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Heroes Of The Lance (4th Age Dragonlance) [UPDATED 5/16]
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<blockquote data-quote="peteyfrogboy" data-source="post: 1519700" data-attributes="member: 5677"><p><strong>On The Road To Solace</strong></p><p></p><p><em><strong>The 13th day of Autumn's Harvest, 351 AC</strong></em></p><p><em>Life among the wizards of the Tower is a great change from what I have known before. The power we have access to is indeed a blessing, a daily reminder of the presence of the three gods of magic in our lives. The faith of my colleagues is both comforting and infectious, and I find myself more and more devoted to the pursuit and preservation of the magical arts.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>In the world outside, however, there is still an undercurrent of despair that I never really noticed until it was gone. For those not privy to the secrets of High Sorcery, the gods are still absent. I have discussed this matter with Master Urugon, and we are both intrigued with the possibility that the other gods might be returning to the world. Also of great interest to Urugon is the claim of the Council of High Seekers in Haven that there may be new gods that might take the place of those that abandoned us during the Cataclysm. I have agreed to travel to Haven to see if I can find any truth in the rumors of their divinely granted powers.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Being on the road again is both a joy and a burden. I miss the comfort and companionship of the Tower, but I find myself enjoying seeing new places. In particular I am looking forward to Haven. It will be interesting to see a great city not in a state of decay. My next stop will be Solace Town, however. It is a curiosity in that the majority of it is built up in the valenwood trees that dominate the local forests. The journey has been a pleasant one so far; I pray that it remains so.</em></p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>For all its power, the Staff of Magius also made a fine walking stick. Auresh had had little call to use magic of any sort on the road from Wayreth Tower, save for minor enchantments to patch his boots and clean the dust from his robes. The trip north had been primarily through hill and mountain country, and the area near Solace was no different. Auresh was just coming to the top of another hill when he had to leap aside to avoid being run over by a fat hobgoblin perched atop a galloping pony.</p><p></p><p>Looking down the far side of the hill, Auresh saw nearly a dozen more hobgoblins surrounding a strange trio of people. One was an elf of Qualinesti extraction, another a large man dressed in the style of the Ice Folk, while the third was clearly marked as a Knight of the Crown. It wasn't hard to pick which side of the battle he would rather be on. Turning back in the direction he had come, the half-elf loosed a trio of magical darts at the fleeing rider. Though they struck unerringly, the hobgoblin stayed in his saddle. The pony was moving at a dead run, and only one spell in Auresh's arsenal could hit it at its increasing range. He felt a little bad for the pony as he sent a flickering mote of fire in its direction. A ball of fire blossomed around mount and rider alike, but both managed to survive the inferno and round a bend in the road.</p><p></p><p>"Blast," muttered Auresh. "I must be out of practice." He turned back to the battle below, only to find that it was already over. He was hardly surprised at the outcome; from the look of them none of the three defenders would be easy prey for bandits. Despite their varied backgrounds, the companions in arms seemed to know each other. They were talking amongst themselves as he approached along the road.</p><p></p><p>"Who goes there?" The knight spoke as Auresh approached, a naked sword still in his hand.</p><p></p><p>"I am Auresh, a traveling wizard." the half-elf glanced around at the bodies strewn around the road. "You seem to have had a bit of trouble."</p><p></p><p>"Nothing we couldn't handle," said the elf woman. Several of the fallen hobgoblins had been pierced by elf-fletched arrows.</p><p></p><p>"I can see that. There was one other who nearly ran me over, but he was moving too fast for me to bring down with magic."</p><p></p><p>The barbarian, who had been leaning on his sword and catching his breath after the battle, spoke: "We thank you for the effort, wizard." He straightened up to his full towering height and extended a hand in greeting. "I am Glupin," he nodded toward the others. "This is Raelyn of Qualinost, and Gildas, Knight of the Crown."</p><p></p><p>Auresh greeted each of the companions in turn. "Is this road usually so dangerous?"</p><p></p><p>Gildas shook his head. "Normally it is quite safe. These creatures were no simple bandits, I fear. They seemed to think we had something... what was it?"</p><p></p><p>"A blue crystal staff," said Raelyn.</p><p></p><p>"That was it. A strange thing to be looking for. They said they were sent by someone called Onyx. Does that name mean anything to you?"</p><p></p><p>"It doesn't sound familiar." Auresh hadn't heard the name before, but someone who took the name of a black gemstone seeking a magical staff brought a shiver of <em>deja vu</em> to his spine.</p><p></p><p>"Where are you headed, wizard?" asked the elf. Her tone had an edge of suspicion, but Auresh expected no less from any of the Qualinesti.</p><p></p><p>"I am bound for Solace Town. It should be nearby."</p><p></p><p>"It is," said Glupin. "Solace is our home town. We were just on our way back there ourselves. It will be good to see a familiar place again after so long."</p><p></p><p>"So long?" asked Auresh. "What has taken you from your home for so long?"</p><p></p><p>Glupin and Raelyn hesitated, and looked toward Gildas. The knight said, "We have been traveling widely, searching for signs of the True Gods' return."</p><p></p><p>"Is that so?" It seemed to be a popular pursuit. "Have you found any?"</p><p></p><p>The three shook their heads. "A few hints here and there," said Raelyn, "but no clear signs."</p><p></p><p>"That is unfortunate." Auresh wondered if they would accept the magic of High Sorcery as proof of the existence of the gods from which it flowed. The three gods were otherwise silent, though; they had no priests like the other gods of old once had. In any case, Auresh felt no need to discuss the secrets of the Tower.</p><p></p><p>Auresh broke the somber mood with a smile. "There's no point talking here on the road when we can find beer and beds in Solace. Shall we be on our way?"</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>Notes: As usual, much of the conversation is paraphrased. We had the usual party-building issues and goofing around during this session, which I have edited out. I also left out the reference to the hobgoblin's "fire retardant pony". For the record, the party at this point is:</p><p></p><p>Gildas, Human Fighter 4/Crown Knight 1</p><p>Raelyn, Qualinesti Rogue 5</p><p>Glupin, Human Barbarian 5</p><p>Auresh, Half-Elf Wizard 4/Red Robe 1</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="peteyfrogboy, post: 1519700, member: 5677"] [b]On The Road To Solace[/b] [i][b]The 13th day of Autumn's Harvest, 351 AC[/b] Life among the wizards of the Tower is a great change from what I have known before. The power we have access to is indeed a blessing, a daily reminder of the presence of the three gods of magic in our lives. The faith of my colleagues is both comforting and infectious, and I find myself more and more devoted to the pursuit and preservation of the magical arts. In the world outside, however, there is still an undercurrent of despair that I never really noticed until it was gone. For those not privy to the secrets of High Sorcery, the gods are still absent. I have discussed this matter with Master Urugon, and we are both intrigued with the possibility that the other gods might be returning to the world. Also of great interest to Urugon is the claim of the Council of High Seekers in Haven that there may be new gods that might take the place of those that abandoned us during the Cataclysm. I have agreed to travel to Haven to see if I can find any truth in the rumors of their divinely granted powers. Being on the road again is both a joy and a burden. I miss the comfort and companionship of the Tower, but I find myself enjoying seeing new places. In particular I am looking forward to Haven. It will be interesting to see a great city not in a state of decay. My next stop will be Solace Town, however. It is a curiosity in that the majority of it is built up in the valenwood trees that dominate the local forests. The journey has been a pleasant one so far; I pray that it remains so.[/i] *** For all its power, the Staff of Magius also made a fine walking stick. Auresh had had little call to use magic of any sort on the road from Wayreth Tower, save for minor enchantments to patch his boots and clean the dust from his robes. The trip north had been primarily through hill and mountain country, and the area near Solace was no different. Auresh was just coming to the top of another hill when he had to leap aside to avoid being run over by a fat hobgoblin perched atop a galloping pony. Looking down the far side of the hill, Auresh saw nearly a dozen more hobgoblins surrounding a strange trio of people. One was an elf of Qualinesti extraction, another a large man dressed in the style of the Ice Folk, while the third was clearly marked as a Knight of the Crown. It wasn't hard to pick which side of the battle he would rather be on. Turning back in the direction he had come, the half-elf loosed a trio of magical darts at the fleeing rider. Though they struck unerringly, the hobgoblin stayed in his saddle. The pony was moving at a dead run, and only one spell in Auresh's arsenal could hit it at its increasing range. He felt a little bad for the pony as he sent a flickering mote of fire in its direction. A ball of fire blossomed around mount and rider alike, but both managed to survive the inferno and round a bend in the road. "Blast," muttered Auresh. "I must be out of practice." He turned back to the battle below, only to find that it was already over. He was hardly surprised at the outcome; from the look of them none of the three defenders would be easy prey for bandits. Despite their varied backgrounds, the companions in arms seemed to know each other. They were talking amongst themselves as he approached along the road. "Who goes there?" The knight spoke as Auresh approached, a naked sword still in his hand. "I am Auresh, a traveling wizard." the half-elf glanced around at the bodies strewn around the road. "You seem to have had a bit of trouble." "Nothing we couldn't handle," said the elf woman. Several of the fallen hobgoblins had been pierced by elf-fletched arrows. "I can see that. There was one other who nearly ran me over, but he was moving too fast for me to bring down with magic." The barbarian, who had been leaning on his sword and catching his breath after the battle, spoke: "We thank you for the effort, wizard." He straightened up to his full towering height and extended a hand in greeting. "I am Glupin," he nodded toward the others. "This is Raelyn of Qualinost, and Gildas, Knight of the Crown." Auresh greeted each of the companions in turn. "Is this road usually so dangerous?" Gildas shook his head. "Normally it is quite safe. These creatures were no simple bandits, I fear. They seemed to think we had something... what was it?" "A blue crystal staff," said Raelyn. "That was it. A strange thing to be looking for. They said they were sent by someone called Onyx. Does that name mean anything to you?" "It doesn't sound familiar." Auresh hadn't heard the name before, but someone who took the name of a black gemstone seeking a magical staff brought a shiver of [i]deja vu[/i] to his spine. "Where are you headed, wizard?" asked the elf. Her tone had an edge of suspicion, but Auresh expected no less from any of the Qualinesti. "I am bound for Solace Town. It should be nearby." "It is," said Glupin. "Solace is our home town. We were just on our way back there ourselves. It will be good to see a familiar place again after so long." "So long?" asked Auresh. "What has taken you from your home for so long?" Glupin and Raelyn hesitated, and looked toward Gildas. The knight said, "We have been traveling widely, searching for signs of the True Gods' return." "Is that so?" It seemed to be a popular pursuit. "Have you found any?" The three shook their heads. "A few hints here and there," said Raelyn, "but no clear signs." "That is unfortunate." Auresh wondered if they would accept the magic of High Sorcery as proof of the existence of the gods from which it flowed. The three gods were otherwise silent, though; they had no priests like the other gods of old once had. In any case, Auresh felt no need to discuss the secrets of the Tower. Auresh broke the somber mood with a smile. "There's no point talking here on the road when we can find beer and beds in Solace. Shall we be on our way?" *** Notes: As usual, much of the conversation is paraphrased. We had the usual party-building issues and goofing around during this session, which I have edited out. I also left out the reference to the hobgoblin's "fire retardant pony". For the record, the party at this point is: Gildas, Human Fighter 4/Crown Knight 1 Raelyn, Qualinesti Rogue 5 Glupin, Human Barbarian 5 Auresh, Half-Elf Wizard 4/Red Robe 1 [/QUOTE]
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