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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ancalagon" data-source="post: 7419020" data-attributes="member: 23">SESSION 28 October 15th Late in the afternoon, we reached the city of Tephut-Reh. I must warn any travelers, the heat here is almost overwhelming. Because we (correctly) anticipated running into trouble, I have been wearing my splint mail, resulting in even more discomfort. Nonetheless, we have gained a few clues. The harbor was filled with a wide variety of ships, from junks to reed barges. Most importantly, the Arboria was moored to a dock, listing slightly to one side. It looked abandoned. A large temple (of what god I do not know) stood upon a hill above the town, and the activity on the docks reminded me of the frenetic pace of Anarchopolis. We disembarked, bidding farewell to Pericles and his happy crew, as well as to Aphetis, the old man who had come here to visit his grandson. Kellindel immediately made an interesting suggestion: We should attempt to find a potion shop, and equip everyone with potions of extra-healing. A few quick inquiries (Most inhabitants of Tephut-Reh speak Ionian, and often several other languages) revealed that a wizard named Phirip owned a potion shop in town. It was a good idea, but we wanted to check out the Arboria first. On the way to the Arboria, we passed several strange, hump-backed creatures Suleiman calls "camels". They are quite bizarre. Also, a prostitute asked us if we required her services; we sent her quickly on her way. Among the Isutians, it is apparently normal for both men and women to wear cosmetics, especially around the eyes. The Arboria is a huge galley, sitting abandoned on the end of a long row of docks. As we approached, Suleiman picked out a marker on the mast in the secret language of thieves. It said "under the third". We walked up to the bow and shouted "Ahoy!", but received no answer. I cast find traps, and climbed aboard. Kellindel climbed up after me, and together we decided that the deck was safe. Kellindel pointed out that the ship seemed to have gone through a sever storm recently. Narissa climbed up, followed by Suleiman and Thadeus. Thadeus kept watch while the rest of us began to make a more thorough search. We quickly found some numbered belaying pins on the mast. Suleiman pulled out the third one, revealing a paper note inside. It read: Red kite falcon in Demopolis is sometimes found hiding down below at the treeline. The nest or house must be of items favored Horus. But friend, beware training of the falcon is devil's tricks and illusions. Suleiman stayed on the deck trying to decode it, while Kellindel, Narissa, and I began to search below the deck. Suleiman quickly surmised that the true message is every third word: "Falcon is hiding at the house of Horus. Beware the devil's illusions." I am told that Horus is an Isutian god of revenge, and the son of Osirus. A brief search turned up little of interest. We found only two storage rooms and two officer's quarters. Kellindel, however, spotted an illusionary wall. After successfully resisting the effects of the illusion, he reported that four undead awaited us on the other side. I concentrated, dispelling the image of the wall in my mind, and then succeeded in destroying three of the undead in the name of Prometheus. Narissa stepped through the wall to finish off the last one, and then things got more complicated. Undead came streaming through several doors beyond the illusionary wall. I managed to destroy five, and Kellindel waded into the fray, striking down several more. Suddenly a strange woman, naked but with what appeared to be dirty white wings, appeared behind me, and suggested that I climb the mast. I resisted, and the woman waved both a wand and a rope threateningly in my direction. While Narissa dealt with the undead, Kellindel and I turned our attention to the woman. Her wand changed into a dagger, and she flung the rope at Kellindel. Kellindel nimbly jumped aside, and suddenly Suleiman appeared behind the woman. Wielding the Isutian khopesh Dacla Iman, he surprised the winged female, stabbing her from behind. The woman disappeared instantly, and Dacla Iman announced that she was an outer-planar creature, and must be destroyed. The woman reappeared behind Suleiman, who deftly jumped away from her rope and dagger. Narissa and Kellindel had made short work of the zombies, and I killed the last one, leaving us all free to concentrate on the outer-planar creature. She disappeared yet again, and reappeared on the poop deck, just above us. She asked Thadeus to climb the mast, which he did. I charged up the stairs and swung my warhammer as I ran under her, but missed. She counterattacked, and managed to catch me in her magic rope. I was unable to move. Narissa tried to attack the woman, but was poisoned by the magic wand-dagger. Suddenly a blade thrust up through the deck below the woman's feet. In an incredible strike, Suleiman had stood below her and stabbed her with Dacla Iman. She screamed and faded away. The rope fell apart, and I immediately cast slow poison on Narissa (who was in a great deal of pain due to the poison). Suleiman used Dacla Iman to destroy the woman's poisonous magic dagger, and after some contemplation, decided that the woman had been an Erinye, a lesser devil. We coaxed Thadeus down from the mast and renewed our search. Some people had gathered on the dock after our fight, but we ignored them. After searching more storage rooms, we found the captain's quarters. According the log, the Arboria left Anarchopolis on September 7th. His log was confusing, but seemed to suggest that at some point crew members disappeared, only to reappear later--perhaps as undead? The captain was imprisoned, and there was clearly some kind of disaster (probably the storm that damaged the ship). Someone named Minos apparently killed the captain after he discovered the nature of the cargo they were carrying. The final piece of information we gleaned from the log was that Damara and Kolete are, in fact, not the same person. We did not think that they were, but the possibility had existed (after all, what are the odds of there being two red-haired Ionians both conspiring to transport magical artifacts?). The cargo hold was empty, except for some rats, a dead Zek K'tri, and a circular burn mark on the floor--probably from the manacle. A feeling of gloom pervaded the area, and we were all growing uncomfortable. Doors leading from the cargo hold revealed two cabins full of corpses, lined up against the walls, as if they were on display. A third door revealed a gathering room, and what seemed to have been the Erinye's nest. The sun was beginning to set, and there was some kind of moaning noise coming from below decks. We decided that we had enough information for now. We had to find the House of Horus, and a potion shop. So, the Pentachromata climbed down from the ship and waked into the city of Tephut-Reh. The city is incredibly crowded, with a great diversity of people. It reminds me of Anarchopolis, although the population here is predominantly Isutian. As I mentioned before, Kellindel had obtained directions to Phirip's potion shop, and we followed them as best we could. It became obvious that we were being followed. Ten Ionian soldiers, with the symbol of Ares (the sword and spear) on their chests were close behind, and making no efforts to hide their pursuit. Five more joined the group, and we stopped to ask a pair of town guards what to do. They said that the servants of Ares were of no concern to them, unless they started hurting citizens of Tephut-Reh. The guards do not seem very interested in keeping order; I wonder if the Pharaoh in Isutia would approve of the way this colony is run. There was little to do but proceed on our way. We found Phirip's Potion Shop, despite the confusing, winding streets. Kellindel and Suleiman went in, while the rest of us stood guard. The followers of Ares grew in numbers, and grinned evilly at us, but kept their distance. After what seemed like an eternity, Suleiman and Kellindel emerged from the shop, carrying six potions and looking somewhat upset. It seems that the shop owner (who was not Phirip, but Geth--Phirip apparently died recently) spotted a large group of priests of Ares--roughly thirty--behind his shop. We quickly set off in search of an inn, but our pursuers seemed to be blocking certain alleys, forcing us to go to a battleground of their choosing. Narissa suggested that we could try to take to the rooftops, so we ducked into an alley and scampered up as quickly as possible. Suleiman turned invisible (some of his spells, notably hold person and invisibility, seem to work flawlessly here), and we quietly made our way to safety. A group of children (who were fascinated by Suleiman's invisibility) led us to an inn called the Inn of 101 Delights. It was a very unsavory place, but we were sure that the priests of Ares would not think to look for us here. Kwame immediately leaped up onto the bar, knocking over the dinners of several patrons, and squawked loudly. It looked like there might be a fight, but Suleiman brought Kwame under control, and we compensated the unfortunate diners. They became much more civil after that, and even told Suleiman that the House of Horus is an inn. We will investigate it in the morning. Despite the noise downstairs, I will try to get some sleep. Kellindel and Suleiman managed to procure a potion of super-heroism and five potions of extra-healing (although two of the potions are suspect, as they look and smell differently). We will be well equipped for whatever trouble comes tomorrow. October 16th The moment of truth is nearly at hand; just one more night's rest, and we will launch our assault on Kolete and her forces. We are currently in what was once a wizard's enclave. Wizards are strange folk, and this wizard was no different. Unfortunately, he left so many guardians (or perhaps they are all interlopers) that we must rest to recover from our wounds before beginning our attack. The Inn of 101 Delights was very loud, filled with all sorts of unsavory revelry, but we managed to rest well enough. It is strange to wake up without Finis singing to the sun. After ordering breakfast (including a huge, diverse meal for Kwame), we made our way into the streets of Tephut-Reh once again. The priests of Ares were nowhere to be seen this time. Our first goal was to put Kwame in a kennel temporarily, so that we might be a little less conspicuous and more mobile. Having finished that task, we searched for the House of Horus. It was over near the docks, and it did not take long to locate. Before entering, we first walked around the building, checking for signs of ambush, or any other clues. Suleiman pointed out a thief symbol marking the building as belonging to the Synod. Proceeding with great caution, we entered the establishment, and immediately noticed that it was almost completely empty. The Isutian innkeeper stood at the bar, pretending to keep busy. We asked him about a room, mentioning the falcon (by cleverly referring to Kellindel's falcon, Glide). We couldn't think of a way to mention the "devil's illusions", but it turned out that didn't matter. The innkeeper gave Suleiman a key, and told us to look in the second urn in room 3. We did so, and found a handle inside the urn. Of course, we pulled the handle, and a floor panel shifted, revealing steps leading down into a room lit by a lamp. A pleasant smell wafted up toward us, and we walked down into the room. A woman--with red hair--sat at a desk, with her back to us, writing. On a pile of pillows sat a huge humanoid, seemingly made of a grayish stone, and wearing the headdress and cloak. The huge stone man was petting a cat that looked tiny by comparison. It was amazing that he did not accidentally crush the feline. The woman noticed our presence, and turned around--it was my sister, Damara! How she has changed these past few years! I have not seen her since she left to be trained by the Sisters of Magic in the few forms of magic available to those who do not worship Hecate, around 1081. Of course, she is a fully grown, beautiful woman now. She has changed so much! Damara was very happy to see me, although I was somewhat reserved, as I did not yet know with what forces her loyalties lay. Nonetheless, I gave her a hug, and was about to introduce the group, when Suleiman interrupted me. He seems particularly taken by Damara, and he introduced himself very gracefully. I then introduced the rest of the Pentachromata, and she introduced the stone man as T'charm, an obsidisman. It appears that he wears a cloak of displacement. I tried to give a quick summary of our adventures and our reason for pursuing her. She then began her explanation of events. She joined the Synod after leaving the Sisters of Magic, because the Synod does not let gender get in the way of her progress. I must admit, in many Ionian towns and cities, it is much harder for a woman to pursue her goals. Still, I do not see why she could not have worked for anyone in Anarchopolis; most businesses there happily place higher priority on profits than on satisfying their gender preferences. Damara says that she does not (knowingly) do evil, but I wonder if her definition of evil would be commonly accepted. Anyway, Kolete contracted with the Synod to carry a cargo--the Hammer and the Manacle--to Tephut-Reh, and the Synod put Damara in charge. It seems that everything went terribly wrong. Many of the ship's crew members disappeared, then reappeared as zombies, doing Kolete's bidding. Damara wisely hid from Kolete, and escaped upon reaching Tephut-Reh. Kolete is accompanied by several allies, including Minos, whom Damara suspects is not human. He may even be the one who sank the ship carrying the priests of Hephaestus to Anarchopolis. Damara is obviously angry about the whole affair, and she wants revenge. She quickly added that she wants to stop their foul plot, but I think she is mostly interested in revenge. In any case, she is on our side. We asked her about Solon, and whether she sent him after us. She apologized, and was thankful that we merely drugged him and left him in the mountains, rather than killing him. According to Damara, Kolete is headed for Irem, the City of Pillars, one of the ruined Damned Cities of the Arachnith, deep inside the Magic Lands. They have a large head start on us, but Damara knows of a wizard named Setem-Nefer who may be able to get us to Irem quickly--perhaps via teleportation. Suleiman and T'charm the Obsidisman went to take Kwame out of the kennel, to be placed in the care of the Synod. Damara suggested that the priests of Ares might try to get Kwame otherwise. I'm not sure that I trust the Synod, but I suppose our hippogriff will be safer with them than elsewhere. Damara also dispatched another servant to get some supplies for us--arrows, sling bullets, food, oil, torches, and a tent. Upon the return of Suleiman and T'charm, we set out on foot for the wizard's enclave. The area outside the city is surrounded with irrigated fields. The heat was overwhelming; travelers should be prepared to carry plenty of water through this area. The irrigated fields continue a way into the countryside, then abruptly end in rocky desert. It did not take long to run out of water. Fortunately, a rider from the city came carrying supplies on his ornthra in midmorning. We had not thought to ask for water, but the rider had a little for us. After distributing the supplies, we continued our walk to the home of Setem-Nefer. A short time later we reached the white stone structure. Two huge pylons stood on either side of the gate, covered with hieroglyphs. Eerie quiet reigned, but we broke it by pounding loudly on the large gate. T'charm announced that a creature on top of a pylon was looking at us, and we all looked up to see a sphinx as it flew down and landed nearby. The creature claimed that it controlled the surrounding territory now, and demanded tribute. We refused, and, of course, it attacked. T'charm swung at it with a massive maul, and Suleiman's magic missile went off without a problem. They managed to bring it down, but not before it dealt several fearsome blows to Kellindel. Using the sandals of flying, I went up to check its nest at the top of the pylon. Among the bones and refuse I found a crystal flask and a scarab with the words "see the way" on it. I opened the flask, and a blue mist quickly emerged. I shut it before much of the gas could escape. I flew down the other side of the wall and opened the gate. T'charm raised the large portcullis behind it. A large building filled the middle of the complex. Birds, antelope, and small lizards wandered freely through what was once a well-tended garden. The front door was wooden, and sheathed in copper. The knocker appeared to be a large spider. It was clear that the wizard was either no longer here, or had for some reason lost interest in maintaining his complex. It seemed prudent to enter via some entrance other than the front door. We turned to the left and walked around the building, finding two more doors and a pool of water, surrounded by fruit trees. One door had open windows, and a quick look inside revealed nothing of interest--just a large table, some chairs, faded frescoes, and leaves that had blown inside. We filled our waterskins at the fountain, and Suleiman tried some of the water. He was surprised to feel even more nimble than he was before--and proved it by doing several impressive somersaults and flips. Damara was impressed, and drank some as well. If anything, she seems even more captivating and beautiful than she was before. Thadeus was excited by these results, and tried drinking as well. Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect--he seems even more annoying than he was before (naturally, none of us drank after Thadeus). Oh well. The other exterior door was locked, and Suleiman found signs of a trap, possibly on the handle. Damara tried to pick the lock, but broke her lockpick. T'charm, who was growing tired of waiting, simply smashed the door in. Several ju-ju zombies awaited us inside, arrayed around some kind of spider-god shrine. I tried to turn them, but surprisingly, I could not. Fortunately, T'charm and Narissa made short work of them, while I smashed the shrine. The room appeared to have been a barracks at one time. A door in the room revealed a pantry full of spoiled food, and a hallway led out of the room. We followed the hallway to a sarcophagus which, much to our surprise, began to open. A corpse wrapped in bandages--what the Isutians call a "mummy"-- emerged, paralyzing several of us with fright. Narissa, however, was unaffected, and she struck it. It struck her as well, and she cried out as she contracted that dreaded disease, mummy rot. T'charm came to his senses, and destroyed the undead. Fortunately for Narissa, Prometheus cured the disease. Suleiman tried a nearby door, and was surprised to find a beautiful Isutian woman inside, rising to her feet. She stared at him, and he seemed to relax. It has been a long time, but I have seen a vampire's charming gaze before, and we attacked. T'charm dealt her a heavy blow, but she threw some dust onto a nearby brazier. T'charm and Suleiman instantly fell to the ground, asleep. Narissa squared off against the fiend, but the vampiress struck her, draining some of the very life from her body. In desperation and anger, I called upon the fury of Prometheus, and destroyed the vampire. T'charm and Suleiman awoke after ten minutes, and we searched the room using Dacla Iman's ability to detect magic. The sword quickly pointed out a rod, and what seemed to be a very large bag of holding. We immediately placed the chest and other assorted items in the bag, so that they would not encumber us so. Damara experimented with the rod, and found it to be a rod of splendor--it creates the illusion that she is dressed regally. Thadeus listened to a nearby door, and heard the sound of bubbling. It was locked, but Suleiman picked the lock, and T'charm led the way inside. The smell of preservative chemicals was overwhelming. A large stone slab lay in the middle of the room. This was apparently some kind of laboratory or embalming room. A soft moaning sound came from a shelf, and we all turned to see a horrible, grisly sight: A severed head sat on a bronze plate, covered in grubs and maggots. The head spoke aloud, asking for help. He called himself Imshar, and he was once a servant of Setem Nefer. Setem Nefer took his body and used it to make some kind of golem. The wizard is apparently no longer human; he is some kind of man-spider. Most importantly, Imshar says Setem Nefer had a portal that could be used to travel great distances. He offered to lead us to the portal, if we would kill him in exchange. The offer was very fair, so we agreed. Imshar said that several powerful golems guard the great hall (into which the front door opens), so he said that he would lead us to the library, and his own room, to get several items which might be helpful. We exited the building, making our way to the opposite wing of the complex, where we found another fountain. This one was overflowing, and a large three-headed monster arose from it to attack us. The creature had a crocodile's body, and each head served a different purpose. One had fangs, another fangs with venom, and the third spat poison. I immediately cast slow poison on T'charm, and he attacked it. Suleiman activated his magic fuzzball, but it only turned into a rat this time. Nonetheless, the rat swam bravely to attack the monster. The creature poisoned T'charm, but the slow poison protected him, and he angrily dispatched it. Once we had recovered our wits, Imshur told us to go through the nearby stables (which held the rotting remains of a chariot) into a hallway. From the hallway we could see the doors to Setem Nefer's library and Imshur's room. T'charm opened the door to Imshur's room, and was instantly attacked by a bizarre creature, with a crocodile's head, a man's body, and a burning Ank in one hand. T'charm killed it, but Kellindel's weapons could not affect it (Takarm's maul is magical). Imshur sighed and explained that the man's body had been his. Inside Imshur's desk we found a ewer containing oil of sharpness, oil of slipperiness, and oil of disenchantment. They can apparently be called forth on command. Also, a scroll of restoration lay inside a drawer. I immediately used it on Narissa, so that she could regain some of the life force drained by the Vampire. She was not fully restored, but she was grateful nonetheless. I was concerned that I might not be able to make a scroll of such power work! The library door was locked, but Suleiman once again succeeded in picking the lock. T'charm pushed the door open, and we proceeded cautiously. Many books on dark, evil magic, as well as spider-gods, were contained on the book shelves. Of course, books on many other topics were there as well. A large book rested in a stand, encased in glass. The title was impossible to read; it was magically blurred. Imshur directed us to a cabinet containing several scrolls with powerful spells. Suleiman took the wizard scrolls (which included summon earth elemental, anti-magic shell, monster summoning of the fourth circle, and stone to flesh). I took a scroll containing raise dead and restoration. I was going to use the scroll to restore Narissa fully, but it was very risky--I could easily make a mess of such a powerful spell. So, I lit the candle of invocation, to improve my odds, and it worked--barely. I could feel the power slipping away, but the candle made the difference. Thank Prometheus! Narissa was restored. I also used the spell temporarily granted to me by the candle to cast cure serious wounds on T'charm. Next we had to get past the golems in the main entrance hall. We walked over to the wing of the building we had explored first, and stood behind the door that led into the entrance hall (There are three doors leading into the hall: The front door, the left wing door, and the right wing door). I cast Arms of Flame onto Kellindel's weapons, and we charged inside. Those of us who went in, that is, myself, T'charm, and Kellindel, were struck by a field of what appeared to be lightning; we felt an incredible pain--and it would not go away. Four large skeletons, coated in copper, stepped out from the wall, and more lightning coursed across their bodies. We prepared to face them despite our pain, while Suleiman, Damara, and Thadeus raced around to try the front door--perhaps it did not have a similar protection on it. T'charm drew his maul back and took a mighty swing at a skeleton, smashing the undead in one incredible blow. Lightning played across the head of his giant hammer, but the wooden handle insulated him. Narissa was not so lucky; she struck a skeleton, but was shocked in return as the energy traveled down her blades. Meanwhile, Suleiman, Damara, and Thadeus had charged in through the front door, but that door was also trapped. A confusion spell took effect on them, but only Thadeus was unable to resist its effects. He became enraged, and struck Suleiman. Damara knocked him unconscious with a skilled blow to the head. The rest of us were faring even worse. Narissa was so badly hurt by both the skeletons' swings and her own that I had to cover for her as she retreated and drank her potion of extra-healing. My warhammer has a wooden shaft, so I could strike the skeletons without fear of being shocked, but they struck at me fiercely in return. Despite the pain and our injuries, we reduced the skeletons down to one, and that skeleton was dispatched by a flurry of magic missiles from Suleiman and Damara. It seems that all of their magic works flawlessly around the wizard's enclave. We discovered symbols above each door leading into the main hall--these glyphs had caused the pain and confusion. We were uncertain what the third glyph did, but we destroyed them all anyway. It seemed like a good time to stop and recover from our wounds, but Thadeus awoke and hit Suleiman again. Narissa tackled him, and we tied him up until the confusion could wear off. I was almost out of spells, and we were all in bad shape, so we decided to rest for a little while. There was a door in the main hall which led to the wizard's inner chamber, but we decided to block it with rubble, so that we could rest safely. As T'charm placed the first boulder in front of the door, it began to open slowly. Kellindel and Thadeus were siezed by supernatural fear, and ran straight out of the building (Thadeus hid behind the front gate, and I think Kellindel hid behind some trees). While the rest of us were not so terrified, we nonetheless took to our feet, and Suleiman used the wand of fire to place a wall of fire in front of the doorway. Suleiman lagged behind us a little as we ran outside, and once again used the wand, this time to cast a fireball into the passage behind him as he ran. We emerged from the building near the magical fountain, and Suleiman was close behind. The creature that was once Setem Nefer exited quickly after Suleiman. It had climbed on the ceiling to evade the wall of fire, but had taken the full brunt of Suleiman's fireball. The burned creature was horrible to behold. It was some kind of combination of a man and a spider, wrapped in bandages. Narissa, Suleiman, and myself turned to face it (the others were all badly wounded, or unprepared for a combat). Suleiman launched a magic missile at it, and it dodged a sunscorch. Narissa landed several blows, but it counterattacked viciously. Using its many limbs, it hit both Narissa and me, causing our skin to bubble with some strange skin disease. Suleiman cast levitate on it, and it floated up into the air, but not before spitting a spider out of its mouth at Narissa! The spider bit her, but she seemed all right. I cast cure disease on both myself and Narissa. The man-spider was not done with us yet, and it shot a line of sticky web-like material at the roof of the building. It was pulling itself down toward the ground, despite the levitate spell. Suleiman was growing tired of the monster, so he sent another fireball at it. The creature exploded in a disgusting mess, and we finally relaxed. With the creature that was once Setem-Nefer dispatched, we decided to investigate the room containing the portal. We picked up Imshur's severed head (which we had left on the ground before fighting the skeletal golems), and he directed us through the door we had tried to barricade. The room was very impressive. On a pedestal resembling an upside-down spider there sat a crystal ball. Dacla Iman also pointed out a magic sword, a robe, and a rod. Kellindel took the magical sword, and it glowed in his hand. Thadeus took the robe, which turned out to be a robe of arachnids, granting the wearer the ability to climb walls and ceilings, as well as throw webs. Most importantly, a large circle of stone stood against a wall. Hieroglyphs ran all the way around the ring, although it did not appear to lead anywhere except into the impassable stones of the wall. Imshur told us the command words: "In the name of Setem Nefer, I command the portals to be opened!"; the user must simply visualize the place he or she wishes to go, and the portal will take the user there. It can be closed by saying, of course, "In the name of Setem Nefer, I command the portals to be closed!". He is not sure if the portal will stay open on the other side. Imshur, having fulfilled his end of the bargain, asked us to destroy him by immolating him in flames. We obliged, although I was briefly tempted to try using the candle to gain the ability to cast regenerate on him. However, I think that the spell would not work on a being so obviously ensorcelled. In any case, Imshur was happy to be destroyed, and gave us the blessings of Thoth. I could not get the crystal ball to work, but Damara had no trouble with it at all. I suppose only wizards can work such devices. After some experimentation, she called me over, telling me to look into it. At first she concentrated on Suleiman, and we could see him. Then the ball grew foggy, and she concentrated again. We could see our mother! She was preparing for bed, looking sadly at a drawing of us as children. She blew out a candle, and lay down to sleep. I was almost brought to tears; I have not seen my mother in so long! Then the image changed again. A red-haired woman worked over a forge on a strange metal, shaping it into armor--it was Kolete! At this point, we fell into arguing about what to do next. My impatient sister wanted to charge through the portal immediately, without resting or recovering spells. I, of course, argued that we could not defeat Kolete wounded and devoid of all healing magic! Fortunately, patience and wisdom prevailed--we will wait until tomorrow to attack. We made our camp; it was still early, so we prepared lunch. Suleiman, Damara, and T'charm went to investigate the book with the unreadable cover, and came back a short while later. Suleiman is very upset. It seems that, as soon as they lifted the glass cover on the book, a glowing tentacled being--similar to the one we fought in the monastery of Oghmain that it was cold, but this one was dark--appeared, and attacked. It used a magic beam to destroy Suleiman's ring of jumping and, most terribly, his magic sword--Dacla Iman. T'charm destroyed it with his maul, and they took the book and returned to camp (the cover remains unreadable, so we're not reading the inside, either). Naturally, Suleiman is angry at having lost his sword; he even snapped at Damara and I as we argued (again) over whether we should attack now or tomorrow. I understand how he feels, but I think Damara was hurt. She and Suleiman seem to be fond of each other; Damara could certainly do much worse than to marry a good and powerful wizard like Suleiman. I hope that her anger does not cloud her judgment. Oh well; amantium irae amoris integratio! After eating lunch, I lit a block of incense of meditation, and began to pray. I will need all of my spells to be at full effectiveness tomorrow. I have prayed all afternoon, and into the night. Finally, I feel that the incense has worked its magic. I hope that Prometheus hears and answers my prayers! Damara says that Kolete caught her spying with the crystal ball. That could make our task more difficult. The rest of the Pentachromata have been resting and trying to prepare for tomorrow's ordeal. Kellindel had a few healing spells remaining. I hope that they are enough. May Prometheus protect us! October 17th I am still alive, so you might surmise that we were victorious. But I think that I will keep you in suspense for a while. I may take at least a little dramatic license, may I not? Besides, we are apparently stranded here, in the middle of the Magic Lands. I have nothing better to do. Our wounds were, for the most part, gone when we woke up this morning. We immediately proceeded to the portal, and asked Narissa to envision the city of Irem (she had been there before, when pursuing Kolete through the magic lands). She did so, and spoke the command words, but nothing happened. Suleiman hypothesized that only wizards could use the device, and he read Narissa's mind to get a picture of the city. He said "In the name of Setem Nefer, I command the portals to be opened!", and an inky blackness filled the space inside the circle of stone. We stepped through the portal, with Suleiman walking through last. As soon as he was safely through the portal closed behind him, trapping us in the Magic Lands. The only way out now was on foot. Suleiman says that teleportation was one of Dacla Iman's powers. If the sword had not been destroyed, we could have used it to go anywhere we wanted. Well, actually, we could have taken only six hundred pounds of us wherever we wanted (the sword was limited). There was no time to ponder our fate; we had a duty to perform. The entire area was covered with sand and gray stone. The moon Faeros ominously hung directly overhead. We stood atop a tall plateau, overlooking the ancient accursed city of Irem. It was truly a bizarre sight. Columns of stone ringed the city, jutting from the ground at strange, impossible angles. The columns surrounded a huge hole--perhaps pit would be a better word--with what appeared to be a web strung over it. The web was dotted with circular buildings, which were apparently the homes in which the Arachnith lived. The lines of the web seemed to overlap each other in ways that defied comprehension; they appeared to be straight lines, but you could not follow them straight to the edge of the pit. It seems that this whole city defies the geometric laws of Euclid. I began to get a dull headache just from looking at it. Far below, at the very bottom of the web, a reddish-orange glow emanated from the windows and door of a spherical chamber. We surmised that the light must be coming from Kolete's forge. But how could we get down to it? No path seemed to lead directly down to the center. It occurred to me that we had found the scarab which had the words "see the way" inscribed upon it. I suggested that we might read them aloud, and see what happened. Everyone agreed, so I held the scarab and said "see the way". The area was filled with magical energy, as a confusion spell took effect upon us. Only T'charm and Kellindel were unable to resist its effects. Kellindel merely stood in a stupor, but T'charm had a look of sudden understanding on his face. It seems that the scarab of insanity had indeed made him temporarily insane--and thus able to comprehend the organization of the confusing city layout. Once the spell's effects on Kellindel wore off, T'charm led us down into the web. The web is, in fact, not made of spider's silk at all. Instead, the strands are stone, and inscribed with runes. As a precaution, Suleiman turned invisible, and we made our way down. Incredibly, we seemed to be going away from the center of the pit, but then again, we didn't seem to be going to anywhere in particular. The stone paths were narrow enough to be difficult to walk upon; I hovered below the group using the sandals of flying, prepared to catch anyone that might fall. The air was suddenly filled with mad laughter, and we looked toward the building containing Kolete's forge. A man stood outside--we presumed that it was Minos, one of Kolete's minions. He took a step forward, and his skin melted away, leaving a black, slimy, winged creature. It leaped into the air and flew toward us. There were several of the empty spherical buildings about, so we jumped inside the nearest one for cover (and to avoid fighting on the narrow pathways). Once inside, I cast prayer, and we used a scroll of protection from gases (we were relatively certain that Minos was the one that used a cloud of gas to kill the passengers and crew on the Hammer, the ship that sank in the harbor of Anarchopolis). Our weapons drawn, we awaited the beast's attack. It landed and, as we thought, breathed a cloud of noxious yellow gas at us . The scroll provided a protective sphere around us, and we were unaffected. Suleiman, Damara, and Narissa were nowhere to be seen--they had disappeared after we entered the building (well, Suleiman was already invisible). Only Thadeus, Kellindel, T'charm, and myself stood against the beast. A fierce melee ensued. Fire sprung from the creatures fingertips, burning Kellindel, but I cast cure moderate wounds on Kellindel. Thanks to the incense of meditation, the spell had full effect. Kellindel and T'charm both smashed the creature with powerful blows, but the creature retaliated by grabbing T'charm, holding him close to its body. Minos was apparently covered in acid, and even Takarm's stone-like skin could not resist. Then the sphere of protection, which was holding back the poisonous gas, began to shimmer, and we knew that it would fall quickly. I cast dispel magic, attempting to dissipate the magical gas cloud, but instead, it simply dispelled the protective sphere (which didn't really matter; the protective sphere was about to collapse anyway). The gas rushed in, choking us. Thadeus fell to the ground, killed instantly, as did Kellindel's falcon, Glide. The rest of us suffered a great deal of pain, but survived. We withdrew from the cloud, onto the path outside. Kellindel, in an impressive leap, jumped to the top of the doorway, and swung at Minos from above. T'charm continued to swing his maul at the monster, as I provided healing magic. In a powerful blow, T'charm struck the monster square in the face, and it quickly dissolved; the corpse ate a hole straight through the floor of the sphere. Suleiman is not certain, but he believes Minos may have been a Kelubar-Demodan. The cloud of gas remained, and we waited for it to dissipate before reentering the spherical dwelling. It took only a few minutes; inside, we found Thadeus and Glide on the floor, dead. There was no sign of Narissa or Damara, but Suleiman made his (invisible) presence known, saying that he had stayed out of the fight to save his invisibility for the final battle against Kolete. We had no time to do anything for Thadeus (and there was nothing at all we could do for Glide), so I put on the robe of arachnid, and we followed T'charm down the path to the forge. After barely one hundred yards of progress, we saw a woman appear on a ledge outside the front door of the sphere containing the forge. It was obviously Kolete, and she was preparing a spell! We charged forward, and as I flew I tried to use the robe's web ability to trap her. She jumped inside the doorway, dodging the effect, and the webs fell uselessly around the building. We could do nothing but wait for her spell to go off. Much to our surprise, Suleiman appeared in midair above Kolete, and fell directly onto her, interrupting her spell. He had very cleverly cast dimension door! Suleiman had bravely placed himself directly in harm's way, as there was also a large man in magical armor inside the building, directly behind him (but not visible to us). Suleiman later told us that he had recognized the spell Kolete had been casting: chain lightning! Kellindel stayed on the path, trying to cast hold person on Kolete. He tried several times, but it simply did not work. We were surprised to hear Damara and Narissa as they attacked Kolete. We could not see them--they had somehow turned themselves invisible, and they remained invisible, even though they were attacking. Suleiman was left to deal with the large armored man, who we found was called Brasidas. I tried to help by casting Fury of Prometheus on Brasidas, but it did no good--he seemed immune to the spell's effects. Damara gave Suleiman some help by creating an illusionary double of him, while Suleiman used his magic fuzzball--this time, it turned into a large, angry bull, and charged at Brasidas. Unfortunately, Brasidas proved to be immovable; the bull could not budge him. It did not take long for T'charm to reach Brasidas; the two of them squared off, leaving Suleiman temporarily safe. Brasidas swung his blade at T'charm, striking him. T'charm cried out surprisingly loudly, and Brasidas laughed and announced "I'm draining your power!". Meanwhile, Damara had turned Suleiman invisible once again, using dust of disappearance (this was how they stayed invisible). Kolete was taking quite a beating. She fired magic missiles at an invisible target--probably Narissa--and I scorched Kolete with the second strike from the Fury of Prometheus. Despite the fact that the spell operated at maximum effect, she remained standing. Damara and Suleiman backstabbed her, and someone struck her with a gout of flame, but still she stood. I poured as much healing magic into T'charm as I could--thank Prometheus that I had the forethought to use the incense of meditation! By this time, Kellindel had given up trying to hold Kolete, and had quaffed a potion. He seemed to stand taller, and with great confidence, he strode forward and helped T'charm against Brasidas. Suleiman cast shocking grasp, and struck Kolete, who staggered back. The invisibility on Damara and Narissa had worn off, but they pressed the attack. Suleiman briefly tried to aid Kellindel and T'charm by using his wand of illumination in an attempt to blind Brasidas, but Brasidas looked away and was unaffected. Suleiman returned his attention to Kolete, and with a final swing, struck her down. Narissa and Damara made sure that she was dead before joining the fight against Brasidas. Brasidas was an impressive opponent. He was tall, strong, and very powerful, especially after draining life from T'charm. Nonetheless, T'charm and Kellindel had struck him several times. Brasidas had been unable to drain any more life from either of them, but he was still standing tall. T'charm was gravely wounded, and I my ability to channel healing magic was nearly exhausted. So, I switched places with T'charm, holding off Brasidas while T'charm drank a potion of extra-healing. Rotating injured party members out of the front line is a skill that we have finally learned after many painful fights. But the switch proved unnecessary. For the past several minutes, after Kellindel had imbibed the potion, it was clear that he was holding back. He seemed to be studying Brasidas' moves. Kellindel occasionally struck out, but he seemed to be experimenting, perhaps even toying with Brasidas. As I changed places with T'charm, Kellindel made his move. In a brilliant whirl of blades, Kellindel feinted to the left, then thrust his magical long sword at an opening in Brasidas' defense. The sword slipped cleanly between two plates in his armor--Kellindel's aim was remarkable; the armor was nearly impenetrable. Aided by the power of the Gauntlets of Hephaestus, Kellindel buried the blade deep inside Brasidas. The giant man looked surprised then toppled over backwards as Kellindel withdrew his sword. I have never seen such an incredible blow struck before; I doubt that I ever will again. We stared at Kellindel, stunned, and then came to our senses. Brasidas was stripped of his armor, and we made sure that he was dead before beginning a search of the area. T'charm smashed Brasidas' sword, an evil lifestealer. We also found a magical periapt, an amulet, a ring, and (finally!), the Hammer of Hephaestus. More importantly, we finally found out what Kolete had planned to do with the rest of the metal from the Manacle of Prometheus from the Mountain of Lament. Of course, she had made the suit of armor which Brasidas wore, but she was also working on making eight large "spider golems": nearly invincible metal golems in the shape of spiders. With such terrible creations, and an army provided by the Taygete League, Kolete could have done terrible damage to any nation or polis in Ionia. No doubt the Taygetan army gathering on the border of the Magic Lands (mentioned by High Priest Ator) was intended to join forces with Kolete and her minions, and march on Emathia or Amazonia. If you will recall, we had found a scroll of raise dead in Setem Nefer's complex. I hoped to use it on Thadeus, but we could not tell which building we had left him in. The confusing maze of paths was simply too complicated. So, I cast locate object, and flew around the city, searching for the odd purple potion from Phirip's Potion Shop which we had given to him. After a few minutes of flying about, I located him, and used the scroll to raise him. When he woke up, he said only "Dammit!", and I could not help but laugh. I flew him back down to the forge. Once we returned, Damara attempted to cast detect magic to locate any other items that might be useful. The whole area, however, seemed to be under the influence of the strange forces of Wild Magic, and the spell went awry--instead, we were all affected by a heal spell! After a final search of the area, we placed all of the pieces of the manacle in our large, recently acquired bag of holding. There was nothing to do but begin the long, slow march out of the Magic Lands, around Silva, and north to Anarchopolis. The Magic Lands are a frightening place; I have new respect for Narissa, who says she traveled through this area alone! Shadows seemed to flit all around, and I feel as though we were being watched constantly. My advice to travelers in the Magic Lands: If at all possible, don't go there. I wish we had not lost Dacla Iman; Suleiman could simply teleport to Setem Nefer's enclave, open a gate to our camp, and we could instantly return to safety! Nevertheless, I am happy to be alive, and happy to have completed our mission successfully! I am so proud to have companions so stalwart and skilled. I am sure that Prometheus will bless their good souls! That gives me an idea, actually. I shall have to consider it longer. Perhaps I should sleep on it. Praise to Prometheus for his wisdom and guidance! October 18th Once we were a safe distance away from the city of Irem, Damara tried once again to cast detect magic on our newly acquired amulet, periapt, and some other items recovered from Kolete. The amulet and periapt are magical, as were a ring, wand, and sword that Kolete possessed. Kellindel took the short sword, and Suleiman took the ring. As soon as Suleiman placed the ring upon his finger, a cloud of smoke appeared, and a large, muscular man appeared, from the waist up--a Djinni! He announced that he was Ephrem Allyek-Bi, and that Suleiman was his new master. Suleiman had a choice: Ephrem could serve Suleiman (by carrying things and fighting for him), or grant him a wish. Once the wish was granted, Ephrem would be free to return to his home in the elemental plane of air. Suleiman said that he wanted time to think about this, so Ephrem withdrew inside the ring, and we continued our journey. Thadeus and T'charm said they saw a large winged creature fly overhead last night during their watch; today we saw a huge reptile skeleton sprawled across the sand. I wonder if they are the same kind of creature. While strange flashes of light illuminated the sky to the south, Suleiman summoned the Djinni once again, and said that he had decided upon a wish. He wished for Dacla Iman to be restored. The Djinni, thankful for being freed, said that Suleiman was welcome in his castle in the Elemental Plane of Air at any time. With Dacla Iman once again fully functional, Suleiman swung the khopesh through the air, slicing a black tear that hovered in front of us. He stepped through, the tear repaired itself, and soon, the inky black disc appeared. In just a few paces, we were once again inside Setem Nefer's enclave. Now that we are safe again, our plan is to rest here for a day. Damara has sent T'charm to retrieve Kwame, and they should be back in the morning. Suleiman, who was much more cheerful because Dacla Iman was restored, apologized to Damara for snapping at her the other day. He had to use all the charm at his disposal, but she eventually forgave him. We have spent the rest of the night in quiet celebration. Tomorrow, we can return the Hammer to the temple of Hephaestus in Anarchopolis. Yes, I am returning it to Anarchopolis, rather than Urbs Deorum, because I do not believe that Actinos, that priest of Hephaestus, deserves it. Fortunately, the geas spell cast by Actinos did not stipulate to which temple I must return the Hammer of Hephaestus. Actinos, displaying great hubris, obviously could not even conceive of the notion that any temple of Hephaestus, other than his own, would be deserving of the Hammer of Hephaestus. Speaking of the Hephaestus, Kellindel has grown especially fond of, and impressed with, the magical gauntlets which were given to him by Hassad, the high priest of Hephaestus in Anarchopolis. He has been much more effective in combat ever since donning the gauntlets, although much of that is doubtless due to all the practice he has had with his swords since joining the Pentachromata. Kellindel plans to ask Hessad if he may keep the gauntlets, and tell everyone he meets that it is the power of Hephaestus that makes him so strong. He has also asked me a great deal about Prometheus, and Ionian worship in general. I explained to him that in Ionia, most people do not worship one god exclusively; they worship whatever gods whose favors they desire at the moment. So it is perfectly all right for him to worship Hephaestus and Prometheus, and continue worshipping Meilikki. Tomorrow will be an exciting day, hopefully full of merriment. We had better get some rest! October 19th Once again, the Pentachromata rest under the protection of the Obol protection agency, viewing the city from our villa in the Syrinx district of Anarchopolis. It has been a busy but beautiful day. After cleaning ourselves and our clothes in the fountains of Setem Nefer's complex, we returned to the magic portal. Suleiman said the magic words, and moments later, we were standing in front of the temple of Hephaestus in Anarchopolis (and we were very pleased to be out of the intolerably hot sun of Tephut-Reh). Standing in front of the rest of the Pentachromata, I held the Hammer of Hephaestus before me, and we marched into the temple together. The look on the face of the priests was priceless; at first, they asked who we were. Then they saw the Hammer, and ran to get Hassad. Hassad was delighted. We gave him a very brief explanation of how we came to find it. He clearly wanted to know more, but Kellindel took advantage of his cheerful mood to make his case for keeping the gauntlets. Kellindel pointed out that we returned both the Golden Forger and the Hammer of Hephaestus to the priests of Hephaestus, and that Kellindel had become a worshipper of Hephaestus. Hassad listened thoughtfully to these and other well-spoken arguments made by Kellindel. I also added my support to Kellindel's cause, and Hassad was eventually swayed. Kellindel may keep the powerful Gauntlets of Hephaestus! Of course, Hessad wanted to know more about our journey (as well as the fate of Gorca, the priest that traveled with us until his death on the island of the cyclops). I suddenly had an idea. I explained that I would have to tell my fellow priests of Prometheus all that had happened. Instead of telling the story twice, I suggested that the priests of Hephaestus could come to the Academy at the temple of Prometheus, and we would fill a conference hall with our stories and celebration. Hassad suggested a more neutral meeting ground, so we arranged to rent a dining hall for the evening. The temple of Prometheus was our next destination. Leander was very happy to see us, and he led us to High Priest Ator. We opened our new, larger bag of holding, to present to him the pieces into which the Manacle of Prometheus had been fashioned. Suddenly, the bag fell apart, spilling out the pieces of metal, as well as our wooden chest and everything else we had placed inside it. All of our gold and gems had been changed to worthless paste! It seems that it was a bag of transmuting. Fortunately, Kellindel keeps his stash of diamonds in his backpack, so we are not destitute. Ator wanted to know how we came to find the strange armor and spider golems. I gave him a brief explanation, but told him that the entire story would be revealed at a banquet tonight. He seemed a little wary (understandably, he has a hard time overcoming the distrust between our priesthood and others, especially the priests of Hephaestus), but he agreed. Ator had a surprise for us, as well: It seems that Finis and Urym safely returned from their trip to Aresopolis, and were waiting for us in the Syrinx! We thanked him, promised to meet him at the dinner celebration, and made our way up the hill to the Syrinx. The Obol guards recognized us (they had been expecting us), and let us in. It was a most happy reunion. Finis and Urym looked a little tired, but they are in good health. They told us that they made it safely to the extinct volcano whose crater houses Aresopolis. Using the magical disguise kit, they managed to gain some valuable information: Ares himself ordered his priests to seize the manacle, so that Aresopolis could make powerful weapons out of it! I wonder if Aresopolis planned to use these weapons on the Taygete League, or the other poleis of Emathia. Finis and Urym also found out about the Taygetan witch Kolete and the creature which was Minos. They made their way to Urbs Deorum as quickly as they could, but the rest of us had left two days earlier. They met with Daito in the Pilgrim (the inn in which we had rested), and traveled with him back to Anarchopolis. Daito, who explained to Urym and Finis how we had met up with Narissa and where we had gone, has since left to return to his master in Nobunaga. It was quite a large group, with all of us together--Kellindel, Damara, T'charm, Finis, Urym, Thadeus, Narissa, Suleiman and myself. After all the stories had been told, we were free until dinner, and we took the opportunity to give many of our unidentified magical items to Damara, so that she could have contacts at the Synod take a look at them. We should have the results tomorrow. We also used our afternoon to visit the local oracle. Suleiman wanted to know if it would be beneficial (and safe) for him to read the large book (whose cover, you will recall, was magically rendered illegible) we found in Setem Nefer's complex. He made a very generous donation, and the oracle confidently informed him that the book would be very beneficial for him. He has taken a brief look at it--apparently it teaches the reader a great deal about magic. Suleiman is very excited about it. The banquet was excellent. Not only were the food and drink delightful (much better than our rations and create food and water), but the company was entertaining. We took turns telling our story before the attentive priests of Hephaestus and Prometheus. We even received a round of applause at the end! There was some discomfort, as the priests of Hephaestus and Prometheus are still somewhat distrustful of each other, but for the most part, everyone got along wonderfully. I hope that this can be the beginning of a new friendship between our two churches (and our gods?). The celebration continued long into the night. Finally, we excused ourselves and made our way back to the Syrinx. Despite our victory, our journey is not done. We must travel to Demopolis, to return the pieces of the Manacle of Prometheus to the main temple. Also, I must present my log to High Priestess Octavia, and see if she can do anything about Suleiman's problem. I can hardly keep my eyes open; I hope that my handwriting is legible. I suppose that I do not need to continue keeping this log, but it is a hard habit to break by now. I must at least continue it until I present it to Octavia. October 20th On this fine day, we set out from Anarchopolis to Demopolis. Traveling with us is a large group of priests (mostly of Prometheus, but a few of Hephaestus) and other friends of the church. We ride on carts pulled by Ornthras, and I must say that it is much faster than traveling on foot, as we usually do. Before leaving this morning, Damara brought us the items we wanted to identify. What a treasure trove! We have a short sword of giant slaying, an amulet of proof against undead, a periapt of proof against poison, a rod of splendor, a rod of cancellation, a wand of enemy detection, a scarab of insanity, a pearl of wisdom, and a bag of tricks (the bag with the fuzzball that turns into animals). Of those, I had already claimed the pearl of wisdom; I had no interest in the rest of it. We are carrying an important and potentially dangerous religious artifact (the remains of the manacle), yet the atmosphere is one of celebration. Singing, dancing, and story-telling make the day pass quickly. It is good to see everyone in such high spirits. October 21st Leander and I discussed the prospect of starting a new temple in Libertopolis. He seemed excited that I wanted him to assist me. I wonder if I would make a good high priest. Am I worthy of such a position? I will pray about this--and give thanks for our success! October 22nd Yet another day has passed in happy travel. Other people traveling down the road look at us jealously--they probably wish that they could travel with such a merry bunch! October 23rd Kellindel has been upset for several days over the death of his falcon, Glide. Today, he seems to have cheered up a little. Perhaps one day he will find a new falcon to befriend. October 24th Another uneventful day of happy travel. October 25th After further discussion, Leander and I have decided to accept positions at the new temple in Libertopolis. This will, of course, mean an end to my adventuring career--perhaps it will only be temporary! I know that the other members of the Pentachromata will understand. Who will keep a log for me? Someone must keep track of their travels, or I will die of curiosity! October 26th Nothing exciting happened today. We are almost to Demopolis! I have discussed an idea (one to which I referred briefly at the end of my October 17th log) with Leander--a sort of parting gift to my adventuring companions. Leander thinks it is a good idea. I hope that Octavia goes along with it! October 27th We are not far from Demopolis now. Finis says that the holy festival of Samhain will start within a few days. He wants to go all the way back to Midhe (in Aragon) to celebrate it. In order to do that, he will have to get Suleiman to teleport him--there is no possible way for him to reach Aragon by ship, and march to Midhe, in time for the ceremonies. I am afraid that he and the rest of the Pentachromata will have to get going very soon. Suleiman has mentioned that he may stay around for a while to train Kwame, read the magic book from Setem Nefer's enclave, and (with my happy approval) woo my sister, Damara. The two of them seem to be getting along very well. October 28th Sadly, the end of my adventuring career is almost over. We arrived in Demopolis late this morning. It seems that we were expected; a ceremonial greeting awaited our entourage at the temple. High Priestess Octavia was very dignified, but she could not conceal her excitement. There was much praise for all of the Pentachromata. I decided that now was the appropriate time to ask for a boon from Octavia--the parting gift I mentioned earlier. I believe that, due to the strength of their friendship with me, and the importance of their deeds to Prometheus, Finis, Kellindel, and Suleiman have earned the right to read from the Tome of Prometheus. I believe Suleiman has an especially strong claim, as I promised him that I would find a way to help him get out of his enslavement to Utgar Loki in Ionia. I pointed this out to Octavia, who was aware of some of their deeds because of the first log (sent from Duma Faifni) and the second log (sent from Anarchopolis). Despite the strength of my arguments, she had to consider the request for a while; it is no small thing for non-clergy to read from the book. My companions, however, have come a long way from their early religious beliefs. I remember, when we first met Suleiman, how he proclaimed that Shai'allah was the only god, and insisted (politely) that all others are pretenders. I believe he now has a great deal of respect for Prometheus. Kellindel actually prays to Prometheus on occasion now! Finis and I have not discussed religious matters much, but I know he respects Prometheus. Octavia thought about the request for a while, and then agreed. Finis was quite insistent that he did not have time--he wanted Suleiman to teleport him to Midhe as quickly as possible, so that he could attend the festival of Samhain. I entreated him to wait just a little longer, and led them into the inner chamber. My heart stirred at the sight of the holy book. How long has it been since I have seen it? More than a year? Finis volunteered to read first. He opened the book and began to read. Soon, he shut the book and turned around, looking quite satisfied--it seems that Prometheus told him something very useful. Kellindel was next. After reading his entry several times, he asked for a piece of paper and a quill, so that he could make a copy of the entry. It seems that Prometheus revealed an astrological date at which to awaken the "Ancient One", and "the Heirophant". The entry suggests that following the instructions will save his forest (which, you will recall, is in danger of being overrun by the forces of an evil wizard). Suleiman was last. I prayed that Prometheus would help me to fulfill my promise, so that he might be free from Utgar Loki. My prayer was answered. Apparently he must go to Hejaz, to the city of Qaybar, then cross the Pillars of Wickedness (the magical storm which separates Hejaz and Isutia), and defeat a powerful wizard. This will not be easy, but if anyone can succeed, it is Suleiman. Octavia shut the book, and the members of the Pentachromata expressed their thanks. I announced that I would stay here, to prepare for the construction of a new temple in Libertopolis. They were very happy for me, and congratulated me. We were all sad that we would have to part ways, but these things are a part of life. Fortunately, Suleiman will be staying with me for some time. He will be quite busy, but I must introduce him to my parents--and I wonder if he can explain that Hejazian numbering system to me! I could write an excellent set of treatises on the subject, I am sure. I expect to see the rest of the Pentachromata from time to time, thanks to the teleportation powers of Dacla Iman. They will always be welcome here. High Priestess Octavia and I have discussed what to do with the material that once made up the Manacle of Prometheus. She suggested that we wait until spells can be cast to determine what Prometheus would like us to do. It has occurred to me that there is nothing to stop Aresopolis from trying to take the other Manacle, as well as the chains, and forge terrible weapons. I think it might be a good idea to keep both manacles here, in the temple. Another alternative is to start a temple, or perhaps an outpost, at the Mountain of Lament. I will look into this further. October 29th I have said my farewells to Finis, Kellindel, Thadeus, and Urym. Early this morning, Suleiman teleported them to Setem Nefer's dwelling (Finis had to turn into a bird to avoid the 600 pound limit of the sword). He then used his necklace of ESP to read Finis' mind, in order to obtain a mental picture of the location in Midhe. Suleiman said the magic words, and they stepped through the black disc, and onto another continent. Suleiman will return here to Demopolis soon--perhaps tomorrow. I will stay here through the mild Ionian winter, and then begin construction of the new temple in the spring. Suleiman will go to join the rest of the Pentachromata, and my adventures will be over. Or will they? There are many things left for me to do; I even have unfinished business in Aragon. I often think of Balstead, the youth we met in Duma Faifni. I wonder how he is doing. And who was it that summoned the demon which chased us out of our inn, in that same city? I suppose that there are many things left for me to do, but for now, I must concentrate on my new duties. I have traveled from Demopolis, to Anarchopolis, to Alcyone in Aragon, to Connaught. In the small Connaught town of Mag Tara I met Taelsyn, Blades Trueblood, Torin, and Finis Conwell. We traveled into Ailech, where Taelsyn died, and we were joined by Suleiman Matar al-Qazim. From there we journeyed to Thorindel, and then back into Connaught, where Torin was killed, and were joined by Corwin Macbennan. I then had a vision sent by Prometheus, and we made haste to the coast of Connaught, where Blades left us, and we were joined by Kellindel Falconhands. From the coast we sailed to Anarchopolis, then to Urbs Deorum, where we met Thadeus, to Tephut-Reh, to the Magic Lands and the cursed city of Irem, back to Anarchopolis, and then to Demopolis. What an incredible distance I have traveled! I have seen friends die and met new friends. I have learned much about the world around us, and passed that knowledge on to our priesthood, and from them to the world. I have done all for the glory of the great teacher, Prometheus, who has led me to knowledge, and through me, taught others as well. Now, I have a new task to perform--a new temple to construct! And so, my journey, and my log, ends. It has been the greatest of pleasures to make this record, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading it. I now pass my quill and paper on to another, whose adventures will surely be even more exciting. I hope that you have learned a little more about this grand world called Ermoon--a world of which its creator should be very proud. Praise to the light-bringer! THE END</blockquote>

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