| 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  |
Assassin of the Moon The group discovers half of a peasant militia listening to the screams of their dying in the cemetery tunnels below. Jak fights a large Gru. The ghuls lure more Gru with a cunning trap. The party searches deep into the dark corridors until the ghul leader and his skeletal henchmen are found, and destroyed. It was a festive night at the Bloody Inn of Dolor. The heroes had returned from the Cenotaph Cemetery and the common room was brimming-over with townsfolk wanting to hear the tales and drink with the strangers that had rid the region of the terrible ghuls. Dammon sat at the counter and amused onlookers with cantrips, Mishara was cornered near the fireplace by men asking about the fight, and Tressta bathed in the attention of Doloron bachelors (and non-bachelors). Upstairs, Alcerra kept prayerful vigil over the unwaking forms of Jak and Bear, waiting for the effects of the ghul-cloud to leave them. As the night bore onward the common room crowds eventually faded, and Dammon bid good-night to the fortune-teller Kurra who'd he'd spoken with at length toward the night's end. Kurra gathered up her tarotry and left. Later, in the dark early morning, the sound of Mishara's scream filled the inn, as an assailant's sword slashed across his back. The Elve rolled from the bed, the last visions of the night's nalelehral fleeing his mind. The assassin slashed again and again, and though Mishara reached for his own sword, it seemed forever far away. The room to Mishara's room burst inward with Alcerra holding the trident of her god. Her Human eyes scanned the dark room and found a slender figure hacking mercilessly at the prone form of Mishara grabbing his sword. Alcerra stabbed forward, piercing the figure. The assailant groaned and continued to hack at the Elve. Moments later Dammon appeared in the doorway, and with two volleys of Lallan's Lightning the assassin fell heavily to the floor, his face coming to rest in Mishara's blood. The assistant innkeep Iala appeared in the hallway with a candelabra shedding light on the scene. Mishara picked himself up slowly while Alcerra turned over the assassin's body and found it to be Aren Zarad. As the slowing enchantment faded from Mishara he inspected his fallen "friend" and found his ears had been docked and singed. Aren too was an Elve. Aren was bound and moved into the room with Bear and Jak where he could be watched. The would-be assassin's labored breathing was slow, his life appeared ready to flee this vessel at any moment. The morning of the 23rd, Alcerra sought and found the Elder Jadchrum a blacksmith and priest of Roth. Alcerra spoke with Jadchrum for some time, asking about a silver Rothic medallion found on the body of Aren the night before. The Crafter examined the medallion briefly and explained that he guessed that instead of silver, that the medallion was mythrul, an "evil metal" of the Elve which "grows beneath trees". Alcerra thanked him and was given a small iron Roth necklace before she left. At the inn, a well-dressed older gentleman named Courg that was speaking with Dammon about Tressta intrigued the mage with mention that Dammon sounded Lanatian. When Dammon inquired further the blind man explained that Lanatians were from the island kingdom of Lanàdus, which was once seat to the Dekàlan Empire. Dammon retrieved Tressta. Tressta spoke with the manservant of Mardus, a past acquaintance, and listened to his master's offer of a winter's "relationship" that would earn her funds to seek out whatever fortunes she might wish. Tressta thanked the old man for making the trip, he stood, wished her well, and left to find his horse. Later that morning, Dammon spoke briefly with Alcerra, and ventured out to find the Elder Jadchrum himself. He showed the Crafter an Attrakaran dagger he'd found at Kry Moradem. They spoke of for a few minutes on the Cult of the Artificer, before Dammon enlisted his services to fashion a shod for the Staff of Tharad'Zor. Jadchrum took measure of the staff, and suggested Dammon return in a few days. Dammon spoke with Cargus next and arranged for joiner and a mason to meet him tomorrow, and venture to Cenotaph to make estimates on his adopted home. Alcerra scribed a message for the Mourners' Guild indicating that she required assistants to repair the cemetery of Cenotaph, and placed it in the care of a drayman heading to town the next day. The next morning, Dammon distributed the coins and treasures collected in the cemetery warrens before setting-out to Cenotaph with Cargus and the mason. Reaching the town square Dammon spied a beggar moving along the housefronts across the square. The yelled that he was "Merten, King of Cenotaph, there are none to question my rule!" Amused, Dammon sicked his conscious on the poor king who was running down an alleyway. :Dammon and his contractors examined the house from top to bottom. After a few hours, during which Dammon picked through other houses in the neighborhood looking for old books, the three returned to Dolor. His contractors explained that they'd have to speak with a glazier, roofer, and cabinetmaker (for the shutters) before giving him a proper estimate. Returning to the Bloody Inn, Tressta asked the mage to examine the brooch for her Cloak of Shadows. Dammon spent a watch or more examining the item before determining that the source of the cloak's magic powers was the smoky quartz stone inset into the clasp. He explained that replacing the quartz with one of surpassing quality, and cut to the exact specifications of the clasp, would recharge the cloak. The next morning the group gathered in the room of Jak and Bear to interrogate the wounded Elve. The conscious Aren scowled and stared at Mishara but refused to answer the questions put to him. When Mishara tried to reason with the Elve, Aren spit and cursed at the archer, demanding that he kill him rather than let him live like this among these Human monsters. When Mishara refused blood poured from the assassin's mouth, having bit through his tongue. Appalled, they turned him sideways to keep him from drowning on the blood. Aren began tossing his head violently against the floorboards with sickening force until he was too addled to continue. During the day, Tressta found her way to Aren's room at the Bloody Inn and found two vials among his positions. On the morning of the 26th of Druur the group left Dolor, their welcome exhausted. &nsbp;Alcerra gave Bear a message she had prepared for the High Lord as the soldier was returning alone to Kry Shurulm. Dammon collected the newly-shod staff from Jadchrum, and left with the Baron's men to Cenotaph to inspect his prospective home. The Baron's men explained that as reward for the cleansing of Cenotaph, they would grant subtenancy of the house to Dammon for the cost of ten year's taxes. The Talas were exchanged and Dammon moved-in. Meanwhile, Jak accompanied Alcerra to the Cemetery of Cenotaph where she explained to him that she would not be present at his wedding, and would not continue with the group. Over his protests she offered him a wedding present that she'd fashioned in the preceding days. She explained that the potion was for his wife-to-be, Dadra, and that it would save her from some of the rigors of childbirth. The two parted there with Jak returning to Dolor and then onto Candan and Alcerra remaining in Cenotaph where there was Draun's work to be done. The group journeyed to the frosty marshes of Candan that afternoon. Waiting for them at the Fiery Wench was an oddly shaped man of large-size who introduced himself as Grumug and a lean distressed gentleman named Jurrus. The herald explained that he was being commissioned by Grumug to design an achievement for Jak of Candan. Before continuing he handed Jak a deep blue stone which glowed faintly in the spearman's hands. The herald entered the Fiery Wench with Jak and sat down for the long and tireless story of Jak's past deeds. When the day grew late the herald insisted he must return to his City study to research the surname Daralien and learn whatever appropriate emblems Jak may be entitled to receive. After some discussion, the herald was permitted to leave. That same evening Mishara, Tressta, and Bear carrying the body of Aren the Assassin left for Kry Shurulm. Late at night the trio entered the dark keep and handed over their treasonous and limp bundle to the soldiers that met them. The two were asked to stay for the night's remainder, though Mishara found no rest. In the early morning hours a knock on the door stirred him from his shallow reverie. The mage Foulstern greeted him sternly, explaining that his help was required with the questioning of Aren. Mishara agreed to this. Tressta expressed her wish to come, but was told that the bowels of the keep were no place for a woman, and was instructed to stay. The farther they traveled into the oppressive hulk of Kry Shurulm, the more Mishara wished he'd been able to stay above too, but he knew the request was not a request at all. After endless turns and plummeting staircases, they arrived in a large pitted chamber dominated by an evil machine of gears, chains, pipes, and rotating lances. At the center of the abominable device was suspended the pale and blood-streaked body of the Moon-Elf, Aren Zarad. He was somewhere far beyond the pain of this world, staring horribly with what now seemed unmistakably Elven eyes into the shadowy dome above. The torturers watched curiously as Foulstern approaced with the Elvarel in tow, their expressions unfathomable, their judgements clear. How could any member of a race submit another of their kind to this, unless they truly are the monsters that legend tell? Foulstern wove a spell of truthfulness, and Mishara put the necessary questions forth. The dead voice of Aren answered that the inscriptions on the blade were enchantments, temporary enchantments common to the Nelveral. When asked who he worked for Aren gave the name [of an Elven general], a Nelveral name to be sure, but not one that Mishara knew. Foulstern lowered his hands as the spell ended and led Mishara away from the machine. Mishara insisted that this wasn't necessary but learned that it was the Lord's order, and that his torment would be over in a few days. The idea sent a chill through Mishara. Being in this place, and watching this happen to one of his own kind, Mishara could feel his spirit dying within him, and wondered how any of this could have come to be. The next morning Tressta and Mishara wandered through the K'yard, moving in and out of shops. Tressta comissioned Malda, a lapidarist, to fashion a new stone for her cloak. Mishara treated the Human woman to a fine dinner and wine that evening before returning through Northgate where they hired some entertainers for the next day's wedding. With all this done, they wound their way back to Candan to help make preparations. The day of the wedding was bitterly cold. The muddied streets of Candan were covered with a thin layer of ice and a cold gust blew in from the sound. The bundled inhabitants raced around, blowing on their hands, and talking in frosty clouds as they erected the tables and built fires. Grumug stood in the middle of the activity watching the Humans race back and forth, thinking how similar it all was at home. Jak finished polishing his Dekàlan armor and went to meet his guests. Adae the Farmer had arrived early for there was food and drink in abundance. The druid stood near the launch sampling the food as it was carried from the high-towns. Another large figure arrived, having heard of the festivity near Dolor where word of the ghul-slayer's marriage circulated. The massive Danoç greeted his old friends, and unbothered by the frigid temperatures, took his place at the tables' ends and played his flute while the work continued. When the food and the guests were assembled, the musicians began to play. Jak was summoned forward and began his traditional groom's-work as servant to the assembled guests, who mercilessly sent on his way back and forth to the barrels and kegs. For a time, people forgot their troubles and joined in celebration on this wedding day. But this is Oth... 13 Jun 1999
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Navigation People Cergus
(Com1) Introducing Staff of
Tharad'Zor: A 5' heavy twisted wooden staff inset with large precious
stones, the staff of Tharad'Zor has
not always been referred to as such. The staff itself is fashioned
from Northwood horned-oak, particularly
driftwood found along the Eteren
Escarpment. The staff was crafted circa 210 DR by a wizard named
Colma. It is unclear what Colma's
initial plans were for the staff, but over several years it was revised
and gems affixed about its knotty head. The staff includes a fist-sized
blue quartz mounted inside three fingers of shaped wood. Three chrysoberyls
surround the base of the quartz with a single blood agate mounted beneath.
Magically, each of the stones act as a spell slot, which must be
imbued by the bearer. The quartz can hold one 2nd level spell while
the chrysoberyls can each hold 1st level spells. The purpose of
the blood agate is unknown, though it radiates similar magic.
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| Ref. PHB (Player's Handbook), © Wizards of the Coast  |
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