����������� Book One, Chapter Two, �All Aboard For The Lost Khuzan City of Kiraz.�

The Place: Lorkin.

The Date: 15th Azura 723 TR.

The Weather: It�s raining.

The People: 11 Dwarves and Zytsi the Khuzdul, Ganymede the Cleric, Daniel the Bard, Estalyn the Elf, Giles the Lock Maker, Aruth, Three Feathers, Bradlack, Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the one, the only Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo.

The Mission: All aboard for the lost Khuzan city of Kiraz.

The Other People: Garin the other bard, Capel, Angel.

The Other Mission: Going to the northern islands to find a legendary axe.

16th spent in Lorkin at Spawn�s Hallow Inn.

We are going to find a Demon�s Horns in a sliver box which are needed to kill Panaga. Giles has seen him, at Trobridge, which was trashed before the party turned up. Everybody outside and unprotected was killed by a cloud of darkness.

Faenghease rock mausoleum, old priest buried there. He led a Jarin uprising 20 years ago. 150 years ago Kingdoms of Jara raided by Ivinians. Lorkin fell 50 years ago. Prince died. Revolt 20 years ago, over threw Ivinian lord �because he killed the priest. 3 years later new lord killed - decapitated - after revolt put down. 19 of lord�s family killed in 23 years by decapitation. �One day the rock fill fall and we will rise�. Spectre on island.

It was an interesting evening in the pub. I Calmed the Jarin rebel songs down, one big Jarin hustled out of the pub. Back to the ship. �Where�s Capel?� A wolf howls on Faenghease rock. Martyn ran with Giles to find what we running from. He of course stopped when he heard it was 8 armed men and a wolf that we were running from. The men scattered, one chased by the wolf. Martyn couldn�t make it heel. Decapitated corpse found in alley. Also the (figurehead) lord was decapitated in castle. The Jarin warned us to leave, we didn�t. They tried to stop us, and more or less succeeded. Capel went to the castle. The Khuzdul tried to march through town to the boat, the Ivinians tried to stop them and a fight ensued. The Jarins rose. The Khuzdul arrived. The pilot arrived ready to leave. Angel was caught by the Ivinians. I say goodbye to Garin as he stays in burning city. The Jarin rising, Capel trying to explain what happened last night, Angel dead or unconscious in Ivinian hands, and the Ivinians don�t like us. [Player Character one day]. We leave on the morning of 17th Azura.

The King of Kaldor has died and a war of succession has broken out, a passing merchant ship tells us. But we don�t believe him, and we were right not to. We tell him about the Jarin revolt and they turn round. We were right though.

Loads of bad omens and a fire breathing, screeching dragon was seen to fly north.

Clear marshes on the 19th, it stops raining, moral improves. After 5 days rounded Ivinia. 24th. Perfect weather up to now. After 2 consecutive days of thunderstorms the captain and ship will leave. He leaves when the weather turns as he won�t risk his ship.

The next day there was a thick nasty fog. Giles and Estalyn feel unwell after bad dreams. Fog like that which followed the enormous storm in the south when I got lightning bolted. (Much note passing.) The fog starts to move at midday, after an hour it seems to circling the ship. The crew are revolting and we decide to land, leaving the ship. At 3 o�clock there is an almighty crack of thunder. A lightning bolt hits Martyn who is enveloped in smoke and is spun round to fall flat on his face. The fog clears and Martyn stands up. There is a long tailed comet, which is not moving, with its tail pointed at the ground (SW of our current position). Kiraz!

We head north, still in the ship. Martyn goes in for double doses of brooding. He is uneasy and pale after 3 days. We get to the disembarkation point. No rain. 29th Azura.

The Pemetta River. The Khuzdul Royal Guard is all noblemen and wont row. Oh, upset Martyn. (Did I forget to mention the 16 rowers, all volunteers?). The boat won�t be coming back, the captain won�t be able to get the crew to stay or return.

1st Halane. Up river one day. Neon light still one comet/hook. Shadow figures on east bank! Hailstorm that night. Martyn broods into it.

2nd Halane. Bad omen, a white bird flies across river and a hawk swoops and gets it. �Just nature� quips Martyn. Camped on the west bank. Harold the rower couldn�t follow orders and goes up river into the forest. Killed. We go and follow. Undead thingy found. It is eventually killed and there was some involuntary bathing going on. Angry native arrow shoots another sailor, who lives. We get back on board. The Khuzdul volunteer to come aboard to protect us.

The next day (3rd) its misty, visibility 30 feet. Its Zytsi�s birthday. The Captain of the Royal Guard gives him a box. Daniel sings Happy Birthday to Zytsi. It�s an ornate dagger (+10) with the crest of the Guards. Through the mist and up the river. Run a ground on a sand bank, second ship sees it, backs and doesn�t run into the first. Leavers to get it off. Then again, and scrap the bottom and again and for a while and aground again. And then again and grappling hooks and winches needed to get off. 6 miles covered, even the Khuzdul are depressed.

Arrow in the night hits Khuzdul. 3 go ashore, Captain Kruel with two others, and don�t find anyone.

Next day it pours down all day. We only got stuck once. Actually it stops in morning, its wet. Day dull, night nothing. Bad dreams. Comet is blacked and brighter.

The next day (5th) is misty. Round the corner standing on the water is an 8 foot tall black humanoid with cowl with a sword. Martyn�s pursuing Demon! Martyn fired an arbalest at it. Knocks it against a tree. �I�ll be back� it announced. Larani had allowed Martyn to walk on water. He fell over board ON to the water and grabbed side before he got wet.

More grounding on sandbanks, it�s getting worse. Something tried to get on board, but it lost a hand to a Khuzdul. The next day round a corner, here we go again. Its good old �8 foot tall black humanoid with cowl with a sword and an attitude� time again. Ram speed, but we stop. The sky brightens and we stop. In the silence (apart from the shouting) Martyn walks on the water, Larani has aided him. Let battle commence.

It draws its sword and holds it above its head, ready. Martyn glows with an aura, as does his sword. Its feet click on the water.

Martyn �What is your name?�

�Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo�

�There�s a coincidence� said Martyn as he tried to hit it, it parried. Next round it hits, just damage. Martyn missed. And it did more damage (hit sword hilt, then a kick) Not impressed with Martyn�s first attack obviously. It hits with sword. Martyn hits. Nothing happening but its parry makes Martyn fumble weapon one round.

Martyn gets hit and he hits, but just damage. �Open fire� the 4 rubbish crossbows fire, one hits Martyn with a critical. The 6 Khuzdul crossbows hit it and drive him off. As it sinks it hisses �Next time�.

Giles wants to be Martyn�s apprentice. (Giles must be off his head.)

Canoe comes out. �Why do the short ones return to the land of the Equani, and why do you bring the Black Doom?� The doom has taken 9 of them.

�When the comet strikes strangers shall come and return the people�s treasures to them.� Oh shit.

Martyn has lost the spell which stopped the demon from finding him. Martyn has 3 facial scars, one each night, from each ceremony. No more nasty dreams.

We go to get the treasures back for the Equani, they help us. What!

One and a half days to cave. In big cave down smooth stone along into big natural chamber with 2 exits. Big pile of loot.

Zytsi gripped a mason�s chisel, it shouted �Alarm�. Thrown down and turned into black snake. 2 very large ogres. Gory (on report) knocked one out. They got killed later. Martyn cuts their heads off, but leaves them in the entrance.

Give treasure to the native who runs off, oh. We pick a good direction to go in and do so. Half a day. Next day meet Khuzdul. Natives attacked them. Sailors missing. 2 Khuzdul (Thorin and Orin) dead. The backwards walking natives are tough.

Boats looted. Village abandoned. About 5 miles to native new camp. We are pissed; they are pissed (on cheap brandy). Surround them and charge. Quick and easy just 10ish men, 8 women, 1 child killed. We got the treasure from the cave back. With a chest with a lock Giles wants to study. We also find Balatar the Fish and two more rowers (Lucimel the Lucky and Aaron the Unseen) with Ganymede.

Treasure: 3,500 silver pennies, 2 swords, 1 axe, 10 gems (2,500d all told).

(Dinner Break)

So here we are the one and only Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo and his trusty comrade Zytsi, with nine Khuzdul of the Royal Guard. Also present are Daniel the recording bard, Estalyn the Elf, Giles the locksmith, Aruth, Three Feathers the local knowledge. Ganymede the Cleric, Balatar the Fish and 2 other rowers. We have some bad dreams and brood a lot. It�s the 14th and we only use one boat. We don�t make much progress today. The Khuzdul volunteered to row, Balatar the Fish steered promptly into a sandbank. Later on he hit a rock. Oh yes its raining.

There is a tree trunk in the river up ahead. I have a nasty idea and start singing a holding song (just as well really). Yes it was a lot of tentacles and a central area. It attacks, I sing and the party fought. Khuzdul back oars and we break free after a couple of attempts. The Khuzdul Captain fires the arbalest at it, several times and it dies (Giles tried and fumbled).

Zytsi fixed the damage done when we hit a rock �Hey guys can you pull me up now�.

There are the evil forces spreading nasty auras about Martyn trying to turn people against him. Martyn appears weak and glows with a black aura as he is talking.

15th all day. Mid day there are drums in the eastern forest. We don�t hit anything all day. Well done Balatar the Fish (mind you he ought to be good at it). Much praying and brooding goes on, mostly by Martyn but Giles is doing his best. That night I dream of Martyn betraying the party and all of us being slaughtered by Gargun.

16th Estalyn very tired. I sing a Sleep song all day. �A Man� says kill Martyn and I�ll make you the greatest bard in Harn. +200 to skill practising for a while during the day. Zytsi got a similar sort of offer, which he also declined.

The river forks and we go east. Nearly half way there. Fairly whipping along and not hitting anything. Drums still and the comet hanging over all like a glowing red hook. Sleep, watch, pray, brood.

On the 17th we transfer to the small boats - Guardian and Protector - and the rowing boat - Warrior. (Shield Maiden I was first left and Shield Maiden II was left here ((who named these boats? and why didn�t they tell me)). About an hour later we se smoke behind us, this is about midday.

Exploding heads (Banibus the Tower) �Waiting Flame� hole in boat - got thrown overboard before bang. Arrows from the shore. We land ship, fix it (nearly) when the natives arrive. Gory took a leg shot. Zytsi charged off to defend. I finish the boat for 3 rounds and blow the horn. Push boat, takes 2 rounds (Khuzdul help second time). We get away and hit two more sandbanks. No more drums. Into Gargun lands.

That night fog tendrils cause Estalyn the Elf to scream and get everyone to wake up, except Martyn and the Khuzdul. We attempt to row out as Martyn and the Khuzdul sleep and thrash around. It works but one Khuzdul is dead with his head smashed and another lost his hand. (Doric is dead, Kaskar lost his hand). They dreamed that they were fighting in a big hall they were wining but more appeared. Martyn appeared and killed a leader type.

18th was an uneventful day, except for an animal roar. 10 miles for the source, we think - but the comet points further on. Nothing happens that night.

19th nothing happens day and night

20th nothing happens morning then we have to get out of the boats. Khuzdul hunting lodge with a dead human body (dead for weeks) found by Sergeant Kruel, square made of stone and heavy timber. Arrow slit windows at Khuzdul height. At least 600 years old. Adventurer type killed by Gargun some weeks ago. Hack hole in door, loot body find scroll and 73d. The hunting lodge lower room has vents.

We hid 2 food caches around here. 37 1/2 yards due east of this mar on this tree - south of the hunting lodge. Daniel does best he can to memorise the tree.

Reading the scroll we found on the dead body we found that it was rather like the party reading about itself finding the body and -

They studied the messenger. He was a small man, barely a man, with delicate down on his hunger shrunken cheeks, a shapeless felt hat pulled down over unruly blonde hair. The red around his pale eyes told of sleepless nights.

�The evil one has returned,� he said. �He came to the village and he knows thy names, all thy names. He said that death shall find the thieves, and the name of their doom is Panaga.�

Some smiled, one laughed, others knit their brows. Should they return the things they had taken, or take the battle to the evil one? But they shared a cold and creeping dread. For the name of that evil one was fear itself, and there was nowhere in all of the seven worlds to hide.

�There is hope yet,� the young man went on. � Seryel the sibyl came to the village, and she had dream, clear it was, and a true one, �Send them to the Lost City, to Lothrim�s Bane, the Golden Tomb�, she said. �Send then to Kiraz��

(From the back of �Kiraz, The Lost City� module)

�Who is this git then? And why is he here then� quoth Martyn.

We are going to get bits (horns) of Icurus (demon giving Panaga his power) Oh.

�Here lies the dead adventurer� date 20 weeks ago.

Giles runs into camp with his tackle hanging out yelling �wild pig, wild pig�. He runs to his staff and a wild pig runs in after him. Martyn speared it, it hits Giles leg. �Even when I�m holding it to 25% of activity within 50 feet of me. And Martyn can fumble and run into a tree and stunned for 3 rounds.� Oh! What a brave and noble sight! The Paladin chasing a pig and fumbling.

Martyn decides to get rid of the fetters, brought to chain natives to do rowing for us. And the oars.

Find an old Khuzdul road, paralleling the river after an hour river splits. 600-800 feet away is the mountain and we see 80 ft up mountain ((so how do I put a picture in here????)) PS the comet doesn�t point here.

Even spaced columns and Khuzdul workmanship concrete agglomerate with weapon grade steel tinted to same colour as rock face. Steps on pillar not part of cliff and no draw bridge (come out of cliff).

The comet gets darker when we are doing badly and brighter when we do well, says Giles. It�s a bloody arrow pointing to where we have to go, says Daniel.

((There is a map supposed to be here))

We are the wrong side of a 15 ft deep and 10 ft wide then we get to that lot. We made a bridge with 4 trees - and cut down more than we needed - to get to the ruined guard house. The front door has loads of gates and other entrances. We have a key that fits all the gates. But they are all sealed, bugger.

Old Khuzdul saying �Life�s a bitch, so buy a helmet�

�It�s easier to teach a coin to sing than to wrestle one from the grasp of a Khuzdul� (human saying about Khuzdul)

Re-cross river. Take ropes but leave bridge. Zytsi froze when he re-crossed the river but I clamed him down and he was OK.

Martyn�s prophecy �It�s going to be dangerous�. Thanks, we�ll let you know.

21st overcast, wind blows a gale, cold and showery. We see a hill clean of vegetation, bare rock, one tree on top. The Comet goes out. It was a signpost put for us. But by which team?

Kiraz is sealed tomb for the Khuzdul and we are going into it so our Khuzdul are unhappy/uneasy/not happy/whatever.

((There are mini room maps in this lot)) Mine shaft with gates (not 600 years old) they are open. Carved mine head. 20 ft x 20 ft room with corridor going away. Go in and shut gates behind. Could be a Gargun stronghold? Gargun scared off by a big comet pointing at their lair. But it�s gone now. Crude stair down. Guard room, Gargun gear. It is, shit. Door - room, sandy floor, like beach, like cat litter. An egg pit where Gargun hatch is a circular room with 4 exits, 2 of which seem to he stairs. Down, room, backup. Along great hall. A lot of Gargun down and again find smelters with railway line. No trucks.

Follow railway lines into tunnels 7 ft tall, 6 ft wide, Khuzdul tunnels. �Thanks be to Larani for leading us straight here, except for the slight detour for the Khuzdul�. We run from a lot of Gargun, oh boy do we run. �There�s fucking hundreds of them�. Estalyn falls, twice. We off load stuff from our packs. Gory and sergeant Kruel stay to buy time.

We find a Khuzdul wooden gate, with rubble in front of it. Start moving rubble. As we clear the gates so we can open it, pursuit behind. Gory and Kruel must be dead. Gory won�t be running with his wounded leg (during boat repair native attack).

Open gate, tunnel, can�t be locked, shut it and go. Pursuit. 100 ft chamber. Half way across we see hoards of Gargun behind us. Khuzdul stop. Gargun stop. Captain gives Zytsi emblem to return to Azadmere. 200 yards up tunnel safety. Out comes the standard. Brave last stand. Form semicircle. Dead comrades in centre. They buy us more time. Brave last stand. Gargun �Charge�, Khuzdul �Take aim, fire�. We see the legendary gates. The sessions ends....Argh ...Martin and Liz needed.

Balance: Larani puts up the arrow, Agrik lightning bolts Martyn removing the spell which stopped his demon finding him.

The bit not many people know as only now it can be told. Zytsi asked Daniel to omit the bit about Estalyn falling over in the tunnels! The Khuzdul didn�t want the Elf taking the blame for the deaths of Sergeant Kruel and young Gory! That�s real heroism for you. Such a selfless request deserve recording - and ignoring as you�ve undoubtedly noticed by now.