Episode 16: The Wooly Blues

Quest Information

 * 27-31 Arah-Abu, 1-2 Arah-Ululu
 * Kassithe, hexes 1104-1204
 * Title: Juggernaut (by Ronald Moore, originally published Dungeon Magazine #27, January/February 1991)
 * Level: 4
 * Location: last Kassithe guard station & Badlands

Primary Cast

 * Daric, camel merchant
 * Dylan Minglewood, halfling bard of Bearden's Crossing
 * Ket-Ramat, soldier-scout, former militia member of Ag-Rakade
 * Lugal, Mage of Learning

Secondary Cast

 * Border citadel guards & staff
 * Commander Thekla
 * Prelate An-Tafna, cleric of Inanna
 * Gemekaa's Caravan
 * Gemekaa, bombastic & beautiful merchant & caravan leader, and her employees:
 * Ansunu & Kullaa, Gemekaa's aides
 * Enusat, Kiipluu, Sargon, & Dimetria, junior merchants
 * Tas-da-Urdu, big & beefy Dark Continent chief of security
 * Tabni, caravan's forward scout
 * Ten caravan guards
 * Twenty workers (wagon drivers, teamsters, and a cook)
 * Vannari, elf hitchhiker hanger-on scholar
 * Ariishaka, Kinaa, and Nutesh, three clerics of Ravnu (god of peace & balance)
 * Ak-Korak, high orc merchant leader and his companions: Zartok, Az-Koleth, Fin-Lokar, and Krakoo the accountant
 * Dadanum, Nikanuur, and Enhuay: exotic animal merchants
 * Cackling creature

Summary
After a long, irritating march through the sparse, eastern reaches of Kassithe (plagued all the way by the same small, cackling creature that's been pestering them since the destruction of Ag-Rakade), the party finally reaches the border citadel. The first stage of their journey is over, now they must cross the Badlands. The next stage can be treacherous: bands of gnolls prowl those wastes, hoping to rob small parties of their gold and weapons.

In the citadel, the party seeks the aid of An-Tafna, the stronghold's chief prelate. He cures Dylan and Shoklen of the curse bestowed upon them by the grotesque creature in the dead village ("Piss & Vinegar"). In gratitude, Dylan offers to entertain the troops during their stay, the prelate suggests they visit Commander Thekla and offer their services.

Commander Thekla is a boisterous, cheerful, bear of a man. He gladly accepts Dylan's offer, and allows the party to board their horses in the citadel's stable and offers them room in the barracks. He then advises the party to not cross the Badlands alone. Even if they are well-armed and capable, gnolls have a way of swarming over small parties and overwhelming them. He advises they either hire some of the unsavory sellswords camping outside the citadel, or hire on with one of the caravans. One should be coming from the capital any day now (although, oddly enough, none have come across the Badlands from Hurrethe in many weeks).

Before the night's performance, the party decides to wander around and meet some of the sellswords. Some of them are clearly of ill-repute: drunken louts or bullies with violent tempers. There are a few who look respectable, but probably cost a fair amount of coin. They do meet a camel merchant named Daric, who is also looking to travel east to buy more camels. He's been across the Badlands once, in the company of a large caravan, and hopes to travel back the same way. Although something seems a bit unseemly about the young man, the party agrees to let him join them.

Dylan's bawdy songs are a big hit with the men & women of the citadel. Far too many encores, and far too many proposals from halfling soldiers (of both sexes, no less), leaves the young bard weary. Within a couple of days, an Ahti-Wagrah caravan finally approaches from the capital. The party meets the caravan leader, a stunning, gregarious, and tough woman named Gemekaa. Dylan turns on the charm, and Gemekaa gladly offers the party jobs as guards for the Badlands crossing: 5 gp a day per person, +5 gp because they bring their own horses. Her caravan is quite the mix of personalities: After the caravan has rested at the citadel for a day, they eventually head off into the Badlands. The order of the march is the same. As always, Tabni rides at least 1/4 mile ahead, looking for danger. Ket-Ramat (a trained scout in his own right) rides alongside the Dark Continent captain, Tas-da-Urdu (who, uncharacteristically for Kassithe, rides a camel). Enusat, the senior merchant, and one driver ride the lead wagon (containing linens, canvas, silk, and other bolts of cloth). Two covered wagons containing fine wines, meads, and nectars follow, driven by the junior merchant Kiipluu and three workers. Next comes Gemekaa's posh sleeper wagon (she rides up front with one guard, her two aids ride in the back), and the party's wagon holding Lugal and Dylan. Daric rides his camel alongside. Several wagons follow next, ridden by the rest of the workers and the merchants Sargon and Dimetria. The ten guards are scattered all along the the wagon train, which consists of: Day 1 is very uneventful. Shortly after hitting the trail on Day 2, however, they hear a odd trumpeting sound over a rise. Tabni appears, racing back to the caravan, waving her arms frantically. Over the rise comes a giant elephantine beast, at least 12' tall, with studded leather barding, a large saddle, and covered in netting. On the saddle are a bunch of xvarts (small, blue humanoid creatures), with several more clinging to the netting. The beast is flanked by four giant hyenas, each ridden by another xvart. The creatures screech out in their bizarre, squeaky tongue, and attack the caravan. The beast charges Tas and Ket, who hold their ground and avoid his tremendous tusks and thundering feet. The xvarts hurl axes and hammers at the party, the xvart-ridden hyenas attack several guards, and apparently some of the xvarts of capable of casting half-strength fireballs. The attack would be devastating, however Daric, who manages to flank and attack the enormous creature's riders from behind, manages to slay the driver, which brings the massive beast to an instant halt. The xvarts, having lost their advantage, try to flee. The party manages to capture three of them. One of the remaining turns into one of the cackling creatures that's been tormenting the party since Ag-Rakade. Daric the camel merchant manages to slay him with a well-placed arrow. The corpse starts to smolder.
 * Gemekaa's aides, Ansuna and Kullaa, are quiet and obedient, but clearly loyal to their charming boss
 * Four junior merchants, who seem to conduct the real business of the caravan: Enusat (the oldest & most diplomatic), Kiipluu (affable chap, knows his wine), Sargon (serious and bookish, the enterprise's accountant), and Dimetra, the newest member
 * The ten caravan guards are led by Tas da-Urdu, a large Dark Continent fighter. Big and bruising, he is no-nonsense on the road, and major partier when off duty. Dylan and Tas share a few drinks and have a few hearty laughs.
 * Twenty men & women form the workforce, acting as drivers, teamsters, & horse handlers. Amongst them is Bucky the cook, a man of many campfire tales.
 * Tabni is the forward scout. She is unkempt and aloof, sleeps away from the others, and scouts way in advance of the caravan.
 * An elf named Vannari is traveling with the caravan. An inquisitive sort, he says he is traveling with this caravan, observing behaviors and cultures of humans, halflings, high orcs, the other races in and around the Cradle of Aruru. He tends to ride with Bucky, listening attentively to every word the storyteller says.
 * Three pilgrims of Ravnu, the god of peace and balance, are currently accompanying the caravan. Ariishaka the Elder, Kinaa, and the new convert Nutesh, travel around and bring solace to villages and travelers in need.
 * Six high orcs have paid Gemekaa for a place in the caravan. They sell fine weapons and other manufactured good from their homeland, and are returning there with their profits after a very successful trade mission to Bakreteh, the capital of Kassithe. They are led by Ak-Korak, the other members are Zartok (the guard captain), Az-Koleth, Ven-Korethi & Fin-Lokar (both high orc females and not to be trifled with), and the runt accountant Krakoo. Dylan tries to join in their orcish operas, but sadly his small lungs are no match for their bombastic baritones.
 * Finally, three exotic animal merchants have also paid to travel along with the group. Dadanum and his son Nikanuur sell a variety of rare and beautiful animals to nobles of many countries, their newest hire is a young woman named Enhuay, who provides care and feeding of the beasts in their cages. Lugal's interest in their wares was not taken kindly by Dadanum, who forbade him from ever coming near his wagons again, using promises Gemekaa made as collateral.
 * one with leather goods, baskets, boxes, and art objects from the free city of Kutesh and places across the Presett Sea.
 * one wagon with provisions for the caravan staff, and two more holding feed for the horses
 * the cook's wagon, ridden by Bucky and the elf, Vannari
 * the wagon belonging to the three clerics of Ravnu
 * ten wagons containing boxes, bags, and loose bins holding Kassithe's finest foodstuffs for trade with Hurrethe (grains, spices, apples & citrus fruits, fresh vegetables, olives & dates, various cured meats & fishes, and clay jars containing pickled vegetables)
 * two wagons containing live plants and root stocks packed in casks of dirt.
 * the wagon belonging to the orcs, who never leave its side
 * bringing up the rear are the two wagons belonging to the exotic animal merchants. These wagons hold peacocks & peahens, lemurs, cobras, poisonous tree frogs of various colors, flying squirrels, hissing cockroaches, cape dogs, whippets, cheetahs, and a large komodo dragon.

However, something else odd happens during this assault. A guard, apparently trying to take advantage of the chaos, attacks Gemekaa! Lugal and Dylan try and fail to rescue her, but apparently she's more than capable of defending himself. She is apparently some form of spellcaster, she manages to hold her attacker.

The attack of the enormous, wooly elephant was definitely unexpected. One of Gemekaa's own guards trying to assassinate her in the confusion can only be described as unimaginable.

To be continued ...

Outcome
The party captures three xvarts and the turncoat guard. The enormous, wooly elephant is simply standing there, staring at the party.

Rewards
Daric, Dylan, Ket and Lugal each receive 2,000 xp. This is enough for Lugal to reach 5th level.

Return to Episode Guide