The Checkpoint before the Cave - Journal 14

Session 14 - 09/08/2024
***the story so far***
 
As we approach the checkpoint, Guy and Octavious perk up and ask about the cart we find. As we share the details of the cart we located in the woods, the color drains from their faces, sensing something ghastly has occurred.
We mention the skeleton that we found, and I pull out the Soul Bone (1), and hand it to Octavious. He feels along the grooves of the bone, recognizing something terrible has occurred. He remarks that this is linked to the "monster".
Octavious gives up that they're from Heilagur, and mentions they are on a Quest involving the "monster" that has been ravaving the plateau. They weren't told why the monster was here, nor what it is.
Octavious, Guy, and Radio walk up to the checkpoint, wind harsh and whipping around us. Snow is spattering our faces.
"HALT" is shouted from someone high up. Octavious announces their presence, as the party "who headed out earlier today". The voice responds back, inquiring about the addition of guests. The two converse about our existence, and plead for us to be invited in to bear the harsh conditions of the night.
The checkpoint gate opens up, and we head inside. There's a few igloos inside the courtyard. A white tarp is whipping above the wall, holding back some snow. Light radiates out from some of the igloos. What looks like an infantry barrack sits in the back.
Octavious points out that we can crash in their igloo, but that preparations are being made at the time. Octavious offers us the ability to glean more information about their Quest, and reveals that they will be paid well if they can locate, and kill, the "monster." Octavious gives up that the "monster" can only be found by a yellow light in the middle of nowhere; the search region has been narrowed down to half a mile of river, but the snowstorm has been brutal.
Octavious remarks that the checkpoint is concerned about finding the "princess of Heilagur" and not even worried about the supposed "monster" that roams the terrain, whereas R/G/O isn't even thinking about the "princess" at all.
A Vomethndan pops out of the first igloo, and remarks to us they still need a little more time to clean up the igloo for us to stay in.
We're then informed about "Karl Avsikter", and the general structure of Vomethndan ranking. ("Karl" is the title , and Avsikter is her last name - and holy shit is Avsikter hot asf). Avsikter represents a lot of people with the title of Karl, notably fisherman, different farmers in Heilagur, and hard-working individuals as a whole. We learn that Karl Avsikter is seemingly close/with knowledge about the "monster", having sighed when learned about it.
Supposedly, Karl Avsikter remarked "'Blubby' needs to be removed for the good of the city.", and generally holding back details about the "monster". Avsikter's generally been providing information about the "monster", but also very reserved about other details.
From what the Vomethdans have been told, the "monster" is quadripedal, 12ft tall, and vaguely horse-shaped. It can swim underwater, and the Vomethdans can only think of a Kelpie [somewhat mythical, horse-like and generally underwater dweller, almost unicorn-like. It has gross frog skin. They are very territorial and protective of creatures of the water, but Octavious is unsure on this.] as a close similarity. It can be seen by the light that emits off the top of its head. Scouting parties have been decimated, some members having been eaten whole.
Intriguingly, Karl Avsikter mentioned it could be caught, "If the right supplies were had".
The Vomethndans exit the igloo, and let us know the igloo is ready for our dwelling, and that if we need anything, to ask. If we hear anything in the night beyond the cries of the wind, to let the Vomethndans know.
Octavious remarks, "If its able to take out whole packs of wolves, surely this 'monster' is to be reckoned with." and reminds us to NOT call out for the "princess of Heilagur".
NPC Willow agrees, that we need money & that hunting the "monster" is a good idea and should be our current course of action. NPC Willow also thinks that while riding a 12ft aquatic beast is not safe, it would be fun.
As we stand in the courtyard, we hear some laughter eminate from one of the igloos closest to the checkpoint barracks. There's the vague sound of glasses klinking.
I enter our assigned igloo, and check out our sleeping quarters. There's a logpile in the igloo, unlit, but ready to be lit. There's a writing desk, and a large dirt floor in the center. There's large animal pelts scattered to help insulate the igloo. I kneel in front of the pile of logs, and using my hands cast Create Bonfire to light the pile of logs. The igloo is cozy, as I fall asleep early.
I have a dream!
I look around, and observe my childhood bedroom, exactly as I imagined it. All the toys strewn about, a bright sunny day. I wake up, and there's a knock on my door. A voice calls out to me to come outside, encouraging me to play with friends and play ball. I go outside to meet my friends, and I open the door from my bedroom and immediately find myself outside. There's a few friends in front of me, their faces kind of blurry, as I enter the backyard, visions of tossing a ball filling my mind. There's laughter, jolly moods, as one of the friends accidentally tosses a ball over the backyard fence. I go to retrieve the ball, and as I start walking towards it, the sun seems to be setting. The skies turn from a bright blue, orange, beautiful radiant, to a darker hue. As I move past the fencegate and into the forest, it's now the verge of nighttime, dusk enveloping the forest. There's a *deep* feeling of dread underlying me, and I feel like I'm in danger. From the darkness, there's a small sizzling noise, but I locate the ball. I approach the ball, sitting on the ground, embedded in a tuft of grass. As I focus on the ball, there's a white and blue light emanating from the darkness (the source of the sizzling bouncing off the baton). There's a large CRACK that fills my ears with awful memories, flooding through my head - people screaming in pain from electrical devices. I start to remember - this is the Old Electrical Batons that guards used to use in my hometown to "set examples" for found Shifters, who were revealed (purposefully or accidentally). They're coming for me. As I reach down for the ball, my hand is now a claw, animalistic in nature, as the Electrical Force is coming towards me. I pick up the ball and then run away, as fast as possible away from the Guards. There's a crackling sound that gets closer and closer, the pained screams in the dead of night becoming louder and louder. The darkness feels as if it's closing in, rushing to capture me. As I hop over the fence, I sit upright, shaken, and awake. My bed is covered in sweat.
I'm visibly disturbed, checking my surroundings, and while my party remains asleep in the igloo, I exit the igloo to check the camp. I look around, and the storm seems to have calmed down. There's a vague orange aurora in the sky (at night, around the year, there's an aurora that shows up in the different poles of the continent, and it changes color based on the time of the year. The color of the aurora is what drove the names of the month!) Looking in to the aurora, it brings a wave of calm, but the night terrors persist in my head, remembering the light of the dream. [History Check] The orange aurora, to a normal person, indicates that its the month of Kisam. Since its on the edge of spring, it also symbolizes a period of transition, and also symbolizing putting the old to bed and living for the now, and brighter, newer beginnings.
As I stand outside the igloo, I also notice that Radio is outside, looking up at the stars, seemingly feeling better. Radio is surprised that I'm standing there, and wonders what I'm doing up at this hour of the night. I dodge the question, and just tell Radio that I couldn't sleep. Radio talks about missing home, and also not being able to sleep. I ask Radio about their home, and Radio looks up into the sky - "Tagnuul" (a region of Ezlekh), and looks down at her claws, tracing out something on her hand, with a little pen, tracing a symbol, and remarks that "they gather information", for many people. Radio found themselves with Octavious and Guy, and calls them her "new home", but comments that sometimes you just miss "your old home". This "information trading" is the center of Tagnuul's economy, with different information centers being traded constantly (war, different people, different species), a very educated part of Ezlekh.
I remind Radio that we always have to look forward to where we're going. Radio takes a big breath, and thanks me for the inspirational words. "Looking backwards isn't always the solution" -Radio, session 14.
Radio lets out another wheezing cough, and Octavious calls out, "Get back in here, you'll catch a cold Radio!" Radio heads back in to the igloo. I also return into my own igloo, and I fall asleep once more.
The sun rises, and all the igloos open up within the checkpoint camp. We meet a Salesman, who has a LOT of wares for sale. Diaga attempts to win items by winning games.
(Diaga is searching for items to craft the Bow that can slay dragons)
- Urtamrakh: Attilum, Hair(Fey) +3, Mushroom (GSPM) +3
- the mushroom is apparently in Ezlekh
I try to recall this mushroom - The swamps around Mercommernaut provides an ideal environment for it as it provides the proper climate and the favored host for the fungus, the red maple tree.
Octavious is intriuged by this Bow.
I wish Diaga luck with the Salesman.
All of a sudden, the Salesman runs out of the igloo, hotly pursued by Diaga and Roger. The Salesman cries something about feeling cheated, as the Salesman is chased by Diaga, Roger, and Willow up the walls. The Salesman is slain. On his possession is a sturdy chest, with an Arcane Locked Box.
A Vomethndan Guard approaches us, and asks if there's any problem. He... unfortunately notices the dead Salesman.
The Vomethndan Guard orders the checkpoint camp gates to be closed. (... surely this will go well).
We discuss with R/G/O about leaving the camp to go search for "Blubby", but get stopped by the Vomethndan Guards. The Guards press us (little judgemental), and struggle to believe our innocence. Radio backs up Willow's insistence to lead an "investigation", followed by Guy and Octavius. Willow manages to cast Prestidigitation, and proceeds to lead on the Vomethndan Guards. Incredibly, it works, and like the end of a Dreamworks movie, Willow (and Roger) manage to get the Vomethndan Guards in a dance.
Suddenly, a ghost lets out a horrid wail from beyond the checkpoint camps' wall. This seems to be enough to convince the Vomethndan Guards to let us leave the checkpoint camp.
<I HAVE TO GO TO BED>
As we leave, Balrug mentions that the snow seems soft, and then we fuckin plummet into a hole in the ground (this irony is not lost upon us). We approach the hole, impressed by its staggering size (that's what she said), and strategize how to deal with this encounter.
We descend into the giant Cave. There appears to be vague shadowy figures running across the walls of the Cave, dimly lit, with only a few torches at the bottom of the pit.
We spot a strange man in the distance, seemingly challenging the monsters of the pit. Suddenly, a bunch of clones pop out (clones of all of us appear, Harvoni Clone, Willow Clone, Diaga Clone, R/G/O clones, etc.)