Book Five, Chapter One. �Golotha is just such an interesting place�

            Double Harn, 30/09/2000

Aruth of the War Wagon, Zytsi the Mason and Daniel the Bard are sitting around in an Inn in Elshavel having a quiet drink to celebrate our safe return to the main land. The Universe says that the M6 is now a three-lane car park. Well that will make our noble Erana Sir Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo a late arrival then.

Sir Martyn was ever so sorry he was late, but he spent an hour parked on the M25 before he joined the car park on the M6. Then we talked about computer games that I�ve never played for a while, milled around a bit, discovered one of the important folders from the ancient Harn box is missing, and eventually starting at 4:30. The missing folder may be a bit of a problem, we can�t take the Eye of Kor back. Not our fault we can�t do the quest.

Our next quest is for the Harp of Galeroth. Nice big long legend, �sounds pretty good to me� says the Bard. Daniel wants to buy some greaves so he can upgrade from Armour Type 9 to 10. He is also waiting to visit Niltiniel Risfuin at the Silver College of Harper. She came from Midgaad, as did her brother Galeroth.

Zytsi complains that he spends more time in Elshavel than in Azadmere. That will because it�s central to the continent of Harn, unlike Azadmere, which is near the edge.

We visit Niltiniel Risfuin at the Silver College of Harper in three days. So what do we do, we go shopping. New rule, you can buy magic items form shops - but only if they have enough stars. The prices here are high but the quality is very good, all the shops are 5 star shops. Aruth gives 4 rewk to Sir Martyn. Sir Martyn buys the 21 rewk for sale. Zytsi buys one of the two Yulpris for sale; Party Fund A buys the other one. Zytsi takes it and it doesn�t cure his convulsion problem! So he buys the other one from Party Fund A at cost. Daniel buys some nice arm and leg greaves, which take him to Armour Type 10 and its bonus adds to the armour bonus. Aruth bought a +5 hat (helmet)

Only two magic rings, one per hand, and one magic amulet can be worn. For each point of bonus to DB or RR it costs 1,000d up to plus 20, when it becomes 2,000d per point. For DB and RR combined it is the cost of both plus 500. Much discussion about weapon upgrades. Party Fund A bought lots and lots of herbs. It made the shopkeepers day.

10d for a bath and good spruce up. Zytsi and Daniel go for it. Aliester Crawlie is back and gets Sir Martyn ready. Dress up for the occasion. Niltiniel Risfuin is a very old and very important Elf. �Oh come on guys stop shopping, we�ve been at it for two hours.�

We have been summoned to see Niltiniel at her own house, who very important and is tall for an Elf. She has a very nice posh house, glazed windows and everything. It has really nice furnishings, and really good chairs. We have to swear not to reveal what she is about to tell us, which we of course do. Swear of course, not to blurt out what she said, except in these notes of course.

Her brother Galeroth was a famous Harper, whose last performance was in Cherafir. He says goodbye, never to be seen again. His voice is heard by Jarin in the King�s Castle in Elshavel, people who hear it sometimes become famous harpers, or kill themselves. He is long missing, presumed dead and that a Soul Curse has broken his soul link with the Blessed Realm.

She thinks he went to Midgaad to die. We could reforge his link to the Blessed Realm, and/or bring his treasures back - especially the harp, which will be invaluable in our battle against Panaga.

We can get to Midgaad via Bejist, but the folder has gone missing so we can�t deliver the Eye of Kor. She says that if we take the door to the Demon back things will happen. She tells us which door to take, but we haven�t got the folder so we don�t know if Sir Martyn or Zytsi was right. If we accept then be back here in three days.

We have to go to Golotha to get a particular book within the Heralds College there. Golotha is in a Theocracy, which is notoriously intolerant, of most things. It�s all Morgath and has five feuding factions of Agrik worshipers. A Khuzdul will be rather noticeable. So how do we get him in, dressed as a child (shave the beard off, not very likely), or as a slave in manacles or a cage, or as a jester...

Trev �Dinner will be about 10 minutes.�

Niall �Have you opened the wine yet?�

Trev �No, it�s your wine. What do you think I am? a slave?�

Everyone laughs, and Trev looks puzzled.

If we go to Golotha and meet a man called Koriden, who lives at Koriden�s Luck. He can put us in touch with Norik, who can tell us what we need for 5,000d. But don�t trust him. Actually we could pay him with gold. We could go shopping in Golotha with our gold, Aruth sulks.

So its manacles not a pig�s bladder then. Manacles with a weak link (Strength + open-ended dice roll to remove). We could get these made, hammer to get them on and a hammer and a punch to get them out. Arm and leg manacles with special break out links at each end of the chain, 10d.

We could go with a caravan, go on our own or go by boat. We could get a boat to Aleath in Kanday and then go overland. We could take the wagon this way. Sounds like a plan to me. Finally remembered to find out spec of the braided belt.

Then there was the long discussion about Sir Martyn�s heraldic shield pattern. Are we actually going to do something this time I wonder, it's 9:15. It takes a week to get to Aleath; to the cry of �has the Apothecary got any splayfoot� no we�ve left and are not at Aleath. We stay at the �Sword and Sceptre�, sounds like a good inn. We arrive there on the 8th Savor. Sir Martyn decides he needs his golden armour disguised. Oops what about the wagon�s paint job?

Right the armourer is a loony who pretends he is Khuzdul. Does up the armour in tasteful black. Aruth decides to sort of like do something about the wagon, well apart form the paint job its made of metal. 3 days and 120d and the wagon gets wood cladding. �One number 17, one black pre-battered tent to take away. Very popular with those who don�t want people to recognise them.� Better than the red and white tent Sir Martyn currently has.

Zytsi goes and sees the loony, and they seem to get on all right. He 4�6� tall and human, and Zytsi decides to blackmail him, sorry sell his spare war hammer. Bought new for 12,000d, normal resale value 6,000d, sold here for 9,000d. Just as well we are going slow as Robin can�t find Bejist.

We leave on 12th Savor. Takes two days to get to Dyrisa, staying at small villages overnight. There is a huge cathedral of Larani here, for the Order of Hyvrik. �Heretics� mutters Sir Martyn. On the borders, so we decide to go Heroth and then to Menekod, skirting Ternu Heath. Four days to Menekod, so we arrive there on the 18th Savor. Kanday is one of the most civilised states in Harn. From here it is one-day hard march to Golotha, or two days easy march.

Sir Martyn goes and sees the Order of the Chequered Shield, who run the Ternu Heath area and obviously have a temple in Menekod. The Order of the Chequered Shield are at war with the Order of the Copper Hook, so this area is one of the safest for wayfarers. Runs into a snotty person, who tries to put him off, but Sir Martyn shows him a ring. The Grandmaster Syman of Tulfan can provide little more information, there is a war on (between the two Orders, the Copper Hook not being highly thought of in Golotha). Cautioned to be careful.

Off to Golotha. Smock over armour. Manacles on, hammered in the rivets without breaking his fingers. We cross into Rethem, minor harassment at the border. Come to sell a Khuzdul for the Games. They first recommend us to �The Bridge Tower� an inn for gentlefolk. Then they say the �Hand and Fist� which is a merchants inn. Into Golotha on the 19th Savor. Get a room at the �Bridge Tower�, what you going to do with the Khuzdul, tie him up. During the evening the landlord asks him Sir Martyn would be up for letting people come in and view the Khuzdul at 1d ago. No, its been a long day and he (Sir Martyn) is tired.

Next day (20th Savor) Daniel and Aruth go out to find where Koriden�s Luck is. Don�t go down dark alleyways. We go to �The Trident Inn�, a rough inn that caters for the games. Someone brought a Khuzdul in for the Games, The Knights of Agrik are fighting each other again. After a couple of drinks, the barman has never heard of it, even for a couple of pennies. Suggests we try North Haven Wharf, which turns out to be the roughest area of the city, and there are boats beneath the decking, which the road turns into. Its like hundreds of boats beneath the North Haven Wharf. The Harbourmaster is on his own little island elsewhere, so we try the Seaman�s Guild instead. They tell us to piss off, as the guild master is busy. So we do.

A gang of eight youths are eyeing us up. So Aruth goes over, looking for a help and to hire them. A fight broke out when they tried to mug us. It turned nasty and Aruth had to Triad of Lightening them. The leader was fried in a variety of interesting way. (We wont mention the song which they had +65 to save vs.) We ran away, and returned to our inn.

Sir Martyn went down stairs and got the landlord to hire some kids to find the Koriden�s Luck. Turns out to be a boat of under the North Haven Wharf. Hears stories of Unlicensed Use of Magic. Three blocks trashed.

Sir Martyn goes there the next day, 21st Savor. The Knights of Agrik crawling all over the place looking for a wizard. Daniel thinks it would be a good move not to come. Sir Martyn gets stopped and questioned by them. Sir Martyn was conned into buying a Khuzdul for the games, but he�s pining and wont fight. So he�s looking to off load him.

Sir Martyn goes below and pays off the kid. The man is not happy with the knights. If a Knight of Agrik was to turn up dead down here they�re be all over us. But he gets rowed over, past the pool where they have their fights. That�s their equivalent of the Games.

Goes up to one of the larger looking boats. That�s it, wait around I wont be long. As he climbs up �Is this him?�, �No.�, �Get him!�. Seven men with clubs and daggers attack. They do no damage to Sir Martyn who is wearing plate mail, �Oh shit, not again.� It is the same ones as yesterday. Koriden�s Luck is the boat next door.

Small fishing boat is Koriden�s Luck, but he�s not here. He�s fishing on the other little fishing boat. He offers 5d, to and asks to Koriden to visit him at his in by the South Gate. So Sir Martyn goes back to the inn. Stopped by more Knights of Agrik who thought he might be a wizard.

Sir Martyn didn�t leave a name at the boat, but he left a message with the innkeeper. So he turns up anyway and he is an honest ex-sailor who has dealing with elves in the past. Niltiniel the seer obviously foresaw what happens. Norik is the boss of the under wharf boats thugs. Koriden to set up meeting, comes back next day (22nd Savor) having done so. Norik will meet him at 8 at the Pit, a gambling den. Norik is not exactly rational. And is currently very edgy. Twenty men live on his boat with him, and he has call on others as well.

Rumour has it the reward is up to 1,000d. By the way the coinage here is really debased. Under the Wharf is the toughest area in Harn. Koriden was given 100d which will may off his debts.

We go to bed and see if it looks any better in the morning. Oh God its 10:30 and it doesn�t.

How to disguise Aruth. We stick some kind of bandage over his scars like he has a toothache. It is not a sensible plan, so he wears a hooded cloak. Off to the �Hand and Fist�. Why, so we can set up an alternative meeting there. How to we get word to Norik? Sir Martyn goes down to the rough area again. Fewer Knights of Agrik, more street toughs. No one has ever heard of him. Oh what a surprise. Pass the word that he has some business which could be very lucrative for Norik. He�ll be in the �Hand and Fist�. Just as he is leaving (after 20 minutes at the dockside) he sees 4 men with military picks pretending to work. So he goes up to them to talk to them. They�ve never heard of him, but he delivers the message anyway. Sir Martyn was followed back to the �Hand and Fist�.

After an hour a rough looking man comes in and sits next to him. Never heard of Norik. But if he could get a message to him what would it be. If you want to meet with Norik he�ll be in the Pit at 10 this evening. Given a gold piece, goes away and come back, what do you want to know. Sir Martyn tells him, he goes off and comes back. 6000d, we know the gold is shaved. Be at the market tomorrow morning at 10 o�clock, you will be contacted. The market is open neutral ground, sorry water, below the wharf.

There was a long discussion about what we do. Zytsi doesn�t like the idea of going on water, Aruth wont go, I have to go to take the submarine. Ah yes, my dice rolling. Sir Martyn says that Aruth and Daniel are coming with him, and we�re going in one boat. The use of non-obvious magic has been authorised.

We go and hire a boat. Row out the Market, 15-20 boats with about 4 people in each. A boat comes over, four people plus a rower in it. We have some money for them, they have the information, and Daniel gets to show them the colour of our money.

The book we require is in a house just off Arlun Way, we get the address. We had over the money, they leave, we leave. Sir Martyn tries to say that his order will be displeased, but if it accurate then there will be a bonus - but I don�t think they were listening.

OK, its down a sort of dark alley way. It looks like a large stone house, no exterior windows (like many houses here). Normal looking door, probably locked. Looks like a normal house. It near the �Noose and Jester� inn, a new inn for us. Aruth and Sir Martyn go in first, then Daniel buys a beer who asks who lives in the house. Doesn�t know, gets a funny looks. A barmaid whispers to him that he should leave. So he does, party follow, brief contact with party, off to �Hand and Fist�, looking in shops and so on. Yes he is being followed, and the party is following him. No I am not going down any dark alleyways.

Follower may have spotted Sir Martyn. Turned off and jogged down street before he could be approached. Off to the �Hand and Fist�. The landlord here doesn�t know who lives there, but we know its not. Koriden will be long gone. We haven�t any local contacts. Daniel suggests we get street kids to find out who lives there, Sir Martyn vetoes this.

Options: do the building either overtly or covertly, track down Norik and beat the information out of him (he does respect serious force).

Sir Martyn and Aruth go to the �Noose and Jester� to tell the barman to tell him who lives there. Sir Martyn says who lives in the house - he doesn�t know, what is so special about the house - he doesn�t know (the spell is Suggestion) and he looks really worried, what is it he is so worried about - he is not certain, its all rumours, can he go now, don�t tell anyone he has been asking about it, no problem.

We are getting back to breaking and entering the house. Briefly discuss asking Temples about it but Sir Martyn has a dream. Dream of a small child with one black eye and one blue eye who stands in attendance as you are stripped of all honour and glory and becomes nothing in Larani eyes. The child may well be the Hunter of Sleep, a servitor of Naveh. (Is it scrying protected or a temple of Naveh?)

I believe the information is in the house, as do Aruth and Zytsi, but the dream has put Sir Martyn has off the whole concept. So we plan to attack Norik. The Bard goes to the toilet, when he comes back the party have talked Sir Martyn into doing the house. Nice one lads.

It�s an ordinary stone windowless building, no central courtyard. So we have to go through the front door. So we will go at night, fully kited up. So we�ve got shields, so we are up to no good, neither is anyone else who can see us. Unchain the Khuzdul, manacles off.

We go. Its about 3 in the morning. We are at the entrance to the alleyway. Alley empty, no windows in alleyway. Door hinged on the left and opens inwards. Aruth is a Shadow of his former self. The lock is made Quiet and tries to detect traps, doesn�t find any. Sir Martyn isn�t sure. Zytsi does Lock Lore and it works, then picks the lock. Sir Martyn tries the door, its seems open. Weapons ready, he opens the door into an entrance hall about seven foot square. An archway and a door are the options, there as is a man with spear and chain mail and helmet. He is surprised, we have one round. No Spells, Aruth shoots him with a bow and arrow. Sir Martyn runs in, followed by Zytsi and something falls from the ceiling on him - the trap went off. Sir Martyn hits the guard, pummelled into unconsciousness. Sir Martyn can count the inhabitants as Evil unless stated otherwise, which tends to indicate certain things.

We waited a couple of rounds and nothing happens. Archway goes to another room, 10 x 7, with a gap on the other side on it. A guard room even. There is a spiral staircase going up, we go up.

Room with a man asleep in a bed. Aruth sneaks in puts silence spell on him goes to kill him and realises its a dummy. Dives to one side as a door with three black robed figures. Sir Martyn does his �Larani give me ears� spell. Two of them are caught in it. They do it back and Daniel gets caught. Oh gosh Daniel loses his ear. There are five paladins, a cleric, and thirteen  monks. Three of the monks are in the doorway, two are stunned and the third Sweeps and Throws Zytsi. The air is full of flying pointy things Daniel lobs the snake belt at the Aura bloke, and it works and he gets 5 SNP.

We have another messy round. Daniel grabs his ear and gets out of the Aura effect. One dies and one stunned into the middle of next week. Then the last monk in the doorway gets Lightning Bolted by Zytsi, and dies in a messy heap. The doorway is clear, and there are eight active monks throwing things. Oops one of them hits Aruth and puts him on a countdown. We need Sir Martyn to heal him, which means I have to heal Zytsi so he can get the Yulpris but he is also somewhat stunned. OK we did that, he�ll be back in 4 rounds.

The sodding paladin in the doorway takes a Lightning Bolt and gets got by the Holding Song (99 bar roll gives -100 to his save). The missing eight monks aren�t in the room. So its five Paladins and a cleric. So the Cleric finds himself unable to affect Sir Martyn, the Paladins and Zytsi are basically ignoring the Auras, but Aruth and Daniel are not. Aruth is still down, oh God its a messy stand off.

The Monks try going up the stairs and met Zytsi and then Aruth. The shooting mace goes off. The Paladin, who is held, only gets a move every other round by when he has a SNP or a Must Parry, this is taking forever, and then some. The Cleric has been winding up a spell a three round spell, which gets past the sword but Sir Martyn saves anyway.

Aruth kills one of monk on the stairs. The people in the room move around so the party (but not Sir Martyn) can only see two Paladins. One gets Triad of Lightning Bolts, Aruth�s favourite spell, and ends up blinded. The Cleric of Naveh moves and chucks a spell at Aruth, who saves. So in the next spell phase Zytsi Lighting Bolts the Cleric, and Aruth Triad of Lightning Bolts him. Facing the wrong way, limping, lots on minuses, stunned, but not dead. This got through the already running Cancel, his spell knocks Aruth out. At least the Cleric is now willing to negotiate.

New plan Sir Martyn rushes in, Daniel drops his Song and does another one which effects the three active ones, of course his wont work. It relies on my dice rolling, so I give them +65 to save vs. it. It was a bad plan. Sir Martyn is now fighting the three of them. Not that bad I suppose he got off lightly, he dropped his sword.

End of session on a cliff-hanger.