# Avonshar: The Horror is in the Knowing. Updated 8/8/03



## Argent Silvermage (Sep 28, 2002)

Hi People,
In an attempt to get some GM time for myself and Give Wizardru a break from time to time I have taken 1 weekend night from the Savage Sword of Meepo group and we will be playing in this world.
We'll be starting the game soon but here is a bit of background about the world.

Avonshar

The land of Avonshar is a very new land. There have only been sentient life forms here for a little over 500 years. The world was discovered by a band of Planes wanderers. Avon Thistis was the Half Elven leader of this wandering group and a cleric of   Fharlanghn The god of wanderers.
He and his band of people were refugees from a host of different Prime material worlds. They found the lush and plentiful land and decided it was paradise.

Avonshar is about the size of Africa and located in the southern hemisphere on the planet. The capitol is Bashad; it is located on the east coast about mid way along the east coast. 
Bashad is a huge city and a tribute to the peoples who created her. It has a central library that is also the city hall. Father Thistis and his people were very open-minded and created a land run by scholars and thinkers. There are no “royalty” on Avonshar, no kingdoms. 
Bashad is a trading port for all planes. 70% of the populace is from off plane. There are people living and working in the city from just about anywhere. (Not as intense as Sigil by any means but still has the flavor).

Deities: There are no known native gods/goddesses from Avonshar. Fharlanghn has become a greater deity here because it was a band of his followers who discovered the place. All other “Gods” are transplants as well.


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## WizarDru (Sep 29, 2002)

I am very, very ill, right now, or I'd post a good deal more.

I'm very excited to be playing for the first time in a long, long time.  More when I'm conscious.


Ugh. 


Did I mention I had strep throat?


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## Mahiro Satsu (Sep 29, 2002)

Nice! A story thread I can follow from the begining.


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## Argent Silvermage (Sep 29, 2002)

Mahiro Satsu said:
			
		

> *Nice! A story thread I can follow from the begining. *



Yeah I wanted to get this rolling on the boards as soon as I was able. The characters are all 4th level at the start of the game.


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## Argent Silvermage (Oct 4, 2002)

*Friday it starts*

Salt air stung her face as she stood at the front of the ship. Etherial was a slim woman whose Half Elven heritage shown on her face like a badge of honor. Her hair whipping around her catching the wind as the schooner made it’s way from the port city of Freedom to the capitol of Avonshar; Bashad.
Bashad was the jewel in Avonshar’s crown. A city dedicated to learning on an island in the eastern edge of the continent.
Etherial was sent to Bashad by her parents to learn to control her unusual talents. She had set fire to the baby’s room for the last time. She was still young by Elven standards being only 25 and loved the idea of setting out on a great adventure. 
She turned from the sight of the city on the horizon and took one last look in the direction of her home. 
If she had not turned around the sky manta may not have noticed her. As her head fell from her body she thought of all the adventure she would never have.


Welcome to Avonshar………


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## WizarDru (Oct 5, 2002)

They LICKED us.  The damn things are LICKING us, and they killed one of our Kasirs.  They're eating our Psion right now...and I'm out of heals, thanks to the damn giant flying orangutang things.  

Man, I wish I stayed in the city.


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## WizarDru (Oct 5, 2002)

WizarDru said:
			
		

> *They're eating our Psion right now...*




Damn...they left eggs in the Kasirs and the Psion.  Ewww.


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## Argent Silvermage (Oct 5, 2002)

Why when I DM does everyone assume that H.P. Lovecraft is a part of my game? (hint... the eldretch horrors.)

Actualy the game was very fun, I sometimes forget how much I like DMing. (I think I made Rali's player sick with the frog monsters.) The adventure is just beginning. What is the strange cube in Rannos's hands? What is the ring that was on the tusk of the alpha male Tusker? If there was never sentient life on Avonshar than who are the skeletons? Were they really people in the wall or just a really creapy bas-relief?

And just because they didn't ask.....How can a world come to be without gods?


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## WizarDru (Oct 5, 2002)

Look for a lengthy entry for Rannos' Journal later today.

_*Look no further!  It is here!* Look to the next post for Story Hour goodness!_


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## WizarDru (Oct 5, 2002)

*From the Journal of Walker Rannos of Blackmoor, being an account of the Evermore Expedition:*


*Day 1:*  An eventful day.  We have returned from a successful foray performing a service on behalf of my church.  The chapter house of Fharlangan that we frequent could easily be mistaken for an inn, to the untrained eye. My companions and I have been enjoying the Traveler’s hospitality…except for Casparo, that is.  Devils take the man!  Strider Culain came to speak to me concerning a new expedition, and the fool sits muttering _“It won’t do…. It won’t do…”_ over and over again at his breakfast.  The Strider icily informed Casparo that he could easily seek food elsewhere, instead of continuing to enjoy the temple’s larder, as he had for WEEKS.  I was mortified.   But things improved rather quickly.

It seems the Strider wants us to perform an expedition to the region known as ‘Evermore’.  Our knowledge of this world is limited in the extreme: according to the temple’s teachings, we haven’t explored more than two to three day’s travel in any direction from the city of Avonshar.  Imagine, this vast continent, *UNEXPLORED!*  As another honor, the Strider has presented me with a mapping disc…a curious magic item that allows the temple to track me from afar, and automatically creates a map of my journeys.  Astounding.  Strider Culain tells me it was commissioned from the Boccobites.  

Things were going swimmingly, and then Casparo had to embarrass me again.  He apparently overheard my conversation with the Strider, and loudly asked to no one in particular how we would be paid. Crass, but I understand that not everyone is a follower of the church.  I pointed this out in more diplomatic terms to the Strider…. his reply was straight from verse: _*“The Journey is it’s own Reward.”*_    Casparo was unimpressed.

_“So we can keep what we find…where’s the benefit in that?  According to you, there’s been no sign of a sentient race here since the first travelers arrived 500 years ago!  No people, No treasure!  Casparo the Magnificent is a professional!  Why, in Sigil…”_ At this point, I stopped listening.  Casparo began regaling us with another tale of Sigil, and of his daring deeds therein.  Sigil certainly doesn’t sound like an enjoyable place to visit, but to hear Casparo talk, it’s a paradise.  

_“Well, no people, it’s true…but there’s plenty of minerals.  Imagine it: gold mines, untouched.  Diamond mines, where you can just pluck the gems out of the walls like ripe fruit off the vine…”_ Casparo’s eyes glazed over for a moment, considering the idea the way a starving man thinks of a steak dinner.  I think he licked his lips.

_“’Ere now!”_ Rali chimed in, _“that’s not how you get gold or gems out of a mine!  A proper mine…”_ Alden and I quickly hushed the dwarf.  She’s a valiant warrior, and one of the most persuasive dwarves I’ve ever met, but she has her professional pride.  Casparo didn’t know the first thing about mining…but he knew greed.  Casparo was still too enraptured by his vision to even notice.

Alden, Delwyn and Tazendra all agreed.  They had each grown tired of the city, particularly Alden and Tazendra, the elves.  I spoke with each of them in turn, and suggested they get supplies for the wilderness.  Neither Rali nor Casparo have Bedrolls!  Rali’s a dwarf, so maybe she enjoys sleeping on rocks…but Casparo doesn’t seem to know the first thing about survival outside the city.  *Amazing.*

It was while we were discussing this that I noted that Casparo had left.  Several minutes later, I saw him exit the temple through the main gate, quickly.  A moment later, a curious woman and her bodyguards appeared, and immediately asked us where ‘the thief’ who had taken ‘her babies’, had gone.  We pleaded ignorance, especially after she pointed out that he had been in her bedroom.  Casparo is nowhere to be found for some time.

*Day 2:*  We prepare for our journey.  I realize now I haven’t actually detailed my traveling companions.

*Rali Caightanker*: A dwarven woman of immense resolve, and a vicious halberd.

*Delwyn:* A Psionic Warrior of incredible swiftness, Delwyn carries a bizarre weapon I’ve never seen before…a spiked chain.

*Tazendra:* An elven scout, or so she claims.  I’ve never seen a scout move like she does, though.  I’d swear she was an acrobat, to see her tumble and jump.

*Alden:* Our second elf, Alden is a Shaper, capable of creating objects and servants with the power of his mind alone.  A level headed fellow, but he scares me a little.

*Casparo, the Magnificent:* I’m not sure what Casparo claims as his profession.  He’s certainly an excellent scout, but unrepentant about his sometimes larcenous behavior.  He has a tendency to be used by large words, rather than using them.

After the group assembled, the Strider had an additional surprise for us.  Two Kasirs for our party.  The giant beasts of burden will serve us well, I trust.  Natives to this world, they are like docile great cats, the size of elephants, with fuzzy antenna.  I name the first Sulley, and the second Old Bill.  The Kasirs will bear our tents, some equipment, and nearly two weeks supply of fresh water.  The Strider has provided me with a set of sketchy maps, indicating some water sources, beyond the forest we’ll have to pass.  Our journey will take is into the mountainous region of Evermore, of which we know little.

We set out.


*Day 4:*  We have arrived at the edge of civilization, as we know it.  This border town is called ‘Hope’, and it lays on the border of the great forest.  The mostly elven community looks on us with a combination of pity and astonishment, I think.  I asked for what little information they could provide…and little information is what I got.  When I asked, half-jokingly, if they had any charms to protect them from the forest, I was told _“Common Sense and staying out of it,”_ as if being scolded like a school-child.  Calling this place a town is a kindness, mind you, and we spend almost no time here.  I’m eager to truly begin the expedition, at last.  

*ONWARD!*

*Day 5: I nearly died yesterday.*

After hours of pushing through the dense forest, Rali (who was riding atop Sulley) and I both noted that something was following us.  They were eerily silent, and kept to the treetops.  At the distance we were seeing them, we knew they had to be large.  I suspected they were swinging from the upper trees.  Casparo, who I’d forced to walk in the lead alongside me (to keep an eye on him, of course) disappeared into the underbrush without a trace.  I never even noticed him leave.  After several tense moments, we decided to move on.  We lost sight of the creatures.  At some point, Casparo appeared at my shoulder, as if he’d never left.  I don’t know if I’ll get used to that.  We eventually determined that they were still following us, at a cautious distance.  They weren’t being overtly threatening, so we let them be.

Around noon, we located a clearing, and took our rest.  As we broke out the lunches, Casparo caught sight of the creatures at the edge of the clearing.  They were large and orange-red in color.  They were simians, looking like what I’ve seen in books as described as an orangutan.  But the pictures I’d seen didn’t have four arms with a thin membrane between each set, or the huge tusks that protruded from their oversized jaws.  We named them Tuskers on the spot.  It was at this point that I noticed that Casparo was playing a ‘monkey-see monkey-do’ game with them.  Worse, I realized that we were making direct eye contact with them, and the alpha male was taking it as a challenge.  Suddenly, he started beating his chest.  I yanked Casparo away, warned the others, and we left the clearing before we agitated them further.

All day long, the elves had been telling me that the forest felt ‘wrong’.  Tainted, was the best way they could describe it.  The Strider had told me one feature that some explorers had described of the wilderness was the ‘taint’.  Apparently, large tracts of land bore the mark of unhallowing, as if they’d been corrupted in some fashion.  This was part of the reason expansion had been so slow and reticent.  We were soon to encounter the other reasons.

An hour later, we entered a clearing.  A clearing of standing stones.  I began sketching immediately.  Tazendra and Alden immediately claimed this clearing felt even more tainted than the forest in which it lay.  I didn’t need them to tell me, this time.  I could feel it myself.  Powerful necromantic energy was present here, and summoning the power of Fharlangan, I could see the whole of the clearing was full of necromantic energy.

The stones themselves were thrust up from the earth, as if pushed up.  They looked natural, and if they weren’t in a perfect circle, forming a ring, the six stones would look ordinary.  More curious, to me at least, was the presence of grass within the clearing and the circle.  Such powerful energy should have killed the plants here…but they seemed immune or untouched.  Alden had bonded with the Kasirs, by this point, and kept company with them, far away from the circle at the end of the clearing.  They seemed to inherently trust him; perhaps his ability to create those small servants makes him more empathetic?  I must make a note to speak to him more at length about his talent.

I entered the circle, knowing the risks.  Rali followed me shortly after, and then Tazendra.  Dylwin stayed clear, looking for possible threats.  Once again, the Tuskers appeared at the edge of the clearing, then disappeared back into the trees, watching us.  I failed to notice anything out of place, but Rali discovered some ancient script written on the stones, almost invisible to the naked eye.  Trust a dwarf to find something on a stone.  She claimed it looked like Dwarvish runes, but were different enough to seem like gibberish.  She copied all of them for later reference.

It was at this point that Tazendra decided to climb atop one of the stones.  I don’t know if she was merely attempting to get a better view, show off her athletic prowess or was merely bored.  I never had the chance to ask.  The Tuskers took this as some sort of provocation.  We then discovered the secret to their speed: gliding.  They may have used their four wings to climb and swing, but they moved swiftly and silently on the membranes between their arms.  The tuskers were far more agile than their ungainly forms first appeared, and within seconds, three of them swooped in and attacked us.

The first knocked Tazendra from the standing stone to the floor.  I heard her hit with a dull thud, the wind knocked from her lungs and almost certainly accompanied by some pain.  I had little time to check on her condition, however, as another one descended in front of me and lashed out.  Luck was with me, and only one of its fists connected.  As I got out of the way, Rali moved in to strike at it.  I could see both Casparo and Tazendra dancing around like circus performers, and Delwyn closed with a third, bringing his odd weapon to bear with considerable effect.  Alden began concentrating intently, and something formed in the air in front of him.  It appeared to be made of some sort of energy-charged liquid, and was swiftly forming into a vaguely human shape.

This is all I had time to notice, however, as I needed to concentrate to bring my own powers to bear.  I focused and brought down a clap of thunder, momentarily stunning two of the creatures.  This allowed several of the others to close and take advantage of their momentary vulnerability.  However, I made a crucial mistake, and closed in to use my staff.  Not only did I fail to connect, but when the creature came to it’s senses, it pummeled me into unconsciousness.  As I lay there, bleeding, I became certain of one thing: this place was draining my life essence.  I only know the others managed to defeat the creatures when they revived me.  I was surprised to find that Rali was most accomplished healer besides myself.  Once awake, I set about healing the others.  As soon as I communicated the nature of the circle, the others removed the fallen tuskers from the area.  I fear for what might happen, should their bodies be allowed to remain.

I was troubled by the tuskers’ actions.  _Why had they attacked?_  It didn’t seem consistent with normal animal behavior, and they certainly seemed more intelligent than many other beasts I’ve encountered.  I examined them in detail, sketching them as best I could.  I was glad to find they had never been able to land enough attacks to envelop one of us within the web of the arm membranes…it’s difficult to tell from their dead bodies, but I think they would have been able to do us further harm if they had.  I think someone retrieved something from one of the tuskers, but not having been awake, I’m unsure.  If Casparo had found it, I doubt I’ll hear of it.

I spent virtually all of the spells I had, keeping merely a few in reserves.  I healed most of my damaged comrades as best I could, and healed myself completely.  My chest still ached from the beating I’d taken.  Alden suggested we get some distance from the Standing stones, and was met with no objections.  We traveled on for the rest of the day, eventually reaching almost impenetrable forest.  We decided this was the best place to make camp.  Watches were set, and I prepared for a rest.

*It was not to be.*

That night, while Casparo and Rali sat watch, the Magnificent one noticed movement at the edge of the firelight.  Four odd-looking frog-like creatures appeared, two at either end of the camp.  Large as dogs, the hideous things moved in, and before the watchers could do little more than alert us, attacked.  We would later decide to name them *[color=sea green]Toadloks.*[/color]

Two of them attacked the most vulnerable members of our troop: the kasirs.  The poor beasts of burdens were awoken with a sudden start, as the hideous tongues of the creatures lashed out over fifteen feet…_and stayed attached._  The hideous smell of acid and burning fur filled my nostrils.  To my horror, one of the other two creatures attacked Alden, who was busily trying to summon one of his astral constructs.  Its tongue stuck to his stomach and began burning a hole in his midsection.

By the time I got to my feet and moved to engage the nearest Toadlock, it had killed one of the Kasirs, which collapsed in a heap upon the ground.  Alden had sent one his strange constructs to help destroy it, but a renewed attack from one of the Toadloks caused him to loose his concentration when summoning a second one.  Rali’s halberd came smashing down on the extended tongue of the Toadlok who was attached to Sulley, our remaining kasir.  While she was unable to sever the tongue, the grievous damage was enough to cause it to retract it, sparing the beast.  As it retracted, we noted in horror that it had a series of suckers, not unlike an octopus’ tentacle, running the length of it.  I renewed my attack on my opponent, striking sound blows with my staff.

Dylwin and the rogues made quick work of the other toadloks, dashing about the freakish creatures with consummate dexterity and skill.  Unable to land more than an occasional glancing shot, the toadloks were not well-defended, and soon dealt with.  _Or so I thought._

I healed Alden, who had a hole in his abdomen from the attack, but quickly realized something else was wrong.  He remained pale, and complained of pains.  Dylwin and Rali noted that the belly of the kasir had strange bulges….moving bulges.  *Parasites.*  The toads hadn’t injected venom, as I’d feared; they’d injected larvae, using their victims as hosts for their young.  If I didn’t act quickly, we might lose both Alden and poor Sulley.  I enlisted Rali to help as I worked quickly.  I nearly undid all of my work on Alden to remove the hideous parasites, though he hardly complained.  I imagine that he didn’t much care for them being just under his skin.  Sulley was more work.  I healed him as best as I could, and again went to work.  I needed to take more time, and nearly killed the creature in the process, but ultimately removed them.

We immediately realized that the fallen kasir still had parasites, and would be hatching them sooner or later.  Some of the others wanted to burn the body, but I had no desire to remain near it.  The fresh blood would attract other predators, and it would rapidly become tenous to defend this area, fire or no fire.  It certainly hadn’t dissuaded the toadloks.  We debated it, but eventually the concern came over Sulley.  The female, she wouldn’t want to leave her fallen mate until the body was long since decayed, introducing more of the problems I had.  Luckily, Alden was able to create a construct to fool the creature into following it, and we lead it away, while it was still weak and confused.  After we left, we heard the sounds of increased wildlife from our former campsite.  My fears were rightly placed; the local population had descended to feed.  I shudder to think what it might be.

It is the next day, and we are resting by the lake I had hoped we could reach.  We changed course to find a more hospitable route that would allow us to keep Sulley with us.  I have healed Sulley back to health, but it mourns, poor thing.  There is little I can do to heal that wound.  Dylwin has done some fishing, and I will help shortly.  Against my advice, several of the others have drunk some of the water.  I made an effort to purify a good share.  With the loss of one of our kasirs, fresh food and water is harder to get, and we’ll have to live off the land soon, if we’re not careful.  I have discovered a small cave nearby, but we’ll need to explore it.  The elves seem noticeably relieved to be here, as if the taint which touches the forest doesn’t reach here.

_Spirits are low today._  The hideous creatures here are testimony to why expansion from Avonshar has been limited, at best.  I am curious about the stones, though I can scarce say where they are from.  The lack of any reward for our efforts so far does not sit well with some, though this is not entirely unexpected.  Today we rest, and regain our strength.  Tomorrow, we will investigate the cave, and set up shelter.  It is deep enough and large enough that we can get the kasir in, but I don’t want newer creatures assaulting us in the dark from the depths of the outcropping.

*Day 6:*  I scribe this hastily, as we are still within the complex.  Tazmendra and Casparo have found a concealed passageway.  A worked passageway, made by tool using creatures.  It can be no other.

*Something has been here before us.*

Inside was a smoothed ramp, descending into darkness at a steep angle.  I suspect they were once stairs, but have been worn smooth by something over time.  I cannot say what could do such a thing.  While we inspected it, we discovered some odd features to the cave.  Once again, Rali the dwarf noticed something out of place.  _As smooth and natural as the rock at first appeared, we soon realized that there signs of hands, fingers, legs and other body parts in the stone, as if it were mud that these poor unfortunates had pushed through, and then been frozen._  No single creature could be found, merely individual parts.  It was disturbing, to say the least.

We also found a worked stone cube, the size of a fist.  Alden created a construct to retrieve it.  On it’s base was an ancient symbol, once more resembling ancient dwarvish.  Rali though it resembled the rune for ‘AT’.  I could tell it bore an enchantment of abjuration, but that told me little.  We could find no power with the stone.  Finding little else to discover, we proceeded down.

And down again.

And down further still.

In the chill depths, further and further from the lake, we found first a split in the passage, and then a round door, clearly manufactured.  We tested and eventually opened it leading to a round chamber.  Within, we found four skeletons of some long since departed humanoids.  At least seven feet tall, they were dressed in some strange kind of chainmail; composed of a metal I was unfamiliar with.  Alden, our resident alchemist and armor smith, was certain it was no metal he had seen.  We collected it, the helms and greatswords they bore, and I collected parts of different skulls for later study.  Who were this creatures?  How did they come here, almost a thousand feet beneath the surface?  Was this their complex, or were they a raiding party?

Casparo quickly spiked the door open, as he suspected that these unlikely creatures had been trapped in here and suffocated.  Correct or not, it seemed a wise course of action.  He and Tazmendra say there are corridors beyond the two exits to this chamber, but shrouded in unnatural darkness.  We pause now to consider our course of action, and we hold counsel as I record this.  I will write more when it is prudent.

*[color=dark red]Rannos of Blackmoor, Walker of Fharlangan*[/color]


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## Argent Silvermage (Nov 25, 2002)

Next instalment of Avonshar very soon.


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## Argent Silvermage (Nov 29, 2002)

*Game tomorrow*

The inside of Strider Cullaighn's quarters are sparce with one exception, His beloved mahogony desk. He sat there in the dark awaiting news of Rannos and his party. They had been out of contact for hours now and the elderly man was getting worried. He brushed his greying blond hair from his eyes and said a prayer to himself for thier safety. 
His vigil was disturbed by Walker Dashan barging in as she normaly does when Cullaighn is seeking quite. "Strider we have a problem. We are getting reports from Journier Tallon that the Town of Hope is under attack." She said breathlessly. "Dashan, child, slow down and remember to breath!" He said in a half yell "Under attack by what? Have the Orcs or Gnolls broken the Truce?" She looked at Cullaighn and "Father they are Undead! Tallon stated they look centuries old!" 
"That is not possible child. It must be an illusionist at work. Send word to Bequin and have a portal opened to Hope and have him take a group of Warriors through." 
"Sir may I be so bold to say I think this is Casparo's fault. Anything that happened out there has his stink on it." Dashan pouted her lips and twisted one of the braids in her onyx hair.
"I am well aware of what happen between you both, but you have to remember an unfaithful lover is not the enemy of the world."
half an hour later....
Bequin stood in front of the only working 7 league step portal on Avonshar and gulped. He hated conflict. His mage robes flowing around him and a troop of rangers by his side and he still wanted to go back to bed. "Well At least I have the guards to keep me safe."
They stepped through the portal 3 at a time and arived in Hope's town square. The creatures were all over eating what and whom ever they could find. Bequin saw one eating a 3 year old girl and let loose a fire ball. It passed through the creature and obliterated the townhall. Bequin darted into the closest building while the warriors plied thier trade with expert efficency, and then the sky went dark.......


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## WizarDru (Dec 2, 2002)

*From the Journal of Walker Rannos of Blackmoor, being an account of the Evermore Expedition:*


*Day 6, Evening:* 
What we have discovered is every Walker's dream, but something of a nightmare, too.  A fear grows in my heart for what has been done, and what may yet *be* done.  I cannot know for sure what has happened, but I have my suspicions, and they are not of a good sort.

I should continue from the events of this afternoon's entry.

We paused and consulted in the chamber with the fallen beings.  I know I should have been overjoyed with the discovery, but instead my heart was heavy with concern.  Armed and armored, how had these alien beings come to be here?  What had laid them low, so many centuries ago?

There were two corridors that led forth from here.  We choose the left, and proceeded, with Casparo leading the way ahead.  Casparo and Rali reported an unnatural darkness, and disappeared within it.  Scant seconds later the darkness dissipated, and they reported finding a control mechanism to banish it.

 I enchanted my staff with the blessings of Farlanghan's protection through dark places, so that we could see.  The strange darkness unnerved me, and only Rali seemed unfazed by the absolute darkness.  She seemed more interested in the walls of the corridor.  They were lined parallel strips made from the same strange metal that the creatures armor was, though worked with consumate skill.  The stone was clearly worked as well, although centuries old in the carving.

At last we came to an area of unusual darkness, similar to the first.  Rubble covered the floor, making the passage unsure.  While we pondered how or whether or not to proceed, I heard a ringing of metal...not unlike the sound of a tuning fork.  It came from behind us.  My companions stood at the ready, Tazendra at my side, prepared for an assualt.  None came.  After several minutes, we relaxed and returned to the obstacle before us.  I chose to invoke the blessing of Farlanghan again to banish the darkness, however briefly.  It revealed what we suspected...a cave-in rendered further travel impossible.  We cautiously returned to the chamber, and I examined the floor for tracks.  Something had flown through the chamber, creating a dispersal pattern in the accumulated dust.  I guessed it to be larger than a sparrow, but smaller than an eagle.

Casparo stared at me as if I'd grown a set of horns.  

_"You can tell that from just looking at the floor?!?"_, he exclaimed incredously.  _"You are scaring the hell out of me."_

We proceeded down the second passage, and discovered another cave-in, but this one was far from total.  Passage was possible, and an impatient Casparo chose not to wait for us.  His rash action resulted in the floor giving way beneath him, causing a rockslide that cut us off from him.  With Rali directing our efforts, we safely shifted the rubble, to reopen the passage and allow us to follow.  A portal, the first true one we'd seen, greeted us on the other side.

It was a round door, of sorts, with a strange handle in the center.  The handle had a series of holes set as a circle in it, like finger grips, but twelve of them, with light glowing within.  I would later check the bodies of the fallen creatures, and when claiming their ruined gauntlets, note that they had six digits.  At this time, I produced the cube, waiting to see if it reacted to the obviously enchanted door.  Casparo performed a series of odd tests, and seemed to have determined how to open the door, when I heard the sound again.  This time it was loud enough that everyone heard it.  We stood on our guard, and the 'creature' that I had seen the tracks of arrived.

We prepared for an attack, but chose to let it arrive first, and prove it's hostilities.  A wise move, it turned out, as it flew to Tazendra and began flying about her, as if examining her.  It was a clockwork of some sort, a small sphere made of the same white metal which was in such prominence in this place.  It had two wings that looked not unlike those of a dragonfly, moving so fast as to almost be invisible, yet made of metal all the same.  It then proceeded to do several other, until it came to me.  It spied the cube, and suddenly seemed to become agitated.

It produced two miniature claws and sought to take the cube from me.  I held it tight for a moment, then decided it was best to let it have it.  *The spherieal*, as I have named it, then raced away, bearing the cube benath it.  I called on the speed of Farlanghan and gave chase, much to the consternation of my companions.  I was merely swift enough to see it disappear into the wall itself, as a portal was revealed and the disappeared after the spherieal passed through it.  I yelled a curse but could not follow.  Though hollow beyond, neither Casparo nor Rali could later find any indication of it's presence, other than my crude chalk markings.  We left it be, though I cursed the loss of the cube.  I would later curse it more.

We then gained access to...the chamber.  It was a hollowed out sphere, worked with a great number of crystal windows from which light shone.  It was like being inside some great bauble or odd piece of jewelry.  I, myself, never entered the chamber for more than a moment.  Casparo, however, was the first in, and the first trapped.  When the sphearieal had arrived, he backed into the room.  None of us heard his panicked yell as he flew upwards, to the center of the great room, to very center of it, some 15' above us.

Eventually, Delwyn used his powers and common sense (and more than a little rope) and got Casparo down.  By that point, however, Casparo wasn't entirely ready to leave, but we forced him to, nonetheless.  Both Delywyn and Alden could feel the psionic power that resonated through this place, and we left them mostly to investigate it.  The would spend the rest of the day examining it.

They soon realized that it was a controlling device of a huge scrying system, of sorts.  The windows were viewers...eventually we realized that they were for spheariaels...lots of them  Dozens, perhaps.  They would display spoken dialogue, but in some script unreadable to us.  I transcribed as much as possible, content to record while they tinkered. 

Hours later we returned to the surface cave, to disturbing sights.  The first was our remaining kasir was gone.  We soon found it's emptied husk by the water, a dozen or more giant bite marks to signal it's draining and then demise.  I examined the body...it had been fed on like a vampire feeds...but by a dozen creatures, at least.  Judging by the signs of struggle, blood spilled and other factors, I guessed it had suffered for five minutes before death.  The thought chilled me.  The elves claimed that the lake was no longer hallowed, but unhallowed, instead.  Alden, in particular, wanted to leave, and seek refuge.  While I would have rather remained and mourned the poor beast, I followed.

When we checked on where the cube had once been, we found the sphearieal there, guarding the cube.  But we instantly noticed the walls.  The crumbled walls.

*The HOLLOWED walls.*

Where once there had been reliefs of strange, horrible looking humanoids, now there was only crumbled rock.  As if something trapped inside had broken free, and escaped.  And escaped *HUNGRY*.  I intimated as much to Alden, but he merely had eyes for the cube...and even more so for the spherieal that guarded it.  He mumbled something about my reading too much into the signs, and then began....doing something to the little creature.  It approached him, and seemed fixated on him.  It didn't object to my taking the cube...but I when I placed it on the floor, it retrieved it and placed back it came from.  We tested this several times, with similar results.  

Now, we must prepare for the night to come.


*Day 7*
 I organized an effort to put up defenses, lest we be attacked in the night.  They proved imminently successful, and we were kept safe due to my watchfulness.  The greatest threat to our rest that night was Casparo's snoring.

Delwyn and Arden inisist on examining the chamber more today, before we set out.  While apprehensive, and worried that we must not linger much more, I wait patiently.  At one point Delwyn concentrates on something a particular crystal window, and then smirks wryly....though when I sneak a glimpse at his window, all I see is billowing white clouds.

Arden too seeks to use the devices...and discovers there are many of them, but that some of them are positioned near major towns and cities.  Most lie idle, watching each other.  We decide we have enough information for one journey, and decide to return to Avonshar.

I place the cube in a simple pouch at my side.  The first sphearieal follows at waist height, eager to return it's charge to it's resting place.  It continues to follow us as we leave the cave, and then the lakeside.

I retain worries of this place.  Knowledge of it is as dangerous as it's misuse.  Alden again thinks I worry too much.

_"As long as we just don't go telling everyone, it'll be fine!"_

I hope my misgivings are wrong.

*Day 8, Late Morning:* 

Hope is destroyed.

The quiet community of elves lies slaughtered.  Every last man, woman and child.  Many killed while they stood, unaware or helpless, as the things came.  There are signs of an action that is less of a battle and more of a massacre.

Govin, Sharys, Allisyander and several others I know.  Knew.  Walkers of the Traveller, defenders of the people.  Dead.  Their blood splattered carelessly on the ground, their bodies near to ripped apart.  I recognized the remains of Bequin, a mage.  That would explain the blast marks about.  The stench of brimstone in this place could only mean one of his fireballs.  If two dozen of my fellow walkers and a mage couldn't stop what did this, how could we?

Delwyn found some piles of ash scatterd about, with black crystals that were almost like tiny charcoal hearts in each one.  I found Casparo examining the fallen, including Bequin and Sharys.  I nearly struck him in anger.  He may have meant no harm...but I was in no mood for such foolishness.  There is practicality and there is respect, and I found Casparo short of both at that moment.  He disappeared without telling us where he was going, and I was glad for it, at that moment.

While Tazendra climbed a roof for a better view, I examined a few corpses.  No meat eaten, no blood drank.  This was slaughter for slaughter's sake.  Alden again told me that this place, like the lake, had become unhallowed ground.  He was near to panic that we leave.  Seeing his bretheren in this state was clearly a strain for him.  Perhaps it was for Delwyn, but he kept his own counsel.

Rali watched for danger, at turns both eager and calm.  Such may be the ways of dwarves, I suppose, but she seemed calmer than the rest of us in the face of such horror.  Alden threatened to leave on his own, if necessary, and I saw no reason to argue.  I was angry, filled with rage, but with some amount of fear, as well.  I yelled aloud that we were leaving.  If Casparo came, then fine.  If not, I had no time to wait for him.  Every moment from the capital may be more lives lost.  Casparo appeared quietly, sensing my mood, and uncharacteristically quiet.

We start walking, and one thought echoes in my mind, over and over again.

_*Did we release this horror?*_


*Day 10, Avonshar:* 
Every city, town and settlement more than fifty miles from Avonshar is either an abbatoir or a ghost town.  As we entered the city, the smell of panic fills the air.  The Walkers try to keep the peace, as the clerics guard the 7-League portal in city-center.  Mobs are pushing through to use it to escape off-plane, to somewhere, anywhere other than here.  Their panic is a palapable thing, and unnerving.  It does little to improve our mood.

We reach the temple and I seek Strider Culaighn.  The strain he must be under is clear to see, and he appears to have aged years in the week or so we've been gone.  I tell him almost everything, although I do not go into exacting detail.  I surrender the cube, my notes and sketches, the armor pieces and other artifacts we've found.

We go to take our rest, and then later meet with 'the Council'.  An elf, a dwarf (who Rali later identifies as 'GoldBuckle') and the Strider.  Our discussion is formal, but they are somewhat dismissive.  I am unsure who they represent, but do not question my elder directly.  Perhaps they are masters of other chapterhouses.

Casparo arrives, accompanied by a rag-tag collection of street rabble.  They are quiet, but obnoxious, and seem to be...protective...of Casparo.  It is odd.

We discuss the mission at some length, but it is Rali who manages to capture most of the real informaiton from Goldbuckle, it seems.  The metal is called Occlarium, a rare, almost unknown alloy of Mithral and Titanium.  The product of a lost race known for it's unending war against their counterparts.  It is clear that the strider and others are not telling us as much as they might.

Alden nearly turns violent when they make it clear that none of the items we recovered are to be turned over to us.  They are, according to my master, potentially dangerous ancient artifacts.  When they are judged safe, they will be given back to us, but not until then.  Alden throws a murderous look towards me....the word of my order is worth nothing in his eyes, now.  He cannot see the necessity, only the frustration of our victory being snatched from us.

I negotiate replacement equipment, and a few other minor bonuses, but Alden makes it clear he finds it as palatable as wood shavings.  My attention falls to Casparo and his rabble.  They have become loud and embarrasing (not unlike Casparo himself), and I ask them to remove themselves.  They nearly turn violent, until an abashed Casparo leads them outside, almost apologetically.  I stand amazed.  Something is amiss, though I am unsure what.

I retreat to my cell to brew a potion and mediate on what has occured.  Tomorrow, I shall have answers.

*Day 11:* 
No sign of the strider today.  Patrols report that the undead abominations, for that is what they are...some form of wraith, it is suspected, have disappeared.  Casparo's rabble follow him everywhere now.  Even the lavatory.  In numbers.  He seems less pleased with himself at every turn.

*Day 14:* Casparo.  Cursed.  Ring.  

Sigh.

*Day 16* 
I have talked it over with my companions.  We must return to the chamber and elsewhere.  There is too much left to do.  Tomorrow, we will go.

_More to come......._


*[color=dark red]Rannos of Blackmoor, Walker of Fharlangan*[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]


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## Zad (Dec 3, 2002)

> Alden nearly turns violent when they make it clear that none of the items we recovered are to be turned over to us. They are, according to my master, potentially dangerous ancient artifacts. When they are judged safe, they will be given back to us, but not until then. Alden throws a murderous look towards me....the word of my order is worth nothing in his eyes, now. He cannot see the necessity, only the frustration of our victory being snatched from us.




Yeah I was pretty put out. Not violent of course - Alden really isn't a very violent man. A bit more like a mad scientist/artist really. But loosing the chance to examine and re-create the oriculum mady him very pouty. More like a kid having a pouty brooding fit. It was like a once-in-a-lifetime treasure, and the people that said we could keep anything we found promptly took away the only thing they found worth keeping.

Moral of the story: do not trust the Church of Fharlangan, and make sure to keep at least some of any interesting materials and not tell them.

Silly dwarves probably don't have the first clue how to begin making oriculum.


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## Valanthe the Sleepless (Dec 3, 2002)

Zad said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Yeah I was pretty put out. Not violent of course - Alden really isn't a very violent man. A bit more like a mad scientist/artist really. But loosing the chance to examine and re-create the oriculum mady him very pouty. More like a kid having a pouty brooding fit. It was like a once-in-a-lifetime treasure, and the people that said we could keep anything we found promptly took away the only thing they found worth keeping.
> 
> ...




Yeah, you got that right. Rali, a dwarf who does armorcrafting, has a new armor in her hands, and then promptly taken away. Arggg!



			
				Zad said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Silly dwarves probably don't have the first clue how to begin making oriculum. *




Hrmph! That armor most definitely had a dwarven hand involved in the crafting, I'll have you know. Dwarves are masters of weapon and armor smithing.

*grumble, grumble* Insulting the whole Dwaven race. Impudent Elf! *grumble, grumble*


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## Argent Silvermage (Dec 3, 2002)

*HeHeHe!*

This session was good. no combat (read: no one had anything implanted in them) But tons of role playing. All the characters ae beginning to take shape and they are beginning to see that they are not the "Savage Sword of Meepo" is Avonshar. 
It was great to hear Alden et upset over the loss of the armor. I hope Zad realises that I couldn't allow them to have 3 sets of medium armor with a base ac of 10 plus a spell mischance of only 5%.
One was even enchanted. (+3 to saves)
This was just a taste of the wonders to come.
they now have a way to find dungeons and can loot to thier hearts content. Of course there will be the beings who do not want to part with thier things.


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## MavrickWeirdo (Dec 4, 2002)

Argent said:
			
		

> *Why when I DM does everyone assume that H.P. Lovecraft is a part of my game? (hint... the eldretch horrors.) *




Actually I was thinking the style reminded me a bit of Edgar Rice Burroughs or Henry Kuttner. Your World/Story has a definate 50's pulp feel to it. Keep it coming.

P. S. I love that the party keeps naming stuff, great touch.


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## Argent Silvermage (Dec 4, 2002)

MavrickWeirdo said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Actually I was thinking the style reminded me a bit of Edgar Rice Burroughs or Henry Kuttner. Your World/Story has a definate 50's pulp feel to it. Keep it coming.
> 
> P. S. I love that the party keeps naming stuff, great touch. *



Great! Some one got what I was going for!
I love the Idea that they are the "namers" as well. Most all of the creatures they encounter will be directly from my imagination. So they are fair game for new names. I don't name them myself.


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## WizarDru (Dec 4, 2002)

Argent said:
			
		

> *
> Great! Some one got what I was going for!
> I love the Idea that they are the "namers" as well. Most all of the creatures they encounter will be directly from my imagination. So they are fair game for new names. I don't name them myself. *




We'll have to decide on a name for...Them.  Although Sleestak definitely seems appropriate, it *is* copyrighted.   Hmmm.  Have to give it some thought.


Who are THEY, you ask?  Patience, my children.  Next Journal entry soon.  War is coming, if it isn't already here.


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## dravot (Dec 4, 2002)

*What I like about Argent's game*

One of the best parts about Argent's game for me is that since all of the creatures to date have been out of his head (that part does scare me though  ) it eliminates some of the metagaming that tends to take place in other games.

Yeah, you can pretend that your first level character doesn't know that a random monster is immune to lightning , but it's not the same as finding out the hard way


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## Zad (Dec 4, 2002)

Let's call them...

*The Ral'Shar *

It's elven for... um.. something.

(Elven for "big head"?)


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## Argent Silvermage (Dec 28, 2002)

*Tomorrow (well actualy today but a long time from now*

The next instalment to Avonshar the IRL game.
With the viewing sphere now reactivated and the Travelers guild aware of it's existance can all sorts of confusion be far behind? 

I want my players to know that tomorrow will be a lot of fun topped off with a rich reward*. Casparo's player has promissed me a few new "horrors" to play with. Lets see if he is as happy with them as I am. 




*Assuming you survive. There is no gaurantee that that will happen. Remember the Toadlocks? These babies are even more vile. Have fun.


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## Argent Silvermage (Dec 28, 2002)

*TOADLOCKS!*

Encounter: 2	
Name:	Toadlock
Size:	Medium
Type	animal
Hit Dice	6d10
Points	

Init:	Dex +3
Speed:	20'
AC:	13 (+3 dex)

Attacks:	
1	Tongue +8 (ranged touch)
2	
3	
Damage	
1	2d6 + 1d8 acid
2	
3	

Face/reach:	5x5/5' or 15' tongue attack.
Special attacks:	Larval implantation. On critical hit they implant larva. Healing check at cr 15
 to remove the larva or infected will die in 24 hours.	
Special Qualities:	acid immunity. +3 to save verses mind influenciny powers.

Saves:	
Fort:	7+
Ref:	8+
Will:	3+

Abilities	
Srt:	10
Dex:	16
Con:	10
Int:	3
Wis:	12
Cha:	6

Skills	
Hide:	6+
spot	7+
Listen:	7+


Feats:	
1	alertness
2	great fort
3	

Organization:	Pack (3-8)

CR	4
Alignment:	Neutral.
Appearance: Large as a mastiff. Dark green and brown frog. Insect like eyes. 	
Tongue has suckers like a squid.


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## Argent Silvermage (Dec 28, 2002)

*TUSKERS*

Encounter:	
Name:	Tusker
Size:	Large
Type	Humanoid
Hit Dice	5d10+5
Points	

Init:	0
Speed:	30'/60'glide
AC:	15 (+5 nat.)

Attacks:	
1	2 Claws +5
2	2 Claws +2
3	Envelope Special
Damage	
1	1d8+5 each
2	1d4 each
3	suffocation damage 1d4 temp con dmg per turn enveloped. 

Face/reach:	5x5/10'
Special attacks:	Envelope: all arms must hit on same round. 
	Contested str roll to escape (Tusker gets +5 to roll.)
Special Qualitios:	

Saves:	
Fort:	5+
Ref:	4+
Will:	3+

Abilities	
Srt:	14
Dex:	11
Con:	13
Int:	6
Wis:	10
Cha:	6

Skills	
Spot:	10+
Listen:	10+

Feats:	
1	Iron Will
2	Multi attack.
3	

Organization:	Pack (2-4. 1 male rest female)

CR	6
Alignment:	Neutral good
Appearance: Huge oranged haired Humanoids Tuskers have 2 large tusks 	
coming from their lower jaw. They look a lot like a huge mutant Orangatan.	
With webbing between their 4 arms and legs.


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## WizarDru (Dec 29, 2002)

Tonight's lovely new additions to our lexicon so far:  insectal bestial humaniods that spit ugly stuff we've named *Sandtials*, and *Root Snakes*, hideous collections of animated tubers forming colony creatures.

And that's not even counting the awesome power of.....

*The SLURM.*


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## Valanthe the Sleepless (Dec 29, 2002)

WizarDru said:
			
		

> *Tonight's lovely new additions to our lexicon so far:  insectal bestial humaniods that spit ugly stuff we've named Sandtials, and Root Snakes, hideous collections of animated tubers forming colony creatures.
> 
> And that's not even counting the awesome power of.....
> 
> The SLURM. *




No,no,no. The Dwarf isn't going to call it a Slurm!  

Rali is naming it a Balderk, a more appropriate weapon name.

I believe the unspeakable evil that we released have been named the Slurm.


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 22, 2003)

*Game tonight!*

Tonight will be an interesting night for our intrepid adventurers. Firstly there will be the addition of Sanity points to their characters.
Second if they play their cards right they might actualy awaken a great evil. 
Third.... and most important.... The world will show it's face to them at last. (thus the need for the sanity points.)

I will warn you all now. One of the characters will be changed by the time the night is over. 
One hint to my players. *Beware Moonrise.*


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## dravot (Feb 22, 2003)

*Re: Game tonight!*



			
				Argent said:
			
		

> *Tonight will be an interesting night for our intrepid adventurers. Firstly there will be the addition of Sanity points to their characters. *




Personally, I'm more worried about the subtraction of Sanity points...but that's just me.   

Oh, and sorry, but we have no scary music.  We gave away all of our ABBA albums long ago.


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 22, 2003)

*Re: Re: Game tonight!*



			
				dravot said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Oh, and sorry, but we have no scary music.  We gave away all of our ABBA albums long ago. *




I've said it once and I'll say it again. *No More ing ABBA!*


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## WizarDru (Feb 24, 2003)

Oh, the Horror.  The horror.


A hell of a session, this time out.  Look for copious updates shortly.


If I get Argent's permission, after we post the next Story Hour installments, I'd like to post a PDF of the collected materials we used at the previous session.  Valanthe will scan them in (as reigining graphics queen) and make them smaller, but to truly appreciate it, a PDF would probably be the best solution.


A snippet of conversation from our last game:

Me: "So, really, the only folks who haven't left town now are the stupid, the criminally insane and the zealots."

Tantra: "Well, _*up until yesterday*_, I could own up to not being any one of those three."


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 24, 2003)

Permission granted.

I so like grossing everyone out. My next character will be an OOze master.


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## Valanthe the Sleepless (Feb 24, 2003)

*Brought to you by the Avonshar Board of Tourism...*

Come to Avonshar!

Where the days are terrifying and the nights make you wish for the days...


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## WizarDru (Feb 24, 2003)

*FIRST UPDATE (ANOTHER TOMORROW)*

*Day 18:*  After a slow breakfast, and a building up of courage, we returned to the portal.  This time, we brought a larger group with us, including four rangers of my order to safeguard the kasirs that would travel with us.  Perhaps this time, the poor beasts would fare better than our last set.  We could only hope.  Unlike our previous journey, I was filled with dread.  The adventure of exploration has always been something I saw as a reward…but the previous expedition had ended much differently.  I understood the necessity, but it no longer held the same joy for me.

I was the first to pass through to the portal, and emerged into the now more familiar wooded hills, some half-days travel from what we had taken to calling the Chamber.  Once more the lake area had changed.  It was now Hallowed, the evil effects of before gone.  We were on the lookout for various creatures, as we made our way towards the general vicinity of the caves.

Our first fear was that the chamber would have been tampered with.  It was not.  Still secure, we examined the location, and found that it was still relatively safe.  Alden’s desire to use the device is almost palpable, and it’s clear why he agreed to return.  We verified that it was unmolested and secure.  However, we then agreed to secure the rest of the cave system.  After removing the darkness effect enshrouding the remaining passage, we investigate.  Some searching down the remaining deeper passage occurs, and Casparo reveals that there are some sort of small insect creatures that have taken residence amidst the collapsed rubble of the tunnel.

They are clearly animal-like in intelligence, and are weird bestial insects, reminiscent of giant ant-lions.  We prepare, and then move forward to engage them.  They are capable of spitting some poisonous goo that is also caustic, but the effects are swiftly shrugged off, and they are dealt with swiftly.  Amongst their nest, we discover items that they have hoarded from the complex, none of which must have been much use other than as wattling for the nest.  We chose to name them Sandts.

These included 12 discs of Oriculum (_which would have been a rare find, by themselves_), a cloak, a poncho, a bracer with an orb of occularum inset, a series of potions of multiple colors with gems IN the potions, a large sword and a unusual halberd-like weapon.  The weapons were all made with Occularum, as well.  Rali claimed the halberd-weapon as her own, and decided it would be called a Balderk (which I think is Dwarvish for ‘mighty cleaver’).  Casparo joked with her that it should be called a Slurm.  She was amused with this as any dwarf is, when you laugh at their weapon.   Which is to say, *NOT AT ALL.*

All the items but the discs were magical, and would take careful examination on the part of Alden and myself.  My spirits rose at this.  They would descend appropriately later.

Alden finally demanded we check the Chamber, and I saw no reason to deny him or Delwyn.  We were careful, though.  Each time they attempted to use the device, we monitored them closely, in case of danger.  I trust the device less than anything else.

I was so upset during our previous journey, that I forgot to mention a curiousity on our previous return trip.  The standing stones where we first battled the tuskers now looked more like teeth thrust up through the earth, and in the center of this now VERY evil area was a deep hole dropping into darkness.  We were loathe to enter it, then.

Delwyn attempted to send one of the sphereials down into the gaping pit.  *They REFUSED.*  They would fly to it, but no further.  Delwyn investigated some other things, but I’m not sure what.

Alden, however, chose to investigate much more.  His first inclination was to use the spheres to scout the surrounding territory, rather than waste our time doing so.  I hadn’t even considered the possibility.  We made short work of the task, gathering data of the area for several miles.

Then Alden discovered that there were several more caves in the area.  Using the spheres, he investigated each by proxy.  In one, he found…something.  His memories of it are sketchy, and his description simplified matters…but something was in a sealed chamber here.  It was clearly undead, and I think he said it bore a crown.  It was powerful, and it grasped the sphere in one hand and crushed it.  The act caused Alden to become disoriented and he blacked out but we think it is securely trapped.  Further, the area it is in is unreachable, being submerged beneath an underground river.  Not that I have any desire to meet it.  Against my better judgement, but at Delwyn’s advisement, Alden used the device again.

He then decided to do something that was either very wise, or very foolish.

He decided to test the limits of the spheres understanding, and asked the sphere to show him ‘the enemy’.  

And so it did.

It transported him a vast distance away.  He sensed it would take hours to travel there by even normal magical flight.  I don’t recall how long it took, but it seemed it was four hours in the waiting.

I cannot describe her, other than that she was a giant, a sorceress of some kind, and powerful.  She appeared to be demonic, and bore chains.  She was currently flinging bolts of eldritch energy at some sort of castle, much to the terror of it’s inhabitants.  She appeared to be floating in air, at first.  

At least, until the eyestalk waved past.

It was the thickness of a small birch tree, but green and wiry like a vine.  At first he thought it was lashing in the wind, until it descended around the giant, and he could clearly see the eye mounted at its end.  It looked astonishingly like the eyestalk of a beholder…but that was nonsense.  For that to be a beholder’s eyestalk, it would have to be…*COLOSSAL.* 
As Alden got a sense of scale of the terrifying thing, one of the eyestalks turned and unleashed a beam of destructive force against the castle.  A wall fell.  Alden went in for a closer look at the she-demon, or whatever she was.  This merely caught her attention. She laughed an infernal laugh, and then flicked the sphere away, as you or I might swat a speck of dirt, and the sphere was sent flying for hundreds of miles.  Alden nearly sicked up, but I wasn’t sure if it was from the disorientation of the sphere, or what he had seen.  I didn’t feel very good myself.

*We need to tell the elders.*


*Day 19:*  We prepare for another return trip.  The rangers were attacked by toadlocks while we were in the chamber, and while hurt, no one was lost…not even a kasir.  There’s something in the lake though, and I tell them to avoid leaving the cave.  I feel the unhallow effect returning.  It vexes me.

We were attacked last night, and if I hadn’t been paying attention and blessed with Fharlangan’s help, we might have been killed.  While the rest of the group slept, we were attacked by plants.  At first, it was just a creeping root, animated on it’s own.  Then several appeared, then a few dozen.  As I roused the others, they bound together in some sort of group mind, and created humanoid like ‘wicker men’ forms, and then attacked.  Their lashing attacks were painful, but we were in no mood for such things.

Delwyn’s chain lashed out, destroying one.  Alden summoned a construct while I used a soundburst to disable them.  Rali delivered a terrible blow to another with her new weapon, shredding it.  In short order, they were destroyed.

It is now dawn, and we prepare for to leave, our mission complete for the moment.


*Day 20, 21, 22:*  Travel back to Avonshar.


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## WizarDru (Feb 24, 2003)

Expect another update tomorrow, including the information about those wacky items.


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## MavrickWeirdo (Feb 25, 2003)

Another Update, Yeah!!! So what Kewl stuff were the Sandts hording? Oh and your not going to report ALL this treasure to the elders are you?


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## WizarDru (Feb 25, 2003)

Oh, Rannos reported the loot, all right.  As in "Here's the loot we took and KEPT, strider, sir."  They took it pretty well, considering.


Our new catchphrase is "*Avonshar: where the days are terrifying, and the nights make you wish it was daytime.*"

Here's the things the Sandts had:


The Balderk (also known as the Pole of Chimes)  [2D6, crit x4, 15#, Large, piercing, +1 to hit,  Crit range 19-20]
Robe +2 ac +1 to all saves, +2 Dex. (Magenta robes with the image of a strange 8-legged insect on it.)
12 discs of Occularum (value 6234 gp)
4 amber potions with amber stones inside (cmw: 4d8+7)
3 Violet potions with amethyst stones inside (Restore half full power points)
2 Crystal clear potions (Restore 4 spell levels)
Ring mail +4 ac, +1 Int, -1 damage taken. (Oriculum mail with a head motif)
Bastard Sword 2d6, crit 19-20/x2, 10#, Large, Slashing. +5 to ac/+6 vs. missiles deflection bonus, User regains 1 point of temporary ability score damage every 10 minutes. (Shield device glows when held)
Orb bracer +3 to all damage done, +20’ light radiance  (Oriculum bracer for left arm. Has sphere that flashes when hits are struck. Absorbs light from area and expels it more intensely.)
Tabard +5 to hit, +5 cold damage. (Ice blue poncho with crystal points hanging off. Effect is attacks become “heat seeking”.)
[/list=1] 

I've specifically left off two powers of the items listed here, as you'll see them in operation in the next update (when we discoverd them ourselves...in BATTLE!).


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## WizarDru (Feb 25, 2003)

*Second Update!  And TWO MORE TO COME!  WHOA!*

*Day 23:*  We returned to the city without incident.  The rangers have remained behind to safeguard the location, and a second, larger force of rangers has been dispatched to aid them.  There have been no attacks in our absence.  Rangers patrol the perimeter where the shadowy monsters have refused to enter, but the slaughter has stopped.  They cannot or will not breach the border of the hallowed ground that surrounds the city.  It was this natural blessing that caused the city to be founded here, and now it serves the people well.  Those who remain, in any case.

The wholesale panic has, for the most part, subsided.  Those who were consumed by fear departed as quickly as possible, though I can scarce blame them.  The city is still populous, but outside the city, the wilderness presses against us, with so few outposts remaining unscarred.  It resembles my mood, as of late.  Our return journey was without incident.  Even Avonshar’s native flora and fauna sense the change, and stayed hidden.

When we returned to the city, several of the others gave me apprehensive looks.  I know they were thinking that I’d demand they turn over the items to the church.  I had no intention of doing so, and made it clear.  I marched into the temple, and asked to see Strider Culain.  He was available, and I proceeded to his cell, with all due speed.  I noted the cube was gone, as I presented him with my map disc.  I described our second expedition with little color, although I waited for an argument or protest to my report.  I plainly noted what we had found, and how the party had distributed the equipment amongst themselves.  I had worried for naught, it appeared.  While obviously very tired (these recent days as much as strain on him as me, most likely more so), he merely nodded…as if he was too tired to argue the point.

We spent time analyzing the items, and I know that some of our number sold some of the Oriculum disks.  We each claimed two, and I will keep mine, for now.  I am deciding on a use for them, be they keepsake or item of interest.  Money has never been of great use to me before, but it has it’s uses, like all tools.  But I can’t eat gold when I’m traveling the high mountains, and the beasts of Avonshar certainly haven’t had much use for it, either.   

*Days 24-30:*  There has been little to report, other than services.  I am spending my days preparing potions for our journey.  I have used my connections within the church to acquire some scrolls, as well.  The city is growing emptier by the day, and it adds more gloom to the place.   Strider Culain approached me today, and told me that they have not heard from the rangers guarding the chamber for a few days, and are unable to scry them.  They ask if we will return to check on them.  Despite misgivings about the journey, my companions and I feel no more safe here than there, and agree to travel once more.

*Day 31, Early Morning:* Swift Preparations have been made.  We depart through the gate in an hour.  I have collected my map disk and some pay from the church for my companions and I to use.  Strider Culain looks tired and sad.  Perhaps I can give him happy news, yet.  To the Portal, then.

*Day 31, Mid-morning:  A field of death.*  Corpses, Everywhere.  _What happened here?_  Do the rangers yet live?  I cannot say, though I dread the answer.  Tuskers, toadlocks, sandts, and creatures we hadn’t yet encountered, collapsed where they died.  Everywhere we go, we find their bodies.  Dead, gored, and drained completely of blood.  I track the area…not a single living thing larger than a cat can be found, and precious few of those.

But, insects!  Oh, there are tens of thousands!  Millions, perhaps!  The huge piles of death attact them, the meat rotting all around them.  We hurried away swiftly, and paused at a stream to rest.  Somewhere nearby, I hear toads croaking.  At least something is still alive here.  But I wonder, over and over, what killed them.  I fear the rangers are all surely dead.  

*Damn it.*

*Day 31, Evening:*  It scarce seems possible that things could get worse, but they do.  To my surprise, we found the rangers alive, unconcerned and surprised at our apprehension.  They were 21 in number, and stayed mostly guarding the cave.  They had little to report, other than that they didn’t like to go below (where the Chamber was), and that they were guarding the site.

Something bothered me about their location, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  Casparo did, however.  There were no campfires, or signs that there had been any.  No signs of any defenses, either.  I told Casparo to keep his eyes open, and told Rali to be on her guard.  Alden and Delwyn wanted to go to the chamber, and check it out.  I agreed, with the provision that they take a non-psi with them, just in case.  Tazendra volunteered, and they descended.  Several spheres buzzed around the room like curious dragonflys.

I took three rangers and performed a patrol…something they obviously hadn’t been doing.  When I gathered twigs and wood, they asked me why, as it would attract animals at night, which is why they hadn’t done it.  I didn’t accept that at face value, but it wasn’t beyond the realm of reason, I let it pass.  As I spoke, a sphere whizzed past.

I returned with the rangers to the cave as the sun was setting, to find Casparo was learning how to play dice with some of the rangers present.  And by learning, I mean pretending that he didn’t know how to play, and then fleecing them.  Rali stood nearby, watching the group.  It had been over an hour, and they were still in the Chamber.  I didn’t like that, but I expected it.  What I wasn’t prepared for was the spheres to all just suddenly whine for split-second, and then drop like rocks to the ground.

The three of us were on sudden alert, fearful of an attack.  Some of the rangers panicked, perhaps as much for our reaction as any perceived danger.  I ordered five of them to come with me and Rali.  I told Casparo to remain.  I needed someone trustworthy and dependable above to keep an eye on the remaining rangers, and since I didn’t have anyone like that available, he’d have to do.  I knew that if he was in danger, he’d know which way to run, and would be able to get away to get help, if need be.  Casparo may scoff at the law and is incurably greedy, but he’s no coward and he’ll watch your back.  I trusted him for that much, at least.

Rali drew her Balderk, and we walked down, side by side.  We reached the Chamber, to see Alden floating in the air, while the light flashed in some sort of rhythmic pattern.  Alden’s mouth was open, and he was making some sort of chiming music that no man or elf should be able to produce.  He stopped almost as soon as we arrived, and floated downwards.  The lights went inert.  Alden looked like he just been violently ill.  Delwyn was supporting him, while Tazendra was examining some papers.  After quickly judging that there was no danger, I sent three of the rangers above, while Rali and I remained to see what had happened.

Alden and Delwyn had been using the system somehow, and they believed they’d temporarily used too much of it’s power.  They seemed convinced that it would restart.  I wasn’t sure whether that was a comfort or not.  Alden had asked it something…and it taken control of him, using his powers more effectively than he currently could.  The pieces of paper, I soon learned, were made by Alden, and appeared to be permanent.  He had no memory of doing it, but someone had used him to convey a series of seven images to us.  Tazendra had the foresight to number the pages, so we could keep track of them.  I will attach these images to this journal shortly, after I have transcribed them.  _I would simply draw them here, but they are in color, and *colors are VERY important*, or so we have learned.  _

In short, they seem to tell a story of the strange beings, the Ral’Shar, whose bodies we found when we first arrived.  


There were apparently two groups, who looked identical in form, except for their colors.  There were *Blue and Green Ral’Shar*.  They came from a distant place, some sort of disk or demiplane located in the stars.  Regardless, they traveled from that place for some reason.

They came to another disk, which I presume to be Avonshar.  Or rather, the Blues did.  The Green Ral’Shar found themselves on Avonshar’s moon, which appears to have moved in front of them.

The Blue Ral’Shar encountered a being of yellow, humanoid in shape, with a blue head, red chest and feet that seem to radiate or have some sort of power.  He helped them, and appears to have given them a parchment, which I take to mean knowledge, help or both.  The Greens were far less lucky on the moon, where they encountered an evil, obviously VERY female being, which subjugated them and enslaved them.

The Yellow Being and the She-Devil had some sort of a meeting.  A threat seems to be implied, or perhaps an attack.

After some time, the Green Ral’Shar came to Avonshar, and made war upon the Blue Ral’Shar.  The Blues appeared to have mastery of vast mental powers, and were psions, while the Green Ral’Shar were powerful spellcasters, likely arcanists.  Many died on both sides, but the Blues were losing.

The Yellow Being (whom I think of as Lightfoot), cast his arms around the Blue Ral’Shar, protecting them, somehow.  The Greens continued to make war upon them, and many of the Ral’Shar of both kinds died, but the only Blues to survive were those who the Yellow Being sheltered.  The Greens are all killed by the She-Devil.

The Yellow Being and the remaining Blue Ral’Shar retreat into the center of the disk that we believe to be Avonshar, into apparent safety.

We tried to absorb all of this information, and tried to determine what to do with it.  I looked at the pages several times after they were done, handing them around to the others.  

“Well, who wants to send us a message this bad?” I asked.

*And then the image of a Blue Ral’Shar face appeared.*


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## WizarDru (Feb 25, 2003)

Whew.  Lot of information this last session.

Look for some scans of the images we discuss in this adventure, and the final update this time out.

Featuring:

Moon-Men!

ZapFrogs!

BLACK Ral'Shar!

Wacky Magic Items!

    AND....

The New name of Rali's Weapon!


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## Tickleberry (Feb 26, 2003)

*Spiffy!*


Very cool so far, can't hardly wait for the next installment, guys.


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 26, 2003)

*Cousin!*

Glad to hear your reading Tic.


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## WizarDru (Feb 26, 2003)

*3rd Update!  Is He INSANE?!?  (not yet, still have 78 SAN to spare, thank you).*

After our panic subsided, we examined the image.  It was a oblong head of a Ral’Shar, blue with a strange star shape on its forehead.  It had two oval shaped eyes, angled away from the center of its face, and a strange mouth that appeared, to our eyes, to be smiling.  Lowering our weapons, we began to attempt a way to communicate.

“Can you hear us?” asked Alden.

A short collection of Ral’Shar script appeared, colored green.  This was Ral’Shar for ‘yes’, we believed.

“Have we met you before?” asked Tazendra.

A series of smaller, more angular Red characters appeared.  This was Ral’Shar for ‘no’, we imagined.

We began a dialogue with our mysterious informant, trying to garner as much information as we could about the Ral’Shar and their situation.

Many of our questions (well, mine in any case) confused the being.  Alden and Delwyn seemed to understand it’s thought processes better than the rest of us, although we all contributed questions.  Delwyn quickly surmised that it was using Psionics (and powerfully) to communicate with us, and illustrated it quite simply: the image of the Informant had a star on it’s face, which was consistent iconography with the previous pictures.

We determined a variety of things.  The yellow being was NOT Fharlangan, and the Informant found the idea upsetting, at the very least.  It was not a divine being, as the Ral’Shar understood such concepts, though I’m not sure that they do.  The Green were no more, slain by the She-Devil.  The black corpses in the pictures represented the dead.

“Wait,” I said.  “If the Greens are all dead, what did we free here?”

An image appeared of a Ral’Shar…but a BLACK one, with fiery red eyes.  The implication was clear…they had been revived as undead, and that was the enemy we were facing.  We were shown an image of me removing the cube.  Again, it was plain to all of us that we were seeing the moment that I freed the Black Ral’Shar.  I alone made that choice, and now people were dead for it.  I felt like I could hardly breathe.

Tazendra: “So the cube was keeping them prisoner here?”
The Informant: YES.
Tazendra: “So who put them there?”
The Informant: SHE-DEVIL.
Alden: “Are they under her control now?”
The Informant: NO.
Alden: “Is she aware that they are free?”
The Informant: YES.
Delwyn: “If she finds them, she’ll be able to control them again, won’t she?”
The Informant: YES.
Me: “She wants to destroy us all.  Every living thing on Avonshar, doesn’t she?”
The Informant: YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. YES.

I swayed on my feet.  How were we to face something like this?  How could we even hope to stop it?  I didn’t know.  Then, an idea struck me.

“This yellow being: he protected the Blues?”
YES.
“Are you the last Blue?”
NO.
“Where are the others?”

An image appeared of the green disc it uses for Avonshar appeared, with a small yellow circle in the center, the symbol for the yellow being (a red/pink circle and two red vertical lines) inside it.  It was surrounded by another circle.

“So, is the yellow being there, too?”
YES.
“Are they awake?”
NO.
“They’re in stasis?”
YES.
“Do they want to be woken up?”

A new symbol appeared, incorporating the ‘NO’ symbol, the symbol for the yellow being, and some new additions.  We eventually determined this to be a ‘Do Not Disturb’ message, though there is some question of that.

“Why are they still in stasis, if the Blacks were imprisoned?  Are they waiting for something?”

This question seemed to confuse the Informant.  There was a pause, and then two symbols.  First came an image of two different Blue Ral’Shar, one that looked as we knew them, and another that was…different.  We guessed it might be one of their young…but this still didn’t quite fit, even now.  The second was a clear ‘No’.

“Did the blues bring the Oriculum with you to Avonshar?”

Another pause, and then a new image.  It was the Yellow Being, bearing an object like a blue rock.  Oriculum.  It muse have been a gift to them, possibly that and the knowledge to work it…the gift given in one of the previous images.

Alden: “So, where is this She-Bitch?”

An image of the green disk, the moon moving around it, and an arrow telling us to go there.  In any other situation, I might have found the idea ludicrous.  Not today.  The Ral’Shar had done it before…but clearly no longer could, or they would have done so.  I have to wonder…where was the craft they had used to travel here?  Had it survived the trip?  I wish I had thought to ask them about this Star-boat.  I also wish I thought to ask why they had left their home.  There was no indication of why they left their world to come to ours.

Delwyn:  “Where’s the cube, right now?  Can we just put it back?”

An image appeared, perhaps from a sphere.  It was Goldbuckle, the dwarf we had met earlier.  He was examining the cube, and appeared to have found a secret latch.  Suddenly, it slid apart, like some sort of odd puzzle-box.  A brilliant light shone from the inside, and Goldbuckle screamed in pain.  His skin started to look like he had goosebumps all over.  Then the goosebumps turned to sharp points, as bone-spurs erupted from his body, ripping his skin.  In almost a split second after that, he exploded into thousands of bloody fragments.  And in the box, something *LOOKED BACK AT US.*

I think I was sick then.  I don’t recall.  That was about fifteen minutes ago.  When I next listened, I heard Rali talking.

Rali: “So what do you want US to do?”

A new image, one of charactures of us (with the women’s features highly exaggerated) battling the Black Ral’Shar.  Rali’s Balderk was pictured…and I was depicted, well, differently.  I realized at once why I was different.  Where the others were more stick-figure drawings, I was more of an actual person.  It took me a moment to realize that it had drawn me looking similar to the Yellow Being, with strange, glowing feet.  Why?  What did it think that I could do or was like that reminded it of the Yellow Being?

Rali: “What’s this nonsense with the women?  I’d never need to swim, if I had these!”

Alden figured that the Ral’Shar either were asexual, or didn’t have external physical differences.  The concept of a male/female form difference was difficult for it to grasp.   We will continue to ask it questions, but I wanted to capture this while it was fresh in my mind.  I see Casparo coming down the tunnel.


*Day 32, Noon:*  I sit here in the nearly empty temple common room.  Journeymen sit about me, waiting for another portal alignment, so they can return to another world.  Currently, the Seven-League Portal points to Krynn, I’m told.  I’m too numb at the moment to care one way or the other.

Mad Hoglip, the Dwarven Brewmaster here, offers me another pint of Clangeddin Red.  I gratefully accept it.  This will be my third since the return of a few hours ago.  I have a bath, yet I don’t feel clean.  I keep imaging the blood’s still there.  I keep seeing those red eyes, hearing those voices.

While most of us had been busy questioning the Informant, Casparo had, at my request, remained above.  It was a lucky thing for us he did, I suppose.  Only Casparo saw what happened when the moon rose.  They had been dicing, and Casparo and a couple of the rangers went outside into the darkness to smoke, or some such.  Then they walked directly into the moonlight.

The suddenly became quiet and stiff, and their eyes began to glow red.

“She’s coming,” said one. 

“What?  Who’s coming?” asked Casparo, looking around warily.

“The Mistress,” replied the second, pointing to now threatening moon.  

“Mistress?  Who is your Mistress?”

“The Forsaken One.  She is coming.  Coming for us ALL.”  They turned their dead eyes on Casparo, who backed away from them.  The now moved slowly, not even bothering to give chase.

Casparo ran back into the cave, only to find more rangers standing about, as if adled or in a stupor.  Their eyes all glowed red.  He dodged amongst them, and took flight down the passage to warn us.  Casparo had already had enough of enchanted crowds to last a lifetime.

We were just finishing our questioning of the Informant when he arrived.  He slowed down from a dead run when approaching the entrance to the Chamber, almost skidding to an enforced casual pace.  The two rangers seemed not to notice, but Casparo was keenly aware of them.

Neither ranger had glowing eyes.  Not willing to risk it, he gestures several of us over.  Tazendra and I walk over, followed by the others.  Feeling a little bolder now that there are several of us present, Casparo tells us what he’s seen, and asks the first ranger if that sounds familiar.  He stares at Casparo as if he’s insane.  The ranger has no idea what we’re talking about. 

“What about you?” Casparo asks the second one.

As his eyes turn crimson and wild, he replies, “Yes, my mistress is coming!”

I vaguely remember that he was going to say something else, but my reflexes snapped my quarterstaff right into his forehead.  He reeled from the blow, and I yelled for Tazendra to knock him down.  With lightning efficiency, she knocked the possessed ranger unconscious with single open-handed strike.  The second ranger was near panic-striken, by this point.  He had drawn his sword, convinced we had gone mad…perhaps ourselves controlled by the chamber.  I calmed him down, but demanded his sword confiscated.  I had Casparo bind the unconscious ranger, and his partner and I bore him up the tunnel.  

None of us wanted to be trapped here.  We reached the cave in about ten minutes or so.  Casparo and Tazendra saw the remaining 19 rangers standing together at the back of the cave, bathed in the pale moonlight, their eyes each glowing deep red.  They were swaying like grass in a breeze, hearing some music that only they could register.  We were split on what to do.  Enter the moonlight?  Would we be similiarly possessed?  Stay here and wait for them to do something?

Before we could decide, the remaining ranger gave in to the moon’s power, and attacked us.  Tazendra yelled out, “I don’t know if I can stop him without killing him!”  His face was contorted with insanity and hunger.  As the unconscious ranger dropped to the floor and I readied my staff, I nodded a silent, grim assent.  Tazendra’s kama bit deep, and then Rali’s Balderk finished the task.  But he didn’t bleed.  Why?

Our decision was then made for us.  The rangers suddenly all opened their mouths, and black specks of shadows or insects swarmed forth, filling the air.  They floated about, pulled back and resolved with shadows that were emerging from the walls behind them.

*Black Ral’Shar.  Five of them.  The Winds of Death.*

“*Your goddamn church has gotten us all killed!*” yelled an angry Casparo.  I couldn’t argue the point.

As we watched, horrified, they each opened their mouths, which were full of razor-like teeth.  They issued horrifying scream-challenges, and their teeth flew from their mouths, propelled by muscular tentacles.  To our terror, each tooth found soft purchase amongst the bodies of the rangers.  I realized then they weren’t swaying like grass, they were wheat…and the Black Ral’Shar had come to harvest them.

Even as Tazendra and Casparo charged forward to drop one of the rangers, it was too late.  They were drained somehow, and dropped almost in unison, discarded and no longer wanted.  I knew then that we were doomed.

_*When suddenly, I heard music.*_

Rali had stepped into the cave, and was now brandishing the Balderk…but the chimes attached to it were playing some sort of melody, of their own volition.  Rali appeared as surprised as we were, but moved on nonetheless.  Suddenly, I felt like we had a chance.

Alden summoned a construct and Delwyn threw his chain at one of the beings, but we were unable to land a blow against them.  They moved slowly, but their shadowy nature made them difficult to pinpoint, our blows often going wide of the mark.  I threw a sound burst to disorient them, but it had little effect.  Alden summoned another construct, but both were unable to even make contact.  The creatures moved forward, and gored Casparo and Rali.    Alden entombed one in some sort of cocoon, rendering it harmless…but only for a few short minutes.  I enchanted Tazendra’s sickle, hoping for a miracle.

Then Rali raised her balderk, intent on returning the favor.  The strange, ringing music reached a fevered pitch, and the balderk swung around, splitting the creature in twain, instantly destroying it.  Instead of stopping though, Rali’s powerful swing continued on, instantly killing the second.  Suddenly, the battle had changed.

Casparo, however, had blood running down his chest.  The Black Ral’Shar that had struck him badly, and he might not withstand a second strike.  I ran over to him, and grabbed him by the wrist.

“May the walker guide your steps!” I yelled over the sounds of combat, channeling the healing power of Fharlangan’s spirit…when something curious happened that I didn’t expect.  The bracer that we had found with the Sandts began to glow, with the orb suddenly increasing the energy I was focusing.  Somehow, it enhanced the spell I cast, completely healing Casparo.  Amazed, but too busy to question our luck, I ran to help Rali.

Delwyn managed to scratch one, and then Rali struck again, killing another and badly wounding the fourth Ral’Shar.  Tazendra appeared from out of nowhere, and finished it off.  With it’s partners gone, Alden released the cocoon, and Delwyn, Tazendra and Rali made short work of it.  

“I’m naming you Tide Turner!” Rali told her weapon, which might just have played a tune to celebrate.  It was hard to tell.  Casparo took off the bracer and tossed it to me.  “I think you can use this better than I can”, he said.  My healing powers were enhanced, and I restored the party to full health.  The remaining ranger awoke, and after he adjusted, explained that he didn’t remember anything of the last week, past when they first arrived.  I confiscated his weapon all the same, and figured if he was OK by the dawn, then we should be fine.

But the moon still shone, and we were leery of waiting on it.  After a lengthy argument, I capitulated that the best place to wait was the tunnel, with fires on either end, and to just wait the night out there.  And so we did.

When Delwyn woke me during the second watch, I wasn’t terribly surprised.  No rest for the living in Avonshar.  A shadow of some horrific thing had been spotted by Casparo, lumbering in spurts towards into the cave, it’s shape distorted by the moonlight.  Casparo had his bow ready, waiting.  It loomed closer.  Closer.  CLOSER.

_And then a frog hopped into the cave. _

A large, oddly-color frog.  It hopped about, aimlessly.  It worked it’s way about the cave, with no particular goal in mind.  It caught sight of the fire, and started hopping this way.  Apparently, every single damn creature on Avonshar is attracted to flames, as opposed to being frightened of them, like just about everywhere else I’ve ever been.

“Well?” asked Casparo.  “What do you want to do?”

I pulled out a sketchpad, and drew a rough draft of the frog.  “Watch it.  If it comes any closer, Kill it.  Fill it full of arrows.  I can always examine it’s corpse.”  We’d grown a lot more suspicious of amphibians, of late. 

He fixed me with an amused stare.  “You know, that’s probably the first thing we’ve ever agreed on, priest.”  And with that, he let a bolt fly.  And merely grazed the stupid thing.

The Zapfrog then yelped, leaped into the air…and belched lightning.  In the corridor, we might as well have just lifted our chins for it to hit.  The bolt blasted among us, some dodged it as I did, while poor Alden, who was still half-asleep, nearly was killed.  Casparo shot and killed the frog, and then his head snapped around.

“Oh, CRAP,” was all he said.

In the moonlight, we could see over a dozen more Zapfrogs, leaping about, chirping and croaking in the moonlight.  Luckily, they were unaware of us.  We took pains to keep it that way.  We hoped in the morning, they might be gone, but no such luck.  They still remained.  With the dawn, my spells were renewed, and I restored any remaining wounded to full health.  But we were trapped.

And then my training as a walker resurfaced.  We’d been over-thinking the problem.  The Zapfrogs were still just frogs.  They weren’t undead, or Black Ral’Shar…they were simple animals, just like the tuskers.  If we didn’t bother them, or invade their territory, they should just let us be.  I instructed the group on how to behave, and how to skirt the frogs.  The remaining ranger would travel with his weapon, now that he had returned to normal.

In the corridor, we saw a half-dozen entering the cave.  It was now or never.  If I had been wrong, we’d need to run for it.  Luckily, I had been right.  The frogs could care less.  They might have changed their tune if they’d found the dead one, but we were long gone by then.  

We moved with swiftness, and passed through the field of Corpses again…only to find them gone.  ALL OF THEM.  Something had taken them.  Had it been the insects?  I kept remembering the Black Ral’Shar and the rangers…and the horrible cloud they’d summoned.  I inadvertently looked up, seeking the moon, and shuddered.  Suddenly, Tazendra shouted.  There was a portal up ahead, where we’d first arrived.  That was unusual…more unusual was that it led right back to the city.  Why?  Had someone just come through, or were they expecting us?

I chose not to worry about it, just then.  I led the group through to the apparent safety of the city.  Strider Culain was there.  He asked how we had done, and what we had discovered.  I was about to offer some sort of reply, when the remaining ranger stepped forward, his eyes glowing red once more.

“Now my mistress knows where you ARE!” he laughed maniacally.  Before we could stop him, he drew his knife and slit his own throat, a bloody red smile staring at us.  His laughter became drowned out by his own choking, and he collapsed.  His body suddenly started to become bloated, as if he was a waterskin being filled.  We dodged away instinctively, as his entire body spontaneously exploded, showering us with blood and gore.

Amidst the silent carnage, the shocked Strider Culain tried to form a sentence.

“What was…how did….I just…he..he..he.”

I had had enough.  I announced to the strider my intention to get a bath, a meal and some rest, and then I would tell him all we had learned.  But most of all, I wanted some beer, like the fifth one I know nurse.

I have no idea what we should do next.  We know the Black Ral’Shar can be killed, and we know WE can kill them.  But where are they?   And how will we find them? I will talk with the others.


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## dravot (Feb 26, 2003)

I must say that this is one of the creepiest stories I've ever participated in.

The sense of forboding is all-pervasive.  The feeling of the alien world that we are on is uncomfortable.  There's very little to take solace in.

Argent has done a great job in building up the world.  Sometimes I wish he wasn't so...thorough  

(tazendra)


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## Zad (Feb 26, 2003)

It is a creepy place. As players we want to continue the adventure. As characters I think we're having a hard time finding a reason to want to *stay* on this world. Discretion is the better part and all that.

One other tide turner for me was the ecto cocoon. I rolled a 20 when setting the DC of the save for the black thingy, which was pure luck, but it got one of them out of the fight for a while which was a huge help. I think we all thought they were going to shred us, and would probably not have stood and fought if we had another choice.

Meanwhile I get to be a fax machine.


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## MavrickWeirdo (Feb 26, 2003)

Nuts and bolts question. 



> The bracer that we had found with the Sandts began to glow, with the orb suddenly increasing the energy I was focusing. Somehow, it enhanced the spell I cast




Does the bracer just Maxify spell, or does it increase the spell beyond the maximum?


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 26, 2003)

MavrickWeirdo said:
			
		

> *Nuts and bolts question.
> 
> 
> 
> Does the bracer just Maxify spell, or does it increase the spell beyond the maximum? *




The Bracer adds +50% to all out going dice rolls for damage and for turning amounts. this can take it over the maximum of the spell. It will not effect area effects nor does it count verses non-dice roll effects (like.. dispels) 
There is more to come. The items were created using the tables from the Diablo II D20 book. I think they are interesting and all *Oriculum * Items will have these strange abilities.
_If any one has questions like this please e-mail me directly and ask. I don't want to loose the concept that the players have no knowledge of the exact abilities of the items they find._ ARGENT


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 26, 2003)

*Biographies!*

Avonshar Biography 1: Strider Ulysses Cullaighn.
	The Strider (Cleric of Fharlangan level 11) is a human male in his late 50’s. He stands 5’10” tall and of proportionate weight. He has gray hair a full beard and steel blue eyes. He hails from a world called Pegasii. Cullaighn rose slowly in the orders ranks but has always had a good standing with the church. When he was asked to travel to Avonshar he was elated. He is becoming less so as the story progresses. 
The Strider is the head Cleric for the church of Fharlangan on Avonshar.
Cullaighn sees much of himself in Rannos of Blackmoor who he has taken under his wing in many ways. He was hoping to have Rannos take his place eventually once the Strider takes his “last Journey” to see Fharlangan.


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 26, 2003)

*Avonshar Biography 2*

Walker Dashan Kurz
	Walker (Cleric of Fharlangan Level 3) Dashan is a human female. Dark skinned and dread locked, she is Strider Cullaighn’s aid. Dashan has a way of getting herself into trouble by being more headstrong than 10 Minotaurs. While she can be very analytical and practical she also has a soft spot for bad boys. Dashan and Casparo had a brief fling and while it may or may not have ended well in Casparo’s eyes it most certainly did not in Dashan’s. She now spends her time looking for the (inevitable in her opinion) links between all the bad things happening now and Casparo.


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 26, 2003)

*Avonshar Biography 3*

F’norz of the Pearls.
F’norz is a half Drow half Siren from Sigil. She stands a shocking 6’4” and is “over developed” to say the least. (F’norz makes a Barbie doll look flat). She would never have come to Avonshar if not for her “babies”. F’norz collects magical sea items and has a collection of mystical pearls collected during her 300 plus years traveling the planes. She ran afoul of Casparo’s charms and while she was occupied he stole some of her most precious ones. Casparo has no idea what F’norz is able to do if anything to reclaim them but he does know that she is here on Avonshar to reclaim them. Unfortunately Casparo has long since sold them. 
F’norz goes nowhere with out her trusted (but admittedly moronic) bodyguards Starskie and Hutch. These bruisers are both human but seem to be stronger and faster than any human should be.

[F'norz is a perfect example of the way my players create characters. Scorch/Casparo just threw her into a short background for me to get an idea of how Casparo would be like. He never expected to hear from her again!]


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## WizarDru (Feb 27, 2003)

What are the odds that I could use my two discs of Occularum to put on the ends of my quarterstaff?


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 27, 2003)

WizarDru said:
			
		

> *What are the odds that I could use my two discs of Occularum to put on the ends of my quarterstaff? *



What is Occularum? You have discs of *Oriculum.* 

Finding someone who has the power needed to shape the disks will be a problem. the DC to work Oriculum is 35.
[Sorry about the misspelling.]


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## Zad (Feb 27, 2003)

Erm.....

Someone needs a proofreader. Personally I don't think you should be shaping that kind of thing on a family board. Eric's Grandmother might see


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## WizarDru (Feb 27, 2003)

Well, he's not the only one.  I have fixed the approximately 32 Misspellings of Casparo's name in the last three story entries (and thanks be to Scorch for not pointing them out before I got to them).  All uses of the word Occularum have been replaced with Oriculum (Occularum being the Diamelle of Avonshar).

A note to our gentle readers: a little distortion has occured in the entries for Days 18-30, roughly.  My notes sort of up and disappeared for that session, so it's done mostly from somewhat unreliable memory.  The issue with the Sandts, for example, is somewhat distorted chronologically...but just a little. 

Hopefully, I'll have time to scan at the least the 7 most important pages that the Fax machine, errr...I mean, Alden produced.  It's fun stuff, and in *COLOR!*


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## Argent Silvermage (Feb 28, 2003)

*The world of Kestrill*

Anankah had been searching for her husband for months. He had said that he was going to Avonshar to seek his fortune and would return to her and their children. Her dark blue hair blowing in the artificial winds created by the 7 league portal, she approached the guard. "please sir. Has the gate to Avonshar been reopened?"
The guard opened his steel visor enough to make the slight human woman out and said "No mam."
Anankah stood staring at the shining portal, the first and last time she had seen it was when her true love had left to homestead and build her and the children a place to live on the "Paradise World" as it was known. 
The World of Kestrill was a harsh cruel world but the had made it home even with the frequent dust devil attacks and the lack of any Divine agencies. Ana (as her friends called her) was a strong and determined woman and decided that no guards or promise of further terrors awaiting beyond the portal would stop her from finding him. Before the guards could grab her she was through the portal, trusting in her brother to watch the children until she returned.
Time and space hichaughed around her and she fell butt first onto a raised dias where sat the Avonshar Portal. She had heard of the wonderous city of Bashad but had not ever seen it herself. She was surprised to see such a huge city so devoid of people. The market place was in ruins and deserted, she searched far and wide within the city clutching the one thing her husband had left for her, his crystal. 
Then everything went dark.


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## Argent Silvermage (Apr 18, 2003)

Just finished the set up for the next Avonshar installment. 
We now enter chapter 2 of the story.

Title: *The face of the enemy *_or_ *Can I get a Score Card please?*


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## MavrickWeirdo (Apr 20, 2003)

*Tease*

I was hoping for a story update


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## Argent Silvermage (Apr 20, 2003)

*Re: Tease*



			
				MavrickWeirdo said:
			
		

> *I was hoping for a story update *



Sorry probably in the next few weeks.


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## Nifft (Apr 23, 2003)

More, darn it all!

Gah! Now I'm reading _TWO_ story hours from you people!

 -- Nifft

PS: Can I get the stats on those tongue-sucker critters?


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## Argent Silvermage (Apr 23, 2003)

Nifft said:
			
		

> *More, darn it all!
> 
> Gah! Now I'm reading TWO story hours from you people!
> 
> ...



The Toadlocks are on page 1


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## WizarDru (Apr 23, 2003)

It's a little late tonight, but I'll make an effort to scan the pictures from the last installment tomorrow and post them here.  

And for what it's worth, I'm ready and waiting for another story run.  For that matter, I want to discuss with you possibly retooling my character slightly, but we'll see.


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## Nifft (Apr 23, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *
> The Toadlocks are on page 1 *




D'oh! Thanks, dude! 

 -- Nifft

PS: My players thank you too. Well, they'll know what a Toadlock is anyway.


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## dravot (Apr 23, 2003)

Nifft said:
			
		

> *PS: My players thank you too. Well, they'll know what a Toadlock is anyway.  *




They'll hate you.  Forever.


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## Argent Silvermage (Apr 24, 2003)

dravot said:
			
		

> *
> 
> They'll hate you.  Forever. *



Yeah.. They'll hate you forever. Hey! Wait a minute! That would mean....


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## WizarDru (Apr 24, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *Yeah.. They'll hate you forever. Hey! Wait a minute! That would mean.... *




See, I was gonna post those pictures, and all...but um...well, it was a new Angel last night.  There, I've said it.  Tonight, maybe, for sure, sorta.  Honest. 

And we don't hate you...we just thinks your tricksy, hobbit.


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## Argent Silvermage (Apr 24, 2003)

WizarDru said:
			
		

> *
> And we don't hate you...we just thinks your tricksy, hobbit. *




1) I'm not a Hobbit anymore
2) I'm not Speed Racer's Girlfriend.

I was thinking about having a 4 game grouping for Avonshar once the Shadowtaker is desposed of. (I'm going to let you all rework your characters if you want) I have a great Adventure set up now and ready to put you all through but I'd like to do it in a few weeks time instead of 1 week here and there.


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## Argent Silvermage (Apr 24, 2003)

Nifft said:
			
		

> *
> 
> D'oh! Thanks, dude!
> 
> ...



I got your E-Mail.... Your sick! I like it!


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## WizarDru (Apr 24, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *2) I'm not Speed Racer's Girlfriend.*




You know, I had to stare at that for almost two minutes until it clicked.  This working late stuff is for the birds. 

So is not having the Meepo mailing list operational. 


Like the idea.  The Crypts of the Shadow-Taker will most likely take a few sessions from this point (how long will depend on a variety of factors).  Then it's several weeks of unrelenting horror!  Yay! 

...

No, wait....


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## dravot (Apr 25, 2003)

I think it sounds like a grand plan.

And no, Nifft can't help you think of evil things to do to us.


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## WizarDru (May 2, 2003)

As promised (a while ago), here are the 8 core illustrations that were created when the Blue took control.  Enjoy.







The Blues and Greens depart their world, presumably having been devastated by their continuing conflict.






They land on the planet where Avonshar is, and her moon.






Lucky blues, unlucky greens.






Parley?  Conflict?  Settlement?  Shiny?






Psionics versus Arcane, in war renewed.  The gift of Oriculum?






The war goes bad, as the She-Devil brings the fallen back in a more terrible form, as the greens fall to the blues.  The birth of the blacks.






The Yellow Being takes his charges and protects them, drawing them deep beneath the earth.






The dead rest, imprisoned.  She-who-waits returns to the Moon of Death.  The blues and the Yellow being wait in stasis, safe in the center of the world of Avonshar.



When time permits, I'll show some more of the pictographs.  Hope you enjoyed them.


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## Argent Silvermage (May 2, 2003)

Hey.... They look kind of cool that size. I impress myself!


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## Zad (May 2, 2003)

I'm going to look into taking the "Fax Machine" prestige class.


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## Nifft (May 6, 2003)

Pretty pictures. Very evocative!

I don't quite see how an eyeball-on-a-stalk is part of the Evil Female archtype, but still. Nifty.

 -- Nifft


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## Argent Silvermage (May 6, 2003)

Nifft said:
			
		

> *Pretty pictures. Very evocative!
> 
> I don't quite see how an eyeball-on-a-stalk is part of the Evil Female archtype, but still. Nifty.
> 
> -- Nifft *




Ah but they already know that *SHE* moves about on a gargantuan beholder of some sort.  Some girls like horses... she likes something that can see her more clearly.


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## WizarDru (May 6, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *Ah but they already know that SHE moves about on a gargantuan beholder of some sort.  Some girls like horses... she likes something that can see her more clearly. *




That's where I got that facial tick from.  [ngghk!]


----------



## Tantra (Jul 16, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I was thinking about having a 4 game grouping for Avonshar once the Shadowtaker is desposed of. *




Hey Gang! Guess what? We disposed of the Shadowtaker. We're all still alive, but bolo has been turned into a paladin mount for Zira (eh. it happens. Go read "Wizardru's Story Hour" somewhere around here...)

Anyway, we're going to be playing this game for a few weeks, so you'll still get updates from the Meepites. Some time has passed in-game, so the our Avenshar Characters have been advanced to level 10. I'm sure Argent will supply us with the needed background / Flavor text for what has happened, and we'll be off!

Delwin

(a.k.a Aethramyr, SSoM Story)


----------



## Argent Silvermage (Jul 16, 2003)

Tantra said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hey Gang! Guess what? We disposed of the Shadowtaker. We're all still alive, but bolo has been turned into a paladin mount for Zira (eh. it happens. Go read "Wizardru's Story Hour" somewhere around here...)
> 
> ...



Now there you go spoiling all my fun.

(and the first time Zira truies to mount me she gets her self tossed into the Great Rowan, dead carcus first.


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## Zad (Jul 16, 2003)

We're going to be starting up a run of some number of sessions on this campaign shortly.


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## WizarDru (Jul 16, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *(and the first time Zira truies to mount me she gets her self tossed into the Great Rowan, dead carcus first. *




If this were Nutkinland, I'd have something else to say in reply to this, but I don't think Eric's Grandma would appreciate it.  I'm really censoring myself, here. 

I'll try and clean up Rannos new stat-block and have it available in a Rogues Gallery thread sometime soon.


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## Argent Silvermage (Jul 16, 2003)

*In the past 6 months...*

It has been 6 months since Strider Rannos' last entry and the world of Avonshar has changed.

The great city is slowly regaining it's population. The 7 league portal has been active round the clock as more settlers and adventurers come to the "Forbidden Planet". Avonshar is under martial law and the Library Guards are some of the finest fighters and Arcanists in the known worlds.
The market place is open again and trade is brisk. "The Cult of the Moon" has taken residence in the northern most section of the bazzaar and a aura of sadness has fallen over that area.
The great Library has taken to hireing adventurers to explore the world and Traveler's Rest has grown in size and takes up it's own section of the library area to house these "Seekers of Knowledge"
as Strider Ulysses Cullaighn calls them. 
As for the Heros of this tale, each will have their own chapter to write when the time comes.


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## WizarDru (Jul 16, 2003)

Oh, great.  Moonies.


Or are they Mooninites?


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## Argent Silvermage (Jul 16, 2003)

WizarDru said:
			
		

> *Oh, great.  Moonies.
> 
> 
> Or are they Mooninites?  *




Actualy I think you'll all be calling them *lunatics* by the first hour of the game.  

They are building a ladder to the moon.


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## WizarDru (Jul 16, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *Actualy I think you'll all be calling them lunatics by the first hour of the game.
> 
> They are building a ladder to the moon. *




I think I can speak with confidence for the rest of the party that we'll be calling them that _right now_.

Religious zealots...who can figure them?



Hey...wait.


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## Zad (Jul 16, 2003)

Personally I'm dying to find out what happened during the mystery time.

(We've been instructed to level our characters up to 10th level - we were about 6th before. So what happened during this past six months to us?)


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## Argent Silvermage (Jul 16, 2003)

All will be known on Friday. BTW... You've got a fax.


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## Argent Silvermage (Jul 19, 2003)

*Pre Game Update 7/19/03*

The past 6 months have been strange. The city of Bashad went from a ghost town to a fairly well populated city again in a matter of 2 months. Thanks mainly to the Striders of Fharlanghn. 
There is a new city council and much activity is placed into searching for survivors of the "moonplague". 
Since the area outside the city is considered a forbidden zone there is no other population than Bashad and it's 4 outposts. 

Freedom: an island town to the east of Bashad about 3 days sailing trip away.

Hope: to the west the town first hit by the Moonplague. 3 days ride to the west.

Haven: is to the north 3 days and seems as untouched by the plague as Bashad.

And
Sanctuary: to the south 3 days across the delvian wastes.
(I'll try to get a mock up of the land by tonight.)

Rali and Alden have been working with a group of dwarves and humans excavating the site where you found the viewing sphere. (Coined the "Eye of Fharlanghn" by the Bashad Gazette) Rannos has been off world so much that each time he comes back it's like a new city. Casparo has kept busy so to speak; Delwin had been offered a position in the Library guard and sent to Freedom on an expedition. He came back a changed man. And Tazandra has chosen to cloister herself away for the last 6 months and is seen rarely.

See you all tonight.
Argent


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## WizarDru (Jul 20, 2003)

Mind controlled librarians.

Thri-keen that find themselves attracted to Casparo.

Lead Licking Lunatics!

Half-Ogres BEHIND BARS!!!

Oh, and someone's messing with the moon.  I mean, physically altering it.


Another session that's just plain *WRONG*.


----------



## WizarDru (Jul 21, 2003)

*Avonshar, Book 2  [1st Update]*

Rannos closed his journal and leaned back into the chair.  He glanced down at the leather-bound volume's spine, and carefully read the words he had recently inscribed there.  

*"The Expedition of the Eye"*

It was, perhaps, too grand a description; but "Terror-fraught journey into the Heart of Madness and the subsequent fleeing of same" didn't have quite the same ring.  

He didn't know who first coined the term "Eye of Fharlangann" for the viewing chamber, but he knew it wasn't Rali or Alden.  They'd been spending months now excavating the tunnel system surrounding it, and they'd never uttered it to his knowledge.  Perhaps some of the dwarves the temple had sent to the site, that Rali had been directing.  Alden was ostensibly in charge of the excavation, but on the one visit he'd paid there, it was clear that the dwarves literally flocked to her.  She had a charisma that had not been there before.  Her experience with the 'eye' had changed her, somehow, and made her more driven.  Alden had remained as fascinated with the 'eye' as before, little caring what the dwarves did, as long as the work was done.

Their discovery, that the 'cave' was actually a ship of some sort, was a revalation.  Alden had deduced the truth, and the church's careful experiments bore it out.  Rannos had ridden on a spelljammer twice in the last two months, so the idea was not beyond his understanding...but it unnerved him.  He had just finished reviewing the pictures that Alden had produced months ago...and they featured what must be ships for the Blue and Green Ral'Shar.  Could this be the ship of the blues?  Rannos remembered the image of *HER*.  The Green Ral'Shar had become her victims.  Few things angered Rannos as much as beings who harmed travellers, even if the Greens were hardly innocents.

A gentle knock came at the door.

"Come in, Eustace", Rannos mumbled.

The door opened into Rannos' new apartment here at the Library of Bashad.  They had moved him there while he was gone, and Eustace was assigned to watch over it.  He was a dutiful accolyte, if too ready to please.  The boy entered, bearing a tray with some tea and sandwiches.  He was tall and gangly, though Rannos realized he was nearly full grown.  Rannos liked him, though the boy needed instruction in his thinking...he trusted authority, even the church's authority, too much.

_"Strider Rannos, you missed dinner again.  I brought you a meal from the kitchen."_

"Eustace, you don't need to dote on me like an adled uncle.  I know where the kitchens are.  I just lost track of time.  Adjusting back to Avonshar time is more difficult than I thought."

_"I'm not suprised, Strider.  You've been gone for months.  Is it true you went to Sigil?"_

"I did," he said, as he began sipping the tea.  "Fascinating and disturbing place.  I lectured there for two weeks.  I had to change lodgings three times.  My rooms kept getting deconstructed and re-assembled somewhere else.  I actually had lunch served to me by a modron...can you imagine?"

_"Really?"_ he asked.  _"Strider, Is that where you got....?" _ He gestured towards the wall, where the strange skull was hanging.  He recognized it, and was clearly awed.  Rannos' gaze flickered on it, for the merest of seconds.

"What?  No, no.  He was when we were coming about on the *Glittergold's Charm* near the Spider Moon.  We were fully underway to a the inter-planar conference, and they were intent on stopping us.  Before we knew what was happening, she pulled up alongside us.  I'd never seen an Illithid up close, before that."

_"Strider! What did you?"_ the acolyte gasped.  _"Did you burn him with the Traveller's anger?"_

"Ha! No, I didn't.  I spent more time protecting the other delegates.  I helped defeat many of the other pirates.  But I only empowered the one who caused *his* demise.  See that hole there?"

_"The one between the eyes?"_

"Aye, that one.  That's what happens when you try to mentally dominate a psychic warrior who's in no mood for such."

_"Strider, You don't mean that...."_

"That my friend Delwyn drove one end of his chain straight through the Illithid's skull?  Yes, I do.  "Mind Flayers", indeed.  Someone's mind was flayed, at least.  And Eustace?  Stop calling me Strider at every opportunity.  I'm as proud of my advancement as the next walker, but you don't have to remind me constantly of it."

_"Yes, Strider."_

The boy seemed quite sincere, so he let it drop.  It wasn't really his fault, truthfully.  Like it or not, he'd attained a certain level of status within the church, and a certain degree of recognition outside it.  Some *very unwanted* recognition in some cases, which made it easier to travel as much as he had been.

He had requested Delwyn from the Library Guard personally, as an escort.  It had been a serendipitous choice, as it turned out.  He didn't consider it an abuse of his newfound status.  Even so, something was different about the warrior...where Rali had seemed more concerned with others, Delwyn had turned inwards, somehow.  It was hard to explain.  No point in mentioning the dopplegangers to the boy...he'd never get his chores done.

"Eustace, please forward these comminiques as quickly as possible.  Cuhlain has asked me to gather my friends together, and I intend to see it done."

_"Yes, Strider."_

"Take this to the temple, but do not enter.  Merely drop the paper.  Bring this one to the LIbrary Guard's post.  These send with a runner to the 'Eye'."

_"What of Casparo, Strider?"_

Rannos snorted a laugh.  What Of Casparo, indeed.  Why did the man vex him so?  He couldn't put his finger on it, but for some reason, they were often at odds.  His lack of reverence, perhaps.

"Expect him shortly, lad.  He'll know soon enough, I expect.  Some of the rangers know where to leave word for him."

Eustace nodded and left the room.  If had noticed Rannos' annoyed look, he had pretended to ignore it.  The boy would make a fine clerk and administrator, if nothing else.  In a church as resistant to organization as this one, that was a good thing.

The cleric rose from his chair and pulled a new, blank tome from an obliging shelf.

_*"What will you be called?"*_ he wondered to himself.

He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.


----------



## Argent Silvermage (Jul 25, 2003)

*Underworld part 2 tonight.*

*They are among us.* it said the the darkthings around it. *We must prepare.*

It could look up from the great light and see thier faces. The holy one was dangerous but it worried about the dwarf most. *It may find our secret places* it thought to the others. *It must not be!*


----------



## WizarDru (Jul 25, 2003)

Apologies, folks.  Very busy week, so far.  Expect some updates in the next few days.


----------



## WizarDru (Jul 26, 2003)

Hi, this is the players in the Avonshar game.


Just thought I'd let you know that we hit a new level of disturbing tonight.  

Oh, and we met a Ral'Shar.


Yikes.


Look for updates to catch up the previous two sessions in the next few days.

Did I mention the Shrieking MushGnomes?


Eewww.


----------



## Argent Silvermage (Aug 1, 2003)

*Prequel for tonights game.*

"Zandros was acting strangely. Granted he had been captured by the Ral'shar and was rescued by Strider Rannos and his companions but he was acting weird even above that. He had been talking about the "forgotten one" and said hes feet felt warm. Thank he stood up and just left." Dashan said to her friend Madge. "I think he's lost his way."

The young human named Zandros walked down the halls to the Striders apartments and knocked on the door. Eustace, who has been assigned to see that the Library's explorers are kept comfortibla and out of the way answered the door. 
"Walker Zandros! How wonderful to see you." he said giving his best friend a hug and akiss on the cheek. "What brings you to the apartments?"
Zandros simply huged his friend back and said "I must speak to the Strider and The Sister." He started walking into the room and Eustace could see that there was a strange halo around Zandros' feet and they left a light print where he walked.


----------



## WizarDru (Aug 2, 2003)

And the other side is heard from.

One of our heroes falls in battle against...well....you'll see.

Argent just ain't right.


----------



## Zad (Aug 4, 2003)

Turns out he was only _mostly_ dead. Who knew?


----------



## WizarDru (Aug 4, 2003)

Look for the next update soon-ish.


----------



## WizarDru (Aug 4, 2003)

This will be the first of several updates to follow.  I have decided to change the style to a more standard story-hour.  Let me know what you think.  

I am currently two sessions behind on Avonshar, and we covered a lot of ground.  Expect more updates throughout the week.  It's my goal to get us completely caught up within the week.

Enjoy.


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

The Journal of Strider Rannos, Book II

*"Mothers in Darkness"*


*Part the First: LUNATICS* 

_Prelude:_

Alset ran as fast as he could down the darkened alleyway.  He didn't know what they were, but he knew that they *shouldn't be*.  The way they moved....nothing moved like that.  Nothing should.  In the tiny part of his mind that remained rational, a voice tried to warn him that he was panicking.  It didn't matter.  He just had to run, and keep running.

Where *was* everyone?  The merchant dashed left up another alleyway, then jumped some boxes, continuing on.  His rational mind was chastising him, now.  He was consumed with self-reproach.  Of course the streets were empty...why wouldn't they be?  All the smart ones had left during the exodus.  The city was a veritable ghost-town.  He had stayed, thinking this would be the opportunity to make his fortune.  As he heard the shambling from behind, he knew what a foolish thought that had been.  Faster.

He ran into an abandoned building, sealing the door behind him and barring it.  Still he ran.  Up the broken stairs.  Look for a window. Be quiet.  Wait. Wait.  He listened the wet-slaps from the alley below.  Had they heard him?  Would they force their way in?  The heavy, wet footsteps paused, as if his pursuers were confused.  Then, just as suddenly, they moved off quickly.  Had they given up?

The sound confused him.  It sounded a wet 'shlurrrrp', as if someone had thrown something wet on the floor.  

It was behind him.  Numbly, he turned around, as a voice said to him: 

"_Oh, no.  
 Can't have that.  
 We need you.  
WE NEED YOUR NICE, SOLID FLESH._"  Alset looked in the direction of the voice, but saw no one.

Then he looked down.

Had anyone been near to hear, they would have heard Alset's scream suddenly muffled by something wet and slimy being shoved in his throat.

And then they wouldn't have heard anything at all.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++


*Chapter I: The Eye in the Moon*

Rannos stared down at his sketches.  He had spent no small amount of time refining his skill so that he could record images just such as these, to enhance the knowledge of the library.  He had long hoped that his journal work would become important tomes of the library of Bashad, documenting the wilderness of Avonshar.  

He had not expected to actually find himself living there, but stranger things had happened since the Expedition of the Eye.  He had travelled widely since then, going off-plane for weeks at a time.  He was engaged to speak to travellers across the Great Wheel, surely the longest of all roads.

After the second journey, he had found his things moved to the Great Library of Bashad itself, and that it had become a defacto center of government for the city.  After the Exodus, as it was now called, many scarcely considered Bashad anything other than a shadow of it's former self...barely a city at all, in fact.  

Thousands had left...and not just from the city.  The outlying towns that had not been destroyed were emptied in a matter of days.  And who could blame them?  The Black Ral'Shar had slaughtered dozens, defeated patrols of the Traveller...and then disappeared.

There were now only four settlements that remained, and those were all within a matter of miles of the city proper.  In those first weeks after the attack, panic was widespread.  People left without telling anyone in the mad rush to escape.  This only fueled the fire, as it was readily assumed that someone had been taken and killed, rather than just left without warning.  Hundreds of years of colonization lost in a matter of weeks.  

Rannos sighed mournfully at the thought of it.

*His fault.*

*His.*

None had said it, of course.  Not his friends, not the temple, not the council.  But he knew it, all the same.  Hundreds (thousands?) dead, and the blood was on his hands.

And how had the church reacted?  They promoted him to the rank of Strider.  Why?  If they thought it would keep him quiet, they had miscalculated.  Had it been a genuine mark of respect?  He didn't know, and was becoming too cynical lately to think clearly on the matter.

But where were the follow-up attacks?  Why had the slaughter stopped?  It perplexed them all.  After the initial attacks, the black Ral'Shar had disappeared.  Anywhere else, and the elders would have sought the knowledge of Fharlangann to seek the truth.  But divinations failed within the city limits of Bashad, and 
within a 50-mile radius of the city.  And no one could survive that far from civilization, not now.  Not knowing where the aliens were was, in many ways, far worse.

But panic could not last forever.  When uneventful week followed uneventful week, the Exodus stopped, and like the tide rolling in, some returned.  Newcomers came, too....but usually the desperate and the degnerate.   

Fools, outcasts and grifters.  

Then, slowly at first, people began arriving.  The terror had ended, at least for now, and people saw opportunity again.  Then THEY appeared.  The very thought of what THEY had said about him was worse than anything he had thought.

Before Rannos could think more of this, there was a knock at the door.

"_Yes?_", he called.

A muffled voice stuttered some reply.  Rannos couldn't make out the words, but knew the boy's voice.

"_Oh, Road's End!  Open the door, Eustace, for pity's sake!_"

The door opened, and the lad looked as if he had been slapped.  A short, sheepish lad, Eustace slid into the room.  He was known as a coward, according to Culain, and they hoped that Rannos would give him some backbone.  The opposite appeared to be happening.  The boy merely stood mutely by, looking anxious.

Rannos cleared his throat, waiting.

"_Er..well, that is...yes, Strider.  Strider Culain wants...um, he wishes that you would...ehr, that is.._"

"_Cuhlain wishes to see me, is that it?_"

"_Strider, yes...that is basically what he asked, yes.  Yes.  And your...ehr, the...those people who...ehh.._"

"_My travelling companions, yes?  Very well, lad.  No tea, then.  I have a feeling that I'll not have time, today._"

"_Yes, strider._"  The boy bowed low.  He was dutiful, but easily spooked.  Rannos hadn't bothered to tell him about the various events he'd seen in recent months.  No need in curling the boys hair any more than he had to.

"_Go to the smithy section, and find Alden, lad.  Tell him and Delwyn, remember him?, to meet me at Culain's apartment.  I need to head to the Seventh League._

"_The..THE Tavern, strider?  But Strider Culain asked for you right away, master._"

Rannos frowned, slightly.

"_I am aware of that, *acolyte.*.  Several of my companions will be found there._".

The boy looked smaller than before, if possible.  He stuttered an apology.

"_Forget it, lad.  There are some in our order who do just that.  Sometimes with just cause.  Merely watch that you understand the whys and whens of such._"

"_Yes, Strider._"

"_And send a runner...a female one...to the monastery where Tazendra is meditating._"

The boy looked ready to ask why it must be a female acolyte, but he knew the answer as well as Rannos.  Men were not welcome within the monastary's walls.  The very idea was very alluring to a young boy such as Eustace, who no doubt had his own ideas of what might go on in those staid halls.  He would be quite disappointed, Rannos knew, but there was little reason to correct the boy, regardless.  Smiling, he waved and dismissed the boy.

Five minutes later, Casparo was doing the same thing to him.


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## Nifft (Aug 4, 2003)

*Yay!*

~~~~ _and_ ~~~~

*ick!*

~~~~ _and_ ~~~~

*M O R E !*

 -- Nifft


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## Argent Silvermage (Aug 4, 2003)

Nifft said:
			
		

> *Yay!
> 
> ~~~~ and ~~~~
> 
> ...




Ohhh! There are levels of Ick here that Wizardru can't put in the story hour due to Eric's Grandma.


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## WizarDru (Aug 8, 2003)

Argent said:
			
		

> *Ohhh! There are levels of Ick here that Wizardru can't put in the story hour due to Eric's Grandma. *




We'll see rabbit, we'll see.  

Welcome to the next update.  Expect a new one every few days, if life slows down a little. 

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


"_Why don't you be a good servant of Fharlangann and *hit the road?*_"

The cleric was biting his tongue.  Good.  Casparo didn't bother turning around to look at him.  Rali had that amused look on her face.  She liked Rannos more than Casparo did, but that wasn't hard.  The guy was OK, but he always thought he was right.  Nothing irritated him more than the self-righteous.

"_It's a simple task that the church needs help with.  You did say you'd still be willing to..._"

"_Why is it that whenever your church asks us to do something simple, it *never* turns out to be simple?_"  

That got him.  Now, sip the ale slowly.  Let him simmer.  Casparo waited for the indignation, while he acted non-chalant.  But instead of the expected outburst, he only heard a sigh.

"_I suppose that's true, isn't it?  Listen, Casparo...Rali...My church is asking for your help.  They've been, at the least, fairly generous.  I'm sure they will continue to be.  There are few people left in the city with our level of skill at dealing with....complicated problems._"

Well, well.  That was probably the most honest the cleric had been in months.  Maybe he wouldn't string him along for ten more minutes.  Casparo had every intention of agreeing from the minute that Rannos had arrived...but he wasn't going to let him know that.  Any more than he was going to let him know about his latest rash of "business" dealings.  The priest might go apopleptic on him.  

"_No Orriculum swiping?_", he asked indifferently.

"_I made sure you got to keep the last cache we found, did I not?  And the items of....the things we found?_"  Rannos looked around carefully, trying to make sure no one knew of what he was speaking of.  Casparo found this patently ridiculous, of course.  The cleric could delude himself that his church was good at keeping secrets...but the fact of the matter is that much of the details of their previous expedition was common knowledge.

Every fool on the street knew, in varying degrees of accuracy, that Rannos and his companions had released...something.  Most of the idiots didn't realize that their worst fears were better than what they had actually unleashed.  Rannos' name was a household word around Bashad, but it garnered different reactions depending on what kind of scum you were talking to.  Casparo, for his own money, couldn't figure out how Rannos had pulled it off, though.  He unleashed an ancient evil on the world, and they *promoted him*.  As far as Casparo was concerned, that was the equivalent of his accidentally killing someone during a burglary, and then being made the captain of the town watch.

Idiots.

"_You can have an ale with me, tell us where to meet you, or sit there like a statue.  We'll be there, shortly._"  

Rannos merely nodded, gave a disapproving stare and looked at Rali.  Rali, who was drinking two mugs for every cup that Casparo drank, made a face at the priest.  

"_Aye'll be there soon enough.  A woman can' be expected to face the day with less than four mugs in her._"

"_How many have you had so far?_"

"_Five.  Aye said 'Less than' not 'no more than'.  One more an' I'll be along.  Now either smile or hurry along...yuir souring my ale with that look."_

Rannos look became even more reproachful, if possible, and he stalked off, muttering as went.  Rali merely smiled sweetly as he left, signalling the barmaid with a small wave.

"_Ye shouldna ride him so much, ye know.  He could 'ave brought the curse up, eh?"_

"_Ye gods, are you people ever going to forget that?_", Casparo grimaced.  "_How was I supposed to know the stupid ring was cursed?  You'd think I'd planned it the way you lot go on about it!_"  The truth was, he was a little defensive about it.  It seemed like a great idea, at the time.  Delusions of any use the ring might have had faded pretty quickly, when he couldn't make them back off far enough to have some privacy whlie he was trying to hit the head.  Lord knows he wasn't about to bed the wenches who were following him...some of them hadn't had a bath since...well, he wasn't sure they'd ever actually _bathed_, when it came to it.

"_Heh.  We would'na mention is nae so much, if ye didn't keep fussin' so much when we do.  An' that still dinna answer tha question.  Why do ye always give the priest such a hard time?_

"_ME?  Give *HIM* a hard time?  What do you think he's always doing?  Thinks he's better than me, and you know it.  Maybe if he stopped acting like I'm going to steal the good silverware all the time, I'd be a little nicer._"

"_Aye, well I'm nae sayin' he can' be a prick sometimes...jus' that ye don' have to play along, eh?_"

Casparo wasn't convinced, but he nodded and mumbled a weak agreement.  The dwarf could give the cleric a run for his money when it came to prosteltyzing, he'd found.  She just wasn't as pushy about it.  Suddenly he heard a sound of ringing chimes.  Looking up, he saw the dwarf had put down her mug and risen from the table.  The ringing came from her weapon, held high and viewed with concern by many of the bars other patrons.  She insisted on carrying it virtually everywhere these days...when the Library guard had confronted her about it the last time, she claimed she was a bard and it was her instrument.  What was more amazing was that she had actually convinced them that it was.

"_Hey, if he behaves, I'll behave.  How about that?_"  And that was true, for about as far as it went.

"_"If the two of ye keep at it, I'll make ye honorary dwarves fer bein' sa pig-headed and stubborn.  But ye'll need to grow beards, not that sad excuse ye've got now._"

Casparo smiled, and quietly wondered if there was money to be made in selling fake beards to balding dwarves.


 * * * * *

"_*Look out the window.  Now.*_"  Cuhlain had assumed his 'mentor' voice.

Rannos and Alden walked to the shuttered window in the Strider's cloistered room, and opened it.  Both looked out upon the courtyard below, where throngs of people were running about in a state of near panic, from the looks of it.  They had seen people discussing in huddled groups on the way over, but the state of activity had increased in the few minutes they'd spent waiting.  Cuhlain had refused to discuss anything until they had all arrived.

"_What's going on, Strider?_", said Rannos, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.  "_Have the attacks begun again?_"

Cuhlain's face made it clear that this wasn't what he wanted them to see.  Rannos knew he would have come out and simply told them...unless it was important he see it, first.  Rannos' eyes scanned the crowd, looking for  something that would explain the elder priest's reticence.  Then he felt Alden's hand on his shoulder, and the trembling in his voice.

"_Up there.  *Look. Up. There.*_"

Rannos looked first at Alden's face, tense and going white.  He looked up, and saw it.

*The Moon.

And Someone...something...

was DRAWING AN EYE UPON IT.*

He looked back at Alden, questioning his own senses.  Alden looked back, silently shook his head, and they both gazed upon it again.  To their horror.  Something was creating a graven image of an angry, evil eye on the surface of the moon, glaring down at the unfortunates below.  The moon.  Where SHE was.  A message was being sent, and it made Rannos feel sick.  Alden and he both understood planar and astrophysics, though he was more of an expert at the former and Alden the latter.  They knew how large the moon was, and how far away it was.

"_H...How?  How is..._"

"_Does it really matter?_, Alden sighed.

Rannos had to concede the point.  One by one, the others went over to look.  No one had bothered to look up at the  moon, it was clear.  Rannos saw his reaction mirrored four times more, and then turned back to Cuhlain.  His face must have asked what was on his mind, as the Strider began speaking immediately.

"_*Fifteen minutes, we think.  People are reacting poorly.  We need to prevent a full scale panic.  Dozens were killed running for the portal last time.  I do NOT want a repeat of that.*_"

"_Well, surely you don't think that we can..._"

"_*Of course not.  But the panic is being fueled by some members of the Cult of the Moon at Library Square South.  They've assembled and are preaching that the end times have come.  The situation is explosive.  It's not what I originally summoned you for, but I could use your help for this, as well.  It would be on the way to the situation I need you to investigate.*_"

Delwyn spoke up.  "_[color=sky blue]Are we to disperse them?  What if they don't go peacably?[/color]_"  The psychic warrior had been working with the Library Guard for several months now, and was a capable leader.  His reputation as a combatant was greater than that.  The tone of his voice was controlled, and gave no indication of his take on the situation, or his preferred method of dealing with the situation.

"_*Nothing so extreme, I hope.  If you can get them to quiet down, perhaps, or stop panicking people, that would suffice.  If they prove difficult...use your judgement.*_  At this, he stared directly at Rannos, who nodded.

"_The Cult of the Moon?  Who the hell are they?_," asked Alden.  Rannos shuddered angrily in spite of himself.  

"_*A relatively new cult, they only appeared a few months ago.  They're radicals, and believe that the attacks were caused by the moon.  They believe it's evil.  They intend to fight back, and have been successful in drumming up support to help them.*_"

"_Well, they have that part correct, I suppose.  So exactly how are they plannning on fighting the Ral'Shar, if they're on the moon?_"

"_*They're building a ladder.*_"

There was silence for a moment, followed by a cough from Rali.

"_[color=sky blue]How high is it?_[/color]", asked Delwyn, smiling.

"*No one knows.  No one outside of the cult has seen it.*

"_That's great, really.  But what I want to know_", began Casparo, "_is what you really wanted us to do, and is it going to lead to a payment of a less than spiritual nature?  I mean, don't get me wrong, I love having things inject eggs in me for the sake of the church...but everyone's got to eat...unless you're a Ral'shar, I guess."  He smirked a challenge.

"*Yes, you'll be compensated.  The church is not naive or irresponsible, Casparo.  The task is to investigate a local shop that we think is connected to the Cult of the Moon.  We suspect they may be involved in this situation somehow.  Many of the rumors have been spread by a woman named Chani...a former associate of yours, I believe, Casparo?*"  Casparo merely rolled his eyes skywards.

"*Ahem.  Yes, well...we believe the cult may be headquartered in the rooms above their shop.  We want to you to go and request them to calm down some.  Perhaps they can be convinced to restore order, instead of inciting a riot.*"

"What makes you think they'll listen to us?", asked Tazendra.  She had been leaning against the back wall, almost in a meditative state.  The strider seemed to struggle with the question for a moment, glancing at Rannos.  "What?".  

"They think I'm a....harbinger.  A blessed figure - gifted, somehow", Rannos spit out from within gritted teeth.  "I'm like a prophet, in their eyes.  IDIOTS."

"Lunatics, is more like."

"*Whatever they are, Casparo, they are also a growing force in Bashad.  And while we don't agree with them, they are not breaking any laws...yet.  We would request you go to Bob and Bob's mercantile and...*"

"Bob and Bob's...the place co-owned by a halfing and an Ogre?"

"*Yes, yes it is.  More associates of yours?*"

"No, it's just a shop I know of, all right?"

"*I see.  Well, please, speed is of the utmost importance.  I would like you to travel to the shop and speak with their head priest, religion to religion.  Ask him formally to try and calm his followers down, and help keep the peace.  If he declines, there is little we can do, but we need to try.*"

As the group began shuffling out, listening to Casparo's directions, the strider stopped them for a moment.

"*Rannos, one more thing.  Please TRY not to kill anyone.*"

Reflecting on it later, Rannos would always think that life would have been much less complicated if they hadn't._


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