Post by Mindobwe on Nov 12, 2006 17:17:33 GMT -5
Journeys Under Forests and Rivers
A Story by Haulib of the Shombe
The evil heart was dead at last. It had nearly killed us all but we who follow the oryx were strong and it had failed. Even so, we were battered and injured in a hundred places. Those who had not been wounded by the dark force that shot from the heart had been bitten by vipers, stabbed by sharpened stakes hiding in the water or slashed by awakened monkeys.
It was a sorry looking group that broke a safe path through the trip wires and spike traps to reach dry ground on the far side of the heart's lair. We bound our wounds there. The fetid water showed signs of being infested with wound rot. Not a good discovery for those of us who had dragged bleeding cuts through the dark water.
In the heart's lair we found bags of coins, mostly copper, but a few bits of gold and silver could be seen in some of the bags. There must have been more than 150 pounds of coin in all. We bound these up in folded blankets tied up like sacks. This allowed Yakubu and I to carry the weight without endangering our ability to defend ourselves in case of a sudden attack.
Also in the lair we found some valuable ceramic beads, a magical halfspear, a very fancy longbow in a magical stand and a nicely decorated quiver full of beautifully crafted arrows. SombUnto, to my surprise, expressed interest in learning how to use the bow, so we gave it to him. We guessed that the three small gourds were filled with enchanted potions, but it wasn't until we were back in Mounchili Village that we learned that two contained potions of charisma and one was a potion of speak with animals. It was then too that we learned that we carried a bowstand of victory, a gourd-rattle of magic missile, and a gris-gris of mage armor.
We packed up everything of value that we could find, including the dead heart. Once the shriveled black thing had glowed with a threatening red light through cracks in the rough surface. Now it was dull, lifeless and hanging in tattered shreds. I also picked some of the large dark green leaves from the vines that covered the ceiling of the lair. These vines seem to thrive underground and the monkeys appear to have been using the vine's sap for nourishment. The water spirit awaited us above as well and we did not forget to bring him out of the temple.
The heat of midday prevented us from traveling so we rested and recovered our strength a little in the cool shade of the temple entry. I smeared healing salve all over my soggy cuts and bite marks, hoping to stave off wound rot or other diseases. The stuff made me groggy, but by the time the midday heat diminished, I felt well enough. While we rested, SombUnto was again ridden by the lion orisha. He thanked us on behalf of the Lion and told us that the evil heart of Kanuk was truly dead thanks to our valor and persistence. For that we earned His blessing, a special friendship with animals. A cool breeze blew across us then, causing our skin to glow for just a moment before subsiding.
We reached the river the following day and stopped there for a few moments to speak with the water spirit. SombUnto used the elder's staff, allowing him to speak with the spirit and invite it to enter the river if it wished. It was an amazing thing to watch as the spirit allowed himself to be poured halfway out of the big jug before stopping in midair. The spirit hovered, half in the jug, half out, just above the surface of the river for a several long breaths. Finally, he reentered the jug and reported that the river did not connect to the Coils of Da. We resumed our trek while the n'anga and water spirit conversed for several more minutes. During that time SombUnto learned that the water spirit had been trapped in the temple by the ancient kosan mchawi themselves. He had been there for a very, very long time.
By the time we returned to the village, it was clear that either SombUnto's careful treatment of our wounds had been successful or that the spirits of our ancestors were watching over us. No one suffered any ill effects from the filthy water in the temple. I was pleased to note that we returned this time in good health, a far cry from the first time we returned from a trip into the forest, exhausted and dispirited. Only OleTubi did not share our good cheer. He had been badly battered by his experiences adventuring in the rain forest and it seemed unlikely that he would be wanting to go through that ever again.
Our first stop in Mounchili was the platform of Chaaga. He greeted us in his normal shape this time and welcomed us warmly when we told him that we had ended the threat of the angry animals. He served us fruit and cool water flavored with juices as we told him the story of our adventure. He was startled when we showed him the remains of the heart and told him that the orisha called it Kanuk's heart. From Chaaga we learned that Kanuk was an ancient kosan bounty hunter that killed many people in his day. When he was eventually killed long ago, he was raised again as a dire lion. Somehow Kanuk became an undead creature in his second life and in this form he existed as a powerful force of evil for centuries. Eventually the slaves rose up and destroyed him but his heart survived, filled with his terrible spirit. He was taken to the temple where he lay while others sought a new body for him to inhabit. Fortunately, the kosans were all destroyed and a new body was never found.
Chaaga then mixed up a potion of cold water and dried, crushed herbs. He lit a smelly candle that sputtered and flared and burned with an oily smoke. We all drank from the potion and inhaled deeply of the smoke. We grasped hands and he touched the remains of the heart. Years rolled swiftly backwards and we saw the temple as it was when it was new and the kosans used it still. The years moved forward and the mchawi filled it with their evil spirits and learned from their dead how to steal life and power from the Overpower. The kosans fell and yet the temple remained. Within, protected by powerful wards, Kanuk's heart glowed an evil red in the darkness, beating ever so slowly. Time passed and eventually even the kosan spells faded. Then, no more than a month ago, a monkey found his way into the temple, past the failed protective magic and into Kanuk's grasp. The spirit of the mchawi awakened the monkey and dominated its mind. It caused the creature to bring more of his kind into the temple and into range of Kanuk's power. He sought, found, and nearly acquired a dire lion right here in Mounchili to serve as a new body for his dark heart. The adventuring band passing through the village before us had thwarted that plan. Then we arrived and ended Kanuk's power forever.
Even with Kanuk gone however, the temple might still be a danger. The evil orisha that used the site to teach dark secrets could perhaps use it still for teaching other mchawi. We agreed to help lead an expedition back to the site and pull the stones down until the temple was destroyed completely. It took only a few days to organize the expedition. We had elephants a strong force of warriors from Mounchili with us when we next made our way to the temple. It was only a matter of days before the temple was a pile of rubble. Chaaga told us that within a few short months, the forest would cover the ruins and it would be lost forever. In a few years, there would be no sign that the evil kosan temple had ever defiled this part of the bIda rainforest.
On our return to Mounchili we discovered an awakened chameleon who had escaped from the evil heart's domination. Toja the chameleon and a companion had escaped the dark temple and had headed south. Before they could reach safety, they were overtaken by a band of evil monkeys and his companion was killed. Toja decided to attempt to find a place he had heard of 'where the animal people live.' We agreed to help him find this place and he offered us a blue crystal in thanks. This instantly got the Mbantas' attention. They seemed to think that the crystal was very important. Toja told us of a cave with many more crystals. He could show us where it was, but he said that he couldn't go in. When we asked why, he simply said that he couldn't. I did not understand what he meant until I went to that cave myself and found that I too simply could not enter. But that comes later.
After we got back to Mounchili and celebrated the destruction of the temple, we discussed the water spirit with Chaaga. He told us of a legend that came from his grandfather. In this legend there was a spring that connected this material world to the Coils of DA, the spirit realm. The spring was located in a village that was created by the wakyambi people long ago. In the days of Chaaga's grandfather, ingogo attacked the village and drove away the wakyambi. No one knows what became of the village for none now go there.
Chaaga gave us directions to the site of the old village with the spirit's spring. It would likely take us more than two weeks of slow travel through the thick forest before we could reach the place. There were, to Chaaga's knowledge, no villages between here and there, and none near the site of the old wakyambi settlement. We would have to plan for an extended expedition into the forest if we hoped to make it there and back on our own. According to Toja, the cave with the blue crystals was in the same general direction, so we decided to plan a detour to check out that site when the time came. Each of us purchased 40 days of trail rations, a potion of cure light wounds and 10 sunrods in addition to any other personal supplies needed. It was a substantial load of gear once assembled. We considered purchasing some pack animals to help carry the load. It looked like we would need beasts just to carry the food for the pack animals if we intended to feed them along the way too. Hauling food for them as well as for ourselves and hacking our way through the thick forest seemed more trouble than it was worth. Instead we rigged up food packs that could be carried by the strongest of us and yet easily set aside in haste if we needed to defend ourselves.
Shortly after we had made our preparations, but before we had decided to set out, SombUnto was called on to give aid and blessings to a woman giving birth. All went well until the baby emerged and everyone present could see that the infant had the body of a person but the head of a monkey. The baby's father took the child, wrapped him in a blanket and called for Chaaga. The older man took the child and with us in tow, headed off into the forest. Chaaga waited only long enough for us to gather our traveling gear and supplies before he led us into the forest. He stationed us in a platform high up in a giant tree overlooking a moonlit clearing. He took the baby into the clearing and left it there and disappeared.
A bat landed next to us a short time later and spoke in Chaaga's voice. "This happens from time to time. Watch the clearing." It was quiet for a long time. Finally, as the moon rose above the edge of forest canopy and bathed the clearing in cool light, three figures emerged from the gloom of the trees. All three of these people were cloaked and two wore heavy hoods. The other looked up toward the moon and I could clearly see that he had the head of an oryx. He took up the baby and cradled it in his arms for a moment before tucking it into a sling on his chest. He picked up the spear he had set aside while gating up the infant, and with a gesture to the others, slipped back into the forest. "Follow the oryx!" said the bat/Chaaga.
We wasted no time climbing down from our high perch and gathering up our gear. A faint trail led from the clearing where the man-oryx disappeared into the night. The moon provided enough light for us to barely make out the trail and we hastened to follow. The three mysterious figures left few signs but SombUnto found enough to assure us that the three we followed were still on the trail leading to the northeast. When we reached the river, the trail turned eastward and followed along the southern bank. A bend in the trail took us away from the river, into a gully and then back northward. Hours after we started on the trail, it disappeared into a cave. The cave glowed with a strange gray light but having few other choices, and trying mightily to catch up to the man-oryx, we went in.
We discovered a most terrible scene. The trail carried onward and downward until it dipped beneath the river. We could see the great mass of water, lit by the moon, flowing by, hanging above the tunnel. It was held in place by some incredible enchantment. Fish darted past while we watched in horror, expecting the water to come crashing down on us at any moment, trapping us in the cave to drown. But the river did not crash in on us. It simply flowed on above. We dashed through the passage, trying to spend no more time than necessary under the frightening rush of water. I don't know what strange power held the river above us while we ran by, I only know that I was glad to be out of that terrible tunnel. I was never so happy to see the stars above my head as I was when we finally emerged on the other side of the strange passage and left the river behind us.
Hours of exhausting travel had passed since we had begun our chase. When we finally found the remains of an empty campsite, long unused, the sun had risen and the heat of the day was fast approaching. We decided to rest. SombUnto guessed that the mysterious figures we were following had gained distance in the night. It was unlikely that we could catch them but we resigned ourselves to follow along behind as best we could. They gave no indication that they were planning to leave the trail, so we might be able to find them again when they reached whatever destination that drew them. It was interesting that although we were now more than a day's travel from Mounchili, the mysterious figures had arrived only a few hours after the birth of the monkey-headed baby. How did they know to come to the clearing? When had they set out on a mission to gather in the monkey-headed newborn?
The heat of mid day seemed undiminished even though we had been climbing the foothills of the Kuba Taaba Mountains as we made our way to the northeast. The forest was a thick as ever when we started out in the early afternoon. It was not long however before Toja pointed out a ridge of bare rock off to the east. He told us that the crystal cave was located in that rocky ridge. It appeared to be only a couple hours travel from our trail. After a brief discussion, we agreed to help the Mbanta discover the crystals now. Hopefully the delay in our chase would be short. We followed Toja through the forest then, hacking through thick vegetation with brush knives for much of the way. Toja led us well though and despite the dense forest, it was not long before we spotted the cave. It seemed a simple matter then to walk into the cave, gather up the crystals and get back to our trail. It was not so simple though. I tried to enter the cave but found that I just could not bring myself to do it. It wasn't like I encountered a barrier or anything, it was just that I just couldn't enter. Fortunately, SombUnto, Toja and I were not alone.
What happened next? Did we recover the strange blue crystals so important to our Mbanta friends? I'm afraid that that tale will have to wait for another day.
A Story by Haulib of the Shombe
The evil heart was dead at last. It had nearly killed us all but we who follow the oryx were strong and it had failed. Even so, we were battered and injured in a hundred places. Those who had not been wounded by the dark force that shot from the heart had been bitten by vipers, stabbed by sharpened stakes hiding in the water or slashed by awakened monkeys.
It was a sorry looking group that broke a safe path through the trip wires and spike traps to reach dry ground on the far side of the heart's lair. We bound our wounds there. The fetid water showed signs of being infested with wound rot. Not a good discovery for those of us who had dragged bleeding cuts through the dark water.
In the heart's lair we found bags of coins, mostly copper, but a few bits of gold and silver could be seen in some of the bags. There must have been more than 150 pounds of coin in all. We bound these up in folded blankets tied up like sacks. This allowed Yakubu and I to carry the weight without endangering our ability to defend ourselves in case of a sudden attack.
Also in the lair we found some valuable ceramic beads, a magical halfspear, a very fancy longbow in a magical stand and a nicely decorated quiver full of beautifully crafted arrows. SombUnto, to my surprise, expressed interest in learning how to use the bow, so we gave it to him. We guessed that the three small gourds were filled with enchanted potions, but it wasn't until we were back in Mounchili Village that we learned that two contained potions of charisma and one was a potion of speak with animals. It was then too that we learned that we carried a bowstand of victory, a gourd-rattle of magic missile, and a gris-gris of mage armor.
We packed up everything of value that we could find, including the dead heart. Once the shriveled black thing had glowed with a threatening red light through cracks in the rough surface. Now it was dull, lifeless and hanging in tattered shreds. I also picked some of the large dark green leaves from the vines that covered the ceiling of the lair. These vines seem to thrive underground and the monkeys appear to have been using the vine's sap for nourishment. The water spirit awaited us above as well and we did not forget to bring him out of the temple.
The heat of midday prevented us from traveling so we rested and recovered our strength a little in the cool shade of the temple entry. I smeared healing salve all over my soggy cuts and bite marks, hoping to stave off wound rot or other diseases. The stuff made me groggy, but by the time the midday heat diminished, I felt well enough. While we rested, SombUnto was again ridden by the lion orisha. He thanked us on behalf of the Lion and told us that the evil heart of Kanuk was truly dead thanks to our valor and persistence. For that we earned His blessing, a special friendship with animals. A cool breeze blew across us then, causing our skin to glow for just a moment before subsiding.
We reached the river the following day and stopped there for a few moments to speak with the water spirit. SombUnto used the elder's staff, allowing him to speak with the spirit and invite it to enter the river if it wished. It was an amazing thing to watch as the spirit allowed himself to be poured halfway out of the big jug before stopping in midair. The spirit hovered, half in the jug, half out, just above the surface of the river for a several long breaths. Finally, he reentered the jug and reported that the river did not connect to the Coils of Da. We resumed our trek while the n'anga and water spirit conversed for several more minutes. During that time SombUnto learned that the water spirit had been trapped in the temple by the ancient kosan mchawi themselves. He had been there for a very, very long time.
By the time we returned to the village, it was clear that either SombUnto's careful treatment of our wounds had been successful or that the spirits of our ancestors were watching over us. No one suffered any ill effects from the filthy water in the temple. I was pleased to note that we returned this time in good health, a far cry from the first time we returned from a trip into the forest, exhausted and dispirited. Only OleTubi did not share our good cheer. He had been badly battered by his experiences adventuring in the rain forest and it seemed unlikely that he would be wanting to go through that ever again.
Our first stop in Mounchili was the platform of Chaaga. He greeted us in his normal shape this time and welcomed us warmly when we told him that we had ended the threat of the angry animals. He served us fruit and cool water flavored with juices as we told him the story of our adventure. He was startled when we showed him the remains of the heart and told him that the orisha called it Kanuk's heart. From Chaaga we learned that Kanuk was an ancient kosan bounty hunter that killed many people in his day. When he was eventually killed long ago, he was raised again as a dire lion. Somehow Kanuk became an undead creature in his second life and in this form he existed as a powerful force of evil for centuries. Eventually the slaves rose up and destroyed him but his heart survived, filled with his terrible spirit. He was taken to the temple where he lay while others sought a new body for him to inhabit. Fortunately, the kosans were all destroyed and a new body was never found.
Chaaga then mixed up a potion of cold water and dried, crushed herbs. He lit a smelly candle that sputtered and flared and burned with an oily smoke. We all drank from the potion and inhaled deeply of the smoke. We grasped hands and he touched the remains of the heart. Years rolled swiftly backwards and we saw the temple as it was when it was new and the kosans used it still. The years moved forward and the mchawi filled it with their evil spirits and learned from their dead how to steal life and power from the Overpower. The kosans fell and yet the temple remained. Within, protected by powerful wards, Kanuk's heart glowed an evil red in the darkness, beating ever so slowly. Time passed and eventually even the kosan spells faded. Then, no more than a month ago, a monkey found his way into the temple, past the failed protective magic and into Kanuk's grasp. The spirit of the mchawi awakened the monkey and dominated its mind. It caused the creature to bring more of his kind into the temple and into range of Kanuk's power. He sought, found, and nearly acquired a dire lion right here in Mounchili to serve as a new body for his dark heart. The adventuring band passing through the village before us had thwarted that plan. Then we arrived and ended Kanuk's power forever.
Even with Kanuk gone however, the temple might still be a danger. The evil orisha that used the site to teach dark secrets could perhaps use it still for teaching other mchawi. We agreed to help lead an expedition back to the site and pull the stones down until the temple was destroyed completely. It took only a few days to organize the expedition. We had elephants a strong force of warriors from Mounchili with us when we next made our way to the temple. It was only a matter of days before the temple was a pile of rubble. Chaaga told us that within a few short months, the forest would cover the ruins and it would be lost forever. In a few years, there would be no sign that the evil kosan temple had ever defiled this part of the bIda rainforest.
On our return to Mounchili we discovered an awakened chameleon who had escaped from the evil heart's domination. Toja the chameleon and a companion had escaped the dark temple and had headed south. Before they could reach safety, they were overtaken by a band of evil monkeys and his companion was killed. Toja decided to attempt to find a place he had heard of 'where the animal people live.' We agreed to help him find this place and he offered us a blue crystal in thanks. This instantly got the Mbantas' attention. They seemed to think that the crystal was very important. Toja told us of a cave with many more crystals. He could show us where it was, but he said that he couldn't go in. When we asked why, he simply said that he couldn't. I did not understand what he meant until I went to that cave myself and found that I too simply could not enter. But that comes later.
After we got back to Mounchili and celebrated the destruction of the temple, we discussed the water spirit with Chaaga. He told us of a legend that came from his grandfather. In this legend there was a spring that connected this material world to the Coils of DA, the spirit realm. The spring was located in a village that was created by the wakyambi people long ago. In the days of Chaaga's grandfather, ingogo attacked the village and drove away the wakyambi. No one knows what became of the village for none now go there.
Chaaga gave us directions to the site of the old village with the spirit's spring. It would likely take us more than two weeks of slow travel through the thick forest before we could reach the place. There were, to Chaaga's knowledge, no villages between here and there, and none near the site of the old wakyambi settlement. We would have to plan for an extended expedition into the forest if we hoped to make it there and back on our own. According to Toja, the cave with the blue crystals was in the same general direction, so we decided to plan a detour to check out that site when the time came. Each of us purchased 40 days of trail rations, a potion of cure light wounds and 10 sunrods in addition to any other personal supplies needed. It was a substantial load of gear once assembled. We considered purchasing some pack animals to help carry the load. It looked like we would need beasts just to carry the food for the pack animals if we intended to feed them along the way too. Hauling food for them as well as for ourselves and hacking our way through the thick forest seemed more trouble than it was worth. Instead we rigged up food packs that could be carried by the strongest of us and yet easily set aside in haste if we needed to defend ourselves.
Shortly after we had made our preparations, but before we had decided to set out, SombUnto was called on to give aid and blessings to a woman giving birth. All went well until the baby emerged and everyone present could see that the infant had the body of a person but the head of a monkey. The baby's father took the child, wrapped him in a blanket and called for Chaaga. The older man took the child and with us in tow, headed off into the forest. Chaaga waited only long enough for us to gather our traveling gear and supplies before he led us into the forest. He stationed us in a platform high up in a giant tree overlooking a moonlit clearing. He took the baby into the clearing and left it there and disappeared.
A bat landed next to us a short time later and spoke in Chaaga's voice. "This happens from time to time. Watch the clearing." It was quiet for a long time. Finally, as the moon rose above the edge of forest canopy and bathed the clearing in cool light, three figures emerged from the gloom of the trees. All three of these people were cloaked and two wore heavy hoods. The other looked up toward the moon and I could clearly see that he had the head of an oryx. He took up the baby and cradled it in his arms for a moment before tucking it into a sling on his chest. He picked up the spear he had set aside while gating up the infant, and with a gesture to the others, slipped back into the forest. "Follow the oryx!" said the bat/Chaaga.
We wasted no time climbing down from our high perch and gathering up our gear. A faint trail led from the clearing where the man-oryx disappeared into the night. The moon provided enough light for us to barely make out the trail and we hastened to follow. The three mysterious figures left few signs but SombUnto found enough to assure us that the three we followed were still on the trail leading to the northeast. When we reached the river, the trail turned eastward and followed along the southern bank. A bend in the trail took us away from the river, into a gully and then back northward. Hours after we started on the trail, it disappeared into a cave. The cave glowed with a strange gray light but having few other choices, and trying mightily to catch up to the man-oryx, we went in.
We discovered a most terrible scene. The trail carried onward and downward until it dipped beneath the river. We could see the great mass of water, lit by the moon, flowing by, hanging above the tunnel. It was held in place by some incredible enchantment. Fish darted past while we watched in horror, expecting the water to come crashing down on us at any moment, trapping us in the cave to drown. But the river did not crash in on us. It simply flowed on above. We dashed through the passage, trying to spend no more time than necessary under the frightening rush of water. I don't know what strange power held the river above us while we ran by, I only know that I was glad to be out of that terrible tunnel. I was never so happy to see the stars above my head as I was when we finally emerged on the other side of the strange passage and left the river behind us.
Hours of exhausting travel had passed since we had begun our chase. When we finally found the remains of an empty campsite, long unused, the sun had risen and the heat of the day was fast approaching. We decided to rest. SombUnto guessed that the mysterious figures we were following had gained distance in the night. It was unlikely that we could catch them but we resigned ourselves to follow along behind as best we could. They gave no indication that they were planning to leave the trail, so we might be able to find them again when they reached whatever destination that drew them. It was interesting that although we were now more than a day's travel from Mounchili, the mysterious figures had arrived only a few hours after the birth of the monkey-headed baby. How did they know to come to the clearing? When had they set out on a mission to gather in the monkey-headed newborn?
The heat of mid day seemed undiminished even though we had been climbing the foothills of the Kuba Taaba Mountains as we made our way to the northeast. The forest was a thick as ever when we started out in the early afternoon. It was not long however before Toja pointed out a ridge of bare rock off to the east. He told us that the crystal cave was located in that rocky ridge. It appeared to be only a couple hours travel from our trail. After a brief discussion, we agreed to help the Mbanta discover the crystals now. Hopefully the delay in our chase would be short. We followed Toja through the forest then, hacking through thick vegetation with brush knives for much of the way. Toja led us well though and despite the dense forest, it was not long before we spotted the cave. It seemed a simple matter then to walk into the cave, gather up the crystals and get back to our trail. It was not so simple though. I tried to enter the cave but found that I just could not bring myself to do it. It wasn't like I encountered a barrier or anything, it was just that I just couldn't enter. Fortunately, SombUnto, Toja and I were not alone.
What happened next? Did we recover the strange blue crystals so important to our Mbanta friends? I'm afraid that that tale will have to wait for another day.