Where's Ciranon?

Hail and well met!  I am Ciranon.  Some of you know me, others do not.  For the sake of the latter I would like to introduce myself.  I am a humble blacksmith from Delucia.  I make my trade mining ore and making armor and weapons.  I don't make much money, yet, being a few forgings away from perfection of my skill, but I make enough to get by.

One day I was working at the forge when Gammon comes up to me and asks me to repair some of his armor.  Not a problem, I told him.  I'm glad to do it.  When I was finished polishing up his Silver Long sword of Vanquishing I handed it back to him, and was surprised when he tipped me with a treasure map!  

"We'd like you to see what you can do with this," he says.  "Make sure you contribute whatever cash you find to the guild fund.  You can keep the rest as your reward."

I was a bit surprised, but I thanked him and went right to work.  I had worked a little on cartography when I was a kid, and I still remembered enough to be able to decode the map.  What I found was enough to make me shiver with anticipation.  This was not only a genuine treasure map, but it promised to have plenty of treasure!  I could hardly wait.

Now I'm not a blade master, and I'm not a spell master, and I'm especially not a herd master, but I can take care of myself.  I felt confident that this would be mildly challenging, but well within my capabilities.  I armed and armored myself and headed out to seek the "X" that marked the spot.

I found the place marked on the map easy enough.  It was just to the west of the maze outside of Skara Brae.  I had to fight a few beasties on the way, but I barely broke a sweat.  These harpies and skeletons hardly slow me down, if you don't mind a little bragging.  'Course the ettin was a little harder, but he barely scratched me.

Digging up the treasure box was a cinch.  I just found the spot and started digging.  I tried four or five places before I found it, but once I hit the right place there was nothing to it.  I could tell I had it from the first swing.  Those boxes make a very distinctive sound when you hit them with a pickaxe.

Once I had it out of the ground I looked it over pretty carefully.  I had heard that these things were trapped now and then, but I couldn't see anything.  Boy was I surprised when the thing blew up in my face as I opened it.  The darn thing singed off my eyebrows AND my beard.  It was a good thing I was wearing my armor still.  I'd have been really hurt.  Oh well.  I had been thinking about shaving anyway.  

Holy Lich Lord!  The chest was FULL of goodies!  There were dozens of gems and scrolls!  Suits of armor! Weapons! All kinds of good stuff!  I could hardly believe my eyes.  I knew at that moment that I was rich beyond my wildest imaginings!

Of course it was also about that time that I realized that I wasn't alone in that neck of the woods.  I couldn't hardly see what it was, but this shimmering in the air had appeared next to me.  It made this horrible moaning sound.  Scared the bejeezus out of me!  Well I wasn't going to waste any time.  I grabbed that chest of mine I had just dug up, and turned around and RAN!!! 

Well I tried to run anyway.  I got about three steps and realized that I was about to collapse from the weight.  I guess I shouted a few bad words about that time.  Don't need to get into that, I guess.  I knew I wasn't going to get away, so I pulled out my sword and turned to face the moaning monster that was right behind me.

I shiver when I recall what followed.  It was a nightmare I will relive for many years.  This creature, whatever it was, was nearly impervious to my sword.  I swung at it, but it seemed to pass right through the ghost.  I tried several more times, but with the same result.  I tossed aside the useless weapon and tried to cast a spell at it, but every time I started chanting the words the beast raked those icy fingers through my flesh.  I was about to drop the chest and try to run again when the thing lunged at me.

I don't remember much after that.  I know the thing had entered my body, taking possession of my physical being.  I could still see through my eyes and hear through my ears, but the words and actions were not my own.  I was a passenger along for the gruesome ride. 

Weeks went by.  I watched with spellbound horror as the spirit cursed and ranted at Gammon.  He taunted and raved at Sarhir Goldblade.  He cackled and screamed at countless passersby.  All the while I cringed at the thought of living this way, and fought all the harder to regain control.  It was all to no avail.

Then one day a small group of my fellow guild members appeared around "us."  Loki looked at me with pity in her eyes, but a sword in her hand.  She commanded the spirit to leave my body, but all he did was cackle and shout at her.  One of her companions tried to cast a spell to hold "us" but the spirit was already drawing on my arcane training and was spiriting us away.  His parting words, shouted in mocking glee: "Follow me to Papua, if you dare!"

There we were quickly confronted with more of my friends.  Skandranon and Sarhir Goldblade tried to round me up from horseback, but I escaped their lariats.   The spirit knew how to use my blacksmith's strength: He shoved past the horses and ducked into the swamps to escape the entire Cavalry force.

It was the Ruff Necks who were finally able to surround us.  Sir Galahad shouted "Forgive us, Ciranon!" as he swung his sword.  Leaf Greenblade said "This is the only way we can free you!"  Their weapons bit into my flesh and I barely felt any pain as my body collapsed and the spirit keened and cackled in desperation.

Eventually I found a healer who restored me back to the physical realm.  I was weak and shaky in the knees, but I was the master of my head.  My words were my own, and my actions commanded by me alone.  Thank you, dear friends.  You have saved me from a fate worse than death!