Back to Rob's campaign
Game synopsis Monday 16th August 2004
The Telmori warband leapt to the attack, brimming with their wolven magic. The ambush had failed and Kurash and his student, who had not bargained for an encounter with werewolves, were some way up the path as they were the bait offered by the Heroband. However they heard the baying of the Telmori, the shouts and clash of combat and so made their way back to the fray.
As the wolves and wolfmen closed in on Aren and Rand Wenchbane, Aren called upon Mastakos and strode through the air above the Telmori, who attempted to knock him out of the air with their feeble goat magic. Once ensconced in a tree on the far side of the battle he continued to wreak havoc among the foe with his fearsome skill with a bow. SHING! Rand entered the fray with his famous concealed daggers, Rolla his lovely assistant ducking this way and that to avoid tooth and claw. The wolfman facing Rand summoned up the power of his great and terrible God and blasted Rand to his knees.
Kurash, who follows Chernan's path showed once again that Lhankhor Mhys own are no slouches in the melee and not lacking in bravery flinging himself into combat with the wolfman and wolfbrother who had turned their attention to Aren perched as he was in a tree. Although no fighter he soon had the wolfmen in 6 and 7’s, running into each other whilst Aren finished them with arrows.
Arya and Olend had formed a shield wall; striking here and there with flashing blade and blast of hail they dealt the Telmori they were facing grisly deaths. Seeing the Wenchbane in terrible straits, and Rolla at the mercy of a great wolf Ayra shouted for her God and invoking Mastakos moved in a supernatural blur, closing the distance with a burst of speed Frostreaver a blur carving through the wolfman and wolfbrother, giving them their deaths there and then.
After the battle, three Telmori and three great wolves lay slain. One Telmori warbander lay injured and his Great Wolf companion near to death. Arya caught the sound of horsemen approaching. Through the trees road a detachment of Lunar Cavalry, heavy horsemen of the empire. These were lead by Jomes Wulf, the legendary warrior who had taken red revenge on the Telmori who had annihilated the Maboder tribe a decade earlier. He had since been granted those lands as a fief and offered a bulwark against Telmori incursions into Culbrean and Cinsina lands. After curt words the heroes took their trophies and swore to collect the bounty for the wolfmen on their return. Wulf took his leave, after inquiring as to their actions. They were not far off their clan lands and moving into the uninhabited highlands of the Culbrean mountains, so he busked on without further questioning.
When the heroes broke camp, on a bright if chill morning, they encountered the most difficult section of their journey, which would be too perilous for any horse or similar beast. After noon they come to a hidden vale, shrouded with a thick mist. This Arya confirmed was the fabled Castle of Mist that no man may enter. Arya made her way into the mist and through, being met by the march wardens, led by Morganth Mansbane. Recognised by her sisters she was given audience by Tarosë Vingasdottir. Now Tarosë is a physically imposing woman, over 6’6 in height, with a commanding presence. She has eyes that are both deep and hard and a large mane of flowing red hair. A powerful heroquester of indeterminate age, she was the High Priestess of Vinga at Tarthcaer when the oldest serving member was but a child.
When she heard of the message that the Heroband had for King Broyan she accented immediately. The Vingan High Priestess gathered her Godyr and a guard of 30 red haired warrior women and returned to the rest of the companions. Without delay the holy women of Tarthcaer marked out the ritual circle and started their invocations. The companions all joined in, but some were more committed than others!
After a couple of hours, she rose from the middle of the circle, bathed in her herolight. Pointing toward the mists she intoned in a voice that seemed not her own “Go, the path is open!”
The companions, lead by Arya entered the mist. After a moment they were completely shrouded in the mists of Huraya. A moment later the mists cleared as smoke blown away by a gentle breeze, leaving the heroes in a large, open aired cyclopean pillared temple to Orlanth, the highest point of the now besieged Whitewall, last city of the Orlanthi. Arya and Aren felt the presence of their God as never before. They may never have remembered seeing a Major Temple to their God, as the foul followers of the Shepelkirt had closed the last temples to Orlanth in Sartar 17 years previous, when the capital Boldhome fell. Guards who were openly suspicious of the heroes, lest this be some dark plot of the redmen watched the heroes. No men had ever come into that place after the mists had formed, but Kurash told them that he had a message for the king; in fact message for the kings ears only, from none other than Minaryth Purple of Jonstown.
The companions were lead before seat of Broyan, High King of the Volsaxi. Now we needs must describe the city and the king’s hall, as they are different from the traditional style of the Orlanthi. There are several types of house within the walls dependent on status and location. Marble Longhouses with marble roofs carved to look like thatch; single story stone buildings with thatch; traditional Orlanthi Longhouses; single story timber framed buildings with plaster and lathe walls and Poor housing made up from the remains of fossils. The High King’s Hall is crafted from the same fine marble as the rest of the citadel. It is built along the lines of a standard chief’s hall only on a much larger scale. Every feature commonly found in a traditional timber hall is reproduced in marble. Almost every flat surface is covered with carvings, both the beams and the planks. The carvings on the beams and planks look like the victories and triumphs of the Volsaxi kings from one angle and like the deeds of Helamakt from another. From another angle many of the carvings appear to be of sea life and mermen. It is said that from secret angles that they look like other deeds, perhaps yet undone. The hall itself lacks any furniture or features other than the High King’s platform.
The High King stood before his throne, hands upon his hips, his cloak and beard being blown by invisible winds. To his right was seated the instantly recognisable Kallyr Starbrow the exiled Vingan Queen of the Kheldon, and leader of the ill-fated rebellion of 1613. She claims direct decent from the kings of Sartar and at the centre of her forehead a softly glowing star crystal. To Broyan’s left sat a figure that brought a gasp from Olend when his eyes fell upon her. Here was his Queen, Lieka ‘Beti’ Ballista, the exiled Queen of the Colymar, much missed by many of her people who chafe under the Lunarised King Kangarl, known by his sometime sobriquet Blakmor the Rabid. Behind Queen Lieka stood the menacing figure of Gyffur Ulfsson. None knew him until he had been introduced, but all had heard of the work of his band The Hidden Gale.
The companions relayed the message that they had brought and were bidden to leave, for the King and his councillors had to think and talk in order that they decide what best to do. Kurash claimed the Chosen Ones Heroband right to partake of that council as they may offer other tidings that would help in the Kings and Queens deliberations. Broyan said they would return to him after an hour at least, which would give them time to find their lodgings. Gettig lead them to a fine house, which was a great honour to them.
The hour passed swiftly and the council was held. It transpired that preparations had been made for the evacuation of Whitewall. All of the children and a good part of the women folk who did not fight had been lead away by secret ways by Kallyr's Vingans'. Rumour had it that the Crimson Bat, the terrible chaos demon of the Lunar Empire would fall upon the last city of the Orlanthi. Queen Lieka argued that they could not resist the Bat and that fleeing was vital so they could continue the rebellion. Kurash reminded those assembled that should the last temple of Orlanth fall; it would only be a couple of years before the Glowline was extended over Sartar. Kallyr and the King were disturbed by the news of the Star disk, and that it had been found so far south.
So the talk turned of how the Bat may be defeated. It was then that perhaps the sometimes inscrutable wisdom of Minaryth displayed itself, for in that very hour Kurash Ingardsson who had often been regarded as a scholar with questionable motives because of his deep study of Chaos revealed that which he new of that mightiest servant of the poison moon. The King resolved that the Orlanthi Godyr would summon a hurricane to buffet the Bat and the King would organise a warband who would attack the priests on the Bat in the hope that if they be defeated, the Bat will lose its purpose and mayhap Whitewall will live to fight another day. The discussion turned to this and to that and it was decided that Arya and Aren would learn the ways of Vanganth in order that they may have the high honour of aiding in the doomed assault. It is a mad plan that has no chance of success, but one that must be risked for the sake of their thunderous God.