Chapter 3-8 - Downriver
Ruatari slipped the oar into the water without a sound. The broad chested copper Dragonborn wielded the massive wooden oar like a master, wide powerful strokes drove the big flat bottomed ferry upstream across the River Kylyd. Ahead lay an odd looking confluence, where the River Drach fed into the Kylyd from the right. Where the two huge, slow moving flows met the water swirled lazily. Silt carried by the two rivers had been deposited in the eye of this eddy, over centuries building into a flat, sandy island which just crested above the waterline, on which sprawling low bramble-like weeds grew rampant.
Ruatari deftly steered the ferry around the back side of the island, using the natural swirl of the flow to carry the boat quickly towards the mouth of the Drach. The brief burst of momentum didn't last, and it wasn't long before the big Copper Iskathi was back to propelling the ferry with silent strokes of this oar.
As the rest of the party joked and laughed while they sat cross legged on the deck, Clootie stared at her reflection in the water in quiet contemplation. She had set out from her home to find the Golden Kazoo. She'd done that, but now she had found herself wrapped up in something bigger and subtly apocalyptic. She had never felt smaller or more unprepared in her life, and she felt adrift and completely out of place in this little troupe of heroes she had found herself among. Ryoko noticed her friend's unusual reticence, and she appeared beside her brandishing a flask of firewater whiskey. Clootie smiled and they shared a few swigs in quiet camaraderie, then rejoined the rest of the group.
As night fell, Ruatari brought the ferry in beside a narrow stone pillar protruding from the water a dozen or so feet from the riverbank. He lashed the boat to a jade ring set into the top of the pillar, and gratefully took a long swig of the firewater Ryoko offered him.
The party fell asleep either staring up at the star-scattered sky, or in Ryoko's case, snoring loudly after too much firewater. Ruatari shook the party awake just before sunrise; and by the time the light crept through the jungle and scattered across the surface of the water, the ferry was already underway.
After a few hours, the trees on the left bank thinned and the town of Dradroth came into view. A large settlement, the population of Dradroth was roughly equal to that of Kylydn, but concentrated in a smaller area giving it a more urban appearance familiar to the majority of the party. Ruatari smoothly turned the nose of the ferry across the river, pointing away from the Dradroth docks, and brought it in to land on the opposite bank,
"Are you sure about this?" he asked Ryoko, a serious look on his face,
"Absolutely. We need to get down to Djazhck territory quickly, and this is the most direct route."
"Well, take care of yourselves. Don't trust anything in the jungle here."
The party unloaded the last of their gear from the ferry, and waved Ruatari off as the ferry was swept back downstream towards Kylydn. Ryoko quickly took note of the position of the sun to set her heading, and led the party south into the jungle.
During the first hour, it was difficult for the party to make much headway. In this part of the jungle, the trees were spread out, leaving the canopy thinner overhead and allowing shafts of green tinged light to filter down to the forest floor. Encouraged by the light, thick bushes carpeted the jungle, while wiry tendrils curled around their legs and knees. Ryoko and Miaug were able to pick their way through the dense vegetation easily enough, but Clootie and Aetilius struggled and found themselves constantly tripping over roots and creepers obscured by the melange. Aetilius forced his way through a particularly heavy thicket, and was surprised when the ground fell away beneath his feet. He tumbled down a small incline, thorny tendrils tearing at exposed skin as he fell. He came to rest in a dried up old stream bed. Loose stones and shale coated the ground, and the oppressive foliage stops at the edge of the bed. Ryoko nimbly leaped down the slope and helped him to his feet, and the rest of the party joined them. Ryoko looked along the streambed to gauge a rough direction. Roughly southwest. This would do. The group dusted themselves off and started to head along the streambed into the heart of the jungle.
As she wandered along, Clootie absentmindedly swung Kulog around her wrist on it's leather thong. As it spun, Miaug noticed the runes etched into the hammer glowing faintly. She sidled up beside Clootie,
"What do those runes say on your hammer?" she asked, curious
"Let see if I can remember" Clootie responded, holding the hammer firmly in her hands and turning it over to find the etched symbols,
"This one is Kulog. That means Thunder. This one here is Killiat"
Crackling blue energy rippled across the hammer's rusty surface in response to the word, arcing between the head and the metal studs on Clootie's spiked bracers. Miaug felt the fur of her arm stand on end,
"That one means Lightning I think. And this one… here… is Babalik"
Suddenly the hammer started to float upwards, lifting Clootie off the ground by the leather thong. A startled expression appeared on the little gnome's face as her feet lost contact with the shale and she started to float, her tiny feet flailing wildly. After Clootie regained her composure, she started to grin. She swung the hammer in front of her and whooped in excitement as she soared away over the tops of the trees. The rest of the party watched in amusement as the tiny gnome whizzed back and forth overhead, shouting wildly. Eventually she gently lowered herself back down beside Miaug, looking flushed,
"Well that was fun"
Miaug looked excited,
"What else can it do?"
"I don't know…"
Clootie looked over the rust crusted surface of the hammer, peering at the runes,
"Let's try some stuff. Malaki!"
The hammer seemed to blur in her hands, growing in length to become a massive rusty Warhammer. The extra weight knocked Clootie off balance and she stumbled forwards,
"I hate that one." She muttered to herself, "Ok. Let's try Killiat again"
Blue lightning pulsed across the surface of the Warhammer, sparking occasionally. Suddenly the massive head of the hammer lifted, almost causing Clootie to overbalance again,
"It's light again" she mused, spinning the huge hammer nonchalantly around her wrist,
"Babalik!"
This time the hammer didn't gently float the gnome off the ground, it shot them both up into the clouds, lightning streaking out behind like a comet. A thunderous blast of lightning arced from the clouds into the hammer's head. A pulse of bright blue energy raced across the surface off the hammer. As it passed across the surface, thousands of tiny scales of rust flaked away revealing gleaming silver metal beneath. Clootie looked in amazement at the luminous weapon in her hand, and she whispered quietly under her breath,
"Kulog?"
Hearing it's final command, the hammer plummeted towards the ground, a fiery cyan meteor. Clootie and Kulog struck the dry streambed with a deafening crash, a shockwave of loose scree and dust erupting outward from the point of impact. The rest of the party were thrown backward by the force of the impact. As the dust settled, Miaug noticed a huge figure crouched at the centre of the maelstrom. As the figure stood up, drawing itself up to its full height, Miaug realised with shock that it was Clootie. The tiny gnome towered over the Tabaxi, muscles like steel cables protruded from her arms and neck. Crackling blue energy flashed in her eyes, and rippled across her skin. Clootie grinned, reaching down and lifting her friend to her feet with no more difficulty than picking up a housecat. Miaug self-consciously brushed the dust off her tunic and fur,
"Did you need to make such a mess?"
Clootie laughed; a deep rich sound. Then she stumbled forward slightly. Her eyes rolled up in her head and she toppled forward like an oak tree. Miaug dodged out of the way, then quickly dashed over to her fallen friend. As she watched, the blue energy seemed to drain from the gnome, manifesting in her right hand in the form of a tiny hammer. As the crackling energy left her flesh, her massive frame began to shrink. A few seconds later, Clootie lay on her side on the ground, normal sized again and clutching a rusty little hammer. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned,
"That was fun, but I'm knackered!"
The group decided to rest for a while until they were sure Clootie was fully recovered. Miaug and Ryoko had to talk the little gnome out of immediately trying the transformation again, advising caution and recovery. After about an hour of rest, and a few swigs of firewater, the colour had returned to Clootie's face. Satisfied, the group decided to continue.
An hour later the streambed began to curve north. Ryoko led the group into the jungle to the south. Pushing through the thick foliage slowed progress, and it wasn't long before the group were beginning to suffer from exhaustion. Concerned about her friends, Ryoko veered slightly further east, towards an area with slightly less dense vegetation.
Clootie felt the heavy weight of Jynx stir across her shoulders. The little dragon uncoiled languidly, stretching slightly, then suddenly seemed to tense. He carefully raised his head to the gnome's ear and hissed a quiet warning. Clootie stopped immediately, looking around to try to spot what had spooked the Faerie Dragon. Ryoko slipped back through the jungle to ask Clootie what was wrong. As she came alongside the little gnome, she caught sight of something which caused her blood run cold. A short distance off to the right stood a tree. Around its trunk, at around shoulder height, circled a thick band of what looked like semi-opaque emerald. Meridaline. Looking left and right, her stomach sank as she realised she had missed the signs. On either side, surrounding the group, stood another six trees encircled by Meridaline Bands. They were right in the middle of a Borer Swarm nest. Ryoko motioned to the rest of the party to stay silent, and she carefully led them back the way they had come. A low buzzing began to emanate from one of the bands as they passed nearby. Ryoko swallowed hard and motioned to the party to take a wide berth. The party crept back along their route for at least five minutes. Once Ryoko was satisfied they were far enough away, she let out a shaky breath,
"What was that?" Clootie asked,
"That was a Borer Swarm nest. They'll burrow their way into your skin, through your flesh and up into your brain. Once the eat through your brain you'll die screaming. And they release a pheromone which draws the rest of the hive. They'll hollow you out and leave you just an empty husk." Ryoko shivered, "Keep your eyes out for those green bands. Meridaline. Come on, we'll go around"
The detour cost the party time, and it was growing dark by the time they got back on track. As the light faded, Ryoko started to notice symbols carved into the trunks of some of the trees begin to glow a faint blue colour. She smiled to herself, this must be Ha'Xegen territory. She subtly changed course, following the markers. The mystic's route would likely be safe of any other dangers.
The markers led into a wide clearing in the jungle. Three leather tents, each decorated with similar blue symbols, were pitched in a rough semicircle around a central campfire, with a large boar suspended over the flames. Five dragonborn, all wearing long silken robes and with blue symbols painted on their arms and faces, sat around the fire and watched as the group emerged.
"Hail" a brass dragonborn said in a clear voice, "What brings you to Ha'Xegon territory, Doryu?"
"May we join you, brother" Ryoko asked as she approached the fire. A silver Iskathi in the middle of the group motioned for them to sit,
"Of course." She said in a soft voice, "Have you come far?" Another brass dragonborn passed a flask around as the group settled down beside the fire,
"Kylydn" Ryoko said, before taking a swing, "We're heading down to see the Djazhck. What about you?"
"Not far. We're a hunting bask. We'll head back to the tribe tomorrow. Help yourself to boar, we have plenty other kills curing."
As the party relaxed, eating chunks of boar and drinking the firewater they were offered, Aetilius noticed an older looking gold dragonborn looked intently at him, peering across the flames with gilden eyes clouded by age,
"This is no chance meeting." She said, suddenly. A hush fell over the Ha'Xegon as the old dragonborn made her way around the campfire to the tiefling. She held his head in her hands and looking him in the eyes,
"Fate walks alongside you, guiding you towards glorious purpose. Give me your hand and I may offer you some insight into what is yet to come"
Aetilius looked around at the group, obviously nervous. Oviryss, the silver dragonborn leader of the bask smiled gently,
"Don't worry. Fidhol is a diviner. She's won't hurt you, but she's usually right if you want to try"
Aetilius shrugged,
"Why not?"
Fidhol grabbed his hand and turned it over and studied his palm intently. She turned it back over and started to trace lines along the back of Aetilius's hand, up to the wrist. It felt strangely soothing, and Aetilius found himself drifting off slightly. Fidhol dropped his hand and looked the tiefling in the eye,
"I can offer you one warning, and one piece of advice: you seek the Djazhck - they will not give you the answer you seek, but their answer will lead you where you need to go; and beware you will soon meet those who seek to embroil you in their war - the forces at play are far greater than they first appear. But choose your side carefully, these allies will prove valuable against what's coming"
She smiled,
"That really takes it out of me. Where's the firewater at?"
The party spent a pleasant eventing with the Ha'Xegon hunting Bask. During the night the Ha'Xegon volunteered to keep watch and allow the group to rest properly. In the morning, the party awoke refreshed with the mouth-watering smell of cured boar meat filling surrounding their tents. After a delicious breakfast, their new allies pointed them in the direction of the Djazhck and they set off.
Shortly before midday, Ryoko spotted movement in a clearing ahead. Motioning back to the rest of the group, she carefully slipped through the undergrowth to the edge of the clearing. Ahead she could make out three large hulking brutes, covered in light grey fur, stalking about on all fours. Each of the creatures wore a wide leather belt, belying their animalistic silhouette. Quaggoths, brutal primitive trackers from the Verani Republic. Ryoko wondered what were they doing this far into Quan. She motioned back to the rest of the group, her eyes scanning the terrain for an alternate route or a possible ambush point. As he crept forwards, Aetilius' foot caught under a twisted tree root and he stumbled forwards and thudded against a tree. The dull clatter of his armour against the trunk cut through the silence of the jungle, and all three of the creature's immediately swung their heads around. The element of surprise lost, Ryoko leapt into the clearing, swinging her thornstaff and coiling thick vines around the legs of the two of the creatures. Caught off guard by the sudden assault, both creatures fell backwards heavily. The third Quaggoth hurled itself through the trees and smashed into Aetilius, knocking him bodily backwards against another trunk. Miaug slipped an arrow from her quiver and loosed it at one of the downed brutes.
The arrow seemed to weave its way through the trees, piercing the Quaggoth's eye. It bellowed in pain. Clootie quickly expanded Kulog to full size, swinging it into the back of the creature pinning Aetilius. Ramas slipped past her, driving one of his curved daggers up through it's armpit and into it's torso. It shrieked and dropped back, releasing Aetilius. The big Tiefling shook himself, then summoned his Mythal Axe and brought it down at the Quaggoth's head. A massive hairy paw knocked the blow aside, and it fixed him with a rage filled, but intelligent gaze.
In the clearing, the Quaggoth Miaug had shot pulled the arrow from it's eye socket, and quickly rolled sideways into a four legged crouch. It pounced on Ryoko, tearing at her chest with it's claws. Ryoko's stonelike scales offered some protection, but the a few of the wounds were deep enough that bright crimson blood spattered the dirt of the clearing. The other creature untangled the vines from around it's legs and got to it's feet, only to find two arrows suddenly protruding from it's shoulder. It growled, glaring at Miaug through the trees, and barrelled out of the clearing towards her. Badger leapt forward to protect his master, and the Quaggoth swung a massive claw, catching the little fox in mid-air and knocking him against a tree with a yelp.
The Quaggoth facing Aetilius swung it's claws, catching the Tiefling's head. His helmet took the brunt of the impact, but it still knocked him off balance slightly. Reacting instinctively he turned and caught a second swipe on his breastplate, the heavy armour deflecting the creature's claws. Furious, the Tiefling stared down at the brute, then put his foot on it's chest and kicked it backwards. As the Quaggoth stumbled, Aetilius spun and swung his mythal axe at it, catching it in the neck and shearing it's head from it's shoulders.
The immediate threat dealt with, Clootie turned and hurled Kulog at the Quaggoth pinning Ryoko. The hammer spun through the air, sparks crackling out to strike the trees on either side as it flew. It struck the creature in the back, and a burst of thunderous energy erupted from the point of impact, throwing the Quaggoth off Ryoko and knocking it aside.
Ramas reacted quickly, racing through the trees to intercept the Quaggoth running at Miaug. He threw himself bodily at the beast, shoulder barging it aside. As the creature stumbled to the side, Ramas pulled out his dark dagger and thrust it up through the underside of the creature's jaw. It's eyes rolled up in it's head and it started to twitch as it slumped down on Ramas's shoulder. He pulled the blade out, wiping it casually on the creature's fur and slipping it back into the folds of his jacket.
Miaug ran over to pick up Badger. As she cuddled the little fox, he turned his head and licked her ear to reassure her. Meanwhile, Ramas crouched over the remaining Quaggoth, lying on the ground, fur smouldering. He held the blade of his dark dagger across the creatures throat and stared coldly at it. Ryoko dusted herself off and stood beside Ramas, looming over the beaten Quaggoth,
"What are you doing here?"
The creature eyed her with cold blue eyes for a moment,
"We were sent to kill you"
"Me?" Ryoko responded in surprise, "Sent by who? The Verani?"
The creature snarled,
"The Jaguar"
"Am I supposed to know what that is?" Ryoko replied, confused.
"You will" the Quaggoth snarled, and suddenly jerked up, trying to dislodge Ramas and get to Ryoko.
Ramas reacted instantly, and the dark dagger plunged through the Quaggoth's throat. Deep crimson coated the blue grey fur of it's neck as it choked down it's last breath amidst a torrent of blood. Ramas felt the now familiar rush of energy from the dagger as the life left the Quaggoth's eyes.
The party cleaned themselves off and chose to rest for a moment after the fight. Clootie borrowed one of Ramas's big curved daggers, and with great care she carefully flayed the Quaggoth corpses, bundling up the pelts and stuffing them into her rucksack. As the rested Aetilius looked pensive. Then suddenly he got up and started to rake through his backpack, pulling out a tattered looking paperback book and starting to leaf through the pages. He triumphantly stabbed a finger at a point on a page,
"Here!" he barked, "Look. The leaders of the Nethonris in these books are the Hawk, the Ram and the Jaguar. That can't be a coincidence. I think the Nethoris sent those Quaggoth to kill us"
The party pressed on further through the jungle that afternoon. Ryoko noticed a bleached bird skull hanging from a leather cord tied in the lower branches of a tree. Djazhck territory markers. They were getting close. Ryoko suggested they find a place to make camp for the night, then hopefully press on into the Djazhck territory tomorrow.
After a fairly uneventful night, the party packed up and resumed their southward trek. They had travelled no longer than a few hours, the sun still to rise, when a grey fletched arrow sailed out of the darkness and bed itself into the trunk of a tree directly in front of Ryoko. A rough voice rang out from the shadows: "Who goes there?"
Ryoko immediately stood and raised her hands above her head, encouraging the rest of the party to do the same,
"I am Ryoko Doryu. These are my allies. I seek an audience with Oarmas"
Four tall Dragonborn seemed to materialize from the darkness between the trees. Each wore a matching uniform of leather armour and thick grey woollen cloaks tied with a bird skull clasp. The leader of the group, a bronze Dragonborn, slung his shortbow over his shoulder and stepped forward. He bowed to Ryoko,
"Well met Doryu. Do you bring word from Raythani?"
"No. We come to ask the Djazhck for aid in crossing the Sea of Glass."
The bronze Dragonborn looked at Ryoko in disbelief,
"Well that certainly is a strange request. Come, follow us, we will take you Oarmas"
The Djazhck bask led the party south through Djazhck territory for another day. As they travelled, Bralzris, the bronze Dragonborn leading the bask spoke at length to the party about their adventures. He seemed particularly perturbed by their encounter with the Quaggoth, concerned that Verani trackers were roaming so far afield from the Issati Peaks.
The following day, around midday, the Djazhck patrol led the group into a large encampment. The jungle had clearly been cut back to provide a good sized clearings, around which were scattered at least two dozen large tents, grey trimmed with deep red. Small groups of Djazhck wandered around, all of them are wearing matching leather armour and carrying weapons. Bralzris led the group straight through the camp to a large tent, pitched near the centre of the site. This tent was a deep maroon colour, trimmed with sparkling silver patterning. Bralzris asked the party to wait outside while he went in to consult with the clan leader. A minute or so later, Bralzris pulled back the covering and waved the party inside.
Inside, an old looking Bronze dragonborn was seated at a small wooden table strewn with maps. He looked up with sober blue eyes,
"Well met strangers. And hail to you Doryu" Oarmas nodded formally, "Why have you wandered so far south into Djazhck territory?"
Ryoko nodded respectfully at Oarmas,
"We were looking for advice from the Djazhck. How best to cross the Sea of Glass and where would we find Iskaleth"
Oarmas looked down at his maps for a moment, and then motioned to Ryoko to sit opposite him. He looked the younger Dragonborn in the eyes,
"What could possibly be so important as to drive you onto the Sea of Glass, in search of a city that may not even exist?"
"A vision" Ryoko responded. Oarmas looked taken aback,
"A vision? The Sea of Glass is an endless desert of razor sharp glass. There is no water, no plants, no life of any kind. There is no more inhospitable place in all of Lanath. And you are willing to risk that on the back of some soothsayer's dream?"
"Not a soothsayer. Him" Ryoko gestured towards Aetilius, who looked immediately self-conscious and started babbling about Xanith and Primordials and Nethonris. At the mention of the Nethonris, Oarmas stiffened,
"The Nethonris?" he asked archly "They were wiped out centuries ago"
"They’ve come back" Ryoko responded. Oarmas looked at her carefully, his expression inscrutable as he examined her. After a long moment of silence he spoke,
"I believe you. And if the Nethonris have returned, perhaps there may be powerful forces at work again. Or, you are all simply fools. What would you ask of me?"
"Do you know any possible routes through the Dragonstooth Mountains?"
"Aye, we know of a number of paths through the mountains. None of them will help you much though. They are all hard going, with little to no supplies available. You look tough enough, so you could probably manage the journey, but what then? Even our most seasoned scouts have only ever made it a few miles into the Sea before needing to turn back. There is nothing to sustain you there. And there is nothing to navigate by. The chances of you actually finding Iskaleth before your supplies ran out, or you succumbed to exposure, or were caught by one of the burrowing horrors in the desert, are almost non-existent. I still believe your journey is a fools errand. If you insist on continuing with it, that will be a few less fools in the world. But I cannot stand idly by and send you to your deaths. If you want my advice, I would travel east and cross the Issati Peaks into the Verani Republic. Follow the edge of the mountains south past Manaalden, until the southern tip of the range. On that edge, the desert is bounded by the River Illram, which heads south from the mountains to the sea. You could cross the river, resupply, and then head into the Sea of Glass fresh. That would give you the best chance of success. If you head due west from there, you should be on the same latitude as Iskaleth."
"Thank you. Where would you suggest we cross the Issati Peaks if we wanted to avoid the attention of the Verani?"
Oarmas unrolled a map on his table, showing a view of Quan. He traced a route east on it with his claw,
"Head due east from here, across the Drach. Where the Issati Peaks meet the Dragonstooth Mountains, there are a series of tunnels running through the hills. Avoid those at all costs, there are dark things which inhabit those places out of view of the sun However, if you head up into the mountains there, you can find a few narrow passes which cut through the mountains and down into the Verani Republic."
"Thank you for your advice Oarmas" Ryoko said with another deep nod
"You are welcome Doryu. For what it's worth, I hope you survive your journey. Make yourselves at home in the camp tonight, speak to Bralzris and he will help resupply you, and start fresh in the morning."
As the party relaxed around the campfires in the evening, Bralzris and his bask kept them company. Clootie found a Djazhck leatherworker and started to bombard him with questions about curing hides. He was confused by the little gnome, but flattered by her interest in his profession. When Clootie unrolled the Quaggoth pelts from her backpack however, he gagged on the foul smell of blood, burned hair and decomposition. Patiently, he explained how to remove all of the flesh from the pelts, and how to preserve them. With his help, Clootie soaked the pelts in a tanning solution and bundled them up to cure as they travelled.
Next: Chapter 3-9 - Kenedibra
Previous: Chapter 3-7 - An Audience with Nevarrym
Ruatari deftly steered the ferry around the back side of the island, using the natural swirl of the flow to carry the boat quickly towards the mouth of the Drach. The brief burst of momentum didn't last, and it wasn't long before the big Copper Iskathi was back to propelling the ferry with silent strokes of this oar.
As the rest of the party joked and laughed while they sat cross legged on the deck, Clootie stared at her reflection in the water in quiet contemplation. She had set out from her home to find the Golden Kazoo. She'd done that, but now she had found herself wrapped up in something bigger and subtly apocalyptic. She had never felt smaller or more unprepared in her life, and she felt adrift and completely out of place in this little troupe of heroes she had found herself among. Ryoko noticed her friend's unusual reticence, and she appeared beside her brandishing a flask of firewater whiskey. Clootie smiled and they shared a few swigs in quiet camaraderie, then rejoined the rest of the group.
As night fell, Ruatari brought the ferry in beside a narrow stone pillar protruding from the water a dozen or so feet from the riverbank. He lashed the boat to a jade ring set into the top of the pillar, and gratefully took a long swig of the firewater Ryoko offered him.
The party fell asleep either staring up at the star-scattered sky, or in Ryoko's case, snoring loudly after too much firewater. Ruatari shook the party awake just before sunrise; and by the time the light crept through the jungle and scattered across the surface of the water, the ferry was already underway.
After a few hours, the trees on the left bank thinned and the town of Dradroth came into view. A large settlement, the population of Dradroth was roughly equal to that of Kylydn, but concentrated in a smaller area giving it a more urban appearance familiar to the majority of the party. Ruatari smoothly turned the nose of the ferry across the river, pointing away from the Dradroth docks, and brought it in to land on the opposite bank,
"Are you sure about this?" he asked Ryoko, a serious look on his face,
"Absolutely. We need to get down to Djazhck territory quickly, and this is the most direct route."
"Well, take care of yourselves. Don't trust anything in the jungle here."
The party unloaded the last of their gear from the ferry, and waved Ruatari off as the ferry was swept back downstream towards Kylydn. Ryoko quickly took note of the position of the sun to set her heading, and led the party south into the jungle.
During the first hour, it was difficult for the party to make much headway. In this part of the jungle, the trees were spread out, leaving the canopy thinner overhead and allowing shafts of green tinged light to filter down to the forest floor. Encouraged by the light, thick bushes carpeted the jungle, while wiry tendrils curled around their legs and knees. Ryoko and Miaug were able to pick their way through the dense vegetation easily enough, but Clootie and Aetilius struggled and found themselves constantly tripping over roots and creepers obscured by the melange. Aetilius forced his way through a particularly heavy thicket, and was surprised when the ground fell away beneath his feet. He tumbled down a small incline, thorny tendrils tearing at exposed skin as he fell. He came to rest in a dried up old stream bed. Loose stones and shale coated the ground, and the oppressive foliage stops at the edge of the bed. Ryoko nimbly leaped down the slope and helped him to his feet, and the rest of the party joined them. Ryoko looked along the streambed to gauge a rough direction. Roughly southwest. This would do. The group dusted themselves off and started to head along the streambed into the heart of the jungle.
As she wandered along, Clootie absentmindedly swung Kulog around her wrist on it's leather thong. As it spun, Miaug noticed the runes etched into the hammer glowing faintly. She sidled up beside Clootie,
"What do those runes say on your hammer?" she asked, curious
"Let see if I can remember" Clootie responded, holding the hammer firmly in her hands and turning it over to find the etched symbols,
"This one is Kulog. That means Thunder. This one here is Killiat"
Crackling blue energy rippled across the hammer's rusty surface in response to the word, arcing between the head and the metal studs on Clootie's spiked bracers. Miaug felt the fur of her arm stand on end,
"That one means Lightning I think. And this one… here… is Babalik"
Suddenly the hammer started to float upwards, lifting Clootie off the ground by the leather thong. A startled expression appeared on the little gnome's face as her feet lost contact with the shale and she started to float, her tiny feet flailing wildly. After Clootie regained her composure, she started to grin. She swung the hammer in front of her and whooped in excitement as she soared away over the tops of the trees. The rest of the party watched in amusement as the tiny gnome whizzed back and forth overhead, shouting wildly. Eventually she gently lowered herself back down beside Miaug, looking flushed,
"Well that was fun"
Miaug looked excited,
"What else can it do?"
"I don't know…"
Clootie looked over the rust crusted surface of the hammer, peering at the runes,
"Let's try some stuff. Malaki!"
The hammer seemed to blur in her hands, growing in length to become a massive rusty Warhammer. The extra weight knocked Clootie off balance and she stumbled forwards,
"I hate that one." She muttered to herself, "Ok. Let's try Killiat again"
Blue lightning pulsed across the surface of the Warhammer, sparking occasionally. Suddenly the massive head of the hammer lifted, almost causing Clootie to overbalance again,
"It's light again" she mused, spinning the huge hammer nonchalantly around her wrist,
"Babalik!"
This time the hammer didn't gently float the gnome off the ground, it shot them both up into the clouds, lightning streaking out behind like a comet. A thunderous blast of lightning arced from the clouds into the hammer's head. A pulse of bright blue energy raced across the surface off the hammer. As it passed across the surface, thousands of tiny scales of rust flaked away revealing gleaming silver metal beneath. Clootie looked in amazement at the luminous weapon in her hand, and she whispered quietly under her breath,
"Kulog?"
Hearing it's final command, the hammer plummeted towards the ground, a fiery cyan meteor. Clootie and Kulog struck the dry streambed with a deafening crash, a shockwave of loose scree and dust erupting outward from the point of impact. The rest of the party were thrown backward by the force of the impact. As the dust settled, Miaug noticed a huge figure crouched at the centre of the maelstrom. As the figure stood up, drawing itself up to its full height, Miaug realised with shock that it was Clootie. The tiny gnome towered over the Tabaxi, muscles like steel cables protruded from her arms and neck. Crackling blue energy flashed in her eyes, and rippled across her skin. Clootie grinned, reaching down and lifting her friend to her feet with no more difficulty than picking up a housecat. Miaug self-consciously brushed the dust off her tunic and fur,
"Did you need to make such a mess?"
Clootie laughed; a deep rich sound. Then she stumbled forward slightly. Her eyes rolled up in her head and she toppled forward like an oak tree. Miaug dodged out of the way, then quickly dashed over to her fallen friend. As she watched, the blue energy seemed to drain from the gnome, manifesting in her right hand in the form of a tiny hammer. As the crackling energy left her flesh, her massive frame began to shrink. A few seconds later, Clootie lay on her side on the ground, normal sized again and clutching a rusty little hammer. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned,
"That was fun, but I'm knackered!"
The group decided to rest for a while until they were sure Clootie was fully recovered. Miaug and Ryoko had to talk the little gnome out of immediately trying the transformation again, advising caution and recovery. After about an hour of rest, and a few swigs of firewater, the colour had returned to Clootie's face. Satisfied, the group decided to continue.
An hour later the streambed began to curve north. Ryoko led the group into the jungle to the south. Pushing through the thick foliage slowed progress, and it wasn't long before the group were beginning to suffer from exhaustion. Concerned about her friends, Ryoko veered slightly further east, towards an area with slightly less dense vegetation.
Clootie felt the heavy weight of Jynx stir across her shoulders. The little dragon uncoiled languidly, stretching slightly, then suddenly seemed to tense. He carefully raised his head to the gnome's ear and hissed a quiet warning. Clootie stopped immediately, looking around to try to spot what had spooked the Faerie Dragon. Ryoko slipped back through the jungle to ask Clootie what was wrong. As she came alongside the little gnome, she caught sight of something which caused her blood run cold. A short distance off to the right stood a tree. Around its trunk, at around shoulder height, circled a thick band of what looked like semi-opaque emerald. Meridaline. Looking left and right, her stomach sank as she realised she had missed the signs. On either side, surrounding the group, stood another six trees encircled by Meridaline Bands. They were right in the middle of a Borer Swarm nest. Ryoko motioned to the rest of the party to stay silent, and she carefully led them back the way they had come. A low buzzing began to emanate from one of the bands as they passed nearby. Ryoko swallowed hard and motioned to the party to take a wide berth. The party crept back along their route for at least five minutes. Once Ryoko was satisfied they were far enough away, she let out a shaky breath,
"What was that?" Clootie asked,
"That was a Borer Swarm nest. They'll burrow their way into your skin, through your flesh and up into your brain. Once the eat through your brain you'll die screaming. And they release a pheromone which draws the rest of the hive. They'll hollow you out and leave you just an empty husk." Ryoko shivered, "Keep your eyes out for those green bands. Meridaline. Come on, we'll go around"
The detour cost the party time, and it was growing dark by the time they got back on track. As the light faded, Ryoko started to notice symbols carved into the trunks of some of the trees begin to glow a faint blue colour. She smiled to herself, this must be Ha'Xegen territory. She subtly changed course, following the markers. The mystic's route would likely be safe of any other dangers.
The markers led into a wide clearing in the jungle. Three leather tents, each decorated with similar blue symbols, were pitched in a rough semicircle around a central campfire, with a large boar suspended over the flames. Five dragonborn, all wearing long silken robes and with blue symbols painted on their arms and faces, sat around the fire and watched as the group emerged.
"Hail" a brass dragonborn said in a clear voice, "What brings you to Ha'Xegon territory, Doryu?"
"May we join you, brother" Ryoko asked as she approached the fire. A silver Iskathi in the middle of the group motioned for them to sit,
"Of course." She said in a soft voice, "Have you come far?" Another brass dragonborn passed a flask around as the group settled down beside the fire,
"Kylydn" Ryoko said, before taking a swing, "We're heading down to see the Djazhck. What about you?"
"Not far. We're a hunting bask. We'll head back to the tribe tomorrow. Help yourself to boar, we have plenty other kills curing."
As the party relaxed, eating chunks of boar and drinking the firewater they were offered, Aetilius noticed an older looking gold dragonborn looked intently at him, peering across the flames with gilden eyes clouded by age,
"This is no chance meeting." She said, suddenly. A hush fell over the Ha'Xegon as the old dragonborn made her way around the campfire to the tiefling. She held his head in her hands and looking him in the eyes,
"Fate walks alongside you, guiding you towards glorious purpose. Give me your hand and I may offer you some insight into what is yet to come"
Aetilius looked around at the group, obviously nervous. Oviryss, the silver dragonborn leader of the bask smiled gently,
"Don't worry. Fidhol is a diviner. She's won't hurt you, but she's usually right if you want to try"
Aetilius shrugged,
"Why not?"
Fidhol grabbed his hand and turned it over and studied his palm intently. She turned it back over and started to trace lines along the back of Aetilius's hand, up to the wrist. It felt strangely soothing, and Aetilius found himself drifting off slightly. Fidhol dropped his hand and looked the tiefling in the eye,
"I can offer you one warning, and one piece of advice: you seek the Djazhck - they will not give you the answer you seek, but their answer will lead you where you need to go; and beware you will soon meet those who seek to embroil you in their war - the forces at play are far greater than they first appear. But choose your side carefully, these allies will prove valuable against what's coming"
She smiled,
"That really takes it out of me. Where's the firewater at?"
The party spent a pleasant eventing with the Ha'Xegon hunting Bask. During the night the Ha'Xegon volunteered to keep watch and allow the group to rest properly. In the morning, the party awoke refreshed with the mouth-watering smell of cured boar meat filling surrounding their tents. After a delicious breakfast, their new allies pointed them in the direction of the Djazhck and they set off.
Shortly before midday, Ryoko spotted movement in a clearing ahead. Motioning back to the rest of the group, she carefully slipped through the undergrowth to the edge of the clearing. Ahead she could make out three large hulking brutes, covered in light grey fur, stalking about on all fours. Each of the creatures wore a wide leather belt, belying their animalistic silhouette. Quaggoths, brutal primitive trackers from the Verani Republic. Ryoko wondered what were they doing this far into Quan. She motioned back to the rest of the group, her eyes scanning the terrain for an alternate route or a possible ambush point. As he crept forwards, Aetilius' foot caught under a twisted tree root and he stumbled forwards and thudded against a tree. The dull clatter of his armour against the trunk cut through the silence of the jungle, and all three of the creature's immediately swung their heads around. The element of surprise lost, Ryoko leapt into the clearing, swinging her thornstaff and coiling thick vines around the legs of the two of the creatures. Caught off guard by the sudden assault, both creatures fell backwards heavily. The third Quaggoth hurled itself through the trees and smashed into Aetilius, knocking him bodily backwards against another trunk. Miaug slipped an arrow from her quiver and loosed it at one of the downed brutes.
The arrow seemed to weave its way through the trees, piercing the Quaggoth's eye. It bellowed in pain. Clootie quickly expanded Kulog to full size, swinging it into the back of the creature pinning Aetilius. Ramas slipped past her, driving one of his curved daggers up through it's armpit and into it's torso. It shrieked and dropped back, releasing Aetilius. The big Tiefling shook himself, then summoned his Mythal Axe and brought it down at the Quaggoth's head. A massive hairy paw knocked the blow aside, and it fixed him with a rage filled, but intelligent gaze.
In the clearing, the Quaggoth Miaug had shot pulled the arrow from it's eye socket, and quickly rolled sideways into a four legged crouch. It pounced on Ryoko, tearing at her chest with it's claws. Ryoko's stonelike scales offered some protection, but the a few of the wounds were deep enough that bright crimson blood spattered the dirt of the clearing. The other creature untangled the vines from around it's legs and got to it's feet, only to find two arrows suddenly protruding from it's shoulder. It growled, glaring at Miaug through the trees, and barrelled out of the clearing towards her. Badger leapt forward to protect his master, and the Quaggoth swung a massive claw, catching the little fox in mid-air and knocking him against a tree with a yelp.
The Quaggoth facing Aetilius swung it's claws, catching the Tiefling's head. His helmet took the brunt of the impact, but it still knocked him off balance slightly. Reacting instinctively he turned and caught a second swipe on his breastplate, the heavy armour deflecting the creature's claws. Furious, the Tiefling stared down at the brute, then put his foot on it's chest and kicked it backwards. As the Quaggoth stumbled, Aetilius spun and swung his mythal axe at it, catching it in the neck and shearing it's head from it's shoulders.
The immediate threat dealt with, Clootie turned and hurled Kulog at the Quaggoth pinning Ryoko. The hammer spun through the air, sparks crackling out to strike the trees on either side as it flew. It struck the creature in the back, and a burst of thunderous energy erupted from the point of impact, throwing the Quaggoth off Ryoko and knocking it aside.
Ramas reacted quickly, racing through the trees to intercept the Quaggoth running at Miaug. He threw himself bodily at the beast, shoulder barging it aside. As the creature stumbled to the side, Ramas pulled out his dark dagger and thrust it up through the underside of the creature's jaw. It's eyes rolled up in it's head and it started to twitch as it slumped down on Ramas's shoulder. He pulled the blade out, wiping it casually on the creature's fur and slipping it back into the folds of his jacket.
Miaug ran over to pick up Badger. As she cuddled the little fox, he turned his head and licked her ear to reassure her. Meanwhile, Ramas crouched over the remaining Quaggoth, lying on the ground, fur smouldering. He held the blade of his dark dagger across the creatures throat and stared coldly at it. Ryoko dusted herself off and stood beside Ramas, looming over the beaten Quaggoth,
"What are you doing here?"
The creature eyed her with cold blue eyes for a moment,
"We were sent to kill you"
"Me?" Ryoko responded in surprise, "Sent by who? The Verani?"
The creature snarled,
"The Jaguar"
"Am I supposed to know what that is?" Ryoko replied, confused.
"You will" the Quaggoth snarled, and suddenly jerked up, trying to dislodge Ramas and get to Ryoko.
Ramas reacted instantly, and the dark dagger plunged through the Quaggoth's throat. Deep crimson coated the blue grey fur of it's neck as it choked down it's last breath amidst a torrent of blood. Ramas felt the now familiar rush of energy from the dagger as the life left the Quaggoth's eyes.
The party cleaned themselves off and chose to rest for a moment after the fight. Clootie borrowed one of Ramas's big curved daggers, and with great care she carefully flayed the Quaggoth corpses, bundling up the pelts and stuffing them into her rucksack. As the rested Aetilius looked pensive. Then suddenly he got up and started to rake through his backpack, pulling out a tattered looking paperback book and starting to leaf through the pages. He triumphantly stabbed a finger at a point on a page,
"Here!" he barked, "Look. The leaders of the Nethonris in these books are the Hawk, the Ram and the Jaguar. That can't be a coincidence. I think the Nethoris sent those Quaggoth to kill us"
The party pressed on further through the jungle that afternoon. Ryoko noticed a bleached bird skull hanging from a leather cord tied in the lower branches of a tree. Djazhck territory markers. They were getting close. Ryoko suggested they find a place to make camp for the night, then hopefully press on into the Djazhck territory tomorrow.
After a fairly uneventful night, the party packed up and resumed their southward trek. They had travelled no longer than a few hours, the sun still to rise, when a grey fletched arrow sailed out of the darkness and bed itself into the trunk of a tree directly in front of Ryoko. A rough voice rang out from the shadows: "Who goes there?"
Ryoko immediately stood and raised her hands above her head, encouraging the rest of the party to do the same,
"I am Ryoko Doryu. These are my allies. I seek an audience with Oarmas"
Four tall Dragonborn seemed to materialize from the darkness between the trees. Each wore a matching uniform of leather armour and thick grey woollen cloaks tied with a bird skull clasp. The leader of the group, a bronze Dragonborn, slung his shortbow over his shoulder and stepped forward. He bowed to Ryoko,
"Well met Doryu. Do you bring word from Raythani?"
"No. We come to ask the Djazhck for aid in crossing the Sea of Glass."
The bronze Dragonborn looked at Ryoko in disbelief,
"Well that certainly is a strange request. Come, follow us, we will take you Oarmas"
The Djazhck bask led the party south through Djazhck territory for another day. As they travelled, Bralzris, the bronze Dragonborn leading the bask spoke at length to the party about their adventures. He seemed particularly perturbed by their encounter with the Quaggoth, concerned that Verani trackers were roaming so far afield from the Issati Peaks.
The following day, around midday, the Djazhck patrol led the group into a large encampment. The jungle had clearly been cut back to provide a good sized clearings, around which were scattered at least two dozen large tents, grey trimmed with deep red. Small groups of Djazhck wandered around, all of them are wearing matching leather armour and carrying weapons. Bralzris led the group straight through the camp to a large tent, pitched near the centre of the site. This tent was a deep maroon colour, trimmed with sparkling silver patterning. Bralzris asked the party to wait outside while he went in to consult with the clan leader. A minute or so later, Bralzris pulled back the covering and waved the party inside.
Inside, an old looking Bronze dragonborn was seated at a small wooden table strewn with maps. He looked up with sober blue eyes,
"Well met strangers. And hail to you Doryu" Oarmas nodded formally, "Why have you wandered so far south into Djazhck territory?"
Ryoko nodded respectfully at Oarmas,
"We were looking for advice from the Djazhck. How best to cross the Sea of Glass and where would we find Iskaleth"
Oarmas looked down at his maps for a moment, and then motioned to Ryoko to sit opposite him. He looked the younger Dragonborn in the eyes,
"What could possibly be so important as to drive you onto the Sea of Glass, in search of a city that may not even exist?"
"A vision" Ryoko responded. Oarmas looked taken aback,
"A vision? The Sea of Glass is an endless desert of razor sharp glass. There is no water, no plants, no life of any kind. There is no more inhospitable place in all of Lanath. And you are willing to risk that on the back of some soothsayer's dream?"
"Not a soothsayer. Him" Ryoko gestured towards Aetilius, who looked immediately self-conscious and started babbling about Xanith and Primordials and Nethonris. At the mention of the Nethonris, Oarmas stiffened,
"The Nethonris?" he asked archly "They were wiped out centuries ago"
"They’ve come back" Ryoko responded. Oarmas looked at her carefully, his expression inscrutable as he examined her. After a long moment of silence he spoke,
"I believe you. And if the Nethonris have returned, perhaps there may be powerful forces at work again. Or, you are all simply fools. What would you ask of me?"
"Do you know any possible routes through the Dragonstooth Mountains?"
"Aye, we know of a number of paths through the mountains. None of them will help you much though. They are all hard going, with little to no supplies available. You look tough enough, so you could probably manage the journey, but what then? Even our most seasoned scouts have only ever made it a few miles into the Sea before needing to turn back. There is nothing to sustain you there. And there is nothing to navigate by. The chances of you actually finding Iskaleth before your supplies ran out, or you succumbed to exposure, or were caught by one of the burrowing horrors in the desert, are almost non-existent. I still believe your journey is a fools errand. If you insist on continuing with it, that will be a few less fools in the world. But I cannot stand idly by and send you to your deaths. If you want my advice, I would travel east and cross the Issati Peaks into the Verani Republic. Follow the edge of the mountains south past Manaalden, until the southern tip of the range. On that edge, the desert is bounded by the River Illram, which heads south from the mountains to the sea. You could cross the river, resupply, and then head into the Sea of Glass fresh. That would give you the best chance of success. If you head due west from there, you should be on the same latitude as Iskaleth."
"Thank you. Where would you suggest we cross the Issati Peaks if we wanted to avoid the attention of the Verani?"
Oarmas unrolled a map on his table, showing a view of Quan. He traced a route east on it with his claw,
"Head due east from here, across the Drach. Where the Issati Peaks meet the Dragonstooth Mountains, there are a series of tunnels running through the hills. Avoid those at all costs, there are dark things which inhabit those places out of view of the sun However, if you head up into the mountains there, you can find a few narrow passes which cut through the mountains and down into the Verani Republic."
"Thank you for your advice Oarmas" Ryoko said with another deep nod
"You are welcome Doryu. For what it's worth, I hope you survive your journey. Make yourselves at home in the camp tonight, speak to Bralzris and he will help resupply you, and start fresh in the morning."
As the party relaxed around the campfires in the evening, Bralzris and his bask kept them company. Clootie found a Djazhck leatherworker and started to bombard him with questions about curing hides. He was confused by the little gnome, but flattered by her interest in his profession. When Clootie unrolled the Quaggoth pelts from her backpack however, he gagged on the foul smell of blood, burned hair and decomposition. Patiently, he explained how to remove all of the flesh from the pelts, and how to preserve them. With his help, Clootie soaked the pelts in a tanning solution and bundled them up to cure as they travelled.
Next: Chapter 3-9 - Kenedibra
Previous: Chapter 3-7 - An Audience with Nevarrym
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