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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  |
Eternal Arkirun This is the last of two sessions describing the four month "winter's quest" of Mishara Silverpoint in his trek to find the northern Elve city of Nazhalyr and the master Nekrule archer Illydphryl Nyllyraz. The bandaged ivory Elve laid still beside the fire. Beyond the fire's warmth, the icicled boughs glittered and chimed beautifully in the night. The travelers looked from one to another, silently tending to their wounds. In the advancing night, Mishara could sense that he was much further from Oth than he had planned, and that he would not be returning to his mortal friends anytime soon. The next morning White-eye gathered some deadwood and fashioned a travois, to carry the Solari's body and her backsack through the forest. Travel grew slow, but they pushed north and westward into the ancient trees. White-eye spoke with Cadalya after the day's journey, and informed him that their journey had moved toward the West. Dismayed by this the group made plans to remedy the deviation the next day. While this was discussed, Mishara found a pack of deer, and shot an arrow into its heart. The pack did not flee, but instead stopped by the fallen deer, each lowering its head and nuzzling their fallen doe. When each had nudged their farewells, the Arduwun stag led his family away into the dark forest. Two mornings later, the group awoke to freezing rain, and terribly cold winds sweeping down from the Kur Nuthali peaks to the East. White-Eye led the group this miserable day into the eastern highlands along a trail that wound up into the high hills and crags of the Kur Nuthali's western slopes. In the evening they came to a high rocky bluff overlooking the vast Valley of Arduwu. White-eye explained that this bluff was a nexus of power within the valley, and that those that remained at the edge, beneath the stars for one night, would be rejuvenated and feel the strength of the nature around them. Mishara paused for a moment to examine large bird tracks in the mud beneath the snow, but paid them little mind. In the middle of the night, strange hooting sounds issued from the treeline. The group was awakened and prepared themselves for trouble as a herd of ravenous kukora charged from the trees. Each of the flightless birds stood taller than the travelers, with the exception of the Grumun whose broad white and bloodied shoulders were clearly visible above the red chaos of bristling feathers and slashing beaks. The adventurers fought bravely against the ravenous red-feathered tide that pushed them closer and closer toward the bluff's edge. In the midst of battle, White-eye lifted a struggling kukora above her head and pitched it into the valley below. Moments later, the massive Grumun dissappeared beneath a flurry of red beaks and feathers. In time the giant birds were repelled but not soon enough, for White-eye's pecked and torn body was a mess of bloodied ivory fur and entrails. The group continued back down the slopes on the morning of the 21st. Though the ground was now snow-covered, they found a rocky stream that led them safely to the valley floor. Cadalya spoke with the stream's spirit as they traveled and learned of the land that lay before them. With the stream's advice, the company wandered north into the frozen forest for days without encounter. During their journey they encountered spiders with razor-sharp webs, a terrible fire lizard that nearly ended the quest. Ten days were spent recuperated in the bone-strewn lair of the beast as the snow piled deeper outside. They were now well into winter, and far north of Avarlin. Healed, they set out from the lizard's lair. Their ivory-skinned ward's condition had not improved during their rest. They traveled west and north, away from Nazhalyr, guided by the Solara Elvarel's unspoken requirement. Within the second week of Sharak they came to an Elve village situated between colossal pillars of stones. Here they learned more about the Elve that they carried and guessed that he was guided them toward ancient Arkirun, an ancient and abandoned city laying far north into lands cold even in summer's embrace. The village provided them with guides that would lead them to the northern reaches of the Elder Woods, but from there they would travel out across the tundra alone. This they did. At the forest's edge the Elve guides turned back. Ahead lay endless fields of snow and mute grey skies. Cold winds blew down from the northern seas chilling them deeply. Wrapping their cloaks and blankets tighter they trudged out into the frozen snows. Days passed by without landmarks and only a dim variation between the night and the day. The snow and freezing rains continued to fall across the land. Sensation left their hands and feet, and hair jingled with icicles as they moved slowly through the frozen wastes. Near the end of Sharak and near the end of their strength (for the body seemed heavier with each passing day), they came upon the ancient walls of Arkirun. The crumbling walls of the city are angled back from their bases, but marked with giant glyphs daring fools to climb. Moving toward the gate they became aware of a giant creature waiting in the shadows of that passage, but the creature stirred little as they approached. Mishara tried to discern details of the monster but looked away out of courtesy and the knowledge that it would be horrible to behold. Within the ancient snow-covered streets the company could feel hundreds of eyes upon them, staring out from the ruined buildings and walls. Toward the center of the city they came to a large petrified tree stump with steps leading down into its heart. Within they found a spherical chamber with crumbling star-scape mosaics. As they lay the Solari's body on the rubble in the chamber's center the starry tesserae began to glow brighter. Slowly the chamber was filled with a blinding light. When the light faded Mar'yeel stood before them. He thanked each of the company in turn and explained that he had been hunted but that he did not know by what. After years of traveling he came to the Elder Woods, believing that he would be safe there, but his hunter found him and left him in the state in which he was found. He did not know who the hunter was or why he had not been killed. Rewarded for their troubles they left the city (that is ancient even to the Elve) led by the Nekrule Illarzur who knew of the region east of Arkirun and would be able to find Nazhalyr. On the Uren date of In'Orol the Seventh, Mishara came to the stone shelf where Terèthor ends and the northern sea begins. Illarzur led the company toward the shore and found the hidden road leading below the wide shelf and intot he city of the Nekrule Nelveral. There the company congratulated one another and went their separate ways. Mishara soon located Illydphryl Nyllyraz who agreed to train him in the ways of an Elfin Archer. Come spring, Mishara had trained hard and Illydphryl gave his approval of his student's progress. Mishara explored many options for returning to his friends in Oth but finally settled on a ship's passage. The ship sailed around the northeast cape of Terèthor and along la Cote du Nord where pirates prey on ships that they can catch. In time they returned to the Nyr Durjin and soon after were docking at Avarlin. From Avarlin, Mishara traveled on foot, south through the Northwoods until he reached the Uren lands again. Looking backward, he could now feel acutely how dead the land was here compared to his time in the Elve realms. He hoped that in time he could return. Thanks to Kyle, Sarah, and Steve for helping with the NPCs! 4 Sep 1999
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Navigation People Cadalya
Asm... (Ftr5/Wiz5) Introducing Nazhalyr:
The largest Elve city in eastern Terèthor,
Nazhalyr is a major port for all traffic
sailing north around the continent (not many do). The city is not
easily found from land or sea, as it's situated beneath a large shelf
of stone; from the land it appears as a rocky shore, from the sea the
city may only be seen from lamps lit at night (of which there are few).
The primary industries of the city are fishing, ivory, and silver
mining. Scrimshaw from Nazhalyr is among the best in the world,
harvested from walruses and the tusks of plated wild pigs that roam the
tundra. |
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| Ref. PHB (Player's Handbook), © Wizards of the Coast  |
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