Game Session Recaps

[frenzied67]

Highlights of Episode Eighteen
Erath, - Taznos Moonday 15th-. CY1031

Before false dawn made it’s promise known, the adventurers accompanied their own Melwenite Priestess to her ordination.  After a “show”, a divine play where a Sedaran version of Melwen’s story of holding off hordes of demons was portrayed, Leiya was taken aside.  In a series of short rituals, Leiya was anointed in blessed oils and recognized as one truly dedicated to the goddess.  With the new blue vestments she received she was also promised the help and hospitality of the church (Leiya gained the “Shelter of the Faithful” feature given to the Acolyte background).

Riardon, who did not want to witness a stuffy Priestly ritual, mingled with the early risers in Solare.  His nimble fingers liberated several coins of a lesser nobility and a 10’ roll of string. 

Having to hustle from Leiya’s ordination, the bulk of the group made it to the archery fields in time for Jolly’s first bout.  He easily wins the first round at 15 paces with 12 points.  At 20 Jolrael devastates his rival with a 19 point score that had two bullseyes and a near bullseye.  Facing his third opponent, they both tie at four points apiece so they had to go to a sudden death shoot off.  Jolrael barely ekes out a third round win.  Two bullseye shots  and an outer ring 1 point shot outdoes his 4th rival.  The girl Jolrael faced on his fifth and final round scored an outer ring 1 point hit, an inner ring 4 point hit, and a bullseye for 10 points.  Jolrael was only able to hit the 3 point ring, the 11 point outer ring, and a single bullseye.  His 8 points did not prevail so Jolrael asked the girl archer for one of her lucky stones for future luck.  With a smile she tossed the sorcerer a stone then strolled away to bask in the crowds adulation.

In a best 3 out of 5 bouts, Enkili faced his morning competition with a Shield of Faith spell from Leiya.  In a swift series of wooden staves crashing against armor Enkili dominated his rival 15 to 3 and wins the first passage of arms.  In round two the blunt weapons gave his rival 7 points, but Enkili scored 11 points.  In the third round, Enkili’s opponent again scored 7 points worth of hits, but takes two stout blows from the Mandagan.  Those 10 points forced the man to concede granting Enkili another great victory.

Directly after Enkili’s bout, Leiya recieves a summons to deliver the last rites to the loser of a mortal contest between an Errodian Dragonrider and a Bhelian prisoner, a half Ogre who had known mighty heroes half a decade prior.  Many people began to rush to the site of this contest, all abuzz with disquiet and foreboding.  Riardon follows his curiosity and soon learns of the mortal bout.  Both he and Leiya watch the half Ogre greet the Dragonrider, throw down his weapon and scream at the watching Maklu of Bhel.

“Avenge the Crown!  Avenge the Prince!”  the prisoner then threw himself upon the Errodian champions weapon and ended his life.
In a show of disdain for all, the Maklu stood up and told the Dragonrider this.

“You can have him back now” then he walked out.  Stunned spectators funneled away as Leiya escorted the half Ogre’s body to a tent where she cleaned the slain and performed the ritual of last rites to the noble Bhelian prisoner.  At one point she notices that she had an observer who lurked in the shadows.  Once spotted a man stepped out and declared his name was Hereth.  Hereth told Kureg the half Ogres sad tale, of how he had failed to save the former Maklu’s only son from the hungry blades of the Usurpers forces.  Hereth begs Leiya to restore the Half Ogre to life.  While explaining that she did not have that power she accidentally discovered that the half Ogre had an enchantment that would have prevented even the mightiest of priests from raising Kureg.

As Leiya struggled with what she should do with her information, Jolrael squared off for his last chance rounds with archery.  He easily won his first bout with 14 points to 5, his two bullseye shots magnificent.  Round two again routes his opponent scoring an overwhelming 14 points.  He scored a bullsey, a four point near bullseye, and a miss for a total of9points; his rival could only muster 7 points.  With a strong wind making itself a factor, Jolrael’s fourth opponent scored a hefty 8 points, unfortunately misses his first two shots and has no way to even tie the match up.  So he struck out of any further competition in this Shieldmeet archery contests.

Enkili has Lady Adelien’s bard ridicule his opponent to throw the man off for his afternoon bout.  In the first pass this opponent scores 5 points off of Enkili but takes 12 points from the Mandagan.  In round two the score is about the same, 8 points to the hero’s 15 perfect points.  There was no fourth or fifth round because Enkili scored 11 points to 6 points, defeating that rival handily. 
Riardon had sent out messengers to his friends asking them to meet him at the Rusty Bedpan for dinner that evening.  After that he stalked a rich nobleman.  Private security spots him when he made his play, so Riardon had to use distracting magic to force his getaway.  Once again the city guard did not get an accurate description of the wily Elf.

On her way to administer aid to Enkil for his evening bout, Leiya stopps off to meet with her informant, the little girl Miria and her stuffed rabbit.  The girl and her friends learned that someone important had been killed the night before, but no one knows who died.

As Enkili faced the ridicule of his opponents bard, he received the powerful protection of Leiya’s Shield of Faith spell.  In the first pass at arms Enkili scored 7 points to 4points and wins the first bout.  He wins the second bout 10 to 8 almost seeming as though Enkili was ready to trounce this opponent too.  The third round witnessed a change though, Enkil lost that bout 7 to 10.  In the fourth pass Enkili again lost 10 to 6.  With the bouts evenly split the two rivals enter the fifth supposedly tie breaker round, they both score5 points each, so they have to have a rare 6th round.  Unfortunately the Mandagan Battlemaster scores 5 points while his burly foe bashes twice as many points out of him.  Enkili has to step down from the champions bracket.

Sess, Riardon’s underworld contact, hunts the Shandeeran down with fell news.  He learns of the N’marian queens assassination and how the crime points to the Solarian thieves guild.  While the organization was not involved  but they think that a band of Uhrian assassins called the “Whisperers” may be behind it, though proof has not been gathered.  The Safe house the party was luxuriating in was rescinded.

Unable to exchange their information with one another, all but Jolrael attends the orality play in the early evening.  While the play had a little boy and his mouse face off against a witch and a wolf in an eating contest of the door of a candy house and a house made from a giant turnip, the show did not reach a conclusion.  Miria showed up with a friend of hers, a boy with a bad tummy ache.  As the little girl and her precious doll were trying to explain the boy suddenly collapses with every bit of evidence pointint to poisoning.  Thinking fast Leiya uses her only spell that could rid the lad of poison, but even as she did.  Many people in the audience began to keel over clutching their stomachs.  Riardon was the first to notice that all the afflicted were Errodians.  Enkili and Hubert looked on helplessly while Leiya ran around trying to provide help, any help… to no avail.

All of Solare was subdued that night, even in the rusty bedpan.  Boreman Herske gives the party a room and feeds them.  Disheartened the party shares their disparate bits of knowledge with each other then spend most of their time speculating on what It might mean, who could truly be behind it, and so on. 
Unable to fathom the madness or genius behind all the chaos, the whole party accompanies Jolrael to his Magical initiation into the ranks of Wizard’s Peak.  Surprisingly Wellbourne Huxley is the representative administering to the tests.  They learn that the weakened Peak also suffered poisonings, losing many potent members of their guild.  At first Jolly has to answer several questions posed to him by the circle of mages, afterwords they acknowledge him as a “Mage of the Bloodwright”.  Jolrael admits that he was born with a mark on his body that also marks his magic, news to his companions.

Continuing on, the circle request a demonstration of Jolrael’s druid craft skills, then they ask him to cast his cantrip spells.  After that they have him move on to more sophisticated spells, having him demonstrate or prove the magical powers he manipulates.  “Hail and welcomeJolrael, Third Circle Evoker of the Bloodwright, Child of Wind and Wave!”  They give the young sorcerer a cloak pin and a potion of rest after he takes the oath binding him to the wizard’s guild.  As this is going on, Wellborne admits that Prince Eidwe of Brandt has disappeared.

*Wolf's bout will be forthcoming soon, we hope.  We hope work and security were worth missing the game for, lol.

Highlights of Episode Nineteen
Erath, - Taznos, Watersday 16th- 28th. CY1031

Though finding the scores of Wolf’s last tournament problematic, it was evident From the Errodian’s demeanor that he did not fare well in his last joust.  In the morning of the 16th, he returned the borrowed horse and armor to Lady Adelien, the sponsor of our party in Shieldmeet.

Again, before the first cock crowed the day awake, Leiya Tevorova was up tending to the injured (including Miria’s little friend who survived the mass poisoning).  Attending to her healer duties, she was unable to participate in the first rounds of Watersday’s tournament.

Though Enkili walked out boldly to meet his competitor for the morning foot melee bout, the two bards calling imprecations down on both fighters, it was clear the Mandagan swordsman was ill prepared for this fight.  In the first pass Caanen of the Steel Host scored 12 points against Enkili and suffered 11 points against himself.  In the second round Enkili scored seven points but lost because Caanen took 12 points.  In the last pass 10 points to 8 were scored, and Enkili was resoundingly beat; there was no need for a fourth or fifth bout.  The mercenary did state that with a little more training, Enkili would be a perfect fit for the Steel Host.  Enkili was the last of the party to have held a bracket in Shieldmeet.

As the day progressed, the group learned that Bhel and Errod officially declared war against each other.  A new leader was proclaimed in N’Maria, an indigenous warlord named Gurruk of Aniran.  He immediately declared war on the Brunok and Koloi tribes of Angiertha, a move that will distract help away from Errod in their war.  Uhria formed a surprising alliance with Bhel and N’maria and will be helping out in both nations war efforts.  In another surprise move, Sedaria (who normally keeps Bhel in check) signed an agreement of non aggression with Bhel.  As usual Onastia declared itself neutral.  Even though the ink was still wet from their agreement with Errod, Brandt broke it’s pact with Errod and signed a non aggression pact with Bhel and Uhria.  A lot of speculators believe that death threats against the missing prince of Brandt may be behind this move.

Hareth, the dragonrider from Errod who had given Leiya information about the valiant half Ogre, Kerig, had tried to assassinate Kaashak, the Maklu of Bhel during the night.  He killed a decoy instead and got caught.  On the 17th he was judged and later executed by beheading.  Hareth was denied any visitors, even for religious or legal services.  Leiya tried several attempts to see the dragonrider before his show trial and even showier execution. 

Gathering information on his own, Riardon learns many of the same rumors that come to the rest of the party, but he does add that Shadowaith seems poised to invade Errod from the ocean side of the nation.  This seems to be a third nation poised to rip into that stout little country.  Unable to bring himself to watch people being executed, Enkili gives into the temptation of the flesh; he had located a whorehouse that served hemp buds among the drugs offered along with the girls and boys of the house.  Wolf spent most of the day watching the foam die in a mug of beer he watched from morning to night.

Normally the Midweek of the 18th would have been a deeply celebrated day, as this was the day that awards and accolades were given to the champions and notables of Shieldmeet.  It was a poorly attended event, and only the vendors tried to enliven the day.  In the Bow archery competition Aderia of Westfolk took the big prize.  The master of the crossbow was Taas the Younger.  For the thrown ax, Thorm Thorminsson was declared the champion.  Telizan of Flamespire won the spear/javelin title.  Hordan Arlinsson took the prize Jolrael had battled for, the best slinger.  The winner who had beat out Enkili in the footrace was also Telizan of Flamespire.  Aston of Plithney was the jousting champion.  Alehrd Kanoth, Kanoth the killer, had been a prisoner who was supposed to face death in Shieldmeet, instead he fought his way to becoming the champion of the foot melee combats; thus winning his freedom.

The winner of the Grand Melee was Talizan of Flamespire.  The master of Horsemanship was given to Kinoga Jochi.  The stone toss and Wrestling awards both went to Talizan of Flamespire.  Flamespire is not a known quantity on any known map.  Wolf managed to garner 750 gp for his deeds in the joust.  Enkili won 1,000 gold for his placement in foot melee, and he also won a 25 gp golden torc (it is cleverly wrought with wings at the ends) for the great foot race.

During the “celebrations” the party was greeted by Wellborne Huxley of Wizard’s Peak, the man responsible for bringing the Foreign Force together.  Later they see the wizard speaking with a fighting man dressed as a traveler, quick eyes in the group also spot that this stranger bore the token of the Errodian dragonriders.  It is surmised that Wizard’s Peak is again showing itself independent of Sedaria politically.

Empowered by their experiences, the party decided that it was time for them to seek training in their preferred professions (4th level is gained).  In the ten days they took to hone new skills and talents, Enkili bought Leiya, Jolrael, and Riardon storage chests and locks for their belongings on the wagon.  He also buys himself a 200gp suit of splint armor.  His banded mail he grants to Hubert, the boy who they are still training.  The Mandagan also buys five days of food for six people and five days of food (30 gp for rations, 30# stored in the wagon.), and ten days of fodder for six animals (Hay 6sp, 120#.  Oats 3gp, 120#).  Enkili also proposes to start a collection from the party to buy young Hubert training and a weapon.

Highlights of Episode Twenty
Erath, - Taznos, Endrest 28th –  Melad 3rd, Windsday  CY1031

Unable to seek the advice of Wellborne Huxley, who had returned to Wizard’s Peak, the party sought the advice of the paladin, Lady Adelien as to which quest they should take up.  Unfortunately with all the wars and rumors of ill ilk, their former sponsor was too busy to advise them.  However, At Melwen’s church, Leiya learned that a relic needed to be transported to the Sedaran city of Anstarre to the south west.  So with the promise of a little remuneration from the church, the party decided that they would deliver the relic, then travel back to The Freehold and deal with the Chained Heart slavers who may be working from that port city.

The Hand of Surna was the relic they took up, it was a preserved hand in a small wooden case.  Evidently Surna had been a Priest of Melwen who had performed so many healings that he became something of a saint.  After he died they preserved his body and allowed the afflicted to seek healing from his enshrined cadaver.  A fire burned his temple down and all but his right hand was consumed.  One of the first acts of the party as they left the city was to purchase an ornate wooden box of roughly the same dimensions as the relic’s carrying case.  This box was intended to fool would be pilferers who may waylay the party for this specific relic; a well placed illusion from Riardon would complete the deceit.  The holy appendage may or may not have been stored with the hay and oat sacks that carried fodder for the wagon's mules.

Traveling by wagon, the party took almost a seven day week to get to Pikton.  After a nights rest, the party did a little light shopping then hit the road again on the last night of the short festival month of Sawan (They had traveled through the entire week long sowing and fertility celebration).  As the group traveled they stopped in little villages and hamlet to buy the ingredients for antitoxin potions and potions of healing for Leiya to brew up.  She managed to craft a potion every two days of travel.  Two days out of Pikton the party met Urwis, a Warden of the West Road.  The man warned the party about the dangers of leaving the established road; wiley bandits were making the region unsafe.

The city of Evold was reached on Windsday the 3rd of Melad, 1031 CE.  At the gates they were met by Irial, a representative of Wizard’s Peak.  Irial was also the caretaker of a converted farmhouse that is a safe house for members of the magician’s guild.  Jolrael’s new association with Wizard’s Peak was already providing benefits to the party, as they could all use this farmhouse as a base of operation while they worked within the region.  Though the safe house was north of Evold, it was well concealed by trail covering spells of astounding crafting.  Irial, Irial’s son, Irial’s apprentice (ground keeper), and two farm hands reside at the hidden farm, but they made it clear that they were not servants for the party to order about.

Leiya asked the party to set out after only one night of rest, rather than give in to her companions urges to rest for several days.

Highlights of Episode Twenty One
Erath, Melad 4th, Midweek – Melad 5th Firesday CY1031

In the Morning, Irial’s wife came home and cooked a hearty breakfast for all at the farmstead, using the finer foodstuff reserved for Wizard’s Peak representatives.  As the party partook they discussed whether Hubert was ready to settle upon a weapon of choice.  Irial brought the lad a quarterstaff, which was a weapon that Hubert could use to train with until he was actually ready to choose arms to represent his personal style.

When they did reach Elvold, Leiya and Jolrael tried to catch news of the road ahead.  Enkili dropped by a hashish den and treated himself to a few hours of permagrin.  After half an hour they attempted to get on the road again, but were caught in a downpour.  The rain did not let up when they made camp, but the party had troubles building a fire.  Jolrael used magic to apply fire to their wood, but the rain just drowned any flame applied; thus the party slept cold while keeping watch.

Near morning the weather broke up into a cloudy day, but Jolly’s druidcraft had shown them that a bright sunny day was in their future.  While stowing their gear they heard galloping hooves coming their way.  A fearful riding horse, with no rider, attempted to dash by them on the road, but Riardon was fast enough to intercept and calm the beast.  On the saddle were the signs of blood and widespread claw marks that Leiya identified as bird claws.  Tying the horse to their wagon they stalked down the road trying to find the rider.  A mile down the road they found the attack sight, where they found feathers and fur of a singular coloration, and tracks that were discovered held both bird talons and monstrously large animal paws.  The animal had broke through the brush on one side of the road and had carried the rider off, breaking through the brush on the other side of the road.

Only Riardon set up protest at the idea of following the tracks to recover the rider, dead or alive.

Highlights of Episode Twenty Two
Erath, Melad 5th Firesday - 6thFellsday -  CY1031

TPK!  Just kidding. 

Jolrael, and Leiya wanted to ignore the bloody side trail, claiming that delivering the relic was more important.  Riardon just didn’t want to go monster hunting, Which left Enkili to argue for the lives of those who would use the road after them; Hubert abstained from voting because he was not a full fledged member of the group.  The compromise they came too was to have a few members follow the trail for a short time, while the rest of the group stayed back to protect Hubert, the Mules, horse, and the wagon.

Enkili and Riardon found a clearing that had a gravel slope at the far end.  At the bottom of the slope was a cave entrance and a bloody boot, it was evident that something lived inside the natural chamber.  Riardon slipped down and recovered the boot and a tuft of animal hair.  Bringing this information back did not sway Leiya, Jolrael, nor Riardon into hunting the murderous beast down.  Enkili resorted to guilt tripping the party even as they rode on, outvoted though he was.  That night while training Hubert (after setting camp just off the muddy road), Enkili showed the teen the steps and weapon flourishes that could be found in the Elven script for the word "Craven", a little jab that no one noticed. 

Taking the first watch, Leiya and Hubert sat around the fire making sure the mists and increasing drizzles did not drown the fire.  The priestess drew out some more of Hubert's background, learning that the kid had been an urchin until hired by the despicable Lady Adelade.  While in her employ, Hubert had often been switched for being "slow" or for his stutter.  She pointed out to the lad that his speech impediment had been in a decline in the time he had taken up with the party.  Enkili had second watch, which he kept alone, the drizzle increased into a light persistent rain, he chose a wandering watch that allowed him to check the wagon, animals, and tents between stoking the fire.

On Riardon’s watch, the clever rogue noticed a few small humanoid shaped creatures scuttling around in the darkness.  He fed the fire then attempted to investigate who or what they were.  Short hairy bug like creatures with pincer hands, and nippers rushed him.  One of them stepped into a shadow outside of the firelight and reappeared in the shadows of the end tent where Jolly and Hubert slept.  As Riardon was engaged by two of these fay bug men, he thought that his friends would sleep through the fray, his penchant for stealth made him forget to call out initially.  When he did speak up, Hubert, Leiya, and Enkili woke.  As the fighting man scrambled for his sword, the priestess used magic to make the fire flare up to shed more light.  Hubert grabbed his dagger then shook the sorcerer awake.  Though he jumped adroitly to his feet, Enkili had to push himself physically (action surge) to close with the teleporting bug man.

Noticing how the creatures shied from the light, Leiya thought to protect the animals by casting her light cantrip upon the mule closest to the fight.  Jolrael rolled out of his tent and began to hurl spells at every creature he didn't recognize; meanwhile Hubert remembered he now owned a quarter staff, then he followed the sorcerer into the light rain and chaos.  Hubert noticed a third meenlock teleport through shadows to the far side of the tent he had shared with Jolrael, calling attention to the creature the bow beset it with his stout stick.

Meanwhile the Riardon, Enkili, and Leiya had to deal with the meenlock's trying to sow magical or psychic fear in them, and Enkili learned that the creatures claw strikes could cause paralysis.  After fighting through the meenlock's bedeviling abilities the party finally beat the creatures down enough that some of them succumbed to magical and physical wounds.  At this point the fay bug creatures were forced to flee.  Caught up in his own martial prowess, Enkili plowed into the brush and chased one fleeing meenlock down.  Through a bit of divine magic from Leiya, when the meenlock clawed the fighter a holy light struck the creature down.  Enkili thought he had developed new magical powers and had to have Leiya's spell explained to him.

As they calmed the mules and horse down and cast more light spells around their camp, Hubert (who seems to know quite a bit of local creature lore) gave the meenlock name to the party, explaining that the creatures were unseelie creatures from the feywild.  After making sure no further assault was forthcoming the party tried to bed down again, but they all heard the sodden clopping of hooves in the night.  A muffled rider entered the bright lights Jolrael and Leiya had surrounded the camp with.  Enigmatically the stranger asked them:

“A bit zealous with the lighting, yes?”  All they could tell from the stranger was that the voice was young and masculine….

Highlights of Episode Twenty Three
Erath, Melad 6thFellsday – Melad 10th, Watersday CY1031

Reluctant to share information about himself, the stranger inquired after road conditions he would have to face. The party warned him of the beast attacking riders behind them, then offered him shelter from the rain. After a struggle with himself the man chose to ride on.

Setting off the next morning, the party felt ragged and out of it from lack of slumber. Soon they passed a coach house (inn) whose inhabitants and guests were angry and sour from a robbery of the night before. Since no one thought to ask the party if they had seen anyone, they just rode by chuckling too themselves. An hour later the group had to maneuver around a band of seven brown robed men marching on bare feet in the same direction they were traveling.

Leiya called out a blessing upon the monk like fellows and caused one of them to stumble and cut his toe. They ignored her other than that, chanting some dolorous marching tune. That night the weather turned from a drizzle to a downpour, and realizing that if they pushed a little they would find another coach house, the wanderers took refuge. Due to a massive Silver tree growing nearby, the inn was named Lonesome Tree. Drunk soldiers and the tales of a fellow traveler did not keep the group from sleep, and they all woke refreshed… and dry.

In the morning Riardon thought he would purchase a map of the local area. When he discovered the 50 gp price on the parchment, he instead chose to draw a crude map from his memory of glancing at the real thing. Here the party warned the inn keeper of the beast preying upon travelers behind them. After a great breakfast, the adventurers hit the road again. After four hours they passed the same group of 7 monks they had passed the night before. Gauging from the mendicants position, Leiya and Riardon figured out that the men had marched all night long with no rest. They were chanting the same marching song with the same fixed expressions, still in their wet and muddy robes. Only the man with the injured toe glanced at Leiya as she called a benediction down upon them.

A merchant train of ten wagons forced the party to pull off road and laboriously trudge through the sodden roadside to pass the train by. This cost both parties a half an hour travel time. That evening, Jolrael cast his druidcraft spell and learned that rain would return that night. Pushing on they found the next coach house to pass the evening by in. The Fearless Raven had similar costs for lodging and food, but the group judged the fare was better than at the last inn.

Unsurprising, they passed the 7 robed men again; Leiyas well wishes did not evoke a response in any of them this time. Another forecast of rain forced the party to stop over at The Four Stags, a rougher road house than they had grown accustomed to staying at. The other customers and inn keeper were such a rough and ragged lot that the party made plans to keep a watch that night.

Before they could take to their beds to implement their plan, a ragged man burst through the door, staggered over to a table in the middle of the room, then collapsed. Enkili rushed for the door to head off any following trouble, while Leiya ran over to the man. The man husked out “Ulfang the Black” then died. The priestess tried to stave off the grim reaper using her magic, but to no avail. The inn keeper asked her if the body was hers, which was a question her life experience had not prepared her for. Enkili and Riardon, who had seen many darker things knew what the greedy men meant; Riardon thought quickly and claimed the body as his.

As the patrons and inn keeper began to bid over who would get to loot the dead man, Leiya discovered an iron key on the body. Though not secretive by nature she still managed to slip the key into her own pocket without being spotted by any person in the room, not even Riardon who noticed most deeds others thought smooth and hidden. Meanwhile Riardon sold looting rights to another customer for 1 gp, a price that would be hard to recoup from the state of the dead man’s accoutrements… well except for the boots of course. Taking the boots and the man’s purse, the high bidder carried the body outside, where there was a decent sized graveyard.

Following her instincts, Leiya followed the man out and questioned him as he dug the grave. She learned that Joun (the dead man) had been treasure hunting at the ruins of some old tower that had belonged to a wizard or cultist named “Ulfang the Black”; she delivered the last rights to Joun after he was planted.

While hitching the mules up to the wagon in the morning, the only time the party did not have witnesses about, Leiya told of her deed and investigation. They agreed that they would add the Tower of Ulfang the Black to their list of things to do on the way back from delivering the holy relic.

Passing the monks again, the party was shocked to see only six chanting men were left. The man with the bad toe was no longer with them. More assiduously than before, the marching men ignored being passed by a curious Priestess of Melosa (Melwen), and the macabre speculations of Enkili who bestowed cannibalistic tendencies upon them. Heavy rain hit before the night fell, but the party pushed on for a few hours into the night until they reached the outskirts of Anstarre; a walled city approached by a long bridge, whose gates were already closed. In the village like sprawl before the city’s bridge, they found the Dragon’s Flagon inn, inside weapons of all sorts dangled over the hearth….