Adventure Log #63

CHARACTERS

Estryellia-Sorcerer-Newly come of age
Garu-Elf Ranger-Tool of elvish revenge
Ming Hau-Martial Artist-Former soldier of The Red
Fion-Bard-Misunderstood “Elf Beater”
Karieen-Last priestess of Chaldisaya-Future wife of the Emperor of Deserata

The party enters the “park” that use to be the Temple of Chaldisaya. Years ago the temple was attacked and destroyed. The building was pulled down and trees have been planted but things don’t seem to grow very well there and there have been reports of sightings of “things” in the ruins.

Karieen, who was part of the person known as Scalla is the last priestess of the Goddess Chaldisaya. She has been charged with cleaning the site and driving the evil away. A few weeks ago a supply of liquid called Tears of Chaldisaya was delivered from Stand Town. Armed with the “tears” the party enters the grove.

All is quiet and the outside world takes on a misty shade as they enter. Garu notices that the trees are slowly beginning to make a wall around the park as if the hide it or keep something in. When he picks a blade of grass it turns to ash in his fingers. He notices that where Karieen had stepped the grass has turned black. Karieen begins a prayer as she does flames cover her. She screams and falls to the ground as the party tries to put out the flames.

Thrust into a dream she see’s the ground give way beneath her and she falls into a deep pit. Inside the pit a long dead version of herself looks at her and motioning towards the “tears” it begs for a drink of water. As the fire is put out she wakes up. Shaken but not scared she begins the ritual with the following prayer:

"Hear my prayer, Chaldisaya.
Although my troubles be great,
My journey be long,
And the darkness all around me.
Hear my prayer Chaldisaya.
Give me the strength,
Ease my burdens
And light my path. Although
I stand before the abyss
Allow me to carry your word and sword
So as to bring your light into the dark places of the world."

*The prayer was written by Fabian and belongs to him

There is a sudden darkness, when it lifts the park looks older. The trees are large and conceal the park from the road. Garu looks outside and sees unfamiliar ships in the harbor, most are flying either a black star on a while field or the sign of the “Winged Man” In the distance they hear what might be sheesh (orc) voices.

Garu enters a dream state:
Garu’s Dream Garu finds himself standing in the narrow neck of a mountain pass. All around him are elvish archers many are wounded and there are few spare arrows to go around. In the distance an army approaches. It’s an army of retreating humans; most wear the uniform of Deserata.

The force streams past the elves. Near the end rides a group of horsemen that Garu recognizes. He see’s Ming Hao dressed all in red. With her is Izaya and a man wrapped in bloody bandages. A figure robed in orange and red rides with them, extreme heat seems to radiate off if it. They salute Garu and the elves and make their way through the pass.

Now there is nothing in front of them except for the cast offs of the retreating army. Soon there is a rumbling and into the pass pours a sheesh force, which seems to have no end. Garu and the elves fire their arrows and reap a bloody harvest of the horde, but it comes on still until there are no more arrows and they attack the sheesh with swords and long knives.

Garu fights but sees the horde overwhelm them. Soon there are only small islands of elves amidst the twisted creatures. Garu feels a pain in his side; he turns and slays the sheesh that stabbed him. Another stabs him and he hacks at it as well cleaving its body in two. There is more pain and he finds it hard to raise his sword, he is overwhelmed. His earthly body lost amongst the sheesh his spirit self stands up and makes its way to where the Vanar wait with their ships to take the last elves to the Havens.

Estryellia enters a dream state:
Estryellia’s dream She rides at the side of her father, the horses are tired but they are almost to the river. They pass a fort where in another time a boy named Ian blushed when he saw her ankle, but that was long ago and the boy is long gone.

Now Altmen man the fort knowing that it’s their job to hold the sheesh as best as they can. There is a salute from the soldiers, her father acknowledges it. The bridge has been dismantled so the horses splash through the river. Some of the water lands on her robe and sizzles off with the heat. Once on the other side they stop. Her father hands over the wounded man he has been carrying. He rides over to where she sits.“You could come to the citadel with us, make a stand there.”She shakes her head He nods. There have never been easy words between them, silence has always been more comfortable. He salutes her and rides over to where the healers have been ministering to the Jkenna. They load him into a waiting cart and move to the south.

She sits alone for a long while. The sheesh overwhelm the fortress. There are no retreating soldiers to warn her of the approaching sheesh, only a loud thunder. The brown wave stops at the edge of the water. Sheesh are afraid of water she thinks. With a wave of her arm fire rains from the sky, “Now they have something to fear." Sheesh kill sheesh in attempts to flee from the area and the army falls into disarray. “This will take some time for them to fix.” She says to herself.

There comes a presence on the battle field. She is able to mark its passage because sheesh that come near it die. The presence speaks a word of power and she is almost knocked off her horse by it. The second one does kill her horse and it’s all she can do to deflect the bolts of power away from herself. The Voice, snarls and curses in true speech. Each word a blast of power. The fight goes on a long time. Estryellia looks at the sun. It’s moved. She’s been holding for hours that seem like days.

The Voice is weakening; Stand Towns walls can hold now, she thinks. A bolt staggers her and she can’t stand up. Lava like blood pumps from the wound setting bushes on fire.It starts to rain as the sheesh begin across the river.

Fion enters the dream state:
Fions Dream The bandages are fresh on the Jkenna but already blood is soaking through them. He follows Izaya through the inner hallways. Behind him is The Red, Min Hao. They come to a large door. Min stations herself there as it’s opened for Izaya and the Jkenna. It’s obvious she’s staying on this side.

Fion helps them close the door but stays with Ming. He strums a song but decides it’s too sarcastic as the first of the man sheesh come down the tunnel. Ming almost dances into combat brings down sheesh by the score. They are almost hip deep amongst the dead and dying when the sound of scraping of metal against stone can be heard. A large figure steps around the corner wearing dark blood stained armor. It lifts its visor and they see the dead withered face of Paladin Marcus. Ming hisses an insult at him and they move closer together to fight.

They all wake up and they are back in the present, the tears have purged the bad dreams from the place, it is cleansed. The party makes its way back to the manor and gets some rest.

Later they are summoned by the Jkenna who has a mission for them. He wants them to go and escort several notables to Mountain Vale but the party refuses the task. He then asks if they will go north and see what is left of Deserata. This seems a bit more to the parties liking and they promise to discuss it.

Scalia’s Life
(Scalla is a character that has come under the thrall of the Great Dragon ring. Currently she is at the head of the army of the Dark Woman) As the elf blood leaves her system the world returns to its normal shades of grey that the undead see. Van Sherrie tells her that they will be parting company; her army is going to the south to face the Jkenna while The Voice has commanded her to go to the ruin of Deserata. Scalla begins her walk to the formerly holy city.

She walks day and night barely noticing the differences in the days. Occasionally she throws herself on the ground to rest but the compulsion of The Voice pushes her onward. When possible she eats rats and lizards caught and consumed raw.

After a week Scalla arrives at the ruin. Even in her unfeeling form the site disturbes her. There is nothing left of the Jeweled City. A pile of formerly molten glass covers much of the area. The giant statue She Who Stands Defiantly is gone as is Red Isle and the hill where Deserata proper stood. Scalla walks on the broken glass until The Voice tells her to “dig”.

Using her magic she clears some of the slag away until she is close to the earth itself. With no mind to the glass shards she completes clearing away the rest of the rubble until she uncovers the body of An Arch Morgan. For a moment she regards her friend’s corpse. The babbling of The Voice leaves her brain as Morgan’s head moves and speaks, “Daughter, all is not lost. There will be once chance for your redemption. When the time comes you must strike you best blow.” The body falls silent and The Voice returns to her head, “The Tongue” it demands. With her bloodied fingers Scalla removes the tongue from Morgan’s corpse.