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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aeris Winterood" data-source="post: 667790" data-attributes="member: 2195">Day one....The Skulking Boars tavern’s doors open  in the morning and in walks a short female of sand-worn and ruddy appearance. Right behind her is a somber looking male wearing well-worn cloak. The only available seating is at a table with two elves chatting over a mug of ale. The two strangers join them and proceed to chat for hours, eating and sipping on ale. OOT: I have the hardest time in campaigns on as to how to have PC’s meet, especially if they are from differing lands.  At around noon, two city guards and a captain walk in to the tavern. One of the guards bangs on his shield with a short sword to get everyone’s attention. “Hail citizens… The Triumvirate is looking for a group of people to hire for an urgent mission. The recipients will be well paid in gold…” At this nearly all the people in the inn raise their hands and shout… “I will… Me…Me… Pick me!!!”   The captain continues, “Part of the mission includes traveling into the Veil.” At that, all of the people quiet, lower their heads and continue on with what they were doing except the four newcomers at table six. Moss asks the captain, “How much gold?” the captain replies that at least 500 gold per person who complete the mission. The four talk this over briefly and agree to help out. The captain thanks them and hands them a scroll to take to the Great Sentinel; a 300’ watchtower/garrison in Asylum. The party trudges through the muddy streets (February 1st and about 5 inches of snow) and reaches the Sentinel and presents the scroll to the tower guards. They direct them to head up to the first set of guards in the tower and to show them the scroll. The walk up the stairs, which makes them feel as if they are ascending into the clouds (which they are actually). The winding stairs flatten out and they come upon two guards in front of a huge bronzed door. Moss, holding the parchment in front of him states, “We have been asked to come here, to see the Triumvirate about a mission.” The guard takes the scroll, reads it and replies, “I will be right back.”  He goes through the door, quickly (none of the group can see what is behind it) and after a few minutes returns. “You may enter, they are ready.”They enter a very large room that has a huge table in the center, with maps strewn all about it. At the far end of the chamber a large rounded entry opens to the noon sky, and far off in the distance the shimmer and ripple of the Veil can be seen. At the table a stately elf, a well armed and armored human woman and a short (even for gnomish standards) male gnome, who is standing on a chair, gather around a map on the table bickering back and forth. The group quietly stands there for a minute until Servant of the Veil clears his throat, “ahem….”The gnome, with his spectacles falling from his face, looks at the companions, “sorry, sorry for making you wait. My name is Griff Wolvensbane, I am, as you may or may not know one of the Ummm, leaders of this city. I hate the word leader though. We are more like caretakers, just trying to keep this place safe. To my right is Zona Kira, Captain of the Windrider garrison here.” Standing tall and grasping a lance she nods to the new group. “And to my left is Alfalas Silverbrow, Marshall of the Knights of the Shield from Ashtala.” At that Gabriel does recognize Alfalas for who he is and his lineage. Gabriel salutes him and Moss likewise. Alfalas returns his salute and slightly bows to them. “Welcome and thank you for expressing interest in this mission,” Alfalas spoke.Moss, ever so blunt, “So, what is it you want us to do?”The gnome, who by now is standing on the table, “Well, a few weeks ago a plague has spread in Scab Town. This sort of outbreak has been seen once before about five years ago. Our healers a spread very thin and are barely containing it. We had commissioned a dwarven alchemist named Durhz years back when this happened, and he delivered a fine antidote for it. We would like you to go to Durhz’s tower and bring back more of the antidote.”Servant of the Veil wonders aloud, “Why not send some of your Windriders to the tower and get it yourself?”Zona Kira acknowledges him, “We are spread thin, and cannot leave Asylum for any length of time. And the griffons will not go through the Veil. They refuse to, and Durhz’s tower now lies within the Veil.”The group barely even thinks this over, “We will do it,” proclaims Wu Vaka, who had been very silent.In talking with each other, Moss brings up a point about how to be able to get the antidotes back. Griff states that only two small casks would be needed, but that is still enough where a horse would be needed. The group thinks it over and asks the Triumvirate if they may be able to provide horse for them. The party is offered a donkey, on loan only to bring back the casks. The party believes that they may take only a few days to accomplish this mission. The Veil is only 30 miles from Asylum and they are told that Durhz’s tower lies just another 5 miles within the Veil.  Servant of the Veil asks Griff many questions about the Veil. The party finds out that the Veil has a few interesting qualities. Natural inhabitants of Elûr can traverse both ways through the Veil unhindered. It is indeed a lower plane morphed to the world. Fiends, on the other hand can only come through if a fissure erupts on the surface, which is seldom and rarely, much to the relief of all in Asylum. Fiends are, unfortunately easier to summon, and sometimes lead troops of humanoids outside the Veil to harass the countryside.Still being fairly early in the day the company decides to strike out towards the tower and camp near the Veil for the night. Walking with donkey in tow, the company reaches the Veil with out any mishap. This is the first time any of the party has seen the Veil. Gabriel strides up to the Veil to study it, and along side him are Gabriel and Moss while Wu Vaka sets up camp. The Veil has a faint glimmer, giving off a dull weak light, it is shifting with waves of light and color, to look through it is much like looking through a murky glass of water. Only shapes and forms can be made out on the other side…What appears to be trees, may be there… but they are not certain.  They do notice that a “taint” exists at the barrier wall. The grass and ground a few inches out from the wall seems to be withering, and snow does not rest there. They decide to sleep for the night and set up watch. During the night on Moss and Gabriel’s watch, a thunderous noise is heard high among them on the wall. Both of them looking up see a fissure quickly spread and open up in the Veil. A winged humanoid looking creature flies through heading in an easterly direction, the creature did not seem to notice the camped party and as quickly as the fissure opened, it snapped closed. Not too worried about the creature Moss and Gabriel decide not to mention anything and they continue the watch until morning.</blockquote>

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