Foundation is a
generic fantasy kingdom. It is ruled by
King Tymeran, affectionately known as “King Tim”. The city of
Elven States – A collection of city-states separated from the rest of Tyll by “the maze”. The elves of the states are High Elves, and they are a xenophobic lot. They keep to themselves. The coastline along the Elven States is rocky, and impossible to land on. Each city has its own rulership, and although they are independent, they work together for mutual security.
The Maze – An enormous enchanted forest raised by the elves to separate themselves from the outer world. It is impossible to navigate. The mazekeepers (also called tree-walkers) constantly patrol the maze. Only liscensed guides and their customers are allowed to pass.
Sydd – A large human city, a protectorate of foundation. It is surrounded by a 10’ stone wall that has come under disrepair in recent years. Its primary export is boats designed for shipping on the Big Green River. Has its own troops, and its surrounding areas are constantly patrolled.
Bligden’s Crossing - a ferry used to cross the Big Green River at its calmest point. Operated by agents of Foundation. There is a 1 sp/per passenger rate for crossing, with other fees based on cargo.
David’s Wood – A small patch of woodlands known to be the residence of the ranger David.
Marahill – a
small village that subsists mostly on its farming and lumber industry. The forest to the south of Marahill contains
a rare sub-species of ironwood that is reknowned for its strength and
flexibility. Spears, bows, and arrows made
of this wood are exceptional. If a
masterwork wooden item is purchased in Foundation, chances are that its crafted from Marahill ironwood. The community itself is a band of escaped
slaves from the
Marahill Keep – An old fortification left over from the period of unrest during the last royal family’s transition to the throne. It was crafted by the human residents of the village, with assistance from the gnomes of the western hills and the dwarves of the lesser western mountains. When the transition went smoothly, the Keep went into disrepair, and was largely forgotten by the residents of Marahill.
The Witch Woods – A patch of thick, overgrown wilderness largely avoided by the Foundation patrols. Almost inaccessible (except to rangers and druids). Rumored to be haunted by the spirits of a long-dead sisterhood of witches. In actuality, the Witch Wood is the only “true wilderness adventuring” area in the Foundation Lands. The few parties that attempted to explore it never returned.
The Giant’s Game
– A series of low, rocky, grass cover hills.
The hills are rumored to be the graves of giants who fell in wars long
ago. There’s a small outcropping of rock
and stone near the eastern edge of the giant’s game, and it appears to be some
sort of door. To what remains entirely
unclear. This area is generally avoided
by travelers.
Humans – By far, humans dominate the planet. They are the major power players on every continent, and in the vast majority of civilized nations. Basically, if you want to a play a human of any ethnicity I’ll be able to tell you what part of the planet you’re from.
Dwarves – On Tyll, most dwarves hail from the Hold of the Rock King, an island nation ruled by “Stonebones,” a godlike being with many strange powers. In addition, there are dwarven communities in the far north, and just about anywhere where there are mountains. For those of you who want to dig deeply, we can use virtually any subrace of dwarf you can find. (for more info on dwarven subraces, try to find the first edition book Dragonlance Adventures). Dwarves in the campaign will be strong warriors and priests, as a rule.
Elves – Elvish subraces are planted all across the earth. The most common are High Elves, most of who
are descended from the subtropical (read: northern
Gnomes – The gnomish people are most represented underground by the svirfneblin, the deep gnomes who traffic in goods in the underworld. A few groups have broken off and created communities in and around dwarven and human areas, with the most significant populations on Naress. Gnomish characters are rare in many parts of the world, although on the continent of Tyll, where the campaign begins, they are merely uncommon. They are renowned metalsmiths and gemcutters.
Halflings – Halfling populations exist mostly in temperate areas all over the world. All subraces of Halflings are available for play, even the Kender (of dragonlance fame). The only exception to that rule is the Green Men of Zahn, whose alien thinking and motivations are impossible to roleplay effectively as a PC. Halflings in the campaign world vary greatly from locale to locale. In Tyll’s northern half, they are a stern folk, who viciously defend their lands upon the backs of their war dogs. In the southern half of Tyll, Halflings more closely resemble their Tolkeinish roots.
Half-Orcs - The only half-orcs tolerated in societal mainstream are those who are indistinguishable from normal humans. If you’d like to play a half-orc, do so under the knowledge that you’ll be unable to openly enter civilized areas without the leave of local government. Only those who can pass as humans are accepted.
Other Races – If
you choose to play some sort of exotic race, please let me know ahead of time,
so we can determine if it will be viable.
The sooner you let me know, the sooner we can develop a plan for your
advancement. Playing a
“other race” character will require all kinds of adjustments.
Blondenstone – an area in the northwestern portion of Tyll. Once ruled by the god-king Ktahn the Silver. The capital was destroyed almost 20 years ago, when the Cold Queen of Ilch attempted to invade the area in her Golden Pyramid. Ktahn destroyed her Colossus, shattered her pyramid, and sent her fleeing, in ethereal form, back to her hold in the southern seas. The explosion that defeated the Cold Queen also killed Ktahn, and sank the area that once contained Blondenstone Keep deep into the sea.
The people of Blondenstone are hardy folk, making their living on trade with the wild folk of the northern vast, the dwarves who still delve in the Rock King’s Hold, and the exotic spices and silks from the Tu’tarese plateau. Characters from Blondenstone may have been warriors, wizards, rogues or otherwise, but they will be strong willed and stubborn.
Foundation – an
area in the south central part of Tyll.
Ruled by the King Tymerran and his Shield Host, this area is best
considered as a generic fantasy kingdom.
The people here represent the widest berth of professions and
occupations. Their meadows raise good
horses, and most of the folk are trained in their care. Most of the population is human, although
others are generally tolerated as they follow along within the rule of law,
also called the Steel Code. There is
also a population of escaped slaves in the southwestern part of the Foundation
Lands, refugees from the blazing sun of Aetix, deep in the
Tu’Tar – a large plateau in the northeastern part of Tyll. This area is patterned after the world of Oriental Adventures, will a full complement of classes, races, and creatures. The special races are virtually unknown outside this area, as are its weapons, gods, and specific classes. Characters from Tu’Tar must follow the rules of the OA text.
The Elven States –
the Elven States make up the southern tip of Tyll, as well as the islands off
of its southern coast. It is made up of
a collection of city-states, populated mostly by High Elves (standard d&d
elves). Most of these folk are unconcerned
with the affairs of other races, although they do engage in extensive
trade. The entire area is bordered on
the north by the magical forest known as the Maze, and is bordered in the
southern ocean by a series of reefs that contain the aquatic elf city of
Cloakenisle –
This island, a 2 day sail off of Tyll’s east coast, is largely uninhabited. Once the ancient outpost of the Grand
Mariners of Nirat, it has been a lair to dragons large and small, and a variety
of fell creatures inhabit its heavily wooded hills. A few druids make their homes here, as well
as a few rangers. Only one city is
really extant on Cloakenisle, and that is the city of
The Hold of the Rock
King – The Rock King, a strange elemental creature who has existed since
the first creatures left the steaming waters, makes his home on a series of
incredibly rocky islands off of Tyll’s western coast. The strange creature called “the Rock King”
is known by many names: Old Stonebones, Skoraeus, Grome, and Hlyrg the
Earth-Cleaver. His kingdom is populated
by dwarves and gnomes, mostly, who mine deep within the black depths beneath
the mountains. Characters who hail from
the Hold are hearty folk, seemingly carved from the grey stone itself. The area is also home to the
Toelen – the
northern most portion of Tyll is referred to by the same name as its largest
city. The city of
The
The
Other human settlements are available. I wanted to give you
some materials to help scope your characters background.
What has come to pass…
A few travelers stopped in for the evening at the Sleeping
Bitch Inn and Tavern, in the rural community of Caswell, south of the City Sydd
in the
The travelers and townies walked the short road to Meerell’s
house, and found that Meerell had died while trying to complete the process to
become a lich. A quick examination of
his strange house revealed that Meerell was a powerful wizard indeed, skilled
in the summoning and binding of outerplanar creatures, as well as a variety of
other magical research interests. His
spell book revealed that his primary research was the ancient
After leaving Meerell’s home, the group decided to go north and seek rest and healing in the City Sydd. Upon their approach, they saw the City in flames, and orcs patrolling the walls. A small band of human soldiers, fleeing the city in disguise, told the travelers that the City had fallen, and that they too should flee.
The travelers agreed, and fled south, past Caswell, to the ironwood groves of Marahill. As they closed, they saw that Marahill too had been sacked, but that a few survivors were holing up in an old stone fortress just outside town. The travelers, tired from battle and journey, entered and waited behind the locked gates.
They were met by Fareed Abdullah Alhrezhed, Lord Constable of Marahill. He claimed that the orcs had come to Marahill on the same night they had come to Caswell, and struck with the same brutality. He gathered his survivors and brought them to the keep. After a night of fitful sleep, the orcs attacked the keep the next day, using flaming rock-worms to destroy the Keep’s main gate. An orcish wizard killed Alhrezhed with crackling bolts of negative energy, before he himself was felled. When the dust settled, the orcs had again been defeated.
A quick search of the compound revealed a secret door at the bottom of the well which contained a teleportation device. Feeling they had few other options, the travelers used the device, and appeared in a long abandoned farmhouse in the wheat fields known as Saren’s Pelt.
When they went outside, they noticed a band of Elven
Griffon-Knights flying high overhead.
Using the robotic Eagle, they flagged down a knight who explained that
the orcs had erected an earthen wall around the entire
Our heroes continued north, and came upon a team digging a
hole. Two orcs were digging, four others
kept watch, and another was apparently casting spells over the hole. The heroes decided to engage them, and the
commotion of battle drew the attention of a Truly Horrible Umber Hulk, who had
been nesting beneath the hill.
Exploration revealed that the area beneath the hill was an ancient tomb (although, apparently, not the Tomb of Rhyggen Ydd) of Nirati origin. After some further exploration, they discovered that the Umber Hulk had laid its eggs in the main burial chamber of the tomb. This area was cleared, and the party was left with many choices facing them.
The next night, as the group camped in a patch of woodland, they overheard a commotion. Some scout work revealed a group of orcs surrounding a carriage, stealthily moving in for the kill. A brief conversation was overheard from inside the carriage, and a matronly woman emerged. She spoke a few words, and the orcs all died in spectacular ways. The back of the carriage opened, and a beholder floated out, all the while conversing with the woman.
Jacques recognized the woman as Royal Ivey, head of his father’s thieves’ guild in Foundation. She somehow discerned that she and her multi-eyed friend were being observed, and that she knew Jacques from his father’s work. They spoke briefly, and she explained that she was actually not in charge of the guild at all. The true head of the guild was the enormous beholder, Ooriss, known only as the Eyes of Foundation.
Mumakembaker questioned her then, asking if she knew of one called the Jack of Knives. She explained that he had also once worked for Ooriss, but then betrayed him, taking a band of thieves and holing up inside the Grand Temple of Torin, in the old town section of Foundation. This was significant because it’s cellar held the magical entrance to Ooriss’ vault, hidden in the bowels of Uzkurr Deep, the haunted prison beneath the city. Ooriss also explained that the Jack of Knives had been contracted to acquire an arcane item of indeterminate power, an ash-grey sash, by a wealthy party. After the sash had been acquired, Ooriss had it stored in the vault. Before the sash could be delivered to the buyer, the assault on Foundation had occurred, and the city fell.
Mumakembakar then revealed that the sash had been stolen from his dojo, and he had been sent on a pilgrimage to recover it. Ooriss then offered the entire contents of his vault, if the party agreed to kill the Jack of Knives. His assistant, the matronly wizard Royal Ivey, handed over a tiny stone icon, which she explained would open the door to the vault.
Using Jacques’ insider knowledge of the city, the party made their way through the upper levels of the sewer system to the temple. They exited the sewers in stealth, and entered through the bell tower.
As they descended through the levels of the temple, they cam across a bevy of thieves and rogues, most of which Jacques recognized as being particularly brutal members of the Foundation underworld. Each was killed, and as the party dropped down to the main floor, the Jack of Knives struck. A brutal blow from an enchanted dagger felled a member of the party, and a battle raged. The Jack was defeated, and the party managed to resuscitate their comrade. They soon found their way into the cellar, and entered the vault. Equipping themselves with the items they found inside (including the sash), they then returned to the temple.
They were greeted by a thunderous noise from above, as if someone were trying to break down the doors to the temple. Searching the cellar, they found an ancient grate that opened to the almost prehistoric sub-sewers that separate the city from the dungeons of Uzkurr Deep below. Hearing the thundering footsteps of Stone Golems above, the group entered the sewers. Jacques remembered that there was an exit from the undersewers to a maintenance area in the city’s northwest corner.
Without a map or sense of direction, the party fled through the filthy sewers. Pursued by a pair of drow sorcerers, several stone golems, orc archers, and a powerful orc wizard riding an demonic spider, the chase blazed through the tunnels. Finally, due to a variety of clever maneuvers and spellcasting, the party managed to find the ladder leading to the maintenance hatch. At that point, however, the orc wizard caught up with the group. Mumakembakar, wearing the sash from the vault, harnessed its power to hold the wizard completely motionless. Helpless, he was slain by the other party members.
The spider-demon soon caught up, and a battle raged. The party was victorious, climbed the ladder, and counted themselves lucky. The ladder led to a small chamber, which in turn led to a stone-lined passage. The passage ended in a portcullis, beyond which lay the fields northwest of the city. The portcullis was opened, and a quick peek revealed that the opening was a scant hundred yards from the city walls, which even now were crawling with orc crossbowmen.
Cleverness ensued, and the party fled the service tunnel into the light woods to the west of the city. While in there, the party was stricken with a variety of visions, visions of a distant world under siege, and its eventual destruction.
The party then made a leap of faith, and discovered that the “City-on-the-Water” alluded to in Meerell’s manuscripts was not Foundation, but rather Sydd. The party headed northwest, into the deepening forest. As the closed to the center of the forest, Mumakembakar, aided by the powers of the mysterious sash, saw signs of a settlement ahead. The others simply saw more trees. He led them onward however, and discovered a small house occupied by an old man. The old man told them the following tale:
The Legend of the Oleri
Ydd was the name given to the lands of the High Elves on Tyll during the first age. It was essentially destroyed during the Wars of Orcs and Elves. Ydd was a wide kingdom rather than a stronghold. Magic was widely practiced, as were poetry and song. The high elves retreated from their meadows and forests and raised the maze in response to the Wars of Orcs and Elves, in time out of mind. After abandoning the northern lands, they built citadels along the maze’s northern side (i.e. Keep of the Three Darks) as guard posts. Eventually, the invading orcs destroyed the capital, Dreallyn-on-the-Water.
Outsiders came to Ydd in time out of mind. A few beings, elvish in features and speech, came through the Steel Portal, which remains broken and hidden beneath the Giant’s Game near Caswell. Led by Rhyggen, these strange beings made contact with the elves of Ydd, and befriended them. They proved themselves to be gallant fighters and powerful wizards – this combination endeared them to the elvish peoples of Ydd. Following a great plague in the Year of Ink-Skies, when the royal line of Ydd perished, the people of Ydd chose Rhyggen to lead them. In the years that followed, the orcs of the western mountains multiplied and united under the banner of Harchgorril Giantking, an insane monarch of the mountain’s giants.
Harchgorril amassed an enormous army, soldiered with orcs,
trolls, ogres, and fell beasts of war, and marched on the
The outsiders, who had come through the Steel Portal with Rhyggen, and who were his servants, were the only ones who saw the blow that felled the Giantking. They then rushed forward, and Rhyggen collapsed, and dropped the blade from his shaking hands. When they carried his body back to the City, they revealed the Rhyggen had been given a vision. He had been told that “Whosoever lay blade to the Giantking would whither and pass”, and he chose to take that pain upon himself. The hordes that had closed upon the city then fled back to the western mountains to regroup. The people held a great funeral for Rhyggen, and gave him the name Rhyggen Ydd. The outsiders took him from the City and buried him in secret that he may rest in peace until the end of the world.
The goblin-hordes soon regrouped, and in their second assault killed almost all the remaining outsiders, who fought valiantly before falling before the City. Two remained, and took with them the rest of the surviving Ydd elves. They fled to the southern part of the continent, whose shores were surrounded by impassable reefs and cliffs. There they used their mighty magic to raise the Maze, protecting them finally from the onslaught.
After the fall of Ydd, its meadows and forests became
wild. The orcs had suffered too heavily
to maintain their control over the region, and eventually returned to the
mountains and hills. The name Ydd passed
out of use, and the elves who had lived there began
referring to themselves only as “the people”. Eventually, mariners from Nirat
set ashore upon the east coast of Tyll, and made a small village there. These men eventually colonized all the way
west, to the foot of the mountains.
There, the dwarves had driven the giants north and the orcs deep into the
ground. These humans, descended from the
Nirati sea-empire, soon seceded and began their own kingdom, under their own
rule. This eventually grew into the
The Oleri are the race of the outsiders who came to Ydd in time out of mind. Native to an alternate prime material plane, their statistics closely resemble elves of our world. The Oleri who destroyed the steel portal are the only remaining members of their race – the rest were destroyed when the Kledyv of Rhyggen Ydd was used to strike down the slag-witch Mahuural, tearing their plane’s fabric of being to shreds. Knowing what harm the Kledyv could do, they decided to take it to another plane, and hide it amongst simple folk, where those who could harness its power rarely trod.
The slag-witches are the lost remnants of a long-dead race. They are immortal (only able to die from unnatural casues), and make their homes throughout various planes of existence. They should be considered at least the equivalents of demigods in stature. They appear, in their natural form, as tall human women, strong of build. Their complexions vary, although most have shapely faces and features.
Mahuural, one of the ancient Matriarch slag-witches, was slain by the Grand Oleri Klandrerhg with the Kledyv of Rhyggen Ydd. Mahuural had been working on a powerful magic to take complete control of an alternate prime material plane, and the Oleri had uncovered her plans. The blow that felled her also tore the very planar fabric in two, destroying the entire plane of existence. Ten Oleri escaped, bearing the Kledyv of Rhyggen Ydd with them. Rhyggen used his considerable power to seek out an available door to another world, and chanced upon the steel portal. To prevent other forces from coming through the same door, Rhyggen destroyed the portal.
Froste, the Cold Queen, is detailed elsewhere. She is the only Slag-Witch who makes her home on the prime material plane.
Sorrini the Terrible, also known as the Gatekeeper of Hell, is one of the few Slag-Witches who makes no use of known magic. She stalks the area around Tiamat’s caverns, naked, wielding her axe, known to mortals as the Riot. There are rumors that she has been consort to Baal and Asmodeus, but vassal to neither. Sorrini is a fierce combatant, reveling in the bloodlust of war. She often throws herself into whatever battles she can find, and doesn’t rest until both sides lay dead at her feet. She is utterly insane, able to barely contain her ruthless urges. The axe she wields is legendary and brutal, crafted for her by dark powers that have since been forgotten.
Chyrlegrim is known to many as Eldest Bitch, or the Forger. She makes her home in the astral plane, on a floating island of steel. Her servants include many fiendish elementals, as well as many slaves that have come to her as pilgrims. Among the Slag-Witches, she remains one of the few who still communicate with lesser (read: native prime material) beings. Always seeking obscure magics and arcane ingredients, she often can be approached for trade through her Handmaiden, Per-Shallas. Per-Shallas is often sent on missions for Chyrlegrim across the multiverse, and is a powerful spell-weaver in her own right.
Aolcsh is the least of the witches. She wanders across the planes in her
enchanted diligence, pulled by two enormous nightmares. Her laughter, which is poisonous to mortal
creatures, can often be heard echoing from inside. Aolcsh’s desires
are not known. Her path often brings her
to visit her sister Froste, at Ilch
Keep. She usually does not entertain
challengers personally, relying usually on summoned minions for her
defense. In the year of Ink Skies,
however, a band of Paladin-Knights surrounded her diligence, and used magic to
anchor it to the prime material plane.
She emerged from the cabin clad in sable and darkness, wielding a
broad-bladed spear. They attacked her en
masse, crying out for divine help. As
she struck them down, she mocked their prayers.
Each one struck by the unnatural polearm fell
back, shriveled, and died. Their corpses
littered the ground at her feet, as she continued her battle-dance. Soon, the corpses rose, and escorted her back
to their home temple, where they murdered all the priests and
parishioners. Aolsch
rewarded them by devouring their souls.
Thus ends the legend…
When the old man had finished speaking, he revealed that he himself was the last of the Oleri, and that he alone had been charged with protecting the Tomb of Rhyggen Ydd from the dark powers of the world, in particular the strange coven of the Slag-Witches. He explained that the Mumakebakar’s sash was indeed the companion piece to the Kledyv of Rhyggen Ydd, enchanted with powers of stability and control to offset the Kledyv’s powers of pure destruction. He also explained that the tomb had been sealed such that only the wearer of the sash could unlock its enchanted door.
He then explained that the blade and sash were weapons given to the Oleri by a group of strange powers known only as the Faceless, who had approached them for weapons that could assist them against the power-mad Slag-Witches, who traveled from plane to plane, enslaving and destroying all who opposed them. The Kledyv and Sash were effective but too dangerous, being born from powers outside the knowledge of all but the most wise of oracles.
The old man then explained that he had been waiting for over
a thousand years for the sash to be recovered, so that the tomb could be open,
and the strange weapons returned to their strange makers. He explained that Rhyggen Ydd’s
body had been carried to the most remote place on the planet, the sandy wastes
of the
Soon after the tomb had been completed, a terrible sandstorm, powered by infernal powers still trapped in the Hills of the Horned to the north, roared down on the city. It buried the people alive, and transformed them into hideous undead things. When the Oleri returned to find the city gone, they threw up another powerful magic of misdirection, surrounding it with an impenetrable field. The daemon and his salt-mummy slaves were trapped within, and the world was trapped without. They made the city accessible only by a teleportation device hidden in the woods near Sydd, where the last of the Oleri still remained.
The party then took his challenge to recover the Kledyv, and for the good of all worlds, return it to the Faceless who had forged it. The mithril eagle was used as a key to open the portal, and the group entered.
The found themselves in another part of the world, where the sun had yet to rise. The pre-dawn air was still warm, but the sky was the darkest of blues and lit with the pinpoints of hundreds of thousands of stars. They found themselves alone in a vast desert of rolling dunes and hills, where the only break in the vista was a obelisk of black basalt. It was covered in Yddian hieroglyphs and sigils. Mumakembakar placed his hand on the obelisk, and spoke the name Rhyggen Ydd. The ground soon shook, and the entire city rose from the sand, shaking off centuries of entombment. Also freed were the former residents, whose dessicating powers soon were turned on the interlopers. The demodand, a Shaator from the fell wastes of Gehenna, also attacked in his infernal glory. The party sustained grievous wounds, including Lanks Hrothlanks, who fell entirely. The sky turned the color of fresh blood as the sun began to peek over the edge of the eastern horizon.
The found themselves in another part of the world, where
the sun had yet to rise. The pre-dawn
air was still warm, but the sky was the darkest of blues and lit with the
pinpoints of hundreds of thousands of stars.
They found themselves alone in a vast desert of rolling dunes and hills,
where the only break in the vista was a obelisk of
black basalt. It was covered in Yddian hieroglyphs and sigils. Mumakembakar placed
his hand on the obelisk, and spoke the name Rhyggen Ydd. The ground soon
shook, and the entire city rose from the sand, shaking off centuries of
entombment. Also freed were the former
residents, whose dessicating powers soon were turned
on the interlopers. The demodand, a Shaator from the fell
wastes of Gehenna, also attacked in his infernal
glory. The party sustained grievous
wounds, including Lanks Hrothlanks,
who fell entirely. The sky turned the
color of fresh blood as the sun began to peek over the edge of the eastern
horizon.
Through the mystic powers of the Sash, the party quickly found the entrance to the tomb of Rhyggen Ydd, and entered. Inside, the eventually found the ruined body of the former hero, and in a pile of dust in the room’s northern corner, they discovered the Kledyv itself. After a thorough search, they left the tomb behind and returned to the surface.
The horizon was obscured by a huge sandstorm, which was being barely outpaced by a group of wagons pulled by several large lizards. The party concealed itself, and watched the oncoming group take shelter in some of the abandoned buildings at the city’s edge. The party deduced from their appearance (and by the fact that they were transporting slaves) that the group were indeed slavers. The party decided to confront them directly, and the interlopers explained that the slaves were actually convicted criminals, sentenced to slavery for their crimes. Their contracts had been purchased, the group explained, by a man named Illus the Artificer, a mage of no small repute who made his home in the southern Shabbat ridge. Seeking a way to return the sword to the plane of the Faceless, the party agreed to join the group on their trek across the desert.
Typical travel danger ensued. A dragon attacked in the night, killing several party members before they finally escaped the deep desert and emerged into the rolling scrub that proceeded the Hills of the Horned, a devil-infested waste avoided by virtually all civilized creatures. After entering the mountains along the Road of Light (a little-used path that leads to Illus’ tower), the party soon found themselves meandering along a narrow path along steep precipices. They were attacked by a band of ogre magi led by a Horned Devil, and all the slavers and their cargo were killed. As the battle turned against the heroes, Helm (Dan’s character) attempted to wield the Kledyv against the Devil. He struck out a blow, and it seemed like part of Helm was drawn out into the blade, where it was converted into destructive energy. It struck a grievous blow, but the effort left Helm unable to stand. Seeing the weapon as a final solution, Mukamembakar lept, took the blade from Helm’s hands, and struck out at the creature as well. Through the power of the Oleric sash, Mukamembakar was able to determine exactly how much force the strike should use. He chose an incredibly powerful strike, turning much of his own potential energy into destructive force. With a sound unlike metal fatigue, the blade lanced out into the air and struck the devil, who’s body (along with much of the surrounding rock) was split roughly in twain. Mukamembakar fell to his knees, also spent.
The party took their wounded up the path, and came upon a squat tower, topped by what appeared to be an enormous telescope, constructed of hundreds of lenses and gears. The tower’s gate opened, and they were welcomed inside.
The time spent within the
He explained that his research was
often dangerous, and therefore he had secluded himself from large population
centers. He claimed that the enormous, telescope-like structure atop his
tower was among his finest creations – it acted as a lens that converted light
into pure destructive energy, and could fell giants, dragons, and devils with
ease. His staff operate it 24-hours per day, and a night a team of mages
with their minds full of light spells stood by.
He then questioned how the heroes
had come to him, and heard their long tale.
When the topic of conversation came
to the last of the Oleri, and the task that he had
appointed to the heroes, his interest grew. He listened intently
regarding the Sash and Kledyv, and appeared impressed
when they were presented upon the table. He explained that an additional
reason he had chosen this location was its proximity to the
City-Under-The-Sand, which had been the last known location of a group that
worshipped the Faceless. He had been interested in their strange magics,
and often received unusual emanations from that area.
He then clapped his hands, and the
table immediately transformed from white marble to glass, and within was an
enormous map of what appeared to be the entire world. He drew a slender
wand, and the map began to close in on an enormous island – a roughly round
shape, the bottom half a barren desert, the top half a lush jungle. A mountain
range split the two. Further still the image in the table drew closer,
going towards the southern part of the mountain range. For a moment, the
view was completely blocked by an enormous flying beast, but after it passed
from view, a tiny speck of a building was visible. As it closed further,
the heroes could make it out as the
"You have been asked to return
the Kledyv and the Sash to the Faceless, who exist
only within the Great Without. It is beyond my abilities to send you
there." He waved his wand slightly, and the view in the table
shifted suddenly, whisking across bright blue oceans, islands, and finally
falling upon an continent before running northward across an impossibly huge
forest (where, if careful, one could actually see the tiny forms of elves
walking on pathways amongst the treetops). Immediately, Jaques recognized the forest as the Maze, on the southern
border of Foundation. Directly to its north, huge lines of elven warriors were mobilizing. The view sped
northward, to a huge earthen rampart topped by orc
warriors. Still, further northward the view sped, until it at last came
upon a series of huge boulders and low hills. It was familiar to all the
party as an area known as "The Giant's Game", which was located on
the road between Caswell (where they met at an inn one ill-fated night) and Marahill (where they had taken shelter in an abandoned
keep). Here the view rested. He pointed to the rocks.
"I can, however, send you
here. In a cave, beneath these stones, are the remains of the Steel
Portal. It was used by the ancient Ydd elves
to ease the movement between the planes, and is the way that the Oleri came through in the first place. If we can
repair the portal, we may be able to open the gateway to the Great Without (aka the Palace of the Infinite, the Columnned
Beyond, etc.). My Tower is protected against all magical transportation,
so we'll need to first travel beyond my land's borders. Then, we'll
teleport to the Giant's Game, and attempt to find the secret doorway leading to
the Cave of the Portal."
At this point, a disembodied head
appeared in a flash of flame in the center of the room. It spoke as if
out of breath. "Master."
Illus replied "Yes,
Steven?"
"I think we need you on the
tower".
"For
what?"
"I've never seen anything like
it, sir. Not since I've been here".
"Well," Illus continued,
"what is it?"
Here, the head of Steven
struggled. "It's snowing, Master".
Illus stood, and the table returned
to its previous opaque-marble state. He snapped his fingers, and the head
disappeared.
"The Old Bitch knows you're
here. She knows you've got something her sister wants. We'd better
get upstairs."
The group was led through a series
of tunnels, up a circular staircase, and eventually out on to the flat space on
the tower's top. A slate-gray sky filled out as far as the eye could
see, and a fine mist of snow was falling steadily. Already it had begun
to whip around the top of the tower. Visibility was quickly getting
worse, but it seemed that at the edge of Illus'
land, where a stone pylon marked his border, vague shapes moved slowly through
the snow.
"Prepare yourselves for battle.
We may not last the night, if She's here."
This is where our tale will begin this weekend…
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