Labyrinth Lord (5): The Call of the Deeps

The players explored map. Tracing paper from the master map

#5 Dry weather and water rationing continues at Brunberg. The delivers of water have continued over the last week, funded by diligent scavenging along the strand. Rumours of a delegation from the Shogunate arriving in Whiteport are brought by uncle Chu. The lord Oda Nobunja has brought 2 dozen red jade templars with him. One of these templars is Hojo Soun, the very lord of the village the PC's escaped from (including all the villagers) and Elrond stole his armour. A very deep stain upon his armour. Already some questions have been asked of refugees from the Shogunate. Chu asks where the group is from and is told Xian. When he suggests that they keep an eye out for the refugees in order to collect the reward, Elrond slaps him and tells him that they will not sell humans to the shogunate.

Zander continues to be haunted by dreams of underwater and has now been caught sleep walking towards water. Elrond takes it on to ensure he is wrapped in bed sheets to prevent this. Bruno too has noticed strange goings on, with a barely audible whisper heard when he is in the grotto of Brunberg.

Moshii or andrew. The player didn't say...

Elrond and Zander visit the hag Moshii and her fresh husband Andrew, who continues to lose weight and looks haggard, although spots a large goofy grin and hints at salacious nights. Moshii agrees to honour their deal and teaches Elrond and Zander a new spell, Refulgence of Sagacity. While the tutelage occurs, Wendyberg and Bruno investigate the grotto. Wendberg is unable to detect the whispering Bruno notes, but at one point she notices a glowing mark upon his forward. Casting detect magic she can see the sigil of Jangaru upon his brow. The grotto faintly glows all over with magic as well. None of the other villagers sport the mark, but hurrying to Moshii's she manages to spot the sigil on Zander, as well as a general mark of enchantment upon him. Interestingly the hags hut as well as the tea service tray have the mark of enchantment as well.

Back at the village a bountiful harvest of fish has occurred. A never encountered type has schooled in great numbers and been pulled in and harvested. A small bladder contains fresh water as well. A celebration occurs. During the feast Zander goes to the grotto and take a long piss into the waters. Watching the patterns in the water he suddenly sees a vision of being underwater with a loud crashing voice he doesn't understand demanding something of him. He feels it comes from the west and great rewards will come to him. He suddenly comes to, grasping his nether region too hard. His candle has burned many inches down. As he emerges from the cave into the village the lack of sound worries him. The villagers and PC's are all motionless lying upon the ground, stiff. After panicking for a bit he manages to detect the breath of Wendyberg. He mutter's “sorcery” before marking his forhead with the sigil of Jangaru. The roaring voice returns and Zander stumbles off towards the water.

Wendyberg and others had been consuming the fish stew when suddenly wracked with stomach pains. The village was stricken with paralysis. After a long period of time Zander appears, checks on her, mutters 'sorcery' marks his brow and stumbles off towards the ocean. As the villagers recover mobility, one observes wryly, why they didn't test an unknown fish before devouring it in a massive feast. Wendberg follows Zanders footprints allow the wet sand towards the west until an incoming tide defeats her tracking and she returns to the village to sleep.

Zandar finds himself emerging from a haze and overlooking the alluvial muckrakers delta. A single hut is lit and he approaches it. As the door opens he begins an evangelical tirade against the muttering old man in the shack. He works a charm person spell into the tirade. Despite his deep trust in Zander the old man declares that the cult of Jangaru is bad and into human sacrifice. It certainly yields material rewards, but at what cost he asks, he is clsoe to shuffling off this mortal coil and fears for him soul. He breaks out a small icon to Keega, the green mother of transformation and endings, and they both say prayers to one of the 9 immortals until they pass out. In the morning the old man offers Zandar 3 gp as material goods seem to be swaying him from the 9, Zandar instead gives the old man some money and heads to white port to find a cleric to the 9.

Bruno and Elrond set out to track down Zander based on Wendybergs report. As they head to the delta a 2 person boats hails them. Again attempting his sleep trick Elrond creates a disaster. One sailor passes out on the tiller, and as the boat swerves the boom smashes the other over board. The ship immediately founders on the prevalent reefs that surround the isle. Bruno shucks his armour and swims effortlessly to the boat and hunts for the sunk man. After escaping an undertow he spots more of the creepy structures, like the watchtower seen in the river, far underwater. Bruno pulls the one survivor on the boat to the shore. The sailor notes he thought that Elrond was from the shogunate, and questions him about the hell king worship. Elrond quickly loses patience and threatens the man into declaring his undying worship of the maker, before quickly sketching out some of the prayers and restrictions. The man, dubbed with the new name Sho-ol, leads the duo to white port before making good his escape.

Wendyberg casts purify on the fish and watches as a small portion of them wither into black scabs. It's discovered that a part of the swim bladder isn't completely removed with gutting and likely the source of the paralysis. The villagers cut out that portion of un-purified fish and continue to dry the rich bounty of new food.

Zandar finds a small shrine to Keega in whiteport, with an old man who begs and lights incense tending to it. He prays for hours and the old man approaches him to commend his piety. Under questioning the old man tells Zandar that any priest of the 9 would help such a pious follower of Keega, but the city has driven out the truly holy. He suggests he travel 2 days inland following the river to Otanu, the city where the old faithful of the shogunate still keep the faith of the 9. He councils Zandar to steer wide of the cursed city of Zushi, where a dark terror stalks the broken streets. As Zandar bounds to his feet to make best time his exhaustion over comes him and he passes out crashing to the floor.

XP 500