Hi,
You healed and struggled to understand what control system might operate in the upper chamber of Shell Island/the Stormspire. The island did seem to be moving differently now but only subtly so; the meaning was unclear. Experiments with the countertops and crystal shards essentially failed. So you prepared to depart. Fraud Shaven figured that you needed to do something about the wind, so he pumped plenty of magic into the Foestopper Fan and blew up a counter-wind. What happened next, no one was sure of (although we know the dice went his way and not the Bad Wind/island's way)- somehow the Godlearner twisting of the natural winds met the exotic winds of the Foestopper, and a furious windstorm erupted. Winds switched direction, blowing out of rather than into the island's flute-holes, and the whole structure listed to and fro as its propulsion was disrupted. Then a massive crack tore through the upper shell, in the chamber you were in, and you knew it was time to flee. Boamund set the bodies on fire and you slid down the storm-chute one by one, bouncing off the walls painfully as the island rocked violently and unpredictably. Battered, but aided by Boamund who went first, you all made it to the grapple-line where you'd entered, and one by one you took the rope down. Miguel fell into the water, badly wounded but able to flounder his way through the raging waters, where Ahappi soon dove into. Fraud nimbly slid down the rope to the hut, which was being torn apart by the winds. Boamund made it down there too, and Amur managed to expertly pilot the Shadow through the localized storm to pick you up. As he took you to a safe distance, you watched the island spin and moan and crack until pieces of shell flew off into the whirlwind, then it capsized and sunk in a blast of white foaming seas, sucked to the bottom by its own current, which then subsided. And the seas were calm again!
Again, with more healing and some rest you took to the seas, voyaging back toward Giraine and rendezvous with the Ouori. Micaela had struck up a friendship with the stowaway Baelulam and Miguel tolerated it. Later, Baelulam also showed curiosity about Fraud Shaven-she is not afraid of his serpent-head, and kept watching him but avoided conversation with a petulant air, yet still maintaining an interest from a distance. You continued the voyage, with the Captain sailing well through the nasty season's storms. Amur told the Captain that sailors have noticed Baelulam is uncommonly good, too, at making herself scarce when very undesirable tasks such as swabbing up vomit arise, and she has quite an appetite for a small young woman, although she does put in some effort that it fuels. The crew resented her and she was ostracized and ridiculed-a reasonable concern was that, if mortal danger presented itself, she might abdicate a key responsibility at a critical moment. Amur's assessment was that the crew is dismissive of her; she does earn her keep (but only barely-she is good at knowing the minimal amount she must do); and she does have some magic that helps her conceal herself. He says that she had mentioned she was touched by the essences of Elandra; a Handran cult of subterfuge and thievery. Maybe that was the source of her talents. He came up with the idea of getting her a chance to prove herself to the Captain/crew in some different way, and the Captain quickly saw some potential…
Remarkably, later that same night Fraud Shaven came to Baelulam and got her attention with some stories of your exploits. She found his tale of his resurrection, which she asked about in regards to his snake-head, most fascinating and noted that this was reminiscent of what she knew of Elandra, who'd died and been reincarnated many times. “Death is just another of Eurmal's lies”, they say. Suddenly, and inexplicably, in the face of his friendly demeanour and interesting stories, her stubborn resistance crumbled and she confided in him about the deaths of her parents at the Wolf Pirates' hands, and how she hoped for vengeance but would not do such a thing herself (she seemed to dislike violence). Then she dropped a big secret: She is possessed (passively) by a troll demon named Crooked Duzuddurr, who protects and otherwise helps her. It would “tear to bits and eat” anyone that threatened her, she noted. And now it became clear that she had developed a unique bond with Fraud Shaven, finding something within him that she respected and cherished-something to cling to, perhaps, in her lonely wanderings. He welcomed it. Maybe he needed a bond of his own?
The next morning, sailors were clambering energetically about the rigging during a break in the weather, making repairs. One (Bobard) started singing a sea shanty telling of the epic tale of Vilimzair Aralivar's legendary voyages. Vilimzair was a Nolosian minstrel of puissant skill who fell into the clutches of pirates from Smelch. He endured many hardships before he wrested control of the vessel from the pirate captain, and returned with a fleet of Nolosian ships to gloriously dispatch the pirate infestation. Sadly though, in the end he fell hopelessly in love with a siren nymph who sang from a rocky shore, and ran his ship aground, with all aboard drowned. The crew was moved by the unfamiliar story and impressed by Bobard's unexpectedly good singing of it, and morale was boosted as they continue to sing excerpts throughout the voyage. However… Amur later raised to the Captain that Vilimzair's sad ending could be considered to be a metaphor for the crew's concerns over their own fates, richly rewarded as they have been lately. Should something be said, or not? The Captain decided not to waste the opportunity. He gave a rising oration that proclaimed that he was different now, with Pellinoresbane in league with rather than hounding him, and while he still planned to venture down Magasta's Pool someday it would not be soon. He said that those who did not want to sail with him would be welcome to leave at port, and those that stayed would eat and fight and be rewarded with him in return. The crew's spirits grew further upon this news, and maybe fears were allayed for now. Amur then told the Captain later that he could help recruit new crew in Oradaros soon, and get the Shadow repaired, while you dealt with matters on Giraine until the new year. Indeed, Amur was proving himself to be a very able first mate and perhaps the greatest new treasure won from Bar'ran.
You met the Ouori that day. A great Ouori rose with his several of his folk from a foaming froth of water, atop a great undine. It was Holy Jekemandakoor; a big, imposing, stern Ouori whose body is scarred head to tail with Water runes that form an elegant pattern resembling a tidal wave rising from both flanks to crest on his back. There was nothing comical or easily dismissed about this merman– power flowed from him. Ahappi spoke with him in Seaspeech. “I bring greetings from King Sumbinaroomeesh of the Trenchward Tribe, who has not forgotten the kindness and honour you heroes have treated his folk with before. And now the fish Omen tells me that word amongst the sea-creatures is that the storms in the deep have subsided. And so I bring gratitude from the deep. A scourge against Magasta has been removed, and that will not be forgotten; our memory is deep. My servant Gumthunooreebou has given you material thanks for your aid. And has given me word that you seek to abandon your misguided faith in what the man-things call Saint Magasta; or the Ship of Life Church?” Ahappi responded in the affirmative. “You are right to do so; it is a lie that the man-things of that former sea empire twisted to suit their sorcerous needs. But the way out of the shallow lie is hard. You will need to abandon all ways of Malkion to embrace the deep supremacy of the Sea. Humans are not welcome in the depths of worship of Magasta, but your nymph-wife has removed that problem; you are no man-thing anymore. I don't know what you are, but you prove that you are a hero of the Sea. You have my blessing to proceed. Your nymph-wife can show you the way-she will set you a quest, or Magasta will set it– and if you survive, you may visit my folk and worship with us, and we will aid you further where we can. If you die, it is because you are not strong enough. Gird yourself, Captain Ahappi. Your shallow sorcery will not aid you on the way to the depths of our religion.” Ahappi did not like the sound of that last bit… his sorcery was important! Discussion with the Ouori went well. Asked what to do about the pup-slaughterings, he said to finish your quest and do as you must and his people would appreciate it-he did not get into any details of the pups (maybe the wrong Ouori to ask?). He then left on his giant wave, and you returned to Giraine in good time. There, you saw that Syrr Kogag and his aeropod had returned! He'd kept his word- with about 2 weeks left in the year 1622 (before the 2 weeks of Sacred Time), he had returned.
You joined Kogag, with Amur waiting before taking the Shadow away for re-crewing, supplies and repairs. Your loot was stored in the Shadow for now, although Miguel was feeling much more secure in his iron chainmail now! Inside the aeropod, you were surprised to see a shadowed face you hadn't seen in many years: the Handran named Bradde Mukkh, a “Ropemakers Guild” member in that city-state-island-an outcast who makes money off guiding foreigners; bitter, acerbic, passive-aggressive and foul-mouthed but still somehow extroverted and even likeable. He's a small man who wears frilly leathers and leads a newtling servant (“Gulp”) around on a rope leash. You recall Bradde as a resourceful go-between struggling underworld factions in Handra: the Elandrans, the Argan Argar traders/trolls/criminals, and others. He had worked for Oba Mat, a human “Kitori” (Darkness clan) of Zorak Zoran worshippers and merchants-a dangerous bunch with ties to trollkin and Uz thugs. He also is friends with Old Teelis, the Elandran (and Black Arkati?) who has mentored Fraud from afar. Bradde, who only speaks Handran and Darktongue, spoke with Fraud and Syrr (Boamund listened):
Syrr K visited Handra, and found more Purple Prophet leads (he now knows of The Accountant; a one-eyed leader who Fraud met there; and the Ledger of Despair; a special book of the Hero Wars). The Prophets are encouraging disasters of civilization in Hero Wars, and documenting them; The Accountant is one of their leaders and recruiters. This knowledge can be dealt with in the new year after he makes preparations. He will go visit the Uz at “Gorakiki-Beetle-Dug-A-Nest” next. Meanwhile, he brought Bradde to you, and Bradde explained too. The Purple Prophets are called the “Bards of Barbarism” in Slontos- and in Handra, after the Vomiter they promoted and gloated over much misery-until the powers of Darkness in Handra joined together and vanquished them. And so a new alliance (of Darkness powers), ironically, was forged by the forces of Chaos. But the City does not welcome them so much, and now the Arkati, Elandrans, Uz and others fan out. They seek common foes; and they are excited by news of evidence that new forms of Arkat himself are rising in Ralios and elsewhere-is this the time of the resurgence of Arkat's kingdom? The “Bards” now feed off of the piracy plaguing the Slontos coastline: remnants of the Wolf Pirate fleet and a resurgence of the power of the pirates of Smelch are more than a nuisance now. Soon enough if unchecked, the scourge of the Prophets and Bards will deepen here in the West. Bradde has been sent by Old Teelis and others to link Handra/Slontos and Giraine/the further West. Others will come. He knows of some contacts here, too. Bradde will remain in New Arv, helping coordinate activities of land and sea with allies near and far. There was a new alliance of “heretics” of darkness and more: Bradde and Syrr K noted that the Night Dragon, Arkati, mermen, draconics, Elandra and others all had reasons to work together and were beginning to much more effectively.
Baelulam was quickly recognized by Bradde, who scoffed at her as a “troublemaker” but indeed she is Elandra-touched, and a mystery. He does not want to be her caretaker, he was hasty to point out. But Syrr Kogag was gentler and more pensive: he could see and Mindspeech with the dark entity inside her, and recognized it as a Nyctalops; an Uz demon/intelligent shade; of some (“moderate” to him) power. He noted that it could Mindspeak with her and even other demons, and had spoken with the Shadow. Syrr K found it all very interesting but saw nothing special that needed to be done with her, except to keep her around as she's useful (and unusually blessed, to Uz).
Bradde spoke to Ahappi (with Boamund translating) of the Vision of the City that had not yet come to pass. Handra the hero had spoken his prophecy long ago, then dove from the great Pier at Handra and went to the Waertagi (Underworld), where he presumably rests still. Bradde wonders if the 25th Guild that Handra prophesized has anything to do with the Waertagi, and also thought it was worth pursuing any information about the Waertagi here on Giraine, as they lived on these coasts since the Dawn much like in Handra. Ahappi explained some ways the Waertagi did evidence presence here: the old cave on the north island and so forth.
Ahappi had tried to coax Baelulam into “paying Captain Gulos a visit” to get his signet ring, but she rebuffed that suggestion, saying that she didn't want to be a sailor for now, and wanted to be with Fraud Shaven instead. He kept his crew-promise and released her, although she said she'd watch out for news about the walrusfolk-pup-killers, which disgusted and outraged her.
You now aimed to seek information in New Arv about those skinners of Ouori pups. Miguel searched the harbour and markets while others went to the bar.
© Copyright - 2000-2024 - John Hutchinson, Tim Evans, Pete Nash, Colin Driver and Gordon Alford