Play began centered on the village of Thrayorb, a tiny
collection of timber buildings surrounded by a wooden palisade on the banks of
the River. Thrayorb is home to a tribe of True Humans known as the Tsali and
serves as the trade hub for several allied mutants dwelling nearby. The Tsali
and local friendly mutants enjoy a symbiotic relationship, assisting one
another for mutual survival. If something were to happen to the residents of
Thrayorb, not just the Tsali tribe would be affected.
Two days ago, a loud thunderclap occurred far to the
direction of Windward. One sharp-eyed hunter claimed to have noticed a thin
column of puce smoke rising in that direction, but distance made it difficult
to confirm. The following morning, a number of the Tsali woke suffering from a
mysterious illness. Purple-black pustules oozing green pus dot their flesh,
their bodies are wracked with pain, and they suffer from an insatiable thirst.
The Knower of Things and several of the herb-wise tribesfolk began treatment of
the sick, but none had seen these symptoms before. The following day, even more
of the tribe became ill and it was clear that the infected would not survive
the disease.
The Knower of Things called together the few healthy
residents of Thrayorb and the environs. This small group included Shadow, a
young Tsali who had not yet undergone the trials of adulthood, Xamot/Tomax, a
two-headed mutant human who dwelled in a cave near the village; Jackbo, another
mutated human who acted as liaison between the village and the local mutants
and is renowned for his ability to get that diverse group to cooperate; and
“Joe,” a mutant river otter who appears otherwise identical to his Earthly
ancestors.
The Tsali shaman gravely informed the group that drastic
measures had to be taken if the tribe was to be healed. Someone must travel to
the distant “House of Silent Men,” a place known to possess powerful medicine
which had helped the tribe in the distant past. The House was only two day’s
journey in the direction of Risingwind, but it lay on the far side of the lands
claimed by the Teeth People, the Tsali ancient enemy. The Teeth People were
cannibals and the stuff of nightmares to the average Tsali tribesman, but there
was no other choice if the tribe was to be saved. Should the group of young
adult succeed in their quests, Shadow would be raised to full adult status in
the tribe and the rest of the mutants would be owed a mighty boon by the Tsali.
The group accepted their charge and prepared to depart immediately.
With the directions given to them by the Knower of Things
memorized, the group left the village, following the Rive toward the direction
of Windward. They were to travel until the River met with other waters, then
cross to the forest on the other side. There, the land of the Teeth People
began and it was suggested they not tarry too long.
The group had only been traveling an hour when Xamot/Tomax’s
superior hearing detected something heading in their direction on the opposite
side of the River. Identifying the noise as a lumbering piercer, the group
decided that caution was the best course of action. Joe and Jackbo enacted
their chameleon powers to disappear while Xamot/Tomax and Shadow clambered up
trees to hide.
The fearsome mutant bear broke from the forest on the
opposite shore, staggering on two legs and sniffing the air. Scratching its
back with its deadly quills, the piercer sought the air for the scent it
thought it detected, but the wind was blowing in the party’s favor and it
failed to pick up their scent. Pausing to drink from the River, the piercer
soon ventured off in the direction from which the group had come. The young
explorers breathed a sigh of relief before climbing back down to the ground or
allowing their camouflage to lapse.
The band resumed travel and reached the meeting place of the
two waters an hour after their encounter with the piercer. The River and
another waterway came together in a “Y” before continuing in the direction of
Sunset. In the fork of the waters was a grove of reeds and cattails. The
cattails bore brilliant orange punks at their tips and the reeds were topped
with a collection of thistles. Shadow gathered a stone from the rocky shore and
lobbed it into the grove, hoping to startle any creature lurking in ambush. The
only visible result was that the thistles atop one of the reeds vanished from
view, seeming to disappear entirely. The party puzzled over this for a moment,
but seeing no obvious danger, began contemplating how to cross the water.
Joe dove into the waterway to see if he could locate a
shallow stretch that would be easily fordable by his less-aquatic comrades. As
he swam in the water, however, his tiny limbs began to be wracked with pain. Swimming to the surface, Joe saw a number of rising welts under his sleek fur
and was alarmed to notice the lumps seemed to be moving as if something was
boring through his flesh. Back on shore, Xamot/Tomax had begun to approach the
reedy grove when his muscles, too, began to ache. He was suffering from the
same symptoms as Joe.
The group rapidly gathered together and Xamot/Tomax began
digging under his skin with a knife, cutting towards the objects burrowing
through his flesh. Amidst the blood, the bicephalic mutant discovered a tiny
thistle identical to those atop the reeds. Two more also coursed through his
flesh towards his torso. Having identified the culprit, knives appeared in the
groups hands as they went to work on Joe and Xamot/Tomax, slicing into their
skin to remove the burrowing nettles. A few less than deft cuts were made as
untrained hands tried the delicate operations, resulting in larger wounds than intended.
Both Joe and Xamot/Tomax blood splattered the rocky river bank, but the troublesome
(and potentially lethal) thistles were removed before they could burrow too
deep beneath the skin to be extracted.
Having identified the plants as a threat, the group retreat
100’ back along the River before crossing to the far side and returning to
where the waters met. On the far side of the wide waterway stood the ominous
forest of the Teeth People, but how to reach it? Shadow unslung here wicker,
killdeer hide-covered shield and place it atop the water’s surface. The concave
object floated gently in the water and, seizing upon this idea, promptly
employed the shield as an impromptu flotation device/boogey board. She reached
the far shore easily with Joe merrily swimming along beside her.
Jackbo waded into the river and began tentative strokes as
he paddled his way through the current. Xamot/Tomax two heads turned to look at
one another, shrugged his wide shoulders, and plunged into the current behind
him. Unfortunately for the two (three?)
mutants, the current soon got the best of them and begin pulling them
downstream. Jackbo strove against the water, finally overcoming its drag and
staggering to the shore. Xamot/Tomax had no such luck and the party raced along
the bank and the current dragged him along.
To complicate matters, Shadow’s eyes caught movement in the
water as a 6’ long shape swam towards the stuggling mutant. She called out a
warning and Joe plunged back into the river, gracefully swimming towards
Xamot/Tomax. Alerted by his companion’s cry, one of Xamot/Tomax heads turned
downstream to see a long, silver-green river eel with three eyes and a long,
sharp horn rapidly approaching with the intent to make a meal of him.
Xamot/Tomax called upon his ability to create illusions in the minds of the
weak-willed, confusing the eel’s brain with the sight of a piercer swimming
through the depths towards it. Alarmed (and somewhat befuddled), the horned eel
turned and swam downstream in search of an easier—and less confusing—meal. Joe
reached the struggling mutant and managed to help tow Xamot/Tomax to shore.
Now on the verge of the Teeth People’s lands, the group
recalled the Knower of Thing’s instructions: Travel in the direction of
Risingwind and before the end of the first day they’d encounter a trail running
roughly Sunrise to Sunset. Roughly a day beyond that was the edge of the forest
and the hills that held the House of Silent Men. If they were lucky, the group
would achieve the hills and depart the Teeth People’s lands before they were
discovered. The band pushed into the utterly unknown forest, their senses alert
for danger.
Some hours passed as they navigated between the boles of
great trees and across rocky, fog-laden gullies. Once again, Xamot/Tomax’s keen
hearing detected something approaching, the sound of feet padding softly
amongst the mosses and ferns of the rainforest. The band prepared to meet this
new threat, readying spears and axes as Joe and Jackbo camouflaged themselves.
Bursting from the ferns some 60’ away came a pair of
bobcats, sparks glittering in their eyes. The pair closed the distance swiftly
as Shadow hurled her spear at the predators. The missile scraped along one of
the cat’s sides, producing an angry screech but little actualy harm.
Xamot/Tomax conjured up an image of a Dark Mean, one of the sky demons that
plagued the Tsali tribe, and drove the flying beast towards the cats. Joe snuck
through the underbrush to flank the cats while Jackbo, still concealed, stepped
up next to Shadow, axe in hand.
The illusion of the Dark Mean was enough to startle one of
the bobcats into flight, but its mate showed no such fear. Blasts of
electricity leaped from its eyes towards Shadow, but her body, trained by the
hunt, dodged the shocking bolts. Jackbo swung his axe, but the cat jumped
aside, causing Joe’s own assault from behind to miss as the otter leapt upon
the place where the beast had been milliseconds before. Shadow drew her
remaining weapon, a knife hanging from the killdeer sheath on her belt, and
tossed the blade savagely at her assailant, but her attack also missed the now-cautious
cat.
Xamot/Tomax, one head still driving the Dark Mean at the
bobcat with narrow misses, used his other mind to create the illusion that he’d
grown 20’ tall and now towered threateningly over the cat. Have suffered a
wound and beset on all sides by enemies, the cat bounded back into the forest,
taking an axe blow from Jackbo in its retreat. Several minutes passed and the
forest once again grew peaceful, the sound of birdsong replacing the noise of
pitched battle. Shadow collected her weapons as Xamot/Tomax banished his
illusions and the band pressed on.
Not long after the battle, a break in the trees was spotted
and Joe advanced to investigate. Before him, as he was told, ran a trail of
packed earth winding through the forest. This was the pathway the Knower of
Things had told the party to look for. They seemed on course and, with an hour
remaining in the day, crossed the path and continued in the direction of
Risingwind.
The sun dove towards the hills and night rapidly fell in the
Valley. The group debated on the best way to pass the night in hostile
territory, suggesting they climb into the canopy above and secure themselves
with vines, but the creepers proved too thick and not pliable enough to be
utilized as ropes. Xamot/Tomax discovered a small cavity between two stones and
it was then decided to use the gap as a camp. Joe slid into the underbrush to
make himself scarce and the group kept watch in shifts throughout the night.
The sun rose the following morning without danger falling
upon the band. As the sun rose, the same question echoed in the mind of each of
them: Would they reach the House of Silent Men before the Teeth People found
them? They gathered their things and departed their camp site, fading from view
into the forest mist.
