SESSION 9.0 - AWAKENINGS OF THE FORGOTTEN THREE

[Dray]

PLAYERS IN SESSION

Matt =       Scale (alt.)
Johan =    Dariooq (alt.)
Fraz =       Erinalia
Mudge =    Garbhan
Wildfire =   T?riad

Date Unknown

INTRODUCTION FOR GARBHAN & T?RIAD:

As your mind wakes, stiffness is felt within various muscles of your body. For a moment you open your eyes, squinting at the beautiful blue sky above, and listen to the surf as it massages the beach. The recent horrific dream sits at the edge of your consciousness, but every violent detail is muted by the reality of its falsehood. ?It was but a dream,? is your thought.

?Or was it?!?

Suddenly a sense of dread overcomes you, realizing that your last memory is of you and your companions in the Dwarven Keep. Opening a door, Mel had pushed aside bones which covered the floor. Then a blackout is all you remember, a small period of utter darkness prior to the dream. How you came now to be waking on a beach makes absolutely no sense to you.

You quickly close your eyes, feigning sleep.

Your heart quickens with anxiety at the unexpected situation. The temptation to stretch the remaining stubborn muscles is squelched by the concern that you may not be alone. You intently listen, trying to hear anything beyond the breaking waves.

For many moments, nothing but the sound of the birds, the rustling of the palm leaves behind you and the unusually loud surf reaches your ears,

With trepidation, Garbhan and T?riad open their eyes and discover each other, lying on the sand of an unknown beach.

The two of you quickly realize that you are completely removed from where you feel you were just moments ago. Nothing of the Dwarven Keep, the sanctuary entrance before it, or anything even remotely resembling the Outpost Ledge, is to be found anywhere nearby.

Instead, you find yourselves sitting up on a long stretch of shoreline that runs northeast to southwest, the setting sun in the west giving you your bearings.

There is no mistaking the stronger breakers on the shoreline belong to that of the Ocean and not the inner bay of your home. Although the stretch of sand from Ocean?s edge to the strip of jungle behind you is quite long, the eight foot tall waves almost push the waters edge to your feet.

Behind you, a massive cliffline is cut into the edge of a mountain range that borders this section of the Isle. It spans as far as the eye can see in both directions. One can easily surmise that the eroding current of the ocean changed course many years ago, as there is now a defiant strip of jungle between the beech and the devastatingly tall tower of rock.

This thick jungle completely conceals the cliff which appears a few hundred feet behind. The vegetation resembles that seen outside of the Outpost ledge, tropical in nature, and full of the precarious roots and thick undergrowth. Large boulders, exiled from the face above, have invaded and conquered the Jungle. Some large sections of rock, bigger than some houses found in Dullstrand, have rolled out onto the beech. Some are losing the war with the eroding surf.

Beside the closest one of the boulders, which is double the height of a man, is a small palm tree. The trunk of which grows from the bottom edge of the rock, finding protection and nourishment where only nature in its determination can.

To the southwest, it appears the island stretches west with a mountain that refused to move for the overpowering ocean.

The two of you sit for a moment and blink at your mutual confusion.

(INTRO END)

After they rubbed their eyes and got a good look at their unfamiliar surroundings the two had a short discussion, and decided to head SE.

Within moments of their rise up off the beach, Sahuagin lept from the sea and charged the pair, who were horribly outnumbered, so they ran.

Erin at this time had been observing the two from within a large boulder on the beach. She had awakened to find herself melded within it, and able to observe outside the boulder. She stepped outside the boulder after the Sahuagin charged by it.

Dariooq (alt. played by Johan), upon seeing his blood-enemies, leapt from his hiding place amidst the nearby beach-side jungle and shot an arrow at one of the Sahuagin, downing him. He then let out a fierce battle cry. Now Erinilia was concerned, for she knew not if this new combatant was friend or foe.

Sahuagin, upon hearing the cry of a ages-old enemy turned from their chase of the outlanders and reversed their charge to bear upon Dariooq. T?riad and Garbhan change course as well and wonder if they should stand and fight.

As Erinalia prepares a sling shot, T?riad and Garbhan take their attacks against the retreating Sahuagin. Dariooq takes another

Battle is joined.

Abruptly a huge lizard-like humanoid, later to be discovered as Scale (alt. played by Matt) runs from the ocean, past Erin and joins the fray, apparently on the side of the Forgotten Three (Erinalia, Garbhan & T?riad), as he fights the Sahuagin. Erin launches the stone from her sling at a Sahuagin, but the beast dodges out of the way; Dariooq
swats the stone down with his blade, lest he be hit by it (effects of a near-critical miss).

The battle is fierce and relatively brief, as the two native warriors are experienced at fighting this dire enemy. The Sahuagin are dispatched and Dariooq sustains heavy damage, regardless of this, he and his ally appear to be enraged and continue to hack at the Sahuagin bodies until they are finely minced.

Dariooq harvests the right earfins of each of the dead Sahuagin.

As he and Scale talk (in the common tongue of the Isle of Jhegra), Erin finds that she is able to understand what is being said. Dariooq towers over the little Druid, and Scale is taller yet (pushing seven feet tall). Erin heals Dariooq while Scale reports that there were two other Sahuagin in the water further to the SE. Speculate that they would have been trying to cut the two outlanders (T?riad and Garbhan) off from the south.

The new allies proceed to have conversation. Dariooq explains that he had just come from the new outlanders settlement in the bay, but it would take near to two fortnight or more for these outlanders (T?riad, Garbhan and Erinalia) to get there walking the coast, and to walk through the jungle would be far too perilous. Dariooq says that he can take them to his village outpost, and the three agree to follow him (and Scale).

I believe you walked a short distance away from the carnage and then made camp. Scale eating Sahuahin legs for dinner.

The next morning, the group head NW along the coast.

THE JOURNEY TO THE DARFELLAN GROTTO (Read by DM in session):

Dariooq leads you down the shoreline. With the scene of the battle behind you, you soon appreciate the familiar the pleasant climate of the Isle. Dariooq?s walking gate is odd but strong, he appears to be a creature more comfortable being in the water all day.

The four of you become quiet, the events of the recent past occupying your thoughts as you kick fine beach sand ahead of you. As the hours go bye, the tracing jungle to your right diminishes, at first allowing glimpse of the cliff wall but then giving way to the wall completely. You surmise that soon you will lose the beach all together as the areaway at sea level become narrower.

Dariooq takes repeated trips into the surf to scout for trailing Sahuagin.

It is when you see the surf breaking on the Cliffside ahead that you become worried. It becomes apparent to the three Outpost adventurers that Dariooq is not aware of how dangerous the surf would be for them if they enter it.

After a short discussion with Dariooq that they can?t swim in the rough surf, he leaves to get means of transportation. Disappearing in the surf.

A boat appears as it comes around the cliff side, already out onto the water about 100 feet away. It appears to be made from an enormous 12 foot long shell of a sea turtle. Upside down, at least if the turtle was still in it, the boat with a tightly drawn black leather tarp makes it way to you. It rides amazingly high above the water, with only a small protion of the center of the shell touching the ocean?s surface. Despite this, the tall breaking waves go over the boat, and although it shakes and slightly rocks back and forth, it appears to in no way to be in danger of sinking. Drawn from a leather strong that you assume is being tugged by the underwater swimming form of your new friend, it makes its way to you.

Soon enough, Dariooq emerges from the pounding surf of the beach, leading the boat behind him. Both he and the boat seem only lightly affected by the strong breaking waves as they pass by.

The black leather cover has the feel of being covered with a fine oil, yet no residue is left upon touching it. It is tight though, and the three of you soon feel a bit claustrophobic, despite the ample amount of room the box in the center of the boat gives you between the shell and the cover. As you feel the boat shove off the shore and head out into the breakers you brace yourselves, covering your heads with your arms so as to cushion the blow you know will be coming.

Amazingly, when the first wave hits, the boat is only mildly jostled, despite the deafening sound of the wave reflecting off of the leather.  All of you let out a sigh of relief, as the second and third waves hit with the same result, only a mild tilting back and forth. Soon the boat makes it past the cresting points of the waves and you relax even further.

Only after many minutes do you realize that you are heading back to the shore, or in this case the grotto entrance, when the waves start crashing back into the leather tarp. It soons quiets though, as Dariooq must have quickly cleared them and brought you into the Cliffside.

You are wondering when you will be able to breath fresh air again when the leather tarp is tugged from the front and Dariooq quickly clears it away.

You are in immediate awe of the half-submerged cavern. Behind you can be see the gaping half-circular entrance that the Endeavor could sail through. Above and around you see the where the ocean has carved its way through the rock over the centuries. Stalagmites cover the ceiling, threatening to drop on the lucky passer bye. Natural columns of rock border the sides, with some plateaus of rock, large enough for a few men to stand upon occurring here and there. The cavern itself is so large that many seagulls fly back and forth throughout.

The light is strong, due to the massive opening behind you, but ahead is thickening shadow, and you again wonder if Dariooq can do something that you can?t.

After a moment, you realize he cannot. Still swimming alongside the boat guiding it with one hand, he asks you to reach in the box at the center of the boat to grab a lantern.

Garbhan flips off the lid and pulls a large, two-foot tall, mithral lantern from the box. You recognize the dwarven masterwork craftsmanship with growing familiarity. The elliptical squashed globe has a thick looking, but clear oil in it. A rope-thick wick made of a green hemp material protrudes from the feeding mithral mechanism at its top. This surrounded by a square box of mithral with panes of clear but thick glass. Between the window paned box and the globe sticks out the metal reel that when twisted feeds more wick to the flame. It is shaped like that of a miniature mace. Each of the six mithral feett attached to the globe have the symbol of Moradin etched into their sides. At the base of the globe   Garbhan then pulls an ornate flint trigger, also mithral from the box. Lifting the glass cover of the lantern and with a quick scissor like flick of the trigger the lantern is alight. The illumination from the unusually sized lantern casts warm light quite a distance.

As you make your way ahead you see that the massive cavern splits in two. The water is far calmer here as the waves subsided almost immediately at the entrance behind. So calm is the water in fact that you here the dorsal fin break the water behind you before you see it. You turn as you see a large black fin break the water no more than 10 feet behind and to the right of the boat.

?They are blessed, my totem wishes to meet them,? thinks Dariooq as he stops tugging the boat and swims to the other side to get a better look at the visitor.

The surface breaks ahead of the fin and the largest head any of you have ever seen breaks the surface. A great Whale glides slowly past, observing you with the one eye on the side of its body. At twice the length of the boat, the creatures appearance is most unnerving.

Making you way into the left-hand side tunnel, the remaining light from the grotto entrance behind you leaves. The new tunnel is much smaller, appearing to be only about 20 feet tall at its highest point. The light of the lantern plays with the shadows created by the uneven rock above. Minutes pass and the cavern splits in two again, although this time the tunnel stays the same size. You also note that the water level doesn?t threaten to rise, or the ceiling overhead encroach.

Many minutes pass bye while Dariooq, almost without effort, guides the turtle ship down the twisted cavern. The sound of his movements gently echoing off of the cavern walls.

Finally, the way up ahead seems to be illuminated, and after a corner is traversed the visitors behold the Darfellan home.

The small cavern opens before you in a large underground cave, although the water here runs from wall to wall as it had in the passages traveled. All of the cave walls are layered with multiple large plateaus of rock. Built upon the surrounding wall is the village of this hidden tribe. Large black leather tents, shanties and simple coverings over small caves  can be seen all about. Some plateaus are only accessible by rope ladder, others have either a natural path of rock or a rough bridge constructed of trees from the shoreline outside.

The place appears almost deserted save a group of darfellan at a plateau at the water?s edge across from you, and a lone sitter, above them on the highest plateau. As Dariooq swims you across the cave, the fire from the various torches illuminates the scene ahead of you.

Not one of the three would-be warriors stand higher than Dariooq?s chest. Although standing at attention, and armed with a halberd, each of them couldn?t possibly be the age of majority for his race. As you reach the edge upon which they stand, Dariooq climbs from the water and onto the ledge, stands at his full height, towering over the children. The boat drifts slightly to his left and nudges the rock edge.


You notice that many eyes and faces peer from behind many a leather flap. This place is not nearly as deserted as it appeared when you first entered.

The elder above leans back, as though listening to someone in the tent behind him. After a moment, he speaks. His voice crackling with sharp broken whistles, he announced from overhead, ?You have succeeded as had been foreseen Great Warrior. The Vision of the Outsiders was a clear one. We shall celebrate this night and rejoice in the glory of your victory.?

After which, the leather flaps are all quickly shoved aside and what appears to be the entire tribe of Darfellan emerge from hiding. After stepping into the light, each one of them taps the butt of a spear or halberd on the rock in what could only be the races show of applause.

But to your dismay, the numbers are not as many as you surmised upon seeing all the tiny leather huts. Only slightly more than a dozen women, with only a few of child-bearing age, can be seen. Although each one of them strong looking and larger then even a human man, and a tough looking gender, they are but a few. And none of the women compare to the venerable age of the remaining four men that can be seen, one of them the speaker from above.

Dariooq helps the three of you come ashore and guides you to a rope ladder that leads to what could be a main structure within the cave.

As you climb up to the platform above, you find yourselves on a 20? diameter circular platform, a wooden bridge is off the edge on the right, connecting to a small ledge before a leather flap covering what is assumed a small cave. To the right in natural path of rock that inclines as it traces the edge of the wall before reaching another platform with a closed leather tent upon it. On the back wall and to the left is a tall leather rope ladder. One that passes other interconnected leather-covered caves and reaches the platform high above, where the elderly Darfellan had spoken. A large leather shantie almost covers the platform, the center of which is cut-out to allow the passage of smoke from the roaring fire pit below. Upon the pit, a large chunk fish flesh is basting. It is cover in a fine oil and smells of delicious scents of some foreign herbs.

From the large tent to the right emerges one of the younger-looking women, carrying what appears to be bowls of food. As she make their way to the fire, Dariooq motions for you to sit near the fire and be comfortable. The woman is almost as tall as Dariooq, and just as powerful looking. Wearing black leather armor from head to toe, which is embedded with sharpened bone studs, she is quite formidable looking. Her thick muscled neck is wider than her head, and her demeanor does not match with the task she currently is performing.

Without too much grace she places the bowls at your feet, one of a spongy unedible seaweed looking substance, but two others with ripe bananas and oranges. Not yet sitting by the fire with you, Dariooq motions towards the woman to introduce her. She stands at an almost cautious attention, as if she is still unsure of the three of you.

?This is my first mate, Shoni, our pod has a young son. She is also a Mother Warrior in our dialect and it is an honor for me to introduce her to the Outlanders,? states Dariooq in obvious pride.

With an unexpected small smile, she looks at each one of you as you introduce yourselves. She then goes to the back of the platform and sits unceremoniously.

As she does, another slimmer woman, also of the younger generation, emerges from the same tent. Carrying more of the bowls shaped from large sections of bamboo, she walks down the incline and towards the fire. She is wearing only a simple leather halter top and leather breeches that cut-off just under her bottom. The very small amount of clothing allows the exquisite markings typical to her race to be fully observed. Beautiful in their symmetric fluidity, the white pattern of her skin, wraps lovingly around her body. Starting at her middle toe, the white skin band widens to a wide strip that wraps outward behind her calf, comes forward over her knee, wraps back again behind her thigh and disappears under her shorts near her inner thighs. The two white strips must cross at her lower back where it pools up to her shoulder blades, spilling forward to her front. The border between the white and black can be see at the edges of her halter top that covers most likely a chest of creamy white skin. Her face and arms are completely jet black, but her face is one the most gentle of her kind. She wears two long trailing feather earrings, one from each ear. A popular headdress amongst both genders of this race.

Her beauty is so mesmerizing it crosses the boundary of racial lines and both Gahrban and T?riad catch themselves staring.

By the fire and at your feet she places to of the large bowls. One of clear water, and another full of a browned coconut that sizzles with heat and gives off the aroma of cinnamon.

Dariooq motions to her as she begins pouring water into coconut shells for each you. ?This is my second mate, Dahreehan, a competent food gatherer and preparer of this meal.?

(END OF READING)

Soon the platform is filled with bowls of food and with an array of members of Dariooq's small clan. Dariooq stands and proclaims that his mission has been a success. He has been to the outpost, and has met these members of that tribe; they are here now. He believes that the members of the outpost can be a powerful ally to the Darfellen. And, as if that weren't enough, "Two hands Sahuagin were killed in the doing of this thing". He casts forth the earfins harvested from the Sahuagin. To the applause (drumming of spears and sticks on the ground) of the Darfellan pod.

Then, a small all-white girl enters and Dariooq approaches her, kneeling ceremoniously in front of the waif. The young girl speaks in an authoritative manner, and tells Dariooq that what he has done has been good.

But that the company that he has brought home must leave immediately to Scale's village. They are in dire need and danger. They must leave even before talks can be had; even before food can be eaten properly. Time is not our ally.