Post by Heret Velnnarul on Dec 14, 2019 19:02:57 GMT
1 Nightal, 1396 AR
The war for K’ul Goran is over, and the mysterious bloodthirst of the land withal – though the mystery itself remains. A wondrous strange day in that strange country.
Answered the call for assistance, reporting to the Three-headed Ettin. Transported to K’ul Goran along with others who had arrived at about the same time:
Unexpectedly arrived not in Zot Goran but on the coast somewhere, whence almost immediately briefed by a KG soldier to go to northern town of Maray, which was under siege. Faye joined us during the conversation, having already been in KG.
Astonishingly cold in Maray! The winter in DH is bad enough, but this was terrible – even my K’ul Goran fur coat did little to help. Harsh winds blew snow constantly and it was hard to see. Zozo as unhappy about it as I was.
The local commander showed us the disposition of forces and introduced us to a human (and, as I discerned later, angel-touched) woman named Linda, a scholar from Faerûn who had come to KG not long before. The attacking forces were covered by a number of unnatural blizzards. Linda believed that these were magically created and probably took their power from the enemy commander, but she could not say where that person might be.
Looking out from a high tower in the town we could see little until a great thunderclap and many bolts of lightning struck all around us. In the flashing light I just glimpsed a distant blue figure flying up from near the centre of the enemy line and then vanishing again. Reasoning this might be the source of the uncanny weather, we agreed to make our way along the frozen river that leads out of Maray and make for that place under cover of snow and stealth. Linda joined us. Bogg proved a very effective guide in this endeavour, burrowing a corridor through the snow so that we largely remained out of sight.
Soon we left the river and turned toward the centre of the thickest blizzard, but suddenly the ground opened and we fell into a pit, thitherto concealed by snow. Not deep, perhaps ~15ft, but impossible to climb out of. Moreover, we quickly saw two hobgoblins patrolling at the far end of this hollow, guarding the entrance to a tunnel that seemed the only egress.
We agreed to try to move past them undetected, with some of the group creating magical distractions and diversions. This proceeded well until one of F’s illusions proved so startling that the guards fled down the tunnel – ahead of us! This set all plans awry: K tried to prevent their raising the alarm by loosing an arrow at one, while some of us tried to run past them, and Bo scattered ball bearings under their feet and sent them sprawling to the ground. Then behind us the cave started to collapse. I pulled Bo up onto Zozo and galloped on; Bu was caught by falling rocks but dragged free by K; soon we all emerged into the snow with the hobgoblins at our backs and our quarry directly ahead: a fearsome armoured frost giant (the commander), his lieutenant, and the figure I had seen from the tower – a cloud giant.
The combat was fierce. With blades and fire we dealt the commander some heavy wounds and saw his blood seeming to be drawn out of him into the snow and earth – a more powerful draining than I have seen before in KG. Before I could think on this further, the other frost giant rushed at me and I remember no more.
The others tell me I was badly wounded and the ground was rapidly bleeding me dry when a distant horn sounded and the giants suddenly ceased their onslaught and retreated. Thus were K and F able to revive me. Waking and sitting up, I heard F whisper sharply, “Give me the notes”. But before I had time to understand the meaning of this remark, I noticed a wetness under my fingers: my blood was pooling on the ground – not sinking into it! And the next moment, the ground began also to rumble, and from the snow-cloaked horizon rose up a wall of orange light stretching as far as I could see.
Not knowing what to make of all this, but seeming to have no further business to attend to, we began to make our way back to Maray. Everywhere we passed, the giants had abandoned the fight and were making their way back the way they had come; yet the K’ul Gorans seemed more distressed at what they were calling the “sating of the land” than relieved by the end of the assault on their town. Found a mage willing to transport us back to Zot Goran, where we soon discovered that the events of Maray had been repeated everywhere: the sound of the horn, the sudden departure of the enemy, the saturation of the earth, the orange light (which was gone by this time). No longer needed, I returned by circle to DH.
Briefly spoke to L before retiring to my room to tend my wounds. She reports that members of the Order of the Crimson Fist have been heard making enquiries about the town concerning possible mineral sources in the Sunset Spine, and searching for an expert who could help them identify such substances. If the Order is entering the field of extracting minerals, that is curious and not altogether welcome – though it will incommode the Guild more than us, which may be no bad thing. Still, it would pay to know more. TASK: investigate further.
There are also the papers from Stoneleaf to be studied. TASK: show G and discuss.
The war for K’ul Goran is over, and the mysterious bloodthirst of the land withal – though the mystery itself remains. A wondrous strange day in that strange country.
Answered the call for assistance, reporting to the Three-headed Ettin. Transported to K’ul Goran along with others who had arrived at about the same time:
- Bogg
- Bubbles (in a strange and rather immodest red garment adorned with chains)
- Kalta, a well-armed half-orc.
Unexpectedly arrived not in Zot Goran but on the coast somewhere, whence almost immediately briefed by a KG soldier to go to northern town of Maray, which was under siege. Faye joined us during the conversation, having already been in KG.
Astonishingly cold in Maray! The winter in DH is bad enough, but this was terrible – even my K’ul Goran fur coat did little to help. Harsh winds blew snow constantly and it was hard to see. Zozo as unhappy about it as I was.
The local commander showed us the disposition of forces and introduced us to a human (and, as I discerned later, angel-touched) woman named Linda, a scholar from Faerûn who had come to KG not long before. The attacking forces were covered by a number of unnatural blizzards. Linda believed that these were magically created and probably took their power from the enemy commander, but she could not say where that person might be.
Looking out from a high tower in the town we could see little until a great thunderclap and many bolts of lightning struck all around us. In the flashing light I just glimpsed a distant blue figure flying up from near the centre of the enemy line and then vanishing again. Reasoning this might be the source of the uncanny weather, we agreed to make our way along the frozen river that leads out of Maray and make for that place under cover of snow and stealth. Linda joined us. Bogg proved a very effective guide in this endeavour, burrowing a corridor through the snow so that we largely remained out of sight.
Soon we left the river and turned toward the centre of the thickest blizzard, but suddenly the ground opened and we fell into a pit, thitherto concealed by snow. Not deep, perhaps ~15ft, but impossible to climb out of. Moreover, we quickly saw two hobgoblins patrolling at the far end of this hollow, guarding the entrance to a tunnel that seemed the only egress.
We agreed to try to move past them undetected, with some of the group creating magical distractions and diversions. This proceeded well until one of F’s illusions proved so startling that the guards fled down the tunnel – ahead of us! This set all plans awry: K tried to prevent their raising the alarm by loosing an arrow at one, while some of us tried to run past them, and Bo scattered ball bearings under their feet and sent them sprawling to the ground. Then behind us the cave started to collapse. I pulled Bo up onto Zozo and galloped on; Bu was caught by falling rocks but dragged free by K; soon we all emerged into the snow with the hobgoblins at our backs and our quarry directly ahead: a fearsome armoured frost giant (the commander), his lieutenant, and the figure I had seen from the tower – a cloud giant.
The combat was fierce. With blades and fire we dealt the commander some heavy wounds and saw his blood seeming to be drawn out of him into the snow and earth – a more powerful draining than I have seen before in KG. Before I could think on this further, the other frost giant rushed at me and I remember no more.
The others tell me I was badly wounded and the ground was rapidly bleeding me dry when a distant horn sounded and the giants suddenly ceased their onslaught and retreated. Thus were K and F able to revive me. Waking and sitting up, I heard F whisper sharply, “Give me the notes”. But before I had time to understand the meaning of this remark, I noticed a wetness under my fingers: my blood was pooling on the ground – not sinking into it! And the next moment, the ground began also to rumble, and from the snow-cloaked horizon rose up a wall of orange light stretching as far as I could see.
Not knowing what to make of all this, but seeming to have no further business to attend to, we began to make our way back to Maray. Everywhere we passed, the giants had abandoned the fight and were making their way back the way they had come; yet the K’ul Gorans seemed more distressed at what they were calling the “sating of the land” than relieved by the end of the assault on their town. Found a mage willing to transport us back to Zot Goran, where we soon discovered that the events of Maray had been repeated everywhere: the sound of the horn, the sudden departure of the enemy, the saturation of the earth, the orange light (which was gone by this time). No longer needed, I returned by circle to DH.
Briefly spoke to L before retiring to my room to tend my wounds. She reports that members of the Order of the Crimson Fist have been heard making enquiries about the town concerning possible mineral sources in the Sunset Spine, and searching for an expert who could help them identify such substances. If the Order is entering the field of extracting minerals, that is curious and not altogether welcome – though it will incommode the Guild more than us, which may be no bad thing. Still, it would pay to know more. TASK: investigate further.
There are also the papers from Stoneleaf to be studied. TASK: show G and discuss.