Session 8 - Kohuru

I awoke famished the next morning and ate a massive breakfast. Malek joined me for the meal which was concluded by him combing wine through is beard and tucking fish under his arms for later. I made my way over to Tagi's armory and inquired after some sort of bracer with a blade attached. They said they could fashion one, but with Sameel's group departing for Bar'tak Ken'tak, my project would be a lower priority.

Content with that, I wandered outside where I met Dabar's new friend, Shuma. He looks like an able enough lad, and it will be nice to have someone else for Dabar to talk to. We also ran into Nabal, who is exploring what could be Hulathi ruins to the West. He requested our aid when we were done helping Japeth, and he was kind enough to give us a blessing for our journey. Dabar wasn't impressed with him, but I liked the priest. I'm looking forward to spending more time with him.

Shuma then led us to a vendor where I could buy a mule. We briefly haggled on a price and settled on one that seemed fair. Just as our business was concluding, Malek offered to buy up the rest of them! The owner was just as shocked as I was, but he gathered his composure quickly enough to take Malek's gold and dance away, rejoicing at the windfall. Malek attempted to let the mules go free, but this was obviously a new concept for them.

I spent the rest of the day amused by Malek's attempts at releasing them and finished my evening back at Sameel's barracks. The afternoon rains had cleared, and as the stars slowly twinkled into existence, I was once again reminded of the skies over our enclave. The sky is the same, but the world seems a much larger place somehow out here on the plains.

~~~~~

The next morning, I saddled up the mule, swung by Tagi's (only to find the bracer wasn't finished yet), and we left Sentem behind. I can see the mountains rising up from the plains in the distance; it's looks like it's going to be a good day for traveling!

Session 7 - Kohuru

I found I had some time before dinner and far more money than I knew what to do with, so I wanted Sentem. Preparations for the festival was evident everywhere, as people were moving to and fro. It was in passing just such a group that the attention of my nose was captured by the heavenly smell of freshly baked bread. The aroma took me back to the enclave where we would bake sweetcakes together, and I had a brilliant idea: I would share those sweetcakes with the town of Sentem at this festival! I found the baker, a man named Har, and bought everything he would have sold and then some and commissioned him to make the Hulathi sweetcakes and distribute them freely during the festival. I left him and made my way to Sameel's house quite content with myself and eager to attend the festival and have that little taste of home.

Sameel's 'feast' was a spartan affair, and I think we were all too polite to eat much. The conversation quickly took a turn toward the inner conflict Sameel had between what he wanted to do, what his father would do, and what he thought would be best for the surrounding lands. He recounted a tale to us of the Fountains of Amena Woami and how it was a place where the three people had gathered: the Hann, the Hulathi, and the humans. Sameel has a vision for this land to return to such a time...a time where people can come and go in peace. I was deeply moved by his vision, and promised I would do what I can to aid him in that.

Shortly after our 'dinner' and conversation, Dubar requested that we be able to see Jepeth, for he might be able to better ascertain what is ailing him. Sameel consented, and we found ourselves in a darkened, warm room with a crazed, naked man hunched in the corner. What caught my attention though was that the windows were boarded up from the outside. Glyphs had been scratched on the walls, and one of them matched the scrap of map that we had previously found.

In asking Sameel about it, he said that the 'black-bound tree' had long been used by the takan. That phrase reminded me of some ancient murals back at the enclave. Painted images of armies rising up against my people carrying banners with the symbol of the Iron-Bound Tree emblazoned upon them. That phrase whispered from my lips and Jepeth reacted violently. He hovered in the air while I felt my very soul begin to leech from my body. We both collapsed at the same time - he looking haler, and I feeling quite weakened.

Our course of action is confirmed. We must drive out that which is embodying that poor man. Its evil was a force that drove my people into hiding, and I will not stand by and let it be unleashed again. We will spend tomorrow gathering our supplies, then we will head East to look for the last ingredient needed for this ritual of cleansing.

Session 3 - Kohuru

Now that the skirmish was over, we gathered the fallen and tended to the wounded. While Malak tried vainly to take their champion's weapon from the wagon, we became acquainted with those we rescued: Hagmet, Albier, Beriti, and Zakar. They had been foraging for supplies to sell to Jepeth. Zakar's wagon of herbs had been taken, but the others were still intact. I don't think Hagmet will end up with much profit for the fish they caught for she has a voracious appetite! And one matched by Malak who also seems to be fond of dried fish.


Before burning the beastmen, or more specifically ratakan now that I got a good look at them, Albier and Malak harvested their ears for the bounty while I went through the little bit of clothing they wore looking for anything of value. I managed to find 17 oddly-designed black gold pieces and some sort of map. No one in the group was able to make heads or tails of it, but perhaps someone in Densem might.

We agreed to journey with the survivors back to Densem, and the rest of the night passed uneventfully. We each took our turn at the watch: Malak and Cousin taking the first, Arina and myself the second, and Dabar and Toara the third. That arrangement seemed to work out well, and we may decide to make that our nightly rhythm. I know I slept better knowing I wouldn't likely be slain in my sleep.

~~~~~~~~

We arrived in Densem where Zakar, who had been quite impressed with Arina's administrations, introduced us to Sari-Avi. We explained why we were there and what we were looking for; she was grateful for our helping the caravan and freely answered our questions. When I showed her the map, she reacted strongly to the marking of the black tree - said that she thought the beastmen tribe had been long wiped out. (It turns out that Dabar is originally from Densem and they all thought he was dead too, so I don't know how much stock to put into her claim about the black tree tribe).

She couldn't tell us for certain where the few remaining ayal roam, but she gave us a direction to start. When we told her about the ayal's rebirth ritual, she turned hopeful for it provided an alternate interpretation of an old prophecy. If true, she seems to think we might be able to restore all the ayal - not just the one we slay. She also gave us a number of doses of layona and directions on where we could find layona trees if we wanted to take branches back to Arashad.

There's to be a funeral later this evening for those we weren't able to save, and while we waited for that, I asked around the village about the map as well as to find someone interested in the black gold I had found. No one could help me with the map, but a man named Gann was willing to buy the coins. I might have been able to get more elsewhere, but he seemed eager to acquire them, so if we find more, perhaps we could get a better rate.

I think the funeral is about to start.

Session 2 - Kohuru

My name is Kohuru. I am from the last tribe of the Hulathi where we have been keeping ourselves hidden for thousands of years….since the time of the Three Kingdoms. Rumor came to our enclave that a new generation was rising – a generation that knew little of the great Battle yet still strove against the forces of Chaos. That rumor drew me from our mountain fastness and to the Plains of Aeco.

I entered the village of Sentem and encountered several other Jackals – those offering their services to protect communities, slay beastmen, and do those harrowing tasks that other commoners won’t. This group of Jackals were comprised of two Luathi (one outspoken and the other reserved), a Trauj (with a pet wolf he kept calling Cousin), and a Hann of all things! After a brief dialog with the gatekeeper (who told us of the current bids available), we agreed to gather our forces and seek out a missing ingredient that the ruler of this village, Jepeth, needed for a final attempt to heal him.

On our way to Jepeth’s house, I took a closer look at my companions:

Dabar was the outspoken Luathi. Dressed in armor from helm to toe, he had a radiance of one touched by the Divine.

The other Luathi was Toara, a Loremaster. She was certainly more reserved than her clansman, but she seemed to be very astute, taking in the details of the people and buildings that we passed.

Melek was a beast of a man who constantly kept muttering and clucking his tongue at the wolf beside him.

And Arina was a Hann. She made an attempt to disguise herself with a hooded cloak, but with as tall as she was, it was all but apparent her origins.

Arriving at Jepeth’s, we met Arashad, his healer, and discussed the details of the two missing ingredients. She was quite kind and gave us as much information as she could on what she needed:

One ingredient was the heart of a rare green deer, the ayal. This animal has been hunted to nigh extinction by the beastmen who crave their flesh more than that of humans. Arashad supplied us with a ceremonial dagger and instructions on how to properly slay the creature while ensuring that it would reincarnate in the forest later in the year.

The other ingredient is a fragment of Asoa’s Stone – a piece of the Hannic Moon Road. This road only appears at certain times of the year, and there aren’t any known sections, so we’d have to seek them out at night.

We decided to go after the ayal’s heart first. Atash graciously gave us some Acacia Resin to aid us in our journey and requested that we also keep an eye out for lavona trees. Its resin has medicinal properties that she would appreciate having a supply of.

Leaving her place, we gathered our supplies and traveled along the road to the South East, headed toward Densem. We are hoping that we will find rumors of deer-sightings or evidence of their passing in the woods near there.

~~~~~~~~~

On our second day of travel, we crested a hill to find a caravan being attacked by a horde of beastmen! Torn between chasing down the single wagon being carried off or rescuing the men and women in the other three wagons, we threw ourselves into the fight near the three wagons.

This was our first time fighting together, and I think we have yet to find our rhythm, but the horde was driven off, and the wagons rescued. Despite our victory, we did not emerge unscathed. Two of those in the wagons were slain, and I must admit that I had over estimated my own prowess. Ashamedly, I was struck fiercely and lost consciousness.

Disoriented, I found myself standing before a wind blasted plateau. The light of the setting sun glowed like the red of a furnace behind me. The howling wind did nothing to mask the steady dripping noise of my blood slipping free of my mangled left hand to the black sand below.

Before me, slowly being freed from the rock face by the storm, is a block of blackest obsidian. The wind pulled at the earth, forcing it away to free what lay beneath. Slowly, more and more of the stone was revealed, the block was revealed to have raised sides on three of its sides. As length of the back was drawn forth by the wind, I finally saw it for what it was. A black throne. On the seat of the throne was a twisted crown of black iron, marked with runic inscriptions unfamiliar to me. In my mind, I heard a cold voice, cold with the chill of the grave, "You will take it, or you will kneel."

The searing pain of Acacia Resin, applied by Toara pulled me from that place. I looked around only to find that the skirmish was over.

Taking stock of my injuries, I was horrified to find that my left hand had been mangled beyond all use....just like in the vision. I don’t know if my injury was from the massive club the beastman was wielding or if it had stepped on my hand after striking me, but I am no longer whole. I will have to adjust to fighting with a single blade and hope to find a decent healer in Densem.