Game 21: Paradise

9:2
Flash obtains a potion from Sepyt Niam and travels to Deathwatch Isle to assist Souriin. The mage recovers from his coma, but the strange raven has replaced Archimedes as his familiar.

9:3
Damalanthas, King Anwell and Lurik Mien hold a meeting to discuss Lurik’s accusations against the bard. Despite a request from the King, Sepyt refuses to be drawn into the argument.

During the course of the night, Wanwier is kidnapped from the Temple of Rotan. Damalanthas attempts to contact Wanwier, but only manages to communicate very briefly with him. Wanwier says “protect Artak – the elves want both of us”.

9:4
Investigations by Tekuna Chand implicate the elven royal guards in the kidnapping. Suspicion also falls on Lurik Mien, who arranged for the guards to stay in the Temple. Embarrassed by this chain of events, Lurik drops the charges against Damalanthas. The elven King’s visit is cancelled – allegedly because of insufficient security. However, given the apparent involvement of the elves in the kidnapping, it seems doubtful if a visit was ever seriously intended.

9:5
Dark elves seize control of the remains of the city of Urgari and close off the mountain entrance to the outside world. It is assumed that all of the remaining dwarves are killed or enslaved.

9:6
Tekuna travels to Meldora to investigate Lurik’s links to the church there.

9:7
Thalakos visits New Ivrea to put his touches to the Heroes’ Wall there and to assist with the ongoing construction initiatives.

9:8
At the University, there is an outbreak of the viral spell Damus obtain from Alain Detarin. Emergency measures are put in place – all students are alerted, libraries are carefully checked for copies of the spell and special procedures are introduced for handling any new spells. These measures seem to prevent further contamination. However, there does not seem to be any cure for people already affected.

9:11
Owen resettles the bird-men on a mountain ledge near to New Ivrea. The new aarakocran settlement isonly accessible from air. There is a small mountain stream nearby.

9:12
Nesgasp sends a dream to Flash, Souriin, Damalanthas and Euvgeni. They hear his voice speaking as the dream unfolds:

“Where the Great Desert is now, once stood a great and prosperous city. Masters of magic, these people learned to conquer death itself and lived longer even than the elves of today. Many wise men and women led the people, but none was more respected than Amurat.  But a long-life can lead a man to think of things best left alone. Virtual immortality was not enough for Amurat. He aspired to lead his people to god-hood itself. With the backing of his peers, he began a series of experiments, designed to test the limits of magic and imbue all of his people with divine powers. In time, Amurat’s obsessive experiments became desperate and twisted. His peers began to doubt him. The other leaders met secretly to plot against Amurat. But the plotters were betrayed. There were those still loyal to Amarut who pretended to act against him. A great and terrible battle ensued. Although his opponents outnumbered Amarut and his supporters, Amarut unleased dark and unknown powers against them. After days of fighting, Amarut retreated into his private sanctum. Amarut’s opponents harnessed their remaining power and sealed him inside the sanctum. Then, hearts weary and infinitely sad, they called the land up to take back the city, so that none would ever disturb Amarut’s slumber.”

After they have experienced this dream, the Lords fall into a deep sleep and are transported to a location in the Great Desert. They meet Hastarr ‘neff Said, who resigns his position as a member of the Manticorum. He says he can no longer serve the bard. Hastarr shows them the way to the Baron’s camp – a site he has dubbed “Paradise”

During their journey across the desert, the adventurers encounter some fiery skeletal guardians. With some effort, they are able to despatch the creatures and shortly afterwards they stumble across one of the Baron’s excavation sites.

The Lords decide to explore what seems to be a buried tower, and end up fighting a cunning and resourceful scorpion-like creature. Although they are not able to kill the creature, they manage to salvage some treasure from its lair.

In the evening, the Lords find Baron Vuntar himself at another excavation site. They have a fierce argument with him about the dangers of excavating near the buried city. After using the message tubes to consult with Nesgasp, the Lords agree to form a partnership with the Baron to finish the excavations, but on the condition that the inner sanctum of the tower complex will not be breached.

9:13
While the excavations continue, Amurat, evidently reviving from his slumber, seizes control of Garet Ludd, one of the Baron’s henchman. Garet comes close to breaching the sanctity of the inner chambers but it stopped by the heroes before he can complete his task.

Souriin makes the most of the heroes’ encounters with several undead creatures. He collect several specimens to use in his research.

9:14
Today is Artak of Triscoh’s 37th birthday. He has not been seen for months.

9:15
At New Ivrea, the second Council of War commences.

Juli Mayberry, a halfling priestess of Egreera, arrives in Outreach. She soon becomes fast friends with Kyra Jessa and regularly looks after the Marytrevnavich children.

9:18
Owen leaves Rotan to return south. His destination is the Runic Lake.

9:19
Joranth’s War Drums are stolen from the Rotan Palace.

9:20
The Lords and the Baron agree that there is nothing further to be gained from the excavations. They divide up the treasures they have found and go their separate ways.

9:22
Damalanthas, Souriin and Euvgeni arrive at the Council of War in time to participate in the final rounds of discussions. Progress towards a formal Ivrean Council has been surprisingly good.

9:26
Souriin presents his "To the Esteemed Nations" letter requesting neutral status for magical learning institutions at the second Council of War.

9:28
The historic Treaty of New Ivrea is signed. Under this Treaty, a Council made up of representatives from the surrounding nations is to be permanently established at New Ivrea. This Council will direct regional preparations for the coming trollish invasion. Representatives from the following nations sign the treaty: Béray, Lerantu, Meldora, Outreach, Pirs, Rotan, Simipia, Tillon and Waterloaf.

9:30
There is the sad news that a student at the College of Wizardry attempted to teleport to a school in Pirs for a demonstration of magic. The student miscast the spell and ended up half-embedded in the floor of the school. There is public outrage at the traumatised children and the Pirsian council outlaws the use of any magical transportation spells in the Nation of Pirs.