Griffin Mountain: Part Seven (session three).
This session opened with the party divided, Daranth (Hawkeyes) and Grundle (N.) had gained entry into Elkoi citadel. They had decided to party all through the night at the local inn. Olyander (Oly) and Rosroler (Strozek) had taken the Balazaring Tiger tribesmen up on their invitation to join their camp outside of Elkoi, and their local party (Olyander had charmed the Tiger's leader, Kills With One Hand, into a night of diversion). In the morning Daranth and Grundle walked to the citadel gate to wait for their friends. To gain entry Olyander had to convince the Elkoi gate guards to let them in by telling them he and Rosroler were about to perform a Puppet show at a Lunar temple. Somehow Olyander was successful (he rolled a critical success on fast talk) and he and Rosroler rejoined the others.
The group began to search the citadel for signs of the Wind Voice (Orlanthi Priestess) Pay Surney, to deliver their letter to her. They decided to go to the market place, Pig town, for information. There the first friendly merchant they met was the bean seller, Toots galore. They asked Toots if he knew of Pay Surney. When Toots found out she was a Light Bringer Priestess, he suggested they contact Joh Mith, Issaries merchant. This was hard news for the party because Joh Mith was at another citadel, Dykene in this part of the year. Dykene was ten days overland, through the generally dangerous wilderness of Balazar. Toots also warned the party that the citadels king and royal court liked to "entertain" travelers for "fun". The "fun" was usually lethal to their "guests". Olyander was interested in the possibility of replenishing their dwindling supply of Lunars by stealing from a treasure trove.
The group stayed in Elkoi long enough to visit a Holy Oak, with strange powers. All who walked under it's leaves felt a profound sense of inner peace. Daranth, a Storm Bull who despised the Lunars, was taken aback when he felt that abate. Grundle took time to say a prayer while under the Holy Oak to connect to the Great Hunter. When Daranth stepped out from under the Oak's leaves for a minute he immediately returned to his senses. He hustled the group away from the Oak's power, but not before Grundle and Olyander gathered some of it's acorns.
The group saw a Lunar patrol under the Oak preparing to leave and they ducked into the Hero Shrine of Elkoi to evade notice. Inside they were momentarily fooled by a mural, which appeared to have real gems inlaid upon it. The party met a Yelmalio priest who maintained the shrine for the locals. He merely confirmed what the bean merchant Toots had said, including the warning to leave quickly lest they become "entertainment" for the Elkoi royal court.
Needing no more warnings, the party gathered supplies and set off on the road to Dykene, by way of the next citadel, Trilus. Grundle guided the group safely without incident for three of the four days trip (another critical success for outdoor survival, this time). On the fourth day the group decided to visit Grundle's home tribe, The Thunder Lizards (Brontosaurs), since they were in the tribes territory.
When the group met up with the small group of Thunder Lizard hunters, they found out the hunters were in pursuit of a Smilodon (saber-toothed tiger). An older male in this case. Grundle, operating under the impression that this would be an animal already close to death, convinced the party to join the hunt. The party was informed that this was in fact a male near it's prime, perhaps with a taste for human flesh.