Session #69: The Preservation of Avin

[run by Jacob, and recap by him as well--thanks, Jacob!]

After a few weeks of fitful issues, a small group gathers at Cothon Under Star. One Avin, having recently drunk of a strange red potion, has been getting worse and worse. Now her physician Gan (no relation to Gan ad Din) was desperate. Fortunately, barbarian adventurer Najm stepped in with the suggestion that they all visit the strange Facility, to see if any of the oddities there might lend aid, especially given the recent recovery of Kzin-Friend. As plans were made several other barbarians, meandering through taverns seeking their next adventure, joined up with the party.

• Barlow (Magic User 1)

  • Avin (incapacitated; Magic User 6)

• Najm (Magic User 5)

  • Elianor (Fighter 1)

• Durham (Fighter 7)

  • Pako (Renyu)

• Dehuhada (Fighter 4)

  • Seven Toes (Renyu)

• Arngeir (Fighter ?)

• Heijo (Magic User ?)

The party set out for Gadeed, guided by citizen Sesel so they can gain easy entrance to Gadeed, with Avin being dragged mostly unconscious behind the ‘porter’ Barlow. They did not return for several hours. When finally seen again, the mood was mixed, and their company was one-Avin short. Though they did not appear in total defeat, they did seem somewhat shaken.

Alas, as the small handful of treasures brought out from the Facility did not include any actual coinage the hirelings took their pittance of pay and departed without carousing.

Najm's map of this particular expedition

The Lucre

• A handful of strange spheres with colorful gems inside. (~500 gp)

• A tapestry depicting a shadowy monster at the bottom, with several sacrifices and rituals of cloaked cultists above. Of specific note is the ritual in the center, on the left depicting a strange ritual of cutting one of their number in half, and on the right a feast with 1 additional cultist present. Throughout the piece there are blood-red snakes slithering between the various rituals and images depicted. (~1000 gp)

• A knife fashioned from a large tooth. (magical)

The Learning

• 1500 xp from treasure

• 850 xp from the white skinned creature

• 10 xp from cultists x2

• 2300 xp from the not-quite-Avin

The Cut

Nothing here goes to Avin, as she was unconscious / could not actively participate in the adventure

• 776 xp to each player-character

  • 338 xp to Elianor

• The tapestry

• The gem-spheres

• The tooth-knife

Any (~) value items may increase treasure received based on being sold to the right buyer, and any dinar-value item can be bought out from the treasure by a character for its listed (base) price. Player reports detailing the session, or artwork relating to the session, are worth 100xp per level.

Session #68: Turducken Terror

[run by Joel, and recapped by him here, with minimal edits by the Scribes ... thanks, Joel!]

Many heroes both novice and veteran alike, gather in front of the foreigner’s red ship, responding to the call to adventure. Our adventurers are greeted by the ship’s crew, fine looking folk of pointy ears and sharp features [northfolk, surely? ~the Scribes]. The party was seen escorted into one of the hulls on the catamaran ship and entering a dining hall. The rumor has it the room is filled with an abundance of food and at the end of the hall sits Santana himself. An hour passes and the group is seen returning to the city making their preparations and hiring companions. Many from the twin cities gather to see the departure of the giant vessel; those counted leaving on the hunt for this unknown creature called the Turducken are as follows:

• Heijo (Magic-user 6)

• Gan (Fighter 5)

• Kzin-friend (Magic-user 1)

accompanied by Slith Sly (sakkra, hired by another party member)

• Sesel (Fighter 7)

• Barlow (Magic-user 1)

accompanied by Kogus (bulrathi)

Kogus on a 
mowaj mount ...

Santana's ship left with phenomenal speed to their destination--and the party was seen returning later that evening! While victorious on their hunt, certain members of the party return with more battle scars then they left with. News and rumors fill the taverns of a giant bird beast with three heads, flying reindeer [some kind of mowaj? hmela? ~the Scribes] and eggs of gold & stone.

The Lucre

... against the dread Turducken
(by Cullen, who played Kzin-Friend)

• 5500 dinars (gp) from gold chains and jeweled rings (payment from Santana for the Turducken bounty and the recovery of his pets)

• 2700 dinars from three egg-shaped treasures of stone & gold (900 gp per “egg”)

• Trophy feathers from the Turducken (claimed by Kzin-Friend)

• Trophy feet from the Turducken (claimed by Sesel)

The Learning

• 3900 XP from Turducken

• 1600 XP for the recovery of the “Los Renos Voladores” (200 xp per reindeer, 8 in total)

• 2700 XP from egg treasure

The Cut

• 1366 xp to each player-character

685 xp each to Kogus and Slith

• 1366 dinars to each player-character

685 dinars each to Kogus and Slith

• Trophy Feathers from the Turducken (claimed by Kzin-Friend)

• Trophy feet from the Turducken (claimed by Sesel)

Any item of value 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 #67: "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy ..."

Like other expeditions near the limes of the past and present lunar year [this one was originally meant--the Scribes], this expedition was little remarked by the inhabitants of the Dual-Cities, not least of which because, like the last one, the departure of the company was by boat from the harbor and thence along the north coast, rather than the traditional hikes cross-country to the Tel al Safina.

It is surmised in town that certain factions among the barbarian-adventurers now have vested interests somewhere inside the Tel--both the Survivors of the Tel and Durham of the Ringing Anvil are rumored to have such interests--and Sesel, Voice of the Survivors, was heard to be gathering his fellows with exhortations that something was amiss near the locale of the Survivors' interests. Rumors of some kind of spirit or wraith accosting his hired men-at-arms on their patrols, and of something menacing skittering in the shadows ... all of which sound rather more in the nature of the Necropolis, and yet seem to be emerging out of the Ocean's Throat sea-caves ...

And so to investigate these weird rumors, Sesel gathered together this company, and the lot embarked on his courier boat the Silver Qaqtla to sail north along the coast:

• Avin (magic-user 6)
• Sesel the Voice (fighting-man 7)
  accompanied by Raoden (magic-user 4)
• Gan ad-Din (fighting-man 5)
• Heijo (magic-user 6)
• Revna (magic-user 5)
• Lars Ghar-Rider (magic-user 4)
• Pako (renyu)--sent independently by Durham

The group returned to Cothon, disembarking from the Qaqtla along the commercial quays, and then watching her sail back on her way to Sesel's Iqta' al Saahil al Shamaliy. Sesel was not among those who returned to town, having elected to remain at his iqta' and to arrange affairs there in light of whatever was discovered.

It seems there was little recovered by way of treasure--though not quite nothing--and the talk implied that Sesel was more psychically drained than his begging off to see to affairs at home would indicate. Nevertheless, there was a certain joviality to the spirit of the after-action drinking, and certain cryptic comments stand out: "I wonder how long it'll take to boil out?" -- "Bob seemed to think it might take a while, but maybe the poison'll get to it first!" -- "If it's susceptible! I just hope the boiling does the job ..."

The Lucre

• 3000 dirhams (sp), 800 dinars (gp)
• 1260 dinars from 6 gems (2@500, 2@100, 1@50, 1@10)
• one large weirdstone--said by Sesel to contain the vestiges of an Erga!

The Learning

• 2360 xp from treasure
• 444 xp from the strange "creature" (400 + hp)
• 200 xp per player-character for exploration into a new section of the Ocean's Throat

The Cut

• 314 dinars, 6 dirhams, and 6 fals to each player-character, including Pako
  157 dinars, 3 dirhams and 3 fals to Raoden
• 387 xp to each player-character
  193 xp to Raoden
• the "occupied" weirdstone (claimed by Sesel*)

*as Referee, I have divided out the gold as I always have, with equal shares, but only Sesel has any claim to anything more interesting; I feel it incumbent on me to posit that perhaps Sesel forfeit his share of dinars for this claim--but it is not for the referee to decide, but for party members. Experience will remain as published, but dinar (gp) values can be adjusted if folks agree it is appropriate

As always, items without explicit value may be divvied by the company however is deemed fair, or may attempt to be sold "to the right buyer" with the use of downtime to increase shares of treasure (and xp). Explicitly valued items may be "bought out" at their gp-value by any player-character especially desiring them. And reports, drawings, etc. provided by player-characters to be published to this chronicle will earn the corresponding character 100 xp per level.

The Red Cloud of War

Smoke rises southeast of Cothon-Gadeed, from the burning villages and vineyards of the Iqta' al Zaytun--clouds of smoke stained red with the light of the great red sun. The people of the Dual Cities tell each other on the streets, this must be the reason for his name--the Red Cloud, newly risen warlord of the Kzinti, master of Heroes, destroyer of Peace. Or so they tell each other as they meet in the streets, shaking their heads.

And all look to the strong walls of both Cothon and Gadeed, the masterwork fortifications of both klackon and human hands--and the great turrets that stand above, manned by retainers of the Guilds and the Bani-Houses, and the elite Knights Pylaea--and all hope and pray that it will not come to such War as it once did, between Man and Kzin, when the very walls shook under the fury of the Kzinti and their engines. But those days are over--those are the days of legend, of history--such days cannot now come!

And too, people whisper about the Souffets--after their refusal to join with the Hanse in their campaign against the pirates of the eastern seas; after their recall and snubbing of the great general Dalinar al Khalid, and suspicions against him--given all this, can Khosroa and Fadhlan be expected to muster any real resistance against the Red Cloud in this, their final lunar year in office? And they've already dithered these two months!

(

"Gadeed will fall!"

There will be an upcoming post detailing a way for player-characters to explain just what they have been up to in the "downtime" between January and now (going into April), given that the life of the Dual-Cities has been somewhat on hold during that time.)

Such is the talk in the streets these days, as refugees straggle in from al Zaytun with tales of Kzinti coming in out of the night, burning everything with their peculiar yowling hunting cries, cutting men down with claw, fang, and wtsai ... How could the Red Cloud of gathered such strength to himself already, to feel ready to challenge Cothon-Gadeed so directly?? The Iqta' al Zaytun is a breadbasket of the Cities, supplying olives, wine, oil, and all manner of corn and other foodstuffs. How could this upstart warlord already have mustered such force?

[Even the referee is surprised at this turn of events!--how indeed could the Red Cloud of come into such power? Well, it is "convenient" at least for the Scribes ... who can thus claim their lack of proper chronicling has been due more to their duties regarding this sudden onslaught, rather than having to attend to a greater number of personal matters in these last few months ...

... And rest assured, this is no moment like the apocryphal event in Dave Arneson's Blackmoor game when, after the players had spent too many sessions delving in the dungeons and neglecting the wargame proper, the cackling Arneson gleefully told his players that the baddies had won--no, the Red Cloud has not won in any sense! But perhaps he has at least shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with ...]

Session #66: Behind the Zortrium Wall

It has been several weeks now since this expedition actually set forth and returned (the Scribes apologize! but they have been busy), and as the Dual-Cities were both coming down from the excitements of the Feasts of Investiture and preparing for the Long Peace beginning this new lunar year, the expedition was little remarked when it set out.

What may be recalled is that a crew was gathered, somewhat at the behest of Bartholomew Pettibone, and that their stated goal lay somewhere in the Tel al Safina, perhaps especially under the Great Spire of the Klackons. And yet the mode of travel there was strange if that were the goal, for it was onto Arngeir of the Green Gleam's sailing ship the Saint Koloman which they boarded, and thence sailed north along the coast as if toward Sesel's Iqta al Saahil al Shamaliy.

Thus was the crew:

• Avin (magic-user 6)
• Lord Althis (magic-user 5)
• Durham (fighting-man 7)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
• Heijo (magic-user 5)
• Arngeir of the Green Gleam (fighting-man 5)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 7)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man 5)
• Dehuhada (fighting-man 4)
  accompanied by Seven-Toes (renyu)

They returned the way they had come, disembarking from Arngeir's vessel at its berth in the commercial harbor. It was later seen that they bore an assortment of strange things, including at least one other suit of strange cut and unusual materials. Though it may be recalled that they were all rather excited by whatever they had discovered, they remained rather secretive of their business.

The only thing for certain that was heard was a chance rumor--"No mere vein indeed! The Sixth House would have been rich beyond their wildest imaginings, if they hadn't been destroyed. Poor Kilik! ..."

The Lucre

• three suits of unusual cut and material, including boots and gloves; coloured grey, trimmed in red; similar to suits found elsewhere and thought to provide protection from "poison light"
• two toolboxes containing a bewildering assortment of tools of excellent steel (valued around ~600 dinars each, just for the material; the "right buyer" might pay more for the tools as-they-are)
• a small tin containing 7 white tablets of uncertain nature
• a spool of wonderfully thin copper wire (~700 dinars)
• two "potions" bearing labels that include a symbol for "poison light"
• a box marked with a red crescent and containing rolls of gauze, small foil packets, and a large sheet of foil
• a ru'un power-core
• the dismembered body of a "golden man"
  
• a dozen "chlen-hide" ingots of zortrium
• an odd handheld device, taken from the Klackon warrior Kilik of the Sixth House, wielded threateningly by her as if it might be some kind of weapon, and yet quite unlike any sword or other such thing

The Learning

• 1900 xp from treasure
• 548 xp from a ru'un (500 + hp)
• 604 xp from a "golden man" (550 + hp)
• 218 xp from Kilik, Klackon warrior (200 + hp)
• 400 xp to each character for exploring "behind the zortrium wall"

The Cut

• 0 dinars, unless items are sold to "the right buyers"
• 867 xp per player-character
  434 xp to Gan ad-Din
• three suits, assumed to afford protection from "poison light"
• two toolboxes and tools
• a tin of 7 tablets
• a spool of copper wire
• 2 "potions"
• a box containing gauze, foil packets, &c.
• the power-core (in Avin's magic bag)
• dismembered golden body-parts (also in Avin's bag)
• the dozen zortrium ingots (held at Sesel's iqta' for convenience)
• Kilik's strange device (held by Bart at the end of the session--claimed by him?)

As always, items without explicit value may be divvied by the company however is deemed fair, or may attempt to be sold "to the right buyer" with the use of downtime to increase shares of treasure (and xp). Explicitly valued items may be "bought out" at their gp-value by any player-character especially desiring them. And reports, drawings, etc. provided by player-characters to be published to this chronicle will earn the corresponding character 100 xp per level.

The Tsamri-Hane Games

The blare of trumpets breaks the morning air!

Timbrels clash, and chants are raised in all corners of the Dual-Cities, paeans to heroes of old and warsongs for the fighting-men and -women who come forth armed for conflict in the great Coreguyi Arena.

Just as the Long Peace echoed last year's public mourning of the Long Wake, so this year's Tsamri-Hane Games are like the resounding notes of the great Coreguyi Games. But their place in the public memory of the state-cult are their own; for the Tsamri-Hane Games commemorate a negotiated peace during the Twelfth of the Man-Kzin Wars, the so-called Peace of Nagib. And though that peace was broken (by Kzin treachery!), still its negotiation is remembered as moment of strength for Gadeed and its (then small) military cothon-harbor, and a presaging of the current age of general peace between Men and Kzinti and Mrrshans. (the history of this Peace and its importance are sketched here)

So the trumpets blare, and drums roll, and the members of the fighting-societies raise their voices in song anticipating the Games! This will be a week of athletic contests and gladiatorial contests, of the spectacle of beasts and gore in arenas both great and small, and wine and sweetmeats overflowing from all the taverns of the cities in a great exuberance of festival.

Carousing the Games

Those player-characters who wish may spend downtime this week (ending 1/15) to carouse the taverns and arenas during this week's games, and may thus spend up to 100 gp per level, earning the same amount as xp, and then also rolling 2d6 on the table published along with the Coreguyi Games (here). 

• A character who spends at least 150 gp rolls on the table at +1
• A character who spends at least 500 gp rolls on the table at a further +1
• Providing a narrative description of at least part of how the money is being spent (as a comment here, or in the downtime thread of the Discord server) will also earn a player-character a +1 on their roll on the table
• (these are cumulative and so altogether a maximum of +3 can thus be earned)

Betting at the Arena

In the Coreguyi Arena, meanwhile, fresh sand is spread out in preparation for the week of gladiatorial matches and athletic competitions. The howls and snarls of animals can be heard from the pits and cages below the arena (linked to Medina al Taht, perhaps, and adventurer might muse?). And by the gates, placards are erected detailing the list of major matches between the more skilled and (in)famous gladiators, while bookmakers take up their chalk and slate and wet their lips in anticipation of the sheer volume of dirhams and dinars that will flow 'round through their books.

Player-characters may bet even if they don't spend any time carousing, and betting does not require any kind of downtime. As mentioned elsewhere (bottom of this post), the bookmakers of the Arena will not take bets over 1000 dinars (gp), as such extravagances are better suited to the private affairs of the extremely wealthy. Personal bets can be arranged however the bettors agree, completely ignoring official odds; the terms are up to the individuals staking money.

Barshan

The roster of major fights is as follows:

1. Drago of the Heroic Companions of Hrrl-ra vs. Barshan the Strong
   odds 4/5 favoring Drago, who recently helped win against a Bulrathi in another duel
2. Idrig the Denyan vs. Charna of Arnhe
   odds 1/2 favoring Idrig

   

   Idrig

3. Theriax the Peltast vs. the Sakkra javelineer Korbassh
   odds 3/2 favoring the Sakkra over Theriax
4. Elam al Kir vs. the Kzin Hlri-Manhunter
   odds 2/1 favoring the Kzin, despite Elam's ultimate victory during the Coreguyi Games
   
   

5. 

   Charna

   Mortu the Black vs. Shalla the Aridani
   odds 1/3 favoring Mortu and his "Blade of Death", ricasso notched with every killing-victory

Interspersed among these combats will also be a series of fights between deadly and
exotic beasts, namely:

1. a triad of hunting gadhars harassing an angry chlen draft-beast
   odds 1/2 favoring the gadhars

   

   Mortu

2. a many-legged yeki dueling a poison-whipped qaqtla-serpent
   odds 3/2 favoring the qaqtla
3. the dreadful leaping zrne hemmed in by a group of club-wielding chnelh ape-creatures
   odds 1/3 favoring the zrne

Shalla

Payouts will work thusly: assuming a bet of 100 dinars on Theriax (3/2), and a victory by him, the bettor would win back his 100 dinars, plus 150 more for 250 altogether.
Assuming the same bet of 100 dinars, but for Korbassh (2/3) and assuming he wins, the bettor would then receive back his 100 dinars, plus 66 more and 6 dirhams for a total of 166.6 dinars.

All bets must be placed by Sunday evening (1/16), either as a comment here or in the downtime section of the Discord server; thereafter the Scribes will addend to the chronicle regarding the outcomes of the various duels, and any payouts due. It should be noted that, in accordance with the Peace which these games are celebrating, it is in even worse than usual bad taste for gladiators to kill their opponents in the Arena; the fights are supposed to be exhibitions of skill and showy swordsmanship, with just enough blood to satisfy the crowds. A death during these Games is considered an omen of evil for the coming year, and so one can imagine the handlers of Mortu the Black stressing again and again that he is to maim his opponents at worst ...

(Though the beasts are of course expected to slaughter each other).

And, as with all of these public games and the violence and drunkenness and orgies that they entail, the Confraternity of 'Issa will be out "in force" over the next week, proselytizing about the evils of all this violence and the slavery that underpins it, and the cruelty to the animals relegated to the Arena; and though most will scoff at them, and shake the dust of their cloaks off on these zealots and their ridiculous beliefs, some few among the crowds may listen to and heed their arguments. But there will always be fools.

The Long Peace

or

The Peace of Nagib al Nasser

During this, the beginning of the third lunar year of the solar cycle of the Year of Khusra-Fadhlan, the annual Feasts of Investiture are followed by the rest period commemorating a lasting peace in the old Man-Kzin Wars that make up so much of the state mythology of Cothon-Gadeed.

Just as last year's Long Wake commemorated all the heroic dead of the many wars in a weeks-long period of public mourning, now the Long Peace commemorates the time of an especially binding peace in a weeks-long period of public rest from works. Or rather, has commemorated, as the Long Peace ends tonight!--and was little remarked on by the industrious barbarians up to their own business in the neighborhoods of Cothon and in the depths of the Tel al Safina.

Are the Scribes who have failed to update this chronicle for the past few weeks using this Long Peace as a convenient excuse for their lack of industry? Perhaps! But such is the excuse of the inhabitants of both of the Dual-Cities for the past few weeks, and quiet has reigned in the streets and neighborhoods; the souks have been silent of the hawking of wares, the arenas empty of games or honor-duels, the harbors quiet, for thought the winds of trade never cease, at least the Guild of Longshoremen have the courtesy to keep their work quiet during this time of peace.

And the barbarian-adventurers? The Survivors of the Tel, Durham of the Ringing Anvil, Lord Althis of the Crag Keep, et al.? Surely they have noticed the quiet of the city, but many of them have affairs of their own to run outside the city, and so to them the Peace was little remarked, and has passed by essentially unnoticed. If their industry during this time of public rest caused any scandal, well, it is somewhat to be expected--even the citizen among them, Sesel, is of barbarian ancestry!--and so their ignorance of custom can be looked past, for now.

All of which is to say, the Long Peace has no effect on or for player-characters (... this year). It is noted here rather for historical interest, and as a reminder of the passing of the seasons (and maybe a bit of an excuse!).

What will probably be of more interest to such player-characters are the public Games that will follow this conclusion of the Long Peace.

A Bit of History

During the Twelfth War there was a famous campaign on which a company of Kzin Heroes embarked on an attempt at naval conquest against the more distant holdings of Gadeed. The threat was great, as even then Gadeed relied so much on her maritime trade to feed her citizens and populace--the hinterlands could never produce enough grain!--and so the response from the (at the time) small military cothon at the head of the Garden River to cut off the Kzin adventurers was swift.

After a campaign of sail and counter-sail, the Heroes were finally caught on a smaller island, and the fleet from Gadeed put fire to the Kzin ships, leaving the Heroes and their auxiliaries and slaves stranded, cut off from supplies. Rather than starving Gadeed, the Heroes found themselves starving ... and in an unprecedented move, many of them surrendered as prisoners to Gadeed rather than die the humiliating death of hunger (though only after eating most of their slaves, and realizing that recourse would not last forever ...).

This capture of a company of Kzinti seemed as if fortune were finally smiling on Gadeed; alas, fortune is a fickle mistress, and later that cycle, a host of men were captured in a major land battle elsewhere in the war. However, the Souffet Nagib made the most of the captive Heroes--he sent word to the Kzinti that he was willing to negotiate some kind of a peace for a prisoner exchange, rather than allow his entire army to be enslaved or devoured.

The overture couldn't have come at a better time, for in the ranks of the Kzinti at the time a movement desiring a different way of life had just come into the ascendant. This so-called Hané, or "Pride", had a different vision for Kzin-life than the endless nomadic cycles of the traditional Heroic bands, and because their voices had become ascendant in the councils of the Kzinti, they actually listened to Nagib's pleas for peace--and after long negotiations, agreed to a great truce (several solar cycles!) and a prisoner exchange.

Though this Peace of Nagib was doomed to be broken early, it is still commemorated as a time of hope for the end of the Man-Kzin Wars--and indeed with the ascension of the Hane, it presaged the ultimate development of the stable landed polities of the Mrrshan to the south, the growth of which did finally end the otherwise constant Wars.

This Peace was actually negotiated by the lords of the Bani Tsamr, a once potent clan that is now long since extinct; but their name lives on in the modern Tsamri-Hane Games which will commence with the ending of the so-called Long Peace ...