Enquiring Minds Want to Know!
"Does he realize he's talking to what may be the only confirmed heterosexual in
the city..?"
Session Summary, June 6, 1996
[note: Dlarku's horse was absent.]
We last left our exhausted noble party resting peacefully at the estate
of Gayan hiChaishyani, a wealthy Scarlet Sail clansman. They shall
remember and long for these few blissful moments of peace and quiet
and safety for the rest of their lives as there won't be many like
moments to replace them in their thoughts.
After a brief conference, they decide that it is safer to take the
ship to Penom than travel over land in the vicinity of Jakalla and
risk running into more Scales of Brown troops, whose sharp eyes peer
out from their blackened eye sockets, searching diligently for the
Lady Sogai, about whom our most noble party knows nothing but might
be accused otherwise.
La! How brave are our Tsolyani to risk their lives on the perilous
sea! [translation: greater fools have yet to be seen]
Akhan, in an act of gracious generosity, gifts Ngaya with a new
trained slave to replace the one she so generously sacrificed to the
Underworld river. At her request, the Scarlet Sail clansmen loan
Shekkara 2000 Kaitars, mere pocket change to tide her over.
Soon, too soon, far, far too soon they must leave. The ship passes
through Jakalla without incident and is soon out of the harbor and on
open sea. Our noble Tsolyani kept their heads below deck and so did
not chance to see the many fires that ravaged Jakalla the Mighty,
Mistress of the Empire, but neither did their foes chance to see them.
So fascinated by the water is Ngaya, that she spends the first
three days at sea bent over the railing.
* Shekkara discovers to her
regret that Gayan's son, Kemuel hiChaishyani, who captains the ship,
has no interest in exploring the pleasures of Lady Dlamelish with her,
while Akhan discovers
that he has a romantic admirer. Shekkara and Akhan console each
other.
After two days of a breeze, all grows still and the the ship is
becalmed. Ngaya finds herself able to stand up--just barely.
Eventually the winds returns and they are once again on their way,
exchanging cheery greetings and news with passing merchants and
Salarvyani.
Lo! But out of the darkness of night come the uncouth and ingracious
Hlutrgu. So disparagingly do they scorn the ship's hospitality--not
even pausing to say "hello, how do you do?", that our noble Tsolyani
are forced to demand Shamtla in blood. Not having a Hirilakte arena
nearby, they settle for using the ship's decks.
Shekkara casts magical armors upon herself and Akhan. Ngaya and
Dlarku guard the lower decks, keeping safe Most Secret, while
Akhan and Shekkara fight above with the sailors and officers.
La! So terrible a battle follows that the decks are washed in
blood and grisly body parts! Shekkara deals out several severe
lessons in how to treat a lady of the Imperial clan, while Akhan,
mighty in his strength, takes on several foes at once. Though
outnumbered nearly four to one, they fight bravely, nay! most
magnificently, sending Hlutrgu after Hlutrgu to dark, cold, watery
graves.
Alas! In his zeal to vanquish their foes, Akhan most
foolishly^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hbravely fights on even after his armor
and shield are destroyed, and takes a gut-spilling wound to his
abdomen. Lo! But to Akhan's rescue comes Kemuel, the ship's
captain and his would-be lover (if only!), to stand over Akhan
and hold back the dreaded Hlutrgu until not a single one lived.
In the grey light of approaching dawn does Shekkara find Kemuel
mournfully cradling Akhan's head. Consciousness has fled, and
though Akhan's heart yet beats, surely his soul must already be
halfway to the Excellent Isles of the Dead. Shekkara casts her
best healing spell, but it is not enough. Most Secret shakes her
head; the healing spells she knows will do no better. It is a sad
and quiet moment of despair for our Tsolyani as they wonder what
shall they do without Akhan's might to aid them, without his sharp
wit to entertain them, without his long--urp! Ah, yes, well, ahem...
Your storyteller is most fortunately interrupted by Akhan's Renyu
as he noses his way in to pay his final respects to his master,
proclaiming repeatedly and most emphatically that a good thing
exists in this sad sight.
In a sudden and most brilliant leap of intuition, equalling
Dlarku's wisdom in dispensing with the cleansing ritual, Shekkara
realizes that the Renyu refers to the The Ineluctable Eye of Healing
that Akhan carries in his pouch. Quickly, most quickly before his
soul can flee yet further, she uses the Eye upon Akhan, and in a
blink his body is restored and his soul once again firmly anchored
in this world. Akhan opens his eyes and finds himself staring into
the loving gaze of the man who fought for his life.
*
Dlarku looks upon the gore covered deck, and something within him
bemoans this missed opportunity. [this was added by me; the GM did
not say this (but maybe he thought it). --Lisa]
They recover what losses they can. Akhan uses his eye on the ship's
pilot, while Most Secret and Shekkara cast healing spells upon those
sailors and soldiers who can be healed, and the ship resumes its course.
Two days later, the shore comes in view. As the city of Penom grows
larger in their sights, a sea monster, moving so quickly as to hardly
be seen, reaches over the ship and claims a sailor as its tax for
safe-entry to Penom.
As they near the harbor, a breeze washes over the ship, carrying with
it a such a stench of swampish decay that even the most stolid Tsolyani
must grimace. Never has Ngaya been so happy to see Penom and the land
upon which it rests.
The Scarlet Sail clanhouse hosts a grand feast, celebrating their
most magnificent exploits and safe arrival in Penom, during which
even the native life feels compelled to express their joy while
Shekkara expresses her opinion of Penom food in the clanhouse latrine.
Afterward, our party heads off to their respective clanhouses. Shekkara
and Most Secret, on invitation from Akhan, go to the Might of Ganga
clanhouse.
While catching up on gossip, Akhan learns that the rumors concerning
Arkutu hiKurodu, General of the Legion of the Armored Vision of Death
and Mriyan in the Temple of Sarku, and Shekkara are true. All of Penom
wants to know, "Is she here for the wedding?"
Alas! It is night, and not only is it too dangerous to leave Penom,
but it is too late to leave as well, for banging on the Might of Ganga
clanhouse door is a delegation from the Worm Lord's Temple, bearing
gifts for and requesting an audience with Shekkara Tlakotani.
Certainly they have come only to wish her a warm welcome to Penom
and to offer the Worm Lord's famed hospitality during Shekkara's
brief visit to their pleasant city.
Lo! Wrote this, Lisa Leutheuser, horse of The Most Beautiful
Shekkara Tlakotani, on this 11th day of June, 1996 Anno Domini.
