Sapphire:Sessions:20190810
Late in the afternoon some members of the group feel "something building up like electricity" and Shawna tells Chalker that she thinks the portal that brought Kieran and Flit is about to take them back. Chalker tells Kieran to face his destiny, that his skills (and his two tigers) will be enough. Chalker: "Remember that the First Chosen are powerful beings, even if you don't believe they're gods. Your father is no match for you." Kieran: "Then I should embrace it and not fight it." With a sudden swirl, Kieran and the tigers vanish into a portal. Flit falls from the sky and Shawna turns into a falcon and catches him. He is "spiritually unconscious" and "possibly in communion with Yasseph." Flit is tucked safely into a saddlebag.
Intrinsius, who has readied his sword: "Chalker, can you see dead people?" Chalker: "All magic has a price." Intrinsius will watch in case something else shows up.
At sundown the group pitches tents near a stream as it starts to rain." During the second watch there is a "probing of the group's defenses" that is "twarted [sic]" by some other power. Shawna: "Someone intends for us to have a false feeling of security. Obviously they still know exactly where we are."
The rain has stopped by the time the group sets out the next morning. Intrinsius and Chalker are riding rearguard. 300' up and 1/2 mile ahead of the group, four large birds "just appear" circling some point. Chalker senses metal on one of them. To Intrinsius they look like extra-large vultures with "wrong faces" -- human foreheads over a vulture's beak -- and Shawna calls them "harpies." Chalker hooks onto the metal he senses, but something else is already hooked. The coin-shaped metal is about an inch in diameter and contains an iron alloy. The harpies circle downward over eight pony-sized porcupines which have blended into the underbrush. These are "new creations" of Charesoon, who hadn't created "new kinds of monsters" in centuries. Shawna senses a powerful spell "going off" over the porcupines.
The fight leaves the harpies and porcupines dead. Shawna casts healing spells on Alastor and Jeb, the most seriously wounded. Intrinsius collects a quill as a souvenir. Alastor cuts mana organs from the harpies and collects a dozen quills. Chalker looks for the iron coin but it has "disintegrated."
At midday the group stops for lunch and prayers.
Around dusk the group decides on a campsite. Nearby in a field are a number of large, short-eared rabbits. Deciding that rabbit would make a tasty dinner, Chalker takes his crossbow, draws a bead, and is Dazed. Intrinsius notices that Chalker is taking a long time to fire, then to his surprise a number of enormous insects fly out of the bushes, one toward each party member. They resemble three-foot-long cockroaches with elongated snouts. About the same time a dozen rabbits move toward the camp.
The bugs strike at people with their "beaks." Alastor hits two of them with poisoned daggers. Cal and Jeb knock their bugs off of them. Intrinsius fast-draws and attacks the bug which has attached itself to Danal.
Shawna runs close enough to Chalker to successfully cast Awaken. Chalker fires his crossbow and strikes a bug. The rabbits move seven yards per second. Intrinsius, swinging two-handed, strikes and stuns a bug.
Intrinisius knocks the bug to the ground, killing it. Shawna hits a bug, stunning it. Danal, Cal, and Alastor hit bugs. The rabbits run into the camp. Chalker turns, takes in the camp scene, calls out "Flame On!" and cuts down a bug. Jeb is impaled by a bug.
Intrinisius hits Danal's bug. Shawna sprints toward the camp, calling "In the name of the goddess of nature!" Jeb, screaming hysterically, backs away. A rabbit stares at Intrinsius, who rolls a critical success to resist its mental power. Chalker rushes toward camp, exclaiming "For Gauder -- the War of the Rabbits!"
Shouting "Begone!" Shawna swings her sword and kills a rabbit. Intrinsius casts Exploding Fireball and stuns two rabbits. Chalker rushes up and attacks the bug on Jeb, killing it. (Now all seven bugs are down or dead.) Cal hits and stuns a rabbit. Alastor kills two rabbits. Danal screams and runs off into the forest.
Intrinsius throws another Exploding Fireball and kills four rabbits. He shouts, "Danal, come back!" Shawna scythes her blade through six rabbits, killing them all. Chalker sees another dozen or more rabbits approaching; he rushes at them, swinging, and kills one. Jeb and Danal are still screaming.
Chalker orders, "Start packing up the camp," and runs after Danal. Ahead of him he hears a thump and Danal's screaming stops. Standing there, wielding a hand-and-a-half sword, is a man wearing the symbols of a city/state in the Troubled Lands. Danal lies unconscious at his feet. Chalker: "Thanks, friend." Man: "What bothered him?" Chalker: "Rabbits." Man: "Nasty little things." The man introduces himself as Tay; "I'm here with Sam. It's not safe to camp here. I can show you some tricks." Tay calls to Sam; the latter steps out of the woods. Chalker checks their Auras. Tay: warrior; callous; observant to Gauder, Aakbarath, Assaraah; hard, cold, mercenary. Sam: evil; sadistic; non-observant.
Intrinsius sizes up the newcomers as "military men." Tay: "Lord Barley gave us this assignment... The rabbits can make people go mad." He claims they've been in the area "three or four weeks." Chalker: "What do you want?" Tay: "We're lost." Chalker: "Go get your horses and you can ride in front with me."
Chalker senses money in their saddlebags, at least eight gold apiece along with silver coins, ore, amulets, and rings. In response to Chalker's question, Intrinsius says that the sheath on Tay's saddle and Sam's bridle are magic.
Tay claims again that he and Sam are lost, but he tells Chalker about "a big complex twenty miles ahead." Tay: "We were definitely well paid. The Lord knew it was dangerous here. It's the biggest job I've done. It's not my part to question him. We found a cave containing 'weird' ore and I took a sample." Chalker: "Are you sure it's just the two of you? You're not scouts for a larger company?" Tay: "Something magical's calling people to this land." Chalker describes the mages who implant compulsion discs in people's limbs. Tay vaguely describes the complex as being constructed by earth mages, and mentions that there's an Aversion spell on it.
Chalker: "We haven't seen any people for days, and then you show up... I am Chalker Jackson." Both Tay and Sam recognize the name. Chalker, only half-joking: "The bounty isn't worth it. I'm no longer a wanted criminal in Malprin."
Shawna, who has ridden ahead with the rest of the group, prays to Roo to protect Chalker and for Santash to protect Intrinsius.
Chalker, Intrinsius, and their guests catch up with the group. When they make camp, two watches are set: 1st: Intrinsius, Sam, Cal; 2nd: Chalker, Shawna, and Tay.
Intrinsius spars with Sam; the latter is an expert but Intrinsius is in complete control.
Chalker speaks to Yasseph. "You seem to be quiet with your child. Your favorite is having a crisis of confidence. I request that you be with her. And make sure these guys don't mess with our heads." Chalker hears a voice in his head: My child is in the center of my will, fulfilling my task with skill and devotion. Chalker: "Good luck with that." Voice: Always.
An hour before sunrise, five riders approach. One of the riders seems to be sitting on a built-up saddle that puts his head at a level with the others, though he is only 5' in height. Tay says one of the riders is named Eb.
Still 20 yards out, the riders stop and dismount. The short, robed, hooded one steps forward, and Chalker recognizes him as the priest Uber. Uber makes a formal request for Chalker and his group to depart, adding "I will deliver your message." Chalker: "Your request is noted. You can depart now." Uber: "You are about to enter the circle of power." Chalker: "Do you understand the ancient power that made this? That it was made by the enemies of the Venettians? That I should kill you now? How about you go now and we follow you in? There's no way you can stop her." Uber: "I would have to check with High Priest Huber."
Uber steps away "to commune with Huber." Chalker, watching Uber's aura, sees it change and grow brighter; he has the "sanctity" of Assaraah.
Uber: "Would you prefer to be escorted, or fight your way in?" Before an angry Shawna can speak, Chalker interjects, "You will escort you."
Chalker: "I'm not talking to Father. He tried to kill me. All my life he's been trying to kill me."
Intrinsius prays to Santash "to give us wisdom to find justice" and to Phor "against his wife's lover." He feels "strong and charged-up."
Intrinsius explains to Cal, "I used the Code before I knew about the First Chosen. It comes from within."
Shawna tells the group that they are coming into the greatest danger, and that no one will be shamed if they turn back. Danal and Jeb both step forward, thank the group, and ask to continue.
As an aside Chalker asks, "Sam, how much is the bounty on me?" Sam: "A thousand gold."