Hi,
Sounds of pursuit continued- Jzhurte said that monstrosities had issued forth from the Wormweald and you must always be on their guard now more than ever, especially at night. Jzhurte's warband scouts hewed down a few wandering zombies along the way. (Jzhurte surmised that your foe was still disorganized, caught off guard by your raid, and fumbling blindly to find you in this landscape-but he said the enemy's many eyes would find you. Every little fly could be a spy!) Ahappi cast some Regeneration blessings that healed your worst wounds.
Poor Fraud Shaven had a terrible tumble down a rough hillside en route; bloodying his left side; but he limped onward with you, cursing and humiliated. You arrived at Gorakiki-Dug-A-Nest around twilight, with the Giranois making camp a good distance away until you returned. The giant beetle “Great Ham” was greeted by Boamund in Darktongue and you were welcomed in: Boamund dragging Miguel along and Fraud following behind, while Ahappi sat outside on guard, annoyed with the Uz's prior trickery and focusing his attention on querying the dread Book.
Boamund passed the tortuous tunnels with ease but Fraud had to turn back, the sharp tunnel walls threatening to rip his wounds open. So Boamund brought Miguel down to the main Uz cave himself, without further trouble. He felt more welcome here now, and the cold had a strange comfort. Hishoomka greeted him, wrapped in her giant centipede like a shawl; the other Uz were elsewhere. Boamund warned her about the dangers emerging from the nearby Library and she was not concerned, secure deep in her underground nest; but you were not so sure. She remarked, gesturing at Miguel, “Hoomanz want help again, ya, even a beetle-brain can tell! Youz too small, youz fall apart easy! Hishoomka is wise in ways of Xiola Umbar and can share again… BUT needs help. Rock-beetles near Big Ham at cave mouth disappear; Big Ham hear crunchy-crunchy noises, some bad monster eats them but Big Ham no see monster. Hoomanz make monster go away?” And so he left Miguel to her tender ministries while he left the caves to find this “monster”.
It took some searching about as twilight turned into night, but Boamund found a trail on the steep hill above the cave, and traced it (soon with Ahappi) up to the peak, where there were white patches of guano with darker beetle-shell fragments in them. Ahappi knew it was no mammal but something else, and large-ish, that had left them. Not immediately finding the source, you looked around the broad, rocky hilltop's scree, crags and boulders. Soon Boamund espied an eye amidst some large stones, taking a quick look at you, and, squinting, he made out the form of a giant toad amidst the shadows and rocks. It was a Cliff Toad, Ahappi knew; and you debated if it was holy to the Giranois but decided that it was best to satisfy the Uz and that this probably was just a wild creature, not someone's beloved pet. Anyway, monster-slaying is fun!
When you approached the beast, it lashed out its tongue and grabbed Boamund's shield. You charged it and Ahappi impaled its leg, then Boamund ripped it to bits and the toad slumped down, mortally wounded. Cutting the tongue off as a prize, you scaled back down the slope. Boamund returned to the troll priestess and she was pleased with the trophy/snack. In the intervening hours, Miguel had been fully healed and was shivering in the dark there, poked and prodded periodically by the curious priestess who wondered if he'd ever leave; or if he'd been abandoned and would become a nice meal. You thanked the trolls and parted with a welcome to return– but not too soon. (The implication being that their magics were a favour best rarely called upon; Miguel in particular does not want to be back there anytime soon- add a Passion of Fear Uz to him at POWx3%, please, Gordon!)
It was late and very dark once you found the Giranois, but the night was quiet and safe. Jzhurte was sad when he learned that you'd killed a cliff toad; he'd have liked to talk with such a wondrous old beast. Ahappi was haunted by vague dreams that he struggled to recollect when he woke, but they left him especially on edge.
(Insight rolls and you realize that the Giranois amphibians and the Uz arthropods (And the insectoids of Yomil; but that's good) are intrinsically opposed and this is a diplomatic obstacle)
Late the next morning: you were walking up a gentle hillside along a trail when you spotted movement atop the hill. A tall figure in greyish Zzaburi robes appeared with tight cluster of 3 people in simple Dronari linens around it. The figure stopped and watched briefly from the hilltop. Jzhurte urged you to kill this obvious sorcerer before he corrupted your minds, but Boamund and Shaven called to him. It was Brother Amaurius Vintinius from the Evracian Monastery; an older monk who you'd dealt with several times before. He was the librarian there and a quiet, timid (indeed, extremely cowardly) man; but a pious Rokari well loved by the Dronari (their favourite amongst the monks). He called for help in a faint, hoarse voice, and, a tense agreement made, ran up to you with Dronari trailing closely behind, then pleaded while he caught his breath.
Amaurius is a Seshnelan (white but with weathered skin; he tends the fields outside the Monastery when he is not tending his library) who is tall, very thin, reserved, intellectual, cowardly, conflict-avoidant, and in his 60s. Grey robes are dirty and ragged; he is far from the Monastery and looks to have travelled roughly. Carries only a walking stick, bronze Law rune necklace, and satchel; he lost his tall Zzaburi hat in the wilds. You know him as deeply pious, pacifistic, and again so cowardly that violence can cause him to faint. He is wordly for a Rokari, and that along with his cowardice might be why he was sent (or chose to go?) to Giraine; that is unclear though.
He said, looking over you with mixed fear and hope, that he is fleeing “rebels, assassins, frog-men and other monsters.” He explained that a group of overt Arkati have been hiding on Giraine and their leader, a grim man named Aym Alamyn, was heard saying that Amaurius was among his next targets. The Inquisition heard this and sent warning to Amaurius to flee; but the escort sent with them to bring him off Giraine were cut down by the Arkati and Amaurius fled to the east, barely escaping threat after threat. Out of eight Dronari that fled with him out of loyalty, three were all that had survived this journey through the wilds; and he was on the edge of collapse (he admitted he'd used the Golden Poppy to sustain him; but said he was unlike his brethren in thinking that it was more curse than blessing). He now sought safe passage off of Giraine, such as a ship from New Arv.
Fraud moved to decapitate him but Boamund jumped in and parried as the monk begged for his life. Jzhurte and his men, and Miguel, were ready and eager to kill all four of these wanderers. But Amaurius begged well- he offered information: “We may have had our past differences but I am no threat to you and I hope that you may be none to me. Perchance we can strike a bargain-I know who you are; the frog-men call you Thralls of Granno which is their name for the four saints of Giraine who fought against Vadeli before the end of the Second Age. I know my library well and can tell you what I have learned about your predecessors.”
Amaurius had found documents showing where two of the chaos weapons were (shield and fan) but feared a war with chaos (omens he found in Golden Poppy dreams); so he'd thought it best for them not to be recovered. But he knew you had found them, indeed he was quite knowledgeable about you(!!). He said he knows that the Vadeli are up to no good and that the four saints tried to use the weapons against them in the past; but failed for some reason. He has anti-Vadeli helpful documents: “reports on Vadeli activities on Second Age Giraine, and a couple of forbidden sorceries used to stave off Vadeli curses” hidden elsewhere- and offered these in return for your promise to get him securely to New Arv and onto a ship to leave. Boamund made that promise, followed by Fraud; even Ahappi was very intrigued by now. Only Miguel remained silent-he scouted around to ensure pursuers were not closing while you took shelter and talked. You learned a lot; enough of which matched what you already knew so that you reckoned there was some truth here:
ON THE FOUR SAINTS: one was a traitor (Lelbic; a barbarian hero of Saint Orlanc, from Ralios), one was a fool (Tutrys; a Seshnelan sailor-hero), one was a madman (Buquaim; a Waertagi sailor), and one was a martyr (Karkovoch). The Saints were associated with runes (and against certain Chaos foes; all of which you've faced!):<BR /><UL><LI>Tutrys = beast (vs Gloomshark/sea chaos)</LI><LI>Buquaim = spirit (vs Thed/spirit chaos)</LI><LI>Karkovoch = darkness (vs undead)</LI><LI>Lelbic = air/storm (vs Pocharngo etc; walktapi)</LI><LI>Granno/Giranois = associated with Mastery & Truth, Amaurius said</LI></UL>
History: Four Arkati came to this place from four distant lands and found a local adherent (Granno); they were united by visions given unto them by the Night Dragon. They sought to strike deep into the heart of a network of necromancer foes as spies first and assassins second-these foes must be stopped or great evil would come. The Arkati questers quickly were drawn into struggles on the Old Seshnelan coast: their foes had gathered allies from Chaos and Mostali among others and had corrupted key elements within the local Seshelan government. The questers had early victories in these struggles, but gradually their successes corrupted them, making them more and more like their foes. Their heroquests took them into dark places of myth where they gained powers that twisted them. In a passionate confrontation, Granno accused them all of abandoning their faiths and mission and sinking into evil, and left their party. This drove rifts between the remaining four Arkati, causing paranoia and deceit as each blamed each other. Soon the team split up, each pursuing their own agenda. And one by one they vanished from history. Little is remembered about them by any modern scholars. They have never been reached on any sorcerous node in Solace or Hell.
You'd mentioned to Amaurius that you'd fought/were pursued by Yomil. Yomil was not known outside of Giraine except in very obscure documents about the Giranois; some of which Fort Mudlark's young Zzaburi Wendel “Wyvernbait” had perused. But the Giranois knew of him well as The Enemy, even though they seldom spoke to outsiders (except you) about that.
WHO WAS YOMIL(I )? Yomil the High Necromancer was the younger, weaker, jealous brother of the great Hero of Pithdaros named Yomili. He turned to evil as his brother turned to greatness. Yomil became as corrupt as Yomili was pure, and enamoured with Godlearner power. He was hateful of the serpent-kings of the past 1st Age, whose 2nd Age heretic devotees were trying to reconnect with Froalar/Seshna to combat the Godlearner/Jrusteli takeover of Old Seshnela. A necromancer that fought the Giranois, who were kin that he cursed (to be froglike and savage; benighted). The name of Yomil/Yomili is confused in a lot of Seshnelan history, and he cultivated that through misinformation. “Arse of Ulfrathagar” was his moniker; vs. “Mouth of Hrestol” his brother's. Yomil allied with the few remaining Vampires of Tanisor (you now know that Umbrodriith was foremost amongst them!). He dealt with the Vadeli but remained distinct from them.
Yomil had nothing to do with Halwal; Yomili's enemy. All of these men were Second Age sorcerors of note, though.
Yomili was a Pithdaran wise man. His history is well known to all Malkioni (until the end). The Pithdaran people had accepted the religion of Malkion as a condition of living peacefully in the lands they had seized. They embraced the cult of Hrestol and produced many sorcerers noted for their mental keenness, but Yomili was the greatest sorcerer ever from Pithdaros. He, too, opposed the God Learner degeneracy, but supported the rightful kings of Seshnela against Halwal's rebellion. Yomili ignored Yomil's evil, but at the end of his days regretted that; too caught up in his struggles with Halwal and conflicted by strong feelings of family loyalty.
Yomili: Pithdaran Wizard in the God Learner Empire.<BR /><UL><LI>So holy that people called him the Mouth of Hrestol.</LI><LI>He was brought in by Hekaos to protect him against unknown magical assassins.</LI><LI>He repeated the service for Benalos.</LI><LI>He established the Peace and Decency Movement and the New Church of the Book.</LI><LI>He then aided Englos against his cousin Tualon.</LI><LI>He gave Englos permission to marry Flerla according to Pithdaran custom.</LI><LI>He then fought Halwal outside Basmol City (in Seshnela; now haunted ruins) and both disappeared…</LI></UL>
Halwal was (this you didn't really know but you had heard of him):<BR /><UL><LI>A Middle Sea Magician who fought in the Sorcerer War. From Jrustela; but moved to Seshnela.</LI><LI>He had quarrelled with Argalis (third great Malkioni sorcerer of that time; Godlearner wizard) but was ordered by Emperor Triosos to make peace and co-operate.</LI><LI>He was a spokesman for the Church, the Makanists and even advised the Knights of Spiritual Purity.</LI><LI>When refused the position of High Sorcerer three years after Argalis's disappearance (for which he was suspected as having a role in), he took the monastic habit and left Seshnela.</LI><LI>During Bajenyl's reign, he incited Frontem to revolt and helped re-establish the Kingdom of Loskalm.</LI><LI>During Deliam's reign, he tried to unite Safelster but his attempts to find the True Arkat were thwarted by Yomili's agents and he had to hide for a year.</LI><LI>During Hisvok's reign, he fought Yomili outside Basmol City and disappeared…</LI><LI>Halwal never had anything to do with Giraine, as far as anyone knows.</LI></UL>
Amaurius says that he knows more and will tell it to you as long as he lives. He promised to tell you where hidden documents are that could help you against Vadeli- but only if he was able to safely leave Giraine to the mainland, with his Dronari.
Ahappi, after some discussion with Jzhurte who was FURIOUS that this sorcerer-necromancer was being kept alive (and spinning lies to you, which you seemed to succumb to), agreed to stay with Jzhurte in the swamps while you took Amaurius & co to New Arv. Miguel mostly was silent. Boamund by now had become extremely serious about his pledge to protect Amaurius; Fraud was more mixed but saw the value and honour in this. There was some satisfaction that you'd learned new things about the mysteries of Giraine, but also the foreboding feeling of tension within the party-tension that reminded you all too well of the folly of the four “saints” in the past…
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