Stephen's Game History Part 7

Earth Season 1615 to Sea Season 1616

The Spider Woods in Dorastor

The players decided to head for Dorastor, in the hope that they may be able to find a way into Ralios and then begin searching for the War Banner of the Empire of the Wyrm’s Friends there.

            This long trek would take them through Tarsh, and so it was decided that they would stop at Darkos’ home; the grand villa and sable farm of Senator Warkannon of Dunstop.

            ‘Well, well, well,’ said Senator Warkannon upon seeing Darkos. ‘Four years ago a boy left this farm. Now a man returns!’

            They were all made welcome. It happened that the extended Warkannon family were also at the estate – for it was the time of a great festival and people from all over the land made their way there for the celebrations. A large stage had been erected in one of the fields and around that a small town of tents and lean-to’s had been set up.

            Grant and Cleombrotus were given room in the Warkannon summer house, whilst Darkos stayed with his family – his elder brother, Aidan, and elder sister, Herminia, goaded him for taking up worship of the Urox, whilst his younger sister, Taleria, told of her upcoming marriage to Tostach, the eldest son of Senator Licinius.

            The Festival was to prepare for the coming of Winter, and among the distractions and attractions there were to be two main activities: the Rebirth of the Earth (a hunt for a golden egg open to all adult males) and the Crowning of the Queen. Darkos was honoured to be a judge at the Crowning.

            During the night, both Grant and Cleombrotus were awakened by a voice calling for help. Experience had made them suspicious of such events, so they took up their weapons before going to look. Outside the summer house, away from the main villa and tent-town, was a man, weak from blood loss. Grant’s first action was to cast a healing spell on him. But this had no effect.

            ‘I must pass on a message,’ he stammered. ‘A Lunar agent is after me. Here, take this token,’ and he gave them a silver coin with scratches all over it, ‘and wear this green dragon broach so that you will be recognised. You will need to give the password: ‘The Bull’s Guts’ so they know you can be trusted. The man you need to give it to is…’

            And with that he died – an iron dagger stuck in his back.

The two of them decided to keep quiet about this, but told Darkos the next morning as the festival begun. Darkos decided to report the death to his father and the body of the dead man was taken away.

            In the Broken Flagon tavern a minstrel played. Darkos, Grant and Cleombrotus enjoyed a flagon or two of the ales, and laughed heartily as a past beau of Darkos’ showed up and berated him for leaving her heart broken at his decision to join the army.

            The matter of the dead man and the token did not go away though. A few days later, again at night, there was a call:

            ‘Come out! We know you have it, so come out or else you will be killed.’

            Grant, Darkos and Cleombrotus looked out, but could see no one in the darkness. They made the decision to stay put. Then they heard several loud thumps against the house, and soon smoke started filling the rooms – the building had been set on light! With no other choice they abandoned the building and took the fight to their ambushers. They won the day, but the ring-leader escaped and the matter of what they had stumbled upon would remain unknown.

It would be a short, but eventful, stay in Dorastor. They arrived at Hazard Fort and made Oath Guests by King Renekot. Darkos quickly made contacts and friends at the Storm Bull temple, whilst Cleombrotus and Grant got to know the important people in town.

            The first thing they were asked to do was escort a hunter on a mission to Wolf Fort. Their journey brought them in contact with dragonewts, who Grant made sure he introduced himself to. But they also got to see the differing and lethal attitudes toward chaos when a group of Telmori wolf-worshippers were attacked and killed, including women and children.

            ‘Better kill them now than kill them when they’re older and more dangerous’, they were told.

            For helping in this mission, King Renekot granted them a run-down farm-stead along the Frog river. It was clear that being in Dorastor was unsettling them, and Cleombrotus voiced the opinion that they may have made a bad decision – after all, they didn’t even know if the banner was in Ralios; it could possibly be back in Dragon Pass, in the Upland Marsh. And it was also looking as though their time in Dorastor would be a long one – passing through the chaos lands was going to take some time. Not least because King Renekot had forbidden all ventures into the heart of Dorastor.

            Still, they spent their time repairing the stead, hiring labour and arranging for livestock and supplies to be brought in. It was during this time that the dragonewts made contact with Grant, and asked him to investigate a well that was sacred to them near Dorasta Shrine – they couldn’t travel so near a human settlement without being set upon and so needed his help. Grant was happy to do this and found that a Krjalki elf had murdered the naiad who lived there and poisoned the water.

            Meanwhile, Darkos went with the Uroxi, to the top of Thunder Peak, where they endured the ravages of the ferocious storms to show piety to their dread god. Darkos then agreed to let them use the new stead as a launch point for a raid on the Tower of Lead, so they could sanctify it to the Urox!

            But Dorastor holds many dangers. Their journey through the Spider Woods had been fraught and wickedness lurked at every opportunity.

            The Tower was occupied: Lunar missionaries had set up camp atop the tower. This was taken as an affront by the Uroxi, and a decision was made to charge the tower, climb its walls and see off the Lunars. It was during this charge that Sasha, Darkos’ sable mount, was felled by Lunar magic.

            The assault on the Tower of Lead had been costly. Several of the Uroxi braves were killed, and others had taken grievous wounds. And all were low on magic. But the Lunars had been defeated. Though one enemy was to be replaced by another. As night fell spectres came from out the woods and attacked Darkos and his companions. A decision was made to break into the tower, and see what sanctuary it offered. This was to be pitiably little – they had not descended too far when zombies and skeletons started coming up the stairs toward them. Their number was inexhaustible. The issue became one of fatigue, as each Uroxi warrior took turns to hold the undead off as the others took rest.

            It was obvious this could not continue. The numbers were relentless. There was nothing for it. ‘It is every man for himself,’ called the Lord of the group. ‘We shall meet again at Hazard Fort!’

            With that the rout was complete.

It was a distraught, bedraggled and frightened Darkos Warkannon who crawled back into the farmstead.

            That was all it took. That was enough for the three of them to make a decision – return to Dragon Pass, regroup and consult the oracles on where they should go next.

            Aware that the time in Dorastor had been extremely costly and wasted, they headed back home with heavy hearts.