Yes - 8
No - 2
Steal - 4
Purchase Copy - 7
Do not Acquire - 0
Marry You - 2
Marry Anders - 8
Marry Andre - 0
Do Not Marry - 0
Yes - 8
No - 1
Who to Invite: IronyOwl's post got a bunch of +1s. Lets go with that. Hard to count split votes when people can vote for an open-ended number of hunting guests.
Preparations: IronyOwl and Mightymushroom with the suggestions. Minus the implication that Penette and Pier should murder Penteram.
As you consent to the hex, Matriarch Mire places a hand on you, and holds it there in silence for a few moments. A brief wave of cold passes over your body, and the deed is done. Later when changing your clothes you find runes etched into your own shoulder; Usually the terms of a hex appear plainly written in the caster's native language. You are not sure what the runes are; Perhaps the Matriarch is old enough that her native tongue is lost to the world, or perhaps she is so skilled at hex weaving she can publish her terms in the universal and lawless language of the raw arcane. Either way, you cannot read it, and thus have no choice to take Matriarch Mire on her word regarding the terms of the Taboo.
---
You tell Frigga to arrange Evie's marriage to your brother Anders. She nods.
Some time later you receive a letter from Andre that mentions Anders is to be wed to the daughter of a dead crusader Bishop. Apparently Anders is put off by the arrangement; Queen Regent Anne had promised him earlier that he might marry whomever he pleased, and to that end Anders was strongly considering taking a vow of celibacy to increase his standing among the Imperial Clergy, but some party mother refuses to name made her an offer including a dowry that she couldn't refuse. Luckily for your relationship with your brother, the letter suggests that nobody back home, least of all the author, has any idea of your roll in the arranged marriage.
The only person who seems to have put two and two together seems to be Evie herself, who one day approaches you out of the blue, thanks you 'for everything', and comments that you look good in a hood. She then quickly departs before you can strike up a conversation, leading you to believe that at the very least she understands that the circumstances behind her marriage are supposed to remain secret.
---
By the time the scribe you hired has finished transcribing
Rites and Rituals of the 19 Demons it is too late into the cool season to safely send the scroll back home to Anders this year.
Luckily the Bloodstone Plateau does not mount a major raid during this downtime, and Anders seems satisfied with the delivery of his legally purchased gift. He replies with a letter that both expresses his gratitude and vents his frustration about affairs back home.
Apparently Anders has been involved in negotiations with the Bloodstone Plateau Fortress, and finds their leader to be frightening. His name is Korrag and he is a full blooded Orc who claims to have made it across the great desert with a vast knowledge of exotic magic. Anders does not doubt Korrag's claim of magical knowledge, but is more afraid of the Orc as a person. Apparently he has risen to undisputed leader of the Fortress having only immigrated there ten years ago. As part of his rise to power, Anders suspects Korrag as built himself an extensive spy network that extends even into New Mahallo; Korrag always seems to know exactly when the Mahallo raiders are away 'conducting business', and nasty rumors about prominent figures in government, including the one that you intend to assassinate Phillip and his children to avenge Vera, have been spreading like wildfire across Bride Price ever since the full blooded Orc came into power.
Anders claims to have met Korrag on a few occasions, and is very confident that the Orc has no intentions of being anything but a pillager and troublemaker in regards to your kingdom. He is currently pretending to entertain a peace deal in which one of his sons marries your youngest sister Anne, but insists the wedding take place when Anne reaches age 8, the Orcish age of maturity. Your brother insists that Korrag knows more than enough about Imperial human society to understand why this is unacceptable, but continues to demand the Orcish wedding date insisting that your mother is racist to insist otherwise.
---
You begin to prepare for the hunt, and the first thing you consider is your mount. Your Mahallo Centipede Snatcher Vera is bred for strength and toughness, meant to wrestle down prey, ignore their bites and stings, and allow you to get the kill. As a Sand Daemon would be far to big for a Dire Kangaroo Rat to tangle up or survive a hit from, it might be worth bringing a rat bred for speed. Sadly the Mahallo Centipede Snatcher
is the fastest breed your company produces that happens to be large enough for a nearly full grown man to ride. In his prime, Arson would have been faster than Vera, but your old friend is now in his twilight years and has lost a step or two. You are debating if you want to bring your original pet along so he can come home to Bride Price with you afterward, but either way Arson will probably not factor into the hunt.
Nonetheless, you are sure Vera will impress anyway. You will have plenty of opportunities to sic her on appropriately sized prey during the journey. Even the mere act of riding Vera will speak to your abilities; Dire Kangaroo Rats require a specific skillset to ride, and the breeds large enough to ferry adults are few and far between. Your imperial contemporaries will almost surely be riding camels.
You ask Vishnu for any tips that might aid in either bringing a sand daemon down, or at the very least surviving an encounter. The three eyed elf frowns.
"Creatures that powerful are categorized into 'concepts' rather than 'species'. To make any assumptions about an individual Sand Daemon, aside from the fact that it is going to be large and attuned to the elemental magic of earth, would be folly. Some are dumb as bugs, others clever as men. Some might conjure small dust storms to hinder your progress, others could have the earth swallow your entire party with merely a thought."
Vishnu closes his third eye in though, before speaking again. "I can think of two specific pieces of advice for you. First, when in Sand Daemon territory, pick a landmark every day to meet up at should your party become scattered. If the fight goes poorly, and everyone doesn't die instantly, splitting up so it can't chase everyone is your best bet for survival. Second, every sand daemon I've ever seen or heard of depends on an exoskeleton for defense. A simple hex of brittleness could make the fight much easier. Of course you have to touch something to hex it, and some sand daemons may very well have some level of magic resistance, so I wouldn't plan an entire hunt around pulling that move off."
Pierre is happy to give you the general location of the Sand Daemon who killed his mother, and a few hints about fighting that particular specimen. It takes the form of a giant vinegaroon, and can conjure horse sized boulders to rain from the sky. It must be incredibly resistant to venom to survive the god slaying bite of an adult Naj Hochet, but it is not completely immune; The spot on its underbelly where it was bit is soft and withered, providing a weak spot for anyone suicidal enough to get underneath a giant creature they are trying to kill.
Leaving Pierre, you turn to Penette to talk to about the Naj Hochet behind his back. She doesn't straight out confess to murdering a house mate to win Pierre's friendship, but does state she was looking for someone to teach her more about reptile husbandry and druidism, and
took steps, to win the services of Pierre who as a reptile spirit could do both. You accept her answer, and tell her that you don't mind her staying in the Nameless City after you take the throne, but that since she is first in line for the throne of New Mahallo until you have children of your own, it would be nice if she put some effort into developing suitable contacts and manners, just in case. She nods in agreement. "I'll look into that, but hopefully I'll never need to be anything more than a warden of the beasts."
---
The day has come for you to say goodbye to the Nameless City. The party you are traveling with is fairly small to start. Your friends Keanu, Kane, and Kaylee are the only other experienced desert hunters present. Vishnu and Apollo, although too busy to come, have each sent four representatives to honor your invitation. All four of Vishnu's reps know how to navigate the desert even if hunting is not their forte. The people sent by Apollo seem more out of their element, but you know one of them, who goes by the name of Bradley, happens to be one of Apollo's apprentices in necromancy. You doubt he'd actually use that sort of magic in front of Imperials unless his life depended on it though.
Also along for the journey is a beautiful pale-skilled 'young' woman by the name of Maeve. Maeve has been sent by Matriarch Mire to serve as your private tutor in hexes and illusions once you return to Bride Price. The fact that an unwed King is traveling with such a pretty lady in his service may raise a few eyebrows, but as long as none of the Imperials figure out what the two completely entranced and otherwise useless young men she brings with her are for, nobody is likely to guess she is a vampire. Kane has 'selflessly' offered to pretend to be her husband and share her tent if you wish to take an extra step to remove suspicion from her.
---
After two weeks traveling through the desert you meet up with the main hunting party. Penteram's group consists of himself, two of his legitimate sons Louie and Roderick, his bastard Phillip, and a small handful of his favored advisors and underlings. Also present are 25 soldiers flying a banner that depicts a seven headed golden dragon, the Coat of Arms of The Titan Canyons. 25 more soldiers walk under the banner of the Skeletal Rider; Penteram has seemingly been kind enough to bring champions for you to command, although you note they appear to be Imperial rather than Mahallo and that their gear is identical to that which is carried by your brother's men. 'Your' champions are led by your mother Anne and your half brother Andre.
The first few weeks of the hunt are fun. The Imperials are content to roam the desert and see the sights for the first time by day, and drink heavily by night. But eventually Penteram is ready to take things seriously, and to your mild surprise, he calls you and Keanu into his tent for advice. "Where do we start looking for this thing?" He asks, "you guys know this desert better than I."
You consider your options.
Possible Hunting Grounds -Godsbane Basin: A region deep in the heart of the desert where Pierre believes the Sand Daemon who killed his mother can be found. Your best bet if you actually want to hunt the intended prey.
The Lichdunes: The region around the Nameless City. You know you wont find any Sand Daemons here, but this is the place you are most familiar with, and thus best if you want to show off your skills to Penteram.
The Dustlands: Where the desert meets New Mahallo. A good pick if you want to be able to keep in touch with home and be in position to respond to emergencies there.
The Spirelands: A region of desert known for the harshest terrain and beasts. Also home to many ruins. A good pick if you want a memorable adventure without necessarily having to fight a Sand Daemon.
Also, is there anything you wish to discuss with any of the people on the trip with you? You have plenty of time for small talk OR important political discussions while you travel.
Author
Topic: (SG) Petty Kingdom of New Mahallo: Reign of King Arawn (Read 20197 times)