==== Summary 259: Freedom, Friction, and Farewells (2020-08-29) ==== [[Giraine]] [[summaries-2020|Summaries]] ---- Down upon the cavern you gazed from the clifftop, and planned your descent. Boamund called up a sorcerous wind to carry him, Miguel and Fraud safely down the sheer 120m drop, but Ahappi would remain pure of such Malkioni taint. He chose the perilous, slow climb down the cliff walls, but survived. Then you crossed the cavern's rough floor, diving aside as screeching thunderbolts snaked their way through the air. You came to the shore of the underground "sea" (a brackish but calm lake fed by many rivers heading out to the cavern walls and thence the sea), and Boamund's Fly spell suddenly ended. The waters looked dangerous, with bolts of electricity slithering angrily through its waters, casting eerie lights on the depths. But you entered, with Boamund and Miguel slowly walking while Fraud and Ahappi easily swam across. The electricity was dangerous indeed, but you made it across quickly enough that two of you merely suffered grave wounds, rather than being fried alive as the Storm showed its mastery over the Waters. Ashore on the central island, the storm-daimone turned its tortured gaze on you and howled a great wind crackling of storm-sparks, but even Miguel stiffened himself against its gale and was not forced back into the waters. You quickly healed what you could and advanced. The daimone then spoke, in thundering voices of several tongues including a Western dialect you could make out: "Now Mikligarmr howls mightily, In Asrelia's Cave.
Lightning-tears drop from his eyes,
Their circuit makes the dragons writhe.
Fetters will snap,
And far shall he fly.
ut who will be brave,
To tread the cruel earth?
And face its baleful bite." Seeing a Heroquest challenge being clearly presented here, Ahappi thought of stepping forward, looked to Fraud instead, then you all decided to come toward this demigod Mikligarmr's feet. The ground shook violently and Ahappi? was thrown to the floor. From Mikligarmr's earth-bound feet there arose great chains, or tentacles, or snakes, or whatever, of Dark Earth. Asrelia's gnarled fingers, perhaps? They quickly wriggled through the air toward you, each as thick as a man's waist and as long as ten men! You drew weapons and confronted them. It was a heroic struggle, with all of you soon gripped in their singleminded clutches, crushing at your chests. If you succumbed, you'd at best be drawn back to be imprisoned with Mikligarmr until some ally could retrace your steps precisely and rescue you; at worst you'd be smashed in body and spirit, sent on your final journey to Hell. Ahappi took grave wounds that left him barely able to fight, and Miguel struggled to damage the thing that grabbed him, relying on his healing magics to keep him in the fight. In the meantime, Boamund's sword finally clove his chain-snake in two, and he then rescued Ahappi from that one, and (as Ahappi rose, gasping) they came to Fraud and then Miguel and finished defeating the foes. You quickly healed again, with one of Boamund's arm-mushrooms proving extremely helpful in removing Miguel's crippling wound. The Earth shuddered and released Mikligarmr, but in so doing pulverized his left foot and he howled in pain, dripping blue blood, as he burst upwards on a blast of sizzling stormcloud. Flying upwards into the cavern, he called out in verse again: "Mired in the ground was Mikligarmr,
For an Age of nights without wind nor bread nor wine.
Wounded flies Mikligarmr forth,
marked evermore by that maiming.
Yet wind shall he ride again,
and bread shall he taste in Worlanth's halls,
and wine shall he toast
unto them that freed Mikligarmr.
Heroes, bold thanes or lords,
raise your weapons for gifts given". And so you lifted your swords and trident aloft, and with one gesture of his right hand Mikligarmr sent four lightning bolts to them, blessing them with Worlath's power for one time in the future: On a successful melee hit may have 2d6 electrical damage added to attack (armour counts), OR take 1 action to throw lightning 2d6 no armour for 5x POW in range (resist: Evade). [party has now 3 luck pts for finishing the heroquest, freeing the storm-demigod Mikligarmr! You may recognize his name, and aspects of his verse and story, from the Norse saga of Garm the wolf and Tyr the god... I stole freely] He departed, and you safely crossed the cavern to the bottom of the cliff, Fraud having beautifully bandaged up ?Ahappi's chest. As you contemplated your ascent, a wind gently picked you up and carried you to the clifftop. In so doing, you felt yourselves make the uncomfortable transition from the unrealness of the Hero Plane back into the mortal plane, and atop the cliff you looked back upon the now-dark, calm cavern and ahead upon a twisting tunnel that led through the earth of Korrin island. Boamund cleverly guided you onwards by following a sea-breeze that blew through, so you did not get lost in the maze of natural tunnels. You entered into a small cave with signs of habitation, including stinking hides of beasts (no, not Ouori!) and piles of feathers and guano. Standing, turning toward you, by the cave's mouth and cliffside overlook of the Strait, was a strange man in filthy clothes, with a stuffed seagull perched stiffly on his shoulder, and long greying hair covering almost all of his face within a tattered hood. He held a silver-tipped spear like a staff, but stood straighter as he looked to you and a change came over him as a silvery smile glinted within his grimy hair. He introduced himself as Quentin Galavriel, a Storm Voice (theistic priest) of the god Worlath (AKA Worlanth/Aerlit/Orlanth) from the city-state of Safelster in Ralios to the east. He had been imprisoned here for centuries, almost an Age, beyond time he could count, when he came here questing to free his people's daimone Mikligarmr. He had fallen afoul of a seductive guardian earth-spirit in this very cave, and it had entered his mind and taken control of him, forcing him to use his considerable storm-powers to keep storms raging over Tibol-Korrin. Now, with your freeing of Mikligarmr, he too was free; the spirit remained in possession of him (he seemed OK with that-did he have real affection now, or lingering madness, or both?) but would only whisper now, not make him its thrall. And, he said, he could now leave, but would do so remembering your aid forever-he warmly called you all friends and would welcome you to Safelster if you ever came there. He wasn't concerned when you cautioned him that the Age had changed- despite his comical or even pathetic appearance, he had some bearing and confidence of a hero, and said he had faced harder tests before. You might wonder what he might do now that, for example, the storm-barbarians were very active to the east as the Hero Wars ratcheted up tension, and now King Guilmarn of Seshnela was said to have his eyes beginning to look toward Ralios for future conquest! With a laugh and a grin and a nod, he called out in a big voice to Mastakos the Mover to bring his cloud-chariot to him and take him home, and off he went! Quite an exit. Then the Sea Dragon, Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints [nudge nudge Iain M Banks/The Culture], rose from the depths of the Strait by the cave and blew steam puffs into the air, which took forms: a Mastery rune, a Dragon rune, then another Mastery rune. Ahappi pondered these and got the meaning: the dragon had done everything here, setting events into motion that used petty humans as tools, and gaining its freedom and Right Action as a result. It felt or knew no gratitude; what had happened was its achievement toward greater draconic glory. Ahappi danced in thanks and it watched inscrutably, then splashed back into the depths, showering you all with icy waters. Well, at least it was still Dark Season; you'd not lost immense time... You opted to climb a twisting path up from the low-lying cave/cliff by the Strait, to the high clifftop atop Korrin island, rather than try to cross the Strait somehow. There, in the Rancid Forest, Miguel managed to lead you swiftly on an arduous journey slashing your way through foetid jungles until he found the southbound path back to the Tower, where little had changed, and then to the eastern beach by nightfall, where the surf had already made short work of the wreck of the Banthi Belly. Sadly, Miguel found that the skunk-apes had come and made short work of all your beasts, and scattered their burdens; spoiled by bugs, musk and the elements; into the treetops. There was very little to salvage, and a gory mess to behold. You camped in peace, though, and after trying your best to recover anything the next morning and realizing the impossible task it involved, you headed back northwards. The jungle, however, was not done with you. Perhaps distracted by his frustration, Miguel failed to notice a burrow that had been freshly dug along the path not too far from the edge of the jungle, and out from that concealed pit raged another Mole-Bear! It slashed his helm off with sundering claws and bitterly wounded him. Miguel managed to scamper away from it, leaving it to turn on Fraud as the others engaged it, and soon Ahappi struck it a final blow to the head that brought the beast down. You patched up Miguel and left the jungle at last, realizing that it had not become any safer and lingering here would only bring more danger. At Korrin bastion, the Horali named Rumino Firespitter again rode to meet you, saying that all of the island was abuzz with wonder of whether you had survived or not, or where you'd gone to. Ahappi departed to the Shadow for healing. Rumino invited you to speak to the Baroness Lyriana Lassiter, so soon you were in her grand chambers. She asked for your tale, and listened but then grew concerned when she noticed that you had omitted any detail of your Seshnadel heroquest. She relentlessly pressed you for information, growing more suspicious as you refused her or (to her mind) insulted her hospitality, saying that perhaps you should stay here for a season or two until it became clear what your heroquest had done to her lands. Tension grew so high that she finally called her guards to imprison you, and it looked like violence might erupt, even though you were hopelessly outnumbered and deep within her fortress, but Fraud saw that the cost of giving in to her might be less than the risk of fracturing the peace of the island and even undoing your heroquest's benefits as a result. And so, ironically after all the freedom you'd quested for, you were the ones ending up imprisoned on the island, down in the dungeons of the fort and under heavy guard. Ahappi meanwhile got healed and discussed his plans with Amur. Ahappi contemplated the fate of Ciddar and decided he'd indeed take his former friend to the Ouori so they could decide what would befall him; rather than leave Ciddar with the Shadow and his friends. He learned more Ouori were about and the seas had already begun changing here. He rode off on his mosasaur to find them, and first found some normal Ouori, mostly matrons, who greeted him with their typical enthusiastic, rough-and-tumble playful charm (although at their size such charm can knock the wind out of someone even with a friendly fin-slap). These Ouori knew him and said the seas had changed, becoming happier and more peaceful. Soon they dispersed as two other Ouori came: the matron acolyte Namowg'ge with Gumthunooreebou, now a priest of Magasta (promoted!) but as ever a whimsical joker with his characteristic coral helm and stingray harpoon. He said, "Tidings from Great King Sumbinaroomeesh, and thankfulness. Our matron has told us tales of your deeds, and other Ouori have learned from Omen the fish, too. We would ask why a man would do such a thing for the Ouori but then you are no man anymore. Some great heroquest from Ouwashilombiss has swept you this way. Tell us your story, Ahappi! Tell it from the beginning and tell it well so the waves carry it onwards to many ears. I come as messenger of our Cetoi people and as envigilator of Magasta, with Namowg'ge to be the first ears to hear it, and pass judgement on its merits. We expect only greatness." And so Ahappi told his grand life story to the gathered Ouori, finishing with his oceanid-given quest against five (plus one) injustices against the sea. At Skaalhaft you'd stopped the Zzaburi from raising the sea demon Greignard to serve them (and also stopped the mad lighthouse Zzaburi), at Coldwater you'd freed the Waertagi Wachazan from the Purho family and fed their patriarch to the demon Papa Threegrins, at Fraywrack you'd conquered the powerful ancient Waertagi vampire W and stopped her undead army fed by the Left Eye of Vivamort, maybe brokering a lasting peace with harpies and humans too, at Hard Bay you'd broken the foul cult of Gloomshark, with its sea trolls and two twisted families backing it (with Vadeli encouragement), and at Kennutwaki you'd released Lobata from her fixation on punishing the settlers of the island, making a deal of peace between colonists and natives while turning Lobata over to Magasta's power (also again defeating the Vadeli there; and Ciddar); and then you'd come to Tibol-Korrin on a more personal quest to strike a blow to the Vadeli and their Ouori pup slaughtering, which you succeeded in and then went off on a totally different quest of Earth powers that ended up freeing Sea powers from a chain of control that held much of the island in disorder. While the settlements were small and insignificant in the grand scheme of the Hero Wars, the victories were of the kind that Heroes are wrought from, and the Ouori praised Ahappi in amazement as he finished his tale: "Greatness is proven, to the surprise of none in attendance. Magasta looks upon men as too weak for his favour, but you have transcended that weakness and earned his attention. Foreswear that Malkion is the one prophet of the one and only Invisible God, pledge that Stygian sorcery is anathema and a corruption of the true ways of the Sea Gods, and swear yourself only to the brute force of Magasta, implacable ocean and messenger of Daliath's wisdom." And so Ahappi Pellinores welcomed The Churner's whirlpool, bearing Daliath's power, to rend away his faith in Malkioni sorcery, and was left bereft of higher magic, with perhaps some of the Law and logic and reason that pervaded this religion taken with him, leaving him even closer to monstrousness-- and passionate fervour. The priest spoke again: "Three nights hence we celebrate the high holy night of Magasta the Churner. Come with us to the Trenchward Tribe for the final tests of initiation. We think you will be deemed worthy to dance deep under the waves and learn our secrets of the Lord of All Sea Gods, and his runes of Water, Movement and Death, and to join in his worship and his cycle of life and death. But only Magasta decides who is truly worthy." They said there was time for them to await Ahappi to see his friends and tell them where he was going to go. But Gumthunooreebou warned that the current Ahappi was being swept into now would take him further from the priorities of Men, or from human nature itself. [I may be mixing up the order of events here but anyway...] Ahappi visited the Baron Kir Teggin and his brother at Fort Teggin, finding the Talar to be maybe a simple and even malleable big bear of a man, but an agreeable one ultimately. Baron Teggin was open to the idea of questing to court this Seshna Tibolkorrin, finding it curiously titillating and perhaps the kind of fresh challenge he needed. He'd spent too much time politicking and wine-drinking in Pasos of late, he complained aloud. His brother Lord Galan Teggin, in answer to Ahappi's request, said that he would drop a word of support for Ahappi's friends imprisoned at Korrin Bastion to the Baroness. Ahappi left with some final awkward words to Galan, and visited his friends in the dungeons of Baroness Lassiter's Korrin Bastion, explaining his plans and discussing how they might free themselves. Then he went to fetch Ciddar for his final voyage to the Ouori for judgement. Exit Ahappi stage left. Back in the depths of the dungeons, some time passed in mild discomfort and growing anger until Rumino returned, after one final request for more information on your heroquest (denied), and said that the Baroness had now decided you could go free if you left the island immediately. You agreed, and sent your regards. So off you went to the Shadow, aided by Rumino in efficiently getting there. Why the Baroness changed her mind was unclear, but maybe she got enough information to satisfy her from the Teggins, or maybe she tired of your presence and stubborn refusal to divulge heroquesting secrets. Anyway, you were none too displeased to depart-and you decided that your next destination was home: Giraine. Last you'd seen the island and heard of events, the Seshnegi had New Arv under siege but their fleet had been kept away from the port. Was this still so? Was Bog the trollkin still there? Maybe you could aid against the siege and then take Fraud to Good Toad Food where that mysterious tomb/labyrinth of serpents awaited? After that, perhaps you would have time you badly needed to learn new things: Fraud had his book of Healing, Miguel badly sought knowledge of reading, and Boamund wanted to go back to Hard Bay and learn his fire-spell. Could you do all this before the fated rise of the Boat Planet, when you expected to rejoin with Ahappi for the greatest heroquest in an Age? Perhaps. Perhaps... Friday: warfare awaits, and Bog the trollkin has news... -John ----