# Ashalan



## DM Cray (Apr 6, 2005)

V'ramr perched himself on the edge of the cave he had slept in the night before. The snow capped mountains ahead of him let off a mist as the sun rose and slowly began melting away the cold mask. He looked at the ocean of clouds sprouting mountain peaks every few leims and raised his dragon-like wings in joy. "Go to the human lands and seek the brothers," he remembered the dragon Gods of his dream, "Be sure they do not come back this time." He fastened his cerimonial longsword to his hip and his Halberd to his back untill he was sure they wouldn't fall, and jumped letting the wind catch his wings and stabalize him. From this height he was sure all below him would see him as a bringer of death, what better title could you give a black-red Dracha other than what he truely was, a Champion of Death.

Te'ren took another bite of the eggs his cook had prepared for him. Margarit didn't mind making his meals hours before his brothers would wake, she knew of their rocky history, the reason he woke with the sun and sat on that ever green hill over-looking the rest of the town.
He watched the guards on what passed as walls, pacing back and forth watching for the next possible attack from the elementals. He watched the townsfolk buisily going about their day, buying bread from Elizabeth, ham from Brandon, the hunters and gatherers selling their goods for coin or cloth. He watched the dock of the south river as the boat-men loading their ships with Mythrial, lumber, and fresh foods for Jarstol port and beyond. He watched and realised what a great town his father had built, and what a great location it was at, with easy access to both the capital, and buisiest port in all of Takishna. 


This is just the begining, a Prequal if you will, of the adventure through ashalan. This is DM Crays third campaign (That's me) and it combines 3.5, Arcana Unearthed, and even some of the Wheel of Time campaign setting. I tend to have more role play than actual battles in my campaigns and this one should be no different. My question is, however, how many of you out there would like me to continue from just reading this, and how many of you even like my writting style. All comments are greatly appreciated.


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## Herremann the Wise (Apr 6, 2005)

Hi DM Cray,

It looks like an interesting start but it's just a little too... short.   
There's not quite enough here; it would be good to see the characters developed a little bit more - there seems to be a good framework to build upon though. Looking forward to more.

Can you provide a link to the other thread you were talking about on the other post? It sounded like it was very good too.

[pimp]Out of interest, if you have time and are of a mind, I would appreciate any feedback upon my own story hour - I think you might enjoy it based upon your campaign style. It's a little wordy for some - I enjoy jack Vance   - but on the whole, I'd like to think its a damn good read. Maybe start with the most recent update and see if you like it first. Again, any and all comments are welcome.[/pimp]

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise


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## DM Cray (Apr 6, 2005)

*And so it Begins*

V'ramr flew over the mountains, it had been nearly a week since leaving the Dragon Swept Lands which he called home.  He still hadn't found the "Brothers" that the Gods were telling him about, but most certainly they must be close.  In the distance he had seen the "Mountain of the Gods," nearly two days ago and now he was very close, so close in fact he spotted men like him, only with feathers on their wings and skin and faces of man.  They were obviously not draka but what else could they be...  V'ramr descended through the clouds simply to not cause problems with this... -other- winged race.
As he passed the clouds he noticed smoke and quickly found cover behind a rocky formation.  He sat perched eyeing the encampment.  Wooden houses, stone walls, and a wall of weapons led V'ramr to believe it must be some sort of military post, not so different from the posts of his world.  What was different, however, was that only a leim away acrossed a flat plainsland he could see another of these posts with wooden walls facing this one.  Two seperate flags, at the closest he could see what looked like a pick axe...  "Odd," he thought, "must be a mining camp," and the other he saw what appeared to be a falchion with a serated edge.  
"What in Tasune's name!" V'ramr turned to see men from the mining camp looking strangly at him and drawing their steel, "we've found a beast of the north!" they screamed.

Te'ren walked nervously this morning, he hadn't had the greatest dream and his bedding was quite uncomfortable to boot.  But as ussual he woke with the sun and headed to the kitchen before his brothers could wake.
"Morning Margarit, what is it you're making for breakfast?" He asked the house cook.
"Good morning Master Te'ren, just the ussual, goosits eggs and grazzts steaks.  They won't be ready for an ohur."
"Hm... well I'll be back in an ohur then."
"Oh don't worry, I've made your tarkette and plucked a fresh bunch of Citrid and squeezed you some juice."
"You're far too good to me Margarit." She handed him his plate and glass and he sat down for a moment, "Margarit, did you happen to have a... weird dream last night?"
"no, why for do you ask M'lord?"
"Well I figured they might come in pairs." He smiled as she cocked her head in confusion, "nevermind, it was probably nothing."  He stood and walked, with his food in hand, back to the hill he always ate at.  As he reached the door it swung open and nearly caused him to drop his food.  It was Marius, his older brother and second born of the first wife.
"Wretched half brother!  What drives you to stand in the way of the door?!"  He was dressed in the standard gothic style armor of a top ranking Takishnan soldier, black studded leather and a standard issue rapier along with the main gouche.  His eyes were puffy and bloodshot as if he'd spent the night awake, indeed he must have to be up already.
"My feet drive me and my desire to go through the door places me here."
"Where were you when the town was attacked last night... again?" 
"I was sleeping, why were the bells not rang?"
"Obviously if the town was attacked the bells didn't ring, so myself and Claudius were left defending this town all last night while you slept." Sick of argueing Te'ren slipped passed his brother handing him his empty glass and chiming in.
"I don't want to know -what- you and Claudius do together alone at night brother."  As he went out the door he heard his glass shatter against the ground and Marius yelling for a servant to clean it, but as one moved to do so Te'ren raised his hand to stop the elderly servant.  "Don't worry about it, he's angry at me, I don't want him venting at you for it."

The wooden wall was a mess, charred and smokey from an obvious battle.  The clerics and greenbonds had set up a green tent next to the damaged section to tend to the wounded.  After some questioning he found that 25 were wounded, a large number indeed.  "There were women and children outside the gate when we were attacked." He had heard from another guard as he made his way towards the tent.  About 15 feet away from the entrance another of his brothers stepped in front of him.
"Ah, Te'ren finnally decides to join the battle, you're late as always."  Claudius, his eldest brother looked across at him, though ten years older Claudius was still slightly smaller than Te'ren.
"Claudius, as I asked Marius, why wasn't the bell rang."
"There could be any number of reasons, but the fact remains that I was awakened, Marius was awakened, for Tasha's sake even Clarice was awakened, all of whom I saw on this battlefield, but that of course leaves out you."
Disregarding the obvious attempt to pick a fight Te'ren inquired, "there were women and children to my knowledge... why?"
"Finally some form of caring for this city.  They were traitorous conspirisists, digging to weaken the walls so that the hobgoblin tribes could bypass the walls and kill us all in our sleep."
"That seems unlikely... The bugbear servants of the hobgoblins would run through these walls like an arrow through tissue paper... Any surviors?"
"Five are left alive and in the healing tent, but as soon as they are well and we have interrogated them they will probably be hung." Claudius smiled in his 'unyeilding protection of the law.'
"All the same I'd like to talk with them first."  Te'ren broke passed Claudius before he could even answer and walked into the tent waiting for someone who wasn't busy.  After a few  numites of waiting he was directed to an elderly lady laying in her bed.  As he approached he realised it wasn't an old lady, her skin was simply burnt so badly that the scars made her seem 40 years older.  As she opened her eyes and made contact with Te'rens she smiled and winced from the pain.  "M'lord, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she said weakly.
"Shh, be still and rest M'lady, I come to ask questions, do not waste your strength untill you have enough to give my unworthy ears.  Now, I have heard you were out by the walls when we were attacked."
"Yes M'lord."
"Why?"
"We were... troubled M'lord."
"Troubled?"
"Yes sir... we were... summoned by Claudius for punishment.  As we wait by the walls, the earth shot forth bursts of fire, I was lucky and only scathed by the walls of brimstone, but some of the others fell in sir... The guards seemed only to care when the walls caught."
Te'ren looked at the woman as she told her tale of how she survived and nearly drowned in the river and he watched as she finished her story and a tear ran down her cheek.
"I will get to the bottom of this, I swear."
She smiled at him for a moment, but her smile turned quickly to convulsions.
"Cleric!"  The clerics and greenbonds gathered around the woman and Te'ren moved to the side of her head, as he kneeled next to her her head turned and water began gushing from her mouth and nostrils.
Aware of such magics Te'ren stood up and looked to the tent entrance where a man who looked unmistakenly like a magister held his staff forward and slowly stopped mumbling incoherent words.  "STOP THAT MAGISTER!" He yelled and the mage snapped out of his conjuring and turned to run.  Quickly Te'ren pulled his bow and fired an arrow landing it directly into the mans arm dropping his staff but not slowing him, Te'ren knocked and loosed another arrow only grazzing the mans leg as he jumped on his horse another arrow hit his left arm but the man rode of leaving naught but his blood and staff behind.
Te'ren grabbed the staff and headed to the one person in the town that would know about magisters having graduated from their school.  His favorite brother and roommate Varosath.


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