Tales of Fantasy & Wonder Vol. 1

I - Karnath

The story begins...

AD&D GAME DIARY

BOOK ONE .

Game I July 12th 2017

Having escaped the Ruins of Karnath, Xamelion is one of the survivors from the original party of eight. Their leader Gherlen, an apprentice, two labourers and a hired soldier had been lost to the unleashed shadows from the pit, leaving Xamelion in company with a swordsman known as Jhor, and the last labourer, Derek.

Regrouping on the western slopes of the mountains, Xamelion confers with Jhor on escaping the mountain during daylight, heading for the river in the valley below, hopefully to use its current as an escape if they can make a raft.

Following the gullies into the wild rainforests at the lower climes the party is ambushed by a pair of wild kobolds. Caught between Derek at the fore and Jhor behind, Xammy blasts back after missing the arrows, with Derek swatting away the clumsier villain. Bringing the surviving kobold under control with a combined slap from his quarterstaff as Jhor grabs its legs, Xammy speaks with the little fellow, who identifies himself as 'Gecko'.

Gecko is a scout from a tribe that lives further east along the river, and won't cooperate any further information after being tied up to a branch. Xammy and Jhor speak privately on how they will be able to persuade the hostage, but with no food to offer it is up to Xammy to use some minor magic to make Gecko believe he has a gold coin in his hand. He offers to pay the kobold the imaginary coin if he will lead them to the river bank, and help them escape back to the waiting ship in the harbour. Agreeing to the deal, Gecko's legs are freed so he can walk with them with hands bound and leashed.

Trying to move silently through the tangles of the rainforest, they pause at gecko's suggestion, waiting for a great sloth to move on, but Derek gives away their presence, to which Gecko now warns them that the Kobold Cheif Scritchscratch and his tribe will now be alerted to the group also. With this new information they make haste from the clearing in their journey to the river.

At the riverbank, Xammy and Jhor guage the depth and flow, and finish their earlier plans on the shape and make of the raft. Each man takes it in turns to search for suitable timber, making a pile near the bivouac and Gecko, who is tied again to a branch.

Jhor asks Xammy about Gherlen and what their purpose was in exploring the ruins. Without revealing any information as to their true backgrounds, Xammy agrees there were treasure and lost records to be found, and he is unsure of what the black shadows were that swallowed their other companions during the mad escape. Sometime during this conversation they realize Derek has not come back. Leaving the camp quickly to try and recover their lost friend, they find no trace under all the confusing prints from their early forays around them in search of raft wood.

Coming back to the riverbank in time to see other kobolds releasing Gecko from the branch, Xammy and Jhor escape further west until they feel safe from any immediate pursuit. By now it is mid afternoon, and with bad memories of what happened the previous night the pair continue to the riverside upstream. By dusk a stable raft is fashioned, with oars and a basic rudder to help steer the craft. Bat colonies move into the fruit trees as they launch the raft and climb aboard, letting the current skim them along back to the dark eastern skies.

Gecko had tracked them with another pair of kobolds, who climbed into the overhanging fig canopy to fire arrows at the coming raft. Xammy manages to beat the critter to the draw, knocking him down into the rushing waters but success turned quickly with an arrow to the shoulder. Clinging to the side of the raft, Xammy goes overboard into the water as cover from remaining fire and is joined by Jhor after his own attempts to stop the remaining pair. Holding their breath until danger has passed, the adventurers haul themselves back onto the raft, bracing themselves for the rapids ahead that signal the break in the river. Using his last energy, Xammy braces the rudder to take them south while Jhor keeps the exposed rocks and bank away with his oar. Steering clear of all peril, the raft bobs into the southern branch and eventually settles as the water smooths out into a lazy meander.

Removing what arrow shafts they can from their wounds, they remain on the raft and wait for the white mountain at the end of the river valley, a landmark Xammy knows is in line with the harbour to the east. During the night Jhor speaks of overhearing Gherlen and the other apprentice plotting Xammy's demise once the mission had been completed. Jhor is just as puzzled why they would have wanted this to happen. Agreeing to take turns to watch the riverbanks until dawn, Xammy closes his eyes to rest.

Visions of the apprentice are in Xammy's dreams, although he looked drained of life. He can't remember the dream conversation on awakening, by which time the raft has began to sink near the waterside. Having served its purpose, Xammy recovers his silk rope that had been holding the sections together and forages for healing herbs before they set off to the east coast, now that they have come out the other side of the mountains and forest at the base of the ruins.

After some time they spot some crewmates from the ship who are searching for food. Explaining the fate of Gherlen and the others, the crew's spokeman hints that Capt. Hafson will not be pleased to learn this development. Joining the crew as they return to the harbour, more kobolds riding wild dogs pursue them on the beaches as the crew recover their hidden skip under seaweed and rock. Taking cover on the other side of the skip, Xammy and Jhor help to get it afloat before they are pulled inside by the other crew, rowing away as the kobolds repel them with arrows from the beach.

Before dusk the skip has come alongside the anchored merchant ship. Brought aboard on the rope ladder offered over the side, the crewmate explains the discovery of Xammy and Jhor on the beach, to which Capt, Hafson orders them bound and taken below decks....