Week 38
I had the chance of participate in a fullmoon orga camp raid this zodiac. Sadly, no one had remembered to take with them the black jack table. The camps from 1 to 3 was taken in a very short time, and Orga Camp 4 took only one try. The group was mainly exiles from LIFE, and it was easy to see that they had been working together before. The whole raid took about 4 PT hours until we had the last camp under control. And then we settled for a long wait until noon. There were a constant flow of exiles from Orga Camp 1 throughout the whole raid, as more woke up in the library and wanted to see the final battle.
At noon, the Magician appeared and we waited patiently - luring behind the trees. And then we made our move. Robin Greyhawk was the one who had the honor of getting inside the power room this day, and we all cheered when he came out holding the stone.
Week 37
This sketch is taken many many moons ago. It was our first travel there after a storm and before our last trip there that ended in such a disaster. We soon found out we couldn´t clear them as Thuja suggested. They were filled with ether, and were much stronger and with much more defense than before. We just had to leave them all behind, and used them to cover from all the other beasties. After these two attempts, it has been very difficult to get a party together to go there again. Instant death they say. Not really. This group made it out alive. We had some luck though, we ended up in a snell with a zodiac sign and knew in which direction the tower was. Last time I was there, we ended up in one of the two empty snells and that makes it more difficult. But the tower is never further away then two snells though. I´m writing this because I miss travelling the planes. And if you, like me, like to see a visionstone of a good battle with a happy ending - I made one.
An exile came up to me this zodiac, wanting a private talk. The exile wanted to be anonymous.
I often wander alone...Listening to the trees. Whispering along. I once sailed to this island. Tenebrion's. And I found this grave. (Exile shudders) On which are carved a few words. I rested in this place for a little while..It was very quiet. And... I found this under a few tangle roots.
(Exile unwraps a tissue.)
(Babajaga looks interested)
Exile shows his Sword of Souls to you.
(Exile shudders.)
This took place two years ago. I found some copy of your own scrolls in the library. Talking about this island. I..hum.. This sword is filled with hate.. I can feel it. Dark beyond what man can concieve . I feel it is eating me. I try not to use it. But it often jumps in my hands. Crying for blood. I believe it is alive, Babajaga'shin.. Alive.. I cannot get rid of it.. It became a part of me. I spoke of it to my clan. A long ago. But I feel it more and more present.
Babajaga asks : "Cant you just throw it away?"
Exile says: Nai. It cries in pain... And the cry rings in my head. I feel it hurts. But I don't know what it was doing there. Next to the grave . Half buried......... My sword jumped to my hands in fear..In this Nacerean order crypts.
Babajaga asks: "It jumped in fear there??"
(Exile nods) Cried.
Babajaga asks: Cried in fear or just jumped?
Exile says: Both. It often jumps in my hands during a fight. There it cried in fear.. And jumped to my hand."
(Exile shudders.)
Babajaga asks :When you fought the undine of that cave?"
(Exile nods.)
Babajaga says: Interesting."
Exile says : But please.. Do not spread the word I own such a blade. I believe it can take control of the owner.. If he is not strong or careful enough. It somewhat becomes a part of him.
In a long meeting with both Tenebrion and Umbrion, many things got talked about. I have made a transcript, edited for your reading pleasure, but in short - here are the highlights. Note that this is at the moment just a report. What the Brions say might or might not be true...
Umbrion´s hair is still quite lovely.
Umbrion and Tenebrion has made a bet. If Tenebrion loses Umbrion will get Mr.Ts cook for an entire moon. The bet itself is whether we are a bunch of worthless, greedy beggars or not...
Umbrion has a skinny sylvan in his keep. The missing Aldernon?
The Brions have given up trying to control the ether flowing into purgatory. We have to solve that and Tenebrion will help as he is able.
Klur and PM´s offer rejected by Umbrion. They might still have a deal with Tenebrion.
Tenebrion repeats the offer made to Puddleby: 6 Strange Stones for a permanent Ethereal Portal, or one strange stone for a portable ethereal stone. Tenebrion guarentees us that he will not use the stones he ask for to harm Puddleby. Tenebrion has offered to share the information he gains from using the stones with us. (But, since this is Tenebrion we are dealing with here - "share" to him might just mean that he spends time building the ethereal portal.)
Noivad got an ethereal stone from Tenebrion.
The Sorir´s, or merchants in Tenebrion´s Keep offering ethereal stone in exchange for sword or helmet, were removed to remove any incentive from "our" kind seeking that which we do not understand.
The Brions build the Zodiac circles in the ethereal plane in a joint effort. Tenebrion called them "fences" to mark their property, and choose zodiac signs to make the "fence" work....
There are more in the transcript. And I, I got a little closer in understanding something. Tenebrion´s reluctance to tell me anything else but "Stay away from the ethereal sword" tells me more. I need a few more pieces and some silence in the library before I can try and put to writing all these thoughts that are in my head. I just pray I am able to make it into a comprehensible string of thoughts. I´m no mystic you know.
Week 36
Gerag has continued to terrorize halflings in and around Puddleby. And as time passes his hunger increases. Numerous attempts have been made to make him change his diet, but to no avail. He doesn´t like Orga, or wendies, or anything else for that matter. Reliable sources tells me that Baby Meshra taste like Halfling. Maybe we could offer him that instead. Poor halflings, getting all slobbered by this drake. There are times I enjoy being skinny. He has threatened to burn down the whole town if he doesn´t get what he wants. Some redecorating after a fire might be good for the town though. If I were to pick a halfling to give to Gerag, just hypothetically speaking of course, I think I would have picked the Insane One - Azael. He lost his voice outside Kismia´s Island, and somehow he blames me for that. I mean, isn´t that just plain odd? My bet is that he was so scared of the roaming Lyfeledias on the shore there that he just snapped. He is even scared of me! Probably his own shadow too.
Forey reports that Fat Alice has fled Kismia´s Isle and has borrowed a bed in South West beach. In exchange for 300 logs of wood to repair the hut and make it more comfortable, she will teach us how to make a new potion. Talk to the guy outside the hut to make your contribution. I am not sure how long time we have though, so pile those logs at his feet!
I lead a group through Tenebrion´s tower this zodiac. I don´t usually lead actually, but I feel confident leading in that tower - since I know it so well by now. We were a powerful group, and thus could extend an invititation to some of the Tan Members. Wystii, Karkras, Yorg and Athala got to see all the floors in his keep for the first time. And also the basement. Our reward was to see their jaws drop when we went for the fourth and final piece of the crystal. They proved to be all very smart and clever, and we didn´t have any problems reaching the top floor and the Mist Key. The original group´s goal was to go to KI afterwards, but alas none of the pathfinders present could open the path on west beach. The journey could have been disasterous though, as we were low on Horus healers. But this attempt made it clear to me that we need to organize ourselves a little better on this side of the sun. I have wanted that for a long time, but as you might know - I have had an extended time in the library. That part is still not over yet, but we can´t wait any longer. Yor had thought the same thought, and with that we set up a list of exiles capable of dealing with the dangers we will face, and with the same set of mind as us. The explorers. If you are not on this list, don´t despair. The initial group need to make ties, to learn to know eachother and the goal. When the time is right, when we are ready, we can in a larger extent take interested parties with us. Just give us time. We need to learn to survive ourselves first, and we need to learn the places we travel. What we may find on our travels will be shared with the community as much as we are able.
Week 35
Sombdi, day 64 of Winter, 543.
Tenebrion seeks a group of adventurers to get a fresh scaramis egg. Entil´Zha was the one communicating with him over sunstone. She and the group spent some time discussing what they wanted in return, and agreed on an Ethereal Stone. Hard to want to trade something when you don´t get to see the list of what he can offer. Tenebrion will return in a few days to make the trade. And Entil´Zha and co are looking for brave exiles with some teeths.
Personally, I would have asked for an Ethereal Helmet. I have my doubts he can even touch one see.. and I just wanted to test and hear what he had to say when asked. But I´m a curious one, and an EP stone is more practical anyway. Those eggs seems to be popular, as Fat Alice wants one of those too as I recall. Maybe she will give a better deal?
In a ceremony held in Phloxis hut in the Badlands, Nox Sorora and RQ were able to draw Aeaea back from the void. Shepherd has written about it all in his diary. Sadly, I had to study that day, but many Quillers were present. Look at this wonderful crowd. All sketches stolen from Shepherd by the way...
The next day Kojiro gloated to me that he had slayed many a Quiller that night, but as you can see from the sketch above - he was in fact running for his life, with a very stubborn and locked-on Vagile on his heels. Hah!
