Session 42 - Letters to the Front

General Summary

Three missives, all sent to Legio VIII
To Tribune Aulus Postumius Albinus, dispatched via fast military courier

Should Scout Myathethil Aurelia Firahel not have returned, here is my report:
The roads leading to Amneda are in excellent condition and we met with no troubles en route. The garrison at Carnuntum is cautious and on alert.
Outside Amneda lie the bodies of many Roman legionaries, but no enemy bodies. There is evidence that some were killed by tooth and claw, and large teeth at that, but modern weapons were used as well. The walls of the city are reduced to rubble in many places, as are many of the buildings within the walls.
There were signs of heavy foot traffic at the docks. Given that the number of bodies within and without the city are not enough to account for the population that resided in there, I believe it highly probably that survivors were taken captive and relocated elsewhere. Possibly east-ward.
Tertia Verecundia Pennaria

Revealed in hidden text when read by Albinus:

Yatha and I found the chamber I was seeking in the ruined Temple of Mercury. The enemy had taken some pains to destroy access to its secrets, as you suspected, but they did not go so far as to completely remove it. I was able to obtain what I sought.
This enemy is not looking to seize territory, but to crush the light of our empire. I know now, after seeing Amneda, that the end goal is Roma Herself.
I left you a copy of the map that was found in enemy hands. The cities that are circled that have not yet been taken are almost assuredly their targets. Protect them, and you protect Roma.
Thank you again for letting me borrow Yatha - she is resourceful and capable.
I am sorry I could not serve Roma at your side. I do, nonetheless, serve Her.
Pennaria

high-quality

Myathethil Aurelia Firahel,
I found some of my family’s highest-quality oil in the forum at Port Draconis, which I think you will enjoy.

Hidden text that is revealed when read by Myathethil:

Yatha,
I have rejoined my friends in Port Draconis. My arrival triggered a new round of conversation, and something of a delay, but going into danger prepared is always worthwhile.
Northeast of Port Draconis are the The Serpent’s Teeth, and they align with the location on the enemy map to which all the lines converge. There is some mining activity in those mountains, and after some research in the library and gossip of Port Draconis, a region that miners fear to approach. That area they fear is our current target. After that, depending what we learn, we may race north on horseback to inspect the ruins of Denuntia and Vindale. I will continue to share what we learn, and leave to your discretion what the Legions ought to know.
I have also learned that:

• There are survivors of Amneda, but they are not in Vindale. Perhaps driven east-ward?
• As I suspected, the stelae spell the secret name of Roma.
• There is a group of priestesses who honor these hidden chambers, and they are allies of Roma, but they themselves do not have the ability to restore the protections to the city should those protections be stripped
• The reptilian civilization that Roma displaced worshipped deities of virtue and justice, not just those of evil intent. Sadly even these honorable forces seek retribution against the Roman Empire.

I know you are wondering, and I fear you would think me a fool if I told you why I am so certain about the above. Unless you too have witnessed a priest or priestess speaking directly to the Gods?
Pennaria

A flat package addressed Myathethil Aurelia Firahel, containing a very large blood-flecked feather and a note:

Look at the size of this feather! A bird that bore it was the size of a large house, and tried to make off with one of our horses.

Hidden text that is revealed when read by Myathethil:

Help. Giant birds the size of houses we can cow, but navigation through uninhabited hills and mountains will prove our undoing.
At times I have been able to find a route mountain-ward by looking through Haruspex's keen eyes, but not even a bird can see the path that works best for those traveling by horse. And my gnomish companion Laura who is your equal at navigation is so turned around and bewildered that I wonder if there is a spell of misdirection on these hills.
One piece of good fortunate - my hastily-bought mare has the steadiest temperament of any untrained horse I have yet met. She did not shy when the giant bird attacked us; even let me charge into range of its talons. Her heroics were far more songworthy than mine, as almost nothing I did made a difference, not even when I unleashed the lightening stored in Jupiter’s javelin. Arrows and javelin’s bounced off of it. It was a divine minion of Apollo and the magical resource of Hassan that brutalized the bird till it fled unsatisfied.
… to be continued …

End of correspondence.

Report Date

21 Apr 2022