The Spear in the Stone

Aya approaches Dru with a proposition: she will help him with a day's foraging for herbs in the jungle if he accompanies her on a little expedition into the jungle at night. Despite his misgivings Dru is keen to earn some more money and agrees. Dru and Aya have a successful day foraging only inconvenienced by having to fend off some mobile bushes and some red-eyed jackals. Dru now has to stick to his part of the bargain and tries to put aside his worries. Aya has found out how to summon the Inpundula, popularly known as the Lightning Bird. Aya's idea is that once summoned (which can only be done when the moon is full) she will ask the bird to use its powers to guide them to one of the 'magic' places in the forest.

The bird (which is as large as an eagle owl and striped black and white) duly arrives and leads Aya and Dru through the forest to a clearing which contains a large boulder in which someone has thrust a spear which is now covered in vines. Aya approaches the boulder but the vines move to attack her. She then uses her magic to charm the vines into releasing the spear. As soon as she takes hold of the spear it starts talking. 'Where am I? I was in the village square. How is the war going? Where is my mistress? She needs me I can feel it. Where is she? Ah, she is underground. I must go to her. You must move the boulder.'

Aya asks the spear about the war and on being told that the war is against Zananku realises that the spear might be thousands of years old. She also discovers that the sword's mistress is Onpola, Champion of Mawu, a hero that, despite her interest in history, she has never heard of. Nevertheless Aya persuades Dru, against his better judgement, to help her move the boulder. It is too heavy for them to move, however, so at last Aya relents, replaces the spear in the boulder and agrees to come back with the rest of the party.

The next day Aya and Dru round up their friends and return to the stone in the clearing. Approaching stealthily the party note that things have changed. Two robed individuals are standing in the clearing guarding two bound prisoners and the stone itself has been moved revealing a staircase descending into the earth. The spear, however, is still stuck in the stone and after the party attack and defeat the cultists Aya reclaims the weapon. The prisoners, who are just ordinary Kirani, dont have any useful information and are released by the party.

The party descend the stairs which lead to the pitch black corridor. Happily Aya has the gift of passing on her darkvision to a limited number of other beings for one hour. The corridor ends in a large chamber illuminated in a blue light. On the walls are scenes from the life of a bold female knight who is obviously Onpola. In the first the knight is holding up the head of a demon to the acclaim of a crowd in a village square. In the second she is leading an army into battle against overwhelming odds. In the third she lies defeated on the ground with a hooded figure carrying a scroll is standing above her. In the fourth she if fighting in the village square with dead foes all around her. She carries a rune-inscribed sword and the spear can be seen in the background already thrust into the boulder. The spear itself tells Aya that it can remember the events of the first two panels but not the third and fourth.

Over the barred door at the far end of the room is an inscription 'Onpola, Champion of Zananku and Saviour of our Community'. 'That's completely wrong,' says the spear. The party find way to remove the bars from the exit and walk down a long hallway before coming to a chamber where a thick mist covers the floor and obscures the way ahead. The party can just about make out 'stepping stones' in the floor which are illuminated by mobile wisps of light. As they proceed one step at a time they notice to the side what appears to be stacked treasure and more ominiously the bodies of two dead cultists who were greedy enough to try to claim it.

The party encounter two statues of warriors, who appear to have slain two more cultists, and they neutralise them by solving a puzzle. They also have an encounter with some giants rats. Their path then ends suddenly at a gigantic chasm with a howling wind blowing around it. Across the canyon are, floating in space, broken pieces of rock which were clearly once part of the complex. Aya opines that a tremendous magical contest took place here which shattered the local environment. The party note a shining silver bar levitating at the edge of the canyon and note what appear to be similar bars on the huge rock fragments floating above the abyss. By carefully manipulating these bars they are transported step by step to the other side.

The party then see before them the broken remains of Onpola's crypt (half of it having fallen into the chasm). Before them is an open casket and slowly a skeletal figure arises from it. 'Mistress!', cries the spear and the figure levitates into the air only to be suddenly held back by chains which attach her to the casket. 'You are the Champion of Mawu!' the spear yells at the figure. 'It's no use' says the folorn figure, 'the chains of Zananku bind me.' As she says this animated skeletons arise from the floor and attack the party. The party are clearly outnumbered with little hope of victory but Aya throws the spear to Onpola. The fallen warrior hacks at the chains which break. The skeletons fall into dust but a loud rumble shakes the whole room. The wall at the back falls away just as the ceiling begins to disintegrate. Onpola's spirit continues to rise in the air and the party see daylight beyond her casket. The party dash for the light as walls and floors crumble behind them.

As the party regain the surface they are met by a winged figure who is clearly an angelic herald of Mawu. 'You have done well', she says. 'Hand me your weapons.' Each weapon she blesses granting it a magical property when it is held. The party then return to the village wondering how they are going to explain the incident to the village elders and in particular Aya's mother.

Later that week whilst out foraging the party come upon a combat between a single young human and several goblinoid creatures. Although the young man has no weapons he is holding his own as he appears have had martial arts training. The party help him defeat the goblinoids and he introduces himself as Hapu. He has been living in the jungle and although he looks like a typical Kirani he appears to be ignorant of Kirani culture. He says he knows the Wakyambe, Nola, who has taught him to climb through the trees and how to forage. The party take him foraging and then back to the village.

The party then have the great honour of representing the village at the Olampi Games an annual gathering of the local villages for friendly competition and feasting held at the neighbouring village of Olampi. The party are entered in the youth category and fancy their chances of getting a share of the prize money which is quite substantial (25gp for 1st place) for Kirani their age. They all perform very well and gain some welcome funds.

Soon afterwards the party are returning to Selimbe when they encounter a magic user and his retainers. The magic user casts a powerful Sleep spell and the party are captured. It would appear that the unscrupulous villains plan to sell them into slavery. When they camp for the night Gurr and Aya decide not to stay. The sorceror sends some of his minions to recapture them and as a result is poorly defended when Ayo, Aya's mother turns up. The Witch of Selimbe has a reputation and the magic user decides to surrender. Later Ayo does actually turn up and the party realises the first Ayo was Aya bluffing. The magic user is taken to Selimbe for judgement.