Honorable Priestess,
Now we come to a most disturbing part of our journey.
As we followed the rope, the walls of the cavern gradually became the walls of a manor. There were tapestries of harvests on these walls.
Up ahead, we heard scratching and scurrying on the floor. In moments, the floor was swarming with rats. Ryn remarked that it felt like we were walking near to the land of the dead.
The rope led into a square room, in which we found more decay. At the opposite end of the room was a dais. On the dais was a chair, placed as though it were the seat of a magistrate. On that seat was a corpse. And leading into the chest of the corpse was the rope that we were following.
As we walked closer, the corpse suddenly leapt to its feet and severed the rope -- cutting off our only way to return home! This corpse -- the Lost Soul -- began to attack us. I choked as the corpse summoned a huge rat from inside my mouth. The rat leapt out and attacked me.
The Lost Soul was powerful, but Firinne was able to use her divine powers to make us stronger in our battle. We were finally able to defeat the Lost Soul when Garg commanded Bran to strike the creature, and Bran made a dead-perfect stab that destroyed the monster.
As the Lost Soul finally died, we all saw a vision of the soul leaving its body. It was as though the soul was trapped between worlds. We all felt this soul eminate a feeling of deep relief and a sense of gratitude for being freed.
We then had another vision of the Lost Soul before his body had died. He was a man, hiding a room in the cellar beneath where we stood. As he hid, the door opened, and a shadowy figure appeared.
The Lost Soul tried to cast a spell against the shadowy figure, but the figure flung a brass snake collar around the neck of the Lost Soul. As the shadowy figure approached, we started to recognize who he was -- Brother John.
Suddenly, everything became clear: The Lost Soul was captured by the Executors for committing a crime. He was taken to serve in the army. As he left, his wife and children were left behind, wailing for him. Eventually, the Lost Soul died before he could ever return to his family. He was killed by a disease from a rat.
The vision that we were seeing was "spoken" to us in Old War language. We realized that we were all now proficient in this language.
After the vision passed, we found ourselves in a room like this one but wihtout a roof. There was dust everywhere in the room.
We were now in the Siege world. And without the rope, we had no way -- and no hope -- of ever getting back home.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
"Payment Has Been Made"
Honorable Priestess,
We continued to follow the rope along some strange loops. Kale the Human Mage noted that the loops reminded him of the strange kinds of math that they did at Govor.
Eventually, we reached a point where the rope bended around the corner of a piece of rock. At that point, the rope followed the contours of the path fo the tunnel. The path bended upward to a set of steep stone stairs. We followed the stairs to a room with a familiar pile of stones in the center of a circle. The stairs led up to the center of this circle.
As we entered the room, the stones started sliding together, forming a crude semblance of creatures. The figure looked around outside the circle before realizing that we were in the circle.
"How did you get here?" the stone man asked us.
"We followed the rope."
"I see no rope," the stone man remarked. "You're going the wrong way."
"No, we're going to the Siege world."
"You want to go *to* the Siege world?" The creature stared at Garg. "You. You are the one. There must always be payment."
Garg stared back at the creature and replied, "I refuse to make payment. Payment has already been made."
The stone man scoffed. "Who paid?"
Garg stated his mother's name.
"Your mother will pay by giving her name and identity as passage," the stone man acknowleged. "The door is open. You may pass."
(We learned later that this was all part of Garg's prophecy. He would face the stone men once again, and they would ask for payment. He would refuse payment and say that payment was made.)
The stone man continued, "Some things you'll need on the other side. You'll find these things on your way there. Before you saw with the eyes of the refugee. This time, something different will happen."
And with that, the stone man allowed us to pass.
We continued to follow the rope along some strange loops. Kale the Human Mage noted that the loops reminded him of the strange kinds of math that they did at Govor.
Eventually, we reached a point where the rope bended around the corner of a piece of rock. At that point, the rope followed the contours of the path fo the tunnel. The path bended upward to a set of steep stone stairs. We followed the stairs to a room with a familiar pile of stones in the center of a circle. The stairs led up to the center of this circle.
As we entered the room, the stones started sliding together, forming a crude semblance of creatures. The figure looked around outside the circle before realizing that we were in the circle.
"How did you get here?" the stone man asked us.
"We followed the rope."
"I see no rope," the stone man remarked. "You're going the wrong way."
"No, we're going to the Siege world."
"You want to go *to* the Siege world?" The creature stared at Garg. "You. You are the one. There must always be payment."
Garg stared back at the creature and replied, "I refuse to make payment. Payment has already been made."
The stone man scoffed. "Who paid?"
Garg stated his mother's name.
"Your mother will pay by giving her name and identity as passage," the stone man acknowleged. "The door is open. You may pass."
(We learned later that this was all part of Garg's prophecy. He would face the stone men once again, and they would ask for payment. He would refuse payment and say that payment was made.)
The stone man continued, "Some things you'll need on the other side. You'll find these things on your way there. Before you saw with the eyes of the refugee. This time, something different will happen."
And with that, the stone man allowed us to pass.
Swimming Through the Earth, Breathing the Dirt
Honorable Priestess,
After we defeating the rust monsters, we continued on, following the rope. After going down a sloping grotto, we noticed that the walls became less substantial. Pushing against the walls felt like pushing through clay.
We finally reached a point at which the rope led straight into a wall. Tiny eagerly pressed against the wal and found it to be soft like clay. He pushed himself into the wall and found that he could breathe (but not speak or see).
We followed Tiny and blindly trudged ahead, using the rope to pull us forward. Eventually, we came out of the wall and into another low cavern. The cavern floor was flooded with water that came up to our legs.
There were columns lining the cavern and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Tiny decided to taste the stalactites and discovered that this cavern once contained limestone. The limestone had dissolved to form the stalactites.
Something stirred in the watter, and four Gricks burst to the surface. Two Troglodytes emerged behind the columns and started to fire up on us.
Fortunately, our battle ended quickly. Kale's strong magic put three of the Gricks to sleep. Garg commanded Firinne to kill the remaining Grick. Once the Gricks were dead, we swiftly dealt with the Troglodytes.
After we defeating the rust monsters, we continued on, following the rope. After going down a sloping grotto, we noticed that the walls became less substantial. Pushing against the walls felt like pushing through clay.
We finally reached a point at which the rope led straight into a wall. Tiny eagerly pressed against the wal and found it to be soft like clay. He pushed himself into the wall and found that he could breathe (but not speak or see).
We followed Tiny and blindly trudged ahead, using the rope to pull us forward. Eventually, we came out of the wall and into another low cavern. The cavern floor was flooded with water that came up to our legs.
There were columns lining the cavern and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Tiny decided to taste the stalactites and discovered that this cavern once contained limestone. The limestone had dissolved to form the stalactites.
Something stirred in the watter, and four Gricks burst to the surface. Two Troglodytes emerged behind the columns and started to fire up on us.
Fortunately, our battle ended quickly. Kale's strong magic put three of the Gricks to sleep. Garg commanded Firinne to kill the remaining Grick. Once the Gricks were dead, we swiftly dealt with the Troglodytes.
The Smell of Decaying Metal
Honorable Priestess,
We are following the rope to the Siege world. We headed past the forest, away from the sea, and followed the rope along many circles and curves. The journey has been long and we had to make camp, tying down the rope for the night.
The next morning, we continued to follow the rope until we hit a wall. The rope went through the wall. Fortunately, Kale the Human Mage and Tiny the Dwarven Cleric were able to cast a ritual to excavate our way through the wall. We followed the rope into a low cavern. The ceiling was so low that most of us (except for Tiny and Bran the Halfling Rogue) has to stoop down to get through.
We followed the rope into another room. This room was taller. There was an odd smell in the air, and the walls were dripping with a red fluid. Kale checked and discovered that the fluid was rusted iron.
At that moment, we were attacked by a group of rust monsters. They devoured Bran's Duelist Rapier, Tiny's Chain Mail, and Garg's Armor. Fortunately, we were able to defeat them and recovered the "residuom" of magic from these items.
We are following the rope to the Siege world. We headed past the forest, away from the sea, and followed the rope along many circles and curves. The journey has been long and we had to make camp, tying down the rope for the night.
The next morning, we continued to follow the rope until we hit a wall. The rope went through the wall. Fortunately, Kale the Human Mage and Tiny the Dwarven Cleric were able to cast a ritual to excavate our way through the wall. We followed the rope into a low cavern. The ceiling was so low that most of us (except for Tiny and Bran the Halfling Rogue) has to stoop down to get through.
We followed the rope into another room. This room was taller. There was an odd smell in the air, and the walls were dripping with a red fluid. Kale checked and discovered that the fluid was rusted iron.
At that moment, we were attacked by a group of rust monsters. They devoured Bran's Duelist Rapier, Tiny's Chain Mail, and Garg's Armor. Fortunately, we were able to defeat them and recovered the "residuom" of magic from these items.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Notes from Aelar's Journal (How to Kill an Immortal)
Since we have met the Priestess of Melora and have learned things from her, the Mad Mage, and the 101, I have decided to capture some of this information in my journal. Much of this information, I do not understand. I have just written it down for posterity and hope that we can glean some knowledge from this in the future.
The Campaign made the Mad Mage who he is today. Half of who he is now is who he was before the Campaign. The other half is what he became during the Campaign.
Before the campaign, he was a braggart (he'd gloat). During the campaign, he did terrible things. These experiences killed part of the person he once was.
The Owl lost the Lens to the Lover of the Raven Queen. The Lens made him very strong.
The Raven Queen and her lover are estranged.
The Lover wouldn't let the Mad Mage die. This was an effect of the enchantment. It is like raising the dead.
We must go to the Centenarch. The Centenarch is the gathering place of the 100 -- this is where they met before they betrayed the Judges.
But there is a problem. The Centenarch is in the Siege world, and it is impossible to cross over to the Siege world. The path to the Siege world is complicated and is something that only Gods understand.
The 100 crossed over by using the Cthona before it was sealed. They did so without the lens shard. They heard voices telling them to do things -- dig, work out the complicated math algorithems, destroy, etc.
The 100 die and are reborn over and over again. To break the bond, you need to free Gamerat.
The Honorable Priestess of Melora was able to cross over to the Siege world with a combination of a prayer, divine help, and luck.
The one person who can go back to the Siege world is Garg. The Priestess was carrying him (right before his birth) when she went to the Siege world and returned.
The Priestess gave us something that would bring us to the Siege world and back. She reached into a bag and pulled out a rope. One end of the rope stretched out 3 feet ahead of us and ended in thin air. If we pulled ourselves along the rope (hand over hand), the rope would lead us to the Siege world. (The end of the rope was tied to something in the Siege world.)
The Priestess also told us that we need to learn the prayer of Melora to help guide us through.
The Priestess did not remember much about the Siege world. As part of crossing back to our world, she had to forget some things.
She did remember that time passed differently there. A short time in the Siege world ends up taking a long amount of time in our world. We should bring a good supply of food with us.
Along the way, we will encounter the Stone Men again. They are the guardians protecting the space between worlds.
Tiny seemed quite excited about going to the Siege world.
But what about the Mad Mage? The Priestess will keep him here and will attempt to heal his troubled mind with the salves of nature. (She will use a shoot from a beautiful plant to heal the Mad Mage's mind.)
The 101 was once a captive in the Siege world. He has been alive for 10,000 years and wants to end his immortality. We cannot use the box to communicate with him when we are in the Siege world. Only the Lens works between worlds.
The Mad Mage says that in order to kill an immoral (like the Owl), we need to bind him to our will (enslave him). We need to find someone who knows how to do this.
When the Mad Mage looked through the Lens, he saw the world differently. It made him think of different things.
The Priestess gave us 100 days of supplies and rations. We are headed to the Siege world and to the Centenarch.
The Campaign made the Mad Mage who he is today. Half of who he is now is who he was before the Campaign. The other half is what he became during the Campaign.
Before the campaign, he was a braggart (he'd gloat). During the campaign, he did terrible things. These experiences killed part of the person he once was.
The Owl lost the Lens to the Lover of the Raven Queen. The Lens made him very strong.
The Raven Queen and her lover are estranged.
The Lover wouldn't let the Mad Mage die. This was an effect of the enchantment. It is like raising the dead.
We must go to the Centenarch. The Centenarch is the gathering place of the 100 -- this is where they met before they betrayed the Judges.
But there is a problem. The Centenarch is in the Siege world, and it is impossible to cross over to the Siege world. The path to the Siege world is complicated and is something that only Gods understand.
The 100 crossed over by using the Cthona before it was sealed. They did so without the lens shard. They heard voices telling them to do things -- dig, work out the complicated math algorithems, destroy, etc.
The 100 die and are reborn over and over again. To break the bond, you need to free Gamerat.
The Honorable Priestess of Melora was able to cross over to the Siege world with a combination of a prayer, divine help, and luck.
The one person who can go back to the Siege world is Garg. The Priestess was carrying him (right before his birth) when she went to the Siege world and returned.
The Priestess gave us something that would bring us to the Siege world and back. She reached into a bag and pulled out a rope. One end of the rope stretched out 3 feet ahead of us and ended in thin air. If we pulled ourselves along the rope (hand over hand), the rope would lead us to the Siege world. (The end of the rope was tied to something in the Siege world.)
The Priestess also told us that we need to learn the prayer of Melora to help guide us through.
The Priestess did not remember much about the Siege world. As part of crossing back to our world, she had to forget some things.
She did remember that time passed differently there. A short time in the Siege world ends up taking a long amount of time in our world. We should bring a good supply of food with us.
Along the way, we will encounter the Stone Men again. They are the guardians protecting the space between worlds.
Tiny seemed quite excited about going to the Siege world.
But what about the Mad Mage? The Priestess will keep him here and will attempt to heal his troubled mind with the salves of nature. (She will use a shoot from a beautiful plant to heal the Mad Mage's mind.)
The 101 was once a captive in the Siege world. He has been alive for 10,000 years and wants to end his immortality. We cannot use the box to communicate with him when we are in the Siege world. Only the Lens works between worlds.
The Mad Mage says that in order to kill an immoral (like the Owl), we need to bind him to our will (enslave him). We need to find someone who knows how to do this.
When the Mad Mage looked through the Lens, he saw the world differently. It made him think of different things.
The Priestess gave us 100 days of supplies and rations. We are headed to the Siege world and to the Centenarch.
What I Wanna Be When I Grown Up (Written by Dornal, an Elven Child in Aelar's Settlement)
Today was real exciting. A bunch of peoples came from far away to visit our town. I never seen peoples like this before!
One people said he was Tiny. He was real friendly but kept tripping and falling down. I guess his armors were too heavy. Anyway, he had a hammer and it talked!!!
There was a girl with armors too. All of a sudden, she made the armors disappear into air!!! She looked a little like us but not the same.
There was a guy who looked kind of like Ms. Honory Priestess and he was called Garg. The others kept scolding him for stabbing people. I guess he stabs lots of people when he's not supposed to.
There was this other short guy who kept sneaking around. He was looking for things to take. I think he liked the armors girl.
One guy was really hard to see. He disappeared and showed up someplace else! He even made a poofing sound!!!
They had a magician there too. This squirrel kept following him and asking for more nuts. I guess the squirrel told him how to go here but he din't pay the squirrel enuff nuts. Then he made this stinky smelly puff on top the squirrel and the squirrel rans away screaming.
The neatest one was the dragon man. He was all scaly and had a tail even. He looked real grumpy. Everyone kept talking and talking and talking and I think dragon man got bored. Then he breathed fire and burnted some houses down. It was sooooo neat!!! When I grow up, I wanna be a dragon man.
The End.
One people said he was Tiny. He was real friendly but kept tripping and falling down. I guess his armors were too heavy. Anyway, he had a hammer and it talked!!!
There was a girl with armors too. All of a sudden, she made the armors disappear into air!!! She looked a little like us but not the same.
There was a guy who looked kind of like Ms. Honory Priestess and he was called Garg. The others kept scolding him for stabbing people. I guess he stabs lots of people when he's not supposed to.
There was this other short guy who kept sneaking around. He was looking for things to take. I think he liked the armors girl.
One guy was really hard to see. He disappeared and showed up someplace else! He even made a poofing sound!!!
They had a magician there too. This squirrel kept following him and asking for more nuts. I guess the squirrel told him how to go here but he din't pay the squirrel enuff nuts. Then he made this stinky smelly puff on top the squirrel and the squirrel rans away screaming.
The neatest one was the dragon man. He was all scaly and had a tail even. He looked real grumpy. Everyone kept talking and talking and talking and I think dragon man got bored. Then he breathed fire and burnted some houses down. It was sooooo neat!!! When I grow up, I wanna be a dragon man.
The End.
Scouting Report from Hallis
Tonight, during my patrol, I encountered a long lost friend, Aelar. He was leading a strange group of travelers. Among them were an inquisitive dwarven cleric, a shifty halfling, a shadowy and mysterious eladrin, a grumpy dragonborn, a human mage, two half-elves, and a sulking captive.
Aelar told me that these travelers were seeking the counsel of the High Priestess of Melora. He claimed that they had found us through the advice of a squirrel. Apparently, the human mage can speak with the animals here. (Preposterous!)
Aelar also claimed that their captive was the Mad Mage. (I doubt this was true, since a powerful figure such as the Mad Mage would hardly been seen wearing garish reptilian jewelry around his neck!) If indeed this was the Mad Mage, why did they not kill him? They said that they needed to learn something from him.
Against my advice, he insisted on bringing the entire group of strangers with him to our settlement. He claimed to trust them, but for the safety of our people, I cautioned him against making our settlement known to outsiders. This was especially a concern, since we had to move to our hidden ravine. I explained that I was dispatched on patrol to prevent outsiders from discovering the location of our people. However, he would not listen to reason and we ended up bringing the group with us.
When we entered our village, we were greeted by stares, as I had expected. There is a reason we keep our village hidden.
I had neglected to tell Aelar of our late leader's passing. Aelar had expected to see Lorandal again but was instead welcomed by Luthe, our new chief. Luthe and Aelar have had differences in the past, so the moment of their meeting was quite tense. Fortunately, Luthe agreed that they should see the High Priestess. The Priestess was at a retreat north of the village, performing the spring ritual (a religious ceremony).
Luthe asked Aelar if he was returning to stay for good, but Aelar said he had to complete this quest and wanted to continue to explore the outside world.
This is all I have to report for the moment. I had meant to record this earlier, but my pen and journal went missing. (This is what happens when you let strangers into your home! I suspect the halfling stole these from me.)
-- Hallis
Aelar told me that these travelers were seeking the counsel of the High Priestess of Melora. He claimed that they had found us through the advice of a squirrel. Apparently, the human mage can speak with the animals here. (Preposterous!)
Aelar also claimed that their captive was the Mad Mage. (I doubt this was true, since a powerful figure such as the Mad Mage would hardly been seen wearing garish reptilian jewelry around his neck!) If indeed this was the Mad Mage, why did they not kill him? They said that they needed to learn something from him.
Against my advice, he insisted on bringing the entire group of strangers with him to our settlement. He claimed to trust them, but for the safety of our people, I cautioned him against making our settlement known to outsiders. This was especially a concern, since we had to move to our hidden ravine. I explained that I was dispatched on patrol to prevent outsiders from discovering the location of our people. However, he would not listen to reason and we ended up bringing the group with us.
When we entered our village, we were greeted by stares, as I had expected. There is a reason we keep our village hidden.
I had neglected to tell Aelar of our late leader's passing. Aelar had expected to see Lorandal again but was instead welcomed by Luthe, our new chief. Luthe and Aelar have had differences in the past, so the moment of their meeting was quite tense. Fortunately, Luthe agreed that they should see the High Priestess. The Priestess was at a retreat north of the village, performing the spring ritual (a religious ceremony).
Luthe asked Aelar if he was returning to stay for good, but Aelar said he had to complete this quest and wanted to continue to explore the outside world.
This is all I have to report for the moment. I had meant to record this earlier, but my pen and journal went missing. (This is what happens when you let strangers into your home! I suspect the halfling stole these from me.)
-- Hallis
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Inn on the Salt Coast
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
When we last corresponded, we found an inn along the Salt Coast and decided to stay there for the night.
As we entered the inn, we heard music from a lute. Tiny raced over to the bar to get some apple juice. We noticed a group of armored men -- soldiers -- sitting in the corner.
The innkeeper stared intently at Carlagnios, as though he somehow knew our Dragonborn fighter. But he seemed glad that we had come in. He sat us down at a long table and brought us some hearty stew and flagons of beer, "on the house".
After we ate, he approached Carlagnios and asked, "Are you Carlagnios?" Carlagnios nodded and growled, "Do I know you? How do you know who I am?"
The innkeeper passed him a piece of paper. Carlagnios unrolled the scroll to reveal that it was a proclamation from the Orc King. "Wanted, Dead or Alive: Carlagnious. Reward: 10,000 pieces of gold." The poster explained that Carlagnious was wanted for the atrocities that he had committed.
It was a very curious situation: the poster had an incredibly detailed picture of Carlagnios. Even more puzzling was the amazingly detailed history of Carlagnios in the poster. The history included obscure facts (things we did not even know) about Carlagnios' childhood, where he trained, every city in which he lived, and so on.
The innkeeper seemed excited that Carlagnios was here. "Are you the Butcher of Popetu? The one who sank 100 ships, brought the Orc King to his knees, stormed the castle, and left the city in ruins?" Carlagnios nodded, and we asked the innkeeper if we could speak with him at greater length in a more private room.
After we moved to a back room, the innkeeper introduced himself as Gund. He explained that the armored men in the corner were causing many problems for him. The men were the Owl's Scouts. Gund complained that the men were just drinking all of his mead and harrassing his customers.
We asked Gund about the Owl and the state of the Fingers. He told us that the Owl took over Moran and the Fingers. In the Avery, however, the Usurper sill hold power. The Avery is in the Protectorate of Olen, which is keeping out of this war with the Owl.
Hoklithan, the city of Goverilli with the hanging castle, is rumored to be under attack (or will be under attack) by the Owl. Hoklithan is in Gibralter, which is right above Olen.
The Orc King has sent out scouts to look for Carlagnios. They just seek to monitor him (not attack).
The Witch King in the Chasm Lands has an army. He opposes the Usurper of the Avery.
We thanked Gund for the news of the lands and we asked him if he wanted us to kill the Owl's scouts. Gund encouraged us at first, but later changed his mind when he realized that the Owl might send more troops in retaliation. "Don't kill Ward (the Owl's scout)!"
We left the private room and decided to sit down and talk with Ward. Ward quickly recognized that Kale was from the Avery, based on Kale's accent. Ward explained that he came to the Salt Coast because the Owl needed someone here to be his eyes. He hasn't seen much action here (a recent attack by a wolf on a farmer, some travelers from Ortmage).
After we left Ward, we had some concern that Ward would notify the Owl of our presence here. So the next day, Kale paid a visit to Ward and his men, where Kale introduced them to his nifty "Cloud of Daggers" spell.
Elis, the Mad Mage, watched the daggers kill the Owl's Scouts and commented, "So, I see that you're not afraid to spill blood." Elis seems to be regaining more of his memories as the days pass. He noticed the iron snake around his neck and mentioned that it was one of the "tools of the executors". "They thought it would be more humane than killing. More humane to keep mages locked up like this, like animals. The judges used interesting rituals to determine who was guilty and who should be punished."
After Kale dealt with the Owl's Scouts, we searched their room and found some venomous gloves, which Kale took for future use.
Honorable Priestess, there is not much more to report beyond this. We left the inn and headed inland, past the Salt Coast. The Mad Mage noticed something about the ground on which we tread, and Garg confirmed that the ground was consecreated or descecrated by a "natural ritual". At that point, blood golems rose up to attack us, and Hylox joined them against us. They were powerful creatures who split into more creatures when we bloodied them. But we defeated them and killed Hylox.
Elis the Mad Mage noted that we should dig for the gold. When we dug into the ground, we found bones from a battle long ago and a decayed purse. The Mad Mage commented that "the Owl didn't win the last time, either." Very odd...
Until the next time, your honorable servant,
Aelar
When we last corresponded, we found an inn along the Salt Coast and decided to stay there for the night.
As we entered the inn, we heard music from a lute. Tiny raced over to the bar to get some apple juice. We noticed a group of armored men -- soldiers -- sitting in the corner.
The innkeeper stared intently at Carlagnios, as though he somehow knew our Dragonborn fighter. But he seemed glad that we had come in. He sat us down at a long table and brought us some hearty stew and flagons of beer, "on the house".
After we ate, he approached Carlagnios and asked, "Are you Carlagnios?" Carlagnios nodded and growled, "Do I know you? How do you know who I am?"
The innkeeper passed him a piece of paper. Carlagnios unrolled the scroll to reveal that it was a proclamation from the Orc King. "Wanted, Dead or Alive: Carlagnious. Reward: 10,000 pieces of gold." The poster explained that Carlagnious was wanted for the atrocities that he had committed.
It was a very curious situation: the poster had an incredibly detailed picture of Carlagnios. Even more puzzling was the amazingly detailed history of Carlagnios in the poster. The history included obscure facts (things we did not even know) about Carlagnios' childhood, where he trained, every city in which he lived, and so on.
The innkeeper seemed excited that Carlagnios was here. "Are you the Butcher of Popetu? The one who sank 100 ships, brought the Orc King to his knees, stormed the castle, and left the city in ruins?" Carlagnios nodded, and we asked the innkeeper if we could speak with him at greater length in a more private room.
After we moved to a back room, the innkeeper introduced himself as Gund. He explained that the armored men in the corner were causing many problems for him. The men were the Owl's Scouts. Gund complained that the men were just drinking all of his mead and harrassing his customers.
We asked Gund about the Owl and the state of the Fingers. He told us that the Owl took over Moran and the Fingers. In the Avery, however, the Usurper sill hold power. The Avery is in the Protectorate of Olen, which is keeping out of this war with the Owl.
Hoklithan, the city of Goverilli with the hanging castle, is rumored to be under attack (or will be under attack) by the Owl. Hoklithan is in Gibralter, which is right above Olen.
The Orc King has sent out scouts to look for Carlagnios. They just seek to monitor him (not attack).
The Witch King in the Chasm Lands has an army. He opposes the Usurper of the Avery.
We thanked Gund for the news of the lands and we asked him if he wanted us to kill the Owl's scouts. Gund encouraged us at first, but later changed his mind when he realized that the Owl might send more troops in retaliation. "Don't kill Ward (the Owl's scout)!"
We left the private room and decided to sit down and talk with Ward. Ward quickly recognized that Kale was from the Avery, based on Kale's accent. Ward explained that he came to the Salt Coast because the Owl needed someone here to be his eyes. He hasn't seen much action here (a recent attack by a wolf on a farmer, some travelers from Ortmage).
After we left Ward, we had some concern that Ward would notify the Owl of our presence here. So the next day, Kale paid a visit to Ward and his men, where Kale introduced them to his nifty "Cloud of Daggers" spell.
Elis, the Mad Mage, watched the daggers kill the Owl's Scouts and commented, "So, I see that you're not afraid to spill blood." Elis seems to be regaining more of his memories as the days pass. He noticed the iron snake around his neck and mentioned that it was one of the "tools of the executors". "They thought it would be more humane than killing. More humane to keep mages locked up like this, like animals. The judges used interesting rituals to determine who was guilty and who should be punished."
After Kale dealt with the Owl's Scouts, we searched their room and found some venomous gloves, which Kale took for future use.
Honorable Priestess, there is not much more to report beyond this. We left the inn and headed inland, past the Salt Coast. The Mad Mage noticed something about the ground on which we tread, and Garg confirmed that the ground was consecreated or descecrated by a "natural ritual". At that point, blood golems rose up to attack us, and Hylox joined them against us. They were powerful creatures who split into more creatures when we bloodied them. But we defeated them and killed Hylox.
Elis the Mad Mage noted that we should dig for the gold. When we dug into the ground, we found bones from a battle long ago and a decayed purse. The Mad Mage commented that "the Owl didn't win the last time, either." Very odd...
Until the next time, your honorable servant,
Aelar
Our Travels Along the Salt Coast
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
My great apologies for this belated message to you. (I have, for some reason, several incomprehensible drafts of letters about a stranger on the beach. I cannot fathom why I wrote them.)
Since we last corresponded, we were transported from the city of the Mad Mage to the Salt Coast. We have captured the Mad Mage and restrained him with the snake collar -- the powerful artifact that prevents mages from casting spells.
We contacted the 101 and found that much has changed in the outside world. The Owl has taken over the Fingers. It is too dangerous to bring the Mad Mage back to Put. The 101 suggested that we consult you for advice, so I am leading the party toward the Temple of Melora. He warned us to avoid the Agents of the Owl along the way.
We travel with Elis the Mad Mage (chained behind Carlagnios, the Dragonborn), a mathematician (Burrus, who is seeking a way back to civilization), and a prisoner (Hylox, one of the mages who tried to kill us).
Elis is blank-faced. He has probably surmised that we have restrained his spellcasting abilities (with the snake around his neck) but does not show much anger (or emotion, for that matter).
Hylox still does not seem to have given up on his quest. He asked Firinne to help him to fulfill Goverillis' noble goals.
Kale used one of his new rituals that he learned to commuincate with his mentor, Sta Sokeus. Sta has fled the Fingers and is seeking the Witch King. The Sworn abound the Chasm Lands (a province of the Avery).
Elis, the Mad Mage, mentioned that he knew someone who knew Sta. This someone blew out his own eyes because he could not handle the lens. The lens is a window that shows you a dfiferent way. It is the lover's window. And it magnifies the human condition.
Elis said he himeself doesn't know anything about this, but someone knows -- someone who did horrible things (burned villages, killed people). He remembers all of these terrible things happening, but none of these feel like things that he did.
He turned to Kale (our mage) and remarked that the ritual was "passable and clumsy". He explained that it was hard for him to see rituals and spells cast so poorly.
Elis then said that we would take leave of us, and he fell unconscious.
As we continued along the coast, we saw a building in the distance. The building sat on a raised hill on an estuary.
As we approached, we realized that the building was an inn. We decided to stay there for the night.
I shall write you again soon. As ever, your faithful servant,
Aelar
My great apologies for this belated message to you. (I have, for some reason, several incomprehensible drafts of letters about a stranger on the beach. I cannot fathom why I wrote them.)
Since we last corresponded, we were transported from the city of the Mad Mage to the Salt Coast. We have captured the Mad Mage and restrained him with the snake collar -- the powerful artifact that prevents mages from casting spells.
We contacted the 101 and found that much has changed in the outside world. The Owl has taken over the Fingers. It is too dangerous to bring the Mad Mage back to Put. The 101 suggested that we consult you for advice, so I am leading the party toward the Temple of Melora. He warned us to avoid the Agents of the Owl along the way.
We travel with Elis the Mad Mage (chained behind Carlagnios, the Dragonborn), a mathematician (Burrus, who is seeking a way back to civilization), and a prisoner (Hylox, one of the mages who tried to kill us).
Elis is blank-faced. He has probably surmised that we have restrained his spellcasting abilities (with the snake around his neck) but does not show much anger (or emotion, for that matter).
Hylox still does not seem to have given up on his quest. He asked Firinne to help him to fulfill Goverillis' noble goals.
Kale used one of his new rituals that he learned to commuincate with his mentor, Sta Sokeus. Sta has fled the Fingers and is seeking the Witch King. The Sworn abound the Chasm Lands (a province of the Avery).
Elis, the Mad Mage, mentioned that he knew someone who knew Sta. This someone blew out his own eyes because he could not handle the lens. The lens is a window that shows you a dfiferent way. It is the lover's window. And it magnifies the human condition.
Elis said he himeself doesn't know anything about this, but someone knows -- someone who did horrible things (burned villages, killed people). He remembers all of these terrible things happening, but none of these feel like things that he did.
He turned to Kale (our mage) and remarked that the ritual was "passable and clumsy". He explained that it was hard for him to see rituals and spells cast so poorly.
Elis then said that we would take leave of us, and he fell unconscious.
As we continued along the coast, we saw a building in the distance. The building sat on a raised hill on an estuary.
As we approached, we realized that the building was an inn. We decided to stay there for the night.
I shall write you again soon. As ever, your faithful servant,
Aelar
The Life and Times of Elis the Prodigy
They called him Elis the Prodigy. He was a human mage who came from a noble family in the Avery.
As a child, he showed enormous potential as a mage. He was tutored by the renown wizard Sta Sokeus, and he soon eclipsed Sta in skill and power.
When Elis was barely 6 years old, he defeated another mage in battle. At the age of 10, he fought in the Campaign.
Now, 25 years later, he sits before us, weathered by age and battle, slowly regaining a sense of self. A scar runs across his neck -- a dark memory of a time when someone tried to kill him.
He slowly begins to speak, as though unsure that the words are coming out of his mouth.
"This form -- this body that I am in... It is very uncomfortable. And smelly. Very smelly. It wears shoes?"
We acknowledge that we found his body without any footwear, and we gave him a pair that we found in the warehouse.
"Hungry. This body feels -- I -- I feel hungry."
Ryn generously offered to prepare a meal of Jambalaya for us. After eat up the food, Elis frown and said, "Something is wrong. But I do not know what it is. Something feels wrong." But he could not elaborate on this.
As we turned in for the night, we could he hear him sobbing to himself quietly.
As a child, he showed enormous potential as a mage. He was tutored by the renown wizard Sta Sokeus, and he soon eclipsed Sta in skill and power.
When Elis was barely 6 years old, he defeated another mage in battle. At the age of 10, he fought in the Campaign.
Now, 25 years later, he sits before us, weathered by age and battle, slowly regaining a sense of self. A scar runs across his neck -- a dark memory of a time when someone tried to kill him.
He slowly begins to speak, as though unsure that the words are coming out of his mouth.
"This form -- this body that I am in... It is very uncomfortable. And smelly. Very smelly. It wears shoes?"
We acknowledge that we found his body without any footwear, and we gave him a pair that we found in the warehouse.
"Hungry. This body feels -- I -- I feel hungry."
Ryn generously offered to prepare a meal of Jambalaya for us. After eat up the food, Elis frown and said, "Something is wrong. But I do not know what it is. Something feels wrong." But he could not elaborate on this.
As we turned in for the night, we could he hear him sobbing to himself quietly.
A Stranger on the Beach
(Readers: start with the last post with this title, and read upwards)
...
and suddenly --
...
everything becomes clear --
...
as if we had known this all along --
...
...
and suddenly --
...
everything becomes clear --
...
as if we had known this all along --
...
A Stranger on the Beach
There is a stranger before us, bound in rope and with the snake wrapped around his neck. He glares at us. (Why? We do not know.)
Bran says something about untying the Knot. The Knot of Forgetting. He pulls the Knot out and begins to loosen it.
But what will happen if he does this? What--
Bran says something about untying the Knot. The Knot of Forgetting. He pulls the Knot out and begins to loosen it.
But what will happen if he does this? What--
A Stranger on the Beach
We are on the shore. There is a stranger tied up, sitting before us? How did he get here? Who tied him up? And why is the snake around his neck?
Bran is saying something. "The Knot," he says, "the Knot of Forgetting." He says we should --
Bran is saying something. "The Knot," he says, "the Knot of Forgetting." He says we should --
A Stranger on the Beach
Carlagnious, the Dragonborn, is intimidating a stranger on the shore? We need to tie him up? And put the snake around his neck? Why? We grab the rope and the snake, and we --
A Stranger on the Beach
On the shore, there was a stranger walking away from us. He was headed North. Where did he come from?
Kale is shouting something. "Stop him! Tie him up! And put the snake around his neck! I sense --"
Kale is shouting something. "Stop him! Tie him up! And put the snake around his neck! I sense --"
A Stranger on the Beach
We found ourselves on the shore. A stranger was there, insisting that we dig North of here. He seemed to be getting more and more impatient. Dig, he said. Dig --
A Stranger on the Beach
After escaping, we found ourselves on the shore. A stranger told us to dig North of here. Dig. He said --
A Stranger on the Beach
After escaping through the portal, we found ourselves on the shore near -- the lake? the sea? -- with Burrus the mathematician, Hylox (the wizard who, after attacking us, surrendered rather than facing death), and a body that Bran the Halfling Rogue insisted that we bring with us.
And there was a stranger. We did not know where he came from. We did not even see him approach us. He was telling us to dig North of here. The conduit? He said --
And there was a stranger. We did not know where he came from. We did not even see him approach us. He was telling us to dig North of here. The conduit? He said --
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Reflections on the Spontaneous Arcane Improvement of a Weapon
Excepted from Sokeus, Sta "Dropping the Lance" The Annals of the Expeditionary of the Lyceum Arcana CXIX.2After the utter destruction of Guards-Captain Hannerty (he had a fine ear for music, I much regret his loss) we decided to make camp among the dunes near the ruined Inn. And while there we were harried by a local Lich and his demonic consort. A heated battle culminated with my dagger thrust into the Lich's brittle chest. As the Lich crumbled, I felt an expulsion of malignant energy and, afterwards, I was pleased to discover that the dagger had spontaneously improved: it was lighter and more wieldly and, upon arcane inspection, I saw it had gained a necrotic aspect. It was no longer suitable for use as my camp knife, turning meat sour at the slightest touch, but was quite fit for battle.This is an example of what I call the Natural Ritual, in this case a ritual of enchantment enacted by battle and death. The majority of the Learned Rituals are probably Natural Rituals which some beneficent soul has observed, abstracted, and set to paper. More magic is unknown than will ever be known, much as it might fret my colleagues to admit this. We need only look to the humble Sorcerer, who wields magic despite his ignorance, to see this personified.With my curiosity aroused, I set out with our scout and secured the Lich's phylactery. I kept this with us and, every week or so when the Lich reappeared, I would dispatch him again with a fresh knife. Sadly, despite dozens of trials, I was never able to recreate the exact circumstance of the initial encounter. Perhaps there is an element of urgency which is required.The Lich grew quite tired of me before all was done.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Return to the Caldera
From the journal of Kale:
21st day, Morning
Our guide is dead and we are on the run. Aelar thinks he can lead us back the eladrin encampment, though everyone agrees we should circle to the back before entering. I believe the prophecy of Mades Skinner holds the key forward: we must claim the three-legged construct that I inspected earlier.
You have seen too much. You must die.
-Speaker
21st day, Evening
I am riding inside the belly of a strange machine. This has been an eventful day.
We managed to locate the construct without much difficulty, and it was exactly as I had remembered it. As we began to inspect the tripod an eladrin emerged, dressed in simple robes and carrying a spear. The resulting conversation was rather tense, and ended badly.
We were immediately set upon by about a dozen eladrin soldiers who appeared from nowhere, wielding powers of ice. The battle was chaotic and fierce-- Firinne and Garg rushed into melee, killing several soldiers, but they were quickly surrounded. The earlier speaker proved to possess tremendous teleportation abilities and began to blind members of the party with Fey spells. Reacting quickly, Ryn employed his own Fey teleportation abilities to pull away Firinne, killing several soldiers in the process. I managed to summon a poisonous cloud across the eladrin formation, inflicting further casualties (I regret that Garg was among the victims). We quickly realized that two of the soldiers possessed the ability to absorb inflicted wounds from their allies-- a dangerous ability that we had seen before.
The situation seemed grim: Firinne nearly succumbed to her icy wounds. Nonetheless, despite the blinded Carlagnios managing to knock over half the party in a sightless fury, we eliminated all but the two resilient knights and the speaker. We poured our fire onto the lead knight, and finally they broke, crumbling down together. We then faced only the elusive speaker.
Realizing that the speaker would likely flee unhampered once we managed to wound him, we quickly devised a cunning plan. In a moment of confusion I concealed myself with a spell of invisibility and began to creep towards the speaker's position. Meanwhile Carlagnios began to loudly negotiate terms of a truce. I edged up behind the speaker without alerting him, while removing the iron snake from its wrappings. As the speaker began to proclaim the terms of our surrender, I snapped the snake around his neck.
He's a liability.
-Ryn
Though he did carry the key to the construct, the disabled speaker proved to be of little use. The morphic key and lock on the tripod appeared to be on a sort of periodic cycle that was unaligned. The speaker, laughing, proclaimed that the two would not be in sync for a week. He said little else. It was clear that the elf was some sort of fanatic. As we began to explore other options, Garg callously snuffed out the speaker's life with his blade. I see the necessity of this course, but I must say that such a cold-blooded act does not fail to unnerve me. Perhaps that is a good thing.
In a flash of insight, Firinne suggested we make use of the iron scarab we discovered earlier in the Ring of Melora. Attaching the scarab stopped the action of the key. It had a similar effect when attached to the lock, and Bran, seeing it frozen, realized he had a chance of picking it. He deftly subverted the lock, and the door atop the construct was opened. As we began to climb into the small space within, we were astonished to hear the device begin to speak to us.
Ryn: What can you do?
11: I can walk.
Ryn: Is that all?
11: I can cry.
We quickly found that the construct, being of eladrin origin, would only converse directly with Ryn. The device reminded me a bit of a golem. Its requests were simple, almost childlike, and it accepted Ryn as its commander without question. In addition to locomotion, it seemed to have the ability to withstand great environmental extremes, and claimed to be capable of "crying." A bizzare console in the center of the construct controls the so-called tears, which emerge from a small orifice in the machine's underbelly. Ryn asked the device what its name was. It answered "eleven." We then took the obvious course-- straight to the caldera, to seek the mad mage. The tripod began to lumber off into the cold.
Then a change is happening.
-Crypt-keeper
22nd day, Morning
We are not quite were I expected us to be. In fact, I am not sure where we are at all.
Last night we rode in the construct straight to the edge of the caldera. Approaching the lip of the ridge, we sealed the hatch shut. The device lumbered up and over the ridge and down into the caldera, no doubt still teeming with gnolls. 11 reported seeing 'creatures' all about. Nervous minutes passed. Eventually we began to hear bumping and clattering noises echoing across the hull. 11 tried to shake some of them off, which seemed to work for a while, but they soon returned, and I sensed the expression of magical energies as well.
Despite this interference, Ryn guided 11 to proceed into the center of the caldera. At last 11 stopped, saying that he had clambered onto a sort of 'door'. Feeling this was as good a time as any, Ryn commanded the release of a tear. This was a singular event.
The tear was visible even inside the armored core of the machine-- a brilliant point of light that seemed to appear in the console and plummet down. I sensed powerful spatial magics (a sort of teleportation?). As the tear left the craft we felt a great heat, and then we fell.
After some bumps, 11 reported that we were floating in water. Prying open the hatch, we discovered that we were floating under water, and our metal companion quickly began to sink. Swimming up, we found ourselves in a vast cave. A passage of the tear's making pierced the ceiling, and a whirlpool was actively drawing the water down along the same axis. As the water drained away we saw that the tear's path had breached into corridors extending beneath the cave.
We also observed a bizarre spatial anomaly: a spherical portal, suspended high in the air, through which water was pouring. Eventually the portal ceased to flow, the water draining away, and we glimpsed a blue sky and (with a leap by Ryn) a lake from which the water had come.
We decided to investigate the lower tunnels, and began to rappel down the still-hot channel. Walking down the corridor, we came upon a large room-- and several humans. These men were still in shock from the tear's effects, and were expressing concern for a city they claimed was further underground.
Several things have now become clear. No outsiders had visited this place for twenty years. The denizens of this place appear to serve the legacy of Govorilli, the infamous possessor of the Lens. Govorilli left his servants instructions about what to do when "changes" occurred. We appear to have instigated such a change. One man led us through a crypt of his keeping, clearly intended for necromantic purposes. The men we met were not armed; we subdued them once they tried to contact their superiors (the "blades"). There was talk of these people having built up an army.
Finally, the mad mage is almost certainly here. When asked the name of the last outsider who appeared in this place, the crypt-keeper paused and replied "I don't remember."
21st day, Morning
Our guide is dead and we are on the run. Aelar thinks he can lead us back the eladrin encampment, though everyone agrees we should circle to the back before entering. I believe the prophecy of Mades Skinner holds the key forward: we must claim the three-legged construct that I inspected earlier.
You have seen too much. You must die.
-Speaker
21st day, Evening
I am riding inside the belly of a strange machine. This has been an eventful day.
We managed to locate the construct without much difficulty, and it was exactly as I had remembered it. As we began to inspect the tripod an eladrin emerged, dressed in simple robes and carrying a spear. The resulting conversation was rather tense, and ended badly.
We were immediately set upon by about a dozen eladrin soldiers who appeared from nowhere, wielding powers of ice. The battle was chaotic and fierce-- Firinne and Garg rushed into melee, killing several soldiers, but they were quickly surrounded. The earlier speaker proved to possess tremendous teleportation abilities and began to blind members of the party with Fey spells. Reacting quickly, Ryn employed his own Fey teleportation abilities to pull away Firinne, killing several soldiers in the process. I managed to summon a poisonous cloud across the eladrin formation, inflicting further casualties (I regret that Garg was among the victims). We quickly realized that two of the soldiers possessed the ability to absorb inflicted wounds from their allies-- a dangerous ability that we had seen before.
The situation seemed grim: Firinne nearly succumbed to her icy wounds. Nonetheless, despite the blinded Carlagnios managing to knock over half the party in a sightless fury, we eliminated all but the two resilient knights and the speaker. We poured our fire onto the lead knight, and finally they broke, crumbling down together. We then faced only the elusive speaker.
Realizing that the speaker would likely flee unhampered once we managed to wound him, we quickly devised a cunning plan. In a moment of confusion I concealed myself with a spell of invisibility and began to creep towards the speaker's position. Meanwhile Carlagnios began to loudly negotiate terms of a truce. I edged up behind the speaker without alerting him, while removing the iron snake from its wrappings. As the speaker began to proclaim the terms of our surrender, I snapped the snake around his neck.
He's a liability.
-Ryn
Though he did carry the key to the construct, the disabled speaker proved to be of little use. The morphic key and lock on the tripod appeared to be on a sort of periodic cycle that was unaligned. The speaker, laughing, proclaimed that the two would not be in sync for a week. He said little else. It was clear that the elf was some sort of fanatic. As we began to explore other options, Garg callously snuffed out the speaker's life with his blade. I see the necessity of this course, but I must say that such a cold-blooded act does not fail to unnerve me. Perhaps that is a good thing.
In a flash of insight, Firinne suggested we make use of the iron scarab we discovered earlier in the Ring of Melora. Attaching the scarab stopped the action of the key. It had a similar effect when attached to the lock, and Bran, seeing it frozen, realized he had a chance of picking it. He deftly subverted the lock, and the door atop the construct was opened. As we began to climb into the small space within, we were astonished to hear the device begin to speak to us.
Ryn: What can you do?
11: I can walk.
Ryn: Is that all?
11: I can cry.
We quickly found that the construct, being of eladrin origin, would only converse directly with Ryn. The device reminded me a bit of a golem. Its requests were simple, almost childlike, and it accepted Ryn as its commander without question. In addition to locomotion, it seemed to have the ability to withstand great environmental extremes, and claimed to be capable of "crying." A bizzare console in the center of the construct controls the so-called tears, which emerge from a small orifice in the machine's underbelly. Ryn asked the device what its name was. It answered "eleven." We then took the obvious course-- straight to the caldera, to seek the mad mage. The tripod began to lumber off into the cold.
Then a change is happening.
-Crypt-keeper
22nd day, Morning
We are not quite were I expected us to be. In fact, I am not sure where we are at all.
Last night we rode in the construct straight to the edge of the caldera. Approaching the lip of the ridge, we sealed the hatch shut. The device lumbered up and over the ridge and down into the caldera, no doubt still teeming with gnolls. 11 reported seeing 'creatures' all about. Nervous minutes passed. Eventually we began to hear bumping and clattering noises echoing across the hull. 11 tried to shake some of them off, which seemed to work for a while, but they soon returned, and I sensed the expression of magical energies as well.
Despite this interference, Ryn guided 11 to proceed into the center of the caldera. At last 11 stopped, saying that he had clambered onto a sort of 'door'. Feeling this was as good a time as any, Ryn commanded the release of a tear. This was a singular event.
The tear was visible even inside the armored core of the machine-- a brilliant point of light that seemed to appear in the console and plummet down. I sensed powerful spatial magics (a sort of teleportation?). As the tear left the craft we felt a great heat, and then we fell.
After some bumps, 11 reported that we were floating in water. Prying open the hatch, we discovered that we were floating under water, and our metal companion quickly began to sink. Swimming up, we found ourselves in a vast cave. A passage of the tear's making pierced the ceiling, and a whirlpool was actively drawing the water down along the same axis. As the water drained away we saw that the tear's path had breached into corridors extending beneath the cave.
We also observed a bizarre spatial anomaly: a spherical portal, suspended high in the air, through which water was pouring. Eventually the portal ceased to flow, the water draining away, and we glimpsed a blue sky and (with a leap by Ryn) a lake from which the water had come.
We decided to investigate the lower tunnels, and began to rappel down the still-hot channel. Walking down the corridor, we came upon a large room-- and several humans. These men were still in shock from the tear's effects, and were expressing concern for a city they claimed was further underground.
Several things have now become clear. No outsiders had visited this place for twenty years. The denizens of this place appear to serve the legacy of Govorilli, the infamous possessor of the Lens. Govorilli left his servants instructions about what to do when "changes" occurred. We appear to have instigated such a change. One man led us through a crypt of his keeping, clearly intended for necromantic purposes. The men we met were not armed; we subdued them once they tried to contact their superiors (the "blades"). There was talk of these people having built up an army.
Finally, the mad mage is almost certainly here. When asked the name of the last outsider who appeared in this place, the crypt-keeper paused and replied "I don't remember."
Monday, August 3, 2009
Betrayal Beneath the Caldera
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
We finally reached the caldera under which the Mad Mage lives. The caldera is a vast, barren, sunken circle. In caldera, spiraling down, there are giant roads that spell out runes of protection. As you get closer to the center, the surface becomes rockier and harder to traverse. And throughout the caldera, we see Gnolls everywhere.
Manos leads us to one of the side passages and tells us to sleep here for the night. Honorable Priestess, this is where I must finally deal with the Prophecy of Mades.
When Mades took me aside, he foretold that we would meet Manos in Kenner and that Manos would lead us to the Mad Mage. He also foretold that Manos would tell us to sleep before entering the Mad Mage's lair. And it is here that Manos would lead us into a trap.
The only way you can prevent this, Mades said, is to kill Manos in his sleep. You must then leave the lair of the Mad Mage because there is something that you are missing. You will know that this is. You will lead the party back to return to some place that you have been before. You will find the missing object there, and only then should you return to the lair of the Mad Mage.
And, Mades told me, this prophecy must not be shared with anyone else.
As hard as it would be for me to kill someone in their sleep, it would be impossible to do if someone else were there, awake and alert. Ryn, the Eladrin Warlock, never sleeps. Given how badly my luck at combat seems to have been (missing the Manticore in several of my most powerful attacks), it seemed likely that I would also somehow fail to kill Manos in his sleep if I tried. And then what would I say to Ryn? "Uh, hi, don't mind me. Just killing the guide in his sleep, that's all. Nothing to worry about."
I had this bad feeling that this could not possibly go well. The only way I could take any action against Manos was to tell Ryn about the prophecy. So I did, and in doing so, changed the prophecy in an unpredictable way.
Ryn also had his own prophecy as well, which seemed to fit with the one I was told. So there seemed to be some accuracy. However, there was still some doubt about Manos. What if the prophecy was wrong? Would we be killing an innocent man? How could we know?
In the end, we decided to tie him up instead, and question him about why he planned to betray us. We gathered some rope and slowly made our way toward his sleeping figure.
Unfortunately, although we attempted to be discreet, Manos had heard us discussing our plans and got up quickly before we could reach him. I attempted to shoot him with my arrows, but he scrambled over to the Horn of Summoning and sounded it, warning every Gnoll in the area about our presence. We eventually were able to subdue him.
The rest of the party were awoken by the Horn of Summoning. They were shocked at what had happened but after explaining our reasons and exchanging information about each of our prophecies, we realized that we did need to go back.
We tied up Manos and questioned him, but he refused to give us any answers. I was concerned that Manos might tell the Mad Mage or the Gnolls of our plans and thought we could not let him go. Garg ended up slaying him. After Manos collapsed, we found that his body was covered with runes of compulsion. They were old runes, so perhaps he had been compelled to lead us into a trap for a long time.
We ran back toward the Eladrin encampment, hearing the sounds of the Gnoll forces mobilizing behind us.
Your faithful servant,
Aelar
We finally reached the caldera under which the Mad Mage lives. The caldera is a vast, barren, sunken circle. In caldera, spiraling down, there are giant roads that spell out runes of protection. As you get closer to the center, the surface becomes rockier and harder to traverse. And throughout the caldera, we see Gnolls everywhere.
Manos leads us to one of the side passages and tells us to sleep here for the night. Honorable Priestess, this is where I must finally deal with the Prophecy of Mades.
When Mades took me aside, he foretold that we would meet Manos in Kenner and that Manos would lead us to the Mad Mage. He also foretold that Manos would tell us to sleep before entering the Mad Mage's lair. And it is here that Manos would lead us into a trap.
The only way you can prevent this, Mades said, is to kill Manos in his sleep. You must then leave the lair of the Mad Mage because there is something that you are missing. You will know that this is. You will lead the party back to return to some place that you have been before. You will find the missing object there, and only then should you return to the lair of the Mad Mage.
And, Mades told me, this prophecy must not be shared with anyone else.
As hard as it would be for me to kill someone in their sleep, it would be impossible to do if someone else were there, awake and alert. Ryn, the Eladrin Warlock, never sleeps. Given how badly my luck at combat seems to have been (missing the Manticore in several of my most powerful attacks), it seemed likely that I would also somehow fail to kill Manos in his sleep if I tried. And then what would I say to Ryn? "Uh, hi, don't mind me. Just killing the guide in his sleep, that's all. Nothing to worry about."
I had this bad feeling that this could not possibly go well. The only way I could take any action against Manos was to tell Ryn about the prophecy. So I did, and in doing so, changed the prophecy in an unpredictable way.
Ryn also had his own prophecy as well, which seemed to fit with the one I was told. So there seemed to be some accuracy. However, there was still some doubt about Manos. What if the prophecy was wrong? Would we be killing an innocent man? How could we know?
In the end, we decided to tie him up instead, and question him about why he planned to betray us. We gathered some rope and slowly made our way toward his sleeping figure.
Unfortunately, although we attempted to be discreet, Manos had heard us discussing our plans and got up quickly before we could reach him. I attempted to shoot him with my arrows, but he scrambled over to the Horn of Summoning and sounded it, warning every Gnoll in the area about our presence. We eventually were able to subdue him.
The rest of the party were awoken by the Horn of Summoning. They were shocked at what had happened but after explaining our reasons and exchanging information about each of our prophecies, we realized that we did need to go back.
We tied up Manos and questioned him, but he refused to give us any answers. I was concerned that Manos might tell the Mad Mage or the Gnolls of our plans and thought we could not let him go. Garg ended up slaying him. After Manos collapsed, we found that his body was covered with runes of compulsion. They were old runes, so perhaps he had been compelled to lead us into a trap for a long time.
We ran back toward the Eladrin encampment, hearing the sounds of the Gnoll forces mobilizing behind us.
Your faithful servant,
Aelar
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A Life Learned Along the Death Walk
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
When we last corresponded, our party was waiting for the Eladrin to appear. We did not have to wait long.
We noticed an Eladrin had been standing nearby and watching us. It was not clear how long he had been there. Ryn greeted him.
"Are you of the Emaq Caste," the Eladrin asked Ryn. "Yes," Ryn replied.
"Have you," asked the Eladrin, "been on a Death Walk recently?"
We gave each other puzzled glances, while Ryn answered, "No, I haven't. I can offer my services to you, if there are any dead among you."
The Eladrin nodded. "There is one dead among us. Come with me."
The Eladrin led us through the snow and over a high ridge of ice and rock. Below us was a valley filled with a mist. Manos frowned. "This is not normally the way I've gone before."
We followed the Eladrin down into the valley. As we descended, we noticed that the air was getting warmer, and the snow started to disappear. The ground around us seemed unsteady, and the rocks on the ground began to look more like volcanic rock. We passed a few hot springs and saw algae of a number of colors.
Manos glanced at us and whispered, "I've never been here before."
We finally reached a low encampment of criss-crossing fissures. Here, the Eladrin folk made their dwellings in the walls. There were many wild-looking Eladrin here, wearing handmade leather clothing.
The Eladrin who brought us here took us to their quarters, where he said we could stay. He seemed puzzled that we would be traveling with Ryn. "Members of the Emaq Caste -- those who do the Death Walk -- are not to be touched. They live separate lives from the rest of us."
Ryn did not look very pleased with the Eladrin's attitude. Still, he agreed to do the Death Walk. "It's the least I can do, since you are letting us stay here."
"Good. Just don't wander around. Stay in your quarters."
The Eladrin gave us some food -- a slurry of sorts, with some algae and meat in a stew -- and left us to eat.
After we ate, we discussed ways to explore the area and get more information. Ryn could walk around unhindered, since he was a member of the Emaq Caste. Kale had an impressive ritual that made him invisible to all around him. Perhaps Ryn would do the initial exploration of the encampment, report back, and tell Kale what areas were worth looking into.
Ryn left the quarters to start exploring. He didn't find anything unusual except for one area, in which a guard prevented him from following one of the paths down a ridge hallway. The guard told Ryn, "Their world is so dull compared to ours. Their north has a harsh beauty." When Ryn pressed the guard for details, the guard said, "This valley was not found as it is -- it was modeled to fit the needs of this outpost."
After exploring the rest of the area, Ryn went to do the Death Walk. He discovered that the Death Walk was for an Eladrin who probably was a mage. This Eladrin's death was accidental and happened well over a month ago.
The body of the Eladrin was frozen. The room for the Death Walk was filled with candles and containers of water.
As Ryn began the Death Walk, he started experiencing the life of this Eladrin mage. He learned that the Eladrin had built this area. It was not a volcanic area before the Eladrin arrived. The mage himself was separated from his group in a blizzard. The mage was also in charge of operating some sort of magical device.
The Death Walk lasted for 36 hours. After the vigil was over, Ryn asked if the Eladrin could set us on the right path to the Mad Mage. They agreed to do this and gave Ryn some pig weed for smoking.
While Ryn was on his Death Walk, the rest of the party went to the path that Ryn had been prevented from exploring. The guard was still there, so Firinne talked to the guard to distract him. Kale used his ritual to become invisible to all eyes, and he snuck around guard and walked further down the path.
Along the path, there was a sign that warned "Do not enter". As Kale continued down the path, he noticed that the land was becoming swampier, and he had a strange feeling that the area seemed haunted. Finally, the path led down to a volcanic area, where a black ovoid was suspended above by three posts coming off to the side (almost like a spidery structure). Kale detected magic from this device.
The posts on the side were made of some unrecognizable metal. The posts had bumps throughout their lengths -- almost like handholds. Occasionally, there were runes for protection. Kale used these handholds to climb to the top of the ovoid.
At the top of the ovoid was a closed door. The top of the oviod itself was covered with runes for strengthening metal from fire. The door was locked by a morphic lock (something like a padlock that changes shape). A morphic lock could only be opened by a morephic key.
The entire device seemed like some sort of golem or magical construct.
Kale cast a spell to allow him to fall from the top of the ovoid like a feater. As he floated down, Kale noticed a small pore (a hole) in the bottom of the ovoid.
After Kale returned, we went back to our quarters to meet up with Ryn. Manos had already packed up and was ready to leave.
Manos said that we are getting close to the lair of the Mad Mage. The Mad Mage lives under a caldera. The main entrance -- Hell's Teeth -- is surrounded by runes of protection and is guarded by Gnolls. There are side passages to the caldera, which bypass Hell's Teeth. Manos will show us the way but will not go into the caldera. Carlognios' father was captured up here many years ago.
We discussed the ovoid and what it might mean. Some of the party members thought we should stay and see if the ovoid could be used against the Mad Mage. But we could not determine a good way to free the ovoid, since it was still guarded.
In the end, we decided to leave for the Mad Mage's lair. As we drew closer, my heart sank as I remembered my prophecy and what I would be compelled to do.
Your faithful servant,
Aelar
When we last corresponded, our party was waiting for the Eladrin to appear. We did not have to wait long.
We noticed an Eladrin had been standing nearby and watching us. It was not clear how long he had been there. Ryn greeted him.
"Are you of the Emaq Caste," the Eladrin asked Ryn. "Yes," Ryn replied.
"Have you," asked the Eladrin, "been on a Death Walk recently?"
We gave each other puzzled glances, while Ryn answered, "No, I haven't. I can offer my services to you, if there are any dead among you."
The Eladrin nodded. "There is one dead among us. Come with me."
The Eladrin led us through the snow and over a high ridge of ice and rock. Below us was a valley filled with a mist. Manos frowned. "This is not normally the way I've gone before."
We followed the Eladrin down into the valley. As we descended, we noticed that the air was getting warmer, and the snow started to disappear. The ground around us seemed unsteady, and the rocks on the ground began to look more like volcanic rock. We passed a few hot springs and saw algae of a number of colors.
Manos glanced at us and whispered, "I've never been here before."
We finally reached a low encampment of criss-crossing fissures. Here, the Eladrin folk made their dwellings in the walls. There were many wild-looking Eladrin here, wearing handmade leather clothing.
The Eladrin who brought us here took us to their quarters, where he said we could stay. He seemed puzzled that we would be traveling with Ryn. "Members of the Emaq Caste -- those who do the Death Walk -- are not to be touched. They live separate lives from the rest of us."
Ryn did not look very pleased with the Eladrin's attitude. Still, he agreed to do the Death Walk. "It's the least I can do, since you are letting us stay here."
"Good. Just don't wander around. Stay in your quarters."
The Eladrin gave us some food -- a slurry of sorts, with some algae and meat in a stew -- and left us to eat.
After we ate, we discussed ways to explore the area and get more information. Ryn could walk around unhindered, since he was a member of the Emaq Caste. Kale had an impressive ritual that made him invisible to all around him. Perhaps Ryn would do the initial exploration of the encampment, report back, and tell Kale what areas were worth looking into.
Ryn left the quarters to start exploring. He didn't find anything unusual except for one area, in which a guard prevented him from following one of the paths down a ridge hallway. The guard told Ryn, "Their world is so dull compared to ours. Their north has a harsh beauty." When Ryn pressed the guard for details, the guard said, "This valley was not found as it is -- it was modeled to fit the needs of this outpost."
After exploring the rest of the area, Ryn went to do the Death Walk. He discovered that the Death Walk was for an Eladrin who probably was a mage. This Eladrin's death was accidental and happened well over a month ago.
The body of the Eladrin was frozen. The room for the Death Walk was filled with candles and containers of water.
As Ryn began the Death Walk, he started experiencing the life of this Eladrin mage. He learned that the Eladrin had built this area. It was not a volcanic area before the Eladrin arrived. The mage himself was separated from his group in a blizzard. The mage was also in charge of operating some sort of magical device.
The Death Walk lasted for 36 hours. After the vigil was over, Ryn asked if the Eladrin could set us on the right path to the Mad Mage. They agreed to do this and gave Ryn some pig weed for smoking.
While Ryn was on his Death Walk, the rest of the party went to the path that Ryn had been prevented from exploring. The guard was still there, so Firinne talked to the guard to distract him. Kale used his ritual to become invisible to all eyes, and he snuck around guard and walked further down the path.
Along the path, there was a sign that warned "Do not enter". As Kale continued down the path, he noticed that the land was becoming swampier, and he had a strange feeling that the area seemed haunted. Finally, the path led down to a volcanic area, where a black ovoid was suspended above by three posts coming off to the side (almost like a spidery structure). Kale detected magic from this device.
The posts on the side were made of some unrecognizable metal. The posts had bumps throughout their lengths -- almost like handholds. Occasionally, there were runes for protection. Kale used these handholds to climb to the top of the ovoid.
At the top of the ovoid was a closed door. The top of the oviod itself was covered with runes for strengthening metal from fire. The door was locked by a morphic lock (something like a padlock that changes shape). A morphic lock could only be opened by a morephic key.
The entire device seemed like some sort of golem or magical construct.
Kale cast a spell to allow him to fall from the top of the ovoid like a feater. As he floated down, Kale noticed a small pore (a hole) in the bottom of the ovoid.
After Kale returned, we went back to our quarters to meet up with Ryn. Manos had already packed up and was ready to leave.
Manos said that we are getting close to the lair of the Mad Mage. The Mad Mage lives under a caldera. The main entrance -- Hell's Teeth -- is surrounded by runes of protection and is guarded by Gnolls. There are side passages to the caldera, which bypass Hell's Teeth. Manos will show us the way but will not go into the caldera. Carlognios' father was captured up here many years ago.
We discussed the ovoid and what it might mean. Some of the party members thought we should stay and see if the ovoid could be used against the Mad Mage. But we could not determine a good way to free the ovoid, since it was still guarded.
In the end, we decided to leave for the Mad Mage's lair. As we drew closer, my heart sank as I remembered my prophecy and what I would be compelled to do.
Your faithful servant,
Aelar
Lament of Bruce, the Second Troll
Hah! More foolish travelers! They are no match for us! While the Manticore shoots them with spikes from above, we shall hammer them from below with our deadly mauls!
(No, no -- "maul". With a "u". It's a kind of hammer. No, you don't go there to shop for clothes.)
Even if they do bloody us, brother, we will come back twice as strong! Our wounds will be magically healed, and we -- brother? Hah! The fools think that you are dead and turn their backs, but they don't realize that you will rise from the grave and smash their skulls!!! Destroy them, my brother, while I deal with this paladin!
(*sniff*) Hmm. (*sniff* *sniff*) What is that odor? It smells pretty tasty. Sort of like bacon or well-cooked steak or -- Artie!!! You burned Artie!! Arrgh!!! You will pay for this, travelers! Manticore! Strike them down with -- Manticore? Where are you going? What do you mean, you're late for a dental appointment? I don't care how many rows of teeth you have! Flossing is tedious work for everybody! Come back here, you coward!!!
Alright, you fools, none of you is a match for me! If you wound me, I'll heal my wounds. If you bloody me, I'll -- hey! Let go of my neck! What are you doing? Ow! Ow! My skin doesn't cut that way! Ow! Ow!
Oh great. Why did you have to cut my body off? Do you know how long it's going to take me to regenerate that? (*sniff*) (*sniff* *sniff*) Huh. What's that smell again? Smells pretty tasty... almost like... ughhhhhhhhhhh...
(No, no -- "maul". With a "u". It's a kind of hammer. No, you don't go there to shop for clothes.)
Even if they do bloody us, brother, we will come back twice as strong! Our wounds will be magically healed, and we -- brother? Hah! The fools think that you are dead and turn their backs, but they don't realize that you will rise from the grave and smash their skulls!!! Destroy them, my brother, while I deal with this paladin!
(*sniff*) Hmm. (*sniff* *sniff*) What is that odor? It smells pretty tasty. Sort of like bacon or well-cooked steak or -- Artie!!! You burned Artie!! Arrgh!!! You will pay for this, travelers! Manticore! Strike them down with -- Manticore? Where are you going? What do you mean, you're late for a dental appointment? I don't care how many rows of teeth you have! Flossing is tedious work for everybody! Come back here, you coward!!!
Alright, you fools, none of you is a match for me! If you wound me, I'll heal my wounds. If you bloody me, I'll -- hey! Let go of my neck! What are you doing? Ow! Ow! My skin doesn't cut that way! Ow! Ow!
Oh great. Why did you have to cut my body off? Do you know how long it's going to take me to regenerate that? (*sniff*) (*sniff* *sniff*) Huh. What's that smell again? Smells pretty tasty... almost like... ughhhhhhhhhhh...
Death and Rebirth In the Belly of the Worm
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
When I last wrote you, we were on the icebreaker on our way to find the den of the Mad Mage. The journey there was slow, since we had to pause frequently to break the ice that had built up in front of the ship.
Finally, after a few days, we made our way to an icy shore. We got off the icebreakers with our supplies and followed Manos into the icy tundra.
We asked Manos about the road ahead. He told us that there was a trail with placemarkers that we would follow. Eventually, we would find ourselves in an area controlled by the Eladrin. (We were fortunately that our companion Ryn, the Eladrin Warlock, was with us for the journey.) Manos noted that the Eladrin did not trust strangers but would probably let us through because they were angry with the Gnolls that served the Mad Mage.
As we made our way across the icy tundra, we noticed that Tiny, our Dwarven Cleric, and Carlagnios, our Dragonborn Fighter, were both missing. The wise Mage Kale explained that they wandered into a -- pardon my translation, for there are no words in Elven for this -- dih-mensh-uh-nuhl-riffed. They had been transported through this dih-mensh-uh-nuhl-riffed to a foreign land known as Kaim-Bridge. The Mage Kale used a ritual called "The Scrying Eye of Tand-berg", which caused the air before us to shimmer. Suddenly, we could see Tiny's face, as though he were standing in front of a mirror. Unfortunately, he could not see us, and Kale cursed the quality of the magical channels that bridged our worlds (the legendary "series of tubes" that connect all things). Finally, after trying the ritual again a few times, we were able to see each other and converse briefly. Tiny explained that he had temporarily joined up with another party on an adventure in Kaim-Bridge. As we bade farewell to Tiny, we could hear the festive sounds of a bard in the background, playing a quite raucous instrument.
The walk across the tundra was long. Fortunately, Bran the Halfling Rogue had brought along his riding wolf (now named "Fluffy the Dire Wolf") to help him move speedily through the snow. Eventually, we reached what looked like a cave in the side of a hill. Manos walked into the mouth of the cave.
For a moment, we hesitated, for the stalactites that came down from the ceiling looked almost like sharp teeth. We examined them more closely and realized that they were indeed the teeth of some giant skeletal creature. The mouth of the cave was actually formed from the jawbone of something that was once a huge worm. As we followed Manos deeper into the cave, the ceiling of the cavern slowly disappeared, becoming something that was more of an arch. It became clear that this cavern was nothing more than the rib cage of the worm. Around these bones, the snow was more sparse and the bones radiated a strange warmth. The Mage Kale touched one of the bones and told us that he felt the presence of some arcane power. He had heard ancient legends of such giant worms, which were rumored to be the source of the oil sands. The worm was enormously long, and the path went for miles.
As we were following the path, we were suddenly ambushed by large creatures, which were hiding behind the rib bones. An angry Manticore shot at us with spike from its tail, and two brutal Ice Trolls battered us with their mauls. The Mage Kale warned us that the trolls could magically heal the wounds from the blows that we dealt them. Worse yet, whenever we were bloodied by their attacks, they somehow were able to strike us again with a second blow.
Honorable Priestess, Melora was not with me in that battle. I kept missing the Manticore with my arrows. I had tried to pierce its hide with an excruciating shot, but that had failed. I had tried to trap him and slow him as a hunter would trap a bear, but again, I badly missed the shot. Even my attack to fire the arrows like fangs from a snake failed to hit their target.
One of the Ice Trolls nearly killed Bran, but he and the Warlord Garg surrounded the Troll, and they (with the Paladin Firinne, Ryn, and Kale) were able to slay that Troll. While Firinne valiantly fought the second Troll, we turned our attention to the Manticore.
Suddenly, the first Troll -- the one that we slew -- rose up from the dead and began to strike us again! Kale killed the Troll again and set it on fire, and the Troll's body did not rise again.
We shot at the Manticore until it was bloodied and beaten, and it turned to fly away. Ryn, angered at being struck by its spikes, followed it and was able to finally finish it off.
The second Troll, which was bloodied from our earlier attacks, seemed to have healed unnaturally. Firinne kept striking the creature and healing her wounds from its attacks, but she did not have the same unnatural ability that the creature did. Bran joined the battle, as did the rest of the party, and we eventually beat down the Troll. Finally, Bran, Ryn, and Garg grabbed the Troll and -- through some effort -- were able to separate its head from its body. The gruesome head kept bouncing around and glaring at us.
After slaying these monsters, we tracked down the body of the Manticore. The creature had three rows of razor sharp teeth. We each decided to take a Manticore tooth with us.
We also found that they had a magical horn. Kale noted that this was the Horn of Summons, which allowed you to send a warning to your comrades of where you were, if you were hurt, and how badly you were hurt. The sound of the Horn could be heard by anyone from a mile away.
We continued to follow the path until there were no more bones to be found. (Perhaps we had reached the end of the worm.) It was there that Manos suggested that we wait for the Eladrin who rule this area.
I will write you again when we are greeted by them. As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
When I last wrote you, we were on the icebreaker on our way to find the den of the Mad Mage. The journey there was slow, since we had to pause frequently to break the ice that had built up in front of the ship.
Finally, after a few days, we made our way to an icy shore. We got off the icebreakers with our supplies and followed Manos into the icy tundra.
We asked Manos about the road ahead. He told us that there was a trail with placemarkers that we would follow. Eventually, we would find ourselves in an area controlled by the Eladrin. (We were fortunately that our companion Ryn, the Eladrin Warlock, was with us for the journey.) Manos noted that the Eladrin did not trust strangers but would probably let us through because they were angry with the Gnolls that served the Mad Mage.
As we made our way across the icy tundra, we noticed that Tiny, our Dwarven Cleric, and Carlagnios, our Dragonborn Fighter, were both missing. The wise Mage Kale explained that they wandered into a -- pardon my translation, for there are no words in Elven for this -- dih-mensh-uh-nuhl-riffed. They had been transported through this dih-mensh-uh-nuhl-riffed to a foreign land known as Kaim-Bridge. The Mage Kale used a ritual called "The Scrying Eye of Tand-berg", which caused the air before us to shimmer. Suddenly, we could see Tiny's face, as though he were standing in front of a mirror. Unfortunately, he could not see us, and Kale cursed the quality of the magical channels that bridged our worlds (the legendary "series of tubes" that connect all things). Finally, after trying the ritual again a few times, we were able to see each other and converse briefly. Tiny explained that he had temporarily joined up with another party on an adventure in Kaim-Bridge. As we bade farewell to Tiny, we could hear the festive sounds of a bard in the background, playing a quite raucous instrument.
The walk across the tundra was long. Fortunately, Bran the Halfling Rogue had brought along his riding wolf (now named "Fluffy the Dire Wolf") to help him move speedily through the snow. Eventually, we reached what looked like a cave in the side of a hill. Manos walked into the mouth of the cave.
For a moment, we hesitated, for the stalactites that came down from the ceiling looked almost like sharp teeth. We examined them more closely and realized that they were indeed the teeth of some giant skeletal creature. The mouth of the cave was actually formed from the jawbone of something that was once a huge worm. As we followed Manos deeper into the cave, the ceiling of the cavern slowly disappeared, becoming something that was more of an arch. It became clear that this cavern was nothing more than the rib cage of the worm. Around these bones, the snow was more sparse and the bones radiated a strange warmth. The Mage Kale touched one of the bones and told us that he felt the presence of some arcane power. He had heard ancient legends of such giant worms, which were rumored to be the source of the oil sands. The worm was enormously long, and the path went for miles.
As we were following the path, we were suddenly ambushed by large creatures, which were hiding behind the rib bones. An angry Manticore shot at us with spike from its tail, and two brutal Ice Trolls battered us with their mauls. The Mage Kale warned us that the trolls could magically heal the wounds from the blows that we dealt them. Worse yet, whenever we were bloodied by their attacks, they somehow were able to strike us again with a second blow.
Honorable Priestess, Melora was not with me in that battle. I kept missing the Manticore with my arrows. I had tried to pierce its hide with an excruciating shot, but that had failed. I had tried to trap him and slow him as a hunter would trap a bear, but again, I badly missed the shot. Even my attack to fire the arrows like fangs from a snake failed to hit their target.
One of the Ice Trolls nearly killed Bran, but he and the Warlord Garg surrounded the Troll, and they (with the Paladin Firinne, Ryn, and Kale) were able to slay that Troll. While Firinne valiantly fought the second Troll, we turned our attention to the Manticore.
Suddenly, the first Troll -- the one that we slew -- rose up from the dead and began to strike us again! Kale killed the Troll again and set it on fire, and the Troll's body did not rise again.
We shot at the Manticore until it was bloodied and beaten, and it turned to fly away. Ryn, angered at being struck by its spikes, followed it and was able to finally finish it off.
The second Troll, which was bloodied from our earlier attacks, seemed to have healed unnaturally. Firinne kept striking the creature and healing her wounds from its attacks, but she did not have the same unnatural ability that the creature did. Bran joined the battle, as did the rest of the party, and we eventually beat down the Troll. Finally, Bran, Ryn, and Garg grabbed the Troll and -- through some effort -- were able to separate its head from its body. The gruesome head kept bouncing around and glaring at us.
After slaying these monsters, we tracked down the body of the Manticore. The creature had three rows of razor sharp teeth. We each decided to take a Manticore tooth with us.
We also found that they had a magical horn. Kale noted that this was the Horn of Summons, which allowed you to send a warning to your comrades of where you were, if you were hurt, and how badly you were hurt. The sound of the Horn could be heard by anyone from a mile away.
We continued to follow the path until there were no more bones to be found. (Perhaps we had reached the end of the worm.) It was there that Manos suggested that we wait for the Eladrin who rule this area.
I will write you again when we are greeted by them. As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
Friday, May 29, 2009
From the Journal of a Jester in the Town of Kenner
(This page was found on the ground outside the bar, torn out of the journal of a jester passing by.)
(I got this idea for a joke from this party of strange travelers outside the bar. They wore weapons of magic, and one of them was talking to the others about an encounter with the bartender. This might make an entertaining tale to tell but it needs some refinement.)
The setup:
An Eladrin Warlock walks (teleports?) into a bar. "I've just walked all the way across the tundra," he says, "and I'd like a warm drink -- perhaps some mead." The bartender replies, "Sorry, all we have is this vodka." He pours the Eladrin a glass, and the Eladrin sips the drink and almost spits it out.
The punchline:
The bartender says, "You know, we don't get many people who walk across the tundra to get here." The Eladrin replies, "Yes, and if all you serve is this crappy vodka, you won't get many more."
(Scribbled in the margins) Too long. Maybe change Eladrin Warlock to talking warhammer.
The bartender says, "You know, we don't get many talking warhammers around here." The warhammer replies, "Yes, and if all you serve is this crappy vodka, you won't get many more." (beat)
(I got this idea for a joke from this party of strange travelers outside the bar. They wore weapons of magic, and one of them was talking to the others about an encounter with the bartender. This might make an entertaining tale to tell but it needs some refinement.)
The setup:
An Eladrin Warlock walks (teleports?) into a bar. "I've just walked all the way across the tundra," he says, "and I'd like a warm drink -- perhaps some mead." The bartender replies, "Sorry, all we have is this vodka." He pours the Eladrin a glass, and the Eladrin sips the drink and almost spits it out.
The punchline:
The bartender says, "You know, we don't get many people who walk across the tundra to get here." The Eladrin replies, "Yes, and if all you serve is this crappy vodka, you won't get many more."
(Scribbled in the margins) Too long. Maybe change Eladrin Warlock to talking warhammer.
The bartender says, "You know, we don't get many talking warhammers around here." The warhammer replies, "Yes, and if all you serve is this crappy vodka, you won't get many more." (beat)
Strangers in the Town of Kenner
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
We have finally arrived at the town of Kenner. It is a small town (perhaps 200 people) of low buildings and warehouses, backed by mountains of snow. As was the case with the Lodge, the buildings are all lit with some sort of magical light, since the sun never shines in the sky.
The town sits on the edge of the water (or ice, in this case) and has a harbor for incoming ships. Three long, narrow ships sit in the harbor. They seem to be icebreakers -- ships with the magical ability the break through the ice.
We see smoke coming from the tops of the buildings but almost no one seems to be walking outside. Understandably, the climate in this Arctic region is harsh, and most would want to keep indoors, where it is warmer.
We find what appears to be a bar. Ryn, the Warlock, is the most streetwise among us and has the best chance to find our contact, Manos. He enters the bar alone, in the hopes that it will give him a better chance to get information from the town's inhabitants.
While we wait, some of the inhabitants pass us by and give us strange looks. A few ask why we're here. When we mention that we came across the tundra, they stare at us in disbelief.
After a period of time, Ryn comes out and tells us what had happened inside. From the moment he walked in to the bar, everyone drew back from him and stared. The bartender said to him, "No ships have come in for a while. How did you get here?" When Ryn explained that we walked across the tundra, the bartender shook his head in disbelief. "Why wouldn't you take a ship into port? This is very strange."
Ryn asked the bartender about Manos. "There is someone here with that name," the bartender replied, "but... are you looking for trouble?" Ryn convinced the man that he only wanted to talk to Manos, and the bartender sent a boy out to get him.
While he waited for Manos, Ryn asked for some mead or something to warm him from the chill outside. The bartender sighed and said that he only had something that tasted like vodka. (This is truly a harsh and merciless environment!)
Manos finally arrived. He was an older man in his 50s with dark hair. He actually owned this bar.
At that point, Ryn came out to get us. We followed Ryn back into the bar, and Manos leads us to a room in back.
"I hope this is important," Manos said. "You pulled me away from my work in the oil sands." I had never heard of oil sands, although our Mage Kale was familiar with them. In the North, there were large creatures of magic that once roamed the lands. At some point, many of them perished and were compressed into oil. This oil is a common ingredient used by alchemists and mages.
In Kenner, most people work in the oil sands during the cold weather. When the weather gets warmer, the inhabitants prefer to go whaling. (I had heard stories of these large, gentle sea creatures who were preyed upon by men. There is a rumor that they are just as wise and intelligent as we are.)
We told Manos that Falen sent us and that he needed to take us to the Mad Mage, but Manos demanded proof. "How do I know that you really know Falen?" Bran showed him the knot, and Manos stared in disbelief. "I never thought that this day would come."
He had only been to the Mad Mage once, 20 years ago. He helped Lakos (Garg's father) to find the Mad Mage's hideout. Then Falen and the Dragonborn (Carlagnios' father) showed up, and all hell broke loose.
Manos said that he owed Falen, so he agreed to bring us to the Mad Mage. (He did not want to tear up Kenner, his home.) He needed 2 days to take care of a few things but would let us stay in the bar while we waited. (He had some rooms in the back where we could sleep.)
Then, we needed to use the icebreakers to travel across the waters to the Mage's Den. It would cost us about 10 gold pieces to rent an icebreaker.
We agreed to his plan, replenished our supplies, and, 2 days later, found ourselves on an icebreaker, heading toward the den of the Mad Mage.
There is something that I find puzzling still. Falen, Mades, Lakos, everyone who has seen the Mad Mage and his den -- none of them remember who he was or where it is. How is it that Manos still knows the way?
Perhaps we shall learn that when we get to the Mad Mage's den. I shall write you again when we arrive.
Your faithful servant,
Aelar
We have finally arrived at the town of Kenner. It is a small town (perhaps 200 people) of low buildings and warehouses, backed by mountains of snow. As was the case with the Lodge, the buildings are all lit with some sort of magical light, since the sun never shines in the sky.
The town sits on the edge of the water (or ice, in this case) and has a harbor for incoming ships. Three long, narrow ships sit in the harbor. They seem to be icebreakers -- ships with the magical ability the break through the ice.
We see smoke coming from the tops of the buildings but almost no one seems to be walking outside. Understandably, the climate in this Arctic region is harsh, and most would want to keep indoors, where it is warmer.
We find what appears to be a bar. Ryn, the Warlock, is the most streetwise among us and has the best chance to find our contact, Manos. He enters the bar alone, in the hopes that it will give him a better chance to get information from the town's inhabitants.
While we wait, some of the inhabitants pass us by and give us strange looks. A few ask why we're here. When we mention that we came across the tundra, they stare at us in disbelief.
After a period of time, Ryn comes out and tells us what had happened inside. From the moment he walked in to the bar, everyone drew back from him and stared. The bartender said to him, "No ships have come in for a while. How did you get here?" When Ryn explained that we walked across the tundra, the bartender shook his head in disbelief. "Why wouldn't you take a ship into port? This is very strange."
Ryn asked the bartender about Manos. "There is someone here with that name," the bartender replied, "but... are you looking for trouble?" Ryn convinced the man that he only wanted to talk to Manos, and the bartender sent a boy out to get him.
While he waited for Manos, Ryn asked for some mead or something to warm him from the chill outside. The bartender sighed and said that he only had something that tasted like vodka. (This is truly a harsh and merciless environment!)
Manos finally arrived. He was an older man in his 50s with dark hair. He actually owned this bar.
At that point, Ryn came out to get us. We followed Ryn back into the bar, and Manos leads us to a room in back.
"I hope this is important," Manos said. "You pulled me away from my work in the oil sands." I had never heard of oil sands, although our Mage Kale was familiar with them. In the North, there were large creatures of magic that once roamed the lands. At some point, many of them perished and were compressed into oil. This oil is a common ingredient used by alchemists and mages.
In Kenner, most people work in the oil sands during the cold weather. When the weather gets warmer, the inhabitants prefer to go whaling. (I had heard stories of these large, gentle sea creatures who were preyed upon by men. There is a rumor that they are just as wise and intelligent as we are.)
We told Manos that Falen sent us and that he needed to take us to the Mad Mage, but Manos demanded proof. "How do I know that you really know Falen?" Bran showed him the knot, and Manos stared in disbelief. "I never thought that this day would come."
He had only been to the Mad Mage once, 20 years ago. He helped Lakos (Garg's father) to find the Mad Mage's hideout. Then Falen and the Dragonborn (Carlagnios' father) showed up, and all hell broke loose.
Manos said that he owed Falen, so he agreed to bring us to the Mad Mage. (He did not want to tear up Kenner, his home.) He needed 2 days to take care of a few things but would let us stay in the bar while we waited. (He had some rooms in the back where we could sleep.)
Then, we needed to use the icebreakers to travel across the waters to the Mage's Den. It would cost us about 10 gold pieces to rent an icebreaker.
We agreed to his plan, replenished our supplies, and, 2 days later, found ourselves on an icebreaker, heading toward the den of the Mad Mage.
There is something that I find puzzling still. Falen, Mades, Lakos, everyone who has seen the Mad Mage and his den -- none of them remember who he was or where it is. How is it that Manos still knows the way?
Perhaps we shall learn that when we get to the Mad Mage's den. I shall write you again when we arrive.
Your faithful servant,
Aelar
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Idea for Recipe: White Dragon Stew
(found in a page that was torn out and discarded from the Journal of Pock, the Cook)
Ingredients
1 adult white dragon
(add the list of the seasonings when I figure it out)
2 pounds of potatoes
(?) several carrots
(?) several onions
(?) several tomatoes
(fill in exact portions when I figure it out)
(scrawled in the margins) Important: Try to avoid using magicks or projectiles to kill the dragon. Projectiles get lost in the meat and are hard to find and dig out. Magicks like clouds of stench ruin the natural flavor of the dragon meat.
Instructions:
1. Clean the dragon carcass and remove the meat.
You can use a simple kitchen knife to
Try using a large cleaver to cut the
Find a sword that looks strong enough to cut the dragon's body and wield it to
If the sword was magical and frost-enchanted, allow several additional hours for thawing the
If you happen to know a Dragonborn warrior who has a large, vicious-looking battle axe, ask him for a favor and have him clean the carcass and cut up the meat.
2. In a large pot, put several cups of oil, let the oil heat up, and add the meat.
3. Cook the meat until it is brown and tender and easy to
3. After several hours, the meat should be
3. If the meat is still tough
3. Before cooking the meat, make sure to use a meat tenderizer to
3. If you know a Dwarven cleric who has a large magical warhammer, ask if he can use the hammer to tenderize the meat first.
While you wait for the cleric to do this, you might be able to pass the time by striking up an interesting conversation with the magical warhammer.
Avoid talking to the magical warhammer, if it happens to speak.
4. Cook the meat until it is browned. You might notice a peculiar scent coming from the pot. Not to worry.Even though the smell might be off putting, the flavor of the meat should still be
With some light seasoning, the flavor of the meat should
You might need to use some moderate seasoning to mask the taste of
(Scrawled at the end) I give up -- this is like eating ice cubes of rotten pork
Ingredients
1 adult white dragon
(add the list of the seasonings when I figure it out)
2 pounds of potatoes
(?) several carrots
(?) several onions
(?) several tomatoes
(fill in exact portions when I figure it out)
(scrawled in the margins) Important: Try to avoid using magicks or projectiles to kill the dragon. Projectiles get lost in the meat and are hard to find and dig out. Magicks like clouds of stench ruin the natural flavor of the dragon meat.
Instructions:
1. Clean the dragon carcass and remove the meat.
If you happen to know a Dragonborn warrior who has a large, vicious-looking battle axe, ask him for a favor and have him clean the carcass and cut up the meat.
2. In a large pot, put several cups of oil, let the oil heat up, and add the meat.
3. If you know a Dwarven cleric who has a large magical warhammer, ask if he can use the hammer to tenderize the meat first.
Avoid talking to the magical warhammer, if it happens to speak.
4. Cook the meat until it is browned. You might notice a peculiar scent coming from the pot. Not to worry.
(Scrawled at the end) I give up -- this is like eating ice cubes of rotten pork
Icy Terror on the Road to Kenner
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
When we last corresponded, we had learned much from the Half-Orc prophet, Mades Skinner. Since then, we also learned that not only had the portal in Samhain transported us far North, but it had also taken months for us to reach these Arctic lands (even though, to us, only seconds had passed). We had left Samhain in the Autumn and now, in the Lodge, it was mid-Winter.
Bran, the Rogue, has also gained a mount. He asked Mades for one of the riding wolves tied up here at the Lodge, and Mades presented him with a small Dire Wolf as a gift. It was not large enough a creature to do battle with our enemies, but it could carry the Halfling Rogue quite a distance in a remarkably short amount of time.
Bran had decided to name his riding wolf -- and I fear this will not translate well from the Common tongue to our Elven language -- Turr-Bow (or something that sounds like these words).
Mades gave us directions and advice on how to get to the city of Kenner. We must head North for two weeks. Along the way, we'll need to cross a glacier. And finally, when we get to Kenner (a town of a fair size), we should make sure to muzzle Turr-Bow.
We followed Mades' directions and eventually reached the glacier that he spoke of. As we started across the glacier, we noticed that there were dangerous drops on either side, and we decided to tie ourselves together on the same rope to keep anyone from falling off.
As we made our way across the glacier, we heard a horrendous roar from one side of the glacier. A large, adult, white dragon flew up above and roared hungrily at us.
Bran slung a stone into the dragon, and, with this very deft and tricky strike, managed to move the dragon back. Kale, the Mage, summoned a huge cloud of stench around the beast, which forced it to move over the glacier, directly above us.
The dragon made a terrifying roar that struck fear into our hearts. Some of us were stunned, and the feeling of terror made it difficult for us to attack it. The dragon then let loose a breath of paralyzing cold, a breath that left us weak and unable to strike back with full force.
The dragon chose to focus its anger at Tiny, the Cleric. The dragon swooped down and clawed and bit at Tiny. Fortunately, Tiny quickly healed himself, and summoned a weapon to attack the creature, keeping the dragon distracted and open to our attacks.
Firinne called upon Melora and challenged the dragon, compelling the beast to fight her instead of Tiny. This compulsion made it difficult for the creature to hurt Tiny, and each time the dragon did hit Tiny, a radiant glow struck the monster and made it shriek in agony.
Perhaps swooping down to attack became the downfall of the dragon (literally), as Bran spun around and knocked the giant beast onto its side. Our party surrounded the creature and proceeded to strike.
Carlagnios, the Dragonborn, brought down a rain of steel on the monster. Garg, the Warlord, commanded Carlagnios to keep striking again, further damaging the creature. Ryn drew his sword and struck the dragon again and again. Firinne struck the beast with such force as though channelling the retribution of a martyr. Tiny hit the creature hard with his warhammer and with radiant lance, energized by his faith. Kale cast several spells to damage the creature with daggers, frost, and other elements. I was able to hit the dragon with a few arrows, one deeply in the monster's body.
Finally, it was Ryn who dealt the final, fatal blow to the dragon. It collapsed on the glacier and moved no more.
Kale decided to take a sample of the skin from the dragon, but we found nothing else in our search for the dragon's lair.
After this terrifying encounter with the white dragon, we continued along the way and eventually reached the city of Kenner. I shall write you again to tell you how we found our guide there.
As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
When we last corresponded, we had learned much from the Half-Orc prophet, Mades Skinner. Since then, we also learned that not only had the portal in Samhain transported us far North, but it had also taken months for us to reach these Arctic lands (even though, to us, only seconds had passed). We had left Samhain in the Autumn and now, in the Lodge, it was mid-Winter.
Bran, the Rogue, has also gained a mount. He asked Mades for one of the riding wolves tied up here at the Lodge, and Mades presented him with a small Dire Wolf as a gift. It was not large enough a creature to do battle with our enemies, but it could carry the Halfling Rogue quite a distance in a remarkably short amount of time.
Bran had decided to name his riding wolf -- and I fear this will not translate well from the Common tongue to our Elven language -- Turr-Bow (or something that sounds like these words).
Mades gave us directions and advice on how to get to the city of Kenner. We must head North for two weeks. Along the way, we'll need to cross a glacier. And finally, when we get to Kenner (a town of a fair size), we should make sure to muzzle Turr-Bow.
We followed Mades' directions and eventually reached the glacier that he spoke of. As we started across the glacier, we noticed that there were dangerous drops on either side, and we decided to tie ourselves together on the same rope to keep anyone from falling off.
As we made our way across the glacier, we heard a horrendous roar from one side of the glacier. A large, adult, white dragon flew up above and roared hungrily at us.
Bran slung a stone into the dragon, and, with this very deft and tricky strike, managed to move the dragon back. Kale, the Mage, summoned a huge cloud of stench around the beast, which forced it to move over the glacier, directly above us.
The dragon made a terrifying roar that struck fear into our hearts. Some of us were stunned, and the feeling of terror made it difficult for us to attack it. The dragon then let loose a breath of paralyzing cold, a breath that left us weak and unable to strike back with full force.
The dragon chose to focus its anger at Tiny, the Cleric. The dragon swooped down and clawed and bit at Tiny. Fortunately, Tiny quickly healed himself, and summoned a weapon to attack the creature, keeping the dragon distracted and open to our attacks.
Firinne called upon Melora and challenged the dragon, compelling the beast to fight her instead of Tiny. This compulsion made it difficult for the creature to hurt Tiny, and each time the dragon did hit Tiny, a radiant glow struck the monster and made it shriek in agony.
Perhaps swooping down to attack became the downfall of the dragon (literally), as Bran spun around and knocked the giant beast onto its side. Our party surrounded the creature and proceeded to strike.
Carlagnios, the Dragonborn, brought down a rain of steel on the monster. Garg, the Warlord, commanded Carlagnios to keep striking again, further damaging the creature. Ryn drew his sword and struck the dragon again and again. Firinne struck the beast with such force as though channelling the retribution of a martyr. Tiny hit the creature hard with his warhammer and with radiant lance, energized by his faith. Kale cast several spells to damage the creature with daggers, frost, and other elements. I was able to hit the dragon with a few arrows, one deeply in the monster's body.
Finally, it was Ryn who dealt the final, fatal blow to the dragon. It collapsed on the glacier and moved no more.
Kale decided to take a sample of the skin from the dragon, but we found nothing else in our search for the dragon's lair.
After this terrifying encounter with the white dragon, we continued along the way and eventually reached the city of Kenner. I shall write you again to tell you how we found our guide there.
As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
The Lodge, the Prophecies of Mades, and the Question of Choice
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
We have finally arrived at the Lodge, after a long journey through the snow. This is quite a harsh land, devoid of the nurturing warmth of the sun. I am always amazed that even in environments like this, trees and plants are still able to survive.
We approached a four-story timber building on the lee of a tall rock. Smoke crawled up out of the chimneys at the top. Lights were glowing on the eaves, and the air was thick with the smell of animal fat.
In the building itself, there were a number of rooms (and some rooms were even carved out of the rock!). We passed by some rooms for curing pelts before arriving at a common room, where we met Mades.
Mades was an older Half-Orc, perhaps 50 years in age. He told us that he was born with the gift of prophecy, which was a useful skill during the hunt.
We had a long discussion about the nature of prophecy. Tiny, our Cleric, discovered that Mades was the author of the old, rare, long-sought-after book, "Time, Choice, and Prophecy". (Mades had a copy of the book, which he gave to Tiny as a gift.)
"Prophecies are complicated," Mades noted. "You must be careful which ones you set down."
There are two types of prophets, he went on to explain. Some prophets are just instruments of a higher power that intends to change the world. Their prophecies seek to deny us our ability to choose. The other type of prophet is complicit in the prophecy. They look into the future and decide what to do.
For Mades, when he foresees events, the world becomes blurry, and some of the choices appear before him. (It is almost like the Dreamwalk we took earlier, where we explore one possible future.) Mades cannot see all possible futures -- the number of paths forward would be too overwhelming. Instead, he can only explore a few of the possible paths to the future.
As time passes -- as choices are made -- as the future becomes the present and the present becomes the past, the worlds that Mades explored (the realms of the other possibilities) die and their forward paths close off. After a choice is made, you cannot go back, and Mades can no longer see the path because it has become part of the past.
"I once had a twin brother," Mades reluctantly said, "A brother who is dead to me now. He could see into the past, just as I can see into the future."
Mades explained that most prophecies come from the Divine, and prophecies can be fulfilled in different ways:
For every day of Mades' life, he saw worlds and possibilities die and cease to exist. But he could only see the possibilities in our world. Prophecies made across worlds are weak.
"The area between worlds is guarded by men of stone," Mades said, reminding us of our encounters with these creatures in the past. Carlagnios, the Dragonborn, growled at this memory and asked if there was any way to recover the items given to the men of stone. (He had, as you remember, given up his father's ring in order to pass between worlds and save his father.)
Mades shook his head. He only knew that the men of stone extract the costs needed to make sure that the balance between worlds is maintained.
We asked Mades if he could see the Mad Mage. He replied that he did but kept forgetting about the Mad Mage. The Forgetting Spell is quite powerful.
Bran, the Rogue, asked Mades if he knew about Gemeret, the follower of the Raven Queen. (Bran encountered an aspect of Gemeret along the path from Samhain to this Arctic land.) Mades explained that Gemeret was a death angel and that where Gods and angels touch, the prophecy gets obscure. (The Gods and the angels obscure things.)
We also asked Mades about the 101. He did not know but thought that his brother would know.
Finally, Mades stood up and declared that he had a prophecy for each of us -- each one except Tiny. The Gods have been trying to move Tiny around too much.
Some of these prophecies could be shared, but others must been kept secret. If the secret prophecies were revealed before they came to pass, Mades could not foresee what would happen.
He met with each of us separately to tell us our prophecies. After our meetings, some of us were able to share their prophecies. For Bran, he was told that he must die to get what he truly wanted (and what he truly wanted was something other than a riding wolf as a mount!). For Carlagnios, if he were to give himself up to the Orc King, he should recite a poem about a swan, its children, and the moon.
My prophecy was not one that I could share and presented a difficult dilemma. I can only pray to Melora for the strength to make the right choice and for the understanding from my comrades when the time to make the choice comes to pass.
As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
We have finally arrived at the Lodge, after a long journey through the snow. This is quite a harsh land, devoid of the nurturing warmth of the sun. I am always amazed that even in environments like this, trees and plants are still able to survive.
We approached a four-story timber building on the lee of a tall rock. Smoke crawled up out of the chimneys at the top. Lights were glowing on the eaves, and the air was thick with the smell of animal fat.
In the building itself, there were a number of rooms (and some rooms were even carved out of the rock!). We passed by some rooms for curing pelts before arriving at a common room, where we met Mades.
Mades was an older Half-Orc, perhaps 50 years in age. He told us that he was born with the gift of prophecy, which was a useful skill during the hunt.
We had a long discussion about the nature of prophecy. Tiny, our Cleric, discovered that Mades was the author of the old, rare, long-sought-after book, "Time, Choice, and Prophecy". (Mades had a copy of the book, which he gave to Tiny as a gift.)
"Prophecies are complicated," Mades noted. "You must be careful which ones you set down."
There are two types of prophets, he went on to explain. Some prophets are just instruments of a higher power that intends to change the world. Their prophecies seek to deny us our ability to choose. The other type of prophet is complicit in the prophecy. They look into the future and decide what to do.
For Mades, when he foresees events, the world becomes blurry, and some of the choices appear before him. (It is almost like the Dreamwalk we took earlier, where we explore one possible future.) Mades cannot see all possible futures -- the number of paths forward would be too overwhelming. Instead, he can only explore a few of the possible paths to the future.
As time passes -- as choices are made -- as the future becomes the present and the present becomes the past, the worlds that Mades explored (the realms of the other possibilities) die and their forward paths close off. After a choice is made, you cannot go back, and Mades can no longer see the path because it has become part of the past.
"I once had a twin brother," Mades reluctantly said, "A brother who is dead to me now. He could see into the past, just as I can see into the future."
Mades explained that most prophecies come from the Divine, and prophecies can be fulfilled in different ways:
- Some prophecies will definitely come true, regardless of what else happens.
- Some prophecies might come true, and prophecies can be made to make it more likely to come true.
- Some prophecies won't happen without some sort of intervention. A prophet might lie to someone and give them the wrong information in order to make a prophecy come to pass.
- In some cases, the prophecy must be stated in order for it to come to pass.
For every day of Mades' life, he saw worlds and possibilities die and cease to exist. But he could only see the possibilities in our world. Prophecies made across worlds are weak.
"The area between worlds is guarded by men of stone," Mades said, reminding us of our encounters with these creatures in the past. Carlagnios, the Dragonborn, growled at this memory and asked if there was any way to recover the items given to the men of stone. (He had, as you remember, given up his father's ring in order to pass between worlds and save his father.)
Mades shook his head. He only knew that the men of stone extract the costs needed to make sure that the balance between worlds is maintained.
We asked Mades if he could see the Mad Mage. He replied that he did but kept forgetting about the Mad Mage. The Forgetting Spell is quite powerful.
Bran, the Rogue, asked Mades if he knew about Gemeret, the follower of the Raven Queen. (Bran encountered an aspect of Gemeret along the path from Samhain to this Arctic land.) Mades explained that Gemeret was a death angel and that where Gods and angels touch, the prophecy gets obscure. (The Gods and the angels obscure things.)
We also asked Mades about the 101. He did not know but thought that his brother would know.
Finally, Mades stood up and declared that he had a prophecy for each of us -- each one except Tiny. The Gods have been trying to move Tiny around too much.
Some of these prophecies could be shared, but others must been kept secret. If the secret prophecies were revealed before they came to pass, Mades could not foresee what would happen.
He met with each of us separately to tell us our prophecies. After our meetings, some of us were able to share their prophecies. For Bran, he was told that he must die to get what he truly wanted (and what he truly wanted was something other than a riding wolf as a mount!). For Carlagnios, if he were to give himself up to the Orc King, he should recite a poem about a swan, its children, and the moon.
My prophecy was not one that I could share and presented a difficult dilemma. I can only pray to Melora for the strength to make the right choice and for the understanding from my comrades when the time to make the choice comes to pass.
As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
The Cruelty of Nature and the Kindness of Strangers
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
We entered the portal at Samhain, only to find ourselves exiting into a blizzard. We did not know where we were. The sky was dark, and the plains were covered with snow in all directions. We could see no further than our companions before us.
Tiny, our cleric, performed some strange ritual to summon the Hand of Fate. The glowing blue hand appeared before us, and Tiny consulted it for advice. The Hand determined that we should forge our way West, and we followed. (Ryn, the Warlock, suggested that we consult the Hand in a gambling den. It is an interesting idea that could make us much gold and perhaps afford the Hippogriff mount that the Dragonborn always talks about.)
We forged our way West through the snow but found no signs of shelter along the way. We saw a forest but no place to rest there. As we moved further west, the ice below our feet grew thin. Firinne, Tiny, and Ryn fell through, and I -- dexterous and agile Aelar -- managed to slip and completely fall on my face. Fortunately, the water below the ice was quite shallow, and we just ended up getting wet.
When I was growing up in the forests, I learned to love and understand nature -- the trees, the wildlife, the cycle of the seasons. But here in the blizzard, nature seemed completely foreign to me. Nothing living could survive this harsh cold. The sun never made an appearance in the dark, foreboding skies. What could grow in this world? And what could endure the cold, icy water that now soaked through my clothes after I fell flailing through the ice? (How embarrassing.)
Our party decided to head North in the hopes of finding some shelter. But we had seen nothing, and the cold wind was starting to take its toll on us. We could not last another day in this weather.
Then, in the distance, we saw some smoke rising to the sky, as though someone had like a fire ahead of us. As we grew closer, we saw a group around a fire, one of whom moved to approach us.
He was a Half-Orc, slinging a heavy crossbow and carrying a lance at his side. He wore a thick hide and his face was smeared with animal fat (a common way to protect oneself from the cold).
"Come, come warm yourselves by the fire!"
Tiny, with his wise insight, did not detect any hostile intentions in this Half-Orc, so we accepted his invitation and joined him by the fire. They offered us a warm meal of meat stew, and they gave us some hides and pelts to keep us protected from the cold.
There were 5 of them in this group. The leader, who had welcomed us here, was named Drager Skinner. The group included a couple (Alec and Bonta Flint), a child, and another Half-Orc. They were all armed with heavy crossbows and lances -- even the child!
The Half-Orcs made their living as hunters and trappers. They collected the skins of mammoth and polar bears and traded them with the other Half-Orcs back at the lodge.
Bran, the Rogue, was most interested in the wolf that they had tied up. This animal was a riding wolf that had been tamed from birth. (Perhaps, like the Dragonborn, Bran is also seeking a mount of his own.)
We spoke a bit with Drager about where we were and discovered to our surprise that we were in the Arctic, far north. He was waiting for us here because his father, Mades Skinner, was expecting us.
"My father Mades knows a lot of things," Drager mentioned. But he could not explain any further how his father would expect us to appear here. Is it possible that our futures have already been determined? We must meet this seer, Mades, to learn more.
Mades and the other Half-Orcs live in a lodge 60 miles to the Northwest (through the tundra). The Half-Orcs had settled there for at least three generations.
Dragen offered to take us to meet Mades at the Lodge, once we had rested and regained our strength. Dragen also told us that from the Lodge, we could get to Kenner.
Our party accepted his offer and, now, having recovered from the cold (and the wet, icy water that seeped through my clothes), we make our way to the Lodge...
I will write again when we arrive there.
As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
We entered the portal at Samhain, only to find ourselves exiting into a blizzard. We did not know where we were. The sky was dark, and the plains were covered with snow in all directions. We could see no further than our companions before us.
Tiny, our cleric, performed some strange ritual to summon the Hand of Fate. The glowing blue hand appeared before us, and Tiny consulted it for advice. The Hand determined that we should forge our way West, and we followed. (Ryn, the Warlock, suggested that we consult the Hand in a gambling den. It is an interesting idea that could make us much gold and perhaps afford the Hippogriff mount that the Dragonborn always talks about.)
We forged our way West through the snow but found no signs of shelter along the way. We saw a forest but no place to rest there. As we moved further west, the ice below our feet grew thin. Firinne, Tiny, and Ryn fell through, and I -- dexterous and agile Aelar -- managed to slip and completely fall on my face. Fortunately, the water below the ice was quite shallow, and we just ended up getting wet.
When I was growing up in the forests, I learned to love and understand nature -- the trees, the wildlife, the cycle of the seasons. But here in the blizzard, nature seemed completely foreign to me. Nothing living could survive this harsh cold. The sun never made an appearance in the dark, foreboding skies. What could grow in this world? And what could endure the cold, icy water that now soaked through my clothes after I fell flailing through the ice? (How embarrassing.)
Our party decided to head North in the hopes of finding some shelter. But we had seen nothing, and the cold wind was starting to take its toll on us. We could not last another day in this weather.
Then, in the distance, we saw some smoke rising to the sky, as though someone had like a fire ahead of us. As we grew closer, we saw a group around a fire, one of whom moved to approach us.
He was a Half-Orc, slinging a heavy crossbow and carrying a lance at his side. He wore a thick hide and his face was smeared with animal fat (a common way to protect oneself from the cold).
"Come, come warm yourselves by the fire!"
Tiny, with his wise insight, did not detect any hostile intentions in this Half-Orc, so we accepted his invitation and joined him by the fire. They offered us a warm meal of meat stew, and they gave us some hides and pelts to keep us protected from the cold.
There were 5 of them in this group. The leader, who had welcomed us here, was named Drager Skinner. The group included a couple (Alec and Bonta Flint), a child, and another Half-Orc. They were all armed with heavy crossbows and lances -- even the child!
The Half-Orcs made their living as hunters and trappers. They collected the skins of mammoth and polar bears and traded them with the other Half-Orcs back at the lodge.
Bran, the Rogue, was most interested in the wolf that they had tied up. This animal was a riding wolf that had been tamed from birth. (Perhaps, like the Dragonborn, Bran is also seeking a mount of his own.)
We spoke a bit with Drager about where we were and discovered to our surprise that we were in the Arctic, far north. He was waiting for us here because his father, Mades Skinner, was expecting us.
"My father Mades knows a lot of things," Drager mentioned. But he could not explain any further how his father would expect us to appear here. Is it possible that our futures have already been determined? We must meet this seer, Mades, to learn more.
Mades and the other Half-Orcs live in a lodge 60 miles to the Northwest (through the tundra). The Half-Orcs had settled there for at least three generations.
Dragen offered to take us to meet Mades at the Lodge, once we had rested and regained our strength. Dragen also told us that from the Lodge, we could get to Kenner.
Our party accepted his offer and, now, having recovered from the cold (and the wet, icy water that seeped through my clothes), we make our way to the Lodge...
I will write again when we arrive there.
As always, your faithful servant,
Aelar
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Beyond the Widowmaker
Morning, Day 3
Our disheveled guide has finally take his leave. We now move with all due haste towards the far side of the Widowmaker, keeping level with the crown of the mountain, and keeping an eye out for structures of interest.
Afternoon, Day 3
There is an outpost of Melora here, presumably Samhein, and Aelar has found a path down. Even from here I can see that the scrivening circle present at other stations has been extensively defaced.
Late afternoon, Day 3
The circle outside was thoroughly destroyed, and a large pit marked the central point. It looks as if something specific was excavated from the center of the circle-- perhaps the power source? A sign on the outside of the Samhein station reads "YOU ARE NEXT." We approached carefully and discovered a runic glyph inscribed on the door. It was rigged to explode, but the deft fingers of Bran managed to disarm the glyph (by crossing the channeling rune back onto itself, naturally). Inside, we found the standard station layout, and signs of gnoll habitation. As soon as we entered, an unknown entity triggered the death portal and fled. We're following now; I expect a fight.
Evening, Day 3
The gnolls were ready for us when we exited the portal. We found ourselves in a narrow corridor. Carl, on point, triggered a trap as he advanced, and poisoned darts began firing from the walls. A drawbridge immediately ahead of us was raised up and an archer began pouring fire into the party. Aelar quickly darted forward and breached the raised bridge (employing the transspatial capabilities of his armor). He seized control of the bridge and the party advanced into a cavernous room. We quickly assumed a defensive formation around the entrance and assessed the situation. We were facing a group of nearly a dozen gnolls, many of them entrenched atop walls ringing the room. The initial combat was fierce, and Garg took the brunt of the damage, falling unconscious. The battle was compounded by the appearance of a bizarre creature who began to support the gnolls with his unnatural aural abilities.
Firinne was able to revive Garg, the party closed lines, and we began to prevail in the pitched melee battle. Ryn maneuvered to harass the entrenched archers. Finally, the gnolls broke. Their leader fell and we routed the remaining creatures.
There are stairs here leading up.
Dusk, Day 3
This complex proved to be extensive: up the stairs we found a similar space filled with altars to Melora and other aligned deities. A prisoner freed from the chambers in this room now accompanies us (he is a cook). Following further passages to the summit of the mountain, we found yet another defaced circle, marked by the same curious excavation.
In the upper corridors we also discovered a pair of reliefs, as before, but set in a long hallway adorned by a finely crafted mural of the seasons. At one end is a portal marked by the sun. We now stand at the opposite end, about to enter the portal of the moon.
There is a blizzard here. Bran has experienced something remarkable during his transit. He is gesticulating excitedly. He found himself in a featureless room, unable to move or even blink. A blackbird, its neck twisted, lay dead on the room's floor. Bran found he could somehow speak, and expressed his surprise. The bird answered back, claiming to be an aspect of Gemerat, angelic servant of the Raven Queen. The aspect explained that the 101 immortals are an affront to the Queen and must pass on to death. The source of their immortality is Gemerat himself, who was somehow enslaved. An artifact is required to liberate him: the Shroud of the Raven Queen. This artifact is somehow invisible to the gods. The Mad Mage knows of the shroud.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A Gnoll's Haiku
Hail by Anonymous Gnoll Archer
Why Did They Have to Come Down This Road, Darn It?!!
Why I Hate Warlocks by Another Anonymous Gnoll
Hail of deadly boltsRawk rawk rawk by the Author's Griffin Mount
Strike hard at our enemies
Damage not their shoes
Rawk rawk rawk rawk rawk* Translation in common tongue:
Rawk rawk rawk rawk rawk rawk rawk
Rawk rawk rawk rawk rawk*
Why Did They Have to Come Down This Road, Darn It?!!
Cloud smells like my poop
Dragon-man so frightening
Both talons can't hit
Why I Hate Warlocks by Another Anonymous Gnoll
We strike from above
Warlock appears up here, and --
Where did the ground go?
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Climb to the Widowmaker
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
Since our last correspondence, we arrived in the city of Ris and began to hunt for a guide to lead us into the mountains, where we could find a way into the Station of Samhain.
As we searched for a guide, it became apparent that no one was willing to lead us up the mountains. It was unclear why everyone was reluctant to help us on our quest.
After much effort, we finally found someone willing to bring us there. He seemed to be a person of questionable character (the Dwarven Cleric "Tiny" -- as we call him -- had some insight into this man's true nature), who seemed to have much knowledge about this area. He said we had to go to The Widowmaker in order to get to the entrance to the Station of Samhain.
The man demanded a sizable payment for his services ("5 gold pieces!"). Ever the diplomat (and the voice of reason for our party), the Half-Elven Paladin Firinne managed to barter him down to 4 gold pieces. Carlagnious, the Dragonborn Fighter, roared at the man and argued that 4 gold pieces was too high a price, but the man would not budge.
We finally agreed on that price, and we followed the man up the winding mountain road. The sides of the road were surrounded by sheer 40 foot walls. My instinct told me that malevolent creatures could use this rocky terrain to their advantage, and I kept my eyes open for areas in which we could be ambushed.
As we were turning around a bend, I felt we were being watched and were about to be attacked. I strode forward ahead of the party and partly around the bend, where I could see the entrance to a cave. In front of the cave, there were two angry, snarling Griffins.
I pulled out my bow and shot two deadly arrows at one of the Griffins -- completely missing it. (Melora was not with me today. I would go on to miss many more shots in this battle...) As I finished shooting, a number of Gnolls moved into view and proceeded to inundate me with crossbow bolts. I would have died, if it had not been for the powerful healing spells cast by the Paladin Firinne and the words of healing from the Half-Elven Warlord Garg.
Firinne instilled the party with the furious wrath of Melora, which made our strikes against the Griffins and Gnolls far more deadly. My comrades moved in and began to battle the Griffins face-to-face.
The Human Mage Kale, our master strategist, had an ingenious way to prevent the rest of us from becoming the easy targets of the Gnoll archers. He created a huge cloud of noxious vapors that obscured their view and blocked the entire passage. None of the Gnolls could shoot us, and the longer they stayed in the cloud, the sicker they became. The only way to escape the deathly cloud was to climb up.
Some of the Gnolls climbed up above the walls before us. More Gnolls appeared above the walls right next to us.
Zrynfari, the Eladrin Warlock, moved swiftly and silently through space, vanishing from his position next to the wall and appearing above the wall. He made one of the Gnolls move in the same unearthly way, except that the Gnoll was left with no ground beneath him -- 40 feet in the air. The Gnoll plummeted to the ground.
The Mage Kale moved the noxious cloud up above the walls, forcing the Gnolls back down to the ground. At one point, amazingly, he had made the cloud hover enough above the ground for us to see and move.
My comrades slew one of the Griffins and beat the second one until it was bleeding badly and screeching. It was then that the Fighter Carlagnious curled his Dragonborn maw into an angry, glaring face. He shouted at the Griffin, threatening to take its life, and the Griffin flew away in sheer fright. We all turned to Carlangious and, with puzzled expressions, asked him why he chose to scare the creature, rather than kill it. Carlangious insisted that he could have forced the creature to become his mount. There was much rolling of eyes, as we tried to explain to the Dragonborn that savage creatures like the Griffin could never be ridden by any other creature. Griffins are too wild and uncontrollable -- they could never serve as mounts.
Not long after this, the Griffin returned -- with a Gnoll archer riding on its back.
And Carlagnious gave us all an eye oozing with more stink than the Mage Kale's noxious cloud could ever emit...
The Warlock Zrynfari noticed that the Griffin was badly injured and was barely able to keep afloat. He struck the Griffin with a deadly force and instantly killed it, sending its Gnoll rider tumbling downward.
Meanwhile, Bran Tredegar, the Halfling Rogue, sliced through several Gnolls in a spinning stroke down to the ground. Carlagnious unleashed what could only be seen as a rain of steel strikes against more of the Gnolls. He chased them further into the cave and burned their flesh with the searing flames from his mouth.
In the end, the few Gnolls remaining chose to fled, and we searched through the cavern to find an unusual neck ornament. The learned Mage Kale mentioned that this could help to protect one of us against creatures that try to savage our minds, our health, and our speed.
We now continue on the road to the Widowmaker. I am hoping that the Great Goddess Melora will watch over us in our continuing travels. May she help my arrows find their targets and help our party to find the Mad Mage.
Your servant,
Aelar
Since our last correspondence, we arrived in the city of Ris and began to hunt for a guide to lead us into the mountains, where we could find a way into the Station of Samhain.
As we searched for a guide, it became apparent that no one was willing to lead us up the mountains. It was unclear why everyone was reluctant to help us on our quest.
After much effort, we finally found someone willing to bring us there. He seemed to be a person of questionable character (the Dwarven Cleric "Tiny" -- as we call him -- had some insight into this man's true nature), who seemed to have much knowledge about this area. He said we had to go to The Widowmaker in order to get to the entrance to the Station of Samhain.
The man demanded a sizable payment for his services ("5 gold pieces!"). Ever the diplomat (and the voice of reason for our party), the Half-Elven Paladin Firinne managed to barter him down to 4 gold pieces. Carlagnious, the Dragonborn Fighter, roared at the man and argued that 4 gold pieces was too high a price, but the man would not budge.
We finally agreed on that price, and we followed the man up the winding mountain road. The sides of the road were surrounded by sheer 40 foot walls. My instinct told me that malevolent creatures could use this rocky terrain to their advantage, and I kept my eyes open for areas in which we could be ambushed.
As we were turning around a bend, I felt we were being watched and were about to be attacked. I strode forward ahead of the party and partly around the bend, where I could see the entrance to a cave. In front of the cave, there were two angry, snarling Griffins.
I pulled out my bow and shot two deadly arrows at one of the Griffins -- completely missing it. (Melora was not with me today. I would go on to miss many more shots in this battle...) As I finished shooting, a number of Gnolls moved into view and proceeded to inundate me with crossbow bolts. I would have died, if it had not been for the powerful healing spells cast by the Paladin Firinne and the words of healing from the Half-Elven Warlord Garg.
Firinne instilled the party with the furious wrath of Melora, which made our strikes against the Griffins and Gnolls far more deadly. My comrades moved in and began to battle the Griffins face-to-face.
The Human Mage Kale, our master strategist, had an ingenious way to prevent the rest of us from becoming the easy targets of the Gnoll archers. He created a huge cloud of noxious vapors that obscured their view and blocked the entire passage. None of the Gnolls could shoot us, and the longer they stayed in the cloud, the sicker they became. The only way to escape the deathly cloud was to climb up.
Some of the Gnolls climbed up above the walls before us. More Gnolls appeared above the walls right next to us.
Zrynfari, the Eladrin Warlock, moved swiftly and silently through space, vanishing from his position next to the wall and appearing above the wall. He made one of the Gnolls move in the same unearthly way, except that the Gnoll was left with no ground beneath him -- 40 feet in the air. The Gnoll plummeted to the ground.
The Mage Kale moved the noxious cloud up above the walls, forcing the Gnolls back down to the ground. At one point, amazingly, he had made the cloud hover enough above the ground for us to see and move.
My comrades slew one of the Griffins and beat the second one until it was bleeding badly and screeching. It was then that the Fighter Carlagnious curled his Dragonborn maw into an angry, glaring face. He shouted at the Griffin, threatening to take its life, and the Griffin flew away in sheer fright. We all turned to Carlangious and, with puzzled expressions, asked him why he chose to scare the creature, rather than kill it. Carlangious insisted that he could have forced the creature to become his mount. There was much rolling of eyes, as we tried to explain to the Dragonborn that savage creatures like the Griffin could never be ridden by any other creature. Griffins are too wild and uncontrollable -- they could never serve as mounts.
Not long after this, the Griffin returned -- with a Gnoll archer riding on its back.
And Carlagnious gave us all an eye oozing with more stink than the Mage Kale's noxious cloud could ever emit...
The Warlock Zrynfari noticed that the Griffin was badly injured and was barely able to keep afloat. He struck the Griffin with a deadly force and instantly killed it, sending its Gnoll rider tumbling downward.
Meanwhile, Bran Tredegar, the Halfling Rogue, sliced through several Gnolls in a spinning stroke down to the ground. Carlagnious unleashed what could only be seen as a rain of steel strikes against more of the Gnolls. He chased them further into the cave and burned their flesh with the searing flames from his mouth.
In the end, the few Gnolls remaining chose to fled, and we searched through the cavern to find an unusual neck ornament. The learned Mage Kale mentioned that this could help to protect one of us against creatures that try to savage our minds, our health, and our speed.
We now continue on the road to the Widowmaker. I am hoping that the Great Goddess Melora will watch over us in our continuing travels. May she help my arrows find their targets and help our party to find the Mad Mage.
Your servant,
Aelar
Sunday, April 26, 2009
A Letter to Sta Sokeus
The following was composed during our brief rest in Put. I include it in its entirety, as its contents may form a useful summary of our activities thus far.
Professor Sokeus:
I write from Put, to which I have recently returned. Progress has been swift, but in unexpected ways. I have traveled far and learned much. There is much to write of, but little time. Even now the party prepares for a further expedition. I do not know what parts of my correspondence have been lost to unreliable channels, so I will summarize the situation, starting from our departure in early April.
I write from Put, to which I have recently returned. Progress has been swift, but in unexpected ways. I have traveled far and learned much. There is much to write of, but little time. Even now the party prepares for a further expedition. I do not know what parts of my correspondence have been lost to unreliable channels, so I will summarize the situation, starting from our departure in early April.
We left Put to follow a lead in the city of Polpettu, realm of the Orc King. The intelligence proved true, and we located and liberated a warrior from the old Put campaign, Dangargal. This rescue effort involved, much to my professional satisfaction, the operation of a ancient shore battery of considerable eldritch power. Operating the device, colloquially termed "The Bone Cannon," provided great insight into an ingeniously constructed magical focus (see attached figure 1a for a more detailed description-- eladrin mount, focus material of unknown origin). Our escape made good by the cannon's wake of destruction, we proceeded via naval transport (provided to us by the so-called "Book Club") to other locations of interest along the upper coast. Our means of transport bears further mentioning: it is a treeship, perhaps similar to one of the elven constructs I have read of (c.f. Rosenthal et al), whose construction was effected by a powerful transmutation potion. Our next destination of interest was the vault of the 101st immortal, also called "The Assassin."
But I reach too far. I should relate the fundamentals of what we have learned in the vault1 and other places. The Old War society was ruled by a far-reaching system of magical law, officiated by "Judges" (a monastic order of magi) and enforced by a caste of "Executors." Elaborate rituals and spells formed the basis of this system. We discovered magical constructs ("animata") of complexity far surpassing even the golems of the Fey courts. I should mention the highly advanced mathematics of this society, which merit further study. The Sworn which you earlier discovered are those bound by an arcane ritual termed, naturally enough, The Swearing. The Swearing is a metamagical binding of great power, tying the Sworn's will to some creed of the swearer's choosing. It is a dark magic, and requires the swearer give his life to complete the ritual.
This system of law, however, did not persist. At some point this society was overthrown by a coup, the military leaders of which were called The 100. The Old War society was recast under this new leadership, no doubt in fundamental ways.
Here is where things become less clear but all the more interesting. Each of the 100 somehow achieved immortality. In this or in other affairs, I believe they entered into a pact with The Lover. At some point The Lover turned against them, and began to lay waste to their civilization. Defeated, the 100 fled. They used their chthona to enter a different world. By this I mean do not mean an unknown place, but rather that they crossed over to this world: the 100 and their entire retinue are in truth outsiders to our plane.
This event is referred to as The Convolution. I cannot yet conceive of its exact metaphysical mechanics, but now I suspect that all the evidence of the Old War society in this world- all of the ruins, the focus houses, the vault, the keep, the monastery- may in fact be the extraplanar debris of the 100's exodus.2
The most remarkable facts of all stem from the urgency of the current situation. The 100 exist in our world even today. Indeed, we have had direct contact with several of them, and much of what we have learned has come from their own mouths. One of the immortals is the Assassin, 101, himself-- he seems to have gained his immortality in defiance of the 100, and opposes them. He has offered us considerable guidance in uncovering these mysteries, but his own agenda is far from clear. The other 100 were apparently imprisoned, since the time of the Convolution, within the mysterious pale trees known commonly as featherwood. Now these trees have begun to die one by one, and the immortals walk our lands. There are divine forces at work here as well. Both Melora and Moradin have taken an active interest in the situation-- the featherwood trees were apparently a bid by Melora to protect this world, and it was Moradin's agents who healed the rift that the Convolution3 produced.This event is referred to as The Convolution. I cannot yet conceive of its exact metaphysical mechanics, but now I suspect that all the evidence of the Old War society in this world- all of the ruins, the focus houses, the vault, the keep, the monastery- may in fact be the extraplanar debris of the 100's exodus.2
Finally, a more personal piece of information relating to our current quest. We now seek out your erstwhile pupil, the entity called the Mad Mage, to discover what he knows of the situation. I must ask you about an artifact that we believe he possesses: the Lens. Having retraced the steps of the expedition4 beneath Hokelithan, your stewardship of the Lens was revealed. I have learned that the Mad Mage came to possess this device himself, by thievery. I do not understand its exact purpose-- is its function that of communication? The Mad Mage reportedly managed to learn things from it. Was he taught, as I fear, by The Lover? I trust my inquiries are not too forward. This mage is by all measures a highly dangerous individual, and any information will help. We learned more of his use of The Forgetting -- and how it ultimately it led to his downfall. The spell employs an ornate knot as its focus, and only one who holds the knot is exempt from the enchantment, caster included. In an altercation during the campaign this knot was lost to the mage, and with it his identity itself. The magics we seek are dangerous indeed: both alien and awesome.
Sealed by the codex of the Lyceum Arcana,
Kale Metis, Apprentice
1This vault was designed to imprison the immortal 101 (by chaining the man underwater, no less), but upon our arrival we found only demonic guardians and an empty prison. Evidence of the Assassin's escape was scant but conclusive.
2Perhaps an even more extensive exchange of the realities was effected-- I cannot be sure. During my travels I became involved in a ritual of Moradin to re-mend the rift left by this event. It seems that a number of dwarves from this plane were displaced during the Convolution, finding themselves on the other side. This outland is now apparently overrun by the forces of the Lover.
3The ritual spoken of before was originally performed by an ancient dwarven warpriest of Moradin named Po Betterum. I know little of the histories surrounding this figure.
4I note the slaying of a surviving dragon (alas, but one) in this affair, as well as the recovery of a map which led us to a lost teleporter network surrounding the northern swamps, denoted The Circle of Melora.
The Road to Ris
Honorable Priestess of Melora,
I am writing to you as we near the city of Ris.
This morning, we met again with Falan, the uncle of the Halfling Rogue, Bran Tredegar. Falan has agreed to trust us with the Knot (the Knot that holds the memory of the identity of the Mad Mage), and Bran wisely suggested that Falan tell him about the Mad Mage while they hold the knot. Then, as long as Bran holds the Knot, he will be able to identify the Mad Mage.
After they did this, Falan proceeded to direct us to the location of the Mad Mage. We were to travel to Ris and find a guide there to take us to the mountains, where we can get into the Station of Samhain in the Temple of the Featherwood. (While there were obstacles blocking the Great Goddess of Melora's doorways of Life and Death that led from the other Stations to Samhain and the Winter Solstice, we could still get to these Stations from the mountains.)
Once we were in the Station of Samhain, we could follow the doorway to the Station of the Winter Solstice. From there, we are to head out North, where we will find a town and a guide there who can lead us to the Mad Mage. Falan was not clear about how we would be able to find that guide, but we all agreed to proceed in any case.
On the road from Put to Ris, we encountered a very strange creature. It was a large (almost giant) man who wore no clothes. He had uprooted a tree in order to cover parts of his body from sight. As an Elf who understands and lives in harmony with nature, the idea that a living, breathing, vibrant tree would be torn away from its soil -- for this! I felt horribly distraught. Especially since a short, fallen branch could have easily covered the region in question.
We tried to speak with the man, but most of us could not understand the gibberish coming from his mouth. However, Kale Metis, the brilliant Human Mage, deduced that the man was speaking in Old War language. Kale was able to understand the man's words and confirmed his suspicions that this man was one of the 100.
The man knew Logrid and the other member of the 100, who we encountered when trapped in that enemy camp earlier. The man did not remember how he got here or when he got here (much like Logrid). He did remember that in his world (the one before this one), the Lover of the Raven Queen had made everything a living hell. He was constantly attacked by monsters, and his world was full of death. It sounded much like the experience that some of our party members had when seeing through Logrid's eyes (Tiny's refugee's eyes) in their journey to the tower with the Bone Cannon.
We asked the man about the 101, and he said they considered the 101 to be a nuisance. The 100 captured and confined the 101 a few times in the past, but the 101 always seemed to have escaped.
He did say something else interesting about the 101. When we asked why the 101 didn't track down and kill the 100, the man replied that the 101 cannot kill without a judgement. (This seemed quite consistent with the Judge's Oath that we found earlier in the abandoned campus of the Judges.)
It seems as though more of the Featherwood trees are dying and more of the 100 are becoming the freed and walking this world. It does not seem to bode well that the 100 and 101 are here again. Perhaps this is an omen of a coming war.
Your servant and faithful follower of the Great Goddess Melora,
Aelar
I am writing to you as we near the city of Ris.
This morning, we met again with Falan, the uncle of the Halfling Rogue, Bran Tredegar. Falan has agreed to trust us with the Knot (the Knot that holds the memory of the identity of the Mad Mage), and Bran wisely suggested that Falan tell him about the Mad Mage while they hold the knot. Then, as long as Bran holds the Knot, he will be able to identify the Mad Mage.
After they did this, Falan proceeded to direct us to the location of the Mad Mage. We were to travel to Ris and find a guide there to take us to the mountains, where we can get into the Station of Samhain in the Temple of the Featherwood. (While there were obstacles blocking the Great Goddess of Melora's doorways of Life and Death that led from the other Stations to Samhain and the Winter Solstice, we could still get to these Stations from the mountains.)
Once we were in the Station of Samhain, we could follow the doorway to the Station of the Winter Solstice. From there, we are to head out North, where we will find a town and a guide there who can lead us to the Mad Mage. Falan was not clear about how we would be able to find that guide, but we all agreed to proceed in any case.
On the road from Put to Ris, we encountered a very strange creature. It was a large (almost giant) man who wore no clothes. He had uprooted a tree in order to cover parts of his body from sight. As an Elf who understands and lives in harmony with nature, the idea that a living, breathing, vibrant tree would be torn away from its soil -- for this! I felt horribly distraught. Especially since a short, fallen branch could have easily covered the region in question.
We tried to speak with the man, but most of us could not understand the gibberish coming from his mouth. However, Kale Metis, the brilliant Human Mage, deduced that the man was speaking in Old War language. Kale was able to understand the man's words and confirmed his suspicions that this man was one of the 100.
The man knew Logrid and the other member of the 100, who we encountered when trapped in that enemy camp earlier. The man did not remember how he got here or when he got here (much like Logrid). He did remember that in his world (the one before this one), the Lover of the Raven Queen had made everything a living hell. He was constantly attacked by monsters, and his world was full of death. It sounded much like the experience that some of our party members had when seeing through Logrid's eyes (Tiny's refugee's eyes) in their journey to the tower with the Bone Cannon.
We asked the man about the 101, and he said they considered the 101 to be a nuisance. The 100 captured and confined the 101 a few times in the past, but the 101 always seemed to have escaped.
He did say something else interesting about the 101. When we asked why the 101 didn't track down and kill the 100, the man replied that the 101 cannot kill without a judgement. (This seemed quite consistent with the Judge's Oath that we found earlier in the abandoned campus of the Judges.)
It seems as though more of the Featherwood trees are dying and more of the 100 are becoming the freed and walking this world. It does not seem to bode well that the 100 and 101 are here again. Perhaps this is an omen of a coming war.
Your servant and faithful follower of the Great Goddess Melora,
Aelar
Return to Put
To the Honorable Priestess of Melora:
It has been too long since I have corresponded with you, for which I apologize. We have been busily engaged in tracking down the Temple of the Featherwood. We did find it (which is a tale for another time), and we aided our comrade Tiny in his quest to heal the cracks that would tear apart our worlds (which is also a tale for another time).
We followed Falan back to Put, where he went to consult with someone to see if he could entrust the knot to us. While we waited, we happened upon Brother John in one of the local taverns.
Once again, Honorable Priestess, I must apologize for not mentioning Brother John in my earlier correspondence with you. We are not yet renown, and there are no bards willing to capture and sing of our travels and adventures. (Perhaps, though, bards are not needed to sing of our tales. Kale Metis, the Mage of Human ancestry, and Zrynfari, the Eladrin Warlock, sometimes speak of some legendary instruments of a magical nature that can allow those who are untrained in the musical arts to play as though they were a -- how could I describe this -- a band of skilled musicians. These powerful arcane instruments are known to some as "Bard Guild." The wonders of the magical arts never cease to amaze me.)
But I do digress. Brother John was someone we had met early in our adventures. Months ago, during our travels to aid Bran Tredegar (the Halfling Rogue) on his quest to deliver a message to his uncle Falan, we encountered Brother John on the road. He seemed to live his life like we do -- in harmony with nature. He warned us of a creature heading in our direction. The creature was a white bear, who was possessed by an unnatural spirit (an animata, we were told). We had no choice but to kill the bear. Brother John aided us and we managed to defeat the animata. Brother John wanted only the bear pelt as a gift, which we agreed to give to him.
Much later in our adventures, we learned that Brother John was a participant in the old campaign. Lakos, the father of our Half-Elven Warlord Garg, discovered the body of Brother John during the campaign. Brother John had been killed with a knife. And yet we saw him alive in our early adventures, and we see him alive here and now in the present!
The Mage Kale suspects that Brother John might be the executor of the Judges -- the assassin who led the rebellion against the 100 -- the one who speaks to us through the box -- the 101.
With this suspicion deeply in our hearts, we sat with him in this tavern in Put, and we attempted to ascertain the truth of the matter.
The Warlord Garg first suggested to Brother John that they get a "private room", which Brother John and the others in our party somehow misinterpreted in a very strange way. (I still do not understand the ways of humans and why they feel embarrassed about certain aspects of the natural cycle of life.)
The Mage Kale surreptitiously took the box with him to the outhouse. As we found out later, he sent a message to the 101 and waited but received no reply. He joined us again in the tavern, and we proceeded to question Brother John.
Brother John remained very quiet and gave short, unenlightening responses. As the night wore on, Carlagnious (the Dragonborn Fighter) insisted on ordering more and more rounds of drinks, which had little effect beyond dulling all of our brains and giving us hangovers as large as his Vicious Battle Axe. But there was a point when I seem to remember Brother John making an interesting comment. We asked him if he knew Logrid, but he feigned ignorance. He wanted to know who she was, so we explained our encounter with her and how she had almost killed Bran. Brother John commented that she sounded like quite a "bastard". "Bastard" was the same word that 101 used to describe Logrid, when we asked him.
So this is all we know at the present. I'm writing this to you on the morning after we questioned Brother John in the tavern. My head is pounding as though my skull is being hammered by a rain of steel, and for this I blame my own indulgences in ale and the Dragonborn for insisting on "just another round".
Today, we will meet with Falan again in the hopes that he will give us the knot and direct us to find the Mad Mage.
If my writing is less than intelligible or my accounts of our travels less than true, I apologize for the previous night's excesses. Nature has blessed me with much wisdom but taken from my intelligence to make up for it.
I hope this letter finds you well. I will write you again from the road today.
Your servant and faithful follower of our Great Goddess Melora,
Aelar
A Short Postscript: The Warlord Garg has requested that I mention that ... how shall I say this? ... His Dad sends his greetings to you, wishes you well, and ... says that ... you are still a ... a ... fine woman. I hope that do not take offense. I am passing along this message in accordance to the wishes of my comrade.
It has been too long since I have corresponded with you, for which I apologize. We have been busily engaged in tracking down the Temple of the Featherwood. We did find it (which is a tale for another time), and we aided our comrade Tiny in his quest to heal the cracks that would tear apart our worlds (which is also a tale for another time).
We followed Falan back to Put, where he went to consult with someone to see if he could entrust the knot to us. While we waited, we happened upon Brother John in one of the local taverns.
Once again, Honorable Priestess, I must apologize for not mentioning Brother John in my earlier correspondence with you. We are not yet renown, and there are no bards willing to capture and sing of our travels and adventures. (Perhaps, though, bards are not needed to sing of our tales. Kale Metis, the Mage of Human ancestry, and Zrynfari, the Eladrin Warlock, sometimes speak of some legendary instruments of a magical nature that can allow those who are untrained in the musical arts to play as though they were a -- how could I describe this -- a band of skilled musicians. These powerful arcane instruments are known to some as "Bard Guild." The wonders of the magical arts never cease to amaze me.)
But I do digress. Brother John was someone we had met early in our adventures. Months ago, during our travels to aid Bran Tredegar (the Halfling Rogue) on his quest to deliver a message to his uncle Falan, we encountered Brother John on the road. He seemed to live his life like we do -- in harmony with nature. He warned us of a creature heading in our direction. The creature was a white bear, who was possessed by an unnatural spirit (an animata, we were told). We had no choice but to kill the bear. Brother John aided us and we managed to defeat the animata. Brother John wanted only the bear pelt as a gift, which we agreed to give to him.
Much later in our adventures, we learned that Brother John was a participant in the old campaign. Lakos, the father of our Half-Elven Warlord Garg, discovered the body of Brother John during the campaign. Brother John had been killed with a knife. And yet we saw him alive in our early adventures, and we see him alive here and now in the present!
The Mage Kale suspects that Brother John might be the executor of the Judges -- the assassin who led the rebellion against the 100 -- the one who speaks to us through the box -- the 101.
With this suspicion deeply in our hearts, we sat with him in this tavern in Put, and we attempted to ascertain the truth of the matter.
The Warlord Garg first suggested to Brother John that they get a "private room", which Brother John and the others in our party somehow misinterpreted in a very strange way. (I still do not understand the ways of humans and why they feel embarrassed about certain aspects of the natural cycle of life.)
The Mage Kale surreptitiously took the box with him to the outhouse. As we found out later, he sent a message to the 101 and waited but received no reply. He joined us again in the tavern, and we proceeded to question Brother John.
Brother John remained very quiet and gave short, unenlightening responses. As the night wore on, Carlagnious (the Dragonborn Fighter) insisted on ordering more and more rounds of drinks, which had little effect beyond dulling all of our brains and giving us hangovers as large as his Vicious Battle Axe. But there was a point when I seem to remember Brother John making an interesting comment. We asked him if he knew Logrid, but he feigned ignorance. He wanted to know who she was, so we explained our encounter with her and how she had almost killed Bran. Brother John commented that she sounded like quite a "bastard". "Bastard" was the same word that 101 used to describe Logrid, when we asked him.
So this is all we know at the present. I'm writing this to you on the morning after we questioned Brother John in the tavern. My head is pounding as though my skull is being hammered by a rain of steel, and for this I blame my own indulgences in ale and the Dragonborn for insisting on "just another round".
Today, we will meet with Falan again in the hopes that he will give us the knot and direct us to find the Mad Mage.
If my writing is less than intelligible or my accounts of our travels less than true, I apologize for the previous night's excesses. Nature has blessed me with much wisdom but taken from my intelligence to make up for it.
I hope this letter finds you well. I will write you again from the road today.
Your servant and faithful follower of our Great Goddess Melora,
Aelar
A Short Postscript: The Warlord Garg has requested that I mention that ... how shall I say this? ... His Dad sends his greetings to you, wishes you well, and ... says that ... you are still a ... a ... fine woman. I hope that do not take offense. I am passing along this message in accordance to the wishes of my comrade.
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