Comparative Theology 101 - 2/26 session recap

The party returned to town after their visit with Vrisana Pajul, and having nothing better to do, they went to the Sagebrush Inn for a drink. Thoric was focused on adding art to the outside of the Inn, so he asked permission to do some decoration. It was granted, and he went outside to begin a mural of sagebrush, pine, and desert roses.

The other party members immediately noticed a well armed and armored dark elf eating by himself at a table. Ander immediately went over an introduced himself, and Boreas and the stranger exchanged nods. The man waved them over, and all three of them took a seat. He introduced himself as Kylian, a follower of Peshtem. Ander seemed heartened by the shared choice of religion. Kylian said that he wandered the lands, helping those who were down on their luck, and that fate had brought him to this place recently. He had helped a woman and her son into town as they fled from goblin raiders, and he planned on seeking out the goblins and vanquishing them after he got a meal and night's rest.

The party said that they were on the same mission, and that perhaps they should join forces. This idea seemed to appeal to everyone, and thus a new party member was added. They all settled down to drinks of frothy fermented cactus juice and hard cactus liquor. Dinner consisted of cactus salad, crunchy cactus, sauteed cactus, boiled cactus with sage, piney stewed cactus with sage, and iguana on a stick. Xakoraki took offense at the consumption of iguana, but it didn't keep Ander from wolfing it down.

After picking up the maps the following morning, the party set out towards the abandoned temple of Yama that was rumored to be the source of the goblin raiders. The first day was hot, dry, and dusty. At the end of it, they had made it to the treeline of a thin pine forest. After clearing the ground of pine needles, they started a campfire and settled in for the night. They were soon approached by five well-armed men who stood at a respectable distance and asked if they could approach.

The men all bore shields with the symbol of Jocham, the protective aspect of Dravatadatman. They said that they were patrolling the borders of the land, both to protect the people from the goblins, but also to protect the truce. Their leader introduced himself as Gurti. Kylian told him that he was following Peshtem's will in seeking out the source of the goblins in order to destroy it. Thoric spoke up and said that it was also the will of Linitheriva that the ugliness of goblinkind be exterminated. Gurti called them unbelievers*, but said that he would not hold it against them.

The party agreed to let the group camp beside them for the evening. Nothing interesting occurred that evening, and in the morning the party prepared to move on. Gurti queried them again about their intentions in the truce zone, and Kylian's diplomacy convinced him that the party would not do anything to disturb the truce. Gurti mused that even though they were unbelievers, their mission was just, and he granted them Jocham's blessing.

Once they were into the pine forest, the air grew still and hot. The trees were thin and short enough to admit plenty of sunlight, and the ground was dusty beneath their feet. The shrill tone of cicadas was constant, and small flies harried the party. The smell of pine sap was thick, which was nice. But the occasional prick of pine needles began to wear on the travelers. Towards afternoon, the air became more humid and more oppressive. By late afternoon they found a tiny trickle of a stream which they used to refresh themselves. As the sun began to set, they decided to make a cold camp. Fatigued, they ate their rations and settled down for the evening.

Within an hour of full sundown, a group of hobgoblins and goblins was seen approaching the camp with torches. Everyone was quietly awakened, and the party was able to ambush the foul creatures. The hobgoblins quickly assembled an organized line of defense, but Boreas' area-affecting magic started wearing them down quickly. Ander blinded several with shuriken, and Xakoraki and Kylian stepped up to engage them in melee. Ander slipped behind their defensive line and was able to break up the phalanx that they created with their shields. He received a muck-tainted arrow in his shoulder for his efforts, but the battle was mostly a rout. Xakoraki took a few hits, but after less than a minutes of fighting, three hobgoblins and one goblin lay incapacitated. The remaining five goblinoids sprawled dead around the campsite.

*It should be noted that even in the face of divine magics from other good clerics, the followers of Dravatadatman believe that this is still the work of their god. Peshtem is merely a bastardized version of Jocham the Protector, and Linitheriva is an off-base version of Dhali the Teacher. It can also be noted that western followers of Dravatadatman believe that he is a spiritual god whose will is carried out by his people, and that his clerics are merely those who are closest to his true intentions. Eastern followers of Dravatadatman believe that his clerics are the physical incarnation of his five holy aspects. Naturally, both sides believe that the other side blasphemes against them.