# As the Two Sisters Watched(into the breech)



## alsih2o (Mar 31, 2003)

Sweat built up quickly on her hairy upper lip as soon as she saw the glowing brand. Her pudgy, unattractive face was helpless to hide her excitement as the brand hissed and bubbled into the shoulder of the feral boy kneeling before her outstretched hands.

 “In the name of Balcla, the sun, the runner, the bringer I bless you and name you freed” 

 Thabyra had seen quite a few men branded, but this was the first time she had been in charge, and she liked it. The respite form the daily duties as a scribe felt good, but the burning…that sweet smell, and the light…..

 Rinney watched the brand bite into the shoulder of Ry and tried to feel he was doing the right thing. 15 days on the road and none of his companions had outed him as a wizard; none had even indicated that they might know his secret. Now he found himself in the hall of The Shield itself, buying this slaves freedom and representing Papa Mac, an outlaw leading a band of misfits in honor of the state. This had to be some special kind of suicide.

  Ry tried to put on a brave face as he felt the heat of the brand approach his shoulder, but when the cool damp flesh sated the heat he cried out in a way that betrayed his nature. The cry went deep into the fresh stone walls of the keep. The small man holding the brand had been through this routine at least one thousand times, but this was the first time his flesh had crawled…and he wondered if he could go so casually to mark any animal again, now that he had heard a man make these sounds, sounds unlike any he had heard from a beast.

  Fin winced as the barbarian on the ground growled out a scream, but it was a short pause in his scan of the room. How could the sufferings a man becoming free draw his attention from the finery and baubles of this palace? And how would he walk out of here without taking just a few along?

 As each of them watched the ritual Kolindra stared towards the man without seeing him, her mind full of vision of the scythe, and her return to the grove.


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## Ruined (Mar 31, 2003)

Looks very interesting. Please, continue.


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## alsih2o (Mar 31, 2003)

Eventually the pain subsided and Ry stood, craning his neck awkwardly to try and see how much of his tattoo the brand had erased. He had carried this mark on his shoulder since the second anniversary of his birth and had always had this constant reminder of his enslavement. He wondered if the feeling of freedom would outlast the searing pain.

  Back in their quarters in the great palace Rinney hoped they would have very little need for money before leaving the city, buying the freedom of his new friend had cost him greatly, but he was sure this man was a hero in the making. Ever since he had first seen the man, surrounded by wild dogs and fighting for his life, he had felt known. Soon after Ry had made an incredible leap, flinging himself off the muddy bank of the river and onto the undulating surface of the collapsing ferry to rescue the 2 trapped children. He had nearly died that day, and all of his actions were made without pause…and all for the children of a man he did not even know.

  And Kolindra, appearing mysteriously from the woods right when he had needed her, surely that was a sign from the Sisters. What were the odds that she would leave her grove for the first time ever as he passed? Or against her arriving in time to save the hairshirted holy men he had met?

   Fin was another one. The fact that in an open country this large he had seen the one item Kolindra searched for, that golden scythe. Not only had he seen it, but had for some reason marked the man who had it in his mind, the man with no nose.

 He had gifted them both with the charms provided by Papa Mac, marking them as Heroes of Maissen. They served the state now, and served at the same time Papa Mac and his hometown of Vaunth-on-the-lake. 

  They would come before The Shield in the morning to accept their commission- a thief, an outlaw wizard, a half-feral former slave and young girl who had never been out of the woods. He wondered if they would be hailed as heroes or imprisoned. On the eve of what should be the greatest day of their lives none of the party slept well. The next day they would be the beginning of their quest to affect the lives of everyone in Maissen, but tonight they felt like so much flotsam, awash on a powerful tide.


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## alsih2o (Mar 31, 2003)

if all goes well my players should be adding in "journal entry" type writing here, as the story progresses. 

 i am asking them to remain in character for their postings, and encourage readers to question them and me 

 thanks for taking the time,.

 mark (alsih2o)


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## willpax (Mar 31, 2003)

The religion and culture that lurk in the background here seem rather interesting. I look forward to reading more.


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## Kolindra (Mar 31, 2003)

Looking around the room the she was forced to share with all of her new friends, she sighed. All of them are male and no one in this place had any idea that she might have wanted a place to rest where there are more women around or more privacy. Sighing again she shrugged again and thought to herself “It isn’t that I don’t mind not having any privacy, it is just that I don’t know these people well yet and we are stuck together and every one expects me to not feel uncomfortable around them.” 

Soon she noticed that every one was using a metal tub to clean themselves off and she thought to herself that outlanders are very strange and why do they not just go to the lake outside and bathe. She must have spoken her thoughts aloud because every one was soon giving her strange looks and the servant almost fainted. She said “What? There is a nice large lake out there to bathe in.” Her new friends started to explain to her that it just isn’t done and she gave up and agreed with them for now, even though she didn’t agree. After they strung up a divider of cloth for her privacy she slipped into the tub and felt silly laying in it, but soon she washed and quickly dried herself off.

After dressing back in her clothing, they then wanted to measure her and the rest of her friends for clothing to wear to some feast and some important meeting. Again she sighed and started to wonder if all this was part of the plan of her elders and the spirits. She had no idea when she was asked, nay commanded, to leave the grove that she would be doing these things. It was supposed to be so easy, just find the scythe and return to the grove. Bah next time she met with the elders they would hear her thoughts, even if they did not like what she had to say.

Disdaining the two other choices of clothing, she told the servant that she would wear the leather outfit, but only if it is green and brown in color. Soon her old clothes were taken away to be washed and mended and she was dressed in this outfit that was made for the feast.

Looking at her friend and companion, Ryssa. She moved over to her and started to feed her the scraps of meat that someone brought up from the kitchen. “Ryssa is a good girl, isn’t she? Yes, we are far from home and you behave yourself while mommy is gone right? Yes, I know you will. When mommy leaves the room you will guard the room.” The wolf stares at friend and seems to be smiling at her. Kolindra laughs and finishes feeding her friend.


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## Kolindra (Mar 31, 2003)

I grew up in the wilds, in a small grove of druids, shamans, rangers and other nature priests. Our home and way of life are cyclic much like the seasons and we enjoy what nature gives us and renews every year.

Living in the grove has shaped me differently then those who live in a large town or city. All of the adults have a hand teaching the children the things they might need as they get older. No one child was more special then another, even if the child was a birthed by one of the elders. Also we tend to be not as modest as those from the cities and towns, at least not when we are among each other. When we are away from home though we are as modest as the outlanders are. Walking among those who live in the grove it would come as a shock to many when at least half of the adults and children are without clothing. Of course in the winter we are always usually dressed, we are not stupid enough to walk around in the cold with no clothing on.

For now I am just on a hunt to return one of our sacred items back to the grove or our spring ritual will not be able to take place and we might fall on hard times if we anger the spirits, and without it we will not be able to harvest the crop of mistletoe and other plants that we need for our spells and rituals.

My friend Ryssa was given to me a pup. I raised and trained her since then and she is a loyal friend and companion of mine. She isn’t a pet, as many of these outsiders seem to think. She can leave any time she wants to, but for now she has decided to stay with me.

Many of our rites and rituals I guess would be considered barbaric to those who live in the civilized lands. We still practice the old ways and rites. Many of these rites have to do with pleasure and the joys of the body. Almost all of us in the grove can see the spirits of the land but only a handful in the grove can talk back with them and receive answers. I was told that I might have that spark but for now it lies dormant until I find a willing teacher to help me unlock it.

Each season we have feasts and rites that help bring changes to the world so that the seasons will continue. The spring celebration of course is usually the most wild and many babies are born nine months after that rite. Harvest rite is when we honor our dead and renew the protections again the restless dead and this is also when we try to find any of the restless dead who might be around the forest and the grove and send them back to their grave.

Winter rite is usually a somber affair to try to help being in the spring season. While summer rite is when most of our weddings take place and it is also another happy time.


Kolindra’s Description

I wear brown calf length boots and a pair of breeches that are also brown in color. A light green belt is belted across my waist and it keeps my dark green shirt tucked into my breeches. I also wear a black cloak that falls to my ankles and it has a brown hood that when pulled over my head covers my face in shadow.

My black hair is grown a bit past my shoulders and I usually keep it unbound. I have the reddish brown skin tone of my mixed ancestors. As are my eyes.

Hanging on my belt is a dagger that is mostly used for skinning animals, cutting flowers and other plants, and as a last resort as a means of defense. I keep my spears, when they are not in use, strapped across my back so that they criss cross each other. I tuck my sling into the other side of my belt. My leather armor is usually only worn when there is a need for it, and it has been decorated with etchings of leaves, and has rocks, stones, shells, beads, and other items tied to it.

Starting on the back of my hands and then leading up my arms are a pair of tattoos. They are of tribal markings that start off as a circle that inverts on itself and then opens up into many different lines as the tattoos travel up my arms and then stop at my shoulders.


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## Prothall (Mar 31, 2003)

*Origins of Rinney*

As Rinney walked down the road to Vaunth-on-the-Lake with Fespa the Academic shining from behind is left shoulder, he reflected on how he came to be there...


Some twenty-two years ago, Rinney Flanagan had become the most recent addition to his rather small noble house; despite ties to original founders of the state of Maissen, house Flanagan had never gained much in the way of land or resources from the aborigines, nor had they risen high  in the hierarchy imposed on the indigenous peoples of the land. The only land they have controlled is the city of Ten Soldiers, so named because of the story of how ten of the founders of Maissen managed to hold off over one hundred barbarians for a week without one casualty. The land they defended was granted to them by the leader of the original founders, Maissen, and the soldiers chose Flanagan to be their leader.

	In his life, Rinney never left the walls of Ten Soldiers, though his father had often taken him hunting in the royal forest. Rinney, however, did not enjoy the hunt; he was not particularly skilled with the bow or the spear. Despite this, Cormac Flanagan could not accept a son with no training in weapons, and so had Rinney well schooled in the use of the foil, which he took to more easily. As a natural part of his basic training, the weapons-master also taught him use of the dagger, staff, and a few other simple weapons. 

	Between the training sessions his father forced upon him, Rinney often went to the keep's library, where his uncle lived and worked, compiling histories and keeping the large collection of books in good shape. Here Rinney would wander among the shelves for hours, entranced by the look and feel of the books nearly as much as by what was inside them. His favorites were the stories of the beginning of the earth, when Simus the north star created his daughters, the moons Fespa and Kalin, to assist him in the weaving of the greatest tale upon the slate which is the earth, and of other tales from long ago. But it was not long before Rinney found books that interested him even more - books on magic. They showed how by a series of gestures and syllables, one could give the magic inherent in nature form. The earliest of these Rinney discovered contained only simple tricks, such as could be accomplished by sleight of hand perhaps even more easily than by magic. Later, Rinney found books with more complex spells in them - it often took him a week to understand the simplest of them, but he was delighted by the results. He took particular interest in spells of illusion - even though the ones he understood allowed him to create only silent phantasms, he was fascinated by the degree of control he had over the images - anything he could imagine could be made almost real by his mere thoughts! He often used his ability with illusions to help him in his other hobby - woodcarving. By creating an image of what he wished to carve, he could work out any problems he might experience in carving beforehand. 

	But even as his interest and abilities grew, so did his fear of being discovered - for even the smallest child hears of Idien, the traitorous brother of Maissen, who was exiled after using his arcane magic to lose his youngest brother, Lastel, in a swamp. Since that time, the learning of magic by those not gifted by the moons or lands has been forbidden, and were Rinney discovered it would bring eternal shame on his house.

	Rinney knew that he could not continue to live in the keep, as he could not forever keep his magic secret from his father while under the same roof. So he had claimed to have a desire to see the world, and his father had wished him well and given him supplies for his travels; a rapier, some food, and several pieces of gold. Before leaving the city of Ten Soldiers, Rinney used some of his funds to buy himself some daggers and a fine set of woodcarving tools, but did not linger long in the city he was heir to. 


	And so came Rinney, after crossing the ferry at Kern, to the road towards Vaunth-on-the-Lake. It was a large city, and when he was close enough to see the extent of its walls, the height of its gates, and the number of people streaming into the gates, he gaped like some awestruck clodhopper. He got no few looks while entering the city, for his pale founder skin clearly contrasted with that of the native churkeys and the many people of mixed descent. After procuring a room at the Flagon and Sword, he walked through the streets of well-packed dirt to the merchant district. It was not hard to find with all the people hawking wares, each shouting to be heard above the others. Rinney, finding an open spot of dirt near the end of the street where the merchants were, sat down and pulled out from his pack some carvings he hoped to sell. He left his pack, open, on the ground beside him, and stood up to offer his wares to those who wanted them. 

	He had not had many customers before some of the city guards came up the street and spied him. One of them yelled to him, "Hey, you!" Rinney looked around, wondering if the guard had actually called to him, and if so, why. He noticed something that filled him with dread -in leaving his pack open he had exposed his spellbooks! Everyone knew wizards learned their craft from books, and no simple woodcarver carried books. Rinney, knowing he had been spotted, grabbed his pack and what carvings he could and dashed down one of the many branching side streets leading away form the marketplace. 

	As Rinney fled down the alleyway, boots flinging dust and dirt behind him, he heard the guards yelling, "Stop, stop!" As he looked behind him to see how far a lead he had on the guards, he was unpleasantly surprised by an aged but wiry arm that caught him round the chest and shoved him into a stone house. The aged, rather odd-looking man held a finger to his lips and stepped out into the street with a broom, brushing away some imaginary garbage from his back step.

	The guards came running down the lane, but suddenly stopped and drew themselves up, addressing the old man reverently. "Good Afternoon, Sir Mackson. We're terribly sorry to disturb you-"

	"...Terribly sorry" interrupted the other guard, looking at his feet and kicking imaginary rocks.

	"But you haven't happened to see a tall, skinny chap running through here with a pack, have you? We were about to ask him if he had his permit from the merchant's guild, but he jumped up and ran off down the alley when we called to him. Have you seen him?"

	"Ooooh, I can't say I have, laddy." Mackson said in a trembling voice. "But I'm not sure. These eyes and ears are so old, why, I didn't notice ye till ye stopped. Maybe he turned off down the way."

	"We'll apprehend the offender immediately, yourhonorMisterMacksonSir." The guard said, finishing in a rush as he dashed back the way he came, he and his fellow tripping over each other in their effort to "apprehend the offender".

	"Good luck, laddies!" Mackson called to the swift receding guards. 

	Turning back inside, he addressed Rinney. "Now, young chap, what is this business with the guards?"

	"Well, you see... well..."

 "How about you start at the beginning, eh?"


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## Mathew_Freeman (Mar 31, 2003)

I'm subscribed, Clay! Good start, very interesting.


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## alsih2o (Mar 31, 2003)

Fifteen boys in velvet marked the end of the walk down the long hallway. They chatted idly amongst themselves until they heard the approach, then they stood brightly and made an effort not to make eye contact with the approaching crowd.

  At the head of the crowd was Rinney, dressed in his best, with Kolindra, Ry and Finn in close step. As they approached the massive wooden doors wunst, their “handler” addressed them one last time.

   “Do not be nervous, just answer their questions as they ask them and do not speak unless spoken to. These are very important men but they respect what you are about to do.”

     The tall doors swung open with a grace that defied their size and the massive hall lay spread open before them. The party caught sight first of the 9 robed men behind the table, each had a bearing to hold a room on his own and together they seem to warp gravity itself around themselves. The shock of seeing and being seen by the council began to set in as it became apparent they were not in front of a wall but a huge boat.

  The hulking vessel squatted heavily in the center of the room like a contented sow, most people spent quite sometime amazed at its presence in the room before noticing that it hung in the air, less than 6 inches off the floor.

  Rinney took in the whole of the scene form the council and their scribes, one for each member, to the massive boat and arching stonework that embraced it until forming a roof high over its main mast and his mind drifted back to his start…..

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Mackson turned the letter over in his hands again. The fine vellum had yellowed from all his handling and still he was conflicted. He had always been a champion of the  Churkey, even as a young man and now, now with the added pressures of the rebellion in the swamplands why would the town call on him?
   Perhaps the were trying to embarrass him, trying to prove that he couldn’t put together a team…prove he was just an old windbag who was no longer capable. Each man chosen to represent a town as an elder was required to put together a crew to prove his wisdom. But each man who was called was chosen knowing that he would tip his balance in his choices towards Founders, people who looked like heroes.

   Now, with every pure Founder family in the city suspicious of him they had called on him to join them. How was he supposed to put together an expeditionary crew when he had noone of pure race to lead it? Perhaps both Fespa and Kalin were guarding him this day, for a boy of pure race had stumbled into him today. The boy slept upstairs now, glad to be safe from the city watch, but Mackson had plans to send him someplace much more dangerous.

   “Surely the sisters watch my hand, and Balcla has delivered this boy to me….it is the will of the luminaries themselves” he said..to noone but the books on his shelves.



   The next afternoon he had his manservant bring the boy to him, for if the gods were ever going to guide his hand, it would be now. 

      “Boy, you are a purebred, a Founder in all your lines, and that is about to serve you well, as I have a task that I believe you can perform that will leave you without worries for the town guard”

      Rinney looked he old man over, grateful but cautious as he continued.

        “As you surely know, when a man is chosen to serve on his city’s board of elders he must prove himself by securing a force, an expedition, into the wastes. In my…unusual circumstances this ha become difficult, but I believe the Sister have blessed me with your arrival.”

   Rinney tried to speak confidently, but the seriousness of the situation was upon him.

    “I have enjoyed your hospitality, and will gratefully help you as I can Honorable Mackson”

     “Call me Papa Mac, all who know me do. I have these,” he said, drawing forth 6 necklaces “to give to heroes. Each person who wears one will be known as a Hero of Maissen, and will bear the honor and responsibility to breech the wastes and prove himself, and in doing so prove to the Shield my worth. I believe that the sisters have guided you into my hands for this purpose, and I call on you to take up this service. If you do so I may have others who can assist you, possibly making you a rich man in the process.”

  Rinney felt flush with certainty and extended his hand as Papa Mac continued.

   “Wear the one with the sister’s image on it, and go to Maissen, it is 15 days by road and I am sure the Sisters will yield companions to you on your path, but choose wisely for much depends on it.”

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## arwink (Apr 1, 2003)

Nice, Clay.

When do we get to see pictures


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## alsih2o (Apr 1, 2003)

Every sound in the chamber took on monumental proportions making every footfall seem weighted with importance. The four reached their appointed spot before the large council table in time with 2 other groups, one from the south and one from the east.

    The head of the council let a heavily silent moment pass before speaking.

  “Who comes to represent Vaunth-on-the-lake?”

  Rinney did not hesitate in answering.

    “I come, Rinney sent by Mackson. I bring with me Kolindra, Finn and Ry.”

   The minister let a stern look pass over the group- “And who amongst you represents the stars? Who amongst you is the healer?”

  “None of us is a priest sir”

   The minister flapped his arms and in his robes and let out a dismissive snort.

   “No priest, and no sign of an experienced guide? Mackson is trying to make a fool of me. But I will not let that happen.”

   The minister let his eyes pass over the members of the council and eventually come to rest on the scribe behind Minister Tobal.

   “You, girl, step up Go and take your place with this….group”

  The young priestess looked up and snapped quickly to their side. Everyone but Kolindra managed to hide their surprise to see the priestess that had presided over Ry’s freedom ceremony again.

    The minister looked about the room as if the proper answers were hidden somewhere on the floor.

    “When you head west, at the border there will be an appropriate guide waiting for you, I will arrange it. No old fool from lake country is going to have your blood on my hands because you were ill prepared.”

  The minister finished by guiding them through a short series of loyalty oaths, then moved on to the other groups before him. One form Tawgor’s Ferry and one form Gurnst. The group from Tawgor’s Ferry carried the air of welth with them, each looked ot be a purebred founder. They dressed in fine leathers and thir weapons boire as much decoration as threat. The band from Gurnst  lacked this level of showmanship but lacked none for muscle.

  The ceremony was moved into the feast hall for a last dinner and as the party moved in behond the ministers they could hear the taunts from the Tawgor’s Ferry crew under their breath.


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## alsih2o (Apr 1, 2003)

If our heroes had known just how long they would be in the wastes beyond they would have spent more time studying the faces of the throngs bidding them farewell at the city gates. A short study of these faces would find the eager envy of young people, wishing for their chance to prove themselves in the name of the state, and weeping women sure they were seeing innocence die, sure they were seeing the bravest the world had to offer marching blindly into a battle of no return.

   Anyone who doubted the importance of the procession need only to look to it’s head, where two horsemen led the way.  Horses had been exceedingly rare in Maissen since the founding. Few had survived the shipwreck and most of these had perished from hoof rickets in the 4th year of the founding. Now their tall lean presence at the fore made a stark contrast against the increasingly flat landscape before them.

  Legend started and ended at this border, if you could call it a border. Maissen didn’t come to a stop so much as it faded from existence, swallowed by the seemingly endless and perfectly flat prairie beyond. One small group of shanties marked the last steps in a protected state and at their rim stood a small group of mixbreeds, proud and sad. The calvarymen pulled to ahlt before the small group and nodded their goodbyes to the heroes, trying to fix forever in their memories the faces of these 5.

   The eldest of the group stepped forward.

  “Who amongst you is Rinney?”

  Rinney acknowledged the stooped man and met eyes with the dark woman behind him. She was slight of appearance and here eyes were rimmed with the lines of a person who has faced the strong winds blowing in from the nothingness for too long.

   “I bring you Tavania. She is trained in the ways of our people from before the Founding, she has prepared for this moment from before the gods planned it, and will serve you well.”

   Tavania and the heroes tried to keep the meeting casual, as casual as introductions can be for those bound for the unknown, ready to lean on strangers for support. As they spoke the leather clad group spirited immediately into the grasslands, singing the songs of heroes who did not return, and mocking each name as it was called. The third group checked their supplies and headed north, each squatting unconsciously, seeking to gain some cover from the high grasses.

     The dry, brittle grasses swayed in the breeze, hiding the soft footing beneath where the spring rains ad begun to saturate the soil.

     Tavania gave them her last warning, the one she had practiced for this moment.

   “At the small clump of trees just fore Masieen ends, beyond that we are on our own, prepare as you must now, for this is the last we shall see of good people and safe sleep for a season”

     Once she felt that everyone was listening she spoke more solemnly.

  “Watch always for the Shokta, you will know them when you see them. They roam these plains freely upon their great mounts, black bison who reek of death and can kill a man with their breath alone”

   Rinney stared back at his faithful bearer cow, Ichiopa, and wonder how big a bison could be. Thabyra stopped and studied 3 men cooking fish paste in an iron pot over an open fire as the rest scanned the village for any last useful thing they had forgotten.

  As they took their first steps into the open plain their air of confidence was betrayed by their weapons at the ready, even here in the shadow of the great state.


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## alsih2o (Apr 1, 2003)

It takes less than an hour of walking to feel completely lost in the plains. As soon as the last 3 trees at the last outpost disappeared on the horizon it was almost impossible to tell if they were making any progress.  All the tales of lost souls circling in on themselves till they starved began to make sense. Balcla rises in the north on waning days and south for the waxing, confuse yourself about which day it is and you could wander through his land for years without direction.

     As the incredible monotony started to set in Tavania, who had been walking 50 steps ahead of the party disappeared into the grass. The party stood frozen, unsure of how to react. As they began to gather themselves they could make out her squatted form moving through the grass, barely disturbing its natural rhythms in the wind as she moved.

    “Down, down, get down….Shokta raiders!” she urged them thru clenched teeth.

    Rinney dragged Ichiopa onto her side and Kolindra silently ordered Ryssa, her loyal wolf, to lie down. They poked their heads as high as they dared to catch a glimpse, curiosity posing as bravery.

     The 40 men and their terrible black bison mounts sinewed south in single file. None of them made the effort to look at the horizon, but Tavania knew form her grandparents and parents that little if anything would escape their notice. What the bronzed men did not immediately spot with their sharp eyes the hulking bison would smell before it approached close enough to threaten them. 

    Tavania felt a surge of blood to her face, her rage toward her sworn nemesis battling with awe of their abilities and might. She kept the party on its bellies and knees for nearly half an hour, just to be sure they had passed. When they felt brave enough to look back to their path they finally noticed the thin column of white smoke ahead of them.

    Moving as quietly as possible they approached the source, a blackened area of earth some 45 feet wide. Small flames were still licking at the edges of the circle. Within lay familiar bodies.

    The men from Gurnst, who had looked so powerful just 2 days ago in the cavernous rooms of the Shields palace, were sprawled at odd angles on the blackened earth. The blunt weapons used to pummel them until their end had left little to identify them from but their shoddy clothes and their heroes’ necklaces. Finn wondered why someone would go to all the trouble of killing them without taking their valuables.

    Rinney spoke first. “We should collect their necklaces, someone will want them back home, and someone may be comforted by at least knowing what happened to them”

     The party collected their necklaces, noticing that the Shokta had stolen everything from the corpses that could possibly be useful. Thabyra slipped out of her shock and remembered her duties.

      “We should start a pyre, leaving them here like this cannot be good.”

    The party gathered the dry grasses and stacked the bodies, dumping oil over all of it and immolating the mass, conscious the whole while of how short the mission had been for these brave and strong men. The air still roiled with the heat of the grassfire as the party headed out along their path, quieter and more somber than before.


     Camp came easy. Without choices on shelter levels or proximity to any kind of path the party simply threw themselves on the ground and waited for sleep. Coyotes could be heard calling in the far distance and occasionally Ichiopa would low.

     As Balcla rose in the north and Thabyra prayed for his blessing the party gathered themselves under the cold dew. Ryssa shook herself awake and chased mice at the outskirts of camp as the various members discussed their possibilities.

      Rinney began to explain “Well, there was a fellow back in Vaunth-on-the-Lake that urged me for a favor.” He produced a 2-gallon terra cotta jar form his pack. “He says if I can fill this with honey from giant bees he will reward us by filling it with gold and returning it”

      “Honey?” responded Kolindra, revealing her suspicion

   “Yeah, it seems odd to me too. But he said that back before the founding men had domesticated giant bees, and that a sauce made form their honey was a favorite of the royal line. He is expecting a lengthy visit from members of the Council and he wants to gain their favor by returning this rare delicacy to the palettes of the wealthy.” 

   Kolindra rolled her eyes over the standards of these ‘civilized’ people.

   Tavania pointed definitively at a section of the horizon indistinguishable from any other. “Legend says that giant bees have a hive northwest of here, near the Blue Spring. It is just a children’s tale though, giant bees and curbles.”

    “Curbles?” proffered Ry, in his stilted tone.

   “Curbles, smelly, big, pig-bear-men. Matted hair and wild eyes, my mother used to tell us that they would eat children who wandered to far from home.” She chuckled.


   “pig….bear….man” Ry shook his head and gripped his greatclub a little tighter.


  Rinney said what everyone was thinking. “Well, we have been walking without seeing anything at all, we might as well keep going, there has to be something out here.”


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## alsih2o (Apr 1, 2003)

The wind rushed from Finns lungs as Ry tackled him. Thabyra puts her hands together in front of her in what would have been a desperate defensive posture in anyone else. Thabyra invoke Balcla’s name and flames shot from her fingertips. The whole of the prairie took on the rank odor of burning spider fuzz. As Thabyras eyes adjust from the bright flame she saw Rinneys dagger sticking from the huge spiders back. All day staring at the endless horizon worried about what might be waiting for them and now this thing, smoking and reeking in the tall grass. Fin looked back to the hulking corpse lying right where had been standing.

   Fin was quick to his feet and drawing his bow while the rest stared in disgust at the beast. He fired and brought everyone’s attention back to the present as they heard the sickening thump of his arrow penetrating another spider chitinous shell. His arrow pierced through the vile arachnid and pinned it to the turf. Each face whirled forward as several erupted from the ground, each springing from a tunnel well hidden in the tall grass by a woven mat lid.

   Ryssa leapt forward to defend her master and felt yelped in pain as the awesome speed of the spiders strike left her reeling, green viscous fluid draining from the wound and trailing back to the canids leg. Thabyra was hit too; her pale chubby leg swelled with the oozing liquid, she felt her stomach turn and her legs buckled slightly.

    Chaos ensued….the dodgy spider moved with amazing speed, always a few inches ahead of Ry’s club, always just leaving where crossbow bolts struck the muddy earth. Sling stones pushed the fine dust into the air as they bounced off the spiders thick shells, then Thabyra struck deep and hard, driving her spear thru another spider with one of Rinney’s daggers in its back. It slumped lifelessly with its 4 front feet just inside the entrance to its hidden tunnel. Ryssa lashed out, wounded but undeterred, biting deep through a spiders hard shell, crunching it to splinters and strewing its stringy innards around her head and the open field.

    Once everyone felt safe that all of the spiders were dead attention turned to healing the injured, and talk of what effect might still yet come form their bites. Thabyra healed those she could in Balcla’s name and Tavania was still gathering for a poultice when Rinney mentioned that someone should see what was down one of the tunnels.

   Thabyra pried back the lightweight lid with her spear and threw a stone lit by Balcla into the pit. The cool air inside the tunnel brushed their faces as the looked inside. Some 7 feet deep and 3 feet around, the hole was smooth-walled and ended somewhere beneath the thick coating of bones on the bottom. Tavania hesitantly stepped into the whole, bracing herself on the sides as the bones beneath her feet crumbled and settled. The ridges furrows of their brows marked them as Shokta. A few small animal skeletons were interspersed. She filtered through the bones with her spear, finding a small leather thing with a polished river rock hanging from it. It bore a symbol she had never seen, a raven on a bison’s back, and she threw it out, following close behind.

   “I don’t think there is much here to see, and I think it best we move on, predators bring scavengers on this country, and I don’t want to be here when something else shows up”


   Poultices were placed on the bitten, who continued to feel weak stomached and frail and the walking continued.

       Approaching dusk the party was drawn to a stop. Slowly appearing before them, not visible form more than 80 feet away, was a sprawling rift valley. Here in this ocean of grasses was a 300 foot deep chasm in the earth. The valley spread for 3 miles in front of them and out of sight on either direction. Looking down into the valley the tops of the mature hardwoods formed a nearly perfect green carpet, and as Balcla set in the southern sky behind them, slowly stealing his light form the valley floor, they could make out bees.

          At least 100 enormous, goat sized honeybees were converging on a single tall oak less than a mile away, and 150 feet below. They decided to make camp and deal with this problem by the light of the next day.


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## Piratecat (Apr 2, 2003)

Yay, rank odor of burning spider fuzz!  What a great description.

More, please!


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## Maldur (Apr 3, 2003)

Yes, clay !!

Great stuff! THe potter can write to


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## alsih2o (Apr 3, 2003)

Thabyra stretched her arms wide and soaked up Balcla’s light. She had been facing south waiting for this moment and ended her morning prayers just as the holy sun was fully over the horizon. With her last sharp tones to her fiery god she awoke Finn, who stumbled to his feet, tasting his mouth and wiping his eyes.

    Only Kolindra was fully engaged, she had been at the cliffs edge overlooking the rift valley since before dawn and was now seeing the fruit of her wait.

    Slowly the light seeped into the valley…slowly it lit the top of the trees…..slowly it dried the morning dew off the backs of the giant bees gathered in the trees below and they beat their wings, testing them against the air. After a few moments that made the bees seem almost unsure their bulbous frames lifted from the perch in the mature trees and they set out over the valley.

   Kolindra stared deeply, and began to shake. Intense vibrations shook her body, starting at her head and moving incrementally down her spine, ending with a quiver in her limbs that drew everyone’s full attention.  She folded her hands into her armpits and squatted, thrusting her neck forward and shaking her rump, first on one leg, then another the vibrations came again and again. She jerked sharply to her left, her staccato movements describing a half circle thru the tall grass, then a jerk to the right, completing another arc.

  The small group on the cliff stared, and began to approach Kolindra, but took a healthy space back from her when they saw the bees approaching quickly. The small druid had a thin blade of grass in her mouth that she blew against, creating a strained, high-pitched sound that broke the air over the valley.  Five of the giant bees were now rushing headlong at the cliff making a line for the lady of the land.

   “By Balcla’s calloused feet!” cried the priestess and gestured, throwing the blessings of the sun on her traveling companion.

    Tavania drew her bow and waited, the taut string biting into her fingers, Ryssa the wolf backed away from her master and growled a deep, rumbling warning to the bees.

   The small space between Kolindra and cliff was completely full of the 5 bees. They had landed and formed a semicircle around Kolindra, their massive compound eyes reflecting Kolindras odd dance back to the party, as she completed her second figure in the grass the largest of the group charged her at full speed. It’s head lowered it cam within inches of the nervous druids nose and stopped as suddenly as it had begun, emitting a high pitched buzz that matched Kolindras note for note.

    It backed away with the same startling speed and began to mimic the druid, hauling its deceptively light body over the grass in a mirror image of her dance. Soon the 5 were drawn into a frenzy, climbing over one another repeating the druids steps in 5 different rhythms, each matching her tones in their own time.

     The party held its breathe as the bees stopped simultaneously and shook themselves with a strength and speed that inspired awe. Then they each resumed their spot in the half circle and turned away from the druid. Each stood on only its front four legs and shook in unison spreading a thick spray of sticky pollen into the air. 

    The bees took flight again and left the party standing in awed silence behind Kolindra, almost unrecognizable under a thick layer of sticky-sweet pollen. She was coated nearly entirely, 2 inches of the tar-like yellow solids clinging to her skin and clothes.

   Ry spoke first "Paswen...are...you....all..right?"

   Kolindra finally spoke “I….I am not sure, that didn’t work out exactly like I thought it would”

    Thabyra broke in “It seems almost like they were being… friendly.”

  “Bees,,…Make babies… with Paswen?” proffered RY


   Thabyra lost her stomach at that thought, letting loose early breakfast on Finns shoes.

  “Gather what rope we have” ordered Kolindra “ I want to try something”

  The group tied a long section of hemp rope around Kolindra’s midsection, being careful to avoid getting the stickysweet pollen on themselves, and lowered her over the side of the cliff. She dangled there, nearly 45 feet down and waited.

    The bees ignored her completely, they passed to and fro in their usual industrious way without even a glance in the dangling, yellow druids direction. She yanked the rope and called to be drawn up.

    “I think we may just be on to something” she said, her smile barely evident beneath the hardening layer of caked yellow pollen that covered her.


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## Ruined (Apr 3, 2003)

The story hour's looking good, alsih2o!  The bee dance was very stylish, a great scene.  And let me just say, the giant trapdoor spiders in the tall grasses was a vivid scene - one a bit too vivid for mister 'I'm afraid of spiders' here.


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## alsih2o (Apr 3, 2003)

is this a good place to add some history and a pantheon? is there a normal sh way to deal wiht such things?

 or is that boring background crap to you folks?


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## Ruined (Apr 4, 2003)

AFAIC, I don't mind having it here within the thread. It's fresh material to read over, and your players know it, so no real need to exclude it to another thread. Go for it!


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## alsih2o (Apr 5, 2003)

here is the pantheon of gods as your average citizen knows it. it is incomplete, but as more is revealed to the players i will amend it 

 the pantheon is made of up celestial bodies. every light and planet you can see in the night sky is a being with some sway over events on the earth. those brave, bold, good, evil, reverent, strong and important enuf become stars on their death. many men have moved up the the ranks of the church easily on a reputation for predicting when a certain heroes star will appear, or divining who a recent star belongs to.

Simus the uncaring- Simus was alone in the universe when he decided to tell a story. he created 2 daughters to help him, Fespa the academic and Kalin the artist. he set them before him as moons and drew forth a clay tablet to record history. on this tablet was but one creature. this creature said he was a ghost dragon, and was as old as the clay in the tablet.  Simus commisioned this beast to fashion him an alphabet, with which to record his story.

 Fespa and Kalin put all of their energies into the creation of a suitable setting for their fathers great tale and worked for 2000 years before they noticed that Simus had a son. Balcla, the sun, was free to hunt every day, pushing his hounds throughout the sky. one day when Simus was looking for the ghost dragon to check his progress Fespa and Kalin worked together and tricked Balcla into promising to run their errands, which they have kept him busy with to this day. every day Balcla sets forth north to south across the sky on waning days and south to north on waxing days. concerned that the baying of Balclas leash would attract the attentions of their father they cast the 9 dogs against the night sky where the circle forever in pursuit of Fift, the boar.

 Centuries later the ghost dragon completed his alphabet and was released from duty by Simus. upon returning to his mountaintop to rest he discovered that his eggs, ungaurded for the whole time it had taken to create Simus' great alphabet had turned to stone. the great dragon wept deeply over the death of his kind and when the sister moons saw his grief the presented him with a gift in grattitude. as his tears fell Fespa turned them into the great waters of the world and as his tears ran across his eggs Kalin turned the 12 eggs into 12 races, and sent them forth on the tablet to make a history for their father so that he would be kept busy recording his story and never interfere in the lives of those on the tablet again.

 In a previous experiment Fespa created another being for her father to watch, Vanpo. Vanpo was a brave and handsome cat who travelled the land freely and found great pleasure in exploring all of the lands of the tablet, without concern for the boundaries set up by the sister moons. When the 12 eggs hatched and moved forth on the earth Vanpo found great pleasure in sailing them around, place to place. He took nearly every race to so many places that they became lost, unable to find home. When Kalin awoke and saw what her sisters creation had done to all the beautiful races, and how he had violated the boundaries they had set she lured him into the great red sea and when he was there, testing his sail she flung the entire sea into the sky where Vanpo the explorer still plies his sail, looking for new lands.

 Simus the uncaring- the north star. writes the story of everything on his tablet, which is the earth. he is true nuetral, and has given up on affecting events, leaving the earth in the grasp of his children.

 Fespa- the academic moon. Fespa is large and glows with a yellow light.she is NG and favors academics, collectors, rulers, writers and mages. she is the patron saint of all who seek to learn.

 Kalin- the artist moon. Fespa is smaller then her sister and glows with a reddish tone. she is NG and favors builders, artists, performers, and storytellers. she is the patron saint of creation and creators.

 Balcla- the sun. errand boy to Fespa and Kalin he streaks across the sky every day, the bright flames coming from his boots of fire and speed lighting the entire sky. LN

 Zodiac signs:

 The Leash- Balclas 9 dogs lie in the south sky, the represent the man and the nine alignments.

 Fift- the boar. fift represent nature and wisdom. he rest high in the southern sky, perpetually hounded by the leash.

 Vanpo-the sailor. Vanpos ship can be seen in the red blotch in the eatern sky, sailling across the sea in seach of new land.

 Bebe-the sea. Bebe is the giant red sea Vanpo attempts to cross. she pities Vanpo for his endless quest and sings to him.

 Passul-the archer. Passul was an early hero. when men were not numerous or spread across the good earth Passul fed them with the skill of his bow. upon his death Passul was honored with spot in the western skies where his bow can still be seen during most of the year. he attention payed to Fespa and Balcla began to eat at him and he attempted to organize a rebellion to steal Fespasspot in the night sky, when Fespa discovered his plan she beat him back with her flail and it took him 3 months to return to his spot in the sky, since that time Passul has always fallen below the horizon for 3 months every summer, during this time most see it as unlucky to take game with a bow.


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## alsih2o (Apr 6, 2003)

here is part of the history, this history is the version one would be given by an 8th grader, not complaetely accurate and only hitting certain high points. more will be revealed as necessary 

     On a glorious spring morning 253 years ago the 3 learned sons of  Paraskus the merciful set out on a quest to obtain gifts  to impress their father. Idein the mage, Lastel the hunter and Maissen the Moongazer each set forth down the Motherriver with a fast ship and a large and loyal crew. 6 smaller ships sailed in support of the young princes, each laden with the provisions and protections that the princes would need for the journey.

    On the 7th week of this journey the vessels and their princely cargos made to the open sea, rounded the western horn and made for lands unknown. They ushered bravely past the last permanent settlement of  the great kingdom and set for the southern islands determined to conquer and collect in the name of their father and homeland. Following the wisdom of the ages, they knew to never leave the sight of the shore gulls, for the broad expanse of the waters held terrible horrors that had swallowed every ship that wondered beyond the terns eyes.

   All passed well for the princes under the guidance of Felspa and Kalin, the sister moons until the passing of Felspa into darkness in the 2nd quarter of the year. At this point, when the artist Felspa was hidden from men’s sight, they each had a dream. In the dream their father, Paraskus, stood in the mother-river as it turned to blood. His brow was heavy, and as he opened his mouth to speak his teeth fell into his hands as maggots and crawled away. His eyes turned, his flesh swelled and as he fell on the river his hair loosed and spread towards them in a great wind. The princes, startled awake, found their ships captured by this wind, forced in a rage to the open sea. The great wind tossed the waters violently and pushed the ships at unmatched speed thru day and night for nearly a week. Many on the ships claimed visions of terrible, dark lands belonging to the horizons, but none could steer the ships for the lands, or find them on any map.

    On the 7th day, as Balcla, younger brother of the moons, rose in the northern sky all of the ships but 1 found themselves in a quiet bay. Setting foot on the new earth the expedition found strange new plants, odd animals never before encountered and eyes peering towards their tenuous foot on the delta.

 Founding : Idien is put in charge of the vessels as Maissen and Lastel lead an expeditionary crew. The crew stays to shore for 3 weeks, and finding no evidence of hostility and beast and fruits aplenty decides to set camp on the eastern shore of the delta of the great river of the bay. In that first month, the 3 princes argue greatly over the meaning of their vision and attempt to determine the best course. As Maissen sets the site for an appropriate place of worship, it is decided than an expedition to find home must be mounted. 

    Two methods are decided upon for the expedition towards home.  Tawgor, the brave captain, will set to the sea with a crew to find a water route home, and Lastel will search for an over land route with a smaller crew. Maissen and Idien will remain with the mass of peoples and attempt to explore the local country and contact the natives.

    Three months pass while Maissen and Idien erect a camp at the great rivers mouth and attempt to “civilize” the natives.  Idien dubs these people “Churkey” meaning ‘swamp people’. An uneasy peace is made with these Churkey while Maissen supervises construction of a small fort from the local timber and a tower in honor of the two sister moons.

   At the end of 3 months time Lastel returns with only 1 surviving member of his formerly proud hunting band. He tells a tale of a great and evil snake with a demons head that destroyed nearly the entire party, and of a vast desert to the south that swallows men. Tawgor and his crew are never heard from again.

   The sixth month passes without word from Tawgor, and hope begins to fade of a quick rescue. Maissen decides that the best course of action is to claim all the land in the name of his father and gather the natives into the fold. Idien argues that they are worthless as people, and should be treated as slaves, and nothing better. The three brothers can only agree on one goal, the founding of Paras, a city celebrating the glory of their father.

    As preparations begin for the spring festival, which would mark the one-year anniversary of the beginning of their quest the subjects approach the brothers seeking permission to “mix” with the native women. Idien sees this as an abomination, but Maissen convinces Lastel to side with him and it is decided that if no sign of rescue is apparent by the anniversary of their landing, wives can be made of the locals with the understanding that rescue will break all oaths made to the women should the man wish. 

 F+1: Maissen conscripts many of the locals to help in construction of his tower and begins a church in honor of all the heavenly bodies. Idien and Lastel begin to grow further and further apart over arguments about the best use of men and resources, Lastel favoring all of Maissens plans, and Idien growing more and more jealous of his younger brothers status with both the natives and the fellow castaways.

  F+2: Marriages begin between the unwed citizens and the locals, Maissens tower is completed and Lastel begins conscription of the natives into a sound military and expeditionary force.

  F+3: Idien comes to Lastel in the night and urges him into the swamp to see a “new beast, never seen before, and the delight of any who hunt”. Once deep into the swamp, Idien enchants Lastel, urging him on a westward course. Lastel is never seen again.

    When Maissen finds out what Idien has done, he fends off the citizenry’s calls for his immediate execution, opting to banish Idien into the vast waste to south. Seventy citizens choose to follow Idien, believing that his magic is likely to keep them safe and restore them to their home.

  F+10: Maissen decrees the “martyrdom of motherhood” and declares that all women who bear 6 or more children will be promised a place in the heavens, to light the steps of their children thru the darkest of nights.

   Maissen also declares a religious council will preside over all affairs of law. In an attempt to further draw in the natives, a position will be granted to a representative of any church that is good and seeks to further the causes of the citizenry. The council is named “the shield” and is given say over most of everyday life, pending approval of its head.

  F+11: The first meeting of the shield. 

  F+15: official treaty of cooperation signed between the “uncivilized” Churkey and the citizens.

    Maissens first son is born, he is blessed in the name of the luminaries and is called Sirus, in honor of the great northern star.

  F+18: A plague of locusts come, many claim to have seen Idiens face in the cloud of insects. An official investigation into the cause is started. An elite group of 7 is sent with a militia of natives to find the cause; they head south searching for Idien and his followers.

  F+19: The party of 7 returns, warning of a great city to the south, built of stone and protected by a hideous lizard. They claim to have barely escaped the wrath of its residents. They also claim that Idien’s rune was carved large on the city gates. Idien is declared an outlaw, and all travel out of sight of the great river is declared to be by permission only.

  F+25: Maissen falls ill. The natives say he has river sickness, and none have ever survived it. Maissen spends every night under the stars, praying to the Kalin, the academic, for a cure, after seven days and nights of constant prayer he recovers. The natives declare it a miracle, and pledge eternal loyalty to “Maissen the undying”.

  F+28 The northern nomads, called Shokta by the Churkeys, swarm down the river. Maissen meets them and issues a wish for peace The Shokta warn that the citizens have 1 year to collect tribute enough to appease, or they will fall, the Churkeys beg Maissen to give in to their demands. Maissen refuses, issuing instead an order to build fortifications along the river and to the west of the town, which he now dubs “Belsdark”, meaning ‘unfailing’. 

   F+29: Maissen stands guard over the city’s defenses, and sends forth a contingent of Churkey to warn of his might and preparation. The Churkey messengers float back to Belsdark with their hands and feet bound and heads removed.

    The citizens of Belsdark are each commissioned to stand to the last man should an attack come. When the Shokta arrive, they are riding bison painted in the color of night and calling for the blood of the citizens who they consider invaders. The siege of Belsdark begins.

    Maissen calls the shield together and 3 are chosen from its rank as champions. Kolor, the war priest, Hestus, the natural mage, and Gurdus the warrior step forward and issue a challenge to the best of the Shokta, who vainly accept. Hestus and Kolor boldly strike down their opponents, but Gurdus is killed in the fray. In a fit of rage over the defeat of his champions the Shokta chieftain hurls his black stone axe at Hestus, who is killed by the blow. Kolor manages to escape to the safety of the ramparts with the axe and Hestus and Kolor are declared the first “heroes of Maissen”. The siege continues for 45 days, and on the rising of the sun in the south the army of the Shokta is gone. Maissen declares it a miracle provided by the luminaries, but is soon refuted by a messenger who arrives saying he was sent by Idien. The messenger says that Idien has formed powerful alliances with a desert spirit who was called in to destroy the army and that it is the last act of brotherhood that Maissen can ever expect to see unless Idien is forgiven of all his crimes and placed at his brother’s side as a head of the new state. Maissen refuses.

  F+35: Maissen dies. Many mourn what they see to be their ultimate doom before Sirus steps forward and claims that the city shall be named Maissen in his honor, and he will now head the shield, for the betterment of all.

  F+38: Sirus declares that 2 more cities should be built, and proclaims that a new temple shall be erected in the name of his father. Contingents are chosen and sent forth to the river bend and the North Bay to build.

  F+40: Sirus declares that the best and brightest competing for a great prize shall honor the spirit of his father. Games are held with admission to any who wish. Contests of magic and might dominate and the winners are “rewarded” by being sent forth with the supplies they wish to find home. The winners wish for construction of what will be the largest boat ever seen and begin preparations for its construction and armament.

  F+42: The boat is ready and armed, and its crew selected to aid the heroes. On the selected day, the boat leaves its shelter in the bay to much acclaim. Before it can break the horizon it is destroyed by a huge turtle and the survivors are slain by the denizens of a swift ship who appear from seemingly nowhere. The population is crushed and blames Sirus. Sirus declares the crew all “heroes of Maissen” and promises that new stars will appear soon in the sky in their honor.  The next night two new stars burst into the sky, providing so much light at to even be seen on the daytime. The citizenry is in awe of Sirus for his prediction and even when the light fades and the stars shrink to a normal size there is a palpable sense of dedication to Sirus and the new society he heads. Many begin to believe that all has been for a good reason, and Sirus will show them the path to the future.

  F+45: Sirus declares new a new quest. Rather than games he decides that every five years the elders and members of the shield from each town shall choose at least 4 who are capable of a quest. These adventurers shall issue forth on the land and make peace, strike trade, and gather rewards in the name of his father. The greatest of these shall be equipped by the church to go forth overland and attempt to find a way to the homeland. The response is overwhelming, with many youths from the many villages and towns clamoring for a position on a “team”. Political maneuvering in some places spoils many groups, but most are prepared with the greater good of all in mind. The groups meet in Maissen for a great feast before being sent off for 3 months into the wilderness. All are given a stirring speech by Sirus in which he notes that it is their duty to “spread law, make peace, strike down the war-mongering heathens of the wild and bring pride to the realm”

 F+50 Few have returned from Sirus’ new quest. Those who did were granted lands and title. Many of these set forth on the Holiest Quest, the search for home. Sirus grants the right to join the luminaries to any who further the cause.

 F+60 The elders of most towns begin to see the questing as too great a strain on the economy and population and petition Sirus to continue with his plans, but at a slowed pace that preserves some of the young and talented for the here and now. Sirus, being fair and just, hears their needs and declares that each chartered town shall produce not less than four capable of the quest each time a member of their elder board is replaced. The shield officially recognizes the elder boards of Vaunth-on-the-Lake and Seaborn. 

 F+63 Sirus dies without a direct heir. In a surprise announcement on the 3rd day of his funeral an announcement is read stating that Maissen will no longer be ruled by royalty, but by order of the Shield.

 F+72 A questing group known as Biddles Six returns from the wilds, they bring with them 12 Shokta and request acknowledgement of the small batch of natives as citizens. The Shield refuses and Biddles Six declares the shield in violation of natural law refuse their status as citizens of Maissen.

  Biddles Six move north with over 50 followers, swearing to build a better state. Rumors soon spread of the group being assimilated into a woodland culture.

 F+81 Dorn, a druid of the swamps, arrives in Seaborn preaching about the status of the natives and trying to convince people that they are the equals of the founders. He is declared a heretic and an outlaw. Dorn disappears into the northern swamp with a band of runaway natives freed from slavery with the help of mixed breeds. The natives begin to worship Dorn as their redeemer and secret sects spring up amongst natives who worship his image.

    Controversy surrounds the swamps and their inhabitants as the population tries to decide whether Dorn is a visionary or a rebel bandit.


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## alsih2o (Apr 7, 2003)

“Well, how do we get down there then?” asked Rinney, staring down into the chasm below.

   Tavania answered “We can travel along the cliff here, there has to be some way down in”

  The party moved along the cliffs edge and found a narrow switchback trail within a few minutes walk. They noticed with some foreboding that the heavily trod trail rose strait to the grasslands and stopped suddenly. Securing their goods on Ichiopa, Rinney’s bearer cow, they began their descent on the narrow, steep trail. Halfway down to the forest floor the trail turned 180 degrees, leading them back in the proper heading towards the bees hive tree.

  As they neared the forest floor Rinney noticed something splattering below them. He didn’t notice it fast enough to dodge what followed. His scalp stung and his ears burned as a large cowpie landed on his head from far above.

  Rinney jumped- “CCCUUUURSSSESS!”

  And before his sound fell from the air Finn was hit too.

 The party looked up from their narrow perch near the valley floor to see the party from Tawgor’s Ferry, dressed in black, standing out boldly against the blue of the sky and the fawn colored grasses that sprung from the cliff wall. "Down there is the end of you, are you sure you do not want to leave a will with us?" they cried.

  Rinney recovered form his shock quickly enough to let his sarcasm drip through "Oh dearie me, the other adventurers think themselves better chosen... How quaint..."

  Kolindra cursed them, calling “here is your inheritance!” and holding out a handful of the cow feces so recently dropped.

  Tavania had no such subtleties; she drew back her bow and pointed the arrows shaft straight up the cliff face. The men at top quickly drew their heads backs, clearly unprepared for the move. The voice came again over the cliff top “3 months young ones, don't let anything slow you down!!!”

   Rinney solemnly mumbled “I only hopes the moons reward you justly for how you spend your time”

  The party reached the forest floor, and its lower temperatures and refreshing shade in short time, and Ryssa immediately had her nose to the ground- a low, snarling growl passing her snout. Tavania pointed the way to the trees that held the beehive and the party moved off together, stopping to tie down Ichiopa a few hundred feet from their destination.

   As the part neared close enough to see the tree that held the hive the could also see the ring surrounding it’s base. Large fallen trees had been stacked into what appeared to be a defensive wall 30 feet from the trunk, they had grown over with dark mosses and begun to soften, but they still stood as a barrier….and a blind. From the other side came a loud and prolonged snort.

 The snort became a veritable cacophony of snorting and hooting. It was enuf to chill the bones after the long silence of the grasslands.

  Finn snuck away from the party and crept across the forest floor with a silent step that would have impressed a bird. He scrambled up the short stack of logs and peeked his head over the top……


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## willpax (Apr 7, 2003)

Wonderful cosmology! I've been working on a writing-centered creation story. I may have to steal some elements from yours. 

This is a wonderful and provocative story. I especially like how your structure incorporates several dynamic hooks that can grow with the characters.


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## alsih2o (Apr 7, 2003)

willpax said:
			
		

> *Wonderful cosmology! I've been working on a writing-centered creation story. I may have to steal some elements from yours.
> 
> This is a wonderful and provocative story. I especially like how your structure incorporates several dynamic hooks that can grow with the characters. *




 please steal away 

 thanks for the kind words, i am hoping the political angles will become more of a "thing" as they progress in levels


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## alsih2o (Apr 10, 2003)

for those of you reading along, i am sorry about the lack of updates since our tuesday game, we have had a fight, left the valley and begun receiving visionary dreams...but i am presenting 3 plays this weekend, big update early next week i promise


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## Stone Angel (Apr 11, 2003)

The fire light gleamed in Ry's wild eyes, though he saw nothing. His mind wandered into the past. He had not had a chance to think about the recent events and till now. The one known as Rinney and the others had helped him fight off the wild dogs that sought to make him a meal. After that they had let him travel with them. Upon saving the children at the river he discovered that Rinney was a hero of Massien. That was a place he had not spoken or heard of in a long time. Still the wildmans mind travelled into the past farther, to the begining.

Ry was born a full blooded Churkey the natives of this land. Ry was also born a full blooded slave. In his younger days he had known nothing but servitude. After two hunting forays where only he returned, the rest the land and beast had claimed, the other Churkey began to call him Ry the Undying. They began to think of him as a bad luck charm, he was an outcast from an enslaved people. Soon he was selected for another hunt. He was very good with the bow. Again the rest of the party fell and only he survived. This time however he decided to remain in wild lands. There he stayed untill he was found by the hero Rinney and the lady of the earth Kolindra. 

With them he went back to his homeland where he was freed. What is freedom. Was Ry not free in the wild. The truth be told he found some solace in the fact that he had new masters in Rinney and Kolindra. Rinney had told him after the unbinding to never call him master but friend instead. Ry was confused yet happy. Still there travels did not end there. Rinney also made Ry a hero like himself, a great honor not bestowed to many Churkey. But he was no longer a slave Ry had to remind himself again, and again. Soon they left the city and encountered the pig bear men. Beings more savage than e'en himself. Ry did not understand why they had went into the valley only that he had protected his "friends" and they seemed to be happy. Rinney had even been gracious enough to carve a name into his greatclub. It read "Earth Shaker, that which smiteth stones". His greatclub Ry thought as he snapped back to reality, he had spent to long in thought best he patrol and make sure no enemies were about. It was his shift at watch after all.

Note to readers: Sometimes you will catch that Ry will call Kolindra "Paswen" it means locked to the land in Churkey. I am working on a laguage primer for it but I am busy bee these days. I will however try to clarify or have Mark do it.


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## alsih2o (Apr 13, 2003)

Five curbles occupied the ring created by the decaying logs.  The dominant female prodded her favorite male into climbing the massive oak they that’s trunk filled the center of the ring to get more honey. She stood to her full height, at least 8 feet by Finns guess, and kicked the litter of the forest floor, hooting and shaking her body in a way that ruffled the dusty out of the matted hair that covered her entire massive frame.

   The smaller male shuffled to the tree and gripped the rutted bark in his hands pulling himself up to the first limb. He ambled easily along the gentle rising curve of the massive oak branch until he was directly under the massive hive. His thick hand easily tore a new hole in the densely layer paper of the nests bottom and honey began to ooze freely down the long matted hair of his arm. The bees took notice and 2 swept down upon him, stinging his dreadlock-encased back without success until eventually their stingers broke free and they fell to the forest floor.

   Finn turned and stealthily made his way back to the group. He described the scene graphically and waited wide-eyed for someone to suggest a plan.

   “We need to split them up, then Kolindra can go in for the honey” said Rinney, and Finn volunteered.

    Finn once again stepped away from the group and crept along as quietly as he could to the opposite side of the ring. Once alone he realized that he knew next to nothing about life out here in the wild and fell back upon his memories of his boyhood in the slums.

   “HootHootHoot!” he hollered “Wokka Wokka!! Neener Neener Neener!” he cried waving his butt at the shelter behind him.

   Three of the curbles mounted the primitive rampart and began to jump about like angry apes. Beating their chests and banging their massive fists against the logs, the dust from their shaggy coats sticking to the honey on their hands and mouths they set true fear into Finn as here realized he had no idea how fast these huge beasts actually were. 

  Finn stuck his thumbs in his ears and blatted his tongue against his lips “pppbbbftfltbbt” he flitted and he took heel and ran through the open floor between the massive trunks. The curbles gave chase, hooting and snorting, running with both legs and one arm. Thabyra saw them leaving and gestured to the others, running off after the curbles to assure Finns safety.

    The rest charged the mounded logs. Tavania arrived first and sprung to the top, firing wildly into the ring below. Kolindra, Rinney and Ry arrived at the top of the pile and looked for the first time at the gigantic hive and the two remaining curbles.

   Tavania fired wildly again and cursed her bow as Ry and the wolf charged the largest curble, the dominant female. As they approached the she grabbed a large limb from the ground and struck at Ryssa, knocking the wolf near senseless and leaving her dizzy on her feet. Rinney swept towards the smaller curble as Ry lifted his greatclub into the air and brought it down with a massive blow, right into the soft ground around the oak.

   Finn started to feel the air grow hot in his lungs, he must have run nearly 100 yards before he looked over his shoulder to check his pursuers progress. The heavy and awkward curbles were no match for his speed, and as he looked back at them vainly pursuing him he saw Thabyra, trotting behind them at a safe distance, her chubby legs pushing against the soft leaf litter.

   By the time the Tavania had drawn he her bow back again Kolindra was already halfway up to the first branch. She wondered if it was the pollen stuck all over her front that made the curbles ignore her as she dashed bravely past, and then wondered if the bees would still recognize her. Tavania flung another arrow into the forest floor; being too cautious to avoid her friends she was sparing her foes. Rinney slashed deeply and quickly with his rapier and made the smaller curble cry out, Ryssa backed away stung both physically and in her lupine pride as Ry again swung straight down, striking the ground heavily.


 To be continued…..


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## alsih2o (Apr 16, 2003)

Ry was amazed. His club, it had to be the club. The curbles was wearing him down with its clumsy but strong blows and his clumsy but strong blows were all striking earth. He was more than shaken and wandered if the spirit in the wood of his club had somehow been upset. Rinney move over to assist him in his efforts against the giant hairy beast and stung it deeply, and then Ry found his mark. His greatclub landed sharply against his opponent’s ear and her head lolled oddly to the side and she crashed into the soft litter of the forest floor.

    Kolindras jar was almost full of the sweet, gooey honey when she heard Thaby cry out. 

     “Their coming back!” Thabyra cried loading a stone in her sling.

    Thabyra popped a sling stone off of one of the curbles hairy hides without effect and then Tavania struck deep and hard, piercing the lead runner to the heart and dropping him midstride. Finn struck in from behind sunk a bolt from his crossbow deep in the leg of the smallest curble and the two decided they had had enough. They took off the path and ran for the woods, self-preservation beating out any sense of loyalty to their band.

  As everyone’s eyes swept the field looking for danger they all eventually rested on Kolindra. She was up to her elbow in the hive and thick yellow honey streamed down her arm into the jar as giant bees climbed down the hive, over her body and back up.

 When the jar was filled and sealed Kolindra joined the rest on the ground. The group was proud of their accomplishment anxious for the riches it would bring them, but Kolindra only wanted a spot to clean up. “I have to get some of this off me” she pleaded, “it is getting heavy and the sweet smell is getting sickening.”

 Tavania pointed out that water must be nearby for the curbles and the bees and the party began to scour the perimeter for tracks, eventually finding a well-worn path to a beautifully clear pond. Tavania immediately jumped in and the honey and pollen began to seep stringily into the water around her.

   Everyone took the opportunity to clean up from days in the plains and their recent bloody battle. A swarm of small blue fish immediately surrounded Kolindra and began feasting on the sweet residue she was washing from hr skin and clothes. 

    “Somebody give me a sack” said Tavania

  Tavania began scooping the small blue fish into the sack as they fed. “These will feed us for a day or two at least.” She offered

   Ichiopa drank with a deep slurping sound and Kolindra got out to dry herself and her clothes, leaving everyone else to turn away from her woodland sensibilities about nudity. The discussion quickly turned to their next direction.

   “Gems” said Thabyra “We will be wanting to head wherever gems are and collect as much of them as possible.”

    “Didn’t you have some other task to attend to?” asked Finn

    Rinney replied “Yes, yes, one of my other acquaintances want the horns of a bison. He has quite a collection from his time as a hero, but managed to never get bison horns. He has promised some choices from his weapons collection if we can aquire him a set from a Shokta mount”

   “Where would gems be?” asked Thabyra

    “Well, the Shokta are all around us, we will come upon them eventually, it is almost certain” said Tavania, her dislike of the entire breed showing through her voice.

    “I really would like a chance to see some of the other fantastic creatures of this land, but I must keep my mind to finding my communities scythe” added Kolindra

  “But seriously” interrupted Thabyra “where would there be gems?”

  The party discussed their plans at some length and eventually decided on a northward route, hoping to find the StoneChildren and assuming that anyone who lived in a mountain would have gems aplenty.

  The whole time Ry sat questioning his greatclub “you…you…no like ry now?”

  The party headed north, appreciating the easier travel amongst the mature trees of the valley. After a few hours they came to the cliff that made the northern wall of the valley and chose to make camp, preferring to find their way out of the valley the next morning, when the whole day was theirs to explore.

   As they made camp and everyone began to settle in Ry approached Rinney while Tavania cooked the small blue fish in a pan over the fire.

    “you..carve for me…carve EarthShaker on club of mine” stumbled Ry doing his best imitation of a request.

   Rinney spent the night carving on Rys club, trying to not pay attention to Thabyra and Finn joking about eating his cow. 

    “Bovimancy, that is what he practices” Said Finn, sending Thabyra into fits of laughter

  As the night wound down Rinney handed his club back to Ry.

  “It says EarthShaker” said Rinney, proud of his skills underneath EarthShaker Rinney had added “that which smites stones”

   "My...friend..I..am..in...your...debt" stumbled Ry. He cradled the club and let sleep take him.

   As they slept that night Thabyra, Kolindra, Finn and Ry had a terrible dream 3 times.

    In their dream a small woman, possibly a midget, was being dragged toward a reddish light, and was screaming for help.

 Each kept the dream to themselves and in the morning they headed east, searching for a way out of the valley. In a few hundred yards they came upon a 15 foot wide perfectly cobbled stone road leaving the valley. It was cut perfectly into the side of the hill.


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## Mathew_Freeman (Apr 16, 2003)

Good stuff, Clay!

Like the stuff with the club...


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## alsih2o (Apr 16, 2003)

Tallarn said:
			
		

> *Good stuff, Clay!
> 
> Like the stuff with the club... *




 that is all players  i got a good group i think


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## Stone Angel (Apr 19, 2003)

just a bump for the greatest tues. night online game ever!!


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## Piratecat (Apr 19, 2003)

Bovimancy?

So you're saying he can moooooove earth? Or remoooooove disease?


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## alsih2o (Apr 21, 2003)

The broad road stood in stark contrast to the surrounding wilds. It spanned 15 feet in width and rose evenly along the cliff face. While the vines, weeds and wildflower of early spring had choked every available spot the cobbled road flowed smoothly, as if carved from one monolithic slab.

    A low whistle passed Finns lips and Rinney added “You see a road like that, you’ve got to take it, right?”

    The trip up the valley wall felt so much different than the trip down, dropping into the valley they could see the lay of land ahead of them, and details got finer as the approached. Climbing the road out, with the valley falling away below them the sense of unease and wild speculation grew. When they reached the top they stopped in a small clump and stared ahead of themselves for a long moment.

   Large birds ran in small flocks along the low hills spread before them, clumps of trees rose in short cylinders here and there defining the fuzzy edge of the savannah. Beyond were the short, broad, blue and purple ridges of the mountains beyond. Two hillcrests the right they saw a great beast emerging- a monstrous hairy rhinoceros. It stood fifteen feet at the shoulder and moved slowly across the turf, pausing to rend mounds of tall grasses from the ground and devouring them. 

   “By Balcla’s blistered balls” said Thabyra. “It’s enormous”

   Rinney was startled at the beast “Um, perchance we should move along, while that thing is still at a safe distance”

  “I was just thinking Kolindra could dance to It.” quipped Tavania.  She pointed to the mountains “They are closer than I thought.”

   Her resolve refocused Thabyra suggested pushing on “We have to find that woman and help her, death by fire is horrible” under her breath she added, “I have seen it.”

  Finn jumped “You have seen her too?”

  Rinney snorted "My that sounds... odd... Are you certain you haven't eaten something against your palate?"

  “I have seen people being burnt alive before, and I have had prophetic dreams before.  This was a true dream.” snapped Thaby.

    They headed north, moving at an easy pace. It was the hilliest country any had ever seen and they enjoyed the extra cover and sense of security provided by the trees. As Balcla began to sink below the southern sky they made an easy camp, finding sleep to the distant murmuring calls of the giant, awkward birds that roamed the hills.

  When morning came they a thick fog hung over the camp. It was nearly impossible to see anything more than 30 feet away and their unfamiliarity with the terrain seemed much more relevant. Tavania and Kolindra each looked to the sky and checked the wind, declaring north to be in approximately the same direction. They waited an extra hour in camp, and when it became evident that the fog was not to break the headed off.

   After a short and foggy march they began to make out what appeared to be a low wall in the mist ahead. As they continued to approach it became clear that the wall was moaning a dirge-like tone, then it became apparent that it was not a wall, but a line of short stocky men. Each stood just over 4 feet tall and the line stretched out of sight in either direction into the fog.


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## alsih2o (May 7, 2003)

(DM note: in this session not everyone was present. In our group if someone does not show up their character is played by another player. The group was still new to one another at this point and the “face of the party had generally been Rinney, played by Prothall here on the boards. Without their frontman parts of this are a bit goofy, but I am including the text roughly as it was played, because it humors me so much)


      Kolindra squinted into the fog. “It’s..a group of, things.” Was the best she could manage.

     Rinney and Thabyra had heard of the Stone Children far to the east, and wondered of the rumors of the great distance to their home had been exaggerated.

     From the midst of the wall one figure stepped forward. As he moved he emitted a low sound, a groaning, like a ship at sea. He had a short beard and long, brown chestnut hair that hung free. The short mans muscled tawny arms lofted a hammer over his head and he spoke firmly, with the authority of a judge.

    “Who comes to the land of my hills? Who comes to this barrier? Who braves the fog of the Dragon?”

    Thabyra nearly let a rude exclamation cross her lips. 

     Kolindra looked around her, stepped forward slightly and said “ The what?”

    Thabyra whispered to the group “Would one of you more charming folks go talk with him?”

    Tavania muttered, “This does not sound good”

   Domme was slightly thrown by this response. For nearly a whole generation now these men had come across the valley and through his home. Since his fathers passing in the fall (when most Children of the Wood die) it had become his responsibility to meet with any group who passed under treaty. He had hoped his first meeting would go better than this. He decided it might be best to repeat the last part, with clarification.

   “The Dragon fog Wanderer, it surrounds you and swallows you whole.”

     Kolindra responded, “Right. Alright.”

  Domme waited patiently for them to announce their names and list their fathers. The silence grew increasingly awkward. His fellow Children began to shift and the noise became a gentle murmur, like treetops straining under sheer of a high wind.

   Kolindra turned back to the group “What do you want me to say to them?”

    Finn took a step forward and said “I don’t know”

   This caused a great bit of murmuring amongst the gathered Children. Domme shot a harsh glance about him, letting all his people know how he felt about the break of order. He began to grow concerned. “You, you don’t know who you are?”

   Kolindra felt the need to back Fins move “Me either, and who we are? I know who I am, who are you?”

  Dommes mouth fell open. He had always noticed that these new humans were terribly suited for any type of ceremony, but now he began to wonder if these were even children of Maissen. Perhaps a new group of humans had come to the lands?

    Tavania stepped forward quickly and added, “We are explorers, seeking new and wondrous things!”

  Domme saw opportunity. If these were new men perhaps he could arrange a treaty and secure his name to his people. “Whom do you serve?” he asked

   At this point most of the party started talking at once.

   “Serve? I don’t serve anybody!” barked Kolindra “Well, except my elders, who aren’t here..”

   “Well that’s easy” shrugged Thabyra, “I serve Balcla, the eternal fiery messenger in the sky”

  Tavania broke into a tone usually reserved for children, or those who speak a foreign tongue “We come from beyond the great plain and the sunken forest of giant bee's"

  Domme was hesitant, “"Balcla is known here, he serves the Sisters, who watch our forest. And you serve Maissen? Is it not the season of the tall mans pilgrims?” He was so confused at this point he feared losing control of the situation.

   Kolindra started naming her elders, “Mymethra, and Sullius, and Coor and Ferher, and Sodaen….”

   Finn whispered loudly to the group, “I think they create this fog to keep people out of their land"

   Domme finally lowered his hammer, pleased to hear Kolindra reciting her elders like a civilized being. 

   Tavania was still trying for elusive. “We serve ourselves.. but we come from the region of Maissen." She said, revealing her depth loyalty.

    When Kolindra finished another man stepped forward from the line and held a scroll in front of him and began to read names. He read names for nearly 20 minutes, seemingly being as interested as possible in each, never lapsing into monotone. He finished by bowing as he reached “Domme Bran, King of the Children of the Wood, first protectors of the mountain.”

   Domme asked “"We have had the same treaty with the tall peoples of Maissen for 178 years, most of a generation, do you honor this treaty and swear to pass in our lands lightly?"

   “What does the treaty entail?” asked Kolindra

   “What are the particulars?” asked Thabyra

  Domme regained his tone at this point "mutual nonagression, mutual aid, fair game and free passage"

    Thabyra felt much more comfortable “sure, we can do that…um, when was the last time any of our kind came through this way?” she asked, wondering about the other from Maissen.

    "The last of your kind passed here 7 years ago, and passed well" 

   “Can we hunt, and what does fair game mean?” wondered Thabyra

   "Hunt what you need, not more." said Domme sternly, “And as for fair game, in all games between peoples appropriate and civilized rules will be followed.”

  “And I warn you” he added, “all our seers have visions of a doom.”

  “Does it involve fire?” asked Thaby

   Domme stopped cold, stared hard at Thabyra and continued “The plane of fire is seeping its fingers into this land, be cautious. Are you a seer tall woman? Do you come to quench its flame?”

   Thabyra shared “Well, I don't want to see anyone burnt alive.  That's what I've been dreaming of.”

   Domme began to take confidence in Thabyra “The eldest amongst us have seen the woman, and say she is the bride of Hilltopple."

   “Hilltopple?” Thaby inquired

     Domme explained “Braodus Hilltopple, the landowner, he and his have been gone form here for nearly a whole generation. Broadus was a friend to my tribe, and a good man."


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## seasong (May 8, 2003)

*Re: As the Two Sisters Watched(who is hilltopple?)*

Hey alsih2o, this post was a critique, but I also wanted to say I like the story hour . Good, solid way to start a campaign, and some interesting tidbits to steal for myself!


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## Maldur (May 8, 2003)

*Re: Re: As the Two Sisters Watched(who is hilltopple?)*



			
				seasong said:
			
		

> *Hi all . Alsih2o asked me to critique the narrative elements of the story hour, which is what this post is about. That means I will be picking nits, focusing on areas of weakness, etc., which is very different from the way a story hour is normally read - the usual idea with a story hour is to provide writing that is just tolerable enough that we can get a feel for how the campaign goes, and alsih2o passes that test with flying colors.
> ...
> So this critique is targetting ways to improve his writing, regardless of whether or not it's necessary to the enjoyment of a story hour. If you feel the need to defend him while reading a critique, please do me a favor and don't read the critique.
> Final comment: This is a good way to start a story hour. In the thick of the action, something exciting is going on, and it's emotionally intense enough that you can give a miniature portrait of each character's personality without losing time to a Cast List or something similarly lame like I always seem to do . *




First: Ill defend the gnomish potter, whenever I want to! Nobody touches the gnome!!!



Second: Please find another place for these posts. You seem to know what your talking about, But It: A) distracts from the original story hour and B) I really dont like deconstructions of writing (pet peeve, nothing personal)

But it seems very usefull! If I ever really start writing, Ill ask you for advice


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## alsih2o (May 8, 2003)

all very much appreciated ss, you are the best. 

i knwew i should have paid more attention in school 

 i will be contuning inmy efforts to improve, and i appreciate the help


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## seasong (May 8, 2003)

*Re: Re: Re: As the Two Sisters Watched(who is hilltopple?)*



			
				Maldur said:
			
		

> First: Ill defend the gnomish potter, whenever I want to! Nobody touches the gnome!!!



Fair enough .







> Second: Please find another place for these posts. You seem to know what your talking about, But It: A) distracts from the original story hour and B) I really dont like deconstructions of writing (pet peeve, nothing personal)



Hey, I was just following alsih2o's request . Although...

Alsih2o, if you want to save a copy for yourself and let me know, I can edit out the critique and leave a positive "great storyhour" message?


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## alsih2o (May 8, 2003)

it was requested, adn i have saved it if you wanna move/erase it as not to disturb folks, again, thanks ss


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## Maldur (May 8, 2003)

Seasong, dont take this wrong, I think you did a pretty god job, But its text so hard to ignore   ( Im a readoholic, aka A compulive reader) So if its in one of my to read storyhour, I cant not read it


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## seasong (May 8, 2003)

alsih2o said:
			
		

> it was requested, adn i have saved it if you wanna move/erase it as not to disturb folks, again, thanks ss



Done! And thanks for asking me - I'm tremendously flattered .


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## arwink (May 9, 2003)

Hey...uh...Clay....you'll be...like...updating this again soon...right?


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## alsih2o (May 18, 2003)

(dm's note: the party is all human, and few humans have ever seen anything other than humans. so the group is not an ignorant or inexperienced bunch, they are rping their little hearts out. Children of the Wood are one race of dwarves in my world.)




Thabyra whispered to her companions "So, you know what he's talking about?"

   "Completely lost" replied Kolindra

  The Children of the Wood broke rank and approached as they sense the dialogue becoming a conversation rather than a questioning. The men stood around foot feet tall and had deeply tanned skin with a small ripple of lighter color that was more visible in broad daylight. They wore long beards, frequently hanging to their waists, and when they moved the slow sounds of the woods issued from their thick limbs.

  Fin was feeling reassured and spoke loudly and clearly to the group “Good sir, what is ‘the landbearer’?”

   Tavania locked her gaze on the strange men and tried to assess what they could be. Tales began to form in her mind that she could share when she was back at the home fires.

   "Hilltopple owned many acres in this wood, he was one of the many halflings in this area" Responded Domme

  “Halfling?” inquired Thabyra “The woman in the dream was a midget. Is a halfling a midget?”

   Domme tried to explain, “Not a midget, a halfling, short peoples, and none too thick, and they have petty beards, but natural to the magics they are, to the last one."

   Finn whispered to Kolindra “"Are they flesh and blood or made of wood or something?  The way the creak and groan"  Kolindra responded, “Clueless, I have no idea.”

  Fin decided it was best to step in to the general conversation at this point. “so, uh, why did Hilltopple leave?”

   “He and his have been missing for nearly 200 years” Domme explained

  “200 years, and yet you speak if them as if they still live?” wondered Thabyra, feeling confused.

   Domme showed the great patience of his people in his explanations, choosing his words carefully without hesitating for so long as to be seen pondering how much truth to reveal “Not everyone has your short span of years woman. My kind live for 500 years, if they do not come to frequently upon the Shokta."

   Thabyra felt humbled, responding, “We know nothing of any but our own kind.”

   “Why do you think Maissen sends you?” asked Domme, hoping to open Thabyras eyes to her goal 

   “To decrease the surplus population, I figured.” She replied, explaining “We're misfits.”

   The core of the short men surrounding them laughed heartily, and her statements was repeated through the group in several dialects of a language none of the party recognized.

  Drawn by her humor Domme decided these peoples were ones he could trust. Many had from Maissen had passed through the lands he belonged to. Most had been good people, of honorable intent, and he had a good intuitive sense for this group. He presented Thabyra with a stone saying “I take you in confidence, toss this stone and it shall always land towards mine" He held a similar stone in his hand, small and polished. By appearances alone one would give it no significance.


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## arwink (May 19, 2003)

Woohoo!  Update


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## Stone Angel (Jun 6, 2003)

Lets go you had a week off. But lord knows that you have what like thirty other projects lurking around the corner. Where are your priorities man. The people want to hear more about the hero's of Maissen. Besides I can't wait to see the write up from the last session.


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## alsih2o (Jul 2, 2003)

(DM note: i have lost my log from the end of this conversation. basically, domme assured the party that the seers oftheir community were also seeing the halflings n their dream and that is probably meant that danger was afoot as "the planes reach out for one another." and then the children of the wood backed away into the fog, woshing the party luck and reminding them to behave in this territory)


   The party stomped on as the scrublands gave way to grasslands interspersed with pine growths. Far in the distance lie the mountains the sought, supposedly loaded with gems for the taking. Thabyra continued asking questions, mostly to herself, only to be answered in echo by Rinneys questions.

   This was much easier traveling than the grasslands. With a distinctive mountain ahead of them at least they could tell what direction they were headed, and the abundant game left them all feeling a little more confident.

  While walking they came upon a small drop, just some 5 feet, in the grass as a fissure broke the sod and let a creek pass through. This fissure went unnoticed until they approached closer and were shocked to see that they had unexpectedly come up behind two Shokta, each with a bison, filling water skins and gourds from the small burbling creek. The sudden shock of seeing Shokta up close for the first time made some give pause, but not Thabyra, she ran forward, pausing at the fissures edge and let fly a bullet from her sling. Her stone leapt wide of the two and startled them as it bounced into the creek. As they turned to what was happening Tavania pierced the chest of the nearer one with an arrow. 

   His cry broke out across the field and for the first time it became apparent that these two were younger even than the party. Mere teens, caught in a menial task.

  “BARBARIAN BASTARDS!!!” cry Tavania with a spirit none of the others had seen from her before.

 Rinney stepped forward, moving around the fissure for better position and drew his rapier, Finn opened fire with his crossbow. As the remaining uninjured boy clambered to mount the huge hairy bison beside him he was struck by Finns bolt and fell to the ground.

  Staggered by the blows they had been dealt the two boys spent their dying moments struggling for their mounts and Thabyra struck again, bouncing a sling bullet off the skull of the faster moving one, dropping his small body into the creek, never to rise again.

   That is when they heard the charging feet behind them.

  Three mature Shokta warriors were charging in, whooping and crying for blood on the backs of their awe inspiring bison mounts. The Bison snorted and snotted, their massive hooves chewing the ground before them as they close with the party.

 Tavania calmly stepped towards the fissure and picked the middle warrior of the three from his bison with a well-placed arrow. The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable.

   Rinney concentrated and held his bronze charm aloft, murmuring quietly a sleeping song. The song took one warrior into slumber and he fell gracelessly from his mount. The other remaining warrior resisted the effects of the magic…but his mount did not. As the bison charged in he suddenly quit everything, his great stonelike head slamming into the ground in a huge cloud of duct, his shocked rider flying from his back and biting into the earth deeply.

 The dust began to fall, quicker then the adrenaline in the adventurer’s blood. Tense seconds passed as it settled upon them that they were again alone in the wood.

  “Well, what do we do with them?” inquired Thaby

  A debate began about tying them up or running before the remainder awoke and during this argument Tavania went warrior to warrior, slitting throats in turn.

 “Well,” said Finn “we are gonna eat well tonight.”

  Rinney, upon remembering he would be paid well for the horns of a Shokta mount began the messy and laborious process of removing the large black horns while others set about searching the gear that belonged to the dead, and butchering bison in the field. The bison did not come apart easy. Their thick hides and massive size made everything about them difficult to deal with. Next to Ichiopa they were indeed massive, making the Rinneys cow look like so much of a paperweight.

  Finn drew a necklace off the head of one of the fallen warriors. It was a polished stone with a symbol on it, appearing to be a raven on a bison’s back. 

  “What do y’all make of this?” asked Finn  

  Before anyone could answer him he noticed the butchering preceding and hollered “Save me some butt! I always wanted to say I ate some bison butt!”

  After securing as much meat as they felt they could safely move the party decided to evacuate the scene, in case more Shokta should arrive and find a better place to make camp.

   Camp that night was a raucous affair. Each member of the party took turns inflating their part in the day’s battle and boosting their confidence on dealing with the savage plains barbarians. The fire roasted their newly won meat for dinner and suddenly the world outside Maissen didn’t seem so large and unconquerable.

  Sleep came easily to the overexcited adventurers, but restful sleep did not. The dream returned.

  Two men with rough hands dragging the small woman to the fire.

  Her screams for help, and mercy for her child.

  The fire growing as she was about to be cast into the flames….

 And then It happened. As each of them stirred in their dreams a gate appeared, the gate from their dreams, right at the edge of their campsite, it’s lion emblazoned door open and the glow and crackle of a massive fire inside.

 “HELP ME! SAVE MY BABY!” cried the woman’s voice from inside the disembodied gate.

  Tavania jerked to her feet and squatted defensively as Thabyra began running before she was all the way to her feet. Thabyra mentally recoiled from the flame, but charged headlong through the door.

  “Well,” said Rinney “I do suppose it is up to us to save this little woman.”

   Like true heroes the fled through the gate with great haste to find themselves standing in a open courtyard in bright sunlight.


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## Stone Angel (Jul 9, 2003)

Aww there's so much more. Thanks for the update.


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