Post
by Anoush » Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:22 pm
Bloodbeat's Journal
As we approached Throal (returning from Irondelve where we’d aided Thaddeus Korbit), a boy raced to us and gasping, told Thorkell that there was trouble. A dwarven builder of Thorkell’s acquaintance, Poren Dash, was a month overdue in getting to the Tower of Ba’tosh.
The Tower was a pre-Scourge Weaponsmith mecca, built by a Questor of Upandal Named Ba’shon, located east of the Throal Mountains. It had been found in ruins and Thorkell had devoted months, even years, to getting it restored. It was nearly ready to re-open. But now this disaster. They feared that Poren had been captured by slavers.
Thorkell confirmed the details and then asked Juniper and me to find Poren and bring him to the Tower. Solemnly, he told me that if I helped accomplish this task, then he would gladly arrange for me to receive Weaponsmith training. Even without that added incentive, both Juniper and I would’ve helped. So, in any case, we readily agreed.
Thorkell had other pressing business in Throal, so could not accompany us. Instead, Elisen the windling Cavalryman and Lazulin the Raider joined us.
We journeyed first to Clear Creek Crossing and then to Kampung Gajah. In the latter, a dwarf matching Poren’s description had been seen about 3 weeks ago, and in the former about 1 month ago. Kampung Gajah reported that he had a wagon and headed east overland, following the edge of the Throal Mountains.
We followed Poren’s supposed path to the east. We found no evidence of a broken wagon, or a skirmish, or any clue as to Poren’s location. Several weeks after we started, we reached the banks of the Serpent River.
As we were discussing which were the nearest fords across the river, we caught sight of a good-sized ship on the river, perhaps 35’ long. A group of crewmen sailed a longboat over to us, and kindly asked if we wanted a ride north. This raised our collective suspicions immediately. What does it say about Barsaive that when someone offers help we immediately think they’re up to no good? In this case, we were right.
After discussion, we accepted their offer and boarding their ship. Juniper thought quickly, and introduced himself as a young heir to a trading house in Throal, and added that this was his first time on a trading journey. He introduced me as his accountant, and Elisen and Lazulin as his guards; after all, the world is a dangerous place.
The ship seemed a normal merchant vessel at first. The crew was welcoming. We estimated there were four t’skrang adepts in the martial disciplines, K’Tenshin by their accents, while the rest of the crew were mundane. They offered us a private cabin and dinner at the captain’s table. I acted my role of accountant, asking about what goods they were carrying, what their profit margin was and where they sold such things as tools. It was amusing to watch them obviously making up answers to the questions. When we stabled Elisen’s mount in a cage below decks, we noticed several other cages, and in one of them a resigned-looking dwarf; not Poren.
Privately, we discussed our options. We concluded that the best choice was to go along and let them capture us. Juniper’s Questor abilities would allow him to remove all our shackles at the appropriate time. We secreted key equipment on Elisen’s mounts, so that when they searched us no suspicions would be raised, and so the gear would be available to us later.
We set watches that night, but otherwise acted like normal merchants accepting the ship’s hospitality. During the night, they opened our cabin door and after we gave a token protest, shackled each of us and put us in the cages.
After two days sailing on the Serpent River, the ship docked and the slavers transferred us to a cage set atop a wagon, all covered with a tarp. Two more days of bumpy overland travel and the wagon stopped. They took us out of the wagon, still shackled. We were at a mine set in some foothills. There was a single large outbuilding. The slavers met with a couple of humans and we caught stray words that indicated they were haggling over a price for us. Eventually they came to an agreement and the t’skrang slavers left, leaving us with the mine slavers.
Our new owners led us into the building. We saw sleeping quarters, a desk with various papers, and a kitchen area. While the slavers were distracted, Juniper broke our shackles and we made short work of the two slavers. Elisen’s mount, Isadoros, charged into the building at his call, breaking down the wall in a murderous attack. Afterward, Juniper searched the papers on the desk and found that orders for supplies were all signed in a flowing script with the Name Willow.
Next we proceeded into the mine opening. After about 10 yards we reached a decision point; go straight or left. Juniper scouted to the left and found two mine guards. He acted the role of supervisor and berated them for still being at their current post, sending them off, straight into the line of sight for the rest of us. Between all our mental attacks, they were scared witless, and ran off, heading straight down the mine passageway. We followed, and were surprised to find two more guards, a couple of beefy troll enforcers, and their boss, Willow.
The fight was tough. Even though we rattled them so much that they could barely hit us, Willow turned the tables on us, and reduced our effectiveness severely. By her words (“Everyone is a slave to something”) and actions (causing Juniper to feel absolutely desolated), we concluded that she was a Questor of Dis. Eventually, Elisen, Jacint and Juniper ganged up on her, and she ran, opening a door, and then slamming it shut behind her. With Willow gone, the rest were easy to vanquish.
When Juniper smashed open the door, all he found was another mine passageway, but no Willow. Strangely, when she had opened the door for escape, we had caught a glimpse of sunlight and green grass beyond. Hmm, we suspected in addition to being a Questor, she was also an Illusionist. I suspect we haven’t seen the last of Willow.
Afterward, we freed the slaves, and found Poren there. Some of the slaves, including Poren, were mindless, as if undead. The others told us that if slaves resisted, she put some ‘spell’ on them and caused them to comply like this; the effect would be gone by the end of the day. Others were resigned to their slavery, while others seemed happy and content as slaves.
We recovered quickly and then returned back down the road leading to the Serpent River. We found the t’skrang slavers, and killed them all.
After returning to the mine, we gave Poren and the others a couple of days to rest, and then brought Poren and anyone else so inclined to the Tower of Ba’tosh. Thorkell was thrilled that we’d recovered Poren.
Before we left the Tower for our return to Throal, Thorkell gave me a piece of valuable advice. He said that a Weaponsmith is always in the front line. Even if they weren’t physically fighting hand-to-hand themselves, their weapons and armor were, making the difference between life and death. He cautioned that whenever I forge something to make sure that I do the absolute best I can so that my work does not fail in the middle of battle. Wise words.
