Greymoore - Session 10

We had the 10th session of our Greymoore game last night.

Cast

Liam Callahan - a 17 year old human farm boy who constantly has his head in the clouds (you guessed it. The Hero!). Liam hails from the "Road's End Villages" the far North Western section of the Kingdom of Cerimea, not that anyone particularly remembers that.

Ilian Holhan - A 19 year old apprentice mage Seraphim who has come down to the surface (accompanied by his mentor and master) to further his studies on the weather as well as several other studies for his magical pursuits.. The Seraphim are a race of winged scholars and magi who live high above the clouds.

Abar Dan Rab Beynonn - A 19 year old Azrian Sword Dancer. The Azrian are a tribe of humans that live in cities in the forests (think Sherwood from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves), they are some of the premiere sword fighters in the land, using a style that emphasizes grace and finesse over power.

Darcy Stanton - A Half-Elf Rogue who has been staying with Rab (Abar) among the Azrian for the last few years. She is as close as a sister to Rab, and helps him on the various jobs he undertakes for the Azrian. Despite her time with the Azrian though, Darcy prefers to fight with her knives rather than use a sword.

Genru Crabshall - A Dwarven caravan guard from the Dwarf's War Caste. Genru hails from the famed floating cities of the Dwarves, though it has been years since he has seen home. Assigned to a guard a caravan heading to the northern provinces of Cerimea.

Ornu Tana Dar - An experienced Elven Woodsman, Ornu is specifically trained to be able to counter rogues, spies, and assassins, and also in taking out larger groups of opponents as quickly and efficiently possible. One year ago (beginning of the game) he was sent to retrieve Darcy back to the Kingdom so that officials could speak to her on matters of some importance to the Elven kingdom.

The Session

The session started with the aftermath of the battle to rescue Liam from the six grey skinned warriors. Checking people's injuries and healing them, Ilian released the spell he had put on everyone for stamina causing himself and Darcy to promptly collapse into sleep from exhaustion. Rab, Grenru, Ornu, and Liam divided up the watches between them, and everyone slept for the night with a one person watch up for the night.

The next morning, when everyone was awake, Liam gathered everyone together. He thanked Ilian for pulling him off of their prisoner, apologizing for his rage. He also admitted that the gravity of the situation and him being a target had finally struck home, that anyone who was with him was likely to be in real danger, and that he didn't want people to get hurt because of him. He said he'd understand if everyone wanted to go away, and that he would go onwards on his own. Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy and said that they were staying.

Darcy took over next, speaking a bit about the severity of the situation, and the fact that there was more going on than they expected. One of the groups had been going after Rab after all. Rab tried to dismiss it as a case of mistaken identity, something Darcy and Ilian shot down immediately as if nothing else their enemy has proven that they are not morons and while it may be a case of mistaken identity, until they know otherwise they should not assume so.

Renewed, at least for the moment, with a sense of purpose the group got everything ready to continue the titan wall. Leaving only the case of what to do with their prisoner. After some debate, they decided to interrogate him with the caveat that if the prisoner tried to escape or harm them that they would kill him. Ornu took the lead on the interrogation with Darcy near by for support and everyone else just a bit beyond that to make sure the man didn't run anywhere. Ilian released the prisoner from the sleep spell, and they awoke him.

There was no need for interrogation. The prisoner's name was Todoku, a soldier in the Devrean army that was up here for some purpose he didn't know (decisions was not his department). His superior was  another Devrean named Shashin - the same Shashin from the Azrian village - and their orders came down from someone known as the Falling Leaf. Though he clarified he did not know if the Falling Leaf was also known as Brighid. He gave a number for armies, at least six each numbering in the hundreds of thousands - though it was possible he was having trouble with numbers while speaking a foreign language - and beyond those armies there were at least 10 dragons. The Falling Leaf has at least two lieutenants, The Chosen - a champion of the gods, and someone named Sora. Though he had never seen either of them, the mission was to bring Liam to the Chosen near the wall. The reason simply because Liam is important, beyond that he didn't know. Why was he answering all of this? Because it didn't matter as there was nothing he felt the party could do. He was shocked by the lack of ability for  shadow stepping, and gave some vague information on how it worked. Particularly that it was like breathing for his people. Just something they did and learned to do like walking. He also implied that a code of honor made him answer questions, but not to offer information freely. Though he wouldn't answer further down that line of questioning. At least not with clear answers.

Satisfied with their answer, Ilian put the Devrean back to sleep - though this time with the ability for him to wake up on his own - and the group headed out for the Titan Wall. Changing their course to arrive some distance away from where they felt that the Devrean had been bringing Liam. Weeks of travel later (probably month or two) they arrived at the wall. Made of stone that is 20' high and stacked at least seven tall. Flying to the top Ilian notes that it is at least 60' thick as well. Strangely, upon approaching the wall, Grenru begins to glow faintly. Though with rigorous testing this doesn't seem to be related tot he secret of the wall itself, just a strange happening. Ilian also notes that the wall is completely and thoroughly infused with warding magic, protecting the wall if nothing else, and that despite being completely in the shade almost all the time the grass immediately on the other side is still quite healthy.

The investigation however bears fruit when Liam touches the wall. An indentation forming in the wall where he touches and stretching out in a long line towards the center of the wall. The group knows the Chosen will be waiting for them in that direction, but they also know that they need to go that way, so off they go. A few days of travel later, following the wall, and they see him standing and waiting for them. A 6' tall brute of a man fully encased in plate mail. He reminds them of Malik, only he is a good foot and a third shorter than their friend. They challenge him on purpose, he tells them he is to bring Liam through the wall to claim his sword and take his rightful place at the Falling Leaf's side. He will not let the party go through alone, as their purpose is against the will of the gods, and the gods wish to restore everything to how it was at the beginning. A clean slate so balance can be renewed properly from the get go. The PCs take heart when they realize that if he is there to stop them, that all is not lost. If Liam has to be stopped or recruited than the wiping of th eslate can be stopped. The Chosen simply responds that everything has its rules.

It is then that Ilian notices that the Chosen is positioned horribly to guard where the line in the wall ends, the supposed placement of the door. The group backs off a bit to make a plan. Grenru will keep the Chosen busy, buying Liam the time to get to the door and open it so they can get through before joining them. They're sure that Grenru will die, but he volunteered for it himself and seems the most likely to get the job done. Their plan in place, they put it into action.

Grenru charges, sweeping the Chosen off his feet with an axe, the blade chips and cracks on the Chosen's leg but manages to knock him to the ground. The group runs for the wall, Ilian staying put to provide magical support for Grenru while Rab and Ornu position themselves as secondary speed bumps for the Chosen. The Chosen gets back to his feet and hammers a blow into the dwarf. A more painful blow than the dwarf has ever received in one hit but still Grenru manages to stay standing. Liam hits the wall, and immediately a huge chunk of it recedes 10-15' and takes the form of a much more ornate Castle front wall, complete with a large doorway. Ilian uses magic to encase the dwarf in a further layer of protection as the earth itself encapsulates the dwarf as a second layer of armor. The chosen avoids the Dwarf's next attacks, but also sees the doorway forming. Realizing he's been played he breaks off and runs to intercept Liam before he can make it to the door itself.

Ornu tries to tackle the Chosen, Rab trying to hit him high with the pommel of his sword. They stagger the Chosen one step, but do not stop him. Ornu being dragged along on the Chosen's legs from his failed tackle attempt. Ilian tries magic again, raising an angled wall right in front of the charging Chosen. The wall won't stop the charge, but with the help of the angle it does deflect it and buy everyone more time. Liam makes it to the door, noting that there is an indentation for a sword in the middle, however that doesn't matter as the doors begin to open automatically as he approaches.

Still trying to stop the Chosen's advance, Ornu attempts to hamstring a leg while hanging off of it, his sickle piercing the chainmail but not the skin of the Chosen. Almost losing the weapon in the attempt. Grenru however charges up behind the chosen, faster than a dwarf should be, and leaping into the air grabs the Chosen by his head and bulldogs him to the ground. Ilian encases the lower half of the Chosen's body in earth, Ornu and Rab run for the door and Grenru begins to head for it as well managing to avoid having his leg grabbed by the Chosen in the process. The Chosen angrily breaks the earth holding him down and stands, finally spotting that it is the Seraphim causing the magical ruckus he throws a chunk of earth and nails the young winged mage just as it tries to fly over him to the door.

Ilian crashes down hard to the ground, Darcy points it out and Rab runs out to collect their friend. Grenru, seeing the downed mage and Rab going for it, turns to face the charge of the Chosen once more. Taking his axe in both hands, he chokes up on it like a bat and swings for the fences. The blade shatters with the force of the impact, but the shaft holds strong, nailing the Chosen just below the throat. The full force of the Dwarf's blow sending the Chosen into a backflip before slamming him into the ground stunned. Everyone makes it to the door and through, the doors closing behind Liam as soon as he is far enough in and sealing out the Chosen.

On the other side, they see that everything looks exactly the same as it did on the other side before the battle. only everything is a mirror reflection. The sun is now rising in the west, trees are on their opposite side. The only thing missing from the picture is the Chosen himself, and the lasting effects of Ilian's spells. Wounds are checked again, after the shock of what they're seeing is gotten over. Everyone also notices that they want to go in different directions, like they are being called.

Turning a map over, they try to figure out where everyone wants to go. Grenru wishes to go straight west, towards the oceans and presumably the Dwarven cities. Liam wants to go South East, which would (on the mirrored map) bring him back to the Roads End Villages eventually. Ornu wants to go straight South, bringing him to the Elven kingdoms. Ilian wants to go towards the sun in the sky, to the Seraphim cities presumably. Darcy has no pull anywhere, and Rab wants to go to the South West. The only thing significant along that line though is Castle Wyvern.

The response to Rab's realization sets Darcy on edge, and everyone picks up on it. There are secrets here, important secrets in Rab's life that Darcy is keeping from him. He confronts her on it, she refuses to speak, and Rab gets angry. Liam decides that they can at least hit Rab, his, and Ornu's 'want to go' places easily enough and they head off. About a week before they hit Wyvern itself though, Darcy finally opens up.

She and Ornu tell the story of the fall of Castle Wyvern. A night when Darcy, acting as an agent for the elves, ended a couple years of infiltration and assassinated the King of Cimerea so he could not start a war. The monsters came out of the basement and sacked the castle, the scene very much like what happened in Asgoth. She talks about the horrors she saw, about seeing a human child but she couldn't kill a child no matter her orders. So she saved the child and ran off, breaking off fromt he plan. Ornu tells of his side of the mission, providing cover and an escape root. The emergence of the monsters and everything going to hell. He tells of the death of his team, and how he alone made it out.

Darcy goes on to tell that she brought the child to the Azrian and then went home to the elves. Coming back to check on the child as it grew, doing good things for him, doing terrible things for him. Eventually, as she had to go back to the elves again, comingback to meet his son, Rab, and deciding to go on from there with her life. Rab still thinks there is more, btu Darcy is not speaking on it in public. Ilian recommends they do so privately and not in front of the group. They agree.

The next night, on second watch the moon stops above them. It grows larger, there is a blinding white light...and the session closes.