Alert: May contain spoilers for the adventure “For Duty and Deity”

After a day or two climbing up and down stairs, following the Lady, we reached a huge door with rounded pillars of white marble on either side, and scrollwork in marble across the top. The air was warm and bright, like a day in spring.

She opened the door for us, and beyond it we found a marketplace…rather like the place we first appeared, except even more so: thousands of stalls, thousands of people, all colors, all forms of dress, with sounds of all languages around us.

She walked in a straight line – no doubt or hesitation about where she was going – and led away from the sun (finally we had a proper sky again) until we reached a signpost. Zilchus and Wakeen were two of the names there, although I don’t suppose the Lady needed the directions. She led the way on through the crowd until it thinned a little, and we climbed the steps of a tall temple, shining golden in the morning light.

As soon as she crossed the threshold, a wave of excitement seemed to crash against the beach of the worshippers there. A huge winged lion with a woman’s face bellowed out that the Golden Lady had finally returned, and greeted the Lady with much affection and respect. The Lady quickly sent her off to get something from the Bringer of Joy (her friend, we remember – the Dancing Lady) and had some servants bring us a cold lunch in a side room. It was nice for some peace and quiet, and to feel a little more stability than the Staircase can offer.

Before too long, we were called out to a balcony with the rest of the temple attendants, watching the Lady as she looked out over her city. Something bright and beautiful was gliding down from the sky…I thought it was a chariot on fire, but Raven insists it looked like a woman with wings, and Usin thinks it looked like a group of ladies dancing around another one in the middle, but it was too bright to say for sure.

The Dancing Lady waved her hand, and a shower too bright to look at covered Wawkeen for a moment. There was the tinkling of coins, and sparks like from a golden fire…and then it was all gone again, except for the Lady standing there…and I cannot describe the change that came over her, except that it was majestic. She looked more bright and beautiful and composed the farther we walked on the Stairs, but this was a whole new level. I suppose there really is a difference between gods and mortals.

Perhaps that’s why we don’t remember the time while we’re dead? Because setting eyes on the deity we serve would make coming back to give our necessary service to those still alive almost intolerable? I cannot say.

The Golden Lady brought us into her sanctuary to officially thank us, and tell her story in a little more depth.

When Ao (the real Ao, in charge of the gods of this world) made all the gods mortal, Wawkeen and her friend Leera (the Bringer of Joy) tried to find a way back. At first they tried to get to the Celestial Staircase, and then to this place – the Marketplace Eternal – but the God of Duty (the only one still serving ar his post) blocked their way.

So the queen of commerce decided to make some deals. First, she gave her “divinity” to Leera for safe-keeping (this was the only word she could find to describe it, and I suppose it’s something beyond what we could understand anyway). Then she arranged with Celestian the god of planar travel to move her to the Astral Plane (so I suppose he still had some of his powers, or maybe he was quicker at earning forgiveness from Ao than the others were).

Once in the Astral Plane (which we know is a dangerous place, and not nice to travel alone), Wawkeen got in contact with Gradzt, demon lord of decadence. She tried to make a deal to get herself back to her place…but unlike devils, demons do not respect contracts!

So she ended up his prisoner, and from things we overheard in the Abyss, it seems he wanted to put his daughter on her throne (and we will not argue about whether demons can have children at this time).

At long last, however, by the appeal of Ao, and the visions of Sister Helana, and the help of Celune queen of the stairs, we found her and rescued her. Hopefully the Lady has learned some valuable life lessons (at the very least that you can’t deal with demons) and the realms of this Ab Torrid will be safer and better for it.

Finally, she gave us some gifts. First, all of us were healed of whatever leftover scrapes and bruises we still had. She also gave us a big bag of gold to share, and a rod of resurrection, and a few other things that could come in handy supporting a (small) fighting force.

Then she gave everyone a weapon according to their preferences – Mikael got a staff, some of us got swords, some daggers…and I got a bow. It looks like pure gold, though it weighs about the same as my hornwood bow, and they say it does different damage depending on where you are and what creatures you’re fighting…being most powerful when fighting the Abyss.

I hope that doesn’t mean we’re going back there one day…but who am I kidding. This is what I am. I am a weapon in the hand of my Lady, and what I may think I want doesn’t really have anything to do with it. If I can squeeze in some peace and quiet between the moments of strife, that’s about what a man in my position could expect.

Lady Wakeen also gave each of us a token with her symbol on it for buying one item, no matter the cost, from the bazaar outside.

I think Ezekiel would have gone home with half the bazaar if he could. Last I saw him, he was in a tent of “gently used tomes.” Mikael was talking to a man with big lizard things – I think for riding on, but I’m actually not sure. Really, I had a terrible time until Aliana told everyone to meet back at the temple promptly at noon. Thank goodness everyone heard her, because Raven took Keom off toward what looks like a row of weapons stalls, and we haven’t seen him since. Usin says Theobaldus is also in the bookshop, engrossed in something Usin couldn’t read. He found my hiding place behind a tent and is eating something that he says is like snow, except fruit flavored. He didn’t spend his token on it – just money. Almost every currency you could imagine is worth at least something here.

**

Usin said the snow snack place had many different flavors, but he had strawberry. I don’t think I’m up to that.

Clatrial found our hiding place, and said this was no way for a warrior to behave – that a warrior grabs every situation by the horns.

I asked, did that mean that every situation was horn-ed – but before I really got an answer, Agnar showed up and they dragged me off to a tent that had all kinds of quivers…and they actually had a quiver that’s almost like a bag of holding, and lets you grab whichever arrow you might need for a given situation. It seems a bit expensive, but it is a very handy idea – and quite apart from the token, I really have no idea how many gems I have in my bag. And gems don’t shoot monsters for me…

Ez hasn’t bought anything yet, but he has a list of about ten things he’s trying to choose among. Mikael resisted the urge to buy a lizard (maybe because he realized we couldn’t get it home) and bought a fancy staff. Raven says there’s a whole row of stalls selling magic jewelry and potions and such that I should really check out. Aliana says our after-lunch shopping spree should just be a few hours, since after all we do have things to do. I think Theobaldus has bought a heavy book, but he won’t show it to anyone else.

After that, we’ll meet up once again…and theoretically Ezekiel’s cleric spell will transport us back home. Then I just have to decide whether or not I tell Andari that I died again.

Find the previous entry here.

Alert: May contain spoilers for the adventure “For Duty and Deity”

In the Abyss, kindness is unnatural,
Mercy is impossible,
And Power is all that matters.
-Warrick’s parting words

We cast fire protection on the more vulnerable of us, and stepped through the fire-portal – me gripping Tressarian tightly, since many demons are immune to my arrows (and he protects me from fire). The green fire still burned Clatriel, so Mikael paused to heal her.

But we had barely gotten our bearings – arrived at one end of a rough cave – when monsters charged us from a passage opposite. They have monstrously big heads on human-sized and -shaped bodies, but also resemble death with their skeletal faces and scrawny frames. Their tight leather armor is surprisingly tough, and they have vicious claws – or talons – instead of hands…plus a horn on their heads that they don’t hesitate to butt us with.

We fought them to a standstill in the entryway to the next cave, but we kept having to swap out the front line fighters, while the paladins helped the clerics types keeping everyone alive.

Well…about that. I don’t remember us killing the last of them. Ezekiel says that’s because I died. He says I turned invisible again after I stopped fighting, and they had to search around the ground to find me. He says I have a new scar on my neck, and I should stop scaring him like that. I suppose he wouldn’t say things like that without a reason.

Once we patched ourselves up, we searched the caverns…cautiously. Everyone was tired, and the healers were running out of spells. The walls all seemed like they were made of salt – maybe rock salt – but I’m not convinced. There’s something unsettling about them…even something as basic as a rock tunnel feels wrong in the Abyss.

Finally, we came face to face with a man-shaped creature, with skin black as coal…not like me out in the sun, but black like wood burned to char. He wore ornate armor, and faced us, scowling, in the doorway to a room. I think there was something “wrong” about his face, too, but I couldn’t describe what it was.

In the room beyond him, we could just see a set table, and a lady with golden hair.

We both knew what we wanted, so there were no wasted words. He (called himself Varin) threatened to kill the lady if we came closer…and reminded us that another company of bodyguards would come for their shift before long. So for a bit, we were at an impass.

Ezekiel tried to cast something from his mace, but it said that was a bad idea (not with words, but with attitude). Aliana challenged Verin to single combat, but he just laughed. And we didn’t have Lydia there to Death-spell him.

Finally, Ez tried to silence him. Whether it had the effect he intended or not, it prodded Varin into moving.

His form changed – he grew a snake tail, and another set of arms (like a mareleth) and threw out a mirror self to block our retreat.

He exploded a puke-green cloud into our midst that made the eyes and throat sting. Like Lydia’s stinking cloud, but worse. But I ain’t got time for that nonsense.

Keom must not have quite mastered the breathing techniques Raven talks about, as he and Guderwinda were coughing and gagging. I grabbed her elbow and helped her retreat…and by that time, Aliana had slashed at the mirror-Varin and showed it was just illusion. (She was near the back of the group because of the baby.)

Meanwhile, the others were fighting the actual Verin. He threw his snake tail around Ezekiel and tried to crush him…but that wasn’t smart, because it just meant Ez had an easier time bringing his mace down on him. And this time, it approved. Varin collapsed in a crackle of purple lightning.

The lady was indeed beautiful…and for once, it didn’t feel wrong, like it was just to reel you in so she could transform into something horrible. There was something great about it. Theobaldus, Usin, and even Agnar bowed to her.

We didn’t wait very long to patch ourselves up. The lady admitted her name was Wawkeen, and agreed to come with us at once. Ezekiel tried his cleric spell to travel back to the Flaneass…but that place must have been shielded against inter-planar travel. Funny how often that seems to happen.

So we hustled back to the entrance – and thank goodness there was a fire portal to take us back out of the cave system! Just as we were slinking down an alleyway, a squad of smashed aludemons staggered put of the tavern toward the portal we had just left.

Once again being a packrat has paid off. I still had an old robe of Markessa’s in my bag for the Lady to throw over her head. I don’t know how much it helped disguise her over-all (vrocks and aludemons started wheeling in the sky when we were just a few streets away) but we reached the back alley with the door to the staircase before they honed in on us.

Raven opened the door easily, and we hustled through – the Lady in the middle. Our hearts pounded with our feet as we climbed the dark staircase…the doors do not lock, of course. Sure enough, before we had gone more than fifty feet or so, the demons found the door and poured through after us.

But we were now in the home of the lillendi. They swarmed the air around us, seeming to shimmer into existence before our eyes (but I’m sure it was some spiritual power that I just couldn’t discern). With a whole company of them hovering over and beside the stair, the demons had to halt and use their words.

They said we stole the lady from their master. Ezekiel said no…but with lots more official titles and who’s whos. And the Lady simply said that she made a deal, and the Lord of Pleasure broke it.

I hear the lillendi are not much for formality and fruffy titles, but they are good…they know about honesty and freedom and sincerity and respect. So they shooed the vrocks and aludemons right back through the door, and slammed it behind them. I imagine the demons had a fight on the other side about who had to report all this to Grazdt.

The Lady seems to know where she’s going, so we’ve just been following her. The surroundings quickly became warmer, then brighter, and I think we are camping on a disk made of mother-of-pearl. I’m glad it’s magical; I wouldn’t want to meet the clam involved. The Lady smiles more and more…and I really think there’s something special about it.

Find the previous entry here.

Alert: May contain spoilers for the adventure “For Duty and Deity”

13 Patchwall (in places where that matters)

We finally found a staircase made of gritty black stone, where the air turned cold as a witch’s heart. At the bottom of the steps, almost tucked away, sat a door emblazoned with the symbol of a six-fingered hand. All of us except Agnar had to duck to get through it – even Aliana and me.

The moment we got through, Raven turned around and put a mark on the entrance with chalk – like the old days in the elememtal nodes. I took a good look around, too, so hopefully we can find this exact nook – and the exact door we’ll need to get out.

I think we all can’t wait to get out. We’ve all seen back alleys before, and we’ve all seen sewage before. But the light is wrong – blue, somehow, with a blue “sun” up above – and the buildings are all tumbled together, like in Erelhei’Cinlu. The mortar seems to be oozing out of the rocks, trickling down their faces like tears, and Usin swears it’s crying.

Besides the noises of a restless, busy city, there’s something on the edge of hearing – like low talking, or weeping. Usin puked into the stream of sewage shortly after we arrived, and Guderwinda and Clatriel say they wanted to.

We stepped out of the alley, and immediately a dozen long-armed apes jumped off a nearby roof and attacked us. They each had six fingers on their hands, red glowing eyes, and tusks in their mouths. Clearly, Lulu has recently died and brought the ape-mafia to the underworld…but don’t tell Mikael; he’s having a hard enough day. I think Aliana appreciated getting to kill some evil things right away…especially since we’ve been playing detective since then and talking a lot.

No one seemed to notice us slaughtering ape-demons, or care. I suppose that happens often enough. We patched ourselves up and headed for the nearest tavern in search of information. (I was wearing the sword of Lyons, so I just stood in the corner and waited. Some of the locals can probably see invisible, but I didn’t want to draw attention anyway; and I’m not the best talker.)

The “Sodden Solar” was full of all kinds of people – especially humans, gnomes, and other Primals, but also a blue giant sitting on the floor in the corner that didn’t look like anything I’ve studied. No one seemed to notice us, which I guess is a good thing.

Ezekiel picked out a man in the corner (I say “man,” but he has black eyes) and went to talk with him. “Warrik” knew gossip about a golden-haired “lady guest” of the Lord of Pleasure, and filled us in on some geography. They call this place the 47th Layer, and the demon-lord has two more “above” it that he also controls. The biggest city is Zelator, somewhere on this “level,” and the second largest around here is Simor…which I think is where we arrived. The geometry is confusing.

There’s a story that goes around that the Lady travels from city to city sometimes, in a big caravan. Warick thinks it’s a trap to lure out anyone who might want to rescue her. For a fee, he agreed to be our tour guide for a day, and lead us to Zelator, where we might find more information.

Had one dodgy moment. A squad of aludemons burst into the tavern, collared a vrock, and dragged him out. I thought they might be secret police looking for interlopers…but they’re just “recruiting” demons for the Blood War.

**

Warick led us to another tavern where a pillar of green fire rose from the pavement near one corner. They have similar pillars of fire at other places in the city, and apparently they are portals around the plane. When we stepped through this one, we found ourselves in a groves of demonic trees (yes, it burns like fire, but fortunately it didn’t catch in anything we were wearing).

These trees are more stuff of nightmares. At first, it seemed like the branches were just shifting in a breeze – some kind of spiritual breeze that didn’t affect us. But once you look closer, you can see they’re all snakes…every single one. Warrick had a torch to make them shy away from us, so we could walk past, but behind us they hissed and danced like a nest of vipers. Fit to make your skin crawl.

Finally, we came out on a plain by a river – white milk…maybe whiter – and a city on its bank. No doubt the water would do terrible things to a person if it touched human skin.

No one seemed to notice us entering the gate of the city. The streets are packed – not just with demons, but humans, gnomes, and dwarves, too – and even the squid-face-men from the Underdark. Do the souls of mortals really migrate to other planes after final death?

A palace stands shining above the city, its stones bright white in the strange blue sunlight. This is the Argent Palace, and Warick (playing tour guide) said the lord alledgedly bought the stone from divas of Celestia (I’m not familiar with those terms, but Ez seemed to know what he meant). Sixty-six towers rise from the palace (after Raven said something, I counted them myself) and allegedly they are made of ivory. That would be one big walrus.

The buildings are laid out more regularly here – not as though they were giant creatures huddling together in unease…but even the order has something wrong with it. Like the park we passed through full of statues…at first, they seem to be beautiful winged ladies (more modest than the lilendi) but all their faces are contorted and demonic. Even the very stones seem to have faces – sad, angry, anguished faces – that keep catching the corners of our eyes. It’s as though the person in charge wanted to emphasize his authority, since he contrained the construction to a unified plan, but also make a mockery of proper architecture by distorting the execution.

…Anyway, Warick brought us to a tavern where we might pick up the information we need. It’s called the Plane Walkers Guild.

At first, Usin looked so sick Ez had him guard the door with Theobaldus. But then the drunk vrocks inside decided Ez was rude and cheap, and refused to talk to him…so Ez asked Usin to come in and try listening to the voices in his head (which I thought was something you shouldn’t do – unless the voices are instinct – but I take it demons’ thoughts sometimes spill out of their heads, or they sometimes talk to each other through thoughts, or something, and someone who’s sensitive to that can sometimes listen in. I’m glad I’m not sensitive).

Usin gave Raven what clues he could pick up, so Raven took some treasure to soften them up, and went to talk to the vrock who claimed to be a guard on the caravan once.

**

The word is: the Lady travels from the Counting House (in the city we just left, Semora) and the Argent Palace (with all the ivory towers, just above us). There’s supposed to be a caravan coming here in a couple days or so…but although it sounds like we could take it, we learned there’s a green-fire-portal that serves as a kind of back-way into the place the Lady stays while she’s in Semora. And that portal is right outside an inn called the Weeping Goddess, which Warrik says he knows.

So back we go through the serpent-wood, and through the fire to the portal in question. (And by leaving now, we’re still within Warick’s contract.) Sounds like we’ll find somewhere to rest a bit for the spell-casters to refresh themselves, but then…we go.

Hopefully we won’t have to fight any demon-lords this time…but will it really be that easy?

Find the previous entry here.

The Royal Games of Neil Dra have been fun, if exhausting. Ezekiel and Raven went around, trying as much of the street food as they could. Raven said some of the cheese was “fine,” but not “stupendous.”

I got entered into the archery contest somehow, but I didn’t do too badly. His Majesty King Scottie asked for a match with me, and I suppose I was self-conscious, which is why I hit the target but didn’t make the bullseye. So he technically got the best out of three, although the one shot he missed went over the target, over the backstop, and nailed some poor spectator. For once, Ezekiel wasn’t the only cleric on hand with Raise Dead at his fingertips, which certainly comes in handy sometimes.

His Majesty seems like…if Father and Ezekiel were merged, somehow. He’s big, and laughs a lot, and puts his whole heart into everything he does, it seems. I think Keoland is in good hands.

King Thrommel was there for a bit, taking a turn in the jousting tourney – with Queen Jolene cheering him on in the stands, of course. He made any knight of Furiundy and Veluna proud…although I don’t think he sparred with Aliana.

She did not participate as long as I think she would have liked, but even magic armor can’t completely hide that her baby is coming along.

It’s impossible to say what Lydia actually looks like, when she’s always wearing The Hat, but she takes her time sitting down or standing up, and holds Heiron’s arm a lot whenever we’re going somewhere. (Which of course he doesn’t mind; in fact, he seems to strut more when she does. When people walk past – men and women – and take a second look, he looks like a little boy with a lizard…which I just realized is a horrible metaphore, I’m just saying Bartholomew was mighty fond and proud of his lizards, until Mother made him put them back outside).

Andari says his favorite part was watching me shoot against King Scottie. He hasn’t explained why. There’s certainly a lot to see all over…much more than the festivals we used to have back home. We even found a cleric of Ehlonna visiting the temple of Rao, and leading some songs. They kept the singing out in the foyer, of course, so we wouldn’t bother anyone looking for quiet in the sanctuary. (Usin joined us in that part, though he didn’t sing very loud. He had a whole armful of pastries and cheeses to try once he got back to the inn and could take his helmet off.)

Once everyone has seen what they want to see, we’ll head back to the Crystalmysts. I think we’re planning to ride all the way, though we’ll see. If we take it easy, we should be back in a week or so.

****

2 Patchwall

Meeting notes of the Masters of Haven:

Ez High Priest and Head Monk report on meeting they had last night after dinner, at the inn in the village (“Here Be Flagons;” it even has a name!)

Invited by elegant note. Met in private back room, poorly lit by candles, with unknown person in concealing hood and cloak. Although HP was invited alone, he took HM with him. Stranger had two silent attendants also in robes.

Stranger declared himself representative of a faraway kingdom (worshippers of various gods, including Grumpsh, Hextor, and Mgluviat – blah!). He sought an alliance of mutual aid (each party doing “whatever reasonable” to aide the other when under attack). Offered chest of rubies as “gesture of good will.”

Stinks like the ocean. Quite apart from Stranger saying “elves” like Aliana give him hives (is it really her elfness, eh?). HP will consult his “Boss” tomorrow morning just to make sure, but the consensus of the council is “avoid foreign entanglements.”

****

Raven introduced us to his sister Canary today. Apparently he and Lydia found her somewhere in Perrinland, and invited her to visit. She seems nice enough, and very polite while listening to stories (Sirion told me to tell her about fighting the giants, or maybe about the Slave Lords…but fighting the Slave Lords was not the proudest period of my career. So I quickly started the story about the giants, before Agnar could get rolling about his version of events). Mikael seems to like her, but I think he likes any girl that acknowledges his existence (which is funny, because most women seem to like how he carries himself…anyway…)

I’m not sure exactly how long she’ll stay, but it seems she lives a life of travelling and collecting stories wherever they may be. She shared some legends from Perrinland, about the Old One’s mother and how she was driven from power there, and what she may or may not have left behind. She was especially interested to meet Madam Whinney and Master Chestnut, and hear a few of the centaur bedtime stories.

Oh, Raven also brought an update about the mysterious visitors in the village. He and Ezekiel met with them again to politely decline their proposed alliance (Ez says his answer “through channels” said to not make deals with them, but also that they weren’t devils. Plenty of other things they could be, though).

The hooded “ambassador” took it well enough…he even tried to have them keep the giant chest of rubies as “payment for services rendered” but Raven said that felt sketchy, like he didn’t want to get entangled any further. So they sent the stranger and his two silent companions on their way.

I suppose this should be recorded in official Masters notes…but not right now. Glottis is helping Canary to fish, and it makes her laugh. Maybe afterward, we’ll show her the obstacle course the monks and I were working on today. Ragni and Agni say it’s not well suited to people of small stature, but they love keeping score when Andari and I run through it. I think the monks didn’t take into account all the gear that an adventurer requires, so they have an unfair advantage during the segments they designed.

****

7 Patchwall – Lydia and Heiron’s baby has finally been born! Miss Dree says they had a midwife from the village come in and help.

I didn’t know a tiny human could look so cute. She has such tiny fingers and toes, and such big cheeks. Her name is Eleanor, and when Heiron’s not busy on duty, he’s most likely in their chambers rocking her or letting her suck his fingers or something. It is…remarkable to see.

He’s come so far from an accidental prisoner of the Evil Elemental cultists. And Lydia has actually giggled a couple times, really and truly, like any ordinary girl who happens to be happy. They do say Eleanor only sleeps in hour-increments, but they don’t seem to hold it against her.

I must write Mother as soon as possible and tell her, or she’ll hunt me down.

Find the previous entry here.

Notes, meeting of the “Masters of Haven”
Earthday, 6 Harvester

Report: High Priest, First Paladin, and Head Monk returned from their trip to Gorna (acknowledgement to Arcane Mistress of the transport-mirror). They presented His Grace with verbal and written reports of our business in the Underdark. He suggested he would try to verify the condition of the Spider Queen by independent sources, and we said Yes Please.

(HP also mentioned he and Aliana had many frantic letters from the king’s agent in Sterich waiting in their room when we got back the other day. Said a cloud of darkness and thunder was traveling across the Uleks from the Pomarj, and then across Keoland, and finally up the Duchy to Crystalmyst Mountains. Then last letter said King’s Agent had dispelled the sphere, and all was resolved.)

They also visited HP’s sister. Long story about her fighting ghouls with a company of paladins, who valiantly fell to seal up this stone of ghoul-summoning under the city or something. Salute to paladins. Racy comment from Agnar struck from record.

HP et alia also visited His Serenity High Priest Hazen, and handed over the four amulets (THOSE amulets). Watched a ceremony where seven of his clerics made one of the necklaces glow red. Trusting him to seal it up securely. (Hopefully more securely than the four elemental stones…though that might be unfair, since the EEG was involved, trying to free himself, and now hopefully his fingers have been shoved back through the keyhole.)

Question: what to do about the orcs? Someone not me suggested orbital bombardment (not me). Discarded because someone said the Ranger Lord was too bloodthirsty.

Arch Druid offered services of his grove to increase crops. HP makes himself note to multiply rations, and send to Fort Gellsblood for supplies.

Parts of loot from Lolth’s treasure chamber have “dissolved.” Probably the coins from the giant pile, probably illusory. Other treasure still there. Suggestion: hire an accountant. Head Monk suggests grunt work for under-monks builds character. HP says under-monks are already doing so much.

[Humerous doodle of Agnar]

Long discussion by some parties about using the wishes on the rings – help restore Leah’s party? Help restore Dame DonDragon’s party? Feed valley of Haven? No conclusion reached at this time.

Note: Dame DonDragon safely transported to Gorna and given resources to get home (and gifts for the families of her companions). Also carrying a report of our doings, should she see fit to report it. (Mikael asks Ranger Lord privately for help writing her a letter. Agnar overhears and volunteers his services. Politely dissuaded.)

****

The weather is lovely. Not just because it’s not the Underdark! The gang and I have headed into the mountains for a few days, tracking a herd of deer. Sirion and I realized that you can tell the difference between horse hoofprints and centaur hoofprints, although I think the shoes make them closer. I couldn’t figure out how to explain it to Andari, though.

He’s blooming well. His bowmanship is especially good…good for his age, that is. I keep having to remember he’s still a kid in lot of ways, although he talks more than Keiran does.

Keiran does seem to growl at Glottis quite a bit. Glottis doesn’t seem to mind.

I have realized that when Madam Whiney wiggles her neck and shoulders, she doesn’t mean what a human would mean if she did that. Instead, she means a centaur thing…which I’m still not sure I understand, of course. She did tell us a story last night that she used to tell her children (she says most of her children are now warriors, so she’s giving Andari tips about archery. I’m not sure he’s at a stage to process them, though).

Sirion says they haven’t seen signs of bandits to the west, but they try to keep an ear to the ground south and east, since with the increased traffic from here to the fort and back, it might tempt someone to waylay a caravan.

****

Meeting notes,
Starday, 15 Harvester

Mail arrived from Keoland. Official thanks from the King for services rendered. All now Fellows of Keoland (with badges!)! (No word on if that requires military service on demand.) Will tell Arch Druid when he returns, since he’s currently somewhere up the mountain with the disciples, doing “rituals.”
Also received letter from Master Uthien and Sir Fredrick. They’ve adjusted to modern era, I guess, and hope to join us here to resume research. We do, after all, have a deep mountain lake. High Priest to draft friendly and positive response. (Probably also very long.)

Discussion about what to do with the wishes quickly derailed when Agnar asked if a wish could make him more attractive to ladies (emphasis on *more*).
Learned the settlement right by the gates of the fortress now has a tavern: “Here Be Flagons” – and Head Monk suggested naming the settlement now, since it’s basically a village. “Rodger” and “Archibald” both rejected.

First Paladin says drilling with “new recruits” going well; men and “not-men” forming a cohesive unit for defense of Haven.

****

Meeting notes
Earthday, 27 Harvester

Mail arrived from Gorna. Favorable commendations from His Grace the Grand Duke, accompanied by gold chains with the seal of Gorna. Very official!
Report from His Grace says the Earl of Sterich and all inhabitants of Istivin safely restored (except ones killed by giants) so best case scenario all around.
After a week of prayer and fasting, Dame Clatriel is now paladin of Knights of the Bramble (God of gods).

High Priest reports that Warchief Torgar Redhand is now also an acolyte of the God of gods. Long involved story: HP insisted on learning rites of Grumpsh, the better to sort out what is “beyond the limit” of tolerance. Grumpsh refused. Redhand despondent, decided his desire to save his people from slaughter under a war-mongering chief in Pomarj was unworthy before Grumpsh. Ez told him, he’s smarter than Grumpsh at this point, and took his people under Ezekiel’s protection.

Much discussion among the Three. [Sounds like power moves of people above my pay grade.]

HP reminded all of the wedding in a few days, and urged us to be ready. Insisted the Arch Druid and Ranger Lord must wear something “nice.” Definition of “nice” incomplete.

****

Waterday, 2 Brewfest
Mitrik, United Kingdom of Furiundy and Veluna!

Dear Mother and Father,

Hope you are well. His Majesty Thrommel and Princess Jolene are finally actually married! Father Hazen did the ceremony in the cathedral in Mitrik. Ezekiel had tabards sewed up with what’s supposed to be the symbol of Haven on them, so I could wear it over my chainmail and still look “nice” (although I think this chainmail has a very comforting look to it). I guess this way most of us matched (though Ez’s gate captain wore his helmet the whole time, to prevent a scene), and we had a place to pin all our badges – because I now have a badge as a Fellow of Keoland and a chain of commendation from His Grace the Grand Duke, as well as the knighthood ones from Furiundy and Veluna.

I promised to tell Miss Dree about the Princess’ dress, so I’ll tell you, too – it was all white satin underneath, I think, with a big long train, but that was hidden by layers of lace and embroidery, with little beads that made it glimmer when she moved her arms. It almost looked like she was wearing snow, or like the satin had frosted like a window.

After the marriage, the king handed over his authority to his son, and the Provost of Veluna handed over his authority, and they joined the two kingdoms under one head, and His Serenity Father Hazen crowned Thrommel as the High King. (They had some trouble with would-be assassins, I hear, but the guards caught them before any trouble happened, and they’re already on pikes outside the city. I hope that means we don’t need to worry any more; that any evil scheme will be derailed before it gets started.)

After the coronation, everyone went up to swear fealty to His Majesty. [A list of nobles’ names and titles] Those are the ones I remember, at least.

His Majesty King Belvor made time to come greet us and introduce us to His Majesty of Keoland, King Scottie, which was very nice of him.

Andari says that was probably his favorite part (although he was also very impressed by Madam Lydia transporting us all here by magic). You will be proud of him – his bows were perfect and he remembered everyone’s titles very well (in fact he helped me keep track of who was who a little bit).

Although at first he thought it strange that I brought Tressarian along, I explained that a warrior must be ready for anything at all times, even if everyone around him also seems ready. After all, Rule One of winning a fight is “bring friends,” and you might have to be someone else’s friend at times. And after all, the whole thing sort of started when Tressarian detected a room radiating magical Evil behind a shrine in the Temple of Elemental Evil, so you could almost say he’s the one who rescued King Thrommel (and he certainly doesn’t mind saying so).

It was very comforting to see all the paladins and royal mages pledging loyalty to their new High King. When he kissed his new queen I dare say every throat choked up, even ones that aren’t used to strong emotion (then, of course, we all gave a cheer – like the whole city shouting together in celebration).

They both just looked so happy. It was like…watching the first tulip bloom in spring, or…finding a tree in the woods that you remembered as a sapling, and now suddenly it’s taller than you are, and as thick as your arm, and stronger than bone. It’s beautiful…and you know it’s only going to get better. (Andari says he understands what I’m saying, but it’s not how he would think to describe it. But he was sniffling like a baby during the ceremony, so I know he’s got a real, feeling heart in him.)

Neil Dra in Keoland is currently holding its Royal Games, so we’ll be buying horses and heading there shortly. It’s very nice to have time to just relax and do different things, not always be off killing monsters or rescuing people, although I’m sure it won’t stay that way for too long.

Sincerely, Elwyn

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Dear Tomlin,

How are you? I am fine, for now.

We just got back from the Underdark. There were parts of it that were pretty, but I don’t think you would like it. We wore these red glass things on our eyes in a city down there, and it makes the crystals and fung glowing things down there all stand out with extraordinary colors. If you put them over your eyes on a bright, cloudless day, you should see everything sparkling, and maybe even see the streaks of a different wavelength of light (Madam Lydia said the library there might have a book on the properties of light, so you might understand that part). And if you put the glasses on and look at a campfire, it makes the inner self of the fire stand out much more, with different colors than you can usually see because of the glare. But Lydia says don’t do it too much or you might hurt your eyes.

I saw Wolfgang. He seems about as well as he can be. Father sent Andari to stay with me, who I think is related to Uncle Wilber, but we’re still working it out.

Everyone here says hello. Hope you are well.

****

Dear Mother and Father,

How are you? I am not dead so far.

We have had a rough couple months. It all started when His Grace asked us to go help Sterich because some kind of huge black bubble had swallowed most of Istivin. I suppose it was actually a snarl of webbing of some kind, but at the time we were assigned to go fight the giants in the mountains who were taking advantage of the situation to harry the settlements south of the river. Turns out they were also being egged on, but reducing the number of evil giants in the world is always worthwhile.

The ones stirring them up were evil elves with black skin and white hair, called drow, and they live deep underground in a place called the Underdark, which is basically what it sounds like. There are sometimes crystals or fungus that glow, but pretty much everything down there likes the dark.

The drow have a city down there, but most of it is not worth even mentioning. We did rescue some slaves and lost people down there, but I think if one tried to go there just for that, it would wear down one’s soul. Actually, the drow worship a demoness called the Queen of Spiders – or maybe I should say “worshipped” because that was part of the problem – but anyway the reason we were down there ended up being that this Spider Queen was trying to take control of parts of the surface (Istivin being one of them, I think) so we had to go to the source to stop her.

That’s not all, though, because some of the drow felt slightened by her, so they were trying to worship something called the Elder Elemental God, which sounds like it makes the demons look like tidy little good boys. They were searching for a ritual to unseal him (since the Earth Mother locked him up a long time ago, I guess), and things looked tense for a while, but we used a ritual invoking the Earth Mother to seal him forever, and I think we used the soul of the Spider Queen or something weird like that. Ezekiel found an amulet that forced her to obey one command, at least theoretically, and although it just looked like a regular female drow, she could have been just using that form to walk around in. I would be more skeptical that we actually accomplished all that, except that as we were beating a retreat, the entire city, it seems, started this shrieking and carrying on, like the city’s collective soul was suddenly cut off…which might be an appropriate response to losing one’s goddess.

That was a couple days ago, at least; we had to travel a ways through the caves to reach a spot where Madam Lydia could teleport out of, but now we’re back, and it’s good to be home.

Although, things are a bit upside-down, here, too. Thank you for sending Andari – he got here safe, and he seems very earnest. We’re teaching him to fish while I write. A big brown bear has moved into the grove while I was away, but they tell me he behaves himself.

We’ll see about the others…Ezekiel attracts the most ridiculous things… The moment we got home, the gate captain and the head monk asked us to come see to something right away. So Ezekiel mounted up and rode across the field in front of the mountain (I will try to send a sketch some time; the light’s not very good today) to the pass that lets into the valley, and found a huge sphere of thunderclouds – like a thick fog in the mountains, except dark like rainclouds, which don’t usually come down to our level – and towering up into an approximate sphere shape that filled almost all of the pass. It rumbled and thumped and misted in a most unnatural way.

Master Sirion (I think I told you about him? He is an elf that does everything, basically, and helps protect the valley while we’re away) and the druids came over, and said it wasn’t to do with them, but it’s been sitting there for three days. (I guess Wolfgang and the others arrived just before it did, and everyone was much disturbed.) I of course started worrying what sort of vengeance a demon or its allies could summon up.

Then as Ez came up to the sphere, an orc came out of the fog with a white flag, and begged to speak with the cleric of the God of gods. So Ezekiel moved forward (with Aliana right by him, of course) and out came the biggest orc I have ever seen (as big as most ogres, probably), weathered with scars and wearing a red glove and an eyepatch. (Raven says he recognized someone in the retinue – a blacksmith who was working for the Slave Lords, but that’s another story.)

The leader said his name was Redhand, and he came to serve the cleric of the God of gods, and he brought three baskets of humanoid heads as an offering. I agree a dead goblin is the best goblin, but that isn’t our style, and Aliana quickly told him no more “offerings,” ever.

But Ezekiel said if the orcs can understand the rule of law, they can serve him and his God, so he’s giving them a place in the mountain to dig out tunnels for themselves. Raven says it turned out to be good that we didn’t kill the young orcs in the sewers in the Pomarjch, because some of them have come here with Chief Redhand.

The chief passed some kind of message into the cloud of darkness, and the thundering sound stopped. Before too long, the fog dissipated, revealing a huge army of orcs and an enormous drum in the center, pulled on a wagon, with the drummers slumped against it, panting, and barely still holding their drumsticks. As Ezekiel rode off toward the mountain to assign them a place, some kind of devil appeared and took the drum away with him.

I’m just glad they’re on the other side of the lake from me… I know a “God of all gods” would be a God of all gods (Chief Redhand says he’s a cleric of Grumpsh), but I still think this is pushing the limits. You can’t just reform orcs. They’re not like people, who make choices to be either good or evil.

It’s as though the world was opening itself up to reveal a vast, awful balancing act…like if you’d lived all your life not knowing there were two moons, and then one night looking up into the sky.

It’s a feeling; I’m sure it will pass. Ehlonna does not change her face, just because the world contains plains and deserts as well as forests. Ragni said something very similar, about the laws of the earth staying the same, except making the whole thing sound more ridiculous (he’s one of the dwarves staying here, and perhaps I don’t understand dwarf culture enough). Either way, I suppose it’s not worth worrying about yet. If it comes down to it, I think Master Sirion will see things my way.

Well, we’ve been marching for three or four days straight, but I will try to write more when I get the chance. Ragni and Agni (they are both dwarves, but I’m not sure they’re brothers) are telling Andari a story, and I will try not to let it get out of hand. They are funny, but they are also very dwarvish, and that takes some learning. (Is Wolfgang all right? He looks like Archie when we used to show up late to dinner, with dirty hands…but he’s been sitting next to an entire army of orcs hidden by a demon devil cloud, and I think even Archie would react to that a bit more. The two are not comprable, after all.)

Give my love to all, and I will do my best to show Andari what trouble is and how to avoid it, and how to smack it down if it refuses to be ignored.

-Elwyn

P.S. Dear Mama if you meet any clerics of Ehlonna who feel a call to live on the edge of civilization, feel free to invite them here. It would be nice to have something familiar and homey, after all the wild insanity we’ve been through. Although I can’t promise I’ll be here if he or she came…something always seems to come up. Sirion says he’s staying here “for a bit,” though…and that could well mean a couple hundred years. Maybe he likes my stories.

Anyway, I’m plotting some kind of sacred line to keep orcs out of the woods. I could ask Ezekiel, I suppose, (he practically makes holy water by the vat these days) but I’m not sure I could get him to understand. His heart is just too big and his calling too grand.

A King of the gods exists, it seems, but He put the others in the world for a reason, and that seems enough to someone of my station. I’m just a kid who climbs trees and shoots arrows, after all, deep down.

Write you later. I’ll try to send you a sketch of this bear while he’s sleeping…it’s just so like a little kid. We’re naming him Glottis.

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