Completed [Play-by-Post] Magic World/BRP: "In Search of the Sorcerer"

[nikolokolus]

Without much fanfare, Rhenmyr and Marcán carefully bring out Cormac's badly burned corpse and lay it carefully outside the shrine of Cailleach Bheur. Ríona comes outside with two young girls wearing simple white smocks. She is stripped to the waist, with intricate patterns of blue woad painted on her naked body. Atop her head is an antlered headdress and she bears a short wooden staff engraved with notches and slashes -- some sort of Pictish Runes. The two girls bear Cormac's body on to a litter and bear his body back inside. Ríona indicates that she will be preparing his body for its final rest and that his kin and friends should come outside the village walls to a rocky cairn just south of the wall on a narrow promontory; both Cormac and Ker will be cremated at sundown according to the customs of the Dardanii Picts.

(Assuming you all wait that long and want to go to the funeral).

Just as she promised, the bodies of your two fallen comrades are borne to the cairn by eight warriors of the village on large oval shields. King Segovax and several dozen villagers have come to pay their proper respects. Cormac and Ker's brows are wreathed with garlands of oak, and wrapped in tight-fitting white robes. And they are laid atop individual pyres. A few words are spoken by Ríona asking the Mother Cailleach and the Father Cernunoss to bear their spirits to Arawn and Otherworld. Ewers of oil are poured over their bodies, and the Druness steps forward and holds a torch to each and flames instantly flare to life. The ceremony is simple and solemn, ending with little fanfare and few words. Most of the Dardanii give terse nods and begin walking back to the village, leaving you to your grief. As the last of them leave, Ríona walks up and speaks, "I'm sorry for your loss, Hopefully their spirits find their way and rejoin the great wheel in due course. I'll offer one last warning before you depart. If you really are intent on squeezing Solon, be careful that you don't take your eyes off of him for a second. He was allowed to live here for the last dozen years because of a prior arrangement with my predecessor and he was well-liked by Segovax for some reason. He's always been a furtive sort, and I suspect he harbors many secrets. Perhaps this Ghul fellow is part of it?"

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Spoiler

Wow, that was a lot of action and I didn't receive a single update!

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Wow, that was a lot of action and I didn't receive a single update!

Spoiler

It does that to me intermittently. I usually unsubscribe and re-subscribe to the thread, which seems to work (I guess?)

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Spoiler

Wow, that was a lot of action and I didn't receive a single update!

Spoiler

It does that to me intermittently. I usually unsubscribe and re-subscribe to the thread, which seems to work (I guess?)

Spoiler

I do the same. I wish they could figure out how to fox that problem. Luckily Amon is just busy sitting around outside of town.

 

[Grimgravy]

Assuming there is time between delivering the body and the funeral, Rhenmyr will use some of Cormac's funds to prep for the funeral: getting something to eat and buying some whisky (the best the town has to offer) to pass around the bonfire. Restocking supplies is also a priority.

Rhenmyr attends the funeral. "Thank you for your kindness and your warning, Madam. I don't doubt that Ghul is at the heart of matters. But for all the talk of demons I didn't see one at his tower. Is Ghul a villain? A victim? Both? I don't know. I do know he didn't mention Solon, and that worries me." When the druness departs Rhenmyr raises the whisky in toast. "To Ker our fire-bearer and Cormac our grumbling priest. They were boon companions and will be missed! May we meet them again in the afterlife. Later, rather than sooner. I'm sure they will have a warm fire and a stiff drink ready for us!" His piece said, Rhenmyr takes a swig and passes the bottle to Marcan and any of the others in attendance.

 

[Wayward Son]

Mab shares in the toast and takes a full swig.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric takes a swig and adds his own toast, "May the firebug find joy torching the evil spirits of the nethers. May the cleric find the rest and comfort he always wanted, with a warm bed and a cool drink."

 

[Siveon]

Marcán gulps a good portion of the whiskey. "To the pain in the ass Ker Gwez, who was with me from the beginning. I couldn't ask for a better friend, who kept me humble in my teachings, who stuck around for the good times and the bad. To the pious Cormac Macc Fionghall, whose bravery and comraderie I'll never forget, I'm glad to have called you my kin. To my fallen brothers, I'll sing songs of your story in the campfires of Kaer Eanyn 'til the ends of my days. Let all the Kelts and all the world remember your name. I could only hope we'll have the honor of seeing you two again."

Marcán sings a Keltic hymn, one that he scarcely remembers, but sings it all the same.

 

[L'ennui]

Urash, come to join his comrades, takes a swig and winces.

"May Shamash brighten your path through the seven gates of the Great City of the Dead, and may the Arallu who wait for you there prepare a feast worthy of heroes for your arrival. I, Urash of Kor, will make offerings in your name whenever my travels allow for it. Your spirits shall go neither hungry or thirsty whilst I draw breath. I do so solemnly swear, Nergal smite me if I lie!"

Urash takes a final swig, spits into the flames to share some of the liquor with the dead and sits down, passing the whiskey along.

Spoiler

I suppose Solon is knocked out and/or tied up somewhere whilst this is going on?

 

[nikolokolus]

Urash, come to join his comrades, takes a swig and winces.

"May Shamash brighten your path through the seven gates of the Great City of the Dead, and may the Arallu who wait for you there prepare a feast worthy of heroes for your arrival. I, Urash of Kor, will make offerings in your name whenever my travels allow for it. Your spirits shall go neither hungry or thirsty whilst I draw breath. I do so solemnly swear, Nergal smite me if I lie!"

Urash takes a final swig, spits into the flames to share some of the liquor with the dead and sits down, passing the whiskey along.

Spoiler

I suppose Solon is knocked out and/or tied up somewhere whilst this is going on?

Spoiler

He's wherever you say he is.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Urash, come to join his comrades, takes a swig and winces.

"May Shamash brighten your path through the seven gates of the Great City of the Dead, and may the Arallu who wait for you there prepare a feast worthy of heroes for your arrival. I, Urash of Kor, will make offerings in your name whenever my travels allow for it. Your spirits shall go neither hungry or thirsty whilst I draw breath. I do so solemnly swear, Nergal smite me if I lie!"

Urash takes a final swig, spits into the flames to share some of the liquor with the dead and sits down, passing the whiskey along.

Spoiler

I suppose Solon is knocked out and/or tied up somewhere whilst this is going on?

Spoiler

He's wherever you say he is.

Spoiler

Well then, he's drinking with us because he's afraid of being left alone. Right now he's singing "Ode to the Sharp-tongued wench of the woods" at an annoying falsetto.

 

[L'ennui]

Spoiler

I think he was under a very serious death threat if he returned to the village! We could say we left him with Amon and knocked him out for a while. I imagine Borric would have been happy to oblige.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

I think he was under a very serious death threat if he returned to the village! We could say we left him with Amon and knocked him out for a while. I imagine Borric would have been happy to oblige.

Spoiler

Works for me. I'll guard him with Amon while you lot scour his place for anything we'll need to take.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Spoiler

If he is hanging out with Amon, then it will be question and answer time!

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Amon takes Solon to an area out of sight of the town walls and sits Solon down in the dirt. He leaves his Solon's gag on and leaves him bound. Amon pulls out a small chunk of dried meat and begins to gnaw at it as he sits about 5-6ft away and to the side of Solon. He pulls out the drawing of the glyphs he found on Solon's tower and studies them as he continues to rip parts of the dried meat with his teeth and chews loudly. After finishing his piece of meat, he dusts his hands off, stands up and walks over to Solon. He rips the gag off of Solon. "So, Solon. Looks like your continued existence relies on your usefulness to me and the rest of the group. Why don't we start off with a few questions and answers. First off, why don't you explain how you came to live in this town and what was your purpose for staying?"

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

For simplicity's sake is everybody OK with this happening in the presence of the entire group? If not, then I'll handle it through a PM with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and ERYFKRAD

 

[L'ennui]

Spoiler

I don't mind either way!

 

[nikolokolus]

As the funeral pyres burn low, the troupe makes their way out of the village gates in the late afternoon. The sky is clear and bright, except for the northwest where a line of grey clouds extends across the horizon beyond the river. Amon is standing over Solon in a menacing and unfriendly manner and the fat sorcerer is cowering.

When Solon's gag is removed he is bawling and crying, begging not to be tortured, "Please don't hurt me! I promise, I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I was left here by Ghul, I swear it. I don't know what he gave Segovax, but he exchanged something of value on condition I be allowed to remain in the tower and conduct my . . . 'observations' unimpeded. I was to keep tabs on Ghul's former mistress Aprhodisias after he wiped her mind and gave her a new identity as well as keep hidden and safe a phial of a certain elixir that holds the secret of his vitality; he didn't feel it was safe in Odessos any longer and hatched an elaborate ruse to keep the ambitions of a former apprentice and rival sorcerer in check. A certain Abazion of Commorium." He looks pleadingly up at Amon, "I swear I'm telling you the truth, please don't kill me, I can help you. I know where the elixir has gotten to . . . or at least I did!"

 

[Wayward Son]

"Well Solon, tell us where they were."

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"Stop your blubbering. You were quick to turn people to stone and burn another to cinders without a hint of remorse. What makes you think we should have remorse for the likes of you? Enough of that. Time to answer more questions. Who is this Aphrodisias, Ghul's mistress and where does she reside? Does she have the vial? Where is the Al-Hakim text?"

 

[nikolokolus]

Solon nervously licks his lips, "She's a sorceress of middling talent, but was plotting against our lord, filling his head with lies and tried to weaken the master by dissuading him from his chosen course. I think he didn't have the heart to slay her, so he spared her, but took part of her mind so she wouldn't be a threat. She's a scant fifteen or twenty leagues from here (as the crow flies) in a village called Crannógmere. I've had a long-standing association with a man there, a hunter called Uvan, to keep an eye on her." His expression becomes a bit more despairing, "As for the phial, of course she doesn't have it. It was stolen from me along with the book some months ago. I summoned a sandestin and learned that the villain was a hobgoblin called Moledold; he slipped back across the veil before the conjunction ended." His face turns hopeful and his eyes light up, "But as the fates would have it, Phobos and Selene are entering phase again! Naught but four days from now Selene will be new and the hidden moon Phobos will pass over her. If someone were to cross the Bridge of Mists at dusk and act quickly . . . well perhaps, Moledold could be brought to heel and my master's property returned to me for safe-keeping?!"

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"If we cross the veil, how long do we have there? What might we find? Where can we find the bridge?"

 

[nikolokolus]

"The bridge? no more than a couple of leagues north of here."

"As to what you will find . . . I confess, that what I know is mostly conjecture or based on antiquated and somewhat dubious tales and I'm afraid that I cannot speak authoritatively to its veracity, but if the accounts are true the twilight realms of Annwn likely lay beyond. According to the memoir of Breyir 'Black-toe', an Illyrian explorer of note who died over 300 years ago, he claimed to have crossed the very same bridge that lays near this village, recounting of a heavy mist and mighty fortress of gray stone, with a gray lord of goatish mien. I fear the rest of his tale becomes quite fanciful and is difficult to give any credence -- rivers of wine, nubile sylphs, and the Keltic god of the dead Arawn himself figures into it. But I know my calculations are correct; A conjunction of spheres is at hand and the way will be open. If you will risk it and hunt down the obstreperous Moledold and recover the book and phial, I swear I will reward you handsomely and perhaps we can put all of this misunderstanding behind us?"

Solon's face is pleading and pitiful. He wipes his tear-stained cheeks on the back of his blue sleeve and unceremoniously blows his nose on the back of his hand.

 

[Grimgravy]

'How very convenient. We need only wait 4 days for a conjunction. Describe this hobgoblin."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

What's the roll I gotta make to know if I can trust Solon, to sense he is telling the truth? Insight? Perception? Instinct?

"In your dealings with people, have you met another Man-of-kor such as this one?" Borric gestures at Urash, "Only the one I speak of was not of scholarly dignity, but more given to skulking in the shadows."