Monday Night, April 2023

Previous

Askelad	6440.00
Fil	6660.00
Nymree	6545.00
Cythor	6710.00
Flint	6530.00

Total XP
Askelad	9840
Fil	9260
Cas	9450
Cythor	9310
Flint	9030
Flint	8850

You all hit Level4, you fought 4 Zhent Footmen and a Zhent Sergeat (Rictus).

 Recap Entered by Nymree, 4/24/2023

"After defeating the Carrion Crawler, Askelad chops off a few tentacles to bring to the Magistrate as evidence, alongside the note telling the Zhents when to unleash the Crawler on the city. The Zhents would then kill the Crawler, becoming the heroes of the town.

The party returns to the warehouse with no trouble, and Nymree immediately goes to the office, where she had found a secret door previously. Upon opening the door, the party finds ten sets of matching armor from the last warehouse, and a chest against the wall. It takes Nymree a few tries, while also triggering a trap, until she gets the damn thing open. Inside the chest are about 75 platinum pieces and a bag. Fil, who had acquired another keg of ale, discovers that the bag is a bag of holding, and proceeds to place the keg, coins, and Askelad's tentacles into said bag. 

The party goes to leave the warehouse when they are surrounded by Ricktus, who Nymree had killed before entering the warehouse they're in, and four other men. A fight breaks out when Nymree throws a dagger at Ricktus. 

Nymree nearly dies, but the party emerges victorious. Fil uses a spell to heal Nymree enough to keep her from dying anytime soon. Cythor chops off Ricktus' head to ensure that he stays dead this time. The party quickly moves to get to the Magistrate's house before Zhent reinforcements could arrive. 

Presenting the Magistrate with the note, tentacles, and some armor, the party discusses the events that took place. Magistrate's wife enters the room and, seeing the state they were in, proceeds to heal the party entirely. Dick then gives the party a new mission: protect the next caravan to leave the town the following morning. In order to keep this mission a secret, the Magistrate gives the party lodgings in one of his own towers nearby with orders for them to not go into the town that night."

The Magistrate presented the party a wand of Detect Magic and a single potion of Fly to aid in their efforts for the next task.

On the next night 5/8/23, we got you all leveled and you went shopping, among much good gear, Fil bought a guy named Raj off a merchant that was sick of him... XP updated above from the role-playing

Monday Night: House Rules and tips

 House Rules

1. The DM is always right, well... we may discuss rules but final say is up to Dad.

That's really the only rule we need!

Rolling hitpoints. 

At first level every character starts with the maximum of their die results, this is actually a D&D rule. At each subsequent level increase we roll the hit die corresponding with your class, we always reroll a die result of '1'. For some characters you may reroll additional low scores based upon your hit die (see below)

 

Hit Die    Results to reroll

d4                        1

d6                        1

d8                    1 or 2

d10                1, 2, or 3

d12               1, 2, 3 or 4

The idea is that bigger hit die characters have those hit die because they have and need more HP.

Rolling Ability Scores

We have kept an old method used for ages, dating back to 2nd edition. Our rolling method is to roll 4 d6 and keep the best 3 dice for each ability score. After you have 6 rolls, re-roll your lowest value and keep whichever is better. Reroll any dice showing a '1', once you have all 6 then assign them to your character's abilities.

Characters are supposed to be exceptional individuals in the game, there should be very little that is "average" about your character. Mediocre dies fast.

Skill Points

This is just a reminder, that when you are taking ranks in skills that are not one of your class skills you must spend 2 points for 1 rank.

Players may post rule questions here, in the comments and I will try and respond as timely as possible.

Monday Night Recap: Essembra 20221003

Characters: Askelad, Cythor, Fil, Flint, Nymree

Current XP from Kills, quests, and character bonus:

Previous:

Total XP
Askelad	4970.00
Fil	5110.00
Nymree	5170.00
Cythor	5310.00
Flint	4980.00

Current:

Askelad	6290.00
Fil	6360.00
Nymree	6395.00
Cythor	6560.00
Flint	6280.00

 Recap Oct 4th 2022:

The characters have heard vague rumors of an attack (though have different details that actually come from multiple incidents) on a recent merchant caravan. Now there is a reward posted for information or a resolution.

(Gather info) The local barmaid has learned that there have been at least 3 attacks north of town (DC:10), "sounds like somewhere between Hickory Bend and RiverView Terrace" (DC:13), DC:16 will get the names of the Companies hit, DC:20 will get the guild associations.

11-yo girl didn't know much

Merchant Companies and affiliations in Essembra

• Northern Free Caravaners (Unaffiliated) -North Road trade, attacked once, losses ~500gp (Arriving). Brunnick (Drunk Dwarf) offered 250gp for proof of the solution -somethings that were shadowy came out of the woods and attacked
• NorthWind Traders (Zhent) - North Road Trade, not attacked
• Merchants of the Inner Sea (MotIS) - South-East roads, Not attacked
• Torbin Outfitters (MotIS) - North Road Trade, attacked once, losses ~1200gp (leaving). Sermat said quadruped beasts attacked
• Essembrian Merchantile (Unaffiliated) - both North and South-East roads, attacked on northern roads once, losses ~800gp (leaving) Morjan said something came out of the middle of the road and knocked over their cart, shattered his arm, all fled. Losses were the wagon and horses.
• MarketDay Parcel Service (Zhent) - South Road trade, not attacked.

Chadren Herbal and Rare Things - Shandee Chadren, arcane caster, shop owner.

1st encounter = Earth Elemental, no treasure

2nd encounter = Infernal Hyena's, no treasure (fits Torbin Outfitters attack)

Left off late morning talking to Shandee, the herbalist. Still needed to investigate the 3rd attack.

Feel free to reply to this post with your own notes from last night.

~J~

Recap Jan 23rd 2023

After Dealing with yet another foe matching witness descriptions you all discuss your experience with Shandee again. Fil realized that all the monsters faced thus far were of the same types that could be summoned and that you may potentially be dealing with a caster with some experience. The last foe fought was a type of infernal, or devil. 

You recalled that the Magistrate's wife was a divine caster and decided to head to the temple to follow that lead. The lowly acolyte you encountered knew of her but stated she was not part of their congregation or clergy, that she was a priest of Tymora.

After leaving the temple you were discussing your next move when Fil was struck by a crossbow bolt shot from an unknown elevated position, a second bolt struck Flint and he felt unwell. Nymree was already on the move to follow the young girl (Barrath) from the tavern that seemed to be watching you'all, and spotted the shooter.

After a brief pursuit the attacker appears to have escaped into a sewer or tunnel hatch at the base of a building... and you are all there...

Recap Jan 30th 2023

You all followed the attacker down into a torchlit tunnel and quickly encountered a Gelatinous Cube.

The Cube attacked Askelad, who reacted by taking a large slice out of it, but was engulfed by it and took some acid damage. An enraged Cythor stepped up striking with his battle axe, taking another sizeable slice out of the Cube, but the cube did not relent. As the rest of the party engaged, Flint hit the cube with a Ray of Frost and then Fil shot that spot with an arrow, exploding frozen cube everywhere. After another blow the Cube was finally destroyed.

The Cube had some loot in its alcove:

1. 500sp (Nymree/Fil?)
2. 4 flasks of alchemist fire (Cythor)
3. MW bastard sword (Askelad +1 to attack rolls)
4. Potion Belt, 6 slots (potion belts allow you to retrieve potions and similar vials as a free action) (Cythor)

The party then pursued the attacker down the corridor and around the corner was a door after about 30ft when some of the characters heard their attacker curse. Askelad and Cythor kicked the door down. The attacker was about 15ft beyond the door barely visible in the torchlight, whom cast a spell and then fled with expeditious speed. The party pursued, including Fil throwing Nymree through the door and beyond (whom nimbly landed in a roll and on her feet). The pursuit ended at another ladder 60ft beyond the now smashed door. The party ascended into a warehouse, 30ft x 40ft in size. Flint detected magic in an office at the far corner, Askelad went to investigate there, Fil and Flint went to the freight door to check for the fleeing attacker, Nymree, Cythor went to the stairs and up to check the loft for the attacker. Nymree heard the attacker up there and Cythor descended the stairs in hopes the bastard would come out while Nymree waited in silence to ambush him. The plan worked, a fight ensued and the bastard fell. Attempts were made by Fil to stabilize him but he was unsuccessful.

Assassin's gear:

1. +1 Rapier  (Fil)
2. +1 Crossbow, hand, Bolts, crossbow (Nymree)
3. Studded leather, Masterwork (Could fit Fil, Flint-not proficient)
4. (235 gp); 
5. Black Adder Venom (Nymree)
6. Magic: Scroll: Change Self (1), Detect Secret Doors (1) (This should go to Flint)
7. Potion: Cure Light Wounds (1) ; Potion: Cure Light Wounds (1) (Split)

Askelad found a secret door in the office and behind that door he discovered armaments rivaling the city guard for 12 medium-sized persons, the chest piece had the Zhentarim logo:

• 12 Shortswords
• 12 Small wooden shields
• 12 leather armor for medium-sized (human)
• 12 daggers
• 12 leather helmets

There was also a locked Chest, in it:

1. 350gp (spilt)
2. 5 cure light wounds potions (spilt)
3. MW Comp ShortBow of STR+2(Cythor)
4. MW Chain Shirt Med 
5. MW Mace, Heavy
6. MW Large Steel Shield (Askelad)
7. MW Spiked Gauntlets (Askelad)
8. MW Dagger (Nymree)
9. Fine Black Cloak (100gp value), note in an inside pocket 
10. "To my friend Senthil, -Manirk" (Flint)

Again, add updates, discuss the unclaimed loot, who gets it, or are you going to sell it and split the coin. Post the decisions here for record.

Update as of 4/21/23

Last couple of sessions, ya'll talked to the magistrate after finding the military-style uniforms/gear in the merchant warehouse, detailed above. Dick asked for ya'll to get some smoking-gun evidence, and was mum on how... leaving you to decide on whether burglary would be an option.

You went to another Zhent-affiliated merchant warehouse and found similar shit. An underground complex existed. In there you found, fought, and killed a Carrion Crawler

The session before, I recall Cythor and Nymree facing off against a dude that wore the armor of the Zhent merchant guilds. Can't recall anything else about that, I need you all to chime in if I missed anything.

No clue on any gear. Chime in there too. Sorry, will take better notes nex time... or... just... NOTES! :) 

The last important bit is that you found a note, saying something about the Company releasing the Carrion Crawler in town somewhere and then having their guards take it out, to gain favor with the Essembra Leadership. The relation to the attacks on the road, the justification for the Caravan to hire/employ well-armed guards... again, Zhent-Merchants are trying to get locals to go along with employing heavy guard.

Someone was summoning monsters on the roads to attack non-Zhent Caravans...

Episodes of Shade: The Mage from Cairo - 7. Kraken

The Bay

Saeed steered the aluminum boat deeper into the bay, the waters were calm in between tides but still a bit much for the small vessel and this worried Saeed. While he was a proficient swimmer they would be far from shore and these waters were too cold for a long swim without the proper gear, which they did not have. Who planned this? He wondered.
As the waters became increasingly rough Culkin seemed to lapse into some sort of trance, and after a spell the roughness became manageable. Culkin returned from his trance and as Saeed was about to comment when a geyser of water erupted a few yards to their starboard startling the young man. He straightened in the boat to get a better look at the large whale and was alarmed to see that their small boat was in the midst of a pod of Humpbacks. One swipe of the broad tail from one of these beasts would capsize their diminutive vessel, he looked to Culkin to complain when he saw beyond the old Druid a pair of fishing boats headed directly towards them.
"Culkin look" he instructed pointing in the general direction of the approaching ships. Each vessel was larger than 30ft.
"Look!?" The blind man responded a bit insulted.
"Two fishing boats approach dead ahead of us."
Culkin cocked his head a bit as if listening to something and said, "Right!". He then turned to face the boats that were still a couple hundred feet away, "Steady as she goes Saeed."
Saeed's knuckles turned white as he gripped the controls of the small outboard engine that pushed the small aluminum boat directly towards the approaching vessels. In unison the pod of whales broke the surface blasting air and water as the expelled the contents of their impressive lungs in a series of water-spouts that announced their presence to the incoming boats. A juvenile, perhaps as long as one of the boats breached directly between their boat and the two approaching. The presence of the whales forced the larger fishing vessels to alter course, splitting up they slowed as the pod of whales and the small boat containing the young mage and druid passed between them. Turning they throttled up their diesel engines and before long one of the boats was parallel to the pod on the starboard side and the other was port and a bit aft.
"We're flanked" Saeed observed.
"Are we?" Culkin replied. "I suppose so, although we are many and they are just two, the configuration is technically a flank."
One of the whales near the aft vessel splashed it with a tail slap as the two vessels inched closer, squeezing the pod. While the whales could bump these boats and perhaps affect the pilot's ability to control them Culkin doubted they could do so without harming themselves.
"This will not work for much longer, maybe you should not be visible young man." Culkin said to Saeed. A moment later Saeed was not visible. "Say, do you think you can teleport over to one of those boats and disable the battery?"
Saeed looked at the boats trying to convince himself that he was brave, "I will try." They switched positions so Culkin could steer, a maneuver than caused the boat to pitch as it collided with a rough patch of water nearly tossing Saeed overboard.
"Are you still with me son?" Culkin asked, sounding a bit panicked for the first time since Saeed had met him.
"Yessir."
"Okay, give it a shot, I will assume silence means you're gone, otherwise let me know what's going on with you. I have to pilot this thing blind, keep up my link with the pod, and keep an 'eye' on these boats so I cannot split my focus to sense your presence."
"Understood" said the young mage. He focused on the aft vessel as he face it and Culkin, but try as he may he could not teleport himself onto it. He then tried the one navigating in parallel to them on the starboard side and failed again. He reached out his consciousness and found something on each, blocking him.
"I cannot!" He exclaimed. "There must be a ward of some sort on them like Gwenny's house." Saeed felt defeated. "I sense something blocking me!".
"Okay lad, take over here again and I will try a couple of things." They switched again, this time much more carefully. Once seated, Culkin began to focus. "There must be a witch or mage aboard them because I cannot sense much there either." He then looked to where Saeed was sitting, "I am starting to think it more and more likely that you were the intended target of the vampire attack that claimed your aunt's life and that it was not random."
"Great." Saeed said as he studied the boat to their starboard. "But why?"
"That is the question." Culkin agreed. "Keep it as stead as you can I'm going to try something." Suddenly the waters in the bay became much rougher and a wind picked up forcing Saeed to slow the boat a bit. With the Golden Gate bridge in sight Saeed observed that the top of it was obscured by clouds and that the clouds above them began to swirl. His attention returned to Culkin as the man sat with his arms out to his sides palms up his face tilted toward the sky eyes closed. Culkin's mouth opened and in a voice too low for Saeed to make out over the ambient noise. Culkin seemed to speak some words or incantations with the syllables coming so slowly that it seemed he was speaking in slow-motion. Lighting flashed and thunder cracked directly above them, the hairs on Saeed's arms stood up. A bolt flashed from the sky above down just behind the boat aft of them. In response both vessels inched a little closer to the pod effectively squeezing them closer together. Another bolt struck the seawater on the other side of the starboard vessel, the diesel engine seemed to sputter a bit but recovered.
Saeed began to panic, "What are you doing!?"
Culkin came out of his trance, "It is no use, I cannot risk harming the whales or us, they are too close. I was hoping to stall at least one of their engines." Culkin seemed exhausted.
Saeed felt the familiar buzz of his mobile device in his pocket, cancelling his invisibility charm he retrieved the device and unlocked it. Reading a message sent from Shay.
"They are approaching the Golden Gate bridge." He updated Culkin.
Culkin turned his head again as if listening then turned to Saeed. "Tell them that we will be on it in 5 minutes."
"What?! How!?" Saeed exclaimed. The bridge was at least 5 minutes away and that estimate did not count ascending the structure from the waters beneath it.
"Just send it Saeed." Culkin commanded and Saeed complied.
"Done." Saeed confirmed. "Tell me how do you plan on getting us up there?"
"I won't boy, you will" Culkin said matter-of-fact.
Saeeds face melted in disbelief. "You're mad Culkin."
"Of that, there can be no doubt." Culkin replied smiling widely evolving into a hearty gut-laugh. "No doubt as all!"
Saeed found absolutely no humor in the moment, nor his statement. None at all.

After a few minutes had passed and the Golden Gate began to loom above them Culkin instructed Saeed, "Cut the engine lad and left the boat drift. Stand and meet me in the middle." Saeed complied. "There you go lad, now as I touch your shoulder you are going to teleport us both up to the sidewalk on that bridge."
"No way! That so far for me and I cannot take you with me!" he protested.
"Listen, I will lend you as much energy as I have to spare, you have to concentrate, this is our only chance!"
Saeed observed that the whales were breaking off and the fishing boats were able to start closing in as they drifted.
"Okay, I will try." Closing his eyes he focused deep, he could feel Culkin's energy it was cool like the waters that surrounded them but vast. Still he wasn't sure it was enough, he thought of his aunt and the crime that had taken her from him, channeling this emotion of anger he felt the arcane energy welling up within him, merging this fiery current with the cool current from Culkin he spoke a word and they vanished from site with clap as the air rushed in to replace the space their bodies took up.

The Golden Gate

Eric had driven a garbage truck in the city for fifteen years and as both a driver and a Bay Area resident he had seen many things and thought himself beyond being further surprised. This day would defy that presumption. As he drove down the Golden Gate Bridge, like he had since acquiring this route three years ago, he did not expect a boy and an old may to manifest in the road right in front of him. At first he did not believe his eyes, even as they widened his foot went to the brake, his mouth opened to emit a scream more appropriate for a twelve-year-old girl, than it did a burly six-foot man of forty years. His cigar dropped from his mouth as he did, the ember burning his inner-thigh as the tobacco product came to rest on his seat. This cause him to flinch jerking the wheel as he did, swerving and squealing the rubber tires he laid on the horn as the vehicle came to rest.

***

Saeed oriented himself to his new surroundings quickly ascertaining that he and Culkin were in the middle of the road upon the bridge that they very recently drifted beneath in a little boat. The squeal of truck brakes was accompanied by a squelch that sounded more akin to pre-teen, feminine horror, before being drowned out by the blast of a garbage truck's horn. Realizing their peril Saeed tackled the sight-challenged druid driving both of them to the sidewalk and out of harm's way.

"That was close?" Culkin inquired.

"You have no idea." Saeed confirmed in labored breaths.

"Good, probably better that way." Culkin said as he stood and brushed off his robes. "Where are we?"

"On the bridge as planned."

"Where's our ride?" Culkin pressed.

"Oh!" Saeed said reaching for his device and dialed Shay. 

"Hello?" she answered after two rings.

"We're on the bridge!"

"Okay where at?"

"Uhh, North-bound shoulder about midpoint."

"Good, we're on the right side, we'll be there shortly."

"Okay hurry, there was a witch or mage on at least one of those boats and they will soon figure out where we've gone and they won't be far behind."

"Crap, okay, we will go as fast as we can. There's some yay-hoo in a garbage truck a few cars ahead that has stopped traffic." Shay said in frustration.

"Wait! He stopped for us! We are right in front of him."

"Okay, wait there!" She instructed and hung up.

"They are coming" Saeed updated Culkin.

"I gathered as much, but I think we will have company before they get around that traffic. There..." Culkin pointed down the sidewalk towards a figure in dark loose clothing that reminded Saeed of a whirling dervish, only they weren't dancing. Just advancing towards them.

"Oh no." Saeed breathed.

"Just one?" Culkin asked.

"Yes. So far." Saeed confirmed.

"Thought so. A brave one. Saeed, don't touch the hand rails or any metal, stay on the concrete, we still have the clouds."

"Now way!" Saeed exclaimed looking at all the metal that surrounded them.

"Trust me Saeed"

"Mad! Absolutely mad!" he complained but complied.

Again the air whirled above them. Saeed plugged his ears with his fingers. The cloaked figure paused suddenly tensing as a bolt of lightning arced from the very nearby clouds that still obscured the top of the bridge structure down to strike. The figure flinched as the flash temporarily blinded Saeed and sparks showered the adversary but it appeared that the bolt had not struck their foe.

"Oh, no" Saeed and Culkin said in unison. 

"Come Saeed, we cannot wait here, this one is beyond us both."

Saeed took Culkin's arm and started down the sidewalk towards their friends in traffic, "But you're like a really old and great Druid... I mean you summon lightning and whales!"

"I only bring forth that which is already there, besides, what do you suppose can deflect a bolt of lightning besides an Arch-Mage?"

The weight of Culkin's assertion weighed upon Saeed, "Oh." His pace hastened. He looked behind him at their pursuer who was presently being harassed by a flock of seagulls, the birds, not the band, which slowed the pace of this foe but did not halt their progress. As they passed the garbage truck Saeed spotted their friends a few cars back in a white cargo van with Gwenny at the wheel. Their eyes met and Saeed looked nervously behind him as he led Culkin then back to Gwenny and she nodded in comprehension.

The side door of the van opened Barry emerged and ran expeditiously towards Saeed and Culkin, as he did his body grew and thickened in muscle mass. Scooping them both up in his massive arms, Barry ran back to the van at such a rate of speed that it made Saeeds eyes water from the wind of it. As Shay closed the door, Gwenny revved the engine but they went no where. 

"Shay, I need help clearing a path dear." Gwenny requested.

Shay moved to the front of the van just behind Gwenny and observed the vehicles in front of them. She began pointing and muttering words of a dialect that Saeed was unfamiliar with using somatic gestures like her cousin Barry's. One by one the drivers began moving their cars to open a path for the van. Once a path was clear Gwenny punched it and the v8-powered van lurched forward. Zipping by the garbage truck they emerged from the grid-lock and quickly spotted the dark-cloaked figure not far ahead.

"Wards!" Gwenny commanded and all four of her passengers began layering the van with whatever wards they could conjure. At this distance Gwenny could make out a veiled but feminine face.

The stranger stopped and stood straight the wind blowing her loose, dark, cloak, robe and other strips of fabric as the van passed. She began with a hand-gesture similar to that of one wiping something off a window, with each gesture a gasp escaped from one of the occupants of the van that were responsible for a ward.

"She's dropping our wards" Shay exclaimed as the first to have her ward countered. After her Saeed, then Barry. Culkin held out a bit longer, but he too gasped and with his the van quickly slowed to a stop. Engine revving and tires squealing the van did not advance, to everyone's amazement it began moving backwards.

Despair fell over the occupants of the van. This foe was not just beyond any of them it appeared that she was beyond them all. Gwenny looked at the three teens behind her, then to Culkin next to her in the passenger seat. Her eyes spoke of regret and apology but she said not a word.

"Nah!" said Barry. Grabbing two hunting crossbows that had been stowed he loaded them and handed one to Shay. "When you are ready you shoot yours and break the window and I'll shoot right after. Real quick-like."

She nodded. They both took aim, and fired, click-click. Both bolts exited the back window Shay's was significantly slowed by the barrier but Barry's advance unimpeded towards their assailant.

Immediately the van resumed a rapid retreat north-bound over the bridge. 

"Damn." said Barry

"Did you hit her?" Saeed asked.

"No. Maybe grazed but it seems it was enough to break her concentration."

"Thank the gods" praised Gwenny

Everyone agreed. 

Several minutes passed while no one spoke. Everyone was still afraid, it did not seem that harms way had yet been defeated.

"It's on everyone's mind." Culkin said.

"What is?" asked Shay

"That if we stop they will be on us quickly." Saeed concluded.

Gwenny gave him a quick look, then to the road, then to Culkin, then back to the road. Culkin returned the gesture slowly and said, "We have to go to the Island now Guinevere." 

Gwenny nodded and looked to the instrument cluster of the van, "I think we have enough fuel."

"Island? Not more water?" Saeed inquired.
"Have no fear young Saeed, we are not planning on going over water this time."
"Good." He said releived sitting back and letting out a deep breath.

The van sped up the 101 north towards a destination Saeed knew little to nothing of, other than a name or description. Some measure of relief returned to the van as at least a next step was identified and they would not be stopping any time soon

Episodes of Shade: The Mage from Cairo - 6. Flight

Saeed sat in the aft seat of a 16ft aluminum boat his hand on the controls of a small outboard motor. The Druid Culkin sat in the forward seat facing Saeed. Just a few hours earlier Saeed and Culkin had left Gwenny's with the witch herself, Barry, and Shay and made their way to the delta system just a few miles away. Barry provided Saeed instructions on the operation of the boat. "How do I know where to go?" he remembered asking.
"Culkin will be your guide Saeed." Barry had reassured.
Saeed remembered how his face had betrayed his doubts of such a plan.
"I use the birds that fly over us, I see what they see. There will always be birds above us, I ensure it." reassured the Druid.
"You control the birds?" Saeed asked in disbelief.
"Sort of, as I did with the Percheron back at Gwenny's. We will have time to discuss this on the way.", and no more was said.
Gwenny was to take Shay and Barry and create false trails while Saeed and Culkin traveled down the delta to the bay. Traveling by water was the safest way to avoid vampires, and leave the most undetectable trail. Apparently the legends about vampires not being able to travel over moving water were partly right. It causes them pain or discomfort, and while they can work through it, few of them had the kind of control to be able to focus on anything else. Most of their powers were therefore compromised. This gave Saeed and Culkin the advantage. He was not told any of the details of what Gwenny and the others were going to do. They would contact Saeed with a meeting location once they were done with the diversions. Saeed checked his mobile phone to make sure he had not missed any communication. No missed calls or text messages, no notifications at all. He verified that he had service and power, the battery still had 87% remaining.
Saeed focused back on steering the boat down the river. The banks of the river  rose high on one side forming a levy with a road on top of it. They occasionally passed another boat, mostly small fishing vessels. No one bothered them. The surface of this delta river appeared calm, but Saeed knew the water ran swiftly beneath them. He had at one point needed to maneuver upstream a bit to make a turn down a fork which caused the small engine of the outboard to labor against the current. It had been a while since he'd seen any forks.
"Give it a little more throttle Saeed. We have slowed." Confused he complied.
"Why have we slowed? I didn't change... "
"The current has slowed, it has been a couple hours and this section of the delta is more affected by the tides. We are approaching high tide and so the current has slowed." Explained the Druid.
"Oh." With the long silence broken Saeed opportunistically asked a question that had been on his mind since the boat launch. "Culkin, what did you mean about controlling animals? I mean, for one 'How?', and two... doesn't it break some rule or ethic of druids?"
Culkin smiled. "I don't control them per se. I establish a relationship with them, between my energy and theirs. Like with the horse, I never 'controlled' him. I asked for his help and he agreed, I then gave him ideas that he never would have thought of. I made him aware of you and to not fear you, reassuring him that you were a friend. Horses are fairly smart animals, sharing ideas with them is much easier than it is with birds or similar creatures. I prefer crows and ravens. They are quite smart among birds and do not cause as much alarm or notice as a hawk or eagle. With birds like finches I cannot get them to do much, they get confused too easily by my thoughts. At most I leverage their vision or other senses. So yes, to control them outright would be a trespass against the animal."
"Do you ever put them in the way of harm?" Saeed inquired.
"No, at least I never assure them that an action is without risk. Like with the Percheron, he understood that the vampires were dangerous, but agreed to the idea about kicking the one in the head. Horses are noble creatures, that one is protective of Shay and the vampires threatened her. You might say he was eager to oblige." the Druid smiled again, then chuckled. "After he kicked the one, I feared for his safety, which he sensed. But he still did the side-canter stunt, egging the other vampire on. I was even surprised. He taunted a vampire!" Now the Druid Culkin was laughing.
At this Saeed smiled, it was a little funny. After a moment or two had passed he said, "I never knew such things were possible, it does not surprise me, but I have never studied such things."
"Your schooling focuses on specific knowledge, how to manipulate energy and matter like a raw material to influence and shape your reality. While this is similar to what we druids study, with regard to energy, however, druids also place focus on the relationships we have with the natural world around us. All living organisms have this energy, which is in lifeless objects as well, but focused or more concentrated in living things. Hollywood science-fiction might call it "The Force", a decent analogy... where do you think fiction got the idea from?" the Druid paused and seemed to consider something, then let it go saying nothing.
"It is a different view of creation than I've been taught in Egypt." Saeed observed, "But I do not think that they conflict. You are describing something that exists within creation, within our universe, yes?"
"Yes." Culkin confirmed.
"So, if the energy of life, as you describe it, is part of the universe that Allah created, then it comes from Allah." Saeed reasoned.
"You could say that."
Saeed paused, he was not sure if Culkin was confirming his deduction, or reducing the deduction to a statement that one could neither confirm or deny.
A smile crept back into the Druid's face. It was not smug or arrogant, Saeed could see the smile was in response to Saeed working things out in his head. He decided to try a different route.
"Do you not believe in Allah, or 'God'?" Saeed pressed.
Culkin considered his response, "If you mean belief in a power and intellect that is beyond our physical universe and bears at least some of the responsibility for the existence of our universe, then the answer is 'yes'. But if you mean a deity that has been boxed into one idea by dogmatic principals and practices that assert that this one view and understanding of that divinity is the only correct view, then the answer is 'no'."
Saeed respected this answer, but for him it left too much open. It was a little deflected and he desired something a little more solid. "Do you mean to say, that, religions like Christianity and Islam..." Saeed drew the word 'Islam' out a bit longer, now smiling a bit himself as he prepared a trap for Culkin that the Druid no doubt saw, "got it wrong? That they are somehow false?".
At this Culkin's smile broadened, "Not at all, rather, I would say that religions such as those are one-hundred percent correct."
Saeed frowned a bit, such faiths had many similarities but differed on a couple key points, "this cannot be."
"They are one-hundred percent correct about less than one-hundred percent of the whole truth." Culkin said with a nod. "In my view." he added.
"That actually fits into some of the teachings of Islam, at least that God is beyond our comprehension." Saeed reasoned.
"Christianity teaches something similar." Culkin agreed. "But in other areas both faiths still attempt to frame the divine, limiting it to one set of ideas. I'm not persecuting your faith Saeed, I would never partake in such an endeavor, it divides people. Where I think that you and I are so different in such areas is that your faith and belief are separate from the science of your magic. The spirituality of a druid is intertwined with their magic. It is not lesser, nor greater, just different. The result is that we have a different reality or relationship with divinity."
"So if religions don't have one-hundred percent of the truth how much of it do they have?" Saeed asked.
"You're missing the point Saeed. No one has the whole truth of the whole Mystery, in order for me to say that one religion has, say, eighty-five percent, I would have to know what one-hundred percent was. I would have to have or know the whole truth of it."
"What if you did?"
Culkin laughed, "then I would probably be God."
"I see." after a moment, "Thanks for explaining all of this Culkin. You are very wise."
"I'm a fool." he disagreed.

The river began to widen, the levy banks had long ago disappeared and were replaced by shipyards.
Saeed's phone rang, it was Barry, Saeed answered.
"They are coming." came Barry's voice. It sounded labored, out of breath or in pain. Or both.
"What? Who?" Saeed interrogated.
"Humans, working for the vampires. They have boats. We're on our way, but we'll be an hour or more. Text me with where you guys go."
"Okay." Saeed responded and ended the call. He looked at Culkin, "They are coming for us, they know we're in a boat." Saeed began to look around for potential bad guys. "Humans" he added.
"Throttle up Saeed, head for deeper water."
"But they have boats!"
"Good" said Culkin. "But we need to be in deeper water. Gas it."
Saeed complied, the engine rev'd lifting the nose of the boat and Culkin a little as small boat sped towards the deeper bay.

Episodes of Shade: The Mage From Cairo - 5. Fight

     Alarmed, Saeed and Barry stood. "What do we do, Gwenny?" Barry asked.
Gwenny turned to The Druid Culkin and asked, "How many are there? And where are they?"
Th Druid closed his eyes for a moment, "Three. There is one at the front of the house, he's your decoy. The other two are circling around each side of the house towards the back, searching for a weakness in your protective wards."
"Saeed, you best turn invisible, at your earliest chance get outside the house and teleport away from this place." Gwenny instructed.
"Not this time, with all respect, I'm not running again." he responded.
"I agree he should stay." Said Culkin. "He will be useful." Gwenny did not look convinced. The Druid added, "But do make yourself not visible." With this he too stood.
Gwenny turned to Barry, "Transmute yourself into something tough Barry." With this he began walking into the dinning room gesturing and chanting. Saeed cast his invisibility charm. Gwenny closed her eyes in concentration for a moment or two, upon opening them she said, "I think the wards on the house will hold. I don't think they're getting in here, and if they do..." she looked to Barry leaving the rest of the statement unsaid.
"Still," injected Culkin, "it is best we deal with them before they do. Saeed, can you teleport into the barn and free that Percheron? It's the big black one son."
"Don't lose that necklace I gave you." Gwenny added, "You won't be able to re-enter this house if you do, and whoever recovers it will."
"Okay." Saeed agreed and with a single word he bent the space around him everything going translucent as he stepped into a world more ethereal than his own. Willing himself forward he raced with lightning speed to the barn travelling through the opaque walls of the house then the barn. He materialized in the center of the structure between two rows of stalls. One one side there were two horses and on the other a single, very large black horse, 'Percheron', he thought to himself. He unlatched the animal's stall door and it gave him a short nod of appreciation before exiting. It sauntered over to the barn door and looked back at his stall where Saeed stood as if to say, "Hey invisible guy, with opposable thumbs, little help here?" Saeed complied and freed the very large animal. He then looked around for a vantage point, he would not be much good in a fight against these foes as he had not yet learned any offensive spells. He settled on the loft above the stalls.
     Things outside were getting a bit more interesting. The vampires stood in a triangle formation around the house. One at the front of the house and the other two at the opposite end on either side and far enough away from the structure that they could see each other. They're working on Gwenny's wards, he thought. Then from the house came the calm and strong voice of The Druid, his voice was somehow amplified, "Greetings from the Druid Culkin, you are not welcome here. I implore you to leave this place. Our wards will hold, but my patience may not. Remain here at your own peril."
     The vampires looked uncertainly at one another but after a moment continued to concentrate and chant faintly. Though Saeed could not see the third vampire well he could tell that all three were of European ancestry. Each wore black leather garments though not uniform between them. They kind of looked like members of one of those American biker gangs, the second one had a shaved head the other two had long light-brown or perhaps even lighter hair that was shoulder-length.
Saeed wondered if Gwenny and Culkin knew what the vampires were up to and considered teleporting back into the house, but movement in the shadows near the second vampire at the back left end of the house stole his attention. With the vampire's attention focused on the wards around the house he failed to notice the 1000kg Percheron backing quietly out of the shadows behind him. When the animal was close enough it kicked backwards striking the vampire directly in the back of the head.
The force of the blow crushed the vampire's skull, broke his neck and sent him into a forward somersault that ended with the vampire facing skyward motionless.
Saeed gasped at the violence of the attack, though he knew that the vampire would eventually recover it would be hours or perhaps even days before he could pose a threat again. Saeed quickly covered his mouth to stop the noise, it appeared that no one had noticed the gasp above the noise of the attack.

Saeed could see most clearly the first vampire at the front of the house, nearest him. The vampire stopped his focus and regarded the Percheron, whom cantered sideways a few yards towards the undead trespasser.
Culkin's voice again came amplified from the house, "One down. Can you last til dawn?"
The large horse trotted off into the darkness of night.
The third vampire came to the front of the house to join the first, looking silently at each other for a moment, then turning together they looked to Saeed's position in the barn loft.

Saeed's pulse quickened, They know someone let the big horse out, they know I can at least go undetected... Maybe they're just guessing?
The first vampire started moving towards the front of the barn and the third towards the rear of the barn. I'm not waiting to find out! Saeed prepared his spell but as he was about to speak, the air around him went silent, he found that he could not utter a sound. Air was moving past his larynx but no sound was coming out, there was no sound at all! He began to panic. He was still invisible but also thought that he read somewhere that vampires could sense body heat. He considered hiding behind something that would block the heat, but was afraid to move because of sound. But wait he thought, there is no sound! He looked around but there was nothing but hay and tack. THINK! he chastised himself. There were animals downstairs still, he decided to try and descend the ladder and quickly get near one of the remaining horses to mask his heat.
As he descended the ladder, a rung broke, and he lost his grip falling a few feet onto his back knocking the air out of his lungs.. and it made a noise. The silence was gone down here.
On either side of him about fifteen or twenty feet away were the two vampires standing as still as statues looking at the place where Saeed had landed, listening to him gasp for breath. He notices that each vampire wore a bronze armband, or was it a torc? Saeed needed to stand to teleport, he knew as soon as he moved the fast-moving vampires would be on him. Then he realized, I do have an offensive spell... for vampires!
"Ra'se tep!" Saeed cried, closing his eyes briefly as he uttered the last syllable. A blinding flash of light and heat, bright as the sun, filled the barn. It was quickly followed by the shrieks of seared vampires, this bought him time. He quickly stood and cast his teleportation spell willing himself towards the house, as he did he slammed into a barrier that prevented his movement about twenty feet from the porch ending his spell. He didn't understand, then he realized reaching toward his neck, he had lost the necklace that Gwenny gave him when he fell from the ladder. Her wards were preventing him from getting any closer! He was now visible and exposed outside of the ethereal reality of the teleportion spell.
Facing the house he drew a deep breath, you have to be smart Saeed he told himself. Drawing a small dagger from his belt under his shirt he slowly turned to face the barn and see what awaited him.

A vampire emerged from each end of the barn, still smoking a little. One of them laughed at the tiny knife Saeed held in his off-hand.
"Come here boy!" he said. "I'm going to use that little blade of yours to clean your flesh out from under my fingernails when we're done with you..."
"Be nice Charles." Said the other vampire, "He might taste as good as his pretty, little aunt. We might want to keep him around for a while."
Saeed again felt the anguish of loss, but it gave him focus. "Come on you crispy, burnt corpse! Do it!"
They came, and they were fast, but Saeed was split second faster, casting his telportation spell once again the world around him bent and he willed himself back into the barn. He ended the spell when he found the necklace, put it on quickly, re-initiated the spell and willed himself towards Gwenny's house.
Saeed reappeared in the living room next to the table that he had, not so long ago, served tea to a blind druid and Gwenny. He nearly collapsed from the exhaustion of magic use.
Outside the house the angry shrieks of vampires that had just been denied their quarry pierced the night.
Shay and Barry stood in the center of the room, Culkin was seated on the couch and Gwenny stood near the window next to the front door peering out from behind the curtain. Barry had changed, a lot. He was bigger, for one, tusks grew out his face and bull-like horns from his head. His think neck was covered in scales which gave way to coarse black fur down his torso. One of his hands had talons the other had changed into a lobster-like pincer. Something about his face was still Barry, but the rest was fairly unrecognizable.
"Woa" Saeed reacted.

The Druid Culkin turned to Saeed and nodded, "Well done my lad, they are leaving."
"Yep" confirmed Gwenny. "They took the other one with them too."
The room grew quiet. Saeed got the feeling that everyone was now in much more danger than they were just a few hours ago, except for maybe himself.
Shay was the first to break the silence, "We won't be safe here." She turned to regard Gwenny, "Not for much longer." She added.
"I think you are right my dear." confirmed Gwenny.
"Yep," Culkin said as he stood, "but what I cannot figure out..." turning to Saeed, "is why they are so persistent in getting to you young man?" After a moment he went on, "It is not like a vampire to pursue someone without either a vendetta against their quarry or something else to gain that is worthy of their efforts."
Saeed considered this, why me? Am I the reason my aunt is dead? Were they after me the whole time? Why!
"Rest now Saeed." said Gwenny, "we'll figure out our next steps and start those tomorrow morning."
Though they did not anticipate a return visit this night, they set watches. Saeed lay in a bed in a guest room up stairs, pondering these things. Wondering who he or his family had offended that would cause a vendetta, or, what other return these vampires could have that was worth the effort?

Episodes of Shade: The Mage from Cairo - 4. Visitation

     The afternoon turned into evening, Saeed and Barry helped Gwenny with dinner while Shay apparently finished up, whatever she was doing, in the barn. When she finally came in she was not alone, there was an elderly man with her whom she was assisting through the threshold of the home. Saeed barely noticed the man, he was mesmerized by Shay. She was a bit fairer than Barry, but bore features that betrayed her common ancestry with her darker skinned cousin. She was about fifteen if Saeed could guess, about Saeed's height with a head of unkept, chaotic, black hair.
"Gwenny, B, we have a visitor." She called out as she kicked off her shoes and motioned for her companion to take a comfortable looking armchair.
Barry was drying a dish with a hand-towel and glanced in Shay's direction to see just who the cat had drug in. When he saw the man his hands stopped, "Gwenny, it's him. The Druid."
"Here?" she questioned. "Now?" she stated more to herself as she took off her apron. She looked at Saeed and Barry, "you two finish up in here, I'm going to see what has prompted this visit."

     The Druid was an old white man with a long beard and long somewhat un-kept hair, Saeed thought the name fit. It looked as though the man's eyes displayed the cloudy quality associated quite often with one of the various maladies that cause blindness. From the kitchen Saeed and Barry could observe him, as they watched the Druid turned his head towards the approaching Gwenny.
"Culkin!" she greeted warmly, "to what to we owe this visit?"
His rather forlorn face dissolved into a warm smile,"Ah Gwenny," he stood and embraced her, "we shall get to that in short order." He turned into the direction of the kitchen and spoke, "tea lads." he commanded. His voice was much younger than his appearance, and somewhat refined. His unaccented American was articulate, learned, and perhaps a bit old-fashioned sounding.
    Saeed finished up with the remaining dishes while Barry put on a pot of water for tea. Saeed glanced out of the kitchen and saw that The Druid, Culkin, had moved from the entry and sat down in the den with Gwenny in one of a few chairs situated around a small antique coffee table. Shay was not in sight.
     The tea was hot so Barry with Saeed in tow brought it to the pair of elders in the den and were invited to sit in the empty chairs. Culkin began, "The purpose of my visit, is to bring you all up to speed on the movements of your vampires." he finished resting his gaze on Saeed. " He paused look downward now at no one, "as you well know, the group that attacked you and your aunt, Saeed, had been expelled from the Reno Coven and for some reason opted to head south to Carson City before turning west towards San Francisco. I've been in contact with my agents as well as my contacts within the local police agencies and some of the criminal elements in the greater Sacramento area. Vampires are quite difficult to track, thus one needs many sources." He sipped his tea while everyone waited patiently, thus far he hadn't really revealed anything. "My agents found them," he continued, "upon entering the area. The police helped me narrow down which buses left Carson City under the cover of night and would arrive in Sacramento while still under the cover of night, I focused my agents on those buses. You would think that they would have left the Sacramento area weeks ago, I mean, why stay?"
"They're still here?" Gwenny interrupted.
"Yes." He replied incredulously. "At first I thought that they had somehow slipped past me, but then one surfaced. Then another. Sometimes just one of them sometimes a couple. I have not uncovered anything that would suggest that they intend to stay permanently so I played with other theories. Eliminating theories that did not fit, I settled on just a couple. Those theories prompted me to stop using the police, and then the criminal underground. At present I am relying only on my own agents. When I learned that Saeed had arrived I thought it best that I come warn you all before they could act."
Gwenny was alarmed. "Why didn't you just call? Culkin, what are you getting at?"
The Druid opened his mouth to reply, but he stopped, then tensed. Outside a horse neighed, in the same moment Gwenny stood, alarmed, "One of my wards was just triggered." She said, looking to Culkin for the answer.
He quietly and calmly said, "They are here."