(written by Joel, player of Durham, concerning the recent expedition into the sea caves of the Ocean's Throat, and earning Durham 100 xp per level)
Renyu Liberation!
I was waiting for Persephone at the Kantor for an adventure we both had talked about doing for sometime. While waiting for her arrival I met some new faces Mara (level-1 magic user) and Dehuhada (level - 4 fighter)
Persephone and I explained that we were after the bounty on Yramrag and gave a brief history of my interactions with him. I declared my main intent was to free noble Renyu from the grasp of a tyrant, for Pako had told me of their poor treatment. So we hatched our plan. Our party would come bearing tribute to Yramrag in the form of gold, wine and weapons for the Renyu to hunt the sakkra. After being invited in as honor guests, we would allow the women of our party to distract Yramrag with wine and conversation, after all he is just a man. Meanwhile the others and I would speak to the renyu and preaude them that they would be better off without their master. Then lead a Renyu force to capture the rogue alchemist and call it day. That was the plan.
We gathered the gifts to bring as tribute and hired the beautiful Tanit al Jamila to join us and purchased some garum to give to the Renyu tribe to aid in our persuasion. The first steps of our plan worked out as we had hoped. We made our way to Yramrag hideout, our "gifts” were accepted and we were treated as guests . Persephone, Mara and Tanit followed Yramrag into a corridor and behind a curtain to charm and distract Yramrag. While Dehuhada, Pako, Finbar and I began speaking with the renyu and handing out some of the Garum.
I started a conversation with some of the renyu tribe in their navitve tongue, I began to make some progress when a very large renyu interrupted me, calling me a trouble maker and if I continued rebellious rhetoric he would tell Yragram. I did snap back so as to not to look like a weakling in front of the rest of the tribe, knowing they may not follow me if I retreated at the first sign of a challenge. I learned the large renyu's name was Long-ear, Yramrag's chief among the Renyu. Seeing harsh words would only lead to conflict earlier than what we planned, I apologized and continued greeting the rest of the Renyu, slipping them vials of garum I bought for them. I showed off Pako's and Finbar's fine collars, healthy physique and leather armor to subtly demonstrate how well taken care of they could be under different leadership, our leadership to be exact.
Long-ear made another appearance this time with two other large renyu like him, Seven-toes and Scar. I whispered to one of the Renyu I was talking to asking what made them so much larger than the rest, he said Yragram gave them some potion to drink and it made them bigger and stronger.
Long-ear spoke calling me a troublemaker once more. I told him as the leader of the Renyu here he should care for all the Renyu, not just himself. Renyu started to gather some, even saying "call him out". Seeing my chance I pointed at Long-ear and challenged him to a duel. The Renyu tribe started to back up forming a circle around us. As our duel started Seven-toes went towards Yragram's quarters, Dehuhada went to Intercept. Scar threw Long-ear some kind of potion and Long-ear drank it down, his focus narrowing on me, his eyes becoming bloodshot. We engaged in battle together. I noticed that while I landed heavy blows Long-ear seemed like he did not feel them.
We seemed evenly matched then Pako threw me a potion he had stolen from Scar. I drank it down, feeling a rush of strength and energy, my body's pain fading and an intense focus landing on my opponent Long-ear. We traded blows again and again. Sunforger hit true in all these rounds. However, Long-ear was still standing and suddenly through the curtain came a large and terrifying creature, with grey skin and many folds of fat, giant eyes and beak for a mouth. Many renyu began to run around terrfified. I feared the worst, thinking that this whole adventure would fail and cost us our lives. But I knew I had to be a beacon of hope or it would all fail.
So I yelled out "RENYU! UNITE … Unite and fight those who would deny you FREEDOM! ".
After this a few renyu went and dogpiled onto Scar, subduing him. And as I traded blows with Long-ear once more, I saw that Dehuhada and Mara had made Seven toes yield. Seeing the tide beginning to turn I gave a mighty shout calling for all Renyu to rise up, to throw off the yoke of Yragram the tyrant. After my call many renyu went to attack the grey monster, Dehuhada and Mara engaging it in combat as well. I landed another hit on Long-ear but still he stood, until suddenly a group of rentu piled on top of him subduing as well. I step forth to deliver a final blow, but the other members of the Renyu tribe begged me to spare Long-ear's life. So I granted their request.
Even now, in the heat of this revolution for the tribe, when many men would have chosen to slay someone who had oppressed them, the Renyu chose mercy over bloodshed. They are truly a noble race.
As I turned my eyes back towards the curtains, I saw the grey monster dead on the floor, the curtains on fire and the shadow of another grey monster behind the curtains and a horrible shout from Yragram "I WILL HAVE ORDER IN MY HOUSE! I WILL HAVE ORDER OR I WILL STRIKE YOU ALL WITH MY LIGHTNING BOLT!"
There was a silent pause, now was the deciding moment. Would we sue for peace or finish what we started?
I raised Sunforger high above my head and yelled. "FOR FREEDOM". Pointing Sunforger's head at the grey monster, while I ran full speed, shield forward at Yramrag, willing to face the force of a lightning bolt. But fate favored me as the spell fizzled in Yragram's hand and I knocked him over. The others made short work of the other monster, it defences overwhelmed with tooth and claw.
The prisoner Yramrag pleaded for his life. "my genius, my knowledge, I could be useful, OH lord, just set me free, do not take me to the Kantor, please lord spare me"
I replied. "For your transgressions against the Kantor I might be convinced to spare you but for your treatment and enslavement of these noble renyu I judge your life forfeit." And I finished him.
So the noble renyu tribe free, we learned Yragram had some control over them with aid of his amulet. We learn of the tribe's name the Wasgo. The Alphas of the Renyu going their separate ways, Seven-toes accepting Dehuhada as his new master left with him, Long-ear and I made peace with each, he left to seek another renyu tribe he remembered, a few of the other Wasgo joined him and Scar became the new leader of the Wasgo tribe. We discover many other treasures that we divided among our party and I decided to stay another day to see what aid I could provide. Knowing that the pirates were nearby caused me much worry.
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