Session 12
September 9, 1999
Logging: Jason
The entire group is very tired, having marched for a day, fought, rested only a few hours, and is now facing some hours' march back to Flotsam.
Iseus somehow believes that the spider constantly menacing Kurpat is a real spider &endash; clearly not imaginary or magical, but instead spiritual! The spirit of the weaver, to be sure. And so Kurpat agrees, believing that it would be improper to return to Flotsam with the Weaver menacing him. And so the casting of spells (Wind of Mundane Silence, Demon's Eternal Oblivion) ensues, and the spider remains.
After much discussion and attempts to forestall the worms from noticing the group's passage, the group walks for a day.
At the end of the day, or thereabouts, Marcus begins to hear noises ahead of us. When he and Kurpat investigate, Kurpat reports seeing a great battle between Flotsam and Jetsam.
When gathering their options and determining their course, Kurpat experiments by swishing one of the shrunken leaves through it, and it goes through, but it turns and menaces Claudius, who isn't quite so sure it's an illusion any more… After a valiant attack, Claudius realizes that it must be an illusion, and has no choice but to let him be the object of its harassment, except… by waving the leaf at it, and it finds Iseus!
Iseus volleys spells at the vile beast, in order to destroy it. Fire! Water! Air! Earth! But it doesn't work, as magi fall into mud, run away, and attempt to intervene. When Iseus runs out of elements and begins fleeing in terror, Purros casts Curse of the Unruly Tongue on him, and Iseus begins slurring his words, just as he cries, "S-s-s-sssod-d-d-ales, h-h-h-heewlp m-m-mrreee!!"
Meanwhile, Claudius and Marcus has run back down the tunnel, whence they came. Purros remained in the mud, and commenced resting.
Kurpat remained near Iseus, and instructed him to crouch down and close his eyes. Iseus did so, falling to his knees, and wrapping his head in his arms. Kurpat regained his lost fatigue, and then chose to cast Wind of Mundane Silence on the Weaver, to no avail.
When Iseus peeks up, the spider's attentions turn back to Kurpat! Iseus promptly gets up and runs back down the tunnel (Jetsam-ward).
Meanwhile, Claudius and Marcus converse and agree to gather the group (Marcus insists that gathering Iseus should be an afterthought). Since the Jetsam ants are toward Flotsam, and the rock wall is back at Jetsam, the options are grim.
Iseus finally falls unconscious. Kurpat comes on his fallen form, on his way to Claudius and Marcus. He hefts Iseus, walks the half mile, and joins them. Then, after consulting with Claudius, Kurpat grasps all three leaves and swishes through the spider's image, but it does nothing. Marcus lectures the group that the spider is "an image; just an image."
Purros finally rejoins the group; both he and Marcus are caked in mud. Discussion of the group's options continues. Claudius begins resting.
(Everyone is at one lost long-term fatigue level, since sleep has not been had for well over 24 hours.)
Kurpat proceeds to clear out an area of earth high in the tunnel so that everyone can crawl in and rest. However, the need to an illusionary or real covering is required, should the army of ants (or a smaller group from it) pass through.
Claudius takes care of creating air inside the incropping, and Purros creates an earthen shell around the covering.
Marcus perceives that the spider &endash; it's naturally too big to fit into the space, and yet it does. The magic! It's big, but it's small. Big! Small! It's clearly, clearly of faerie nature… this is the type of thing Marcus's master was trying to shield him from… Marcus continues to stare at it, enthralled…
Marcus contemplates until and until… Wizard's Twilight! Marcus gains an Affinity in Imagonem and 1 EP in Enigmatic Wisdom, and 2 EP in Faerie Lore. He can not tell the difference between sleep and a waking state. There are no outward effects to the Twilight.
The group begins to rouse. Marcus experiences strange waking dreams, including a miniature Aurelia sitting on top of the form of the Weaver. She challenges him to Certamen! Creo Imagonem.
Meanwhile, Claudius and Iseus attempt dig out (Iseus does so frantically, realizing that a new approach to dealing with the Weaver is needed, but first wants to just get space between him and it).
Those who were looking see a sheen of perspiration across Marcus's face. Finally, before Aurelia vanquishes Marcus in the Certamen she says (in the Weaver's voice), "That'll teach you not to call me dead."
Iseus emerges, followed quickly by Claudius, Kurpat and Purros. Kurpat confronts Iseus with his past deeds, attempting to ascertain assurance that he has his wits about him. Iseus stutters his assent, but refuses to lower his parma to Kurpat (who has the Weaver hovering about him) when he bargains with Iseus about dispelling the effect.
The group deliberates about the best way to deal with the ants. Finally, Claudius and Kurpat make for the ants, while the remaining magi stay behind. The two seem to march further than they did last time, and hear some noises. They hear &endash; then see, later &endash; seven ants arguing with one another, fighting over something small, it seems.
The conspicuous absence of any carnage of battle, or dead ants, was observed. The two magi back slowly off, assessing their options...
Updated on 3 September 1999
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