Stephen's Game History Part 2

Fire Season 1614 - Earth Season 1614

Play resumed in early Fire Season 1614st. Forang Farosh took the adventurers into the tin mines in the foot hills surrounding Tink where they were exposed to powerful ghosts from the Dragonkill Wars. Ancient generals and war-leaders were called from the Spirit Plane and their souls poured into the consciousness of Kirwin Drae, Darkos Warkannon, Cleombrotus and Grant McKielson. For many days these departed spirits wrestled with the minds of the four ex-Lunar soldiers and when finally they left it was found the four of them had learnt something of military strategy and tactics, knowledge given to them by the dead spirits.

‘Mark well what you have learnt,’ said Forang. The mysterious scholar then told them what Fate had in store for them. They were to split up. They were to wage war! The four dragons of Dragon Pass must be allowed to sleep and rise at their own will – they must not be found by Lunar wizards! Lurid and Amhotep were to return to the Queendom of Esrolia and to keep watch over the Green Dragon of the Skyreach Mountains. Forang himself would stand guard for the Red Dragon of Ormsgone. Cleombrotus and Kurgen Sourtooth would go into Dagori Inkarth to ensure no Lunar ambassadors made for the Black Dragon protected by Cragspider the troll witch. This left Grant, Darkos and Kirwin to return to Sartar, to the lands surrounding the Brown Dragon in the Jarn valley. Of all the dragons, the Jarn dragon was the most prone since it lived in a vast green valley in central Sartar and may well be found by advancing Lunar hoplites. The three of them were charged with a single mission – enter the lands of the hill barbarians and start a diversionary war that would lead the Lunar armies away from the Jarn valley so the dragon could rest in peace. To do this they would need to ingratiate themselves with local tribes, and this would prove difficult for strangers. However, Forang had an ally within the Lismelder tribe: an ex-Yelmalian who went by the sobriquet ‘Bolgstealer’. Forang told the trio to meet up with him, that he could be trusted by them, and furthermore, he was trusted by the Greydog clan.

Kirwin, remembering his oath to the young Lucia in faraway Ryehaven, made off to take his bride as had been his pledge.

They met up with Bolgstealer at Clearwine Fort. As they rode the dusty track to Greydog they told Bolgstealer of all that had happened. Bolgstealer himself was an honest and keen helper. He rode upon a strong warhorse, caparisoned in armour. His armour showed the old marks of the sun-worshippers but his attitude was clearly not that of the puritanical Yelmalians who he seemed keen to avoid. The well-spoken warrior carried his weapons with confidence and showed a worldly knowledge that rejected the insular attitudes of the Yelmalians.

In Greydog they made for the clan longhouse. Bolgstealer introduced them to the locals as well as the clan leaders: Kournos Longbrewer, the clan chieftain; Cornard Deathdealer, a Humakti Sword and clan Champion; Ornar Greymane, a scribe of Lhankor Mhy. Grant, Kirwin and Darkos explained themselves as Tarsh Exiles and for this they were gratefully accepted into the clan halls and Kournos extended his hospitality to them. They drank the finely brewed ales the Greydog were famous for, ate at the tables and joined in both song and merriment as the hall fires laced their smoke up into the dark seasoned rafters.

Kournos also had other guests that night. With them was Edruf Longnose. Edruf was a delegate of the Righteous Wind, a group of fundamentalist storm worshippers with a grievance against sun and moon worshippers. Edruf was at Greydog to rally support and was having some success among the Urox worshippers in the clan. Edruf gave a speech and many promised to help the Righteous Wind. Kournos pledged support from his clan, even if he could not promise to send warriors. But there were other guests! Three strangers were admitted and gave their names as Egrid, Wulf and Darin. Kournos extended his hospitality to them, but shortly after they were exposed as Yelmalian sun worshippers! Many were angry – Edruf had only just given his speech. The Bull worshippers were for smashing their heads together there and then. But Kournos stopped this. He had offered his hospitality to the travellers and all should respect that. They were to be given shelter but no food or drink had been offered and so none should be given. Sheepishly the three Yelmalians kept to the dark corners out of sight and, hopefully, out of mind. A noise! A knock, a whinney, the sound of horse’s hooves. Bolgstealer woke up. He looked around and Egrid and companions were missing. He woke up the others. Edruf had been killed. So too had a serving girl. Kournos was livid. In the dead of the night he ordered his thanes to mount up and chase after the fleeing murderers whilst he and Cornard would lead the rest on foot. As they neared Bluestone Vale a horse came out of the dark. Its rider was missing, but Kournos recognised it as one of the clan animals. Danger was ahead. For fear of ambush Kournos decided the warband should split up. He and Cornard would lead half the force on one side of the vale and, since Kirwin was an initiate of Humakt, he would lead the other half.

As the two parties made their way along the opposite ridges of the vale there was a sudden shout and a flight of arrows as their assailants charged from out of the gloom! Kirwin quickly organised his troop into a line of tightly packed shields. Darkos, who mounted the stray Greydog horse, would gallop around to outflank their attackers. The two shieldwalls met and battle was joined. Things went well on the adventurer’s side. All four of them showed their prowess as military men, leading the Greydog clansmen well in battle. Darkos took a prisoner just as they heard the clan horns blow, calling them back.

Although they had done well in repelling the ambush they had found it hard to keep on with the attack. They had taken one prisoner, but the riders from the clan were all missing. Sullenly, Kournos decided to return to Greydog, where they returned safely as the sun rose.

Kournos was pleased with the prisoner, and pleased with how the adventurers had fought well. He sent a message to the Yelmlians suggesting an exchange of prisoners. The Yelmalians held six of the Greydog warriors and wanted 2,000 lunars for each. This was a sum the Greydog could not afford. Bolgstealer and Grant were sent to King Thanos of the Lismelder in nearby Swordvale for permission to seek Lunar justice. Darkos, as hero of the previous battle, stayed at Greydog. For Kirwin a special mission was offered. Since he was an initiate of Humakt he was asked if he would enter one of the tribal burial mounds. The site was the resting-place of an ancient Greydog hero, a hero who wore a magical helmet. If the helmet could be retrieved it would be a good omen for the clan. However. The mound was said to be haunted, but not so haunted that a worthy Humakti initiate could not deal with it…

Grant and Bolgstealer returned with permission to appeal to the Lunar Governor in Boldhome. Kirwin returned triumphantly and with much honour. He had with him the magical helmet and stories of zombies and other fell undead as well as a sore shoulder and pulled muscles. Kournos was happy. The clan was happy.

At Boldhome they found Lunar justice to be wanting. The Governor, Euglyptus the Fat, agreed to hear both plaintiffs. The Yelmalians arrived with the six Greydog prisoners and two Lunar advocates. The Greydog claim laid on a betrayal of hospitality. Egrid had betrayed Kournos’ hospitality by killing Edruf, who was also under his protection. The Yelmalian counter was that Egrid was NOT the murderer, that Darin had slain Edruf . They claimed there was no oath of hospitality between Darin and Edruf, only to Kournos, therefore there was no breach of hospitality. At this point Grant spoke up and mentioned that a serving girl had also been killed, a serving girl owned by Kournos and therefore hospitality HAD been broken. For speaking out of turn the Lunars had him flogged. But it had raised doubts. Euglyptus ordered that ALL prisoners would be handed over to Lunar authorities and that a ransom of 1,000 lunars would be put on all. Kournos and the Greydog were not happy.

Revenge! Back at Greydog plans were made to make the Yelmalians pay. Grant, Kirwin and Bolgstealer were told to travel to the border town of Barley and gather what information they could about its defences. Kournos’ plan was that they would attack the town and steal valuables to pay the ransom money. Under his banner he rallied his own clan warriors, contingents from the Swordvale, Hillhaven and Goodsword clans, the Righteous Wind Storm Bullers and a band of mercenary Sword brothers. All told they tallied over 100 warriors keen to take revenge on the Yelmalians. Led down The Stream by ducks at night they assailed the wooden palisade surrounding the town. Grant, Bolgstealer and Kirwin, followed by a dozen Greydog warriors, made for the wealthy part of town. Darkos led the Uroxi across the bridge and around the adobe bricks of the town’s citadel. Grant’s keen bowfire felled one of the watchmen and before long battle was joined! Bolgstealer cast his Lightwall to slow the approach of a line of Templars as Kirwin organised the men into a defensive line. The two sides clashed and it was soon obvious that a Lightson was in the Yelmalian ranks. Although unable to push the Yelmalians back, the Greydog nonetheless held their line. Wounds were taken on both sides. Then Kirwin took a solid strike to his chest – the Lightson had hit true! So powerful was the blow that the iron-tipped spear lodged itself in Kirwin’s armour. The Greydog line started to look weak. Some of the clan warriors had been badly injured and the line started to fold. Realising that a rout could be imminent, Bolgstealer decided to take charge and organised the men into an orderly withdrawal. Fortunately the Yelmalians had also suffered and did not follow up. Both sides decided to lick their wounds. The prize, though, had been the magical iron spear, that still stuck firm in Kirwin.

Meanwhile, Darkos and the Uroxi set about savaging the town. They broke into one house to find a man protecting his wife and children. Darkos and another Bull slew the man while others killed the woman and children and tried to set light to the house. Such was the ferocious passion of the enraged Bulls. Fleeing the scene, Darkos led the Bulls around the citadel where they saw a group of men with large sacks over their shoulders scurrying off into the night. Taking time to cast Fanaticism upon themselves they charged into the men in a furious rage, cutting them down to a man. It was only after the passion of battle subsided did they realise they had killed Greydog clansmen laden with Yelmalian gold.

Elsewhere in the town Grant, Kirwin and Bolgstealer were joined by the party of Sword brothers led by two Lords of Humakt. Grant heard a call for help and made his way back to help heal the injured. Kirwin volunteered to lead a small group of men to prevent the Yelmalians outflanking their position and Bolgstealer was ordered to follow one of the Swords into a house where he could get a better look at how the battle went. The battle went on – Grant re-attached the arm of a desperately wounded Greydog farmer, Bolgstealer tried to arbitrate between arguing Hillhaven and Goodsword clansmen about who had taken some treasure and Kirwin led his men further into the charge.

When finally the call to retreat came, the host made their way out of the town and down river to where the ducks waited to take them back to Lismelder lands.

Back in Greydog there was a feast to celebrate what had been achieved. Enough money had been taken to pay the Lunars for the captured Greydog clansmen as well as pay for a special magical blessing for the clan’s crops by the Earth priestesses. During the feast each speaker was encouraged to boast of their deeds. The man who Grant healed presented him with an enchanted dagger to thank him. Kirwin presented Kournos with the iron-tipped spear, which was placed above the clan hearth as a war-trophy. However, wracked with guilt (for the unfortunate slaying of Greydog clansmen, NOT his part in the sordid murder of innocent women and children), Darkos and the Storm Bulls admitted what they had done. This put a sour note on the evening and Kournos told them to leave his halls.

Kournos’ next step was to split up the clan for fear of Lunar reprisal for the attack. By splitting up the clan he hoped to deny their part in the raid. Cornard was to take the clan Humakti to Swordvale. The Storm Bulls said they would ride north to join the Righteous Wind and asked Darkos to join them. Kournos asked the others to help him escort some ducks out of Sartar.

In the cooler winds and mellow breeze of Earth season Bolgstealer, Darkos, Grant, Kirwin and a party of Storm Bull warriors made for the village of Swan, which lay in Colymar lands. The day they rode in will long be remembered by both the villagers and the local Lunar garrison. In history it has been recorded as the Swan Massacre, and it happened on 32 Earth season 1614st. After a brief conversation with the local sheriff about the whereabouts of SwiftSwimmer, the duck outlaw, they booked themselves into the only inn in town. It was then that the violent side of Darkos’ nature once more came to the fore. Prompted by Bolgstealer, he decided they should slay the Lunar garrison in the village and intimidate the sheriff into telling them where SwiftSwimmer could be found. It was only Grant who did not take part in this needless slaughter as Darkos, his bound undine, Kirwin (who showed dishonour for bushwhacking a Lunar guard), Bolgstealer and the Uroxi killed to a man the few Lunar soldiers. Only Bolgstealer took wounds during this carnage. Infuriated and scared, the sheriff told them SwiftSwimmer lived in a ruin in the nearby orchard.

Beyond the village’s boundaries they camped out for the night to discuss their next move. Aware of their duty to protect the Brown Dragon they considered riding north with the Storm Bullers to join the Righteous Wind, thereby creating a diversion for the Lunars. But SwiftSwimmer needed to go south, into Heortland, and could not do the journey on his own since a bounty had been put on the beaks of all ducks by the Lunars. Despite their pledge to Kournos, to escort SwiftSwimmer to Heortland, they very nearly went against this oath and left SwiftSwimmer to his own devices. Then a sense of honour resentfully clawed its way back into their conscience – partly by a feeling of guilt over the atrocities at Barley and also for what vengeance the Lunars would mete out to the people of Swan village. In the end they agreed to take SwiftSwimmer as far as Stone Nest Ruins, where a group of outlawed ducks hid, and from where SwiftSwimmer and his fellows could safely make their way to Heortland alone. After this they decided they would make their way north, either to aid the Righteous Wind, or perhaps to inflame the situation with the Tarsh Exiles.

Come morning and as they saddled up they met a lone traveller on the road. This had been the same stranger that Bolgstealer had seen during the night, camped a half key-mile or so up the road. This man rode upon a horse but led a jet-black well-groomed sable antelope. But Kirwin, Darkos and Grant recognised this man. It was Cleombrotus, back from troll lands! He had with him Sasha, Darkos’ mount, given to him so long ago by his father back in Tarsh. Pleased to be back together they gave their Storm Bull friends a fond farewell and made for the south, ensuring they skirted settled areas for fear of drawing attention to themselves.

Their route took them south, below the Starfire Ridges and near to Tarndisi’s Grove. Rumours of dragonewts conducting strange rituals forced them to find a route up the ridges and over land toward the infamous Upland Marsh, which they intended to cut across as a short-cut. They spent the night sleeping in a roadside shrine to Humakt before setting out early. Next day and they were back in Lismelder lands. They spent the night in a traveller’s inn. But in the morning it was found that the landlord’s granddaughter was missing. Several chicken had been throttled and stolen and animal tracks were easily found in the muddy ground as the rains of late Earth season fell. The tracks led away to some woods, just to the north of the inn. Once inside the woods they decided to split up – Darkos and Grant following a stream one way and Bolgstealer and Cleombrotus going the other. Coming around a bend in the stream all of a sudden Grant fell under the gaze of a Jack O’ Bear – leaving Darkos alone as Grant stood frozen under the awful chaos beast’s devilish glare. Darkos prepared himself as the Jack O’ Bear came running at him, but then, as he readied himself for combat, he saw a second animal charging out of the woods. Grimly and fearfully he steeled himself and called for the help of Bolgstealer and Cleombrotus, but they were too far away to hear. Then Darkos called the spirit of his undine to take form in the waters of the stream and all of a sudden a spout of water shot forth and engulfed one of the bears while Darkos slew the other. Alone he had killed the two chaos horrors, as befits a soldier of the savage Bull. The distressed girl was found hidden in a tree and she was taken back to her family and the party left with sacks bulging with fresh hams and ales!

Swiftswimmer took them across country, cutting through Big Elm Valley to make their way to the edges of the infamous Upland Marsh where they could try to sneak their way across the foreboding marshes to save time. The Valley was so named for the immense trees that grew there. Surrounded by scrub and manzita bushes the great elms where as much as twenty metres in diameter and stretched up as far as could be seen. But there, beneath one of the trees, they could see a cloaked human-looking figure and what was clearly a broo deep in conversation. Striding manfully up to them, the broo and accomplice saw the party and warned them to stop. ‘I am the khan of a vicious warrior band,’ claimed the broo. ‘We demand 100 silver lunars each to allow you to pass’.

This was a sum the group could not and would not pay. The adventurers drew their weapons and steadied for a battle. The broo was true to his word. At his call from out the undergrowth sprang his filthy warband! Most terrible of all was a gigantic beast combined of both goat and gorilla form but three times the size. Bolgstealer took the initiative, couched his lance, and charged into the melee. Close on his heals came Kirwin, Cleombrotus, Grant and Darkos – all of them willing to rob the chaos scum of their lives. Bolgstealer’s lance struck true and shattered the skull of the gorilla broo. At battle’s end the bodies of the broo were left to rot but there was no sign of the shadowy human figure they had seen.

The Upland Marsh is a truly terrible place. It is home to Delecti the Necromancer, a vampire and sorcerer of unknown origin, and his hordes of skeletons, zombies, ghouls, wraiths, ghosts and other indescribable undead. The notoriety of the place is such that worthy Swords of Humakt from the neighbouring Lismelder tribes often venture into the place to test their devotion to the god of Death. Even the surrounding ducks have found it expedient to worship the Death god and the doughty durulz will often lead bands of humans and trolls deep into the marsh. With these facts in mind the party entered the swamp, fearful and apprehensive about the wisdom of their actions.

Even the very swamp seemed determined to kill them. Reeds and bushes with razor-sharp fronds cut their legs and ankles, snakes slithered through the brackish waters. Pools of quicksand threatened to drown the unwary. And all the time strange hoots, splashes and calls were heard in the distant gloom. Finding a dry spot in the marsh they decided to rest – in the marsh it was hard to tell what time it was since the marsh gases and stagnant air blocked out Yelm’s light. Then came the horrors. From out the marsh an endless army of skeletons and zombies trudged slowly toward them. The party sent many back down into the marsh, each accounting for the destruction of several of the rotten, bloated corpses. But the numbers were many and relentless. Then, even worse, over all could be heard the demoralising cries of the ghouls. Some of the party remained firm, but same gave in to the magical cries of the slain. Deciding discretion was best they fled the marsh! Delecti’s marsh and domain would have to remain a secret to them for the time being.

Now, having to take the longer route they scouted around the southern edges of the Upland Marsh. In the safer areas of the marsh lived large herds of dinosaurs, whose powerful magical resistance made them safe from Delecti’s influence all the time they stayed to the marsh’s edge. The party saw triceratops and trachodons munching on the thick juicy reeds. Marvelling at the graceful creatures they barely noticed the large trachodon near to them. When they did see it they were surprised to find the beast could actually talk to them! He warned them of Lunar scouts and then told them his favourite joke.

After such a bizarre encounter they made their way around the southern tip of the marsh and then crossed King Tarkalor’s Road and made their way down the Stream Valley. They camped the night in some old ruins. The following day they reached the remains of Stone Nest Ruins and there they found the hidden band of outlawed ducks. Swiftswimmer thanked them for their assistance and said he was sorry they would not travel with him south across the Sun lands and into Heortland. He recognised the party had other aims and so they parted company. This left Grant, Kirwin, Bolgstealer, Darkos and Cleombrotus to decide how best to achieve their goal. They knew that Fate led them north, but whether to make for the lands surrounding Alda Chur where they knew the Righteous Wind would welcome them, or the Bushrange and the Tarsh Exiles’ stronghold at Wintertop…