The Pavis and Big Rubble group, play report/notes. Session Three.
This exciting session: Bala (an Inpala Tribe Praxian, and Waha Initiate); Jantos Red Spear (an Esrolian Lodril Initiate); and Sequester (an Orlanth Initiate of the Praxian Bison Tribe). Continued on their mission to smuggle the girl (and the Sacred Green Pearl necklace) to the Zola Fel temple.
Arax, the theist (a Daka Fal and Flesh Man initiate), and Sarorik (a Sartarite Orlanth Initiate) were busy and could not join us.
We rejoin them slightly down stream from the Zola Fel temple being guarded by three Lunar Guards. Discussion was had about the location of the Temple and the guards, finally Jantos tried to attract some birds with food he always carried. Successful he began to try to talk to the birds in Fire Speech (in Glorantha several tongues are semi-magical, Fire Speech was also spoken by Birds and Horses).
Jantos eventually convinced the birds (after what one player described as a moment from Finding Nemo) to attack the Lunar Guards by flying over their heads and dropping Guano.
I had to rule that as a success (probably one of the funniest moments in games for me in a while). Unfortunately the Lunars retreated under the Temples roof.
The PC's then tried to simply run to the edge of the shore and the girl (using the Sacred necklace she could breath underwater) would swim up to the boat parked at the Zola Fel temples' dock and board.
The only problem I outlined to the players several times was the possibility of dangerous River wild life (in Runequest 2 Giant frogs and drowning were two large sources of mortality among PC's).
The girl successfully slipped into the river unseen and she was swimming up to the temple under water. Sequester was the only close by PC who saw Something slipping her way underwater. He dived in (and made several swimming rolls, by luck), and he saw a Giant Frog heading the girls way.
Sequester held off the Giant Frog, while the rest of the group was noticed and stopped by the Lunar Guards as they tried to walk right up the Zola Fel temple. The Lunars told them the temple was temporarily closed by order of the Occupation government.
Sequester fought valiantly against the Giant Frog, but eventually he was hit by the Frog and knocked unconscious (narrowly escaping with his life). He began to float downstream, face down unfortunately. The rest of the group was distracting the Lunars at the temple and they were forced away at spear point.
As they walked down the road (almost being marched away), they finally spotted Sequester floating downstream (still unconscious and face down). The fate of the girl unknown. Then there was a rush to the riverside to fish him out alive. Ironically, Sequester was rescued by a Lunar Guard and given CPR, and healing.
While the Lunars were fishing out Sequester Bala stuck his head under water to check on the girls progress. He just saw the Giant Frog sitting at the bottom of the River. Bala decided he needed to attract the Frog so the girl could safely finish her underwater journey (at this point none of the Players knew her whereabouts).
The Giant Frog was so interested in Bala it followed him onto the shore, and a fight between Bala, Jantos, and the Frog ensued. Sequester still recovering. Bala and Jantos slew the Frog after it had broken Jantos arm.
I mentioned that the Frog seemed engorged, and something seemed to move in it's stomach even after it's death. Jantos immediately slashed open the Frog with his left hand. The girls' corpse spilled out. (What they players couldn't know was that after Sequester went unconscious, the girl had tried and failed to fight off the Giant Frog before being swallowed alive. This just took a few rolls on my end.).
Fortunately Arax the theist (not at the session, today) had knowledge of Resurrection. I ruled that Arax could raise the girl, and since I was playing him as an NPC he could retain/regain the spell. After the girls body was healed she was resurrected.
The PC's then decided to cross the River to Bad Side (outside of Pavis city walls), and camp. The girl was able to make contact with the Zola Fel temple after a few days. The group snuck her out successfully and returned all the way back to Pavis and the tavern where this had all started in about a week.
That was where our session ended, the players were now all bloodied, and had many skill checks to cross off at the next downtime.