Maran 23 – Orid 5, 653 DR: After resting for a few days, the group continues south along the ancient snow-covered road. An Ortòri camp is found and the group is assaulted by two-headed Ogdar and a wizard that blinds Dammon. Group finds the bodies of two beheaded mountain giants. In a high pass, an old series of Dwürden towers are found. The group is attacked by a nesting wyvern. Kehen bids farewell to Ezíkus and disappears into the bowels of the tower complex. A search of the tower complex uncovers an ancient machine and a Grū.

Continued from The Call of Calsàdor.

Sūdìdor, 23 Maran 653

Late Maran, high in the Tor’n Evalshat, a large group of travelers trod shivering through the snow. Each few watches a scout ran back to the camp to report on the surrounding area before running off again. This had been Flender’s job since leaving the tunnels, and he was tired of running. They were all tired and weary from this unending trek along a stretch of crumbled road used in ancient times by armies and caravans. The mountains were slowly reclaiming the road and as far as Flender was concerned, they could have it.

To make matters worse, they’re forces were joined by an adventuring group that appeared to be led by a spear-man named Jak the Red. He was a bloodthirsty fighter who had run his father’s spear through more men than most soldiers could claim in times of war. Never far from the warrior’s side was Saldus Greymane who had been relieved of his duties as Captain of the Company of the White Raven months before. This had not escaped the notice of the soldiers who followed him into the mountains. Interestingly, Saldus seemed to have no love for the spear-man, but instead kept a wary eye on the peasant Ðard. In one of the few rare instances that Gællus had shared in his soldiers’ gossip, he had mentioned that it was good to keep your enemies close. The last few days Saldus had spent much of his time taking care of the slaves. Together they’d stripped the hide from the Dire Bear and fashioned makeshift shoes and wraps for the people. Still, many were sick and a few had died. Next among the adventurers, was the comely Tressta, her cloak pulled around her tightly, her mind nestled in warmer places. When the men weren’t looking for monsters behind every rock, they were watching her. She joined this trek with much apprehension, curious as to what her homeland ofTaldàna had in store for her, wondering what had changed since she left so many years ago. The last of the adventurers sat apart from the group, reading and watching everything around him. His friends called him Dammon when they spoke, but they didn’t interact much. He carried a crooked staff encrusted with large jewels. No one bothered the magician, for all had seen the magics that were his to call. Rounding out the group were Elidir the swordswoman, Kehen the Dwürden axe-man, and Ezíkus the old priest. Ezíkus walked heavily, burdened with the weight of his lost ward, Almus.

On the evening of the 23rd, Flender overheard a solemn conversation in the camp. They had waited several days for their companion Mishara to return through the mountains, but he had not appeared. In the morning, they would continue to the South. That night more snow fell, burying their camp with another inch.

Talídor, 24 Maran 653

As the travelers stirred the next morning, the slaves began complaining in their Southern tongue. One of their numbers had died during the night. The group allowed them some time to bury their dead and then continued south along the Old Taldàni Road. That evening they camped along the road near a stand of dead trees that creaked and moaned throughout the night.

Padídor, 25 Maran 653

On the next day they pressed onward. Another day without incident was a good day. Come evening they sheltered beneath a large shelf of rock, some distance from the road. The shelf was obscured from the road by a grove of trees. As night fell, a group of large white owls appeared on the tree branches, observing the camp with their wide reflective eyes.

Bærídor, 26 Maran 653

The third day of travel since leaving the Valley of the Bear ended in an area with hundreds of caves. While exploring the mountainsides, Dammon’s familiar returned to him an old skull and a bone necklace with a carved stone medallion. They camped within some of the shallow caves, watching the snow fall outside.

Virídor, 27 Maran 653

At nightsdeep, Dammon awoke to a sharp pain as his familiar carved a sign into his skin. The magician stared at the wound for a time and watched the blood burn into permanent lines before fading to scars. The familiar said that it was a Vorbid but offered no further explanation.

The next day, Flender returned with news of trouble. He’d spotted an Ortor encampment over the next rise, and worse still it was patrolled by two-headed Ogdar, known as Ogdarak in some parts. As the group looked for ambush positions two heads appeared over the rise, each looking its own way. Behind the group, Dammon’s magic lifted him into the air. Seeing Dammon, the Ogdarak shouted and charged up the road. As it charged forward, the ambushers raced to greet the monster with swords and spear. Soon the giant monster was crashing to the road and the others moved back to their hiding places. Soon two more the monsters came running swiftly into view, stopping when they saw those hiding before them. Again the group closed around them, but the fight was not so easy for each of the Ogdarak wielded two giant clubs with which they battered and crushed their opponents. Above the battle, Dammon’s barrage of magical bolts scorched the air, burning into the hides of the fighting Ogdarak. Valus, the son of Saldus, rushed forward to stab at one, but a fist smashed him as he approached. Jak too received better than he dealt and by the time the last Ogdarak had fallen he was badly bruised and shaken. Dammon announced a third wave as Ortor rushed into view, joining the fight. Some of the commoners, now equipped with weapons, met the Ortor as they rushed forward. Dammon released a volley of arcane missiles at one that had appeared uphill from the battle, but his arrows were deflected away from the Ortòri mage. In exchange, the Ortor mage wove a spell of his own and Dammon was blinded. Saldus turned toward the spellcaster and with the aid of Flender and some of the slaves cut the Ortor magician down. Nearer the road’s edge, a larger Ortor rushed forward and cut deeply into Jak, dropping him to the ground in a bloody mess. Others rushed to his aid as the Ortor yelled and his muscles grew. Ezíkus ran forward and was able to drag Jak’s body away as Elidir, Valus, and Kehen cut and hacked at the enraged Ortor. A third spied Tressta sneaking across the battlefield under the cover of her shadowy cloak and slashed her. She returned the favor, slipping her rapier through the Ortor’s abdomen, killing him outright. Soon, the battle was over. The peasants gathered around their own, making a cairn above the roadside for the second of their number to pass away. Ezíkus tended to Jak’s wounds, and after some moments assured those gathered that he would recover.

The group moved into the next valley where the Ortor had been camped and moved into the two circle tents there. They tended to the fire pits and sorted through the goat furs. Dammon’s familiar brought his blind master a book of spells that it could not read.

Palídor, 28 Maran 653

The night passed without incident, and in the early afternoon the wounded Jak wakened from his delirium thanks to the care of Ezíkus. It was decided that another day of rest would be prudent, as many had suffered at the hands of the Ogdar and Ortor. Scouts were sent to the edges of the valley, but nothing stirred in the wintry wilderness. Those standing guard that night reported beautiful vistas under the soft blue glow of Wōd’s full face. This was a comfort for they could see anything that might move on the distant snowy mountain slopes for miles around.

A day of rest.

Alídor, 1 Orid 653

The next day, the group climbed higher into the mountains, following the Old Taldàni Road as best they could through the snow cover. Early in the day as the road rose into a pass they came across a wide snow-covered plain. In the middle of this area were sprawled two massive bodies whose heads had been removed. The group paused as a few people went to investigate. The bodies were not as large as the Colossus they’d fought days before, but were larger than the Ogdar they had seen. In the evening, the group erected the heavy Ortòri tents they had salvaged from days before. The cold winds blew harshly that night, but the tents remained standing throughout.

Kændor, 2 Orid 653

The exhausted Flender returned from ahead, reporting to Saldus that there were structures ahead. After a few went forward to inspect the report, the rest followed toward the ruined Dwürden towers (i.e., Kryhermâr) that straddled the high mountain pass. No identifying marks were found on the structures except the carving of names and dates that warriors and caravans had left on the weathered stones. Ezíkus and Kehen spoke at length about the towers, more of which sprung from the mountainsides beyond the archway. They determined the towers were of great antiquity, perhaps predating the Old Empire, for they were built by Dwürden at a time when these lands were ruled by the mountain race. Kehen, Ezíkus, and Tressta went inside the westernmost tower while the others searched outside. Suddenly the walls shook with a terrible roar and the commoners screamed as a large winged shape erupted from the ruins of the eastern tower and swooped down upon the hapless travelers. The Dragul-kin’s barbed-tail skewered one peasant through the chest, flinging his bloodied corpse into the snow. The monster’s teeth ripped an arm and head from another peasant as it flew forward and its claws tore at more still. Elidir rushed forward with her battle sword but the tail flashed and stabbed forward, sending the deadly spine deep into her gut. Saldus and Jak advanced with their weapons, and cut deeply into the hovering beast. A thrashing claw raked at the blinded Dammon’s chest as magic bolts flew wildly from the magician’s fingertips. Finally, Saldus sunk the Sword of Bocor into the monster’s side. The monster’s wings curled as it cried and fell to the ground. Following the battle, Saldus checked on Elidir and found that the flesh around the wound she’d received was turning dark black. He tended to her as best he could, but she complained of weakness and fatigue. By the time Ezíkus reached her, his skills were too late. More cairns were constructed on the roadside.

The group moved into the western tower for that evening and night, which although drafty, provided better shelter than the Ortòri tents. As everyone settled in for the night, Flender looked about himself nervously. Being the last of the soldiers appointed by the High Lord did not make him feel lucky at all.

Malídor, 3 Orid 653

In the nightsdeep of the next day, some were awoken by Kehen’s movements and his conversation with Ezíkus, who had bid him farewell. Without speaking to anyone else the Dwürden opened a hidden hatch on the ground floor of the west tower and climbed down into the darkness below. Dammon’s familiar followed him into the tunnels and watched him open a secret passage and then another round metal door covered with strange runes. The familiar stood back and watched the vault door close behind him. Kehen was not seen again. When the familiar returned to the tower it found the hatch closed. Dammon walked blindly down the old stairs and heard Saldus instructing others to cover the hatch. Dammon asked them to open it and there was a small knocking from the underside, but Saldus refused. Dammon argued some but then withdrew, his thoughts traveling through the hidden tunnels far beneath them as the familiar looked for other exits.

Later that day the group sent people down to explore the tunnels beneath the towers and found ancient barracks, chambers, and short tunnels leading off into the darkness. In one room, they examined machinery choked with Yrūn bones, connected to large iron spikes that had once thrust upward to the road above. As they examined these, the tunnels were filled with an awful howling, a noise they knew well for it was the call of the Grū. Soon the hall was filled with snapping teeth and ripping claws as the monster charged forth. Jak impaled the creature but found its claws reached further than his spear, and suffered some cuts before felling the thing. The telltale black and green noxious smoke rose from its wounds as they torched and stabbed the monster until they were sure it was dead. Even as they burned its black flesh they could see its wounds knitting together, fighting to survive. Following this, they returned to the surface, where everyone rested as best they could.

Amdor, 4 Orid 653

While others rested, Flender and Saldus went in search of food for the supply of bear meat was growing low. Many hours later they returned with two mountain deer. Flender also examined the Wyvern’s corpse but much of the meat was bad, or strangely discolored. They salvaged what they could, but those that ate the Dragul-kin meat complained that it tasted more poorly than it smelled. The remainder of the day was spent watching snow blow through the cold pass.

Wōdìndor, 5 Orid 653

That nightsdeep, Dammon awoke again to the painful cutting sensation of his familiar inscribing another mystic symbol into his flesh. Again the blood welled-up from the cuts and then burned into black lines which would eventually fade to scars. But blind as he was, he saw none of this. In the morning, the magician Wove two Pyrádra spells and dispelled the blindness that had handicapped him these last few days.

Continued in Descent into Ezmir.

Characters

• Dammon Shroudson
• Jak of Cænden
• Saldus Greymane
• Tressta Drynsval
• Elidir ur Saldagir: killed
• Ezíkus of Roð
• Familiar
• Flender Orgh
• Gællus ur Gallon
• Kehen Churbul
• Valus ur Saldus

Played: 03 Feb 2001