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
Sunday, October 25, 2009
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 --
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)