Session 11
2 September 1999, 6:30pm
Attended by: Steve, Ken, Merwin, Scott, Chris
StoryGuide: Ken
Logged by: Chris
Game
On Aurelia's corpse, now largely reduced to a charred lump, the mark of the Web has been replaced with a vague Spider-like shape.
Claudius and Purros converse on the best plan of action, surrounded as they are by the dead, dying, and unconscious. Claudius renders Aurelia's corpse to dust (Dust to Dust). Aurelia's few remaining possessions are untouched by the magic: a ruby-hilted dagger (finely crafted--patterned with a ship sailing in a cloudy, lightning-litten sky, pulled by four winged flying turtles), two flasks, a charred vellum scroll, the fingernails of her remaining hand, a buckle, what's left of her cloak. Purros gathers these belongings into a bundle. Claudius ministers to Kurpat while Purros contemplates a spell to haul the wounded out of there.
An argument breaks out between Purros and Iseus, over where to proceed next; Iseus counsels seeking out the book, while Purros argues for a return to Flotsam for the healing of the injured. Purros cuts the argument short, pointing out that regardless of where the magi go, the next order of business is getting the unconscious magi mobile. To this end, he attempts to levitate Kurpat and Marcus as he had done with Aurelia's corpse; the surroundings, however, would seem to be inimical, and his spells fail [to penetrate Kurpat's and Marcus' Parmae]. Claudius attempts the same, with similar results, and then switches to a formulaic spell. He tosses his cloak over Kurpat, and casts his spell: Incantation of the Body Made Whole. Kurpat rises, still mightily fatigued, but now sound in body at least--for the duration of the spell, as no vis is used. After resting for a few moments, Claudius performs the same magic upon Marcus. At last all are once again conscious and mobile.
Kurpat and Marcus cannot help but wonder what shall become of them should they take damage while thus artificially returned to health, at the moment when the spell wears off. No answer is forthcoming, and so they steel themselves to search out the Book of the Monolith. Marcus offers 'round some food, and then puts Aurelia's remains into his pack. The lone surviving Jetsamite peasant ant is addressed; it cringes and cowers, stuttering and stammering. Marcus attempts to calm it with magic, but only succeeds in driving it screaming from the room in fear.
Claudius leads the way out of the room, selecting one of the egresses according to his own inscrutable Criamon criteria. The others follow, Kurpat leaning exhaustedly upon Purros' shoulder. Everywhere is the symbol of the Weaver. The main corridor continues down. After a time, they come across two fierce-looking warrior ants guarding the passage.
As the ants charge to the attack, Claudius magically removes himself from harm's way; Marcus fires a Crystal Dart at one of the ants; Purros attempts to summon the image of a spider, with disastrous results [i.e., one botch]. Meanwhile, one of the ants attacks his fellow, thinking to hit the now-absent Claudius. They become entangled momentarily.
The spider manifests--facing the magi, rather than the ants, as Purros intended. It would seem to be real, and not just an image. Kurpat strikes at the spider, and his blade passes through its leg--which re-forms. The spider strikes at Marcus--and strikes only his image,as Marcus is still under the effects of his earlier spell. Purros attempts to dispel his magic, but the spider does not disappear. Marcus creates a mass of vines to envelop the spider--but the spider merely ignores the vines, as if it is not completely corporeal. It strikes at Marcus, but misses; Marcus is unable to put down the illusion, and Purros is unable to suppress his own spell. Claudius shouts "Follow the stone!" and runs off. Iseus heeds Claudius. Marcus fires another crystal dart, at the spider--it passes through, doing no harm. Purros stands flummoxed. Marcus and Kurpat renew their attacks as do the ant and the spider; Purros follows the stone. The spider strikes Marcus--but does no damage!
The combat continues. Marcus finally pierces the illusion of the spider, and henceforth ignores it as a harmless distraction. Kurpat ignores the spider as well; they both focus on the ant involved in the combat (the other guard ant is groveling and worshipping the Weaver this whole time). Finally they triumph.
Meanwhile, Purros catches up with Claudius and Iseus at an intersection of tunnels. Claudius waxes Criamonic upon the subject of stones--stones of going and stones of returning.
Kurpat falls from fatigue; the remaining ant offers him up to the Weaver as tribute, but intends to have Marcus for himself. Marcus tricks it by giving the image voice, and the ant retreats in accordance with the "Weaver's" commands. Marcus drags Kurpat up to rejoin the others; they find a small side-room where they (especially Kurpat) can rest. The image of the spider follows along, continuously attacking Kurpat.
After resting, the magi go back to the scene of the combat. The lone guard ant is back at its post; "O Mighty Weaver! I grovel before the immensity of Your greatness!" Purros attempts a spell, but does not achieve the result he intended. Marcus has greater success, and gives the Weaver voice, commanding the ant to take them all to the Book.
The ant leads them back to the throne room, and then down the other passage--taking always the left-hand (which is to say, the sinister) passages. "Oh mighty servants of the Holy Weaver, this is the Shrine of the Book. Only authorized personnel are allowed before the Book." "Is not the Word of the Weaver law? Then take us to the book!" They enter into a large room, filled with three entire leaves--huge, from the magi's perspective. The leaves are covered with markings, patterns, something--could it be writing? Who knows? Marcus attempts to perceive Thoughts Within Babble to comprehend any meaning the leaves might contain.
Marcus reads on one leaf (any difference in tone between these translations and the passages quoted from the Book of the Monolith by ants in Flotsam are probably due to the inventor of the spell "Thoughts within Babble" being overly familiar with The Travels of Fedoso):
"The owl is pround and has many feathers.
He likes the night, and good flying weather."
On another leaf:
"Grass is tall and grass is green.
Grass is supple, grass is lean."
On the third leaf:
"Wherever, ever they may be found,
Circles are extremely round.
They have no sides but only one;
that's all part of circle fun!"
Marcus locates the beginning:
"Speak the words of the Book of the Leaf
And recite them, for it is good to recite
And to speak the words of the Book of the Leaf.
This is the Book of the Leaf, and to recite its wisdom
Brings prosperity upon he who recites and speaks
The words of the Book of the Leaf."
Skipping ahead a bit:
"And when you count the things in the book of the leaf
That you recite to prosper, begin with one, for one is the first;
Do not begin with two for that would be worst;
Do not begin with none, for that would be no fun"
In the book, numbers are associated with shapes; for each shape, it states how many sides it does not have (no shape has no sides; a circle does not have one side; no shape has two sides; no shape has three sides; a triangle does not have three sides; a square does not have four sides; a pentagon does not have five sides; etc.). It then lists creatures. Marcus becomes engrossed in the book for a good three hours. Meanwhile, Kurpat and Purros attempt to determine the best way to move these enormous leaves, and Claudius follows along listening to Marcus, attempting to garner some sort of hidden wisdom. Obviously an exhaustive study of the Book would require the work of Seasons.
Marcus speaks to the ant through the Weaver in an attempt to determine whether this is indeed the Book. The ant ("O Mighty Weaver!") doesn't really know. Claudius works magics to preserve the leaves, and then shrink them down. [left leaf: 37; middle leaf: 30; right leaf: 30] The magi take the leaves and make their way back to the audience chamber. [Claudius gets 1 EP in Area Lore: Ant Nests] From thence to the gaping hole. After sending the ant off to join his legion in the war against Flotsam, the magi make their way down to the tunnel.
As the magi prepare to return down the forbidden tunnel to Flotsam, Iseus speaks: "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Updated on 3 September 1999
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