Four Fates Under the Southern Sun 3.5, Session 16

Start: Midnight, Foreautumn 3, 401 GA

The party has a discussion in the market. Ukurdiel departs, leaving his pack near Ryardynin.

During their discussion, they realized the location of Tveria and Giancarlos's bastard's egg is unknown. This may become a problem later, if they take steps to legitimize Tveria's bastard, and orchestrate any kind of coup or takeover of Izzero. They give this thought a little consideration as a long term goal. Perhaps they would use this bastard as a figurehead to free the Ashig? And what then? They did not know, but time for these goals would come later. In preparation for these longer term goals, Alasdair gave Emilia a vial of Tveria's blood, shed in the combat with her, for later scrying. This may assist in a later plan, should the need arise. In any case, the party realized the Koshkas bastard would need to be legitimized, by someone. Perhaps the emperor? They did not know.

For now, they intended to meet with Jucika Philamnos, and so they did.

They met with Jucika, just as planned, at the midnight rendezvous, behind the Vatatzes estate. She came equipped with her previous entourage, with another attendant. He appeared to be an Adréssian, born of green dragon and elvish blood.

Jucika appeared delighted with the way the party dealt with Giancarlos Koshkas. It was far more embarrassing for his potentially snuffed out bloodline to be ended by a disobedient Ashig. She seemed mirthful and smug in what appeared to be the closing of their tale.

They came to an agreement the Vatatzes family would lend them twenty myrmidons to distract the harpy forces outside fort Vendraal. They were instructed to camp outside the fort in the mountains until meeting with someone meeting Alasdair's description. Once given orders to assault the fort, they were instructed to take defensive measures and serve as a distraction, while the party finds another way into the fort. After they successfully distract the harpies for some time, their orders are to retreat to Izzero.

Furthermore, Jucika implied fort Vendraal is de jure in the territory of Ishkar-Yog. Thus, if Alasdair were able to liberate it and swear fealty to Ádriána Vatatzes, he would be made a minor noble in service to the Vatatzes. Without directly saying it, she implied she would find such an arrangement quite interesting and favorable. She would not have brought up such a prospect, even indirectly, if she did not desire it. It seems her way to elicit the possibility of earning her favor, rather than telling anyone directly. This course of action doubtlessly would be viewed as a great triumph for her, as it would bring a hinterland and former territory of the empire back under the empire's control. It is almost certain she would at least share the honors of the deed.

As a final measure, Jucika decided to entrust a man she called her 'precious emerald' and her 'gleaming gem of the west' with the party. This man appeared to be a decidedly bored mercenary named Pan Sevan. For an unspecified reason, Jucika found this arrangement to be humorous.

Pan was welcomed into the party and briefed on the current state of affairs. During this discussion, the party saw twenty myrmidons depart immediately to the north.

They paid a poor family to stay in their home, keeping in concert with the tradition of hospitality in Iskhar-Yog. The night passed uneventfully.

The party departed in the morning, and traveled northwards on Winter's back. Around 4 pm, they reach the edge of Orashire wood. The ground west of the river is overrun with kudzu. It appears to be blighting the plants nearby. Set, one of Emilia's animal companions, noticed harpies waiting in ambush on the lush eastern side of the river.

They realized a few facts about harpies, as follows:

- Harpies are all females, and kidnap males to procreate with for some time. When they are done with them, they eat them.
- Some of the more organized harpy tribes ritualize these killings as sacrifices to the exarchs of the beyond.
- Generally, harpies are less intelligent than humans. They are often cunning, persuasive, and bloodthirsty, however. Sometimes, cunning malefactors can gull tribes of harpies into heeding their whims, for a time.
- In groups, harpies can captivate unfortunate men with their song. The song occasionally works on women, although scholars debate as to the reasons why. Generally, harpies execute any females that fall victim to their song, and abduct the men.
- They have reason to suspect based on previous intelligence from Kaliero, the harpies in these mountains are led by Eaoric the Bloodthirsty, a devotee of Tarmyra. This would make him a traitor to whichever god he formerly worshipped, as four-armed gargoyles are servants of gods of the natural order, not the beyond.

Alasdair moved to collect sap from a tree fairly far away from the harpies on the other side of the river. It was the closest suitable sample for sap. He intended to use this to plug the partys' ears from their song.

On his return journey, Alasdair made enough noise to be heard by the ambusher. They got to ambushing, as ambushers do.

The strike force appeared to be four harpy barbarians, equipped with well made greatclubs, watched over by two distinctly different harpies. One appeared to wear a deer skull mask and ritual garments. The other appeared to wear stolen finery. These two harpies stood by while the four barbarians engaged the party. The one who wore the mask and ritual garments attempted to dispel Ryardynin's spells, but did not directly engage with them.

The barbarians appeared unusually well equipped, and quaffed potions of bull's strength and flew into barbarian rages before rushing into combat.

XP: Delayed until the end of combat.
End: 4 pm, Foreautumn 3, 401 GA