Session VIII
The cast:
- Greg, a Barbarian
- Krombopulos Michael (“KM”), an Elvish Ranger
- Brother Pele, a Mage
- Dayman, a Paladin
- Crispin, a Zaharan Ruinguard
- Maximore, a Thrassian Abomination
The adventurers remained in Cyfaraun for roughly a week. They deliberated for some time over their course of action before eventually deciding to venture to the farmhouse their predecessors had discovered northwest of Türos Spen. This required passing through another border fort, Türos Aster. While there, they happened to encounter its tribune, Tyrimmas. He mentioned that survivors of the recently destroyed bugbear warband seemed to have taken refuge in a ruined imperial fortress directly across the river from Türos Aster. Tyrimmas did not know precisely how many bugbears there were, but, surely, the longer they were allowed to lair there, the more their numbers would increase. The adventurers came to an agreement with Tyrimmas: should they attack the bugbears, he would furnish them with some of his men to assist in the assault. Then they continued to the farmhouse.
First Greg loosed a shot at the farmhouse's scarecrow. He was not sure what he might accomplish, but he thought it a good idea nonetheless. His arrow arced true and pierced the straw man. Yet suddenly the barbarian cried out in intense pain: a wound, the precise mirror of what he had dealt to the scarecrow, had appeared on his own chest!
Warned by their predecessors' notes, they knew not to expose their entire group to the giant tentacles. Instead, only Maximore crossed the wheat field. Venturing inside, he found yet another wounded man lying on the floor. He wondered if it were the same one as before, or a new one. He was not able to enquire as to the man's identity, for man was driven to an incoherent rage by the Thrassian's monstrous countenance, and proved to be a poor conversation partner. Maximore ignored this angry man and looked around the farmhouse. As before, there were two bodies in smaller rooms adjoining the main area. Maximore also discovered an ornate rapier, and a great tome. Being barely literate, he could deduce nothing about its contents. The lizard-man decided he had discovered as much as he could and, preparing to good his exit, transformed into his hawk form and took off. Yet, bizarrely, the tome he had found did not fold into his body as his possessions normally did. It would have to be left behind, and its secrets would remain unknown.
The Thrassian flew across the wheat field as quickly as he could. Despite being dozens of feet in the air, the great tentacles still sprung out of the ground and lashed at him mightily. Greg and KM did their best to cover his flight with fire from their bows, but despite their frantic shots, the Thrassian only barely escaped with his life. [He made it to safety with only 1 hit point left!]
The party quickly returned to Cyfaraun and hired a sage to determine what properties the sword they had found might have. Then they doubled back to Türos Aster and told the tribune they were ready to attack the bugbears. He thanked them somberly, knowing the enormity of the task they had accepted. Six of his soldiers stepped forward to join the war-party, each with an appropriately grim look on their face.
The party, now twelve in number, crossed the bridge and approached the fortress. Seeing it loom indomitably in front of them, they wryly cursed the engineering ingenuity of the Auran Empire. Fortunately, the ravages of time had pulled down a portion of the outer walls, and it was this gap they approached. They hoped to gain entrance to the fortress proper without attracting any attention, but they failed in this. Soon five bugbears hailed them from atop the walls. Initial communications were peaceful, but then the beastmen requested tribute. The adventurers had little money on their persons and were unwilling to part with it, so they switched interaction tactics and charged!
They quickly discovered this charge to be a most unwise idea, for the beastmen were skilled archers. Before the party could reach the wall, Maximore and Dayman had both taken severe wounds. Furthermore, another gang of bugbears stood waiting at the gap in the fortress's wall. The adventurers decided they had little chance of prevailing here and began to retreat. Yet even during the retreat, the bugbears continued their arrow barrage. Brother Pele attempted to save his friends with a sleep spell, but in doing so, he only made himself a target of priority, and took an arrow to the knee. Then Crispin fell: an arrow had pierced his back and severed his spine. Next was Greg, who fell and lamed both of his legs. Three of the Auran legionaries also took grievous wounds and had to be dragged away. One had been killed instantly by an arrow to the brain, but the other two would live to fight another day.
The bugbears stopped firing, and for a moment the party thought they were safe. Yet then a gang of beastmen charged from the fortress and demanded surrender. The adventurers exchanged glances, considered their odds, and dropped their weapons. The beastmen proved surprisingly lenient, taking only all of the party's gold and silver. What's more, the unconscious Pele's pockets were overlooked during the shakedown.
Defeated but mostly alive, the adventurers and legionaries returned to Türos Aster. Tragically, they had killed not a single bugbear. The tribune was saddened to learn of their failure, but he appreciated Dayman's efforts to save his men. He told the party that, should the bugbears attack, his remaining soldiers would be able to fend them off. But it was certain to be a close thing. Crispin, Greg, and Pele would need time to recover, so the party settled down to wait in Türos Aster.
Eventually, Cyfaraun was again returned to, and Crispin and Greg sought the healing of the temple of Ammonar. The restorations of their broken bodies had minimally disruptive side effects: Greg returned with cat-like eyes, and Crispin suspected he would now be vulnerable to being turned by a cleric. The adventurers were again confronted with the question of where next to go. They sought the guidance of Maximore's Thrassian gods, who told them there were no dragons in the Black Mire. So they made preparation to venture there.
Even a dragonless Mire would still be filled with danger: one inhabitant of Cyfaraun told the adventurers that in the Mire lived a necromancer who made his home on an island composed of thousands upon thousands of writhing undead bodies. Yet even that did not compare in strangeness to what happened on their day of departure: Two hunchbacked lizardmen showed up at Dayman's house and brought the party to “the oracle”, a woman made of alabaster. The oracle instructed the party to seek out her husband, the Frog God Idol, who could be found deep within the Mire. If they completed his task, he would surely reward them with magic to fight against the beastmen.
Finally having a goal, the party entered the Black Mires. They followed the oracle's instructions to where her husband might be found. Remarkably, they encountered no other life during their week of travel. Scouting ahead one day, Maximore spotted what appeared to be the island of dead flesh they had heard about, but the party managed to avoid an encounter.
Finally, they stood before the frog god idol. As the party approached him, they heard the massive statue's voice in their heads. It was hissing and sibilant. The idol asked that the adventurers find and return to him his three treasures of his distant engagement: an iron rose, a great wooden basket, and four hunks of amber. With these, he would (somehow) be made “whole” again.
Unsure of what sort of entity this idol might be, the party nonetheless accepted his challenge and prepared to seek out the treasures.
Mortal Wounds Count:
- Brother Pele, wounded knee
- Crispin, severed spine (later healed)
- Greg, lamed legs (later healed)
Tampering with Mortality Count:
- Crispin, treated as a wight for purposes of turning
- Greg, cat-like eyes