Drûr 15-19, 652 DR: A trick on a rainy road leads to ambush. The company leaves the Nar Drūden and visits Cænden. Jak confronts Dadra about his aging at the hands of Kelzerak. The group splits, seeking audience separately with Endren and Edgur. Recruits are brought to Cænden and the party leaves to “deal” with the Ghûls of Cenotaph.

Continued from The Urdar Queen.

Alídor, 15 Drûr 652

A cold drizzle muddied the south road. The group gathered their cloaks tightly, wondering how much colder it must get before the snows began. A child’s screams shook them from their ruminations, pulling them back to the dreary day. Tressta slipped into the woods, the shadows of the dense forest swallowing her completely. Running from around a bend in the road, a small dark-haired child ran screaming that “it is killing them!” Jak and Mishara raced forward to find an Ogdar standing behind painted travel-wagons smashing something in the road. Another scream issued forth. Charging forward, Jak stabbed at the monster with his spear. As Mishara stop to ready his bow, arrows flew out from the surrounding trees as archers moved among the shadows.

Alcèrra dismounted and walked into the trees while Dammon moved closer to observe the fighting. Rounding the road’s bend Dammon could see arrows flying from the forest and Jak and Mishara being pelted with arrowpoints while the Ogdar pounded Jak with his meaty fists. Calling upon the magics within him, Dammon conjured five flaming spheres to circle him. Next, the magician summoned bolts of Lāllan’s Lightning from his fingertips. Jak followed with a strong stab into the creature’s gut, felling the Ogdar.

In the nearby forest, Alcèrra happened across a hidden archer. Stabbing forward with her trident the archer turned but his arrow flew wide. From behind, an arrow of Mishara’s found the man and dropped him to the muddy forest floor. A second archer turned toward the priestess but was taken down by Mishara’s points. Across the woodland road, Tressta played with a third archer who fired at the sounds of her footsteps. Stealthily, she circled behind the archer and planted a stiletto in his side. The man’s yelp led Dammon, encircled by wizardly fires, to the two. The man collapsed to the ground in bloody surrender.

Swordsmen raced from behind the covered wagons but were soon dispatched by Jak’s bloody spear and the Eylfāe’s arrows as he stepped from the trees. Behind the wagons, Jak found other archers herding women and children to flee back down the road. Mishara demanded the men drop their bows. Defending their families, the men raised their own bows to fire, only to be interrupted by the Eylfāe’s deadly aim. The fight done, Jak stood over a fallen man and questioned him. He learned that this was an ambush, and that the men’s families had been involved. Disgusted, Jak skewered the man to the road; another puddle of blood.

Dammon and Tressta led their captive from the woods, the rogue grinning widely at the new short sword she’d acquired. Dammon tied the man to the wheels of an overturned wagon and proceeded to cut two of the man’s fingers off with the awkward heavy blade. The man’s screams echoed through the drizzle of the gray afternoon. Tressta attempted to bind the man, but once released the man fled into the forest and was gone.

After looting the wagons, the group continued south into the open Northfields. While passing through Denem they stopped to speak with Temple soldiers guarding a large canvas cube erected on a hillside. Tressta spoke with one of the guards for a few minutes, trying to learn about the strange construction. Although the man was clearly affected by her charms, nothing was gleaned. Dammon’s Conscience returned shortly explaining that behind the canvas a machine was being constructed. Wet and cold, the group continued through the boroughs of Truden and Wesridge, and came finally to the wooden gate of Cænden. Sitting atop the gate sat an unfamiliar man named Allis, who let the group through without fare or hassle.

In Cænden, Jak spoke with his brother-in-law and mother-in-law to be about his aging at the hands of Kelzerak, asking whether Dadra would care. Gelda, her mother, explained that he should talk to her, which he did. While Jak and Dadra were speaking on recent and future events, Mishara sat in the kitchen with Dadra’s mother and siblings, and was grilled about his Eylfāe heritage. The evening turned into night without further development.

Kændor, 16 Drûr 652

The marsh was covered with thin ice in the morning. Jak, Mishara, and Rayn oared back to the main island, cutting a path thin sheet ice on their way. Wind howled through the Cænden swamp. Reaching Jak’s home, they found the others gathered around the small fire, cursing the cold. It was decided that the day would be spent resting.

Malídor, 17 Drûr 652

The next day, Alcèrra and Tressta saddled the horses and rode to Kryr Shùrulm to gain audience with Lord Rott’s adviser, Foulstern. While meeting with the wizard, they were also introduced to the voiceless Xurmivor. Alcèrra and Tressta spoke with the Lord’s Adviser for sometime before gaining audience with the High Lord, who wanted to hear more about their Genter encounter with the Sarànðyr. During the meeting, Lord Rott explained what he knew of the Sarànðyr and some about the history of his own city. When asked for help with the troubles in Cenotaph, Lord Rott promised to ask for volunteers from among his archers.

Meanwhile, Jak and Mishara left Cænden on foot. They traveled most of the day, reaching the Ironhold construction site by evening. The two were met by Black Tom who delighted in telling them about a certain “joy” named Feyd who had been tasked with dragging a 300 lb block around courtyard over the last few days. His Dwürden masters were convinced that the young man needed more “stock” if he were to be any use to them. When asked about Aanna, Black Tom directed the two toward her tent. Aanna spoke with Jak and Mishara into the night, and agreed to identify Jak’s potion, should the next day’s weather be similarly foul. In return she asked for a to-be-determined future favor of the young spear-man. Jak agreed to this.

Amdor, 18 Drûr 652

The next morning, Aanna began her meditations and by early afternoon was able to Weave a divination. After scrutinizing the elixir for some time, she declared it to be a potion of longevity. Jak drank the potion as she instructed and a decade of youth was returned to him.

By the late evening of the 18th of Drûr, Tressta and Alcèrra returned to the Village of Cænden with a small force of volunteers. These volunteers included Bear Nogrodd, Aren Zarad, and Vindin. Two of the volunteers were old friends of Mishara, having seemingly joined the effort for that reason alone. Later that night, Mishara and Jak returned from Ironhold and there was a brief reunion before the tired everyone retired for the day.

Wōdìndor, 19 Drûr 652

Morning saw an end to the cold snap of the last few days. Though still cold, the group left for Cenotaph, prepared to deal with the Ghûls, finally. Traveling through the Lowswall between rows of houses with smoking chimney’s, the group crossed the Run Merdus at the bridge near Templegate Keep and traveled north into Dolor. In Dolor, the group was greeted by a woman who wished them well in their journey, but explained that an old alchemist in Dolor had concocted some potions that warded off the “stiffness” of Ghûl touch. Visiting the alchemist, they purchased the man’s only three potions for 300 aurad.

Continuing, they soon entered the abandoned farmlands of Cenotaph. They passed through a small ruined village before climbing the slope to the walled town itself. The village, like everything cradled in the river’s bend, looked abandoned. Passing cautiously through the town’s broken gates, the group moved into Cenotaph’s empty streets, staring back at the empty windows, startling at the bang of loose shutters. Arriving at a central circle, three Yrūni figures with elongated grins greeted the group with rotted fluttering voices. In a familiar fluid movement, Mishara raised his bow, notched an arrow, and aimed.

Continued in Terrors of Cenotaph, Part 1.

Characters

• Alcèrra Nàdrelan
• Dammon Shroudson
• Feyd: retired
• Jak of Cænden
• Mishara Mythdaras
• Tressta Drynsval
• Aanna
• Allis
• Aren Zarad
• Black Tom
• Corrus Fillim: maimed
• Dadra Rumm
• Edgur Rott III
• Eg Dar
• Familiar
• Gafre: killed
• Gardal: killed
• Gelda Rumm
• Ham
• Irgul
• Kelzerak: dead
• Kerem: killed
• Bear Nogrodd
• Oddo: killed
• Ollios: killed
• Rayn Rumm
• Sella: killed
• Tarrel: killed
• Toquis
• Tullur: killed
• Vardeth
• Vindin
• Xurmivor Daralien

Played: 27 Feb 1999