Session 15: Through Razlom’s Gate, and into the Unknown. The Blood-king.

Scene 1: Orian’s Dream

Orian drifted in and out of consciousness, his mind gripped by feverish dreams that left him pale and trembling. The others noticed his weakened state but were unaware of the true nature of his affliction. His eyes, once sharp and clear, now seemed distant, as though he were looking beyond the material world into some darker, more terrifying realm. The contents of these dreams remained a secret for the moment.  

Scene 2: Tonibore’s Exploration

Tonibore set out early in the morning, intent on scouting ahead and tracking the giant’s lair, now that he was no more. Although not certain he was the only of his kind, he trusted his instincts on the matter. The air was crisp, and a light dusting of snow from the previous night crunched beneath his boots as he navigated the rugged terrain. The sky was a dull gray, thick with the promise of more snow, and the silence of the wilderness was broken only by the occasional call of a distant bird or the rustle of wind through the trees.   The trail was faint, marked by only a few disturbed rocks and broken branches, and Tonibore’s tracking skills were put to the test. At first, he struggled, his instincts leading him in circles until he found himself back at the group’s previous campsite, where he could hear the others talking. Embarrassed but undeterred, he resolved to try again. This time, he successfully led the group, tracing the trail to an ominous hole in the side of a cliff, half-obscured by overhanging rocks and tangled vines.   The entrance to the cave loomed before them, a dark maw exuding the stench of death and decay.  

Scene 3: The Giant’s Lair

The group stood at the mouth of the cave, a frigid wind mingling with the odor that emanated from within. The remnants of the giant’s meals littered the floor—scattered bones, both human and animal, gnawed clean and left to rot.   In the center of the cave, partially buried under debris, were piles of coins that glittered dully in the dim light. A broken wagon lay near the entrance, its contents spilled out—barrels smashed, crates broken open. Among the wreckage, Tonibore spotted a single cask of whiskey, miraculously intact.   Desmond moved to the cask and pried it open, the rich scent of aged whiskey filling the air. He filled his wineskin and then turned to the others a moment later, a wide grin on his face. “This is good stuff,” he remarked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “We could make a decent profit off this in more civilized lands. Why not rebuild the wagon and take what we can with us?”   The suggestion resonated with the group. They agreed to rebuild the wagon and salvage what they could from the giant’s lair. Desmond gathered the scattered coins, as Tonibore didn’t have the patience for scraps—silver and gold from various origins, hinting at the giant’s victims being travelers or traders from distant lands—while the others began assessing the damage to the wagon.  

Scene 4: Rolandus and Danyar Encounter the Stag

Later that day, Rolandus went hunting and Danyar insisted on coming along. The two of them traveled a little ways into the scrub forest that surrounded the region Gorgrun had hunted. Their eyes scanning the forest for any signs of movement. Suddenly, Rolandus halted, spotting something through the trees. A massive stag, its coat a mix of silver and deep russet, its horns freakishly long, stepped into a clearing, lifting its proud head as its antlers caught the light of the setting sun. The stag was massive, a true king of the forest.   Danyar, sensing something about the creature, whispered urgently to Rolandus, “We mustn’t hurt him.”   But Rolandus, eyeing the stag as a potential source of food, raised his weapon. Danyar quickly revealed that he could communicate with animals, understanding them in a way that transcended normal speech.   He pleaded with Rolandus to spare the creature, but Rolandus was intent on his target. Attempting to intimidate the young boy, Rolandus pressed on, but Danyar shouted out to the stag in desperation. The great beast, startled, bounded away into the forest.   Realizing the boy’s distress, Rolandus reconsidered his actions. Apologizing to Danyar, he agreed to track the beast without harming it, intrigued by Danyar’s insistence that the stag was special. Together, they followed the stag’s trail, nearly losing it before Danyar wandered off in a different direction, stumbling upon the great stag once more. The creature stood still, watching the boy with a calm intensity.   As the wind rustled through the trees, the stag approached Danyar, nuzzling him gently before retreating into the shadows of the forest. Somewhat awestruck, Rolandus and Danyar made their way back to the group, the encounter leaving them both with a sense of wonder and unease.   [2]Scene 5: The Wagon Building Project That night, as the group gathered around the fire, Tashi turned to Zenscha with a story. “I’ve heard you talking about wanting to find others who do what you do—self-taught, like you. You’re quite the miracle, but even so, there’s value in hundreds of years of experience. I might be able to introduce you to one of the members of the Tor-Ormeni Guild if we ever make it to Sendiir.”   Tashi went on to speak of the guilds of Ormen and Ashenti, renowned for their alchemical knowledge and trade in rare artifacts. The Tor-Ormeni Guild was part of a lineage that traced back to the first Imari, the Children of the Stars, who came to Ormen and later built their kingdom in the desert. Zenscha listened intently, her thoughts turning to the possibilities such connections could bring.   The following days were spent repairing the wagon, with Tonibore and Zenscha leading the efforts. Tonibore’s traps began to yield more game, and Zenscha supplemented their rations with her foraging. By the end of the second day, the wagon was nearly functional.  

Scene 6: The Return of the Stag

At dawn on the third day, as the group worked on the final repairs to the wagon, Danyar spotted the stag again at the edge of the forest. The creature stood still, its gaze locked on the boy. Startled, Danyar called out to the others, but the stag did not flee. Instead, it seemed to communicate with Danyar in a way that only he could understand, offering to guide the group northward and even to pull the wagon.   Though unnerved by the stag’s presence, the group accepted its help, grateful for the assistance. As they worked, Rolandus asked Danyar what the stag’s name was. Danyar hesitated, then stammered, “He... He says he is known as Eldryth Heartseeker in Cryst-Nirithea. The Oblidan call him Oak-Father, but amongst his own kind, he is known only as the Blood-King.”   The words hung in the air, heavy with ominous implications. The stag, now pulling the rebuilt wagon, followed only Danyar’s instructions, its eyes never leaving the boy, as if guarding him.  

Scene 7: Journey to Razlom's Gate

  With the wagon repaired and the stag now pulling it, the group set out toward Razlom’s Gate. The day dawned cold and gray, their breath visible in the chilly air as they trudged along the rough, rocky path. The trees stood like silent sentinels, their bare branches reaching out like skeletal hands, and as they ascended, the air grew thinner and colder, the silence of the wilderness pressing in on them.   As the day drew to a close, the temperature dropped sharply, and the sky darkened as snow began to fall thick and silent. The group hurried to find a suitable location to set up camp, racing against the approaching storm. They found a sheltered spot, perhaps in the lee of a large rock, and worked quickly to construct their camp. The snow muffled the sounds of their work, creating a sense of isolation, but the fire they built was a welcome source of warmth and light.   Using her alchemical abilities, Zenscha managed to turn the eggs that would’ve been the final brood of the ancient matron spider into a delectable soup, which she served without telling the others of its origins. Despite the weather, good cheer returned to the group for a time as they settled into rest, the storm intensifying outside before finally letting up.  

Scene 8: Approaching Razlom’s Gate

The next morning, the group continued their journey toward Razlom’s Gate. The path became steeper and narrower, winding through increasingly rugged terrain. The air was thin and frigid, and the mountains loomed overhead, their peaks lost in thick clouds. Snow from the previous night covered the ground in a thick blanket, making the path treacherous.   As they neared the Gate, the atmosphere grew heavier, charged with a sense of foreboding. The once robust trees had thinned out, their twisted branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. The cliffs that flanked the gate were jagged and sharp as if hewn by a massive, cruel hand. Razlom’s Gate itself was a natural pass, where the mountains crouched closest to one another, forming a narrow corridor through which travelers had to pass.   The group rounded a bend in the trail and caught their first glimpse of the Gate. Ancient stone monoliths stood on either side of the road just beyond the pass, their surfaces worn smooth by time and the elements. Cracked and crumbling, they still radiated a sense of demarcation, as though they once marked the boundary between two worlds.   The monoliths were carved with faint, weathered symbols, their meaning long lost to time. Moss and lichen clung to their surfaces, giving them an even more ancient, forgotten appearance. Snow drifted around their bases, and the sky above was a slate-gray, with the first flakes of a new snowfall beginning to fall. Other than a few ravens atop the stones, there was no sign of life.   Desmond managed to spot signs of movement high in the mountains—humanoid forms slipping around the other side of a peak. When Rolandus asked Danyar if he could ask the ravens what they saw, Danyar chuckled as they squawked in reply, “They basically say... fuck off.” Rolandus replied dryly, “I can’t speak to animals as you claim to, and I could tell that much.”   When Rolandus asked Volos for his input, the latter dismissed the monoliths as relics of a backwards people, humans being so short-lived as to be little more than insects to him. Yet he hinted at the monoliths’ potential connection to the lost religion of the original Oblidan people, suggesting they might have once been protective stones, warding off something that dwelled within the mountains or beyond the pass.  

Scene 9: The Decision Point—High Path or Low Path

As the group moved past the monoliths, they came to a fork in the road. Tonibore spotted humanoid forms far up in the mountain passes, but they quickly disappeared around the other side of a peak.   The group came across two ancient signs, weathered and nearly illegible. Tashi translated for them, as many were not especially learned or literate:  

• In old Waylan: "Avoid / beware the mountains."
• In old Duvik: "Avoid / beware the forest."

  Tashi laughed after reading these, but then seemed puzzled. The group discussed the significance of the signs but couldn’t reach a clear conclusion. They squinted down at the ominous forest and the equally ominous mountain passes above.   The group had to choose between two paths: the high path that climbed into the mountains, or the low path that descended into the forested valley below. The high path snaked along the mountain ridges, offering a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding valleys and forests. It was narrow and exposed, with sharp drops on either side. The wind was fierce, and the path was unmarked, making navigation difficult. But it might allow them to avoid the creatures lurking in the forest below.   The low path wound through the dense forest at the base of the mountains. It was more sheltered from the wind and snow, but the thick undergrowth would slow them down. The forest was dark and oppressive, with twisted roots and gnarled branches that seemed to reach out for those who passed by. It would likely be easier for the wagon, stag, and donkey to navigate, but the forest was also more likely to hide other dangers.   The group debated their options. Tonibore expressed unease about the forest, his sense of Aberration coming into focus—the trees grew very quickly, yet they seemed blighted and sickly. But the party’s quickly dwindling food supplies made the mountain path seem less than ideal. Despite the unnatural aura of the forest, it seemed a better prospect than freezing and starving in the mountains.   With their decision made, the group set off toward the forest. The snowfall intensified as they left Razlom's Gate behind, the ancient monoliths of a long-forgotten people soon disappearing into the mist and snow.