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| Ruins of Hurhun |
23/5: Departure for Quodeth.
5/6: Arrive in Quodeth, meet with Queen Deyane & co.
12/6: Leave Quodeth on a fast Xebec back to Kal-Zinan.
22/6: Arrive back in Kal-Zinan.
25/6: Leave Kal-Zinan at the head of the dwarf army on the Road of Smoking Waters.
1/7: Autumn solstice. Leave the mountains.
3/7: Reach Hurhun. Battle skeletal cyclops, chimera and band of scavengers; Amos proving adept with the dwarven thundersword. Aeshma tells the scavenger gangs the Good Word of Mithra.
10/7: Quodeth fleet under Admiral Azarde arrives at Hurhun quays. Plan is made to send PCs as scouts to Isle of Woe, dropped off on a ship's boat away from the island.
13/7: Evening - PCs arrive at Isle of Woe on a jungle beach 12 miles from the Fortress of the Slavers. Council boat & battle zombies & ghasts.
14/7: Dawn - PCs set off for the slaver fortress.
The Chimera of Hurhun - by Aeshma
Once back in Kal Zinan we are introduced to a Quodethi Myrmidon, Amos of the Iron Hills, a survivor of the troglodyte raids on merchant caravans. With limited employment prospects from the dwarves, he agrees to join us for a short time.
Zerda negotiates with the High Master about the alliance against the Margish forces on the Isle of Woe. It is agreed that 500 of Kal Zinan’s heavy infantry and arbalesters will march from the dwarf city to rendezvous with the Quodethi fleet at the deep water harbour of ruined Hurhun.
Following his abortive discussions with the Lomari, Durmuth Ursk, High Priest of Nergal, feels that it is likely the Lomari will ally with Marg now that Quodeth has forged an alliance with Kal Zinan. Aeshma feels that Durmuth Ursk is checking we will be suitably belligerent as the dwarves’ allies given his natural preference for the militant approach of Lomar against Quodeth’s more mercantile attitude.
We return to Quodeth in company with the Indefatigable carrying the armaments purchased by Vorstag on behalf of the Sedarnels. Zerda reports back to the Palace where it is confirmed the Quodethi forces will be under the command of Azarde Two-Blades while Zerda is to be the liaison between Quodeth and the Kal Zinan dwarves. Finnris visits the gypsy fortune teller whose last card is turned to reveal a rearing lion: perhaps a portent of war with Lomar?
Leaving the Autumn Moon in Quodeth we take a fast Xebec back to Kal Zinan where Aeshma is able to collect the shield that Tarm has enchanted for her. She now gives her magic bronze shield bearing the sunburst of Mithra to Finnris.
As planned we march with the dwarven vanguard towards the ruined city of Hurhun. As we walk amongst the shattered building we hear the alarm raised by the dwarvish scouts ahead of us. Seconds later a skeletal cyclops looms over a broken wall but Vorstag and Finnris are able to react more quickly and destroy it before it can make its strength felt.
Aeshma and Vorstag are able to spot movement in the shadows as a leonine monster tries to take advantage of the distraction offered by the cyclops to ambush us. Amos too had an inkling of its presence and charges to take it on with his greatsword. The creature, a chimera, counterattacks with terrifying effectiveness, tearing gouges with its claws and spitting poison from its snake-like tail. Vorstag tries to use his harpoon to drag it closer to us but the chimera proves too strong and leaps away.
Finnris pursues it followed by Amos while Zerda and Aeshma use magic against it: a combination of eldritch blasts and a flaming sphere. Eventually they bring it to bay in its lair and, although by this point seriously wounded, Amos is the one to land the killing strike.
Exploring the lair we find 1400gp, a Spider Pot and a magical stone eye, identified by Zerda as an Eye of Dhuoth. As it is an artefact of the Great Old Ones Aeshma advises giving it into the keeping of her patron Kallesh Gan at the Church of Mithra where it can be studied and kept out of the hands of those who would use it. Vorstag thinks it might be used to research a cure for the Plague of Eyes. All this discussion is moot when Amos uses the Thunder Sword borrowed from Finnris to shatter it.
A little while later as we rest following the fight with the chimera, we are attacked by a band of scavengers. Most are killed but the last two surrender, saying they had only attacked because they were hungry. Aeshma pays the dwarven commissary for some rations to feed them and warns them against the lure of dark cults.
The next (edit) week, the war galley Pride of Quodeth arrives carrying Admiral Azarde Two-Blades. In a rare departure from their usual sniping conversation, Azarde warns Zerda about Niram Terinth, another of Queen Deyane councillors as well as being a particularly wealthy merchant and Guildmaster of the Mint whom he suspects of being a Set cultist.
Bearing in mind the possibility of the Margish slave citadel being reinforced by Lomari troops Finnris then Zerda propose a small scouting party go ahead to the Isle of Woe to make a reconnaissance. Aeshma agrees with one of Azarde’s aides a code of light flashes to enable us to report on the Margish and Lomari presence on the island.
Using a borrowed launch we safely reach the island and drag the launch up the beach to hide under some vegetation. From the lie of the land it looks like it will take a couple of days to reach the Margish fort…
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