Role Playing Games/Hyborian Nights/Log
Episode 1: First Impressions[edit | edit source]
April 21, 2019
Faelyn had accepted a job to escort a caravan. However, during the trip, the group got ambushed, and when he awoke, Faelyn found himself inside a slave camp. It was there he met an oddly dressed, dark-skinned man named Diggs who was overly friendly for him. He came from a place far away called "Kentucky" and they had giant steel birds called "airplanes". Diggs got teleported from his world into Thule. Found himself in a slave camp where he met Faelyn, a fair-skinned elf who kept to himself and is full of mysteries.
Episode 2: Lomar, the City of Shining Spears[edit | edit source]
May 7, 2019
After two weeks at sea with only the occasional stop on the coast for food and water, the city of Lomar now glows in the distance. A city roughly 8 miles inland and reached by a long, deep river, it rests along the banks following the river natural contour. At the base of its walls, large braziers burn giving the stone a golden glow. A familiar sight for Faelyn. For Diggs, it’s like seeing something from a history book. It’s really unbelievable. But for both, a similar thought crosses their mind: “Finally, food and sleep.”
Episode 3: Wohdwa Palace[edit | edit source]
May 26, 2019
Having found a temporary patron in Zahan, the Fifth Advisor to the Imperator of Lomar, Diggs and Faelyn have agreed to investigate the forbidden ruins of the Wohdwa Palace. Originally the home of the traitorous Wohdwa family some 200 years earlier, the palace was marked as off-limits by the Imperator at the time and the decree has been upheld since. Zahan is interested in what is going on there. Rumors have made it to his ears of strange lights and sounds originating from within the old palace. He wants to know what, or who is responsible if this turns out to be true. Any and all info will be richly rewarded. What will our unlikely duo find in the ruins of the Wohdwa Palace?
Episode 4: Serpents in the Dark (Part 1)[edit | edit source]
Date Unknown
Rendered unconscious in a fight with three serpentmen, Diggs lies bleeding on the stone floor. In the guise of a giant spider Faelyn escapes up the side of the step pyramid. Things didn’t go quite like our duo of adventurers expected.
Episode 5: Serpents in the Dark (Part 2)[edit | edit source]
July 7, 2019
Faelyn: Having escaped up the pyramid, Faelyn looked to find a way to escape while also taking the time to rest and refresh his spells. His patience rewarded him as he saw Diggs getting taking away in one of the boats by the Serpentman back up the river that they came. To avoid getting caught, Faelyn shape-shifted into a tiger for better movement and stealth and followed the boat back to the never-ending steps they had initially come from. After what seemed like an eternal wait for the Serpentman to leave, Faelyn was able to bring Diggs back to consciousness and safely return to Lomar. However, once back in the city, the duo learned that there was still more questions needing answered, and so had to return to the cursed palace to find the truth behind the vision. It was there that they met a grey-faced, odd and vile looking creature with wings!
Diggs : Unsure of what had happened while unconscious, Diggs woke to the sound of Faelyn calling his name and finding themselves at the base of the stairs that led back up to Wohdwa Palace. The duo safely returned to Lomar, leaving the palace with more questions than answers. After reporting back to Zahan, the two were tasked to return once again to the cursed palace for clues about the odd vision of the Prince and the mage.
Episode 6: Grey Wings in Wohdwa Palace[edit | edit source]
October 20, 2019
Having returned to the palace at the behest of Zahan, this time escorting his assist Tuco, they returned to further investigate the ruins above. In their exploration, they encountered a strange grey winged creature. What, or who, is it?
Faelyn and Diggs introduce themselves to the creature, Kosh, who requests them to help him go back to his home. They find out that this creature was summoned by Rashmi, the warlock in the vision, and even after his death, Kosh has been bound to this palace. In order to set him free, the duo has to find the amulet that's keeping Kosh bound. The group returns to the main hall and attempts to get under the rubble in order to find Rashmi's remains. At first, Faelyn turns into a lizard to try and crawl in between the stones, but just can't seem to get very far. He then shapeshifts into an ape and together with Diggs is able to remove enough rubble to reveal the skeletal remains of the two figures in the vision.
Faelyn finds an amulet that is confirmed by Kosh to be the one that's keeping him bound. Faelyn smashes the amulet, freeing Kosh, who shows them Rashmi's laboratory as thanks. There, they find that Kosh had transcribed most of the scrolls in the lab onto bone, in order to preserve them. The duo also finds a strange, pillar object that's been covered by a hide tarp. Kosh warns them that it is something that should be left alone. Diggs was curious and went to touch the object, to which he felt something probe his mind and a voice speaking to him, but couldn't quite understand the meaning. All Faelyn saw was Diggs touching the object for a second and then falling to the floor the next.
Having found what may be the answer's to Zahan's questions, Faelyn, Diggs and Tuco make their way back to Lomar and reports back to Zahan.
Episode 7: Fine Dining and Menagerie (not so much of either...)[edit | edit source]
November 3, 2019
After parting with Zahan, Faelyn went out to look for a jeweler to get his gems appraised, with Diggs following behind. Later, they also went to a currency exchange establishment to find out more about the Fangs. The teller tells them that it's an unaccepted currency and is bad luck. As they left the establishment, the duo hear of an event that's happening in town and proceed to go check it out. It turned out to be a fighting ring of sorts, where people with debt or criminals fight to pay it off.
The following day, Faelyn and Diggs receive a letter from Zahan stating that the appointment planned today was canceled. Diggs finds out from Bahdurba that his son has been taken hostage and is being ransomed for 150 gp. The ransom note came from a place called The Den, run by a man named Korzan. Diggs takes it on himself to help out Bahdurba and goes to Debtor's Square to find himself an informant. He hires Lor, a fair-skinned man who doesn't seem to be Lomari. As they head off to get some food, Faelyn heads to a scroll-merchant to learn more about the Nesk empire. Fortunately for him, the merchant had some writings on the history. Unfortunately, it is written in Draconic, a language that is foreign to Faelyn. Upon questioning the merchant, Laria, she tells him of a sorcerer named Tean who may be able to translate it for him. She makes a deal with Faelyn - in return for a translated copy, she will refund him some gold.
On his way around town looking for Faelyn, Diggs witnesses some kind of procession going on through town. He also heads to a kennel to purchase a hound. Faelyn and Diggs eventually meets up back at the Blue Pelican, where they take a little rest for the day before heading out again.
NPC's Discovered *Korzan - runs the Den *Lor - fair-skinned man that Diggs paid his debt for to hire as an informant *Tean - sorcerer that lives on a plantation; has a ruined watchtower *Laria - scroll merchant
Faelyn * -21 gp for gem appraisal (5gp/gem) * -50 gp for potion of healing * -50 gp for History of Nesk Empire scroll set (will be refunded 30gp for translated copy)
Diggs * -40 gp for Lor's debt * -5 gp to hire Lor * -76 gp for a hound
Episode 8: A Dog, an Elf, and a Human Walk into a Bar[edit | edit source]
November 17, 2019
After taking a short rest from their shopping trip, Faelyn decides to head out in search for Tean to get the scrolls translated for Laria, with Diggs following along with Butch. Tean's residence lay several miles south of Lomar in a large hole cut into the ground. It was a stone building about three stories tall, with the inside walls, rooms and alcoves looking as if they were all carved out from a single large stone. When the duo arrived at the front gate, they found a light-skinned woman with glasses (Dijanti) who claims to have been expecting their arrival. They are shown to a guest waiting room where Tean arrives shortly after, inquiring about their business in coming here. Faelyn hands him the sheath of scrolls and asks for it to be translated, which Tean dismisses to his assistant, Nubani, promising to finish the job in 3 days time. After exchanging a few words, Tean takes interest in Diggs once he found out that Diggs knew what "glasses" were.
Diggs and Faelyn are taken to Tean's basement, where they find a room filled with metallic tubings all around the room, with globes of various sizes interspersed between them. Faelyn recognizes this as an attempt at creating an orrery, though pales a bit in comparison to the ones elves make. Tean tells them that this is what he's working on, a model of the various other planets/planes/realms that exist in this world. Having seen this, Diggs recalls the obelisk they saw at Wohdwa Palace, and proceeds to ask Tean about such objects. Diggs reveals there's to Tean about this obelisk, to which Tean expresses great interest, hoping that Diggs could take him to it one day. The two are able to negotiate a trade in services. Once the scroll business was finished, Faelyn and Diggs return to Lomar just as the sun was about to set.
Once evening hit, Diggs and Faelyn head out once again, this time towards the docks, where the Den was located. It was a decently sized establishment of one floor, filled with tables and people eating, drinking and gambling. In the back left corner was a booth, occupied by a rotund man the duo would soon know as Korzan. Diggs is granted an audience, while Faelyn, a bit uninterested, loiters around several tables. Diggs gets right down to business, paying off the debt for Bahdurba's son, Patash, and is then recruited to stand-in for an arena fight that Korzan is hosting. Diggs agrees in exchange for payment, and the group heads into the basement where the arena was staged. He was to be pitted against three opponents, all of which were made short work of by Diggs (with a bit of help from Faelyn). Korzan is highly impressed, though makes it clear that he'd make more money in longer fights. Nothing exciting about a person getting downed in less than a minute.
Korzan returns Patash, with Faelyn and Diggs coming back to the Blue Pelican just in time to hear the family's reunion. Diggs offers up Butch to Faelyn to keep company for the night, to which Faelyn excitedly accepts. With this, the day came to a peaceful close.
NPCs Discovered * Dijanti * Nubani * Jamar (fighter #1) * Nadar (fighter #2) * Unnamed (fighter #3)
Faelyn * +60g (pocketed Bahdurba's gold that was supposed to pay off Patesh's debt) * +130g (of 230g won in earnings from the fight)
Diggs * -100g (paid off Patesh's debt) * +130g (of 230g won in earnings from the fight) * +50g (his share for participating in the fight) * (+50g - if he returns to do another fight)
Faelyn gains a level and is now Level 4
Diggs gains a level and is now Level 4
Episode 9: Armor and Titles and Dinos, Oh My![edit | edit source]
December 15, 2019
After a good night's rest, the duo is met by Lor in the morning, who came by to tell Diggs that he was able to find a person to smelt his gold. Having no tasks upon them, Faelyn and Diggs decided to explore other parts of the city. Before leaving, Faelyn wrote a note to Zahan, inquiring about the sudden cancellation last time, and to set up a date for the menagerie.
They ended up heading towards the northeastern part of Lomar, where the palace and wealthy resided. Here, houses were built much better than all the ones they've seen in the southern part of Lomar. The streets were also lined with small gardens and fruit trees. As they strolled through this part of town, Faelyn noticed many stares directed at him, something he was all too familiar with. A stranger in a foreign land is bound to get looks. The duo passed by the park full of taxidermy (to which Tuco had previously taken Faelyn) and made a short detour there as Diggs hasn't seen it before. They eventually made there way up to the palace, or more accurately, the palace gates. It didn't seem like they would be let in, so Diggs suggested they go look for some work in the law enforcement district (where they had met Lor).
Once there, they found what seemed to be wanted boards, painted with portraits and a short description of where the wanted was last seen. Interestingly, they were all charged with cannibalism, something which Faelyn knows isn't uncommon, particularly in the Black Kingdoms. They noticed one criminal was last seen at the western docks, much closer than another one seen at the border with Darfar. However, the sergeant there told them in order to apprehend people in the city, in addition to doing other work, they required a permit. And so, for a small sum, the two received work permits allowing them to legally do work.
Diggs decided to stop by the Blue Pelican to fetch Butch before heading to the docks, and the duo was met by Bahdurba with a message from Zahan. He will be coming by later this afternoon to pick them up, along with the gift they were planning to present to Matambe, for a meal and a tour of the menagerie.
At the expected time, Zahan showed up with a companion named Kaikari, who came to inspect the suit of armor. He confirmed it to be the Zilaha Zimba za Wohdwa, the formal title given to that armor. The party then were taken to the palace in a rickshaw, where they were met by Matambe & Kahini, along with some of their attendants as well as guests. A wagon came to take them around the perimeter of the palace grounds, which was essentially where the menagerie was. Afterwords, they were taken into the palace and presented with an amazing feast full of all types of meats and vegetables.
Once done, Matambe, Kahini, Zahan and Kaikari took the duo to another room, where they discussed about the "gift" that Diggs was offering. Turns out, there was quite a history behind that suit of armor, and it probably wasn't the gift Diggs intended it to be. With this armor also came a request from Matambe & co., regarding some issues they were having with free farmers down at southern border of Kush. Nasta, one of the farmers who escaped an attack, described men on horseback dragging away bodies, and whatever was left over were eaten by flocks of crows. Amana, the second son of the Imperator, was tasked to investigate these incidents that started last season, but has seemingly dismissed it. He attributed it to bandits, but the attacks have not stopped at all, and he has done nothing regarding it.
Matambe offered the armor to Diggs, which would give him the title of Lord (of Wohdwa), allowing him to more easily investigate this incident (politically speaking). Diggs accepted, and the duo will be provided with horses, rations and other supplies for their trip next morning.
NPC's Discovered * Kaikari
NPC's Introduced * Nasta * Amana
Loot Obtained * Royal Armor of Wohdwa (Bronze Cuirass)
Supplies Given for Trip * (2) Alchemical health potions * (1) Medicinal kit * (20) Days' Rations - 10 days' each * (2) Horses * (1) Glaive * (2) Coils of Rope
Diggs has been bestowed a Title: Lord (of Wohdwa) Now has access to Wohdwa Palace
Episode 9.1: Council of Spears (Part 1)[edit | edit source]
Email supplement
After you both finished eating your fill of the extravagant meal that had been created on your behalf, Zahan and Matambe walked you to a room further into the palace.
To Diggs, the palace was amazing. It was like something out of the pulp magazines he'd read while waiting to ship out of one camp or another. Something to keep his mind occupied. In this case, it reminded him of a sultan's palace in a story he vaguely remembered. It had something to do with a genie and a princess and a poor street urchin. Plot aside, he remembered the description of the palace. It's grand walls of alabaster, large banners hanging from them, gold colored lamps hung from inordinately high ceilings, sweeping staircases that led up and to... who knew. He sure didn’t and was pretty sure he wouldn't know any time soon. From the time they had seen the dinosaurs in the menagerie to now, the whole thing was like a dream. If he didn't so vividly remember vomiting up a snake from his stomach a few days earlier, he'd start to wonder if he wasn't just asleep. And now, he was apparently a lord or something.
Faelyn's mind was still on the large three horned beast he had just witnessed. He had never seen anything like that. And the large long necked one. They were so amazing! He pictured them in his head, how to draw them this way and that. He had heard of beasts like this before, but never seen them. Supposedly there were others like them. Bipedal and ferocious, with teeth like daggers that could devour a lion whole. He hardly noticed the palace as they made their way through it. What he did see didn't really impress him. Sure, it was large and obviously took many men many years to build, but it was so square and almost simple. The arched ceilings were rather impressive. He would give them that, but the overall design paled in comparison to the multi-tiered pagodas and sprawling palace grounds of home.
It wasn't until the large, white lion-head emblazoned double doors opened, and they were led into the library that Faelyn paused and Diggs snapped out his current wonderment immediately into another.
The shelves were at least twenty feet tall. All were made of a dark stained wood and divided into small square compartments. Each compartment measured roughly two feet by two feet. Stacked neatly in each were long tubes, scroll cases. The room was very well lit by glass enclosed lamps mounted on pillars and wooden beams throughout the room. Coming to a halt at a large table in the middle of the room, Zahan looked at both newcomers as they took in their surroundings.
“Welcome to the Library of the Shining City.” Zahan looked around the room as he said this in a somber tone. “The only repository of it’s kind in the Black Kingdoms. Even Shumballah’s own can’t compare to what has been created and stored here. More than just our history as a city. Here you will find the writings of the men and women who came before that made this city great. Not just warriors, mind you, but great minds. Our lawmakers. Our poets, and many more. This is Lomar.”
Episode 9.2: Council of Spears (Part 2)[edit | edit source]
Email supplement
You aren't exactly certain how long you were in the library, but you leave to stars that are high in the sky and a city with an evening calm that has fallen over it. Diggs carrying his armor, Faelyn a carrying a small bundle of newly acquired leather waterproofed scroll cases with very fine parchment rolled in each, a low seated wagon was called round to deliver you back to the Blue Pelican for what may be your last night there. In a few hours, you will pack up and head south, to the "southern border" as it was referred to. A border that sounds to you like a place where civilization stops, and the wilderness begins. A place where something mysterious appears to be happening.
Despite the assurances of Amana, Matambe’s older brother and heir to the throne, Matambe and Zahan have their suspicions. The information they shared with you came from a trusted source, a farmer by the name Mordacai who they had done much business with over the years. He travelled a ten-day by foot to bring word to Zahan that things were bad and getting worse.
They thought that animals had attacked the outer farms, but over the days and weeks, more farms were attacked. Word began to spread of cannibals devouring children, ravens picking the bones of the dead, and apes dragging people off into the jungles. Even to the superstitious populace of the area, it sounded odd. Soon, farms were abandoned, and people began to move north. As they moved north, the attacks lessened and after a couple of weeks, people began to move back to their farms. At first, it seemed to have stopped, then came the "Night on the Black Wings" as they were calling it. All the farms south of the river were destroyed in the night. Buildings were burned, livestock was slaughtered. Few saw what happened, Mordecai being one of them. Hiding in a cave in hills that overlooked the river, he and those with him saw a great cloud of black ravens descend on the farms. Screams could be heard in the night over the sound of thousands of wings. The hulking shapes of giant apes could be seen moving through buildings while men followed and laid torch to the flammable structures. By dawn, nothing was left.
Those that saw this feared for their lives and their farms north of the river, but it never came. Since that night, the south side of the river has been silent. A few hunters, men who Mordecai said were brave and wise, went south to find the cause. They haven’t returned. While he hasn’t seen it personally, he had heard others talking about a giant ape that occasionally is spotted in the woods south of the river. Large enough it can be seen from a great distance.
All of this, you recount as your wagon rolls through town to deliver you back to your final evening at Blue Pelican.
Episode 9.3: Council of Spears (Part 3)[edit | edit source]
Email supplement
To Diggs, the Council of Spears sounded like something straight out of a book or an old story he had seen in comics growing up. Five lords who served a king in a land of monsters and magic. Five lords who counselled the king, usually for the good of the kingdom but not always. Egos did get in the way at times. Personal grievances, or greed, could steer decisions in ways unforeseen. It was politics, not really any different than where he was from. At the same time, the whole place was so different. And here he was, now one of five people who would advise a king. Assuming he survived the trip south and was then accepted.
To Faelyn, it sounded like politics every other place he had ever encountered. It was just different names in a different place.
After further discussion, Matambe’s claim that the title of Lord of Wohdwa could be bestowed upon another seemed more idealistic and less based in actual fact or custom. Zahan believed that success on the border would strengthen a claim to the title, showing action taken to defend the city and it’s well being. He had Tuco still combing the library for instances of a title being bestowed based on possession of an object alone. All in all, they believed it would work. All they needed to do was convince the imperator.
It was no secret the imperator didn’t like the current even numbered council. The four families had drawn lines in the sand and were not willing to cross them. They had aligned themselves into pairs, which meant at all votes ended in a tie. The imperator refused to break that tie. He believed he was there to guide, not rule. In casting a vote, he would be showing favor and unlike previous imperator’s he wished to avoid that.
Zahan and Matambe did their best to explain the Council of Spears and the families it consisted of.
Gafaar of House Hamza
While his lineage was that of a Lomari, his appearance favored his mother’s Stygian features. He plays on this and incorporates parts of Stygian culture into his attire and daily life. He works closely with the heads of his house (8 in total, all blood relatives of some sort), but his word is final, and they know it. His family may not always agree with his decisions, but he has yet to lead the family wrong. They focus mainly on exporting raw goods to Shumballah such as carnelian and copper, both of which they have several mines southwest of the city near the coast.
At the moment, Gafaar’s agenda appears to be getting the imperator to allow export of slaves. While slavery is still common in Lomar, selling of slaves is not allow outside of the city. Gafaar would like to expand this to allow for selling slaves to Shumballa and Stygia. He is a cunning man, not easily fooled, but loyal to the imperator and to Lomar.
Anwar of House Taharqa
Of the council members, Anwar is the most travelled, as is most of his family. He has personally visited Tarantia in Aquilonia, Messantia in Argos, and Tauran. In his travels, he has opened many new avenues of trade, mainly in textiles and non-perishable items due to the distances, but no one item is specialized in. Instead, they find markets that need to be met, or create them, and then find the merchandise, or supply the merchandise that has already been located and purchased at a very reasonable rate. To outsiders, this seems very volatile and would seem to make for a very unpredictable income, but House Taharqa makes it work. The family is very large and very determined. They are all traders by nature. Anwar is a very charismatic man, but his time is very limited. Having succeeded his father who died of old age, now as head of the family, very little of his time is spent traveling. He much focus on the city and his position in it.
At the moment, Anwar’s agenda appears to be getting the imperator to approve permanent housing for foreigners who he has developed ties with. The imperator is leery of this, as he doesn’t want outside forces interfering with the city. Allowing influential foreigners permanent residence to the city feels like he is inviting the lion into the goat pen. Anwar, on the other hand, argues that stronger ties with other larger cities would make Lomar much more influential outside the borders of Kush and the Black Kingdoms.
Alara of House Mounir
"The Golden Lion of the Plains" as he is called by those in the military, Alara is not only a member of the council, but a the current general of the imperator's army. Alara does not like his current position. It's apparent that he would prefer to serve as a general, not a politician. Why he doesn't just hand off the title to his son, Tananda, no one knows for certain. Zahan believes it's due to Alara not finding his son worthy of the position because of past transgressions. As it stands, Alara has never sided with Anwar or Gafaar due to his belief that both attempt to bring in too much external influence into the city. He will not jeopardize the city for any reason.
At the moment, Alara is pushing to increase the number of forts along the Imperator's Road heading south. While they have a reasonably large army, it is far too centralized to his liking. He wants to spread it out a bit, a new idea that the imperator is not fond of. To the imperator, separating the army seems bad for the defense of the city. To Alara, it makes sense to spread the forces and create a buffer to the city. He's trying to find a way, but has not had any real support in the council.
Idrian of House Ghazal
Replacing her grandmother as head of the family, Idrian moved them in a different direction. Her grandmother sought to maintain the influence of their house, but did little to attempt to grow it. Whether it was apathy in old age or some other unknown reason, House Ghazal had changed little during her reign. Idrian wants this to change. She returned from Stygia after her grandmother’s death to take over the house. She had been sent to Stygia many years earlier at her mother’s behest to become a priestess of Derketo. Upon returning and seeing the state of the house and how little respect it was given, she immediately began making changes. These changes brought about the attention of both the Temple of Mitra and the Temple of Nergal, both the main religions in the city.
Idrian built a small temple to Derketo and began opening her doors to anyone who would like to participate in the services offered. It was less the orgies, drugs, and prostitutes that bothered the other temples and more the hit to their coffers. Tithes began to flow into a third temple, making less for the other two. They have approached the imperator concerning this, requesting the temple to be shutdown. While the imperator has refused this, he has not condoned the expansion the Idrian has request. She is smart. She knows that if she is to spread the word and expand her influence, she has to do it with the imperator’s blessing, so to speak.
At the moment, Idrian has her eyes on a sizeable lot of land near the palace she is hoping to acquire and build a new, much larger, temple. While few of the council oppose this on a religious basis (they all three visit the current temple), they will not support her expansion. Not only due to the potential of her gaining more influence, but they don’t want to make enemies of the other temples.
The Temples
The temples of Mitra and Nergal don’t have any direct say on the council, but the head priests will be called to make statements during matters of great importance concerning the city. The imperator has made it clear that the temples are here to serve the people, not run the city. It has always been this way. The founding of the city was built on this and other ideals. This isn’t to say that the temples don’t try to sway opinion, especially in the general population.
It was a lot for them to retain in an evening, and many questions arose. But, their beds at the Blue Pelican beckoned them. There were few hours left before they were to journey south. Time for some shuteye.
Episode 10: South of the Border[edit | edit source]
January 12, 2019
Upon returning to the Blue Pelican, Diggs immediately got down to business to wrap up some loose ends before the duo set off tomorrow morning. He asked Bahdurba to join him for a meal, as was customary in Diggs world before parting ways. He then wrote a letter for Lor regarding getting his Fangs melted down and reforged, and left the letter along with the bag of coins with Bahdurba to pass onto Lor when he comes next. Diggs also visited the Den to notify the owner that he will be away for a while, and won't be able to partake in any more fights for the time being. Meanwhile, Faelyn was making sure the supplies he wanted to take were in order.
The duo were rudely awakened early the next morning, before the sun had even come up (around 4 am.) by Bahdurba, who urgently notified them that Zahan had arrived and were waiting for them downstairs. The two quickly gathered their belongings and headed downstairs to find Zahan and Tuco. Zahan informs them that Amana, the second son to the imperator, seems to have found out about their plans to investigate the southern border and has sent his houseguards to come find Faelyn and Diggs. Better sooner than later anyways, but the two had no choice but to head out onto the road immediately. Diggs decided to wear the Wohdwa armor now bestowed upon him, which turned out to be as light as leather armor, to Faelyn's surprise.
Faelyn remembers vaguely that Nasta, the farmer who came to seek help, walked 10 days (240 miles) from the village at the border. He estimates that on horseback, it would take them about 8 days. As they set out on the Imperator's Road, they notice that for about the first 25 miles or so the road is fairly well kept. Past that, it's just a regular ol' dirt road marred by wagon tracks and foot traffic. For the first half of their journey, the two traveled mostly through a savannah, with wide open fields of tall grass and the occasional herd of gazelle.
Day 1 | Faelyn and Butch hunted a rabbit for dinner. Peaceful night. |
Day 2 | There are fewer farms at this point in the road. Faelyn and Butch try to catch a gazelle but failed at sneaking up on it and ended up spooking the group away. Later that afternoon the trio tried again, this time with Faelyn turning into a tiger, surprising Butch instead. Luckily, Faelyn somehow managed to avoid a confrontation with Butch and was able to snag a gazelle that was chased towards him by Diggs. The three had an enjoyable meal that night, which ended uneventfully. |
Day 3 | There are now fewer trees throughout the savannah and more rolling hills. There are no more farms or settlements in sight. The three spent most of the day on the road, and ate leftovers of the hunt for dinner. That night, they heard some large animals, and even saw one in passing, but nothing major happened. |
Day 4 | Faelyn notices a change in the weather that forebode a storm. They pick up the pace with their horses, and after 2-3 hours along the road they are able to see the large storm clouds heading towards them, along with a torrential downpour that looked like a wall of water. Fortunately for the three, they were passing into a change in terrain, with rocky formations a little off the road. They found a mesa with a rock overhang to use as shelter from the storm. Apparently, this spot seemed to have been a popular shelter area, having found a few old campfires laying around. As the storm passed over them, the two decided to strip down and take a refreshing shower in the rain and wash off all the dirt. All in all the group made about the same amount of progress as the last three nights. |
Day 5 | The air is getting warmer and drier as the group moves along smoothly towards the southern border. The savannah has given way to more rocky formations. There are fewer water sources now than before. Still no signs of any settlement. There also hasn't been signs of anyone on the road, despite being a trade route. |
Day 6 | Small storm this day, but it was closer to early evening when it started, so it didn't affect the group's progress much. Uneventful day like all the others. |
Day 7 | Journey continues to be peaceful. Faelyn continues to keep watch with his spyglass and makes a few sketches occasionally of animals he sees along the way. By this time, they are very close to the southern border. The road starts to drop downhill, and they can see along the horizon what seems to be a forest, along with a large river. |
Day 8 |
The group finally arrives at the village Nasta came from. The river runs right in front, and looks to be about 100-150 feet wide from bank to bank. There is a large wooden bridge leading to the village, but it seems to have been destroyed by something and is no longer usable. Faelyn recalls Nasta mentioning watching the destruction of the village from a cave. After a few minutes search, Diggs finds it not too far off to the side of the road. It's a fairly large cave, about 80-90 ft deep with a small bend at the end, useful for hiding. Diggs and Faelyn both found footprints leading to and from the cave. There didn't seem to be any other bridges, so Faelyn turned into a giant octopus in order to carry Diggs and Butch across the rapid river. The village, with its 15-20 structures, has all been burnt to the ground. Upon further investigation, the duo finds several charred bodies, and in the dirt surrounding them, hundreds of crow footprints. There were also what seemed to be an ape-like hand/footprint around a few bodies that look to have been torn into pieces by the beast. Further observation showed no signs of additional beasts, meaning the death of these villagers were caused by a single creature. Diggs finds a tuft of fur stuck in some burnt timber and uses Butch to try and sniff out the whereabouts. Butch makes a round through the village to each corpse where the ape-like prints had been before stopping at the outer edge of the village. Faelyn found additional prints here, boot prints that belonged to an estimated 6-10 people. The trio followed these prints further into the forest. Along the way, they came upon broken branches and disturbed shrubbery. Using this additional information along with the footprints, Faelyn estimates this beast to be about 10-12 ft tall. The prints brought them to a clearing set slightly lower than the edge of the forest. In the middle of the clearing lay a large slab of rock, atop which lay a dead man with his chest pried open. On a closer look, the man's chest seemed to have been cut open by something sharp, but pried open in a very unrefined manner. The organs in his chest cavity were all gone. From the state of decomposition the body was at, it was estimated to have been here for about 3-4 days. Oddly, there were no bird prints surrounding the body, nor signs of being picked at by animals. It was also not burnt like the other bodies in the village. The tracks didn't end here but continued further along into the jungle. By this time, it was already late afternoon, so Diggs and Faelyn decide to head back to the cave and camp for the night. |
NPCs Discovered None
Mysteries * Broken bridge * Burnt village * Large flock of corpse-eating crows * Large ape-like beast * Band of humans traveling with said beast * Dead man with missing chest organs that is too well preserved
Episode 11: Brothers of the Night (Part 1): Welcome to the Jungle![edit | edit source]
March 22, 2020
Close Encounter
After a night's rest in the cave, the duo resumed their investigation into the jungle. They decided to swim across the river this time, Butch having no issue at all, but Diggs struggled with helping Faelyn who went under a few times. The group made their way back to the stone slab with the dead man, whose body still looked just about the same as the day before, no traces of being preyed on by wild creatures. Diggs and Faelyn both noticed tracks leading further into the jungle, a mix of boot prints, canine and ape-like prints. As the three followed the prints further into the humid jungle through heavy underbrush, they came upon a swamp full of mangrove, and the tracks ended there. Diggs climbed up a tree to survey their surroundings and try to look for signs of where the creatures may have gone, and found a small wisp of smoke in the distance. It seemed to be in the general direction of where the tracks would have led, so the group continued their trek through the wet, muddy marshland.
When they were almost clear of the swamp, Butch suddenly caught sight of a beast in the trees (all the while his human owners unaware), and he tried to alert the party but a tad late. The ape-man jumped down from the tree and alerted his three comrades who came in from all directions. Faelyn turns into a lion and attempts battle in that form. He did alright for a little bit, but the ape-men turned out to be much stronger, defeating his wild shape and reverting him back to human form. Meanwhile, Butch single-paw-dly took down one enemy and went on to help Diggs, who was barely managing to fight two at a time. Faelyn, not discouraged, turned into a large dire wolf, which proved to be a better match against these ape-men, and took down two himself before helping Diggs finish off the final one. As the last ape-men fell, the party could hear ape-like noises off in the distance, as if reacting to the aftermath of this battle.
With Diggs critically wounded and Butch knocked unconscious, the party retreated a quarter mile back to take a short rest. Once finished, they decided to go off trail a bit and continued moving towards the origin of the smoke. The party cleared the swamps and was back onto regular jungle land. After another mile of walking, they finally came upon the source of the smoke: a yurt residence. It was surrounded by several trellises that had plants and vegetation growing on them. Faelyn turned into a small weasel to scout out the yurt, which had a cooking pot over the burning campfire, small animal skull decorations around the walls, and several piles of random items of various value. There was no sight of anyone in the yurt, and no signs of tracks around the yurt.
The two decided to follow the trail further into the jungle, and not long in they heard the cry of an ape-man which ended in a gnarly gargle. The party bore witness to a body falling from a tree that was about 50 feet ahead of them. Diggs commanded Butch to go investigate, and he ran off with weasel-Faelyn on his back. As Butch and weasel-Faelyn approached the dead ape-man, they came upon an old woman hovering over the corpse and stomping her staff on the ground. When she saw Butch come running, she yelled for him to stop, and a startled Butch came to a grinding halt. The sudden outcry from the woman alerted Diggs to what may be an enemy presence, and he came running at full speed, sword drawn. After clearing up any misunderstandings about each other's identity, the old woman invited the three back to her yurt, where she explained to them what it was that decimated the village.
The Brothers of Night
The start of all this destruction started about 100 years ago, by the hands of a man named Grellis (a friend of the old woman), who had secluded himself further into the jungle. One day, he appeared before the old woman, claiming that he had found his faith. He lead her to an ancient temple full of primitive writings, and she soon realized this was a temple of Jhebbal Sag, the Lord of Beasts.
Jhebbal Sag had four sons, each of who had a beast shape except the youngest son. Jullah, the eldest and leader of the brothers, took on the form of a gorilla, and was said to have lived on the moon. The middle brothers were Juok, who took the form of big cats, and Jhil, who took on the form of a black raven, and was also known as the Harbinger of Fate. Jhil was said to spread fear and confusion in men. The youngest son was Jhekre, who was the least favorite and did not get to claim a beast form. As such, he would take on the shape of any creature except man, as it was deemed the weakest. All the brothers were not fond of civilization and men.
Grellis, who submitted himself to the teachings of Jhebbal Sag, raised up an army to fight against civilization, razing villages all along the southern coast. The old woman, despite knowing of his acts, did nothing to stop her friend until he came after her village. She plotted revenge and was successful in poisoning him, but the poison had to be re-applied every year. However, this year, when she went to find him, his body was nowhere to be seen.
Aided by the powers of the Brothers of Night and Jhebbal Sag himself, Grellis would be unstoppable if he were to make his way north, and would destroy not only villages but whole cities as well. With not many options left, the old woman enlisted the help of Diggs, Faelyn and Butch in finding the fruit of a special tree from which she made her poison in order to try and stop Grellis once and for all.
NPCs Discovered * Old woman - Priestess of Derketo * Grellis - follower of Jhebbal Sag
Creatures Discovered * Ape-men (akin to Planet of the Apes)
Episode 12: Brothers of the Night (Part 2): Apple of Derketo[edit | edit source]
April 12, 2020
“That's what the black people of Kush call the Apples of Derketa. Derketa is the Queen of the Dead. Drink a little of that juice, or spill it on your flesh, and you'd be dead before you could tumble to the foot of this crag." ~ Red Nails
The following morning, our party followed the witch stick given to them by the Old Woman, Mo Dai, to the last tree which bears the fruit that will seal Grellis away. She also gave them a large, leather sack, telling them to carry the fruit in it, and warned them to not touch it directly. A drop of the fruit's juice was enough to kill instantly.
A hot and muddy trek through the jungle lead the trio to a giant tree bearing the Apples of Derketo. The tree sat atop a small hill, with a large, black trunk and broad, green leaves covering its branches. Faelyn noticed a presence in the tree, but they were too far away to see, and it was also well hidden behind the leaves. Not wanting to put Butch in danger, Diggs tied him up to a nearby tree and the duo set out towards the tree, with Faelyn sneaking around back and Diggs gathering all the attention.
A near-fatal encounter for Diggs, the giant spiders that were the guardians of the tree brought him down. Through the druidic talents of Faelyn, the course of the encounter changed. The spiders were killed, Diggs was saved, an apple was retrieved, and a mysterious corpse was discovered at the base of the tree. It had long withered away, but curiously, the armor and weapon belonging to the corpse seemed in fair condition. Upon closer inspection, Faelyn found odd engravings on parts of the armor, and the same engravings were present on the club.
An enchantment perhaps? So thought our duo. Faelyn also found a yew wand that appeared to be some kind of druidic focus.
After this ordeal, the group safely returned to Mo Dai, handed over the apple, and retired for the night.
Loot obtained * Fine hide armor (w/ engravings) * Old club (w/ engravings)
Faelyn * Yew wand (druidic focus) * (2) polished amber * (2) yellow precious stone
Episode 12.5: Chasing the Dragon[edit | edit source]
Taking the pipe from Mo Dai, Faelyn could smell the faintest hint of the burnt-sugar like odor. The pipe looked different than the pipe he had back home. His was ornate, carved to resemble a dragon. This one was plain. No ornate carving. No imposing beast motif. It appeared to be a grey clay baked and hardened. The bowl was burned black around the top, but stained black inside from the tar-like substance that now rested there. Taking a lighting stick from the fire, he held it up to the poppy-matter and inhaled.
Within seconds, his lungs filled with the familiar searing sensation followed closely by a euphoria that made him forget about his lungs. Another shallow pull from the pipe and the sensation spread. And another, and another. While still cognizant of his actions, he set the pipe down and oozed to his pallet on the dirt floor of the yurt. The last thing he vaguely remembers hearing before the world faded to nothing was Diggs saying, "Faelyn, you are fucked up." He wasn't too sure exactly what that meant, but it made him smile as he floated away from the world.
Time passed. How much? He didn't know. Hours? Minutes? He couldn't tell. Which seemed odd since everything else seemed extremely defined. Looking at his arm, he could see and count every hair without losing track. Staring at the palm of his hand, he could follow the faint lines of his skin in a neverending labyrinth of "him." But looking around him, side to side, above and below. There was nothing. Not light. Not darkness. Nothing. Then in the briefest of moments, he was falling. Or was he? Maybe he was rising? He couldn't tell. There was a definite sensation of fast uncontrolled movement, but in which direction he couldn't tell.
Then he wasn't moving any longer. He was still. Walking past from behind him was a man. Fair complexion, flaming red hair. He stopped and looked up at a full moon that wasn't there a moment before. He let out a howl of sorts, not like that of a wolf. Only a sound a man could make. Then from a leather bag hung on his side, he pulled out a long piece of wood and set it on a large stone that appeared before him. Next, he produced a leather waterskin and began pouring thick red blood on the piece of wood and the alter in front of him. From above a single moonbeam showed down brightly on the altar. The blood-soaked into the stone and the wood, vanishing as if had never been there.
Then in flash, you are off. Following over the shoulder of the man, tethered to him from behind. He runs with the speed of a stag, leaping over fallen trees and bounding over rocks. In a great leap, he clears a river. As he lands, the ground beneath him shudders and he stops. Standing upright he sees before him a great bear larger than any bear Faelyn has ever seen. Easily the size of a mammoth, it charges him. He stands firm with only the piece of wood in his hand. As the bear, mouth opened wide lunges at him he draws back and swings the club. As it makes contact, there is a clap of thunder. The bear collapses to the ground, breathing but unconscious. He climbs up and onto it. Looking out across a great plain where skies are black and lighting flashes, Faelyn sees an army of men and beasts swarming towards a bright point of light on the horizon. Faelyn can't see it, but he can feel it. They mean to destroy that light. And once it's gone, they will find another and another. Then he realizes he is standing next to the fail skinned man.
As their eyes meet, the man asks "will you take up the call of Nodens? Will you follow the horn and join the Great Hunt?"
He holds out the club he bathed in blood on the stone altar under a full moon. Faelyn looks down and sees it is the club from the body under the tree.
"Will you take your place among the Nuautha, my small cub?"
With that, the man bursts into a bright light and ascends into a star-filled sky. Stunned, Faelyn hasn't been called that in years. Not since he last saw his mentor, the Rakshasa he befriended as a youth and hid from his family. As the realization hits, the floating sensation returns and sleep comes once more.
Episode 13: Brothers of the Night (Part 3): Little Drops of Poison[edit | edit source]
April 26, 2020
After a good night's rest, the trio wake up early next morning to begin their journey to find Grellis and stop him.
Mo Dai gives them 5 stone bottles that are corked and sealed tightly. These contain the poison from the Apple of Derketo
Episode 14: Brothers of the Night (Part 4): Smoke on the Horizon[edit | edit source]
May 17, 2020
Hyborian Nights: The Lomar Chronicles | |
---|---|
Characters | Faelyn • Diggs |
Major NPC's | Zahan Mahg • Tuco Majere • Bahdurba • Kahini Shurh • Matambe Shurh • Kosh • Old Woman |
Locations | Hyboria • Acheron • Khitai • Kush • Lomar |
Places of Interest | Triumph Square • The Dirty Harpy • The Blue Pelican • Wohdwa Palace • The Den • Lomar Palace • Southern Village |
Extras | Announcements • Calendar • Campaign Log • Faelyn's Sketchbook • Quests • Worldbuilding |