Scenario summary of “The Aeduani – Dunlendings”

 

01/09/00 - The Aeduani flee into the mountains, toward an ancient Clanhold. Pursued by warriors of a neighboring tribe who have been corrupted by the followers of the Horned God, those who call themselves The Temple of Justice. Murad  loses his chariot but manages to hold off pursuit. With his father, Koerla, slain, Murad  finds himself as Chieftain of the Aeduani. One man enters his service, Vertax. The remaining Clanchiefs meet, some are as new to the responsibility as Murad  is, having come to it by the deaths of those who were Clanchiefs before them.

           

A blood raid is led by Murad  into the very stronghold of the Temple of Justice. The raid is successful, partly because (unbeknownst to the Aeduani) there is assistance from one of the Fey Folk from north of the river. The Aeduani warriors return to the Clanhold.

 

01/31/00 - The first assault on the Clanhold is repelled.

 

02/13/00 - Murad 's 'uncle' Huda comes to the fort bearing Koerla's spear, with an offer from the Horned Ones: join them or die. The offer is spurned, an uneasy day passes. Then, on a moonless night, foul mists creep up to the walls of the Clanhold and seep inside. Unease and fear follow in its wake but the words of Funya quell the fear and steel the hearts of the Aeduani. Out of the foul mists come the Horned Ones. Much blood is spilled but the assault is repelled, and morning once again finds the Aeduani victorious.

 

Meanwhile, upon the plains below, Jondalar and two scouts look for a way to the cave Jondalar saw two nights back. On the way they encounter an outlander, (a Gondorian), who slays a Hornhead scout. The outlander is left behind and Jondalar soon comes upon the cave. A light burns within and Jondalar finds a warding. He leaves a mark of the Clanhold before the warding. As he finishes, the author of the warding appears. Before them stands one of the Wise, a Druid of the people, called Menua. After a short exchange Jondalar and the two scouts escort Menua up to the Clanhold. On the way they once again encounter the same outlander, who Menua calls to him. All five enter the Clanhold.

 

A council is called, during which Menua declares that the Horned Ones will come in numbers, with magic. There can be no retreat, only victory or death. Death is what awaits all those within the Clanhold unless a great miracle comes to pass. But it is a necessary death, so that others see that there are those who would rather die free than live as slaves to darkness.

 

02/20/00 - A way out of the Clanhold is found by way of a cavern network. The caverns are populated by orcs but they are slain or, with the aid of Menua, bypassed. The Clanhold is left behind and the way sealed. The Aeduani have their miracle and pass unseen through the mountains and into the mists.

 

(Here the campaign moved to the Ost-in-Edhil scenario.)

 

04/09/00 - Short session, as an offshoot of the Ost-in-Edhil session, where the settlement of the valley, which Menua leads the Aeduani to, is described in general.

 

02/10/02 - The valley is settles and the tribe learns about the place that is their new home, the three Standing Stones, and the legend of those who vanished into the mists and whose return was foretold.

 

02/17/02 - Samhain celebration. Contests. Dalliances (Funya indulges). Marriages are reaffirmed and new bond formed. Menua has departed, leaving Jondalar to oversee the blessings and rituals. Broda  asks for a lifebond but Jondalar only grants him a year. The Master Bard, Riancecht, arrives in time for the celebration and takes Funya the Talespinner as a bardic apprentice.

 

An attempt to steal sweetwater by men of the Orothii, who are disguised as men of Akkada. The theft is prevented. One of the raiders is stopped at the Standing Stones by Murad  ('the voice'). The raider is then slain by a Glaith warrior.

 

03/03/02 - Riancecht tells the Tale of the Battle of the North.

 

03/17/02 - Contact with the neighboring tribes. Gifts are received and given. A council is held, a new clan is formed, and a new Clanchief is appointed. A decision to go visit the Glaith is made as the first step in the attempt to unite the people against the Temple of Justice, and against the Stonelanders from the west who attack the people.

 

Two days later Murad  leads his group south. At the Standing Stone the group is attacked by a Mountain Ogre. One strike from Murad 's javelin breaks its charge and Fen slays it in single combat, earning himself the title, "Trollslayer".

 

The Glaith are reached and many meetings take place. Much is learned as Murad  meets with The Omus, Chieftain of the Glaith.

 

03/24/02 - A council at the Omus' lodge. Tales are told. Words of power are spoken. A token of the Temple of Justice is silenced by the Glaith Bard with the aid of Jondalar and the Glaith Druid, so that all may speak clearly, with untainted words. An alliance is formed between the Aeduani and the Glaith. Ceile, son of the Omus, Champion of the Glaith, goes north to join the Aeduani. Murad  is to send one of his own people to the Glaith in exchange.

 

04/17/02 - The group returns home. Jondalar finds that he has a new acolyte waiting outside the grove. Some days pass. News reaches the Aeduani that there is blood and fire on the plains to the south. The Kellai, bolstered by the Akkada, make war upon the Tulwai. Council is held, and it is decided that Jondalar, Funya, Ceile, and Cadoc (Jondalar's new apprentice) will go south to see what events led to the war upon the plains.

 

04/21/02 - Jondalar, Funya, Ceile, and Cadoc go south. A stopover at a small town leads to a tavern performance by Funya that is interrupted by a manbeast, called a Gorgon, servant of the Temple of Justice. Jondalar calls upon the mists and the four flee the town. The manbeast pursues them and the four meet it on ground of their choosing. Magic from Cadoc, enhanced and directed by Jondalar, blinds and burns the manbeast. Ceile attacks and breaks his sword upon the things neck. It is Funya who faces the man-beast, and slays it with the help of a timely knife thrust from Ceile. Ceile takes a trophy and the group continues south.

           

Meanwhile, back in Aeduani lands, an outlander, Gergund, arrives. He brings seventeen black horses, great warhorses all. Gergund comes on behalf of a nameless outland Lord and offers to train an unbeatable force of riders. Murad  gives him leave to do so, at least until Jondalar arrives.

 

04/24/02 - The session with just  Funya/Jeff and Jondalar/Andy at GameMasters in Fairlawn, NJ.

 

04/28/02 - Jondalar and the others return. Jondalar pauses at the Standing Stones and rekindles them by calling lightning from the stormy skies. Ceile is so awed by this he offers himself as a Druidic Protector. Still at the Stones, Jondalar has a vision. Refugees come north, but are pursued by Orothii warriors. Funya rides north to get help. There is a fight  south of the Stones where the pursuing Orothii attack the refugees. Broda  goes berserk and slays a Gorgon, and remembers his past and his name. Twelve Orothii are slain, the rest flee. The refugees are those of the Kellai who did not join with the rest to war upon the Tulwai. They are sixteen in number. The sixteen are made Kellai no longer by Jondalar and are welcomes as Aeduani. The Eastern Stone speaks to Murad  and says, "Chosen". Jondalar confronts Gergund, who refuses to be tested. Gergund leaves, taking his horses with him.