Session 30: The Anvil of Lanenomen, Pt 1

It is a life-age of the world since Lanenomen came up out of the West with the Treiana Remnant, and built his cities beside the crystal waters of the Great Inland Sea. For a thousand years and more the glory and memory of ancient Feihoth has been preserved in memory--in the works of the hands and the deeds of valor of the folk of the Seven Cities. During that time, the remnant of Starland has slowly become one in culture and blood with the folk of Orusena, though at least in name the two peoples still keep their own chieftains and customs. But there are many places, such as the Pleasant Isle, and the wide plains and fir woods of the North, where a people have arisen who count as kin both the folk of Wood and Starland, and keep alive the memory of both Feihoth of Old and the mighty arm of Orusena, who brought his people up from the wide and desolate South, seeking freedom from the hosts of Vishnarr. The Inyalia-i-parujar, the Tower of the Wood, is one such place. Its lord is Tengelbur, tall and far-sighted and mighty among the children of Starland, eldest among the third generation of those who followed the banner of Wide-Fame Lanenomen. 

But rumor of war and treachery has broken at last the long peace of the Great Inland Sea, which has not known war since Gasojean was slain, and the Kodihan driven from the slopes of the Holy Hill. Rumors have come to Inyalia-i-parujar of treachery and burning, and of a watch which slept in the Hills of Jade until it was too late. Orkon, the most ancient foe of Lanenomen, was stirring in the world again, and war was kindled. Then taking thought for the defense of the passage of the northern shore, Lord Tengelbur set all things in readiness, and set a watch upon the eastern rode, so that the servants of Orkon might not pass that way for fear of envenomed darts or sudden assault by the swift horsemen of the Treianraal. In that day certain treasures were sent out of the Jade Hills to Tengelbur for safe-keeping, and he was known in those lands as Lord Tengelbur i-Kanabara, that is, Of the Road. 

In those days was Anaris the Fair of Lanenkarr sent to Inyalia-i-parujar bearing in her possession the greatest treasure of the Treian people, save one only. And the treasure was hid within the Tower, but Anaris remained there with Tengelbur, for she was a high lady of the Treianraal, and much learned in lore, but she cared not for the warfare of the Cities, and all deeds of violence cast a dark shadow over her heart. And it was hoped that the treasure which she brought there would protect Inyalia-i-parujar for a time and a season, and strengthen it against assault. And she became fast in friendship with Falānarai the sister of Lord Tengelbur, who was a spinner and weaver of great renown. She was exceeding fair, though whether her heart was given to any her brother could not guess. For there were two who loved her--Karalu, the seneschal of the Tower, and Anerash, the captain of Tengelbur's outriders, whose task it was to waylay the columns of Orkon whenever they were sent probing into the West. But at last there came a day when Anerash returned, bearing word that a far greater host than they could oppose was now swarming towards the passage of the Cheyth, and that within seven nights the Inyalia-i-parujar would be besieged. Then Tengelbur looked Eastward, and with the far sight of the men of Feihoth, he discerned the burning of the Hills of Jade, and he knew that the end was upon him...

Lord Tengelbur--the Horned Things will be at your gate ere the sun again rises. What are your orders?

---

When last we left our heroes...

Finding themselves in another time, another place, the players struggled to come to grips with who they were now:

• Ben is playing a past (or possibly future?) version of Tengelbur, now a Treian lord in the days before the Dark Times.
• Arthur is playing a past (or possibly future?) version of Anaris, now a high lady and loremaster of the Treians.

Those whose characters had drunk the wine in the previous session found themselves playing new characters:

• Hope is playing Anerash, the captain of Lord Tengelbur's Outlanders, and one of two men vying for the hand of the lovely Falanarai.
• PJ is playing Karalu, the senschal of the tower and another aspirant to the affections of the lady Falanarai. 
• Sophie is playing Falanarai, sister of Tengelbur and weaver of great power.

After taking some time to assess the situation (they are several weeks from any help, the forces of the Arjagbori are closing in in great numbers upon the Tower, and they can by no means allow the treasure which the Lady Anaris brought to the tower to fall into the hands of the Enemy), Lord Tengelbur summoned a council.

At this council, various strategies were discussed for dealing with the invaders. Failure to stop them here would almost certainly mean they would descend upon the Amborian Wood, leaving the more primitive Sothbori open to their ravages. On the other hand, the Tower could not withstand a determined siege for more than a month, even should the forces of the enemy--led, it is rumored, by a fallen Star--find no way to breach the Tower's defenses. During this council, it was revealed that the treasure which the Lady Anaris brought to the Tower is the Anvil of Lanenomen itself, a dangerous artifact which--it is rumored--has turned some to stone for merely looking upon it for too long. It has not been used, so the legends say, since Lanenomen himself forged his great spear. 

In the midst of this council, the doors of the great hall blew open with a sudden gust of wind, and a white swan flew in through the doorway bearing a bright beech-nut in her beak. Planting it in the flagstones in the middle of the Hall, she transformed before their eyes into a beautiful woman clad only in white feathers. Speaking a cryptic prophecy, alluding to a Deep Man who long ago had come to her and fallen into forgetfulness, and whose soul she had stolen and hidden within a beech-nut, and warning Tengelbur that the time would soon come to let the Anvil ring, she turned and flew away again. 

At last, the council made its decision: Anerash (eager to show his valor in contrast to Karalu's) would ride out to scout out the movements of the enemy; Karalu would prepare the fortress in readiness; Falanarai would retire to her chambers to begin weaving a tapestry which would, hopefully, bend fate in their favor; and Anaris and Tengelbur would ascend to the top of the Tower with the Anvil where Tengelbur would, hopefully, forge a new blade which might be capable of slaying the commander of the enemy forces.

Cautiously examining the anvil on the roof of the tower, Tengelbur and Anaris found that each side portrayed a different starscape:

• The Southern Sky, full of stars.
• The Southern Sky, as men know it today (that is, largely void of stars).
• The Western Sky, with Reinfal, the Green Lady of the sky still gleaming in her place (and not having descended to found the folk of Starland).
• The Eastern Sky, with many stars and constellations missing in the Southeastern quadrant.
• The Northern Sky, with Raos, the Polestar absent, and many stars besides.
• The Northern Sky, with Raos the Polestar gleaming, as men know it today.

As in the wood near the Tower, Anerash and his men engaged the enemy, Tengelbur chose the side of the anvil portraying Reinfal still in the sky, and struck the anvil in his forging. High upon the tower, Tengelbur Anaris began to transform, first into trees and then into stone, as the same fate befell Falanarai at her loom, Anerash and his men in the wood, and Karalu where he stood at watch upon the wall. Then...

The world seems to drop away from each of you, as you wander through the waste places of the world, hemmed between darkness and strange stars. You walk alone and unclothed for time out of mind until slowly, gradually, and then all at once, you find yourself in your body, the memories of your past life a shadow--and for some of you, only the shadow of a shadow.

Tengelbur, you adjust the chinstrap of your plumed helm as you stand at the top of the tower, overlooking the vast forest. In the distance--hundreds of leagues away--you can see, with the long sight of the men of Starland, the smoke rising from the ruin of the Seven Cities of Lanenomen. One of your aids appears at the top of the tower beside you, kneeling as he salutes.

"Lord Tengelbur... The Horned Things are coming. What are your orders?"

Session 29: The Bell of Time

When last we left our heroes... A few days into the first week of Summer, the Company was rested up from their previous trip, and their cash flow problems had not really been resolved. Accordingly, Tengelbur decided to ask around town hoping to find some information about the Subijar-i-Yalir, the Sorcerer's Tower. According to local lore and legend,

In the early days of the Third Nalshbori War, a servant of King Orril, skilled in ancient lore and the use of the runes, traveled to the Hiksuyara Peiruar [The Fir Wood] and built a strong fortress, intending to wield the power of the wood in the war against the Nalshbori which were at that time streaming across the Cheyth in great numbers. But he was overmatched by the power which dwelt in the wood, it is said, and in after days things of evil crept in and dwelt there. These were all driven out, or so it is believed, by the Wayateth during the final days of that war, and since then no man has passed beneath its gate of ancient stone and returned to tell of what he saw.

Two roast ducks and a large quantity of tea purchased at the Cracked Beaker was enough to get the information he was looking for. A talk with a plump, chatty woman by the name of Vitherai (no relation to the Amber Cutter) got him at least one local legend: apparently it is not at all uncommon for locals who have lost someone--a parent, a spouse, a child, or some other loved one--to meet with them again on the borders of the Wood. Deciding that this was enough to go on and that where there was that kind of magic there was bound to be treasure, Tengelbur promptly set about recruiting the rest of his friends for another foray into the unknown. Anaris (who had finally caught up with the rest of the party as Arthur rejoins us) was already in the Cracked Beaker and was the easiest to convince, especially since she was forced to flee the Amborian Wood after being pursued by agents from Sencankarr--apparently not everyone there genuinely believes the party to be dead.

In the meantime, Tanurendal, Reiana, and Vanera all showed up (one by one) at the Norinlakor to speak with the scholar Palfeinan. Due to Palfienan's idiosyncratic filing system (which seems to be based on the stellar calendar, but moves at a different pace than time in the real world), they will all have to wait some time for their answers:

• Tanurendal was looking for information about the Nelkenganar and was instructed (using very small words; Palfeinan seems to be laboring under the notion that Tanurendal is illiterate) to return in 2 weeks time. 
• Reiana was looking for more information about the history and function of the magical bow she'd found at the bottom of the sea during the previous adventure. She was instructed to return in three months' time--at the end of Summer--when Palfeinan would be able to access the books necessary to read the Kothorlas script on the bow.
• Vanera was interested in some advice about how best to sell the small book--the description and drawings of the shrine he'd made on Artana's island. After giving him some advice concerning it, Palfeinan offered to store it in the Norinlakor, and instructed him to return in eight days, when the arrangement of the library would be more aligned to receive the new tome.

Tengelbur and Anaris later met up with Vanera at his home, where Vanera reluctantly agreed (at the urging of his wife, who was trying to be supportive) to go on yet another treasure hunt to ancient and magical ruins--basically the most reluctant historian and archaeologist of all time. Tanurendal agreed as well but had some errands to run first, so the Company agreed to head out the next day.

Tanurendal went first to the shop of Telini the Fletcher, the beautiful redhead who seems to have stolen his heart. To his dismay, he found several other local hunters already there, each vying for her affections. Tanurendal gave her the shells he had brought back from the island and purchased an extremely large quantities of arrows, trying to inquire as to whether or not she knew of anyone who might have come from Sencankarr looking for the Company. Telini said--enigmatically, but truthfully--that she "couldn't say she did." Heading from there to the farm of Onerama the Bald, Tanurendal sought an audience with the local strongman--one which he was granted, being ushered into Onerama's bedchamber where he was greeted by the sight of the man's bulky, powerful frame in a huge marble bath. Explaining something of the Company's situation and the need to know if anyone had come from Sencankarr looking for them, Tanurendal asked for Onerama's help. Onerama (while making it very clear that he was entirely comfortable in the nude) agreed, on the condition that Tanurendal and his friend would arrange a meeting with Sir Ralus, commander of the border forts--it seems Onerama has been trying to make this meeting happen for some time, but Sir Ralus has been unwilling to give the strongman the time of day.

Agreeing to this, Tanurendal returned to town, and the Company made plans to set out on the eight-day journey for the ruined tower. Traveling West along the King's Road, they turned northward at the village of Kor-Gilin (where Tengelbur bought everyone a round of the village's famous grain spirit) and traveled, by an ancient and ruined roadway, towards the Fir Wood.

It was rounding a turn of the old road, where it bent around a huge mound raised within the midst of the wood, that they encountered Tengelbur--that is, a second, older Tengelbur, his face heavily lined with age, his hair streaked with grey--and first and foremost, missing his left hand. The company was immediately puzzled and alarmed; all it seems except for Tengelbur, who met his altered self with a joke and a laugh, offering to let him touch his still-intact left hand. The older Tengelbur warned the Company to "drink the cup to the bottom, but do not ring the bell" and then stepped forward into Tengelbur, and both of them vanished from sight.

Now missing a member of their Company, the heroes decided to press forward, not knowing exactly what else to do. On the eighth day they arrived at the tower, situated as it was upon an island in the middle of a moat around which ancient trees had crowded long ago. The drawbridge was down, the gate was open, and the courtyard completely empty. Before entering the tower itself, the heroes decided to explore the courtyard to make sure it wasn't a trap. They found it silent, and empty--too silent and too empty, for there was no sign of man or beast, or even so much as a bird's nest, either within or without the courtyard. Vanera did notice, however, that the foundation stones of the tower--which was too large to be of normal Amborian construction--were ancient. At first he mistook them for late First Eon Neo-Treian revivalist work, but a second, closer examination showed that they were not an imitation of the work of ancient Starland, but in fact the genuine thing. 

Entering the tower, the company was confronted by a massive oak tree, some twelve feet or more in diameter, with branches pushing upward and outward, as though attempting to escape the tower's confinement. The tree was pierced, through and through, by a massive black spear, itself some eighteen inches in diameter and nearly thirty feet long. From the huge gaping wound in the bole, black sap was dripping hot onto the flagstones. Wondering if the sap would melt steel, Tanurendal dipped his dagger in it--and was stunned and horrified to see actual petrification spreading over the weapon and upward towards his hand. He dropped it just in time as the dagger turned completely to stone, melding with the flagstones on the floor. 

Moving closer, Vanera could see that the outer branches of the tree were frozen in a state of half-petrification, though there was no doubt that the trunk was still a living tree. As he moved in a moaning, as of wind whipping through stones, filled the hall, and Vanera seemed to hear a voice in the wind:

Sing to me the song which has never been written.

Bring to me the sword which has never been forged.
Break three hearts but no more.

Go, now. There is not much time.

Heading up the stairs into the upper room of the tower, the company found a small garret in which several tapestries were hung, and in which was sat a table with five ornately carved wooden chairs. On the table was a silver bell and hammer, and set before each chair was a silver goblet full of wine. And slumped over, sleeping in one of the chairs, was Tengelbur.

As Tengelbur awoke, Vanera and Reiana examined the tapestries. They depicted the rise and fall of seven cities set upon seven hilltops--and though the style of the art and iconography was foreign to the eyes of the companions, Vanera was able to identify the cities as the Seven Cities of Lanenomen which were built in the Hills of Jade in the days before Orkon's shadow fell upon them, and they became the Black Hills and the Mines of Torment. Meanwhile, Anaris found the following inscription written in ancient Treian around the edges of the table:

Ring the Bell, or drain the Silver cups:

But if you drink, drain it to the dregs.

The Wine is the heady taste of another's love,

But the Bell will show the hour of your death.

Choose, each--stolen love, or unveiled dread

When fickle Time removes its funeral shroud

Which covers mighty kings and cities dead

And turns to dust the Empires of the proud.

Drink the cup, or ring the bell of Time--

Else moulder here amid the ruin and grime.

This began a long debate between the members of the Company (including Tengelbur who was awake by now, but didn't feel like getting up out of the chair) about whether they should drink the cup (as the aged Tengelbur had instructed), or ring the bell, or do some third option. After a few good Riddle rolls for clues they established that, at the very least:

• Each person would have to choose individually for themselves whether to ring the bell or drain a cup
• The inscription seems to imply that they cannot leave here without doing one or the other
• The heroes suspected strongly that the instructions Vanera heard earlier, to "break three hearts and no more" correspond in some way to drinking the cup instead of ringing the bell

One by one, they made their choice. Reiana was the first to drink the cup, hoping that in so doing she would prevent Vanera (the only married man among them) from having to do so, and she fell asleep in one of the chairs.

Tengelbur attempted to drain a cup as well, but fate was stronger that day. In reaching for the cup, his left hand brushed the hammer and rang the bell, and he fell back in his chair, asleep.

Anaris decided to follow Tengelbur and rang the bell, falling asleep in her chair.

This left Vanera and Tanurendal. Against Vanera's inclinations, both of them drank from their cups since they had been instructed to "break three hearts and no more," and believed that this was in some way related to the cups being "the heady taste of another's love." So they drank, and fell into a deep and forgetful sleep...

---

The world seems to drop away from each of you, as you wander through the waste places of the world, hemmed between darkness and strange stars. You walk alone and unclothed for time out of mind until slowly, gradually, and then all at once, you find yourself in your body, the memories of your past life a shadow--and for some of you, only the shadow of a shadow.

Tengelbur, you adjust the chinstrap of your plumed helm as you stand at the top of the tower, overlooking the vast forest. In the distance--hundreds of leagues away--you can see, with the long sight of the men of Starland, the smoke rising from the ruin of the Seven Cities of Lanenomen. One of your aids appears at the top of the tower beside you, kneeling as he salutes.

"Lord Tengelbur... The Horned Things are coming. What are your orders?"

Session 28: Hook, Line, and Sinker

When last we left our heroes... While the Company had been up on the rock the previous day, Setela the Deep Man had rigged up the ship for their treasure-diving expedition. The next morning the Company went out onto the water, near the edge of (but not actually into) the Poisoned Tide. While Vanera worked some more on his map, Tengelbur and Tanurendal agreed to man the ropes while Setela and Reiana dove for treasure. The ivory would be tied to weighted lines attached to pulleys on the deck of the ship, and Tengelbur and Tanurendal would then haul the treasure up.

Swimming down into the murky depths of the water, Setela and Reiana approached the shipwreck. Reiana looked around for danger, but--as it happened--was not aware of her real peril until it was almost too late. Prying open the hatch to the hold of the sunken vessel, the two of them brought out what treasure they could--Setela retrieving a great ivory tusk, while Reiana, grabbing in the dark, found a strange bow of Kothorian craftsmanship.

Swimming back out with their loot, Reiana was suddenly aware of the Many Eyed Thing (the Nelkenganar they had encountered before) rushing towards them through the water. There was a moment of confusion in the murky depths, followed by panic, as Reiana tried to swim toward the surface, only to find that Setela had tied the rope around her waist (which had been around his own waist as well) to the wreckage of the ship, leaving her as bait for the creature. She managed to cut herself free while fending the monster off, outswimming it as she raced for the surface.

In the meantime, Tanurendal had noticed the lights in the depths of the water and, rightly recognizing the tell-tale signs of the creature that had attacked them at the mouth of the Cheyth, began (with the help of Vanera) trying to get off his armor in order to dive in and help Reiana. Tengelbur, meanwhile, climbed to the top of the mast with two harpoons in hand, hoping to get a vantage on the creature should it surface. Just as Tanurendal got his armor off and dived into the water, Setela pulled himself up onto the deck of the ship, striking Vanera from behind and knocking him into the water as well. As a stunned Vanera thrashed in the water (successfully redirection the attention of the monster from Reiana), Tengelbur leaped from the mast, thudding unceremoniously into the deck and missing the Deep Man.

"Please understand, this isn't personal. Your lives are the price for my freedom," the Deep Man said, snatching up a harpoon and lunging at Tengelbur.

[The implication seems to have been that Setela intended to sacrifice the Company to the Many Eyed Thing as a way of placating it and possibly lifting the curse upon himself. How he attracted its attention originally and whether or not his curse could have been lifted in this way, the Company may never know...]

"Please understand this is intensely personal," Tengelbur said, parrying the blow and driving his own blade six inches into the Deep Man's gut. A couple of more blows were exchanged before Tengelbur disemboweled the Deep Man and sent his body pitching over the side. The Nelkenganar left off of trying to eat Vanera (who was barely conscious at this point) and the last the Company saw of it was its two mouths fighting over Setela's body, as it tore the Deep Man apart. The glowing form of the Many Eyed Thing receded into the depths, presumably taking up residence in the wreckage of the ivory ship once again.

The Company lost no time in returning to shore. Once there, there was a brief debate about whether or not they should attempt to recover the ivory again. Although they may return to do so in the future, for the moment they seem to have decided that this is probably beyond their current capability. The Company spent the next sixteen days on the island, waiting for the next holy day (the Feast of Malfaloth) when the holy water flowing down out of the shrine would swell and roll back the Poisoned Tide enough for them to return to Cheykor. During this time, the Company took their Spring fellowship phase:

• Tanurendal explored the island, finding more of the purple shellfish the hermitess had been weaving. Brought back to civilization, the shells he was able to collect should be worth 2 Treasure.
• Tengelbur tried (to no avail) to clear his shadow via whittling. He appears to have consoled himself by taking possession of Setela's ship, which he has renamed The Venture Capitalism.
• Vanera spent his time making detailed drawings and writing detailed descriptions of the ancient shrine at the top of the island. With the reliefs and inscriptions he was able to detail in this painstaking work, the resulting book--if properly compiled and bound when next Vanera has access to a library--could be sold to one of the great scriptoriums for the hefty sum of 6 Treasure.
• Reiana spent her time crafting a new sheath and grip for her dagger, the addition of which will grant it the keen trait.

On the morning of the Feast of Malfaloth, the waters swelled as Artana, the Hermitess, had promised, and the Company was able to leave the island (now called, for the sake of record, Artana's Isle, unless the Company has something else they would like to name it) and sailed back to Cheykor. Arriving on the eve of early Summer, the company found the village bustling with activity as that year's trade and amber season was now in full swing. Among those swelling the population of the village, they met up with Anaris, who has been off having adventures of her own...

Session 27: The Hermit

When last we left our heroes...

As the battle ended, Reiana interrogated Setela regarding the wraiths. He admitted that they were the same sort of creature who had taken his companions and that, in fact, his ship had foundered in the Poisoned Tide and been destroyed as a result--though he had no idea as to whether or not the wraiths they had encountered were in fact his old shipmates. He assured the Company, however, that once they got to the Island they would be safe--that there was something holy on or about the island which would hold back both the Poisoned Tides and the Wraiths until the evil waters receded enough to sail out again.

It took two more days of slaving away at clearing the weeds and moving the ship forward, inch by inch, through the Poisoned Tide, before the Company at last reached a wide circle of clean waters around the island, and finally made it to shore. The "island" as it happened was little more than a barren rock of granite rising up out of the Sea like the tip of a great finger. From the shore they sighted some ruins at the top of the island, as well some of the tough red-and-green scrub weeds which grow among the rocks. Setela assured them all that they would be safe here on the beach, but warned them against going up into the island, warning them that there was something dwelling on the island which, although it would repel the Tide, was equally dangerous to the heroes.

Vanera began some efforts to map the Island (in case they ever wanted to know where it was in the future), while Setela began preparing to dive and retrieve the ivory. Reiana and the others decided (over Setela's objections) that they were not going to sit on a beach without knowing what else lay in the island, and began the trek up to the heights of the rock, to get a better idea of just where it was they would be spending the next few days, or even weeks. It took them more than an hour to make the climb. At the top of the Island they found the ruins of an ancient Shrine, covered in moss, but (according to Vanera) still bearing writings and iconography indicating construction at the beginning of the Second Eon, and a dedication to the monarchs Fanhal I and Thoranrai the Fair. Beside the ruined shrine there was a small hut, which seemed recently occupied, though its owner was for the moment absent.

Deducing that the shrine, and the water flowing from it, was probably the source of the holiness which kept back the Poisoned Tide, the Company decided that as an act of gratitude for being saved from the evil waters, they should do what they could to clean up the ruined shrine and sing a hymn of gratitude to Nankeinela. While in the process of doing this, they were interrupted by the hut-dweller: a weathered, aging hermitess dressed in sealskins, with seashells of dark purple strung over her shoulders.

As the others finished the work of trying to clean and unblock the entrance to the Shrine, Reiana interviewed the hermitess, who--although very reticent to share anything about herself--revealed the following over the course of their long conversation:

• She had once been a Well Priestess, before fleeing to the island for reasons unspecified
• She was most resistant to the idea, put forward by Reiana, that a Well Priestess should be sent to the island from the mainland; the Shrine offers enough protection that she is able to dwell on the island in relative peace and safety--if people come to the island she will be forced to leave, and it may be difficult to find another such place.
• The Hermitess seems to have been gathering the dark purple shells from somewhere, which she has been slowly weaving into a garment of some sort over the course of many years.
• The man with whom the Company is traveling (Setela) has a curse on him--something which has marked him for its own, which is why the Wraiths refused to touch him, and yet everything on their journey has gone about as badly as it possibly could. She warns the Company against the dangers of traveling with him for much longer
• Though the Shrine has been inactive for centuries, the site is so holy that when Holy Days come (the next one is several weeks away), water flows from the Shrine as though the Ritual of Cleansing had been performed there, and cleanse the Sea for many miles round. If the Company waits for the next Holy Day, they may be able to leave the island in safety. 

Returning to the beach, the Company asked Setela about his curse and argued with him about the hermitess and the shrine at the top of the island. Ultimately, though, it was agreed that they'd gone too far to turn back now, and the Company hoped to still get enough ivory to make the trip worthwhile. Coming up with a plan--or at least an order of operations--they prepared to make their first dive...

Session 26: The Faceless Ones

When last we left our heroes... After their brief brush with terror and death, the Company resumed their voyage, sailing for ten more days with only one interruption (a brush with a Nalshbori pirate vessel which they managed to outrun) before they began to approach the little archipelago of dangerous rocks and low-tide islands north of the Red Isle. It was on the eleventh day that the Company began to notice something was wrong (despite the insistence of their guide, Setela, that all was well): they awoke to find the ship caught in a mass of noxious-smelling seaweed spreading hundreds of yards in each direction. They spent most of that day using oars and boarding pikes to clear a path for the ship as it slowly trudged through the weeds.

The next day was worse. The leafy fingers continued to grow around them, and it took constant work to keep the ship from becoming ensnared. The water was dark and evil-smelling, and now and then bloated fish could be seen, swimming unusually close to the surface in crazy patterns, as if trying to find their way in the murk. The Company actually tried the strategy of lowering Tanurendal on a rope in hopes that he could cut a better path through the weed with his sword, but this only served to expose him even faster to the hallucinogenic effects of the gas given off by the foul bladders as they popped.

Racking his memory for some memory of this phenomena, Vanera was able to identify the patch of weeds and evil water as a "Poisoned Tide," a long tendril of tainted water flowing out of the black Hills, which stretches sometimes as far West as even the Red Isle. He was able to recall the following verses about it from the Lay of the Red Isle, foreboding the evil which was to come:

The second supplicant was from the South,
Where golden sunlight bathes a ragged coast
Of many craggy islands. There the prows
Of merchant ships with spices in their holds
Go sailing on where rivers run with gold.
The sailor's face was marred by many lines
And madness lurking wild in his eyes.
"O King, may Heaven grant you length of days,
To you is given from on high to hear
The prayers of those who suffer fear or pain.
Of pain my cup is empty now, but tears
Fill it brimming daily o'er with fear.
But though I weep, my friends I may not mourn.
A curse upon the day that I was born!
"Our ship was caught in a sea of poisoned weeds
Which crept on leafy fingers up our keel.
While we lay, becalmed upon the Deep
A stream of blood-black water there congealed,
And bloated fish in crazy patterns reeled.
'Twas then a choking fog brought on the night
And cut us off from Heaven's starry light.
"Seven days we wandered on the Deep
And plied our oars; no sight of moon or star
To guide our way, till there remained no strength
Of arm to row, nor hope in any heart.
Then faces pale were leering in the dark,
And now and then a cry would rend the air
And some companion vanish unawares.
"Seven days, and only five remained
Of those of us who left the sunny South.
Seven days, or seventy, insane
We raved and gnawed our limbs with thirsty mouths.
Then the weeds were heavy on the prow;
They squeezed, and split, and pulled the vessel down
And in the poisoned tide the sailors drowned.
"I alone of all that crew survived--
Set adrift and clinging to a spar
Until from sun and salt I nearly died.
At last, with half-blind eyes and throat all parched
I washed upon a rocky island's shore.
From there, a passing merchant heard my plea,
And so I come to sing my woe to thee."

The next day, the weeds worsened (actually creeping up onto the deck now). A fog rolled in, making navigation nearly impossible. In addition to the same work which was required to keep the deck clear, Setela was becoming more and more erratic. He sat in the prow, mostly talking to himself and looking over the side into the water. Once, when Tengelbur awoke to relieve him while he is on watch, they find him drenched and picking the weed out of his hair, as though he has just come up out of the water. However, whenever questioned about this, he would only say that they were "close" to their destination. Finally, the Company decided they had had enough, and were not even sure if they should trust him. Intimidating Setela, they forced him to tell a modified version of his story: his ship had not been lost in a storm, but rather it had been caught in one of these Poisoned Tides, the weeds of which are strong enough to pull a ship apart in the water. Setela managed to escape, explaining that there is an island nearby which the Poisoned tide will not go near. He promised that, if the Company could get the ship there, they would be safe.

By the end of that day, they were in sight of the island in question, though the thick weeds had ground their progress nearly to a halt. Despite his growing madness, Setela managed to continue to pilot the ship. That night, the ship was surrounded by a dense fog, and the mists around them consolidated into several wraith-like shapes which attacked the party. Using fire, the Company managed to drive these off--though not before Tengelbur had been knocked unconscious not once, but twice, a wraith drawing something out of his chest as Tengelbur's own face appeared to be stolen by the wraith. Each time, Tengelbur was rescued by his companions, and in the end the wraiths were all driven off. During the battle Setela had sat on the deck, hugging his knees and rocking himself, though the wraiths would not touch him, and the Company began to suspect the wraiths were the remnants of his previous sailing companions...

Session 25: That's No Moon

As you have already learned during the last year, the thaw of Spring means the folk of the North are stirring back into action after the inactivity--aside from what was necessary to survive--of the long grey winter. The heavy trade season, when ships will begin sailing up the Cheyth for furs, amber, and other products of the North's stark bounty, is just around the corner. The Cheyth itself is swollen and--as many of you well remember--more dangerous to cross now than at any other time. At this time of year, gulls, albatross, and other seabirds flock to the Isle of Pines, the cursed island in the midst of the river on which no human has set foot for two Eons of the world. Hunters, farmers, and amber-miners--all begin the return towards their respective occupations with the end of the three-day Amborian New Year celebration, at which hopes and fears for the new year were baked, brewed, eaten, toasted, and finally all washed away in a great ceremony at the Sacred Well in the midst of the village. This is about the time that your money has also begun to run out, and friends of Sir Ralus or no, you will need to find a way to support yourself in the coming months if you have not already done so...

It is late in the evening about a week after the celebration of the New Year, as you and your companions are enjoying a small but hearty meal at the Cracked Beaker, that you see a strange, almost stunted figure making its way toward your table...

The Company was approached by Setela, a deep man clad in sealskins and carrying a curious bone knife. He told them the following tale: He was a sailor, a captain's mate on a ship called the Feathered Serpent, which was carrying a great haul of ivory from the East across the Sea of Ambori to Sencankarr, where such a cargo would be worth many times its own weight in gold. The ship was blown off-course by a terrible storm, and shipwrecked in the small archipelago of islands northwest of the Red Isle. Under Amborian maritime law, as the sole survivor of the wreck he has first dibs on salvage rights. As icing on the cake (at least as far as Tengelbur and Vanera were concerned), the cargo shipment was a major financial venture by the Garini family; its loss is surely a sore blow for them, and they will be looking to recover it by any means necessary. Setela offered the Company an equal share in the treasure if they would help him recover it.

After a couple of Insight rolls to make sure they believed his story, the Company agreed to help him. While Setela went off to hire a ship, the Company made preparations to leave:

• Vanera, whose new marriage was off to a somewhat rocky start due to Talarja's difficulty adjusting to life in Chekor, went home to convince his wife to let him go. After a bit of cajoling she agreed, planning to stay with Vitherai the Amber Cutter while he was away; the latter would be more than willing to put her up for a few days in exchange for some Sencankarr gossip.
• Reiana went down to the docks to see what she could find out about Setela, checking out the details of his story that they knew. As far as she could learn, he had only arrived within the last day or two, although the local sailors did seem to believe the man was unlucky in some way, which is probably why he had not been able to recruit any shipmates from among them.
• Tenurendal went to speak with Raoseina the Gate-warden, trying to see if he knew anything about Setela. Unfortunately he did not, but that did not keep Tanurendal from telling the Company's whole plan to Raoseina.
• Tengelbur went to check on Vitherai the Amber-Cutter, to see if she had seen any more Red Amber or--now that they knew its possible effects on people--if her keeping it had effected her in any way. Unfortunately, this visit--which was conducted late at night, while her husband was absent for most of the interview--gave Vitherai the impression that Tengelbur was paying certain attentions to her. Ultimately, Tengelbur was forced to leave in a somewhat embarrassed hurry when Vitherai's husband Yuralesh (whose name Tengelbur forgot in his panic) walked in on them. 

The next morning, the Company got in the little fishing vessel Setela had hired and began making their way down the Cheyth River towards the Sea. [As they made their first Fatigue test, Tanurendal, the Company Lookout-man, triggered a hazard roll, initiating the following encounter...]

One night as they were nearing the open sea, Setela was taking soundings when he noticed a strange silver shimmering on the water, which did not correspond to the current shape or location of the moon. Unfortunately no one realized the danger until it was already too late; the ship was attacked by a huge, luminous, and many-eyed creature from the Deep, which Vanera later identified as a Nelkenganar, some kind of horrible combination of cicada, giant shrimp, anglerfish, and squid. The creature attacked the vessel viciously and, when Tanurendal breached its exoskeleton with a well-placed arrow, the wound cracked and opened, revealing a second and apparently autonomous maw which savagely attacked another member of the Company. Tengelbur fell, overwhelmed by the creature, but managed to stand again as Reiana let out a fierce battlecry and unfurled the standard of the Red Fang. As Setela attempted to tack into the wind and get the ship moving faster, Tanurendal sent a second arrow speeding towards the creature, but this time it ricocheted and hit Tengelbur, wounding him severely.

At the very last possible moment, Setela managed to get the ship away from the creature, leaving it behind him as the Cheyth carried the ship swiftly towards the Sea. Rushing over to her fallen comrade, Reiana managed to remove the arrow and stop the bleeding before Tengelbur died...

Session 24: Smooth Sailing

When last we left our heroes...

Now in the possession of a pants-less Tanurendal, the Company decided not to go into the harbor-town of Koruximei, which thanks to Tanurendal's antics was now on high alert. Heading some hours up the coast to a little fishing village which Tengelbur knew about, the Company made some attempts (not very elaborate, but very time-consuming) to hire a boat which would take them to rendezvous with the treasure ship they expected the Scarlet Sisterhood to be hijacking.

They were not particularly successful in this, as the only ship they could hire for the job turned out to be a leaky vessel owned by a sailor (or at least someone who claimed to be a sailor) called "Crazy Old Altyas." With a bit of convincing and for the price of their horses, the Company finally convinced him to take them as far as the harbor mouth. Arriving there some hours later, they found that it was already closed, and several of the King's Fleet were already sailing in pursuit of what they assumed to be the treasure vessel.

Realizing that they would not be able to catch up with the treasure ship, the Company convinced Crazy Old Altyas to sail them to Cheykor himself--which, somehow, he managed to do without anything more unpleasant than the normal difficulties of traveling in winter in boat that is both crowded and open, WITH a honeymooning couple who have brought too much luggage. Arriving at last in Cheykor, the Company took their Winter and Year-End fellowship phase undertakings, and are eager to see what the Spring of 452 brings...