Roland: Chaos Lord of Oard (Mark van Dyk)
Xalandra: Psychic Warrior of Karzho (Chris Bradley)
Phoebe: Sorceress (Dawn)
Ammrah the Wild: Wild Mage (Barbara Darlage)
Gaspar: Cleric of Wemusa (Allen Myers)
Joriku: Master of Ni-Hyaku Lung Gachan (Vincent Darlage)
Roland sat in the library of his castle reading many quaint and curious volumes
of forgotten lore. The table in front of him was littered with ancient
books, tomes older than Roland cared to think about. One volume in
particular was holding his strongest interest: Dreams and Dream Manipulation
by Faughn. In it, Faughn theorized that the Great Old Ones talked to
people in dreams, reaching out to people in their sleep, promising great power
and magic for obedience, making those who accept into something more than
human. Faughn theorized that Grindill, using the Nan Curinir and
other authorities, managed to walk the dreamscapes of the Old Ones. Also,
in the margins of the tome, were written copious notes in the hand of Grindill
himself, notes that indicated that Grindill had taken something powerful from
those ancient dreamscapes and used it for power, and ultimately hid it in the
dreams of another. Other notes indicated how the demi-urge of a dead god,
the semi-sentient imprint of a god's existence in the world, remains after
death, and how loosed divinity, often massed into divinity sparks could be used
with godsblood to somehow capture a dead god's power. The notes were cryptic and incomplete, but they gave
Roland an idea or two.
The easiest
way to find where Grindill hid the Clock of Time was just to check out his
dreams. Of course, Grindill was dead. Chronomancy? Roland
flipped through another book that sat beside him. It was an ancient
volume, one that was filled with disinformation and errors, but it did have a
curious idea within it. Flipping through Dream Liches by Hanet he
found the passage he sought: "Ideas have power and belief makes power
real. Even when the power of a god fails, its memories linger on - along
with the god's dreams." In the margins, Grindill had written,
"The dreams of a god are far more directed and stable than mortal dreams,
embodying the nature of the god. By seizing the symbol of power within a
god's dreams, one might be able to usurp that god's portfolio and reality."
Roland closed
the book. Further answers would not be found here. Only in Kharzho
could he find what he needed.
Roland,
Xalandra, Phoebe, Ammrah, Gaspar, and Joriku all gathered around the psi-gate.
Roland, dressed a bit like a peddler or tinkerer, wore an old wide-brimmed hat,
a worn and threaded cloak, a loose shirt with wide sleeves, a dusty pair of
trousers, and a dirty pair of well-worn work boots. A crystal on a leather
string dangled around his neck. An ancient aura hung on him like a shroud,
one that seemed both boon and bane. Xalandra, a pretty woman with a
bald, tattooed head that sported a single lock of hair, was dressed in
loose-fitting clothing and gripped a savage halberd of magical power.
Phoebe had pretty blonde hair and could mesmerize men by her poise and
lubricity. Her dress was modest, but seemed to enhance her beauty.
She was slender, and wonderfully graceful, despite a certain languidness in her
movements. Her complexion was rich and brilliant and her eyes were large,
dark, and lustrous. Her blonde hair was exquisitely fine and soft, and her
smile was pretty, but unexplainably melancholy. Ammrah was also beautiful,
her dark blonde hair had four braids in it, and her eyes held a mischievous
glint in them and her smile meant trouble. She dressed simply, wearing a
light purple blouse, a rich purple bodice, and a long royal purple skirt. A
woolen cloak, dyed purple, hung on her shoulders. She carried a long staff
that was surmounted by a large amethyst. Gaspar dressed in blackened scale
armor and had a gauntness about him that was somewhat unnerving. Joriku,
an oriental, dressed in a simple tunic and a pair of trousers. He had long
wispy hair, and a thin goatee.
The psi-gate
was a large block of stone that stood in the bowls of the castle, surrounded by
books of arcane lore. Somewhere in the room lurked an invisible demon
tasked to guard the psi-gate from damage.
"Where
are we going?" asked Xalandra.
"Kharzho," said Roland.
"Where
is Kharzho?" asked Ammrah. She waved to no one in particular.
"Dagam," said Roland. "North of Drychtnoth."
"Oh,
yes," she said, remembering.
Roland
activated the psi-gate. The stone began to hum, and each of those present
could feel a slight vibration in the floor. The humming grew louder, and a
mist swirled out from the stone. Their bodies began to tremble a little as
they each, one by one, stepped into the stone. They perceived a
flash of light, but felt nothing at all, but a strange, cold detachment.
For an instant that lasted a long time they hung in dense blackness, a
nothingness that enveloped them. The nothingness gave way to a point of
light, a point of light that expanded, and a shock ran through their
bodies. Suddenly each of them could feel their bodies, feel their flesh
encompassing their previously free-floating consciousness, feel the weight of
gravity. They were standing outside a green crystal psi-gate on a yellow
crystal landing inside a multi-faceted, multi-hued crystalline building.
They were in Kharzho.
Behind them,
the amethyst dragon that guarded this psi-gate, to prevent intruders from
entering the city this way, relaxed. Unmoving, it looked like a mere
crystal statue of a dragon. The crystal structure of the City of Dreams
surprised and pleased Gaspar, who had never been here. He saw a merchant
selling crystal statues of hens and roosters. Immediately he went down the
spiral crystal stairs and bought one. Detecting magic, he found the
whole place radiated with it.
Roland
dismissed the obvious facade of Kharzho, instead leading the party directly to
the crystal temple of Byleth Hob to purchase a means into the dreamscape.
As they walked through the crystal city, strange things happened. Chairs
would walk away, dumping those that sat upon them, birds would fly in pretty
patterns, and crystal cobblestones would trade places with each other.
With each strange occurrence, Roland muttered a quiet, "Sorry."
His field of Chaos was much stronger and larger when Ammrah walked near
him. He kind of liked it though. Finally, they reached the Temple of
Byleth Hob, the Dreaming God.
Inside the
colossal crystal temple, people milled about on the main floor. He saw the
blue robed priests and priestesses of the temple and approached one. Her
flaxen hair lay long and straight over the light blue of her robes, and her
clothing hung in loose folds that somehow managed to emphasize the rounded
breasts and limbs of the young woman.
"We need
to enter dreamland," said Roland. "What can you do to help?"
"Well," said she, "We have blue lotus distillations and dream
willow bark. Which would you prefer?"
"What's
the difference?"
"Blue
lotus allows you to enter the dreamscape, but you can be awakened
normally. Dream willow bark is stronger, and you will not wake up for at
least eight hours."
"The
cost of each? We have six people who need to travel."
"Fifty
gold coins each for the blue lotus potions, and we can get you a strip of dream
willow bark for five thousand in gold that will take care of all six of
you."
"I don't
fancy being out for eight hours without an option of awakening," said
Roland. The others agreed with him. "We'll take the blue lotus
potions." The priestess nodded and left to get the
potions. On returning, Roland paid out three hundred gold coins.
"Can we
get a private room?" he asked. The priestess said that could be
arranged. He asked then if the room could be guarded. Again she said
that such could be arranged. "Do it," said Roland.
She led them to a private chamber on the third floor of the temple. It was
a dark blue crystal room arranged with soft beds and pillows. She assigned
a priestess to stand watch in the room, and an acolyte to stand guard outside
the room.
Each of them
lay down on the beds and took the draught of blue liquid. Sleep came
quickly to each, and with sleep came the dreams.
They found
themselves outside of a large walled city, about a mile out, on a road.
The city was marked by colossal structures and statues, all of which honored
Grindill the Arch-mage Sovereign. The buildings within the wall were all
well tended. Blues, greens, purples, blacks and browns were the
predominant colors, but of the darker shades, not the brighter ones. The
city boasted an orderly arrangements of buildings. Those buildings were
large and elaborately decorated, each carefully designed for its purpose.
The hills and low mountains that rose up to the east of the city were also
dominated by giant statues. Roland explained to them all that
if they died here, they would hurt a little, but it would probably not kill them
in the real world. The possibility existed, but death was not likely.
Approaching the city, they were stopped by a group of twelve black armored
knights, each bearing a shield emblazoned with a red battleaxe on a black
field. Each of the knights wore black plate armor and rode huge black
warhorses, each also decked out in black plate barding. Their were
decorated plates over their heads with horns and more plates on the chest and
sides. The ground thundered as the heavy horses rode up on the party.
Although warhorses were nothing new to anyone present, these horses looked
bigger and more impressive than any horse they had ever seen before. The
knights and their mounts dominated the scene. Both were decorated with
scalps that hung from their armor, adding to their
intimidating presence.
The lead knight
said, "Who are you, and why are you here, at Catemar?"
Roland said,
"We seek answers. I am Roland, this is Joriku, Phoebe, Gaspar,
Xalandra, and Ammrah."
"Well
met then, Roland. I am Sir Adilbrand Noblesword, Duke of Kalen.
Cause no problems, and my men and I will not have to slay you."
"We
intend no trouble, sir knight," said Roland.
"Good. There are those who dream to usurp Grindill's dream. See
to it that you are not such a person." Adilbrand kicked his warhorse
back into motion. The knights thundered on
past them. Roland watched them circle around the city and noticed that
they were following a well trod path. Apparently these twelve knights did
nothing but circle the city repeatedly. Roland decided they should also
circle the city, and see what could be seen. He was wondering if he was
not already within the Master Clock of Time.
At the head
of the city, on the opposite end of the entry gates along the south wall, stood
two men in black cloaks and clothing. They held red rods. The men
stared at each other. Roland asked them who they were.
"We
guard the secret."
"What
secret?" asked Ammrah.
"If we
told, then it would not be a secret."
After a few
more equally pointless answers, Roland decided to just leave the pair
alone. He noticed a lot of people seemed to be walking in circles around
the city, all but one. He led the party to that one man. Ammrah
waved at the man for no particular reason.
The man stood
there, looking over the wall designs. He was dressed in white and had no
weapons. He had the dusky skin of a foreigner. Roland stopped next
to him and said, "Greetings, are you native to this city?"
"No," the stranger replied. "I got here just a few minutes
ago." He was a dreamwalker like they.
"Where
are you from?"
"Alisander."
"I am
Roland, this is Joriku, Ammrah, Phoebe, Xalandra, and Gaspar."
"Why
does Ammrah keep waving at me?"
"Because. What is your name?"
"That's
not important."
"I guess
not," said Roland. "Why are you here?"
"Not
important either. You wouldn't want to tell me why you are here, would
you?"
"Well,
no. Talking about it here might trigger defenses."
"There
you have it."
"Perhaps
our journey lies along similar paths. Would you like to accompany
us?"
"Sure," said the man.
As they
journeyed to the entrance, they discovered the man worked for Lord Nadam of
Alisander, and was sent here by one of Nadam's advisor's, Ordiss Ool.
Other than that, they uncovered little else. Arriving at the front gates
of the city, they saw a stream of people walking into the city. No one was
leaving, but an unending horde was walking in. The river of people
extended for miles, going up into the mountains.
"I have
heard stories of this city," said Xalandra. "None of them good.
Too bad Spaulding isn't here; He's native to Catemar."
"I am a
little nervous about going in. Let's see where these people are coming
from."
The scene shifted and the party found themselves on a mountain top. To one
side of the mountain, they could see the city of Catemar. On the other
side of the mountain was a vast nothingness. Laying on top of this
mountain was a huge, nude woman. Her legs were spread wide, and from the
opening in her crotch, the people were walking out. They walked down
the mountain into the city of Catemar. From their new vantage point, they
saw that in the center of the city was a tower, one that was infinitely
tall. The people flowing into the city were walking straight into that
tower, and the tower seemed to be growing, raising taller and taller, as the
people entered into it. The tower seemed to be consuming the people.
Ammrah thought the tower must represent the Tower of Magic.
"Why is
there nothingness on the other side of the mountains?" asked Xalandra.
The stranger
answered. "Even though a god's dreams persist after death, eventually even
they fade."
"How are we supposed to find the Clock of Time?"
"I think
this whole dream is the Clock of Time," said Roland.
"What
makes you think that?" asked Xalandra.
"Look at
it. Those knights going clockwise around the city. Everyone is going
clockwise around the city. At the center, a huge tower. The city is
circular."
"I am
not so sure," said Xalandra.
"Let's
get into that city," said Roland.
"I don't
want to go through the front gates," said Xalandra. "We might
get caught up in that river of people and consumed by that tower."
"Well,
there must be another entrance," said Roland.
Outside the
city gates, Roland stopped Sir Adilbrand again. "Is there another
entrance to the city?"
"No," said Adilbrand, and he and his eleven warriors thundered on past
the party, continuing their circle.
Roland said,
"I think I can make my own door." He concentrated his
focus. He knew this was a dream, and wasn't reality. He knew dreams
were mutable. He focused on a door being in the wall, and there it was.
Ammrah pulled
open the door. Inside was a hallway composed of sharp teeth. Roland
concentrated his mind again, and the hallway became one of stone. He led
the way through the hallway.
Passing
through another door, they walked into the streets of Catemar. It seemed
like a normal city, for the most part. Perhaps more organized than most,
and definitely cleaner. People seemed to mill around, tending to move in
circular directions. Gaspar said, "I will fly up and see what can be
seen from above." Roland nodded.
Gaspar flew
up into the sky. Unfortunately, he did not realize that Catemar had a long
standing rule about flight. No one was allowed to fly higher than the city
walls. It allowed the archers and other defenders to identify intruders
better. As Gaspar rose up above the walls, one of the city defenders, an
elder wyrm, noticed and took wing.
Roland saw
the dragon rise and ushered the rest of the party back into the hallway in the
wall. He didn't want to be attacked by the dragon.
The dragon
was colossal, and dwarfed the city beneath it. Gaspar saw it
immediately. The dragon pulled in a breath and unleashed a hellish inferno
of fire that wrapped around the cleric like a shroud. Burnt
and hurting, Gaspar teleported down to his companions.
"What
are you doing here?" asked Roland, exasperated. He would lead
the dragon right to them. The wall rumbled with the impact of the
dragon. "Damn it! Couldn't you have gone somewhere else?"
"Hey! I'm hurt!" said Gaspar, crouching against the wall,
smoking. His skin was peeling and blackened from the intense heat of that
inferno. He wasn't even sure how he had survived. The wall started to
crumble as the dragon continued to rip it down, stone by stone, layer by layer.
The door to
the outside of the city opened, and Sir Adilbrand Noblesword rode in.
"I thought I told you to stay out of trouble." The wall
continued to shake with the terrific impacts of the dragon. The black
knight said, "You are without horses. I shall dismount."
He swung down from the horse, and the black steed vanished from the hall.
Sir Adilbrand pulled out his infamous vorpal battle axe. Roland cocooned
the knight in ectoplasm, a blast of light erupting from him as he manifested the
power. Sir Adilbrand struggled, but could not free himself. The wall
shook again and the door splintered down the middle.
Roland tried
to change reality. If he was going to die here, and be sent back to
Kharzho, then he wanted to find out what he needed to know. The reality of
the dream refused to budge. "Help me!" said Roland.
The whole party concentrated on giving Roland power. Roland concentrated
on only being able to see what he needed to see, to see only the information,
the knowledge, he sought. The walls shook again, and the door smashed
inward, spraying splinters into the hallway. Suddenly Roland could only
see a little girl, floating in the air. The little girl must be in a tower
he could no longer see, thought Roland. The little girl said, "I
protect the other secret. He is trapped. You must unchain Grindill
and release him. Here are the keys." Suddenly, in Roland's
hand, was an iron key ring with two iron keys on it.
Then the
dragon stuck its snout into the hallway and breathed its fire along the
hallway. Roland, protected by magic, felt the heat, and it hurt, but it
was bearable. However, he saw his companions catch fire and burn away to
mere blackened skeletons. The screams were a little harder to bear.
The scorched skull of Phoebe rolled at his feet, smoke issuing from its empty
eye sockets and empty nose. The hallway crumbled further as the dragon
pushed its head into the hallway. Roland chose to awaken as the teeth
closed around him.
In the
crystal room of Kharzho, everyone was sitting up, sweating, terrified.
They felt beaten, bruised. And they were sunburned, somehow. Roland
opened his eyes and looked in his hands. There were the keys.
After Gaspar
had healed them of the strange wounds they had suffered, they asked the guard
how long they had slept. The guard told them they had only laid down
moments before. "We need more of the blue lotus," said
Roland. The guard nodded and left the room.
Kari, the
priestess of Byleth Hob, found the party gathered outside of their private
room. She had brought more potions with her. She collected the three
hundred gold coins from Roland, then she knocked on a door a few rooms
away. The door opened, and the stranger they had met in their dreams
stepped out, paying his gold for another draught of blue lotus extract.
Roland
immediately stepped forward once Kari walked away. He stood in front of
the stranger. "We aren't in Grindill's dream any longer. Why
were you there?"
"I don't
have to tell you. Would you want to tell me why you were there?"
Roland
considered. Perhaps information sharing wouldn't be out of the
question. Besides, it would be a good way to find out if this guy needs to
be killed. "Very well. We are looking for the Master Clock of
Time. Grindill hid it, so we are examining his dreams to find out
where."
"Interesting," said the man. "But that has no bearing on my
mission, so leave me be."
"I don't
think you understand," said Roland. "You will tell me what you
are up to."
"So be
it. I seek the location of Grindill's death."
Roland didn't
like the sound of that. The death site of a god would be where divinity
sparks and godsblood would be found. What would Lord Nadam want with
that? What was going on here? "Why would Lord Nadam want to
know where Grindill died?"
"Mine is
not to reason why, nor to ask my lord such things."
"If he
gets this information, he could become the next Grindill!"
"So?"
"Surely
you could not want such a thing."
"I must
do what I am told, or my family will be put into danger."
"Were
you threatened?"
"No, I
just understand what will happen."
"Was it
Lord Nadam or his counselor?"
"Does it
matter? Ordiss Ool speaks for Lord Nadam."
"What is
your name?"
"Does it
matter?"
"What
is your name?"
After a few
more minutes of arguing, the man returned to his room. Roland returned to
his party and told them the situation. Someone was after Grindill's
power. Roland sent his psi-crystal into the room to spy on things.
The man drank his potion and lay down on a soft bed with blue covers.
Ammrah said
the man looked and spoke like he was under some kind of enchantment. She
said, "While you were talking to him, I thought he might be under the
influence of evil, like a vampire, but his robes covered his neck and I couldn't
see anything."
"A vampire?" asked Roland. Of course, he knew Lord Nadam was
once a vampire. Did anyone know for sure that vampirism was really a
curable disease? "We need to check," said Roland. Joriku
stepped forward and said, "I can get into his room."
"Go," said Roland. "Check that guy out for wounds."
Joriku
relaxed, then vanished. He appeared in the man's room. Roland could
see him through the psi-crystal. Joriku put one fist into his palm and
pronounced, "Other-Worldly Door Technique."
Quickly,
Joriku looked the man over. He did not have bite wounds on his neck.
Joriku pulled back the man's sleeves, and found prominent wounds on the man's
right arm. He displayed the wounds to the psi-crystal so Roland could have
a good look.
After
restoring the man's clothes as they were, Joriku relaxed again, and
vanished. Re-appearing in Roland's room, Joriku put his fist into his
other palm and said, "Otherworldly Door Technique."
"I have
got to learn that," said Xalandra.
"So what
does that mean?" asked Ammrah.
"He's a
vampire is what it means," said Roland. "Joriku, go get a stake
and kill that man."
Joriku shook
his head. "No. I cannot stake a living man. He had a
heart beat."
"You've
killed all kinds of people," argued Roland.
"Not
while they slept," said Joriku, a bit hurt that Roland saw him as some sort
of assassin.
"Is he
undead?" asked Phoebe.
"I guess
so," said Roland.
"No," said Ammrah. "He is just under the power and
influence of a vampire, probably Lord Nadam. If we kill the master vampire
before this man dies, then he will be freed."
Roland said,
"I need to speak with myself for a bit. Give me some
time." They nodded, and let Roland have the room to himself.
Roland concentrated his mind. For a normal sentient being,
consciousness and self-awareness is an instantaneous point in the
ever-forward-moving present. However, Roland, a Chaos Lord of Oard could expand
his awareness beyond and through that point, sending his consciousness through
all his possible pasts, presents, and futures. During this moment, Roland could
perceive an effect without or before its cause, he could think to all his
possible selves, transmitting a message through every point in his existence. It
was taxing, but worth the price. Roland tried to remember the
future. What would happen if this man went forward unimpeded with his
plans?
Suddenly Roland knew. He remembered the future. Lord Nadam was
dead. Grindill ruled Alisander, gripping all the world with fear.
Roland
summoned in his companions. "We have to kill that guy."
"Why?" asked Ammrah.
"If we
let him go on, Grindill will come back. Lord Nadam will be dead."
"Dead as
in dead, or dead as in an undead vampire?" asked Ammrah.
"I don't
know," said Roland. "Dead."
"Something isn't right here. This guy can't be that important.
Does Lord Nadam live if we kill this guy?"
"I don't
know. I just remembered what would happen if we let him go.
Obviously we can't let him go. We have to whack him."
"I don't
like this," said Ammrah. "What if we just end the
enchantment?"
"Can you
do that? I sure can't."
"I
can," said Gaspar. "A restoration spell should
work."
"I don't
know. Let me see if I can remember that," said Roland. He
retreated to the room again. Joriku said, "I can take you to the
man's room, if you wish."
"Otherworldly door technique?" asked Gaspar.
"Yes. Otherworldly door technique."
"Sounds
good. Let's give it a shot."
Joriku
relaxed, and touched Gaspar. They vanished. When they
reappeared in the stranger's room, Joriku put his fist into his other palm and
announced, "Otherworldly door technique."
Gaspar knelt
next to the sleeping man and said a small prayer to the god of death, Wemusa,
asking to spare the man from the ravages of undeath. Gray energies poured
from Gaspar and he pronounced the man clean. Joriku returned Gaspar to the
others.
Roland came
out of his room. "It won't matter. The same result, no matter
what we do to this man."
"He's
just a small cog then," said Ammrah.
"Yes. But if we can do something, we may delay some stuff so we have
time to act and take care of the big cogs later."
Gaspar said,
"That stranger is clean now. I restored him."
"Good," said Roland. "Let's wake him."
Awakened and
disoriented, the stranger was brought to Roland. He was shown that the
bite marks on his wrist were gone. The man had a completely different
attitude, and even spoke with an eastern accent. Roland realized the man
had been under considerable enchantment before.
"What is
your name?"
"Azibar,"
said the man.
"Where
are you from?"
"Azrael,
but for the past year I have lived in Ingara."
"Where
does your family live?"
"Azrael."
"You are
part of the Saudian forces?"
"Yes. I
was delivering a message to the Ingaran ambassador from General
Al-Nasim."
"What
was the message?"
"I can't
tell you that."
"Do you
know what Lord Nadam had ordered you to do?"
"Find
the location of the Grindill's demise. I don't know why I was
chosen."
"I need
to know what your message to the ambassador was."
The man told
him. Basically some treaty stuff, trade negotiation information, some
information about a city called Deenant, and other mundane things that an
ambassador would need to know. Roland told the man to go back home to
Ingara.
"I am
not sure what to do now," said Roland. "I have these keys, but I
am not sure what to do with them or where to put them."
"We are
supposed to unchain Grindill," said Xalandra.
"That is
something I don't want to do, either," said Roland. "We need to
go back to Grindill's dream."
Back in the
room, they fell asleep again after taking the blue lotus extract. They
found themselves standing in the mountains, overlooking a triangular
castle. Roland cursed. He wanted to be back at Catemar.
He summoned up internal power and forced the dream to shift. Suddenly,
they were back at Catemar, again standing outside of it. The scene was
exactly as they saw it before. As they approached the city, they were
stopped by Sir Adilbrand Noblesword and his knights again, just as before.
Roland
created the door and the hallway again, and again made himself see only the
little girl. He shifted the scene at this point so that the party was
standing in front of the little girl who gave him the keys earlier. She
was a young girl of such astounding beauty of face that he had never seen or
dreamt of. Masses of bright, wavy, brown hair fell to her waist.
Deep violet eyes looked out from under long, curling lashes, and those eyes
seemed to dance with laughter.
"Who are
you?" asked Roland.
"I am
the second guardian. I hold the keys. Grindill hid them here because
he figured no one would think to ask me for them, being a child as I am.
Most people ignore children as being unimportant, despite the importance of
children in history right now."
"How
many guardians are there?"
"I don't
know," said the child. "But I do know you need to release Grindill's
superego."
"I am
not so sure that is a good idea."
"That is
because you don't understand the mind. The ego, id, and superego all
co-exist here. The superego is the last element of the subconscious to
develop. It governs notions of conscience, ethics, and morality. In
an evil person, the superego is restrained. In the case of Grindill, he
chained up his superego. Unchain the superego of Grindill, and you can
take the first steps toward your goal. The ego does not know where the
Master Clock of Time is. Those keys will unlock the chains that hold the
superego in check."
Suddenly the
dream shifted again, and they found themselves back in the mountains,
overlooking a triangular castle. Roland cursed. Did Grindill shift
the dream back, or was it his chaos field? When Ammrah was around, his
chaos field did some strange things, and was extremely powerful.
Looking down
at the castle, they saw an eight foot tall man walk out of the central
tower. Roland concentrated his efforts to see Grindill's superego.
Suddenly, he could see Grindill, in one of the dungeons beneath the
tower.
"Alright, we are going to teleport there," said Roland. He
caused the appropriate magic to occur and the party vanished.
Pain.
Pain was what each person felt as they were ripped asunder by the anti-teleport
magic that surrounded Grindill's keep.
They woke up again in Kharzho. Roland slammed his fist down. He
should have anticipated the anti-teleport field. Everyone was
shaking. Their bodies were black and blue from bruises. The
expulsion from the god's dreams was hard. Gaspar put his healing magic to
good use, and everyone rested as Roland sent the guard for more blue lotus
extract.
The guard
arrived with Kari, and she took the 300 gold pieces from Roland. Kari left
and the party lay back down, drinking the potions. Sleep came quickly to
them. Again, they began to dream, and Roland directed them to
Grindill's dream.
They found
themselves in another city, one they did not recognize. The streets were
cobblestone, and the buildings were of a different design than those in
Catemar. Roland cursed. How could they find Grindill's superego
here? He gathered his might and forced the dream to shift. They
returned to the mountains outside the triangular castle.
Watching the
castle, they saw the eight foot tall giant walk out of the central tower
again. The giant had a long beard, and looked quite brutish. He had
what looked like a glass or crystal two handed sword strapped to his back.
"Now
what?" asked Xalandra.
"We go
down to the castle," answered Roland.
"I am
going to be invisible," said Gaspar.
"That
would be a good idea for us all," said Roland. Everyone used what
magic or willpower they had to become invisible. They descended down
toward the castle.
The
drawbridge was down, and a single guard lounged carelessly next to the open
gates. Interestingly, he didn't seem to be paying much attention to the
few people coming and going across the drawbridge, in and out of the gate.
Xalandra supposed that since the castle was not at war with anyone, there wasn't
much of a reason to be particularly alert.
Invisibly,
the party approached the drawbridge. There wasn't anyone else on the
drawbridge when they reached it, and when they started across, the wooden planks
sounded with their footfalls. Footfalls without feet attracted the guard's
attention. He barked a command, and the four heavy iron portcullises
dropped like anvils across the entryway. The guard drew his sword and
waved it in front of him, checking for invisible assassins.
The dropping of the gates brought someone else out of the central tower.
He was tall, regal, and impressive. He looked similar to the statues
outside of Catemar. Grindill.
Roland
cursed. He couldn't teleport in, but he needed to do something. He
manifested a power to influence the guard. The flash of light that
accompanied the manifestation ended his invisibility. Roland
winced. "Greetings!" he said, smiling.
The guard,
unmoved by the revelation, asked, "Who are you?"
"I am
Roland, and I am not sure why I am here."
From the
central tower, Grindill and the giant man walked toward the portcullises.
He walked right through the iron and said to Roland, "Come with me."
Following
Grindill, Roland found he could pass through the portcullises. He walked
pass the tall man, noting the white irises in his eyes. The giant looked
even more brutish up close. The others waited, invisible still, on the
drawbridge.
Grindill led
Roland into the central tower. He took an immediate left once inside and
walked into a study. A game of chess was set out. "Do you
play?" asked Grindill. Roland answered that he did. Grindill
motioned the chaos lord to sit across from him and to choose his color.
"I see
you have the aura of the ancients," said Grindill calmly. "Is it
Pucom? Ampar? Oard? Angust itelf?"
Roland
answered no to each name. He said, "I am simply lost."
"I
didn't dream you. The only way you can be here is if you came here by
design."
"No,
sometimes strange things happen to me. I am lost."
"I think
you are the one who changed my dream earlier. I was dreaming of Latipac
City, and some women I knew there. Suddenly, I was here. You made
the shift, not me. You are not lost. You are exactly where you want
to be."
Roland
perceived danger. He willed himself to awaken.
Outside, one
by one, Roland's companions vanished.
In Kharzho,
Roland was wakening his companions one by one. Awakened, and, for once,
not battered and bruised, they sat up. The guard told them they had been
asleep but a few minutes. Roland asked for more blue lotus extract.
The guard sent for Kari. She brought in more blue lotus extract, and took
the 300 gold pieces from Roland. The party took the potion and lay back
down. In seconds, they were dreaming, and they appeared in the mountains
again. This time, however, the triangular castle beneath them was
incomplete. It was being built. Roland cursed again. He had to
search for Grindill's superego again.
Joriku said,
"I don't think so. I think his superego is trapped in any of
Grindill's dreams. Likely in the most fortified place in any particular
dreamscape. I think Grindill is in the tower, as he was before. The
tower is the only part of that castle that is complete, and, thus, is the most
fortified."
"That
makes sense," said Roland. They went down to the castle. So
many workmen were going to and fro, they blended in, passing unchallenged into
the castle. They went right to the completed central tower and walked
in. The floor was dusty with work, and largely unfurnished. They
found the stairwell into the basement easily.
The dream
shifted once they reached the bottom of the stairwell. They were standing
in the middle of what looked to be a giant chessboard. People sat in coliseum
style seats around the board and were cheering. A gate at the opposite end
opened, and glaring eyes stared out from the darkness of the opening.
"Prepare for the Challenges!" proclaimed a disembodied voice with
practiced pomposity.
Without
waiting, Ammrah held out her staff and shot a purple ray into the
darkness. Whatever was in there grunted. Suddenly, a medusa, dressed
in blue plate armor and wielding a long lance, lunged out of the opening,
mounted on a blue dragon. Everyone averted their gaze from the
snake-haired horror on top of the dragon.
Joriku
charged the dragon and slammed his fists into its side before retreating.
The dragon snapped at Joriku, drawing blood, very nearly chomping him in
half. The dragon charged Joriku as the monk retreated. Xalandra
stepped in the path of the dragon, setting her polearm for the charge.
Unfortunately, the crystal halberd wasn't set right when the dragon hit it, and
it glanced away, sliding along the scales of the dragon. The dragon tore
into the psychic warrior as Phoebe and Ammrah pounded it with magic
spells. Gaspar fought it with everything he had, his mace swinging
perfectly, slamming into the side of the dragon as the medusa rode it in
circles, poking with her lance.
Phoebe hit
the dragon with a powerful blast of acid, melting its entire head. The
dragon slumped to the ground, the stump of its neck smoking, pumping out
reddish-black blood, then rolled to its side. The medusa struggled to free
herself from the confining saddle and was quickly killed by Roland's glowing
mind blade.
The scene
shifted again, and they found themselves in a hallway. Behind them was a
strong, iron-bound door. Ahead of them, on the floor, was an iron grill
that extended out fifteen feet. Beneath the grill was red smoke. On
the other side of the grill was fifteen more feet of cut-stone hallway,
terminating at another door. The ceiling was covered with dangling spikes,
all hanging by threads. The grate made Roland and the others
uncomfortable. They could see the grate was hinged, but it looked like the
grate moved upward, not downward.
"We
could teleport or dimension door across," said Xalandra.
"No," said Joriku. "This place is protected. If you
teleport or anything similar, you will be cast out of the dream."
"I
didn't think of that. Thanks, Joriku."
Gaspar
shattered some of the spikes, but the area was too small. Roland called up
his mind blade and threw it across the hall, cutting all the threads and sending
the small spikes tingling down on the grill.
Gaspar
decided to fly across. Halfway across, smoky tendrils shot up from beneath
the grate and grabbed the Wemusan priest. It began draining blood from him
as he struggled to get away. Ammrah shot the incorporeal smoke with her
purple ray from her staff. Joriku used his will-power to force the
dreamscape to accept his desire to strike the incorporeal creature, giving
himself the ghost touch power. He and Xalandra ran across the grill
to do battle. Both of them struck the tendril of red smoke, smoke that
carried the blood of Gaspar on its wisps. It released Gaspar, and the
cleric landed safely on the other side of the grill. Suddenly, the grill
slammed upward, pinning Joriku and Xalandra to the wall.
Xalandra
increased her size and tried to push the grate back down. Ammrah cast a
wall of ice on the opening, trapping the crimson death beneath. Xalandra
and Joriku pushed the grate down on top of the ice. Xalandra, now ten feet
tall and weighing seven hundred pounds, held the grate down so everyone could
get across.
Gaspar, in
the meantime, had opened the door. Out stepped a huge shadow of manlike
shape with monstrous bat wings. Power and terror were in it and went
before it. Flames roared up around it and wreathed it with fire, and black
smoke swirled into the air around it. In one hand it held a blade that
burned with fire, and in the other it held a burning whip. It was a balor
demon, Gaspar realized as the whip wrapped around him.
Gaspar was
pulled into the horrific flames. Ammrah and Phoebe poured their spells
into it, but seemingly to no avail. It had power over magic, and would not
be trifled with mere mortal magic. Roland attacked with his mind blade,
and Xalandra pounded at it with her crystal halberd. Its flaming sword
swung about them, filling their limbs with fire when it struck against them,
desperately parrying the blade that quested for their souls.
The battle
was intense, and swiftly decided. The might of the six dream-walkers
proved to much for Grindill's final guardian over his superego, and the balor
demon was banished from the dream, slain by the six.
Inside the
room was an iron door. It was locked, but one of Roland's keys opened it
easily. The click echoed loudly in the room, and the door squealed with
long years of disuse as Gaspar and Joriku pulled it open. There, on the
floor, dressed in rags, lay Grindill, wrapped in chains.
It was the
work of mere moments to unchain Grindill with Roland's other key. Grindill
stood up and straightened out his rags. "Thank you," he
said. "Thank you very much. I've been here a long, long
time."
"I
realize," said Roland. "I am hoping you will be willing to help us
out."
"Of
course," said Grindill. "Ask your questions."
"The
Master Clock of Time, where is it?"
"Ah. I hid that in the dreams of Groll so that I couldn't find
it."
"You?"
"Well,
the rest of me. The parts that had taken control. I had to hide it
in the dreams of someone who could live or exist forever. I had to make
sure no one could do what I did."
"What
was that?"
"Assume
the powers of an Old One, essentially. The Master Clock of Time is a focal
charm, which allows one to assume the mantle of a god. It took dark
and vile rituals I found in the Nan Curinir. Do you realize how
many of the gods in our world are actually ancient creations of the Narboneans?
Anyway, when I saw the way my ego and id were behaving, I took the initiative
and hid the greatest source of power from myself so I couldn't use it
again."
"The
splitting of a psi-gate? What is that all about?"
"I hid
the Master Clock of Time within a psi-gate in Groll's dreams. You need to
split that dreamworld psi-gate apart to get to the Clock."
"Indeed," said Roland. He was intrigued, and glad he didn't have
to split a real psi-gate. Good thing he hadn't done it yet. Who
knows what the consequences would have been. Roland told Grindill what he
knew of the plot to gain what was left of Grindill's divinity. Grindill
replied, "I have seen dreams of a lizard man that my other created, as well
as the name Ordiss Ool. I would appreciate it if you would do something
about it."
"We will
do what we can."
The talk
continued for a short while longer, and Grindill again thanked Roland and the
others. Roland shook Grindill's hand and said, "I hope we meet
again."
"As do
I," said Grindill. The dream was coming to an end, and Grindill bid them
well as they returned to Kharzho.
Kharzho, City of Dreams | Current Adventures in Inzeladun | Chronology of the Write Ups | Inzeladun Updates | Catemar, City of Magic | Adilbrand Noblesword | Grindill the Arch Mage Sovereign
Dreams and Dream Manipulation by Faughn, book of occult knowledge, a
rumination on oneiromancy by a powerful oneiromancer of the late Fourth
Age. The original, written by Faughn, was gifted to an order of
oneiromancer bards called the Dream Wanderers before he was assassinated by the
Grey Robes. They copied the tome and disseminated it among their
members. Seventy years later, the order recalled the tomes and had it
rewritten, for the bards kept adding to the volume. Collected from
additional notes from the various bards, the rewritten volume was larger and
more correct. A copy of this revised edition found its way to Grindill
late in the Fifth Age. He made additional notes to this particular volume
that will not be found in any other copy of this tome. Grindill believed
that the contents of this tome concealed something entirely new, possibly even
another artifact, but he could never discover the secret, if it truly concealed
something at all.
The cover is of worn, green leather, inlaid with iron to provide extra security
and a means to close and secure the book. Vellum pages are sewn together
and secured to a fine, supple leather spine backing, as well as with leather
front and back pieces. The title is inlayed with gold on both the cover
and the spine. The author's name appears on the frontispiece, as well as
an addendum stating that it is a revised edition. The cover also displays
the ancient symbol of the bardic order that had the tome scribed. Examination
Period: 1d12+1 weeks (DC 20 study check [1d20 + character level +
Intelligence modifier + number of previous study checks made with this volume],
also DC 22 Will Save or go temporarily insane). Contains the spell dreamwalking
(see Atlas Games' Occult Lore). Lucid Dreaming: +2
enhancement bonus to this skill once the study check is made successfully.
Knowledge Skill Bonus if used as a reference: +5
Dream Liches by Hanet, book of occult knowledge, a treatise on the
powerful and sinister creatures who drift between the dreams of mortals, feeding
on fear and nightmares, a creature created by oneiromancers who seek eternal
life, abandoning physical existence entirely. Considered by most to be
nothing but the made up of visions experienced by the author, possibly based on
one or more nightmares that the author had. They might have been induced by
eating hallucinogenic material (mushrooms, cacti, certain types of moulds
etc.) . The book was written during the Third Age by an unknown
oneiromancer named Hanet. The priesthood of Byleth Hob got a hold of the
book after Hanet's death and had 30 copies made by their scribes. Only
three are known to exist to modern scholarship. One is in the Library of
Kharzho, another in the Black Tower in Qadib, and the third in a private library
in Alisander. Roland has found a previously undiscovered fourth copy, one
with notes written in by Grindill. The book is considered to be erroneous
on many of its key theorems, but it is also said to have some particularly
illuminating insights if one can get past the maddening, rambling method of
writing used by Hanet.
The covers are made of wood covered in cloth, and the pages are parchment.
Due to poor binding, the book will not stay open unless weighted or held
open. A pentagram is printed on the cloth binding beneath the title.
The author's name appears beneath the pentagram. Examination
Period: 1d4 weeks (DC 15 study check [1d20 + character level + Intelligence
modifier + number of previous study checks made with this volume], also DC 25
Will Save or go temporarily insane). Contains the supposed ritual to
become an immortal spirit haunting the dreams of others. Knowledge Skill
Bonus if used as a reference: +2
Kari, Priestess of Byleth Hob, Human Expert 9:
CR 8, medium human (5'5" tall); HD 9d6+27; hp 59; Initiative: +3 (Dex);
Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (flatfooted 10, touch 13); Melee Attack +7/+2 (1d4 masterwork
stiletto) or Ranged Attack +10/+5 (masterwork whip) AL CG; SV Fort +6, Ref +6,
Will +7; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14.
Skills: Alchemy +14, Perform +16, Bluff +18,
Tumble +15, Diplomacy +18, Lucid Dreaming +17, Knowledge (Religion) +14,
Search +15, Spot +15
Feats: Exotic Weapon (Whip), Skill Focus (Lucid
Dreaming), Seduction, Leadership, Alertness
Equipment: Masterwork whip, Masterwork
stiletto