Byllka Forest, Klos 18th, 350AC, 16:00  (evening, 40 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ukrultower.mp3|autostart=yes]

The cart heads up to the tower and pauses.  As the gate opens, you can see it is made of two thick duralloy doors, which seem to swing effortlessly on their hinges.  The cart enters the tower, and the gates close again.

After a long boring wait of over an hour, the gates open and the masked badder and his group emerge.  This time a couple of the warriors are dragging the body of a naked badder by its arms.  They bring it over to a 3 meter high post that sits just off the path, and lash it to the post with ropes, so its feet are just barely touching the ground.  You notice that the badder looks like it has been slashed with claws or something similar all over its body.  Sticky red blood is caked thoughout its fur, and the badder doesn’t appear to be breathing.  Once it is attached to the post, one of the badders takes a square grey stone and sets it into a niche at the top of the post.  The stone has some sort of rune-like symbol made of jagged lines.

Then they walk over to your shelter.  The masked badder jerks his thumb at the dead badder:  “Yoo see, theese ees from breakeeng keengs law!”  He points at your group,  “Yoo stay here!  The keeng fetch yoo in morning if hee deecides shrak’l can come een.  Watch yourselv, we not bee far!”  He spits on the ground, says a few words of badder “charka kar”, and he and the other badder warriors start heading back down the path (downhill away from you and the tower).

Its early evening in late winter, under the giant mushroom caps.  Its getting noticably darker.  The shelter doesn’t have any walls, just a railing.  And there are no furnishings, just a dirty floor made of split mushroom logs.

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 14:30  (partly cloudy, 42 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ukrultower.mp3|autostart=yes]

The masked badder and his entourage approach and stop at the towers gate.  Now that they are standing next to it, you realize the duralloy tower is fairly large: at least 4 times the size of Arvak’s Champion Tower at Fort Akton.  The sound of distant jabbering badder language fills the air.  The metal gate swings quietly open and the badders enter.  Its pretty dark beyond the gate, although you just make out a line of badder hoplites, their duralloy armor glittering in some sort of fire-producing light.  The gate closes before you can make out too much.

As you are waiting at the shelter (still observed by a bunch of armed badders), you see a cart approaching the tower along the same path you just came down.  Some sort of short furred gray quadriped beast is pulling it.  Its fur is loose, as if its wearing a big baggy sweater, and its feet have long thick claws.  It has a big pink nose, but its eyes are covered by some sort of dark material attached to a harness.  A badder, wearing a simple fabric tunic, sits in the cart, directing the beast.  The contents of the cart are obscured by a canvis cover, but it appears to be covering something lumpy.

Zeebo notes that the badders are showing the hallmarks of a tech II society (iron age tools, feudalism, etc).  Most civilizations will use high tech artifacts, but so far these badders don’t appear to be carrying any.  The metal work is highly skilled though.

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 14:00  (partly cloudy, 42 degrees, crescent moon)

You continue to move through the dim light of the forest, with a zillion badders moving around you.  After awhile, you come across a worn path, and follow it up a ridge into some hills (those of you who are tired or not cardiovascularly fit are just dying right now!).  After moving up and down some ridges (but mostly up!), the group comes to a stop.

The path leads on, up to a large duralloy tower with a single metal gate.  Its roof is slightly domed and ringed with sharp spikes.  Metal pieces have been welded to the outside of the tower in an artistic organic pattern.  The purple byllka pods still tower over everything, although the ones near the tower bend slightly over it to cover it from the air.

There is a crude shelter to the left of the path.  Its roof is made of a huge mushroom cap, the floor made of cut mushroom stalks.  There are essentially no walls, just a crude railing and the ceiling supports made of more mushroom stalks.  The masked badder turns to your group and says: “Yoo stay here (points to the shelter with his spear) unteel keeng deecides.  Maybee hee sees yoo, maybe he decides keeel yooo.”  He seems to be laughing in a deep snorting sort of way.  Then he jabbers in badder to those around him.  Most of the badders stay and point their crossbows at you.  The masked one and a dozen of the others move up to the tower.

Actions?

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 13:00  (partly cloudy, 42 degrees, crescent moon)

You enter the forest of byllka pods, and notice how your footfalls are cushioned by the rich earth (no more snow!).  The light becomes dim, but your eyes adjust after awhile.  The badders scuttle along, the leather of their armor creaks a little, and they whisper and hiss at each other.

The flying insects with glowing abdomens still flit about but keep their distance.  Occasionally you can hear the noises of living things moving, usually above you, but the creatures remain out of sight.

The badders lead you in a winding fashion along no discernible path.  (GM’s note: I will make direction sense rolls for you when I have access to dice in 1-2 days.)

Is there anything you would like to do other than move with the herd?

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 12:19  (partly cloudy, 38 degrees, crescent moon)

The badders swarm up to your group on all sides except for directly behind you.  A number of them stop a few paces from you(mostly crossbow wielders who are still pointing their weapons your way).  The rest casually walk amonst you, like arrogant bullies, snarling and hefting their melee weapons.  Their strong musk hits your noses harshly.

The masked badder (who also halted a few paces away) holds a high quality duralloy metal shield, and curls his spear under his armpit, as if ready to make a thrusting attack.  He snarls in trade tongue:  “Yoo introod on keeng’s laand.  Why we not keel yoo for dis?”

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 12:18  (partly cloudy, 38 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/grailbridge.mp3|autostart=yes]

After a moment, the masked badder makes a sweeping gesture with his spear, and snarls out a few harsh words in badder.  “Rrrrakaar tak mulkaa!!”  He leaps down off the mushroom and the entire horde sweeps forward towards your group.  They are moving at a fast walk/slow jog.  It gives you an uneasy feeling, like when a large strange dog is coming at you and you can’t quite tell if its going to stop and sniff you, or casually bite you in the leg.  Enemy weapons are still held at the ready, crossbows pointed at you.  Several of the infantry are wielding crude shields made of mushroom caps.

Actions?  Reactions?

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 12:16  (partly cloudy, 38 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/thingstocome.mp3|autostart=yes]

Ragnor steps up on the chest as the rest of you fan out and prepare for possible attack.  The noises from the forest become louder, and then a large number of badders appear (30-40?), shifting between the byllka pods.  Each is decked out in a set of ring mail armor.  Many carry wicked looking hand held weapons such as spiked maces and axes.  Half of them carry crossbows which are loaded and leveled at your group.  The badders halt at the edge of the forest.   One of them leaps on top of a 5′ high mushroom (kind of like jumping up on a table) and holds aloft a duralloy spear, as if ready to hurl it.  This badder is wearing the same ring-mail, but sports a duralloy mask, similar to the ones worn by badder hoplites (and Sir Cyr).  They snarl loudly at you with their large yellow teeth.

Actions?

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 12:15  (partly cloudy, 38 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/fireswamp.mp3|autostart=yes]

Your squad trudges west, along the southern edge of the byllka forest.  As you travel, you can make out the sounds and movements of various creatures under the canopy of mushroom caps.  You spot a number of 1/2 meter long insects flying around (their hind ends glow red periodically), and some flocks of smaller ground birds picking around in the soil.  Every now and then they seem to panic and scatter.

After moving along for about 15 minutes, you hear a high-pitched blast from a  horn.  (Wwoooooooooooooooo)  The sound comes from the forest, not far to your north, followed by the noises of moving creatures.

What now?

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 12:00  (partly cloudy, 38 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/fireswamp.mp3|autostart=yes]

The scouts, weapons at the ready, range out in front of you as you head north.  The other soldiers carry the treasure chest as you crunch and slosh through snow, mud, and slush.

The byllka pods become more distinct as you draw near, and soon they are towering in front of you.  They seem to range in height from 2 to 40 meters.  Their trunks are lavender in color, and are very straight.  The caps are a deeper purple, with a ring of black feathery material along their perimeters.  There are some smaller fungal and plant species here too, but they are less distinct (especially some of the plants which lack leaves at the moment).  There is hardly any snow within the forest, and the ground is a dark earthy color.  You think you can smell the earth, or maybe the byllka pods smell like that.  The forest seems to be blocking the wind, so you feel a little warmer.  Yet the pods also shield the sun, so its going to be darker.

The scouts halt and crouch about 30 meters from the edge of the forest, looking alert yet calm.  Bren motions for you all to continue forward, and the whole squad advances to the same area.  “So far, so good.  What’s the plan, now?”

(Sorry, I don’t seem to be able to whip off a quick quality picture of the forest.  Maybe I’ll draw one and scan it in the next few days.  I’ll post the turn rather than leave the game on hold longer.  Until then, you’ll just have to imagine it.)

11/11/10, 4PM:  Here is another grid map so you can tell me which direction you would like to go…

Boztun Badlands, Klos 18th, 350AC, 11:15  (fog, 45 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Badger.mp3|autostart=yes]

After some discussion, your group heads out in the direction you think is to the north.  After trudging through more thick fog, it quickly thins out, and you step from it as if walking out of a cloud.  There is still a thin layer of fog along the ground, but visibility is not hampered anymore.

About a mile to your north is what must be the byllka forest:  purple pods that stretch for miles across rolling hills.  They are too far away to see much detail.

What route would you like to take?  Straight towards the forest?  Or stay hidden within the fog?  Or will you head in a more westerly direction across the snowy badlands?

I don’t seem to be able to upload any pictures or sounds right now.  Please see the previous maps if you need orientation.  Your group is just to the lower left of the ruins of Car Isle.

(Ah there, Greg fixed it.)