RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

Hiya,

You rested back on the Manor grounds for a few weeks into Storm Season. Cyroosta tried out a ritual, which required you to slog into the stinkiest, muddiest part of the swamps and stand around while she chanted, to restore your health (to the Baronet and Boamund; Ahappi was unwilling and suspicious) using the powers of the land spirits she had marshalled since the wedding. But it failed; she blamed this on the local spirits “still not caring” about you, although she had hope for success after Sacred Time at the end of the year.

Inyana still seemed to show magical power, and yet Cyroosta said she'd had visions of sand spilling from Inyana's belly– was she infertile? Cyroosta worried so- perhaps the deal she'd made to marry Lord Shaven did not take her immortality but her fertility? But there were no signs of familiar curse-magics at play around Inyana, so the mystery was left unresolved.

You began a plot to undermine the power of the Rokari Church on Giraine, by planting valuable goods in the St Thosos Chapel's rubbish heap, by dropping comments in the marketplace about their lack of due care to the locals (both spearheaded by Lord Shaven himself), and by Ciddar trying to rally any local peasants that would listen while drinking at the Nameless Inn. Shaven seemed to have a little more success than Ciddar, but all these efforts would take time.

Ahappi set plans to visit the Ouori, but these were interrupted by a messenger from St Thosos that told, among other regular news, that a hero had come to St Thosos and was looking for the Captain and crew (including Shaven, Boamund). You sailed for the port together and found Amur van Zed, a foreign, olive-skinned and turban-wearing sailor from the country of Fonrit on the far southern continent of Pamaltela. He had served the hero Bar'ran for many years, himself a Priest of Dormal the sailor god, and seemed to handle his Captain's mundane business in a role that was more than first mate; more like a second captain at times. You drank together at the Inn and then accepted his invitation to dine and cruise on the Churner, a strange grey-wooden-hulled ship docked at the harbour. Amur told you this ship had been made from ironwood, which the crew had brought perilously down the Zola Fel river (far to the east in exotic wastelands; once a river of giant cradles) to build this sturdy-hulled version of the Churner with. (there was a tacit admission that a former Churner ship no longer existed)

There was little dining and a lot of cruising for over a day, as you passed northwest into the Pasos Islands archipelago. Amur tried to placate your concerns with little snacks and small talk, and then dinner was prepared at last- a spicy, fishy clam stew that you hungrily choked down without trouble. The Captain then appeared from his cabin at last: a wild-haired and bearded, tall white (but tanned, weathered) man whose most striking feature was a glowing ivory orb in his left eye socket, which seemed to stare inside you. That left side of his face was scarred horribly, giving him a hideous appearance especially when his eye glowed more brightly. He and Ahappi traded tales and jabs; Bar'ran listed many of his recent conquests of monsters he slew to glorify Magasta, the god he served in some sort of acolyte/priest role (very rare for humans!). Some of these monsters were fairly famous, and were hunted down and killed all around the world's oceans. Then he got down to business.

He had brought you here on the Churner, into the less charted areas of the Pasos Isles, for you to help him on a quest. He made it clear, too, in unflattering ways, that he was testing your mettle to see if tales he'd heard of your prowess were true or not. He wanted you to go into a place called Serpent Harbour, which was said to be forbidden to sailors (but he said this was somewhat untrue) ever since Dormal visited here and made a pledge to a monster called the Underdecker (which Bar'ran later killed) to make it a safe place for Magasta's monsters. Bar'ran wanted you to take his skiff and an undine (water elemental) binding anklet into the Harbour and seek out a Sea Princess of a certain description (he did not know her name), and convince her through kindness (something he admitted he and his crew lacked) to come to the Churner. Bar'ran wanted information off her that would lead him to his next quarry, which he would not name (hints of competitiveness with Ahappi?). He warned you to avoid a local being called the Spotted Shark, which had a head like a hammer and dark blotches on its hide; you had to rush back to the Churner if you saw it, as it was unstoppable.

Ahappi asked what you'd gain for this favour; Bar'ran said you could have all the pearls you wanted (Amur later clarified this was about 1000 silvers worth) and his appreciation, plus perhaps a role in the future quest he was aiming for, and perhaps some sort of religious help to Ahappi within the cult of Magasta. And so you agreed, and at dawn came on deck to see the fog-shrouded little cluster of islands of fabled Serpent Harbour. Which you shall explore next week!

-John

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