Session #36: Ghosts of Ages Past

[Again, this expedition occurred some time ago (15 May); the scribes are hard at work updating this chronicle]

Itching to follow up on their discoveries from a previous expedition, Sesel and Durham collected supplies and hirelings--including Durham's renyu-servant Pako, and member of the newly reorganized Arwah al Safina, one Doctor Sontag--for a return to the Heroön of Dalan.

They set out by way of the Gate of Mourners, and it was later told that they had run into some of the other Survivors of the Tel returning from their camp somewhat north of the city, seeking supplies. After the brief reunion and sharing of news, the now-increased company all entered into the Colossian Temenos together seeking adventure ...

• Avin (magic-user 5)
  accompanied by Doctor Sontag (magic-user 1)
• Ravna (magic-user 5)
  accompanied by Ix (Klackon 2)
• Durham (fighting-man 5)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
• Sesel (fighting-man 5)
  accompanied by Raoden (magic-user 1)

Sesel, Durham, and Avin all returned to town, while Ravna and Raoden conveyed the purchased supplies north to the Survivors' camp (and if Avin's gaunt appearance indicates anything, apparently they badly need the food!). As for Ix, the thri-kreen warrior lay dead, somewhere in the Heroön. Durham, too, looked badly shaken, and was missing the new shield he had just commissioned his armorer at the Ringing Anvil to fashion for him, while Sesel bore a strange injury--a line of badly blistered and burned skin.

And yet, despite their loss and injuries, they returned with a veritable hoard, much of it contained in strange semi-cylindrical urns worked with fantastical engravings of marching Klackon warriors and hunters. While counting out their plunder in a private wine room under the motherwhelk shell Under-Star, some of the story emerges between Sesel's and Durham's purchases of wine at the bar:

Avin, Ravna, Ix, and Raoden had been coming from the camp, with Ix chattering excitedly about the "halls of the warriors" they had discovered amongst the crypts. When they met up with Sesel and Durham, she had been intent that they join together and "forge our own history!" by descending therein and uncovering ancient secrets. And indeed, as the party delved into the Heroön, it seems they discovered certain further secret doors leading to other treasures--but treasures defended by terrible guardians! For as the company stooped to collect what they had found, three terrible demons were summoned up, and close battle ensued. They seemed strangely and especially inimical to Ix, claiming that she and her kind were weak and must be eradicated, and so they did, at least to her.

Indeed, so terrible were they that the company was only able to destroy one of the demons, with Sesel fighting rearguard with his "wall of strokes" and defensive parries, while the rest of the party hauled out what they had managed to liberate from the tombs before the demons had appeared.

And so they toast to Ix, fighting companion leal and brave, and then look to account what they recovered:

The Lucre

• 20,000 coins strung in Klackon khipu-like fashion on strands of silk, 1000 to a strand (i.e. 20 strands); both ancient and foreign, these coins, worth approximately 10,000 gold, would have to be taken to a money-changer (for a fee of 10% of the value), or dealt with in some other fashion
• 2800 gold from 7 gems (4@200, 2@500, 1@1000)
• two of the urns are found to contain a strange black tarry substance
• a belt and harness fitted with a heavy silver brooch and hung with knotted khipu-strands
• a curious spit or rod of a strange black metal, worked with tiny lines of "knotted" script
• a pair of oblong jade pieces engraved with strange designs (one in Sesel's possession)

The Learning

• 12800 xp from treasure
• 1307 from guardians x3 (400 + hp ea.)
• 200 xp to each character for continuing explorations

The Cut

• 700 gold per player-character
  350 gold each to Raoden and Sontag
  these totals will increase if/when the cash-strings are sold
• 3727 xp to each player-character
  1863 xp each to Raoden and Sontag
• two urns with weird tar
• the khipu-belt
• obol-like rod
• pair of jade pieces

It's up to the player-characters as to how to divide their lucre and what to do with the ancient cash strings. Any write-ups, art, etc. provided to the scribes will be published here and earn that character 100 xp per level