Book 10, Chapter 3 �Shopping in Yashain�

14/03/2015

And it came to pass that the famous Erana Sir Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo, Zytsi the magnificent Khuzdul mason, Aruth the legendary driver of the War Wagon with the beautiful paintjob, Daniel the legendary Bard with the wondrous Harp of Galeroth and Bowlhead the close friend of Gloriana, did arrive on the same Plane as Panaga and are looking at the city were he is.

Yea verily was their talk about computer games, and even old RPG adventures and stuff. Will this be the last game session, seems unlikely. We can faff around for ever, and there will be shops. Daniel gave Bowlhead a pendant and told him to put it on.

We are on the top of a hill looking down on a city, the City of Nascent Visions which looks like a giant eye with a gorge running long it. The City guards the bridge across the gorge. We are in Yashain on the border between the Lands of Agrik and Larani. This is only way across the gorge, full stop. It has changed hands over a hundred times but is currently independent. On our side of the gorge is a huge Larani Army, and the city and then there is a huge army of Agrik on the other side. There is a third front as there has been a slip in the space-time continuum and there are now several hundred Agrikan demons below the city.

We are captured by some Larani knights and taken to the Laranian Army, and learn about the city and the situation as we go. A reasonable amount of the city is ruined due to catapult attacks. No Military/Battle Magic is allowed within 5 miles of the city, the Gods have decreed it. 17 years ago the space-time rippled and 300 to 400 V�hir moved to underneath the city starting the Vertical Siege. Laranians occupied the City at the time and then they lost to next Agrikan attack. They took the city and then they made an agreement with the V�hir. Divelvin now runs the city, he has yellow eyes, scaly skin and forked tongue but is mostly human. He arrived when the Agrikans ran the city and he got a large following amongst the locals, and then took over.

7 types of sentient creature here, these include Humans, as its heaven and people get re-incarnated here, and sometimes even born here. Dhikiri, like Icarus, they can be of any moral type, some follow Larani, some Agrik, and in the City they follow Divelvin. The Bansuri are another humanoid race in the City, traders who stick to their agreements, short with pointy ears.

The Larani Army favour the southern side of town. Recommended Inns are the Dragon�s Breath by the west gate, the Fire and Spoon near the middle, both run by Dhikiri, the Lamp and Ladle. There is a Temple of Larani, but its run down and watched by the local security services. The Flying Boat is another inn, named after an obnoxious bloke who was chucked into the gorge in his boat.

So the Larani Army lets us go into the City. Its 3 AM Eternal so rest up a bit. It�s another world with weather and population. So at about 9:30 we go through the southern gate, and the Lamp and Ladle is the first Inn we see. On to the ring road and we encounter the local militia. The gate guards not put your weapons into bondage, then. There was a quick bit of Diplomacy by Sir Martyn.

We have the wagon with the paint job showing, Sir Martyn on his gryphon or horse as appropriate. Eventually we come to two diagonally opposite inns, the Glove and Fish and the Dragon�s Breath. The Glove and Fish seems to be mainly human, rather than Dhikiri like in the Dragon�s Breath. We go into the Glove and Fish, they have no stabling. The Teamsters in the northwest quarter may be able accommodate us. We leave to park the wagon and animals with Larani Army. A Larani preacher spouting on about the evils of Agrik picks on Zytsi as a daemon of Agrik.

We park up the wagon the horses and gryphon and go back in. The guard at the gate looks embarrassed and say our weapons ought to be in bondage. Sir Martyn uses diplomacy to talk our way out of it. We won�t tell anyone we�ve been outside, as someone�s had a go at him about us. Back to the square, the preacher is beaten up and hidden behind some barrels. Bowlhead cures him, and he is not happy as he was looking forward to being reincarnated. We go to the Dragon�s Breath and �Five pints of ale and a large rumour please�.

They have very strong liquor; we talk to the Dhikiri behind the bar, who is very friendly. Zytsi is told he is the first Khuzdul to visit this City in living memory, or at least this pub anyway. He has heard of Icarus, he�s a God sir, well almost. Another round of drinks. Icarus disappeared about six years ago, 723 then. Some Dhikiri think Divelvin was behind Icarus� disappearance, but the bar man doesn�t. Divelvin appeared about 11 years ago.

Prince Histatis rules the V�hir below the City. The barman has never heard of Indam, which is what Panaga called himself on Harn. Hasn�t heard of Panaga, sounds like a daemon name, they don�t come in the pub, don�t need to eat or drink. Hasn�t heard of Lothrim either. There was a break out of V�hir from below via the sewers next to this inn.

Sir Martyn is the Champion of Larani and the hand makes him the Champion of Agrik, which makes him a person of interest to many people here. So having got some general background we decide to go and talk to Divelvin. We think we need to the Palace of State and Protocol to do that, this we then do. The door militia send us to Admin. The next door militia points to Appointments. There are two people ahead of us, we ignore them and walk in. �Oi there is a queue you know.� Sir Martyn walks into the office, where there is a human who is having his appointment with the Dhikiri official.

�I am Sir Martyn, the Champion of Larani and the Champion of Agrik, and I want to see Divelvin now.� The official isn�t convinced but the visitor is, and then Sir Martyn draws the Sword of Larani and the light comes on and shows the Hand and bursts into flames. Official is now convinced and goes to get his boss.

Sir Martyn has to do the Sword and Hand bit again. Off to the next office, and the next level of admin and stalling. We are unquiet minions. After about 15 minutes a messenger comes in and leads us the Octagonal Keep. On the way we seem to acquire an �honour guard�, and a lot of hangers on. Word will spread though out the city fairly quickly.

We are led into a large room and the guards spread out though the room. Divelvin is here and we are marched up to him. �We are on a mission here to find an individual who will upset the balance here.� After mentioning Panaga and a bit of chit chat we go into a more private chamber. How do we intend to defeat Panaga? Free Icarus. Divelvin looks concerned. It�s not in his interest to have Icarus freed. We negotiate for a while, but it boils to a question of trust. He would like Panaga and Icarus removed, but he doesn�t want Icarus left around. Panaga isn�t a threat to him but Icarus might.

He doesn�t see how we can kill Panaga without freeing or killing Icarus. He knows where Panaga is but can�t take him out without over committing. Panaga draws power from Icarus and will be easily defeatable without him. Panaga was one of the minions of the teleporting tower of V�hir beneath the City, so their Prince is one of his Masters. Panaga drawing power from Icarus is undefeatable by mortal man.

Eventually Divelvin came up with a solution. We will swear by Larani and Agrik to kill Icarus, and then he will tell us where Panaga�s base is.

((Dinner was a very tasty Chicken casserole in pepper sauce with roast potatoes and vegetables. Nice one Stuart.))

We will swear by Larani and Agrik to do our best to kill Icarus, and Bowlhead also voluntarily swears by Siem as well. (There is no pissing around with this, says Robin. Intent is all.)

Panaga is based in the top level of the Warren. When the V�hir Tower turned up underneath the city they dug upwards and made 2 levels below the sewer. Panaga controls the top four levels, i.e. the two new levels and the top two levels of the tower. Panaga is in the first level down. We have a map to Panaga�s HQ. Below his area is known as the Lower Levels and tougher daemons live there. Panaga is using Icarus to power an item that gives him some kind of powerful mind control power.

Then there was a very long discussion on how to find Icarus using Guess Spells and Location Spells. Location Spells wont work as Icarus is not a place or object. Then with two people casting Guess spells doesn�t really help, even if spells cost half points here. Alternatively Plan A always works.

So we start on the opposite side of the City from Panaga�s lair and use Guesses to get there. Can we see in the dark, well Zytsi can, there must be an herb that allows it. There are two herbalists in the City, �Shopping� choruses the party. There are 17 herbs that allow us to see in the dark and 2 doses of splayfoot, but Sir Martyn can�t use it as he is not �non-evil�. The party addicts their buy drugs on general principles. Yulpris, just the one dose and we have three! We buy it. One Haste mushroom.

I�ve got 10 iron spikes and mallet, Rope is need. So Daniel buys 33 foot of rope, because it�s rope taken to up to 11.

Will the next session be the last Harn Session ever?

PS Blowhead found out what the Pendant that Daniel gave him does.