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October 2006 Archives

October 26, 2006

The Eyes Have It

After the performance of the prophet, the grand ball did not have much life left in it. The Mokers retired to the temple of Vekik the Runegod to confer and to come to some sort of understanding. Jaralin arrived back and was able to give them some immediate insight. The “Jade Serpent” reference from the verses, he has seen before, referring to an item that was kept in a temple to Yig, a god once worshipped in Serran. The Jade Serpent seemed to have a role in protecting the worshippers in some way. During his studies at the Temple of Vekik the Runegod, he had come across some information about a temple to Yig, which was converted into a now forgotten temple to a minor sea god. This temple was also called the “pit of murdered children” in some sources and was said to lie within the ruins to the north of Khorl. He suggested that the Mokers try to locate this temple.

The party decided to do just this and headed north through the old city and beyond, reaching the city walls. They chose the easterly gate, nearest to the sea, as their point of entry to the ruins. They were somewhat surprised to come across a square acting as a market, some of the buildings around it having been reclaimed by the traders. Some were being used as taverns. They entered one to see if they could discover the location of the temple but they were directed to ask Marivik the Hunter, a sibeccai who was helping to clear the area outside the city walls. On their way through the market towards Marivik’s base, they were warned against straying into an alley plagued by a serpent headed woman who could turn people to stone with a look. The Mokers were a little sceptical of this but followed the directions.

Marivik’s camp was more impressive than they had first thought. It was entirely walled and had guards on high walkways around the perimeter. There was one large building that had been completely restored, but the rest of the area was filled with cruder shelters for a number of people who were trading, sleeping, being healed or trained in combat. Marivik was as helpful as he could be. He encouraged the Mokers to avoid the area that was full of statues, but only because he thought than one “Eritic the Invincible” was holed up in the area with his gang. He described the major geographical locations between them and the temple, suggesting that they leave the market by the western avenue, then turn north to the fort, the head northwest to where they would find the temple, west of the forest. He warned them of rumours that those who had stayed near the temple often lost their eyes. The Mokers thanked him and departed.

They found the fort easily enough and headed into the maze of ruined buildings to the northwest. They kept coming upon roads that ended in the forested hill, so they backtracked and went northeast from the fort to the lake and along its western shoreline. They could see a hill with caves beyond the eastern shore of this lake, but proceeded north until the reached the first bridge over the river that flowed north and east out from the lake towards the sea. The party crossed this and wandered amongst the ruins for a while, finding an interesting structure whose stone roof seemed intact, but had fallen on a pile of rubble. They searched this for an entrance below, but found nothing large enough to squeeze through.

After a rethink and Obur’s clearer recollection of the conversation with Marivik, the Mokers returned to their scouring of the streets northwest of the fort, eventually finding a building that fitted the description that they had. They found a stone stairway beneath a circular tower. The upper floors had collapsed down into the stairwell below, but they managed to clear a path to the floor below. The room at the bottom of the stairs was also full of debris from above, but the party could clearly discern double doors to the northwest. They opened these and found a small room which once had shelving, but this had now collapsed in piles of rotting boards around the walls. To the west there was a door. While searching this room, the Mokers disturbed a cat-like creature with a dark green ridge running down its back. It had no tail, but a single tendril rose from behind its head ending in a three pronged claw. Mezezar realised that they faced a staj and related as much as he could to the others about these “eye-hunters”. Luckily the Mokers were able to react quickly and remove the threat before Mezezar or any of the others were injured.

The next room once held a robes in now decayed wardrobes. A door led off to the north. Mezezar discovered a broken mirror next to the western wall and while he was searching there he found a brooch that was shaped like a breaking wave. Going through the northerly door, the Mokers could see a pool in the centre of the room. One door led west, another north and another east. Two more staj had secreted themselves here and leapt out to attack the Mokers once they had crossed the threshold. Both Ke-Tant and Gath were bitten by the beasts which leapt up on their chests to attack. The one attacking the giant then fell back down, but Gath’s one clung on and tried to use its claw to slash towards his face, which damaged him but missed his eye. The Mokers used spells and weapons and eventually managed to kill these two staj as well, though Gath got a nasty shock in the process.

About October 2006

This page contains all entries posted to Aspirants of the Diamond Throne in October 2006. They are listed from oldest to newest.

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