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Player DS
Character Name Type
Status/Notes Sex<br>
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
FH.John Haight.......HY..Arawn.............Druid
.Normal/Al.. Ma<br>
...Kevin
Newark..........Dorhak............Warrior.Normal/Dwarf....Ma<br>
--.Tobie Bonahoom....YY..Fremea............Sidh....Normal/Faerry..
Fe<br>
W3.Mark
Murtha.......HN..Kell..............Trader..Normal/Human....Ma<br>
W2.David Sanders.....HN..Kiet.Sunan........Acrobat
Normal/Human ..Ma<br>
R4.Wout
Broere.......YY..Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human ..Fe<br>
...Don.Kerr..............Maelorna..........Dancer..Normal/Human....Fe<br>
...Gilbert.Isla..........Mournath..........Sailor..Normal/Human....Ma<br>
R3
Panthera..............Pyandalgor........Hunter..Normal/Human....Ma<br>
R4.Alex
Koponen......YY..Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human ..Fe<br>
Fake-Kell/Raki........Npc...............Normal..Normal/Shaper...??<br>
Z'layha
..............Npc...............Normal..Normal/Shaman...Fe<br>
Animals: Corona [Eagle] Z'leyra<br><br>
Game Web Site -
http:/nrgcomputers.com/pbem/<br>
Public posts/actions to
pnpgm@list.powersandperils.org (mailing list)<br>
Private emails (not public actions) to
pnpgm@comcast.net<br>
<br>
Game Update #150 sequence (file
#1019)<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Admin Notes: None<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
[Recap] - None<br><br>
______________________________________________________________<br>
[New Stuff]<br><br>
GM: What follows is a Behind The Scenes
update. It is long so<br>
read when
can. This was done over the last 2 years. It<br>
was done when
tired after updates. So I hope it makes<br>
some sense.
There may be some minor logic flaws but<br>
not uusre as too
lazy to re-read. You will see names<br>
that may be
known. If not many are in the Characters<br>
of the Campaign
link on game site. You will notice the<br>
events are divided
up into Dates Jan-Dec (Decalis). The<br>
years and
days. I tried to answer some things and<br>
add spice. I
tried to cover some npcs we saw only<br>
briefly.
This file is huge so I could not go into<br>
great
detail. But I think tis is sufficient. Have fun!<br>
Since this
adventure centered around Z it covers a lot<br>
of her. Some
background and origin stories. The<br>
events on Tiren's
death was typed up long ago. This means<br>
before Z changed
history to a new death. I will keep it<br>
here only as I
don't want to delete what i did. :) The<br>
new Death is not
here as it was in the update of Akasha. <br><br>
Current Date:
[Decalis 2nd, 1635TH]<br>
-------------------<br>
* Adventure #7 - Behind
the Scenes<br><br>
[Marqi 11, 1590TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
A young man
of 16, Tiren spends the day in the western edge<br>
of Ticasi hunting and
exploring. He has never been much<br>
of a hunter as he tends
to trap and examine animals then sets<br>
them free.<br><br>
He is
watching a wild boar fighting another boar when he<br>
notices a lone female
walking in the woods nearby. She<br>
has long silver flowing
hair down to her mid back. She<br>
is thing and tall.
She is dressed in a flowing white dress<br>
that seems so out of
place for this area. She almost reminds<br>
him of those stories of
ghosts.<br><br>
Curious
Tiren gives chase and watches the female for some time.<br>
She ends up at a small
pond that could dry in a hot summer.<br>
Without a worry to the
world she strips her dress off and<br>
walks naked to the
pond.<br><br>
As the girl
begins to splash and pick at floating lily pad<br>
she says out loud,
"why not just join me?"<br><br>
Startled
Tiren hesitates and realizes he has been seen.<br>
He apologizes.
With eyes downcast he approaches and looks<br>
nervous.<br><br>
"It is
a nice day join and relax."<br><br>
Tiren with
hormones flying decides why not. Stepping<br>
naked into the pond he
introduces himself.<br><br>
"I'm a
visitor to this land...just finished a job. Your<br>
bow looks nice and
strong. You a hunter?"<br><br>
"No. Not really. I can't get the heart to kill
them."<br><br>
"No
worries." She smiles. "This is what makes your<br>
kind so interesting.
" She wipes her long hair and suddenly<br>
reveals a strange
pointed ear. But her eyes seem to draw<br>
his attention as well as
her chest.<br><br>
"My
name is Sava." She splashes him. "I suspect you
will<br>
be a very important
person one day..." She smiles and swims<br>
away coyly.
<br><br>
They talk
for hours enthralled by the female all time seems<br>
to ebb away until the
setting sun sets.<br><br>
<br>
[Apris 4, 1606TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Tiren meets
with a merchant in a tavern. For a few years now<br>
he has been hearing
rumors of Kameri superior weapons. The<br>
metal masters all
scholarly professors at the college seem to<br>
say nothing is superior
without work and the metal. But<br>
there has been no
evidence of Kameri being better.<br><br>
The merchant
talks for a bit on boring trade and then<br>
finally pulls out the
Kameri blade. It shines in the<br>
fireplace light of the
tavern. Tiren tries to eye it<br>
closely but can't tell
if its better than any other dagger<br>
out there.<br><br>
The trader
smiles, "two Donaran gold."<br><br>
Tiren sits
back shocked. "Way too much."<br><br>
"But
this is hard to find these days. Not like you can<br>
go to any market and
find them." The trader smiles and<br>
that annoys
Tiren.<br><br>
"How do
I know this is even Kameran?"<br><br>
The trader
shrugs, "my word? I do have others I can sell<br>
it to. There is a
person in Salaqara who will pay for it."<br>
He slips the dagger in
the sheath. He starts to stand.<br><br>
"12
Silver."<br><br>
"18."<br><br>
"15 no
more." Tiren folds his arms.<br><br>
"I can
get at least 18 from the guy." He steps away<br>
and turns to the
door."<br><br>
"17. Here and now."<br><br>
The merchant
grins and becomes expressionless as he turns<br>
around.
"Fine."<br>
<br>
Tiren digs
through his coin bag. "If I find this not be<br>
be
Kameran..." He gives some coins on the table.
"Half<br>
now."<br><br>
"Not
the parley we agreed to."<br><br>
"Just a
minute." Tiren digs through his bag. He pulls<br>
out a round
talisman. "I have been assured this item will<br>
detect Kameran
metal. If it passes I will give you the<br>
rest if not I get my
money back."<br><br>
The merchant
considers and shrugs putting the dagger<br>
on the table.
Tiren speaks the magical words to set<br>
the talisman
active. It begins to glow green. "Deal."<br>
He hands the coins to
the merchant who quickly leaves.<br><br>
[Ma 23, 1607TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Tiren sits
in his home study and pours over a ancient<br>
tome translated by one
of the professors. It was said<br>
to be written by a Dwarf
Weapons Master. It details on<br>
how to test and
determine the quality of weapons by their<br>
metal, design and other
factors. If nothing learned from it<br>
is by chance for more
knowledge. Everyone does things<br>
by the rules by what
some call science not superstition<br>
and myths.<br><br>
[Junaga 11, 1607TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Two days
after he began his tests on the Kameri dagger<br>
it is now broken.
Without proper testing one can't<br>
determine
facts.<br><br>
Tiren
decides it is time to find this magical place.<br>
He sets out to the
college to settle his affairs. He<br>
will not be teaching his
classes in the spring as planned.<br><br>
[Julis 14, 1607TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Tiren leaves
the city with his horse and pack animal of<br>
supplies. Friends
had suggested to travel with others<br>
but the man can get help
later on. Being on the roads<br>
should be safe for a few
hundred miles to the east.<br><br>
Tarnark the
Smith, Tiren's father, does not like this trip.<br>
There is much to study
and do here. The myths and legends<br>
of the Dwarfs alone are
enough last lifetimes. But he does<br>
not forbid this
trip. He does hire some guards and a<br>
caravan master to take
him to this dangerous land.<br><br>
[Augado 23, 1607TH -
Wilderness]<br><br>
The caravan
stops after over a month of travel. The troop<br>
lost 5 men to battles
and ambushes. But the caravan master<br>
does not like entering
the lands of the Kameran as they hear<br>
stories.<br><br>
Tiren and
his 2 guards enter but the guards notice totems<br>
on trees and obvious
get-out-or-die symbols. Tiren dismisses<br>
them and continues on
his own.<br><br>
[Augado 24, 1607TH -
Wilderness]<br><br>
Tiren is
ambushed and captured by the barbarians. Tiren<br>
would later recall years
later that this time was a period<br>
of strife with raids
from other areas. This caused the<br>
tribes to be nervous and
wary.<br><br>
Not speaking
either language, a woman becomes his main<br>
interrogator. But
Tiren pulls out the broken Kameri<br>
dagger and shows
her. The woman surprised seems to<br>
understand. She
uses magic to speak to him and he<br>
tells his story.
How he wishes to learn from the<br>
people here.<br><br>
[Augado 26, 1607TH -
Wilderness]<br><br>
The woman
named Z'nayha comes and tells him he can stay<br>
only a month no
more.<br><br>
[Sepes 8, 1607TH -
Wilderness]<br><br>
Out
exploring the area, Tiren saves Z'nayha by stopping<br>
her from stepping on a
poisonous snake. The snakes strikes<br>
and Tiren uses a small
net to confuse the snake. They<br>
flee and soon find
themselves closer.<br><br>
[Sepes 11, 1607TH -
Kameran wilderness]<br><br>
Z'nayha
stands in the lodge hall alone with the leader of<br>
the lodge. The
ancient looking woman sits and watches the<br>
shaman pace back and
forth.<br><br>
"The
man seems kind...but oblivious to other things around<br>
him."<br><br>
The ancient
woman nods, "but the looks are clear. You<br>
like this man
deeply?"<br><br>
Z'nayha
stops and stares then paces again. "I don't know.<br>
I am destined to marry
the other-"<br><br>
"Destiny they say is like a woman ...women change their<br>
mind all the time..so
can fate...fickle some call it."<br><br>
"But he
is an outsider."<br><br>
"So are
the ones we guard."<br><br>
Z'nayha
leaves and finds Tiren. The ancient woman<br>
smiles and is joined by
a another older woman from<br>
a side alcove.
"<br><br>
"This
is against tradition."<br><br>
The seated
ancient woman shrugs. "So is avoiding the<br>
will of prophecy.
If they say it has been done we can't<br>
block the future if its
now. If it is said the true<br>
event was done then the
next step must be done or the first<br>
never
happens."<br><br>
"You
speak in circles. This whole thing on time eludes<br>
me and gives me a
headache."<br><br>
"The
river is set we can only add stones to the river that<br>
would have already
fallen in."<br><br>
The other
woman shakes her head in confusion wondering if<br>
the ancient woman has
gone insane.<br><br>
[Octagi 3, 1607TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Tiren stands
in a clearing and watches as Z'nayha approaches<br>
in a green and brown
half dress. Around them are some friends<br>
Tiren has met but mostly
the clan watches this strange ritual<br>
of the outsider being
here.<br><br>
Z'nayha
joins Tiren and turns to the older woman waiting.<br>
Tiren is dressed in a
light leather tunic and tan pants from<br>
leather. The woman
begins to speak the words and though<br>
Tiren doesn't really
understand every word he gets the basic<br>
idea of the
ritual.<br><br>
Soon Z'nayha
turns to Tiren and speaks the words of faith<br>
and loyalty. She
then takes the bowl of liquid from a fellow<br>
girl and drinks from
it. She hands the bowl to Tiren who<br>
drinks the foul smelling
mixture. He wanted to know what<br>
was in it but after
smelling that decides not to ask.<br><br>
The symbol a
mixture of fluids denotes a mixture of two<br>
bodies being one.
With that Tiren and Z'nayha are married.<br>
Tiren finds the whole
ritual a bit bland compared to the<br>
show civilized women
demand.<br><br>
[Julis 6, 1608TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Tiren runs
in between fallen trees as he pleads for<br>
his feet to move
faster. He looks behind him to find<br>
his two friends from the
clan trying to keep up. In Ticasi<br>
they only say you need
only to run faster than your friends<br>
to avoid a
beast.<br><br>
But today he
has been summoned to the lodge for a dire<br>
emergency. The
trio has been cleaning up a village during<br>
a severe storm that set
fire to several huts. Tiren leaps<br>
over a tree trunk that
was hit by lightning and deftly<br>
misses a deep mole
hole. But misses the low branch where<br>
a bee hive was. If
things couldn't get worse a surge of<br>
rain hits the
forest. This does help to get rid of the<br>
stinging bees at least
but slows him down.<br><br>
Finally a
half hour later he enters the lodge panting<br>
deeply. He is
ushered into a room to find a woman lift<br>
a baby into the
air.<br><br>
Tiren almost
faints but the look of the woman make that<br>
look like a sign of
weakness. So their glare keeps him<br>
on his feet. Soon
he is holding twin girls of his own.<br>
Z'layha and
Z'leyra. He notices Z'layha is already sleeping<br>
but Z'leyra is awake and
alert eyeing everything in sight.<br>
Tiren smiles at
Z'nayha.<br><br>
In the
corner the ancient woman talks to the old woman<br>
from the lodge.
The old woman whispers. "So explain how<br>
a dead man can be
holding babies?"<br><br>
The ancient
woman smiles.<br><br>
[Ma 17, 1609TH - Kameran
Wilderness]<br><br>
Tiren is
present to the birth of his first son - Z'lart.<br>
He spends a week
boasting to the clan men about how<br>
he will make a great
hunter and barely a week old.<br><br>
[Ma 8, 1610TH - Kameran
Wilderness]<br><br>
A year later
Tiren finds his 4th kid - another son - born.<br>
This time Tiren names
him as Z'verarg. This one seems quiet<br>
and subdue so Tiren
wonders if he will make a great artist.<br><br>
[Janaq 6, 1611TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Z'leyra
watches as her mother gives birth to yet another<br>
sister. She learns
this sister's name is Z'lena. <br><br>
[Octagi 19, 1614TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Years later
Tiren has learned the secrets as much as a man<br>
and outsider is
taught. He is still not fully happy about<br>
missing some
details. He knows something is being held back<br>
on the Kameri
metal. But even his wife refuses to tell<br>
him still considering
him a outsider even going native in<br>
a way. He is
surprised to be still here as initially he had<br>
only a month not years
to stay.<br><br>
When a
merchant travels nearby outside the borders he finds<br>
his chance. He
writes a letter to his Ticasi father and<br>
friends. He
explains he has extended his stay here but<br>
can not go into
details. He will try to send more letters<br>
as time permits.
He pays the merchant in fine leather<br>
hides to ship the letter
to Ticasi. The merchant makes<br>
no promise but will try
to once he reaches a civilized<br>
city with a messenger
service.<br><br>
[Novehas 11, 1615TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
A cold night
finds Tiren by the fire of his small lodge<br>
home. Compared to
most homes his place is rather large<br>
a palace compared to one
room huts most live in. But it<br>
seems with the size of
his family and Z'nayhas's status<br>
he is accorded this
place. He stares at the warm fire as<br>
it makes him
drowsy.<br><br>
Z'nayha
joins him on the couch as the kids are all asleep<br>
as they listen to the
wind blowing the trees in the darkness.<br>
Then Z'nayha startles
the scholar by asking if he wants to<br>
learn the true secret of
Kameran metalworking.<br><br>
Tiren nods
and agrees to her terms that he will a give oath of<br>
secrecy. She tells
him to head to the storage lodge now<br>
and meet a old
woman. Confused by this he leaves his home<br>
in the cold. Alone
he finds a old woman who must be in her<br>
80s waiting. The
ancient woman simply nods and pulls a cowl<br>
over her face and guides
the man through the forest. It<br>
seems to take hours into
the wee hours of the morning.<br><br>
Soon they
find a stone wall of some sort with a access<br>
tunnel. They
enter and the woman explains the true<br>
secrets. <br><br>
"This
place is a guarded place of ancient times. We are<br>
forced to give offerings
here in this alcove. These offerings<br>
may be anything from
animals, rare plants, metals or...even<br>
our young. We have
no choice. The rules were set down so<br>
long ago it is instinct
now. In this alcove appears soon after<br>
a glowing metal or if we
give well a cauldron of metal that<br>
could make a wide
assortment of Kameri items from the molten<br>
metal."<br><br>
Amazed the
man looks angry. "You just GIVE your young to<br>
a place where it goes to
where?" She shakes her head. "You<br>
don't even know?
Are you serious?"<br><br>
"We
have confidence in what we do. The gods set long ago<br>
this system. They
warned us that if we fail to protect<br>
this place to guard it
and give our offerings our people<br>
and your people will be
safe."<br><br>
"From
what?! In my land there are people who fake miracles<br>
all the time.
Drink this and bam your ills go away. Faith<br>
in a bottle is as bad as
faith in this...stone place."<br><br>
"It is
our way. Now you must never reveal this to even<br>
your
wife."<br><br>
"Then
why tell me?!"<br><br>
"Because....the gathering sees something in you.
That<br>
you will not abuse this
secret. Will you abide by this<br>
or will you tell your
friends in this Ticasi land about it?"<br><br>
"This
is not fair.." Tiren runs a hand through his hair<br>
in frustration.
"I came here to....learn. I may have<br>
questions later and
expect answers. But I will abide<br>
by this."<br><br>
"You
can also drink a tea that will rid your memory of<br>
this night. If you
rather go back to not knowing."<br><br>
"So
keep silent or forget it?" He stares at the two<br>
alcoves which are both
empty. "I will be silent but<br>
I expect
answers."<br><br>
"Come
to my lodge next week and I will try to answer<br>
your
questions."<br><br>
[Febris 28, 1618TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Years later
after finding the secret Tiren has become more<br>
and more
depressed. His own wife doesn't know the full<br>
truth only this inner
circle of a few ancient women seem<br>
to know for sure.
He has been known to take to the hard<br>
drinks the men serve in
their own places of fun.<br><br>
But today
the twin girls start their apprenticeship into<br>
a shaman training
lodge. Both are not even that old but it<br>
seems they start young
here. Z'leyra has been hoping to get<br>
the fox as a tonah as
they are clever and fast. But her twin<br>
sister hopes to get the
noble deer. But Z'nayha explains<br>
that a tonah picks them
not the other way around. Only<br>
a few rare exceptions
can actually choose their tonah.<br><br>
[Febris 28, 1624TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Z'nayha is
on the eastern edge of the Kameran lands when she<br>
falls in a bear pit
trap. She was out exploring for new plants<br>
for the local lodges for
healing. The six foot pit has a set<br>
of four sharp spears and
at the bottom to add insurance a simple<br>
metal foot trap.
She is pierced in the left ribs and slides<br>
down the pit to land
where the metal trap clamps down breaking<br>
her ankle.
<br><br>
This is no
Kameran trap as it would not be this hostile so<br>
it has to be a foreign
hunter trap. As she gasps for air she<br>
tries to call for help,
especially her Tonah. But she knows<br>
her lung is losing air
and deflated. She has minutes maybe<br>
if she is lucky.
The nearest clan is at least 30 minutes<br>
walking. Her Tonah
knows even he would be too late to fetch<br>
help.<br><br>
Thinking of
her children she coughs up blood and starts<br>
to lose oxygen in her
veins. She tries to cast a spell but<br>
without being able to
speak no words can be given. She<br>
collapses looking up at
the sun between the trees wondering<br>
if her kids will become
who they should be for the tribe.<br>
Then she thinks of Tiren
as spots form in her eyes. She<br>
Worries about Z'lena who
was not feeling well and then simply<br>
falls into
unconsciousness.<br><br>
An hour
later the Tonah returns with help but it is too<br>
late. Three men
haul her body out and break the spears.<br>
They take a piece away
with them and return the body to<br>
Z'nayha's clan
lodge.<br><br>
[Marqi 3, 1624TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Tiren stands
in front of the clan elders. He has been given<br>
his say but they banish
him now. No outsider without a sponsor<br>
should remain now that
his wife is gone. Tiren pleads that<br>
he has his children here
and they could sponsor him. But in<br>
fact they deny this
saying that are too young.<br><br>
By now the
ancient woman who showed him the stone alcoves<br>
has died and so to the
elders there is no reason to have him<br>
around. They allow
him only one kid to take with him.<br><br>
Tiren argues
for hours trying to say this not fair that<br>
he should be able to
take all his children. But under<br>
clan rules family is
community until they are of age or<br>
ready for their adult
tests.<br><br>
Tiren
threatens and pleads but when the elders say he could<br>
be killed for staying he
relents. Heart broken he has only<br>
a few hours to choose
which kid to take.<br><br>
Alone in his
lodge home he falls to the ground stunned by<br>
this turn of events
spilling tears and pleading to the gods.<br>
But he has a deadline so
gathers his children. With great<br>
anguish he explains his
situation.<br><br>
"If I
have to...I will return with an army to gather you<br>
if I am able
to."<br><br>
But in his
heart he knows there is little hope. Some like<br>
the boys seem to love
this place. But of all the kids one<br>
seems to have the desire
to learn and explore. This one<br>
kid has been caught
exploring the edge of the Kameran in<br>
danger of being
taken. Tiren can't leave this one alone<br>
to risk this
danger. Tiren chooses Z'leyra.<br><br>
[Marqi 4, 1624TH -
Kameran Wilderness]<br><br>
Tiren,
Z'leyra and Fisherking leave the Kameran and head<br>
to Ticasi. They
know they have a long trip ahead of them.<br><br>
[Marqi 24, 1624TH -
Ticasi City]<br><br>
Tiren's
father is elected to the Council in Ticasi for a two<br>
year term. This
makes him one of the powerful leaders for<br>
the province.<br><br>
[Novehas 9, 1624TH -
Ticasi City]<br><br>
Tiren and
Z'leyra finally arrive in Ticasi after a long<br>
trip of being lost,
battles with monsters and bandits and<br>
many powerful summer
storms. It may have taken 4-5 months<br>
longer than usual but
Tiren stays and explores showing what<br>
he can of places and
animals. Plus at least 3 times they<br>
get lost and lose a
total of 18 days going in circles. <br><br>
[Janaq 4, 1625TH -
Ticasi City]<br><br>
Tiren
enrolls Z'leyra in a magical school to learn Balance<br>
magic. But to
other students Z'leyra is only a barbarian<br>
outsider not worthy of
notice.<br><br>
[Ma 20, 1626TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
finds the woods so much better than the schools.<br>
There even the
professors treat her as an outsider. They<br>
even hate her free
education as her grandfather arranged<br>
for this. Some
students as far as Teos and Fomoria spend<br>
a king's ransom getting
here and for education.<br><br>
But in the
woods she can be with her drum and be a shaman<br>
again from her learning
at the shamanic lodges. In the<br>
woods she finds a Elf
who seeks to be alone. This elf<br>
who was placed here as a
way station of sorts for his<br>
people rarely goes to
the city.<br><br>
After weeks
of trying to get closer the Elf finally<br>
stops kicking her off
his land. The old Elf, Besir,<br>
lets her enter his small
hut.<br><br>
Over the
next few months they become friends and<br>
she urges him to teach
him Sidh magics.<br><br>
[Apris 12, 1627TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
For weeks
Z'leyra has noticed a small human male walking<br>
the halls. He
tends to stay at the Council headquarters<br>
and carries packets and
messages. He must be only a<br>
messenger but he is
always scowling for some reason. Why<br>
have a kid in this
place?<br><br>
But today
she meets Besir to bring him some candles from<br>
the city. She
notices a small man at the table and he<br>
stands and shows
wings! Startled she reaches for her staff<br>
but Besir just
laughs.<br><br>
"This
is Varange. He is a Faerry. They have wings. He
has<br>
been here a few weeks
serving as a scholar and diplomat for the<br>
Wild
Forest."<br><br>
"Actually that is my main purpose but I am here on various
other<br>
tasks for our
people. I tend to avoid humans when I can at<br>
the schools. This
is a short duty assignment. But I am also<br>
looking for a special
relic and I figure the wise men at this<br>
school might help
me." The small Fae bows and waves a arm<br>
toward Z'leyra.
"Glad to meet you. Maybe we'll be good friends."<br><br>
[Apris 13, 1627TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
begins her healing lessons to become a Master Healer<br>
some day. Her
teachers a old lady in her 70s seems to take<br>
the "barbarian
gal" as foolish. Z'leyra has to work extra hard<br>
to maintain her studies
and not be kicked out. Over time that<br>
takes almost a year she
finally shows her prowess as a Healer<br>
for the old lady
teacher. But there are still whispers behind<br>
closed doors about her
heritage that still gives Z'leyra a deep<br>
side of
betrayal.<br><br>
[Julis 15, 1628TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
The healer
now becomes a Master Armorer after proving herself<br>
as a designer of a suit
of armor for a noble. The final test<br>
by the Armorsmith
teacher approves and grants her the title<br>
of Master Armorer this
day.<br><br>
[Apris 22, 1630TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
While
Z'leyra studies in magic and other skills at the<br>
Ticasi schools she also
spends many off hours and weekends<br>
at the Sidh camps in the
woods. By now Varange has moved<br>
on it seems with his
research completed. She still does not<br>
understand if he even
had full authority here as a diplomat<br>
or that was some
cover.<br><br>
For the last
3 months though the Sidh helped to teach her<br>
the ways of Jewel
Craft. Unlike healing and Armor making<br>
this skill is a bit
harder. The skill is there but the<br>
patience is
lacking. Sitting staring at jewels and chipping<br>
away to prevent flaws is
very difficult. The Sidh teach<br>
her how to be patient
through meditation. <br><br>
After
hundreds of failed and destroyed pieces of Gems<br>
and the like she finally
shows she has the talent. She<br>
shows this by buying a
cheap though flawless ruby and<br>
making a nice simple
ring for her father. She presents<br>
it to him at dinner and
he praises her for the surprise<br>
at even learning a new
trade.<br><br>
[Junag 8, 1630TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Tiren is
elected into the Council as the Metal Crafts<br>
professor. Though
this is a hard fight as the gossip<br>
around his family still
spreads. The position is a high<br>
place for the
government.<br><br>
[Ma 12, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Tiren begins
to run tests again on the Kameri metal. He<br>
is determined to learn
the secrets behind the workmanship.<br>
He uses his Council
position to research for months. That<br>
it doesn't seem to be
Magic or even a rare metal. It seems to<br>
be in how it is done and
bonded. Using ancient archives that<br>
only Council members can
access he finds that rumors in he<br>
Archives mention that
some strange techniques in blade making<br>
was performed by the
empire that once ruled Goidan. But<br>
this is all
speculation.<br><br>
[Julis 3, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Tiren
continues his metal blade research and tries to study<br>
the craftsman notes from
armorers around the world. But being<br>
a professor he is not as
skilled in that area. He consults<br>
with the Metal Crafters
Clan which is a sect in Ticasi that<br>
treats the craft as
sacred. They hide their secrets well<br>
and argue that things
are "just so". The leader of the Clan<br>
a Robaris Demaul tries
to sway Tiren to stop his work.<br><br>
Z'leyra
returns from her studies happy to show her father<br>
a new spell. She
can hear Demaul and Tiren argue inside<br>
almost to the point of
threats. She enters and stops the<br>
fight upon arriving and
Demaul leaves.<br><br>
[Julis 5, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br>
[Time: 3:05 pm]<br><br>
Poorda is
humming to herself in her house when she notices<br>
yet another man in her
backyard. She exits the house and<br>
begins to yell for him
to leave. The man in the floppy hat<br>
looks at her and yells
back. "Go back inside old woman."<br><br>
Poorda
rushes back inside and grabs a long broom. Coming<br>
back out she moves
toward the man. Seeing this fool charge<br>
the man raises both
hands. "I'm going! I'm late for a game<br>
already."<br><br>
"Get
off that Pison Fruit or I'll bash you in!"<br><br>
The man runs
toward the north grumbling to himself. This<br>
card game have better be
worth it. <br><br>
[Julis 5, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br>
[Time: 3:18 pm]<br><br>
Tiren
intends to remove a shard of a Kameri dagger so<br>
he can test it with a
possible ancient Dwarf technique<br>
to see if that might be
the key to its hardness and durability.<br><br>
Tiren is in
his workshop next to the house when suddenly a fire<br>
erupts in the
process. Smoke begins to fill the shed causing<br>
toxic fumes to build
up. Then something seems to explore on<br>
the fire some bag of
something and sprays metal dust all over<br>
the room. This
seems to ignite the fire in a air burst.<br><br>
In seconds
Tiren tries to flee but is engulfed by the fire<br>
and is killed. The
fire spreads to the workshop burning it<br>
down almost
completely. The house is damaged by the fire but<br>
is rescued by a fire
brigade later. In 7 minutes a brigade of<br>
wagons and magicians
come to douse the fire with magic. But<br>
it is too late for the
workshop.<br><br>
At the
school Z'leyra is practicing her Levitate spell<br>
trying to obtain a apple
from the ceiling when she hears<br>
of the fire. She
rushes home to find her father dead from<br>
the fire and her houss
about 40% gone. Folks do help to<br>
rebuild some walls for
the time being. But the Council<br>
deems the home may be
unsafe until they get it checked out.<br><br>
Z'leyra
stays in the home against the wishes of the guards<br>
and neighbors.
Upset that a skilled professor could end up<br>
dead by a simple
accident! She spends the next few days<br>
to recover any notes or
clues as to what happened.<br><br>
The Council
refuses to listen that it was nothing but a<br>
simple accident and so
does not use magic to investigate it.<br>
This may have been due
to her being a barbarian as well.<br>
That very day she chops
down a tall tree in sheer angle<br>
and frustration with a
axe her father had. This is the public<br>
version of the
fire. The true version is below. <br><br>
<br>
[Julis 5, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br>
[Time: 3:12 pm]<br><br>
Tiren is
humming to himself as he finally is starting to<br>
make sense of the Kameri
metal. If he is right then this<br>
is no actual metal but
something utterly alien. The entire<br>
science of this metal is
lopsided. But if his theory is correct<br>
he will finally solve
the mystery. Now he is starting his<br>
last 3 tests to prove
his theory.<br><br>
Tiren had
hoped to get a magic user involved but this is too<br>
secret - too complicated
so he can not risk the help of others.<br>
This may go beyond
Ticasi or even the region. This could be a<br>
Middle World
situation.<br><br>
Tiren looks
outside to see Fisherking hunting a rat to<br>
torment. He never
understood birds - dogs or horses sure but<br>
never birds. But
he tolerates the eagle since it is Z'leyra.s<br>
He does not fully
understand this Tonah stuff but it seems very<br>
important to
her.<br><br>
Tiren looks
down to his journal and, traces the metal formulae<br>
he has finally figured
out. The ratio to metal to this alien<br>
substance is radically
odd. He hears moevment and then Milo<br>
Smith enters the
workshop.<br><br>
"Tiren. We need to talk."<br><br>
"There
is nothing more to say. It is up to her to decide<br>
which she
chooses."<br><br>
"No. I believe we have moved beyond that. It is
this<br>
report you filled on the
mine. I think you are wrong."<br><br>
"I may
not be a mine expert Milo but I know metals. The<br>
samples you shipped to
me were miniscule at best trace at<br>
the least. I
believe Orto should not be involved based<br>
on the samples you
sent."<br><br>
"Then
come to the mine and retest. Surely you can't be<br>
using this ...thing
between us as some leverage to get<br>
back at
me?"<br><br>
Tiren
crosses his arms and moves behind the anvil/furnace.<br>
"You know me better
than that Milo."<br><br>
Milo runs a
hand through his hair. "I know. Will you at<br>
least come to the
mine? I have extensive investment in this<br>
mine and I could lose a
great deal."<br><br>
"Fine. Give me two days."<br><br>
"I...I
can delay the board. Two days then. Good day,
Tiren."<br><br>
Milo leaves
and Tiren begins to collect tools. As he heads<br>
to one shelf for a
hammer another visitor comes. He turns<br>
and smiles.
"Z'leyra is school over so soon?"<br><br>
The woman in
Green enters the workshop looking behind her<br>
at the street and
closing the shop main door. "I was done<br>
for the day. You
said you would talk to me about these tests?"<br><br>
"I
did?" He scratches his head. "I don't
recall." He<br>
considers telling
Z'leyra what he has found but even putting<br>
her at this risk could
be dangerous. "I will indeed sit down<br>
and let you know
tomorrow or two days max. I just need time<br>
to finish these
tests."<br><br>
The woman
crosses the distance after glancing at the<br>
journal at the
table. She moves toward Tiren. "Come on please<br>
tell me."<br><br>
Tiren looks
confused as Z'leyra has never pleaded like that<br>
before. "I
heard of a book at the ....school library that<br>
may have info on Kameri
culture. We..could share-"<br><br>
"I
can't explain now." Tiren turns toward the table to<br>
head toward his journal
when the female slams a dagger to<br>
the side of Tiren's head
knocking him instantly out. The<br>
woman looks down at
Tiren and puts her dagger back in her<br>
belt. She heads to
the journal and flips the pages. She<br>
shakes her head and
moves back to the lit fire and tosses<br>
the journal to the
top.<br><br>
The woman
then reaches behind her and pulls out a couple<br>
flasks of something and
tosses into the fire. The oil or<br>
naptha whatever it is
flares up and skyward to the open skylight.<br>
The woman adds seat
cushions to the fire and moves a cabinet<br>
near the flame to
possibly light up later. She then heads<br>
to the rear door and
looks back as a wall of flame begins<br>
to move toward the east
wall. Why do poeple make fires in<br>
a wooden
structure?<br><br>
<br>
The woman
then enters the backyard and moves eastward to the<br>
next house. She
then rounds the corner and mounts up on a horse.<br>
Moving street side she
turns east. Moving silently and without<br>
much regard to the
burning building she moves then south and<br>
toward some
woods.<br><br>
At the edge
of the woods she ensures no one can see her and<br>
slaps the horse away but
not before the horse snags its tail<br>
on a sharp thorn
bush. Entering the woods the woman moves<br>
to a new location hidden
from view of the street. She then<br>
transforms into a wolf
and moves away.<br><br>
The wolf
then moves to the edge of the city and exits<br>
using cover of a wagon
past the humans. Once outside the<br>
wolf begins to run south
toward the light woods on the edge<br>
of the docks.<br><br>
Once at the
woods and hidden from view the Wolf transforms<br>
again this time into a
nude male with a misshapen nose. The<br>
man reaches to his nose
and begins to shift it around. Then<br>
heads to his cache of
clothing. Now he must start his long<br>
trip again.<br><br>
[Augado 29, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
finally gives up as the Council gives friendly<br>
advice that maybe her
studies should be taken to the field.<br>
A friendly way to say
get lost it seems. It has been clear<br>
for years that Z'leyra
was never welcome here.<br><br>
Z'leyra
gives her Sidh friends fare wells and leaves Ticasi<br>
in disgust.<br><br>
[Sepes 6, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Heading east
Z'leyra finds a dying man on the road. She<br>
tries to use her healing
skills but the man has lost too<br>
much blood and she can
do little. If she had some form of<br>
regeneration spells she
might could've saved him. But<br>
the man gives her a
package and asks for her to take it to<br>
Aratad City.
<br><br>
[Sepes 23, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
arrives in Aratad showing a bit of a tourist as<br>
she has spent so much
time in Ticasi she clearly shows<br>
she is a stranger
here.<br><br>
Z'leyra
delivers the package to Cortez Aqula. Cortez, a<br>
merchant who paid her
and invited her to stay the night as his<br>
guest.<br><br>
Cortez hires
Z'leyra to deliver a second package to Zara<br>
city. The merchant
gives her a Riding Horse sincs she had<br>
been walking all this
time.<br><br>
[Sepes 24, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
leaves Aratad and heads toward Zara. It doesn't<br>
take her long to deliver
the package now that she has<br>
a horse.<br><br>
[Sepes 28, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
In the Zara
province Z'leyra finds Laurel wood to make<br>
a nice staff that she
wanted since seeing others in Ticasi<br>
speak about
them.<br><br>
[Octagi 2, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
rides into the Thaliban forest. She is fully<br>
unaware of the threat
the Tilani represent. She would<br>
not hear about the
danger until she reaches Thaliban<br>
City Camp.<br><br>
[Octagi 7, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
enters the Thaliban City Camp and hears about<br>
a caravan just being
attacked by the Tilani. She is<br>
amazed she was able to
exit the road in the north not<br>
aware of the danger and
be safe.<br><br>
[Octagi 11, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
enters Malnon city and delivers the package and<br>
gets paid for her
service. At the docks nearby she notices<br>
a colorful ship called
the Wave Dancer and some people<br>
moving about on board as
if eager to leave. It would not<br>
be but many days later
when she herself would be a<br>
passenger on that
ship.<br><br>
Z'leyra also
finds a cryptic message from Varange when<br>
she delivers the
package. How the strange winged being<br>
knew she would be here
she never learned. But it is some<br>
message that she is
needed to help him.<br><br>
[Octagi 17, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
In Sivas she
tries to find Varange as requested. But<br>
she learns he is
actually now in Clima having left on<br>
a ship called the Wave
Dancer. She is unsure about this<br>
going to a foreign land
to help some strange Faerry.<br>
She dealt with him only
a few months. But the Sidh back<br>
in Ticasi would have
wanted her to do so.<br><br>
She learns
that no ships will willingly go to Clima.<br>
So she hires Karl a
Horseman guard and travels to Porta.<br>
She hopes going back
west to Thaliba will allow her to<br>
get passage to the
strange island.<br><br>
[Octagi 25, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra and
her bodyguard arrive in Thaliban City Camp.<br><br>
[Octagi 28, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Both arrive
finally at Porta City and Z'leyra guards<br>
her gold and gear.
She realizes this city is a scummy<br>
place full of pirates
and thugs.<br><br>
[Octagi 29, 1632TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Z'leyra
sails to Clima and hopes the pirates will not<br>
kill her there and on
the ship she travels on. Once on<br>
Clima she finds herself
in the thick of a plot to save<br>
diplomats around the Sea
of Tears in a prison. There<br>
she meets others
including Unali who will become friends.<br><br>
[Decalis 16, 1634TH -
Ticasi]<br>
[Time: 8:12am]<br><br>
Farseeker
rushes into Cholan's Tavern. "I'm here.<br>
I am sorry to be late
but I was delayed a day ago by<br>
some bandits who felt it
was their duty to take my<br>
money and donate to
their welfare. Too bad they can't<br>
use it in the
afterlife. Did I miss the party?"<br><br>
Cholan nods,
"Yep. But they have left on some new<br>
quest."<br><br>
"I
missed the party!" He slams his fist on the bar<br>
making a nearby mug
shake. "Quest?"<br><br>
"Seems
Z'leyra learned about her family home will be<br>
completely destroyed
back in Ticasi. So she asked the<br>
party if they wished to
help her solve the murder of<br>
her father."
He leans on the bar on his elbows. "Frankly,<br>
I suspect she can do it
on her own. She had some new folks<br>
with her a new Faerry
and some others including this cute<br>
dancer joined her
group. Man you should see that dancer<br>
she has the top
of-"<br><br>
Cholan's
wife startles him, "of what?"<br><br>
"Of...of that hat rug she wears."<br><br>
"How
long ago?" Farseeker asks.<br><br>
"Few
hours ago. Heading west by ferry if I recall."<br><br>
"Missed
them a quest. But I probably couldn't get off<br>
my duty without a few
days notice for a replacement."<br><br>
"Duke
Aren is in town you could get approval."<br><br>
"Hmmmm. I could but by time I find him and get<br>
the details ironed
out...."<br><br>
"You
just don't like the rule of Ticasi that you can't<br>
have weapons
right?" Cholan smiles.<br><br>
Changing the
subject, Farseeker gives Cholan Unali's<br>
birth gift for her when
she returns. <br><br>
[Novehas 18, 1634TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
The Bhomatin
Admiral saved by the party finally learns<br>
the identity of who
hired the bandits to take out her<br>
crew and sink her
ship. It is a gang leader in Bhamotin<br>
who is powerful in the
underground. The gangster is eager<br>
to increase tensions
between Marentia and Bhamotin. While<br>
the two nations are
strong allies it helps business in his<br>
arms smuggling to
increase his profits. It was meant to<br>
show that Marentia had
killed her and the crew. But thanks<br>
to the party she
lives.<br><br>
Days later a
envoy from Maren city meets the admiral to<br>
share this
information. The envoy tells she should go<br>
find Commander Farseeker
on the border. If the government<br>
of Bhamotin wishes to
have joint cooperation of a mission<br>
to arrest this gangster
his forces at the Fort can help.<br><br>
[Novehas 02, 1634TH -
Ticasi]<br><br>
Martin Smith
enters Ki's office fuming. "That old woman<br>
will still not
sell."<br><br>
"I am
not a thug nor will I do anything to remove her<br>
by force. You need
to get the council to condemn her house.<br>
If you can't get this
done then instead of your school I<br>
will have to go back to
the original plan and do the<br>
engineering
school."<br><br>
"We had
a deal Ki." Martin stabs a finger toward the<br>
land developer.
"I would see to it that the council saw<br>
favor to your dock
warehouse deals. The guild there is<br>
enough to be a
mess. If the council approves as they will<br>
then the dock worker
guild will have to be subdued by the<br>
law. "<br><br>
"Since
when do you use the law?"<br><br>
Martin Smith
leans over the desk of Ki and stares at the man<br>
in the dim light.
"I can easily remove our support and you<br>
will go back to building
shacks for peasants."<br><br>
"I will
build your school but you will have to get rid<br>
of her. The last
two homes including Tiren's will be ours<br>
once we settle the
papers."<br><br>
"Just
get it done." Martin storms out of the office.<br><br>
<br>
[Novehas 22, 1634TH -
Upper World]<br><br>
In a Upper
World court hall beings sit around a large<br>
set of other
beings. A being begins to circle the<br>
large table
speaking.<br><br>
"Our
next group is a collection of humans, elves and<br>
Faerry who make their
home in a land called Marentia.<br>
We have already detailed
some of their exploits in the<br>
past including the
Graviton Elementals, Lymrian Castle<br>
and the off worlders
known as the Vong." This causes<br>
a murmur of
whispers.<br><br>
"We had
hoped others would be in this collection but<br>
we are fine with what we
have."<br><br>
The begin
begins to outline each person in the party.<br>
Who they may be.
Who they are destined to be. What<br>
they have done and what
they should be doing.<br><br>
"While
Arawn is a coincidence our main target is the<br>
human healer. We
are unsure of where she stands in<br>
the great Scheme of
Things. Even the Fates are hard<br>
pressed to weave her
Book of Life."<br><br>
The beings
begin to argue a bit as to which method<br>
is best. A Test of
Will. A Testimony. Direct<br>
Confrontation.
Among other things that beings of this<br>
kind can wage.<br><br>
One being
starts to give issue with the plans given.<br>
"This group is
growing too powerful too fast. If<br>
the Fates see their
Future then the Great Secret could<br>
be
revealed."<br><br>
This causes
a uproar among the beings. The first being<br>
who seems to be a
chamberlain of sorts clears the room<br>
of any non-vital
beings. "You will never utter such<br>
things again. Even
you can be exiled away from this<br>
realm."<br><br>
The silence
quickly ends when the Court Chamberlain<br>
gives the final
options. It was soon decided. <br><br>
"So it
is decided an Avatar will be sent to Confirm<br>
her Destiny. As
the Agreement allows we will do so.<br>
Now on to our next group
in a land called A'Korchu.<br>
They are massing a army
of Griffins that could upset<br>
the balance.
Therefore.."<br><br>
[Decalis 1, 1634TH -
Zarun Forest]<br><br>
The old man
sits against the tree in the Zarun end of<br>
the forest. He watches
the clouds and recalls days of<br>
yesteryear. Days
he could bed 3 females at one time<br>
as he holds his stick
hard and firm.<br><br>
Suddenly he
become dizzy. Images flood his mind and<br>
words in his ears as if
people are here speaking to<br>
him but none are
nearby.<br><br>
"We
seek your help. We wish to communicate to others<br>
nearby. We only
wish to use your body for a short<br>
time. Do you
agree?"<br><br>
The old man
looks around confused. "Who is there?"<br><br>
"We are
All that is here and everywhere. We are<br>
the starting and
end. We are-"<br><br>
"Jacob
is that you? You fool. Stop that!"<br><br>
"We are
the ones who your mother prayed to."<br><br>
"What?!" Shocked the old man who was never a bit<br>
religious stands.
"You wish to...simply speak?"<br><br>
"Yes. We will honor your service."<br><br>
"By
gold or ale?"<br><br>
"By the
Book of Life and the deeds inside."<br><br>
"What
If I say no?"<br><br>
"Then
we will honor another person."<br><br>
"Just
talk you won't like try to make me dance<br>
naked in a Portan Men's
Bathing House or such?"<br><br>
"No
dancing."<br><br>
"Fine. What do I need to -" His voice stops as<br>
his eyes blur and he
begins to move eastward.<br><br>
[Decalis 3, 1634TH -
Thaliba]<br><br>
The Tilani
watch the party stop and speak to the old man.<br>
From some 80 feet away
they can pick up words but do not<br>
understand the
language. There are a group of 8 around in<br>
the forest east of the
party. Then suddenly the old man<br>
raises his hand and one
of the men go flying.<br><br>
This causes
Saun to speak up. "You see it they violate!<br>
They have many horses we
should kill them now."<br><br>
The Shaman
raises a hand and studies the scene. "No."<br><br>
A couple
minutes later. The Shaman continues. "The spirits<br>
have fled. Look
around. Listen. The birds started to<br>
fly away or go
silent. The fox that almost ran us down seemed<br>
to flee in terror from
the road. No. I do not like this.<br>
Send two to watch.
If they violate again we will attack."<br><br>
The young
warrior looks disgusted. "We let these fools<br>
get away with a
violation?" Then the man at the table suddenly<br>
appears on the
road.<br><br>
"See!" The Shaman whispers. "Great magic is at
work here.<br>
Even the spirits seem
....worried."<br><br>
"We've
killed those who use their so called magic before.<br>
Why we use many warriors
and surprise."<br><br>
"I said
no. Do not question me again." The Shaman studies<br>
the party as they mount
up. "Follow that old one. Do not<br>
approach. I want
to know what he does."<br><br>
[Decalis 13, 1634TH -
Off Coast of Zara]<br><br>
On board the
Zarun merchant ship, Zabyra and Red Shirt sit<br>
on deck watching the
waves pass as sailors do their chores<br>
with the ship.
Zabyra looks to the man and sees him worried<br>
and sad. She just
asks, "why the red shirts?"<br><br>
The man
glances briefly over, "my grandmother made this bright<br>
red quilt when I was
young. We had a fire and two of my family<br>
was killed. But
the quilt seemed to have saved me. I don't<br>
know it seems to be good
luck. I like red. "<br><br>
Zabyra nods,
"I'm glad Arawn paid for a better berth for<br>
both of us. Kind
folks but a bit odd if you ask me."<br><br>
Red Shirt
nods and laughs. "Indeed. So you also looked<br>
out of place. So tell me
about yourself and why you even<br>
joined
them?"<br><br>
Zabyra
adjusts her turban and smiles, "It's a long story...<br>
but we have some
time..so I'll tell you. It started weeks<br>
ago
when..."<br><br>
[Decalis 23, 1634TH -
Ticasi City]<br>
[Time: 5:40 pm]<br><br>
Z'leyra
introduces herself to the guards at the gate and<br>
one guard whispers,
"I think that's Tiren's brat the one<br>
Hayna talked about a
lot. Barbarians amaze me trying to<br>
learn things other than
killing."<br><br>
[Decalis 24, 1634TH -
Ticasi City]<br>
[Time: 11:48
pm]<br><br>
A guard from
the garrison arrives at Martin's home. Martin<br>
finally sees him after a
30 minute wait. The guard offers<br>
to tell what he learned
but not before the gold is passed on<br>
to his pocket.<br><br>
"So she
already knows she will be freed?" Martin rubs his<br>
chain. "That
secret meeting. It had to be either the Master<br>
Scholar or the
Resident. If it was councilors I would know.<br>
She made a deal with
them." He slams his hand on the desk<br>
knocking a ink and quill
set toppling to the floor. Martin<br>
ignores it as he moves
toward the window. "Did she say<br>
anything
else?"<br><br>
"No. Her lawyer came and raises the privacy
field."<br><br>
"Good
work. Do not let anyone know of this. Go now."<br><br>
[Decalis 24, 1634TH -
Ticasi City]<br>
[Time: 6:38 am]<br><br>
Martin paces
the room of the courthouse basement small<br>
interrogation
room. Finally the Chief investigator of Poorda's<br>
death enters.
"This had better be good."<br><br>
Martin
explains what he learned. "So watch it. She will<br>
be set free. I
want my son and myself cleared of any of<br>
your investigation or I
will disclose this to others."<br><br>
"Threats without evidence? You waste my time."<br><br>
"I have
a witness and she told her friends. She could be<br>
forced to admit
it."<br><br>
The
investigator considers this. If Martin spread this<br>
and if it was one of the
two most powerful men in the<br>
city who could get in
serous jeopardy it would be bad.<br>
The Master Scholar could
be replaced and Martin might even<br>
vie for his
position. If the Resident had made that<br>
deal and learned of this
betrayal he could end Ticasi's so<br>
called independence with
a pen stroke. The man sighs<br>
and leans back.
"I can't help your son. He is too deep<br>
into it."<br>
.<br>
Martin sits and smiles
begins to argue his case and the<br>
two men make a deal.<br><br>
[Decalis 25, 1634TH -
Ticasi City]<br>
[Time: 4:15 pm]<br>
[Somewhere in a hidden
underground area in Ticasi City]<br><br>
The Master
Scholar moves toward the Visionary. "You<br>
were correct it seems
she told her friends she would be<br>
free.'<br><br>
"The
first step in a long road."<br><br>
"I
can't stand seeing you here. We have the research.<br>
We can end this
pain."<br><br>
"Pain
is worth it if we maintain our independence. IF<br>
we become under the
thumb of the Donaran's a dark age<br>
will befall this entire
region if not the world."<br><br>
"They
would not dare. They need us more than we need<br>
them."<br><br>
"They
are itching for an excuse. This last situation was<br>
almost the lunch
pin."<br><br>
"It was
settled until she came back to town. There<br>
is still major flak from
her freedom."<br><br>
"The
path to our freedom....is long and will only end<br>
when the one in the west
prevails. But first they must<br>
solve this mystery Tiren
discovered."<br><br>
"It has taken us two years to read the copy of his notes.<br>
He coded his work
well. It took major spell work. We almost<br>
lost half the
notes due to a bad spell failure. Yet we<br>
still don't
understand what it all means. If this material<br>
is not metal then
what is it?"<br><br>
"This is why She must solve the mystery."<br><br>
The
Master Scholar steps forward and reaches out to the old<br>
woman with the
gray hair. "When we started this ....program<br>
long ago it was
not meant to be a life sentence."<br><br>
"You fret too much my love. Our Watchers will not be<br>
here
forever. Once the West Man prevails the chips will<br>
fall and we can
affirm our place. The balance of power<br>
will
shift."<br><br>
"But to use these three to watch the city and area for<br>
spells? Why
can't magic items be used?"<br><br>
"Because it can't maintain what a human brain holds compared<br>
to a cold
item. If we are to detect spies and possible sabotage<br>
by the Resident
this is our best chance."<br><br>
The
master scholar lowers his hand from her face and moves<br>
to the balcony to
peer down through the glass. Below in<br>
a bit are three
casket like structures with three submerged<br>
humans 1 female
and 2 men. They are in a bath like liquid<br>
of white with bits
of rose colored things floating in it.<br>
Each are murmuring
as others write down notes on what<br>
they have
discovered.<br><br>
"....Metal enchantment in Grid 14 at Stable..."<br><br>
"...Luck spell cast in Grid 23 at possible hidden gaming<br>
establishment..."<br><br>
"Knowledge cast at Healing School sub grid 4."<br><br>
The
master scholar listens as they drone on So they<br>
caught another
possible cheat of a student. He moves<br>
toward the old
woman who is too frail to even stand up<br>
in her throne like
chair. "How long?"<br><br>
"It could be months or years...."<br><br>
[Febris 9th, 1635TH -
Shifter Prison]<br>
[Time: Just after party
escapes]<br><br>
<br>
The Abnari
looks around confused. One minute she was<br>
in a dusty smelly room
and now in a hot sweaty area.<br>
Suddenly the
Arawn-Guardian shows up.<br><br>
"Hello
there." Arawn smiles way too easily.<br><br>
"Where
am I?" The Abnari asks.<br><br>
"Neither here or there. But let's just say it is a<br>
retreat for bad
people." The Guardian walks forward<br>
and examines the dead
Cryx on the ground.<br><br>
"Saying
I am bad?"<br><br>
"No
quite. No. Just you are a victim of circumstance.<br>
It seems someone
summoned you and you got sucked here<br>
from the other
side."<br><br>
"So how do I leave?"<br><br>
Arawn
shrugs. "I'm afraid no chance of that now.<br>
Those who fled took that
chance when they finished<br>
that off." He
pointed to the Cryx.<br><br>
"Make
sense you fool!"<br><br>
"We
will have...a long time to discuss this. Sadly<br>
you are here for
indefinitely."<br><br>
"Unacceptable! I need to leave now."<br><br>
Arawn
shrugs.<br><br>
The Abnari
charges right for Arawn and passes<br>
through him forcing her
to slam into the wall.<br><br>
'What are
you?"<br><br>
"A
guardian..a prison guard...and friend. I hope to<br>
be here for you
till...the end."<br><br>
"I will
die here?"<br><br>
"That
depends if the outsiders send food and the...<br>
inmates don't have fun
first."<br><br>
"I
swear if I get out of here I will seek the death<br>
of the summoner! A very
painful one! My family and<br>
court will avenge my
death if they find out!. They<br>
will find
out?"<br><br>
"That
you're gone? I'm sure. Eventually. Who<br>
summoned you. I
don't know the ways of the gods.<br>
Not in that way at
least."<br><br>
"Do
kyou now who summoned me?""<br><br>
"No." The Guardian lies. Maybe on her death
dirt<br>
bed he will share
it. But for now. Might as well<br>
make her less
angry.<br><br>
Arawn
continues, "now let's show you around.."<br><br>
<br>
[Ma 12th, 1635TH -
Kameran Home Village of Z'leyra]<br><br>
The large
man approaches the simple home and knocks on<br>
the door. With him
a translator he borrowed from a<br>
merchant back
home.<br><br>
The door
opens and the man nods.<br><br>
"You
have the horses and gear?"<br><br>
"Yes.
After we declared my sister...both of them dead.<br>
and you approached we
collected them from the new owners."<br>
<br>
"Everything is there?" The large man asks with help<br>
from the
translator.<br><br>
"We are
honorable. Aside from any food or water that<br>
would've been
wasted...it is all there. We held the<br>
gear for weeks. We
stored it. All the gear and horsee<br>
are at the corral.
Except.."<br><br>
"Except?"<br><br>
"One
horse. This horse was very upset and could not<br>
be rode or even saddled
without harming others. We<br>
would have broken the
horse. But it escaped and fled<br>
the land."<br><br>
"Do you
know which horse?"<br><br>
"No. But some said the tall one with those ears and<br>
face cloth...the one
that tried to bless folks and<br>
talk and talk.
Some say he rode it."<br><br>
"Sounds
like Arawn."<br><br>
Z'lart
nods. "We held hope they would be alive. We dug<br>
and dug. Then
there are rumors from the Fortress that we<br>
are not allowed to
know. I hope you can at least return<br>
some of the items to
their family. Why did you show up<br>
couple weeks
ago?"<br><br>
"Those
back home suspected no return. We tracked them<br>
from other areas to
here. Some back home believe they<br>
are dead. But some
...like me...feel they are not<br>
as lucky."<br><br>
"Chion
Blades you are a strange one. Let me show you<br>
the
corral."<br><br>
[Decalis 2nd, 1635TH -
Kameran Forest - Near Fortress]<br>
[Time: After death of
Lone Shifter]<br><br>
The two
figures watch as the party moves from the death<br>
site of the shifter to
the north back to the clearing.<br><br>
The short
one asks, "we are too late."<br><br>
The taller
more stern looking one frowns. "Yes.<br>
The Exiled One was
killed."<br><br>
"That
flash?"<br><br>
"The
amulet warning of its demise. We can't get it<br>
now it
seems."<br><br>
'Why?
We can handle those humans."<br><br>
"Yes.
Easily. But the amulet is gone now. It would<br>
be
futile."<br><br>
The two
figures trial the party as they move north.<br>
No one detects them at
all. Once at the clearing<br>
they spot the nude human
female and the others talking.<br><br>
"What
now?" Says Shorty.<br><br>
"We
report. It is up to him to decide."<br><br>
Shorty
gulps. "But he may get upset with us for this<br>
failure."<br><br>
Tall one
circles Shorty. "True." From behind the<br>
short man he pulls out
his magical glowing dagger. "I<br>
suppose there must be as
the humans say a fall guy."<br>
He reaches around and
slices the throat of the being.<br><br>
As Shorty
falls dying the Tall one wipes his blade.<br>
"Yes..we'll have to
keep tabs on these...people."<br><br>
Actions?
Comments?<br><br>
Next
Update....Soon...<br><br>
GM: Hope that was
a fun read. I was once in a pbem that<br>
did this and liked it. It filled in blanks. Too bad<br>
the pbem failed months after starting.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
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