It is late afternoon when you have successfully coerced all of the animals and members of the party across the threshold of the Dead Place.
You quickly realize that riding in single file or in a column is miserable to the riders in the back, as the dust disturbed by your mounts' hooves rises in great choking plumes.
Vorrik comments, "This place is odd. Does anyone know what we might find here?"

Noragia, who has been irrepressibly cheerful since the zebra's reprieve, interrupts her homily on the virtues and foibles of the sable antelope and its trail gear to give Vorrick a worried look.
"Naming calls Vorrick Brighthelm" she says "If you don't already know who the Desert Wind fought here then I'm not going to be the one to tell you, but to avoid that fight being lost, all the life was stripped from this land. Even magic can no longer be used here. Because of that, later, some bad spirits were imprisoned here in that place ahead. They were very powerful spirits and in the end they escaped. I don't know the details of that story, but my clan warn us to avoid that place. There are still lesser bad spirits here, maybe some followers left to take revenge, or defeated guardians"

It is time for Urox.

"This," Lemak speaks up, "is a place of sorrow, but also great victory.  Here, Storm Bull," he puffs his chest out, "fought the Devil.  He was sorely wounded, but was revived by his wife Eiritha, though at the cost of the life of this place.  (If not for this sacrifice, perhaps all of Prax may have been overrun and corrupted.)  Renewed, the Great Desert Wind called The Block - which you saw when we gathered at the feet of the shaman - down upon the Devil, halting its advance, but not destroying it.  Chalana Arroy tended to the Bull's injuries after this battle," he nods to Norijia in acknowledgment.

Looking back at Vorrik, he continues, "Chaos still lingers and blights this place - always an eternal battle.  Little that you find here will be good.  Have your wits about you.  You will need your sword arm."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:07, Wed 09 Sept 2020.

Vorrik shudders a bit and pats Lucky on the flank, continuing in silence.

Trotting along through the thick dust, progress is slow. Every step of your mounts churns up clouds of ashen powder.
On the bright side, you don't think that any enemy riders here could surprise you.

You have seen no signs of life since entering this afternoon.

As Yelm sinks lower into the sky, the wind begins to pick up from the south-southwest, with gusts blasting you from behind. At Tuari's next reading, the bone indicates you are still on course. You think you should settle in for the night, lest one of your mounts make a false step.

Actions?

As they prepare for a night of rest, or what passes for it in the Deadplace Mabwe says "I will take the darkest watch again, but spirits may wander this place so wake me if you need to."

He takes a little of his rations, some root and dried leaves and curls up chewing it, but gives an involuntary shudder as the memory of his last dream/vision returns to him. He shifts, rises, turns a circle and a half and then lays down again.

"Maybe we should have more than one person on watch at a time while we are in this place?" says Noragia

"Not a bad idea," muses Lemak.  "But there are only six of us, so it means only three shifts during the night.  Let's try it tonight and see if we feel too tired the next day...  I'll take the last shift."

"I don't suppose any of you fellers plays an instrument?" Norajia says hopefully as she checks her lyre over after the day's travels.

"I only play the dagger-axe," says Lemak, inspecting his weapon.  He brushes down Lobber too, and feeds it a bit of rations.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:03, Tue 15 Sept 2020.

As you settle in for the night, establishing orders of watch, Norajia plays her lyre.
It is not her finest playing. It's a bit hard to hear as the wind intermittently gusts.

Lemak cocks his head to the side, apparently intent on something, then perks up.  "I hear other music in the wind.  It's faint, so I'm not sure of the direction...  Perhaps you should be careful plucking those strings, Norajia.  We don't know whether this music is in response to yours.  Nor whether it's friend or foe.  Or spirit."

Norajia looks surprised, and with a couple of chords rounds off her tune rather abruptly. She gives Lemak a forced smile of apology. "Sorry, Lemak I didn't think it would carry..."

"I don't know whether your playing carried either," Lemak says with a smile, "but probably better to be safe than sorry.  The Wastes are harsh enough.  In here, I think it's definitely better to assume anyone or anything we come across is a foe until proven otherwise..."

Tuari nods at Lemaks words and stares out into the wind "Wise words, this is a place to be careful for certain." he adds resting his hand upon the pommel of his sword.

When Norajia finishes her tune, the wind becomes suddenly silent and you hear a ghastly music that sounds like hundreds of voices, trumpets, timbrels, flutes, harps, reeds, and other instruments you have never heard before, all in different timing, singing and playing different, bizarre melodies, seemingly making no effort toward harmonizing with each other.
<OOC: Think "Revolution 9" on the White Album or  the beginning of ELO's "Fire on High">

The cacophony becomes louder and louder until it passes on all sides of you continuing on with a weird Doppler effect until it fades in the distance.

The rest of the night goes by without incident.

"Ohhh-K..." Noragia says wide eyed after the silence has stretched a few seconds. She looks at the other questers in confusion.

As the sound of the "music" (if it can be called such) approached, Lemak grabbed his dagger-axe in preparation.  He kept it held in guard position as the music passed through and around the party, and didn't relax until the sounds receded.  Looking around at the others, he went to sooth Lobber and then laid his weapon back by his bedroll.

You pack up and hit the trail on Fire Day of Stasis Week, Fire Season.
The bone continues to point you deeper into the Dead Place, taking its toll on Tuari.
About midday, the Bone of Varantas begins humming and vibrating wildly, nearly twisting itself out of Tuari's powerful grip.

Surprisingly Mabwe awakes feeling better than he did the morning before they entered the Dead Place, having satisfied himself that the nightmare he had the previous night was just that and not some new portent of doom.

He walks along humming to himself until he sees the activities of Varantas's bone "What now? We there, erm here?"

He looks about trying to spot whatever it might have sensed to make the spirit within behave so.

Always preferring to ride near the van, Lemak closes the distance to Tuari.  "Which way is it trying to point now?" he asks the bigger man, staring at the bone.

Noragia waits silently, trying to exemplify confidence in Tuari and Mabwe's abilities to interpret Varantas' communication

The bone initially does not appear to point in a direction, twisting this way and that in Tuari's grip, until at last its tip powerfully and decisively points down toward the earth.

Mabwe, on all fours begins to scratch in the ground beneath him "There's something here, or perhaps was. A rectangle that is slightly sunken compared with the surroundings."

He traces the edge of a rectangle about 8 meters by 3. "The Floor of a lost hut, the permanent type that outsiders build and stay put in. Or perhaps the entrance t an ancient place under the Earth?"

He continues to dig, scraping away the dust to try to find what it is, moving to the centre once he has defined the shape.

As Mabwe begins digging, Norajia lights her oil lamp, and once he has defined the shape she passes the light over it in three strokes of a harmony rune intoning an ancient mantra in a low monotone.
In beauty we ride
With beauty before us we ride
With beauty behind us we ride
With beauty above us we ride
With beauty around us we ride
It has become beauty again
Today we will ride out, today everything negative will leave us
We will be as we were before, we will have vital glow over our bodies.
We will have light bodies, We will be happy forever, nothing will hinder us.
We ride with beauty before us. We ride with beauty behind us.
We ride with beauty below us. We ride with beauty above us.
We ride with beauty around us. My words will be beautiful.

{tweaked a couple of off-tribe words}
This message was last edited by the player at 22:26, Mon 21 Sept 2020.

"I thought this might be the case," says Lemak grimly, watching the bone twitch straight down.



He dismounts and joins the morokanth in his digging, using his dagger axe as a makeshift spade, taking care around the edge of structure, not wanting to chip or damage his weapon in any way.



"The problem," puffs the high llama brave between strokes shoveling sand away, "is that if we need to descend into the Earth, there'll be no beautiful riding.  We will have to leave our mounts above."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:15, Tue 22 Sept 2020.

Tuari dismounts and moves to help as best he can without any real equipment or knowledge on how to dig.  He pauses periodically to check that nothing is creeping up on the group while they are focused on the task at hand.

"It is not often I envy your tribe Mabwe, but now is one of those times."  he says watching the Morkanth dig.

Norajia smiles and shrugs. She extinguishes her lamp and gets a sandal out of her baggage to help shift the loose sand excavated by the others further away from the diggings

Mabwe's claws are the most effective tools you have at scraping the sterile, loose earth away. You don't need to get deep at all before running into a solid surface.  

The exposed surface appears to be bronze, whether it's solid metal or just bronze coating of some more mundane material you can't immediately tell.
It is covered with symbols that are unfamiliar to you, they are certainly not Praxian, and the images have a little more realistic detail in the figures than you are accustomed to.
It's about the dimensions that Mabwe described, and you can see what looks like an interface running down the middle, maybe between two leaflets.

So much metal, thinks Lemak.  We're rich!

But all he does is (reluctantly) tear his eyes away to look to Vorrik and say, "You're an outlander.  Do you know anything about these symbols?"
This message was last edited by the player at 11:56, Wed 23 Sept 2020.

In reply to Lemak (msg # 30):

Vorrik is kneeling and chatting with a magpie. He looks up at Lemak.
"Eh? I was just asking this little fellow if he's ever seen anyone come or go from here. He says No... I think...
Now for these symbols, err, definitely nothing from Sun County. Pavis maybe...? No, I don't think so. And can't be Lunars, not enough bats and moons and such."

Norajia also stares open mouthed at the expanse of metal.
"...and no clan has found this? or succeeded in taking it away?" she shivers "I don't like it." She looks around uneasily.

"And where did that come from? " she adds indicating Vorrick's magpie with a discrete gesture of her fingers

<OOC You haven't seen this bird before, but Vorrik seems to practice his gift of talking to birds whenever he sees one. Theres definitely not a lot of wildlife here>

Mabwe walks to the centre where there appears to be a line or crack and as he does so he asks Vorrik "You think... Is the bird speaking with a very old accent, like the language you know, but how it was spoken once before in older times?"

Reaching the middle of the metal he stands on one side and tries pulling what looks like a ring on the other side.

Vorrik gives another look at the magpie. "Not that I can tell, I do not have much learning in the matter, the speech of birds is a gift givem me from the great Yelmalio".

Investigating the panels it looks like they slightly overlap and that there is a "top"and a "bottom" panel.Mabwe tugs on one of the handles on the top panel. He pulls the creaky metal loop into his thumbless but powerful grip, but he's unable to budge the large structure in the slightest. 

"What is that thing behind you Mabwe?" Norajia asks, "The thing near the join that is not a roundel like the others"  She looks at the panels in the structure. "Empty, empty, empty empty empty, a plant, some fish, what? some claws? bowls of fruit? fire? I can't tell."

She reaches within her clothing to retrieve something Karrith gave her, and compares it with the image of the plant, pursing her lips. "Hmm..." she muses.

Mabwe looks at Norajia and turns around to look behind himself where she indicated. As he does so though he glances at the bird and speaks in the spirit tongue.


Moving to the end he tries to lift the thing Norajia mentioned.

The bird puts its head to one side, looking at Mabwe, but doesn't otherwise react.

Mabwe takes hold of the protrusion, with an effort he rotates it about 30 degrees. You hear a clicking sound.

Mabwe moves back to the rings and tries the same side again before swapping sides and trying the other if the first does not budge.

Putting his back into pulling on on of the rings, Mabwe strains, the panel seems to lift just the tiniest amount before settling  back down.

"Perhaps if we all helped..." Norajia says doubtfully, staring at the potential finger-press, " or could we rig a rope to the mounts somehow?"

"Yes, it's shifting, but I need more help. The llama is high enough up to get the angle if we tie a rope to a ring and Lemak pulls on it."

Lemak climbs onto Lobber and holds out a hand, waiting for a rope.  "Are you sure you know what you're doing," he asks Mabwe.  "Even if these plates can be moved, how do you know the right order?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:41, Tue 29 Sept 2020.

From Mabwe's slight budging of the plate, it seemed that there is a single top and a single bottom plate.
Each plate is about SIZ 80. 
Of the herd beasts you have, Lobber and Odina are the strongest, followed by the two sable antelopes, the discount zebra and Thangar's little impala, which is much smaller than Mabwe.

From the ground Mabwe can see the slightest bit of movement of the top plate of the gate. He snorts, and raising his paw says "More of them. Rope up the bison and the sable too, there's a lot of weight to lift!"

Tuari grabs a rope and joins in tieing the herd beasts together "Thangar, you better watch out so we aren't surprised by something while we do this."

Thangar stands as tall as he can on his impala, trotting to the nearest hillock and peering out over the wastes. He then nocks and arrow, turning his attention to the doors.

Although you can tell your proud mounts dislike the draft animal labor, and seem to find it beneath a proud beast of Prax, with the exception of the zebra you persuade them to help.

Using your strategy of the combined strength of the various herd beasts, you steadily march them forward as they strain against the ropes, and with a groan the first door opens wide and crashes onto the sand, wide open. A large plume of dust arises from the earth and very slowly begins to disperse.

The crash is accompanied by the ringing of dozens of tiny bells hanging from the inside of the door, which stop vibrating by and by.
The inner surface of the door is some kind of unfamiliar wood.

You can see with the first door open a steeply declining ramp heading down into the darkness. Partially decayed wooden crossbeams are set into the earth every half meter or so.

"Oh, dear!" Norajia says clutching her throat as she looks down into the gloom of the tunnel. She looks back to Vorric as if expecting him to offer some means of seeing further into the shadows.

Vorrik peers down into the darkness and clears his throat.
"Er, well, I do know some spirit magic that can create light, but, uh..." he looks around at the sterile landscape of the Dead Place.

Norajia's hand flies to her mouth and she blushes extravagantly before crossing to Vorrik and grasping his forearm.
"I'm so sorry, Vorrik! I completely forgot!" she says. "I'll get the oil lamp out and I guess we'll have to go in and take a look"

Lemak looks at Tuari to check whether the bone is now pointing down the stairs.

He dismounts and retrieves his dagger-axe to stand near the entrance.  Pats himself to double-check that he has his dagger as well, just in case the depths become too narrow to swing or thrust his dagger-axe.

"One of you will have to carry the light," he says, hefting his weapon to show both hands full.  But he stands ready to go down first with whomever holds the light.  And focusing his senses in case there is any telltale sign of Chaos.

"And I think someone should stay up top.  To watch our mounts.  And prevent someone closing this... door... on top of us.  Given how hard it was to drag it open, I doubt we'd be able to open it from below..."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:53, Wed 07 Oct 2020.

Norajia returns with her medic's bag, the lamp and a flask of oil for it.
"Tuari and I are the lightbringrers, but I suppose he'll have his hands full with Varantas, so I'm happy to carry the lamp. Who is staying and who is going? There are few enough of us to begin with, but I agree, the idea of being trapped down there is ...alarming."

The bone is indeed pointing down decisively into the opening, but it has stopped its writhing, as if it is at last pacified about the path.

As the dust settles Mabwe looks about to see what has become of the bird that Vorrik was talking to.

Spotting it or not he heads to the entrance and starts down having no mount to worry about.

<OOC: OK, Thangar offers to stay with the herd beasts and although they are almost all bigger than him, he has a better relationship with the animals than Vorrik. If Tuari, Norajia, Lemak and Mabwe head down the tunnel, Vorrik says he's happy to either stay above or go down below, deferring to ... Norajia.>

Norajia's mouth twitches, not unlike Lobber's, for a few moments. Her eyes flick from Thangar and the herd beasts to Mabwe (who is heading down the tunnel) and back. Making up her mind, the oil lamp in her left hand, she takes Vorrik's shield arm with her right and proceeds down the ramp with him
<OOC You have probably already noticed that Norajia does many things left handed. Vorrik's large shield intrudes somewhat, but with Norajia's added height, it works well enough while she stays a step behind the Sun Domer. The lamp is already alight; she has brought extra oil not knowing how long the trip may take>
This message was last edited by the player at 21:54, Wed 07 Oct 2020.

Lemak watches Norajia and Vorrik take the first step or two, just to gauge that the ramp can bear the weight of two, before he starts down the ramp himself.

He tries to step carefully, testing each step with his toes to feel the strength of the wood before resting his full weight on the leg.  If the width of the ramp is sufficient, he tries to stay on the left of the Chalana Arroy sable rider, but just a step or two ahead or behind, in case the wood of the ramp can't handle three people along the same width.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:04, Thu 08 Oct 2020.

Thangar calls down, "How long should I wait if you don't come out?"


The magpie has apparently taken flight during the struggle to pull the door open.
You notice that the passage is actually wide and tall enough to lead almost any riding beast down into the darkness, although a high llama would have trouble.


Vorrik nods to Norajia and accompanies her down the passage.



You perceive that the ramp is carved out of the earth so it is very strong and stable, and the wooden crossbeams have been hammered into the ground to provide some additional traction.
The passage descends steeply. About 10 feet down on your left you see a looped chain that ascends along the wall and disappears into a hidden mechanism in the door frame.
Looking straight down the passage you see that the passage appears to end,  and there is a shape just barely illuminated by your lamp.

"These people had a lot of metal" Norajia whispers as the chain mechanism comes into view. She looks up at the ceiling, curious about how the earth above is being held back. She moves cautiously down the ramp trying to see what the lamp is not quite illuminating  in the distance.

Perhaps it is bravado, or perhaps the desire to show the superiority of Morokanth over humans, but Mabwe moves on towards the object at the far end eager to find out what they have travelled to this place for.

At the end of the descent, the floor flattens out and the passage turns to the right. 
Mabwe approaches what you can now see is a nonhuman skeleton that appears to be standing against the wall. It is large (SIZ 20) and is slumped over but somehow held upright. Its appearance reminds you a bit of the bones of a bolo lizard.

Mabwe, keeping a respectable distance walks around to the wall to see if there is anything sticking out that is holding the skeleton up. The thought crosses his mind whether the bone belongs to this, but the bone seems human. The next thought then is whether this was a pet, or a mount even of the spirit within the bone. If that is the case then maybe there is a spirit remaining within these bones.

Norajia holds up the lamp as she moves towards the skeletal figure and stands before it. She tilts her head to the right, studying it.
"I hope you were supposed to be here... " she says "I'd hate to think of anyone being trapped this way"

<OOC She has let go of Vorrik's arm, and stops 2m in front of the skeleton>

OOC: is it against the wall facing it, facing away, or leaning on one side?

On closer examination the skeleton is humanoid but somehow reptilian as well.

The bone of Varantas is quiet for now.




Norajia's examination of the skeleton is impaired by the dim lighting. Mabwe observes a heavy projectile pinning the skeleton to the south wall. You think it's probably been there for a while.



<OOC: here's the crude layout. The sloping passage is not sloping at the bend where the skeleton is located, and continues flat to the north/right.>

Mabwe looks at Norajia and says "I think it's beyond your help" and makes a snorting noise that could be a laugh.

"It was killed by a very big arrow, I hope there's n more of them after all the time it's been here!" and he starts down the north tunnel.

Lemak, tell me if your Chaos sense tingles."

Norajia continues to stare at the skeletal head, "No more arrows? or no more big lizard folk?" she says absently, moving after Mabwe and Lemak with the lamp now just at chest height. She looks over her shoulder towards the bones until they are lost in the gloom. "Way's open" she adds.

<OOC: we can move this next bit along since you're following a tunnel>

As you follow the level passage to the north, you notice that it turns back  to the east and again starts to descend, making the flat portion of the passage a kind of a switchback.

Tuari concentrates on the bone he carried, moving underground was making him feel uncomfortable, dead reptilemen a little more so but he wouldn't be outdone by any of the other tribesman let alone the Sundomer.  "I wonder who or what he was." he mused.

<OOC I was off by 90 degrees, the tunnel went North, then west, then east.>




Following the tunnel down there's another skeleton of a reptile-like humanoid, this one is crumpled on the floor. The passage ends and has a large, tall opening to the east where it opens into a much larger room.

"Maybe they sprung traps" Norajia says, looking at the reptilian skeleton "I wonder how far they got, and why they left their dead behind"

<OOC I assume Mabwe has better low light vision than the humans, which is why he is scouting ahead?>

Mabwe moves to the side of the entrance and waits for the others to bring the light. As he does so he replies to Norajia "Assuming they were coming in and not trying to get out."

OOC: Yes, better night vision, but still needs light :)

The tunnel stops descending and opens up into a large chamber (crudely represented here, forgive my poor ability to convey perspective). You hear a low humming sound.



There are seven doorways, with three on the north, one to the east and three to the south (plus the one on the west that you are standing in). There are curtains hanging from six of the doorways, three of which are in very shabby condition.

There is a bright light partially peering out from the eastern curtain which appears in good shape but is partially drawn back. 

The bone weakly points in the direction of the light from the east and then feels lifeless again.

Also notably--there is no shortage of skeletons littering the floor, belonging to both the lizard men and to some more human looking specimens in unfamiliar looking armor.

Vorrik notes "Rather jolly party, eh? So sorry we missed it." Noting the ground he says "Say, are those power crystals?" 

That's good visuals for an rpol campaign, I like it.

Norajia snuffs appreciatively
" 'Cheer up trooper - raise your eyes' " she says quoting the Stormbull song with a smile. "Maybe there will be a chance to look at them on the way back. Let's get to where we need to be before the lamp burns low or Vanantas runs out of juice. These bones give me the creeps"

"Yeah," says Lemak in agreement.  "They're no use in the Dead Place anyway.  We can collect them later.  The mission comes first."  There's been no tingling to warn of Chaos to date.  He starts towards the eastern door, waiting for Norijia the lightbearer to follow.  Again, he reaches out trying to detect any presence of Chaos.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:31, Tue 13 Oct 2020.

In reply to Lemak (msg # 75):

<OOC
 For this next part, can I get a consensus about marching order and what path you'd like to take?  e.g., straight down the middle of the chamber, approach along the left wall or approach along the right wall?
Vorrik will go wherever you put him>
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:35, Tue 13 Oct 2020.

Norajia checks the level of oil in the lamp

<OOC  marching order is going to be tricky, Mabwe (night vision) Lemak (chaos sense) and Tuari (Varantas) all have a case for being towards the front. I'd suggest Mabwe, Lemak, Tuari, Noragia, Vorric, where we want/need single file, maybe Lemak and Tuari, Noragia and Vorric can double up otherwise.>
{Punctuation on doubling up}
This message was last edited by the player at 16:44, Tue 13 Oct 2020.

In reply to Norajia (msg # 77):

It's a wide chamber so you could easily go 5 abreast but maybe you don't want to do that..

Mabwe casts his eyes about the chamber and snorts at the skeletons "Straight across yes? That way we don't have to pass by other entrances."

"I think that if the dead were going to rise the ones outside might have made a move already", but he doesn't sound too convinced by his own words.

"We go like Morokanth claw yes? I at the tip, Lemak and Tuari at the sides, Noragia is the quick within to be protected and to keep the claw strong and Vorrik come behind to guard her back, sound good yes?"

Norajia nods that Mabwe's idea is fine by her (for what it's worth)
<OOC now I want to see what references we have for Morokanth hand shape. I only see the picture in the Bestiary so far, with as Mabwe says three primary digits, can't see was sort of dew-claw(s) may be behind>

Of there are no objections Mabwe heads to the light in a straight line.

Lemak starts soon after the morokanth, hoping that Norajia will follow up to cast light.  Like Mabwe, he heads straight for the door opposite.  Tactics are not the Uroxi way (unless of course any particular arrangement or layout of skeletons on the floor is suspicious).  The path of the Storm Bull is a charge straight ahead.  If any problem arises, violence must solve it.  Particularly here in the Dead Place.  They must trust to sinew and weapon.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:32, Wed 14 Oct 2020.

You are heading the direction of the arrow, picking your way around the bones of both humans and lizard creatures, as well as their armor and strange weapons on the floor. 
Both the pitch and the volume of the dull thrum you heard when entering increases as you advance. 
As you get to about the position shown here:

you notice that, as Norajia's lamplight reveals more of the features of the room, the human skeletons there are not completely decayed but still have withered flesh, with clothing that is in decent repair, whereas the clothing on the skeletons you first passed has degenerated. This is especially notable toward the south and east.
You also get a better view of the mummified remains of some of the lizard creatures, these have colorful, dried skin wrapped tightly around the bones.

Norajia follows Mabwe and Lemak with the lamp. She raises an eyebrow when the varying condition of the skeletons and corpses becomes apparent.

Mabwe scoops and picks up a crystal from their path, but snorts and drops it again as he moves on. He stays just outside the edge of the light coming from the curtained room so as not to stand out.

As one who uses his claws as weapons, and knowing then what damage can be done to him by someone parrying with a metal weapon, and given that things are not decayed past use he keeps an eye open for and greaves that might fit one so large as he.

"Dragon folk?" he mutters speculatively.

"I wondered the same," says Lemak.  "I heard tales of such things when I was a child.  And if there are crystals lying about, I wonder... does this mean that when this battle took place, they were able to use crystals...?"

He follows Mabwe's lead and stays out of the light from the room.

Drawing closer to the room but staying out of the light, you notice the pitch of the humming is still higher and the volume is louder.
It is clearly coming from the other side of the curtain to the east.
The Bone of Varantas is also now emitting a dull low hum that is dissonant with the loud sound from behind the curtain.
Vorrik clears his throat uncomfortably.
Pausing outside the doorway you don't notice anything else.

Mabwe moves up to the wall and then pulls the drape aside slowly to create a crack between the wall and the drape to look through. He looks through this rather than poke his head around the open side of the drape.

The sound is making Lemak nervous as well.  He also moves up to the wall, but behind Mabwe, dagger-axe at the ready should anything emerge from the room beyond.

Tuari looked at the bone and shook his head, "This is the place isn't it Varantas?" he tightens the grip on his sword and follows Mabwe.

<OOC: Probably technically Mabwe sees all this  but I'll simplify things by just putting the description in the open>



When Mabwe peels back the curtain on the south side light escapes into the chamber, momentarily blinding you.

The light is coming from a single oil lamp burning in the southeast wall. 

On the north half of the chamber you see additional lamp housings but these are not burning.

The floor is littered with broken clay amphoras, a few metal decanters, cracked power crystals, and other debris.

At the southwest of the chamber you see some unfamiliar digging equipment, a couple of holes dug into the earth, small barrels, and several long lengths of rope. 

Against the east wall is a large wooden table, and sitting on the table is a large iridescent object, that confuses your senses and is hard to look directly at for very long. It is vaguely oblong, or maybe triangular, and is very large in area but seems thin in depth, sort of like a shield. It is the clearly the source of the sound which has now risen to a piercing shriek. 


The object has a number of short sticks arranged around it and above it in a kind of precarious spiderweb like pattern.

Finally, at the south of the chamber you see a fully intact reptile person, its back is turned to you and its huge frame eclipses that of a human that it has pinned against the wall.

With the shriek of the sound, Mabwe is not really concerned about making a noise that might disturb the reptilian person, more so about stopping the horrible noise. He describes the scene quickly to the others before pulling the drape further aside and stepping in.

He keeps an eye on the struggle in the corner, not even sure at this moment that the two combatants did not die in that position and are in fact no threat to him. Pointing at the others to keep an eye on them he heads for the table to get a closer look at the likely source of the screech.

The fact that it is difficult to look at it gives him the encouragement to keep looking to the Southeast corner.

As you tentatively step into the room, the two figures at the south end of the room do not shift or move-not even a little.
Approaching the object, you can see that there is a netlike arrangement of short sticks around it in 3 dimensions, with the sticks secured to each other with thin wire.
You also see various small bottles and a vellum scroll with strange patterns written upon it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:43, Sat 17 Oct 2020.

"This looks complicated" Norajia says "I wonder if Varantas was here during this fight or if she learned about is as a spirit"

Mabwe doesn't reply to Norajia, but then there was no question. He does though say "That bone spirit shed any light?"

Then he says in spiritspeech "Varantas, what is it that you want us to do here?" as he looks at the strange marks on the vellum. He has heard that some outsiders make such marks as a poor version of Waha's knots. This gives him an idea, and he asks Vorrik "Do these marks mean something?"

"How do you make this damn noise stop?" he says reaching his left claw out to poke it.

Vorrik, peeking his head in from the back of the group, grimaces and shrugs. "Not Sun County, or Firespeech, as far as I can tell." 
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:07, Sun 18 Oct 2020.

Mabwe looks back at Vorrik as the outlander speaks then frowns and looks back at the thing making the horrid noise "It is like these sticks are holding it in place, or in this shape perhaps."

"Maybe if it is not in the sticks it will not make the noise!"

He tries to reach through the sticks to prod the thing, after all Varantas's bone is humming similarly, but differently. Maybe like that there is a spirit within that he can speak to and shut it up if he can connect.

"Careful Mabwe!" Norajia says. "Something here is trying to stop time for these people. See the spray of blood fixed in mid air? I think maybe Varantas is keeping it from stopping us, but I don't see what we are supposed to do. We have to take what we find here back to the tree maybe that noisy thing is it, but maybe not"

"I had the same thought," chips in Lemak.  "These two are frozen, as if Time has stopped for them.  But what is powerful enough to stop Time for so long?"

He inspects the two combatants carefully, looking for any rune or sign of the allegiances of each.  Is the human of the Wastes?

This individual appears male and looks like no Praxian you've ever seen.
His clothing is extremely ornate and has very detailed patterns, with strange shapes sewn into it.
He was wearing a hat that has slipped from his head and that is conical in shape and made of the same material as his cloak.
He appears to be about your age.
The other is a large, powerful looking reptilian humanoid with a bony hood, colorful scales and a savage looking beak, its left arm has pushed some odd weapon through the human's chest.



Mabwe strains to reach his powerful forelimb through one of the larger openings in the mesh, to touch the object...
<11:21, Today: Gargle, on behalf of Mabwe, rolled 46 using 1d100.  Dex x 5 , <50, for Jenga attempt to touch the object>
....and reaches between an opening in the staves, gently probing it. It is warm to the touch and you feel it vibrating rapidly in synch with the shrieking noise; touching it does not arrest the sound though.

Mabwe's stops instinctively at the words of warning, keeping his paw as still as possible and turns to look for the blood in the air that he hadn't seen.

Then turning back to the thing he responds "I asked Varantas just now in the spirit tongue, but she either could not or would not answer."

"Without her answer we do not know. Perhaps she was one of those humans who were here. Perhaps she, they were attacking or perhaps defending this place. Are we meant to take the remaining human, or the lizard man? Something of this place, something other than this thing?"

He withdraws his paw "Perhaps the power of the thing is waning and Varantas can sense this and needs us to be here when it fails for some reason."

"There are too many questions for me. Tuari, will Varantas speak to you of the task?"

Mabwe looks back at the thing, concentrating his gaze on the construction of sticks and wires about it rather than the thing itself.

"It reminds me of a story, of Waha's aunt, Grandmother Spider. She bound together everything in her net for him, trapped all the spirits in their places."

He snorts "This is not getting us anywhere. If the cradle is keeping the thing bound in a shape to bind Time and the thing is keeping Time bound, then if I disturb the cradle I can stop the binding of Time."

"Get ready in case that lizard thing turns on us!" and he tries to reach in again to hold it this time as he disturbs the cradle about it with the other paw to break the pattern.

Lemak stands a step away from striking distance of the lizard, on guard.  He holds his dagger-axe loosely, ready to strike, out of the corner of his eye watching what Mabwe is doing.

Norajia extemporises a song in Trade talk:
I see a red moon rising
I see trouble on the way
I see fiery rocks arriving
I see a very different age
Don't keep on your fight
It's bound to take your life
There's a red moon on the rise
She can't find a key to make it tolerable against the drones of Varantas and the mystery source, and the discord is alarming.


<OOC 07:48, Today: Norajia rolled 99 using 1d100.  Sing. How many fumbles can a girl roll?>

With Lemak, Vorrik, and Tuari gripping their weapons, and Norajia attempting to find a suitable key, Mabwe deftly reaches in again, gripping an edge of the strange object and begins to tug on one of the surrounding sticks.
It comes free from the rest of the net and you notice it is covered with unfamiliar symbols.
With the first stick free, the pitch and volume of the noise decreases almost imperceptibly.
You can't tell if the two figures moved or not.

Mabwe carefully works away enough of the peers to make a gap that he can slide the thing out through.

Although the thing is confusing to look at, its dimensions seem pretty large and you may have to deconstruct most of the cage to pull it out. Also it may be more than one person can lift, it seems to be something like 7 feet by 4 feet (by 2 inches).

As you peel away the third stick, a few things happen at once:

-The screeching noise stops abruptly, bringing some relief.

-The light in the room changes, as the oil lamp goes from emitting a continuous light to a more natural flickering.

-The two suspended figures are suddenly put into motion, the strangely garbed human slumps to the floor and the reptilian creature yanks out a straight, toothed sword from the crumpled body of its adversary. It stares at its work for a moment (maybe with satisfaction?) and then turns to you.

Lemak stands in a guard position, ready to fight if the lizard makes an aggressive move, but not doing anything to provoke a fight either.  All his focus is on the lizard now.

Mabwe is so relieved by the absence of the sound at last that he turns his head to the others and gives what would be a toothy grin if he were human. It is at this point that he sees the slumped form of the strange human and the lizard person turning to look at them.

"That Waha that noise has stopped!"

"Well, looks like Time has started again. It probably thinks we just followed in behind it rather than turning up millennia after it plunged that sword in the other outlander."

Mercifully having finished her song around the same time the screeching ended,Norajia curtseys to the Lizard man, in the manner of one accustomed to a dress or robe  (though you have only ever seen her in Chaps and trews). This is made slightly awkward by having to keep the the oil lamp steady in her left hand. She smiles feebly (probably all too aware that her song sounded appalling).

The creature looks at each of you for a tense moment, the silence interrupted only by the rustling of Norajia's curtsey and the crackling of the oil lamps.

And then its eyes fall on Mabwe who is still touching the object.

It springs forward and attacks!

While it is driving at Mabwe, the large Morokanth is behind the line of Lemak and Vorrik (and also Tuari (?)).

Please tell me what you plan to do on what strike rank.

<OOC: Also if you make an attack roll, please go ahead and roll location and damage just to speed things up, that's no guarantee it on't parry or dodge :) >

Lemak swings down and across, but his reaction is too slow, the lizard having closed the distance too quickly for the head of the dagger-axe to make contact.

OOC: 09:23, Today: Lemak rolled 71 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe attack.  Failure  :(
His attack is on SR 5
GM, feel free to edit my post if it doesn't align with everyone's actions according to SR.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:26, Thu 22 Oct 2020.

Norajia wrings her hands and wails "Noooo!" as the weapons start to swing. "Try not to kill him" she suggests. "We don't know what's going on"

"Sleep it then!" Mabwe answers Norajia request as he prepares to meet the charge, but it is so abrupt that it throws him off balance mentally.

18:12, Today: Mabwe rolled 93 using 1d100.  Dodge (28).

18:12, Today: Mabwe rolled 82 using 1d100.  Claw attack (53).

18:10, Today: Mabwe rolled 99 using 1d100.  Man Run (90) Augment Martial Arts.

Norajia nods and starts trying to cast her spell into the unforgiving dead place.

...but nothing happens

<OOC 18:47, Today: Norajia rolled 83 using 1d100.  Spirit-spellcasting roll (sleep). I think that makes 5 fails (>60) in a row>

Combat Round 1

SR 5


Tuari swings his broadsword at the lizard but his blow is parried.

SR 6
Vorrik thrusts his spear at the creature but it dodges its large body out of the way.
The dragonewt brings its toothed sword down at Vorrik, and its blow is parried by his large shield.

SR7
Norajia seeks to connect bring a sleep spell into existence but is unable to tap the magic

Mabwe prepares for the creature but its way is blocked by the 3 other members of the party.

<OOC: I'm planning to post at least a combat round per day, so if by this time tomorrow not everyone has radioed in I'll go ahead and assume you'll do something similar in round 2>

You get the feeling that Norajia may not be a clutch spellcaster, as she continues to futz around trying to produce some sprit magic

<OOC 12:57, Today: Norajia rolled 77 using 1d100.  Spirit-spellcasting roll (sleep). >

In reply to Norajia (msg # 118):

<OOC: I've long thought that if you guys could trade your SIZ for POW you would be ready for the Sartar Magical Union>

OOC: Just need to find a stat swapping artefact :P

Mabwe strikes, but this time it is at the stakes that remain about the item to try to free it further. As he does so he shouts in rather poor tradetalk "We free dragon scale!" making a guess at what the item is.

08:21, Today: Mabwe rolled 17 using 1d100.  Tradetalk (flat 5% after the failed augment).

08:20, Today: Mabwe rolled 76 using 1d100.  Earth Rune (50) Augment communications.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:21, Sat 24 Oct 2020.

Lemak swings at the lizard again, as its attention is focused on Vorrik.

OOC:
09:42, Today: Lemak rolled 90 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe attack.
Attack on SR 5
Even worse failure  :(

This message was last edited by the player at 01:44, Mon 26 Oct 2020.

Rather than being pacified the inscrutable creature appears to be enraged.

The large reptile creature produces a second weapon in its right hand with a superhuman blur!
It is a short dagger made of black stone.

SR 5 Lemak brings his dagger axe about, but the long weapon is difficult to maneuver in the tight quarters and misses to the side of the creature.
Tuari swings his broadsword with a well aimed blow that is blocked by the toothed sword. 

SR6: Vorrik thrusts at the lizard and it dodges aside.
The creature rains a savage blow at Vorrik with its toothed sword; Vorrik manages to barely bring his large shield in the path, and the shield is nearly obliterated, more than half of it splintered to fragments.
It strikes at Lemak with its dagger, Lemak barely brings his dagger axe in the way absorbing the damage.Mabwe tears apart the nest of sticks encompassing the object; after the first couple come free the remaining ones are increasingly easy to dismantle.

So if it made this Time stopping thing it's bad! Mabwe decides and tries to move around to try to lend a claw to ending it, moving to try to flank it if possible.


19:10, Today: Mabwe rolled 6 using 1d100.  Dodge (28).
19:08, Today: Mabwe rolled 13 using 1d20.  Location.
19:08, Today: Mabwe rolled 5,7 using 1d6,2d6.  Claw damage.
19:07, Today: Mabwe rolled 10 using 1d100.  Morokanth martial arts (5).
19:06, Today: Mabwe rolled 52 using 1d100.  Claw attack (53).

Norajia's tone becomes more confident as she finally unleashes some spirit magic and a shadowy butterfly makes its way from her to the lizardman.

<OOC
19:46, Today: Norajia rolled 21 using 1d100.  POW v lizardman POW resistance roll (sleep).
19:45, Today: Norajia rolled 12 using 1d100.  Spirit-spell casting roll (sleep) >

Tuari swung his broadsword once more at the creature "Orlanth guide me." he muttered as he swung.


OOC
19:41, Today: Tuari rolled 48 using 1d100.  Broadsword attack 95%.
19:42, Today: Tuari rolled 9 using 1d8+3+1d6.
19:46, Today: Tuari rolled 11 using 1d20.  Hit location.

Frustated at not landing a blow yet, and having to block a blow from the lizard, Lemak readies another attack if the lizard continues its onslaught.

OOC:
09:48, Today: Lemak rolled 13 using 1d100. Success (finally)!
To be clear, if the lizard falls before Lemak's attack, he'll hold off on his swing, but will remain in guard position in case it gets up.

<OOC: thanks for clarifications everyone! I was 98% sure that the attacks were provisional (this isn't Traveller!) but don't want to override anyone's actions>



You have all heard stories about the Dead Place and how Eiritra revived her lover the Storm Bull with the power of the land to aid him in his fight against the Devil. Your tribes avoid this area in part because it is inhospitable but also because of the way it sucks magic from those who employ it. You have never seen someone try to use magic here, however.

Norajia's spell is successfully launched and overcomes the lizard's resistance. Its arms go slack and it topples falling to the south.

Vorrik tentatively lifts his spear and looks to the rest of the party.If the duration of the spell is the same here as it is on the plains, you know you don't have very much time before it wakes up.

"Protected!" Norajia shouts, (not without a certain unchalanan self-satisfaction) "Now truss the daft beggar up before he gets everybody killed; and stop playing with that bird's nest Mabwe"
{ She then goes over to confirm the man run through by the lizard-man is dead }
This message was last edited by the player at 13:00, Wed 28 Oct 2020.

"You truss it up healer, you got the thumbs for it" the Morokanth replies removing the weapons from the reach of the thing "And is that why it took you so long, too busy watching me to cast your spell?" He is obviously annoyed from his tone.

He then moves to Tauri "Give me that bloody bone, I need to have a word with Varantas!"

Taking the bone he moves to the corner away from the lizard and sits with it before himself placing a paw onto it.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 22:24, Wed 28 Oct 2020.

"How do you know the lizard thing is a 'he'?" Lemak asks.  But all the same he crouches down, first searches the creature for any weapons or anything that bears a rune or might look dangerous, whether a spell matrix or vessel for a bound spirit, and remove them well out of reach of the sleeping body.

"Anyone have any rope?"  He looks around for anything that might substitute if no one has rope - thick clothing, not rotted, that he could cut into strips.

Mabwe looks up briefly "The drapes to this room."

Tuari bristles for a moment at the Morokanth's tone before handing Varantas over "She isn't telling me anything but that is the thing we are hear for.... I think it has been some time since she was fed though." he then moves to disarm the dragonman.

"If you want to show us how easy it is to expend your magic on the Dead Place, Mabwe, go right ahead. I had a struggle, but then I've never been a great practitioner, and I don't suppose this will help." Norajia grumbles.

"I'm just guessing from his decision to skewer first and ask questions later, Lemak, but I'll be sure to ask him, if Tradetalk gets us anywhere. I don't think he's going to be too happy about us taking that thing, if that's what Varantas wants. But I at least want the chance to try to talk to him round."

<OOC: It's crazy to me that a 3 point spell has a duration of only 2 minutes. I guess when you say it as 10 combat rounds it sounds like longer>


The curtain indicated by Mabwe might be turned into bindings.
Vorrik yanks them down and looks at the creature with uncertainty. "Do you think its tail needs to be secured...?"

Tuari and Lemak push the strange weapons out of the creature's reach.

Norajia's investigation of the lizard man's foe reveals that he has been struck through the heart and is sitting in a pool of blood, altogether dead.

A dangerous crackle of energy comes from the vicinity of Mabwe and the bone...

<OOC: Anyone who wants to try to secure the creature please make either a herd, farm, first aid, devise, or survival roll, whichever you prefer.>

Mabwe's eyes, which had rolled back in his head, return to their normal orientation, and he withdraws his slightly charred paw from the bone.

He is silent for a moment, but looks at the lizard man "It's a Dragonewt and it's about to awaken. It is here for the Dragon scale."

"Varantas rode with a great host of Prax, Jaldon Goldentooth at their fore. There was a true Dragon, they fought it I think, smoke and flame and blood. The scale is from it, from next to its eye and she returned from the battle dragging it."

The Morokanth shakes his head "I'm not exactly sure what is needed, but from what I saw that beast, greater in height than The Block, could destroy any demon the Lunars unleashed upon Prax!"

Lemak cuts strips off the curtain and binds up the lizard as best and quickly as he can.
<OOC: 08:29, Today: Lemak rolled 21 using 1d100.  first aid (to tie up lizard).
Success.>



"I don't recall the lizard attacking with its tail."  Nevertheless, if he has time before the lizard awakes, Lemak moves to secure the tail against one of the lizard's legs, and then to gag the lizard.



<Orange: RQ does have low power magic compared to other games, like how invisibility is such a rare magic.  But yeah, 2 minutes doesn't give much time to get stuff done...>



Security first.  Satisfied that the lizard is no longer a threat, the high llama brave turns to look at the morokanth.  "What's a dragonewt?  What should we be wary of?"

He turns then to try to look at the scale.  From a true dragon.  A thing of stories around the campfire.  Squinting, he tries to focus on the scale and make out its details.  "So what are we supposed to do?  A scale from a true dragon must be worth all the metal in Prax."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:53, Sun 01 Nov 2020.

Norajia checks the oil in her lamp before going to stand in front of the dragonewt in the hopes of talking to it when it wakes up.

His gaze fixed on the Dragonewt Mabe responds to the Llama rider "They are of the same blood as Dragons I believe, but a lesser incarnation."

"And I suspect that it would of such worth if you could find a buyer. I have seen the owner of this scale though; of more worth would be allying it against the Chaos to come and that Dragonewt might be the key to that!"

Securely bound for now, the creature opens its eyes and stirs, feeling its restraints. It sits up as well as it can.
It blinks and stares at Norajia, saying nothing.
You hear a faint rumble coming from the outer chamber.

"My name is Norajia" Norajia says in trade talk. "I know nothing about this place, or you, or these others." She gestures with her lamp towards the man that the dragonewt 'just' killed. "I don't like to see harm come to anyone. Will you let me tell you how we come to be here, and how you are locked in time when we come in?"

She pauses to see if the dragonewt will reply or if it seems to recognise any trade talk words that she has used

If the dragonewt or her companions don't try to stop her she will continue

"There is a new power that seems to want to clear the tribes out of Prax.  And, it is our tribes" she gestures towards Lemak "who keep the Devil under the block, so this will be bad for the whole lozenge. The Great Spirits call one of us from each Great Tribe to meet with a shaman. The shaman tells us to work with a spirit to try to turn back the bad power. The spirit brings us here to look for something. We see dried bones of some of your kind on the way in. In the next room we see both bones and dead bodies, and hear a noise. When we come in here you have your ... weapon in this man but nor you nor he move for a long time. Blood hangs in the air and the noise is loud. Now it has stopped and you move once more. This is as much as I know."

<OOC - She doesn't sound particularly compelling
15:36, Today: Norajia rolled 31 using 1d100.  Oratory -10% for failed inspiration -  an ordinary failure
15:34, Today: Norajia rolled 71 using 1d100.  Inspiration (Honour-Healer/Peacemaker)
...but at least she didn't fumble anything this time>

The Dragonewt looks at Norajia.
After a long pause, it blinks, with a third eyelid clicking from the nasal surface of its eyes.
Turning its head to one side it speaks in a rattling form of Tradetalk:
"You no like these." Indicating the remains of its victim.
"You no keep scale.
Me come for it like you.
You no keep it, give back who it belong.
Me help put where it go."

It holds its claws out showing you its bonds.

Vorrik clears his throat.
"We're not just going to let it go are we? If I hadn't got my shield up in time I'd be a goner!"


You again hear a rumbling sound, a bit louder, from the chamber to the west. A bit of dust falls from the ceiling.

Norajia blinks and looks up at the falling dust

"SHIT" she says, switching the lamp to her right hand before fumbling for her stone knife as she looks from the ceiling to the scale to the doorway

{remembering the lamp is already in the hand she'd naturally fumble with - hopefully not that sort of fumbling}
This message was last edited by the player at 18:58, Sun 01 Nov 2020.

Mabwe gestures to the Dragonewt, then points to himself and then the scale and in broken tradetalk tries to say "Help Mabwe carry scale to eye." and moves back to the scale and waits.

To the others he suggests "Time is awoken and this place should not still stand. She wants what is hers."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:56, Sun 01 Nov 2020.

"Nobody kill anybody" Norajia says in tradetalk, drawing her knife. "Get it out of here while we still have breath in our bodies"

She cuts the binding on the draonnewt's arms, tail and leg and nods him towards Mabwe

She shrugs apologetically to Vorric and switching back to Praxian says "I'll buy you a new shield, Honey, I promise"

She takes the lamp back to the doorway to see what's going on in the next room , ready to lead the way out

XD



The freed Dragonewt, as Mabwe called it, holds its arms out wide and slowly and deliberately collects its weapons, pausing as it does so with a look at the party, and secures them to a belt around its waist (its only garment).

"No fight.
No leave with no Klanth, with no Utuma."

Approaching the "scale", it places its palms together and bows its head deeply for several moments, before reaching to touch the scale.

Vorrik shakes his head, and looks at Mabwe and Lemak for support. He will try to stay to the back of the group.

The rumbling becomes louder and more violent.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:35, Sun 01 Nov 2020.

Lemak watches warily as Norijia approaches the lizard and cuts its bonds, unsure of what to do.  I wouldn't be his decision to free the lizard, but Mabwe has said they are kin to dragons, so it may be best not to anger it.  He maintains his dagger-axe pointed at the lizard, but in a neutral guard position, not an aggressive one.  Not taking his eyes off the lizard, he says, "Someone check what's happening in the other room!"



Lemak calls out to the lizard in his paltry Tradetalk, "We free you.  You help us.  Chaos comes.  Red Moon.  Help."

Still focused on the lizard, he says over his shoulder, "Tuari, Mabwe, why were we supposed to come here?  Surely not just to let this lizard take the scale?  What are we supposed to do here?"

Mabwe takes the other side of the scale and lifts it with the Dragonewt as he responds to Lemak "Talk later, let's get this out of here!"

Lemak watches to see if Mabwe and the lizard can carry the scale by themselves.  If it looks like they're labouring, he'll help out with one hand - the other hand holds his dagger-axe - and he'll make sure to stand behind the lizard, not wanting to turn his back on the creature.

Otherwise he stands to the side, at the ready with his weapon, in case they're attacked when entering the next room.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:46, Wed 04 Nov 2020.

Having looked into the outer room, Norajia will light the way across to the exit as the scale bearers get moving. She puts her knife away and tries to shield the lamp flame from the view of the followers with her left hand to prevent the glare interfering with their vision. She will try to keep an eye on the ceiling for cracks and voids as well as not tripping over anything on the floor.
"Last chance for a crystal Vorric" she says

Tuari shrugged at Lemak "She never spoke to me, just gave me feelings of where to go." he eyes the big Dragonewt warily before moving to the door out of the room, he stoops and picks up a handful of the crystals and depositing them in a pouch.

In reply to Tuari (msg # 151):

The outer chamber is dark, but as Norajia holds her lamp out into the gloom you see increasingly violent shaking and dust raining down from the chamber's ceiling. A rare stone drops with a thud as well.
The Dragonewt and Mabwe maneuver the scale through the door, with assistance from Lemak when it needs to be tilted on edge. 
The object is large but not immensely heavy.
<in game terms about 18 ENC>
 If the Dragonewt sees the remains of others of his kind, he doesn't seem affected by the sight.
Tuari and Vorrik each grab 1d3 crystals, you're not sure if they have much value.
Lemak, Tuari and Vorrik are ready with their weapons.

You make it half way through the large chamber doing your best to avoid stepping on bones or other debris.

<OOC:  let me know if you take any action other than heading to the ramp back up. The conditions in the chamber are not conducive to doing more exploring and would probably involve some rolls, if I don't hear otherwise I assume the party is heading back the way you came> 

Norajia is just trying not to lead the party into a sink hole or under a ceiling collapse. If there are no suspect cracks/cavities, she'll stick to the straight line to the exit that they came in by. She'll warn of any minor trip hazards, that she crosses. She isn't stopping to pick up any souvenirs.

Mabwe looks wistfully at the scattered crystals, but getting the scale out is unfortunately more important.

Lemak sees what Tuari is doing and stoops to pick up as many crystals within easy reach as he can while they cross the room, as long as his help is not needed with the scale - and while there's no apparent enemy.

The shaking increases as does the size of the rocks and debris raining down. Mabwe and the dragonewt keep their footing during an especially violent wave. 


You get back to the ramp and past the switchback fighting to keep your footing, Norajia leading the way.




Arriving at the entrance you are greeted by darkness, Norajia's lamp reflecting off bowed-in surface.At first you think someone might have closed the enormous door on you but the patterns on the surface are more familiar. 

Norajia tentatively reaches out with her left hand to feel the texture of the obtrusion, and then bringing the lamp closer to eye level, moves across and down it trying to establish what the pattern is.

In reply to Norajia (msg # 157):

Bringing the light closer to the sagging object, Norajia recognizes the pattern of Thangar's blanket, which has been draped across the opening. 
In addition, on closer examination, bedding of other members of the party also has been arrayed in some makeshift array, interspersed with a few small branches.
  
Down the passage the rumbling becomes a deafening crash and a billow of dust blows past the party.

"If Thangar covered this over then we might have company above. Be ready, but with all this noise they'll be expecting something so let's get out of here!"

Norajia let's the others exit the makeshift cover before her, while she stops to examine it in more detail.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:53, Sun 08 Nov 2020.

Tuari moved to the front of the group and carefully moved the blanket aside at first just enough to peer out to see what is happening above ground.

In reply to Tuari (msg # 161):

The dust from the collapsed chamber, now filling the passage, makes you choke and begins to extinguish Norajia's lamp.

As Tuari begins to peel apart the makeshift quilt, you make an opening and your face is stung by a blast of cold air and tiny cold particles. Warily poking your head out, you don't see immediate danger. Nor do you see Thangar or your mounts. It is dark and very cold. There is some urgency to get out of the passage as the dust gets thicker.

Tuari pushed his way out clearing room for the others to follow, he remained silent looking around concerned he couldn't see Ondari where he had left him.

"Let's go!" says Lemak, following Tuari's lead.  Once he's back on top of the Earth, instead of in it, he quickly scans for danger.  If he sees none, he drops his dagger-axe and turns to help Mabwe and the lizard trying to carry the bulky scale up the stairs.

In reply to Lemak (msg # 164):

Emerging from the passage, you do not see any immediate danger. Your bedding has been arranged, with structural support of some branches and rope, into a crude covering of the opening. It has been covered in a layer of cold powder, which has accumulated on top of a thin layer of dirt and rocks, which you suspect was placed there to camouflage the entrance.
Scanning the horizon you do not see any other activity. It is night time.
Tuari notices among your items a carved stick: it contains several beast runes, a moon and water rune, and a curious carving of an impala.  

Holding up the stick Tuari says "I think Thangar has left us a clue I think he has headed for Moonbroth.  Though if he has stolen Ondari I will hunt him through the wastes until I find him.

"I think you are right Tuari" Norajia says. "The Impala tells us he plans to take the beasts to Moonbroth."

"Reflect, the beasts were in his care and there is no fodder for them in the Dead Place. It must have taken a day or so to make this out of our bedding" She indicates the covering.
"We saw strange things happen to time below, we may have been gone longer than we think, he may have had no choice but to leave to find food and water. If he wished us ill, he had the beasts, he could have dropped that metal thing back over us"

She switches to Tradetalk remembering that the Dragonewt may not understand Praxian

"We think our mounts have gone to Moonbroth. The Red Moon has people there so I do not like to take this near them" She indicates the scale. "But we can't go far without mounts."

What does Norajia call you, Klanth-and-utumna?

The sign of the Moon rune angers and worries Lemak, but Norajia's explanation reassures him.



The high llama brave looks up at the sky, checking whether the stars and planets have moved significantly since they entered the Earth.

<OOC: Rolled Survival if that's the relevant skill to read the sky.
18:35, Today: Lemak rolled 56 using 1d100.  Survival.
Failed  :(  >




With everyone back on top, Lemak picks up his dagger-axe again, not trying to threaten the lizard, but ready in case the creature should try anything hostile.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:38, Tue 10 Nov 2020.

The Dragonewt looks at Norajia for a long pause, and its arms begin shaking.
The shaking spreads to its legs and tail, and at last it opens its maw and emits a sound of raspy rapid panting.
Vorrik takes a step back gripping his spear.
The volume of the breathing sounds increase, as does its shaking, until it topples over into the snow, convulsing on the ground. 
After doing this for some time it stands back up.
"Yes. Call this one Klanth-and-utumna".

Norajia also takes a step back, blinking in surprise, her head tilted to one side

Norajia steps forwards again and leans toward the prone dragonewt, her brow wrinkled with concern, she does not touch it however.

Norajia straightens up and her head tilts again briefly

Norajia places her palms together and bows her head as she saw the dragonewt do before the scale (but not so deeply or for so long). "I mean no harm Klanth-and-Utumna" She says in Tradetalk. "There is much that I do not know"

"The Moon people are human, like us (most of them) some even ride the sable, they come from the west. Some of my Sable people at Moonbroth work with them because our Twin-star gods know something of the Moon. My clan does not do this. We do not like the way the Moon people let Chaos things walk with them. She looks at Lemak and Tuari "In Prax this cannot be. The Block must be held by the tribes." She gestures towards the Block. "We do not want Chaos to gain more strength near here."

"It seems like a bad idea to stay here. The braves will make a plan. I will try to tell you what they say and tell them what you say. We do not all know as much Tradetalk" Apparently having said her piece for now she steps back and scans as much of the ground around her as she can see in the night

Mabwe emits a snorting noise, a sound that other Morokanth would recognise as laughter "Looks like you are all in for a nice long walk, just the way it should be. We'll have you as good at it as Morokanth by the end of this... well almost. Moonbroth it is then."

He hadn't thought about the possibility that time passed more slowly for them in that place, but it seems that Darkseason is well and truly upon them unless things are so very much different here. "Darkseason" he repeats aloud.

Tuari shudders visibly his face goes ashen and he says "Something is very wrong, not just here but in the middle sky.  I do not feel Orlanth's presence here and I don't think it is just the dead place.  Lemak, can you feel the Storm Bull, Norajia the White Lady?

I think the sooner we get to our four legged brothers the better."

Looking up at the sky, something looks strange, but Lemak can't quite put his finger on it.



At the lizard's unexpected movements, Lemak turns back to the creature and tenses, ready to strike.  But the lizard appears only to shake, without moving towards any of the party.

Only when the creature stops shaking and stands up again, does he relax.  A bit.

Listening to Norajia talk to the lizard, it's clear that she's better at Tradetalk than Lemak is.  "Ask it what it plans to do now."  He leaves the words "with the scale" unsaid.



"I thought it might just be the Dead Place..." says Lemak, but he focuses his thoughts on the Storm Bull as Tuari suggests, and then looks up the sky again, trying to find the answer.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:08, Wed 11 Nov 2020.

Norajia relays things in Tradetalk  for Klantha-and-utumna as best she can

"The Morocanth says Darkseason has come, he wants to start the walk to Moonbroth."

"The Bison wants to find the mounts. He says that he cannot reach his air god and that there is something wrong since we came out."

"The High Llama asks what your aims are."

"it seems to me that we will be slow when we carry the thing that we rescued. If we meet a clan or a Bull band, they are likely to try to take it from us"

She also asks the braves in Praxian "Do you want me to name you? We have a name (of sorts) for this one"

In reply to Norajia (msg # 174):

You are not sure how much of what you say the Dragonewt understands.

It points north.

"We take there. No Moon Broth."




One thing I should mention, you have seen snow and felt the cold before but this is nothing you've experienced in your lifetimes.

"Something about the White Lady seems different, maybe it is my using magic in the Dead Place, or this Horse-weather" Norajia says.

"He thinks we should take the scale the way he pointed" she relays (probably redundantly)

"The ...Ruins? "

Norajia says in Tradetalk. She swallows and looks around nervously

"Why there Klanth-and-Utumna?"

Having concentrated on his connection with the Chaos-Killer, Lemak replies to Tuari again.  "No... I don't feel a difference compared to when we first arrived."  He shakes his head.  "Perhaps... it is because the Dead Place has a connection to the Storm Bull...?"

He looks again at the sky.  "I see now, though, that Orlanth's Ring is gone."  He points up to the blackness of the Sky.



Lemak nods in response to Norajia's question.  He's about to ask her to ask the lizard why it wants to go north, but it's clear that she had the same thought.

In reply to Lemak (msg # 177):

The Dragonewt points again. As best as you can tell, its scaly finger points to the right of the location of Winter Ruins, whereas Moonbroth would be to the left.

"No ruins. Hided road, Dragon road."

Gathering your blankets and gear you find among the jury rigged covering 3 water flasks, now frozen, and 4 cloaks of sewn rabbit pelts.  

Norajia shrugs "If time has passed, we could be in the week before it comes out of Stormgate"



"Where in the hells did these come from?" Norajia says, holding a cloak at arm's length"Does anyone remember these pelts? Has Tuari been coming back to look for us?"



"He says he knows a hidden road East of the ruins"

Switching back to trade talk she addresses Klanth-and-utumna

"We think our Great Spirits sent us to bring this back to the Block; your people sent you to fetch it to where you want to go. I wish we could help both our ancestors. With no mounts, your road may be the best way to be sure we are not robbed by the Moon people or a foolish Khan, but the braves may not like the idea"

"I have been here the whole time and I have no idea where these pelts came from.  probably Thangar left them for us."  Tuari said as he gathered up what of his things he could find. "Now Moonbroth is that way I think" he said pointing to the north west.

"Doesn't matter when we are. Varantas was quite clear in the vision she showed me that we have to help the Dragonewt return the scale to the Dragon's eye" Mabwe lies, not being as sure as he sounds. Still, he reckons that his interpretation of the vision is close enough and that the bone would do something to prevent this action if he was wrong.

He has heard of the Dragon roads, even saw a ghostly parade pass by once, so the thought intrigues him. He points where the creature did "We go road" after gathering his megre gear, and then points towards the Block "Road go Block?"

"Take you to powerful spirit man who send us to help you. He help get scale to Dragon eye!"

He then looks at Noragia to check his tradetalk.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:18, Fri 13 Nov 2020.

Norajia tries to clarify things for Klanth-and-utumna. "The Bison still wants to fetch his mount from Moonbroth. He cannot sense his Great Spirit - the Mountain Wind. He says there is something wrong with the air."

"The High Llama's name is Lemak, he says the Desert Wind Spirit still moves as he should"

"The Morocanth says the spirits want us to help Klanth-and-utumna. He wants to follow the dragon road, and he asks if it can take us to the Block where our Great Spirits told us to find an old man strong with sprit power. The old man is the one who sent us here. The Morocanth says the old man will help get the scale to the Dragon's Eye"

"The Sundomer gives no counsel, he was sent by his God to the old man. His people are also hurt if Prax suffers"

"There was one more of us left up here when we went down. An Impala rider, he has gone with our beast brothers. We don't know if he will come back, or when"

Remembering something she fishes an object out of her clothing

"Someone at the Block gave this to me to keep safe. Does it mean something to Klanth-and-utumna?" She holds up a plant seed pod for the dragonewt to inspect but keeps hold of it with both hands

Vorrik says "Mabwe, we're not going the way that, what did you call it, Norajia? 'Clacks-in-your-tomb'? We're not going where it wants are we? That 'Dragon road probably opens up in the underworld!"



The Dragonewt blinks, and holds out his hand to receive the plant pod...

Mabwe looks at the outlander and then at the Dragonewt "We were meant to bring anything we found back to the Block, to Shollak Sees-Far. We were not told that we had to bring it straight back, and in my vision Waha told be to go to the Block and the shaman there, but did not tell me what to do after."

"If the Dragonewt will come to the Block now then that is best. If it will not then we will have to bring it later. If the scale is back on the Dragon then we will bring that, though it was as big as the Block. If it comes no Chaos demon the Red people send would stand against it!"

He then looks to Norajia "Is something wrong with it? The way it shook and fell, that cannot be normal surely?"

Lemak shrugs.  "They're a blessing.  Maybe they're Thangar's.  Does it matter where they came from?"





"My vision didn't show me the shaman, but the Great Bull did command me to go to the Block.  My vision also showed me terrible danger for my clan.  And I don't know how Time has passed since we were in the Earth.  This is urgent.  We need to stop the Red Moon before my clan - all our clans - are threatened.  Mabwe, you have seen more of this than me.  Do we drag this lizard back to Shollak even if we have to tie it up again?"  He hopes the lizard does not understand Praxian...

"Thangar I meant... " Norajia says "...just that if he made them when dark season arrived, maybe he comes back here often enough that it's worth waiting a while and seeing if he turns up. I guess he couldn't find enough game to make one for Mabwe"

"I wish Issaries had sent someone..." Norajia says "I'm not supposed to be here to tell people what to do... BUT, please remember I sacrificed some of my magic down there so that we didn't charge into another round of blood letting and funerals without knowing why. I know your nightly dreams are filled with glorious raids and plunder won from other tribes, but as Lemak says this is urgent and it is different.

I don't know what the little master or the bone spirit thought to do with this thing, but if the dragon folk don't like it and work against  them (us), then we may have bitten off a walktapus tentacle. I bet they know a lot more about it than we do.

I'm not healing anyone who starts a fight over claiming someone else's ancestor's body parts. What if the dragonewts found one of the grisly portions? Wouldn't you think you had a better right to it than them? That's what this means to Klanth-and-utumna. We can work something out, plus at least if we get somewhere hidden, we don't have to worry about running into Bloody Inire the Red's patrols or his broo hugging Moonie mates. They'll have their mounts and lances, what have we got? A sleep spell and a few swords.

I agree with Mabwe, we should work with the dragonewt. I know the tales say that dragons are scary and unpredictable; well, that's a good reason for not deliberately pissing them off."

Lemak frowns.  "I don't think we can afford to wait for Thangar.  It looks like Time has passed quickly while we were in the Earth.  When we rode to the Block, it was fire season.  It's not just a matter of days that have passed.  Now neither Pamalt's Spear nor the Winter Palace are in the sky.  With the snow around, it looks like earth season has passed and we're now in dark season.  Who knows what's happened to our clans while we were below?"

Heading away from the Block is not the direction Shollak had asked them to go.  The thought of no healing is disturbing though.  He looks to Tuari to see what course of action the bison brave suggests.  He even looks to Vorrik, though normally the outsider's views would count for nothing.

Mabwe smiles at the thought of all these humans differing to a Morokanth for such a decision, but then it is only fitting, for Morokanth are superior and closer to Waha. He has witnessed the majesty of the Dragon and felt its gaze. He knows it to be a power beyond anything he has felt and even if this Dragonewt could be persuaded, it is a long walk back to the Block with these humans slowed by their reliance on their missing mounts.

He has a feeling too that more Dragonewts might come, perhaps the descendants of those they fought too, now that the scale is back in Time. So he points the way the thing did, towards the ruins and takes up an end of the scale.

In reply to Mabwe (msg # 188):

The Dragonewt casts a look over its shoulder at Norajia's plant pod and lifts the scale with Mabwe, trodding north.

Vorrik swears and mutters "This was not our mission! We'll never get it back if we hand it off to these things" as he follows along.

Norajia's brow wrinkles as it appears that some of her companions are unconvinced of the virtues of inter-species co-operation.

She says no more, but takes one of the fur cloaks and puts it on. After everyone has had the chance to claim one, she will carry any that have been left behind. She will leave her bedding in the makeshift camouflage over the opening.

Tuari pulls out Varantas once more "Varantas I would know your will, do we go with the dragonman or take the scale to the block or should we go to Moonbroth." with what he pulls aside his armour and plunges the bone into his thigh.

In reply to Tuari (msg # 191):

<OOC: please roll 1d2 damage to the leg of your choice>

The blood from your wound is drawn into the dry bone. It immediately springs to life and points to the south.

"Wait a minute Klanth-and-utumna" Norajia translates to Tradetalk. "The Spirit tells the Bison that it wants to see this thing taken south. He and the Morokanth do not agree on the Spirit's wishes. I hope we can talk this over and all agree something without fighting each other. None of us is Chaos. If we harm each other, it is Chaos that gains from it"

"In the face of this threat from the Moon, I will try to help  Vorric's people as much as Klanth-and-Utumna's people as much as our tribes and spirits. Please, do not become divided but trust that we can help each other, and agree amongst ourselves one best way foreward that we can take together"

<OOC Noragia is trying to keep the NPCs from doing anything drastic in what might become a tug of war over the object, but if any PC's feel moved by her charm that's a bonus
22:40, Today: Norajia rolled 32 using 1d100.  Charm roll augmented by special Harmony Inspirtn. Ordinary success
22:37, Today: Norajia rolled 8 using 1d100.  Harmony rune Inspiration (for a later charm roll). Special success (+30 to ability)
>

"I see Varantas she says we must go south and she showed me that Thangar comes with our mounts" Tuari groans out in pain but elated as he allows Varantas to drink. "We should wait until the morning."

10:37, Today: Tuari rolled 2 using 1d2.  Left leg damage. of course it rolls max damage...

Norajia opens her medic's bag and prepares to treat Tuari's leg (unless, having seen the gylptodont incident, he wants to wave her away)

"Klanth-and-utumna" pauses its forward motion at Norajia's words.

"Give urrug" it says, holding out its claw toward Norajia. "Then rest till sun."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:55, Fri 20 Nov 2020.

Norajia fishes the seed-pod out of her clothing again and extends it left handed to Klanth-and-utumna.

"This?" she asks (in Tradetalk) "My knowing does not reach to 'urrug', I was not told what it is for"

Mabwe squats and says "Seems that spirit is only happy speaking if we get hurt!"

Then turning to Norajia he says "Did you ever ask it if its road goes past the Block?"

<I think Mabwe asked this in Tradetalk and didn't get a reply.>

The Dragonewt carefully takes the plant pod and stares at it for several moments.

After a pause it fixes its gaze on Norajia and says "I follow you, unless you betray. Protect from wrong users, Rune Twisters. Not know Moon People."
It then sits on the ground cross legged and closes its eyes.



:(

Norajia blinks and sways slightly backwards and forwards for a few moments "I wonder if that was Urrug?" she says in an undertone

"I asked, but he didn't say anything about it. I'm not sure how much Tradetalk he understands" Norajia says "He says he will come with us. He hasn't heard of the Lunars; he's more worried about guarding his thing from the Rune Benders, whatever they are."

Lemak sighs, muttering under his breath, as the morokanth and lizard pick up the scale to continue away from the Block.  But he's not going to fight them.



Tuari's declaration lifts his spirits, as does the fact that lizard agrees once Norajia hands over the seed pod.  "That's good."  He settles down to find warmth for the night.  "We'd better post guards, particularly in case anything comes out of the Earth.  (And I hope Thangar has taken good care of Lobber and my stuff.  My lance is a family heirloom!)"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:02, Mon 23 Nov 2020.

As you are settling in, Vorik tosses a rolled up item to Mabwe.
It is about 18 inches by 12 inches, a stout cured leather sheet covered on one side by dozens of overlapping bronze scales.
"Try this on, Morokanth, I scrounged it off one of the bigger skeletons. It might fit one of those oversized forelimbs."

The night is the coldest you ever remember, but the scale gives off a little warmth. You sense that too long in these elements will begin to take a toll. You also notice that, in spite of the bitter cold, there is not a hint of wind. 

Mabwe picks up the item and unrolls it to get a better look before trying it against his right forelimb. If it fits he leaves it on and says to Vorrik "Thank you Sunny-boy."

Despite his thick hide Mabwe feels the cold creeping into his bones after a while and he wonders how the humans are coping. After some time he speaks up "This place was bad enough, but the cold of this season it's like the chill of a grave. No wonder they call it the Dead Place."

"Why don't we head out now and wait outside for them to catch up rather than freeze here."

"What if we route we take means we miss Thangar?  We know Thangar is heading here.  Better to wait here.  But do you think we might find a bit more shelter down below...?"

Lemak looks down the stairs to see if all seems calm below now, and whether there's any chance of protection.

Tuari nodded as Lemak spoke "I agree, better to wait than miss each other in the dark."

The legging will provide you with another 5 AP on your right arm on top of your natural armor.



The collapsed passage offers a little protection if you wish to shelter there. Only about 3 meters of the tunnel are left unburied. You think that the cave in is finished...

Norajia performs first aid on Tuari's leg, healing the damage from Varantas' activity

"Lemak is right" She says "Our shaman's been to Spirit Mountain, he says people can wander around in circles in this horse rain. This is where Thangar knows he has the best chance of finding us.

We should go as far down the passage as possible, maybe even clear a bit more of a hollow if we can. It will be less cold nearer Eiritha, that's how she keeps Grandfather Marmot warm through the Arinstoli Grasslands Darkseason. Everybody sit up against Mabwe and stretch these fur cloaks around the outside of the lot of us to keep the heat in.". She sounds confident in her bossy trail-mom persona, desire her previous homilies about her not telling people what to do.

<OOC 07:43, Today: Norajia rolled 13 using 1d100.  Survival success.
07:39, Today: Norajia rolled 3 using 2d3.  HP regained (Max 2).
07:38, Today: Norajia rolled 6 using 1d100.  First aid (Tuari) (special success)>

"Thank you for tending my leg Noraijia though I suspect it will not be the last time I may need your assistance." Tuari said giving Norajia the first smile she has seen from him since they started travelling.

Norajia pats the restitched thigh and returns a quick grin. "Careful how you wield that bone, Trolltall." she says "Complications could arise"

"The more I use her, the more she draws on my strength, good thing I'm not a little man. Trolltall hey..." he says with a chuckle.

"Good points," approves Lemak.  "Orlanth is gone it seems, and the Air is quiet, but it might still be a bit warmer below, without snow on the ground, and if we keep close.  But at least one of us should stay above - as guard, and so that Thangar does not see think we have left if they don't see anyone."

"I'll take first watch," he volunteers.  Maybe the morokanth is tired after lugging the scale around.  And Tuari has a hole in his leg.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:24, Wed 25 Nov 2020.

You rest in the relative warmth of what's left of the ancient descending passage.
The Dragonewt remains in its position outside but it's not clear how much it would help if the camp fell under attack.
As you change watch from Tuari to Mabwe for the third watch of the night,  Tuari is unable to rouse the large Morokanth. 

Tuari looked for signs of life on the big Morokanth, unable to see any he roused Norajia "I can not wake Mabwe I fear the cold of this place may have caused this.  Come look at him"


OOC: 14:09, Today: Tuari rolled 71 using 1d100.  First Aid 25%.

Waking up Norajia wipes the drool from Vorric's epaulet while she listens to Tuari's report. Then she makes her own examination of the morocanth.

"It might, possibly, be a shaman thing" she says "Didn't he say something about strange dreams?"

<OOC - 07:45, Today: Norajia rolled 60 using 1d100.  Treat Disease (Mabwe): Success
07:45, Today: Norajia rolled 52 using 1d100.  First aid (Mabwe): Success >

In reply to Norajia (msg # 215):

Mabwe does not stir during your examination.
He is alive and taking long, deep breaths. 
He remains in this state when the sun rises. 

"Well, he's alive." Norajia says, "But not kicking. Did he say anything to anybody about discorporating? or about spirits hanging around?"

Vorrik rubs his eyes and yawns. Frowning at the Morokanth, he mutters "I don't think we have the strength to carry the scale, Mabwe AND the lizardman".

"Mmm? No," Norajia says "...even if Lobber and Odina return, we may not have anything strong enough to  sling him between them. He's quite a chunk. And, if his spirit is abroad, it may not be wise to move his body. Let's just hope he wakes up before Thangar gets here, we can't stay in the Dead Place long. Klanth-and-utumna is ready"

As the sun warms the inert Dragonewt, it gradually stirs and climbs back to its feet.

It seems ready to follow. It also stares for several moments at the Red Moon, as if seeing it for the first time.

"Maybe we could rig some sort of a sling out of the ropes we moved that big metal lid with" Norajia says "If it stood up to that it should hold Mabwe easily enough, if Thangar still has it that is."

"I don't fancy taking this covering apart until Thangar arrives with the mounts, or we get desperate to move. It's got to be some help in keeping our heat in. "

"I wonder how much time has passed? I didn't say goodbye to my girls properly (only Vara). They'll be worried if there's been no word from me in a season or two."

The moon is full. While Yelm has risen, his light does not bring much warmth.

<OOC: Let me know if you plan to stay put and wait for Thangar or do something else, and I'll advance the scene tomorrow>

"I agree," says Lemak.  "We should stay and wait for Thangar.  Hopefully Mabwe will awake by then."  While they wait, he inspects the metal, looking to see if there's a way to dismantle it, and take some with them.  Not that he's fully relaxed with the lizard around.  Every now and then, he looks back at the lizard to make sure it's not trying anything dangerous.

You spend the entire Wildday waiting in the cold with no sign of Thangar.

<OOC: In the accelerated training of this campaign you have enough downtime that you can go ahead and make POW and skills checks if you have any>

There is no sign of danger today except Tuari spots a hyena that wanders by in the distance and looks at your party, and then prances off. 
The clouds remain completely motionless in the sky and indeed have held the same shape and position since you emerged.
The Dragonewt appears patient and seems loyal to Norajia after receiving the seed pod... you think.
Lemak is able to pry some bronze off of the still closed door but it's difficult work, at least without the proper tools.
Mabwe remains in a trance but you believe he is healthy.
At about midday however, Mabwe flinches suddenly and you notice a large nasty welt appear on his right jaw.

Yelm sets in the distant west.

Lemak inspects the morokanth's wound.  "Well, I guess that confirms that his spirit is travelling."

He catches Norajia's eye a moment.  Presumably she'll look after Mabwe better than he can.

Then he returns to trying to pry as much metal as he can off the door.

Norajia frowns when she sees the damage to Mabwe's jaw and she gets some salves and ointments from her medical bag to treat it. There's no noticeable change to Mabwe's condition though.

<OOC - 07:57, Today: Norajia rolled 91 using 1d100.  first aid (Mabwe) .>

As Yelm starts to sink in the sky she goes to see if there is any sign of movement on the horizon. "Where is Thangar?" she says, "We can't sit here and die of thirst"

You keep Mabwe as comfortable as possible through the night.
On Godday, something week, something season, Norajia spots the familiar site of dust being kicked up by hooves on the distant western horizon.

Norajia calls the others and points out the dust column that she has seen in the west

Lemak stops his investigation of the metal, and stands up, both hands on his dagger-axe, but loosely, ready in case it's not Thangar that approaches.  In particular he tries to make out any sight of Lobber.

As the cluster approaches you see Thangar's impala with a heap of furs sitting on top of it and decide Thangar must be under those furs.
Lobber the high llama, Odina the bison, and Chastity the sable are all present.
They seem to have been well cared with their brushed coats but you have seen them fatter.
Neither the zebra nor the second sable are present, but there is another mount--a bolo lizard.
Thangar hops off his impala and greets you warmly.  His head has been unshaven and the top knot is a foot longer than when you last saw him. His face is also a bit thinner.
"You're alive! That llama spirit told me to come, and here you are!"

As the visitors draw up Norajia bursts into tears and starts running over to her sable.

<OOC It's called Modesty not Chastity, by the way (there are limits) >

But, noticing the changes in appearance, she diverts to hug Thangar first.

"Thangar you're a true comrade! How long have you waited? Are you alright? Where have you been? What's going on?"

Gesturing at the icy weather she belatedly realises that she won't get any answers unless she stops asking questions, and steps back to give the Impala the floor.

<OOC: Haha, oops>

Thangar hands a baked squash to Norajia and hands some pemican to Lemak, Tuari, and reluctantly to Vorrik.

He holds a second squash out to Mabwe, and notices his collapsed state for the first time.

The little impala rider clears his throat, and begins.
"Well, when you descended I waited for hours before calling down, even venturing to take a few steps into the cavern, but I heard nothing in reply. I made camp, but I spotted some bandits in the distance and thought it best to conceal the entrance lest you be killed from behind.
After a few more days I knew that the mounts would need water and feed, so I left a message for you and, with reluctance and uncertainty, headed to Moonbroth.
I never gave up hope and visited each week to see if anything was different.
Then the winds stopped blowing, from some Lunar trick, and this unending winter began.
That was more than 2 years ago! 
I brought furs and water and tucked them in the camouflage, I am glad you found them.
Things are grim in the plains, in the oases--everywhere. In spite of the hardships here I have done my best to care for the mounts, and I think you'll find your possessions intact, except I may have eaten some of the rations. You would have too! 
It has been ages, but here we are together again, eh?" 

Vorrik asks "Where are my sable and my zebra? And what in the seven hells is that?" he asks, indicating the bolo lizard.

Lemak takes the pemican gratefully and gives Thangar a friendly headbutt, pemican in one hand, then releases the brave, going to check on Lobber.



Lemak chokes on a mouthful of food and spits it out, staring at Thangar, all thoughts of thanking him for looking after Lobber forgotten.  "Great Bull's balls!  2 years?!  What has happened?!  Have you have any word of my clan, the Silver Fleece?"

He ignores Vorrik's questions.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:36, Wed 02 Dec 2020.

A woman of the plains, Norajia feels that she has seen and heard enough to know the answer. Still tearful, she moves quietly to stand in front of Vorrik. Looking at his feet, she bites her lower lip before meeting his gaze.

<OOC: before I forget, Lemak is able to pry about 200L worth of bronze from the door so far>




"All of the clans have suffered; your clan has done better than most, from the little I have heard. As for this winter without end, it was Lunar sorcery!" (he spits). "Orlanth is said to be down in the underworld, and the winds have stopped."
He squints at the Western horizon. "I have a friend who should be joining us, but he said not to wait."

To Vorrik, Thangar says, "I sold those animals. I figured both could go to a better master, er, meaning no offense. I had to survive for these last two years, you know.  But I didn't forget you outlander, I was able to obtain Fiko here." he adds, cheerfully, indicating the lizard.

Norajia raises an eyebrow at Thangar's reply, and rubs Vorrik's arm, "It looks fast!" she says in tones of approval "You will be quite the expert on Praxian beasts at this rate"

"We have a new... companion too." she tells Thangar, "We found Klanth-and-utumna down in the underground. He wants to protect something that we brought back."

<OOC: \^_^/>



Lemak frowns at the words, but at least the Silver Fleece seem to have survived - suffering being a part of the Wastes.  "And what of Shollak Sees-Far?  We were going to head back to him.  But if two years have passed, is he still in the same place or has he moved on?  And is the Block the same, or has Lunar sorcery extended there?"



If Vorrik was one of the Dedra, Lemak would understand the pain of losing one's mount.  But there was clearly no connection between the outlander and the sable nor the zebra.  So he just claps hands on Vorrik's shoulders and turns him to look at the lizard.  "I think it likes you!"



"I think Mabwe said it was a dragonewt," chips in Lemak.  "And that's apparently a real dragon scale next to it.  It doesn't appear to speak Praxian, but speaks Tradetalk."

Mabwe opens his eyes wide and at the same point a semicircular curved bone with reticulated skin of an unfamiliar animal stretched tightly over it, decorated with feathers and bronze bells appears in his paw.

He looks about at the others as he rises, flinching a little as he puts weight onto his left leg. He looks at Thangar, seemingly unsurprised to find him here "Thangar, it is good to know that you have survived these bad years. I assume that you have told them how long it has been?"

In reply to Mabwe (msg # 238):

"Ah, you're well, good Morokanth! My friends, and also Vorrik. Reunited once more!
Yes, you have been in that hole for 2 long years. A little over, actually."

To Lemak he replies "I don't know the fate of Shollak, didn't he say that he wouldn't be there, but that we should bring what we find to whoever was at the tree when we get there? Or something?"

<OOC: It's been a while (although not as long as in the rest of Glorantha) but that was message 67 in Block and Roll>

Mabwe smiles "Shollak is well, looks more spritely than when you last saw him. My old mentor too, Forntiss, she is well also. They were a great help to me."

He rubs at his left leg and then looks up again and adds, as though it is of no significance "Oh, the are dead though of course. Gave themselves over so others might live still."

"We should still head back there though. It is important." He looks past them at something not there, nods and then adds "And the Dragon will awaken soon."

Norajia's eyebrows do a little dance of surprise, concern and appreciation

Norajia coughs violently, and takes a  while to straighten up and regain her breath "Do   you" Hf hf "need" Hf "aid" Hf "on" Hf "leg?" she asks Mabwe semi-coherently.

After clearing her throat a few more times, she adds "In the vision dream of the Lunar attack, my girls were only a few years older than I expected them to be." Ahem " If two years are gone already, then we may not have much time do finish whatever has to be done."

"We better leave then, now that your mounts are here. It is nothing significant, time will heal it."

"Hmm, keep an eye on it. Ankles and wrists take a long time to heal left to themselves.

 Should we try and close this metal thing before we go? I'd quite like my bedding back, what's left of it"

Norajia approaches Fiko and inspects him or her cautiously. She does not seem familiar with Bolo lizards, but at least can try to learn something from the way the tack is put together. After a couple of minutes she shakes her head, none the wiser.

<OOC - 21:00, Today: Norajia rolled 66 using 1d100.  Devise (understand Bolo lizard tack) - fail.>

Tuari had rushed over to check Ondari over he seemed older but well cared for "It is good to see you brother you have been missed." he ran his hand over the big bulls horns with a smile.

"Thangar thank you for taking care of our brothers and sisters.  You have been a loyal friend and I am in your debt.  When you call Ondari and I will be there.  Now Mabwe is right we should start moving for we have tarried over long.  I still don't understand how years have passed."

"Well I suppose you're right. The bedding is probably frozen solid on there - it's time to go. Maybe Lobber can carry the scale."

"We are all in Thangar's debt as Tuari says." She glances sympathetically at Vorrik who may be less convinced " What about your friend Thangar? will he be able to follow our tracks?"

"Let's get you mounted Vorrik, I'll hold its halter. I don't know anything about riding two-legs. I guess you have to be more careful about balance, especially if you try to make a turn. I wonder what a bolo lizard eats?" She tries to look at Fiko's teeth, but does not actually touch its mouth

Mabwe shrugs at Norajia's words to the outlander "Or you can walk with us." he offers Vorrik genuinely.

"I am not a quick walker, I'm afraid... I will certainly try to climb off of this thing if we need to fight."
Vorrik approaches the lizard, which seems willing to give him a chance.
Vorrik is not huge, but is a larger cargo than the bolo lizard would prefer. He struggles onto the creature with some difficulty.

<OOC: If you want you think you can support the scale between the bison and llama.
If someone can propose a path and someone else second it, that would be good, i.e., you could head south across the Dead Place which would be the shortest path to the Block, or you could head  south east which is the quickest path out of the Dead Place, and then skirt the edge heading toward the Block... or something else.>

"Thangar, how active are the tribes with regard to raiding in this winter without end?"

"I think that we should head due south. It is the most direct and therefore quickest path. Less likely to run into raiders in the Dead Place too, there's no herd to raid in here."

"So you have spent a lot of time around Moonbroth Thangar" Norajia says as the group travels south "Is Inire the Red still there? What are the Lunars doing to the place? It must be a bit of a wrench to leave after so long.".

Thangar's face darkens. "The raids have become more desperate and more bloody, from what I hear. I don't know that any path is safe. Desperation has deepened the bonds of some but turned others to outlawry."



"He is there, the peacock. The Lunars extract a heavy burden, and Inire above all insures his own comfort, the dog."

"What else did you see?" asks Lemak, after watching Mabwe, to satisfy himself that the morokanth seemed okay.



"Oh yes," Lemak remembers, "thanks, Thangar.  We haven't known each other long (if you ignore two missing years), but you've watched over our animals.  If you need help in future, I will come."



Lemak watches, a bit disappointed that the bolo lizard didn't try to throw the outlander.  "Well, if it doesn't work out, perhaps the other lizard could ride this bolo lizard...?"



"Yeah, let's go that way - the fastest way.  We're already over two years late!"

<OOC: The dragonewt is a little bigger than the bolo lizard :) >

You trudge along through the Dead Place for the better part of a day, putting the hidden cavern behind you.
The Dragonewt walks always directly behind the scale towed by Lemak and Tuari. 
As Yelm dips below the mountains to the west you set up camp.

Oh I didn't see that. A great spirit told me that the Dragon will awaken soon. As for what I saw and what I did, I cannot say. The trials are personal and the rites are secret to shaman."

When they stop to make camp Mabwe stands stock still and looks like he is watching something in the distance, though his gaze then travels close, head turning to the right and then looking behind himself as he turns to watch, though with his eyes closed.

"There are many spirits in this place. Or perhaps there are lots of spirits everywhere. Time will tell."

"I will help watch tonight, but it is distracting."

<OOC: That's okay, Lemak was just having a little dig at Vorrik, while also amused by the thought of one lizard riding another lizard  :P  But good to know the relative sizes of the two creatures anyway  :)  >




The high llama brave cocks his head to the side a moment, thinking.  "Were... you a shaman before?  I thought you were in training...  But two years have passed."  He smiles.



Lemak prepares to make camp.  As he does so, he scans the area to satisfy himself that this area will be as good as any, providing a good view of all approaches.  He stops, and says to the others.  "There are a few riders to the northeast.  They've dismounted and gone behind a small hill."

"I was not a shaman. And my training was not enough to be ready for the trials, or so I thought."

"Two years and then some have gone by and we were outside of Time for that. A lot has changed, many have perished, my clan has been without a shaman for too long. Forntiss found me, Forntiss and Shollak took me to where I had to go and I prevailed over the Bad Man's challenges, though it marked me."

"I awakened that which was hidden and now we are shaman."

He is silent a moment and then says "They dismounted? This does not sound like our people unless they did so to camp. If they prepare an attack they will come ride surely? Unless they plan to creep into our camp under the cloak of darkness. What mounts did they ride?"

Tuari looked out towards the indicated hill, "Should we ride over and see what they want?" he gives a quick grin "Give them the surprise?"

"Well, I wish the circumstances of the trial was better, but congratulations on passing!"  Lemak doesn't give a headbutt, as he's not sure the morokanth would appreciate it.  He gives a friendly pat on the shoulder instead.



Lemak turns back again to look at the small hill.  "Yes, I was thinking the same.  I couldn't make out the mounts, only shapes in the distance.  But they didn't all look similar.  Outlaws...?  We had better post extra watch tonight..."

A thought comes to him.  "I don't know anything about this dragon scale.  Can it be sensed?  Could someone be tracking it...?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:53, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

Lemak gives a smile.  "Not a bad idea.  But we have the scale.  We've been delayed long enough.  And we could risk losing it.  Better to press on back as soon as we can, and avoid distractions."

<OOC: Sorry for the pause, I wasn't certain of your plan; I'm assuming you stay put for the night?>

"So we shall remain here then, but be alert for visitors from behind that hill then. We shall take the middle watch. Darkness makes no difference to spirits and I can see a little better in the dark than some."

You settle in for the night, the scale in the middle of your group.You take turns keeping watch, not failing to keep an eye toward the direction of the gang seen by Lemak.

You think that you should emerge from the Dead Place tomorrow around midday.

During Mabwe's watch, a lone rider trots along passing the party at a distance greater than the range of a bowshot and accelerates after passing the party, turning into a gallop heading south, disappearing into the distance.

"We're going to need to be ready for a 'welcoming' party once we leave the Dead Place, or along I ride back to The Block," says Lemak in the morning as he readies Lobber for another day's ride.

"If anyone has any ideas how we can avoid any ambush, let us know..."

Mabwe relayed his observations to the next watchers when it was his turn to sleep, so by the time all were awake everyone will know about the lone rider.

The Morokanth nods to Lemak's words "It is possible, likely perhaps. I find it strange that the rider was alone. If times are so hard then better to be with others. Still, a lone scout perhaps."

"As for avoiding ambush, difficult. Stay on the flats and don't go near hills or gullies, that means it would be difficult for any to approach us without being seen. It also might add time to our journey of course."

"That's my concern about the lone rider," says Lemak.  "Seems like one was sent ahead to warn or gather others, while the rest will follow us from behind until they outnumber us enough to attack...?

The only thing I can think of is: if these riders know where we are heading, perhaps we should take a longer route to get back to the lone tree near The Block.  But we're already so late..."

You can see your breath and that of your mounts as you pack up camp.
The Red Moon is a crescent in the sky-Freezeday.
The clouds are still as stones, in the same precise positions they were in when you left the cave.
Thangar shivers and remarks "It might jar you to know that t-this is the first day of Earth Season. J-jar? Because jars are made of earth, heh."
As the sun warms the Dragonewt, it again comes out of its trance, climbs to its feet, and waits until you have the scale positioned between your mounts.

"My dream..." Norajia says. She has gone pale. "In my dream before we went to the block - the shower of fire rocks, it was Earth Season... "

"Earth Season, Harmony Week. I remember because I thought Harmony Week might be an easier birth for the triplets. If this is the year, we have one or two weeks before it happens. What day was it? What day?"

Lemak groans.



"You're right!" exclaims Lemak.  "When Thangar mentioned Earth Season, I felt dread.  Now that you mention it, in my vision, I somehow knew it was Harmony Week, Clayday.  So that means this attack will take place in nine days' time!  We'd better head straight back to The Block, and ride over anything in our way!"

"The decision is made then, straight and true, and if trouble comes then straight through it!" Mabwe agrees, noting how his clouded breath seems to stay about him as it slowly dissipates.

He shivers and walks through it.