Post by David on Aug 13, 2012 20:46:32 GMT -5
After falling through the gate into the warm shallow sea of a tropical world with a more aqua-colored sky, Hagar and Urthur rescue Galen, Ulfrick, and Aiden from the water. The first three men are naked, save for Urthur and Galen's swords and the pack Demeter tossed through the gate, which actually helps, given that Hagar and Urthur are still drained of vitality from their earlier battle. The two save first Ulfrick and Aiden, trusting to Galen's level head and psi-enhanced strength. The five finally make the beach where they collapse and Ulfrick uses his rune casting ability to carve a number of limb runes for healing.
In the afternoon, as Hagar and the others begin to become sunburned, the heroes enter the jungle for cover, seeking the smoke fires the spied from the beach. En route, the heroes find a large collection of giant hamsters. They kill six, skinning the soft fur and roasting the meat before bedding down for the night. No moon ever rises and the sky is densely filled with stars and a very remarkable Milky Way.
In the morning, the heroes continue, quickly battling and slaying a giant spider that bit Galen. By the afternoon, the heroes have arrived at a simple tribal village, but are attacked by a horde of skeletons. They do okay, but the undead are soon joined by zombies. Aiden signals to watching dark-skin, scantily-clad natives and one older woman with blonde-ish frizzy hair and pale blue eyes calls the undead off, although warriors overpower the bulk of the party instead. A sleep takes out Urthur.
The group awakens on a structure much like a pyramid with the top lopped off. The older blonde woman casts a spell and can suddenly understand the party. With some pantomime, the villagers determine the heroes are not hostile. They villagers insist the heroes atone for "slaying" their honored ancestral guardians and Urthur learns that the chieftaness, for the tribes are matriarchal, can speak some limited lizard man.
The heroes spend two days in town resting and recovering, learning about the area and customs, and making friends with a novice shaman, Rongo. The four clan-leaders, men who lead in times of war, wish to test the group and have them make amends. Rongo of the Sea Turtle clan joins the group to observe them, as do representatives from the Tiger, Hawk, and Elk clans.
The first day out, late in the afternoon, the group encounters eight lizard men. They quickly slay three and then two more, driving off the last three. In the fight, the female warrior from the Tiger clan who the party called "Holly" for Halia (In Loving Memory) did quite well, although her Elk and Hawk companions did not. The heroes slept in town and tried to return in the morning...only to run into a pair of giant scorpions!
The scorpions proved to be fantastically dangerous to the heroes, stinging nearly every save Aiden and Rongo, the healers. It was only with much luck, quite a bit of medicine herbs, and some herbal remedies that some survived. A couple members ran back to the village for help from the main shaman, who saved everyone else's life. The heroes spent another night in the community, but had gained the respect of all four clans.
The following morning, the group headed back to the lizard man lair. Before they arrived, they were ambushed by six creatures. The heroes did okay, but seven more arrived, largely turning the tables. One after another of the heroes fell to sharp claws and terrible snapping jaws. Hagar transformed into boar-form, but was quickly taken down. Rongo and "Will" aka Weelee of the Hawk clan fled one way while Urthur and Ulfrick fled in the other. Meanwhile, lizard men carried off the fallen bodies of the rest. Urthur circled back and with Rongo's help, saved Hagar, Ulfrick, and Holly/Halia. The lizard-hunter insisted in finding and saving his friend, Galen, however and lured out three lizard men, leading them on a chase, and killing each in turn.
Urthur then returned to Rongo, who was guarding the unconscious and near-dead party. The shaman healed the hunter and together they entered the lizard man lair and tracked down the bodies of their friends as well as locating the egg-chamber of the creatures. In the room were two lizard men, who Urthur and Rongo slew, as well as two more who joined later. The shaman stabilized both the jedi and the priest and then Urthur carried each in turn out into the jungle.
After an hour, Ulfrick came conscious and used his rune-casting to carve multiple limb runes and save the rest of his allies. Unfortunately, as a result of the severity of their wounds, several heroes are no longer in perfect fighting shape.
Galen has developed a permanent limp, losing 1/4 of his dexterity and move in combat situations involving body movement. Hagar has many broken ribs, similar limiting his movement and dexterity as well as giving him a -2 to hit, although with time, this wound might go away completely. Aiden is suffering from organ and/or spinal damage, also losing 1/4 of his dexterity as well as suffering a -1 to hit. His long-term prognosis is unknown. But everyone except for the Elk-clan observer lived...!
Back in the village of Usi, the heroes are welcomed and Will/Weelee is scolded for abandoning this allies. Holly/Halia speaks up for the group and her Tiger clan welcomes them, as do Rongo's Turtle Clan and the Elk Clan. The older blonde woman, Mahina, the Zombie Mistress and Witch Doctor of Usi, agrees with the village shaman that the heroes have shown great promise. Their their backing, the Chieftaness, Ja-Kai, offers the group the temporary use of the hut of the fallen Elk-warrior to rest in overnight.
In the afternoon, as Hagar and the others begin to become sunburned, the heroes enter the jungle for cover, seeking the smoke fires the spied from the beach. En route, the heroes find a large collection of giant hamsters. They kill six, skinning the soft fur and roasting the meat before bedding down for the night. No moon ever rises and the sky is densely filled with stars and a very remarkable Milky Way.
In the morning, the heroes continue, quickly battling and slaying a giant spider that bit Galen. By the afternoon, the heroes have arrived at a simple tribal village, but are attacked by a horde of skeletons. They do okay, but the undead are soon joined by zombies. Aiden signals to watching dark-skin, scantily-clad natives and one older woman with blonde-ish frizzy hair and pale blue eyes calls the undead off, although warriors overpower the bulk of the party instead. A sleep takes out Urthur.
The group awakens on a structure much like a pyramid with the top lopped off. The older blonde woman casts a spell and can suddenly understand the party. With some pantomime, the villagers determine the heroes are not hostile. They villagers insist the heroes atone for "slaying" their honored ancestral guardians and Urthur learns that the chieftaness, for the tribes are matriarchal, can speak some limited lizard man.
The heroes spend two days in town resting and recovering, learning about the area and customs, and making friends with a novice shaman, Rongo. The four clan-leaders, men who lead in times of war, wish to test the group and have them make amends. Rongo of the Sea Turtle clan joins the group to observe them, as do representatives from the Tiger, Hawk, and Elk clans.
The first day out, late in the afternoon, the group encounters eight lizard men. They quickly slay three and then two more, driving off the last three. In the fight, the female warrior from the Tiger clan who the party called "Holly" for Halia (In Loving Memory) did quite well, although her Elk and Hawk companions did not. The heroes slept in town and tried to return in the morning...only to run into a pair of giant scorpions!
The scorpions proved to be fantastically dangerous to the heroes, stinging nearly every save Aiden and Rongo, the healers. It was only with much luck, quite a bit of medicine herbs, and some herbal remedies that some survived. A couple members ran back to the village for help from the main shaman, who saved everyone else's life. The heroes spent another night in the community, but had gained the respect of all four clans.
The following morning, the group headed back to the lizard man lair. Before they arrived, they were ambushed by six creatures. The heroes did okay, but seven more arrived, largely turning the tables. One after another of the heroes fell to sharp claws and terrible snapping jaws. Hagar transformed into boar-form, but was quickly taken down. Rongo and "Will" aka Weelee of the Hawk clan fled one way while Urthur and Ulfrick fled in the other. Meanwhile, lizard men carried off the fallen bodies of the rest. Urthur circled back and with Rongo's help, saved Hagar, Ulfrick, and Holly/Halia. The lizard-hunter insisted in finding and saving his friend, Galen, however and lured out three lizard men, leading them on a chase, and killing each in turn.
Urthur then returned to Rongo, who was guarding the unconscious and near-dead party. The shaman healed the hunter and together they entered the lizard man lair and tracked down the bodies of their friends as well as locating the egg-chamber of the creatures. In the room were two lizard men, who Urthur and Rongo slew, as well as two more who joined later. The shaman stabilized both the jedi and the priest and then Urthur carried each in turn out into the jungle.
After an hour, Ulfrick came conscious and used his rune-casting to carve multiple limb runes and save the rest of his allies. Unfortunately, as a result of the severity of their wounds, several heroes are no longer in perfect fighting shape.
Galen has developed a permanent limp, losing 1/4 of his dexterity and move in combat situations involving body movement. Hagar has many broken ribs, similar limiting his movement and dexterity as well as giving him a -2 to hit, although with time, this wound might go away completely. Aiden is suffering from organ and/or spinal damage, also losing 1/4 of his dexterity as well as suffering a -1 to hit. His long-term prognosis is unknown. But everyone except for the Elk-clan observer lived...!
Back in the village of Usi, the heroes are welcomed and Will/Weelee is scolded for abandoning this allies. Holly/Halia speaks up for the group and her Tiger clan welcomes them, as do Rongo's Turtle Clan and the Elk Clan. The older blonde woman, Mahina, the Zombie Mistress and Witch Doctor of Usi, agrees with the village shaman that the heroes have shown great promise. Their their backing, the Chieftaness, Ja-Kai, offers the group the temporary use of the hut of the fallen Elk-warrior to rest in overnight.