The Weight of Doom

From Lexicanum

The Menii Fair

By various means the party found themselves in the town of Menii on the Island of the Purple Towns. 

Valen, being a local was just enjoying the buzz of the weekly fair, while Trent and Engard newly arrived in town, wandered somewhat aimlessly through the throng. Shantar was having little luck selling bits of melded wood and metal he was trying to convince people were sculptures - perhaps because he had been sleeping under a bridge for the last few days!

Eventually they found themselves drawn by a voice calling “Balance your troubles on the Golden Scales” They followed the voice to where a heavily moustachioed man - Farginn Morb -  paced in front of a wagon. The side of the wagon was down, revealing a large set of golden scales. As they watched for a while, for the small price of a single bronze, he accurately measured and weighed things for various merchants and fair patrons and also offered the opportunity for people to weigh themselves on the balance.

The  members of the party found themselves strangely  drawn by his patter and one by one offered themselves up to be weighed. As each of them got on the scales for a moment the scales seemed to balance miraculously then suddenly pitch violently up and down. Fortunately, with the exception of Shantar, they managed to avoid being pitched off into the mud.

As Morb helped each of them off the scales (or up out of the mud in Shantar’s case)he whispered to them to meet him at his campsite in the Potter’s Field after dusk and he would tell them the truth of the scale’s reading.

Intrigued by this, they each made their way to the Potter’s field after dusk as instructed. Mob met them heartily offering each of them food and drink, he bade each of them to introduce themselves to each other before going on to explain the Balance had said the four  to be companions for a time. He told them his true name was Farginn Brass, and related to them the tale of the eternal war between Law and Chaos, that he came from the city of Tanelorn, and that each of them had the capacity to achieve that fabled destination.

After dinner the four pondered his words as they made their way back to the town along the mist-shrouded road. Suddenly  a figure in black armour stepped out of the woods and accosted them saying that “Brass has contaminated one of you, and I Sterrin of Chaos, am your doom!”

The Threat of Chaos, The Certainty of Law

Meanwhile, out in the forest, Sven  had got lost in the forest as the fog had risen up on his way to the Potter's Field. Suddenly through the fog he heard the sounds of metal clashing on metal. He unhesitatingly made his way towards the sound of battle. As he stepped out onto the road he could see a menacing figure in black armour fighting a group of people. The figure in black armour swung a sword that glowed with sickly green runes. Four other men clad in black stepped out of the mist to join the fray, and he drew his sword.

Shantar –seeing two of the black-clad men coming toward him with vicious looking curved daggers -ducked into a nearby hedgerow, frantically trying to persuade them not to stab him! Engard meanwhile dived for cover an unlimbered his bow and began firing at one of the black figures threatening Shantar.
Trent and Valen stood toe-to-toe with Sterrin  trading blows, however it was un unequal combat and in short order Trent was down bleeding heavily from wounds to his arm and leg. As Trent went down, Sterrin stepped back calling out “Hold!” to one of his men who was about to attempt to gut Shantar. As both parties stood down, Sven joined them.

Sterrin congratulated them on their courage and then advised that Lord Arioch would be satisfied with the amount of blood spilled, and offered to heal one of Trent’s wounds. This he did by drawing his dagger and drawing it across the wound, which drew itself together as if by invisible stitches  and formed a puckered and unpleasant looking scar that seeped  black ichors constantly. Sterrin then saluted them and disappeared into the fog with his men.
After Sven introduced himself they decided to head back to the Potters Field to see if Brass could make sense of what had occurred. As they arrived in the field they found the wagon – and Brass – was gone!

They barely had time to ponder what this meant when they were suddenly surrounded by white-cloaked troops – Templars from the Temple of Donblas. Their leader a woman clad in white armour, interrogated them about Sterrin. After listening to their tale, she commended them on facing him, though chastised them for being imperfect enough to allow him to escape. She suggested that they return to town, and their lodgings – except for Trent who would be escorted back to the Temple for “purification”.

Trent spent an unpleasant night being purified which consisted of copious amounts of incense, incessant chanting and generous amounts of scourging! As dawn broke however the Templars turned him loose to join his friends at the inn – The Strong Arms.  Shantar had chosen to return to his familiar pitch with the other beggars under the bridge, and joined them later after his customary dip in the river.

That afternoon, as they sat in the inn drinking and pondering the events of the last twenty-four hours they were approached by a messenger who told them that they had been recommended to a local merchant Dobbas, and if they were interested in employment to meet him at his villa at nine the following morning.

Always willing to earn a quick bronze they met the merchant and accepted a contract to fetch a statue for him from the town of Karris in the north. After commissioning a map of how to get there from a local scribe and buying sundry supplies, they set out a couple of days later.

Their first day’s travel north was uneventful, but as they set up camp as the sun set, they heard the ominous howling of wolves!

The Grasslands

As Sven recognised the distinctive howl of dusk-wolves, the party took up a defensive circle around their campfire. Suddenly, sweeping out of the long grass, the pack attacked. Shantar was badly injured as they fought off the hungry wolves, but eventually the party triumphed. Feeling that the bodies of the slain wolves might attract further predators, at Valen’s suggestion, half a mile north and settled down to sleep. Next morning, after realising that only Engard had brought supplies for the journey they were about to set off of their trek when Trent suddenly suggested that they should perhaps ride their horses rather than walking them behind them! Intrigued by this novel idea they mounted up and rode northwards.
 
They made good time over the next few days, managing to hunt for rabbits and once an antelope to supplement their lack of rations. The journey was uneventful, save for a curious meeting with a group of lost fishermen wandering the grasslands, apparently having mislaid the sea! Four days later they rode into Kariss, a pleasant and wealthy looking city. Shantar managed to secure directions to Fiorgan’s villa and in short order they were meeting with the merchant.

Although somewhat reluctant at first, Fiorgan eventually hands over the exquisitely carved, statuette of a Melnibonean warrior. Taking leave of the merchant, the party decided not to tarry in town, but to head straight back southwards. There was spirited debate about whether they should put the statue in the box provided by Dobbas or not, but eventually over Valens's strong objections,  a stone was placed in the box and the statue hidden in Sven’s saddlebags wrapped in his tent.
 
The journey south was uneventful save on one day being passed by one of the Sea Lords and his entourage on the road and another encounter with the hopelessly lost fishermen! On the final day before they were due to arrive back in Menii however, disaster struck. As they settled down to camp that night and Sven went to unpack his gear, he noticed with horror that the statue had vanished from his saddlebags!

To Kariss Again, and Again

After searching the campsite thoroughly and finding no trace of the statue, and no trace next morning when they back-tracked themselves, the partly hotly debated what to do. Engard was keen to head back to Menaii and report back to Dobbas, but the others eventually persuaded him to return to Kariss and attempt to find the statue. They arrived in the peaceful city in the evening three days later after an uneventful trip. Trent, Sven and Shantar ensconced themselves in a local inn – The Moon Under The Water, while Engard and Valen headed off tot he merchant’s quarter to check out Fiorgan’s villa.
 
They could see there was light on in the front of the house, and headed round to the back where there was a walled garden accessible from an alleyway that ran behind the houses in the street. They returned to the inn and quickly hatched a plan – rather than confront the merchant, they would break into his house and steal the statue back. Fortunately, and aided by Trent’s lock-picking skills, and despite their somewhat inept attempts at sneaking they managed to pull the heist off. Next morning, the statue safely secured in the box provided by Dobbas, they headed southward once more.
 
Their trip south was by no means as uneventful as their previous attempt. That night, they were attacked by a demon, appearing as a thick, black sludge through which feet and hands and eyes and mouths  occasionally could be seen, . Fortunately they managed to drive the demon off, but the demon was relentless pursuing them and attacking each night as they camped – on once occasion very nearly slaying Valen. On the morning of the fourth day as they started to pack up the camp, Shantar noticed that the box in which the statue had been laid was conspicuously light. Fearing the worst they returned to Menaii and the merchant Dobbas.
 
Dobbas was delighted to see them, and eager to inspect his prize, however their worst fears were confirmed when he opened the box and it was empty! Fortunately the merchant accepted their word that they had placed the statue in the box and suggested that Fiorgan must be using sorcery or demon! He ordered them back to Kariss to secure the statue by any means necessary, advancing another 100 bronze to cover expenses. He also told them that if they needed assistance in dealing with sorcery they should contact the Lady Rydychei in the Street of Jewellers.
 
Returning to Kariss without incident they decided to beard the merchant in his den immediately, and arriving at the villa, Shantar began banging on  the door. There was no answer, but Valen suddenly heard an obscene wailing coming from within, a sound that seemed to combine guttural, phlegmy coughs and high-pitched screams. Shantar immediately leaped into action, crashing through the drawing-room window and opening the front door from within. Following the obscene wailing they crashed through another door to an horrific sight.
 
A glowing brazier was the sole light in this windowless room, Fiorgan knelt beside  an octagon of chaos inscribed in the floor, holding a squirming screaming infant. Within the octagon, a thick black liquid flowed like greasy smoke  around the hideous form of the demon that had plagued their journey southward. Fiorgan dropped the infant and leaped to his feet drawing a shortsword and clutching at a brooch at his chest.As battle was joined Valen, Trask and Engard took on the demon. Their combined assault quickly vanquished it allowing Shantar to confront Fiorgan.
 
Having disposed of the demon, thee others moved to help Shantar, but before they could another demon manifested, this one a rippling blubbery mound of fat and claws topped by a smooth head with red piggy eyes that slipped around the cranium and though floating on a pile of slippery lard. A ferocious battle ensued, but the party were ultimately triumphant, slaying both the feckless merchant and his demon ally. In typical fashion, the city watch arrived just as everything quietened down.
 
They handed the rescued infant over and were informed they would receive a small reward for exposing a sorcerer in the town. They were allowed to take the statue from the house as they still had the signed contact from Fiorgan, and took it to Lady Rydychei, who confirmed that it had once held a bound demon, but as it’s summoner was now slain, the demon had been freed. Secure in the knowledge that the statue would not vanish again, they returned to Menaii and their reward from Dobbas.