Amàrad 15-21, 653 DR. While collecting stones, Ferveo and Zuroolly find a covered sinkhole. They retrieve Silda and return to the site with ropes. Denizens of the cavernous beneath attack and nearly kill the three. A nervous priest of Nūlòpū is invited to tend to Ferveo’s wounds. Vorén visits new friends and receives orientation into an ancient order. Others visit face in Old City and kill a giant snake.
Continued from The Ring and the Seal.
Aldor, 15 Amàrad 653
Ferveo strained quietly, stoically against the coarse rope as he pulled the block of stone along the road. Peasants stopped in their fields to watch the robed man and his bent companion, oxen watched sympathetically from yokes of their own. No one bothered the two as they slowly made their way toward the city, it was obvious the man pulling the stone was a slave and that he had displeased his master. It was equally obvious that this was a valuable slave, for he never complained or rested long though the sun was hot, and his robes were wet with toil. As they moved, the slave’s bent companion capered about, talking about the hole they’d found and the wonderful things it might contain. Everyone would be so pleased when they learned about this new hole, he thought aloud as he muttered, never once lifting a hand to help his friend.
Kændor, 16 Amàrad 653
Sunlight came through the door with Zuroolly, who seemed fresh from his morning walk. He set down his carving tools and went about making plans for the next trip into the jungle, to his sinkhole. Minutes later another shape appeared in the open door, that of Ferveo pulling a chunk of stone behind him. Silda stood and helped the monk pull the stone into the house. As Ferveo collapsed against a nearby wall, Zuroolly went on about the hole he’d found, buried under a tangle of vines outside the city, and how could it be that so curious a thing could exist so close and probably completely unexplored. After hearing enough of this talk, Ferveo left to purchase a cart.
Malor, 17 Amàrad 653
The next morning, three ventured back down the road through the marsh and fields until they arrived at the place Zuroolly had been gathering stones for his carving. It was in this place that Zuroolly began cutting back the heavy vines and vegetation until Silda could see the slope descending into the shadows beneath the layer of vines. Zuroolly lit a torch and ducked into the darkness. The others, more reluctantly, followed. Tying a rope to the vines overhead, Zuroolly slid down into the dark gulf at the sinkhole’s center. His flickering torchlight soon disappeared over the rim. When finally he landed in the shallow water below he called for his friends to follow, which they did. The exploration was going splendidly thought Zuroolly until Silda, grabbing the rope above lost her hold and crashed to the ground between them. The barbarian woman stood covered in dark weedy mud. She was most displeased.
Looking about themselves they saw four tunnels leading off from a natural domed chamber. Beyond the reach of the flickering torchlight they heard heavy footsteps charging forward. Readying their weapons they watched with fright as two large creatures charged and leapt from the shadows, flashing claws and teeth as they raced closer. Zuroolly cast a spell dazing one while another bit and tore flesh from Ferveo’s shoulder. Silda drew her battlesword and cut mightily at the monsters, but soon a third charged forward engaging the chief explorer, Zuroolly. Ferveo managed to stun one and heard bones crack beneath his fists as he finished another. Soon the monsters had fallen, but both Ferveo and Zuroolly had the look about them that this encounter in the mud might have easily ended very differently, and both were anxious to put this place behind him, unexplored though it was. The little black man searched the bodies of their attackers, and while searching one disappeared beneath the dark water. Soon he was thrashing and flailing about on the surface and was dragged back to the central land. They left the hole. Having climbed from the hole, Zuroolly searched his things and with a panicked look returned down the rope to the others’ dismay. Soon he returned lovingly rubbing the head of a toad in his hands.
Upon their return to Zuroolly’s home, Silda went looking for a healer to tend to Ferveo’s nasty bite. Walking through Akazjir she came to a simple windowless domed-building that might pass for a temple, and so knocked on its door. The door opened a crack and a man poked his head through nervously. She explained herself many times and after convincing the strange man that no-one had sent her, the man emerged from the temple wearing a vest of items, and wide brimmed hat. He followed the barbarian to Zuroolly’s, always watching people as they walked too close. Inside, there were brief introductions though he would not give a name, and he was very distrustful of Vorén who his eyes rarely left for the remainder of his visit. Led to Ferveo he demanded payment before performing the healing. Zuroolly produced the two gold that was the priest’s fee. After a short incantation (that Vorén recognized as being like Azàlar) Ferveo’s wound closed and the monk was feeling much better about his chances. Thanked for his service, the man with the wide hat left the house, giving Vorén a worried look on his way.
That night, Vorén told Silda he was going away for a few days, and slipped out into the steamy night. Soon he met with Mizzèrim, and was taken east of the city to a small ruined building where he met with a priest of Semàtir, who spent the next nights orienting the young Neveren in the ways of the Order of Skardàlðir (Cult of the Black Dagger). During those days, Idàma walked the night streets of Jædð and the dark jungle paths with Vorén speaking of the ways of Semàtir and his many followers. She spoke of some of the Order’s secrets and explained the laws and etiquette he would be required to follow. She filled his nights with stories of Semàtir’s exploits and explained how by his example, all who follow are made better, and brought closer to him. She also spoke briefly about Zalan, who all in the Order praise, for Semàtir is also her servant. Idàma told him also of the temple at Shiráddam in Azàlar (where the mortal Semàtir was slain, for apotheosis is not achieved without death), to where all followers must make a pilgrimage once during their lives. She spoke of the Order’s enemies, the Zin Vìrāel and told of the struggle against that ancient and evil Order, explaining that one day the Cult would strike with poison at their heart, in distant Caphar. Idàma spoke of many things during their walks, and in the end Vorén accepted the charge of the Night Stalker.
Wōdor, 19 Amàrad 653
Days later and feeling much better since the underground fight, Silda left the house to find what she could in the city. Her wanderings led her to the coliseum where she stopped and watched the fights, waiting to see the Ogdar that had bloodied the pit sands before. As she sat and watched the parade of violence, a short and squat man approached her. Introducing himself as Glèrrit, the man proceeded to try and entice Silda into earning some money in the pit. Silda refused. That same evening, a man stopped by Zuroolly’s with a newly constructed wood cart that Ferveo had commissioned. The next day, they wheeled the cart back into the jungle to collect more stone, Zuroolly loping about here and there pointing excitedly at stones that Ferveo and Silda might lift into the cart. As they were collecting stones however, a troupe of monkeys began throwing dung. One of the dung-throwers hit Silda square in the cheek and nose; the northern barbarian stormed away. Silda found her way back to the stone gatherers later that night, and helped Ferveo pull the laden cart back to Zuroolly’s.
Ildor, 20 Amàrad 653
Vorén showed up again early in the morning with a small black, blue and red feathered voodoo doll for Silda. Silda looked quizzically at the strange token with its bead eyes and babies teeth and then up into the pale face of Vorén who assured her that the doll was good luck. The next morning, Ferveo, Silda, and Zuroolly returned to the temple of Nūlòpū. After a long conversation at the door, Zuroolly was admitted and shown to a meditation chamber where he went through the motions of prayer to this strange god of secrets. After some time of sitting in the silence doubting the purpose of the plain stone temple, he received (or believe he received) a message stating, “A head is in Alélim”. Excited by this revelation, he exited the chamber and spoke with the priest there. The priest explained that Alélim was a city to the East of Jædð along the Run Sūluð, deep into the Dreamlands jungle. Furthermore, Zuroolly learned that the “face of Nūlòpū” could be found on the western slope of the Old City. So that afternoon, the group set out once again for the Old City, where by following the priest’s directions they came to a massive stone face (one of hundreds) whose open mouth contained a ring of melted candles. They looked around the face a while but headed back toward the city when the rain returned. Back along the footpath a giant snake struck out from the undergrowth but was soon headless beneath a mighty swing of Silda’s sword, but not before sinking its dagger-like fangs into barbarian woman’s arm. The snake was skinned and the group returned to Akàzjir.
That night Vorén went to Ðōjir and spoke with Arūn who said he would arrange a meeting with some merchants along the south shore, whose Nūð have been disappearing of late. Vorén agreed to the meeting. Nightsdeep found the Neveren standing atop of the temple of Nūlòpū, looking across the rooftops of Akàzjir. In the distance, he caught the gaze of another roof stander atop the temple of the Red Knights.
Īrùlor, 21 Amàrad 653
In the early morning, Zuroolly took a swath of snakeskin to a local tailor and asked to make a vest. The tailor lent Zuroolly some a knotted string and told the bent little man to take measurements of the person the vest was meant for. Zuroolly returned home and found Ferveo resting. The monk awoke suddenly as Zuroolly was taking a neck measurement. The sorcerer explained that all was fine, and after soothing the young man’s nerves, finished his measurements and left for the tailor’s again.
Continued in To Kill a Dragul.
- Ferveo Cælestis
- Talôr Dal-Vorenen
- Silda of Wurm
- Zuroolly Hicubaba
- Essōlos
- Glèrrit (Fight Promoter)
- Idàma
- Arūn Karçur
- Mizzèrim
- Kp. Taldìr’un
Played: 09 Feb 2001