Many weeks ago...
Ok, ok ok. Time to update! You can all stop hitting me now. Please? While swc is muttering about the way to spend the time, and that right now etc.., I just need to do what a Sylvan roaming reporter has to do. While most of what I will tell you all about is old news, there are some things that can be of interest. Not very long, this update will therefore include many vstones, and less transcripts and long tales.. I have copied Koric´s chalkboard, so you can amuse yourself while I hunt the huge rats in the library.
Reading that steam in the ocean was seen during a recent Darshak invasion, I rommaged through my pack and found a visionstone made by Silky - during an attack from ethereal beings in the water. The connection to the Darshaks is even more disturbing. It´s been rumoured for years now that they have a much larger base close to Puddleby, and I know many exiles are still looking for this base.
Not so very long some exiles were dragged to Ash and branded: Darshak rule! Tessa sent me the visionstone of the whole ordeal, and you can see and judge for yourself.
Long long time ago, Sarir took a group of new and elder exiles to visit Umbrion`s Keep. It was while the two-way portal from tenebrion´s Conference room still worked. It turned out to be an interesting meeting, giving a lot of background on this odd being. Even more so in the context and relation to another incident that didn´t happen so long ago.
Indeed. I was right wasn´t I. The first time I met this being I guessed something like this. Not that I am so very clever or anything, it just seemed to fit at the time, since they had used them as vessels before. Talking to the Sarir, I wasn´t so sure. Now we know, and also why it seemed so innocent at the time. Brions can and will use them whenever they deem necessary. Yor was kind to share his visionstone, and in it you can see the Sarir showing a broken Bloodblade. They do seem to break whatever they lay their hands on don´t they?
I have managed to join most of PTF´s adventures. Not that PTF-members are happy about that. I managed to get us almost all down some zodiacs ago when I had the clever idea to head down into Umbrion´s floor in the Keep without a tiny scout first. We were ambushed by angry firethrowing beasties. Nuff said.. I volunteered to be the goal of a pie-throwing contest after that , but only Drue´Dreemi grabbed the chance. With not only one pie, but two! The sketch above is taken prior to our almost- demise in the keep however, and as you can see - we are doing pretty well. Under control at least. This was our first time using the portal stone as a way in. A reading on the portal prior to heading in, indicated no clouds in the snell. And it was right. However, last zodiac we had the same reading and there were an ethereal cloud roaming the place. Mystics are guessing that the reading works the same way the Orb of Cassindre does, if the cloud isn´t near the portal when you made the reading - it will not pick it up. Which makes any ether readings before heading in pretty useless. With an ethereal cloud on entry, we are pretty much doomed. For now at least, until we figure it out, or get healers especially trained to deal with one ethereal cloud in addition to all those other roaming beasties hitting.
I know this sounds a bit weird, but we use the portal stone to save time exploring the maze under Umbrion´s Keep.. Getting more exploring in and less hunting/surviving on the way to trees etc. During day it might be the same, during night however going through only a few snells can get pretty tedious and time-consuming, if the group can survive at all. Using EP to get home is of course pretty risky, but at least we then face the dangers together - instead of split up on KI at night, running for the tree. If you want more indepth information on anything ethereal and zodiac-like, Drablak has grabbed the Quill again, and have written about his extensive research.
Tenebrion says, "To go to almost any other plane I must move to the Ethereal and from there into the infinite stream"
This in a conversation with WorldWalker. Poor Worldwalker, he is stuck here and hoped Tenebrion could help him get home. You can see the visionstone, as WW was king enough to give me a copy.
Today I tested yet again, with no hope of succeeding still. Cerberal told me this before I headed in, the rude one. Gloating he is. I am not fast enough in my turns and runs, I get hit whenever I move away, I stumble on things, I trip. It´s a sad sight. I almost thought I would pass before I got this message, but alas. I bet Cerberal will laugh his heart out before I do... Some dwarfes... I just had to take the frustration out on somebody, so I invited to arena brawl. Many came, and we played "Catch the Baba", as well as free for all, teams vs other teams, them vs us, Sylvan vs Zo, and chase the rude Drue. Much fun was had by all....
Week 17
Many long periods of time in the library for me these days. And I don´t even have Nevyn´s map to blame... I roam the lands when PTF gathers, otherwise I study, mostly. We have been travelling the planes lately. Visited the Ethereal Tower, snooped and peeked around. What we are hunting for? Hmm... ethereal forces that pushes us back. Odd ether readings, "places of densest ether", that sort of thing. More new tidbits in my scroll on the Brions. We have been doing well in the plane these last few zodiacs. No more panic, although quite a few ambushes. By Serac Wyrms. Terrible creatures by the way. I wince whenever I see one and run behind the nearest healer to hide. One icy breath from one of those, and I am close to falling if not fallen. We were headed to the second sphere of the ethereal plane last time, but 2 ethereal clouds and a Serac Wyrm, along with a few ghastly presence in a large mix of other beasties, made us change our mind. In Purgatory. Eeeew! It was the worst sne´ll I have ever seen in my entire life here. Yor thought abyss seemed like a cake-walk in comparision, and I tend to agree.
On a related note, Yoshida - X, White Wolf and co tried to conquer Abyss the other day I heard. They were doing very well, until a Greater Death decided to ambush them in the Astral Plane. It´s been a long time since the beasties there have been conquered. It´s about time, soon.
Algar finally got his long awaited visit to the trainer in Umbrions Keep. The rest of the batch will hopefully not be such a long wait.
Tenebrion on portals and the orga stones:
"You wish to know how knowledge of the ethereal plane can be of concrete use? Is that what you are asking for? It may be used to travel great distances on this plane as though that distance did not exist. The portal to my right. It is a small example. You may enter it, arrive on the ethereal plane, and from there go to other places far in distance from this room. It is possible to open a portal anywhere. It is a skill which you may learn in time. You may, perhaps, learn it sooner with cooperation with me. The orga stones would go a long way in establishing that cooperation. If such a means of travel is not a matter of interest... then I can understand your reluctance to provide the orga stones. All of the tools I have shown you are easily fabricated when you know how."
The witches was able to sneak in to the RQ part of the library and steal all our valuable tomes. Thankfully, most of us had copies - but it takes quite awhile to put it all back together. I am in a bit of a predicament though, since I lost my guestbook, again. And the ability to search my scrolls. I am looking for a kind soul who can help me.