[This expedition set out only a little more recently than those just published (21 May) ... the scribes are working to get caught up]
Having been rather unfocused in the past, the group of newcome barbarian fighting-men whom Persephone has fallen in with elected instead to seek out more particular rumors during this week. Rather than merely strike out into the unknown, they hoped to find some specific direction.
And lo! they were successful in seeking out a more particular goal. For, seeking out the Survivors of the Tel at their headquarter-tavern of Cothon-Under-Star, the group was able to meet with Sesel, Voice of the Survivors. Being engaged in a fine mess of various interests for the Survivors, Sesel had heard of a bounty proffered by the Attine Klackons of the Spire, but was unable to personally see to it, and so he was more than glad to pass the word along to neophytes, in exchange for a percentage of the final reward.
And what was this offered bounty? The 4th House of the Attines was looking for help recovering one of their princely dores from the clutches of a group of renegade Klackon mnors. For this unfortunate dore's return alive to the 4th House, 2500 gold dinars was offered. Sesel offered to help conduct the group to the Spire of the Klackons, showing his token from Banu al Rashid for entrance, and claiming business with the 5th House of his own interest.
The company agreed; purchasing a second panga boat because of their increased number (including the pair hired from the Arwah al Safina), they cast off from the beach outside the Gate of Fishermen and rowed up the coast past the Dyers' Migdol. The beautiful sorceress-apprentice Tanit sat almost in Sesel's lap, hoping to charm the benefactor of the Arwah ...
- Dehuhada (fighting-man 1)
- "Meathead" Chad (fighting-man 1)
- Arngeir (fighting-man 1)
accompanied by Doctor Sontag (magic-user 1) - Stavros (fighting-man 1)
- Persephone (fighting-woman 4)
accompanied by Finbar (renyu) and Tanit al Jameela (magic-user 1)
The company returned by the same two pangas, minus the presence of Doctor Sontag, their pockets weighed down each with the hard cash of the awarded bounty. Without need to count any recovered treasure, the party quickly broke up to go their separate ways, each returning to his chosen lesser guesthouse.
Tanit and Sesel, meanwhile, returned to the great tavern Cothon-Under-Star, and there Sesel questioned her at length as to what happened during the expedition--where was Sontag??
After tying the pangas up at a point along the coast that allowed ingress to the headland above, the company of course traveled to the Spire. After brief negotiations, they departed thence seeking the Necropolis in the Colossian Temenos, guided by a Klackon of the 4th House (Tanit couldn't remember her name). They entered the necropolis in the southwest by the Cenotaph--at mention of which Sesel suppressed a shudder of memory--and were led through the maze of crypts there by their Klackon-guide, who seemed to be following scent and pheromones.
They soon ended up in a chamber filled with the scent of rot and mold, choked with strange fungal growths--and guarded by a number of dark-carapaced Klackons! A desperate melee ensued; both Arngeir and Stavros earned victory through the hurts they withstood, while Tanit herself blinded one of the mnor by casting her light magic into its eyes. These guards ultimately fled deeper into their warren--but when the company gave chase, they found themselves surrounded by twice as many again!
When all seemed lost, one of the mnor stepped forward to parley ("I don't recall the name--they're all the same, just weird clicks and whistles," Tanit declares). Well, after some back and forth, it was finally revealed that the mnor had kidnapped the dore because they wished to reproduce for themselves--and they were willing to return him to the 4th House if the present company would deliver a message to the Survivors of the Tel!
"What they wanted was for you to help them break into the Sixth House and negotiate with the creatures there," Tanit explained. "They've heard that they're parasites, which means they need hosts--which, so they think, means they need a constant crop of new Klackons." Flipping her hair out of her face she laughed and shrugged. "Well, they wanted a guarantee that we'd deliver the message, so that fool Sontag volunteered. He said he wanted to help avoid more bloodshed."
After this report to Sesel, Tanit continued drinking, spending half of her share on rounds Under-Star. When more sensible individuals began to retire, she was seen to still be drinking deep, just as deep in conversation with a pale-carapaced dore who happened to be in the tavern that night (through the interpretations of the barkeeps, of course) ...
The Lucre
- the proffered reward of 2500 gold dinars
(and 250 paid to the Survivors of the Tel for brokering the expedition)
- 2500 from gold
- 1134 xp from Mnor x10 (100 + hp ea.)
- 173 xp from negotiations with a Mnor leader (150 + hp)
- 416 gold per player-character
208 gold each to Tanit and Sontag (Sontag's share being held by the Arwah until his return; and if he does not, a diya of 416 gold must be paid by this party to the Arwah) - 761 xp per player-character
381 xp each to Tanit and Sontag
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