrim himself pronounces the sentence on his hated stepmother:  death by beheading at dawn.  Eloise is marched away after a rather desperate look in Captain Xiang’s direction.  

Another meeting between Captains Xiang and Jethis brings better results than the first, after Jethis manages to get rid of the guard escorting Xiang for a few minutes.  Jethis declares he believes Eloise innocent;  pales visibly at being told the real reason why Xiang (currently all old campaigner and comrade officer) is here;  but lets himself be talked into promising that he will keep the crossbowmen from shooting at the party if fighting breaks out.  

Almost, nothing happens.  Back in the group’s quarters, Raven now asserts that for him the Ksarul priest’s presence at the trial has changed everything.  He will not cooperate in a deed of assassination.  He and the other paladin lapse into a shouted dispute about law and righteousness, with Cailin, who knows what bonehead their old dwarven friend can be, looking on in despair.  Soon Xiang and Fjorent, tired of arguing in circles, withdraw to the corner farthest from the door to plot.  

Xiang’s plan is for Fjorent to sneak into Arngrim’s chamber and kill him, preferably in his sleep, then leave through a window and fly back to Gaxmoor.  Xiang will try to get to Constable Hrethel and kill him – if he can get at his Spear that is.  He’s hoping that Fjorent can cause some sort of distraction with magic that will allow the group to retrieve their weapons from the locked room.  

***

So, as Xiang steps outside and starts a discussion with the guards to let him check on the group’s weapons and is soon joined by Raven, Fjorent snakes out and around them and slithers away along the battlement towards the West Tower unseen.  

The two guards outside Arngrim’s door talk in low voices, oblivious of the string of muscle and scales and death that which passes through the shadows right between their boots and disappears underneath the door;  as oblivious in their way as Arngrim and his Constable Hrethel in theirs, slumped at the Margrave’s desk and busy drinking to get drunker.  

Fjorent glides around the corners of the room and into the half-glassy forest of dust under the bed, which makes the world turn misty grey;  rather like a crossing from the Pale into the True actually – _Later, that, _she promises herself.  _A good trip into the True when this is done.  After.  _She draws up into a tight coil to permit her upper body to sway and undulate in the intricate movements of the summoning.  

The men at the desk are too webbed in drink to notice anything until the summoned creature of earth and rock bursts through the floor slabs of the room – then both shriek, a chair scatters, a sword screeches in protest as it is wrenched from its scabbard in drunken haste.  Already the viper-witch is deep into her second spell, a bristling _wall of thorns _that springs up to cover one wall, blocking both exits.  Not a moment too early:  already guards are trying to open one of the doors from the outside.  

The two trapped men are shouting (and judging by the movement of Hrethel’s heavily-armoured feet are now slashing at the earth elemental, which stands uncommanded and dumb).  Answering calls can be heard outside as the alarm is passed.  Fjorent hisses a curse and turns back into her own shape to yell a rock-grinding command to kill the two men.  The elemental turns to obey, but now the witch is betrayed.  

Hrethel’s feet turn and point towards the bed, and instants later his blade scrapes down her collarbone, drawing blood.  Fjorent’s next spell is choked and fizzles in an accidentally inhaled floating ball of dust – _Curse those sloppy servants!  _

Captain Xiang and Raven the paladin can now be heard in the tumult outside, declaring that the Margrave appears to be under attack, demanding their weapons so they can help.  Axes are eating into the blocked door from the outside.  

Fjorent’s earth elemental slams into Arngrim twice, there is the wet crunch of skull smashed against wall, and the creature turns to Hrethel just as a second one appears.  Hrethel now falls to his knees begging to be spared, and is also swiftly dropped by the elemental.  Fjorent slits his throat with her sickle to make sure, glances across to Arngrim who sprawls in his corner without his brains, and opens a shutter.  

The wood of the door splinters and gives just as Fjorent is turning into a bat.  Dismayed cries of “Witchcraft!” sound as the guards find sight and passage barred by the _wall of thorns_ beyond the door, then the wind catches her leathery wings and whirls her out of the alcoholic stench of the room, away into the night.  

*** 

_Witchcraft … _
A female prisoner … 
_I saw her pour poison into his ear … 
Her enemy murdered by spells … 
Witchcraft … _

It is not for nothing that Fjorent has made it a point to learn about men’s superstitions – yet she is halfway across the fields from the castle to the road to Dulleaberg and Gaxmoor before the realisation strikes her.  Unless Xiang and the others can stop prevent them, the castle men are going to kill Eloise for this.  Annoyed, the witch goes into a backward loop and speeds back towards the looming silhouette of Arkand Castle against the night sky.  

*** 

As the bat-witch hurries around and past the West Tower, Xiang’s shouts carry through the open window from Arngrim’s room.  It sounds as if he is fighting the earth elementals now.  

A few wing-beats later, Fjorent reaches the arrow slits in the North Tower.  This is where the prison is.  Only just like the window slits leading to Arngrim’s room, these are tightly shuttered from the inside.  _Curse that sloppy thinking.  Through the door? _ 

Cautiously the witch rises on the night air to peer over the battlements.  There’s no way she can fit underneath the door in bat shape, and she has no more forms left until the new dawn.  Also, men are milling on the battlements.  Not a chance between Sky and Earth to pass through there unseen.  There is a heated discussion going on about action to take, about the prisoner and witchcraft.  _Indeed._ 

Fjorent’s friends are among the soldiers.  To her relief, they have their weapons back.  

Just then Captain Kerek starts forward towards the prison door announcing that he will see ‘the witch’ executed right away.  

“Try that and I shall strike you down where you stand, man!”  Captain Xiang thunders, emerging unscratched from Arngrim’s room through the _wall of thorns_, Spear in hand.  There is a hush.  The real witch, fluttering just above the battlements, takes a moment to block access to the prison door with a second _wall of thorns_, then dives for the window slit praying to Earth and Sky and the Three Sisters that she will have time … 

… For a _wood shape_, first.  
The shutter sags and swings inward on a single hinge.  Inside, a guard has brought Eloise, her hands still tied, out of her cell and is pressing his sword to her throat.  Very fortunately, he is too busy staring nervously at the door to have noticed the window shutter dangling loose.  _Next time, just make a hole, stupid witch.  _

… And a _baleful polymorph_, second.  

“Guard!  Execute the witch!”  Captain Kerek calls above the din outside, just as Eloise stumbles free and the guard-rabbit hops away into a corner.  Outside, Raven’s voice rises as he works to dispel the _wall of thorns_.  

“Who are you?”  Eloise asks, looking straight at the bat, who is impressed.  

*** 

There is little more to tell.  Margravine Eloise is freed from prison.  Cailin proudly unearths a letter in Arngrim’s desk that states that _“This man will be suitable for the job, to discover what it is desirable to discover.”_  The letter is unsigned but bears the seal of a noble house allied to Imarr.  The silver mask is taken off its wearer, who turns out to be a young freckled lad of few words, and possibly fewer thoughts in his head.  Captain Kerek finally sees his error and is pardoned, but dismissed, together with those of the castle guards Eloise no longer trusts.  The group stays on for several days to ensure that the transition in power is smooth and then makes its way back to Gaxmoor.


----------



## StalkingBlue

Here's what S'mon explained about the seal on the letter:  

*It was the seal of Duchess-Mother Freydis of Netloran.  The Duchy 
of Netlorani lies east of Dulleaberg, it's the westernmost province of 
the Overkingdom.

*

Just in case we run into her again.


----------



## S'mon

StalkingBlue said:
			
		

> Here's what S'mon explained about the seal on the letter:
> 
> *It was the seal of Duchess-Mother Freydis of Netloran.  The Duchy
> of Netlorani lies east of Dulleaberg, it's the westernmost province of
> the Overkingdom.
> 
> *
> 
> Just in case we run into her again.




Great account, Kerstin - and nice not to have a gap in the Story Hour. BTW I think it was Captain Kerrik who was shadowing Xiang eg in his meeting with Captain Jethis, not Constable Hrethel.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*A Simple Trip To The Country*

"Captain Xiang, please come in." Margrave Kanor looked ill at ease and a little dishevelled. He'd taken news of his sister Saphie's death at the hands of Heracules and the Frost Giants badly, but there was a sense of renewed purpose about him today.

"I've recieved news that Margrave Varnior had died. However, I have also recieved news that his son Arngrim has been declared Margrave in his place, and accused Eloise, his step-mother, of his murder. You remember Eloise, you travelled with her for some time."

Xiang nodded quietly. This was politics. Clearly his promotion to Captain of Gaxmoor was not merely ceremonial. Kanor was beginning to involve in him the miriad plots of the Scornic League. An interesting thing, for a warrior, but not unlike learning a new battlefield. You scouted out the terrain, saw the places where you'd prefer to fight, and engaged the enemy at those places. Scout - plan - execute.

"Of course Eloise must be innocent, I've been hearing reports of Arngrims wastrel ways and poor judgements for some time. I'm sending you and whoever you wish to take to the Castle to free Eloise and eliminate Arngrim and Constable Hrethel, his closest advisor. Do whatever it takes."

"Indeed, my Lord. As you command. Do you have any news on people I can take with me? What with Heracules, I find myself a little short of friends at the moment." Xiang smiled without a trace of humour.

"Tarquin is busy in the Temple, Leo has locked himself in his rooms at the Tower of the White Way and is apparently muttering something about _disintegrating_ anyone that disturbs him...however, your Aryptian friend Ramu Khem would no doubt be useful on such a mission."

Xiang grimaced. He'd hoped that Leo and Tarquin - men he owed his life to and trusted implicitly - would be able to come along. However, Ramu Khem was a useful ally. "Anyone else?"

"A group of three adventurers have arrived in Gaxmoor." Kanor quickly consulted some notes. "A Dwarven Paladin weilding what he claims is a Holy Avenger, by name of Raven. The Dwarf, not the Holy Avenger, that is. A female Witch named Fjorent, and a...capable young woman named Cailin, who is apparently a former member of Tarkane's army, albeit in a very minor role."

"They sound like just the sort of people that could help. A Witch Woman, eh? And a former Army woman? A curious mix."

*          *          *          *

The five riders set out from Gaxmoor later that day. Xiang had cast his warriors eye over them, and quickly formed some opinions, based also on the conversation. Raven seemed more than capable, a grimly determind Dwarf clad all in Black Full Plate, and holding an Axe that almost papably resonated with the Black Spear. Xiang had been forced to hold the Spear in his off hand to keep it away from the other weapon.

Fjorent had looked him straight in the eye and declared she was a Witch, with powers of shapeshifting and elemental destruction. Xiang had heard of such, indeed such a woman had joined the initial ill-fated attack on the Frost Giants. This one seemed tougher, somehow.

Cailin had also not come as a surprise. She turned out to be somewhat small and nondescript, and Xiang read in her movements a preference for sudden strikes from the shadows rather than a straight up fight. So - not a threat when he could see her, but someone to keep an eye on.

They rode, departing early afternoon, intending to go North via Dulleaburg. However, a short hour from Gaxmoor there was a nasty incident. Rolling down the road towards them was a ball of what seemed like wire - wire that could move and strike at exposed flesh! Xiang charged it with the Spear, only to find he had nothing to hit, and at the same time Cailin's arrows whistled through it and Fjorent's _flame strike_ did nothing.

Fortunately, Raven and Ramu Khem were able to do much more. Their weapons, forged of cold iron and bearing powerful enchantments versus chaos and evil, quickly slashed through the creature. Finally, even as a _summoned_ earth elemental joined the fray, the creature was destroyed, Ramu striking the final blow.

Xiang thanked his companions. It had become clear during the fight that the creature was seeking to kill him first and foremost. It was clearly an abomination sent by the forces of Warmaster Kung to retrieve the Black Spear. Xiang explained the situation, and warned them to be vigilant for future attacks at any time.

As midnight fell, they rested and resumed the next day.

*          *          *          *

The next day saw the Castle bearing into view as the afternoon reached it's midpoint. From a safe distance, Fjorent offered to do a flypast as a quick scout to establish whatever she could.

First step - scout.

Xiang let her go and waited patiently for her return. She reported back safely, saying that the drawbridge was up, the moat filled and guards and siege engines were on the walls.

"It is as we might have expected," said Xiang. "Arngrim knows that taking power like this might spring reprisals from Eloise's allies, and guards against it. Before we approach any further, what magical powers can you summon should this disintegrate into a straight fight?"

After some discussion about the heights of the walls and so forth, it was established that the largest Earth Elementals that Fjorent could summon were likely to be able to take the castle apart, quite literally. In addition, they could lift Xiang and the others onto the battlements. Xiang grinned to himself. He strongly hoped not to have to attack openly, but it was nice to know that should it come to it, the magical power was on his side.

A day later they returned...

*          *          *          *

_Riding around to the other side of the town seemed like a good plan at the time. The group wanted to try and go into the city on a scouting/searching effort to find out more information. However, the gates were locked. Even two Christos Priests were barred entry._

_After some discussion and shouting at the guards, Xiang and the others rode back up the road and camped out at a local farmers. Cailin went in and found out that all the important people were in the castle, and that the town was completely incommunicado. No one in, no one out._

_The group got up early the next day and decided to go staight into the castle, claiming that Margrave Kanor had sent them to celebrate Arngrims's succession and commiserate him on the death of his father._

*          *          *          *

Before they reached the Castle, Xiang and Fjorent hatched a plan. The Witch _wildshaped_ into a Tiny Snake, hiding in Xiang's pocket. Now they had a secret to protect, but a powerful ally that would remain unknown.

A brief conversation with the gate guards granted them entry once they recognised Xiang. Raven looked somewhat interested to note that his words, though better phrased, did not quite have the impact of Captain Xiang's presence.

Once inside, the Black Spear and the other weapons of the group were removed. Xiang found it hard to let go, hearing a voice on the edge of his mind urging slaughter, but instead allowed his hand to relax away from the grip of the weapon. Everyone mentally noted the location of the stored weapons.

Xiang was taken to see the new Margrave as the others made their way to the food hall for some lunch. After a short conversation of pleasantries that neither man meant, both being aware of the reputation of the other, Xiang joined the rest of his group. At the same time, and feeling somewhat confident with the effect his reputation was having on all around him, he pulled Fjorent from his pocket and made sure she ate as well. Smiling to himself, Xiang reflected that he would only gain legend from this...the weilder of the Black Spear that has a snake for a pet...

Later that afternoon was the "trial" of Eloise. A Priest of Ksarul was present, apparently detecting the lies she would no doubt speak. He wore a silver mask, completely hiding his face. In short order, the trial took place. It was clear to the group that Eloise was here to be found guilty, as the Priest declared her words a lie or truth as needed. Arngrim sentenced her to death the following morning for murder; the method was to be beheading. Any plans the group were to hatch would have to be tonight.

Xiang went to speak with Captain Jethis. He was in command of the light crossbowmen at the Battle of Jerrikig, and Xiang had heard good things of him. After getting rid of the guard that had escorted him across the castle, Xiang and Jethis spoke quickly and quietly. Jethis was shocked to hear of Xiang's mission, but considered it just, and agreed to attempt to keep his crossbowmen out of any fighting that might erupt. In return, Xiang gave his word that he would try and keep the casualties to a bare minimum - hopefully just Hrethel and Arngrim!

In the evening, Fjorent and Xiang got moving, taking action while Raven, Ramu and Cailin were arguing over the rights and wrongs of the situation. Fjorent slipped out the door, wriggling underneath it to head for the Margrave's room. Xaing's plan was to wait for her distraction, and then go for his weapon and attempt to take out Hrethel, and then free Eloise.

The plan went somewhat better than expected, all told.

A few moments after Fjorent left, Xiang opened the door to the 'guest quarters' and spoke to the guard, asking to check up on the Spear before retiring to sleep. As the conversation proceeded, Xiang and the guard both heard a roar from the Margrave's quarters and the sounds of combat! Xiang immediately brushed past the guard and started to head down the stairs, shouting "The Margrave is under attack! Guards, rally!" and motioning his companions to follow.

Cailin and Ramu simply dropped off the walls down the door hiding the weapons. Cailin picked the lock and headed inside as Raven and Xiang caught up. The fighting continued as the guards tried to break the door down.

Unlocking a second door, Cailin passed out weapons to all those that needed them. Both Xiang and Raven looked much happier with their weapons in hand, the Black Spear once again fitting snugly into Xiang's grip.

Racing back up the stairs, Xiang saw the outer door had been destroyed, revealing a _wall of thorns_. Xiang new that this was Fjorent's work, but forced himself through it, getting scratched in the process. On the far side he found a single Earth Elemental and the dead bodies of Hrethel and Arngrim! It seemed that they had been together when Fjorent attacked. Xiang smiled grimly, batted aside an ineffectual strike from the elemental and destroyed it with a couple of swings of the Spear. "The Margrave is dead!" he shouted, and plunged back through the _wall of thorns._

Outside, the other Captain, and now joint-highest ranking officer was Captain Kerek. He had command of the many pikemen that now thronged around the place. Xiang approached him, along with the others, as he began to shout for Eloise's immediate death. Just as guards began to run to her prison, a second _wall of thorns_ sprung up in front of the doors. With a glance, Raven began trying to _dispel_ it, without immediate success. Xiang knew that delaying tactics were needed for Fjorent to engineer a disappearance or a rescue and he stepped forwards and began arguing that since Eloise was now the rightful ruler of the Castle, she should be freed - anything to keep Kerek talking.

Ramu Khem circuled around the battlements, intent on keeping an eye of the Ksarul priest that had emerged from his quarters.

As Raven finally _dispelled_ the _wall of thorns_, Kerek stepped forward to unlock the door and go inside to kill Eloise. As the door opened, both he and Xiang saw Eloise free, standing next to Fjorent. Kerek's mouth fell open in shock, but he went to draw his sword.

The Black Spear was suddenly between him and his target. Kerek looked round at Xiang. "Go to kill her and I shall strike you down where you stand. That is the rightful ruler of this Castle, freed by my forces. I do not want to kill you, but if you do not step down now I shall do so. Make your choice."

Kerek gulped, and dropped his sword.

*          *          *           *

By the morning Eloise was formally recognised as Margravine, Kerek and some of his guards had been exiled, and Jethis promoted to Chief of Security. Fjorent used her _tree stride_ spell to return to Gaxmoor and speak with Margrave Kanor as Xiang agreed, along with the others, to wait a few days until Eloise's position was made safe.


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Matt, very nice account - give Xiang 300 XP.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*A Little Matter of a Wager*



> Captain Xiang and Fjorint of Beskarn are summoned to Margrave Kanor's chambers. Once there they find him talking with a strikingly tall, black-bearded man with piercing green eyes, clad in travel-stained blue robes. He has a golden sickle at his belt, the two guardsmen nearby eyeing it a bit suspiciously.
> 
> As Xiang & Fjorint enter, Kanor turns to them.
> 
> "Welcome Lady Fjorint, Captain Xiang. This is Alp Ciernan, a druid of the Thuali woods tribe. He has requested our assistance against a goblin clan that has overrun their lands in the eastern BergruckenWald, southwest of Gaxmoor..."
> 
> Alp Ciernan has his gaze fixed on Fjorint. He bows deeply to her, ignoring Xiang.
> 
> "Milady. I am honoured to finally meet you."



Xiang looked the newcomer over. He seemed to be exactly as Margrave Kanor said - a woodsman. To Xiang's eye, sizing him up for fighting potential, he looked weak. But then, thought Xiang, Leo looks weak until he starts casting spells...

Alp Ciernan explained that he was there to ask the Margrave for assistance in clearing out a large number of goblins from the southwest of Gaxmoor. Apparently, his tribe had lived in the area, but about ten years ago they were forced to leave by a massive goblin, bugbear and ogre invasion. They'd been forced further south, and were finally running out of room. To that end, Alp offered to lead a small band of heroes round and attack the goblins from the south - hoping to catch them off guard. A sucess here would open a faster trade route from Gaxmoor to the south, aiding the Margrave considerably.

Politics again, thought Xiang. First the killing of Arngrim, now a mission to kill goblins in order to open up a trade route...

It seemed that Alp Ciernan's people were willing to become subjects of Kanor if they could retake their homeland, and that Ciernan himself was a capable guide. With his help and Fjorent's abilities, not to mention the sheer killing power of Xiang and others, the goblins should be eliminated.

Alp also mentioned something about a prophecy or vision or somesuch that indicated Fjorent was going to be leading the way in the battle...Xiang didn't consider that too important in this case.

Within a short time, the others were assembled. It became clear that Ramu Khem had gone exploring for a few days, eager to see the local sights, but some good news did arrive. Not only had Leo agreed to come out of his rooms and join the group, but Sigurd had returned from the North as part of a diplomatic mission from Trafalgis. At the mention of a goblin killing mission instead of sitting around with the other politicians, his eyes lit up. "Of course!" he boomed. "It'll be like the old days!"

Xiang gets an idea. "Sigurd, would you care for a small wager on number of creatures killed? Raven, you too?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "You three are asking for trouble, you know that. Wagers..."

Sigurd and Raven swiftly accepted the wager.

*          *          *          *

The group took _phatom steeds_ to the edge of the southern forest, taking a little over half a day, then slept overnight. Guards were set, Xiang and Sigurd taking a turn between them and exchanging war stories, but nothing occoured.

The next day dawned, and Raven the Paladin summoned his warhorse and rode behind the rest of the group to keep up. About half way through the day, Cailin reported a low mound ahead with an entrance. With a moment's thought, Raven reported a strong evil aura.

"The Black Hounds!" exclaimed Alp Ciernan. "They have been a long time foe of all creatures in this area. We should try and kill them, they are dangerous."

Leo sent his everpresent _prying eyes_ into the small burrow, seeking information, and within a short time he'd established that there were at least four hounds at the end of a tunnel. However, nearly everyone was too tall to fit inside. After a short experiment with a _summoned_ earth elemental trying to lure the creatures out, Alp explained that they were unlikely to appear during the daylight hours.

"You couldn't have told us that ten minutes ago?" muttered Xiang after his breath.

It was eventually decided to send Raven in alone, but augmented with spells. A _haste, barkskin_ and _invisible_ Dwarf soon stumped down the corridor, axe in hand. Fjorent followed in bat form.

Xiang waited at the entrance.

"One!" came the call from the Dwarf. "Two!"

Then an unearthly howling issued as the remaining creatures fought back. Two members of the group, Tarquin and Cailin fled with a supernatural fear instilled in them. Xiang gave chase, shouting for Alp to follow so that he could lead them back to the burrow when the effect wore off.

By the time he returned, he found that Raven had reemerged with some coins and a set of bracers, announced that between his axe and Fjorent's _flame strike_ the beasts were all dead. The bracers were magical, but the party had no time to identify them now.

Reaching the edge of the forest, they camped again, towards the end of the day. Tomorrow they would make their way back north and attack the goblins.

That night at around midnight, Xiang spotted a strange creature standing at the edge of the clearing. It was much paler than the Black Hounds, and a little larger, but it made no move to attack. As soon as Sigurd went to wake the others, it turned and moved off into the trees, quickly disappearing from sight. Alp explained that it was probably a Moon Hound, protectors of the land and friend to humans.

Xiang felt faintly annoyed that it had left, he'd had a feeling it was trying to communicate something...no matter.

*          *          *          *

A bright sunny autumnal day greeted the group the next day as they prepared to go north. It was decided to stay off the path and move through the underbrush. It would slow everyone down, but would be likely to give the group a good chance to spot enemies before they were spotted. Cailin took point.

About halfway through the morning, after a couple of hours of travel, Cailin spotted foes. Two bugbear guards in front of a mound. She snuck back to the rest of the group, reported, then went forwards again.

Xiang listened patiently. At the sound of a bow shot, followed by a roar from the bugbear that had been injured, he ran forwards with the rest. The large mound had a clearing outside it, and as the group ran forwards bugbears began to come from inside.

Fjorent was ready for this, and sealed off one entrance with a _wall of thorns_. Xiang went to the other entrance as Cailin shot down the first bugbear guard, Sigurd and Raven running past him to engage the emerging bugbears. One managed to evade them and go for Leo, injuring him, but was swiftly dropped by a combination of a _scorching ray_ and other damage.

Xiang stood by the other entrance, Spear dancing in his hands as goblins ran towards him. Some got past him into an _entangle_ spell that Alp cast, but mostly they died and died and died. Even one that tried to hide and shoot him with a bow was no match - Xiang spotted him and ran him through. The other bugbears were also swiftly killed by Raven and Sigurd, even the one that had struck Leo.

Alp was briefly in trouble as two goblins got past the _entangle_ to strike at him, but a volley of _magic missiles_ from Leo soon solved his problem.

The first outpost was down, and the group had barely broken sweat. Xiang, Sigurd, Raven and Cailin moved inside, intent on looting the rest. They found many goblin and bugbear children along with some females of the species, but left them alone.

Xiang was moving quickly along the tunnel, looking for a chieftains room when a sword struck at him, narrowly missing. A bugbear faded in from an _invisible_ state...Xiang struck him twice, the first an awesome blow that would have dropped most creatures in a second. The bugbear chief died, his soul eaten by the Black Spear.

A swift search located more coins and a potion, but nothing more. The surviving goblins and bugbear young were told to leave, southwards, and never return - an offer they were glad to accept.

*          *          *          *

Around midday, the ever useful Cailin reports a small set of huts ahead, with a couple of bugbears, a warg and a goblin standing guard over a ford. As one, the group simply charges forwards, with Cailin taking a pot shot at the bugbears.

The response is slightly overwhelming. As the bugbears blow their horns and shoot back, the goblin and the warg counter charge the heroes, doing a little damage. Then the huts open and several more bugbears emerge...and some goblins...and some more wargs.

"This is more like it!" thinks Xiang to himself.

Battle is swiftly joined, but with Leo supplying a _fireball_ right into the middle of the oncoming enemies, it's fairly short. Fjorent _flame strikes_ the two archers, who then move in to help their friends kill Sigurd, but between his relentless sword strokes and Cailin's mobility and precision strikes (tumble and sneak attack - the rogue's friend), and with Raven and Xiang wreaking havoc amongst the rest, it's short and sweet.

More looting, a little more treasure. Cailin is healed, having been bitten by a warg and then somewhat unfortunately being caught by the _fireball_ - Leo apologises - and the group decides to pause for lunch.

Xiang tells Sigurd and Raven that on number of kills, he's ahead so far, but he does recognise that the foes Sigurd has killed have probably been tougher. Raven is third, but not by much. And the goblin caves are yet to come.

*          *          *         *

After a little more travel, seeing several trails that lead off to one side, and an encounter with a poison trap that hurts Cailin before Tarquin removes the effects, Alp Ciernan tells everyone that the caves are up ahead.

A little questioning reveals that he's prepared to guess where the goblin king is and lead the group in.

Moving quickly in, Cailin spots the guards and lets fly with several arrows, dropping two. The other two run, blowing their horns and goblins start to gather at the entrances to the five caves.

The group doesn't hesitate, running swiftly in the nearest cave entrance with Alp giving directions. Arrows fly from the other caves, one striking Raven, then they're in. Tunnels go past in a blur, a large room full of goblin children, more arrows that all miss, then a large pair of iron bound double doors.

Without a pause, Leo steps up and taps his _ring of earth elemental command_ agains the doors, and the wood melts away before him to reveal a large room. The throne of the Goblin King stands against one wall, but it's the three goblin archers in front of Leo that are holding his attention!

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_ Three arrows puncture his skin, drawing heavy blood. The group rushes through the door, and are met by a heavy counter charge from yet more goblins and the kings personal bodyguard - ogresses weilding mauls who begin frothing at the mouth and strike hard against Xiang, Sigurd and Raven!

Fjorent flies in in bat form, throwing a _wall of thorns_ against one wall and trapping nearly half the common goblins. One brave goblin runs to the far walls and tries to open the door there as the fighters start to cleave through their opponents.

"Protect the King! Protect the King!" goes the cry.

"Yes, yes! Protect me!" whimpers the King in reply.

Dazzling sword and axe play from Sigurd and Raven down three of the ogresses, but Xiang does slightly less well, only killing one, The other two attacking him strike hard, and Xiang knows he's going to need some healing. Fortunately, the party works well as Raven and Sigurd move across to help him, leaving room for Tarquin to administer a _heal_ to Xiang in the middle of the fight. Xiang spares a second to thank him before returning to the fight.

Showing incredible bravery again, Cailin tumbles through the fight and takes a shot at the King himself, standing clear. In response, the fat old goblin draws a nasty looking shortsword and charges her. His weapon glows with enchantment, biting deep into her and spreading a little numbing cold into her.

The battle is effectively over though, because Fjorent has just called up three _summoned large earth elementals_ who are helping to finish off the remaining goblins. Sigurd steps up and hacks off the Goblin Kings head with little effort.

"Takes a King to kill a King!" he says with some satisfaction.

The goblin archers die soon after, and the mission is a success.  One goblin runs off down a far corridor, but the alert was already raised. The King is dead, but there would no doubt be a new King in short order. The group reviews it's health and decided to wreak as much havok as they can before leaving.

*          *          *          *

[That's all for that session - another Story Hour update in two weeks when we've gamed again!]


----------



## S'mon

*Leo's account*

Leo's account

The Mad Ogresses.



Leo was sitting at this desk muttering. 
“Fireballs, fireballs, everyone wants to learn fireballs.”
He had just finished an involved lesson in the theory and use of magic with some of the more advanced students in the tower. As he had looked at them, he could almost hear their thoughts. 
“Yes, the theory of magic is very nice but when are you going to teach us to cast fireballs”. 
A rap at the door interrupted his thoughts. 
“Come,” he called and a young messenger entered and handed him a now familiar note with Kanor’s seal. He was wanted at the palace. 

As usual he called at the Temple of Urnus Gregaria where he collected Tarquin the priest and they both made their way to the Palace. They were ushered in without delay. The Palace servants were very familiar with them by now. In Kanor’s audience hall Leo saw Xiang, Sigurd and four strangers. A tall, bearded man wearing a blue cloak, a slight lady in nondescript clothes, a dwarven warrior dressed in black armour with a large axe and another lady dressed in neutral colours but with a shield bearing a human skull. All four looked intimidating. 

“Leo,” Xiang called out as soon as he saw him. “ I want to introduce you to some new colleagues.” He took to mage to a corner and spoke quietly.  
“That is Raven”, he said pointing at the dwarf. “He is a virtuous warrior and knight. The lady with the skull shield, Fjorint, is a forest witch like Rhianne and the other lady is Cailin, a scout.” 

“Forest witch” Leo thought. That meant a shapeshifter with other powers. The other two descriptions were self explanatory. 

Leo looked enquiringly at the last stranger. “I don’t know him”, whispered Xiang. 

At this point Kanor entered. “Ah, Leo, you are finally here. I hope you have made your introductions to the others. The gentleman in blue is Alp Ciernan, a druid from the Thuali Woods. He has come here to ask us for help in removing a tribe of goblins from the wood and restore it to his tribe. The goblins have a motley collection of allies including bugbears and ogres. Captain Xiang, it would be very helpful to all of us if you and your colleagues helped Alp Ciernan at this time.”

Captain Xiang? Leo wasn’t sure where this captaincy came from but he would ask Xiang in time. At this moment it wasn’t important. Clearing out the Thuali Woods was. First it would potentially create a safer, faster trade route to the South but more importantly there was a possibility that Heracules the cambion may try to persuade the goblins to launch an attack on Gaxmoor from the Southwest at the same time as he attacked from the Doskan Heights. That would be very bad. So time was of the essence. 

The group left to make their own preparations. Leo and Tarquin introduced themselves to the strangers. Leo was pleased to hear Cailin describe herself as being ”familiar with traps”. That was going to be particularly useful. He spent a little time talking with Sigurd about his new kingdom. Then Alp Ciernan was questioned more closely and two things became apparent. Alp himself was not particularly powerful but he was very familiar with the area and therefore would make a very good guide. He was also informative, telling the group about a Goblin King, a variety of bugbear chieftains, more sneaky goblins and hulking ogres. He believed he would be able to lead them on a trail to a valley, which was faced by a group of hills dotted with cave entrances. These were the living quarters of the tribe. Alp was also confident he would be able to lead them straight to the Hall of the Goblin King. Finally he mentioned about the Nighthounds, gigantic dog-like beasts who hunted men at night. 

The next day, Leo conjured his Phantom Steeds for everyone. This was greeted with delight by Raven, who was a skilled rider and had not an experienced the intoxicating speed of these beasts. The group set off, riding down the trail, briefly stopping to speak to some farmers selling chickens. By the end of the day they were on the edge of the woods. Night came and the group set up camp. Watches were set but little happened. About midnight, Leo was woken briefly by the rain and as he turned around in his shelter he saw Sigurd swinging his sword energetically with no apparent reason. Then he turned around and went back to sleep. 

In the morning the group set out on foot, led by Alp and Cailin. Raven was able to summon Binky his charger. Leo tried to reconcile the name Binky with the half-ton of snorting horse-flesh in front of him. He gave up and cast his Prying Eyes. As the group moved in the woods, Cailin motioned for the group to stop and briefly moved off. Then she came back and informed the group that she had come across a small, foul smelling dark hole. As the group moved closer to investigate it, Alp said he thought this could be the lair of the nighthounds and Raven hissed that he could feel evil from it. Leo sent an eye in there and when it came back it showed him a central corridor with several branches and an end cave with four dog like shapes in it which attacked it. Some attempts were made to draw the hounds out but they were unsuccessful. As Raven was the only one who could fight in the hole, he was supported by some magic and went in there to deal with the beasts. Fjorint changed shape into a bat and followed him. There were sounds of battle from inside and suddenly a hideous howling was heard. Several members of the group found it too horrible to stand and they had to run away. Leo steeled himself against the sound and he heard further sounds of battle and a bright flash from inside. After a little time, there was silence and then Raven emerged and the bat flew out. Raven called out that the evil had been dealt with. The others sheepishly rejoined the group and a search was made of the lair. A little money was found together with a set of bronze bracers. 

The group then continued on the path and made camp from the night. This again was uneventful with the exception that everyone was awakened briefly to look at another strange dog, this one pure white who looked at the group carefully but did not approach them once it saw they were all awake. Sigurd said that until then it had been approaching. Alp then chimed in, saying he believed it was a moondog, a benevolent supernatural creature which watched over the land. 

The group set out and as before, Cailin motioned the group to stop and shortly came back to report seeing a mound with several bugbears outside it. There is little ceremony; the group moves in with the warriors at the front. Fortunately the enemy is startled and slow and so the warriors from the group are able to reach them quickly. General melee ensues but the bugbears are no match for the hardened warriors. There are two entrances into the mound and the enemy alerted, pour out of both. A moment later, Fjorint seals one of them with a barrier of brambles and thorns. Groups of goblins join in the fray.  The battle is short and sharp and the outcome is never in doubt. The mound is searched and non-combatants are sent on their way with warnings never to return. The journey on the path is resumed. 

Some time later, Cailin again motions for the group to stop while she goes ahead to investigate. She comes back to relate that the trees part to show a small collection of dilapidated hovels next to a river. There are two bugbears next to a point on the river, possibly a ford. Again the group hold a quick discussion and the decision is made that offence is the best option. Moving quietly up to a point, the group rushes in, headed by the warriors. The bugbears realise they are under attack and sound the alarm but by this stage the group already is very close to the village. As the enemy come pouring out of the buildings and group together to repulse the invaders, Leo saw an opportunity and cast a fireball in the middle of their number (he smiled wryly to himself as he thought about he irony of the situation, considering his lesson two days ago). This was effective and thinned out enemy numbers as well as hurting the more powerful ones. In the back he noticed another fire spell affecting two bugbears at the back. General melee followed, with the warriors being surprised by the power of the bugbears that seemed to be some elite guard. Be that as it may, the warriors soon dispatched the whole group. After searching, some loot was found but not a great deal.

The group then started on the main trail. It was criss crossed by several other trails that were obviously heavily used by a variety of creatures including ogres and bugbears. The journey to the valley was uneventful with one exception. Cailin stopped the group and started investigating one section of ground ahead. Suddenly she stiffened, paled and jerkily headed back to the group, saying that she had been poisoned. Tarquin quickly took her boot off and examined her foot, which had a small puncture mark. He tried to suck the poison out but suddenly Cailin stiffened and was unable to move. Fortunately Tarquin had a prayer which was able to bring her back to her normal self. 

The group then moved forward into the valley. They were hoping that Alp was going to be able to guide them straight to the main hall of the cave system. Moving into the valley, Cailin reported a quartet of goblins outside that cave entrance posted as guards. The group moved up as far as they could and then Cailin moved in and shot two of them. Unfortunately the other two set off the alarm. The group wasted little time and led by Alp, they sped into the cave mouth. They passed numerous cave entrances, punctuated by goblin screams of women and children and a few warriors. These were ignored and Alp led them to a pair of large wooden doors bound with metal and obviously barred on the other side. Moving quickly, Leo used an effect of his ring and suddenly only the metal binding was left in a gap made in the doors. Unfortunately, Leo was shot full of arrows as soon as the hole appeared. 

Cursing, he made way for the warriors who were clamouring to enter. As more of the group entered, they saw a large cavern full of goblins, a harem of naked goblin women and several demented female ogres also wearing very little. Suddenly, a wall of brambles and thorns appeared, effectively sealing off half the goblins on one side of the cave. Battle was joined with the others. The mad ogresses rushed forward, engaging the warriors. The harem set up a steady shriek. The king bellowed instructions to everyone and more goblin archers and warriors made ready to enter the fray. Archers shot at Leo and scratched him. Goblin warriors flailed at Fjorint who was in the shape of a bat at the moment. Cailin tumbled through the battle although this seemed costly to her as Leo saw her being hit at least twice until she was able to take a shot at the Goblin King. This infuriated him and he rushed towards her. He also struck her but this put him in reach of Sigurd who promptly cut him down. By this stage there were only a couple of the mad ogresses left and they were quickly dispatched although Xiang was screaming for healing. Then three large earth elementals appeared and they mopped up the remains of the enemy. A few fled through another pair of double doors at the back of the throne room. 

The group searched the throne room, healed and made ready to go deeper into the complex so as it create as much mayhem and disruption as possible.


----------



## S'mon

Good account Matt - give Xiang 300XP.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

_Things Happen Quickly When You're Not Expecting Them_

Tarquin recieves a _sending_, asking Sigurd to remove his _amulet of protection from detection_ so that he can talk to Kanor. Sigurd is then teleported out by Dovistar's _teleport summons_ spell. After only a few moments, Sigurd is teleported back in, along with Ramu Khem. Greetings are exchanged all round, but Sigurd's tale of what just happened is interrupted as a group of Ogres charge down one tunnel, and warg riders appear at the door that the party entered!

Xiang is charged by the largest of the Ogres, who deals him a tremendous blow with a large maul. Xiang is rocked back on his heels by the force of the impact, his black armour almost crumpling under the impact, but he steels himself and raises the Spear to retaliate. Fjorent is caught at the door, attempting to move a little way away to cast a _flamestrike_. The flames roar down as Xiang strikes back at the Ogre chief, dealing huge damage. As the flames clear from around the Ogres, Raven arrives, his _holy avenger_ gleaming in the light as he _smites evil_. The Ogre chieftain, despite his strength and power, is slain outright. Sigurd has moved up, sword slicing into ogres. However, even as Tarquin moves over to help the wounded, the ogres counterattack and Fjorent lies crumpled beneath their blows. Tarquin checks - dead.

On the other side, things are going somewhat better. Between rapid scimitar work by Ramu, arrows from Cailin and a _circle of death_ from Leo, the wargs and their riders are quickly dying. Cailin is briefly tripped, but some more scimitar work, a _magic missile_ and some fancy footwork by Cailin herself ends the problem.

Then - a further set of arrivals. Goblins pour in through the door behind the wargs, whilst more come down the tunnel towards Raven even as he strikes down the remaining ogres. But the mighty wizard Leo is not only smart, but cunning. He selects the perfect spell - _black tentacles_. All the goblins manage only a single shot with their bows, scratching Sigurd and Raven before the tentacles grapple them and squeeze the life out of them. The final warg is slowly crushed as well. As quickly as they arrived, the goblins leave, and beyond the _wall of thorns_ the sound of retreat is heard as well. The battle is well and truly won now, with the ogre chieftain slain, the goblin kind dead and the majority of the goblin warriors fallen.

The cost of the fight is Fjorent's dead body. Tarquin kneels over her and begins to pray...for a full minute the strain is visible on his face as he channels the power of his God. It seems for a moment as though Fjorent is not willing to return, but then she does. Sitting up weakly, she turns and thanks Tarquin. He smiles, and casts _heal_, restoring her to almost full strength.

Regrouping and setting a marching order, the group quickly discovers a locked door. Cailin has it open in a trice, to reveal a well decorated room containing three goblin concubines, and a human woman. One goblin has a small knife to the human's throat. Sigurd steps forward, clutching his sword.

"Leave the woman, depart now, and we will let you live!"

The goblins flee in terror. Sigurd allows himself a small smile of satisfaction. Sometimes it's nice to be intimidating. The woman speaks to him in the language of Ancient Gaxmoor, which fortunately he'd learnt from his cohort Larius.

"I am Lady Claudia of Gaxmoor. Thank you for rescuing me."

Further questioning, the group using Tarquin and Sigurd as translators, brings the information that she was captured when Heracules' forces took Gaxmoor. Once it was freed, she was taken to these caves and traded by the cambion's forces. She'd been used as a concubine and pit gladiator, slaying a hobgoblin in single combat, but was more than pleased to discover Larius was still alive. In fact, in turned out that there may be a very close relationship between the two of them, something that none of the group was aware of. Sigurd promised to keep her safe and lead her out.

The party asked Alp Ciernan and Lady Claudia if they had any further ideas about what to do, which locations to strike next. It was determined that moving swiftly on would be best, and in short order the group found themselves outside an intimidating steel door. A sudden sound made Ramu look round, and he reacted quickly to chase off a small group of goblins, killing three.

The door was investigated, and found to lead to a cunning trap room. As one, the group shrugged, glad that they hadn't fallen into it.

Another _sending_ arrived. Margrave Kanor wanted everyone back as quickly as possible. Between Leo and Tarquin, everyone was clear to teleport...bar one. Alp Ciernan solved the problem by asking the group to accompany him to his sacred grove. The cave system was quickly left behind, and after a short amount of travel, the sacred grove was in view. Alp moved in, and seemed overjoyed to see a large white boar. Embracing it, he turned and said "Thank you for everything. I will be safe now." Smiling at the reunion between a Druid and his animal companion, the group _teleported_ back to Gaxmoor.

* * * *

Margrave Kanor was waiting for them. He quickly laid out the news.

"General Ghyssk has arrived with his slave caravan. It seems that Carrisqui Town is still not fufilling it's obligations, and in fortuitous timing, Ghyssk has been elected to the Town Council. It seems he wants to take over - accepting me as his Lord, of course - and bring Carrisqui properly into the Scornic League. In addition to this, he believes that if they had somewhere to settle, 400 hobgoblins would desert Heraclues forces and come over to us. Now, this may not be a particularly big loss to Heracules forces - after all he has nearly 50 Frost Giants - but it would reinforce our own forces considerably. The key point is that he wants you, particularly Sigurd and Xiang, to help him oust the current council. Will you do it?"

A short discussion followed, weighing up the pros and cons. By the groups reckoning, the reinforcements (although untrustworthy) could help the Gaxmoor forces quite considerably. Sigurd brought up the notion that the hobgoblins could be asked to desert on the field of battle, but it seemed that giving them a place to fight for was a better idea. Checking to see if Raven was happy with the morals of this plan, the group agreed to help Ghyssk take over, but only on the basis that no blood was to be spilt if it could be helped.

Ghyssk was brought into the room, looking slightly nervously at Xiang and Sigurd. He repeated what he wanted, again promised that 400 hobgoblins would be the prize, as it were, and when the group signalled their acceptance he looked more than a touch relieved.

However, Xiang and Sigurd both reminded him (subtly holding weapons at the time) that if any betrayal should happen on his part he'd feel the wrong end of vengeance.

Ghyskk smiled, spread his hands and shrugged, as if to say "Who? Me?"

* * * *

Whilst Leo conjured _phantom steeds_ for everyone, Cailin did a little bit of shopping in Gaxmoor one the behalf of other people, and a little appraising. The share of treasure from the goblins turned out to be nearly 3000gp each, and enough diamonds for Tarquin to cast two further _raise dead_ spells, should they be needed. Raven also comissioned a _cloak of charisma +2_, and Ramu took the _bracers of armour +4_ that were found in the Night Hounds warren.

Riding with wizardrous speed to Carrisqui, everyone arrived by nightfall. The move appeared to have taken the Council by surprise, as Ghyssk summoned them and briskly informed them of Margrave Kanor's decision. As the guards moved forwards to try and club him down, Sigurd stepped up and brought the full power of his reputation and leadership to bear, informing the Council members and the guards that the Margrave's decision was final, that Ghyssk had promised no harm to anyone involved in the Council, and that if the Council wanted bloodshed they would have to start it. Grumbling, the Council members left for their own forms.

It took a moment for anyone to realise that Leo had gone with them.

* * * *

When he returned, he informed the group that the Council had met up and discussed the possibility of starting a riot. A large group of people had already formed outside. Sigurd and Xiang stepped outside, quickly.

Once again, Sigurd's talent for diplomacy was greatly useful. He managed to answer the questions of the people, offer his personal assurances that no harm would come to any of them, and that this was all under the orders of Margrave Kanor. Xiang added that Kanor had offered incentives to anyone that wanted to move north to Gaxmoor, as that city was still looking for settlers. There seemed to be some agreement that this might be a good idea, not only amongst the people, but amongst the guards too.

No further trouble occoured, and when, three days later 400 troops arrived from Dulleaburg to help Ghyssk keep order, the group _teleported_ back to Gaxmoor. A major meeting of the heads of the Scornic League was imminent, and Kanor had asked everyone to go with him to Scornel and attend. Fjorent and Leo transported the group onwards, and soon everyone arrived at Scornel.

A much bigger city than Gaxmoor, Scorn'el had a mediterranean feel. Much warmer than the hill city of Gaxmoor, Scorn'el looked down on a large lake. It was busy for the time of year, with delegations coming from several cities to try and sort out what the League intended to do about the threat of the Mongali attack that was expected next year.

The group arrived at the temple of Carthea, and were greeted by the High Priestess of Carthea in Scorn'el, Aquila Velura. Feeling safe for the first time in many days, Xiang left the others and wandered down towards the lake, looking for a good lunch. Margrave Kanor went to speak with Maxilio Vebaris, the Mayor. The rest of the group looked around the place, Cailin and Ramu witnessing the arrival of the great warlord Kardus with his retinue of knights, whom many thought had a good choice of leading the fight against the Mongali.

That night, everyone was invited to dine with the Mayor. Fine food and drink followed, along with a discussion about the situation facing the Scornic League. Maxilio reckoned that Kanor didn't stand much chance of being elected war leader, commenting that it seemed that most of the major aristocrats had put themselves forward for the role. He also brought the news that Zalindra the Devastator, consort of Overking Tarkane, was in Scorn'el. Quite what her intentions were, no one was sure.

The discussion was wide ranging, but friendly. Sigurd talked about the possibility of bringing Trafalgis troops down from the North to help the League against the Mongali, but both he and Kanor warned that any troops from Dulleaburg and Gaxmoor might not make it if Heracules and his Frost Giants suceed in their attack, expected in the next few months. The fate of the whole region could be decided in the next six months or so, and Xiang felt that the actions of the people gathered around him would be critically important in deciding that fate...

_Next time: The meeting of the Margraves and Margravines, lots of talking, and possibly a fight? We can only hope..._


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## S'mon

Thanks Matt, give Xiang 300XP.


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## S'mon

1 thing - Cailin saw the Albine warlord Lord Kardus enter Scorn'el with his knights, not the Northwoods Ranger-Lord Alidarn.


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## Mathew_Freeman

Thanks Simon, the edit is done.


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## S'mon

*Leo's account*

The Caves and Beyond

Having fought a hard battle in the Court of the Goblin King, Captain Xiang and the rest of the Heroes of Gaxmoor started to search the chamber more thoroughly. The court was bisected by Fjorint’s Wall of Thorns, sealing a good amount of goblins behind it. Some goblins had fled down a large corridor. At this moment, Sigurd disappeared in a familiar manner. A moment later Ramu Khem, the Aryptian appeared with the news the Sigurd was needed for an important conference with Kanor.  Having completed their preliminary searching, Leo sent one of his Prying Eyes into the corridor. At the same time, Xiang and Fjorint approached this exit while the rest of the group made a few more preparations. Then Sigurd appeared again. Leo looked at him questioningly but he just made a signal that the matter could wait. 

The exit being watched by Fjorint and Xiang was suddenly filled with ogres, including one who looked bigger and stronger than his companions. In the other entrance to the Court, goblin warg riders began struggling through the small gap in the vast, wooden doors. The ogres ran to the entrance of the chamber, trying to batter Xiang and the others. The large ogre made a telling strike on Xiang while Fjorint was injured several times by the others. Ramu and Cailin rapidly met the rear attack of the warg riders. Sigurd and Tarquin moved forward to help in the ogre attack. Leo moved to the rear of the chamber and cast one of his most powerful spells which devastated the warg riders, leaving only four wargs and two riders alive. On the other end, things were not going so well. Just as Sigurd and Tarquin arrived, Fjorint cast a fire spell on the ogres but was then struck down in a bloody heap. Raven, about to go and help with the wargs, saw that they were only a small threat, and rushed to join the fight with ogres. At the same time, Leo saw Xiang execute a dazzling combination of moves with his spear, puncturing the ogre leader several times. The creature staggered but roared in defiance at Xiang who scowled. Both Sigurd and Raven also struck telling blows. Cailin, in the meantime was shooting as rapidly as she could into wargs and goblins but gave a stifled cry when she saw a good score more of the creatures wriggle their way through the rear door. They fired their bows and scored a couple of glancing shots but ominously, they carefully positioned themselves into formation for maximum effect. The battle against the ogres continued. Tarquin had confirmed that Fjorint was indeed dead and moved to heal Raven, who had been struck badly. Xiang rid himself of his troublesome opponent and the rest of the warriors were then met with the sight of more goblin reinforcements coming behind the ogres. Cailin had been tripped by one of the wargs and was prone but fortunately Ramu, in a dazzling move, killed one of his goblin opponents and one of the wargs. Under the careful goblin formation, the ground erupted with a mass of black tentacles that grabbed goblins and wargs indiscriminately, causing havoc and destruction. Having grabbed their victims, there were audible cracks of bone as the tentacles squeezed. At the front, the last ogre fell and Raven gleefully fell on the goblins and hewing mightily with his axe, three of them fell. The rest, seeing this as well as the unnatural wriggling mass of tentacles still squeezing the life out of their comrades, fled. 

The party regrouped. The bodies of the ogres were searched yielding certain valuables including an odd jewel encrusted Rod. At the same time Tarquin asked the others to sit Fjorint against a wall while he retrieved certain specific and spell components out of his pouch. He performed certain complicated prayers and the valuable diamond dust disappeared. At the same time, Fjorint coughed and stirred. Moments later, Tarquin gave her one of his most powerful healing spells. The colour came back into her cheeks, she flexed her muscles and was able to rise and walk around. Back up to full strength, the group formed up and quickly marched down the corridor with Cailin as a scout. The corridor curved and then branched, leading to a heavy steel door. Cailin motioned the group forward and made sure they were ready before she attempted to pick the lock. She managed this in a very professional manner and the door was opened to reveal a large, plush chamber decorated in a tasteless manner. Suffice to say it was the seraglio of the Goblin King. Inside were three goblin females and a semi naked blonde human woman. One of the goblins was holding the woman with a knife to her throat. She shouted something in goblin. Raven, in the first rank, dropped his weapon and held his hands up. Sigurd, shouted something out in goblin and continued shouting. The goblin shrank back and let the woman go. She promptly turned around and punched the goblin in the stomach before running to the group. 

“Oh, thank you. My name is Lady Claudia of Gaxmoor. Someone will finally be able to get me of this filthy place,” she exclaimed. This was spoken in ancient Imarran so only Leo, Tarquin and Sigurd understood. 

Sigurd put her behind him as the three goblins shrank past him and the rest of the group. As Sigurd was at the front and he did nothing to stop them, the rest assumed that this was part of the deal. 

Almost casually Sigurd asked the Lady Claudia if she was acquainted with Larius, Sigurd’s cohort and captain. 

“You know Larius? Where is he? How is he? What is he doing? How do you know him?” Both the tone of her voice, and the expression on her face said that the Lady Claudia was very well acquainted with the dour Larius. 

More questioning revealed that she had been captured by Heracules and through many adventures had finally finished as part of the harem of the Goblin King. She also said that the ogres had their living quarters in the direction where the group was going while most of the goblins lived in the opposite direction.

Claudia was given some more clothing and the group set out down the corridor. Another chamber was discovered, obviously the chamber of the ogres. Then as the group were approaching another steel door Tarquin suddenly asked everyone to stop. He had an abstracted look on his face and in a few moments he informed the others that he had just had a magic message from Petronius. It was quite urgent that they return to Gaxmoor as Kanor wanted to speak with them as quickly as possible. After a quick consultation the group decided to investigate this last room and then leave for the city by arcane means. Cailin quickly unlocked the door and saw it was empty with three other identical steel doors. This bare room looked very suspicious so the group left it alone and decided to leave. One problem was that the group was too large by one person to be taken out at once. So the decision was taken to escort Alp to the nearby Druid’s Sacred Grove. From there he would then make his way to the Thuali tribe and inform them their former home was available to them again. The journey to the Grove was uneventful and as the group entered the area, they noticed a change in the atmosphere. The closest Leo had come to anything similar was when he entered the Temple of Urnus Gregaria. There was a feeling of power in the place but different to that of a Temple. As Alp entered the grove, a strange white boar entered the grove from the other side. With a happy cry Alp strode forward to the beast, greeting it like a long lost friend. 

Thus, the group, along with the Lady Claudia, transported themselves to the Temple of Urnus Gregaria and the Tower of the White Way. The two separate groups were told in both places that Kanor had left word that they were to go to the palace as soon as they arrived. Both groups met at the palace and were ushered to Kanor’s presence. As soon as he saw them he said:

“Gysshk the Hobgoblin has just come from the south with a slave caravan. As you are aware, he was trying to get a seat on the ruling council of Carrisqui Town. Although Carrisqui has acknowledged my rule it never paid its dues to me or the League. Gysshk has been successful in obtaining a seat on the council and is now suggesting that if I set him as sole ruler of the town he will throw out the council and swear fealty to me. He has sweetened the deal by saying that he has been in touch with hobgoblin contingent of Heracules’s troops, that is a good four hundred warriors, and they are willing to desert on mass providing he can provide land and dwellings for them. They are also willing to fight for us in the coming winter campaign. If I accept his offer he specifically requested Capt. Xiang to be a member of the group that goes with him to make sure the council accepts the new regime. What to do you think I should do?”

Much discussion ensued after this momentous news but in the end it was decided that Gysshk’s offer was too good to turn down in view of the both the military gains and losses to Heracules, the offer was just too good to turn down. There were widely held reservations, especially by Sigurd and Raven. These were partly allayed as Kanor was more than happy to accept anyone from Carrisqui who was unhappy with hobgoblins living nearby. Gaxmoor was still only about half populated.  The group retired, on the understanding that they would go with Gysshk first thing tomorrow. 

The next morning the group met with Gysshk. He greeted the warriors of the group like long lost friends but was distinctly nervous when told that they would have to ride Phantom Steeds to Carrisqui. He was even more unhappy when he heard that he would not be able to take his guards but in the end he was convinced by Xiang and Sigurd that speed was of the utmost necessity. The journey South to Carrisqui was fast and uneventful and the group arrived at dusk. Wasting little time, Gysshk went to the Town Hall and summoned the council members. They duly arrived and were told the new status quo without ceremony. They fluttered and spluttered in the manner of politicians but they were cowed by Sigurd’s presence. Sigurd and the mayor were acquainted from the past when Sigurd demanded some back taxes from the town. Still spluttering, the council members retired. Leo turned invisible and followed them. They made their way to the mayor’s house; there, Leo heard a continuation of their outraged spluttering. This soon turned into a conversation about stirring the local population into a mob to oust Gysshk. Several of the members left to organise the mob. Leo followed one of them and cast one of his spells at him to make his mind more accepting of the regime change but he proved surprisingly resistant. Leo turned visible and fled, unwilling to cause needless casualties. Coming back to the Town Hall, Leo saw there was already a mob outside. He had to fly in and informed the others of what he had discovered. Sigurd stepped out in front of the people and calmly and carefully informed them of the sequence of events using his personal charisma and magnetism. He cut an imposing figure with his dazzling armour, imposing figure and personal charisma. Leo couldn’t help but be impressed. His appeal had an immediate effect on the mob, which settled down and soon individuals started drifting home. Gysshk now felt more confident. Leo hoped that the council members had the sense to leave Carrisqui very quickly. This night preferably. Gysshk was not a forgiving individual.

Three days later, Kanor sent troops to aid Gysshk’s authority and Leo cast Phantom Steeds so the group could leave for Gaxmoor. They went past the former goblin caves and saw that Alp’s tribe had started to move in. They reached Gaxmoor that evening and reported to Kanor who was satisfied at the result. He reminded them that the League conference was in five days time. However, he wanted to be at in Scornel a day ahead. Kanor was of the understanding that Leo would transport him to the Temple of Carthea in Scornel and Leo informed the High Priestess, Aquila, that they were on their way. 

During those five days, the group sold the goods they had taken from the goblins and made ready for the journey to Scornel. Leo was able to inscribe a couple of spells into his spell book. He was also approached by Fjorint, who asked him if he knew any trees in the temple. Trees were not something he paid particular attention to but Fjorint explained that she had a specific power that allowed her to literally walk between trees. Provided she knew the location of two trees of the same species, distance was not an issue.  If Leo could let her know of any trees in Scornel, preferably close to the temple, she would be able to take the rest of the group to the city. Thus, Leo was given a crash course in trees on the understanding that as soon as he arrived in the city he would contact Fjorint and let her know about a suitable tree nearby to which she could “step”. Leo thought this was an interesting branch of magic. It also explained certain rumours he had heard about the abilities of druids.

The day before the great congress, Leo transported Kanor, Sigurd, Xiang and Tarquin to the Temple. They were met by a tall, raven-haired woman wearing flowing diaphanous robes whom Leo recognised as Aquila Valira, the High Priestess.

“Greetings Leo, Kanor. Ah Sigurd, it is good to see you again. We had an interesting discussion last time we met.”

Sigurd smiled in a slightly embarrassed manner. The discussion was on the philosophy of democracy and he had disagreed with the priestess. Sigurd had a fairly simple view of democracy. He was right and everyone else was wrong. 

“Come. We have prepared quarters for you. I do hope you will be able to stay with us. There will be a dinner tonight and Maxilio Verbaris, mayor of Scornel will be there. I know you want to see him.”

Leo answered. “You are most generous my lady. Before we accept your kind offer though please bear with us for a little time. We will be back in a moment. Ramu, would you be so kind as to escort Kanor to his quarters.”

With those words, Leo found the nearest oak tree, following instructions. He then relayed the information arcanely and moments later he saw the rest of the group “step” out of the tree.  

The rest of the day was at the disposal of the group. Leo wondered around the city. It was very different from Gaxmoor. It was built on several terraces, with the lowest bordering Deepwater Lake. The climate was kind to this land and the houses were uniformly white, giving the city a gleam. The streets were paved and everywhere there were signs of commerce and prosperity. People were rarely armed and if they were they marked themselves as either strangers or guardsmen. There were restaurants, shops and throngs of people. Leo spent an enjoyable day and in the late afternoon he went back to the temple. He met the others who had spent the day similarly. Cailin related that she had seen a large crowd around a gate, which was cheering a procession of armed knights in bronze armour. The crowd chanted “Kardus, Kardus”. This must have been the legendary warlord who had had so many successes against the Mongali. Xiang and Sigurd had sampled the local restaurants and could recommend the fish. 

That evening a sumptuous dinner was arranged. Attending was the group together with the Priestess, Maxilio Verbarius, mayor of Scornel and Kanor. Much was discussed. Sigurd suggested raiding parts of the Mongali homelands from Trafalgis but Maxilio dismissed that as geographically impractical. Kanor asked for help against Heracules but was bluntly told that the resources for that were just not there. He was also told that it was deeply unlikely that he would be chosen war leader. Maxilio mentioned that Zalindra consort to Tarkane was in the city. She had offered a huge amount of troops if Scornel acknowledge Tarkane as Overking. Kanor mentioned his success with the Makyans but again Maxilio seemed to dismiss this. Leo was getting the impression that Maxilio was dismissive of the Borderlands in general. He watched and waited, knowing that Maxilio would have several visits like this tonight and thinking it very likely that certain decisions that were supposed to be discussed during the Congress, had been made months ago. Tomorrow, Maxilio would do his utmost to push them through.


----------



## Dispater

*Old enemies, new allies*

"I'm are going to meet the representatives of the entire Scornic league in two days. I would like you to represent me in the military affairs of the Borderlands."
"I see." Sigurd chewed the meat slowly.
"What do you mean?"
"I think it would be unwise."
The Margrave lifted his glass.
"You are concerned the league might think we're in some sort of pact."
"They might be biased against me. I would like to offer an alliance, but for the moment I am neutral."
"Well, regardless, I am going to go ahead and put myself forward as field commander for the Scornic forces against the Mongali."
Sigurd nodded tactfully, then thought about the Margrave's field experience. 
"Harecules needs to be dealt with."
"And I need the men I can get."
"I think we can win the league over in a way both can benefit."

---

"Wait! Bloody &%&$!!"
Gysshk had trouble trying to cling on to the phantom steeds, misty, ghostly horses whose hooves moved effortlessly over the land, crossing distance in a few hours where normal steeds would have taken days. The hobgoblin wasn't the best of riders, as they all could understand, but when he had first insisted on taking the caravan at normal pace, Xiang had told him firmly that this was not an option. This group of adventurers lived, killed and travelled fast. They were not exactly wasting time having picnics out in the open.

Impressive they were, Xiang in the lead, the former cavalryman looking ever so daunting with his black armour and spear at hand. Then followed up by two strong and fanatical holy warriors, Ramu and Raven, then Leo and the forrest witch, Callin, a rogue, Tarquin and himself. After Aos' death, Sigurd was the only one left of the company's old gang. The swordsman whom Sigurd had campaigned so many years had been cut down in front of his eyes, defiant to his last breath. He guessed their friendship had taken an end in the Aryptian desert, where clearly he had gone mad, but he couldn't help but looking over his shoulder in the midst of combat sometimes, somehow expecting to see the swashbuckler cutting enemies apiece.

Xiang was now the Margrave's favourite, who sent his captain south and north, trusting him to deal with his neighbours and allies. However, their current mission was of a tricky nature; assisting their old enemy Gysshk in taking over the local city council of Carisqui, where he had lately ever so conveniently become a council member. In return Gysshk had guaranteed 400 hobgoblin warriors waiting to defect from Harecules forces, joining the side of the Margrave in return for land and protection in Carisqui town. 

The city walls came to sight at the end of the day. The party had at blazing speed crossed through a frozen landscape, and the slow warning of the deep winter approaching, with the coming of frost giants, marching through ice and snow. How do you defeat an army of frost giants in heavy winter? There would be a chance only if archers and crossbowmen could stick enough arrows in them, but in order to do so one would have to sending normal infantry to engage them, which would be suicide. Not even pikemen, who had long spears, would be at an advantage because the giants were huge and fierce, their mauls and axes would cut through them like a knife through hot butter. Only by being willing to sacrifice could Dulleaberg, and these hogoblins would maybe suit the role. The notion that the latter could defect in the middle of combat had been brought up and discussed, but if would be a risky plan. The hogoblins might chose to stay in Harecules ranks, and although they already held the half-demon in great contempt, he could always threaten them with punishments worse than death should he win the battle.

To the extent Gysshk could be trusted, Sigurd reckoned that the hogoblin would live up to his current obligation, regardless of his final motives. Additionally, the hogoblins' defection might demoralise other parts of Harecules army, but he was unsure if the Margrave had land to house them all. That the half-demon continued to be a never-ending thorn to Kanor's foot was perhaps remedied by that Harecules was running out of allies. His reputation of having been defeated twice in the field, on both occasions where he ran like a little girl, will unquestionably have spread among his troops. 

---

The doors to the council swung open upon Gysshk's request, for the guards knew little of what ill fate awaited them. The merchant had quickly called for a hurried assembly of the other council members, the time was approaching midnight, and the mayor of the town looked confusedly at the party backing up Gysshk's demands for the town council to be demoted, making himself to sole leader of the city.
"You're out, I'm in. Get out, you're finished. You're history!" Sigurd wondered how the hogoblin ever got a seat in the town council in the first place.
"Tyrant! Traitor!" The councillors who valued their independence above all else had failed to meet up with the Margrave's requests, and now they paid for it. Had they held their obligations, maybe Kanor would not so willingly have taken their freedom away, but as it was now, he had everything to gain and little to lose by doing this. The situation bordered on violence and the fallen mayor signalled for his guards to take Gysshk away, the hogoblin actually making the situation worse for himself with his remarks and taunts. Sigurd could see the situation turning into a bloodbath so he stepped up.
"Silence! We are the men and women that have helped you in the past against dragons and would-be invaders. We are not here to bring about war or disorder to this city, neither is Gysshk. By the power of the authority of the Margrave he is to be instituted as mayor, and along with him there will be four hundred others of his kin coming to settle on this land. In return, I give you my word as King that no man will be harmed should you all chose to resign peacefully."
"This is outrageous! This is a breach of the law! We are not going to be governed by a filthy..."
"Mayor, as representative of your people, it is in your interests that no blood is spilled. Now, I ask you this question. Do you want to continue your lives in peace, or do you want to turn this place into a slaughterhouse?"
The stunned councillors stopped to think. 
"Gysshk, swear before this council that no harm will fall upon them as long as you are in power." Reluctantly, the hogoblin merchant complied. No doubt after preciously few moments treacherous thoughts came to the minds of the councillors and they all resigned and left the halls with hurried determinedness. Gysshk smiled to himself and sank into his chair, gleeful at having his way with the townspeople. In the meantime, the word had miraculously spread. Commoners were at their doorsteps, with rumours abound that an army of hogoblins was invading the city, that the council had been attacked, that the mayor had been slain. 

Xiang and Sigurd, the two warriors walked out with dignity, looking out at the masses gathered below them. It took the commoners little time to recognise them, both that had held prestige all over the Borderlands. Sigurd raised his hands reassuringly and for a moment, the crowd stood still. 
"Citizens! There has been a change of power tonight. By the order of Margrave Manor, councillor Gysshk has been promoted to mayor."
"What about the hogoblin invasion?" An elderly smith at the front raised his voice.
"There is no invasion. There will come hogoblins, but they will live and work in this land like honest citizens. No blood has been spilt, neither will it be."
"If you feel wronged, you are free to leave this city" added Captain Xiang diplomatically "The Margrave extends his invitation for those who chose so to come and live in Gaxmor, where there is land and opportunities."
"Go home to your beds and rest. All is safe tonight." Sigurd felt this was the only reassurance he could offer them. Nobody knew what tomorrow would bring.

---

"I suggest you speak with a more silvery tongue from this moment on. Humans are not bullied so easily such as hogoblins.”
Gysshk growled.
“We'll be keeping an eye on you." The party began to leave the halls. The hogoblin might be realising that although his rule had been affirmed, it was as thin as ice. Sigurd hoped Kanor was wise enough to be prepared to remove Gysshk if Harecules was defeated, because one way or the other, he would become trouble in the end.

---

Here's to 225 xp for 14th lvl!


----------



## S'mon

Dispater said:
			
		

> Here's to 225 xp for 14th lvl!




Hi Lars - yep, nice piece, take 300 XP and level Sigurd up!


----------



## StalkingBlue

_[OOC note:  The following is an account of Fjorent of Beskarn's recent spirit journey. Unlike some stuff I've created freeform in the past for other characters, this is actual content from an actual RP session.]_


*Witch’s Hour in Scorn’el *



The chalk screeches on the floorboards as the star grows its fifth arm, and Fjorent sits back to contemplate her work.  Five points, five tallow candles.  It’s not as if the shape mattered for the efficacy of the focus;  but someone might enter despite bolts and warnings, and a Witch has a reputation to maintain – and a body to protect while she is away from the Pale.  Superstition may still stay a hand where other barriers fail.  

The pouch.  Fjorent shakes a few desiccated, woody slivers into her palm and stirs through them with a finger.  _Skin-thin for an easy ride – trunk-thick for death and truth and night._  Which one to choose?  The rich food and wine at Scorn’el Mayor Maxilio’s dinner table have left her light-headed, and the lures of the True are not to be trifled with.  Yet she needs answers tonight.  

Two smooth thick slices go back into the pouch.  They would leave a Witch out for a night even without the wine to account for;  too long, too dangerous here and tonight.  Most of the other slivers are thin enough to see through, potent enough for a brief dip into the True but no serious work.  Which leaves that lumpy one, slightly uneven at the end where the mushroom from which was cut curved around its tree, long unchosen because of it.  Fjorent sighs.  Shape doesn’t matter … 

The lumpy bit of mushroom bends and cracks between the Witch’s teeth, tasting of dust and leather.  The candles spit and flicker.  Then as the mushroom starts releasing its deeply stored juices, her gums tingle and go numb and she settles back to welcome the acrid taste of the True.  

_The taste of forest.  The taste of Beskarn.  Each and every time again, the first time.  Spring again, a fly whirling insanely through the sunbeams among --- _

***

Whirling mists at first, merely.  The sensation of her own skin more sharply defined.  Then the curtain of mists draws back from a grey, bleak landscape.  Bleakness that, in the True, hurts the eye.  

The Witch, still in human form, draws her sickle and raises her free hand.  Two parallel cuts in the fleshy base of her left thumb, two drops of bright blood drawn.  Where her blood drips on the barren ground – _One, a skull cracks against a castle wall_ – flowers spring up from the ground, spread like ripples on a lake – _Two, her sickle slits a prone man’s throat _ – a carpet of a thousand colours and impossibly brilliant greens grows up – a living forest.  The Witch breathes.  One answer has been given and it is what she had hoped.  

Far off a village nestles among the trees.  Here and tonight, that village is Arkand.  The Witch selects her form for keen vision and speed and changes.  Feet claw and fingers feather, and (a strand of moss whirling off a talon) the Witch-eagle rises on the air and speeds towards the village to investigate.  

The village appears healthy and at peace.  Bear guards patrol with pikes and spears, gazelles are chatting in the marketplace.  As the Witch-eagle spirals down searching for a certain spirit she wishes to see, she suddenly feels agitation boil up from below.  The landscape changes again, unforested hills stretch away from the village, an immense dark cloud moves rapidly up from the west.  

Strong current, unasked for.  Here is the Present changing into a Future.  Must learn more.  The Witch leaves Arkand be and speeds towards the looming cloud.  

A gigantic shadow flits across her from above and behind, the whirl of a wingtip buffets her and sends the ground spiralling crazily up towards her until, bruised but intact, she manages to catch air under her wings and right herself.  The creature is a great eagle, which just now reaches the cloud and swoops down at it, sending lightning flashing from its talons.  Fire billows upwards from the cloud:  battle has been joined.  

Cold seeps strength from the Witch-eagle as she flies.  She is far from her Pale body and this cloud is dark and strong.  Yet she must see more.  Answers.  She presses on.  

Faces swim in the cloud as she expected:  thousands upon thousands of Mongali faces contorted with the fear and lust of battle.  The horde is immense and beyond it stretches rank upon ghostly rank of Mongali ancestors, as far as eagle eyes can see and farther.  Only with her mind can the Witch reach to that faraway, point of utter darkness from which this neverending, never vanquished stream pours:  Mon Gal, the first Mongali ancestor.  Tales told in the Pale claim that Mon Gal destroyed the gods who made him, though he himself was but a man.  

More eagles have joined the first to battle the cloud.  Some fall, defeated.  The cold so close to the Horde makes the Witch’s wings tire.  She has seen as much as she dares, and wheels away.  

The Arkand village lies in her path and this time freely offers what lay hidden in it before:  a sheep stands in deep talk with a slim greyhound.  The Witch recognises the Margravine (no murderess after all) with Captain Jethis.  As the Witch-eagle sinks low enough to overhear their words, the sheep glances up briefly and frowns:  sharp senses, that one has.  The Witch rises on the wind to not disturb her further.  

As the Witch-eagle travels north towards the faint call of her body in the Pale, the sun drowns and the moon flies up into the night sky.  A white-domed city spreads, dominating a lake.  In through a window of the Temple of Carthea she flies, to check on the spirits of both her old friends in passing.  The badger Raven is hunkered down and snores peacefully;  the gazelle Cailin lies curled up, magic patterns glimmering along her forelegs, graceful even in sleep.  Maybe, the Witch thinks, the two of them in themselves should be enough to keep her with her new allies?  

Yet, too many doubts remain.  The world is at a turning point.  So many Futures will be discarded, at each further step one takes ...  She has strength left to seek more answers, and flies off to find the spirits of those men that puzzle her.  

The first bedchamber the Witch enters has a sleek black cat stretched happily along her rich, soft bed.  Wrong room, obviously, this is the High Priestess and not the Margrave.  She finds Kanor at her second attempt:  a kestrel pacing tensely back and forth, wings held tautly as if the man has his hands clamped behind his back as he is thinking furiously.  As she watches he takes a sharp turn and looks straight at her, through her.  Blind to her hovering spirit’s presence.  Ambitious.  Also, a man in sore need for guidance.  She wonders fleetingly why he has not brought his advisor witch Grimhelda to a council of this importance, then forgets.  

Captain Xiang next – a man of many voices, many faces.  Again, she hopes for clarity.  It takes her a while to locate him in the whirling mists of the guest quarters.  Then, without warning, the Panther.  
It paces back and forth madly, imprisoned by invisible, intangible walls, claws gouging the flagstones where it walks, lines sharply discrete, mass impossibly focussed even for the True --- _Too much, this is too much!_ 

The Panther turns its head and stares at her with eyes completely blank, with nothing and nothing beyond them.  More swiftly than a wing beats they join into a maelstrom that tears at her very spirit and soul.  The Witch flutters and with an effort of will, flees.  

After this experience it costs her to draw up courage and seek out more knowledge.  What hidden agenda, what dark secret may she find in that other man who has struck her as dangerous, although for very different reasons?   

None, as it turns out.  The priest Tarquin is a plump little mole, all four legs splayed in the oblivion of sleep.  

The Witch’s body in the Pale calls more persistently now as her True strength wanes.  She slips into her chamber, settles into her sprawling body and stretches, testing sensation.  Still brimmingly sharp and defined, still True.  She sits up straighter and concentrates, hoping she may accomplish one more thing this night.  

The pentagram and sputtering candles dim and swim and make way for what she needs:  a forest, clearing, a still pool.  As she bends forward to look in, as always her True skin crawls with the old memory –  _Not.  Now.  Stay.  Away.  I.  Took Your.  Head! _ 

The question.  Stay with her new companions;  or go?  The pool shivers.  

_Conflict_.  Her conflict, their conflict?  Unclear.  This is puzzling.  

Then, in quick succession, images storm her.  
Evil, huge, shapeless, ancient, of immense power.  
Evil, smaller, younger but just as powerful.  She has never met him but she recognises the Cambion.  
Her companions face them – the Panther here, the mole there.  The Witch is with them, an unsettling echo of the Witch watching through the pool echoing the Witch on the ground echoing the watching Witch …  

Powerful cold magic streaks from the group but does not reach its target – it is deflected off the ancient evil and rebounds on the group.  The Witch’s life spark dies, _Just like when the ogre_ – She wrenches her mind from this intrusion of a memory from the Pale, irrelevant here, back to the vision in her pool.  More people have died from the deflected cold.  The mole is frozen solid, fur spiky with frost.  The Panther steps up to battle the Cambion – and with the certainty of one drifting outside the Rivers of Time, the Witch above the pool knows that the warrior will lose, loses and has already lost.  

***

One by one, the candles burn down, strangely insipid after the vividness of the True.  The Witch summons the strength to blink.  A hand.  Reluctantly she flexes its fingers, retakes possession of her Pale flesh.  Black bruises run up her arm where the giant eagle’s wing buffeted her in the True.  The bitter aftertaste of mushroom fills her mouth.  To curl up and forget … 

Yet there is nothing for it.  She has received guidance.  Without thinking further, as a Witch must, she picks herself up giddily to go to the man who needs guidance more than anyone.  

A dragon, she reflects as she strides down the corridor towards the Margrave’s quarters.  That was what the shapeless form would have been.  Cold spells against a red dragon … that do not work?  Impossible …  And yet.  A red dragon has been seen destroying a fortress that stood in the way of the Cambion’s army.  A dragon that was reported not once to have used its fire breath …


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Love the animal versions of the party! Tarquin is Mole Boy from now on.  Makes me wonder what you've got Leo down as...


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## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> Love the animal versions of the party! Tarquin is Mole Boy from now on.  Makes me wonder what you've got Leo down as...




That's for me to know and Fjorent to (maybe) find out.  

I think the only one Fjorent/Kerstin was puzzled by was Margravine Eloise appearing as an ewe, a female sheep ("she's not stupid!"), but a sheep is just an older lamb...


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## StalkingBlue

S'mon said:
			
		

> That's for me to know and Fjorent to (maybe) find out.
> 
> I think the only one Fjorent/Kerstin was puzzled by was Margravine Eloise appearing as an ewe, a female sheep ("she's not stupid!"), but a sheep is just an older lamb...




  The sheep didn't surprise me (although it did make me laugh).  What surprised me was that for the second time in a row Eloise reacted a lot smarter than I'd have expected her to.  
That woman can't only spot a witch in bat shape, she can spot a witch who isn't actually there!  

Scary ...  

I mean, scary for a sheep. Uhm.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*A Momentous Two Days - Part 1*

Early in the morning, the companions gathered to discuss matters before meeting Margrave Kanor. Leo revealed that he had recieved a _sending_ from Clarendon on behalf of Archduke Ulfius Bloodhammer. Ulfius' opinion was that the Scornic League was doomed to defeat at the hands of the Mongali if they did not take the offer of absoption into the Overkingdom. Zalindra the Devastator (Overkind Tarkane's consort) was to be present at the meeting to make the offer formally.

The group discussed the realities of the situation. It seemed to Xiang that the sheer numbers and battle hardiness of the Mongali would overwhelm the League's forces - even if the Makyans joined in the defence. The terrain suited the Mongali, and according the Ulfius the Thrinians had lost to them. Xiang had heard tales of the Thrinian warriors during his time at Mount Fire, and considered them far better warriors than the somewhat untested League forces.

Despite many misgivings on the part of several members of the group, it was eventually decided that Kanor should be informed of all this, and that the group would mention that should he take the news to Zalindra he would likely gain personal power himself. This ought to be enough to swing him in the right direction.

Kanor proved to be agreeable to the idea. He quickly saw the chance for personal advancement, and his sharp political mind also realised that if Gaxmoor was a part of the Overkingdom then Ulfius and Clarendon would be free to help with a certain Cambion that was a major drain on his resources. It was decided that Fjorent (who had been doing most of the talking), Xiang and Ramu should carry the message of the Margrave's support to Zalindra, whilst Kanor and some of the others talked to other Southern League delegates to inform them of what was going on.

Arriving at Zalindra's quarters, the three were shown in by an elven or half-elven woman dressed in bright armour. Zalindra herself was sat, and after introductions and explanations she confirmed officially that should Kanor lead the vote towards the dissolution of the Scornic League and its intergration into the Overkingdom then he'd gain a large amount of favour with Tarkane.

The conference itself would show this to be entirely true.

The conference hall was a large building, with the main Hall itself shaped with rows of low steps leading back, something similar to an ampitheatre. Mayor Maxilio was seated at a large desk at the centre of the room. The Northern League delegates were seated on the north side of the room, the southern to the south and the central league (mostly merchant types rather than the northern warriors and the southern nobles) were sat between them. Zalindra was next to the southern delegates, and Lord Kardus the Albine warlord was sat next to the Northern delegates. The group were all there as observers, none of them had the power to vote, but they could all speak up if the wanted. Sadly Sigurd, the one member of the group with the most diplomatic experience and political clout, was unable to attend.

Before the meeting settled down, Fjorent took a moment to speak with Kardus about the Mongali situation. When she returned, she said that he seemed deeply pessimistic about his chances of getting the League to join his forces and defend his country.

This was the first item to be discussed. Maxilio opened up the floor to all who would speak on the matter, and Kardus made his case, drawing on his men's experience fighting the Mongali and the many tricks and strategems they already had. Xiang noted he made no mention of the newer composite bows that the Mongali had acquired, and personally wondered if the man actually knew about them. If not, in Xiang's brutal military mind at least, he deserved to lead his men to defeat.

Once Kardus had finished, he sat. Maxilio asked if anyone else wanted to speak, and then invited the vote to be taken. There were no votes for Kardus' proposal, and once it became clear that no one supported him he left angrily with his retinue.

The second motion was Zalindra's offer. She spoke eloquently and calmly, in contrast to Kardus' bluster, and laid out the plans that Tarkane had for the area. Maxilio spoke against her, and then opened up the discussion. Kanor was the first to catch his eye, and spoke for her. He reminded the Council of the lack of any major victory by any race over the Mongali in recorded history, and also mentioned the Makyan forces that he had acquired. Several other Southern delegates added their voices to his side.

Lord Alidarn from the Northern side spoke up, mentioning the historical ties between the northern cities of what was currently the League and Imarr, the capital city of the Overkingdom. He also mentioned that the Northern cities were unlikely to be able to spare many men, since the fight agains the Chaos forces continued. Alidarn clearly though Tarkane's troops were the best bet. Xiang also spoke, telling the assembled delegates that the League's forces were ill-equipped to deal with the sheer numbers that the Mongali would bring.

After some more delegates spoke against Zalindra, mostly from the Central (democratic) regions, the matter was put to vote. Out of the sixty voters, a narrow victory was gained.

By the following morning, the Scornic League would be a part of the Overkingdom.

Xiang caught Fjorent smiling to herself. He knew that this was what she wanted, and that her influence over Kanor was growing. Xiang trusted Fjorent, and saw an opportunity himself to gain power.

Just as the next part of the meeting was about to begin, it was thrown into chaos. With incredible precision, a cloud of choking gas appeared in the Northern section, with a deadly rain of ice-cold shards fell in the Southern!

_To be continued soon..._


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Player note - yes, this is the same Overking Tarkane that the group tried to kill off earlier in the campaign. Although none of the survivors of that mission are still with the group, since Leo decided not to participate.


----------



## S'mon

Nice Matt, take 150XP for that.  The vote to join the Overkingdom was fairly decisive I thought, 36 to 24.

I think it was Duke Persenex who spoke for the North in favour of joining the Overkingdom, not Alidarn.  Rem Margrave Kanor had spoken to him before the Council, while Fjorent & Xiang spoke to Zalindra.  

You left out the choosing of war-leader bit, AIR Persenex spoke in favour of Alidarn, Kanor of himself, but both agreed that it was more important to choose a negotiating committee to discuss terms of incorporation with Tarkane, and it looked like the committee would comprise Duke Persenex (north), Margrave Kanor (south) and Mayor Maxilio Vebaris (central).


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## Mathew_Freeman

S'mon - in all honesty the stuff that happened at the council got kind of overshadowed by the following events of the second half of the session. But thanks for recording what *actually* happened for prosterity. 

*Part 2 - Attack on the Council*

Reacting swiftly, Leo grabbed Kanor, Xiang and Ramu and _teleported_ to the Church of Carthea, pulling them all out of harms way. Xiang moved back outside after receiving a _fly _spell and began to look for the assailants. Leo, using his _see invisibility_ told him that there were figures floating above the Council hall, casting further spells inside it. Xiang took off, flying at full speed towards where Leo said they were, but before he could get there they faded into full visibility, drew closer together and disappeared. In the seconds that he could see them Xiang recognised them as Mongali.

Xiang quickly moved around the council building, noting that Tarquin and the others had also emerged. Around the front of the building he found Zalindra and Maxilio, arguing over defensive measures. Maxilio was shouting that it would have taken a _wish_ to get through the defences he had put in place. Xiang landed next to them and explained what he had seen, explained where Kanor and the other surviving Southern delegates were, and moved on again.

Flying further round the building to the North side, he found a tight defensive formation of knights protecting Alidarn and Duke Persenex amongst others. Again, Xiang explained the events he had seen. Persenex wanted to move to Kanor immediately and regain control of the situation. Xiang led them around, avoiding Maxilio for a moment.

Kanor and Persenex quickly established that the decision to join to the Overkingdom should still stand, despite the loss of life, and seemed prepared to make sure it happened at all costs. Quickly moving to Maxilio's position, they told him that the three of them should take responsibility for the League's assimilation. Zalindra was pleased to see decisive leadership, and the four of them moved off to arrange matters.

The group gathered close by in case of further attacks. After a few minutes, it seemed that the Mongali had fled, their attack finished. Fjorent excused herself and went, with Raven, to see Kardus before he left Scornel. When she returned, she spoke to Kanor, telling him that Kardus was willing to speak with him. However, Margrave Kanor couldn't see anything to talk about. As Kardus was an Albine, any movement of his people into the lands of the Overkingdom would be punished, as Tarkane was well known for his hatred of all Albines.

Raven seemed slightly subdued when he returned. Xiang pressed him a little, and it emerged that the Dwarf had been greatly moved by Kardus acceptance of his own death. Raven had offered his own axe when the Mongali attack came, certain that his own death would also follow. Xiang could understand this - what little he had heard of the ways of the Dwarves indicated that they valued honour and loyalty above all else. Still, Xiang felt that throwing your life away fighting a battle that could not be won was a foolish idea. He was careful to keep this thought to himself.

Leo had also been quick off the mark. He used a _sending_ spell to contact Ulfius and Clarendon, asking help with Herecules. The return came back immediately - "We would be glad to help. Ulfis always enjoys hunting."

Clarendon reported that he would _teleport_ in later that day, and hopefully the attack could happen tomorrow. When they arrived, Xiang took Ulfius aside and asked him if he wanted to go drinking. The huge figure of Ulfius, wearing the Harmonic Armour that Xiang had coveted himself, nodded swiftly at the suggestion. Leo suggested that he and Clarendon compare spell lists and so on overnight.

Xiang and Ulfius went to a couple of more reputable taverns, speaking mostly of battles fought, enemies slain. After an hour or so, Xiang turned the conversation to details of the Cambions lair, allies, powers and tactics. Ulfius paid close attention, seeking any weaknesses that Herecules had. As the night wore on, Xiang felt a certain amount of kinship. Both men were capable fighters, both relied on magical support and augmentation, but most importantly, both used extremely powerful magical weapons. The Black Spear was not yet as powerful as the Bloodhammer that Ulfius held in both hands, but as Xiang was becoming more familiar with it he felt that the Spear could eventually surpass the Hammer. If it were not a pointless battle, he could almost feel himself wanting to test himself in battle against Ulfius.

Before retiring to their seperate quarters, Xiang toasted Archduke Ulfius.

"I raise this glass to you for three reasons. One, because I feel that you and I are destined to be brothers-in-arms in this coming war with the Mongali. Two, because I sense a willingness in you that is the same as mine - to do what is necessary to defeat the forces allied against us, regardless of the cost. And three, because tomorrow I get to see your reputation in action! To battle, to glory, and to death! All three come to us in time, but shall keep the final one from us as best we can!"

_Coming soon...the assault on the Frost Giant Lair! And Death all around!_


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## S'mon

Thanks Matt, take 100 XP for pt 2.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Part 3 - The Assault*

After much discussion, many spells and some careful advice ("We DO NOT STOP for anything short of Herecules coming out of the wall at us again"), the group was ready.

Xiang could almost feel the enhancements that had been laid across him. Leo, Fjorent and Clarendon between them had cast _haste, fly, stoneskin _and_ barkskin _on him, improving his capacity to fight immensely.

Leo muttered under his breath, reached out, and in a fraction of a second Xiang, Leo, Ulfius, Tarquin and Raven had arrived outside the large doors that lead to the Frost Giants Lair. Leo cast _teleport summons_, the spell devised by Dovistar of the White Way, and Clarendon, Ramu and Fjorent appeared. Without worrying about anything else, the plan was put into action!

Ulfius stepped up and swung the Bloodhammer against the doors, cracking them open in a few short blows. Xiang was off his feet almost at the same time, charging into the room at the first Frost Giant he saw. The Giant managed to catch him as he came in, but Xiang's spear took him in the arm. A second giant joined the fight as the party charged as one, Leo moving forward a little slower to cast _wall of force_ on one opening, behind which more Frost Giants could be seen gathering. Nothing short of a _disintegrate _would topple that wall, according to Leo. Xiang, Raven and Ulfius made short work of the two giants on sentry duty, were healed by Tarquin, and swiftly moved on. Leo paused to add a _wall of stone_ to the other side, making sure that the giants would take too long to get through to make a difference.

Xiang buzzed with combat fever, moving swiftly up to another door as Ulfius smashed it down. Raven and Ramu moved up next to him, but Xiang had got ahead of himself, racing further inside to where Herecules had counterattacked so devestatingly before. Behind him he heard the shouts of Orcs and the female Frost giant as they battled the rest of the party, although within seconds all was quiet again. Ulfius and the rest pushed on, catching up with him.

Finally, the door that they had only glimpsed lay before them, behind which lay the Jarl's Throne room and hopefully Herecules. Ulfius strode boldy up to it, Xiang beside him and smashed it to pieces. Xiang felt as though everything had stopped for a second as he saw the wooden and iron door fall away, revealing the room beyond...

_...maybe nine frost giants, and the Jarl, what might be that Ogre Magi ally lurking at the back, several orcs...*there he is!...*_

Other members of the party reacted quickest, with Leo reading a scroll that failed and Tarquin casting a spell that didn't. Herecules was covered in a shimmering blue energy field, preventing him from using his powers to escape.

However, Herecules stood by the door, smiling, waiting, gloating already over what he thought was yet another victory, and as the door fell away he struck at Ulfius with his blade, slicing into him despite the protective spells, the Frost Giants attacking too, stepping neatly around each other...but Ulfius stood defiant, blocking, dodging, taking the hits without a word...then he struck back.

The first blow Ulfius struck on Herecules nearly ended the fight there and then. Xiang had never seen anything like it, the Cambion almost knocked off his feet as the Bloodhammer exploded against his chest. Moving almost too fast to see, Ulfius struck again...and again...and again...and just as Herecules' smile was returning, confident that Ulfius had left himself open the Archduke spun, Bloodhammer extended in two hands. Xiang saw every detail of the Hammer as it crashed into the Cambion's skull, breaking it, saw every detail as Herecules fell backwards, eyes growing dull, and heard the triumphant battlecry of Ulfius as his target was killed.

Xiang exulted. _Revenge and victory!_ he thought to himself. But the fight was not yet over.

The Frost Giants, led by their Jarl, clearly recognised Ulfius and his weapon, and in a series of powerful blows wounded him severely. Finally the Jarl himself stepped up and cut through the Harmonic Armour that Ulfius wore...and there were two dead bodies on the ground instead of one. Not even the incredibly strength granted to Ulfius by the armour could save him.

Xiang gritted his teeth, moved the Spear into the defensive stance taught to him so long ago and stepped forward into the room, supported by Raven and Ramu. Tight up behind him came Tarquin, ready to dispense healing, and Fjorent and Leo stayed in the tunnel, supporting with spells and power.

The battle was joined, as Xiang noted that by limiting his attacks he could keep himself almost safe from harm. A _chain lightning_ fizzed over his head, as a _flame strike_ struck the Jarl. Spinning the Spear in his hands, Xiang took another step forward, staring up at the huge figure in front of him.

"Your soul is mine!" cried Xiang, and struck hard upwards, catching the Jarl in the lower stomach. He could feel the giant's soul being sucked into the weapon and utterly destroyed, and once again the balance was in favour of the attackers. Battle was joined, but despite a _cone of cold_ from the Ogre Magi that was mostly absorbed by the magical protections of the party and an attempt to _charm_ Xiang, the orcs and giants were struck down without further loss.

In the seconds after the party was victorious no one spoke. Archduke Ulfius and Herecules lay on the floor amongst the other bodies.

Raven stepped forward and slashed down, cutting the Cambion's head from it's shoulders, further preventing any attempt to bring him back to life.

Leo spoke up. "By my calculations, we have about a minute before those other giants come down that corridor towards us. Do not relax."

_Next time - who knows? That's the end of the session!_


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## S'mon

Thanks Matt, another 100 XP for Xiang.


----------



## ZosKia

*Scornel Conferance*

Truly these are interesting times in what I now know to be the Borderlands. The sensible solution would be to return home but to do so would be to leave my friends to their fate. Besides a letter from father thanking me for the gifts I sent reveals that things remain quiet in Arypt, the Pharaoh is still reluctant to move against the Settians despite the advice of the order. So it seems my presence remains more useful here.
The conference at which I was to represent my nation, much to my amazement, was most enlightening. A friend of Leo’s spoke to him magically to say the only way the Borderlands and their allies, the Scornic League could win the forthcoming war was to accept rulership by and help from a man called Tarkane who holds the title Overking. It seems that Margrave Kanor is a regional governor of an independent region and the Overking is the Northern Pharaoh. Leo said his friend spoke the truth and we must convince Kanor of this.
When told that he must accept the Overking’s rule or lose the war Kanor seemed reluctant saying that the Overking would strip him of much of his power. It sounded to me as though Kanor was more prepared to sacrifice his people than his title and I told him so. Kanor turned red and glared at me. I felt Leo tug at my sleeve and followed him out into the gardens. ‘You should not say such things’ said Leo. ‘Why?’ I said. ‘Because it is not political’ he responded. I did not know what he meant but took his advice anyway. I walked back into Kanor’s rooms just in time to be sent with Fjorent the Witch and Xiang the Warrior to see the Overking’s representative, a woman called Zalindra. We were to find out what the Overking would offer in return for becoming prt of the Overkingdom.
Zalindra was very pleasant to us and offered us some very good wine, I took a small amount but did not notice the others drink. Zalindra said the exact terms of incorporation would be negotiated later but to tell Kanor that the Overking looked well upon those who were supportive of him. We returned to Kanor with this news and he seemed very pleased. I heard him mutter the word Archduke to himself.
Just then the bells rang and we were called into the conference hall. I was seated with Kanor and the Southern delegates on one side of a semi-circle. The Northern delegates were opposite us with Zalindra and some others between us. The conference was presided over by the mayor of Scornel who sat opposite Zalindra and the central delegates.
The first speaker was a man called Lord Kardus, apparently his lands are the last surviving part of an old empire conquered by the Overking. Kardus (the land is named after him) would be the first land attacked by the Mongali when they invade the Scornic League. He asked for help stopping them in his land but this was turned down; his opponents, Kanor among them, argued that his land being open plains was advantageous territory for the horse barbarians and therefore undefendable. Having been left to his fate Kardus left the chamber but his dignified speech and bravery in the face of certain death had swayed some including the dwarf Raven who vowed to stand with him against the Mongali.
The next proposal, by Zalindra, was that the League should become part of the Overkingdom in return for military aid among other things. Kanor spoke in favour of this but many other delegates were not convinced they used the same words Kanor had earlier in the day about the Overking taking over their lands. Xiang spoke out in favour of Tarkane and then I took the opportunity to stand and say that Tarkane offered freedom, all be it possibly very slightly constrained compared to what they had now but the Mongali offered only slavery and death. Several people seemed pleased by my words and Zalindra smiled at me. Kanor was very happy, he applauded, and then standing said ‘The Aryptian speaks the truth’. This surprised me, not because Kanor realised I spoke the truth; I always do, to speak falsehoods requires the tongue of Set, but because this was exactly the same truth that had upset Kanor earlier!
I asked Leo about this later and he said it was politics. These 'politics' seem to be endemic among the ruling classes of the north. I know there are people who engage in politics at the Pharaoh’s court but they do not profit from it. In Arypt the eye of Horus sees all, for never again must the kin slayer be allowed to usurp the Father.
The League members then voted by a small majority to accept the Overking’s proposal.
The third proposal was Margrave Kanor’s. It had originally been to choose a war leader for the League, however when he came to stand Kanor said that in view of the previous proposal this one should be changed to vote on who will represent the League in negotiations with the Overking. Kanor had barely started making his suggestions, which included the Hobgoblin Gyskk when large chunks of ice started falling from the ceiling above us, I managed to avoid them but many of the Southern delegates were not so lucky. Simultaneously a cloud of yellowish gas started forming among the Northern delegates causing them to start choking. Before I could react I felt someone grab me and found myself in a temple. Leo had teleported me along with Xiang, Kanor and himself to the temple of Carthia.
We had hardly arrived when Xiang pointed to the hall where the conference had been, flying above the dome were five figures. Xiang shouted to Leo for some flying magic and shot off in pursuit. I also asked but Leo only had one copy of the spell so I collected together the panicking priestesses of Carthia and drawing my scimitar stood guard over them in case our enemies should penetrate the temple.
Shortly the rest of the group arrived at the temple. Raven had re-entered the ice and gas filled hall to rescue a delegate, what a brave man he is. Xiang returned and said that the figures that he recognised as Mongali had teleported away as he approached. It was clear that with many delegates dead the conference had to be abandoned and we accompanied Kanor as he met with the survivors to find out what had happened.

Ramu


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## S'mon

Thanks Andrew, give Ramu 100 XP.


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## S'mon

Leo's Account:

Reckoning. 

Leo had just finished memorising his quota of spells for that day. It had to be a careful choice. Today was the day of the Congress. Momentous events were going to be discussed. It was necessary for him to have a choice of magic that was suitable for the event. Mainly divination magic. As he was contemplating his choice, he heard a loud rapping on his door. Opening it, he found Tarquin on the other side. 

“Leo, take your amulet off. Someone is trying to get in touch with you.” 

Leo complied and suddenly he received the first Sending. It was not from Dovistar as he expected but rather from the archmage Clarendon, magist to Archduke Ulfius. Leo went to his bed and sat down. More and more information was relayed to him. He absorbed it, concentrating hard, making sure he would not forget anything. This was too important. Finally, after several minutes, it stopped. He then turned to Tarquin and said: 

“Could you get everyone here please? We have to talk immediately.” 

Soon everyone arrived. Xiang, Fjorent, Ramu and Raven. Cailin could not be found and Sigurd was unavailable as he was conducting policy as the King of Trafalgis. No matter. 
Leo turned to the others and said: 

“I have just received a great deal of information from Ulfius via Clarendon. He paints a very bleak picture. He has personal experience of fighting the Mongali when he was helping to defend the Settler’s Country in the North. Ulfius says that we are likely to lose this war for several reasons. The Mongali are some of the best soldiers in the world. The fact that we outnumber them is irrelevant as their troops are vastly superior to ours. The League is hopelessly unprepared for this war and it will be trying to fight on two fronts with the North still trying to eradicate the forces of chaos. It is also inexperienced in fighting the Mongali. Finally, if the unlikely happens and the League does win, it will be so weakened that anyone could walk in and take over. Ulfius’s advice is to accept Tarkane’s offer. Use his army while swearing fealty to him. I have thought about this and much as it pains me, I have to agree with him. After getting the information from Ulfius, the best course of action to make sure that the cities in the League survive would be to accept the Overking’s offer.” 

After that, there were many questions. Everyone wanted to know about something but finally, after listening to the information again and again, everyone agreed that Tarkane’s offer was the least worst alternative. A decision was made to go and see Kanor immediately. He was in his quarters, getting ready for the Congress. Everyone entered. 

Leo gave him the gist of what everyone discussed. Kanor was understandably reluctant to accept what he heard. Tempers flared a little between Kanor and Ramu until the Aryptian was taken into the garden to cool off. Then Kanor began to understand various facts that were being given to him by the group. More importantly he was not able to answer several key military questions posed mainly by Xiang. It began to dawn on Kanor just how unprepared the League was. The war was a few months away, maybe a year and they had not even chosen a war leader yet. He began to see the problems. He made a decision. Fjorent, Xiang and Ramu would go and see Zalindra, try to sound her out about Tarkane’s intentions for the League. Kanor with Raven, Leo and Tarquin would go to see what other members of the League thought about Tarkane’s proposal. Especially those members not directly tied to the city of Scorn’el. 

Leo later learned that the meeting with Zalindra went pretty much as expected. She was a canny operator. She gave little away. She was pleased to hear that Kanor would support Tarkane’s proposal. She also made a reference to certain “fugitives” who were supposed to be in Gaxmoor. Kanor and the others met with Duke Persenex of Vantouche, an elderly, balding but still formidable warrior. He made his priorities quite clear. The chaos forces in the North. The Mongali were an inconvenience for the Southern cities but unfortunately it would be impossible for the Northern cities to send much support South lest Chaos took advantage of this. Leo winced mentally and he could see Kanor was beginning to grasp the magnitude of the task for both the League and its future War leader. If something as fundamental as a North South divide had to be negotiated well then…. 

Kanor was quiet. Leo suspected that he kept hearing things he didn’t like today. Tarkane’s offer, lack of cohesion in the League, the arrogance of the city of Scorn’el, Mongali military might, lack of wizard support and he still had the massive worry of the cambion Heracules and his possible winter invasion. 

Then it was time for the Congress. Delegates gathered in a semi-circular chamber. Maxilio Vebaris, mayor of Scorn’el was chairman. Just before the proceeding started Leo was startled to see Fjorent approach Kardus and hold a brief conversation with him but then the meeting started. Kardus was first to speak. He made an impassioned plea for an alliance, putting himself forward as a potential war leader, stating his willingness to fight and his experience in warring with the Mongali. Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears. Kardus was on the front line. Leo thought that Kardus was a victim of political expediency. After he had finished, a vote was taken on his proposal. The reception was lukewarm to put it mildly. Kardus gathered his staff and proudly walked out of the hall. Leo had a feeling that this could be the last time he saw this man. He had stated his intention to fight to the death. If the meeting went as Leo expected then the League would become part of the Overkingdom. Kardus was an Albine. Tarkane’s feelings about Albines were well known. He liked burning them. As Kardus left the Hall, Leo caught a glimpse of Raven as the dwarf hurried out of the side door. 

Zalindra then got up and made a competent, no-nonsense speech outlining Tarkane’s proposal. She made a striking figure but possibly due to Scorn’el’s underlying hostility to the Overking, she also did not make a strong impression on the delegates. Duke Persenax stood up to introduce Lord Calawan, a polished aristocratic diplomat who made a strong case for making Alidarn war leader. Finally Kanor stood up and he made a lengthy, considered speech outlining the massive problems facing the league and stating a case to support Tarkane’s proposal. He was supported by Xiang and Ramu; Duke Persenex also stood up to claim that the suggestion that the League would only survive under Tarkane’s overlordship was good. Leo thought that the old warrior realised for all his comments previously, without the South the North’s chances diminished rapidly. Leo glanced at Zalindra and saw a slight smug smile on her lips. 

A vote was taken. The decision was narrow but the League voted to accept Tarkane’s proposal for better or for worse. Leo sighed. He was going to have to think hard about this. This affected him personally. Time for that later. 

Kanor then stood up. He explained that originally he was going to put himself forward as a candidate to become the warlord, but since this did not seem relevant at the moment he suggested they choose a negotiating committee. Persenex stood up and proposed himself as a member for the Northern cities. Kanor suggested himself as the representative for the Borderlands and the obvious choice for Scorn’el was the mayor, Maxilio Vebaris. 

As the final details for the committee were being decided upon, a thick green cloud appeared in the group of northern representative while at the same time, a sorcerous hail of snow an ice hit Kanor and the group. Pandemonium erupted. Leo first tried to find the perpetrators but he couldn’t. Then he grabbed Xiang, Ramu and Kanor and transported himself to their quarters in the Temple of Carthea. Raven had voluntarily stayed behind, trusting to the power of his weapon. There was no sign of Fjorent but the witch had shown plenty of ability in taking care of herself and he had pretty good knowledge of Tarquin’s abilities. He still needed to find the people responsible and finally he did. It had been difficult as the hostile group was invisible and streams of people were erupting from the exits of the Hall. Five figures hovered over the roof of the building; at least two of the figures were casting spells at the crowds below. Leo saw these looked like Mongali. He shouted this to the others and Xiang immediately demanded flying ability if Leo could give it to him. Leo had one spell, which he cast on Xiang. Ramu also demanded the spell but there was only one available. Xiang flew up but as he was approaching, the figures all got together and disappeared. Kanor and the others emerged from the Temple. Tarquin was a little hurt but nothing serious. Xiang found them and told them that both Zalindra and Maxilio were just around the bend. They were having a conversation about security issues. Zalindra was showing a little of that temper for which she was infamous. 

Kanor approached the group together with the northern representatives who had also survived. Several conversations ensued. The important point was that the vote to join the Overkingdom had been passed before the attack. 

While these conversations were happening Leo was thinking. He was confused about the attack. According to reports, the Hall had been warded against these kinds of spells. While it was possible to break through the wards, the magic needed was of a very powerful nature. Was the purpose of it to sow terror or was it to show Scorn’el that the Mongali hakomen could strike in the heart of their city whenever they wanted. Maybe it was both. While there were casualties inside Leo thought that all the major players were still here. Some of the aristocracy had died. That was unfortunate but aristocracy could be replaced. That was one of their major talents. Making sure that their power and estates remained in their families. Someone like Alidarn, now that was different. He would be very difficult to replace. Yet these kinds of spells used were unlikely to kill powerful individuals. He speculated that the Mongali wanted to disrupt the voting. Killing voting delegates would certainly do that. Maybe due to the distance they had mistimed their attack. He couldn’t discount the human factor. He was also glad in a way that the magic he saw was of a nature familiar to him. All the spells he saw being used he knew either in theory or practice. He also knew ways to counter them. 

Lost in his thoughts he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. He was later told that Kanor and Persenex decided that the decision to join the Overkingdom should stand. Maxilio agreed more reluctantly reflecting the city’s feeling towards Tarkane. Zalindra would go to Tarkane with the decision and negotiations would start as soon as possible. Fjorent and Raven went to see Kardus before he left and then came back with the offer that Kardus was willing to talk to Kanor. Kanor however felt that they had little to talk about. Leo feared that warlord was doomed. That left the matter of what had been described as Kanor’s “little local difficulty” namely the cambion Heracules and the Frost Giants. Now that the League was allied to the Overkingdom there was no reason why Ulfius and Clarendon couldn’t help in this matter. A Sending was quickly made to Clarendon and both these powerful individuals agreed to meet the group later that day. 

Ulfius and Clarendon arrived and were quickly brought up to date. Ulfius was wearing his new armour and was as bluff as ever. The Bloodhammer gleamed dully over his shoulder. He didn’t quite say that he met cambions every day but the intimation was there. He was told of the group’s previous experiences with the cambion, and the plan of the complex as they knew it. The known powers of the Frost Giant Jarl, the presence of an ogre magi, the amount of giants there could be inside and the possible presence of the Red Dragon which had destroyed the Fort at Dendridi. Xiang then invited Ulfius to go drinking when they would no doubt share war stories. Leo retired with Clarendon to discuss the magical powers of the inhabitants of the complex and what spells they should take to maximise the abilities of the group. They talked deep into the night getting to know each other a little. Leo had always been in awe of Clarendon after hearing some of the deeds the archmage had performed but he now found him to be a very pleasant companion. He hoped Xiang was having as good a time with Ulfius. 

The next day preparations were made. The plan was to teleport on to the ledge in front of the main gate to the caves. Then the group would rapidly sweep towards the main hall of the Jarl moving as fast as possible. As soon as the cambion was spotted the main priority was to cast a spell on him which would stop him from going ethereal. Some of the major fighters of the group would also be made to fly as that was another of the cambion’s powers. Fjorent would be able to protect some of the group against the cold power of the ogre magi who would no doubt be lurking, waiting to use his cone to its best effect. Sprinkling some diamond dust on most of warriors of the group, Leo could make their skin as hard as stone, so that weapons would do much less damage to them than normal. Clarendon could make everyone faster. Leo also cast various other effects on himself. 

Finally, Fjorent drew the group aside and explained to them that she had had a vision, in which she saw the group facing the cambion and a Red Dragon. The group was casting cold spells on the dragon but these were literally bouncing off it and rebounding on to the group causing massive damage. She said that it could be one possible future. 

So, the group was ready. Leo cast his spell and he and four others appeared on the ledge. A moment later, having cast a spell learned from Dovistar, the other three members of the group appeared. Leo noticed Clarendon widen his eyes. The White Way did have some secrets, even from the archmage. Ulfius strode up to the massive gates and promptly smashed them with the Bloodhammer. They splintered, leaving them barely hanging on their hinges. As the group swept forward, Leo mused that it would be good to get one of those hammers for Xiang. Most useful in certain circumstances. As a spare for the Spear of course. He couldn’t see Xiang giving up his spear even for that hammer. 

The entrance hall was no different except that this time there were two frost giants standing guard. Stealth was not the object of this mission while speed was. The warriors sped forward, engaging the giants. They made short work of them while Leo blocked one of the two exits, which led to another large room. He could see other giants rushing forward to his wall of force. He then put another wall in front of the force knowing they would need as much time as possible to deal with the opposite side of the complex. The warriors had by that stage dealt with the two guards and moved into the dining room. There they were confronted by a group of orcs. At this point, the orcs were hindrances more than anything else and lasted only a few seconds. Xiang then moved forward through the narrow cave passage. He was quickly followed by Fjorent in the shape of a bat when a door opened and a female giantess strode forward. Prudently Fjorent flew back and the giantess was engaged. Again she lasted only a few seconds. The party regrouped and made their way down the twisting passage. Leo shivered as he remembered that this was where the cambion had ambushed them last time resulting in so many deaths. Nothing like that happened this time. The group quickly moved forward and Ulfius smashed the makeshift gates to the Jarl’s chamber. 

The smashed doors revealed a semicircle of giants including the Jarl, several of his guards and Heracules. They were ready for Ulfius. Leo winced when he saw the Archduke taking hits. Even though he was impervious to some damage, Ulfius was still being wounded though not seriously. Leo though had other concerns. He took out a scroll given to him by Clarendon and cast it. A beam left his hand but it hit a rock instead of its intended target. Leo cursed and hoped that Tarquin would have more luck. Tarquin, rose up from the ground and took careful aim. A beam again left his hand and this time struck the cambion enveloping him in a green light. The group knew what that meant. The cambion could not now escape ethereally for quite some time. Then Fjorent cast her fire spell, knowing how vulnerable frost giants were to that element. Suddenly there was a blast of freezing cold. The ogre magi had struck. Fortunately, Fjorent had protected several individuals and herself from this effect and Raven’s axe was also able to help some people resist the cold. Then it was Ulfius’s turn. Blindingly fast, he struck the cambion four times with the hammer. The fourth blow collapsed Heracules in a bloody mess. He was finally dead. Ulfius was in trouble however. The Jarl and his guards saw Ulfius’s power and they concentrated all their attacks on him. Possibly due to his lack of armour, most of the giants, including the Jarl struck him, several more than once. By the end of their attacks, Ulfius lay twitching on the floor. 

The group saw their opportunity. Fjorent cast her fire spell again while Leo cast a powerful lightning bolt at the Jarl, which also branched out to hurt his guards, the ogre magi and the last of Heracules’s fanatical orc bodyguard which had moved forward to engage the warriors. Xiang moved in, adopting a peculiar defensive position with his spear. Due to his movements, many of the attacks of the giants either missed him completely or hit the spear instead. Leo was about to cast his lightning again but he found he had company. The ogre magi had flown through the battle and was virtually beside him. That was a nuisance. Another annoying peculiarity of the creature was that while it had been hurt by the lightning, Leo could see its wounds literally healing before his eyes. It rushed him, screaming: ”Now you die” but somehow missed with its sword. Leo stepped back and three beams of fire sprang from his hand. They struck the creature and smoke rose from its torso. These wounds certainly did not look as if they were going to close in front of Leo’s eyes. The ogre magi slumped to the ground. In the meantime, in the main hallway Leo could see that Xiang had run the Jarl through. The Spear seemed to gleam and sing at having slain such a powerful opponent. Then the other guards were being mopped up. Ramu and Raven were working well together with the dwarf charging the giants who were having difficulty hitting him due to his small size. Finally the conflict in this room was over. Fjorent, now in human shape, strode forward and decapitated Heracules. 

Leo however warned the others that his wall spell was almost finished and that the stone wall spell would only hold the giants for a few minutes so they needed to get ready for more battle.


----------



## S'mon

The Frost Giant Jarl Part 2

Leo glanced around the room quickly. A large chamber; several mounds of rubble in corners the giants had been excavating. A crude altar against one wall and a primitive throne against another. There were also several frayed tapestries adorning the room. No doubt very old loot from a forgotten raid. Also corpses. Many, many corpses: The Frost Giant Jarl, Heracules, an ogre magus of the Sato clan and numerous Frost Giants, orcs and ogres; and Archduke Ulfius, Master of the Thrinnian Knights, Protector of the Realm etc. 

Leo noted that the others were organising themselves. They were just as aware as he was that there were other inhabitants in this complex. After quickly discussing the situation, the group decided that this was the most defensible position. True there was another exit out of this room but the logic was that if there were any more giants in that part of the complex, they would have already come to the aid of the Jarl. 

By Leo’s calculations the wall spell holding the other giants at bay should be just about finishing. He put a different type of wall spell, a permanent one there also, but he did not expect it to hold the giants for long. They did have a few moments before the walls came down. Everyone readied themselves. Tarquin dispensed a few minor healing spells,  Raven and Xiang stood in the main doorway with Ramu nearby. Fjorent stood back in the room, watching both exits. Suddenly, there was a shimmering in the air. Cailin appeared on top of a mound of frost giant corpses. At the same time, Ramu disappeared. Cailin was a welcome addition although it was sad to lose Ramu. The scout quickly explained that her absence from the Congress was due to a mysterious illness, a strange effect on her physical body. To demonstrate, she concentrated briefly and winked out of sight. Leo could still see her but that was due to his magically aided perception. It was strange. Somehow she was able to will this. At the same time she explained that urgent summons had come from Arypt commanding Ramu to return at once. Dovistar had obliged. 
While this was happening, movement was spotted in the unexplored exit. It was too quick to be identified but it was definitely a creature of some sort. Fjorent summoned one of her elementals to deal with it. The foe was seen running into a room. The elemental was sent after it. There was sound of battle and the elemental did not come out. By this stage, there were also sounds of the walls giving way and more frost giants running to aid their Jarl. Hastily, Fjorent summoned another elemental, this one purely to guard the corridor while the group dealt with the more immediate threat. 

Leo had glimpsed four other giants. There could be more. He hoped that they would basically rush the group. This was a standard giant tactic. Thankfully this was the case and as the giants came rushing one by one, they were bombarded with spells from Leo and Fjorent. The width of the corridor also worked against them. They could only attack one by one. Therefore, each time a giant reached the warriors, they were severely weakened. Then, against the warriors who had also been bolstered by priestly magic from Tarquin, the giants stood little chance. They were killed one by one. Thankfully there didn’t seem to be any more creatures coming from that direction. 

With spells and powers still in effect, the group readied themselves to explore the rest of the complex. Keeping a lookout behind them, the group pushed forward to the occupied room. It was opened to reveal a group of ogres. The brutish creatures had been blocked by the elemental and the group then made short work of them. With the help of Cailin, the group then opened a small collection of doors, which led to the Jarl’s living quarters. He had a trophy room, a couple of bedrooms, there was a barracks for the ogres and the corridor then turned a corner. As Cailin opened the last door before the corner she found it inhabited. A comely young giantess in a revealing fur costume crouched in the far end of the room with her hand on the collar of a large white bear. Xiang, standing next to Cailin, made ready to strike at the foe when they approached. Not a minute too soon as the giantess loosed the bear which charged forward. Fjorent and Leo positioned themselves near behind the warrior and bespelled the bear and giantess, weakening them. Then, behind them, from a door at the end of the corridor, they heard an almighty crash. Leo and Fjorent the bat looked at each other and quickly moved out of sight, around the corner. The giantess and the bear were quickly dealt with but there were still large crashes heard from the other side of the door. The group got themselves into position and carefully maneuvered forward only to be met with a shower of splinters as a large black sword cut its way through the heavy wooden door. Xiang advanced and carefully looked into the entrance.
Then the group heard a voice. The voice was young, plaintive, adolescent.

“ You have slain my father. You have freed me. Thank you. Who are you?”

Xiang answered. “Who are you? Who was your father. Who was your mother? Where is she?”

Xiang was the only one able to see into the room and look at the owner of the voice. 

It answered. “My father was the Jarl. My mother was a great white dragon. When I was born she called me abomination and brought me here. My father kept me in this room.”

Leo wasn’t quite sure of the point of this conversation and was about to ask when he saw Xiang raise his spear and heard the familiar noise of the acid gush from the tip. There was an angry shriek followed by a hiss. This signaled the group to move forward to destroy this creature. When Leo moved up and saw the thing, he gaped. The chest, head and arms of a frost giant swayed on the large draconic tail of a reptilian beast. Spells and blows smashed into the creature and it moved drunkenly, unable to land a blow against its enemies. In a brief time, it was dead. Leo felt a brief regret. The creature had obviously been young and unwanted. Neither of its parents knew what to do with it. He also hoped mother was far away. 

The group then made its way back. Cailin, moved forward, scouting, followed by Xiang. Suddenly she gave a shout that she had spotted something and ran down the corridor. Both Leo and Fjorent had the ability to fly and they quickly followed after her but the rogue was very quick. A few seconds later they found her next to a large ogre corpse. Although burnt, this corpse was more richly adorned and dressed than the average ogre they had found in the complex. It seemed to be some sort of ogre leader. So, the corpse was dragged by every one to the Jarl’s throne room while Cailin then went to search the Jarl’s living quarters. It took a little time, especially as Cailin fell victim to several magical and mechanical traps but finally various bits of treasure were put together. Heracules was found to posess a small piece of folding cloth that could store a miraculous amount of goods so most of the treasure went in there. Finally, Clarendon was called into the cavern where he was shown Ulfius’s corpse. He looked shocked but then he gathered it and disappeared, promising to stay in touch. The group also left via a transport spell, arriving back in Gaxmoor. 

Leo reported to Dovistar, who promptly told Leo that the White Way was moving back to Imarr. Leo just nodded. This didn’t come as a great surprise to him. The group then left most of their loot in the tower and with Fjorent’s “tree stepping” ability, she together with Leo, Cailin and Tarquin went to Scornel. There they reported to Kanor. He seemed preoccupied with the negotiations with the Overkingdom and also visibly relieved to hear that the cambion was finally dead. Certain rituals were performed on Heracules’s body and his ashes were scattered over the lake. 

Arriving back in Gaxmoor, the group first split the monies and items they had gained from their latest foray. A few of the items were dangerous, including a Tome of Ultimate Evil and two swords but these were destroyed. Then the split was made. After that, Fjorent and Cailin went to Beskarn and that was the last Leo saw of them. He was busy working on his spellbook, adding new spells and learning about a marvellous new phenomenum called the magical flux about which he had never heard before. 

After he had finished, Leo called on Dovistar and had a long conversation with the old mage. They discussed many things. The future of the White Way and its role in the coming war; the sway of the Blue Light Society in Imarr; the need to put internal squabbles to rest while facing the threat of the Mongali; and finally Leo’s own future role especially after certain events in Scornel. 

Finally, Leo made an appointment to see Kanor.


----------



## S'mon

Dragon


A month had passed since the momentous events of the Congress of Scornel and the final defeat of Heracules and his allies. Leo had kept himself busy. His spell research and the exploration into his newly acquired knowledge of the magical flux on Ea kept him occupied . Every so often he would hear from some of his companions. They were just as busy. Kanor would consult him about arcane matters every so often and of course there was a great deal of preparation dealing with the imminent move back to Imarr. Leo still wasn’t sure about that idea. He really didn’t want to be in a city where he was still “wanted for questioning”. Tarkane’s secret police did not have a reputation for civility when they wanted answers. His main hopes were that Tarkane would adopt an out of sight out of mind attitude. Unfortunately, the White Way would certainly be invited to help in the conflict and Leo was a known member. Well, they do say that travel broadens the mind. Leo’s mind could always use broadening. There was a lot on Ea he wanted to see. If things got really sticky then Dovistar knew how to reach him. 

The summons came from Kanor. Probably another conversation about Mongali hakomen and their powers. Leo made his way to the palace. He was rapidly shown through as usual. The guards were so familiar with him by now that all they had to do was to recognise his distinctive sandy hat and they didn’t even question him. This time however he wasn’t shown to Kanor’s small study but into his audience chamber. There he found some of his fellow companions, Raven the holy knight, Tarquin the priest, Red Ivy the warrior and Fjorent the witch. There was also a delegation of four Goldhammer dwarves. These were stalwart allies who had come to the aid of the Borderlands in the Battle of Jarrakig, where they had suffered. Kanor nodded and introduced one of the dwarves as Queen Tori Oakshield. Greetings were exchanged and then the Queen spoke: 

“My scouts have located the lair of a large Red Dragon. I am told that you have trouble with this creature, which destroyed one of your forts. We could help each other. This is Hled one of my best scouts. He will guide you to the creature’s lair. In return for this information, I would ask for your help. We have problems with raids by creatures from the Underdark. I would like you to come to aid us in preventing these atrocities against our people. Our military has been depleted since the Battle of Jarrakig”.

“A not-so-subtle reminder that we owe them” thought Leo. 

The dragon could be a nuisance. Leo knew it had been allied with Heracules. A creature like that wouldn’t be able to do much against a military force but it could terrorise whole communities and threaten the all-important Southern trade routes. It was also an important step in mopping up the rest of Heracules’s force from the Dosk Heights. 

The others looked keen. The expedition also had Kanor’s support. No doubt he saw a possibility of enlisting dwarven help against the Mongali. Everyone was invited to a banquet that evening although only Raven, Red Ivy and Tarquin attended. Leo was already calculating various aspects of the coming trip and Fjorent was busy with her affairs. 

The banquet was a great success by all accounts with the Queen being particularly taken by Raven and his intellectual conversation. The group then met to discuss various aspects of the coming trip. Fjorent had made a spirit journey, which had located the approximate location of the lair of the beast and she said she also felt a presence from another plane; this presence was not friendly. Leo also related his first meeting with the Heroes of Gaxmoor, which had taken place just after they had defeated another Red Dragon. It was decided that it would be good to meet with Xyzzy, the sorcerer of Dulleaburg and ask him how they managed to secure this victory.

Fjorent transported Raven, Leo and herself by her “tree stepping” ability. Luckily Xyzzy was home and he greeted Leo warmly. He was promptly introduced to the others. His information was interesting. Their dragon was smaller than this one. It could cast spells. It used them mainly to make itself stronger in combat.  It was a fearsome fighter that had ripped Thrinnian knights into shreds. Then it had been turned into a frog. The caster of this awesome feat unfortunately had perished on the glacier. As Xyzzy retold this story Leo could see that some of it he told rather wistfully, as if he missed those days filled with adventure. Leo didn’t want to tell him that he would probably get more adventure than he bargained for with the advent of the Mongali invasion. 

Then Xyzzy said: “Why do you want to know all this anyway?”

Leo answered: “We have the location of another red dragon. We plan to go after it tomorrow.”

Xyzzy became animated: “Do you want some help?”

Leo was slightly taken aback. He friend was retired. His adventuring days were over. Still he was a powerful sorcerer and if he wanted to join his contribution would be considerable. 

“Very much so if you are willing.”

So arrangements were made. Xyzzy rapidly collected his belongings and Leo, he and Raven teleported back to Gaxmoor while Fjorent “tree stepped” back. 

Just before they went back, Leo had a private word with Xyzzy about latest developments with the Overkingdom. Xyzzy was one of the few individuals left who had direct involvement in the attempt against Tarkane’s life. Xyzzy didn’t seem unduly worried. Leo hoped his confidence was justified. Tarkane was a bitter, vindictive man with huge resources.   

The next morning everyone gathered. Hled the dwarven scout would be guiding them to the exact location of the lair. Leo conjured his Phantom Steeds. These could now fly so the journey there would take only a few hours. Fjorent took the shape of a bat and was carried by Raven. 

The monotony of the journey was broken by the attack of a foolish wyvern, which hoped for an easy meal. A lightning bolt followed by a column of fire sent the creature spiraling downwards, trailing smoke. Then the group followed a river, which led to a mountain with a large opening in its side. According to Hled, this was the lair of the beast. The group then had various protective spells cast on themselves.  A few seconds later they flew into the cave. Leo could immediately see something was wrong. The cave was icy! There was a pool of water in the back of it. There were icicles on the ceiling. This was not the lair of a fire creature. Leo could see that Fjorent was as aware of the situation as he was and the witch cast a spell on herself. At the same time, Raven had advanced to the edge of the pool. Suddenly a massive head erupted from the water and grabbed him in its maw. The dwarf struggled but to no avail. The head of the dragon was red. Leo didn’t understand. His experience with dragons was limited but he was pretty sure that a red dragon was not aquatic. Be that as it may, he had other worries now. Red Ivy charged the creature but with a negligent flick of its paw it gave her a blow that staggered her. Luckily, that seemed to distract it from holding Raven and the dwarf was able to free himself. Xyzzy and Tarquin were casting spells at the creature but it was proving to be resistant. One of Leo’s little spells made it weaker while Xyzzy cast a powerful life-draining spell on it. A call for retreat was made now that Raven was free. Everyone left the cave. 

Outside everyone regrouped and now that the nature of the threat was known, Fjorent was able to cast protective spells against cold. Then the group advanced again. Suddenly the air was filled with a freezing blast. The creature had breathed. It was painful but survivable. Its muzzle was just above the surface of the pool. Luckily Fjorent had learned a spell which could lower the level of water for a period of time. This she did, revealing the body of the dragon. The dragon screeched in surprise as Red Ivy and Raven flew towards it. They both struck, dealing it serious blows. Xyzzy struck again with his life draining spells and a lightning bolt sizzled in the air, causing a large wound in the creature’s side. The dragon grabbed Red Ivy in its maw and was about to drag her to deeper water when with a mighty last effort, Raven, dedicating this blow to Moradin, cut the dragon down. The whole creature then turned white.

Everyone looked at each other, unsure if the dragon was really dead. The fight had been intense but very short. Raven approached it and hit it a couple of times just to make sure. The beast didn’t stir. Its head was taken to prove its death. Kanor was providing a five thousand gold piece bounty for its head. On searching it, two large bracers were also found on its limbs. Then the group approached the deeper water to see if they could track down the lair of the creature. Suddenly four watery shapes rose up and attacked the front members of the group. Luckily they were very slow. Leo cast an effect and three of them disappeared. One final elemental was left. Fjorent started talking to it in its language. It was very unhappy at being bound here and once it found out that it would be sent back it became very cooperative, telling the group where the dragon used to go and how it “traveled between dimensions” to get to her main lair. The creature was then banished and Fjorent lowered the water again. The group then came to a tunnel intersection, one branch of which was sealed with a wall of force. However, at this point, the water behind them was starting to fill up and the group had to leave. 

The group decided to make their way to Goldworthy Hall and rest there for a day before going back to find the dragon’s treasure. Hled led them to the hidden entrance to the Hall and they were let through. Inside, they found that a battle had taken place. There were many wounded dwarves some of whom looked at the group with hostility. Upon reaching the ruler of the Hall, Raven was also reunited with Tori Oakshield the Queen. The King, Dumor Ironbeard, a dignified older dwarf, related what had happened. There had been a massive raid by a race called duergar, a tribe of dwarves who warred upon Goldhammer dwarves. These duergar were the descendants of followers of a mighty dwarven magician  who millenia ago had enslaved the whole race. When his yoke was thrown off, he fled with many of his followers into the depths of the Underdark. From there they emerged to war upon the surface dwarves whom they hate above all. They were feared for their cunning, ruthlessness and spell-like abilities, which they had inherited from their ancestors. For the first time though, these duergar had taken prisoners. No one knew why but they thought it was a bad sign. 

Everyone was aware that they had promised to help the dwarves once they had dealt with the dragon. They also knew that if they had any chance to follow this raiding party they had to leave as quickly as possible. However, everyone was exhausted and the spell casters had few spells left, so the decision was to follow the next day. 

That evening, Fillum, the court sage of the dwarves was able to tell the group what they knew. A lot of this information was rumour and conjecture and had been provided by friendly earth elemental type creatures called Pech. It was rumoured that the duergar had found the mythical lost First Hall of the Dwarves. There they sought to awaken a Lost God, a servant of Grom the King of the Earth. Fillum thought this servant was likely to be a very powerful spirit associated with Heat and Stone and Forging. 

Leo also felt he needed a conversation with Xyzzy. An expedition against a dragon was one thing. A long journey into the Underdark was another. A silver lining also was that one of the few places where Tarkane would be unlikely to reach either of them would be here.


----------



## S'mon

Sigurd gets a sealed letter from his old friend Margrave 
Kanor of Dulleaberg & Gaxmoor:

"Your majesty King Sigurd - as you know, the Borderlands has 
joined the Overkingdom, along with the rest of the Scornic League.  
Overking Tarkane, praise be his name, has kindly appointed myself 
Duke of the Borderlands, incorporating Dulleaberg, Gaxmoor, 
Carrisqui and Arkand.  I set to my tasks with all urgency and 
commitment.  I was wondering if you could send a true Priest of 
Odin to me, to assist in furthering worship of the Allfather 
throughout the realm?  We look forward to your next visit.
Yours,
Duke Kanor Zerler, Gaxmoor, 1/11/2739 YE."


----------



## S'mon

Duke Kanor receives a missive from Sigurd:

"Honorable Duke Kanor

It is with great joy I read the news of your appointment. A keen and clever 
statesman such as yourself should be able to make these lands flourish and 
prosper for many years to come. However, I am saddened to think that the 
Borderlands may stand in the gap of destruction. The Horde is threatening 
every inch of our civilization and will stop at nothing short of complete 
victory. My hopes are that you will have enough practice in the art of war 
and take up the sword to defend your home country when the enemy is at the 
gates. The League has many honourable and noble defenders; its land are rich 
and fertile. I have not conquered Gaxmor without reason, I have not seen 
experienced Scornel and its wonders only to see it become ashes. Know that I 
will not stand by idle in this conflict, and that where the Overking fails, 
I will be.

Out of personal interest, has the vile Gisshk been replaced or have you kept 
him within your chain in command. If so my advice would be to keep him as 
close as possible for he is bred of a race that knows no mercy or honour.

I would also be interested in any good architects that you would have in 
your services, I am looking to builid a good castle and need a man with 
experience.

Sigurd"


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Sigurd manaages to get plotting even when he's not in the game!


----------



## S'mon

Lord Maugraign’s Hall

When Leo, together with Raven, Fjorent, Red Ivy, Xyzzy and Tarquin arrived at the  audience chamber of Goldworthy Hall, they  heard grave news. Queen Tori Oakshield related the problems of the Goldhammer dwarves. Recently they had been suffering the depredations of the duergar, corrupted “dark dwarves”. This evil race hated everyone and felt that it was their destiny to rule the whole world both above and below. They saved a special kind of hate for their dwarven cousins, whom they regarded as offensive abominations, whose primary role in life was to be their slaves. That morning, the Hall had suffered a massive raid and for the first time dwarves had been taken prisoner. Leo, Fjorent and the rest had agreed previously to put themselves at the disposal of the dwarves after dealing with the dragon. The dwarves wanted several things. Stop the duergar raids; rescue the prisoners; find out what the duergar were up to and stop it; and whilst they didn’t actually say it, if this involved killing as many duergar as possible, so much the better.

Some quick decisions were taken. Xyzzy and Red Ivy would go back to Kanor to tell him the good news about the dragon and the situation of the dwarves. Then the spell casters in the group had to rest to regain their magic. Finally, Leo wanted to consult the dwarven sage, Fillum about certain legends and knowledge he remembered about the duergar. The duergar were Fillum’s area of expertise and his knowledge would be very valuable. 

Fjorent, Raven, Tarquin, Xyzzy and Red Ivy then retired to their own affairs. Leo asked to speak to Fillum and spent some time with him. After they finished, he had a much better idea of what they would face. He called the others together and gave them a quick lecture on what he had been able discover: the duergar mind abilities to make themselves bigger and unseen. Their great resistance to spells. Their ability to see the unseen and their immunity to poisons. Their great fondness for deadly traps. Their weakness in light. He did not mention other myths and legends he had heard as these were not relevant to their mission. He also told them of the strange powers present in the underground realm known as the Underdark, especially its magic warping features. 

Afterwards everyone rested. 

The next morning, Leo was very pleasantly surprised to find that other comrades from Gaxmoor had arrived. Cailin the White, noted scout, together with King Sigurd of Trafalgis and Xiang the warrior from Mount Fire. Another man was also there, a stranger to Leo. He was with Cailin. His name was Deorn and he was a woodsman, a ranger of the land. They pronounced themselves willing to travel into the Underdark after Leo repeated the information he shared with the others previously. At the same time, the dwarves would also be helped by a contingent of cavalry Kanor had sent to help.

The group made ready. Three dwarves were going to accompany them on their journey. Hled, the scout and two dwarven warriors, Korbon and Balto. The former was an older taciturn individual who looked competent and spoke only when spoken to. Balto was younger, more enthusiastic and more talkative. The group was almost ready to leave when Fillum approached Leo and gave him several scrolls. Leo glanced at them. They contained arcane magic, making it possible for the recipient of the spell to see in the dark. Realising that Fillum was giving him one of the treasures of the dwarven hall, Leo gravely thanked him. Then the group left under the eyes of Queen Tori, Fillum and Captain Konerk the dwarven war leader. A greater crowd also gathered, watching mutely. One dwarf waved briefly. 

When they were out of sight, Leo cast a spell on everyone who could not see in the dark. It was the same spell as on the scrolls albeit substantially more powerful. It would last most of the day. Then the journey proper began. 

In the early part of it, they were led by Hled. He had intimate knowledge of the caves near the Hall and acted as guide together with Cailin, who took point. Leo was glad for this time. As he and his companions entered into the inky darkness, he found that he had to adjust his perceptions. His eyes now only saw up to a certain distance ahead. Also, they saw in shades of colours depending on heat. This created some truly bizarre visions and they took a lot of getting used to. Several times he rapped his shins on stone outcroppings or bumped his head on parts of the caverns that he had not been able to distinguish. Judging by the language from the rest of the group, he wasn’t the only one. However Leo was anything if not adaptable and soon he started to get used to this new type of perception. He assumed the others were also going through this process. The only one immune to this Fjorent who flitted around in the shape of a bat.

Several hours later, Hled stopped and announced that this was as far as he had ever ranged.  From now on, they would have to slow down the pace as they would have to start tracking the duergar war party. This shouldn’t be difficult but it would be slower. The group moved on again with Hled and Cailin taking point. Sometimes Deorn, who had taken rearguard, was called forward and all three of them consulted before deciding on which direction to go. Leo was surprised that so far they hadn’t met any of the reputedly deadly Underdark creatures. Once or twice Hled had pointed at a particular tunnel and said it was a worm tunnel. A path made by one of the titanic purple worms of this realm. Apart from that nothing until suddenly Cailin stopped everyone and silently crept ahead.

Some moments later she came back. She described a passage intersection in which there was a band of furred humanoid creatures, feasting on some dwarven and duergar corpses. From their description, Leo dredged from somewhere in his memory that they were the “Children of the One”. Primitive humanoids whose main concerns were food and shelter. The shelter was caves and the food was whatever or whoever was in them. Normally Leo would hope to avoid them but in this case they were very much in the way. So the group made ready to attack. Fjorent summoned one of her spirits. According to her, it was called “Black Rock Ape”, the reason being apparent. Looking as if it was detaching itself from the rock, an ape made out of stone appeared and looked at the witch. She started talking to it and it loped forward. Then, as one, the group moved behind it, the warriors to the front, the spell casters in the center and the dwarves and Deorn taking rearguard. Leo, his reactions honed, was able to loose his spell first. Lighting crackled down the corridor and struck one of the creatures in the centre of the group. Then it branched and struck all the others. Burning air and the smell of ozone. The next moment the enemy was all down with two exceptions. One which had avoided the lightning strike altogether and one which looked a little bigger. However, they were still stupefied by what had happened to their pack and they were soon disposed of by Black Rock Ape. 

Having dealt with the threat the trackers then moved forward and soon found the duergar tracks again. A few hours later it was time to rest. The rest period was uneventful although Leo found a peculiar sense of timelessness without daylight. There was no light followed by darkness to tell him of the passage of time. Just pure darkness briefly interrupted by a little light he used to study his spellbooks. Now he understood when the old chronicles described lost souls who had stumbled out of the Underdark Kingdoms,  completely unaware of the passage of time. 

As they were about to set out Leo noticed something strange. Cailin had a peculiar set of tattoos glowing across her eyes. It seems she had adapted better than anyone. Due to the sigils imprinted, she was able to see in the dark without Leo’s magic. Maybe the prolonged darkness triggered this ability. Who could tell? Together with the tattoos on her arms, which made her unseen, both these abilities aided her greatly in her profession. Someone must have seen great promise in her.

So they set out again. This time the active period was uneventful. Hled even believed that they were catching up. Then another rest period. The scouts believed that they were only a few hours behind. The group made the best time they could. Hled believed that at this rate they would catch up with the duergar soon. After resting again the group set out, tense for the confrontation. Then Cailin came back. She had found something extraordinary. A massive stone bridge over a chasm of some sort. She could hear water at the bottom. She was suspicious but her preliminary scouting had produced no traps. She did discover two paths leading down the sides of the chasm. One at each end of the bridge. She described runes of some type at the entrance of each path. The group moved forward cautiously. It was as Cailin described. A stone structure from another age. An age when the dwarven nation contested the Underdark. Leo speculated about the desperate battles that must have taken place between the dwarves and all comers. Over time the dwarves must have been driven further and further to the surface and now there were only a few hundred left in the Dosk Heights. It was a shame the dwarves did not keep more chronicles. A study of their history would be fascinating. 

Leo hoped that Raven the dwarven Holy Knight would be able to read the runes but no such luck. The runes were too old for his own knowledge of the dwarven language and Tarquin’s religious knowledge lay in other subjects. Therefore no one was able to read them. The three Goldhammer dwarves could not read them either though they looked awestruck. They recognised the dwarven stonework of the bridge but they had never expected to find it here. 

Whilst the runes were of great academic interest to Leo, no one could decipher them and the duergar tracks led over the bridge, not down the chasm paths. Cailin cautiously scouted the bridge. She found it to be safe so the rest of the group also crossed. Then the marching routine resumed. Some time later Cailin quickly returned to the group. She asked them to stop. In the far distance, her incredibly keen hearing had detected voices. The rest of the group moved back a little and Cailin left to investigate. Some time later she came back. She had good news and bad news. The good news was that she had found the duergar who had committed the raid. The bad news was that she had also found lots of their friends. Lots and lots of their friends. The way Cailin described it, it was the duergar nation of the Dosk Heights, maybe of the whole of Ea. 

She had moved forward and came up to a precipice. This precipice had a narrow path leading down its side to a vast cavern below. There were three separate groups of fires at the bottom of the cavern. Cailin was not sure but she would be prepared to bet a lot of money that a large proportion of that cavern served as an area of habitation for a great many duergar. She also heard soft voices, which she believed were at the bottom of the path, guarding it. 

This was mixed news. Leo was pleased they had found their quarry without too much deviation. However, now that they had been found, a great deal of thought had to be given to their next course of action. At this point, Fjorent suggested she could summon an earth spirit and see if they could gain any information about the enemy below and possibly alternate routes into their area. A little time later, something coalesced out of the nearby rock. To Leo, it looked just like an earth elemental, although it was the most talkative one he had ever come across. Fjorent started talking to it, simultaneously translating for the group. She immediately christened the spirit “Stolid Cave Guide”. It  was distressed that the “dark ones” were now in charge of this area. It found their corruption deeply unsettling. At the same time, it did fear them. It did not know what the duergar were doing but it was sure that they had to be stopped. It itself had no abilities to do so. Luckily it had very good knowledge of nearby caverns and was willing to guide the group into the complex via ways that were not obvious to many of the enemy. It also said that this whole area was once part of the Hall of Lord Maugraign, a forgotten dwarven potentate. Leo was frustrated. He had never heard of this figure but obviously he must have been someone of great importance. None of the dwarves looked as if they knew anything about him either.  

The decision was made. The spirit guide would take the group through a network of caves into the complex. To seal the bargain, Fjorent gave him several gems she had on her person. The spirit guide looked happy. The group got back into their marching order and the spirit led them back to the bridge. Then it said that they needed to go down one of the paths to the bottom. The group looked down gingerly. The path was narrow and had been unused for centuries. The passage down would have to be trodden carefully. In single file, the group started down. Soon, the sound of rushing water was getting louder. Everyone moved slowly, especially the heavily armoured warriors. Everything was going well and after a little time, Leo could make out the fast flowing water beneath. Then suddenly, a shout went up. They were being attacked! From the air. Large flying creatures with a wingspan a good twenty foot wide were swooping down on them. It was obvious that they were attempting to catch people in their claws and fly away. There were five of them. Leo heard Tarquin chant softly and two of them veered away. The other three continued their swoop and attacked the group. Luckily, their victims were very strong and the creatures found it impossible to dislodge them from the path. At the same time, the warriors swung at them, dealing fearful damage. Several spells also followed the creatures inflicting more harm. At that point, two of them went plunging into the ground. The last one attacked again but again a warrior hit it very hard and it followed the others. The final two disappeared into the darkness. 

The group followed the spirit guide to the bottom. There they were then confronted by several streams flowing into individual caves. The guide pointed in a particular direction, a cave full of water with a small passage on the side. There was a little confusion then. Ways had to be found to transport everyone. Going into the water was out of the question. First it would be freezing. Then, only the gods of the deep knew what lived in that water. It was very fast flowing and there were likely to be jagged sharp rocks at the bottom. There was a real danger that some people could be swept away. The solution was to make the strong people fly and they could then carry the others. There was also an attempt to cast this spell on the spirit but it looked very unhappy, so the spell was dismissed and Fjorent diplomatically asked it to return to its abode. She promised she would summon one of its compatriots. The flying ones scouted the cave and came back to say they had found nothing and there was a small beach, which could accommodate the group. So the group was ferried over. The fliers found that the cave led on but there were now no ledges on the side of the cavern. At this point, Fjorent summoned another spirit, this one bearing resemblance to an aquatic denizen. She immediately christened it “Green Cloud Fish”. Again, it seemed quite talkative and much greedier for gems than its friend. When asked if it could guide us into the complex, it was happy to do so and pointed into the water filled cave passage. When asked for another route, more regretfully, it pointed up the corridor leading from the little beach. During this time, Cailin’s sharp eyes spotted a peculiar thing. A fish bone, suggesting the beach was used by fishermen of some type. The group got into the usual marching order. As they walked, a moment later Cailin came back saying she had found a door. 

This was the first sign of habitation in this region. The group got battle ready. It was unlikely there would be something behind it but one never knew. The group marched up. If there was something behind it, they would have heard them. Cailin opened the door. There was a large room behind it in which there were nine large humanoid creatures. Leo couldn’t make out what they were in the darkness, but there was not mistaking their large size and the clubs they had in their hands. The front warriors moved in, blocking the doorway, allowing the spell casters to use their spells. Four of the creatures threw nets on the warriors but luckily only Xiang was entangled. Then Tarquin chanted and six of the creatures turned away as if suddenly disinterested in the whole thing. The other three moved forward and battle was joined. Luckily, one on one, these things were no match for the warriors, especially as Leo made all of them very fast. The first three were quickly dispatched and then Xiang, Raven and Sigurd were able to move on the others after a lightning bolt from Leo and a fire spell from Fjorent weakened them considerably. Again the battle was short and brutal but soon they were dead with the exception of two, who loped down one of the side passages, badly hurt.  Further examination revealed them to be trolls and therefore they were regenerating. This was soon fixed as the trolls were burnt. 

The group then organised themselves and moved out of the room, led by the guide. A little later, they moved into another large chamber. It looked empty and there were no exits. Cailin immediately began searching. Fjorent asked Green Cloud Fish which way and it pointed to a wall. Cailin started searching there. Sounding surprised, she finally said that because of the darkness she was finding it very difficult to find an opening mechanism but the wall was definitely false. There was also a trapdoor in the ceiling, which may have something to do with the wall. The construction was definitely dwarven and obviously very intricate. Leo regretted that he couldn’t see the room with a light. It would have been fascinating to study the architectural skill of the dwarves. No time for that though. He had a spell which could create doors where there were none. After a little discussion, the group decided that was the way to go. Getting ready, Leo made a hole in the wall and the group moved forward. They moved a few hundred feet into a corridor that was about ten feet wide. As usual, Hled and Cailin were approximately forty feet ahead of the main group. 

Suddenly the leading pair stopped. Hled dropped. Cailin stood but seemingly couldn’t move. Tarquin had taken to casting a spell on Cailin, which gave him an idea of her direction and state of health. Rapidly he let the others know that she was under a spell which prevented her from moving and she was also hurt. Everyone closed the distance as fast as they could. Leo cast as spell on a pebble, which lit up the corridor as if it was daylight. Xiang took it the pebble from his hand and took it forward. Fjorent was able to dismiss the holding spell on Cailin who rapidly moved back to the group. The warriors moved ahead as fast as they could. Soon the enemy was in sight. It was a group of dark dwarves. Their leader was a priest. The first rank was lying on the ground aiming arbalests whilst the rank behind them were standing, again aiming arbalests. Sigurd reached them first, smashing into their midst. Fjorent, cursing his impetuosity, cast her spell in front of him. It was spectacularly successful. A column of fire wiped out the back rank of the duergar. Burnt corpses littered the corridor. At the same time, Sigurd bloodily waded through the rest of them. In a few moments, the duergar patrol had been wiped out. 

The damage had been done. Hled, the dwarven scout was dead. The two dwarven warriors mourned inconsolably. To them it was a massive loss. Leo could only imagine. There were already very few dwarves. Most of them were warriors. It was a mark of the importance they laid to this mission that they sent their best scout along with the group. His loss was an incalculable one to the community of Goldworthy Hall. The group got together and discussed whether they should bring him back from the dead. Tarquin could do that, although it was at great expense and Hled would be weaker than before. Leo was a little surprised that Raven didn’t argue more strongly for his resurrection. However, the dwarf seemed to relate far more easily to his companions than he did to any of the Goldhammer dwarves. However, Leo didn’t understand the social mores of the dwarven community and there were more important things to talk about. It was decided that regrettably, it would be better to save resources for later. Hled had been useful but at the moment his potential usefulness had ended. It was a painful but necessary decision. It would be reviewed if the mission ended successfully. 

The group decided to go back to room with the false wall. The casters were low on spells and a door had been glimpsed close behind the duergar. Potentially this could lead to more duergar. The hole in the wall had been dismissed. Then Fjorent summoned another spirit, Baron Ghost Bear. This one looked like a massive coal black dire bear. Gently it lifted Cailin to the trapdoor. There she found a huge mechanism, which was part of a chain/pulley system designed to lift the wall. So, the wall was like a cunningly disguised gate or portcullis into the Hall. Unfortunately, she was unable to find the opening controls. 

Then the group rested.


----------



## randomling

Cailin _the_ White?

Nah - it's Cailin White, as in, White is her last name. Oh, and if you want to be formal, _Commander_ Cailin White.

Minor thing!


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

[Note to readers - I was away for the second part of the Frost Giant Jarl's expedition, and for the fight against the dragon.]

*Xiang's Account*

Xiang had been summoned into the presence of Duke Kanor. It had been a few days since the two had spoken, the Duke having been very busy with his new responsibilities. As Xiang entered the Duke's rooms he noticed both Cailin White - newly promoted to Commander - and King Sigurd. A priest of some sort was accompanying Sigurd, and it soon became apparent that Kanor had negotiated his presence to help speed the integration of the former Scornic League territories into the Overkingdom.

Kanor spoke quickly and eloquently, as always, explaining that the Oakshield Dwarves who had been central to the Battle of Jarrikig had asked for a favour in return. Xiang, Sigurd, Cailin and a small force of human knights were to head to the Dwarven Halls and help them. No further details were given at the moment, but Kanor did take Xiang aside before the group left and inform him that he was responsible for the reputation of Kanor and the Borderlands. Xiang knew that this meant he had to maintain his concentration and diplomatic skills - minor though they were - during all that was to come.

The journey was swift and simple, taking a barge most of the way. The Dwarves met them at the designated point, and escorted the group into a large meeting hall, hidden away in the mountains.

Xiang and the others were introduced to Queen Tori Oakshield and Captain Konerk, as well as the sage Fillum. In addition, Xiang was pleased to see Leo, Tarquin, Fjorent and Raven! Explanations were quickly given as to the nature of the problem. A race of creatures named Duergar - similar to dwarves but twisted and evil - had kidnapped several dwarf miners. It was the culmination of hundreds of years of battling, deep under the mountain, but the Dwarves suspected this time the Duergar were planning something greater. Raids had been increasing, and fragments of lore suggested that this might be the foretelling of something greater and more terrifying, and according to the Dwarven Sage, something that could threaten the surface world above as well.

Xiang distinctly caught Leo rolling his eyes theatrically at this point at the claims the sage was making. The Wizard had clearly done some research of his own, and proceeded to explain what he knew of the powers of the Duergar. Xiang listened carefully, but realised that there was little he could do to affect the likely tactics, except possibly to negate some of the Duergars more outlandish powers by killing them as quickly as possible...

The following morning the party left for the deeper parts of the Dwarven halls and further on to the tunnels beneath. Leo provided a _darkvision_ spell that allowed everyone to see in the darkness under the earth, and apart from a few bruised shins early on the group quickly adapted. Cailin and a dwarven scout named Hled guided everyone on, with Cailin's new ranger accomplice Deorn bringing up the rear. He seemed a quiet but competent sort.

The Dwarf knew exactly what he was doing, guiding them unceasingly towards the Duergar raiding party. Several times he referred to creatures living in side tunnels, and the two other dwarves sent to accompany him (Korbon and Balto) also explained unnusual features as they passed by. Xiang was interested in the names and alleged powers of the various creatures mentioned, and awed at the scale of the tunnel left behind by a creature called a Purple Worm. Balto enjoyed explaining that he once saw a Purple Worm swallow whole a dwarf that was fighting it before being overcome.

After some hours of travelling, Cailin held up a hand, indicating cessation of movement and silence. She crept forwards, out of sight, then returned quickly and described a group of large creatures ahead, apparently eating on the remains of some sort of fight. Leo dredged up the name "Children of the One" from somewhere in his exhaustive knowledge of history and arcane matters. These creatures were likely to be tough in a fight.

Fjorent asked for a few moments to summon a friendly spirit to help her. Xiang had not seen this before, yet after a minute or so the rock bulged up from the floor into the shape of a large humanoid ape-like hunk of rock. She named his as Black Rock Ape. The group determined that a volley of magical power followed by a group charge would be the best way to make the fight quick and decisive.

Leo stepped forwards and killed all but two of the creatures with a single _Chain Lightning_.

There was a short, shocked pause as everyone realised what had happened, then Black Rock Ape charged forwards by himself and slaughtered the last two. The group moved forwards and investigated the remains, finding that a group of dwarven miners had attempted to break free of their duergar enslavers and managed to kill two before dying themselves. Cailin and Deorn thought that the smell of rotting flesh had possibly attracted the other creatures to feed.

Taking the armour of the dead Duergar (in order that the dwarves in the party have the tools to attempt a deception later in time) and after saying a short prayer over their dead brethren, the party moved on further into the tunnels, before finally camping that night.

The night passed peacefully, although in the morning Cailin announced she didn't need the _darkvision_ spell today. Her tatoos that improved her archery abilities had now adapted to the darkness, granting her the ability permanently! Leo looked like he was itching to investigate this, but restrained himself. With practiced ease, the group was up and ready to go quickly, and continued following the trail.

Another day of travelling, hard marching. It reminded Xiang of some of his training in Mount Fire. After years of fighting, travelling and fighting again, he didn't mind the long days, but he wondered how some of the others were getting on. No one complained, or said much at all. Tension ran through the party. Another period of sleep.

The following day real progress was made. Cailin noticed a huge stone bridge spanning a huge chasm, and guided the party across. Dwarven inscriptions told that it was Maugraign's Hall, the outer levels of it anyway, an ancient hall that had been lost. The dwarves were mightily impressed, but kept their focus. A side ledge led down into the chasm, but the tracks the party were following carried on ahead.

Cailin moved forwards again, only to return quickly and announce a huge cavern ahead, filled with Duergar campfires. Xiang briefly entertained the idea of battling an entire army, but quickly dismissed it. Frontal attacks with no preparation almost always failed. But at this point Fjorent showed her worth once again.

Moving everyone back, she summoned another spirit, this one much smaller and named Stolid Cave Guide. The spirit took the party (after some negotiation with valuable gemstones) back down the ledge into the chasm and onwards, saying it could find a way around the huge cavern ahead.

Apart from a short scuffle with a group of flying reptilian creatures that were beaten off fairly quickly, the group eventually found itself standing next to the bottom of the chasm and raging river. Magical flight and shape shifting got the group further on, although Stolid Cave Guide had to be left behind. Fjorent summoned another guiding spirit - Green Cloud Fish, she called him - to help them again. This one seemed much greedier!

Xiang was feeling like he needed to hurt something, the Black Spear shifting quietly in his hands, and he got his chance.

A short corridor on led to a wedged shut door, behind which sounds of movement could just about be hurt. Sigurd, Raven and Xiang had a short conversation which ended with Raven charging the door bodily and with Sigurd and Xiang's help. The door burst open under the impact, and as the dust settled Xiang just about had enough time to see a group of trolls on the other side...before four of them threw nets, entangling him. Incredibly, Raven and Sigurd managed to avoid the nets entirely, and battle was joined.

Between a _flame strike, _a _haste_ and a _calm emotions_, together with some close combat work, the trolls were defeated with little mopping up required. Xiang managed to engage one briefly, but it was an unfufilling fight in many ways.

More exploration followed, leading to a blank wall. Cailin thought she could find a secret door, but no way of opening. Leo stepped up and used his _ring of earth_ to _passwall_ through and let the group continue.

A few minutes later Hled and Cailin froze in place, then Hled dropped to the ground. Tarquin cried out that Cailin was in trouble, and the group charged forwards under the light of a _daylight_ spell. The Duergar patrol was butchered in no uncertain fashion as Sigurd and Fjorent took them apart, leaving no survivors. Once again, Xiang was left with nothing to do.

After recovering the body of Hled - punctured by several arbalest bolts - the group returned to the room with the secret door and rested again. Fjorent summoned a final spirit, Baron Ghost Bear, to follow the trolls that had escaped the party earlier and to wreak any havoc he wished. Xiang envied her array of allies. Deorn set magical wards to awaken everyone should anyone approach.

[The end of the session]


----------



## S'mon

Follow the Bear 

Leo was woken by a horrendous noise. He was a little groggy. It had taken him time to get to sleep. His mind had raced madly only a little time ago. Unknown to the others he had come to a certain realisation about his powers. New aspects and horizons had become apparent to him. Especially a new ability to cast spells much faster than before, albeit in a limited manner. 

The noise was Deorn’s alarm spell. Leo felt as though he had only been asleep a minute. He opened his eyes and saw three horrendous trolls. Two he recognised from before. The third was a much bigger creature with a large halberd. Stepping through the spell they set it off, but by that stage they had got very close to Xiang and Raven who had been sleeping near the corridor. Those two were awake but still on the ground when the trolls reached them. The monsters took full advantage and injured both warriors, especially Raven. Then, belying their bulk, they struck again speedily, using their full claws and teeth. The large troll especially struck Raven with both his claws causing grievous wounds. Xiang was also struck by the two lesser trolls. The plucky dwarven warriors Balto and Korbon moved in to help the warriors who were still on the ground. Like Leo, Raven and Xiang seemed to be finding it difficult to orientate themselves but they were finally getting up. Tarquin reacted quickest and he made his way to heal the warriors. Leo finally managed to get up and seeing the horrendous wounds on Raven’s body, he let off a strength-draining ray at the largest troll. The creature seemed to visibly shrink in front of everyone’s eyes. Raven took heart and dealt one of the weaker trolls a ferocious blow, which almost downed it. Then Xiang landed a blow on the other troll but again didn’t down it. Suddenly a column of fire descended on all three creatures. Fjorent had flame struck them. One of trolls was down and all the others severely hurt. The largest troll managed to get one final set of attacks on Raven but they were a pale shadow of their previous power and both of the creatures were soon dispatched. As before though, their wounds were visibly closing in front of everyone’s eyes. Rapidly, the warriors put the two trolls together and then Fjorent struck them with fire again. This time the creatures were fried. 

The group took a little time to glance around. The excitement was over. Tarquin dispensed healing, especially to Raven. He made sure that everyone was healthy before everyone settled down to rest again. 

Even though it was uneasy, Leo managed to gain enough rest to allow him to learn his spells. He was also going to try to see if he could cast these “fast” spells he had thought about the previous evening. It was a process unlike any he had tried before but he had to attempt it. He was gambling but there was only one way to find out if this was going to work. Everyone got ready. Behind the large wall, which acted as a portcullis, there was a corridor where the group had fought a duergar patrol before they rested. Just after they had eliminated the patrol, the group had spotted a door. It was this door that they were going to investigate. Leo made a doorway in the portcullis wall and Fjorent summoned Baron Ghost Bear, another of her spirits. This one looked like a monstrous bear made out of granite. It was very large and intimidating. A brief conversation ensued between it and Fjorent, which basically explained that it would get to cause a lot of mayhem, which seemed to satisfy it. Fjorent also carefully explained to it that Leo was going to cast a spell on it, which would allow it to see in the dark. It became even happier after that. 

The group formed up and made their way down the corridor, Cailin moving ahead as usual. They came to a Y shaped junction where they had the fight with the Duergar patrol. The door was on the left branch and that was the way the group moved. Suddenly Cailing motioned the group to stop. She moved forward stealthily. Then the group heard the call of a horn in behind the door. Obviously whatever element of surprise they had had was gone. Speed was now of the essence. Leo cast another spell on Ghost Bear and the spirit then lumbered forward towards the door. He was followed more cautiously by everyone else. Cailin called out that there was something invisible in the corner next to the door. A moment later Ghost Bear started swiping the air in the corner and then a small corpse appeared transfixed on one of its claws. An invisible lookout. To be expected. Then, on Fjorent’s instructions, Ghost Bear started to smash the door. It had several small spikes on this side, as if they had been hammered from the other side. It took a couple of minutes for the spirit to smash through. Leo took advantage of this time to cast several spells on himself as the doors neared destruction. 

The group got ready. Then, as Ghost Bear demolished the doors, a hail of arbalest bolts flew towards him. Most of them missed but a few hit. Even those that hit did little damage. At the same time, several spells were cast at the group. The most visible effect was that Ghost Bear suddenly couldn’t see in the darkness and Tarquin was paralysed. 
Then the rest of the group moved into the area. The way was led by Raven who moved in at great speed. He shouted out that he could see at least two ranks of massed duergar, with more behind. The front rank had dropped their arbalests and drawn hand weapons. An idea was forming in Leo’s mind when he heard this. He had a spell which was just right for this occasion. First, he had to be able to fly to position himself. During this time, the enemy first rank charged towards Raven. Fortunately, it was their weakest soldiers that reached him except one cleric and the Holy warrior was very resistant to magic. Then a strange cloud appeared in the air above this cleric and a lightning bolt struck him. The rest of the warriors charged forward to make a line with Raven. Fjorent shouted at one of the dwarven warriors to use her Everburning Torch to provide light for Ghost Bear. Then it was time for Leo to fly forward. He moved just behind the first rank. Then he let loose. A multicoloured cone of lights sprang from his hands, catching all of the remaining Duergar. Leo gaped. Although he knew what the spell did in theory, he had never actually used it in practice. The effects were spectacular. As the various coloured rays struck them, some of the duergar started smoking as the flesh seemed to melt from their bones, others crackled with electricity, some were burned though this effect was mild in comparison to the others. Several statues appeared, while others simply disappeared. Several fights started amongst their ranks where former comrades started fighting each other. All of this caused havoc in the well-ordered duergar ranks. The few that remained, numbering about a dozen, scampered back to the exits from the cave. In the meantime, the front rank, unaware of what had happened to their comrades, tried to strike the warriors but they had little luck. Then the group struck back and more duergar corpses started piling up. The battle took little time after that. Leo was hit by a barrage of spells from the duergar clerics but none of these affected him. He chased a few of them and managed to cause more casualties, but a couple escaped and he had little appetite for chasing duergar in the Underdark on his own. 

Balto and Korbon alternated between awe and ecstasy at the sight of the group destroying so many of their enemies in such a short time. 

The group then started to explore this huge cavern a little more. There were several runes on the wall and the remains of a workshop, which had been stripped a long time ago. Cailin gave the place a thorough search and found a finely made jewel case. As she opened it, she found three fine precious red stones. There was something strange about them. Also one of the duergar had a magical axe which was collected. The dwarven warriors were able to recollect that Lord Maugraign had been a powerful magical artificer who made many magical constructs. These were used in the wars against the duergar. Once again Leo was reminded of the titanic battles that had been fought in the Underdark in ages past. There was little or no knowledge of these in the surface world but it showed that the dwarves kept many secrets. The world was full of secrets. The fun was in finding them out. The runes on the wall told that this workshop was kept by someone called Jorred. Logic suggested this Jorred either worked with or for Maugraign. 

Suddenly there was a shout from the back. Tarquin had been keeping a rearguard on the entrance to the cave. Two arbalest bolts had struck him he was shouting about enemy in the hallway. They had employed their usual tactics, using their superior vision to then approach and let loose with their arbalests. They also had one of their clerics with them but he was unable to affect Tarquin with his spell. The warriors of the group moved into the corridor, weapons at the ready. Soon the enemy came into sight. It was another duergar patrol, obviously a flanking group, meant to deal a devastating blow to the group as they were engaged with the larger contingent. As it was, the warriors reached them and then Leo took out a wand and a hail of ice and snow struck the duergar. It staggered them and they almost dropped. Then the warriors slaughtered them. Unfortunately, the cleric again got away. 

The group moved back into the large cave. Fjorent summoned another spirit. A little coal black humanoid appeared. Red eyes stared impishly at her. Greetings were exchanged and the questions started. Wistfully it told her about the times when this workshop had been full of activity. Fires blazed, dwarves scurried around, bellows blew and the air was full of the sound of metal hammering on metal. Jorred ran a tight workshop and this spirit had aided the dwarves in their artifice. It explained how it was put into a large body that had been constructed for it. How it had wheels and how it crushed many duergar. It warned the group about other constructs, which still had spirits in them. These had gone insane over the centuries. Then, when asked, it explained that the great temple of Grom which was in the large cave. When the group told it that they didn’t want to go into the large cave it said it knew of another way into the Temple which didn’t involve going through the large cave. Fjorent strengthened the spirit and gave it some precious stones. Like most of her spirits, it was quite greedy for these. It then led the group retracing their steps, into the large room where they had rested, then into the room where they met the trolls and then into a side corridor. There it turned and said that the Temple lay that way but it couldn’t go any further. It warned the group that the way to the Temple contained unquiet dwarven spirits that had gone mad during the centuries and they could attack all who they considered to be intruders. It then turned to Tarquin and pointing at him said: 

“He is a spirit fighter”. 

With those words it disappeared.


----------



## S'mon

Tallarn said:
			
		

> [Note to readers - I was away for the second part of the Frost Giant Jarl's expedition, and for the fight against the dragon.]
> ....After recovering the body of Hled - punctured by several arbalest bolts - the group returned to the room with the secret door and rested again. Fjorent summoned a final spirit, Baron Ghost Bear, to follow the trolls that had escaped the party earlier and to wreak any havoc he wished. Xiang envied her array of allies. Deorn set magical wards to awaken everyone should anyone approach.
> 
> [The end of the session]




Hi Matt - don't think I saw this before going on vacation?  You should have 350 Story Hour XP for it.


----------



## S'mon

Lord Maugraign’s Shade

Leo and his companions moved forward towards the Temple area. Fjorent’s spirit, eyes twinkling in the darkness, had warned that “unquiet” dwarven spirits guarded the area. It did not feel comfortable going any further. Fjorent herself flew away briefly saying she had to go on a spirit quest but then came back swiftly. 

So Leo and the others edged cautiously down a corridor. The walls were smoother and worked. The darkness seemed even more inky than before. Cailin still went first but only a few feet in front of Ghost Bear, looking for traps. As she turned a tunnel corner she motioned the group to stop. Then she came back, with whispers that she had seen a shimmering form in a room ahead. Thus warned the group moved forward carefully until they were almost inside said room. It was small, square and empty with another corridor leading out. As soon as the front warriors moved into the room, seven shimmering skeletal forms manifested around them. Their size proclaimed them to be either dwarves or duergar. They shimmered and pulsed with unholy light. They were transparent, one moment substantial, another almost invisible. They struck the warriors quickly and ferociously. Their cold dead hands reached into the warriors, ignoring their armour and twisted viciously inside their bodies. Raven and Xiang spasmed each time this happened, their flesh turning insubstantial around the skeletal hands. Raven called out a holy prayer, trying to dismiss these creatures but they ignored him, seemingly mocking his attempt. Both Leo and Tarquin seemed affected by their long stay in the Underdark. Their reactions were sluggish, slow. Tarquin finally reacted and used the power of Urnus Gregaria. This time, the Phylactery on his forehead glowing, five of the creatures shimmered out of existence. The other two were struck by Xiang and Raven, although they seemed to have trouble hitting them as they pulsed in the darkness. Another was struck by Fjorent’s strange lightning. Again they struck the two warriors who wilted more under the attacks. Then Tarquin called on the Power again and the remaining two shimmered out of existence; but the other five suddenly came back, ready for the fray. At this point Leo cast his Chain Lightning, causing three of them to wail mournfully as they turned into a small pile of black dust that floated slowly down to the flagstones. Xiang and Raven, struck the others. Tarquin saw that both the warriors were extremely weakened and moved forward into the room, casting a spell on Xiang which restored a great deal of his life energy. This enemy struck to the very soul. Then the other two appeared again but by this stage the warriors were able to deal with them. Again and again they struck, their weapons passing harmlessly through the shapes more often than not but doing enough harm that one by one the others were turned into floating clouds of black dust after mournful wails. 

The others went into the room. Quick healing had to be done. Deorn was posted as a lookout on the corridor by which the group had traveled. There was another corridor leading out of this opening. Cailin posted herself there as another lookout. Then the priority was to look after the warriors, especially Raven, who had been badly wounded. Tarquin had just cast a life-restoring spell on Raven when there was a shout from Deorn. Everyone turned and Leo saw with horror three large duergar appear down the corridor and charge rapidly towards the group. This was very bad. Everyone was out of position, waiting for the healing to finish. The duergar had taken advantage of their capability to go invisible. They were different from others the group had seen. They were wearing spiked black armour, had bizarre tattoos and a maniacal gleam in their eyes. Quickly they struck Deorn who was wounded so badly he fell unconscious. Then they reacted again incredibly swiftly and struck Ghost Bear, Raven and Xiang. Raven, had not had healing since the battle with the spirit guardians. He fell to the ground, gushing blood. Mysteriously, his Holy Axe disappeared from his hand. Leo feared the worst. The enemy also had gained access to the room, making it difficult for the group to set up a line of defence. At the same time, two spells were cast, one at Tarquin which he shrugged off but the other made the area around Leo go silent, making spell casting impossible. Leo cursed. The situation was desperate. The group was being overrun. Tarquin had managed to get cast one spell and it revealed that the corridor was full of duergar, who again wore this spiked metal armour. Thankfully, Cailin and Fjorent were out of harm’s way; and Balto and Korbon rushed forward to plug the gap. They stood bravely for a brief moment but they stood no chance. They were cut down but at least they bought the group a little time. Briefly Leo decided that if they survived this expedition, he would make sure that the three Goldhammer dwarves were brought back to life. He would find the money somewhere. Leo decided to gamble; it was unlike him but he felt he had to try. He wanted to move out of the silent area of the spell and then cast a spell, one that would seal the room from duergar reinforcements, allowing the group to deal with the few that were in the room and then organise themselves. As he tried to do so, four duergar axes thudded into him. At the last moment he realised he had made a horrible mistake when everything went black….

Leo opened his eyes. The battle was still raging. He was on the ground, with many images of himself shimmering around him. His Contigency had been set off. Cailin was bending over him, an empty potion bottle in her hand. Leo was mesmerised by that bottle. For a moment he could see every little detail of it. His life still hung by a thread but he wasn’t dead. Somehow, Cailin managed to see past the images to the real Leo. 

Then he was brought back to the real situation. He was still in a silent area. He mouthed a “thank you” to Cailin. Almost next to him was a massive duergar. This one had ritual tattoos across his face and had lost an eye in a past battle. Like his comrades, he was a grizzled veteran of numberless battles in the Underdark. Past him, Leo could see that the corridor was still glowing with heat and he assumed that Fjorent had cast her fire spell down there. He could also see that there were fewer duergar warriors around the front and more corpses, though the corridor was still full of them. Leo took the opportunity to get up and move. The duergar next to him attempted to strike him but somehow he missed. Leo didn’t know how. Maybe being a companion of a priest of a Luck god somehow helped him. Maybe having only one eye made it difficult for this warrior to hit. Maybe it was Avanthe who for the briefest of moments focused her attention on Leo. Whatever the explanation, one of his images winked out and Leo managed to scramble out of reach of the duergar, into a corner of the room. Cailin followed him, another potion bottle in her hand, which she promptly fed to Leo. 

Leo took stock. The situation was desperate. Tarquin had moved forward to plug a gap in the line. The priest was no warrior although he was normally very difficult to hit. The duergar, in their fanaticism, had no difficulty and Leo winced as he saw axes thud into Tarquin again and again. Baron Ghost Bear was swiping with his claws, ripping viciously into the duergar but one had slipped past and was threatening Fjorent. Xiang was fighting cleverly, making himself difficult to hit. The duergar had almost no thought for their own lives so long as they could make people die with them. True fanatics. Fjorent managed to let loose another fire spell down the corridor, this one felling several warriors. Leo finally managed to cast his spell, creating an impenetrable but invisible wall to block the corridor. He breathed in relief. It would not last very long, but hopefully long enough to allow the warriors to mop up and the group to recover briefly. The warriors soon managed to dispatch the remaining three duergar. The others disappeared although Leo could see them marching back down the corridor. 

Tarquin quickly healed people while Leo kept a very careful count of the time. Looking down at Raven, Xiang remembered that the dwarven warrior was very specific that if he died in battle, he did not want to be brought back to life. It was not his creed. Gently, Xiang took his many potent items and carefully put him in the Bag of Holding. His body would be given a correct burial once the opportunity presented itself. 

Warned by Leo that his wall was going to finish soon, the group quickly left the room by the other opening. The priority was to leave the area. The group was weakened. One of the major warriors had been lost and they were dangerously low on spell resources. Cailin led the way, finding a set of stairs sloping upwards. These led to a strange circular chamber, which had a large anvil with a hammer above it inlaid on the floor. Some instinct made Cailin hesitate before entering into this room. She investigated and then said the room was magically trapped. There were three other exits out of it. Fjorent concentrate and managed to suppress the magic in the room briefly, allowing the group to move through it. Then the group came to a set of stairs sloping downwards. Again they moved on, coming to a set of chambers which looked semi ruined and long abandoned. The look of age was everywhere. Debris was strewn across the floor. Dust floated gently as the group strode through. True to dwarven building though, the walls were still intact. Set in an opposite wall in front of the group, there was a door. It was a masterpiece of dwarven manufacture. Stone, strong, melding into the wall so it was almost invisible. Casting an expert eye on it, Cailin thought it was the back of a secret door. She then examined it and said that she believed it was not only stone but also had mithril sheathing. During this time, Baron Ghost Bear was becoming increasingly restless. He started towards Fjorent and they communicated briefly. She then turned to the group and said that Ghost Bear told her there were unhappy spirits beyond that door. It was better to leave it alone. She also said that Ghost Bear was unhappy but he was still going to go with her. That was enough for the group. There were other ways out of this series of chambers and the last thing they needed was another battle with shimmering dwarven skeletons. 

The group moved past a complicated series of chambers. In one of them, Cailin thought she caught a glimpse of patch of dark that “wasn’t right” but wisely the group decided to leave it alone. Just as they were leaving this area, Cailin said she heard faint cries from an area which could be the circular chamber with the inlay of the hammer and the anvil.  They then moved through as series of corridors, which led mainly upwards. Finally they came to what again looked like the back of a secret door. The group prepared themselves. 

Expertly, Cailin opened the door. It opened into a massive chamber. The scale was the largest they had seen in the Underdark with the exception of the Duergar Cave. The ceiling was invisible in the darkness. They could see the floor and the walls but they were only just visible. Most impressive was the enormous statue of Grom, the dwarven All-Father. He was represented as a dignified, thirty foot tall dwarven warrior.  Long cold, at his feet was a fire pit. Several skeletons were scattered on the floor. They were armoured, both duergar and dwarven. The armour was still in very good condition but Leo felt it would be sacrilege to disturb anything in this Hall. The walls had been decorated with friezes of dwarven triumphs but they had long been defaced. The group had opened a door high up on the wall, next to the statue, but saw a set of stairs leading down. They investigated the Hall. Luckily there were no guardian spirits. The group was now looking for a place to rest. Again, the floor was littered with debris and the remains of a long-forgotten battle. There were various exits out of the Hall. One led to a series of corridors, which were caved in. Another two exits had corridors, which linked to a small chamber. Inside this chamber was a series of vestments. As Cailin searched it, she also found a small indentation inside of which was a small box. Inside this box were seven distinctive amulets, one of black volcanic rock set with diamonds and the others silver, again of a hammer and anvil. A simple spell revealed them not to be magical but the group decided to wear them in case they helped to show the dwarven guardian spirits they were friends. 

The group decided to rest in this room, using the defence capabilities of a Wall of Stone spell, which Leo still had in his ring. The spell was cast and the group settled down. Fjorent decided to summon a spirit of the area to see if we could find out more information. This time the spirit looked like a dwarven warrior richly dressed in a mithril chaimail bearing a large axe. He and Fjorent started conversing and as usual Fjorent translated. Right from the start, this spirit seemed more assertive, commanding and knowledgeable. Then Fjorent asked its name. 

“I am Maugraign” it replied. 

There was a stunned silence. None of the group had expected this. The Shade looked at the group. The first order was to introduce everyone to the former ruler. Then to inform him of the purpose of the mission. Upon hearing of the duergar purpose, Maugraign frowned. 

“The Duergar are mad,” it said. “They do not have the full information about Ustroda-Eloth. I could control him but they won’t. It needs very specific rituals and information which I am positive they don’t have. They have been listening to the abominations again. The Illithids and Aboleths.”

Leo shuddered. He had only very vaguely heard of these beings of legend and hoped never to meet one. They were referenced briefly in ancient chronicles dealing mainly with the outer planes and the Deep Underdark. 

Maugraign continued. “Once they summon Ustroda-Eloth, it will loose the fault and the lava will flow. It is a being of fire and flame. The lava will burst through the hills and maybe go as high as the surface. That is its nature. They will destroy themselves, these Halls and probably whatever is on the surface.”

He then put his ears to the ground. 

“I can hear where they are. I can also hear where the dwarven prisoners are. They are within days breaching the walls of the summoning chamber”. 

Leo was able to provide Fjorent with more information about the dwarven nation of today. In some ways, Maugraign reminded him of Lucius Mageris, another being who had been dead for thousands of years and who was hungry for information about the world. Once Magraign was told that the group intended to rescue the dwarven prisoners and stop the duergar if possible, he also provided the group with detailed maps of the whole of his Halls including the location of the prisoners and the Summoning chamber. The conversation continued for a long time. Maugraign was willing to help the group in stopping the potential disaster.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

*Xiang's Training* 

Whilst the others spoke to the Shade, the Ghost, whatever it was. Xiang moved away. He knew that his ideas and skills would come into play when the map was complete, when the information was there and he could look at it. Getting information was something he'd never been good at - he was too impatient, not subtle enough in his words. Xiang was a fighter, and proud of it. He knew his melee skill was amongst the best around. Few in Mount Fire could match him now, at least in toe-to-toe fighting. 

Something was niggling at the back of his mind. Xiang tried to relax, to forget about it. It'd come to him. 

The day had been interesting. Fighting insubstantial spirits was a learning experience - Xiang had struck with the Spear and it had passed straight through his opponent. Without Tarquin's ability to hurt them the whole group might have died. 

Not that Raven had lived much longer anyway. A sudden Duergar attack had seen to that. The Paladin's reluctance to fight defensively had truly cost him. Xiang had realised that against larger foes all you could do was try to outlast them. Make yourself hard to hit, make them trade power for accuracy, and get a _stoneskin_ from a friendly wizard so that any blows that did get through didn't do so much damage. Xiang smiled to himself - he'd caught himself thinking of Leo as "the friendly wizard". Leo would get the joke, thought Xiang. 

The niggle in the back of his mind crystalised. 

Xiang considered it carefully, trying it out in his mind before physically moving through the paces. His mind went back through all the fights of recent times - ogres, goblins, orcs, giants, duergar, spirits...all of them had hurt him. Xiang had a realisastion. 

Every time they'd hurt him, they'd left themselves open. Combat relied on this idea - if you hurt your opponent he would be unable to strike back. Xiang saw, in his minds eye, that if he could block the pain from his mind at the moment of impact he could strike back in return. He began to practise quietly, making small adjustments in his footwork and positioning. This was a huge difference. The ability to strike his opponents in this way would make a great deal of difference. 

When Fjorent glanced up from her conversation, she was surprised to see Xiang balanced on one leg, the Spear thrust out, and a wide grin on his face.


----------



## StalkingBlue

*Alliance *



The Witch starts up, gasping.  The third time tonight.  The dreams come ever more frequent – and this time, it was very near.  

***

A lake, an ice film, fragile enough to shiver in the winter wind;  yet unpierceable by the Witch spirit who flutters, tiring yet too intrigued to give it up.  

A burst.  Ice, water and fish scales scatter as a feathered shape rises, sharp blue piercing the pale blue sky.  

_Ice Phoenix.  _

The slim little blue bird with its prey of fatfish flits past her, oblivious.  Below on the thinly-iced lake, the shadow of an enormous crane wheels away royally.  

***

The Witch shakes herself fully awake.  _Not again? _

_Spirits intruding upon your dreams, my dear.  Too much mushrooming.  _
After this long absence, the taste of freshly cut mushroom.  The colours of the True, undiluted by distance or age or dust.  It has been exhilarating, yes:  dangerously so.  But … a mortal spirit?  It has taken many repetitions of this dream for her to be sure that was what Ice Phoenix is.  A disappointment at first to realise that – a person in her own right that one is, not one that would need a Witch to visit the Pale.  Disappointment;  then, when the dreams kept coming and closing in on her, worry.  

Pursuers?  Hakemon?  Mongali?  A renegade Forest Witch?  

_You are growing paranoid.  Too much time with Eastern thinkers does that.  _

The Witch sits and ponders.  Stars wheel.  The Forest of Beskarn whispers around her.  As is bound to happen when thoughts insist on being thought when it is time to be sleeping, no solution presents itself.  Instead, a root persistently pokes into her lower back.  

So finally, annoyed and sleepy, the Witch rolls her shoulders and curls up into bat shape, to fly up into the ancient blood oak and hang down and try to finally perhaps get some sleep.  

***

A grumpy, dream-shaken bat wakes just as the first sunlight fingers its way down the tips of the treetops.  Below crouches a white splotch of a figure.  The bat blinks to clear her day sight, reaches for concentration, reassures herself of a mostly-full arsenal of spells.  Considers the intruder.  

A human, female.  Shirt, sandals and trousers in the square cut typical of the Heavenly Mountains:  in death white.  No weapons.  Yet muscled, the loose readiness of a warrior.  Oblivious of the observer hanging upside down above her, she’s rewinding a length of frayed, ancient cloth around her left hand with slow care.  

The bat braces against that instant of memory and nausea that still finds her unerringly every time she does this, draws breath into her tiny lungs and lets go.  She drops – 

_– tumbling, huge paws whirling, the rock of that shaft whistling past her – just a memory – it just hurt a bit – _

Robes billow around her as her body stretches into its natural shape and size.  

Before her feet touch the soft ground, the woman crouching beneath her flips backwards into the air and rises, cloth-wrapped feet thudding faintly as she lands on a low branch opposite the little clearing.  Hands loosely extended, ready.  

A Warrior, yes, if not a Guardian, one of the few survivors.  More importantly, the Witch has recognised the sharp rising move.  

Ice Phoenix. 

The Witch stands, head cocked slightly upwards, barely hiding her boiling excitement, holding the slanting brown eyes in that calm Heavenly Mountains face.  She considers.  

The looseness of bearing.  The overly simple clothing.  The arrogance in that humility.  

The serene cold of a long-trained killer.  Loneliness.  Purpose.  _What fish will you catch me from underneath the crust of ice?  _

Time in the clearing holds its breath as their stares wrestle.  

Finally, the Warrior woman spreads her arms slightly;  bows with a square, compact sort of grace.  

“I have no hostile intentions, o …. Witch.  Forgive me if I intrude upon a place of ritual.”  

“That was an impressive leap.”  The Witch smiles:  the smile that has unsettled politicians and made spirits melt.  The Warrior woman seems unimpressed.  

“I was given guidance to come here and wait.  The night after the full moon.  That which was told me would occur has not.  The error was mine.  I will leave now.”  She makes a move, seems to see the Witch’s readiness, stops.  More wariness.  

“I am Fjorent, Witch of Beskarn.  The night is not yet over.  Not until the sun touches the mosses underneath those trees.”  

“The one I seek is a Warrior.  Of great power.  I have come to the wrong place.”  

_Patience now.  _The Witch has tamed spirits haughtier than this one.  She keeps her smile.  
“I saw you in my dreams.  You were approaching.  I named you Ice Phoenix.  A friendship name, you understand.”  

“This Warrior’s name is Tsui Yio Cho.”  The tone is one of challenge.  

_So I have ruffled you.  _The Witch smiles, bones clicking as she throws up her chin.  “Ice Phoenix.  We are agreed, then.”  

The Warrior woman stares at her, slanting eyes unblinking, cold.


----------



## S'mon

Cho's back!  Hurray!


----------



## S'mon

The Summoning Chamber

Fjorent, Leo and the others talked with Maugraign’s Shade for a long time. Over the hours, it grew less overbearing when it began to understand that Leo and the group were not treasure hunters but genuinely here to rescue kidnapped dwarves if possible but also to put a stop to duergar plans. It drew a detailed map of the Halls, revealed the progress of duergar occupation and above all related that to summon Ustroda Eloth, the duergar needed several things. Mysterious ritual scrolls, two arcane anvils and a greatly dweomered sword. A little mischievously, he revealed that the duergar believed they already possessed the sword but it was not the right one. The true sword was locked in a cave leading from the Summoning Chamber. He showed the group where the other items were situated with the warning that the last Scroll, one which controlled Ustroda Eloth, had been destroyed. Leo thought that Maugraign must be a little desperate to give out so much information. Then again, by his calculations, the miners were very close to breaching the rubble to the Summoning Chamber. Once they had done so, it would take the Duergar little time to begin the summoning and potentially flood the halls with lava. This lava could potentially erupt to the surface, creating havoc. 

Discussing the information given to them, the group decided to try to obtain the sword. It was close and it was the one unique object that was needed for the summoning. Without it, the duergar would fail. Maugraign had one last piece of wisdom to impart before he went back to the spirit world. The amulets would tell the dwarven guardian spirits that the wearer was an ally and not be harmed. 

So the group made ready. Everyone rested. Spells were regained. Fjorent changed into a hawk and wore her amulet. The rest of the group was changed into vapour by an effect from Tarquin. This allowed them to fly at great speed. Thus they set out. The first part of the journey was uneventful. Then the group came to a spiral staircase as had been shown on their map. The group moved down when suddenly they started seeing bits of green mould appearing on the stairs. It was green and looked quite feathery. Any steps would disturb it scattering it into the air. A glimpsed room ahead was full of the stuff. Cailin concentrated. Moments later she said that she could hear banging from the room where they had been resting recently. People solidified. Fjorent said she was not going to be affected by any of this stuff and she moved forward with a torch. A little later she was came back, looking smoky. She said one could burn this stuff but it was very slow. At the same time, the pursuit was getting too close so Leo made a stone wall appear behind them, blocking the stairs. Tarquin was able to make the group temporarily immune to poison. Then the group made their way down the stairs towards a door. Cailin used the keys she found in the Temple and opened the door. Inside the next room were two elves!

One was obviously a warrior of some type. He was armed, had a bow and wore armour. The other wore no armour but his eyes glowed an eerie blue colour. As soon as Leo saw that, he recognised the effect. He had it. It was useful to an extent, letting the caster know the relative power of the people he was looking at, especially if they were spellcasters. He himself rarely used it as the blue eyes made you very conspicuous to everyone, and to people with the right knowledge, it immediately told them that you were a wizard. 

“The one with the blue glowing eyes is a wizard”, Leo called out. 

Fjorent, first inside the room, said: “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

The stranger replied: “You first,” but then his eyes widened as the rest of the group came in. His eyes seemed particularly fixed on Leo. “Archmage”. Leo could hear the whisper. Dammed arcane sight.

Muttering, Leo put his magical amulet back on.  

“Ah, hum” he said, “my name is Elaith. I am here searching for woundrous dwarven weapons. Unfortunately we ran across some duergar a few minutes ago and I had to run away from them. This is where I ended up. This is my companion and bodyguard Kai. Errr…you wouldn’t want some temporary companions would you? Just until we get out of here that is.”

Leo looked at the others. “They are elves. If we leave them here they’re dead meat. Whatever we do, we have to do it soon.” The others nodded. 

The room contained two doors. One of the left wall and another on the front one. Instructions from Magraign said that the group should go to the front door and turn left as and when they could. Everyone got into their order and Cailin opened the door. Looking through, Cailin could see a large opening. In it there was a large lizard like creature, at least 20 foot long with a long armoured tail and a duergar rider. This must be one of the fabled duergar war beasts. Other duergar were dotted around the area. Cailin closed the door without being noticed. The group held a quick consultation and in the end it was decided that a direct confrontation was the best course of action in this case. Xiang opened the room and moved into the room. A stream of acid shot from the Black Spear and hit the beast. Cailin also moved in. She shouted that there was another beast and rider next to the one she had seen before as well as more duergar. The Fjorent loosed one of her fire spells at the creature and the rider. Leo moved next to her and did the same and Elieth, not to be outdone, repeated the procedure. The beast hissed, but looked more angry then hurt. The group realised the beasts were much tougher than expected. A lot of the duergar were scorched to death thankfully. Tarquin moved forward into the room,  putting a glow on Xiang, making him more difficult to hit. Then, ponderously, the beasts swung their tails and both hit Xiang, staggering him. He had several dents in his armour and blood started seeping down one of his arms. A small cloud of arbalest bolts came flying towards him and two struck, causing more bleeding. 

Fjorent shouted for everyone to get back into the room. The fighting would be more advantageous there. Leo saw she was ready to ready to shut it but she had to wait for everyone. Xiang moved out as did Cailin. Leo saw an opportunity. He moved forward and again cast the multi coloured light cone he had used before. This time, the effects were equally impressive. One of the of the war beasts simply disappeared. The other was racked with electricity and briefly contorted, hissing in pain this time. Several duergar simply fell over having been licked by fire, electricity or acid. A few turned to stone and one stared vacantly into space. Then Leo used his new ability and transported himself back into the room. After that, this group of duergar was quickly dispatched. 

That left two problems. One was the very secure secret door. To follow Magraign’s directions the group had to go through it. Luckily, Cailin realised that she needed to wear one of the dwarven amulets to open it. She opened it very expertly. Behind it was a corridor. Elaith told everyone that there was strong magic emanating from it. Then the group realised that they did not have enough amulets for everyone to go through the area of the spirits. It was decided that Tarquin, with his transport ability, would wait outside and then use his magic to join the group once they came back and instructed him. So the group moved forward. They were moving when many, many stone fists, claws and limbs suddenly came out of the wall and seemed about to strike. Then they froze in their positions. It was eerie. There was shout from Cailin that Tarquin was under attack. Everyone ran back only to find the priest in the corridor. The duergar had found them already. Cailin moved forward and shut the secret door. Dorn, looking very dubious, was put into the portable hole and the group moved forward. 

The corridor ended on a landing in front of a door. Above it was a banner carved into the stone.  Moving forward, Leo and Elaith were both able to read the dwarven runes. 

“The Hall of the Kin,
“Ware all who Enter.”

Cailin quickly opened the door which led into a large chamber. The front section of it was separated by a row of columns across the room. Beyond this row was a vast pit. This matched the Maugraign’s description. The group almost there. Then Elaith said there was very strong magic emanating as a barrier between the columns. After a little discussion, Leo cast another of his spells which suppressed magic around him for a period of time. Thus he was able to create a passage through the barrier. The group then examined the room. There were several chests, magical candlesticks, two lecterns and two large iron tubs in the room. The group left most of these alone although the chests and a book were put into the portable hole. The group turned vaporous and flew down the shaft. The two elves and Fjorent were going down by other means. The first inkling that the vaporous group had that there was a problem was when they slightly buffeted as a large bear dropped past them down the shaft. It landed with a loud thud. Leo winced. They flew down as fast as they could and then they solidified. The bear had turned into Fjorent, looking angry and bloody. Tarquin healed her.  

She and the two elves had been flying down when they were attacked by a group of large scaly gargoyles. Evil flying creatures. Fjorent told us that all three of them had been grabbed and she turned herself into a bear. She became too heavy for them to lift. So she dropped. She didn’t know what had happened to the others. Suddenly, Elaith floated down to the group. When he was asked about Kai, his face said it all. Diplomatically everyone held a moment’s silence for the elf. 

“One hundred and fifty years…..” whispered Elaith.

Then the group looked around them. It was a huge chamber. From the description, the summoning chamber. Cailin looked around and found the expected concealed door. Quickly she opened it, revealing a cave which contained a chest. The group moved forward. Cailin took a little longer in opening this chest. Muttering to herself about bloody dwarves, she gave several clever twists and extracted a spike from the lock. Then she set to work again and this time opened the chest. It revealed a little cache of jewelry, some platinum coinage and a large, beautiful, expertly crafted, very magical greatsword. By its description, this was the sword needed fort he summoning. 

So, the group now had the means by which to stop the duergar summoning. The next step was to rescue the dwarven prisoners. One side of the summoning chamber had collapsed. The miners were on the other side of that rubble. Leo changed his shape into that of an earth elemental and went under the rubble to take a look into the cave beyond. He saw many more slaves, including gnomes, humans, orcs, hobgoblins as well as the dwarves. There were also a group of duergar guards. Leo came back to let everyone else know. A plan was hatched. It would involve a major change in spells for Leo and Elaith but it was the only way they could attempt a rescue. 

They would have to rest. Elaith created a little pocket of extradimensional space. Leo stoneshaped a little gap of stone in the cavern wall and hid the portable hole and the bag of holding inside it. The chest containing the sword was emptied and left in the middle of the cave. Then the group started resting. 

The group had almost finished resting when Cailin woke everyone up carefully. She pointed to four duergar and one other who looked like a senior priest. This one moved forward to the centre of the room and opened the chest. Finding it empty he snarled something into the air. Then his eyes widened and he started gesturing at the pocket plane. He had obviously found the spell and he was trying to disrupt it. Suddenly he seemed to realise his position and he barked an order. All the duergar withdrew and he shut the door. The group quickly organised themselves and then Leo transported them to the Temple. There they finished learning their spells. A plan was quickly discussed and the group reached a decision. They would attempt the rescue but if they couldn’t do it, the priority was to stop the duergar from summoning Ustroda Eloth. If the rescue was not feasible then the priority was to get out. 

Having made their preparations, the group was transported into the large cave which Leo had scouted before. Much had changed. There were only about a dozen slaves. The rest had gone. The group could see three war beasts. The duergar had also made a little encampment at the far end of the cave. The three war beasts were enough for Leo. With so much of his magic tied up for the rescue it would be suicide for them to remain here. A moment later, he transported them all to the main bridge outside the duergar cave. Then Tarquin made everyone vaporous again and he also gave himself an unerring sense of direction, which would lead them out. As they flew at great speed, on one occasion Leo saw two beings about which he had only seen vague references. Drow or dark elves, with white hair dark skins. They looked surprised. A couple of hours later, Tarquin’s direction magic wore off and the group relied on Dorn’s tracking. 

Some time later the group arrived back at Goldhammer Hall. The group was welcomed back although the dwarves were still reserved. This reserve visibly melted when the group produced the sword. This was a mighty artifact which would aid the dwarven nation greatly against their enemies. Leo then closeted himself with Filum and related everything that had happened in the Underdark. He also promised the dwarven sage that he would write all this down and give him a copy as soon as he was able. The dwarves also purchased the dwarven jewelry from the Halls. 

Then the group was transported back to Gaxmoor. There everyone briefly saw Kanor, who had been made and Archduke, and then they left on their own devices. Leo had much to do.


----------



## S'mon

Thanks Peter, give Leo 250 XP.  BTW all the several dozen slaves were still in the cavern, not just 12.

Kanor was made a Duke, not an Archduke of course - there's only 1 Archduke in the Overkingdom, Archduke Ulfius of Colladel (Colladel population 3 million or so).  The Borderlands at 125,000 people is small even for a Duchy, most Duchies have populations around 400,000+; before 2729 YE all of Imgart Province was a single Duchy, with 1 million people.


----------



## S'mon

Leo's account:
Things to do, people to see. 


Leo breathed the cool air. It was splendid to be back on the surface again. After spending what seemed to be a never-ending time in the Underdark both hunting and being hunted by Duergar, it felt very good to look at the sun. Then he concentrated. He had a lot to do. First there was the dinner with Kanor tonight. No doubt there would have been some developments in the upcoming war plans. Leo wasn’t sure just how involved Kanor and the Borderlands were but he hoped that he would find out tonight. Before then, he had to go to the Tower, find out how the move back to Imarr was going. He had to communicate with various individuals, say goodbye to Tarquin the priest, who was going to stay in the Temple of Urnus Gregaria for a while and generally acquaint himself with the latest news. 

The day went quickly. Leo had made arrangements to leave the next day to visit Clarendon and he packed and made ready.  He found out that the White Way move had been remarkably trouble free. 

That night, he went to the banquet hall with the others including Elaith, the elven mage they had met in the Underdark. Fjorent the Forest Witch had already gone on business of her own. The conversation ranged far and wide. Kanor was pleased that the debt to the dwarves had been settled and that an alliance had been strengthened. He was sorry to hear about the Holy Warrior Raven, forever lost. He himself had little to say. The Borderlands carried on pretty much as before. His recent promotion to Duke had obviously pleased him. He was also interested to hear Elaith’s story. The elf was a melancholy being, as was all of his kind. They still remembered the glory days of the Forest of Angar before they were almost completely destroyed by the Mongali. Elaith had heard that the Horde stirred again and had come out to help its opposition and provide his centuries-old knowledge of the enemy. He was quite ruthless. He was obviously also devastated about the death of his faithful bodyguard. He consumed a large amount of wine that night. 

After the dinner everyone retired although Kanor did call Cailin for a conversation just as everyone was leaving. 

The next morning Leo transported himself and a lot of his inks and writing equipment to Torrent. This was the headquarters of the Thrinian Knights. There, in a tall tower, he met Clarendon. Upon announcing his presence, a young squire led him to the Thrinian archmage. Leo was shocked at his appearance. Clarendon looked like an old man. His hair was snowy white, he had numerous crow’s feet and whereas once his eyes looked bright and clear now they were dim and watery. He smiled wryly. 

“Ah, Leo welcome. Don’t look so shocked. I am an old man. For centuries I have been supported by anti-aging magic. Something happened recently. I don’t know what but the magic has stopped working. You will find many of the powerful mages in the land have suffered. Certainly Dovistar, possibly some of the Mongali Hakomen. My time is limited now. My dearest wish is to see the Mongali defeated and my homeland, the Settler’s Country, freed from their yoke. Now, what can I do for you?”

So it began. Knowledge was purchased and exchanged. Leo stayed in Clarendon’s scriptorium where he annotated his spellbooks. He was able to purchase and write several new powerful effects. He held long conversations with Clarendon, talking about anything and everything. The Knights left them alone. They were busy with preparations for war. Leo didn’t know if Ulfius was there but if he was the Archduke didn’t make an appearance. Towards the end of his stay, Leo received a message from Laera in Imarr. She asked him if he could call there. Leo had pretty much finished in Torrent. He said his goodbyes to the archmage, determined to visit and talk to the old man as much as possible before the sad event. The man knew so much. He still had many secrets. 

Arriving in Imarr he quickly announced his presence in the tower. Laera quickly took him to her study, where she explained. 

“Good to see you Leo. Dovistar has finally started involving himself in politics again. He is over two centuries old as I am sure you are aware. Due to his age, he knows where many bodies are buried and many skeletons rattling in cupboards. He has some scheme afoot at the moment otherwise he would be here to greet you himself. Anyway, the Blue Light has dispatched a powerful operative to Gaxmoor. He or she are there to recruit the elven mage you met. He is one of the most powerful elven mages left in the land that we know of. It is important that he be recruited for the White Way. It would go a long way to regaining some of the ground we have lost to the Blue Light. Possibly also forge links with the remnants of the elven community in the future. Since you have met him Dovistar feels you have the best chance of recruiting him.”

Leo agreed. He still had ambivalent feelings about Elaith. He didn’t know him. He could see how the society could benefit from his membership. The next day he transported himself to Gaxmoor. Quickly he was taken to see Kanor where he met Cailin, Xiang, Elaith and the Blue Light operative. Leo recognised her at once. The lady Krysteel. Scion of an ancient noble Imarran family, she was young but had distinctive grey hair. Leo also knew she specialised in conjuration, was a rising star in the Blue Light Society and very powerful. She was also known to be a close personal friend to the Empress to be, Zalindra. A formidable woman. 

He greeted her politely and non-commitally. No point in burning bridges just yet, although there were probably no bridges there. Then he asked the others to join him for a proposal. They all moved somewhere private. However, as Krysteel moved to join them, Leo politely asked her to give them some privacy. She was not offended. Then he and the others went to the Temple of Urnus Gregaria. There, Leo outlined what he had in mind. A visit to Charasta’s cave to recover her treasure. He explained to Elaith and Cailin that Charasta was the White Dragon, which had been slain by some of the Heroes of Gaxmoor. Before they could recover her treasure, the group had been urgently summoned to Goldworthy Hall to aid the dwarves. Everyone was agreeable and plans were made. 

The next day, certain spells were cast on everyone, including the ability to breathe underwater. Then the group transported themselves just outside the cave. As soon as they did, Leo spotted a large creature inside. Something had already taken over the cavern. Cailin snuck inside. She came out, reporting a large snake like thing, which had what looked like eggs made of ice next to it. The cave itself was colder and the former pool was now frozen over. As she was whispering the creature stirred and moved forward. Everyone reacted. Cailin first. She peppered it with arrows. Then Leo cast a ball of fire, which was almost a mistake as there was an ominous cracking sound from the cavern. He shouted a warning to the others. Tarquin had a beam of light spring from his hand and Elaith had three beams of fire spring from his hands. All of this caused the creature to shiver, writhe and then explode in massive cloud of cold air and ice shards, which hurt everyone.

Tarquin healed everyone. Then an effect was cast by Leo and Elaith transforming everyone into earth elementals. Then the ice was cleared from the ground and everyone dove into the earth. Eventually a flooded cave was found which contained an open casket in a small alcove. Cailin moved to the casket and as she approached it, she stiffened but suddenly shook herself and took the chest. Elaith moved forward to investigate some draconic markings nearby and managed to decipher the existence of another cave, which was not accessible through any tunnel and the group had not investigated yet. The group then moved back up into the main cave. The casket was left in a corner. No one wanted anything to do with that. Leo then made several calculations and worked out, with Elaith’s help, how to get to the hidden cave. The short transport spell was cast and everyone appeared in a cave, which had a large mound of coins in the middle. There were other items also including a tapestry and two finely carved candlesticks. There was also a chest, which Elaith said was radiating magic. The whole pile was surrounded by six human figures, which looked to be totally frozen. Cailin moved forward and carefully examined the chest. She produced her paraphenalia and with some deft rubs and twists with her tools she pronounced it safe. Then she opened and it produced a large key, a rod and three scrolls. Everything was put into various magical bags and then everyone was transported back to Gaxmoor. 

Upon arrival, everything was shared and people were left to their own devices. 

Privately, Leo had a conversation with Elaith. The elven mage had impressed him in the dragon cave. After several questions, Elaith agreed to become a member of the White Way. 

Leo and Elaith left quickly after. They went to Imarr where they saw Dovistar and Laera. Like Clarendon, the mage was beginning to look all of his two hundred plus years. Leo was pleased Laera was such an able administrator. She also looked very taken with Elaith. Leo himself asked Dovistar to teach him the last stages of his study of the flux. After this, Dovistar had taught him all he knew. Anything further, Leo would have to research on his own. After that, Leo copied another spell into his book. Then he said his goodbyes to everyone and went on the road again. First he went to Trafalgis and spent a couple of pleasant days with King Sigurd. Sigurd was in a particularly good mood as he was counting soldiers and talking about his new ships. Something about gold dragon heads. Very tasteful, Leo though privately. He had never been to Sigurd’s Hall before and it was certainly different. He also spent several hours letting Sigurd know everything that had happened in the Underdark.  

Then Leo went to Dulleaberg where he made some very specialised purchases. From there he made his way to Goldworthy Hall. He planned to craft certain items. He had arranged this with Fillum the dwarven sage, who was more than happy to be hospitable. This was an enjoyable time. The items were tricky but rewarding. At the end of almost two months, Leo had a stronger cloak, a pair of gloves and a ring. During the evenings, he discussed dwarven lore with the sage over mulled wine. Sometimes others joined them, eager for news of the outside world. Sometimes they would share knowledge of exotic creatures from deep in the Underdark. Leo was asked to relate his recent adventures in Lord Maugraign’s Hall again and again. He wondered what was happening with their sword but didn’t ask. It was now a dwarven treasure of Goldworthy Hall. He had brought a written account of the expedition to Fillum as a gift. He also still wanted to make a journey to Cirith Ardrad the great dwarven citadel but that was going to be tricky due to the presence of chaos forces.  

After he finished his crafting, Leo went to the fabled Marrakeen Caliphate. This was the most exotic land he had ever visited with the possible exception of Arypt. As in that desert land, the sun shone eternally. Leo went to Marrak, the capital. He stood out as a foreigner blatantly until he purchased a local costume. It was much cooler and the variety of people was such that he was able to meld into the crowds reasonably well. The most immediate impression was one of wealth. He visited their markets. He later learnt they were known as suks or bazaars. Everything and everyone was for sale. No sale was too big or too small. People milled around in their thousands, all talking at once. Everyone was always selling something. Carpets, silks, exotic foods, nuts, strange drinks, slaves, weapons, jewelry, you name it and it could be found. It looked like a truly vibrant economy. He also saw the famed Zeereshi lizard cavalry. About the size of a horse, these large lizards looked strong and fast though Leo doubted they could be mixed with traditional cavalry. They looked like they would eat anything including horses. Overall, a very sophisticated city, one which Leo promised himself he would visit again. Just before he left, he purchased a few pieces of silk he had seen. He very much enjoyed the bright colours. He also purchased a Marrak noble’s outfit. He though he would gift it to Sigurd as a bit of amusement. 

He then went to visit Plainton, the closest city to Scornel, which belonged to Kardus. The story there was very different. The warlord was not there but from what Leo saw of the population, they were already a beaten people. Morale was very low. Everyone knew that Kardus had failed to convince the League to ally with him and they realised that with Scornel joining the Overkingdom they had been left exposed. Many people were leaving and becoming refugees in the League. Leo stayed there for a few days, gauging the  population. He knew about Kardus’s army already. It was said to be an effective, battle hardened force but like all armies it needed supplies. If its cities couldn’t supply it then it was useless. This city didn’t look capable of supplying it. He was thinking of visiting the city of Gallak, which he knew was much closer to the Mongali border. He was afraid of what he would find. If he found anyone at all.


----------



## S'mon

Leo account:



The Palace of  Crane.

Three months to the day after his travels, Leo returned to Gaxmoor. He had found his trip very useful. The last place he had visited was the city of Plainton in Kardus. He was hoping to visit another major city in the Plains of Do Chakka but he had been told that the city of Gallak was now behind Mongali lines. It would have been foolish to try to reach it. It was also another reason why the atmosphere in Plainton had been so sombre and dejected. 

Leo made his way back to Gaxmoor in a leisurely manner. He traveled first East back into the lands of the Scornic League. The changes there were palpable. People were grim but the sense of confidence much greater. They knew they were part of a large empire now. Everywhere there were subtle signs of mobilisation for war. These people knew they were going to be in the front line. Some would leave but others would stay. Leo stayed in the local inns and listened. Little of what he learned was interesting but it helped him to judge the mood of the land. The mood was apprehension but defiance. Let the Mongali come! He made his way South to the borderlands. Finally he reached Gaxmoor. 

There he found Elaith, Xiang and surprisingly, Krysteel. The Blue Light mage seemed to have made herself very much at home here. They had important news. Krysteel had taken Xiang and Cailin to meet Zalindra and via her they had also met Tarkane. In a brief conversation, Tarkane had said that he considered Kung a disloyal subject and that if Xiang could take the throne of Mount Fire it was his. He had given Xiang permission to attack Kung. It was one headache out of the way. The next piece of news concerned a large caravan. It was carrying weapons from Mount Fire to the Mongali. Everyone seemed very keen attack it. Leo questioned the reasoning behind this and at first he was given woolly headed answers to his questions. Along the lines that they should go after it because it was there. His reasoning was that if they were going to go after Kung, their first strike should be much more telling than that. They would have the element of surprise only once. However, after further research had been done, it was found that this was a major supply caravan that was carrying composite longbows capable of being fired from horseback. These would increase Mongali offensive capability significantly. So the decision was made to attack. 

First the three mages met with a professional caravaneer who gave them an idea as to how a caravan would be set up and where it would have guards and outriders. That was most useful. Then the mages decided that it was time to physically see the caravan. One morning, Krysteel, Leo, Tarquin, Elaith and another companion met. This was an elven priest, Thran by name. He wore the emblem of Carellan Larethian, the elven god. Elaith introduced him as his bodyguard. Privately Leo hoped that this one would last longer than the last one. 

Tarquin turned everyone into vapour and they sped into the sky. The speed was exhilirating. This was even faster than the phantasmagoric steeds Leo could conjure. As ever the view from the sky was much different than from anywhere else and the distance the group made was extraordinary. The pace took its toll however and as the day wore on, Tarquin had to stop to heal himself from his exhaustion. Finally, they reached the Sea of Dust, a rolling, seemingly endless desert. The sun beat mercilessly onto the hot sand and rocks below. The change in temperature must have been immediate although the group couldn’t feel it as vapour. Flying generally in the direction that they believed the caravan was taking, it didn’t take Tarquin long to spot their trail. They were close to the Western mountains. After that, spotting the caravan itself was not difficult. Well over twelve hundred feet long, it looked as if there were hundreds of men in it, both slaves and guards. The main beasts of burden were donkeys although there were also five very large shaggy beasts. The group overflew the caravan and then landed some distance away to discuss what they had seen and also to familiarize themselves with a location to which they would then be able to transport themselves. That done, they then made themselves into vapour again and followed the caravan until it had stopped for the night. Then everyone went back to Gaxmoor to plan. 

That evening, Leo took Red Ivy out for a meal, partly to talk over old times and partly to try to recruit her for this enterprise. They both had a good evening but she reasonably pointed out that Leo didn’t really need her for this. Leo agreed so they both went back to their separate quarters. The next morning, the three spell casters got together to co-ordinate their spells. That being done they transported themselves back to the spot with which they were familiar. Straight into an ambush!

The group appeared from a teleport only to find that a fireball, a flame strike and several odd flying metal stars raining on them. Once those had finished, over a dozen guards rushed them. Swords drawn they hacked into the magicians. The situation was grim. Elaith, Thran and Krysteel were badly hurt. Leo reacted the quickest. To the words of “Go, Go” from Elaith, he grabbed Tarquin and Krysteel and transported them to Gaxmoor. He was badly shaken. How had the enemy known where and when to expect them? The spells rained in as soon as they had appeared. They had been waiting for them. He was Mind Blanked. No one could scry him. Tarquin was almost unknown. Elaith was also Mind Blanked. Thran had joined them only recently. Was Krysteel being scried?. Was she now that well known outside the Blue Light? He would have to talk to her at some point about that. Or was it Xiang? Maybe the innocent seeming caravaneer to whom they had talked was a spy. He would have to mention that to Cailin. Whatever was the answer, that caravan was very heavily protected. 

So now Leo wanted to go to Crane’s Palace. This, to him, was a far more important undertaking than the caravan. If something could be done about the powerful bewitchment then it would have very serious strategic ramifications in the whole region. 

The mages again selected their spells and vaporised to travel rapidly to the Palace in the Heavenly Mountains. Winding below them they spotted the caravan but they gave it a wide berth. A little later, they spotted Crane Palace. It was a breathtaking sight. A path wound its way up the mountainside to a pair of massive wooden gates bound with metal. These gates formed part of a set of enormous walls, which seemed to be rooted in the side of the mountain. The walls surrounded a large wooden building with several towers. Again it seemed to be perched on the side of the mountain. The whole structure had a roof with strange upturned edges, which had also been painted yellow giving it a golden glow. Leo couldn’t tell from this distance but the wooden building also looked to have been painted in bright colours. The whole effect of this walled structure perched on the side of the mountain pass looked magical but Leo knew from his research that it was skilled architecture as opposed to arcane means which made it possible. 

Most disturbingly, Leo felt a void in the Flux emanating from the structure. He had never felt anything like it before. The group landed on a ledge nearby. Leo produced his magical eyes and sent them towards the building. They came back and didn’t reveal anything that had not been revealed before. The group then decided to make their way up the path towards the gates. 

Cautiously, the group made their way up the path. Suddenly, five figures appeared out of thin air. Two were large, revolting creatures with wings and the heads of vultures. Leo immediately recognised as Vrock Tanarii. He had one cursed to look like a parraqueet, formerly belonging to the undead archmage of Gaxmoor. There was a stunning woman with large bat wings which Leo as recognised as a succubus. He had also met one of those in Gaxmoor before. It had tried to seduce him. The last two looked huge, dark brown hulks with toothy maws and paws like shovels. From his research Leo recognised them as Hezrou. Big, strong but not particularly bright. Altogether though, this was a powerful set of guards. No doubt Ling Wa had bound them here to defend the Palace. They had been hiding, waiting to spring their ambush. The two vrocks rushed forward to grab Krysteel and Leo while the others cast spells. These spells caused a little damage though it could have been worse. Luckily there were few good members in the group. Tarquin reacted the quickest this time. He turned and cast a spell on Leo. Elaith blinded the Vrock holding Krysteel. She transported herself out of the group but unfortunately she took the Vrock with her. Leo magically wriggled out of his Vrock’s grasp thanks to Tarquin’s spell. The Vrock then grasped Tarquin. The two Hezrou charged forward to hit anything they could. Thran, the priest, created a wall of whirling blades which chopped into the succubus who shrieked angrily and flew into the air. Krysteel transported herself again, this time leaving the blind Vrock behind. Leo cast a spell, causing the Vrock grappling Tarquin to disappear but not affecting the Hezrou. Elaith cast force missiles at the succubus who slumped. Tarquin then stepped forward and caused one of the Hezrou to disappear. The blind Vrock disappeared. Tarquin stepped forward again and made the last Hezrou disappear. 

Everyone checked themselves. Everyone was hurt but no one seriously. The priests dispensed healing. Now the problem still remained with the Palace. With his permanent Arcane Sight, Elaith could see the incredibly powerful transmutation magic emanating from the building. Krysteel cast a True Seeing and did not see anything different on the Palace but she did find a cave entrance leading into the mountain. This had been hidden by an illusion. Further investigation by Leo’s eyes revealed a tunnel leading into a chamber. This round chamber had a shrine with a Hawk and a Crane and an alcove, which contained an empty armour stand. There was also a pool of ichor on the floor, which Leo recognised as demon blood. No exits could be found from this chamber.  

Leo realised that they had to do as much as possible at this point. The Vrock who had been blind would sooner of later go back to Ling Wa to report its failure. It was a cowardly creature so it would take it some time to work up the courage. Once it did though, Ling Wa would move heaven and earth to get here as quickly as possible in force. So, Leo had one of his more powerful effects memorised. This was the field that suppressed magic. He cast it and approached the gates. Elaith shouted that he could see a bubble in the field of transmutation magic. So Leo’s spell worked. Unfortunately, these gates were designed to withstand sieges and could not be opened. After a little thought, Tarquin and Thran were given flying spells and Leo tied a rope around himself. The fliers, keeping well away from the field of magic suppression, took the end of the rope,  lifted Leo over the stone walls and lowered him into the courtyard of the Palace. In the courtyard, Leo could see many years of dust, eerily still in the stasis. Figures were lying motionless on the ground. No wind or air stirred. Leo motioned to be lowered next to one. As he got within ten feet of it, he could see her eyes flicker and suddenly she sprung up with her spear, and pointing it at Leo, shouted something in a language he didn’t understand. Quickly he ran through his gamut of languages. Finally, he saw a glimmer of understanding in her face when he tried Old Imarran. As quickly as possible he explained the situation to her with a spear point aimed at his throat. Grudgingly she listened to him. Five years had passed. The sorceress Ling Wa had caused this bewitchment on the Palace of Crane after destroying the Palace of Hawk. It was imperative that Leo found Ling Da, the Lady of Crane. The woman told him reluctantly that Ling Da was in her tower. 

Finally, she agreed to be lifted with Leo to the outside providing she kept a knife at his throat in case he betrayed her. Under these conditions, they were lifted out.


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## Mathew_Freeman

Sounds like an awesome session! Wish I'd been there. Never mind, Xiang will hopefully join up with them next time...


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## Goblyns Hoard

*Thoughts on a wedding day morning*

Krysteel stared at the grey-haired woman before her, looking hard at the blue eyes and rather plain face.  No, nothing different there.  It seemed odd that nothing seemed to have changed in the past two weeks.  Given how much else had gone on, surely something must have happened.  She smirked briefly at the idea of her hair turning black from shock, or going red in her old age.

She picked up the brush and worked it through her hair once more.  It didn’t need it, but as always she fussed over hair fastidiously.  Normally it was her fervently denied attempt to make up for the colour, today she had a better excuse, today it was for her friend’s wedding.  Always a bridesmaid, never a bride… well maybe her new robe would change that.

Nine days had seen such change in the world.  After the failed ambush on the Mt. Fire caravan who would have expected them to be able to just order it to turn around.  Everything had happened so fast since they had approached Crane’s Palace nine days ago.  The rather mysterious Leopold had wanted to enter the palace in a field of anti-magic, so Krysteel and Tarquin had returned to Gaxmor to find the warrior Xiang, and Cailin.  She would have been little help within the anti-magic field, so she waited outside with the elven mage, Elaith, his quiet friend Thran, and Tarquin, the priest that attended upon Leopold.  The others must have got to where Ling-Da was imprisoned in the stasis field, as Krysteel was suddenly pulled onto the Astral plane along with the others and told that within moments she would be deposited in Warmaster Kung’s crown room.

As the astral plane swirled around them there was a flurry of spell-casting, and Krysteel prepared herself for the upcoming battle with a few choice incantations.  Krysteel held off from summoning an elemental guardian, afterall it would be of little use here on the Astral Plane when she crossed over.

As soon as she found herself in the room she hurriedly began the summoning ritual that would bring an elemental to her side.  She watched as lightning bolds hammered into Kung and Ling-Wa, and Leopold threw up a Wall of Force to cut off some of the room.  Xiang now stood at twice his height thanks to Elaith’s magic, and he charged passed her toward the Warmaster, but again Lightning arced round the room and Leopold’s necromancy seemed to suck the very life out of half the people in the room.  Sometimes she wished she hadn’t taken the decision to focus all her efforts in conjuration.

Suddenly she realised that she was visible once more, just as a crowd of bodyguards surged into the room behind her.  Almost surrounded she was thankful for having armoured herself in stone whilst she waited outside Crane’s Palace.  She finished the incantation and bathed in the light and warmth of the huge fire elemental that now stood behind the soldiers.  As they felt the heat on their backs she took a step away and levelled her staff in their direction.  But once more Leopold’s necromantic magic surged around the room and the guards dropped dead around her.

It was over before it began.  The desiccated and scorched bodies of Kung and Ling-Wa lay where they had stood, they had barely even moved before they died.  The giant Xiang stood over the body of a half-ogre that had been slain as it knelt in submission.  Krysteel grimaced at the thought of so ruthless a man now taking control of Mt. Fire.  Better than the demon-obsessed Kung no doubt, but what way would this new Warmaster take this strange western kingdom.  There was a single survivor in the room, a darkclad shadowy figure knelt before Cailin, clearly out of his element in the light cast by the fire elemental towering over him.  Krysteel reined in the elemental, and Cailin twisted him round and put a knife to his throat.  But it was clear he knew where to throw his lot – of the seven that had arrived in the room, only Krysteel had been injured – a minor scratch from a soldier’s sword that had penetrated her magic.  His surrender was gracefully accepted – unlike that of the half-ogre.

The next two days were a whirlwind.  Xiang imposed himself as the new Warmaster, Ling-Li revealed that it was her time to leave this plane and that someone called Cho would be raised to the Ladyship of Hawk Palace, though there was some indication that another should have been chosen.  Krysteel had spent some time with Cailin, and together they had swept the Witch-Queen Marena from Kung's dungeons to safety in Gaxmoor.  It had seemed better to ensure it was done than to wait to see how Xiang would decide, and how long it would take him to learn of it.  His priorities seemed to lie elsewhere.  No doubt he would claim to have been willing, but Krysteel felt it was more important to ensure it was done than to worry about the sensibilities of so clearly ambitious a man.  

Krysteel was permitted to accompany the Witch-Queen to Beskarn, and spent a brief day in the great forests.  One day she intended to return and learn more of the how the witch’s magic differed from her own.  But one day was not now… how she longed for the time to just return to her precious library with a new tome.  Politics was definitely not her forte, everything happened too fast.  She had been called back from Beskarn by Zalindra, and requested to take Cailin with her.  Oh to return to her studies and learn the ritual for summoning Elder elementals.

And for now she had other tasks.  She would spend the day waiting upon her friend, as is the responsibility of a bridesmaid.  She would help ensure that everything flowed smoothly around Zalindra on this, her special day, keeping away the uncouth and the drunk, ensuring no one tried to take up too much of her friend’s time, afterall there would be hundreds of guests.  She once again looked into the mirror… yes the hair would have to do, afterall it would not be right to try and outshine the bride.

She rose and gestured for her gown, floating it across the room from where it lay.  As she used her magic to do up the elaborate ties her hands couldn’t reach, her mind drifted to the impeding threat on the Mongali horde.  Cailin had indicated that the invasion was in fact the dream of their High Hakoman Omazad, wanting to rebirth the vast Mongali Empire.  No doubt they would have to turn their attentions to him all too soon.

But that wasn’t important right now.  No first she had to find that evoker that was responsible for the fireworks this evening and ensure he was ready.  Then she would have to prepare for the summoning of the air elementals that would ensure Zalindra’s hair and gown flowed around her as she entered the grand hall for the wedding… and she had to ensure that the cook had finally finished the cake.  Odd that the cook seemed so familiar, what was his name again?  Oh yes, that was it… Leo.


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