The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions

[Jon Potter]

[Realms #272a] Beyond the Black Wall

"Huh!" Ixin exclaimed as she wrinkled her forehead in concentration. "Apparently the last intelligent being to be in this area was a unicorn named Glittermane - or the equivalent in their tongue." She opened her eyes and shrugged at the unsatisfying findings of her Recent Occupant spell. "That was three years ago."

"And there's been no one since?" Ledare asked, her own expression equally puzzled.

"The magic doesn't lie," Ixin said, straightening her shoulders as if it were a personal affront to her spellcasting for Ledare to suggest otherwise.

"At least it weren't a troll or some such," Karak ruminated. "Unicorns don't rip a body's arms outen their sockets; trolls've been know ta do that."

"Weren't the members of Grey House headed here?" Vade asked the Janissary, quickly turning the conversation away from the subject of dismemberment. "Isn't that what you said?"

"They were headed to Myth Drannor," Ledare nodded. "Or that's what they told me. If this is truly Myth Drannor, then they should have been here."

"Well, the spell is a minor incantation," Ixin admitted. "Its range is rather limited - to about ten paces or so in all directions from where I stand when I cast it. Perhaps they just weren't in this particular spot in the city."

"Can you cast it again in another spot?" Ledare asked hopefully and Ixin nodded.

"But I had wanted to detect magic on the area as well," the drakeling explained. "And there are limits to how many spells I cast in one day. How about if Feln leads me toward the nearest gate that he and Vade found and I'll I cast the spell along the way a few times? It will leave my magics nearly depleted, however."

Ledare considered for a moment and then nodded. "And I think that Morier, Karak and I will set up camp here," she said. "We'll learn what we can tonight and decide our next move in the morning."

"Come on," Feln grunted and started off along the wall with Ixin close behind. Vade caught hold of her cloak and gave a tug. When she turned to look at him, the halfling grinned broadly, and nodded toward the high, black wall.

"Maybe you should send Marty up there to see what he can see," Vade suggested and Ixin nodded.

"Good idea," she told him and called the owl to her from a nearby tree.



In the end, Martivir's reconnaissance proved more useful than Ixin's magic.

The sorcerer cast Recent Occupant twice more along the way as Feln lead her to the nearest gate. The second casting yielded the same result as the first: a unicorn named Glittermane, while the third - cast directly in front of the rusted gate gave a different result. Apparently, a goblin named Vrunk of the Habozargar clan had paused in front of the gate just over a year ago. Following Ixin's announcement, Feln discovered a spot on the bars where someone had taken a few whacks at the bars with a sharp object before giving up the task as hopeless.

Detect Magic revealed nothing at all beside the items that she and Feln both carried.

When Martivir returned, however, he had a detailed description of what awaited them on the other side of the wall.



"Looks like more of the same," Ixin relayed her familiar's report to the others back at camp. "There are four buildings inside that are all in pretty good shape. And apparently, the forest isn't as dense in there. There are some trees and brush, but nothing too thick except for a gigantic hedge of thorns."

"A wha'?" Karak grumbled, raising one eyebrow.

"A hedge of thorns," the woman repeated after Martivir confirmed what he'd told her. "Like a wall around the big tree in the middle."

"A wall within a wall," Ledare mused and Karak bit off a sizable chunk of jerky while grunting his approval.

"Tha' be sound tactics," he explained, gesturing at the inscrutable ebony wall that formed one edge of their campsite. "Tha' way if one wall be breached t'other still stands to hold back yer enemies."

"Something worth protecting must be in there," Vade said, his eyes wide as he imagined the possibilities. His face fell, however, as another thought occurred to him. "Or is it protecting us from what is in there?" he gulped.

"No sense worrying ourselves about it. When the time comes, we'll do what we must," Morier announced as he got to his feet. "I guess Karak and I are up for first watch."



First watch passed uneventfully for Karak and Morier although the eerie nature of the ruin only intensified with the deepening darkness of night. An orchestra of night insects provided accompaniment for a frog chorus well into the night, and the wind picked up making the trees clatter their limbs like the appreciative clapping of an audience. More than once, Morier or Karak would startle as the snap of a dried branch or the clatter of falling stones reached their ears, convincing them that some foe was circling their campsite just beyond the range of their darkvision. But they saw no enemies approach and they were all too happy to trade off guard duty with Feln and Vade.

Feln was glad as well... but for a different reason. He waited until Morier's breathing grew slow and deep and Karak's stertorous snoring settled into its usual rhythm. Then he waited a while longer before drawing Vade in close to whisper into his ear.

"Vade, let me see the slippers," the half-orc urged. The halfling moved to comply without hesitation, but as he took them off, he yawned.

"What for?" he asked and Feln grinned ferally in the darkness.

"I want to go over the wall and see what's there," he announced in a barely audible whisper.

Vade stopped with his slippers clutched in his little hand. "Gee. I don't know if that's is a good idea," the halfling said with more caution than he usually displayed. "What if something nasty is on the other side? You might need my help."

"I would bring you over... but if I don't come right back I'll need you to tell the others," Feln said matter-of-factly and Vade let out a tiny moan at that thought.

"Why not wait until morning?" he suggested. "Ledare and the others will be real mad. I bet Karak would get really mad at me if I do something stupid. He reminds me of my Papa. Probably whack me in the head too! Karak gets really mad, just like when that guy threw sand in his eyes."

"Vade..." Feln whispered, drawing the halfling away from the events that transpired in Hillville Junction and back to the conversation at hand.

"I dunno," Vade whined uncertainly. "The wall is kind of high. What if the slippers get caught in the tree? Remember, I cannot see in the dark to throw them over... unless I lit a sunrod. " And he produced a golden rod from his sleeve.

"It has risks Vade, I know," Feln admitted and it seemed for a moment as if Vade had convinced him. Then, grinning he suggested, "How about we just climb to the top and look. I'll carry you on my back. I mean, if we have to stay up we might as well entertain ourselves... agreed?!?"

"Well, if you put it like that," the halfling smiled back, handing over the brightly-colored slippers. Vade's sense of caution was easily overcome by his sense of enjoyment. "There is no harm in a little fun here and there. Hee hee!"

Feln clapped his big hand down over Vade's mouth and the halfling mouthed the word 'sorry' against his rough palm. None of the others stirred, and when the half-orc took his hand away Vade continued but at a lower volume.

"Maybe you can catch up with Karak if we find any-" he hesitated and swallowed nervously. "I hope we don't find anything."

"I'm sure we won't," Feln muttered as he forced his big feet into the magical slippers. They stretched and expanded unnaturally to accommodate him and once they were in place, it took all of fifteen seconds for Feln to reach the top of the wall with Vade clinging to his back. The wall was roughly three feet thick and the top edge was very smooth and rounded so that no climbing grapple could ever have found purchase there. It did provide sufficient room for Feln to crouch and for Vade to sit beside him.

"What do you see?" Vade asked in a hushed whisper as he peered unsuccessfully into the darkness. "Should I use my sunrod?"

"Not yet," Feln cautioned and he surveyed the inside of the wall with eyes that could see perfectly well in darkness... to a certain distance, anyway.

Within the wall was not so thickly forested as without, although there were still many trees and shrubs to be seen. At the extreme edge of Feln's darkvision was a tall mass of thorns that towered even higher than the wall on which they crouched. Further along the wall to their left Feln could glimpse the nearest of the four gates that he and Vade had discovered upon circumnavigating the enclosed area. To their right, the wall came to a corner, and nesting in that corner, amidst a stand of lush trees was a stout building of bright white stone. It was a perfect cube but for a short, walled but roofless walkway that stuck out of the far side. Beyond that he could see no openings, or anything else of interest within the limits of his darkvision.

 

[Jon Potter]

Realms #273] Divinations in the Dark

It was well into the second watch that Ixin was awakened by her familiar. She sat up amidst her blankets and spotted Feln descending the wall with the aid of the Slippers of Spider Climbing with Vade clinging to his back. It was their surreptitious return to camp that had awakened Martivir and Ixin did find it somewhat odd.

She had spent the first century of her life sheltered within the pampered safety of Clan Vermillion's holdings in the Bubbling Mountains on Fireshore Island, and when clan politics had resulted in her being sent to abide under the care of Skrazargul the Green in the human city of Highgate, she went with an unmatched naivete. Two decades spent within the ancient green dragon's web of intrigues, suffering all the rapacity that the world of criminals had to offer had sharpened her paranoia a great deal.

She rose to her feet and spread her arms, clawed fingers curled into the first symbol of the cabalistic gestures of a spell. "What are you two doing?" she growled, her voice not quite loud enough to guarantee awaking the others, but threatening to just the same.

"Eep!" Vade whimpered and jumped behind Feln, but the half-orc merely narrowed his eyes and glared at the sorcerer.

"We're on watch," he grunted in reply. "What does it look like we're doing?"

"It looks like you're sneaking back into camp," Ixin said. She had spent too much time among liars to believe that Feln wasn't hiding something. "Can you explain why you are sneaking back into camp this way?"

"I thought I heard a noise on the other side of the wall," Feln countered. "We were just checking it."

"And?" the mage pressed.

"And what?" Feln challenged.

"And did you find anything?" Ixin asked and the half-orc's demeanor softened.

"Oh. No, we didn't," he said. "False alarm."

"This is strange behavior indeed, my friends," Ixin said, suspiciously. "Please don't take it personally, but I would like to cast Detect Magic on both of you to determine if you are under some sort of spell."

"Go ahead," Feln told her, spreading his arms away from his body. "If it'll make you feel better, cast away. Right, Vade?"

"Oh... Uh... Right," the halfling said nervously and stepped out from behind Feln's leg. "Ummm... Cast away."

And she did. But apart from the usual assortment of magical gear that both halfling and half-orc carried, there was nothing untoward about them.

"See?" Vade grinned after the inspection was over. "Nothing to worry about. Why don't you go back to sleep? We've got a big day tomorrow. I can't wait to go see the white tower."

"What white tower?" Ixin asked and Vade scratched at his head and suddenly found something very interesting on the ground near his feet

"Uhh... I had a dream about a white tower," the halfling blurted out. "I don't remember anything else."

"Dreams can be important," Ixin started and Vade cut her off by again saying, "I don't remember anything else."

"Are you sure you're all right?" the drakeling asked, narrowing her eyes as she studied him closely. Feln grabbed Vade by the back of the shirt and tugged him away from Ixin.

"He's fine. Just a little spooked by this place," the half-orc said and Ixin nodded.

"I don't blame him," she said with a smile. "This is a very strange place."

Freeday, the 22nd of Wealsun, 1269 AE​

It dawned cloudy with the threat of rain in the air. Ixin said nothing of her strange encounter with Feln and Vade and neither of them brought up the subject. After a brief meal, it was decided that they would use Vade's Slippers of Spider Climbing to go over the wall one at a time. Vade went up first on Feln's back and waited at the top of the wall to toss the magical footgear back over to the next person in line. The process was time consuming, but it worked flawlessly and soon they were all standing on the damp grass inside the wall.

It was much as Martivir had reported. The area was overgrown, but the plants were not a third as thick within the wall as they were without. From where they stood, they could see three of the four buildings that the owl had seen, one situated in each of three visible corners of the black wall. The fourth, presumably nestled in the last corner, was obscured from their view by the twenty foot tall hedge of thorns that marked the center of the enclosed space. The hedge formed a circle a hundred feet across, and the vibrant green tree was visible towering above it.

"Well?" Karak asked. "Where to first?"

 

[Jon Potter]

[Realms #274] What's Behind Door #1?

"I think we should check these buildings quickly and get to chopping through that thorn bush," Feln announced at once. "Karak, why don't you get to choppin' that thorn bush? I'll go check out that tower... Ixin, do you want to come with me?"

Before she could answer, Vade shook his head nervously. "I think that we really need to keep a good eye out around here and not split up."

"Agreed," Morier intoned, dubiously scanning their new surroundings for signs of attack. "We should stick together. No divide and conquer, here. There is something about this place I don't really like a whole lot."

"I be seein' no quick way in to that tree, orcblood," Karak added, gruffly. "But I tell you this: I known enough druids to know I will nae be attackin' this wall o' thorns with me axe. I nae be upsetting the tree spirits and be entangled. No, nae this dwarf! I do suggest we look at these buildings together. It may tell us what we be about."

"I agree with Karak," Ixin said with a nod. "This whole complex suggests that druids built it in which case, we must be very careful not to upset the tree spirits. Hacking and fire are out of the question. There is a way to get in, but it will be a puzzle we must figure out." Feln let out a groan that trailed off into a weary sigh.

"All right," he relented. "Why don't we take one walk around the tree... together. We can fan out. Karak, you stay closest to the buildings and I'll stay closest to the thorns."

"Okay," Ledare said. "Let's go."



Apart from what they had already assessed about the place, they learned little from their circumnavigation of the hedge. There were four buildings situated in each corner of the surrounding black wall. Each building was made of a different stone and had a single door that faced the thorns; each door was flanked by two trees each of a different species. The thorn hedge remained a mystery. There were no breeches in it and it remained a uniform height all the way around. That latter fact coupled with the exact circular shape of the hedge confirmed that it was no natural phenomenon.

"Well, that wasn't very helpful," Feln said sarcastically.

"Let's see if there is an easy way in," Ledare said and drew Ravager easily from its sheath. As she drew the weapon back, Morier caught her arm at the elbow.

"Please no, Ledare," he said staring into her eyes. "If I allowed you to chop away at that hedge, as much of a nuisance as it is, Malcolm might never find it within himself to forgive me. There must be a better way."

"I think we should think twice before trying to get in, anyway," Ixin worried as she studied the seemingly impenetrable wall of thorns. "I think we may be headed in the VERY wrong direction here and are likely to inadvertently help Aphyx." Karak spat on the ground at the mention of the goddess of disease.

"I agree, Ixin," Morier said gravely. "I have a bad feeling... like we're blindly feeling our way into something we really don't understand. Or that I don't understand, anyway."

"Well, we're not getting any answers here," Feln observed.

"Can Marty get a closer look?" Vade suggested, indicating the high hedge. "He could fly over and tell us what he sees."

"Aye," Karak grunted appreciatively. "Tha' plan has worked for us twice already!"

The owl was resting on a small tree nearby and Ixin called him over, explained what they wanted the familiar to do and then sent him skyward. As soon as he passed over the top of the hedge, Ixin's rapport with him vanished. She gasped. The connection between herself and the bird wasn't something that she thought much about although they'd bonded one to the other over twenty years ago. Martivir's presence was as familiar as her own left arm and like an amputee, she felt the absence heavily.

"Martivir!" she cried out, her voice edged with panic. She started to race toward the hedge bout Karak caught her left wrist and spun her around.

"What are ye doin'?" he growled, his steely grip keeping her from advancing toward the wall of thorns. "Yer cries'll bring on us the eyes o' whatever fiend haunts this place!" Fearfully, Ixin explained how Martivir had vanished from her mind and Morier came forward to lay a comforting hand on her broad shoulder.

"But if he were dead, you would feel it, correct?" he asked although there was more of the statement than the question in it. Ixin nodded and drew some comfort from that fact, but she was still plainly shaken by the loss.

"Perhaps he'll just come right back in a moment," she said hopefully, her golden eyes surveying the top of the wall. Karak released her arm and scowled at her.

"Keep yer wits about ye, lass," the dwarf grumbled.

"And what do we do while we wait?" Feln asked anxiously.

"I think we should explore one of these building," Vade told him. "I would even go first... if Feln would come with me." The half-orc grinned and patted Vade on the back.

"I'm all for going into each building, as a group, and scouring every crawl space and hallway," Feln offered. "I will defer to Ledare to choose the building."

"Good idea," Ledare said as she turned slowly in a circle to look in each of the four building's directions (although from where they stood close to the thorny wall only two of them were visible). She stopped and pointed to the white, cubic building to their right. "I guess I'll choose the closest of the buildings to poke around in first. Let's be sure to check carefully for traps as we go."

"No... wait," Ixin said with some effort. She was having trouble forming her thoughts; concern for her familiar filled her mind. "Holly is the symbol of luck and good fortune, unless your own world differs from Mid'Gaard in that regard as well. I think we should explore there first." She tore her eyes reluctantly away from the top of the hedge and pointed toward the gray stone building on the group's left.

Ledare shrugged. "It doesn't really matter to me," she said and gestured for them to proceed in that direction.

Two small holly trees flanked the entrance to the roughly octagonal building of grey stone, topped by a tower, with a total height of 60 feet. The door was of tarnished metal, apparently silver. Feln made a quick circuit around the building confirming that there were no other doors or windows.

They spent a good deal of time carefully examining the door for any sign of traps or other impediments, but found none and discovered that the door wasn't even locked. It yielded easily with a little pressure, opening onto a shadowy interior that was remarkable only because of its barrenness. A low moaning drifted out to meet them as the door opened, but there was little to see. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all of the same gray stone as the exterior and were uniformly unadorned in any way. They were built in a style that Karak recognized as being one that men used to build their monuments in his grandfather's day, some three hundred years ago, and had thankfully abandoned for more appealing designs. A raised dais of gray stone rose in the center of the room supporting a rectangular altar of gray stone. Light filtered down onto the altar from the shaft of the tower whose apex was open to the sky. The open mouth of the tower was the source of the moaning sound - like a man blowing across the neck of a jug, the wind filled the building with a mournful noise.

They crept cautiously inside and saw a few more details of the place. Atop the altar rested two censers of the same tarnished silver as the door. A silver bowl rested between the two devices containing some decaying cubes of what looked like incense resting half-submerged in a shallow puddle of collected rainwater. There were shallow alcoves built into both the left and right walls and a stone shelf ran the length of each. One each of the shelves rested another thurible similar in craftsmanship to the ones on the altar.

"Anybody home?" Vade squeaked, but only the unsettling groaning of the wind answered him.

 

[Jon Potter]

Rogue's Gallery Update

I've posted some character portraits to the Rogue's Gallery Thread. No updated stats at this point, but it'll give you an idea of how I picture each of the characters.

The players might disagree with my assessment, but until they draw better ones you're stuck with mine.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Awesome job Jon!

My only comment: Vade looks much too happy.

 

[Jon Potter]

Awesome job Jon!

My only comment: Vade looks much too happy.

You'll notice that Vade's the only one smiling. He clearly knows something that the others don't.

Actually, I just couldn't imagine Vade without at least an impish grin. He just exudes cheerfulness.

Good to see you back HM. Any chance we'll get to find out what hapened to Tharhack, et al?

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Yes, The problem is: That by the end of the campaign, attandance was so warped that piecing together the finale was proving to be a severe headache. Then I started a new group with 7 players! (talk about famine to feast) and we've played 4 sessions up to now. The old campaign notes are packed right now, soon they'll back out and I'll finish up and their story will be all told.

Your new plot seems to be taking a nice foothold on the players. "Abandoned" ruins never seem to be all that abandoned.

 

[Jon Potter]

The old campaign notes are packed right now, soon they'll back out and I'll finish up and their story will be all told.

Great! I hate to think of Tharhack languishing unconscious forevermore in my memory.

Your new plot seems to be taking a nice foothold on the players. "Abandoned" ruins never seem to be all that abandoned.

Well... as abandoned ruins go, these pretty much live up to the name. If you've got any old Dragon Mags, you might recognize this adventure as a modified version of "The Wandering Trees" from issue #57. It's one of the 'set pieces' that I built my campaign around back in the early 80s when I first started it. When it came out of retirement a few years ago, I vowed to make use of the adventure and with some relatively minor tweaking, it came to pass.

 

[Jon Potter]

[Realms #275] A Quick Look Around

When nothing came immediately to assail them, the group spread out. Morier and Karak walked quickly around the place, each trusting in their natural ability to spot any secret panels or doors, while the rest scrutinized the building's interior with more care, tapping and probing the stonework as they went. All save Ixin, that is. The sorcerer walked up to the alter and attuned herself to the Weave; it thrummed within her breast in response to her gestures and invocation and she cast her minor divination.

"The last person to be here was 'Swaefred Graebrenn, Initiate of the 9th Circle'. Whatever that is," she turned to look at the others and shrugged non-committally. "That was 671 years ago."

"Anyone know what an 'Initiate of the 9th Circle' is?" Ledare asked and the others all shook their heads or mumbled replies to the negative.

"I've heard certain wizards refer to themselves as a 'Magus of the 5th Circle' or the like," Ixin told them. "But that was on Mid'Gaard and the practise had gone out of fashion there. Only the truly pretentious would ever use it."

Unenlightened, they returned to their search.

Karak gave a running commentary as he walked, occasionally running his battle-calloused hand along the wall. "Oi, this craftsmanship be old. I nae think I've e'er seen such work by the humies. I've only been told it by me ancestors. Seems solidly built though."

"I detect nae secret doors or compartments," he stated at last and the others asserted the same claims.

"I think we should burn the incense to see what happens," Vade chirped, standing on his tip-toes to peer at the altar top.

"I wish me chalak were here," Karak said glumly as he tipped over the beaten silver bowl, letting the stagnant rainwater spill out onto the floor. A perfect circle was left by the bowl, imprinted in the mold that covered the stone. "He surely would know what these items be about. Alls I can tell is that this 'ere bowl'd fetch about a hundred pieces o' gold in the right market."

"I don't think we want to go pillaging this shrine, or whatever it is," Ledare observed. She picked up one of the cubes of incense and it dissolved into sludge at her touch. There were perhaps three cubes that, while damp, still retained enough integrity to be burned once they were properly dried out. "Obviously some ritual was performed here."

"I know little of these spiritual practices," Feln admitted. "It may be good to burn the incense but why not look in the other buildings first and see what they reveal?"

"I think we should check out each building before we interact with anything," Ixin nodded.

"I agree," Morier added.

"Let's explore the other buildings then and see if there are similar setups in each," the Janissary decided. "If there are, then perhaps we should light up the censers and the incense." Muttering agreements, they stepped out into the increasingly gloomy day.



They proceeded to the next building which was unusually shaped - formed by a curved outer area connected to a half-dome on the far wall, all constructed of red granite. The outer doors, situated in the center of the curved wall, were redwood with brass fittings. Two tall ash trees stood to either side of the structure at the corners facing the thorn hedge. Like the previous building, there were no other visible doors or windows.

The doors were untrapped and opened easily onto a darkened interior. Eight brass braziers, tarnished and ash-filled, were bolted to the curved wall that contained the doors, four on either side of the opening. The gray light from outside and the pale illumination of Vade's magical dagger was answered by a warm glow from the area directly ahead and it drew them toward it. What they saw made some of them gasp with awe.

The whole interior of the half dome was gilded with an abstract gold leaf design that sparkled brilliantly in the light, shining as brightly as if it had just been polished moments before. The floor beneath the dome was a mosaic design formed by tiny bits of brightly-colored stone. In the center of the rainbowed design was an eight-pointed star with a circular gold plate embedded in the floor at the star's center. It too shone with inviting warmth in the light.

Beyond the beautiful floor and ceiling stood another altar, smaller than the one that they had seen in the other building, with another pair of brass braziers - these gleamed brightly however, displaying no tarnish or other signs of disrepair. Above the altar was set another star design that mimicked the one of the floor, but in this star's center was a polished plate of silver in which the taller members of the group could see themselves reflected.

"By Moradin's hammer," Karak mumbled in astonishment as he bent to examine the gold plate in the floor. "Tha' be solid gold! That'd be worth 2,000 nobles... or more depending on its thickness."

Ixin waled forward and cast Recent Occupant again. "Saeyth Ongenferth, Initiate of the 9th Circle. 671 years ago. Same as the other," she announced with an unsatisfied sigh.

"Should we light those things?" Vade asked, pointing with his dagger at the two braziers set into the altar top. The action made their shadows slant crazily along the walls. Ledare shook her head.

"Let's spread out and search for any hidden doors or compartments," she said. "Just like last time. If we find nothing we move on to the next building."



The third building was the one that Ledare had initially suggested that they enter. It was a cube of white stone with a short walled walkway leading up to a wooden door set with copper fittings that are green with age. Clinging vines grew up and over the roofless walkway which was flanked by two large hawthorn trees. Like all the buildings, the door faced the hedge. There were no other visible doors or windows.

The vines rustled almost as if they were threatening to lash out at these interlopers as the VQS made its way up to and through the wooden door, but otherwise there was nothing to deter the group. Inside the shrine (for it too had an altar as did the previous two buildings) was very from outside. All of the walls were covered with intricately-carved redwood panelling, gilded extensively with brilliant copper. The scenes depicted were of harvests and woodlands with animals and men living side-by-side in a primitive but peaceful existence.

Opposite the door was a semi-circular altar of wood inlaid all about with copper. Four small bowls of beaten copper and studded all around the rim with rubies rested atop the altar. Karak let out an admiring whistle as he looked at them and Ledare waved off his impending comment.

"Save it, Karak," the Janissary told him. "We can all see that they're valuable. We don't really need an appraisal."

The dwarf harrumphed. "Nobody appreciates good craftsmanship anymore," he grumbled as Ixin strode forward to cast her divination.

"Barda Blakwysard, Initiate of the 9th Circle, 671 years ago," she told them and they set about searching the place.

After the casting, Ixin found herself drawn to look outside, nervously searching the sky for any sign of Martivir. She saw none, however, and the void that his absence left behind yawned maddeningly within the drakeling's mind. She jumped as a heavy hand settled onto her shoulder. She turned to look into Feln's violet eyes. She noticed for the first time that he was only an inch shorter than she herself.

"Are you alright?" the half-orc asked and Ixin gave a small nod.

"I'm fine," she told him and her eyes again sought the skies. "I'm just worried."

"I am sure the bird is fine," Feln reassured gruffly. His eyes narrowed ferally and he asked, "Do you want to go find her?"

"Him, actually," Ixin replied. "Martivir is a him. But no. Morier is right; if Martivir was hurt I would know it. I would share his pain. But this is all very strange to me. Nothing has ever come between us before. I didn't know that anything could."

"It seems clear there is some sort of magical wall in place," Feln muttered rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What else could break the bond you two have?" The half-orc's words stirred something within Ixin and she jumped.

"An Antimagic Field might do it," she said with a hopeful expression. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before. A Dead Magic zone might as well, but I'd be able to sense such a zone if it were nearby and I can't. An Antimagic Field, though..."

"Come on ye two," Karak grumbled as he shoved passed them and walked outside. "There be nought 'ere. And now it's goin' ta start raining! Bah!"



The last shrine was a hexagonal building of pale, blue-streaked rock with two hoary willow trees growing on either side of the wall facing the hedge. The door was of tin, heavily worn and pitted by age and it creaked open easily to the touch. A breath of cold air blossomed out of the building's interior striking all save Karak like a slap on their rain-dampened skin. Their breath came out as thin clouds of steam.

"Brrrr!" Ixin complained as she wrapped her arms about herself for warmth. Of them all, she wore the least clothing and was also least accustomed to cold weather. "It's freezing in here!"

"It is the chill of winter dawning, girl," a strange voice said and all at once, the two pools of water set into the floor on either side of the doors began to churn and bubble as if coming suddenly to a boil. At the same time, they began to glow with a pale phosphorescence as if lit somehow from below by witchfire.

In the glow of the pools they could see the interior of the shrine. It was all blue-streaked stone carved to look like ice so that the whole place had the impression of being thrust suddenly into a arctic cavern. Two thick pillars rose up in the center of the room and beyond lay another pool of water. A stone altar stood in the pool's center, its top dominated by a fountain whose spray had turned to ice. But all of this held their attention for no more than the space of two heartbeats before two figures rose up from the pools that flanked the door.

They were womanly in general aspect, but only in so much as a figure made entirely of water can bear resemblance to creatures of flesh and blood. From the waist down, their bodies dissolved into a serpentine column of water that churned and foamed mightily. They bobbed up and down and undulated back and forth as they regarded the group with wet, inhuman eyes. They might have been sisters, for their strangely-beautiful features were very much alike, or perhaps twin aspects of the same entity for when they spoke it was at once or in tandem. And when they spoke it was like water falling over rocks, waves licking against the shore.

"Long have we lain here," the one on the right said.

"Long have we waited," the one of the left added.

"For they to come who would meet his approval," they finished together.

"You might be they," said the first.

"For you have passed his first test," said the other.

"You have neither despoiled the temples nor harmed the woodlands," they said in chorus.

"Now you must face the second challenge," the first explained.

"For the honor of coming before him," the second went on.

"Uh, who be him?" Karak asked, breaking the muteness that seemed to grip the companions. Even so, his voice seemed very small when compared to the women of water.

"The Great Oak," they told him in unison.

 

[Jon Potter]

[Realms #276] The Second Test

"Is that the tree outside?" Ledare asked. "The one behind the hedge?"

"Yes," answered the water-woman on the right.

"Is the tree being held prisoner within these walls?" Feln asked, hopeful that he had sussed out the mystery of the ruins.

"No," replied the water-woman on the left, dashing the half-orc's hopes and Feln snarled in disappointment.

"He waits while the Wheel turns ever onward," the women added in unison.

"Um?" Vade called out, peeking out from behind Ledare's leg. He waved at the watery figures and smiled uneasily. "What's the second test?"

"A great evil has reawakened within the forest," said the first woman as she turned her liquid eyes onto the halfling.

"An evil that has not been seen upon the face of Orune for millenia," the second put in.

"It troubles the Great Oak and he would see you destroy it," they told the group.

"Aye!" Karak grinned, thumping his hand appreciatively on his axe blade. "Destroyin' evil be a test I can pass!"

"Just a moment," Morier interjected. "Where is this evil?"

The water-women pointed in a synchronized fashion, but only the woman on the right spoke. "Amongst the goblins, a half-day's march to the northwest," she said. Morier, Feln and Ledare all made mental notes of the direction that must have been true north on the compass although they all knew that with the trees moving the way they had been it would still be all too easy to get lost.

"Can you guide us there?" Morier asked.

"The way will be made clear," replied the water-woman on the left.

"What can you tell us about this evil?" Ledare asked.

"It is a blight upon the natural order," they said together. "An ancient evil thought long-vanquished."

"The Wheel turns ever onward," added the water-woman on the right.

"Uh-huh," Feln grunted, rolling his eyes. "Can you tell us anything that might help us defeat this evil?"

"Or give us anything?" Vade quickly added.

"No," said the water-woman on the left.

"You have with you all the means that you require to pass this test," the two figures said as one and Karak harrumphed.

"Enough o' this tongue-waggin'," the dwarf grunted anxiously. "Let's be off!"

"Wouldn't it make more sense to rest now and set out for the goblins at midnight?" Morier asked. "They said that it was half-a-day's march to get there and that way we would arrive at dawn..."

"When them night-lovin' gobbos be beddin' down for the day," Karak finished and grinned. "I like how ye think, elf!"

"Is there any problem with us resting here before we deal with this evil?" Ixin asked and the two water-women shook their heads and began to dissolve back into their pools.

"Respect the shrines," the woman on the right said.

"Respect the forest," the woman on the left added.

"Return here when your test is complete," they finished together and sank into the pools with a loud double PLOOP!

While Morier, Karak and Ixin discussed watch rotations scheduled to ensure that the sorcerer's spells were at full capacity, Vade drew Ledare and Feln aside. "I find it really hard not to sneak a little gem or two," he whispered earnestly. "Help me. I don't want to ruin it all." The Janissary smiled down at him and Feln gave his slim shoulder a rough pat.

"Don't worry, Vade," Ledare told the halfling softly. "We'll keep a keen eye on your hands."

"A keener eye than usual, she means," Feln said with a wink.