[Victor, Greg and Ralph in attendance on 11-18-2007 between
3:30PM until about 9:30PM. Greg was running Thalin and Chingara. Victor was running Mandark and Stirge. Ralph was running Dwalor and Telwyn. Hilda and Helga started off in Greg and Ralph's hands but when combat started, Victor was mostly calling the tactics. The Circus is currently in the City of Boha-Boha which is in the western end of the Twin Kingdoms of
Taumau-Boha at the head of the Kalimara River.]
When we left the Circus they were making plans to capture, or at
least defeat, Lord Alif.
Alif was an important man within the mysterious Leopard Cult. As
the result of Thalin's scrying, Hilda's questioning of the two
spies the Circus had captured and several other related facts, they
learned that this mysterious cult of criminals, assassins and
shapechangers was now after the Circus and was somehow in alliance
with at least two of their old foes, Chebo and Marvek. Although the
pattern of connections wasn't entirely clear yet, these cultists
also were involved with the ancient evils of the Kosan and expunged
history of the mysterious King in Yellow.
More importantly, as Thalin had long ago expected and had taken
precautions against, the Circus was now being scryed on and their
movements and activities followed.
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Madu's Answers
Madu, one of Alif's spies that Hilda, Helga and Mandark had
captured yesterday, was quite cooperative in his interrogation. He
told them that Lord Alif recruited spies in Boha-boha, a large city
in the western portion of the United Kingdoms of Taumau and Boha.
These spies were organized in a cell structure, each one only know
two or three others. Ordinarily these spies would report to Alif
once a month. This was how Alif and the Leopard Cult kept track of
things in foreign lands and far flung cities and villages. Madu had
no idea how long cult was building their spy network. He was only a
recent recruit of little more than a year. He had very little
knowledge of the inner workings of the cult.
But Madu had heard rumors and old stories though and these he
was willing to share with the Circus.
According to Madu, the Leopard Cult originally began about a
century and half ago, as a chauvanist, nationalist terror group
opposed to the arrival of aliens and foreign trade from lands in
the Far West, across the ocean. Cloaked in leopard skins and armed
with distinctive claw-like knives, its members ritualistically
murdered foreign merchants for several years before being repressed
by local chiefs and kings in the Samaki and other western nations.
There was then a period of quiet from which the cult arose anew.
This time the cult's ranks were filled with irimu
(ih-REE-mu), shapechangers who could assume the form of human or
leopard. With this change in membership, the focus of the cult had
changed. No longer interested in driving out foreigners, the cult
now operated more like an organized crime family, slowly building
wealth and influence over a growing area. Over the next century,
many dismissed the cult as mere shapechanging criminals but, rumors
continued to persist that the wereleopard bosses of the cult had a
secret, visionary goal that transcended mere greed and vice. The
cult was always closely allied with illegal worship of evil
gods.
Madu, and his fellow spies, were recruited by Lord Alif to keep
him informed as to events in Boha-boha. This was probably a prelude
to extending cult control over the city's criminal element but
Alif's questions and orders lead Madu and others to suspect there
was another plan aside from criminal empire building. Alif gave
special orders to seek out information about the sacred weapon of
the Theocracy of Bashar'ka, the Great Udamalore.
Six months earlier Madu and others informed Alif of arrival in
Boha-boha of the Gamba, Amonis.
Amonis, as Mandark had learned in a brief conversation with him
nearly two years ago, was searching for the Udamalore. There was an
enormous gift of land being offered by Queen Nyathera, ruler of the
Theocracy of Bashar'ka, for the return of the Udamalore. Apparently
she had received visions about it. She believed it was important
for her country's future. Now, there many heroes and heroines
searching for it.
Upon hearing of Amonis' plans to search in the Bida for the
Udamalore, Alif paid Madu and his comrades well and told them to
keep watch for any others seekers. That was the last Madu heard of
the matter.
Madu informed Hilda that Alif often contacted one member within
his cell of spies once a month, usually in disguise and in person.
But sometimes Alif was able to contact his spies by magical spells
like sending and dream visions. Alif's next meeting was in two
weeks time at Mother Kas' open air cafe--as described briefly in
our last installment.
The Circus began to make plans to prepare for this event.
The Ndalawo Attack!
Three nights later, the Circus was attacked as they slept in
their rooms at the inn they were staying. The inn was a collection
of six small houses; the innkeeper rented the two on the end. As
was always the practice, they set watches and magical alarms. As it
turned out, these were critical in saving their lives. Stirge and
Mandark were on watch, each sitting on the roof of the two huts the
innkeeper had rented them. Mandark, as was his habit, was
invisible. But it was not the watch that spotted the assassins.
Suddenly Thalin's magic mouths, placed on the doors of these
huts, shouted in alarm! Everyone awoke on their cots to be pounced on
by shadowy, incorporeal leopards! The creatures flew up out of the
ground to attack. Several flew straight through the roof to attack
Stirge.
Thalin was so badly mauled that he lost consciousness
immediately. Everyone else, except Mandark, who was not attacked
likely due to his invisibility, was severely wounded by the claws
and the bites of these creatures. It was not only the blood-loss
and lacerations, the creatures also were able to sap a person's
strength and vitality. Those that did not lose consciousness
immediately found their muscle strength greatly reduced. Waves of
nausea and chills passed over them. All during their vicious
clawing and biting strikes, the creatures made no sound at all, no
snarls, no roaring, no growling. It was very eiry.
It was good that the alarms were placed for otherwise it would
have been certain and immediate death for all that slept.
Helga, badly wounded and risking blows from her foes, jumped to
Hilda's cot and enveloped her with the Cape of the Mountebank. With
this, she formed a dimensional connection to the elephant pens
outside the city wall where Ojo and Whirlwind slept.
Chingara was also struck many times but luckily was wearing a
magical belt that gave him superhuman strength. He risked the
parting attacks from his foes and managed to flee out of his hut,
drinking a hasting potion. He assumed, correctly, that if he could
run fast enough the creatures couldn't catch him, flying or
not.
Dwalor, also badly wounded, had a hunch, perhaps an inspiration
from Molna. These great cats seemed like undead creatures he'd met
before. Two years ago, in the gnomish lands of Mademba, the Circus
fought a race of ghostly giants known as the Rom. They too were
incorporeal. Perhaps these cats were also among the undead. He
stood his ground and called on Molna to drive them away.
Telwyn, wounded, managed to flee but the bulk of creatures in
his hut, a squad of seven, pursued and struck him down. Perhaps he
was dead.
Mandark tried to shoot the creatures through the venting hole in
the roof of his hut but, even with his great skill and arcane bow
all of the arrows failed to hit. The shadow leopards weren't solid;
it was clear that ordinary attacks wouldn't be very effective.
Things were looking bad. Two of the major spell casters appeared to
be dead, nearly everyone in the party was badly wounded and these
creatures seemed to be impossible to hurt.
Stirge was struck many times and took many vicious wounds. Were
it not for his belt of giant strength he surely would have fallen.
He took a swing at the creatures but, he too remembered the Rom and
knew it was useless without some kind of magical attack. He saw
Telwyn run out of his hut and fall immediately to the ghost
leopards that followed. Trusting that his magical belt would
protect him, he risked the strikes of his opponents as he fled them
by jumping off the roof. His plan was to run inside the hut to see
what help he could offer.
Hilda and Helga, took their dimensional doorway all the way to
the elephant yard outside the city wall, where Ojo and Whirlwind
were staying the night. Emerging from the ether, they both
immediately gulped a potion of flight each and soared into the air
on the way back to the inn.
Mandark, seeing Chingara flee into the alleys across the street
from the inn, decided to do the same. He returned to invisibility,
jumped down off the roof and fled into the houses where Chingara
fled. The pack of cats that ran down Telwyn scattered to join the
ones running after Chingara.
Stirge run into the hut and grabbed Thalin.
Hilda and Helga, who'd turned invisible on the way back, decended
from the sky to carry away Telwyn.
[To tell the truth I kind of forgot how Dwalor escaped any more
attacks. Ralph can you remind me so I can correct this?
Victor reminded me a few days later that Dwalor survived through some amount of luck. He went the first two rounds of combat with fairly few hits on him and then, an invisible Stirge came and carried him away. I forgot to mention that Stirge was invisible and flying, by the way.]
The monsters, after running into the alleyway in pursuit of
Chingara seemed have disappeared. Dwalor came out and began healing
Thalin and Telwyn, who appeared to be dead. It was discovered
ordinary healing magic did no good but potions of Bull Strength
could revive them.
Morning slowly came and the monsters did not return. Chingara and Mandark spent a long
night hiding among the alleys and buildings, successful only because their
pursuers fanned out over greater and greater distances in search of
them. Eventually the party regathered in the morning when the streets
became populated again and it was clear that no more attacks were
occurring or alarm being raised over monsters on the prowl.
Someone [I can't
remember which character had this idea.], considering the creatures
as undead, had the clever idea of gathering on consecrated ground
in a temple devoted to a god of purity or virtue. Thalin and Helga
thought of one obvious choice: Araku the Smith.
The Circus Gathers at the Forge of Araku
[And here a parenthetical comment. Araku is lawful good and
considered a patron of all warriors since many gomba in Nyambe use
weapons of iron and steel. In the realm of war, he is probably more
like Athena than Ares--Righteous victory through cleverness or
defensive war rather than simple bloodlust and violence. Udra
doesn't really have a close equivalent to this. But actually, as
Thalin and Hilda discovered, Morgelt is the Udran name given to
Araku. On the other hand, Morgelt really has no craftsman aspect.
This face of worship in Udra is entirely dropped in favor of
Dacron, God of Craftsmen.
And for you fervent followers of Ummanah out there. In Nyambe he
is known as Nimbala Ummanah, Nimbala the Judge. In Nyambe he is
considered a Lawful Good god, whereas in Udra his worshippers
consider him more strongly Lawful Neutral and just worship him as
Ummanah and assign him responsibility over farming and bounty of
the land. In Nyambe, Nimbala's aspects are politics, laws, the Sun
and healing.]
As near as Thalin could tell Araku's worshippers were
blacksmiths, gamba soldiers, laborers of all sorts and the Doctors
of Iron. He was a god devoted to goodness, law and strength through
hard work. Not knowing any better alternatives in Boha-boha, The
Circus ran to the Forges of Araku.
[An here I change where we left it off. The rest is invention on
my part. If this changes something that you think is key to your
characters survival that I forgot, please let me know so change
this ending slightly to incorporate it.]
This was the temple in Boha-boha devoted to Araku. It was
staffed by several n'anga [priests and priestesses.] and inyanga
yensimbi [Doctors of Iron. I'll explain the Doctors of Iron in the
next installment.]. It was headed by a tall, heavyset preistess
named Nkosazana. Nkosazana was apparently a very skilled smith in
addition to being n'anga of Araku. She certainly had the strength
for it. The Circus came upon her as she lifting heavy sacks of coal
and bundles of wood into a wheelbarrow.
Hilda explained what had happened to them in the earlier
morning. Nkosazana was very disturbed by this news and gave a few
short orders to her assistants who immediately lit fires in
braziers around the periphery of the temple, which was mostly open
to the air.
Nkosazana said, "You have met the shade leopards [The word she
used for this is "ndalawo."]. They are powerful evil spirits,
unlife that hunts to feed on the living. They appear to us as
ghostly leopards and walls pose no barrier as they can fly straight
through them. Their attacks don't merely gore the flesh, they sap
your strength and vitality. The Ndalawo are extremely difficult to
destroy or strike as most common weapons simply pass right through
them. The rules of this mortal world don't seem to apply to them at
all!
"Never have I heard of the attacking such numbers. You did right
to flee. Considering how badly they wounded you all, you did right
to flee. You said it was twenty to twenty five? Never do they hunt
in such numbers. I fear there must be some organizing power behind
this attack. Your mask maker and sei need to have their strength
restored before those potions expire or they will fall into coma again
only to rise as one of the ndalawo."
Nkosazana cast strength healing magic over Thalin and Telwyn,
expecting nothing in return however, she did ask Hilda as many
questions as she could about their attackers.
"This is holy ground, warded and protected by Araku. The cats
will not come here out of fear of Araku's might. I think we do have
some gris-gris that can wound and perhaps even kill the Ndalawo but
given the number in the first attack, I don't think you will be
safe until you find out who is leading these monsters and do
something to stop them. The shadow leopards will otherwise return
again and again until your magic is exhausted and you are all dead.
Worse than dead, for you will join their ranks!
"Also, to be frank, I fear for my city. As long as you are here,
drawing their wrath, the cats may strike other innocents, less
formidable than you, in the streets. If we share this news with our
king and his advisors, they may just turn you outside the walls to
protect the city."
[And here is where we leave it until next time. Again, if there
any oversights or omissions, especially in my account of the fight,
please let me know so I can correct things.]
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