Session 3

We decided that the best way forward was through the Deep. Devon led us in.
It seemed pleasant enough here on the 'fringe' of the Deep, although
winter was approaching, and the weather was worsening.

As we walked along, a bear spotted us and lumbered off. Myself and Jack
start to feel out of place.

Lee and Dev went hunting, and did a good job. We ate well, but were
rained on a little.

We crossed a large sunken valley, with Lee up front. When a suitable
place for found, we slept.

We pressed on the next day. It got colder.

On the third day in the Deep, we climbed down a 30 foot cliff. After an hour
we came to a river, flowing from West to East. We decided to go East,
hoping it would turn south, or become fordable. After 2 hours, it starts
to turn north. We continue on.

We spot a man up a tree. Someone hails him along the lines of
'Ho there man of the forest, what news?'

He climbed down and walked towards us. He was tall and bearded, and looked
like a hunter or ranger. We explained that we were headed for Baldock.
He told us there was a bridge nearby, beside the village of Dun Yew.
We thank him and walk on.

After 10 minutes, we came to a rope bridge, consisting of two ropes, one
above the other. Jack crossed, followed by me. Anna fell in. Jack went in
after her, as did I. He helped her out.

We walked on for hours, until we reached a clearing around the village.
There were maybe 20 houses. Kids ran up to look at up. Devon put down
a toy wooden duck he'd crafted. An elder or chief approached us. His name
is Joshua MacCeallaigh, and he offered us accomodation for the night.

We went to his house, beside the well. It was nice, and quite large. Also
wonderfully warm. We met his wife Catherine, and his kids. An old man with
a scar sat beside the fire.

We sat around, dryed out, and discussed trade. A man named Andrew arrived
to shave Lee and Jack, for an exorbitant price. I paid anyway.

Dinner was served; it was 'Hunter's Roll', a wonderful mix of venison and
wild pig. Micheal, the old man, began to talk about 'Witches' but was
interrupted by Joshua, who dismissed the old tales as nonsense.

After the meal, I talked to Micheal. He was a soldier in the Free States
Army, on the Wall. Told a load of tall tales about his old soldiering days.

After breakfast, we left the village, and headed south, into the forest.
It got colder. We slept.

The forest grew thicker the next day. It rained lightly.

The following day, more of the same.

The next day was worse. Lee and Devon were sick! We spent the day resting.
Lee cooked up some chicken brew which helped himself and Devon.
We slept, and when we awoke, Dev was fevered. Jack found some herbs to
help him, and Lee killed a deer.

I decided to memorise the names of the main players in the conspiracy against
the Duke. Along with Baron Aross and 'MG', there was Baroness Kerbie,
Lord Caer, and Baron Lochkirk. They were from the South and East of
Auchenross.

Dev's fever broke.

The next day, we went on. Jack talked about some new game he'd invented.
He'd thought of it in his dreams. It was very complex, and really rather
boring. I sort of understand it, but it doesn't really make sense, and
I don't get the strategy involved at all.

The next day we realised that we'd been drifting west. We corrected our
course. Jack realised that he haded so much invented the game, as been
taught it by a woman in his dreams. (Jack's become a little odd recently.)
It's called 'Elements', and consists of Blue, Red, Black and White pieces
on a board, with lots of tedious rules. Dev started to work on making white
pieces. I smoked some tobacco.

Later I climbed up a tree and had a look around. At least we know which way
south is now.

Next day, we continue south. Dense and gnarly forest surrounded us.
Drifed west again. It was warmer now, thanks to cloud cover. Dev made red
pieces for Jack's game.

We decided to head east for a while. I stepped on a snake, but dodged away
before it could bite. It looked poisonous. Damn forest.

Next day, we went south-east. It got hilly. We discovered we'd actually
gone south-west. As we slept, the man on guard saw a 'Will O' the Wisp'.

Next day, walked east. Lee was a little sick. It was chilly and wet. We
approached a hill, and went along a path. Jack slipped as a bit of the
path crumbled. I tied my rope to Lee's, then round Lee, and he went after
Jack. It didn't reach far enough, and we pulled Lee back. He said
there was a cliff down along the slope.

We made our way cautiously, but I slipped and found myself falling
off the cliff, hurting my head and knocking myself out for a brief time.
Dev and Lee arrived. Jack's leg was injured. We decided to leave the
muddy hole we'd found ourselves in, and headed for a building we'd noticed.

Passing through an old gate, we reached an old slabbed path, long overgrown.
Something dropped down from above, and attacked us. It flung Anna back
with ease, then went for Lee. He tried to duck, but it's arm (or whatever
it was) struck him and sent him reeling. I ripped into it, hurting it
badly. Dev does the same. We began to get it under control, until it
jumped up, out of the circle we'd formed around it. It landed behind Dev.
Things looked bad, but Dev smashed it up real good. It toppled onto him.

I ran over to make sure it was dead, and to help Dev, when *whoomph*, it
ignited. I was stunned for a moment, but able to walk on, just.

I lit a lantern, and we saw a tower ahead. A stair led up to a stout door.
There were no windows, except on the top floor. We went in, with the
lock presenting no problem. The ground floop had a kitchen with a very fine
looking stove, a storeroom, and a spiral stairs leading upwards. Lee checked
the celler, finding wine, weapons, brady and armour. He returned with brandy,
gave some to Jack, and did his best to set Jack's bones. It's not
entirely clear how well he did; we'll have to wait and see.

Then Lee explored upstairs. It's a well preserved old place.

Night passed uneventfully, thank goodness.

In the morning, Lee had a surprise for Jack. He brought him upstairs, and
showed him a room. There was a picture of the woman from Jack's dream,
and a game-board laid out as Jack remembered. The woman's name is
'Isolde MacHale'.                                                                 

The place was filled with old books, many with titles in some old script.
It looks like an old form of Echtlan. Almost Brectalian.

[OOC: Brec. is the 'old language' of the Free States. Think Latin, or
Old English, or the like. Ye olde tongue.]

Glass vials and strange alchemic equipment filled some workspaces.

There are many fine rooms in the tower. Despite it's age, it's comfy.

Dev checked out the basement again, and found a trapdoor, with stone stairs
leading down. He closed it, returned upstairs, and made a crutch for Jack.
                                 
Lee and Dev hunted, successfully. There was lots of salt in the tower,
so we could preserve meat.

We explored the outbuildings, which are much more ruined than the tower.
There were vegetables in the garden!

In the morning, we decided to go down the stone stairs in the basement, to
be sure nothing might creep up on us from below. There was a 10ft wide
corridor, 20ft below the earth (I reckon). It was quite long. We walked
along, until Dev saw a slab out of kink. Jack hobbled forward, and had a
look. It was indeed a trap, so we just stepped over it. Lee put some chalk
around it to remind us it was there. We reached a corner, turning left.

Before us was a door, within a large sculpted diabolical head. Some
people have the stangest things in their basements.

We talked about going in or not, with myself and Jack being cautious.

Lee's portamania over-powered the poor fellow, and he opened the door.
Damn, Lee, damn. The architecure inside was wierd. The room was round, and
had a door at the other side. As Jack walked in, the door started to close
behind him. Dev and I tried to hold it, but to no avail. I decided to follow
Jack and Lee in. (I felt a little bad at having fled from danger before.)
Dev didn't follow me.

A few weeks earlier, this would have shocked me to the point of disbelief,
but when a shadowy figure began to materialise, I was afraid but not
altogether surprised. I suggested we form a triangle, to surround it.

It attacked Jack. I ran at it, and slashed, only to feel my knives pass
through it as if it weren't there. Lee had the same problem.

Jack held the old encrusted sword he's found before. Where the hell had that
come from? He swung at the shade, and connected. It howled in pain. The
debris on the sword flew off.

[OOC: We figured out that the sword is +2. Tasty.]

Lee and I manage to do some damage to it. We kill it, and the door clicks,
unlocked. Jack is really weakened by the fight. The shadow monster hit him
during the combat, and he was wearied.

Portamanial Lee opens door number 2. There was a small room with a chest.

[OOC: No feet, no breathing.]

I helped Jack to the chest. His sword glowed, and the chest clicked unlocked.
This cann't all be pure coincidence.

Inside the chest, sitting on velvet, were a golden amulet with a red stone,
which glowed, and a thick book. Jack remove the red stone, and placed it
on the sword. It glowed red for a moment. We took the book and amulet,
and returned upstairs, covering the trap door.

And then, winter...