Quest for Shaman's Daughter

Summary

Adventure: Quest for Shaman's Daughter
GM: Craig Beere
Season: Summer 796 WK

Party

Time on adventure: The adventure ran from April 1, 1995 AP to June 9, 1995 AP.
Original Scribe Notes: Media:Snsu9603.zip

The Mission

Aniella has been captured by the Vulture clan, About 8 people attacked killing 5 of her companions, no obvious magic (ambush). We are to rescue her as due to politics the tribe would not send its own braves out to get her back but would hire us. Visions see spirits of night and gems

She was kidnapped on the 24 March according to Vulture.
3rd claw traves from tribe to us in 5 days getting there on the 31 March
We leave on 1 April and travel for 12 days back to childeren of the traveller tribe ( 5am - 9 pm) 16 hours a day using staged horses changed every 4 hours, An extremely tiring way of travelling about 150 miles a day.
Arrive at tribe on 12th
Spend 13th talking to shaman , scouts arrive as vulture clan is moving
Travel east for two days the south for one day on horses following vultures
17th April travel by foot to within 5 miles of vultures new camp which is located by a stream with bear claw and windseed ( eagle clan scout ).
18th April attack Vulture clan at 11 am and kill 3 braves and necro, wound 5 braves take Leader prisoner, then question him.
19th April leave for city to the south at the river mouth where orcs of Jadak Mak have taken her for sale. She was sold for a few pots and pans etc as Vulture thought she had too much mouth on her and didn’t wan’t to keep her for himself. She was ambushed by accident - there is no involvement of rival political factions within the children of the traveller.
19th Ground Apple ( Goat clan ) the scout we left behind returns to the children of the traveller with loot we took from the Vulture clan which we will trade with them for odds and ends.
19th to the 24th Travel south along the river the wall is on the east side of the river about 5 miles away and is a dirt rampart with a 1 story stone wall on top. The top has guard towers every 50 miles and chariots running along it. We travel about 120 miles a day ( 14 hours ) with 3 horses each.
22nd Aniella sold to Hung Chow consortium ( est from Mayor brothers )
23rd Hung Chow consortium left for Taiko with Aniella ( est from Red Dragon inn inkeeper )
24th evening arrive at the city and stay at blue sale inn.
25th Kirt arranges a guide for us called Fairweather who knows the slave auctions. We spoke to the Mayor brothers ( Staer radek and Keltor ) who told us they sold her to a group to Taiko slavers the last Saturday, about 2 days ago. These slavers are the Hung Chow consortium and are taking her to Taiko where they think they can get a better price for her ( 60,000 SP ( virgin, herbalist, cook ) ). They were staying at the Red Dragon inn where we had lunch and enquired as to their whereabouts , they had left. Fairweather could tell we were from Seagate from our coinage ( we will have to watch this in future ). We sold the 17 horses we got from the Vulture clan for 8464 Silver after a 6% commission.
25th we orgainised a ship to Taiko for 10 Silvers each, Fairweather told us to contact the Tsu Kai in Taiko which are in competition with the Hung Chow. Boats name is Layopold and captian Grensny.
25th Leave for Taiko at night on full tide, the pilot has dark vision cast upon him by the town necro.
26th Pirates attack (15 on board their ship ) sudden wind shift saves us and we sail away.
27th Arrive Taiko in the early morning and arrange lodging.
27th Checked out Hung Chow family, they had sold anyella
28th Saw Su kai for information about who bought anyella, this man is human male average beauty, grey hair. She was sold in a private sale, records of buyer in archives, she was sold between the afternoon of the 25th and the afternoon of the 27th
Questioning of scribe who left identifed sales of slaves during these days
24th lopan family 42,000 SP female
nu yen family 32,000 SP male
xes family 51,000 SP male
26th lopan family 29,000 SP female
archime family 27,000 SP female
29th see Su Kai about lopan and archime families which are likely candidates for the sale, for 50 SP a family. Lopan SE of island have estate and deal in base foods. Archime family manland lunar empire about 300 miles away deal in art works.
Su Kai wishes fairweather to know he was pleased to be of assistance
We book ship to city of archime family
5th arrive at city on daughter of sunrise with captian mao in late evening
60-70,000 people, 2* ft low mana
stay at inn heart of the empire were the staff speak common, owner anathea
6th check out archime family they don’t appear to have anyella so travel back to get the lopan family
7th check out their place well and anyella not there get passage back
12th summer on ship back to taiko
13th arrive taiko stay at the inn of the sigil ( innkeep is an ex-aqulian nameed adolph )
14th check out lopan family manor
15 sneak into lopan family house rescue hana ( anyella not found )
17th interrogate the scribes again and it seems anyella must have been sold to oplantus family a bunch of pimps. They have 2 whore houses in town, we decided to charge in and bash them.
17th attacked house in northern docks region , got anyella back, she was chanined to bed of iron, and drugged , had had compel obedience cast to break her by family namer. ( He still lives, a pity )
Some of the party recon under the wharf where they had to escape from sauremes , northern variety as they are brown with short tail
we escaped by fast boat with anyella and hana, ship is the lady varana with captian lanceton ( a shady character but honorable, he has a very good ship ), we met up with some pirates on the way, ship gull captian marac in excange for him keeping quiet about hana and anyella.
20th got to rivers end very early in the morning and then got a flat bottomed boat up stream.
23rd got off boat and travelled towards children
25th Marac and his flunkys attacked us, we defeated them only killing one.
27th got back to children of traveller
We then had Maracs trial were he took all responsibility and was banished, he is probably going to the barbarian horde to the north to live with the members of his tribe there, my guess ( I could be wrong ). We then travelled back to the guild arriving 20 full days before the next meeting. Valerie stayed behind ( she intends to stay for up to 6 months with the tribe ). Hana came back with us and is currently living in Seagate.

The Children of the Traveller ( Viroca )

This is a horse tribe in the North Eastern Region of the Sea of Grass consisting of about 700 members. They also have about 700 assorted livestock ( goats, horses, dogs )

Within the tribe there are two groupings of people:

Families People who generally live and hunt together but may not be related
Clans Religious grouping by totem animal

Individual members of the tribe will belong to a family and a clan, a family will be made up of members of numerous clans.

Religion - The Clans

They believe that one of the Totem animals chooses them and they then join that clan within the tribe. The Clans are:

Bear ( Strength, Endurance) , 70 members
- Clan Father : Twin Moons
- Son of Tribe Father is Bear Claw, he looked after our needs while in camp.
- We were contacted by 3rd Claw a brave and Rank 10 horseman.
- Deal with outsiders and trading
Wolf ( Stealth, Perception ), 160 members
- Clan Father : Amba ( Female )
Mongoose ( Courage, Never give up ), 65 members
- Clan Father: Broken Teeth ( broke his teeth biting a bear )
Ostridge ( Strange ) , 25 members
- Clan Father: Rock Hunter ( hunts rocks and pounces on them )
Goat ( Sustenance ), 140 members
- Clan Father: Starshadow ( Female )
Eagle ( Flies high, Swift, Sure attack ), 140 members
- Clan Father is Murac (celestial with shadow form, bolt, unseen, wall and witchsight ). (Banished)
- Son of Murac is Quickwind.
Cheeta ( Fastest, Good taste ), 100 members
- Clan Father: Wing Bearer

The spiritual leader of the tribe has the title Shaman and belongs to no clan but looks after the spiritual well being of the tribe as a whole ( he originally was from the goat clan ). The current shaman is Landbrother, he is very old ( venerable ) and a wicca. His tent is very obvious as it has all the animal totems all over it. He wears all the totem animal bits.

He or others in the clan can preserve dead and others in the clan can remove curses.

The Shamans replacement ( Title: daughter of tribe father ) Aniella belongs to no clan and is the sole survivor of the Elk Clan which was wiped out by the Clan Obsidian about 16 years ago ( neither of these clans are children of the traveller ). She is very good at witchsight, has create restorative and herb lore. She is evidently very beautiful with long honey coloured hair a narrow angular face, grey eyes ( green if angry ) and is 6’2’’ tall. She has scars on her back from when she survived the attack on the Elk clan.

The Families

The leader of the families has the title Tribe Father and he is the spokesperson and mediator between families, he looks after the physical well being of the tribe. The current Tribe father is called Tribe Father Uto, he appears to be about 50-60 years old with white hair. He wears no totem bits. There is a staff bearing bits of all the animals in the clans and who holds this is termed the Family Spokesperson and speaks for the whole tribe. Uto normally holds this although 3rd Claw had it when he hired us.

Politics and Stuff

Murac wishes to become the next tribe father and have his son become the next shaman however Quickwind is not an apt pupil and is unlikely to become shaman. Murac was not keen on us finding Aniella as he thinks his son should be in her place.
These people hate slavers and gut them, free the slaves, they consider that freedom is the greatest gift. ( slavers evidently do a circuit amoungst various tribes picking up the slaves) .
About 2 days ride away there is a barbarian horde which they are loosing braves to which is about 3000 strong. Aniella would stop braves going to the horde. There are goblins with the horde.
These people are very honourable and duels will be required if you insult them.
Rock Hunter has big political aims according to the Shaman.

Lifestyle

Everyone rides horses. They don’t have marriage and spend their time with whoever they fancy at the time. Children have short hair , adults have long hair. They mainly eat meat from horse, buffalo, goat etc which are cooked over large communal fires ( offerings ) where water is also provided in large skins. They also have several drinks including “Cammiss” fermented mares milk and a more potent black variety which contains mushrooms. Mages are not uncommon here. A camp can be moved about 30-50 miles a day. They smoke tobacco and drink cold tea with butter milk and salt. Most of they time they hunt, gather, train animals and train children. While in the camp some Lunar Empire Nectar wine in a barrel was broached , these people have some contact with the empire and trade. They live in tents.

Military

We were introduced to some of the military people of clan

Speaker to souls - Bear clan a huge non mage
Axe mistress - Eagle clan
Wind daughter - Mongoose clan R2 Military scientist

Weapons are the hand axe, composite bow, small shield and spear, no-one had a sword. When going to war they wear fine leather armour with bone inserts ( 5pt ) but heavy.

Clan Vulture

Has 1+ Necromancer ( Dead )
Has Zombies, Skeletons ( 2- 3 at a time ), some who are killed get up again
Leader is called Vulture
50-60 members
Description we were given is tall, dirty, adorned with feathers of vulture
Has about 15 combatants total ( 3 braves killed )
Has military scientist, these and the necro(s) stay back and direct the fight while protected by the braves ( 4 - 5 ) stay back.
Magic ( putrid wounds, make zombiee, darkness sparingly as it stands out along way on the plains, fear, rigor mortis, wall of bones, mass fear
They like to overpower enemies and get in close
The use few bows but many weapon types, they obviously trade with the outside world a lot.
Many members are death aspected.

Jadak Mak Orc Slavers

Leader Lac Mardoc
All orcs
5 Soldiers in chain with bows , hand ½ swords
11 Slavers in leather with whips and hand ½ swords
Speak plains barbarian
Move about 40 miles / day with slaves
Had 18 slaves with them when they left the vulture clan.
They are a new bunch of slavers
Broker with Mayor brothers at rivers end

City of Rivers End

Located at bottom of river where it joins the inland sea ?, the lunar empire wall follows it.
5000-8000 people ( 2/3 human , 1/3 orc, some dwarves, elves and goblins )
Guards are human armed with chain/plate, swords, spears , xbows.
Walled city with palisade
Buildings have stone 1st story and wooden 2nd and 3rd stories
Language is common with heavy accent
See groups of heavily tattooed lunar empire people
Stayed at blue sale inn ( middle class and defensible ), 3 rooms 60 silver for 2 nights including dinner and baths, innkeeper Andek. ( Breakfast at dawn, Dinner dusk to midnight ). We stayed in rooms 7 to 9.
Payed child ( thief - name Kirt ) 20 sp to look after the horses while we were there
Slave auctions every Saturday
Beautiful sandhills
About 15 slave brokers in town.
Other names Martin ?
Fairweather is guide to slavers in 20’s
Evidently there is such a thing as illicit slave trading, this is where people inside the city are taken as slaves and is highly illegal.
Baron of city runs the slave market ( heraldry blue and white quarters ), Name is Techumek Voltstein.
Slave guards in slave market have glaives and swords
Mayor Brothers ( Staer Radek and Keltor )
Ships heading north are on north side of the river generally.
Town has Necromancer called Maddoc who cast dark vision on river pilots, evidently they have several mages doing this sort of thing.

Pirates of the Rocks

More heavily tattooed the more senior. Live on coast to the south of the sea of grass.

Taiko

Ruler: Consular Governor
Griffin riders above the city are the guard of the consular govenor
80-100 thousand people
3* FT low mana zone
Most people speak common ( this is a trade town )
The wealthier parts of town are higher with estates outside of the city on the island.
Slavery legal and common everywhere.
Most buildings 2-4 stories and very close together.
Island 60miles at widest point
We were met by a red robed pilot with harbour guards who guided the ship into the port.
After docking we caught a ferry for 2SP across the harbour.
We went to and stayed at the “White petticoat” inn which was good middle class (14 SP/ day/ person )
Innkeep Nathan, Garmond the Aladerian bard and air mage
Found out slave prices
- Orc unbroken male 2000 SP
- Orc broken 8-10,000 SP
- Children 500 SP
- Scribe / Healer 15-20,000 SP
Got information from Su Kai about layout of town, he was of great assistance.
We met two gladiators "Spike" and "Justin" heavy drinking brawlers.

Hung Chow Family

Slavers compound located high in city as sell very good slaves via private sales, about 1/ day on average by the look of things.

In afternoon about 6pm people leave for home, horse and carriage leaves with 2 guards on foot when out of city guards get horses and they ride out to “estate ? “ as night falls.

Archime family

During the day there were about 8 guards in view

Lopan Family

There were 4 guards at night + 5th with a dog
2nd story of servants building ( both 2 stories contained sleeping guards )
10’ hedges around property ( 3’ at roadside ), guards don’t have witchsight
buildings 2 stories , 90’ * 30’

Oplantus family

Namer uses paralysis and compel obedience
I griffin will shout drinks for the party who kills him, preferably horribly