Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Session 14: Well Women

As Reiana let out a fierce battle-cry of "Weixranbo! Weixunthara ka Weixranbo!" a long, stony appendage shot out from inside the shrine and pulled her in, bringing her quickly into close-quarters combat with the horrifying aberration, which appeared to be half-woman, half-stone tree. As Vanera and Anaris attempted to follow Reiana into the shrine, they were confronted by the guard at the shrine's door--Raoseina himself, the Gate-warden of the town and captain of the town guard. Owing to the noises of combat from inside the shrine, it didn't take too much effort to convince him that something was terribly amiss, and that the shrine needed to be opened at once. Opening the shrine, which was sealed with seven chains, was another matter. By the time it was opened, Reiana was unconscious and being lowered into the sacred well, which was by now clouded and stagnant. Vanera, Anaris, and Raoseina attacked. Talarja, the Scarlet Sister, supported the Company, singing an ancient song of power meant to purge the evil creature from the holy place. But it was Anaris the spear-maiden who ultimately landed the killing blow that ended the life of the horrifying creature.

The party repaired back to Raoseina's own home while Talarja remained behind to cleanse and re-seal the shrine. Raoseina sent word for Tengelbur and Tanurendal--who during all of this had been attempting, in vain, to escape from the town stocks--to be brought to his house. In the conversation that followed, it was agreed (or at least strongly suspected) that the creature they had fought was probably the same old crone who had given Anaris the task of burying the toe in the forest, and that the two events must be somehow related. According to Talarja, the woman was once one of the Sacred Sisterhood, but she had wandered into the Serth Hatama in search of the tombs of the Stone Kings and presumed lost. Raoseina had hard words for Anaris once he learned that she was ultimately responsible for the pestilence that had come to Cheykor. "I hope you will never forget this lesson, nor the names of those who died because of your foolishness."

Raoseina himself turns out to have been one of the last-surviving Dogs of Winter, the personal bodyguard of Prince Galal. With the prince gone, Raoseina is now loyal to Sir Ralus, with whom the party has already had some dealings. Learning from the Company and from Talarja of the positive existence of the Tauran-Tauror cult (which he has suspected for some time), he requested the party to travel to Sencankarr and ask for counsel from Norkur the Chief Scribe. Talarja advised against this, insisting instead that the Scarlet Sisterhood should be allowed to handle it. Ultimately the party decided in favor of Raoseina's plan, and plans were made to travel to Sencankarr...

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