Session 5: AP Part 1

Harsh Words and Hard Lessons, Part 2

Session 5 opened with the group holed up in the Seawatch Tower. They have exposed the Rebellion traitor as a Succubus and need to decide what to do with Nabonidus and his daughter. Do they turn him over to the Rebellion and the tender mercies of their new inquisitor Akaran Trak’Ar or hide him to see if Trak’ar will try to finger someone else. They go for the latter option, one which will have consequences for some of them down the line…

The next morning they head out of the city. Clan Antarion has provided giant riding lizards and a guide which carry them quickly across the desert to their Clan Seat, a mountain of rock jutting out of the sands (I had just rewatched Dune that afternoon). They are greeted by Isaac, son of the old chief, a hot headed youth who quickly tries to recruit Artemis to help him kill his Uncle who has displaced him as the rightful Chieftain.

Deciding to do some asking around before doing anything rash the group splits up. Artemis does the rounds of the Clans leaders and learns the Clan is in trouble. A monster has emerged from the deep desert to prey on them and their water supplies are being poisoned. People are beginning to claim the new Chief is cursed by the spirits. He visits the Clan shaman to find that he has travelled too far and too long in the spirit world of their ancestors and comes away with the definite idea that he is mad as a loon. He also visits Sybelle, the clan Witch, Speaker to the spirits of the desert who bitches him out for choosing his Kireshi allies and his demon bearing mother over his own people.

Azhanti goes to speak to Sybelle as well to plant ideas that there is a new voice rising out of the desert. He has dreams of rising to Godhood, replacing Vulcan and is seeding rumours of his coming wherever he goes. Assamber and Morn visit the current Chieftain, Agamon and decide that he is a basically nice guy working in difficult circumstances. Morn is particularly unimpressed with the young Isaac.

With the break of day the group are brought before the tribal council who will consider their request for aid in slowing down the Dragonblood army. Artemis demonstrates his complete lack of tact and they get thrown out. To try and improve their position and get the Witch Sybelle on side they decide to try and solve the water problem. Assamber has analysed a sample of the tainted water and come up with a way to track it back to its source. The water is drawn from the depths of the Clan Seat where no one goes. Heading down into the depths the nomads seal them in, closing the enormous stone door which prevents anything unpleasant from making its way up into the living areas.

The spelunking goes well and they quickly track the problem to its source avoiding various dangers on the way. Assamber finds a strain of ancient rock containing unusual shells adding evidence to his belief that once the Ocean covered this land (He worships a resurgent Ocean god).

The source of the problem is an ancient pumping station of apparent Tiefling design in the depths of the mountain. Blasphemous runes have been carved in blood above the waterways and the desecrated bodies of clan members are scattered about the room. Moving to investigate they are confronted by the Clan Shaman dressed in a shirt of bones. The old man has fallen into worship of the dead and the bodies of the clan rise to defend him. He also draws out a pair of demented clan ghosts to harry the group.

The fight is fast and brutal, the zombies go down quickly and the ghosts prove ineffective against the divine power of Azhanti. They are quickly overcome and the Shaman is slain before he can escape. They break the evil ritual and return to the surface with the evidence. There is much celebrating and drinking in their honour. With all the Clan present they announce that tomorrow they will drive away the monster which has plagued the Clan. Artemis also earns himself and enemy and shames the Chieftain into coming with them but cannot stop Isaac also volunteering. Dark deeds and spilled blood promise to be the order of the day in the ancient temple where the creature has made its lair.