That was a pretty fun session. A dramatic, decisive end to the Hrunda quest, and great roleplaying with that and the poor refugee Dronari. You’ve thrown me for a loop with the surprise detour eastwards, but that’s good! I want Ralios to be a sandbox to explore. I’ve added some useful/colourful info in the next email, for stuff that you know by the time of the next session.

Hrunda is before you. Fraud feels his Fertility/Life rune fill him with pity for the wounded god. He does not want to hurt Hrunda; as he has wondered before as an Arkati quester, maybe there is another way here? Could Hrunda even be healed?

Your runes also flood you with senses. Fraud hear moaning winds, cracking wood; Boamund sees cold mists, other eyes glaring within the tree; Shrett tastes sickly-sweet dust, musty smoke; Bog smells ancient rot, necrotic decay.

Then a blue magic arrow thunks at Shrett’s feet. Vinshana calls out from the trees on the grove’s edge, challenging Shrett as rival Hunter for the right to face Hrunda. She says the contest is to death or surrender, and wagers a spell as a trophy. Shrett accepts, wagering his Mobility magic. Now they face off. Vinshana Keen has Heroformed as a Odayla huntress with a spectral bear looming around her body, making her much larger and stronger. Shrett has formed as his Star Heart of the Hunter, elusive like a figure made of shimmering stars. Vinshana tries calling up an earthquake to make Shrett stumble but he confuses her with illusions of where he is, and she tires. It already is not going well for her. They trade rune-power assaults again, and she is faltering, so she tries refreshing her Hero Soul with her Life rune, but she falters again. She manages to get one glancing blow in, but Shrett is outclassing her with his Movement and Illusion runes, even though she is adept with her Beast and Life powers. Vinshana engages him in full bear-form, trying to bite and claw him, but he keeps her at bay. Finally, as she goes all-out with an enraged to rip him asunder, he dances around her and gets her in a headlock. She is helpless and concedes. Vinshana Keen honourably but curtly accepts his victory and right to face Hrunda, and she transfers over her magic of Sureshot as a one-use blessing. She slinks off, bruised and disappointed, into the woods.

You realise that the Barrier of Dreams which the Wise Beast warned you of is a difficult obstacle preventing you from getting to Hrunda. You experiment extensively, and eventually Bog gets tired of it all and just hits it with his maul, but that glances off too, yet Boamund isn’t giving up, and his fireblade cuts deep into the invisible wall, opening a rent through which the Black Breath of Nontraya flows! Most of you persevere its horrific rot, but Bog is badly hurt and Fraud carries him away from it. Boamund keeps slashing with his sword, ignoring the Breath. Shrett tries Cleanse on Bog to no avail. Then Hrunda emerges!

Eyes flashing, the enormous bluepaw leaps from his macabre lair up onto a large branch above you. Foul smoke billows from his howling mouth, filling the grove with corpse-stench. His bloated fingers fling bones, chunks of dead plants and soil into the air. He bellows in a deafening roar in Beastspeech, “Foolish trespassers into my nightmares! I will eat your hearts!” The grove moves with His beckoning. A writhing bush of black leaves oozes forth from the umbrous undergrowth. An ape-shaped head rises from the grave-soil, its mouth gaping wide. Bones clatter forth from inside the trunk and rise into the form of a man, hefting a long spear of bone. These things manifest between the edges of the grove, you, and Hrunda. You are trapped!

Bog throws a Shield spell; Shrett begins switching from bow to sword and shield; Fraud fights the skeleton near Shrett and cracks its skull; Bog fearfully tries not to get crushed by the ape-head, and Boamund finds his fireblade rather effective against the dark bush. Hrunda throws a branch down onto Shrett, wounding his belly and pinning him down, but Fraud pulls it off and defends Shrett. Hrunda dismisses Bog’s Shield out of pure mischief. Bog has a hard time but luckily destroys the earth-ape, and Boamund wins against his enemy too. Hrunda then leaps down, out of the Barrier, to fight Shrett in person! Shrett is hard-pressed by the skeleton and Hrunda but is lucky to have Fraud there, who cuts the skeleton in half at the waist. The Mad God shouts furiously and you cannot hear each other speak. Then, after Shrett survives a mighty punch from Hrunda and Hrunda is tripped, Fraud deals him a tremendous sword-blow to his face, knocking Hrunda out! He might even be dying. But Fraud’s pity for the Mad God stays his hand. He cuts the skeleton’s head off instead. Bog comes forward and invokes his Death rune to summon a shadow over Hrunda that he calls on to ensure Hrunda dies forever. Shrett finally gets his bow back and arrow knocked and casts his death-blessing from the shamans, and pierces Hrunda viciously through the eye socket! Hrunda dies quickly, his body turning to dust with a final whimper of what might be relief. His blood has spattered the bones around him.

The Half-Mad God is dead. The world twists with spiralling mist. Perceptions warp; the netherworld brightens; the corpse-scent fades; and the mists dissipate. You find yourselves before the sacred tree of Hrunda in the Temple of Bones of All Beasts. It is sometime after dawn; the night has passed. The other Hunters are arriving on the periphery. Before you though, lying in the blood of the feast’s sacrifices and their own, is the shaman of Hrunda called False Jax, again moaning in pain from fresh wounds (same as given to Hrunda). The shaman Alikas has pushed himself through the crowd as Yurvog leads the crowd into a deep dirge. Together, they sob.

False Jax lies with wounds matching those of Hrunda, although less extreme but still a mortal threat. Alikas applies the Chalana’s Tear mushroom, pleased that you brought it back, to False Jax who leaps up with new vigour, cheering “The pain is gone! Joy fills me again!” They express their deep gratitude and say that, as a surviving Hero of Hrunda; the only remnant of his spirit; you may call False Jax to them one time, whether here or on the Hero Plane. And the crowd turns from mourning to renewed celebration and feasting, although still with heavy hearts from Hrunda’s death. It is a celebration of his life.

The shamans explain gifts as your rewards:

1. special magics from Hrunda (Shrett takes “Monkey’s Mind” as a re-usable spell; others take 1-use magics)
2. newly crafted terracotta beads given to companions – Shrett chooses how to share the bead blessings; touches beads to transfer them, and each of you gets one. These can either be used to give +1 grade easier skill rolls (i.e. a regular difficulty becomes Easy) for 1 day when doing positive communication interactions with beings of that rune, OR invoke special rune-magics aligned to that rune.
3. And you feel your runes surge with new energy; strengthened.
4. Shrett’s arrow is blessed with Truearrow as a one-use blessing; perhaps for some future hunt!

Bog and anyone else are fully healed, too.

Alikas announces that Hrunda is dead but his people have been saved from Hrunda, Nontraya and Rafierki. But the Bluepaw Monkeys will be fine, and the worshippers of Hrunda still have other great spirits here at the Temple that they can pray to. Hrunda’s cult must die. The monkeys do not need the cult; it is a human cult whose time has passed. These are not animal-people; they are monkey-worshippers who must now pray to other spirits, available here at the Temple. His spirit will persist as an ancestor to the bluepaws, but he no longer can manifest or give magic to humans. The shamans were reluctant and tried to stop it, but omens taught them that they must concede. The task to save Hrunda this time was too great. This time it could not just be a ritualised death-and-rebirth of Hrunda. Death destroys Hrunda’s “life” on the Hero Plane, but his soul is cleansed and saved from eternal corruption by Nontraya. The Hero Wars require sacrifice and change, Alikas admits.

Vinshana soon has left the Temple. Bog goes over to the Mist-Bush and the Ghost Mink returns to greet him, knowing that he has done the deed requested. Bog describes the “messy” death of Finstaval that the Ghost Mink wanted, and it is very pleased. It confers the blessing of Stormflood’s Bloodthirsty Rage on him for future invocation. [this was a fun turn of events—I didn’t expect Bog to get so upset with Finstaval, then ask the Ghost Mink if he could do something for it, so it played out well and resolved the open-ended fate of Finstaval. One example of how this quest had a lot of potential for altering outcomes. Hrunda’s death was fairly certain; but what happened along the way could have much importance!]

And then Bog says goodbye to Bozfani the troll, who says she’s headed back to Guhan, trading along the way, and doesn’t feel too bad about not killing Hrunda because she learned a lot on the quest anyway.

You rest and enjoy yourselves. Discussion leads to recollection that the famous Telmori shaman “Black Eyes” (Boamund recalls this name from the Ancient Beast Society quest that Antlerman the Pralori shaman described to you back outside Seshna’s Tomb!) was here last season briefly, was left alone [because Telmori tend to be given a chilly reception by most animal-people], and now is thought to be in Daran or Estali counties. Interesting.

You depart the Temple; the Didelfi guide you back to the Road; and you’re on your way again, your mules in tow and fully loaded up with goodies!

You enter Ralios at last, leaving the Tarinwood and Pralorela! You’re passing downroad in the sloping hinterlands through Ralios when you see two people in simple garb about 50m westwards on the edge of a large grove at the end of a game trail that connects to the road. They are speaking to each other and gesturing your way. Shrett approaches them and sees they wear ragged clothes like beggars. Both are Seshnelan Dronari (Shrett soon notices their accented Tradetalk); a couple who are middle-aged, and they introduce themselves: man = Isaert; woman = Thoda. They are hesistant with Shrett, peering past him and inviting you all to join their people inside the woods. You come, seeing no threat, and they ask for a Talar, then for a private talk with Boamund. Aside, they whisper to him, “We are able to smell those with our curse and we dream of them. And so we’ve sensed your coming and watched for it. We’ve fled from our village of Honeybreak in Tanisor.” He feels for sure that these are fellow people afflicted by the Penjang curse. “A blight from Gbaji, some say. Others say it came from Hrestol. Others say it is an older Pendali demonic curse. But all accursed share traits and are anathema to Rokari. We’ve found aid from a puma shaman, named Into the Night, to hide us here, for now. She seeks a way to change the curse into more benign beast blood, and is somewhere far away seeking it. But she says that Arkati are seeking a way to cleanse it entirely; that some dark man chases us. Meanwhile we are terrorised by pursuit from Tanisor. We’ve already lost two of our number to their demons who come at night. Mister Odd, strangely enough, has been one helping to keep us together.” Boamund keeps almost all of this to himself. You others mostly just learn they are refugees and demons chase them.

You follow them down the game trail into the wood, and they bring you into a clearing featuring three old, worn, <1m tall moss-covered stones, surrounded by several makeshift tents and over a dozen Dronari of a range of ages. Boamund is again struck by the dream he had before reaching Handra: of a road, a trail, a wood, strange people, a shadowy man, and a blue lion. He knows he now is at that place he saw.

The two peasants introduce Boamund to Mister Odd in his tent (an elderly, bald man who looks quite fit but has a vacant, glazed look to him) —“He was a shunned, mysterious recluse who lived in the woods near Honeybreak. He fled with us, and has helped along the way with his wisdom. He cannot hear, but another strange thing about him is that he can read and write, and we (the couple) were taught the written word as Readers for our local Zzaburi, so we can communicate with him.” They start writing messages for Boamund, then it becomes clear that he can just do it himself, so he converses with Mister Odd. He says that they are 15 people total; have been on the run for 3 weeks; staying here for half that time (directed by the puma shaman). Being here seems to suppress their Penjang urges, somewhat. They hope to make it back west to Hrelar Amali, which the puma shaman said would be a good place to do a ritual. Mister Odd says they don’t really need help; that they’re doing fine and just need to keep moving, finding their safe passage as they go. Sooner or later, they are sure they’ll meet up with that shaman. Boamund describes his dream and Mister Odd says that it’s true, and the shadow-man is an evil Arkati trying to interfere with the shaman’s actions, and that the blue lion is a demon to beware.

Outside the tent, one of you spots that there is a blond, grubby teenage girl watching things happen around the tent with a look of fear; trying to stay out of sight. You discuss what to do and agree that Bog should go scare her. He creeps up from behind and whispers to her, and she runs into the wood, screaming of demons. The camp erupts into panic! Some people flee into the woods with whatever they can carry. But soon Shrett speaks up and calms them. Bog has kept hidden until things calm. Fraud gets out his lute and sings a nice song to placate them, and the camp begins settling again. They listen to what you have to say.

Boamund returns from the tent and catches up. He pursues the girl, and tracks her into a crevice of rocks; a half-cave; where she has tried hiding. He speaks calming words and her attitude reverses – she sees him as the guardian she needed, and pours her childish hopes into him. Her name is Udayni. She was very reluctant to say anything, now that she is alone with Boamund and trusts him, says that she saw Mister Odd carry away one of their kind three nights ago (the second one missing; the first was ~2 weeks ago). Boamund thinks maybe he is the demon, or something, but he can’t act yet.

He returns to the camp and you stay the night, keeping guard, but no demon comes. It is peaceful and you rest. The refugees say the next morning that they are leaving, eastwards. You discuss plans as they leave, and you have a lengthy debate indeed. All but Boamund see this as too much of a distraction, that you should go elsewhere such as into Safelster northwards, but Boamund is steadfast that you must try to help, and you give in. Bog floats the idea to go northeast to Zorakarkat and seek Uz help on your quest, too. You’re not sure about that, but it’s an option. You follow the refugees for four nights along the northern edge of the Elk Hills. They keep close to the treeline. Each night Bog and Shrett sneak in and watch them, but nothing untoward happens. Finally you give up and decide to head back west, avoiding the nearby port of Drom on Helby Lake and instead aiming for Estali city via Tolin City, going overland.

There are many trading posts along the Old Manirian Road here in Helby County, southeast Ralios. Plenty of traffic. Galanini horse riders patrol the roads and countryside, bearing shining runes of Fire/Sky and displaying considerable martial strength, outfitted with bows and lances and good armour. But there is also a heavy mix of storm barbarians from eastern Ralios along the roads; the most you’ve seen yet. There are still plenty of Pralori. And the Trader Prince caravans crowd

It is a fair land, with little fenlands near the rivers, quickly giving away to gentle grasslands with some farms primarily of wheat, and herds of sheep, and then plenty of horses. The horses immediately impress you. Most, apparently the Estali breed, are small brown ponies that are lovely beasts, and clearly well kept by their owners. You see no nags or other horses in poor condition. Quite a few people walk rather than ride them, even in open country. You can see down, northwards, into the great basin of Safelster and glittering blue-green Felster Lake and Helby Lake. You see the heavily trafficked port of Drom in Helby County, and the major city of Estal in Estali County. And increasing civilisation as you go toward the lakes. Indeed, this is one of the most densely populated areas you’ve ever seen, although where you are is mostly still just farms and villages with watchtowers or fortresses guarding them here and there.

Some general info that you’ve pieced together, from meeting friendly travellers, patrols, villagers, etc. during your 4 days across Ralios; and what you already knew from training etc.: could be helpful and relevant–

Drom— It is guarded by the large statue of Galanin (Sun Horse): a golden horse with a solar disk atop it, which kills attackers of the city with a fiery glance. Where great caravans crossing to Highwater begin and end; a huge mercantile centre. Original home of St. Castelain, founder of the Trader Princes of Maniria.

Helby Lake— Home to the lake goddess Tagar. It was sacred to the Vustri (Enerali tribal forebears of the Galanini horse-people) who forbade hunting and slaughter near its borders. Meetings took place between the Galanini and the Serpent Beasts here. It was rich in fishing but the fish disappeared in the Gbaji Wars. Now a small sect of Tagar worshippers prays for the return of the Fifty Lost Fish.

Helby County— Ruled by the Forester Prince; but part of a matrilineal Galanini people allied to the Estali League; he rules from Drom. Helby is a much more rural county than Estali. Only one major city-state of Drom is there; by far the majority of the population is rural.

Ralia: This land goddess is landlocked, and she has great fame among the Elder Races for giving them refuge. She is surrounded on three sides by mountains, with only one passage through each side. Most of the lands near the mountains are broken and hilly, leaving the centre and southwest low and flat. This lower portion centres on the Tanier River to the southwest, and Lake Felster; and is often called Tanisor or Safelster. These names were historically assigned to several kingdoms or confederations there. Ralia is the daughter of Gata and Genert. She took Flamal as a lover, and together they produced the grains and fruits and covered the nakedness of the land with greenery. She took Sramak as a lover, and together, she gave birth to Doskior, Safa, and Tanier. Ehilm and Orlanth both took their turns as her lovers. When Flamal was murdered by Zorak Zoran and his corpse carried off by Xentha, Ralia wept inconsolably. She followed her niece Ernalda the Earth Queen into sleep, and the land slept until the Dawn. Ralia is worshiped throughout Ralios as the agricultural goddess of plants and the harvest. She is typically worshiped as part of the local Ernalda cult. Her rites are notably orgiastic. Ralia is depicted as a beautiful green or brown-skinned woman, her arms entwined with snakes, her outstretched hands bearing wheat, and her head of luxuriant hair is crowned with glossy fruits and vines bearing green and ruby-colored grapes.. Her special crop is spelt wheat.

You had heard about this in Giraine, as happening back in 1624: The Queen of Galin encouraged the priesthood of Ehilm to begin a series of purges, trying to shut down all forms of beast worship including the Ancient Beast Society. The Galanini horse-queens refused to join the Serpent Beast Alliance, and the Serpent Masters of the Pralori responded by aborting the latest ritual to bring a Galanini princess, a cousin to the Queen of Galin, into adulthood.

Safelster city-states near where you head: Estali League: one of the powerhouses of all Ralios. Includes several cities of note: Estal city: Among the largest cities in Ralios (and in the West). A prosperous port and military stronghold. Very powerful politically; the centre of Estali League (Galin is where the royal Queen lives; well northeast). Gamol city: It is home to the Gamol Tradition of Shamans (mostly women), allied with the Ancient Beast Society Lartuli: fortress-city near the southern edge of civilised Ralios; important stop along the Manirian Road and Jrimb river (to Lake Felster).

League of Daran: (further south and west of Estali) An important ally of the Estali League, and currently the frontline foe vs. Seshnela. Mios and Dolios city/keep: similar to Lartuli, but of the Rokari-based Daran people.

Some added things you learned before, from allies (some examples):

• The first settlement of note along the road in southern Ralios (from where you entered) is a monastery of odd Rokari scholars, known for hospitality and unusual openness. (this would be in/near Daran County; which is composed of Rokari people with Ehilm/sort-of-theist nobility; so a monastery *located* like this is not so odd)
• Baron Vitel Ornim of Ornim Castle in southeastern Daran County is a loyal supporter of the League of Daran and enemy of Tanisor. He is well liked amongst his people, but the town has had hard times lately.
• The hero Dragontonue speaks: “Ralios is the place to seek the heroes of The Serpent Beast Alliance. When we first met I told you their tale of venturing into the Orggee Snake Caves. If you find them, you will know more than I do of what has happened since. But I know that they are becoming wrapped in the web of broader affairs in Ralios, most of all with the Arkati.” (he shows a distasteful expression)
• Antlerman: “I know a friend in southern Ralios that you might find if you want help amongst the animal people. He is an elk-brother named Finefoot. You would find him around the town of Dolios in Daran County; he cares for the animal people around there. Finefoot is a shaman of the Ancient Beast Society, who have strength in Dolios. The Baron Ornim there is also not a bad fellow, for his kind.”

There have been other, perhaps relevant or not, visions and clues and other things, such as: Dagodent– “I see you floating above a long river in the nighttime. You pass by an old stone building on a hill: a temple, perhaps? The priest is dead. Then, downriver, a wooden stockade; a fortress; by a swamp. The green serpent writhes. Then, a cliffside pocked with tunnels. The stone glows blue. Then, a tower rising from a ruined castle. The dark man follows. Then, a dark island; and again that tower? With each change of scenery, shadows over and around the scene strengthen, until there is nothing but blackness in the end.” [He shrieks in fear; turns away from the bowl as if to run; breaking his trance] “Within that blackness, a wicked face stared back, shedding its cruel mask to reveal something even worse!”

[you also have other leads in Azilos and Tiskos, further west; and interest in Dangk/Dangim province of Daran (now Seshnela), where the heaviest fighting has been. And, of course, Hrelar Amali and the Night Gorge.)

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