RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

Hiya,

You left New Arvonesse and plunged into the forbidding, flooded Big Gunge swamps. The Captain twisted his ankle at one point in the muddy bogs. Boamund and the new scout Miguel spotted a quicksand morasse and helped you avoid it, even spotting a strange elongate shape moving around in it, which the Captain verbally challenged to no avail. That night, the Baronet and Captain were troubled by dreams/nightmares. The Baronet was heard hissing.

Later, you met a Giranois on a raft, poling up a newly flooded stream near the coast, with a goat tied to his makeshift barge. After he spoke with you (Miguel meeting his first Giranois in the flesh!), he agreed (for a dagger and a fine beetle shell from Miguel) to take you across. He knew of you all and was somewhat in awe of the “Thralls of Granno”, seeming to have some new bond with the Captain.

That crossing went well enough at first, but as you parted, after the Captain whispered some words to him, the raft capsized and the goat (still tied) and hapless Giranois went into the currents. Ahappi magicked and swam, saving the Giranois, and Miguel waded/swam in, struggling and finally saving the frantic goat after casting a draw spell on it. You'd made a new “friend”, Naerl the Sharde clan huntsman and herder. The Captain urged him to carry the message of uniting the clans back to his elders and he said he would, but that there was disagreement over such things already so he was doubtful that he could win any elders' minds. You wondered why this Giranois was rafting (and in this spot), as most don't do any aquatic activities, but perhaps the nearby Cjed family had taught him a trick or two.

You then arrived at the Cjed family grotto along the shore. Cjaek, the family head, was coming out of his cave as if he expected you, and was not surprised to see you- he welcomed you as if you'd taken too long, and conversation quickly turned to the Baronet's resurrection (which he knew of, and warned that some Giranois would not like, but he thought it was amazing). Cjaek openly pondered whether the Giranois were the rightfulful descendants of the First Age serpent kinds, but expressed some doubts mixed with hope that it was true. He knew the Froalar myth, too, continuing to impress you with his very non-Giranois worldliness. He knew little of this sorceror's tower except that it could be seen above the trees of the swamp to the northeast of Fort Mudlark, and the Giranois (Sharde clan) around it were unhappy. Cyroosta and the Baronet met with his nearly-of-age daughter Zjaess in the grotto, but neither were impressed in terms of potential wife material, much as Cjaek liked the idea of a serpent king wedding! You parted on good terms.

Fort Mudlark looked much as it ever did- a slab of fine Mostali craftsmanship on a bare hilltop amidst a seemingly endless swamp. The patrols welcomed you and soon brought the Baronet Mudlark, but not before Maugis was whisked off to chat by an all-too-eager (but also paranoid) local wizard/sage Wendel Wyvernsbait, whom Maugis won over with some soothing words. They enjoyed some informal (Wendel is nothing if not casual; even juvenile, and a bit demented) sorcerous and scholarly discussions in his little tower. Wendel was interesting in his very focused, bookish knowledge of Giranois religions and customs, and also his magical analysis skills and expertise– he was a follower of the Order of St Urestes, a “natural philosopher” and by all means a heretic in Rokari eyes.

The rest of you joined the Baronet Mudlark in his ruined villa for some inevitable “snaps” liqueur (“eppmint flavour”?). As you'd experienced before in private with the Baronet, he was a lunatic, preaching of how the swamps had the fort under siege and were switching from hurling Giranois at it for undead now. But there were glimpses of sanity and even information from the mad Lord. He had no family to speak of, so this rumoured sister seemed to be false. He showed no curiosity in your quest or the Baronet's changes, oddly enough.

The “siege” had lasted here 3 years (so the Baronet here had indeed been here a long time, almost as long as Big Ron!), and recently [since your quest visit] 3 soldiers had died- 1 falling from the walls when drunk (on Mudlark's “not recommended” list now), 1 suicidal-maybe in the swamps, drowned, and 1 killed and eaten by undead when alone at night in the swamps (also “not recommended”). Lord Mudlark asked to send word to Big Ron that more men were needed here to sustain the siege, but was pleased to have received a recent shipment of goods from the supply line, some of which he shared with you as well.

The sorcerer had indeed flown to the tower (which he'd also created/raised, since it was not there before, just a vacant grey mud flat) and the Baronet had given up investigating him, because the sorceror's knights shot crossbow bolts at them and it was clear the sorcerer wanted to be left alone. Boamund(?) went on the battlements at night and saw the tower's single light, but nothing else. It would take you but a few hours to cross the swamps into Sharde Giranois territory tomorrow and find it. None of you fell victim to the Baronet's strong snaps liquor, and soon you rested for the night, grateful for strong walls and dry beds if nothing else, and wondering what this sorcerer was up to.

© Copyright - 2000-2024 - John Hutchinson, Tim Evans, Pete Nash, Colin Driver and Gordon Alford