32nd Fire (6/15/18)

Hathun, Third-Week, First-Day, The Now-Year

Borracho, having the most experience with horns, is chosen to call the Long Hunt using the horn available at the Grand Mask Enclave. SlakeThirst fires a fireball at the sky as a sort of flare, while Vraal uses divination to ask Ydum, his god, how soon it will be until the enigmatic Scunj respond to the PCs shutting down their strange sky altars. Through a wilting daisy, Ydum responds that it could be half a day. Vraal goes out to wander the Court, waiting for any Long Hunt representatives to show up from their respective villages. Greech goes out for a drink at Pilaf's Tavern, and overhears a couple of thugs same that 'Nimmi gave them permission'. The Long Hunters begin to drift in over the next 36 hours, with a good number of familiar faces among them, and some potential rivals. Including the PCs, the roster for the Hunt will be:

Briar's Edge: Un-Krug, Yukkbutt
Cleftown: Borracho, Gatespur, Rekker 'Ogre Knees'
Court-of-Crows: Bandana Jakk, Gundo Shattermouth, Kerrin & Kestrel, Maun the Bastard, Taias 'Bloodbath', Vraal, Za'ku
Dregroot: Huntress Byle, Huntress Slyva
Flaxwall: Kneebro, Skitti
Isle-of-Idylls: Flearikz, Greech 
Misthome: High Hood Lavener, Mamma Boe, Sharps, Sdudder
Place-of-Scales: Slakethirst, Wralasar
Slipstones: Grumdi the Bright
The Nest: K'gug the Tall

PCs were then asked to select among most of the NPC Long Hunters, a 'second' that they can use in addition to their own PC, or exclusively in the case of their PC's potential death.

Hathun, Third-Week, Second-Day, The Now-Year

Several Hunters are happier to be there than others. Wyrmshade is not pleased with the presence of Flearikz. Byle is not ecstatic about the spurious advances of Yukkbutt. Skitti's grasshopper mount Spoog, on the other hand, enjoys the half-orcs affections. Taias is less than thrilled that Maun and Gundo are along, but doesn't see much other choice for fighting men of the Court. Vraal calls a war council and speaks to the assembled company about exactly what they know up to this point, and is met with varying states of disbelief, and questions. When questioned about the validity of the Scunj's strange magical resistance, the PCs provide proof by slashing up their captive and then using magic to heal him. Skitti doesn't seem to agree with the general treatment of the captive.

Soon after, the company notices flashing off in the distant sky to the Southeast of the Court, from around near where Isle-of-Idylls might be located. Then there is a faint orange glow on that horizon, and the PCs believe the elven island village and the surrounding Verdant might have been set alight! Vraal uses tongues to inquire with the captive what is saying, and it seems to laugh at them, and sarcastically responds "Penitence." This enrages the civil cleric so much that he begins bashing in the creature's skull while Yukkbutt holds it tight. Gundo is all to happy to join in, kicking the thing full in the face and then clubbing it to death. In the ensuing panic, the PCs Skitti, Un-Krug and Mamma Boe off to contact Eagle Klah at the nearby Briar's Edge, who can send messages of warning through magic to the other Tribes. The majority of the company decides to make haste towards Flaxwall and find the third altar that High Hood Lavener had encountered some while ago.

Hathun, Third-Week, Third-Day, The Now-Year

After nearly avoiding a nervous stampede of triceratops, thrown out of balance by the altered day/night cycle, the PCs arrive at the Whipwater and an obstacle. Greech shapeshifts into a hippo to cross the river, and then, after studying the druid's technique, Slakethirst polymorphs into a second hippo, not wanting to nearly drown in the river again as he did once before! The two of them manage to ferry the Long Hunt across the water, but it does take some time, and then they proceed into one of the survival daylight zones on the Plateau, and then Flaxwall. Za'ku climbs a tree to check out the place, and it seems unharmed, though several families have gotten the message from Eagle Klah and are fleeing across the fields. Kneebro and Lavener locate the burrow where the gnome had found the altar, and a group of PCs play bodyguard while the High Hood begins to deactivate it. While this is happening, the village is attacked by an invisible airborne assailant flashing rays at the ground that leave fires behind them and half-disintegrate those unfortunate enough to be caught in them.

Slakethirst and Za'ku begin firing at the hidden object, and it is revealed to be a disc-shaped, highly reflective construct or vehicle that stealths itself by mirroring the sky around it. However, once it fires it is very briefly visible until it moves. Vraal follows along as he can, using his Robe of Eyes to spot where it is going, although it moves too quickly to accurately pursue. The strange light distortion it makes is very similar to what Kymyl encountered beyond the Mouth of Saurvax. Flearikz and Za'ky attempt to evacuate as many of the remaining villagers as they can. Meanwhile, the High Hood has upped his game, disarming the altar quicker than before. Once this portion of the Plateau is cast into the strange night sky, the flying object seems to react by leaving the area. The PCs are left with a few smoking buildings, a few hundred confused locals, and a lot of rage.

PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Greech, Kymyl, Mamma Boe, Slakethirst, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 4500
Inspiration: Greech, Vraal
Renown: --

NPCs

Gatespur (human male): A lean, muscular man of middle age, with arms heavily inked in tattoos of various beasts found across the Plateau. His hair is shaven on the sides, long on top and braided down his back, where it ends in jeweled beads; he also wears a stylish, long moustache which droops inches below his chin. He wears a bone-link cuirass of mail on his chest, a studded leather kilt, and leans upon a stone-tipped, dangerous looking spear which endlessly flickers in a ghostly blue flame.

Grumdi the Bright (dwarf male): An ashen skinned dwarf with unusual features, he’s clad in a midnight leather armor suit fixed with small, glittering jewels. His bald maul of a head features a thick brow and square jaw, and he carries a stone pick with a serrated edge. His teeth, when grinning, also seem to have been half replaced with gemstones from where the originals were knocked out of his mouth.

Huntress Slyva (human female): A gaunt, crouched woman with ratty, dirty blonde hair, she has paint smeared across her face from which her green eyes pierce. She is wrapped in hides covered in pockets, and several bone knives’ hilts can be seem protruding from them. A shortbow is hung on her back with a quiver, and she wears bone-spiked sandals on her filthy feet.

Kneebro (halfling male): A humble looking, chubby cheeked halfling with pockmarks and fat sideburns, he’s chewing on a barley root and whistling as he goes. He’s wrapped in a cloak at least one size too large, but tries to keep it under control with a leather sash and a waterskin slung over his shoulder. A broad bone kukri rests comfortably in the sash, and he swings an unlit lantern in his left hand.

Rekker ‘Ogre Knees’ (dwarf male): Stunted looking even for his kind, this elderly dwarf is nonetheless a mass of knotted muscles in motion, his arms and chest so ripped that it looks like a natural form of armor. Patches of gray hair bristle all over his body, and his spiky hair and beard are greased up by the fat of melted prey. He wears bone hoops through his ears, nose and brow, and his beady brown eyes are set deep back in his skull. He uses a broad, two-headed axe to help him walk along, and its crowned by the skull of a young drake.

Sdudder (dwarf male): This young dwarf has a sharp nose over the beginnings of a beard, and his hair is close cropped beneath a helm carved from the skull of some great bird. His black tunic bears the symbol of the Blue Lanterns, and he bears a black lacquered wooden shield, bone longsword and an additional shortsword.

Sharps (elf female): A beautiful, lithe elven female, her long, flat weave of hair is tied tightly to her head by its own braids. She wears a chalk-white tunic and breeches over red-dyed leather, with the Blue Lantern emblem painted onto her tunic. Two slender swords are crossed on sheathes at her back, while a selection of bone daggers, kukris and a short sword are arranged in her belt so she can grab them as needed.

Skitti (halfling female): She rides in on the largest looking grasshopper you’ve ever seen, which is strapped with a saddle. A pair of short spears is slung behind her fur cloak, and she’s draped in fine leather. Her hair is curly, with her left ear lopped off, and her lips are slip down the right side as if she’s been cut there. None of this detracts from her radiant smile and glittering amber eyes, which look curious and hungry.

31st Fire (6/1/18)

Hathun, Second-Week, Tenth-Day, The Now-Year

Un'krug comes down with a severe case of swimmer's itch and decides to rest along the banks of the Moonmirror while the rest of the PCs head off to investigate the mysterious grotto they've learned about. They arrive hours later, in the late afternoon, at a place where a muddy trail has been beaten towards a hollowed out hillock set just off the northeast side of the lake. Kymyl, Slakethirst and Za'ku decide to scout out around the hill and see if there are any dangers or back entrances. The rest of the PC is then surprised by a trio of giant-kin that must have seen them coming, and camouflaged them selves in the lakeside vegetation and mud. Mamma Boe hears one snarl "you don't get our pretties" in the Giant tongue. Two of these things ooze poisonous ichor from every pore and limb, while the third has a strange aura of dangerous, withering energy. The fight is brutal, with several of our heroes being knocked down several times, especially the High Hood Lavener who is trying to flank one of the monstrous assailants; and poison being sprayed everywhere when some of the creatures are attacked.



Eventually, once the scouts return to the group, the battle begins to turn against the brutes, and through a combination of Borracho's fire-based magic spells and massive physical damage, the creatures are brought low. The PCs then send in an invisible Kymyl and Slakethirst to scout out the cavern itself, and they find some riches that the beasts must have accumulated from local (elven) victims, as well as one of the glowing, smooth-metal altars they have come across before at the fields north of Court-of-Crows and in 'Saurvax's' Lair up in the ayrie. High Hood Lavener, now recovered from his poison injuries in the fight, decides to decrypt the glowing patterns emanating from the altar, and once he has studied them for an hour, figures out how he can try to shut them off. The remainder of the party decides to rest and heal their wounds.

Hathun, Third-Week, First-Day, The Now-Year

After getting the blessings from the rest of the PCs, Lavener taps a pattern on the altar, and the lights on the altar die. Nothing seems to have happened until Slakethirst steps outside the cave and notices that a large, pie-wedge shaped slice of the morning sky has disappeared, after a brief series of flashes where it fizzles out. It creates a strange effect, since off in the distance the group can clearly still see the sun shining down on neighboring regions. After sweeping over to pick up Un'krug by the lake, they decide to head off to the nearest pre-discovered altar, near Court-of-Crows, and see if they can replicate this effect. En route, they pass through the Roarwater and Riverbane Orc tribelands without being spied, and then notice at the edge of the night sky the birds and other wildlife are confused about the nocturnal/diurnal chaos created by the altar. They encounter several farmers in the fields south of the Court who are likewise unsure what is happening.

Once they arrive at the 'Demon of the Ditch' lair, where they once cleared out the dangerous ankheg for the farmer Cret Ayshus, they repeat the process with the altar there. Another wedge of sky has disappeared off the Plateau...leaving its northern regions in perpetual night! They now decide to interrogate their strange humanoid captive one more time, via a tongues spell cast my Vraal. It warns them to reverse what they have done, or they will incur the wrath of its people. Perhaps because it is desperate for the PCs not to proceed, it spills out a little more information than it might have given before, telling them that the peoples of the Plateau are part of a long-term experiment. It claims it is from a race called the 'Scunj', which has come from a very distant place, to consume and study the energies known as 'magic', both religious and arcane, which permeate this land, and can cure and empower them, since they have a natural immunity to its ill effects. But it's people can somehow not wield this power, and thus have used their advanced technology to set up experiments and figure out how it can be manifest.

After these revelations, the PCs decide to hold on to their captive just awhile longer. They travel into Court-of-Crows where everyone is in a panic over the sudden appearance of night. They make a brief visit to Ull the sage to have some items identified. After this, they use the authority invested in them by saving the populace of Place-of-Scales, and from the Grand Mask's Enclave they call the Long Hunt, using the great horn to sound off what manpower they will require from the Ten-Tribes.

PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Kymyl, Mamma Boe, Slakethirst, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 3500
Inspiration: ---
Renown: ---