Orhan 1 Day 18

The time after the burials is mostly spent in quiet contemplation or sleep by various party members, and the remainder of the night passes essentially uneventfully.

Orhan 1 Day 19

Most of the wagon dogs seem to have come back during the night. D. feeds them and cheers them up with her unsp… er… um… talents, and they seem to like her, though a strange group of them spend most of their time following Vallandra around for no apparent reason. Jack falls aleep again after waking, as he apparently didn't sleep much/well at all last night after the attack and subsequent clean-up. We abandon a couple of the wagons and consolidate the cargo as best we can, when Ahnta tells us it's time to move out again.

Around midday we start finding small outlying villages. A few windmills appear on various hilltops and we are generally assured that civilization is approaching, or at least, we are approaching it.

That evening we camp at the edge of one of these villages. The few remaining regular caravaners indicate that it is traditional that people head in to the local Inn for a beer. D. decides that she wants to go to. Haeraan, Jack, and Imre go as well, while Kyrik, Oathar, and Vallandra stay behind.

They discover a closed temple in town (it's evening), as well as a tavern. D. orders a beer and an ale and a special corn liquor. Many people stare. Haeraan arrives and D. gives him the ale. Jack arrives and D. gives him the special corn liquor. Jack drinks it down and then goes to the bar to order a wineskin full of special corn liquor for which he pays 5 silver. He also buys a second wineskin full of ale.

Local gossip in the tavern seems to be against "the stupid cult members, and their god, 'Zagur' too!" D. pumps the locals about zephyr hounds and is told that the attack was pretty unusual. Maybe they came down because of the hard winter. "Of course, it could have been an evil sorceror. They do that…" Haeraan asks Imre about Zagur, but he apparently didn't read the Zagur chapter in any of his books, so nothing is learned.

Orhan 1 Day 20

The endless walking is interupted by what appears to be the outskirts of the city. We camp in the field for what we hope is the last time.

Orhan 1 Day 21

We arrive! Ashenoq, at last.

We show up around noon, and Ahnta explains that we must turn in all of our armor, as well as swords and heavy weapons. Haeraan and Kyrik pull out their backup rapiers. Everyone is given a little leather chit in trade for their good stuff.

Ahnta gives the gate guards a pass and out bicycles are taken to the palace on hand carts. Certainly no dallying in Nuyan Khom! Upon arrival we are shown to waiting rooms, where we are served light refreshments. Ahnta leaves to check on our status.

Apparently, it is decided that we are going to be presented tomorrow and not today. Everyone is given a room and we adjorn to them for much needed baths. There are polite servants everywhere seeing to our needs. Ahnta is the only person of importance that we see the entire time.

We are politely asked not to leave the palace for the rest of the day, since the gates are going to be closed. Kyrik seems to clean up rather nicely, and is revealed to have secretly been a high class fop the whole time! The palace is similarly adorned, with paper and silk everywhere.

Imre gets his clothes cleaned, and is presented with a nice silk gown when he explains to a servant that what he has on is all he has to wear.

Orhan 1 Day 22

Servants serve us breakfast in our own rooms. After some prodding, we are all dressed and ready to meet the day.

We are presented to the Hu-tarn. Everyone is brushed and toweled off before entering his magnificent presence. We are brought to the main court yard and the bicycles are pulle dout. Ahnta and his aides are there and about a dozen court functionaries of one variety or another. There's also a gaggle of silk robed people mostly dressed like Imre, but with color that identify their clans. D. casts some spells to prepare the bicycles.

The big doors open and the Hu-tarn himself appears. "Welcome to our land." Muryan Jeswai, an older woman, is with him. He immediately wants a bicycle demonstration.

D. displays her unspeakable talents once more in her handling of a bicycle. The Hu-tarn wants to give it a try and everyone braces for the worst.

The worst does not however, arrive, as the Hu-tarn seems to be a natural born bicyclist, a true master of the form. He then decides to show off a bit and goes "sploosh!" into the fountain! All stand quietly wondering what will happen next. He emerges from the depths laughing, and all is well! We shall be his honored guests at the coming feast!

D. tunes up the other bicycles and they are taken off to storage. Then we mostly break up and explore the city. There ar emany fine shops selling crystals, glasses, papers, perfumes, and textiles. Our fortunes assured, we dive in. D. purchases some silks, while Oathar purchases some fine spell paper.

We feast. There is much eating and drinking. D. and Vallandra sit at the sides of the Hu-tarn. Muryan Jaswai, who turns out to the the Hu-tarn's great aunt and trade minister is present as well as Sorreyon Naron Chuk, the interior minister.

The Hu-tarn is into technology and asks Vallandra all about Loari stuff, especially air-barges. Vallandra admits to not being in the technical side of the Loari, but tells him what she knows. D. also makes a good impression on behalf of her house.

In conversation it is revealed that the trade minister woman has survived 12 different assassination attempts, and the interior minister is a staunch supporter and follower of Zager. All of other women about court fling themselves at Haeraan.

After dinner, Haeraan talks up the priests. They pretty much all hate Zagur. Zagarites tend towards war and are interested only in power and don't respect the traditions of the people. They also play with fire as a toy, and it is revealed that Zagur is a fire diety.

Imre chats with the interior minister about Zagur. "He is the light and the power. Zager shows us the way." The other priests at court "are too weak to admit the truth." We all assume that this Zagur guy is trouble, but there's nothing to be done about it now.

Orhan 1 Day 23

We are finally given our 3000 Orlini by the treasurer, and promptly divide up 400 of it for ourselves. We receive a nice sturdy chest to go with it.

We buy horses for the ride back, as eternal walking wasn't much fun, and expect that with their help we should get to port in about three days.

Orhan 1 Day 24

Horses!

Orhan 1 Day 25

Yup, riding is better than walking!

Orhan 1 Day 26

We arrive at port and sell the horses back recouping our investment. This time we get a fast cargo ship to take us back. After Oathar looks it over, we all board and settle in for the trip home. It doesn't have much of a reputation one way or the other, but it seems sturdy enough. The ship is named "The Glimmering"

Orhan 1 Day 27

Uneventful sailing!

Orhan 1 Day 28

More cool sailing! Woo hoo!

Orhan 1 Day 29

We arrive in Selkai. First order of business is to take the chest to Byron's bicycles. We arrive and are greeted by Byron with a hearty "Hooray!"

Success all around! The Hu-tarn wants more bicycles, and we escort Byron and his money to the bank. We don't even get mugged which strikes some of us as strange.

Divad welcomes us back and we feast with Divad's wine….

Orhan 1 Day 30

The next day we again break up for some individual affairs. Haeraan updates his temple on Zagur. D. reports her success to her secret masters, er.. trading house. Jack goes to tithe at a temple. Kyrik thinks perhaps it is time for him to head home.

That evening we meet at the CBSK. On the way there, Haeraan and Kyrik hear the sound of a scuffle down near the canal followed by a woman's scream. They charge into the fray and see four people fighting over a barge. Two are one the barge, and two appear to be boarding it. One barger is stabbed and falls into the water. The other is bashed on the head and drops into the boat. (She's the screaming woman.) The attackers have dark blue short cloaks with blue quilted cloth armor and Falshions with electrum blades. The defenders are dressed like adventurers with broadswords.

"Hey you guys! Stop that!"

Startled by the cries of our heroes, the attackers immediately flee. Haerann and Kyrik notice the floating form of a third attacker in the water. Haeraan tends to the woman, while Kyrik grabs the floating attacker. In the barge is a crate with a tarp to which the woman crawls with her final strength. Haeraan opens the box and pulls out a solid wooden cube about 16 inches on a side made of ebony. It's carved with intertwined obscenely posed humanoid figures and is quite disturbing. The woman dies and while Kyrik discovers that the floating attacks has an eye tatooed on his palm. The woman has a pendant bearing the crest some family no doubt. The boat is filled with backpacking and digging tools. Seeing nothing else to do there, Haeraan and Kyrik take the cube and continue to the CBSK where they meet up with the rest and relate their tale.

Imre and Oathar examine the box and both blurt out, "Is this The Spirit Box?" (An ancient item of great demonic power.) closer examination reveals that there is a keyhole in the box about midway down the front pattern. D. recognizes the woman's amulet as belonging to Tharal, one of the important merchant houses. They deal up north with the Rhakhaan duchies. The house is reputed to have connection with the Grey Ring, (a well known vigilante group.)

We argue about what to do for a bit when Imre says, "Let's take the thing to Veriak, the sage." This seems like a good idea so we do so, though Jack doesn't come with.

We go to "The Serpent's Eye," Veriak's place, and find him to be a blind old guy with a twenty foot long anaconda friend. "Yes, how may I help you?" "What's up with this box?" "Come."

We all go in and sit. The snake looks curiously on while Veriak touches the box. Then he just sits there unblinking for like ten minutes. "I feel immense age and distant malice. It resists my probing. Something is dampening." Veriak tells Za, the snake, to be patient. Finally, he says, "Radak. The box has existed for 1000 years, perhaps you might open it."

D. struggles with the lock but eventually it yields to her unsp…

The inside is lined with red velvet. There are four small posts surrounding a crystal skull with a hinged jaw. Imre says it is a demonic focus or a demonic prison. Veriak indicates that the posts are "Kregora", which Oathar identifies as a mana dampening stone, which inhibits all magic..

People discuss getting rid of the box but only decide to close it up for now. We take it back to the CBSK.

Haeraan's church advises it be disposed of after telling him not to speak the name of Radak. D. finds out that the barge belonged to Elysia Tharal, niece of the head of the house who was expected to return from some expedition this evening. Imre discovers that Radak was a lieutenant of Kadaena, from the first age. The same Kadaena who battled with the forces of Utha, and their battle ended the first era. Radak was apparently a procreator demon (who perverted love into lust).

We fret about these things well into the night.