Session Summary 01/19/97

The Group Expands

Almost everyone was present, including two new characters. Those present included: Bob (Yordan), Doug (Boromir; new character), Mike (Messerbad), Nick (Mungo), Ray (Spearchucker; new character) and Tim (Laerynthe). Chris wasn't able to make it, so Pawnbroker spent the session on autopilot.

The new characters included: Boromir, an air magician educated at the College of Sorcery in Hegger, and Spearchucker, a storyteller who claims to have been enslaved by Vlad's men in Seitha.

Moving the Amorphous Thing

The characters started the session by using fire and poisonous moss to push the Amorphous Thing in the Basement into the Eater's laboratory through the tunnel from the jail. The process went without much complication, save that Messerbad accidentally got enveloped by the creature until Mungo pulled him free.

In the process, Yordan and the Stone Man (who later introduced himself to Yordan as Taugot) spent some time looking around the Laboratory. While the Amorphous Thing flowed down the tunnel, Yordan found a small pamphlet written in askalach and titled, The Cave of Panjubi (Item #54).

Yordan also encountered Boromir and Spearchucker (who had both been hiding in the Greater Warrens of the Tower for some time), and responded to the encounter by shooting Boromir with a Maker crossbow. The bolt was coated with both toxin distilled from the poisonous moss and Twisting fluid, which caused Boromir some quantity of discomfort until he Healed and Sterilized himself.

Destroying the Tower

After pushing the Amorphous Thing into the lab, the characters set about destroying the Eater's Tower. Messerbad negotiated with the Dellemoi Clan adapoi, who told him that the seven Eyeless One cultists inside the tower must be slain. They also expressed a desire to have the entire tower destroyed, and loaned Messerbad the Stone-Sundering Spear (item 59) to help.

After Messerbad's return, Yordan persuaded Taugot to fetch one of the Eyeless One cultists. Taugot delivered Allell Dillir to him. Allell was swiftly relocated to the gatehouse, where Laerynthe interrogated him for several hours. He learned that all of the folk in Collector Chathash's group were younger members of the Eight Families of Paiden dissatisfied with their lack of influence. According to Allell, the members of the Cult of the Eyeless One had planned on leaving the Eater's Tower within the next couple of days, after they finished their work. The characters told Allell to go back to his friends, with an apology.

In the process of interrogating Allell Dillir, Laerynthe extracted a list of a dozen names of other members of the Cult of the Eyeless One (item 55). The list included Chimbo Abbas, who Allell claimed was a prominent member of the Cult within the Abbas Family. Allell Dillir also claimed that the Jhokkada were scum, and that they were controlled by the Bosst Family. The characters momentarily debated the chances that Lembey Abbas might be a member, then concluded that he had no need of fringe cults to reinforce his power, considering that he was now the Abbas Patriarch.

After they returned Allell Dillir, the characters (primarily Boromir, who knows Earth to Air, and Spearchucker, who bore the Stone-Sundering Spear) crept into the upper levels of the Tower and weakened them by shattering support walls in strategic places. In the process, the now-unfriendly Taugot attacked the characters, driving them back to the Gatehouse before he was destroyed.

The members of the Cult of the Eyeless One left two days later. Before they left, one of the cultists gave the characters two items: Dellwen's Drum (item 56), a magical drum, and an old book in askalach titled Jewel of Abbatine (item 57).

After the cultists departed, the characters weakened the structure to the point that they were easily able to cause the entire top of the structure to collapse down, crushing the lower floors. The entire process took several days, during which time Messerbad used his plant magics to engulf the site in growth (albeit somewhat Twisted growth).

Before the group left the Eater's Tower for the last time, Yordan made certain to secure the last three vials of Twisting elixir that Taugot had carried. Several of the characters also took advantage of the large collection of assorted equipment and junk scattered about the ruin (axes, swords, rusted helms, etc.).

Messerbad also returned the Stone-Sundering Spear to the Dellemoi Clan adapoi.

An Interlude in Riverside

After disposing of the Eater's Tower, the characters ventured to Riverside, where they met with Tolodio Abbas. He gave over some 400 challock in fees that he collected from caravans passing through the settlement. Yordan then attempted to sell him the knowledge that one of the Eight Families of Paiden controlled the Jhokkada cultists, but Tolodio refused to offer more than 100 challock for the information.

Tolodio was quite proud of the progress that Riverside had made, pointing out that the settlement now had it's own inn. He also told the characters that there was a boat leaving for Hegger within a week. Per their agreement with the Abbas Family, Yordan, Messerbad, Pawnbroker and Laerynthe were permitted free passage to Three Stones Ford. The remaining characters (Boromir, Spearchucker and Mungo) had to pay 50 challock for their passage.

The Journey to Hegger

The characters traveled up Abbatine's Great River to Three Stones Ford in the early High Hot Season of the year 855. The journey was quite uneventful, though the group did give Lukar (the kitsune minstrel who had decided to stay at Mother's Hill some time before) a pot of hot jaya as a gift. Lukar was doing well when the characters saw him: he held the favor of several influential drones, and had learned a significant amount of Earth magic from them.

The Eater's Books

During the trip, Yordan read the two books the group had taken from the Eater's Tower. Panjubi's Cave proved to be a short description of one of Abbatine's Created, a horrific creature called Panjubi who lives in a cave somewhere upslope of Seitha (though the age of the work was evident in that the way to the cave was described in terms of Amagao's location). The book mentioned that Panjubi has the power to influence the minds of his victims, and that he possesses the Anklet of Pwir, a marvelous artifact that makes it's wearer untrackable after he commits an act of violence.

ewel of Abbatine proved to be a sort of oddly introspective travelogue of a place on the Second Plateau called Ershandin Zek, where the agaf live. In addition to providing some detail upon the structure of Ershandin Zek and a bit of information upon the viciously totalitarian-sounding government the agaf favor, it included a handwritten marking in askalach showing the location of a secret entry into the city.

A Stay in Hegger

The characters finally arrived in Hegger halfway through the High Hot Season. It remained much as those who had been there remembered: hot, dusty, and filled with impoverished medios. However, opportunity was easily available to one of the characters. Upon his entry into the city, one of the gate guards took Mungo aside and asked him if he'd like to make some money. Mungo grunted assent, and quickly ended up as a body-man for the IX Cohort.

Jobs in Hegger

The characters elected to a year in Hegger, in part so Yordan and Messerbad could attend the College of Sorcery. Most of the other characters endeavored to find some kind of employment. The table below summarizes how the characters spent their time:

 Who Employment Medio Status? Point Gain
 Yordan None; attends College of Sorcery Gained legally through Elfest's favor 10 in spells
Messerbad None; attends College of Sorcery Already medio from Maker War 10 in spells
Mungo Body-man for IX Cohort; 3 challock/day plus room & board No 5 in job-related skills
Boromir Mage assistant in College; 4 challock/day Born medio 5 in spells
Spearchucker Entertainer; 3 challock/day Bribes scribe in Escritor's office 400 challock for status 5 in job-related skills
Laerynthe Bodyguard; 4 challock/day & room Gained legally through Elfest's favor 5 in job-related skills
Pawnbroker ? Already medio from Maker War. ?

Survival in Hegger

Costs for living in Hegger are:

 Food Quality Cost
Subsistence 2 tebbit/day (free to medio)
Good 4 tebbit/day
Excellent 1 challock (or more)/day

 

 Housing Quality Cost
Tenement House 3 tebbit/day
Rented House (low-rent) (for five people) 3 challock/day
Rented House (high-rent) (for five people) 10 challock (or more)/day

 

The characters also determine that buying a house in a reasonable neighborhood of Hegger will cost about 5000 challock.

Time Passes & The Session Ends

The characters have agreed to spend a year in Hegger, though they have not determined if they wish to purchase a house in the city. Regardless, each character gained four experience points except for Pawnbroker, who gained only two (owing to Chris' absence).

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