Intro to the campaign
Empires rise and fall and others take their place, the names of kingdoms come and go, only the mountains and the seas are eternal. We go to the Haraxan kingdom, once a vassal of the Great Kingdom of Hassurayu, then masters of their own empire, the Rule of Mada before becoming vassals again to the Rule of Haxamanis. When that empire broke apart, the Mada again made their kingdom, and grew, if not rich, then comfortable on the trade from the East. The rich of the war torn lands still wanted the silks, spices and carvings from the East.
But empires and kingdoms are not the only things to change, the routes change too, the northern route was once the safest route, and the village of Irbuk shared in the profits, then the southern routes became safer and these easier routes were those the caravans took. Now the southern routes are dangerous again, bandits and rebels haunt the passes.
Adventure begins
The headman of Irbuk has persuaded the satrap to rebuild the fort and start patrols to encourage the trade still to flow but via the northern route. He is so enthused by this idea that he changed his name from Farazd to Birhuk, to avoid confusion with any visiting hobbits.\n\nThe fort is under command of Sirrush, who supervises the workers who are clearing the rubble of fort and preparing to rebuild it, similarly the old carvanserai has been cleared and is to be rebuilt. the work has advanced far enough that Birhuk has arranged a fair, inviting traders, entertainers, travellers, the curious to co. me for a festival, trade and learn that these passes are safe again
Many come to Irbuk, but we meet three here,
- Farshad, son of merchants, and a most entreprenurial Shevam
- Jushuur, another merchant’s child, but a Perim and with links to the area
- and. strangest of all, a barbarian, well travelled and of noble character, if not purse, from one of the Faliscan City States, Juan José
They arrive on the eve of the fair, to find it busy already, people settling in, the smells of food fill the air, singing, poetry and the clack of a game or two where sticks are thrown at skittles, for which money is made. That game is explored, just enough for sociability’s sake rather, a copper here or there, but the newcomers are noted.
Looking for someplace to sleep, Farshad and Jushuur look for contacts, and it is Farshad who is lucky, meeting a family friend, a Shevam merchant specialising in goods from the Pale Folk and the northern Shevam, who has been surprised, as many have, by the attendance and hubbub of the fair even before it opened. The merchant, Habbaruk, offers them space in his tent, a meal and some copper, if they take turns guarding it and do some guard work during the day.
The next morning, once the mist clears, proves busier than even the night before. Juan does his shift, chatting with the village headman who wanders through the fair like the politician he is, schmoozing and glad handing, though he was obviously a soldier once. Farshad and Jushuur tour the merchant stalls, Jushuur meeting an old friend, Imha, a jeweller specialising in cameos, and helps Sorya, the daughter of the headman find a very special brooch, an eagle with a charm of luck on it, Farshad finding another jeweller, specialising in things of gold, silver and copper with a problem in paying attention to everything at once.\n\nAfter his shift, Juan tries his hand at archery, winning a few coins with a display of skill.
To their surprise, but thanks to those they have met and know, they are invited to a small feast, the first of three that Birhuk has planned, not to the place of honour, but they are there, they are served food and drink, they are within the enclosure that Birhuk has made, with small firepits with padded cushions to sit on surrounding them.\n\nInevitably, Birhuk rises to give a speech, but that is interrupted first by the sound of dogs, then by screams, the crying voices shouting a word of legend and finally by the slicing through of one of the reed mat windbreaks surrounding the feast area, just behind Birhuk and Sorya, it is a Urtak, the not dead, a body inhabited by many tiny demons that, mindless, wanders to feast on the living. It is soon followed by another.
Most in the area run, our heroes move forward ti deal with the things, Imha and another defend behind the heroes where another Urtak has appeared. Juan uses his bow to good effect, Jushuur thinks tactically, flanking the Urtaks to deal savage blows, and Farshad heads round to support the locals who, scared as they are, are trying to mount a defence.
More Urtak come after the first two, but the arrows of Juan and the longsword of Jushuur deal effectively with the clumsy Urtaka, who don’t even bother to defend themselves, there are well shot arrows that cut the femoral artery, decapitations and well placed daggers by Farshad. Maybe a not so well placed arrow that wounds a villager badly in the shoulder, but these thing happen.
Unfortunately, not all the luck in the world prevents Sorya from a wound, she seeks to protect her father, and does so, but is bitten, and she is not the only one. When the aftermath of this fight is over there are slain Urtaka, humans, perim, daeva, kotharim, ulauva and shevam. There are slain locals and visitors, and more than a few injured, by slashes and bites. The wise woman of the village, a Shevam called Roxyanna, has a potion that will slow down the curse, but only for three days.
There is a dispute on what to do, Sirrush, the commander of the fort, wants to kill the wounded, before the curse takes hold and they become more Urtaka. He is supported in that by the village smith, who seems to have some animus against Birhuk. Roxyanna says that there is a cure, a permanent cure, and within reach. Birhuk and Roxyanna prevail. if some can be found to go then, if they are successful, all will be well.\n\nThe expedition will have supplies, a guide, Roxyanna’s daughter as a healer, and some silver, as well as versions of the medicine that slows the curse. They have also been given a bag of petals and herbs to scatter at a place that they will know when they get there. Then other guides will take them further.
And there we left it