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December 1, 2005

I've Lost Count

Jin's Journal

Once again I awake to find Jak pouring a healing potion down my throat. That makes what, six, seven, or so in about two days. I’ve lost count, but she seems to be preoccupied. Jak keeps talking about this wolf that can speak. So Gib and I followed her down yet another mine shaft to a rotating room. This room moved to reveal another door, and with it a talking wolf. Rorsa seemed delighted by my ability to change form and after a quick talk, it was decided that we would help her release her pack mates.

Rorsa led the way from one of these rotating rooms to another. From there we went down a small hallway and at the opening of another room we came face to face with a wolf that appeared to have stone fused to its skin. I’m not much of a fighter and in the cramped hall I figured it would be better to have the fighters take care of this. After a few round of this K’ehleyr fell. I dragged her away from our adversary and again watched. When Rorsa fell that’s when I jumped in and attacked it. As least, I figured, this will distract it a little.

It was a short time later when I awoke. Gib had already taken my lock picks and other tools, and I think he has some other things of mine, but that’s just Gib. For as much stuff as he takes I’ve found enough things in my house and on my person that I never even looked at before. We explored a little more and came to this room lined with mirrors wall to wall, floor and ceiling, nothing but mirrors. We all noticed two things at this point. First, there seemed to be a mass of colors swirling around. Second, there was no sound of any kind. As Gib went to pass through the room and open the next door the mass of lights attacked him. It was an interesting battle, it never touched us, and we never hurt it. Eventually we got bored, ran quickly into the next room and closed the door. Thankfully we could talk again. This room had as illusion on it that made it look like another room. We all saw through it. Gib did find another key and after making our way back through to the rotating room and a little trial and error, we found our way down a different corridor.

Upon entering a very large room we were attacked by what I believe to have been fire elementals. K’ehleyr fell and caught on fire. I was able to put her out and I too soon fell before these creatures.

And again I owe Jak my life as I look up into her face. We found what we came here for and now we’re doing a little exploring in order to acquire some funds. This is going to be fun.

Posted by Fred at 16:12 | Jin’s Journal

Not much happening

Gib's Journal

Found a cool water trap. Umm.... Oh a cool crystaline box. Umm... that’s about it. Was a rather boring couple of days since the puppies’ fight. I do want to go and fight the fire thing still, the others are not so up for the idea. I will have some cool keys when we are done though. Did I mention, they are mine.

I wonder how much I can get for a land cart?

Posted by Jim at 18:46 | Gib’s Journal

December 2, 2005

In Key

Jak's Journal

Whitehearth, Eyre 13, 998 YK

Morghan—

We’ve decided to remain here in Whitehearth just a bit longer.

After checking the newest passage revealed by using the green key, we came to another spherical room with a panel for unlocking the various passages. We used our newest key in an orange slot and nearly all fell into a shaft that opened up in the floor! Gib checked it out (he was the only one that could even see a little bit down it)— the long shaft contained brackish water in the last few feet— he was unable to find any levers or switches at the base, so he climbed back up and we tried going back to the main “sphere.”

We eventually made our way to another “orange” passage which led us to a steel door. I used Mage Hand to open it since we are a bit leery of doorknobs— opening it revealed the strangest thing! The room, little more than a hallway, was covered in mirrors, and had a huge brightly lit thing made of color floating in the center. As soon as the door was open, we realized that none of us could speak out loud. Thankfully the thing seemed unable or unwilling to attack, though it chased Gib around the little room. I saw another door a few feet ahead, and tumbled under the color-thing to get there, opening it and pushing back a curtain to reveal another strange sight.

It appeared that we were outside of a large room containing two bonfires and a crucible of molten glass, a crystal chest (the item we sought plainly visible within) sitting beside it. The room radiated no heat, and upon closer examination, was actually a tiny room that only contained one thing— a red key. By now my friends were standing in the doorway with me, the color-thing momentarily forgotten. We took the key and managed to get past the thing in the mirrored room without mishap.

Remembering that the room that had the shaft open in the floor had room for a red key on its panel, we hurried back there and tried the red key. Nothing happened. Almost simultaneously, we all realized that something useful might occur if we tried two keys together; we inserted both the red and orange, and were rewarded with the sound of sliding stone— a new 50’ long tunnel opened in the wall. Following it, we found ourselves in front of a steel door. Opening it revealed a large room containing two bonfires and a crucible of molten glass, a crystal chest (the item we sought plainly visible within) sitting beside it. This room radiated heat though, as did the two fire elementals that were heading towards us! I had been unable to heal my friends sufficiently from the activities of yesterday, but that didn’t stop Gib from running straight to the crystal chest! K’ehleyr also ran forward to engage one elemental as the other attacked the goblin. Singing didn’t seem to be enough to help this time— K’ehleyr fell to the elemental quickly, leaving Jin and I to fight it. I was amazed to find that my whip could actually do damage to it as I struck a killing blow. Jin and I ran into the room where the other fire elemental had Gib pinned down (or as Gib says, “Right where I wanted it!”). Gib was able to get clear of it, but it decided to attack Jin, hitting so hard we feared him dead. I wanted to go and heal him, but was out of spells, so I concentrated on killing the elemental. Gib must have weakened it already, as it fell quickly to my attack, at which point Gib and I both practically pounced onto Jin in an effort to patch him up. He and K’ehleyr were both unconscious, but thankfully the crystal chest, which Gib had open in short order, contained healing potions that like the wolves, did not seem to be negatively affected by being in the Mournlands.

In addition to the potions, we found two potions for resisting energy (how handy after the fact!), two copies of the diamond-shaped schema we sought, a large adamantine disc covered with mithral-laced runes and sockets, and a rolled up piece of paper. We also found another control panel in an alcove that, when used, opened the ceiling, allowing us the view of the sky above in its perpetual twilight.

We also found another body of a House Cannith human, wearing a signet ring, and a brown key. Even though we have the schema, we are curious to see what we can find by using the new key, so we may stay here another day. We could use the rest, and oddly, this is probably the safest place to be right now.

Your sister,

Jak

Posted by Kristin at 15:39 | Jak’s Journal

December 5, 2005

Sensing a Pattern

Jak's Journal

The Mournlands, Eyre 13, 998 YK, continued

Morghan—

We are finally leaving Whitehearth! I am the only one conscious (other than our House Orien driver), and I think the only reason my friends are alive is because of him.

We only rested briefly, and as soon as Jin and K’ehleyr were conscious again, we headed back through the tunnels to explore. Gib was sure there was loot to be found, and we did find some interesting things. Or rather, what my comrades chose to do with some of the things was interesting.

We found a room containing some well-made arms and armor, a few vials of oil for bladed weapons, potions for healing and restoration, jewelry and (judging by the squeal of delight from Jin) a wardrobe of very exciting fancy clothes. Never mind that all the outfits were dresses; Jin happily folded them and put them in his backpack, sure he’d have a use for them. I got a nice longsword— I rarely use such a heavy weapon, but I am glad I have it right now.

Another room had ten dead humans in it, most of which had keys such as the ones we’d been using to search the foundry. It was really creepy— the bodies were still warm and we had to check to make sure they weren’t actually breathing, even though we knew they’d been dead for years.

And finally, the room where the sphere of fire was rolling around— surely that would contain wondrous treasure! We now had two arcane scrolls of Resist Energy, and two potions of the same. I cast the scroll spells on Gib and K’ehleyr, with the understanding that Jin and I would take the remaining potions only if things weren’t going well for the other two— we assumed they could deal with the fiery thing easily enough. We were wrong! After a mere 10 or 15 seconds of K’ehleyr and Gib testing the sphere for vulnerabilities (Gib from inside of it), Jin couldn’t help himself and ran into the room, potion forgotten. So I followed him, altering the song I was using to allow me to swallow my potion without missing a beat. I hit the thing a few times, but it was clear that we couldn’t hurt it. It wasn’t hurting my ensorcelled friends, but singed Jin pretty good— lucky for him there was a huge pool of water in the corridor. Unfortunately his armor and clothes were lost during the incident.

What I saw next was pretty disturbing, but suffice it to say Jin was able to don one of his (her?) fancy dresses without it needing to be altered.

Worse, Gib and K’ehleyr had managed to burn off their own clothes (though they also “drowned” the sphere of fire in the pool). K’ehleyr attempted to put on one of Jin’s frilly dresses with her newly-acquired chain shirt, and Gib decided this was a “pants optional” day. Is it any wonder we were caught off guard?

We headed back to the ladder to the surface, and noticed that all the wolves and Failin were gone. We guessed (correctly) that Failin had asked the wolves if they were “ready to go,” and then helped them to the surface. We hurried out to see if he was still there.

He was, slumped over the steering mechanism of his land cart. A voice that was familiar to my friends whispered to “hand the third schema over” and we’d get to live. We were surrounded by six Emerald Claw soldiers, four skeletons, a spellcaster and, apparently, their vampire lord Garrow.

I handed one of the duplicate diamond-shaped schemas to Gib, and he hustled off to give it to the vampire. The voice whispered, “You have the thanks of Garrow and the Order.” The same voice said, a moment later, “Kill them.” And the spellcaster and vampire disappeared into the gloom on horseback.

Things went south very quickly. I sang a haunting melody that obviously agitated the members of the Emerald Claw, though their own master must have scared them more, as they all attempted to riddle me with bolts. Gib had disappeared into their ranks, no doubt with plans of an ambush, but I did not see him again during the battle. I was between K’ehleyr and Jin, neither of which were in any shape to fight, and both went down quickly from the blows of skeletons’ scimitars. A voice in my head told me to flee to live another day, but there was no way I was leaving my friends. K’ehleyr was closer, so I grabbed her and dragged her back to the foundry entrance, hoping to use a healing potion on her (and knowing it would not work properly outside in that preternatural gloom), but I could only get as far as the entrance when all the enemy appeared to turn and follow me! Lucky for me I’d been inside before and the tunnel leading in was not wide enough for more than single file entry; I ran to the ladder, climbed down to the area of perpetual darkness, and waited for the enemy one at a time.

It was several minutes of clinging to the ladder and stabbing blindly upwards into the darkness with my new longsword when I finally heard the last living person fall past me to their death below. The skeletons didn’t make an attempt to follow me down, though I managed to get a few smacks at them with the blade as I would come back up to goad another Emerald Claw into following me to his death. I am so grateful now for the time we spent learning to work while climbing and clinging to ship rigging— it saved my life!

At last, no one was following me down anymore, and I returned to the surface, fearing what I would find. The Host be praised, Failin had been faking dead after the cart had been peppered by the Emerald Claw’s bolts, and waited till I took enough of the enemy out of view, then went and stopped the bleeding on my dying friends. He must have destroyed a skeleton or two as well. This time when he asked if I was “ready to go,” I was more than willing to say yes! We’ve bundled up Gib, Jin and K’ehleyr for the trip out— if they don’t wake on their own by the time we hit the mists, I’ll dump those healing potions down their throats.

Jak

Posted by Kristin at 15:10 | Jak’s Journal

December 10, 2005

Real Old, Real Quick

Jin's Journal

Well, the attack on this fire creature didn’t work out so well. Gib, K’ehleyr, and I lost all the clothing we were wearing, and Gib and I both lost our leather armor. Gib and K’ehleyr had taken potions to prevent themselves from being damaged by fire so I left them to deal with it as I took one of the nice outfits I acquired from another room and tried it on. I had to change gender to make it fit right. I think this bothered Jak a little because she said she just gets her clothes to fit her. I replied with it’s much easier when you can adjust yourself to fit the clothing. A few minutes later Gib and K’ehleyr had wrestled the fire thing into some water, and I offered K’ehleyr one of the outfits I now have. After she tried it on, she put her chain shirt over it and put on some pants.

I figured we were just going to get into the land cart and leave this place, so I didn’t see any reason to make any adjustments to my attire. No sooner had we reached the land cart then I realized the flaw in my reasoning. The driver was slumped over the steering mechanism and there were several emerald claw solders and skeletons waiting for us. A very familiar voice told us to hand over the schema and we’d be allowed to live. After some discussion we decided that giving him one without telling him we had two would be the best solution to leaving alive. Gib took the item and walked up to hand it over. After it was received by our adversaries the vampire left with two others and told the rest to kill us. I fought for all I was worth, but darkness soon came over me, as I drift in oblivion once again. This is getting real old real quick.

Posted by Fred at 20:07 | Jin’s Journal

December 21, 2005

Shipping Out

Jak's Journal

Sharn, Eyre 23, 998 YK

Hi Morghan—

We made it back to Sharn, after a stop in Rhukaan Draal to meet up with Lady D’Vown. I got to pilot one of our water-elemental powered ships on our return trip. It took six nights to get back; I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed sailing over the past month! We’ve returned the item requested to her, and we even gave her another piece we’d found. Well, give isn’t exactly the right word. Jin blurted something at the beginning of our meeting with her that threw me off a bit, and by the end of our brief conversation, I believe we will not be working with her to find any of the remaining schema she is seeking. It is just as well. I am planning to sail back to Stormhome soon; perhaps I’ll see you there!

Your sister,

Jak

Posted by Kristin at 15:41 | Jak’s Journal