6) Earth/Early Dark Season 1345 (June 08th, 2001)
Party: Ashart Bolison, Humakti Warrior (Gary H.), Dagbjartr Haukson, Issaries Trader (Doug Sh.), Cedric the Fox (Doug St.), Age Swiftshanks (Jeff N.), Salinar Mannison, Elmali Warrior (Henry S.)
NPCs: The entire Amber Clan, official delegates of the Black Rock, the Water People (as official victims), Olli Ollison, trade thane of the Torkani, and a drunken band of Praxian Storm Bulls.

Many things happened during Earth Season.  The clan more or less finished setting up the first stead for the chief. 

Iskalli Endalson and his Elmali bloodline decided to set up their stead to the east of the first one.  They had lots of problems with broos who seemed strangely disciplined. Gunnar's bloodline meanwhile have set up hunting camps in the hills to the north of the valley. 

Under pressure from the Women's circle Blunt finally agreed to set aside his year wife Skerri Brightspear in favour of a proper Ernaldi wife. 

The bard Aski Askison composed a song he called Skerri's Needle which he performed for no one.  Somehow however the song was heard and started spreading among the young men who are disappointed with Blunt's leadership.  Blunt and the ring demand that he stop singing the song so he professed his partial innocence, not denying authoring the song but denying performing it in anyone's hearing.  He claimed that inspiration had hit him and he just had to set the song out.  The ring didn't believe this story and he was fined three cows.  An attempt to ban the song was met by ridicule and the young men kept on singing it despite the disapproval of the women and the older men.  One night while the bard was returning to Blunt's stead four assailants set upon the bard beating him severely.  He lost the vision in his right eye due to the attack and received many bad scars.  Because of his bardic training he was able to identify one of his attackers as Oddi Four-scars, one of Blunt's weaponstorms.  Ironically enough because Blunt didn't want to be seen as in the women's circle's pocket he refused to exile the weaponstorms as they demanded and instead offered the bard compensation.  The indignant bard refused all talk and vowed to leave the tula to seek refuge among the Torkani where they treat bards properly.  He refused to stay under a chief who would allow such things to be done to a bard.  He set off early one morning and wasn't seen again until he reappeared with the bridal party.

A scouting party was sent off to explore the western part of the valley under the leadership of Per Rasmussen after Branbrig Slayer refused the honour.   There they encountered a strange chaos blob and intervened on the side of some strange Orlanthi humans in their battle against some broos.   The shaman of the strange Orlanthi was instrumental in helping Branbrig, Orlev Ice-eyes and Branbrig's weaponstorms fight off some disease spirits.  The strange Orlanthi turned out to be members of a clan called the Black Rock who asked to travel with the party back to the tula to talk alliance against the broos.  (See Episode 2 : Here We Stand and Here We Stay : Scene 1 : Meeting the Neighbours). 

The wedding party left Torkani lands having successfully completed their mission and headed home.  Along the way Thorgunna Brynhildsdaughter started having dreams about a river.  These dreams were exceptionally vivid, even having physical manifestations and severely sapped her strength.  They also kept the entire party from sleeping well on the way back to the stead.  The wedding party encountered the self-exiled Aski Askison on the road.  They heard his story and learned that he had been attacked and severely beaten the same day he had left the tula.  They convinced him to return to seek justice under their protection (See Episode 2 : Here We Stand and Here We Stay : Scene 2 : Here Comes the Bride?).  Finally just before the end of Earth Season they returned to the tula.

Unknown to the bridal party as Thorgunna got ever nearer to the vale the  Sounder River became more and more unsettled and dangerous tearing away at the bank and any living things that approached it.  A carl lost some of his cattle to the river and initiated a lawsuit against it.  The river's violence and agitation peaked when Thorgunna entered the vale but immediately settled when Enerin the Kind put Thorgunna into a deep sleep.  Blunt was taken aback by the reappearance of the bard and at the sight of his soon to be ex-wife Skerri bearing his child.  The bard wanted an investigation of the second attack to which Blunt agreed   His weaponstorms denied any responsibility and indeed their presence at Blunt's side made their participation impossible.

On a very auspicious day at the end of Earth Season Skeli Redbeard used his magic to determine who had attacked the bard.  Everyone was surprised to learns that it had been a gang of broos.  The broos had been acting strangely disciplined so the surprise was muted somewhat. The party decided that the broos must have been trying to forment dissent and unrest among the Amber clan.  Blunt and Aski settled their differences but Aski decided to stay in Skerri's household instead of his.

The expected visit of the tribute takers the Water People had warned about turned out to be a group of Praxian Storm Bulls who visited the valley every year at this time in order to collect the tribute they extorted from the Water People.  Branbrig Slayer, Olli Ollison and Dagbjartr Haukson managed to get the relationship between the groups pleasant off to a good start.   Blunt asked through an interpreter whether the Storm Bulls would leave the valley to their guardianship.  They agreed to do so IF the clan could prove that they were capable of protecting it from chaos.  Since Iskalli had been asking for help against the broos raiders at his stead site Blunt agreed and everyone decided that this would be their test case. The Praxians decided to hang around eating beans and drinking beer until the fyrd was mustered.

The Black Rock delegation meanwhile had been sitting around for weeks as the clan ring argued about whether to leave them the ruined stead the scouting party had met them at or put in a claim for that stead.   The delegation agreed to help fight the broos at Iskalli's stead as well.

Blunt decided to send three quarters of the fyrd and the available warriors to help Iskalli. After some discussion the war party decided to block off the broos caves in the hills to the north of the stead and then smoke them out.  While they are up in the hills a band of sixty broos crosses the river and attacks the construction site killing some of the defenders and polluting the site with spirits.  The stead site is moved to another hill and the party decides to fool the broos by sending most of the fyrd and the Praxians up into the hills to block cave mouths off while all the warriors, Skagi Thjalfison clan godi, a Praxian observer and the Black Rocks hide inside the new fort site.  The broos attack a few days later and are tricked into climbing into the ring fort where they are slaughtered to the last broo at no cost to the Amber clan and their allies.  The only person who even loses consciousness is the Praxian who is mortified by this.  The Storm Bulls agree to leave the vale in the Amber clan's hands.  All but one cave mouths are sealed and Skagi and some others summon wind daimones who drive the smoke from a large fire down into the cave.  And more entrances are sealed off and Iskalli proclaims himself satisfied.  

The war party returns to Blunt's stead where the clan finally decided what to do with the Water People.  After much discussion they decide to spare them forcibly resettling them to the east of the tula nearer to Prax.  (They had offered them to the Storm Bulls but they had refused them saying they didn't need slaves in the swamp).

They also reached a decision with the Black Rock clan agreeing to leave them in ownership of the ruined stead and offering their military help against the broos.

This leaves just the problem of what to do with Thorgunna and the river as Enerin the Kind kept her asleep during the first part of Dark Season.

7) Dark Season 1345 A Trip Across Prax (July 14th, 2001)
Party: Ashart Bolison, Humakti Warrior (Gary H.), Hend Alynxfriend aka He who walks quietly through life aka Cat Boy, Yinkin Hunter (Darryl A.), and Salinar Mannison, Elmali Warrior (Henry S.)
NPCs: Skeli Redbeard, Lhankor Mhy lawspeaker, Inner Ring member.  Valatash Walker, Praxian Storm Bull warrior.
Not Present: Dagbjartr Haukson, Issaries Trader (Doug Sh.)

The party was summoned to a meeting of the Inner Ring where they found all those notables present plus the clan godi, Skagi Thjalfison, Enerin the Kind, the White Healer, and Branbrig Slayer, clan champion.  The clan's war against the broos was confirmed but the party was instead tasked with the duty of finding out whatever they could about what was wrong with the Sounder River.  The goal of this was finding some sort of solution that would allow Enerin the Kind to let Thorgunna Bryghildsdaughter wake up.  Enerin had allowed her to be briefly awake earlier in the season but the increased agitation of the river this caused made Enerin put her under again.  Other members of the clan were starting to have nightmares about the river as well and this was making already short tempers even shorter.   The only other possibility of improvement in the situation was seen as the possibility of sending Thorgunna back to the Torkani which Blunt and the ring didn't want to see happened considering the trouble they had gone through to get her.   Blunt and the Ring had decided to send the party and Skeli Redbeard to investigate.

They knew the information contained in Thorgunna's three dreams (see Here Comes the Bride? for more information on the dreams).  They realized that the entity mentioned in the River's nightmares was the Devil who had been crushed under a piece of the First Mountain.  They suspected that the feathered one mentioned in the dreams might be Waha who they thought might be Storm Bull's son (though they weren't sure).  Olli Ollison the garrulous Torkani trader had told them what he knew about Waha and it seemed to fit.  They knew that the Black Rock clan could communicate with the tributaries of the River and decided to visit them and find out what they could there.  They traveled to the Black Rock tula where they were warmly welcomed, getting a feast and the opportunity to exercise that famous Heortling sexual freedom (except the Humatki of course). 

The next morning the Black Rock shaman, Walker, took them to the nearest tributary, the Ash, where he summoned the spirit of the stream.  A vaguely female figure appeared and the shaman asked what was wrong with the River.  The Ash was sad and explained that the River could not cleanse herself of the Chaos taint caused by the Devil.  She didn't know what would help and suggested that the party ask the River's brother, the Zola Fel, for his help.  She gestured vaguely eastwards when asked where he was.  The shaman suggested that they would need a local guide to help.  They wanted to ask Olli Ollison but he and Age Swiftshanks had returned to Torkani lands already under a Amberi escort.  The shaman suggested  that they could try and seek out Valatash Walker, a Praxian follower of Storm Bull, who was last known to live up in the hills with an old woman.  Bjorngold, the Black Rock chief, offered a guide to lead them to the old woman, Anselma Halldisdottar's cottage. 

Leaving their horses at the Black Rock stead (the Black Rock had been excited at the prospect of their horses being serviced by Salinar's stallion but soon realized that he was too big for their little ponies, they were also appalled at the amount he ate compared to them!) they headed up country.  They followed a fairly clear path for quite some time.  Finally they came upon a cabin built into a hillside that was cleverly camouflaged.  The lad hailed the cabin and was greeted by a rude stream of profanity.  When he told them who he was and why they were there the old woman came out and told them they were free to try and get that "Lazy sack of ordure to move if they could" while she went to get some water.  They cautiously entered the squalid hut where, once their eyes had adjusted, they saw a large lump lying against the back wall covered by a bear skin.  Uncertain how to approach they tried the direct method of talking to him.  They explained what they were after and he quickly agreed to help.  Valatash stood up and they saw that he was an old man of massive build.  He collected his clothing and equipment and told them that he had to go retrieve something before he could leave with them.  He left them at the old woman's cabin and taking a shovel headed into the bush.  He returned hours later carrying a large bronze club that was shaped like a finger bone festooned with feathers and beads.  He told them that this was Tada's Pinky his weapon.  After wishing the old woman a profane good bye they returned to the Black Rock stead.

The next day they returned to the Amber clan stead and collected the supplies they would need.  They all agreed to walk since that was the easiest way to avoid getting attacked by Praxians.  (See the Travels of Biturian Varosh map for the landmarks passed). Valatash suggested that they follow the River and Canal all the way to the Block.  From there they would travel east bypassing the Paps and heading towards Sun County where they would find assistance hopefully in locating the Zola Fel cult.  The party agreed to this.  That day they traveled to the end of the Sounder Vale passing the new Water Folk settlement.  There they camped.  The next day they entered the plains and traveled along the River until it reached the Good Canal.  The Canal was a marvel, straight as an arrow and in places over 200 metres deep.  Valatash told them that the Canal was dangerous in itself with people entering it and never coming out.  Someone dropped a pebble in and no splash was heard.   They realized that Waha had made a mistake in not providing an outlet for the River to flow into the Sea and also realized that there was no way they would be digging an outlet themselves.

The next day they traveled along the Canal heading toward the Block.  As they neared the Block itself a group of Storm Bulls rode up and challenged them.  They were amazed to see Valatash and some among them recognized party members as well so they got a warm welcome.  They camped that night at the Storm Bulls' camp at the base of the Block where the Storm Bulls explained why they were there, i.e. to protect the Block, kill Chaos in the Devil's Swamp, and keep tourists from stealing Truestone.  Party members partied with the Storm Bulls who weren't on active duty except Ashart of course who kept watch with the Bulls.

The next day they traveled northeast again passing by Tourney Altar on the way.  There they encountered a pair of Humakti warband leaders settling their differences.  One of the Humakti, Black Ingilli, a disciple of Humakt wanted the other Humakti, Red Engalson to join him in his quest to attack Than Ulbar. Since Red Engalson disagreed with this the pair had decided on a duel.  The duel was an amazing masterpiece of swordmanship with deathlight gleaming from both swords.   The duel ended when Black Ingilli decapitated Red Engalson.  The two warbands joined together and Red Engalson was buried in the Humakti graveyard at the Altar.   Black Ingilli asked Ashart if he would go with him but Ashart told him that he was already oathsworn to another.  Black Ingilli accepted this and he and his followers rode off towards Than Ulbar.

Valatash suggested that they bypass The Paps but Salinar suggested that they should try and ask the Herd Mothers what they knew about the situation.  He was pretty sure that they must not like the Devil's Swamp on Praxian land.  Valatash took them to The Paps where they were greeted by a robed priestess.   They told the priestess of their quest and she promised to ask the mothers whether they would assist them.  She gave them a safe conduct while she went to ask.   They waited aboveground at the Waha camp where some local bucks threatened them.   They ignored the threats as they didn't want to risk their safe conducts.  A Waha shaman came over and asked if Ashart was a Sword Follower (i.e. Humakti) and he explained that he was.  This shaman asked about the Humakti warband crossing Prax which had killed two scouts who had foolishly attacked them.  He told the party that the Waha kahns were planning a great raid on the warband.  Ashart explained where they were going and the old shaman said that the raid would be called off as they were all dead men anyway.  Ashart told the shaman that as followers of Humakt they were already dead anyway so it didn't matter.  The shaman still didn't see much hope for their mission but said that the tribes would leave them alone anyway.

The Priestess came back and said that the Mothers would talk to one of them.  Salinar volunteered to go and Valatash went along as his interpreter.  The trio entered the huge cave and traveled deep into the Earth.   The Priestess instructed them not to let go of her arm as it was easy to get lost.   Salinar used his See in Darkness feat but he quickly lost the ability.  It got warmer as they went lower and they heard and felt large snakes and other things passing by.  Strange noises and otherworldly scents and sounds were experienced.   Eventually they reached a large cavern where a group of women questioned Salinar about their quest.  He explained what they were doing and why and why he thought it would benefit Prax as well.  They agreed that it was a noble goal and explained that Eiritha had lent her power to Waha to cut the Canal but she was now unable to do this anymore.  They agreed to give the party a safe conduct while in Prax as long as they were on this quest.  They strung four necklaces of knots around Salinar's neck explaining the safe conduct and someone cut an earth rune shape into his face.  They explained that this wouldn't heal until he was finished his quest and that the safe conduct would then expire.  The pair were led aboveground again.  They camped at The Paps and after three days travel they reached the Zola Fel on the other side of which they could see a bright shining object which Valatash told them was the Sun Dome temple.  (This was later revealed to have been an optical illusion as the temple was still too far away to see).

8) Dark Season 1345 Across Sun County (September 29th, 2001)
Party: Ashart Bolison, Humakti Warrior (Gary H.), Hend Alynxfriend aka He who walks quietly through life aka Cat Boy, Yinkin Hunter (Darryl A.), Dagbjartr Haukson, Issaries Trader (Doug Sh.) and Salinar Mannison, Elmali Warrior (Henry S.)
NPCs: Skeli Redbeard, Lhankor Mhy lawspeaker, Inner Ring member.  Valatash Walker, Praxian Storm Bull warrior.

The party were on a bluff overlooking a tributary of the Zola Fel.   In the distance they could see an town on that tributary.  They decided to walk down to it.  As they neared they could see riders approaching them.  These riders turned out to be sable riders who circled the party hurling invective and waving their weapons about.  Eventually their leader approached the party and rudely challenged them.  Valatash Walker strode forward and punched the rider's sable knocking it down.  He leapt up to attack Valatash who socked him in the jaw knocking him down.  His followers were going to attack Valatash in retribution but Valatash explained who he was and they lost their enthusiasm.  Dagbjartr explained what they were doing in Sun County and the leader explained that he would have to take them to the headman in the nearby town, which was called Chomorro.  (They didn't seem to recognize or acknowledge Salinar's safe passage mark on his cheek).

The sable riders led the party to Chomorro which they found to be a town of adobe buildings surrounded by a adobe wall in some disrepair.  The town was surrounded by a Praxian encampment of sable riders who stared at the outlanders.  The sable leader led the party through the main gate where he spat at the feet of one of the Yemalian militia guarding the gate and got his obviously well-trained sable to defecate at his feet.  The party was led through the streets which were full of Sun County natives (of an obviously different ethnic strain than the Praxians) who made way for the sable rider.  He led them to a building near the temples to Ernalda and Yemalio (guarded by templars in worn armour) in the centre of the town.  He led them into the building where they found an obviously Praxian man who turned out to be the headman.   After exchanging pleasantries and gifts, (Dagbjartr gave him trade trinkets and the headman gave him a slave girl!), Dagbjartr explained what they were looking for and he told them that they would have to travel to the Sun Dome temple to speak with the Count.   He told them that they would have a feast that night in their honour and told the sable rider to lead them to the local militia barracks for a rest.

The sable rider led them to the barracks where he evicted all the militia and told them to sleep on the ground outside.  He left them to rest and departed.  The party (save Valatash) headed down to the stream where they cleaned up. Two groups of youths gathered, one Praxian, one Yemalian, the two watched curiously as the party cleaned up.  One brave youth crept up and even spoke to Ashart.  The party discovered that the Yemalians spoke an archaic form of Heortling they could fairly easily understand.  Eventually tiring of his questions and requests to touch his weapon Ashart sent the lad on his way and finished cleaning up. 

After a boring afternoon cleaning up the party was summoned outside the town to the sable camp where they were treated to a large feast.  They discovered that the meat being roasted in their honour was a pair of herdmen stolen from the morocanths.  Everyone pled religious reasons for not eating the meat though most drank moderately of the herdman and sable milk koumiss (just like mom used to make!).   The sable riders started dancing drunkenly and the party left the party early pleading an early rising the next morning.  Valatash stayed at the sable compound and got stinkin' drunk and ate and drank what he was offered.

When they got back to the barracks they discovered the militia sleeping outside and were cursed roundly by that group.  The party ignored their curses and went inside to sleep.  Dagbjartr discovered the slave girl, Rebecca nude in his bed.  Realizing the ancestors stand on slavery (a big no no) he gently got her out of bed and made her sleep on the floor.  She was confused and cried herself to sleep.  Catboy thought about seducing her but decided that she'd just lie there and wouldn't be worth it.  So they all went to sleep.

Early the next morning Salinar got up early to greet Elmal from the roof of the barracks.  From their he and his followers could see the Yemalian priests greeting Yemalio from the roof of the temple who could clearly hear his welcome.   During breakfast a troop of templars came over and demanded that Salinar accompany them to see the local high priest.  The whole party went and met the high priest in a building attached to the temple.  The high priest demanded to know the nature of their heresy but Salinar refused to speak to him.  He threatened the lot of them with burning as heretics (Salinar and his followers) and heathens (the rest of them).   Salinar refused to acknowledge the priest's threats or reply to his accusations.   The party well realized the powerlessness of the priesthood so Ashart and Catboy taunted the templars with their impotency and the party left.  Outside they met the headman who told them their escort was waiting outside the main gate.

They left the town and met their escort (the same band of riders who had "greeted them") who were very hungover.  They set off, Rebecca carrying Dagbjartr's load (well that which his followers weren't carrying that is) accompanied by the hungover riders.  As they headed north they could see the flash of a heliograph sending a message northwards.  (Their escort explained how the heliograph worked as they were unfamiliar with the device).  They were impressed by the irrigation agriculture they saw practiced as they wet. They headed north and stopped for lunch at a small village (whose name I forget).  There they got into trouble with the local priesthood who wanted to burn the party.  Their escort nixed this possibility and from then on the party camped outside any towns they passed.  The escort told the party that they were followers of the Sun Hawk not Yemalio.  On the road Dagbjartr freed Rebecca who explained that her parents had been forced to sell her into slavery when they couldn't pay their tribute to the sable riders.  (She hadn't been the only slave they'd see in Sun County of Yemalian stock either).  He decided to keep her on as a servant since she had nowhere else to go.

That night passed uneventfully and they continued on towards the Sun Dome Temple the next day.  They passed by another big town and camped out again.   That night they could see the setting sun reflecting off of the Sun Dome temple in the distance.  The following morning they could see the rising sun reflecting off of the Sun Dome temple in the distance as well.  As they traveled on they could see the town more and more clearly and were impressed by the size.  Their escort led them past the sable camp outside the town and towards the temple complex where they entered the non-holy portions dedicated to the government.  They were escorted into a meeting hall where they met Count Golungan, a sable rider.  They explained what they wanted and he said he needed some time to think about their request.  He had them set up in a guest house outside the temple complex and asked that Salinar not greet his god up on the roof.  He agreed and a whole week of intense boredom passed until the count sent for them.  Sable riders guarded the party so the priests couldn't burn them.

The party was led outside the town to a date grove where Golungan was having a picnic.  After lunch Golungan sent away his attendants and told the party that he would arrange an introduction to the river cult if they could do him a favour.  He explained that the sacred regalia (an orb and sceptre) that represented the authority of the ruler of Sun County was actually a copy of an earlier set owned by Arsinor the Clearminded, first Count of Sun County.  he wanted the party to search for the regalia and explained that the most likely place for it was in the old abandoned Sun Dome temple.  This temple had been abandoned at the time of the Dragonkill War and been deconsecrated and sealed.  His followers were too fearful to enter the temple and the Yemalians saw such an act as sacrilege.  He had had the Yemalian guard of the old temple replaced with a sable rider guard and wanted the party to search it for the regalia.  Upon questioning by the party he offered knowledge and aid that might help in their search and they agreed to try.

This page last modified October 2, 2001

Email me at oliver_bernuetz@hotmail.com.