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[brewer bob]

Part XIII:
To Find Smarter Minds




23rd of Obsidian, 370

Cañar stepped to the table and tapped the slab lightly with his war hammer. When nothing happened, he lifted it and put it in his backpack.

“How do we destroy it?”, the elephant man turned to the others who stood around the table silently, “How can we possibly get rid of this source of evil? Did your dream tell it to you, Lòr?”

“I-I... No,” Lòr mumbled, trying to gather his thoughts. The dream had led them this far, yet no matter how much he went through it in his head, there was nothing that hinted on how to destroy the slab. He continued, “I'm afraid that is something the dream didn't tell me...”

“Surely there was something?”, Suwu said, “Think carefully. Maybe there is some clue you missed?”

But no. There was no clue. Lòr had no inkling of what to do next. He looked at his friends, all staring at him expectantly. The attention made him slightly uncomfortable. As his gaze shifted from one to the other, he noticed Rin: the goblin had his eyes shut and hands over his ears.

“Rin? Are you alright?”, Lòr asked.

The goblin opened his eyes, put his hands down and wiped them on the hem of his silk coat. The voices in his head had stopped. How long had been like that? It was a bit embarrassing.

“Yeah,” Rin spoke, “I'm fine. I, uh, I was just thinking there... What to do. How to get rid of this... This thing.” He pointed at Cañar's backpack.

“Well,” it was now Ova's turn to open his mouth. He still clutched his chest, his breath wheezing, but speaking was not too difficult, “We have time to think of ways... We still have to...” He paused to inhale deeply. It hurt his sides, but he continued, “To make sure there are no undead nor other minions left.”

“Agreed,” Suwu nodded, “There were still many a building we didn't search. And we have to question those -- things.” With that she meant the abominations who had joined their side in the hall of the tower, doing battle against the sorcerers and the corpses they raised.

Their work certainly wasn't finished.





Suwu approached the black-scaled humanoid wearing a long, flowing dress. It was looking at the mutilated bodies, blood and viscera strewn about the hall. Its large mandibles clicked and chittered, its hand trembled visibly.

“Hail,” Suwu raised her hand in greeting, “I am Suwu Cleanmusics the Confusing Smokes, the bane of giants, the--”

“Murderer! Killer!”, the creature interrupted, looking at Suwu and the group of four behind her with fear in its eyes. It took several steps back as it continued, “You took the life of Upu! You ended the days of Mec Urgedguard!”

Suwu drew her sword.

The abomination turned and ran into the dark of the hall.



Suwu ran after it up the stairs where she gained on the scaled monster.



With one mighty blow Suwu severed the creature's leg. It fell down screaming in pain and horror.

A swift stab to the head put it out of its misery.



As Suwu raised her gaze from the body, she noticed another of the scaly beings coming down a staircase.

“What have you done!?”, it yelled at the capybara woman who had just brutally murdered its friend, “You will get no forgiveness with these acts, murderer!”

“Calm yourself!”, Suwu snapped at it, though her words were more directed at herself than the being. She was afraid. Her hands were shaking. This was unlike of her. Acting rashly. Maiming. Killing. All she wanted was that the horror of this day would end.

She felt herself cracking. Her lower lip began to quiver.

“I-It was all so quick...”, she looked at the bodies on the floor, the blood staining her hands, “It wasn't supposed to go this way...”

She sheathed her sword as the others reached the scene.




“Tell me about this place,” Lòr said as he approached the creature from behind Suwu, “Tell me who rules this place? Your captain is dead.”

“This is Finderblunts,” the creature replied, turning its gaze to the capybara man, “The death of Githa means nothing: there will be another captain. Nedul Droopyears is next in line, hah! Your pitiful attempts are vain -- we are right in all the matters, you ignorant fools. This world will be ours.”

Lòr walked closer, keeping his pick close to hand.



“Tell me then, creature,” he said, his hand slowly grasping the handle of the pick, “How strong a hold on these accursed lands do you now have? Pray, tell me!”

“HAH!”, the creature laughed, its mandibles clacking unnervingly, “This will not challenge them -- us -- at all! Tell me, how can you defeat the forces of death itself? Death is inevitable.”

It pointed at all the corpses lying on the floor, trying to appear unperturbed, but one could see it wavering. There was a slight quiver to its voice. It was afraid.

“Come, join us,” Lòr continued, “Join us and help us rid this world of these foul sorcerers. Redeem yourself.”

The creature sneered, its mandibles clacked and rattled agitatedly as it spoke, “I have no interest in such folly, murderer.”



“Well then,” Lòr put his hand on the shaft of his pick, “Be prepared to be sent into the Abyss, foul creature of the Night!”

He drew his pick and charged.





The companions sat under the clear sky lit by stars, a waxing half moon visible in the western sky. A cold breeze blew from the east, from the dead grounds of Finderblunts, but no longer was there the presence of death in it.

They were huddled around a campfire lit next to a frozen pond, sitting under the canopy of a weeping willow. They inspected each other's wounds -- some not as bad as thought, but others worse when one took a closer look: Lòr could barely move his left hand. The thumb was not only smashed open and fractured. Tendons and ligaments appeared to be torn; his left paw was cut apart and he could not stand without aid. Fortunately they had found a wooden crutch from one of the ziggurats and Lòr used it to support his weight.

Fighting would prove difficult in his condition. Yet, it might be that the fighting was done for: Finderblunts had been cleansed. There were no more living nor undead standing.

Suwu turned her gaze to Cañar: his trunk was bleeding and badly crushed. One of the six-legged vicious beasts they had encountered in the ziggurats had proven to be a formidable foe and caused them many a wound. But it, too, was put down in the end.

And Ova. Ova was still wheezing, clutching his side and chest once in a while. But he had survived this long. He would survive longer. Time would heal the wounds. Unless infection set in.

That was a major concern.



Suwu looked at her right arm and hand: it was gashed and missing hair in places. But her palm. It was bruised. Badly. And it was painful. When touched, you could feel how it was much, much warmer than the rest of the skin. She feared infection might have set in.

But she said nothing of it to the others. They were exhausted from the day.

Except Rin -- he appeared to be the only one who came out unscathed.



Suwu put her head down on the grass and her hands behind her head. She looked at the stars as she lay there. 'I wonder if the stories of the stars being the souls of the Children of Ôsed are true, she pondered as her thoughts once more raced to Edu.

Oh how she had loved him! Not in a romantic way, mind you, but as a friend, a comrade, a kindred spirit. They had seen so much together, and there would have been so much they could have seen still. But settled life in Waterlures, getting married and raising children -- like Lòr -- took all of Edu's time until his final, fateful day.

She sighed. She wished Edu was back. Here with her, with his son. Helping them rid the world of the plague of undeath. His son's divine mission. Perhaps Suwu wasn't so interested in the motivations of the god of fortresses, but she certainly was committed to helping Lòr. She owed it to Edu.




Lòr stood up, walked to the edge of the pond, then back to the others. He was thinking. Thinking hard what was to be their next step. He looked at his friends. They had come to help him in his quest even when they did not have to. They were ready to leave everything behind for him. To sacrifice themselves even.

“My brothers and sister,” Lòr began, “I must offer my sincerest thanks to you. On behalf of myself and Mighty Mestthos. I would not be standing here today were it not for you.” He leaned on his crutch: he wasn't really standing on his own even now, but...

“You're adventurous spirit was what I needed. Had you not come to Morningwilt with news of my father's death, I would still be ruminating on the dream I had. You helped me understand it, come to realise what it meant...”, he paused and looked upon the eyes now set upon him. Suwu had stood up. He could sense pride in her eyes. Or at least he thought it was pride.

“With your aid and the guidance of Mestthos we brought siege upon Finderblunts. My dream, it was no longer a mere veiled poem. Together, together we came here singing 'scourges!' as we lay waste to the calamitous wickedness nested in that evil, wicked, barren place,” he pointed behind him to the east where the now empty tower stood in the darkness.

“Surely the wind mourns no more. We have done a great deed for the living, for the Great Mestthos...”, once again he paused, “...A great deed for Waterlures.”

“Aye,” Suwu raised her voice and fist, “For Waterlures!”

The rest joined in, standing, fists up high, “For Waterlures!”




24th of Obsidian, 370

The next morning the sun shone from a bright sky. They had rested well, and despite sore muscles and painful bruises -- Ova and Lòr were both feeling better now -- they were eager to continue their journey wherever it took them.

The night had gone relatively calmly -- barring the fool of a cougar woman who thought them as easy prey, only to be put down herself. They were once again in the verdant Awe-Inspiring Forest, heading northwest.

Their wounds needed tending and they certainly could use more rest. Rin knew that close to the tower were small hamlets of the humans of the Just Union. He had lived in the area before coming to Waterlures. In one of the villages they hoped to recuperate and make plans.

For they did not know what it would take to destroy the evil slab. Clearly it was of unholy origin and no normal means would work. Cañar had tried to smash it with his might and hammer, but even with his unimaginable strength the slab was undented with nary a crack in it from the blow.

They needed the help of smarter minds.




But once again their journey did not go without incident.

As they made their way through the bamboo thickets, the sun still low in the eastern sky, a guttural roar was heard from the side: a large, bloated humanoid with three stubby tails charged from between the trunks, its body covered in short and even black hair that seemed to suck all light in. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow as it lunged forth with knife in hand!



The creature of the Night attacked the elephant man, but Cañar dodged it, swinging his hammer: it hit the foul beast's hand with a wicked crack! Immediately Cañar bullrushed the surprised creature, colliding with it and knocking it over as the others rushed to help.

But their help was not needed, for Cañar continued his onslaught by taking hold of the monster's head and ripping it into loose shreds!




Once they had entered the more open Playful Hill, it took not long until they saw several buildings in the north -- possibly a monastery -- and what looked to be a town of some kind in the northwest.

They headed first for the monastery.




Suwu stood at an open wall of the upper floors of a temple they had entered. This was a monastery for certain, but so far they had not encountered a single living soul. Suwu was unsure what god it was dedicated to, but from what she and the others understood of the statues, engravings and frescoes, this was where the Strifeful Communion was formed.

Cañar and Rin had heard that name before and knew that it was some elven sect that worshiped a human deity. Maybe one of revenge? The name of the god they couldn't recall.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(OOC: The deity in question is a human god, one Quenir Stabbeaches the Gate of Lashes, and is associated with revenge and boundaries. But our heroes could not possibly know that.)

What the companions had found curious was that there were several statues of the necromancer captain, Githa, from Finderblunts. The statues depicted scenes where the vile sorcerer corrupted others to work for him or join his side.

It was clear that these evil-doers had been wreaking havoc here for a long, long time.

But those times should now be over.




The monastery proved to be abandoned. No wonder, since it was only a short distance from the wickedness of the tower. The only life they encountered there was a traveling pack of wild boar and carp in a stream.

Next they headed to the village they had seen in the distance.



At first the hamlet appeared to be empty, too. The limestone buildings were ramshackle and decrepit with holes in their roofs. Some buildings were half-collapsed. And the gardens grew only weeds or were barren.

But as they made their way from building to building, sounds were heard from inside one of the huts.

Suwu drew her sword and began creeping closer...



What she saw inside surprised her: two small, squat humanoids garbed in crude tunics and loincloths were huddled against a wall. They were munching on what seemed to be the remains of a rat or some other rodent, their large pointy ears twitching with every bite. They turned to look at the capybara woman with their round yellow eyes that glowed in the dark of the building.

She had never seen any creatures like this.



As one of the creatures approached her, Cañar and Lòr entered the building stepping to stand guard on her sides.

“Hello there small one,” Suwu said as calmly as she could, “I am Suwu and these are my companions. Is this your home?”

“Jeebibus bumbunis... Me Tlolofotreegus,” the creature answered with barely intelligible words. It looked impatient and agitated, eyeing at the creatures far larger than it was.

“Glefeebsis... Clobberberpullsuudrus,” it continued, “Trarsnus rulesbis!”

It looked still quite uneasy and untrusting. Suwu grabbed a walnut and an amulet from her pocket, offering them to the creature. It snatched them from her hand, its eyes gleaming. It looked pleased.

“Kobolds!”, Rin let out. He had just entered the building and was surprised to see the creatures as well. It was not his first time, no. When leading the pilgrims to Waterlures he had encountered three in the hamlet of Fellspreads. But the encounter had been a short one, since they didn't respond to him.

These, however, appeared to know how to speak. Or at least they knew some words.




They learned nothing more from the kobolds. Their vocabulary was very limited and it was hard to make any sense of their utterances.

So they left the hamlet, which they thought was called Clobberpulls -- if they had understood the kobolds' words correctly.

They steered clear of the town next to the hamlet. Rin said that the town had long since fallen under darkness and knew not what its current state was. While it certainly would have been something they should have investigated, the companions agreed that they were in no shape after Finderblunts to head to another possible confrontation.

Now they sat within the walls of a ruined wooden house, its floor and roof rotten long ago. Suwu had made a fire on the floor of sand and they all had gathered around it.



Suwu began to hum and sing 'Amethysts'. Though she sang quite sloppily, the others did not mind and joined in, simulating various instruments. This time Rin didn't join in and grumbled how awful it all sounded.



Once the songs were sung, something came to Suwu's mind: she once again remembered the discussions she had had with Tekkud about the library in Fencereined.

“That's it!”, Suwu jumped up, startling the others, “That's where we'll find the answers we need!”

“What?”, Rin looked at her from the fire, confused.

“Remember how I told about the fortress of Fencereined just a couple days ago?”, she explained excitedly, “How Tekkud told me of the grand library and elf scholars there? In an ancient fortress of a fallen dwarf kingdom...”

“Ah,” Ova looked up understanding where this was headed, “The one now controlled by Múya Loré!”

“That is far away,” Cañar spoke, his eyes still watching the flames of the fire dancing and flickering mesmerizingly, “It would take us many a day, perhaps weeks even, to reach it. Surely there are places of knowledge closer.”

“Exactly. We don't have days,” Rin interjected, turning his eyes up and west towards the sun which was soon to set, “The next full moon is in less than a week,” he pointed to the east where the waxing gibbous moon was already somewhat visible, “What do we do if the curse takes hold of Lòr?”

“Tie me down then,” Lòr said, “Shut me somewhere for the night. I-I can't completely control myself when the Beast takes over... But I can do my best to resist... And... And with the strength granted by Mestthos I may be able to hold the frenzy back.”

“I can hold you down if need be,” Cañar put his hand on Lòr's shoulder, “I have faced the cursed ones. And while strong, they are no match for this old elephant who has not yet lost his vigor.”

The elephant man looked at the others, “I say we head for Fencereined, and... And if on the way we encounter any who can help us, good. It will make our quest shorter.”

“Agreed,” Suwu nodded. Lòr joined in.

“Agreed,” Ova smiled. He would get to see the greenery of his lands of birth once more.

The companions attention turned to Rin.

“I guess we're going to Fencereined then, huh?”, he sighed and rolled his eyes.

He would have to follow them. He did not want to. It was folly. He turned his gaze on Cañar's backpack. He had to follow them.

He had no choice.

Gogollomoth Uja Sutar said so.





=====

A bit slow progress here. This adventure might take some time if it goes the direction I think it'll be taking.

I'll have to figure how I can take some peaks into Waterlures once in a while, but I guess we could put the adventurers at some point for some "downtime" in a town or something (to heal, research, etc.)?

I had apparently added CAN_SPEAK to kobolds at some point, but I'm thinking that we'll just interpret their speech as mostly gibberish with some understandable words like I did in this case.

The town we bypassed is probably conquered by some necromancer group, but I haven't checked if their the same as in Finderblunts. In any case, I decided to skip it and have Rin warn about it (it was mentioned during Rin's and the pilgrims' journey that there were some foul things going around the place, I think?). Didn't really feel like taking on another possibly large battle which might've been similar to the stuff in Finderblunts. The wounds were a good excuse.

And speaking of wounds, at least Suwu and Cañar had infections. Ova or Lòr had one too, I believe. But I'm not so concerned of Lòr since we'll probably not finish a grand enough quest before he turns next time. (Not yet sure how I'll handle that without it being meta-gamey.)

Might be a shorter update tomorrow, got some other stuff also to do, but I'll do my best to get something up.

Oh, and then there's the Steam release. Won't affect Waterlures. I'll be anyways sticking with 0.47.05 until adventure mode makes into Premium (gonna buy it and try it at some point, tho).

[brewer bob]

There was of course the infamous "is frequently depressed after being rained on" thing but Toady did some changes with 47.xx so you don't really see that anymore.

Yeah, the .05 stress fix. The rain fix made surface forts so much easier and viable. They were possible before, but the amount of de-stressing needed was enormous (and didn't work with everyone).

Wasn't so satisfied with the seeing corpses part fix. You just need one corpse lying around for a while and that's it, everyone is desensitised. (But I never really had problems with the corpse issues, since I don't like playing military oriented forts and only liked it when citizens freaked out of all the death -- barring that one tooth stuck in the tree.)

[Salmeuk]

barring that one tooth stuck in the tree.

yeah dwarves are rather... imaginative.

"I saw a body!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! It was as big as my thumb and looked like a molar!"

" . . .you dolt."

*proceeds to suffer from PTSD for rest of their dwarvenly existence*

[King Zultan]

Seems like we've got quite the epic quest going here, hopefully things will continue to go as smoothly has they have been.

[brewer bob]

Seems like we've got quite the epic quest going here, hopefully things will continue to go as smoothly has they have been.

It's been surprisingly epic and smooth sailing this far! But since is DF, I doubt it'll last like it. Something weird is bound to happen eventually. It is inevitable.

Edit. Forgot to mention, we'll also maybe get a better understanding of what's going on in the world by heading to Fencereined. The voyage will take us through pretty much every civilized land Minbazkar has to offer. Our civ, the Fence of Amusement, is quite isolated from the rest (well, except the goblins of the Hell of Miseries in the south tundras).

[brewer bob]

Part XIV:
Night Has Fallen



25th of Obsidian, 370

The following morning as the sun rose, the companions gathered their equipment and headed north. Following the river going through the abandoned hamlet, they passed another village, Fellspreads. They did not tarry there, but Rin said he had seen kobolds there before he arrived at Waterlures.

Ova did not believe him at first, for he had been in the same group and he had seen none. He did later accept that Rin might have seen kobolds in one house, which the others hadn't looked in.

The weather was fair as they walked along the river bank, heading towards the coast. From there it would be easier to navigate to Fencereined.

And there would be towns at the coast. Human towns.




In the hamlet of Destinedonslaughts they saw more kobolds. These odd creatures had apparently claimed the whole region as their whole from the looks of it.

While the companions didn't share a language with the little creatures, there was something they all understood: music.

And so they sang together.

It was a good way to take the mind off the horrors seen in the tower.




Along the bank of the wide river they went, striding through the dense meadow-grass. Willows, ash and various nut trees grew along the riverbed.

A fresh, cool breeze blew from the east and the sky was clear.

The Steppe of Trades was a pleasing place to travel.




Across the river to the south they saw strange buildings in the horizon. They looked like some kind of pyramid-like structures.

“Tombs of ancient human kings,” Cañar enlightened the rest.

Rin would have been eager to venture forth to investigate them, but the river was too wide to cross. Perhaps the capybara folk could've made the swim over, but Rin -- Rin did not know how to swim.




At a river confluence they turned north, following a narrower waterway upstream. If they would have followed the wide river further to the west, they would have entered goblin lands of the Cunning Witch in the Dignified Swamps -- a warm, humid marsh stretching all the way to the coast, in Rin's words.

It was contested territory, but Cañar and Rin believed the goblins still held sway there.

And it would make their journey longer if they went that way.




Fair weather did not last.

When Suwu and the others stopped to eat and fill their waterskins from the river, gray clouds had covered the sky and rain began to fall.

“More rain,” Ova grumbled to Rin, “As if we did not see enough of it back at Waterlures.”




The rain hadn't stopped as they reached the Swamps of Noiselessness. It was slow to walk through the thick growth of reeds, sedges and cattails, walking under the cover of gnarled oaks and willows, feet and paws sinking into the muck if one was not careful.




The sun was far to the west, preparing to set, and the swampy lands had changed back to the plains of the Steppe of Trades. Snow still covered the ground here, despite them being further to the north.

“The winters here can be long and cold, too,” Cañar explained to the others as they gathered around the campfire between two walnut trees.

“I always thought the north was a warm place, always green,” Lòr said as he watched how his breath was visible in the air.

“We're not even halfway to what I call north,” Ova spoke, “And even there, in some places it snows in the winter. It is how Ôsed works.”

“Well,” Suwu joined in, “We've quite a journey ahead of us before we get there by the sounds of it. But, how about a song before we head to sleep?”

“Certainly!”, Lòr sounded excited, “Such gaiety would do us good!”

“...As long as it's not 'Amethysts' -- again,” Rin added.



And so they sang.




26th of Obsidian, 370

The following day the journey continued, their path taking them along the river until they saw the Desert of Disappearrances ahead of them in the wests. They turned north from there, for in the western horizon rose what appeared to be watch towers -- possibly the towers of dark pits where goblins reside.

As they made their way north, they saw a castle looming in the distance.

They walked to it, crossing a shallow brook. The walls of the castle were built of limestone -- like most buildings in this area -- reaching high, high up. Certainly no invader could easily climb over them.



They circled around the wall walking up a slope.



And on the north side of the wall were sturdy gates. The gates were open, and the companions entered, heading down a slope into the courtyard.

There they encountered a human who greeted them and told them that this was Jokeomens, a castle ruled by the Fellowship of Peeking, and a certain Dether Knittedknighted was the baron.



In the keep of the castle they met the baron Dether.

The travelers were welcomed by the old-looking man with a round chin and no hair nor beard on his head. With a scratching voice he told how the Fellowship of Peeking was at war with the Root of Wisps -- an elven group from the Growl of Pleating.

“Those bastards thought they have claim on all trees, all trees in the Enchanted Dimensions!”, the baron puffed, “In our lands! Can you believe their insolence? They dared call us 'butchers' after we felled trees from my forest!”

'If Yawo would be here, oh what a fiasco this meeting would turn out to be,' Rin thought to himself while listening to the baron going on a rant. 'It would have been glorious,' he chuckled in his mind.




After talking with some of the inhabitants of Castle Jokeomens the journey continued north. Across the open lands they saw the buildings of a town looming ahead of them, and, if their eyes or mind didn't play tricks on them, they saw the ocean lay beyond it.

They were close to the coast.




But when they arrived at what appeared to be the market square of the town, rain falling heavily, they were unnerved by the appearrance of the merchants behind their tables of wares.

Large humanoids with wrinkled skin the color of charcoal stood there silently, looking at the travelers with their three eyes -- and creature each had three short tails even. These were no humans -- these were twisted forms created by evil magic!

Yet, they appeared not to be hostile, and, in fact, welcomed the companions with open arms.




The talk the companions had with these creatures -- 'Kadol's demons', they called themselves -- was deeply troubling.

Silently and with hesitant steps they walked deeper into town. They needed to find a place where to discuss what they had learned.



The companions sat on the floor of the back room of an empty house. They had snuck into the first abandoned building they had seen, making sure none saw them enter.

For many a minute they just sat there, silent. Each in their own thoughts.

“I knew not that things were so dire in these lands,” Cañar broke the silence, “Even though I lived my early life in the Just Union, I rarely ventured further than my home. Until I ended up with Shebi and Kumil, traveling to the south. Things were bleak back then, but the extent of the turmoil... I did not understand it then.”

“I just didn't care back then,” Rin joined in, “I admit. I didn't care. One way or the other. I grew up in the pits. Horrid places. Disgusting. Death. Murder. When that's all you know, you just try to survive. And that I did... But it changed... When I got to Waterlures. Met you lot.”

Ova turned to look at the goblin. This wasn't something the goblin normally did. He was not one to speak of his past. “You can hardly blame yourself, Rin,” Ova said, “I too, changed in Waterlures. We all did.”



“Look,” Suwu spoke, her gaze still on the floor, “We have more pressing matters to discuss than our pasts and how we changed. What that 'Kadol's demon' said disturbed me greatly... The Tin Pools. That's who rules this town now. They've been ruling it for nearly a century now! All the surrounding hamlets and towns we have seen have been overrun by the Dark!”

All eyes turned on the capybara woman.



“And the Tin Pools. That's a part of the Prestigious Glazes. That's what the creature told us. A dwarven group, a band of sorcerers,” Suwu continued, repeating what they had heard, “And these sorcerers, they revere some 'Kadol Dimpledbronze', see him as their overlord.”

She raised her gaze and looked at her friends, one by one.

“Did you hear what they said?”, she continued, “What those demons said? 'We are Kadol's demons, named after our mighty, immortal lord. We are his children. Made better from the very flesh of Ocna Taxtools, once human, now the First of us. In Roarband we were born.'”



Suwu paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, “With pride they said how this town was 'liberated' by their masters when they battled the Posts of Holding. The previous rulers of this town. 'Murderous bandits' they called them.”



“But this town, Unitebrands, it was not a bandit town, no, not originally,” she went on, “They spoke of the Teal Fellowship that was part of the Distant Confederations. How the founding of this place marked the beginning of the calendar. And these minions of the Prestigious Glazes wiped out the humans living here...”

She stood up.

“Bandit or not, I know not,” her speech continued, ”But what I know -- feel even -- is that they did not want to liberate. No, not unless you believe that separating the soul from the living body with death is liberation.”

Lòr looked confused, “What do you mean with all this, Suwu?”

“I-I don't really know...”, she began to stammer. She had lost her train of thought.



“Let me try to explain,” Rin joined the discussion, “So, what I understand is that this Kadol. This dwarf is not of the same group as those wicked men we encountered in Finderblunts. No, those Kadol's demons spoke of another tower, 'Islandfences'.”

“And? I still don't understand,” Lòr asked.

“Well, we're obviously deep within the territory of different sorcerers,” the goblin explained, rolling his eyes, “These lands are being ravaged and plagued by more than one group of evil-doers.” He said the last words slowly, as if to make his point clearer.

“Rin speaks right,” Suwu nodded and rubbed her chin. It felt odd. She looked at her hand. Huh, even after all these years, she was still not used to her right hand missing the first finger.

“It is troubling, indeed,” Cañar spoke, “But we can not fight this foe with only the five us... It would require an army.”

“And how does this change Lòr's -- our -- quest?”, Ova asked, “Surely Lòr's dream led us to Finderblunts to discover that... That thing.” The mandrill man pointed at Cañar's backpack where the slab was stored.

“It does not change it for the moment,” Suwu said, “We'll continue our way to Fencereined to seek answers and see what happens then... But I think we should be wary of what we say. We don't know who to trust in these lands.”

“Yeah,” Rin jumped in, seeing where this was headed, “We should assume some new identities. Something that doesn't point us to the south. Especially to Waterlures.”




They did not linger longer in Unitebrands and slipped out of town quietly in the rain. Most of the buildings here were abandoned and they steered far from the castle standing as a monument of power in the western side of town.

They took the road leading north and east.



They continued on the road going through the Steppe of Trades and saw the Dune of Haze to the west. A sand desert on the shores of the sea.



Further on, the peaks of the Walls of Spray rose in the east: those were said to be the home of the dwarves of the Bent Spear; and where some of the capybara folk from Waterlures had their roots.



But they ventured not into the high mountains.

No, they turned north at the crossroads, taking the road along the foothills and braving the borders of the Cruel Waste that lay to the west.



It was good that they chose to only climb the foothills, for even they were quite steep and tired the legs and paws.

Herds of wild ponies were sighted along the way -- each group sent in flight when they saw the travelers on the road.



The foothills of claystone were a desolate and barren place. It was hard to follow the road that wound through narrow valleys and ravines. More than once they stepped off the path and had to retrace their steps to find their way back to the road.




But eventually they made their way over the rugged cliffs and crags, setting foot and paw on dirt road. The bleak, rocky scenery changed to a verdant one: dense carpetgrass grew over most of the ground; dry stalks of wild maize of the previous summer were here and there; and fruit and nut trees with lush canopies still in leaf cast long shadows as the sun set in the west.

Night had begun to fall.

=====

Not much progress again, but I spent much of the time trying to figure out stuff from Legends and what our heroes could know and what possibly they could learn from the Kadol's demons.

Getting more and more attached to this world. There seems to be an awful lot of stuff happening in the north. But I expected as much when I started Waterlures. Also why I chose the south, as there was less things going on and getting intertwined.

I didn't realize that the necromancer apocalypse is apparently quite far in the area we are now. So, I also have to rethink some stuff from the "backgrounds" of characters who came from the Just Unions, etc. Luckily I didn't really write anything detailed. Only some vague mentions, so no need to retcon things.

Also a point about necromancers and experiments: while in adventure mode they seem like awfully nice people when spoken to, we have to bear in mind that their main motivation is to kill the living. (Also, same applies to intelligent undead who come visiting Waterlures: they are evil or at the very least have nefarious intentions. I've only once encountered one who actually wasn't involved in any plots: confirmed it in legends.)

But yeah, this adventure seems to open us lots of possibilities of what to do in the broader world if we wish so. Would be fun if at some point we head from Waterlures to another "fort" in the world. Perhaps even of another civ? (Pity I didn't make all civs playable before genning the world.) Anyway, that's something we could consider at some point.

Ah, almost forgot!

The main question this time:

Any suggestion what kind of identities our protagonists should assume?

[King Zultan]

Any suggestion what kind of identities our protagonists should assume?

Why not a performance troop, it should work well as they seem to like to sing and tell stories, the perfect cover as it's something they'd be doing anyway.

[brewer bob]

Welp, looks like I won't be getting enough content for an update today, sorry!

Wasted too much of the day reading feedback on the Steam release and then I tried some, err, "creative" stuff with Waterlures, which didn't work out (like I sort of suspected) and had to load the backup I did before that. So, didn't progress really anywhere in the game this time.

Tomorrow there should be an update.

[brewer bob]

Part XV:
The Pomelo Tree




26th of Obsidian, 370

“Look!”, Suwu exclaimed pointing at the foot of the steep cliff that rose in front of them overhanging the road, “There's a cave of some kind in that nook!”

“We should take shelter there,” Ova said, “It's freezing cold here.” His teeth were rattling as a icy, cold wind blew from the mountains, biting through cloth and wool.



A rough-walled passage went both up and down.

They decided first to head up and explore what lay there.



But it only led to a ledge overlooking the forest below.

The view was magnificent, though.



They explored the rest of the cave, its twisting passages leading deep into the bowels of the stone. Once again they felt a gust of cavern air blow in their faces. The cave itselft had been empty, but the caverns were bound to have all manner of creatures lurking in the dark.

However, the companions five chose not to delve any deeper. They decided to return to the surface and rather make camp at the base of the cliff than in the cave: it could very well be the lair or den of a beast that was yet to return home.



And so they returned to the surface to make camp under the shelter of the overhang.




27th of Obsidian, 370

In the morning the journey continued on the road northwards, across the Contained Field.



But at a crossroads they turned east. For Cañar mentioned that an old fortress of the dwarves of the Bent Spear was close. He did not remember much else about it, except its name: Controlledseal.

The name was familiar to all of them except Lòr. The gorlak prophet Ïteb often spoke of it back at home. It was the place where she had dreamt of Ôsed and Waterlures before she set forth 'with her flock' on a pilgrimage to the capybara village.

“Ah, I remember that!”, Rin said, “One of my first encounters with her. Cryptic words with little meaning... But I guess it panned out to be the best decision of my life to guide the group south.”

A proper place to rest for a day or two was needed. And they needed to resupply, too.



The road wound back south as they passed several monasteries on the Confining Hill.

And there, ahead of them, rose the sturdy walls of the dwarven fortress built at the base of the Walls of Spray.



And so they entered Controlledseal to rest and recuparate for a while.

But they knew they could not linger there long, for the next night, or the night after, the moon would be full.




The companions gathered in a room above the Golden Fruit, the drinking hole close to the trade depot of Controlledseal. They had talked with some of the folks at the depot -- dwarves, elves, goblins -- and had learned much about the lay of the lands they knew not. Especially a goblin alderperson, who just so happened to be also a scholar, gave them much insight.

“Well,” Rin began, “At least we learned something from that Asmel.”



'Oh, that silly cat', Suwu smiled as she thought of the cat milling about the trade depot, licking Ova's hands and giving her a head-bump as she had asked the way to Fencereined from the goblin.

“Yes,” she replied, “Quite a bit. It was good to get a better picture of how we should continue from here to the place.”

In fact, not only did the scholarly goblin tell about where Fencereined was, they learned some more of the past of the fortress and the fallen dwarven kingdom of the Mighty Ships.

“Fencereined? Yes, why I do know the way there,” the goblin had said and was so kind as to mark its location and the best route there on the crude map Suwu had with her.

“An odd place that fortress is. With quite the history. Did you know that the elves of the Typhoon of Lusters -- Múya Loré, as they call their lands -- waged war against the dwarves who built it? Ah, so you have heard then? How a simple thing, a small thing, caused it all in centuries past... You see, the elves and dwarves didn't see eye to eye on how animals -- animals, for Deler's sake! -- should be treated. And so one disagreement led to another, misunderstandings happened, and things escalated: war began... A devastating war for the dwarves of the Misty Ship. Yes, the losses of the elves were heavy, but they greatly outnumbered the dwarves, and in the end they practically wiped out the Misty Ship from the face of Minbazkar.”

It was, of course, something Suwu had already heard from Tekkud. Though, when she thought of it, some details were different and there seemed to be more to the story than she had thought at that time.




“Indeed, the horrid battle that saw Fencereined fall is called Edumairafe, 'the Dangerous Assaults'. A large host of elves, clad in armor twisted from living wood with some fiendish magic, descended upon the walls of the fortress. It was a bloody siege where the dwarves fought valiantly, yet their courage and honor, nor superior skill, could not save them from the sheer amount of foes: all defenders were struck down.”



“And as if the massacre itself was not enough, the elves in their bloodlust and savage ways disgraced the fleshly bodies left by the stalwart dwarves. The hellish treepeople, drenched in blood held a great feast to celebrate their victory: they feasted on the very flesh of the fallen people of the mountain! Such barbarity! Such cruelty!”

The goblin scholar then had rambled something about a temple the elves had built in the fortress. It was curious even to Suwu, who wasn't so interested in historical facts, that the Order of Harvesters worshipped a human goddess of the Relieved Realms, Zoku the Permanency of Quests, the goddess of longevity and youth. It was odd then to learn that many in Controlledseal adhered to that same faith.

Suwu and the others hadn't paid much attention to what the goblin told about the religion, but there was something that piqued their interest: the members of the cult were quite adamant in safekeeping their sacred relics -- they had even braved the lair and wrath of a dragon!



“Yes, even to this day the ancient beast, the mistress of wealth and fire, Zutthan Ralvúsh Oltar, 'Zutthan Silveryheats the Gilded', lives. It is said she is the remnant of a time before time, but of course, that might by just tales spun by the elven scholars living in Fencereined. It is a curious thing that the lair of this mighty reptile is called the Scholarly Hole -- it would be a more fitting name for the elf scholars library, hehehe.”




As the companions were pondering and discussing things while resting their weary feet, Rin walked back and forth restlessly.

“You know,” he began, “Why don't you guys stay here, get some rest and look to your cuts and bruises. I can go and find us provisions for the road ahead of us. I'm feeling a bit restless anyway and need to stretch my legs.”

“Certainly,” Lòr said as he stretched his legs, wriggling the toes of his paws, “While you're at it, could you see if there's some clothing that'd fit me? And, perhaps, if there's any better protection than this old elf armor? My clothes are mighty tattered...”

Rin looked at Lòr: indeed, the wooden elf armor was cracked and would hardly stop even a poking finger, and the young capybara man's clothes were but mere rags. It was no good to go around fortresses dressed like a pauper with no Urists in his pouch.

“Yes, I will see to that. I'm certain dwarf clothes will fit you well,” the goblin said, turning his gaze to Ova, “Might be a bit too big for you, Ova, but I'll see if there's something for you too. Proper armor would've helped you out at Finderblunts.”




Rin wandered around Controlledseal, heading into the depths, passing many a shrine on the way. Before entering the halls proper, he saw a great road paved with stone leading south into the caverns -- possibly connecting the fortress to another one.

What surprised him was the sheer amount of livestock and animals these halls had: pigs, cows and ponies milling about, allowed to move freely within the halls. It was slightly curious then that Asmel the scholar had said such demeaning things about animals: clearly among the Bent Spears animals were cared for deeply. Maybe it was due to the large presence of elves seen here? But there were many humans and goblins, too, among the dwarves.




'Surely no one will miss these,' Rin thought as he looked around if anyone noticed him enter a room, 'I am certainly not going to barter with these shrewd dwarves. They'd bleed us dry of the treasures we've found.'

Yes, he had no intention to pay the dwarves anything for the provisions he acquired. He had already filled his backpack with some pony cheese and now was looking for something for Lòr, and possibly Ova, to wear.

And in the personal rooms of the dwarves there were an awful lot of well-made clothes ripe for the picking.




Rin walked up the passage from the deep halls of Controlledseal. His pack was now full of equipment and weighed him down quite a bit. He paused to take a breather at one of the shrines. There was an empty altar and a statue carved out of rutile depicting a goblin sitting and writing into a quire.

'Rin.'

Rin turned around. He had heard something, but there was no one near him. Only a dug scurried past him down the passage. What was it? He was certain he heard someone say his name. 'I must be imagining things,' the goblin shrugged as he took a closer look at the statue. It wasn't anything spectacular. Certainly not the quality he would've expected from dwarven hands.

'RIN. RIN ACUSAN,' a sudden voice boomed in Rin's head and a sharp pain stung his brain making him see white for a second.

'RIN FISTHEARTS. HEAR ME. FOLLOW MY VOICE.'

It was as if something took hold of his mind. He felt compelled to head up -- he had been heading there of his own accord, certainly, but now... Now he felt he had to go. Immediately.



Rin's feet took him up the passage, as if new strength surged through his body. Yet, was it his body? Was he guiding it? Who -- or what -- was speaking to him?

When he arrived at the grand entry halls above, he headed south instead of north where the inn was. He turned right, walking towards what appeared to be a temple.

'COME TO ME, RIN. COME TO THE CHAPEL. I AM WAITING.'

Rin stepped onto the sand floor of the temple, the Clean Chapel, and he turned to look to his right.

There he saw it.



Standing in the sand was an oddly shaped slab of horn silver, carved by hands not of this world. It was rectangular in shape, but the angles were all wrong: it narrowed towards the base and the top tilted up and to the right in a weird way.

Rin could feel it draw him closer. A similar pull that he had felt in Finderblunts, yet somehow different.

This slab did not glow no light. No, and it did not seem to reflect any, despite its smooth silvery surface.



Rin bent over to take a closer look. A dog rushed to his side, looking curiously at the goblin, tilting its head from side to side.

'I AM BAZSA. BAZSA THE SINFUL,' the voice boomed in Rin's mind. He stepped back, fear taking hold of him.

'HEAR ME RIN! I AM YOUR MASTER NOW. AND YOU WILL OBEY ME. TAKE MARCESTGOGOL. LET ME SHOW YOU THE WAY.'

He stepped back to the slab. He looked around him. Nobody in sight. Except the dog.

He gave in to his urges: he reached for the slab.



He picked it up. It was heavy.

Heavy as the worst of sins.

Then his eyes were drawn to the engravings on it. Weird, unintelligible glyphs that seemed to defy all logic.

Yet, it seemed he could make sense of them...



He read the slab.

...But to the surprise of Rin, nothing happened.

He could read the words clearly. But he did not understand them. What their meaning was.

'FOOL! YOU THINK I WOULD TEACH YOU MY SECRETS? NO. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY. YOU ARE DEMON-BORN. SPAWN OF THE UNDERWORLD. A SLAVE. A PAWN. A MERE PUPPET.

Rin was confused. He closed his eyes and began to speak in his mind, 'What do you want? Leave me be!'

'NO. GO TO FENCEREINED. TAKE MARCESTGOGOL TO THE SACRED DUST. TO ZOM RUTHLESSATTACKS. THIS IS MY COMMAND. AND YOU WILL OBEY ME!'





The sun was setting in the west as the five walked down the sand road leading away from Controlledseal. Night was falling and the waxing gibbous moon could be seen rising in the clear eastern sky.

Full moon was about to arrive.

Suwu tucked her silk cap tighter on her head to shield from the cold wind blowing from the west. The others were walking behind her with Rin trailing further behind.

“Try to keep up, Rin,” Suwu raised her voice, “We can make yet some distance between us and the fortress before night is upon us.”

“I'm doing my best!”, Rin yelled from behind, panting. His backpack weighed him down even without anything but the slab. The others didn't know of it and he certainly wouldn't tell. Maybe he could just say he twisted his ankle while exploring Controlledseal? Yes, that might work if they ask.




A campfire was lit at the base of a slope, under the branches of an old maple tree.

“You paid for all this?”, Suwu asked Rin as she looked at the copper breastplate she now wore and the iron mail and gauntlets Lòr had.

“Why, uh, yes,” Rin replied with haste, “What did you think? That I'd steal them? Of course I bought them! Best deal I've ever made. Those elf merchants taking care of the deals were no match for my guiles and wit in bartering. Why, I could've gotten even more off them with all the crap we looted from the giants' lair.”

Cañar furrowed his brow. Clearly the goblin was exaggerating or telling only half of the story. But it did not bother him. If thievery would've been involved, someone would've stopped them before they left.

“Thanks again, Rin,” Lòr said, “These fit me surprisingly well. A bit heavy, but I think I'll get used to it. Eventually.”



Suwu took out from her backpack a steel mace encircled with bands of wombat bone. It was a magnifent weapon, its craftsmanship of the highest quality.

“And this?”, she eyed the mace, “You say they gave you this? As a sign of good will? Clearly you jest, Rin.”

“Well,” the goblin laughed nervously, “I might have made that one up... But no worries! Nobody will notice it missing! It was basically just... Discarded. Yes. Discarded. Lying on the floor. Begging for someone to pick it up and give it a new home.”

Suwu laughed.

“How about a song?”, Ova said. He was a bit disappointed, but not surprised, that the goblin hadn't found clothing his size. Everything was just far too big.

“Yes, that'd be nice,” Lòr answered and began to hum.




And so they gathered in a tight group and began to sing 'Sorcerers and the Riddle' next to the dancing flames of the campfire.

It made Lòr very happy.





28th of Obsidian, 370

The first rays of sunlight of the last day of the year began to shine from the east.

The moon was full and setting in the west.

Lòr stood under a finger lime tree. He had left his companions at the camp for the night. And would only return after a day had passed.



He carried a heavy load in his arms, covered in brown even short hair. They were his arms, but they were not his: for this night the beast had taken over. He felt the urge to kill, the fury to rend flesh, the lust for blood well up in him. But he resisted the temptation.

He would not give in.

He. Would. Not.





Rin was startled and dazed. He lay on the grass on his back, sword still in hand.

He had gone up the small hill to answer the call of nature -- too much drink before sleeping. And just as he had finished relieving himself the beast had pounced on him.

The werekangaroo. Lòr.

Snarling, the furious beast looked at him with rage and fury in its sinister purple eyes.

Rin did not want to face the child of his friend -- even when turned into an accursed monster -- but there was no other option: it was either his life or the beast's.

Rin was fighting for his life.

“Help!”, Rin screamed, “Save me!”




In the heat of the moment Rin fumbled and the slab fell out of his pack as he stood up and narrowly dodged attacks from the beastly Lòr.

He slashed with his sword.

And hit the werebeast in the left foot with a nasty cut, causing it to fall down.



Hearing the commotion and cries for help, Suwu and Cañar ran for the hill as fast as their legs carried them.




Under the canopy of a tall pomelo tree lay Rin on the ground, looking to his left side. He felt triumph, he felt grim satisfaction, he felt... Emptiness.

But still, he was afraid.



He let go of his buckler and his sword -- its blade spattered with blood.

'No. No. NO,' Rin thought as he closed his eyes.

'This can't be true. This can't be happening,' he closed his eyes ever the tighter.



He saw a flash from mere seconds back: he swung his sword in panic at the charging werekangaroo, hitting it in its abdomen.

The blade struck deep, cutting deep from left to right, blood spraying and the intestines of the cursed form of young Lòr spilling out with a splash.

Then the beast roared, grabbed Rin and wrestled him to the ground.



From the ground his sword had swung again.

Once again striking true.

And Lòr's beastly head had fallen from his shoulders.

His body slumped on the ground.



As Ova reached the scene, there Rin lay, in the dense grass, his buckler and sword at his sides. A strange slab the mandrill man had not seen next to him.

And in front of the goblin: the unmoving body of a decapitated werekangaroo.

Lòr Drinkbust the Rough Band, eldest son of Edu Sandtick and Kib Spearmobbed, was dead.

A mournful wind rustled the leaves of the pomelo tree.

The curse had been lifted.

=====

...

Uh.

Um.

Yeah, once again I'm left speechless.

Seriously. I was about to end the game for the day, took Lòr into the woods as I knew he'd soon change (I'd assume he and the others did too). Didn't want to take him too far, since in an earlier test things got all messed up and the party scattered. So took far enough that companions didn't disappear from the list.

Then I shifted to the others and let a few ticks happen.

And all hell broke loose.

I'll have to admit that I was speechless for several minutes. Looking at the screen like, 'No, no, no. This isn't happening!'

This game, dammit.

I had many possible plans on how to handle different kind of situations, but... I wasn't prepared for this. I should've, of course, since it was inevitable.

But what now? What next?

Are we still going to Fencereined? I'm sure Rin will want to. And Cañar. And maybe Ova (to see his old homeland at least).

But Suwu? Don't know how I should handle her reaction to this...

Damn I love DF.

(ps. I was very close to save-scumming, but fuck it, it makes for a better story this way.)

[Salmeuk]

wow. that was a mega-update. NICE

rest in peace pieces, Lor.

I will be gone for a few weeks but will catch up on whatever happens when I return.

A strange slab the mandrill man had not seen next to him.

Perhaps Suwu reads.. and raises. .  no. that would be too gruesome for these capys.

[King Zultan]

Wasn't expecting that ending.

A strange slab the mandrill man had not seen next to him.

Perhaps Suwu reads.. and raises. .  no. that would be too gruesome for these capys.

I don't think that would work since his head was cut off.

[brewer bob]

wow. that was a mega-update. NICE

Made it a bit longer to compensate for the one day without an update.

I will be gone for a few weeks but will catch up on whatever happens when I return.

Have a good time and let's hope you got plenty of updates to read after you return!

A strange slab the mandrill man had not seen next to him.

Perhaps Suwu reads.. and raises. .  no. that would be too gruesome for these capys.

I was seriously thinking of this. Suwu might do that, but then again... I don't really know.

I don't think that would work since his head was cut off.

Intelligent undead work a bit weirdly. I think those can be raised with mangled heads and such. Not sure about decapitated bodies, tho...

Wasn't expecting that ending.

Yeah, me neither.

Caught me completely off-guard.

Well, we'll see where this heads next...

[brewer bob]

Part XVI:
One More Song




28th of Obsidian, 370

The sun was already in the western clear sky as the companions -- now four -- stood in front of the small shelter they had erected next to the road.

It was a memorial, a wayside shrine where the earthly remains of Lòr were now entombed.

Much of the day had passed working on the roofed structure: trees were felled, logs shaped, the structure built and a casket and pedestal were carved. Most of the time they worked, they were silent, but on occasion there were bursts of emotions, arguing, fits of rage.

When Lòr was struck down, things were close to falling apart: had Cañar not stopped Suwu, she would have put Rin to the sword. She would have even read that accursed slab laying on the grass. In hopes to bring Lòr back. To make things 'right'.

Ova and Rin, too, had played their part in calming down the capybara woman on verge of collapse. They convinced her that no more bloodshed was to happen. No more tragedies.

And that they should memorialize Lòr in some way.

So, they built the shrine. And now their work here was complete -- they could continue on their quest.

On Lòr's quest.



They had named the shrine Sodelugosh Okun Lòr, 'Shieldhollow the Shrine of Tools'.

It was the least they could do at the moment.



“Look, I'm sorry,” Rin broke the silence, “I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the other slab. I should've, you all are right. But I didn't. I couldn't...”

“What do you mean, 'couldn't'?”, Ova who stood next to the goblin asked.

“Uh, well... There was a voice. Um, a voice. A commanding voice. It told me to take the slab,” Rin replied, continuing, “So, I took it. I, uh, I was going to tell you. Eventually. But... But then this happened.”

“It's alright, Rin,” Suwu said, still looking at the shrine, her back turned to the goblin, “I lost control there... I'm sorry, too... But what do you mean with 'a commanding voice'?”

“It was... The Prince,” Rin began, “Abod the Prince of Duty, yes. I, I read the slab...” The eyes of the others turned immediately to him, shocked and worried, “But no! Do not worry! Let me continue...”

The goblin paused for a second. He was lying. Abod hadn't spoken to him. No, it was Bazsa and some other god of death... Lomoth? There was more at work here than the machinations of the Prince. The others didn't know it. And it was for the best that they didn't.

This was far bigger than the quest, more than some feud between Mestthos and Abod. This was about the fate of the living and the dead. The fate of all of the Enchanted Dimensions.

“You see, I'm a goblin -- as you're probably well aware of, hehe. And we goblins, we are what you folk call 'immortals'. Just like elves,” Rin addressed Ova with the last part. The mandrill man nodded as a sign of understanding.

“And it just so happens to be that whatever evil that -- those -- slabs hold, I am immune to it.”

He was, of course, lying. Or at least not telling the whole truth: he was unable to grasp the power within the slab. But the evil? No, it very much was there and had entered his head. Keeping close eye on him, on what he was saying.

“Immune?”, Cañar turned to Rin, raising his left brow.

“Yes. They don't affect me. Not at all. Not one bit,” Rin said holding his head up high and putting his palm against his chest, “And I am very committed now to see this ordeal to the end. To see Lòr's quest taken to a conclusion. I am certain his spirit will be with us along the way. Bring us the aid of, uh, Mestthos if need be.”

Again, he was lying. He had no intention of seeing the quest to an end, to see these slabs destroyed one way or the other. No, he was going to see to it that quite the opposite happened: that these slabs remained intact.

And that the road led to Fencereined.

There everything would be answered.




Burdened by the grief of a fallen comrade, the companions continued their way north.

They had a long way still ahead of them, and it would take many a day to reach Fencereined in the north. But now they were not racing against time. They didn't have to fear the full moon any longer -- or, at least not as much.

They may have failed to keep Lòr alive, but they were committed to his quest through.

They did not want to fail that, too.




1st of Granite, 371

The companions spent the night in the ruined hillocks of Greaturn, making camp in what appeared to be the remnants of a drinking mound.

In the morning -- the first day of the next year -- they continued their journey, taking the road east towards the coast.



Only after a short walk they saw several villages in the distance and a monastery or temple, which they decided to investigate.

One could never know if such a place would house holy people with a greater understanding of how to battle the Night.




But the monastery proved to be abandoned: only two human drunks were holed up there and they had not much of importance to tell.

As they walked back to the road, rain began to fall. The dense grass growing in clumps bent under their steps as they passed a flock of large, odd birds: they had long legs and round bodies covered in thick dark feathers with white plumage on the rear. Long, featherless necks protruded from their bodies and there heads looked awfully small when compared to the rest of the body of these flightless birds.

“Ostriches,” Ova enlightened Suwu and Rin.




Passing past several hamlets and villages the companions approached a town in the Contained Field.

Authorwhisper was its name.



The sun was already in the western sky as they walked along the road, a muddy field on their right and fields of grass on the left. The dirt road changed into a paved one as they approached the first buildings of the town.

They could hear some noise of town-life ahead of them.

“Remember,” Rin spoke as they stepped on the stone road, “Authorwhisper is one more hive of scum and villainy in these lawless lands. The rule of the law-giver of the Cobalt Empire has ended here. We better watch what we say and who we trust here.”

He had learned this from a human steward, Stalith Ñabsiziño, while he was exploring Controlledseal. He didn't really care who was the ruler -- was it a noble, a king or a self-proclaimed tyrant -- there really wasn't that much of a difference.

But he had come to respect the idea of wielding power. And it made him somewhat envious that he did not have such power: to make others do his bidding, have them obey his commands.



Many of the houses and shops were abandoned. Some were in a bad condition, while others had fallen apart. What was curious was that some of these buildings were made of wood you wouldn't expect to find in a human town. Some were clearly made from the trunks of giant cavern mushrooms: fungiwood and tower-cap.

There were no locals in sight, yet they could hear heated arguing from somewhere. They did not hear the words, but they did not desire to: from the sounds of it the arguing might escalte to a fight soon.



Even the market square was empty. The tables and stalls were there, and all the wares for sale. But there were no merchants around.

The sounds of arguing were not heard here any longer. They had either passed the source some time ago, or then things had calmed down.

They walked to the statue carved from granite that stood in the central spot. It depicted a goblin dressed in fancy robes being surrounded by a group of humans rejoicing. It clearly pictured the goblin rising to a position of power, most likely a religious one. Perhaps these were members of the Order of Harvesters? At least the icons they wore pointed in that direction.



“We need new names,” Suwu said as they pondered what to do at the statue, “I've been thinking... I'll go by the name 'Ker Virtuesilences', a performer from the Bent Spears.”

She looked at the statue, still thinking.

“Ah, and I think I will say I am a worshipper of Zoku the Permanency of Quests.”




As the companions walked down the road towards the tall, sturdy walls of the local castle, suddenly a goblin clad in silk and furs barged out of the gates with great haste. She ran past the startled companions screaming and rambling in panic.

“A battle...”, Rin hissed, “This makes me feel uneasy.”

“Calm down, Rin,” Suwu put her hand against Rin's shoulder.

“I am calm!”, the goblin snapped angrily, “Look to yourself!”



They stepped in through the gates of the castle, and entered the courtyard.

Quite the sight awaited them there: a large humanoid with three short tails and a monstrous appearrance -- a Kadol's Demon -- was fighting with a human as a broad-nosed dwarf lay on the ground unmoving.

It was maybe not the right moment to come here.




They left Authorwhisper, heading to the west.

From here on, there would be no road to guide them and ahead of them loomed a desert. Fearing they might get lost in the wilds and open lands with no visible landmarks, the companions decided to head slightly to the southwest.

That way they would come to the coast and could follow it. It would make the journey longer, but they believed it would save them time in the end. For if they got lost, it might take days or even weeks to find their way to find their bearings.



Following a river they reached the coast as the sun began to set in the west. Behind them in the east one could see the fields of a hamlet, and slightly south from there were again those odd pyramid-like structures -- tombs of some kind.




The companions made camp at the shore. They had entered the Static Dune, a sand desert, as night fell.

The sea was still frozen and snow fell gently from the clouded sky as the four ate food and quenched their thirst with water from a nearby river.

“A song, maybe?”, Ova said as he stretched his legs closer to the fire to warm his toes, “Something to remember Lòr with?”

“M-hm,” Suwu replied, munching on pig cheese, “How about 'Sorcerers and the Riddle'? Our last song together.”

“Indeed,” Cañar stood up, “An excellent idea if I ever heard one! It is good to have friends like you.”



And so they sang once more.





2nd of Granite, 371

The journey continued early in the morning. As they walked along the shore, around what turned out to be a bay, they came to the Field of Flutes.

The sky was shrouded by dark clouds and rain poured down. But the touch of the rain was a gentle one in these blessed lands. Fields of lush grass covered the land and strange, delightful bubble bulbs grew here and there, as well as thorny acacia trees and coconut palms.

This was a land of magic, not unlike the Lakes of Saturninity of Waterlures. An odd soothing sensation filled the minds of the companions and the loss of a friend did not burden as much here.




Eventually the Field of Flutes gave way to the Cyclopean Prairie that stretched along the coast farther than the companions could see.



Crossing a small strip of the Static Dunes they came to the Scarlet Prairies.

From here they would continue northwest and leave the coast behind. There was some disagreement whether it was a wise decision or not, but when Suwu said that her wounds from Finderblunts kept tiring her, the others understood that the quicker they reached their destination, the better.

It was apparent Suwu's wounds were slowly beginning to fester and drain her strength.

And a den of scholars such as Fencereined surely would have healing hands.





3rd of Granite, 371

The companions looked at the jagged claystone crag rising from the fields of satintail. An opening, a cave, was seen at its base.

Their previous day had been rather uneventful and they had made little progress. However, this day seemed to be different: the sun was still to rise fully and here they were, a possible adventure once again in front of them.

“Shall we?”, Suwu asked the others, though she already knew the answer and made her way down the slope unsheathing her sword.



The passage led almost immediately down, deeper into the stone...



...And deeper they went, creeping as silently as they could.



And good thing it was that they were silent.

For not such a long way down, they encountered a creature.



A savage man-like creature of the caves.

He had a short, broad head and his brow had a large ridge. He might have had a thin frame at some point in his life, but now he was belarded with fat. His auburn hair was dirty and matted, and his pale pink skin was barely visible from under all the layers of dirt he was coated in.

He stood there hunched, making grunting noises. But he had not noticed the creeping capybara woman.

“Troglodyte,” Suwu whispered to the others who were close behind.

Where there was one, there was bound to be more.

=====

Bit of a less exciting update, but I guess I'd rather have that than another one like yesterday.

We'll see if the cave has anything else than a couple of trogs. So many caves we've seen even without searching for them. But then again, I think I set the world to have a ridiculous amount of mountain and non-mountain caves in worldgen.

We're getting closer to Fencereined. Shouldn't take long now. Unless we run into some devastating distractions (there's some, hmm, "interesting" locations on the way we've learned about from various people we've been talking to -- haven't reported of most of that).

I think Suwu's infection is kicking in. She's constantly drowsy now. Let's hope it can be dealt with in fort mode once (or if) we get back to Waterlures.

Guess that's all for now.

A few beers after this day's hard work DF is earned.

[King Zultan]

That infection is something you probably need to keep an eye on, not sure what you can do about it besides retire them somewhere for a little bit just so it doesn't kill her.

[brewer bob]

Yup. Keeping a close eye. Just hoping it doesn't get worse before we get this adventure done with or at least until we get to Fencereined. If that place isn't a complete mess, maybe it might be a good spot for some "downtime" when the companions do some research? And if so, then we can perhaps take a brief one or two month look at life in Waterlures.

But we'll see when we get there.