Morning,
Criticial rolls were in your favour last night and that made the heroquest a relative breeze!
You entered the courtyard of the Seshnadel and the whirlwinds came closer, discharging four feminine spirits of love and grief that were guardians of Seshna's domain, especially against men. They weren't malicious but attempted to do their simple duty of promoting their passions, perhaps to soften the hearts of those who came questing here, if not to drive off those with malign intent. Boamund and Fraud had the enticing love spirits come to them whispering of the power of the goddess Uleria; the wailing grief spirits came to the other two, dredging up old memories of losses and suffering. Miguel was freshly reminded of what he saw in the Vadeli chest and this gave him much pause. The others were less moved and, while not pushing the offensive, defended themselves well being given no other choice. You dismissed or drove off the spirits quickly without them touching you, although perhaps they did touch your hearts. This was not a place that welcomed you openly. It questioned your right to be here.
You climed the great stairs to enter the building. The doorway was flanked by two 10m tall dark green statues snake-headed, naked, four-armed women bearing an axe in one hand, another gesturing to her loins, another holding a serpent coiled up like a crown, and the final hand raised to the sky and making a Mastery rune gesture with her fingers. Passing within, the three men in the party felt their manly traits (those Seshna Tibolkorrin, as you'd later figure out, favoured) challenged and they proved themselves worthy, gaining a blessing of a Rejuvenate miracle-like sorcerous spell (one-use; Intensity = your Invocation skill/10; can Shape). You felt the weird sensation, too, that indicated you had passed to the Other Side; heroquesting on Seshna's part of the Hero Plane.
Beyond the archway, the dark echoing jade halls had the musty odour of soil that had not touched the air in an Age. Again the layout of the halls was familiar- they formed a square ring around a central core of the fortress, with externally facing side rooms coming off that ring and a large chamber in each corner. Walls most commonly featured Harmony and Law rune designs amidst scenes of contented Dronari labours. The halls and rooms were decorated with a wide variety of statuary, urns and other stoneworks and ceramics. Some containers were filled with that dark soil from outside, from which brittle remnants of dead plants projected. The soil covered the floor, too, thicker closer to the gates but continuing throughout, except where strange circular holes about 50cm diameter and 2m apart lengthwise traversed the halls in regular, continuous lines. Miguel inspected these and deduced that they were of a huge, heavy bipedal form that was humanoid but not human; simple in foot structure, maybe boots or very crude toes. You explored more, seeking the central staircase.
Dronari spirits of women and children walked the halls, seeming to be conducting mundane duties such as tending to furniture or sweeping the floors or carrying goods, but they interacted with nothing physical here and thus nothing changed. You passed them. Then Fraud, leading the way, heard somewhat stealthy movement back behind you and turned to see a giant jade construct creeping through the halls, filling the full space of the corridor with its bulk. It was SIZ 60 and surely of Godlearner design, very masculine in nature, with pieces endlessly revolving and contorting in a disconcerting way. You opted not to confront it but to run for the stairs, and you were much swifter than it so this was not hard. It pursued, harshly and hollowly intoning “return to work; sloth is Error.” You climbed the stairs, seeing a wall of flame ahead blocking the top, but Fraud and soon the others, with Ahappi most uneasy, went through rather than face The Jade Overseer. It had lurked here in its cursed Disorderly state since the Second Age, and its nature had become a jealous one that it could do no work except patrol the halls endlessly, and as such it had gone mad. It would await the next questers in this deepening madness…
The flames tested your bravery and trust in your martial prowess, which all of you were strong in; and most of all, surprisingly, Miguel. He leapt through the challenge with heroic valour. You came through unsinged; the flames were illusory; but instead blessed with flaming or shining weapons or armour. The layout of the second tier was similar, but the furnishings were different. The wall-carvings were of bold scale-armoured female warriors with snake-headed axes, facing a variety of foes from armies of men to beast-men to major Elder races and monstrosities; telling heroic First Age Seshnelan tales of victory and defeat, with the rest of families celebrating or grieving each one at the end. Death and Law runes featured prominently. Arrow-slits opened from the walls onto the courtyard. The rooms were stocked with ancient armour and weapons, or featured barracks, weaponsmithing and training rooms. The soil from below was gone; the halls were clean, dark and starkly cold and still. This was a Horali-place, for the warrior-maidens of the complex. And soon, as you sought the corner stairs, you met them. Six Horali wraiths of axe-maidens with serpent-axes patrolled the halls here. While malevolent in principle, they confronted you from out of the chambers through the walls, surrounding you and challenging: “Who trespasses upon our halls of bygone glory? The Seshnadel is forbidden, especially to men. The dead must lie dead. Men must stay in men-places or their male-parts get bitten off.” Miguel quipped a reply followed soon by Boamund and Ahappi, and the spectres tensed, raising their weapons about to attack, but Fraud followed up swiftly with reassurance that you meant no harm and sought to enable them to continue their duties. He spoke so well that they relaxed and welcomed you, saying that “the Talara” awaited in the tier above and you should go to have audience with her… Talara? Oh that's unusual. But the Seshnegi did have stronger roles for women back in the Second Age, unlike the Rokari, so hmm, what was going on?
Staircases in each corner of this tier spiralled upward to the centre of the next, third (Talari) tier. Wall-carvings featured snake-beings like a snaky Son of Seshna confronting a Malkioni Horali. A thin sheet of water trickled down the staircases, and as you passed through it the waters licked at their leadership abilities, coldly questioning your prowess to bring justice when needed. You all passed this test, gaining a one-use Seshna blessing to summon a 4m3 undine (average stats). Beyond, you found out what was up with this “Talara”. There were no side-halls or rooms, just a great central hall of echoing green stone. The walls were ornately carved with titanic versions of gods and heroes of the time of Froalar, showing stories such as Froalar's Solution, abandoning own inheritance to stop strife with kin, and Seshna's Promise, in which she made the oath to Froalar that she would birth him a dynasty of Serpent Kings. But everywhere amongst them, women featured prominently with them as influential wives, consorts, advisors, magicians and more. Law, Fertility and Mastery rune motifs predominated.
A creature sat up from the central giant copper throne. She was a greenish-skinned, scaly-winged, forked-tongued female figure with four great snakes emerging from her bony torso; it was hard to tell where her body began and they ended. She wishes to bewitch any who enter her domain, or devour them. She opened up conversation with Fraud in Seshnegi as he began to address her: “And here they come. Heroes questing to understand how Earth, Air and Water vie for dominance in the shattered land of Tibol-Korrin. Well I, Sabazia, am dominant here, as the Talara of the Seshnadel. You are my guests, in my lonely hall. Answers that you seek are within my purview. I am feeling gracious, if… peckish. Ask, and I shall consider queries.” Immediately, Fraud was taken aback. She was cruel and deceitful; no just Talara here. But she offered knowledge, and Fraud pondered this. She answered his query that she had been here long and there had been a Talar here centuries before but she had “been peckish then, too” (she ate him/her) and then she spread her snakiness to its full extent and called out “Do you question the power of Seshna within me?” He didn't argue with that-she was very snaky, after all! Boamund had his hand on the hilt of Taanashyara, wondering if he should find out if she was a demon or not. Miguel tried casting a lie-detecting Subere spell on Sabazia but she resisted and turned furiously to him, threatening to devour him and scolding Fraud for not having control over his little Dronari. She took flight as she did this, her great wings spreading in this huge hall. Ahappi whispered some advice to Fraud: offer an experience of lustfulness to her. He did that, but she snarkily replied it wasn't what she wanted, that as the Talara here she only sought power to strengthen her position. Fraud didn't want to give up much; he offered the snake-bracelet and she appreciated this but it wasn't what she had in mind. Miguel had been thinking and suggested that he could gift his spell of calling small mammals; this could feed her from the beasts outside the Seshnadel. (there might be unintended consequences for those beasts…) Fraud made this offer so nicely that she agreed (a very well-used Critical Influence!). Miguel, as instructed, began climbing one of the corner spiral staircases and a wind swept his spell to her. She then explained:
The powers of Earth (Seshna) on Tibol-Korrin were evoked in the Second Age, from the Seshnadel by its Zzaburi, to control the powers of Air (Worlanth) and those then used to control the powers of Sea (Magasta). Together, this potent combination allowed mastery over storms and waves as well as the creatures of both, for warfare, protection or otherwise. Today, the powers just drew and kept such creatures nearby against their will, creating tension. She found this amusing but it wasn't what she cared much about as Talara. She just liked ruling the Seshnadel. Now you understood, though, how all the problems of Tibbol-Korrin were linked to these fortresses and Seshna's power (and discontent). You would learn more on the fourth tier, though.
Stairs continued up from the landings at each corner of the room. A gently breeze blew down as you climbed them, with dim light visible above. The breeze threatened to scatter your faith across the Gloranthan lozenge, and Ahappi, a very pious creature, was unsettled by the challenge that this presented him with, his confidence (Willpower) forever weakened as a result. This heroquest was not for the faint-hearted! But you ascended to the top tier. The staircases opened onto the corners of an open tier atop the Seshnadel, with a view of a vast dense green forest. This was the Greatwood of the Grey Age, just before Time began. The tier's only feature was a golden cage in its centre, within whose bars there was a large green, woman-headed serpent looking absently into a hand-mirror-she was surely a facet of Seshna (Likita; meaning a demigod aspect thereof). Before her cage stood a strange female figure with the upper body of a sorceress and a lower body that at first looked snaky but then you realized was instead a caterpillar. She challenged you as flame formed in her palm and two fiery serpents (special Salamanders) congealed next to her:
“Men? In our refuge?! Halt, blasphemers, defilers and trespassers in the domain of Halifor, King of Seshnela and son of King Fioros Peacemaker! By the power of Herjan the Raider, slayer of the Dragon Invader, I Wayfarer Brightworm challenge thee. Makan has chosen me to ward the home of Seshna Tibolkorrin, the Seshnadel, and I wield all the sorceries of Sky and Fire to do so. No husband-protectors like Ehilm or Lodril are thee. If you value your souls, turn back. Take one step forward and my challenge is accepted, atop this tier of Zzabur.” Miguel suddenly was struck by the import of her words. Ahappi too grasped some of them. They dated her to the year 1049 ST, the end of Old Seshnela (after the 990 fall of Jrustela/Middle Sea Empire), and shortly after Herjan killed Seshna Likita's (?son/Froalar? This remains a mystery; and the “Dragon Invader” may also be called the “Great Serpent”-Ahappi might be wondering about this confusion/linkage) and so Herjan ruined Seshnela, bringing the end of the kingdom as a result. King Halifor died fighting the Luathans; his army of thousands defeated by just a small boatload of those demigods. And the Luathans then shattered all of Seshnela by driving iron spikes into the earth and ringing them with hammers, with waves coming to flood what was already broken. This “Wayfarer Brightworm”, then, was a heroquester from his court; and Arkati in particular would oppose her-Fraud was doubly enraged! There was no bargaining or subterfuge this time. Battle was on!
Wayfarer was quick to throw a massive Ball of Fire that could have roasted all of you, but you dove to safety (three criticals!). Fraud called his undine forth as the salamanders slid to fight him and Ahappi. Miguel drew his bow. Boamund helped fight one salamander and soon turned it to cinders with his frozen sword; then the other one, but not until it managed to singe Fraud's body. Wayfarer conjured a shining Golden Circle around her that almost stopped the charging Ahappi from entering to confront her but he pushed through. And as she completed her next spell, it sizzled in a puff of smoke as she cried out in dismay (a Fumble! No Blinding flash-spell for her!). Miguel struck her with his Adamant arrow, wounding her tail but more importantly Neutraliing the Golden Circle, allowing Fraud and the undine to cross (Boamund had made it through more easily). Boamund rushed her and dealt a sword blow that knocked her down unconscious! And with a cry, Fraud came in and hacked her head clean off-vengeance was his!
The golden cage vanished into golden rays fading into the sky, and Seshna looked away from her mirror in surprise, making a big heroquest soliloquoy: “Broken is my cage but beyond is a broken land and goddess Seshna, and in such breaking the bonds of matrimony are sundered. The Serpent Crown awaits a true King, but the likitae of the broken lands await their Lords too. Many such bonds must be wrought again through love grown and promises kept. When love departs, Disorder or even Chaos slip back into the world so mischief and trouble rule. When love rules, the land breathes a sigh of relief. When the waters rise, we return to the earth's womb to be born again under unfamiliar skies. Unfamiliar indeed was what I watched in my mirror for an Age, reflected by a future Sky. When Waertag's Ship rises again, heroes rise with it through the Sky, seeking the Gates of Dusk where they may to bargain for their land's salvation or destruction, and may sink with the Ship to face even greater challenges. Sea Season is the time of rising. Heroes prepare to rise to this great trial. But witness one and all. First this land beckons for aid. Second a sister land calls out in pain. All shall see the first, and may you act nobly. One shall see the second, and learn its import. Seshna Likita watches and judges. This place now wards you from danger. When you feel strong, step into the whirlwind chariot of Mastakos and pass onwards into Asrelia's domain. Yet now, look into my hand-mirror for the visions I gift unto you.”
Whoa! She'd dropped some serious knowledge! Among several things, Fraud now knew that there are many demigod aspects (Likitae; such as Seshna Tibbolkorrin here) of Seshna, the true Earth goddess of Seshnela; Talars or others can marry them to bring the land together again, and if enough of that happens, the Serpent Crown might again be atop a true King of all the land. Some of you might be thinking: uh oh, what would King Guilmarn of Seshnela do to enable or stop this?? And, then there's the much-discussed prophecy of the Boat Planet- everyone knew of that. What Seshna Tibbolkorrin knew is that it was coming next year and would bring back Waertag, with huge changes for the seas and world-who knows what that might be, but it was the biggest heroquesting chance you'd have yet!
You were ready for her visions and looked into her copper mirror: First, you each looked down from a great cliff into a huge cavern with a vast blue-green sea and underground rivers. There was an island in the middle of the sea where a giant crackling blue being constantly called electricity to it and then emitted this to the sea around it, sending writhing bolts of electricity snaking across the waters. The being's fiercely noble face was contorted in grimaces of torment, its feet mired in crushing rock. It looked to you in anger and pain. This, then, was a storm daimone or servant of the god Worlanth, trapped by the power of Asrelia, grandmother-protector of the bounty of the earth and greedy keeper of hidden things underground. And so this daimone's power was yoked, via the Seshnadel's influence and apparently invoked by the Godlearners, to control the waters and sea beings of the area. This was surely upsetting to things like that Sea Dragon.
But a storm daimone? None of you felt like helping such a barbarian entity, prone to violence. No proper Malkioni liked them; Worlanth after all had conspired with Zzabur and other gods to kill Malkion, bringing forth the Devil as a result. Those people and beings to the east only brought trouble. Yet it seemed the right thing to do.
Your views returned to the chamber, but then Fraud Shaven was seized by his own vision, left convulsing on the floor. His vision cartwheeled across the Middle Air, crossing over a nearby island to its northwest side (a Cartography roll could pinpoint where he went-roll next session!) into a misty land. Descending, he saw a hill near a cliff, and approaching he saw that the hillside bore great snake-wrapped pillars and copper gates, which flung open to reveal an underground labyrinth that he flew through at breakneck pace until reaching the end. There, a shadowed, silent figure stepped toward him, its features obscured except for crocodile-hide armour, a snake-skeleton necklace and sapphire-studded silver bracers, evident as it reached for him, offering pure white symmetrical shells in its palms… his vision flew back out of the labyrinth, leaving him dazed as he returned to his body, where he gasped out the words “Seshna Gira”. The name of the likita of Giraine!
Seshna Tibbolkorrin spoke as Fraud regained his senses: “Wait, honoured heroes. My land of Tibolkorrin awaits a noble man and quester who would be husband-protector. Is there such a man amongst you?” At first, Fraud said yes, but then realized that he'd seen another choice in Seshna Gira, and maybe that was better suited to him as opposed to moving to this land to start anew and try to become its Talar. (This would have been a fun character change but a big one; it was a real choice to be made) You instead suggested that the well-respected Baron Kir of Tibbol Fort might be suitable, and you would bring this idea to him. (if you'd felt naughty, you could have interfered with the upcoming marriage of the Tibbols and Korrins) Asked of the Talara Sabazia below, Seshna Tibbolkorrin knew nothing of her. She explained that a suitor must return to the Seshnadel and complete the quest to this spot to woo her; if her home was “infested with rabble” then that quest would entail removing them. (no easy task, as you'd seen! Indeed, you did not know it and might never, but Sabazia was a demon installed by the Godlearners as a false Seshna-being, selfishly controlling the Horali and Dronari below and ensuring the Zzaburi could remain in power; but Sabazia had her own agenda, too)
You rested calmly with Sesha Tibbolkorrin, healing and regaining power. It was a welcome time of peace after that breakneck-paced heroquesting up the tiers. But soon you felt ready. The Likita called: “Come, Speak and Spoke! Rise from the Black Camp of Introspection. Hasten your master's chariot to me!” The winds whipped wildly and two faint horselike forms appeared in cloudlike forms, with some misty vehicle behind them, swirling in a spiral atop the tier. “Go, heroes. There is a final wrong to be undone, then freedom blesses the land of Tibolkorrin.” You climbed into the chariot, lurching away to the east, off the tier, seeing the land dwindle as you passed over its green swath, then over the blue river/strait (a serpent, it looked like?), then descending toward another green shore and into a dark cave and tunnel after tunnel… then… well, we'll see on Friday.
Great job! Those crits made a huge difference, but also you made good choices. “Violence is always an option”, Worlanth would say, and you could have fought your way up the tiers, but “There is always another way” is something Seshna might say instead, and you did that plenty. Even Wayfarer might have been bargained with but that was unlikely from your viewpoint. You respected the Seshnadel and it might pay off even more.
-John
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