- This game is under the Fantasy genre.
- The game system is Chaosium Runequest 2.
- This game contains mature content.
Three Feathered Rivals: Making a bad thing good.
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Sea Season 1612 Prax.
Two years after the defeat at Moonbroth your clan is now living within Vulture Country, eking out a meagre existence after being forced from your traditional grazing lands by the victorious Sable Tribe. Young Braves, newly initiated into the clan's tribal secrets, are suddenly thrust upon the dangerous world of raids, constant hunger and tribal warfare.
A game spanning a decade of adventuring, this will hopefully see the young men and women of the clan grow to be mighty Clan and Cult leaders, with the ultimate aim of freeing their people from the Imperial yoke, killing as many damn Sable riders as possible and stealing as much loot from those dogs cowering behind their walls in New Pavis.
Think you're up for it?.....
Our little band of braves have been sent out on their first patrol in the beginning of Sea Season, after each ran into one of the Three Feathered Rivals during their Sacred time clan initiation rites.
After fireside tales, run ins with Hyenas attacking their herd, sneaky Impala braves, nature spirits, a near fatal run in with a Leaping Bear, a possession by a ghost, and a night spent at a holy spot with some thieving Baboons, the party departed on a quest to stop a scourge of Leaping Bears from attacking their clan.
After first helping a long dead giant with his stomach complaint, the warriors found themselves facing off against Tripanandar himself. A short bloody battle ensued, leaving one pc dead and the party victorious. They then went on to discover that someone has called the Leaping Bears down on their clan, the clues pointing to the rival Red Thorn Bison Clan or at least one of their shamans. Who might or might not have just been captured by the same dastardly Impala Braves mentioned previously.
It's all go and the patrol, now heading home, with several recovered stray Bison and a small herd of captured wild Zebras, have just wandered into what might be an ambush...
The ambush turned out to be Ostrich Riders butchering a dead Bison, and after sorting out the resulting confusion both group depart as friends.
Now the party have reached home (laden with loot, 4 rescued Bison and a herd of 10 Zebras), where in front of their clan they are commended for their achievements, being gifted with training in both skills and magic. The Chieftain decides to send out a war party to deal with the impala's and shaman, whilst the party must remain behind.
On the morrow there is the funeral of their friend and the yearly Rainman rites ..And the upcoming Initiation in to the societies of the Three Feathered Rivals.
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Taking part in the community defeat of the Wicked Writher, ensuring their Khan's place as ruler of the Clan and bonus rain for the year. Battling ritual enemies both Impala tribe and Gagarthi outlaws led by the Red Thorn Shaman, who kidnapped a shaman's spirit during the ceremony and fled with it into the Wastes.
Rewards for a successful patrol, protecting the Herd and reporting on the evil Red Thorn Shaman. Disappointment at being left behind as a War party is dispatched to kill said Gagarthi and evil Shaman.
Love interests rekindled, bullies bashed and a friend buried.
Week long initiations into their Spirit Societies, taking trials, suffering deprivations and with varied visions, some leading to the belief that the Red Thorn shaman will escape the war party, others dealing with Tada, Genert and the Copper People.
The search for a white bone lance, reputably with Giant killing powers .An Earth Knight and his Copper Armour .A stone tower ..Returning the Wastes to it's once former glory.
The party have gained the nickname 'The Wandering Rangers' after the warriors of Tada, having copied Tada's deeds to defeat the Leaping Bear spirit.
A sneaky plan is made to avoid their Khan's refusal to go fight the Red Thorn Shaman , where the party will pilgrimage to the Rhino Rocklands, (two pc's being Rhino Riders) this will take them past the Giant Finger Holes .
Battling Broo, both above ground and below, escaping hungry Rubble Runners, Pack Lizards and killing a nasty Chaos creature, meeting ancient spirits and now approaching the Rhino Rocklands, looking for help from the great ancestor himself, before heading to the bad Spirit place to face their enemy and get killed in numerous horrible ways .
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he Rhino Rocklands have been reached and the wandering Rangers (our crew of adventurers) approach the site of the long dead ancestor, looking to ask for boons and perhaps some help on their quest.
Approaching the rocks they spy other Rhino riders! Which turns out to be an old grandfatherly Wind Voice and one time adventurer Krakka Rumble, and his Daka Fal worshipping wife Gronya, both members of the Summer Fury clan, a clan made up mainly of Storm Bull warriors. With them is a young man who surprises the party in being a surviving member of the Sky Watchers Clan and a new pc. After a happy reunion, a Rhino ritual is performed successfully, so much so that the whole clan's rhinos are blessed with good health and any other surviving members of the decimated clan are alerted to the fact that some of their family are at the Rocklands.
During the typical after rites piss up, words are had between one pc and the Wind Voice, who about to throw them out is stopped by the untimely attack of Dark Eater worshipping Morokanth!
A tough battle ensues with hyenas and Morokanth killed and party members sorely injured. Splitting up, one group heads to the nearby caves of an Earth Witch to protect their Shaman, who has gone to seek help from the witch, whilst the others stay in the camp to fight off the Morokanth and their Rune Lord Yikes!
As is the way of Runequest the party win: the Rune Lord demoralised and surrendering with his remaining two warriors, whilst those Morokanth that entered the cave mysteriously vanish. Strange things are seen and an Earth Guardian is suspected.
In the camp the rest of the party leave the now bound prisoners and the Rune Lord in the care of the Wind Voice and one pc. A promise of good behaviour having been given. It seems the Wind Voice knows the Morokanth from before.
The entire party, bar one, meet below ground and encounter the Earth Witch who ties a few visionary loose ends together, hands out some knowledge about their next stop and importantly gives them some essential magical aid.
Several hours later, with hardly any POW left, the jubilant crew head up to find the camp empty Not a person, Morokanth nor riding beast in sight!
After some quick investigating and bird interrogation, thanks to a Condor worshipping pc's Speak with Birds skill, they deduce that they've been had good and proper.
The Morokanth have gone SOuth with their companion and Bison, and their Rhinos East with Krakka.
What to do? Especially as time is running out with their kidnapped Shaman at the Giant Finger Holes.
One Foundchild pc legs it after the Bison (and his stolen dog) emulating a myth where his god tracks down Brother Dog, stolen in the Great Darkness.
Whilst the rest of them, never expecting to see him again, run after the Rhinos, with the intention of all meeting up at their Quest's final destination...
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So ..
Our lone Condor brave heads off to locate his stolen dog, bisons and kidnapped companion, running like the wind and emulating his god. He tracks them to the rocky, spirit filled gorge, where the party had spent the previous night camping.
The band of Morokanth have positioned themselves under an overhang, nicely situated above the pool below. There's watchful guards, but luckily they're all celebrating their crafty theft with stolen Kumiss. The kidnapped companion is tied up and guarded by an awakened Gern, heavily armed and armoured and the allied spirit of the Rune Lord Zakeen Two Thumb, khan of the Black Mud Morokanth clan.
Our intrepid pc, meets up with the strange Mostali construct again and whilst consuming some powerful mushrooms (Our Condor brave is that way inclined Louche hippies of the trails), hoping for spiritual guidance, he secretly observes the enemy camp from across the ravine. Locating his dog and Bisons, he then embarks on a clever negotiation with several local spirits that eventually leads to a rather crowded, drunken and tripping standoff in the middle of the Morokanth camp.
As words are exchanged, the ground littered with morokanth dead, the Gern cuts the bound prisoner's throat as Zakeen uses Rune magic to escape.
A major character is dead, the bisons and dog reclaimed, and importantly new spirits met. But it is a bittersweet victory and the pc heads off to rendezvous with his friends.
Next: No Wound Day, drunk Storm Bulls, the reclamation of Rhinos and the charge of the heavy brigade ..
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Back at the Rhino Rocklands our intrepid party, track the dastardly rustler Krakka to a spot between two large rock spurs. Nestled between them is a camp. A camp filled with an assembled Storm Bull gang, mainly comprising of Rhino braves, but also several High Llama warriors from the Hooked Lance Clan. There are yurts, assorted mounts, including the Rhinos owned by our heroes, and the start of a shin dig.
That's right, on the morrow it is No Wound Day, where Uroxi party, fight, fall over and then wait to get healed. A plan is formed and come the next day the Rangers bide their time, watching as the berserkers steadily get trashed. Eventually another group arrives bringing with them two human prisoners (Ogres) who are escorted by the majority of warriors deeper into the Rocklands to supposedly be their afternoon entertainment. Leaving behind only a handful of Lay members to keep guard on the camp. This is the chance the party needed and after Krakka's allied spirit is captured and stuffed in a sack (It was a Manul cat) the braves charge in, free their mounts, steal Krakka's and then laughing hysterically ride off into the Wastes.
Alerted to the theft the intoxicated Storm Bulls come running after them, watching as the remanding mounts stampede off.
That's when the Broo hit, called by the holy day to fight their enemies .
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During the game the party have picked up several interesting pieces of loot, One in particular was a golden disc found on the long dead body of what looked like a Yelmalion. It seems to be a map of some sort from the engravings on both sides. There's writing too, but being nomads they have no idea what they say. Another set of maps had been found earlier, drawn on a long roll of lead. Hooks galore for a later date.
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What followed was the culmination of their main reason to be travelling .The Giant Finger Holes and battling the evil shaman and hopefully freeing the spirit of their own Shaman Long Grass.
Mist filled mornings, the sounds of Baboons and then a night time scout, whilst avoiding ravenous ghosts, finds our crew, amongst jumbled piles of massive building blocks , peering down in to the five huge holes in the ground. Fires illuminate the pits, looking as if they had indeed been made by the fingers of a giant, long ago when the Wastes were green. There are pools of stagnant water far below, surrounded by vegetation, barely hiding the entrances to several tunnels and caves.
A squat figure is spotted peering from the shadows, a pygmy Impala rider most like. Allies of the Shaman.
Abseiling down, the Rangers find an ancient Earth complex, with secret doors opened with mythic help. Battles with ghouls follow: undead Impala braves who'd survived the previous war party's victory only to fall foul of their master's new magic.
Then an ancient guardian of the earth is tricked and reveals the tomb of her lover, an Earth Knight, warrior of Tada himself. Promises are made and the party enters smoke filled caverns, one by one killing their foes until the final battle with the Shaman.
Victorious but sorely wounded the Rangers have freed the Holes of the evil and allowed for the forces of good to begin the ritual cleansing. The Earth Witch arrives, fills in some gaps and Emesh-Ga the Earth Knight becomes the party's guardian spirit. Most importantly they have freed their own shaman and gain bound spirits in return.
A side trip is planned, for there are paralysed Sable Women, the last uneaten prisoners of the ghouls. Grandmother Spider is contactable nearby. Off they go, encountering wild dogs, the eight legged spirit herself and a nest of giant scorpions. Freshly killed Yelmalion warriors are found, adding to the mystery of the trip. So far from home and carrying unreadable clay tablets . Ambushed by Impalas the braves head back with spider poison gained by offering worship to the darkness spirit.
The women are healed...a Storm Bull party arrives, negotiates over the defeat of Krakka, steals some of the groups hard earned loot and departs to the East on a Heroquest. The Rangers then, having promised to return in Earth Season split up.
One group heads back to the clan, laden with with loot and extra mounts, whilst the rest head back to the pool filled Ravine, the sight of Kaonu's death, on a mission to convince two spirits there to relocate to the Giant Finger Holes.
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Once there they encounter a lone Bison rider, a close friend who has been away, he'd tracked them down, unaware of the true motives behind their trip. His mother is a raid bride from Sun Country and luckily he is able to shed some light on the strange gold disc and clay tablets. It is a map showing the location of the fabled Lassiter's reef and orders for the Yelmalions scouts who are searching for 'something'.
The party suddenly find their camp over run by terrified Baboons, fleeing for their lives from a Basmoli hunting party. A battle ensues, ending with a tense stand off and the Basmoli leaving with their clan's magical lion skin, previously stolen by the Baboons.
Whilst recuperating a cat mysteriously explodes deep underground, resulting in the group discovering an ancient Mostali tomb, linked to an EWF official. Notes on a map, found on a mummified corpse, point to an old ruin south of where they are and a tower glimpsed sometime ago on the banks of the Zola Fel.
The next morning whilst trying to work out how to open the tomb's door, a horn is sounded outside in the ravine ..
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It turns out to be Rhino riders, a small family group of very familiar faces! That's right, some of the missing Skywatchers. There's a Grandmother of one of the pc's, cousins and a new character. Three women elders, a brave and four youths in all, their Shaman having died a few days previously. After a brief stand off where hot words are exchanged, the sept corral their three Rhinos with the rest of the mounts and join the Rangers under the Overhang.
Once reunions have taken place news is exchanged, and the new comers inform the Rangers how they had discovered the decimated remains of a friendly Ostrich Clan encountered previously. Massacred by Broo, it seems that several escaped, before the Broo headed North and presumably ran into the Uroxi by the Rhino Rocklands.
There's bad news too as it is explained that Oglod the Lizard spirit had contacted the new arrivals, informing them that he was angered by someone summoning Grandmother Spider in the Ravine.
Oh Oh.
Negotiations take place and plans hatched, which eventually sees a happy compromise reached, with both spirits remaining. One the caretaker during the day the other during the night.
Once sorted the attention returns to the Mostali tomb, where traps are sprung, adventures shredded, cans of Spam discovered and a room full of Mostali secrets raided. Maps, Keys, tools and wriggly silver fish.
Before they can celebrate, a trap is sprung and half the party vanishes into a pit, causing the death of a yet another familiar, and then the survivors are shot through a tunnel out of the nearby cliff face and into the dangerous pool below.
After near drowning two of the pc's get out, but fifteen minutes later the last Ranger is still below the surface....
The missing Ranger is saved with the help of an ancient Mostali artefact that she'd found, and once reunited the guardian of the tomb appears, shortly after a band of Impala riders arrive, intent on revenging their relative's recent death at the hands of the Rangers.
After a short battle the guardian: a giant Gobbler, explodes killing one pc and a young Rhino girl. A sad state of affairs indeed and after their funeral the Rangers head back towards the Giant Finger Holes, releasing their Impala prisoners after promises of peace are made. The Impala braves work for a Yelmalion band, who are somewhere nearby searching for a lost treasure: Lassiter's reef. The party have in their possession a map that hopefully shows the way to the fabled reef, whatever that might be. Of course it's magical, in code and probably needs a trip to Sun County to unravel it's mystery. Luckily in the possession of the Impala braves was found a special pass allowing it's bearers entry into the land of the Yelmalions.
On route to the GFH's the party runs into a Bison sept of the Red Thorn Clan, enemies of their own. Luckily the matron is an aunt of Salen and bloodshed is avoided. Something odd is going on though and the braves find themselves being measured up for future marriages. Hearing that they are going to the GFH Salen's aunt and several braves accompany them.
As they near the GFH, the party, having seen a rainbow flashing across the sky, initiate the Welcoming home ceremony, reaching the holes and finding a large group of nomads waiting for them.
Several Eirithan priestesses, from the Impala and High Llama nations are there with escorts (One a group of scary axe sisters), surrounding the Earth Witch. Much magic is cast and the already greening site transforms for a while to how it used to look in the Green Age. From the vegetation watch many people, who gradually join the procession going deep underground.
Some of these turn out to be a group of braves from the friendly Black Shield Bison Clan, allies of our pcs.
A ceremony is held in the ancient earth temple complex, which in great style is turned upside down by the two Raven braves, who kinda by mistake/on purpose summon Raven himself to the party. A theft occurs, people are annoyed and the ceremony ends. But it's all good as it turns out that what was stolen was in fact stolen once before, and is just another myth playing itself out.
The Rangers depart, saying goodbye to the Red Thorns but now in the company of the Black shields who wish to visit the Bison Grasslands as they have an important message for the Prairie Thunder elders.
Several days of encounter filled travel ensues, with a particularly dangerous run in with two nesting wyverns leading to more deaths, hilarity and loot. Surprisingly two of the Red Thorns turn up wanting to join the Wandering Rangers.
Whilst this goes on several other pcs arrive back at the Bison Grasslands far to the south, escorting a handful of heavily laden rhino home with their two shamans. Once settled and after a good old fashioned brawl they recruit several new characters to join the group.
At last everyone is reunited, debriefed and rewarded and the Rangers then get down to business...
Six weeks of ceremonies, shaman apprenticeships, spell learning, initiations and training then sees them back in the Wastes, this time heading westwards on an Elder commissioned scouting trip to ensure that it is safe for the whole clan to move early next year. Once at the Zola Fel they are to investigate rumours of a new settlement, scout the river valley and return with their news. There are six new members of the Rangers: Two Prairie Thunder braves, two of the Black Shield warriors and the two Red Thorn braves.
The party intend to also search out an ancient tower seen by their scout on a previous trip, and marked on a map found in the Mostali tomb. Plus most importantly they must find the home of Kinope, one of Zola Fel's daughters, who might just be able to help them cleanse the contaminated waters of the GFH.
On the second day of their trip, following a dried serpent (river), one of their number suddenly falls sick as they drop down into the lowlands, finding a cliff toad infested seasonal waterfall and pool. The Toads are dispatched and two young Baboons saved, the last remaining survivors of the We Seen the Sea troop.
What follows next is unexpected, but totally in keeping with the craziness that typically follows our intrepid heroes...
To the South of where the party is there is a place called Daka's oasis and when the party reached the pool they observed a flock of vultures eating something in the near distance.
It turned out to be a high Llama and it's hapless rider. The Baboons mention that they and their dead companions had been contracted to work for this man, waiting whilst he rode off to the distant oasis. An oasis known to be haunted by spirits from the God's war. Oh oh. On investigating the carrion, one of the PC's gets possessed by a powerful spirit, which using his new body runs off at high speed towards the nearby cliffs. Chased by the rangers they find two carved entrances in the rock face, through which the spirit has run.
What ensues is ancient sacrifice, the awakening of Basmol evilness, skeletons, an underground complex, a Basmol Mummy and finally a heroquest where Tada beats Basmol. The party splits in to two groups, one at the pool guarding their shaman and their sick companion, the others Heroquesting to beat the reanimated Basmol Lord.
Demoralising fights, pesky hyenas, blood sucking siblings that change into flocks of bats, a Ranger killed and turned into a zombie, Basmol defeated and skinned and then after half exploring the complex, dawn comes sealing the den from the outside world...
Pushed for time the party must leave, heading for a known mini oasis 10km away. Which when they arrive they find to be occupied by a band of Heroquesting Agimori braves in the company of a powerful fire spirit. Un communicative, it's only when one of the players summons Ehawee, the Skullbush Woman, that the party realise that they are in great danger and must flee at once. The Agimori are walking a myth where they once fought Basmol himself.
It's only when the party flee that they realise that another one of the pcs had been possessed by the Basmol Lord, at the moment of his defeat at the hands of Tada. The whole reason he had reappeared was that he had been called by the Agimori heroquest. That pc had remained behind in the mad rush to flee, to lead the band of Basmol berserkers who had now appeared....
The party have gained an new enemy, which turns out to be the White Lion, a Basmol Argrath just to mix it up. An ancient hero returned to the world intent on returning his people to their former glory.
The party continue, their mission paramount for the moment, traveling past the Zebra Grazing whilst shadowed by a large band of Zebra riders, and now several nights later have summoned Saxaul, a nature spirit, asking the Green Age spirit for help in finding water and digging around her roots to find the poisonous Goyo tuber that they can boil into blade venom.
The party wind their way across the Wastes until they arrive at the massive valley walls of the Zola Fel. Riding down they spy their first collective view of the sea before arriving at the fly infested, muddy shore line.
Smoke plumes rise from a dozen spots in the Delta, the largest amount coming from what must be a settlement some distance away (The newly built Corflu).
Deciding to try and get to the river, hopefully avoiding the mud, so as to scout out this settlement, the Rangers stumble across two children in difficulties in a small channel.
Cue a nasty mudshark attack which results in the children being saved by our plucky heroes. Theyd been collecting eel traps, and as the Heroes pull them from the water their River folk family arrives.
Theres a tense stand off, before the mother runs to her children. The Party are quite scathing in their view of the river folk, until the River folk family's Grandmother arrives and turns out to be a former member of the High llama tribe.
On the way to the River settlement a Lunar patrol arrives nearby, hunting this particular family, thus establishing a further reason to get on...Rebel! Another person arrives proving to be a foreigner who lives with these people (A Darjiini deserter).
Over the next few days the party are given an introduction to a new way of life and food! After some discussions, and a near riot when the Shallow Water family discover one of the players bound familiar is a Rubble Runner, a compromise is made. The Riverfolk will give the party fetishes that keep away flies on the condition that they clear out some mudsharks that are bothering them.
Sound familiar? I thought so
The Shallow Water familys totem is that of the Mudcrab, a spirit that is in frequent conflict with that of Mudshark and these riverfolk are somehow mythically stymied in fighting this nasty creature. So much so that many of them are missing limbs.
Of course the party agree, and also discuss the possibility of the river folk bringing them to Corflu.
The settlement, well hidden in the delta backwaters consists of several longhouses used during Fire season, surrounded by wooden totem poles. Within this boundary large dragonflies can be seen scooting about gobbling any flies they find. The poles are carved with representations of these insects and are made of a blackwood not from the area. (The River Folk/High Llama matriarch in her adventuring days befriended a Gorakiki Uzko, who is now hiding all the way down here with her followers. In trouble in the Big Rubble she has divined that her Goddess will thrive down here in the Delta This links in with Tolkazzi paying the Uz to come to Corflu the following year.)
So the party head off, suspecting the Darjini is going to do something bad, kill all the Mudsharks and discover a strange stone Newtling eye in the mud (Aha thats where you got to!). But disaster strikes one of the players as her hand is bitten off and chewed up ..
More to follow:
Trouble in Corflu...Crafty Lunars...Healing magic...Hanging with the enemy over a few beers...Agimori Wizards...Murder....Piracy....Lost chances....Up to the siege of the Stone tower, where as I write the party are preparing to storm the tower from the roof and hopefully from outside the main door, where they have managed to start what could be a major forest fire nearby...Whoops.
Returning to the settlement the Rangers discover that the only places that have powerful enough healers to regrow their companion's limb is either the far off Horn Gate or Corflu where there is a Deezola priestess.
This quite rightly puts the party in a fix, but due to time constraints they must go to ask the Lunars for help. Promising to bring the Rangers to the settlement, the Riverfolk ask them to try and find out where one of their elders is. He was captured recently by the Lunars and they think he is somewhere on the island.
During a celebration before they leave, where the party become lay members of Zola Fel, several Newtlings are met and one of them directs a pc to the Zola Fel priest in Corflu when shown the odd stone Newtling eye (Rainbow mounds anyone?)
Going with the party are two of the Riverfolk, one a member of the main family who resides there - The Deep channel folk. They explain that a special holy day is occurring, partly celebrated by a market day that will bring in folk from all over the delta, thus providing cover for them to sneak in without alerting the Lunars. The party are on edge about having to be so close to their enemies, so leave most of their weapons and gear behind, instead dressing as locals.
Corflu is reached, and disguised as Riverfolk the party begins their search for the Shallow Water elder and a healer for their injured companion. Much shennanighans ensue, with love affairs, drinks with lunar soldiers, poisoned crossbow bolts, Lunar ceremonies, double crossing, a raid on newtling hunters, promises made and rumours of ancient treasures. Not to mention the arrival of a ship from far to the west which deposits an Agimori wizard on the dock. Finally after crucifixions, happy Zola Fel folk, religious days, freed Newtlings, healed amputations and a tip off about a certain boat heading to Pavis with their Shallow Water Elder, the party gain places on said boat both in the employ of the Wizard who wishes to scope out a tower that over looks the river, someway to the north, and as guards of the Shallow water prisoner. Crafty pc's! (they'd framed the other guards for murder...and got them executed)
Also on the boat are several lunar scribes, a wronged merchant, hopefully an ancient treasure dug up in the river mud, and the women folk of the recently murdered Newtling hunters. This will be fun.
With the help of the boatmen the prisoner is freed (they were guarding him so a bit of a no brainer there), the merchant thrown overboard and the cargo stolen. One of the scribes saves the life of a pc and gains his and his friend's freedom. It's only later that it's realised that they are carrying the treasure. Oh well.
Stopping off back at their friendly river folk settlement, the Rangers retrieve their mounts and companions to head off with the Wizard in search of a stone tower...
The stone tower.
( The party are heading to the shrine of Kinope, before swinging inland and back to the GFH's to complete their two weeks of service to the Earth Witch there)
Encounters with a party of High Llama riders results in a map being traded for, showing a part of the Big Rubble, and then the Stone Tower is reached. One of the Rangers had been there briefly during his backstory, scouting out the river a season ago. During this trip he'd killed a Tusk rider and this is who they expect to meet there.
After a stealthy approach the Rangers climb up to the roof, having observed two creatures fly off in the darkness. Making their way inside, a good old fashioned scrap occurs, full of the usual violence. Eventually prevailing the party rests whilst the Wizard heads downstairs to look for the secret laboratory/library or something, he'd previously mentioned to them. A fire started outside during the night unfortunately grows into being a good old fashioned forest fire, which proceeds to burn everything in it's path to the South (We find out later it kills a fair amount of animals and people before dying out).
Next day a Broo war party, the last remnants of a group hunted by their clan and their allies the Black Shields, assaults the tower, having presumably been alerted by the huge forest fire. A predictably vicious fight starts with the Broo shaman being picked off very quickly, followed by with a tense stand off inside the tower, which after much injury and near death ends in victory for the Rangers once more. It's then that they discover that the Wizard can't be found. His trail leads below to a skeleton filled basement with no obvious exits. During this time a Black Shield Posse arrives having been on the trail of the recently killed Broo.
The two parties join forces, and eventually discover a way below into a secret underground complex. Entering carefully in the company of some of the Storm Bull braves the party soon discover fresh tracks crisscrossing the ancient dust. It's not long before Uz zombies and skeletons are discovered and after running into powerful ghosts everyone scatters, thankfully with the rescued Western Wizard. After a frantic rearguard action on the stairs where one valiant berserker sacrifices herself for the group, the Rangers escape.
It's decided to leave explorations for another time, likely when they are far more powerful. Leaving the next day the Wizard announces he will stay with his slave as he plans to study the tower, before making his own way to Pavis.
The next few days are spent heading up river in search of Kinope's pool, traveling along the middle high ground. Whilst up there large groups of Sable riders are seen crossing at a ford far below and with the use of magic it's determined that it is in fact a whole clan assembling. It's not long before they're discovered by a band of Sable riders, which ambushing the party results in the usual carnage and the surprise capture of the Sable clan's queen's daughter and one of her braves. The battle had been bloodthirsty and old scores were settled for the loss at Moonbroth..
Heading north as quick as possible, a ransom is organized with the exchange to take place in Pavis during Storm season as the Rangers plan to be there for one of their numbers initiation rites.
The pool is eventually reached, soon after running into a sept of High Llama riders, members of the Blue llama clan. In their company is a Rhino rider, a new pc and a Sky Watcher. It's a happy time and soon after scaring the few river folk at the pool, contact is made with the unfriendly fish priest at the pool. Kinope is contacted and information shared and much magic cast. It seems that the Rangers are not powerful enough yet and must come back to perform a heroquest with the spirit the following year, which entails one of their number marrying her. then she will provide the magic and catfish required for the cleansing of the GFH water.
So the group leaves, slightly disappointed and this time when they move across the valley floor the Rangers spot and plan to ambush a small group of Sable riders. They are obviously coming back from raiding Sun County, for in their possession are several blond bearded men in the garb of Yelmalion farmers.
It's a messy affair which results in the mortal wounding of a pc and the killing of the Sable Clan queen's youngest son, brother of the other prisoner. It seems they were returning for his imminent wedding. The sable clan are the Arinstoli clan, who are fated to make peace with the Bison Tribe at a later date. This will be interesting...
Whilst at the pool the Rangers had discovered that the water had healing properties so they rush back across the swamp, carrying their dying companion to see if the spirit will help.
The ceremony goes well as does the latest meeting with the daughter of the Zola Fel. Promises are made, connections deepened and a path fixed in to the future.
The dead pc is brought to life and the Rangers depart once more, this time accompanied by the Blue Llama sept. They have decided to accompany the Rangers to the Giant Finger Holes, to meet the Earth Witch and see with their own eyes what has occurred there.
A quick dash is made to gain the higher ground and enter the Wastes once more. It's decided that the best and quickest route is through the chaos infested Bleak Hills. As they gain the top of the Eastern valley, a group of Agimori are spotted far below, coming from the north, and with the help of a Farsee spell it looks like they might be with the released Sun County farmer. It's known that some of the Men and a half worship Yelmalio...
It's tough going and between run ins with cannibal cultists, poisonous clouds, whirlvishes and large groups of Scorpionmen it's a surprise they make the trip at all. Two of the group had been carted off by the cultists and freeing them resulted in the death of one of the Rangers and a loss of many magic items and gear.
A week later a much relieved group descends down into the lowlands, soon spotting the Rhino Rocklands in the distance and before it the now distinct smudge of green that is the new oasis of the Giant Finger Holes.
(Currently Earth Season 1612)