Circus of the Mighty Session Log
“A Milo illustration of Dwalor, Holy Warrior of Molna, confronting 3 headed diabolic hounds”Victor, Greg, Ralph and Ian in attendence. 9-23-2007 around 5PM
until about 9:30PM. However what follows is really a summary of two
sessions:
To recap briefly:
The Circus is in Darth Lom, driven there primarily by Thalin’s
vague but powerful paranoia and his obssessive curiosity for the
histories and cultures of this ancient land. But specifically they
are there to find the Great Udamalore, a ceremonial weapon and
badge of office for the clerical caste of Basharka. Due to
several divine visions, received at the Temple of Montintera, the
Circus has reason to believe that finding this weapon will stop
Lady Tyrathect’s plot to revive an ancient evil force only known as
the King in Yellow.
After defeating a gigantic toad and speaking with a retired
ngoma (The ngoma are something like the bards of Udra–historians,
journalists, social critics and musicians.) in the city of Kisi,
they were placed on the trail of Amonis, a hero who was also
hunting for the Udamalore. Ironically, Mandark had briefly spoken
with Amonis in the city Mademba more than two years before.
Amonis told Mandark that several hundred years ago, thieves from
Mademba had stolen the Udamalore. It has since been missing and
forgotten but recently the current great priestess of Basharka,
Nyathera, has offered lands and possessions totalling 250,000 gold
pieces for its return. The rumor is that Nyathera is plotting to
invade the neighboring caliphate of Boroko. The stories have it
that ones who weild the Udamalore can raise armies and command the
will of the people.
Following the trail of Amonis that the ngoma had told them of,
the Circus was planning to enter the southern portion of the
enormous Bida Rainforest. Amonis had planned to search for the
ancient capital of the Kosan Empire within the Bida. He had reason
to believe that the Udamalore might be there. To do this the
Circus joined caravan to the city of Boha-Boha, deep in the
foothills of the Kuba Mountain Range at the head of the Kalimara
River. Boha-boha is a large city, 22,000 dwellers, and marks the
western end of the united kingdoms of of Taumau and Boha.
In Boha-boha, they began making inquiries. Amonis had passed
through the city 6 months earlier on his search for the Great
Udamalore.
The Circus is Spied Upon
In the city there were three, possibly four, spies on the
lookout for people searching for the Great Udamalore. These spies
as it later turned out were working for a geurilla organization of
assassins called the Cult of the Leopard.
Hilda went out to investigate the city to see if she could find
someone who’d seen or spoken with Amonis. She also was looking for
contraband magic. As she well knew, arcane magic was forbidden in
many parts of Nyambe. Making descrete inquiries, she eventually
came to a merchant who could supply her with these taboo items. But
as she spoke with the shopkeeper, his expression suddenly changed
and took on a darker character. He laughed, challenged her and
tried to frighten her off. It seemed as if he were
possessed.
But he was no match for her. Recognizing the signs of
possession Hilda immediately enveloped the man in her clock of the
mountbank and dimensionally shifted with him back to the inn where
the circus was staying at. Thalin’s anti-scrying magic immediately
triggered and he spotted the one who was spying on the circus.
Thalin immediately scryed in return. His vision revealed a
leader in the leopard cult, He was busily, hastily writing a letter
that said the following:
“Lady Asimwe,
“I was discovered! There are eight of them. The masked one,
Thalin, scented me and I must write quickly now.“I have will give this note to Alif. He will call our shadows
[Translator's note: "NDalawo"] to stop these foreign interlopers
that Chebo warned us against. Alif will alert all our brothers and
sisters. The Great Jaundiced Lord shall return! It is a pity we
have to move before we are quite ready. Preparations in Kogo are
not ready but due to my failure, we have to move quickly now.“Their magic is alien, Asimwe. Expect the rules to change.
“I regret my failure. May the Jaundiced One erase my errors
forever!“[Signed] Lord Chandu, [He stamped the letter with a stylized
leopard stamp. The letter was also dated and gave the location of
its writing. The city of Kogo, on the Eastern end of the Kiya Vua
Samaki.]“
Upon finishing the letter, and clearly to prevent further
scrying, Lord Chandu suicided with a ceremonial dagger.
Shaking himself out of the scrying trance, Thalin cursed softly.
He hated when they did that!
Hilda remember over two years ago speaking with the Lord of
Kogo. He was a curious man and very interested in Hilda and her
expedition but, he struck Hilda as easily distracted and not the
best ruler for a city. However he did speak of some trouble he was
having with rebel cultists. Perhaps they were the same as these
Leopard guys.
She went out again into the city. To try and find the spies that
lead the Leopard Cult to the Circus. Over the next week Hilda
learned what she could abut the city. Finding its more disreputable
neighborhood. This she found near the tanneries, black smiths and
stone cuttling yards. There was a cafeteria of sorts, Mother Kas’,
It was an open air lunch room that usually served palm-wine,
sorghum, chicken and yam dishes to the masons, tanners and smiths.
It wasn’t especially rowdy or menacing a place but the rumor was
that if you wanted to find a fence or someone of the criminal
underground. Inquiries could be made here.
Dwalor decided to go searching around town himself to find a
guide to help the circus find there way through the Bida. This he
did with a comprehend languages spell. He went to market to make
inquiries but, just when he’d found a lead, his language spell
expired.
Hilda, Helga and Mandark form a stake out
Questioning locals, Hilda learns that most of the neighborhood
workforce, many masons, tanners and smiths, often break for
lunch and siesta at Mother Kas’ open air kitchen. This consisted of
a cookhouse, an adjoining shack and large, fenced outdoor
cafeteria. Mandark discretely turned invisible and took up a
position near this yard. He had a good view of Hilda and Helga and
the entire crowed. He strung his bow and waited for something to
happen.
Hilda engaged a stone cutter, Tompo, in talk about Amonis,
trying to learn what his activities were on that last day he was in
town. Apparently Amonis was one to celebrate and share his
victories and good fortune. The stonecutter remember a party that
Amonis held at Mother Kas’ only days before he left. Helga sat with
Hilda silently observing the crowd.
Helga noticed, across the yard, something subtle. A man seemed
to be taking notes in a manner that was suspiciously synchronized
with Hilda’s conversation. this man appeared be holding a cowerie
shell to his ear, as if listening to somehting, and then jotting
down notes. Helga, using a coded phrase, alerted Hilda that
something was up then, after a few minutes, she drew on her cloak
of the montebank, left the cafe, ducked behind a gravel pile near
the cafe, turned invisible and then used the cloak to dimension
door right next to the man who was spying on Hilda and her. She
materialized and attempted to wrestle the man to the ground. He
evaded her grasp, scooped up his notes cast the cowrie shell
into the dirt and attempted to crush it with his foot. Mandark
spotted this and reacted immediately. He sprang into visibility,
fired two magical stunning arrows straight at the man’s solar
plexus. The spy collapsed in groaning pain. Helga jumped on him and
held him down. This all happened within two seconds.
By this point the crowd in the cafe had raisen to their feet in
confusion and alarm. The cook came out of the cookhouse door
shouting, demanding to know what was going on. Hilda, always
slipperly and glib, simple took command of the situation and talked
their way ouf it.
They took the spy with them back to the inn where they were
staying. Hilda got Stirge to stand behind her and look menancing as
she questioned the spy. The spy, who’s name was , was actually
quite cooperative. He said he and to others where hired by Alif to
keep an eye peeled for anyone asking questions about Amonis and the
great Udamalore. It was clear that the Leopard Cult was interested
in capturing or even killing anyone looking for the old
weapon.
Hilda asked how the spies delivered their reports. Sometimes by
instantaneous and magical means and other times by a direct report
to Alif himself. Hilda asked when will his next report be due. 2
wks.
Hilda wanted to prepare to meet this Alif with the full might of
the Circus.
[And that's more or less where we left it. Please let me know if
I forgot anything and suggest all revisions.]
Dwalor don’t ever change! Yours is truly the face of this most mighty circus of heroes, freaks and misfits!
Say, wouldn’t it be neat if you guys ran into Postman First Class, Arthur Trumblebone deep in the Bida? What if he just showed up unannounced and saved your collective rears or something?
But I toy with chaos and madness.
Ian has spoken of tiring of Hilda’s burden of leadership, especially now that Thalin fades as prominent leader figure in this show. Will he assume the role of Nutley McRuin, a plain man of simple and rather violent pleasures?
And what if Telwyn?
Ralph you have to decide: Either stick with Dwalor and keep Telwyn in stasis or vice versa. Not that it’s been a problem, we’ve been leaving him on the boat and such so it hasn’t come up.
But running two characters cheapens the follower feat. Why buy the feat if someone can build two characters and run them at the same time?
I’ll need to discuss plans with Ralph and Ian at the next session. And since Toby is clearly very happy with Stirge, it’s better if we leave Arthur’s mysterious reappearance for some later date.
Just crazy daydreams, I love this crazy circus! This wrecking crew just inspires all kinds of funny scenes in my mind!
So this Toby guy feels sory for me? Well, i can see why. But you know what i almost did? I almost picked up that litle guide guy and caried him back to our ship to MAKE him show us the way threw that Bida place. And i betcha a lot of the Circus wooda found that realy funy.
But i’m lerning now. If i had just lerned how to talk to peeple and stuff when i was young, things wooda gone a lot better for me. And a lot better for other peeple to.
I’m going to find that litle guide guy selling those crawdad things again and let him know what we want him to do and why we want it. And if he is the sort of guy i hope he is, then he will do it. And if he isn’t that sort of guy, then we will just have to find some other way of doing what we want to do. And i am sure we will!
“‘Dwalor decided to go searching around town himself to find a guide to help the circus find there way through the Bida. This he did with a comprehend languages spell. He went to market to make inquiries but, just when he’d found a lead, his language spell expired.”
Poor Dwalor!
btw: Stirge is becoming more and more paranoid about yellow and might start to bully anyone he sees wearing it…