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"To Thr. Jesam Zewel,
"... When you reach Kelamir you will find a tower
of iron like a needle with three spheres of glass at its base. Each
sphere is a cell hosting living fires. Each must agitated in
its own manner for only in their most volatile states will the tower
provide the required essence for the High Lady's ship. Arrange
the ship in the square at the tower's base and affix the hoses and
cables before releasing the essence. Once the ship takes shape,
all voyagers must be in place and all cargo secured beneath the gondola.
The captain will know when to drop the tower's anchor and will
guide you across the mountains to the great north city. Seek
there the monarch of that land and deliver our Lady's message to him.
All haste be with you, for an Ortori attack is imminent. Amra
bless and deliver you safely.
"Surrezin, Chamberlain to the High
Lady Elesea of Taldàna"
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Rape of Taldana
3 Eren 653 - 9 Eren 653
Life inside the citadel. The
tailor, barber and baths of Taldana. Jak receives a dire threat
from a glowing red wolf. Words with Elesea. Five nights of
opera. A plan is formed and a long journey planned. Tressta
and Zildara find Eréus and bring him to the city. Farewell
to Ezikus and Saldus. The airship. The Heartguard submits
to a terrible burden.
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From the Notes of Tressta:
Day
One (3 Eren 653)
- Morning
- All invited to lovely breakfast; Dammon wants
new robes
- Flower garden for breakfast with several other
guests; No guards visible
- Trip into city
- Jak buys nobleman wear and gets a shave and
haircut
- Tressta buys dress in green
- Zildara buys dress in deep blue
- All to look good, "being seen" at
the opera; As Jak is noble, shopkeepers attend
him well
- Jak is along in evening street and hears "Jak";
Turns and sees a glowing red wolf that says
"I demand your assistance", "You'll
escort Dammon to Lanádus and quit all
talk of returning to Oth", "If Dammon
does not go to Lanádus, Dadra and child
are dead. We already have them." (red glowing
wolf is Dammon's familiar)
- Jak says "I guess we're going to Lanádus";
Wolf says "Dammon will not know of this
conversation. Make sure Dammon gets there.";
Jak returns to Temple.
- Tressta sells Azálari rug for five
Talam and returns to Temple
- Group meets for dinner in an old astronomy
observatory
- Lots of people; We mingle; Flaming ring and
bug pie (yum yum); Pleasant music; Temple priestess
checks-up on group
- Tressta finds priestess to talk with about
Taldàna (there is unrest in Shalvàsal,
where military tends to go in Taládan)
- Jak sells statue of Amra and other bits
- Jak tries to find a seer to inquire about
his family (he asks a priestess)
- Night passes
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Day
Two (4 Eren 653)
- Morning
- Woman in robes goes to Jak in morning, "You
receive 'visits'?"
- Jak says "yes"; Female says "You're
safe here." Don't know how we can see what
you want us to. You're "companion"
friend [Saldus] is returning. Jak says "Yes".
Priestess says "Could send word with him"
Jak says "He already knows to escort wife
to safety". Priestess says "Perhaps
your attentions require higher insight".
Jak confused. "You should speak
with the High Lady. She would see you--you brought
Evil into the City". Priestess will arrange
meeting. Jak says, "Must remain completely
secret".
- Breakfast
- Temple Guard escort Jak upstairs to high tower
and High Lady
- "Be seated"; Jak sits
- Jak tells High Lady about Dammon's familiar,
its appearance in the city street. last evening
and its reques; High Lady asks many questions;
Jak talks about Dammon; Lady says "At what
cost are you prepared to deal with Evil?"
- Jak responds "Don't know"; High
Lady says "You need to make a decision"
- High Lady will summon Dammon; Asks Jak if
he'll attend; Lady says Dammon is warded very
strongly; Lady suggests Jak attend since Jak
knows him; Jak unsure about Evil which controls
Dammon; Suggests whole fellowship attend
- All group is summoned to High Lady with Jak
- High Lady addresses group, "Assembled
to learn how we can help you."; She looks
directly at Dammon, "Have you been contacted
in Temple"; Dammon shakes head "No";
High Lady asks, "Do you want help?";
Dammon unsure if it's possible; High Lady says,
"Have news it may not be long now. Jak
was visited by familiar, wants you to go to
Lanádus but doesn't want you to know.
Jak's wife and baby are being held hostage.
Does the familiar have power to do that?"
Dammon says "Yes". High
Lady saks "Works in concert with other
things in Oth?" Dammon says "Yes".
- Dammon requests that others leave and they
are dismissed
- Dammon tells the High Lady what he knows.
Takes a long time and his book is summoned.
High Lady casts several times and says
"It's incomplete." Dammon says
"So there's another piece." High
Lady says "Thing [familiar] wants you to
open a portal. Name of the spells is Tathan's
Return"
- Lady casts more; Touches book; She says "These
letters were scribed by an old man who is Tathan.
Do you know him?" Dammon asks, "What's
inside me?"; High Lady says "Somewhere--probably
Lanádus, are the means to make this work.
Tell me what does familiar know."; Dammon
explains that the rest of the spells were scribed
by familiar so if book is destroyed, it may
be able to scribe them again; High Lady explains
"The familiar wants the other half of the
spell." Tathan wanted to journey
to Oth but was too frail.
- High Lady and Dammon speak about how to foil
the familiar's plans; High Lady points out limits
to familiar's powers, it needs Dammon and the
spell; Dammon is a conduit; Tathan's powers
unknown; Androth's knowledge unknown; Dammon
asks High Lady how to destroy this thing; Dammon
speaks of the creature he met in Boronon; High
Lady speaks about necromancy and spirits, suggests
that this must be done or else it will consume
Dammon
- Dammon explains that he needs to get back
to Oth to retrieve medallion, which he believes
is the key; High Lady says the familiar has
been preparing him for this journey all along;
High Lady suggests that Dammon seek help among
the priests of Ildûn (Draun) for they
will have answers for his soul; High Lady also
suggests that priests of Panath can remove the
wards, but to complete this, "Lanádus
is where it began and where it will end"
- High Lady offers help if Dammon agrees to
deal with the Evil, aid in the form of someone
who can help; The helper [Eréus] is a
pious man but this must be masked from the familiar,
who cannot suspect the effort; High Lady says
she can make the helper "look different"
to the familiar by severing him from the Love
of Amra until her powers are required; High
Lady says "His name is Eréus. He
lives in the Village of Cagmarn, north of the
city"; he has waited his whole life as
a Heartguard to serve
- Meanwhile, group discusses situation
- Fellowship summoned back to High Lady; She
commands that they must "Recruit Eréus
who will be Jak's henchman. He is a Heartguard
[paladin of Amra], one of three but he will
not be on this journey. When the time requires
it, he will be able to access Her power."
- High Lady requests that the group stay longer
at the Temple, while she awaits news from Boronon
- Jak asks if he can send money to retrieve
Dadra
- High Lady says "Can send Saldus to take
her to the Iron Temple" and that the "Fellowship
can never speak of this to anyone else or Jak's
family may perish; Once word is received from
Boronon, group should leave for Temples
- Ignore Familiar
- Fellowship leaves to prepare for opera
- Jak, Zildara and Tressta leave to get clothes;
Jak's clothes are very ornate
- Dresses ready; Zildara and Tressta go to baths
- Cost of clothes is eight Talam; Jak gets clothing
- Fellowship ends up back at Temple; go to opera
as group
- Opera building very ornate; Group ushered
to balcony (seating to "be seen")
- Enjoy first part of the "Rape of Taldàna"
opera
- After opera, much mingling; Head back to Temple
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Day
Three (5 Eren 653)
- Zildara and Tressta follow directions to find
man, ride into hills near Cagmarn, outside Baráde
- Tressta introduces herself and requests Eréus
return with them to the Temple
- He questions Zildara and Tressta; He's suspicious
but consents to go
- Says farewell to a woman he's obviously familiar
with
- Ride back into town, enter Temple, part ways
- Evening
- Fellowship goes to second part of the "Rape
of Taldàna" opera
- After opera, Eréus arrives and joins
group; he is much cleaned-up and very unhappy;
Offers assistance as cohort but it's difficult
for him
- Group goes through with pretense (lying!);
Arrangments made to meet tomorrow
- Fellowship returns to Temple
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Day
Four (6 Eren 653)
- Morning
- Eréus arrives to join fellowship
- After breakfast Jak and Eréus engage
to test Eréus' "mettle"; They
spar; Eréus wins as fellowship watches
- Evening
- Fellowship goes to third part of the "Rape
of Taldàna" opera
- Mingling afterwards
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Day
Five (7 Eren 653)
- Day
- Group gathers at Baráde to see Ezikus
and Saldus leave for Oth
- Iron spire rises from Baráde like in
Kelamir
- Ezikus and Saldus leave in an airship, which
drifts away across horizon
- Fellowship goes to fourth part of the "Rape
of Taldàna" opera
- Mingle, mingle, mingle
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Day
Six (8 Eren 653)
- Fellowship goes to fifth and last part of
the "Rape of Taldàna" opera
- Mingle, mingle, mingle
- Big festivities late into the night
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Day
Seven (9 Eren 653)
- Dammon hears that the High Lady has received
word from Boronon
- Things did not go well; Enemy is being pursued
and will be captured
- When captured more will be learned
- Quest should not be delayed further; Ildûn
is the next step
- Need to find a good ship
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