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During the first night after Dhersion meets up with the group returning from the desert, Matchitisiw appears to Roget. (See secret note below)
The noticeable effect of this is that a steady rain appears quite suddenly in the middle of the night (while Roget is on guard duty) and will stay with the group for the next several days. (Note: If the party decides that Roget won't be on guard duty, then she will arrive during the second watch).
The party will have to return to Meli for the complete reunion and there will be some loose ends to clean up there. Firstly, king Thor will want to know what happened in his palace and whether it's safe to stay there. Secondly, Lashmere, the prisoner rescued from the dungeon will finally meet Roderick.
Unless the party screws things up dramatically, Thor will loan the party a boat for their trip to Shiriki. He will emphasize that this is a LOAN, but a pilot will be included for the duration. The pilot is a young man named Nikiti. He is a capable pilot, but is inexperienced and can be pushed around quite easily - should the group find it necessary.
The trip down the river will consist of three main events: The merge with the Harkahome, the arrival at Abukcheech, and the arrival at Ohanzee.
The first of these will be of significance only to Roget. When the waters from the Harkahome mix with the Etenai River, he will sense a minor change in the power of his ring. The effect is cosmetic only - no powers will be any different.
Upon arrival at Abukcheech, the party will start hearing rumors about war in Nita. The details are sketchy, and after a little digging, the party will learn that (at present) it is nothing more than fear of war - rather than war itself.
One other item of note: Abukcheech is the royal seat of the Cheveyo tribe. Their leader, Ra, is chaotic evil - and it is probably best to avoid him. Dhersion will sense this from his brief encounter during the grand council meeting.
On May 23rd (the day after the grand council meeting in Salerhanul), chaos appeared and influenced a group of Hill Giants to storm down into the valley and attack Ohanzee. Though the party may not figure this out, Chaos is (probably for the first time) specifically targetting them!
Due to the fact that Chaos exists outside of space and time, it knew that the party would be in Ohanzee on this particular day, so it mind controlled the (relatively) weak Hill Giants. The entire tribe was affected and have been imbued with a kind of “Detect Law” ability. This will home in on Kesi's staff - which could prove quite unsettling for the monk!
33 Hill Giants started (25 Combatants + 9 Non-combatants). As the tribe walked through the countryside, they encountered numerous human settlements. Some of these put up fights and, as a result, all of the Non-combatants, along with 11 of the Combatants, were killed along the way. This leaves 14 Hill Giants arriving at the city. 10 of them will be killed (or at least occupied) by the soldiers and other combatants in the city.
This leaves 4 Hill Giants that the party will have access to. Along with them, there will be 8 Ogres and 24 Hobgoblins in the combat region. The Ogres and Hobgoblins were not mind-controlled like the Giants, but they saw an opportunity and took it! What they failed to grasp until too late is that the Giants had no intention of returning.
From a tactics point of view, the party may observe that the Ogres and Hobgoblins are keeping to themselves and fighting “intelligently” - while the Giants are reckless (to the point of self-destruction). Also, the party may notice that the Giants' eyes glow with an unusual (and confusing) glint. This gaze, if met, will cause brief confusion (but has no combat effect).
In the city, the bulk of the resistance will be from the guard. They will be quite effective - primarily because the Giants are not worried about defense! If the party's battle continues for any length of time, city guards will eventually show up to help.
One additional person fighting the giants will be a sorceress named Sokanon. She will be spotted by the party flying above the battlefield! (See her stats below). Assume when the party finds her that she is at half strength - in both spells and hit points. After the fight (assuming the party was helpful and successful), she will be gracious and offer assistance as best she can.
She is employed by King Ra, but avoid politics as much as possible. She is aware that the king is evil, but justifies her employment by saying that she is not involved in his nefarious plans. (Standard Chaotic Neutral stuff).
Sokanon, female human Sor9: CR 9; Size M (4 ft., 11 in. tall); HD 9d4+9; hp 33; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 Dex); Attack +4 melee, or +6 ranged; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +6; AL CN; Str 11, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 15.
Skills and feats: Craft +8, Diplomacy +4, Gather information +3, Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Listen +0, Move silently +2, Profession +9, Scry +11, Spellcraft +13, Spot +0; Brew potion, Craft rod, Empower spell, Improved initiative, Still spell.
Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/7/6/4): 0th – Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Read Magic. 1st – Chill Touch, Magic Missile, Message, Shocking Grasp, Summon Monster I. 2nd – Blur, Knock, Mirror Image, Web. 3rd – Dispel Magic, Protection from Elements, Fly. 4th – Charm Monster, Polymorph Other. Roget,
After seeing Dhersion's rain cloud, you eagerly anticipate a relief from your “desert condition”. And, while it does feel good, it does not bring the satisfaction you had hoped for. As expected, it heals your cuts and bruises, and eases your tired muscles, but it reveals (by not filling) an empty ache deep in your soul.
You miss her. And even though the emotion is deep, a part of you still wonders if it is real. Or is it felt because she wants it to be felt?
But then, you shake that thought from your head. She would not be happy to know you doubt her. While you are not a mere priest at her feet, you still feel an obligation to treat her with the respect (fear?) that she deserves (demands?).
It has been three weeks, though, since the rainstorm over Miakoda. Since then, there has been nothing. No signs. No dreams. No love. But it wasn't until the desert that you truly noticed she was not there. Before, you knew that even without her visions or her presence, you could hold your hand in the river water and it was like holding her hand. It was a comfort which carried an importance you hadn't realized until it was gone.
When Dhersion commands the staff to disperse his shower, you want to stop him. You want to stay in the rain and wait for her. But the others do not love the rain as you now do. They do not understand. And you are too tired for an argument.
Setting camp is easier this night. Dhersion brought some blankets, and the valley floor stays warmer than the desert at night. You settle in to a deep, comfortable sleep almost immediately.
You are awakened for a late guard shift. The first thing you notice is that it is darker than you expected. Tomorrow is the full moon and the thin cloud cover from the last few days hasn't stopped much of the moonlight. But now, there is no sign of the moon. Your heart rises as you realize before it even happens that there is a storm coming.
Then, as if on cue, a flash of lightning illuminates the campsite. The clap of thunder a second later is cued with the sudden onset of a steady, hard rain. As the drops hit you, you become aroused. Your heart beats faster. You look up and smile. She is back!
“Come walk with me, lover.”
She is standing next to you. You didn't see her appear. Nor did she walk in. She just is there, where before she wasn't. And she is holding her hand out to you.
You stand up and take her hand. The others are still asleep. The thunder will wake them soon, you rationalize. It's safe for me to leave my post.
Her hand is warm, and the water of the rain cool. The sensation is soothing. You realize that despite the fact that your clothes are still on, this is perhaps the most intimate moment you have shared with her.
She stops after about fifty yards, and turns to you. She looks up at you (Is she really shorter than you?) and says, “I told you once that the Lords of Chaos clouded my vision of the future. This was not entirely true.”
She looks away for a moment. (Is that embarrassment?) “It is true that I cannot see what awaits you in Baka. But the reason I cannot see that far is because it is not my river.”
She waits for a moment - as if she is waiting for her words to sink in. “My powers are limited by region,” she continues. “From the mountains you crossed last month, the rains flow east and west. On the east, they flow down over the Ata'halne' falls, then down to the sea at Ranita - where Malila lived. On the west, they flow down past Miakoda and into the Etenai valley - where we are now. Farther down, at Shiriki, they meet the waters from Songan and are diluted as they flow south through the Comani lands to the sea.
“Beyond these valleys, I am powerless.”
She releases your hand, and turns slowly around - her back to you now.
“I knew I had to tell you my weakness soon, but I thought it could wait until you reached Shiriki. But then, the Janni spirited you away from my valley before I could react. It was a move I should have anticipated, but once it was done, I could not undo it.”
She turns back and takes both your hands in hers. “But I promise you that I will be with you every day until Shiriki.” And then she kisses you - and you remember the other reason you missed her so.
For the next hour, there are no words spoken. Just her body and yours. During it all, the rain never ceases - and the pelting raindrops and the frequent lightning and thunder add an excitement that is hard to describe.
In the end, you are exhausted, yet invigorated. You feel better by far than you have felt for weeks. And, best of all, she is still next to you.
As you lie on your back, she rests her head on your shoulder and strokes the hairs of your chest softly and carefully. Her breasts - those PERFECT breasts - press lightly against your ribs, and her legs drape over yours. You wonder whether you should speak. You have so many questions. But she starts before you are able to form your first question.
“There are two things I need from you, lover. First, please tell Dhersion to be careful with the staff. In the valley, it is under my care and no harm will come from its use. However, outside the valley, it will be a dangerous beacon that could attract the Shadowlord. I do not know if he cares about it, but after its use in Meli the other day, he knows it exists. And, since its power over mist is now power over shadow - that may make him fearful.
“Secondly, I want you to ask Roderick this question - and it is important that he understand the implications of his answer - 'Was my skin wet?'”
This cryptic question throws your mind off balance. What does Roderick have to do with this? And what was that about her skin? That beautiful, golden skin…
Before you finish puzzling through this, she sits up. “The sun will be coming up soon and it will be easier if I am not here when your friends awake. Do you have any questions before I go?”