Call to Adventure: the Holiday Hunt!

[written by Joel, whose idea this adventure is; the Scribes admit there is a hint of a trip to it, and Barabajagal may be joining the Hunt as well]

A huge catamaran arrives in the port of Cothon, with its two red hulls, red and white sails. A large man departs the vessel dressed in red robes lined with fur, he walks with bare feet and a crown of holly around his head . He wears several chains of gold around his neck and rings set with jewels on each finger. He stands twice as tall as any man with the build of three men combined. Some in Cothon claim he is demi-god, others says he must a half-breed of man and giant, or perhaps dzor to be of such size.

He greets the people of Cothon with a booming voice. "Greeting to all, my name is Santana. I've come from far away land for my huntsmen to stalk the great Turducken. Unfortunately the beast caught them off guard in their camp, injuring all of my men and scaring off their mounts. I seek those who are brave enough to hunt the Turducken, for I must have it for my winter feast! No substitute will do. I will pay a high reward for those that bring me my prize!"

(this is just a fun holiday theme quest that I’ll be able to run, I’ll [Joel] be having family over the 20th & 21st so I won’t be able to run/play then but should be able to work around other time when people want to play)

The Feasts of Investiture

[the Scribes note that this post was supposed to go up at the end of November, which was the actual end of the lunar year in Cothon-Gadeed. Unfortunately, life got in the way; but the changing of the year is an important time and shouldn't go unnoted, as it is a time of feasting and important symbolic bindings ...]

The Lunar Year is over! Good luck to the new Lunar Year!

As the old year comes to a close, and the new year is sounded in by the clash of timbrels and the winding of horns, it is a time for feasting and celebrations, and for the renewal of the symbolic bonds that hold society together.

A great feast is to be held in Gadeed--the Feast of Investiture--whereat the Souffets will ceremonially reinvest the high officers of the state with their authority.

(technically, at this time they could also rescind offices from disfavored servitors, and invest the authority in new officers; and though that may have been done historically, it is not now the custom--rather, the current custom is to rescind offices at the time of a serious breach of trust or major failure, rather than to wait for this feast at the end of the year)

This is also the time for the selection of citizens to perform various offices for the city-state through the next year; many of these officers are selected from all citizens by lot, which ensures that though the Souffets are the executives of the city, they do not control all the levers of power, and must at times compromise with those selected for them by the will of fate. This too will be done at the great feasts.

Fortunately for Sesel, newly minted citizen of Gadeed, his status is too new for his name to have been entered into the lots, and so he will not be assigned any additional office beyond his iqta'; but, barring assignation before then, at the feasts of investiture next year his name may yet be drawn for the assumption of some city- or league-office. And who knows? Perhaps by then others among the barbarians will have attained citizenship for themselves.

And, as the highest officers of the land have their great feast, so all of society down to individual houses have their own, and perform their own smaller feasts of investiture. The Guilds call their members to their halls to perform again the mysteries that tell their myths and stories to themselves, so that everyone is again invested with the import of their Guild duties; and masters call their households together, and feast their servants and slaves, and reestablish the order that must exist within by again handing out the duties and "offices" of the household.

So this is a time of great feasting and celebration, from the top levels of society, all the way to the bottom rungs of the great ladder; even the Heroes and Demons above must too be feasting, in the halls of the Fortress Moon and beyond!

A traditional dish prepared in many households of the Dual-Cities is a dish of field pease slow cooked with morsels of hmelu-bacon, served alongside greens simmered in savory broth, all washed down by draughts of young wine, corked early to keep its effervescence. Though in the palaces of the mighty and the halls of the great guilds are to be found great hma roasted whole, and pickled ninenyelu, and shishu-fruits and sherbets, and all manner of delicacies, still nearly every kitchen will also provide at least a pot of humble field pease and savory greens--for good luck to the new year.

For Player-Characters

I had intended to supply another carousing table or something to go along with this feast, but I fear the moment has passed, as the new lunar year in Cothon-Gadeed began 4 December (with the sighting of the new moon, the Fortress Moon dimmed in its otherwise greenish glory).

Instead, I offer a simple way to have had your player-characters participate in the feasts:

Characters may spend up to 100 dinars (gp) per level in attending or throwing a feast, and earn an amount of experience equal to the amount of gold spent. No need to roll saving throws,  complications, or the use of any downtime action--it would be unseemly to party so hard during this auspicious time, and surely it would incur bad luck when thus entering into the new year.

Additionally, if a player describes the nature of their character's contribution, or how they went about throwing their feast--in the comments below, or in the downtime thread on our Discord channel--then that character earns additional xp equal to 10% of what was spent. For example:

Najm ibn Marwan, owner of the small sailing dhow the Saint Iskameen, will throw a small feast of investiture for his own crew, which constitutes the (very) minor Confraternity of St. Iskameen. It will be held aboard ship, of course, and while it includes the customary field pease and greens, Najm spends 500 dinars (he is of 5th level) to put on a lavish spread that includes a variety of smoked fishes, fine cheeses, olives, and dark breads, all washed down with the aforementioned sparkling wine.

As part of the feast (and his expenditure), he will ceremonially install Fa Mei as his first mate and second-in-command, providing her with a fine cloak of dark blue hmelu-wool, pinned with a silver fishhook; and then ceremonially install Alianor Drake as his bosun and third-in-command, with a similarly fine cloak of grey hmelu-wool, pinned with a red-brass fishhook. And naturally, he gives his crew the next day off for liberty in the city and its taverns.

With that (overly long) description of Najm's involvement in the feasts, he thus earns 550 xp (500 from the gold, +10% from the account)

Alas for poor Kzin-Friend (the Referee's unlucky first character), he has but 2 dinars to his name, and cannot spend them. But he is content to remain outside the city in this case, eschewing the symbolic renewal of civilization for the living tradition in the tales he is sharing with the Fremen shaman Kynes.

A Final Note on the Solar Year

Though the Lunar Year has ended, and a new one begun (it is now year Khusra-Fadhlan 3, the last year of the office of Khusra and of Fadhlan as Souffets), the Solar Year has approximately 370 more days before it ends, and the next Solar Year begins. The feasts at that time will be of quite a different character--grander even than these!--for that is the time of the selection of two new Souffets to lead the Gadeed, Mother of Cities, and the Ten Cities League.

But that is something that can surely wait. Let us enjoy this Lunar Year as it begins, and whatever fate it holds for us unfolds in the coming months.

Adventurous Accounts from the Sixth House

Finding themselves in possession of a great collection of Klackon khipu-texts--strands of silk knotted in intricate patterns to form words and phrases--the Survivors of the Tel have directed their in-house researcher Razo, with the help of fellow Survivor Raoden (who can magically read languages) and friend of the Survivors Gan (no relation to Gan ad-Din) to translate and transcribe the collection. While that herculean effort will be detailed in a near-future addition to this chronicle, in light of the stated intent of the expedition expected on 4 December (tomorrow as of writing this) the Scribes thought that the particular details related here were of enough interest to post separately (and forthwith):

Amongst all the research notes, exploration accounts, and correspondences in the various texts collected by the Survivors and their companions--all the contemporary material, rather than the literary texts and histories, &c.--a certain strand (as it were) stands out as quite interesting, developed in a series of three semi-parallel accounts. In short,

1. A narrative account of the Sixth House's delvings deep into the Tel seeking a rich (rumored) zortrium vein, its discovery, and what transpired thereafter, kept by leading-dore Itzkatl Xhoa
2. A court document detailing the Princess Zaharxa's entertaining of a strange delegation of grey-men and their cloaked escorts
3. A separate narrative account of of the Sixth House's use of a "translation pad" to explore deep caverns found to contain domed "life manufactories" guarded by terrible demons, explorations led by natural-philosopher Xixitlatzali (a dore)

The Accounting of Itzkatl Xhoa on the Zortrium Vein and What Lay Behind

This set of khipus comprise an ongoing set of reports sent to the Princess Zaharxa over the course of Itzkatl Xhoa's explorations. It begins with an overview of rumors of a rich vein of zortrium being located at a certain stratum of the Tel al Safina, and of his use of diggers to mine deep into the mountain in hopes of finding it. When they do, they cannot cut it, and so turn to the Barcidae, and elsewhere, seeking tools to help cut into the vein for usable ingots. Finally securing efficacious tools, they begin the work of mining it:

... When we had thus secured the torches from the Zoq-Fot-Pik, we had already dug down and under the vein, and so we started to cut there, because it was easier. And right away, the torches told against the zortrium, and we cleaved off a huge slab in a watch or so. But our enthusiasm was too much, and we had to halve that slab even to get it out of the hole, and cut it down again to form ingots.

After that, the workers got into a rhythm, and we had a holdful of ingots in a few shakes of a glowglobe--except that was when we cut through the outer layer and found that the vein was hollow! Like the carapace of some huge and desiccated dlakolel, so that once broken through there was much room on the other side. Strange passages carved through the vein, almost like through a worm-riddled fruit, except the passages were obviously built--but I'm getting ahead of myself.

When once we heard there was a space within, I sent Kilik with some her scouts to look inside, and to report to me what lay within. She reported as I have described, strange passageways riddling the metal veins. So much metal lay beyond that we are rich beyond our wildest imaginings--the Sixth House could outspend the Ten Cities League with all that lies buried here!--but it is not unguarded. Several ru'un came up out of the darkness therein and would have destroyed the scouts entirely if Kilik had not broken the red eye of their leader with her estoc. Even still, only half the scouts returned. ...

And later:

... and as you commanded, so we have obeyed, and though many scouts were lost, still they have found many treasures. In one place, strangely unguarded and lit as if waiting for someone, Kilik did discover a sheet of strange metal attached by metallic spinal-column to a pair of smallish boxes. All could be moved, and so Kilik and her scouts lifted it all up and hauled it out of the place without incident from ru'un, and now it is in our possession. I will send sketches to the Princess and her advisers, while I and my apprentices look into the nature of the thing. ...

A number of other episodes follow, detailing especially the heroism of Kilik and her scouts in facing off against ru'un, and other strange things, some perhaps demonic in nature, others frankly bizarre. Not all come from inside the vein of zortrium, as the deep caverns are home to strange worms and other malevolent creatures.

All the while, Itzkatl Xhoa has his workers cut off thinner slabs of zortrium to be shaped into ingots, to be sent up to the workshops above, while he tinkers with the strange sheet of metal and its boxes, and finally discovers that it can dematerialize objects placed onto the pad when a certain combination is pressed into the studs of one of the boxes.

Later, Itzkatl Xhoa comes to the realization that the objects are not dematerialized so much as "translated" elsewhere, and can be brought back. This then, is the "translation pad" ...

The Princess Zaharxa Entertains the Grey Envoy of the Erga

 At about the same time that Itzkatl Xhoa has figured out that his strange device is a "translation pad" that can send and receive objects, a strange delegation arrives in the market of the Great Spire, seeking an audience with Zaharxa of the Sixth House. It is said that they have come up from the tunnels and caves below, rather than entering by the outer doors; and they are a peculiar sort, of such a like as thought only to appear in old stories and hero songs:

... As they entered the audience hall, a great murmur passed through Zaharxa's entourage. "See, it's only a child!" ... "But the color--so grey, so unhealthy. And not human at all." ... "The cloaked ones walk with warriors' gaits." ... &c. &c.

The envoy was indeed the stature of a human child, but its skin an unhealthy grey pallor, its eyes large, black, and terrifying. It was escorted by tall cloaked figures that stank of meat, all broad of stature, except the one closest the envoy, which was tall and narrow, and silent as it walked.

All bowed before Zaharxa, and the envoy intoned a greeting in a strange burbling tongue that none recognized--and yet we all understood it implicitly, as if we did. "We are but tools of the Erga Chondrias, yet we bear greeting from them to thee, great Princess. The Erga is a great sorcerer, and they have seen the depths to which thy Sixth House has plumbed, and the greatness to which thee and thine aspire. Yet they fear that in thy ascendency that the old terror will be renewed--the terror of the Doulii and their Immortal Columns! They ask us to ask thee, great Princess--how might we find Accord, as was found between thy Xholda cousins, and the humans of the Cities?"

I looked to the Princess as this was said, and I saw that a fire had been lighted inside her, to be so likened to the Immortal Doulii, but she was rightly chary about it, deigning not to show how she gloried in it to these strange delegates. "We are Attines," she said, antennae waving coyly. "Our ways are not Doulii ways." And though I stepped forward to translate, I found it unnecessary--the Erga's envoy already was nodding. The Princess continued, "Stranger-guests, be welcome in our abode, drink mold-beer with us and be at ease. And let your Erga know of this munificence of the Princess Zaharxa, that all who come humbly to her will be treated likewise, however great she may become."

This speech we all felt was good and dissembling, true regardless of our ambitions, and the delegation seemed to take it well. ... 

Many speeches and counter-speeches follow, promising mutual friendship and aid, and goodwill all around. Izlutzl, the author of the account and the main translator-dore for the Princess Zaharxa in her audiences, maintains that the Princess was exceedingly crafty in her exchanges with the envoys, and was able to glean more about their purposes than reveal about her own--though both seem to amount to little in his telling of events.

The most significant item in the exchange, in light of the other accounts, was a set of "navigation coordinates" given by the envoy to the Princess. According to Izlutzl, this was gained by most devious diplomacy on the Princess' behalf (aided by Izlutzl, of course), in which, using the discoveries of Itzkatl Xhoa she feigned mastery over the "translation pad" and its uses.

... "So of course you have explored [coordinates redacted], then," the envoy declared. "As that is most easily discovered. But perhaps we could exchange knowledge of other places, if the Princess deigns it to her liking."

At this, the illustrious Zaharxa breezily dissembled. "It is no account to me what else you have found, as I'm sure my dores have already found the same, or gone beyond your Erga's own dores."

It was shortly after this that the Princess began to show signs of weariness, and called for her slaves to come and bear her out of the audience hall. She bade the delegation remain as long as they wished, enjoining them to the mutual hospitality that they had all harped on for so long; but the envoy admitted exhaustion as well, and declared that the entourage of Erga Chondrias would return to the Erga that night for rejuvenation. So the audience was broken with little ado ...

The Accounting of Xixitlatzali on the Exploration of the Life Manufactories

After the audience with the strange grey envoy of the Erga Chondrias, Princess Zaharxa ordered her natural-philosopher Xixitlatzali to gather scouts for exploration across the "translation pad", and to convene with Itzkatl Xhoa for briefings on the use of the device.

Despite Itzkatl Xhoa's natural jealousy--his crew had found the device, why should he not be the one to first explore "through" it?--the Princess' orders were of course to be followed, and Itzkatl Xhoa duly showed Xixitlatzali its use; and Xixitlatzali entered the coordinates inadvertently supplied by the envoy into the device and thus "sent" and "received" the same object without incident. After that, a scout was sent through and retrieved, and she returned without any obvious injury. A period of cautious experiments and explorations followed (all while Itzkatl Xhoa's crew continued cutting zortrium and sending scouts into the interior).

What was ultimately discovered was a great cavern-complex far below the surface of Ardha, with strange dome-structures built into the space:

... They found huge domes in the cavern, built up with what seemed to be metals of strange alloys--seemingly translucent? There was no obvious ingress.

A stair found carved into the cliffs to the west led down into narrow caverns, and though these at first seemed promising, they only issued ultimately onto another large cavern with equally inaccessible domes.

At last, after much exploration, the first cave on the right hand side was found to contain a similar translation pad--though only activated by a curious medallion found on the husked corpse of an ancient creature. By this device we were finally able to penetrate into the secrets of the domes.

What we discovered is a cornucopia of lost knowledge! ...

The text goes on in rapturous language about the wonders that Xixitlatzali will bring forth from the ancient lore, and all the secrets stored in the domes. They are found to be some kind of "life manufactories" where life can be created in various vats, and stored in magical sarcophagi, &c. &c. Untranslatable glyphs cover everything, and there are strange magic mirrors abounding. Signs associated with the demons of the Fortress Moon are also everywhere, and some of Xixitlatzali's scouts encounter strange shadow creatures that seem demonic.

So Xixitlatzali has a demon-codex brought to him, and dubiously identifies the "shadow-demons" as "notules", flying shadows that seek living-warmth, and has ember-fires built to attract them away from the Klackon explorers.

Then, discovered within the depths of the strange domes:

... Klackosn and Hlyss of ancient stock, suspended in strange not-death. I see the likeness of the ancient Doulii in them, great warriors who swept all before them!

This must be the place where they were originally created--bred? built? nurtured? But all those in the sarcophagi we open putrefy shortly after their release. The magic here is strange. Difficult to parse. So I have sent my scouts and apprentices to look for other clues.

Fortunately, one Droxa has returned with other reports--smaller creatures, fellow arthropods, in eggs that are yet well preserved. I am certain--this must be where the ancient Heroes devised our glorious ancestors, as well as their fleshy counterparts, and from here they set them on Ardha to walk in glory. But we have degenerated, as is obvious--and so we must begin again with the smallest of our fellows, and see how the Heroes (the Gods themselves?) devised our glorious ancestors.

The work begins forthwith. Droxa and her scouts are already hauling the great eggs up to the laboratory, along with other specimens and materiel. As soon as all is ready, I shall put knife to flesh and look behind the veil of mere materiality ...

Some of Xixitlatzali's research is already known to the Survivors, in the spellbook The Pale Beetle Under the Knife, and the many biological notes that were translated along with it. And, of course, the fate of the Sixth House is now known to all--cursed by a strange parasitical plague, brought on by these delvings into ancient secrets better left unknown, which brought utter devastation to the House and almost could have destroyed the rest of the Spire-Klackons if not checked as it was.

But there's still so much to puzzle out! Surely our heroes won't succumb to the same hubris as Xixitlatzali and the rest of the Sixth House. Surely not! ...

Fort Doghouse

About two months ago, a company of barbarian-adventurers (though including citizen Sesel in their midst) entered into the Ocean's Throat sea-caves and thence returned to Cothon on the decks of the captured pirate galley Darkwing, to much admiring excitement by the Cothoni crowds and the Hansemänner of the Kantor Kabljauhof.

Immediately following his interview with the Hansemänner that very evening, Durham of the Ringing Anvil, accompanied by his renyu servant Pako, gathered several boatloads of supplies into the Darkwing and (with its skeleton crew of about 10 rugged seamen pulling the oars) returned to the Ocean's Throat. What he later reported was that he had secured the secret fort out of which the pirates had been operating--a fort carved into the living rock of the caverns themselves!

How had he secured it? With the assistance of the Wasgo Tribe, a group of renyu he and others had freed not long ago from the tyrannical leadership of the rogue alchemist Yramrag. The Wasgo continue to dwell in the Ocean's Throat, not far from the fort, and so rallying them to garrison the secret fort--now christened "the Doghouse"--was not difficult.

Not exactly accurate, but this gets the general layout of the place; there
should actually be room for two ships, one one either side, and the loading
beach on the left hand side (which would be north) is bigger ...

Holding onto Fort Doghouse may be another matter, however ...

Durham and Pako have both reported, on their return to Cothon, that the Sakkra of the Hsi-Hsiyya tribe who dwell in the caverns nearby came sneaking into the caves around the Fort to see if they might claim it for themselves.

Admittedly, the Sakkras' case was not entirely without merit ... the Sakkra Kaa having assisted in the defeat of the pirates before succumbing to the fortunes (the misfortunes) of battle. And their appearance not unwarranted for subjects wishing to know what had become of their fallen Kaa.

Well, according to Durham, he gave them a stern warning that the Kaa had fallen in battle with his warriors--to a lizard!--and that such was the fate of those who did such evil to supplicants they hold at their mercy. For, when they had had their initial dealings with the Kaa, a company had left Kalon, a proselyte of the Sakkra prophet Zh'kar the Blind, in the court of the Kaa--and when they returned to seek the Kaa's aid in defeating the pirates, they found that Kalon had been imprisoned!

And so Durham pointed out that indignity to the Sakkra scout-envoys, and enjoined them to consider that perhaps Zh'kar had indeed laid up vengeance against them in his stores, and that perhaps they had better look to their own house before attempting to expand into others--or something to the effects of those words. Who remembers what exactly is said in such a heated moment?

Well, it has been two months since the Sakkra came sneaking around the outskirts of the new Fort Doghouse, and word among the renyu is that some kind of internal disturbance continues to distract the reptilian creatures. But such cannot last forever--and the Sakkra are decidedly not the only ones with eyes on the Ocean's Throat caves ... a base so close to major lines of trade will surely have been a sore thing to lose for the Luwian Pirates; might they not also be mustering a force to reclaim their former holding?

Time will surely tell ...

Claws and Armor

But Durham has not been idle in the meantime. He has sent his servants out for supplies--some to the Souk in Cothon for suitable metals, some to the Great Spire of the Attine Klackons for the true-black carapaces of the dlakolel-beetles they sell in the market there.

Between these purchases, Durham has embarked on a mission to arm the renyu of the Wasgo well, with "claws" or "tines" to augment their own natural weapons, alongside dark "chitinothorax" armor of dlakolel-black to aid in their natural tendencies of stealth.

These arms are just beginning to be completed en masse at the Anvil, and to be delivered to the Wasgo, so it is not yet clear just how effective they may be, but they certainly promise much!

The Darkwing

Not quite two months ago, a company of barbarians (with citizen-Sesel in their midst) managed to seize the pirate galley Darkwing from the hidden fortress carved into the living rock of the Ocean's Throat caves. As to the fate of the fort, that will be dealt with in a subsequent post; suffice it to say that Durham of the Ringing Anvil has invested it with renyu of the Wasgo Tribe.

This post however is about the Darkwing and about the cargo that was secured in her hold at the same time:

Registration and Wharfage

As noted by Bartholomew Pettibone when he and his companions captured her, the Darkwing must be registered at a particular harbor in order to take part in any kind of official trade. Though it need not be the harbor of Cothon, that would seem the most convenient, as it is the base of operations of those who now possess the galley.

To register a ship in Cothon costs 75 dinars (gp), which is an annual fee (and so would not need to be paid again until next year (month depending on when exactly the fee is paid).

Furthermore, holding a ship in the harbor costs wharfage fees, assessed per foot of ship's length. In Cothon, wharfage costs 7 dirhams (sp) per foot of shiplength per day, which for the Darkwing, on the lighter side at 60 feet, would cost 420 dirhams, i.e. 42 dinars, per day.

Fortunately regarding wharfage, however, the party decided to dock the Darkwing at the quays of the Kantor Kabljauhof, and they are happy to waive the normal wharfage fees for six months in gratitude for help in seizing the pirate ship--and the Ocean's Throat fort as well! Which is to say, at the beginning of April next year the Darkwing will be assessed normal wharfage fees per day, so long as she remains docked there; and Cothon will assess the same, if she chooses to dock in the public harbor.

The Cargo

Meanwhile, seized at the same time as the galley was her cargo of pirated goods, which came with her into Cothon, to be offloaded and inventoried there. In this case--again, seeking to win goodwill from the company and from Durham particularly--the Kantor agreed to hold the cargo in their warehouses without fee, while someone from the adventuring-company looked through registrations, cargo manifests, and lading histories to attempt to find the former owners of the various goods, presumably so that they could be returned.

(The "bonding fees" that the Kantor is waiving would amount to 1% of the declared dinar-value of the goods being stored per month)

Sesel, Voice of the Survivors, asked his friend Gan (no relation to Gan ad-Din) to assist in this task, and this is what Gan was able to discover:

• the case of fine ivory was identified as being imported by the Banu Hanbal, a merchant-house
• the two cords of tiu wood was likewise being imported by Banu al Saddiyas, one of the greater houses
• half of the ingots of common metal--20 altogether--were being exported to the city of Ittiyqa (another in the Ten Cities League) by the Banu Baraqi (commonly called Barcidae)
• the 5 "ingots" of chlen-hide were being exported by the Guild of Alchemists (associated with the tavern Cothon-Under-Star), also to Ittiyqa
• and the 3 crates of weapons were being imported by the Banu al Dawr--possibly to replace those lost by their servitors on expeditions into "the Facility"?

The rest of the cargo was perhaps moving to and from ports other than Cothon, and no relevant records seem to exist here to point out where or to whom they might belong. Given that this is the case, with the permission of the harbormaster and the city's market-officers, is agreed that the party can dispose of the remaining goods as if they were the party's own. If within the next year, someone comes forward with a reasonable claim that they really were the original owners--something that can be shown in court--then the party must surrender to them the goods, or half of any money they got from the sale (though this last eventuality is highly unlikely at this point).

To sell the cargo in the market will require hiring the Guild of Longshoremen to transport it, and then a fee paid to the assessors of the market on behalf of the Souffets. The remaining cargo (12 bundles of furs, 20 bags of textiles, 20 ingots of common metals, 10 barrels of ale, 40 sacks of hops, 15 barrels of fish) would require an unlading fee of 42 dirhams (3 dirhams per "tun" ... the Scribes admit to fudging on the precise amount of "tunnage" here). Then to sell it, the fee paid to the assessors (the "hawking fee") would be 9% of the total value of the goods (the idea being that you declare the value of the goods at the price you bought them--or lower?--and then negotiate for higher sale prices). Altogether, as inventoried by Gan, the value would be 4450 dinars if everything were to be sold, which would be assessed a hawking fee of 401 dinars.

These fees would all change assessment according to just what was taken to market by the company--if anything--and that is up to their discretion.

Assuming that the company elects to sell something in the market, it will require someone to use their downtime for the week essentially to find the right buyer--with the goods divided according to their nature, and requiring a roll per "type" (i.e. fish and beer could be sold together as "foodstuffs", the furs could be sold as a lot, &c.).

Of course, the cargo doesn't have to be sold. It could be disposed of in other ways--supplies for the Wasgo, metals used by the workshops at the Ringing Anvil or Crag Keep, &c. &c. It's up to the company to decide how to proceed.

A note--future cargos will probably be handled a bit differently, especially on their breakdown into lots and goods, but I worked this cargo up before getting The Pilot's Almanac (from Columbia Games). The hawking, lading/unlading, and bonding fees will all remain, however.

And What's Next??

If registered, the Darkwing could be used by her owners as a source of income--cargos could be bought to fill her holds, destined for nearby ports, and thus to ply the trade routes to Nous, Ittiyqa, or elsewhere. They would only need to hire a crew, a captain, and a pilot (or some one of them could captain the ship himself or herself), and then spend downtime securing a cargo--and off she would sail, hopefully to bring in a reasonable income!

Otherwise, she would also make a fine platform to adventure to parts distant from Cothon--to the Denyan Isles, for instance, or west following the codices of Hamdi the Voyager!

Or if strapped for cash, they could sell the ship--she would certainly fetch a price exceeding 30,000 dinars, which is nothing to laugh at ... though the Scribes suspect somehow that this will not be the final decision.

Ultimately, it's up to the company to decide just what to do with their prize ...

Session #65: The Tower Invincible

Last week, Lord Althis of the Crag came again into Cothon seeking adventure--but seeking for others to join him in the further exploration of certain unexplored crannies in the depths of his own Crag Keep! Two answered the call, those being Bartholomew Pettibone, and Durham of the Ringing Anvil, each followed their usual leal companions.

The company set out from the Gate of Mourners and made their way quickly into the ruins of Tsurr al Qadim--encountering on their way, near the outpost of the Poor Brothers of the Dead, a merchant train of slave-bearers run by the merchant Enshunu. No gold or wares exchanged hands at the time--only pleasant greetings--but Althis enjoined Enshunu (and through him, other merchants!) to consider the keep open and friendly to their kind, a market as yet untapped in all its potential. Or so Enshunu reported when he made his way into the city.

Meanwhile, this company entered through the gates of the Crag, and thereafter sought adventure in its depths--seeking ingress to the legendary Tower Invinvible!

• Lord Althis (magic-user 5)
  accompanied by two crossbowmen, Jermo and Nona
• Durham (fighting-man 7)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 6)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man 5)

Bart and Durham, and their companions, returned to Cothon rather full, having been well-feasted by Althis and his companions and servants at the Crag. They claimed to indeed have accomplished what has seemed impossible--to penetrate into the very depths of the Tower Invincible. And most curiously, they wonder about the legends of the Elver Worms, and whence they come, for they encountered not even a scale of the dread creatures within. ... Or so they say.

They did bear evidence of having ransacked some kind of wealthy estate, however--carrying fine linens and bedding, an assortment of precious room-services, and even a great (though moldered) tapestry. Also--the  strangely musky heads of vampires, and the mortal remains of an adventurer who seemed to have succumbed to those very fiends.

the Tower Invincible, as seen from the side, rising out of a rocky
 outcropping, and the conjectured halls carved within the stone

The Tower has around it a strange field of force that resists all attempts to enter by the (closed) main gate--or even to approach very closely the tower itself--and of course catapult-shot and rams have no effect on the field, as evidenced by its continued survival even past the ruin of Old Tsurr during the Man-Kzin Wars. So how did they manage to enter it? And indeed--how is it that are creatures within that succor themselves on living flesh and blood?? And how did some other unfortunate manage the same feat of entrance (only to have his life ended before the boasting he could have done, alas!)???

All this must be told by those who went, or discovered by further adventure ...

The Lucre

• 2000 dinars (gp) from rich linens and bedding
• 2200 dinars from varied services of silver and brass
• an ancient tapestry depicting Old Tsurr in its hey-day, badly faded by time; though materially damaged, it might still be sold to the right buyer if someone with a great interest in history, esp. of Old Tsurr, could be located (~3000 gp value)
• materiel and tools for metalworking, ore-smelting, &c.; these could be sold for a tidy sum, or perhaps split between the workshops of the Ringing Anvil and the Crag Keep
• 
  six spell scrolls (but one ruined by blood, leaving only 5 viable scrolls):
  1) written in silvered ink, the spells ethereal jaunt and dimension door
  2) & 3) apparently written in invisible ink, these each hold both invisibility and invisibility 10'
  4) inscribed on the rim of a small shield, to be broken when casting: shield
  5) a strange spell, Allos' Scintillating Shield--perhaps detailed in the spellbook (below)?
• a slim "adventuring" spellbook, including a map
• matching fine short sword and handaxe taken from the dead adventurer, both worked with an electrum thunderbolt
• a black orb and the dark metal tripod upon which it can stand
  
• three grey suits with red decor, which could easily be slipped on over one's clothing; Bart claims these might protect against "poisoned light" [right]
  
• an odd brick with a glass surface on top, inside of which is a needle that can swing back and forth; it occasionally clicks, or even makes a strange "burping" sound
• 6 vampire heads, still musky

A note--the dinars from beddings and services taken from the Tower represent about 3 apartments' worth of stuff, perhaps esp. choice selections; which, given the workshop materiel, the tapestry, and the remains of the poor adventurer all also carried out of the Tower, I find reasonable for the 7-member company to have absconded with

The Learning

• 7200 xp from treasure
• 1301 xp from vampires x6 (200 + hp ea.)
• 400 xp to each player-character for penetration into the Tower Invincible

The Cut (this was the easiest money-cut I've ever had to calculate)

• 3234 xp to each player-character
  1617 xp to Gan ad-Din
• 1000 dinars to each player-character
  500 dinars to Gan and Pako
  100 dinars each to Jermo and Nona, serving as "footmen", i.e. receiving 10% shares
• the faded tapestry of Old Tsurr
• workshop materiel
• 5 spell scrolls
• the spellbook and map (the map is written inside the book)
  
• matched thunderbolt-decorated short sword and handaxe
• the black orb and its stand
• three grey suits worked with red
• a peculiarly noisy brick
• 6 vampire heads

Any item of vale that a party-member wishes to possess may be "bought out" by adding their own dinars into the pot equal to its stated value; other items must be negotiated for by the members of the company, according to their desires.

And, as always, artwork, maps drawn by players, write-ups, &c. from the point of view of the characters, sent by players to be published here, will earn the corresponding player-character 100 xp per level.

Session #64: "The Land of Yogurt and Ghee"

Last week, Durham of the Ringing Anvil gathered to him a number of fellow barbarian-adventurers in the drinking room of the Gatehouse at the Kantor Kabljauhof. Recalling a glimpse of a strange place deep in the Ocean's Throat sea-caves, Durham was looking for others interested in joining him in exploration there.

He reported having ventured into strange mists in the caves with Bartholomew Pettibone as his companion (a side venture at the time, as their main intent had actually been to address the Sakkra Kaa), and through the mists seen the edges of a kind of palace--a palace set in the midst of a jungle, under the great red sun! Impossible, and yet there it was--and Pako, Durham's faithful renyu companion reported tales from the Wasgo tribe of renyu of a kind of "Bilad al Chumetl wa Ghee", a faerie-land through the mists where the Wasgo sometimes hunted or foraged, but where not everything within was "really there".

It was on Durham's mind to investigate; and so he gathered these companions, and they all set forth across the northern beach to enter the caves and seek "the Land of Yogurt and Ghee":

• Durham (fighting-man)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man)
• Lord Althis (magic-user)
• Heijo (magic-user)

The company returned with lips greasy from a feast fed them by the Wasgo renyu. They carried a small chest with them on their return to the Gatehouse to divide the spoils, as well as several sacks filled with foreign herbs, roots, and flowers. And their boots--though they had been traipsing across sand, and walking the cold stone of cavern floors--were muddy!

Within the chest was discovered various Alkari accoutrements--which matched up with tales later told by Pako as he spent some of his cut for beer, and worked his way through something of the deeds they'd done in his thick renyu speech:

"Wasgo send with us scouts, Hrodh, Askol, and Hatti. Hrodh is nephew of Scar. We go across water on skiff, attacked by qaqtla, but kill them. Through mists is big palace--very big!--and sun shines, but we are in cave. Jungle is around, full of smells. So many smells--because of so many flowers in palace-gardens. Is big garden-palace, and Durham wants to take cuttings, and dig up roots. I like gardens more than caves. But there are strange white people inside palace. We hide, and they leave; and then later we find Alkari, and we kill them after Althis makes them sleep with magic. That's where chest comes from. I want more beer now ..."

The Lucre

• 1770 dinars (gp) from 7 gems (1@1000, 1@500, 2@100, 1@50, 2@10)
• a magic codex, pages of almost foil-thin brass, script of bluegreen enamel; it is accompanied by notes in an alien script--perhaps the Alkari attempting to translate it?
• a magic scroll in an alien script, illuminated with sro and feathered serpents along the margins
• 700 dinars from an enameled gold anklet, worked as a twining feathered serpent
• 600 dinars from a collection of Alkari feather-dyes
• 1600 from a sro-mask--clearly some kind of religious fetish, resembling the kind of masks worn by dancers when impersonating their hero-deity--this mask is a work of art, a piece of hard tiu-wood intricately carved, its "scales" made of small seashells carefully affixed and painted black
• 8 rylath root portions (said by the Wasgo to invigorate one who eats one)
• 30 sinda berries (said by the Wasgo to fortify one against disease or poison, if one eats 10; these are dried at this point, and could be crushed and added to a drink, for instance)
• 5 hallucinogenic flowers--at least, according to the Wasgo; if the company wants any dinars for these, they would have to find the right buyer, otherwise they seem like they would make fine alchemical ingredients
• rubbings from the obelisk in the palace, taken by Bart

There were remains of the "dnelu" that the party claimed to have skinned and taken with them, which disappeared sometime between slaying it and returning to town. It was curious for having allegedly resisted the effects of mu'agh acid, but alas, it seems to have vanished!

The Learning

• 4670 xp from treasure
• 513 xp from "qaqtla" x3 (150 + hp ea.)
• 223 xp from a "dnelu" (200 + hp)
• 320 xp from Alkari x3 (100 + hp ea.)
• 161 xp from Alkari x3 (50 + hp ea.)

The Cut

• 1037 dinars and 7 dirhams to each player-character
  518 dinars and 9 dirhams to Gan ad-Din
• 1472 xp to each player-character
  736 xp to Gan ad-Din
• the codex of brass and its attendant notes
• the scroll with serpent-illuminations
• 8 rylath roots
• 30 sinda berries
• 5 hallucinogenic flowers
• Bart's rubbings from the obelisk

Player-characters who wish to retain anything for themselves may "buy out" an item of discrete dinar-value; non-valued items included in the Cut must be negotiated out per the will of the company.

And as always, write-ups, art, &c. representing the events of the expedition will earn the supplying player-character 100 xp per level.

Two Rings and a Gem -- Researches 2/2

Being a continuation of various research-undertakings and other pursuits of  the adventurer-barbarians of Cothon:

the Tumbaga Ring

The sorcerer Bartholomew Pettibone has in his possession a ring, taken on an expedition into the Necropolis of the Tel--perhaps from the very tomb of Itra the Swift?--made of red-gold tumbaga, which resembles the beaked skull of some creature with three eye-sockets; a quite gaudy thing that would sit over an entire first knuckle if worn.

except red-gold and with three eyes

Noted as magical by Heijo of the Survivors of the Tel, Bart last month spent some time looking through various magical treatises and scanning old poems and hero-stories, looking for something like it that might indicate its sorcerous function.

Thinking that the beaked triocular head resembles that of the giant dzor (image), Bart begins his inquiries there, asking associates and tavern-patrons if they've heard anything about a dzor-ring. Though few of these result in any really useful information, through conversation, Bart is reminded that the Colossian Oracle is said to be guarded by giants--dzor in fact!--and that it is counted strange just how well under their control the Oracles have these dzor, who are otherwise impossible to bend to the wills of men.

Thus curious, Bart sought out books and other sources about the Colossian Oracle, hoping to discover some correlation between their mastery over the dzor and the ring he now possessed. After hours of poring through tomes and scrolls, he finally came upon something--in certain old annals, the Oracles are described wearing the Rings of Ta'ir. Searching further, with the help of conversational suggestions, he found a fuller description of the rings in an old hero-song, where Nayran the Sailor, who plied his ways among the Denyan Isles, was first presented with such a ring by the Oracles because of their favor; and second he was delivered from the talons of Alkari pirates by his possession of it, when he showed it off to them and they bowed before him.

Per the story, a Ring of Ta'ir (or is there only one?) compels the obedience of dzor, and hlaka, and shanu'u, and giriku, and all those "born under the light of Ta'ir's Lordship". It appears to Bart, therefore, that this ring of his is a kind of ring of mastership over similar such creatures. (in the story, the Alkari only bowed to it, and released Nayran; who knows the truth, but the implication is that they respected it, but were not compelled by it)

the Gemmed Gorget

On the same expedition noted above, a gorget of blued steel was recovered, set in its center with a dark red gem that seems to glow malevolently of its own accord. Clearly magical (again, thanks to Heijo!), the gem seemed to pulse some kind of power, though noticeable only to certain of the company. Raoden feels queasy in its presence, while Sesel notes a kind of itching along his scalp; and Revna mentions the feeling of being watched by someone unseen when around the gem.

Despite Revna's apprehensions, the gem seemed no "seeing-crystal" when probed; rather it appears to house a kind of "psychic poison" affecting only those individuals who are especially psychically sensitive. After some experimentation, it is determined that anyone wearing the gorget who is subjected to any mind-affecting ability "transmits" the poison in the gem to the person affecting them--i.e. a magic-user casting ESP on someone wearing the gem would expose himself to the poison!

Just what the psychic poison does is uncertain (barring further experimentation), but that its unpleasant to suffer is undoubted.

Durham's Signet Ring

No note about research, rather this is a record of Durham's seeking of someone to make for himself a fine signet ring with which to seal the official documents of his own Ringing Anvil, as well as of his own private missives.

Well regarded as he has become at the Kantor Kabljauhof for all his assistance in clearing the pirates out of the Ocean's Throat, Durham was able to get a recommendation from the Mormaera of the Kantor to the lapidary Golden Arts, a shop of the Piedrajoya Guild (Guild of Whitesmiths and Lapidaries) which is happy to deal with barbarians. Following up on this introduction, Durham pays 200 dinars to the Golden Arts for a gold ring of unique design, the design of which will be destroyed after the ring is completed, to ensure its uniqueness.

Presumably, the design of the ring's seal is something like that of the sign of the Ringing Anvil (above), though the actual details are up to Durham to decide; but whatever those details, let this stand as a note that Durham has been granted an introduction to the Golden Arts, and is now acquainted there; and that a relationship could be further cultivated between him and the lapidary there, such that further services might be offered to a friend of the shop.

Two Swords and a Mirror -- Researches 1/2

Much activity has passed in Cothon by various barbarian-adventurers pursuing their interests, unrecorded as yet by the Scribes--but to be recorded now.

the Scimitar of Vikonyá -- the Last Goodbye

Just a couple weeks ago, Gan (no relation to Gan ad-Din, companion and servitor of Bartholomew Pettibone) was commissioned by Sesel of the Survivors to do some research on several items. One of these was the scimitar taken from Vikonyá, a pirate-sorceress who was captured at the same time as the capture of the pirate-galley Darkwing.

The sword itself is beautiful; finely balanced so that it swings easily in the hand, but with good heft to the cutting-edge, so that it makes an excellent weapon; but the blade is acid-etched with beautiful calligraphy, making it a work of art as well:

أنا الفاصل بين الطرق ، الوداع الأخير.

من يستخدمني سوف يسرع من الأرض.

I am the parter of the ways, the last goodbye  |  who lives by me, by me will too from Ardha hie

There is a magic in the poetry, and the sword almost sings through the air as it is swung; if one allows oneself to listen to the song of the sword, one can get carried away with the rush and excitement ... fortunately, when Gan was testing it, he had little enough in his chambers, and only had to replace the tattered remains of his bedding and sheets.

The Last Goodbye is a scimitar +2 to hit and damage; after 1 round of combat, if its wielder wishes, they can enter a kind of battle frenzy, throwing caution to the wind, and attack at an additional +2 to hit, +1 to damage (+4/+3 total), though at -4 AC because of their recklessness. This is not any kind of "rage" or such thing, and can be ended at any time.

the Empty Hilts

Last month, Arngeir of the Green Gleam, who when adventuring walks clad in wondrous green-hued plate armor with the maker's mark of the Ringing Anvil, began looking into a strange hilts-like object recovered on an expedition some time ago. The object is a short rod, wrapped in wire as one might wrap the hilts of a sword, but there is no blade, and no place for a tang--only the object itself. It was received in trade with the strange "kobolds" of the deep places of the Weirding Caverns, the Zoq-Fot-Pik.

Having seen Durham's "empty hilts", which Durham employs as a kind of second set of eyes, Arngeir wondered if he might help unravel the secret of Arngeir's "hilts", and so he set off to the Ringing Anvil to engage Durham's assistance.

First it was to be noted that the two empty hilts are quite different in form; while Arngeir's is merely the rod--a little long for a sword, admittedly--Durham's "hilts" is topped with a face where the guard would be, with a kind of "mirror" and many studs and twistable knobs around that mirror. It is with these studs and knobs that he controls what he "sees" through it ... and to their luck, Durham's knowledge of such things revealed a similar stud near one end of Arngeir's hilts.

Durham, having seen yet another "empty hilts" in possession of the Survivors of the Tel--an object which projects an intense beam of light from one end--and wondering if this were a similar device, suggested that Arngeir point it at something and depress the stud. And lo! a blade of fire sprang forth, with a wash of intense heat and light all around:

Surprised, Arngeir released the stud, and the blade disappeared as suddenly as it had manifested. Armed with that knowledge, with a little additional testing, Arngeir discovers a catch to keep it depressed so that the blade can be swung freely and handled like a sword. This empty hilts, it appears, actually is the hilts of a sword--a sword of fire!

the Zortrium Mirror

The other item Gan was commissioned to research was the mirror of greenish metal recovered from the so-called Undercity, or Medina al Taht, one face of which is polished to reflective clarity, the other side of which bears strange logograms spiraling in toward the center, this item has already been researched a little by Raoden of the Survivors, who revealed the bare meanings of the logograms:

"Lord of the Center, Lord Eater, Pit of the World, Wearer of Fuligin, the Circle, Hound of Hell, Master of the Black House, Warner at the Limes"

Now this same Gan looks into it on Sesel's retainer, attempting to divine meaning from the strange writings (while Raoden is busy with his own projects).

Taking the mirror into the stacks of the library at Cothon-Under-Star, Gan searches for similar references in various Klackon cultural works--poetry, narratives, histories, etc. The research is slow-going--sifting through all that material looking for such little references. Things that seem like they might be "hits" turn out to be in reference to other things ...

But eventually Gan hits on something at least: the true black of dlakolel chitin is sometimes called "fuligin" or "fuligin-black". Armed with that connection, Gan began to wonder if there might be some Klackon-kenning related to this mysterious Bel Wasat (Lord of the Center) involving dlakolel?

One thing already noted about the beetle-like dlakolel is that they are sometimes called the "steeds of al Sarakun" [under the art on that post]; thinking this must be something, Gan read about "al Sarakun", thinking perhaps it is the selfsame Bel Wasat--but that turns out to be a dead end, as "al Sarakun" is the Lord of Worms, a kind of divinity of the dead, who could only loosely be associated with this "Bel Wasat".

But despite that frustration, Gan's intuition did lead to something interesting, in the form of a strange Klackon folktale about the dlakolel:

    How the Dlakolel Got its Fuligin

Long ago, the dlakolel were white like dores; and they were smaller then, small like their cousin shalks of the desert. And one day, the paths of a dlakolel and a garthm crossed, and though the dlakolel attempted to keep its way, it was thrust aside by the garthm, and its beautiful white shell broken by the garthm's great claws.

Then the dlakolel thought to itself, "I am small and white, and weak and masculine; but I should be great and black, strong and feminine. Though I have beauty like a dore, I should want strength like a black drone." And so it set out on a quest to find its strength and color.

[a series of trials and travails follows, in which the dlakolel is joined by three companions, a chnelh trickster who wishes for real magic, a dri-ant who (similarly ridiculed as the dlakolel) wishes for power, and a kyni falcon who would catch a star; the company discovers a sorcerer in the clouds, Imsaïs, who tells them of a castle-in-the-stars, a dark fortress like a star that is not a star--Bayt al Aswad, the Black House--which is the prison of the greatest of demons, who can grant any wish, because he is at the center of everything ...

... the company contrives a means of flying to the stars, with the dlakolel and kyni carrying the chnelh; and finding the Bayt al Aswad as described by Imsaïs, they enter it, and face more trials, until finally coming face-to-face with the imprisoned demon. The chnelh with its fine words tricks the demon into granting each creature its wish, all without freeing the demon ...]

And so they fled from that Black House, and the dlakolel carried her companions with her: the chnelh with his newfound sorceries, and the kyni who had caught a star, and the dri who would raise up armies. Clad in her fuligin, the dlakolel was invisible to the servants of the Black House, and she hid her companions under the folds of her cloak as she flew, and so they escaped. And the chnelh raised up his towers; and the dri gathered her hosts; and the kyni showed off her star; but the dlakolel only went back to the jungle to live and toil as she had before, except without being bullied.

But as they had been warned, they all felt a great desire to return to the Black House, and it was a curse that had entered into them. And in turn, each would return to the Black House--the chnelh, the kyni, and the dri--and each would be swallowed according to their doom. But the dlakolel, who had gotten her color, but who thereafter lived in her place, defied the call, and so escaped that doom--and so you can see in the dlakolel that it is the place of the white dore to strive for things outside his reach; and it is the place of the black drone to be invisible as she toils, and to keep to her place; and so it should be, that dores and drones each serve their Princess in different ways.

[this last being a Klackon exhortation to "keep to one's place", of course--though it seems a later interpolation on the tale, to make it conform more to Klackon expectations ...]

(the research that got these results for the mirror is "shaky", per Ben L.'s vision of research, and so perhaps sheds a little light on things, but uncertainly ... surely there are more certain identifications of what this Bel Wasat may be ...)

From Bartholomew's Journals: Time in the Dark

[written by Phil, player of Bartholomew Pettibone, who embarked on a solo expedition into the Necropolis not long since. This is his account, worth 100 xp per level to Bart]

From the Journals of Bartholomew Pettibone, of the House Pettibone

A Purveyor of Enchanting Sorcery

10 November 2021

Time Well Spent

I have had a special oar commissioned. The wood has been well aged, is strong, heavy in weight, but light in aspect. It is not a galley oar, but a smaller version – more akin to what would be used on a punt. The oar was taken to a skilled artist and I requested that it be gaily colored, with designs showing various denizens of the deep waters – ahko, gellikites, mer-people, seaweeds entwining the shaft, and numerous of the flavorful specimens of fish caught by the locals and presented as dishes fit for members of the Great Houses.

On a brisk but clear morning I laid the oar over my shoulder, exited the city through the Mourner's Gate, and made my way toward the Necropolis along the Pallbearer's Way. Along the path I was joined by one of the Poor Brothers, who made mention that he knew of Sesel and the Survivors – and wondered if I might be associated with those hearty and well-met barbarians. I acknowledged that I was indeed a good friend of Sesel's, and traveled often with the Survivors. We talked of small things and he ultimately taught me the particulars of prayers and sacrifices offered at the altars within the Necropolis. He especially noted that the oar I carried was a good omen, and that it was good too see that not everyone was abandoning the old traditions.

Near the Necropolis the fine gentleman bid me goodbye, and after I gifted him a small number of dinars as a tip for bringing me safely to my destination, he took his leave. I stood alone, in the quiet, at the entrance to the valley of death.

The cenotaph stood to my left, to the west, and it was to that maze of crypts that I made my haste. With a lantern lit, I stepped inside, and following familiar paths I made my way to a circular crypt chamber, containing a rather large altar, almost buried under a rotting hillock of numerous broken oars. I placed candles near the altar, and lit torches within several nearby sconces, providing ample light for what came next. Finding a leverage point, and murmuring prayers for my good friends Najm and Arngier (to be blessed with an abundance of tasty fish), to Sesel (that his river-boat would bring him much pleasure), to our company and the Darkwing (that it might bring us prosperity), and to Bob (that his spirit never fade), I snapped the oar in half, and placed the pieces upon the altar.

With my duties completed, I turned to the western wall of this chamber, located a door I knew to be hidden among the crypt niches, opened it, stepped into a darkened tunnel, and closed the door behind me. I must say, the crypts are quiet – and very dark. The smell of old decay, and the dust of ages, assaulted my nose. As I moved along the hallways toward my destination I placed lit torches in wall sconces, to both light my way back out (if I needed a quick escape), and to provide ambient light throughout the tunnels. I'm not sure why it is that we always tend to scrabble about in the darkness, instead of lighting more torches.

As I neared my destination I began to hear a chittering noise, growing louder, approaching my location from the direction I had been moving. Stepping farther into darker shadows, I pulled out a vial of garum and prepared to toss it down. My plan was (if necessary) to break the vial of garum on the floor in the hopes of providing a stink to cover my trail, and to run! However, as the chittering became more discernable, I recognized it as Klackon. And indeed, a small group of Klackons became visible as they approached through the lit hallway – all chittering and clicking and clacking at each other.

At an opportune moment, I stepped into the light and called out a friendly “Hello!” They answered in their idiom, but I recognized it as a normal (certainly not hostile) greeting. I mentioned that I had been down in the catacombs previously, had spoken with their leader, Z'nor, and was under the impression that their group (the M'nor) were leaving the catacombs to work with Sesel at his Iqta. This stirred up quite the excitement, and they insisted that I travel with them, back to the safety of their lair. I intended to defy their request, but thought better of it, and ultimately accompanied them. I surmised that my destination could wait, after all it wasn't going anywhere, and what harm could there be in helping further the good-will between the M'nor and the Survivors?

Unfortunately when I was presented to Z'nor, their initial reaction was that I was a crypt-thief, and it took much to convince her not to turn me over to the Poor Brothers. In fact, I mentioned that the Poor Brothers had actually been my guides to this place, and were pleased that I was here making sacrifices and paying homage to the dead – and the living. Z'nor finally believed my intentions were legitimate, and after learning that I was a compatriot of the Survivor's, I was treated to fungal treats and sour beverages. Z'nor confirmed that the M'nor were in the process of departing the Necropolis in favor of living and working among Sesel's new Iqta. She also made it clear that our recent escapades behind the Green Doors had sparked a serious anger from one known as Ta'Keon.

She explained that Ta'Keon was the master of the “tools” (the grey men of small stature), and that his ire toward us was unfathomable. She described his appearance as similar to the “tools”, yet larger – that he had a third eye, and often rode astride a large black beetle. He was likely to come before us as a friend, and he would use his masterful skills of subterfuge and manipulation to enter into our good graces, before utterly destroying us. I thanked Z'nor for her information, and promised to pass it on to my comrades. Before I made my leave, I asked for a small boon – to be allowed to cast a spell of clairvoyance upon Z'nor, so that I might be able to learn what it was like to see through the eyes of a Klackon. She agreed, after some steep haggling, and what I found was most enlightening.

After departing the M'nor, I made the long, quiet trudge back toward my destination. I had asked the M'nor to guide me safely back, but they refused, using the excuse of needing to pack. Ah well, it was better to not have them asking me more questions, or worse, deciding to stay with me to help in my “research”.

I attained my destination, a hidden tomb, without mishap, and set up torches and my lantern in such a way as to provide enough light for my work. As there was much to do, and I was unsure of how long it might take, I set up a cold-camp within this hidden tomb. Since I expected I might be here for quite some time, knowing that I was safely sequestered, and likely hidden from discovery, would be paramount. Once I was certain that I would not be disturbed, I began my “research” in earnest.

And here, my dear readers, I must end my recitation. To be clear, I spent more time than expected within the catacombs – almost two full weeks! But I have expanded my maps by a small amount, learned much concerning Hamdi (and his exploits), Altayra (his beloved), and others who have been laid to rest (and who dwell) in these dark places. My return to Bob, behind the Green Doors, was uneventful, and once there I informed my comrades about the threat of Ta'Keon. However, concerning my “research” – that remains undisclosed.

Session #63: Lost in the Dark

Shortly after the expedition into the Ocean's Throat sea-caves about two weeks ago,  (magic-user 6) was seen about in Cothon, seeking through the market, inquiring where best to purchase a fine oar for sacrifice in the cothon-tombs buried in the recesses behind the Cenotaph of the Necropolis. His proffered explanation was that he wanted to make a sacrifice to the ancient spirits on behalf of his friends and associates Najm ibn Marwan and Arngeir of the Green Gleam, both of whom are now ship-owners as well as barbarian-adventurers.

After purchasing a fine boat oar and seeing that a woodcarver of some skill had made artistic marks upon it, Bart then set out through the Gate of Mourners to the gash in the Tel al Safina that contains the Necropolis, all alone.

And for a week at least he has not been heard from, having disappeared into the dark deeps of the Tel!

His friends and fellow Survivors of the Tel, worried about his fate, inquired with the Poor Brothers of the Dead who patrol the way to the Necropolis if they had seen Bart recently, and was he hale or no? Sesel, Voice of the Survivors sought out his friend, a captain of the Poor Brothers by name of Agon Raffa, in particular, and Agon was able to confirm--"Yes, he passed along the Pallbearers' Way. We saw him go, but I haven't heard of his return. But you barbarians--ah, sorry, Citizen, I mean your friends--are always coming and going by circuitous ways. Maybe he came in by the Fishermen's Gate?"

Well, at that time he had not; but the upshot is that Bart has finally returned! His load lighter by a boat oar and made heavier only by some kind of crown, which he surreptitiously carried under his black cloak, but which sharp-eyed passersby swore to have seen him examining intently when no-one else was looking.

He seemed somewhat haggard on his return to Cothon-Under-Sstar, leaner, and with tired circles under his eyes; and he acknowledges that he has spent some time in the dark Underworld of the Tel, though just why he was gone so long only he might tell ...

The Lucre

• a crown of beaten gold
• more that Bart is keeping to himself?

The Learning

• 3000 from treasure
• 1174 xp from mnor scouts x11 (100 + hp ea.)
• 1684 xp from shadowy treasure guardians x4 (200 + hp ea.)
• 200 xp for entrance into a formerly unexplored place

The Cut

• dinars to be determined by finding a buyer, if desired
• 6058 xp to Bart

As always, if Bart wishes to make a report of this expedition--in the form of art, account, or otherwise--to be published here, he will receive 100 xp per level

Pirates' Talk

Not long ago, a group of barbarians seized the piratical galley Darkwing where it was harbored secretly in the Ocean's Throat sea caves, and claim beyond that to have seized a secret stronghold within those caves. Durham of the Ringing Anvil in particular sailed back out to the Ocean's Throat caves immediately after that expedition, and rumor is that he installed the Wasgo Tribe of renyu in the stronghold as a kind of garrison friendly to the cadre of barbarian-adventurers in the city of Cothon.

But perhaps strangely, that expedition didn't lead to the capture of any pirates, other than the sorceress Vikonyá (who was turned over to the agents of the Hanse at the Kantor Kabljauhof for a reasonable bounty) and her ensorcelled "apprentice" Hadisha (who was returned to her family for a not insignificant reward).

Indeed, a group of fighting-men / sea-men who were with the company when they returned to Cothon, and who seemed rough-and-tumble sorts, were claimed to be men-at-arms hired by the company for their expedition, and were subsequently led from the city to Sesel's new iqta' thereafter to garrison his lands. But they were emphatically not pirates, according to the company.

Nevertheless, the company was able to relay to the cities certain fresh rumors about the campaign against the Luwian pirates currently underway east and north in Dirac's Sea, unknown at the time of the expedition, but since corroborated by messenger-biremes that have returned to the city to give word to their Hanseatic masters.

Given that corroboration, the rumors are now published here by the Scribes:

1) The Battle Off Isbota

("off" is intentional)

After their successes in the Denyan Islands, driving the Luwians from a well-placed stronghold in their eastern reaches--and holding it against a Luwian counterattack--the Hanse's fleet under Telman of Tsipa were faced with a choice: turn north against Elx, or east against the pirates closer to distant Misr?

Telman chose both, and split his forces, sending some east [this battle] while accompanying the larger portion of his fleets north toward Elx [the larger threat, described below].

To the east, a squadron of Hanseatic galleys came against a combined force of Luwian galleys and Qorcuri biremes. The Luwians and Qorcuri had been having some kind of council on the island of Isbota, the westernmost of the Qorcuri Islands--most certainly the Luwians were attempting to draw their erstwhile allies into the conflict against the Hanse, but having trouble convincing them. As the Hanseatic galleys drew near and were spotted, both groups of pirates sailed out to greet them, though the Qorcuri did so reluctantly.

Hanse northwest, Luwians south, Qorcuri east

The result was a disaster for the Luwians. They sped bravely into battle, thinking that the Qorcuri would back them strongly, but the Qorcuri hung back as the Luwian galleys entered into a melee with the Hanseatic ships. The first ram seemed to presage victory for the pirates, as a catastrophe sent one Hanseatic ship to its watery grave, but a general melee developed among rams and counter-rams. With their greater numbers, the Hanse began to take a toll, sinking Luwian ships; and when the Qorcuri finally came to aid their "fairweather friends", their lighter ships proved too fragile for a battle of rams--they should have boarded instead!--and many Qorcuri were sunk outright.

The piratical informants of the company only heard about this battle because the two Qorcuri biremes that escaped; every other pirate-vessel, of either people, was captured or sunk! A total defeat of the pirates to the east (though a bringing of the Qorcuri into the conflict, which may bolster the Luwians' strength).

2) The Battle of Elx

Meanwhile, Telman sailed with the remainder of his fleet north to Elx and its attendant islands, to deal with the Elxingite branch of Luwians. The Elxingites tend to prefer high-sided and sailed vessels that are better able to roll with the storms seen more often in northern waters. Their high sides make boarding easier, though their lack of oars makes them useless for ramming. Therefore this was a battle of differing fundamental tactics.

The Elxingites also build their settlements on high rocky escarpments that are easily defended from land, and easily supplied by water. To take them by siege would require the destruction of the Elxingite fleet. To that end, Telman sailed around to the north of the islands and provoked an attack by a massed squadron of Elxingites against his fleet of galleys, hoping to destroy them by main force.

Hanseatic galleys to the north, Elxingites to the south, an Elxingite fortified headland to the southwest

What resulted was a battle of boarding and counter-boarding. The Elxingites made good account of themselves in the melee, their crews carrying many a Hanseatic galley and putting the marines and rowers to the sword; but too many of the ships they captured were crippled by the rams of their erstwhile owners, who hoped to scuttle them and thus deny them to the pirates. Meanwhile, the Elxingite vessels proved too vulnerable to ramming, and not fleet enough to escape when pursued by oared-galleys.

All in all, the battle ended in defeat for the Elxingites, and opened Elx and its islands to invasion by Telman and his Hanseatic fleets. Though the pirates made off with 4 of their own ships, and 4 captured Hanse-galleys, they lost 11 of their own vessels to rams, which cripples their ability to project force on the waters. The only hope for the pirates now is that their garrisons hold out, while their fleets (hopefully) call in allies (like the Qorcuri), or rally to defeat Telman and his squadrons.

Things are looking grim for the Luwians these days ...

3) a Treasure "Rutter"

Those involved in the expedition that secured the Darkwing are said to have been told about a buried pirate treasure. They are chary about the details (wishing to keep the location secret still for themselves), but it is apparently a narrative "map" (a rutter, as it were) of how to reach the "hoard" of a "good haul" of around 15,000 dinars worth of goods hidden somewhere in the Denyan Islands. With the retreat of the Luwians from the Denyan Isles, the time to seize such a buried hoard seems as if it is fast approaching.