When we last left our heroes, they had just left Forest Heart on their way to Grandma's House... erm, on their way to Oz... Muirthmne... whatever! As they passed up the western edge of the forest along the Wild River, they entered into the deserted farmlands of what had once been Tallow, eight years ago, before Soulblighter had returned. Bones lie crumbling in the dirt, scattered here and there all around, and the whole region had the feel of a wild, green, overgrown ghost town - most of the death old and long passed, but a sneaking feeling of more recent violence crept over the area. Suddenly, from the northeast, a Maul came charging led by two Ghols on leashes, his "pets" barking at the top of their lungs, "Dorf! Dorf! Dorf" and straining at their leashes.
On spotting the party of two wild humans, a Heron Guard, a Myrkridian warlock, and a 10ft tall... whatever Pan is... the Maul quickly dragged his Ghols to a halt, swung them around on the ends of their leashes (much to their dismay), and began charging the other direction. At this point Janice / Three Skull Crocodile cried out "Maul! Halt!", and on his failure to comply, ran after him with a "CHAAARGE!!"
The rest of the party stayed perfectly still, besides Pan, who began to slowly stroll in the same direction as Janice. Vexx, bored and noticing the remnants of carnage past around him, began idly stacking the skulls of the humans and others who had died here before. Off ahead, as Janice slowly gained on the Maul, the Maul turned and again swung his Ghols to face the Heron. The Ghols, once recovered from their shocking treatment, began again barking and straining at the ends of their leashes, meer feet few Janice's face, her swords drawn. The Maul raised his club and began to step forward, when suddenly a resounding BANG echoed through the air. The Ghols lept back in terror and the Maul fell backward over himself, winding up on his knees as Pan trotted up beside Janice.
"Wh-wh... what that?" stammered the Maul, gesturing at Pan's wooden weapon-of-choice. "This?" asked Pan, rhetorically. "Oh, this is my boom-stick!" he replied, in a charactaristically cheerful fashion. Janice stepped forward to the Maul, swords still drawn, the large creature still on his knees, and demanded "What is your name, Maul?" The Maul looked fearfully at Pan's smoking boom-stick, and said to Janice, "Baa... Baadaaboom"
(If you've ever seen The Fifth Element, please cue applause track now. Mike chose the name for his character before this ever happened and just had the great wit on the spot to respond to Pan's warning shot with that classic line, which happened to be the name he had already chosen).
"Well, Badaboom," asked Janice, "do you want to live?"
"L... yuh... live good," he continued to stammer.
"Well," said Janice, "You are trespassing on Imperial property. We are headed deep into the Trow lands, near to your home. If you wish, I may spare your life if you will come peacably as we escort you out of the empire."
"Aw... but home land so cold. It warm here, with food, like taasty Dwarf..." and he leered sniffing the air, as his Ghols perked up, until his gaze matched Pan's knees and he remembered where he was.
"Well you cannot stay here. This land is Imperial property for settlement by its Human and Dwarven citizens," blah blah blah,more official-sounding junk from Janice. "So you have to come with us. Or I could leave you here with Pan."
"Yah, yah, ok ok I come." And Badaboom got up, slung his Ghols over his shoulders like an pair of old bags, and began to trudge off behind Janice, with Pan behind for enforcement. When the five of them (counting the Ghols) returned to Vexx, Sunshine and Moonbeam, or rather Sunshine and Moonbeam who had begun to wander intentionally away from Vexx and his ever-larger pile of skulls, they formed up to march again and headed off toward Muirthemne.
By the time they reached Muirthemne, it was October 31st, a week after our adventure had first begun. As they passed the outer walls, a the bizaare party gathered a wide array of equally bizarre looks from passers-by of all sorts. Three Skull even had trouble convincing the guardsmen to let them all within the inner walls and into the city proper itself. Once inside the busy streets of Muirthemne, still bustling with construction as ever but now also with trade and commerce, rivers of people diverged from their courses to make way for the Heron Guard leading two wild humans, a Myrkridia in Warlock's robes, a Maul walking two Ghols on leashes, and a 10ft tall... something or other. Finally they reached the doors of the Imperial palace, where Badaboom and his Ghols were checked in for "good keeping" by the Heron Guard outside, as Janice led Vexx, Pan, Margaret and Sunshine inside the imperial palace, outside the room where Vaughn awaited.
She instructed them to wait outside, while she went within and prepared Vaughn for who was about to enter with Margaret. "Least of all, we came across a Maul which I suspect has been terrorizing the old Tallow region. I decided to escort him out out of the Empire instead of killing him - for they are but stupid brutish creatures - and he and his Ghols are in safe keeping with the Herons outside. I also met with Margaret's... boyfriend, who calls himself 'Sunshine'. And, uhm... who they say is their god, a big... thing... called Pan. He decided to come along too, and I couldn't exactly say no. He seems friendly. And... yeah. He seems to have made friend with a, er, Myrkridia... who, um... talks. And throws fireballs. And seems to be the new pack-leader of most of the Myrkridia in Forest Heart. He'd like to meet you, sir."
Vaughn, sitting cross-legged behind his desk, stared out past Janice into the empty doorway, on either side of which, unseen, were the unexpected guests she had spoke of. His eyes narrowed for a moment, and he said in a tone that would go more fittingly with "Wipe them out, all of them"... "Show them in."
They entered, and when all had lined up before the desk, Vaugh stared directly at Pan and queried, "What's with the Dwarf?" Pan looked around and behind himself confusedly, and Vaughn gave a wry smile. Vaughn gestured up from behind them four chairs which had been lining the walls (minus one for Pan, who can't really sit on chairs). The Myrkridia Vexx merely stepped up onto his seat in a crouch, never changing his current eye level, and stared directly at Vaughn.
"So, Myrkridia. Tell me something about yourself."
"Sounds like she about covered it," replied Vexx.
"Well spoke," said Vaughn. "Margaret, because of your absense" and he glared at Sunshine as he said so, "we are now three weeks behind schedule in our negotiations with the Trow. I want you to know that I am very disappointed in you. Nevertheless time is always of the essensce. Change out of those rags you are wearing into something decent, and we shall be off." He put his feet down on the floor... accentuating the fact that he was not, in fact, sitting on anything at all but air. "You may bring your boyfriend if you like. And Pan... since you have been so good as to keep this Maul in line, you may continue to escort him as we enter the Trow lands."
The party as addressed, and Janice 'cause she knows she's a party to this party, began to exit the room, while Vexx remained crouched on his chair, vengeful and scorned expression on his face, back now facing everyone else heading toward the doorway. Vaughn turned, and said "Myrkridia. You may wish to come as well. I know of your kind's history with the Trow. As you now seem to be in a position of power over your own species, you may wish to negotiate a treaty of your own when we reach Rhi'anon." They began to leave, as Vexx stood slowly from his chair, and turned, when Vaughn concluded with a smile, "Besides, I would like a chance to observe you in action."
Margaret was changed, the rest helped themselves to the Imperial buffet as inclined, and they headed out of the palace to pick up Badaboom, who was oogling over the "tasty" humans guarding him and demanding Dwarf instead of this disgusting cow they had tried to feed him. The party of nine then departed to the rebuild Muirthemne World Knot, and piled in. Vaughn assumed a position on the outter rim of the Knot, raised his arms into the air, accompanied by some magicky sounds and some little orbs of light and then... absolutely nothing what so ever.
"Well, I guess we're walking," said Vaughn, somewhat frustratedly and rather sarcastically. He then turned and headed down the main street toward the northern gates of the city, out into the desert, with the rest of the party disappointedly following.
END PART I
