Maran 9-13, 653 DR: A large group is assembled at Kryr Shùrulm to venture into the high Tor’n Evalshat in search of a lost caravan. The group meets miners, Ortor, and wolves in the alpine valleys and canyons. A young man discovers his folly, perhaps too late.

Continued from Visitors in the Dark.

Sūdìdor, 9 Maran 653

As the assembled soldiers checked their horses and the mules were loaded with provisions, a group of three riders arrived along the sea-wall road. They rode toward Dammon and stopped. The eldest rider introduced himself as Ezíkus, a priest of Roð and his assistant Almus, an acolyte. The third figure circled a bit until he was able to stop his old mare. He then climbed from the saddle and introduced himself as Valus, explaining that he was here to join the group. After some prodding by Tressta it was learned that he was the son of Saldus, come to find his fortune between Oð and Taldàna to make good on his promise of betrothal to a young woman named Allea Minst.

Upon Saldus’s return from inside the keep, he angrily confronted the young man who stayed uncharacteristically determined. Finally, hoping that rigors of the road would change the boy’s mind, Saldus relented and asked a nearby man-at-arms to find a spare shield. One was soon provided. An so, following a short prayer of good-journey from Ezíkus, the group turned their horses and rode back along the dark squat walls of ancient Kryr Shùrulm. By evening the company had crossed through the upper boroughs of Oð, and emerged into the farm lanes of the Westfields. The soldiers took a side path and made camp near the place known as Seven Springs. Although they could only find five of the natural hillside springs, the night passed without incident.

Talídor, 10 Maran 653

The next morning the group rode west into the Morén Nōdrul. The region looked distantly familiar to Saldus who had marched into the region a decade before to repel Ortor raids on the countryside. Soon they came to the small village of Jorast where Dammon turned-off and entered the village for small time. After speaking with a villager, and getting his bearings for an area that was larger than he’d imagined he returned to the group and they continued toward the mountains.

Toward the end of the day, they had left the foothills behind and were climbing up a mountain road to a high valley. A miner along the way said that he’d seen a caravan of “maybe two dozen” wagons heading up the same road a “week or so” ago, but hadn’t seen any travelers since then. At the day’s end they found a flat pine valley where three streams converged and began setting camp. While Valus was collecting firewood he spotted a small stone wall higher on the mountainside. After Valus returned to camp and reported this, Jak, Mishara, Flender, and Elidir gathered their things and went to explore the wall. As Jak crept closer he could hear movement from behind the stones. While the motioned tot he others, an Ortor rushed out from hiding, saw the arrayed soldiers and ran back back inside. Mishara unslung a strange crooked bow and positioned himself below the wall. Aiming at the mountainside, he fired an arrow which made a right-angle behind the wall. Ortòri screams rose from within. The group moved uphill and pushed into the enclosure, slaughtering the Ortor scouts. Before the last could be silenced, one blew a large antler sounding-horn that echoed through the valley. Finishing the Ortor, the four regrouped with the others. Saldus ordered Huddrum to run down the valley to sound the horn way from their camp while the rest buried the Ortor in the pine needles. The remaining soldiers picked-up camp, and moved farther up the road. Huddrum returned after a watch or two. The watches for that night jumped at every sound and movement around them.

Padídor, 11 Maran 653

Morning came without incident. On the third day of travel, the expedition headed higher into the mountains. After a few watches, Flender directed the company up a secondary road that climbed steeply to a high pass. Within the pass, the group found the ruins of an old caravan that had come to an unfortunate demise many years before. Mishara dismounted here to examine the trail for others that had come this way. He found traces of horses, wagons, and Yrūn having passed many days before. To the side of the trail he found newer tracks of Ortor shadowing the former. They were on the right road. Flender, their guide, studied the crude map he carried and explained that he’d never been this far into these mountains. After discussing their progress, they mounted and continued. At the far side of the pass the company descended into a wooded mountain valley. The road led them into the trees of a large forested pass with high mountain slopes on either side. By nightfall they reached an ideal camping spot and settled for the night.

Bærídor, 12 Maran 653

On the twelfth of Maran the company continued through the forest and were able to reconnect with the Old Taládan Road. Despite moss and weeds covered much of the old stone slabs lain by Dwürden centuries ago, the road was easy to follow. For the second day in a row, the group’s progress was peaceful and the good time was made. At the day’s end they had traveled a long distance and made camp at the valley’s opposite end. That night, lit by the full green glare of the Growing Moon, many of the company were startled awake by the echoing sounds of howling wolves. In moments they could hear the footfalls of beasts running through the pine trees. Dammon, Tressta, and Mishara climbed into the trees while the soldiers hurriedly gathered their armor and weapons, waiting for the lupine waves to charge into camp. The horses and mules began screaming and kicking at each other, so Saldus ordered two soldiers to cut their tethers to the dismay of Jak and Mishara.

The eyes of the wolves glowed red in the twin campfires as they charged from the dark woods. They were met with the green moonlight reflecting from an array of polished swords and daggers. As a second wave charged into the campsite from the other end, Valus stood unsteadily in his father’s old leather armor, a shortsword in his hand, hacking at the Warg as it approached. He was both terrified and thrilled as the blade sank into the wolf’s shoulder and blood sprayed from the cut. But the Warg was too strong and two quick bites later the young man crumpled to the ground with a scream. Nearby, the young priest Almus also went down with a choked scream. Saldus and Jak fought toward the two, pushing the Wargs aside with sword and spear. Saldus knelt by his son and bound his leg, the gush of blood even now growing weaker as the young man’s breath grew more shallow. The veteran soldier cursed himself for allowing his son to come. Despite the circling enemy and battle around him, all he could think about was his wife and daughter in shore side Botton Liche.

Tressta swung awkwardly from her perch as a Warg tried to jump and bite at her feet. The tip of her sword cut again and again at the growling muzzle of bared teeth. Across the campsite, Mishara, also stationed in the branches of a tree, expertly picked targets moving about the melee. Arrows sailed through the night air, finding the sides of wolves among the soldiers that raced around. Dammon wove a powerful Asálāyd’s Wind which Twisted as it left his fingers and sent several Wargs hurtling off into the darkness. He also unleashed a series of Mesral’s Arcane Arrows which were met with howls of pain as the Wargs recoiled under the Arcane assault. Toward the battle’s end, Mishara spotted a figure in the far distance, dancing and waving necklaces in his bunched fists. Two well-placed arrows fell the Ortor shaman. In the end, all the Wargs were killed and the campsite was wet with their blood. Mishara investigated the Ortòri shaman’s body but found only horsehide armor, a wolf cloak, and bone and fur fetishes. The horses were calmed by fading magics, and the wounded were pulled near the fires to keep warm in the cold mountain night. Dammon appeared at the side of Almus the young priest, and as Ezíkus the Elder watched-on, he poured a small vial into the young man’s mouth that made him choke and spit and sit upright, awakened from his grievous wounds. Ezíkus the Elder thanked Dammon and promised him favor.

Virídor, 13 Maran 653

The morning revealed the carnage that the green night had concealed. Almus sat in prayer for many watches and then tended to the injured Valus. When the young man awoke, he sat dumbly staring at the large Warg-tooth scars where his leg had been opened the night before. Only four days had passed and adventure already didn’t seem like such a great idea. The company went about its morning duties and prepared to ride from the valley in the late morning.

Continued in The Colossus of Ort Sorbur.

Characters

• Dammon Shroudson
• Jak of Cænden
• Mishara Mythdaras
• Saldus Greymane
• Tressta Drynsval
• Allea Minst
• Cr. Almus of Roð
• Cluz
• Familiar
• Elidir ur Saldagir
• Ettegus Tolvor: unknown
• Cr. Ezíkus of Roð
• Farask
• Flender Orgh
• Gællus ur Gallon
• Glukbr
• Huddrum
• Kerq
• Klakro
• Prek Gnar
• Tarpun
• Toovak
• Valus ur Saldus

Played: 11 Dec 1999