Maztica: The Valley of Peace (Arrival)

On a quiet day, after traveling far from Nexal and when Atl was resting, Omechoka, Divemoye, Mociauh, and Zolin decided to experiment with the odd items they had discovered in the lair of the Rain Dragon. Omechoka had claimed a particularly beautiful object, a small vessel seemingly made of clear water, but in solid form. Because the vessel was clear, Omechoka could see its contents, a viscous liquid the color of the sky of midnight. Now seemed like a good time to open it. Omechoka removed the stopper and tipped out a drop. Immediately the bottle became slippery in his hands. It fell to the ground and shattered in a blinding flash. The ground seemed to dissolve beneath them and all screamed in alarm. When the travelers recovered their sight, they found that they had fallen upward. They were in the sky and the poor dry husk of Maztica lay below them. Far to the North they could see the smoke of Nexal. To the South they imagined they could see their homeland, where the sea encroached upon the land to turn it into swamp. But Zolin among the mountains almost directly beneath them a lush valley. As they got closer-- for they were slowly falling-- they pointed out to each other the lake found by mountain river, croplands, villages . . .

They landed in this green valley, choosing a forest clearing, now far upriver from one of the villages. They drank cool clean water from the stream and then walked toward the village. At first it seemed deserted. No one was working in the fields and all the houses were closed. They walked along the stream to a lake where they found boats and also fish kept in pens. They took many fish. Some they cooked and ate immediately. Others they smoked to eat later. Then they returned to exploring the village. They determined that there were people in the village, but that they were afraid to come out of their houses. Finally they found a house where the occupants acknowledged their presence. A man announced his willingness to fight while a woman chastised him for using violent words and begged the travelers to go away. Zolin insisted that they meant no harm and at last the travelers were welcomed into the house.

Zolin and Omechoka prepared a meal for their hosts (smoked fish) and learned about the strange place they had arrived. First, there was no fighting. Second, there was plenty of food. The village was known as Fat Shamba. There was another village that could be reached in one or two days journey. True Shamba, it was called. Would strangers be treated kindly there? Yes, they must be; it's True Shamba. Midnight, the man of the house, would take them there.

The next morning, Divemoye would not wake up. Sleep sickness. There was only one thing to do. Take him to the Cave of the Ancestors. Midnight would help carry him.

So the Travelers left Fat Shamba, following a narrow path along the lake and then walked along the river that flowed out of the lake. Midnight explained he didn't want to arrive at the Cave when it was dark. During the night, Midnight slept soundly (as did Divemoye!) but the others were kept awake by strange droning cries and then by a hard rain.

In the morning, Midnight explained that the Cave of the Ancestors was a place of healing and a place of rest. Some who entered would emerged fully healed. Others stayed for a long rest. He had made this trip to the Cave with dead or dying relatives, leaving them outside to be welcome by the Guardians. But he had never been inside. "So if we carry your friend inside, the Guardians might decide that we all need to stay for a long rest."

Zolin, Omechoka, and Mocaiauh were all ready to take any risk to help their friend. And Midnight wanted to accompany them.

To enter the cave, they waded through a pool of knee-deep, murky and stagnant water. They found themselves in a large cavern where they lit torches, and discussed where to go next. The cavern covered with small puddles and strewn with rocks and boulders. They followed a dry that led through a chamber full of roosting bats before tapering into a passage too narrow for even one person to squeeze through, even without the sleeping Divemoye.

Returning to their starting point, they looked more closely at a large boulder at the back of the chamber and determined that there was space behind it. Zolin climbed up and confirmed that there was a tunnel behind a boulder that they could easily walk through. And this tunnel was dimly lit.

The party hoisted Divemoye over the boulder and explored the tunnel, soon coming to a vertical shaft with a ladder going down. The light was from the bottom of the ladder. The party climbed down and found themselves in the middle of a tunnel. A trickle of water ran down the middle of it. On a shelf that ran alongside, there was a body, wrapped in cloth and next to it, a candle. Up the tunnel, there were more candles burning. Walking up the tunnel, the party found more dead bodies and skeletons, with the oldest remains in the highest reaches of the side tunnels. The water trickling through the tunnel had no effect on Divemoye.

So the party explored the tunnel in the other directions, lighting the way with their own torches. As they progressed, the water got deeper, finally flowing into a deep pool. Divemoye was plunged in the pool and woke up.

The party was ready to return. As Zolin climbed the ladder, a hand reached down to help her. Zolin recoiled and raised her torch. In its light, she could see bones through the hand's transparent flesh. Looking up at the hand's owner, she saw a figure wrapped in robes. Zolin dropped back the ladder and prepared to fight, taking Divemoye's Axe of Justice form its still groggy owner. When the figure reached the bottom of the owner, it reached out to embrace Zolin, but instead received a solid blow from the bronze blade of Divemoye's axe. The figure hissed and brandished a worn and battered maca. Midnight attacked the figure with his spear, striking it with such force in the middle of its body that the obsidian blade emerged on the other side and broke on the wall of the cave. But the figure barely acknowledge this, instead reaching out wrapping an arm around Midnight and pulling him closer. Zolin hit the figure a second time with the ax and Midnight wriggled free. The figure turned its full attention to Zolin, wildly swing the maca and knocking the axe out of her hand. As Zolin fumbled for another weapon, the figure advanced, and began to batter her with the maca. Midnight grabbed the axe and found the strength to attack the figure. Zolin pressed her shield against the deathly attacker, pinning against the side of the cave so that Midnight could smash its skull with the axe. The fearsome monster was still. Midnight reluctantly returned the axe. He agreed that yes, they had just killed one of the Guardians.

The party climbed the ladder and returned to the daylight.

Master of the Desert Nomads Part 6: Invitations

 Because Beatriss had brought several extra horses from the Happy Valley, those who had been rescued from the Salt Swamp were able to ride. Hyamsam led the way back to where he and the other overland travelers had parted company with Kalashar.  The caravan track was clearly marked and the larger party had no difficulty finding their way to the oasis. This was a muddy hole with a small pool at the bottom, ringed with a dozen date palms. Kalashar was overjoyed to see them. He called for a feast!

Everyone overindulged in food and several overindulged in drink.

Bo-Jong’s advisor Ryu provided the following account of the strange and tragic events that happened that night and the next day:

During the feast Bo-Jing went out to get fresh air and saw a guard talking to a winged monkey creature.

Bo-Jing ran back in and yelled to everyone about the strange sight he had seen. The guards laughed but Kalashar looked worried.

The mighty and fearless Bo Jing ran back outside the tent in time to see the winged monkey in the light of the full moon. Bo-Jing sprinted after the odd creature as it flew and hopped across the desert.

Bo-Jing spot the monster one last time as it disappeared in the ruins of a temple.

The next day, the trustworthy Bo-Jing and his humble advisor returned to the temple, along with BO-Jing’s friends Beatriss, Bayan, Tetsukichi, and Temur. They found a very old temple, half-buried in the sand. Bo-Jing led the others in battle against two statues made of amber, and then found the winged monkey waiting for them.  The monkey cowered and Bo-Jing was unsure of whether it was a worthy foe, but his dilemma was resolved when an evil magician with the head of a vulture suddenly appeared and transfixed the friends of Bo-Jing with his evil magic. When Bo-Jing leapt into battle against he vulture-wizard, the cowardly monkey attacked him from behind. Beatriss broke free of the spell and slayed the monkey. The vulture wizard retreated deeper into its lair. Bo Jing, Beatriss, and Temur followed it into its alchemical workshop where they found a magical mirror.  A man was standing inside the mirror and he addressed them by name. So surprised were they, that they lost sight of the vulture wizard.

The man wore elaborate black metal armor and a helmet that covered his face. He reached out of the mirror and handed them a letter. The letter stated that he was the Master of the Land Beyond the Great Pass and that one day soon, he would be their Master as well. He invited them to visit him, and when they accepted his invitation, reached out of the mirror to hand them a certificate granting them safe passage. Then the mirror clouded in the man disappeared.

In the vulture wizard’s workshop, they found letters in the Master’s handwriting. One letter directed the wizard to, “Bring Bo-Jing and the other agents of Zhou Deng here so that I may look at them.” A second letter stated “Tell Khel that the army of Fitar has been destroyed. I am grateful for his information and he may end his employment with Kalashar any way he sees fit. In one week he should meet the Eastern March at the reckoning point.”

When Bo-Jing and his friends returned to the oasis, they found that Kalashar and the other merchants had been killed, their goods scattered, and the well polluted. There was no sign of Khel and the guards.