All the Lights in the Sky: Session 2

Previously...

Four young men from the underground village of Roa steal away mid-sleep-shift in pursuit of a whisper from the deep mining teams: an unmapped chamber with walls of gleaming silver, lit by a strange glow. In spite of the chief's warnings, they enter the mysterious halls beyond. Braving ghostly apparitions, mushroom-headed goblins, and warriors with metal flesh, they reach the innermost chamber and find the village chief himself. Furious at their trespass in what he calls a sacred temple, he attacks, and the delvers are forced to dispatch him--though not before one of their own falls. As the chief breathes his last, the temple wakes, the floor shaking as the structure hurtles into motion, carrying the survivors unimaginably far before plummeting. As our heroes crawl from the wreckage, they find themselves standing beneath an expanse of endless color, with no walls or ceiling, as a great disc of light climbs above...

The Party

Xerxes, a blacksmith. Always holding himself in high regard, he immediately knew what the strange chamber was when he heard of it: a path to the land of the gods he'd heard stories of. Determined to leave his life in the village behind, he set off without hesitation.

Thomas, a potter. Honestly liked his little routine life in the village, and never wanted to go against the chief's orders. But when his friends resolved to explore the strange chamber, he knew he couldn't let them go without someone reasonable to keep them under control.

Tree, a miner. Given a name no one in the village knew the meaning of any longer by the time he was born. Loves to do two things: mine and craft. He tagged along on the expedition because none of the other idiots thought maybe they should bring a pickaxe.

(Our fourth player, whose character was slain by the village chief at the end of last session, was unable to make it this week. We're planning on bringing in his new character next time we play.)

All the Lights in the Sky: Session Two

Dawn

The party crash-lands in the scrubland hills south of Velm. Crawling out of the remnants of the ancient flying craft that brought them here, they survey this strange new world for the first time. The mountains are visible to the south and west, while a plume of hearth-smoke rises to the northwest. After taking a look around, the party decides the latter should be their destination.

They pause a while to see to the two dead bodies on their hands--their fallen comrade Yuri and Chief Belar. Without shovels, they manage to create passable graves by piling dirt thrown up from the crash over the bodies. Thomas does his best to arrange some stones as markers. Everyone seems a little overwhelmed to say much.

With the funerals taken care of and their supplies evaluated, the three survivors set out. The great disc of light rises overhead, brighter than any light they've ever seen; they have to shield their eyes to manage. The lack of walls or ceiling, and the way the air moves, are dizzying to those accustomed to narrow tunnels. The land all around is blanketed with more greenery than they've ever imagined--they've seen plants before, the algae from the pools and the smokevine used to make wooden implements, but never so much growth, or so large. Tree tries to make sense of a plant that grows to twice his height, leafy branches reaching up toward the light-disc.

Casser

The travelers soon see their first familiar sight ahead: a cluster of houses, surrounded by what they recognize as plowed fields, though growing some unfamiliar crop that grows in stalks. A pair of men leading some huge, stocky animal with a plated head, pulling a plow on a harness, hail the party in their own language. They look human, mostly familiar, though cleaner than anyone the party has ever seen before. They offer greetings and ask where the strangers have come from. The party has to think about it for a moment before Thomas tries to explain that they came from below, but then above.

The men, obviously confused, mention something called a "star" that apparently fell from the "sky" last "night," and suggest the party come with them to see their chief. The party is understandably worried at that, considering how their last encounter with their own chief went--not to mention, they've never heard of another chief--but they can't see much way around it. The stranger, who introduces himself as Alden, leads them into the village toward the biggest house, where they're met by a very old, white-bearded man leaning on a staff, helped along by an anxious-looking granddaughter.

The old man welcomes the party to Casser Village, introducing himself as Chief Gol. He, too, wants to know where they've come from. When they give him a similar answer, he remembers the falling star, obviously very intrigued, and says the party must stay the night. His granddaughter protests in hushed tones, calling the party "escaped slaves" and saying they can't shelter them. Gol denies seeing any escaped slaves, just three men who've had a hard road, and says the gods demand hospitality, ordering her to have water heated for baths.

The House of Chief Gol

After being introduced to Gol's numerous children, grandchildren, and inlaws, and an interesting bathing experience--none of the three have ever had hot water before--they join Gol and his family for dinner. Gol apologizes for the modest meal, but it's more delicious than anything the party have ever tasted. Over the food, he plies them for more information about where they've come from. The party are cautious, but tell him a little of Roa and the caves. Gol thoughtfully mentions having heard that in some of the deepest slave mines, the workers are kept underground all their lives, without ever knowing the sun or the sky. Realizing just how little the party must know of the world they've found themselves in, he does his best to help them get their bearings, sketching out a simple map in the dust. He tells them of this land, Saldis, ruled by the Deathless Lord Raedric the Divine, a living god chosen by Heaven. To the west lies Kyther, the capital, where Raedric has his seat. The Salt Way leads there from Velm to the northeast, a proper town far larger than Casser; Lord Phandal, vassal to Raedric, lives there and collects the local tribute.

Thomas is putting together some things people have said, and some of the anxious looks Gol's family have been giving the guests since they arrived. Face grave, he leans in with a question for the chief. "Hypothetically speaking, if you saw any escaped slaves traveling through here, would you be bound to report it?"

"Well, it is the law," Gol replies. "But I don't see any escaped slaves here. Only three travelers weary from the road."

The party thanks him. "Truly, I'm an old man," Gol adds. "There's much injustice in this world. If I can spare someone a grim fate at the hands of their betters, why not?"

Despite the kindness, the party are starting to realize the precariousness of their situation. Gol has some advice. In the old seafort to the east, he says, a band of thieves gathers; they might have a place for the party. He can offer them some hand-me-down clothes to help them blend in a little better than their miners' rags, and some provisions for the road.

After dinner, the three duck outside to discuss their options. Though they remain concerned about being reported, not liking the sound of these lords much, they figure their best option is to do as Gol suggests. As they're planning their journey, a face in the window interrupts them--Gally, the chief's granddaughter from when they arrived, who's been giving them the most dark looks. She says they should get inside; it's dangerous out at night, with beasts and daemons about. The party takes her advice, retiring with the family for the night.

Morning

The next day, Chief Gol presents the party with their new clothes and a hand-cart loaded with food for a few days. Before setting off, the three track down Gally at her spinning work, asking for more information about these beasts and daemons. She says if they're going to Velm, or east to Rike, they should be careful of Vorns--long-legged, feathered things with vicious beaks, hunting in packs by day. Meanwhile, they should watch for silt strikers in the marsh streams if they head that way--they can pull a person under and drown them in the blink of an eye. The party thanks her for the advice.

Dressed and provisioned, they set off--not for Velm or Rike, but due east. According to Gol, it should be about two days' journey to the seafort, keeping to the hills on the southern part of the peninsula. There was once a track there, he says, but time has worn almost all of it away. Sure enough, it proves to be rough going, pulling the cart across hills and ravines. The first day passes smoothly enough nevertheless, clear and sunny, and the party beds down in a thicket for the night wrapped in their new cloaks. The next morning dawns much the same. Cresting one hill for the morning, the three witness several leggy, feathered creatures running along a neighboring peak; figuring them for the vorns Gally warned of, they hide and remain unnoticed.

A little later, they have their first sight of the ocean. Its vastness is another adjustment to the sky above, but the cool breeze it brings is welcome.

The Old Seafort

None of the party know what a "fort" is, exactly, but the stout rectangular structure with its large outer wall that comes into view on the second afternoon seems like the only likely candidate. With their destination in sight, the party huddle up to consider their options. Xerxes isn't quite sure about Gol's advice; if they're escaped slaves, he doesn't know if these thieves mean to enslave them again, and he'd rather avoid that. Thomas and Tree didn't get that impression, but they agree caution is warranted. They decide to see what they're up against and determine based on that whether to try and join these thieves as the chief suggested, try to take this fort for themselves, or try their luck elsewhere.

As a plan to get a foot in the door, they decide to transfer their provisions from the cart to their own packs and load the cart with some odds and ends they don't need--their old knives, Yuri's glowshroom lantern, and the Glimmer-rock the fungus goblins gave them in the tunnels. They plan to pose as bandits themselves, offering their "latest score" in exchange for a place in this gang. With their tribute in tow, they set off toward the fort once more.

Thomas is the first to notice trouble when something whizzes past his cheek, leaving a shallow cut. Four people, dressed little better than the party was when they climbed out of the crashed craft, emerge from the shrubbery with bows pointed at the travelers. A fifth, a small, slight woman with surprisingly well-kept long hair, steps out into their path, bow at her side with an arrow in hand, un-nocked. "What's your mission, friends?"

Thomas launches into his best sales pitch. The woman in charge calls for "Hammer" to check the cart; Hammer says it looks like just some old junk. A reaction roll confirms the slight woman is unimpressed. "We've got no room for dead weight. Leave the cart and get out of here."

The party urges her not to be hasty; she nocks her arrow. Xerxes decides this is his moment to make a break for it, and bolts. The arrow flies, and Xerxes falls in the dirt...with the shaft through his leg. Not a fatal wound, but enough to keep him down.

The woman examines Thomas and Tree. "That right there?" She points to Xerxes. "That's dead weight. You two can come talk to the boss."

With an apologetic look back at Xerxes and a promise to come back for him, Thomas and Tree set off with the bandits, rather dismayed that they haven't even reached the boss yet....