Session 261 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 21)

 - GM’s note: This was the final session of the Secrets of Tyland story arc. Multiple Lords of Gossamer have taken up residence in Tyland Mills in preparation for the likely summoning of the Crawler. They have plenty of time to prepare for it. As often happens in these games, whether it be Amber Diceless or Lords of Gossamer, when the PCs can call in reinforcements via Trump/Icon, they can assemble powerful allies very quickly and tend to ‘pile in’ on whatever threat has been detected.

Days 46 - 55 - Preparation for the Return of the Crawler 

- More Lords of Gossamer have joined Grant and Ethan in Tyland Mills. In addition to Cal, Yaeger Zane, Erik and Cordelias, Veronique, Jessamyn and various allies have arrived via Icon. It is a strange transformation of Tyland Mill as there is an influx of diverse and often brightly coloured individuals who look most out of place in this medieval town. The locals are quite bewildered. Gimilkina is clearly not impressed with these new arrivals, but she says nothing. She just scowls at the lot of them.

* Images of Veronique (from Threats Dawn of the Dwimmerlaik but I’m not sure which artist) and Jessamyn (by Gordon Napier)

- In the days that follow, an army is built and the Lords of Gossamer prepare for war. Erik takes command of the Steel Eagles, figuring that he can use them if they are competent and are simply motivated by money. Wendolyn and Jo, the adventurers that were petrified in the Hexenhoof Mine and rescued by Grant, join Erik’s army. Ingmar Fellowthongs is greatly pleased that Ethan and Magnus have returned with the Deed to the Hexenhoof Mine (recovered by the Weeping Castle) and the dwarves pledge their support. 

- There is a brief attempt to locate Nadakara (Nadia) but Grant and Ethan decide not to spend too much time and resources hunting her. She is almost certainly an Umbra Master, and as the ‘shadow walker’ of the three priestesses, she is probably very stealthy. If they remove Tyland Redmantle’s two descendents from the reality, this gives her no way to complete the Fifth Sacrifice as foretold in the prophecy. Her only way forward would be to sacrifice herself to awaken the Crawler. Grant and Ethan discuss this - she’s only a young girl, perhaps seventeen or eighteen years old. They could attempt to stop her, but the cycle would likely repeat in another two hundred years and another attempt to resurrect the Crawler would be made. So they decide to let her kill herself, and let the Crawler be summoned.

- Hence they make themselves busy getting ready to engage and slay a God-monster of epic proportions. At Grant’s request, Lady Marian and her half-brother Red are removed from this reality by Jessamyn so that the surviving priestess, Nadakara (Nadia) cannot target them. 

- Grant heads to the Hexenhoof Mines and persuades Tinkerbell to join him. She seems interested in exploring other worlds, and more than a little intrigued when Grant shows that he is capable of shapeshifting to a size that matches her own. He then heads south to the Inn at Mossy Bridge to track down Skinner Jack, the last remaining Tower Warden of the area - he convinces Jack to rejoin the fight.

- Wherever Grant goes, a robin sent by Lord Wynterlyr follows. He is tempted to bargain with Lord Wynterlyr but eventually he decides to send a message back to indicate that he will discuss it after the battle is over.

- Ethan shows the Lords of Gossamer the various locations around Tyland Mill, including the River Caverns and the Undercity beneath Tyland Mill. He also persuades Freya, the slayer who still wants to kill John the Fair, to hold off until the next moon. They will need John’s werewolf strength - and Ethan is pretty sure that he will be able to cure John of his lycanthropy after the battle is over. Freya agrees to this - she is a monster slayer and she is willing to help them slay the Crawler.

- Seeking further allies, Ethan heads north-east to Vendra’s tree house and uses Eidolon to remove the Necromancer’s curse which has been slowly killing Vendra. This rejuvenates her and she too agrees to join the fight against the Crawler.

- The Lords of Gossamer bring more soldiers and equipment into Tyland Mill. Thorn Fellowthongs, the local smith, is very busy preparing weapons of war. Sir Adrian Whitespear, the knight who was rescued from being sacrificed by Grant in the ruins of Nyrath, coordinates the locals and works closely with Erik.

- Ethan judges that the Crawler itself is underneath the ruins of Nyrath, but once awakened it will move quickly to Tyland Mill. Looking at the map of the area, Grant decides that they should fortify the stone bridge which crosses the Dusker River further to the south. They begin making preparations to do so.

* Image of Tyland Mill with the stone bridge ringed by a red circle.

- The defenders in Tyland Mill keep a watchful eye as the days pass and the night of the next full moon draws closer. Grant suspects that Nadakara (Nadia) may still try something unexpected even though she is likely to have few surviving allies. However, nothing eventuates.

- As the days pass by, some of the Lords of Gossamer leave for a day or two, checking in periodically via Icon and then returning when it pleases them. Jessamyn confirms that Lady Marian and Red are safe. 

- Yaeger Zane walks around town bare-chested, a paragon of masculinity. The women of Tyland Mill stop and stare at him. There is a magnetism about him that the local women find extremely desirable. Even Salthia appears smitten by Yaeger - and Grant notices this.

- Grant is very busy in the days leading up to the full moon. With Lady Marian gone and Mayor Prigg seemingly overwhelmed, he is both Sheriff of Tyland Mill and the Lord of Gossamer that all of the others look to for direction. Grant has worked with other Lords of Gossamer before, but this time he is being seen as the leader of the group. They defer to him partly because of his local knowledge, and partly because it’s quickly clear to them that his knowledge of battle is greater than theirs (GM’s note - at this point I think he has X+1 Rank of Warfare - ie: he’s no longer just at the top of the generation, but also a match for many of the Elders - only Mordecai, Drake and Krovaliss are better)

- Meanwhile, Ethan has confirmed his mastery of Sorcery in this realm and is preparing for the battle to come by fabricating a number of defences along the Dusker River to protect Tyland Mill if the Crawler tries to attack the township from the river. He also works with Cal, and Erik’s troops to prepare the stone bridge across the Dusker River as a defensible location.

- In the evenings, Ethan talks to Cordelias and plays a chess-like game with her. He is curious about her because he has never talked to her before. He knows that she is older than he is even if she doesn’t appear to be - and he is curious about where she comes from and what she has seen in her time as a Lord of Gossamer. She is also curious about some of Ethan’s background - she heard that he was marked as a dragonslayer and she wants to hear what happened.

- A few days before the full moon, Lords Gretchen and Taltos arrive via Icon. Cal has brought them through. They report to Grant and offer their steel to help defend Tyland Mill. This means that there are now ten Lords of Gossamer preparing to fight the Crawler.

* Images of Gretchen and Taltos (both are official Lords of Gossamer pieces of art, I know that the image is by Tommy Arnold but I’m not sure about the Gretchen artwork - it’s from Lucien’s Guide to the Grand Stair)

- On one of his patrols, Veronique accompanies Ethan. She is a tall blonde woman who carries a light sword. She has a slight accent when she talks. She asks many questions about Ethan - she has heard many stories but has never met him. Ethan admits that he hasn’t actively sought out other Lords of Gossamer, and this is something that Veronique finds surprising as the Lords that she has met have typically seen much and have ‘the best stories’. To Ethan’s surprise, Veronique is also a ‘runner’ - someone who enjoys running for pleasure, and who enjoys exploring wilderness areas away from any Doors. She hasn’t been a Lord of Gossamer as long as he has, but she has visited many places and seems to be an experienced Stair-Walker. It is a pleasant conversation and Ethan wishes that he’d made her acquaintance earlier.

- Visiting the Good Omen Inn one night to see Salthia, he finds that she is not in her room, and he finds her having noisy sex with Yaeger Zane. He’s reminded of finding Abigail (Abbie) in Yaeger’s embrace years ago - he never told Ethan about that. Annoyed, he decides to go for a walk. Later that night, on the way back to the Sheriff’s Tower, he passes Thorn’s smithy and hears the sounds of ‘small’ activity. Sure enough, Tinkerbell is still working away, fixing panels to the sides of her fairy-sized motorbike. She looks to be almost finished. Grant asks how she is going, and she shrugs. She’s spent years in captivity and she’s keen to get out of this realm - but she’ll hang around a few more days to see what happens before taking her leave. She gives Grant the impression that she’ll wait to see what he does next before deciding whether to come with him or go her own way. 

- The days fly by. Yaeger’s activities grate on Grant and he becomes most eager to leave Tyland Mill. Yaeger has already bedded Freya, Salthia and Thom Rishavel’s wife Gina. Erik, Gretchen and Taltos seem to have built the Steel Eagles into a potent fighting force. Most of the other Lords of Gossamer are wielding power to shift gossamer reality and every time they use it sends a tremor through reality. The villagers are bewildered. Grant doesn’t like the amount of disruption that his fellow Lords of Gossamer are causing. Strangely, Ethan seems to be relaxed in the company of his fellow Lords of Gossamer - and that is most unusual. It is normally the other way around - Ethan stands apart from the others.

Day 55 - The Return of the Crawler

- Night falls and the full moon rises. Ethan waits in the undercity beneath Tyland Mills for Nadakara (Nadia) to arrive. Many of the Lords of Gossamer are positioned at the stone bridge, waiting for the Crawler to arrive. Others defend Tyland Mill. The people of Tyland Mill have been evacuated. Lady Marian and her brother Red are off-world where Nadakara cannot reach them.

- That evening, Nadakara arrives in the heart of the undercity. There is a black pool of water in the main temple chamber. She sees Ethan waiting for her and gives him a venomous stare. Realising that he’s not going to stop her, she begins the ritual. She undresses and stands pale before the black pool, a sacrificial dagger in hand. She calls out for her ‘Father’ and offers her life in return for her failure. She then plants the dagger in her chest and crumples into the still waters.

- Ethan contacts Grant via Icon and tells him that Nadia is dead, and the Crawler will almost certainly be on its way.

- Far away, the Crawler emerges from the Gorge - it is gargantuan in size. It speeds upstream along the Dusker River for Tyland Mills with supernatural speed, summoned by Nadia’s death. The water in the river is blasted out of the way as the god-thing hurtles along. 

- The defenders at the stone bridge are ready for the Crawler. They have built barriers to force it upwards where it can be attacked. Despite all of their preparations, they are still awed by the physical size of the creature. It hits the bridge and shatters it. The great chains that have been woven across the River and reinforced with Eidolon stop it, and it strains to climb over the obstacle.

- The Crawler is shaped like an aquatic caterpillar, but it has a horrible eel-like head surrounded by a crown of tentacles. Five large eyes shimmer in its head, full of psychic energy.

* Image sourced from Google Images (It’s not quite right but it’s the best that I could find)

- Grant, Yaeger Zane and Cordelias are well prepared for this. Grant begins using Gorgorin as a bow to attempt to weaken it. Yaeger Zane takes to the air (he has wings) and tries to cut into its head. Cordelias gives the order to fire and a series of ballistas with wicked harpoons open fire. They don’t expect to stop it here - but they want to be able to injure it before it arrives at Tyland Mill.

- The battle lasts about five minutes before the Crawler has dragged itself over the barriers and obstacles laid in front of it, and reached the Dusker River on the other side. During that time, Grant has destroyed two of its mighty eyes with piercing arrows charged with Umbral energy (using Gorgorin). Yaeger has struck many blows against the creature and tested its armoured carapace in a number of places. Cordelias has had better luck - her harpoons penetrated its softer underbelly, but the strength of the creature ultimately won out and the god-thing dragged itself past the defences and broke the harpoons or their points of anchor.

- Grant uses an Icon to contact Ethan to return to Tyland Mill, but Ethan has realised that the Crawler is being summoned to the pool where Nadia killed herself and he is now running for his life before the Crawler arrives and collapses the Undercity. Ethan rejects the call and keeps running. Grant is unsure as to what has happened but he contacts Erik instead and the three Lords of Gossamer return to Tyland Mill.

- The Crawler arrives shortly after, emerging from the black pool which is far smaller than it is and bursting out of the ground only a few hundred yards south of Tyland Mill. At that point, the corridors collapse on Ethan and he is partly buried. 

- With the full moon illuminating the whole area, the Crawler looms over the entire landscape like a godlike shadow, its tentacles writhing. 

- The battle that follows lasts more than an hour as the Lords of Gossamer work to bring the creature down. The defenders of Tyland Mill all play their part - from the Steel Eagles to the Fellowthongs Clan, to Vendra the Witch, to Freya, to John the Fair (in Werewolf form) to the Lords of Gossamer themselves. The Crawler is a truly fearsome opponent as it not only possesses mighty strength and legendary endurance, but also it regenerates and can channel its psychic energy through its shimmering eyes to confuse and dominate. 

- After about twenty minutes, Ethan digs himself out of the rubble and joins the fight. 

- Despite all of their efforts, the Crawler seems to be invincible. It destroys some of the outlying houses, and seems to be healing faster than they can injure it. It psychically dominates those who seek to fight against it, and it even turns some of the Lords of Gossamer and makes them fight against the others.

- In the end, there are two factors that turn the tide.

- Grant uses the Black Whip (a faerie weapon) which he recovered from the catacombs beneath the Weeping Castle, and this is even more effective than Gorgorin at hurting the creature. The Black Whip cuts clean through its armoured shell as if it wasn’t there, injuring the flesh beneath. The Crawler doesn’t seem able to heal these injuries, and even though it tries to dominate Grant with its psychic abilities, Grant is able to break its grip using Umbra. 

- Ethan begins using Lord Wynterlyr’s ring, drawing upon faerie magic to further empower his own. Even though this does not directly damage the creature, he is able to weaken it.

- After more than an hour of hard fighting, the Crawler shows signs of slowing down - it is no longer regenerating as quickly as it was, and it finally falls. Grant then uses the sword which was blessed by Many Frogs to cut his way into the creature’s throat and destroy its brain. At this, the Crawler finally dies, and its gigantic corpse begins to wither away as if time has been accelerated.

Aftermath

- Many of the Steel Eagles are dead, including their leader Raktor Stoneface. Some of the Fellowthongs clan have also died in battle. Freya and Wendolyn have both perished defending Tyland Mill.

- Of the Lords of Gossamer, Gretchen has been slain in battle with the Crawler. Despite being renowned as a survivor of countless battles, she has not survived this one. Both Cordelias and Erik have both sustained wounds that would be mortal for any normal person. Cordelias’ wounds were inflicted by Erik when he was under the Crawler’s control. Cordelias has lost her shield-arm in addition to suffering chest wounds. Erik was lucky to live at all given that Yaeger Zane ended up knocking him out with the haft of his axe.

- Nevertheless, the danger has passed. There is mourning for those who have been lost, healing for those who have been injured, and celebration for those who have lived. Lady Marian and Red return and the people turn their attention to rebuilding. Some of the Lords of Gossamer want to stay and some wish to depart. The question which Ethan and Cal are asking is - where did the Crawler come from, and is it unique? 

- Yaeger Zane departs shortly after the feast with Salthia in tow, much to Grant’s relief. Grant has no wish to remain as Sheriff, and in the days that follow he talks to Cal about assuming the title, at least for the time being. Ethan spends time with Cordelias and Erik, making sure that their injuries are healing properly. Erik is ashamed of injuring Cordelias and he leaves soon after Gretchen’s funeral. Ethan spends more time with Cordelias, rejoining her severed arm and ensuring that she is recovering physically before she too chooses to leave. They part on friendly terms - Cordelias didn’t know that Ethan was a healer and she promises to remember his kindness.

- Grant heads to the Hexenhoof Mine to locate Jacob’s personal effects. He organises a funeral for Jacob, and the remaining Lords of Gossamer attend. Ethan cures John the Fair of his lycanthropy, breaking the curse.

The Black Lotus

- A few days after Jacob’s funeral, Grant thinks about what he wants to do next and whether he wants to try to negotiate with Lord Wynterlyr for the return of Lady Sophia (assuming that he knows whether she is, and it’s not a trick). He fishes out the ‘black lotus’ (a type of swamp weed) out of his pocket and decides to smoke it the way that Knuckles and he did about two weeks earlier when he was seeking out the ruins of Nyrath.

- The ‘black lotus’ is supposed to be life-changing, at least for a normal human. He wonders what he’ll see, and he sits back to enjoy the experience. 

- The Black Lotus takes him on an unusual trip. His mind is open to new possibilities using Umbra and he literally cuts his way through the floor of Gossamer reality to the plane of Shadow that lies beneath it. He has been through Shadow before - the Courts of the Shadow Fey lie in Shadow. But this experience is quite different. This time, he can feel his way in Shadow - he can feel the right way to go. He can see the creatures that are here, even if they don’t want him to. 

- Grant is gone for two days, but he reappears using the same technique, effectively climbing through the roof of Shadow and emerging through the floor of Gossamer reality. He is shaken by the experience but also exhilarated by the thought of what might be possible.

- Back in Gossamer reality, he feels that things are different here too. He can see spiritual energy here, like he saw in Duskwall. He can see the movements of spiritual energy like a trail - where people have gone, what they have done. The Black Lotus has broadened his mind in many ways. (GM’s note - these are new in-game abilities)

Negotiations with Lord Wynterlyr

- Ethan has been acting as Deputy Sheriff in Grant’s absence. Nothing untoward has happened and he was not concerned that Grant had disappeared. He remarks that Tinkerbell’s motorbike is working - and it flies. Some of the locals don’t like it as it makes a lot of noise and it scares the sheep. 

- Grant and Ethan settle down into a routine. They make plans to handover the Sheriff position to Cal. Cal has taken an interest in Tyland Woods and wants to explore further. With Salthia gone, the Fellowthongs Clan have taken over the Good Omen Inn but they are eager to head to the Hexenhoof Mines which they consider their ancestral home. Grant agrees to go with them.

- Ethan wants to head west to Stone Bridge and see what has become of that town (and see Jorus, the blind justicar). 

- Before they head their separate ways, Grant and Ethan discuss what to do with Lord Wynterlyr’s Ring. They make their way to the forbidden area of the forest and find the Faerie Well. Grant asks permission to enter and a series of stairs emerge from the wall of the well to allow them to descend. At the bottom they find Lord Wynterlyr and his court. A number of faerie musicians and acrobats are attempting to entertain him but he looks very bored. Lord Wynterlyr’s face is snow-white, blemished only by a single scar (inflicted by his wife, Lady Beethania). 

- Grant and Ethan are used to faerie etiquette. They are very polite. Lord Wynterlyr wants the return of his Ring and is prepared to offer almost anything within his power for its return. Lord Wynterlyr says that it is within his power to return Lady Sophia. 

- Grant and Ethan withdraw to consult. Grant fears trickery and they decide to think about it. They know where Lord Wynterlyr is - they can always come back. For the time being, Ethan will keep the Ring.

- Returning to Tyland Mill, the two have a final meal at the Good Omen Inn before parting ways. Ethan says his farewells and then heads west to Stone Bridge. Grant asks Tinkerbell if she wants to come with him - she’s less enthusiastic about heading back to the Hexenhoof Mines with Ingmar and the Fellowthongs Clan, but she brightens at the thought that he can open a Door onto the Stair from there. She agrees to go with him.

- GM’s note: This ends the Secrets of Tyland story arc. Tyrnador Secrets of Tyland is a hex crawl campaign by Umberto Pignatelli. Tyrnador is a Savage Worlds setting which is produced by Gramel Books. It can be found on DrivethruRPG. (Personally, I rate anything by Gramel very highly. I was so impressed by Savage Worlds Beasts and Barbarians that I contacted the publisher in Poland and asked them to send me a copy of everything in print - which they did).

Session 260 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 20)

- GM’s note: Grant finally cuts loose in the ruins of Nyrath. Allies arrive. Epic battle ensues.

Day 45 – Thunderday – 30th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Faced with the golden-scaled leader of the Lurkers, and the demon lord Akyshigal, and the Crawler High Priestess Sylkara (Sylvia), Grant decides that the time for deception is over. Surrounded by Lurker acolytes and facing multiple sorcerers, he cuts loose, wielding Umbra. (GM’s note – Ethan can sense this disturbance over a hundred miles away) A blast hurls the entire lot of them back and he begins blasting away with his wrist weapon. 

- Sylkara taps into the Umbra and generates a defensive shield. Quick as lightning, Grant draws Gorgorin (his primal damage weapon) and rushes her, using Umbra to breach her defensive shield. He cuts her down in a single blow and then turns his attention to Akyishigal, blasting away with his wrist blaster to drive him back. The demon lord explodes into tens of thousands of cockroaches who begin scuttling into a network of crevices that are forming across the stone floor. The demon lord appears to be fleeing.

- Grant tries to stop Akyishigal from retreating. He uses Umbra to destroy the stone floor. Many of the fleeing cockroaches are torn apart but something new begins to emerge from the larger rifts in the floor. These appear to be spiders of some kind – with long, spine-like legs. They are large. Very large. 

- Protecting the hostage who was brought to this chamber to be sacrificed, Grant blasts left and right, slaying some of the Lurker priests that remain. The golden-scaled Lurker leaves the chamber, protected by two guards. An alarm sounds and Grant hears inhuman hooting noises in the distance.

- Deciding it is time to retreat, he steers the freed prisoner back out of the temple and he produces an Icon. It is time to call in reinforcements. He reaches out and contacts Cal. He explains that there is no time and no space to bring in an army. He needs ten of Cal’s best and he needs them now.

* Cal (by Jason Rainville), Yaeger Zane (by Sam Denmark), Cordelias (by Gordon Napier)

- Cal arrives first, quickly followed by the winged Yaeger Zane (who is carrying a hefty looking battle axe), Cordelias (dressed in fine-armour), Erik (Drake’s son), a swashbuckler named Flynn, a strange furry cat-like person named Riga, twin bald headed warriors named Darro and Fix, and an eight-foot man with numerous deformities called Nan. 

- Grant quickly explains that he needs to pursue the golden-scaled Lurker priest in one direction, but there are at least two hundred Lurkers about to come down the corridor from the other way. Yaeger gives a grin and thumbs in the direction of the hooting Lurker horde. Most of the others follow Yaeger, but both Cal and Flynn decide to follow Grant’s lead.

- What follows then is a battle through the catacombs. Grant, Cal and Flynn re-engage the abyssal spiders and the remaining Lurker priests. While Cal investigates what the priests have been up to, and Flynn clears out of the nearby chambers, Grant heads after the golden-scaled Lurker. After a number of wrong turns, and a series of battles against Lurkers (some of whom have been bolstered with Umbra at the expense of shortening their lifespan), Grant finds a chamber which shows that the Lurkers have been experimenting, blending Lurkers and humans and creating hideous hybrids. He kills some ‘super’ Lurkers that are significantly stronger than the normal Lurkers and eventually makes his way back to Flynn and Cal. Somehow the golden-scaled Lurker has given them the slip for the moment. The sounds of battle are still raging in the distance as Yaeger, Erik, Cordelias and the others do battle against the Lurkers.

- Frustrated, Grant retraces his steps and realises that the golden-scaled Lurker has attempted to join the rest of the Lurker army. He wasn’t fleeing – he was trying to get reinforcements. Grant tries to join the battle from the other side, but runs into the golden-scaled Lurker as he flees from Yaeger’s onslaught. Grant battles the golden-scaled Lurker’s minions, cuts them down and subdues the Lurker lord using Umbra, figuring to interrogate him later.

- Yaeger’s battle against the Lurker army is terrible. The Lurkers have demonic allies, and the Crawler Priestess Iriskara (Irina) fights with them. She herself is a powerhouse with Ranked Strength and Warfare. However, the Lurker army is still no match for three Lords of Gossamer (Yaeger Zane, Cordelias and Erik) and the allies that they have brought with them. The Lords of Gossamer cut through the army and leave none alive.

- With the battle ended, Grant goes looking for the remaining prisoners. He finds the Temple of Many Frogs that he knew to be here, and is rewarded for ‘purifying the taint’. In future, frogs will be his allies – he only needs to call upon them. Red himself is found in one of the cells. Most of his band have already been sacrificed to the Crawler, but Red was being kept alive.

- Looking over the bodies of Iriskara (Irina) and Sylkara (Sylvia), Grant realises that there is one Crawler Priest left – Nadakara (Nadia), the shadow walker. He assumes that she will still try to capture and kill Marian or Red if she can – but she is either operating alone, or with greatly diminished resources. He wonders what she will do next.

Day 46 – Fireday – 31st Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- The Lords of Gossamer have finished ransacking the ruined city of Nyrath. They have gathered all of the information that they could from the place. Grant has interrogated Shush’Arish, the golden-scaled Lurker. Shush’Arish is himself a reincarnation of the Lurker high priest who was around when Tyland Redmantle first battled the Crawler. He did not wish to tell Grant anything, but Grant is most persuasive (ie: he used Umbra to weaken the priest’s defenses). Shush’Arish believes that the Crawler will still be triumphant, even if none of Tyland Redmantle’s descendents can be sacrificed as the ‘Fifth Sacrifice’. Nadakara (Nadia) will sacrifice herself if she has to, and bring about the Crawler’s return. Shush’Arish believes that the Crawler is invincible and cannot be killed. Grant then spends considerable time with Shush’Arish, pressing him for any weakness in their ‘God’. He applies considerable pressure using Umbra and the priest finally confesses that there may be a vulnerability. The Crawler is almost invulnerable and given time it can heal any wound, but it may be killed if its melon-sized brain is destroyed. The brain is deep within the Crawler at the base of its throat!

- Armed with this information, the Lords of Gossamer decide to return to Tyland Mill. They have ten days until the next full moon - there is plenty of time.

Meanwhile, what happened to Ethan?

- Ethan and Magnus departed the Weeping Castle on the Thunderday (Day 45) and camped on the side of the road that night. That evening when Magnus is deeply asleep, a mist forms and Ethan is ambushed.

- Ethan is expecting trouble but is surprised when Lady Sorrenminx is the one who appears through the mist. (GM’s note - Ethan met Lady Sorrenminx during the Courts of the Shadow Fey story arc, which we will flashback to.) Ethan considers Sorrenminx to be a friend. She is from the River Court, and is an accomplished sorceress and swordswoman. 

* Lady Sorrenminx (by Bryan Syme)

- Assuming that she is here to bargain for Lord Wynterlyr’s Ring, Ethan gets to his feet to talk with her. But he is then attacked from behind by Baron Suvid, the two-foot tall ‘fastest blademan’ of the Courts. Baron Suvid and Ethan have briefly crossed swords before, but never in anger. Ethan knows how fast the Baron is - he is superhumanly fast, like something out of a comic book - and Ethan is taken completely by surprise. Attacking silently, the Baron stabs Ethan from behind multiple times to bring him down.

- Ethan rarely uses Eidolon in combat, but he does so here. Despite grievous wounds to his legs and his back, he continues to function. But the Baron does not stop there - he has seen Ethan fight before and has a measure of him. Suvid goes for the Ring and cuts two of Ethan’s fingers off with his blade.

- But before Suvid can grab the Ring and bolt, Ethan cuts loose. He is angry. Very angry. He uses his favoured ‘force push’ to hurl both Suvid and Sorrenminx away, and retrieves his severed fingers (intending to reattach them if possible). 

- Seeing how enraged Ethan is, Sorrenminx thinks better of drawing steel against him and she chooses to abandon Suvid and slip away into the mist. But Baron Suvid is unwilling to give up - he speeds back in, gets under Ethan’s guard and stabs him again. Ethan sees red and throws Suvid back again, smashing the small fey into a tree with enough force to shake leaves free from its branches. This time Suvid is hurt, but still unwilling to back down. Drawing steel, Ethan uses Eidolon to strengthen the blade. He believes that he can match Suvid in a straight fight. His left hand is wounded but he is right-handed. Eidolon should hold him together as long as nothing else happens.

- Baron Suvid considers for a moment, and then vanishes into the mist with a blur of movement. Ethan expects Suvid to come running at him again from a different direction, using the mist as cover, but no further attack comes. While he waits, Ethan uses Eidolon to heal his wounds. When he is sure that the danger has passed and that Suvid has gone, he begins working on reattaching his severed fingers. He has never lost digits or limbs before and it takes him some time to make the reconnection. 

- More angry than frightened, Ethan wonders if Sorrenminx came to parley but Baron Suvid had other ideas. Regardless, he decides that the fey will keep coming for him whilst he has the Ring.

- Magnus is completely oblivious to the fight, and Ethan says nothing of it in the morning. They continue onto Tyland Mill as if nothing has happened.

- It is not until Fireday (Day 46) that Grant contact him via Icon to report that the Lords of Gossamer have attacked the Ruins of Nyrath, that Sylvia and Irina are both slain, and the remaining sister Nadia (Nadakara) is still on the loose. The Lords of Gossamer come through to Tyland Mill via the Icon contact, along with the surviving prisoners.

Session 259 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 19)

- GM’s note: Grant enters the ruined city of Nyrath, home of the Lurkers and the Cult of the Crawler

Day 45 – Thunderday – 30th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Each of the Crawler priests that Grant has encountered has worn a distinctive robe with a unique metal mask. As he skirts the edge of the Gorge and begins his descent towards what is left of Nyrath, he knows that the ancient robes and mask that he is wearing are unlikely to pass close inspection. Nevertheless, he hopes it will give him an opening.

- He decides to watch the mist-clad ruins from a vantage point. He notes some animated skeletal warriors moving around in a wide patrol and easily evades them. He feels an Umbral disturbance between the ruins of Nyrath. There is something down there.

- Grant is one of the most stealthy men in the multiverse. He cannot use Umbra to shift his form without disturbing reality in this place but he is still a master even when using mundane techniques. He slips into the ruins, noting and then avoiding the single Lurker sentry that is watching the approach. The ruins are little more than rubble and a few partially standing structures. There is a lot of bracken and overgrown vegetation. He finds it easy to move about unseen. He finds pieces of old pottery and even a few tools – the ancient people of Nyrath were clearly competent craftsmen and women.

- Exploring the ruins, Grant finds webbed footprints and he decides to track them back to their point of origin. They come from a chamber with a mosaic floor which still has a roof. The mosaic floor depicts the monstrous form of the Crawler. It is not clear at first where the Lurkers are coming from, but he finds a catch in the mosaic floor that reveals a way down.  

- Grant descends into the catacombs beneath Nyrath. At the bottom of the Stairs he meets a group of Lurker guards, but they are confused by his appearance and do not immediately attack. He speaks to them and tells them that he has returned. He acts as if he belongs here, and they are sufficiently afraid of a Crawler priest to let him pass.

- Grant continues this bluff through multiple chambers. He finds Lurkers deep in a trance in a room thick with burning swamp-weed. He finds a burial chamber which he unlocks and finds that Tyland Redmantle’s old friend, Sir Baros is still very much alive, but has been transformed by Crawler magics into a powerful warlord called Kur-Rah. His body is covered with extensive runes that have extended his lifespan many times and given him a degree of power. Kur-Rah is confused by Grant’s arrival, and is quickly overpowered and slain by the Lord of Gossamer. Grant reseals the tomb and carries on.

- He finds Lurker tadpole breeding chambers. He finds a small army of Lurkers waiting a call to action. He also finds the old temple of the three sisters – Iriskara, the warrior; Sylkara, the high priestess; and Nadakara, the shadow walker. The statues of each clearly match the modern incarnations of Irina, Sylvia and Nadia respectively. It is here that they found who they truly were, and found the Crawler Prophecy which is written in blood on the wall.

”Where the Crawler was Wounded You’ll Kill

Once per Full Moon the Dagger Will Rise and Fall

Five Deaths as Five are the Points of Its Star

The First Death an Innocent One

The Second Death a Servant of the Merciful

The Third Death the Hand of Justice

The Fourth Death a Man with Two Souls

The Fifth Death the Hated Hand Who Dealt the Blow

And in the Middle of the Star It Will Return

If you Fail, in the Heart of the Star You’ll Find Your Doom”

- The inscription on the wall confirms for Grant that the three sisters are after Tyland Redmantle’s descendent – either Marian or Red. They have Red in custody and will plan to sacrifice him at the next full moon. It is just as he suspected.

- Grant carries on, continuing his bluff. He has still not run across any of the three sisters or any Lurkers who would challenge his faked authority. He decides to see if he can find where the prisoners are being held, and he is in time to see a group of Lurkers escorting a proud looking man away. There is a look of grim resignation on the man’s face and Grant knows that he is expecting to die. Grant decides to pursue and he follows the band of Lurkers into a temple chamber which has been set up for ritual sacrifice.

- In this chamber, Grant is immediately identified as an intruder. There are Lurker acolytes of the Crawler present, and their leader is an ancient Lurker with golden scales and baby-blue eyes. This golden-scaled Lurker immediately knows that Grant does not belong here.

- Sylkara (Sylvia) is also present and recognises him as an intruder. She begins casting a spell.

- Lastly, there is the gigantic twelve-foot tall cockroach-like form of the demon lord Akyshigal. Akyshigal and Grant have met before in the Courts of the Shadow Fey (which we then flashback to) – Akyshigal tried to recruit Grant to undermine the Queen of Night and Magic but he refused. Akyshigal then tried to kill him. With a clicking sound and a hiss, the demon lord calls out Grant by name.

Session 258 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 18)

- GM’s note: Grant goes in search of the Ruins of Nyrath whilst Ethan deals with the Steel Eagles

Day 43 - Towerday – 28th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- The next morning, Ethan heads off with Magnus, one of Ingmar’s kinsmen. Their destination is the Weeping Castle and they hope to recruit the Steel Eagles and locate the missing Deed which would give the Fellowthongs Clan the proof that they own the Hexenhoof Mine. Grant believes that the deed could be found amongst the paperwork in the library on the second floor.

- Despite it being a nice, sunny day, Grant decides that he needs to delve into the Undertown beneath Tyland Mill. He wants to make sure that he has all available information before heading east to the Gorge. Ethan has mentioned two chambers that Grant has not explored – a room with a dark pool which feels palpably evil, and a temple of the Crawler which has murals on the central pillar. There is also a door which has the mark of the Crawler on it which neither of them has opened.

- Remembering that he found the body of a Crawler priest who had been crushed by a rockfall a long ago, Grant decides to return to the site and see if it is possible to excavate it. After some time digging, he can retrieve the skeleton. Much has been crushed but the purple robe is still mostly intact and the priest’s creepy facemask is still in good condition. He also finds a strange viscous purple potion, an ebony sacrificial dagger and a star-symbol of the Crawler. Pleased with this discovery, Grant thinks about using this as a disguise when he locates the city of Nyrath.

- Grant then turns his attention to the temple chamber. On the pillar he finds four murals, each depicting a scene from the Crawler’s past. A star falls from the sky into a lake. An enormous serpentine creature comes out of the lake, surrounded by Lurkers and the Men on the shore of the lake bow in front of it. In the third mural, Lurkers and men fight under the gaze of the Crawler - the Men are victorious over the Lurkers. In the final mural, there is a scene of a great city being built on the shores of the lake.

- Grant studies the final mural in detail, hoping for a clue as to its location at the Gorge. Ultimately, he’s not sure – there are mountains shown and there are shadows which might indicate a certain place – but it could also just be artistic license and things may have changed since the city was built.

- Grant then inspects the room with the black pool. Ethan was right. The whole place feels evil, as if something very dark happened here long ago. There are disturbances in the dust on the floor as if some of the Lurkers came to the pool to pay reverence, but he is not able to determine any other significance.

- He then turns his attention to the door which has been warded (defiled) by the mark of the Crawler. Inside he finds an old temple which contains a greenstone frog – the missing frog from the other temple of ‘Many Frogs’. There are four Lurkers in the chamber but these are different to the ones that are in service to the Crawler. These ones have amphibian heads. Each looks like they have died here – they are covered in a thick layer of dust – and yet they are still alive and in some sort of trance. Grant decides to ask permission of the four creatures to take the greenstone frog. He hears no audible response but feels a sense of relief from the room around him. As he leaves the room with the frog statue, the frog guardians crumble into dust.

- Grant returns to the chamber of Many Frogs and returns the missing idol. When he does so, the murals of frogs around the chamber come alive and start croaking happily. One of the braziers bursts into life and burns with a green flame. Grant can hear the croaking and understands the appreciation in the many voices. Many Frogs wants to reward him with a gift – he is being told to place a weapon within the brazier to receive the gift. Pausing for a moment, he takes his longsword (not Gorgorin) and places it in the flame. It burns with a green flame and he understands that this gift will not only imbue his blade with magical energy, but also enable him to breathe underwater. This is useful given that he plans to go the Gorge to find the city of Nyrath and there is a strong likelihood that some of it is underwater.

- Grant talks to Many Frogs and asks if they can tell him where Nyrath is. The frog god is surprised that Grant can understand him and responds that Nyrath has been heavily damaged by many earth tremors over the centuries. Many Frogs explains that Nyrath was built upon an isthmus that extended out into the Gorge but the city has almost certainly partly sunken into the Gorge itself. Apparently there is another temple to Many Frogs in Nyrath but it has probably been destroyed or defiled. However, if Grant can reach the temple, Many Frogs promises to assist where he can.

- Thinking over what Many Frogs said, Grant decides to return to the temple with the pillar of the four murals. He spends more time looking over the chamber and finds a secret door. He figures out that it would normally only open if the braziers are lit (which would require a ritual of some kind) but this is no obstacle to a Master of the Stair. He opens the secret door with a wave of his hand and finds the treasure room of the Cult of the Crawler – none of which has been removed by the three priestesses. Apart from a cache of gold and gemstones, there are large pieces of black chitin which are probably pieces of the Crawler – they would almost certainly make fine armour if fashioned. He also finds a helmet which is made of black chitin and dark steel which would be suitable for him if he wanted to cut a fearsome image (which he does, from time to time).

- Grant returns to the Sheriff’s Tower after a lengthy time in the Undercity. He is surprised not to have met Zod, the goblin vampire – he wonders if the ‘gampire’ has moved on. When he reaches Tyland Mill, one of his deputies tells him that there is a storm in the east (in the direction of the Gorge) which is clearly visible using the spyglass on the third floor. Given the direction that weather patterns move, the storm itself is clearly unnatural.

- Ethan has an uneventful day on the road, heading to the Weeping Castle. He finds more about Magnus, his travelling companion. Magnus likes to tell stories and carries a small lyre which he enjoys playing with his large stubby fingers.

Day 44 - Wineday – 29th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- The next morning, Grant heads off on the river towards the Gorge. He has borrowed a fishing boat which he rows downstream. He knows that an old woman called Aunt Millie has a cottage near the bridge, but she was used as the priestesses’ alibi when one of them was away, so he decides not to take the risk that she is in cahoots with them. Even though Ethan spoke positively of his meeting with Aunt Millie, he decides to avoid her.

- Grant spots the fresh channel that Ethan mentioned where the River Rose had been dragged by a gigantic octopus-creature. He paddles on. Late in the day he spots a plume of smoke to the south-east and he decides to investigate. There shouldn’t be another settlement here, so close to the Gorge.

- Meanwhile, Ethan and Magnus reach the Weeping Castle in the late morning. Ethan is recognised as one of the Sheriff’s Deputies (and someone who has beaten some of them up previously) but they are still admitted. It is clear that Raktor Stoneface is in charge. There is no pretence that Lord Korab is still alive. Raktor says that Korab ‘died in his sleep’ and his Lady fled, leaving him in charge.

- Raktor has no interest in the Deed which the dwarves are seeking. He allows Magnus to look around the library which Grant referred to whilst Raktor and Ethan talk further. Raktor is ice-cold when he talks to Ethan – and Raktor gives Ethan the impression that he thinks that he has the upper hand. Raktor also seems to think that Ethan has nothing to offer, so he listens.

- Ethan offers to hire the Steel Eagles, but Raktor counters that he already has employment. He doesn’t say who hired him but Ethan guesses that one of the Priestesses has hired the Steel Eagles to do ‘nothing’, effectively preventing the Mill Lady from hiring them. Raktor coolly tries to see if he can recruit Ethan. Ethan listens but he isn’t sure what game Raktor is playing. He doesn’t seem to be aware that Ethan has destroyed the Steel Eagle garrison at Stonebridge, cutting his forces by a third.

- Conversation turns to payment if the Deed is located, and Raktor is surprised when Ethan offers to compensate him and shows him that he is carrying gold. They talk further.

- In the late afternoon, Grant beaches the fishing boat and goes to find who is living this close to the Gorge. In the swamps he meets one of the Red’s men, a fellow called Knuckles who is guarding the merchant Shaafi’s crop of swamp-weed. Grant has discovered this world’s equivalent of dope – and Knuckles is guarding the farm and areas where the cut grasses are laid out to dry. When Grant offers to buy some swamp-weed, Knuckles relaxes, and they sit back to enjoy a pipe. There are many varieties of swamp-weed, some more potent than others. Grant is intrigued by the lotus infusion which is said to be ‘life changing’ so he buys the only quantity that Knuckles has. Knuckles has no knowledge of what has happened at Silvertrout Manor – he has been here for weeks but is expecting Shaafi back ‘in the near future’.

- Magnus finds the missing Deed which gives the Fellowthongs Clan legitimate title to the Hexenhoof Mine. He says nothing of this but simply pockets it and returns to join Ethan in the great hall. There, the mood is tense. Ethan has figured out that Raktor sees no profit in helping the Mill Lady – from his perspective, she has no coin and he’s already been paid to ‘guard the Weeping Castle’ for the foreseeable future. Besides, if Cutting Field was destroyed by an attack from the river, the Weeping Castle is a more defensible location. Raktor would prefer to ‘wait it out’ and not get involved in what may be losing position.

- Ethan is calm, assessing the Steel Eagles and waiting for Magnus’ return. When Magnus returns to the chamber, Ethan knows that he has what they came for. He figures that Raktor knows as well. Ethan finds himself with a dilemma – he doesn’t feel that he can leave the Steel Eagles in control of the Weeping Castle. They might join forces with the Priestesses of the Crawler against the people of Tyland Mill. They are also likely to inflict reprisals against the people of Stone Bridge. However, he also has to make sure that Magnus returns to his people with the Deed.

- There is a moment of silence as both Ethan and Raktor size each other up. Raktor doesn’t know what Magnus has but assumes that it must be valuable. Ethan believes that Raktor thinks that he has captured them both. Ethan decides to play along with the ruse a little longer and asks for hospitality for the evening, with the intention of leaving the next morning. Raktor gives a cold smile but nods.

- There is no great feast in the great hall that evening. It seems that their supplies are low and the meat is old. The plate of food that is offered to Ethan and Magnus is very poor fare. Even though some of the men ask for a barrel of wine from Korab’s cellar, Raktor refuses them. Ethan and Magnus watch two servants being roughly treated but say nothing. They listen to conversation about the lack of supplies from Stone Bridge but Ethan does not say anything of this. He merely notes it.

- It does not take long for the Steel Eagles to pick a fight with Ethan. Two of them who were beaten by him for raiding a farmstead decide to flank Ethan, and one spits in his food. Ethan smiles as he didn’t really want the food anyway, and he pleasantly asks if they would like another beating.

- The challenge is watched with interest by the Steel Eagles, and Raktor in particular. Ethan flattens one, then two, then three of his men in hand-to-hand combat. The Steel Eagles start egging on others to try – and one by one they are knocked down, knocked out, knocked flying.

- Within half an hour, there are a lot of bruised and battered Steel Eagles and Ethan appears unscratched. Judging that he has their attention, Ethan tells them that the garrison at Stone Bridge is gone – he wiped it out less than a week ago. (This gets their attention) He makes it clear that he isn’t their prisoner, they are his. He produces a pouch of gold and says that those who are willing to fight for Tyland Mill will be paid in gold. If not, he can’t afford for them to be on the other side.

- But Ethan misjudges the crowd. He has just openly challenged Raktor’s authority and Raktor orders them to draw swords and get him. (Ethan notes that some also have crossbows) Ethan isn’t happy with starting a battle in the great hall with so many Steel Eagles present, and he urges Magnus to watch his back as they retreat to the door. A dozen crossbows are leveled at them and Raktor orders them to surrender.

- Ethan decides to throw down his sword and offers to surrender. But Raktor then tells his men to shoot them anyway. Again, Ethan has misjudged the situation. Ethan throws a ‘Force Push’ which throws a number of them back and recovers his blade. He is on them before any others can fire.

- There are thirty men in the Great Hall – Ethan is vastly outnumbered, but he is the vastly superior fighter. He kills a handful and then withdraws with Magnus out into the corridor. The alarm is quickly raised and Magnus asks if Ethan has a plan given that he’s started a fight inside a castle with at least fifty of them. Ethan and Magnus withdraw and Ethan uses a ‘Mental Invisibility’ spell to cloak them to give them a breather and a chance to plan.

- Magnus confirms that he has the Deed, and Ethan explains that he can’t allow the Steel Eagles to remain as a viable fighting force. If he can’t hire them then he needs to ‘deplete them’. Magnus can’t believe that Ethan is talking about taking on the entire garrison by himself, but Ethan calmly says that if he moves quickly and avoids situations where they can overwhelm him with numbers, he’ll be able to do it. Probably.

- With the instruction that Magnus should stay close with him, Ethan goes to work. He moves quickly and strikes hard at small groups of Steel Eagles that he runs across, while avoiding those with crossbows or larger groups. Magnus keeps count of the dead, which quickly reaches double-digits. As the numbers climb, Ethan switches from hit and run tactics to sweeping and clearing out the towers.

- After an hour of brutal fighting, the remaining Steel Eagles seem to have split into two groups. One group, led by Raktor, has fortified itself in the great hall and are waiting for Ethan to come to them. The other group, a smaller group of eight, are waiting by the main gates and have offered their service to Tyland Mill.

- Magnus counts thirty-eight dead. With eight left at the main gates, that means that there shouldn’t be any more than thirty or forty of them left. It’s still not enough. Thirty men could still do a lot of damage to Stone Bridge, or Tyland Mill if they joined the Crawler. Ethan decides to go to the great hall to try to negotiate again but he is distracted by one of the servants who tells him that the surviving Steel Eagles have taken the remaining serving staff as hostages. The servant tells him that the Steel Eagles have been poor masters and have badly mistreated the servants, particularly the serving girls.

- Ethan negotiates through the door. He explains that his offer still stands. He will offer gold to the Steel Eagles to join the forces of Tyland Mill, but he cannot allow them to stay here and threaten the local community. Ethan is allowed into the room to negotiate further. In the room, he finds the surviving Steel Eagles number only thirty-five but they have hostages. Raktor is still poker-faced, but he admits that he misjudged Ethan. He has never seen a fighter like Ethan before. He asks calmly for more information about what is being demanded of them, and when Ethan explains, he tells his men to put away their weapons. Raktor agrees to the proposal. The Steel Eagles seem deflated but Raktor chastises them that there is no profit in continuing to fight and enough damage has already been done.

- The hostages are released, and one of the serving girls named Jane tells Ethan of further tales of how they have been abused and mistreated. Talking to the staff, Ethan asks for them to send a runner to Stone Bridge to advise them of what has happened. A token force of Steel Eagles will remain in the Weeping Castle, but the servants will have the right to veto who remains.

- Ethan asks Raktor to ready the remaining Steel Eagles to head to Tyland Mill once they’ve buried or burned their dead. Raktor acknowledges these commands – he refers to Ethan as ‘Lord’.

- Late in the evening, Magnus begins composing a song whilst plucking at the strings of his lyre. The servants bring Ethan food and drink to thank him for their deliverance. Magnus chuckles when he remarks that the red-haired Jane has taking a liking to Ethan. Ethan remarks that he hadn’t noticed (but of course he has).

Day 45 – Thunderday – 30th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- The next day, Grant rises early and heads beneath the stormclouds in the direction of the Gorge. He reaches the escarpment that falls away to the body of water below and begins following it around the southern side of the lake. There are mists on the lake that move. It is an eerie place. There is no rainfall from above and he can feel potent magic at work. The stormclouds feel somewhat pensive. He finds the city of Nyrath, or what is left of it, on the eastern shores. It has partly crumbled into the Gorge, but he can see the damaged isthmus which was once said to be in the shape of the Crawler. Donning the purple robe from the Crawler priest and putting on the arcane face mask, he begins making his way to the ruined city.

- Meanwhile, Ethan and Magnus begin the trek back to Tyland Mill. Raktor has agreed to follow them within a day. Ethan senses no deception in Raktor – he is behaving like a dutiful commander, at least for the moment.