Episode Two

Episode 2: Fist full of Jade

Embarking on their two year journey 3 months have passed since the destruction of Pele's home by the Dragon Blooded of the realm. Black Dawn has hunted for the food every day of their journey and has run out of arrows and so the Heroes and Heroines must stop to gather supplies. They land near a camp fire and discover a Lunar named Rangor, whos beast form is that of a minotaur, who is searching for a lost artifact of his tribe that he believes is in a town nearby called Dolesmor.

The next day Sherrif Abidin greets them and offers to keep their belonging in the the jail since it isn't being used. Shortly there after it is discovered that Abidin is part of the smuggler gang in town, the sand raccoons. The raccoons "front" is the temple at the other end of town devoted to their god Thorlin'ok. The high priestess of the temple declared the smithy a heretic and the town of Dolesmor hadn't seen peace until recently. The smithy's gang is the iron hides and they have a truce going with the sand raccoons because a Dragon-Blooded Magistrate is set to arrive in 3 days. In the mean time the Iron Hides are planning a raid on a caravan going to Gem with at least 5,000 to 7,000 jade in it.

Magistrate Kaliss arrives with 8 soldiers and offers to turn his head for 1,000 jade from the smith, and a religious artifact from the high priestess. While the two gang leaders are rallying these goods Pele notices that the soldiers just have pretty armor, not jade armor- and what's more there's only 8!! She says nothing though and the gang leaders return with their goods in hand. The magistrate leaves graciously after buying a round of drinks for everyone.

The next day a small talon of dragon-blooded troops arrive and Magistrate Onthors demands information pertaining to an imposter that has been claiming to be him. The Iron Hides and the Sand Raccoons appear to pour out in full force to aid the Magistrate (and to get their stuff back!) and promptly leave town. It is discovered that the smith has a prisoner in the basement of his manor though, the wife of the owner of the general store owner, whom he keeps down there to gratify his gangs members. The heroes rescue her and then turn their attentions to the temple they once thought was abandoned.

Black Dawn attempts to make a frontward attack which fails at the tips of poisoned arrows, while Stratvm uses his charms and scales the walls behind the temple, slipping inside while no one is looking. Pele rescues Black Dawn with the aid of Rangor, while Stratvm is trapped inside the temple. Drawing power from the world around him Stratvm scales the walls of the High priestesses inner sanctum and emerges- blazing like the noon-day sun atop the temple horrifying the small contingent of subjects who have been left to guard the temple. He demands one of their arrows and scales down the other side of the temple, retreating back to the inn swiftly. Shortly thereafter a single rider returns to the temple- the High Priestess herself and she is followed a few minutes afterwards by Iron Hide gang members who cut the tressles on their wagons of black powder and roll the barrels at the temple. They set them ablaze and the temple collapses just as Atropos is revealing where he found the magic carpet- and place the body of the sherrif so he could feed.

A purple glow begins to ebb from the ruins of the temple and a gigantic scorpion stinger lances one of the Iron Hides men. The rubble of the temple rumbles and reveals the incarna of Thorlin'ok, a 200 ft tall humaniod with scorpion stingers for finger tips and 4 scorpion tails writhing from his back rises up and slays all of the Iron Hides as the heroes and heroines fly away.

Were Thorlin'ok's worshippers all killed, or does he have more? What will the heroes and heroines do with the magic carpet when they set out to sea? How will they get a vessle, and will they be able to stay away from the Realm?

Most comedic moment- Follower of Thorlin'ok looks up and sees Stratvm standing atop the temple, and promptly jumps to his death. Stratvm leaps down to the precipice and demands the arrows of the only remaining archerer, who promptly gives them to him. From below Pele looks up and sees Stratvm doing his best "Johnny Flame" impersonation on top of the temple and slaps her forhead saying "I've really gotta have a talk with him about that."

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