Adventures


Mundane Date: December 9th, 2006
Campaign Date: 30th of the Searing (August) to the 19th of the Deluge (November), Year 311 of the Dragon

[Top of the page]



[Top of the page]



With the defeat of Master Skarn, the party left The Styes and returned west, sailing The Dirk back to Shoalbury. The question of what to do with Journeyman Ogden, the slaver whom the party had captured days earlier, was quickly resolved when a grim-faced Lyra executed him, saying “for Vargas” as she knifed the prisoner and the party threw the body overboard. Once the body dipped below the waves, Lyra turned and headed below deck. She knew that others might question the validity of her actions and she just didn’t have it in her to argue at the moment. Their stay in The Styes had been chaotic. What she needed now was to sleep.

Elin wasn't surprised at how hard everyone had gotten since Vargas' death, and their recent adventures had only bolstered their mutual hatred of slavers. He watched the body fall over the side without hesitation or thought of a prayer for the dead man.

Jazira watched the water silently, her expression slightly troubled. She did not doubt the legality of the execution; Ogden was a slaver, a death sentence in and of itself, and one not as merciful and quick as the one he received. What concerned her was the fact that the party had kept him alive for so long. We should have either killed him right away, or turned him over to authorities we could trust. She had been thinking about something that Thrane had told them while on Mivilious. "The teachings of the Old Gods, of the Starfall Faith, urge restraint: wanton violence and murder are not the signs of a true warrior, but of a beast. Controlled violence, applied only when necessary, is what separates a true warrior and an animal." Thrane's voice echoed in her mind, making her wonder about her actions, and those of the party, since leaving Mivilious. This was an execution, not wanton murder, but still ... It is so easy to be pulled into a cycle of violence, she mused to herself, wondering if there was any way to avoid it, given their situation and general mission.

Stormbringer gave little thought to the execution, as he had other things on his mind.  The death of a slaver was justice.  He did wonder a moment at the ease of which Lyra used the blade and the coldness of her voice.  Then he returned to his studies.

Between two of the former slave cages, Lyra hung her sleepsling, and slept fitfully for the better part of a day. She remained in her sleepsling for the entire journey, spending her time writing feverishly in the brown log book and on several sheets of parchment. Any attempt to remind her to eat or to allow Solaris to touch her skin was met with a short "Later," and a wave of the hand.

The party reached Shoalbury and found the town still intact: Master Killom or his captains had not arrived and the Legionaires had yet to depart, taking considerable time to train the locals and help with the defenses. Centurion Valeria Callimus seemed to be purposefully taking more time than necessary to fulfill her duties in the city, mentioning that she expected a counter attack by the slavers given the previous fight. Aldious, the legionnaire rescued in the slaver den of Master Skarn, thanked the party for his rescue before reporting to duty to the Centurion.  He planned to reunite with his own legion when possible. Happy to see that she was not alone in wishing Shoalbury to be well-protected, Jazira took the time to thank Centurion Valeria once again for her efforts on the town's behalf. The alertness of the guards and the increased defenses had not escaped her appreciation. Duty well-performed is always worth of notice. Shoalbury is fortunate, she thought to herself as she rejoined the others for a special dinner. If we had not discovered the traitors from within, and roused the town to fight when the slavers returned, then there would likely be no Shoalbury. She saw little sense in false modesty in her own thoughts.

Elin was glad to see the centurion as well, and quickly penned a letter to the family of the Starfall Marked he had met in Bazurelum. He wanted to warn them to continue to stay away from Mivilious, and promised that he would continue to keep in touch as best he could about the status of the Oracle. He tried not to bring too much attention to the fact that he was writing them by commenting that he didn't really have anyone else to keep in touch with other than "that nice family that put him up while he was there." Even if the mail was to be passed along the way by the army of Arkruz, he was worried about exposing the young Starfall Marked to any unwanted attention. The world he lived in had become a very dangerous place for anyone with the Mark.

While in Shoalbury, Lyra only briefly left the ship to say goodbye and offer good wishes to those they were leaving behind. Any who had spent much time with her noticed a forced quality to her usual bubbliness.  Stormbringer also spent most of his time aboard ship, studying from a large stack of books that dealt with the study of the Six Elements, as well as a number of tomes concerning dragons.

After an overnight stay in Shoalbury, the party continued west, reaching Erol on the 17th of the Triumph, 361. The locals of Erol welcomed the party warmly again and a celebration was held in the honor of the “Blessed of the Old Gods” who rescued the brave gladiators and slaves from Erol held by King Toparr. The party also heard news that King Toparr was killed shortly after the party’s departure from the island and someone named “Master Pilk” took over the island with the blessing of Guildmaster Nerio of Talius.

Upon their arrival in Erol, Stormbringer made arrangements with the locals to retreat to a building a short distance outside of town built sturdily with stone walls. Though it was a little cramped for someone of his height, he spent the entire period of the party’s stay in Erol at work at a forge, crafting steel blades with fire and sardra. In return for the results of his hard work, he was able to negotiate a good bargain for a well-crafted chain shirt.

The moment she set foot on Erol, Lyra's demeanor changed dramatically. Immediately following the meeting with Armero, Lyra looked around eagerly at the party and said "I'llbebacklater.Don'twaitup." With that, she darted off into the crowd.

Over the course of the next few days, Lyra spent most of her time away from the ship. She'd stop back every few hours, wanting no one to worry but never "checking in" with the same person. Finally Captain Baris managed to block Lyra from leaving the new ship to tell her they'd sail in the morning.

"That's fine. One more trip should do it. I won't be more than an hour." She returned and happily helped make the ship ready for sail. At dinner, she was pressed into revealing what she'd been up to in Erol, what with all the coming and going. "I needed to tie up some loose ends," she offered. Looking around a little sheepishly, she quietly added, "and I just wanted to feel normal and insignificant one last time. That is the blessing of umbra. No one could see Lyra. They saw a polite, albeit happy gnome. Named Sylvia. Who had to do a little shopping. I don't think, once we reach Arkruz, we'll ever go unnoticed again. Well, unless I happen to make it so." She winked and pulled a parcel from under her chair. "I splurged a little." She placed a tin on the table. "Malagorian tea. A bit more expensive than I'm used to, being that my mother used to craft it and we had all we wanted. But, I was homesick. And Sylvia talked the merchant down a bit. AND, for those of you with inebriation in mind... A cask of Malagorian ale." She motioned over her shoulder to a barrel in the corner. No one had any idea when it suddenly appeared there, or how she could've pulled the cask aboard herself. After this brief celebration for the remainder of the trip, Lyra somehow managed to make herself scarce, but, as her mood was lightened, no one worried.

On the 20th of the Triumph, the party departed Erol, leaving behind their stolen slaver ship in exchange for a smaller, faster skiffer the party had commissioned on their first visit to the island. The “Luna’s Blessing,” as the party had named their ship, headed north toward Arkruz fortified with maps of the safest routes based on the experience of merchants and traders of Erol. Captain Baris estimated that the ship would arrive in Arkruz by the end of the year, perhaps even with a ten-day to spare.

Watching as Erol disappeared from her sight, Jazira finally sighed and moved away from her position on the aft castle deck. She rubbed a hand gently against her stomach, as if testing something. With a shrug, she went below deck to her cabin to change clothes. She returned a moment later dressed in something other than her usual robes – a simple sleeveless shirt that wrapped around her body and tied shut and flowing pants bound tightly at the ankles, both made of a loosely woven fabric. Purchased on Erol, Jazira had spent considerable time explaining what she needed to the tailor, and she seemed pleased with the results. The outfit revealed a pale patch of skin on Jazira’s stomach, where the skin had not yet achieved normal pigmentation after healing. Gingerly testing the area yet again, she moved to a clear space on the main deck.

Jazira stood silently, her face raised to the sun and her eyes closed. Her lips moved silently, almost as if she were speaking to someone. Lowering her head, she bowed fluidly to the empty space in front of her, and then began to move. At first, her movements were slow – so slow, that it looked like she wasn’t even moving, until suddenly she was no longer facing the same direction. Gradually, the movements sped up, and from the way Jazira’s body moved, those watching could almost see the shadowy opponent she was fighting. She continued this for an hour before pausing, breathing hard and sweating freely despite the cool sea breeze. After dumping a full bucket of sea water over her head, she walked around on deck until her breathing had evened out occasionally shaking out her legs and arms so she wouldn’t stiffen up. Then, she started the whole process over again.

This became her morning routine. She would be up with the sun, and spend the morning sparring with shadows. People walking around on the deck didn’t disturb her; she moved around them easily. When anyone in the party moved to join her, she merely switched to sparring with them instead of shadows. After almost a week of this, Captain Baris finally approached her during one of her rest periods. After a moment of casual conversation, he gestured briefly at the deck and asked, “Why are you training so hard? There is little danger in these waters.” Looking at him soberly, Jazira responded. “I am trying to ensure that I do not fail any other companions when they need me.” Knowing she was speaking of Vargas, Baris gave a short nod of acknowledgement. “All I can do is train my body to perform as well as it possibly can, and train my mind to do the same. It is all part of Ratha Vaz, and the journey I am on.” Smiling, she excused herself with a polite nod, and returned to her practice.

To avoid overtraining and to give her body rest, Jazira gave herself the afternoons to do other things. She spent time with her companions, but she also spent a lot of time studying and going through the books, her copy of The Vaughn, and the list of olims, hoping to gain new insights that might help them.

On Erol, Elin had kept his mind busy with the new skiffer and getting it, and himself, well equipped for the journey ahead. But during the voyage as the days dragged on he spent most of his free time in the crows nest, mulling over the death of their lost companion. He resolved to use his many abilities to keep something like that from happening again. He began to use and train with his telekinetic abilities as much as he could, trying to develop using them to help the team with special maneuvers. He got a few strange looks as he tried to use them to push or pull his comrades as well as foes, almost knocking a few of them off the boat in his first attempts. The use of floating weapons also fascinated him, as it allowed him a much longer reach than his small body afforded him. But, over time, he found that he was limited to where he could focus his concentration and where he could actually see.

Elin also tried to cover the symbionts that now adorned his body. He had realized he was attracting a lot of attention and was looking for a way minimize the attention he might get in a fight. Although he knew it was really his silver eyes that usually got him the most attention, there wasn't a whole lot he could do about them. When they were fighting in Skarn's fortress he had reveled in the fact that they had wanted him killed, he had wanted them to be afraid. But those foolhardy moments had passed, and he now didn't want any of them to risk death, including himself. Their best tactic had always been to keep their enemies off guard, usually with the element of surprise that some of their marks supplied.

As the party continued north, they stopped at numerous ports along the way and found many opportunities for trade, although most of the ports were relatively small with a few exceptions. Napoco was a larger port on a large mountainous island. A major crossroad for ships, it also housed thousands of soldiers based on the island for the war in Ruz. They found many ways to spend the coin they had earned in the Styes, and their store of personal equipment continued to grow. Hawk, for his part, happily came back to the ship, proudly holding up a new spiked chain for all to see. "Heh, was being used by mining fellow to haul up buckets of mud! I said I wanted to buy his chain, but he said he was using it. Then I showed him mine, and funny look came on his face. Then he became real friendly, and said his was a really good chain and would cost me. He kinda charged a lot for it, but look, its really nice, after you scrape off the muck!" Lyra only sighed and rolled her eyes. "Hawk, next time, take me along when you wish to buy something from the locals, eh?"

On the 1st of the Deluge, the group noticed that Hawk was pale and sweating, despite a cool sea breeze from the north. He became irritable and restless, and gradually, despite his stoic nature, it became obvious that he was in great pain. When pressed, he grunted: “It begins, da Korack Thirzos, um, dat means Gift of Thirzos, I think. Means I will now become true Tsarukai. Hawk…must…” At that moment, he bellowed loud and long, and everyone on board heard a noise like the snapping of bones. He collapsed onto the ship’s rail, grimacing and clearly biting back screams of pain. He managed to bark out a request for water, before he fell to the wooden deck, out cold. Attempting to awaken him, the party could feel the waves of heat emanating from his feverish body, and it took several people to drag him to a nearby bunk. Over the next few hours, Hawk drifted in and out of consciousness. Each time he awakened, he practically begged for water, which he drank down in amazing quantities. After such episodes, he would quickly pass out again. As he writhed on the bunk, sweating profusely in delirium, the sound of snapping sinew was unmistakable, and after a while, his body began to change outwardly: his chest began to swell, his arms thickened, his neck bulged with new-formed muscle mass. Shortly thereafter, the bunk collapsed in a heap of splintered wood. After 15 hours of this hellish transformation, Hawk’s feverish struggles - and the disturbing sounds of breaking bones - subsided, and he appeared to sleep. Later the next day, the party could hear the sounds of Hawk groaning as he awakened. Pushing the door to the cabin open, he promptly broke the doorframe off with his horns as he attempted to negotiate the now too-small opening. The change was obvious: he had become a good head taller, and several feet wider than he had been the day before. He drunkenly staggered out onto the deck, mumbling apologies about the door. And the bunk. And the barrel, chest and table. And the lantern. Seeing the somewhat bemused and inquisitive looks on the faces of his companions, he related that he had now become a true Tsarukai, having been given the Gift of Thirzos. He explained that, when Thirzos, Churkahn’s patron Starfallen Dragon, aided Tsaruk in his struggles with the Demons and their Voluk minions, it was clear that they needed the stature to face them as well as the will and the strength. And so, when a Tsarukai comes of age, his body must be tested with the Gift. If he passes, he becomes stronger, larger, and heavier. "And if he fails?" asked Sora Teraza. Hawk shook his head: “Huh…don’t know, nobody Hawk knows has ever failed the test. Good thing Hawk didn’t fail, eh?” He then stumbled off to find a place to rest again, destroying a bucket as he attempted to make his way down the hatch. Then, a few moments later, there was a loud smash from below, followed by Hawk’s muffled voice: “Um, sorry ‘bout dat. Was dat piece important?” Captain Baris beat everyone to the hatch by a step.

Jazira shook her head in relief. Hawk had worried them with his fever and changes, but apparently all was well. Listening to his sheepish apology to Captain Baris, she thought to herself, It is fortunate for us that Stormbringer can mend the damage. Otherwise, by the time he becomes accustomed to his new size, our ship will be at the bottom of the water. I do not believe the others enjoy swimming as much as I do. Her lips quirked up into a wry smile.

Hawk was not the only one going through some changes on the voyage. Since leaving Erol Stormbringer had grown ever more distant, spending every moment that he was not attending to duties aboard the Luna’s Blessing immersed in books. Though he did not appear to be in any amount of pain, he did seem distracted, often muttering to himself about dragons and dreams. The goliath’s erratic behavior continued until the morning of the 7th of the Deluge. Stormbringer emerged from his cabin unaware that sometime during the night he had changed. His normally rough stone-like gray skin had somehow become overgrown with mottled red scales that were almost black in some places. His eyes too were different; their formerly bright emerald had become sullen red pools, not unlike the hot coals of a fire. The shocked reaction of his companions surprised him.  It was only when Jazira brought him a mirror that Stormbringer realized what had happened.

In response to their concern, he only answered, "This is what comes of curiosity." With broad shoulders slumped, he returned to his cabin, coming out only as his duties required.

Pressing on, the party reached the large port of Levelous on the 10th of the Deluge (November). Levelous, a walled city on a small island (only about a half mile in diameter, but nearly all farmland), provided an excellent opportunity for trade as the city is ruled by a small “merchants’ association” composed primarily of dwarves, each maintaining their own private militias to promote the peace. All serious fights (i.e. when someone ends up dead rather than simply beat unconscious) are swiftly dealt with by the militias, most of whom are renowned pugilists. Any visitors wishing to carry weapons larger than a dagger are required to purchase permits. As a result Levelous is renowned for its peaceful trade. It does make sense, Jazira admitted silently, although it will be interesting to find out if these guards are somewhat better than the common street fighter. She unconsciously wrinkled her nose a bit, considering a street fighter to be a distinctly lower echelon than her own preferred style. Thinking about other martial arts styles, she thought back to Shoalbury, where she had realized that Shalo was a student of The Spine. Now there is brutality taken to the extreme. She shook her head, half in disgust, and half in reluctant admiration for the sheer effectiveness.

By the time the ship reached Levelous, Jazira was looking forward to a change of pace. Several weeks of hard training had allowed her to hone her fighting skills, and also work through a number of issues she had been struggling with. A little more at peace with herself, she was reminded of her training sessions with Rolan on Suel. I see now that many of those sessions were as much for therapy as learning to fight, she thought to herself, smiling at the memory despite the sting of sadness.

Elin decided his time would be better served watching over the boat. He didn't like the idea of trying to defend himself with just his fists, and he would be trying to use his menta abilities as little as possible. Those abilities would single him out again if he used them too much, so he decided to stay aboard to help with the resupply.

Levelous does not host any slaver guild houses: as the party has traveled farther north, they have seen very little evidence of slavers operating—certainly not with the blasé openness shown in The Styes, for instance. The city wall is no longer manned except in emergencies as the city has been at peace for nearly a century and there are numerous small festivals and celebrations commonly held in the various merchants districts. The districts are divided by the products and services offered (of which there are many, including even a small district of formidable stone buildings for Savants to work), ranging from the most mundane to the somewhat exotic (including a district of healers, several of which are Lifebonds). Merchants and their employees, retainers, and guards all wear brightly colored armbands to indicate their benefactor: there's only about fifteen or twenty variations of color combinations as the number of ruling merchants is relatively small. There is even a Starfall shrine in the city that the party hears about and easily finds, as the streets and buildings are well labeled with signs and directions (“You are here!”) to help travelers to the city.

Jazira, along with the others, had spent considerable time thinking about the best items to purchase with her share of the loot. Loot sounds so ... illicit, somehow, she thought with sudden amusement. But we earned it with our own blood and sweat, and at least no slaver will gain benefit from it any more. Having become increasingly pragmatic since she left Suel, she also realized that it was a legitimate way to support herself and her companions. I am a bit too far from home to be asking for funds from Father. Besides, as a group we have done quite well for ourselves, I think. We have our own ship, and if matters continue as they have in the past, we may well have our own fleet ... of slaver ships. Shaking her head to dispel the mental image of a fleet of ships called The Chains following Luna's Blessing she looked at the list she had written. New clothing is absolutely necessary. That silk from home should be made up into something for formal occasions on Arkruz. There should be enough for all of us to have formal wear. Although ... should we look for a tailor here, or wait until we reach Arkruz? Arkruz is guaranteed to have excellent tailors and seamstresses. A sudden thought struck her, and she lifted her head to look at Hawk, who at that exact moment was having difficulty navigating through a doorway ... again ... without catching his horns. She had a sudden image of Hawk trying to fit in at a formal ball, and had to bite back a sudden giggle. He should liven things up a bit, at the very least. He still is not accustomed to his new size. Turning her attention back to her list, she continued. I will need to find a reputable jeweler, and a Lifebond...

Before leaving the ship, Lyra gathered everyone together. She wore a serious expression as she began to reveal the purpose of the summons. "Something happened to me when Vargas di..." She hesitated, then continued "When Vargas went into the Gray. We have been together like family for a long time now, knowing only the company and safety of one another. And family looks after one another. When what happened to Vargas happened, a great hole was created in me. Like I failed him as a member of his family. He was brave and selfless, so OF COURSE he went in alone like that. And there wasn't anything I could do to save him. So, I started thinking. Maybe there was something. I got to thinking about the nature of umbra and how it can attach itself to anything, whether full of lithos, or sardra, or whatever. I can make it do what I want. And what I want is for our family to be safe. So... I made these."

With that, she pulled from her pocket 6 brooches. Each bore a small image of a drake upon it. She handed one to Jazira, Stormbringer, Hawk, Elin, Irit, and the Sora. "The picture looks like Kefu. He was a master of hiding, so I thought it appropriate. I had them made in Erol. Once that was done, I started attaching umbra to each. Now, when you find yourself in a dangerous situation you need to get out of, you won't be alone. Just grasp your brooch and it will trigger the umbra to activate. You'll be surrounded in images, kind of like I did back when I lit up The Styes. It'll buy you some time to get to safety, or for me to get to you. Hopefully you'll find it useful. I know I'll fight better knowing you have something to keep you safe." She looked up at Hawk and Stormbringer "...Not that you need to be kept safe," she laughed.

Staring at the brooch, Jazira was humbled by Lyra's generosity. "You honor me with your gift," she said, accepting it with a fluid bow. "I will use it wisely, so that the usage will honor the giver." With a sudden grin, she added, "No doubt I will be wise enough to use it to save my hide at some point, so I will let you decide whether that honors you or not."

Stormbringer didn't quite know what to say. He'd been so distant from the others during the changes overcoming him that he suddenly found himself quite ashamed for his withdrawal. He also couldn't help but wonder how Lyra had found the time to do such work. He'd been practicing his skills with sardra as well, but it had taken every spare moment on shore to create just one item. Then he remembered that while his work with the elements had to be far away from wood or any other combustibles, Lyra could use hers virtually anywhere without notice.

"Thank you," he said softly. "One will wear with pride."

Hawk glanced around at the others, somewhat confused. His companions seemed to be acting as if the gift were somehow a sacrifice on Lyra's part, more than pretty jewelry with a spell attached. Hawk, of course, knew nothing of the craft of the spell-caster - something his mother had never shared with him, except to tutor him in the Tongue of Flame. He was not aware that a part of the caster's very life-blood always went into the crafting of such items, and so he didn't understand the true depth of Lyra's generosity. Never good in such situations, he merely said "Tanks, little one. I hope I remember to use it!" Lyra's slightly exasperated wry grin might have told him that was not quite the right thing to say, had he been paying attention.

The gift from Lyra was a surprise to Elin. He was used to sharing many things and working for a common cause as crewman on a skiffer and now as a member of the Starfall Marked. But gifts were few and far between since he had left his home island the first time. It made him think of other ways he could help the group now that he had menta abilities. He had purchased some arrows that could reproduce a simple menta effect because he knew it would be a long time before he would be able to cast as far as an arrow could fly. Perhaps he didn't need to buy items like that, as he could probably make them himself. He made a promise to himself to discuss this with Lyra when they had some free time again.

As the group wandered into the city, he also thought maybe he should favor Lyra with a few of his menta effects soon, to see if he could bolster her effectiveness in combat or other situations. It was an area he had yet to explore with his abilities, and he thought Lyra more than deserved it.

[Top of the page]




Stellatus Muandro

Tibbens

Vorurt

“Pardon the interruption, but we’ve been sent to…escort you from the city and teach you a lesson,” a voice echoed from the Starfall shrine. “You’re no longer welcome here!”

Stormbringer was in the lead as the party walked through the north end of Levelous. Lyra, Jazira, and Irit were all walking nearby and also heard: the group advanced to the temple and saw a human male wearing simple traveler’s clothes standing at the pedestal in the center of the shrine. Eight men stood nearby, slowly advancing: each wore leather armor, carried no weapons, and displayed a bright red, white, and yellow armband. Their leader—the speaker—stood a short distance away, wearing a chain shirt and an identical armband.  He watched confidently and with a bit of annoyance as the party entered.

“Sorry, this is a private party,” he sneered.

Jazira glanced at her companions, and seeing in their faces that they were interested in interceding, she walked forward. All right, distract their attention first, she thought. Raising one eyebrow skeptically as she assumed her noblest demeanor, Jazira haughtily stated, "Violence is highly inappropriate in a Starfall Shrine. I have come to pray." She moved further into the temple, wearing the manner of a noble expecting to be obeyed like a second skin.

"Come back in five minutes," he barked impatiently, keeping one eye on his target and one on Jazira.

Stormbringer recognized the man as Stellatus Muandro, the Starfall Priest who found him several years earlier. Muandro recognized Stormbringer as well, despite his new reddish hue. "Muandro?" Stormbringer said in surprise. "He is a priest! One must help him!" Hawk, awed by the temple, was slow to act, but when he did, his wrath was great - attacking a priest was akin to attacking the Old Gods.

“Shed no blood in the temple!” Muandro yelled, “But any assistance would be appreciated!” Hawk nearly fell over in mid-charge trying to prevent his horns from impaling the closest thug. "Shed no blood?" He spent several moments trying to figure out just how a minotaur could avoid shedding blood as Jazira took the lead.

Nodding politely at Muandro, Jazira stepped up to the closest thug and said, "I do not know who you are, but you offend me." With that said, she hit him hard, twice in a row, in a flurry of fists and feet. With a stunned look on his face, he fell to the ground, unconscious. Looking around, she moved towards the leader next.

The rest of the party quickly joined in the fight, holding back with their weapons and using the flat of the blades rather than striking to kill. Stormbringer struggled to hold back his swings with his hammer, calling out warnings to everyone he fought and using the haft of the weapon more often than not. Those who did not drop unconscious at his strikes fled him, clearly intimidated by both his size and that of the hammer he bore. One of the thugs called out to the leader, Tibbens, as the group was overwhelmed by the party despite their obvious skills as street brawlers. Tibbens briefly joined in the fight but fared no better, earning several bruises before he called out, “On behalf of Master Roggan, I withdraw.”

The party stayed ready, but like the local custom of fighting without weapons, the attackers clearly expected the battle to be over with their proclamation of defeat. The party held their blows and let the group withdraw, initially concerned by Roggan’s title that perhaps he was a slaver, although Lyra pointed out that it was an honorific of the merchant leaders of the island. Once the thugs were clear of the temple and limping away, the party regrouped and introductions were made.

Stormbringer strode toward the priest with a broad grin, his first since his withdrawal aboard the ship. "Stellatus Muandro, one did not expect to find you here."

"Stormbringer? It really is you!" Muandro answered with astonishment. "I did not expect to see you here either, though perhaps it is not so great a surprise. It seems that much has happened to you since last we spoke."

Some of the pleasure drained from the goliath's face. "Yes. One will speak of it...later." He turned to the others who were waiting patiently. "This is Stellatus Muandro, the priest who discovered one." He introduced his companions to the Stellatus.

Jazira bent forward into a shallow bow, maintaining eye contact with the Stellatus as she did so. "I am Jazira per'Iandros, Clan Varzel of Suel. It is a pleasure and honor to meet you. Stormbringer has mentioned your name upon several occasions."

Lyra smiled up at the Stellatus. “I am Lyra Niforo-Felzan of Andira, home of Malago’s great and glorious bounty. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. You fight beautifully. But, if I may, what would cause the locals to have a quarrel with one of your status?”

Muandro explained that he was working on an olim when he noticed the first three words were simply “look behind you”, which prompted him to do so and he noticed the group sneaking up on him. Once spotted, they simply walked into the temple, confident of their numbers. He went on to explain that he had continued his quest to find a second Starfall Mark as foretold in the olims: this led him to the deserts on northern Gilarthan, Stormbringer’s homeland, to find a dragon named Charizard.

"You traveled to the Black Rocks?" Stormbringer asked with surprise. At Muandro's nod, the goliath shook his head in wonder. "The tribes tell of dragons going there from time to time, but one has never heard of anyone else traveling those lands."

“I have an olim about him that indicates he is blessed with Accelero,” Muandro explained. “However, when I sought him out, he was already gone. I followed him as best I could and recently learned from some fishermen that Charizard was taken captive by a Litorian named Selva. She’s an independent mercenary from what little I’ve heard and has a ship called The Wingclipper.”

Jazira listened with a certain amount of shock. "Someone captured a dragon? Who would dare?" As soon as the words left her mouth, however, she realized how naïve that sounded. "Never mind," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "I have learned that there are many who dare to do what I used to believe was unthinkable."

Nodding in grim agreement, Muandro said this last sighting of the dragon was three years ago; he had little in the way of leads other than rumor that Selva often used Levelous for a port for supplies, trade, and repairs. She almost certainly had a patron on the island; Muandro was asking around, trying to find any more news of her or her patron when he had apparently earned the attention of Roggan.

"This Master Roggan is most likely her patron, then, given the rather obvious tactics of trying to beat you off the island." Jazira's nostrils flared slightly, as the thought of a Starfall Priest being hounded - in a temple, no less - outraged her. "No doubt he has some financial interest, at the very least, in her ... business, and your questions hit closer to home than was comfortable for him."

"If not a darker purpose." Stormbringer muttered.

Looking up at Stormbringer and then to the group, Muandro asked if the rest of the party were also “Blessed of the Old Gods.” Their nods caused his jaw to drop in shock. “So many? Gathered together in one place? Most people never have the opportunity to meet one Blessed, much less five in the same place. Are you making your way to Arkruz for the games? A new Silver Six perhaps?”

“We are making our way there,” Lyra responded “and hope to compete in the games. It is true that we are a large group.” She laughed at her joke. “Well, some of us larger than others!” She playfully punched Hawk on the leg. The minotaur looked like he did not even notice her punch. The mention of the games had caused him, yet again, to wonder exactly who he was to represent when he got there. "Can't put this off much longer, must decide..." he mumbled, but no one seemed to notice his confusion.

Muandro was willing to share the olims he had acquired, adding that he knew little of Charizard other than his Starfall Mark, that he was a copper-hued dragon, and “possibly not entirely sane.”

Jazira hastily retrieved her journal, and prepared to write the olims down as Muandro recited them. "I find it is helpful to have a list of the olims we have encountered, to refer to from time to time," she explained to the priest. "Most of them are still confusing puzzles, but sometimes insight can be gained when comparing them."

The olims were:

Olim in Gilarthan—

In the time of the wandering, two of great blessings

Destined to come together in work of restoration

One the tallest tree among a stone forest of many

The second long forgotten among the memories of few

Tallest tree = Goliath who lived with elves (Stormbringer)



Olim of Stormbringer:

Morning brings the fourth, a red warrior of stemma

exiled savior, the fourth rebuilds far off

Denied his blood, the serpents poison and harm

none but three bring him back, yet is a trap for two

Enlightenment leads to slavery, discovery begot terror

half lost of five suffer, freedom in broken half

Red fourth Enlightenment = Patrocinor

Olim of Charizard—

Desert sands and desert scales of an eighth, broken of

a mistaken dream hides in sand for truth seeks

Murder follows blessed after searing steals presumed

entitled fate, yet in death delivers secret on path for

Release from blue by a darkened triangle brings second of two

hurried through mire of silver sickness best rendered fallow

Silver eighth searing = Accelero

Olim of Levolous—

Desert scales hued of copper seeks answers

Is delivered into agony by clipped wings

Deny suffering, flee a searing theft

Embrace gray, finding a last release

Found by a seeker upon a path of levolous

Where words await a last gathering

Olim of

Look behind you

Frowning slightly, Jazira wondered, "Why are some olims only four lines long, while most of them are six? The number six obviously reflects back upon the number of different elements, but what is the meaning of only four lines? Could it possibly be...meaning no insult to your skills at reading olims, Stellatus Muandro...that the entire olim was not received or understood?" She flipped back through earlier pages of her journal.” Although I am sure we have learned of at least one other olim with only four lines ... ah, here it is. I think the one we learned of from Malama and Akolo might be one. There are a couple others where I am not certain if there are four lines or six. The one Sharrat told Elin only seemed to have four lines." Almost apologetically, she added, "A couple might be due to transcribing errors on my part, but still, the question remains."

As she read over the olims, she nodded her head at the parts that made sense. "’Clipped wings’ is obviously referring to The Wingclipper. A child could see that one. Embracing gray means death ... I wonder what words await us here, though?" At Muandro's confused look, she hastily explained. "We have been referred to in olims as 'the last gathering'. We have interpreted this to mean that there will be no more generations of Starfall Marked after us." Shrugging her shoulders at the grim sound of that, she continued scanning the olims.

"The 'work of restoration' is likely restoring the connection to the Old Gods," she muttered, tapping her pencil against the paper. "And 'the second long forgotten' makes me wonder how old this Charizard is. We do not have a list of Blessed who studied under the first Oracle. And perhaps he never went at all." Reading some more, she asked, "'Broken of a mistaken dream' ... you did mention that Charizard was considered less than sane, did you not?" At Muandro's nod, she frowned slightly. "The '...in death delivers secret...' makes me think that his death was necessary for some knowledge to be passed along. But to whom? And that likely means that he is dead and your search for him will be..." Jazira's voice trailed off as she flicked an apologetic glance at the priest before returning to the olims. As she continued reading, she occasionally muttered quiet comments under her breath, writing additional notes with her thoughts. "This will take some more time to consider," she said, almost to herself.

Muandro went back to work on the olim he had begun before being attacked when a distinguished, well dressed human walking with a cane and accompanied by a massive giant approached. Both wore red and blue armbands and asked to enter the temple; Muandro did not object, as the temple was open to all. While the giant waited outside, the man introduced himself as Vorurt and said he had heard that Muandro was seeking Captain Selva. Vorurt was curious as to why and when Muandro explained vaguely as to his purpose, Vorurt simply provided a map to a nearby island where The Wingclipper could be found, having left Levelous two days ago.

Jazira raised one eyebrow in surprise as she looked at Vorurt appraisingly.

When the party voiced their suspicions, Vorurt explained his motives simply: “You clearly have unfinished business with the Litorian and judging by your weapons and demeanor, I can only assume this will result in violence—the more, the better. I only ask that you sink The Wingclipper when you deal with the Litorian.”

While she was certain that this Selva was likely her enemy, Lyra knew only too well that the enemy of an enemy is not always a friend. Wanting to know more about this man's motives, she asked, “Why should we believe you?”

“There is a cost to hiring mercenaries to do this: why bother, when you will do it for free?” Vorurt explained. He thanked the party for their time and withdrew. Jazira almost laughed out loud. He certainly has us pegged, she thought amusedly as she watched him walk away. Her smile disappeared as his request suddenly registered. Why would he want us to sink the Wingclipper? she wondered. Perhaps he simply thinks that we will be fighting from ship to ship - perhaps we will, at that, but it will make things more difficult. She shrugged aside the question to listen to Muandro.

Muandro finished the olim, which read:

Look behind youth of thirty, blessed seared and scarred for

A door of seven reduced to two, left within a nearing serpent’s grasp

Sought by the renders of a darkened triangle,

Left abandoned after a final journey in to gray,

Awaits half of a stolen gift from an enduring army

Taken by treachery from a visionary of night

"If we are interpreting this olim correctly, it seems like we have a chance to recover part of a stolen artifact from Luna," Jazira said. Looking around and seeing only agreement on the other faces, she smiled. "It would be nice if we could get it before our enemies try to go after it."

Lyra nodded. “And as quickly as possible before the Darkened Triangle gets its hands on more.” Seeing the confusion in Muandro’s face, she explained “This is not our first encounter with this phrase. We’ve actually met one. He had a mark, rather like a Starfall Mark, that glowed with dark energy, on his cheek. From what we’ve learned, they are gathering important artifacts and information on their own for some dubious purpose.”  Aware that she had just suggested more questions than answers, Stormbringer added, “There is much to explain, but perhaps in a more private location, like an inn?”

The party invited Muandro to stay with them at their inn, where it was hoped he might be able to avoid notice from those who disliked the questions he was asking. Once in more private chambers, they filled Muandro in on some of what the party had discovered on Mivilious and since their departure, though there were a few awkward moments when they were unsure how much to tell him regarding the true nature of the oracles, their deaths, and the secrets the oracles guarded.

During a lull in the conversation, Stormbringer cleared his voice nervously. "As you noticed, Muandro, one has...changed since leaving Gilarthan. One has not spoken of it even to his friends..." he broke off, looking uncomfortably at the others a moment before continuing.

"On Mivilious, during a battle, one lost...control...of his aura. It was an especially deadly battle, and the only way one could think of to defend himself against some strange shadowy creatures was by using sardra. But the aura grew so great as to...burn a large portion of the jungle." Stormbringer stopped, thinking of the potions in his pack that had also burst from the heat, and the terrible burns he had suffered at the same time. It was very difficult for him to continue, but after a moment and a long swallow from a mug of ale, he forced himself to do so.

"Since that day, one began to have dreams. Strange dreams, of dragons and fire. After leaving Mivilious, one began to speak with Sora Teraza about the elements, trying to understand how the aura had grown so large and why the dreams had begun. He read books brought from the Oracle, and the more one learned of the elements the more one learned of dragons, and the more the dreams continued. They continued until a few mornings ago, when one awoke like this." The goliath lifted his arms, watching as the light from the lamps glittered against the scales.

"One does not know how, or why, or what it might mean. Maybe it is because one sought to understand, or...maybe it is the sardra." He lowered his arms and looked miserably at the group. "One just doesn't know." Lyra looked up at Stormbringer and gave him a concerned pat on the arm.

Muandro nodded thoughtfully before responding. "I understand your concerns, Stormbringer, but I don't think you should worry that it was sardra. It's more likely that you have the blood of dragons in your family. A red dragon, most likely, judging by the scales. It was not so unusual for the Starfallen to choose mates among the people they taught. Is it possible that one of your ancestors was so blessed?"

Jazira nodded in agreement. Her thoughts had been much the same when she first saw Stormbringer after his transformation. The goliath had so obviously not wanted to talk about it, however, that she did not intrude on his privacy.

Stormbringer lifted his head, his eyes thoughtful. "There are stories of the Starfallen doing such things, but one has never heard of any in one's tribe being descended of dragons. But then, one's parents died when he was young, and the tribe did not survive. Perhaps some of the stories were lost? But why would one begin to change after the battle on Mivilious?"

Muandro shook his head. "I don’t think anyone truly knows how or why it happens.  There are many possibilities. If your family carries the blood of a dragon, perhaps the strength of the aura had somehow awakened that blood in your veins. As for the changes themselves, it is hard to say if they will continue or not. Some people only change a little, and others can take on even more characteristics of their Starfallen ancestry. You could grow claws, perhaps, or even grow wings. I don't know if there's any way to stop it, exactly, though perhaps you're right in that studying dragons and the elements would have an effect."

"Wings?" Stormbringer asked, startled. "One had not thought..." He smiled slowly. "Thank you. One does feel somewhat better. Perhaps it will not be so bad."

Lyra smiled up at Stormbringer. "Y'know... it COULD be an improvement." She chuckled, and then added, "But, if not, I could always make it look like it was."  Stormbringer smiled shyly back.

After talking long into the night, the party agreed to depart at first light for The Wingclipper.

[Top of the page]



The party left Levelous and headed west, reaching the island indicated on the map by the 15th of the Deluge. Captain Baris sailed Luna’s Blessing around the northern edge of the island, bringing the ship in to beach near dusk about a mile away from The Wingclipper, which was also beached on the sand for the night on the south side of the island. Under cover of darkness, the party approached, easily getting within a good range of the ship. Three tents were set up in the sand, giving the crew accommodations off ship, and the primarily human guards were using two campfires plus a lantern on the ship for light, giving the party a good view of the area. Lyra made a brief scouting trip and the party quickly came up with a plan, which included silencing a set of three bells (one on each of the masts of the ship) and disabling the ballista.

The party moved into position as Lyra and Elin, both invisible, climbed aboard the ship and started the attack. Lyra, keeping her hand firmly upon the center mast, Gathered Her Focus and covered the large area with silence. She tapped Elin on the shoulder, letting him know she was ready. With the silence cast, Elin removed himself from hiding under the bow stairs and gathered his focus. This attracted the attention of the guards on the deck, but also signaled their friends in the jungle. The party, along with Muandro, Harlock, and Sora Teraza rushed the beach. Sora Teraza used her bow to start picking off the guards a prudent distance from the battle using the jungle for cover. Hawk tossed a javelin at the most dangerous looking guard, and then moved in, swinging his chain ominously. Half the crew was caught completely off guard as they slept in the tents: they eventually joined the fight, but without any armor and just with daggers and knives, they were brutally cut down. The guards lasted longer but faired no better: of the crew, only the officers were able to put up a serious fight, including Captain Selva. Elin kept the deck guards occupied with a grappling force as some of his companions were able to make it onto the ship and give him a hand. One of the crew, a white-haired elf named Alba, was a Mentablade and fought extremely well. Another, a Halfling, dodged on deck but could not stand toe-to-toe against Jazira. An archer fired accurately but without much effect: her biggest contribution was tossing an elemental gem on deck, releasing a very angry large Water Elemental that promptly attacked everyone within reach, both allies and enemies. It was the elemental that kept Elin from seriously aiding his friends with his menta abilities. It was between most of his companions and the officers and the captain. It wasn't until it was defeated by Stormbringer, and Hawk and Irit managed to reach the boat that they were able to concentrate on the really dangerous foes. Lyra watched all of this, carefully appraising the situation. If she remained at her post silencing the deck too long, the others might be in danger. Too short and anyone below deck might be alerted to their presence. It was at the appearance of the water elemental that she let go and entered the fray.


Captain Selva

The Litorian captain was obviously a skilled Savant and managed to create a solid region of ice, almost trapping Muandro, and allowing herself to escape as the battle swayed clearly into the party’s favor. She disappeared out a rear window of her quarters, possibly carried off on an elemental and attempts to catch her, or even see her in the darkness proved futile. However, the party had taken the ship over without any losses of their own and successfully took two prisoners. Hawk, disgusted that they had let the Litorian escape, was nonetheless pleased with how the fight had turned out. The initial silence tactic had taken the enemy completely off guard, and, once battle was joined, each member of the party performed their roles well. Muandro completely nullified the most dangerous spellcaster, Elin and Lyra confused and bewildered the guards on deck, Jazira took out the dangerous Halfling, and, he somewhat proudly noted, Hawk had used his chain as a means to disarm, trip, and foul up the enemy, nullifying their attacks and allowing Irit to bring his best attacks to bear. He was becoming True Tzarukai in deed, not just form.

They quickly decided to get the Wingclipper off the beach and return to where the Luna's Blessing was beached. They did not know if the escaped captain would be able to muster a counter-attack or not, but they did not want to wait and find out. Elin took the boat out at a very slow speed and kept close to shore using the darkvision of some of his companions as guidance.

While everyone bandaged their wounds and searched the ship, Lyra was suddenly stricken with a thought. Back when they first left Mivilious, and were choosing their slaver guises, Stormbringer had some difficulty in choosing a name for himself. He had explained that, in Gilarthan, one could not choose their own name, but had to have one bestowed upon them. When Lyra chose "Pathfinder" for him (as he would be helping to steer the ship), he was less than enthused, but accepted it.

At seeing the carnage he dealt on both ship and shore, Lyra knew she had the perfect name for him. She called for silence all around the ship as she stepped purposefully toward the goliath. She told him to sit. "The time has come for you to shed the mantle of dishonor (that you seem to think you carry), Stormbringer. From this day on, because of your prowess in battle and the terror you instill in your foes, I will call you..." Pausing both for dramatic effect and to hit him firmly in the chest, she bellowed out, "'Bloodhammer!'" Lyra shook the pain out of her fist and smiled up at him. "I know I am no Chieftain, but the time seemed right. I hope I honored you in my choice and my delivery."

The goliath was both surprised and touched by Lyra's thoughtfulness and initiative. He had, of course, spoken to her at some length about the traditions of his people during their travels, and though he had been aware at how carefully the halfling took note in her journal of what she learned, he hadn't guessed that she would be so astute. For a moment, he did not know what to say. Finally, he stumbled out thanks.

"One would be...is...honored to be gifted with such a strong name. Thank you." Bloodhammer said, humbly bowing his head.

With The Wingclipper underway and joining Luna’s Blessing, the party questioned the prisoners and searched the ship, learning that the hold was filled with exotic double bladed weapons and armor of various sizes. The most shocking discovery was five crates, each full of different colored dragon scales: black, blue, gray, copper and white. After exchanging disbelieving glances at each other, the crates were carefully closed again. Are those crates all that remain of Ryme and Charizard? Jazira wondered. A hard knot formed in her stomach. Hawk looked on in disbelief. Who would have the hubris to harvest dragons, messengers of the Old Gods, like sheep? These, he decided, were worse than slavers. As the party investigated further in the hold and among the ledgers, they learned that Selva sold the items as well as training in their use to the local tribes called “Grynlock” on the south end of the island for a war against those of the north end of the island in exchange for a massive cache of curatives, including three dozen potions and forty Life Leaves. The plan was to sell the remaining weapons and armor to the tribe on the north side of the island, doubling the profit of the expedition. The party collected the curatives and transferred them to their own ship.

A search of Selva’s quarters yielded numerous drawings of dragons, dragon scales, and various papers indicating that she had collected five dragons for someone named “Millany Keeseking” in Tersun, a port about five days away. She had also collected and sold a dragon to Vergustus Zeech: Nightscale, whom the party had fought on several occasions to (at best) a draw. It was mildly disgusting to see the work of the dragon hunter for Elin, especially as he realized one of their friends, an Oracle, may have been among those captured and sold.

Lyra felt the bile rise in her stomach as she looked at the scales and the anatomic drawings of dragons spread on the wall. She hurried out to the railings to vomit over the side. When she was finished, she reached into her pack for the large silver band she carried that had once belonged to Ryme. It cannot be true, friend, she thought. But, if it is, I will see you avenged and I will fight for you and all your fallen brethren.

Looking at the drawings, Jazira was disgusted to see various sketches of armor along with anatomical drawings of dragons. Was this poor Ryme's fate - from Oracle to armor? The thought was very upsetting, and she looked away from the drawings a moment to settle herself, pressing one hand against her stomach. The knot threatened to get even larger.

Bloodhammer studied the diagrams numbly. He knew what the drawings portended, but it was too much to dwell on. There was only a strange sense of loss. He had thought so much about the olim Muandro had shared with him those years before that the other Starfall Marked, this Charizard, had almost become a brother to him. He'd so looked forward to meeting "the second long forgotten among the memories of few." Now it seemed likely that the dragon was dead, and that chance was lost forever.

The party discussed their next move, starting with wanting to take their newly acquired ship to Levelous, and wondering whether Vorurt or his master would be interested in purchasing the ship. They eventually realized that despite the years since Charizard’s capture, discovering the fate of the dragon before word reached Tersun of the loss of The Wingclipper and Millany Keeseking was alerted to the coming danger were slim. "It is unfortunate that we were unable to capture this Selva. I am sure she had considerable information we would be interested in." Jazira sighed regretfully. "I am curious to find out who she is connected with."

[Top of the page]



Luna’s Blessing reached the settlement of Tersun, on the south side of a small island of the same name, late on the 18th of the Deluge. The party sailed the ship while Captain Baris and their passengers took The Wingclipper to an isolated bay on a nearby island. They had thought about trying to disguise themselves as the crew of the Wingclipper, but they had realized that might prove to be a bad idea. With the ship's captain on the loose, it was best to keep that ship hidden. The dragon scales were transferred though, in case they needed to try to contact a market for such items. It was agreed the group would try to get some solid information about the town before bringing up trade in goods that were illegal at most ports. The town was moderate sized, with a population of about a thousand, and was situated upon a slightly elevated area less than a mile wide and mostly covered with thick orchards. The rest of the island was swampland and looked inhospitable from the shore.

The party docked their ship, paying a very reasonable docking fee, and were directed to the local market as the inhabitants welcomed the party openly, expecting they were traders. The city was of relatively new construction.

"Let me do the talking, as this place can be quite... delicate," Lyra told the party. "As strange as this might sound, I actually studied this place when I was at the Academy at home. They don't trust outsiders and are likely to turn violent when approached. We have to work carefully to build their trust if we are to get them to trade with us. This is an appropriate place for Scuttle, as they are less likely to challenge someone who clearly knows how to handle herself." She shifted her footing, mussed her hair, and began to scowl in a routine familiar to the others as Lyra transformed into Scuttle. "Here we go," she muttered, in her gruff Scuttle-voice. With one hand on her rapier, she stepped from the ship to the docks in the direction of the markets.

On the way, she grimaced at each passerby and confidently called "May your blade stay sharp." To the party she explained that this was the traditional greeting for this island, indicating the ferocity of its citizens.

"But I'm not carrying a blade," a man called back at her, confused.

His response took Lyra aback. "I am sure that was right," she said, mostly to herself. "The book I read it from wasn't even that old. And the High Magister would never allow me to leave with incorrect information. I'd shame the island..."

Most of the locals were human, although there were also numerous “ox” (large hairless muscular humanoids bronzed by the sun that did not speak and were clearly a servitor race) about as well, handling all the heavy manual labor. Contrary to Lyra's warnings, everyone was very friendly, greeting the newcomers warmly and with marked enthusiasm. This added to her discomfort. Something about Tersun was not right, of that she was sure.

The market featured minor crafts, clothing, and a considerable haul of fruits and vegetables, including the local favorite, a purple fruit called “gurn” that the locals took obvious pride in. The market lacked slaves, and serious weapons or armor, and was unlike many of the markets the party had seen in the southern islands. They purchased a few crates of gurn, trying to start a conversation with the local merchants. They all quickly assumed the roles of different members of a merchant's group headed by Scuttle, Jazira, and Sora. It surprised Elin how quickly Hawk and Bloodhammer slipped into somewhat dimwitted laborer roles, completely throwing off the locals from thinking they were something to be afraid of. They seemed to quickly become somewhat talkative "ox" to most of the crowd. Hawk read the look on Elin's face, understanding his meaning. He raised his eyebrow slightly in acknowledgment of the sentiment. Normally, a proud Tsarukai warrior would never stoop to such a charade, but Hawk was quickly learning from experience - and from watching Lyra - that much could be accomplished with a little bit of acting, certainly more than strutting around scaring people. (He just hoped he wouldn't run into anyone he knew.)


Mayor Urthon

At the market, Mayor Urthon approached the party with his “ox” in tow, which the martial minded in the party mistook for a bodyguard. Introductions were made and Urthon clearly angled to promote trade with the newcomers: Lyra quickly arranged an opportunity to look at Urthon’s trade records for the town as well as a dinner invitation.

Urthon led the party out of town to his small estate: on the way, Lyra and Elin both noticed the trees… They looked somewhat like the trees that made up the majority of the swamp on Elin's island. As he got closer to them he thought they were surely an offshoot of the same type of tree. He asked the mayor if most of the island had been reclaimed from swampland but was informed that it hadn't. Of course, by then Lyra had become somewhat agitated and continued to barrage the mayor with questions about the trees.

They were able to quietly share some of their observations with their companions before they reached the main house.

"Something is definitely wrong here," Lyra hissed, trying to keep the Mayor from hearing her. "These trees... should not be here. They are Malagorian trees. Entrusted to the Five Friends by Malago himself. He traveled with them to Andira and told them to do everything to keep the seeds safe, including sacrificing themselves." As she spoke, her voice became more panicked, the worry in her eyes apparent. "It was Malago who sought out the raft of Halflings and directed them to the Five Friends to do the work of the trees. He could not have given them to anyone else! There wasn't time!"

Jazira did not know what to say to soothe the agitated Halfling woman. She settled on patting her shoulder gently in compassion, but remained silent while her eyes continuously scanned the orchards for anyone approaching.

At Urthon’s home, the party briefly met his six wives, all of which were busy working to prepare the evening meal. They were able to sample quite a variety of dishes associated with the gurn, and make continued small talk about the island's history. They tried to question the mayor about any ruins or Starfall shrines that the island may have, making him think they were interested in something to attract more people into coming to the island.

Frustrated by the role Bloodhammer was forced to play as a 'brute', the goliath grew restless and stood, doing his best to appear to be wandering aimlessly about the room. Coming upon a group of the women Urthon had named his wives, Bloodhammer approached one, keeping his expression as slack as possible. He grunted loudly and shifted from foot to foot.

"Pot!" Bloodhammer announced in the low stuperous voice he'd adopted at Hawk's lead. "Bloodhammer told to ask for pot." He made a vague motion toward his midsection.

The woman slowed, slightly alarmed. "I'm sorry? How can I help you?"

"Pot!" Bloodhammer bellowed again. "Pee in pot! Little One says Bloodhammer use pot! Need pee!"

After a moment of some confusion, the woman finally understood and became quite sympathetic. She led him into a small room off the kitchen, and told him to use the privy within. "Don't get upset if you miss, dear. We'll take care of things for you."

Bloodhammer grunted loudly and closed the door. Then, sighing over the humiliation of it all, he pressed his ear to the door in the hope of hearing something important from the women as they worked, occasionally making loud sounds of relief to keep them from growing suspicious. Unfortunately, their chatter was entirely of the mundane, giving no indication of anything other than what they appeared to be.

Jazira carefully watched Urthon as the dinner conversation progressed, and she got the feeling that he was holding something back from them. This goes beyond being strangers in his home, Jazira thought to herself, maintaining a politely interested expression on her face. Even Hawk, normally not the most socially adept, was able to pick up on the strangeness in Urthon's manner. It was almost as if the man were trying to communicate something he could not.

Afterwards, the group adjourned to the living room and Lyra looked over the records, noticing the name “Millany Keeseking” in some of the earliest trade records. She related a far-fetched story about someone of the same name in her homeland and with considerable prompting Urthon explained that Millany was a founder of the island and a powerful Lifebond who had gone insane. Millany had killed most of the villagers but the survivors were able to trap him in underground tunnels below some ruins at the edge of the swamp, sealing him in permanently 15 years ago.

Urthon was clearly embarrassed by the whole situation and not at all eager to discuss it, although Lyra eventually convinced him that the party should investigate in case the “Millany” of her home island was the same as the one sealed alive. Urthon finally agreed, but insisted on having guards present and being very careful with reopening the underground prison.

[Top of the page]



The ruins were little more than the foundation of a large building or home; among them, an obvious large stone “plug” covered the entrance to a pit leading to the underground prison. With the guards ready and several ox to lift the plug, Urthon supervised the opening of the pit. Looking in, the party could see that 60’ feet below it opened into some kind of chamber with four pillars and some kind of carvings or mosaic on the ground. The walls of the pit were lined with sharp blades and glass shards: climbing up or down would be very dangerous at best.

Jazira eyed the number of guards appraisingly, and then glanced at the mayor. He looked nervous, and while she thought it might be because of the risk of something down there emerging, she had a feeling it was more than that. This has all the makings of a lovely trap, she thought, but remained silent. Her companions were not idiots, and she knew they were coming to the same conclusion.

With the plug removed without immediate attack, Urthon directed the guards to set up a heavy metal tripod straddling the pit: the tripod was designed to allow someone to be lowered down on a rope without touching the sides of the 10’ diameter pit. Hawk wrinkled his brow - well well, quite prepared for this sort of thing, are we? he thought. The party exchanged many incredulous glances.

Elin saw no reason not to use his menta abilities. He told his companions that he would try to see if he could detect any minds in the pit or underground. He did as he said, using his mind to view the Mindscape at the longest range he could muster. He tried to stay away from the pit as he moved around it, viewing through the ground as best he could. He announced he hadn't detected anything, but didn't stop viewing the scene with his abilities.

Meanwhile, Hawk and Lyra, acting on their many months of training as a team, simultaneously acted out a plan without needing to speak to each other. Hawk groaned his best "ox" groan, and complained about some vague "problem" happening again, and called for Scuttle to help him. Lyra didn't miss a beat, and followed the bellowing minotaur behind a rise. Once hidden from the others, Lyra cast a duplicate image of herself, and crawled into Hawk's pack. Hawk and "Lyra" returned, Hawk murmuring loud thanks for Scuttle's help. He smiled inwardly, happy that his playing dumb had paid off, if only in a small measure.

Lyra was curious to see what the mayor and his people would do once Scuttle, the leader and annoying inquisitive meddler of this group, was helpless at the bottom of the well. From inside Hawk's pack, she peeked out, concentrating on the image of herself riding the hoist down. Once at the bottom, she sent the image back and forth calling out loudly. Finding nothing, the image jumped onto the rope and rose back up. So, they aren't stupid, she thought. The fake Lyra, in need of her waterskin from Hawk's pack, hoisted herself up Hawk's back and into his pack, where the real Lyra emerged.

Elin watched with interest as Lyra remained in Hawk's backpack, while everyone seemed to be watching her go down the rope into the pit. With everyone concentrating on her in the pit, he decided to read the surface thoughts of Urthon's mind. He did so very carefully, expending enough energy to keep Urthon from noticing he was doing so. He was surprised and somewhat alarmed by Urthon's thoughts about getting them all into the pit. The mayor desperately wanted them all to go into the pit, but was clearly worried about something else as well. He was glad when Lyra's umbra self came back out of the pit and reported that she hadn't found anything. Elin backed away from the pit and stopped using his menta abilities. He added his voice to the discussion that there was obviously nothing down there that they had to worry about, or that would affect any of "their" plans to invest in the island.

After Lyra declared the pit clear and that they were done investigating, Urthon sealed the pit without protest and seemed genuinely relieved. The party walked with him and his entourage back to his home before thanking him and heading back to their ship.

Elin was relieved when they were finally alone on their ship and he could tell his companions how they had avoided the trap. He explained that Urthon had wanted them to go into the pit with the intention of sealing them up inside once they all were down there. He also related that Urthon was afraid of something, something that wanted them trapped down in that pit.

Jazira nodded. "It was obvious that he was worried about something. Our inquiries about Millany Keeseking were none too subtle, after all," she shot a quick glance at Lyra before continuing, "and the set-up around the pit just shouted 'trap'. We are fortunate in having Lyra's skills with umbra, as well as your menta skills, Elin." She smiled at the tiny woman and man.

[Top of the page]



Back at the ship, Hawk spotted a note attached to the walkway to the ship:

You are in great danger—leave this island at once! Others have come before you and they are no more!

Using his innate ability to detect subtle scents, the minotaur did not smell anything unusual in the area although he was able to distinguish a scent off the note; however, following it into the city proved too difficult. Neither Sora Teraza nor Harlock had heard anyone approach the boat and reported nothing amiss.


Delk

An "Ox" (Also, The Silver Seer)

The party decided to investigate further and headed to “The Happy Gurn” (the only tavern in town). Oddly enough, Hawk chose to remain behind, despite being the only one who could identify the person who left the note on the ship by scent, stating that he would attract too much attention. Elin stayed behind as well, taking a watch post in the crows nest. He hoped he would be able to see any trouble the rest got into from that height.

At the tavern, the party spent a few hours talking to the locals and buying drinks. No one seemed to recognize Millany Keeseking’s name and the party did not learn much of interest, although when Muandro took out his Quezat’el and began checking the locals for Starfall Marks, news passed quickly and he was soon mobbed as nearly everyone in the town rushed to find out if they were blessed. Some of the locals explained that they had never been visited by a Starfall priest and were very eager to discover a “Blessed of the Old Gods” among them—a reaction that was fairly typical in Muandro’s experiences as well as those of the party.

Bloodhammer realized that Muandro presented an ideal opportunity to find out who left the note: The goliath raced back to the ship and pulled Hawk back to the tavern. He sniffed around and found the scent: a local named Delk who sat and watched the festivities while drinking heavily. Lyra sat with him and tried to make conversation: he was quite friendly, taking the chance to lean in and whisper that she was in danger as “The Silver Seer sees all! The Mayor will kill us if you leave town!” He offered a few more vague warnings before departing: Lyra noticed that the barkeep, Rigg, had watched the exchange while everyone else in the tavern was focused on Muandro.

Eventually Muandro wrapped up his examinations and story telling, promising to return the next day to check the rest of the village. Delk had dashed out the front door and Hawk had been unable to follow him due to the numerous scents in the area. The party regrouped at Luna’s Blessing and compared notes.

Unable to find room in the small space of the ship to pace properly, Bloodhammer gave up trying and turned to face the party. "Urthon should be confronted about this. No more tiptoeing around. There is proof that the mayor is involved in something here, and the only way to find out what is going on here is to make him tell the truth."

The party agreed but decided to hold off confronting the mayor until morning.

The night passed uneventfully and on the 19th of the Deluge, the party decided to draw the mayor to them, sending a messenger inviting him aboard for a traditional Andiran meal prepared by Lyra, and mentioning that they would be departing the island soon. Jazira suggested having a bowl with the dragon scale samples sitting on the table as decoration, to see if the mayor reacted. Urthon and his ox soon arrived: he seemed genuinely concerned about their departure when there was still “much to discuss about trade and so forth!” Lyra invited him aboard, and he accepted (leaving his ox outside). Elin and a few others busied themselves about the boat, leaving the conversation to their "leaders."

Chatting animatedly about the trade possibilities on the island Urthon did a very visible double-take at the sight of the dragon scales, and then completely ignored it. The party exchanged significant glances, and then Lyra spoke up.

"We know who you are and we know what you're doing! You tell us right now where we can find Selva and what it is that she is doing with all the dragons she's capturing or Hawk and Bloodhammer will rip you apart!" She glowered at the man, challenging him to defy her.

Obviously distressed, Urthon said frantically, "Just get off this island!" As soon as he spoke, he started screaming and clutching at his head. Blood started pouring out his eyes, nose, and mouth, and his skull started crumpling in like something was crushing him.

Thinking quickly, Lyra poured a healing potion on him. Jazira did a hasty check for a pulse at his throat, and said, "He's alive!" At Lyra's urging, she then ran up on deck to check on the situation, Bloodhammer close behind.

A few of them that had not been next to the commotion below moved to investigate. Elin was nowhere near the stairs so he readied himself by gathering his focus, and looking around for signs of attack.

Hawk, meanwhile, had chosen to stay on deck, alert for any signs of attack that might appear when Urthon was confronted. He was distracted momentarily when Urthon screamed, and began to dash down to the hold, but then looked up to notice that the ox was walking purposefully away from the ship, his eyes retaining a silver glow. Hawk did an about face and cast a javelin at the retreating ox, and was about to pursue it. He didn't have to bother - the ox turned around and began to return to the ship, perhaps because it was aware that the minotaur had spotted it, and thus had unfinished business. In a moment, Urthon's "ox" was standing at the foot of the gangplank, eyes glowing a bright silver, staring at Muandro, who had responded to Hawk's bellowing. Jazira ran forward, along with Muandro and Bloodhammer, and attacked. Elin advanced toward the ox as it started to retreat along the dock, but the range was a bit too far. He fired an arrow at the creature instead of using his menta abilities, but it did not do much damage. Once the others had closed in on it, it turned and began to fight. With the ox no longer retreating Elin was able to get close enough to attack its mind with its own memories of pain, adding to the damage his companions were dealing. Elin felt it lash out with a similar attack against him, but he was able to shrug off the effects. Meanwhile, as the gunwale became overcrowded with party members trying to injure the ox, Hawk decided he'd press the advantage from behind the creature and dove into the water, pulling himself along the dock and up. He was just able to get in a lash with his chain when the creature was finally killed, although Bloodhammer was knocked unconscious in the mental assault.

Suddenly, a pale worm-like creature emerged from the ox's eye socket. Seeing the goliath lying helpless on the ground, it immediately moved towards him to try to enter his body. Horrified, Jazira and Muandro jumped forward and killed it. Panting slightly, more from fright than the exertion, Jazira said, "We have encountered those worm parasites before. They take over the mind of the person completely!" She shuddered at the close call, remembering poor Aurad. Elin remembered the worm as well and was glad they had been able to dispatch it so quickly. The previous one had nearly felled him and Jazira in their fight with Allustan.

With the threat outside the ship taken care of, they checked on Bloodhammer, dumping a couple potions on him until he came around. Jazira kept a wary eye on the dock area, but nobody approached the ship to ask what had happened.

[Top of the page]



With the fight on the docks over and Mayor Urthon recovering, the party regrouped on the ship and questioned the relieved mayor. Urthon explained the ox was “The Silver Seer” although he had no idea that a worm inhabited it and was capable of powerful menta abilities. Urthon had never seen such a worm before and had no idea what to make of the discovery, but explained that Tersun was little more than a village on the edge of the swamp with a dozen or so residents until Allustan arrived, bringing seeds to start the orchards. Allustan put the town on the path it was on, helping transform it from a few ramshackle huts to a prospering and growing settlement.

Allustan had placed The Silver Seer to watch over the town and rarely visited: he had been back on several occasions over the years with a Litorian, bringing large containers north into the swamp. Urthon confessed that he knew they held dragons although few others were aware: Delk owned a barge and knew the swamp better than anyone else in the settlement, which Allustan drew upon to convey his “prisoners” deep into the swamp.

The story of “Millany Keeseking” was a code (rearranged, the letters spelled “kill any seeking me”): Allustan had explored the underground ruins and bound some kind of Fade there, instructing Urthon that anyone asking about Millany was to be brought to the pit and thrown in, or convinced to enter if they were too formidable. Through tears, Urthon confessed there had been others over the years that he had sent into the pit, including even some Arkruz legionnaires.

"Allustan is dead." Jazira said bluntly, watching Urthon's face closely for any reaction.

Urthon broke down and wept, obviously relieved of the burden he had carried for years. The party questioned him further, but it was clear he knew nothing else. Urthon explained that after talking with the party, Delk was quietly arrested, but they did not have time to “deal with him” yet: Urthon would have him immediately released.

The party escorted Urthon from their ship and agreed they should keep the situation quiet; Delk was released and agreed to assist the party, confessing his warning to them was motivated by guilt over his part in Allustan’s work.

[Top of the page]




Talos

An hour later the party headed north, but the journey was slow: Delk’s barge was easily large enough for the party, but could only navigate the larger channels within the swamp. The party helped Delk move it along by pushing with poles: they covered only about a mile an hour, taking most of the daylight hours for the barge to reach the only dry land larger than a small cottage along the whole journey. The ruins were built into a hillside and the exterior was surrounded by a twenty foot high stone wall, clearly some kind of fortification although it had the look and feel of a place long abandoned.

Leaving Delk with his barge, the party investigated the ruins, entering through the remains of a drawbridge to the courtyard. The structure built into the cliff looked like a two-story fortress with a single first floor entrance and a shattered second floor wall—although the party had little time to investigate before a huge dragon skeleton emerged from a nearby cave and promptly attacked. The skeleton was resistant to most of the party’s slashing and piercing weapons, although Jazira and Muandro were able to affect it normally; it also attacked with fearsome strength and efficiency, requiring the combined efforts of the entire party (including Sora Teraza and Harlock) to defeat it. They were lucky that the fight had occurred out in the open so they could all attack it together. It was also in their favor that they had plenty of room to retreat in, as the creature could deal out quite a lot of damage to one target. Bloodhammer’s great-hammer proved especially effective against the skeleton.

Lyra looked sadly at the pile of bones, thinking back to the scales and drawings on the ship. She prayed that it was not Ryme they had just destroyed, but then recanted, thinking that, if so, he was at rest now.

After a search of the area revealed nothing, the party advanced to inside the ruins, finding it also empty until they reached a second floor landing. With the narrow corridors restricting his movement, Hawk decided to go back outside and keep watch.

Lyra opted to stay with him, once again climbing into his rather spacious backpack. "I'm of little use against such things," she explained. "The best I can do is keep you safe, Hawk, since you seem to wound them well."

Meanwhile, the party continued and gathered into a stairwell and climbed to the second floor. Meanwhile, Hawk decided he could survey the area better from higher up; using his chain to aid his climb, he easily scaled the decaying wall of one of the turrets. Unfortunately, this provoked the attacks of the deadwalking dragons: four more skeletons emerged to defend the area: three were large and one was about human sized. The skeletal defenders fought without noise or emotion, being nothing more than constructs, but they fought well. None of the party dropped, but most of the group earned numerous wounds in the fight. It was a hard fight considering that most of the creatures had greater reaches than the party. Harlock was heard to say "Well, here we go again" as he exposed himself to the claws of the skeletal dragon in order to attack it. Elin put the skills he had practiced to good use seeing how he was caught behind most of the rest of the party. The Halfling sized greatsword he had recovered from earlier adventures flew over the heads of his companions and began to add to their attacks.

With the defenders destroyed, the party searched the area, discovering an excavated area with an unusual stone wall that clearly did not match the surroundings. Upon it, a circle of six colors marked an area about ten feet in diameter: all were faded except one, a section a sixth of the circle that glowed red with the strength of a lantern or torch. The circle was identical to the traditional symbol of The 6 Elements the party had seen on Mivilious, other than the five sections that were faded.

In searching the rooms on the upper level, the party found a large golden construct sitting in the darkness of one of the rooms. As Lyra peeked around the corner it moved slightly and spoke: “Talos.” It looked around but did not seem dangerous, only confused. The construct did not know its name or have any memories at all: it was as if it suddenly became sentient when Lyra approached it. It was unsure of the word it spoke, although the party started to call it Talos for lack of a better name.

With a little prompting, Talos agreed to smash through the only solid door in the ruins, obviously of newer construction than the rest of the place; behind it, the party found a trio of chests. When opened they found a trove of documents: Allustan’s research and personal letters. The party divvied up the items and began looking through them.

the 6 elements // A 3.5 Edition Dungeons and Dragons Campaign
Email the DM: dm@the6elements.com
Visit the Campaign Forum

[Top of the page]