IC 003 - Expedition to Blackwater Swamp

[sulldawga]

Ket
Date: Fourthmonth, Fourthday (The Bloom 4)
Weather: High temp of 59 degrees, very cloudy, winds at 13 mph
Moon: Waxing crescent

Having spent a day visiting the fairgrounds and negotiating the sale of the axe beak eggs, and a second day purchasing supplies for their latest foray into the wilderness, the party is ready to depart Ket. You once again cross the Moche and head SW to Fort Advance. This time, however, you move to the northwest once exiting The Farms.

Sweeping the NE quadrant of the hex, you find the eastern edge of the trench. It runs to the north and gets within a mile or so of the black tower, then turns northeast and stops perhaps a half mile away from edge of The Farms. Moving north, and keeping east of the black tower, you discover a small building in the middle of a copse of trees. The trees are tall and twisted, and the leaves are a deep green. The air is still and silent, and the only sound is the occasional chirping of a bird.

The building is small and circular, and made of crudely carved stone. The walls are covered in strange symbols and runes, and the roof is made of thatch. Gars recognizes the symbols as representing Romten, the Changer of Ways. Romten is not evil, per se, but he represents chaos. As Gars remembers it, the changes can be good but Romten is capricious and unpredictable, and the change can lead to ill as well.

Actions?

[Rex]

Ciarra

Ciarra will walk around the hut and check for entrances (doors and windows).

[sulldawga]

Ciarra sees one entrance, just an opening with no doors, and no windows.

[Rex]

Ciarra

Whispering, "Just the one entrance as far as I can tell."

[Marullus]

Gars explains the nature of Romten to his companions. "This is quite near the inhabited tower... do you see tracks of their passage here? If not then it is likely quite dangerous or already devoid of all value."

He approaches the walls and tries to discern more from the runes...

Int+Magic [2d6+2]=9+2=11

[sulldawga]

The runes and symbols suggest that this place is where Romten accepts offerings from petitioners but also gives offerings. It's not quite clear how that works in practice.

[Urson]

Mikhail
Mikhail looks over the hut from the outside. Gods of Chaos are gods of Luck.
He digs into his pack and pulls out a day's worth of his rations. He stands in the doorway of the building and places the bundle of rations inside. Please, if you choose, bless us with a quiet trip.

[Rex]

Ciarra

"Good choice Mikhail." She offers up a bundle of rations.

[sulldawga]

As Mikhail looks into the building while dropping off his rations, he notices a statue in the center of the room.

The assumption, confirmed by Gars, is that the statue is of Romten. It is a towering figure, perhaps 10 feet tall, made of black marble and covered in intricate carvings similar to the ones on the outside of the shrine. The god's face is hidden in shadow, but his eyes glow with a dangerous light. His body is twisted and contorted, as if he is constantly changing shape. One hand reaches out, palm upward. His other arm is bent upward at the elbow, with his fist clenching something you can't quite make out.

[Enoch]

Lavin creeps tentatively toward the opening, patting down her backpack for something to toss in. Finally she fishes a silver piece out of her coin pouch and tosses it through the doorway.

[Rex]

Ciarra

Ciarra steps back out of the shrine.

"I think Romten just spoke to me. He offered me a powerful spear if I kill the shaman with the headdress at the black tower for him. Mikhail, did the god offer you something?"

[Enoch]

Lavin speaks up: "He offered me 'true wealth' if I stole something from the villagers for him."

[cybersavant]

Kaithar looks in turn to each of the others as they speak of the chaos god; then he looks around to see if anything else is nearby.

[sulldawga]

Kaithar looks in turn to each of the others as they speak of the chaos god; then he looks around to see if anything else is nearby.

Kaithar sees nothing out of the ordinary. Outside of the trees surrounding the shrine, there is nothing remarkable.

[Urson]

Mikhail
Mikhail frowns as he is spoken to by the god. To Ciarra: Ayuh. He wants me to slaughter the men in the tower- offered me some powerful magic arrows. I need to think 'bout it- decide if it's worth the cost.

[Enoch]

Lavin rubs her chin thoughtfully before addressing Mikhail. "Do you think we even *could* kill the men in the tower?"

[Rex]

Ciarra

"Perhaps with a sneak night attack, scale the walls sort of thing. But I don't think it our strong suit by any means."

[Marullus]

Gars remains quiet and circumspect, watching warily and listening as the others share what they offer and what they heard. His study of capricious gods and ancient bargains leaves him leery. In the end, he pulls out his last silver piece, the only coin left to his name, and places it inside the shrine as well.

[Marullus]

Gars frowns. "This is not a god, though it wishes us to think it so, and is powerful enough that the distinction may be moot from our vantage." He pauses. "...but yes, defeat the tower, take an objectof power to the Church of Albor, they will be grateful enough to grant me access to their library."

He looks to Mikhail. "I am equally curious why such a being as this is making deals to benefit Elder Visant of the Church of Albor."

[Urson]

Mikhail
I dunno, sai. I'm no soldier, but I know enough to see that taking that tower would be a tall order for just us. Respect to ya'll, but I don't think we could do it by assault.
We might be able to handle it by stealth- if we had a place we could lie in wait for people from the tower. We could pick them off one by one... until they decided to come out and hunt us down. That has more chance of working- but it would take days, mebbe weeks.

If this is a god of Chaos- or even just a powerful trickster- it might offer to help The Church of Albor just to stir things up and create more Chaos. I'm really not sure any of it is worth the costs.