Resume of game on 11-8-94
Summary
Viran received a letter from his brother, a student, asking him to gather some background information on the ancient hero Alys. The players gathered legends from Diverse Sources and then travelled north to see the Alliston Monument, where they discovered an ancient burial chamber which they investigated. Barely surviving the investigation, they struggled back to civilisation only to be nearly lynched in the village of Ogden. Finally, they found refuge at the house of The Magister, an eccentric and reclusive noble.
Details
Game dates: early Earth - early Dark, 1621. Dramatis Personae: Pan (Charlie); Agvan (Alan); Marcus (Paul / MarkC); Gelert (MarkB); Manish (MarkC); Viran (Rupert).
Harvest I would like to re-emphasize that during Earth season, a lot of the PCs' time is spent labouring on the farms.
Viran's family received the following letter from Viran's younger brother, a student at the Irippi Ontor temple in Aquapor. ('Older' players may recall Viran & Pans' journey taking him there, early in the campaign):
Novices Wing, Irripi Ontor Temple, Aquapor
Dear Ma, Pa, Gramps, Derril, Grendel, Viran,
Sorry I have not written for a while but I have been very busy. Master Scrivener has been making us copy out a lot of books lately, the Temple had a big order from some nob. My fingers is quite black from the ink! Also we have to learn to recite twelve stanzas of The Ballad of Syranthir every day, and spend most of the time we isn't scrubbing floors and stuf learning about forin languages and counting and histry and such. My favourit magister is Inquisitor Oswald, he teaches Lunar and Drama, and its really fun in his classes because we talk about things we're interested in, like how to chat up wimmin or discuss racing in Lunar. He's always laughing and even gets Tommy Dreyfus to join in the acting. We're streets ahead of Inquisitor Knowles's classes in orals but he sneers at us 'cos our grammer isn't perfect.
I narrowly avoided a beating the other day for insolence, but I managed to argue that Truth was Holier than Discipline! Luckily I. Oswald had taken us through Cicero's "Reis Facilus" the day before and, 'cos I'd read the part of Kaufan, I remembered most of it. It didn't impress I. Cognes, but the High Priest overheard and laughed so much he said I should be let off, as long as I took part in the Mystery Play at Sacred Time. We didn't tell I. Cognes that Kaufan ends up getting crucified, you bet! Anyhow, I was wondering if you could do me a favour? For my histry project, I've been told to research into Alys, the ancient Karmanian hero. Well what do you know? Turns out Northmarch used to be his stomping ground, which is right next to Genest (did you know 'Genest' comes from 'Genert's Rest', after a god that used to live there?). Now I know the stream that runs by Genest is Alys' Brook, and there's an Alyston on the maps north of Genest; I was wondering if you knew anything else that was named after him, or any folk tales apart from the one about his treasure or how he fought Yoland? Sometimes the rich kids or the townies here make fun of me 'cos I'm from Genest, and I'd like to show them we're sophisticated, or at least sophists (as they say here).
Love from Ulan XXX
Studying for Unseen University credits
Viran asked the other PCs to help gather background on this Alys chap.
Everyone had different ideas on how to go about this: most asked old folks or bards, coming up with a few stories (see Appendix A); Gelert came up with a source who claimed Elys was a woman, and a document written in Karmanian that might be relevant (See Appendix B).Viran collated everything on a master scroll.
One of the stories that caught the PCs' imagination was that there was a monument to Alys in Alliston, detailing his works. Alliston is somewhere in Northmarch and so they figured they'd go see it.
Problem: 3 PC's were tied to the village environs by militia duties. But lance-corporal Pan spoke to Mr Revarnos, explaining the PCs would patrol up to Northmarch (Mr Revarnos is still under the impression the area is plague-ridden) and incidentallly gather stories from farmers, etc. re: Alys - the whole village knows about The Letter and Mr Revarnos would dearly like Genest to look less like a bunch of yokels, by helping young Ulav's project.
The militiamen got leave to patrol in that direction.
Pan led the group north, resplendent in the bright red woolly hat with matching scarf and mittens knitted by his loving wife Myra. ("You mustn't catch cold. Here, I've put your name on these, and the mittens are on strings so you don't lose them...")
Passing some pigs playing snoutball and a farmer whipping a serf, the party reached Newfaith where they were purified by prayer before being let in for the night. It turned out that Manish was especially impure and he was carried off shouting (obviously possessed by demons) to the shrine and tied down for an all-night Pray In. Luckily he was shriven and Saw The Light after only 4 hours, whereupon he was allowed to rejoin the others and sleep, or at least gibber.
A dour Newfaith fisherman poled the group over the swamp and they continued north until they came to a burnt wasteland.
It was explained to Marcus that Antigonus' men had torched this area when chasing Praxos, Agvan and Gelert, and everyone agreed it was a monstrous crime. (Eh, Agvan?)
About this point, Marcus realised the others thought they were heading for Alliston - but were actually heading for the only settlement they knew of in the area, Morainus, which is by the castle. He explained how he had an old map of the area which showed Alliston was actually due east of their present position, so much to my disappointment the group headed in the right direction. I had been looking forward to them spending hours looking around Morainus for a monument.
The PCs shot a deer, commenting on how tame and unafraid it had seemed.
When night fell they found themselves approaching Cleftwood...
Approaching this ruined village of 40 or so houses, one is struck by two things. One is the fact that the forest has taken it over completely, the huts are shrouded in gloom and vegetation. The other is the rotting remains of upwards of 20 broo, hanging crucified in the centre of the village - a remnant of the army's sterilisation of the area earlier this year. The PC's reached here as darkness fell. Most stayed the night in one of the huts, but Manish & Gelert slept (in hammocks?) up a tree.
No PC's were eaten during the night, though their sleep was disturbed by far-off howling from time to time.
The group 'patrolled on' east next morning, and after a few hours almost walked by a hut. It was almost covered in ivy and other plants and did not look as if it had been entered in years, but the PC's took almost 45 minutes to enter & search the single room as they decided upon entering order, prepared weapons, examined the vegetation closely etc. Rats scurried away as the PC's entered. On a bed in the corner lay a skeleton, its skull crushed by some blunt instrument. Agvan searched the place thoroughly and found a small box in a hidden cavity beneath the fireplace. It contained some cash, a potion, a piece of jewellery and 4 documents (see Loot section, later).
Just north of Alliston the PC's spotted a farm, apparently occupied by sheep farmers despite this being a quarantined area. They avoided it for the moment.
This is the remains of a once-large village, not as overgrown or dilapidated as Cleftwood but still with several full-grown trees in its streets. It is half taken over by the woods. The 50 or so homes here are scattered almost randomly, like Genest's non-defensive structure but cluster around three large buildings and a monument of grey, lichen encrusted stone. White daffodil-like flowers grow all around in abundance.
Deer sometimes come to graze in the village and there is a colony of rabbits nearby, so food is not a problem to visitors. It is overall a rather nice, sunny spot sheltered in a broad valley. A fast stream cuts a chord through it; the remains of a simple wooden bridge can be seen near the centre, but the water can be forded at several points.
The Alliston monument (see map)
Five-sided architecture. Inscription in Karmanian. This curious construction consists of a five-sided obelisk at the centre of a pentagonal stepped plinth. Judging by the lichen and weathering, it is very old. The obelisk bears an inscription in a Karmanian, still partly legible.
No-one in the party could read it, but two people copied the inscription. Inscription from the Alliston monument, translated from Karmanian by the Magister.. "Here lies Alys, last and greatest of the Five. Born 710 in LOSKALM, died 770 of treachery. Entered Karmania 729 in the army of Syranthir Forefront, fought with Rokaris, Menkar, Hyalor and Ulathor against Mortarex, destroyed the Black Wyrm, enforced the worship of the Invisible God upon the heathens, granted these lands after purging them of Yolande. As Baron, converted thousands to the One True God, built roads and the villages of Alyston and Alys' Way, introduced modern agriculture, opened Alys Pass, built Alysbridge and the castle at Morainus." [ Rest is eroded to illegibility ]
A hole has been hacked into the side, a tunnel apparently created by graverobbers using pickaxes and similar tools; they tunneled past the stone facing and the brick foundation, until they reached the start of the burial chamber. Waste rubble still lay at the mouth of the tunnel, indicating it was dug after the village was abandoned, but plants growing in the slag, and the general appearance of the tunnel, indicated the diggers entered several years ago.
Inside the monument
1.The Shaft of Fear: every time anyone tried to descend this simple 20' well, they were zapped by some kind of spell that frightened them so much they wished to run away. Agvan was first down, and first to flee. Realising it was a spell like Demoralise 'in a matrix', they finally hit on lowering each other down by a rope, rather than climbing. But by this time Viran had already fallen down the shaft and run off screaming to 2... "What shall we do?" pleaded the PC's to their leader, Lance-Corporal Pan. "uh... tea break?" he suggested.
2. The Face: as Viran ran into this room, a spell hit him. There was no discernable effect, but he froze in fear and gibbered until the Demoralise from (1) ended. Examining his surroundings with the aid of a torch, he found the room empty bar a hideous grinning face carved in the wall, whose eyes seemed to follow him around... the room. He left hurriedly.
3. Viran continued into here - still alone, as no-one else had managed to get past (1) yet. He felt something "trying to crowbar the top of his head off and get in". Viran fought off the spirit, not really knowing what he was doing, and ignoring the black flickering around him. By now the Fear had worn off. He returned to the Shaft and waited for Pan to finally overcome his fears and come down. Pan succeeded in passing the Shaft of Fear by dint of falling through it. He was still Demoralised by it, but cowered behind Viran until it wore off. They went back to (3), Pan's interest aroused by something lustrous glinting on a wall. Unfortunately it was only gold leaf, part of a fresco. Agvan managed to join them around now and Viran led the way down the stairs to (4).
4. As they descended the stairs, their torches went out at a certain point, leaving them in darkness until relit. They could also feel the cold shiver of a spell affecting them here, albeit with no obvious effect. Descent was further complicated by room (4) being waist-deep in icy water, preventing them from seeing where they were treading. They skirted the edge of the room to avoid traps like the deadfall which had landed long ago in the middle of the room. Near the door to (5) they found they were walking over bones, human remains.
5. Room (5) has recesses in the walls, each filled with a man-sized "winged orc" statue. The features of these have been painstakingly chiselled away by someone until they are hardly recognisable. The PC's theorised that someone had disliked them and deliberately defaced them, perhaps to deactivate a magical defense. Nothing attacked the PC's in here...
6. This room was much larger than the previous ones, and much higher, though still waist-deep in water. An ugly, winged statue with intact features squatted in a recess opposite the entrance. Pan (Viran?) went up to examine it - and it opened its eyes! It lashed out with its claws / bite at the players. There was a huge fight, Viran being seriously injured & going unconcious; its stony skin was worryingly tough. It had the advantage of flight, despite its obvious weight. But finally, Pan slashed it and it fell below the water, head still glowing from a Light spell of Viran's. Marcus joined the others and Viran was healed back to conciousness. But now, eddies formed in the water at the far end of the room as a roaring column of air and water materialised. The sylph tore into the PC's, sucking up them, water, mud and detritus and flinging them around indiscriminately. [The PC's emerged from this fight completely filthy.] Every time a PC was sucked up, they were bashed against the ceiling and hurt. Viran's arm went negative... when the torches went out in the rain, the only light was from the dead statue's head, underwater; when suddenly Pan's sword glowed brightly. Whatever he'd done, it seemed to boost his damage, because the sylph was destroyed soon after. The PC's searched the room thoroughly, but could find no treasure, secret doors etc. It seemed to be a dead end. Discouraged, they returned to 5...
5. ...
4. ...As Marcus re-entered this room, he saw Something Horrible coming down the stairs. It looked like the Thing they'd summoned accidentally in Thule. As it walked over the water, the water crackled and froze under it. Marcus shouted back to the others to get in and surround it before it bottled them up, because it could only move slowly. Agvan barged in and struggled through the water with Marcus to the far end of the room whilst the others attacked it from the other side. Viran was reduced to 2 general HP and Agvan took some serious damage in the following struggle. Marcus aquired a temporary phobia (7 rounds) about magic, such as Healing himself. But finally, Pan slashed its chest and it shattered into large lumps of ice bobbing in the water.
The PC's struggled out, frozen, filthy and wet, into the crisp winter air outside. Several had followed stagnant water during the fights, and Marcus began feeling ill almost immediately. The group made for that farmhouse they'd seen earlier, for help. That farm again... As they struggled up to the farmhouse a mangy, scabby mutt on a rope barked and growled at them. The farm was obviously poorly maintained. They knocked on the door... A broo opened the door. "Yeah?" it said in Carmanian. "Whaddaya want?" The PC's were somewhat nonplussed. Pan suggested they kill it there and then, but the others were of a more Enlightened nature and pointed out that it was not The Way of The Goddess to butcher peaceful farmers and, besides, surely Pan was a militia corporal sworn to defend citizens of the Empire? "Who is it, Beavis?" called someone from inside. "Some travellers, Butt-Head, been in a bit of shit by the look of it, huh - huh - huh! Wanna come in?" (Evil grin) The PC's declined the hospitality and asked the way to Alliston. Beavis sent them in the wrong direction and the players left hurriedly.
The PC's returned to Alliston and holed up in an abandoned hut for a couple of days, until Marcus recovered. Whilst there, they saw some Lunar soldiers escorting prisoners north; and a pair of outlaws visited ...
Hap Tinkerson and Ned, Levellers
...Two vagabonds came scavenging around the village looking for goods to scavange.
They got talking to the PC's, and it turned out they are leaders of the outlaws political movement the 'Levellers', who believe in common ownership of land, no taxes etc. Hap, it turns out, is Manish's uncle! Hap was interested to see Marcus there because Marcus was responsible for his arrest a year ago, leading to a sentence of Crucifixion which he only escaped through D.I.
Hap thinks his nephew is mixing with dodgy company, but doesn't appear to hold anything against Marcus personally.
Heading south, the party came to a civilised and inhabited village of some 200 souls. Gratefully, they took rooms at the Inn.
The PCs were then attacked by the inhabitants because (1) Manish was chatting up someone's wife; (2) Viran is a Greenoak; (3) Pan is a Woodstock.
A bar-room brawl was about to start when Manish grabbed that wife and held a dagger to her throat. "Back off or she gets it!", he shouted chivalrously. Due to this self-sacrificing gesture, the PCs escaped.
I awarded Manish a Charisma point for his quick thinking.
The players legged it out of the village until they came to the Marsh. They could hear dogs behind them.
Jumping into a couple of boats, they smashed the bottoms out of others and headed into the misty darkness of the bayou.
There were two sets of lights to aim for. Marcus advised that one set must be the estate of The Magister, an eccentric nob who Marcus knew vaguely, and they'd be safe there.
The PCs paddled through the fetid, leech-ridden waters until they came across a fisherman in a boat, doing some night fishing with a lantern. He advised them that the 2nd set of lights was a village they'd not heard of before, actually in the marsh itself, and corrected their course.
Marcus warned everyone to be very careful what they said and did as they approached, as The Magister is a bit unbalanced and is convinced everyone is either a spy or an assassin. Indeed, as soon as their boats landed on the shore, they were confronted by several heavily-armed men wearing black and silver livery. (How did they know the PC's were landing there in the dark?) The players were questioned, disarmed, bound and marched to the House. The House is a huge mansion which, unusually for Carmanian architecture, is built with defensive features. The PCs were lined up and an old man looked them over. Age: 45, but balding and with worry lines; small, richly dressed, air of superiority and obviously a hereditary Nob. Recognising Marcus, he ordered that they merely be locked up for the night after he had finished questioning them about where they'd come from and what they were up to.
The Magister's comments on the Stories ( see Appendix A Tales of Alys )
Marcus asked to see the Magister after everyone had been safely incarcerated in the "guest" rooms. He knew the Magister would be interested in the stories of Alys collected so far, because he has a library full of historical documents. The Magister was indeed most interested, being impressed both by the amount / variety of material collected, and the fact that some mere Farmers had had the wherewithal to follow such an intellectual pursuit. He was particularly fascinated by the story "Elys - a personal view" accredited to Gelert: "I was struck by the sheer amount of detail in this short account. Most such legends consist of a core of one to three facts, and a lot of tosh to fill out the story. Having checked my library, I find that the majority of this legend's details are corroborated by usually credible sources. The others are correct in spirit if not in fact. This is unheard of for ancient historical records. Other interesting points about the story are: how you have written Alys' name Elys. This is, of course, how the Karmanians of the time pronounced the word spelt Alys. Another thing. Here, Erath is described as female - the only such reference I am aware of. What their sex really was is irrelevant, but it indicates a Droodic origin of this tale, as they are a matriarchal society; Karmanians and Lunars would tend to assume anyone of consequence was, of course, male. "I wish to speak to this Gelert. Has he access to a library? Or a Droodic bard?"
Gelert readily admitted to the source. "It's Biorande, the spirit who lives on our land." [ GM: I didn't expect him to reveal useful info so readily! But MarkB's attitude is to share information wherever possible. A bit alien to me... ]
The Magister's Offer
"I am most impressed by your accomplishments, Goodfarmers " [ an archaic expression, not now much used by Nobs to Peasants ]. " I would like to employ you to write me a book! " The terms offered are:
Miscellaneous at the Magister's
At breakfast you ate with the servants. At lunchtime, you all ate with the family, except Marcus... who was left in the kitchen with the scum... The Magister's family consists of a son (aged ~25), a wife and a couple of 'students' as he describes them. Looking out of windows, etc you can see that this family is much richer than Sir J.
Loot from the woodsman's hut: Dark 1621 Between: Marcus, Pan, Viran, Gelert, Manish Two-handed axe 22 L A potion jewelled cross: Pan thinks 200L, Viran 50L Scrolls: 1. The deed to a couple of acres, centering on the hut. [Lunar] 2. A love letter to Bern, from Shyrala. [Lunar] 3. A letter dated 7 / 10 describing Bern Elnor and declaring him to be a special agent of Count Irilios of Bindle; the reader is urged to give him any help he requests. Signed by an unreadable squiggle, pp the Count, and with an impressive seal. [Lunar] 4. Something which has so far defied translation, but seems to be an official deed or title to something.
From the Alliston Monument: Bugger all. Gelert and Manish, who didn't dare enter, wondered if they were entitled to a share though?
What next?
1. Decide if you'll take the Book Contract.
2. Return to Genest, send info to Ulan.
Calendar for the above uh..?.
Appendix A - see Tales of Alys collected by PCs
Appendix B - see The Fall of Mortarex
I assumed The Magister never saw this, because (1) Marcus didn't have it on him when he talked to him, (2) The Magister was impressed enough already with the historical data you fellows had amassed.
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