The Adventuring Journal of the Adepts of
Bryhn
by Gort
"Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of
achieving he impossible"
- Miguel de Unamumo
The diplomatic group that went to Throal was made up of a hodgepodge of races and occupations. Of the five, only one was a local. Dag was one of the resident swordmasters who never really rose in rank because he did not assert himself. The fact that he could out taunt his trainers did not help either.
Midnight Blue was an elven nethermancer whose blue/brown eye combination made many uncomfortable. His elvish/nethermancer ways furthered his image as an enigma. He arrived in the town around five years ago.
Chamberlain the troll illusionist came to the town a year ago. Once, he was a used-cart salesman in Iopos. However, a bad deal brought a customer accusing him of treason. Since the rulers of Iopos enjoy treason they dispatched some soldiers to kill him. Chamberlain, knowing a raw deal when he saw one, left for Bryhn.
Killian left his clan in the Steel Mountains in search of new stories and new ales. Along the way he met Gort who had left his land in search of his destiny. They arrived six months ago.
The two magic users and Killian followed their own trades, Dag and Gort joined the local guard to make money and hone their skills. At this time, Killian, Dag and Gort were will acquainted. Soon after, Chamberlain and Midnight Blue joined them. For some odd reason, their lack of common race or occupation only served to tighten their bonds. Together this band of uncommon travelers would perform acts of great heroism on their way to becoming legends.
The Bothersome Case of the Lightning
Lizards
Day I - 3rd day of Mawag, 1508
In the early evening, the water cart crew returned to town. The cart was empty and the crew had a bewildered/frightened look on their faces. Gort and Dag, who happened to be on duty, escorted the two men to see the elders. In the chambers, a bizarre tale unfolded. At least one lizard had taken up residence at the water hole. This lizard seemed to explode their water barrels. Upon discussion, the elders and Commander of the Guard Ramshackle decided that this was probably a lightning lizard. Gort and Dag quickly volunteered for the mission.
In an attempt to rally support, Dag went to the tavern. There, he made a rousing speech outlining the threat. Dissenters were quickly defeated by the logic of Dag's case. Although he easily won the argument, he could not win their slow-witted minds. Bothered and annoyed, Dag left. However, they did receive help in the form of Malin, the cavalry commander.
Day II - Fourth day of Mawag, 1508
The trio left in the evening to arrive at dawn at the water hole. They arrived as the first specters of blue appeared in the horizon. A guttural hiss in the distance greeted their arrival. Gort beckoned Dag and Malin to flank the lizard on either side. The obsidiman, meanwhile, strode forward to get its attention. When Gort was close enough to engage, the lizard charged up for a blast. Gort stabbed it with his blade. The lizard prepared to flee when it was gutted through by Malin. Malin turned to smile at Gort when a large burst of light enveloped him and he fell to the ground. Dag arrived in time to see another lizard some feet off. He and Gort moved to engage the lizard. The lizard shocked Gort for some minor damage, but was quickly dispatched. Loading the lizards on the death cart for some new luggage and boots, they returned here with a crispy, but alive Malin.
The Unnecessary Quest of Fruit Harvesting in the Valley of Death: Part 1
Day I - Fourteenth day of Mawag, 1508
The late afternoon found our four stalwarts in the tavern relaxing. Dag, having recently lost a bet, was on extra guard duty. The other four were enjoying their free time when news of the arrival of a Throalic embassy hit the bar. Intrigued, the four left for the Great Hall where the elders would officially greet the embassy.
Unfortunately, the hall was crowded by the time they arrived. Undaunted, Gort quickly devised a battle plan. With himself and Chamberlain in the lead, they shouted "Dwarf coming through." Thinking the embassy was coming, the crowd parted way. Taking their cue, Killian and Blue followed behind until all four had cozy front-row seats. Soon after, the elders entered and the embassy soon followed. The embassy announced that they were out establishing ties between Throal and other lands. The big announcement though, was the necessity for another embassy from Bryhn to travel to Throal.
At the end of the audience, the group led the charge of interested parties in claiming the boon. As Blue and Killian stated their case, Chamberlain and Gort set about discouraging their competitors. Their taunts and derisions had a wide range of effects, but nearly brought upon open conflict with an ork named Darvis Trollsbane. Their argument was cut short by a general dismissal from the elders. They returned to the tavern to wait for word.
Word came in the evening of their meeting with the elders. Blue and Killian were chosen to speak for the group, but the four went together. As they arrived, Darvis Trollsbane was leaving. Taunts were exchanged, and Trollsbane's anger was great. While Chamberlain and Gort waited outside, Killian and Blue went in to ensure their chances. The elders charged them with a task. To the south of Bryhn, there was a valley tainted by horrors. At the far end was a giant tree that contained a rare fruit that is supposedly deadly. In order to be considered, they had to retrieve one of these fruits and return within three days.
Although the group felt this task unnecessary, they agreed to go lest someone like Trollsbane get the job. Dag, unable to place out of duty, was forced to remain behind. After much consultation, the group decided to leave three hours before dawn since they had to walk and had a three day time limit.
Day II - Fifteenth day of Mawag, 1508
The first day of their mission began very early, and they proceeded to march the rest of the day. The early hour of their departure allowed them to not push but by the end of the day, they were very tired. They stopped toward the edge of the valley when the sun began to dip in the sky. Establishing a well-placed campsite, the order of watch was Gort, Blue, Killian and Chamberlain. During Killian's watch, the group was attacked by a preying-mantis-like flying night gaunt. After taking a wound, Killian alerted their camp. A swift blow by Killian knocked it to the ground, and then the magic-users took over. While Chamberlain ensorceled it with rope, Blue enacted his "Command Night Flyer" spell. After learning what they could of the land from it and making sure there were no future occurrences, they let it go. Since dawn was approaching, they decided to go on their way.
Day III - Sixteenth Day of Mawag, 1508
They reached the valley as the sun took command of the skies. In a 2 x 2 pattern they descended into the valley. No sooner had they reached the bottom when they were attacked by six undead humanoids. The group quickly fanned out to meet the challenge. Killian confronted two of them while Gort confronted three. Midnight Blue commanded the final one into the ominous "Undead Struggle," or Mortal Combat as it is known in the circles of Nethermancy. After an initial setback, Blue began to win the upper hand. Killian was having difficulties, but did not back down. Gort, benefiting from Chamberlain's "Distort Image" spell, dispatched one and was handling the other two.
Eventually, Blue vanquished his opponent and moved to help Killian. Killian, however, motioned him off. Blue then moved on to the other group. One of those undead managed to see through the illusion. Before it could warn the other one, it was pulled into the rigor of undead struggle by Blue. Gort concentrated on the other, before allowing Blue to dispatch it as well. Finally, they moved over to watch as Killian finally defeated his foes. After discovering a purse of silver, they moved on.
The Unnecessary Quest of Fruit
Harvesting in the Valley of Death; Part II
Day III continued - Sixteenth day of Mawag, 1508
Re-assuming their 2x2 marching order, they spent the next six hours getting to the tree. As they approached the tree, they saw it was engulfed in a giant spider web. No sooner had they noticed that, they were attacked by a Jehuthra. Before Gort could even react, he was encased in a web of ice. Unable to move, the Jehuthra moved against Killian. Killian, however, was safe in the knowledge that his keg was outside the battle zone. He dealt a couple of good whacks to the Jehuthra. No sooner had Killian established a rhythm, then another Jehuthra dropped down into the fray. At that point, party morale became low. Chamberlain's efficient spellcasting came to naught as the Jehuthras kept seeing through it. After casting a defensive chilling circle, Blue was unable to penetrate the Jehuthra's spell defenses.
As the vile Jehuthra moved to eliminate the helpless Gort, the obsidiman broke free of his bond. Enraged at being made so helpless he struck the Jehuthra with a withering blow. So fierce was the strike that it killed the creature. The other Jehuthra, now panicked, cast its steel maze spell. The four became separated in a way that the Jehuthra could pick them off one by one. Realizing the dangers to Blue and Chamberlain, Gort raced down the passageway. His fears were warranted, for the Jehuthra went after Blue. Already weakened by his undead struggle, Blue was driven to the point of death. Satisfied that its prey was not going anywhere, the Jehuthra moved back up the passage. Gort, having reached the center location, gambled on the passage and went down the wrong one. When the Jehuthra returned it was finished off by the just arrived Chamberlain and Killian. The death of the Jehuthra canceled the maze spell and the party was able to treat Blue's wounds. Using Chamberlains rope trick they retrieved the fruit and returned to Bryhn. Gort and Killian removed the Jehuthra thoraxs as prizes.
Day IV - Seventeenth day of Mawag, 1508
The trip back was quick and uneventful. The group arrived around mid-day. After a quick stop to see Dag, they reported to the elders. When the elders told them the fruit was not dangerous, they were disappointed and a bit upset about being lied to. However, their moods brightened considerably when they discovered the fruits were valuable as well as receiving the news that they had won the job. After getting Dag similar status, they celebrated their mission in true tavern style. After a week of preparation they made ready to depart.
Their mission was to deliver a magic item that would allow Throal to communicate with Bryhn directly. Along with some deliveries of correspondence, they were to take the Serpent River most of the way and complete the overland journey to Throal. After a week of supply gathering, including Killian forging Dag's sword, the group left with a small cavalry escort led by Malin.
Day II - Twenty-sixth day of Mawag, 1508
Most of the day's travels were arguments discussing the best (or most adventurous) ways to reach Throal. After some consideration, they decided to take the arranged passage down the Serpent River. Since they decided to the quickest path was the one they would take, they opted to take the most traveled pass through the Skul Mountains.
Day III - Twenty-seventh day of Mawag, 1508
Early in the third day, they came to the mountain pass. As they drew close they saw a solitary figure blocking the way. Upon closer examination, they realized this was Darvis Trollsbane. Immediately angered, Gort, Dag, Chamberlain and Killian rode forward to meet him. Blue, becoming very wary, stayed back with the escort. Killian and Trollsbane began a scathing volley of statements when Trollsbane asked for letter of transit signed by the Denairastas, Gort became worried. Bothered by Trollsbane's overconfidence, he scanned the ridge above for signs for activity. Sure enough, he saw a glint of metal.
Motioning quietly to Blue he made the situation aware to the escorts, while Killian and Trollsbane exchanged threats, Gort moved back and made plans with Malin to punch through he defenses and make for the s Serpent River. When they made their charge, Dag and Killian engaged Trollsbane. Sure enough, archers and elementalists rose up above and a row of crossbowman came out onto the pass. The chargers broke through the line of crossbowmen. Blue and Chamberlain rode on with Gort. Gort, however, slowed down and looked back.
The situation was getting worse by the second. Malin's cavalry were tied up in the battle and were being pegged off by arrows. Trollsbane, obviously a better warrior than anticipated, was easily holding his own against Dag and Killian. Under a hail of arrows and elemental fire, Gort moved back into the fray. First he drew up into battle alongside Malin. He told Malin to rally his cavalry and return to Bryhn with news of Trollsbane's treachery. After that, he moved into the battle with Trollsbane.
A solid fighter, Trollsbane used cleaver maneuvering to stymie his opponents while arrows ripped into them. Killian, driven into a dwarven fury, relentlessly attacked the orc. Still even with the arrival of Gort, they could not bring Trollsbane down. When Malin and his troops disengaged and headed back north, Gort knew that they had to leave. Calling to Dag and Killian to fall back he made to leave. Killian, however, refused to leave. Gort's attempts to physically remove him failed. Killian continued to press, until a solid blow from Trollsbane felled him into unconsciousness. While Dag held off Trollsbane, Gort loaded Killian onto the cart and rode off. Dag followed right behind. Far into the pass, Blue and Chamberlain watched from a high vantage point. A small cloud of dust going north indicated Malin's group. What worried them were the four large clouds moving toward the pass which was now marked by an elemental flare.
The Oft-Interrupted "Is It Really
Worth the Money?" Journey to Throal; Part II
Day III continued - Twenty-seventh day of Mawag,
1508
Just as Dag and Gort reached the others, they noticed that Killian had left the cart during their flight. When Gort demanded they go back to get him, Blue drew Gort's attention to the quickly closing clouds of dust. Although he argued a bit further, Gort knew Blue was right. Dag, Gort and Chamberlain rode further into the pass while Blue laid out a chilling circle trap to slow any pursuit. When they were all together, it was decided that they should press through the night. Few words were spoken, as each mourned Killian's fate quietly.
Day IV - Twenty-eigth day of Mawag, 1508
Early the next morning, they came upon a valley in the mountains. In the center of the valley was a stone carved like a dragon's head. Water was flowing from the left eye of the dragon. The water flowed into a river going down another pass. They descended the pass until they saw a well-sized plain with a town five miles distant next to a small river. Since both they and their horses were exhausted, they decided to rest at a small tributary at the bottom of the pass. There, they found a young troll girl shepherding a flock of sheep. After setting up watches, everyone but Blue went to sleep. No sooner had they done so than two riders rode out from the village. Blue waited until they were a couple of minutes away before waking the others.
The riders turned out to be an ork and a troll from the local village of Mirik. Their suspicion of strangers caused some pointed questions which Blue answered with a clever vagueness. However, Gort interjected that a large group of marauders disguised as Iopan cavalry may be following. This unsettled them a bit, and they arranged to sell a weeks worth of provisions plus some information in exchange for the group's departure.
A few hours later, they returned with the supplies plus the name of a village where they might find a ship. They went down river for a river for a couple of hours before seeing a village in the distance. The village looked well-defended, and since they were told that they would pass a number of other villages. They decided to go past it. The lack of movement in the village went unnoticed by the group at the time.
Some time later, they came to a bridge they needed to cross. The bridge was commected directly to a small-walled village. Two things immediately disturbed the group - the open gate and the lack of any sound or sight of activity. Cautiously crossing over, they came upon a disturbing vision - an empty village. Dag went up to one of the watch towers while Gort moved to investigate the large center building. Blue and Chamberlain, however, feared the implications of what did this and began to move toward the other side of the village. In the tower, Dag found a dead guard still in a standing position. His skin was shriveled down to the bone as if his life fluids had been sucked dry. The building Gort checked was full of the same dead bodies in living positions. Blue and Chamberlain only got halfway through the village before something caused them to stop. Behind the large center building was a corral of twenty dead horses looking much the same way as the people. Etched four inches deep into the granite wall was an eerie phrase in old elven: "Riyag istu leev aertin" along with eighty-two slash marks, signifying some sort of record-keeping.
Gort and Dag quickly approached the others when they saw the looks on the magic-users faces. When they arrived, Gort recognized the words from his studies of the Horrors. It was an ancient name for the Horror Ristul. The adepts decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Before they could make to leave, a flash of movement from one of the side buildings alerted the party. While Chamberlain readied his crossbow and moved to a covering position, Dag and Gort moved to investigate. Blue, still extremely worried by the Horror implications, stayed perched on his horse in the center of the village. No sooner had the group dispersed than a crossbow bolt flew from the mysterious figure, nicking Blue and sending him scurrying off his horse. At that point, Gort rushed forward to find a dwarf cloaked in black holding a broadsword and a light crossbow. Gort ordered the dwarf to stand down while Dag unsuccessfully tried to disarm him. The dwarf gazed at Gort with the black, empty eyes of an undead, and Gort felt a shiver run down his back. Realizing that some form of evil magic was being used, Gort hit the dwarf with a warning to stop. The hit was more powerful than the obsidiman intended, and dwarf fell back into the doorway behind him.
When they followed the dwarf into the room, they came upon another disturbing scene - sitting at a table was a dead couple poised over a rotted dinner. In the far corner, something was moving under a dark cloak. When Dag lifted up the cloak, it revealed a young elven woman! Gort, meanwhile, called over Chamberlain to help subdue the dwarf. Gort disarmed the dwarf in time for Chamberlain to secure the dwarf with his magical rope spell. Blue, who had moved over to view the proceedings, came in to interrogate the undead. As it turned out, the dwarf was not undead merely a rabid cultist of Ristul who had given his soul to the Horror's cause. The dwarf would not speak, save only to spit out statements about 'the supreme creator' and how it was his master, soon to return. When it became evident that the creature would tell them nothing useful, they decided to dispose of it. Gort and Chamberlain began to hack at it. Blue became annoyed because he wanted to kill it. Before he could object, Gort lopped off the dwarf's head.
During this time, Dag untied and ungaged the elven woman. Moving her away from the action, he asked for her Name. She introduced herself as Akasha. She was a farmer in a small community south of the Blood Wood. Her village was attacked and destroyed by marauders, and the roof of her house fell on top of her. She was blindfolded and tied up soon after. This was the first time she had gotten her bearings since the attack. When Dag glanced back into the room to see how things were progressing, he noticed something odd about the dead woman. She had her hand in her coat as if she were getting something. When Dag reached in, he pulled out a document. It was an account of what happened to the town, which was called Forriam. When he showed the journal to the party, they all left quite hastily.
The group traveled south until, at dusk, they saw the lights of another town. Shaken and still working on three hours of sleep, they decided to try their luck in the town. When they reached the main gate, two guards above questioned their presence. To everyone's surprise, Akasha jumped down and pleaded that they were attacked by marauders and sought refuge. To the party's further surprise, the gates opened to let them in. Once in, they were detained until the village elder arrived. The elder turned out to be a t'skrang female who welcomed them to the town of Camil.
The elder asked some pointed questions which Akasha answered vaguely. Gort, wanting to alert the elder about Forriam, stepped in and asked if there was someplace they could speak in private. Sensing the urgency in the obsidiman's voice, she assented. Blue and Chamberlain, however, were worn out and retired to the town inn. Akasha, very new to everything, went with them. Dag and Gort were left with the unpleasant news of warning the elder about the Horror. Sure enough, she was quite displeased to discover that within one and half hours ride was the threat of one of the most feared and powerful Horrors. However, Gort and Dag were taken aback by her eagerness to push the matter aside. When queried, she revealed to them that someone or thing was killing young male boys and tearing out their eyes. Without a nethermancer, they were unable to discover what had happened. Dag and Gort left and went to the inn. There, they convinced Blue to take a chance using his 'experience death' spell in exchange for a fee. After some initial wariness, he agreed.
Day V - Twenty-ninth day of Mawag, 1508
Early the next morning, the group approached the elder with their proposal. In exchange for one-hundred silver and some perks, Blue agreed to use his 'experience death' spell. At that moment, word came of another death. They rushed to the scene, which was a stable outside the inn. Blue immediately used the spell. Seeing through the eyes of the young boy, he became mesmerized by a white-haired ork who beckoned him into the stable. Once in, the ork's face drew closer until it revealed a pair of silver eyes. When the ork's face drew very close, the eyes turned to black and Blue fell to the ground screaming and clutching his eyes. When someone rushed forward toward Blue, Gort stopped him until the elder identified him as Malachai, a Questor of Garlen. Malachai healed Blue, who opened his eyes to see a white-haired ork trying to push his way out of the crowd.
The Oft-Interrupted "Is It Really
Worth the Money?" Journey to Throal; Pt. III
Day V continued - Twenty-ninth day of Mawag, 1508
As Blue raged back into consciousness, the first words he heard were Gort's, asking him how he was and the elder's, asking him who did it. The first thing he saw was the ork who was responsible. Bolting upright, he pointed to the ork and screamed,
"That's him!"
The ork bolted as Gort ran after and shouted for guards. The chase was on as Gort, Dag and Akasha raced after the ork. Even in the heat of the moment, Gort wondered why a farm girl was chasing after a dangerous ork. Chamberlain and Blue followed soon after. Ahead, a crowd gathered and tried to subdue the ork. The ork dispatched a couple of them fairly quickly and worked his way through the crowd. Chamberlain used his 'unseen voices' to alert the people ahead, as well as to have the guards close the gates.
Blue and Akasha, being elves, managed to close the distance on the ork. Gort followed behind, but took a side street when the ork turned a corner. Chamberlain and Dag followed the elves. As the elves rounded another corner, they saw the ork plunge into a bazaar. At this point, Akasha revealed herself to be an elementalist as she attempted to use her magic. Blue used his 'wet/dry' spell to cause a mud pit under the ork. In fact, a good portion of the crowd fell victim to Blue's spell. As the nethermancer and elemntalist rummaged through the muddied crowd, the ork bolted onto a horse and began to flee. While Blue hacked at the horse with moderate success, Akasha and Chamberlain put on a spectacular display of their ineptness in archery. Those impaled by arrows and bolts kept quiet and kept the items as souvenirs. Gort and Dag chased after the horse and came to a half-opened gate with two dead guards.
The elder dispatched a cavalry troop after the ork. Blue then relayed what he had seen during his spell. The group offered their services in exchange for room and board, which the elder accepted. That night, Gort went to the tavern where he recruited two orks to take a letter back to Bryhn for him. The letter outlined the treachery of Darvis Trollsbane and the threat of Iopos. At this point, Gort was approached by Dag. The swordmaster was having second thoughts about the mission after the encounter with Trollsbane. Being one of the few adepts in Bryhn and being the only one of the group originally from there, Dag felt strong ties to his home. With the threat of Iopos and Trollsbane, he could not in good conscience let himself go to Throal while there was a great danger much closer. Gort understood, although he expressed sadness at the loss of his friend. They agreed that Dag would take the letter, with the two orks as his guards. After discussing the matter with Chamberlain and Blue, they all turned in for a full night's rest before Dag went north and the group pursued the ork south.
Day VI - Thirtieth day of Mawag, 1508
Dag and the orks had left long before the elder woke the rest of them with a disturbing report. The cavalry tracked the ork to a farmhouse. There, they found a husband dead and his wife in hysterics. Their son had been taken by an assailant in the dark. With a trembling voice, the elder told them that the boy had been found in town this morning. He had died the usual way, but this time there was something more. When Blue asked her to elaborate, she refused to say anything more.
The group went to the sight. There, they found the boy with his eyes ripped out. The elder lifted up the boy's shirt to reveal a large S etched into the chest. Then, the elder turned the boy over to reveal something that disturbed even Blue. Etched in neat, small lettering was a message in elven. It read,
"Old friend, I felt it best to leave you a farewell gift. I leave you now to go summon my master. I propose a little game between us. I will leave you just enough clues to find where I am going. I challenge you to come try and stop me. I look forward to seeing you. Did you know blue eyes taste different from brown?"
After some discussion, the group decided to go north to try the horror-ravaged town to the nort. When they arrived, the one thing they discovered was that the dwarf's body had been taken north by a group of riders. While searching through the town, Blue could not shake this nagging feeling that S stood for south. The rest of the group decided to defer to Blue on the issue. They headed as far south as they could until they reached the waterfall that separated the river commerce from the Serpent River. By this point, it was dusk and the group decided to camp through the night. The order of watch was Gort, Blue, Akasha and Chamberlain. On Blue's watch, the group was attacked by two ogres. With Gort the only fighter, he had to take on the two of them at once. Chamberlain managed to blind one. However, Gort fell unconscious due to the pounding of the two ogres. Blue's magnificent success with 'bone dance' allowed the magic-users to capitalize on damage already done by Gort and Akasha. The ogres were soon dead. After spending some time recovering, they slept through the night.
The Lost Journals of Gort
