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Post subject: Of Spiders, Brigands, and Muqities
 Posted: Jun 10, 2012 - 10:29 AM
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Honorable
Joined: Sep 26, 2009
Posts: 469
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Jedd sauntered into the Sleepy Dwarf Inn at Mirith, acknowledging Opal with a familiar smile before entering his room at the end of the hall. The accommodations sure didnít beat the lodgings he enjoyed back in the Circle of Friends guild hall, but they were still alright. Jedd dropped his pack to the floor and sat down at the table, thinking. The past day had seen several interesting developments. What was he to do? Several minutes passed. Finally, he took out a piece of parchment and dipped a feather into one of his bottles of black dye, and composed a letter.
To Casden Pernell, Leader of the Mirith Royal Scouts:
It is with great disappointment and concern that I write this missive. As you may or may not know, on the 97th Day of the Waking Moon, Year 438, a Squire approached a group of travellers at the steps of the Mirith bank. He bore tidings of a fortress and a brigand mage at the Dragonís Mouth, audaciously located near the guild hall of Dragonís Gate. It may help to know that Serancha, Lead Ranger of the guild, was among the group. Aside from some initial squabble between Neblin and the Squire, everyone put their activities aside and prepared to leave for battle. The group of adventurers consisted of Serancha, Hinata, Neblin, Corgi, delimew, Sobiya, Srhodan and myself.
Serancha stopped by her guild hall to make sure everything was secure and met up with the rest of us near the Dragonís Mouth. We reached the fortress and found ourselves to be in quite a shock. The fortress itself wasnít of note, being no different than most of the strongholds that have been found in the recent past. However, near the entrance to the fort (which was barricaded with large bonfires, needless to say), there was a large, rusty iron cage covered in vines with a few monstrous spiders trapped inside. Going around the cage, I noticed a spot that was more beat up than the rest of the cage. Before I could do anything about it, it broke open and the spiders came out and attacked. They were taken care of with due process.
Serancha and I attempted to extinguish the fires, but they were burning too fiercely. After a number of minutes, the red-robed brigand mage made an appearance. This certain mage seemed to be more civilized and composed than other mages that have lived and died in the past. Upon questioning, he revealed that he was almost done with some research, clearly on spiders. He claimed that it would benefit everyone present if we all left. Of course, we didnít comply with his wishes, so then he went on to say that he was close to finding out how to kill the Spider Queen. It was then my ears started to perk up.
He told us that the Spider Queen could only be killed with a special weapon, of which he was almost done completing, aside from one item that he was missing. I attempted to push him further on this subject, but he wouldnít reveal what the item was, aside from the fact that he required several quantities of the item. Finally, the mage vanished, along with the fires that guarded him.
A hoard of his brigand cronies launched an onslaught on our numbers. Not too much later, I caught sight of the mage once more. I swung my war hammer at his neck, but some kind of magical barrier prevented him from harm. The mage then launched a fireball at Serancha, but luckily for all of us, she had been protected by a clericís reflective magic. The fireball bounced back at the mage, bringing him near death, when he fled deeper into the fort.
We werenít without casualties, however. A few of our numbers fell into the gray world, and the great Potato, Corgiís pet, died fighting the cretins. Finally, things calmed down and the fort appeared to be cleared of brigands. Delimew then took a quick peak inside the Dragonís Mouth Cave and rushed back outside, seeing many Brigands wandering about below.
After the short bit of respite, we leapt down into the cave and hacked away at their numbers. The mage was wandering in the fray, throwing coordinated bolts of lightning and enormous fireballs at those who were in a weakened state. During all of the chaos, everyone joined the gray world except for Serancha, who managed to escape and bring aid from Dragonís Gate.
We resurrected and regrouped and fought our way through the underground fortress that was at the moment inhabited by brigands, although the mage was nowhere in sight. In one of the rooms we found another spider cage, but it was locked and it seemed to require a special key. At the end of the hall we stumbled upon what appeared to be the mageís research room. An abundance of scribbled-on paper lay strewn across the floor, and a chest lied at the back of the room. The chest contained a Bronze Key with which he later unlocked the cage, although nothing significant occurred in the process.
Everyone sat down and sifted through the papers. Most of them appeared to be random notes of the mage, containing nothing of value. However, a few of the notes had the most interesting inscriptions on them that will surely interest you. The copies of the notes are as follows:
ìI have figured out most of the items I need to kill the Queen Spider. A sword.î
ìEtherite, Pure Crystal Ring, Infused Ice Crystal, Infused Fire Crystalî
ìVials of blood from each Spider, 20 fangs, 500 spider legs, long swordÖî
And the most stunning one: ìI must somehow get Muqities to make this sword for me.î
There was nothing else to be found in the fort, so we returned to Mirith to report, but no one was available at the castle. And yes, I must clarify, the mage escaped.
Here is where I must present my concerns. I apologize in advance for any offense that may be taken by what is to follow, but there is no use for pretense. It is well known that the Andris Senate has conducted crooked dealings when it comes to rare weapons. One need not look much farther than that whole scandal with Big Jackís Katana. It should be a major cause of concern that Muqities, a Senator of Andris, has some involvement with this Brigand Mage and whatever mysterious weapon it is that the brigand mage is attempting to create.
As for the weapon itself, I believe that it may be prudent to attempt to create the weapon ourselves, before the mage and Muqities get a chance to. One vial of blood was obtained inside the Dragonís Mouth, and most of the other items wonít be a problem to acquire. The only ingredients that may be a bother to find are the infused ice crystal and pure crystal ring. When the mage mentioned to us that he still needed several amounts of one last ingredient, I believe he was referring to the vials of blood. His notes clearly state that there are multiple vials, but only one was found in the fortress.
Now you have seen all of the facts and the possible threats posed. I trust your good judgment on the matter and hope to hear of your opinion on the connection with Muqities and on the course of action that should be taken.
Sincerely, Jedd the Fighter
Reading over the letter, Jedd nodded, folded and sealed the parchment. He jumped up and set off for the castle, to deliver the letter. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 10, 2012 - 09:19 PM
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Quest Character
Joined: Apr 03, 2007
Posts: 50
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| A weary Captain Pernell returns from a long journey to find a mass of unanswered correspondence. Reading one of the letters with alarm, he dispatches one of his scouts to find Jedd. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 11, 2012 - 03:43 AM
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Honorable
Joined: Sep 26, 2009
Posts: 469
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Ten days had passed since Jedd had met a peculiar brigand mage and learned of his research on the Spider Queen. He now sat inside a spacious room at the Andris Quality Accommodation, having paid the proprietor Bayldan that morning for room and board. It had been many long moons since Jedd had last visited Andris, and it was an interesting turn of events that brought him here.
The day before, a Royal Mirith Scout met Jedd at the bank and took him to a hidden room in the castle. Jedd clarified his suspicions to the Scout, who wondered why Senator Muqities would be in league with a brigand mage. Jedd then voiced his suspicion that the mage was probably not telling the complete truth, and that the sword may serve some other purpose as well. After all, why would the mage want to kill the Spider Queen?
Jedd was then informed that he couldnít be sent on official Mirith business, but as the Scout noted, there was always unofficial business. The Scout suggested that Jedd talk to one of the trusted residents of Andris, particularly Fuoco, who had apparently met with Muqities recently. Jedd was to not raise any concerns about the senator, as it could cause diplomatic problems. And with that, Jedd exited and made his way to Andris, where a series of events occurred. Immediately following these events, Jedd arrived at the Andris Inn where he now sat to compose another letter.
It read:
To Captain Casden Pernell of the Royal Mirith Scouts, and the Mirith Vanguard:
I am very grateful for your concern and cooperation in sending one of your Scouts to speak with me. I was instructed, as you have doubtless already known, to seek out Lady Fuoco of Andris and learn more of the situation. I succeeded in this venture and learned quite a bit. As per your Scoutís instructions, I conducted the affairs with as much discretion as possible. Hopefully I can expect your discreetness as well when it comes to the information I am about to present to you.
On the 106th day of the Waking Moon, Year 438, I tracked down not Fuoco but her niece Rosina, near the Andris cemetery. She was having a conversation with Senator Muqities himself when I arrived. We exchanged small talk for a few minutes, and finally the stuttering man hobbled away on his staff.
Once he was gone, I began to inform Rosina of the disturbing news of which you already know: the brigand mage, his fortress at the Dragonís Mouth, and all of the events that transpired on the 97th day. However, I did omit the existence of the specific note that referred to Muqities. Rosina appeared to take extra concern at the mageís research and experiments. Finally, when I finished recounting my tale, Rosina looked around to see if anybody was nearby. I announced that we were probably alone, but no sooner had the words left my mouth when a Bone Mage attacked from the north. He was dispatched with ease, but now we were worried that we were being spied on.
We looked around further to the north, and sure enough, there was a group of brigands near a shelter, guarded by two Brackens. A struggle ensued, and amidst the fighting I noticed a small note that was left near the shelter. It read, ìGet him if you can, alive.î
I took this to be referring to Muqities. At least, I was sure they werenít looking for me! As we gained the upper hand in the battle, we attempted to interrogate the brigands, but they were too drunk to provide useful information. The brigands had a few items stored in their shelter, including an odd thread, but none that seemed to be relevant to the situation.
When it was all over, Rosina told me that she needed to speak with me in private. We made our way into the basement of the castle, and right when she began to talk, Muqities appeared. We informed him of the attack that had just commenced and then he invited us to another room, where we sat down at a table and took champagne.
I then told Muqities everything that I told Rosina, of the fortress at the Dragonís Mouth. When I mentioned that the brigand mage was researching spiders and was attempting to make a weapon to kill the Spider Queen, Muqities claimed that he had been trying to do that too. Muqitiesís face paled as I continued telling the story, and finally, as Jedd listed the ingredients required to make the weapon, Muqities slumped down in his chair. It appeared that the mage had stolen Muqitiesís research notes.
Thatís when Rosina informed me that the senator had been researching Male Spiders and their Queen for quite some time now. Muqities then went on to tell us more about this mysterious weapon. A copy of his speech is as follows:
ìLong ago when I was but a child, in the land where I grew up, far from Oberin, it was said that some great craftsmen could inscribe runes of great power upon a weapon. These would be deadly to one specific foe. In fact, these weapons are generally very dangerous. But to the specific foe for which they were made to kill, lethal. I have attempted to craft such a sword. To kill the queen spider. But I need blood from all the spiders of which she is queen. Well, spiders have something like blood. A sort of ichor.î
He then asked me if I had any such blood. I told him of the vial of blood that was found in the mageís fortress, and that it was safe and sound under the protection of the ranger Serancha. He asked what sort of spider it came from, and we deduced that it belonged to either a Giant Spider or a Sand Spider, as these were the only spiders present inside the brigand mageís laboratory.
Muqities proceeded to show us one of his interesting creations, a Rune Sword, before finally asking if we could provide the items needed to craft a weapon that could kill the Spider Queen. He said the vials would be the only problem, claiming that only the very best specimens of each species are useful. He instructed us to plan a while in advance and take a good company of the best adventurers. He was in need of rest, so we left him.
It is clear that we will need four vials of blood in order to craft this weapon, one from a Lava Spider, one from a Frost Spider, and one from either a Giant Spider or a Sand Spider. I will soon be organizing excursions into both the Volcano and the Ice Dungeon in order to seek out the vials. Furthermore, we will need to contact Muqities once we have all of the ingredients. I know of no one else that can craft such a sword as the one he showed me.
Finally, I have come to the conclusion that Muqities wasnít in league with the brigand mage. It was quite obvious that the brigands I encountered earlier with Rosina were attempting to kidnap Muqities. If they had succeeded, they likely would have forced him to craft the mysterious weapon as his ransom.
Regards, Jedd the Fighter.
Jedd sealed the letter and hired a messenger to deliver it to the castle at Mirith, instructing him to show no one else the letter and to even keep its existence a secret. Jedd watched him run off and then slumped to his bed, exhausted. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 11, 2012 - 01:43 PM
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Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2008
Posts: 2144
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She closed her eyes and dropped the crystal. To the usual nausea that travelling by portal had always caused her, the apprehension of going to Mirith was now added. She spent there as little time as she could, only enough to fulfil the maintenance tasks of the hall and the urgent requests from the king. "Someone has toÖ" Once at the other side, she headed to the building to the left, carrying a bag of random items to drop in the hall's chests.
One of the guards stopped her on the way in. There was a letter addressed to Pernell and the MV waiting at the castle. He didn't know the subject nor the sender, just that he was to call their attention to it. "Do I look like the Vanguard's secretary?" The guard's face was clear enough as an answer. "All right, I'll ask Mattias to see that letter", she said with a sigh.
She did not hurry. In fact, she took as long as she could organising the big trunks where common property was to be stored. It was rather inconvenient that Beleth had convinced Pernell that he could not meet her in person. "How am I to guess whether or not he's in the castle?!" Plus, she could not see any reason for that interdiction.
Reluctantly, she left the hall in the direction of the heart of the kingdom, the city she had sworn to protect. "I never thought it would be this painful." The absence of her companions made it that way. The constant inquiring about what had happened to the rest of the Vanguard was bad enough, but she could get away with vague answers to reassure they were all engaged in official duties. The worst part was that she missed them. They were the ones she felt safer with, the ones that would bring her best qualities out, with whom she could share her jokes, who would understand their little language codes. "Damn you, Nasrith. It's about time that you come back home."
Mattias was in the same place as ever. "He doesn't sleep much, does he?" She looked around, trying to see if Pernell was anywhere in sight. The entrance of the castle was clear. Without many words, Mattias produced the letter signed by Jedd.
She had to read it twice, for she had no idea of which brigand mage would the fighter be talking about this time. She had seen the spiders, she had been there when the experiments of one of the mages were interrupted near the Tree Maze. Could it be the same one? "And why is Andris always involved when it comes to special weaponry?"
She scribbled a reply:
Dear Jedd,
I have just read your note. It's interesting to know that Muqities is back to full activity - I do not know him very well, but I wouldn't think Andris could afford a second traitor amongst their Senate. Even if their democratic ways seem to have crystallised a bit, at least having the same Senators in power for all this time without major troubles should be a sign of their loyalty to the city. Which does not mean, of course, that they will be self-sufficient when it comes to a confrontation with the brigand mage and his boys. Then again, hardly any town is self-sufficient at the moment, and those spiders are a concern to all of us.
It seems to me that, besides needing to collect the blood from the spiders, a plan of action will be needed to feint the brigands too. I can imagine that, as soon as they hear that Andris made the weapon, they will try something less kind to get it. We could probably use that knowledge to trap them in some way.
I cannot promise you the full force of the Mirith Vanguard, as most of my comrades are dealing with quite demanding tasks away from Mirith, but I am available to join you in your collection of samples, or anything else that you need my help for.
Yours,
Cassandra
She was not dying for a week spent in biological research, but, not only eradicating the spider plague was in Mirith's best interests, it was also best to keep Andris under close watch, as a rule of thumb. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 12, 2012 - 08:59 PM
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Honorable
Joined: Sep 26, 2009
Posts: 469
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Jedd strolled into the gates of Mirith, having returned from his trip to Andris. He decided that it would be best to set up a base of operations in the more populated city. Without delay, he made his way back to the Sleepy Dwarf Inn, where he was still paying for a room.
Opal gave him a greeting and announced, "Message for you. I left it in your room," she nodded to the end of the hall.
Jedd nodded and entered his room, not bothering to ask any questions. He found a letter on the table and he carefully ripped it open and read its contents. He smiled, glad to know that he would have the support of a brilliant wizard. He then sat down at the table and quickly drew up his plans.
Brave adventurers of Oberin,
The menace of the Spider Queen will soon be at an end. There is a weapon that can kill her, but it has not yet been crafted. There are still ingredients missing: vials of blood from each type of spider. A group of only the bravest individuals must gather to extract blood from the best specimens of the spiders. One such vial has already been recovered, but its origin is somewhat unknown: it may be either from a Giant Spider or a Sand Spider.
We are missing vials from both Frost and Lava Spiders, and from either a Giant or Sand Spider, depending on the vial we already have. There will soon be an excursion into the Ice Dungeon to find one of these vials, and if time permits, an excursion into the Volcano afterwards.
Jedd copied the note several times and posted it at the banks of each city, also leaving a copy in the hands of a guard at the Mirith Vanguard's hall. Jedd added a postscript to the copy for the Mirith Vanguard:
Dear Cassandra,
Your respone and offer is most appreciated. Any amount of help is better than no help at all. Presuming that we succeed in the Ice Dungeon and the Volcano, there will still be the matter of the fourth vial. Perhaps a smaller research team will need to be organized to seek out this vial. It will either be extracted from the regular breed of spiders or from their sandy cousins. I don't know of a way to determine the origin of the vial that is already in our hands, but it shouldn't matter too much. Both breeds of these spiders can be easily found near Mirith.
I believe you are quite right about the brigands. I hadn't considered that point before. The brigand mage of which I spoke is still at large and it's very likely that he will make an appearance or send his cronies in to steal the weapon once it is made. I am sure that a group can be organized to protect Muqities and the sword once we have the four vials in our hands.
~ Jedd
((OOC: Be at Ice Island by the following time:
Friday, June 15th, 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (GMT -7)
Saturday, June 16th, 1:00 AM British Summer Time (GMT +1)
Saturday, June 16th, 9:00 AM Japan Standard Time (GMT +9)
Unless the ID hunt lasts too long, we will quickly replenish and repair in Mirith after the ID, and then go to the Volcano.)) |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 13, 2012 - 11:15 AM
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Noble
Joined: Oct 16, 2009
Posts: 958
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Shayde lounges on the steps of the Mirith bank, filing her nails with a suspiciously fast dagger. She eyes the note that is fluttering on the pillar, and reaches up to snag it. Reading it, she frowns a little, considering.
Well that's all fine and good, but last I heard, the Volcano was closed for repairs or some such nonsense, and every time the door opens, nothing comes out but dragons and ancient dragons. Whatever is going on inside the volcano is big, and I don't think that sorcerer will just let a bunch of people waltz in and blood his spiders. Odd that nobody has really thought to investigate that. All too exhausted from the battles to think of it. Not a bad strategy at all, on his part. I wish I knew how he was making the Ancients cooperate though. Could he be one of them in human form? We know that is possible....
Shifting into a more comfortable position in the sun, Shayde thinks some more on all the oddness with the Brigand Mage and the Spider weapon....
I'd like to see the queen spider dead as much as anyone, and more than many, but she is rarely spotted, and when she is, she runs away like the coward she is.
In any case, the brigands will take Muquities when the Mage gets all the ingredients for the weapon - and Muquities will make it in exchange for his freedom. The only reason why the Senator could be in such a rush to get it made first, is if it has another purpose than killing spiders. After all, the spider is hardly a threat to the cities, so why the sudden big hullabaloo when she hasn't even been seen in 2 moons?
It's not like the Brigands will "not" kidnap him if he has a version of the weapon. They'll either kidnap him to make it, or kidnap him to make him give it to them. Either way, they know he'll pay, so he's going to get kidnapped. That's the guaranteed result when you pay off thugs the first time.
There's something more to this, but there isn't enough information yet to figure out what. I guess we'll have to go spider hunting and see what we find. I wonder if our guards would be willing to donate blood. They're far superior specimens to anything in the wild...
Putting her dagger away, the rogue pulls down her Jester hat and closes her eyes for a nap. |
_________________
Lady of Dragon's Gate
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Post subject: Letter to Jedd
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 - 01:46 AM
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Noble
Joined: Feb 19, 2008
Posts: 881
Location: London
Status: Offline
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Waking Moon of the Year 437
Dear Jedd,
I meant to write to you much sooner but I somehow needed to co-ordinate my thoughts by trying to analyse all the information I have acquired of late. Although my magical powers have grown with age, I must confess that my head at times takes a path of its own, making concentration rather difficult.
Rosina told me of your battle with the Bone Mage, the Gapers, the Brigands and Privateers and of course of your meeting with Senator Muqities. The old man worries me -he has taken to roaming the woods, just as Senator Fieltler used to do, whilst thinking about his researches. There is a possibility that the notes concerning the weapon to fight the Queen Spider with dropped out of his pocket during one of his walks - maybe he took a bad fall (Rosina told me he was rubbing his knee during his conversation with her, just before you arrived)? The note that you found has only one positive aspect (thus far) - it is clear that the rascals do not know what the senator looks like, but how long before one of our enemies distributes to their comrades a physical description of our man?
We once had some doubts about Muqities - his stutter betrayed some nervousness that some took for the sign of a person without a clear conscience (strange how easily we attribute physical disabilities and speech impediments to something dark an even ominous, but such is human nature - always suspicious), but Clarissa Morgans hastened to reassure us that all was in order and that Muqities was to be fully trusted. Age seems to have assuaged his impediment - he certainly has become less nervous and more willing to talk to the residents of Andris.
What is unclear to me is the reason for the Brigand Mage wishing to have such a weapon in his possession - does he want to kill the Queen Spider for his own research? Is she posing a threat to the Brigands? Does she hide some valuable treasures? To be honest with you, a much darker thought has clouded my horizon - it is far fetched, I grant you that, but you see, having received communication from my sister in arms Angelica about a letter from Arduis De Gispard addressed to her and Crom, I cannot help thinking there might be a link between various events that we have witnessed of late. What if the body of the Queen Spider contains some substance that may bring some abomination back to life? And the Sorcerer who caused so many losses outside the Volcano really frightens me... is his thirst for power insatiable? Is he behind this business? How on earth did he manage to subdue the Ancient Red Dragons to his command? The possibilities are imponderable.
I am not at liberty to go into greater detail here as this letter might be intercepted, but I beg you to bear in mind the words Rosina spoke to you about the 'other business' at hand - I shall only speak out when the time is right (and provided I was correct in my assumptions)
I know you have been working hard trying to recruit a small army for our search (by the way, the brave companions who have agreed to share the risks involved should be informed that we need to get hold not only of the blood vials, bus also of a Pure Crystal Ring, an Ice Crystal, 20 Spider Fangs and 500 Spider Legs. The infused fire crystal is not a problem of course) and I am most grateful for your efforts, as I lead a rather retired life here in Andris, unless called to arms. I wish to add that there is a possibility we may face a Lich, so people should be prepared. It would be useful if all fighters, rangers and rogues carried a supply of mana, mainly for our clerics.
Lastly, I know it is in the thoughts of many that Senator Muqities may be abducted should he succeed in the crafting of the special weapon and should the news reach our adversaries, or the artifact may be stolen from the castle, but short of laying siege to the keep while the Senator works, and agreeing with him that a trusted and unnamed person should take the weapon to a place of safety, I really do not know what to suggest.
Yours most sincerely,
Fuoco Biancavalle
Public Relations Officer, Rhovanion Rebels
Honorary Member of the Andris Vanguard |
_________________
Two men look out of the same window - one sees the stars, the other sees the mud.
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 16, 2012 - 06:15 AM
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Honorable
Joined: Sep 26, 2009
Posts: 469
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Jedd returned to the Sleepy Dwarf Inn, his armor still in bad shape. He nodded at Opal and briskly walked towards his room. His armor would have to wait, as time was of the essence. Removing his writing utensils from his pack, he sat down at the table and began to quickly compose a notice. It read:
People of Oberin,
On the 167th Day of the Waking Moon, Year 438, a band of adventurers gathered at Ice Island. These fine men and women had travelled from across the lands to assist on a research expedition. Many of you know of the Spider Queen and the weapon that can kill her. To craft such a weapon, we are in need of four vials of blood from the four types of spiders. A number of days earlier we found one such vial of blood, from either a Giant Spider or a Sand Spider. Today, a vial was acquired from the frost variety of spiders.
Cassandra, Punit Bene, Mustafaa, Skaggz, Varto, Dharma, Laricen, Budic, Leha and myself entered the Ice Dungeon in search of a strong Frost Spider to extract the blood from. First we made our way to the room where the gooeys like to roam. There was an abnormally high amount of Frost Spiders in the room. Whilst depleting their numbers, an extremely fast Male Spider of the frost variety ran up, took a bite out of Varto, and ran away.
We decided to take the narrow corridor to the north, where more frost spiders are known to reside. As we walked, we heard the sounds of many spiders in the large room adjacent to the corridor. So we circled around and stopped in the hallway, not far from the entrance to the room. Mustafaa entered the room to find a massive amount of spider webs along with the usual riffraff. The next few hours were spent thinning out the numbers of the icy creatures, but the Ice Golems posed a serious problem, as they took time to exterminate.
Amidst the fighting, the Male Spider appeared several times, taunting our research team, often joining the fray to take a quick bite and run off in the other direction. It was impossible to catch him, as he was particularly fast. Eventually we made our way to the entrance of the massive room, preparing to trap the Male Spider, as it was clear that the cowardly beast wouldnít come out of his lair for long. Unfortunately, things got very hectic and a few of our numbers fell to the gray. However, many of us made it out of the cave alive, and we waited there while were joined by Bronte, Mikomi and Rondino, although Leha and Dharma had to make their leave.
We reentered the cave and quickly swept through, resurrecting those who were in need. Finally the male spider stayed put to fight us. His bites were very powerful, and his skin was very thick. But he soon was killed, donating his blood to our cause. By the time we split the loot and exited the dungeon, everyone was very tired and couldnít continue to seek out the Lava Male Spider, so we made it a rain check and returned to our homes. Sketches of the scene are attatched below.
((An expedition to the Lava Floor of Nystralís Tower will be happening tomorrow, to seek out the Male Lava Spider. The times will be an hour before the time that todayís hunt started. In other words:
Saturday, June 16th, 4:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (GMT -7)
Sunday, June 17th, 12:00 AM London Summer Time (GMT +1)
Sunday, June 17th, 8:00 AM Japan Standard Time (GMT +9)
We wonít be hunting dragons. ))
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Jedd posts the report on the banks of the cities for all to see, and then attaches one to a letter he begins to write:
Dear Fuoco,
The attatched report will bring you up to speed on the events that transpired in the Ice Dungeon. You raise a serious concern about the health of Senator Muqities. I see no reason why the brigands would know about his condition, but we may face a problem if they find out. By the same token, however, perhaps they may underestimate him if they learn of such things? And I have no reason not to trust Muqities, although I must admit that, like you, I was initially suspicious of the man.
The mage's motives continue to elude me. I still suspect that the weapon may serve another purpose besides killing the Spider Queen. Perhaps, by some strange drawback of the weapon's nature, that it may also be used to control the Spider Queen? It would be very unfortunate if the mage had such a strong creature at his disposal. And if the mage and queen spider have some connection with the Sorcerer and the Volcano, only time will tell. The point is that there are so many dangers involved in this situation.
As for the other ingredients, our list of missing items is growing shorter. Today Razan generously donated a Pure Crystal Ring, and my brother Ryen in Andris has more than enough Spider Legs. Although I don't have 20 Fangs on hand, they won't be hard to find, what with all of the spiders these days. This leaves only the Infused Ice Crystal and, of course, the two remaining vials. No Ice Crystal was found in the dungeon. And, as I am glad to report, we found no Lich inside the dungeon. However, we heard a maniacal laugh of the most horrific nature whilst wandering inside. Nothing became of it, but it sure was upsetting. Some even joked it was Lancaster!
I believe we will need a strong guard team present when Muqities creates the weapon, however long down the road that may be. If there's one thing we can be sure of, it's that the mage will try to get this weapon for himself, whatever the means.
Regards,
Jedd the Fighter
Jedd sends the letter off towards Andris and lies down to sleep. He was going to need a lot of energy soon. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 16, 2012 - 03:41 PM
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Noble
Joined: Feb 19, 2008
Posts: 881
Location: London
Status: Offline
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Fuoco hastens to respond to Jedd and sends a trusted courier to Mirith to deliver a letter to him care of the Sleeping Dwarf Inn, with instructions to only deliver it to the fighter in person.
Day 171 of the Waking Moon
Dear friend,
It was brave of such a small party to face the dangers of the Ice Dungeon and I regret that none of my family could come and participate in the quest - the lobsters we shared for dinner gave us some serious food poisoning and made us sick. I do hope some of us can recover and join you in the next mission - I do believe that a stock of full detoxification potions (shame they are not efficacious against food poisoning!) is in order not to drain our clerics's resources too much - Rosina tells me she has 3 batches stored in her bank box.
As for the male spiders, out best hope is to have enough armoured fighters to completely surround them and block their escape, with the help of high powered wizards casting spells to paralyse or confuse the damned beasts. I wish to consult with my fellow wizard Cassandra regarding her thoughts on possible techniques.
It is a worry to learn that you heard the typical maniacal laughter of the abomination in the distance but I am pleased to hear it was not necessary to confront it on that occasion.
As for the senator, spreading news of his weak health and possibly some incipient senile dementia may play to our advantage - let the world believe he is an old fool!
Until we meet,
Yours sincerely
Fuoco of Andris |
_________________
Two men look out of the same window - one sees the stars, the other sees the mud.
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 17, 2012 - 04:25 AM
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Honorable
Joined: Sep 26, 2009
Posts: 469
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The following parchment is available for all to see, being posted on all of the banks of the cities:
As was planned not too many days ago, a group of strong warriors gathered at the bank of Andris on the 178th of the Waking Moon, Year 438, in preparation for an expedition into Nystralís Tower. They sought out the blood of a Lava Spider, as the beasts are known to reside within. The blood of the lava spider was not found, but another vial was acquired nonetheless: a vial of the blood of Sand Spiders. A detailed account of the excursion is as follows:
Rosina, Charonia, Boric, Cassandra, Sam, Shayde, Taylor, Gawr, Mirrim, Sobiya, Budic and myself gathered in front of Nystralís Tower. It was a very pleasant day outside, with a gentle breeze blowing from the south. We all entered the tower and instantly descended the ladder. When we arrived at the lake, it was filled with 5 more Sea Serpents than usual. They were carefully dealt with, but soon someone yelled out in surprise and pointed to the water. Beneath the waters, a dark shape was seen moving swiftly. Moments later, the Phase Serpent surfaced and attacked with ferocity. Fortunately, we were prepared and the Phase Serpent soon joined its companions in death.
We advanced across the water and climbed up the ladder on the other side. There was an abnormal amount of Sand Spiders in the vicinity. I assumed that it meant a Male Spider was near, as a similar occurrence had taken place in the Ice Dungeon recently. We fought our way through the thick number of Sand Spiders and made our way through the various rooms on the floor. Through some of the rubble, we spotted a room filled with even more Sand Spiders, a few of which managing to crawl through the narrow opening and attack us. It was impossible to reach that room directly, so we continued on the usual route. When we reached the ladder that led to the room filled with Spiders, we found an enormous spider web on the wall. Clearly, the lair of the Male Spider was to follow.
After quick preparations, we darted up the ladder to find the room almost full beyond limit with Sand Spiders as well as a few Gapers. Charonia and Budic managed to calm many of them, even provoking some of them to fight each other, and Cassandra sent her powerful waves of paralyzing energy into their numbers. As the battle raged on, the Male Spider was finally spotted. This one wasnít as antsy as his frosty cousin, and without he delay he began to attack. It seemed that he was out for our blood, too.
In the thick of the battle, I fell to the Male Spiderís mighty bite and lost a grip on my surroundings. When I was resurrected, most of the spiders were dead, and I learned that Gawr had killed the Male. His blood had been quickly collected. The third vial had been obtained. All that remained was the vial of blood from a Lava Spider, so we continued to ascend the tower to reach the area where Lava Spiders can be found.
A large chest was looted and we made our way through the lava maze carefully, as there were many Gapers roaming about. In the room immediately following the maze, there were a number of Sand Dracos and Gapers in addition to the usual amount of beasts. Quite a few of us died inside, but we managed to resurrect and regroup. The room was cleared, but no specimen fit to extract blood from had been discovered. Cassandra mused that there could be more Lava Spiders on the next floor with the portal, because so far there had been numerous instances of unusual activity in the tower.
We stopped to recover and rest, as the fighting had been taxing. While taking our respite, a loud, roaring noise was heard from the top of the nearby ladder. It sounded just like a dragon. We prepared ourselves and rushed up the ladder, only to find a small Sand Draco. I laughed at first, but a moment later, a much larger Sand Dragon came running at us from the opposite side of the room. It was killed quickly, and we moved on, finally reaching the portal. Apparently, Nystralís Tower wasnít the best place to find good specimens of Lava Spiders. The most threatening-looking Lava Spider had been tamed by Budic.
Red Crystals were passed around and everyone exited the tower and made their way back to Andris. As the Volcano was still blocked, it was decided that the only other place to find a good specimen of Lava Spider to bleed was in Hell. We split the loot, along with two Bronze Keys that werenít not unlike the one that was initially found in the brigand mageís fortress at Dragonís Mouth. That key had been used to open a cage that had contained a few spiders on which the mage was researching. Budic and Sobiya each kept one of the keys. I carefully deposited the vial of blood in my bank, placing it next to the vial of Frost Spider blood. There was only one more to go.
~Jedd the Fighter
[[ We will seek out the Male Lava Spider in Hell on the following weekend. Please come with 2 Pure Fire Crystals and make the necessary preparations, as we will encounter numerous Magma Golems and Red Dragons. The hunt will happen on:
Friday, June 22nd, 6:00 AM Pacific Standard Time (GMT -7)
Friday, June 22nd, 2:00 PM London Summer Time (GMT +1)
Friday, June 22nd, 10:00 PM Japan Standard Time (GMT +9) ]] |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 18, 2012 - 04:03 AM
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Honorable
Joined: Sep 26, 2009
Posts: 469
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190th Day of the Waking Moon, Year 438
Jedd woke up on his bed in the inn, got up, and stretched out with a loud yawn. He donned his armor and walked down the hall. Before he could say a word to Opal, a scrawny-looking messenger boy burst into the inn, ran up to the innkeeper, handed her a letter and ran off again.
ìItís for you,î she announced, handing the missive to Jedd. Jedd tore open the letter and read the short contents:
Come quick. Andris. Muqities.
~ R
Jedd smirked. How characteristic of his brother Ryen ñ simple yet cryptic at the same time. Without a second thought, Jedd grabbed a pure red crystal from his pack and ran for the Mirith portal.
He found Ryen at the bank in Andris. Before Jedd could get a word in edgewise, Ryen cried out, ìHeís waiting for you in the library!î before walking off. At a brisk trot, Jedd made his way to the library where he found Muqities waiting for him.
They took a seat at the table, Muqities kindly offering Jedd some gingerbread. Jedd graciously accepted. Gingerbread was his favorite food. They discussed the previous expedition into Nystralís Tower and how the Lava Spiders in the tower were insufficient for blood collecting. Muqities asked what Jeddís options were, so he presented them. Jedd told of the Volcano and how an eruption blocked the entrance, leaving Hell as the only other option. Muqities commented on the difficulty of exiting that dungeon, and Jedd then told him of the newly discovered corridor, which allowed the dead to escape from Hell, ironically.
Jedd then realized that the exit led into the depths of the Volcano, normally allowing ghosts to escape, but as things stood, they would be permanently trapped inside the Volcano. Therefore, if the research team failed in the upcoming Hell expedition, they would be trappedÖforever. Then Muqities suggested that if such a failure occurred, then they could always be dug out. But, as Jedd noted, that would take a long time. Muqities instructed Jedd to come with him, got up, and hobbled down to the basement. He then rummaged around in a corner and revealed a secret stairway, of which the two descended.
In this strange room, Muqities placed a wooden crate on the floor, showing that it was packed with explosive dust. He suggested that some expert miners could blast their way through the rocks that blocked the Volcano. Muqities promised that he could provide many of the crates, should the need arise.
Back on the main floor, Muqities said, ìI donít know if you will find a better spider in the Lava Dungeon or the Volcano, but it sounds as though you should think about getting into the volcano. And ñ if it comes to it, getting out of the Lava Dungeon.î
Muqities then asked if any other city authorities had contacted Jedd. Jedd told Muqities of the initial encounter with the brigand mage, seemingly so long ago, telling him that a Mirith scout approached him and instructed to seek out Fuoco on the grounds that she had recently met with Muqities. Muqities was most upset at learning that Mirith knew of that meeting. Jedd told Muqities that he wasnít affiliated with Mirith, and Muqities reassured himself, saying that Mirith couldnít disapprove of killing the Queen Spider. Muqities then announced his plan to fish a little, so Jedd took his leave and made his way back to Mirith. He had an appointment with some Hill Giants that he did not intend to miss.
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The following day, a notice can be seen by all throughout the various banks of Oberin. It read:
Attention! All expert miners! In the interest of defeating the Spider Queen (take note of earlier announcements), a future expedition into the Lava Dungeon has been arranged. However, the rocks that block entry into the Volcano jeopardize this expedition. Should the expedition be doomed to failure, the members will be eternally trapped in the Volcano. In order to assure that this will not happen, the blockage must be cleared before the expedition to the Lava Dungeon takes place. This goal shall be attained through the use of extremely dangerous explosive crates. Skillful miners everywhere, make no delay in contacting me if you wish to help our valiant effort!
~Jedd the Fighter |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 18, 2012 - 11:56 AM
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Noble
Joined: Oct 16, 2009
Posts: 958
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A flier arrives at the Circle of Friends Guild Hall bearing an emblem resembling the Tree Maze.
Need a Boom? Call an Expert!! S&d Explosives!!
As you know, the handling of explosives is a tricky business. Therefore, the experts at S&d Explosives are now available for events of all types.
Whether you need a Small Boom for a party trick, a Medium Boom for revenge, or a Really Big Boom to blow up a Volcano - S&d Explosives can do the job!!!
With delimew's very excellent mining skills, explosive charges can be set in any location - perfect for precision destruction or hidden ambushes.
Both deli and Shayde have vast experience with the handling of explosive dust. With their combined skills, you will be sure to get the perfect boom for your occasion!!!
Explosive Services available now. Rogue standard discretion on all transactions.
Bookings through Dragon's Gate and Phoenix Dawn Guilds.
S&d Explosives is not responsible for any injury or other repercussions that may occur as a result of explosive contracts. Clients will not release the name of S&d Explosives as the culprit in any contracted activity of questionable nature. Explosives may cause burns, cuts, scrapes, abrasions, bleeding, wheezing, stomach pain, nosebleeds, muscle cramps, euphoria, dizziness, or hallucinations. Use at your own risk. |
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Lady of Dragon's Gate
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 18, 2012 - 05:44 PM
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Noble
Joined: Feb 16, 2010
Posts: 611
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As Razan was taking a leisurely stroll around Lerilin forests, he decided to stop by Circle of Friends' guild hall to see how things have been. After chatting with the guards for a few minutes a flier with the Tree Maze emblem caught his eye. "What is this!?" He shouts. He then set down his pack and pulls out his own flier and posts it right beside the other.
Need Razzle? Need Dazzle? Razzle Dazzle Inc.
As you know, it can be very hard to create the perfect BOOM to fit the occasion. Lucky for you, Razzle Dazzle Incorporated specializes in the creation of making the right type of explosion any day, any time.
Razzle Dazzle Incorporate has been responsible for making people happy with their explosions for years. As well as, mixing up the perfect display of razzle and dazzle that leaves people staring in awe and pixies in admiration.
With Razan's decent skill in mining, it is possible to set up the perfect BOOM anywhere in any way, shape, or form. Use them to; trick a friend, kill a demo, kill a cleric, throw a party, create a game, or even blow up some rocks that are in the way.
Razan is well known for his critical booms all across Oberin. With his skill and knowledge of the explosive arts, there is no job too big or too small to handle.
Prices vary on how well you want your explosion. Razzle Dazzleô guaranteed.
Contact Razan at the BTS to book your explosion.
Razzle Dazzle Inc. is responsible for all damages, injuries and any other side effects that may occur. Under no circumstances are you allowed to question Razan's authority when the explosives are being place, going off, and after the event. Use at your risk. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 18, 2012 - 10:24 PM
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Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2008
Posts: 2144
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Dear Captain Pernell,
I have joined two of the excursions organised by Jedd to collect the samples of spider blood for that strange sword project. My doubts regarding the procedure increase by the hour. I do not question Jedd's best intentions nor his integrity (far from it - he is a kind hearted fighter, and that would be by itself enough of a reason to give him full support). However, I do question Andris usual naivetÈ, and so did other elements in our latest group. Marali, for example, seemed to have been left out of the loop and to wonder why would they help Andris in a project they had not been informed about. I cannot really blame them.
Andris let a Lancaster grow in power within their walls. Andris had two senators murdered. One senator kidnapped. Now another senator is begging for the Black Hand to come and take him as well. Why would we facilitate the Black Hand's work, by bringing to Muqities the ingredients to make a sword that is sought by brigand mages, in a town that has proven so weak when it comes to defend itself from threats bigger than a wizard's pet?
Jedd's safety worries me, but the risk we all run is lower while he is the one in charge of the vials than if they are passed to Muqities without special precautions.
More than the spider queen, we have to fear what the Hand wants to do with the sword. I understand that Mirith is interested in keeping the diplomatic relations between the two cities, however, it would probably be a better idea to invite the senator to come to our town to enchant the sword. It cannot be denied that Mirith has better conditions to react in case of an attack.
What are your views on the matter, if you care to share them with your Vanguard?
Loyally,
Cassandra |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 06:58 PM
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Respectable
Joined: Jun 04, 2009
Posts: 124
Status: Offline
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Day 190 of the Waking Moon, Year 438
Shortly after Jedd's meeting with Muqities, I (the young cleric Mirrim) was having a nice chat at the Andris Bank with Negithy and making potions. After a while, Negithy took his leave and I continued with my alchemy but was interrupted by one of the guards.
"Something has been spotted by the East Gate!" he said to me.
"I am only a young cleric and can not do much alone," I replied, "but I will go and see."
When I reached the East gate, one of the guards told me he'd seen something on the road near the rocks, but couldn't leave his post to go see what it was. Alone, I ventured that way cautiously, found footprints heading East, and thought I heard distant sounds of a commotion, like lots of people, further to the East. This is a dangerous area East of the great city, but here I was .. I had to find out what was going on. Taking full advantage of my Charm of Swiftness and using invisibility potions, I made my way out past the cemetery along the road. Along the way I found additional footprints, all pointing East. Continuing warily along the road, I was not cautious enough and was seen by group of hostile scouts, Brigands and Mercenaries. Big chicken that I am, I turned tail and ran for my life. One managed to whack me with his sword, and I had no sooner outmaneuvered him when an angry black bear took a swipe at me, raking his claws down my side and nearly killing me. Luckily I had with me some full healing potions so I drank one as I ran, and made it back to the city without slipping into the grey.
I immediately reported to the guards that there were brigands and mercenaries on the beach, and then ran to the bank to see if anyone was around. The city was empty, but I went to the Inn and was able to convince messengers that Andris was in peril, and they scattered in all directions looking for help. Soon Shivani, Budic, Bertrand, Rygarth, Jedd, and Rondino answered the call and met me at the East gate. Unfortunately no other cleric had come, and I was unsure of my ability to handle the situation alone, but we had to try. I led the small party to the beach, and the brigands and mercenaries were still there. Everyone fought valiantly and I healed as well as I could, running around after the fighters and druids, healing person and pet alike, and tossing down an invisibility potion whenever one of the miscreants came after me. Only Budic fell into the grey, and I quickly resurrected him with apologies - he'd left my sight and I couldn't follow everyone ..
We found rafts and crates out in the water, and chests on the beach which we looted for reagents and food. Unfortunately Bertrand fell victim to a magic trap on one of the chests, but I was able to resurrect him also. The party decided to go out and check Crescent Island, where we discovered and trapped a lone mercenary who pleaded for his life, begging us to allow him to return home to his children. Some of the party were all for killing him anyway, but they decided to question him instead.
He was not overly forthcoming and I may have missed parts of the conversation as I took the opportunity to restock myself and the party with healing and mana potions, but he told us that he and the others had been hired to bring a cargo of supplies for the troops. Suddenly, as he was speaking, a bolt came from nowhere as if out of the heavens and struck him down! He lay dead on the beach, never to see his poor children again (if they really existed), and we milled about astonished. We found nothing else on the island when suddenly it occurred to Jedd that this had all been too easy and smacked of a diversion. Fearing for the safety of the city, we hightailed it back towards town and sure enough found our way blocked my more brigands and mercenaries.
The fighting was fierce, but everyone fought desperately, perhaps exceeding their own personal bests as we fought our way through to Andris. Miraculously no one else died. One brigand remarked, just before a sword took him through the heart, that "Our force was not strong enough". Indeed it was not, foul brigands! We dispatched every last one, cleaned up the mess, and returned to the East gate to find that none of the force had actually made it into the city. The guards thanked us for our help and we returned to the bank to share out the loot and discuss matters.
Jedd and others were of the opinion that this had something to do with the weapon for the Spider Queen, and Muqities (it may, he thinks, have been an attempt to find and kidnap him), hence I am adding my report here to this topic. If I have forgotten anyone, please forgive me. I am only a young cleric and have just been through a very stressful and terrifying experience. Please forgive me also for the lack of images, my artistic talents are poor to begin with and I was much too busy trying to keep everyone alive to worry about drawings!
Mirrim, a cleric of the Circle of Friends |
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