Episode 8
Episode 8: “The Time Between”
Previous: “Seeds”
Next: “Wind and Snow”
These instructions do not assign numbers or specifics to the troops at my disposal. If that becomes important, give me more details on the available resources and I will make the appropriate decisions.
1. General Jogaila Gediminas will assign officers. He will make sure his men know that his companions should be shown respect, but that they do not issue valid orders to the soldiers. Officers: Captain Ivar Kordalines (Archers)
2. Knowing that the Harbingers have a capricious and vengeful god, Jogaila will begin strengthening the defenses of Freeport and make sure the populace is ready for an attack. Food and supplies will be gathered, and evacuation plans made to bring in those who live outside the walls.
3. A force will be left behind to garrison Freeport. City must be strong, so any who can not march, but can fight should stay behind to protect them, and will rank it to a number no less of 4000
4. Another force will take ships to Kanko Torus and offer to evacuate the dwarves to Freeport. The dwarves will be offered accommodation in Freeport and given an opportunity to rebuild their lives. 600 will be sent, with three galleons, lead by Captain Argus Timoreles
This force will not stay and defend the city if the dwarves refuse to leave. However, if the city is under attack when the ships arrive, it is up to the commander to judge whether an evacuation is still possible; this is not a suicide mission.
Also, Connor will provide a list of supplies he may need from Kanko Torus. If at all possible, these will be procured and returned to Freeport. On the return trip, the ships will stop at the towns along the coast and urge them to either bolster and organize their defenses against future Harbinger assaults, or to evacuate to Freeport if their populace was decimated in the fighting.
5. Finally, an expedition containing Jogaila, Watseka, and Connor will journey to the Ice Giants and attempt to thwart the Harbinger plans. There may be side trips to locations of interest to Connor after the primary mission has been completed. 200 Troops are going with Jogaila and the group
6. I want to put together a team to look for Oomingmak, to explain what has happened, and try to normalize relations. Connor suggests that someone with experience trading leads this expedition.
Jogaila Gediminas Commanding General of the Tuusst
Senator Miganwe grants General Gediminas ceremonial armor of the Tornagh Senate. He also begins to train him in the etiquette and procedures of the ruling body. Breastplate +2, Endure Cold. For Country, For Honor, For Truth is etched into the breastplate.
Connor and Watseka discuss her new abilities, including hearing the prayers of the Tuusst, and her increased magical abilities.
Connor wants to visit Kanko Torus to collect books, artifacts, gems, and try to convince the Gearlords and Ching Lan to return to Freeport. Connor takes the demon headed sword and goblin headed staff, and Langdurin’s personal affects.
- Demon Headed Sword: Hateblades, created for the Knights of Ortar: dumped into the sea
- Goblin Headed Staff: Quarterstaff +2 Defender, Goblin Head not included
- Platinum and Gold Braided Ring: etched with ‘Forever Gellor’: Ring of Wizardry 1st level.
- Potion of Bull’s Strength
Arriving in Darmouth, Connor takes half the troops, heads to Kanko Torus and finds Ching Lan under house arrest at Gorgus Stonespell’s home. Connor then speaks to Ching Lan about their adventures, and asks for the star sapphire. She tells him that the only one she has is upon her family crest amulet, and if she gives it to him, she will no longer be Empress. She offers the amulet in exchange for a promise to help her free her people from Harbinger control, just as Jogaila freed his.
100 Kanko and 40 Shen decide to evacuate and travel back to Freeport.
Ching Lan, Gorgus, and Connor travel to the north to find the chests that were buried, encountering snow goblins, and discovering that the two battalions have changed direction and are now traveling to the north west – towards the Tornagh Dynasty.
Thrush vanishes to the Plane of Shadow and appears outside the Castle of Hate – where he takes the body of Ortar, dissects and destroys it, and smashes the throne, announcing that the God reaped what he has sown. The last shred of Ortar’s spirit enters Thrush’s body, and he begins to fall back to Marai.
What are the seeds? At the time, you honestly would not have known, as they are something created specifically by Djiri, with the knowledge passed onto his priests. Over the course of the next four months, using information you already have, that they are “Seeds of Discontent” – basically each seed is grown with the warping of a particular trait of each race. For the Kanko, the seed played on their love of metal and clockwork, and turned them into the very metal they are. For the Tuusst, it was their love of freedom – making them so free, they no longer felt the need to care about anything else but their own hedonistic desires. You’re uncertain as to what triggers each of them, or how the process continues, but at this stage – they appear to simply inhabit the tortured souls of a particular race. They will soon die out, as whatever the next stage in their creation will not be completed, and no information can be found as to the process – at least not here.
Oh! The Tulari! Okay… in ancient times, before divine magic and clerics who would work their will, the Gods would often send an agent in their stead. These agents, known as Angels, would visit upon the followers an appropriate action to show the deity’s approval or lack thereof. Once again, Ortar was displeased with the singular Angel, saying that they would always skew their actions towards the philosophy of Sol Linaru, regardless of who sent the messenger. Sol Linaru conceded the point and created two Angels that, he felt, would symbolize the most common uses of the Angels. The first were the Angels of Mercy, which he named Ilgar. The second were Angels of Retribution, which he named Malfiri. Once again, Ortar scoffed at the limited scope of the new Angels, and twisted a few of them to serve his favorite past time, and so the Angels of Destruction, known as Tulari, were born. Kol, however became disturbed at the creation of the three Angels, saying that visions of a War of Angels was imminent unless appropriate measures were taken. Sol Linaru and Ortar accepted Kol’s compromise, as she made the three races beholden to no God – completely neutral – only to perform actions specific to a request.
Through the years, the use of the Angels became rarer as Clerics and Priests took on the role of speaking for the Gods. Instead, only the most pious or most blasphemous ever really received a visit from the Angels, and eventually, they disappeared from Marai completely, slipping into legend and song…
Regarding Watseka and Niala:
As they enter the temple to Valera, they find that several Brides have committed suicide. In the corner, a maddened priestess sits, her eyes gouged by her own hands. She says she recognizes Watseka and tells of a woman named Miala, who was not pregnant three days before, but who was in labor on the last day of the Long Dark. She says Watseka is a curse, the end, and moves to attack her. Niala smashes a statue into the head of the insane woman, killing her, and states she believes the Goddess Valera to be dead.
One month has passed, and the four meet again to discuss their adventures. As they discuss the issues: Niala’s passage home, Ching Lan’s sacrifice for the star sapphire, Tornagh Dynasty factions. They instead decide to use a small force, rather than an army. They invite the bandit barbarian, Skal and eight of his men to join them to the north.
The date is 8th Ilsiandi 444 NC