The Mahasarpa Campaign, a land of jungle ruins, an yuan-ti oppressors. Where swami, muni, and devapalas fight to hold back the curse laid on this once great civilzation long ago.
Centuries ago Saurama the Destroyer was locked away, defeated by the Deva of Mahasarpa. A prophecy was spun on the great loom that foretold that one day she would be reborn to take her vengence on the world. This is the tale of the Harbingers of that doom.(A vWorld Expansion)
Here begins Chapter Nine of the Mahasarpa Ascension game. We find the Harbingers having left the shore of their homelands from the port city-state of Lakshmana and sailing west toward the Crowded Sea and the Isle of the Elephant. They hope to seek more answers about the Prophecy spoken by the Breath of the Deva, but to also hunt down those that are actively seeking to promote the prophecy and the return of Saurama the Destroyer, chief among them Anoop Daruka, Toranoshi's younger brother.
The group has left Lakshmana on a Sambuk, "The Golden Voyage", crewed by Zakharan Corsairs and Captained by the man Hazim al-Azir'im min Khalid. The Harbingers are split however, and a group of friends have been left behind in the Adribahandian Mountains under the leadership of Azora and Brahmin Vivec Vashti. With the Harbingers here however is a strange Mystic of Nog, from the ruined kingdoms of old Zakhara, but so to is Toranoshi rejoined with Shamad, Ghanji, Sujata, Rhokti and the Brahmin Yogi Janak.
It has been a week since the Harbingers have left the riot filled port of Lakshmana...
Asvina 20th, 1096
For a week now you have sailed on the Sambuk known as "The Golden Voyage" and for a week now you have had to listen to Rhokti complain about the boat and the water. Some have faired well on the sea, others not as well as the rocking of the sea is not easy to get used to for everyone. You have been told by Captain Hazim al-Azir'im min Khalid that it will take another two weeks before you reach Afyal the main city on the Island of the Elephant and your jumping off point for your search for answers. The Mystic has spent many hours a day with Janak in private, the two men having many things in common. Ghanji and Shamad and Sujata have spent time on deck, training, and practicing their weapon skill amogn other things.
The trip is another two weeks but for the first time in months you are actually well rested, clean, and well fed. The time on board the ship is slow, and unexciting, and just the break you needed...
Welcome to Chapter 9. Please post in, and feel free to do alot of embelishing on what you've been doing the last week while stuck on the ship! This trip will be a good time for you to practice, pray, and do some training montage stuff. So if you have things you need time to do (Shamad's Sword), etc, go for it.
Last edited by Vardaen on Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
For the first day, Rhokti floats along with the ship, but as the sun begins to sink, he also sinks to the deck and immediately makes a face at its rocking motion. He doesn't like it at all, but there are things to do. He quickly discovers that there is a place high up where the crew looks for things and he ensconces himself up there where most humans are most uncomfortable. Up here, the rocking is more like the wind in the trees and Rhokti seems happy enough.
Ignoring the protests of the crew that he is in the way, he launches into a long period of meditation. For three days he does not come down wor anything, although a watchful man will notice that teven in meditation, Rhokti does not do without food and water. Once a day, Pazi fills his water skin and grabs some food for him. This feat is more amazing to the crew who are not used to a monkey being as smart as a man (And smarter than some)
Three days later, Rhokti briefly returns to the deck to speak with Janak. "I think you were right. This black pearl is special. In fact, I don't think I need other pearls at all anymore." That said, he eats an enormous meal, then takes on his monkey form and lives for the rest of the week in the rigging with Pazi.
Much of the crew is no doubt confused. Where did the strange man go, and when did the second monkey come aboard?
Sujata spends the first couple of days getting used to being on the boat and making sure her garments, armor and weapons are in good shape for when they are no longer on the boat. She smiles when the little monkey girl skitters past her, and chatters to her if she chooses to stop for a minute.
For the most part- she spends her mornings praying and working on her training. The afternoons she reserves for further praying and concetration or helping the crew. They have taken her on for an extended time, she makes a point to try and help them. Even if it's only to keep out of their way.
We will find this f-ing troll, and kill it's f-ing ass.
Janak broods for most of the first day of the journey, musing about what has become of his home city. But as the distance between the sambuk and Lakshmana increases, his spirits begin to rise. There is little enough he could do about that right now. And moping about it won't help anyone.
Soon enough he sets his troubles aside and begins to enjoy his journey. Though not a sailor, he has grown up in a city by the sea, and is so stranger to small pleasure craft. As a result, he holds no particular dread at being out on the water. What's more, he has heard enough grumbling by sailors and captains alike over the years to know that there were always things in need of repair on board a ship. And so, he on the second day at sea, he offers his skills to the captain should they be needed. For though not specifically trained as a shipwright, his studies at the Khubali College had included the basics of shipbuilding. Moreover, he is a master woodworker and a passable clothmaker, meaning he can likely handle most of what needed fixing on the ship.
I'm not looking to get down and dirty and work alongside the men. But a few well-placed Fabricate spells in the first few days to repair some things on the ship might do wonders for relations with the captain and crew. Heck, if they want, I'll offer to do some work enhancing their figurehead, if they have one and if they're interested.
Janak also uses this time to get to know his new companions better. It was Vivec that had brought him into the group. But Vivec had stayed in Mahasarpa. And that meant that Janak had to make new friends. The Mystic of Nog, in particular is someone he finds that he has much in common with. The man's devotion to Zakhara's ancient mystical order gives the man a keen understanding of matters of the mind - an understanding Janak is only too happy to take advantage of. In particular, Janak spends some time working with the mystic on a way to mentally overcome the sort of paralysis that the rakshasa mage had subjected the shaper to days earlier.
Janak also looks to the mystic as a teacher of the Zakharan language,and proves an able student. Natural intelligence, a keen curiosity, and years around the Khubali College have made him an eager and able student of just about anything. And soon enough he's beginning to make himself understood to the sailors onboard the ship.
He'd also he happy to work at teaching the mystic Mahasarpan if he wants to learn
In the close quarters of the ship, the Harbingers also learn something else interesting about Janak. Though he maintains his modesty, the general lack of privacy shipboard reveals that he has two gems physically embedded into his body. A moonstone is affixed to the center of his chest, while a diamond protrudes from the upper part of his left leg. And what's even more interesting is that halfway through the trip, Janak spends several hours alone in the cabin they share and emerges with a jet attached to his right leg in a matching position to the diamond.
For what it's worth, Janak will also be free with his Minor Creation spells, creating bedding, privacy screens, awnings, chairs, tables, etc. People should be reasonably free in assuming that he would make just about anything out of wood and cloth that they'd like and can post accordingly.
Shamad is quiet. He still has not had a great deal of time to reflect about his current position. The man wonders if leaving Mahasarpa in its time of need is wise, even though he knows he is doing what must be done. For the first time since this all started, he is parted from Azora, and frowns of the thought of it. He gives a silent prayer to Mahabhalla for his safety.
Seeing Janak's skills, he asks the brahmin to fashion a shrine to Mahabhalla himself. Afterward, Shamad asks Sujata and Ghanji to keep anyone from disturbing him. Then, he prays at the shrine, day and night, with nearly no sleep or rest. Before him is his pristine tulwar of his grandfather.
attempting to level up my sword!
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
For several days during the journey - as long as Shamad wants it, really - Janak rises each morning and creates a shrine to Mahabhalla in a place on the stern of the boat that the captain allowed would be out of the way. The shrine is made of golden teak, and is almost like a small hut, open on one side, with a peaked roof and high windows on its three walls. The inside and outside are carved with intricate designs showing scenes involving the great bear. Janak changes the scenes every day, but most involve the bear-spirit fighting yuan-ti. Inside the shrine there is an alcove with a small image of the great bear surrounded by carvings of several mantras preferred by the Bhalluka. There is also a place for just one visitor to kneel, space being at a premium on the ship.
Each shrine lasts for most of the day, disappearing for just long enough to allow Shamad a few hours of sleep each night. But with the dawn, Janak remains ready to create the shrine anew.
Make sure I get permission from the captain before I create anything like this on his ship.
Create the shrine using Minor Creation. Ten cubic feet of wood ought to be more than enough wood for a modest shrine. Take ten on a C:woodworking check to make the shrine (=25), a C:sculpting roll to make it look good (=25), and a K:religion roll (=20) to pick some appropriate scenes to depict and mantras to quote.
Also, use Extend Power to make it last 20 hours. [-3 PP, total, each day]
Ghanji spends the week cleaning his gear. He has alot of little pieces and bits and arrows and other things that haven't been taken care of in weeks. He polishes his armor as well, getting the Charchar-aina to shine like a mirror once again. He doesn't bother Shamad while he's at the shrine, but the Shikari brings the man food and water each day at noon and cleans the plates away at night. He spends time speaking with Sujata, talking about the family, about Bhalluka, and about Shamad.
For the first week at sea everyone is able to spend some time alone, meaning the Harbingers keep to themselves, the Corsair generally do not interact with you, the language barrier makes that easy to accomplish. Janak interacts the most with the crew, helping to fabricate some items that are needed or need repairing, but by the third or fourth day even this small task is finished. The captain and the Sha'ir on the ship are the only two that seem to spend any time with the Harbingers. The Captain agrees to whatever the Harbingers need, within reason, like the shrine, or other such requests. The Sha'ir, the strange Mantrika that controls the Sea and the Wind to keep the ship on course and moving swiftly has a small companion. It is this little creature, about a foot tall, that finds its way up the rigging, and lingers around Pazi and Rhokti. The three little creatures can't speak to one another, but there is some comradery that passes among them. The little Gen talks, alot, but Rhokti can't understand it, but the smiles and the laughs it is always making are light hearted and enjoyable.
Asvina 21st, 1096
The next day arrives, and it is the one month memorial of the Sawmi Durjaya's funeral. The rites and funeral rituals of the Hengeyokai are different than those of the humans of Bhalluka, yet something probably should be done to remember the passing of the Old Baboon.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Toranoshi struggles slowly with the language of their destination, a guttural choking tongue that does not come naturally to a man of whispers and silence. The sailors are some help, though they are as likely to offer a coarse remark claiming it refined speech as to give a genuine lesson. Though he begins to make progress some of his blunders remain glaringly awful; it remains to be seen how well he will fare on the mainland
May I use skill points to learn Zakharan?
The days have seen him practicing his stances and strikes, envisioning his brother's throat, kidneys, femoral artery. When further practice would bear no fruit he assists the sailors to acustom himself to the ways of this new people; unlike the Mystic, they at least walk upon surfaces. He is often seen speaking with his companions, eager to hear tales of their adventures without him. As this new day dawns, he can sense their unease.
Crunch time at work and in musical I'm in. Sheet update forthcoming.
Sujata speaks with her family members, enjoying the groups' company at a time when they might actually be able to relax a little. She continues her routine throughout the days, once again enjoying having a schedule and sticking to it as in the days of her training.
As the new day dawns, she realizes what day today marks- but has no idea as to how to mark the death and so waits to be told what to do, or for the day to pass without much pomp or circumstance.
We will find this f-ing troll, and kill it's f-ing ass.
For Janak, who didn't know Durjaya, the 21st of Asvina is just another day. He rises as he always does, creates the shrine for Shamad, and then sits near the prow to enjoy the early morning breezes.
"<Zakharan> Good morning to you, Toranoshi," he replies. He too is working to master the tongue of the land they travel to. And while, like the shudra, he was still learning, Janak has and advantage when it came to things like simple greetings. Zakharans were common enough in Lakshmana - or were, he reminds himself - that many people knew how to say hello, goodbye, thank you, and perhaps a few other simple phrases.
