Week 39-41-01

PTF, The Puddleby Taskforce in lack of a better name, had it´s monthly tour to KI. It was a blast. Our goal was to get inside the keep this time around. There are strong indications that the trainer for the Ethereal Amulet stays in there. When we finally came down there , we discovered the usual way didn´t work - as that firemage Umbrion had set up an illusion there. Having left our Se´el mystics behind in the library this day, we had to turn back. But it was still a blast. Initially after we entered the island, we had more than 4 hours of nighttime. Anyone who has been on the island knows what that means. Yes, I can see you shivering while reading this. We did too. We spent all that time crossing only 2 snells. Trying to kill all the beasties. Next time we may just run from safe area to safe area. It was wild. The Lyfeledias are so strong at night, we spent much of the time on our backs, fallen - while trying to recover. Chains are gold by the way. Don´t leave home without them.

We had many situations like these. Healers all covered up with corpses, lurking and sneering Lyfeledias trying to get to them. Oh my. Finally, the sun came up - and all of Puddleby could hear our praise to the sun, while we saw the Lyfeledias turn into their more cuter day forms... While we didn´t accomplish what we set out to do, we got catsbane, found another exile class tree, and managed to all get out safely in the end. And we learned a lot about eachother and bound some closer ties. There is nothing like struggling to survive in a dangerous area in terms of bounding you know. Our guests Torin, Mujin´Kun and Drablak enjoyed it as well. After the storm, pathfinders discovered a path on the south shore of KI. This will be a large timesaver for raids to the keep. For exiles eager to test this path, do not enter if you are not ready to depart, as the path is oneway - and you are not likely to get rescued. Any rescue group entering will still have to fight their way up to the exile trees and beyond to get out, and that is a considerably time-commitment.

In a related tidbit, Umbrion was seen coming out of the temple in town one day. Rincewind followed his movements and could tell me that he sensed him being under Sombrions keep, and then some minutes later under Melabrions keep. All members of the Brion family. I wonder though, maybe Umbrion forgot to lock the portals after visiting his brothers ?

Umbrion and I had an exchange of pleasantries one day over Sunstone. At the time, I didn´t know whether the trainer for the amulet was or was not in the keep, so I tried to fish a little. I am not good in it however, and when I later met him in Tenebrion´s Conference room - I do think he threw a fireball my way. I fainted a second there see, and when I woke up - I was on the floor and the air smelled .. crispy around me. He calls Yor "The Forehead", Entil`Zha the talkative one, and he claims I was born under a bridge. Quite the charming fellow... But his hair is still lovely though.

Update: When Rel´lim travelled the world in search for answers to what and how he could use this flask, it one day poofed, vanished in thin air.

A zodiac where much of my time have been spent on Kismia´s Isle. And more there will be. There were an impromptu tour there with a small group, that did very well. We found Catsbane, and also some new exile class trees. But one after another exiles had to leave, so when we were close to the boatman´s hut - we only had Thuja as a healer, and then the sun set. Oh dear.. We made a mad dash for the hut. Some silly deadly crawlers were inside and trapped me , and down I went.

The next big tour was lead by Gurgi . We must have been around 40 exiles. Or more. We were after a Scarmis Egg, but because of some too eager explorers we were divided in half, as the rescue group set out to grab the fallens. In the Scarmis caves we had some near-wiped out experiences.

This situation wasn´t so bad. It just took time and some careful planning to get out. The situation I didn´t have time to sketch was worse, with the Acid spitting Queen on our tail. She wasn´t going to let us get her egg that easy. We gave up the project as it got close to sunset, and headed out to meet with the rest in the glacier. And I got to make a boat for the umptienth time.

(Update: Fat Alice fell in the glacier, and toggled just about everyone to get a rescue for her. Almost the whole town then defied the dangers on Kismia´s Isle and saved the witch. For this rescue, Fat Alice then gave Althea the salve. She said she had two - one good and one bad one... The sketch is where they exiles left her. I think the hut is Kismia´s, but I don´t know. You can however get the disease at any time, as Panos seems to be infected as well. Sketch provided by Thuja, vstone will come in the Vault.)

News from the grapewine: Althea, and supposedly Glaurung as well - got bit by a Lyfeledia at Fullmoon and now turns to Lyfe at night. Ooof! Probably tormented by this, Althea then convinces Fat Alice to hand over the promised salve "Right now"! and runs to town to have it analyzed. Fat Alice proclaims that it will "help Althea´s condition" . As the roving reporter I am, I had to ask Althea about this of course. In a gentle and courteous way... She proclaimed quite strongly that the whole thing was mere speculation, nonsense, and answering the question about the cloak she now wears - oddly enough at night - she said "My cloak is lovely, and quite warm in the cool evening." Then the sun set, and she ran for library. I had a talk with the alchemist Brerion afterwards , and he could tell me that making the luminescent salve you will need a tuft of lyfelidae fur, a pinch of catsbane, a Scaramis Egg, and a bottle of water. Not exactly ingredients you find just walking around in east forest. I really hope Althea was lucky enough to get a fur like the bright yellow and striped one, as that is quite becoming.... I just wonder who else roams the forests at night like furry beasties. Hear them growl!

I was accompanying Tina together with many others to Tenebrion´s keep the other day. He wanted to talk to one of our scholars. And Tina was in for a surprise. Or a gift rather. An Ethereal Amulet! Here is what he said about the thing :

Tenebrion says, "I have something to present to Tina. You must not tell Umbrion I have given it to you."
Tenebrion shows his Ethereal Amulet to everyone.
Tenebrion says, "I believe you can learn to use it wisely. You may be able to convince him that you can use them. It is less of a gift than a tool. I would like to know the results of its use as much as you do. Your scholars have access to places I cannot go. I can use it. I cannot use it in all places your scholars can get to. I am not aware of any dangers in using it. They are fragile to a certain extent. I hope to be able to provide your scholars with a reasonable supply. I hope that they will share the information they learn.

When Tina examined the ethereal amulet, she quickly learned that it "will measure ether activity in the immediate area". As Aronar said, An Ether-Scale. Note that Tenebrion has said earlier that one can pass between planes from the ethereal plane at the places of densest Ether. We talked a little more for awhile, and then we headed out to check it. I asked Tina if she could try it near the the pillar, or obelisk near Mr T.s keep. Using the ethereal amulet there, it vibrated strangely said Tina. Otherwise it was a cold lump in her hands. Standing in town square, with the temple near, colors swirled around in amulet. Inside the temple it vibrated strangley. Tina told me that it vanished after around 10 uses, so it is a rather fragile thing. Although there are too few data points right now, I would guess that the color swirling is when it sense ether activity, but not strong enough. If you then move about, you can pinpoint the location more. Or not. I am no mystic after all... We need more readings in different places to learn to use it. I completly forgot to ask her to check the Zodiac under Tenebrion´s keep. We know that that place IS a travel spot. I wonder what the reading would be there?

We had an EP raid planned later that day, so I asked Tina if she would join us. If you have read my scrolls on the ethereal plane, you know that there have been some major changes in the Ethereal Tower. An exile found a library there with many strange books and texts. While the thoom could not decipher any of them, maybe some of the other races could. Or at least the mystics? We were very eager to test many things, and with Tina and her ethereal amulet EP was the place to go.

No one had told me of the Ember Wyrms there though... They probably thought I knew. I haven´t been there for eons, and the beasties that met us were different than my previous visits. We were equipped to deal with Astral Drakes, Banshees and AGs etc. We were not many enough or strong enough to deal with the Wyrms, and in addition we didn´t use what we had the best way. Sai and Pon-X didn´t even make it down to us behind the line, so we lacked two healers, our line wasn´t good enough, so the wyrms got to the healers, and I didn´t realize the wyrms strength until it was too late. I was devasted when we fell. Not because of the depart and the supposedly effect on Purgatory (more on that later) , nor the learning loss - but because we were THERE and didn´t get to the tower. You can´t explore much while fallen you know. Well. It is not untakeable now that we know what we are up against. Just need the "right group for the job". And that latter part is more difficult than to actually go there and fight our way to the tower. We tried to gather enough support for a rerun at dawn, but failed.

More on the different stones: I found a grey one in GMV and since I had heard that Rel´lim was actively researching them, I gave it to him. he told me there were five alltogether. These are : White Powdery rock found on sw beach. Pink stone in ne field. Yellow stone in thaxis cave. Black stone somewhere outside the fence on Devils Island. Brittle grey stone in GMV. They are all quite fragile, Brittle grey , powdery white, crystalline pink , soft yellowish, crumbly black. I wish Fat Alice would come back. They all sound like potion ingredients to me. I ran to the alchemy lab to try and put one in my bowl, but both the bowl and the rock seemed glued to my left hand.. so..

I now have a training ledger! Wooo! My lessons include the following: How to dress and be a prized jewel to your clan and friends, how to dance the beasties, and how to improve your balance. I have trained with Balthus extensively for a time. It´s what I need to avoid getting hit by the Young Sasquatch in the circle test, and also : on my side of the sun there are not many with a lot of defense, and in the groups I hunt with - a defense freak is needed sometimes. Since I have never been high on defense intentionally, just a side effect of going an offensive road - it was natural to choose Balthus instead of Detha. And getting a ledger didn´t even cross my mind, so I was very surprised when Balthus offered me one.

Week 39

Storoenna seems to have improved since I gave her that pie. I was told by Coriakin that Kyten powder would have a good effect on dwarves, and then I asked Slyph to bake one for me. And it worked! Storoenna seems now to be much more alert, and she even remember what you ask for and gets it for you. No more waiting around for ages while she rummages through your whole stack of things. What an improvement! I guess that exploding pie cleared up her inner workings somehow...

Qual has escaped his prison and is back again. Apparently a necromancer had set up a trap for him, but he is now free and once again eager to send trools and noths our way. You really can´t trust anyone these days, not even necromancers. So hard to get decent help isn´t it.. The Castle on Noth however is dark, and Votenkath hasn´t been seen in ages.

A lot of exiles are gathering and experimenting with these different stones we seem to find these days. They are of different colours, and their use is still a mystery.

And Gerag, the drake is dead. I can´t believe this happened and not one exile bothered to write up the tale. Shame on you lot! Where are the blabbermouths when you need them.

The explorer group we have started is slowly coming together. There is still a long way to go before the group has crystallized itself, but we just have to be patient. When it comes to gather explorers with the same set of mind and goal, time and practice are the best teachers. We had a run through Hatred Hollow and a hunt in Outback this zodiac, and it gave me confidence in what we can do. We are still in the process of exile gathering, so if you meet the requirements and are interested, take a look at the introduction here. Few days later a group went to Outback again, and with us we had Lex, a sylvan fighter who shows great promise. She is still only second circle, but her skills and understanding are of a higher level. She didn´t let us down. I can´t wait to see her dance bigger beasties. A true fighter grrrlll. Wooo! All you hunter-clans out there better start the bidding, there will be a fight over this one.


	The Puddleby Task Force Gerag dies I get a training ledger Tenebrion and the Ethereal Amulet			Fat Alice gets rescued on KI and gives exiles the Luminescent salve Raids to KI The Nox Chapterhouse burns down PTF on KI