Today, Chuck (Galen) continues his yearly practice of feeding us with gumbo. Everyone is terribly appreciative of this, including Paul (Marik), Chris (Gruul), Tim (Antok Six-Hearted), Bruce and even Mike (Kid Icarus). As a side effect, this causes gaming to start rather late as everyone digests. Tim only makes the situation worse by bringing out the fruits of his latest foray to Central Market, including garlic-sesame sticks and apricot mango tea.
The session opens on the 6th day of the 3088th Voyage. The characters remain in the so-called city of Nircharstal, along with their collection of 650 dugun. An inventory of Big Eddie's food stash suggests that it will amount to a thirty-day supply for all of the dugun.
The characters spend some time thinking about other sources of food. The mystic they hired in Shochunstal to keep the Tooth-Coil at bay has arrived, so the dugun can fish in relative safety. If slaughtered, the cattle will feed the dugun for another 30-45 days. Both the first shipment of filth from Jomon in Doorway City and the promised Yaggo Redeemer monks from the Daua Tull monastery are seven days from arrival.
The characters examine the map and fantasize about what sort of claim they want to make to the buildings of Nircharstal. They pay particular attention to the various palaces and public buildings in the city. Galen (who actually grew up in Nircharstal, before the demons) tells them the story of the Urtef and the Tardotaan. The Urtef was the original palace of the Firstman and the center of governing power in Nircharstal until Firstman Guette ordered the Tardotaan built to commemorate his father's victory over the Ongevers in the 2860th Voyage. The other characters listen to this story of ancient Nircharstal with appreciation, then ask the obvious question: "Who were the Ongevers?" Galen is forced to admit that all he knows about them is an old joke: "What did the last Ongever say as he died?" "Arghh!" Galen finds this joke riotously funny. The others are slightly less amused.
The characters finally decide that they want to draw a line down the middle of the city and lay claim to everything on the Palace and Collegium side.
The characters decide to wait until the Yaggo Redeemer monks show up before leaving the city. In the meantime, they dedicate their time to creating a temporary political organization that will keep Nircharstal in one piece for a while.
They decide to cool their heels until the CYR monks show up. IN the meantime, they walk around the New City trying to meet people and convince them that they're not going to kill them. They also want to get the dugun and the Faians to cooperate together as a community. They work on several projects to help bring this noble plan about:
Antok and Marik's demon-killing efforts work well for five days, netting them a total of nine demons. After that, they get nothing. Their conclusion is that all the stupid demons are now dead, and that the ones left have wised up to the power of the Chel Auxur-Dau.
The bausker artisan Bilcruljef is staggeringly enthusiastic about Kid Icarus' plan to build a mill. The plan swiftly develops into a larger design to make two mills, one for concrete and one for grain. He goes on and on about all the necessary details of the design and construction. All of the other bauskers listen to him with rapt attention. The characters listen with slightly more critical ears. Marik hears Bilcruljef describing a multiple-gear switching system to automate the grain feed and comments, "I think this is getting waaay too complicated." Gruul tells the bauskers, "If Marik thinks it's too complicated, then I think it needs to be simpler. Make it simpler!" The bauskers troop off to simplify the design.
After ten days, Galen makes a Politics roll at a +12 bonus. His efforts result in a provisional government that will last for at least 230 days (ten days for every point by which he made his roll). He organizes a Council, headed by the current Tyrant. The other Council members are two more of the local Faians and three dugun. Castellan Galt is placed in charge of daily operations, while the Tyrant retains control of the treasury (such as it is).
Satisfied that their political problems are no longer short-term, the characters move to a quick debate on what to do if the Steadsman shows up with troops. They conclude that any patrol of 20 or fewer men will just become additional supplies. Larger forces they won't be able to defeat for a while.
The Yaggo Redeemer monks appear on the 16th day of the 3088th Voyage and immediately set to work. There are eight of them, including two magicians. The locals, both Faian and dugun, are none too happy about their immediate demands, which include tremendous amounts of backbreaking labor. For their part, the monks express some dissatisfaction with the fact that the filth has yet to start showing up. None of the local laborers say anything.
With the local situation well under control, the characters embark upon a field trip. They want to head overland to the Su Tai trading post at the confluence of the Yanyan and the Go Lin Rao rivers to do some shopping. From there, they intend to head upriver to the forested ruins of Nan Ro Nan and then beyond to Dith Lun. Along the way they hope to get a boat, maybe kill a few grayfeather storks, and pick up whatever hardware they can extract from Dith Lun.
It takes them only a day to march to the Su Tai trading post. They swiftly purchase a large wooden barge (stats of the Egyptian River Barge) for 3000 clavars. The traders assure them that the barge will arrive at the trading post in 20 days.
| Vehicle | Cost | Empty Weight | Crew | Psgrs | Cargo | Flotation | DR | HP | Move | MR | Daily Travel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Riverboat | $2537 | 3560 lb | 14 | 0 | 350 cf | 31200 | 1 | 65 | 2
6 |
0.1 | 62.5
150 |
Paddled
Sailed |
Noting that Kid Icarus would like to do some shopping but has no money, Gruul slips him a white clavar. Kid Icarus goes nuts buying minor magical items, and the rest of the group are not far behind him. Magical items available at the post include:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
|
Mundane arrow |
$2 |
| Arrow enchanted with +1 Accuracy or +1 Puissance | $27 |
| Arrow enchanted with +1 Penetrating | $17 |
| Arrow enchanted with +2 Penetrating | $62 |
| Arrow enchanted with +1 Accuracy, +1 Puissance, +2 Penetrating |
$112 |
| Cornucopia Quiver |
$100 |
| Chiron potion | $150 |
| Ares potion (1 available) |
$350 |
| Orpheus potion (2 available) | $350 |
| Air-Golem scroll (3 available) | $100 |
| Semiprecious gemstone | $20 |
Kid Icarus spends his money on eight of the most magical arrows the trading post has available, and upon a Cornucopia Quiver. Gruul buys four Chiron potions for himself, and two more for Kid Icarus. Galen purchases four Chiron potions, all three Air-Golem scrolls in stock, the two Orpheus potions in stock, and the one Ares potion in stock. He gives the Ares potion to Kid Icarus. Marik's eye catches upon a collection of semiprecious gemstones offered for sale by a hill tribesman. He finds himself buying eight of them. The other characters congratulate themselves that Marik's latest acquisition is at least fairly inexpensive.
It takes the characters another day to walk overland to Nan Ro Nan. As the flute forests come into view, Galen tells the others, "Be vewwy vewwy quiet. We're hunting storks." Antok looks back at Marik and makes the "screw loose" gesture towards his head. He is careful that Galen is unable to see him.
The characters set up camp among several ruined buildings on a rise above the city ruins. They are able to see three large flutes towering up from among the trees, plus a granary and several other ruined buildings. Five large greyfeather storks are visible flying around the peaks of the flutes.
Galen suggests, "We should lure those storks out here. What we need is something that flies to use as bait." Everyone immediately looks at Kid Icarus. To encourage him to volunteer, some of the characters discuss their previous experiences with grayfeather storks. With every word he hears, Kid Icarus becomes further convinced that he would not make a good lure. He also manages to determine that grayfeather storks are actually able to fly faster than he can. Marik bemoans the fact that much of his magic is not going to be very useful against the storks, as their nominal size is 10 (thanks primarily to their 10-meter wingspan). On the plus side, the buildings the characters are hiding among are close enough together that a stork would have trouble flying between them.
Noting that the other characters' efforts to persuade Kid Icarus to serve as bait are coming to nothing, Marik elects to modify the plan. He decides to summon up a flying demon. As the other characters (mindful of his previous "successes" at demon summoning) watch, he calls up a massive lizard-headed creature with tremendous bat wings. It has ST 22, DX 11, IQ 7, HT 15/50, PD/DR 3/7, a big two-handed axe doing 4d cutting damage and flying Speed 16. Knowing that he has control of the demon for an hour, he commands it to fly out and kill the storks. He then changes himself into the shape of a tiger.
The demon takes off and immediately slaughters one stork. Having gotten the storks' attention, the creature proceeds to fly directly towards the characters' refuge with two storks in tow. The characters are initially a bit distressed by this development, but set to receive the attacks in good order. Galen casts Distant Blow upon one of them and cuts it down with his bastard sword. Antok's spear and Marik's claws strike down the third. The demon then flies back towards the flutes and dives down into one of them. It does not reappear.
The characters make a trip from cover to grab the body of the first dead stork and drag it back to the ruins. The body fell about 500 meters from their refuges, either a two minute run at Move 5, or a 10 minute walk. They elect to walk, and then take 20 minutes to drag the body back (at a fatigue cost of 8 each). By the time the body has been safely stowed in one of the ruined buildings Galen is sucking wind, Gruul is mocking him for wasting his fatigue on spells, and Antok is ebulliently chortling, "I'm fit!" Galen mumbles about learning some necromantic spells.
Antok spends three hours cleaning and skinning the storks. He spends experience to gain the Cooking skill. Thank you, flensing knife.
While Antok flenses his way through three dead grayfeather storks, the others examine the forests and make various insightful comments to each other. Galen starts off by mentioning, "Greyfeather storks are well-known to nest in flutes!" Gruul look at him strangely, responding, "Yes, I've heard that." Galen then offers some more useful information, suggesting that the vines festooning the trees are dangerous. He thinks they are able to move.
The characters decide to approach some of the ruins along the river's edge, keeping a close eye for vines that can move. They approach from the northwest so they don't have to go past any flutes. Kid Icarus flies about 10 meters above the treetops (20 to 30 meters total), keeping an eye out for other flying things.
Galen takes point. He swiftly decides that precautions are in order, and casts Sense Danger. He tells the others, "I sense danger! Imminent danger!" Everyone else sees vines creeping up towards Galen's feet. Marik tells him, "There are some vines over there, creeping towards your feet." Galen examines them and agrees, "Yes, that would be the danger." Antok decides to do permanent damage to all the nearby plants and casts a magical Frost over a 10-meter radius, centered on the vines. This is very visually impressive and probably does in every stalk of grass in the area, but it only makes the fiber-walker made. The creature rises up into a humanoid shape and sends out thick tendrils to crush Galen to death. Gruul chops at the thing. Galen chops at the thing with tremendous enthusiasm. Kid Icarus flies higher up into the air, then thinks about diving to the attack once he is certain that nothing bad could happen to him. He reaches this level of certainty when Marik stuns the fiber-walker and Galen chops it into small, six-inch pieces.
Antok looks around at the frost-covered battlefield and mourns, "That was the worst 10 fatigue I've ever spent. I need to rest now." Marik lends him some fatigue. Galen heals back the 3 points of damage the fiber-walker actually managed to do to him.
The characters continue along the river's edge until they find a cluster of three buildings, all in very poor shape. They can see that the vines have done massive damage to them. There are signs of other buildings in the area, all of them crushed down to their foundations.
Marik looks around for signs of habitation while Kid Icarus searches for loot. Gruul just looks for trouble. Galen looks for a nice houseplant. Antok looks for meaning. Of all of them, Kid Icarus comes closest to getting what he wants: he locates a very nice pottery bowl. Galen finds a kitchen knife haft. For a brief time, he tries to sell it to Marik as a magical knife that is "invisible to meat." Marik is having none of it.
The tone of the investigation changes when Marik finds a pandith leg-bone. Galen and Antok notice that it has been chewed on by hurbauskings. Recently. Galen confirms this theory by comparing the marks on the bone to the scars on Antok's body.
The characters head back to their camp as quickly as possible. They make various comments about how Marik should try summoning up some demons out of Nircharstal. There is some measure of debate as to whether or not this is a good idea when there are hurbauskings in the area. Marik asks, "Gruul, how many hurbauskings have you killed?"
They return to camp about an hour before dark darkness. Fearing a night attack by hurbauskings, they break camp and move to a new location about a half-kilometer away, covering most of the distance using one of Marik's flying carpets. They bring along 500 lb of grayfeather stork feathers, claws, and beaks.
The following morning the characters fly back to the Su Tai trading post. Galen very angrily buys some rope, having previously expressed massive disbelief that the characters had none of the stuff on hand back at Nan Ro Nan. He then suggests, "Let's see if anyone knows the value of grayfeather stork feathers." After some conversation with several of the traders, the characters determine that a single grayfeather stork feather could bring 10 clavars, if it is sold as a feather. Sold as refined iron, they would bring much less. One of the traders they talk to is willing to buy 100 lb of feathers for 1000 clavars. They agree to this deal, then distribute the proceeds among the group. They then make another deal to sell the remaining 400 lbs of feathers in exchange for a huge quantity of food to be delivered to Nircharstal. Another trader is more than willing to agree to this deal.
The characters leave the trading post happy to have solved the immediate food problems at Nircharstal.
The characters return to Nircharstal on the 19th day of the 3088th Voyage. Marik immediately sets up to try and summon a demon from among those in the Old City. He decides to try and bring up a spitwing, apparently the smallest and least-threatening type of demon in the city. He exhausts himself on the summoning, dropping not only every point of fatigue he possesses, but also seven HT. He reaches out and can feel the demon with his mind, but cannot grab hold of it and bring it to him. He sags to the ground amid a cloud of foul-smelling smoke, having determined that the demons are too strongly bound to the city to be summoned.
Knowing this, the other characters make preparations for a commando raid into the city.
The session ends on the evening of the 19th day of the 3088th Voyage. The characters are back at Nircharstal, preparing to venture into the Old City to slaughter demons. Each character gains three experience points. Bruce makes a general apology for the fact that today's session really sucked. :-(