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Bala nods and you can see the relief in his eyes that you're not dragging him up the mountain. He assures you, "Maiṁ yahām̐ intazāra dinōṁ kē dō hāthōṁ kē li'ē ēlvina mahārata hāsila karēgā. Lēkina mujhē lagatā hai ki isasē pahalē ki āpa dēkhanē kī um'mīda hai nā? Bhagavāna kī gati." Vudrani: I shall wait here master Alwyn for two hands of days. But I hope to see you before that eh? God speed.
Bala leads you up the route the girl described, it turns out to be heavy going for the elephants for the path is rocky, narrow and steep. As you climb the temperature drops noticeably, it's still warm but Bala mutters, "Yaha yahām̐ ēka rāta kē ūpara ṭhaṇḍā hō jā'ēgā" Vudrani:
It will be cold up here of a night. After about half an hour the path gets so steep that Bala makes you get off the Elephants and walk single file up the hill. You are flanked by trees still but there is a sense of stillness that steadily grows. After a while you realize, that while the various trees and plants look healthy enough, you've not seen a single animal. The only sounds are the wind and those of your passing. Eventually the path forks like the girl said, the path up the mountain is exceedingly steep and there's clearly no way for the elephants to go up there. The other path goes down into a hidden valley and is narrow but passable. Survival DC 18:
There are several footprints and disturbed rocks that suggest a recent passage up the mountain by a small group of men. Perception DC 20:
You are still being followed, although whatever it is, its too crafty to reveal it self directly. As the narrow path descends into a steep valley, the sickly smell of carrion overwhelms the stagnant air. A hauntingly dense ground mist floats over the thick undergrowth. In the dim light, through shadows cast by the high peaks surrounding the ravine and copious tree cover, the grisly form of a mass grave comes into view. Bala crosses his chest and mutters a prayer to Saranrae for protection and tells you, "Maiṁ yahām̐ rahanē kē li'ē aura hāthiyōṁ kē bāda dēkha lēṅgē. Maiṁ maiṁ, hama una lōgōṁ kē sātha pahāṛa taka jā sakatā hai pasanda nahīṁ karanē kē li'ē isa saṛaka kē anta lagatā hai. Maiṁ yaha āpa kā ullēkha nahīṁ kiyā hai, kucha jādu'ī muśkila jaba taka ki vahām̐ bhī vahām̐ Ballista lēnē kē li'ē asambhava hō jā'ēgā kahanē kī him'mata." Vudrani:
I'll stay here and look after the elephants. I guess this is the end of the road for me, not like we can go up the mountain with them. I dare say it'll be impossible to take the ballista up there too unless there's some magical tricky you haven't mentioned. Sense Motive DC 15: Bala is freaked out by the graveyard, and you've known for some time he's fearful of the cult.
Bala eyes Alway dubiously and eventually sighs, "Prapatra kī khātira ēka kāraṇa hai? Vaisē maiṁ vahām̐ lagatā hai jahāṁ ēka samaya mēṁ cōṭiyōṁ mēṁ Wyverns aura ogres. Kō'ī bhī vāstava mēṁ jānatā hai, jahāṁ hālāṅki, kahīṁ dakṣiṇa yahāṁ kī prācīna kāla sē ēka baunā mērā hō rahē cāhi'ē thā." Vudrani:
A reason for form's sake? Well I suppose there where wyverns and ogres in the peaks at one time. There was supposed to be a dwarf mine from antiquity somewhere south of here, although nobody really knows where. Kn:History DC 20:
Bala is right about the wyverns and ogres, they were wiped out about 500 years ago in the Han era. Kn:History DC 25: There was indeed a dwarven silver mine in one of the hills. King Dourblade's dwarves dug too greedily and it collapsed under the weight of the mountain. Not much remains, and you're not quite sure where it is, but from what the tales say it would make a suitable dragon's lair.
Bala eyes Bvar with derision. He may not speak the trade tongue, but he knows Bvar and mutters darkly, "Bvar āpa halkē yahām̐ sē calanā cāhi'ē. Isa pantha kī ghāṭī hai, saba usakī chāyā mēṁ hai..." Vudrani:
Bvar you must tread lightly here. This is the valley of the cult, all is in her shadow... Sense Motive DC 20: Something about this place is making Bala nervous. He clearly doesn't want to linger here, but he's putting a brave face on it.
Bala leads you south and while the journey is hot sweaty and at times physically hard going when you have to use machetes to cut a path, nothing of note happens on the way. In fact the incessant niggling feeling that you are being watched goes, at least for the first two nights. Finally on the the third day, after weeks of travel through varied and difficult terrain. The steep heavily vegetated hillside opens out onto a small village, each of its roughly twenty huts raised on tall bamboo stilts. Goats, pigs, and other animals stand tethered or in pens. The acrid smell of farm animal and what you presume is tanning leather assaults your noses. Bala wrinkles his nose, points at the settlement and says one word, "Leckumgee."
Bala leads the elephants back a short way, and tells you, "Hama magara cārōṁ ōra jānē kē li'ē sakṣama hō sakatā hai, ēka mīla pīṭha kē ēka quater kē bārē mēṁ ēka chōṭē jānavara kē niśāna nahīṁ thā. Maiṁ isē yahām̐ kē paścima mēṁ ēka chōṭē sē vr̥d'dhi karanē kē li'ē ūpara kī ōra jātā hai lagatā hai. Vahām̐ ēka jharanā aura headwater vahām̐ kē li'ē lagatā hai hai, hēlakara pāra karanē yōgya hōnā cāhi'ē. Āpa kyā karanā cāhatē haiṁ?" Vudrani:
We might be able to go around the croc, there was a small animal trail about a quarter of a mile back. I think it leads up to a small rise to the west of here. There's suppose to be a waterfall there and the headwater, should be fordable. What do you want to do? Kn:Geography DC20: Bala is right, but that is going to be a slog through almost virgin jungle. You'll have to use machetes to cut a path, which will take a long time. You'd have to spend the night half way up the hill.
Bala pulls out a map and you can see the edge of the great fens in the north west portion of it. South of your location through the jungle is Lechmugee and the nameless mountain upon which sits the cult's lair. There are other mountains too. He asks, "Mujhē lagatā hai ki mārga guru ēlvina yāda hōgā! Yaha hamārē samaya aura parēśānī kā ēka baṛā saudā bacāyā. Mujhē lagatā hai hama Lechmugee kē li'ē sīdhē jā rahē haiṁ māna? Hamārē hatyā kara dī prēmiyōṁ sē āyā thā, jahāṁ mainnē dēkhā hai kabhī kabhī ṭraika kō dēkhatē hu'ē nahīṁ hai." Vudrani:
I shall remember that route master Alwyn! It saved us a great deal of time and trouble. I assume we're heading directly to Lechmugee? Judging by the occasional track I've seen there's where our murdered lovers came from.
Bala comes running agitated, he shouts, "Agrima vighaṭita lāśōṁ kī ēka jōṛī hai. Unakī pīṭha mēṁ khan̄jara kē sātha grāmīṇōṁ kī ēka yuvā jōṛē kī taraha laga rahā hai! Agrima vighaṭita lāśōṁ kī ēka jōṛī hai. Unakī pīṭha mēṁ khan̄jara kē sātha, grāmīṇōṁ kē ēka yuvā jōṛē kī taraha laga rahā hai!" Vudrani:
There's a pair of decomposed corpses upfront. Looks like a young couple of villagers, with daggers in their backs! You hurry to see what he found and sure enough there's a pair of corpses face down in the marsh. Each has what looks like a ceremonial dagger, buried up to the hilt in their backs. Both are deeply tanned and the apparently female corpse has long braided black hair. The male corpse has short cropped dark hair. The remains of a slashed water bottle is in front of them. Survival DC 10:
The young couple had been crossing the fen from the opposite direction, they had been running leaving very obvious tracks that haven't faded yet despite the rain that's accumulated in them. Survival DC 15:
The tracks of their pursuers are fainter, you think there might have been four of them however. Survival DC 20:
The tracks of the pursuers mostly appear to be those of stocky humans, but one print gives you pause for thought. It seems to be clawed. Kn:Religion DC 20:
The dagger hilts bear profane symbols associated with Dhalavei's foul cult. Perception DC 20:
You notice the glint of metal in a shallow pool of stagnant water near by. Fishing it out proves a little tricky but it turns out to be a small golden ring with a tiny gem. The ring has an engraving in Vudrani, 'Dearest Kara I shall love you for all eternity.' Perception DC 25: Was it your imagination or did the male corpse move just now?
GM rolls:
Bala strokes his beard as he considers. And grudgingly he admits, "Śāyada, maiṁ ēka nakśē para aisī bāta kabhī nahīṁ dēkhā hai aura maiṁ varṣōṁ kē li'ē Niswan adhyādēśa nakśē kā adhyayana kiyā hai aura Jalemray mēṁ sabasē adhika hara jagaha kūca kiyā hai. Phira bhī maiṁ sāfa Fens bhara taskara ghosting kī ēka baccē kē rūpa mēṁ dukānōṁ yāda hai. Yaha taskarōṁ dvārā istēmāla kiyā gayā thā, tō phira kyā dēkhanē kē li'ē jō jānatē haiṁ ki una lōgōṁ kē li'ē jisa taraha sē sātha mārkarōṁ hōnā cāhi'ē. Mērā dā hamēśā isa taraha kē mārkara kē lāyaka nahīṁ hai, kucha hai ki āma taura para ēka pat'thara yā sthānīya nahīṁ hai ki ēka sanyantra hōgā. Niśāna sira acūka kucha dūra sē śāyada ēka baṛē bōlḍara yā śāyada ēka vidēśī pēṛa kiyā jā'ēgā." Vudrani: Perhaps, although I've never seen such a thing on a map and I've studied the Niswan ordinance maps for years and have traveled most everywhere in Jalemray. Still I distinctly remember stores as a child of smuggler's ghosting across the fens. If it was used by smugglers then there should be markers along the way for those who know what to look for. My Da always said such markers would be something that doesn't fit, usually a stone or a plant that isn't local. The trail head will be something unmistakable, probably a large boulder from afar or maybe a foreign tree.
Bala looking worse for wear groggily climbs out of the cave and surveys the now waterloged forest. He sighs, "Hama sabhī taraha sē dham̐sā jaṅgala bhara mēṁ yahāṁ sē ēka viśāla cāpa mēṁ cārōṁ ōra calā jātā hai ki ucca jamīna kā ēka rija, vahām̐ jā rahā hō jānā cāhi'ē. Yaha śāyada dō saptāha Lechmugee kō pānē kē li'ē ēka lambī saira kē hōnē jā rahā hai." Vudrani:
We should get going, there's a ridge of high ground that goes around in a huge arc from here all the way across the sunken forest. It's going to be a long walk perhaps two weeks to get to Lechmugee. Kn:Geography DC 15:
Bala's route is long, hard and mountainous. It will get you to Lechmugee, but his estimate of two weeks is optimistic. Kn:Geography DC 20: There is another way. A day's travel south east of here there's a marsh, a careful route exists through it. It's difficult in places, going from low hill to low hill, but nothing the Elephants can't cope with. Vest of all and it's more or less direct as the crow flies. You'll be in Lechmugee in five days, give or take. The downside is the many mosquitoes and other bloodsucking insects are going to eat you alive.
Bala snorts, and comes to Lilly's rescue, "Kāśa māsṭara Bvar, āpakō lagatā hai ki dhāraṇā bharanā cāhi'ē. Hama sabhī gaṛagaṛāhaṭa sunī, hama ucca bhūmi para milanā cāhi'ē. Āpa ēka machalī kī taraha taira kara sakatē haiṁ ki jaba taka. Yaha saba jalda hī pānī kē bhītara hō jā'ēgā. Maiṁ tō dakṣiṇa yahāṁ kī ēka pahāṛī kē ēka mīla yā lagatā hai ki vahām̐ " Vudrani:
Alas Master Bvar, you must stow that notion. We all heard the thunder, we should get to higher ground. That is unless you can swim like a fish. All this will be underwater soon. I think there's a hill a mile or so south of here. Kn:Nature DC 15:
Much of this jungle gets flooded seasonally. The wired shaped tree trunks are actually roots. Kn:Grography DC 20:
Bala is almost right there should be a hill but it's two miles SSW of here. Perception DC 28: There is something up in one of the trees about 100' north of you. Something about it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Bala double checks that Bvar is otherwise engaged and whispers conspiratorially, "Bahuta samaya pahalē, ēka nijī Bvar Simrita nāmaka ēka saundarya kē li'ē prayāsarata thē. Jāhira hai vaha usē pyāra kē kābila mahasūsa karatē haiṁ aura kō'ī bhī unakī śādī virōdha karanā him'mata hōtī paryāpta hai ki kucha karanē kē li'ē bāhara sēṭa nahīṁ kiyā. Durbhāgya sē jīvana kāphī hai ki jisa taraha sē bāhara bārī nahīṁ thā." Vudrani:
A long time ago, one Private Bvar was engaged to a beauty called Simrita. Apparently he didn't feel worthy of her love and set out to do something sufficiently that nobody would dare gainsay their marriage. Unfortunately life didn't quite turn out that way. As the afternoon turns into early evening, the expedition reaches the small hamlet known as Bridgetown. There is indeed a serviceable bridge over the mighty River Sald although it's plaint obvious that little traffic goes over it. Instead most travelers carry on to the various proper towns a week or so's hard travel downriver. The town itself has a half way decent smithy, a post office and the Hearthstone inn. What are your intentions? Kn:History DC20: Bridgetown once was much bigger, but it's fortunes have declined over the years with the traffic and the stones forming the many empty buildings got reused by the farmers to build the myriad walls that delineate their fields. Today the town is little more than a way station.
Bala seems cheerful at the prospect of getting to Bridgetown and when Bvar can't hear him he laughs, "Pah! Hamēśā yaha usakē sātha ēka aurata hai. Kabhī nahīṁ, hama ucita bēḍa mēṁ sō hōgā āja rāta mana aura ucita bhōjana khātē haiṁ. Cūl'hā utkr̥ṣṭa bīyara kē sātha ēka baṛhiyā sarāya hai. Mārka mērē śabdōṁ, Bvar hamārē manōran̄jana kē li'ē apanē āpa kō ēka mīrā mūrkha banānā hōgā." Vudrani:
Pah! Always it's a woman with him. Never mind, tonight we'll sleep in proper beds, and eat proper food. The hearthstone is a fine inn, with excellent beer. mark my words, Bvar will make a merry fool of himself for our entertainment. Kn:Local DC 20: The hearthstone is the only inn in Bridgetown and it's run by Simrita Tamasi. Who was at one time considered a great beauty, but is now the kindly matron of the place. The inn is famed for it's fiery and hearty stews.
The night and the next two days pass quietly as the expedition hits its stride and life on the trail becomes a familiar rhythm. As you go it gets hotter and stickier and Bala keeps on looking at the sky mistrustfully. He grumbles, "Kō'ī galatī kisī bhī dina bāriśa hō jā'ēgā, aura." Vudrani: Will be rain any day, and no mistake.
Bala sighs, "Hām̐ ina saddles itanā vajana lēnē kē li'ē taiyāra nahīṁ haiṁ, yaha ṭōkarī mēṁ chōṭē lōgōṁ kē ēka jōṛē kē sātha ṭhīka hai. Adhika vajana nahīṁ hai lēkina agara isakē bārē mēṁ bahuta jyādā badalāva. Misṭara Bvar paṭṭiyām̐, ēka bahuta majabūta karanē kē li'ē karanā cāhatā thā. Yaha hāthiyōṁ darda hō rahā thā. Maiṁ atirikta paṭṭiyōṁ kē ēka jōṛē kē sātha ēka viśēṣa kāṭhī kē sātha bahuta bhārī bhāra lē jānē kē li'ē prayōga kiyā jātā hai, jahāṁ pichalē hāthiyōṁ mēṁ batāyā gayā hai. Durbhāgya sē maiṁ ḍijā'ina tō maiṁ kyā karanā hai patā nahīṁ hai kabhī nahīṁ dēkhā." Vudrani:
Yes these saddles are not designed to take so much weight, it's ok with a couple of smaller people up in the basket. But if there's more weight it shifts about too much. Mister Bvar wanted to tighten the straps, a lot. It was hurting the elephants. I'm told in the past Elephants where used for carrying very heavy loads with a special saddle with a couple of extra straps. Unfortunately I've never seen the design so I don't know what to do. At the mention of an engineer, he sends a runner to fetch Fahad Bin Kalar.
The man with the turban sighs deeply, apparently the victim of an extended tirade, "Vē basa kē bārē mēṁ abhibhūta karanē kē li'ē jā rahē haiṁ dēkhō, aura pichalē samaya kē li'ē taṅga ki paṭṭiyām̐ nahīṁ kara sakatā. Hāthī nahīṁ lē jā'ēgā. Maiṁ usē darda hō rahā hai, jahāṁ kṣamā karēṁ sāśā, dūra kyā āpa shoved hūm̐. Hama ēka alaga dōhana, adhika paṭṭiyām̐, nahīṁ taṅga lōgōṁ kī jarūrata dēkhō." Vudrani: Look they're just going to sway about, and for the last time you can't make the straps that tight. The elephant won't take it. I'm sorry Sasha shoved you away, you where hurting her. Look we need a different harness, more straps, not tighter ones. |
