Brief Recap: Last turn, the party fought the earth monsters. Trenin drew his sword to enter melee, while Abu leapt from his mount with Bibi and prepared to fight hand to hand.

The Fall of Dunore

Abu stands on his horse's back, pulling Bibi up by one arm as a wave of dirt clods and small stones washes over the side of the horse. The animal's legs are completely covered in the mound, and it is now sinking fast. Abu and Bibi jump. [DEXx5% for each of you to make the jump. Abu: 62 (success); Bibi: 16 (success).] They both clear the churning earth, landing on their feet. The horse screams as its back is covered and roots begin to wrap its neck, dragging the struggling creature under.

The earth shakes mightily now, and it is very difficult to keep footing. Most of the druids, excepting Azrael and Aria and one other, are thrown to the ground.

The party gathers around Abu and Bibi with melee weapons ready. The earth around the horse stops moving, leaving the creature buried up to its ears in a mound of rocks and dirt. The creature's nostrils flare as it struggles to breath beneath the weight. Aria yells at them from across the circle of standing stones, but her voice is drowned out by the roar of the earthquake occurring.

Then a jolting shift is felt deep in the ground, as though the bedrock of the earth were cracking. Wide chasms open to the north of the temple area. The party experiences a feeling of weightlessness, and it appears that a giant wall of earth shoots up, northward of the party and running east and west, less than forty yards away.

Upward it grows, until the wall towers so high about them that it blocks most of the sky. Then downward it crashes, and as it does, those below turn their faces upward to see the earth elementals in the forefront of landslide coming at them.

[Everyone has to make a DEXx3% roll to determine how bad it is: Trenin: 27 (success); Abu: 62--again! (failure); Bibi: (special); Mog: 31 (success), Ghotu: 72 (failure).]

[96-3: DM NOTE: Because of his protection from the elementals, Abu succesfully evades the landslide.--pcrh]

Everyone leaps southward to avoid the landslide. Trenin, Abu, and Mog leap quickest, and manage to stay in front of and on top of the attack, only ending up buried up to their wastes when the shifting earth comes to a halt. Ghotu is crushed under massive sections of boulders and dirt, while Bibi, who was the primary target of the attack, is completely buried beneath the wall. Aria and Azrael are alright, and they move toward the party.

The sound of tumbling dirt and wind is heard for several moments longer, but the main rumbling stops. The stunned company looks around them, and in all directions there is nothing but a wall of earth and stone, many hundreds of feet up. Most of the city to the south appears to be intact, though the party can't see far in the sudden darkness. It appears that a great section of the city, the northern part of which the party now stands upon, has sunk beneath the earth's surface. Only a small hole of light is seen above, and the temple area is a ruined mass, with the standing stones now staggered like a pig farmer's bad teeth (no offense to pig farmers).

[Please post two differnt things: Post what you immediately do. Then post long term strategies for what to do next. Also post any questions you have for details about the situation.]

Trenin begins digging to free Ghotu.

Abu quickly cut the vines around his horse's throat and then begins digging to free Bibi.

Aria and Azrael run toward the pile of dirt and help Trenin. Mog casts a spell, Animate Object, and pulls the larger rocks out of the dirt and rolls them away.

The party is able to extract Ghotu without much delay, and the fighter is barely alive. He was crushed under a pile of dirt and boulders, and it appears he has several broken bones. He is barely conscious when he is finally extracted from the rubble of the landslide. Mog casts Heal spell on Ghotu, and within seconds, the bloody and dirty fighter is feeling fine.

The party does not find Bibi's remains immediately. Abu's horse is freed, and one of the acolytes offers to tend to the horse while others continue the search for Bibi's body.

After a full day of work, including several spells aimed at excavating the area, the party loses hope of finding Bibi's body. Azrael casts an augury, and informs the company that Bibi's body will not be found in the rubble. "The augury was vague, but I believe she is still alive," says Bibi's old mentor.

The company surveys the now ruined city. Most buildings collapsed when the city plunged beneath the earth, a drop of a few hundred feet. Many areas are now buried beneath rubble and dirt, though a large section of the city remains largely intact. Though many people died in the earthquake, the majority survived.

However, Aria and Azrael have grave looks when they discuss the inner sanctum of the temple--where the Water of Life was accessed, beneath the circle of standing stones in a hidden cave.

"The inner sanctum is gone," says Aria, her face dirty and her clothes disheveled from working to unearth Bibi. The earthquake destroyed it, and my magic cannot locate it."

Azrael says, "Perhaps the Water of Life can be found agian. It was, after all, a stream, and it must have a source and an ending."

Aria says, "You are correct, though I do not know where such would be.

Just then, the party hears the flapping of wings, and a dove lands on a pile of rubble. The dove transforms into the familiar form of Bibi. She looks worn out, but alright. The locket still hangs around her neck.

"I was taken by the earth elementals, but I turned into a mole and escaped them when they got near the surface. Once I broke ground, I transformed into a bird. It took me a while to find you all. The elementals were taking me westward, but I don't know exactly where. They move with great speed and we were many miles from here before I escaped. I thought I was lost at first, because Dunore is no longer visible from above. Aria, what has happened??"

Aria answers slowly, "It appears that whatever agency attacked Dunore has destroyed it." She appears very depressed.

[Anne, I took the liberty of posting what Bibi says here to advance the turn. If you want her to say something else or change what she says, please feel free.--pcrh]

"Bibi, I am happy to see you survived." Abu looks around at the party. "Now, will you believe that we must take the stone to the prophet?"

"Well, it would appear that the it will no longer be safe here." Bibi looks around to the others. "I think we should all leave here at once."

"The stone should not be given over to one who worships a false god", says Trenin. He had heard tales of this Prophet who claimed he worshipped the One True God. Such ideas where dangerous to Trenin's multipantheistic religion. "I say we track the elementals to here they were taking Bibi. Surely they will not be that hard to follow with the path of destruction they leave behind. Whoever is reponsible for destryong Dunore must answer for it."

Abu gets very red in the face and places his hand upon his sword. "I suggest you watch your tongue tracker unless you wish the 'false gods' very real anger to smite thee."

Mog says, "If the earth spirits travel deep beneath the ground, we may not track them." He does not suggest any course of action about the obsidian stone. However, he does add, "Mog does not think the Prophet worships a false god. The Prophet healed Fyona's arm, which few holy men can do."

"Only time will tell I suppose. " says Trenin. "I am willing to go wherever the Druid Council feels our abilities would best be put to use. In the mean time there are many who need healing.

The party spends time helping the injured and trying to gather together all of value from Dunore. After two days, the people are ready to make the climb out of the hole. Some are able to transform and the fly out, while others must climb. The party helps. Using ropes and magic, everyone is eventually moved out of the ruined city.

The Druids say they will seek the nearest village and decide what to do next from there.

The druids all agree that the party, namely Bibi, should keep the stone. They no longer feel confident in their ability to protect it. Aria and Azrael agree it is time for Bibi to bear the stone once more.

Bibi seeks out Ghotu to find out what he feels the best plan is.

She finds him after they have taken everyone from Dunore to a nearby village. Everyone is gathered around the campfire that night, exhausted. They realize they must decide what to do next. Bibi asks Ghotu what he thinks, and he says, "I think we should find Thae-Rune Ibn. I believe it was he who destroyed Dunore. And though I don't know what will happen, I sense that our road to him is through Ura, and the Prophet."

[Please everyone post here your votes on what the party does next: GO south to the Prophet, or somewhere else. If you vote for something else, you must give your plan since the only suggestion so far has been to go south.]

Ghotu also asks Mog: "Shaman, you know of scrying and magic as much as anyone, except perhaps Humphrey. I believe Thae-Rune Ibn follows us using magic somehow, watching where we go. I have sensed it from time to time. Is there some way we can shield ourselves? Do you know of a magic that can stop him from finding us?"

Mog answers, "Mog knows of a device lost long ago, the Lantern of Melnoc. It nullifies such magic as you speak of in a wide area, miles. Were we to find it, we could not ever be found by scrying magic. The lantern was lost long ago, though there was rumor of it passing through the Black Stair, a mountain pass near Trajia, only months ago. The mages in Trajia told Mog of it. They believed a strange dwarf named Moloch now has the lantern, though they did not know. If we go to Trajia again, Mog might be able to find word of this Moloch, for it was there he was last seen." [Please note this is in answer to an actual question from Micah.]

Trenin listens to teh exchange and says, "No offense, but it seems to me , that you may be jumping to conclusions. The fact of the matter is we have no idea who was behind these attacks and no clues to help us clarify the matter. I cannot leave on such a vast journey without some sort of proof. The proof will be found by tracking the elementals. I can question plants and animals along the way as, well as others in the Sylvan Brotherhood. If they traveled beneath ground it is no matter, roots grow deep and many an animal lives beneath the soil. We can no doubt pick up the trail where Bibi made her ecape from the elementals. "

Abu glares at Trenin, the contempt evident in his gaze. "I suggest we go see the Prophet. He will know what to do."

"By the time we went there and back, whoever is reponsible for the atatck will have had ample time to launch many more as well as fortify their position. I will not seek the advice of this 'prophet' who lives halfway around the Wurld, when I can communicate with divine forces myself. " says Trenin. "I will speak with my goddess and heed her advice."

"Yes," Abu replies. "In a war it is always good strategy to rush from battle to battle without first mustering your forces and establishing a plan of action, right?' He is speaking saracastically. Abu turns to Bibi, "Chosen, we must consult the prophet on this matter. If you wish to pursue a different course of action, I am afraid I will strenously object to such a decision."

Trenin then walks to a quiet grove of trees and begins chanting a prayer in elvish. [Trenin is casting an augury spell]

As he starts to leave, Aria says, "I do not know how to council you. I do not believe the stone is safe here, and I fear the southerner [meaning Abu] is correct in one thing: our magic was not sufficient to protect ourselves. We need help. I am glad you have returned, Bibi, for I sense you are fated to bear the stone once more. I do not know where you should go. Your descriptions of what has transpired in Galay [referring to the crown affair] is dire, for the mages could have been a powerful ally. Now they are likely our enemies, if the Magocracy's history is any indication." She stares into the fire, despondent. She seems to have aged ten years in the past few days.

"The most likely culprit seems to be the Magoicracy, based on their recent behavior. I'd be willing to travel south to investigate teh goings on of the Magicracy. They may be trying to reclaim their former glory. Destrying Dunore and gaining the Obsidian Stone would certainly help themn in that endeavor. It is worth investigating, but I will still commune with my goddess to see if taht way is teh most prudent cours eof action. " says Trenin. he then performs his augury spell to determine if investigating the magiocray is teh best course of action.

"The culprit is Thae Rune Ibn. This goes well beyond simply trying to re-establish dominance and glory. At stake here is the very fate of the Wurld, you heretical ass!" Abu says, obviously overly agitated at dealing with the opinions of the pagan worshipper.

Trenin changes into a crow and flies away. " Kaa kaa, " he chirps as he flies off never to be seen or heard from again.

[Had to edit the next paragraph a bit, as Bibi's response is for Anne to post.]

As he flies over Bibi, Trenin releves himself. The birdshit splatters on Bibi's head.

[And this one, since creating omniscient beings is only the province of the DUNGEON MASTER!!!!!!!!!!!]

Somwehere in the night Humphrey screams in Hell.

As everyone watches agast, the overcast sky (which has been rumbling for the past ten minutes) suddenly discharges a massive bolt of lightning, heralding a spring storm to come. The lightning passes through the crow/Trenin, and black feathers burst from the electrocuted animal. The smoking body drops to the ground with a thump.

"Crom and Mitra!" says Mog.

Abu looks at the others, reverence in his eyes. "I suggest no one else take the one true God's name in vain, nor his prophet." Abu says a prayer over the dead crow's body.

[I don't like my guy. I'll intriduce a new one at an appropriate time.]

[What does the party plan to do? Some options: Head south, as in to the Prophet; Or head east, to try to find where the earth elementals were going (a very dificult task since no one knows where they were going); Or stay with the Druids (boring). Or anything else any of you can come up with. We will just continue this turn, so post your answers here. Then I will get a new turn out.]

Posting Instructions: Please post your actions for the round.

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