Troubled Waters

Face Down in the Mud

The party hear that the powerful Ingilli clan of Pavis are recruiting for guards to guard one of their trading boats down to Corflu. An easy job; a leisurely week cruise down to Corflu & two weeks back. For this easy task the clan will pay 50L on joining the boat and 50L on the return of the boat. The party were very keen on getting such an easy lucrative job and presented themselves to the Ingilli chamberlain who interviewed them. The even more pleased that the Ingilli would also teach them swimming whilst they waited for the boat’s goods to arrive over the next few days. This was mostly to guarantee the baboon was relatively louse free.

Once the goods arrived and were loaded on to the boat the party boarded the boat, were paid their initial payment and settled down to an easy week. The first two days were as predicted and involved mostly keeping an eye out for river pirates whilst avoiding getting in the way of the sailors who were actually working.

 Day three started as the previous two days - with less to observe - as the boat approach the Border of Pavis County when mid-morning suddenly the river surface exploded and the river bottom rose above their heads blotting out the sun. Next thing the party were drowning in gelatinous goo with the boat no longer beneath their feet. 

They struggled… 

Then suddenly they were no longer present, for a timeless moment they were nowhere. 

All they felt was a sense of peaceful cool green depths….

Corflu

The party started to wake up and as they did so their senses were assaulted by the smell of rotting vegetable matter and mud. As they did so they also realised that someone was tugging at their equipment. Nagura & Raki woke up first struggled to their feet/paws to discover that:

•          The survivors of the boat sinking were being looted by a troupe of Baboons

•          They were on the banks of the river.

As the waking party got up and objected to being looted the baboons backed off and their leader, a shaman named Chuff, asked in faltering tradetalk what was going on and apologising for the looting as they thought the party was dead. After some discussion and surrender of a dagger by Hugene the Baboons gave rough directors to the nearest town, Corflu! It was clear to the party that somehow, they had ended a 100km further south. The party then noticed that they all had some stigmata in the shape of the following:

Water
Movement
Harmony

Deciding the only course of action was to follow the river downstream to Corflu they set off. Other than a very large dinosaur the party saw nothing. Later that day they saw two fishermen in a coracle who they hailed. The fishermen, called Sarky & Dagis, seemed friendly enough and rowed over to meet with the party. As the party explained their position the fishermen noticed the stigmata and were very interested in them. They volunteered to go to Corflu to get a larger boat to transport the party to Corflu in disguise.

Once the party got to Corflu they were hidden with the fishermen families whilst the awaited to see Reverent Sa’ar, a newtling priest of Zola Fel. The following day around midday the Reverant Sa’ar appeared and expressed concern about the party promising to find them a boat that could take them back to Pavis. After the Party shows him the Stigmata he settles back on his haunches and stares into space. The party noticed that the locals all settle down and make themselves comfortable realising that this may take some time the party did likewise. After more than a few minutes Sa’ar came alive again and spoke his true dreaming where he explained that:

• That the runes of Movement and Water were the runes of the river god Zola Fel but the Harmony rune was the rune of the Cleansed One Hero of Zola Fel

• The markings were divine enchantments and true magics.

He, however, did not know what the enchantments did or what path the party should take. For that he would go and pray at the temple to obtain divine wisdom. If the party came to the evening worship he would be able to tell them more then. Finally, he advised the party not to go out in the town unless in disguise.

Except for Brak the party decided to stay in the river folk’s hut for the rest of the day. Between the party speaking to the river folk and Brak snooping around they discovered the following:

• There were rumours of a Gorp plague circulating with boats going missing.

• Several rumours about the Lunars including:

◦ they were employing newlings to dredge channels.

◦ Boat loads of wool blankets being imported to a tropical environment

• The only ship in port was Esrolian

• Lunars are posh thieving B****rds but some are ok.

• Esrolians are s**m, unfit seamen with the manners and morals of goats

The party also got paid by the trade alliance for the dispatches delivered.

In the evening, the party headed for the temple which was on semi submerged on the edge of the island and at dusk, after a long ceremony, Sa’ar reveals the following:

• The Stigmata bears matrix enchantments for the battle magic spell River Eyes and the rune spell Breath Air/water.

• The River Eyes spell may be used without restriction however the Breath Air/Water spell was a one use that had to be recharged at a temple.

• Sa’ar has interpreted his true dreaming as a requirement for him to recharge the first use of the spell (which he promptly does)

• The duration of the stigmata’s spell is a mystery but appears to be dependent on the Party’s future actions.

• Sa’ar recommended that the Party visit the Pool of Kinope, a Zola Fel shrine in the New Bog of Sun Country, revered by the Cleansed One sub cult to confer with the priest there.

Sa’ar then said:

“I have thought long about your marks and about the River Voices. I clearly see that gorp are a threat to the purity of the river and that your help may be wanted in protecting its waters from the taint of chaos”.

After another period of extended worshiping the service draws to a close and Sa’ar asks the party for a favour. Many of the newtlings employed by the Lunars have been attacked and killed by mud sharks but the Lunars do nothing so he asks them to lead a mud shark hunt to remove the threat. Happily, for Sa’ar the party agrees and within a couple of hours the party find themselves being deposited on a mud island where the den to the mudshark is.

Entering the den the Party soon discover the usefulness of their new spells and more relevantly find 4 mudsharks. After a stiff fight, the party emerged triumphant and proceeded to search for treasure. Unfortunately, they rapidly discovered that a mudshark’s motivation did not involve treasure. Fortunately, they did discover buried globe 70cm in diameter which glowed with a magical bright light. Peculiarly it also floated above the ground at a set height. Finally, it had, at its bottom, an eyelet for a rope or hook. On the way, back the Party investigated the Lunar excavations and discovered the remains of a large Statue with a one eyed head that looked the same a the watchdog of Corflu. The Party returned to great celebration.

The locals insisted on throwing a feast for the hero’s which was, in the Newtling style:

• long

• involved lots of fish

• gift giving (again mostly fish)

• lots of speeches

as the feast started to wind down Sa’ar approached the party to say that he had arranged for a boat to take the party back to Pavis. In addition:

• he stated that he had sent messengers ahead to tell the river folk of your coming asking them to provide hospitality.

• He gave the party everything he had on Gorps and a one-use resurrection spell matrix with instructions to drop it off at the temple in New Pavis.

Against the Current

Day one of the party’s journey consisted of a uneventful journey up to the village of Lokazzi. The party spent most of the day recounting their stories to excitable locals.

On Day two; after leaving the village the party encountered a boy Greyreed and his friend Moonsilver, an otter, who asked for their help as a gorp had invaded the otter’s den. The party agreed to help and what followed was a comical 
encounter where certain party members got stuck in the entrance to the den due to their size. Eventually a couple of smaller party members managed to get in and dispatch the gorp.

Day 3 was a quiet if slow affair as the winds turned against the boat and a lot of rowing was in order. Eventually the party camped near the Five Eyes Temple where they were questioned by locals about their adventures.

Day 4 started off well but by late morning the party saw a rising smoke plume followed by others. Granddad explained that these were distress signals and party decided to investigate.

Eventually, after a few hours slog, the party encountered the homestead where the first plume occurred. At the stead they found a woman, Shayla Gubrana, with two young children who explains that her two older children were snatched from the fields by a band of Broo and her husband and brother set off in pursuit. She feared for their safety so begged  the party to follow. Needless to say, the heroes of the river agreed to do so. The party set off in hot pursuit and found the tracks of the broo easy to follow. Near sunset the party encountered the husband and the brother, one clearly dead but the other unconscious. After healing the husband, the party continued and after a few hundred yards came across the shredded body of the boy. 

Continuing, the party came to a cliff with caves in it and a single path leading up to them.  Eniverinus decided to march bravely up only to be bombarded by sling shot at which point the party entered battle with a nasty look bunch of rat broo and dog broo. After a short but bloody encounter, the party overcome the broo emerging triumphant.The party investigated the first of a series of caves near the top of the cliffs. In there they found a bound up High Llama tribesman who was conscious as well as in reasonable condition as he seemed to be recently captured and the Broo had not turned their attentions to him yet. On release, he introduced himself to the party as Smoke Signal and readily agreed to help the party.

As the newly enlarged party approached the next series of caves further along the ridge they were met by a group of three dog broo who attacked. Unfortunately, the ridge was only wide enough for two so Eniverinus and Nagura joined the combat with the others pondering their next moves. Soon after another monster appeared to help the Broo which Eniverinus recognised as a Cockatrice and shouted a warning. 
Unfortunately, no one else knowing what one of those was ignored him. Meanwhile Raki and Rangar decided to climb down the cliff and climb back up further along to flank the Broo. 

Raki managed to manoeuvre successfully but Rangar fell damaging himself badly. The Cockatrice took off and started to bombard the party with rocks so Hugene responded with arrows and eventually managed to down the beast. Meanwhile the party were dismayed to see that a toad broo had joined the fight to back up the foundering dog broos. This new Broo turned out to be particularly difficult but the party eventually succeeded with a lot of blood lost but with no fatalities.

The party then investigated the remaining cave to discover the kidnapped girl who needed medical assistance. After carefully looting the corpses they rush back to the homestead where they were met by a troupe of Lunar Mercenaries who escorted them to Raus Fort where they were healed, watered and fed. Eventually they gained an audience with the Duke. He was clearly pleased with their exploits as the party were rewarded with 50L each and an employment offer.