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2nd of Jestani, 429 PE

Return to Gorachenya

by André Pelnar

65 Flirel 429
Svyanta sends us a letter, detailing that they are having problems with missing persons in the city of Terezhka that they can't handle, as they are in charge of a new societal order. He requests that we go to the Iron Palace in Zolot-Uzik. We teleport to Niznal (after I enthusiastically talked about practicing saxophone on the way there, no one wants to hear hot cross buns but sharp), to the temple we first met Syvanta. A man, Alexei enthusiatically greets us, and after a casting of comprehend languages offers me and the others a round of vodka, only at 10am. He leads us up four flights of stairs to a cafe during it's lull between the breakfast and lunch hours.
 
Unfortunately, as Alexei proclaims us to be the heroes of Zolot-Uzik at the cafe, Riven notices a glare from a few of the passers-by. Despite a passionate speech about the princes, the cafe hostess doesn't have much information. I leave a silver piece for her troubles. I rent us a mule and cart for the journey, it costs 2 silver for the week. The tunnels are still closed as there's been loyalists to the old regime and increased brigands.
 
68 Flirel
We arrive in Zolot-Uzik, it's natural light pouring from above. We see about 30% of the passers-by regard us with the same glare from before. The missing persons in Terezhka are mostly young people and children, dissappearing at night. Common rumour is that a mythical creature, a Podluzhnik, is the culprit, and Syvanta knows we can approach this with an open mind. We leave for Terezhka, and I begin teaching Gash how to drive the wagon.
 
2 Jestani
We're lead to the head of the guard of Terezhka, a morass of tunnels and ill-defined levels carved as needed when needed with no rhyme or reason (no wonder children have been getting lost). We're lead to a nondescript building with city guard, where we meet Captain Vadim, who speaks to us in functional common. Vadim shows us a "map" that is somewhat hard to look at, to fill us in beyond Syvanta's basics. He shows us the district where most of the dissapearances are, and the most they ever find articles of clothing or posessions, and sometimes there's a report of a scream - but never a reported struggle.
 
I explain that with enough information, I might be able to contact the missing children - but I'd like to meet with the family of the most recent victim so that I can choose my 25 words well. We're directed to a tavern near to the site of the location (about halfway between them and the guard barracks). Vadim gives us a copy of the map - which when unfolded shows us a different "level" of the city, a disaster in city planning, and a letter in gorachenyan explaining our role.
 
20 minutes later (when it would take a local 5), we arrive at the family homestead, modestly carved into the wall of the caverns and coming out. Boris' father explains that he sent him to get bread from the market two weeks ago. He's quite fond of playing ball, and his favourite food is borscht. He has two siblings, of which he is the youngest, at 25. One of his friends went missing three weeks prior to Boris - Fedore. As we finish our tea, Boris' mother brings us a hat that belonged to Boris.

Continue reading...

  1. Gorachenya: Day 1
  2. Gorachenya Day 1-4
  3. Gorachenya Day 5-6
  4. Gorachenya: Day 7 (Part 1)
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  5. Gorachenya: Day 7 (Part 2)
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  6. Days 8-10
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  7. Gallacan Caper
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  8. A Gallacan Expedition
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  9. In the Tomb of the Lost King
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  10. False Artifacts, a Forgotten Mountain, and a Lost Soul (& Lots of Mortal Danger)
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  11. Kraken Attack! (oh and also some treasure on Leandris)
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  12. An Arrival and a Warning
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  13. Assault on the Chronomancer's Stronghold
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  14. Assault on the Chronomancer's Stronghold (part 2)
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  15. Assault on the Chronomancer's Stronghold (part 3)
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  16. Return to Gorachenya
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  17. Return to Gorachenya:
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  18. Fiendish Abominations in a Gorechenyan Cave
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  19. There is in Fact, a Teleportation Circle in Zolot-Uzik
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  20. Into the Depths of Gorachenya
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  21. Defending the Great Wall
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  22. Stormborn Defeated
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  23. Return to Apepsos
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  24. Does she mind if I call her Victoria?
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  25. Arrival in Salmis
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  26. We've got a Mountain to Climb
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  28. Trying Again
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  29. Looking for Souls for Nicky
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  30. Nicky's Souls Coins
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