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SGT809-4

2009-09-12T00:52:43Z

Cosmo: /* Quotable Quotes */

[[Category:Seagate Times]][[Seagate Times|Other Editions]]
= Editorial Room for the Spring 809 Edition =
== Quotable Quotes ==
: '''Mario''': If Vapour stops that can only mean one thing
: '''Aposta''': He found a mirror?

: '''Darien''': So, before we do the day-long ritual to save the continent, we could experiment with the short version.
: '''Mortimer''': No.
: '''Darien''': Why not?
: '''Mortimer''': We could find out something we don't want to know.

:'''Clarissa''': I'm flattered that you're concerned for my existence, but I have been flirting with oblivion most of my life.

== Insidious Rumours ==

=== Love or Just Cold? ===
Mario and Valery both have histories of using and callously discarding the opposite sex, so when they hooked up this winter we all knew it wouldn't last.
But night after night they spurned other floozies and himbos to almost exclusively warm each others beds.
Then when Mario dared to spend an evening with the lads, Valery tried to kill them in a fit of jealous violence.

Could these two players be off the market?
Are the Seagate pubs marginally safer for single men and women?
Is it love or just that the nights were very cold this winter.

=== Pining in the Air ===
Walk gently around the girls of the air college, they are wearing those black armbands for a good reason.
Vapour, Air College Man of the Year, is engaged!
The hussy that stole their Vapour is a perky little blonde from Borderlay, Collette Beaumont is reputedly a master healer and obviously misused her skills to entrap noble Vapour.

The Air College officially denies rumours of a 10,000sp bounty for anyone who can release Vapour from the clutches of this wench.

=== More Ill Wind ===

On top of the disastrous loss of Vapour's flexing prowess, the Air College is also bereft of it's leading political and society starlet, Clarissa D'Ornay.

In an apparent attempt to be acknowledged for more than "giggling, stabbing people, and being able to put her ankles behind her ears" she selflessly attempted to hold together a nation of tens of millions of beings several hundreds of thousands miles in size for a duration of somewhere between twenty-four hours and 25,920 years. With her mind.

While we don't like to use the term "vegetative", we've been assured that she's been found a shady, north facing spot out of the wind, and is being watered regularly.

== What's Hot, What's Not ==
===Hot===
* Shallow Sexual Escapades
* Continents dodging Cataclysms
* Killing Undead
* Horses that can walk up walls
* Travelling submerged up river using Mage Current and Water Breathing
* Raising creatures to sentience.

===Not===
* Demon Summoning Bunnies
* Sacrificing your fellow Rituallers
* Undead with over 100 WP
* Travelling over 50,000 years just for Cake
* Exchanging sentience for cake.

== Recent Adventures / News in Brief ==

===Mad Lass Lands Lost Landmass in Demon Dharma Farmer Drama===

Recent reports from traders leaving Rokar that a substantial island appeared (or reappeared) South of Hindia have been confirmed by a returning party, who say this is the lost subcontinent of Dakhini, arriving after travelling through time from a previous age. Stories of merchant and fishing vessels crewed by monkey- and goat-headed creatures of myth, and tales of coastal villages coming under attack from Orcs in long-ships, dressed in colourful garb, wielding bronze weapons, and playing frightening music have also been spreading about the region.

The most remarkable tale is that of the captain of the trading vessel The Viceroy, Charles Canning, which was traversing the Bight of Hindia when Dakhini reappeared and they found themselves suddenly beached in the mouth of a river delta.

''"We were surprised to see the trees and sand-bars fade into view, but when a small group of brilliantly coloured and dressed Elves flew up and tried to address us in horribly broken Elvish we were amazed. Some had multiple sets of arms, extra faces, blue or red skin, and were generally excited and interested to see us but didn't seem to understand that humans were able to sail boats or much of what the rigging and sails were for. They quickly become bored, but before they left two of them picked us up from the sandbar we'd hit and carried us out to open water. We stayed away from the coast from then on, but could see villages of beast-men; monkeys, snakes, crocodiles and such along the shore."''

Appearing as only a footnote in a few Elven histories, the peninsula was thought destroyed in a fiery cataclysm over 25 thousand years ago during which the skies across Alusia were tinged red and the once-pristine moon was pitted with scars from debris apparently ejected from the site of the tumult. The favoured speculation was that the ruling Maryn Consociation had sided with (or offended) the Drow and been struck from the face of the world in one of the final acts of aggression following the War of Tears. Others speculated that they has transgressed against their own Elvish natures by cooperating with lesser races and thus fell into chaos.

Dispatched into the past by the Demon Orias, who was at the time calling himself the Drow moon goddess Inanna, Clarissa D'Ornay (guild member, air mage, and Orias' psychologically suspect agent) was hoping to reconcile her parents' feuding families, riven by a dispute that stretched back until the world-shaking event. Mortimer Graves, Amelia "World-Breaker", Darien, and Glass aided her in making sense of the Consociation's caste system, myriad of beastman species, and the structure by which they supported their Elven patrons to the degree that they were practically demigods. The rules of Dharma laid down strictures for each species, with those adhering to them gaining energy from their peers and neighbours and those who broke the rules sacrificing their share to those in the hierarchy above them. Since most of the rules were complex, enforced by a huge Human-run bureaucracy, and at times seeking to guide the hybrids' natures from their origins, the Elves largely lived a life of cantrip-quick gratification, properly separated (according to Dharma) from the suffering of the "mortal races".

Seeking to avoid the prophesied (and historically documented) destruction and the ensuing exchanges of blame that may have fuelled a feud, the party decided -- following a possibly "divinely" inspired notion of Clarissa -- to skip the land's recorded absence entirely and push it into the future to a time after they had left. Using an obscure ritual recalled by Mortimer, which was designed to protect a garden from frost by sending it through winter into spring, they scaled the magic so that a power source based on millions of sentients keeping and breaking the Dharmic laws could potentially move the lands of the Consociation to the present day.

After no small amount of deal-brokering, diplomacy, and pointing out of omens of impending doom, the Court's agreement was gained. While the most Dharmically invested members of the Maryn Court formed a "power pyramid" and channeled their energy up to Queen Aistaraina, a subsection of the court who represented the seven of the eight Celestial Elements (some have since been lost and rediscovered), along with Darien, guided the peninsula's journey, and a very "special" individual acted as the fulcrum and focus for the energy.

Clarissa was given this agonising task and had to maintain a mental grip on the land as the power of the Consociation was forced through her to stop time from advancing over the entire landmass while Alusia advanced one Elven Great Year into the future. Despite being gifted with an "unbending will" for the duration, the effort has reportedly all but destroyed her mind and left the Guild Healers in amazement that someone could survive that level of magical burn-out. There has been speculation that her Courtier training has replaced her higher faculites almost entirely, but no other Master Rank courtiers have elected to comment.

''"She was never the sharpest knife in the drawer, but we're talking about another sort of utensil entirely now. Maybe some sort of whisk?"''

''"We always learn something incredible about extremes of mental and pharmaceutical damage each time she returns from adventure, but we really can't let her out of our sight this time. It wouldn't be right."''

The ritual succeeded, and might have gone without a hitch but for two demonic interferences. Earlier incarnations of Orias (Surya, the Lord the Sun) and Aim (Agni, the Master of Fire) were members of the court, tolerated for the wisdom and insight, and performed vital roles in organising and running the ritual. However, once everyone was committed to the 24 hour long process, they quietly harvested the Dharmic and magical energy of the Elves that had been overcome from exhaustion. The party suspected that had been their long-term goal, but was too busy keeping the continent from disintegrating "mid-flight" to hinder the Fallen Ones greatly. One of the court's younger members, Indra, had been maintaining a link to the lands outside of the immediate effect of the ritual, where time moving at slightly faster pace, and managed to rescue some of the court. He'd also organised some of the children of the court to take care of their elders' duties during their absence. During this time the nature of Dharma appears to have changed radically, and these youngsters are likely to be the colourful godlings that assisted the Viceroy.

Was the mission a success? Orias apparently seemed happy (and rather less mad) and several million lives and maybe a dozen species were preserved, and everyone had cake. Clarissa's family is no longer fighting and she is no longer a disappointment to her parents, who have no idea she ever existed. She smiles more these days, but who knows why?

== Guild News ==

== Columns and Articles ==

=== Temple Reopens ===

Tensions are again high in Old Seagate as the Temple opposite the Church of the One-Horned God is reopened. The Reformed Spiteful Sisters of Perpetual Dissonance are rededicating the old temple of the Demon Sier to the Devourer of Souls or 'Lissael, The Devourer of Souls (bad ones only), special rates for old beaus and deserving guild members' to give the new goddess' full name.
The priests of Temple of the One-Horned God are upset due to the constant unsettling noises now emanating from the temple. "It's almost as if the sounds are being directed at us, we just cannot get anything done". When questioned about the disruption to nearby temples and the Nobblers in particular the Anchoress replied that the sounds are to 'befuddle and confound' wickedness and wicked thoughts, that they are receiving divine and therefore sacred instructions as to the acoustics and did we have trouble reading the name of their order?
Complaints to the Duke and civic authorities have fallen on deaf and indeed several blocks away ears. The Mayor is however reportedly happy with the new temple. "The Lady spent some time hunting down demons and other monsters in town and it's nice to have her, um, back."
The Sister's intend to hold the opening service on 2nd Thaw. Theme "Proper arm technique when throwing holy water vials", readings to be from the Book of Utter Bastards.

=== Deploring the standard of Guild Scribe notes ===

'''Guild members''', as head librarian in the guild I have seen all manner of scribe notes dropped off for archiving and referencing over my years of service, from illegible lines of scrawl on the back of some outhouse paper through to huge well written volumes of information in bound files and we have worked as much as we can with the verbiage provided to provide logical, consistent and useful information to others.

However I am increasingly being asked to interpret information detailed in these notes and frankly I canâ€™t comprehend some of the things written, described or detailed, never mind interpret them and frankly itâ€™s not my job.
So my gripe is this â€“ if you want your â€˜scribe notesâ€™ (I use this term very loosely as most are barely legible notes on getting drunk, fornicating or fighting with no real factual information for future people to follow should they be hired to do so) to be useful then index, reference, detail and complete them with useful information.

Where they are concerning the same areas travelled by other guild parties then establish the correct links, names, places and such like. I donâ€™t have any tolerance for any guild members who ask â€œwhat does this meanâ€ so donâ€™t do it of youâ€™ll feel the sharp end of my quill. When you write your scribe notes make sure they make sense and are useful or else you may as well make stuff up like some of the â€˜scribe notesâ€™ you have dropped off in the past which have lead to deaths and worse.

Now I have tried to use small words here for those of you who have trouble with language in general, not just common and I hope you take my words to heart.

'''Cuong Chan â€“ Head Librarian'''

I like the explicit content, I'll look after it for you, I have special shelves for the good bits, especially the illustrations, just file them in my special cubbyhole. I also do readings some evenings, in the corner under the red lamp, only 1sp each.

'''Dubie Scrymes - 3rd Assistant Librarian'''

== Tips for Adventurers ==

== Classifieds (Selling Services and Stuff) ==

== Bestiary ==

== Riddles and Puzzles ==

== Letters ==

== Humour ==

== Special Notices ==

== Printed Copies Required ==
(Please put your name here if you require a printed copy at the Guild Meeting - Thank you) 
*Helen Saggers 
*Ian Wood

Talk:Watching the Watchmen

2009-02-25T23:21:36Z

Cosmo: Talk:Watching the Watchmen moved to Talk:Black Watch Chronicles IV: Watching the Watchmen

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Black Watch Chronicles IV: Watching the Watchmen]]

Watching the Watchmen

2009-02-25T23:21:36Z

Cosmo: Watching the Watchmen moved to Black Watch Chronicles IV: Watching the Watchmen

#REDIRECT [[Black Watch Chronicles IV: Watching the Watchmen]]

Talk:Floriography

2008-12-01T10:10:28Z

Cosmo:

There many, many more flowers and possible meanings attached to them by by crazy Victorians, but I figured that about 70 would give some vocabulary and I wouldn't totally run out of ideas. Please add more as you see fit, and fix any botanical bodge jobs that have appeared (with the exception of the multiple appearances of Wolfbane aliases, that's in there for the tangy flavour.) Sources for these are all over the web, but the most scholarly one I found after I compiled my list and confirmed my suspicions that the originals were almost as arbitrary as mine.

[http://home.comcast.net/~bryant.katherine/flowers.html http://home.comcast.net/~bryant.katherine/flowers.html]

The ''slim volume'' in question would basically resemble this work, with properly flattened and stylised images.

[http://www.illuminated-books.com/books/flowers.htm http://www.illuminated-books.com/books/flowers.htm]

The Rights of Spring

2008-11-02T09:00:45Z

Cosmo: /* Day 7 */

'''Employer:''' Tarahell AlatÃ¡riÃ«l, the 23rd Legion of Alfhiem - He wants the peace kept. 
'''Level:''' Medium-ish 
'''Day:''' Monday - starting 15th Sept Changed to Tuesday as of 23rd Sept
'''Location:''' Royal Oak - 21A Oak Street 
 
Party:
 
# {{:Clarissa_Signup}} (Party Leader)
# [[Eltan aka Stupid Stupid Rat Creature|Eltan]] (Scribe)
# [[Akuji]]
# [[Prudence]] played by Julia
# [[Serra Angelus]], Elven pacifistic Earth Mage played by [[User:Michael|Michael Scott]]
# [[WordSmith]], a Dwarven [[:Category:Namer|Namer]] played by [[User:ErrolC|Errol]] (Mil Sci)

'''Mission:''' 
Preview - Elves, The Fair Folk, Gods, Monsters, Hey Nonny nonny and a lot of blood all over the place.
 
Preview for those who are paying attention - The Lady Anellia of Lalhaudh has resurrected the practice of the Spring Rites, a fertility festival dedicated to the Old Elven Gods. This heretical practice would normally be stomped down hard from Eidolon if it were not for a few mitigating factors, like the dragon, the hemidemisemi-approval of the Queen and a really big sword.
 
As a result the event will be well attended with interested parties from the royal court, the low courts, cultists, worshippers of old and new Elven Gods, fae (both flavours), dragons, beltans, lunatics, holy men, Gods, Goddesses and Daemons. Most of them will be armed, even more will have money. And while all have been asked to comport themselves in a civilized manner, that's a bit much to hope for given that the God's being honoured have only a vague understanding of civilization.
 
'''Related Scribe Notes''' 
Summer 808WK [[The Laughing Hills]] 
Autumn 808WK [[The Legacy of Kael]] 
Winter 808WK [[In Her Majesty's Somewhat Secret Service]] 

= Narrative =
== Day 1 ==

After a long and hearty conversation with a baker about the possabilities of getting more cream buns I realise Iâ€™m late for my meeting with an employer.
Rush into the room and greet Tarahell, the 23rd legion (who doesnâ€™t appreciate good food like I do).

Introductions are made and are as follows.

Akuji : A Budding Necromancer, who is a warrior for this outing, as long as he can keep his pants on.

Clarissa : A Goddess of pure beauty who seems to enjoying flirting with myself. Voted party leader as everyone kinda couldnâ€™t keep their eyes off her.

Wordsmith : A namer dorf who has a lovely crystal rodent. Heâ€™s a little bit of a guild beast and creeps me out. Been here before and a volentary Mill-Sci.

Prudence : A youthful farmer girl whoâ€™s dead keen on becoming a water mage but needs a little more practice.

Serra Angelus : A certain drunken earth mage, but at least sheâ€™s been here before.

Eltan, The Reaver : My esteemed self, albit unwilling scribe, but tells it how it is. Earth mage, lover of fine food, friend to all plants and animals.

Roles if you missed them before.
Party leader : Clarissa
Mill-Sci : Wordmith
Scribe : Eltan

Mission:
To keep the peace during the spring rites. These rites are the ones that are semi-heritical due to being of the old gods ways and not of the â€œnewâ€ gods. Thus mostly banned by the Elven Crown.
Back to the events as they happened.

After a massive long list of people and factions to look out for including basically every elven family, provence and noble of note sending a representitive if not coming themselves. I got lost stareing at Clarissaâ€™s fine form so missed a lot of what was said, but it all seemed to make sence.
Also mentioned was that Lady Celeblothel is probably turning up and may make a bid to reclaim her â€œownershipâ€ of the provence. Prehaps the biggest problem to arise that we see.

Pay: Standard guild rates, plus possible training from people in Lauder Provence.

Meeting over we wander off and get some more food, talk to Tarahell and agree to go Pub Crawling before getting down to business. Prudence knows a lot of decent pubs, Tarahell can drink like a real man, not a pansy elf. We lost Akuji to the temple of the One Horned God as was kinda expected. Clarissa kept things mostly under controll and in the morning we set off.

== DAY 2 ==

Alcomahol is badâ€¦ head hurtsâ€¦ need something like more cream doughnutsâ€¦ or cream bunsâ€¦ or anything to eat.

Soothe pains around, people feel better, most of us are equipped and ready to go, off to meet our transport the ever so helpful Beriadan. Air mage who specialised in binding and traveling by clouds. Fast.. but dangeous.. no hand holds and I canâ€™t do anything!

We grab some of Al Fonses food baskets on the way out and head to Bergelfen. Once there we poke some of the Beltan elves we know and see how things are going, somehow Prudence makes herself a crystal glove for her right handâ€¦ and keeps it. It doesnâ€™t fit anyone else and after some pokeing is solid crystal to all ber her and has a replication prupose. Need to divinate to know more.

Some more pokeing with other people and we find out that the people we need to talk to are at the elfheim great university.

A quick trip over there and weâ€™re greeted by mobs of elven students in diplomatic debates with themselves and sometimes other groups of students. A wee struggle and weâ€™re inside and trying to track down a Scholar whoâ€™s specialising in the study of the elven race (Master Tangleleaf) and itâ€™s current decline, with some information on the elven spring rights.

After being suggested we go and get the Scrolls of Kael which have been lost for some time we convince him to look at other races and how they breed / populate the world. After a long and interesting discussion we convinced him to run away with his partner to a secret location and have a romantic time in an attempt to have
children.

Brief panic as we realise weâ€™ve just convinced the ONLY person in the elven empire whoâ€™s paying attention and studying the decline of the elven race and whoâ€™s reporting to the elven courts of this situation to run away with his partner, we convince him to stay instead.

Party debate happens about what just happened so we hurry after master Tangleleaf and convicne him to continue his work for the crown, Then run off with his wife. Disaster averted once again, but somehow I feel it was worth it, Clarissa running and well moveing was well worth the wait.

Tangeleafs brother, Tanglebones knows more of the Scrolls of Kael so we decided to go and talk to him. Unfortunately he wants to study meâ€¦ and that is never pleasant.

We get to the portal to the Eidalon and the gates are closed and guarded, with many many students wanting to get hame but not allowed. Brief discussion with the guards and some pulling of rank and weâ€™re in. Unfortunately Eidalon is under some curfew so no-one is on the streets. It seems that the elven city has run out of food. Thatâ€™s a very silly thing to do.
Step 1, get to the Royal Court (without being arrested). We got accosted by guards but with Tarahiel around they seemed slightly hesitent to do anything to us and let us go free. To the Court we go.

Apon entering the court we get intoroduced.
* â€œAkuji from the southâ€
* â€œEltan the Reaverâ€
* â€œ Prudence of {forgotten, some help here}â€
* â€œThe Elven Justicarâ€
* â€œA mysterious strangerâ€

Wordsmith was outside talking to Tarahiel so didnâ€™t come in. The names didnâ€™t mean much to the elves but the last two got some worried looks from the party.

Looking around the court, we spotted Tanglebones, as he seemed to be one of the few non-kurf heads around and was sober. We talk to him in a private room and learn lots and lots. Akuji recives a token from him after asking some obscure questions about sex. The Scrolls of Kael we sent away by the royal crown and itâ€™s prophisised that apon their return the elven crown will fall. Theyâ€™re being â€œlooked afterâ€ by Ice Giants far to the north due to a Royal Edict. They are everburning, and contain the history of the elven race plus much more on rituals and the gods. He also said that if we meet Anghammerbad again tell him â€œWe know where Mara isâ€, oh boy more secrets to deal with should we meet him again.

Tanglebones did something so abhorrently rude next that I was stunned. He leant down and with a sharp knife took a hair from my head. Heâ€™s very spry and that caught me offgurd. Surely he should have courtly mannersâ€¦ will have to do something about this later.

After a little more talking tanglebones excused himself and parted out company so we went to the Keepter of Records to see if she could help us with more informationâ€¦ due to kurf she was unable to stand, talk or really do anything except giggle. Plan aborted so we leave the courts and head of the Guardians of the Tree.

Lavinir, the head preist there seemed to have his head screwed on and wasnâ€™t on kurf or anything else. Told us about the scrolls after we informed him of the iminent extinction of the elves.

The Scrolls of Kael are written af the Beghest of Kael, are the â€œoriginalâ€ ideas on how to be an elf, and after writeing them Kael departed for te sun, where he apparently is now.

I also learned that for an elf to give birth they need the services of a decent healer or both child and mother may die. I keep thinking we should teach elves to have litters, 4 babys at once would really help their population issues. Think thatâ€™s my rodent side thinking though, declineing to suggest it as I might get badly told off. There was some talk about blessing a lake to somehow make Elven births better and Lavinir seemed rather keen for it even offing the sacrifice of his rather powerful staff to bless the lake. Before any more actions were taken on this effect we couldnâ€™t work out if it would work.

Standing here behind Clarissa, I have to itterate once again, she has a really really nice bum.

We bumped into the Keeper of Secrets there aswell, Master Torihel who after a brief talk gives Prudence a book but as neither she nor I can read Elven very well it seemed mosty inconsequential. Thanks to one of the elves in the party they translated it for us and itâ€™s â€œThe Book of Niccoveilli the Skinlessâ€ and mostly consists of things like how to skin things alive and such. Niccoveilli is one of the 4 old gods. Along with Kael, the Laughing God and Sha'mez.

There is a fun philosiphical debate of why the elven race is in decline. It seems the old gods were all for reincarnation or rebirth, and the new gods take worthy souls and keep them in a semi heaven place. The former method of reincarnation seems to promote dieing as not bad and birth as a good thing, the latter seems to promote living as long as possible and potentially not having children as often for mostly selfish reasons.

Thanks to the two knowledgable people we are also now enlightened on how to make souls and the magic that is this. Basically have sex, get pregnant, have a baby, doesnâ€™t seem hard but somehow the elves are failing at this.

That evening Prudence seems really to want a portent, or something of the sort so itâ€™s elected that we will sleep in one of Eidelonâ€™s magestic groves.
That night Prudence gets a visit from the Archangle Michael and he says â€œThings you hear in this glade are essentially correct. The magic is in the person, not the item.â€ And now, for the rest of the Season we all get +2Ma and +2WP.

== Some Days ==

== Day 7 ==
''What day is it? Never mind, bash on''

We decide to see if someone can give us a crash course in Erelheine manners and not-being-beheaded, and when we visit Lady Anellia she has the same idea and is going through a phrase book of frightening sounding exclamations. It looks like we are going to have to wing it. To Clarissa's annoyance, she thanks Akuji for driving off the High Elf Ladies with his antics at dinner the other night, as she has little in common with them and meal times are quite strained. We are to be invited back!

The Erelheine delegation arrives suddenly, and fortunately they are lead by the extremely well travelled Lord Yo(no relation). He is quite fluent in Elven and quite disinclined to sever anything at this time, though during the events that might change as he is competing personally. News of Akuji's fame has already spread to his ears (clearly their spies are competent) but he's aghast to be corrected that he serviced an entire cadre on the same evening. He immediately bustles off to increase his training regime. Clarissa's lip gets downright curly at witnessing the second Courtier coup by Akuji in ten minutes.

Oh, and he also left a message for Lucius from Lord Cochane that was very polite, but roughly translated as "Come on, if you think you're hard enough".

Later, at the local tree/pub we discover that an old acquaintance of Clarissa's from the South Haven Academy for Girls, Mistress High Treason, is also in town. Clarissa is a little put out when her enquiries after students are met an apology that Mistress High Treason is not so much an educator as a demon hunter extraordinaire, and states that her time as Head Mistress there was very successful in rooting out an avenue of corrupting high borne ladies before they married and the Guild contributed greatly during this time. The expression on Clarissa's face suggests that she's not quite as sure about that.

Mistress High Treason says she's here to ensure that the agent of the 72 do not disrupt the rite, and seems reassured that we've font of power like Prudence to protect us.

We decide it would be a good idea to check the countryside for nefarious goings-on. Akuji scouts his way into an Illusionary Terrain, spotting a pair of elves and the imp they summon. The imp jumps on Pru after does her Fire Breathing trick on it, but doesn't last long one WordSmith, his ferret, and Akuji's cat join in. Clarissa and Akuji charge in and around the elves, spreading confusion and despair, but not quickly enough to stop a devil being call forth. Fortunately WordSmith banishes it before it can do more than befuddle Akuji. The demon-worshipper backfiring himself into a stupor is enough to make the merc he had hired surrender.

WordSmith beats the Witch-smeller to the punch in removing the amnesia. Clarissa and the Church-ite take much pleasure and some time comparing interrogation techniques and extracting the following details:
* He was sent by [[Foras]] to observe the Spring Rites
* There are many powerful beings in the area
* Foras' plan to exploit the energy and confusion of the rites appears to have been thwarted for now.

We request that the Beltane scour the forest the next day for similar groups. They encounter and burn three groups. Akuji attempts to speak to the dead at the skirmish sites.
# [[Seir]] had 5 followers nearby. Their plan was to stop the ceremony at its climax, Call Master, and use the life force being concentrated. There is an agent in town giving them info via Whispering Wind.
# A single elf who Akuji cannot contact
# Two followers of [[Leraje]]. They planned to use an arrow imbued with "Theft" magical to disrupt the ceremony and siphon off the lifeforce.

We have an enlightening discussion about the various cultural techniques of cutting agents off from their Masters and do away with them.

*The local Elves remove their organs, cocoon and suspend them in a tree in a state of mummifying semi-death.
*The Unite Church types set fire to them in specific prescribed fashions so their Master cannot help them and they are as purified as can be hoped for.
*The Wild Elves send hunting spirits to hound the Agent's soul for all time so they never reach their Master.
*Akuji's nasty book involves something about turning them into leather goods.
*The Erelheine stockpile them so they can kill a large number at once and ensure they get a good turnout from the Master and this minions. And then they thump them.

Clarissa talks to a very helpful Wind, who has been used to communicate between the Seir-ites. They thought Akuji to be the best target. We get a description of the spy, and the building he uses. there is a bored Air Elemental about, and some buildings in the area have gone. High Treason 'takes up to much space' - this lines up with what Anghamerbad said about shape-changed dragons having dragon-sized auras.

= Quotes and MetaQuotes =

*Wordsmith - "Well, let's say this cream bun represents the normal amount of fertility magic in the Lalhaudh area. According to this morning's Divination, the current level in the city would be a cream bun 35 feet across weighing approximately six hundred pounds."

*Eltan - "That's a big bun."

*Pru: "I like fluid parties!"

= Items and Loot =

== Foolish Foras Follower ==
We shook down the amnesiaced devotee, and allocated as below:

* Invested Bone of Necrosis (Rk10, 3 charges)
** To Pru to provide a ranged option? WS has one already
* Broach of Featherfall (Rk5, ?? charges)
** To ???
* Waters of Healing (Rk20, 3 potions)
** To ???
* Ank of Greater Undead (Creating and Enslavement)
** Anyone but Akuji??

So, what are we doing about the unpaid mercenary willing to work for demon-worshippers?

= Private Notes from the Prodigal =

== Places to go and people to see ==

* At the Guild
** Tarahell AlatÃ¡riÃ«l, the 23rd Legion. Survivor of 30,000 years of soldiering and seems to locally define "quietly competent" where-ever he is. But he seems relatively detached and aloof from the events going on around us, I wonder why that is?
** After he calmly gives us the long list of "usual suspects", I begin to suspect combat fatigue.

* Bergelfen, and the Regency
** The Beltane are swarming here, trying to erect living crystal obelisks to fend off the Calimar in future. Pru shows some aptitude with the stuff, which stirs some excitement. I leave a note with the Bergraf to apologise.
** I run into Angela of Artemis house from my time at the [[Southhaven Academy for Girls]]. Apparently she will be at the Rites as well, along with others from Bowcourt and further afield. I'm glad to say the "event" that Arnaud precipitated does not appear to have soured our acquaintance, we have a lovely chat and promise to meet later.

* Aflheim University, Erlangene Province
** Rioting Students? Some internal strife about the Dean of magical Studies using the "Black Books of Prophesy".
** Master Tangleleaf, an amiably daffy scholar who is convinced that Elves are an endangered species and will be beyond saving in 1 to 5 centuries unless the Rites are performed and the properly maternal influences are spread.
** (Apparently Elven women can control their own fertility? I've wasted a lot of money of potions if that's the case. I feel especially foolish for bothering [[Mortimer]]. The little scamp.)
** The Book of Kael are said to contain the necessary information to the make the Rites effective, and he wants us to retrieve the five, 20 foot long (unrolled) scrolls, in perpetually burning cases. Apparently they have been good and lost for some considerable time. I don't doubt the recommended Elven sacrifice might have a bearing on that.
** For some reason we convince him to lead by example and escape the campus for a dirty weekend with a fellow researcher while we look.
** The portals are locked down, but we have enough credentials (and clout, thanks to the 23rd) to get past the guards and on the capital.

* Eidolon, the capital
** Beautiful (I manage to refrain from gawping like a yokel), but deserted. Apparently there is a curfew in force due to the... ...food shortage?
** I prevent Prue from paddling in the fountain.
** We head to the court to locate archivists and I am announced as "Mysterious Stranger" as I've been going about veiled. Another victory for "Team Subtle", I fear. Where's my hay-seed? (Note: All Kudos points were lost when Serra entered, the "Elven justicar") - No, I don't think that even the rest of weirdos will stop that from being noticed.
** The court largely appears to have invoked the appetite suppressing power of big piles of [[krrf]] to do their part during these hard times. (Out, damn'd shakes...)
** Asking about, we run into Master Tanglebones and have a horrifyingly seditious conversation in a private booth. Apparently the scrolls are prophesied to cause the fall of the Elven crown if they ever return and he thinks that'd be just peachy. They are also being guarded Ice Giants (or Trolls, it's unclear) in the frozen North by Royal edict for just that reason.
** We try and have conversation with the Keeper of Records, they don't appear to be able to inventory their own limbs. Laminiar is more helpful and sober.

Pru: "See! Portents!"

We still need actual copies of the edict and the prophesies if they are available. Not that I believe that twaddle, but if enough people do they could decide to "Smash the state" if we bring the these things back, I'd like to know why. And just how many sections we can expect to be sawn into. Y'know, for the shipping.

* Other raving loony stuff we heard while there?
** Elven hips are too small reliably deliver live offspring? A healer is required to guarantee the survival of mother and child?
** Despite Elves only going 7 months to term?
** Human surrogates are right out, as they gestate as Orcs?
** Kael departed for the Sun after importing the scrolls, which are a blueprint for being Elven?
** The New Gods are simply weak tea for the jaded inhabitants of the capital, remote and uninteresting for the merely rural, and the Wild Elves haven't changed their ways in the slightest.

Tangleleaf's theories are starting to sound more and more plausible, I fear.

* The Sacred Grove Great Guardian - Temple of Manwe
** Following the healer angle, we speak to Lady Malaestal, Chief Healer and Priestess. She corroborates much of what Tanglebones said, confirming that it is horrifyingly seditious.
** She considers, in a Healerly fashion, that stopping the rot with a sudden amputation is the best treatment for the patient.
*** (I'm not a Healer. She might not have meant it quite like that.)
** Akuji mixes up his lewd innuendo about staves with the idea of making a suitably enchanted "birthing pool", but it would be as logistically fraught as trying to organising the Empire's healers to cope with a sudden simultaneous spike in births.
*** He still manages to get his end away, so he his hearts clearly in the right place.

* The Keeper of Secrets / Antiquities
** Tarihel tells us about the Great Schism and the coming of the new gods.
*** The major philosophical / management difference appears to be the Old Gods encourage souls of Elves to re-incarnate but the New Gods have been collecting them "somewhere nice".
*** A fresh start definitely sounds more appealing, personally. Interesting, another thing that [[Cain]] was right about.
** He also says that something about he "invisible magic" of making souls has been lost. The basic physical elements remain (barely) as does the giving of names, but something is missing.
** He slips Akuji an illustrated book, bound in some rather fine leather, to do with "Nuckavalee the Skinless".
** According to him, the prophesy states that,
*** "The Books of Kael will be collected by a gang of fools and madmen, who will give them to the person who is least able to deal with the information." ( Weird, I mis-wrote the last word as "invitation" in my notes )
*** Apparently, we are destined to screw this up. That's a relief!
**** I jest. Destiny, schmestiny.
** He has a cryptic message for Anghamerbad. Mara, why do I know that name?
** We return to the grove to sleep, which is invigorating and restful.
*** Pru has a vision of Michael, reassuring her that the things discussed here are basically true. Isn't he aligned with the new gods? If not, what's he doing meddling with my watermage?

* Lalhaudh City, Lalhaudh Province
** In the morning, we portal to Lalhaudh and find the place pretty much deserted. More a citizen shortage than a food shortage. Estimate the place is at most between 10% and 2% of the population it once held.
** We barge into the chambers of the Lady E- while we is in conference with Anghamerbad and Heldor, a hot-blooded young Wild Elf who was counselling an immediate assault on the capital.
** They are not convinced, as they were trying to coordinate the influx of visitors for the Festival, but after he leaves they revealed that 8,000 years ago the Lord Protector of Lalhaudh and the 23rd (including or just AlatÃ¡riÃ«l at that point?) marched on the capital and overthrew the reigning monarch.
*** Historical precedent. A splendid accelerant to impulsive bloodshed.
** Anghamerbad tells more about the about the location of the scrolls (200 leagues North, killing cold, Ice Giant fortress etc) and illuminates some more points.
** We feed his interest in gossip by passing on Tarihel's comment about "knowing where Mara is" and that excites him greatly. (Mara. Where do I remember that name from?)
*** This dragon, though currently in Elven form seems very keen to encourage the recovery of the Elven population. I suspect it something to with the vaguely hungry expression he perpetually wears.
** In return(?), he says that my features remind him of Elves from Liesusen province. He probably has a taste for such things. I rather nervous about this news, and I'm not sure that it's just his enthusiasm.

* An interview with a solider.
** One Private Mirastel is sent to answer questions on behalf of the Beltane, by Sargeant Akulas
*** Did we meet him in Bergelfen? Did we ask to talk to someone, or is someone "using their initiative"? How should we interpret them only being able to spare a humble, if very fetching, Private?
** She helps fill in the yawning gap in our (well, mine anyway) knowledge about the Beltane;
** Their normal life span is only 500 years, but due to their constant rotation through combat missions against the Calamar the majority are only 50 to 75. The oldest is only 1500 years.
*** (Only? Even that seems disturbingly long to me...)
** Procreative rights are granted on the basis of campaigns fought, the children are raised (and trained) communally, and they return to active duty as soon as they can.
** And apparently, keeping the gene pool as diverse possible is priority because she invites Akuji to the barracks later.

Other fun things over the next few days
* I save Pru from being hunted and eviscerated by Wild Elves, but will probably have take possession of a hydra head at some point. I should have asked for something less drippy less drippy and more decorative.
** Mentions of the Groves of Miskael ( Mis-Kael?) containing Dryad's and some ominous stories about the "end of days, the Dryad's missing their Troll counterparts, the Dryad King (??) being the prisoner of the Low King and the forests sweeping over the land.
*** Sounds like there are Fae involved. In fact, the deserted houses are being plundered by Brownies, which is a bit backwards.
* Akuji is nearly worn down to a nub by two visits to the Beltane's barracks. I actually felt concerned for him.
** It sounds like the Beltane have a strong camaraderie, which makes me slightly envious. However, their militarism is so total that they will eventually either convince the Calamar to make a bit more effort (them falling back to their out-of-touch home base doesn't bode well), or they'll actually win by dint of throwing the metaphorical furniture out of all the Empire's windows and have to find someone else to fight afterwards. That won't end well.
* Eltan and Serra look up a local illusionist and we talk about the portal north.

The Ice Troll caves
*Semi-Elemental inhabitants, only one apparently patroling and completely taken in the illusions and a "bribe" of trail rations.
**The others we saa are frozen to the floor or walls in the chamber tha Akuji leads us to.
*The five scrolls of the Book of Kael are trapped in a block of bound ice, but are still blazing away merrily.
*we consider many plans to break/haul/"unmagic" the block but after a time Akuji sidles up to the block and whsitpers to the scrolls and they simply slide into his hands.
**No alarms or movement from the ice-bound Trolls, but we leave in Haste, just to be on the safe side.

Impromptu Scroll Swot Camp
*We fly south over the snows and find a relatively sheltered valley to assess what sort of ethnographic timebomb we have our hands on.
**Divination says they are genuine god-texts.
**They are very legible, even with my poor schooling, and seem to be written in only mildly archaic Elven.
**Each scroll deals with the different aspect;
#Histories of Kael and his brothers, and how they each ascended. All pretty tame stuff, but that might be just the weird human gods I'm used to.
#Assorted lifestyle tips including warfare, hunting,
#guiding and sharing secrets (of fire and magic) with the "lesser races",
#and assorted the rituals including causing the sun to rise and the Spring Festival/Games.
#The Future - this was mostly illegible, though some names could be discerned; AlatÃ¡riÃ«l's (or at least the 23rd's), Lucius, Serra Angelis. I didn't see mine, but I didn't look very hard. It'd be simpler if I wasn't there.
*Conspicuously absent are the following portions;
**Use of the wild hunt on anything other than "evil", defined as Drow, Undead(?), and off-planar things.
**Suppressing the "lesser races".
**Wholesale Elven sacrifice. Only the victor of the games is, subsequent to a night of celebration and ensuring his lineage with "his choice" of women, drugged to several storeys above the eyeballs, eviscerated with much rejoicing, and cremated a portion at a time. His, and in this case the sexism seems relatively constructive, spirit will also be blessed when it returns to it's next life.
*All in all they are surprisingly sensible, in a rather rustic old-timey fashion.
** I cannot believe I just wrote that. This pre-soap era stuff is pretty harrowing, but if the alternative is extinction, it might have to do. However, those clinging to the more modern interpretations might be in for a bit of a shock.

*We (well Serra, Akuji, and myself) spend most of the night poring over the texts and determine that they are fit to be released to Tangleleaf to double check our less than scholarly reasoning and do an authoritative version of the rite for the Spring Festival. I insist that we control access to the other scrolls for the moment, until we have a little more buy-in from the various factions.
**I do note that while Serra and Akuji can handle the scrolls without difficulty, I can't touch them due to the heat. This is despite the Resist Pain amulet and the Protection from Magical Fire I have. I might have an issue if I though of myself as a better role-model, but this is probably a good thing.
*The festival instructions are very detailed, down the the number of steps of on the greased pyramid climbing/brawling challenge. Much reference is made to dancing supporters, honour, and athletic prowess. Few if any have any thing to do with technical fouls or clothes. Should quite an event.
*Akuji is now passionately in favour of competing and personally carrying out both parts of the victory ceremony. I'm torn in number directions about this, but largely I troubled about having to report that I lost one of those in my charge in an ancient ceremony involving sex, drugs, and athletics.
**On the plus side, if he managed to win and called me up, well, I don't think that condoning the ghastly sacrifice would be such a big problem.

===Back to Lalhaudh===

*We drop of the scrolls so Tangleleaf can gin up the distributable version of the rites and entrust the scrolls and his safety to Tarahell AlatÃ¡riÃ«l. We ask him not to look at the other scrolls, other than the one that focuses on the military aspects of hunting monsters an the like.
*We hear that a delegation of High Elves, led by Lady Alas, have arrived and have brought one of the Royal Champions, Lothario. You know, the guys that need to be permanently sedated and fed with long spoons to stop them murdering their keepers?
**Serra DA's him and looses her mind and much of her clothing for a time.

Divinations
*Show that the Fertility magics are spiking locally, and it's still 4-5 weeks out?
**My prophylactic Potion and Curse effects are being eroded? This isn't good.
*It also suggests (along with Anghamerbad) that the magic will create an breeder reaction, which will very compelling. Also, fatal for the Death aspected around the place?
**That's pretty bad too. Also, Akuji exploding prematurely would pretty bad.
*But Life-Aspected Pru might be able to direct the power and protect the vulnerable? If she hasn't gone berserk too, of course.
*But it indicates that we are on the right track? How long has this "love vibe" been increasing?
**Should we check back and find when this pre-echo started?
**And take a break in another province with a lower background radiation level?

Prioritising Threats (hugely incomplete)
*Lothario definitely seems the most dangerous and least predictable single entity, and he is making Akuji very nervous as his chances to win the honour of eviscerating himself. Lothario seems ably equipped to beat him too it.
**Apparently his true love perished in sacrifice that shaped a demon. No wonder he's pissed.
*Lady Alas is the Queen's Assassin. Probably not a fluffy bunny either. Possibly a sign of how seriously the queen is taking the Rites although why she is 'accompanied by/accompanying', Lothario one of the empires 'Slayers' (who are only supposed to be let loose when there is serious threat to the elven nation) is beyond me.
*Random Wild Elves
...and just so I'm not missing anything,
*Sabrina - I understand she's troublesomely noble, but probably pragmatic enough understand our reasons. I'll try and get her peripherally included in the open of the rights, to help her get invested.
*Isil Eth - It's probably safer for everyone if she remains politically blameless, so she can step in to bargain for our release/sentences commuted/executions made painless or whatever.
*Lucius - Convincing Lady Anellia will likely take more effort, but will amount to the same thing. It might stick, too.
*Demons wishing to stop the ceremony going ahead - the demons 'upset' by the last party would love to take all the energy created by the ceremony and use it themselves. They have sent flunkies to spy out the situation and perhaps nobble the contenders.

Greeting & Arrivals
*We speak to Beryllia about separating the arriving groups and stationing Hobbit buffers in between them.
*We crash a dinner party of Lady Anellia's, with Lady Alas, her flunkies, and assorted Wild Elves.
** And when I say crash, I mean it. Akuji's descriptions and miming of the "after-party" drove Lady Anellia to the commode during the soup course and both Serra and Eltan "let slip' some revelations from the Books of Kael. We don't actually tell them that we've done anything terrible and I furiously try and paddle the conversation towards safer waters.
** The Wild Elves are mad for it though, and ask for more details once both Ladies have excused themselves.
*Erelheine deligation due shortly? Puts a crimp in our tour the provinces and decompress plan.

Cheer-leading and random Boosterism
*We try make sure that the Beltane understand that if they refrain from compating with the "civilians", that everyone will be let down. And they will be considered Big Chickens. Or squid lovers. Or something.

===I don't want to sound paranoid, but...===

* We've gotten a lot of information from Wild Elves, domesticated and otherwise, and people they have directed us to. I'd really rather not just trigger an otherwise avoidable bloody civil war a week after returning to what could be the place of my birth, if I could possibly help it.
** However, if there's good evidence that it might save my disappointingly stupid kin, it's probably worthwhile. Probably.

* Is it just me, or should have this happened centuries ago? I mean, I might be a bit hasty in my thinking from my "upbringing", but if these so-called radicals weren't so passive-aggressive, couldn't they have just yomped up to the snow lands, kicked the butts of the probably even-more-nearly-extinct Ice Trolls and had their revolution in a more timely fashion?
** So, either the existence or location of the scrolls are "new" information has just surfaced and everyone is digesting it, nobody can be bothered, it a "prophesy thing", or they'd rather not take the blame for sundering oldest civilisation on the plane.
*** I'm betting the latter, and I guess it could get you taken off a whole of Beltane Card lists. I guess.

===Prophesy vs Psychology===
* Let's see if I've got it right, regarding the Books of Kael.
# You dump some holy self-help manual somewhere inconvenient and proclaim that it will cause trouble if it's ever returned.
# Wait for someone with enough boxes in the Desperate/Fractious/Mad column ticked to decide things have "gone far enough" and to go there and recover it.
# Prophet!
* Basically, if the situation is bad enough for someone to look for them, it's bad enough for their appearance cause a revolt. I've got to commend this Kael fellow on his ingenuity.

= Calendar =
{| cellspacing=1 border=0 class="Season" id="Spring"
|-
|-
! colspan=15 | '''Spring''': [[Thaw]] (10)
|-
| class="calMoon" |
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| colspan="2" | [[Candlemansa]]
| class=day | 1
| width=75px height=54px | Guild Meeting
| class=day | 2
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 3
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 4
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 5
| width=75px height=54px | The Carzalan Generals Ball
| class=day | 6
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 7
| width=75px height=54px | [[Sea_of_Grass#The_Travellers|New Spring festival]] in the [[Sea of Grass]]
| class=day | 8
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 9
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 10
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 11
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 12
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 13
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 14
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 15
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 16
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 17
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 18
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 19
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 20
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 21
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 22
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 23
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 24
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 25
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 26
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 27
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 28
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 29
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 30
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 1
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 2
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 3
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 4
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
! colspan=15 | '''Spring''': [[Seedtime]] (11)
|-
| class="calMoon" |
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 5
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 6
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 7
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 8
| width=75px height=54px | Rites of Thunor
| class=day | 9
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 10
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 11
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 12
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 13
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 14
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 15
| width=75px height=54px | Equinox
| class=day | 16
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 17
| width=75px height=54px | Eostre
| class=day | 18
| width=75px height=54px | The Seagate Spring Ball
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 19
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 20
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 21
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 22
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 23
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 24
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 25
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 26
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 27
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 28
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 29
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 30
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 1
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 2
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
! colspan=15 | '''Spring''': [[Blossom]] (12)
|-
| class="calMoon" |
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 3
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 4
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 5
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 6
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 7
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 8
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 9
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 10
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 11
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 12
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 13
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 14
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 15
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 16
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 17
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 18
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 19
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 20
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 21
| width=75px height=54px | Floralia
| class=day | 22
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 23
| width=75px height=54px |  
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 24
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 25
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 26
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 27
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 28
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 29
| width=75px height=54px |  
| class=day | 30
| width=75px height=54px | Walpurgisnacht
|}

Revolving Doors

2008-11-02T08:03:44Z

Cosmo: /* In"terror"ior Redecorating */ - last fight finally, please check and correct

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category:Dean Ellis]][[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Winter_808_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
'''Adventure''': Revolving Doors 
'''GM''': [[:Category:Dean Ellis|Dean Ellis]] 
'''Session''': [[Winter]] 808 wk 
'''Night''': Wednesday night - Chez Ellis 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]] 
; Party

* {{:Dramus Signup}} - Party Leader
* {{:Teeanna Signup}}
* {{:Clarissa_Signup}} - Scribe
* [[Mortimer]] Graves - Halfling (or maybe Halfelf) Wicca
* [[Tari]] - An [[Elves|Elven]] [[Earth Magics|Earth Mage]] played by Michelle Ellis.
* [[TDP]], played by [[User:Phil Judd|Phil Judd]] - Human - E&E/Water
* {{:Kern Signup}} - Military Scientist
''Adventure Full''
; Employer
: [[Oz#Lord Carzon|Lord Carzon]]/[[Dramus]]
; Mission
: To sort out the issues caused by Dramus's Tower.
; Pay
: Shares of any treasure or loot recovered. Guaranteed to minimum value of 40 Guinea's each by Dramus.

== Mission Notes ==

(This document is in Elvish and printed a careful, slightly exaggerated hand with a number of corrections and few calligraphic flourishes. Little sketches of flowers and vines litter the margins.)

== The First of Frost WK 808 ==

Summoned by a letter from Dramus, I make my first visit to a Guild briefing room in years, make a few new acquaintances and meet old familiar faces from previous missions.

* Dramus - He really hasn't changed. We'll apparently he's a fairy prince now, actually has a [[Asheth|kingdom]] like he used to claim to, and is married to boot.
* Teeanna - The boots in question. (No, no need to be catty.) She seems a little sheltered, but very confident and self-assured. It could be the boots. They are pretty amazing.
* Kern - He's a family man now, though through a rather exotic sounding [[How Much for the Little Boy|set of circumstances]].
* Tari - [[:Category:Ranger|"Out-doorsy" type]], insists that she doesn't kill and eat her friends, and one of her friends is a Wyvern called "You bastard".
* TDP - the only human, poor thing, has recently taken up the being a Tank. Well, it'll be interested to see how that works with his famous nautical tendencies.
* Mortimer - still an inveterate [[:Category:Mechanician|tinkerer]], [[:Category:philosopher|philosopher]], and as cute as a button.

==Dramus' Tower Troubles==

Dramus explains that his summoning ritual for the [[Tower of Knowledge (OZ)|Tower of Knowledge]] is acting weirdly. It's been working more quickly that it should, the tower has been transporting between locations faster that it used to, and projecting the that doors it creates out of place, generally about 15 feet to the left(?).

He explains at some length that this may have been caused by a long string of poor decisions which includes;

* Repeatedly summoning the Tower on [[Plane_of_Haven|Haven]], a demon and undead infested plane, and having the undead hitch rides.
* Allowing said undead hitch-hikers to create a replica of the [[Frontiers of Alusia|Frontiers of Alusia]] and use it as a wacky, evil theme-park for Engalton and friends.
* Keeping the replica for some years afterwards, and using it to storage for subsequent undead stow-aways.
* Summoning the Tower into a Dwarven Council Chamber in a [[Brightrock|abandoned hold]] and it being attacked by wall Golems.
* Propagating an vegetable necromancer "ancient horror" in one of the rooms.
* Relying on a Agent of [[Savnok|Savnok]], Marquis of Corruption and Tower enthusiast, to create a high mana area for a speedy tower summoning.

but definitely does not include;

* His recent nuptials or his lovely wife Teeanna.
* Annoying [[Seir|Seir]].
* Becoming a fae Prince.

We mull this over at Alphonse's, along with the current topics of the troubles in [[Alfheim|Alfheim]], the difficulties of lineage, and mental illness.

Once suitably prepared for the rigours of adventuring we coach the two blocks back to Potters Lane, enter the tower, and are almost immediately on Oz.

{{divbox|#ffe||'''From Mortimer's Journal:''' I do not think that we should lightly dismiss the possibility that the psycho-reactive environs of the [[Tower of Knowledge (OZ)|dimensional tower]] may be being adversely affected by some form of mental derangement or impairment on the part of Dramus himself. Observation of his relatively recent behaviour in regards to areas of high magic raise concerns that he may not be fully in control of himself in these environs; a designator that must surely also be applied to the tower of knowledge and the highly charged Oz ambient mana level. His behaviour in these situations has shown worrisome recklessness and an apparently worsening addiction to ever increasingly dangerous levels of mana. I suspect that this behavioural change is related to his increasing fae-ness, and bears watching.}}

===Returning to Oz===

The door opens on the side a purple tower encircled by a spiralling stair case, and my Aerial Affinity tells me we are several miles from the ground. Apparently this is normal, but the mana in Oz is still incredibly difficult to
control and I managed to give myself Flying instead of Kern before Dramus decided that triggering would be faster.

Still, it's a thrill to be back and watching the clouds chasing each other in little clumps from place to place. As we feel the winds approaching, we jump off the tower and let them catch us as we fall.

The descent is exhilarating, and most of us pause for a quiet smoke at the bottom while Mortimer, currently an owl(?) catches up. During this time, no-one in Loonville pays much attention, as we are entirely too normal looking.

From there it's off to Lord Carzon's manor, a short walk to the north-west(?). Dramus fails to provide Teeanna with a coach, and it is widely speculated that he is scheming to get her out of those impressive boots of hers.

To my dismay, I realise that this was the location where, on my first adventure, that Dramus and I had given away vials of blood to this charming gentleman. The really galling part was that before were introduced I was incredibly suspicious of waht little we had heard of him and the immediately turned into a giggly mess when we actually met. Dramus has received access to his Tower for the donation, but I don't recall any such felicity from Carzon. I am very disappointed when I recall the Dramus' cavalier attitude to a new adventurers safety and I tell him so on the steps while a servant looks on.

We are led to a library, where Lord Carzon reclines on a chaise-lounge and greets us with drink and fine tobacco. I stifle my misgivings about our last encounter and try and keep up with the meta-physical discussion about the Tower issues.

===Lord Carzon Explains===

Explains that he a little miffed with Dramus, that is. He confirms that the Savnok's agent (he says "minion") intercepted the knowledge of the ritual and has been practising it and slowly growing more capable. If her passes it onto his Master, consequences are likely to be dire, and it accounts for some of "extra" doors that Dramus has been seeing.

Additionally, something is "riding" or growing more independent of Dramus' portion of the Tower of Knowledge, which is the same structure with one door per "official occupant" which they can cause to appear where they are capable of summoning it. The "new leaseholder" has been trying to split away only in recent months to years and has been causing a the Tower to be come less stable and "leave behind" doors as well.

There was a third problem, but I may have tangled it with other complicated ruminations, such as the mysterious corridor that Carzon has access to and the fact Dramus could have moved his door to the bottom of the Tower in Loonville by will alone. But, since there are currently at least two separate entities trying to carve their own stake on the tower, Carzon would like it fixed.

In deference to the Guilds mercenary nature he is willing reimburse the party, but points out that the problems was largely due to the various uses that Tower had been put to. Dramus is quick to offer his own, recently Fae-enhanced, blood and I felt sure he was about to offer someone else's. I though it was probably just the [[krrf|Azurian Blonde]] making me a bit jumpy, but Carzon explains that he using the blood to add species to Oz, and he hadn't found any Fae yet.

This prompts a slew of terrible questions that I manage to suppress until we are on our way out; Am I, in some weird way, a parent? An absentee parent at that? Did Dramus and I have children and not even know it?

This is all very troubling....

==Evicting the Unliving==

It makes sense that turfing out the undead from the giant replica of [[Seagate]] and the surrounding countryside should be the first stop, since the last lot tried to drive him mad and required [[Engalton|Engalton's]] intervention to sort it out.

To evaluate our approach we assist Dramus in series of experiments to determine the extent of his control and the malleability of the rooms in his tower.

===Changeling Rooms===

I volunteer my old room, on the basis that it's not going to needed again, and it should be nicely symbolic of a clean break if we end up making it disappear.

The rules boil down quite quickly though a series of tests with people, objects, animates, and cold iron being present in the room.

* Dramus knows when a room is occupied by a sentient and it severely effects how much he can sense within the room and prevents him from changing the room's format or an object in the room in a fashion that would interfere with them.

* The presence of Lesser undead, objects not created by the tower, and even cold iron do not "lock" the room as if it was properly occupied, and he can sense the void they occupy in the material that was created with the room. The objects are displaced he if changes the dimensions of the room.

* Teeana's Telepathy and ESP picks up entities in nearby rooms as if they were in a relative position to the corridor, despite many of the rooms totally overlapping. Unfortunately she backfires a Telepathy and the spell comes into effect with a gigantic range but slightly less than half the full arc 360 degree arc.

( I'm glad for the blessing that western Witch gave me and keep my thoughts amicable and peaceful while the Telepathy is directed in my direction. But since that's never worked for very long and the itchy feeling at the back of my neck is driving me mad, I move around to "get on her good side" as soon as I can.)

* The overall dimensions can be changed easily, and the substance and dimensions of existing objects can be altered ''if the alterations make sense'', which wasn't something I was personally expecting. Basically, if the scale is rational objects can be grown and shrunk; i.e. he could make an bed large or small enough to accommodate a hobbit or a giant, and he can change the patterns and materials as he chooses, but again only as it fits the context. Sadly this preclude shrinking the replica to a scale model or changing everything to glass.

* Teenna isn't up changing the colour of the drapes to match the carpet yet.

Our investigations are interrupted by [[Dramus#Granite|Granite]] announcing a visitor and Lord Carzon's man delivers us a number of vials of shimmering crystals.

These transpire to be [[Oz#Emerald_City|Ozma's]] Tears provided to us by Carzon in the hope that they will help. There is little confusion as to whether they originally intended for us, and this deepen with a DA question.

They are "Crocodile Tears" and as such, don't have the effects that others in the party have witnessed previously. They instead create a number of Crocodiles of "indeterminate size". Fascinating.

===Nightmare Seagate===

Whilst Teeanna's telepathy had such great range, we decided to venture forth into "Twiners Room" since that would give us the most preparation time for encountering any inhabitants. Dramus created a new door from the "Pub" room to the Seagate replica's version of the neighbouring house to 9a Potters Lane, as the only other leads through "Twiner's Room". He tries to sense what the occupant of the replica are up too, but he gets a hazy impression and effort drains him more than an afternoon's playing with the other rooms. We equip ourselves and head to see what he found so frightening.

It was an odd sort of Seagate, as there was no-one around. And it was misty, hard to see more than a block ahead. Teeanna reported various minds of rats and dogs, but nothing out of the usual. We found that this place must truly be a reflection of Dramus' nightmares - all the pubs were closed, with signs indicating they had run out of alcohol.

We headed toward the river and had got a faint, then stronger, smell of something metallic. Something iron like, something blood like, with other flesh and gore thrown into the mix for good measure. This was the river. Around this time Teanna had noticed a dozen or so minds around 400 yards away, which seemed normally hungry. Dramus tried locating an undead of the area, and very shortly afterwards Teeanna reported the minds were coming our way. We put up a couple of walls of stone as defence at the our end of the bridge, where we could only just make out the far end, expecting this to be a good defensive position. TDP reported through his wizard eye that they seemed to be slightly insubstantial and hovering a bit while they moved.

What we did not expect was them to do was swoop across the river below the bridge where we couldn't attack them, so many of them managed to engage us in melee. Teeanna had said the one being chased away by her phantasm was envisioning it as a creature of fire, and so she triggered a Hellfire, which took out a lot of the creatures, DA called them [[Ghast]]. There seemed to be one in charge, or at least slightly larger than the others, who got larger when a stream of corruption was cast at him. Those in agony were going to the river to feast on the gore to make them more energised. However, in the end, we prevailed, without major injury.

Post-mortem and post-post-mortem DAs furnished us with few interesting acts about our new friends.

Some of them originated from [[Plane_of_Haven|Haven]] and were several years dead, but the bulk were "recruited" locally, which happens to still be Oz despite the Towers appearance of having ceded from it's homeland, within the last seven months. They have no college and are sentient, but luckily do not drain life. We decided makes them approximately "Medium Undead". Their claws drip a venom that causes despair, while their eyes also mire the on-looker in apathy and helplessness. TDP was effected by their gaze even through his Wizard's Eye and the combination of that and the venom left Kern a helpless wreck, crawling on the ground.

It's being killed by the venom that turned the unfortunate wretches in these creatures, which are apparently controlled by something but we were unable to determine what the source was, or if it had a Rank we could try and outmatch.

* Dramus, on the "Bloodwater Bridge" in "Nightmare Seagate": "This isn't a good spot for a picnic."

===Under New Management===

We crossed the bridge and made our way in the direction of the Guild, to see if the place was in the grisly state reported by Engalton after his visit. The scenery was little different around the north side of the bridge, but the sun definitely rising and starting to strip away the thick fog that had surrounded us. It made the dishevelled state of the buildings a little clearer and started to give the breeze off the river a really interesting tang.

Mortimer spotted a sign, grimy and partially obscured, and muttered: "Oh my, I didn't think that they had a Guild too." Swiftly we were clustered around looking at a sign stating "Seagate Guild of Arachnids - Two Miles" and trying to nonchalantly direct Dramus' attention elsewhere.

Dramus was neither distracted for long or easily reassured that the words on the board could mean anything, and didn't necessarily refer to anything huge and starting with "S". But the Guild is one of the few landmarks and should be a good place to find some sort of clues, so we press on.

Teeanna's Telepathy started to pick up scattered groups of minds which she described, with what I though was was a impressive display of imagination, as the thoughts of peasant rousing to do morning chores. Though just to make sure that Dramus' imagination was not neglected his short-sword, Sting, starts to give off a distinct glow.

*Dramus - "Peasants aren't a threat."
*Mortimer - "Someone in your profession should be a little more sensitive to the idea of angry mobs."

The minds Teeanna senses seem clustered in little groups and thinking about their activities, but the activities she relates sound strange and exotic even to the rest of us. Tending maggots, checking the Fae Rings, and wrangling Brownies seem to be on the agenda. TDP's Eye scouts the nearest hovels, but the occupants and dwellings look normal, human, and properly rustic to him.

We select Kern and Tari as the least bizarre looking members of the party, and they go to speak to one of the farmers on Dramus' behest. Dramus charges them specifically to find out who they pay taxes to.

Jerry, a rabbit farmer, explains patiently that they part of a consortium of about 100 families, that they haven't heard of "feudal lords" before, and the farmers produce food and crafts which they trade with the Arachnid's Guild for manufactured goods. DAs are also telling us they they are all 23 months old and they also come from Oz.

Jerry also helpfully tells us that some of the farmers have Fae creature like Brownies and Sprites for their customers, who's gigantic spider-shaped building is now looming out of the mist at the top of the hill. At this point, I was a little concerned that Dramus might start foaming.

* <party> - "Do they talk?
* Jerry - "Weelll, they do twitter a bit."

Mortimer helpfully tinkers with the door of one of the rather capacious rabbit hutches and gets a couple of very, big bunnies for his assistance. He plonks them in a sack and we head up the hill further.

While most of the party are having a fascinating conversation (regarding the how this uncanny arrangement came to be, it's possible effects on Dramus' state of mind, the fashions in Alfheim this decade, and Tari's last visit with some other Elven guild members), Darmus and Teeanna attempt to find out more about the trade in Brownie flesh.

<div class=dramus style="background-color: #EEEEEE; font-family: Gothic, cursive; border: thin solid #333; ">
'''Notes from Tobias Pendleton, Scribe to Lord Dramus:'''On the request of Miss Clarissa I have placed quill to parchment to detail the later conversations with my Master in order to elucidate upon this point.

It appears that my Master and Mistress were most distressed by the thought of fae being farmed and set about investigating this aspect of the community. So distraught were after speaking to a Brownie farmer they asked him to leave their presence and when he refused my Master placed a 'petit mort' upon him.

(I note at this time there was no mention of this being removed and I shell endeavour to remind my Master that he should recover the farmer prior to its duration wearing off in case the farmer has been buried. I only hope they do not attempt an embalming. While it may seem vile that I do not mention this to my Master I do not believe he is in an appropriate state of mind to cope with this reminder at this time, and to mention it may cause further harm to his mental state.) - I write this in the hope miss Clarissa can assist with reminding him in exchange for her promise that he shall not see this confession.

Post removal of the farmer from the scene it appeared that investigations of the Fae rings continued however as neither my Master nor Mistress are blessed with 'DA' this took on a more direct approach which resulted in my Master being affected on a number of occasions by soporific magics and being rescued by his good lady wife who dragged him bodily from the fae ring.

This did result in the rescue of two Brownies and while my Master and Mistress were distressed at an inability to rescue more they felt that further investigation into the creation of the brownies was the next step. At this juncture I note my Mistress was very insistent on a visit to the 'Truth Pond' rather than any other course of action and as a result I am also concerned about her mental well-being. </div>

At some point, when reminiscing about the time I first met Dramus and when he employed me as a governess I mentioned that I wasn't entirely sure that his intentions towards me. Or women in general. During my (somewhat difficult) explanation to Tari what I meant, we discovered a common acquaintance with that shoddy little catamite, [[Albion_the_Mad|Albion]]. This got the nature of my suspicion across, but might have been overdoing it a little. Still, Tari doesn't seem like the type to gossip. I shouldn't taunt Mortimer though. No matter how appealing he looks, his '''looks''' can be quite unnerving.

Dramus seems somewhere between despondent and angry that there could be something like 8000 fae creature trapped in a sophorific state created by the mushroom ring pens on the twenty or so "ranches" in the community. Without easy access to a new door, he contents himself with rescuing the two brownies he was almost able to have a conversation with.

The origins of the creatures we've encountered suggests that something occurred nearly two years ago, which coincides with the date of Ozma's eleventy-eleventh birthday, her being kidnapped, poisoned with an apple, and her feverish dreams afflicted much of Oz with either lycanthropy or inversions of their normal personae. Possibly some of that influence was channelled through Dramus' personal fear and neurosis, which ties in with the fact that the cure was a kiss from a certain Fae Prince. Mortimer seems to think the whole thing has an air of faintly cute maliciousness, which he doesn't see completely divorced from the taunts of a young, imaginative girl in a mean-spirited mood. I'm more convinced this as been arranged, though probably manipulating the energies of the events described, to shape a very specific kind of torment, perhaps aimed at weakening the most externally of the various "Powers of Oz".

The fact that Dramus gets unaccountably modest when we mention this is, in itself, very worrying. Also, the biggest problem with my theory is that it would take someone who knew Dramus very well to so effectively "pull all his levers" as Mortimer puts it.

We are trying to decide who best to seek advice from first, a discussion in which someone raised the worrying spectre that Carzon my not entirely trust worthy as he may have been concealing information about Fae being "on Oz", when we note flyers in the distance. TDP, using a cunning contraption to enhance his sight, make out a flight of six wasps carrying suspiciously multi-limb riders to the... ...structure on of the hill.

Prompted by this and the advance of the morning light, we press back down the hill, treating ourselves to a view of the "Bloodwater" darkening the waters of Confederation Bay. Once back through number 9 Potters lane and into the Tower, Dramus takes us immediately to the west of Oz and states that we are going to the Truth Pond to check whether the Brownies that he rescued are really Brownies.

He's starting to act quite uncharacteristically, and when we have a small problem with the flying spells he behaves as though he doesn't trust me at all. I'm very worried that this artfully constructed paranoia of the Nightmare realm has started to unhinge him. Also, I'm quite concerned about the effects that Truth pond water might have on allegedly "imaginary" creatures. Or vice versa, for that matter. Maybe that was the intent all along?

And what happened to talking to the various wise denizens of Oz to get some advice?

===Fig-mint Brownies Aren't People?===

or

===Feeding His Fears===

I try and cajole everyone to to stop before we do anything rash, and suggest a picnic. Predictably this works, but the discussion seems a bit heated. Teeanna tells everyone off for carelessly mentioning "the s-word" in front of Dramus, and though the creatures were right there (and I hardly think that he was about to forget about them) it's good to see she's trying to take care of his welfare.

Teeanna - "I think it go right up to the point of rudeness for his friends to discuss them right in front of him. Even if we choose to ignore what you say, don't think that means we hear don't you."

Possibly it's the way that she couches the reproach, and I think I remembered it correctly, but Mortimer seems particularly nettled.

Mortimer - "I imagine it's a little like being savaged by a chihuahua."

Clarissa - "Remember that would be more of an issue for you than the rest of us."

One of TDP's Crystals start vibrating and from Tari's DA it appears that the Wicked Witch of the West has taken an interest in us. Mortimer starts twitching rather alarmingly. Apparently they are acquainted and he is one of her favourites.

(At some point some mentions that Dramus has a brother. I didn't even know that he still had family.)

A few at a time, people head down into the misty bowl containing the Truth Pond. It seems simpler not to object at this point, and try and screw up my own courage to do the same. It wasn't an unpleasant experience 13 years ago, but it changed the way I thought about myself in a fundamental way. Besides, what has truth got to do with my life at the moment?

I'm sure it's not germane to the rest of the adventure but everyone returns looking well, though Kern does come back rather muddy. But it didn't raise any more comment than my own choice to go naked, aside from the tattoos of course. It seems wiser than wearing the fur of a sentient cat.

Anyway, by the time I get back Teeanna has applied the collected Truth Water to a Brownie and some rabbits and they have both turned in small white pastilles with "D" printed on them. They DA as formerly living but have no GTN to speak of. Apparently, if you swallow them they are intrinsically supposed provide sustenance.

It seems clear that the Tower is producing them the same way they it provided for the inhabitants. Can we extended this logic to the humans and spiders? Should we return with the alarming pumping contraptions that Mortimer is already in a sketching in a frenzy, brimming with Truth Water and wash them away? Actually, do we even have the right? Teeanna seems to think we are entitled, but I could be more convinced. And what exactly is the Tower providing sustenance for? Is there an entire ecology in there?

The fact that it's inhabited will stop Dramus from making "Truth Rain" or the like, and we experiment with the blood collected from the "Bloodwater". It turns into simple water, presumably just being the liquid sustenance that the Tower produces.

At about this point we spy a group of flyers in the distance. It's very likely to be the WWOW and a troupe of flying monkeys according to Mortimer. He seems eager to leave before she arrives.

Clarissa - "Playing hard to get, are we?"
Mortimer - "We're not playing."

He also explains that "the first W is silent" in her name. At that, we consider that no-one here knows her real, just her title.

===Tea with (w)WoW===

The flyers draw near and the winged monkeys start scattering something that flutters down around our picnic site. As they settle, we see they are dark, glossy leaves and determine that they are Black Mistletoe (apparently for dampening magic) and the Lady herself descends. She looks different to what I personally remember, being a hunched, human woman, complete with a hooked nose and sundry warts. She is offered tea and sits down to chat.

And what do you know, she is '''extremely''' taken with Mortimer. She compliments him lavishly and says that she "loves the smell of curses in the morning." Mortimer is extremely charming in return, handling her with aplomb and delicacy without committing to anything onerous.

Once tea was finished and Mortimer had explained that we had to be about our urgent mission, we bade the WWOW goodbye and prepared to head back to the Tower. As a keepsake from the WWOW he received a single black rose, apparently dripping with Love Philtre. Kern thoughtfully collected the leaves before we left.

===An Audience with Ozma===

So as not to provoke further attention for Mortimer, we change our minds and decide to detour our of the western quarter head for the Emerald City and enquire after Ozma. The city is as bustling, lively, and painfully green as ever.

We are granted an audience, and Dramus is tackled-hug by an excited Ozma, who immediately marches everyone to her room to show us the painting she has been working on. It's spread from the canvas and along most of a wall.

She asks us if we liked the Tears that she made us especially, after the previous ones were greatly appreciated. We explain that we haven't had a chance to try them yet and skirt around the tricky subject that rather than making people skip around at high speed as the last ones had, these ones summon gigantic reptiles.

(Incidentally, Ozma doesn't know the WWoW's full name either.)

The rather exhausted looking Chancellor tells us that nothing much untoward or unusual has happened since the events of Ozma's 111th birthday, for which he looks greatly relieved. Teeanna foists a Sustenance Pill off on him and he enjoys it, and puts the flavour as part mint, part some sort of fruit. We eventually realise he must mean figs, and wonder at what malevolent agency is turning Dramus' figments into fig-mints.

Dramus, the famed Necromancer, enquiries about much needed help - "Do you know someone who can control undead over a large distance? Oh, that would be me."

At this point, we decide Twiner is definitely worth talking to as, even if he can't control the undead, he may simply have encountered them if they tried to leave through his room while Dramus was using his for a buffer zone.

===At Twiner's Retreat===

We return to the Tower and head through a door in the central "pub" entertaining area - straight in a foetid swamp. These adjacent rooms are really not very adjacent, I see. From a raised path surrounding the rank water and moss festooned trees, we watch as Dramus hails the Ancient Horror.

A figure rises slowly from the muck, clearly once a humanoid creature now a mouldering corpse covered in filth, mud, and tangled in some sort of roots. It speaks in halting, raspy tones but it's Elvish is near faultless.

There is some minor discussion about the rest of us not being food and it's "wellbeing", during which it becomes rather plain that Dramus has not visited in a quite a while, and what sort of environment it favours. Though the tower seems to suit it's basic requirements but it still feels the need to... ...propagate. I'm not sure I'm wild about finding out how it does that.

Regarding the undead in the adjacent room, Twiner becomes almost cagey and doesn't expand beyond the fact that it has seen "some". Dramus' neglect of his pet may be showing and we leave it be.

===An Unexpected Laundry Delivery===

Almost as soon as we've left, Granite announces that Dramus has a visitor, at the "Frontiers of Alusia" door. Unfortunately, the most he can tell about it is that it has lots of legs and wants in. I try and reassure Dramus as the others go to confront the visitor, but they return followed by an animated, walking chest which is exclaiming what sounds like "Help Feyan!"

It transpires that a chest, very much like this one, belonged to an adventurer name [[Feyan]] some years ago and apparently it wants us to rescue him in "In the woods" from "Nasty things!" It repeats its requests many times.

DAs verify that it basically matches what is remembered of the article and it survives being splashed with Truth Pond water. It is said that the chest can take us to the location instantly, if we climb into it. The big hitch is that, as Mortimer explains it, that you arrive but your equipment remains, apparently neatly pressed, in the container. And this includes weapons, amulets, and the like. And no, the chest doesn't travel instantly after you and has to walk.

Despite these many caveats, Dramus is rearing to go. Everyone else seems less certain...

Mortimer(?) - "I think it's smarter than most adventurers. Hell, it can do laundry!"

Mortimer Divinates the luggage revealing that it several decades old and it's magic appears similar in nature to a bag of holding, though rather more "leaky". It also can employ ancilliary cleaning magics but, more worryingly, it has been the target of magical attacks from Celestial, Necro, and Mind magic, though there are few other signs in evidence.

Teeanna attempts to divine the future regarding using the box to find Feyan, and receives a vision of her and Dramus hanging, naked and from their ankles, from a respectable distance up a healthy larch. This redoubles efforts persuade it to lead us instead, and despite the very convincing impression of malevolence it gives, either because of our wish to change it's plans or to punctuate the threat that faces Feyan, we manage to cajole it.

===Mob Mentality===

We return to "Nightmare Seagate" as evening is falling , Dramus fixing the door the Luggage wrecked as we pass through, and I cast flying on everyone, bar Mortimer and the box, so we can keep up with the latter. It goes much better than last lot, and I think I'm getting "mana-legs" back.

We are crossing the bridge before the winds arrive, but it gives Teeanna an opportunity to sprinkle some Truth Water on the Bloodwater's flow. It doesn't have much visible effect, and we might have to get a lot more. From there the Luggage' path is clearly to the top of the hill and will take it through the scattered farmsteads and to the Seagate Arachnids Guild.

The lively discussion about the application of the Truth Water and more violent solutions to the Farmers and Spiders, divided along lines of what boils down to authenticity. I tend more towards Mortimer's view that as they experience sentience and have memories of a life they should be treated as both sentient and living. Teeana and Dramus are more of the opinion that since they are counterfeits, essentially made of their magical food, they are not part of any moral equation.

Mortimer, Kern, and myself are deligated to jump ahead of the Luggage and try negotiate with Spiders, but befor we have gone very far we spot a torch-lit procession near the farmers homes. It's distinctly linear and keeping sombre pace, and Kern volunteers that it's probably for the Brownie Farmer that Dramus is likely to have Petit Morte'd during their encounter. We dash back to confirm this, but leave before the "they're just pills it doesn't matter if he gets buried" arguments rattle Mortimer too much.

The three of us head south again, leaving the others to continue to vandalise the Fairy corrals, actions which seem wildly at odds with the notion that these people, Brownies and Humans, are entirely fictional.

We flying over the procession and it's all too clear that they are heading towards a pyre, rather than a burial plot. We discuss schemes to snatch the body off the pyre, but when a DA reveals that the humans are as "notional" as the rabbits and brownies, it somewhat takes the wind out our sails.

Clarissa - "So we either leave him to burn, completely ignorant of his fate, or rescue him probably to have Dramus refuse to revive him, or Teeanna to turn him into a small white lozenge, or his kin kill him with a pitchfork for coming back from the dead, or his reality to shortly be collapsed if we succeed in the mission?"

We decide to try and at least gain some information from the farmers, and maybe drop some hints that the funeral is a little premature. Mortimer drops his Unseen and approaches the first family we met, but the recent events have made them slightly suspicious of strangers. There is a roar of outrage and cries of "Murderer!" and "Slayer!" and no amount of charming Mortimer seems likely to avoid further burnings tonight. We scarper and decide to see if the arachnids are more tractable.

While we are involved in this Dramus has gotten bored with busting mushrooms and has flown over the crowd dropping Truth Water onto them. We hear the confusion and chaos caused by farmers randomly "disappearing", but imagine it's our own hue and cry.

===Webs and Welcomes===

We land further up the hill and once we are within a few hundred feet of the entrance/mandibles, Kern notices a thread break as we pass. We can see these silken treads getting denser and denser as you near the Guild, so we decide to stop and see if this constitute "knocking". Sure enough, three spiders emerge from concealed trapdoor nearby, two huge black ones as tall and long as a horse but at least twice as bulky that DA as "Trapdoor Spiders" and a smaller reddish-brown "Red Widower" which is a Firemage. They all have objects taht could be armour or weapons of some sort fastened to their limbs and have other amulets are the like about them.

We hail the trio, and they chitter back. The red one, which appears to be in change, does something (?) and it is suddenly speaking in Mortimer's voice. We explain that we are hoping to aid the owner of an certain walking artefact. They are painfully aware of the existence of the Luggage, as it burst out of a new door in their Vaults and wrecked quite a few things in the process. During the conversation Luggage catches up with us and ploughs towards the entrance while being slowed, but by no means completely arrested, by a barrage of webs and spells from concealed apertures around the gatehouse formed by the head.

"Nameless" the Red Widower, assisted by Mr Smith and Smyth, assents that they happy to deal regarding us getting passage for the Luggage down the Vaults if try and minimise the damage it does and remove the extra door behind us. We return to the party with this proposal and visions of what we will have to do to Dramus to get him inside dancing in our heads.

===Changing the Curse of Events===

It takes a little doing, but Dramus accepts that best way to get him through the Guild would be for Mortimer to Damnum Minatum away his sense of sight and hearing and let us lead him through.

Actually, it was going start with a blindfold but once the Hypnotism from Teeanna takes, we think better about something that might fall off unexpectedly. They can share thoughts since they were married, so I imagine that is why he trusts her so implicitly.

? - "Can he see through your eyes?"

Teeanna - "No, I'm not a familiar of his."

The suggestion to stop him from resisting the curses is very effective. In fact, they both work far too well, leaving him also afflicted with a twitch, numbness, a nasty rash, and several warts.

At that point, we recall that Kern picked up the Black Mistletoe from the picnic with the WWoW. It's secondary effect to dampening magics appears to be that they enhance curses.

Mortimer - "Can you tell Dramus that it's all Kern's fault?"

Teeanna - "He can work that one out for himself."

I try stress that the effects of long term sensory deprivation can be mentally harmful, and advise that Teeanna reassures Dramus over the mind link they share. I think I managed to get the point across?

Teeanna - "He's in my world now...."

We fly up to the "SAG" with Teeanna carrying Dramus, and we find the spiders still struggling to control the Luggage, which seems to broken free a number of times and gotten closer each time.

There is some pretence of them charging us for allowing us in to shepherd the Luggage, but this falters the determinedly Luggage break free once more and we point out if we don't follow it may just emerge again looking for someone else to help. During this formality of small-talk while TDP calms the Luggage down, Mortimer also discovers that they undertake missions much like we do and, interestingly, they pay less tax than we do. We resolve not to pass this on to Dramus.

We are taken into the building, through a room filled with tiny spiders able to detect cursed things who show up Dramus and the sack of leaves very clearly, and down to the Vaults. Dramus' short-sword, Sting has started to glow very, very brightly and vibrate slightly. I take it off Dramus to keep it from touching anything flammable or one of our hosts. Between that and webs brushing our faces and hair, Dramus being numb is turning out to something of a blessing. Mortimer is adamant that Kern doesn't get to take credit for it however.

We are taken deeper in the complex, through some very large doors and into a room with a regular, rectangular wooden door, much like the ones in Dramus' living quarters, set into the rounded wall. It sticks out quite a lot as the previous doors have all been the match of the circular tunnels and made of some sort of thick web that parted somewhat like a curtain. It has been barred and is blocked by a pair of gigantic black beetles, while there are unfamiliar looking siege weapons pointed at it from the other side of the chamber. We ask a few questions and are told that it door was only noticed after the Luggage initially broke it open a few days ago and some undead have tried to break through since.

Dramus cannot sense the door, or more strictly can sense the absence of the door as a regular, smooth-edged hole. This seems to confirm that it's been purposely placed and fashioned, though what that means is another thing altogether. DAs tell us that door/portal leads to Oz as well and is two way. The spiders explain that they will need prior warning and a little time to open it and evacuate the room, leaving the beetles, so we can uncurse Dramus. While more observations are made, TDP and I try and distracted the Luggage with some of my articles of clothing while we simultaneously attempt to conceal Sting's blazing aura by wrapping it in my evening dress which handily changes into chain mail.

Once that is done, Dramus is re-cursed and the spider specialist is let in to unlock the door. It is a ancient looking creature that floats above the ground with each pair of its legs clasped together. It chitters and murmurs and each of the sigils on the wall around the door glow and fade in turn. The beetles move aside, but their numbers are bolstered by another two beetles and the bar is removed. Even after that and the spiders have retreated from the room again, TDP is obliged to use Opening before we can turn the handle. We have an hour to return, this way before they reseal the door as hard as they can, and Mortimer is presented with a glowing orb which fade before the time is passed.

Below us, on the other side is a desolate moon-lit landscape, with bare mountains, blasted plains and the ruins of a city. Dramus and Mortimer are immediately put in mind of Haven, and I'm filled with a dread I can't place. Just to cheer us up, Dramus notes that we are still inside the Tower and on Oz, but this place is completely alien to him and he has no control over it. Have we found the usurper's lair?

===Through the Scary Door===

We quickly discuss the different mechanics of created doors and summoned, while the luggage is already heading down the winding path to the bottom of the cliff. Apparently we can't summon the regular Tower "entrance door" to a point inside the tower, which this still is, without collapsing the universe or something. Normally Dramus is "just" joining to distant points within the tower with a another room. But here he can't do either. Talk about an academic discussion.

Mortimer - "It's not a real door, it's merely a place between two rooms."

Clarisa - "Like... a door?

Deciding to at last get our bearings before the door is firmly closed, we fly and follow the Luggage up the huge ravine and towards a fortification that stretches the full length of the valley. The fortifications appears to be facing up the valley and the Luggage is heading straight towards it. On the approach, Mortimer spots a figure limned in silver on one of the towers that make up the fort. It appears to be an insubstantial sentry and between Teena and Dramus we have at least 5 "sleepy" Greater Undead about. Mortimer isn't able to rouse it by addressing it, so we land and the Tari and Kern lash the slumped figure with DAs - apparently it's Nightgaunt cursed with eternal sleep and it's been an Undead for between 5 and 7 years. Below we hear a ominous noise of something heavy colliding with a large metal object.

Down through the trap door we find the other four, who have fallen through their rotting beds, and discover that the curse has to be redeemed in some way and they originated (became undead?) on Alusia. We descend further to discover that the sound is the Luggage battering itself on some huge brass doubles doors. It appears that they are a "pull", but with hands and a Opening from TDP we are able to do a little better.

The doors were at the far end of the fort that faces a steep rocky slope, but these doors open onto a forest path. Both sides of the door are "Oz" and the controlling entity of both reveals that it is contested between Dramus and "Spectre". Again the age of 5-7 years comes up.

The time we arrange with the spiders is starting to expire, so we head back, sending Mortimer ahead to see if he can negotiate an reasonable extension. Before we even get back he has made a deal for 7.5% of our salvage, 10 truesilver minimum in advance, to have the door opened 4 hours hence, then 4, the 12, 12, and finally 24. Maybe spiders can't appreciate how charming he is, but it's better than being locked out.

We return to the forest door, hastened by a low howl of many, many voices rising from the ruined city and noting the Luggage has gone ahead already, pass through and close the door behind us. Scouting quickly, TDP recognises the country as being south west of Cazarla, near Ruby Waters. Is it the same giant room? Dramus seems to think so, and TDP can locate Jerry the rabbit-farmer from near the SAG in a logical direction. We find the Luggage trampling the foliage in a clearing, apparently the last spot it "saw" Feyan. The tracks are devastated according to those with an inclination for rooting around in the undergrowth, and we have been on the go for nearly 24 hours, so we decide to camp.

Tari summons some inedible foxes and interrogates them about the surrounding terrain. Apparently the relative area of Ruby Waters gets avoided as it both "smells bad" and contains creatures higher on the food chain than they are. We set watches and pass the night. Predictably, I sleep badly and nearly forget myself when Dramus starts me awake. He's probably lucky that I know him well enough to recognise him when I'm half-awake. For that matter, so am I.

And for some reason they expect me to prepare breakfast. Clearly I'm not as infamous as I thought. Still, no-one is poisoned unexpectedly, so it turns out okay.

===The Ruby Wound===

We fly in the direction of the Ruby waters, but the lake isn't what we remember. It's been replaced by a vile looking mass of a roiling lava-like substance, but smelling of death and giving off less heat than it would if it was natural magma. There is a 300' dead zone around the "water's" edge and the trees at rim of this look far from healthy. The village is where we expect with the addition of a tall black tower, also surrounded by a deforested area, but the few inhabitants we see are very odd. One appears to a zombie with actual functioning bandages (rather than ceremonial wrappings) and there is skeleton with a splinted arm? We are quickly aware that we have stirred some commotion in the village, and see some more threatening figures moving about.

An Earth Elemental moves to collect a scoop of the ooze from the shore as a quartet of figures ready a pair of tatty looking griffons for flight. When they start dipping there arrows into the ooze being borne by the Elemental we decide to fly out sight, assume Invisibility and double back. The luggage is just arriving to provide a distraction, but the last we see of it is a hole opening in the earth and swallowing it whole.

We return to land at the edge of the woods, close to the tower, and as we fly in we see the griffon-riders circling, looking for us, and catch glimpses of invisible, undead crows as they briefly pass through Witch-sight range. Neither seem to have spotted us, and we swoop in to drop off the Earth mages to get some Elementals of our own going.

As we do this, TDP spots what he thinks is something invisible gathering and possibly consuming the ooze at the edge of the lake. Has the Elemental been made invisible, or is there something else out there capable of touching that stuff?

Dramus can sense that there are at least 5 Greater Undead and 20 Lesser Undead in the immediate vicinity, all in the region of the village. That and waning mood-lighting produced by the Tower, though it may or may not hinder the Undead, makes it clear that we'll need to formulate an effective plan and decide to repair to his portion of Tower to regroup.

We rise early and head back to the vicinity start to enact the scheme. Our numbers bolstered by Tari's Wyvern "You Bastard" and a pair of Earth Elementals who prepare fortifications, under Mortimer's directions. They are based around the Pentacle that Dramus prepares to summon 7 of the Lesser Undead away from the village and destroy them before we stage our assault. As the two ritual draws to a close, we cast our final spells and surround the ritual area to protect Dramus and Teeanna within the pentacle.

{{divbox|#F5F5F5||'''Dramus:''' Whoops!}}

It was a little surprising to have the howl of displacing air and moans of the Undead to be coming from behind us, inside the "protective" circle that those two were supposed to be sheltering in, but we took it all in our stride. The Undead were merely 3 Skeletons and 4 Zombies, and they disintegrated and a volley of blows and spell. I was very pleased to be able to rake three of them with a Lightning Bolt and have the end one explode. Despite the unanticipated problem, it had worked very well and as we were set up a good travelling distance from the village, we proceeded to try another round.

===The Burning Dead===

The second attempt "works" as planned, but the enemy have had two hours to prepare a nasty surprise. The Undead each arrive outside the pentacle, but appear in a gout of flame and a splash of putrescent, flaming ooze. I'm splashed by one that lands nearby, and the sticky mess scalds both my skin and something in the foul, dark flames attacks my mind. Holding in the panic, I slashed at the creature as it rose and though the hit was solid, the flames attacked my strength and left me feeling weakened. TDP was beside me in an instant and striking at foe, and he seemed to be having better luck resisting the flames malignant effects. The others are dealing to the rest of them and I was abandoning physically striking it in favour of a Lightning bolt when TDP struck it down. The rest were then roasted by Mortimer's Hellfire, but not injuring a few of us and draining Tari's Wyvern as well.

At least, I think that's how it went. I was considerably shaken by the ordeal, and had to compose myself for a while. The curse carried by the flames is going to be with me for at least two weeks if nothing is done, and our opponents are clearly on to what we are attempting to do. Dramus asserts that we need to consult the Witches of Oz for protections before going near a lake of the ooze, and we send the Elementals in to try and crush as many Undead as possible before we leave the area. TDP and Dramus scout the village on the way back, and this time the roster of the inhabitants is a little more clear.

Lesser Undead
*3x Skeletons
*3x Zombies
*2x Greater Zombies (Griffins?)

Greater Undead
*4x Wights
*1x Greater Spectre
*1x Wight Knight
*1x Wraith Lord

They leave the locale swiftly to bring us this rather daunting list. Through a Crystal TDP sees the Elementals arrive at the village, and start attacking the lesser Undead who have been placed in barrels full of the ooze and are constantly "basting" themselves to ensure that if we try summoning them again, we get plenty of ooze too. The Elementals start smashing barrels and their occupants, but the cowled figure that attending them advances and, as the original Elemental we saw emerges from the ground and drags down Kern's larger Elemental, it strikes Tari's smaller Elemental and it crumbles into dust.

We return to Oz and make our way to the southern quadrant. We quickly happen upon Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. There are some pleasantries, but I found it hard to pay attention to them. Glinda expressed a profound regret at not having experience with the Undead, but was coaxed into lending her expertise with protections and curses. She drew the willpower and strength sapping curses inflicted by the death-ooze into small crystals, isolating them from me until they could be lifted or expire normally. I will have to hang onto them, but I was able to start to pull myself together She also helped us by providing us with seven little boxes capable of drawing a curse from an individual into themselves before once apiece. During the discussion, the names of Carzon and [[Oz#Gayalette| Gayalette]] are bandied about.

Apparently, after given the hornets nest a jolly good stir, we'll spend a time taking tea with local Oz notables. I'm sure Mr Spectre will not have come up with any more nasty surprises by the time that's through.

{{divbox|#93CCEA||'''Marginilia:''' Tch. Now I'm just sounding bitchy. I'd better put my quill aside for a while. }}

{{divbox|#ffe||'''From Mortimer's Journal:''' I have informed Dramus that I wish to speak with Lord Carzon concerning the current situation, but have not fully informed him of my intent as I am concerned that he may react unfavourably. I plan to request of Lord Carzon that he extend his patronage to those inhabitants of Nightmare Carzala that we postulate were created, albeit inadvertently, by Princess Ozma during her poisoned banapple slumber, and that by topographical manipulation he relocate them from Oz-inside (of Dramus's tower) to Oz-outside, so that they may continue their existence, and perhaps, given the creative and unusual atmosphere of Oz, realise a full reality.

I believe that some of the others may be supportive of protecting and relocating the New Seagate-ites, Clarissa in particular expressed concerns about dismissing their plight based merely on their notional origins. Tari and TDP could, I feel, be talked into agreeing, and Kern... can no doubt be distracted with something shiny.

I find it troubling that with Dramus's level of philosophical understanding he seems unconcerned by their fate, and indeed even desirous of their destruction, as though their artificial origins are more relevant than their current apparent self awareness and sentience. This appears to me somewhat at odds with my previous observations of his beliefs and moral leanings, and adds further anxiety to my concerns regarding his mental state, although, due to his well known phobia, the existence of the Seagate Arachnids Guild may be exerting a serious unconscious pressure on him. Teanna appears to share his callous attitude towards the beings, and while this may be understandable given her shallow interests and lack of education, it does make me wonder if Dramus's mind may be being unduly influenced by their mental link. }}

Here began the tiki tour of the witches. First up is X the witch of the South. Who mentions that once in her territory (and similarly in the North) saying her name alerts her to our presence ans she comes to meet us. She give us a kiss on the cheek blessing which will absorb the next 5 curses cast on us.

Then the X the WWOE, an expert of alchemy, where we had tea and scones. Dramus & Mortimer presented her with a sample of the gloop from the 'lakel the undead had been spraying around. She dips one finger into it and then tastes it, saying its not something she's come across before. She agrees to make us something to help combat the undead and we agree to come back later that afternoon to do so.

Mortimer wants to visit Lord Carzon, but Dramus doesn't want to interrupt the man, and says we wait until we have actually achieved something and have something worthwhile to report.

So we head North to visit X, the witch of Life & earth stuff. We are flying in, and a flock of birds surround us, so we land and then are transported underground to a huge cave filled with glow worms - the land of the Illums. We chat, and she prepares us some tea that prevents damage from earth. Also an ablative protection against damage from undead.

Samples of the undead gloop and the bloody water from 'Seagate' are presented to her. She abhors the undead gloop, stating it is the antithesis of her and all she stands for. Tari muses on what could create something like this - perhaps it realtes to the Oz inversion she expereinced a few years back, where good turn to evil etc. X does eggs us onto trying the truth pond water on the gloop, and it all turns to normal water. This led TDP onto discussing with her where clouds get the rain from, and her suggesting she ask the clouds to help her by helping us. Apparently the clouds spend all day chatting amongst themselves and gathering up water from the land, then during the night they rain. When clouds start to argue amongst themselves storms happen. If the clouds could be persuaded to only gather water from the truth pond, then TDP could get them raining truthwater - as long it is on OZ, and Dramus' tower is still part Oz. She transports us as leaves to spend the night at Loonville, Dramus' tower point next to the Termites, and arranges to meet us in the morning. Clarissa sends a message to WOE apologising for our delay in return.

Next Day

We meet 20 clouds, and everyone but the pair of Fae can communicate with them with their magic. TDP takes charge of them, explaing the mission. They are very fired up, and have disputes as to which ten shall be the ones to go. The clouds tend toward bickering very easily which potentially leads to storms; care is need to keep them focussed. They demonstrate that 10 clouds can merge together to become one storm. We tell them to hold off until we get to the undead tower area. Mortimer zips back to WWOE and returns with a basket half filled with scones, and 5 green tipped stick and 5 red tipped stick each. which does something or rather I can't recall anymore....

===Tower Offense===

Having planted the three Earth Elemental's nearby, we swoop on the undead health spa, Mortimer knocking bits off the Tower with Earth Tremors and TDP sluicing the village and the lake with a Rain Storm drawn from the Truth pond. The Truth water doesn't seem to affect the village or those leaving the Tower, but the Lake starts to boil and steam impressively.

We land around the local Earth Elemental while our own three start to advance from the tree-line. We hammer it and it mimes punching us as slowly as it can, before being banished by TDPs specialised weapons. From there we move towards the figures drifting from the tower, but our view is soon obscured by a think mist of Noxious Vapours. We advance, shoulder to shoulder, while our Vapour
Breathing spells allow us to retain our composure and focus. Lightning and Phantasms leap forth to the obscured targets, and Agony, both undead focused and regular, wash across the field of battle.

Kern spies a ring of Runes between us and the misty figures, and a second Lightning Bolt splashes up the side of an invisible dome following the curve of the ring. Some experimentation proves that they have Forbidden magic from entering the ring. Between that, the low visibility, and the Agony the fight is quite a slog. Blackfire, Hellfire, and Spectral Warriors all make an appearance
multiple times. Here are some glimpses I saw in the confusion;

* Mortimer stayed aloft, directing us through the mist and raking the undead with Hellfire.

* TDP traded blows with a burly undead Wraith Lord, dual-wielding and throwing scimitars, before crippling his arm and sending him fleeing into the Tower. There he regenerates his arm from a barrel of ooze, but is felled by Kern and Teeanna.

* Kern battles the Wight Knight, along with random Wraiths, and soaks up more undeath draining than the rest of the party combined, before charging into the Tower after the Wraith Lord, after the Wight Knight flees by sinking into the ground. He is hotly pursued by the largest Earth Elemental, who makes a path for TDP into the chambers below the Tower, but he joins with this master.

* Teeanna weaves through a protective screen of Hands of Earth, casting Phantasms all the while, flanks a Wraith for quick backstab, before she charges into the Tower immediately after Kern. Very courageous efforts.

* Dramus keeps pouring Endurance Damage onto the major opponents via his Battle Leaven and exchanges the odd Spectral Warrior with the Greater Spectre.

* Tari and I hold the Wraiths at the middle of the line, largely struggling to connect with the little beggars slowed down as we are by the Agony. This at least keeps them occupied while Mortimer mops them up.

At the end, the Wight Knight and Greater Spectre merge with ground and flee, but the rest have fallen and we find the following things lying around.

* A pair of twinned, returning Scimitars.

* A amulet that provides ablative damage protection.

* A crystal of duplication that provides multiple effect in place of double and triples.

* A whip of celestial darkness that wraps targets in a web.

* 6 Un-restoratives. Probably not good for you.

Checking out the dungeon we find a sick and malnourished elf, resembling the famous Feyan, unconscious and shackled in manacles of darkness. Mortimer ramps up his light spell and the manacles shatter and the healers descend on him. While he's declared safe to be transported, we investigate the doorway in the Tower, which leads to an unremarkable spot in some woods. It quickly transpires that it's on "actual-Alusia" and a spot near Dramus cottage south of the Sweet Riding, explaining how they got in the first time.

We dig out the luggage with the Earth Elementals and ponder our next move. The usual disagreement between whether we should immediately chase the foe down or genocidally rain on the Arachnid Adventurer's parade while we still have clouds bulging to do it is put to bed by locates telling us that the fleeing Undead have gone though the portal. We figure from the direction that they are heading to the portal from the "Haven-esque" room, so they must have been travelling at a great speed.

We fly north and when we get to the "guild", both it and the attendant village have vanished, so we have to clean up the "Bloodwater" a little before before releasing the clouds on the other side of the faux-Seagate door into Loonvile. While we are there briefly, Mortimer spots what looks remarkably like a votive offering to a skinny, elven figure comprised of flies, bugs, and lizards. Dramus somehow fails to notice this development.

<div class=dramus style="background-color: #EEEEEE; font-family: Gothic, cursive; border: thin solid #333; ">
'''Notes from Tobias Pendleton, Scribe to Lord Dramus:'''While assisting my Master later that day I can without breaking confidence report that the votive offerings were indeed noticed by my Master and were of some concern. However as any gentleman knows (and ladies now I have informed Miss Clarissa) it is not done to discuss ones potential worshippers in public, particularly not in mixed company. </div>

===In"terror"ior Redecorating===

Back at the Guild, Feyan is declared to be need of nourishment and rest and that we shouldn't bother him for a bit, so Mortimer invites us to lunch at his Brastor homestead. His wife, Petal, declares that we are also in need of nourishment and nigh attempts to kill us with food and hospitality. I also remember a few mad conversations about how the crops of steam engines are coming along and pressing Cuckoos for oil, but that may have been a pastry-induced hallucination.

After we return to the Guild, Feyan is able to answer a few questions and says that he was innocently picking innocent herbs, saw a tiny out-of-the-way cottage, and decided to check it out. Beyond that he was mind controlled, drained, and tortured for three weeks, so he isn't able to give us much about the plans the Undead have. Dramus stars putting the hours to wrest control of the "Frontiers" room back, over the course of two nights closes the door between the room and Alusia and them shrinks it down until it's two exits of the "Haven-esque" room; the portal entrance from under the Arachnid Guild and the door South of the ruby waters, are the pinched waist of an hourglass directly facing each other. This should mean that if they decide to leave via one they will simply loop out the other and should slow down any counter-invasion.

After a night's rest, we prepare to tackle the desolate looking city via the door in the cliff face. We enter the antechamber that used to the "Frontiers" room and is now just 40' across, but it's clear the Undead have been busy. Telepathy, Empathy and Wizard's Eye are able to percolate through the door, and show us that they have surrounded the door in a sort of reverse fortification and we face the following.

* 4 Ghasts

* 4 Wights

* 3 Unfamiliar things, clinging to the cliff face.

* 2 Werewolf resembling things,

* 1 Ominous blue glow.

Given that everyone else resists one spell and then I resist a control person, all bets are on the glow being a Vampire or worse. Mortimer hands me a Mind cloak potion to save me from assaulting fellow party members and we ready to roll through the door and drop the fortifications with Tunnelings when most of us are slammed into the far wall by a TK Rage.

Definitely a Vampire.

The little fort is really a bird cage to stop us flying through easily and a raised ledge for the Undead to attack us from. Some spells like TDP's Sleep and Slow, and Teanna's Phantasms are able to leak between "room" though the aperture of the door the but we are going to have to rush them at some point, and they are waiting for it. A stone wall go up closer to the door, thanks to Kern and Tari, to hold us up against further TK Rages. I stand immediately behind the door, hoping to blunt any counter-rushes before we are set up.

Outside, there has been a strange development. The Wight and Ghasts have been badly affected by Undead Agony, Phantasm and hails of E&E spells, but one splits/explodes and a dashing figure, later identified as the "Dark Knight", appears. He is on Telepathy initially, and seems slightly surprised, as if he was summoned unexpectedly, but composed. He immediately starts making a nuisance of himself by reaching into the Undead and removing the spell effects that have placed on them. He also seem to be able to deflect spells onto nearby minions, which is extremely aggravating.

More spells are exchanged for a time, but when I get zapped thought he with a Disruption the nescessity to keep the upper hand is underlined. The line of sight and the ground on other side of the door has been badly constrained with Stone and Force(?) Walls, those have been undercut with Tunnelings, and Mortimer has been angling Earth Tremors through the other side, so an immediate rush seems unwise. Kern tries his luck and falls at the first hurdle.

A moment later, he is set upon by horrific skin creatures who try and envelop him. I lean far enough out the door to grab his foot and haul him back in, along with his new friends, which are trying to crawl under his skin. They are completely resistant to unarmed attacks, so I tear one off and dowse me and it in Greek Fire. Tari cleaves the other as it is held up for her, and Teanna unleashes a frightening Gargoyle to leap through the open door and join the fray.

The "Flensling" skin creatures keep a couple of us occupied for a time, my "curse charm" boxes soaking up several nasty somethings as I put mine down. Teeana Phantasms the third one as Dramus heals Kern. We then seize the initiative back when Mortimer Fire Arcs himself, Dramus, TDP, and Kern up to the left ledge and Kern and TDP hose down the majority of the creatures with Dragonflames investeds. At that time the weakened and trembling structure starts to peel away from the cliff.

The Dark Knight and the Vampire Lord fly off in separate directions, the latter pursued by Mortimer, bearing Dramus along. Tripled Hellfire blows and Dramus' Battle Leaven cause the Vampire Lord some suffering, the Dark Knight swaps places with him. Determine to stop the foe that can't bleed damage off to random passers-by, they double back to the Vampire Lords new flight path and continue the attack as he draws closer to the haunted, boarded-up city and escape. This happened two more times, but finally the Vampire exploded in an unsavoury cloud. The Dark Knight simply salutes and flies off and Mortimer and Dramus return, fatigued and triumphant, to the party.

We've been quickly checking the pile of rubble that remains of the fort/birdcage at the bottom of the cliff, but the rising tumult from the haunted city convinces Dramus to retreat to the safety of the tower, seal the door to this room together, and consider further schemes.

===Future Plans===

==Loot==

== Additional Information ==

Talk:The Rights of Spring

2008-11-01T22:26:49Z

Cosmo: No game on 04/11/2008

So you're saying that there is a good chance of being paid to hit beanpoles? - [[WordSmith]]

I would think that hitting of beanpoles would mean that we'd failed (to some greater or lesser degree) [[User:NeonGraal|Struan]] 19:31, 11 Sep 2008 (NZST)

No game this tuesday the 7th of October, the GM is still very sick and you would just be confused if he tried to mime everything. = William

===Cancellation for Tuesday 4th of November===
No game on Tuesday the 4th to GM employment. Resuming as usual the following week.

Speaking of the date, I think we are actually up to the 16th or 17th when the Erelheine were going to arrive. Can the scribe confirm?

Black Watch Chronicles II: The Absent Physician

2008-03-25T10:19:46Z

Cosmo: /* Optional Blessing*/

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category:Ben Taberner]][[Category:Scribe Notes]]
The second in a [[Black Watch Chronicles|series]] of adventures involving the Black Watch. 
[[Scribe_Notes#Winter_807_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
= Summary =
'''Adventure''': The Absent Physician 
'''GM''': [[:Category:Ben Taberner|Ben Taberner]] 
'''Session''': [[Spring]] 807 wk 
'''Night''': Wednesday at Chez Ellis 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Low]] 
; Party

# [[Lyric]] - Young Female Dwarven Enchantress played by [[:Category:Michelle Ellis|Michelle Ellis]]
# [[Kirgoth]] - A male Orc played by Noel.
# [[Ibrihim]] - An Air Mage played by [[Andrew Withy]]
# [[Teeanna]] - A [[Asheth|Fae Princess]] and [[:Category:Mind Mage|Mind Mage]] played by [[User:Hannah|Hannah]]
# [[Jules]] - A new E&E played by Barnaby.
# {{:Peter Signup}}
Adventure Full

; Employer
: Senior Sergeant Antaeus Albrecht.
; Mission
: To recover the missing Healer Milo.
; Pay
: Guild rates.

=Adventure notes=
== Lyric Scribe Notes ==
Official Record

==='''Day of Guild meeting - 1st Thaw 807'''===

Peter, Kirgoth and some new people I hadnâ€™t met before have been hired by a guy called Albrecht. They have lost a guard called Milo, about two months ago. He just didnâ€™t return for duty one day. They donâ€™t want to tell anybody because he would be counted as AWOL but because he is a nice guy and a healer and stuff they wanted to use us so he isnâ€™t â€œofficiallyâ€ missing as we are outsiders. We went to the castle in [[Seagate]] in Teeannaâ€™s carriage which was really nice and much more comfortable than riding or walking and Albrecht was very chatty and told me lots about his family and life and things so that passed the time really well. Well we arrived at the castle and met Lief Pike who knew about Milo but he is a paperpusher now that he is injured and to fix bone is to expensive he said and cause Kirgorth canâ€™t fix it either he had to walk with a walking stick. He took us to look at where Milo lived and other than Ibrihim wanting to dig up the floor talking about hidden churches inside churches and stuff??? we didnâ€™t find much in Miloâ€™s stuff other than a couple of letters that he received from family but nothing exciting or anything like that. So we went to visit the Father Tanner at the castle church. He said Milo came to church sometimes and that Milo was better than he was. Donâ€™t know what he meant by that but I thought senior religious people like a Father should be good so him thinking Milo was better was confusing, is Milo a bishop or whatever they are called to be better than a father? Oh well, he said that Milo would go around the slum areas of Old Seagate fixing prostitutes and crazy people and people who cannot afford healing and things and was liked and nobody would want to hurt him but didnâ€™t know why he hadnâ€™t come back. So we decided that we had spent enough time at the castle and that we should go down to [[Old Seagate]] because Kirgoth knew some really good places we might be able to find people that know Milo. On the way there Ibrihim was talking about how you pay with camels in his country and you get change of wives and children? I think Ibrihim is strange because family should be more important than camels, if [[Mavric]] was given as change for purchasing grain or something it would be very strange but funny and I could tease her about it but if you are going to get wives as change I donâ€™t think I want to go there and he also talks about washing with sand and why would you want to use water and stuff. He is very strange. Well we went and talked to some guys that hang around entry to buildings and they know Milo, havenâ€™t seen him for a while but remembered he would visit once a week or so and that he doesnâ€™t take payment in kind for services which I am not sure I understand that but I am sure the others do. Peter asked if we could help anybody who was sick cause Milo hadnâ€™t been around and one of the guards told us that we should talk to a girl called Molly because she needed help. We then went to a pub where we were told Molly would be and the beer was really really awful, mum would not be impressed at all, and we found Molly and she was really weird, Peter said she was sick and he prayed with her and she seemed better after. But the praying went for so long it gave time to Kirgoth to meet some girls and make weird noises with them and for us to pass the time drinking yucky beer! Peter needs to warn us before praying so we can be better organised so we arenâ€™t bored sitting around next time.

Well we went out into the street and discussed our next course of action. Do we use Peter as bait? Do we think cultists have captured Milo or is it mob related or tricked him or has he run off to help brothers in arms? We donâ€™t know but talking in the street may not be the best idea. Even though there is only a pie seller around you can never be too sure.

We decided that we should find somewhere to get some lunch, as Teenna was complaining that we had been doing so much this morning that we really must sit down and eat but then she buys all the Pie Manâ€™s pies and the cart and everything and we have so much food we need to give it away. Lucky we are in [[Old Seagate]] cause there are lots and lots of hungry people but there is much more walking to do now as Peter wants to be sure that we give the pies to the really hungry people and they donâ€™t seem to be able to come to us. I donâ€™t think Teenna is happy about the extra walking and missing out on the weird green drink that she drinks but hey she brought them. During handing out the pies Ibrihim and Kirgoth disappeared. When they came back Ibrihim said that he followed a guy that was holding a pie like it was an idol from a church, however you do that! He thought that obviously he was part of a pie cult and was delivering the pie to the Pie Devil. Ibrihim is a very odd human, I am glad he isnâ€™t the party leader because I think he would be having us chase every hungry person looking for some sort of demon or digging up every church looking for hidden rooms or caves and stuff. We talked him out of tearing up the city and Kirgoth explained he thought the guy was probably taking the pie to a mob boss or something like that. While we were talking a boy was watching us and giving us way to much attention. I decided to check out what he was doing and make sure he wasnâ€™t dodgy or something. He was there to make sure we werenâ€™t dodgy. It works out that he is a message runner for a senior healer and he wanted to make sure werenâ€™t causing problems. He seemed to be happy that we were guild members and not causing trouble but the boy was very sneaky with what he would say about who he worked for but Ibrihim guessed it was [[Phaeton]], whoever that is, and the boy was surprised we guessed but was OK with that.

The Pie Man left and Peter followed. When Peter came back he said the pie man was a bit odd like Molly was, and was confused as he said he was returning to the barracks but went to a bakery. Since when is a bakery a barracks, oh I donâ€™t know.

Well, Teenna and Ibrihim were both complaining they were hungry now that we had given away all the pies and they wanted somewhere to sit down. So we found a tavern called Hogs End which is near the meat works so it was a bit stinky around the outside but OK on the inside. The bar tender was really weird, he made us sit by height which was unfair as I was obviously the shortest and he must be a heightest person. Teeanna didnâ€™t like it either because she would have to sit next to Kirgoth and he has lots of armour. Peter held the guys hand which the bar tender wasnâ€™t very keen on but Peter was only checking him out and he found that the bar tender was OK but Ibrihim wasnâ€™t convinced so he decided to check to and he said that the guys soul seemed like it was being poked with a stick. That doesnâ€™t sound pleasant. But talking about unpleasant, we discussed what prostitutes do, they get paid for sex!!! Ekk and no only that they are having sex without making babies. Teenna says it is for fun and a job to make money but I donâ€™t know, you are supposed to make babies to extend the family line and there are lots of other jobs you can do rather than that. No wonder [[Bodric]] and [[Henric]] donâ€™t like me hanging around elves if they think sex is supposed to be fun and not to make babies. [[Jazmyn]] doesnâ€™t always go on about sex, I will have to chat to her about it when I next see her, maybe because she is from Ice Fall it is different? They kept talking about herbs to stop making babies or if a baby is made other herbs to stop it. I canâ€™t understand why Peter is OK with this, I thought all religious people like babies so if these girls that we are helping are killing babies he canâ€™t be to happy, nor can his lady see this as righteous or whatever Peter is saying he is looking for. Peter does seem a little flustered and red during our discussion so obviously he isnâ€™t too sure as to his ladies ideas on this so I will have to ask he more later and maybe he needs to research what she thinks if he doesnâ€™t know but I am sure she wouldnâ€™t be happy. I wonder if this is why mum and dad donâ€™t like magic nor us being away from home much because it isnâ€™t something she talked to me about. I will have to talk to [[Mavric]] as she is older maybe she knows?

We started this discussion in the pub but continued it when we were out and about. We decided to go outside the gates to see if anybody out there seem to be weird. Peter and Kirgoth and Ibrihim checked over some of the people and other than being unwell there was no weirdness here. We found that none of the people outside were any weirder than normal homeless people and because it was getting late we decided to go back to some of the brothels (which by the way is where prostitutes work!!) because this is when they are busy and more of the prostitutes that Milo used to help would be around. It seems like fun, non-baby making sex only happens at night. Unlessâ€¦ Oh gross, that might have been what Kirgoth was up to earlier today, that is disgusting. Obviously it isnâ€™t only at night ! We went back to the Soiled Dove which is the brothel that we got some help from earlier. All the girls were in and Peter and Kirgoth and Ibrihim check them out to see if they were weird, and none where. So we went along the route the guard on the door thought Milo used to follow. At the next place, when the guys were looking at the girls and Teeanna said that she noticed a mind that was crazy, like it was sparking all over the place. Teeanna had some mind reading thingy on and she had noticed this mind run past so we ran out to follow it and it was Molly again. She was weird again.

After calming her down she so we could talk she remembers Milo and that he was nice and looked after her and he meant her no harm, unlike birds that hurt her when she was younger and she seemed really upset about birds. Kirgoth calms her down so that she isnâ€™t so crazy. Cause we canâ€™t do much more we need to go to the guild and get her checked out. The guild DAâ€™s her and it isnâ€™t a curse and whatever is causing the problem isnâ€™t here. Does that mean not here as in location or as in this world!!! So a divination is ordered. Divinations take so long so Molly is put to sleep by Kirgoth. The others go off and pray or go home or go to sleep but Kirgoth and I stay and talk and talk while the guy is doing the divination. At one stage he stops the divination and shhhs us so we are quiet and I notice Kirgoth is asleep so we are quiet for a while. Once he finishes the divination it is found that she is living near or with a presence that perverts the healthy mind but minds that are already broken are more suscepible. So Mollyâ€™s bird dreams are obviously the problem. The divinator thinks it is an artifact and that she has been infected for around a year and it gets worse and worse over time. And oh my goodness, Molly woke up and she screamed and screamed and screamed. Gee she is really loud, so I cast charm and tell her that I am her friend and goes on about crows and rooks and hering building nests in her dreams !!! It is very strange, I think Kirgoth is going to have to help calm her too as she sees me as a friend and everything is alright but I donâ€™t think she will believe that for too long. I really should have gotten some sleep instead of watching the divination, maybe I will get some now or I will just to wait until we catch up with the others in the morning.

==='''2nd Thaw'''===

In the morning the group except for Teeanna catch up for breakfast and guild security visits us and palms off a newby to us called Jules. He is 5 sisters trader (later we find out he is also an E&Eâ€¦ wonder what he can do). Ibrihim seems very excited about Jules joining donâ€™t know why but I assume it is something to do with his 5 sisters??? Kirgoth and I explain what happened to Molly and what the divination said and I explained that Molly woke up screaming and screaming about birds in her dreams and stuff so Peter organises a room for Molly to stay with at the Guild but we have to go to her house which is near Bluegate near where she works. We decide its time to go and get Teeanna from her house. Teeannaâ€™s house is very strange. You go through the front door in to a little room then into another door and wow it is a really big house, much bigger than the outside. I even went outside to check. Peter went outside too and didnâ€™t return I am not sure why. But a goblin thing let us in to the big part of the house and I know I should be suspicious but he said Lady Teeanna would be with us soon and if he looks after Teeanna he canâ€™t be a bad goblin or anything but I should have know Teeanna wouldnâ€™t be with us â€œsoonâ€ she took ages but I got to have a bit of a look around the house, I think it would take me ages to find my way around and there are sooooo many doors and rooms to check out and I didnâ€™t get a chance to check any of them really so hopefully we can come back and she can show us around cause I would like to know how they hide the rooms from the outside.

We start to head down to Mollyâ€™s house but Teeanna has to change money so that she doesnâ€™t buy more pie carts so Ibrihim gets the money changed and Teeanna gets Ibrihim to carry it for her as it is too heavy for her, I would carry if for her as well but obviously she prefers Ibrihim as her servant, hehehehe. And at Mollyâ€™s house we meet an old lady who seems to be in charge of the building if you can say it is a building that Molly lives in and she says that Molly arrived about a year ago and has always had bad dreams and was really incoherent there for a while but she has been better of lately. Better, geez I would hate to have seen bad. And the old lady said a girl called Susie liked Milo but Milo hadnâ€™t liked her and maybe we might want to talk to her too. So we go up to Mollyâ€™s room but Ibrihim was already up there. The room seems like somebody has robbed it but Ibrihim says it was like this before he got here but Iâ€™m not so sure, maybe he is looking for another demon or something. Maybe a ribbon demon because Molly has all these ribbons all pinned up in a different order that doesnâ€™t make sense. Ibrihim decides he is going to cast some air magics. See he is an air mage rather than a storm mage, now I understand why Ibrihim is so weird.

Because Ibrihimâ€™s magics is going to take a while and he is going to be sitting on the roof, we leave Jules to take care of him and Peter and Kirgoth goes and talks to people in the street and Teeanna and I go and talk to Susie. Susie is a nice girl but I think she is a prostitute too. She is very chatty and talks about how she did like Milo but he didnâ€™t like her even though she would have if he wanted too which I think she was talking about sex but I am not sure. Poor thing she seems very upset he didnâ€™t like her, but oh well, she seems to like Teeanna and me so she tells us that the last time she saw Milo he was wearing a flowy ring which she new was magically because she has seen others wear similar things before they explodeâ€¦ Donâ€™t know if I want a ring that will explode, glad we have the guild to confirm what the things we have areâ€¦ I suppose paying some taxes are OK, only OK though.

We find that Ibrihim has had problems with his magics, the air isnâ€™t right today, he says that he should have realised it before starting but I think he just wanted to have a rest while checking out the view from the top of the building while the rest of us work, either that or he failed and needs to practice more, just like the rest of us mages I suppose. Jules collects up all of Mollyâ€™s valuables or things she might need while staying at the guild so we can give her when we go back next but we are going back to the pub with the weird guy to see which order he puts us in this time. On the way to the pub we talk to the town guard about the problems the abattoir and find that some kids had been killed but the story didnâ€™t match the timings for what we were doing so we donâ€™t need to look into that being related to the artifact . The town guard man says the bar tenders name is Mitch and that he has always liked putting things in order but got really bad but has gotten better. Mitch seems to be part of the entertainment at the pub, either that or he turns you off going there. Bad for business but when we get back to the pub Mitch isnâ€™t so bossy today about what order to put us in. He doesnâ€™t seem to like Peter that much I donâ€™t know why because Peter is nice enough even if a bit of a nutter when it comes to religion but nothing that a crazy bar tender should have a problem with.

Kirgoth talks about Mollyâ€™s dreams again and he said that she said that men with birds heads where building nests in her dreams, I thought it was just birds. This seems to interest Peter greatly and starts going on about demons and how he needs to go to his church library to find out about them. I think Ibrihim is happy we might actually have something to do with demons after all. As long as we donâ€™t find out that there really is a Pie Demon because then he might not be as weird as I think he is, nah he is just as weird.

Peter goes off to see the library and Kirgoth and I go off to the docks to see if Milo tried to leave. Not sure what the others are up to but we will look for them later. Kirgoth and I talk to the Harbour Master and find that he remembers Milo asking about a boat to Noverdom around 6th snow and that he needed to go fast and that there wasnâ€™t any boats at the time so he didnâ€™t go on a boat and Kirgoth asked if he remembered him wearing a ring and he said no. I cast locate so that we can try and find the others which we do find them and the others have been looking into the wavy ring and found that Mr Haverstone of [[New Seagate]] makes them and they are celestial magics, normally wings and Peter said he researched the demons and found some possibilities because people could get herons mixed up with cranes and stuff so we might have something. He talks about Marquis demons or Marquis of Discord. He thinks the best option is [[Andras]] as he has a head of a raven so could be making Molly have nightmares. But he also found out about other Marquis which might be of interest of them [[Agares]], [[Decarabia]], [[Naberius]], [[Raum]] and [[Stolas]] but with Peter finding out all these demons and Ibrihim

We go and visit Mr Haverstone and he sold a Rank 6, 120 odd miles wings for Milo on the morning of 7th snow. He said that Milo seemed nervous looking over his shoulder and that he had now pack but was dressed for travel. He paid with a big bag of coins, mainly silver. The others question Mr Haverstone on how come he didnâ€™t think it was strange that somebody would pay with so much silver but I think if that is all heâ€™s got that is all he can pay with but then the real question is if Milo didnâ€™t have a ring on 6th Snow but did early 7th snow, when did Susie see him so we go and find Susie and find out that she saw him on the street heading down towards the fishing dock so we thought that we should talk to the fishing fleet. At the docks the fisherman were not very nice when asked questions about Milo and getting a boat so Ibrihim tried to listen into conversations without getting into troubleâ€¦ he heard things like â€œthat lotâ€ and rags and stuff and they sounded like they didnâ€™t like â€œthat lotâ€ and felt that they were better than them so we had to figure out what is lower than a fishermen??? Ibrihim thought it might be the people who eat fish guts??? so he decided to talk to seagulls and find out who eats fish guts and he flapped his wings and talked strangely and running down the street, luckily Jules is fast and followed him. Ibrihim said that the seagull said that the fish gut humans would eat birds too if they werenâ€™t fast and that they live down alleys and something about lots of birds to come back and attack them because they eat the fish guts that the seagulls want to eatâ€¦. Ekkk. But I think we will need to talk to them because they might have helped Milo.

Ibrihim organises for Peter to take Teeanna and I for dinner. He goes on about things being culturally sensitive , how is he culturally aware he isnâ€™t from around Seagate eitherâ€¦. Anyways Ibrihim, Kirgoth and Jules go down the alleyway while we wait for them in a inn and thankfully Peter didnâ€™t hold hands with anybody here to see if they were OK because I donâ€™t think these people would take well to it. But Jules come back later to collect us with an old guy in rags called Tom. They say that he is taking us to see an important man so they take us down some alleyways. Canâ€™t be too important if you live in alleys piled high with rubbish and it looks like people live in the rubbish. Geez donâ€™t they know that caves are so much nicer to live in, yes take longer to build but much sturdier and provides good protection from the weather but I suppose it is a little far away from their workplaces but maybe they donâ€™t work so they will have lots of time to dig out caves. But somewhere along the way we lost Jules, but it seems that he has hung back because he thought some people were following us and Peter said it was OK. When we arrived we got taken into an upside down boat and there was lots of people in there all sitting around the edges, it was very strange and the guy that seem to be in charge â€œLordâ€ of the docks seems to have been expecting us and thought we were very kind that we had given out food and seemed to specifically want to talk to Teeanna but first he talked to Peter about Milo. It seems that Milo had been visiting the docks helping people for quite a while and that he helped lots of people that would otherwise not have gotten help so they are worried that he is missing too. He said that Milo was looking for a cure to what was making people sick, crazy in the head. Milo and the Lord had talked about it quite a while ago but he thinks that some vandalism that happened near the Bluegate caused Milo to leave. A inn sign called Mothers Lement was stolen and a guy named Claude found it in a side street and gave it back and the Town Keeper had him flogged. People fought and there was lots of town disturbance over nothing in particular. Milo was really worried about this and as Milo had told the Lord that he thought he had a solution to the problem and that it was something to do with the Dark Circle. Ekkkkk I thought that was all gone now. And even worse the Lord thinks that Milo walked to the Dark Circle or maybe his mum and dads near Brastor but WALK!!! He was sesen walking over the bridge with his pack and travel gear and late in the day not the time of day for a long walkâ€¦ But we know different with his ring !!!

But then the Lord said that he wanted to thank Teeanna for all the food she gave out and that she has to be careful because people were worried that she was moving in by pimping the dwarf boyâ€¦ I was shocked and I want this for the recordâ€¦ I AM NOT A PROSTITUTE, TEEANNA IS NOT MY PIMP AND I AM A GIRL DWARF NOT A BOY. I am not a prostitute, I was very upset that people thought I would have sex for money, nor do I think Teeanna is keen in taking up that sort of business. So as we left, Jules arrived and told us that he thought people were gathering and it looked like trouble so Peter put his plate armour on, when the party leader and military scientist is doing that I think we are in for a fight and we were. We were running along the alleyway to get back into the walls of Seagate, I donâ€™t know if anybody knew where we were but all of a sudden while running Kirgoth stopped and it looks like somebody stood in his way with a weapon so he hit them and hit them well and the guy was really injured and somebody else was yelling for people to come to us so they were looking for us which wasnâ€™t good. When Kirgoth started off again Peter held back to pray over him, I donâ€™t think we really had time for that but as he is fast he was back with us quickly which was lucky because there were lots of people who were there to hurt us and they had clubs and swords and even people with bows but we fought well with a number of deaths which Peter seems upset about but hey they were aiming to hurt us and Teeanna seems to be casting something that makes people scream and run away and lighting bolts and stuff so I will have to ask her about that and see if [[Henric]] can do it too as it seems very effective. Teeanna yelled out about people screaming about a bear and that she can sense a bear but we are in Seagate and there arenâ€™t bears here so I thought I must have heard wrong and as we were winning the fight, some people started running away as we fought awesomely and then there really was a bear so more people ran away too but I am not sure what we are going to do as the bear is on the side that we had basically cleared of the bad people but the otherside still has people there so we are in the middle.

And then Peter ran at the bear and so I thought I should follow him and make sure he is alright as the guy I was fighting fell down but I thought Peter must of frightened the bear because it put down the person it was hugging and then sat downâ€¦ Geez it sat down! so I figured it must be a werebear! So I kept asking it if it is a werebear, hey are you a werebear, hello talk to me are you a werebear. The others didnâ€™t seem to believe me as I was the only person asking even though Kirgoth and I have met a werebear before and yes he didnâ€™t talk either as he had been in a bear form to long but he was a werebear and guess what, I was right he was a werebear it turned into [[Kilroy]]. I hadnâ€™t seen [[Kilroy]] since we went and saved Cob and Peter and [[Kilroy]] says he isnâ€™t a werebear but has a spell that can change him into a bear, wow I want to learn that but I think that is more of a [[Bodric]] spell and all. And so I talked and talked to [[Kilroy]] telling him about all the exciting things I have been doing and he seemed impressed and I asked about where his big bird was and since when can he be a bear and why didn't he show us before and then the town guard turned up and I noticed that Peter, Jules and Teeanna had all left and it was only Kirgoth and Ibrihim left. I donâ€™t understand why they left because we were only safe because we had fought some of the bad guys and the bear had scared off the others, I didnâ€™t think it was safe to leave in small groups yet but as the Town Guard turned up to arrest the people that Ibrihim and Kirgoth were holding and Kirgoth was wanting to making sure they got charged with all sorts of things and stuff that we should go. So as we were heading off I said thanks and good bye to [[Kilroy]] and said thanks for everybody else too as they hadnâ€™t said much to [[Kilroy]] but then we had so much to catch up on so maybe they didnâ€™t want to interrupt our conversation I donâ€™t know. I was told that we were to meet at Teeannaâ€™s house for breakfast at 9 am so that is were we met the next day.

==='''3rd Thaw'''===

We all met at Teeannaâ€™s and have a lovely breakfast but then Teeanna frightens me, she is in armour. Oh my goodness this makes me very worried as I donâ€™t know what we are doing today that is expected to be more dangerous than the fight from yesterday so after breakfast we go to see the arrested baddies from last night and Ibrihim keeps going on about torture not being allowed around these parts and I am not sure what he means by that but Kirgoth and Ibrihim talk to the baddies and they give us lots of useful information about why they were fighting us. The baddies either work for Sloakam or Mr Ketch or Mad Abbey and they were sent out because they were worried that an Elf was moving into prostitution in the area and they wanted to frighten us off, and Kirgoth doesnâ€™t seem to think that they were only trying to frighten us as they had bowman and stuff trying to get us and that is a bit more serious than frighten and I just donâ€™t get it why do they think that a dwarf GIRL walking around with a WAR HAMMER is a PROSTITUTE!! I AM NOT A PROSTITUTE. I think they know that now and will hopefully leave us alone. We hand over all sorts of information to the town guards that the baddies gave us and hope that they will arrest Sloakam, Mr Ketch and Mad Abbey for attempted murder amongst other things too.

The next thing the others want to do is talk to money lenders about if they would have given the money to Milo for his ring and they say no but talked strangely which sounded like some of them might have as he was nice and part of the army and stuff but were very strange way of talking to say that.

Now we are talking about going to [[Brastor]] or So-so-east to see Miloâ€™s family. Peter seems to want to go to [[Brastor]] but we want to make sure if Milo went to see his parents for help or not. So it is So-so-east and Ibrihim talks to his sorceress who is going to cast a spell to let us fly. Peter says he is staying here but I donâ€™t care, I am going to fly, fly outside the lessons at the guild about landing and stuff, this is why I joined the guild after [[Bodric]] was captured and the guild saved him and brought them back and he flew and stuff and it sounded all very cool and here now is the first time I can really fly and even better Ibrihim is casting something called feather fall which makes landing much softer so we summoned the wind which sounds very strange but when it arrives we are flying WE ARE FLYING, flying flying flying this is so amazingly cool and I yell to the others about how exciting it is and I canâ€™t tell if they can hear me as it is so noisy and everybody is flying apart but I donâ€™t care I am so excited that I talk and talk and talk about how exciting it is and fun and stuff and then we arrive and it didnâ€™t seem long enough, I could have flown for hours and hours but it seems that we only have the wind for 9 hours !!! 9 hours I could fly for that long no problem so why are we here again, oh thatâ€™s right we are here to see Miloâ€™s family. So while walking in the fields we come across a boy and a girl rolling around in the grass playing wrestling and they tell us that Miloâ€™s family is in town and we move on but I donâ€™t know why the others didnâ€™t ask them which house they lived in and stuff, maybe not having Peter here has made Kirgoth forget his interviewing techniques, I donâ€™t know but we find their house OK with a manâ€™s help who said that he had seen Milo a couple of months ago in town so we know he has been here and Ibrihim and Kirgoth decide that Teeanna and I should go in a talk to Miloâ€™s mum! Not sure why but something about the girly chat but I donâ€™t know if she is going to be scared of an Elf and a dwarf going to her house rather than men if we sent Jules and Ibrihim we definitely couldnâ€™t send Kirgoth though, not sure how she would be with an Ork turning up but then she used to live in the dark circle so as long as we are alive I suppose we are all less scary than what she has seen before.

Mrs Miloâ€™s mum is very nice and makes Teeanna and I tea as we are looking for Milo and we talk then Teeanna asks Mrs Miloâ€™s mum if she can cast some magic on her, Teeanna says it isnâ€™t going to hurt but Mrs Miloâ€™s mum looks like Teeanna has asked could she practice brain surgery on her but she says yes in the end as Teeanna explains it is to make Mrs Miloâ€™s mum remember exactly what happened when Milo was here and Teeanna cast her spell and asks her to remember Miloâ€™s visit and we get much more information than what Mrs Miloâ€™s mum hadnâ€™t told us before. Milo had arrived from a strange direction for walking from Seagate and that he wasnâ€™t expected so was surprised that he arrived and then talked about going off to [[Brastor]] and Milo was acting like he was being hunted !!!! Then there was lots of talk about how Milo and Mr Miloâ€™s dad argue a lot about Milo joining the army and his dad thinking he wasnâ€™t a real man by not work on the farm, I donâ€™t know what she means by this because any man or woman worthy should be in the army or of course a guild member but Milo wants to help people and stuff and they donâ€™t understand that. Milo stayed for about a week and tried helping his dad on the farm but they just argued more and she said that Milo thought that this time he was going to help everybody and that he seemed like he was saying goodbye like it was a final farewell which seems strange that she forgot this bit while not under Teeannas magics and then she said Milo left on his errand in [[Brastor]] one morning and that was it.

We thanked Mrs Miloâ€™s mum for tea and go out and tell the others what was told and Ibrihim decides he is going to talk to the wind and see where Milo went and it seems that each night in the snow somebody, probably Milo, would come out to a bunch of trees and stay there for a while but not too long that he would be too cold but the wind didnâ€™t tell Ibrihim where Milo went to as it seems the wind gets a bit forgetful so we searched the trees to see if anything was hidden but nothing was but there were lots of hidey holes that could hide stuff in it and it looks like stuff had been hidden but not anymore.

Then we fly back to the guild before the wind wonâ€™t help us anymoreâ€¦ Yay, more flying, flying flying flying, I donâ€™t think I could ever get bored of flying it is so much fun to be up so high and to travel with friends that can enjoy it too and yell out to each other about what is happening and stuff and see everything and everybody looking so small that it makes me feel like I am big and you get a good idea of the area from up high and it would be great in battle to be up high and see what is going on below and if you could communicate with the forces on the ground it would be a great advantage and looking at Seagate you can see all the areas better and the bridge and stuff and the Guild and we land at the guild using feather fall again so landing is easier but I will still practice more at the Guild when we finish adventuring as I canâ€™t rely on always adventuring with Ibrihim to cast feather fall. Peter is there and he looks happy to see us, we even get a little smile from him but then he seems embarrassed and the smile goes away. Kirgoth has decided that if we are going to [[Brastor]] Jules needs a silvered weapon so they go off to get one.

We got give some really weird astro reading or whatever they are called. It is like some strange poem or song and it talks about looking through the dark with red fingers fluttering by. What that means I have no idea but Jules being a nice guy gives Molly all her stuff back that he got from her room and he asked her about her coloured ribbons and she said they help her find her way back but she doesnâ€™t know where she has been to find her way back from. Yes she is still very weird and Jules showed her the poem and she really liked it from what Jules said and Jules asked her if she knew people from the Mothers Lement and a she knew Mr Perkins who is funny so when Jules tells us this we decide to go to the pub and have a look and find out that Mr Perkins has been at the pub with his mum for the last 2 years and he has been doing it up. The sign that was stolen looks nicely painted and you can see where the tear is missing from it and there is an indent showing where it was and I donâ€™t know how they got the sign down to steal the tear as it would be really heavy and whoever would have done it must have been seen or something. Maybe somebody used some magics to get it to levitate or something, I donâ€™t know but it would be pretty impressive to get it down by yourself but the pub is nice enough, nicer than others around but it isnâ€™t busy and it is small too but Mr Perkins is a bit weird but nice enough but keeps calling out to his mum in the kitchen but we canâ€™t hear anybody so she must be really really quiet. He mentioned that the painting was done by an elf called Ronaldo Grnatts or something like that and he comes and visits sometimes but hasnâ€™t been in since the painting was stolen so doesnâ€™t know it is missing or anything. Ibrihim decides to question the bar tender but is actually checking to see how crazy he is, he is getting better at this as the barman doesnâ€™t seem to be worried about him touching him unlike when Peter checks them out. Ibrihim says that he seems happy enough on the surface but is worried and keeps looking back for something, he isnâ€™t as crazy as Molly but he is crazy enough but not like poking with a stick. Then Jules makes it obvious that he is going to the toilet, geez Jules we really donâ€™t need to know these things but when he comes back it seems that he has checked out the kitchen and thinks nobody is in there so Mr Perkins is just talking to himself so yes he is crazy. So we head back to the Guild as it is now time to head to [[Brastor]]. We arenâ€™t leaving until tomorrow so I thought I would go and see [[Mavric]] and tell her I have been flying and I am pretty sure I will be flying again, flying flying flying tomorrow I am so excited.

==='''4th Thaw'''===

We arenâ€™t flyingâ€¦ I canâ€™t believe it we are NOT FLYING. This is so unfair, I know Peter is the party leader but he does know he is party of the Seagate Adventurerâ€™s guild and that means magic, flying and fighting? I canâ€™t believe that he is such a wimp when it comes to flying it is so unfair and he mustnâ€™t know what he is missing out on as it is so much fun and I could do it for hours and hours and I know I havenâ€™t flown for hours and hours before but I am sure I would enjoy it. I do well to not seem too disappointed so instead of flying we go and pick up Teeanna and visit [[Father Broc]]. Didnâ€™t know we were going to visit [[Father Broc]] and I havenâ€™t seen him since we saved Peter but Peter had organised with [[Father Broc]] to get us to travel with him so we sit in a small room for a while chatting then when we come out of the room we are in a different building, right near [[Westgate]]. I have to remember that [[Father Broc]] is a Rune mage like [[Bodric]] and [[Kilroy]] but I am sure [[Bodric]] canâ€™t make a room move and I donâ€™t think [[Kilroy]] needs to as he has that big bird thingy to ride on, oh and if can be a bear maybe he can be a bird and fly then who needs a room that can move? So we walk into [[Westgate]] and talk to the guards at the gate. They seem very strange and for some reason Teeanna asks them about himself and it seems he is from the Lunar Empire, he used to be a gladiator, that sounds impressive and isnâ€™t the Lunar Empire where the Lunar Games were? I suppose that is why they were called the Lunar Games? But the Guard seemed to not like Teeanna, not sure why but something about drugs? I donâ€™t know why the guard would be unhappy about Teeannaâ€™s need for medicine but this is a strange place so we go straight to the hospital as the guards werenâ€™t sure if they had ever seen Milo and at the hospital they said that Milo definitely hasnâ€™t been there either and looking around the hospital their isnâ€™t really a lot of injured mainly training accidents with weapons and stuff so no really hard done by people which is what Milo seems to go for when it comes to helping so we decide that we should head off to Hugler's Ferry which is about 15 miles away but Peter said it is a nicer place with people being a bit more welcoming.

We rode the 15 miles to Hugler's Ferry, I am sure we could have flown if somebody knew how to cast flying but we had to ride, I wish I could cast flying it would be so much easier just like [[Jazmyn]] who rides her broom but along the way it got really really windy which seems to be strange for this time of the year, so windy that I had to shout to talk to anybody but luckily it had stopped by the time we got to the ferry as that would be a pretty worrying for people to cross the ferry with such unexpected winds. Peter went and talked to the Blacksmith as he had to make some copper stirrups for Teeanna as she really shouldnâ€™t touch iron and seems worried about â€œexplodingâ€ is what Peter said and I would have know this was a problem if the winds wasnâ€™t so high, I am sure we could have helped her along the way to Hugler's Ferry by putting padding or something on her stirrups, stupid wind. But people do remember seeing somebody fitting Miloâ€™s description and that he was strange and looked at people and girls and stuff.

==='''5th Thaw â€“ 8th Thaw'''===

We stay at in a room in Hugler's Ferry but as it is coming up to the full moon, Teeanna has to go off to her kingdom by a portal to another plain. She will be gone for 3 days so Ibrihim and Jules go out of town with her so that she can cast her ritual and go off plain. Peter and Kirgoth decide to go to the â€œsecretâ€ temple that Peter goes to â€“ not so secret cause I know where it is, huh, to do some training so I am left in town by myself to bring food out to Ibrihim while he guards the portal hole as Jules decided to go to the fairy plain too to check it out. I have a great time meeting so many new humans, no dwarfs unfortunately, and they are all so interested in telling me all about the town and about the dark circle and all sorts of interesting stuff. I do have to make sure that every day I go out and keep Ibrihim company though because he must get lonely out there all by himself so I aim to be out there for at least 2 hours but I manage about 4 hours each day and we practice magic which is great fun, I learnt after the first day to bring my travelling gear though because he always made it rain or winding or something.

==='''9th Thaw'''===

We head out early heading to [[Lewiston]] and why we are riding Kirgoth tells me about all the fun he has had with the Church Knights, he hit them hard but they didnâ€™t hurt him which is very impressive because those Church Knights have been practicing for centuries in they sleepy state so they are great warriors so I will have to watch Kirgoth in the next fight to see if he has learnt anything new. Just before lunch time were can see the tower in [[Lewiston]], it is really broken and doesnâ€™t really have many real walls anymore but from within the tower Peter thinks there is a single person in there watching and hiding he says that the person is afraid of us rather than getting ready to ambush so we are fine but as we think it might be Milo we ride past the tower into [[Lewiston]] town itself and get off our horses and start to prepare lunch. We have to do this loud because I have to cast unseen on Ibrihim and Jules as they are going to go and check it out but as neither of them have witchsight nor can see unseen they are going to have to make sure they donâ€™t walk into each other so they devise a plan to ensure they stay across the road from each other and look out for each others shadows and stuff so we continue to setup camp and prepare lunch and stuff then all of a sudden were hear Ibrihim yelling Milo is going to jump! How he knows it is Milo or that he is going to jump I donâ€™t know but we all grab weapons and run towards the tower, Kirgoth takes up his cross bow to shot however it is down if they try and fly, Peter grabs his hammock and tries to find some place to attach it, Teeanna gets nearby and I finally arrive as some of the building collapses. It works out that Teeanna cast some sort of control spell and got Milo (yes it works out to be Milo) to hold on and not jump and stuff. Ibrihim has cast feather fall and him and Milo are floating down into a hole in the floor which has broken since the wall fell down. I see Jules throwing his grappling hook around his head trying to get it to Ibrihim so he can pull them out of the way of the hole in the floor as there is some really strange noises down there, sounds like whatever it is it is hungry and then the next thing I know Peter has run across the room and pushed Ibrihim and Milo against the other wall but because he did this he lost all his momentum he ended up in the hole. Kirgoth runs over to the hole had has a swipe at one of the things in the hole and yells out they are undead and I wonder how we are now going to stop Ibrihim from wanting to dig up the floor everywhere we go again now that we finally got him to stop doing this as I am sure he is going to feel that he has been right all along about underfloor evil and up till now it has mainly been in churchs and stuff but now it is going to be everywhere, geez but then Peter is just standing in the middle of them trying to help them, how silly is that so I run and jump into the hole as well to help Peter as the undead are to low in the hole for me to have a go. I hit one really well as I go in which is good so I can fit because there isnâ€™t much room down here and there is so many undead, hundreds and hundreds I reckon so I start hitting them with my war hammer and they start going down and Peter seems to be going really well multi striking and they start to fall around him as well then all of a sudden part of the roof caves in and Kirgoth is into the fray to and then Ibrihim floats into the hole so there is four of us against these hundreds and hundreds of undead but we do well and kill them all if you can say undead die twice which I suppose they do but we arenâ€™t really injured which is good, our armour and superior weapon skills makes all the difference but once it is over I hope that Teeanna and Jules and Milo are alright as none of them joined into on the fun but it seems that they have been ensuring that Milo is safe and that they have his stuff with the tear drop thingy and that he doesnâ€™t run away. Milo seems really crazy, very dirty and scruffy, he goes on and on about â€œI knew this would happen, no you are some of them arenâ€™t you oh know, etc, etcâ€ but he is settle by empathy and Ibrihim does some cleaning magics and Peter gives him some clean clothes and Kirgoth heals him and feeds him then he asks if we are from the guild and he is distressed because we are some of them as he didnâ€™t want the tear drop thingy near the guild as he thinks it would just make us crazier and prod it and want to keep it rather than destroy it. This seems strange because I havenâ€™t met anybody at the guild yet that seems as crazy as Molly so why he thinks that people within the guild would be â€œbrokenâ€ like Molly but he was really worried about guild people getting hold of it so we discuss what has happened. Milo had notices that there was lots of strange people like Molly around and it seemed to be centred around Mr Perkinâ€™s pub as he had noticed people like Molly stopping and staring at the pub then Milo found he was losing time, where he couldnâ€™t remember what had happened but he realised it was the tear drop and that he had to get it away so he climbed up a ladder and stole the sign. How he had the strength to do that I donâ€™t know and how nobody didnâ€™t seem him I also don â€˜t know but that is how he said he did it, no magics involved, oh well. He thought that if he took it to the Guild we would put it in a trophy cabinet where it would slowly make us crazy! He obviously doesnâ€™t know about the special rooms that can protect from magics how else do we learn new spells without blowing up the guild or ourselves or Seagate? But he thought he would drop it into the Gatar Depression where other magical stuff is dropped and left.

We tell Milo that his quest is now ours and that we will help him. However, we really need to have this artefact divinated but as Milo doesnâ€™t want to take it back to the Guild we have two options, go to one of the churches in Noverdom who might want to keep the artefact or go to Peterâ€™s church who wonâ€™t want to keep it but maybe able to help so Milo says off to Peterâ€™s church we go.

But oh man, that means we have to ride our horse and then walk all the way up to the temple, why canâ€™t we fly, it would be so much faster and so less tiring and stuff. Peter is carrying the artefact in his helmet in the hope the iron will protect his mind from it. We travel till dusk and we make it to the foothills so still got ages to walk tomorrow. At least there is a river so I can go and have a swim, but there isnâ€™t much sunlight for a sunbath so I am glad [[Jazmyn]] isnâ€™t here because she would complain for sure but then Peter is talking to Milo about joining the church but I think as a healer and a traveller he should join the guild but he might have some problems with the army when he gets back so we will have to wait and see.

==='''10th Thaw'''===

After a lovely nights sleep under the stars we have to WALKâ€¦ Not fly Doh, walk all the way to Peterâ€™s church. When we get there I see they have built a new compound since I have been here last, it looks much more used rather than a couple of tents that were there before when the bad guys were living there and we see Sir Harold and he is excited to see me again which is great, he is nice enough guy but after being away for a long time he is not sure of the world around him as it is now so we have much in common but I think I have overtaken him now I have been away with the guild rather than staying the Mountains with mum and dad. Peter and Sir Harold talk about the item and Sir Ross is keen to have a look, and figure out how to destroy it and Lady Celeste takes Milo away to have a look at him as well so the rest of us have time so Peter shows us around the temple and wow somebody has been doing some dusting, probably Peter I would say, he seems to be the trainee in all this church stuff. On the way out we ran into Sir Ross who wanted to check if the helmet was the thing we wanted him to look at and when he was told no he said that the only other thing was a horseshoe nail wrapped in clothâ€¦ NO SHELL, holy crap (I didnâ€™t say this as we were in church) but holy crap, we have been carrying something else, no wonder Peter wasnâ€™t going crazy carrying the helmet. Sir Ross said the cloth was slightly holy, heading towards divine! Whatever that means. How Sir Ross explained it was that it was at the same level that holy water would have in the holy stakes and it is probably been in contact with something holy but the aura of it is very faint and he is not sure of which plain it is from either so we wait for Milo because damn he lost it, he lost the artefact no wonder the others thought he was OK. While waiting Ibrihim is looking at the name on the end of a string??? Then Kirgoth grabs it from the end of the string and determined it was brass then he hits it with his great axe to break it in half, it seems he thinks that if it was an artefact it wouldnâ€™t break in half, well it did and so did the table â€“ oops.

Lady Celeste says that Milo isnâ€™t well, she divinated him but it was very traumatic for Milo and he needs lots of rest and piece. The artefact has no specific name, it had a name but it was taken from it but the shell is only a fragment of something larger that had been destroyed and something wronged it that it is now getting its own back!!! An angry artefact. She doesnâ€™t know what plain it is from either and what Milo was getting is dreams of prophecy and that he was dreaming of flying into a featureless waste and fly into the ground to destroy the artefact but that would be suicide for him to. She said that it appears that the influence has been waning for the last two weeks maybe up to four weeks and she doesnâ€™t know what you can do to protect yourself against the issue other than leave and that we need the object to know how to break it.

Ibrihim says that we need to it to break it break or banish it but we have to be careful because Miloâ€™s impulse was to commit suicide and anybody else would have different thoughts but we need to talk to Milo so we wait until he is well enough for us to talk to him and he is really sleepy and we show him the nail, well two halves of the nail and he says that isnâ€™t what he put there. He was sure it was there wrapped in his cloth but he canâ€™t remember when he last looked for it, he just knew it was there. He remembers wrapping it after his mum and dads but hasnâ€™t looked since he thinks so we ask him did he meet anybody between 2 to 4 weeks ago and he said he had met a farrier family called Tobiase and Milly Saddler and they have 3 children, 1 girl and 2 boys. He helped them in the [[Sweet Riding]] because Milly was really sick. Teeanna asks and gets permission to hypnotise Milo so that he will remember properly. His memory is very confused, not like his mums, he seems to be missing time but he knew there was a problem with going near people but he couldnâ€™t help himself as after he tracked them for a while because even though they had a horse and cart they were going really really slowly he realised the mother was really ill and being a healer he had to help so he did during the day and he said the mother wasnâ€™t mad or anything just ill but he couldnâ€™t figure out how come she wasnâ€™t getting better at all but he made sure he slept away from them but he did say some nights he didnâ€™t sleep far enough away. He gave good descriptions of the family and the wagon He left them at [[Tobintown]] with them looking for work. They were heading through Brastor looking for work so could have moved on if no work found.

We decide that it is a good idea to go and find these people as it seems they might have the tear and Milo says we can go without him as he really isnâ€™t up to it so we head off after lunch to ensure we get to [[Tobintown]] as soon as possible and we make it to the road by dusk and stay there overnight and it was a lovely night again under the stars but still walking but tomorrow we can ride â€“ still no flying though.

==='''11th Thaw'''===

We ride into [[Brastor Landing]] and swap horses at [[Father Broc]]â€™s place which is nice but that means we can ride longer tomorrow, if we were flying we would have been there before last night, bloody riding makes my bum numb if I do it to long. Kirgoth asks about the family we are looking for and they donâ€™t know them so they havenâ€™t come through here. So we stay overnight at an inn which is a nice change, a warm bath, ahhhh.

==='''12th Thaw'''===

Kirgoth, Peter and I get up early to go to the market because I needed to buy some stuff that [[Henric]] wanted and this is a pretty good place to send it from so once that is done I see the others for breakfast and head off to [[Tobintown]] and after almost all day of riding, yes I said riding, doh, we get to [[Tobintown]], man why canâ€™t we fly I donâ€™t know it is so unfair, bags Peter not being party leader next time cause then we can make him fly. We ask the guards about the farrier family and he knows them as they are staying out in the camp near the saw mill which is causing issues beating people and not working and stuff they have been throwing things at people who come out to see them and stuff. It sounds like we have found the right place, crazy people everywhere. We go to the see the Town Elders about helping out because we are from the guild and obviously that is what we do. As the Town Hall we get to go to a conference room which looks like they have been working for a long time as there is food scraps and mess everywhere and the Town Elders look tired and confused by what is happening as the people in the camp think anybody who isnâ€™t in the camp is an alien!!! The Town Elders need them to get to work so offer us 2,000 silver pennies each to fix it. Jules and Ibrihim have an argument about giving away to much information as maybe we could have earned more money or something?: I donâ€™t know 2,000 silver pennies can by a lots of build supplies for the inn so I am happy and I am sure [[Henric]] and [[Bodric]] are too and the Town Elders are a bit silly because they didnâ€™t realise that the camp was stashing food for days until they stopped letting people in so it was to late to do anything, oh well we get more money.

We get a rough sketch of the area where the horses are and stuff and we get given a room to stay in so we can talk about plans but Kirgoth goes out and about to do some further fact finding so when he comes back we find out that people go out to see people in the camp and donâ€™t come back and some people are seen again with the others and the oneâ€™s that they donâ€™t see they think they are eating them. Kirgoth thinks that this is being alarmist but sounds interesting, I havenâ€™t heard of humans eating other humans before, sounds yucky but I wonder what it tastes like? Chicken?

We decide it is best to go out at night when everybody is asleep so at 2 am Ibrihim organises a storm so that it is wet and noisy to cover our noise, and we break up into two groups one for inside the camp and the other for outside, inside Teeanna is going as she can see crazy sparkly minds, Peter because he can search for evil things and Ibrihim for no real reason but to make up the numbers. Teeanna and Ibrihim are under invis but Peter doesnâ€™t want it as he thinks he can pass as a worker and it would mean having magics cast on him which he doesnâ€™t like. Outside Kirgoth is under his tarp with his weapons at ready, I am invis and Jules is unseen and we are all spread out. I am in the path of our escape route so I can defend people as they are coming at us if need be but also move as fast as I can so the others can overtake me.

The inside team head in.

As I am part of the outside team, I donâ€™t know what exactly happened with the inside team but the others advised me that Teeanna had sensed that there was a whole lot of sparkly bits in the middle so they decided to walk that way. Peter with his armful of wood to pass as a â€œcrazyâ€ got into the camp with the others invisible so they couldnâ€™t be seen anyway. When walking in Peter had nodded at one of the guards who assumed he was crazy too and let him through but Teeanna said all these sparkles joined into the guard and he turned and tried to spear Peter with his pike but Ibrihim told Peter who got out of the way and Ibrihim hit him instead so everybody was ok but the sparkles were going all weird so they decided to run to the middle where Teeanna said that there was a bunch of people sitting waiting around the main sparkles but now Ibrihim could be seen too. But as I was outside, I heard lots of people getting up and started to worry that there was a problem, then on the other side of the camp I could hear some screams, it works out that Kirgoth shot some people with his cross bow to cause panic and Jules and I started causing problems by collapsing tents and setting fire to rubbish and stuff to try and give Peter, Ibrihim and Teeanna some time to find the artefact so there was havoc everywhere because we were causing havoc and it was fun, just like being at home without the fires or the tents or the crazies but otherwise just like at home and while we were causing this havoc the inside team raced to the centre where it works out that Ibrihim is also a crazy, but anyone of us could have told you he was crazy but not this sort of crazy and I think we all have to be careful not sure how Peter and Teeanna didnâ€™t go crazy at this time either considering you canâ€™t really count them as completely normal either but hey we are all part of the guild oh, I suppose this is what Milo was worried about, if us newly trained guild members are having some issues and you imagine what other guild members have seen that the whole guild could go crazy straight away, hmmm, that is a worry but it was OK because even though Ibrihim went crazier the others were fine for now but when the inside team got to the middle tent all these people were waiting for them in there around the main sparkles and Teeanna sent in a phantom thingy and it seems that it was really bad because it allowed them to cut a hole in the side of the tent and grab the centre of the sparkles which was a woman that was ill before anybody else got to them but then Teeanna did another phantom thingy and that helped them get away. By this time it was starting to get a little quieter so I thought I would travel around to the others, when I got there Kirgoth had just shot a monster which was shining really really bright and Teeanna was cutting at the ladies eye that they had captured and I was just about to tell Teeanna that she needs to learn to be a better healer because those cuts werenâ€™t really neat nor medical looking but then she had the shell thing in her hand and she froze in mid movement, well I thought that we canâ€™t have our mind mage and a Princess frozen because her Necromancer husband may not like that and may take it out on us so I took it straight from her and she became unfrozen and I was fineâ€¦. I win, I am stronger than a mind mage, wow I am excited wait until I tell [[Henric]] what I did. We decided we needed to leave but Ibrihim was missing but we figured we could locate him later but we really needed to leave now because the locals are becoming a mob and we need to go so they wonâ€™t be so crazy and we can get our money and get rid of it while we arenâ€™t crazy. So we wrap the artefact and put it in Peterâ€™s helmet and get away from the crazies and the town so that people arenâ€™t affected.

==='''13th â€“ 16th Thaw'''===

In the morning Kirgoth and Jules head back to town to get our saying we have stopped the crazies but they were hanging around the town in mobs saying that people from a neighbouring town attacked them, While they were gone I cast locate to try and find Ibrihim but he was at the city gates too, he was part of the mob, then I saw he went back to the camp with the other crazies. Teeanna and Jules went to the town later when it was a little quieter and could get inside later in the afternoon to talk to the town elders they didnâ€™t think things were better so they wouldnâ€™t pay us but we can come back and collect if the crazies have calmed down, they also gave us a note to that fact too so we can come back and get it later. Jules went into the camp unseen to get Ibrihim. He said he had just been tagging along learning about stuff by talking and listening and going through peopleâ€™s belongings, I am not sure what that means but he said he needs practice and then Teeanna says Lyric has a mind finallyâ€¦ How rude is that but she was talking about the artefact I was carrying and she is just jealous that my mind is stronger than hers and I can carry it. Huh!

So we head off back to Peterâ€™s temple and other than Jules going on and on and on and on and on and on about lack of sleep, man he can talk, we get there safety except for more talk about sex. See Teeanna thinks that Jules complaining of lack of sleep is that sleep equals sex but I donâ€™t know how it is but she says sex is exercise??? And that exercise helps you sleep and that sex well good sex can be tiring??? She is one strange Elf, I think she is the type of elf the boys are worried about me hanging around with! And man, I have some weird dreams over these nights but I think it is from all the sex discussions, I donâ€™t know.

Late on the 3rd day of travelling we arrive back at the temple and Sir Ross takes the artefact from me to divinate it. While we are waiting Ibrihim goes off and talks to the church accountant to learn about temple accountingâ€¦ See, I said he was weird and this is without the craziness affecting him!

When Sir Ross comes back he talks to the other Knights in a huddle until we ask them what is going on. The have found that the artefact is piece of a god, actually a piece of a murdered or destroyed god and it was destroyed while it was in power by what was counted as a â€œjustly causeâ€. The god is called Opheldal and it is some sort of dream and prophecy god and his symbol is that of a snake. This is all that is left and it is a bit crazy and it becomes a stronger crazier dead god if exposed to people more susceptible to being crazy! Its plain is [[Takaran]].

Now we have a hard decision, do we take it to the guild and see if we can get somebody to destroy it, send it back to its plain, etc but where we have a high chance of making everybody crazy or do we leave it here and we go back to the guild to find out what we need to? Peter wants to look at the libraries and do some research, Ibrihim wants to talk to some beaver or badger or something as his church is obligated to destroy snake gods??? Ah, it is so hard because we need to ride and not fly and that there are crazy people here at the church and lots at the guild and lots of people between hear and the guildâ€¦ AHHHHHHHHHHH

Sir Ross piped up and gave us an option that they had an incense burner for drugs!!! Teeanna is really excited and keeps asking about the drugs that go in it but Sir Ross finally said they donâ€™t have any but anyway he said that the burner is from King Sigismund time and as it is tainted they would like to get rid of it, see it has 4 chains which represents the archangels and he said that it is used to direct the effects of the drugs within but it has shutters and he believes it can be used contain the effects of the artefact. It is made of tainted metal, just like the blades on the arms of the monster in the lake at Noverdom. They said that it is useful to magics relating to mind and cohesion and stuff so this would be really helpful to my charm spells but it seems that Jules and especially Teeanna is interested in knowing more but Ibrihim is going on and on about the mind mage and E&Eâ€™s shouldnâ€™t carry it or have access to it. Donâ€™t know what he is going on about because it sounds useful but it isnâ€™t our to keep so not sure. So we discussed if we are going to get rid of it in a weird temple that Peter knows or in the volcano where a balrog lives. Well considering the weird temple is currently surrounded by undead we canâ€™t really go there so I really donâ€™t know why Peter mentioned it so the volcano is the only place we can really get rid of it as we discuss taking it off plain but that would mean having to go back to Seagate and the Guild and that could be really bad, something that amplifies people who are susceptible, susceptible who have magic capability!!! Sir Ross did mention that the tainted alloy will get heavier as it gets closer to heat and it wonâ€™t melt, so being in a volcano maybe it will follow the lava to the centre of the plain!

So off to the volcano we go and Sir Ross gives us some sketches of the area so that we can stay away from the balrog and find a good place to throw the artefact into it and guess what, the Templars can cast FLYING!!!! and Peter says it is a good use of magic so that we can get there quick and not infect anymore people. Yay, Peter has subverted to his dark side, I am sure as soon as he flies he will find that it is a fantastic way to travel and will want to fly everywhere just like I want to fly to everywhere. I am so excited we are going to fly but we arenâ€™t going to go until tomorrow as it is to late to go today but they can cast flying, I am soooo excited, wow how am I going to sleep.

===17th Thaw===

While waiting for Teeanna get ready to leave, we take a leisurely breakfast and Ibrihim and Peter talk about black hats and white hats and how black hats are evil and white hats arenâ€™t and I donâ€™t really understand because what happens if you donâ€™t wear a hat and then they confused me even more by saying the hats are on the inside! Well if the hat they are wearing is on the inside how can you tell between good and evil then they were linking them to people who are linked to demons being black hats and white hats to gods or archangels then Peter goes on about not having to be linked to gods and stuff and man my head hurt and I was so confused so I just will forget about the black hats versus the white hats for the time been until I can talk to somebody who makes sense about this stuff.

So we fly to the volcano but Peterâ€™s flying was really strange, I donâ€™t think he has been practicing flying and he definitely doesnâ€™t know how to land properly, when he was told where to land he was almost suicidal! We all land except for Jules who is keeping an eye out on what is happening. Teeanna said that there were a number of minds around the vents that we couldnâ€™t see and then we saw them, weird looking snake human things, not much taller than me but they donâ€™t seem happy that we are here. Peter puts the artefact on the ground so that he can grab his shield for extra defence so Teeanna picked it up and Ibrihim was not happy with this at all but I donâ€™t know what his problem was as she reactivated her wings to try and get to the volcano as soon as she could and he went after her but they didnâ€™t do to well with Ibrihim up on a ledge above the volcanos entrance and Teeanna on the splat into ash below him all alone and unprotected so Peter runs off to help and Kirgoth goes and attacks the oneâ€™s to the left with Jules coming down to help and I am left to the one that Peter has run away from to help the others. But Teeanna gets up and is heading to the entrance of the volcano with Ibrihim flying down to help her but the featherfall takes a while to get him to the ground and I think Jules got in the way too so Teeanna is off with Ibrihim a bit behind her defending her back and Peter gets hurt really really badly and I think he is in real trouble so as I knock my snake man down I reactivate my wings and do a flying charge with my hammer into the snake thing that was hurting Peter and it works really well so I think the flying practice I have been doing at the guild has been helping, especially the jumping off high things to land better obviously is helping but as I land on the ground knocking over the snake thing one of them breaths out fire so lucky we missed that but then Teeanna throws the artefact and the now very heavy container into the volcano and was flying back out again so I made sure Peter flew off and hope that Teeanna or somebody looks after him because I think he is really in trouble so Kirgoth and I wait until everybody else is gone and because it seems like Kirgoth is trying to keep up with me on making these snake things die he wants to make sure I am not left behind to finish them off, I donâ€™t know it isnâ€™t a competition it is about helping out your party members oh well, we all got out of there OK except for Peter.

Lucky the others had caught up with Peter and we all landed about a bow range outside the forest. Peter is really bad so Kirgoth tries to do some healing but he isnâ€™t quite as experienced yet to fix bones and stuff so we have to carry Peter so we build a contraption to carry him on and head off to [[Westgate]].

===18th -21st Thaw===

Get to [[Westgate]] were we get a room and organise for a healer to come and see Peter and heal him so that bones are better. As it is going to be a while Ibrihim, Jules and I decide to head off to [[Tobintown]] to pick up our pay for fixing the local problem out there. Teeanna and Kirgoth are staying behind to look after Peter. So we head off to [[Tobintown]] and it takes us two days and it is an uneventful trip but if only somebody in the air college would teach Ibrihim flying it would have been so much quicker and I think that in the future when we organise to help out a town like [[Tobintown]] we need to make sure we put in a provision for medical costs because I am sure that Peterâ€™s money is going to go on the medical expenses rather than giving it to his church! While we are out at [[Tobintown]] Ibrihim checks on his mates from the camp to see if all is OK and we get given the money which I make sure I keep so that Ibrihim doesnâ€™t spend it or something, and we stay in town and head off the next day and arrive back in [[Westgate]] the day after. I gave everybody else their monies to make sure they can spend it themselves because Ibrihim is really good at spending other peopleâ€™s money and I wasnâ€™t going to be responsible for that and I am really good with money so I looked after it really well.

===22nd â€“ 23rd Thaw===

Head up to the temple because we need to collect Milo and take him back to Seagate as this was our main job and that getting rid of the artefact wasnâ€™t really what we were paid for, well we were but that was [[Tobintown]] paying for that bit but now we need to bring Milo back so that the Albrecht pays us too. And guess what, Peter admitted that magic saved his life and magic made him OK so I am sure from now on he is going to be less worried about magic, well I think he will and the templars give us a gift each for getting rid of their tainted container thingy so that was nice of them hopefully it does cool stuff.

===24th - 25th Thaw===

Head off to [[Westgate]] to give back horses and stuff and use Father Brocâ€™s portals to get back to Seagate. We use Father Brocâ€™s cupboard and arrive back into Seagate in the afternoon so we head off to the guild sending a message to Sergeant Albrecht that we have got Milo at the guild and to come and see us.

Sergeant Albrecht arrived at the guild with Lieutenant Pike to see Milo and seem happy to see that Milo is OK and also want to make sure he has some monies and we tell them we have the equivalent of the money ie the ring with wings that he had brought but not used. Lucky he didnâ€™t use it because if they have the money they might be able to cover Milo being missing but they arenâ€™t sure so we told them about the fact that Milo was doing something that would help them and that Seagate would have been really really crazy if he hadnâ€™t done it and that he was being heroic and stuff and that they really need to cover the fact he had gone AWOL and that they could say we were brought in to help him and stuff and that we could cover and they said they would try and that so that Milo will be OK.

So I think it is a good idea to give Milo some options as he is coming up to the end of his army life and I donâ€™t really think it is right for him anyway so I tell him he can always join the guild because they are always looking for healers and stuff and he seems to like travel so that is a bonus too or maybe he wants to join the templars but he says that they are a bit too marshal probably not what he is after so maybe we have a new guild member?? But Ibrihim thinks he should go and help orphanages and stuff because they always need help but I think Milo can make up his own mind I just hope he doesnâ€™t go back home and be a farmer because he really doesnâ€™t want to do that and I know what it is like to be expected to take up the family business when you really donâ€™t want to so he could always run away and join the guild, it seems to be how most people joined the guild.

Milo thanked us for helping him and for stopping him from committing suicide because he didnâ€™t really want to it was the artefact that was making him do it.

We also got a letter from Slokam and co saying sorry about the misunderstanding and that they had made a mistake and that they are looking for the artist elf for us. Well I am glad they understand that I am not a prostitute and that girl dwarfs carrying a war hammer around is not a prostitute and if they get confused again they might get the war hammer where it hurts but as they were mistaken and hopefully they learn by those mistakes because I really donâ€™t want to hurt somebody because they were mistaken!

Well, the adventure is over and I think we should all go and have a drink at a local pub to celebrate because we have ages until the next guild meeting and we may not see each other for a long time but when I look around everybody is gone. Oh well I will go and look for [[Mavric]] because I would really like a beer...

== Kirgoths Notes ==
===Finding Milo===
Interviews
*Watchmen
:Senior Sergeant Antaeus Albrecht, Milo is the last member of his company, the very few survivors have been retired in Brastor. He is a poor soldier, possibly life aspected. He healed the poor in old seagate. Has a hunch it may be slavers but has no real evidence. Later questioning showed he had not slept in the barracks on the 6th Snow and was officially missing on the 7th.
:Priest in the barracks, Milo is a very good person, possibly holy. He spent his free time helping the poor and working girls in old seagate. Occasionally worked in the soup kitchen and spent time talking to crazy people.
:Kirgoth, I have seen Milo previously, he is a human in early twenties.
*Working Girls
:Molly, Milo doesn't take payment in kind, is well liked by the people in the area. He visisted most ladies. Molly is insane, divination reveals this has been enhanced by her being near an artifact of some sort for the last year, she should recover to her normal levels of insanity. Searching of her rooms revealed many things arranged in ordered layout. She said "men with the heads of birds are building nests in my mind", further questioning revealed they had the heads of herons and crows.
:Suzy, Molly has been getting saner for the last 5 or so weeks, appears to be last person to have seen Milo on the morning of the 7th snow and was wearing a ring with unusual sigil which she recognised as an invested, like the ones the watch wear. He seemed frightened of something and was wearing travelling clothes.
*Crazies
:Barkeep, at the pub to north of old seagate by the slaughterhouses, he is insane, obsessed with order of things, ordering people by height and such.
:Pub patrons, the barkeep has been getting saner for last few weeks, seemed saner even a day after we last saw him.
:Pie salesman, Seemed to think he was going to the barracks when actually returning to his bakery
:Chap followed with pie, Seemed to be having a religious experience with a "mostly meat" pie, managed to evade the party.
:Norman, inkeep and the mothers lament, His sign is a piece of elven art of a crying woman and had the shell in the eye nicked. It was made by some elf called Renado Grenalt who is allegedly also guilty of being an artist and was run out of seagate.
*The poor
:Old people in the common, none seemed paticularly insane, mostly poorly fed and ill due to this.
:One of Phaetons children, phaeton not involved, knows Milo, hasn't seen him for some time.
:Beggar Lord Abrim, Milo was seen leaving seagate crossing the bridge late in the day on the 7th. He had confided in him that something was causing agression in town, that the dark circle was the key or answer to the problem. The problems seemed to be centred on the tavern "mothers lament" near blue gate (northern gate of old seagate), the tavernkeeper he admitted to having ill feelings towards as he had a beggar flogged when he returned the tavern sign he found in an alley. Milo's parents used to live in a town called 'so so' which is to the east between cazala and brastor. Since Milo has left abrim has noticed less trouble.
:Thomas, elderly beggar who led us to Abrim.
*Guildsmen
:Harbourmaster, a human fitting description of Milo asked if there were ships departing to the Novadon region on the morning of the 6th, there wern't any so he left
:Dockworkers, none remember seeing anyone fitting the description of Milo.
*Merchants
:Human celestial mage in seagate, Sold Milo invested shadow wings on the morning of the 7th, which fits the description of the ring from Suzy. Gut feeling says this guy deserves a good beating. This was worth several years income for a watchman.
*Criminals (crimes include: premeditated assault of a member of the guard, attempted murder of a member of the guard, armed insurrection against the civil authority, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to the above crimes, and resisting arrest)
:Interrogation of the prisoners gained sworn, signed and witnessed statements saying that a Mr Sloakam, a Mr Ketch and a female by the name of Mad Abbey, all of whom are criminals whom the guard hasn't been able to arrest previously due to lack of evidence hired them to do these crimes. Their arrest; and the trial, punishment and fining of them and their thugs has been left with the civic authorities of Seagate and the Duke to deal with. I have brought a civil case against them for damages, pressed charges against them and made sure all the legal stuff is in order. They appear to have attacked the party after thinking that Lyric was a hooker and Teeanna was her pimp and competing with them.
*Family
:His mum, She is in so-so east. He arrived unexpectedly around the 9th, stayed for a week and then left. He then left for Brastor after saying he was doing something that would "save everyone".... He argued with his father as he didn't wish to be a farmer, had no women he was doing locally. His regiment was eaten at the keep near Lousiston, which is near their old farm.
*Brastor
:Westagate, Full of people with foreign ideas. ex slaves, no hookers, don't like worshippers of archangel-elves. Spoke to locals and none remember Milo. This place has the feel of a military camp pretending to be a town.
:Huglars ferry, People remember seeing someone matching the description of Milo about two weeks ago, acting strangely, looking at people.
Evidence
*Papers
:Letters from family, These do not indicate any reason for him to have left in a hurry
:Divination thingie of Molly, Written notes on weird artefact thingie causing madness
:Copies of statements from thugs
*Research
:Church library, Sir Peter's research has shortlisted a handful of demons with associations with birds, one of which has the head of a bird and is the demon of strife and discord.
:Guild library, The magic thingie could have been made by a demon but not show up as demonic, but then again might not be.
:Ibrihim and the air, He nightly walked into a copse of trees from his mothers house in so-so, by himself and got cold.
:Temple of Templars, We are taking Milo to this tragic place as some of the followers of the elfangels may be able to find out more about the artifact and how to destroy it.
Known associates
:Working girls,Crazy people, Soup kitchen workers, Retired members of previous company (Brastor), Other members of the watch and his Family in the western kingdom.

Timeline
:*About a year ago, the elfartist Renado Grenalt sells the sign to the mothers lament, hiding an evil madness causing artifact within it as the tear of a woman. This artifact seems associated with the deamon of strife and discord.
:*The last year, Madness hits seagate more than is usual and is eventually noticed by Milo
:*6th Snow, Milo left the barracks and went to the dockmaster that morning asking about travel by ship to the Novadon region, was told none were leaving. He didn't sleep in the barracks that night.
:*7th Show, Milo stole the dukes money set aside to pay the seagate guard and purchased an expensive, invested shadow wings in the morning. Later that day he stole the tear from the sign of the 'mothers lament' tavern in old seagate, being seen looking frightened and wearning travelling clothes. Later in the day he was seen crossing the bridge.
:*9th Snow, He arrived in so-so to visit his mother and father
:*16th Snow, He departed so-so for Brastor, estimated time of travel being a week
:*16th Snow-1st Thaw, Milo claims to have spent these six weeks with a family of farriers looking after a sick female, sanity begins to return to seagate.
:*1st Thaw or abouts, Artifact taken from Milo and madness begins to spread in Tobintown
:*1st Thaw, Milo arrives in Huglers ferry
:*14th Thaw, Milo found at home town of Lewiston, preparing to travel into the gatar depression.

Milo Located in his hometown of Lewistown

===Tracing the Artifact===
Interviews
:Milo, Found him in Brastor within the ruined town of Lewistown. Living in a tower with undead in the basement. Has claimed to have some artifact which is a magical tear and seems to think dropping it in the gatar depression would help. He is Mad, deeply under the influence of some madness causing artifact magic and has indicated that he looses periods of time where he cannot remember what he did. He admitted stealing the pay for the seagate guard to fund his escape and purchase of invested items. A couple of days later we checked out the artifact and found it had gone so questioned him further. He was delayed getting to Brastor as he helped out a family of farriers, the mother of whom was quite ill. Their names were Tobias and Milli Saddler and they have three children (2male,1female) aged 6-10. They were travelling in a beatup cart with a very tired horse. Last time he looked at it was a couple of weeks ago before he left them. They were heading to Tobintown
:Guards at westgate, Have not seen the family.
:Civic leaders at Tobintown, 70 families have gone insane, are refusing to work and have been for the last couple of weeks, they live in a tent town outside of tobintown and have a few animals. They beat up the cpt of the guard when he tried to reason with them. The money savvy in the party have arranged a decent pile of silver for fixing up the problem.
:Hookers and others in town, The saddlers are one of the families in the tent town.
:Getting the tear from westgate, The sneaky types went in and got the tear as the rest provided distraction. They ran out with a sick unconcious old lady, Teeanna cut the tear out of her head. A glowing figure appeared in the camp of the mad people and I shot it making it go away.

Evidence
:Divinations at the temple of the elfangels, The tear was wrapped in a cloth which is very holy (nearly artifact level). The tear appears to have been something to do with a wronged evil which is trying to do evil stuff. It causes madness and could be used by someone not as good as Milo for ill, destroying it would be good. Some mind protect magic stuff might help as will a strong will and lack of imagination. Milo has been getting less mad for the last couple of weeks.
:Divination of the tear, The tear is the last bit of a dead god thing which makes people go mad and feeds off the madness. Destroying it is probably not possible, nor is healing it to restore the god. Keeping it away from people will stop the madness. The chruchy types think they might be able to work out a way to destroy it. Ibrihim, Teeanna and Jules wish to take it back to the guild. This seems like a very elf idea, cause won't it make all the guild people go crazy ?, After shouting loudly and many more elf ideas we get rid of it somewhere, where im not going to say, but pretty hard for people to get back.
:Peronal observation, when ive been sleeping near the thing for the three days it took to get back to the churchy temple i have had weird ass, vision things, these may be what the humans call dreams.

We got the artifact and got rid of it pretty damn well (problem solved) 

===Renado Grenalt===
:Criminal who put the tear into seagate and caused the whole business to start in the first place
:Crimes, Placing a magical item which caused civil disorder within seagate, disguised within a sign. Responsibility for driving several people insane (molly, milo, barkeep, etc). Responsibility for the civil disorder resulting from this items placement.
:Art, this has been decriminalised in Seagate, which has lead to a huge amount of art within the city.
:The insanity defence, It is likely he was insane at the time of doing this, however he will still be responsible for placing it in seagate unless it actually controlled him to do so. There is no evidence that this control is in the tears powers and the insanity it seemed to produce was more a desire to order things and get into fights.
:After arriving back in seagate several of the "business" people who sent their thugs after us turned up and appologised for the misunderstanding, but they might have been a bit mad at the time. They said they would help the town watch by helping to look for Renado.
Renado is going to get a kicking

== Peters Journals==

===A meeting in the Guild===
The Lady's grace was bestowed upon me once again and I felt compelled to head to the Guild after purchasing my horse as commanded by Sir Samuel. Once there the I felt no compulsion until advised on a young missing healer whom the watch had been charged with recovering and so after a short prayer for guidance I joined others in the briefing room.

Once again my comrades were not the most depraved individuals but the taint of strong drink was upon the lips of some. They seemed confident and well equipped for the task at hand and come from a wide range of interesting cultures.

After discussions on the dynamics the Lady works through me and I am placed in command of the group asked by Senior Sergeant Antaeus Albrecht of Phoenix Company to locate a young healer names Milo.

The young man is of a healthy and pious disposition and he is renowned for his assistance of the poor and unwell within [[Old Seagate]], yet he has gone AWOL over two months ago. It is to the credit of his nature that those who could investigate his disappearance are choosing not to investigate in order for his absence to continue unofficially, as official notice would cause hardship for him when he is recovered. We are requested to investigate unofficially.

===A trip to town===
We choose to head to the barracks first to see if his personal effects will present any leads. While it seems wrong to intrude upon his personal effects it is for the best of reasons. We remove his artefacts as carefully as possible but the only things of interest are some letters. While reviewing the moral position on reading private correspondence Lyric grabs the letters and begins reading, it turns out they are letters from home and so we spread out our search and speak to the local priest.

The priest is a man of Rafael and has a high regard for Milo. He tells us that Milo would spend his free time assisting the ladies of ill-repute in [[Old Seagate]] curing their infections, and so with glee in the eyes of our goblinoid companion we head to the older part of town. The term 'Old Seagate' causes some dissension and discussion as the Elven Princess does not believe that anything as recent as the town should have the designation of 'Old'. This spreads into a greater discussion of cultural differences that is most enlightening.

Kirgoth is a regular visitor to these locations and knows his way around well, his lewd comments do not sit well with me but I am assured it is 'cultural'.

We quickly find friends and acquaintances of Milo by finding a Brothel where he regularly healed the young women. We learn that he does not take payment in kind and my regard for him goes up.

We locate a young lady called Molly who is in need of Healing and I take her to a corner to pray hard for her soul, Uriel works through me and Molly is healed of her afflictions, he also seems sounder of reason and I advise her to speak to the priests at the Temple who will help her out of her current situation. She seems filled with the hope of Uriel and I believe she will improve her situation. While we were praying it appears Kirgoth has 'assisted' a number of young ladies, both with their afflictions and their financial situation.

Departing the brothel we head out to the street to discuss our next steps.

Our discussions on the streets led us the conclusion we should leave the brothel district and head to a tavern to quietly discuss our findings. Due to a series of misunderstandings, possibly cultural or language based, the quiet discussion in a tavern became a philosophical debate in the street accompanied by the ownership of a pie cart. In the confusion of this new approach to the mission the party were swayed by moral arguments and so we headed off to donate the pies to the poor and needy. Which in turn led to a series of clues and more philosophical debate.

Clues
*The pieman has a similar effect in his mind to Molly.
*The pieman said he was returning to the barracks when we bid him farewell yet his path took him to the bakery.
*A man left holding a pie reverently.

Philosophical debate
*What coins exist of lesser value than a true-silver guinea and the deleterious effects of high value coinage on local business.
*The reverence of Pie's and accompanying Demonic/Criminal/Inlaw related influences.

The result of which is that we try once more to locate a tavern in which to sit quietly and discuss our next steps.

Finding a quiet in near the abattoir just outside the gates of [[Old Seagate]] we quench our thirst in a variety of ways from River water to Absinthe dependant on taste and cultural upbringing after much discussion on where we should sit. The barkeep keen on enforcing a by height seating order and Lady Teeaana refusing to sit next to Cold Iron in the form of Master Kirgoth and his plate mail.

From here we elected to head back to our first port of call, the brothels, to check for further signs for the illness affecting Molly in the hope of the Healers at the guild divining more of its nature. In order to save time we also checked the bartender (Mad but an unrelated madness to Molly) and a number of people outside the walls who were in need of assistance and healing.

We also engaged in further philosophical debates on the nature of procreation and the enforcement of a defined moral law over the allowance of free will and personal moral choice. Particularly in regards to the healing of those choosing to partake in acts of moral turpitude. It appears Miss Lyric has the right precepts, by my own definitions but is unwilling to accept that others may have different interpretations. I feel some time with the monks would be good for her understanding.

After healing a few more of the chronically sick healed we head back to the brothels to begin the search for more people with the same illness as Molly. After healing a few more ladies we are alerted by Lady Teeanna exclaiming that there is a madwoman outside. We chase down the hurrying figure only to realise it is Molly, perhaps Lady Teeanna forgot her name when she saw her passing in the street.

We take Molly back to the guild and leave her to the tender care of the Healers for the night.
===Ale, Brothels and Cogitation===

The second day dawned bright and clear and the spring breeze made prayer outside the Guild a most invigorating experience. Refreshed in mind, body and spirit I met with the others to discuss what the Healers had discovered about Molly.

The first discovery was that under the guidance of Sir Kirgoth and Miss Lyric they had summoned mages to perform their foul rituals upon her in the night, the misguided fools. The result of all this intrusion into Molly's psyche is that an item is believed to be causing the madness and that Molly must have spent significant amounts of time in the items presence.

To avoid further contamination with the item I arranged for Molly to reside at the guild and suggested employment in the Guild kitchens might be gainful and useful activity that will aid in cleansing the soul. Hopefully, clean living and some honest toil will save her soul and restore her health.

And so armed with knowledge and secure in the fact that Molly is out of harms way we set off to Seagate to gather the Lady Teeanna and investigate the lodgings of Molly.

The residence of Molly was somewhat ramshackle but seemed pleasant enough. I was wary of the stairs and unkeen to leave my pack alone and so headed outside to watch the street. After some time I observed a basket weaver whose establishment overlooked the street and afforded the man a good view of the comings and goings within the street. Unfortunately he was unaware of people who had moved onto or off the street in the past few months, although I suspected that he may simply be unkeen to divulge such information to a stranger in case he implicated an associate. While the lie is morally flawed the actions of protecting ones friends and community is upstanding and understandable. Such communities are often highly protective of each other and the likelihood of him knowing the comings and goings is very slim, it is hoped that when news of the nature of our search becomes known he may search me out and provide his information.

After some time the others had concluded their search of the room and made friends with other residents, and a few belongings had been gathered to make Molly feel more at home at the Guild.

Sir Kirgoth then went to investigate the docks, while I headed to the library to research demons that may have resemblances or powers over birds which Lady Lyric believes are haunting the dreams of Molly.

I assembled a list of possible Demons, [[Andras]] is the most likely suspect as he closly matches the description given by Miss Lyric however [[Agares]], [[Decarabia]], [[Naberius]], [[Raum]] and [[Stolas]] also have similar connections with birds.

We then headed to a purveyor of magical trinkets who in addition to encouraging larceny with his high prices, encourages people to sloth by allowing them to use magic. I did not enter the den of iniquity. The others spoke with him and determined that he had indeed purchased magical abilities in the form of a ring. How appropriate that something that leads people down the path of sloth is in the form of a ring a symbol of binding, how blatant can these peddlers be in their lures.

From here Sir Kirgoth informs us that Milo had been seen at the docks seeking passage to [[Novadom]] but left dissatisfied when no boats were available immediately. We headed to the docks in [[Old Seagate]] to see if he had tried to book passage up the [[Sweetwater]] to [[Brastor]] but like the Weaver near Molly's they were typically close lipped.

Sirs Kirgoth, Jules and Ibrahim headed off for some further investigations while I escorted the ladies for an afternoon tea. Apparently the reasoning for this separation was once again cultural.

At this point Justice and the Moral imperative prevailed and Jules returned with a guide to take us to an influential person in Seagate. The reason he was willing to see us was the distribution of Pies and alms to the poor thus proving the benefits of good works. On the assumption we will be visiting parts of town frequented by the poor we organise to take additional food.

Our thoughts prove correct and we are taken to an abandoned building on the edge of town, the room is covered in refuse and is home to many of Seagates poorest. It is a pity we only have so much food but we distribute what we have and I make a note to return sometime more aid.

We are escorted into a room beneath an upturned boat and we meet with the leader of this band of beggers. As my studies into classical literature indicate he is indeed wearing scraps of velvet in his cloak. He is found to be a most reasonable man and indicates that Milo has probably headed to Brastor which matches our thoughts on the matter. He also warns us that Cultural misunderstandings mean we are likely to be attacked in the coming days. We thank him for his aid and retire to find Sir Julius reporting a massing of thugs in a nearby tavern. It appears we were warned just in time. I don my armour and pray quickly in preparation for the defence of my companions.

Since it is almost certain that direct conflict between armoured adventurers and the 'concerned businessmen' we have been warned about may result in unnecessary suffering on their part we elect to try and avoid the mob and return as quickly as possible to the Guild. Unfortunately we are surrounded and Sir Kirgoth is surprised as he leads the way, he unfortunately reacts with the automatic reactions of the highly trained and eviscerates the poor unfortunate before he has time to pull the blow. I quickly try to aid the man but [[Uriel]] takes him for judgement.

The cries of the dying man alert the mob to our location and soon we are trapped in an alley with a mob between us and freedom. Calls for the mob to surrender are ignored and the mob is soon falling to our blades as they persist in their attack. Sir Kirgoth in an attempt to avoid further death is too lenient and goes down under the mob before being valiantly rescued by Sir Julius. I do my best to quickly wound my opponents encouraging them to flee although I am outnumbered and unable to control my blows as well as I would like and one poor soul loses a hand.

The mob summons one more charge but are quickly encouraged into other pastimes, Kirgoth pretends to fall unconsious to give them a chance to escape.

From around a corner a large [[Kilroy|Bear]] appears and hugs one of the people fleeing, by the time I manage to get to there the bear has already let him go and sat down. The fight is over.

I confirm the streets are clear and my blade is clean. The other seem to have the scene in order and have met with a somewhat scruffy man apparently from the Guild known as [[Kilroy]], and leaving things in their capable hands I head to a local priest to organise transport to Brastor.

===A short trip===

It appear my colleagues are committed to the folly of flying, apparently deluded by the majesty of birds into forgetting the unnatural nature of such. I am most confused by Lyric who seems particularly enthused by something that will leave her unable to talk without shouting for many hours while doing nothing more than concentrating on going forwards in the cold.

Accepting this folly, yet seeking alternatives I speak with a friend to portal down to Brastor. While this goes against my better judgement it will be much safer for the party and is faster than flying which will keep the impatience to a minimum. Good honest toil seems anathema to these people and riding to Brastor will not be accepted.

Once my negotiations for the portals use are completed I return to the guild for a night spent in prayer and cleaning my armour and weapons.

In the morning the trip to Brastor is once again postponed in favour of a trip a few miles south of Seagate to Visit Milo's parents. I doubt anything will be discovered other than a more accurate date for when Milo headed off to Brastor and so decline to fly, instead remaining in Seagate to make restitution to those injured in the previous days fracas.

The party return a few hours later with a date that Milo left for Brastor and a few injuries from mishaps while flying. It is hard not to feel smug, such feelings being inappropriate I spend an extra hour in prayer and contemplation to remove such unworthy thoughts.

In the evening the party went to an inn 'The Mothers Lament' for supper. On the way we stopped at the astrologers as a reading had been performed. The reading triggered some memories of [[Where the Wind Blows|Scribe Notes]] I had read involving the Church. I went back to the Library to research these to see if they have any bearing on the matter.

Upon reading them and recalling a few of the details discussed with Father Broc, I think there are some remarkably similar features between the Astrology Reading and the Scribe notes but neither really matches the information we have divined from other sources so the information is stored as a final lead in case out primary investigations turn up blank.

The next day we finally head to see [[Father Broc]] and ask him to use his Rune Magics to transport us to Brastor. It transpires that most of the Party know of Father Broc ans so it is something of a reunion.

He transports us to Brastor and we arrive in a small house close to the town of [[Westgate]]. We bid farewell and start our journey to [[Lewiston]].

===Brastor===
Our first stop is the town of Westgate, a strange and unwelcoming town. The locals are freindly but it seems more like an army encampment than a town. We check with the local healers and physicians for traces of Milo without success and head onwards to the more friendly town of [[Hugler's Ferry]] where I have spent much time assisting with the rebuilding.

On the route it is realised that the Lady Teeanna affected as she is by Cold Iron will require some bronze stirrups made when we reach Hugler's Ferry and so it is the the Smith I head when the town is reached. I have assisted him often in the past and he is happy for me to borrow some Bronze and time on the forge. It appears that the party are ill used to manual labour as they check in frequently to see if I have finished the work, forging however takes many hours to ensure the strength of the work, and it is late into the night before the work is finished. I awake early to polish and finish to work before adding my makers mark. Tired but reinvigorated by the good honest toil I head to breakfast and the continuation of the trip.

It is at this point we are reminded the the Lady Teeanna has subjects that require attention and she departs for three days to attend to her duties. I take Kirgoth to the temple for Martial Training in case it is required in the near future.

===Lewiston or Bust===
Once regrouped we head to Lewiston. Upon arrival we spy someone watching us from the ruins of an old tower. In order to gain information we employ subterfuge and appear to set up camp while Masters Ibrahim and Julius sneak back to see who the watcher is. Unfortunately they elect to use magic to do this and as a result we are blessed with chaos and misfortune. Suffice it to say that Milo almost commits suicide, the tower collapses and we find ourselves fighting a zombie horde that had escaped our detection. Thus are the perils of magic.

Failing to sence the inherent Evil of the Zombie horde has made it apparent that I have left the path the lady has assigned me and I realise I have left a debt unpaid when I had the chance to repay it. It is that of the Smith in [[Hugler's Ferry]], I resolve to return at the earliest possible opportunity to make amends.

Milo is somewhat baffling in his logic and we discover that he has been heading to the [[Gatar Depression]] in order to remove the tear from [[Carzala]], and he has been travelling as secretly as possible in order that the Guild should not find out about it. He believes members of the guild would simply mistake the item for a trinket and display it causing harm to Guild members and those they interact with. After several adventures I cannot say I disagree with his beliefs in this regard.

After offering a number of possible plans, we head to the temple for the wisdom of the Knights.

===The Madness Spreads===

The knights spend some time in Prayer and Divination to determine that the artefact is in fact no longer with Master Milo but is powerful enough to turn a rough cloth into a holy artefact. Speaking with Master Milo we determine that the item has most likely been stolen by a Farrier or his family and we set off immediately for [[Tobintown]] before the madness spreads.

We are too late.

Arriving in Tobintown we are appraised of a situation a few miles out of town where a group of 70 families are acting strangely, refusing to work and beating up the town guard.

We volunteer to assist, but not before the more mercenary elements within the party coerce additional payment out of the townsfolk.

That night with the blessing of the Lady upon us we head into the camp, however the madness is directed towards us and people are alerted to our presence. Running through the camp we realise the source of the affliction is within a large tent at the centre of the camp. Master Ibrahim believes that by scattering coals about the ground we can scare the occupants into leaving without harm. Unfortunately while carrying a heavy brazier Master Ibrahim abruptly wanders off, we later find he had been afflicted by the madness. Such is the weakness that magic encourages within the body.

The lady Teaana and I continued upon our journey to the centre of the camp and without worrying about the locals we tear a hole in the side of the tent and carry out the unconscious form that lay within.

Fleeing the encampment we escape to the riverbank with relatively little pursuit. Fearing a mob I prepare my armour, only to find that the mob remains within the walls. The body we had recovered had passed beyond assistance but the evil relic had been recovered and was in the safe hands of Miss Lyric.

After putting some distance between us and the camp we bury the old lady we recovered from the tent and after prayers some sleep and some scouting around the town we head off to the temple.

===The final battle===

==Ibrihim's Notes==
''Not so much a record of the adventure, as a series of insights and aphorisms''.

* Never be in earshot when an elven princess explains sex to a dwarf

* Never reason with a beggar when you can apply leverage instead

* Never send a man to do a woman's work

* Do not try to blend in with the downtrodden if you are :
** an elven princess wearing silk & jewels
** an orc with heavy plate mail & glaive
** naive and god-touched, with an aura of holy beautific sanctity
** with a dwarf who cannot shut up. ever.

* In the local Cult of the Wingéd Ones
** There are no devils concerned with sustenance
** There are two major devils looking after camels (although most people do not know what a camel is)
** There are six or seven major devils looking after bird life
** They do not appear to engage in human sacrifice
** They do not seem to have layers of temples beneath their sacrificial altars

==Guild Security Information==

===Third Party Divinations===

Guild Namers have not had an opportunity to examine these items directly, but the information recorded in the Templar's documents are consistent with the parties observations and the usual practise of divinating such items.

Clearly editorial commentary and advice has been retained, but have been indicated by italics .

'''The â€œTearâ€'''

Aura Strength: Avatar (Fading?) 
Generic True Name: Orphealdhal, Patron of Prophesy and Dreams 
Plane of Origin: Tarkaran 
Banishment Status: Not summoned/Unbanishable (may be connected to other objects) 

This translucent scale came from the face of a murdered god called Orphealdhal. It retains a rudimentary awareness of its surroundings, a tiny sliver of its former wisdom and powers, and almost none of the judgement and sanity of its previous self.

The original godhead was sundered in the region of a thousand years ago and the agents of its destruction were entities Named as [[Comfort_and_Joy|â€œThe Comfort of a Justly Held Causeâ€ and â€œSavage Joy at the Shattered Despotâ€]] but the nature of these entities is not made clear.

For the past two years it has been sequestering power from the minds of those most receptive (the emotionally wounded and mentally unstable) to itâ€™s silent call, and has in turn used their dreams to spread itâ€™s influence in an attempt to recover itâ€™s former power. However, while it once granted insight and foreknowledge it is now only capable of deepening the disturbance in the unfortunates it draws to itself.

In the last three months it has regained enough strength to affect those not apparently mad, and within the last month it bonded with a mortal (human) creature and started to form a new Avatar. This process was interrupted by the death of the bonded entity.

''It still has the ability to influence those who touch and or are within a short distance of it, although more weakly, and could quickly rebuild to dangerous level of power. While I do not believe that the original Deity was actively malevolent, its remains are very dangerous and should be destroyed or placed somewhere far from centres of population.''

Sir Ross ui Kearne 
Templar of the Order of the Temple of Light 
Knight of the Sword of Light 
Thaw WK807 

'''The Thurible of Beguiling'''

Aura Strength: Magical 
Generic True Name: N/A 
Plane of Origin: Alusia 
Nature of Magic: Containing and Elevating Rapture, Communion 

Description: This elaborately decorated censer is suspended by four chains, fastened by representation of the four traditional Elohim in winged form, and has a shuttered compartment for the charcoal and the incense that produces the scent smoke. It is shaped from Tainted Alloy, a certain admixture of Strange Metal and Mithral whose primary effect is if that it is contact with a non-Mage they resist magic as if they had a (Thaumaturgy) college. It also reacts to heat oddly, altering its normal weight from about 5lbs at 20Â°C down to less than 1lb in near freezing and increasing it more than 30lbs when the charcoal is lit and the inner crucible reaches near 200Â°C.

The Thuribleâ€™s primary magical purpose is to contain and focus the effects of an intoxicating incense to heighten the effect of rituals that it is used during, merging the experience of the participants together. It also increases the Ranks of spells of subtle influence cast when holding by three. This was regarded as being borderline heretical when it was created some 600 years ago, and had been place in the vaults of Order of the Knights Templar for much of that time.

''With the shutters closed it is hoped that the effect of the fragment of the murdered god, Orphealdhal will be deadened sufficiently to allow the members of the Guild of Adventures to convey it to place where it can be destroyed or contained.''

''The return of the Thurible is not required if it necessarily destroyed or lost in process of removing the threat of the fragment.''

Sir Ross ui Kearne 
Templar of the Order of the Temple of Light 
Knight of the Sword of Light 
Thaw WK807 

===Guild Divinations===

presented to Julius

'''Bracer of the Steady Grasp'''

Wearing this leather bracer provides a +1 DM (and the status of magical damage) to weapons wielded or thrown by the arm it's worn on. However, the bonus does not persist or stack with any other magical DM bonus, spell or intrinsic, on the character or weapon. Weapon-smithing, Rank, and overstrength bonuses do not override the bonus. The wearer may also elect to re-roll a single Fumble table result per day, taking the second result. Thrown weapons also start incurring the -3 per hex range penalties after 5 hexes rather than at the first hex.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Reinforcement
Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift
GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Teeanna

'''Silver Hoop Ear-ring'''

This ear-ring allows a mage to cast a spell without requiring preparation in their first or second pulse (which includes a surprise pulse) of a combat. If they choose to do so, the next magical preparation (either spell preparation or Triggering) they undertake during that combat will require that they complete an additional Magical Pass Action before they can initiate it. This item has no effect outside of pulse time.

Aura Strength: Magic Nature of Magic: Foresight
Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift
GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Ibrihim

'''God-touched Bandage'''

This ordinary looking strip of cotton cloth once briefly concealed the fragment of a dead, insanity causing deity, as it attempted to escape complete destruction. The lingering effects on the cloth mean that a small object, less than an inch in any dimension, may wrapped in the cloth and rendered completely undetectable to Gods, Angels, Demons, Dragons and other creatures of power. The cloth is still detectable and has a mildly Holy aura.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Deific (Concealment)
Plane of Origin: Alusia (Mostly) Value: Gift
GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Kirgoth

'''Lava-newt Skin Bandages'''

These strips of the rough, chalky hide from the underbelly of humanoid reptiles know as Lava-newts. Properly preserved, the it can be used a wound dressing that increases the wounded characters resistance and chance to recover from infection by doubling their effective EN. The dressings also prevent further environmental contamination of Specific Grievous wounds and can be reused once thoroughly cleaned and dried.

There are enough dressings for three Specific Grievous wounds or six general wounds.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Resilience
Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift
GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Peter

'''Reliquary of Magnus the Strong'''

This slender wooden box (2/3â€x 4â€ x 2/3â€) is said to contain the bone of the right index finger of one of the first Templar Knights. If a Templar uses the Reliquary as a focus for prayer and carries it on their person they can draw on Magnus' fabled strength of will to fuel Templar abilities.

The Templar may invoke Magnusâ€™s name and draw a single fatigue point to power an ability, which additionally has a +10% chance of succeeding if it requires a base chance to be rolled against. The reliquary stores one point for each of previous three days that the Templar has engaged in morning, noon, and evening prayers, and has not transgressed their code of conduct. The point generated the previous dayâ€™s pious conduct becomes available for use once the first prayers of current day have been completed; however oldest point becomes unavailable upon preceding midnight.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Strength of Will
Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift
GM: Ben Taberner

presented to Lyric

'''Casket of Enchanted Murmurs'''

This compact wooden box is constructed of a richly-grained reddish wood, probably cherry, and has brass hinges and fittings. It has a simple, effective latch but no lock, and can contain about 2â€ cu of contents.

Additionally, if a Adept of the College Enchantments and Ensorcelments minute casts an single targeted Entity spell (if the spell can optionally target single entities, it qualifies) they can direct it into the box for later use. It is triggered by opening the lid of the box (a Pass action) and will target the entity opening the box, unless they are an Adept of the E&E College who may direct the spell as though they were the caster.

However, if the target resists, the spell bounces back, and if was directed by an adept they must also resist or be effected. At this point the spell is expended if it was successfully resisted or not.

Aura Strength: Formerly Living Nature of Magic: Utterance
Plane of Origin: Alusia Value: Gift
GM: Ben Taberner

===Optional Blessing===

If the players wish, they may elect take on a "blessing" from their contact with "the Tear" - this is a draft form and discussion is welcomed. Those who are not interested by be assumed to have paused near the Mind Mage college for long enough to have their id straightened.

'''Touched by Divine Madness'''

During the course of this adventure <name here> encountered the victims of a divine madness, spoke with them, investigated their symptoms via Healer/Mind Mage/Divinatory abilities, and came in close proximity of it's origin, a scale from the face of the murdered, mad alien deity of Prophesy and Dreams, Orphealdhal. They were also present at it's probable destruction.

Due to this experience, <name here> may elect to, once an adventure, seek the deeper mysteries hidden in a divinatinatory poem, puzzle, vision, or dream. Choosing one element of the experience (a line or couplet from a poem or the current scene of a dream or vision) and attempt to intuit whether holds a element of literal or figurative truth.

For example, if they were to witness a vision that showed them a demon standing in a lake of blood, they may try to determine whether the demon or the lake are actually real, were alluding something, or merely hallucinations, as determined by the GM.

If the attempt succeeds or fails, they will project the least favourite aspect of their personality more strongly during the following three hours.

Clarissa GM Information

2007-10-13T11:17:40Z

Cosmo: Creating GM Info page

[[Category:Ben_Taberner]][[Category:Clarissa]][[Category:GM Info]]
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
==Description==
[[Clarissa d'Ornay]] is a slightly short, compactly muscular (5'8"/114lbs) young [[elf|elven]] woman, with shoulder length auburn hair, an enchanting face, and extensive tattooing. Her natural PB of 21 has been increased by a variety of blessings to 24 for most observers and 26 for Elves and Fae.

In her work-a-day life, Clarissa is furnished with beautiful garments by the best seamstresses in Sanctuary and can avail herself of a range of fashionable outfits suited to the formality and intimacy of her engagements.

On adventure, Clarissa is armed with a serrated hand-and-a-half made of black wood and carries a number of daggers, with a similarly pointy or jagged look to them. She is generally armoured either in suit of mundane full plate, a patched set of Guild leathers, a tight-fitting fur cat-suit, or a shimmering chamsong-style evening dress (Prot. 6) for formal wear.

===Visible Value===

Clarissa's everyday garments are simple and (somewhat) tasteful, while all the time betrayal their exquisite workmanship and appalling cost to educated eye. Her full combat attire comes to about 80,000sp (Guild Valuation) of weapons, armour, amulets, invested, and potions, through none of the items are overtly magical or ostentatious.

:(Note - almost the entirety of Clarissa's direct reward for her service to the [[Sanctuary_Notables#Prince_Kadakithis|Governor of Sanctuary]] has appeared in the form of filmy garments, "party supplies", and lavishly furnished apartments. "Kitty Cat" thereby annoys his wife, supports local traders, and completely fails to lose with any real currency on his latest "investment" at the same time.)

==Level==
:Offence:Medium-High (Agility fighter and Assassin, with a reliable bolt spell)
:Defence:Medium (26 Agility)
:Utility:Medium (Social Engineering, Flight)

==Passive Detections and protections==
*Resist Pain (from Item)
*Normal Fire protection (Spell castable due to item)
*Magical Fire protection (Rank 10) (Spell castable due to item) Effect identical to the original spell of the same name.
*Can seasonally (Winter) detect scrying and may destroy the item/cancel the spell at whim.

==Social==
===Reaction Modifiers===
*No particular reaction modifiers aside from PB.

===Friends, Allies and Associates===
*[[Sanctuary_Notables#Prince_Kadakithis|Prince Kadakithis]], the Governor of [[Sanctuary]]
*[[Duchess_Meredith|Duchess Meredith]] of [[Ranke]]

===Enemies===
*[[Sanctuary_Nobles#Daphne|Princess Daphne]], official wife of Kadakithis

==Languages==
*Excellent Common
*Elven (only partially literate)
*Drow (illiterate, poor grasp of the imperative inflection)
*Conversational [[Lunar Empire|Lunan]]
*A Smattering of [[Five Sisters]] Courtly and Trading Tongues

==Goals==
===Long Term===
*Extract horrible, protected revenge from those who have wronged her.
*Recall exactly who, where, and what they are.

===Short Term===
Current Focus
*Continue establishing her contacts in Sanctuary to find more about the slave trade in the parts of Alusia she believes she hailed from.
*Quietly document the Slave Trade and pass the information on to interested parties.
*Assemble a trusted network of colleagues to help execute her plans of horrible revenge once they are set.

==Skills and Abilities==
===Party Roles===
* Front-line fighter
* Reconnaissance
* Social Engineering and Gigantic Distraction

===Main Skills===
*Courtier (Master)
*Spy (engaged in Master Work)
*Troubadour (repeated specialisation in Dance)
*Assassin
*Alchemist
*Herbalist
*Flying (Rk8 with effective 29 AG )

===Main Spells===
*Lightning Bolt (Rk11)
*Flying (Rk9)
*Whispering Wind (Rk6)

==Other Stuff of Note==
===The useful===
*Detect Fumes can also Detect Enchantment in favourable circumstances.
*Ranks in Alchemist & Herbalist are increased by one during Summer.

===Not so useful===
*Cannot be disguised, illusioned, or made invisible during Summer.
*Completely forgets training in Alchemist & Herbalist in Winter.

Category:Clarissa

2007-10-12T20:18:09Z

Cosmo:

[[Category:Character]]
A Category for pages related to the character [[Clarissa d'Ornay]].

Clarissa Signup

2007-10-12T11:40:43Z

Cosmo: Creating Signup Page

[[Category:Clarissa]]
[[Clarissa d'Ornay]] ([[Clarissa GM Information|GM Info]]), A Tattooed [[Elf|Elven]] [[:Category:Air_Mage|Air Mage]] played by [[:Category:Ben Taberner|Ben Taberner]]

Category:Tattoo

2007-10-12T11:32:31Z

Cosmo:

The people below have entered the exciting world of body modification, to embrace beauty, ancient tradition, or unholy power.

Talk:New Maps

2005-10-09T06:25:02Z

Cosmo:

All comment welcome, but please sign it. 

--[[User:Jono|Jono]] 23:17, 5 Oct 2005 (NZDT)

I guess no feedback is good? I hope so. 

--[[User:Jono|Jono]] 17:10, 9 Oct 2005 (NZDT)

It's good stuff, but what scale are your maps down to? Looking at it initilly as you posted changes, I though that north had moved until I worked out which tiny bit Carzala was. I think I've also been confusing the isthmus that points at Novadom with the tip of Palastrina for a while... :) 

BTW What's the the provenance of the these maps? Have games been run the Harnese realms, or are they place-holders?

--[[User:Cosmo|Ben Taberner]] 19:25, 9 Oct 2005 (NZDT)

Character:Clarissa

2005-07-21T07:49:17Z

Cosmo: Character:Clarissa moved to Clarissa d'Ornay

#REDIRECT [[Clarissa d'Ornay]]