Last Scion

The cold of Dimar is soon forgotten as the Heroes find themselves knee deep in the warm waters of the Darkshale Peninsula on the continent of [Dula].

They see recent signs of conflict, with the stripped remains of several men lying bloody on the pebble beach. Investigation reveals that the men all died of wounds relating to animal attacks: claws, pecks, and bites. Travois marks lead away from the scene. Kirrin looks up and down the coastline, be nothing seems untoward.

Following the tracks, the Heroes come across further indications of battle. This time the victims have not yet been stripped and are noted to be wearing red tabards with the symbol of a pentagon of white triangles on the front. It is now that the Heroes realise that the forest's edge is absent of natural noises. Grey Alms and Kirrin conclude that men died recently and some were dealt either mercy blows or confirmation stabs in the neck. Fafhrd looks forward along the trail and makes out a village ahead, which draws the Heroes on.

The scene at the village is one of horror and devastation. A crude town lies in ruins with either destroyed or partially burnt houses clear evidence of some misfortune. More dead soldiers are found. The Heroes divide themselves into two and circle around the camp, wary of an attack. As they move they see signs that the town was in preparation of a celebration with brightly coloured paint splashed over several houses and large trestles of fruit overturned in the dust.

Their sight is quickly drawn to the pyre being constructed. A lone boy toils in the morning sun, feathers on his arms smeared with blood and ash, his naked torso streaming sweat. Rogene approaches the lad and assists him in piling bodies onto the structure. It is clear that he is racked with sorrow and while initially wary of Rogene's help, he realises that the Heroes look nothing like that attackers and so allows her to continue. The others survey the tableau and notice that the bodies on the pyre are partially animalistic here a set of claws, there a beak or fang.

The lad introduces himself as Malu and confirms the Heroes suspicions. The town was gathering to celebrate his passage into manhood when he returned from the Spirit Journey and found them slaughtered. When questioned, he doesn't recognise the symbol on the tabard and has no idea why the town was attacked, but does reveal that his people following the words of Felortha who teaches that form is mutable and that change should be embraced. These teachings confer a level of shape changing on the followers, which explains the attacks against the soldiers.

The Heroes mark a pile of weapons and clothing; likely stripped from the soldiers. Kirrin and Grey discuss what keeps them teleporting and drives them, passing the five-sided cylinder earlier retrieved from Ena. Fafhrd discovers a prayer book in the belongings of the soldiers and passes it to Rogene who can strangely identify some of the words. She knuckles down to a translation.

Meanwhile, through conversations with Malu and the discovery of another cylinder, the others discover that a few months earlier the people of the village had been visited by the Traveller, a wizard from [Kiron] called Maris who came with his apprentice Lloric. The Traveler told the people many things and promised a second visit, leaving behind the cylinder. Dax, a visiting merchant, seemed excited at the visit and hurried off soon after.

While Rogene translates, Fafhrd, Kirrin and The Yellow Dart see to the reconstruction of the pyres to work more efficiently. Grey takes to the air and scouts out the surrounding area, discovering a city a few days travel to the south, a series of zigzagging roads, and an abandoned bivouac site. He returns and informs the others of the information as they, in turn, inform him that some of the girl children are not accounted for and the details of the prayer book that Rogene has translated. It seems the guards are members of a religious order called the Daiquin who follow the teachings of the Five Saints (Kewon, Boror, Cyl, Tij and Doami) who rebelled against the old gods - the Primorae and in doing so ascended to godhood themselves. Kirrin draws similarities between the rise of the Saints and possession by a Hound and suspects something sinister relating to the Legion.

That night the funeral pyre hardens something inside Malu who vow revenge on those that sought to commit genocide. The Heroes agree to help him.

A day's travel from the town the Heroes come across a small encampment of tabarded soldiers. Creeping through the forest to gather more information the Heroes nearly give their position away due to disagreement on the just course of action. They note a priest going between several tents and believing the tents contain the missing girls seek confirmation.

Fafhrd catches Malu striding towards the camp and quickly muffles the boy from acting rashly. Several plans are put forth before The Yellow Dart climbs a tree and leaps to the nearest tent and discovers it empty. A guard is drawn towards the noise and Fafhrd is quick to step out and grab him before throwing him to the ground and having Rogene sit on him, her dagger at the ready. The Heroes tense themselves as a second guard comes to investigate the noise and as the guard pokes around Kirrin launches himself at him, striking quickly to daze the guard. Fafhrd pulls the stunned guard in before he can react and Kirrin strikes again to knock the man out. With two of the five guards now out of the fight.

The Yellow Dart takes the momentary lull as an opportunity to draw the attention of the remaining guards away from the Heroes and launches himself across the camp in a series of somersaults and cartwheels before cutting his way into a second tent. This has the desired effect and the two remaining guards who move to intercept him. The priest spies the The Yellow Dart and quickly casts a spell to bolster his remaining troops.

Malu closes on the priest who strikes back with his quarterstaff before finding himself face to face with an enraged Fafhrd. Meanwhile The Yellow Dart pesters his foe with his quick footwork and Kirrin dodges the mace swings of the other guard. Grey moves rapidly into the priest's tent and interposes himself between Fafhrd, Malu and the priest, who surrenders. The two remaining guards, realising that they are overmatched also surrender when prompted by Grey.

Questioning reveals that the guards were indeed part of the force that attacked Malu's people, on instruction from the chapter house near the town of Kedor's Sorrow. The tents are revealed to house wounded men, and the stolen children are being taken to Sorrow for sale. Fafhrd has to forcibly restrain Malu from killing each of the guards then and there. The Heroes tie the men up before taking the horses and riding at pace towards the chapter house.

At the abbey they quickly overpower the weak guard and find the tortured body of the merchant Dax. Under duress the head priest informs the Heroes that he was acting on orders that Malu's people - through knowledge of other worlds via the Traveler - were spreading blasphemy and lies that would shake faith in the Daiquin. Malu goes on a rampage and stalks the halls of the abbey before locating the girls in an upstairs room. His flesh boils and his bones pop and his form shifts into that of his totem - a black bear. With savage attacks Malu removes the final impediment in his way and rescues the girls of his people.

Later, while discussing the best way to get Malu and the survivors to ancestors in the deserts of the Cyl, the Heroes teleport once more and find themselves in a cave...