Session #98: The Doom of the Old Pale Worm

 Arngeir had finally convinced a company of the viability of hunting down the Old Pale Worm in the Weirding Caverns. He had held onto a map purporting to lead to its lair for over a year, purchased from an auction at the Ringing Anvil, and had tried to get others interested for some time; but they had always demurred, citing concern that a serudla would be quite a challenge.

Quoth Arngeir in response:
"Better is heart than a mighty blade For him who shall fiercely fight; The brave man well shall fight and win, Though dull his blade may be. Brave men better than cowards be, When the clash of battle comes; And better the glad than the gloomy man Shall face what before him lies. Thy rede it was that I should ride Hither o'er mountains high; The glittering worm would have wealth and life If thou hadst not mocked at my might."

But now, finally, a group of barbarians was seriously discussing going after the Old Worm, and Durham among them was a proponent for seeking answers from the Colossian Oracle as to how their goal might best be achieved. After successfully seeking the oracle out, the group returned to Cothon, partied the night away, and left early the next morning, spirits high:

• Arngeir (fighting-man 5)
• Sesel (fighting-man 8)
  accompanied by Raoden (magic-user 6)
• Fa Min (elementalist 1)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 9)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man 6)
• Durham (fighting-man 8)
  accompanied by Lars Ghar-Rider (magic-user 4)
• Heijo (magic-user 6)

If one thought their spirits were high going out, their spirits coming back into the city reached up to the Fortress Moon and beyond. Lofting two serudla heads before them like lictors, the company returned to the Herm & Stone (Arngeir's tavern-of-choice) to boast of mighty exploits and deeds of derring-do. For they encountered not only the Old Pale Worm, but another serudla as well! And slew both in terrible combat--and Arngeir and Gan, among others, certainly bear the scars of those contests! But their reward was vast, as they count out gem after gem after jewel after gem, and wondrous arms and armor to boot.

Truly was this latest expedition one of great deeds for the chronicles!

The Lucre

• 600 mithqals (pp worth 5 gp), 12,000 dinars (gp), 3000 ithnayan (an unusual mint, gold pieces worth 2 gp ea.), 6000 nufdinars (ep worth 1/2 gp)
• 73 gems (worth a total of 27,390 dinars)
• 8 worth 40 gp (320 total gp)
• 17 worth 50 gp (850)
• 20 worth 100 gp (2000)
• 6 worth 120 gp (720)
• 13 worth 500 gp (6500)
• 5 worth 600 gp (3000)
• 2 worth 2000 gp (4000)*
• 2 worth 5000 gp (10,000)*
• 16 pieces of jewelry (worth a total of 35,600 dinars)
• 7100 from 9 pieces of "normal" jewelry--beautiful torcs, carcanets, cloak-pins, bejewelled sets of earrings, &c.
• 2500 -- a beautiful belt, its buckle fashioned as the face of a grinning Mrrshan or Kzin
• 2500 -- a circlet of braided gold and silver, winking with fine gems
• 2500 -- an ornate make-up box filled with rare and still-viable rouges, kohls, &c.
• 3000* -- a woman's face veil of intricately fine gold mail
• 5000* -- a shirt of scale armor and matching helm implying the features of a serudla--not magical, but certainly enchantable
• 5000* -- an illuminated tome of the epic story of Manas, an heroic warrior of the west
• 8000* -- a curious coral idol, carved into the shape of an alluring chashkeri water-maiden, and beautified with pearl and nacre
• two serudla heads
• two serudla hides
• a magic battleaxe
• a magic spear
• a magic dagger
• 4 magic swords
• one of obvious foreign make, a straight short sword with two edges
• a sabre with a bell-guard designed in the shape of a fist closed around the wielding hand
• a kopis-type cutting sword
• a beautiful tulwar with serpent motifs
• 3 magic shields
• a gilt buckler
• a fairly typical round shield; a broken black arrow is bound into and part of the central grip
• a bronze-faced aspis
• one suit of magical vringalu-leather armor
• a quiver of 40 magic arrows
• a spell-scroll (3 spells)
• two magical books
• one bound in featureless black leather
• the other a slim folio of maps

The Learning

• 86,990 xp from treasure
• 775 xp from the Old Pale Worm (700 +hp)
• 446 xp from serudla (400 +hp)
• 1253 xp from 23 flying octopoids (50 +hp ea.)
• 400 xp to each character for exploring the lair of the Old Pale Worm

The Cut

• 18,393 xp per player-character
  9196 xp to Raoden, Gan, and Lars
• except Fa Min, who can only earn enough xp to put her at 1 point shy of level 3
• if any other character would go up two (2) levels from xp awards from this session, they may only earn as Fa Min did, putting them 1 xp shy of the second level they would advance to
• 80 mithqals, 400 ithnayan, 5332 dinars, and 800 nufdinars per player-character*
  40 mithqals, 200 ithnayan, 2666 dinars, and 400 nufdinars to Raoden, Gan, and Lars*
• two serudla heads
• two serudla hides
• battleaxe
• spear
• dagger
• 4 swords
• 3 shields
• suit of vringalu-leather armor
• 40 magic arrows
• spell scroll
• 2 magic books

* marked items must be sold to the right buyer because of their higher value. Their value has not been included in the money-totals awarded to player-characters and hench-people, but will have to be divided out if/when such items are sold.

As always, characters may "buy out" valued items by forfeiting a share of gold (and possibly adding to the pot for others) equal to the value of the gem or jewelry-piece.

Magic items must be divvied however the company feels fair, which could include surrendering money-awards to companions for a particular piece, or they could be diced for, or however the co. feels is fair.

Session #97: Riddle Me This ...

[numbers provided by Max, who ran the session--thanks Max! The Scribes interpolated the description of the company's preparations and return]

A company was seen assembling at Cothon-Under-Star with the apparent intent of an expedition. The destination was not outside of the Dual-Cities, however--or, not exactly outside in one sense, but entirely outside in another. For they had purchased a hmelu to be sacrificed for their esoteric purposes--the carcass delivered over to Althalos for carving up and roasting to serve to the company and other guests later--and with the hmelu entered into the library where a strange door has lately been remarked upon by those allowed to enter there. From there--who knows what happened?

• Bart magic-user 9
• Gan fighter 6
• Durham fighter 8
• Pako thief 4
• Sesel fighter 8
• Raoden magic-user 5
• Najm magic-user 7
• Alianor fighter 2
• Heijo magic-user 6
• Arngeir fighter 5

The group returned to the common room some time later, and gladly partook of the roasted hmelu they had supplied. Other patrons heard them muttering to themselves, something about "A thousand bottles of wine, poison, and ten slaves ... how to figure out the one poisoned bottle?" Perhaps a riddle they had encountered on whatever strange "trip" they had engaged in? There was also mention that, "someone else had been there!" It may be surmised that the company ventured into the mysterious "library" that has been rumored to project at some magic angle out of the guild-library of Cothon-Under-Star.

They also had strange orbs somewhat like this

The Lucre

• 60d (gp) in gems
• 42d in coins
• Lapis Luzili Lantern (80d), magic
• 7 Occultium (worth 10000d a sphere), extremely magical*
• 1 Shattered Magic Mirror in an ornate box

The Learning

• 30 xp from Obsidian Marmosets x4 (+14hp)
• 70,182 xp from treasure

The Cut

• 14 dinars to each player-character
• 7 dinars to Gan, Pako, Raoden, Alianor
• 11,702 xp to each player-character
• 5851 xp to Gan, Pako, Raoden, Alianor
• 1 Occultium to Bart, Durham, Sesel, Raoden, Najm, Heijo, & Arngeir*
• the magic lapis lazuli lantern
• the shattered magic mirror

*It isn't clear what an Occultium may be, or what its value might mean, exactly--could the "right buyer" be found to realize that 10,000 gp valuation? Are they magic items that should be used, rather than sold? They definitely need to be researched!

Session #96: The Glowing Eyes

[written up by Jacob, who ran this session--thanks, Jacob!]

Barbarians gathered again to set forth into the Medina al Taht, with plans to continue their previous investigations. Setting forth from Cothon-Under-Star, their number this time included a newcomer to Cothon-Gadeed, arrived only recently on one of few ships visiting the city, one Fa Min. A stranger, with an odd ability to manipulate the ground under their feet.

• Bart (Magic User 9)
• Gan (Fighter 6)
• Heijo (Magic User 6)
• Najm (Magic User 7)
• Alianor (Fighter 2)
• Durham (Fighter 8)
• Pako (Renyu 4)
• Fa Min (Elementalist 1)
• Arngier (Fighter 5)

The group returned several hours past in high spirits as they retired to the private rooms of Cothon-Under-Star to review the treasures they recovered. Later that evening, after the party has broken up, Gan was seen in the Kantor drinking and working up new verses to songs celebrating their victories over an odd human down in the dungeon, trying to figure out phrases that would rhyme well with “and his eyes glowed”.

The Lucre

• A strange hand device of thin silvery metal, caps for each finger connected by thin wire to a central red gem in the palm, and then spiraling up the arm.
• A Zortrium green-metal canopic jar, the stop of which is shaped into a sort of Kzin like head.
• A silver choker with tapered cut emerald stones within a star-shaped charm (1000 dinars)
• A necklace with a silver beetle pendant at the end (600 dinars)
  
  
  
• A gold talisman with a central tree, a symbol to the left of the trunk depicting the fortress moon, and a symbol to the right of an open book (800 dinars)
• An ornate silvery buckle depicting the fortress moon with several small inlaid gems (1100 dinars)
• A silvery pin in the shape of a foreign looking spear, the tip more cone shaped than arrowhead shaped, with a hooked V shaped blade projecting back down along the pole (800 dinars)

The Learning

• 4300 xp from treasure
• 2333 xp from Chimera
• 1640 xp from Mobar

The Cut

• 1379 xp to each main character
• 689 xp to each hirelings
• 574 dinars to each main character
• 287 dinars to each hireling
• The Zotrium canopic jar
• The hand device

The Dance of Flames

 Introducing the Chroniclers:

Gan and Anataynus will have approached the managers of the Kantor in order to request a bit of “floor time” on a busy night – three musicians and two dancers – to provide some entertainment. On the evening of the performance, Gan will be dressed in a bright, sun-yellow tunic, cuffed with black. His pants, tucked into his utilitarian black boots, are crisp and also black. His tunic is belted with a wide dull red sash, edged in gold, and tasseled with golden monkey fists – his Sword of Mela'an will be belted on as well. Anataynus and the percussionist will both be dressed in black tunics, belted with gold sashes, and with white pants and black boots – daggers at their hips.

Anataynus, and the percussionist will set up for a jam session nearby and facing the large open, walk-in fireplace of the Kantor, and request that a bit of space be provided between them and the fire. As they gather three chairs or stools, Gan will lay out a group of silken scarves in the small cleared-out area. The colors of the scarves – mixed oranges, reds, yellows – glint in the firelight in such a way as to resemble flames themselves. In a nearby, closeted room, out of sight and hearing, Bart will be assisting both Istrid and Chlothildi in becoming the main visual entertainment: first slathering the mostly naked women with specific amounts of specially prepared oils.

Gan will begin the music with a strong rhythmic solo on his oud. After a few moments, Anataynus and the percussionist will join Gan – Anataynus providing a more intricate/delicate melody, and the percussionist picking up the beat and rhythm.

After being joined by the other two musicians, Gan will fade out, then gesture at the scarves, lazily, with an open hand, moving his hand like a conductor urging music from his troupe. At this point, the scarves will arise in the DANCE of FIRE! It will appear that Gan is somehow controlling the scarves, as they begin to “dance, sway, twist, rise, and fall”. Gan will again pick up his oud, returning to the music, beginning his song of passion and fire, while the scarves and veils continue to dance.

After the first verse and chorus, and as the music is picking up tempo, gaining in volume, the veils retreat into the walk-in fireplace of the Kantor, falling into the flames. As they burn, women will suddenly appear in the midst of the flame, observable only as flames themselves, dancing as wildly with the music as with the fire around them!

Rather quickly, the women will be engulfed in flames, and the spectators will be stunned and amazed at the sight of two goddesses of flame stepping out of the walk-in fireplace and dancing in their midst! The musicians will increase the tempo and encourage the audience to join in with clapping or stomping to the beat – urging the flaming spirits to dance more frenziedly – with ululations! The flaming, wispy, insubstantial sprites dancing around the cleared space will be seen to ripple with faint colors – green, blue, golden yellow, deep red, and purple. The herbs and spices infused into the oils will give off an intoxicating aroma – pleasant, rich, earthy – reminiscent of tsural buds, sweet spices, and aromatic waxes/resins. The words of the song speak of a burning love and desire, and the flaming sprites seem to dance and move in reaction and sympathy to the basic theme of the song. It is as if Gan's words are controlling the dance. Those who are regulars to this particular establishment, might be able to recognize either or both of the women – possibly by some quirk of their unique, individual movements, or because of their distinctive silhouettes.

The flames and music will eventually begin to fade, and the dancers' movements will become more languid and fluid – more alluring. A change in tempo and intensity of beat will be timed to coincide with how the flaming oil on the invisible women dims and sputters – not quite going out, but obviously failing. But eventually, as the flames on the invisible women do finally burn their last, and they seem to fade away into wisps of smoke, the music will become even slower and more paced. After a moment, Anataynus will be the first to drop out, then the percussionist – leaving Gan to draw the music to a close. His solo will be somber and slow – deliberate – ringing true and resolving in the sudden silence, as he delivers the final note. This entire performance – the Fire Dance – will have lasted approximately 15 minutes.

And in the silence that follows that final note, the entire audience erupts into loud cheers, bravos, whistles, claps, and stomping! Hats are escorted through the crowded drinking hall by each of the dancers, Istrid and Chlothildi, and are returned brimming over with fals, dirhams, nufdinars, and dinars … with an occasional mithqual! The crowd, visually and audibly stunned with the entire performance, clamors for more! This was amazing! A new form of entertainment! How did he control the fire?! Was it magic? Was it illusion? Was it mass hypnosis? And who are these fellows??! THE CHRONICLERS! As the noise dies down, the musicians will pick up and perform another number – a standard jaunty/raucous drinking song. This will give the women time to clean up, drop their invisibility (which had been cast/gifted by Bart), and don their normal dancing accouterments, before joining the musicians – visibly! As a final piece, the musicians will perform a lengthy, popular dance piece – one that is well liked in the great city of Cothon-Gadeed. This gives the musicians time to jam at length, while the women rove and dance, garnering more personal tips!

[written up by Phil for an institution started by Gan ad-Din, his regular character's regular henchman; thanks Dad!]

Endings and Beginnings: the Solar New Year

Eid of the New Sun (Eid al Shams Gadeed)

It is the middle of winter, and the sun is at its weakest in the northern hemisphere, however vast it is in the heavens; ice and hoarfrost have the northern lands in their dread grip, covering the land and driving all but the hardiest creatures south. Here on the southern coast, winter is certainly less severe, but there are ocean storms to hammer the shores, the air has grown noticeably chill, and rains swell the streams of the Gana River and her tributaries.

Days have been waning in length, and the shortest day, the winter solstice, comes at the end of the year, when the sun seems at its weakest. The day after this, with the lengthening of days again, marks the beginning of a new solar year. So it is on the solstice that the Eid of the New Sun begins, and continues through the next few days to celebrate the coming of the new sun and the new year.

This is a time of high sacrifice of grave importance. This is the time of the king-priests, the Priests minal Muluk, who maintain the last true remnant of Tsurrian royalty, having of old given over their rulership duties in order to focus only on certain proper sacrifices. The former high priest of these, Kayl minal Muluk, died two lunar years ago, and so this will be the first Eid presided over by the new high priest, Kathir minal Muluk.

At the shrine of the king-priests, the Souffets will present seven perfect hmelus, either black or white, at least two donated specifically by the Souffets while other great houses vie to provide the remaining five. The king-priests will then take the victim-animals up the steps to the top of the shrine where they will offer them as kourbaneia to the sun, slitting the victim’s throats and letting the blood flow across the altar and then down runnels on either side of the steps to a channel at the base of the shrine. There, lesser priests will splash the fresh blood over the Souffets and their gathered entourage, while above Kathir minal Muluk will divide the animals, casting the heads down the stairs, taking a third of each animal for the shrine, giving a third of the animals away to the poor, and delivering the remaining third back to the Souffets for a feast in their palace, and burning the entrails for the further strengthening of the sun.

The Souffets return to their own palaces blood-smeared, and have hmelus from their own herds sacrificed in imitation of the rites of the king-priests, the beasts roasted on spits over the fires and a great feast held within their halls. The blood of the hmelus is painted over the great doors of the palace and sprinkled over the guests of the feast, and the poor of the city come to the gates to receive a portion of the meat of the sacrifices.

All around the city, lesser versions of this sacrifice will be taking place, in large public plazas where many families gather together to slaughter hmelus (and many families will have saved up their fals in order to purchase as good a hmelu as they can). Great bonfires in the public spaces are set up for the burning of entrails and fat and bones, all to send the nourishment of the feast to the sun. Meanwhile, the blood of these sacrifices will be painted over the doors of houses, and splashed over hands and faces, and traditionally the meat of all these animals is divided similarly to the king-priests’ kourbaneia, so that everyone in the city will have plenty to eat for the next few days of feasting.

The reason for these sacrifices is threefold. Chiefly, the great fires burn the entrails and send the nourishment of the feasts as smoke to the sun above, to help its renewal on this, the shortest of days. Secondly, the sacrifices also allow everyone in the city to eat during this part of the winter, when the poorest might have the least. But the blood that is spilled--and painted over doorways--is another important reason for the sacrifices. For it is this blood that distracts the demons of the Bayt al Aswad, "the Black House", and most especially the great Devourer, who would otherwise overwhelm the sun, and after that, devour everything. But with all the blood flowing on the earth below, the Devourer will drink it down and become drunk on it, and thus turn away from the sun when it is at its weakest; and having done so, will lose another chance to devour the sun. So the sacrifices are an important ritual in keeping the world safe from the evils of the Devourer.

There is also an ancient memory of human sacrifice that took place during this time--a memory perhaps older than even Old Tsurr. There are perhaps cults or sects elsewhere in other cities that still practice that terrible ritual, but there have never been public rites of human sacrifice Cothon-Gadeed, and so it shall hopefully remain.

For Player-Characters:

It would be a simple enough thing for the barbarian-adventurers of Cothon to spend 3 or 4 gold dinars on a fine hmelu and have it sacrificed and butchered, thus to take part in the feasting; but if they wish, those with means may spend quite extravagantly to make their feasting wonderful, and as the feast continues for several days after the sacrifice, there is ample time to spend thusly.

This is also a time of charity for those who have less--the third of the meat given to the poor, for instance--and so charitable giving of other kind, of alms, perhaps, are also looked at favorably in this time.

Therefore, player-characters who wish to partake in this time of sacrifice and feasting may spend up to 100 gold per level, with a short description of what their gold is buying--or where or how it is being donated--and earn that amount of experience. This does not require the use of a downtime roll, as the entire cities are celebrating this great ceremony, and it would be quite easy to join in the feasting.

For example: Najm ibn Marwan will spend 700 dinars to purchase a pair of hmelus for his ship and Confraternity of Saint Iskameen, as well as paying for a good selection of wines, and good flatbreads and a pottage of fish and root vegetables to accompany the roasted hmelu. Blood will be painted on the mast, the bow, and keel, and a third of the hmelu meat will be sent to Fahra's Hole-in-the-Wall to be distributed to the poor from there. In doing this, Najm receives 700 xp.

Please post actions in the comments below, or in the downtime section of our Discord channel.

The Old Pale Worm -- Adventure Awaits

 An old terror of the Guild of Miners and Prospectors, the Old Pale Worm is a semi-legendary serudla reported to dwell in the depths of the Weirding Caverns. It was he who was said to have devoured the old prospector Jukon Carnelian and his party, and to ward prospectors away from certain rich boles of weirdstone. He is said to be one of those serudla of exceptional size, perhaps 60 feet in length, and to have shining iridescent scales of white that scintillate with green in torch- or lantern-light.

Long have they spoken of him in the Herm & Stone, perhaps a hundred lunar years. Some stories are well accounted--like the devouring of Jukon Carnelian--while other tales are "ghost-stories" to spook fresh prospectors, or accounts by already-spooked prospectors having heard strange things in the depths of the Weirding Caves. Certain would-be Heroes have attempted to oust this Pale Worm--he wasn't always "Old"!--but he either successfully destroyed these failed-bogatyrs, or drove them off, or the serudla they reported slaying didn't end up being the Pale Worm, for his depredations continued thereafter.

Over a hundred years, the lair has not always remained the same. Expeditions against the Old Pale Worm have occasionally been successful in driving him away, but never has there been a trustworthy account of his death, and always he appears again in later stories. Well, there is a map that purportedly leads to the current lair of the Old Pale Worm now in possession of Arngeir of the Green Gleam, thanks to his purchase of it during the auction at the Ringing Anvil (where it was provided by the Heroic Company of Hrrl-Ra, item #13).

Now, Arngeir has not specifically put out a call to adventure in this yet (because the Scribes have been slow in furnishing the map for him to peruse), but the Scribes are now presuming that Arngeir will certainly hope for a company to join him in any expedition against this dreadful serudla in seek of its death, or its treasure-hoard, or both.

The Scribes also append here this section from the Almagest of Khushvant Sen regarding serudla and sro as "dragons".

Hansemann Durham

 As has been noted by the rumormongers of the Dual-Cities, Telman of Tsipa, captain of the campaign against the Luwian pirates and also associate of old with Durham of the Ringing Anvil and the Survivors of the Tel (on the quest against the Denyan Akho)--this Telman of Tsipa has returned to Cothon-Gadeed because of the winter close to campaigning.

In the time since his return he has been much feted by those who frequent the Kantor Kabljauhof, asked for stories of the campaign, plans for next season, and if he is indeed going to rise to take the place of head of the Kantor, or indeed, replace Captain-General Zaytar himself. Among those often seen buying a round with Telman is Durham, and the two were often long in conversation and short in their cups, as it were, clearly discussing some business.

Well, that business is now announced by a crier in the Fischmarkt just outside the Kantor:

"Telman of Tsipa is sponsoring Durham of Geiranger for membership in the Hanse! Come for celebratory drinks in the Gatehouse after the ceremonial swearing in!"

And indeed, quite a number come into the tavern-section of the Kantor, the Gatehouse, to celebrate Durham's new status as a Hansemann. There is a great cheer from those assembled when he emerges, with smiling Telman at his side, from the back rooms of the Kantor, wearing now the sigil of the Hanse on a chain around his neck, and on a ring on one of his fingers:

In order to join the Hanse, Durham had to answer some questions and declare certain qualities:

• Who is your sponsor within the Hanse? (Telman)
• From what city do you hail? (Geiranger)
• Is it a Hanse city? If not, declare now that you are no longer a citizen of that city, but a loyal member of the Hanse.
• Are you a partisan of any Tavern other than this Kantor? If so, you must renounce that membership, and join here, and to pay the due as you would normally.
• What is your wealth?
• What is your profession? (owner of the Ringing Anvil, adventurer, engineer and architect, part-owner of the Darkwing)

These all answered to the satisfaction of a council of Hansemänner, Durham was sworn in as a member and Hansemann himself, and given the emblems of his new identity. Certain perks are now available to him because of his association.

And now--let the ale and mead flow as we celebrate Durham in his new capacity!

All hail Durham of Geiranger, Hanssemann!