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The World of Teréth End - Chronicles - Othic |
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"Too often days swiftly pass / Weeping in the evening grass / There just is not enough time / Forthings you dreamt you'd do / The hours still drift by. "Too many years, too high a cost / Too many lessons earned but lost / And still you complain all the time / Cursing the days before you / Lamentng the days gone by. "And finally laying in your bed / Staring skyward, nearly dead / It all floods back one last time, / The chances that you left behind / But alas there's little left to do / ... but cry." Dirimoran song  |
The Vullinshrith Cabal Wherein Dammon finds himself in the care of strangers and with a different outlook on the world around. The walk to Oris, Dolor and finally Cenotaph where Dammon speaks with the undead and is introduced to Thard'Zor. The House of Dreaming and Artana's terrible price. Adae's favor. Dammon awoke to darkness except for the flicker of distant candlelight. Finding his feet and leading himself forward through the darkness, he found a larger room where a backpack of this things had been left. Standing in the shadows stood an attractive young woman except for her lips, cinched closed and swollen with dangling threads. The voice soon returned, welcoming Dammon and revealing the room's secrets to the mage with a quick trick of sight. Dammon questioned the expressive young woman who led him from the old foundry into the barren hillsides surrounding Vullinshrith. The days' walk found them crossing farmers' fields, and wandering down long country roads until they arrived in Erhet. They stayed the night in a small and bug-infested room. In the morning the two, Artana and Dammon, walked north toward Dreg's Brewery and into the boroughs of Oris, Dolor, and finally abandoned Cenotaph. Among the empty buildings and streets of Cenotaph, Dammon found a circle where three creatures sat upon the ruins of an old fountain. Dammon spoke with the creatures which looked like men, and was granted passage. As he passed, he saw the fountain was filled with parts of the dead. Across the circle they came to the house of Tharad'Zor, where Artana had been leading them these last days. No one answered the door so they entered. In a rear room they found the old mage sitting at a table's end, his clawed hands gripping the pages to a large book. Tharad'Zor made Dammon a generous offer, but Dammon refused and left with Artana in tow. Returning to Dolor, Dammon found a small inn for the night. The next morning, Dammon took Artana down to the river where they walked for some time before Dammon addressed her. He gave the choice of Tharad'Zor's offer, or freedom. After much confusion and fright, the young woman chose freedom. Within the hour the two were crossing the river bridge and were headed toward the House of Dreaming in Wesridge. Alo Madralo greeted Dammon and his traveling companion. Alo retrieved some healing salves and Dammon went about the business of cutting the threads from Artana's lips, who had not eaten in days. Once finished, Artana retired early in the inn's comfortable rooms. Alo and Dammon stayed up late before the dining fire, exchanging stories and catching-up on events in their lives. That night Artana woke gasping and clutching her neck. Dammon rushed to her aid and found that her throat had been sliced open. With the blood cleaned away and the wound more carefully examined, Dammon knew exactly what had happened. Artana's voicebox had been ripped to shreds, so that the woman could not speak of the cabal. Dammon addressed his familiar on this matter and was not at all surprised by its unsympathetic response. "You do not yet need to know what she can tell". The next morning, Dammon took Artana through the twisting streets of Wesridge and Northaven until they found a familiar road winding into the Northfields. Past the Hanging Tree they followed the dirt road to the farm of Joachim to see an old friend of Dammon's, Adae the Healer. They found Adae, but other than sealing the ragged wound on Artana's throat there was little he could do. The two sat in the shade of the large tree near Joachim's house and talked about old things for the day's remainder. Toward evening Dammon asked if Artana could stay here for a while, in safety. Adae explained that he was leaving shortly but that Joachim would be more than happy to watch over the young woman. With Artana provided for, Dammon left the farm and wandered back to the House of Dreaming while night descended in the streets. His eyes scanned the night for the winged demons that Alo had mentioned, but he saw none in his slow wandering. Once again, Dammon found the priceless comfort of a deep sleep at the inn. 14 May 1998
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Navigation People Artana
(Com1) Introducing Ghuls: The bane
of the Draun's faithful, Ghuls are different from other ranks of the undead.
Whereas some of the everdead are formed from the meddling of mortals
with necromantic forces, Ghuls are shaped by other Ghuls. It is
doubted that those that become Ghuls even die beforehand, but instead
are locked body and soul into the Ghul creation. This imprisoning limbo
of the spirit is main reason why the cult of Draun detests the foul monsters.
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Ref. PHB (Player's Handbook), © Wizards of the Coast  |
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