RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

Hi all,

Ciddar went to find “Wyvernsbait,” but got no answer at the tower's stout door, so he climbed the rough building to an open window above. A distracted, pudgy, bearded young sage chided him for not using the door but was excited to be called to speak with the Baronet, hastily gathering his notes and books as he exclaimed how his whole life had led up to this moment. He was Wendel, who hated the pet name Wyvernsbait, and that name was the one Captain Gulos at New Arv had given you.

Once gathered back at the Manor you learned that the Baronet Mudlark had a healthy, playful (or bullying) scorn of the deferential scholar he called Wyvernsbait (some reference to past antics involving dragonkind and Wendel “earning his beard”). Wendel puffed on a strange pipe emitting green smoke (some questioning suggested it was an illicit substance), mostly eschewing the “snaps” liquor until later that night. He explained that he was here, by choice not exile, to help the Baronet Mudlark; courtesy of the Doge of Pasos (nearby island-state, part of the Quinpolic League that includes Pithdaros and resists annexing by mainland Seshnela [Rokari]); and was a “natural philosopher” of the Order of St Urestes. He had no clue who you were and did not seem impressed when told, although he was hungry for “field agents'” information on the Giranois– an armchair-based man of thoughts and letters, not wilderness exploration and observation.

Wendel proudly produced his notes and a 1502 book “The Manie and Currius Errores of the Frogge-men” by Iubrertus Dislexus, which he said he had part of one of the only 3 existing copies and desperately sought any further parts. The book explained how St Granno, back around the time of the Shattering, saved his people from drowning and then united them (some big gaps in the story here) ultimately to fight a bad wizard named Yomil (more gaps), and that they burned/ate/cliff-tossed visitors because they were reminded of the necromancers who raised the dead to fight them back then. All literate and hence all city folk were considered to be such necromantic evildoers, so it was clear why they hated and mistrusted everyone else on “their” island.

Wendel then explained his expertise, on the Sharde clan (a chapter of his life's work in development), who were the strongest clan on Giraine and seemed to be ruled/worship a demon elder, following very old and barely Malkioni religious practice. The Giranois worship the “Old Gods” secretly using toads/frogs as conduits, messengers and psychopomps. Wendel hypothesiszes that the Old Gods are Pamaltelan spirits; the Giranois do have a little southern blood evident in them despite their pale skins, so perhaps this is true. The Sharde seem to have some special weapon that they use to fight an ancient foe in their swamps. They also seek a prophesized saviour; each clan has its own, but all revere Granno above any saints.

Wendel showed one extra talent, that he could see magical traces and interpret odd writings (although the Giranois do not write and carve few runes). This became useful later when Boamund had a dream that Baronet Shaven was visited by a cold, dark figure in the night, and soon Wendel was able to see the dark traces left by it. Boamund was coaxed to remember more of the figure- it was pointy-eared and squatting, with a large head. The Baronet realized it had stolen something sacred to him, and you argued with Mudlark over investigating this shadowy thief. He agreed to let you lay a trap for or hunt it in search of evidence. But Mudlark forebade disturbing his mysterious visitor that you suspected might be the source of the thieving. He persisted even once you saw the shadow-thing at night as it slipped out of a hovel near the water-side gate (and proceeded to run very quickly, even vaulting over rooftops, to escape!). You gathered information, learning little about the shadow-thing that had recently haunted the fort, and finding a somewhat hidden little nunnery (of St Xemela; a healer) in one corner of the fort, as well as learning of “the Six Sinseekers” who were 2nd Age pirate ghosts that visited the fort every year in seek of buried treasure (so the local guards said, anyway).

You waited for the shadowy thing at night and saw it coming, then it seemed alarmed and dropped a golden statuette (some kind of goddess?) as it was doing something near the stockade wall, and ran off. You decided to confront the visitor in the hovel and cajoled the two guards into stepping aside (one ran off to fetch the Baronet Mudlark), then kicked in the barred door. A blast of frigid darkness hit the Baronet and Captain, who then vanished into a senseless void that they could not effect. Ciddar and Boamund tried to enter or burn the dark, but gave up. Soon the Baronet stumbled out, wide-eyed in awe and terror of what he'd seen, and the Captain soon came out too, frosty and frustrated. Fraud Shaven breathlessly told of the sight he'd seen in the hovel: a staircase led down into an umbrous land where red-eyed black horses watched him… he knew he'd seen a gateway to Hell (the underworld).

You discussed this briefly and thought this visitor (still absent)/site might relate to the Black Horse County far off to the east, where ancient Malkioni hero/villain Sir Ethilrist lorded over a mercenary army and kingdom of darkness and demons. He was reputed to use demon-horses and shadowy goblins, which fit the scene well– but why would the Baronet Mudlark host a visitor from so far away and from such an infamous land? You might find out soon, as the guards were coming back with the usually-jolly Baronet in tow…

Cheers, John

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