SESSION 15
The Party walked along the road past various farms of corn, wheat, cows, etc. They approached the city and saw before them a grand sight. The walls of the city towered above them. Archers were walking the walls searching for anything out of the ordinary. The gate looks to be a massive set of iron doors, with at least 12 guards at the gate. The party noticed 4 farmers trying to get into the city and were shoved away.
The party stood looking at the farmers as they wandered down the road towards them. Anson stopped the farmers.
"Say, what happened? I saw you turned away from the gate." Anson said.
"We did not have enough to get in the gates. The guards wanted their share.
Anson looked at the party and then back to the farmers. "If we give you these three fine horses, would you trade for that cart of apples?"
"Yes, that would be wonderful kind sir. Thank you. So much." The farmer said.
The party gave the horses to the farmers and then they took the cart of apples to the gate. The Drow in charge stopped them.
"What is your buisness here?" The drow asked.
"We are here to sell these apples." Anson said. "We would like entrance."
"Oh, these apples?" The drow asked, plucking one off the cart. "You mean the ones you just took from those farmers?"
Arik poked Anson in the ribs. "The scroll dummy."
Anson’s eyes opened wide. "Oh, yea, and we have this." He handed the drow the scroll from the clerics over in Csighd.
The drow opened the note, breaking the seal. He read the note and had a surprised look on his face. "Come with me. Voen Watch the gate for me. Tharday, show these people’s slaves where to put the cart and horses."
The party is escorted to the nearest temple of Hextor. Being let inside, the group stands waiting in the foyer. The drow heads to a back room and gets the High Clerist of this temple. The cleric comes out and looks the party over.
"I thank you for bringing me this news. We shall dispatch a force to deal with these orcs. Cisighd will be safe. You can go now"
Compelled to leave the area quickly, the party exited the temple.
"That was quick." Agatsu said. ‘A little too quick."
The party gathered up their cart and Cyrian, who was standing with the horses at the stables. Cyrian was none too happy with his current situation, being chained up with the handcuffs. Though the handcuffs were easy to escape from, a quick flip of the wrist, and off they come.
The party grabbed a couple rooms at a local inn. They bathed, and ate heartilly. None of the prices in the city were as rough as the fort was. It was truly highway robbery there. After resting a bit, they party broke up to find supplies. Arik headed over towards the local mage guild tower, the rest went shopping in the open air market.
Agatsu kept on giving out their stock of apples from their cart at everyone he met, including the ones they bought supplies from. He always kept one in his hand for his own munching.
As they wandered the packed streets of the open air market, a vagrant bumps into Daris. He turns, and the vagrant is off down the street. Daris searched his pockets for anything missing and found everything in tact. But he did find something he did not have before, a scroll. He opened it:
"What news of the Flame Woods? Be ready for pick-up tonight. Farmhouse 12 outside. After the moon cycles." It read. He put it back into his pocket and told no one.
Daris said he needed some armor fixed and headed with Anson towards the armorer. The rest of the party would meet them there. Rounding a corner, they notice a temple of Hextor down the street. Anson grabbed Daris. "Look." He said pointed to the door of the temple.
Jundar Greysoone stepped out of the temple. He looked both ways and did not see Anson or Daris. He hurried along down a side street. As he stepped off, someone bumped hi and he dropped a scroll. He continued on not knowing that he dropped one.
"Did he see us?" Daris asked.
"Don’t think so. Seems he was in a hurry." Anson said. He never saw Jundar drop the scroll. Anson and Daris continued to the shop and made their purchase. Anson picked out a nice suit of half-plate. Something much better looking than his current red orc armor. They went outside and met up with the rest of the party.
"It’s almost time for the games. I’d like to be able to check out the elven games and maybe make some money." Anson said.
Cyrian looked at Anson in disgust. "What? I ain’t hurting the elves, only betting."
Anson led the party down the busy streets when a old woman grabbed onto Anson.
‘You have the mark! Let me see it!" She crowed tugging at Anson’s gauntlet.
Anson tried to pull away and he could not break the womans grip.
"Yoouu have the mark…" She said again, tugging more on the gauntlet.
"The Mark, I must see it!" She sucessfully beat Anson in the small test of strength and got the gauntlet off. She dropped it to the ground. She will stepped back in awe and released Anson. "I was right. You are the one."
"Sit Anson Ral-North, let me tell your fortune" She said, motioning to a stool in front of a large drum.
"Who are you?" Anson asked. "And how do you know my name?"
"I am Jorrinda Ral-Torm. How I know you will be given in time."
She sat behind the drum and gathered up some bones and dropped them.
"Your destiny lies within the ancient Tri-fort Anson Ral-North." She said. She gathered up the bones and dropped them again.
"I have seen your future. You will become great, as will your friends", Again she gathered up the bones.
"History will forget you, yet it will also remember you." Tossing the bones down, she continued.
"The people will not remember, yet they will savor your goodness." Anson sat perplexed as she dropped the bones once more.
"Your Liege remembers you, yet you do not." Anson wondered what that ment. She continued.
"Sleep will dominate your life until you awaken to fight a great evil." The old woman dropped the bones again.
"Your eyes will open yet remain closed to the real threat." One last time she picked up the bones and dropped them.
"Three Keys renew a legend." She finished with. "Remember these."
She sat back seemingly drained of energy. Agatsu stepped up and gave her an apple. She looked up at him and asked; "Who’s next? Would you all like your fortune read? It’s one gold."
The party gave her the gold piece and watched. She gathered up the bones and looked to Cyrian.
"Elf are you, Slavery you fight." She told him. She gathered up the bones and tossed.
"Dilemma you face. Choose wisely." She said to him. She turned to Gamalaiel tossing the bones.
"Roses have been found, but love they do not bring" She told him. She tossed the bones again and said:
"Evil stands with you, betrays it does." She picked up the bones and tossed:
"Die a horrible death you will." Gamaliel was taken aback by that comment as she moved on to the next person.
"No place have you here. True meaning will be sought" She told Agatsu. She picked up the bones and:
"Along for the ride for now, the purpose shall reveal itself." She said to him. Dropping the bones again reveiled:
"The old temple shall return to it’s former glory" She turned from Agatsu and looked to Daris.
"Lost you will be. Wilderness friends are not" She told him. She picked up the bones.
"Confused you were, undecided what your skills were." She told him, dropping them.
The party stood up and thanked her again for the perplexing riddles. Agatsu gave her another apple. They were down to only a few left. The party hurried onto the games.
The party got their tickets and settled down in their seats. Cyrain put his head in his lap as he did not want to watch this atrocity to the elven race. About that time the announcer spoke up, his voice echoed through out the area via magical spells.
"Welcome to the games! This is Por Thremmeldon announcing. Today we have a special treat in for you! Last weeks Massacare continues! More thrills and more chills in the Gauntlet! But before we bring you todays games, we have a word from our sponsers!
Hextor asks that each of you give an hour of your time to give thanks for what we have and the continued support of his Ministers. Shepard positions still available! AND, we have a special announcement from Trogar’s Wares. He’s holding a 50% off sale on all used adventuring equipment! He also has a sale on used magic items! Stop by early for the best selection. Now on to the games!
First up is the women!"
His voice trailed off to Cyrain. He tried to block out the noise of the games and the slaughtering of the elves. After the games ended, Cyrain was roused up. The games were kind to Gamaliel, who bet nicely and won decently.
Daris looked to the others. "I have to be somewhere real soon. It’s starting to get dark and I think the Underground is contacting me."
Daris led the party to a farmhouse outside the city. He hoped it was the right farmhouse. A wizened old man opened the door to the farmhouse and welcomed them in.
The old man fixed a pot of tea for the group, awaiting the right time. The old man made sure that his guests were indeed who he was requested to have stop by. He noticed the moon setting and cast a spell on Anson, Agatsu, and Arik. These three became blind and deaf.
He looked at Daris and told him to bring the humans. Daris, Cyrain, and Gam led the other three to the cellar. A dimensional gate opened up against one wall. They stepped through.
Rubbing his eyes, Anson’s sight came back slowly. He noticed several grey elf archers with bows trained on him and his friends. Denal stepped up to the Captain and they discussed what had happened. Denal pointed to Anson and muttered something. Anson could barely hear anything, he did make out something about that he was responsible for what happened.
Tunden Glortheal, the Captain of the guard here asked about Denal. He was saddened to hear that Denal had passed on.
"With word of the Flame Woods changing, and this human the key, perhaps the others return. Daelinor Bereneriel has spoken of the prophecy that the Six would return some day. Come, you should meet him.
They went to see Daelinor. He is a very old elf. His years are 980. He is the oldest elf known. He does not move very well anymore, but in his day, he was a very brisk teen. Legend has it that the scar he has across his cheek came from a demon’s attack during the decimation.
"Tunden. Is that you? Oh my. I remember you." Daelinor asked.
"It is good on these tired eyes to see an old friend again." He said to Anson. Anson looked perplexed. He’d never met this elf before.
"You look different. Younger than before. Where is your amulet?"
‘Amulet? I don’t have one." Anson replied.
"And you, You look familiar too. A monk. Your name escapes me."
"Agatsu is my name. Here, have an apple." Agatsu produced an apple from his sack and gave it to Daelinor.
Daelinor rambled on for the next half hour talking about this and that, most of it pretty odd, some weird, and most you could only reply uh-huh to because you had no idea what he was talking about. He asked about Anson’s Armor and shield, his crest, Agatsu’s scar, and a host of other things. The others in the group, Cyrian, Daris, Gamailel all has this spiel before, so they understood somewhat what was going on.
Eventually the old elf got tired and asked for his staff, which he already had. One of the other elves in the room took Daelinor to his room. Tunden escorted the party off to their rooms and got them re-supplied...
