RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

Hi all,

You descended into the cellars while Miguel watched the Purhos. Ahappi led the way until he came to a T-junction of the tunnel, which Fraud judged was headed toward the cliffs. There, Ahappi heard some sounds and called out about Papa Threegrins. Silence then greeted him and he turned left, entering a small cave well-stocked with weapons and armour. An armoured guard stood in surprise as he entered, growling that he expected someone else. Ahappi took advantage of the guard's uncertainty and made a forceful argument that the guard's best interests were to stand aside-that Lord Purho still lived and you'd fought your way down here past severe odds so it was unlikely you could be stopped. After a brief argument, in which the guard admitted he knew little of Papa Threegrins and was curious what Ahappi knew, the guard stood down and directed you back the way you came (to the tunnel to the right at the T-junction).

In the squarish cave beyond, another guard sat humming a tune on one of the six simple straw beds and turned in surprise when Ahappi entered. He drew his sword and said Ahappi would not be taking the Waertagi away, but then Ahappi spoke (unusually?) of peace and no need for more bloodshed. Again, the guard saw the bleakness of his situation against the three of you, and thrust his sabre into the straw bed, saying he'd not stop you; you should continue down the passage to your left. Fraud noticed the two guards now slowly sidling up behind you and kept an eye on them in case they opted to ambush. He also was noticing that all these guards, like those above, were similar in appearance (likely all Purho clansfolk) and some had evident corruptions into sealife, like patches of scales or suckers.

The short tunnel opened into a large cavern that abutted the sea, with cliff walls rising steeply and narrowing toward the top. This was a hidden cove, with a grey-shingled beach where a rowboat sat beached. Several tunnels extended away from the cave, a campfire was lit on the beach, and two stone buildings sat to your left; one squatting closer to you and the other perched at the end of a wooden pier jutting into the calm waters of the cove. But three guards were converging on your location as you entered, each coming from different directions as they called in alarm and grabbed their sabres. One, an older veteran leader and apparent guard captain, challenged Ahappi. Again Ahappi spoke well, inspired by his heroic quest, and the leader saw this. He said he and his men would not die trying to stop you here, given that you must indeed be some great hero beyond their capacity to waylay, but you should speak with Papa Threegrins if you wanted the Waertagi girl that was imprisoned here with an enchanted slave collar. You tried the first building, which had a strong iron-bound door and lock, and gave up once the guards said it was their goods kept inside. The guard captain pointed to the dockhouse on the pier and said you could make your case with Papa Threegrins there.

You went to the stone house, which bore little of interest outside but a chimney, and knocked but got no answer. Entering, the room was covered on all surfaces with charcoal scrawlings of Darkness, Fire and Earth runes and other doggerel. There was straw bed on one end, a table with documents scattered on it in the middle, and a spacious fireplace full of charcoal to your right. Ahappi stepped before the fireplace and called for Papa Threegrins. A horrific three-headed draconic-canine humanoid-thing manifested in a blast of flames and tendrils of hell-darkness, roaring out with demands to know where Atro Purho was. Ahappi explained the situation and that he wished to take the Waertagi away, to which the demonic thing replied that Atro had promised her soul to him and had never complied; hence his bargain with the Purhos was unresolved. A soul was the price he demanded… so Ahappi said he would bring Atro's in trade. Papa Threegrins was very interested!

You left, with the guards shuffling uncomfortably in the main cave, having lost any will to try to stop your momentum. Soon enough Ahappi returned with Atro bound and gagged in a sack, having recovered keys and a jar of strange red paste from him first (Fraud took the latter and soon gave it to Miguel, who could not figure what it was but it was not magical or flammable). Ahappi called for Papa Threegrins and threw the body into the fireplace as it arrived, then quickly left as the bargain was completed. With a bellowing whoosh, fires burst forth within the dockhouse and a column of flame reached from the chimney many metres up the cliffs. Surely Papa Threegrins now had his due and Atro his fate.

The guards indicated where the cells were-in a large mess hall to the right side of the main cave's entrance, where tables, supplies and a ship's tripod-mounted scorpion sat. There were three small side-caves with bronze bars and locks, one of which held the middle-aged Waertagi woman Pelagia, who clung to life and saw Ahappi as “the father” (Magasta) when he came. You unlocked the cell and carried her away safely. The guard captain said that he supposed he now was Lord Purho and they would have to decide how to deal with Papa Threegrins; Ahappi warned him from further meddling with the sea and he meekly agreed.

Ahappi swam off to the Waertagi after ensuring that Fraud and Boamund left safely, rejoining Miguel. Ahappi then visited the Waertagi, swimming to them full of heroic energy. The leader, Captain Hypatos, greeted him and Pelagia with joy and said they'd long awaited this aid, following visions and omens that such help would come; frustrated by their inability to directly confront the Purhos. He explained then that the devotee/priestess of Wachaza, Photina Sapanasister, would give the blessing of the “son” to Ahappi as promised. She summoned frothing, crashing waves that broke over Ahappi and gave him the Seastrength of Wachaza: doubled STR for the duration of the quest, as long as he was touching seawater! Captain Hypatos also explained that the Waertagi had learned more of his quest: that these first two “stations” were the simplest, and what came next would be more challenging. They had deduced that your nearest objective lay just to the east: the wreckage of the Sea Spite ship was there, now a settlement called Fraywrack, where the wreck survivors held a desperate struggle for survival against an evil force from the depths. You must aid them, but the foe was most dire… Then, in Hard Bay you'd be opposed by the depraved people of that port, who had fallen deep into corruption. Finally, in Kennutwaki you would face unusual challenges resolving conflict between diverse peoples on that island. Ahappi thanked them profusely and returned to the others, and you together made way to The Shadow.

You discussed your next move while you rested. Coldwater's people were agitated but no one did anything to stop you and it looked like they never would; surely now the Purhos had a big problem with their stronger Eerola enemies, and the latter would be distracted by that. Meanwhile The Neleomi Lion sat in blockade at the harbour exit, so you had to, and wanted to, deal with that final threat.

Waiting for nightfall, you sprung your trap: Ahappi swam close, then hit decks of the trireme with repeated Darkness spells, inciting confusion. The ship's captain was dumbfounded and this was a pivotal error (fumbled Perception!). It gave plenty of opportunity for Amur to pilot The Shadow and ram the great warship in perfect broadside, stoving its hull in and ensuring its sinking if nothing was done to save it. Ahappi began climbing aboard the stern while the others led the boarding effort. He shouted to the trireme's crew that they'd best abandon ship or die horribly; and some listened. Miguel struck a brilliant Multimissile shot to kill one soldier, then pinned down the ship's captain with more arrow-fire, wounding him. But Fraud, Boamund and soon Ahappi (who'd hewed a heroic path of carnage across the deck) faced five elite Seshnelan soliders, of the Order of St Gerlant (“House of Great Fire”), who wielded fearsome Flameswords and sorceries-but were so surprised by your bold attack that they had not enacted enough of the latter. You outskilled them and quickly hacked them down with no mercy- Boamund's icy sword killed three quickly, and Ahappi came in time to aid Fraud in facing multiple foes. The battle, however, was not going so well for the Shadow's crew- they kept fighting, clinging to hope, but they were outnumbered almost 10 to 1; so greatly that their foes had a hard time boarding or joining the fight in meaningful ways. The lingering Darkness spells helped save the day for the crew-and you were all somewhat grateful that the Monks of the Cryptic Library were not aiding the fight, or it might have gone very differently.

Finally, Miguel shouted to you where the ship's captain was taking cover, and you slashed and speared your way through waves of foes, soon becoming covered in blood and sweat. Fraud faltered, taking a small wound and fatigue; and Ahappi's draconic tail was injured; but you left a trail of death across the main deck and faced the captain. He was a Seshnelan Paragon (Horali-Talar hybrid of King Guilmarn's new making; much to the Church's dismay) with strong war sorceries (shining Battleaxe enhancement and motes of defensive Damage Resistance), and held out for over a round, aided by the violent rocking of the ship in the Shadow's clutches. But three heroes against one mere man was no even match and soon he died from multiple head wounds. This happened prominently on the top deck and its impact spread like a wave of doom throughout morale of the trireme's crew. Now leaderless, they began routing; and that was the end of them. The Shadow rent the Neliomi Lion's hull gradually into pieces as the few crew members able to act grabbed what loot they could. You sprung back onto the Shadow and watched the demise of the 'Lion, as Ahappi called sharks to feast on those who chose the mercy of the sea over joining their ship at the ocean's bottom. It was over quickly, and all of Coldwater joined to watch.

The Shadow had suffered some minor damage from magics and weapons (the 'Lion's ballista did hit it once, I should have mentioned), but this paled in comparison to the crew's suffering. All but a handful were now dead. Amur and Tazo had held their ground (aided by Amur's defensive magic) with Curly, Brobard and ?Jim?; all had suffered serious or major wounds. The Shadow was almost dead in the water with this skeleton crew- you needed new sailors, and it looked like Coldwater would have to be the source. Repairs weren't such a priority. What would happen as word spread of this event? Sinking a Seshnelan trireme is no minor thing in this region and time of war.

Overall: a great success! Party Luck pts = back to 3 for Ahappi's excellent peaceful resolution to the Purho problem; and the Neliomi Lion could have gone much worse… A good plan, and the prior deaths/disappearances of 9 soldiers + 4 monks, made a difference.

For next game, resolving that, anything else in Coldwater, and moving on (to Fraywrack, presumably)-which may be in 3 weeks, Friday 21 March; I might be travelling that week so stay tuned if there are changes.

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