Brief Recap: Last turn, Blade and Fyona scouted the southern continental metropolis of Ura for rumors while Mog and Bibi scouted the palace of the prophet. It was learned that on Sundays the prophet mingles with the populace. Hundreds of leagues north, in Galay, Humphrey seized control of Krossus' apprentice, Malon, using him to steal the Book of Xerath, which Humphrey hopes will tell him about the crown--including how to destroy it.

The Book of Xerath

Humphrey sits in his motel room, ignoring two men outside who argue over which owned the pair of shoes one of them was wearing. He was deep in study of the Book of Xerath. It was a history of the Magocracy before their reign of terror, over eleven hundred years ago, when the Trajan legions were in their heyday. The book speaks of Trajan four-masted galleys requiring two hundred rowers that dominated the coastline of two continents, and her mailed legions enforcing hegemony, if not direct rule, over several million people. At that time, the Magocracy was in its infancy, an unhappy satellite of the empire.

Among the elders of the Magocracy was Acererak, one of those steeped in the darkest lore known to humans. In a struggle for power, he made (or acquired through dark pacts) the crown and scepter to dominate his rivals. The crown and scepter made him leader of his peers for his natural life and beyond into lichdom. Only after he ascended to become a demi-lich did Acererak stop using the items, and they passed from history with him. The crown is said to be guarded by a demon, called Shwolv, one of the Dire Fiends, who is cursed to destroy any who use the crown but Acererak. (This was a safeguard he made well known, to protect the crown from covetous peers. Even the elders of the Magocracy feared Shwolv, notes Humphrey.)

Xerath also discusses that the crown alienated all those whom Acererak ruled with it, making him despised and feared. Those of weak mind were often driven insane by his commands, while those with stronger wills developed an intense hatred of Acererak--particularly mages, many of whom developed a hatred in their hearts so intense that it alienated them from all society, driving most of the elders into insane seclusion, where many of them doubtless remain still, in life or unlife. It was this in part which so weakened the Magocracy that their empire began to crumble even before it reached its potential, in the bitter century some five hundred years ago when the Northern Kingdom threw off the yoke at Thedrickstand.

The relevant section of the book ends with a passage Humphrey does not immediately understand, but which ends hope for his immediate search--how to destroy the crown: "Acererak's own Serpents of the Mountain turned against him, vowing the destruction of the crown, though they knew not how to achieve it."

[Brian, what does Humphrey do next? This book was your best hope at finding information on the crown and scepter. There are many other books in the Archive that could hold some useful tidbit, but one would have to undertake a fairly large research effort to find relevant info. What does Humphrey do next?]

Humphrey looks around the room, fear in his eyes. A demon, he thinks, just what I needed. He gathers his things and changes his appearance again--this time to look like Blade. He then heads to the Guild of Magic. When he arrives at the gate he says to the guard, "I am Blade. I would like to speak with Egmund if I may. He is not expecting me, but we are old friends. Humphrey slips the guard a gold piece. [He has the Book of Xerath with him in his bag as well as the Crown and Sceptre].

The guard looks Humphrey/Blade up and down once, saying, "Into the foyer, I will summon a page to take you to Egmund." Humphrey follows the guard across the narrow bridge and into the foyer of the keep (other guards remain at the gate) and the guard points to a chair for Humphrey to wait on. In a few moments he returns, this time with two mages and six fighters. "That's him, there's a huge bounty on his head. Seize him." The six fighters converge on Humphrey/Blade, while the two mages begin casting spells.

Humphrey attempts to teleport out of the tower back to his homing circle at his home, reaching automatically for one of the Fingers of Drick. But before he can activate the enchanted digit, one of the mages (whom he recognizes as a member of the war cabal but doesn't remember his name) speaks words that insinuate themselves into Humphrey's mind, confusing Humphrey and causing him to forget what he is doing, or even why he is here. Humphrey sees the fighters closing in on him, their raised broad swords held edge sideways so as to pummel him with the flats of their blades. His next vision is from the floor, the fighters standing over him and one dropping his knee heavily onto Humphrey's sternum. He feels his head knocked hard to the left, a flash of light, and then darkness.

[DM NOTE 79-8: Brian, note the staff doesn't teleport, it is a finger of Drick.]

Meanwhile, hundreds of leagues south, on the southern continental city of Ura...

The Touch of the Prophet

Blade and Fyona stand in the packed quad that Sunday morning. They came early, scouting the place at dawn, finding it already full of the flesh of Ura. Thousands now stand crowded in the morning sun before the steps of the palace, awaiting the prophet. The large yard, surrounded by the other buildings of the government, resonate with the chant of the crowd, which Fyona learned means, "Modi is the father, we follow his prophet."

Mog and Bibi circle overhead in bird from, and Ghotu is a short distance away in the crowd, keeping an eye on Fyona and Blade. All turn when they hear the massive doors of the palace being pulled open. Great bare chested men with curved blades in their sashes escort the prophet to the top of the steps.

He appears almost luminescent, though he is not difficult to look upon. With a beatific expression on his handsome features, he descends the many steps to the crowd, which roars the chant louder until it is a chaos of blessings. From Blade and Fyona's view, the prophet disappears into the crowd alone, his guards stopping at the foot of the stair.

Blade, Ghotu and Fyona begin to make their way toward where he entered the crowd. They hear cries from people in the prophet's direction, cries of surprise and happiness. Soon the crowd before them opens, making way for the prophet himself, who notices them when no more people stand between them. The prophet looks at Fyona's arm, and walks toward her, first touching a nearby man with a disfiguring disease, another with boils, and a third with a bandage on his head and a vacant expression who is held up by a tall younger man. All three men straighten as he touches them, the disfigured one's limbs straightening, the one with boils losing his sores, and the bandaged one's eyes clearing, as though he awakens from a long sleep.

The prophet grasps Bibi's right upper arm, looking straight into her eyes. She feels a brief flash of pain and fright, followed by numbness, then comfort. She looks into the prophet's eyes and feels his power flow into her, concentrating in all her bones, the power gathering in her missing right arm. She feels the limb as though it were there again, involuntarily flexing her missing fingers. A feeling like cold water on her right hand slowly rises up to her stump, above the elbow. Next she feels the texture of the prophet's silk robes with both hands, gripping his elbows as he begins to move past her. His gaze moves from her eyes, his hands release her, and she feels his robes pull through her stunned fingers. She holds both hends up before her face.

She feels intense gratitude, a feeling that almost reduces her to tears. The prophet moves off, the crowd closing around him again to block him from view. The chanting continues around them, a deafening sound this close to where the prophet passed.

[Not sure exactly what happened here. Did teh arm regrow insatntaneoulsly? ]

[DM NOTE 79-7: The arm grew back almost instantly; it looked to Blade like it regenerated, not magically appeared. Blade didn't have a perfect view though.]

* * *

That evening, they sit in the inn at dinner. The common room is not busy, and though only a few men gather around the water pipes, they have managed to produce a prodigious and slightly cloying haze. The food of this land is much better than the drink, thinks Ghotu, as the party eats dinner. Fyona eats twice as fast as the other four, being overcome with hunger since she was healed. They surmise that her body needs extra food to relieve the effort of growing a new arm.

[Do you discuss what happened?]

[I will post questions that Blade asks after the above question is answered.

Also what are you talking about water pipes? What are the function of them? Are people drinking from them or what? ]

[DM NOTE 79-7: water pipes are essentially hookas, large glass bowls for smoking something with flexible hoses people draw smoke from. people sit aroudn them smoking just like you'd sit around drinking. they are common in tehse bars apparently, you have seen people sitting out on patios sharing them in many bars. They just smoke stuff out of them. Blade has personally never smoked one.]

After they have all finished, Blade and Fyona hear men entering the bar talking loudly about how much they need a drink, along with a strangely familiar sound--the clink of spurs. They turn to the door and recognition hits them both. Through the smoke of the water pipes they see none other than Lady Gayrlana Bloodsword, hands on hips, a knowing smirk on her attractive face as she surveys her one-time lover and her daughter. "I should have known," she says.

Seeing the two women together for the first time, Blades' suspicions are now confirmed. They share too many common features...the dazzling eyes, the curly red hair, the lithe, graceful movements. There could be no doubt that the two were related, most likely mother and daughter. Gayrlana has sterner features than Fyona, making her dangerousness more apparent, but not detracting from her beauty. Old memories and feelings flood back to him in an instant

Appreciating the irony of teh moment, Blade stands and gives a mercenary salute to Gayrlana. "M'Lady, it has been too long. Would you care to join us for dinner? I'm sure we have many interesting things to discuss. But I forget my manners. Everyone, this is teh infamous Garyrlana, teh Lady Bloodsword, leader of teh Mindulgulph Merceneary Company of which I was a memeber many years ago." Blade then quickly introduces everyone in the party save Fyona, leaving her for last. Finally introducing Fyona he says, "and this, as I am sure you know, is Fyona...whom I am fairly certain is your daughter."

Blade waits for a reaction from either of the two swordswomen.

[DM NOTE 79-7: The two swordsmen did come in with Gayrlana, but did not seem to notice the party--they went immediately to the bar and are ordering drinks and food from the bartender. Gayrlana noticed you and came over alone. The swordsmen are across teh room from you all.]

Gayrlana, decked out in hip boots and dusty leather/chainmail armor, returns the mercenary's salute, and eyes Fyona and Blade for a moment. "So, how's my favorite Blade?" she says, stepping closer to Blade and, before he realizes what she is doing, openly caresses his crotch. Memories of pleasures from years ago fill his mind almost to the exclusion of all else, and his head is swimming with the smell of her perfume and sweat. Blade suddenly feels like it is getting warmer in this room.

This sight sends blood pulsing to Fyonas head. She slides her new hand down to meet the sword it is now meant for.

Gayrlana turns to Fyona, saying, "Daughter, I thought you were dead. After you got involved with that Satrapy in the warring states a few years back, I wrote you off." [NOTE this is the place Fyona was working when she was sold to Thae-Rune Ibn with the mission to assassinate him.] "I'm glad to see you alive."

Fyona answers, "I wish I could say the same."

Posting Instructions: The forest is kind of dim, as it is pretty dense overhead.

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