Game Log 25

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"The plank!" A long board mystically extended from the boat to the ground and the heroes climbed up after a nod from Mankar. Besides the old woman, there was a fussy looking captain, a sinister-looking man and four crewman that lacked mouths entirely. "I am Merlinda the Wise and these are Hercule and Henrik. I will tell you the Story, show you the Path and provide Aid that you may know Orlanth the Martyr! In return, I merely ask help with a minor matter. As I'm not a follower of Orlanth, I can't walk it myself but you all are more than capable."

Mantis, always looking out for trouble, asked, "What is this minor thing you speak of?"

"During your quest, if you encounter a magic bowl, just bring it to me. That is all."

"What if it's something we need?"

She waved off his objections. "Properly completed, copies will be available. I just want one!" She pulled out a string of beads. They looked like truly massive pearls and glowed dimly even in the light. "But you must swear an oath and take a geas that you will give me the bowl and not just abuse my good graces!"

Unprompted, Aud immediately grabbed the necklace and swore the oath. A bit surprised, Mankar took the necklace next and stared at it. About half the beads had the faces of people on them, including one for Aud. Except for her, however, the faces were quite unhappy. A few of the beads look darkened and cracked and were without luster. Lacking a better option, they swore their various oaths and sat down to listed to Merlinda's tale.

"Hmm. So the tale of Orlanth the Martyr..." In the GodTime Orlanth desired a place for his kin the Lower Air but the skies there were ruled by dragons. Orlanth and Heller challenged a big dragon and Orlanth stabbed it in the forehead, killing it. In its death throes, though, it swiped Orlanth with a poisoned claw and he fell to earth. Dead, but not yet in Hel, Chalana Arroy saved him with an Unbeatable Word and a mystic bowl.

"This bowl is what I want you to recover. In all this second age, there is nothing I desire more!" She smiled in a frighteningly desirous fashion. "In addition to the copy of the bowl you'll need and receive, you may keep anything else you encounter. In fact, there is an artifact on the river that you can enhance to help you gather followers."

Seeing no real problems (and also bound by the geas), the heroes raised no objections as the airship sailed onward.

Before nightfall, they arrived at a magnificent structure... a huge metropolis all in one piece surrounded by a wall greater than many mountains!

The captain grunted. "The City of Wonders. Look at it well! There has been such a sight in all the world and there never will be its equal no matter what the age."

A massive green metal man patrolling the walls looked at them with glowing eyes. They felt its gaze pierce them, pause, and then move on. A moment later, a person shot over the walls, heavily damaged but determined. The metal man's eyes flash red and the invader exploded in a sphere of heat and ash in an instant!

Merlinda barely bothered to note the scene. "Having one's papers in order is important, after all."

The captain guided them to a certain store in, perhaps, the lesser section of the city. All might be wondrous but there were still comparisons to be made! The sign was in a foreign language that Astra examined for a few moments and then finally mumbled, "Cut Rate Shop, hmmm."

Merlinda dropped them off and her ship vanished into a pouch on her waist. "Henrik will guide you to your lodgings after you're done here. Select whatever you need from this store."

Mankar nodded positively. "We will, have no fear!"

She paused and then left with a proud gait.

Henrik scowled. "I'll be back in an hour. Be done by then." He turned on his heel and walked in a different direction from Merlinda.

Mantis rubbed his hands together. "Let's see what this shop has to offer! At the very least, suitable clothing for this time and place."

What they saw was well beyond any expectations!

The "Cut Rate Shop" might have items that were rejected by 95% of the inhabitants of the city, but would cause death duels from their own homeland! Mankar grumbled, "Ballocks. One would think going back in time would give one the advantage in knowledge or equipment. Quite the opposite!" He rubbed his chin. "Merlinda obviously means to use us as cheap labor and discard us afterwards. Get whatever you want here and be shameless about it! She has great wealth and no amount of cut rate items will affect that!"

Aud protested. "I don't her intentions are that bad! She'll get what she wants and we get what we want, right?"

"Yes, yes, love, you are correct. Now go pick out everything you need!"

Feeling more like looting than shopping, they gathered many, many items and put it on Merlinda's account. They went so far as to customer order special boots, clothes and other items! Meanwhile, Mankar also gathered up barrels of cast off weapons, food, armor and the like. Nearly worthless in the city, but each was useful and worthwhile to those who lived elsewhere. All the purchases excepting what they equipped immediately when into the magic saddlebag as if they had never existed.

As threatened, Henrik arrived punctually. Not seeing the heroes festooned with new items, he looked a bit surprised but merely snorted.

The shopkeeper said hesitantly. "The bill goes to Lady Merlinda's account, then?"

"Of course! Now, let's be off!"

A short walk away was the self-titled "Nice Hotel". Mankar looked around at the sturdy wall, the large courtyard occupied by tribesmen much like themselves, and the presence of cooking pits. He raised an eyebrow. "This is a barbarian storage area, isn't it?"

Mantis nodded. "Apparently they want... outsiders... to be comfortable. Still, if there are baths, I consider this to be our luck! Please watch my body, I'm going to explore." Without further word, he sunk cross-legged to the ground and closed his eyes.

Ryala piped in. "I like it!"

Amongst the others was a group of adventurers (four men and a woman), a shifty man seated well away from everyone and an issaries trader that stared at the fire mumbling to himself. The trader's voice became clearer as they got closer. "The Improvemen are wise. The Improvemen are right. The Improvemen are the proper path." He caught sight of the newcomers and said intently. "The Improvem are wonderful!"

The others tried not to sit immediately next to him.

After introductions, Mantis returned surprisingly quickly. Astra asked, "What news of the spirit world?"

"No news and, by that, I mean no spirits! Or hardly any. There are a few scattered and scared wisps and I think it has something to do with powerful engines at the heart of the city. They send lines of power throughout the structure and to that green man we saw. But it seems to eat and process spirits like some great machine!" He looked pensive. "In just that short time, I felt a pull on my own soul drawing me toward its fiery core."

Aud patted his arm. "Best be safe. No need to risk life and afterlife!"

The next day, Merlinda arrived and escorted onto her ship. Before she could leave, a messenger handed her a note. She glanced at and was about to discard it but then took a closer look. "How much?!"

Rather than answering, the heroes quickly board the ship.

Again composed, Merlinda said, "Henrik will be meeting us at the observation post. From there you can go and retrieve the bowl and do whatever else you see fit. Remember! You can reap all the rewards but the bowl is mine!" She gave Astra a whistle and Aud a symbol. "You can summon me with these once you have it and need transport. Do NOT use it for anything else. We should be at the secret base shortly."

What awaited there was outside all their expectations!

Bodies, human and animal were everywhere... all slaughtered. Aud turned pale but quickly checked all out but couldn't find a trace of life in any. "All dead," she said sadly. "And not long, either."

Mantis came out of a trance where he had been communing with the spirits. "They saw the culprit. He went to the river after doing all this." he said dolefully.

Mankar grimaced. "Who did this? Did you get a description?"

"More than that. We know the person... it was Henrik!"