On the Western Front (Part 5 - The Betrayal)

Bayan and Ginjo returned to Al-Fitar’s camp carrying (with the help of the rescued prisoners) a substantial bounty of diverted supplies and valuable trade goods. Al-Fitar was grateful also to receive the gnolls’ record book, which would prove useful in settling accounts-- both with those merchants who had been robbed and also those merchants who had purchased stolen goods from the gnolls. And Al-Fitar was especially grateful, after a couple weeks had passed, that the stream of needed supplies once again flowed without impediment from Salt Springs to his camp.

And then, about a week after this, Al-Fitar received a surprise visitor—Hiram Parth, the chief advisor to the Satrap of Salt Springs. Hiram had come to confirm the happy rumors that the savage gnolls had been destroyed and to reward the brave heroes for their victory. He congratulated Bayan and Ginjo and invited them to accompany him to Salt Springs. “His Wisdom would be most grateful also to receive any evidence you recovered that would document the full extent of the wicked crimes of these bestial creatures. And, I assure you, his gratitude would be expressed in form of great riches.”

Ginjo, always wary, agreed, but instead of sleeping that night, he re-copied the gnolls’ records and left the second copy with Al-Fitar for safekeeping.

And indeed, Ginjo’s wariness proved prescient. After several fine days of travel with Hiram and his guards, the travelers were ambushed in the Painted Canyon as they were crossing the ford. Groups of gnolls on either side of the canyon pelted the travelers with arrows and rocks while a group of hyenas blocked the way across the ford. Given that the attack started as soon as Hiram and his men crossed the river and the gnoll missiles only targeted Bayan, Ginjo, and their company, Bayan, fighting through the hyenas, loudly accused Hiram of betrayal.

Ginjo, however, ordered a full retreat. Bayan saw the wisdom of his counsel and turned her horse, seeking to defend the retreat of the rest of the party. These efforts were challenged by the appearance of the gnolls’ shaman, who used his witchcraft to transfix Phubi in her saddle, preventing her from calling on the divine powers which had previously served them so well in their battles against the gnolls. Irak and Saw rallied to protect her and Ginjo guided her horse with his away from the ford. Minh and her sohei initiates demonstrated the great strength of their qi, deflecting many of the arrows raining down on them as they followed closely behind. Finally, Bayan, killed the pursuing hyenas and repelled the attack of two gnoll warriors who had found their way to the canyon floor.

The party escaped the ambush point and the range of the gnoll archers; their horses easily outstripped the few gnolls warriors who dared pursue them. However, at this point, two of Hiram’s men galloped back across the ford, toward the party. Seeing them ride down and trample a gnoll warrior, they were allowed to reach Ginjo, whereupon they set upon him with their scimitars. Ginjo fought them off and with the help of Saw and Irak, killed the false allies. By this time, Hiram and his remaining guards had vanished, having dashed away in the direction of Salt Springs.

The party did not pursue, but continued their flight away from the ambush site and in the direction of Al Fitar’s camp. After a mile of riding, they paused to give Phubi the chance to recover the use of her limbs and the power of speech. The party continued their return ride at a fast trot, stopping to camp only when darkness made it dangerous to ride on the uneven ground.

Three days later, they reached Al-Fiter’s camp and shared the disappointing news.

On the Western Front (Part 4 - The Prisoners)

The company found a sheltered, defensible place, near a muddy pool in a gully shaded by trees. Within a few hours, Phubi recovered from the witchdoctor’s hex. Likewise, the sohei had tended to the minor wounds they had received in their skirmishes with the gnolls. Gin Jo and Bayan discussed what they had seen and concluded that the leaders of the gnoll band had been isolated in their towers and that the rest of band was poorly organized; they should mount another raid that afternoon before their enemies had a chance to recover.

The company approached the settlement from the south, and once again made their way for the bridges, curious to see what the gnolls were doing to repair the damage. They encountered no resistance until they reached the bridge, whereupon teams of archers emerged from several tents at once. Finding the odds against them Ginjo ordered a retreat along the rim of the canyon, with instructions to regroup on the scrub-covered mountain where they’d been led by the nomads the day before. Bayan meanwhile, lingered to guard the retreat, trusting to her well-made armor to deflect the gnolls’ arrows.

While the gnolls, by pure numbers, were successful in driving the company out of their village, they did so at great expense. Those who sought to cut-off the company’s escape were cut down and their fellows put to flight. In the ensuing chaos, a few human captives escaped from one of the huts and joined the company in escaping to the scrub-covered mountain.

The company spent the night on mountain, taking turns watching for any attack by the gnolls and also keeping an eye on the rescued prisoners, who seemed to be exactly what they claimed to be. They were three men, dressed in rags, well-built, but poorly-nourished. Their hands and their unshod feet were calloused and bloody. They slept heavy and huddled closely together on the rocky ground.

In the morning, the rescued captives shared their story. All three had worked as caravan drovers, captured by the gnolls in the past several weeks. The gnolls had attacked with ferocity and guile, targeting certain camels, and cutting them off from the rest of the caravan. They each believed that their own capture was a result only of having the misfortune of being near to the targeted cargo. But they knew that their fate, if they had not been rescued, would have been grim. None of the other slaves had been there more than a few months; those who weren’t worked death were intentionally sacrificed in the most gruesome ways imaginable. Likely they were planning a major sacrifice now, following the humiliation they had experienced at the hands of Ginjo and Bayan. “They told us that Red Mane was so powerful that even the human chiefs gave him tribute and no one would dare to try to rescue us.”

When pressed, the captives said that, yes they had been visited once by a group wealthy humans, a well-armed caravan that came to purchase the goods stolen from others. One of the rescued captives, had been offered, along with two captive women, for the human men to take as slaves. “The merchants laughed, and said no because we were already ruined and would smell like gnoll.”

After saying these words, the captive, whose name was Ahmed, settled the question that had been on everyone’s mind. He was afraid, and he longed to be reunited with his family, but he wanted to rescue the other captives or die trying. Impressed by his courage, Ginjo and Bayan agreed to lead a rescue attempt.

They asked Ibrahim, the youngest of captives to stay behind on the mountain. If the rescue ended in disaster, there should be someone left who might be able to take the news back to Al-Fitar.

With the advice of the captives, the company made a plan to enter the village from the south in late morning, when most of the gnolls were typically sleeping; they would approach with stealth if possible and use the huts as cover against archer fire. Once inside the village, the captives would lead the way to the two huts where the other captives were being held. The freed captives were eager to fight if necessary, and thus were provided with daggers. Ahmed offered that once the other captives were free, he would show the company where the stolen caravan goods were stored.

The company entered the village according to plan. Phubi called on divine assistance in overcoming a sentry post on the edge of the village and they made their way into the village. They found the first of the two captive huts, and freed them from their bonds. The second captive hut was guarded by two gnolls. The first was killed, but the other escaped, and began raising the alarm. A fearsome howling arose from the towers. On the eastern tower, several archers emerged on the roof. From the western tower, multiple witchdoctors emerged and began chanting.

Ginjo, Irak and Saw, together with the already freed captives, set about freeing the captives of the second hut, while Bayan and Minh led the other sohei in meeting the gnoll defense within the village. They charged a mob of javelin-armed gnolls with their swords drawn. With this charge, the mob of skirmishers were scattered like birds and Ginjo used this opportunity to reach the stoutly-built hut used to store the stolen trade goods. The gnolls on guard outside the storehouse abandoned their post and Saw battered the door open.

Bayan and Minh contended with the gnolls’ efforts to re-group in the village, while avoiding any attacks from the towers. Isolated gnoll archers fired wild shots from the darkness of their huts, while several heavily-armored warriors made a steady approach. Minh ordered the sohei to retreat to the storage hut while she and Bayan fought the gnoll warriors.

Minh and Bayan allowed the warriors to approach while backing away, picking their path carefully to keep out of sight of the gnolls in the towers. Minh stopped occasionally to shoot at the warriors with her crossbow from behind cover while Bayan, with her sword out, taunted them, daring one of them and then another, to try her.

Finally one did. He was hit in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt, but kept charging only to be stabbed through the heart by Bayan’s sword. A second one charged and suffered a similar fate. And then the last three warriors charged at once. Bayan stayed light on her feet, slashing at one warrior and then another, luring a third to showing his back to Minh who shot him in the back.

Ginjo called out from the storage hut. With the help of the freed captives, he had recovered a large amount of valuable trade goods, including several pairs of ridiculously elegant riding boots. It was now time to escape. Bayan rained a barrage of blows on the largest of the gnoll warriors attacking her, forcing him to the ground, and then turned and ran to join the rest of the company. Minh fired a last crossbow bolt and ran with her. The gnoll warriors did not pursue except to hurl their spears. One of the spears hit Bayan in the back; she tumbled, but it did not fully pierce her armor. Minh helped her to her feet and they followed Ginjo and leading the charge out of the village. They did not meet any sustained resistance.

The company visited the scrubby mountain only long enough to retrieve Ibrahim and then made their way back toward the canyon road. The way was hard, especially for the weak and hungry captives, and they were forced to camp in the wilderness.

Ginjo woke early the next morning and, allowing the other captives the benefit of a full night’s rest, examined the goods he’d recovered from the gnolls. There were weapons, medicine, and blocks of salt, as well as fine clothing and other luxuries. He also found a book, written in a mixture of bakemono and Ori, that seemed to record all of the goods that had been stolen and whether they had been claimed by Red Mane or sold to human merchants. For the goods that had been sold, the merchants were named and described. Ginjo studied this information carefully and shared it with Bayan, but none of the names or descriptions were familiar to either one of them. Nevertheless, they agreed that this information would be very valuable to Al-Fitar and that they should most definitely return to his camp rather than Salt Springs.

On the Western Front (Part 3 - The Needles)

Al-Fitar congratulated Bayan and Ginjo on their success in capturing the gnoll prisoners. The prisoners had little information to share except that their chief was named Red Mane and he had great power and that his revenge would be terrible.

Despite this warning, there was no revenge. In the ensuing weeks, merchants arrived every day at Al-Fitar’s camp, bring much needed supplies. Al-Fitar could give his full attention to thwarting the invasion of the Master’s armies. His teams of skirmishers sabotages the Master’s juggernauts, and were always well-supplied with plenty of arrows, strong horses, and heart meals when they returned to camp.

This happy situation was not to last. One night, a half-dead man crawled into camp in the middle of the night. He was a drover from a large caravan that had been carrying grain, weapons, and medicine; they had been victims of a gnoll attack less five leagues away. The attackers had killed or captured the rest of the caravan, and tossed him into a deep pit as a “joke.” All of the cargo had been stollen or destroyed.

Bayan and Ginjo rallied their friends, and with Al-Fitar’s blessing, set out the next day. The journey was uneasy, but after two days of furtive travel, they encountered a group of nomads, who promised they could safely guide the party to Salt Spring. Their demands were reasonable and an agreement was soon reached.

The next day, after learning that the adventurers were keen to end the gnoll menace, the nomads proposed a new destination. For an additional fee, they would show the way to The Needles—the rock formation that served as a fortress for Red Mane, the gnoll chieftain. Again, the fee proposed for this dangerous journey was very reasonable and the party agreed.

After another day’s travel they reached the ford and from there the nomads followed the tributary stream into the mountains. They traveled all of that day and part of the next before starting their climb of a gently sloping mountain covered with scrub. Reaching a suitable height on this mountain, the nomads pointed into the distance, indicating a small canyon about a mile away. Two narrow buttes rose from the floor of the canyon, each capped with structures of red sandstone. With the nomads’ assistance, the party could see the rope bridge that connected the two natural towers to each other and the additional bridges that connect each butte to a village of about a dozen huts on the south rim of the canyon. In the village, movement could be detected—figures going between crude huts, some of these hits showing the smoke of cooking fires.

Sensing that the party intended to raid the gnoll settlement, the nomads declared their refusal to be associated with such a plan and begged to be allowed enough time to remove themselves to a safe distance. The party agreed that they would not raid the gnolls until morning, giving the nomads several hours of daylight to escape.

Ginjo and Bayan used their time to watch the village and settle upon a plan. They decided that their chief objective would be more information, while also disrupting the Red Mane’s authority within the village. With this objective, they would avoid combat if possible, instead seeking to destroy the bridges connecting the village on the rim to the two towers. They noted places where sentries were posted, and decided that rather than fighting or bluffing, they would simply try to avoid them.

Early in the morning, the party descended from their lookout point and approached the village from the southwest, choosing a route by which huge boulder obscured them from the view of the inattentive sentries. The village was quiet and the huts were so closely packed together that the party was able to use them as cover as they moved toward the bridge.

A very old gnoll warrior, decrepit, but also “decorated” (by gruesome trophies), emerged from his hut and began threatening them. Ginjo, who was fluent in bakemono, understood that the old gnoll was calling them slaves and ordering them back to work. Bayan responded by loading her sling and hurling a stone that hit the gnoll square in the forehead. A crowd of other gnolls warriors emerged from a nearby hut just as the old gnoll toppled to the ground. Cheering and jeering, they dashed to pick up his body and carry him back into their hut, fighting each other to see who could hold his head the highest.

Shrugging off this bizarre display, the party continued their way to the first bridge. This one was surrounded by several crudely-carved wooden idols, but was otherwise unguarded. The ropes were severed and the bridge collapsed with large crash as it slammed against the butte on the opposite side and its planks tumbled into the ravine. The party moved along the rim to the next bridge. As they reached it, archers from the roof of the second tower began shooting at them. Irak and Saw returned fire and Phubi called our for divine assistance. Her prayers were answered; the rooftop gnolls were transfixed. However, as Ginjo and Saw completed their vandalism of the second bridge, a circle of gnoll witchdoctors emerged from the first tower. They cast a curse on Phubi; she was struck down, foaming at the mouth and unable to move. Terrified at the thought of harm coming to his niece, Ginjo ordered an immediate retreat. Saw lifted the transfixed Phubi and Ginjo led the charge due south out of the village. At the sentry post, the sentries, released a pair of hyenas to attack the party and fled. Bayan and Ginjo struck down the hyenas and the party completed their escape.

On the Western Front (Part 2)

 In Salt Spring, Bayan and Ginjo were granted an audience with the local satrap, His Wisdom, Pasha Hari Abubakka. The Pasha maintained Salt Spring as a secure oasis and caravanserai for merchants, and he "refused to tolerate" the disruption of essential trade routes by vicious bandits. He was particularly distressed by the bandits peculiar success in targeting caravans with the most valuable cargo. But he had many other affairs to attnd to . . .

He offered a reward for useful information and a more substantial reward for the heads of any malefactors. In the meantime, he offered the part a small suite of rooms in his palace and encouraged them to speak to his most trusted advisor and Salt Spring's minister for commerce, the merchant Hiram Parth.

Hiram Parth invited the party to tea at his house and showed them a hospitable afternoon but had little information to share. The bandits were a band of Gnolls, a type of bakemono or beastmen, that were larger than humans with hyena-like features. The party asked whether they could meet anyone who had survived a gnoll attack. Hiram agreed that was a useful idea and promised to do his best. "But you must remember, caravan workers are not stable, honorable men.  They drift from one place to another, chasing money to feed their vices for the day, but with no thought for the future."

Over the next few days, the party lounged in the taverns of the caravanners quarter, making the acquaintances of guards and drovers. All had heard about the attacks in the Painted Canyon, agreeing that none would work that route unless they were paid premium wages. and that the ford was the most dangerous place on the route. But none offered first-hand information.

Within a few days, the Pasha, through a minor advisor, expressed his frustration with the party's tarrying in Salt Springs. And they did not have any new information from Hiram. So the party decided to head out and search for their own information in the Canyon.

Based on information they'd heard in Salt Sping, the party made their way to the ford, and then followed a tributary up into the hills south of the canyon. Along the way, Ginjo was able to find debris indicating that others had traveled before them though there was nothing to indicate whether the tracks and bits of charred wood and broken weapons had been discarded by gnolls or men.

In time, the party reached a high plateau and a well-traveled track. While making their camp along the track, the party was alerted by the sounds of excited yelling about a hundred yards away. This was a band of gnoll hunters, including several young.  Gnoll archers fired a volley of arrows at the party while the most fearsome warriors brandished their long spears and charged, fanning out to cut off any escape.

But the party was more than prepared for this attack. Phubi invoked divine aid in thwarting the gnoll archers who were struck down to the ground. Bayan and Ginjo, along with the warrior monks met the attacks of the charging warriors and cut them down.  The few survivors gathered their young and fled. The party allowed them to escape, but took several captives among the gnolls who had been wounded or struck down by Phubi's god. 

What to do witht he captives? A reward had been promised in Salt Springs. Gin-jo and Bayan acknowledged to each other vague antipathy regarding both the Pasha and Hiram. Given this, and their reluctance to see their pitiful captive executed in exchange for a bounty, the party decided they should instead deliver the captives to Al-Fitar. 

On the Western Front (Part 1)

On the Western Front, Al-Fitar was managing a successful guerrilla campaign to slow the advance of the Master's armies. And needing some help, he called on Bayan, protege of his friend Beatriss and Gin-Jo, a mysterious wanderer who had lived among the beastmen and learned their language and customs. Playing D&D with Stuffed Animals: Homecoming Part 9 (Finale and a new beginning) (dndstuffedanimals.blogspot.com)

There was a problem with his supply chain. For weeks, the armies of the Master had been slowly advancing toward the realms of Or; and for weeks Al-Fitar’s much smaller, more nimble forces had been harrying this advance, giving the people of Or time to harvest their crops, secure their possessions, and move their families to safety. Al-Fitar’s efforts, in turn, depended, in turn, on a relatively small corps of merchants who, often at risk of their lives, supplied Al-Fitar with provisions, weapons, and medicine. And it was this last category of item that was too often not getting through, too often getting “lost” in the Painted Canyon, a natural labyrinth of red sandstone, by which the merchant caravans made their way to Al-Fitar’s supply depot from Salt Springs, a prosperous oasis under the authority of the neutral Satrapy that had negotiated a private neutrality pact with the Master. Bandits, of course, were the most likely explanation, but it was strange that bandits would be so lucky in attacking the caravans with the most valuable cargo. Even more strange that these bandits wouldn’t seek to maximize their profit by selling their ill-gotten gains to Al-Fitar. (“Though perhaps my reputation for honor dissuades them.”)

Al-Fitar would not give the Master an excuse to overrun Salt Springs by sending his soldiers to commandeer the depot or confront the Satrap. But he would encourage a small group of brave "civilians" who were concerned about the free flow of commercial activity to visit Salt Springs and offer to the Satrap whatever help he requested.

Gin-Jo and Sukh had spent two years with the armies of Al-Fitar, ever since escaping from the valley of the Hatukaan. During that time, Gin-Jo had made the acquaintance of Bayan, being much impressed with her authoritative demeanor and martial skills. Sukh and Bayan, however for whatever reason found many points of disagreement, and developed a mutual dislike that made it difficult for them to be within each other's sight. As a result, Sukh declined the offer to participate in Al-Fitar's mission.

 

Gin-Jo, his niece Phubi, and Bayan, together with her friend Minh and a few sohei set out for Salt Springs. Thanks to the help of a group of nomads, they navigated the difficult trip through the Painted Canyon.  They followed the course of a narrow river for three days, then camped at a ford where the river was joined by a major tributary. That night, they were awakened by a mysterious howling, which echoed through the canyon, obscuring its source. As soon as dawn broke, the travelers were ready to move on; pressing hard, they reached Salt Springs as the sun was setting.

Taking the Fight Home to the Master

After a short season of rest and a long season of starting to set things in order within Banua and the lands of the Naran horde, Bo Jing realized that he was approaching an important decision, and invited his closest friends to join him in consultation regarding what to do about The Master.  His invitation was answered by a diverse number: Salt, Tetsukichi, Bangqiu, Hyamsam, and Nar Nuteng—though the warrior maiden refused to participate when she learned that the outlandish sorceress (Salt) had also been included.

They all agreed that The Master was unrelenting in his attacks on the Empire.  Defeating the beastmen had not undone the damage they had done to the lands of the Five Fires. Khazad Kala had been destroyed and the great of lake of Kala polluted with ash.  The lands once belonging to Nergui horde had been scoured. The clans of the worm and eagle had also suffered losses.  And the people of trees, based on Bo Jing’s expedition had proved to be illusory allies at best.  Remnants of the beast cult lurked in tombs and caves, sometimes attacking small clans and stealing lifestock. The proud warriors of the Naran horde had stood up to the beastmen, but even Banua was in need of rebuilding.  The Master’s armies, based on what they had seen in Paranyama, would sweep through the Lands of the Five Fires without serious impediment.

But, based on Ryu’s research in the Monastery, they could take the fight to The Master.  They had maps, information about his strange mountain kingdom and the “Temple of Death” that lay at the heart of it.  If they could bypass his armies and engage him directly, they would likely prevail.  All chronicles escribed him as godlike figure within his realm, with a lifetime that had already spanned centuries, and no plan for succession, no system of government beyond his personal edicts.

Bo-Jing asked Batu, a baghatur from the Worm Clan who had joined his household,  to govern Banua in his absence, exhorting him to call on the Khatun Narantsetseg for all matters affecting the Naran horde, referring him to his own kinsmen for issues that would affect the lands of the five fires, and advising that --if things became so dire that he believed he should warn the governor of Blue City or the Emperor-- he should also send a messenger to Beatriss in Happy Valley.

Following the maps they’d discovered, the company traveled north into the mountains that marked both the extent of the lands of the five fires and the furthest reach of the Empire.  It was summer, and the mountain meadows provided for an easy journey with moderate weather, an abundance of wild fruit and small game, and countless streams of clean water, many brimming with fish.

After nearly a month of travel, the Company reached Hunza, the realm of The Master.  Ryu had warned them, based on his research, that it would be a strange place.  The Master’s edicts prescribed modes of dress and what people were allowed to eat and drink.  When to wake up and when to sleep.  No gods were worshipped as people were instructed to trust the Knowledge of The Master in all things. The existence of other civilizations outside its borders were barely acknowledged-- except as sources of dangerous misinformation that could dissuade the weak-minded from trusting the Knowledge—and, more practically as the places where the pursuit of Active Defense Knowledge demanded a steady supply of sending food, ore, able-bodied young men, and other resources.

All of these things seemed very much true.  And yet, Hunza was not the miserable place they imagined.  The people they met recognized the Company as outsiders and congratulated them on finding their way to the land of freedom.  They shared food and helpful information.  Conversations often turned to informal exams regarding current Knowledge, with the most Knowledge citizens instructing the half-ignorant who, in turn, instructed the foreigners.  While unusual, these instructive conversations had a tone of levity about them made the Knowledge seem more and more palatable.  When they were alone, the Company made a point of reminding each other of their own experiences with The Master and the horrible things that his armies had done. And also how strange it was to hear people speak of their lost sons without any bitterness.  For as a rule, the pursuit of Active Defense Knowledge seemed to be a lifeterm commitment.

As the Company moved from the fields and forests of Hunza into its larger settlements, their tour became more complicated. The citizens were less friendly, and their questions about the Knowledge more like test with real consequences.  In was in a small, orderly market town that the company first encountered Guardians of the Knowledge, a group of men and women wearing layered robes whose questions were less about The Knowledge and more about the company’s reasons for being there.  Where they came from.  Which way did they travel.  Who sent them.

Bangqiu, relying on his magic ring was able to persuade the Guardians that they were nothing more than lost travelers. The Guardians, still skeptical, sent them to a House of Welcome.  After making a show of following the Guardians advice, the Company fled the town and continued their travel.  They spent the rest of the day in the forest, and then traveled at night, with Bangqiu and Hyamsam scouting the way in bird form.

Despite their best efforts, the party was surprised in camp by a single young man, wearing a tattered and soiled Guardians robe.  “They know you’re here,” he said.  “They’ve been following you.  And if you continue the way I think you’re going, then you’re headed for an ambush.”

A tense conversation followed-- with deep distrust, tempered by respect—on both sides. And in time, both sides admitted a common understanding of the truth about the Master and Hunza.  And also a shared understanding of what to do about it, but with one sticking point. “I want to be there when you kill him.  You have to take me with you.”

The young man’s name was Hu-Fei.  He was clearly brave, and in a manner capable.  But he carried no weapon and seemed nearly incapable of using one.

Brave, generally capable.  A good start. Also stubborn. That won the day. “Your old map won’t show you the secret route to the Master’s Temple. I will.”

Once they had accepted Hu-Fei’s help, the young man was eager to gain their full acceptance.  By his “connections” in the towns, he was able to find them horses and provisions that made their travel through Hunza feel like a pleasure jaunt once again.

They allowed him to show them his secret route, which would involve passing though a series of underground caverns and mountain passes.  The entrance, he warned them, was guarded by a group of die-hard soldiers, who had the unusual distinction of being sent to fight in foreign lands and returned alive.

The Unforgotten Monks of the Lead Coins (Part 4)

 

The next day, Bangqiu announced his plans to leave. But the others prevailed, arguing that after another day’s rest, all would be fit to travel.  They stayed in the guest house the entire day.  When the monks visited, they asked about any strange occurrences in the night. Bo-Jing responded with cold suspicion that soon turned to hostility.  The monks confessed that the monastery was “under a curse” and that the source seemed to be the disused blacksmith’s shed.  Bo-Jing shrugged off this explanation and asked to be left alone.  Bangqiu, in secret, visited the blacksmith’s shed and found it to be unnaturally cold.  He shared this information with the others; all agreed that even with this verification of one detail in the monks’ story, they were entitled to little trust.

That night, the company barricaded all entrances to the guest the house—the front door, the door to the chapel, and the secret passage from the chapel to the main house.  Several hours after dark, there was a loud banging from the front door.  Peering from a window, Nekhil spotted one of the horrible monsters that Bo-Jing had dueled in the chapel the night before.  Reasoning that they were much better prepared and had a clear advantage of numbers, they made a plan to let the monster in and capture it, or failing that, kill it.  Bo-Jing stood back some distance from the door and the other warriors prepared a gauntlet on either side of the entry corridor.  Ryu, Bangqiu, Salt stayed out of sight but nearby and ready to help where needed.  Bo-Jing gave the signal and Nekhil opened the door, stepping out of the way as the monster rushed into the waiting spears and swords.  It was grievously wounded and Bo-Jing readied to overpower it. 

But then there was a terrible shriek from another part of the house, then another and another, and within moments, a small horde of monsters attacked the company from all angles.  Bo-Jing left the wounded monster to Nekhil as he turned to face the new enemies.  Their plan ruined, each of the warriors was forced to fight for his own life, with Bo-Jing taking on two of the monsters at once.  Salt and Bangqiu blasted the monsters with magic missiles and then retreated, goading several of the monsters to pursue.  Having drawn the monsters away from their companions, the two wu jen turned and blasted them with their most potent and explosive magic, destroying them in a burst of fire and steam.

The monsters’ numbers, cut in half, the warriors regrouped and improved their tactics, fighting one or two monsters at a time in a narrow part of the corridor.  As one warrior tired, Ryu pulled him (under protest) to safety as another took his place so that Bo-Jing always had a companion to protect his weak side and to assist in flanking the fearsome monsters.  They fought with abandon, seemingly eager to kill or be killed with almost equal measure, shrieking as they trampled over their fallen comrades.  Concluding that they were undead beings, Ryu through a jar of holy water at them. It smashed on the stones, splashing water on the monsters; the hems of their robes disintegrated and their flesh steamed and burned.  Only then did the monsters attempt to flee; the warriors pursued and cut them down.

When the last monster fell, Bo-Jing staggered a few paces away from the and sank to the floor.  Ryu issued him healing droughts and bandaged his wounds with poultices.  All had been slashed or bitten; they washed themselves thoroughly. Ryu volunteered that he would stand guard the whole night, and awaken the others at the first sign of any trouble.

The night passed without incident and, in the morning, the two monks they’d gotten to know knocked at the door.  “We hope no one was disturbed b the curse last night.”

Bo Jing demanded that the monks produce some holy water.  The monks nodded, went away for several minutes and returned with a brass bowl filled with water.  With some amusement, they followed Bo-Jing’s directions to dip their fingers in the bowl, then to pour someone their robes, then to pour some on their feet, then to drink it.  In all of these demonstrations, the water interacted with the monks in the same way that ordinary water would interact with an ordinary person.  When the water was exhausted Bo-Jing thanked the monks and Salt explained that they had been attacked in the night by undead monsters.  And asked the monks if they could bring some more holy water to cleanse the house.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Ryu was performing a ritual to prepare his own holy water.  And by the time the monks returned, each carrying a larger brass vessel, Ryu’s holy water was ready.  He splashed the water on one of the mons; he was affected the same way as the monsters in the night.  Both monks ran away screaming and both were killed by Bo-Jing and is warriors.

The company rested and were not disturbed by monks in the day nor monsters at night.  Over the next few days, they explored the monastery, discovering that most of it had fallen into disuse.  The dormitory, the training rooms, and the meditation room all showed signs of being inhabited by bloodthirsty monsters.  The stable was empty.  The company’s poor horses had been killed and mainly eaten.

There was also a library, seemingly untouched for many years.  Monks had lived there were centuries and there had been good times and bad times.  A time when one of the monks convinced the others that he had achieved a greater enlightened, forever changing their previously pure egalitarianism.  The more recent chronicles described the debates about creating gold coins in order to complete a special building project.  Many monks had left, but the abbot had reluctantly sided with the “gold” faction.  The project continued and was completed.  This seemed to be the time that Gaansukh remembered from when he was a boy.

The need for labor brought in workers from far away.  A group of these workers expressed an interest in joining the order, and this seemed a natural decision to replace those whom had departed during the debate over worldly riches.  These new initiates showed a strange zeal far outstripped their understanding.  They displayed very unenlightened behavior, one night feasting on the cow that the monks kept for milk.  The older monks slowly departed, often without explanation.  Before long, the abbot lost control of the monastery, but nevertheless remained, wanting to believe the new monks could benefit from better instruction.

Because the chronicles made repeated references to a crypt, company decided to search the monastery more thoroughly and discover what may lay beneath.  They found a trapdoor in the monks’ house that led to a network of tunnels.  They found an exit to the outside on the far side of the ridge.  They found a trapdoor leading into the guesthouse.  They encountered and fought strange, tentacled vermin.

And, in a little dungeon cell, they found an old man in tattered robes, chained to the wall.  He responded to the party with wary defiance.  Though he answered Bo-Jing’s theological riddles with acuity, he refused to answer any of their more temporal questions (“Who are you?”  “What’s down here?”) until he had been freed and brought outside.  Relying on wisdom he had garnered in the library, Bo-Jing agreed.

The old man blinked in late afternoon light and took a long deep breath.  After receiving food and water, he moved some distance away from the company, keeping them in sight while also demanding that they come no closer.

The sun set, it became dark and cold and the old man broke down in tears.  He called Bo-Jing and the others to him, embracing them, ruffling their hair and kissing their cheeks.  “You are not monsters!  You are not monsters!”

The next morning, the man explained that he was Rabban Bar Ṣawma, the last abbot of the monks of the way of the light.  “But not the last monk!  There will be others, maybe one of you?”

Though none of the company wished to enter the monastic life, they heartily agreed to give him whatever material assistance he needed. 

The company stayed several more days, resting, and ensuring that Rabban Ṣawma was safe.  He responded well to daylight and fresh air; with every day he appeared a year younger.  After a couple weeks, they had no misgivings about leaving him behind when they returned to Banua.

As the company prepared to take their leave, Rabban Sawma embraced each of them. In bidding farewell to Bo Jing, he pressed a coin into his palm.  Bo Jing knew what it was, and confirmed his intuition when he reached the bottom of the cliff. The reddish gold coin of the King of the North.  The last of the four coins.  And the source of the monks’ sudden wealth, some twenty years before.  For it had the power to turn coins of lead—or any other base metal into gold.  Awed by this power and with the lesson of the monks’ downfall in his mind, Bo Jing resolved to conserve its power.  He would live as he always did.  And when he traveled, we would carry only lead coins, turning one or two into gold as needed.

The Unfortten Monks of the Lead Coins (Part 3)

Banqiu, Salt, and Bo-Jing concluded unanimously and immediately that because the temple was forbidden to outsiders, they should explore it in secret. And because they all had the means to become invisible through the aid of magic, they decided they would explore it immediately, leaving their associates behind in the guest house.

The temple gate was unlocked and unguarded. They passed through an overgrown garden where a monkey was chained to a small tree and into the towering structure of the temple itself. The floors squeaked under their feet, and they made their way hurriedly through the entryway and into the main altar room.

Upon doing so, Bo-Jing realized that his friends had fallen under some kind of curse. They yelled out in confusion, and ran hurriedly through the temple room, bumping into pillars. The three monks in the room called out to them, asking them to show themselves. Bo-Jing said nothing, but followed his friends by their footsteps, and whispering their names when he got closer to them.

The three invisible explorers, bumbled through the temple and its many side chambers, the monks following close behind. And then Bangqiu stumbled into the private chambers of the abbot, a room bedecked with a great number of wicked-looking idols, many of them stained with blood. Shocked by the horrific sight, he began to regain his senses and called out to Bo-Jing for assistance. Salt, likewise intuited that the monks franticly pursuing her were less trustworthy than the still invisible, but calm-voiced Bo-Jing. He promised that if she would hold onto him, he would lead her to safety. Risking the attention of the monks, he called out to Bangqiu in the strange tongue they had learned in Maztica, and made a plan to flee together. Dodging, the monks and the abbot, the three adventurers retraced their steps and ran out of the temple and back to the guesthouse.

Back in the guest house, Bo-Jing removed his invisibility ring, and informed Ryu and the warriors what had happened. Ryu was able to perform an exorcism spell on Bangqiu. Bangqiu recovered his memory but was so exhausted that he retreated to his chambers to sleep. Bo-Jing ordered a guard and instructed Ryu to perform another exorcism. Ryu agreed, but he needed several hours to prepare the necessary incense and purify his own spirit. Salt, still unable to remember her name and history, nor able to stop being invisible, babbled to herself incessantly until Bo-Jing prepared her some rice. She ate greedily and then fell asleep. Nekhil announced that he would guard her while she slept.

Not long before sundown, there was a knock at the door. Bo-Jing answered the knock.

Two monks, the same pair they had met at the bottom of the stairs were standing there. They wanted to know if their guests were comfortable and if they were hungry. Bo-Jing replied that they were very comfortable and were preparing to retire early after having already eaten their own food. The monks shifted from one foot to the other and then asked if they heard anything strange coming from the temple.

“The temple? Aren’t outsiders forbidden from the temple?”

“Yes, but . . . there were some uninvited spirits there . . . and we want to make sure . . . maybe the spirits came to the guesthouse and have made your minds tired? Maybe we can help?”

Bo-Jing assured the monks that they were only tired from their journey and he looked forward to talking to them in the morning.

The monks wished Bo-Jing goodnight and departed. Bo-Jing closed the door, all but a crack. He watched the monks linger outside the door and then enter the guesthouse by another, previously obscured by a tattered banner and overgrown shrubbery.

Bo-Jing called for Batzorig to accompany him; together, they into the door where the monks had entered. They found a small chapel, warmly lit with glowing candles and adorned in a manner similar to the guesthouse and the rest of the monastery. There was no sign of the monks. Bo-Jing examined the symbols and paintings in the chapel and was comforted to see that they resembled the iconography of the lead coins rather than the abbot’s private shrine. And although the chapel was under the same roof as the guest guesthouse, there was no apparent between it and the rest of the structure.

Bo-Jing returned to his companions and decided to wake up Bangqiu. Still exhausted, the magician nevertheless understood that his special skills were required. Although he would need more rest to grasp his most powerful magic, he was eager to assist Bo-Jing in investigating the newly-discovered chapel.

Working together, the companions discovered that in fact one of the paintings had a moveable panel about halfway up the wall. And sure enough, moving the panel did permit access to the guesthouse itself. While debating whether to pass through this secret door or rush back to the main entrance to warn the others, a solitary hooded figure entered the chapel from the exterior door. This proved not to be a monk, but a wild-haired, fanged monster who rushed at them to attack. Bo-Jing, relying on his magic boots, levitated to safety while Bo-Jing engaged the monster. The brave baghatur allowed the monster to back him into a corner; when the monster lunged at him, Bo-Jing, ducked out of the way and then spun on his heels and drew his sword, pointing it at the monster’s throat. The monster hesitated. In the flickering light of the candles, Bo-Jing confirmed that the monster’s robes were of the same style and fabric as the monks. Despite its fangs and bloodshot eyes, something in its expression reminded him of one of the monks he’d encountered in the temple. Bo-Jing repeated one of the mantras he’d learned from Gaansukh. “Where is your heart? Where is your treasure?”

The monster snarled and lunged, impaling itself on the sword and slashing at Bo-JIngs face with its claws. Despite the horrific wound, it didn’t die. Licking Bo-Jing’s blood from its claws, it continued to attack with vigor. Bo-Jing stood his ground and cut with strength and precision. When Bo-Jing faltered for a moment, Bangqiu descended swiftly, striking the monster with the stone figurine of a dove. Bo-Jing recovered and, with a swift and mighty cut, severed one of the monster’s legs. It collapsed to the ground, and Bo-Jing next removed its head, finally killing it. Bo-Jing and Bangiu elected to go through the secret door and bar it from the inside.

Bangqiu returned to sleep. Ryu meditated next to Salt. Bo-Jing and the warriors separated into two groups, and searched the entire guesthouse, confirming there neither monks nor monsters were hiding in any of the rooms, or in the garden. Only then they rested. Except for Nekhil, who stood guard the whole night.

The Unforgotten Monks of the Lead Coins (Part 2)

 

Salt and Bo Jing asked some questions in Banua and found an old, grizzled man who claimed that indeed, the monks of the lead coins did still live AND he knew where to find them.

Although they had some questions about their guide’s sanity, Salt and Bo Jing agreed that they should follow their curiosity.  Bo-Jing asked Ryu and three of his most trusted warriors to accompany him. Nekhil volunteered to join the party as Salt’s bodyguard. Their mysterious friend Bangqiu told them he’d follow them from the shadows and lend assistance if they got into danger.

The trip to the monastery was arduous, but uneventful.  They moved beyond the grasslands where the Naran horde grazed their animals into the barren lands and then the mountains beyond.  They caught sight of the monastery perched high on a cliff above and as they reached the steep cascade of broken steps leading up to it, a pair of monks appeared to meet them.  They gave warm greetings to the guide, who introduced Salt and Bo-Jing.  The monks expressed their gratitude at having visitors to interrupt their solitude. One of the monks started to lead the party up the steps while the other lingered to speak to the guide.

On the way up the steps, Bo-Jing quizzed the monk about his beliefs and soon became suspicious. Unlike the monks described by Gaansukh, who pulled profound lessons from prosaic events, this man showed little interest or ability in discussing the tenets of his faith.  Rather than explain the remarkable carvings in the stone steps, the monk stated they were “mysteries” whose meaning could only be explained to those who were “ready.”

The party passed through the gates of the monastery. Their horses were taken to the stables and they were welcomed to the guest house.  Though it was late in the day, their guide would not stay with them, and hadn’t even followed them up the stairs, but instead already started his return to the settled lands.  The monks told the party to make themselves at home in the guest house and to feel free to explore the monastery—except for the temple.  That was closed to the uninitiated.

The Unforgotten Monks of the Lead Coins (Part 1)

In the weeks following the expedition to the barrier peaks lands of the people of the trees, Bo-Jing’s mind turned to another mystery, that of the four coins, especially, the “fourth coin,” the lead medallion, he had found secreted in a cave, accompanied by a cryptic note: where your treasure is, your heart will be also.

He consulted a few shamans, and learned that as recently as 10 years ago, such coins had been relatively commonplace—at least among wealthy merchants—for they were typically made of gold. Another visit to the shrine of Sum Sakhius brought additional guidance. Gaansukh first negotiated a trade—he had in his own possession a gold version of the coin and wanted Bo-Jing’s lead one. And, once the trade was accomplished, he explained why.

As a boy, he had known monks from a mysterious brotherhood, who traded in lead coins. They refused to beg and whenever they found themselves with wealth or currency of any kind, they gave it away, saying “This is not of me or for me.” The lead medallions were “gifts” or “mementos” and they gave these away to anyone who gifted them—a warm bed, a sack of grain, a horse, a friendly greeting—any of these might be received as a gift.. “And I have something to share with you,” the monk would reply, producing a lead medallion marked with birds arranged around the four points of a compass. Most likely, no matter how cheap or valuable the thing they received, the monk would give only one of the cheap lead medallions—or “cross coins” as the people called them,. Gansukh himself once owned seven of the cross coins and, following the lessons of one keen-eyed monks could tell them apart based on irregularities in their casting and the way they’d worn over the years.

Over time, the novelty wore off and traders demanded “real money” whenever the monks passed through, asking whether anyone had the heart to help them. Eventually, the monks were treated like criminals and strongly discouraged from entering Banua.

But then one day, they reappeared, this time bearing cross coins made of gold. Rather than give them away, they used them just like currency, purchasing staple provisions, horses, tools, and building materials. Over times, they hired laborers while also buying more luxurious items and more and more building materials. They also repurchased the lead coins they distributed years before.

Despite speculation, Gaansukh never heard a definitive answer on what the monks were working on.

There was likewise speculation about what the monks were doing today. Not since the time of Gaansukh’s father had they been seen in Banua or anywhere else off the mountain ridge where their monastery was located. There was a half-crazy man who claimed to know how to find them, and who sometimes offered his services to merchants. But this man was very secretive and most assumed that he knew nothing about the monks, and was instead in league with a bandit of robbers.

This mystery was part of why,,Gaansukh confessed, he had once encouraged Bo-Jing to pursue his tax-collection efforts to the mountains monks. “Not to set you before robbers, because I knew the Bolad people were honest, but because I wanted to believe the monks still live.”

Expedition to the People of the Trees

 Over the weeks that followed, Bo-Jing and Narantsetseg received delegations from the Eagle and Worm clans, expressing gratitude, congratulations, and a wish for on-going peace among their peoples, supported by respect for the ancient borders.

Bo-Jing asked about the People of the Trees.  The delegations from the Eagle and Worm clans offered no other explanation except that the People of the Trees rarely communicated with he other clans. Bo-Jing paid a visit to Gaansukh.  Gaansukh agreed, but with an important clarification. Walking with Bo-Jing in a great circle around the walls of Sum Sakhius he shared his own theory. When he searched his own memory, Gaansukh failed to find an incident when he had encountered a representative from the People of the Trees.  He didn’t believe his father had either.  Nor his grandfather.  In the stories about “all the clans” the People of the Trees were never described.  No individuals were ever named.  His father could describe the flavor of goat he ate in the low dark hall of the Khan of the worm clan.  Remembering a visit to the lands of the Eagle Clan, he and his retinue sometimes sang the welcoming song of the young women who had rode out to meet them. Gaansukh stopped and leaned against the stupa. “I cannot believe that anyone has ever entered the lands of the People of the Trees or met those People, if there are any People there.  And yet, even in this holy place, when I say this, I feel . . . it is time to refresh ourselves with some tea.”

Hearing this strange stories, Bo-Jing resolved to visit the lands of the People of the Trees and find out for himself.  He wanted the company of Salt and his best men, and also his bride. Hoping for a friendly welcome, they selected fine clothes and gifts for their hosts.

The first part of the journey was agreeable as they passed through the reunified Naran horde where the people where people were glad to meet their new Khan and Khatun.  While evidence of the beastmen’s depredations remained, these reminders of recent horrors strengthened their resolve to create a better future and to honor their lost loved ones with a spirit of cheer and generosity.

But as the travelers approached the border, they were overcome by feelings of loneliness.  In the evenings, there were no welcoming fires, and the travelers were forced to make their own camp.  Each morning, Bo-Jing, even as he set his horse toward the forest on the still-distant horizon, he looked back wistfully at the sunny grasslands where they would be gratefully received by his own people.  On the day when they rode down a slight slope toward the trees, Ryu asked out loud, “Tell us again, what is our mission here?”

Bo-Jing could not answer.  The horses slowed to a walk and then stopped to graze.  Everyone dismounted to stretch out in the grass. Except Narantsetseg.  After dismounting, she walked toward the trees.  Bo-Jing, Batzorig, and Salt tentatively followed after her; the others hesitated for a moment, but the hurried after them.  They heard the horses starting to trot away.  Zhang and Gan-Wei were ordered back to guard them.  The rest pressed into the forest, all of them except Narantsetseg nearly overcome by an unnatural mix of apathy and panic.

In time they came to a clearing and encountered those who might be the People of the Trees.  They were more like trees than people— their skin was a range of greenish hues, some more yellow, some more brown, and the smaller ones being the color of a spring leaf.  In their vine-like fingers, they wielded crude spears and axes-- their jagged metal blades fixed with wire. With these weapons they had brought down a deer and were now butchering it into quarters.

Bo-Jing shouted a friendly greeting.  The dozen or so treepeople turned their faces toward him.  Their heads were like vegetables, with tiny pits for eyes and mouths that were deeper holes surrounded by root-like tendrils.  The treepeople returned Bo-Jing’s greeting, all speaking at once in voices that were too far from human speech to be duplicated, much less understand. Nevertheless, they made it evident that they were happy to see Bo-Jing and his companions.  Using the butt ends of their spears they pointed out a path out of the clearing and urged the humans to accompany them.  The green treepeople led the way and the others followed behind the party, encouraging them to press on. The deer carcass was forgotten.

It was late afternoon when they came to a rocky hillside where erosion had exposed two doors.  One was at ground level, a gate of shiny metal, firmly closed.  The other, about 30 yards up the side of the hill, was open; a soft light glowed evenly from within.  The party was guided by the treepeople up the hillside to the open door. The space inside oddly-furnished; all surfaces were sheathed in gleaming metal and a material like polished ivory or bone. Beyond the brightly-lit entry way, wide corridors led into darkness.  While the smaller treepeople disappeared down one hallway, the party was urged forwards with some urgency and even aggression.  When Bo-Jing, who was leading the party, hesitated, large treeperson with brownish purple splotches prodded him forcefully with a spear butt, sending him flying into a pit.  The party, perhaps relieved to have their suspicions confirmed, defended themselves with full force. Salt killed the treeman closest to her with a barrage of magic missiles, giving her space to flee from the edge of the pit. Gan Yul and the other warriors drew their swords and hacked down the stalky flesh of the treepeople, sending them into a full retreat.  Salt would not allow them to escape and with a blast of steam reduced them to a green puply mass.

Bo-Jing meanwhile had fallen over fifty feet, and landed in a bright room filled with hulking animal-like creatures made of metal.  Though badly injured in his fall, Bo-Jing raised himself up.  Noticing handles on the side of the pit, he began to climb back up. In the course of his climb, he was amazed by many strange sights including an extensive garden filled with plants he had never seen.  Also on the way back up, he was ambushed by another treeman.  The creature’s spear failed to penetrate his armor and Bo-Jing grabbed hold of the weapon to push the treeman off the ladder and into the pit. By the time Bo-Jing reached the top of the pit, the rest of the party had overcome their attackers.  Ryu and Narantsetseg tended to Bo-Jing’s wounds while Salt and Ryu surveyed their surroundings.  The door to the outside had been closed.  Looking down the corridor in which the treepeople had fled, they could see light in the distance.  Another corridor led into darkness.  The corridors were lined with closed metal doors.

The party elected to go down the dark corridor.  They encountered and fought a smaller group of treepeople.  One of their number carried three vividly colored cards, made of an odd material, durable like bone, but more pliable than wood.  Using these cards, they were able to open one of the closed doors and then close it from the inside.

The room was softly-lit and luxurious furnished with metal tables, brightly-dyed carpets, and leather settees. Exhausted by their experiences, the party collapsed into sleep.  Only Narantsetseg had the prescene of mind to stay awake, asking her brother to watch with her for anything that might try to open the door or make use of any unseen entrances.

Several hours passed without any incident, except for the gradual brightening of the light, which seemed to emanate from the very air. When everyone had rested, the party decided to further explore the strange structure.  They were assaulted by other strange creatures including black lions with spiky tentacles growing out of their shoulders.  And they found the central lair of the treepeople—a series of small rooms filled with rotting animal corpses on which very small treepeople were feeding. They fought and won another large battle with treepeople warriors and hunters and recovered more of the strange cards.  And, by the chance, the party returned to the door by which they had first been herded into the treepeople’s home.  It was open and, outside it was daytime.  Though fascinated by the strange place they had discovered, the party realized that they were likely to discover many more dangerous creatures within and that the treepeople might number easily number in the hundreds.  Though they had overcome the previous vague sense of dread, they understood that unless they took this opportunity to escape, they would likely be killed.  Therefore, they left the city of the People of the Trees and passed through the forests to the comfort of the sunny grasslands of Naran.

The Most Fortunate Khatun

Bo Jing led a triumphant but weary, slow march back to Banua. Alert as always, but relaxed, he let his horse choose its pace, with the others following. The air was fresh with the hint of coming spring.

Towards evening, the party noticed the glow of campfires among a large cluster of yurts. Approaching, they heard singing and laughter and smiled at each other, wondering if the people of the Bolad horde knew what good reason they had to celebrate. Zhang was wary but Batzorig urged his companions onwards. “I know the song they are singing from my earliest days. These are not howling beastmen, but good people, enjoying their birthright. And with our news, we will be most welcome surprise guests!”

But it was the guests who were most surprised. The feast was sumptuous, the music unending, the hosts most richly arrayed and the guests fully expected. The high host was a man in bright green clothes. He accompanied the musicians on a fiddle, danced with all the women, and joked with all the men. He was the King of the East. This feast was to celebrate his daughter Narantsetseg and perhaps to honor Bo-Jing as his son-in-law?

Bo-Jing married Narantsetseg and the feast continued over several nights and days. Each night, the King of the East asked one of Bo-Jing’s companions to re-tell the story of how they had come to the lands of the Cradle of Humanity (“that is the old name of what you call the Valley of Fires, four, five, six, how many fires?”) and their campaign against the Beastmen and defeat of their evil leader. And one evening, when he was talking to Bo-Jing next to a low fire, he asked, “I think you have something that belongs to me?”

And so Bo-Jing gave up another of the four coins, this time to one whose face matched that of the coin and the King responded with deep gratitude. “You have shown me that you are brave, honorable, and generous. All who meet you will see this in your face.”

The King restored Narantsetseg’s hearing and gave his blessing to Batzorig, thanking him for his kindness as her elder brother, and forgiving him for any unfortunate incidents along the way. He gave gifts of gold, fine new clothes and a suit of armor for Bo-Jing’s flying steed.

And so the heroes returned to Banua, coming from a feast instead of a battle. The attacks on the city had ended, and scouting parties had found no signs of bestmen for several days. And so the people of Banua, accepted Bo-Jing’s good news with satisfaction and also prepared to celebrate. There were several days of joyful gatherings, but the songs were bittersweet for the losses had been great.

Gaansukh opened the palace and set Bo-Jing upon his council chair. He was ready to retire. He had done his best to protect his people, but his failures were many and the rain of forgiveness does not fall inside a palace. He would go with a few of his closest advisors to the shrine at Sum Sakhius.

The people would select their Khan, but Bo-Jing had loved them as a tax collector, he had re-united the Naran horde, he had defeated their enemy. “Do you know I was once suspicious of you? But you are a man of bravery, honor, and generosity. And now I see it on your very face!”

And so the people of Bolad and Nergui, reunited as the Bolad horde, called on Bo-Jing to be their Khan. The Emperor summoned Bo-Jing to Khanbaliq to recognize his khanship. He asked Bo-Jing to pledge his loyalty and named him protector of the Barrier Peaks. As long as Bo-Jing and the Naran would protect the Empire’s border, they would pay no Imperial taxes.

The Most Unfortunate Khatun: Part 3

Bo-Jing was an expert tracker and the beastmen who had captured Narantsetseg made no effort to cover their tracks. For three days, the heroes and their warbands pursued the beastmen, arriving at a dense and swampy thicket at the northern limit of the Naran domain. Leaving the warbands to guard their retreat, the crafty leaders, Tetsukichi and Bo-Jing, together with the powerful sorcerers Bangqiu, Hyamsam, and Salt, and a small number of other trusted companions, made their way into the thicket. This was a fulsome place; the thorny branches of the hedges torn at their arms and ankles, the mud stank of death, and the air rose in a thick, reddish mist.

They fought several small groups of beastmen before reaching the center of the thicket, and the site of a horrifying ritual. Surrounded by over a hundred beastmen and other disgusting monsters, there Narantsetseg, chained to a black altar, with a man in black robes looming over her, holding a knife aloft. The sky swirled in a blood-red vortex. The man chanted, together with three witches, and the horde of beastmen echoed their chanting. As they chanted, the horrible blue-black statue of a horned man seemed to glow from within.

The heroes stayed a safe distance away and made a plan. The sorcerers made Tetsukichi and Bo-Jing invisible. The Mustapha created the illusion of an attacking force from the other side of the thicket. The beastmen attacked the illusionary invaders, while the black-robed man and witches continued their ritual. Bo-Jing’s henchmen pelted the beastmen with arrows as they closed with the illusionary force. Bo-Jing surprised the man I the black robes, dealing him several grievous blows; Tetsukichi guarded Bo-jing’s flank, holding the three witches at bay. The black-robed man tried to continue the ritual while dodging Bo-Jing’s flashing swords. The witches were of little help as they were being blasted by magic missiles from Salt, Hyamsam and Bangqiu. When two of the witches fell, Tetsukichi turned to assist Bo-Jing in his fight against the black-robed man. The wretched servant of evil fell to a flurry of sword strokes.

Within moments a green-golden wind swept over the thicket, dispersing the red clouds and vaporizing the beastmen in a flash of blinding fire. By the time Bo-Jing regained his senses, he found Narantsetseg free of her chains and safe in his arms.

The Most Unfortunate Khatun Part 2

The next day, Bo-Jing, Tetsukichi, and Bangqiu met members of the Eagle Clans who explained the horrors of what they had experienced over the past several months. A group of beastmen, led by a sizeable number of giants, broke off from the larger force of invaders to pillage the lands of the Eagle Clan. They had invaded the khan’s stronghold, killing him and many of his people, driving away the rest. The heroes agreed that before proceeding to Khanbaliq, they should plan a sneak attack against the giants.

The Eagle Clan, together with the combined forces of Bo-Jing and Tetsukichi would give each other mutual protection while an elite number would find a secret way into the hall of the hill giants and make a sudden strike to compromise their ability to terrorize the Eagle Clan. Naransetseng of course would stay behind, under the protection of her brother.

The Eagle Clan had provided helpful directions and the heroes found the Eagle stronghold that had been overrun by the hill giants. The attack was very successful. They quickly and quietly eliminated the two giants who guarding the entrance and then began searching through the stronghold. An advance party of invisible scouts, including Bangqiu and Bo-Jing located and entered the central hall, where a large number of giants were gathered, feasting on the animals they’d stolen from the Eagle Clan. Making use of the Coin of the East, Bo-Jing created an atmosphere of confusion while Bangqiu trapped them in a wall of fire. While the majority of the giants fought each other in a confused rage, Tetsukichi led the rest of the party in a coordinated attack against the rest of the giants.

Next, the party found the smaller hall where the chief giant was in council. Using a similar combination of explosive magic, subterfuge, and expert swordsmanship, the chief giant and his strongest warriors were also killed. The party found their way to the dungeons below the stronghold and freed several dozen captives.

The heroes led the captives to safety and made an overnight camp outside the stronghold. The next morning, they broke camp and reunited with the Eagle Clan. They were of course glad to be reunited with their people, but they had some disturbing news. Two nights after the heroes set out to attack the stronghold, they were themselves, discovered by the evil flying deer and then attacked by hundreds of beastmen. Batzorig and Bo-Jing’s troops were ready to die to defend Naransetseng, but she would have none of it. She slipped out of her brother’s tent and then ran down to surrender herself to the beastmen. Batzorig, after surving many grievous wounds fighting waves of beastmen in front of his tent, did not understand the reason for their sudden retreat; he staggered into his tent and collapsed in exhaustion, not understanding his mistake until morning.

The Most Unfortunate Khatun Part 1

 When, Bo-Jing and his war band returned to Banua, the two sides had reached a stalemate.  Dead beastmen and other monsters littered the ground.  But the defending archers had nearly run out of arrows and the surviving monsters were seeking ways to clamber up the walls to the archers’ catwalk.

Bo-Jing and his war band, though tired from their long ride, were ready to relieve the exhausted archers. They charged into the compound on their horses in tight formation, methodically killing or driving out the remaining monsters.

Bangqiu, with Naransetseng, arrived in Banua late the day. He and the Khatun had found there way down from the mountains and camped outside another night, next to a stupa.  Naransetseng was greeted warmly by her brother and by Bo-Jing who presented to her once more her lost necklace, which she once more joyfully received.

 The joy of Naransetseng’s safe return did not spread far or last long.  The next morning, Ganbaatar summoned Bo-Jing to inform him of the bad news that everyone already new.  Naransetseng was not a member of the Bolad horde and the people of Banua had limited duty to protect her.  She should leave within three days and be prepared to leave sooner should the beastmen return.

Over the course of those three days, there was also some good news in the form of the arrival of Tetsukichi, a renowned warrior from the well-respected Sansar horde, whose herds roamed over lands to the west.  The Sansar were strong allies of the Eagle clan and Tetsukichi had answered his allies’ calls for help, riding with 60 able warriors.  And of course, Tetsukichi counted both Bangqiu and Bo-Jing as longtime friends, having joined them in many incredible adventures, most recently in thwarting the advance of the Master’s armies.  They agreed that the best way to protect The Bolad horde, the Eagle Clan, and the Valley of the Five Fires itself was to make the threat posed by the Master visible to the Emperor.  And the safest place for Naransetseng would be in Khanbaliq.  If the beastmen horde tracked her there, then the Emperor would be forced to fight them.  They had confidence that the Emperor armies would triumph, and if the Emperor were weakened in the process, that was also a gain, at least in the eyes of Bojing who abhorred the Emperor’s practices of slavery and concubinage.

Bo Jing and Tetsukishi, together with their friends and companions and a total of 200 warriors on horseback set out from Banua, with the aim of escorting Naransetseng to Khanbaliq.  As they reached the lands of the Eagle Clan, they founds signs of devastation greater than what had been visited upon the lands of the Bolad horde.  There were dead animals and people. Scores of bodies were hung in trees and splayed on rocks. For leagues, all trees had been cut and the scrub vegetation had been burned.  At the end of the second day of travel, strong cold winds from forced them to make camp in a shallow valley, sheltered from the winds on three sides.

Siege of Banua Day 4

 It was easy to follow the fresh tracks of the refugees. And it was also easy to note the fresher tracks of a huge number of beastmen; these tracks stayed with those of the refugees, an ominous confirmation of Bojing’s theory that Naransetseng was still alive and still being pursued.  Based on this, and seeing know other way to reach the Nergui refugees before the beastmen did, Bangqiu took the form of a falcon and soared into the sky.

Bangiqu, in falcon form, pulled away from his companions and before long had reached the horde of beastmen, half-encircling the Nergui encampment.  There was no fighting.  Instead, a group of wizened men wearing red caps and wielding long, barbed swords were parlaying with a number of Nergui warriors. Narnuteng was clearly the chief point of negotiation.  She stood alone on a small mound, eyes darting and hands twitching, at once terrified and terrifying, like a small animal ready to fight for its life..  The Nergui spearmen surrounding her – at a distance, were guarding her in both senses of the word, protecting her while preventing her escape.

Bangqiu soared higher into the sky directly above Naransetseng, and then resumed human form, using his magic boots to ease his freefall descent as he reached the earth. Using his magic understanding, he same Naransetseng a secret sign to persuade her that he meant no harm. Then he took hold of her, cloaked them both in a thick cloud and reascended into the gloomy sky. Enraged, the beastmen attacked the Nergui refugees . . .

 That evening and night, Bangqiu summoned all his natural human strength to hold onto Naransetseng, while his boots carried them higher into thin air and away from the terrible sounds of battle and slaughter below.  Naransetseng clung tightly to Bangqiu with arms and legs; her tears mixed with the stinging rain on both their faces. A steady wind from the east blew them into the mountains guardin the valley of the five fires.  When he was certain they were far from the battle and marauding beastmen, Bangqiu lowered them toward a grassy mountain slope.  Reaching the solid ground, they collapsed into exhausted slumber. 

By the time Bo-Jing and the war band reached the remains of the Nergui camp, the few survivors encountered were too traumatized to explain much of what happened.  The “deaf witch” had disappeared, and the beast men took vengeance by killing everyone they could before scattering to the four winds.  Bo-Jing thanked the survivors and convinced them to return with him to Banua, promising them his personal protection

As Bo-Jing would learn later, one of the four winds brought a group of beastmen, yeti, and fanged flying stags north to Banua. They attacked in a series of poorly-organized desperate raids.  Ganbaatar invited all non-combatants the take refuge within the inner walls.  Archers lined the outer walls and targeted the beastmen as they charged through the broken gate.  The beastman destroyed property and killed animals, but found no human victims in the outer town.  Nor could they reach the inner town.  Although the gates had been destroyed by the giant demon-badger, the pit it created was nearly impassable.  A line of brave warriors armed with spears on the other side of the pit made it a death trap for the attacking beastmen and yetis.  Most dangerous to Banua were the flying stags.  But, happily for Banua, the mercurial magician Hyamsam emerged from the shadows to protect his adopted home.  He blasted the flying monsters with magic missiles, a ball of fire, and a cloud of steam, killing several of them and driving the rest away. 

Siege of Banua Day 3

Early the next morning, Bo-Jing surveyed the state of Banua. He was cheered by the people of the Bolad horde. They had seen him nightmarish monsters; his associates had minimized the damaged caused by the war machines. Under his leadership, the horde’s warriors had stood bravely against the demon-crazed beastmen.

But there was another story and it was loud and bitter. There were casualties, many, among the Nergui
horde. Their best warriors. Their families. Children. They had been lured to Banua. Herded. The town
had been a slaughtering pen. Bo-Jing’s efforts to answers the invectives of the Nergui elders by
reminding them that they had come to Banua of their own free choice only made them more angry.

The anger of the Nergui turned to grim determination. If they were going to die, let them die free on the open lands. They would not die as shields for Ganbaater and for the Bolad horde. The gathered their remaining animals and packed their remaining possessions.  They left their dead to be buried by their Bolad cousins.

By early afternoon, most of the Nergui horde filed out of Banua. 

They did not go west toward the Nergui lands, but southeast, toward the lands of the Eagle Horde.

Batzorig did not go with them.  Standing near the breached gate, he watched his clan file out, scanning their faces while hiding his own eyes.  After they were gone, Batzorig spent the afternoon sifting through debris .  Bo Jing worked him and it was Bo Jing who found what they both were looking for in  among the remnants of burned ger-- Naransetseng's necklace.  

Bo-Jing consoled his new friend and ally  Salt, Bangqiu shared in his sadness.  The mystery of her importance to the beastmen added a sense of absurd tragedy to the loss.  All agreed that she deserved a proper funeral.  Batzorig, clutching the necklace dug through the debris looking for anything that might remain of her body.

He found bones and burned bodies and bits of clothes, but none that he could hold and know had belonged to his sister.  In the burned-out ger, he found weapons and tools, all badly damaged and lumps of metal that might have been jewellery.  How strange that the necklace had survived fully intact.

Bo-Jing voiced his opinion that Naransetseng had not been killed by the dragons, but had cast her

necklace aside as a decoy and fled Banua with the other Nergui refugees. And this, suggested Bo Jing

was why the beastmen had marched right past Banua. They were pursuing their quarry. The grieving

Batzorig eagerly greeted this ray of hope. “Then I must go after her, either alone or with the help of all

brave men who love what is beautiful and good!”

And so Bo-Jing and his men, together with NarNuteng, Bangqiu, together with 100 brave warriors, went in pursuit of the Nergui horde.

Siege of Banua Day 2

 The following day, the armies of the beastmen started to withdraw.  From the watch towers, they were seen to pack up their encampments and move westwards, toward a long ridge.  They were many. Despite the resounding defeat the night before, they still outnumbered the defenders by 3-to-1.  And they were uncharacteristically quiet, strangely economical in their movements, as if moving under the direction of an alien intelligence.

Sensing deception, Bangqiu and Salt cloaked themselves in an invisibility charm and went to scout the enemy army. Evading yetis scavenging fallen beastmen, the two magicians, reached the ridge from its crest saw the beastmen horde surrounding a deep pit. The attackers were tunneling into the ground.  Based on the constant stream of beastmen heavy laden with dirt, something was progressing toward Banua at a preternatural pace.  Surveying the scene, they noted among the monsters, a solitary human in black armor.  Bangiqu and Salt blasted him with a bouquet of magic missiles, sending him into his tent. Bangqiu amplified the ensuing chaos by summoning a stone wall and dropping it at the entrance of the tunnel.  Bangqiu took the form of an owl and flew back to Banua while Salt made her way home on foot.

Few in Banua slept peacefully that night.  Flashes of red in the sky and the rumbling in the ground fueled rumor and speculation.  Some said the well water tasted wrong. Some heard screaming beyond the ridge. 

From the city walls, came reports of advancing beastmen, giants, and multiple juggernauts. Ganbaatar organized a defense, sending armed soldiers to the battlements while inviting the citizens of Banua into the barracks behind the inner gate. 

The rumbling under the town grew in intensity and the ground split.  The split widened and an enormous pair of claws emerged directly under the inner gate.  The gate collapsed and a giant, red-eyed, slavering badger burst out of the ground, followed by dozens of beastmen.  One slash of its claws were like a phalanx of heavy swords, crushing a man to death inside his armor.  A snap of its fanged snout broke a horse’s back. As soldiers fled these terrors, the badger greedily pursued, killing and devouring any it could catch.

Bo-Jing, with his stalwary henchmen and the bravest of Banua rushed to attack the badger.   Some drove long sharp spears into its flanks while others shot arrows into its neck and back. At first, the badger seemed impervious to pain, and dragged several bloody spears as it chased soldiers and horses.  But a well-aimed spear hit its underbelly and demanded its attention.  It stopped its pursuit and turned to face its attackers.  Bo-Jing slashed at its face, brutally cutting the soft flesh of its mouth.  Nar-Nuteng drew her sword and drove it into the badger’s flesh under its foreleg.  With so many brave and strong soldiers attacking on all sides, the ferocious beast was brought to the ground and destroyed.

The beastmen, meanwhile, had scattered throughout the town, some engaging with warriors while others massacred unarmed people and animals.  Others destroyed yurts and setting them on fire.

Three juggernauts reached the outer gate.   With Banua’s principal defenders occupied by the giant badger and ravaging beastmen, the gates were breached and the juggernauts rolled into Banua. 

The magicians—Bangqiu, Hyamsam, and Salt— targeted the wheels of the lead juggernaut with fire balls and magic missiles.  The first juggernaut was diverted into the pit created by the badger, and the other two crashed behind it.

The beastmen kept pressing toward the marketplace in the back in the town where the Nergui refugees had erected their tents.  While arrows pelted them from above, the beastmen went from one tent to another, killing their occupants.  Only when Bo-Jing and Nar-Nuteng rallied the warriors on the ground to mount a counter-attack were the beastmen deterred from further destruction.  In fact they were no match from Bo-Jing’s organized and powerful attack.  They were driven into a corner and destroyed.

Siege of Banua Day 1

As the sun went down, the people of Banua feared an attack from the besieging horde outside. Beyond the walls, bonfires blazed, and gusts of wind carried the sounds of aggressive chants punctuated by screaming; in certain parts of the city, a deep rumbling in the ground shook the tent poles. The sky flashed red with fire to illuminate the forms of giant flying lizards. When the horde charged, the archers of Banua were ready. Arrows rained down on the onslaught of beastmen, trolls, and yetis. Still the monsters pressed in a crazed fury, many with multiple arrows embedded in their flesh. Pondering behind the hordes of beastmen was an enormous wagon with an iron head. Arrows bounced off it harmlessly. Beastmen who stumbled before it were crushed underneath its thick, spiked wheels. As it reached the gates of Banua, the town’s defenders began to pelt it with stones. These missiles barely damaged the juggernaut, and did nothing to slow its progress. When it reached the entrance to the town, it began to rock back and forth, ramming its iron-shod head against the wooden gates. Bo Jing directed the defenders to direct their fire at the beastmen who were scaling Banua’s walls.

Bo Jing called on the power of the Coin of East to freeze the wheels of the juggernaut. He and his henchmen joined the defenders in killing the attacking beastmen; their bodies began to pile up at the foot of the walls. Once the beastmen’s onslaught was neutralized, the defenders resumed their efforts to destroy the incapacitated juggernaut. The strongest men attacked it from above, casting down huge stones and barrels of flaming oil. At this moment, Bo Jing received word of another attack in another part of the town. Dragons had descended from the clouds into the midst of the crowded mass of yurts behind the Khan’s palace. They were devouring people and setting fire to their homes.

Bo Jing and his men, rallied the most capable of Banua’s defenders and dashed to the rear of the town to confront the dragons. There were two fearsome beasts, surrounded by burning wreckage. Bangqiu and Salt, from the safety of the Khan’s palace, blasted one of the dragons with magic missiles. Enraged, it took wing, flying toward them. Bo Jing and his men to attack the second dragon, striking it from all sides with swords and spears. The dragon thrashed from side to side, desperate to seize and devour a hapless spearman. But Bo Jing, with astounding bravery and quickness, stayed at the dragon’s head, slashing at its eyes and mouth, denying it the opportunity to strike. The dragon weakened and BO Jing saw his opportunity. He rushed toward it, feinted to the left and, as the dragon went to the right, dashed past its open maw and slashed its throat with his long sharp sword. Black blood gushed out and the dragon died. The flying dragon, meanwhile, had made itself a target for archers throughout the town. Pierced with many arrows, it floundered and crashed to the ground, never to rise.