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Message: <blockquote data-quote="megamania" data-source="post: 7237924" data-attributes="member: 9255">THE HIDDEN: BEYOND NEW WATER03   YRLAG DOCKSSEGMENT 121“WAYFINDER’S FOUNDATION”8/18/17NYMM 19, 1000 Tyson Murray leaves his room before the others awake and walks to learn the village as he always did in Sharn.  The few whom still fish the great river, all locals, are still getting their boats and nets ready.  Some glance up from their small reed boats as he looks over the edge of the docks.  Unknown to them, and even to himself as it is such a habit now, he studies them.   Whom uses what.  Who has what.He walks out near the “Golden Road”.  This is a wall and raised walkway used by the Dragonmarked House Tharashk to securely travel from the swamps to their primary processing area for Eberron Dragon Shards.  Large humans and ½ orcs in pristine studded leather armor holding halberds watch with distain.  Tyson wonders if they fear the New Water.  Fear the slipping grasp of their hold of power over Yrlag.  Then he looks over his shoulder and stares at the bit of air ship he can see over the rooftops of the low dock buildings.  Maybe they already have.A few goblins are on the docks also.  Cautiously, he watches them as they scurry about.  Maybe it’s the hour, but there are clearly many goblins here in Yrlag.  How do they travel undetected here?  In Sharn they travel in tunnels and underground.  Yrlag lacks that.Or does it?He stops suddenly and looks down and away as if he saw nothing and moves to cover.  Several Emerald Claw members are loading a small boat.  A woman dressed in green and black condemns the people as slow and unworthy.  The terrorists are a danger and someone needs to end their organization but it will not be him.  He moves on quickly but not so to raise suspicion.    He spots the Cannith conclave.  For a Dragonmark building, it is small and quiet.  He notes tarps at water level under the building.   A new project?  An artifact from the New Water?  Curious but his interest is in the smaller building, nearly a shack, located on the same section of dock.  It is the House Sivis outpost.  He wanted to send communications out yesterday but Zig was very adamant about checking out the food scene.The gnome is grumpy.  He doesn’t expect business this early in the morning.  He sends out a message to the Lanterns about reaching Yrlag.   He then contacts the other client.  He passes on how he has officially confirmed Amabee ir’Haden, Zap and suspicions of Gussa being through Winetree years ago.   He then sets up a receiving account and gives a gold piece tip to keep his presence and activity quiet.  The gnome agrees with a knowing smile.  Yrlag is small enough that if you are hiding from someone, they will learn where you are.    Tyson knows this also but it is an act of consideration and buying the gnome’s trust.  Or at least a down payment.He returns to Sugga and Peppa’s and finds Ayru is up and waiting for him.   “Couldn’t sleep?” she asks.  She is sipping a morning tea and sweetened buiscut at the table outside.  Feldrix is with her.  He has done something rarely seen, he has removed his helmet.  From menacing he now looks horrifying.   “As an inquisitive, I find it important to understand the layout of the area.  I was walking about learning landmarks and where possibly useful buildings and institutions are.”  He sits down and looks through his book once more.“You brought your journal with you.   Are you still looking for those people?” she asks.“It is my job.” He says defensively.“Funny -   funny how our jobs are different but run similar paths.”“Meaning you are a Medani.   Yes it is.”“I suspected you knew.  Why have you never said anything?”“Figured you would tell us when you felt like sharing.   Besides, your shield gives it away.”She shrugs.“Has special meaning to you?”Again, she shrugs.“Yaaaaaawn…. Oh!   Tea!” calls out Zig as he comes out onto the courtyard and hallway.   Thus, the secrets of Ayru remain her own….. for now.Later in the day……“So why do you want to check out the Foundation?”  Zigland asks.  They are walking through the village on their way to the Wayfinder Foundation.  Tyson is purposely taking the long route there so as to learn more of the area.  They stop before a closed bridge with caution signs in several languages and ropes blocking it.    Beyond it are burnt down buildings and docks.   “What happened?” asks Zig.“Rumor I heard last night while you were stuffing your face with food was a Colossal Red Dragon came here and attacked the village.  He was looking for a Dadrow.   A luck demon.”  Offers the inquisitive.“Never…. Heard of one.”  Rasps out the knight.“I doubt it exists.   I suspect it was a greedy adventurer that took something from him.”  Zig whistles in amazement.   Dragons.   Awesome.   What recipes they must know……..“Tyson-  I hope you don’t mind but I wanted to look for some stuff (food) today.  Is it okay if I go off exploring on my own?”“You could learn equally important stuff at the Foundation Zig……,” He looks at the pale large eyes and cannot help himself.  “Sure.   Meet us back at the rooms by 17th bell.”Tyson, Ayru and Feldrix continue towards the Foundation.  “Ayru- what can you tell me about the Wayfinders?”Feeling honored to be asked by the highly knowledgable bard-inquisitive…. Or tested…. She answers.  “A halfling adventurer created it.   He funds expeditions to all over Eberron looking for additional treasure and secrets.”   She looks closely at him.  “Why?”“Boroman ir’Dayne is a halfling and an explorer.   He may be the only non-dragon to travel to all seven continents.  Though I’m not really certain about icy continent to the extreme south beyond Xen’drik.  On one trip he was either exposed or cursed with a slow version of Wilting.  No magic has yet healed him.  It has trapped him in a bed in Fairhaven.  He rarely leaves it.  He used his great and vast money and connections to create the Wayfinder Foundation.  It is a museum dedicated to his exploits and now the exploits of his approved members.   The Hidden is exactly the type of place he would want explored.”“Why do this?” Feldrix asks.“Some say he truly loves exploring and lives through the adventures of his friends…. The club members.  Others say he is looking for a cure.   Some say a cure created from a collection of artifacts.”“What is the point of going there then?” Ayru asks suspecting there is more to the inquisitive’s curiosity than to check it out.   “There is and always will be ONE location for the Foundation.   Only at his personal home.   Why build a second one….. here vs Sharn or Stormreach?” He asks bluntly.   “I doubt he would build a second HQ in general…… much less here.”Ayru thinks about this for a few moments.   “And from there we may learn something of great use also.   Like how to stay alive.” He grimly adds.The Foundation is under construction and it is massive.  It covers two wharfs.  One building on piers and the other appears to be built on a jutting stone from the water.  The entrance includes a balcony with strong but pleasant smelling flowers.  A statue to the founder is here complete with a small history of his exploits.  A few brass plagues give details about his better known expeditions- especially to the northern most continent that has only been made once (to most people’s knowledge  ).“Seems you know your philanthropists very well Mr. Murray.” Comments the ex-bodyguard.  Do you know any others?” she comments teasing him.“Once met the dwarf Kim ir’Elderich from Mhor Holds.”“You keep powerful friends.”“Who said Kim was a friend?”  They walk to the museum  entrance and the door opens as they reach it.A woman wearing a tank top with strips of leather padding, leather pants and boots.  A scarf is wrapped around her waist and head.  She looks more like a pirate or adventurer than museum curator.  “Welcome to the Wayfinder’s Foundation of Yrlag.  I am Jassa.”Shortly they have paid a silver apiece to enter the round show room.  It starts with a series of drawings and paintings that describe the village of Yrlag before Rhaan 9, 999.  (Day of 9’s)  Then suddenly, overnight, a large section several miles across transformed or was transferred.  Once a dark and murky swamp with pockets of warded and sealed portals to a realm of chaos, it became a place of dark strange water with a glass-like surface and in areas obsidian grew from the ground.  In the center, a valley, or a pit as some think of it, was formed.  Thick and tall extremely sharp shards of the black glass stab the sky creating a wall separating it from the “real” world.In the first few months, people came to explore the area.  Local druids especially.   Some of these people became local heroes.  The warforged scholar- Truth and his friends were the earliest ones.  Other groups came later.   A reporter for the Korranberg Chronicle brought The Hidden to the world’s notice.By the beginning of year 1000, a continent wide rush had begun.  Treasure , mysteries and Fame were to be attained.  The Wayfinder Foundation was quick to the call.“Strange.   Never thought about it …..”“Go on…. Thought about what?”  Ayru is beginning to trust his instincts.“The world really does to be drawn to this place.   Drawn is an unnatural…. Almost magical way.”“Zig…. Will wish he came….” Interrupts the knight whom gains a few wary stares from other people within the museum.  “They have samples…. Of the plants….. found here.”In the next forty-five minutes they look at and learn about the new flora and fauna.  There is a skeleton of a raptor with tentacles, a strange frog-like fiendish statue and a crocodile with spores and barbs on its head and shoulders.The new water, it is an oily darker blue fluid with trillions of ½ inch soft but firm pellets of many colors.  The colors are mainly blue but there is also red, yellow, green and orange.  The water seems to be only eighteen inches where ever one goes.Many previous sites, buildings, known ruins and even tombs have either disappeared or moved.  This gets a “Hurrm” from the Inquisitive which Ayru has learned is his way of saying he doesn’t approve of the reality of what has happened.Other things here include pieces of the obsidian which took a great deal of force to secure.  There are warnings of it being sometimes under the beads in the New Water.The Hidden is a bigger secret.   Very, very few have ever returned from crossing the glass wall.   Ruins are within it and a swamp of bright primary colors filled with “New Water” rivers, streams and pools.There is still room for more and a sign is at the exit asking for any additional facts and artifacts found to be shown. The Foundation may buy them for a good price.Leaving, they get a drink and group up nearby to talk.“Well?” asks the Dragonhouse employee.“It is a dangerous place and I don’t really feel comfortable going into there.   I am an Inquisitive- not an explorer.   It does seem it is a manifest zone or something of the sort.”“mani…fest …?” begins the knight with his raspy voice.“There are more planes than ours.   Worlds if you wish.   Each has a general theme or motif that differs from ours.   When the walls separating our world from another grows thin each influences the other…. Like now…. Here in the swamps.   If not corrected…. It can become permanent.  It is how Sharn’s tall towers remain upright…. Even though they are in some cases nearly a mile tall.”“I understand that but you went here for something else.”“Yes.   This is not Boroman ir’Dayne’s Foundation.”“Then…. Who’s?” asks Keldrix.“Yet another mystery to add to my growing list.”</blockquote>

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