shifty louts

Antarctica Campaign Session 2 - Dogs upon the Shrublands

Players

Abarran Horno the Armsman (Idraluna), Xixili Degli the Red Magus (Oldhawkeyes), Ekain Conception the Armsman (Oldhawkeyes),  Xarles Marato the Green Magus (EvilTables), Peter Soup the White Magus (Mistuh), Makaza Astute the Armsman (Liquid Video)

Summary

The group sits and sups with the village of Cholachni. The potato and leek soup was served communally. There, the group learns of the imperious leek farmer Odo, who offers 200sp to fight off the pig-nosed Nahia and her river reavers.

The group debates whether to take the money and run or pay off Nahia. Nonetheless, they politely decline on the grounds of the sheer superiority of numbers that river reavers have.

Xixili and Peter give some money for the villagers to make them two Cholachni hats, while Xixili also spends some coins on their rose-colored glasses.

The group stays two days to assist the village, learning of how they had to abandon their farmlands to the north due to their river reavers and how wild dogs west of the river drove them back. No word of Heriotza as Peter assists in the communal soup making.

Xarles, Abarran, and Makaza assist in the village and see some of the village's trade nag-champi incense and leeks, lashed to the backs of giant guinea pigs, to be taken to their sister village of Neatsa to trade for their man-sized asparagus. Neatsa seemingly led by a bald zealot named Parthenia du Chauffeur, who they say seeks the blood of Nahia to prevent a great turning. The villagers seemed put off by her strident beliefs

Over the evening, the group learns why Cholachni is vegetarian, seeking to avoid the creation of another Red Tree, a fiend, the first man-killer. Many winters ago, during a famine, Red Tree tore his master's throat when the master attempted the peaceful cut against his ally.

dog

Since then, Red Tree has urged all dogs to revolt against their masters during times of famine and during times of great harvest alike. It matters not, for such hungry darkness always awaits in men's hearts, awaiting the ripe moment to show its true self. Or so the legends say.

Xixili swears against all dogs who betray their masters, something that seems to upset the villagers, as one says the Red Tree we know isn't the real Red Tree; Red Tree has always existed. Any dog can become Red Tree; we should treat dogs correctly. Xixili remains unimpressed swear to strike down any dog they come upon in the Shrublands. The rest of his companions remain wary of his bold proclamations

Upon the humid, overcast morning, the group leaves, heading eastward and by midday finds large grasses, man-sized asparagus fields tended by simple farms. They are hailed and well met, bearing the headwear of their sister village. They come across a simple woman, Belinda da Pastafari, who welcomes them. Peter seeks to trade, offering a flask of oil for an asparagus stalk. The trade is deemed sufficient, but one must speak to Parthenia, who controls trade. A dog rambles up as Xixili draws his dagger and nearly draws blood. Only to be convinced of the dog, Talrio’s good nature, after lapping potato and leek soup from the hands of Makaza.

Xixili acquiesces, and the group heads into the village proper, a concentric circle of tents with a large one that billows with nag-champa, myrr, and sandalwood incense. The group is introduced to Parthenia, and a deal is struck for two more asparagus stalks and news of Heriotza. Parthenia says she remembers as a child being outside a floating ceramic palace, a Princely Offspring, one Azalurdina, a tall blue man with bulging eyes, claiming it as his fief.

The group digests this information and asks about her visions, saying the sister village of Cholachni speaks of her views. Parthenia says she is visited by dreams, visions of a great new turning of the world. Something worse than the Abandonment, Nahia’s blood is the key to preventing that. She asks what Odo has said. The group is unsure how to answer.

With trade and more rumor mongering, Parthenia speaks of continuing eastward and seeking out the homestead of Stade, a safe-haven for travelers, although the family remains isolated, only seeking to trade with the village monthly for supplies.

In the evening, they come upon the homestead, made of found wood and dried soil bricks. Wood smoke wisps from its chimney, and a large metallic spider creature reconnoiters around it. The group debates what is to be done; the magi seem to have been intrigued, half ready for arms, while those more skilled in the ways of death seek peace amongst the field of taro and cassava.

The group makes its way closer to the homestead, as the arachnoid cyberian skitters towards their position. A viso-screen face emoted with a simple frowning face asks them to identify themselves as its shoulder mounted las-gun trains on them. A countdown sequence is initiated as the group stumbles over their words. Only for Xixili to draw his dagger and utter his name as Red Tree.

The arachnoid cyberian trains its laser gun on Xixili and vaporizes him instantly, calmly stating the threat has been neutralized. Its viso-screen face becomes a simple smile as the family rushes out from their home.

The only remains are a pile of ash, the rose-colored glasses, and the Cholachni hat. The family introduces themselves: Stade and Pasaporte od Rena, and their children Charuto, Stoffi, Radiador, and Quutour. Simple farmers of cassava and taro, wearing simply and homespun tunics, patched and repaired.

The arachnoid cyberian is called Archibalgorithm. Found buried where the home now stands. A remnant of the Builders, or so Stade believes. Telling that Archibalgorithm has protected them and taught them many things, including more efficient ways to grow taro and cassava. It has repaired the rough-spun and plain tunics with its humanoid arm, educating them on the nature of the cosmos - one of many emanations of the Builders.

robot

Peter and Makaza bury the ashes while Peter utters prayers to satisfy the spirit. Upon the plain, an errant knight, Ekain Conception, joins their party, speaking of the kindness of man and dog.

Xarles, the green magus, dialogues with the cyberian, probing its memories and what it can remember, the nature of the past, and its mission. The cyberian speaks of loss. The great conflagration, how the Nemesis and those who stood apart convinced the Second Creations to leave the Garden Path.

How the Second Creations spread across their Given World and forgot. Of how its original purpose has been erased from its memory banks, although dreams of daemons come to it, or at least that's what the cyberian says, the doors of the vaults and the shrines are rotten. Another Nemesis time may arrive.

Xarles speaks of its power and how Archibalgorithm should accompany them upon their journey; however, Archibalgorithm says that protecting the family is a higher purpose. Fiends, lamprey-faced Second Creations, had tried attacking the family, only to be driven off.

Xarles asks about the First Creations; Archibalgorithm remembers them as hook-nosed, wolf-eared, with deep sockets where eyes glow red. Heat thins and dies where they stand. Metal aches and groans. The cyberian itself “felt pain” when near them.

Stade feels poorly about the whole situation, as Peter trades oil for rations of taro and cassava. Stade offers his home to the group, and they accept, while Ekan stays outside under the stars. In the night, strange screeching and ululations are heard eastward. Archibalgorithm readies his laser gun as the cries eventually subside.

In the morning, seemingly on the edge of a great storm, continue eastward. Find a large river impassable. They head southward, following its bending arcs, eventually seeing upon the Shrublands a large moai. Around stone and grass-woven hovels. Clear indications of people.

The group heads closer, find upon the periphery strange, alien fruits and grains. Jale and ulfire, vermillion, and turquoise. Dripping green fluids. The air heavy with pollen and buzzing with even more alien flies and pollinators. Xarles reveals in the garden of delights, while Abarran’s lungs struggle, still healing from the respiratory infection some days ago.

alien plant

Hidden amongst the temporally desynced flora and fauna, the group sees one-hundred or more Second Creations, their mouths shifted and morphed into ovoids, their teeth sharpened, the jawlines rearranged as they screech skyward. A body lies lashed to the stonehead that's been excavated from the earth itself. The body’s head dashed open, brain matter congealed upon the towering sculpture. The group plots their next move in the darkness

map 3

Aftermath

Treasure Found:

Foes Encountered:

Rumors:

Deaths:

XP Awarded:

Notes