Return to Adventure!

 Durham, master of the Ringing Anvil, has not only been inducted into the Hanse himself, but he has also been spending long nights at the Kantor Kabljauhof feasting his friends and acquaintances there--and most particularly, one Telman of Tsipa, commander of the Hanse's forces against the Luwian Pirates over the last years.

This pair, Durham and Telman, first became friends first during the Hunt for the Denyan Akho on an adventure that seems so long ago now. Then, not long after, the Hanse had spun up its campaign contra-pirates to deal with piratical troubles in the east of Dirac's Sea, and Telman had been selected as a promising candidate to lead this great venture. Some say he was picked over and above even Captain-General Zaytar! But surely Zaytar had a hand in recommending Telman to the powers-that-be among the Hanse.

Nevertheless, Telman sailed away to oversee the campaign--and ultimately to great successes, such that he returned a conquering hero just before the winter really set in. And, now that winter's icy claws are finally retracting again, her cold breath retreating from the land, Telman must look east, to the final vanquishing of the Luwians this next year-cycle ...

------

But ... Durham has noticed that Telman seems somewhat listless at present. Even on his return in triumph, he was not wonted to speak overlong of the battles at sea in which he led the Hanseatic galleys to victory, or the island forts his armies stormed, or of the cities his men laid waste, their citizens sold into slavery at the public markets to finance the Hanse's war.

He has taken much to drink, and especially to the attentions of the dancing girls of the Kantor--one in particular, the new girl Mai'in Khoresha, especially catching his eye--and he seems to have also taken up a habit of other substances.

But on certain nights, when Telman is less bleary and sharper eyed, and drink is flowing well and the craic, as he says, is good, Telman will call Durham over. 'Let us go hunting again, my friend!' he cries. 'Like when we tracked down that Denyan beast, and you and your fellows proved so bold and resourceful. There is no akho that I know of currently threatening shipping--but let us run up the coast a ways toward Ittiyqa. I have heard that a pack of dindins are threatening the fishing boats of the villages south there, and in the straits between the city and the island harbor!

'Let us take your pirate-prize, the Darkwing, swift over the waves! Come, Durham, what say you? Gather up some of your companions, and let us hunt the sea waves like of old, against monsters that threaten human life. For old times' sake, let's sail, Durham! What say you?'

map section, for reference

Pako the Upstart and Durham the Dealmaker

 While the scribes have taken a hiatus from their writing due to a suggestion from the oracle. Durham and Pako have been pursuing things of their own interest. 

Many people of Cothan would say Pako has developed or grown over the past months, while still the loyal companion of Durham. However, he no longer carries himself as a humble servant with his head down in a bow. Now he walks like an officer of a noble house, head high, ears pointed up. Pako no longer looks the part of the humble servant either with his shimmering gray cloak and jet black leather armor decorated the Dlakolel mandibles and chitin, Zat-gun on his belt, two dagger like weapons called “Sai” and a fair length of Klackon silk rope.  

Pako is still seen doing his everyday errands for Durham and the Ringing Anvil but often he is accompanied by one or two of the Wasgo elite, a group of Renyu Pako has taken great interest in. It is reported he has taken to training the Wasgo elite in the art of stealth, practicing this “ninjutsu” as Pako calls it. Rumors surround Pako and the Wasgo elite: some say they're part of a guild of thieves, while others say they are involved in something going on around Fort Bugeater. 

Most evenings Pako is training with the Wasgo elite. However, there was one occasion where Pako was at a local tavern and a few patrons had a few words to say about Renyu that were very unpleasant. Before Durham could intercede on Pako’s behalf, two sai went flying, one hitting the bullseye of a dart board and the other landing just above the head one of the foul mouthed men. Pako locked eyes with the man, retrieved his weapon from his would be victim with a growl, then left. Durham pulled the other sai from the dart board and followed his friend.  That incident has labeled Pako an upstart in some social circles and stirred the embers of the anti-renyu sentiment that started months ago. 

It is uncertain what will become of this rogue character Pako has become, but one thing is certain, he is more his own than the pet many thought before. 

Meanwhile, Durham has been making the most of his Hannsman membership and status as wealthy adventurer and business holder. During the day Durham is often seen walking the markets eyeing what materials merchants may have to sell, as well as the blacksmith markets and the guild halls and conducting business at the Ringing Anvil in order to build strong business relations. 

In the evening Durham is at one of the taverns of Cothan, usually the Kantor, building up his relationship with the Hanse. Buying rounds of drinks to win the hearts of the sailors and marines there, swapping stories with his friend Telman of Tsipa or hosting feasts to make new friends and strengthen bonds (with members of the Kantor and Hanse alike).

As for the Ringing Anvil, Durham hired a sage and merchant at the beginning of the year.  Since then rumors are that they are researching into the  "Blue Armor" like that which Sesel wears--how it is made and securing the material necessary to make it for themselves.

[written up by Joel, player of Durham and Pako]

Renyu Reconnaissance

What Pako Saw!

Earlier in the year, Durham sent Pako, and a squad of the Wasgo Elite to conduct covert recon of Fort Bugeater and the surrounding area. In general, they were to stay hidden, gather information, and not engage in conflict. They were ordered to concentrate on the following efforts:

1. Determining patrol timing/sizes/make-up/etc along the trails around the area of the fort.

2. To set traps along the trails and making some general harassing actions.

3. Learn what, if any, supplies or materials are being moved into and/or out of the fort.

After several weeks of loitering and sneaking about the surrounding area of Fort Bugeater, Pako returned to the Ringing Anvil and made the following detailed report to Durham (and Durham cried):

Concerning the Watch Tower:

To begin with, the watch tower, which had been destroyed, has been solidly rebuilt and re-garrisoned. Recall that the watch tower has a lower, stone structure (about 10 feet high), and the main watch platform is at an elevation of about 30 feet (and is made of stout timbers). There are three ladders leading between the ground and the lower stone structure to the upper platform. There is a cleared area surrounding the tower, out to about 100 feet. In the cleared area there are three equally spaced, stout poles, about 20 feet tall, containing what appears to be highly combustible material packed in metal baskets clustered about their tops. These poles form a triangle around the tower, and are about equal distant from each other, and equally distant from the tower and the edge of the clearing. Pako noted 2 ballistae present: one on the roof of the lower structure, and one on the upper platform.

At all times, there appears to be at least 12 individuals stationed at the watch tower. There never seems to be more than 3 K'Zin included in that squad, and they tend to act as officers, with one clearly being the “Top-Cat”. There are always 5 individuals performing watch-duty on the upper platform. The garrison is rotated out once every week to 10 days, and as they are rotated out, there is usually a day or two when the tower is “double garrisoned”.

Concerning Patrols and Mapping:

Pako and his team made an extensive map, of good quality, of the trail system that is being patrolled, and their relation to the river, the watch tower and Fort Bugeater. Durham has this map in his possession (I just haven't actually made one). In general, there are 5 paths leading to and from the watch tower area.

1. There is the little used trail that is situated north – south, from the main road to the watch tower. It is roughly a mile in length (takes a human about half an hour to walk at a normal pace), due to the terrain. This trail, in particular, was never observed to be patrolled. All other trails show signs of constant, continued use.

2. There is a short trail between the tower and the river (to the west of the tower). Pako estimated it would take a human about 5 to 10 minutes to walk this trail, one way, at a leisurely pace. At random times a group of 3 or 4 garrison troops go down to the river, for various reasons (washing, fishing, obtaining water, etc.). The troopers going to the river are usually gone for a few hours.

3. There are 2 trails that, at first glance lead off to the northeast and southeast of the tower. These trails basically connect to form an extensive loop, winding along ridges and covering a fair bit of territory around the eastern flank of the tower, and of the fort. Pako estimated it would take a human about 4 hours to walk this loop. There are two other trails that lead off of this loop, that Pako's squad did not explore, one leading off to the northeast (to destinations unknown), and the other leading off toward the west. Because of the western trail's location and direction, Pako “suspects” it leads to Fort Bugeater, approaching it from a northern direction.

4. There is a final trail that lies in a generally north – south orientation, and this trail leads directly to the confluence of a stream that flows from the northeast to the southwest into the main river. Recall that the river flows north to south in this area. This end of this trail is also at the foot of the rocky cliffs that make up the southeastern facing wall of Fort Bugeater. Basically, the course of the stream here falls along the rocky cliff base that makes up the southeastern wall of the fort.

5. While scouting, Pako's spies set a number of traps to harass the Bugeater patrols. Upon later examination, most all of the traps had been tripped, but none of them seem to have produced any damage, or caused harm. And oddly, none of them were destroyed or dismantled … they were simply tripped and left alone.

As for patrols, Pako's squad has noted that there always seems to be a squad of at least 12 individuals, of a similar make-up as the watch tower garrison, moving along the trails. The renyu noted that there were usually 3 – 5 K'Zin present in these patrols. The patrols move randomly along the trail system, covering the loop trail, and the trail leading directly between the tower and the fort. The patrols move at a slow pace, and in a quiet, stealthy manner. The men of the patrol generally move along the main path, while the K'Zin tend to range ahead and to the sides as covert point guards, and they are difficult to discern. Several times, Pako's hidden renyu were almost walked over, unsuspected by both renyu and K'Zin! However, Pako's renyu are convinced that they were never spotted. Pako estimates that it takes the patrol about a day to move from the fort to the tower, and it takes another day to cover the loop trail in the eastern sector. While out on the trails, the patrol was never observed to camp out or build a cook fire. They always ended up either at the watch tower, or at Fort Bugeater.

Of special note, the patrol squads, the watch tower, and Fort Bugeater use a system of horn blasts to communicate basic intelligence among themselves. The system is not complicated, but the renyu are convinced that the “code” changes once in a while. Pako feels certain that particular blasts indicate:

1. “Danger is nearby” or “danger is being investigated”

2. Another indicates “danger has been engaged” or “Holy crap, we're in serious trouble!”

3. While a third indicates “all clear”.

There seem to be other combinations of blasts, but Pako could not discern their meanings. However, Pako believes that, even when the code changes, he can tell with high certainty those three codes in particular.

Concerning Fort Bugeater and Supplies:

Pako is concerned. Very concerned.

A fairly detailed map of the Fort and its close surroundings were mapped. Durham has this map in his possession (see below).

Of particular interest the renyu noted the following:

1. The fort is garrisoned at all times with at least 100 individuals.

2. All of the garrison at the fort and the watch tower appear to be in good physical condition, well equipped, well trained, and have high morale. These folks, while being commanded by K'Zin, do not exhibit typical K'Zin clannish behavior. Everyone works together in a cooperative manner.

3. The garrison seems to be comprised of about 60 humans, and at least 40 K'Zin … hardened K'Zin.

4. Of the K'Zin, there are definitely 3 individuals who command more respect and fear, and they are easily identifiable. (One is certainly “Bugeater”, another has been called “Tracker”, and the third has been identified as “Mweep-Boss”.)

5. Of the humans there are 2 who are given as much respect as the K'Zin leaders. And one has been observed to “manipulate the arcane” in fiery displays that rival Heijo, Lord Althis, and Bart.

6. There is particular concern from the renyu due to at least 2 massively HUGE humans. These are thuggish creatures of extraordinary size (perhaps 20 ft tall at the shoulders), having ferocious rage and temperament, and emitting a foul odor (renyu could easily pick up their odor from a fair distance). These unnatural beasts do not tend to accompany patrols, but stay close to the fort. They seem to be aloof to all but the 2 identifiable men and 3 K'Zin commanders. Only 2 of these brutes were noted ... but, are there? ... all men-things look the same to Renyu. They wear armor (leathers of some such), and one wields a massive hammer, while the other a heavy metallic staff (sharply pointed on one end). Their reach is considerable.

7. The various troops are well outfitted, wearing either chain or leather armor, and carrying shields. Various types of hand weapons were observed: hammers, battle axes, long swords, dirks, K'Zin wt'sai, etc. Also, Pako's renyu observed the garrison members training in firing drills, using slings. They were good.

8. The fort is basically a triangular affair, situated upon a promontory overlooking the river to the west, an open cleared field to the north, and the forested/scrub stream area to the southeast-ish. The western, river-side cliffs are about 60 feet high (from river level to top of the fort's wall). The southeastern cliff wall is about 40 feet high (from stream level to top of the fort's wall). The northern wall (which has a recessed entrance at it's center) is about 10 feet high. At each of the three major corners there are massive mounds of rock that form “towers”. Upon the flat tops of each tower are 2 ballistae (similar to those of the watch tower), protected behind short, crenelated walls.

9. In the open field there are two evenly spaced rows of stakes, running east – west. The stakes are about 2 feet tall, and have long wispy material (roughly 2 to 3 feet long) affixed to their tops. This material is seen to flutter about, even with the lightest of breezes. From what the renyu have seen of the men in sling practice, they believe these to be “range” (close and medium), and “windage” indicators.

10. There is a contraption of 5 separate chains/ropes/logs that run across the river to individual dead-man mounds (which are on the bank opposite the fort). These lines can be raised and lowered in the water to block and interfere with river passage. These lines are manipulated by a block and tackle system, from within the confines of the fort. There is always a patrol-sized group of about 12 troops stationed on the dead-man side of the river, protecting that side of the contraption.

11. In the open field, north of the northern wall, are 5 unnaturally situated mounds. One central mound, and 4 that are equally spaced, at cardinal points north, west, south, and east of the central mound. The mounds are about 15 feet in diameter, about 5 feet tall at their center, and are covered in scrubby grasses – they do not appear to be recently made, or even disturbed. Oddly, the renyu spies note that these mounds are never approached by anyone from the fort – they are given a wide berth.

12. Two special occurrences were noted by the renyu, concerning “supplies” being delivered to the fort. The first involved a small caravan of 4 covered wagons, with human merchants/guards, delivering material to the fort. This caravan was fairly well guarded. The renyu thought that the main merchant was familiar and has been seen in Cothon-Gadeed, but he could not be identified. However, Pako and others are certain that if they saw the man again, they would recognize him. The renyu also report that the aroma of freshly butchered meat, and newly forged and oiled metals could be smelled as the caravan passed near their positions. The second occurrence was a “visit” by none other than Red Cloud, a retinue of at least 20 battle-hardened K'Zin warriors … and a human. The renyu observed this group enter the fort with great fanfare and respect, stay briefly over a 2 day period, then depart, heading in an east by southeast direction – in the general direction of Cothon-Gadeed. Red Cloud (or who they took to be Red Cloud) was quite large for a K'Zin, as were most of his retinue. The renyu agreed that if they were to be forced into an encounter with Red Cloud, even by himself, they would (as a group) retreat before him. He was formidable in appearance and stature. Interestingly, the human seemed to be almost an equal (if only slightly subservient) to Red Cloud. The appearance of Red Cloud elicited great joy and excitement from the garrison at the fort, and boosted morale significantly. Eater of Bugs greeted Red Cloud as a younger brother might greet a respected, elder brother – the two appeared to be long-time “friends”, sharing a mutual respect.

Thus ends Pako's report.

A crude map of Fort Bugeater follows.

Key:

1. Greenish area is lightly wooded, with signs of some cutting of trees.

2. Orange area is the level cobble/beach on the western shore of the river, where the dead-man mounds are located.

3. Grey-ish blobs appear to be intensely burned patches of ground.

4. Heavy, dark arrows indicate direction of river and stream flow.

5. Red squares indicate massive lean-to structures used by the brutish giants.

6. Dotted lines across the river indicate the river-travel blocking chains.

7. Irregular hatch-marked areas are the main walls of Fort Bugeater.

8. Squares with red hatching are the ballistae mound/towers.

9. Irregular slashed areas indicate natural cliffs.

10. Yellow circles indicate the undisturbed “mounds”.

11. Items within the confines of the fort indicate various buildings or large wall tents.

[written up by Phil, who has been helping with the Red Cloud material]

The Canopic Jars of the Medina al Taht

[written up for us by Jacob, who runs adventures in the City Below]

 Several expeditions into the Medina alTaht earlier this year saw some decent lucre, but also collected a number of odd canopic jars, two of which were made of Zortrium.

These jars were collected at the request of Farhat alFassad, self-proclaimed princess of the Medina alTaht. However, given the creatures which previously possessed the jars the party spent some brief time investigating the things only to discover that, at least, the non-Zortrium jars contained life. And so they held off delivering these jars to Farhat, in favor of spending a month investigating both the jars themselves, and Farhat, that they might have more information as to what these could be, and what might be her intentions with the jars.

The scribes note the results of some of those initial investigations here, as a reminder to the players:

• Wyllow explained that the jars are used in burial rights in her culture. These jars are made to carry the soul of the departed on to the next life. The more plain are, of course, the souls (or perhaps the strength? Possible misunderstanding here) of favored servants, while the ornate is the actual soul of the lord.

• No energy was detected within the jars

• Life was detected within the clay jars

• A jar without life was found, and opened. The contents were a dry dusty substance, the inside walls of the jar smooth.

First, let us address the jars themselves. These jars, though obviously quite old, are very well maintained. None of the jars have any particular labeling, text, imagery, or otherwise. Additionally, the “plain” ceramic jars also do not have unique tops, they are all simple tops without much shape to them, rather unlike the picture posted above. The Zortrium jars, however, have a unique topper and contain some text. The first canopic jar has the renu-like head seen above. The second a somewhat Kzin shaped topper.

To continue researching these things, Bart first took to the Facility, having been the sole location where the strange white-haird monsters (from which one of the zortrium jars was recovered) had previously been seen. Bart spent several days engaged with researchers of the Bani Dawr, the strange libraries of knowledge provided by the Facility, and, ultimately, one of their specimen containment facilities. He learned several key points of information about the jars, and their origins:

• Whomever previously occupied the Facility was, largely, at war with some faction often referred to as demons. There are references to canopic jars recovered from certain expeditions, though the ultimate fate of those jars is unclear.

• There are references to some unnamed rebel faction within this demon army that the Facility owners worked with on occasion.

• The Bani Dawr researchers introduce Bart to Dilag. A dark skinned fellow with a strange crest upon his brow (that of a lunar disk crossed by a spear), presently held within the Facility’s containment cells. Through the aid of comprehend languages (and some plying with food and drink) he explains his limited knowledge of the jars, describing how his god would keep a number of the jars in his throne room. The jars would sometimes be gifted to allies as a show of trust, or a favored servant would be granted a great boon from one of the jars gaining the strength and life of past wielders of the soul contained within while still remaining themselves. Why, he himself received such a boon, though he knows not how it works, nor why, only that it does. He doesn’t remember feeling any different before or after the boon, just stronger.

• Bart is also able to do some more in-depth investigation into the jars themselves, as the Facility happened to have enough data on record to produce a replica for him in the simulator. Through that he was able to learn that the jars, when opened normally, contain a strange liquid that was warm to the touch as well as a squirming snake like creature that the Facility referred to as an Uld. The snakes within the plain canopic jars were notably smaller than their Zortrium counterparts.
  
  

Joining in the book-learning research, Razo (at the behest of the Survivors, being that Razo did not go on any of the expeditions herself) investigated a certain gilded ritual scroll from a previous expedition. It was remembered that this scroll had some writing on it similar to that which Bart translated relating to the jars. Some of the text translated and referred Razo to ancient stories. In these stories the protagonist would devote themselves to their god, and through rigorous service be granted power and longevity. These things are corroborated by the scroll which describes a magical ceremony that prepares a human to accept these divine gifts, at the end of which it describes a canopic jar that contains a young soul to be infused into the body which will provide great strength, long life, and protection from disease.

While Razo and Bart dive deep into books and research, Najm, Fa-Min, Gan ad-Din and his crew of musicians make their way to visit Farhat, and see what they can learn there. Najm, alone, was rebuffed several times, Farhat claiming to be busy and unable to attend to them unless they were delivering upon the promised canopic jars. However, when Najm returned with the others as entertainment she granted entrance and met with the group. Najm, focusing on building his reputation with Farhat more than gathering information, got little out of her other than that she desperately wants these jars, frequently referring to the undead, banditry, and Kzin threats. She insists that it is purely to help safeguard the Medina, and in so doing the whole of Cothon, from the many evils insinuating themselves amongst the dark tunnels. 

Gan and Fa-Min, being somewhat less focused on Farhat herself, are able to observe the goings on in Farhat’s court somewhat more, noticing that there seem to be a surprisingly few number of guards in rotation. And when chatting with the servant staff after their performance the staff (while actually fairly well treated for serving staff in dark tunnels) are also in small number. What little information is collected from the servants reveals that Farhat’s forces may not be holding up so well against the various forces encroaching on the Medina, even to the point that they seem to be unsure if they will survive the year without something drastic changing.

Finally, Durham and Pako visit their friends in the Lonely Cat, trying to ply information regarding Farhat from the denizens there. Alas, Quinn was only available for a short time to answer their questions. He explains that Farhat was once a pirate, that life taking her all over the Denyan sea, but for whatever reason she struck up with some of her former crewmates and decided to make a go of it in the Medina alTaht. She and her retinue have patronized the Lonely Cat a number of times, it being the best tavern under Cothon and all, and she has always treated Quinn and Cassius with respect and courtesy. She even posted guards for a short time when a big scuffle happened topside, to help protect Cassius and I from any fallout.

As a reminder for the party:

Farhat is willing to pay 1000 dinars per sealed canopic jar. She is willing to grant a single selection of some of their finest jewelry (the cheapest of which is likely worth at least several thousand dinars) for at least 10 jars, and another selection for a “green metal” Zortirum jar. This would be similar to “finding the right buyer” for an item, and so any dinar value recovered here will count as XP to be divided amongst the various participants in the expeditions.

You all have:

14 ‘plain’ canopic jars

-No life is detected within 3 of these

-1 of these has been opened, the seal broken

2 Zortrium canopic jars

-Being Zortrium it is not possible to scan for life in these jars

On the Slaying of a Serudla and the Discovery of a Zortrium Monument

From the Annals of Arngeir, Son of Arnulfr, Alacritous Academic and Ambitious Adventurer

In the bittersweet days that followed the destruction of the corrupted Apostle Tree, my associates and I pondered the purpose of our next expedition. After some discussion, we agreed to delve, once again, into the acrid Lair of the Old Pale Wyrm. Although we had slain the beast a fortnight before, the Weirding Caverns hold many more secrets. Using the map I purchased for the first expedition, we made our way to the southernmost caverns, to the location where the Wyrm met his doom. As we came to a narrow passage, a familiar sour scent filled our nostrils.

Halting for a moment, we heard the soft scraping of scales against earth and the clicks of claws biting rock. We formed a line and, in moments, another of the Wyrm's brethren was upon us. The fell serpent let out a great hiss, like hot iron quenched in water. In his clutching paws he brandished a spear and a sword, poised to strike Lars Ghar-Rider, Durham, and myself. Durham led the engagement with a throw of his war hammer, Sunforger. 

As our front began to exchange blows with the serudla, our second line supported us by casting spells and javelins. Of particular note during this encounter was a well-placed toss of a lasso from Althis, which snared one of the serpent's six legs. Off-balance and injured, the beast quickly succumbed to the combined force of our impenetrable front. Durham struck the death blow and we set about harvesting the carcass. Althis took for himself a length of its skin, Durham claimed the beast's head, and I cut out its heart. I hoped that this most powerful and rarest of viscera might aid me in some enchantments I'd been planning.  

Although we explored the three southernmost caverns whilst we plundered the Old Pale Wyrm's treasure hoard, some inquisitive party members found a secret door. Behind this portal of false stone was another door with a sign: PECHIK'S ROOM - STAY OUT. Of course, being adventurers, the sign need say no more. Althis rapped on the door with his knuckles and asked the occupants to grant entrance. 

Althis knocked twice before a rather peculiar fellow opened the door. His voice was low and breathy. Althis announced us as "visitors' and this stranger, who later identified himself as Peshik himself, bid us enter. Wishing not to divide our party, we all entered to find five or so other inhabitants waiting for us. If Peshik was odd, these poor souls were even more so. 

In the dim light of our lanterns, we saw that these men moved with an unsteady gait and several of them were afflicted with necrosis. The faces of four of these fellows were rotting; their flesh was visibly peeling and the smell of this room was atrocious. Their eyes were sunken, but hungry. They looked eager to seize us, but Peshik gestured to them to remain still. As Althis made friendly with them, Peshik explained that he and his cohorts were once miners seeking silver, but the appearance of the Old Pale Worm trapped them in that corner of the cavern. He pleaded in a soft, hoarse voice that we remain with him, in the dark. Althis, feeling uneasy, moved to the back of the party and exited the room. 

It is at this point I should, in charity, suggest that our companion Heijo wanted to spare us the dangers of these undead by preempting the fight. In truth, however, I believe she panicked. In any case, she recklessly cast a fireball in this small room. The rest of our party was as shocked as the ghouls were when supernatural fire engulfed everyone in the vicinity. Each of us was scorched and, for a moment, my mind's eye flashed back to my scarring encounter with a Ru'un. In a second, I was back to my senses and laid a slash upon Peshik with my crackling flamesword. Durham laid low Peshik's lieutenant with a crushing blow from Sunforger, but Peshik's end was much more interesting. As Lars was preparing his strike, I saw his new battle-axe vibrate in his hand. He glanced at it, puzzled for a moment, then looked back at Peshik with pure bloodlust. His swift strike halved the villain at the torso and we breathed a collective sigh of relief. I have begun to question Heijo's sanity after this episode, especially considering she attempted a few weeks ago to kill Raoden. Granted, she was in a cultist-induced psychosis before my killing of the Apostle Tree, but I retain my suspicions. 

In the immediate aftermath of Heijo's wayward spell, Fa Min fell unconscious. Luckily, we were able to revive her and began searching Peshik's hideout for anything of value. The hafts of his mattocks, sledges, and shovels were rotted and useless. His payroll was also rather meager. Most valuable of all, however, was a trove of mining maps and documents laid in a large stack upon a makeshift desk. They were very old, delicate, and fraying at the edges. While we were able to collect most of them intact, we spotted a mining claim for a vein of silver in these southern caverns. I signed the claim over to myself using my fingerprint and that of Peshik's corpse. I purchased the deed for the sum of a single dinarius and dropped it on his chest. Am I not an honorable marauder?

Curiously, one of the maps detailed a so-called vein of zortrium. From my knowledge of historical texts and Durham's knowledge of metallurgy, we knew that zortrium cannot be found in nature. It is an exceedingly rare element forged by a civilization older and more powerful than ours. We consulted with the party and decided the best course of action would be to investigate this potentially lucrative location. 

We set out northward, passing the husk of the serudla we had just slain. We took a westward path and walked on a downward incline until we came to two exceedingly large cliffs. Using our rope and climbing tools, we descended the first cliff. Heijo, who carries most of our rope, estimated its height at 250 feet. Simply immense! The second cliff was smaller, around 150 ft. As we descended the second cliff, we heard a cry from the void behind us. Standing upon the precipice of a cliff slightly higher than ours was a group of small creatures carrying a dim light. They called out, asking if we wished to trade. It was the Zoq Fot Pik! We offered to meet them at the bases of our respective cliffs and we scurried down. It was quite a relief to see friends in this accursed place. One shudders to think what would happen if we were attacked by a serudla while we were dangling helplessly from our rope.

Upon reaching the base of the cliff, we found an agreeable place to sit. The Zoq Fot Pik laid out a blanket and set their wares on it. We, in turn, placed our trade goods on the other side. Fermented fish sauce in exchange for jewels, what an oddity! Before our greed could get the better of us, we exchanged some of the garum for information. "How many serudla are down here?" asked Durham. They chattered amongst themselves and motioned for four bottles.

"Four." they said. "We have seen four serudla in this area. Though two are now dead." 

"Four. Does that include the one we killed today?" Durham inquired. The Zoq Fot Pik murmured amongst themselves.

"You have slain another serudla?" they asked. Reminding ourselves that information isn't free in the Weirding Caverns, we traded information about serudla and the stories of our previous encounters with them for a few gemstones. Then came the question that was burning in Durham's and my mind.

"We found a map belonging to a group of miners. They show that there is a vein of zortrium nearby. Where is it?" Hushed tones and whispers. They gestured to another three bottles, which we slid to their side.

"Further down the passage. The same way you are going." To think we could've had a few more gemstones if we'd only held our tongues and gone a bit further! Alas, we only had 13 or so bottles to exchange before we concluded our business. The blanket was rolled up and we said our farewells. 

"Before you leave us, is there another type of garum you might like? Something like a seasoned garum?"

"Seasoned...garum?!" Their eyes boggled at the thought. At the very least, we know what to offer them at our next meeting.

We continued down the passageway, as the Zoq Fot Pik suggested. As we marched down a decline, we came to a shallow pit. There, at the bottom, was a most welcome sight: the greenish gleam of zortrium. We made our way down to the vain and saw immediately what Durham and I had suspected. This was no vein of zortrium; it was an artificial construct of monumental size. 

I began to dig around the exposed edges of the immense object while Durham used his scanner to estimate its size. He reckoned that the zortrium mass was about 10 feet wide and 30 feet long! Fah Min suggested that she use her powers of earth manipulation to move the scree more quickly, but admitted that she needs more practice first. Heijo used her powers to search for an entrance into the construct, but she could find none. Durham used his Cloak of Eyes to peer into the object's interior. He saw a hallway with runic inscriptions on the walls. At least that's a start!

We had come too close to leave empty-handed, I thought. I plunged my flamesword into the structure to create an opening, but it retracted with an unexpected sputter. I had foolishly thought my sword's power was infinite, but it would seem we must use it more sparingly in the future. The zortrium hull, like my resplendent armor, was too strong to cut. Something had damaged it, we discovered. There were many scattered crater marks across it, like those made when one drops a stone into sand and takes the stone away. Either it was buffeted by stones flying at an incredible speed or it collided with the earth at such speeds. The small crater we found ourselves in suggests the latter. 

We could have stayed and dug more, but the exertion of killing a serudla, surviving a stray fireball, and descending the cliffs had left us spent. After a brief conversation, we decided to retire to Cothon-Gadeed until we could return better prepared. To find this object again more easily, Fah Min placed a mark near it. In addition, Durham buried one of his crossbow bolts and Heijo cast an object-finding spell upon it. We scaled the enormous cliffs and headed northward toward the entrance. 

How I long to return! What rich rewards we would reap, if only we could uncover the secrets of the Monument!

[written by Ty concerning a not-recent-anymore expedition, for his character Arngeir, earning that character 100 xp per level] 

Session #100: Peshyk's Hidey-Hole and Other Fun Finds

Arngeir wanted to follow up on the success of the last expedition to deal with the Old Pale Worm. There was more to be discovered in the lair, and not everything had been explored.

To this end, he gathered a company of stalwart adventurers to join him in this secondary expedition:

• Arngeir (fighting-man)
• Fa Min (elementalist 2)
• Lord Althis (magic-user 5)
  accompanied by Hry-Haya Yehat (Alkari 1)
• Heijo (magic-user 6)
• Durham (fighting-man 8)
  accompanied by Lars Ghar-Rider (magic-user 5)

Almost everyone returned looking rather worse for wear, with singed clothing and burnt eyebrows and hair and soot-blackened armor. Heijo and Althis were curiously unscathed in this regard.

Nevertheless (and despite certain dirty looks cast at Heijo) there was a fair amount of rejoicing for what had been retrieved from the twisting passages of the Weirding Caverns--not least of which was Lars' new prize, the head of a serudla! Surely more fine treasures were uncovered--but could they rival the hoard that was retrieved during the last expedition against such worms? Sadly, no; though they were certainly no meager pickings either!

The Lucre

• 250 ithnayan (worth 2 gp ea.), 500 dinars (gp), 1000 nufdinars (ep), 10,000 dirhams (sp)
• 8 gems worth 1720 dn (dinars)
• two @ 60 dn
• two @ 200 dn
• four @ 300 dn
• "raw" silver ore in two chests worth approximately 5000 dinars
• a legal claim to certain silver veins, signed over from one "Peshyk" to "the Company" and undersigned by those present on this expedition ... worth perhaps 20,000 dn if it were to be sold
• a collection of aged maps of locations within the Weirding Caverns, poorly preserved (worth perhaps 5000 dn if sold)
• an amulet--a silver broadhead arrowhead depending from a silver chain marked with magic signs (magic)
• a curious metal box, intricately ornamented, with a lens on one side and a touch-stud on the other ("tech")
• a tulwar, matching the one Arngeir formerly claimed from the serudla-lair (magic, claimed by Arngeir)
• the head of a (smaller) serudla (claimed by Lars)
• the heart of the same serudla (claimed by Arngeir)
• a dagger of excellent make (magic)
• a warpick marked in archaic script naming it "Deep Children's Foe" (magic)
• 2 pints of serudla-acid (one to Durham, one to Althis)
• unfertilized serudla-roe (Althis)
• the skin of a serudla which could be used to create perhaps two suits of serudla-leather armor, or the equivalent

The Learning

• 9220 xp from realized treasure (not counting the deed or map-collection)*
• 328 xp from a serudla (300 + hp)
• 390 xp from Peshyk (350 + hp)
• 754 xp from 2 others (700 + hp)
• 337 xp from 6 restless dead porters (50 + hp ea)
• 650 xp from 13 bypassed flying octopoids (50 xp ea)
• 200 xp to each player-character for following up on further explorations in two places

The Cut

• 50 ithnayan, 444 dinars, 200 nufdinars, and 2,000 dirhams per player-character
  25 itn, 222 dn, 100 nf, and 1,000 dr to Lars and Hry-Haya
• 2576 xp to each player-character
  1288 xp to Lars and Hry-Haya
• claim to the silver-veins
• collection of maps
• arrowhead amulet
• curious box
• the tulwar claimed by Arngeir
• the serudla head claimed by Lars
• the serudla heart claimed by Arngeir
• the serudla roe claimed by Althis
• magic dagger
• magic warpick
• one pint of serudla acid each to Durham and Althis
• serudla skins

*if the deed or the maps were sold, gp and xp shares would increase accordingly, but if they are being retained for the use of the company (and other associates), then their value is counted in their usefulness rather than in their price