Adventurers (Book II – Issue #2)

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This issue opens up with the Council of Liam discussing the building of a Baal Temple within their city walls. While the others still remain against the idea, Guryd, who had furiously protested the idea before – was now rapidly pushing to try to get the council to agree on it, not even letting the other council members speak. Finally Erikor approaches Guryd and asks what Vesta said to him that has changed his mind so – and Guryd doesn’t provide and answer.

The scene shifts to the expedition. Barak, at the front of the boat mutters how in three more hours they will reach the Jungle; three more days till they march into the Lost City and three more months before the fall of Liam. Avienne warns Barak not to speak so loudly because there are those who would seek to have such information at their disposal. Yerdik inquires if Avienne means Coron – and if so, not to worry – since Yerdik would assure that Coron would be united with his Death God long before they reached the Lost City.

Avienne warns Yerdik not to underestimate Coron, because of his success in Lemora (Adventurers Book I #6 – 10, back story) as well as the defeat of Belegard the Dragon. Yerdik brushes away such success stories claiming they do not even come close to comparing to his own successes and bodies of dead he’s left behind.

We then see Coron speaking with Shadolok and Nightwind, trying to form an alliance with them. Coron informs them that Barak and his intentions make it so that they are everyone’s enemy – and that Shadolok, Bladehelm and Nightwind should join with Coron in stopping Barak, working together like they did in the days of old. Nightwind quickly reminds Coron of what he had done to Dhakab when he enslaved him to Coron’s will, making it so that there’s no reason to trust Coron. But Shadolok agrees to side with Coron – for now – because they shared the same desire – stop Barak at all costs.

We then see Barak speaking to Avienne and Yerdik. Avienne warns Barak that she senses a strong presence – but it is not that of Baal. Eyamma informs them that the touch of Chaos Magic is strong in the Angora Jungle. Avienne insists that it’s getting closer to which Eyamma informs her it’s probably a deadly chaos beast – but Yerdik assures them that his magic protects the boat from any form of attack.

The scene shifts to Sultar paying Helva another visit. He asks for another reading, in which the past shows a long, taxing journey over water; the second card reveals spying and treachery for the present, and the future card shows death.

The scene shifts back to the expedition on the boat where Bladehelm has fallen to a disease carried by many of the insect bites of the Angora Jungle, and Shadolok notes that including Bladehelm, that’s thirteen people from the expedition who are diseased. Armond Cres Hadrax notes that the mites don’t seem to be bothering Eyamma. Eyamma explains that is because he respects the mites, and expects them to treat him as he would treat them. A very frustrated Armond Cres Hadrax mutters, “Yes, well, thanks for the lesson in primitive folkways – bloody savage!”

Nightwind asks Eyamma what they’re selling into – and he explains that the jungle will resist them because of its hatred for them. He goes on to explain that in the jungle there are a thousand eyes watching them with hate; the river churns in disgust as the boat makes its way across her; and that the jungle will eat them alive and spit them out – because they do not belong here.

Meanwhile, Barak sends Yerdik to go check his magic again, since he’s felt something following the ship closely. A frustrated Yerdik storms off just as Coron approaches Barak. Coron asks if Yerdik was off to heal those that had been diseased, and Barak assures him that is not the case. Coron goes on to explain that he had figured as much, because in Kir, Yerdik had been hired to heal the Carthhian troops during the battle with the Grogs – but when half the troops were struck down by the Pox Disease, he let them die rather than heal them because of his disdain for fighter types.

Barak approaches Yerdik and begins to question him about Kir. Yerdik loses his concentration allowing for a fearsome sea dragon beast to overtake the ship, and throw itself upon it – shattering the ship into fragments splintered wood, devouring many of the soldiers in the process. Barak calls to abandon ship, but Shadolok goes back for Bladehelm who had been below deck, still ill from the disease. However, just as Shadolok reached Bladehelm and they tried to get off the rapidly sinking ship – a large portion of the mast fell upon Shadolok. Nightwind shows up helping them along – and immediately Shadolok thinks of all the slaves in the hold, who must have drowned as soon as the ship had begun to sink.

The scene shifts to the City of Liam where Sultar enters and sees Erikor looking defeated. Sultar asked Erikor what had happened and Erikor informed him that the Council had grown worn down by Guryd’s sudden change of heart to have a Baal Temple built, and had finally voted in favor of it. Sultar then tells Erikor that he wants to learn magic again.

The scene shifts again, and we see Barak, Avienne and Yerdik bickering among one another while Muldor points out that more than half of their men have died or gone missing since the river and they haven’t even come close to reach the Lost City.

Not far from them, Nightwind begins taking care of Shadolok who was bitten by something in the water that has brought down an illness upon him. Bladehelm notices a brand on Shadolok’s arm that he had never noticed before and Nightwind tells Bladehelm that he was a slave in the Baal Slave Camp. (This is one of the times that the issue footnotes that the back story takes place in WARRIORS #4 – 7, however WARRIORS never saw print past WARRIORS #5). Nightwind throws a dagger as she hears something, barely missing Coron. Nightwind threatens Coron saying that if he tries to “help” Shadolok the way he “helped” Dhakab, she would kill him without a second thought or remorse. When Bladehelm asks how much Coron over heard, Coron merely answers, “Enough to know Shadolok hates Barak as much as I do.”

In the morning – Barak announces that they will be doing double speed. Muldor informs Barak that it’s an ill idea considering their troop numbers – and that many of them are sick and wounded. When they ask Eyamma for his opinion, Eyamma merely states, “The Jungle will dictate our marching speed. And it will be a slow march.”

During the slow march, Avienne’s servant Merianne falls ill. Barak pauses only long enough to tell Avienne to find someone to carry her or leave her behind. During this Coron approaches Yerdik and tells him that Barak is in a foul mood, but that’s to be expected. Especially when Barak follows King Belgur, a man who had two of his previous mages die under “mysterious” circumstances – which is no surprise since King Belgur is from a religion that holds humanist mages in utter contempt.

When a small fight breaks out between Yerdik and Bladehelm, when Bladehelm while dragging Shadolok bumps into Yerdik. Eyamma silences the fight quickly sensing that something was close. Suddenly a vicious Chaos Beast rips through the jungle – and in one deadly strike manages to nearly sever a man in half, while devouring another with its saber-tooth like teeth. Many men fall to the Chaos Beast’s relentless attack when Barak questions where Yerdik is. Shadolok, suffering from a vicious fever believes it is King Belgur who charges at him and launches an arrow, slaying the Chaos Beast.

The scene shifts to a messenger informing King Belgur that the City of Liam has voted in favor of building a Temple of Baal within its walls.