Session 50

Ash Fall 2

Chapter 1: Special Dispensation

With the capture of enough ngangas to meet his quota, the judaga grins with pleasure. “You’ve made my life easier, no doubt. Now I won’t be too exhausted to enjoy watching my future colleagues tear these traitors apart in the Hunt. And as I am a man of my word, here are your dispensations. If you want to help out even more, you can speak with the loyal ngangas in town to make sure that our captives are the ones hunted tonight. Enjoy your time in Gulg.”

Chapter 2: House of Charity

Upon entering the city of Gulg, it was abundantly clear that Lalali-Puy ruled differently than her fellow sorcerer-kings. While other Athasian cities were comprised of tightly packed structures of brick and stone, built to withstand the harsh desert conditions, the buildings in verdant Gulg were spread out in small clusters and made from mud and thatch. These small dwellings surrounded shrines nestled into the branches of trees. Each cluster of homes seemed to accommodate individual families or clans, with each person adorned in distinct clothing, piercings, or tattoos. The Gulgans appeared to recognize one another by these markings, akin to how other Athasians recognized each other by face or physical stature. Notably, those marked as hunters, distinguished by the quality of their weapons and armor, seemed to garner special respect or deference from their families. Unlike other cities, there was no visible presence of templars or a city watch – Gulg’s ngangas covertly watched over the population.

The Red Moon Festival was in full swing, with the city's attention fixated on the upcoming Red Moon Hunt. Speculation on which dagada would excel, the brutality employed in the hunt, and the number of hunters attempting to cheat were exceptionally popular topics, with various Gulgans running betting rings. However, edicts from the Queen prevented outsiders from participating in these transactions.

The Queen of Gulg had banned all establishments within the city from lodging or trading with outsiders. The Dagamhouti, or "House of Charity," circumvented this edict by providing goods and services as "gifts." In return, outsiders were expected to offer generous "tips" to the establishment. This was a fact brought to mind as one ordered bluewater from the barkeep and was directed to a corner table. Shortly afterward, a woman bearing a passing resemblance to both Marta and the barkeep seated herself at the table, introducing herself as Mortana and inquiring in hushed tones about the party's business in Gulg.

After the party related their story, Mortana explained that she could think of two ways to free a prisoner in Gulg:

The party could attempt to convince the ngangas managing the release of prisoners in the Red Moon Hunt to release Alaya as prey. While this would put Alaya at risk, if she managed to evade the hunters, she would, by Gulg's laws, be free to leave.
Alternatively, the party could try to release Alaya from prison without the ngangas’ permission. This would require stealth and guile to evade the ngangas as well as the ability to manipulate arcane or primal energies to unbind the primal spirits maintaining the cells.

Mortana believed that each path had its advantages. If the party managed to get Alaya released, there was a possibility they might be invited to join the Hunt as hunters, enhancing the event with their abilities. Once in the Hunt, they could protect Alaya by keeping other hunters away from her. On the other hand, if they freed Alaya on their own, they could keep a closer eye on her, but they might risk being captured themselves, turning into prey in the hunt.

Chapter 3: Appeal to the Ngangas

Deciding to appeal to the Ngangas to allow Alaya to be released as prey during the Red Moon Hunt, the group approached them with their request. The ngangas, upon hearing the request, were not necessarily opposed to the idea of releasing Alaya during the Red Moon Hunt. However, they pointed out that the roster had already been established, and altering it would entail paperwork. They questioned the reason for going through such trouble merely to accommodate the party's preference for releasing a specific prey during the hunt.

In response, the group presented Yuemenka's mask and recounted her story to the ngangas. Impressed or moved by the tale, the ngangas decided to grant the party an audience with the Oba.

Chapter 4: Audience

The group was granted an audience with Lalali-Puy, the Queen of Gulg, also known as the Oba, the Forest Goddess, and the Mother of Trees and Beasts, at her palace, Sunlight Home. This palace was an enormous agafari tree serving as both residence and audience chamber for the Oba. Led by five well-armed judagas, they were escorted into the Queen of Gulg’s audience chamber, where eight ngangas also stood in attendance beside Lalali-Puy.

Upon hearing the party’s petition to release Alaya as prey during the Red Moon Hunt, Lalali-Puy agreed to their request with one condition: that the party participate in the Hunt as hunters. The Queen harbored suspicions of foul play on the part of the outsiders, and she deemed it necessary to keep a close eye on their actions after Alaya's release by ensuring they were under constant scrutiny by the city's populace.

Regarding Yuemenka, she listened to the group's plea and ultimately pardoned her. Lalali-Puy assured them that Yuemenka would be welcomed back into the fold, as the Oba was a benevolent goddess.

Furthermore, Lalali-Puy informed them that in the future, there was no need to speak with their minds, as she could hear all.

Chapter 5: Preperations

As the party prepared for their next move, they heard a magically amplified majestic female voice booming out over the High City of Gulg. “Beloved citizens,” it declared, “let us now celebrate the most time-honored and sacred part of the Red Moon Festival – the Red Moon Hunt itself! In honor of this practice, all gates to the city were closed except the Exile’s Gate, which was now open for any who wished to take part in the hunt – as its prey. The aspiring judagas had been given their weapons and awaited only my signal. The Hunt would begin in five minutes.”

The party had two basic objectives in this encounter:

Don’t die.
Don’t let Alaya die.

The members who were, in theory at least, participating in the Red Moon Hunt as hunters began this encounter in a private room granted to them by the Oba in order to prepare for the Hunt. They were attended by a judaga, who explained the following rules of the Hunt:

They may not use any magical or metal equipment, as that would be unsporting.
They may not attack other hunters, even if the attack also includes prey, as that would be unsporting.
Breaking the above two rules would immediately disqualify them from the Hunt.
Anyone in the Crescent Forest who was not a hunter was considered prey, including disqualified hunters.
At the end of the Hunt, the three hunters who had killed the most prey would be elevated to judaga status within Gulgan society. The party was eligible to win if they killed enough prey.

While the party was not allowed to use any magical equipment, they were permitted to carry such equipment. They had approximately five minutes to make any preparations they wished before the prey, including Alaya, were released.

Chapter 6: The Redmoon Hunt

The magically amplified voice boomed again, announcing, “The rules of this year’s Hunt are as follows. At daybreak, the three hunters who have killed the most prey are elevated to nobility. Any humanoid creature in the forest who is not a hunter is considered prey. Any hunter who used magical or metal equipment lost the privileges of a hunter and was considered prey. Any hunter who attacked another hunter lost the privileges of a hunter and was considered prey. The only other rule was the rule of nature – the strongest survive. Let the Hunt begin!”

As the prey and hunters began to race out of the gates, cries went up in surprise as the sky darkened. Dark grey ash fell like rain from the sky. The 'prey', consisting of eight gith, a human slaver, a Nibanese templar, and Alaya, darted out first, with the 'hunters' closely following out the Gate of Exiles.

Morhen felled many of the gith with his deadly arrows and threw smoke bombs to obscure areas. Fazanna dashed to Alaya to convince her that some of the 'hunters' were there to help her escape. At one point, she sprinted impossibly quickly only to be smacked by a twisted tree branch that leveled her to the ground before she continued crawling. Hamra moved strategically to block other hunters, along with Shiv. Zyel used her speed to place herself between Alaya and other 'hunters'. Two halfling hunters and two slavehunters attempted to catch the 'prey' but were mostly unsuccessful. The Nibanese templar trapped hunters in a psychic cage before she fell. The human slaver struck out with his deadly lash before being dropped. And all the gith 'prey' were slain. Alaya was able to make her escape. Morhen, Zyel, and Fazanna emerged as the top three hunters and earned the Aspiring Judaga rewards.

Chapter 7: Success

The rain of ash finally ceases as you leave Gulg. Safely away from the listening ears of any ngangas (both loyal and false), Alaya turns to address your group. She thanks you for rescuing her, then asks you how you came to seek her. She listens intently to your tale. “Your courageous tale inspires me! Few on Athas would do what you have done. The Veiled Alliance be praised! Though we will discuss the details in the long trek ahead, allow me to answer some of your burning questions now. Yes, I know how the artifact can be used to pay Altaruk and Tyr’s levy. As you know, my ancestors were once druids of Yaramuke, at war with the Sorcerer-Kings. When Hamanu came to us it was a time of mutual need. The primordials were raging, and they threatened all life on Athas. The very world would be undone and destroyed – recombined into a wasteland of salt, smoke, dust, AOA6 -2 Ash Fall Page 25 and ash. My father learned much of the artifact before learning his wife was pregnant. He fled with the other druids, unable to make his sacrifice. Perhaps we now find it was for the best.” She pauses, pondering, then continues. “The souls of those within the artifact burn yet brightly – they are stronger than most mortals, each soul empowered by the artifact’s magic and the knowledge and capabilities they have shared together over centuries. The Dragon’s levy may be paid with their souls, likely extinguishing the artifact but paying the levy for a very long time. I will teach you the ritual as we travel. However, that is not all. As you learned, the artifact was taken by Hamanu when he sacked the City-State of Yaramuke, and he paid the levy with it. And yet, he must have seen that this had a cost. The souls in the artifact had been gathered to act as a sort of seal, forcing some primordials to lie dormant beneath the Sea of Silt. It hadn’t trapped all the primordials, just those that had been weakened enough by the Sorcerer-Kings. With those trapped, the other primordials fell to the combined might of the Sorcerer-Kings. When Hamanu used the artifact to pay the levy, this must have caused the primordials to stir, and their bonds began to weaken. The process has continued over the years. It must have been because of this that Hamanu hid it. You mentioned he had the artifact taken by a druid he trusted and hid where he would not be tempted further – Lost Samarthia. The others that touched the artifact likely weakened the seal as well. Worry not, it is good that you have claimed it – the primordials would surely have taken it if you had not reclaimed it first. I am truly not sure whether paying your levy would do further harm. As you can see from the rain of ash, the bonds are breaking quickly regardless. Still, the artifact has other uses. The souls within could perhaps help seal the primordials once more. Or, the souls could be released as a great army. Other options may be possible. The lives of many depend on reaching the artifact at the Dragon’s Altar in time to make use of it. Let us travel there with haste. There you may contemplate your choices when the levy comes due.

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