HoHo Game, Prologue 2: Visions of Doom

[OologahQ]

As the Moonspeakers disperse back into the woods, you linger a moment to ponder. This was the first Moonspeaker gathering you have been allowed to attend, and the circle officialy recognized you as an initiate. You suddenly notice that another has remained behind, an old dreamseer name Greva. She is the second oldest in the circle, younger only than the High Druid Hess.

"Come closer, Kren, we must speak," she beckons to you. "I have had strange visions this past week. I have kept them to myself thus far, but when I saw you tonight I knew by the tattoo on your arm that I must tell you. Yes, the others may not know, but you cannot hide your mark from those who have our eyes. Not many of our kind choose the service; few remember the debt we owe to the Empire. But enough of this, we must speak of what I saw."

I saw a lion, proud and noble.
Suddenly he is struck by an arrow.
He turns and roars in defiance at a mighty giant standing near.
The giant's mouth opens and hundreds of arrows pour forth.
The lion is pierced many times and sinks to the ground.
The ground begins to burn, engulfing everything.
The lion disapears, the giant disapears. All that remains visible are five arrows, embedded in the ground in a circle.

You feel your stomach sink and she relays the vision. For the last month you have seen parts of this vision in your dreams--the lion roaring, the flames, arrows everywhere.

"I fear dark days are coming to this world, and I think you may be somehow involved Arrow-Arm. Leave for Vrath in the morning, in the ages past many giants lived there. Tell me what you find, the survival of our people may depend on it."

Before you can speak she shapeshifts into a crow and flies away, leaving you alone with the smoldering embers of the campfire.

[RhoOphuichi]

Damn! Kren had hoped the dreams were nothing more than the dredged-up memories of his time in the Pathfinders... If Greva saw them too, they must mean something. She was wise one, and her advice was always good. In the morning he would go to Vrath.

Back to the human lands? Not a pleasant thought. The humans had too much...civilization. Too many rules; too many people obedient out of habit or apathy or fear instead of conviction of right. And too much cultivation! The great forests - out here they still stretched for hundreds of miles - were thinned out and tamed by farmers and lumbermen.

Kren settled down for the night under a pine. As he began to doze, wrapped in his cloak, he let himself consider Greva's vision.

The lion - a symbol of Ilium, and its patron, Volcannon... Arrows made him think of the Pathfinders, but why would they turn on their own country? Why would they join this giant - whatever it represents? His thoughts spinning, Kren drifted to sleep.

Breakfast the next morning was a small rabbit, which Kren caught and ate while he hiked. A few days walk to the woods edge, a quick stop to get horse from Frez the hostler - he owes me one - and he would be in Vrath all too soon.

[OologahQ]

"Look Kren, I'm very appreciative of what you did for me with that mange. I promised never to give the horses alchemical boosters again. I will only use natural methods from now on. But I just don't have a horse I can give you. The only horse I have right now belongs to a knight who's stabling it here for a week. Its a purebred Ilian charger, not some riding horse. I'm supposed to be getting it ready for a joust. Its tempermental, it probably would buck you off anyway."

[RhoOphuichi]

Fighting back the urge to growl, Kren sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. Three days fast walk to get here, barely stopping to sleep, and now this.

A charger, huh? Sounds perfect. Look, Frez, I'm in a hurry and you owe me more than it'll cost to replace. Give it to me - and throw in the tack - and I'll say we're even. Don't say anything, Frez! I'm too tired to argue. Have the horse at the inn before dawn tomorrow, or you'll have to deal with a very angry druid.

Now for a bath, a hot meal, and the last soft bed for a while. The trip to - Drellin, was it? - would be a long one, with little time for comfort.


Diplomacy = 16 +0 = 16
Wild Empathy = 5+9 = 14
Handle Animal = 17+7 = 24
Ride = 11+3 = 14

[OologahQ]

Frez opens his mouth to protest but stands dumbfounded as Kren approaches the horse and leads it over to Frez. Frez nods in agreement as the horse nuzzles its new master.

[RhoOphuichi]

Kren left the inn at dawn. The horse was waiting out front - in full barding. Well, what did I expect? I told him to throw in the tack. Kren lead the horse back to Frez's stables, removed everything except the saddle as quietly as he could, and left it neatly piled outside the door.

The horse - Horatio was the name on the saddle - pranced a bit when Kren mounted, but a few soothing words quieted him. Now, let's see how fast a druid can travel! Placing his hand on Horatio's neck, Kren muttered a few words and felt a surge of power.

Traveler's Mount
Lasts 3 hours.
+10 enhancement to move speed.
Can hustle without damage or fatigue.
Cannot make attack rolls.

Base speed / hour = 6 mph.
With Traveler's Mount = 14 mph (hustling)
Casting Traveler's Mount twice each day gives an overland speed of 96 miles per day on normal terrain. About three times the speed of an unbuffed horse!

Now, he would ride hard for Drellin. Vrath's capital seemed a good place to start a search.

[OologahQ]

After a day of hard riding aided by magic you arrive in Vrath. Not wasting time to find the main road, you cut cross country straight toward Drellin, hoping to find the road along the way. You crest a hill and see the main road stretch out before you. Suddenly the sound of flames assault your ears and your vision goes dark for a moment. You see flashing arrows again.

You shake your head once the vision passes and look down at the road. To the right you see two humans riding at a medium pace, one wears studded leather, has a mustache and wears a whip and rapier at his belt. The other wears a breastplate and has a huge greatsword strapped to his back. Off to the left you catch sight of something strange. Following behind them about 40 feet you see a bit of dirt from the road being kicked up as if there were a rider behind them, but see no rider. Though you can hear faintly the sound of the two humans horses, no sound seems audible from the phenomenon to the left.