DoctorB's Legacy of Alexander Story Hour

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's Diary - Nonus 10 (morning-part 1)

In the 417th year after the triumph of Alexander, Nonus 10, 2nd Sagesday

Never in my life have 10 bells and the Quiet seemed SO long and cost so much! Not only did the fighting never seem to stop, but I lost two dear friends. I know we will see Bacha again, but who knows if Alexander will come back! Lady grant me strength and grace to face what lies ahead.

At breakfast Cobbe told us about his latest vision. He saw Bacha's tribe looking hurt and weak, wandering around the mountains. He then saw a lone figure walking toward them to lead them. The figure was Bacha. Bacha said that when Yakun spoke, he must listen, and he left right away. He said that he would lead his tribe to Pella and meet us there. Cobbe didn't look very excited by that, but he gave Bacha a writ to establish his tribe at Pella (at least Clarice has already meet Bacha, but I bet she isn't going to be happy to have a whole tribe of orcs and half-orcs as her first subjects), but it also has a whole bunch of stuff that Bacha can and can't do, like he can start rebuilding but he can't go down and bother the Gens and stuff like that. It was a good thing too. You could tell by the look on Bacha's face that he had been thinking about going down there. Anyway, Bacha left, and I tried not to cry. It is not going to be the same with out him around.

Today is the day that we confronted Lord Nasser. As we were getting into the wagon (the plan was for most of us to hide in the wagon--with the corpse of the bone/scorpion demon--and use the back door to enter Lord Victor's mansion) a little girl gave Galena a silver ring with a sapphire stone, which she said Galena had dropped. While Galena was showing us the ring, the girl disappeared. The ring is magical, and even though we don't know what it does, Galena is wearing it anyway.

We made it to Lord Victor's without any trouble, and we were shown into the same room we had been in before. We showed him the demon body, and Cobbe used it to reinforce the need for the Dibre Coast to band together and fight on the side of good when the big war comes. Lord Victor didn't make any promises, but he said he can't bring his army in now because it would be breaking the law (I think he is a big chicken). However, he did have the nerve to write us a writ, deputizing us on his behalf to investigate the corruption of Lord Nasser. He also gave us a letter of introduction for an immediate audience with Lord Nasser. He asked us not to use either if we could help it, and thanks to Toiva fascinating and suggesting Lord Nasser's chief steward we didn't have to use either right away.

 

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's Diary - Nonus 10 (morning-part 2)

We were shown into a large hall. There were four guards, Lord Nasser on a small dais and an aid/noble wearing a shield with a bird (dove?) symbol. Cobbe managed to tell us that Lord Nasser was not evil, but that there was evil next to him (the noble, who Toiva thinks was Lord Azim), on the balcony above him and in the corner to our left. I could only see the noble, who was trying to tell the Governor that we should not be allowed to have our weapons. Before we could even argue with him, an arrow flies into me from the balcony above Lord Nasser, and the female from the rooftop the other night (how did she get out of jail?) appeared standing there holding a bow. She was a very good shot. The arrow just barely missed my heart. I didn't tell the others, but that shot came very close to killing me instantly. Thankfully, The Lady was watching out for me. I hope that She wasn't paying so much attention to me that She forgot to look out for Alexander, because during the fight that ensued, the evil priestess (she was wearing the triangle within a circle symbol), who appeared in the left corner with three hell hounds (I will have to remember to tell Mother that can they breath fire), did something and Alexander screamed and I could see something terrible and magical happening to his arm. I tried to dispel the magic but I couldn't get The Lady's power to move right. I had also tired a moment before to deafen the priestess, but that didn't work either. I could blame it on the arrow, but maybe I just wasn't good enough and Alexander paid the price. I rushed to him while the fighting went on and tired to heal him, but his arm just kept shriveling. By the time it stopped he only had a stub left, and he had lost consciousness, even Cobbe's attempt to cure disease didn't help--not that I thought it would. Everyone fought really well. I did have to hurry to Toiva and use The Lady's power to heal him, but in short order the hounds were dead and Toiva rushed to chase the fleeing priestess. When I followed them into a small room behind one of the tapestries, all I could see was Toiva and blue/black floating disk of magic. Toiva said that the priestess had gone into the disk, and he followed her. Before I could do anything he was back telling us that he knocked the priestess out, but was not sure she was dead. He had had to come back because one of the bone demons was there and had attacked him. I left Galena and Toiva in the room and went back to see what was happening in the main room.

What I saw was Lord Nasser with an arrow in him, Liana with bow in hand and the guards coming after Liana. I used The Lady's miracles to frighten the guards away from Liana. In the chaos, Lord Nasser started to leave, but Liana wrestled with him, and I tried to help. When Arin showed up, I left to check on Alexander. Toiva and Galena come out of the room and Toiva put Lord Nasser to sleep. They told us that the portal was gone, and they are not sure if the priestess is dead, but the portal did lead to a fortress in hell (!) where there was also an incubus. I healed Lord Nasser's arrow wound and everyone else as much as I could, and we carried Lord Nasser and Alexander to the temple surrounded by Lord Nasser’s entire guard. In spite of our papers from Lord Victor, they didn't believe us that something had been controlling Lord Nasser's mind.

When we got back to the temple the high priests didn't believe me when I told them that we had just fought a priestess of the tr... evil gods! Can you imagine?! Well, I told them in no uncertain terms that I knew what I was talking about and if they were going to call me a liar then they could follow her to the hell plane where we chased her and find out for themselves. I just left them there for the others to deal with and took Alexander to the hospital.

 

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's Diary - Nonus 10 (afternoon)

Alexander woke up about a bell or two later and asked what had happened. I told him what I knew and all that we had tried to do for him, and I also tried to apologize for failing in my use of The Lady's miracles. He asked me if I could channel The Lady's power to grow his arm back like he really expected that I could do it tomorrow. I had to tell him that it would be six months to a year before I was skilled enough do that. He seemed to take the news in stride. I guess. He just sighed and closed his eyes. When Toiva came in a little later, Alexander said that he would just sit there and meditate on The Lady's blessings. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but I didn't know what to say in either case.

Toiva told us that Galena had tried to scry the priestess, and Galena is pretty sure that she is dead—thank The Lady. Galena also saw that thrice-damned woman with the bow, who keeps trying to kill me, in Lord Nasser’s palace talking to a man in a cowl who she called "master." Galena continued to follow her with the crystal ball, while the others went after her. I said that I would stay with Alexander; besides I didn’t have any miracles left by that point. I started working on a new song. It is partly for Alexander and partly in memory of Claudia. It is about how The Lady works in our lives. I will have to get Toiva's help with the melody.

From what Toiva told me when they got back it, it sounds like they had a strange fight. They had to chase her down while she was invisible. The good news is she won’t be shooting arrows at anyone anymore.

I also found out later that someone had controlled Liana’s mind and convinced her that Lord Nasser was bad (that's why she shot him with the arrow). By the time they got back from killing the rouge, she was in control of her own thoughts again. However, Lord Nasser was still under the control of something. He refuses to believe he is ensorcelled.

 

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's Diary - Nonus 10 (afternoon part 2)

Around sixth bell Galena and Toiva (he brought me food again, too. He must be part Hobbit.) came to get us since more scrying was about to happen. Alexander refused to go even when Galena said she needed him and then cursed both of us for staying. After sitting quietly for a few minutes I told him that Claudia had taught me about being true to one's path, and he had to find his, and I would respect whatever he chose, but he should know he always had a place with us, and please don't leave before I got back. Then I went to join the others.

Galena was just beginning to scry when I got there. We saw the noble with the bird shield pacing a room somewhere, probably the governor's palace; it appears that the cowled "master" cannot be scryied; the demons (Cobbe says they are really devils) were in some dark place. The Galena called up an image of a dwarf who was traveling with other dwarves. When I asked, Galena said it was one of the escaped dwarves who had been in one of the cages. I wonder why she was interested in him? She also found Bacha walking through rocky hills.

I wonder when a new champion will arrive to take his place. Ever since The Lady sent us Bacha, Valeriu and Sheranese there have always been seven champions. The new ones should be arriving any day now. I wonder if there will be a replacement for Alexander, or if he might come back soon enough - I doubt that though. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I did some scrying too, although I can't use the ball as well as Galena. Mother looked fine and so did Father, but he was in the infirmary playing for a lot of hurt humans. I hope nothing too bad is going on; those people were wounded in battle. I also saw Barak (he was with two other priests like him and another priest of the mind killer (he wore a starburst), if the agents of evil are working together already, we may be in a lot of trouble), Bodar, Lord Cristo (he was riding with other men—all in armor—probably in Dures), Turval (he was in the cold woods planning a raid on a caravan—I keep forgetting that he is not a nice person, just better than Grisha), and Grisha (he looked terrible all pale and wasted away—ha! Serves him right).

 

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's Diary - Nonus 10 (the quiet)

Since nothing else was going on I went back to infirmary and worked on my new song. Later in the quiet while I was talking to Toiva about the song, we heard sounds of combat! The doors to the temple opened and there were the chain and bone devils and skeletons and zombies! Actually, I was glad to see the undead, because at least I could do something about them, and that is all that I could do because I still didn’t have any miracles left! At first only Toiva, Galena, Arin and I were there. We tried to stay together, but the devils could create ice walls, and they were trying to keep us apart. At first it wasn’t much of a fight. They got a couple of hits on us, and Toiva and Liana got a couple of hits on them. I did take care of all the undead, though. Now maybe their spirits will rest in peace. Toiva finally killed one of the chain devils, and the bone devils tried to poison both Toiva and Liana, but I helped them fight it off.

During the fighting, the “master” appeared. He wasn’t human though. It had tentacles over the lower part of its face. When I had a chance to tell everyone about it, Galena told us it was an illithid—a mind flayer!

I almost got singed when Galena used burning hands to take down TWO walls; fortunately the ring Mother gave me protected me. There was also a red winged demon that appeared while Toiva was separated from us (stupid ice walls), but it turns out it was only an illusion. Galena sent Lux for Cobbe and Alexander at the beginning of the fight, but it took Cobbe too long to get his armor on, and the fight was over before he got there. The devils put up two last ice walls to keep us away from them after Toiva dropped the chain devil, and we decided to let them go. I can guess why Alexander didn’t come to help, but I was hoping that his concern for us would out weigh his own self-doubt and self-pity. At least he was still in the infirmary when I went back there to sleep. Not that he was there when I woke up.

About a half hour before first bell Lux woke me up to tell me that there was another fight going on in front of the library! When I looked around Alexander was gone. There was just a note saying thanks for my kindness and that he wouldn’t need it anymore. He had also torn his holy symbol of The Lady—a closed fist—from his robes and left it with the note. I guess that is a pretty good sign that he is not planning on coming back. He is free to unchoose Her, but I don’t think he realizes that The Lady does not unchoose Her champions. Ohhh <Joy’s small foot stomps the ground>. If I wasn’t so sad and hurt I wouldn’t be so mad at him, but it’s hard to be really mad when you are so worried. I feel like I should have been able to do something for him. Some champion I am. I bet Mother would have known what to do. How am I supposed to be an agent of The Lady when I can’t even help my own friends?! By the Other this is frustrating! If we weren’t so busy fighting all the time I would just lie down and cry for a few days. I’ll settle for getting out of this evil invested city as soon as we can.

Anyway, there were the devils again, and this time they must have dug up every person who had died in Sazon in the last 30 years! It seemed like there were hundreds of zombies and skeletons surrounding them. Cobbe had already turned some of the undead to dust by the time I got there, and he and Liana were fighting their way toward the devils trying to be careful of the chains the devils had scattered around. (Don’t these guys ever sleep?!) Galena webbed the door to the library to try and stop the undead from tearing down the doors and getting in. The devils trapped Arin in an ice dome, and they tried to trap Liana, but she was too fast and agile for them. I was turning the undead; Cobbe was turning undead and fighting off zombies; Liana was fighting. Galena was summoning creatures everywhere including some demon looking things—at least I hope she was the reason they were there; they did attack the devils. Poor Toiva had the some problem Cobbe had in the previous fight--armor. Suddenly another HUGE mass of undead came shambling up, but nothing happened when Cobbe tried to turn them. It must have been another illusion like the red winged demon from the previous fight. As soon as we figured that out the devils took off running. Galena’s arrow hawk tried to follow, but it couldn’t kill a devil before its time in this place was done. I sent the last of the undead to their final rest, and the new day finally dawned. Lady’s Light, but this has been one of the worst days of my life! And we still haven’t got rid of the damned devils and illithid! 2nd Farmersday does not promise to be any better than 2nd Sagesday was. Lady grant us the strength to vanquish Your foes and bring Your peace and grace to this horrible place.

 

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's Diary - Nonus 11

In the 417th year after the triumph of Alexander, Nonus 11, 2nd Farmersday

Knowing the task before us, I faced the dawn with great resolve and determination and tried not to think about Alexander. Grandfather {what Joy calls the elderly priest who is in charge of the hospital} was kind enough to use The Lady's miracles to heal Toiva and Liana. Even as we were there, more people wounded by the devils were being brought in.

Since Galena was still sleeping, I used the crystal ball to see where all the creatures were. I could only see the devil with the chains that we had wounded the night before and was now in darkness somewhere and Lord Azim. Lord Azim was in his anteroom with the illithid, who was gesturing, but there were no words being said. It was a good thing Toiva went and got the captain of Lord Nasser's guards because he got to see what happened next. The illithid turned into Lord Gunter! The captain then agreed to lead us past the guards and into the Governor’s Palace. Since we had to wait for Galena to get eight hours of sleep, I went back to the hospital to help with the wounded there.

Before we left for the palace we girded for battle with armor, miracles and spells. Getting into the palace was definitely the easy part; finding the illithid was the hard part. It wasn't in Lord Gunter’s chambers, and it wasn’t in Lord Azim's chambers. Cobbe said Lord Azim wasn't evil, so Toiva dazed him, and Liana tied, gagged and put him in a closet--he was getting obnoxious.

Cobbe finally detected strong evil behind a door in Lord Nasser’s wing of the palace. We had a pretty good plan, but it didn't work the way we hoped it would. As soon as we burst into the room the illithid disappeared, so instead of guiding the divine energies of dimensional anchor, I had to call upon invisibility purge, but I wasn't as fast as the others, so they were trying to stop what we couldn't see. Cobbe said there was still evil in the room though. Of course, before I could anchor it with my next thought, this energy portal appears out of thin air and envelopes it, and it was just gone. Galena says that it has to be very, very far away, and that Sazon is safe from it for the time being, but I wish we could have stopped it for good. If only I had been a little faster... I hope The Lady will forgive me my limitations. We couldn't even find where the stupid devils were hiding in the palace.

There is some good news at least. We discovered a magical crystal by Lord Nasser's bed. We think it might have helped the illithid control Lord Nasser. There was a small magical vial in Lord Gunter’s chambers. There was also a magic amulet on Lord Azim when we went back and took him out of his closet. When Toiva yanked it off, Cobbe suddenly said, "Um, The Lady says he's evil now." Liana wears the amulet now.

Between all of us--but mostly Toiva--Lord Azim found his hidden bardic skills, and told us at least some of what he knew. Lord Gunter/the illithid was the one in charge; it claimed that it and Lord Azim could take over Sazon through Lord Nasser. Lord Azim said the illithid told him to kill the real Lord Gunter shortly after his appointment to Lord Nasser two months ago. He also took us to the dungeons where the devils were usually kept, but they weren't there. Cobbe said there had been evil there in the past day or so. Lord Azim told us that the devils "belonged" to the priestess, and she appeared shortly after the illithid. The two of them worked closely together.

While we were still in the palace, Lord Victor arrived. He had brought his army into and taken control of it, declaring martial law. Lord Nasser was with him, and he looked different--less defiant. We all think he will get better now that the illithid is gone. After briefing Lord Victor, we gave him Lord Azim and head back to the temple.

When we got back we tried to scry the illithid, but Galena wasn't able to see him even though the ball and her abilities were working just fine. That evening a message arrived saying that Lord Altan, the other Council or whatever Lord Victor is, had taken the city of Sarand and would be heading back to Sazon in triumph. Considering that our visit here began with Lord Victor's "triumph"--for a lot less effort if you ask me, I think we should get out of here before Lord Altan arrives. I can't wait to leave this horrible place with its ostentatious ornamentation, chaos worms that kill Defenders of the Temple, priestesses that maim champions of The Lady, devils that attack town’s people and mind flayers that try and control everybody!

I wish Alexander had stayed. I miss him already. I scryied him just a little while ago, and he was moving quickly through lands that were getting increasingly mountainous. I hope he finds his path and comes back to us soon. I guess I really don't understand what he was going through. I have never had a crisis of faith, and I hope I never do! The Lady has been so wonderful to me and my family. Bad things happen, but you can't blame Her. She has done what She can by choosing us, and I won't let her down. I wish Mother and Father were here though. Gods get us out of this city soon!

May the blessing of The Lady be with us and especially Alexander.

 

[JoyHealinghand]

Joy's New Song to The Lady

Nonus 12 - morning

As soon as everyone gathers for breakfast and BEFORE she eats, Joy stands up, clears her throat and addresses the Champions,
"I've written a new song for The Lady, and I want all of you to be the first to hear it. Toiva helped with the music."
She looks a little nervous at first (something she normally isn't when she plays), but she takes a deep breath and strums the first cord on her lute with quiet self-possession. The music is very different from what she normally plays--more...mature somehow. It is stirring yet soothing, and you can hear Toiva's touch in the way the melody sticks in your head. Joy begins to sing,

The Lady is there. The Lady listens.
Open your spirit and hear with your heart.
Align yourself with Her virtues, and She is never far.
She does not touch lives as man touches man,
but Her presence reaches out and covers the land.
Like a mother and a father, She is parent to us all.
And Her greatest joy is when we learn to walk - even if we fall.
For the will to walk and the freedom to choose are Her gifts to us.
What we make of them and our lives is our gift to Her -
and to ourselves.

As the last notes linger in the air, Joy looks at everyone, starting with Toiva, to try and gage their reactions. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she anxiously waits for responses.

 

[Piratecat]

When's the next update????

 

[DoctorB]

Into the Dwarvenrealm

Nonus 23, 417
Toiva was having a very bad week.
Getting out of Sazon was a blessing but riding his new heavy warhorse, Frigate, had not been as easy as he had hoped. His body was sore in places he didn’t even know he had. Riding a horse resembled shipboard life not at all. The final straw came when the sling-stones whistled from the surrounding hills. Several of them struck him. Had he been wearing his plate armor they might have bounced off, but he was in studded leather instead and took several nasty shots. As he looked at their attackers, Toiva was surprised to see that they were all dwarves! Didn’t they know the Champions were on their side?!

Where was that dwarf who had marched into their camp the other morning? He had called himself Krag and said he owed Galena a life debt. She had apparently freed him from Victor's triumph in Sazon during the confusion of the chaos worms. Now he wanted to repay the debt. Boy was this guy in trouble. She liked looking down her nose at the other Champions. What would she do with an obligated dwarf?

Liana had apparently caught Krag the night before and had a talk about why he was following them. Toiva had been waiting up hoping Liana would not get into trouble scouting on her own. With difficulty, he had kept his eyes open until dawn, only to find that Liana had returned so quietly he hadn’t noticed.

Against the ambush, Joy quickly called up a briarweb over half of the enemies, ensuring that they could not move without hurting themselves on the thorns. Lux, Galena’ familiar, called out to the dwarves not to move, but of course they didn’t listen and almost killed themselves trying to get out. Cobbe charged at the other side, and subdued one of them.

Riding his warhorse past another of the dwarves, Toiva entangled the sling in his scimitar and ripped it from the dwarf’s grasp. The other attackers had had enough. Not satisfied with them just running away, Toiva brandished his sword at them as they went. Cobbe rode back to the others.

When Toiva returned, Krag had finally showed up and was berating the dwarves remaining in the briarweb. Lux translated for Galena, but he was glowing red as he did so. Could a Lantern Archon be embarrassed?

As Joy healed the injured dwarves and let them go, Toiva tried to catch Liana’s eye but failed. She was still angry with him. He half wished he had not brought up Arin before they left Sazon, but there was something odd about the boy. He seemed a teen-age human but with long white hair but he often cast spells to protect or aid the Champions. Arin worked that magic in a way that Toiva had never seen and he could not believe the other Champions weren’t as curious as he was. The others had no better ideas than he did. Could Arin be a celestial being, or something else? Whatever he was, they concluded, he was obviously an ally. Cobbe seemed to think that was enough. The mystery still tugged at Toiva, but he could do nothing about it for now.

Liana had taken the discussion of Arin as Toiva questioning his right to be with them. Something was growing between the two of them and Toiva thought she should know what he was before things went too far, if they hadn’t already. She had not yet forgiven him for bringing it up. He had to find a way to get back on her good side before she neglected to inform him of a danger that could kill him.

 

[DoctorB]

Journey to the Dwarvenrealm (continued)

Having sent the attacking dwarves away with the knowledge that not all humans and their allies hated them, the Champions hiked into the mountains along the old Sazoni imperial road toward the Dwarvenhome. Krag referred to it as just The Mountain. He also told them that hill dwarves were not permitted inside. Their families had become dishonored sometime in the past and the leaders of the Mountain exiled them to the outside world.

The tallest mountain in the range would be that of the dwarves. As they finally reached it and began to climb, the imperial road ran through a tall gate completely blocking the path. Even as the Champions discussed the best way to get into the Dwarvenrealm, they saw a familiar figure. Rolf Wolfcaller, the dwarf they had saved from the giants outside Skiros, was waiting for them at the gate. His two wolves, Nar and Ang, sat beside him in the road and considered them as they approached. As he moved, Toiva could just make out the silver of a mithril shirt underneath his tunic.

The Champions explained that they had come to find the Salutorum of Regor Blackblade, the dwarven Companion to Alexander. As they climbed the final day to the trade town outside the Mountain, Rolf filled them in on history and politics of the dwarves:

“You will have to gain permission to enter the Mountain from the Council of Nine. This is the ruling body of the dwarves, and includes representatives from various elements of dwarven society. The Drukar, the leader of the Council, is Rigall Stronhome, who knew Regor Blackblade in the time of the Great War. Some of the others will be sympathetic, but he is your best chance to get inside. You will have to register your request to enter with the Council representative in the trading town. It may take a few days to get inside afterwards.”

“Are there any, you know, recent dangers here?” Cobbe asked
“Well…” Rolf looked uncomfortable. “Not recent dangers, no. I will let the Council talk to you about that.”
A knowing look passed among the Champions of the Lady. Every realm of the old alliance they had visited so far had trouble of some type or other. Toiva saw the words of the madman’s prophesy again in his mind.

Beyin Oldermek prepares the way
The enemies weaken
With corruption from within

They arrived in the trading town without incident. It stood on a plateau about two-thirds of the way up the mountain. The thirty foot gray metal doors of the Mountain towered over one side of the town. As they settled themselves in the Golden Hammer, a local inn run by a hill dwarf woman, Toiva arranged for the rooms.
“We will need three rooms,” he told the innkeeper as he turned to the others to explain. “Cobbe and I will share one, Galena and Joy can share the second, and Liana and Arin will have the third.”
He enjoyed the surprised looks from the others. Though Liana and Arin shared watches, sleeping arrangements had always been divided by gender.
Let Liana stay mad at him after that!