RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

Hear me now, oh Many-Mouthed Krarsht, Hungry One and Devouring Mother! I served you well in life! And now my soul comes to join the Many Into One—I await learning all your secrets and powers as I become you, the Waiting Mouth!

Word came unto me of agents of Law that came to the surface above in Korrin Bastion. We felt the tremors that threatened our tunnel-schemes, as I whispered to you. One lay with a slave-girl, Maevra, in Dionora’s tent. I did not know it but he charmed the wayward slut into disgorging her secrets, that she knew Dionora had helped frame her family in Pitharos for crimes and debts that only the girl’s selling into servitude resolved. And she blabbed that Dionora was no kind ally but rather a cold-hearted liar and sociopath, weaving intrigue about the Bastion that kept her girls and some important customers in check, whether by sex, lies, the drug Cataplasis, money, or more. I had never heard the legend of how the strange seagull-magician of the cliff-caves had tunnels that led to a great underground sea, but she told him this. And he, somehow having the head of a snake but lacking the deafness of serpent-kind, overheard me and Dionora speaking of “getting rid of the Galan problem” and peeked out of the tent to see us speaking before I turned and left—he saw me, Mother Krarsht! I made a mistake coming to the surface, even in some disguise. His eyes were keen indeed- later he saw the mysterious wyverns leave their roost, circling the Bastion before heading north over the sea. I did not see this as I was in the shadows of our tunnels by then, safe and hatching a cunning plan…

The other three went with the pathetic diver Rogar to the Delvers’ Depths via a helper’s rowboat, anchored to an ice floe where he then cast Warmth spells on them. The rower showed how the waters, or bottom of the Strait, attracted a thrown stone in a very unusual way; some said this began years ago when the Tibolian ship sunk here, others said it had always been so. The team invoked magics and went into the cold depths. There they saw the buried jade-fort they’d heard of, with silt and cloudy mucus covering most of it. They approached, and a shadow came slithering in through the entry to the Strait and quickly to them—it had been watching, and saw a call for Right Action. The vast silvery, finned and barbelled sea dragon “Falling Outside The Normal Moral Constraints” loomed out of the depths before them and they gasped in awe, but none quelled in fright. As I’d find out myself, they were no meek divers or run-of-the-mill soldiers or foolish adventurers. They were heroes. A sea-dragon merely inspired them.

The weird black-sea-dragon-hero Ahappi managed to communicate crudely with the monster in Auld Wyrmish. He didn’t understand what it was up to, though, as it took a deep breath and blasted the area of the fort with a huge cloud of superheated water! But the heroes had enough time to swim or jog clear, and so barely were touched. The waters churned, becoming murky as the dragon moved away. As the murk settled, the change became clear: the sea-dragon had removed the shroud of mucus and underlying silt, and also exposed a second, twin jade fort some hundred metres across the Strait! On entering the fort, the trio found it entirely empty but mostly intact, and pulsing with unfamiliar magic. But it invoked powerful feelings in them all; of dragons or family or friendship; which puzzled and worried them, as such feelings might lure people to their doom here. Their warmth-magics ended so they had to leave rather than investigate more. Mayhaps we should send some diggers down there to devour the truth, Mother. It is no place of Chaos, I wager.

As they ascended, the two companions of Ahappi lifted by Buoyancy spells, Ahappi saw the sea-dragon circling him in rhythmic patterns with flashing scale-colours. He watched and got a simple insight into its meaning: it had danced the runes of Earth, Mastery, Air, Mastery and Water in order; fitting the cosmological progression of the elements’ masteries over each other. But it only puzzled him more. Krarsht must find out first, if you do not yet know. I am coming.

The four heroes rejoined at the Bastion as great dark clouds gathered over the sea to the north, flashing lightning that struck the ocean. They learned from the locals that these storms were common here, but this one might pass soon enough. So like all the locals they sought shelter. Asking of the wyverns, they were told that these were friendly enough with the Bastion. There are too many friends here, Waiting Mother. We must shatter their allegiances with subtle intrigue and murder.

The heroes camped in shelter of the walls as night crept in. Their watch-Horali Rumino checked in on them now and then but could not stay, and most were disappointed to learn of the Baroness’s silly policy of prohibiting intoxicating drinks in her Bastion. It is a weakness Krarsht could exploit… But we sought other weaknesses, using the soft earth below the Bastion, and the old basements, many forgotten or sealed off in war-time, that your digger Krarshtkids had tunnelled around to create our warren. My plan was hatching. We quietly wore down the ground below their camp. I called forth the three terrible Krarshtide-spirits that you gifted me with, oh great Hungry One. It was a great gift to this pious Lip of Krarsht! It gave us our one final victory!

And, when we were ready, we sprung our trap. In caved the muddy, rocky ground and down slid all four of the heroes, into the old cellar of the fort’s defences where our mouths awaited to bite them. The little Krarshtkid moved into the rubble and spat the archer Miguel with pratzim, enmeshing his shield-arm. Well done little one! The great Old Digger leapt from its central spot, as we’d planned, and onto the hero Ahappi’s head. It latched on but his armour was thick, so it licked away at it with its acid-tongue. I threw some of my Teeth of Krarsht at Miguel but was clumsy and none came close; I even dropped the last two. I regret not practicing that trick more. The Krarshtides came gliding in, trying to draw the souls of Miguel, Fraud and Boamund into the spirit-plane to be eaten, but their will was strong. Soon though, the strongest one drew Fraud in, and began rending him with its spirit-claws. I tried my Sweat Acid spell on Ahappi but again failed; he was just too strong for me. Befuddling the warrior Fraud bought us a little time, but not much, as the spirits broke the spell. Seeing a need for more physical action, I drew my bladesharped swortsword and entered the fray with my net in my left hand. Great little Krarshtkid viciously took the opportunity to unleash all its digging claws on the unarmoured Miguel, and wickedly wounded his leg. It, however, left itself open to Boamund, who came rushing in and dealt it a death-blow with his icy sword. It served you well, Mother, in its short existence; find new use for its deadly essence. Ahappi wrested the Old Digger off his head and gave it some blows, with the others’ help, that soon stove in its body and it died valiantly. And I, Scabrous Hralji, your ever-serving Lip, I tried to fight that Boamund chap but his skill was beyond mine, and he cut me down in one blow to the head. The battle was left to the Krarshtides. Two were put on the defensive by Miguel and Boamund who gave themselves up to Discorporation and showed much prowess in Spirit-Binding, stunning the spirits repeatedly until they could be battered down. But Fraud’s nasty spirit got him—his mind has fed your Hungry Mouths by its spectral power! The terrors of your secrets have rended his intellect and now the Krarshtide gnaws at the remnants from within, digging its way into his psyche. And so we gained that small victory. But my cunning plan of assassination has failed, and now our broader schemes at Tibol-Korrin are greatly threatened. Strike them now, Mother Mouth! Use my soul-power to aid your vengeance!

[Game outcomes so far: Fraud has lost 2 permanent POW; and gained a Fear Krarsht passion at 69%; and his INT is 3 for now and he is unconscious at zero MP, needing major help to remove possession by the POW 23 Krarshtide!] -John

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