UC 327, Ixtuun, 4th day of the 3rd Ride in Spring’s Light (By Tiewaz)
Date? Hmm I don't know I was really hungry for Ardell's food. Sausage day? (The DM added the date above for you all).
It was a cold day in the mountains and to be honest it was boring most of the time. Sort of like this journal. I hate writing in this thing, but the others seem to get some pleasure from it.
Anyways, we were attacked by shadowy cats. I think they were Demitrri’s cousins or something? Yea, but everyone was calling them ninjas, whatever that is. All I know is that most of them burned away in my light or the others killed them. In the end, they were butchered and Ardell had new pillows to sleep on (or at least I think, I don’t know he was hugging the bodies a lot even after death).
Then we ran into the traitor of that bear clan Rarak and oh boy was he a hugger. I mean that literally, he hugged Ardell and Lancelot for like most of the fight. Sure, there were Orcs and more bloody Ninja cats but eh, they were weak so who cares.
But in the end the Hug Bear named Rarak was no match for the power of the Moonstone Dragons. Then Ardel basically cut off his head to bring back to that bear clan (to be honest he probably could have just carried the body back, but whatever).
Then we head into the build only to find people kind of just hanging out in the bedroom. And of course, we killed them all. Then we headed up to the last floor to fight the boss of the ninja cats. And to be honest he was kind of annoying, making me think my buddies were people who I need to burn into the next plane.
Once we killed him, we found a book and inside we found out that some guy named Hanzo has Ryukane’s Mother as a slave. Ryu seemed to know this person, but he went into his quiet time again. Angry, I think. Also, it would seem we may have found the shield Demitrri been looking for, but the catch is it’s cursed with an evil aura and needs to be cleansed. Moving its might be a problem.
This is boring, and I think food is ready. Yea, it’s ready. Smells good.
UC 327, Ixtuun, 5th day of the 3rd Ride in Spring’s Light (By Ardel)
Sing the dirges! Let keening for the dead be heard! Loose the tears for the lost! The Repast is prepared! The mead awaits!
The Moonstone Dragons stood there in the silver light of the moon to honor those so cruelly riven from them. Let this tale be of the Hunt for Family and the evil cleansed from the Bastion Mountains done in honor those who were so cruelly murdered.
The Moonstone Dragons cleaned a tower of ninjas, wu jen, and orcs. There we found the Lion’s Claw, an artifact of the Dunia tribe of Felians. But the foul, vile, and infernal influences (Sho and Hanza, ninja wu jen/magic users) had corrupted the artifact. So to gain the wisdom and help to cleanse it, the Moonstone Dragons returned to the Vale of Ellana to proclaim their deeds and seek aid of Gwendal, Bear Clan shaman/ancestral speaker, to help cleanse the Lion’s Claw. Ardel presented the head of Bear Clan traitor, Rarak. This along with the pile of enemy weapons (strange ninja swords and throwing disks coated in foul poison).
Within the ranks of the Devoted of Ellana existed the Blood Moon Hunters. This group hunted the evil in the world and dispenses the Justice of Ellana. Ardel was being considered for this honor/duty. In a special meeting with Gwendal, Ardel was presented with a choice. To join the Blood Moon Hunters, Ardel was to make a choice between Purpose (devotion to Ellana) or his drive for Vengeance (save his sister, Swithin and rescue his girlfriend Armehl). Ardel would meet this choice in a dramatic way.
The Moonstone Dragons headed south again, to finish the job of clearing out the ninjas and hunting down Shellen’s brother Hanza and cousin Sho. They camped overnight at the tower where the Blighter was destroyed. Early in the morning, the sound of a small army marching on tower was heard.
The Moonstone Dragons burst into action with Ardel and Shellen leading the way. Shellen brought the column to a stop with a barrage of arrows. This allowed Ardel to meet them at the pathway where he laid about them in a grand Collieshangie (brawl). Nathir let loose with a ball O’ acid that melt another. As it turned out it was four well-armed, well-trained, and well clothed orcs bearing the mark of the Raven Clan. Running away in the distance was a large blue plumed bird!
Nathir’s wee bird, Navi, headed out to scout out the area. Moving through the pine forest the Moonstone Dragons came upon a wall with an iron gate. On top were ninja guards. Fadh Chat brought up tactics to use. Fadh Chat turned into a TREE, and a blast of flames erupted from the top of the wall. Ardel charged forward with Shellen on his back! The ninjas were surprised to say the least. Ardel mounted the wall and Shellen drop down on it. The ninjas reacted and attacked. They also brought a wu jen with them, not that it did any good. The dirty wu jen let loose a fireball and killed some of his own people trying to hurt the Moonstone Dragons. Nathir charged the wall and climbed up the wall and then onto Ardel’s back. Oddly enough, the Blue-Banded Falcons seem to gather around battles like carrion. Above the din of the battle, the cry of the Blue-Banded Falcon could be heard. By this time Lancelot had climbed on top of the wall while Tree/Fadh Chat waited at the bottom. This was too much for the ninjas as many broke and ran. Shellen chased one down and slowed him down with an arrow in the leg. Fadh Chat blessed him with the speed of Grumbar. This allowed Shellen drop the ninja. Nathir dropped to the ground and with a searing blast, sent a scorching ray at another cowardly ninja rending him to ashes! Ardel stooped to pick up Tree/Fadh Chat. The wu jen fearing the inevitable set up a wall of fire. Ardel jumped down and charged at the wu jen. Before Ardel could swat at the wu jen, Lancelot burst through the flames, unharmed, and literally shredded the wu jen, as Shellen filled him with four arrows at once! Once again a great running blue plumed bird was seen running towards two buildings in the distance. Inspecting the bodies the Moonstone Dragons noted a difference with these ninjas. The difference here was the ninjas were not of Fadh Chat’s kind but strange looking humans, Shellen noted were from the Dragon Isles, his people.
The Moonstone Dragons entered one building to find it filled with the ninjas lying in wait for us. Shellen was slinging arrows with blinding speed striking two ninjas with four arrows each. One of the many ninjas there attacked with burning flames but Nathir used his burning rays to sear him to death. Fadh Chat pulled in a crackling cloud of lighting that he sent bolts to strike the ninjas.
The next building was cleared much the same way. Fadh Chat brought his lightning cloud with him and continued to drop lightning on ninjas. After clearing the building with Shellen launching four arrows at a time the Moonstone Dragons rested. They bedded down for the night. But in the middle of the night Hanza struck the building with a fireball! The only sign of Hanza was some Blue-Banded falcons disturbed by his cowardly retreat. The Moonstone Dragons moved out the building and into the nearby pine woods to lick their wounds.
The next morning dawned and Moonstone Dragons moved to a large iron gate. Ardel promptly tore it down. On the other side was a large two-story building of strange design. Once again Shellen noted that it was the architecture of the Dragon Isles. Outside the building Ardel and Fadh Chat smelled and sensed and smell of the Infernal.
The Moonstone Dragons prepared to enter. Ardel covered himself in righteous flames called Moonfire, and blew through the door with Lancelot entering after him. The other burst in after them. What greeted them was a somber scene. Before them in the dim light sparking with fiery motes was a bezekiras (aka hellcat). Behind the Hellcat, sitting on a wooden throne, a humanlike devil, wrapped in barbed chains. There were also chains hanging from the ceiling throughout building.
The Hellcat leapt at Ardel and both met in an embrace and Shellen loosed a couple arrows at it. Between the werebear’s crushing grip and Moonfire the Hellcat was seared and crushed. Nathir let a bolt lightning loose at the chain devil, but Lancelot and Fadh Chat were unnerved with the baleful gaze of the chain devil. Shellen flanked around the room while Ardel advanced. Lancelot and Fadh Chat broke from the devil’s gaze and advance. As they did so the chains whipped from the ceiling and entangled both Ardel and Lancelot. As the chains wrapped around the two, they dug into their flesh with barbs and razors. Fadh Chat called upon the fire from Grumbar to explode from the earth to smite the chain devil, while Ardel and Lancelot struggled to break free of the chains. Shellen flanked the devil and loosed several arrows into the infernal beast while Nathir blasted it with another lightning bolt. The smoldering remains returned its foul realm.
The valiant Moonstone Dragons pushed through and moved upstairs where then entered an empty room that led out ta a balcony. There was a grand library with many books on architecture and farming. There was also a grand bed, but Ardel found it too soft. They rushed to enter the next room.
As the Moonstone Dragons burst into the last room and were met with a scene more chilling than the devil below. As the Moonstone Dragons entered, two ninjas, Sho and Hanza, held blades against the throats of two women. The first lady, Shellen’s mother, Hiroma, with Jurou family blade that creased her neck with a line of blood. Holding the blade was Shellen’s cousin, Sho; who ordered the death of most Shellen’s family. The second lady was Ardel’s sister, Swithin. Hanza, Shellen’s brother, the actual mastermind of this tragedy, called to Ardel, mockingly.
Now was the moment of Ardel’s choice. Ardel had a fast spell that could save one but not both. Purpose would be to serve an overall purpose saving a royal family line that would bring much good to the world or his own desire to save his sister. Gwendel’s choice appeared. Suspended in a moment of time with Ardel and Shellen ready to act one with divine spell and the other with arrow notched.
In the space between heartbeats both Sho and Hanza pressed and dragged their blades across the women’s throats. Shellen’s arrows flew, while Ardel shouted out the words that would save one of them. Both attempts were in vain.
Shellen’s arrows passed the form of Sho as if he was not there. Ardel’s spell was thwarted by grave damage and poison. Both ladies fell to the floor, dead. Ardel’s anguished roared shook the building as he charged. The ninja’s disappeared. Lancelot, Ardel and Fadh Chat used their scent ability to try to track them down. The sneak thieve assassins were too experienced for this to be truly effective. Sho appeared momentarily to stab his cousin, while Nathir held back waiting for a moment to loose with a lightning bolt. Hanza appeared and let out an infernal oath whose very words shook all that heard in the room. Nathir suggested that we hit him with the alchemist fire. Shellen heeded the advice and hit the invisible ninja. The flames outlined the ninja but did little else. Ardel charged clawed and pulled Hanza in for a killing bite, but Hanza pulled his sneaky ninja tricks and escaped the grapple and disappeared. At the same time the cry of the Blue-Band Falcon called again.
The Moonstone Dragons knew that Sho was still around but could not find him. Lancelot climbed into the rafters to sniff him down. In a desperate attempt, Sho dropped from the rafters with a wakazashi designed to kill werebears. At the last minute, Ardel caught his scent and clawed the ninja before Sho could strike. With Ardel’s claws sinking deep into him, Sho let out a strangled cry and raised the silvered wakazashi to stab Ardel in the face. Shellen took the opportunity and skewered Sho’s arm to his forehead and the wakazashi dropped to the ground. Sho’s dead body dropped to the floor.
The Moonstone Dragons stood there taking in the import of what happened. Shellen reverently held his dead mother in his arms and took her to the room next door. He then proceeded to burn Sho’s body.
Ardel exploded into an anguished grief, holding his sister close to him and proceeded to trash the room. When Ardel’s fury subsided he went downstairs laid his sister on the throne and called down a holy storm to cleanse the room and clean up bloody body. The others gave the two wide berth and allowed them to deal with their losses in their own ways.
The Moonstone Dragons had cleared the highland valley of the evil that infested it. But the deed felt hollow with the death of Ardel’s sister and Shellen’s mother. They headed north to the Valley of Ellana to see what Gwendal could do to help.
Remember these deeds! Remember the losses!