SESSION TWENTY "Weal or Woe"

As the group hunkers down, making what preparations they can for a somewhat unbalanced assault on forty or more Hodra, Rory spots more bad news. A second contingent of eighteen Blackbacks slowly make their way up the trail, driving a heavy sled pulled by two Kuldan brutes.

Somehow managing to keep their groans to themselves, the heroes watch as the new group of Hodra pull the sled to a halt before the narrow ravine leading to the springs. Being dragged behind the sled is a Neran prisoner. Little can be seen of him however, beyond his rough condition and blonde hair. None of the group recognize the man and they dare not attempt a rescue with such uneven odds.

The new group appears to be led by a Hodra shaman of some sort. After the enemy unloads the sled, they march off up the ravine, taking the crates and barrels with them and leaving no guard behind. A quick, invisible recon of the sled and supplies by Rory shows them to be food and foul smelling hodra beer. It appears the Blackbacks are having some sort of party.

Just before dark the last insult reveals itself as not one, but TWO of the wyvern-rider scouts can be seen flying into the springs. Thoroughly disheartened, Billy admits that any foray into the springs now would be near enough to suicide. Not even Gruff's usually unconquerable optimism can hold up to this situation. The heroes retreat further back into the stubby, highland trees and make a cold camp for the night, settled on returning Billy to his people in the morning.

That night, as Ewald sleeps, he is pulled into a strange dream. In the dream, which he at first believes to be real, he wakes in a steamy, dripping cavern. Through the billowing clouds of vapors he sees the Hodra shaman that arrived with the sled. Eying each other warily, they soon discover that each can understand the other perfectly. A conversation follows in which Ewald learns that the Hodra shaman is an Earthwalker (the Hodran equivalent of a druid) named Kaz.

Kaz and his people are at the Springs to rededicate the sight to a powerful fire spirit named Nulcragh. Kaz believes it is this elemental who brought them together in the dream. Although the Blackbacks and Ewald's friends are at war, Kaz believes they both have a common enemy in the Necromancer, Kadagar. Although Kaz follows his King, he believes Kadagar and his demonic ways will lead the Blackbacks to ruin. He cannot openly oppose the necromancer, but wishes him destroyed nonetheless.

After much discussion, and an equal amount of sweating, Ewald and Kaz come to an agreement. For his part, Kaz will urge his Hodra King to hold off any further searching for the Trulla of Namichek, and will allow the heroes to enter the springs and hold their healing rituals, if Ewald and his friends travel to Kadagar's stronghold and try to put an end to him. He reasons that doing so will undoubtedly aid the Trulla as well. Before the dream ends, Kaz gives Ewald directions to Kadagar's icy keep.

"Travel up the valley past the Darkurth stair. Past the home of my people and to the lake of saphires beyond. The necromancer's keep lies on the peak where the moon beds down in the springtime sky."

Ewald takes the opportunity to ask Kaz about the healing natures of the springs, inquiring of the Hodra whether their people have also used the springs in such a way. To this Kaz gives a very confident "no". Making it clear that Nulcragh is a powerful fire spirit but with no influence toward healing. "In all our lore and in all my experience, this spring has never healed anyone. If you have experienced healing here, it has come from within you, and not from Nulcragh."

In the morning, Ewald tells the others of his dream encounter and his agreement with the Earthwalker, Kaz. The shaman told Ewald that the rituals would last another day and then the group would be leaving the springs.

On a separate note, Rory's mysterious illness returns upon waking. In a moment of insight, he realizes that the illness is arcane in origin. From that realization it's but a quick step to realize that their dragon mistress, the green shagoran, Lady Tashea, and her cursed geas is responsible. He can only guess that using the Time scepter in direct opposition to Lady Tashea's commands is the cause, and that only returning the scepter and begging for forgiveness will end it.

That night, Gruff has a talk with his own "imaginary" friend, Seer Gavin, who makes it clear that the healing of Billy will take a great deal out of the old seer, and it will likely mean that Gavin will have trouble guiding Gruff for some time after. Gruff tells the old man that he understands and is thankful.

Things play out like Kaz says, and on the second morning after the dream-meeting, the Hodra pack their sled and make their way home. Waiting a short while to verify that all the hodra are indeed gone, the group then makes their careful way to the springs.

Laying Billy near the central pool, the group looks to Gruff for the next part of their mission. As Gruff starts to take advice from Gavin on the placement of Billy and the use of the dark gems, Tristan spots a dark shape crouching at the edge of the cliffs above them. Shouting out a warning, he draws his sword and raises his shield as a wyvern hisses and pounces from above.

All hell breaks loose as the group engages the beast, trying to lure it away from Billy while narrowly dodging and parrying its bites, claws and poisonous tail. It's at this point that Gruff has another of his patented, brilliant ideas. With a shout and a boost from his divinely granted strength, he leaps to the wyvern's back, grasping one of it's many spinal quills, intent on breaking the beasts will and mastering it. Wanting none of that, the wyvern spins and hops back up to the top of the cliff, there to hopefully squish the Trulla on its back before returning to finish off the others.

Now it's Rory's turn to shout a warning as a second, smaller wyvern glides in from the north. With quick casting, Rory sends a fireball coursing to meet it. As the blast hits, the beast cries out and lands a bit more quickly than it had planned. Though injured, the creature's tough scales seem to have stopped the worst of the fire damage.

In truth, none of the heroes have had a great deal of luck giving either of the beasts anything more than minor wounds, and most of those given by Tristan's magic blade. Still, Ewald's Airwalk prayer brings him up the cliff face to help his crazy Trulla friend. Gruff still retains his precarious seat, alternately dodging poison stingers and shouting at the wyvern, "Submit Damn You, I AM YOUR MASTER NOW!!!" with an occasional, "EWALD LEAVE IT ALONE!!!" thrown in to piss off the Durin priest.

While Tristan and Rory keep the smaller one busy below, Gruff begins to doubt his plan when the wyvern hisses, "FOOD STINKS OF SHAGORAN!" in a low, powerful voice. The words coming from the beast are enough to momentarily stun both Ewald and Gruff, but Gruff is the one to pay for the lapse as the wyvern's stinger finally finds its target and pierces the Trulla's back.

As the poison shoots into Gruff, he finally looses his hold and is tossed roughly to the ground. Weakening by the second, only Ewald, attracting the beasts attention, keeps the Trulla alive in the next few moments. As Gruff begins to lose consciousness he can hear the words of Gavin. "I can save you but you must speak the words Gruff. Only you can enact the magic!". With extreme effort, Gruff repeats the words told to him by his spirit mentor, feeling a stronger magic than any he had ever felt from Gavin before flow through him. With a soul wrenching lurch, Gruff can feel the poison being expelled from his body and dark energy coursing through him.

At the same time, he feels a sickening tear spreading through his soul, and feels fear and loneliness the likes of which he has never known before. But hey, he's alive.

For all the world Gruff seems to be dead, while below Rory and Tristan are still battling the other wyvern. With a shout of anguish Ewald runs through the air, down toward his friends below, and thus misses the next bit of shadow theater from Gruff.

With a lonely cry of frustration and anger, Gruff rises up and points at the wyvern above him. His eyes are shadow filled pits that momentarily keep the beast at bay. In that moment, strong tendrils of shadow shoot from Gruff's outstretched arms, ensnaring the beast in binding shadows that quickly drag it to the ground. Once bound, the shadows continue to constrict the wyvern. Soon it's bone begin to break and its strangled cries can be heard by Ewald and the others below.

As Ewald checks his movement and turns back toward the clifftop, the second Wyvern, having been injured more than once by Tristan's blade, turns and retreats. Fearing the beast might escape and warn the Hodra, and possibly just being really pissed off, Rory sends a second fireball. With a cry of pain and anger the smaller wyvern careens into the canyon wall, snapping it's wing and crashing to the ground.

When Ewald crests the lip of the canyon he is presented with an unexpected sight to say the least. Gruff, apparently heeled, but obviously weary, kneels before the wyvern. The beast itself lies crushed and broken on the ground before the Trulla. It's feeble, fast diminishing cries are filled with pain. Unsure of what has happened, but suddenly feeling pity for the creature, Ewald steps closer.

The wyvern keeps repeating the same word, whispering, "Kill, kill.... killlll" Unsure whether it wants to kill or be killed, Ewald grants the mercy blow, sinking his axe deep between the beast's eyes.

Gruff continues to stare into nothingness, all traces of the shadow magic now gone.

As Rory and Tristan approach the injured wyvern below, Gavin's voice, whisper quiet and weak, tells Gruff that he must keep the second beast alive if Billy is to be healed. Tristan's raised blade is halted by Gruff yelling, "Don't kill the beast. I need it alive to heal my brother!!"

Several minutes later, the group watches Gruff, with worried, distrustful eyes. Having listened to his demands, they left the wyvern alive, though it's injuries are most likely such that it will die eventually anyway. At his command they pull the beast into a clear spot of ground and watch as he sets about creating a magic circle in it's own blood.

Both Rory and Ewald watch carefully, noting that the magic involved doesn't correspond with anything they are familiar with. Next Gruff sends the others away and works more on the circle. The others look on with apprehension as he enacts some sort of ritual. When he rises and approaches the main pool, it's plain to everyone that he's filled with some very powerful magic.

Next he has Billy get into the pool and then grasps his brothers hands. The magic flows from Gruff into Billy and both brothers pass out. They are carefully taken into the cave and left to rest. When Rory and the others check on the circle, and the wyvern, they are shocked to find that the beast has sunken in on itself and seems to have decomposed. Uneasy looks abound.

In Gruff's dreams he walks through the ruined and burnt cliffside village of his birth. In the way of dreams he knows that he is lost in a place that used to be his home. He searches for something but cannot find it. He knows beyond doubt that he has been separated from something important.

Billy awakens first. After a moment contemplating his legs, he lifts one cloven hoof and then the other before slowly rising to his feet. With a wide smile he lets out a great laugh and dashes from the cave, Rory follows but quickly loses the giddy Trulla as Billy races up the cliffside with more whoops of delight.

When Gruff wakes, it's with a cry of despair that is quickly muffled. Upon learning that Billy is healed he lets out his own laugh and runs from the cave as well. Soon he finds his brother, returning from his celebratory run and there's much slapping of backs and brotherly affection.

Fearing that all the yelling might attract more unwanted attention the group gathers their supplies and leaves the springs, making for their small campsite. Over a cold supper, they discuss their next moves. Billy insists that he can make it back to the mines on his own. Gruff and the others decide they need to move out toward Kadagar's keep in the morning.

At dusk, when Gruff steps away for his evening meditations, Rory thinks he hears the Trulla weeping. Gruff returns a while later, walking with a perceptible slump and sad demeanor but makes no comment.

With a final farewell and good luck, they part in the morning, one to bring new hope to his people, and the others to try and destroy an undead threat to all of Aeranos.