A Voyage in the South Seas
After a quiet winter in Sequarl, Paradoxides teleports Grettir with his usual comrades and a couple of huscarles to Kos to rendezvous with the Kistin. With them was Xephanos, his doctor, who was keen to visit his family in Ianda, and the odious but useful alchemist C’tholos with his servitor Mongo. The sloop had returned to Kos but had not yet sold its Chittagong cargo. Grettir decided that in pursuit of both adventure and profit that they should make the journey further south to the legendary party-island of Bazi, where carnival is soon to begin.
The Ram Ship
After a couple of weeks of minor encounters on the high seas, they spot a mostly submerged hulk that proves to be the wreck of an Imperial ram ship, crewed by undead legionaries. Hilda summoned the dead and a command group climb aboard the Kistin. Grettir, a devotee Osiris, the God of the Dead, speaks with Primus Pilus Cadens who salutes and make his report. Bound out of Caracalla, they had been caught in a storm that they battled for three days until it had all but sunk the ship. However, the mage had got away safely with the secret dispatches. Grettir assured him that he had done his duty. He called upon Osiris and Cadens and all his men embraced their fate and passed onto the next life. Exploring the ship afterwards, they found the ship’s log and an Imperial military rutter describing the seas around Caracalla.
The House of Pain
The Kistin encounters a small Kosian cog called the Morning Breeze becalmed in the doldrums. Its master, a merchant called Demris, offers Grettir two scruples of Golden Lotus Dust, if he will convoy them to Bazi with Girindor’s mage-wind. Grettir agrees and they swap some crew members as surety. That night both ships are attacked by Shaguine – “Sea Orcs”. They are repulsed but one of the Kistin’s crew, Atelius, is captured and taken into the deeps by the Shaguine.
Grettir opens the chest marked “might be useful some day”, in which there is the Sword of Summoning Sea Creatures taken from the Sea Dragon off Skagnar, along with the bones and skull of a Shaguine sorceror that he picked up in trade there (see E1). With these artefacts Hilda summons the Shaguine to a parley. They say that Atelius is alive but demand an outrageous 100,000 gold piece ransom for him. Hilda curses them and they depart.
However, other creatures have been attracted by her call. As the day dawns, clear and bright, a pod of dolphins arrive and swimming amongst them merefolk. They are the Triton League. They abhor the Shaguine and other spawn of Pyray, the malevolent God of the Deep. They would make common cause, for the Shaguine have taken some of their folk too. Calling upon their god Triton, they confer upon Grettir and an away team of Salrod, Paradoxides, Girindor, Wilf, Jason and Aranath, the power to breathe under water (for a time). They furnish them with dolphin steeds (all except Paradoxides whose demonic armour they dislike and who flies through the water instead), and lead them to a grotto in the deeps where they fight and kill many Shaguine and free the prisoners (Atelius, two mermen and two mermaids). In an evil fane Grettir has a tussle of wills with an avatar of Pyray in the form of a jade statue. It is a near run thing and Grettir is all but exhausted in the struggle but at length he thrusts his sword into its heart and it expires in a gout of black ichor. The party ransack the tunnels and retrieve much loot.
Bazi and Beyond
When they arrive at the island of Bazi the carnival is in full swing. There is music and dancing and the most amazing fireworks. The Kistin then sails northwards to the mainland and a great estuary, referenced in one of Porshneer’s rutters from Seahorse Island. Following a mighty river that flowed through the jungle, they come to a great octagonal tower set upon a rocky island. An initial exploration revealed only a single magic door in a mighty edifice 50 foot high, capped with a twisted spire. It seemed the focal point of the lightning storms that they had witnessed at regular intervals as they sailed up the river.
Paradoxides at first entered alone. It transpired that the tower was a prison, built by the Old Empire to house a single prisoner, an ancient queen called Valaka. He said nothing of it at the time, but Paradoxides spoke with her and at her request, made love to her through the bars of her cage. She promised the offspring of their union to Paradoxides who imagined it as a weapon against Oglog. She bade him return with Grettir, which he did. Grettir declined to make any pact with her, though she begged him to free her – something that could only be encompassed by a man of great strength who could break the bane-metal of her cage. Though she presented as a beautiful woman with black hair, Grettir noticed a distinct cast to her features that was familiar. It took him a while to recognise the resemblance to his friend, Styrbjorn, the Bear Man, who had helped them in the search for the Sarn-Tur (C12).
While Grettir and Paradoxides were at the Tower, the Kistin was attacked by a creature none had ever seen before. It presented as a black panther, but was demonically fast and deadly. Though it could be wounded, its hurts healed supernaturally quickly. Even after it was subdued – mostly by Salrod, Wilf and Jason – and a sword thrust through its heart pinning it to the deck, it refused to die. Only when the returning Grettir thrust Troll-biter, his elven sword that abhored regenerating creatures, into its body, did it quieten – though it still was not dead. It did, however, change its shape and became a black-haired woman with a distinct resemblance to Valaka – and Styrbjorn. At a loss as to what else to do with her, they cast her body into the river, and sailed back to Bazi.
In Bazi Grettir sets about trading his cargo. He has a number of magic blades – mostly spears and daggers – which catch the attention of Striker, the Captain of the Black Company, who seemed to run Bazi. He is a keen to buy and offers good prices. However, something else had caught his attention. His men have been investigating the Kistin and no doubt detected the blood of the were-panther upon her decks. Under close questioning Grettir describes their encounter (though he says nothing of Valaka). In return he receives a grim lecture from Striker. The were-panthers are an ancient curse upon man-kind, called Forvalaka. They eat human livers and are almost unstoppable. It was the primary job of the Black Company to protect Bazi from Forvalaka and they loathed “tourists” who sought to truckle with them. He leads Grettir down to the basement and stopped by a door covered in sigils.
“This is where we put them because we cannot kill them and they do not die. If I so much as suspect that you are dabbling with Forvalaka, that is where you will go. We do not feed them, so they are very hungry.”
Iage and Ianda
The Kistin takes on an unusual cargo for a voyage to Iander. Nine youths are loaded aboard, chained to heavy litters. It seems they have overdosed on a party drug called Iage. Taken to excess it causes the victim either to die or fall into a catatonic fit or a berserk rage. These are catonic survivors from rich families and the Kistin is commissioned to take them to Iander, an island famed for its doctors, in the hope that they may be cured. On route, one of them manages to break his bonds and runs amok, only brought down by Hilda’s sorcery.
On reaching Ianda, they hand over their charges and spend a few weeks on the island, during which they deliver Xephanos to his family. Xephanos, Grettir’s doctor, was a slave taken by pirates and rescued by Grettir on a previous trip to the South Seas (D-17). His family had no idea he was still alive and are delighted to see him. Kolgrim takes teleport coordinates so that he can return at will. However, he elects to stay with Grettir for the time-being.
Siran the Impaler
From Ianda the Kistin sets sail for the island of Anango. En route they find themselves pursued by a large ocean-going longship, carrying a crew many times the size of the Kistin’s. They too have a mage wind to power them along and to underline their strength in sorcery, two flying magicians bear aloft a huge rock and pursue the Kistin. Luckily the rock misses as Aranath and Kolgrim cast fly spells and move to engage. Grettir drinks a Fly Potion and goes up to join them carrying his longbow in his hands. As the enemy magicians flee, Grettir, Kolgrim and Aranath pursue them back to their ship. More magicians fly up from the longship. Grettir shoots one out of the sky. However, not fancying the odds he adopts a different tactic. He can see that in the prow there are two captives alive but crucified, and he guesses that it is their life-force that is powering the longship’s mage-wind. He puts arrows through the hearts of the two unfortunates and indeed the ship immediately loses way. He follows up by throwing an alchemical incendiary onto their deck and he and his companions depart, leaving their foe floundering and putting out fire. When they arrive in Anango, they learn that their adversary was a legendary pirate named Siran the Impaler.
Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves
Anango is a major trading port, known for its manufactured goods, its slaves, and its gladatorial combats. It is the only place in the southern world, outside the Imperium where magic weapons are made.
For reasons best known to himself, Salrod decides to enter a gladatorial contest. He draws a bout against a local favourite known as the Dark Avenger. It is a close run thing, but Salrod triumphs. During the fight Grettir glances over at Hilda. Grettir noted the expression of extreme concentration on her face, and her fists clenched and dripping with blood. Salrod’s prize was a relatively paltry four talents, but many of the crew, including Grettir made excellent returns betting on their man against the local favourite.
Grettir also watched some pit fights, where men fought each other on a narrow wooden beam across a pit. He became very impressed with a young gladiator called Aurelius, and approached his owner, for he was a slave, to buy him. The owner was reluctant but eventually agreed to sell him for the staggering price of 25 talents. Grettir’s huscarles shook their heads at this price, but Grettir was adamant that he could learn something from Aurelius’ exotic style of fighting.
E-2
OE Date: March – September 690
Characters: Grettir, Salrod, Paradoxides, Girindor, Wilf, Jason, Aranath, Kolgrim NPCs: Hilda, Xephanos, C’tholos, Mongo, Ingvar, Wurra and the crew of the Kistin
Real World: January 1994; Where – BadgerCon (Near Loughborough)
See also Salrod’s Diaries