Knight of Mystery

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Scribe Notes

Summary

Adventure: Knight of Mystery
GM: William Dymock
Season: Jan 1993 AP

Party
Employer
Simon Halset Valmer / Oberon Valmer
Mission
It seemed easy enough at the time. All we had to do was to go up north, to a place called Calvenda, and find out what this knight was up to. His name was Sir Harold of Mulvania and he was claiming he was looking for a Lady Gwendolyn. No one had any idea where Mulvania was and if this knight was telling the truth.
Places Visited
Fleaceport
Luxley
Ledim - Capital of Valeria
Aleroc - Capital of Karn
Calvenda
Margrave
Major NPCs encountered
Alex - guide
Michael Buckland - Captain of the 'Raven'
Merrilee of Odedra/Danielle of Margrave
Lord Griswold
Sir Harold of Mulvania
Adrian DeBourgenac
Artoz of Odedra - a necromancer
Andrew - a local ruffian
Lady Sarah Calise
Marcus the Enchanter
Terrance - Margrave Healer
Sir Reginald DeGoin
Sir Leopold
Lady Severin Kyle
Martin DeBourgenac
Original Scribe Notes
Media:Snsp9301.zip

Seagate Times Reprint

(This summary of the mission was originally printed in the Seagate Times Issue 3.)

PJ was also employing me to chronicle his adventures. On top of that, I was asked to deliver a letter to Liessa's Uncle Marcus who lived in that area. We were provided with a guide for the journey north, a dwarf by the name of Alex. The two week seavoyage up the coast was conducted in miserable weather. When finally we arrived in Fleaceport and took a barge upriver, we were attacked by bandits and Alex was killed. I put a Preserve Dead on the body in the hope of a later resurrection. Tamara kept complaining she couldn't sleep. Another couple of days saw us at our destination upriver, where Wolf organised the purchase of a cart - and several large barrels of ale to put on it. The guy must live on the stuff - he's always drinking it.

We arrived at the village of Luxley and settled down at an inn for the night. Just after midnight we were woken by a disturbance outside. An angry mob of villagers were chasing something down the street. A few minutes later, Tamara rushed in to our room. out of breath. She wouldn't elaborate just what she and Wolf had been up to but Wolf was being accused of witchcraft.

The next morning Wolf had to face the Trial by Fire (the local pond was too frozen). He had to hold a red hot bar of iron, and if the hand healed within three days then he was a witch. We waited three days while Wolf was kept under guard in the town jail. After the three days were up, the hand still hadn't healed so he was released, and ceremoniously run out of town.

After we left I began the long process of rebuilding Wolf's hand.

A fortnight later, we arrived at our destination and met up with our employer, Oberon Valmar. He told us that Sir Harold would be at the big tournament in Margrave, in three days time. We were also told to "be discrete". When I consulted the library I also discovered there was an 'evil' enchanter in the area by the name of Marcus. Liessa's uncle?

After being paid nearly half our reward in advance, we headed off to Margrave. On the way an arrow embedded itself in the side of the cart, where I was standing. The fighters rushed in the direction of the unknown assailant. It was soon revealed to be a red-headed woman called Merrilee of Odedra and she was hunting game. The arrow was an accident. I have my doubts.

That night, we decided to leave the horse and cart at a nearby farm (result - one happy farmer) and fly the rest of the way. Murthak had a flying carpet but we couldn't all use it as the weight would slow it to a crawl. So it was the case of putting just enough weight on it so it would be the same speed of my StarWings. We took off.

After a couple of hours we landed just outside Margrave, and headed in. Once there we found out that the tournament lasted for a week and that entrants had to register with the local Lord - a Sir Griswold. Lotus. We also noticed that Sir Harold was signed up.

Later on we found Sir Harold's tent. After talking to him we found that he was looking for Artoz, a necromancer, who had kidnapped Gwendolyn. Last he had heard, he was hiding in some mountains near Margrave.

That night a dagger, with a note attached, flew through our window. While the others went to investigate, I checked out the note which was warning us not to interfere. After a rooftop chase, Lotus and Murthak were able to dispatch our assailants. At a meeting with the thieves guild rep the next morning, we learnt they were from the local thieves guild and had been helping Sir Harold with his enquiries. We also found out that Artoz was from a place called Odedra. That's where Merrilee was from! Later on, a message came in from PJ. He had also came to that conclusion and was looking for her.

Tamara had also wandered off to make some 'discrete' enquiries. She came back and told us someone had 'kidnapped' her and warned her off. While the rest of the party went looking for Tamara's assailants, I went down to the tournament area and offered my services to the Healers there. I ended up having to heal Lotus quite a lot. Next morning we discovered that Sir Leopold's squire had been killed during the night. The assassins had been aiming for Sir Leopold and missed. The knife had a curious mark on it, which we were told later was the symbol of the 'Scarlet Breath' -an assassin group based nearby.

While I continued my work at the tournament, Tamara and the others continued asking around for information. Tamara was visible, the rest were Unseen. However all she managed to do was attract crowds and make people very nervous. At one point someone tried to attack Tamara but Lotus leapt to her defense (becoming visible) and nearly killing the guy. Lotus and Tamara ended up being brought before the city guard. They were charged with Disturbing the Peace and Assault. They paid the fine, then Lotus wanted to know what the fine was for assaulting the guard. When be was told be proceeded to beat up the Captain of the Guard before being subdued. He and Tamara were thrown in jail until their fate was decided. I had the job of healing the guard Captain.

Back at the tournament Sir Leopold was almost skewered by a sharp lance. According to the aura the lance had been hit by Binder magic. There's either a crazed Binder around or an assassin with investeds.

Another message came in from PJ. He had found Merrilee, halfway up a mountain looking for a dragon. She said she hadn't seen one before and wanted a look. PJ also found out that she was a Mind Mage, came from the same place as Artoz, but wasn't on his side, and that Margrave and Odedra were neighbouring countries somewhere near Kinlu.

The next day, I checked on the guard captain, who was recovering nicely, then went down to the tournament. There was another attempt on Sir Leopold. His horse exploded from under him.

After a couple of days, PJ was back and the jousting was over. It was then discovered that Sir Harold had left that morning. After passing through orc country (for some reason the orcs there were rather nervous about adventurers) we finally managed to catch him. He had found out that Artoz was in a cave in a nearby mountain. Murthak volunteered our services.

We reached the cave and ventured inside. The passages were long, dark. and there were a lot of them. At acouple of places we were attacked by bands of orcs. The first band was led by a Firemage, the second by a Dark Celestial. In the ensuing combats Lotus was killed.

We made our way down to a large cavern, split by a crevasse, and bridged by a bone bridge. As we crossed it we were accosted by Artoz and another group of orcs. I was killed by the stream of corruption he fired at us while the others charged in. Sir Harold charged at Artoz. Both became enveloped in Darkness while rest of us engaged the orcs. Tamara managed to get herself killed and once the battle was over. there was no sign of Artoz or Sir Harold. They found the necromancer's hideout but there was no one there - not even Lady Gwendolyn. However they did find what was suspected to be her hankie. They then searched down the cavern and managed to find some tracks which terminated in a blank wall. The wall had a very strong magical aura but appeared to be natural. Somehow they had gone through it but our party couldn't follow. It was decided to leave this underground complex. Searching around the mountain revealed no clue to where they could have gone.

After the three of us were ressurrected, we reported back to our employer. He appeared satisfied at our report and paid us the balance of what we were owed. There was a portal nearby that we could use to get back to Seagate but it wouldn't open for a week. So PJ and I went looking for Marcus the Enchanter. After a couple of days we found his tower and delivered the letter. The portal trip back took us through a plane called Galatere which was a hot steamy jungle full of dangerous creatures. We had an extra person with us - a Danielle of Margrave who looked very suspiciously Iike Merrilee. She is going back to the Guild to get a party together to find the Lady Gwendolyn!

Adventure Summary

31/12/93

Met up with our party employer, Simon Halset Valmar, and were told our mission which was to follow a certain knight, Sir Harold of Mulvania, and find out just what he's up to. Sir Harold had earlier claimed that he was looking for his beloved, Princess Gwendolin of Mulvania. Trouble was, investigations had failed to place the location of Mulvania. The other odd thing was that he didn't have an aura.

The trip would take us up the coast to Fleaceport then upriver, and finally overland to Margrave. We spent the rest of the day preparing to leave.

04/01/93

Met up with our guide, Alex, on the 'Raven' commanded by Captain Michael Buckland.

17/01/93

Arrived at Fleaceport. Note: Owing to the actions of previous parties, Guild adventurers do not have a good reputation.

18/01/93

Started the journey upriver.

21/01/93

Reached a dam along the river and were attacked by bandits. Alex was knocked overboard and drowned.

22/01/93

Reached our destination on the river, a small trading post. Stayed the night at an inn.

23/01/93

Wolf organised a wagon to transport us. Headed off overland.

24/01/93

Reached the village of Luxley where we stayed the night in the Aldara Arms.

25/01/93

Somehow Wolf had managed to stir up the town that night and was being accused of witchcraft. Had to wait a few days while they applied the tests for witches. Finally proved negative.

09/02/93

After a long journey through at least three baronies we reached Valeria and entered the capital city called Ledira. A big wedding was occuring, that of Madeline DeBourgenac and Leopold Valeria.

10/02/93

Entered the baroney of Karn

11/02/93

Arrived at Aleroc, the capital of Karn

12/02/93

Reached Calvendar, a town in Karn

13/02/93

Finally got to meet our employer in the House of Valmar, Oberon Valmar. He told us that Sir Harold would be easily recognised by his device, a gold griffon rampant on a blue background. Also that Sir Harold will be at the tournament at Margrave in a weeks time. We were given strict instructions to be discreet.

So we headed off by cart, arriving in Allioc by nightfall.

14/02/93

An arrow thudded into the side of the cart. The woman, who introduced herself as Merrilee of Odedra, claimed it was an accident as she was hunting game.

That night we reached a small village called Marlage and spent the night in a farmer's barn.

15/02/93

It was decided to leave the cart and horses here and fly the rest of the way, north to Margrave. After landing in a field, and frightening a nearby peasant, we headed into town. Nearby the tournament grounds were being set up. We found an inn then went to see the local Lord, Lord Griswold. We noticed Sir Harold was signed up for all the events. Lotus and PJ also signed up.

16/02/93

We headed for the tournament area and found Sir Harold's tent. No aura was detected on him. He asked us if we had heard of Artoz of Odedra, a necromancer. Apparently Artoz had captured Princess Gwendolyn. Last he had heard, Artoz was residing in the mountains north of Margrave. When asked where Malvania was he said it was beside the mountains of Tarq.

After arriving at the inn, Tamara told us that she had arranged for Sir Harold to have dinner with us. After he left Lotus followed him. He observed Sir Harold meeting with a black clad figure, later identified as Andrew.

During the night a dart with a note attached to it was thrown through the window. It warned us not to interfere. Some of the party went after the assailants but learnt nothing.

17/02/93

Found out that the note was from the local thieves guild. They had been following Sir Harold and had the idea we were the opposition. Tamara had been 'kidnapped' most of the day and he had been told to tell us to keep our noses out of their business. Meanwhile PJ went looking for Merrilee.

18/02/93

The tournament started today. I went to help out the local Healer. That night a message came in from PJ. He had found Merrilee who was halfway up a mountain looking for a dragon.

19/02/93

An assassin tried to kill Sir Leopold, and got one of his squires. The murder knife had a curious red mark on it. Later on we found out that it was the symbol of the 'Scarlet Breath' - an assassin group based in Mursada, 25 miles away.

The rest wandered around town asking questions while I stayed at the tournament. A fight ensured. Tamara and Lotus were arrested. They resisted arrest and Sir Griswold and some knights had to go and sort it out.

Back at the tournament it was noticed that Lady Severin Kyle's lance had been modified by Binder magic. Fortunately it skidded off Sir Griswold's armour. I examined the lance and passed on my findings to Sir Griswold.

PJ arrived back. Merrilee hadn't told him much but, somewhere in the forest, was a portal to Odedra which, according to her, was located somewhere near Kinlu.

20/03/93

Lotus and Tamara in jail. Someone used an Invested Unbinding on Sir Leopold's horse.

21/03/93

Were accosted by a bunch of ruffians who had been employed by the DeBourgenacs to keep an eye on us. Lotus & Tamara released with no formal charges being pressed.

23/03/93

Sir Harold had suddenly left the tournament. We couldn't leave yet because there was formal challenges to do. Discovered that Sir Harold was heading east - to orc country. Reached a fort on the boundary. Beyond were wastelands, the site of several battles.

24/02/93

Passed through the wastelands and reached the orc fort on the other side. They're rather nervous of adventurers. They wanted to know if we planned attacking the fort and would we kindly move on. Couldn't find Sir Harold with a Locate so headed south in case he was heading for a portal that the previous party had encountered.

25/02/93

Reached an orc town and discovered Sir Harold had been at the inn 'The Bloody Axe' the night before. That evening we caught up with him. He told us he had heard that Artoz was in a naerby mountain cave - two days away.

27/02/93

Reached the cave. A dark complex of corridors. Attacked by orcs, some of which were spellcasters. Lotus was killed.

Finally reached a large cavern with a chasm splitting it. Bone bridge crossed it. More orcs on the other side as well as a tall, thin, pale human in black robes - Artoz. Big fight resulted. I was killed along with Tamara. Artoz slipped away. Sir Harold went after him. Both were enveloped in darkness. When it dissipated both of them had disappeared.

28/02/93

The remaining party members explored the complex. No sign of anyone. One room contained a conjuration circle. Back where the darkness was, they discovered footsteps. They led to a blank stone wall which radiated magic. No way to get through it.

01/03/93

Sir Harold out of Locate range. Murthak flew our bodies to Calvendar for ressurrection. Once recovered went back to investigate the living area and wall but found no clues.

06/09/93

Back to Calvendar and reported our findings to Oberon Valmar. Decided to wait two weeks for a portal to open which would get us back to Seagate.

08/09/93

I had a message to deliver to a 'Marcus' so PJ and I had gone looking for the tower of Marcus the Enchanter as I suspected he was the one. Finally found the tower in the middle of the forest. Once he arrived I delivered the message. He wanted to know what we were doing in the area so we ended up telling him the whole story. Stayed the night.

09/09/93

Headed back to Calvendar.

20/03/93

Headed for the portal, accompanied by a red-headed woman called Danielle of Margrave. Looked like Merrilee. She was going to the Guild to arrange for a party to look for Princess Gwendolen.

That evening reached the portal which was in a cave. On the other side was a jungle on the plane of Galatere. Most of the plants and animals there are hostile. Other portal 15 miles away.

21/03/93

Very hot and immediately attacked by local insects. After crossing a swamp, reached other portal in a tree. Went through. Ended up in oak tree in forest, 200 miles from Seagate.

22/03/93

Started flying in hops back to Seagate. Had to stop for a while to heal injured party members.

23/03/93

Reached Seagate.

Scribe Notes

31/12/92

Just before the Guild meeting I was approached by a Phillip J DeBougenac (Lady Carla's brother) and offered a job. He wanted his exploits chronicled and I had picked up a reputation of being detailed in my scribe notes. I decided to accept. The upcoming adventure was his first. The other thing of note was that Grendel was nominated Stupidest Adventurer by trying to practise Mind Magic on a cow and ended up stampeding the herd.

In the Guild meeting room, we met up with Simon Halset Valmer, a tall middle-aged balding man, who told us that, despite the mess that the last Guild party had made of the mission, his employer, against all better judgement, had decided to hire another Guild party. As he put it, we didn't have to take anyone anywhere, we didn't even have to touch anything (now what had the last party done - or failed to do. All I knew was they had been charged with breach of contract). All we had to do was to go to Margrave and follow this guy, who said he was Sir Harold of Mulvania, and find out what he was up to. He had claimed he was looking for his intended, a Princess Gwendolen of Mulvania. Trouble is, there didn't seem to be such a place. So all we had to do was observe his movements and file a report. Seemed simple enough. The odd thing was, he didn't appear to have an aura.

My fellow adventurers were:

Murthak
A hobbit wearing non-descript clothing. He's well built with short brown hair and brown eyes. Turns out he's a reasonably experienced firemage (well, he's survived three adventures). He also told us he was a locksmith and an axe user.
Lotus
He's a 6'2" elf and looks very strange. He had black facepaint on the right side of his face and white on the other side. He was dressed all in black with a dagger at his belt. He told us he came from the other side of the Lunar Empire and was proficient in combat.
PJ
Upper class person wearing travel worn clothing. 6' with an air of impatience. He told us he wasn't a mage.
Wolf Von Stern
He's a 6' tall well dressed human and looks rich. He was wearing bronze armour and carried a bronze sword and shield. He told us he was an E&E mage and likes to drink.
Ugarn
He's an Earth Mage but calls himself a rock mage. He doesn't collect them, but prefers to throw them. 5'9", 210lbs, slightly overweight and balding dressed in tidy travelling clothes. It's his first adventure.
Tamara
The only female in the party and an elf. Average looks, age 32, 5'8" 130lbs with blond hair, green eyes. She was dressed in drab colours. She also told us she was a beginning Mind Mage (oh ghod). She also looked half starved. When Wolf noticed that he immediately offered her a good meal and a warm bed at his place.
Joram
A beginning firemage. 6' 120lbs, long black hair, emerald eyes and he looked like he had crawled out of the gutter.

We were told that we were to report at the docks in four days. The trip up the coast to Fleaceport would take two weeks, followed by a trip upriver then five days overland to Margrave. A guide would be provided, a chap by the name of Alex and he would meet us on the Raven (the ship), captained by Michael Buckland.

PJ spent the next few days attempting to get a loan out of Lady Carla - and failing. Finally he got one off Murthak. Meanwhile I spent 20sp on a winter outfit (it's cold up there), consulted the library which had nothing on Mulvania, and cast three astrology readings - only one of which seemed relevant. Liessa also gave me a sealed letter to deliver to her Uncle Marcus. Guess he's in that area somewhere but she didn't give me an address or a description. I'll find him. I also found out that there's a mage in that area who's known as the Evil Enchanter. Turned out his name is Marcus the Enchanter (according to the last party). Hmmmm....

04/01/93

Met up with Alex on the ship and we were assigned to cabins. Six to a cabin. The trip up was boring and it rained most of the time.

17/01/93

Finally arrived at Fleaceport. Alex put us all up at an inn for the night. Most of the others went wandering about but I decided to stay put and out of trouble. Incidently - owing to the actions of previous parties - Seagate adventurers have a very bad reputation.

18/01/93

Start the journey up-river. Murthak produced a flying carpet which he demonstrated. Tamara wanted a ride then Lotus used it for practising weapons as it had more room than the deck of the barge. Murthak wasn't sure where it originated but said that the command words were in a language called Arabic. This reminded me of a reference in the Guild Library to a place called Al-Qadim. It was highly probable that was where the carpet originated. We spent the night at a riverside inn.

21/01/93

A very boring trip so far until we encountered a dam partially blocking the river. Suddenly there were cries of 'Surrender' and we were rushed by bandits. I ducked behind cover as an arrow flew past me. Unfortunately it hit Alex, knocking him into the water. PJ just missed grabbing him so Joram went in while I attempted to throw a rope to Alex. I missed but Joram grabbed it instead. Meanwhile the others went into combat. Lotus did a valiant leap to the bank - and ended up in the river while Ugarn, who was already on the bank with the oxen (who towed the barge) managed to get himself knocked out. Murthak also leapt into the fray, closely followed by Lotus and PJ (a well executed jump). Murthak decided to self-immolate himself.

Joram had reached Alex by now and was attempting the rescue. Suddenly the barge lurched and I ended up in the water. Fortunately I was able to haul myself out. I then noticed that two bandits had got on to the barge so I hit one with a Bolt of Starfire. Murthak and Lotus were also attacking them. Unfortunately Murthak's immolation was setting the barge on fire.

Soon it was all over. I took off on StarWings to do an aerial reconnaissance while Murthak, still burning, raced into the bushes after the other bandits. I managed to spot the rest of the party (a slightly intoxicated Wolf had turned up on deck and a very wet Tamara was being hauled out of the water by Joram). Alex was nowhere in sight. I went looking but couldn't see him. Soon Murthak's immolation went out and, after taking care of the fire on the barge, he took off on the carpet and managed to locate Alex who was now dead. Somehow Joram had lost him. I just hoped our employer knew of a high ranked Healer.

I did a Preserve Dead on Alex while Murthak healed people's burns, then checked to see if anyone else needed healing. Tamara had managed to nearly knock herself out while underwater and was very tired. So I threw my cloak over her, then transferred some fatigue to get her going. Everyone else seemed ok, nothing that a hot meal and a good nights rest wouldn't cure.

Nothing unusual happened for the rest of the day. The only one that was seriously injured was one of the oxen that towed the barge. So I tried transferring some fatigue to it.

22/01/93

Another boring overcast day. We finally reached our destination on the river. A merchant waiting on the docks was rather annoyed about some of the cargo being burnt. He ended up threatening Murthak so Wolf put the merchant to sleep. That night we found an inn - costing 1sp a night.

23/01/93

While Wolf was organising the purchase of a wagon - and three large barrels of ale to put on it - I went in search of the local healer to see if anything could be done for Alex. The healer turned out to be a herbalist, so I ended up purchasing a supply of assorted herbs to stock up my supply - including a restorative. That lot cost me 86sp.

When I got back, Tamara offered to do a limited precog to see if the restorative would work. She reckoned it would so I tried it. Nothing happened.

We were ready to go by now so we headed off. Ugarn was waiting for us outside town. Nothing happened all day. We camped in the middle of some fields.

24/01/93

Tamara complained she couldn't sleep all night so I DAed her. Turned out she was under the effects of a backfire curse which would last about four days. All I could do for her was to use sophoric herbs. We carried on.

At the end of the day we reached a large village, by the name of Luxley, surrounded by fortifications. The gate guard recommended that we stay at the Aldara Arms. He also told us that, at the rate we were going, it would take another fortnight to reach Margrave.

I couldn't find a Healer to resurrect Alex so I renewed the Preserve Dead then gave the sophoric on Tamara for her to take later.

25/01/93

Just after midnight the rest of us were woken up by Lotus. He wanted us to prepare for combat. Apparently there was an angry mob outside chasing Wolf. PJ made the comment they were indulging in some group activity. Tamara had been with Wolf but she was rather reluctant to tell us just what they had been up to. However we did figure out that Wolf was being accused of witchcraft.

That morning there was a commotion in the town square. A group of townspeople were gathered around shouting things like 'He's a witch' 'Burn him!'. We pushed our way through the crowd and discovered Wolf, and an aristocratic gentleman in the centre. Also a young woman was accusing Wolf of casting a spell at her. The guy turned out to be a magistrate and he decided that Wolf would undergo the standard test for witches. Unfortunately the pond was frozen so they had to use the alternate plan. Wolf had to grab a red hot iron bar, then wait three days. If the hand healed within that time then he was a witch. So that was what happened. We had to wait for three days.

At the end of it, Wolf's hand was unwrapped. It still hadn't healed so the townsfolk weren't allowed to burn him. Instead they ran him out of town.

Once we all left I began the long process of restoring Wolf's hand.

02/02/93

Six days later. Wolf is all healed up and we have passed through six villages and three baronies. We had to pass through a toll post so we all had to pay 1cf each. I paid for Tamara as she reckoned she didn't have any money.

09/02/93

We reached the capital city of Valeria called Ledira. There was a big wedding going on. Madeline DeBourgenac was getting married to Leopold Valeria. I checked with the local Healer but he wasn't high enough ranked to help me with Alex. However I did purchase another 50sp of herbs to restock my supplies.

10/02/93

Another guard post and another cf each (and one for Tamara) We spent the day getting to the west border of Karn and another toll gate (yet another cf each and one for Tamara). We spent the night at an inn.

11/02/93

Arrived at Aleroc, the capital of Karn.

12/02/93

Arrived Calvenda after dusk and spent the night in another inn.

13/02/93

We finally got to meet our employer today at the Valmar House. I dropped off Alex's corpse deciding that they could either resurrect him or bury him. Finally we were conducted into the presence of an old man, Oberon Valmar, who was currently engaged in stroking a white Persian cat. He told us that Sir Harold would easily be recognized by his device, a gold griffin rampant on a blue background. He does know that Sir Harold will be at the tournament held in Margrave in a weeks time.

Finally, with instructions to be discreet, he paid us 200 gold shillings (2400sp) - nearly half of what we were getting and were shown to rooms in the house. PJ went back into town to order a special broadsword. Meanwhile I started doing research into local history. I couldn't find out anything about a place called Malvania but did find out that the sorcerer's name was Marcus Carradine. I still reckon that's Liessa's uncle but cannot prove it. The only reason I could find for him being labelled an 'evil sorcerer' was because he lived in a large tower in a huge forest and practised magic. So what's wrong with that I thought as it might be something I would want to do.

A little later on Joram came in. looking like he had been beaten up a bit. Nothing that a little rest wouldn't cure though. Meanwhile PJ was shopping for new clothes.

We speculated on travelling to Margrave using the carpet but Murthak said that, if it was fully laden, it would move very slowly so we decided to use the cart instead. PJ bought a horse then we headed off.

By nightfall we had reached Allioc and stayed in an inn costing us 2sp per night.

14/02/93

We were travelling along the road when an arrow embedded itself in the side of the cart. I decided to fire a red Bolt of Starfire in the direction it came from in an attempt to scare off any would-be attackers. Meanwhile Murthak leapt off the cart and burst into flames. Urgan disappeared - literally. Lotus just charged. PJ also charged, after handing the horses reins to Tamara. The advancing party surprised a woman who was up in a tree wielding a bow. She introduced herself as Merrilee of Odedra and claimed she was hunting game. Meanwhile Murthak had managed to set the grass on fire so he started putting it out. The rest of the party headed back to the cart and we headed off.

That night we reached a small village called Marlage and spent the night in a farmer's barn.

15/02/93

It was decided to leave the cart and horses here (result - one very happy farmer) and fly the rest of the way - otherwise we wouldn't be in time. However it was a matter of getting enough weight on the carpet to slow it down to match the speed of my StarWings. I finally cast the Wings on myself, Wolf, Urgan and Lotus - as well as a reverse effect backfire on myself. The rest piled on the carpet and we headed off north to Margrave. We decided to land in a field nearby. I made an excellent landing, Lotus did reasonably well but Urgan and Wolf ended up in an undignified heap. Just as well there was plenty of snow around to cushion the impact. However we then noticed some wine dripping out of Wolf's backpack. A bottle had broken inside.

Something nearby was screaming so we went to investigate. The sound lead us to a small house so Murthak investigated. He found someone hiding under the bed who reckoned we were demons. We decided to leave him alone.

I crawled on the carpet and went to sleep as we cruised into Margrave. We noticed the tournament grounds being set up. It started in two days. Fortunately we found an inn which would cost us 3sp/night. We managed to get two rooms.

Later on we found out that the tournament lasts for a week and participants had to register with the Lord up at the manor - a Lord Griswold. There were the jousts, combats and a free for all melee at the end. So we headed on up to the manor. After waiting around a bit Murthak spoke to the scribe behind the counter and signed up for the general melee. Meanwhile we scrutinised the full list. There were three DeBourginacs on it, two of which were PJ's brothers and the other a cousin. Sir Harold of Mulvania was signed up for everything. Lotus also signed up - as did PJ.

While Murthak flew off with PJ to go get PJ's horse, the rest of us continued to study the lists. Some of the party wanted to bet on the outcome. They discovered the best odds are on Adrian DeBourgenac - PJ's eldest brother. Tamara finally bets on Sir Harold at 6 to 1 odds. While most of the party went off to order weapons from a specialist weaponsmith called Yeste, I went back to the inn.

16/02/93

Next day I had to fix up Wolf and Urgan before we headed down to the tournament area. We found Sir Harold's tent but I was unable to detect any aura on him. He asked us whether or not we had heard of Artoz, a necromancer. Apparently he managed to capture Gwendolyn. Last he had heard Artoz resided in the mountains north of Margrave. We asked him where Malvania was and he said it was beside the mountains of Tarq. I don't think that's on the Alusian map.

We went back to the inn. A little later on Tamara came in and told us that she had arranged for Sir Harold to have dinner with us. It seemed like a good idea but I somehow suspect our employer won't be too pleased. Anyway we had dinner and discussed ways of helping Sir Harold defeat the necromancer and rescue Gwendolyn.

When Sir Harold left, Lotus had Urgan give him a Walking Unseen and followed. He saw a figure in dark clothes meet Sir Harold then leave the pavilion. He then followed the figure to the Rampaging Bull tavern where the barkeep identified him as Andrew. Lotus reckoned he'd recognise Andrew if he saw him again.

We were asleep in our rooms when something came though the window. Lotus headed out with Urgan following. I went to examine the object. It was a dart with a note wrapped around us. A note warning us not to interfere.

Outside a fight was going on. One of the assailants was killed while two more were on the roof. Soon a rooftop chase started. Murthak went up the building and along the roof while Lotus carried on down the street along side. Finally they managed to kill the other two. There was no identification on any of them.

By now the guards had arrived and started questioning the party members. Tamara reckoned the bandits were after her but the guards seemed rather suspicious of that. After the guards left, Lotus reckoned we should find Andrew - and maybe ask Sir Harold if he knew anything.

17/02/93

Two hours purification then breakfast. Urgan reckoned someone was watching us. We then wandered down to the tournament area where practises were going on. Sir Harold was busy at the time but one of the games officials did tell us that he had heard that Sir Harold was on a quest to rescue some lady fair from a place called Odedra. Another person, a dwarf, reckoned he had heard of it, somewhere in the east. It's near Malvania. He also reckoned that we should stay away from Seagate mages. Apparently he met the last bunch to come through. Meanwhile Tamara wandered off in search of more information.

A meeting was arranged with Andrew that afternoon. We were to go to the Dukes Head, sit at the table at the far left of the door and ask for wine in a crystal goblet. So that was what we did. Apparently the note was from the local thieves guild and they were annoyed with us for following them last night. They were also keeping an eye on Sir Harold and got the idea we were the opposition.

Tamara had been missing most of the day but when she returned she told us that someone had 'kidnapped' her and told her to tell us to keep our noses out of their business. Unfortunately she didn't know who they were. I wondered if it was something to do with Artoz.

Later on, a message came in from PJ. He said he was looking for Merrilee of Odedra, as it seems like she came from the same place as Artoz. I hope he's careful. So it seems he won't be back in time to participate in the tournament after all. I also told Murthak that I was looking for Marcus the Enchanter - just in case he heard anything when he goes to deliver PJ's message to the DeBourgenacs tonight. The Aunt, Sarah Calise, might know.

18/02/93

We went down to the joust. Suddenly, about lunchtime, Tamara reckoned that someone had cast a spell on her yesterday. Memories were returning of her telling a charming gentleman all about what we were up to. From how she described the effects, it was either a Mind Mage Hypnosis or an E&E Charm. I suspected the latter, which suggested Marcus was involved. Darn! And Tamara hadn't known at that stage I wanted to see him.

While the others settled down to watch the joust, and also to go looking for Tamara's assailants, I went down to the Healer's tent to offer my services. I was met by the Margrave Healer, Terrance, who seemed to be the same rank, or slightly higher than I was. He accepted my offer warmly and we set to work. Meanwhile Murthak was selling tickets for seats on his carpet. I ended up having to heal Lotus a lot. He went up against Lady Sarah who was in plate mail armour and wielding a lance, when he was only in chain and waving a sword. He didn't stand a chance. Still Lady Sarah was very impressed with his bravery.

Urgan also came down to help out but one of his healing spells backfired leaving him deaf for the next 14 days. Still he was invaluable when Wolf came in from his match with Sir Reginald DeGorn. Wolf had nearly got himself killed and I had to use resuscitation techniques on him. It was a close call and I was feeling rather fatigued at the end of it.

That evening, Lotus went to dinner with Lady Sarah while Tamara went to the festivities. I just slept. Another message had come in from PJ. He had found Merrilee, who was currently halfway up a mountain looking for a dragon. She told him that she hadn't seen one before so wanted to have a look. Murthak was muttering about giving P.J. spelling lessons especially with words like 'hobbit' and 'Murthak'.

19/02/93

During purification there was a horrible scream. It turned out to be from the Duke's Head. When we got there there were guards all around the place. Someone had been killed during the night - one of Sir Leopold's squires. The assassins had been aiming for Sir Leopold. I demanded to see the body and inspect it, being a Healer. What we discovered was he had been dead for 4 and a quarter hours. A knife was still sticking out of his back which had a curious red mark on it. Murthak went to ask the Thieves Guild. They told him that the mark was the symbol of the 'Scarlet Breath', a group of assassins based in Mursada, 25 miles away.

We discussed what to do about it. Urgan talked to a cat but didn't learn anything useful. Tamara wanted to go around town again and ask about Artoz's agents. However the rest of the party couldn't think of anything better so I cast a pool of Light then did Witchsights on those that needed them (Tamara, Urgan, Murthak, Lotus and myself) then made Urgan, Murthak & Lotus Unseen so they could keep an eye on Tamara. After counterspelling the Light, I headed down to the tournament.

The rest wandered around town. The first person Tamara asked took offense to her questioning and reckoned she was part of the secret police. The argument got rather heated and in the end he hit her. So Lotus attacked him in the back with a sword, rendering himself visible - much to the shock of the gathered townsfolk. Meanwhile Murthak scrambled up the wall. Urgan attempted to follow but slipped and hurt himself. Finally Lotus left the guy unconscious and severely wounded - just as the city guard raced round the corner. Urgan cast a Walking Unseen on Lotus at that point. As the party raced off an invisible Urgan said 'Flee mortals or suffer'. The populace were terrified.

Their next stop was the Axe and Anvil pub. Here Tamara stood on a table and made a general announcement seeking information about Artoz (thank goodness she didn't mention the necromancer bit). Everyone got rather nervous. She then offered a reward for information and mentioned where we were staying and our room number. A few people followed as she left. At the tournament, Sir Harold bested Adrian DeBourgenac.

Meanwhile the others decided to call it quits and head back to the inn. Tamara then found someone who was more communicative and knew Artoz. He tried to warn her off. Instead Tamara started to address the gathering crowd with her queries asking if anyone could help her. The others watched.

Suddenly someone brushed against the invisible Lotus and he appeared. Some of the guards people instantly recognised him as the one who had attacked the other person and started questioning him. Tamara tried to intervene. So the two of them were arrested.

At the guard house, the guard Captain fined them 25gs each for assault. Lotus wanted to know what the fine was for assaulting a guard. When he was told 50gs, he took a swing at the guard captain. Some of the guards drew weapons while the rest left to get help. An invisible Murthak was watching all this through the window and was getting rather annoyed. While Lotus was proceeding to pound the captain into the ground, Tamara was singing an elvish war song. After the captain fell unconscious, Lotus decided to make an offensive withdrawal out the window. At the tournament, a bunch of town guards rushed in and reported trouble at the guardhouse. So Sir Griswold and some other knights headed off to sort it out. I was rather tired after healing Adrian but managed to follow.

When I got there I found Lotus at swordpoint - and lance point. Meanwhile Urgan had managed to stop the captain from dying. After questioning Lotus, Griswold ordered him and Tamara thrown in jail until their fate is decided. The knights headed back to the tournament. Meanwhile I gave the captain some sophoric herbs and put him to bed.

I arrived back at the tournament. By now my Witchsight had run out so I figured I had enough fatigue left to do another. So I did. Unfortunately I backfired and felt pain. Ouch! I staggered back to the Healers tent and scrounged a healing potion. That cost me 400sp.

A bit later on, I was watching the combat between Sir Leopold and Lady Severin Kyle. Lady Kyle was injured but her lance struck Sir Leopold. Fortunately it skidded off his armour. It was then noticed that Lady Kyle's lance was pointed instead of blunted. The page was questioned by Sir Griswold, but he reckoned the lance was standard when it was prepared. I DAed the lance and determined it had been enhanced by Binder magics. There's either a crazed Binder in the crowd or someone is using Investeds. I passed the information on to Sir Griswold.

By the time I got back to the inn, PJ was back. Merrilee hadn't been too helpful but she did say there was a portal to Mulvania in the forest. She had passed Marcus's tower but it had looked deserted. Also he had got accosted by a band of ruffians who had wanted to know just what he was doing with 'that witch'. He pleaded ignorance and they let him go. It turned out Merrilee is a sorceress (a mind mage). She knew who Artoz was and also that Odedra was somewhere near Kinlu. That's nearly on the other side of the continent, past the Lunar Empire.

20/02/93

After breakfast Urgan and I went to check on Lotus and Tamara. Urgan pushed some oranges through the bars. Tamara was complaining she wanted something to read so Urgan lent her a book on mining.

On the way back we checked on the guard captain. He was still bad, so I Healed the remaining endurance and suggested he spend the rest of the day in bed, but he should be fit the next day. At the joust, Sir Leopold's horse suddenly disintegrated while he was jousting with Martin DeBourgenac. I heard a short incantation but couldn't tell who it was. However I suspect the spell was Unbinding and it was an Invested. I cast a Witchsight on myself but couldn't see anyone.

There were no further happenings for the rest of the day.

21/02/93

We went to visit Tamara and Lotus in jail again this morning. Tamara was fed up with reading about mining so I lent her the Advanced Text on Elemental Magic.

On the way back to the inn we noticed we were being followed by someone who was making notes. After a while he started trying to pass the piece of paper onto any one who was passing. We became convinced that this guy was a total idiot - in the medical sense. However, before we had a chance to retrieve the document someone else had taken it. We went in pursuit.

The chase led us into an alley where we were suddenly accosted by a band of ruffians. A fight broke out. I attempted to cast a Walking Unseen on myself to slip out of the way but managed to get skewered by a rapier, then having my head beaten against the pavement. I was unconscious for quite some time.

One of the ruffians had been captured and, after questioning, admitted they were employed by the DeBourgenacs to 'keep an eye' on this. The ruffian was taken back to the DeBourgenacs with the words 'I believe this is one of yours.' We left the ruffian with them. PJ later remarked that it wasn't a usual DeBourgenac practise to employ spies.

I spent the rest of the day healing myself and recovering. Urgan helped with healing herbs. That afternoon Lotus and Tamara were released as it was decided not to press formal charges. Tamara returned my book, reckoning she couldn't understand it.

22/02/93

After a hearty breakfast, and a bit more Healing, I felt better enough to resume my duties at the joust. Meanwhile Wolf went in search of someone who could do Curse Removal. Apparently, during the fight, he had backfired with Creeping Senility, and had lost the knowledge of two of his spells.

They were now into the final rounds of the joust. Finally it ended with the winner being Lady Sarah, beating Martin DeBourgenac.

After lunch was the formal challenges. Lotus stepped forward and challenged Sir Griswold. Meanwhile I cast a Witchsight on myself and kept a look out. The actual combats are tomorrow so Tamara prepared an exotic dinner for Lotus.

Wolf finally managed to get his curse removed. They had failed yesterday.

23/02/93

I did two hours purification then went down to join the others. There was no sign of that moronic spy. I cast another WitchSight on myself then Tamara asked for one. It took three attempts but she got it.

When we got to the field we discovered Sir Harold had gone. Apparently he had a visitor in the middle of the night and hastily departed. However we couldn't leave yet because of the challenges. Murthak was selling seating on the carpet again as I went to join the rest of the Healers. Finally it was Lotus's combat. Sir Griswold hit Lotus a couple of times, stunning him then waited for Lotus to recover. Lotus manoeuvred away and started throwing darts and daggers, only one hit. Griswold then hit Lotus and asked if he wanted to yield. Lotus decided to yield. I began the task of Healing Lotus up to strength.

Murthak decided it was best to wait while Lotus and I recovered before setting off. Tamara went off to organise some horses for us but they wouldn't be ready until the next morning. So Murthak contacted Andrew of the Thieves Guild and managed to get some for that night. Supplies were also arranged. Three hours later, after a hot dinner, we were off.

We had earlier found out that Sir Harold was heading east, towards orc country so that was were we went. Three hours later, just after evening, we reached a fort on the boundary. We were told that Sir Harold had been there but had entered orc lands that morning so we decided to continue. Murthak put a Firelight on my crystal dagger.

The lands beyond were wastelands and looked like the aftermath of several battles. Murthak found fresh wagon tracks so we followed them through the night.

24/02/93

At dawn we reached another fort. When we got there we could see orcs manning the walls. Fortunately Lotus could speak orcish. Unfortunately he told them we are adventurers which made the orcs rather nervous. However they hadn't seen Sir Harold.

Wolf tried casting a Locate on Sir Harold but backfired. PJ was rather surprised when a spinning arrow (visible only to him) appeared in front of him. I quickly explained what it was. Wolf tried again and got it going. So he and Murthak took off on the carpet in an attempt to get a fix on Sir Harold. They didn't find him.

We camped and rested for most of the day. I spent my watch sitting in a pool of Light while Unseen. After a while a battalion of orcs turned up and wanted to know if we planned on attacking the fort and would we mind moving on. Guess adventurers have a really fearsome reputation around here.

Finally we carried on, about mid afternoon (much to the orcs relief). This time we headed more south in case Sir Harold was heading for the portal that the last party had encountered. About 10pm we reached a road and decided to keep going for another hour. To our right we could see the lights of a small orc village.

25/02/93

Purified for two hours then continued on. Halfway through the morning we intersected with another road. Wolf tried another Locate and managed to amnesiac himself for the next four days (according to his aura). We rapidly enlightened him on who we were and what we were doing. Later on we reached another orc town. In the inn called the 'Bloody Axe' we found out that Sir Harold had been here last night but had left that morning. He had ditched the wagon somewhere. We continued on.

Near nightfall we came across the scene of a skirmish which had occurred three hours ago. Some of the wounds looked like they had been caused by a large sword. Murthak stayed back to search for treasure. He did find some silver pieces and some odd medallions.

A couple of hours later we spotted a figure in the distance and spurred the horses on, eventually catching up. It was Sir Harold. He told us that he had heard that Artoz was in a cave in the nearby mountains. He showed us on the map. It was another two days journey away.

26/02/93

Nothing unusual happened all day.

27/02/93

That afternoon we were ascending the mountain. Soon we found a cave halfway up, just as night was falling. According to Sir Harold, Artoz was in there. I also asked him whether he knew Merrilee. Yes he did. She was from Odedra but had switched sides. According to him, she was trustworthy.

Urgan searched for tracks around the cave and announced he found some big ones, some small ones and some inbetween. I went looking for wards but couldn't see any. So I cast a Witchsight on myself before we entered. It was dark in that cave and soon there wasn't enough Light for me to check for auras properly. Urgan took over. I then used a cantrip to darken my white robes and my chameleon effect to darken my skin so I wouldn't stand out so much.

Soon we reached a landing. The way further was blocked by a rather solid set of doors.

Murthak couldn't find any traps on the door so we opened it. There was a long, dark, corridor on the other side. (I'm beginning to HATE this place). Murthak told us to keep following the left hand wall. I got the job of mapping. Also I used some chalk to make small marks at each intersection to indicate where we had been and where we went.

Soon we found a room with skeletons hanging from manacles. Nothing unusual there. According to their aura they had been there for several months.

A bit later on Murthak spotted a loose flagstone. He prised it up and we all heard a 'click'. Small projectiles flew across from each side of the corridor at waist height. Fortunately Murthak is a hobbit. I picked up half a dozen darts, thinking they might come in useful.

More turns and intersections later (this place is a-maze-ing) we heard the sound of someone casting a spell behind us. Suddenly we were enveloped in fire. Behind us were four orcs and a shadowy figure behind. Harold, PJ, Lotus and Murthak charged while the rest of us ducked around the corner. I tried to send a Starfire at the mage but the spell failed - not enough light. Wolf's sleep also failed to work. Meanwhile Murthak had charged in and killed one. He seemed to go berserk after that.

Tamara reckoned something was coming down the other way. Again we got enveloped in a fireball. So I put up an area of Light using the ring and waited. We could hear the sounds of more orcs coming down the corridor. So I attempted to put up a Wall of Starlight in an attempt to stop them. Even with the Light, it took two attempts but I got it, just as two more orcs rounded the corner. Unfortunately they went straight through the wall, apparently unaffected. I decided to beat a hasty retreat.

The others were still fighting. Murthak had killed the firemage, while Tamara had managed to control an orc, allowing Wolf to kill it. The other orcs were also falling, courtesy of Sir Harold and PJ.

More orcs were coming so Lotus, Wolf, Urgan, and Murthak went to meet them, while the others mopped up and dealt to the two oncoming ones. By the time that was done it was virtually all over. Urgan and PJ were badly damaged while Lotus was dead. I had just enough energy to do a Preservation on Lotus so I split the twenty point Healing potion I had got off Wolf for healing his hand between those two then did the Preservation. Tamara started singing an elvish dirge. So much for Urgan's comment earlier "If there's traps, there aren't usually guards."

After doing the Preservation I felt very tired. Lotus's body was put on the carpet and I snoozed next to it. The bodies had been searched and a magical shield, three potions, daggers, scimitars, 47gs 268sp and 412cf were discovered.

A bit later on we discovered orc and goblin bodies. They had suffered extensive damage, including sword wounds and had been dead for 4 days. Nothing useful was found. Wolf decided to feed me a ten point potion, just in case.

Later on - more orcs. As PJ and Sir Harold advanced boldly, Sir Harold's sword burst into flame - courtesy of Murthak. We were peppered with arrows, one of which hit PJ. Urgan threw a dagger which hit. Sir Harold and PJ were soon laying into the orcs. I tried a Walking Unseen but failed. Murthak moved in and managed to get seriously injured. My Walking UnSeen then kicked in, then I decided to save fatigue and throw daggers instead - just as Urgan was continuing to. I managed to fumble and drop one, point first, on my foot, stunning myself. I'm not good at this sort of thing.

Tamara succeeded in 'freezing' an orc with a Control Person and Sir Harold ran it through. Just then we got hit with a Blackfire spell - courtesy of a Celestial Dark Mage. Murthak went berserk and went for the mage. Meanwhile all I could do was quiver in fear. Wolf managed to kill another orc rather spectacularly, then charged another one. Tamara 'froze' another and Urgan threw his axe at it (he had run out of daggers) killing it.

I finally broke out of stun and beat a hasty retreat. Unknown to me the Dark Mage had put up a Wall of Darkness behind us and I ran right into it, taking damage, and started feeling even more scared. Wolf charged into the Dark Mage and attacked. Tamara managed to control the mage so Wolf easily finished him off.

I wasn't about to go back through that Wall but, it was soon apparent that another branch joined up with the corridor the others were in. So with Wolf's help I was soon back with the others. He fed me another ten point potion then we catalogued our finds on the bodies. 12gs, 92sp, 152cf and a magical ring which had the nature of storage.

Empathy showed that many of the party had been infected with disease caused by substances on the swords so I healed them all before we continued on.

After a short while, we encountered a slope downwards. Suddenly we were all hit by a Mass Fear ward. I went into shock while Tamara started screaming. Sir Harold and PJ took off after a rapidly fleeing Wolf and Urgan. Murthak grabbed my sap and used it to knock Tamara out before pouring her onto the carpet. It took a little while before we were all free of the ward's effects.

Soon the corridor opened into a landing in a large cavern. A wide chasm split the cavern in two and we could hear the sound of water flowing far below. The only thing that crossed the cavern was a bridge made out of bone. I DAed it and discovered it has no spell effects on it. Hopefully it would be safe to cross.

We began to cross. When we got halfway across orcs appeared on the other side of the cavern followed by a tall, thin, pale human dressed in black robes. A typical looking necromancer. He looked at Sir Harold and smiled. 'So Sir Harold. You have come. Who are these fools you have brought?'. Murthak piped up 'We are your doom'.

Sir Harold charged across the bridge while the orcs fired their arrows. I was in the process of attempting to shed some light on the subject when I was hit by one. Grumbling, I restarted the spell preparation, after lying prone on the carpet to present a smaller target. Urgan was also hit by an arrow, causing quite a bit of damage to his arm. Tamara started doing first aid. Meanwhile Sir Harold killed an orc which toppled over the edge of the bridge.

I was just about to let the Light go when Artoz let loose with a Stream of Corruption which hit me. I felt pain, then blackness.

Murthak burst into flame and attacked alongside Sir Harold. Two more orcs quickly died after which Sir Harold charged at Artoz. Artoz retreated back down the ledge. Suddenly an area of darkness enveloped the two of them.

A suicidal orc decided to charge Murthak. Between him and PJ it didn't last long. They then advanced on the two remaining orcs, Tamara following. One of the orcs attempted to cast a spell but winced in pain. PJ nimbly dodged a flurry of weapons to launch an attack.

It didn't take long before the orcs were defeated. But there was one more casualty - Tamara. Also the sounds of fighting from the darkness had ceased.

Murthak and PJ searched the area of darkness with a rope between the two of them but found nobody in it. However PJ found a crevasse in the wall. It was decided to wait until the darkness disappeared. After four hours it did. There were no bodies there.

28/02/93

They explored down the aperture. Wolf tried to do a Locate in order to discover Sir Harold's whereabouts but ended up with a virulent skin disease on the first attempt and a reverse effect on the second. Murthak suggested that he desist. Finally the passage ended at a T junction with three doors at each branch.

Each door was checked in turn, starting with the left. The first room was an orcish barracks, next was a storeroom of supplies and the third on the left side was another orc barracks. Only sundry orc items were found.

On the right branch, the first door contained a bed, desk, and a conjuration circle was drawn on the floor. They stayed away from the circle while searching and found a chest containing six small vials containing a liquid, letters in the desk - including one proclaiming Artoz as ruler of Odedra, as well as 67gs and 827sp.

The next door was locked but it was soon opened. Inside was a bed. The only item they found of interest was an embroidered ladies handkerchief. It's plane of origin was Elushia. They suspect it belonged to Lady Gwendolen.

The last door, Murthak opened gingerly. Inside was a long table with forms, and a firepit. Nothing of interest was found. They spent the next two hours searching for secret passages but didn't find any. Murthak decided to step in the circle in case it was some sort of teleportation ring but nothing happened.

They went back to where the darkness was. Once there, PJ noticed some footsteps leading down the ledge. They followed them. About one and a half miles later, the footsteps terminated at a blank wall. Most of the wall radiated magic, however it blended with the rest of the rock too well to be a Wall of Stone. There was also no sign of a runestick and any attempts to pass through the wall failed. The party then decided to camp and rest.

01/03/93

Wolf managed to get off a successful Locate and discovered Sir Harold is out of range. Once they got out of the tunnels, Murthak and Wolf circumnavigated the mountain without finding any trace of Sir Harold's whereabouts. All the horses were still where they were left - except Sir Harolds. The tether rope had snapped.

Murthak flew our bodies to Calvendar while the rest looked for Sir Harold's horse.

03/03/93

After a while I found myself lying on a bed with a rather wary Healer bending over me. It turned out the resurrection attempt had failed the first time. Instead of my spirit, he had got a malignant phantasm which attacked him. The next attempt was successful. Lotus's and Tamara's resurrections had been more successful. The resurrections cost 3000sp each. Tamara couldn't pay so I paid for her.

Murthak related the story of what they had found. When he mentioned about the circle I checked his aura to see if there had been any effects. I couldn't find any. Murthak then flew us back to rejoin the others. They hadn't had any luck. Further investigations of the living area and the wall also revealed nothing. Finally we gave up and headed back to Calvendar to report to our employer.

06/09/93

We reported to Oberon Valmar, who seemed satisfied with our results and paid us the balance of our fee, bringing the total payment up to 5000sp each. We were also told that we could get back to Seagate before the next Guild meeting if we were prepared to wait two weeks for a portal to open. I wasn't too sure about this as, the portal opened on to another plane, containing a dangerous swamp, before the Seagate link was encountered.

While the rest started their training, I went off to find Marcus and deliver the letter. PJ decided to come too. Since neither of us was a ranger, it was rather easy to get lost in the forest.

08/09/93

We finally managed to find the tower. It was a six story one, in a large clearing surrounded by a well kept garden. I went up to the door and pulled the bell cord but there was no answer. We camped just inside the clearing and kept watch. I was prepared to wait a week if necessary.

It wasn't necessary. A few hours before dusk, a tall, red clad, portly gentleman stepped into the clearing and strode up the path towards the tower. I intercepted him and asked him if he was Marcus. He was. I then asked if he knew a Liessa Catherine Vardin, currently residing at Seagate. He did so I handed over the letter. He quickly skimmed it. I think Liessa must have mentioned me in it as Marcus looked at me rather oddly.

He then wanted to know what we were doing in this area. PJ told him we had been employed to follow a knight. Marcus wanted to know what knight. PJ explained about Sir Harold. Marcus suggested - in a tone that one does not refuse - that we'd better come inside.

We did and were led up some stairs into a spacious living area. There we ended up telling the whole story. The other items of interest were three paintings. One was of Liessa, another of Lady Sarah, and the third was of a man whom I didn't know and PJ thought he had seen (Liessa later told me that it was of a man called Andrew). I thought the paintings were very well done and said so, also asking who did them. Apparently Marcus had. He said he liked to have pictures of his children. Curious indeed. However I decided not to enquire further. After a while we were shown to guest bedrooms. Marcus also handed me a letter to deliver to Liessa.

10/03/93

After a hearty breakfast, we made our farewells and headed back to Calvendar. I spent the next few days practising spells. .10.

20/03/93

We made our way to the portal. However we had an extra person with us - a red haired woman calling herself Danielle of Margrave. However she looked very much like Merrilee. She said she was going to the Guild to get a party to look for Princess Gwendolen. We also had a guide called Andre.

It took us most of the day to get there. On the way Tamara reckoned she could see movement on the ridge to one side, but no-one else was able to confirm it. A little later on we encountered a bunch of humanoids approaching. Urgan and Tamara went Unseen while I put up a Witchsight - just in case. The humanoids turned out to be orcs who wanted to know what we were doing in orc lands. Lotus stepped forward and explained, in orcish, where we were going. The orcs seemed satisfied at that and left.

Near nightfall we reached a cave. Andre told us that the portal was inside and that the other side was a tropical jungle. So we changed out of our winter clothes and stepped through the back of the cave, emerging in a tropical jungle. I did several spot DAs and determined that the name of the plane was Galatere.

Andre told us that the portal back to a point near Seagate was at least 15 miles away and many of the plants and animals here were hostile. It was therefore decided to go back through the portal and camp for the night.

21/02/93

In the morning I purified (in a Rank 11 light) then cast a Witchsight on myself. When we were ready we stepped through the portal and continued down the trail. Immediately we were assaulted by the local insects. I was pleased that I had the foresight to wear my leather armour under my robes so I was quite safe. Some of the others weren't quite so lucky. After a short while it became apparent that the bites were weakening those affected. The heat wasn't helping either. Fortunately most of our equipment was piled on the carpet.

After four hours we encountered a swamp. Murthak began ferrying people over on the carpet, after which we continued on. I amused myself by doing spot DAs on various things for practice.

Half an hour later we spotted four dead bodies of humanoid creatures with wings, which were all in an advanced state of decomposition. According to their auras they were Tanarri and they had been dead for five days. The serrated scimitar like swords they had weren't magical but Lotus collected them up anyway. It wasn't clear what had killed these demon-like creatures but the last spell to impact one of them was Molecular Disruption. Also they were native to this plane.

Eventually we reached a portal in a tree and went through it, materializing near an oak tree in a forest. Andre told us we were about 200 miles north of Seagate. Empathy told me that everyone was suffering a disease caused by the insect bites and the leeches some of us had picked up. So I did a Cure Disease on everyone. We then rested for the rest of the day and camped for the night.

22/02/93

The fastest way back was to fly, but Urgan and PJ refused wings. Murthak had to fly the carpet back anyway so that left me with the job of casting on everyone else. Even with the help of a pool of Light I was having difficulty getting the spells working. Before I ran out of power I managed to cast on everyone - except me. So I had to ride the carpet as well. I took the opportunity to sleep.

When we finally caught up to the others I discovered that Tamara and Wolf had landed very badly. Wolf had knocked himself out and fractured two ribs. I recommended that he spend the rest of the trip back on the carpet until the Guild Healers mend the break. Tamara had just managed to give herself serious cuts and bruises which I was able to fix. Fortunately I had rested enough to start healing.

23/02/93

Tamara refused to fly unless she was fully healed. So I left her to last while I did the Wings on everyone else. After I had finished I felt that I didn't have enough energy left to heal her and give her Wings so it was Murthak, PJ, Urgan, Wolf and Tamara on a very slow moving carpet back to the Guild. My landing was rather bad and I needed assistance from the Guild Healers. The rest were ok.

Upon arrival back we had the items divinated. The ring turned out to hold a few charges of Mind Mage Healing, while the shield and amulet added to combat defence. I decided to forgo taking any items, but took my share of the treasure in silver pennies. We received 3197sp each (less tax).

That, plus what was left of our pay plus my savings might be just enough to learn Curse Removal. Finally I hunted down Liessa and delivered the letter from her uncle. Tomorrow I start training.

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