Open water. The shore always just barely in sight, you all worked on your tans, except for Tamil, who’s naturally already quite dark. Slowly you learned Vellythim, and learned that the Desert of Exile is BIG. Big and none too friendly looking. The one port the captain chose not to dock at, showed very tan, and very poor people shouting in a strange broken tongue, obviously wanting you to all land. Not heeding their chitter, you continued around the tip of the desert and a few weeks later push ashore at a beach just south of the Goldhoard Mountains.

Sea legs on land. After a week of travel you came close to the ruined city, watching yourselves along the way. A contingent of some size had passed by recently, heading north. No other sign of them has been found. Reaching your old campsite, you created a little more secluded camp not far away. Savuud’s henchmen (Dirk, Tanner, Belsham) stayed back to make camp and bathe in the river. The rest of you explored the city, looking for statues…and statue-makers!

The previous evening a lone bat flew overhead, searching for movement and critters, and then dropping the perfume bomb of scent-i-full-ness. Tracking that scent, you began your search. Finding many lookout spots for some type of medium humanoid, you found no real traces of medusa or the like. Not wanting to be stuck in the city at night, you left early for your campsite. Preparing for the night watch, you were called to action by a shrill scream in the distance, suddenly cut off. Findel, Savuud, and Yanni charged off on their horses in pursuit.

Soon after they left, the camp was assaulted. Arrows, rocks, and shit were flung into the camp from all directions. Henchmen, warriors, priests and rogues; none were avoided. Poop a plenty covered Tamil as a arrow struck home, deeply into his back, drilling his spine. In spite of that, he rotated with his hideous crystal, terrorizing all whom gazed upon it, and then the rout was on. Valeska entangled a two orcs, named Aye and Hee FlungDung. Knocked out by Shaggy-hair Mahntar, you now had two captured orcs. The trio riding off in search of screams and statues kept in dogged pursuit. Yanni turned and went back when he heard shouts from camp. Findel and Savuud witnessed a hooded creature stab a shackled orc and responded with meteors and arrows. Dropping the creature, and seeing many other orcs in the tree-line run off after the hooded figure was slain, Savuud crept close enough to determine that the hooded one was a orc; bearing a clay medallion with the crude likeness of a medusa upon it. The dying orc, beyond saving, was getting a final rest. Then you returned to camp.

Uh-oh. As a group, you tried to work out the details and purpose of this attack. Savuud pointed out that all of the three moons, Sham, Allene, and Khoth will all be full cycle tomorrow. He then acknowledged that Khoth would stay full for another three nights. That’s the only time of the year when cults have power. Three nights across the known land where beast cults and chaos thrive, through twisted rituals, sacrifices and fervent, crude, idolizing worship. So, you have some medusa worshipping cult running around. Don’t forget about a huge tribe of orcs and more on the other side of that mountain range. Oh. And never forget about the former prison of Alleinangstia, the Goddess of Pain.