Run by David & Grover on 26th February 2011

Holly March (Anna-Marie), Thomas Aster (James), Galaena Ravin (Ellie W), Elena Woodsguide (Ellie H), Favian De Courci (Iain), Athol Denar (Dan A)

The bells toll, tossed merrily in the calm, unprecedented wind. The Temple Of The Garden Lords attracts more attention than it has in recent years. The cloak clad priests look up from their flowers, ash carried softly in the air.

Whispers carried on the wind say that the Lords, all once mere men, have taken an interest in The Hakardi threat. New Champions, unsung heroes will step forward. Further rumours say that The Princes Of Breath, the masters of chance and spontaneity may have a hand, or perhaps an investment in these events.

And still the bells toll…

The six adventurers meet on the streets of the trade district, making their way towards the Ash Temples. A thick white mist fills the streets, colossal ashen buildings rising amidst the warm wind. Streets change direction in the smoken mist, leading them directly to the chiming bells of The Temple Of The Garden Lords. Emerging from a colossal stone gate, hordes of Ashen Guardians advance to test the lesser heroes' strengths. As they are fought back, their numbers thin, their ashen remains whisked back into the gate. Eventually, no Guardians are left standing, the mist retracts into the gate too, and the stone arch fades, only the temple's entrance remaining…

Within the temple, four figures are waiting. The cloaked & aged Lord Of Grey Roses, the ivory-armoured Lord of White Roses, the ebon-clad spear-carrying Lord of Black Roses, and the velvet-regalia'd, twitchy Lord of Red Roses. The adventurers show respect, and the Lords explain their quest…

Firstly, the “Champions-To-Be” are to walk the path of chance out of this temple, and fulfill what comes with it, to walk this mission from birth until death, and bring back it’s story, it’s findings, it’s lesson. The Princess Of Stories will be watching her friend’s actions, and thus must be sated. Secondly, where they will be travelling, a soul is passing on, betrayed, loved, ancient and foolish. She must be tended to in The Name Of The Garden Lords. Thirdly, a soul’s story, linked to the interests of The Hakardi, will be discovered. The judgement of this soul will be placed in the hands of “The Champions”, and the Champions worth will be placed in the hands of the Garden Lords. Fourthly, on this journey they will discover infirmity, betrayal, love, and folly. They will need to judge themselves and their own actions, and understand that not all deaths are glorious, faithful and with significance. They hand out a Rose - four petals, one of each relevant colour. They will say that when they need to speak, all they need to do is pluck a petal and remember.

With that, the Lords fade, and The Champions leave. Amongst the winding streets and remnants of mist ahead, Elena thinks she sees a White Hound, but must be mistaken. On the steps, they meet “Miranda” a “Servant” of The Princess Of Stories, who is travelling to Crossroads - seeing their paths intertwined, they decide to travel together. As if on cue, they are met by an opalescent well-dressed, well-endowed Christifori Noblewoman - Delphine Courtney-Christifori & her Entourage of heavily-armed Guards ask the adventurers kindly if they will travel to Crossroads to try and find Delphine's missing trade-caravan, apparently filled with Wines & Silks. She believes it to have been attacked by Ogres, and offers 30Hx each for the return of her goods. They agree and head on their way.

A day's travel outside the city, the party finds the wrecked caravan, no sign of wine or silks in it's ruins. Snooping (as usual) around is a dapper Ogre in a hat, Slender Nige'. Immediately suspecting Nige' of no good, they descend upon him, only to be attacked by some rather violent Jaguar Tribals. Defeating their leader and binding her down, they notice something strange about the Tribal Leader - her blood has a strange bluish tinge. Interrogating Nige', they discover that the leader is an Ogre - Bitey Mary, a gang leader that Nige's has been tracking down. Mary manages to escape after a handful of aborted attempts turning into a rat, leaving behind a shodden triangle of carved wood - Nige' claims it is part of “The Runny”, an ancient Ogre artifact. Nige' tells them there are 7 Runny pieces, and one of the gang leaders, Big Pearl, vanished years ago, and now rumours abound that he has returned to gain all the pieces. All gang-leaders are expert shapeshifters, taking on qualities of teh creatures they consume. Instead, Nige' asks them to keep the pieces out of Pearls' hands. They agree, gaining an instructive diagram and a whistle from Nige'…

Further into the sandy plains, the party is attacked by a nest of hungry coyotes, giant bats and huge trapdoor spiders, all seemingly living together as a larder for the monstrous chimeric Jigsaw 'Enry - part Coyote, part Spider, part Bat. From seemingly nowhere, and utterly by chance, one of the bats is struck down by a Lightning Bolt. Despite some pacifistic intervention from Ahtol, 'Enry is killed, and his Runny piece extracted from his marsupial-like pouch.

On the road, the adventurers spy a column of Black Flame piercing the horizon, and move to intercept it. They encounter a unit of tired, straggling Hakardi, escorting the pillar of Black Flame in a cart. They negotiate to get past, unwilling to fight, wanting to escort their “Greatest Hero's Memories” back to the Garden States - a Journal in the centre of the pillar. Eventually the Hakardi pass, but Miranda really wants to read that journal - Galaena raises an Ashen Cloud, but calshing opinions on violence prevent the party from attacking the weakened monsters, who, shocked and panicked, flee.

Eventually they arrive at Crossroads, looking for their destination “where four roads cross & the ash is scattered” - a colossal memorial “graveyard” at the centre of the city. On their way, they see adverts for traders at the Grand Market, and recognise another Ogre's name - Loud Barry. At the market, Galaena and Thomas interrogate Barry, who it seems is a legitimate, incredibly popular butcher, with a wife and ambiguously-gendred-child, Nancy. Barry says that he has no taste for the gang life any more, and just wants to be a regular person - in return for not spreading his secrets, the party take his Runny piece. Yet, Thomas is so touched by Barry and his successful butchery (Sand Bear a speciality) that he invests 100Hx in Barry - chuffed, Barry invites him to be his partner, and dreams of opening official butcheries all over - Crossroads, White City, even The Port Of Glass!

Meanwhile, Athol and Elena interrogate Mr. Wix, an aged & dillapidated Weaver trading Silks & Whiskey - at first suspicious that he might be trading the stolen goods, they instead discover that the Christifori traders were horrible louts and havn't been here for months. Something fishy, Ahtol puts his foot down and deducts that something must be wrong, and decides that there was no stolen silks & wines - after discussing distillery. Favian buys a “Holy Nail”, only to discover it's really just “A Nail”. Filling in the correct paperwork, he is informed by the bureaucratic guards that he will be paid back “most of his losses” in “4-6 weeks” - after paying a charge, of course.

Done at the market, they head to The Graveyard. There they re-meet the Lords of The Garden & a number of servants of theirs, who have brought refreshments & food. Talking with some of the priests, the party learns that a local old lady, Isnelda Gram (See How Soon Is Now?), is dying of a serious, strange condition in her old age, blaming it on her broken heart - the party realises this is the soul dying of All Four Minor Deaths, and make plans to investigate. While eating, Thomas has a Clarity-Attack, and sees a strange connection between Miranda and The Lord of Grey Roses…

Meanwhile, a scraggly, dreadlocked, dirty old man walks in to the graveyard, visibly missing one arm and utterly burnt - he claims he is merely a “Man On The Road”, a servant of The Princess Of Stories, and seeing his chance, he intercepted the Hakardi with The Journal. Dying, he asks Miranda to tell him a final story - Galaena tells one instead, about Roman Morpheme, and the man dies happily. As Miranda lays him to rest, Elana and Favian read from the First Journal Half (see below), suddenly burning memories from the journal into the party's mind. Discussing what they had learned, and believing the Hakardi Soul the Lords wanted was Fentah's, they decide to try and retrieve the last half of the book. Holly notes that her Journal entry is unfinished…

Finding Gram's townhouse, the party manage to get in to the locked house by negotiating with the next-door-neighbour, and find that Gram's home has been utterly looted, nothing of worth left (unknown to them, by White City hero Nathaniel D'Almedea). Creeping into Isnelda's room, they spy another Ogre - linking their quests together, it seems - this one long, spindly and transparent - Suzi Fingers. Suddenly gripped by attacks from Suzi's victims, Athol, Holly & Elena collapse in writhing pain, while the others destroy Suzi, ripping the fourth Runny piece out of her ghostly form.

Favian, posing as the dying woman's dead husband Harold, consoles Isnelda. The party rest & stay with her until she dies, summoning the Lord Of Grey Roses to take Isnelda's Soul. The Lord leaves behind a Grey Rose, which Athol takes. Their main quest done, they go to resolve the Ogre problem.

According to Nige's parchment, the last known Boss that's not Nige' or Pearl, Leering Art', recides in The Battlefields. Heading off towards the mass of giant writhing chains and battle-scarred-lands, the party encounters Art' and his gang feeding on long dead corpses. Galaena summons the Ashen Cloud, and although the corpse-like Art' raises the dead with his ghoulish powers, it is not enough and the party quell The Dead's numbers. As well as collecting the fifth Runny piece, Thomas also steals Art's stylish shades.

The Party remark on how strange this whole scenario is - A Noble who hates Ogres, a non-existent caravan, a missing greedy Ogre Boss, proof that Ogres can transform into pretty much anything. An idea crosses their mind - what if this was just a plan of Big Pearl's to gather the Runny pieces by killing her enemies? Would that mean that Big Pearl was… Delphine? Convinced, they head back West to The White City…

Heading back, they spot another Flame pillar, and intercept the Hakardi transporting it back to the Garden States. Not so tired, these Hakardi are more determined to fight back, but make the mistake of insulting The Princess Of Stories when the party brings up the “Man On The Road's sacrifice. Miranda responds accordingly, and reveals her true colours as The Princess Of Stories herself! In the following skirmish, The Hakardi are cut down, and boil away to Black Flame… but Favian's wounds are too much, and he loses his leg. Sacrificing the White Petal, they Summon The Lord Of White Roses, who returns Favian's legs at the loss of her eventual blessing for him. With the second Journal Half, they learn more about Fentah's deeds and the creation of the Hakardi. But still there is a page missing, and now apparently there is also a soul trapped within the pages of the book…

Heading back to the White City's Eastern Watchtower, they are met by Courtney-Christifori's guards, who are overly willing to take the Runny pieces off the party - Elena has a Clarity-attack, and sees what they already suspected - the guards are Ogres. They clash, and fell the Ogres - calling Nige' using the whistle, they report what they believe about Pearl & Delphine, and go after Big Pearl with Nige' close behind (in the form of a tiny hedgehog). Soon, “Miranda” leaves, hoping they can find their own ending on their own - but not before blessing Thomas.

They find Delphine's townhouse, and break in, finding it's delightful exterior to hide a grotesque tableaux of discarded human remains and rot. Busting into Delphine's bedroom, they find her in coitus with A Definite Nobody (Who Favian recognises as his cousin Horatio De Courci), and try to blag as being Ogres. Unfortunately she sees through their lies, and throws herself out her window as they attack, more guards descending. Delphine/Big Pearl returns, in her “true” form - a svelt, lean, tight muscled, liquid-haired, pointed features, glowing eyed uber-Ogre. Battle commences, but Delphine is slain and destroyed, her piece collected. They gather what Hexa they can find in the waste, but it is only enough to cover their armour bill.

Now with all the pieces, they take them to The College - a Professor of Southern Archaeology identifies it as a relic from athletic games on the Breathing Isles, but claims the plate is wrecked beyond repair. They give the pieces to Nige' (posing as an old lady), and he is delighted, making them honourary Ogres and swearing “on your lives” that they'll always be his friends, or “nephews & nieces”.

Unsure what to do now, they rest at Athol's bar, only to realise they still have the Soul in the Journal. Experimenting, they discover it is Youshe's soul - not only the monstrous Champion that was cut down by Falcon Bravo (How Soon Is Now), but also Fentah / The Autocrat's teenage daughter. Stepping back into the streets, they find the mists pointing them back towards The Garden Lords' Temple…

With The Lords waiting for them, they relinquish the Journal, claiming the Soul they need is within it. Calling on the Soul's Mortality, Folly, Fear & Love, they pull out Youshe's soul - a towering 9-foot armor-clad scimitar-wielding monstrosity. Galaena tries to appeal to it's more humane-side - subsiding Youshe's rage below her resentment of her actions (Folly), her death at Bravo's hands (Betrayal), her fear of adulthood (Old Age), and her Love for her father. Breaking into tears, the Flame creature boils away, left as a little Bodach girl, walking hand in hand with The Lords of White & Red Roses into the Ashen gate.

As they fade, the final Journal page is visible in the final screaming smoulders of the Black Flame, and waits to be read…

The last scrap of Youshe's journal is reunited with the book, and paints a grim picture - The Autocrat recreated The Hakardi following the assistance of The Lord Of Grey Roses, one of the powers they had just served moments before! Seemingly hurt & angered by Stefano De Courci's actions to rebuke old age, She sew seeds of retribution again The De Courcis and thus the White City itself…

With this dire & potentially tumultuous news, the Four Champions Of Roses & their companions have to make an agreement never to speak of this again, except to those who must know, The Governess included.

Before parting ways, Favian is able to get the entourage contact with not only The De Courci Guard (who pay them 5 Hx each not to mention Horatio's appearance, disgrace, or summary dismissal to the Foreign Legion), but also Ario Chritifori's Secretary's Under-Secratary, who politely explains to them that No Ogre Infiltrated The Christifori, There Was No Courtney-Christifori Marriage, And This Is Definetly Not 35Hx Each From The Christifori Let's-Never-Speak-Of-This-Again Fund.

Despite a tiring and fulfilling week, sleep does not come easy. Memories of a lapsed accent here, a sudden jaunty walk there. The knowledge that Ogres can, and have, survived amongst people indefinitely and invisibly, hits home hard, and sleep only rises from tearful exhaustion…

When morning comes, it brings some surprises - The Champions Of The Minor Deaths awaken with Roses in their hands. Athol with the Grey Rose of Old Age, Galaena the Red Rose of Treachery, Favian the White Rose of Love, and Elena the Black Rose of Folly. Moved by this, Elena returns to the temple of The Garden Lords to learn more…

(In Chronological Order)

- A Bodach Farm Trade Representative called Fentah returns from long trade delegations in The Whistful City with his daughter, to find The Garden Lands in ruins following the Lizardmen’ “Volcano-deployed Mountain” attack…

- Attempts at rebuilding The Garden Lands are made after the Lizardman attack. Fentah, a Bodach Farm Representative, acts fervently as a temporary leader after his wife’s death. He orders the Broken Garden closed or destroyed, as they have higher priorities, cleaning away the wreckage & destruction from the LIzardmen attack. He ignores his daughter’s panicced pleas…

- Fentah, a Bodach Farm Leader, is elected to be a Political representative, an “Autocrat”. He fervently believes that The Garden Lands can help themselves, without the intervention of the always-late White City. He ignores his daughter. A young cloaked human woman wants to speak with him…

- Fentah, the acting Bodach Principle, cannot sleep. A voice from within the colossal rock (that fell on The Gardens) keeps him awake with numbers. His daughter walks in on him, but he sends her back to bed, saying it’s unimportant. As he lies on his straw bed, he writes the numbers down, an endless recycling pattern…

- Fentah, the acting Bodach Principle is shown the interior of “The Solidarity”, the Giant Rock that fell on The Gardens, now carved to be part fortress, part offices. One room is a perfect cube, apparently un-touched by Bodach hand. The bodach are scared of it, but he orders it be made his chambers. He looks down at the floor, through thick obsidian and something looks back…

- Fentah, the acting Bodach Principle, cannot sleep. Something strange is happening in the sky to the North- a thick, flashing grey storm. A Stranger in his room tells him it is Stefano De Courci “destroying Death” - the storm is Ash being rejected by humanity, old age being overcome. Fentah is unhappy at such disregard for The Lord Of The Gardens - the stranger agrees, but says there is little they can do. He is not shocked by the unseen Stranger, who goes on to ask if he’s ever heard of The Hakardi…

- The Stranger in Fentah’s room explains The Hakardi, a gift for the recently wounded Lord Of The Gardens, created by The Lord Of The Tower Of Heroes for him. The Lord Of Sorrows also created him a sadder, simpler race, The Ikardi, later known as Bodach. The Lord Of The Gardens at that time had only other companion, the woman who the Fool had attacked the Lord for, tricked by The Rattle Prince. Her proximity to his wound meant she would be the first to die of old age, and thus he had taken her as he blamed himself. She was The First Woman In The First Story, and so had importance to both The Burnt Lords and the Princes Of Breath.

The Ikardi helped the woman care for the gardens, growing food for her and themselves, tending to those that needed help. The Hakardi, on the other hand, knew only strength & destruction, and without anything to guide their hand, they turned on The Woman and The Ikardi. Sickened by this cruelty & need to prove themselves above others’ short-comings, The Lord Of The Gardens condemned them, uncreated them, and alongside The Princess Of Stories, declared them “Never To Be”, or “Should Never Be”. The Woman In The Garden was never hurt again, The Ikardi were given a garden of their own near the Glass Sea, and the Princes of the Four Winds scattered the Hakardi’s ashes as far as they could. The Lord Of The Garden was so happy with their work that he gifted them each a rose, and that is supposedly how they got their name…

The Stranger tells The Autocrat that if he truly wants independence & power for the Bodach, he could always aspire to be like The Hakardi, a race whose destruction & determination even outgrew a God’s patience. It would involve rebuking the naming of the creatures to “Never” be, possibly on a grand scale, but it could be done - by aspiring to recreate the Bodach into an image of strength & martial destruction. It could be prevented if The Original Hakardi’s ashes were re-gathered, per chance, and the New Hakardi were forced to accept their role as non-existent. The only threat he would have would be The White City, but if they could be fooled and forced into a war… perhaps with The North… or Crossroads… then they would look all the more foolish & weaker…

The Autocrat seems interested as he stares out into the night. He asks his visitor if there is any reason they might be helping him, and if they have any hate against The White City. Light passes through the window, illuminating a dark corner of the simple stone room. Briefly, a Grey, Rose-detailed cloak can be seen. An aged woman. Tears churning down her cheeks. She is staring avidly at the grey ash storm falling in the North.

“I have my reasons”

- It is a fire-lit night in a large stone hall. A large number of Bodach are huddled in groups, watching what appears to be a travelling play. Fentah is watching a part where three overacting Heroes fell a Man Dressed As A Glass Queen (acting like your stereotypical Panto Dame) on a roadside. When they are unable to defeat her with their “Righteous Black Flame” (Simple fireworks), they escape in a Glass Tower (an elevating wooden cut out), and the Queen disappears (via trapdoor) in a small explosion… Fentah whispers to the same young cloaked human woman from before that he doesn’t understand that it could have happened, he isn’t convinced that not-seeing-a-death is tantamount to knowing-it-happened. She corrects him that it did, & her father died defending that principle. She offers him the Black Flame as a power to improve The Bodach people, but he says he can achieve much without it. She calls him Autocrat & leaves, Fentah clearly upset by the authoritative title. As she leaves, Fentah’s daughter stops her, and asks if she can tell her about the Black Flame…

- Fentah lies on the Obsidian floor of his chamber, listening to a stream of numbers. He writes them down, a flowing pattern. Something begins to take form on his chair. Glowing green letters and purple words coalesce into a human figure. Fentah mouthes the word “Never”. Suddenly, an ear-splitting crack. A black flicker of flame. Something that looks like a shard of glass erupts from his hand and falls clattering to the stone floor. Fentah screams.

- Fentah is visibly hurt, his eye and hands bleeding. He asks where his daughter is. Something monstrous responds, and he screams and cries. He asks why “she” did this to his child. The Cloaked Human Woman, from the shadows says she did it to herself, to impress him. He mouthes “My Daughter…” as he falls to his knees, blood and tears running down his plumage.

- The Young Human Woman congratulates him that his Prince looks “Just Like Him”. Fentah said “The Numbers” made him that way. She places a small portrait of a flamboyant young Noble on Fentah’s desk. A plaque on the picture reads “Toquell Velasquez”. Fentah moves from in front of “The Prince” - a human figure that looks startlingly, but not exactly like Velasquez. The Prince smiles harshly as numbers fill his eyes.

- The Cloaked Woman is screaming at Fentah that he has “lost it” - she “never meant” for him to sacrifice his own people for “this madness”. Bodach are screaming out of sight. Feet are marching. Shadows are looming. Fentah seems unmoved. He says this is important for “us” to regain our glory. To be reborn. She says many of his people are leaving him for her new City, a “Golden” opportunity. He orders her removed from “The States”. She calls him “Mad”, but something huge and mis-shapen comes close to her. She screams as it forcefully picks her up, The Woman claiming that no matter what he becomes, Fentah will never overcome what he hates. Fentah corrects her, saying that he is “The Autocrat” now…

- Fentah, now The Autocrat, calls for his Champion. The Autocrat marks something on a piece of parchment, declaring that with The Solidarity, The Great Forest, and now The Port, Crossroads should be next. If the Vitriarchs keep interfering this predictably, they can use it to their advantage, and take The White City’s node by subterfuge rather than Strength. He declares Crossroads to be attacked, and the Broken Gardens to be monitored. Youshe, a nine-foot-tall gaunt armour-clad monstrosity, says that it will destroy the trade blight for him. He kisses it on the head, and says “she” was always his Pride. his “little girl”…