Session 12: The Return, Part 2

Act 2: Into the Pit

Morn has holed up in the trade city of Daal where he serves the Masked Lords as their new arena champion. So far he has beaten all comers. The appearance of a flying ship with a dragon carved prow throws much of the City into chaos. The group is showered with offers of help and questions about who they are, where they are from and if they will sell their amazing craft.

Disentangling themselves from the onlookers they manage to make their way to Morns home, a lush three story villa where he is waited on hand and foot by attentive servants and scantily clad pleasure slaves. Such a thing would have been unheard of before with the old dour uncompromising slave hating Morn. Things it seems have changed.

There is much banter between old companions and the sharing of war stories. Morn rejects their requests for him to join them again. He points out his great wealth, his pleasurable life and the opportunity to unleash violence in the arena. The others counter that he is litttle more than a bird in a gilded cage dancing for the amusement of his Masked Lords. Ultimately he relents admitting to boredom and a desire for travel once again. The old gang is back together!

As they congratulate themselves a message arrives from the Lords of the City, they invite the group to dine with them that evening before the nights entertainment.

Act 3: Betrayal

The group are feted at the banquet held in their honour. All of the city elite are present. Chiniko tells the story of their travels and much wine is drunk. Morn declares that tonight will be his last fight, after tonight he intends to retire and leave the City. This produces much tongue wagging and many wagers and quiet enquiries establish that no previous Champion has ever retired save in a wooden box!

Night falls and the party moves to the Arena. The Masked Lords take their place at the head and Morn waits in the centre of the blood soaked sands. With a crash the great gates open and an enormous desert beast, a Ravager charges out quickly followed by its two Ogre handlers. The group quickly realise the trick, such creatures are known to be immensely strong, capable of rending a man in half. They are also bestowed with the heat haze of the desert, befuddling the mind and confusing their enemies. Morn is doomed unless they act and act they do.

Azhanti and Assamber hurl themselves into the fray and spells fly. Artemis pounds his enemies from great range while his strange new pet, a sleek jungle cat emerges from the sands. The Ravager strikes Morn with incredible force bloodying him in a single pass. As the group interferes, breaking the sacred code of the pit, the handlers engage them and guards start taking pot shots from the walls with crossbows.

The battle would be fierce and deadly but Morn has learned a number of new tricks. The Ravager cannot get a good grip on him and spends much of the battle dazed, down or cursed by Chiniko. It struggles to position itself well but Chinikos curses drive it mad leaving wide opportunities for Morn. Azhanti engages one of the handlers while Assamber immobilises the other. Finally Assamber raises his now trademark Wall of Fire. The handlers find themselves trapped in it, the Ravager dies in a last desperate lunge for Chiniko and the handlers dont last much longer.

On the Balcony there is a hurried conference between the Masked Lords. They are reluctant to allow a Champion to simply retire, it is unprecendented but similarly they have no wish to face the group. In the end they emerge and congratulate the group on their victory. A party is thrown in their honour and the City descends into a night of unbridled debauchery as Morn gives away all of his earnings to the people.

As the sun rises the group head out to sea towards the first of their goals, the Temple of Mael wherein lies his heart.

*cut scene*

The banquet hall of the Masked Lords of Daal. Slumped figures lie all around in various stages of unconciousness, the smell of stale alcohol and poppy fumes fills the room. A tall emaciated figure enters the Hall trailed by a disconsolate looking dwarf. At the head of the table the Masked Lords suddenly become much more alert.

I believe my instructions were clear. The Warrior Morn was not to leave this City. If he died the Hammer was to be delivered to me. Why have you failed to follow my instructions?

The leaders of the City throws themselves on the floor before the tall figure. My Lord, we beg mercy, we could not keep him here. He and his companions were too powerful.

Failure is not acceptable. Now I must prepare a new ground for the sacrifice. You have earned your fate.

As he walks out of the Palace behind him can be heard the screams of the dying. The sun rises on a charnel house, the City covered in a cloud of flies which swarm around the bloated corpses of its citizens. As the day heads towards noon the bodies begin to twitch, stand and shamble out of the City heading south.