Sapphire:Sessions:20140802
With a simple experiment, Rory confirms the manor's gate combination. He figures that they are locked out of the gates closer than 200 miles to Sapphire. He puts up a gate that he thinks is close to the center of Sapphire, and gets Trace to try his new spell. Trace feels a "different" mana flow and reports there were no crystals to pull, but there was something there.
Chalker asks whether Trace knows Seeker, then whether he could Seek a person who owned one of their journals.
Chalker then expresses curiosity about Malprin. Rory opens a gate into a bedroom (with an attached bathroom) which he says is located beneath Malprin's capital city. Chalker sees that the entire room is buried 9' beneath the foundation of a building. He has Trace come in and make a hole about a yard in diameter from the ceiling of the bedroom to the foundation. Climbing up and looking through the foundation, Chalker finds a well-stocked wine cellar, by which he judges that the owner must be very wealthy. Chalker remarks that he may need to go to Malprin in the near future.
At Chalker's request, Rory opens a gate to Dolyena. They step through and Rory stumbles a bit as they step out onto a rough slope. Overhead the stars are shining, and around them are the sounds and scents of a forest. They stand on a rocky hillside dotted with vine-tangled ruins. They determine that they are in the lands of a duke whom Chalker has met at court; the duke's capital city is less than 15 miles from the ruins.
Later, back at the manor with Trace, the three discuss their next move. Rory: "You could give your message to someone and have them take it." Chalker: "I'm working on a plan like that. Are we leaving the manor tomorrow, or is there something else to do?" Rory: "Is Sapphire a friendly place?" Chalker: "I've never been there."
Chalker: "Tomorrow after breakfast, we'll pack up and leave. If Malcolm doesn't come to the gate, we won't tell him."
The next morning they open the gate that leads to the deserted dwarven valley. It takes a good bit of work to get their horses through the gate and out into the valley. The valley leads to good roads that are well-traveled and patrolled. After twenty miles they arrive at a village called Talvery Meadows and take rooms at the inn. Rory hires people to groom all the riding horses and Nancy the donkey. He searches out the village blacksmith and asks him to come to the inn after dinner. Around town Chalker notes the presence of members of a mercenary guild, some constables, and some wandering tinkers and merchants.
The blacksmith arrives and Rory negotiates to sell him scrap weapons and armor "for repurposing or melting down." The agreed-upon price is one gold piece, plus the blacksmith will check all their mounts' shoes.
Early next morning Rory meets the blacksmith's apprentice and tips him a silver piece. The blacksmith and two apprentices set right to work on the horses.
Chalker wakes up early and holds a conference with the King and Queen of Dolyena, basically telling them he's still alive, giving his current location, and telling them where he's going. The "where" surprises and shocks Their Highnesses. Chalker: "Is Duke Santaram still alive?" Queen: "He has been very sickly." Chalker: "I am sorry to hear that." Chalker describes the piece of property he wants to purchase. King: "Those old, worthless ruins?" Chalker: "I should get quite a reasonable price. Please send someone to the broken room with the large archway; clean it up and secure it. My liege, that is a doorway into our kingdom." The King agrees to purchase the entire parcel of land on which the ruins are located and secure the area. King: "Do you intend to settle there and make it your barony?" Chalker doesn't answer that, slyly directing the conversation to more neutral topics.
Chalker: "Did you get visited last night?" Rory: "Yeah, by the blacksmith." Chalker: "I figure the county seat is around forty miles from here. If we swap out horses regularly, we can keep up a fast pace and get there a little after sundown."
When they reach the county seat, Winslow, they find a walled town with the gates open. A guard waves them to stop, and collects a gate tax. Rory asks for the name of the best inn, and the guard replies, "The Golden Hobgoblin. Tell 'em Travis sent you."
Rory decides to retain one spare horse for each of them. He keeps the best-tempered ones as well as the warhorse that once belonged to the orc chieftain Oak Thief. That still leaves sixteen horses to be sold.
Chalker takes out his journal, records the date (Change Time 4), and writes, "Where are you? Tell me so we can come get you. PS: Not you, Rory or Trace!"
After wandering around Winslow for a time, Chalker locates Temple Row and visits each place of worship, giving observance. At the last he enters the small shrine of Aakbarath, where a priest leads him to the worship area. The symbology is that of strength and hardship rather than vengeance.
Chalker speaks aloud of a companion he's concerned about. "She would gravitate to your influence."
Suddenly a priestess bursts into the room, wild-eyed, bearing a huge warhammer far more massive than her own slender frame. She smashes the head of the hammer into the ground and stares over its handle at Chalker. Bar (through her avatar): "She will not embrace her vengeance -- or my vengeance." Chalker: "Is there a difference? Is she physically okay?" Bar, with a sneer: "Do I look like Zeph to you?" (Meaning "Do you think I care about her health?") Chalker: "I am willing to help her with her vengeance, once she decides her direction." Bar: "She has strength more than sufficient. She is intense." Chalker: "Does she intend vengeance against me?" Bar: "Do you think I care? It would be epic." Chalker: "You are wonderful, scary, matter-of-fact. I am honored. If I get a chance, I will push her toward her vengeance. I don't think she realizes her need for vengeance." Bar: "She is strong enough."
As suddenly as she arrived, Bar steps back, spins the warhammer as if it were no heavier than a willow switch, and marches out of the room. The priest, looking on in awe, says, "Annalise has immersed herself in the will of Aakbarath. She has undertaken many holy missions. However, this is the first time she has manifested in the year since she came here."
Rory finds a couple of horse traders, Penn and Tell, and plays them off against each other to get excellent prices for the horses he sells.
Chalker notices he's being followed by two street kids and an older teen. He beckons the teenager over. The teen claims he's simply curious about Chalker since his accent is unusual and he "looks like a merc." "Are you a bandit?" asks the young man, gesturing toward the foothills. Chalker: "I'm not from the Empire; I don't know the rules yet." He introduces himself as Chalker Jackson and says that his two companions are Rory and The Unknown.
Trace wanders around various alchemy and magic shops. He spots a sign for the Mage Guild and registers there as a visitor from Alpina Guild.
Rory walks the town, memorizing the layout so he can record it later. He visits a few map shops and buys some maps.
Chalker asks Trace to use the cube to find a gate. Trace thinks he knows how to operate it, but he doesn't know its range. He gets an indication that points west, but it doesn't tell distance. They pick up Rory and, with Trace following the cube, end up at a city wall. "It's outside the wall," Trace announces. Chalker: "We'll try in the morning, when it's light."
They're back at the inn having dinner when an ex-soldier dressed as a functionary glances at Striker and recognizes the canine as a trained war dog. The man slides into a chair at their table and addresses them, "Word is that you're hell on bandits." Chalker: "They didn't understand 'go away.'" Man: "We've got a little problem. If you want the job, you can have it." Chalker: "We already have a job. Is it on the way to Sapphire?" The man explains tersely that 'they' want to reclaim a 'haunted' water mill. People around there have either vanished or been left gibbering. 'They' don't want to involve the Count. Man: "It's only four miles. It'll mean more profit for my factor." Chalker: "These aren't creatures of the Mother of Night, are they?" The man's eyes widen, and he quickly makes a warding sign of Solash; "I hope not!" Chalker gathers that they've sent mercenaries already, but they didn't return. Chalker: "I told Mother that I wouldn't kill any of her children anymore." The man blanches, but offers five silvers apiece if they'll scout out the place. Chalker counters, "Ten gold for the group." A short time later, the man returns with half the money and a map of the water mill area.
As they near the water mill, they hear strange noises. Trace checks his cube. He is getting a better idea of the range of the magical instrument. The gate, he says, is under the water mill or a nearby building, 30 feet down.
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