On the Western Front (Part 8 - The End)

Ginjo, Bayan, and Bing Chi Ling made their way back to their inn. Being unarmed, they stayed on the busiest streets through the caravanserai and felt they had no reason to fear or avoid the Pasha’s guards. But owing to Hiram’s high station, they decided not to ask for assistance, either. They reached the inn safely and retired to their rooms to sleep.

Ginjo and Bing Chi Ling, along with Ryu, slept in Mauza’s room. Their sleep was uneasy and Ginjo’s dog whined throughout the night. Nevertheless, Mauza did not complain, but slept soundly, enough that the sound of his snores soon overpowered those of the dog’s whining.

And then the door was burst open and a man with a sword burst into the room, several others pushing in behind him. Ginjo grabbed his own sword and blocked the door, while Bing Chi Ling cut down the attacker who had made it into the room.

Drunk and reckless, the attacking thugs soon fell to Ginjo’s blade, and were routed. Bayan, alerted by the noise blocked their escape, and soon all were laying on the floor, groaning in pain or dead.

The innkeeper rushed upstairs, protesting his innocence and begging forgiveness for not preventing the intrusion. Servants ran into the street, calling for the watch.

And so, Ginjo, Bayan, and Bing Chi Ling were escorted to the Pasha’s palace in the middle of the night. When asked to surrender their belongings and be locked in a holding cell, they refused, knowing that it might be the last they saw of the sales records they’d retrieved from the gnolls. They explained to the guards that they should see the Pasha immediately. Through their investigations of the bandit attacks in the Painted Canyon, they had learned that a band of man-eating gnolls were the source of the attacks. One of the guards was friends with one of the prisoners who had been rescued. “If you are who you say you are, I know the Pasha would like to meet you. “ Between Bayan’s money and Bing Chi Ling’s winning personality, the guards were convinced.

The Pasha met the party in a small audience chamber. Groggy and cranky, he stared at them with baleful eyes, demanding an explanation.

Bing Chi Ling complimented the Pasha’s pajamas, and with his fine manners, the Pasha’s mood softened. Having heard Ginjo and Bayan’s tales at the inn, he recounted them for the Pasha, sprinkling in more compliments whenever possible.

The Pasha’s moved changed to one of horror, when he learned that Ginjo and Bayan had found evidence that the gnolls were re-selling their stolen goods to respectable merchants. “Have you any proof of this?”

Ginjo produced the records. “We got the message from Hiram that you had heard about these records and wanted to see them. I am grateful to finally have the chance.”

“Hiram said—?”

The Pasha ordered for Hiram to be brought to the palace.

Hiram, not understanding why he had been summoned, began to apologize that “Your Wisdom may have his slumber interrupted on account of these ruffians who tried to rob my house tonight. I assure you they were handily repelled by my men.”

Ginjo produced the invitation with Hiram’s seal.

Next, the Pasha asked Hiram about the caravan raids and rumors he’d heard that gnolls were re-selling their stolen goods to other merchants. After asking Hiram to vouch for the honor of several local merchant’s and receiving Hiram’s assurance, “That if any of the men you named were involved in such a scheme, I would know about it.”

Ginjo produced the gnolls’ sales record book.

After allowing Hiram to tell several more lies, The Pasha ordered that his house should be searched. Neither he, nor the adventurers were permitted to leave the palace.

The next day, based on evidence he found at Hiram’s house, the Pasha ordered his immediate execution.

On the Western Front (Part 7 - The Dinner)

Mauza found multiple fletchers in Salt Springs whom, together, could satisfy Al-Fitar’s order by the end of the week. He gladly provided Bayan and Ginjo a generous allowance so they could enjoy themselves in the caravansary while he attended to other business. His only stipulation was that they would return to the inn each evening so that he could be assured a safe and restful slumber.

Ginjo and Bayan hatched a plan. They wanted an audience with the Satrap so they could tell him about their last meeting with Hiram and about the ambush at the ford. Based on his reaction they would know whether he was a party to Hiram’s treachery. However, they feared meeting the Satrap at a time when Hiram also present, knowing that he would simply contradict them. So, Ginjo sent a message to the Satrap, announcing plans to visit him the next afternoon. And meanwhile, Bayan sent a message to Hiram, inviting him with them at the inn at on the same day, believing this would prevent Hiram from being present when Ginjo visited the Satrap.

The day passed slowly as Ginjo and Bayan waited for a response. During this time, they made the acquaintance of Bing Chi Ling. He was like them, a wanderer, a warrior who had pledged a life oath to lend his sword to any righteous cause, without regard for reward or personal glory. He also had a irreverent sense of humor and enjoyed a well-conceived game of chance. So the three adventurers became friends.

At the end of the day, Bayan received a return message from Hiram to decline the invitation, but also expressing gratitude for their offer of hospitality following “the unfortunate incident at the ford” and insisting that they must allow him to make it up to them by dining at his house.

The satrap did not acknowledge Ginjo’s message.

Ginjo and Bayan decided to accept Hiram’s invitation. They asked Minh and the other sohei to secure the inn for the evening. And they invited their new friend Bing Chi Ling to join them and he gratefully accepted.

Dinner was an enjoyable affair, and Bing Chi Ling was welcomed along with the others. Hiram apologized again for any “previous misunderstandings” owning that he was “arrogant” to leave the safety and comfort of Salt Springs or even to believe that “such adventures would someone suited to a life of ease.” He patted his ample belly. “Based on the stories I have heard, I fully expected that I was going to end my life being turned over a fire covered in butter! If you think I am a coward, you are right!”

In fact, a roasted butter-basting was the delicious fate of both a lamb and a goat that night; Hiram and his guest enjoyed their beautifully roasted meat, together with all the finest accompaniments. Hiram ate and laughed heartily and very much enjoyed the stories of his “new best friend,” Bing Chi Ling.

After dinner, Hiram called for music and dancing. The musicians who had sat in the shadows during the meal, lightly tapping on their drums, emerged to beat their instruments with full, unified intensity, summoning three dancers who shimmied with the music in perfect time and, with the bangles ringing around their waists, added another timbre to the music.

Always most wary when distracted, Ginjo cocked his ear toward the kitchen, and heard the muffled sounds of heavy boots on the cellar stairs and the jangle of clinking armor. He stood up and flung open the shuttered balcony. Two guard were waiting there, their swords in hand.

While their swords were ready, the guards were not prepared for Ginjo’s sudden exit. He pushed past them and leapt off the balcony, raising a call for help. Bayan rose, urging Bing Chi Ling to follow. With people in the street gawking and pointing, Hiram did his best to calm the commotion, pleading for a “chance to talk this out,” and offering them thousands of drachmas. “I know important men in the north who can help you!” The guards sheathed their swords, but Bayan and Bing Chi Ling ignored Hiram’s offers; instead, they calmly tied a rope to balcony and lowered themselves to the street.

On the Western Front (Part 6 - honor, courage, and guile)

Al-Fitar asked Bayan and Gin Jo some pointed question about what they thought they knew. It turned out to be very little.

Yes, the invitation to Salt Springs looked like nothing more than a set-up for an ambush. It could be that the Satrap of Salt Springs was in league with the Master’s forces. Was there any evidence that the Master or his agents had contacted the Satrap? Was there evidence that the Satrap had ordered Hiram to arrange the ambush? Was there evidence that Hiram had arranged the ambush? Was there evidence that he or any of his bodyguards had known it was coming? Were there not plenty of reasons why the gnolls had a special hatred for Ginjo and Bayan? The gnolls’s list of names was evidence of terrible crimes, but was there anything connecting it to anyone in Salt Springs?

What they seem to have proved was merely that the gnolls were a serious threat to almost everyone except Bayan and Ginjo. Al-Fitar did not dare send his soldiers into the Painted Canyon. Although they fought well in large numbers on the plains or when they were the ones doing the ambushing, Al-Fitar knew that even his best officers would not have made it through the Painted Canyon without heavy losses. But Bayan and Ginjo showed an unusual combination of honor, courage, and guile. Rather than try to unravel the conspiracy, Al-Fitar preferred that they should work with what they knew. The gnolls were attacking his merchants with great success. But a savage mob of gnolls were no match for Ginjo, Bayan, and a few disciplined sohei. The Company should escort a merchant to Salt Springs, lay low in the caravansary while the merchant made arrangements to fulfill Al-Fitar’s order, and then escort the merchant back to Al-Fitar’s camp. Either the gnolls would show that they had learned their lesson and the merchant would be allowed to make his way in peace. Or the gnolls would have to learn their lesson again. “Isn’t that right, schoolmasters!”

And so Al-Fitar introduced Bayan and Ginjo to Mauza. He had two drovers, who also served as guards. But he was grateful for the additional protection. They would travel disguised as nomads. Al-Fitar needed arrows, thousands of them, but Mauza was on good terms with all the fletchers in Salt Springs.

The journey to Salt Springs was tense. They had nothing to steal and all the previous attacks had always targeted caravans traveling from Salt Springs, but Mauza understood that his new bodyguards had a reputation that cut both ways. The gnolls would be crazy to attack them. But according to all the stories about them, the gnolls were crazy.

On the way, they had the good fortune to cross paths with some real nomads, some of whom were wearing fancy riding boots! Yes, they had been among the captives that Ginjo and Bayan had rescued. They assisted the travelers in improving their disguises and sold them a few emaciated goats to improve the ruse. They described their favorite places to camp so as to avoid the dangerous ford crossing. Finally, they told them that the howl of jackals at night was a good omen; the jackals were sly hunters who stayed silent when the gnolls and hyenas were on the prowl.

That night, and for three following, the travelers slept with the lullaby of howling jackals. On the fourth day, they safely reached Salt Spring. Mauza introduced Bayan, Ginjo,and the others as nomads he had hired as drovers. He led the way through the caravansary to his favorite inn and booked three rooms.

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.

Master of the Desert Nomads Part 7: Disrupting the Master

 Based on their experience with the so-called "Master," Beatriss and Tetsukichi realized their own adopted homeland was in danger.  Without believing that the Master could pose a serious threat to the Imperial Khan, he could bring misery and destruction to the people of the Zhou Empire, very likely beginning with the Happy Valley.  They asked their proteges Bayan and Timur to accompany Al-Fitar in his efforts to rally defense of his father's lands to the best.  But Beatriss, Tetsukichi, along Hyamsam, Bangqiu, and Bo Jing collectively decided to go east.

On this occasion, the journey home was nearly as trying as the journey out.  The Master's armies seemed to attract strange and terrible monsters-- a multi-headed lizard buried in a pit, a lizard made of flames that emerged from their own campfire.  But they were truly horrified when they reached the Asada River and the ruined village of Pramayama.  A huge contingent of the Master's army was encamped along the banks.  The river was the only thing blocking them from the most peaceful region of Zhou.  And that army, was busy building a bridge to bring their supplies and siege engines across the river.

Thanks to the magic of Hyamsam, Bangqiu,a nd Mustapha, evading the army was easy enough, but as they pressed on they encountered a horrifying advance party of giants, trolls, harpies, gnolls, a fire sorceress, and bloodthirsty barbarians.  The defenders of Zhou determined that this was not just a raiding party, but scouts, seeking the pass by which the army would invade.  In a first skirmish, several of Kafka's archers were killed and the most powerful raiders escaped.

The homelanders regrouped.  Bangqiu took to the sky and found a short cut; the defenders pushed ahead, and sought a place where they wanted to stage a battle.  They chose a high hill on the edge of a plain where they expected the raiders to pass.  Bangqiu approached the raiders invisibly.  The archers started the attack, firing from the top of the hill.  Most of their arrows fell harmlessly among the well-protected raiders who responded by charging the hill.  Mustapha created a troop of illusionary skeletons at the bottom of the hill, giving the raiders what looked  like an easy target.  The fire sorceress made the mistake of identifying herself.  Before she could cause any damage the defenders on the hill, Bangqiu blasted her with a barrage of magic missiles.  He then reverted to bird form to escape the giants and flew back to the hill.

As the raiders reached the hill, the defenders created a wall of fire, trapping them at the base.  As the harpies approached, the archers shot them down from the sky.  The raider's ground troops were divided, with half trapped by flames as the trolls and barbarians circled around the hill.  The powerful fire giant happily waded through the fire and bounded up the hill.  Hyamsam blasted him with a cloud of steam and Kafka finished him off.  Meanwhile, Bo Jing singlehandedly killed one of the trolls with his fiery sword.  As the raiders fell victim to their own homicidal urges at the hands of the calm, well-organized defenders, Tetsukichi noticed that the human leaders of the band were hanging back.  He and Bangqiu led a group down the hill to make sure none of the raiders escaped.  They were successful.

The defenders pressed on toward the Happy Valley, stopping periodically to ensure that they weren't being followed.  There were no raiders in sight.  They reached the Happy Valley and quietly prepared their troops for a possible attack.  None came.  Invisible Victory.

Master of the Desert Nomads Part 5: Lost and Found

Meanwhile, Beatriss, Hyamsam, and Temur had little difficulty finding the Salt Swamp. After parting ways with Kalashar, they pointed their horses north and after a few hours saw the white flash on the desert before them, comparable to a mirage that stretched along the horizon. As they drew closer, they were nearly overcome by a brilliance in which the horizon virtually disappeared. Everyone used their cloaks to shield their eyes and those of their horses. Beatriss covered her own sensitive eyes and face completely.

Towards nightfall, the soft desert sand gave way to salt crystals that crackled loudly under their horses’ hooves. There was a pungent smell and unfamiliar birdcalls. Beatriss unwrapped her face and stared into the swamp, but saw nothing alive. They decided to camp and make plans in the morning. Ju-Mei refused to sleep and spent the night softly chanting and burning incense.

They woke early and in the morning light were happily surprised to find a long, flat-bottomed boat, painted a bright sky blue. Hyamsam elected to guard the horses on shore, along with the soldiers of Fitar. Beatriss, Temur, Ju-Mei, and Naron rowed the boat into the swamp.

Ju-Mai sat in the prow of the boat while the others paddled. This was the place of his nightmares. He urged his comrades to paddle and push forward, guiding them through a maze of strange trees and salt-encrusted mudflats with uncanny confidence. As night fell he did not waver, and continued chanting, until he suddenly interrupting himself, “There!”

Ahead of them they saw a flickering light. Soon they heard moans mixed with shouting, mixed with incoherent babbling.

Ju-Mei chanted in a low whispered and directed his companions to pilot the boat toward the light and the voices . . .

-------

For those in hut, the whispers from the darkness seemed to be drawing closer. In time, Bangqiu noted something moving through the water. Those who were fully coherent looked forward to a direct confrontation with whatever had been tormenting them. Al-Fitar loaded his crossbow. Tetsukichi stood on the dock with his sword. Bayan tried to rally the sohei and soldiers. Bangqiu strained his eyes against the darkness, seeking a target for a blast of magic missiles. The shape moving through the water glided into a patch of unobscured moonlight. It was a moved, filled with several people. One of them stood up. “Bangqiu! We found you!” It was Beatriss. At once, the whispers rose to a single loud chant of several voices. The people in the hut responded with a deep sigh and rushed toward their friends in the boat, some clambering down the ladder, others jumping down onto the dock or even into the shallow water. Bayan guided the catatonic soldier down the ladder. By the time he reached the boat, he was sobbing but fully alert. Ju-Mei, while continuing to chant, lit candles and hurled them into the hut and on the dock. Once everyone was safely on the boat, Naron and Temur turned it around and those who were able helped to push and paddle it away from the swamp. Ju-Mei ordered that no one should look back at the hut. “If you cannot move the boat forward, pray with me! If you cannot pray, close your eyes and sleep! If you cannot close your eyes, stare up into the sky!”

Amidst the darkness, there was no way to measure their progress. In time, morning broke and far ahead of them, through the screen of reeds and sickly trees, they saw solid land, and the figure of their friend Hyamsam waving and shouting encouragement.

Master of the Desert Nomads Part 4: The Salt Swamp

Tetsukichi, Bayan, Bo Jing, and Bangqiu continued their way up the river. The river became wider, and more shallow. They pushed their way forward, their poles sinking into the soft brown mud. The air was thick and still and the smell of salt burned in their nostrils. Whithered palms and dry reeds were covered with brownish white crystals. As the day progressed, a salty film settled on their eyelashes.

Everyone was hungry and thirsty. The water was teeming was pale, sluggish fish. Damai speared one. When he cut it open, worms burst out and he flung the gooey mass back into the water. The water of course was undrinkable.

The sunset and as the swamp darkened, the party noticed a light a head of them. They pushed their raft forward, sometimes slashing through reeds and even knocking down small rotten trees.

The light came from a wooden hut, raised on high stilts with a dock at the bottom. A ladder led up to a doorway, covered by a rough curtain, glowing with light from within the hut. The travelers tied their raft to the dock. Bayan volunteered to climb the ladder. Reaching the top, she called out. Receiving no reply, she drew her sword and entered. She found a small, bare room with one window looking out on the dark swamp. There was another room, its doorway curtained, and the source of the light seemed to be within this inner room. Pushing the curtain aside with her sword, she peered in and found another small empty room. She went back and called for the others to come up.

A cool breeze stirred the air outside and rain had begun to fall. Within minutes, the light wind and rain had turned into a fierce storm. The hut was cramped, but no one wanted to stay with the raft. Without bothering to set up a guard, everyone lay down and slept.

Bangqiu woke up hot and sweaty and began yelling at the others. Tetsukichi and Bayan woke up. It was hot and bright again, maybe close to midday. Everyone had experienced terrible dreams. And one of the soldiers would not wake up completely. He opened his eyes and rose and followed simple directions, but he wouldn’t speak and couldn’t be distracted from staring at nothing—or something that no one else could see.

Damai wanted to explore the hut. He found no end to the chain of small rooms with curtained doorways and became absorbed in looking for small differences between them, mapping the design of scratches in the floor.

Tetsukichi went outside. The raft was gone. And most of the remainder of their provisions.

Bangqiu announced that he could assume the form of a hippopotamus and ferry everyone to shore. But first he would take on the form of a bird and find the way to shore. The day was cloudy and didn’t thin out as Bangqiu rose higher. Flying at a lower level, several feet above the turgid water, he weaved through the vegetation toward the horizon. He saw some kind of structure ahead of him and flew faster. As he drew closer, he saw the already too-familiar shape of the hut.

Bayan led efforts to rebuild the raft, and began by tearing off the planks of the hut.

Everyone was nearly overcome by hunger, thirst, and fatigue and the day passed in slow misery. As the sun began to set, someone raised the question of whether it would be safe to sleep, nodding towards Nayan, the catatonic soldier who had spent the entire day standing at the window. A good question, but not one that anyone had the heart to answer.

Then they started hearing whispers out in the swamp . . .

Master of the Desert Nomads Part 2: On the Asanda

Over the next several days, the raft continued its way up river. One day, they met a group of soldiers who confessed that they had deserted from Fitar’s army. With encouragement from Bo Jing, they agreed to redeem their army and join the party. During the day, they saw deserted and destroyed villages and one day encounter two rafts filled with refugees making their way downriver. During the nights, the party saw many strange sights including fire-breathing dogs.

One day, sailing up the river, the party found themselves in the midst of an army camp, with about 20 horsemen on one side of the river and 30-40 infantry on the other. They were spotted almost immediately and soldiers from one side of the river challenged those on the other to a contest of target practice. But before anyone from either side could score any points, Bo Jing put the contest to an end. With two quick shots from his own bow, two of the cavalrymen were shot dead. Most of the others fled for cover in the underbrush. The infantry archers on the right bank were more disciplined, but their aim was poor. Most everyone on board the raft took cover and rowed harder while the leading warriors took well-aimed shots at their enemies. Tetsukichi instructed Mustapha to use his best illusions; moments later a second, larger raft appeared behind the first. The enemy captain orders the archers to train their arrows on this second raft while he and his bodyguards charged out onto a sandbar and intercept the first raft. Bayan and Tetsukichi were glad to join in melee combat against these over-confident foes, cutting them down as they tried to reach the raft. The sohei and the reformed deserters did their part, slaying those infantry soldiers who escaped the flashing blades of Tetsukichi and Bayan. Bo Jing challenged the cavalry Captain to enter the water if he dared.

At this moment, two enormous tigers came charging out of the infantry camp and flung themselves onto the two rafts. One of these rafts proved to be a product of Mustapha’s illusion and so one tiger found himself splashing foolishly in the middle of the river. The other, however, landed in the middle of the real raft, testing the courage of the inexperienced soldiers. But this beast was the challenge that Bo Jing had been waiting for. He leapt into combat, putting himself at risk of the flashing claws and powerful fangs of the feast and then finding the right moment to strike with his katana of fire. The beast howled in pain and the other soldiers chose this moment to strike with their own swords. But for nought! The brilliant orange and black coat deflected their blades better than any armor. Only the gift of Saradin could harm the unnatural beast. Bo Jing ordered the soldier and sohei to protect Mustapha and to assist the other leaders in fighting their human enemies while he fought the tiger. The blow of a single claw sent him sprawling to the deck. The tiger pounced and clamped his jaws around Bo Jing’s forearm, the strong fangs barely repelled by the the steel of the warrior’s armor. And now the second tiger proved to be very comfortable in the water; it swam after the first raft and with one motion, climbed on board. Al-Fitar, fighting side by side, turned back in time to see the brave young noble in peril. Clutching the hammer passed down to him from generations of honorable warriors he threw himself into battle against the two beasts. With one blow, he stunned the first tiger. Bo Jing wrenched his arm free of its jaws and found his feet. Al-Fitar struck the second tiger, knocking it off the raft. Bo Jing stepped backwards and let the first tiger come to him; he struck at the moment when the tiger pounced, slitting its throat open wide. As the tiger fell dead and slid into the water, its body changed to that of a man. The second tiger was not deterred by the fate of its brother, but jumped back onto the raft, as hungry for battle as for the flesh of the men it would consume if victorious. But now the odds were against it. As Bo Jing had struggled to fight two tigers, now the tiger struggled to fight two powerful men. Convinced of unnatural wickedness, they would not let it escape, but fought the second tiger until it too was dead and had resumed its human form.

During the course of this battle with the weretigers, Tetsukichi and Bayan, assisted by man brave soldiers and sohei fought and killed many of the enemy including the cavalry captain. While many of the heroes suffered grievous wounds, none were killed. They rested for the remainder of the day, allowing the light wind to catch their sail and take them further up the river.

Master of the Desert Nomads Part 1: Tetsukichi's Choice

After a few years of quiet, repose, and fatherhood in the Happy Valley, Tetsukichi received word tales of his valor had spread far and wide. He had taken on a seemingly thankless mission to seek out Governor Kawabi and succeeded where others had failed, opening up trade routes between the Empire and such far-flung settlements as Quitokai and Pasar. He had defended his adopted clan the Sansars from the threat of Sakatha, the undead lizard king. And through it all, he had shown himself a loyal friend to Al-Fitar, treating the foreign hireling as a brother, sharing equally in danger, glory, and treasure.

An imperial representative was on the way, requesting that Tetsukichi return the jade sword that he had received from the Emperor when he located the lost city of Tempat Larang. This was not an insult, but a coded invitation for Tetsukichi to come to Khanbaliq, deliver the sword personally, and so demonstrate that he could be trusted with the Emperor’s full confidence and welcomed at court.

The elders of the Sansar clan advised against this. The Emperor was plotting against them and knew that Tetsukichi was their brightest hope for the future. He should simply relinquish the sword. His help was needed in the Valley of the Five Fires. If he succeeded in driving the bandit marauders out of the sacred valley, the Sansar clan might join this group of ancient and honored clans—with Tetsukichi named its Khan.

Finally, Al-Fitar had a request. Or two. A group of three dozen ragtag soldiers, men from his father’s kingdom, far to the west had arrived in the Happy Valley. Strange marauders from the mountains threatened the realm of Fitar. Al-Fitar begged Tetsukichi to return with him to the West and help defend his family. Barring that, he begged Tetsukichi to release him from his service so that he might join his father’s army.

When the imperial envoys arrived, Tetsukichi relinquished the jade sword and departed with Al-Fitar. He was accompanied by Bangqiu and Bayan, and by various hirelings.

After a fortnight of hard riding, they reached Pramayama, a once squalid and benighted village on the banks of a muddy river, now reduced to an even lower state by the mysterious marauders. A part of Fitar’s army was using the village as a base and they welcomed the volunteers, especially the renowned Tetsukichi. (For reasons unknown, Al-Fitar kept his own identity a secret.) After a few days in the village, Tetsukichi met a bedraggled man, pursued by a shadowy, hissing, monster. After Tetsukichi slew the monster, the man thanked him with the gift of a map. The map indicates a Temple of Death that most be destroyed—by Tetsukichi as the new owner of the map.

The local commander is interested in the map and Tetsukichi’s encounter with the monster. This seems to confirm a plan that he’d already been considering. It’s time to go to meet the main army. The quickest way is by water, the Asanda River. But there’s only one poor raft in Pramayama and there aren’t resources available to build enough to accommodate the local forces, plus their mounts and supplies. So, the main force will go overland while Tetsukichi and his friends are to travel up the Asada River to the salt swamp and find the main army near there. Give them the message that more are coming.

The Commander set out the next day. Bo Jing found the raft in need of repairs and so the departure of Tetsukichi & co. was delayed until the afternoon. As the repairs were nearing completion, Bayan noticed a large creature circling in the sky above them. Bangqiu, assuming the form of a falcon, flew into the sky for a better look. The creature was some sort of two-legged flying reptile (a wyvern, Bo Jing would explain, based on this description). And there was a man riding on its back. Bangqiu blasted the man with a bouquet of magic missiles. He fell to earth and the wyvern flew away. On the body of the man, Bangqiu found a claimed a skull amulet. He tried it on for a moment and then put it in his pocket.

The raft sailed upriver day and night under Bo Jing’s watchful eye. The second night on the river, the raft struck a sandbar, and three giant crabs scuttled onto the raft. Bayan, Tetsukichi, and Bo Jing killed them and drove off an opportunistic crocodile. Knowing that they well spend the next several weeks eating hardtack, the party decides to live up to its name and have a crab feast. (“Watch the shirt-tails flapping in the wind!”) Their fire attracted visitors, a mysterious pair of adventurers, one a woman, who wore her face completely covered and spoke with a strange accent similar to Beatriss’s. When Bayan questioned her about this, the woman acknowledge that yes, she was from Cynadecia. Although she carried a sword herself, she claimed not to know Beatriss or any of the members of the warrior women’s society. Soon it emerged that this pair was part of a larger group of adventurers, who were invited to join the feast. Their leader was a slow-moving priest whom Al-Fitar identified to Bayan as a “demon worshipper” based on his vestments. The priest mourned the fact that he didn’t have his spices with him so that he could demonstrate the right way to prepare crab. He made strange remarks about the party’s “innocence” in the face of the dangers that lay waiting for them upriver and suggested he might accompany them “for the right price.” His followers took turns remembering the fine dishes he had prepared for them. Tetsukichi and co. listened politely and encouraged their guests to take some food and be on their way.

The Way Back Interlude - Bald Island, Spring Island, Bone Island

The Binggongchang needed maintenance after its long voyages. Bangqiu determined that the fishing village of Nokori-Fodo offered adequate supplies and know-how. In addition, a couple of the sohei were native to Zipang and knew the town by name and its reputation.

In the meantime, Hyamsam and Bo Jing decided to explore the many small islands visible from the town. They were most intrigued by stories about Bone Island, rumored to be either haunted by ghosts or the home of savage cannibals. More accessible was Bald Island, known for its dome of smooth granite, but also boasting acres of fertile farmland, fertilized by the seabirds that roosted up on the rock. Bayan and Hyamsam, along Peerapat and Ryu, one of the Zipangese made the short trip to Bald Island and encountered the farmers who made the daily trip from the mainland to tend their rice crops. The farmers were extremely wary at first and made preparations to leave almost as soon as the visitors arrived. But Hyamsam, using a mixture of magic and clownery convinced them that he meant no harm. The farmers explained that there was a group of bandits who had a hideout on the island. As harvest time was approaching, they expected that the bandits would demand their tribute. Bo Jing and Hyamsam agreed that they would protect the farmers.

After a few weeks, when the first of the crops approached optimal harvest time, the four defenders asked the farmers to leave them on the island overnight. Hyamsam made himself invisible and waited outside the small cave that the bandits were known to use as a hideout. When the bandit appeared, it was by boat. They came ashore on the far side of the island, but rather than go to their cave, seemed to be approaching the flat area where the farmers grew their crops. Hyamsam followed them. Though he was invisible and the possible bandits were nosiy, he was even more noisy. When he tripped on a rock, they stopped and called out. "Show yourself! Do-Hai!" When Hyamsam spoke, they became more alarmed. They continued to demand that he show himself and refused to answer his questions. Hyasam claimed that he was Do-Hai's little brother.

"We never heard about you!"

"That's because he thinks I'm dead."

The men began whispering to each other and then returned to their boat and rowed away from the island.

Hyamsam and Bo Jing continued to stake-out the island for a few more nights, but the men did not return. The farmers harvested the crops they had cultivated.

About a week later, Hyamsam and Bo Jing returned to their quest to find Bone Island, this time joined by Bayan and Bangqiu. They set out one morning for Spring Island, the "other" island visible from Nokori-Fodo. After landing, they climbed to the top of the nearest hill and from there they could see most of the island. Most notably, one the other side of the island, they saw signs of habitation, including smoke from cooking fires and crops growing in a level space between two hills. They made their way down one hill, toward the center of the island, and crossed through a forest. On the other side, they met five men, heavily tattooed, dressed in skins, and wearing long beards. The men pointed their spears at the newcomers and, in a strange language accompanied by familiar gestures, demanded to know their business.

Ryu spoke for the group. He was able to greet the men in their own language. They softened enough to speak to him in Zipang-- and declared that they did not want visitors. Bayan produced a couple gold coins, souvenirs from Maztica, and asked the men whether they knew of Bone Island. The men allowed that they did and noted that they were five and the coins were two. Bayan added three more coins. One of the men pointed due west, while another pointed at the way the party had come and then swung his spear in a sunwise motion. Ryu explained. "It's west. But they demand that we return the way we came and go around."

The party agreed. Except that the magicians-- Hyamsam and Bangqiu had become invisible. After some whispered arguing-- which did not please the men of Spring Island-- Bayan and the others agreed to go back to the boat. Bangqiu and Hyamsam continued their conversation. The men, looking ill-at-ease, started up the ill. Bangqiu assumed the form of a bird (still invisible) to get a better vantage point while Hyamsam trudged up the hill. As a bird, Bangqiu was able to get a closer look at the Spring Islanders village, but also noted that one of the men was laying in wait for Hyamsam. The other men seemed to be raising an alarm.

When Hyamsam, kicking up dust, passed by the place where the man was hiding, he leaped out, stabbing wildly at the ground. Hyamsam stumbled on the unsteady ground, flattening, the grass but before the man could take advantage of this information, Bangqiu landed on the his shoulder and screeched. Startled and terrified, the man swatted Bangqiu off his shoulder and ran up the hill. Bangqiu and Hyamsam agreed that they should get back to the boat.

The party, reunited, circled around Spring Island and then sailed west. Soon they saw the outline of land, and in time, noted a tall, rocky island, its upper heights, bare of vegetation and indeed looking something like a skull. Before they could make landing, they were attacked by blood-sucking birds. In the confusion, Bangqiu got stabbed (he looked like a bird himself at the time). The party landed and encountered an animated skeleton. Ryu raised his holy symbol and drove it away. After a quick conference, the party decided they had indeed found Bone Island and that they return another day when they were well-rested and hadn't stabbed each other.

Another day never came. Bangqiu finished making repairs to the ship and the time came to leave Zipang and sail to Zhou Deng. The voyage to the port of Heng-shai was easy. After making their reports to imperial port officials, Bayan announced her intention to return to Beatriss's stronghold at Happy Valley and invited her fellow voyagers to join her. All except Shoji accepted.

The Way Back 2 (Return of the Blind Captain II and Almost home)

Over the days the followed, Bo Jing, Bayan, and Shoji directed the efforts to remove wires and other eldritch attachments from the Binggongchang. They considered throwing these objects overboard or leaving them on the beach, but at last elected to keep them in a waterproof sea bag, well doused with holy water. Other sohei were sent ashore to fill their water barrels, collect food, and recruit additional crew members. Upon their return, the sohei reported that they had found a good spring, but food was scarce, and they had alienated themselves from the local inhabitants, who seemed to have encountered the blindman and associated him with the benevolent newcomers. But the sohei contended that they had learned how to sail the ship at least as well as the sailors who had hired on back in Zhou Dang. Shu Yin, in studying the blindman’s books and nautical charts had learned that if they could find a westward current, their return travel could be accomplished in about a month. They had enough water, and their chances of finding food, in the form of fish, were better on the open sea than in this accursed land.

And so the Binggongchang began its homeward voyage. Early setbacks came in the form of submerged reefs and the kelp fields, but one night when they found the westward current, there was a stirring below decks. A walking skeleton, with burning red eyes emerged from below, sending the sohei not terrors. It was the blindman, and he demanded an explanation. Bo Jing directed him the bag where they had secured his instruments. Opening it eagerly, he splashed himself with holy water. Screaming with rage, he lunged at the nearest sohei, threatening to kill him if his demands weren’t met. Bo Jing drew his katana and attacked. The blindman release the sohei who fell to the deck, trembling and retching. With a last kick, the blindman turned and ran toward the captain’s cabin. Shoji castigated him with a blistering sermon; the blindman screamed and stumbled, but continued his mad dash, pushing other sohei out of the way. The blindman made it to the cabin and closed the door, but Bayan was right behind him. She battered the door down and found the blindman holding his spellbook and a small box, while opening the cabin window. Bayan splashed him with a vial of the holy water from Saradin’s cave and the blindman was consumed in a burst of blue flame. Bayan suggested the book should be destroyed. They doused it with oil and set it on fire. After it had burned for a few minutes, they cast it into the sea. They did the same to the wooden chair that had been set at the nexus of the gold wires. The small box, was empty, but they decided to keep it.

The voyagers on the Binggongchang enjoyed several days of smooth sailing, even finding what appeared to be verdant island. After sending a boat ashore, they found that it was blessed with waterfalls and fruit trees.

After leaving the island, the Binggongchang sailed into a fierce storm. The sky was so dark, that Shu Yin could not get a bearing day or night and Bo Jing ordered the crew to out all their efforts into keeping the ship together rather than holding a particular course. Days and nights merged together. When the weather cleared one fine morning, they beheld a huge island or continent, and as they approached, a small location of human settlement.

The first people they encountered were fishermen piloting small, narrow boats. The fishers were friendly and greeted the voyagers in a language that Bayan recognized, having heard Beatriss use it in conversations with Tetsukichi. Shu Yin confirmed that they were in northern Zipang, close enough to home that they could afford to linger. The Binggongchang was anchored in a sheltered harbor and the voyagers were welcomed ashore.

The Way Back 1 (Return of the Blind Captain I)

The explorers, with Saradin’s assistance, climbed out of the pyramid, and drew untainted clean air into their cramped lungs, and then rinsed their mouths with long pulls from their waterskins. Still thirsty, they searched for water, Bo Jing leading the way toward the stream he remembered splashing through when being chased to the pyramid. They found the stream, but its flow was reduced to a trickle, the surface coated with a fine layer of ash. They drank half-heartedly and surveyed their surroundings, noting that the vegetation looked dry. They sky was hazy. They discussed their next move. Unanimously, home.

For Rhialle, Maztica was everything he remembered and worse. These people had risked their lives to bring him home; his home then should be with them. “I am not ungrateful, but . . .”

Bangqiu assured him that he would be glad for his support in whatever future adventures he pursued, starting with the voyage back to Oa.

And so the explorers set off through the untracked jungle to find their ship. Traveling due west they came to edge of a steep-sided valley where they encountered many mysteries: a monkey wearing a feathered hat, a cacophony of birds feasting on a panicked mass of snakes and birds and insects, a stone altar strewn with flowers and a twist of paper with a prayer for rain.

Strangest of all, they met Mai-Thi, the sohei who had been left in charge of the boat. She wore the simple smock of a Maztica woman and greeted them without surprise, advising them that the valley was a place of peace that she did not want to leave. “However, if you desire to continue your lives of meaningless striving, do not stop, even to sleep. If you meet any of the people who live here, you must not harm or threaten them in any way.”

Bayan was dubious, but did not argue. Marching through the night, they crossed the valley and climbed up the other side by morning, finding themselves on a high ridge overlooking a misty sea. From the ridge, they found a path that led down to the cove and, hopefully their ship, where they’d left it anchored. Hopefully, but not actually. Just open ocean. They climbed back up to the top of the cliff for a better view. It was midday, the fog had lifted, and the Binggongchang was visible, anchored much further out, beyond sight of the cove. But it was there. So they marched down to the cove once more and spent the rest of the day cutting trees to build rafts, and then camped on the beach.

The next morning, they set to the tasks of assembling the felled tree trunks into something that could carry them out to the Binggongchang. But they hadn’t been working for long when Hayam spotted a boat—the landing boat from the Binggongchang.

Shu Yin, one of the sohei, piloted the boat together with four other sohei and explained that he “had a good feeling I would find my master today.” Shu Yin, it turned out, had been selected by general consensus to lead the sohei in Kafka’s absence after Mai-Thi went crazy. Went crazy? Strange things had happened on the ship in Kafka’s long absence—

Long absence? Oh, there was so much to explain, and it was difficult to talk and pilot he boat at the same time.

As they drew closer to the Binggongchang, it became more and more apparent that much had changed. Gleaming metal objects had been attached to the railing. Golden wires were strung from the prow to the stern. “I have made some changes,” Shu Yin explained, “and I hope you like them.”

Once on board, Shu Yin became increasingly animated in expressing his excitement about how the Binggongchang had been enhanced. The objects nailed to the railings turned out to be the “oddly-formed metal shapes” retrieved from the ghost ship. At the nexus of the gold wire (which they had also taken from the ghost ship) there was a chair. And Shu Yin asked Bangqiu to please sit in the chair so that he could demonstrate the ship’s new capacity. Bangqiu refused. Hyamsam expressed interest, but the others restrained him. Sharp words were exchanged and at last Shu Yin retreated to his cabin.

Bayan, Bangqiu, Bo Jing, and Hyamsam began asking questions of the sohei on deck, most of whom seemed to be preparing the Binggongchang to set sail, with some conducting both typical nautical duties like checking lines while others polished the strange metal instruments or plucked at the gold wires. Those who could be exchanged in conversation said contradictory things, especially when it came to explaining Mai-Thi’s disappearance.

At some point, a group of shei went to the captain’s cabin and knocked on the door. Not long after, a figure emerged, dressed in a monk’s robes, but with his face wrapped in bandages, just like the captain of the ghost ship. By his bearing and at last his voice, they knew they were dealing with a familiar adversary. And he was accompanied by eight more just like him. In a strange chorus, they commanded Hyamsam to sit in the chair at the center of the wires. Hyamsam refused. Bangqiu wanted to know what would happen.

“We will sail to the stars.”

Bayan refused to discuss the matter further. She attacked with her katana and was joined by Kafka, Rhialle, and several of the sohei, who seemed to have been waiting for just this opportunity. The blind man’s many doubles proved to be illusions, but he showed himself to be a formidable opponent in his own right. His frightful voice struck several party members into paralysis—Bo Jing, Bangqiu, Bayan, and Shoji were unable to move. Most of the sohei found themselves too frightened by the blind man’s presence to attack him directly, but could only attack his illusions. He focused his magic on the party’s most powerful henchmen—Kafka, Sing-ha, Rhialle, and Damai were all overcome by powerful illusions. The blindman continued to plead with Hyamsam to try sitting in the chair, even as Hyamsam blasted him with missiles.

Bangqiu silently called upon Sarandon for help again, and help appeared in a pillar of flame. Bangqiu and the others were freed from their curses. The blindman fled to the Captain’s cabin. Damai and Bangqiu chased after him. While Damai battered the door down, Banqiu prepared a spell. As the door burst open, Banqiu saw the blindman standing with one foot out the cabin window. Not giving him a change to speak, Bangqiu blasted him with magic missiles. He burst into flame; the bandages burned away revealing a gleaming white skull. In an instant, there was nothing left of him. Saradin warned his friends that their enemy stored its soul in a magical box and that the blindman would likely return.

The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (collab with Rainbow Monkey Sock)

What happened inside the pyramid?

Bo Jing remembers it this way . . .

I Bo Jing was on the ship seeking adventure and new trade routes that would benefit my family.  I found many adventures, but as we reached Maztica, I wondered what new goods I would find. .But I really wanted adventure.

Inside the pyramid, I had many adventures.

There was a huge boulder that turned out to be a giant crab.  I leaped on top of it, drawing my fiery sword and with a great shout and a mighty blow, cleaved its shell in half and killed the monster.

Approaching another room, we heard singing.  We put wax in our ears to thwart any magical charm.  There was a woman swimming in a pool. I did my best to ignore her, telling myself she was an ugly siren, like a tadpole without a tail.  I knew that she wasn't really beautiful but just looked that way because of magic.

In another part of the pyramid, Bayan and I  got trapped behind iron bars that fell from the ceiling.  My friends noticed a painting of a sun and Shoji pressed it.  The bars opened and a secret passage was revealed behind the sun.

In that hall, there were four animal heads, one an eagle with a shiny thing in its beak.  When Kafka tried to get the shiny thing, the eagle's mouth shut and hurt him. Bayan unlocked the eagle's mouth with a tickle on the chin.

Continuing to explore the pyramid, we were alarmed when suddenly two iron doors slammed in front of us and behind us and sand began filling up the little space we had.  Singh got his axe and kept battering the door then he gave me the axe and I screamed my battle cry and smashed it down.

We came upon a room filled with giant beetles.  Bangqiu was a  coward. He floated up to scare the beetles and climb the mountain of trash and then he grabbed a shiny knife from inside the stinking pile of beetle excrement.


After the ball game (a tale for another day) my cowardly friend Bangqiu called out for help from Sardan. We got out of a hole in the roof that sardan made.

Play Report: The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan

Sometimes I write reviews of adventures that are five years old.  Sometimes I write reviews of reviews that are 5 years old.  In this case, Dungeon of Signs, reviewing The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan.  I'm doing this because I don't have much to add to what Mr. Lux wrote, except that I won't follow him to his bizarre conclusion that this is a really good module, but not good enough to play.  Because I did run the adventure, I have access to some additional insights, that I offer as tips on how to run the adventure.

As Lux notes, this one is hard to drop into a campaign, and I can't imagine re-skinning its Meso-American setting.  Its far from "accurate."  Mayan and Aztec pyramids were places for sacrifices, not burials, and didn't have much of an inside.  The Nereid (beautiful naked temptress) is from Greek mythology and feels really foreign to the Meso-American view of life as pain without pretense.  Despite this, the illustration booklet is very important to the adventure and everything in it looks Aztec  (or Chinese-- but only slightly and it's just one room.)  For me, the setting was easy.  My players wanted to leave their faux-Asian homeland to sail across an open ocean and discover a new world.

The illustration booklet is great and essential.  I very much agree with Lux that rather than try to describe the various trap-ridden rooms, it's great to have a picture to pass around.  My copy had no map booklet, but it's easy to find the illustrations online.

In the 70s, everything was foreign and foreign was always a license to weird.  Unlike Maztica, which tries, oh so earnestly tries, to respect other cultures (and makes them all sound like hippies), this module's authors have no embarrassment about their ignorance and rely on their imaginations to fill in the gaps.  Again, the Nereid makes no sense but provided a lot of laughs, even though none of the PCs wanted to play the straight man and instead went to great lengths to avoid looking at the cavorting nymph. (Shoji revealed that he was asexual.)

The monsters are good, though as Lux notes, PC will easily miss the most interesting ones. This could be fixed by coming up with a quest to retrieve a particular object rather than simply escape the pyramid.  He's also correct that all the monsters all seem attack-oriented.  (Except the Nereid, I keep coming back to the Nereid.)  I'm not sure this is a problem worth fixing.  The rooms are self-contained and the residents are so alien that it's believable that they wouldn't have knowledge or interest in other parts of the dungeon.  And the aggressiveness kind of fits with Aztec views of the world.  On another note, the monsters, while individually tough, are not numerous.  My party of 10 (PCs and henchman) was probably too large.

Lux disapproves of the poison gas, but it worked well for me.  We have limited time IRL so it was good to have an in-game reason for haste.  I didn't track the time closely, but the players had a sense of urgency about them. And they could not take a brute force approach to every problem ("Everyone stands guard and I individually press each block on the south wall.  Ok, now the west wall.  Ok, let's rest and heal and re-learn spells.") Lux is correct that this feeling of haste creates tension with all the weird objects begging for attention, but I think this helps preserve the wonder.  My PCs know they missed some things and are talking about going back.

Lux is correct about the clunky text and clunkier special mechanics.  I don't agree, however, that this necessitates hours of preparation.  Because the rooms are self-contained and because the residents are combat-oriented, you don't need to think too much about how it all fits together.  The adventure kind of runs itself so you can just pause and skim each room while your players look at the illustration.

Here's what I would do to prepare:

1. Look at the map.  Starting with a cave-in that lands the PCs in room 1 works well and the gas extends through to room 39.  Like Google maps, there are three routes that lead to the same destination.  The routes cross over each other, so there are probably 7 or 8 combinations that will get PCs through the maze.
2. Think about whether you want to move the cover star to a different room where the PCs are more likely to meet him.  Or if he has something that will cause them to seek him out.
3. Be ready to wing it on things like drowning or dodging boulders.  The mechanics are complicated and inconsistent and rather than study them it might make sense to use saving throws.  As with the poison gas, the threat of sand filling up a closed room is scary.  But the in-play emphasis should be on the atmosphere rather than the mechanics.  Rolling dice doesn't really enhance the suspense. 

Over the Waves Part 10 (Landfall)

And so the Binggongchang left the Island of Wisdom and after another day of smooth sailing reached a suitable place to land.  Bangqiu dropped anchor about one hundred yards off shore and the boat was lowered.  All passengers and sailors were ferried to shore, just to give everyone a chance to walk on dry land after their many weeks at sea. 

The landing place was a narrow beach surrounded by marshes and jungle.  Rhialle recognized a mountain range further inland and Bagqiu concluded that he had made good use of Sakatha's ring.  The sailors and sohei returned to the ship while Bangqiu organized an exploration party that would travel inland to find Rhialle's settlement.  Kafka argued that he should remain with the ship to maintain order among the sohei and sailors.  But Bangqiu insisted that he would need his help in this strange new land.  Kafka relented and placed Mai-Thi in charge.

Thus, the exploration party comprised:
Bangqiu, with Kafka, Damai, and Rhialle
Bo-Jing
Shoji and his bodyguard Singha
Bayan and her adviser Minh
Hyamsam

The Lucky Ten camped on the beach and then set off into the jungle the next morning.  By midday, they came upon a human settlement, one where the people spoke the same language as Rhialle.  They did not know him, but they knew the way to his home.

A few more days of travel brought them to the village of Tamoachitz.  Here Rhialle was recognized and the party was welcomed and honored-- but not in a manner that they recognized as friendly.  After a few nights, Rhialle heard the shrill piping that he recognized as the prelude to a special sacrifice.  He thanked Bangqiu for bringing him home and urged him to flee with his friends. Bangqiu agreed that he did not wish to be sacrificed but convinced Rhialle that he was ready to explore other paths to enlightenment.  And so the Lucky Ten left Tamoachitz in the middle of the night, setting up across the surrounding jungle.

A full moon guided their path, and they made their way toward a light that glowed in the trees.  This turned out to be the ruins of a towering pyramid.  They slept on the white stones of the deserted city.  In the morning, while planning their next move, the explorers heard the noise of the pursuers.  In controlled panic, they ran toward the pyramid.  Then the earth shuddered and gaped open beneath the party's feet.  They fell amidst a roar of collapsing masonry.  Dust filled the air and the sunlight disappeared as the darkness swallowed the,. 

Over the Waves Part 9 (The Island of Wisdom)

Morning showed no obvious place to seek harbor.  Binggongchang skirted beneath the rocky cliffs of the new continent, close enough to enjoy fragrant breezes but without finding a place to put the boat ashore.  After a few hours, the tantalizing cruise seemed to offer something better-- a verdant island with a deepwater harbor with a channel that was navigable into its interior-- a huge flooded cave. 

Shoji and Bo Jing who had improved on their rudimentary knowledge of sailing during the course of the voyage were able to bring the Binggongchang to a natural dock.  Artful placement of the gangplank allowed the passengers to walk down to a gravel beach without getting their feet wet.  The dripping water sounded like music.  Or maybe that was music, even singing.

Was this Party Island at last?

No,  it was her older, wiser older sister.  About half the sailors refused to get off the ship.

The leaders of the expedition, however, were intrigued and after disembarking made their way eagerly toward a gentle light.  They met a man there who introduced himself as Saridan and invited them to join him in meditation. 

Weeks passed.  Those who weren't familiar with seaweed salad learned to love it.

And then it was time for The Tests.

Hyamsam was brought into a small room and told to sit at a table and watch a rock until it jumped.  It seemed boring and pointless but (with some meta-game encouragement from White Bear) he persisted.  Saridan reward him with this lesson-- moderation in all things including patience, especially when someone asks you to wait for a rock to jump.

Shoji was brought a shrine dedicated to The Path of the Red Mountain and invited to re-dedicate it to his own School.  Although he found the practitioners of The Path of the Red Mountain to be insufferable busybodies, he allowed that their beliefs affirmed goodness in thought, word, and action, and that he refused to treat his faith as a tribal affinity.  He declined to disturb the rival shrine.  Saridan congratulated him.

Next, Saridan invited Bo Jing into a cave lined with swords and asked him a provoking question.  "What would you do if I tried to kill you?"  Bo Jing laughed off the piece of hypothetical sophistry.  When Saridan picked upa fiery sword, Bo Jing drew his katana and fended off a flurry of attacks without seeking to strike Saridan.  Saridan congratulated Bo Jing on his ability to defend himself without excessive force and gifted him with the fiery sword.

Finally, Saridan led Bangqiu and Bayan to a cave with a seemingly bottomless pit in the center.  He told them that they would be leaving the island soon but that he would answer a call for help if they were willing to sacrifice their most valuable possession.  After some debate between the two of them Bayan cast her magical sword-- a gift from her mentor Beatriss-- into the pit.  Bangqiu, reasoning that even though he didn't see much use in the Blood Gem Crucible, he had fought a dragon to get it and assassins to keep it, and thus it was, objectively, the most valuable.  He cast it away with little reluctance.  Saridan scolded them for their lack of confidence in their own abilities but promised that he would honor his promise.

Shoji and Bo Jing were each presented with an additional gift, a glowing pearl, that when dissolved in saltwater, resulted in a bubbling ruby-red drink that was sweeter than honey.

Everyone else-- except those sailors who had refused to leave the ship-- got a vial of holy water.