Nr Tarnow Gora Byol, YT330
From the Journal of Voweslaw
"We moved on into the hinterland but soon became hindered by increasingly heavy snowfall. Progress became more and more difficult and we began to speculate that the weather might not be entirely natural. After a second night in the open we decided that conditions had become too challenging and that the only recourse was to turn back. Struggling to turn the carts we headed eastward, Hamec ranging ahead as pathfinder, to seek temporary shelter in more civilised country. Soon the snow lay treacherously deep and showed no sign on abating. Eventually the conditions overcame Tolarr’s driving ability and we heard a loud crack and some Khazad cursing - Olorin’s cart was broken but not beyond remedy. I inspected the damage and soon identified the problem. Despite the appalling working conditions I was, with a few tricks of the artificer’s trade, able to effect a swift and sturdy repair. Yard work would have been required and no little expense had I not been on hand.
Continuing through the snow, now all but a foot in depth, we came to a stop as a large ‘talking’ rat halted in our path. Voltarrr claimed that he could converse with the Taltos creature (though talking to vermin seems a rather mean pastime) and we were able to gain valuable intelligence directing us toward a ‘big hole’, that would shelter all of us and our carts. Repaying the rat with provender for him and his family we set off.
The rat’s 'hole' turned out to be an ancient barrow and was indeed large enough for us all. Thankful to be out of the weather we swiftly established a camp. Leradhir led a group with horses to cut down a suitable tree for fire wood while the rest of us organised fire, conducted a cursory search of the barrow and established a guard duty - one to watch the wagons, horses and fire, another to watch the entrance and the outside and a third with a roving brief. We arranged three watches: Nicolai, Tolarr and myself; Gorran, Hamec and Leradhir; and Amatharial, Olorin and Voltarrr.
By nightfall the snow was nearly four feet deep and we became concerned that it would block the entrance to the barrow, though Hamec and Gorran thought this unlikely due to the prevailing wind. At least our search of the barrow eventually bore some fruit. A central bier indicated that it had once been a burial mound, but was now more frequently used as a shelter for sheep. We then found a crude square stone in the floor, like to those covering passageways or holes. Lifting the stone we discovered that it hid the residence of a strange gangrel creature (it had a gnarled and dirty head and a small hairy beard - the rest of its body was also hairy) possessed of some rudimentary intelligence. Hamec suggested that it must be related to the Dwarves as it and they both ‘lived in holes’. Strangely they ignored the implied insult and acknowledged some distant affinity with the earth dweller, naming in ‘Nogyth Nybbin’ - a creature oft persecuted as a nuisance and pest near established Khazad burrows and gnome mines. It seemed friendly enough. We fed it Dwarven waybread and learned that its name was ‘Boggin’. After much private discussion Olorin declared the creature converted to the worship of Aulë though I had not taken him for a proselytiser.
We traded the Nogyth Nybbin food for tales of the barrow (for the long lived creature had seemingly resided here for very many years) and later for artefacts it had recovered from it. We learned that the barrow had been built by ‘old ones’ who had all died before his arrival, though he remembered it having been in use. The bodies placed in the mound were tall humans and had predated the establishment of Tylaria. We recovered two artefacts - a fine copper torque with a strange symbol engraved upon it ( I draw it here for future reference) and a gemstone of polished graphite with a garnet inside. Olorin, an expert in such things, assayed the stone as ‘very artistic’ but was vague as to its actual value. Nicolai inspected the torque but soon discarded it as though bitten by a snake. He claimed the thing was of such malign and profane influence that he was both sullied and violated by its very touch - and that he would be unable to seek the healing intercession of God until he had sought proper ritual purification. I thought this an over-reaction but I lack his theological sensitivity and agreed that the piece should be shoved back into Boggin’s lair.
After several days the weather showed only slight improvement and it became clear that we would be stuck here for some time while the snow thawed. A path was cleared to the nearby trees and a second tree cut for firewood. Smoke was sighted and Gorran, Hamec and Nicolai went to investigate. They located a farmstead (the farmer being a blond man for whom Tylarian was not his native tongue) and bought some goats and beer. On their way back they spotted cattle drovers in the distance. For a while we were concerned that they would seek shelter in our barrow but they never came.
We had continued in this vein for some days when the attack came. It was close to midnight, with Hamec holding the door watch when a rat-beast in humanoid shape leapt upon him. In the ensuing melee Gorran punched both the beast and Hamec (accidentally I think) both to little effect. Upon realising that the beast was were Hamec withdrew and those of us with silvered weapons (Tolarr and me) finished it off with bolt and sabre.
Though this melee was short and no gross damage was done us it soon became clear that Hamec had been bitten and risked infection with the were contagion. With Nicolai in a religious funk the nearest, and only, aid was back in Tarnau Gora. A return to the town now seemed to be our only option - if Hamec was to be saved."
Continuing through the snow, now all but a foot in depth, we came to a stop as a large ‘talking’ rat halted in our path. Voltarrr claimed that he could converse with the Taltos creature (though talking to vermin seems a rather mean pastime) and we were able to gain valuable intelligence directing us toward a ‘big hole’, that would shelter all of us and our carts. Repaying the rat with provender for him and his family we set off.
The rat’s 'hole' turned out to be an ancient barrow and was indeed large enough for us all. Thankful to be out of the weather we swiftly established a camp. Leradhir led a group with horses to cut down a suitable tree for fire wood while the rest of us organised fire, conducted a cursory search of the barrow and established a guard duty - one to watch the wagons, horses and fire, another to watch the entrance and the outside and a third with a roving brief. We arranged three watches: Nicolai, Tolarr and myself; Gorran, Hamec and Leradhir; and Amatharial, Olorin and Voltarrr.
By nightfall the snow was nearly four feet deep and we became concerned that it would block the entrance to the barrow, though Hamec and Gorran thought this unlikely due to the prevailing wind. At least our search of the barrow eventually bore some fruit. A central bier indicated that it had once been a burial mound, but was now more frequently used as a shelter for sheep. We then found a crude square stone in the floor, like to those covering passageways or holes. Lifting the stone we discovered that it hid the residence of a strange gangrel creature (it had a gnarled and dirty head and a small hairy beard - the rest of its body was also hairy) possessed of some rudimentary intelligence. Hamec suggested that it must be related to the Dwarves as it and they both ‘lived in holes’. Strangely they ignored the implied insult and acknowledged some distant affinity with the earth dweller, naming in ‘Nogyth Nybbin’ - a creature oft persecuted as a nuisance and pest near established Khazad burrows and gnome mines. It seemed friendly enough. We fed it Dwarven waybread and learned that its name was ‘Boggin’. After much private discussion Olorin declared the creature converted to the worship of Aulë though I had not taken him for a proselytiser.
We traded the Nogyth Nybbin food for tales of the barrow (for the long lived creature had seemingly resided here for very many years) and later for artefacts it had recovered from it. We learned that the barrow had been built by ‘old ones’ who had all died before his arrival, though he remembered it having been in use. The bodies placed in the mound were tall humans and had predated the establishment of Tylaria. We recovered two artefacts - a fine copper torque with a strange symbol engraved upon it ( I draw it here for future reference) and a gemstone of polished graphite with a garnet inside. Olorin, an expert in such things, assayed the stone as ‘very artistic’ but was vague as to its actual value. Nicolai inspected the torque but soon discarded it as though bitten by a snake. He claimed the thing was of such malign and profane influence that he was both sullied and violated by its very touch - and that he would be unable to seek the healing intercession of God until he had sought proper ritual purification. I thought this an over-reaction but I lack his theological sensitivity and agreed that the piece should be shoved back into Boggin’s lair.
After several days the weather showed only slight improvement and it became clear that we would be stuck here for some time while the snow thawed. A path was cleared to the nearby trees and a second tree cut for firewood. Smoke was sighted and Gorran, Hamec and Nicolai went to investigate. They located a farmstead (the farmer being a blond man for whom Tylarian was not his native tongue) and bought some goats and beer. On their way back they spotted cattle drovers in the distance. For a while we were concerned that they would seek shelter in our barrow but they never came.
We had continued in this vein for some days when the attack came. It was close to midnight, with Hamec holding the door watch when a rat-beast in humanoid shape leapt upon him. In the ensuing melee Gorran punched both the beast and Hamec (accidentally I think) both to little effect. Upon realising that the beast was were Hamec withdrew and those of us with silvered weapons (Tolarr and me) finished it off with bolt and sabre.
Though this melee was short and no gross damage was done us it soon became clear that Hamec had been bitten and risked infection with the were contagion. With Nicolai in a religious funk the nearest, and only, aid was back in Tarnau Gora. A return to the town now seemed to be our only option - if Hamec was to be saved."
From the Journal of Voweslaw
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