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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ancalagon" data-source="post: 7372626" data-attributes="member: 23">SESSION 23 August 26th Once again, we have lost a member of the Pentachromata. Mighty Corwin fell to death's blade. This is quite a serious blow to the party; not only was I especially fond of Corwin, but we also lost our most powerful fighting force. Now the Pentachromata is reduced to three members: Finis Conwell, Suleiman, and myself (Corwin was not an official member, but had been accepted as such for all practical purposes). Kellindel shows promise, but we have not yet decided to officially induct him into the Pentachromata. I am getting ahead of myself; let me start at the beginning of the day. We arose early, as we still had things left to do before the ship set sail. Kellindel and Suleiman started to go get some arrows and catch some mice for Kellindel's falcon, but instead we all began discussing the deck of many things. Kellindel was determined to draw from it. No one else seemed especially interested, but Kellindel was so adamant that we agreed to go to an isolated beach and those who wished to do so could draw. Kellindel decided to take a huge risk and draw five cards; he made out quite well. As soon as he drew the first card a magical sword appeared at his side, and a map appeared in his hand. The map apparently indicates some place in Hejaz. As soon as he drew the second card, his newly gained magical sword disappeared, along with all the other magic he was carrying (which was very little). Nothing seemed to happen after he drew the third card, except that he seemed to stand a little taller and more confidently. After drawing the fourth card a pile a jewels and interesting works of art appeared on the beach before him. Finally, the fifth card granted him five arrows, which, when put together, formed another map. This one's location was not immediately obvious. Corwin was amazed at all the things the deck had given Kellindel, and decided to draw three cards. This was not a wise idea; Kellindel had just been extraordinarily lucky. Unfortunately, Corwin was not known for his wisdom. His first draw didn't appear to do anything at all. We asked him what happened, and he just turned around and smiled, saying "nothing". I could swear there was a look of malice in his eyes, but I might be wrong. He made his second draw, and suddenly a silent, cloaked figure wielding a scythe appeared and struck him. Corwin seemed unable to hit the terrible spirit; even a potion of heroism did him no good. He was practically helpless, and death slew him quickly. As soon as he hit the ground, the deck and the phantom disappeared. Stunned, we gathered Corwen's body and carried him to a cliff which looked north to the sea. Finis stone shaped a tomb for him, and I cast continual flame on a small stone pillar. His tombstone is visible from the sea, and it says "Here lies Corwin, slayer of the Lyrnian Hydra". After saying a few words over his grave, Finis and I sanctified the area, and I performed the farewell ritual. Corwen's poor hippogriff seems just as upset as the rest of us. There was little time to ponder Corwen's fate, as the ship was about to shove off. None of the sailors seemed to notice Corwen's absence, but the captain eventually asked, and we told him what happened. He expressed sympathy, and left us to our sorrow. We have split up care of the hippogriff between us. Suleiman is the only one strong enough to handle it, should it get out of control. The rest of the day was far too dull; we have had nothing to think about but our loss. If we should ever come upon the opportunity to use another wish, I would like to restore Corwin to life. August 27th Our misery and boredom was relieved today by a group of whales, which came to the surface for air. I'm told that a group of whales is sometimes called a "pod". These creatures are truly gigantic; I am glad that they are harmless. August 28th Uneventful. August 29th I have been reading the Book of Animate Thyngs for quite some time now, and I now feel that I am comfortable enough with the spells and materials to create a rag golem. I have begun to gather rags from around the ship; perhaps I can try it in a few days. August 30th This day was unusual only in that we were treated with a beautiful display of falling stars tonight. I have never seen such a constant, extended shower of stars before. Could it be an omen of some sort? September 1st September already! Has it been so long since I left home? I have learned so much in such a short time--we all have, for that matter. I hope that the information I have gathered proves useful to my fellow Ionians. I successfully created a rog golem today; I have named it Little Corwin. The unusual creature seems to be quite intelligent, and bewildered by its surroundings. At first, it was curious, asking what its purpose was, and following me around. It still follows me around, but it now seems content to simply follow my instructions. It is a little unusual, but I am sure that Little Corwin will prove useful. I have imbued him with the knowledge of healing, herbs, and the ability to speak Ionian. Unfortunately, the hippogriff seems to be fond of playing with rags, much as a dog would, so we must be careful to keep the golem away from it. September 2nd The hippogriff has taken to sleeping next to Suleiman; I am glad that someone has recovered from the loss of Corwin. The rag golem continues to follow me around, and simply sits or stands contentedly while we sleep. It is a little strange. September 3rd Nothing exciting happened today, but the weather has become warmer. Clouds rolled in during the day, and we had some rain tonight. I hope that we get to Ionia soon; I do not want to experience a storm at sea. September 4th Finally, we have seen some sign that we are nearing Ionia. We passed several of the Ionian Islands to the north of the continent. We gave them a fairly wide berth, out of fear that they might be inhabited by minotaurs or other beasts. I have also warned the rest of the Pentachromata about the lost continent of Minetia, and the tendency of small pieces of it to resurface at inopportune times. So far, there have been no signs of that ancient world. September 5th A Leinstern Cog passed us today, probably also on its way to Anarchopolis. Our lookout kept an eye on it, just in case it was crewed by pirates. In any case, it has pulled far ahead of us by now. September 6th A strange vessel appeared on the sea today; I believe the captain said it was a "junk", a ship from Chi-ung. It has a strange square sail, that looks as though it might be made of paper. It seems to be keeping pace with us, but I don't believe it presents a threat. September 7th Finally, I am home! I have been away for so long that I felt as though I were in a strange land at first. However, I quickly became comfortable, and I now feel at home. We stand on a balcony of our temporary residence, in the district of Anarchopolis known as The Syrinx. I suppose that, because I am home, I do not need to continue this log. Still, trouble has a way of following us around, so I think that I should continue writing, in case anything exciting happens. Besides, this has become a sort of habit. The Siren's Song pulled into the dock just before the sun was setting. The sun still reflected off the white marble and red tile roofs. All around our ship were dozens of vessels from around the world, including the massive quadreme under construction for the Emathian navy (I have heard that plans for a quinquereme are being drawn), and the multitude of languages spoken was stunning. We gathered our possessions and thanked Duke Northton. He let us know that the ship would be here for two weeks, if we needed passage back to Connaught. I don't think that will be necessary. Immediately after disembarking I called for a protection agency, and two Ionians emerged from the crowd in answer. One wore a sash, saying he represented the Paraplus Metic. The other, whose name was Dimitri, wore a disc around his neck, and said he represented the Obol protection agency. We decided to accept Dimitri's offer, as the Obol agency specializes in helping foreigners, and will provide us with lodging. He escorted us to the Syrinx district, and showed us around our very comfortable villa. The building is made of white marble, and well furnished. There are even potted plants inside, and a fountain in the courtyard! Finis and Kellindel seem puzzled by the concept of putting a plant in a pot; they discussed it for quite some time. In fact, Kellindel looks positively uncomfortable; he is not used to large cities and large numbers of people. For ten gold coins a week we get the house and a servant, and for an extra one gold a week per person, we are represented by the Obol agency (we wear discs around our neck to signify that they are our protectors). Our servant, an older man named Kyros, showed up not long after our arrival. He began to cook a goat for us, while Suleiman attempted to appraise the large stock of jewelry the deck of many things had given to Kellindel. The goat was excellent; our villa is excellent; it is excellent to be home! The hippogriff enjoyed dining on the goat's entrails; it is probably a refreshing change from all the fish it ate on the voyage. We are all making changes to adapt to this continent; I have returned to simply wearing a chiton and sandals; I suspect that the others will do likewise as they realize how uncomfortable humidity can be. We took advantage of this peaceful evening to reflect quietly on the events of the past several months, looking out at the city from our balcony. Kellindel has decided to sleep in the courtyard, under a potted tree. Praise to the great teacher, we are finally here! September 8th Breakfast today consisted of a wide variety of fruits, the likes of which I have not tasted for a long, long time. The others seemed to enjoy them a great deal, especially Kellindel. We changed our attire to be more in keeping with the temperature, and headed out into the city. We waded through the crowd, with Suleiman using his considerable strength to clear a path. A Demopol stood on a street corner, speaking about the innate goodness of man, but the citizens of Anarchopolis were too busy to pay him any heed. We continued on, headed toward the temple of Prometheus and the Academic Campus. As we neared the temple, I caught sight of an acquaintance, Leander of Terapolis. He did not recognize me at first, but when he did, he was delighted to see me. In fact, he recognized Suleiman and Finis--apparently, the log I sent off from Duma Faifni made it all the way back to Demopolis! Bless Glaucon's soul, he was true to his word! I asked to speak to head priest Ator, so that I could discuss my vision with him. Leander explained that Ator was busy until the afternoon, but that he (Leander) and some other priests would like to take us to eat at a Hejazian restaurant. We agreed to meet at the cedar grove around noon. Kyros led us through the marketplace, where we procured some supplies. Suleiman and Kellindel were both short on arrows. Some singers were performing, and we stopped briefly to listen. Urym put his ear to the ground and heard that Cyrus, the son of Apollo, has slain the warlock Farmia. Kyros tells us that a new philosophy, called sophism, has become popular, and that an Isutian Prince (with an elephant caravan, no less!) is in town. When noon came we met with Leander and a few other priests at the cedar grove. As we walked to the restaurant, they barraged us with questions about our travels. We were nearing the Hejazian district when we heard a commotion, and the crowd of people seemed to form a wall. Suleiman started to force his way through, and once the people noticed him, they got out of his way quickly. We emerged from the crowd to find a combat in progress. Three humans in strange armor squared off against what seemed to be orcs. Two more humans lay dead on the ground, and the orcs, who numbered ten, clearly held the upper hand. We were unsure of who to assist--things are not always what they seem in Anarchopolis, but Kellindel did not hesitate. He jumped in to help the humans, while Finis cast know alignment. He determined that the orcs were evil, and we joined the fight against them. The orcs proved to be surprisingly tough; they killed yet another one of the strangely armored humans, and one of them survived a Fury of Prometheus before they were finally defeated. Kellindel used hold person twice during the fight, to great effect. I can see that such a spell will prove useful. Strangely, the last orc slit his own throat. Our attempts to communicate with the human warriors were useless at first. Apparently they are from Nobunaga, and do not speak Ionian. Fortunately, one of my fellow priests could speak Nobunagan. Apparently one of the two surviving men is a noble of some sort, named Hadoshi Tokeda. He said that the orcs are from his land, and have enmity against his family. Hadoshi then ordered the other human, a samurai named Daito Tokeda, to accompany us, apparently both to repay us for saving them, and to show us that warriors of his family are not incompetent. As we are much weakened by the loss of Corwin, we agreed. He has been ordered to accompany us for one month. Hadoshi Tokeda walked off, and we resumed our walk to the Hejazian restaurant. I cast Teaching and Learning on Daito, so that he might temporarily gain my knowledge of Ionian. He thanked us for helping his lord, but said little else. His armor is most unusual; it seems to be made of wicker and bamboo. We reached the Hejazian Merchant Exchange, and Suleiman seemed a little stunned. I have been told that the district looks like a small sample of Hejaz; apparently it is true. The food was delicious indeed; we ate sheep and drank tea, coffee, and lhassi. They don't seem to use any kind of utensils in Hejaz, so we ate with our hands (except for Daito, who used two pieces of bamboo from his armor to make chopsticks). The conversation was pleasant and relaxed. It feels so strange to go from life devoid of comforts to such luxury. Kyros led us on a brief tour of the Hejazian district before we returned to the temple to meet with High Priest Ator. He was very pleased to see us, and invited us to sit and talk with him. The others seemed uncomfortable inside our temple at first, but Ator's kind manner soon calmed them. I explained everything that had happened up until my vision in Oghma's Monastery. While Ator could not explain the meaning of the vision, he did tell me some things that might be helpful. First, forces of the Taygete League are secretly gathering near the border of the Magic Lands--forces composed of living men, not undead. Second, he said that he can sense Prometheus' anger--He is very displeased about something. It occurred to me that Prometheus might be angry with me, so I began to tell Ator what had happened after I had the vision. I must have sounded like a babbling fool when I came to the events of Wicklow. Ator gently calmed me, and suggested an atonement. I heartily agreed, and it was decided that the ceremony would take place tonight. Ator also agreed to ask around about my sister, Damara, from whom I have not heard for several years. I tithed an amber gem, as part of my share of the party treasure, and we returned to the villa. I felt a great sense of relief, having voiced all my concerns to Ator, and dinner seemed more enjoyable because of it. After resting and bathing, we returned to the academy for the ceremony. Urym decided to look around the libraries, and Kellindel went to talk to a priest about the map on his arrows (it turned out to be a lake in southeast Aragon). Suleiman, Finis, and Daito waited quietly for the ceremony to end. The ceremony was simple and elegant, and everything went as planned, until the end. As soon as Ator was finished casting the spell, I was suddenly frozen in place and my sight was replaced by another vision. I saw a burning boat, a tree standing on water, and a man, garbed in the vestments of Ares, attacking. I had seen all three in my vision before, but I had forgotten about the burning boat, and the first vision was too brief for me to remember exactly what Ares had to do with it. I grabbed Ator; he seemed to think that I was embracing him, and tried to embrace me, but I shook him and told him what I had seen. He did not know what to make of it, but he did say that a trireme, named the Hammer, had mysteriously caught fire and sank in the harbor the other day. Despite the disconcerting vision, I feel much better now that Prometheus has forgiven me. We found Urym and Kellindel, and decided to investigate the Hammer's demise by visiting a harbormaster. It was beginning to get dark outside, but Anarchopolis, of course, was still busy. We saw a group of men riding ornthas, carrying green banners with a silver trireme on them. I am not sure what the banner means. The young harbormaster was very helpful; he said that the ship caught fire just as it reached the dock. Apparently, it was coming from Urbs Deorum, and its cargo consisted only of a group of priests of Hephaestus. They were led by Corax, a powerful clergyman. The harbormaster also mentioned that an Amazon, named Narissa, had inquired about the boat earlier today. It was becoming very dark by then, so we went on one last errand before returning to the villa. Suleiman wanted to send a letter home to Hejaz. He offered to pay a sailor to do it, but the man seemed reluctant. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but the man asked Suleiman a question, and when Suleiman answered, the man got down and prostrated himself before Suleiman! Suleiman encouraged the sailor to stand, and he took Suleiman's letter, holding it closely as he clambered back aboard his ship. It seems that there are still many things about Suleiman that we do not know. Once again, we are relaxing in the incredible comfort of our villa. I hope that this easy living is not making us soft. I fear that we will need to be in prime condition soon. September 9th Our work never seems to be done. We are all exhausted after another day of walking around the city (among other things). After another excellent breakfast, we set out in search of the site of the Hammer's sinking. On the way to the docks, we passed a group of young men, all following another man who was obviously in excellent physical condition. Apparently the leader is the town's champion runner, Xemon. We eventually reached the waterfront, and the Hammer's dock. The water was smooth and calm, with no sign of the terrible fire that sank the ship. I tossed in a continual light rock, and it sank, and sank, and sank some more--the harbor must be fifty or sixty feet deep! Finis jumped into the water, transforming into a dolphin. We all thought it would be an excellent way to explore the wreck; it was, in fact, a disastrous idea. Finis swam to the bottom, and was surprised by a group of three sea trolls--scrags--which nearly tore him to pieces. He swam for the surface and changed into a small frog (healing some of his wounds in the transformation). The scrags were close behind, and Urym plucked him from the water just in time. Only two of the scrags pursued Finis, and they attacked us soon as they surfaced. Their attack was vicious; One of them wrapped its claws around Kellindel and was about to pull him under, but I wrenched him from the fiend's grip with a watery fist. They submerged and escaped--I grabbed one of them with the watery fist, but it easily broke my hold and disappeared into the depths. By this time, a crowd had gathered, and several sailors told us that they were indeed scrags, and that the nasty creatures quickly heal their wounds when submerged in saltwater. Also, we found out that the Liberty Bank (the five-story high structure in the middle of town) owned the docks. After pondering what to do about the scrags, we decided to eat lunch, and then go to the temple of Hephaestus. Lunch consisted of some hearty flaffel. We were greeted at the temple by a priest named Gorca. He asked us to wait for high priest Hassad. I was slightly worried that the old discomfort between my priesthood and theirs might cause problems, but it did not. Hassad and Gorca were both very hospitable, in their own gruff manner. I explained why we were interested in the wreck, and told them of my visions. He did not know what they meant, but he did ask us to help them recover the priests' bodies, and the holy items they brought with them. To aid us, he presented us with a pair of magical gauntlets which greatly enhance their wearer's strength, as well as the assistance of Gorca. Apparently, the temple of Hephaestus already hired an group of adventurers to explore the ship, but they never returned. We decided that we would attack the trolls tomorrow morning, when we were fully recovered. Gorca accompanied us back to the Syrinx, where we found that a beggar named Avel had invoked the Right of Hospitality. Of course, we allowed him in. Gorca and Urym enjoyed casting their bad luck onto him, but the rest of us refrained. Avel said a prayer to Zeus, blessing us, and joined us in our meal. After dinner I went to the temple of Prometheus with Suleiman, Gorca, and Finis. Urym headed off to the Symposium, and I'm sure he's still there, in a drunken stupor. On the way to the temple Suleiman informed us that he had named the hippogriff Kwame MacBennan. Kwame was apparently the name of a slave that once took care of him, and MacBennan was, of course, Corwen's last name. Leander approached us as we entered the temple, and took me aside. He had heard some news about my sister, Damara, through his contacts with the Synod, a shady protection agency--more of a thieves' guild, really. Apparently she has thrown in with them. This does not bode well. I related this to Finis and Suleiman, who were unsure of what to make of it. The reason we had travelled to the temple was to fill in the gaps in my log, and to relate what had occurred since I last sent the log, from Duma Faifni. Finis, Suleiman, and I all took turns speaking in front of the rather large audience that had assembled in the auditorium. No less than four scribes wrote down every word we said! Curiously, a centaur was in the audience as well. Fortunately, we all spoke very well, and answered all questions to the best of our abilities. Suleiman was asked to return and speak on the subject of Planar Travel, and Finis was asked to speak about druids. They both seemed delighted, and we agreed to return tomorrow. Brother Prebis hinted to me that there might be a position available at the new temple in Libertopolis. I will have to consider the offer at length. By the time we finished, it was quite late, so we returned to our villa. Gorca seemed to have enjoyed the whole thing immensely. It is very strange, having all these people, whom I formerly was far below, looking up to me! I hope that I am worthy of their esteem. It is time for bed; we have an appointment with some scrags in the morning. ------------------</blockquote>

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