A Trap Sprung

Viscta Vikony, 4 Tyan, YT330

All knew the danger of this pursuit in unfamiliar territory. But they had given their word to the villagers to do what they could. Their growing reputation had raised the hopes of the captives friends and families and as they accepted hurried hospitality in the village each wondered what trials they had in store.

By the time the companions reached the locale where the captives were supposed to be, darkness had already descended in the steep sided ravine. Olorin, Tolarr, and Brimstone chose to move from cover to cover down one side, using their gimlet-eyed abilities to pierce the gloom. Gorran, Voweslaw, Hamec and Ikz followed the stream with Voltarr and Nicolai a short distance behind. When they had gone some distance down the gorge, Tolarr detected movement from higher up the slopes around them but it was not until Brimstone saw the trio of figures around the sarcen stone that the trap closed around them.

The trio were clearly cultists and the stone was already dark-stained. One appeared to be involved in ritual preparation and might be a priest. Guarding him was an enormous armoured warrior and a robed figure with a mage's staff. All were wearing deep violet and flame-orange though none in the group were aware of what this signified.

From the rocks on the far side of the gully the yruk fighters attacked with swords while others fired arrows down from the edges of the escarpment. Gorran tried to return fire on the archers but was forced to defend himself as the massive warrior bore down on him. Massive blow after massive blow hammered Gorran. The serious injuries he sustained forced him to withdraw.

Olorin and Tolarr attacked the cultists and the assault seemed to distract the mage for he seemed unable to concentrate. He and the cult-priest were no match in combat for the two Khazad.

Meanwhile a much darker creature was rushing towards Father Nicolai. None of his supplications seemed to be answered this night. He prepared his boar spear to fend off the creature. It seemed to move swiftly but it was larger than a mastiff. It's tail was hideous and murine. Nicolai thrust the spear at the beast but it was too quick. It dodged past the point and Nicolai found himself scrabbling on the ground as chisel-like teeth snapped at his face. One bite did make contact but without drawing blood. Nicolai began to understand the true evil of the creature he faced. Then suddenly the creature was gone, slipping away with the same speed and stealth as before.

The huge anti-paladin brushed past the other fighters and rushed straight towards Voltarr. In his haste to cast, Voltarr failed twice before a massive surge of bright energy checked his opponent.

As he and the the remaining yruk warriors moved off to regroup the companions noticed that one of there number lay still in the sand. An yruk arrow had struck the already wounded Gorran. He was dead!

What's in a Name

All of the peoples of the mugyrr use given names and the spelling of these is adaptable depending on the speaker's language and level of learning. Of course everyone has a byname preceding this to distinguish the many Ishtvans, Ferencs, Nicolais, etc. This may be a descriptive byname or an occupation or a patronymic. Foreigners are usually given a byname derived from their province or town. Some get their bynames as a result of thier deeds or accomplishments. Those who travel are usually known by different bynames in different places. This does not mean that they are of dubious character, just that is how they are known in those places

The ten most popular Tylar names are Ianosc, Petr, Ishtván, Gyergy, Balásc, Lázslow, Mikhály, Mátyás, Ferencs, Bálynt.

Patronymics are formed from the fathers given name with fÿ added.

Petrfÿ Gorran (also called in some places Gorran Petrowec) is now known in most parts of the realm as Anasztáz Gorran because of the amazing events in Golgow. Anasztáz is usually a given name but here it is used for the meaning of that given name, a form of the old Anastasius, meaning "resurrection."

Nocturne in Three Voices

Vadlat Manor, YT330

As the group left the rundown village and made their way towards Vadlat Manor the deep shadows of evening started to grow. Like a sonata of lies growing darker with each minor chord, the gloom became deeper with each step.

The bright glow from the many glazed windows of the manor and the lively music which could be heard in the warm summer air were pleasant enough to distract the travellers from any disquiet about the blighted village and the complete absence of farms in the vicinity.

While Nicolai, Voweslaw, Gorran and Voltarr were welcomed by the many liveried servants and shown through the hallway to nearby apartments, Tolarr, Hamec and the others were directed to the pantry at the back of the house.

Later the new guests were directed up the grand stairs to a equally impressive ballroom where numerous other guests seemed to be trying to out-do each other in social display and hauteur. Each guest was dressed in fine clothes and the dancing was in the old courtly style. However the gaiety of the other guests rang like a cracked bell.

Voltarr made careful note of the beautiful tapestries and paintings. All were old with animal and musical themes recurring. One painting reminded him of the old painting of the Iron Fuzoy which they had glimpsed in the cultists rooms in Nagyolaszi

Gorran was taken with the music from an orchestra on a dais at the far end of the hall and it occurred to him that the leader seemed familiar. This person was clearly someone of significance and breeding. Most likely this person was their host! When he stopped playing and started to circulate, Gorran took the opportunity to speak to him about his own studies of the music of the bard Olvyr Hnufa. The gentleman seemed pleased with this subject and had servants bring manuscripts which he claimed were the work of the same bard. Oddly much of the manuscript seemed too new for any work penned by Olvyr Hnufa. Then Gorran suddenly recalled the encounter with the Upiar in the inn at Golgowa and realised that the he was speaking to the human form of the very same. Could this Upiar and Olvyr Hnufa also be one and the same. The notes began to shift into an ugly theme.

When the rest were made aware of their host's identity they began to make their way back down the grand stairs toward the door. Suddenly the tall window shutters slammed shut. Some devices contrived by an artificer long dead closed` and bolted each one in a staccato cadenza.

Rushing into a downstairs room the friends guarded both entrances. Outside in the corridors the sound of wild beasts attacking some other guests could be heard mixed with cruel mocking laughter from some others. Since the sounds were feline, Voweslaw was reduced to a gibbering wreck and ran to hide in a cupboard. They all soon realised that they must make an attempt to escape before they were cut off. Fighting off some of the manor's eponomous beasts which attacked wrapped in an un-natural darkness the group made for the front door with no clear idea if they could force a way through the heavy locked doors.

As they approached the front door the group heard crashing and the door was forced inwards. In rushed an angry Sgurd Hafnersson and his cultist followers. Clearly, though he spoke in his own northern tongue, Sgurd was raging with anger at Olvyr Hnufa! Facing them on the stair was Olyvr Hnufa and several guards. Though they wore courtly clothes they were armed and seemed experienced fighters.

The guards did not prevent the friends reaching the door and they might have rushed past Sgurd and his men but the voice of their host stilled everyone in a few syllables. It was as if the most harmonious music had contained the most reasonable and sensible commands. Lord Hnufa was the most suited to lead and all from pa-mosz to royal palace should listen and obey. Yes he had once associated with Hring but now that he was gone why strive to bring him back. Much better to serve Lord Hnufa. One by one, with huge mental efforts the group managed to break free of the hold Lord Hnufa had on them and the group were permitted to go. All of the friends felt relieved and eager to be anywhere else but it did not stop them wondering why they had been released so easily or what horrors awaited the manor's other guests. Did Olvyrr Hnufa want to toy with his prey or did he also want to prevent the return of Hring for his own reasons. It seemed possible that their enemy Sgurd might not escape unscathed. At the very least they would be long gone before Sgurd could come after them.