Earth Season 1614 - Sacred Time 1614
By mid Earth Season 1614ST the party were back in Tink to speak to their mentor and friend, Forang Farosh and tell him of all that had happened. It was at this time that Cleombrotus left them to ride north once more into troll lands and take up his watch over the lair of the Black Dragon. This left Kirwin, Darkos and Grant to keep up their mission of protecting the Brown Dragon of Jarn.
But there was to be one more.
In Tink the three adventurers were introduced to Gramper Soulmarsh, a Sofali turtle-worshipper from the mud-flats and marshes of southern Heortland. Gramper was the son of a tribal shaman and was travelling among the lands of men so he may learn their ways and gain Knowledge before taking his place once more amongst his tribe. Musing on the prophecy once read to them by Forang, Darkos, Kirwin and Grant realised that Gramper was also part of the Story that Fate had in store for them.
Their first task was to travel toward Ormsgone Vale. In the area near Fire Chasm there had been an influx of chaos, making the way difficult to pass. Forang charged the four of them to find the source of this chaos and eliminate it.
In the cooling airs of Earth Season they made their way across the green fields of northern Sartar, with the wind blowing ripples across the plains and the ever-present peaks of the Rockwood Mountains ahead of them.
The source of the chaos slime was found to be a cave, dug deep in the slate rocks. Entering the hideous and blasphemous tunnels they battled with terrible Wakboti demons – diminutive avatars of the Devil. And for this triumph they captured an enchanted Sky Bull cloak. Everything about the caves was abstract and unreal. The stones were soft to touch and when prodded exploded, showering acidic slime – but above all they could hear a distant and rhythmic beating. They travelled down one cavern and were surprised by an unholy hallucination: they saw a beautiful naked woman with the head of a bull sitting beneath a bountiful tree amid a green grove. Overcome with amorous desire they all made for the apparition and took it in turns to mate with her. Only Grant was strong enough to resist the desire and he took his spear firmly in hand and struck the woman. The apparition disappeared and they found themselves once more in the dank caves.
One chamber was full of liquid with just a wet ledge running around its circumference. Fearing what could be inside the water they carefully edged their way around and went further into the dark, the distant beating getting steadily nearer. The passageway opened out into a cave wherein grew thick wiry strands that sprouted up throughout the entire cave. Worse, among these growths lived a collection of Wakyami – chaos elves! They moved with devilish speed and were difficult to spot and hit. The Wakyami preferred not to close with the party, instead throwing small darts. Finding it difficult to best these sprites they chose to run through the cave since they were all taking wounds from the darts. Darkos, though, chose to stand his ground since he had become irate and angered by the presence of such chaos. When he was taken down it was left to the ever dependable Grant McKielson to run back in and save his friend while Kirwin and Gramper distracted the elves. This encounter had cost the group a lot of magic and they found themselves weaker, with Darkos’ wounds barely healed. They wondered how much longer they could continue.
The final chamber was a series of slippery narrow tunnels that both ran up and down. And within each they could hear the beating getting louder still. With abandon they hurled themselves down one of the tunnels and came out into a chamber where the rock pulsed and boomed! There was some talk about what should be done, and Darkos shot an arrow at the rock, but it was surrounded by a swirling eddy of air that sent his arrows flying without getting near the rock surface. Then Kirwin took Gramper’s flute, stepped forward, and thrust it into the rock. Suddenly it burst open! Without wasting a second the party fled.
Back in Tink and Forang thanked them for saying the prayers needed to block the entrance. It was only then that they realised they had been inside the remains of a dead Chaos God, slain during the God’s War, whose name had long since been forgotten.
By the end of Earth Season they were in Alda-Chur where they would spend the last weeks of the season and most of Dark Season trying to contact members of the Righteous Wind. They all re-established contacts with friends and priests they had met when they had last been in the city a year before. Alda-Chur was busy at this time and was playing host to many markets and entertainments. Grant, Kirwin and Darkos paid for Gramper to enjoy a private worship ceremony at the Uleria temple, as an introduction to city life. Gramper, who had never even seen a city before, let alone visit one, spent his time walking around the streets trying to take in the experience.
Their first step was to try to find out what the situation was like in Alda-Chur with respect to the Righteous Wind movement. The priests of Storm Bull were aware but tried not to get involved, not overtly, for fear of upsetting the city authorities. Kirwin acquainted himself with a local rumour-monger and used him to find out more. This contact, though, warned Kirwin that he should be very careful who he spoke to.
Getting frustrated with a lack of leads the group decided to spend a few days away from the city – get into the countryside and nearer the local tribesmen who may know more and be more willing speak. They rode through the lands of the Vantaros tribe and came to the village of Perish Rock. They spent the night there and spoke to the village chief, Talk McDoonan, and told him of their wish to contact the Righteous Wind. Talk offered them hospitality. The next day in rode a party of mounted warriors. An even gruffer individual who told Gramper to water his horse led this gruff bunch. Gramper stood his ground and told the warrior that he was not a slave to be ordered. They faced up to each other, but Gramper conducted himself with honour and pride and because of this the warrior apologised for his manner and asked would Gramper please water his horse. To this Gramper agreed.
The man’s name was Dresden Marduke and he and his men were followers of the Righteous Wind. He viewed the party suspiciously and said he would trust them if they could prove they were not Lunar spies. He set them a task: in a week’s time a Lunar ambassador would be visiting Alda-Chur. If the party brought the man’s head back to the village by the beginning of Storm Season he would know they were true.
In Alda-Chur they asked more questions. Kirwin’s informant discovered the ambassador would be staying at an expensive inn and would have a bodyguard of either Blue Moon trolls or Hell Sisters – terrible worshippers of the war-goddess Yara Aranis. The reason for the ambassador’s arrival was unclear; some said it was to negotiate the founding of a Lunar temple, some that it was to arrange for a Lunar garrison. No one was too sure. Grant managed to get himself a job in the kitchens of the inn and Darkos booked rooms at a neighbouring hostel. Darkos purchased some poison to slip into the ambassador’s food. Kirwin debated whether he could be part of an assassination and maintain his honour as a Humakti. Gramper still roamed the streets.
Then the ambassador arrived. Early, as it happened. Accompanying him were a scribe and two Yara Aranis worshippers. The party faffed around, still unsure how they would do the deed. Then late one night they were met by a stranger who told them that he knew they had been asking questions about the ambassador. He told them he was not a political man, but it served him and his associates if the ambassador left the city safely and it would upset them if he did not. Grant was in favour of finding out more information – cautious as usual. In the middle of the night, as the rest of the group slept, Darkos decided to slip out. Literally. He fell out of his bedroom window, winding himself as he hit the ground. Then, climbing up the walls of the ambassador’s inn, he got stuck and had trouble getting down.
The next day Grant met the ambassador. It was none other then Leonidas, the man they had adventured with long ago in Seapolis! When they found this out they honourably decided they could not continue with the assassination. Friendship was worth more to them. Realising that working with the extremist Righteous Wind movement was likely to be difficult and a pain they decided to cut their losses and make their way back south. Alas, the previous season had been wasted.
By late Dark Season they were back in Tink, where they consulted with Forang Farosh on what to do next. The winds were cooling and the days were starting to get shorter. Talking with Forang they decided to return to Sartar, to the Grey Dog and re-new old friendships. A few days later and they were in Jonstown, where they caught up on the latest news: it seemed the Lunar authorities were trying to break up the Colymar and Culbrea tribes, who they blamed for Starbrow’s Rebellion the previous year. It also transpired that a lot of tribal leaders were fleeing the land for the safety of Heortland where it was known the rebels were collecting.
Forang had charged them with making their way to Jarn Valley to ensure the Brown Dragon still slept safely. At Jonstown they decided to split up – Kirwin and Gramper would go to Grey Dog village and Grant and Darkos would make for Boldhome. After finding out what information they could they would all meet up and make for the Jarn Valley.
As they set out the heavens opened and it started raining – a persistent rain that left them sodden. Grant and Darkos crossed the hills of central Sartar with the wind and rain in their faces. Gramper and Kirwin headed west across the rolling foothills where they saw a strange light atop a hill late one night. In the morning they investigated and found a ruined temple – its fluted columns and marbled capitals now broken and fallen and covered in animal droppings. In the centre they found the corpse of a baboon. Kirwin was skittish and wanted to leave, but Gramper was curious and wanted to look some more. Then they heard the flap of wings and a hideous screeching. Looking up they saw a flock of harpies take to the wing and these foul creatures started to drop stones on the two of them. Even worse, some chose to defecate on them, a huge pile hitting Gramper, afflicting him with the Creeping Chills. Then from beneath the old altar stone a strange bubble of light formed. Its body was made up of silvery, translucent bubbles that shimmied and shook. Neither of them knew what this could be, but deciding it was not friendly, Kirwin stepped forward and with the power of Humakt strong in his sword arm he lashed out with his blade and burst the bubbles asunder, rending them like a shower of sea foam.
After this setback, and fearing for Gramper’s health, they chose to return to Jonstown where they sought the help of the White Sisters in the Chalana Arroy temple.
The first thing Grant and Darkos chose to do in Boldhome was approach the Storm temple and talk to the priests there. In Boldhome the storm gods were worshipped in a walled part of the town known as the Storm Precinct. The Orlanth temple had been closed and was left guarded by Lunar soldiers. The information they gathered had been no more than they found out in Jonstown. Grant then decided they should take a more pro-active role in fomenting trouble with the Lunar authorities. He hatched a plan and Darkos listened eagerly…
When they finally arrived in Grey Dog Kirwin was reunited with his beautiful bride. Kournos was glad to see them back. The Grey Dog clansmen had been steadily returning since their attack on the Sun County town of Ryehaven. Cornard was still in Sword Vale but was due back soon. It seemed the Grey Dog, and the Lismelder as a whole, were suspicious of Lunar tactics since the Lismelder were known allies of the Colymar, Culbrea and Ducks. They wondered how long it would be until Lunar eyes looked their way. Staying only a few days, but promising to return soon, Gramper and Kirwin bid farewell and made their way to Boldhome to join up with Darkos and Grant.
Bloody murder! That was what Grant decided. He suggested that he and Darkos should attack the Lunar guards at the Orlanth temple. Darkos, given to occasional bouts of impulsive violence, soon agreed. And so late at night they made for the temple and attacked the two guards. Darkos slew one of them but the other managed to escape, chased by Grant. Running out of the Storm Precinct the guard shouted ‘Murder! Murder!’. Darkos took the body of the dead guard and slumped it across the altar to Orlanth, an action sure to cause maximum offence among the authorities.
And what a fuss it all made. The Lunars immediately quarantined the Storm Precinct, wherein the storm and air temples were located. Anyone going in or out was subjected to heavy questioning and powerful detect magicks. The temple market was closed and few souls could be bothered with such rigour. The Lunar authorities agreed to lift the blockade if the murderer/s were handed over. The priests of Storm Bull and Humakt could not and would not agree to that. Darkos and Grant kept quiet. The Storm priests busied themselves with divinations to find out who had committed the murders, since they too were very angry at all the unnecessary Lunar attention.
It was into this heightened state of emergency that Kirwin and Gramper arrived in the city. They made for the Storm Bull temple to find Lunar hoplites and priests guarding the entrance. They allowed themselves to be interrogated (since at this time they were ignorant of all that had happened) and surrendered their weapons to the guards before entering the precinct. Seeing the two of them coming through the gates, Grant approached them and told them what he and Darkos had done.
And still the priests of both sides tried to find out who had done this.
They decided they would test Lunar defences. Kirwin would leave and then Grant would follow. As he left the gateway, Kiriwin felt several spells being cast upon him and noted Lunar priests in the area. But he left easy enough and so Grant thought he would do the same. As he came up to the gate he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Behind him stood the priest of Storm Bull, who told him he should return back to the temple.
In the temple was a penitent looking Darkos. The priest told Grant that Darkos had confessed to the murder and it was as well for him that he did since if he had crossed the Lunar lines they would have surely detected him and had him crucified at the earliest opportunity. The priests, though, were enraged at Darkos and Grant. They scolded them for such a petty act, telling them greater forces were at work. They thought about handing them over to the Lunars but soon discounted that. The Humakti offered to humanely slaughter the two of them but the Storm Bull’s had a better idea.
It seemed there was a secret tunnel that run under the Storm Walk Mountains, from Boldhome to Whitewall. It was known this tunnel linked the two Orlanth temples but it was not known if it was still open or traversible. It was decided that Grant and Darkos would leave the city by this route. Gramper and Kirwin stepped forward and offered to accompany their friends and so the four of them prepared for this underground journey. They were all equipped for such a perilous journey and were given a note to hand over to the priests of Orlanth in Whitewall.
In the dead of the night they all scurried across the precinct courtyard, careful not to be seen by quizzical Lunar eyes. They broke in to the closed Orlanth temple and made for the main altar stone, beneath which was a flight of steps leading down. As they descended into the murk their torch lights flickered and above them they heard the scraping of the altar stone as it was moved back over the entrance and then a solid boom! as it fell in place. Silence and darkness was theirs.
The stairs ran down for an indeterminable time. Down, down, down they went, unsure of how much time had passed. For many hours the stairs led down beneath the mountains and they all had to rest for sleep and food as the stairs continued. They finally came to an end at a narrow bridge, no more than a foot or so in width, that crossed over a bottomless chasm. Realising just how difficult their journey was going to be they all started to rue their eagerness to traverse the tunnels. Straddling the bridge they began the laborious process of inching their way along its length. It seemed as if the bridge was as long as the stairs. Its span seemed never ending and after a time they all felt exhausted. Kirwin, trying to get some sleep, so nearly fell. Realising the danger of resting on the bridge they continued pushing on, both weary and exhausted. When finally the bridge ended they were all spent. It ended in a small ledge and before going any further they all took rest.
The journey beneath the mountains took them many days. And during that time they were attacked by ghosts and also a large serpent that lived in a large underground lake. It was battling this creature that both Darkos and Gramper lost their undines, but the beast was slain by Kirwin’s blade and Darkos’ bowfire. In the middle of the lake was a small island and on the island was a stone shelter where a mating pair of walktapi lived. Pushing further in to the tunnels they found a rockslide and spent some time tunnelling through.
The oddest thing they found though was a giant subterranean mushroom forest. Living among them were a race of naked pygmies whose skin was made of the same white puffy substance as the mushrooms themselves. Language was a problem until they met an individual they took to be a leader. He spoke some Sartarite and Gramper too knew a bit of that language and between them they managed some conversation. Whatever these creatures were they allowed the group to travel through their forest if they made an offering to the Mother Mushroom. Kirwin offered up his spare sword (and had to explain its purpose to them) and Gramper gave his reed flute to another of them. Seeking directions and advice on the rest of the journey from them they were given an escort who took them deeper into the caves.
The tunnels finally came to an end in a dressed stone wall that blocked their way. With a pick in hand they started to chip away at the stone which finally burst open into a carved stone vault. Inside which was a host of armed thanes who had been alarmed at the constant banging they heard deep within their temple crypts. They had reached Whitewall and the temple of Orlanth!
The Orlanthi priests of Whitewall, while they knew of the rumoured existence of the tunnel, did not know its precise location. Relieved to be safe and above ground, Grant, Gramper, Kirwin and Darkos handed over the note given to them back in Boldhome. All this happened on the first day of Storm Season 1614ST.
They all relaxed and took in the strange, cosmopolitan beauty of Whitewall – a city free of Lunar occupation where the storms were worshipped openly and free of persecution. Within the whitewashed walls of the city could be found trolls, and a portion of the city had been given over to the dragonewts who built their surreal and bizarre structures there.
With their time they relaxed and listened to the stories of Sartar rebels taking refuge in Heortland. They also got to know some of the characters and important players in exile politics and found themselves invited to take part in a raid against a Lunar scouting party. Willingly, they agreed to this but before taking part they had to journey to the northeast, to find the Jarn Valley and the magnificent Brown Dragon that rested there. Before they left, though, Gramper visited a small river temple, eager to regain his lost undine. The priest, a magnificent golden carp, agreed to let him have one of the temple’s undines if he brought back a river orchid from downstream. Gramper accepted his quest and swam down river to the spot described by the priest. Within a submerged cavern was a small tadpole-like creature that allowed Gramper one of the flowers if he gave up part of himself. As Gramper picked the flower he felt part of his soul stay with the underwater grove of magic orchids. He returned to the priest, gave him the flower, and was gifted with another undine.
It was up to Darkos and Grant to lead them into the mountains and locate the resting-place of the True Dragon. On this perilous trek trolls near Wilmskirk ambushed them. Gramper fell beneath their hefty blows and it looked as though his life would be forfeit. But Grant, ever dependable, rushed forward, forsaking his own safety, to heal the terrible wounds Gramper had taken before Death could claim him. Although it had been just over a year since they had last been there they found the secret path that led into the valley, and once again they scaled the valley sides to enter the dragon’s abode.
The same mystics were still there, still contemplating the Dragon’s existence. Darkos, Grant, Kirwin and Gramper asked of the Dragon’s peace and they were told the Dragon still slept but was rousing itself. Grant approached the guardians and said he too would like to muse on the nature and being of Dragon’s and for his interest they told him something of the first steps along the Path of Imminent Mastery. As a parting gesture they were all invited to take a part of the Dragon’s crystallised blood and each was thereby gifted with a magical crystal to help them. As they left the cave they saw the immense form of the Brown Dragon once more – its huge body wrapped around the valley, each thick scale as large as a hoplite’s shield.
With their duty done they made for the hills of Heortland, to accompany the Orlanthi host on a raid against the Lunars, thereby hoping to ingratiate themselves with the rebels and fulfil their pledge to protect the location of the Dragon. Darkos, however, had to leave the party for a while. He took a message back to Boldhome and from there he was going to ride to Prax to fulfil a vow. He bade farewell to his brothers and promised to meet them in Tink during Sacred Time.
Then there were three.
The battle was to take place just across the border into Sartar. The area known as Gradan’s Vale was to be the ambush site. The Lunars had made camp near an old ruined tower. The Heortlanders split into three groups – in the centre were the Orlanthi warbands (and Kirwin), hidden in woods to the right were the huscarls, priests and ducks (and Grant was among their number) and hidden in woods to the left were a mix of beastmen and Grazers (and Gramper took up arms with them). The battle began with the centre moving forward. Alas the terrain was rough and broken and this slowed and disrupted their advance. The Lunars were alerted to this and fired a volley of arrows. As the centre suffered both wings were eager to rush to their defence. The huscarls held firm but the beastmen and Grazers gave in and rushed forward. As they did this, on the right a squadron of Lunar lancers mounted up and prepared to outflank the centre and charge into them. The beastmen suffered. Their approach had been slowed by caltrops dropped by the Lunars. Unable to advance they suffered the worst under Lunar bowfire. Gramper himself was hit by two flaming Firearrows but his stout shield absorbed the blows.
As the Lunar lancers came around to the right the huscarls pounced forward, catching them unawares. The lancers instantly routed, fleeing back toward their camp. With this impetus Grant and the huscarls kept on their charge. Meanwhile, in the centre the warbands had managed to advance as far as the ruined tower and a deadly melee ensued across the broken walls. Gramper and the beastmen continued to suffer before finally pulling back and manoeuvring around Blue Hare Ridge to avoid the Lunar arrows.
The battle was soon over. The huscarls continued to poor into the Lunar line and with several Lunar units routing the rest soon followed. They had been caught out by the Heortland attack and fled the vale. This battle took place on 32 Storm Season 1614ST.
With their duty to the Volsaxi over with all that was left to do was return to Forang Farosh in faraway Tink. Their travels took them through Grey Dog village, where Kirwin was berated by his young wife, Lucia, for being away too long. The grizzled Humakti warrior listened to his woman’s scorn before explaining to her his duties and obligations.
By Sacred Time they were in Tink where they were joined by Cleombrotus, Amhotep, Lucid and Darkos, who had with him a young female companion who wore the white robes of the healing goddess Chalana Arroy. They all discussed with Forang how their guardianship of the various Dragons went and spoke to him of problems encountered and successes gained. Specifically Grant, Kirwin, Gramper and Darkos told how they were faced with the task of trying to unite disparate and feuding groups. Forang listened carefully to this, acknowledging the problem. It was, he decided, important to know the different customs, history and temperament of the Volsaxi Heortlanders, the Beastmen of Beast Valley, the horse nomads of the Grazelands and, perhaps, something of the ways of the trolls and darkness worshipping humans of Shadow Plateau…