Nyogth-Vhluuhga Part 1: The Cult of Nyogth-Vhluuhga
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Nyogth-Vhluuhga Part 1: The Cult of Nyogth-Vhluuhga
Nyogth-Vhluuhga Part 1:
The Cult of Nyogth-Vhluuhga
The Cult of Nyogth-Vhluuhga
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- It was the summer of 134aw I had recently taken part in the raid of an evil cult that stood accused of kidnapping the children of farmers outside of Moon Bay. Although the bounty was very low, I was offered a larger cut of whatever treasure my be found. Had I only thought of the followers of Lithine who asked for my aid, unable to find anyone with my skill with locks and traps in Moon Bay, they would have turned them away quickly with laughter.
Surely there had been others in the fairly large wood-walled settlement of Moon Bay with skills as mine. Although unwilling to work with the followers of the pretentious church, who often looked down on such persons. But after hearing of the farmers who's children had been taken I agreed to aid them, as I saw Moon Bay to be my home and the defense of it's people the duty of all men here able to do so.
During the raid we found two of the children still alive and mostly unharmed. Rescued by our group just hours before they were to be taken up to the peaks where they would have been tied and left to freeze as offering to their foul demon lord.
After the cult house had been cleared of cultists, I searched the house very well finding a hidden room in witch we found a small horde of gold as well as many unholy tomes. They spoke of the worship of the Ice Demon who's name in common bared the letters “Nyogth-Vhluuhga” although, I believe most who knew the true phonetics they alluded are dead now. The wicked tome bared a foul symbol of a skull in the middle of a snowflake on it's cover and spoke of offerings left for many years at the demon's lair in the most south western corner of Ezun. Later in my search of the hidden room I found a map that appeared to show the location of this lair and several small idols made of very pure looking gold. The idols being stored with the map, I theorized they may have some connection with it.
One Idol was of a strange beast that had stubby legs with very large clawed feet and in place of its arms two large bat-like clawed wings stuck stretched outward. Where the head should have been there was simply a mass of tentacles smoothly carved with such detail that I could make out the suction cups of the tentacles and the vanes of the wings. The others were demonic figures of more common visage, winged and horned beastly humanoids ruminate of various animals also craved in masterful detail. I tucked the map and figures into my coat silently hiding it before the followers of Lithine I currently worked with noticed, as they would surely hand the map and idols over to the church. In total I managed to keep a tome that spoke of the demon, the map and idols, as well many fine gems that are surely worth 1,000 coins to a gnome I know in Moon Bay. My cut of the gold found was 600 coins and I was paid a 200 coin bounty left by the parents of the children but returned it to them, after seeing the children home safe with a cleric of Lithine.
The cleric praised my action although said it rather offensively stating he had never seen my kind render such an honorable deed. I looked at him blankly for a moment, before failing to reply to his backward complement and simply walking away from him as our work together was done and I had no want to make small talk with the ignorant Cleric.
Upon returning to Moon Bay I sought out the office of a demonalogist named Kao Xue-Kho. He was anciently wise being over 300 years old, he was one of the men of eastern Serpera who live much longer than the men of the Midlands. A great deal of his people had been wiped out at the end of the Longwar when the massive blasts on northern Tal destroyed their capital and many of their other cities.
I had done only one deal with him a few years ago, selling him a collection of tomes I found when I bought a small tower north of Moon Bay. One of the tomes was very rare and would surely be a hot item for collectors. He said he would have to inquire to the market value of the tome before making an offer. Caring little for holding valuable things you cannot easily bury I offered the tome for only 500 coins hoping to gain his favor over hording more coin.
He remembered me by name and greeting me as entered. After a long meeting with him where I showed him the map and a copy of the demonic tome as well as the idols made of gold I collected unknown in the raid. The church would have burned the book and map and melted the Idols had I not saved them for myself.
In the end he agreed to help for several of the small golden idols for his collection and a 65 percent share of the profits. I had countered with an offer of 55 percent of the profits and all of the idols as well as the map and tome after our adventure. He thought of the idea but said he had little need for the idols, tome and map and that he would normally offer a 15-20 percent cut to someone in my place. I then told him 65 percent would be fine and he could as well keep the objects. I would simply sell them for little more than gold value. If sold he would much likely get a better price with his knowledge of such things true worth and apologized for letting greed get the better of me in the heat of negotiation. He sited me as wiser than most of the men of the midlands in foresight and consideration. We then started to plan the journey.
I used most the gold from the gems and cults vaults to hire a guide to the southern mountains and two swordsmen who were offered atop the standard fee, a roughly 10 percent of the gross loot, payable in coin or items at end of the raid and the promise that Kao Xue-Kho and I would be fair on the value of items they wanted.
Kao Xue-Kho would most likely care little of the items found, he had a truly vast collections of magical items in the vaults of his Moon Bay tower and I have had a cache of over 10,000 gold coins for so long I have cached 10,000 elsewhere without ever touching the first. After using the the remaining gold stocking up on the best supplies we could find we set out on the long journey south.
The Journey was long and hard, decent passes are very few and well guarded in south Ezun by the xenophobic orc and goblin tribes who think little of men, dwarves and elves. Some days were spent entirely climbing up only to make camp atop the mountain before climbing down the other side the next day. The cold winds and snowfall growing as we traveled southward over the many ridges of the jagged barrier of high peaks that guard the little explored southwestern wastes of Ezun.
Alas when we reached the southwest peninsula of Ezun the where the demon's lair was said to be weather was far worse than we expected. My Group and I were separated in a massive blizzard. Two days latter I lost my backpack down a steep cliff when I almost fell having to lose the pack to save myself.
I then searched three days for a passable way back without climbing gear or food until I could no longer go on. I found a small cave, fatigued I lay on the cavern floor the burning cold turned lightly warm and I started to care not for escaping this frosty hell wanting only the peacefully rest of sleep. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Two days latter I lost my backpack down a steep cliff when I almost fell having to lose the pack to save myself.
I then searched three days for a passable way back without climbing gear or food until I could no longer go on. I found a small cave, fatigued I lay on the cavern floor the burning cold turned lightly warm and I started to care not for escaping this frosty hell wanting only the peacefully rest of sleep. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
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