SESSION FIFTEEN "Oh Brother"

As spring slowly comes to the highest reaches of the Argons, our heroes' tired bodies rest and mend. The occasional burst of eldritch fire comes from Rory's chambers as evidence that he's increasing his magical might. Tristan spars with Gruff and the other Trulla warriors. He and Rory also accompany the Trulla hunters on some short expeditions to replenish the food stores. Ewald's days are largely filled with study and meditation, as he seeks to master a powerful new prayer. The Durin diplomat spends some time speaking with Billy and the others around the fire most nights, attempting to bridge the chasm of racial animosity between Durin and Trulla.

Ewald is also befriended by a shy, strange little Trulla girl named Teega, who for some reason chooses him to latch on to. Over the intervening weeks he learns that Teega is shunned by the other villagers due to her odd behavior. It seems the girl claims to see spirits and ghosts and doesn't get along well with the other Trulla children. Her parents were both killed in the raid on Namichek. Her attachment to Ewald doesn't cause much concern among the people and despite his initial gruff nature, Ewald grows fond of the orphan.

Gruff spends a great deal of time reacquainting himself with his clan and brother. It soon becomes plain that Billy has subtly fallen in the eyes of his people. Billy's handicap has dimmed the once bright spark of leadership in his eyes. Gruff watches with growing anger and helplessness as his brother's wives and warriors pile one small slight after another onto their leader. Many nights the others think they hear Gruff talking to himself, even arguing with himself, but none question the strange behavior.

On a night not long after Ewald first demonstrates his ability to Airwalk in the skies outside the village, Billy calls for a special feast in the cavern hall. A dark meat is served for dinner, to the obvious surprise and delight of the clan. Gruff winces inwardly as Billy is casually denied by his wives the first serving, a Trulla leaders traditional right. the meat is called Mossbelly, and is apparently a delicacy. It's soon learned that Mossbelly are huge, river salamanders. Ewald loves the stuff. Tristan doesn't. But since they are seated next to each other, a deft slide from one plate to the other resolves the problem nicely.

The food seems to perk up Billy's spirits. Gruff, Cheg and Billy reminisce about long ago mossbelly fishing trips, and the hunt for the elusive "grandfather mossbelly". In a moment of exuberance Billy decides he'd like to go on Mossbelly fishing trip. While Gruff is glad to see his brother happy, he disagrees, and thinks that now is the time to plan specifically for the future. "We must do something to fight the growing influence of the Hodra and Daagar tribes in the area! A fishing trip is not important right now brother."

In the conversation that follows the old dead Seer's apprentice, Thonos, argues that the Trulla do not need the help of outsiders. Ewald tentatively suggests that the Durin of Steel Mountain might be amenable to an alliance. Tristan says the same of his father's clans (though inwardly he is more doubtful). Gruff and Thonos exchange harsh words. Gruff thinks the man is a stubborn ass who would rather see his people suffer than accept outside aid. Billy eventually sides with his brother that the Trulla clan must seek aid outside the clan, but first they must try again to reach their kinsmen to the southeast. He is however, stubbornly adamant that before all this, he'll go Mossbelly hunting, and that is that.

The fishing trip is scheduled for three days later. This intervening time is used to rig up the contraption that will lower Billy down the cliffs. The next day during sparring, Gruff is sickened further when Billy's lovely wife, Zeela, subtly shows her interest in him. When she arrives later that night at his private quarters with food and beverage he takes the tray and quickly slams the door in her face, making his feelings plain. The old Shadow seer, Gavin, explains that he can help Gruff teach the woman a lesson, but Gruff opts instead to go speak with his brother.

Once face to face with Billy, Gruff begs his brother to come with him to the Healing springs. It seems the best way to restore his honor and bring strength back to the clan. Though Billy can't deny that the offer is tempting, and lets Gruff know he is very aware of the slights going on around him, he eventually convinces Gruff that such a trip into the heart of Blackback lands would be too dangerous. If both Billy and Gruff were killed, their people would have no one but Thonos to lead them. He does agree to go with Gruff after their people are safe, and with that Gruff must be satisfied.

Meanwhile the little girl Teega comes to Ewald with word that one of the Trulla elders, a woman known as Old Belza, has "gone over". The old woman is familiar to everyone and has been seen tottering around the village by each of them at one time or another. "Gone over" is the term used when a trulla has died, many times literally by falling over the edge of the cliffs. Ewald and the others learn from Gruff that Trulla traditions say the body cannot be touched or interacted with in any way. It is believed that the spirit is busy moving on, and to give attention to the body might disturb it or call it back from the ancestors.

The next night Teega comes to Ewald again, this time telling him that there are ghosts in the village. She shyly asks if he would like to come see them. Though Ewald is somewhat dubious, the little girl is obviously very excited, and he decides to humor her. Overhearing the conversation, Rory can't help but tag along. A short, but harrowing trip across rope bridges and switchbacks in the dark brings them to a higher area of the village. Teega excitedly points out a spot above a house and both Rory and Ewald peer into the darkness.

It's too dark for Ewald to see anything but Rory's Syvani eyes pierce the gloom much better. While he doesn't see anything initially where Teega is pointing, he does spot an unsettling shadow further out on the cliff face. Careful not to give any outward sign of noticing he looks more intensely and realizes with some dread that the figure looks to be Old Belza, clinging with strength and grace to a rock wall that would have been completely beyond her two days ago - before her supposed death.

Rory casually mentions the figure to Ewald and Teega. While Ewald still can't see anything, Teega does give a start when she sees Old Belza too. With far less subtlety, she whispers, "It's Old Belza! Not just her spirit, but her!" and points. With that the figure stirs and quickly retreats across the cliffs and out of sight.

Thoroughly spooked, the three quickly make their way back to their quarters where they share the info with Tristan and Gruff. Gruff passes along the information to the night sentries, suggesting that the watches be doubled and offering to take a watch himself. Despite the extra eyes and ears, no one sees or hears anything, and the night passes uneventfully.

In the morning the mossbelly trip is set to depart. Gruff and Rory examine the area where Old Belza was supposedly hanging from and do manage to find a couple gray hairs caught in the rocks, but no other signs. A complicated contraption of ropes and pullies has been assembled at the cliff's edge and Billy is lowered carefully down while Rory and Tristan levitate, Ewald Airwalks and the rest of the Trulla warriors skip down in true Trulla fashion.

At the base of the cliffs, the four adventurers search out Old Belza's body. While Gruff is loathe to go too near it, Tristan and the others examine it close enough to tell it is the old woman. While the body is still mostly in one piece, it is quite dead and doesn't appear upon quick inspection to have moved since it fell. Resigning themselves to a mystery unanswered they move on at Gruff's insistence.

Hauling Billy's huge weight slows the trip, even with the aid of Rory's Floating disk spell. Still their river destination isn't too far from Selghaven and a little before noon the group has set up a daycamp in a beautifully secluded river grotto complete with a rushing waterfall and deep, cold pools. Everyone takes turns tickling for Mossbellies. It's not long before Cheg pulls out a nice four foot rock gray salamander with a smooth, speckled green belly and small, sharp teeth. Gruff tries his hand and comes up with a smaller specimen which he throws back and a larger one which gets added to the day's take. Billy seems quite at home in the water and seems to very much enjoy the freedom of movement the weightless environment affords him.

As the group pulls out snacks and drinks Billy mentions an old collapsed Durin mine located a little further upstream that he and Gruff used to visit when they were younglings. When the other Trulla return to the water for more fishing, Ewald convinces Gruff, Rory and Tristan to go check out the mine, unable to pass up the opportunity to investigate a possible claim.

A short, difficult hike brings them to the old mine. Tristan scans the outsides for signs of danger and only finds some old bear scat and a few bleached bones. Ewald examines the cave in and tells the group the mine was intentionally collapsed and should be excavatable with a few candles of digging or one expert use of a Stone shape prayer. Realizing they wouldn't be able to drag Ewald away from the mine even if they wanted to, the group decides to give it a quick look-see before heading back to the others.

One Durin prayer and half a candle later the group finds themselves, lightstone in hand, once more underground following Ewald through subterranean passages. Unlike the Darkurth realms these passages are obviously Durin-made. A mine track runs down the main passage complete with an old cart they passed just inside the entrance. Several side passages end in tapped out gold veins. Just as the group is beginning to get bored with it all, Tristan smells a slightly disturbing aroma.

"I smell snakes."

Everyone takes a moment to process this information and weapons are drawn before the group moves forward cautiously. A little further ahead the passage drops into a lower chamber. At the opening to this chamber the group spots the reflected glow of their light from a pile of dark jewels piled just inside the chamber. Rory is the only one that sees them for what they truly are and shouts a warning just as the slumbering, twenty foot snake, with glistening black scales rises up and strikes at Ewald.

Ewald shouts out, "Cave Adder!" narrowly dodging the vipers quick strike and brandishing his weapon in a defensive posture. Further back in line, Gruff wastes no time in calling out a prayer to his ancestors and sending a a glowing spiritual blade spinning toward the giant snake. The attack is as deadly as it is quick. The spiritual weapon neatly slices through the neck of the beast, five feet below the head, leaving the body and head to both writhe and twitch a bit before lying still. As quick as the encounter began, it's over.

As Gruff and Tristan are deciding how best to skin the beast, and whether or not they should milk the fangs for the potent venom, Ewald and Rory check out the rest of the passage. A few feet beyond the snakes layer, Ewald finds what he expected to find, a slanted air-shaft leading presumably to the surface. In a moment of quiet, as he's peering up into the shaft, he and Rory are surprised to hear the distant sound of a Trulla battle horn.

"Everyone be quiet! Listen!"

As the others strain to hear, the horn sounds again, striking immediate fear into Gruff's heart. With barely a thought spared for the snake skin the group grabs up their gear and rushes back through the mine for the outside, Gruff leading the way. All thoughts are bent on the possible danger facing Billy and the Trulla warriors back in the grotto. It took the group nearly an hour to reach the mine from the pools. They will have to move fast if they wish to save anyone!