w Late Sea Season 1627

After spending some weeks recuperating in Pavis in the company of King Argrath, the king finally stepped out of the palace and summoned his escort to return to Sartar, mounted upon his white bison, the Black Spear of the Colymar in his hand. Because it was still Sea season, and the mountain fed streams and rivers of northern Prax were, probably, still flowing, we took the most direct route, the wide stone-paved imperial Pavis Road, towards Herongreen rather than follow the more southerly, and round-about, oasis-trail of Caravan Alley towards Swenstown.

The great parade of Pavisites that came out to wish us well and see Argrath off (for good, some hoped) melted away by midday, leaving behind Argrath’s small escort: a couple hundred riders of the White Bull Society (impressive on their bisons), two dozen Storm Voices of the Popular Front of Pavis, and a century irregular foot soldiers of the Flotsam and Jetsam Regiment, former Wolf Pirates who had abandoned Harrek and stayed in Prax when he and Argrath parted ways.

Argrath rode in the front, with the White Bull Society. Berrik was given a bison to ride, much to the humor of the other riders. The rest of us walked among Argrath’s other companions. They were:

• Elusu the Clown, who we had met in the spirit world (or, more likely, had met the image of her). Argrath’s long-time companion and trickster did not possess the shark-teeth we had seen in the visions weeks before and she seemed to delight in bullying young Obrast and farting at everyone. Argrath gave her surprising latitude.
• Orlmarl the Charioteer, rune lord of Mastakos, who steered Argrath’s war-chariot. Elusu lazed about in it, drinking and spilling water (which offended the bison riders muchly), farting, burping, and singing nonsense songs. Orlmarl ignored her like one would a cat, and she never cast her attention at him, either.
• Rurik Runespear, the famous, twice-dead, Light Son of Yelmalio, who burned with a quiet, but white hot, passion to avenge himself and Argrath on Belvani, walked beside Aeson for company and chat.
• Tarkala the Lover, the beautiful Snake Priestess from Esrolia who was said to give great power to whomever she takes to her bed. She was carried in shaded litter by the Storm Voices, wrapped in her enormous brown corn snake.
• Tosti Runefriend, the Grey Sage who had climbed the slopes of the Spike to study at the feet of the Celestial Court. He bristled with energetic knowledge and forbidden magic.

As we made camp at sunset on the first night, Elusu sang a bawdy song making fun of Argrath:

Argrath smiled indulgently at Elusu’s jabs.

.yw Fireday, Truth Week, Sea Season 1627

On Yelmalio’s Holy Day, we stopped at the Obscure Plinth. A company of dragonewts, led by a tailed priest, blocked the way. Their translator, the crested and surgically-altered Shackled Silence, informed us that the priest, Whispers in Twilight Amber, wanted to speak to us, Berrik and Argrath in particular, it seemed. Argrath and Berrik together performed the Promenade of Egg and Wyrm, the secret dance the Orlmarth know to engage in hospitable relations with dragonewts. This pleased Whispers, who responded with a new phrase of the dance Berrik had not seen before.

Although Argrath seemed to understand the dragonewt’s whistling and clicking speech with no problem, he responded through the interpreter Shackled Silence. After exchanging esoterica with Argrath, Whispers in Twilight Amber turned his attention to Berrik, saying he carried a wound, the foot-stamp of Orxili he called it, and that he could, perhaps, heal it. He then spoke much nonsense about existentialist spoons, drinking water and tea then vanishing, and chairs bringing down the moon. When Whispers asked Berrik if he understood, Berrik said “No.” and then something shocking occurred: the dragonewt priest leaned forward, and with great physical effort spoke the word, “Good.”

The priest gave Berrik one more poem:

He invited Berrik to meditate upon all he had told him, but Berrik could not clear his mind enough to understand. The priest was neither pleased nor disappointed by this. When Berrik ended his meditations, the dragonewts melted back into the plinth and went wherever the invisible dragon road took them. Argrath told Berrik not to worry about the failure and to continue to contemplate the gift of the dragonewt priest’s nonsensical poems. Perhaps in time, he would understand.

Kyw Wildday, Truth Week, Sea Season 1627

Several hundred Pol Joni came to the Pavis Road to escort the army through the Good Place, though they were careful not to let their horses touch the pavement stones. They left us as we passed through the canyon at Battle Ridge and entered Sartar.

Xyw Godday, Truth Week, Sea Season 1627

From dry Prax, the road rose into the high desert forests of Northeastern Dragon Pass, into cooler and moister air. Argrath stopped the march outside Torkan’s Last Fort, sent a small gift of bison cheese to the Torkani chieftain out of respect, and bid us to wait. He and Rurik then headed south, alone and on foot, towards Jaldon’s Rest to speak with the Goldentooth.

We waited for day for them to return. Fire season began.

wj. Waterday, Disorder Week, Fire Season 1627

Argrath and Rurik returned to the camp, exhausted and clearly having been in a fight. Argrath was wounded in the leg by an animal bite. They told us they had been ambushed by Telmori. Argrath managed to behead their leader; he carried the head back with him. He angrily spitted the head on a spear and stuck it in a fire to melt and burn, cursing that he had another future debt to repay while Tarkala the Snake Priestess led him to her tent to see to his wounds and calm his spirit.

ej. Clayday, Disorder Week, Fire Season 1627

Telmori harassed us all across Goodfarm Vale, with the army exposed and rain pelting us. Several men and beasts were taken as the Telmori and their wolves leapt out of the cover of tall grass and trees to pick off anyone who straggled or wandered too far from the body of the army. Argrath’s mood grew very dark and he pushed us hard to cross the Creek before nightfall, reaching the safety of Dinacoli lands. The Telmori, honoring ancient pledges, refused to cross and the attacks subsided. We camped outside the palisade of Over-the-Creek. Argrath gifted the thane there with a copper bracelet.

gj. Windsday, Disorder Week, Fire Season 1627

The rains continued. We passed into the gloomy shadow of the Woods of the Dead, protected from that evil by the long rammed earthen Herongreen Wall that ran from Old Campfire almost 10 kilometers, past Killbride, where once upon a time wicked Brangbane¹ would cut the fingers off his wives.

Through rain and gloom, the walls of Herongreen finally came into sight, but Argrath was far from pleased. He had been expecting friendly banners, but only found the Red Moon on Black banners of the Silver Shields², a famous Lunar regiment. Their leader, a captain named Belleracles Bustis, rode out to meet us upon his braided red horse. Argrath ordered Elusu to parley with the Lunar captain, but she refused and pushed Obrast forward to do it in her place. Obrast complied, though he was bewildered and thoroughly unprepared for such an important task. Elusu thought it was hilarious, but it did nothing to improve the king’s mood.

Obrast did manage to learn that Herongreen was closed to us. Angry, but undaunted, Argrath determined to take the town, if possible, and plans were laid to assault it. It was quite clear Argrath had expected his allies to be in control of the town and the Lunar presence was an unwelcome wrinkle in his plans.

While we gathered in Argrath’s tent to strategize, Tosti Runefriend pulled Veranos aside to assist him in the casting of some sorcery to protect the camp as it sat exposed upon the Pavis Road and near the Woods of the Dead. Elusu the Clown snatched Obrast away by the scruff of the neck, and together they snuck into Herongreen (they were literally led in by the guards who confused them for lost sheep). Once inside the walls, they visited a tavern and got drunk. After a few hours, Elusu and Obrast snuck out again and reported back to Argrath that there was only a company (about 85 men) of Lunars, but they had four catapults on platforms that could rain rocks and fire down upon Argrath’s army, if they needed to.

We spent a day preparing for the battle. Berrik led men into the woods south of the Pavis Road to harvest trees for ladders; Obrast tagged along. Aeson assisted Rurik drilling the irregulars. Veranos continued to assist Tosti, who insisted he might learn something. Elusu was nowhere to be found, having snuck off again.

Kj. Wildday, Disorder Week, Fire Season 1627

Two days later, in the morning under auspicious cloud cover, we assaulted Herongreen. The Wind Lords flew over the walls and cast thunderbolts down at the Lunars and their catapults, while the Flotsam and Jetsam Regiment climbed over the walls with the ladders we had made. The White Bull Society encircled the town to prevent any escape and the wait for the gates to open.

The battle was brief. Most of the Lunars were sick and unable to fight; their rations were befouled. Belleracles Bustis surrendered to Argrath, with only a dozen or so men on both sides having been slain, mostly at the Lunar’s expense. We found Elusu passed out drunk in the tavern.

Argrath took a tenth of the remaining Lunars captive. As they had committed no unnecessary or special cruelties upon the inhabitants of Herongreen and had surrendered honorably, he did not execute any of them. Instead, he broke their spears, except for the captain’s. Argrath handed Belleracles his shield, spear, and horse back and sent him to Alda-Chur with what remained of the company to tell King Phargentes that King Argrath had arrived in Dragon Pass. Doubtless, both men knew that Argrath was sending Belleracles to his death.

ol. Freezeday, Harmony Week, Fire Season 1627

We rested for a day while the catapults were repaired. Argrath, worried that other Lunar companies might outflank us, assigned several parties to scout the surrounding lands and locate any allies that might come to him:

• To the south, he sent Rurik and a dozen men, to scout the King’s Road to Dangerford.
• To the west, into Far Point, he sent several Wind Lords, led by Orlmarl in his chariot, to see what lay along the Tarsh Road and to locate the allies he expected to find in Herongreen in that direction (news came they might be holed-up in Engoli Fort).
• To the north, along the Dusk Road to Alone, he sent us and a dozen of the Flotsam and Jetsam, led by Aeson.

Tosti gave Veranos the power of knowledge: we were not to wander from the Dusk Road and we were especially not to go near or in to the Woods of the Dead at night. Brangbane’s Ravening Horde - and worse - haunted those woods, and the gloom that emanated from that dire place would befuddle the minds of men and beast alike³.

We made our way up the Dusk Road and found shelter and food in the lonely Highwall Inn. The only occupants of the inn were the owner, Jafoska Warm-Heart, and her rather large cook, Baran the Chopper. They fed us with good meat (beef), salt, bread, butter, beer, and wine. Jafoska and Aeson got along very well, and well into the night⁴, while the rest of us slept on the floors, tables, and the few beds the inn could provide.

Aeson was awakened from his sleep next to Jafoska by outside voices. In the unnatural gloom, even his Catseye Gift had trouble seeing. But he could make out a large man standing in the courtyard of the inn passing large, heavy bundles to five scrawny, twisted figures outside the gates, taking obvious care not to step beyond the walls. They were having some sort of disagreement, but Aeson could not make out much. He did overhear something; one of the twisted figures said, “The king doesn’t care.”

People We Met

The Companions

King Argrath has many famous companions, but not all of them were in Pavis; they were elsewhere following their own goals (Mularik Ironeye, for example) or doing something at the behest of Argrath (Orlaront Dragonfriend, for example). The companions we met were:

Ulusu the Clown j

Silver-tongued liar, murderess, toad, madwoman, and villainess are all titles given to Argrath’s Trickster. Believed to be an outlawed and mount-less Praxian, Elusu is the longest serving of Argrath’s Companions, having joined him during the years of exile in the Wastes. She claims the title of Trickster High Priest and is under the personal protection of Prince Argrath; a protection she abuses terribly.

Orlmarl the Charioteer s

Argrath’s Charioteer is initiated into the deepest secrets of Mastakos the Mover and is so devoted that his skin is as blue as his god’s. He can transport himself and his lord great distances in a blink of an eye.

Rurik Runespear .

Rurik’s father was an innkeeper who followed the Sartar colonials in the fruitless immigration to Pavis. As Rurik grew up he became totally enraptured by the stories of the adventurers who frequented his father’s tavern. In particular, he admired the shining armor and deadly spears of the Yelmalio initiates who would come by after serving guard duty.

Rurik ran with the street gangs which are rife throughout New Pavis, a holdover from the bad old days when humans had to share the Rubble with the trolls. He made the transition from street-tough to adventurer (and incidentally, was disinherited by his father) when he killed the bully Herkan Quicksword in Gimpy’s Tavern.

Despite his later accomplishments, Rurik could never shake his problem with trolls. It was as if the gods had set him up to be caught, pounded on, and, alas, finally slain by them. His long-standing hatred for the Darkness Men probably had much to do with his bad luck.

Rurik has died at least twice. He became Argrath’s companion when he defended the Giant’s Cradle from his fellow Yelmalians in Sun County in 1621, and stayed with Argrath when he sailed the Homeward Ocean with Harrek the Berserk (1621-1624).

Tarkala the Lover e

This snake priestess of Ernalda from Esrolia grants power and counsel to the lovers she chooses. She helped liberate the Goddess from the Underworld (almost certainly Ernalda) and has mastered many secrets of life and death.

Tosti Runefriend y

This Lhankor Mhy priest has traveled to Kralorela and learned forbidden magic of both the Empire of the Wyrms Friends and the God Learners. He has quested to climb the primeval Spike, seeking the secrets of the Runes from the very feet of the Celestial Court. He entered Argrath’s service in 1624.