Post by Dead Greyhawk on Jan 3, 2007 21:53:08 GMT -5
The Company sleeps in the cave system, still having much to explore, but wishing to rest and recuperate first. The glowing light from the pool in the entry cavern shines like a beacon, troubling their rest. In the morning, while the warriors stand guard, the others prepare their enchantments and prayers to try to understand the secrets of this place.
Oaklock and Hugh explore the glowing pool and its link to the pool in the treasure chamber. The glowing water quickly loses its radiance when it is removed from the pool. Containers of different shape and size are tried, along with several vials blessed by the church of Trithereon. None are able to retain the glowing essence permeating the water. Finally, the waters are poured into one of the chalices found in the treasure room. Inside its jeweled form, the radiance is contained and remains as strong as in the pool.
This result leads Oaklock and Hugh to an experimenting spree. They discover that not only is the other pool in the treasure room filled with magical water, but that it glows more brightly inside a chalice than the glowing pool does. Conversely, the water forming the Davish headwaters also glows inside a chalice, but does so much more dimly. It seems that the cave system imparts some magical essence to the waters that fades with distance, but is maintained by the chalices.
Otto, due to Myrick’s ring best equipped to survive some ill effect, offers to test the effects of the waters. He cuts himself with his sword blade and then drinks from the chalice. His wound heals, though one of the red agates loosens and drops off of the chalice into his hand. Otto suggests that all of the gems be kept together, and he directs Hugh to come up with watertight bags to transport the pool water and the chalices. This way, he argues, the water will circulate through the open mouth of the chalice and hopefully retain its essence.
Adrienne and Cedrus inspect the ebony scroll, and, finding it lacking in protective devices, read the papers wrapped within. They are quite complex and written in a mixture of what appears to Adrienne’s eyes to be orcish tongue and human language. As with the coded document found in Kennith’s camp, it is difficult to decipher and again they wish that either Winthrop or Dell were present to understand it. Finally, Oaklock pores over the papers and comes up with some tentative conclusions.
The papers seem to be bills of sale, or their equivalent, and indicate that the ogres trade extensively with the area around them for raw materials. These materials, food and ore, are bought in small amounts, on a fairly irregular basis, and are paid for in cash, rather than trade. In turn, the ogres sell armor and weapons to a single customer, some unnamed chieftain, who buys in bulk on a bimonthly basis. The most recent sale was at least a week earlier.
Armed with this information, Oaklock grants Otto the ability to fly and he uses it to sail up the side of the ravine to where the large beam juts out of the canyon wall. From this perspective, the beam’s purpose becomes clear; it is the mount for a huge block and tackle. A enormous sled is attached by hawsers to the beam and can be swung down into the canyon to ship material upwards and out. A large flat area at the edge of the ravine shows signs of being used as a campsite, and a clear trail, wide enough for small cart, snakes back into the mountains.
Otto lands and searches the ground around the edge of the canyon for tracks. He finds the faded marks of orcish boots and armor caught amid the brush, but the tracks are quite old, at least a week or more. Not seeing anything else of interest, he floats back down to the ground.
The Company spends much time packing and repacking their equipment, building frames for their heavy coin treasure. Without Winthrop’s chest, Dell’s pouch, or even summoned mules, it is a challenge to bring the valuables from the cave system. Al is adamant though; if it is even the least bit possible, the treasure will be taken. His grandmother needs all the coin she can get!
The following morning, the Company heads out, back down the river towards where the trail from the south intersects it. They move a little slower, and place their feet a bit more carefully, due to the weight they carry, but no side ventures are taken. Otto takes care to lead the Company through the easiest terrain he can find as they begin the arduous hike back to the others. No fatty, ashy plume guides their way, but the weather, outside of a few nighttime showers, holds. Otto eventually brings the others into the goblin valley, temporary home of the Company of the Blue Sun.
The large pyre that was once the remains of a band of goblins has turned into a vast pile of ash, blurred by recent rain. A large square mark in the flat ground near the pyre seems to be where Winthrop summons a magical abode for the Company to rest in at night. The troll cave seems to still be occupied though. Jasper waves at the others as they file in.
Everyone is interested in Otto’s version of events and hearing about the wonders of the glowing pool and the ogre caverns. Adrienne shows Winthrop the papers written in code and asks if he can translate it. Winthrop looks mildly confused, but then squats down by the goblin ash. Drawing some symbols in the ash with a stick, he looks like he is deep in thought. After a few minutes he stands back up, stretching, and begins scribbling with the ash-covered stick on the back of the paper. “Here’s the transcription,” he says. “They’re people’s names, but I don’t recognize any of them, perhaps you could ask the others.”
Adrienne does so, and most of the Company comes up blank, except for Oaklock. Oaklock looks at the list and frowns. “Two of the names are familiar to me. One is my fellow prisoner from beneath Nosnra’s stockade, Adolfo Casavall. The other was his brother and personal guard, Luciano, who was eaten by Nosnra’s men on the road up from Sterich. If this is a list of Nerullites, they must have been.” Oaklock appears as if he has bitten into something sour and somewhat rotten.
Winthrop and Raven have had adventures as well. Winthrop claims he has been sending messages to Otto every day. Otto heard nothing and wonders whether Winthrop’s deluded or if the magic merely was sent at bad times for him to hear. In any case, Winthrop and Raven are glad the Company has returned, because they have committed to a new cause. The others, who have just hiked across the mountains for a number of days, sag in weariness and begin getting ready for sleep.
Winthrop starts another large fire with a collection of pine boughs and saplings. Soon it is burning well, pumping out thick white smoke. Raven and he explain that several days after the others left, a flying bird-man came to the cave. It appeared unarmed and as if it wished to talk, as it landed in full view and approached with arms extended. The bird-man did not speak any of the tongues known by the Company, so communication was a challenge. Jasper had to speak to birds in the area, who then spoke with the bird-man. Needless to say, the conversation, mediated by bird brain, was quite limited.
The bird-man eventually got across that the bird-people were having problems with lion-birds to the west and north. These sounded like the same lion-birds that the turkey vultures spoke of and, in Winthrop’s opinion, are probably griffons. The bird-people are not numerous and the griffons, who have recently moved into the area, are more than a match for them, even when the bird-people shamen use their magics. The bird-man searched for allies and saw the destruction of the goblins and trolls by the powerful Company. With such strong, brave, and mighty allies, the lion-birds can be forced from the area, made to move on to different hunting grounds further from the bird-people’s aerie.
Otto thinks that the obsequiousness of the bird-people has gone to Raven and Winthrop’s collective head. Traipsing off through the mountains to find the griffons and then force them from the area seems to be well outside of what the Company is trying to do in the Crystalmists. When he points this out, Raven counters that they need as many allies as they can get at this point, and if it is weak bird-people, then they’ll just have to make do. Otto still thinks that this is about Raven and Winthrop’s swollen heads, but the others seem swayed by the argument.
The smoke from the fire, along with a discreet message sent by Jasper via passing birds, is supposed to draw the bird-man back to the valley, where he will escort the Company to their aerie. The Company doesn’t expect the bird-man to arrive before the end of the next day, so the others will have some time to rest and recover. Winthrop summons back his magical chest, and the treasure from the wolf-creatures and the ogres is placed within, except for the potions and waterskins of faintly glowing liquid.
Indeed, it takes several days for the bird-man to arrive and for the Company to head to the aerie. The bird-man seems under the misapprehension that the Company could, or would, fly and is challenged by the Company’s insistence on walking. Otto is called on again to lead the Company over the mountainside, the bird-man squawking unhappily at the delay.
The aerie is not particular far away, and the Company makes good time traveling towards it. Unfortunately for them, the bird-man aerie is also well out of their reach. Built into the side of the mountaintop, the apex of the highest reaching animal trail is several hundred feet below the aerie. Their bird-man guide leads the Company to a mesa partway up the mountainside, and then flies up, presumably to collect a welcoming committee.
Ten bird-people fly down in spirals. One is the guide who led the Company here. Two appear to be warriors of some sort, gripping spears in their talons and wearing javelins across their backs. Five must be advisors of some sort, and they land in a small clump on the far side of the mesa, patently afraid to come too close to the Company, clutching their hands together in a huddle. The last bird-person is markedly different. While still looking like a cross between a bird of prey and a human, the feathers of this bird-person are iridescent, with a noticeable sheen and plumage to them. This must either be a leader or a religious figure of some sort.
The bird-man begins to speak with Bran, Otto’s animal friend. The raven seems smart enough to transmit full sentences from the bird-man to Jasper and back. Cedrus cannily enchants himself to speak with animals as well, so as to verify the translation done by Jasper. While Jasper has enough goodwill for three people, he is not swift of thought. The idea that negotiations occur through Jasper is somewhat blood chilling, but as far as Cedrus can tell, Jasper’s translations are accurate, if a bit simple.
The iridescent bird-man relates a similar story to that of the emissary. A small tribe of bird-people being ravaged by griffons who have moved into the area. While the griffons prey on them, the bird-people do not wish them dead, but merely encouraged to move on. The iridescent bird-man explains that the situation is further complicated because of the location of the griffons’ lair. It is a large, deep cave in the base of the mountain where the god-bird and her chicks roost. Apparently the god-bird is female.
The Company feels confidant that they can deal with this threat in a quick and handy manner, gaining potential allies able to scan their foes from the air. Before embarking on it though, Winthrop uses his magics to allow him and the bird-men to speak clearly, so that no misunderstandings occur. He is pleased to find that a misunderstanding has occurred, but is remediable; the iridescent bird-man is actually a bird-woman. Her mellifluous voice is pleasant to hear through Winthrop’s enchantment, and she is overjoyed that such a powerful group such as the Company will deign to aid the bird-people. Winthrop’s head swells slightly.
Oaklock and Hugh explore the glowing pool and its link to the pool in the treasure chamber. The glowing water quickly loses its radiance when it is removed from the pool. Containers of different shape and size are tried, along with several vials blessed by the church of Trithereon. None are able to retain the glowing essence permeating the water. Finally, the waters are poured into one of the chalices found in the treasure room. Inside its jeweled form, the radiance is contained and remains as strong as in the pool.
This result leads Oaklock and Hugh to an experimenting spree. They discover that not only is the other pool in the treasure room filled with magical water, but that it glows more brightly inside a chalice than the glowing pool does. Conversely, the water forming the Davish headwaters also glows inside a chalice, but does so much more dimly. It seems that the cave system imparts some magical essence to the waters that fades with distance, but is maintained by the chalices.
Otto, due to Myrick’s ring best equipped to survive some ill effect, offers to test the effects of the waters. He cuts himself with his sword blade and then drinks from the chalice. His wound heals, though one of the red agates loosens and drops off of the chalice into his hand. Otto suggests that all of the gems be kept together, and he directs Hugh to come up with watertight bags to transport the pool water and the chalices. This way, he argues, the water will circulate through the open mouth of the chalice and hopefully retain its essence.
Adrienne and Cedrus inspect the ebony scroll, and, finding it lacking in protective devices, read the papers wrapped within. They are quite complex and written in a mixture of what appears to Adrienne’s eyes to be orcish tongue and human language. As with the coded document found in Kennith’s camp, it is difficult to decipher and again they wish that either Winthrop or Dell were present to understand it. Finally, Oaklock pores over the papers and comes up with some tentative conclusions.
The papers seem to be bills of sale, or their equivalent, and indicate that the ogres trade extensively with the area around them for raw materials. These materials, food and ore, are bought in small amounts, on a fairly irregular basis, and are paid for in cash, rather than trade. In turn, the ogres sell armor and weapons to a single customer, some unnamed chieftain, who buys in bulk on a bimonthly basis. The most recent sale was at least a week earlier.
Armed with this information, Oaklock grants Otto the ability to fly and he uses it to sail up the side of the ravine to where the large beam juts out of the canyon wall. From this perspective, the beam’s purpose becomes clear; it is the mount for a huge block and tackle. A enormous sled is attached by hawsers to the beam and can be swung down into the canyon to ship material upwards and out. A large flat area at the edge of the ravine shows signs of being used as a campsite, and a clear trail, wide enough for small cart, snakes back into the mountains.
Otto lands and searches the ground around the edge of the canyon for tracks. He finds the faded marks of orcish boots and armor caught amid the brush, but the tracks are quite old, at least a week or more. Not seeing anything else of interest, he floats back down to the ground.
The Company spends much time packing and repacking their equipment, building frames for their heavy coin treasure. Without Winthrop’s chest, Dell’s pouch, or even summoned mules, it is a challenge to bring the valuables from the cave system. Al is adamant though; if it is even the least bit possible, the treasure will be taken. His grandmother needs all the coin she can get!
The following morning, the Company heads out, back down the river towards where the trail from the south intersects it. They move a little slower, and place their feet a bit more carefully, due to the weight they carry, but no side ventures are taken. Otto takes care to lead the Company through the easiest terrain he can find as they begin the arduous hike back to the others. No fatty, ashy plume guides their way, but the weather, outside of a few nighttime showers, holds. Otto eventually brings the others into the goblin valley, temporary home of the Company of the Blue Sun.
The large pyre that was once the remains of a band of goblins has turned into a vast pile of ash, blurred by recent rain. A large square mark in the flat ground near the pyre seems to be where Winthrop summons a magical abode for the Company to rest in at night. The troll cave seems to still be occupied though. Jasper waves at the others as they file in.
Everyone is interested in Otto’s version of events and hearing about the wonders of the glowing pool and the ogre caverns. Adrienne shows Winthrop the papers written in code and asks if he can translate it. Winthrop looks mildly confused, but then squats down by the goblin ash. Drawing some symbols in the ash with a stick, he looks like he is deep in thought. After a few minutes he stands back up, stretching, and begins scribbling with the ash-covered stick on the back of the paper. “Here’s the transcription,” he says. “They’re people’s names, but I don’t recognize any of them, perhaps you could ask the others.”
Adrienne does so, and most of the Company comes up blank, except for Oaklock. Oaklock looks at the list and frowns. “Two of the names are familiar to me. One is my fellow prisoner from beneath Nosnra’s stockade, Adolfo Casavall. The other was his brother and personal guard, Luciano, who was eaten by Nosnra’s men on the road up from Sterich. If this is a list of Nerullites, they must have been.” Oaklock appears as if he has bitten into something sour and somewhat rotten.
Winthrop and Raven have had adventures as well. Winthrop claims he has been sending messages to Otto every day. Otto heard nothing and wonders whether Winthrop’s deluded or if the magic merely was sent at bad times for him to hear. In any case, Winthrop and Raven are glad the Company has returned, because they have committed to a new cause. The others, who have just hiked across the mountains for a number of days, sag in weariness and begin getting ready for sleep.
Winthrop starts another large fire with a collection of pine boughs and saplings. Soon it is burning well, pumping out thick white smoke. Raven and he explain that several days after the others left, a flying bird-man came to the cave. It appeared unarmed and as if it wished to talk, as it landed in full view and approached with arms extended. The bird-man did not speak any of the tongues known by the Company, so communication was a challenge. Jasper had to speak to birds in the area, who then spoke with the bird-man. Needless to say, the conversation, mediated by bird brain, was quite limited.
The bird-man eventually got across that the bird-people were having problems with lion-birds to the west and north. These sounded like the same lion-birds that the turkey vultures spoke of and, in Winthrop’s opinion, are probably griffons. The bird-people are not numerous and the griffons, who have recently moved into the area, are more than a match for them, even when the bird-people shamen use their magics. The bird-man searched for allies and saw the destruction of the goblins and trolls by the powerful Company. With such strong, brave, and mighty allies, the lion-birds can be forced from the area, made to move on to different hunting grounds further from the bird-people’s aerie.
Otto thinks that the obsequiousness of the bird-people has gone to Raven and Winthrop’s collective head. Traipsing off through the mountains to find the griffons and then force them from the area seems to be well outside of what the Company is trying to do in the Crystalmists. When he points this out, Raven counters that they need as many allies as they can get at this point, and if it is weak bird-people, then they’ll just have to make do. Otto still thinks that this is about Raven and Winthrop’s swollen heads, but the others seem swayed by the argument.
The smoke from the fire, along with a discreet message sent by Jasper via passing birds, is supposed to draw the bird-man back to the valley, where he will escort the Company to their aerie. The Company doesn’t expect the bird-man to arrive before the end of the next day, so the others will have some time to rest and recover. Winthrop summons back his magical chest, and the treasure from the wolf-creatures and the ogres is placed within, except for the potions and waterskins of faintly glowing liquid.
Indeed, it takes several days for the bird-man to arrive and for the Company to head to the aerie. The bird-man seems under the misapprehension that the Company could, or would, fly and is challenged by the Company’s insistence on walking. Otto is called on again to lead the Company over the mountainside, the bird-man squawking unhappily at the delay.
The aerie is not particular far away, and the Company makes good time traveling towards it. Unfortunately for them, the bird-man aerie is also well out of their reach. Built into the side of the mountaintop, the apex of the highest reaching animal trail is several hundred feet below the aerie. Their bird-man guide leads the Company to a mesa partway up the mountainside, and then flies up, presumably to collect a welcoming committee.
Ten bird-people fly down in spirals. One is the guide who led the Company here. Two appear to be warriors of some sort, gripping spears in their talons and wearing javelins across their backs. Five must be advisors of some sort, and they land in a small clump on the far side of the mesa, patently afraid to come too close to the Company, clutching their hands together in a huddle. The last bird-person is markedly different. While still looking like a cross between a bird of prey and a human, the feathers of this bird-person are iridescent, with a noticeable sheen and plumage to them. This must either be a leader or a religious figure of some sort.
The bird-man begins to speak with Bran, Otto’s animal friend. The raven seems smart enough to transmit full sentences from the bird-man to Jasper and back. Cedrus cannily enchants himself to speak with animals as well, so as to verify the translation done by Jasper. While Jasper has enough goodwill for three people, he is not swift of thought. The idea that negotiations occur through Jasper is somewhat blood chilling, but as far as Cedrus can tell, Jasper’s translations are accurate, if a bit simple.
The iridescent bird-man relates a similar story to that of the emissary. A small tribe of bird-people being ravaged by griffons who have moved into the area. While the griffons prey on them, the bird-people do not wish them dead, but merely encouraged to move on. The iridescent bird-man explains that the situation is further complicated because of the location of the griffons’ lair. It is a large, deep cave in the base of the mountain where the god-bird and her chicks roost. Apparently the god-bird is female.
The Company feels confidant that they can deal with this threat in a quick and handy manner, gaining potential allies able to scan their foes from the air. Before embarking on it though, Winthrop uses his magics to allow him and the bird-men to speak clearly, so that no misunderstandings occur. He is pleased to find that a misunderstanding has occurred, but is remediable; the iridescent bird-man is actually a bird-woman. Her mellifluous voice is pleasant to hear through Winthrop’s enchantment, and she is overjoyed that such a powerful group such as the Company will deign to aid the bird-people. Winthrop’s head swells slightly.