Session One: From the Desert Sands

Hong Ling staggers out of the red wastes, having forged an alliance with Ablat Red, only to discover his tribe's camp laid to waste, with nothing but tattered remains of the tents and sun-bleached bones to mark where it ever was. Deciding that this must be the work of Wang Xiao, he prowls through the desert until he finds a few of his warriors resting at a nearby settlement. The warriors are surprised to see him and tell him that he has been gone from the wastes for a great deal of time. He challenges one of the warriors to a duel, but is struck down almost immediately by a blow from the warrior's mighty scimitar. He finds himself on the ground and nearly helpless as the warrior prepares to finish the job.

Ah-Booh has been travelling for days in search of a demon to feed Neblulous' appetite and curiosity. He spots something shining from the midst of a sandstorm and goes over to investigate. He discovers a partially-unearthed crystal and metal structure which he realises must be a pyramid. Finding an entrance, he goes in to investigate and finds writing moving across the walls. The writing asks if he is the designated pilot. Deducing that this may be a demon, Ah-Booh commands Nebulous to trap the writing in a metal box and then he consumes it. He exits the pyramid only to be met by a group of armed guardsmen who inform him that the pyramid is the property of the Jarl of Spiders and that he is under arrest for trespass.

Count Varuna Shakti is on trial for treason, and has just been sentenced to death when he calls upon Solomon XIII to get him out of there. Solomon teleports him, materialising them both at a desert oasis where he spots Hong Ling about to be murdered. He commands Solomon to fire a weapon from an orbiting satellite and fries the attacker and causes his friends to flee. The count announces that he is the rightful ruler of Marr'd and asks where they can find some strong drink. Before Hong Ling can answer, he teleports both of them to Octen Lake, identified by Solomon as the nearest settlement.

Ah-Booh is being brought in to the walled town of Octen Lake when he sees a commotion caused by two figures teleporting into the town square. They are quickly surrounded by guards, and one demands that Count Shakti drink some of his blood if they are to be welcomed to the community. The Count declines and cuts the guard's head off. The potential bloodbath is forestalled when a woman who Shakti recognises as Shimala Maraktu, an Atlantean noble, comes fromt he palace and commands the guards to release the prisoners into her custody. Maraktu, once they are alone, asks Shakti if his sister sent him, and begs him not to identify her, asking to be called Finna when there are others around.

The prisoners are brought before the Jarl of Spiders, who demands to know what happened at the pyramid. Ah-Booh professes innocence. The Jarl tells them that this pyramid is the largest discovered to date and that nations are preparing to go to war over it. He says, though, that his men have been unable to make contact with the Farrow that would give the pyramid life. Ah-Booh belches quietly. The prisoners try and fail to talk their way out of the situation, and Shakti teleports Ah-Booh out, determined to find out what happened, as Hong Ling leaps through the roof of the palace and escapes into the desert.

Shakti and Ah-Booh arrive at the pyramid where Shakti discovers what has happened to the Farrow and decides that he needs it, or one like it, in order to activate the pyramid.

Hong Ling sets up camp at the site of his tribe's slaughter. He is berated by Ablat Red for his weakness, and the demon rants about how it wishes it had been wiser in the target of its alliance. Hong Ling settles down to sleep, but is woken in the night by the sound of life all around him. He discovers his tribe alive around him, cooking a meal and talking amongst themselves as if nothing was wrong. Neither Hong Ling's wife nor son are present, but he finds his father, who tells him that they have come back from death in search of revenge. They were slaughtered, he says, by the Jarl of Spiders, and they want Hong Ling to take vengeance for them.

Shakti sees the guards of the Jarl of Spiders gathering outside the pyramid and seals over the entrance. Deciding that they may need the help fo another Sorcerer in order to bring a Farrow back to the pyramid, he teleports himself and Ah-Booh to Hong Ling's camp site. There he discovers Hong Ling in deep conversation with his dead father. He offers to transport the father and Hong Ling to the Jarl of Spiders, for revenge, but finds himself unable to move the old man. He uses his knowledge of science-wizardry and discovers that the entire tribe is in in fact one entity and is too large for him to transport. Realising that this probably means that it's a demon, he grabs his two new companions and teleports out quickly, taking them back to Octen Lake.

The group gain an audience with the Jarl of Spiders, and Shakti offers to help him activate the pyramid. He agrees, but only if they all drink of his blood. Shakti is hesitant, having heard of the properties of the blood, but Ah-Booh readily volunteers. The Jarl opens a vein using a beautiful jewelled dagger, which Ablat Red eyes hungrily. He tastes the blood, realises there's a demon in it and calls upon Nebulous to consume it. The demon sucks off the the demon-infested blood from the Jarl and devours it, leaving the Jarl as a broken, very human-looking youth sobbing on the floor of his throne room. The group teleport out as the guards prepare to attack, with Hong Ling grabbing the Jarl's dagger as an offering for Ablat Red just before they disappear.

Now, gathered at the pyramid, the three sorcerers prepare to summon a Farrow...

(Part of the Dictionary of Mu game.)