Great Beast
From FiranMUX
For fifteen years, a terrible supernatural beast had plagued the Firan lands. Every year, it took the same path, cutting down youth from each of the seven Firan clans. The Firans did not know what to call the beast, for no one had lived to describe its appearance. Whole armies had been sent after it, and none had returned. Even the 12 year old son of the noble Elianos had been slain during the Beast's rampage through the far city of Coralut, and the people grieved more than ever -- without hope, and feeling abandoned by their Gods.
Velani, a young oracle from Ellish of the Clan of the Griffon, had a dream in which Uf sang her a song. She gained audience with the Council and explained that the poem suggested that the clans each send one hero to hunt the creature plaguing the land. Incredulous, but desperate, the leaders agreed and sent their heralds to each of the clans. Seven Heroes were sent for and seven journeyed towards Anarinuell to be briefed and sent on their quest.
On the way, the hero from the Clan of the Eagle was waylaid by a group of thugs. After the skirmish, the hero was dead, but one of the bandits was captured. The bandit, Zarid, was apparently in charge of piloting the getaway boat. He was subsequently imprisoned, awaiting judgment from the Clan Council as to his fate. The six heroes from the other clans arrived at Anarinuell and were awaiting an audience with the Great Clan Council -- except for Elianos, the representative from the Clan of the Chimera, who was a member of the Council itself.
Firgalas introduced each of the heroes and their clan -- but when it came time to introduce the Eagle, he brought forth Zarid, who had been in the group of bandits who killed said hero. Elianos declared that "The prophesy sent to this young oracle Velani, was for seven heroes. One from each clan. Since Zarid has stolen the life of a hero, he should be made to fill his shoes." -- And the council agreed. Zarid, the criminal, who had rarely battled anything other than a hangover or angry father, was drawn to his fate as one of the party of heroes.
Finally, the Great Clan Council promised the party supplies and support -- and Firgalas said, "Should you succeed on your quest, great rewards will await you. Should you fail, may Zutiv watch over your souls and bring them again to this earth in the face of another."
...
The heroes went off to find the Great Beast. By all accounts the party's first encounter with the Beast was a complete disaster -- except that they were the first and only ones to live through it. Elianos was hit first. He tried to defend against the unseen monster and was knocked unconscious with the first blow.
Bannos Istabannos, suspecting that the beast might be intelligent, and having few warriors skills other than agility and quickness, tried to run around the Beast (whose footprints were the only guide), taunting it - only to be slammed against a tree while Zarid, the criminal, tried to attack it and was slashed open on his chest.
Shara was thrown through the air, as was Velani. Lokaranis ran, while Throg was hurt. The party was about to be eaten, when an amazing thing happened. It started to rain - a lot. A really hard rain... and only where the party stood. The rain tasted like salt, and the Beast left. When the party had bandaged themselves up and gotten away to safety, they shared their experiences and Velani put together that this was not an animal -- this was an immortal Beast, and that killing it was going to be impossible.
Garen Rissik was the first to suspect that they were involved in some greater godly business, because he felt that the god Firanos was following them. So the party decided to go off of the edge of the known world. And there, instead of the beast, they discovered a tribe of people hitherto unknown to them: the Ticanee.
Lokaranis, the scholar priest, noted that they spoke a dialect of Firan and they began to piece together that the Ticanee were probably a lost tribe of the Firans - the "Fire People" spoken of in the ancient myths. The Ticanee explained that the Beast roamed through their lands too and that they were trying to kill it, but they also spoke of something else: another people to the south, with an army. . . an army with swords that were unbreakable; an army that was marching north.
The Dolo-Oshta decided he was in love with and wished to marry Velani. She, however, did not wish such a thing and lied, stating that she was already wed to Elianos and the Dolo-Oshta challenged Elianos to a duel. The night before that duel, the party was visited by the Goddess Uf.
She told the group that the Beast was immortal, and like all immortal beasts the only way to get rid of it was to put it to sleep. She told them she could help them do that, but only if they promised to do her a favor in return. Velani hurriedly agreed, not wanting to earn the wrath of her Goddess. Uf handed Velani a golden flute. Velani knew this to be the flute from myth which could lull anyone to sleep.
And so, the Goddess left, Elianos dueled the Dolo Oshta (humiliating him by knocking him down with one shove), and the party went on to set a trap for the Beast in which they managed to shackle it with a golden cuff while it was mesmerized by the music of the flute.
The beast fell asleep, and then disappeared for at least 100 years as the myths say.
