Sapphire:Sessions:20140301

The demigod Jax had returned the group to Sibinca after they had performed a task for him to go to the Elven Lands to shut down a temple of the Mother of Night.

With no particular aim in mind, the group sets out north toward the so-called Unknown Lands. There is a good road paralleling the coastline, and after an uneventful twenty miles they reach a town called Paleicia. The town is surrounded with a wooden palisade. A grumpy guard challenges them, then reluctantly opens the gate. Of the two inns in town, he recommends Edwina's Kettle.

At the inn Edwina, a woman with her gray hair tucked into a bun, greets the group with "Is someone chasing you?" [Evidently in this part of the world it is unheard-of to be traveling after dark.] Rory pays 11 coppers for her remaining three rooms plus two meals per person (plus his dog Striker). As usual, Runis beds down in the common room. Chalker, Rory, and Ty each take a room. Aliana climbs up to the roof, which gives her a good view of the entire town.

Striker is restless at first, but settles down just inside Rory's door.

Rory dreams that there are two men standing at the foot of his bed. They are in earnest conversation, but their speech is unintelligible to Rory. One man is a well-built blond wearing expensive clothing; the other is dressed in robes embroidered with runes. They remind Rory of statues he's seen. The robed man reaches through Rory's dancing lights and touches his forehead, and Rory slips into a deeper slumber.

At the foot of his bed Chalker sees Mensep (in the form of a young man), a beautiful woman who he recognizes as Roo (goddess of Fate), and an elf, Yasseph. Roo and Yasseph are debating whether Chalker should be "protected" over the next thirty days (that is, the period of the Godwalk). Chalker silently votes "yes." Yasseph thinks it's not worth it, while Roo says that Chalker and his group are useful and will help resolve the situation with less turmoil and bloodshed. Their decision is to wait and see. Chalker speaks up, "Hey, I've been a big help to you..." and Yasseph sends him back to sleep.

Aliana sees three women arranged in an equilateral triangle centered on her. One of them must be Eupho, the so-called goddess of beauty. Another is dark-haired with a wise expression and a faraway look in her eyes. The third appears older in years, beautiful though her features are rugged and scarred and angry. They are talking about Aliana and her group. "Maybe she is worth protecting against direct action from the other discussion groups." They decide to wait and see if another of the discussion groups intervenes.

Each person awakens in the morning feeling very rested and energetic.

The group meets in the common room for breakfast. Each individual has had a vivid dream. Chalker describes his vision. Ty, his expression pale, relates that Cor (god of magic) and Dar (god of death) had told him "You are not in the right place."

Solemnly, Runis explains that Santash (goddess of the dwarves) has called him home to "go under the mountain" to defend his clan, which is in grave danger. "I will use the knowledge I have gained from you to aid my people." Ty will transport Runis home, then immediately teleport to his own homeland. Ty brings out a stone on a chain, a manastone to be used to power the teleport spells; he had found it looped over his bedpost this morning. Rory asks if we can help Runis, who replies "You have already helped immensely." He asks for a copy of Rory's maps. From Chalker he requests a treaty document between Runis' clan and Chalker's homeland, Dolyena. From Aliana he asks "the promise of a future alliance." She quickly replies, "There is only myself." Runis states that Santash had said that Aliana is unique, "an archstone on which the future world will be built."

Early in the afternoon, Chalker meets with Ty. "I know a practiced liar when I see one." Under questioning, Ty reveals that he is a covert agent of the Calventine Empire, working the eastern front, taking orders from a high-ranking spymaster who reports directly to the emperor, "putting out fires, taking out dangerous individuals." At the time Chalker's group met him, Ty and his team were "neutralizing a trouble spot" but "it didn't go as planned." The rest of his team had been killed, and Ty was running for his life. Chalker acknowledges that he is an ambassador and a member of the royal family of Dolyena. He gives Ty a letter for the emperor, extending an offer of friendship from Dolyena to the Calventine Empire. Chalker says to Ty, "This makes me want to kill you less. Have a long life. I'm not happy you're taking our dwarf and he's going into battle and we can't help." Ty replies, "Chalker Jackson, over the next month you need to be careful. And handle things carefully."

Chalker: "I am devout to my companions and to my family. I don't understand devotion to the First Chosen, like Runis does. I give observance because that is what I was taught to do."

Ty: "Most people don't think anything of the Godwalk. Thank you for saving my life, but I regret that you have brought me to the attention of the First Chosen." Chalker: "You don't have the Mother of Night chasing you."

Around sunset, the group gathers. As requested by Aliana, Runis sings a new song he has composed. It describes the group's various adventures together, and captures the essence of each party member, including Jinto and Cori.

Runis gives Rory a set of platform crystals. It had been agreed earlier that Runis would take the wagon with him. Ty casts a spell, and he and Runis are teleported away.

That night, Rory sleeps well. Chalker and Aliana each dream of a sentinel watching over them.

Early next morning, Chalker asks Aliana, "Are you being chased?" "I'm just being cautious."

A few hours after breakfast, the three remaining companions set out, continuing along the coastal road. Each person has a riding horse and a pack horse. Some hours later the road forks, one branch following the coast, the other heading inland. After a brief discussion, they take the inland branch. They are close to the frontier, and Aliana has determined that there is a heavy rainstorm coming their way. She has also seen smoke in the far distance.

[Trace, traveling toward the coast, realizes he has entered a Protection-aspected area. Around mid-afternoon he sees smoke.]

Toward evening, the group finds a grove of trees that should provide some shelter against the coming rain. As Rory and Chalker set up camp, Aliana rides off to scout ahead. As has happened numerous times, she gets the feeling she is being watched or followed. Eventually she finds the source of the smoke -- four log buildings, perhaps barracks, solidly constructed, but burned to ashes. This was no normal fire; it was chemically or magically enhanced. Human corpses are scattered around, some burned, some bloody, dressed in leather armor. The bodies have not been ransacked, but the bloodied ones had been killed with either arrows or crossbow bolts, which had all been removed. Behind the log cabins are crumbling stone ruins. Aliana observes three orcs, blindfolded with strips of black cloth, feeling their way among the stones. There are no signs of any orc encampment nearby. Aliana returns to camp and describes her findings. The expected thunderstorm breaks that night, but they keep fairly dry.

[Trace investigates the ruins with interest. From his studies he believes these ruins date from an ancient kingdom called Harbin, which was destroyed about a thousand years ago. Noticing a glint in the dirt, he uncovers and picks up a shiny object that he can tell is magic. Not long afterward, he finds a slab of stone lying flush on the ground, but it is hinged like a door.]

Chalker, Rory, and Aliana reach the area she described to them, dismount, and approach cautiously. Nearby is a burro, untethered, wearing a nosebag containing oats, with its right foreleg wrapped with a poultice. It's tame, and walks right up to Aliana and lets her pet it.

There is no sign of the orcs Aliana had seen other than faint horse tracks leading away.

Wandering among the ruins is a man of middling height and build, dressed in traveling clothes. He has long brown hair, steel-gray eyes, tattoos on both arms, and wears a single glove on his right hand. He gives his name as Trace. The burro belongs to him; her name is Nancy. "A group took my horse and left me and my lame ass." As he describes this group and mentions that they had taken some mirrors from the ruins, the others realize that they had encountered and defeated the same group a few weeks before.

Chalker peers through the hinged slab; it is solid stone, two feet thick, and there is a hollow space beneath it with a stairway leading downward. Trace: "You can see down there?" Chalker: "Yeah, can't you?" Trace teleports beneath the slab and lights a torch. He presses a certain stone, and the hinged slab opens.

While Aliana remains on guard outside, Chalker, Trace, and Rory spend some time exploring an extensive series of chambers beneath the earth. The rooms are illuminated by crystals, embedded in the ceiling, which activate at the touch of a switch. Some rooms contain shelves of non-magical artifacts, such as vases, which seem to have been kept clean and free of dust. Some of the doors have been forced open. Other doors have spells on them.

In one room they find a stone statue of a soldier. Chalker can see, in a hollow area in its chest, a small obsidian statue representing Asseraah, surrounded by swirling chaos. They turn off the light and leave that room. They open the door to the next room and see bars of gold, jewelry, and another soldier statue. Chalker closes the door, then uses his power over metal to pick one of the gold bars off of the floor and set it on a shelf. Nothing seems to happen. He lifts the bar again and brings it toward the door. Now he hears movement; the statue comes into view, draws its sword, and rapidly slices the air above, below, and to either side of the hovering gold bar. Chalker lets the bar fall to the floor. The statue sheathes its sword, picks up the gold bar, pulls a cloth out of a belt pouch, carefully polishes the gold bar, and sets it on a shelf.

Down another hallway, they find a room containing at least five of the soldier statues. Another room is an armory containing bows, crossbows, and swords, all clean, in good repair, and ready for use.

As the afternoon grows late, Aliana gathers up all the mounts, including Nancy the burro. The only thing that has drawn her attention is a hawk which has been circling the ruins. There is a leather band on its leg. She makes a mental note to find out if this is Trace's familiar.

Eventually the explorers emerge from underground. Camp is made.

Trace dreams that Cor and a beautiful, smiling woman (Roo) are talking about him, but he can't make out what they're saying.

Rory dreams of a man dressed in yellow and white, and another man dressed in robes.

Aliana dreams that Roo is standing at the foot of her bedroll.

Chalker dreams that Roo and Mensep are talking. Roo: "Okay, this might work. I didn't expect them to take the first one. They need someone who knows magic." Mensep: "He's putting another body between him and the First Chosen." Mensep then addresses Chalker directly: "Chalker, it'll make it easier if you agree to take a message."

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