Chapter 6 - Challenge of the Kaita Horde

After the adventurers left the temple of the dead, they were encountered on their way back a few strange horsemen. They wore fur helmets, and spoke a language they did not understand. Hu-Long tried and failed to communicate. So, the adventurers got into a scuffle with the horsemen, eventually prevailing and interrogating one. They learned that the Great Khan of the Kaita had planned to overcome the city of Tsino to plunder it of riches. So, Sorn Zavirr pulled out his scroll of Teleportation, and with a successful arcana skill, he managed to cast the spell and get them to the city's capitol building.
They stepped inside, seeing the Kaita general, Deiga, holding the High Governor under hostage with a blade to his neck. General Deiga told the adventurers not to get any closer, or he'd kill the high governor. Instead, Hu-Long opted to negotiate: take them as prisoners instead of the high governor. With his words, the General agreed, but also said they would not leave the city without plunder. Hu-Long tried and failed to convince them otherwise. This is where Ki-Ku stepped in: he told a false fable of the gold of the city being cursed, causing men to disappear at nightfall when the gold was taken. This, somehow, scared General Deiga, and thus he agreed not to take the gold, though he still did not desire to go empty-handed. Hu-Long then devised a scheme: Deiga's treasure could be to take the Khanate for himself. Deiga liked the idea, and thus sided with the party to overthrow the Great Khan.
After journeying a few days with the Kaita Horde, they came to the camp where the Great Khan was staying. Deiga told the party he would challenge the old Khan by a trial of combat. The party agreed to support Deiga. Then, early in the morning, Deiga presented the party before the Great Khan as hostages. The elderly Khan was disappointed by the lack of women or gold, though he was interested in Angska (which she did not like). Ki-Ku then used his magic subtly to try and convince the Great Khan that he was a demi-god, to be feared and reviled.

KUBLAI KAHN Educational Illustration by Yasha Puzankov

"What god are you then?" the Great Khan asked. Ki-Ku responded that he was a god of truth, and that he would judge the Great Khan. The Khan, however, did not believe him. With that distraction out of the way, General Deiga then challenged the Great Khan to a trial by combat, claiming the Khan was getting too old to lead his people effectively. The Great Khan laughed, and then accepted. Thus the party was ushered to the courtyard, and the two warriors dueled.
Though Hu-Long tried to cheer on General Deiga, he was eventually killed by the Great Khan. The Great Khan laughed, telling the adventurers that Deiga was a fool to challenge him; indeed, though he was old, he still had considerable girth and power to himself. Next, Bastion challenged him. This was more of a compelling fight, with Hu-Long trying to inspire Bastion to win, and convinced the crowd that the Khan was weak. However, the Khan also defeated Bastion. Then, Kiu threw himself into the fight, but was also defeated by the Khan.
Eventually, the Khan ordered for the arrest and execution of the party. However, Ki-Ku used his Staff of Wonder to try and cause a distraction. He put the khan in darkness, and the khan's guards attacked the adventurers. Chaos ensued with the fight, and Hu-Long tried to ensure the audience of Kaita that Bastion would "rise again" as their true king. The adventurers eventually grouped up, and Ki-Ku, now flying in the air, shot his Staff of Wonders at the Khan. This caused a fiery explosion to erupt from the scene, killing the guards and the khan, and wounding his allies. After such a fight, the adventurers were technically victorious.
The Kaita, however, were not very thrilled to see their khan suddenly murdered. Hu-Long assured them that they would be excellent leaders, and with confusion within the ranks, the Kaita decided to just follow along with the party's instructions. So, the adventurers told the Kaita to await further instructions, but they first needed to travel far toward the Pool of Healing in Ukasan to revive Goldbloom.
The party also scavenged the Khan's old treasure horde. There, Sorn Zavirr found a very strange deck of cards. Angska used the Identify spell on it, and it was revealed to be a highly dangerous magical item called the Deck of Many Things. Sorn then drew a card, getting the result Visier, which would give him a truthful answer to any question he desired...

Date (in world)

April 8th-13th, 1A 3510.

Player Characters

Angska is a human Druid of the Stars. She is an accomplished astrologer in her home village in Shikaizu, but in recent days has received visions of a coming doom to Pung. She seeks to restore her homeland's calendar to finish the pieces.

Bastion is a Goremu Cavalier, a living terracotta warrior in a sense. He was designed with the ideals of bushido in mind, and has taken it upon himself to serve his country despite the wars of the Six Kingdoms raging.

Hu-Long is a Dragonbord Bard of Valor who has been low on money and seeks opportunity for work. He loves his own music and seeks fame and fortune to the very end, hoping to be a star in the eyes of everyone.

Ki-Ku is a homeless wanderer after being driven away from village to village for his unstable magic as a Wild Mage. He is thus constantly searching for food and money, and seems to relish in that lifestyle.

Kiu is an Open Hand Monk, coming from the monastery of the Long-Quan. He was sent out on his pilgrimage to fix the imbalances in the local region of Tsino, and has displayed mastery over the art of Kung-Fu.

Sorn Zavirr is a Dark Elf draconic sorcerer, sent by his superiors to learn more of the dragons of the surface world and uncover the meaning behind his gift.