On The Road: Intermission, We Are Anthony Pt1

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Journal link: Sa-Dagget's version of events from joining the party until the end of the previous entry.

Author's note: I wasn't present at the table / Markos was not involved for much of the next two vignettes.

~~~
A day or so later the town was getting over their collective hangovers / making a start on repairing the damage. Sa (completely not-hungover) looked around and announced loudly to no-one in particular "I feel so good, I could punch a bear!"

This mostly drew blank stares from the passers-by but one enterprising local seized on the opportunity, telling Sa that there is a bit of a menagerie collected down-the-way and they have been working on building a colosseum to put on shows. It is close enough to finished, would Sa like to be the opening act right now?

Sa was a bit bemused but agreed and word was quickly spread. Soon he found himself at the centre of a ring of spectators with a rather dis-interested bear for company. Not actually wanting to attack the animal Sa attempted to encourage it to play-fight; when this fails the organisers resort to plan B - covering Sa with honey.

At the smell of the honey the bear perked up and lumbered forward
[not quite clear on what happened next - did Sa actually punch it?]
until proceedings were interrupted by the arrival of a very-unimpressed Gideon who broke up the crowd and ordered the owners of the bear to take it back to its enclosure.

~~~
Gideon had a problem - Eric was refusing to get out of bed, as if he had developed a fear of even being that far from the ground. Perhaps the PCs could speak with him? Silver-tongued Aiu and practically-spoken Markos were both unavailable so the task fell to Zedzid'r, Sa and the reluctant-to-be-involved and wanting-to-avoid-mention-of-being-responsible-for-the-fall but dragged-along-anyway Zenon.

Kitahilia was determinedly guarding the door to Eric's room and took some convincing that the trio were only there for a social visit. Eventually she let them in and they found Eric actually out of bed and sitting in a chair, his still-twisted legs covered by a blanket. Small-talk was made; as was really to be expected for someone so recently experiencing near-death Eric was not in a particularly jovial mood, but at pains to say that he did not blame Zenon for what happened. Zenon responded by taunting Eric for being a cripple until the latter in a rage threw aside his blanket and forced himself to his feet, breaking the malaise he was under.

~~~
A few days later Gideon brought more perplexing news. One of his scouts had spotted a werewolf matching Anthony's description on an island a couple of days off the coast. There not seeming to be any hurry the party finished off a few things they were doing around town before preparing for a sea voyage, boat and crew arranged by Gideon. Although the griffon rider was unable to accompany them himself (and quite grumpy about that fact) he did send his scout along, a very young griffon rider by the name of Jerome who refused to speak and communicated only through broad gestures.

One day out from shore the ship was attacked by a group of Cecaelia - a sea-dwelling race with a human-like torso and an octopus-like set of tentacles below the waist - and a taste for human meat. Two of these boarded the ship and attempted to carry off members of the crew but were fought off; one killed [by Sa?] and the other surrendering when given the option ("You are strong warriors.") It was firmly arranged that this school of cecaelia would leave the ship alone in future before the captive was released overboard.

This battle had all the usual spectacular fails and successes but my memory of the details has faded :(

A day later the island came into view; small, barren, conical and smoking as small volcanic islands tend to do. The ship party put ashore on the far side of a promontory from the crude hut which Jerome had seen from the air and attempted a stealthy approach. [Doomed to failure.] The hut itself was empty of occupants when the party arrived; containing only crude furniture and more encrypted cooking recipes in Anthony's handwriting but the fire was still warm. Markos used a Detect Creature spell to determine that there was in fact a werewolf hiding a short distance outside the cabin and Sa (the stealthyist member of the party and still confused by the other party members history with Anthonys ("How many are there again?")) set out to get a closer look.

Sneaking up on a werewolf is no mean feat but Sa did, leaping on and grappling the man-wolf hybrid. This was the cue for the rest of the group to pile out of the cabin for a confrontation with the creature, which indeed bore a strong resemblance to the Anthony fought and killed at Gloom. He could only say that the party "seemed familiar" to it but it was Markos who asked the key question "Do you have a brother called Anthony?" which led this one, "Anthony 26" to invite them into the cabin to talk.

In summary it turns out that one Anthony[? still not sure this was/is his name] aka "Father" created from himself several copies, naming them all "Anthony" ith an identifying number. (Or perhaps some are "Antoinettes" as there are apparently a few female versions.) Of about 100 attempts perhaps one in ten actually resulted in a viable clone. However "Father" has fallen ill and is dying and most of the Anthonys are involved in finding a way to preserve his life - whether he becomes a werewolf or a mojh (currrently Father is too weak to survive these processes) or perhaps summoning the dragons back in hopes their vast magics will be used to preserve him as a reward. Some of the Anthonys have become werewolves as part of the experimentation - Anthony 26 has now chosen to sit everything else out here in relative isolation.

To date the party has killed two Anthonys - the alchemist and the werewolf at Gloom. The master alchemist, (Anthony 56[?] alias "Robin"), has his main laboratory and lair towards the peak of this volcano. He is doubtless aware of their presence here and [26 straightens up] "would you be so kind as to take what is about to happen outside?".

Exiting the cabin the party see a leathery-winged terror descending from the direction of the peak. It is a chimera of mashed-together pieces with (again) three heads - a goat, a lion and something dragon-like. There is just enough time to cast a few protective spells before it lands, opening with a stream of acid from the dragon-head. For a short while Markos is left facing it alone in melee combat as the others manoeuvre for position and unleash ranged attacks, before Sa is able to charge in and help finish it off.

After recovering their breath and healing the party set off up the volcano to "have a word" with Robin.