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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1662220" data-attributes="member: 1210">Beginning the Journey to Thule10 am, 6/6/96 O.L.G., western Imperial WotanRajah and his four bodyguards began their dangerous journey from Wotan to Thule.Dorhaus was a huge landmass compared to anything else in the Near-Forinthian Region.  The only thing of comparable size was Valonia, and Valonia was hardly inhabited by humankind at all.  Here, on Dorhaus, was where many of the existing human territories were.  The continent was almost squarish in shape, with a long seam of mountains that ran from its northernmost reaches down the center of the continent, splitting it roughly in two.  The eastern side was almost completely taken up by the sprawling lands of Imperial Wotan and its dependants, the Prince’s Hold, the Barony of Goldstone and so forth.  Directly across Wotan’s northern border was the Kingdom of Chorania, which, while not technically a dependant of Wotan, was too close to be anything else but a satellite.  North of Chorania was its traditional foe, the Kingdom of Bemvia.  Bemvia was, of course, was thick with Thule out of self-interest; with Wotan behind Chorania, Bemvia needed a counter-balance.To the west of the Bendrock Mountains there were two major forces: the Kingdom of Thule- Wotan’s constant foil- and the fey folk and half-elven states.  Greater Ketzia, as the north was then known- was a place few humans dared go.  It was said that the fey folk ran through the entire north and loved nothing better than tricking humans into getting lost, stealing their babies, hunting folk, and so forth.  The half-elven lands of Moire and Morraine took up the northwest of the continent, and they were thickly tied to the Ketzians.  How thickly, no one knew.  The journey to Thule from Wotan naturally required either travel by sea- a very dangerous proposition, with the Imperial forces on the lookout for Rajah- or a trip through the mountains.  Though dangerous as well, at least in this case the dangers were less Imperial in nature and more likely to come from native humanoids or monsters.At least, that’s what General Rygarh had told Rajah.The journey to the mountains took a week; then the group started to move upward.  At least there had been no sign of pursuit.***3:30 pm, 6/28/96 O.L.G., the Bendrock MountainsGrunting, the last of Rajah’s assigned bodyguards pulled himself up onto a ledge.  The group was breathing hard, but they were making good progress.  Rajah asked, “Where’s the border?”Shendros, the half-elven fighter/mage assigned to Rajah, shook his head.  Wryly, he answered, “It depends on whose troops are closer.  The border between Wotan and Thule isn’t really demarcated in the mountains, and even if it was, it wouldn’t be honored much.”Rajah pondered this for a moment.  “I don’t really know the geography here- what about the border where there aren’t mountains?  Might it be easier to pass through there?”“It’s a wall, M’Lord,” Proctor answered.  Proctor was a human abjurer.  “Believe me, the mountains are our best way of going undetected.”Rajah nodded.  He glanced back at the peaks they’d already navigated through and shook his head.  “Well, let’s keep going, then.”They moved forward about another mile before the ambush.  Suddenly there were cries in orcish, and a troop of humanoids rushing down the slope at them.  “Behind me, M’Lord!” cried Proctor, and he began calling out mystic syllables and trying to ward Rajah with his spells.  The other three bodyguards, weary but willing, drew steel.  “Get them!” a voice roared in Forinthian, and Rajah gasped as he saw the half-elven figure on the hill.Elcruche! he thought, and then there was no more time for thought; the orcs were there.  Rajah sprang forward, ripping his thick claw-like nails along one’s face, but another, wearing the black sun of Bleak, stepped up, some sort of large cube in his hand.  The bodyguards surged forward.  Rajah tried to spring to the side. The orc cackled wickedly, holding the cube up, and Rajah felt a sudden moment of disorientation.  His bodyguards gasped as he vanished.  “My Lord!” shrieked Werelith, the halfling, and then grunted as one of the orcs’ scimitars nearly got through to her.  “Run!” cried Shendros, and the bodyguards broke.  Still chuckling, the orcish cleric turned as Rajah’s companions fled, and with a single great blow of his axe he brought Proctor down.  The abjurer groaned as he rolled on the ground.  He could feel his blood pouring all over him from his back, somewhere, and his legs didn’t seem to work.  My Lord, the thought sickly, I’ve failed you.  I’m sorry.  Then the orc’s axe finished him off.Rajah found himself stumbling within a small featureless room.  The walls were translucent though, so he took a look around him to see if he could ascertain what had happened.  He gasped. He was in the cube.Next Time: Mini-Rajah!!</blockquote>

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