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<DIV>Ok now I'm in a tangle, imght be missing ten as well.<br>
<br>
<-----Original Message-----><br>
From: Lev Lafayette [runequestprax@mimesisrpg.com]
<DIV></DIV>Sent: 11/10/2008 9:12:09 PM
<DIV></DIV>To: runequestprax@mimesisrpg.com
<DIV></DIV>Subject: [Runequestprax] Chapter Eleven: Muriah's Revenge
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><br>
Er, make that chapter 11, not 10 :)<br>
<br>
On Mon, 2008-11-10 at 19:47 +1100, Lev Lafayette wrote:<br>
> Dramatis personae<br>
> <br>
> Storyteller, (Lev)<br>
> Phoebe, Grantlands Initiate of Zola Fel and Seven Mothers (Michael)<br>
> Red Mouse, Zebra Tribe Initiate of Zola Fel (Sean)<br>
> Honest John, Pavis Initiate of Eurmal and Zola Fel (Rick)<br>
> Zammon, Rhino Tribe Initiate of Storm Bull (Gawain)<br>
> Praxilites, Sun County Initiate of Yelmalio (Jay)<br>
> Mountain Strides, Agimori Initiate of Lodril (Karl)<br>
> Antonia, Antelope Tribe and Lunar Lancer, Initiate of Daka Fal and Seven<br>
> Mothers (Scott)<br>
> <br>
> 1617 Solar Time, Fire Season<br>
> <br>
> In the name of Yelm the Sun, and Yelmalio, Son of the Sun God.<br>
> <br>
> Once again I have been called to the fort of Duke Rauss of the Lunar<br>
> grantlands, and once again I find that there is mutual interests which<br>
> requires our intervention. Plague has struck both the southern lands of<br>
> Sun County and those of the Lunar Grantlands and despite the best<br>
> efforts of both administrations, the number of dead and dying are<br>
> mounting. Once again my great farmlands of Black Rock and Rabbit Hat had<br>
> proven unproductive due to wicked spirits in the land. Now at least we<br>
> have some idea what struck down the Duke's wife.<br>
> <br>
> The Duke met us in his audience chamber, and spoke of a colony of broo<br>
> that had been sighted near the source of the Vilinar River, east of the<br>
> Agimori Lands. My protector, Mountain Strides, of course expressed<br>
> concern of his people and the Duke betrayed both his ignorance and what<br>
> appeared to be hitherto a lack of concern. Neverthless, it was clear<br>
> that this was a cause of some concern in the area. Daine, his faithful<br>
> second, had prepared linen gloves and blankets for handling any broo<br>
> material prior to burning; it was obvious that he do was suffering from<br>
> a disease but was refusing to let it interfere with his duties.<br>
> <br>
> The Duke's newtling mercenaries took us upriver to the village of Weis,<br>
> which had suffered a great deal. There was a number of miserable huts<br>
> consisting of both riverfolk and new Lunar settlers and the level of<br>
> activity did not seem to equate with the number of buildings. Upon<br>
> approaching the village, Zammon the Storm Bull sniffed the air and<br>
> declared the presence of chaos at a nearby tree. Charging forth before<br>
> any could prevent him, a disease spirit formed and grappled with him.<br>
> Eventually he broke away, but his arms and legs were shaking from the<br>
> encounter. Carefully we went around the tree and into the village.<br>
> <br>
> We soon encountered a man who called himself Cavry; he knew of the<br>
> spirit at the tree which had taken two lives already. The villagers all<br>
> knew of it and avoided it, but that did little for strangers. As we were<br>
> talking to him his mother exited a hut claiming in a loud voice that all<br>
> this was Muriah's fault. Muriah apparently was the daughter of a pair of<br>
> thieves who lived in the village some twenty years ago; when her parents<br>
> both fell very sick one night, nobody would help her and her parents<br>
> died. She left the village cursing that she would destroy it. "And now<br>
> she's come back", the old woman screeched.<br>
> <br>
> Zammon investigated the village in detail, as Phoebe set up a stall for<br>
> first aid and treatment of any diseases, which included a number of<br>
> hazia addicts. As Zammon was engaging in his explorations, he sensed<br>
> chaos at the bottom of the village well. Climbing down, he eventually<br>
> found a broo corpse polluting the waters, waterlogged and rotten, which<br>
> proved most difficult to remove as parts kept falling off. Eventually<br>
> however, and with the aid of Phoebe, the broo carcass was removed from<br>
> the well, dried under the watchful eyes of Yelm, and burnt.<br>
> <br>
> Red Mouse and Zammon scouted the riverside and located what appeared to<br>
> be broo tracks. Following them upstream, the eventually made their way<br>
> to the source of the Vilinar River, which was a cave in the cliffs, and<br>
> scanned a figure at the entrance. Entering we discovered broo<br>
> immediately and engaged in combat, although with some difficulty as they<br>
> cast Sneeze spirits our way. One escaped further into the cavern and<br>
> Zammon gave chase, only to fall into a pit trap. Rescuing our Storm Bull<br>
> we burned the bodies and continued in the cavern with greater caution.<br>
> <br>
> Our next encounter with the broo was on a natural bridge crossing; here<br>
> they fought with arrows and spells and we found it difficult at least to<br>
> engage directly. Antonia was felled by one arrow, but returned fire from<br>
> her knees, such was her bravery. Strides was struck down with what<br>
> turned out to be a wicked poison that would take him weeks to recover<br>
> from, and Zammon was infected with Brain Fever. Finally, we gained the<br>
> upper hand as two escaped. Once again the brave Zammon gave chase, and<br>
> almost managed to catch one, the only female we sighted, however she<br>
> escaped down a river current after a rope bridge was cut.<br>
> <br>
> After some misadventures Honest John made it across the to the other<br>
> side of the underground river and was about to re-establish the bridge,<br>
> when he was struck from behind. Even more broo were attacking us! Again<br>
> we fought them for a while, but as our people made their way across they<br>
> retreated even deeper into the caverns.<br>
> <br>
> Healing our number as best we could, and low on Power we advanced in<br>
> formation. A lesser Shade came forth and wrapped itself around Zammon<br>
> but it was felled quickly. Finally we came across the goal of our quarry<br>
> - five broo led by one with a shaman's spear and an iron mask. Their<br>
> leader threw disease after disease at us as only a Rune Priest could. A<br>
> frustrated Zammon charged the first line of broo, only to be felled by<br>
> three arrows. Fortunately Befuddle spirits send by our party confused<br>
> the chaos beasts, and Zammon was able to swing his mighty axe and felled<br>
> three in quick succession. One pleaded to Red Mouse, claiming that he<br>
> had fought alongside the Nomads Tribes when the Lunars invaded at<br>
> Moonbroth, but Zammon did not care (indeed this may have been true; a<br>
> contingent of broos did fight with the nomad tribes against their<br>
> ill-fated resistance at Moonbroth). The leader attempted to make a<br>
> getaway up a chimney shaft and although I charged him, he was protected<br>
> by one of his underlings. The last message I heard in my mind was that<br>
> Muriah would have her revenge.<br>
> <br>
> We burned the bodies of the broo and returned to the village, where<br>
> Zammon was considered most heroic by the locals and with one lass taking<br>
> more than a modest fancy to him, despite his damaged intellect. The<br>
> following day we returned to the Duke's fort, where he expressed his<br>
> thanks. He provided a quick riding beast to take Zammon and Strides to<br>
> the Chalana Arroy temple at Horn Gate. Stride's recovery took some four<br>
> weeks, such was his constitution. Zammon on the other hand was cured<br>
> within two weeks, but only due the Priestess sacrificing her own Power<br>
> for the necessary magics. Zammon found himself in debt to the tune of<br>
> 2,000 pennies which he had to spend twenty weeks working off, providing<br>
> guard duty along some of the most dangerous routes. In the meantime, I<br>
> had to dismiss him as manager of Black Rock and re-employ the Duck. I<br>
> have my suspicions that he was not entirely engaging in proper<br>
> crop-raising, but investigations shall have to wait.<br>
> <br>
> Praxelites, Initiate of Yelmalio, Lord Rabbit Hat and Lord Black Rock<br>
<br>
<br>
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