Ahead of the Storm - Day 46

Sasserine, Two Months Ago

Ah, the job of a cartographer... ever busy, never appreciated. Yet if it weren't for me, many of the Seekers here in town would never have made their fortunes. After all, what good is hearing about lost treasure, if you don't know how to get to it?

Yet, despite a few kind regulars, most of the people who frequent my map shop are rather pushy and impatient. They don't realize that with the amount of coming-and-going that occurs here, with so many people renting out my maps for various expeditions... the entire place is bound to get a bit cluttered. And despite my rigorous book-keeping, there have certainly been occasions where something simply gets misplaced. Yet they never have any sense of compassion or understanding...

Take that man who came by here just last week... what was his name... Anzak! Anzak Guildenstern, that's it. He comes in here eager to get his hands on one of my most prized possessions - the map to the Isle of Dread. And I can understand his interest - after all, the entire place is steeped in legend.

Why, the very manner in which the map was obtained is fascinating. The location was first discovered through rumors, by the enterprising young captain, Gabriel Gansworth. And he spent countless hours here in my shop, peering over ancient maps of the southern seas, trying to locate the lost island, rumored to have been destroyed in some cataclysm 1500 years ago - yet also said to have been surrounded in pearl-rich waters which could make a man a fortune, if discovered.

And then the day came, when Gabriel believed to have found his destination. Putting together information gathered from many sources, he himself drew a tentative map of the course to follow, to get to the legendary isle. He asked me to double-check his calculations, and sure enough - he seemed to be on to something. Then he thanked me, taking his hand-drawn map with him... and I never saw the poor man again.

It is said that he departed so suddenly that even his children were left behind without a goodbye - they who had been promised to make the journey with him. And then, seven months later - the ghost ship that returned to Sasserine's harbor, with but a skeleton crew of five dying men. This was all that remained of the Sea Wyvern, and Gabriel's expedition.

From the mouths of the dying sailors, it was said that upon reaching the island - for indeed Gabriel's calculations had been spot-on - they began to explore its jungles. In the weeks to come, they encountered many dangers... dinosaurs, terror birds, cannibal tribes of natives... and at last, they came upon the central mesa of the island, shrouded in thick fog. Some men stayed behind, as Gabriel led his bravest volunteers into the mist. Hours later, a single man came running out, screaming of "Skinwalkers" and something called a "Savage Tide". He had seemingly gone utterly mad, and furthermore, seemed greatly ill. The others tried to mend his wounds, yet could not - and then, it is said, he died.

Fearing to stay a moment longer on this horrid isle, the remaining crew of five - those who had stayed behind - rushed back to the Sea Wyvern, and used Gabriel's map to try and backtrack their way to Sasserine. Yet, in time, it seemed clear that they too had been infected... with something evil, eating away at their insides. It would not kill them, yet they felt somehow haunted, as though a part of their inner hope had died off forever.

Returning to Sasserine, the men shared their tale, and eventually all passed on - from natural causes, though some claim nothing was natural about it. And in the years afterward, Verik and Larissa attempted their own journey, based on Gabriel's map. They, thankfully, encountered far better luck on the Isle, having befriended local Olman tribes.

Yet the Sea Wyvern was repossessed by Emil Dracktus, claiming Gabriel had never paid off his debt over it - a payment which was supposed to have come in the form of a massive haul of pearls. As for the map itself, Dracktus eventually sold it to me, claiming it not worth his time.

Through the years since, on occassion I have had visitors wishing to peak at the map. And so, it was not odd last week, when Anzak came to ask to see it. Yet, knowing his soon to be parents-in-law probably had far better maps now in their possession, it did perplex me a bit. However, I could not lend the map out to him, as it had already been lent to another - a well-dressed elven man, who smiled quite a bit. He had come a few days before, asking ever so politely whether I happened to have any maps pertaining to that region. He was so nice about it, that I went out of my way to find the maps for him.

And so now, Anzak was very upset, owing to the fact that Gabriel's map wasn't here at the moment. And he demanded to know who had the map, seeming so angry that I was afraid he might be willing to kill for it. As politely as I could, I informed him that I never shared the names of my customers with anyone.

That's when Anzak gave me that look - as if to say, that I should watch myself. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he was threatening me, but I was afraid. That man, there's just something about him that screams danger.

Locking up my shop that night, I took extra precautions. I even had a friend escort me home, just to make sure Anzak wasn't there to ambush me in the street. Thankfully, he was not - but I'm still watching my back, one week later.

As I said, the job of a cartographer is not one to brag about - ever busy, never appreciated.

Yet in all my years, I must confess - never before have I feared for my life...

Ahead of the Storm - Day 45

Magepoint, Two Months Ago

The biography of Nephilim, according to the Demonomicon of Iggwilv:

http://www.knights-of-valencia.com/savage/11-nephilim.htm

Ahead of the Storm - Day 44

Sasserine, Two Months Ago

My, have these been troubled times here at the tower... Just today, one of the clerics came to inform me that this afternoon's ceremony to Wee Jas was held in front of a completely empty church. I remember the days when every religious occasion, on any given day of the week, brought forth followers by the dozens, if not hundreds. Now, we've come to be content just at seeing a few familiar faces turn up every now and then... often only to beg for forgiveness for some horrible crime they've commited out in Shadowshore...

It has come to a sad realization, one I've tried to avoid for far too long now - our church is dying. Surely bad luck has had a lot to do with it... being the church that gave Embril Aloustinai her start as a cleric is far from a high honor... Yet, I also believe that there is change going on, and the religions of old may one day become forgotten - perhaps to be replaced by a new set of gods, perhaps to leave us without religion at all.

One such wave of change has already swept the nearby city of Cauldron, in the wake of its being saved by the Outsiders. I have heard much talk of this new "Amalgamation" that the neraph mummy, Eadfrid, proposed to the town. A church where all gods are respected and faiths are taught from one group to another... Perhaps it is not ideal, but from what I have heard, it is certainly popular. I hear talk of full temples, of followers paying large sums of money to collect holy symbols... I even hear that they intend to spread to neighbouring cities...

Perhaps this is indeed the wave of the future. Maybe the best way to save the church of Wee Jas here in Sasserine is not to close it down, but to convert it - making it into the first church of the Amalgamation here in Sasserine. With it as my own idea and my own proposal, I might also gain a certain measure of power out of it, perhaps even bring some dignity and respect back to our family's name. Certainly dignity is something that has been lost in the wake of Gabriel's folly with the Sea Wyvern that tore this family apart... just look at those two good-for-nothing sons of his running around town trying to pay off the last of their father's debts. Garland's working for the whaler's guild - but that's nothing more than being a glorified fisherman, is it not? Certainly not respectable work, nothing that could support a family, in any case. And Glaive... dear God, were it not for the magic I have taught that boy, he'd surely be dead by now, making enemies of everyone and skirting his responsibilities.

No, I fear that if this family is to be happy again, I will have to be the one to do something. I shall write to the heads of the Amalgamation, and see how open they might be to my expansion project for Sasserine. I will also instruct some of my clerics here to start spreading word to the people in the streets of Sasserine... the commonfolk. If this is to be a success, they need to hear the hype, and start looking forward to the day when the Amalgamation might come to their own town.

Yes, I can start seeing how all of this might work out...

I had better start getting to work. A project like this could take a couple of months...

Ahead of the Storm - Day 43

Alhaster, Two Months Ago

Either I am losing my mind, or someone is following me everywhere I go. Neither option is encouraging.

It all began last week, just after I finished compiling the Demonomicon information for Shami-Amourae. Pellegri had asked me to set the others aside for the moment and concentrate on that one, as Pelor himself had told her that Shami-Amourae was responsible for the False Prophets. This group apparently has spies infiltrating all the religions of the Amalgamation, in order to try and gain information related to some secret that the Gods may wish to keep from mankind. And while the whole thing sounds a bit like some crazed conspiracy theory, I did plan on researching all the Demon Lords sooner or later, so I didn't mind setting Malcanthet aside for a few days to work on Shami-Amourae.

Yet now, I fear that Pellegri's fears may be all too real, for as soon as I completed the Shami-Amourae report and delivered it to Manzorian (to be passed on to everyone else who is in on our discussions, including Pellegri) - that is when I first felt it, out of the corner of my eye... a shadowy figure stalking me through the streets here in Alhaster, wherever I went. I know now with any certainty the identity of my pursuer, but I certainly have my suspicions: I believe it is one of these "False Prophets".

Could it be that Shami-Amourae, if she truly is commanding these False Prophets from the depths of her prison in the Wells of Darkness, has gained knowledge that I have been looking into her history? If so, I wonder how this knowledge came to her ears. Is one of our trusted group perhaps acting as a spy? Or did she perhaps use means such as our own... Divinations, Communes... Either way, I am certainly frightened.

I will keep myself as alert as possible in these coming days, with a Forcecage spell always at the ready. Perhaps I can turn this troubling development into a positive, and capture our first spy to interrogate. That would surely please Pellegri and Elena. Hehehe, yes - that would please them greatly.

That is indeed what I will do - prepare all my best offensive spells, perhaps even some of the Far Realm novelties I learned from Verodemocrium - and hope to be attacked. That poor False Prophet won't know what hit him...

Ahead of the Storm - Day 42

Magepoint, Two Months Ago

The biography of Malcanthet, according to the Demonomicon of Iggwilv:

http://www.knights-of-valencia.com/savage/10-malcanthet.htm

DM Thoughts - Session 04

What can be said about this session?

To me, it was the perfect conclusion to the pre-campaign. Where the original goal had been to create names and faces for the legendary Olmans who saved the Isle of Thanaclan after the Savage Tide hit - in the end that is exactly what happened.

Though they certainly didn't have the lengthy lifespan of some of our other more recent characters, who have been with us for months and even years... These three heroes - Meleeki, Immortal and Bakura - their story shall be one with we as players will likely remember for quite some time to come.

One event that particularly resonated with me was the tragic sacrifice and death of Meleeki. The way that the scenario was supposed to end was always very open in my mind - I truly didn't know which of the character might step up to trigger the Tlaloc's Tear, and who among them might die in the attempt. The big danger involved would be for characters who had failed their saving throws against either of the aboleth's more nasty attacks: the mucus cloud or the slime from its tentacles. Either way, a character who failed a save might end up quickly dead when Tlaloc's Tear pushed away any sign of water for miles...

It was, in my mind, the most likely TPK scenario: the character all make it to the final fight, all survive it, trigger the Tear, then die as heroes, sacrificing themselves. Yet that was far from the case. All saves to that point were passed (some with help, from either Action or Fate points, but passed all the same). With this, a new ending suddenly became quite likely: the survival of all three heroes.

While that would not have really bothered me, it would have somehow diminished the importance of their mission. To have all three of them come back would in a way feel like things were too bright and happy - despite the deaths of thousands of Olmans in the Tide explosion. It wasn't that I was eager for characters to die, but from a storyline standpoint, it would feel more tragic and heroic if at least one of them gave their life in order to protect everyone left behind up on the island. If this were a movie, for example... that's how the script would go - with one of the main characters dying a heroic death to save the mission.

In this case, that heroic death came in an unexpected, yet particularly dramatic way: as Immortal finally lived up to the threat he had hung over the party's head from the start - to lose it and kill off an ally. Those final moments of Immortal trying to save her life, only to then go mad and take it from her instead... that was very dark and tragic, yet made sense, in that he'd been expected to do that by the players for some time. It was as though that tragic moment was waiting for the biggest possible impact - which it had. Chris' later roleplaying of the days after the event sealed it as legendary, as Immortal gave Meleeki a watery burial to the tune of Aerith's Theme from FF7, while stating his love for her... then allowing himself to slowly die of hunger and heartbreak at her side. It was very poetic and perfectly worked as a conclusion to the story of Bakura's two guardians.

As for the Dragon Shaman himself, meanwhile - he became the "sole survivor" of the pre-campaign, and new ruler of the Olman tribe. His leadership and plans for them made for the perfect transition to the Olman villages along the southern coast that exist in the present day, no longer made of bitter outcasts - but of Olmans who hold to their old traditions, while still living somewhat in fear over the events of so long ago, that still haunt them to this day, keeping them from returning to the forgotten city in the north, where Thanaclan once stood.

All in all, the pre-campaign felt like a success to me. It hit the right emotional marks, it had some interesting fights and scenarios, and it set up the danger of the story quite well. If Gustave, Glaive and Garland ever come across a shadowy pearl that is about to crack open... while they may not know what to expect from it, the players on the other hand will probably be quite frightened and anxious over the possible consequences... because they have seen what the Savage Tide might bring in.

So hats off to my amazing players, as always, for bringing the story to life.

And now that we embark on the real journey ahead of us, let us hope that things only continue to get better and better. I have a feeling that they will.

Ahead of the Storm - Day 41

Sunrise, Three Months Ago

As her eyes adjusted to the light, a familiar voice could be heard. Pellegri turned her head ever so slightly and spotted one whom she has not seen in a long, long time. Unable to be fooled by Elena's multiple disguises, before her sitting in a chair was the sister she once knew and respected…

Pellegri: Have I been blessed with yet another dream?

Elena: This is no dream, Pellegri. You were asleep for quite some time, but everything should be alright now. I rushed here when I heard from Meerthan, to make sure you were alright.

Pellegri assumes the sitting position upon a bed that had been carefully made for her. She looked out the window and was greeted by the morning sun shinning upon the ruined city of Greyhawk. Her focus then shifted to the table next to her. Upon it, a bowl of fresh water, a damp cloth, flowers, one of "his" favorite books and an illustration of Pellegri herself. Warm feelings begin to simmer within the peasant child and replied with a smile. Sitting in "his" chair, was Elena…

Pellegri: Asleep… I've been very tired as of late, but… Elena… is it really, you?

Elena: Yes, Pellegri. It's... me. Really me. I've been having a difficult time lately, myself. When I heard what happened to you... I just felt like this is where I belonged. How have you... been? I meant to get in touch sooner... just been... busy...

At this, Elena shifted her gaze away from Pellegri, looking down to the floor, as if unable to look Pellegri in the eye anymore.

Elena: I'm... sorry... for the way I've been.

Pellegri brought herself to her feet and paused but for a moment. Her eyes began to shift color; what was mild gold became a deep brown and thus revealing Elena’s humble disguise. Pellegri believed her pain to be genuine; this was not the girl she abandoned months ago. Pellegri slowly made her approach towards Elena and embraced her with all her might shedding several tears…

Pellegri: It is good to see… "You"… again…

Pellegri temporarily released her hold still maintaining a grasp upon her shoulders with her hands…

Pellegri: Elena… look at me… We both did what we felt was best, and we have been rewarded with new life. I already knew this day would eventually come… I just wish it were under better circumstances…

Tears flow freely from Elena's eyes, as she struggled to speak her next words…

Elena: Pellegri… I'm s-s-scared… S-s-something terrible is going to hap-p-pen… and I think it's… going to be… m-m-my… f-f-fault…

Pellegri resumed her embrace and spoke out softly…

Pellegri: Shhhh… you are not alone… what ever it is that you fear… we shall face it together…

After a slight moment, Pellegri prepared herself for the worst. She closed her eyes and began to chant in Celestial tongue. A small once of her soul was siphoned away as she called out to Pelor for a Divination…

Pellegri: What is it that troubles Elena to bring her to tears?

At her request, she was granted a disturbing image…

Elena thinks herself alone in her fate
With this universe, to one day terminate
Yet in Lashonna's path, all your destinies lie
And by your own hands, worlds and gods shall die

Pellegri: I… see… you are indeed not alone… Others including I share your same fate. This is the first time I learn of this… I'm… sorry… I don't have any answers as of yet, but I've no doubt we'll find some.

Elena suddenly looked up, shocked.

Elena: N-n-not alone?? You have been told the same thing? About…

She hesitated, unsure if she can form the words. Then, she crossed that line in her mind, and just said it.

Elena: About destroying the universe and k-k-killing the gods?

The two began sharing their discoveries in a desperate attempt to understand the calamity that stood before them. Pellegri made reference to Lashonna, Shami-Amourae and her dark prophets, the events that took place nearly a century ago and most importantly, the rumor of a forbidden secret. In return, Elena offered her divine wisdom and openly discussed the dark visions she had been subject to. In the end, both agreed to perform a concurrent Commune spell in order to compare two different points of view.

Elena-Pellegri: Is the destruction of our universe necessary?
Pelor: Destruction first, but then rebirth.
Wee Jas: An apocalypse restarts the cycle.
Pellegri: Sometimes a Yes on No answer would suffice…

Elena-Pellegri: Has the time come to bring our universe to an end?
Pelor: Demonic death marks the time.
Wee Jas: Several years of time remains.
Elena: Demonic death? That one is new to me… Perhaps the death of a Demon Lord?

Elena-Pellegri: Was the universe destroyed and reborn 100 years ago?
Pelor: I'm sorry Pellegri… I can't…
Wee Jas: Elena, I have sworn secrecy.
Pellegri: I… I… was not… expecting that…
Elena: Me… uh… neither… could this be… the secret?

Yet again, the trend continued. Elena and Pellegri have yet to acquire anything remotely helpful. Every question produced more questions and no answers. Frustration began to creep up on the two as it had in past Commune attempts… As a result, the next few questions failed to hit their mark, fueling their frustration, until…

Elena-Pellegri: Do you wish to bring about the destruction of our universe?
Pelor: Yes… there's no other way.
Wee Jas: Yes… it is your destiny.
Pellegri: …NO…

What began as frustration had shifted to irritation as it seemed there was no end to the string of terrible news. The two shared an awkward silence, but only for a moment. Unable to control her feelings, Pellegri let out a rare outburst…

Pellegri: Call it a flaw if you wish, but you gave us a "will to survive". I will gladly give my life away so that others may "LIVE". So many people… I refuse to put them all to death. I'd like to believe that our efforts to bring down Kyuss was a testament to our survival. WAS OUR QUEST TO BRING AN END TO THE WORM GOD ALL FOR NOTHING?
Pelor: Secrets… not ours to tell…
Wee Jas: I wish I could explain…
Pellegri: Why… why is this happening…

The secret had finally reared its ugly head. At that point, Pellegri had heard enough and quickly lost the drive to continue. The two suffered from a lack of inspiration and as a result, all remaining questions failed to put them at ease. In the end, both parties had finally come to an agreement. The Commune spell no longer served its purpose on the matter and both Gods suggested that their respective disciples meet them in person.

Elena: It would seem that the time for a face-to-face with our Gods has come… Obviously, there are many things that they are willing to share with us - though whatever it is that they are keeping secret is beginning to annoy me. Perhaps in person, without any limits on the number of words they may say… they will be more willing to explain themselves? Because I, like you, am growing tired of these games. They want us to do something horrible… yet they can't tell us exactly what, or why, or even how? I'd like to hope that Wee Jas thinks more highly of me than just as a puppet to follow orders without explanation. If I am to do something… dare I say, evil… there had better be a damned good reason why I have to do it. Otherwise, Wee Jas can go find herself another puppet!

Meanwhile… Unable to speak a single word, Pellegri gazed into a nearby mirror only to see that she had lost some of her color. Her gaze then shifted to the hand grasping her holy symbol. She paused a moment and began to ease her grip upon the divine apparatus; just enough to feel slight movement. But it was only for a moment as a firm grip was re-established soon thereafter.

Pellegri (subconsciously): I've always believed that followers of Amalgamation would soon begin to question their faith… Why is it that I have begun to question mine?

Elena: Pellegri, I must take my leave now…
Set up a meeting with Pelor and I shall do the same with Wee Jas.
We will meet again… soon. I promise.

Pellegri: …

Pellegri finds herself alone and slowly makes her way towards the window in hopes to find warmth from the sun’s rays. But much to her surprise, a field of people in prayer greeted her. One from among the crowd had successfully spotted Pellegri and alerted all within hearing distance. Within a span of seconds, what looked to be several thousands of townsfolk joined in celebration; for their caretaker and dear friend had finally made a full recovery. A storm of rose pedals came into existence soon thereafter and the Chanting of Pellegri’s name filled the air for all to hear.

Townsfolk: Pellegri… Thank the heavens… Pellegri…

Pellegri (subconsciously): …No… stop… please stop cheering… I cannot…sob… Why must they… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE…

Townsfolk: Pellegri… She has returned to us… Pellegri…

Once again, unable to gain control of her feelings, Pellegri began to shed tears of sadness and remorse. Meanwhile, the commotion outside was enough to break the charm placed upon the young man guarding the doorway below. He quickly made his way to Pellegri’s bedchambers.

?????(smiling): Pellegri… you’re finally awake. I was starting to…

Townsfolk: Pellegri… We love you Pellegri… Pellegri…

With tears in her eyes, Pellegri turns to face the young man and slowly makes her way towards her lover and embraced him.

Townsfolk: Pellegri… Everything is going to be alright… Pellegri…

?????(concerned): Pellegri… what’s wrong?

Pellegri: Just… hold me…

- - - - -

Pelor: It is as I feared…

Wee Jas: We are losing them…

St-Cuthbert: There is still hope… I have sent word of their destiny to Eadfrid and Scatterspells as well.

Pelor: And they are to be our saviors? Their Amalgamation is a threat to us all.

Wee Jas: Perhaps we deserve this, for what we have done. Our selfishness deserves punishment.

Pelor: But at what cost? If the cycle is not restarted…

St-Cuthbert: Perhaps is does not need to be restarted… Maybe this generation will be the ones to finally set things right, once and for all.

Wee Jas: And if they don’t? We tried the same thing, and failed.

Pelor: I don’t know. I just feel as though Pellegri is stronger than I ever was. If there is a way… she will find it.

Wee Jas: I feel the same about Elena…

St-Cuthbert: But if you are wrong?

Pelor: Then perhaps this time… there will be no rebirth.

Wee Jas: Indeed. Maybe this truly is… The End...

Pelor: ...

St-Cuthbert: ...

Wee Jas: *sigh* ...

Ahead of the Storm - Day 40

Magepoint, Three Months Ago

The biography of Shami-Amourae, according to the Demonomicon of Iggwilv:

http://www.knights-of-valencia.com/savage/09-shami.htm

Ahead of the Storm - Day 39

Alhaster, Three Months Ago

Elena stood shaken at Meerthan's words... and braced herself for the accusation. But how could Pellegri know of her destiny, to be the cause of the universe's destruction?

Yet what Meerthan said next was not what she expected: "Indeed, Elena, Pellegri has discoverd the identity of our greatest enemy, she who wishes to use the Amalgamation to gain knowledge of a secret... a secret that could threaten the Gods themselves. The one she suspects is a fallen Demon Lord named Shami-Amourae, who was formerly the Queen of the Succubi, and Demogorgon's lover - until Malcanthet stole both titles from her. I know little else, as of yet, but I am rapidly trying to translate the Demonomicon section on her, and gather any other research that I can. That is why I rushed to Alhaster - I will be needing your library again, your Highness..."

Elena remained stunned, yet filled with a growing relief. So it seemed Pellegri was not yet on to her own dark secret... This was good. Elena was not ready to face a battle against her own friends, which surely would be the result if one such as Pellegri knew the dark future she had ahead of her.

But Meerthan had said something more... that Pellegri had fallen unconscious? She immediately asked him what he meant by that...

"Well, Elena, I mean exactly that... After pressing herself so far with Commune spells, it seems that the stress and fatigue has taken its toll upon Pellegri. After her last Commune, she passed out, and has remained so for the past three days."

Despite having not spoken with the Pelorian since the fall of Kyuss, this news still pained Elena's heart. The one she had once thought of as a younger sister, though naive in the ways of the world, remained quite brave and determined in her cause. To have pushed herself to the brink of collapse in order to gain knowledge to save others - this was indeed the Pellegri that Elena had always held a certain admiration of.

Making arrangements with Meerthan to grant him full access to the castle libraries, Elena told Zeech that she would be away for a few days - that there was business she must attend to. Zeech accepted fully - such was life, married to one like Elena, who was always coming and going and doing things as she wished, whether he liked it or not.

And so, Queen Elena departed for the city of Sunrise, to seek out her old friend. Using her own personal Hat of Disguise - a hairpin she always wore in case of emergencies - she changed her appearance to match that of a commoner, so that she would not be recognized by the townsfolk.

Once teleported a safe distance away, she began to slowly walk into Sunrise, where there she came upon a fantastic sight... Surrounding the center temple of Pelor, were gathered villagers and pilgrims by the thousands, lining up to plant flowers near the church as get-well gifts. All were whispering soft prayers to Pelor, to return to them their Angel of Light, Pellegri... who remained quietly sleeping within the church. This vigil had gone on for three days now, yet still Pellegri had not stirred from her slumber.

Elena walked up quietly, discreetly conjuring up from within her cloak a bouquet of flowers of her own. As she said her own prayers in her head, she advanced and planted her own gift alongside the others. The other people paid no particular attention to her - she was welcome, one of their own. Elena remained alongside them through the night, speaking prayers with them and listening to their talk of what Pellegri had done for the city, these past months.

At last, as dawn arrived the following morning, Elena made her way forward through the crowd, toward the front entrance of the church. Two commoners then spoke to her from the front of the crowd, saying it was no use, that Pellegri wasn't to be disturbed with visitors. Elena turned and gave them a stern gaze - and at once, they fell silent under her hypnotic stare.

Elena knocked on the door of the church, waited a moment, then knocked again. Finally, a man appeared at the door, opening it to speak with her. The man, a paladin adorned with the symbols of Pelor, apologized to her, but said that it would not be possible for anyone to see Pellegri up close at this time. She was still sleeping, and needed her privacy.

Elena spoke softly... "I'm sorry, but you WILL let me in..."

And under the charm of her voice, the man's mind drifted off slightly, and he was not able to voice his reply. He simply made a vague hand motion, ushering her inside... Then he closed the door behind her and stood, daydreaming, inside the entrance.

Elena then picked up her walking pace and quickly checked the rooms of the church until she found what she was seeking - Pellegri sleeping gently on a bed of white linens, a look of concern upon her face.

Elena pulled up a chair and sat beside her former friend. Closing her eyes, she put her hand upon Pellegri's forehead and began to whisper a prayer to Wee Jas... and then one to Pelor as well, much as she had seen Pellegri pray to Pelor, time and time again. Then, returning her thoughts to Wee Jas again, she asked her Goddess for a Miracle, that Pellegri might awaken, strengthened and rejuvenated. Feeling the pang in her own heart that such a costly spell always took as its toll, Elena opened her eyes to gaze upon Pellegri again.

And in a moment, her eyes fluttered open as well. As Pellegri's eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around the room, and spotted Elena beside her.

"Good morning, Pellegri," spoke Elena. "It has been far too long."

Session 03: Player's Thoughts

Contributed by Chris (Immortal):

Though it’s great to get the DM’s thoughts on the session to the players and the world, I thought that this week it might be a fun idea to get my own few words out to our fans. At the time of this letter, it’s been four days since the last session, which is enough time for memories to fog over for me. The thing is though, is that the basics that one often remembers or remembers not are those die rolls that make the difference, or the ones that didn’t. For example, we usually remember that sudden super critical hit we had to bring down the colossal spider. But we rarely remember that 7 we rolled instead of the 8 we needed to hit, or the accidental extra 5 feet of movement we used at a certain part in the session. Where I’m going with my words is that, there really wasn’t any of those numerical moments to really recall. Rather the entire session WAS a moment. It was a part of a story that everyone told and everyone created. It’s likely that the session summary hasn’t yet been posted, but basically it was one of those very rare times when not a single attack roll was made, nor were any skill checks necessary (though a few were rolled anyway). Yet the five hours of D&D was just as fun, and even more so than many of the sessions we’ve had in the past. There were some key elements that made it right in every way and I’ll try to go through them, without spoiling the story for those looking forward to the session summary.

First off, the idea of starting the day with a meeting between some of our favorite characters that will be making an appearance in the Savage Tide was just great. We talk often of our great characters, with the Cauldron and Diamond Lake parties being some of the best of our many years of playing the game. The meeting was with Pellegri (Bob’s character), Eadfrid ( Eric’s character), and Scatterspells (Chris’s (my) character). What was predicted to be a simple hour long conversation between these three and two other NPCs (Meerthan and Jenya), turned into something of a debate, argument, acceptance, match of words. We really try to become our players, which makes for, at times, truly realistic reactions to the point of sometimes even being borderline offensive to the actual player. Through the transition of Shackled City, through Age of Worms, to the coming Savage Tide, all our characters have evolved through each stage. In this past session, that evolution really shined in the face to face meetings of three who, in game terms, hadn’t met in many months, if at all. What do you get when to put a level 24 priestess of Pelor telling a level 25 Archmage with his level 25 mummy companion in the same room, with the Pelorian saying that all is doomed and the mummy and mage should cease all they have been accomplishing over the last two years? I think we all played the situation perfectly, given all the background stuff we’ve had our characters going through. It simply can’t be a situation where one person’s character says “It’s the end of the world, so says I and my God. There is danger and you are all partly going to be the cause of it. Stop everything, ” while the other two say, “Sure, no prob, we’re with you.” It had to be something that had to be debated on like the politicians of today do. And that’s why it ended up becoming a conversation of 2 ½ hours before we came to a semi-understanding between our characters. For me personally, I just found it to be so much fun. In Shackled City, I went into the campaign, hoping that Scatterspells might rule the city he started in, but also wanting to play him diplomatically throughout the campaign. It just felt awesome being able to get back into that rollplaying mind set, especially seeing as how I’ll likely not have that chance again for a long time, given my characters after his creation.

Once that part was over, we resumed our rolls of Olmans, 1500 years before the meeting we had just rollplayed through. Eric’s mindset had to suddenly go from a mindless mummy to a young shaman leader. Bob’s had to go from Voice of Pelor, to a ranger with many people following her. And I had to go from a power speaker of a mage, to frenzied berserker with a flaw that makes him more likely to kill his friends than did Anzak (See our Age of Worms page). And though we played different people, and different personalities, that joy of rollplaying remained constant because of our earlier character interactions. (I’m trying to make this opinion letter not-so Quintin Tarentino-like, but don’t think I’m succeeding well). The players all went back to their Olman characters, but the drive for words instead of swords just seemed to stay with us the entire time.

I do have in mind several instances where the session was pretty much all that. The first was the party at Lady Thifirane’s in our Shackled City campaign (Mark as the DM). The second was a similar instance with the Prince Zech party in the Age of Worm (myself as the DM). Both times worked out okay, but in my opinion, that’s all they were “okay.” Both of these occasions, were sessions we knew in advance would be rollplaying sessions, which meant that there really wasn’t much choice in the matter to go through with them. In a sense, we had to force ourselves to rollplay through those hours because if we didn’t, then there just wouldn’t have been much for the players to actually do on that day. This last session though, it was a conscious choice by all of us to simply talk. We could easily have gone to the underwater city to hack and slash our way through the aboleths, or abandon the other Olman’s to their fate while we try to leave the isle. Or perhaps even throw ourselves into the gas, just to see what would happen. Yet we decided to collectively think outside the box, to what a true hero might do if such a disaster would fall upon them. Only in this D&D fantasy though, as there is a parity to some current real world events which have no justification, nor righteousness about them.

But I digress.

The point is that it was an all-round great session. With amazing NPC actions, a sense of true uncovering of truths that were not as easy to find as a letter written to a mindflayer from Loris Raknian of the Greyhawk Gladiator Games. There was no sense, whether it be intentional or not, that our DM was trying to guide us in another direction that would lead to more diplomacy checks.

Having said all that, I gotta admit that I’m just itching to dust off that d20 to cut some aboleth membranes out in session four.

Win or lose, the Olman pre-campaign idea of our DM Mr. Mark was indeed a spectacular idea of his that should definitely be considered for any other DM reading these words. Take it from me on a players view, the Savage Tide for our main characters is going to be a much, much, much scarier moment when it hits.

The Aaahhh factor might even come close to surpassing the Aaaahhhhhh of an eruption of green worms from a single dragon egg perhaps? Tsk, good luck with that Mark.

Ahead of the Storm - Day 38

Alhaster, Three Months Ago

Elena ended her daily Commune spell feeling as she always did these days, after speaking with Wee Jas - worried. The Goddess had been sharing a great deal of her own concerns with Elena, and things were beginning to become clearer. Yet, the overall picture was bleak - of a world in a state of downfall, with wars and calamities everywhere on the horizon. Furthermore, it seemed as though many of these were completely unpreventable. It was all Elena could do, but to try and see how best to protect her own people, here in Alhaster. To fret too much about the suffering of the entire world would be to crumble her resolve... and she needed as much of that as possible, for the principle task Wee Jas was asking of her was one that would not come easily. In fact, Elena feared she might not be able to bring herself to do it.

She had long struggled with the limits to which she was willing to push herself. Though she believed in justice and law, she had always been willing to bend those beliefs when it came to protecting herself. And while she also believed in furthering her own aims and those of her church above anything else, she had always feared that her drive might push her over the edge into what might be deemed "evil". It was a fine line, one that had inevitably driven many of her former friends away from her. For instance, while she and Pellegri shared many of the same goals, at heart - a desire to help others and protect them - in the end their differences of opinion about how best to achieve this drew them apart...

And now, Elena feared that her future would pull her even further from her former friends. Possibly even making her hate herself... For the destiny ahead of her was now clear, through the words of Wee Jas...

In the end, she was not to prevent all calamities - but to be the cause of one. The universe itself might have to come to an end, at her own hand.

It was a painful thought, but Wee Jas assured her that it was meant to be, and in time she would learn why it was necessary.

But the guilt... it was unbearable.

And so, as she did every day after completing her Commune spell, Elena picked up the sharp dagger on her desk and ran its edge over her finger... contemplating the easy way out... to just turn that blade on herself and end her destiny right here and now. Yet, she couldn't. She knew there had to be another way out...

It was as if she knew someone would come and save her from herself - stop her before that final calamity would occur, rescuing her from her own worst nightmares. Ironically, she who had died so many times was now hoping to be killed once again... one final time...

Suddenly, a knock at the door shook Elena out of her misery, and she hastily put down the knife and cast a Cure Minor Wounds on her finger to hide the cut. Hurrying to answer it, she was taken aback at the sight of the man on the other side... Meerthan Eliothlorn. The two had spoken on occasion in the past couple of months... Meerthan had gotten her name through Manzorian, and had visited Alhaster before, seeking to use the castle's expansive libraries...

Yet what he said today was enough to thoroughly stun Elena.

Rushing through the door, Meerthan exclaimed:

"Queen Elena, we have much to speak of... Pellegri has discovered the name of our greatest enemy... and fallen unconscious..."

The words were nearly enough to make Elena pass out herself...

TO BE CONTINUED

Ahead of the Storm - Day 37

Magepoint, Three Months Ago

The biography of Kostchtchie, according to the Demonomicon of Iggwilv:

http://www.knights-of-valencia.com/savage/08-kostchtchie.htm

Summary 02: The First Savage Tide

The ambush was set. For hours, the three heroes had camped out near the mountainside perch they expected the mooncalf to return to, sometime this evening. Bakura was still feeling weakened by the recently-injected spider venom, but knew that he had no time to let his body heal and fight off the toxins within it - for he had only one week left to complete his Trials. Meleeki and Immortal would have to do what the could to help him, yet again, much as they had truly saved his hide in the first two Trials. Truly, he would have been incabable of surviving thus far without their aid.

And so they waited, as predators at dusk, ready for anything. At last, as the sun's last rays began to fade on the horizon, and the moon became the brightest beacon in the night sky, they felt a change. The wind suddenly became more brisk, and dark clouds began to form in the sky, as if out of nowhere. As these clouds began to slowly rumble, an alien silhouette became visible against the cloudy night sky: the mooncalf had arrived.

After a few moments of tentative attempts to lower itself, the creature appeared to center its focus on Meleeki. Using its innate magical powers, the mooncalf began to call forth from the stormclouds bolts of mighty lightning, which it cast down upon Meleeki one after another. She proved too quick, however, using all of her skill to dodge and roll out of the way of the incoming bolts. Soon, she retaliated with arrow shots of her own - these, however, struck true, bit by bit weakening the nightsky predator.

Then, while Bakura and Immortal still lay waiting, for they had no weapon with the range of Meleeki's - and dared not alarm the rare creature, in any case - the mooncalf altered its tactic, instead focusing its attention on Meleeki's animal companion, Vaask. Instantly, unable to fend off the creature's mental attack, Vaask became dominated, and began to follow commands to attack Meleeki. Soon after, a Greater Magic Fang spell made his strikes more lethal, as well. Meleeki tried to continue her attack upon the mooncalf, but her wolf was proving a significant distraction...

That's when Bakura decided to act. Rushing forward from his hiding place, the dragon shaman-in-training rushed toward Vaask, hoping to distract the creature and perhaps subdue it, before it did any more damage. What Bakura did not expect, however, was the suddenness with which the mooncalf moved at him, diving from the sky with tentacles outstretched, seeking to grasp the young man and enravel him. In a dazzling burst of speed, the creature whipped Bakura and soon had him dangling in mid-air, ready to tug up into the sky. Meleeki could do nothing but shoot further arrows at the creature, but these did not weaken its grasp. Immortal, meanwhile, began a slow approach, but still made little motion to truly enter the fight. Indeed, his behaviour now seemed quite odd...

Then, despite his struggles, Bakura was ripped from the earth and into the skies, pulled up by the rising mooncalf. And with a quick flick of its tentacles, the dragon shaman was sent plummeting to the rocky ground below. With a cringe-inducing crack upon the earth, Bakura was left broken and battered. The mooncalf began another dive at him, and Bakura tried to run away... only to be struck down by a mighty lightning bolt. He collapsed into a sizzling heap on the ground.

That is when Immortal finally made his move - though not the one you would suspect. Rather, he raised a javelin lent to him by Meleeki, and tossed it at the unconscious Bakura. Striking him and drawing blood, Immortal turned toward the mooncalf, seeking comprehension... and the creature seemed to understand, believing him to be an ally - unexpected help, but welcome nonetheless.

Ready to finish things off, the mooncalf turned to face Meleeki and made a dive at her (she who was still consistently weakening it further with her arrows). Soon wrapped in its tentacles, she struggled to free herself from its grasp... when Immortal, who had approached behind the mooncalf, struck it a mighty blow. Left reeling, the creature retreated to the sky, to reorient itself... while commanding Vaask to attack Immortal now. The warrior prepared to finish off the beast to defend himself, but Meleeki acted first, shooting a mercy shot at her poor pet... he deserved better than all this, but at least she would spare him Immortal's wrath. Meanwhile, Immortal used his Winged Boots to rise up into the skies, taking the fight to the mooncalf. Soon, as it had already been greatly wounded by Meleeki's volleys of arrows, the great creature fell. The necessary Wing of the Mooncalf was claimed from its remains, and Bakura was awakened - having once again been pushed to the limit by the Trials of the Dragon God, requiring his allies' assistance to survive.

This proved the centerpoint of the debate that ensued - as Immortal explained his actions as a test for Bakura, forcing him to step forward on his own and push himself, without relying so heavily on his guardians for help. One had to show strategy, such as the ruse of gaining the creature's trust before turning on it, in order to survive. All things considered, Immortal was having his doubts that this young boy was ready for the next trial, which was to be completed alone... And more importantly, doubts that this boy was ready for the responsibilities that would come with success - and becoming one of the respected leaders of the tribe of Thanaclan.

These doubts expressed, and the pressure on him greater than ever, Bakura and his two companions began their return journey to the throne of Huhueteotl, where the fourth trial awaited.

There, with the Dragon God appearing before them once more, the three offerings were given to him - the tail hand of the ahuizotl, the spider silk of the aranea, and the wing of the mooncalf. Taking these three items and fashioning them together through magic, the Dragon God produced for Bakura a lustrous cloak. However, one final ingredient was required to transform this cloak into what was sought - the Phoenix Cloak that marked the ascension of a new Dragon Shaman who had proven his manhood. The Phoenix Feathers needed were already in Huhueteotl's possession, the remnants of the great phoenix he had once battled for the title of Fire God of the island. Such feathers would only be granted to Bakura if he could complete the fourth trial - the test of fire.

And so, the heroes were led to an immense nearby pit. There, the Dragon God spit out a massive burst of fire, which encompassed and lingered within the pit, filling it to the brim. Then, from within the flames came forth dozens and dozens of Flame Snakes, creatures of fire. And among them, at the center of the pit, was one larger than all the others - a Greater Flame Snake that neared 30 feet in height, when rising up to his heighest point.

The rules were simple: Bakura need not kill the beast, for fire was not his enemy, as were earth, air and water. No, he simply needed to prove his supremacy over it, by surviving for one entire minute within the flames, without being burnt or killed by the creatures within. The use of borrowed equipment was permitted, to the extent that Bakura's two guardians were willing to share with him. Luckily for him, his allies were generous, granting him use of any items he thought of use. Most significant of these were Immortal's Falchion, to be used as a last resort, and Meleeki's Vanisher Cloak, which could allow minor bursts of invisibility. With only one minute of survival necessary, that was Bakura's plan: to attempt to remain unseen and out of harm's way for the duration of the fight.

And so began Bakura's minute of infernal anguish... still weakened by the spider venom, pressured by the harsh criticisms of his allies, and now tasked with surviving a fight against a creature more mighty and powerful than anything he had ever seen in his entire life. With the invisibility upon him, Bakura used his mobility to try and keep ahead of the creature, though with its incredible senses, that was not enough to fully evade his attacks. So Bakura had to rely on another skill has was quite adept at: bluffing. When the Flame Snake first blasted him with a maximized fireball, Bakura screamed to the heavens as if in horrible pain, despite his actual immunity to fire. If he could convince the creature to stick to flame attacks, and not resort to its far more dangerous (in this case, anyway) bite, then he might actually stand a chance at making it to the one minute mark. And for a little while, it seemed as though this plan might work, as the creature followed up with another harmless fireball. Then, however, it made use of its breath weapon to release a blash of infernal fire - which in addition to scorching heat, was also comprised of dark negative energy, which Bakura was not immune to. Later, as the creature followed up with a Flame Strike, half of which was positive energy, the screams were no longer bluffed, but real - as Bakura was beginning to feel great pain. Yet time was on his side, as the time was nearly elapsed. That is when the fight got really scary, as the creature gave up on the flaming attacks, and began to lash out with physical strikes - from its bite, body and spiked tail. They blows missed the invisible Bakura by mere inches, as the snake clearly could sense him, but merely lacked the visual aid to confirm his strikes. All it would take was a moment of inattention from Bakura, and he wouldn't be able to evade one of them... and a single one connecting strike would likely be enough to finish him off. At last, after second after second of anguish, as time seemed to move all too slowly... Bakura was announced the victor, having survived his minute of trial by fire.

At this, he was congratulated by the Dragon God, and his two guardians. As promised, Huhueteotl combined the Phoenix Feathers with the cloak, creating for Bakura his symbol of success, the Phoenix Cloak. Also, having been so impressed by the assistance provided by Meleeki and Immortal, each of them was given a reward as well - a Phoenix Ring and Phoenix Crown, respectively.

Yet one last trial remained if Bakura was to return to Thanaclan a hero, ready to lead his tribe into the next Fire Festival. He must face the ghosts of his past... as his own success had marked the doom of the past seven failed dragon shamans, all of whom had become outcasts from the tribe. These seven outcasts all died the moment Bakura emerged from the fire pit, and were all about to converge upon the area any second now, transformed into haunting ghosts, ready to exact one last bit of revenge upon their destroyed, before passing on into the nether...

And so, the threesome made their stand, fending off one attack after another, making use of their new powers channelled through the Phoenix Relics, to aid them in conquering their foes. Soon, all the ghosts were banished, and at the center of the battleground stood the boy who had now become a man - the new Dragon Shaman of Thanaclan, Bakura Ilk.

As the time of the festival was fast approaching, the Dragon God offered his congratulations, and one final gift - a Flame Walk which would allow them to travel to any fire on the island, granting them a quick return to the city.

Bidding the Dragon God thanks, the three entered the fire - emerging moments later from the large campfire at the center of the city of Thanaclan. A crowd quickly massed around them, cheering and congratulating Bakura on his success. All the while, in the distance, the former head Dragon Shaman of the city sneered at this young upstart who had come to steal his spotlight. As with the prior seven failures, this child was to have been doomed from the start - was not Immortal to have been the ultimate guarantee of that? The shaman shook his head... there was nothing to be done now - it was too late. As if reading his thoughts, Bakura turned to him and shot an arrogant grin.

Soon, the clan patriarch Karta was brought to the fore, and officially announced Bakura as the new head Dragon Shaman, who would lead the tribe forward into the coming Fire Festival, now two days away. A roar of approval burst from the crowd, pleased to have a new shaman in charge this year. The festival should be one for the ages.

Announcing his acceptance, Bakura outlined his vision for the Fire Festival - one to be greater than any before, as commanded to him by the Dragon God himself. Not only were pearls to be sacrificed as a sign of fire's dominance over water - but also creatures of earth (thunder lizards and jungle animals) and creatures of air (pteranodons and phanatons) were to be hunted down and sacrificed as well... a massive flaming gift to the Dragon God. Yet, there was one more sacrifice he demanded, as payment for the many years without new blood coming from the town's shamans - the Dragon God, Bakura claimed, also desired the sacrifice of the former shaman. He immediately began to protest at this outrageous claim, yet thinking over the choices in his mind, he realized there was little he could do, if the Dragon God had truly asked for this. To flee might brand him an outcast, but at least he might live... So thus, he sprang up into the air, taking flight and rushing into the sky - yet his escape was not to be, as Immortal's Winged Boots were enough to give him a speed advantage over the now-disgraced shaman. With the crowd roaring its excitement, Immortal caught up to the shaman and knocked him into submission, high in the air above Thanaclan. With him captured, the people dispersed to gather all the sacrifices required to make this year's festival a success.

And so marked the beginning of two of the bloodiest days of hunting in all of Thanaclan's history. Jungle animals by the dozens were tracked and hunted down, many fierce thunder lizards were captured, including a massive tyrannosaur slain by Immortal himself. Meleeki shared her knowledge of the jungle with all hunters who asked for her help and wisdom, though in the back of her mind, she feared the damage this festival might cause in months to come... It was not wise to favor one of the Gods such, to the point of offending all the others. Meanwhile, however, bands of warriors following Bakura's instructions assaulted the nearby phanaton villages and slew the defenseless creatures by the dozens. Soon, three massive piles had been amassed in town, one each for creatures of water, earth and air. And at the center of these three, stood another pile, with all the pearls gathered by the fishermen of the village, many of which were quite large and impressive - one in particular being perhaps the best in quality the town had ever seen. And on this central pile, tied to a pillar, was the defenseless and disgraced former shaman, with a terror now growing in his eyes, at what fate might await him.

Also amid these days of preparation, an announcement was made that Immortal would not only be Bakura's assistant and advisor for the Festival ceremonies, but that the group of young warriors he had been training in his personal fighting methods would be departing from Thanaclan, to train further in the jungles to the north, spreading word of the art of fearless combat and becoming one with death in battle. This group eventually would make landfall, and the tribe of Immortals they spawned lives on to this day, centuries later, in the Amedio Jungle surrounding Sasserine and Cauldron.

At last came the day of the festival. First the people gathered and danced around the piles of sacrificial offerings, all while brandishing torches in honor of the Dragon God, Master of Fire. A feast was also held in his honor. Then, after hours of buildup and celebration, came the moment all had waited for - the start of the great burning.

Bakura advanced to the fore of the gathered crowd, and spoke his prayers to the Dragon God, hoping that this offering would prove worthy of him, granting the town mercy from the heatwave, bringing about another year of prosperity. Then, looking the tied-up shaman in the eyes, he spoke his death sentence. Yet, though no one knew, the Dragon God hadn't actually called for the man's death - the whole thing was simply a bluff to get revenge upon the man Bakura suspected of never liking him. As the Dragon God spoke to Bakura in Draconic, his two allies therefore could not dispute the truth of any claims he made. And being a born liar, Bakura was making the most of his natural gifts of deceit.

The time for speeches over, the crowd hushed in anticipation as Bakura inhaled the air around him, before releasing onto the pile of pearls beneath the sacrificial shaman a massive burst of fire. At once, as it had in years before, the pile of pearls became engulfed in flame. Soon, everyone began chanting the Dragon God's name, tossing their own torches into the piles around them, sending up towers of smoke into the air.

That is when things began to go horribly wrong...

Bakura was the first to notice. Amid the pile of pearls, one in particular did not burn like the others. Rather, it began to change color to a shadowy green, with cracks beginning to appear on its surface. All over the pearl, sparks of green electrical current began to run, while acrid fumes and gas began to emerge from the cracks. Soon, Meleeki and Immortal saw this too, and all knew that something very very bad was about to happen.

Yelling out warnings to all around, Bakura and the others tried to urge the crowd to evacuate as fast as possible, yet in their chanting and dancing, few heard the call. Clan patriarch Karta noticed the danger as well, and yelled out in a booming voice for all to flee for their lives.

As the green fumes began to thicken, and the cracks on the pearl threatened to blow apart, Bakura, Meleeki and Immortal knew they could not safely remain there a moment longer. Meleeki and Vaask took off in a run, with a number of tribespeople rushing behind them, running at full tilt off toward the jungle. Bakura and Immortal, both blessed with relics of flight, took to the skies, flying off as fast as they could. Karta remained behind, willing to give up his life to save the people he'd sworn to watch over...

Then the pressure in the air shifted, as a growing silence mounted up to a sonic boom, as the Shadow Pearl exploded on the central pile, releasing a massive burst of built-up energy. The power of the blast spread to a radius of nearly 20 miles around its origin. From its center, a colossal green mushroom cloud was visible, looming ominously over the now-ruins of Thanaclan.

Our three heroes fled for their lives, not daring to look back.

As the first Savage Tide hit our world, and marked the end of the city of Thanaclan...

It was a cataclysm of epic proportions, one which would need to be avenged.

Yet little did anyone know, that this was but the means of testing this new weapon.

And 1500 years later, the Savage Tide would sweep over the entire world.

Ahead of the Storm - Day 36

Cauldron, Three Months Ago

Though magic was permitted within the walls of the Obelisk Tower, Soulerio enjoyed walking through the dark corridors rather than using his memorized transportation spells. Eventually he reached his destination and stood before a set of massive doors. Reaching for the handle he suddenly stopped, spinning around as he thought he heard a familiar voice speak his name. With no one in sight he returned to the door, opened it and slowly stepped in.

Librarian: "Good evening Professor Drayevarg. You're right on time as usual."

Soulerio: "Yes, and a good eve to you as well Ms. Andise. Are the books I required at my usual spot?"

Librarian: "Oh they are indeed."

Soulerio: "Excellent. However I shall require another source this eve and was wondering if we had it within our walls."

Librarian: "You're in luck Professor, as we do indeed have what you are looking for."

Fully concentrated in his reading and oblivious to his surrounding, nearly an hour had passed without any interruptions until someone sitting across from him placed their hand upon his book and lowered it so that their eyes met.

Soulerio: "It's you again... why am I not surprised. How long were you sitting there this time?"

???: "Who else would it be? As for how long, it doesn't really matter because I didn't want to disturb you."

Soulerio: "Perhaps you didn't realize this... but your disturbing me now and I'd like to be alone."

???: "You always want to be alone, so why not open up a little? Besides me you don't mave many people whom you can call a friend."

Soulerio: "I choose to be alone for good reason. I will not be fooled again by people who call themselves 'friend'."

???: "That wasn't your fault. None of the horrible things that happened, and the resulting deaths was directly your fault. You have to let that go. You..."

Soulerio: "NO! It was my fault and I have to redeem myself. If not in the eyes of others... then in my own."

???: "Is that why you spend weeks reaching how to perfect the resurrection spell and have been going around bringing back the souls that were loss?"

Soulerio: "So you're still keeping tabs on me after all this time?"

???: "It's actually common news around these parts. The mighty cleric of Vecna performing the miracle of re-life for free. Who wouldn't have heard of it. Besides... you know that everyone believes in you and knows that you're a good man. In my eyes... you've already proven yourself."

Soulerio: "Enough... I will not repeat myself again. We had a similar conversation last night. Come to think of it, it's been a few days you've come to see me and we've talked about this. Why do you keep coming to me?"

???: "Because I care about your well being, and clearly keeping all this bottled up inside is bothering you. What else do you have to prove? Just talk to me about it."

Soulerio: "I don't want to waste my time talking about past mistakes. Action speak more than words."

???: "I know what you need. Take a break from all your teaching here at the Arcane Tower and do some travelling. Take in new sites and experiences."

Soulerio: "I rather enjoy teaching the Dark Arts. I'm also attempting to teach others not to abuse the power that it gives and the many temptations that come with it."

???: "Does that mean you've stopped creating undead beings?"

Soulerio: "Do you hear those voices still lingering around me? I won't stop experimenting with the undead until all those voices become silent."

???: "Do you not see the problem? You keep going round and round. You're stuck in a rut. You play with the Dark Arts, which will come back to haunt you. You're nothing more than a puppet for these spirits which only you can hear clearly. You're still blaming yourself for the first screw up you partook in and your trying to redeem yourself which as I said you've done. The world isn't in danger, nor are you any hero so just relax and take it easy."

Soulerio: "How dare you insult my intelligence. I know how to handle myself and will not make the same mistakes twice. If I still want to try and correct any mistakes from my past, then that is my own business. If you've come to argue with me... then you can just leave now."

???: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought perhaps you and I could travel together. See and explore the world that was saved before something else rears its ugly head. You're a good man, you have a lot of heart and spirit but I'm worried that the Dark Arts and clinging to your past will corrupt you.

Soulerio: "How touching. Though I do not need you to tell me what kind of a man I am.

???: "Very well. But you still haven't given an answer to travelling with me. You and me side by side, helping one another helping others, talking, laughing... I think getting to know one another better would do us some good."

Soulerio: "I think we know each other well enough, and travelling with you isn't quite on my agenda. To be truthful I am very busy as my responsibilities have increased within the tower and we've made a make through with a new form of magic. Therefore I must decline your offer."

???: "Are you certain? You seem to be working allot recently. Maybe I can help you."

Soulerio: "No."

???: "Massages relieve stress... perhaps that is all you need. I can massa...

Soulerio: "NO!"

???: "I'm just trying to help."

Soulerio: "It's unneeded. I just want to be left alone to study."

???: "I want to be here for you. I want to be with y..."

Finally unable to contain his anger, Soulerio stands up knocking his chair over raising his voice to ensure the individual he is speaking to will most defiantly hear him.

Soulerio: "Pellegri, will you just shut up and leave me alone! I liked you better when you were that cute little naive girl we found in the Temple. At first I had respect for you and hoped to teach you many things... I even cared for you... but now you're just a pain in my side. It's because of you I couldn't delve into my experiments of the undead in fear of you destroying them! It's because of you Malam and I died and not once did you even come close to facing death! You're nothing but a second rate cleric who thinks your the most important individual in the world and is the only one to stop the problems trying to take care of things all by yourself. I wish you never embraced the religious ways of Palor and had stayed cooped up within the halls of St. Cuthbert cleaning the blood from the floors. For that matter... I wish clerics of Palor never existed at all so that the undead could roam freely without fear of being destroying, so that they can live out the unlife that they so deserve! I wish I had the power to kill all of you Palorians!

Hearing a loud ruckus in the far corner of her library, Ms. Andise rushed towards the area that Soulerio was in, wand in her hand as she feared a battle would ensue. As she rounded the corner and saw Soulerio yelling she began to speak to the professor.

Librarian: " Professor is everything alright?! I heard a loud commotion and thought you were in trouble.

Quickly turning around to face the Librarian, the red faced man continued to speak in a somewhat raised voice.

Soulerio: "Of course everything isn't alright! The peasant behind me won't stop pestering and harassing me! How she even got within the tower is a mystery to me in itself as she does not have permission!"

Looking past the professors shoulder and casting a spell of her own, her eyes began to glow for but a second or two.

Librarian: Excuse me but Professor Drayevarg... there isn't anyone behind you, nor did anyone else enter the library this eve except for you.

Turning around once more, Soulerio began looking around.

Soulerio: "Now where did you disappear to this time...?"

Ahead of the Storm - Day 35

Magepoint, Three Months Ago

The biography of Juiblex, according to the Demonomicon of Iggwilv:

http://www.knights-of-valencia.com/savage/07-juiblex.htm

Ahead of the Storm - Day 34

Cauldron, Three Months Ago

A dark and sorrowful day this is, for I have just borne witness to some sad news - though sadder yet was the reaction this news brought onto its intended recipients.

What I speak of, in this sad tone, is a meeting that was held earlier today in my own church. A church that once was emblazoned with the symbols of St-Cuthbert, though today now falls under the watch of the Amalgamation - as do all the temples here in Cauldron.

The meeting was called by a visitor to this town named Pellegri - one of those three Harbingers of Faith that we all know as the saviors of this land against the forces of the Wormgod. And what brought her here was sad news, received from none other than her own god, Pelor himself.

Those called to here of this news were Eadfrid, Scatterspells, Meerthan and myself. Yet, despite the urgency of Pellegri's call, the response she got was quite honestly a disappointment to me. Here she came as a messenger of her God, yet that disgusting man this town calls a mayor could do nothing but mock her and scoff at her every word. To be true, the words of warning she spoke with regard to the Amalgamation were a bit alarmist and perhaps an overreaction... yet I trust in the guidance of Pelor, and surely he would not have sent us his most esteemed messenger, if this news were not of great consequence. She deserved a far more welcoming reception.

Thus, despite the arrogance of our Lord Mayor (and the frightened mummy, Eadfrid, who seemed convinced throughout the entire meeting that Pellegri was about to spring a trap upon him), I did my best to gather the essence of Pellegri's message, for I indeed believed it to be important... especially in light of my own recent dreams...

And what she had to speak of was dire indeed, a claim that three calamities were soon to befall these lands - this after three others had just passed, in the form of the volcanic eruption here in Cauldron, the planar junction with the Shadow Realm, and the epidemic of the Kyuss Worms.

She knew few details about the exact nature of these calamities, though she did believe that one of clearest concern had to do with the Amalgamation - stemming from the fact that the faith of the people was becoming blurred, and that the Gods might begin to dwindle in power as a result - especially if the Amalgamation continued to spread across the neighboring lands as it has threatened to do. We took this criticism to heart, after some debate, and agreed to see to the improvement of the instruction of the high priests and priestesses. We further thought it wise to emphasize that while it is good to learn about all the gods, worship is best reserved for one in particular, according to each's own personal beliefs.

Further conversation went to a fear that Lashonna, Kyuss' general (also known to be a vampiric silver dragon), might be planning a further scheme. Meerthan also shared with Pellegri his recent research into Orbius and his obsession with the Demon Lords of the Abyss. We debated for many moments over a possible link between the two - who had in turn escaped the grasp of the Outsiders and the Harbingers. Talk even turned to history, discussing the events of 100 years ago, when Mitheriana, Tippit, Gale and Gorgist saved the universe from the Demon-God, Omega. A query was raised as to whether the Demon Lords of today might be planning an attack on the Gods, as their destruction (and that of all the planes) was the prime goal of Omega. Could it not be that they sought to complete their fallen master's work?

All of this was debated and examined from every angle, though as I said, Verodemocrium was far from willing to listen to all Pellegri was trying to say. Yet, in the end, I am glad she came, for I believe I can use her words as a springboard for my own investigations, using Commune spells and the Star of Justice.

Indeed, the Star itself played a part in the meeting, called into use to confirm one of Pellegri's most serious accusations: that spies and manipulators had infiltrated the Amalgamation under disguise, plotting to uncover and reveal some great secret that even the Gods wished to keep hidden, which might threaten the faith of everyone. These "False Prophets" indeed were central to the Star of Justice's revelation:

"False Prophets do lurk within church and tower
Yet not under Orbius or Lashonna's power
Another from your pasts lurks behind all this
Serving a demon from the depths of the Abyss."

Such words shall be the core of my investigation in coming days. Meerthan has agreed to share with me the information he has gathered thus far on the Demon Lords. He believes that Orbius and his plot might be the key to uncovering everything else, and vows to double his efforts to translate and study the rest of the book. To date, he has deciphered information about six of the seventeen Demon Lords written about in the Demonomicon. He expects to be complete in perhaps another three months.

I can only pray that time is on our side...

DM Thoughts - Session 03

This week's session was a bit of a change of pace, in more ways than one.

Firstly, it was one of those combat-free roleplaying sessions that our group has done so well, these past few years (ever since we started placing a bit more effort into characterizations and creating both meaningful PCs and NPCs, basically). I recall back in Shackled City, when early on we went through two entire sessions over the course of the "Party at House Rhiavadi", which primarily consisted of the characters getting to know some of the major NPCs of the campaign (many of which turned out to be evil), while also trying to spy and gather information on the mayor and the "Blue Duke". In the end, bearing such fruit as Scatterspells falling for Celeste, Embril/Uzuki asking for the chance to "analyze/activate" Xenogear, Eadfrid working both on creating a shelter for the homeless AND uniting the churches of Cauldron (the early beginnings of the Amalgamation), and the party growing more and more under the influence of Lord Vhalantru... those two sessions truly ended up being for me as DM, one of the highlights of the campaign.

And so, we followed in those footsteps this past week, with another one of those sessions where much was accomplished, without the need for any fighting. Indeed, hardly a die roll was needed, except for Bakura and his constant super-bluff checks! :)

So that was a very nice change of pace, after a first couple of sessions that featured a fair amount of big fights (through the Trials of the Dragon God).

But perhaps even more interesting was the fact that it ended up being a split-session, with only half of it devoted to the Olman characters. Prior to that, we spent nearly half the session roleplaying a mix of our Shackled City and Age of Worms characters, in the form of a meeting to help foreshadow some of the things to come, mostly in the post-campaign "bonus chapters". The characters who took part in this were Pellegri (played by Bob), Eadfrid (played by Eric), Scatterspells (played by Chris), and two NPCs for myself - Jenya and Meerthan. And while the meeting ended up being quite the rocky one, with Scatterspells and Eadfrid showing little respect for Pellegri and her warnings, it did however progress the storyline in interesting ways - linking the information on Demon Lords gained by one side, with the intriguing commune answers discovered by the other side. With many more such meetings and roleplaying mini-sessions in the future, it also got people back into the feel of some of their old characters (in addition to the numerous roleplaying e-mail and Ahead of the Storm entries I've been getting).

Secondly came the actual Olman session, which focused on the aftermath of the first Savage Tide attack, in which the characters of Meleeki, Bakura and Immortal reunited and struggled to rebuild the remnants of their society - by uniting the outcast tribes and researching the nature of the attack... and its horrible effects upon those who survived it. Their path also led them to an identity for their enemy - alien sea creatures known as aboleths - as well as a potential means of retaliation, by using Tlaloc's Tear to create a massive air bubble centered in Golismorga, the aboleth city on the underside of the Isle of Dread. As the sea creatures were believed to be unable to survive without water, such an effect would succeed in killing most of them, and likely causing those few survivors to flee for their lives. If this suicide mission were successful, it might guarantee a chance of survival for the Olman people. If it failed, the aboleths would likely attempt to kill off those remaining Olmans, wiping out their entire race.

The stage was set, the newly-named Elements of Vengeance ready for their counterattack...

And the stakes of the final session (or two) of the pre-campaign were now clear.

All without any combat needed in the entire session.

That's what I call a job well done, for myself and all the players.

Ahead of the Storm - Day 33

Cauldron, Three Months Ago

I have now spent the past few weeks here in Cauldron, completing negociations on behalf of High Priestess Elena, for the entry of the church of Wee Jas into the Amalgamation, making us the last of the major religions to join its ranks. In the end, though it make not have been necessary, I did offer up the bribe Elena gave me, as a "generous gift" to the Amalgamation, as a token of apology for the past wrongdoings of the church, in the days of Embril Aloustinai.

With payment made and negociations concluded, I then could begin my true task, of investigating the Amalgamation and reporting back to Elena about what is going on here in Cauldron - her former hometown... and murder scene.

Obviously, the reason for her wanting to join the Amalgamation was not one of actual interest. I have never in my life met a more devoted Weejasian follower than Elena - there is no way she would ever bow down before any other God... No, she wanted to join out of suspicion of their activities. Lady Elena tells me that recent divinations and Commune questions with Wee Jas have led her to believe that the Amalgamation is a threat to us - to the entirety of our religion and even Wee Jas Herself.

Therefore, she wanted to have someone - a spy if you will - there in Cauldron at all times, to survey the activities and report back to her on any suspicious individuals. As a side-mission, she has also requested that I keep tabs on Soulerio, now at work as a professor here in the Arcane Obelisk tower. Elena believes that once a Betrayer, always a Betrayer - and she wants to be there to stop Soulerio before he gets himself or anyone else in danger again.

And so, I have spent my time wandering the halls of the Amalgamation temples, as well as the main headquarters temple here in town. And what I have to report is indeed troubling... for to my eyes, it is almost as though this "cult" of the Amalgamation (I refuse to call it a religion) is truly brainwashing its members, for many of them act almost as though under a charm. Not in the sense of mindlessly obeying orders... but rather, they seem to gather here daily and go through the motions, without really understanding what their faith and religion is about anymore. The common sight here in town these days, is to find people wearing their "collection" of holy symbols around their necks, almost as if in competition with one another, to see who can gather the most symbols. As such things are usually costly, most collections take a great deal of time and effort to obtain.

As for the actual ceremonies, what I have witnessed saddens me, for the clerics here in the temple appear to be of lesser quality than one would hope, as well. They appear to rotate between the various shrines, one day performing a ceremony to Corellon Larethian, then the next day offering up a sacrifice to Hextor... It is as though they don't even believe in the Gods themselves, but just go through the motions. Indeed, many people speak of the Gods with false information now... seemingly confused and unaware of the lines between good and evil, chaos and law. It is as though the Gods are simply these fictional characters that people want to talk about for fun, without really caring to know what the true beliefs are actually about.

In many ways, I wonder if this is all some magical spell... yet I have detected what I could, and found no trace of magical compulsion, nor poison, disease, curse... nothing. I wonder if there is some greater problem at work here? Because my greatest fear is that such loosening knowledge and faith in what the Gods are really about might cause them to begin to lose their powers, as well. For as all true believers know, the strength of a God lies not in his or her own power, but in the number of followers who believe in them with true conviction. If a God loses his followers, then he essentially would cease to even be a God at all...

Is that the future that the Amalgamation is building toward? One where the Gods and their identities have become so muddled, that they are at a loss for their former powers, and can no longer grant miracles or true ressurrections?

I wonder...

And I know in my heart that this can't be what Eadfrid envisioned, either. Though I believe him to be an affront to the Goddess of Death, in the way that he has refused to pass on when it was his time (undeath is such a crime against the natural order of things...) - I do believe that he had good intentions when he created the Amalgamation. His original purpose, as I understand it, was one where the Gods were each worshipped with proper respect - not with their followers at war with one another, but accepting of differences. Yet, what I see here is more akin to the destruction of differences - in the hope that one day the Gods would become but a single united spiritual force. That can't be what Eadfrid wanted, and yet I've seen him here, grinning from ear to ear - his own neck emblazoned with about 20 holy symbols of his own. Is he under the spell of this horrid place too?

I can but shudder at what goes on, yet I feel so powerless to stop it... I don't want this to spread past Cauldron, yet I hear of Amalgamation temples in Greyhawk and New Redgorge... Even a couple of small branches trying to make their way into Sasserine...

I can only hope that Lady Elena and the Goddess can think of a way to halt this flow, for this tide of false faith is enough to make me sick to my very soul.

Oh, please, Lady Wee Jas... show us the way, so that we may protect this world, and Yourself, from this travesty...

Ahead of the Storm - Day 32

Magepoint, Three Months Ago

The biography of Graz'zt, according to the Demonomicon of Iggwilv:

http://www.knights-of-valencia.com/savage/06-grazzt.htm