The Story So Far

CHAPTER 33

14/13/745 A.E.

After battling the Winter Wolves, the party came down off Mt. Windus. Fully rested and with a full compliment of spells carried by their spell casters, and well and truly healed of their injuries by the grace of divine magics, they are all alive and well (even if rather smelly). Before them lies Korale, a small harbor town and fishing village, and entering it they notice, resting in the harbor, a dwarven galleon (so called due to its diminutive size, and having nothing to do with the dwarven race). The crew is unloading a lot of cargo.

From where they stand, they can now see The White Wolf (the tavern), where there stands that uncharacteristic Continual Light lamppost for such a small town, and which illuminates their way as night approaches and the shadows grow deeper and ever more sinister with each passing moment.

Gillmesh the warrior makes his way toward the docks and secures permission to go aboard the dwarven galleon, the A.I.V. Flagstaff. After making arrangements to be taken as passengers back to Pedas, and then eventually to Alodar (the ship's intended course), Gill leaves and heads back to the White Wolf.

Jarmain has access to the bathing facility first and begins to take his bath and clean up. Garren performs on stage, being sufficiently remove from the crowd so his odor doesn't offend anyone, and the others take a common table in one corner, soon finding the other patrons giving them a wide berth, perhaps because they are leery of mighty adventurers, (but probably because they smell rather unpleasant). Curious, really, for despite such similar expeditions, they ended up smelly more foul than usual. Perhaps the odor of the Rock Bunnies lingers, despite alcohol cutting the "active" ingredient. Whatever the reason, they all await their turn for the single metal tub upstairs where a serving maid was hurriedly heating water and carrying it upstairs as fast as she could.

The White Wolf currently has many a sailor (who do not smell all that great, themselves) from the Flagstaff enjoying the comforts of the tavern. A happy bunch, a hard day's work behind them and quarts of ale in front of them, they sing to the bard's musical talents and poetics and listen to his stories. The party drinks, as well, and takes note of the fact the ale is superior to what the tavern had offered before their journey up the mountain; probably, they surmise, they are now drinking from some new stock recently taken off the Flagstaff.

Having finished his bath, Jarmain procures some simple cloths from the maid (her brother's) for the night while she promises to clean his cloths by morning. Dressing, he goes below to hear Bell challenge the entire room to a dart-throwing contest. "I'll bet any one of you here 200 gold I can get closer to a bull's eye in darts than anyone who cares to wager with me." The crowd stops in its tracks and stares. Such a wager was unprecedented in the history of the White Wolf, and a common seaman's annual wages being about 150 to 300 GP, it was little wonder. No one was willing to take her bet (no one had that kind of money). They all giggle a bit as she was obviously not serious, but then Gillmesh stands up and proclaims his willingness to accept the wager. Again, the room screeches to a halt as people stare.

A flurry of side bets begin (10 SP here, 20 SP there, etc. the largest being a single GP, but all told maybe about 500 SP worth of side bets amongst the sailors and other patrons are made). A large sailor steps forward to hold the money for the titanic bet and officiates the proceedings. He is staggered by the fact Gill has 20 platinum pieces handy (like thousand dollar bills in the U.S., you don't see those everyday). Laying down the rules, the best total score after three darts (or daggers) is arranged and Gill and Bell face off. Aarkon sneaks upstairs to take his bath, not being overly concerned with money, or the bets to win it.

The contest is anxious, but short, and Gill (through luck as much as anything) emerges the victor. An audible groan issues forth from the crowd as they feel Bell's "pain" in an empathetic response. Bell climbs the stairs to the bathroom and disappears as Aarkon returns. Below, drinking and merriment resume. Garren begins to tell tales of their own exploits, and the crowd listens with awe (and he isn't even exaggerating, though most patrons there probably will eventually think he must have been).

Lycorne replaces Bell after the mage/rogue comes down stairs in a gown, a bit wrinkled, but rather pretty, and she wears her newly acquire golden necklace procured from the dead woman they found on the Para-Elemental Plane of Ice. Gill and Garren sneak upstairs to a room Gill rented and Garren begins to ply his talents and use some magic (the ID rod) to help figure out what, if anything, has happened to Ekibar.

DM Note: It is eventually revealed that Ekibar has a new power, that being able to emulate a Ring of Fire Resistance for 12 hours/day for any one person who holds the sword. The command word is "Chilis." They also learn that heavier than usual "ice sword" they acquired was made specifically to operate on the para-elemental plane of ice, and it would be a +2 weapon there, but it is only a +1 sword on the Prime Material Plane.

Bell, not having had enough, and after downing about four more drinks, proposes the same bet, but for double the amount (400 GP). Again, low whistles, gasps, and general disbelief encompass the room. No one, not even Gill, will take her bet. "Alright. Hmm . . . Then I bet 400 gold pieces going toward donation to your town and temples, and who ever challenges me need only bet "a useful item" against it." There is much talk, but when it becomes clear Bell will accept only unusual items (even if not very valuable) only one is eventually found that she will accept. A music box (believed to be elven in origin, and probably worth about 4 GP). The town is given the box and they select their champion. Again, side bets are made, money is collected, and the large sailor will again officiate, so the contest is on. Garren gets into the tub since Gill left shortly before, but the bard didn't even know this was happening downstairs, for if he had he probably would have wished to witness such a contest. It might later make a worthy song or tale, after all.

NOTE: Now, the biggest bet in the history of Korale is about to commence. The previous largest one had been when Temakus of Handor (a rogue) bet Fentar of Essitte (a warrior) 350 GP he could hold his breath long enough and use his magic dagger to whittle a hole below the waterline into a ship's hull that was resting in the harbor in one attempt. Why they needed this to be done is not all that important, nor is this common knowledge, as it happened over 120 years ago (625 A.E.). Nevertheless, some records stand a long time until another breaks them, whether they know they are doing it or not. I only mention it because Ronson of Crowl, priest of Zeus, thoroughly disapproved of the action and he did something about it that may have lasting repercussions even to this day, though I will not say what he did here (so there).

So, despite my excursions into the past, the present bears closer scrutiny as the contest was on. Even more exciting than the last contest, and far more meaningful to the inhabitants of Korale ($40,000 dropped into a village's treasury is a heck of chunk of change), they cheer the local hero and silently wished for Bell's failure. Whether it was the gods or not, or just more bad luck, who can say, but once again the bitter taste of defeat welled up in Bell's throat as her final dart did not score high enough to beat her competitor. The town cheered, Bell sobbed, and life went on.

NOTE: Seriously, though, with that kind of money, though it took a few years, the town purchased a shipment of high grade cobblestones and paved the dock and tavern area and nearby roads until they money ran out. Eventually, with those cobblestone streets and the ever shinning Continual Light lamppost down there, Korale began to look far more prosperous than its innate economy alone could account for, and for the rest of time, anyone who saw the place for the first time would never really know why it looked so good, even if they did stop to ponder such matters, which, I can assure you, hardly ever happens. I mean, did one of the current party members even wonder why that lamppost was there? Nope. Anyway . . .

The other baths were finally completed by Katsumi and then Cyris, their meals were eaten, and more drinking ensued that successfully slaked their desires as the gentle fog of alcohol afforded some measure of bliss, and they all eventually retired to the two rooms they managed to rent (as the other two were already occupied). All retired, that is, except for Bell.

A rogue by nature, and out 600 GP, Isabelle felt the world owed her something, even more than she normally did, and she silently crept into one of the other two rooms, having quietly picked the cheap lock. Sneaking around, despite the two sleeping men there, she found a diary and stole it from under the mattress where it had been stored for safekeeping. Then she left and found a quiet corner where she began to read the private thoughts of one Bortook Glennward, able-bodied seaman from the A.I.V. Flagstaff. It was mostly some pretty bad love poetry written for his unrequited love of a girl from Alodar named Jesse Baylife.

14/14/745 A.E. A Cold, Brisk Day Begins.

In the morning, the adventurers arise and find their clothes have been cleaned (if they arranged this) and breakfast was ready downstairs, and they learned that apparently the Flagstaff was getting ready to leave that evening, one day earlier than they had been previously told. The 1st officer found Gill and informed him of this, and the group spread out to accomplish some minor tasks before it was time to leave.

Gill sold the winter wolf pelt for as much (if not more) than the cost all the furs they purchased from that very man a week before, getting their gold back, and with a profit, and having some nice winter gear should they again need it. (500 GP for the pelt, + 5 GP/worg pelt).

Jarmain found a shrine of Zeus on the outskirts of town. Its mortar was crumbling, apparently due to the oxidation of a sealed copper box encased in the wall (probably there for over a hundred years, 100 to 125 years perhaps). He decided not to open it as he felt it must have been an offering, so he paid to have the shrine repaired and sealed the metal box back up in the shrine, this time better wrapped against the elements so it wouldn't cause the mortar to degrade so quickly again.

Unfortunately, Bell, for some curious reason, started reading Bortook's poetry out loud to the audience in the inn. One man (Bortook's best friend) recognized it and accused her of stealing the diary his friend has "lost" the previous night. Bell claimed it was given to her by an odd man who then left. They do not believe her "story" and demand its return in any event. She offers to sell it to them for the music box. Outraged at being offered the opportunity to buy stolen goods, the crowd turns ugly and only by the grace of Jarmain's presence, the threat of Gill's overbearing nature, Aarkon's insistence the diary be returned, and luck (coupled with the eventual return of the diary) do things calm down without erupting into actual violence. And it helps that Garren slips various people some money to "just forget it." The crew of the Flagstaff, however, views the entire party with suspicion (and especially keep an eye on Bell). Soon, they depart for Pedas, leaving Korale to its own devices for the coming winter (with an extra 400 GP in its coffers, destined for infrastructure upgrades).

14/15/745 A.E.

A single day with good winds brings them to Pedas for a one-day lay over. Gill departs at this time since he has business in Pedas. The others go to Handor, then to Alodar. They all agree to winter the next 100 days or so pursuing their individual efforts and interests and will meet in Alodar on 01/02/746 A.E. after The High Holy Day.

WINTER of 745 A.E.

Garren and Katsumi become disenchanted with one another and both feel, though they can be friends, they should not stay together. Katsumi says she will eventually sell her place and return to Katana, but she is not leaving until summer. Garren sells his interest in the mansion to Aarkon and Cyris (gives, rather, as no money was exchanged), and says he can be found at the main Temple of Poseidon in Alodar. Both will not adventure anymore for a time as they have need to sort things out.

Gillmesh agrees to pay Strataclip (the venerable dwarven sage and expert in Ancient Dwarven matters) 150 GP more so the sage may procure a book concerning the Oroto Clan (since Gill mentioned it) to see what he can find out. Gillmesh then arranges to have their ship, the Voyager, loaded with 500 tons or 7,000 GP worth of marble (money from the sale of the furs and ice sword) and when the ship is repaired (15/10/745 A.E.), Aria sails her to Alodar (actually, it doesn't leave until much later due to weather and other considerations). They try to sell the Mystic Voyager, but the bad reputation of its maiden voyage make offers scarce, the best being 58,000 GP (for what they feel is worth 60,000 GP) but this is turned down by Gillmesh, to Aria's surprise. They retain her services (some luck for Aria?) and let her run cargo and try to earn them a profit until they can find a better offer. She sails to The Larns Archipelago with a cargo she picked up. The 7K GP marble remains in Alodar, where it will be sold by 02/01/746 A.E. for 7,560 GP, and after tithes and taxes, the group may split 7,448 GP at that time.

Jarmain practices skills, prays, and engages in other priestly duties. He also picks up some cantrips and 1st level spells through mage research. Then during the High Holy Day, he meets and befriends a local young lady named Stephy (Stephanie Sellermen, dancer, lover of books and music). Her father owns Fall's Vista, (the most affluent inn/hotel in Little Falls, where it caters to young, rich, newly married couples who come to Little Falls on their honeymoons to view the water falls, which is said to bring luck to young lovers). Stephy keeps the books for the place and has other duties (mostly shopping and cooking). Jarmain and Aarkon spend some time with Stephy, but soon the carnival is over and business as usual returns. Jarmain also invested 4,000 GP in a coaster named, THE LADY ANNE, which would only travel between the Alderami Isles and Alodar, a well-known and relatively safe shipping route.

Cyris feels lost, having finally learned it is no mistake that he has been suspended in time for 69 or 70 years (it was 676 A.E. last he knew, but it is now 746 A.E.). Everyone he knew (as far as he can find out) is dead. Eventually, regaining his composure, he tries to make a new life and he settles in with everybody's help and sets up residence in the mansion in Little Falls. He practices a few spells, travels back and forth to Alodar to conduct spell research, and spends the last days of winter investigating a peculiar geothermal phenomenon in Lake Rebel, which keeps one section of the lake free of ice all year round. He barely scratches the surface of the minor mystery before the men and women who freed him from his icy prison summon him back to Alodar. Taking the Bag of Ice Crystals with him (the magic item he still cannot figure out), he travels to Alodar.

Lycorne spends most of the time lost in Beu's arms. She does manage some practice and research, but mostly, she spends her time quietly.

Isabelle, apart from her normal studies and practices at various skills (old and new), spends an awful lot of time trying to manipulate things behind the scenes to bring Bortook and Jesse together. With the help of Mina, a priestess of Aphrodite, and considerable generosity on Bell's part with secret gifts of good fortune (i.e. money), she gets them together and Mina then sends Aphrodite's Blessing (similar to Cupid's arrow) to make them fall in love, for a time. What happens after the magic wears off is anyone's guess, and Mina tells Bell she has done all they are allowed to do in Aphrodite's name. They go back to Aphrodite's temple and pray for the best.

NOTE: Aphrodite's Blessing will make two people fall in love for a day (no save for 0th level people, save vs. death magic for 1st to 4th level, no affect on 5th or higher level people). While under the influence of the spell, it is not possible to become pregnant, sire children, or contract a STD. Nice, huh? Still, it should be used only where at least one of the targets has genuine feelings of true love. A priest or priestess of Aphrodite would otherwise not even consider casting such a spell. Nor would they ever cast it on age inappropriate people, virgins, or a person who has made clear having zero interest in another, no matter what that other person may be feeling, since it takes more than infatuation to even work.

Aarkon spends time at The Parthenon, the largest of 20 Temples of Athena in Alodar, and practices and teaches his art to some of the clerics there. His skills improve. Soon, he goes to the appointed meeting place.

01/01/746 A.E. High Holy Day, the moons, Pholar and Scepter, eclipse one another while both are in full phase; it is the first day of spring and the first day of a new year. There are many celebrations, and the party members all do whatever it is they do on this day.

NOTE: Annual game bookkeeping occurs on this day (characters add 1 to their age, collect incomes, pay known annual expenses and upkeeps, etc. regardless of when a character's actual birthday might be.

NOTE: 'Income' for adventurers can be any on-going family concern for the PC, or revenue from investments made during the campaign, and that don't really require their personal attention. The Mystic Voyager, for example, might be set up to run cargo in relatively safe waters, and an established income might be determined to let this investment care for itself with hireling NPCs doing most of the work, for a salary, which first is deducted from any profits as part of that investment's overhead. At year's beginning, such income would be accrued by the PCs who held the investments.

01/02/746 A.E.

The day after the celebrations, Gillmesh, in a pub near the docks of the Alodarian Harbor, relates his horrific tale of "injustice" to his fellow party members, himself having just returned from Pedas. Strataclip, the dwarven sage, relayed the information he found concerning the Oroto Clan. Long dead for many, many centuries (they lived about 2,000 years ago, but didn't finally die out until about 1,200 years ago), the Oroto clan of dwarves vied for control of the dwarven people and rivaled the Pedas Royal Line at that time. Strataclip expressed his feelings Ekibar was created by the Oroto (though how is a mystery) and they were somehow using it to gain control over the Pedas line. The sage began to speculate about possible meanings when Gill again recited the latest poem and asked about it again.

"In times past, when bright and true, a song bird came and then he knew, 'twas not the fight for valor true, but quest of stone of light of blue. Tarry not on ice domain, sally forth to claim thy reign, but stay thy hand 'gainst those so dark, and seek your cause on Esterark."

The meaning was unclear to Strataclip, except he recognized the word "Esterark" as an ancient elven word, though its meaning escaped him. He suggested an elven sage might help discover its meaning. As for the Oroto, nothing else really seemed to bear on the matter. At that time Gill "suggested" the sage's research wasn't worth 200 GP. Offended, the dwarf asked the warrior to leave and seek his answers elsewhere, ripping up the contracts between the pair. Gill felt he was being cheated and would not go until guards were summoned. He even demanded his money back. Calling the sage a thief and impugning his reputation in other ways, Gill was led away to where he made a complaint to the dwarven magistrate that he didn't get what he paid for.

Several attempts were made by various people to explain he paid for research, got it, but simply because he didn't like the results, that was not the sage's fault. Gill, on the other hand, maintained the sage didn't tell him all he knew and overreacted and took offense rather quickly, probably to conceal the fact his research really wasn't worth 200 GP. However it happened or went down, Gill filed suit and has a court date on 04/01/746 A.E. where he, along with any council he cares to bring, may plea his case. Failure to show up, of course, would result in forfeiture and bar any further claim Gill might make against the dwarf on this issue. Feeling rather used and abused, Gill left Pedas and returned to Alodar and lamented his story to his friends.

It was decided to use the Lady Anne's fringe benefits (of being able to sometimes get free passages to Alderami and back) to travel to the elven city in search of a sage on matters of ancient elven languages. It only took one day to get there from Alodar since that elven island cluster is just a short skip across a relatively narrow ocean channel.

01/03/746 A.E.

The magnificent city of Alderami could be seen from miles away as they approached it. On the tip of the largest of the isles, a stand of Mimbar Trees stretched out for miles in all directions.

NOTE: Mimbar trees grow in shallow salt water, can reach heights of well over 150 feet, have diameters of up to 15 to 20 feet (or 100 to 125 feet in circumference), and live for a millennia or more. They have tube-like structures in the leaves, visible veins within which there can drain the filtered water, now pure, and which can be collected in great quantity, when necessary. Also, the leaves are rather salty and once drained, and may actually be used in food preparation in many of the same ways common table salt would be used. The leafy material, properly drained, cleaned, dried, and prepared, can also be made into excellent filters. The elven people consider mimbar trees holy, and their wood is only used after a tree dies of natural causes, or when the proper ceremony is first performed to releases their spirit (but that is rarely done, and never merely for profit). Magic is also often used to help branches grow in desired directions, shaping the branches to better accommodate incredibly wide spaces for roads and market places well above the water below.

Affixed to each tree are the rope riggings that lash expansive treehouse-like buildings and platforms 60 to 100 feet above the water (all without cutting into the trees) and sometimes as many as 10 levels would be on a mature tree. Wooden planks of mimbar make walkways and plaza squares. Where the trees are too far apart, rope bridges span the distances, interlinking thousands of mimbar trees where structures are built between the canopy above and the water below on many different levels. Near the water, many (not all) trees also have docks and spiral wooden stairs circling the trunks and leading up into the city above. It is said over 600,000 high elves, half elves, humans, and others races make up the population of the capital city of Alderami, and once inside, you can get anywhere within the city for miles and miles without having to use boats.

The party docked, and while the crew unloaded the shipment of grains and the passengers departed, they went up to see the city. On the boardwalks one could not even tell they were high in the air or above water, and at least this section of the city looked rather human in design (though fully half of the people living in such commercial areas are human or half elves). Temples, shrines, shop after shop, pushcarts, venders, and a crowd milling about so thick it was sometime hard to walk around without getting bumped and jostled, the capital city greeted them. The only obvious things missing were the greater illumination (most of the sun light being blocked out by the canopy, though this doesn't bother the elves with their innate Infravision, or those of other races since numerous, well-placed Continual Lights brighten the commercial districts), and animals, like horses or other beasts of burden, since they were also absent (apparently everybody walks around here, even if the trip is miles long).

Signs everywhere were posted in the three main languages spoken there, which were Alderami (aka Elven), Trade (aka Common), and Mostoli (aka Dwarvish), in that order. Thankfully those signs were there, or what would otherwise be a virtual maze might hamper their progress through and around the city.

Jarmain, Gillmesh, and Aarkon find the information offices for tourists (a handy thing, and sponsored by the local chamber of commerce since it helps to direct people to where the goods they want are being sold) and there they inquire about a sage who might be proficient in Ancient Elven. They obtain the information; an elven sage named Rankin knows much about the ancient verbal heritage (ancient elven was never a written language). He lives 2 hours away and they walk to there, to this more residential area, get some food, and then wait for him, at his son's request, until he comes home. Eventually he does and they confer with him.

"Greetings, Sir. My friends and I seek one well versed in the ancient elven language. Could you possibly aid us in translating a word?" inquired Jarmain. Rankin seemed well able and agreed to hear the word. "Esterark. We wish to know its meaning." The sage frowns. "Just that? I thought perhaps I'd be able to sell something, but if that's all your want, it means 'Bright Mountain'." Gill mumbles comments about already getting something hundreds of times more valuable from this sage without even offering a copper piece, though the iterative accumulation of knowledge and the fact he wouldn't have even known to seek an elven sage in the first place without Strataclip's information continues to elude him. So Gill simply instead wonders how Shinning Star (Ekibar's meaning in ancient Dwarvish) and the Bright Mountain, an Elvish word, and the fact Ekibar has powers of light, all somehow tie together. When the sage learns there is more to the story, he asks to hear it, all under the "usual conditions." Jarmain inquires what those are.

NOTE: Sages and sage guild members are ethically bound not to share information with others for a set period of time. This practice arose as such information could be sold to other rival adventurers and a sort of race might ensue, often times making less scrupulous adventurers kill sages to keep them quiet after they got what they wanted, and evil adventurers seek, find, and murder lesser, weaker adventurers for their troubles after finding interesting and potentially profitable information and bringing it to a sage for analysis. Nobody really wanted all that unpleasantness. Well, nobody decent. Thus, at peril of one's license and reputation, sages may be paid a small fee to sit on the information for a year, paid to sit on it longer, or paid to sit on it in perpetuity (each payment being more than the last, naturally). Unless specifically negotiated, whatever payment the sage asks will assume one year of silence (even if no payment is agreed and offered). Naturally, if those who "own" this information should deign to make it public knowledge, the sage would be free to sell it or discuss it with anyone they wish even before the year elapsed. All of this means, of course, amongst other things, that soon the general knowledge sage, Pierce of Alodar, may sell information concerning the whereabouts of the stronghold of Sir Gerald and the wizard Mireus, unless one of the original party members pays him to keep quiet for another year. But I suspect most current party members aren't too worried about that nigh year old contract lapsing at this point, having virtually given up on that dungeon complex.

So, they recite the newly acquire bit of poetry after the sage explains the usual contract (not that they haven't heard similar terms before - they just don't remember the details, so it never hurts to remind them.

"In times past, when bright and true, a song bird came and then he knew, 'twas not the fight for valor true, but quest of stone of light of blue. Tarry not on ice domain, sally forth to claim thy reign, but stay thy hand 'gainst those so dark, and seek your cause on Esterark."

Rankin looks thoughtful, and then he smiles since he realizes he has information worth selling after all. "Esterark, yes, then you do not seek its meaning so much as you wish to know more about it, I'm certain of that. Specifically, the fact there is such a place, and you would probably like to know where it is might be worth something to you, am I right?"

They negotiate and Rankin settles on the price of 5 GP since he feels while the information is valuable, he does not have to actually research anything. They agree and pay it. "Esterark was a mountain, oh, several, no, at least one millennia ago. It was destroyed, some say, by the wrath of the gods, while others simply think a quake brought it down and most of it sank into the sea. The very top remains, however, though it is now nothing but an island remnant, really. But I'll show you on your map exactly where that is." He does this and they learn the island remnant is 6 miles north of Peric.

Peric is also part of the Alderami Isles, but unlike all the other cities, this one is populated with Gray Elves (and they do not interact with humans too well. However, a few high elves often act as go-betweens, and most of their city is not open to humans at all, even though a very small area near the port would be).

Returning to the business district, they hook up with Bell (who has been doing "things") and they rest there for the night. Resting and praying and a small overnight stay accomplished, they book passage on yet another coaster (The Lady Anne does not go to Peric so this is a different ship) for 5 EP each (two days) or 8 EP each, including 3 simple meals per day.

01/04/746 A.E.

Setting out the next day, they soon arrive at Peric after an uneventful two-day trip.

01/06/746 A.E.

SESSION ENDS:

End Of Chapter 33

© July of 2000
by
James L.R. Beach
Waterville, MN 56096