Sapphire:Sessions:20190504

Chalker replies, "We never said we were gonna kill the dog."

Corey claims "I don't keep track of Huber" but he last saw him "somewhere south of Falconhurst." He first met Huber five months ago and at that time the priest paid him to "look in the woods for 'spiritual markers'." When Corey located one Huber came and dug it up. "It had symbols on it." Chalker asks how Corey knows he's "found" something, and Corey says "I break out in hives." Chalker asks how he contacts Huber; Corey (after rapidfire assurances that he's not reaching for a weapon) pulls out a red and purple bag which he says contains a stone that he "holds and prays over and then summarizes" his report. Chalker: "I propose a trade -- give me that bag and I don't put you in a hole." Corey twirls the bag by its drawstring and slings it at Chalker who catches it one-handed and puts it inside another bag.

Chalker: "Corey, it's been nice meeting you. Now that we're even, is there anything I can do for you?" Corey rambles about "soldiers moving into the orc lands," "weird things" like entire herds of cattle and sheep gutted and beheaded but no carcasses left behind and "carrion eaters won't touch the remains" but they decay quickly, and as a vague afterthought, "some people have been killed."

Day, the dog, has been sniffing at Intrinsius. Chalker: "How long has the dog had you?" "Ten years," Corey avers. Chalker: "But you don't look any older than fourteen or fifteen." Corey stammers something to the effect that Day has been with him as long as he can remember.

Then Corey talks about how he follows "adventuring groups," one group two weeks ago and another group six days before that, but quit following since "they didn't go to Falconhurst."

Intrinsius asks the dog, "You want to join us?" The dog shakes its head in a humanlike gesture and barks twice. Intrinsius tosses Corey a coin and says, "Quit working for priests."

Nothing noteworthy happens the rest of the day, and by evening the group has reached a "hamlet" whose main landmarks are a blacksmith's shop and a tiny "wayfarer's inn" with three available rooms. Chalker has Cal and Alastor sleep in the common room. Intrinsius goes out into a clearing and practices his new spell by setting small fires then magically extinguishing them, then whiles away the rest of the evening by drinking and telling stories to the locals. He hears that "people have been coming north for the past eight months," "no orcs have been seen in over a year," and there are "monsters" ('Mother's children') north of Omea.

As Shawna falls asleep she gets a feeling of "moving toward answers" and that Assaraah and Charesoon are "moving" in the north a day's journey away.

The next day, the group reaches Falconhurst two hours before sunset. The village has fewer than 900 people but has walls and guards. Shawna wonders aloud why, on the edge of the dangerous orc lands, there are tents and wagons camped to the northeast outside the protective wall. After the group gets rooms at the better of the two inns in town, Intrinsius goes to the camp. He is told they have been there several days and are headed for "an ancient area where the ground is so rich that crops grow faster." He befriends a scout called Danel (who works for the group's leader, Ethan) and invites him for a drink.

There isn't a "temple row" in Falconhurst but there are several shrines, only a few of which have priests. Chalker has to search carefully to find a shrine to Assaraah, a mere "glint" in a niche in an alley. A man tenses, then moves aside to make room for Chalker at the tiny altar. The man is short (5'1") and wears a dark robe and hood. Chalker speaks the observance, then lays the red and purple bag on the altar. "Father, your son of Chaos, who wields the sword of Yasseph and Roo, has come calling." Shadows and dust begin to swirl chaotically. Chalker, boldly: "Why are you pissed off? I am in the area now. Provide me guidance to piss you off the least. There's no reason to be mad; you will probably win. I bring a peace offering and I apologize in advance. Are we cool?"

The short man picks up the bag, opens it, and dumps out what looks like a smooth black river rock. He cups the rock in his hands. He starts to say, "You are --" then stops, stares at Chalker, and asks "Are you looking for Uber? He's out doing my lord's work." Chalker: "I'm not looking for him, but he's looking for me." SM: "Have you met High Priest Uber?" Chalker: "No, I haven't met Huber." In an arcane language, the short man mutters, "My lord, reveal this one's demeanor and tell me what light shines from him." Chalker: "Why do you want to reveal my demeanor?" SM is surprised that Chalker understood his words. "I am Uber. Huber is my high priest. We are spreading the growth of Chaos so darkness may shine." Chalker: "I'm going to talk to Mensep. I didn't know I had a 'light'! Tell Huber that what he's doing is dangerous." Uber: "I know some great power has entered the town." Chalker: "I got that bag from a boy and his dog. This dog had an aura and the boy wasn't telling the truth. I brought it here as a peace offering, for what I'm about to do. ... Father helped me understand you." Chalker asks a few more questions, to which Uber responds "Roo is in 'the common temple'" and there are shrines to the Mother of Night "scattered around." Chalker: "I will tell her about you."

At Roo's shrine, an old woman seated on a stool smiles at Chalker. Chalker gives observance, then states, "I have a question about our present path and I would like your guidance." The old woman asks, "What do you need read for [sic]?" Chalker: "Will I have to kill any of Charesoon's children on this mission?" OW: "Yes, unless you want to meet Damarot sooner. That was easy. Your faith radiates off you. Most fascinating." Chalker: "Talking to Roo confuses me." OW: "You'd be surprised how many people don't ask. The old are not noticed."

Shawna briefly addresses the priestess, Jessie Bardos, and the two other worshippers at Yasseph's shrine, then asks for information. Jessie responds that shrines to Charesoon are being uncovered and reactivated. "The foolish, in their quest for land and power, unintentionally reactivated them," including a powerful shrine from a previous age. The curse upon the land is spreading. Animals are being sacrificed, and both animals and people killed. "I have prayed for Yasseph's hands to cleanse this blight," which extends "at least a days journey into the former orc lands... Orcs have been leaving their lands for soem time," some to attack the Coastal Kingdoms, others journeying to the far west. "These mysteries are shrouded by Dark and Evil Ones... The light and air of our Lady need to be spread... I tried to scout; I returned unharmed but with little information. ... I pray to the Lady for your success." Jessie describes two-legged, horned creatures, giant worms, and other monsters. She has heard of Huber; she has met him twice, and each time both of them left frustrated. He is in his 50s with short grey hair, a scar that runs from his forehead to his right eye, 5'6", 172 pounds, very strong. He is ugly but sometimes alters his appearance to appear average. "He walks close to his lord." Around him, plants grow in "odd" ways. He has followers, including some settlers who have sworn allegiance to Assaraah. Oh, and he has four acolytes named Hugh, Uber, Ber, and Be, and one of those is in town. Saying "May Luck be with us," Shawna leaves to look for Charesoon's shrine.

Intrinsius and Danel walk into the Forest Image Inn. Sixty people crowd the tavern. Danel points out his boss, Ethan. Intrinsius boldly walks up, sits down, and orders a round for the table. Intrinsius asks why they are heading north. Ethan: "Opportunity, riches, the usual -- and to get out from under the thumb of their boss. So I'm guiding about fifty to the north." Danel and Jeb are his scouts, and he has some rough maps he'd drawn months ago. Intrinsius: "I can add five scouts, probably at little cost, but I gotta ask my boss." Ethan says "I've got another hundred people interested" but he doesn't want to spend any money for more scouts or protection.

Chalker and Shawna meet and swap stories, then go to the inn. Intrinsius, who Chalker dubs "Greg Kellogg" (Intrinsius calls Chalker "Krusty McKlownface") says he's offered our group as scouts. Chalker quotes a rate of 5cp per day, plus food, "and a horse bow for Greg."

Ethan's aura: Very greedy; strong will; "something" influencing him; "marker of void" (something was "pulled out of him"); not directly touched by the First Chosen. Chalker's Penetrating Vision shows him a fetish bag containing a collection of charms (e.g. fortune, battle power) indicating that Ethan is superstitious. Implanted in his wrist is a small coinlike item marked with two runes. Dipping his finger in a puddle of ale, Chalker traces the two runes on the table; Shawna says they are part of a geas to "explore the unknown" and "claim them." Danel has a similar implant, but upon questioning, neither are aware of it, nor can they see the short thin scar. Danel's aura: Not as greedy as Ethan; Magery 0; possible Combat Sense; Curious; overall a decent man. Ethan and Danel, both ex-militia, had met in a tavern, and about a year ago they'd gotten wanderlust. Regarding his wrist, Ethan says he'd sprained it a year ago and it was healed by a mage at a mercenary hall. Danel once sprained an ankle and the healer he describes, as well as Ethan's mage, sounds to Chalker like Huber.

Ethan asks Chalker an odd question, "What kingdom sent you?" "No kingdom," responds Chalker. Peculiarly, especially since he is not himself religious, Ethan says Chalker, Intrinsius, and Shawna "look blessed" and he seems suspicious that "people of your quality" are here. He throws in a rumor that Omea, Albana, and Saxony "might join together."