Author: robinmcentire

Our Solar System: Melladdin, the White Pearl

Posted on by robinmcentire

Melladdin, the White Pearl

A Fross soon after rising from one of Melladdin’s oceans

Mean Distance from Oma: 9,004 WA

Orbital Period around Oma: 429 years

Mean Diameter: 31,320 miles

Length of day: 17 hours

Gravity: 8.8 Ethems

Description:

Melladdin is the third of Oma’s Very Far Fekxtah. It is a world entirely shrouded by white and pink clouds. If you were to view this planet from space, it would gleam a soft white, as a white pearl might, and thus the name.

The cloud cover is many miles deep but does not extend all the way to the surface of Melladdin. Below the clouds is a world teeming with life. A huge variety of plants populate the world from its lowest depths up to and inside of the thick cloud layer. In addition to its plant life, Melladdin has millions of species of insects and an even larger number of sludge-like creatures that are made from a single cell, though there are instances of where cells have learned to attach themselves to each other to create populations of attached cells. The one life form that is noticeably absent is any kind of animal life or creatures such as we have here on Ethem.

The climate of Melladdin is perfectly suited to sustain the life it bears; it is hot and wet, hotter than the hottest of tropical environments here on our own Ethem, but not so hot that it prevented the Elzheni scientists from wandering the lands and oceans.

There are two factors which contribute to the heat of Melladdin. The first is the thick cloud cover. It ensures that the heat generated by the planet remains on the planet. The second factor is Melladdin’s ultra-hot core that radiates tremendous amounts of heat into the surrounding layers of the planet as well as its surface. The Gollanir scientists were unable to explain why Melladdin’s core was so unusually hot. When the Elzheni scientists tried to explore the Fekxtah to explain the anomaly, their efforts were immediately stopped by the Gollani. The Elzheni were highly suspicious of the Gollanir’s odd behavior; however, they did not pursue the endeavor as they wanted to ensure relations between the two civilizations remain healthy. There is, however, a story in the ancient texts that claim the Gollanir scientists knew the answer to this question, and did not want the Elzheni to discover their secret. There are rumors that the detailed story of this interaction (and a possible trip to the center of this planet) is contained one of the ancient books, but that this book was lost long ago. Current scholars are highly skeptical that the books is lost, but only our Heolas mayam colleagues know for certain.

As we have stated so many times before, there is not sufficient space in this tome to capture the complete picture of this Fekxtah and the vast variety of life that populates it. We will however, briefly describe below several of its most interesting life forms.

Interesting Life Form #1: The Fross

The Fross are enormous plants. They are the largest life form on Melladdin and one of the largest throughout all of Oma’s Family. Their roots begin at the bottoms of Melladdin’s oceans, where they attach themselves firmly to their rocky floors. From there they rise up through the waters, then through Melladdin’s atmosphere, and they finally pierce the layer of clouds that enclose the planet. The ancient texts claim that the Fross also found anchors for themselves in the cloud layer itself. It was unclear to the ancient Elzheni how they attained this seemingly impossible (unnatural?) feat; however, it was believed that there are Energetic anomalies that are a part of the cloud layer and that the tip of the Fross massive stem has an affinity with these “Energy Clouds”, with an ability to bond with them so that the Fross are attached there in the sky.

Fross grow quickly in the hot, wet atmosphere. Of course the distance that they grow, from ocean floor up to the sky, is so great that it takes several centuries before they are fully grown. Once a Fross reaches the clouds it may spend several years searching for, and attaching to, one of the Energy Clouds that can serve as their anchor point. The ancient texts say that one of the most beautiful sights on Melladdin is a Fross soon after it has broken the surface of the ocean. Once they stretch a few hundred yards above the ocean surface they “bloom”. This bloom takes the form of enormous flower-petals that extend up the length of the Fross thick stem and stretch out over the waters below. At this time they also display colorful, roughly round seeds that soon drop off into the water to be carried away by the currents and sink to the bottom of the ocean where they will begin again the process of anchoring and growing.

During their lifetime each Fross will serve as a home to millions of Melladdin’s insects and cellular life forms. There are insect burrowers that tunnel deep into the core of a Fross to make a home for themselves and their progeny, often resulting in long networks of tunnels. Other insects make their homes in the Fross lush leaves and others live on the rough exterior of the Fross where they build nests (see Empire of Drell below).

Interesting Life Form #2: Empire of Drell

Most of the most abundant and long-lived of the endless number of insect species on Melladrin are called the Drell. They are also the most aggressive and, so the ancient texts argued, were the dominant insect species on the planet. Each Drell has multiple pairs of fluttering wings, similar to those of dragonflies on our own world. They have large heads with multiple eyes and antennae, and they have a long segmented body comprising multiple hairy abdomen connected by a slim, black filament. The smallest are less than an inch long, but the largest of the Drell can grow to be several yards in length.

These creatures have an intricate social structure that includes an Emperor or Empress (thus the name “Empire of Drell”), a leadership caste, a soldier caste and a variety of castes that are born to perform very specific construction tasks such as those who build their massive nests and fortifications and hunters who constantly forage for food (usually other insects). There are even large groups who have the ability to link themselves together to perform specialized tasks such as transporting large, heavy objects or sustaining themselves underwater for long periods of time. These groups are most prominently displayed in the Drell’s warrior castes who can form vast flights to smother and kill their enemies, often at great cost to themselves.

There are tens of thousands of Drell communities, or Empires, on Melladdin. Each is led by its own Emperor or Empress (or sometimes both) and each has their own distinct customs and caste system, and the texts say their own language or some variant on the common Drell language. The many Empires, though, are very similar in their highly militant nature and their desire for conquest and the domination of other Drell Empires. Because of this there is constant fighting between and among these warring communities that has existed for countless years.

Interesting Life Form #3: The Bee Elzud

We cannot mention interesting life forms on Melladdin and not include the Bee Elzud. These plants are similar to the fungi of our world. They appear in different forms in different places and under different conditions. At times they are a lush, soft moss that covers large stretches of earth or even the hard stone that comprise much of the dry surface of this planet. At other times, they are soft stems protruding a few inches above their mossy floor, and then there are the magnificent, complicated, twisting filaments that weave their way several yards. Each soft tendril contorts itself around the others that surround it, and often around other plants or hills that stand in their way. Some of the chaotic structures created by the Bee Elzud have spanned hundreds of yards from the top of one hill to another prominence, and then spurs will reach out from these.

This abundant plant provides a home to many insects and to other plants, including flowering varieties that layer a cornucopia of color across the otherwise consistent tans and light brown of the Bee Elzud. Though their intricate structures are soft and light but are also surprisingly strong; able to withstand the fierce winds that frequently range across the largely flat surface of Melladdin. However, from time to time, powerful hurricane-like storms rage across the planet upending everything in their path. The Bee Elzud structures will succumb to these angry winds, but, over time, rebuild themselves to re-occupy the territory that they had once dominated.

Fekxtah Station #14 (Gollanir Outpost #1209):

The Gollanir scientists had many outposts on Melladdin. This included places on Melladdin’s surface, high in its cloud cover, and deep under its oceans. They shared many outposts with the Elzheni, though not all. They also gave the Elzheni several outposts to be used entirely on their own for their own purposes. The ancient texts claim only one of these as the Fekxtah Station for Melladdin. Some current scholars believe this showed the rigidity of Elzheni thinking — one and only one Station for each planet. Others believed that the Elzheni installed their Astronomical Transportation machinery in only one of these outposts and would travel to the others through more conventional (non-astronomical) methods.

Whatever the case may be, this station was large, covering dozen of acres with multiple buildings each connected to the others through a set of underground tunnels.

One of the tomes from the ancient texts that was written near the end of the Elzheni’s existence, referred to an Elzheni “colony” that had made their permanent home in this place on Melladdin and had lived their for several generations at the time of writing. Though this author trusts the integrity of the Elzheni who wrote the ancient texts, that is an unusual position. Most scholars consider this story to be nothing more than an apocryphal tale built on top of a host of other apocryphal tales. We hope that someday we may resolve this dispute with empirical evidence.

Rhonda Floam’s Diaries: The Ritual

Posted on by robinmcentire

Dollano 32, SP~4,909

Rhonda Floam

The Ritual

The healing ceremony took place in a large room at the back end of the house. The building was a very old structure on an older street. Stains marked the floor and walls where the spilled brews of other ceremonies, over many years, left a part of their story.

I wasn’t supposed to be there. At least I assume I wasn’t, but I am a reporter so as far as I’m concerned that’s my invitation! I managed to sneak in as everyone was focusing on preparation for the ceremony. There was an alcove just inside the room, near the door, with several statues standing in it, and I found a spot behind one of them — a tall ishiri wearing ornate robes and a tight-fitting six-sided hat.

They all walked in with Olladdowa leading the way. Several of their helpers carried Sheshoffis and laid him on a thick wooden table in the middle of the room.

Olladdowa placed himself at the head of the table and his two assistants were on either side. At the other end was Donnessling, the only one of the nossring they allowed to participate. The other sorcerers lined up along the walls. I guess they were prepared to help if their help was called for.

The room went quiet when Olladdowa placed his hands flat on the table in front of him. He then raised his arms and began to chant. His voice was low and the words were from an ancient tongue. Though I didn’t understand what they meant I could feel their solemnity, and they filled the room with a heavy stillness.

When he stopped the sorcerer to his right raised his hands and slowly passed them over Sheshoffiss’ body. They were covered in tattoos, which seemed to be letters or words. My guess was that they were from the same language that Olladdowa had just been chanting.

His hands stopped and hovered over Sheshoffiss’ midsection just over his wound. I noticed the tattoos flutter and then slowly lift themselves off the sorcerer’s hands and fingers. They floated above Sheshoffis and then slowly drifted down. They hovered briefly over the wound and then continued their descent to disappear beneath the putrid gash in his flesh. Sheshoffiss jerked as they entered his body, but then settled into stillness. His muscles seemed to untighten slightly.

Olladdowa resumed his chanting. It was a different song and different words this time. As the words drifted over Sheshoffiss a soft light filled the room. It pushed away some of the gloom from the space and I felt a hope.

As the chant continued, so did the tattooed sorcerer. Her fingers shifted in an elegant motion above Sheshoffiss’ wound as if she was playing an invisible harp inside his body.

Her fingers suddenly stopped. She seemed to be straining as if she was lifting something heavy that she could not afford to let go of. It was then that the third sorcerer reached down to one of the bowls on the table in front of him to quickly scoop out a thick, wet poultice of some kind. He applied it carefully, and gently, to the wound.

Sheshoffiss cried out in pain and his body jerked away from the healer’s hands that were touching him. Olladdowa’s voice grew stronger and the words suddenly carried commands in them. At the same time the tattooed sorcerer’s hands came alive again. She tugged at this unseen thing and her fingers danced as if that thing was trying to slip away from her control. At one point she cried out and reached down, and suddenly a moss green light covered her hands. She looked down the table at Donnessling who held a glowing green Stone in front of him. I could see his lips move in a silent speech as the Eye of Darmyn glowed stronger. He nodded to the sorcerer and she resumed the movement of her hands in the air above Sheshoffiss’ wound. Now, though, her hands were bathed in a green light and her work seemed lighter and her hands steadier.

The ritual continued for many minutes. Olladdowa’s chant changed a number of times. The sorcerer on one side of Sheshoffiss reached for, and softly applied, one poultice after another and sometimes stretched oddly-shaped leaves over the cut. The tattooed sorcerer’s hands were in a constant struggle with the unseen thing, and Donnessling, sweat dripping from his forehead, continued to draw the strong green light from its source.

Suddenly, the tattooed sorcerer shouted forth a word that cracked like thunder in the room. A swirling black and gray mist rose out of Sheshoffiss’ middle. It suddenly flared with a terrifying darkness, like a living nightmare preparing to drive its dreamer mad. Before it could the three sorcerers and Donnessling thrust their arms toward this evil thing and with a single voice cried out a word that broke the dark thing. A piercing cry of malevolence and pure hatred mixed with the crackling sound as the black and gray mist was shattered and replaced by a fresh white light and clean air.

The room suddenly brightened. The three sorcerers stumbled back from the table and fell into the hands of their fellow conjurers who had rushed out from their waiting places along the wall. Donnessling was barely standing. I was about to rush out to help him, but before I could he started moving around the table. He made his way to Sheshoffiss’ side and stroked his forehead. Sheshoffiss’ eyes opened and Donnessling met them. I could see the tightness of his shoulders unwind in relief. He smiled lovingly down at Sheshoffiss who returned the gaze.

“The wound will now heal.” It was the voice of Olladdowa. He was exhausted but relieved as well. He looked to his two comrades to make sure they were not hurt. Seeing they were not in danger he nodded to one of the sorcerers supporting him. She turned and motioned to several others. Gently they placed Sheshoffiss on a sturdy stretcher and moved him to a room where his recovery would be well looked after.

It was over.

Our Solar System: Tor

Posted on by robinmcentire

Tor, World of Moons and Rings

Tor, World of Moons & Rings

Mean Distance from Oma: 4,088 WA

Orbital Period around Oma: 296 years

Mean Diameter: 93,408 miles

Length of day: 11.8 hours

Gravity: 14.6 Ethems

Description:

Tor is another of Oma’s massive Fekxtah; however, it was better known to the ancient Elzheni as the “World of Moons and Rings” because of the extensive rings that surrounded the planet and its many moons. There are three major rings that surround Tor. Each is unique in its composition and structure. In addition, Tor has hundreds of moons in orbit around its massive bulk. The moons vary greatly in their size and composition, and in their distance from Tor (one moon in particular has an elliptical orbit that brings it very close to Tor several times per year — measured by Ethem’s years). In some ways, it is reasonable to think of this Fekxtah planet as a small solar system of its own rather than simply another of Oma’s planets.

The Elzheni wrote many tomes dedicated to Tor and its system of rings and moons. Interestingly, they state that much of their information was provided by the Gollanir scientists, and that other parts of their understanding came from joint work performed in collaboration with their Gollanir colleagues.

Sadly, we do not have sufficient pages in this book to describe in any detail the world of Tor or the collaboration between the Elzheni of our world and the Gollanir Civilization; however, we can provide a sufficient overview so that those who have greater interest can explore those interests on their own. We encourage these motivated individuals to contact our Guild offices so that we can provide you with the guidance you will need. Our segment of the Guild, the Division for the Study of Fexofamilial Communities and Genealogy (DSFCG), is housed within the Guild Energetic Research Collective’s offices on the Second Tier of Naldrin City. The door is always open.

We will now describe some of the key parts of the Tor planetary system.

The Rings of Tor

The Inner Ring

There was debate among the ancient Elzheni Astronomers as to whether this ring was in fact a true ring or if it was no more than a massive cloud surrounding the planet’s equator.

This ring is a billowing mass of icy shards and clouds of thick gas. It shows itself throughout most of Tor’s year as various shades of blue and white. At times though (due to interactions with Fekxtah Lines of Force) it will shine in bright oranges, reds, and a variety of other colors. This gigantic cloud circles Tor at a speed much greater than the rate at which Tor, itself, revolves. This was a conundrum for the Elzheni Astronomers (and the Gollanir scientists); however, it was a boon for “Ring Watchers” who could stand in one place on the planet and watch the Inner Ring pass swiftly across the sky above them.

The source of the Inner Ring is gas and ice that exits from the tops of extremely tall mountains on Tor. These mountains are called The Spouts or The Spikes. There are hundreds of Spouts that thrust out of Tor’s flat surface, all of them clustered around the equator. The Spouts are steep, cone-like mountains that extend fifty miles or more above Tor’s surface. At the very top of each Spike are large, open vents that constantly spew hot material into outer space. This material is a rich mix of slushy fluids and small shards of dark stone and rock-hard ice. The accumulated ejecta from all The Spikes clings to each other to form the Ring that circles Tor’s middle.

The ring is most notable for the unusual life form that inhabits it. Along with the icy slush that the Spouts of Tor throw into space, there are also small living creatures. These beings have bodies in the shape of hollow tubes no more than a few inches long. Along their smooth, cold bodies they have a thick layer of hair-like appendages that can be extended or contracted at will, and are used to help them navigate the thick clouds of this Ring. These living beings are called Egcells, a name given to them by the Gollanir and adopted by the Elzheni. Egcells are intelligent creatures with an odd form of social interactions. They are creatures that live deep below The Spouts, far below Tor’s surface, in a nutrient-rich, thick briny slush. When they are expelled from their warm, wet homes, they immediately, and frantically, look for some way to survive the brutal cold into which they have been cast, and they seem to have found a way to do that. According to the ancient texts, the Egcell learned to link themselves together in long chains by tying their hairs with each other. By clinging to each other along their sides or at their ends, they have found ways to generate and share the heat needed to survive by funneling warmed moisture through their tubes. They do this by consuming various substances in the Ring that surrounds them. These chains of Egcells can survive for long periods of time and, because of this, the length of their chains can grow to become quite long; hundreds or even thousands of miles in length. When the distant light from Oma strikes them at just the right angle the chains shimmer and swirl. Seen from the surface of Tor they appear as thousands of bands of necklaces or linked jewels constantly twisting, turning, sparkling, and weaving themselves into playful patterns.

The Ring of Broken Moons

The Ring of Broken Moons is Tor’s second ring. It comprises dozens of sub-rings where each band is slightly separated from its neighbors. The contents of each ring are created from the debris of Tor’s more ancient moons that have, over eons, been shattered by collisions with each other or simply from the competing tides of gravity from Tor and other moons.

The result is a ring filled with clumps of rock and ice. Some have assumed strange shapes that are miles long and may still retain the curvature of the moon from which they broke away. Others are as small as boulders or pebbles or even grains of sand.

The ancient texts claim that there are many scientific stations that were built by the Gollanir on some of the larger pieces that make up this ring. They were used for some very specialized scientific experiments, such as attempts (primarily by the Gollantir) to grow plant-life on these barren slabs of stone. The Gollanir had made many attempts over many years without success. It was the Elzheni scientists who finally solved this problem for them, allowing a very strange plant-life to grow in outer space. If true (and many of our current scholars do not consider this to be at all credible), then it was a truly amazing victory of science!

Finally, this ring contains three tiny moons that are still whole. They are Kempert, Yoodruts, and Sollasha. Each is less than 50 miles in diameter, and, at the time that the ancient texts were written, each was in a process of decay and eventual collapse. Records include observations of long cracks running across much of their surface, cutting deeply into their cores.

Given how old the ancient texts are it is reasonable to conclude that, since that time, one or more of these moons may have already disintegrated their remains becoming a part of one of the bands of detritus — provided, of course, that the Elzheni texts are credible accounts.

The Silent Ring

This ring extends far out from Tor. It is wide and thin and almost invisible. The nearest parts of it begin well beyond the end of the second Ring, and it extends almost half of the distance to Cantoss. It went unnoticed by the Gollanir scientists for thousands of years and was discovered only by accident when they noticed small perturbations while traveling along Lines of Force between Cantos and Tor.

At the time this Ring was little explored. This was due in part to its great distance from Tor, but also because of its ephemeral nature. It seemed at times to be present, and at other times it could not be found. When it was observable by the Elzheni and Gollanir scientists, they found a wide, thin body comprising small, fist-sized stones and a great deal of raw Physic Energy that both bound them together into a ring, but that also pushed them apart sufficiently so that there were great distances between the objects. Most surprisingly the entirety of this Ring was very still. It seemed to revolve around Tor very slowly, almost imperceptibly, and the gravitational fluctuations created by Tor and other planets, Cantoss in particular, seemed to be flattened out, dissipated, by the Ring as if it would not tolerate any disruption to its usual stillness.

The Surface of Tor

Other than the Spikes, Tor’s surface is mostly flat and is made of either jagged, black stones (and small mountains of them here and there) or it is made of unmoving oceans of dense liquid that span thousands of miles across the planet’s skin.

There are two large tomes in the ancient Elzheni writings that talk of Tor’s surface and the composition of the planet beneath. However, sadly, we do not have room here to say more.

Fekxtah Station #13 (Gollanir Outpost #3174):

This is an ancient outpost built by the Gollanir Civilization many millennia ago. It was given to the Elzheni as a gift; a token of their desire to collaborate with the Elzheni.

The Gollanir named this outpost Errin Tair Camma Batassad by the Gollanir, which means “Search for Wisdom in the middle of the Shallow Sea”. The Elzheni, being ever the pragmatists, renamed it to a “Station” and gave it a number.

The station was built at the crown of a small desolate mountain that jutted out of one of Tor’s many shallow oceans. The jagged stone rises several hundred feet above the ocean surface and atop the mountain’s crags is the building itself. It extends several stories above the top of the mountain, but it also reaches far down through and below the mountain and continues deep into Tor’s mantle. The ancient texts say that the lower levels of this Outpost link to many of Tor’s natural tunnels that run just below much of the planet’s surface from one side of the planet to the other.

Hallsassring’s Journey: The Story of a Nossring

Posted on by robinmcentire

Chapter 5: The Streets of the City

The Streets of Tarnath

Hallsassring covered the final leg of her journey to Tarnath without incident. When she stepped onto the smooth stone of the city’s streets, she knew she had officially arrived.

The buildings were packed closely together, often without a gap between one and the next, forming a strange arrangement of short and tall, wide and narrow. The street ran roughly straight, spilling into a crowded intersection with two other streets, and then continuing on at a strange angle. A tall building across from her looked as if it had once been elegant and imposing, but was now weary from years of neglect.

The sounds and smells of the city bombarded her senses. The odors were foreign to her and, for the most part, disagreeable. They filled her nose as a single, jumbled assault, making it hard to single out their individual sources. She paused for a moment to focus: stale bread, freshly-caught fish, foreign flowers, an unpleasant mix of wines and ales, and an abundance of sweat from the many strange creatures who passed her by. She coughed and realized that she had been overly diligent in her olfactory investigation. A stiff pinch of her nose stopped the attack, at least for a while.

The sounds were just as alien. There were many voices speaking in a variety of tongues; some shouted, some whispered, others just grunts and groans. She detected several conversations in Sessym, the common tongue of the Northern half of the Tamarran Continent. Too many to follow. Underneath it all was an uninterrupted background of city sounds: the claps and creaks of doors, hard boots trudging along stone streets, hammers and other tools echoing against walls and door frames, and a constant clatter of wooden wheels over stone streets.

As Hallsassring continued down the street, a stranger walked up to her thrusting a broad smile into her view. The eyes belonged to a human male, who was wearing a long white apron. He smelled of flour and yeast, and held a basket filled with something she could not identify.

“Bread?” he cried out to her, “Finest in the city!” The voice was one part entreaty, another part enticing, held together with a softly commanding tone urging her to nod in assent.

“Fresh! Made it myself just this morning.” He produced a long, light brown loaf from a basket. The aroma of fresh grain poked her nose. It smelled good. In fact, it smelled very good. It also provided the unintended benefit of blotting out the other odors of the street.

“Last loaves of the day! Half price for you, my friend!” He was eager to make the sale. However, Hallsassing was still full from her ample mid-day feast.

“I thank you but no,” was her response, being careful to decline politely.

The baker was disappointed, but hid it well. “There’ll be more tomorrow. Stop by then!” and he turned toward the next unwary pedestrian.

Relieved, Hallsassring steered herself back toward the middle of the street to avoid further encounters. As she looked ahead, she noticed a group of strange beings making their way through the crowds in her direction. She could tell that they were Crawn, another of the Ten Races of Tamarra. According to her instructors,  the crawn were a snake-like folk but with two legs and two arms. Their bodies were lithe and sinuous, and their wide mouths showed fangs and a long snake-like tongue, in a face framed by a wide, scaled hood. Their walk had a hypnotizing flow, a combination of their bodies’ graceful contours and their proud swagger. This group looked like soldiers, which was in keeping with what she’d been taught about this militant race.

Hallsassring wanted to avoid an encounter so she veered to her right, but when she did the Crawn leader moved in her direction. She moved to the left, but again the Crawn changed course so their paths would cross. He seemed eager to intercept her. She could not imagine why, but she would not back away from a challenge and picked up her pace to close the distance more quickly.

When they were only a few yards away the Crawn leader halted, and his companions immediately did the same. He called out, “I don’t recognize you, stranger,” and raised his hand in command for her to stop.

“Nor I you,” retorted Hallsassring after taking one more step to stand directly in front of him.

The Crawn leader was not pleased with her response. “We are those who keep the peace in Tarnath. Name yourself and your kind,” the leader replied.

“Your manners leave much to be desired,” Hallsassring retorted. “You should consider correcting your deficit, and while you do, I will continue to walk the streets as I please.”

This was more provocation than the Crawn was willing to tolerate. He spat out a series of indecipherable hissing sounds and drew his sword. 

Drawing a long knife from her boot, Hallsassring set her stance and prepared for battle.

She saw a smile of satisfaction from the leader. “You will learn that defiance is met with justice when you stand in front of the Szaskar Crawn Protectors of Tarnath. Now you will taste the…”

“Zesskess, well met!” A new voice interrupted. It was a voice that the Crawn recognized and he hesitated in his advance as a figure walked forward from the side of the street.

This creature was elegantly dressed, with the many colors of their clothes matching the iridescent hues of their scaly skin. Their body was marked by elaborate fins and other fish-like features.

“Perhaps I may be of service?” They now stood directly between the two antagonists.

It was a Zweyjen, another of the Ten Races that Hallsassring had learned so much about. It would seem this day abounded with learnings about these ten most powerful races on Tamarra.

Without removing his eyes from Hallsassring, Zesskess responded, “Nothing that need concern you, Counselor.” He spat out that last word reluctantly and with an unmistakable scorn. “Just a stranger in town who seems to be a trouble-maker. We can handle this matter.”

Before Zesskess could move, the newcomer turned toward Hallsassring and, with a courteous bow, spoke.

“Greetings, stranger. My name is Shwolan, and I am a member of Tarnath’s City Council. Allow me to welcome you to our magnificent metropolis where a lone wanderer is met with interest and civility.” There was a crispness to this Zweyjen’s speech, and it seemed unmistakably comfortable– the kind of comfort that arises from privilege and rank.

Hallsassring was disarmed by this unexpected courtesy, and she lowered her knife slightly.

Shwolan continued in his deliberately casual manner, “If I am not mistaken, you are a Nossring? They are a noble folk. Would my assumption be true, stranger?”

Shwolan’s careful, practiced diplomacy had Hallsassring uncertain of how best to react to this dramatic change in circumstances.

“It would,” she said. Deciding that decorum would be her best choice for now, she pulled herself to her full height and returned the Zweyjen’s bow. “I am Hallsassring and I have come to this fair city from my home deep in the Rimmel Mountains. I thank you for your courtesy, Counselor Shwolan.” She could see that the Zweyjen was impressed.

“You have good manners, Hallsassring.” He looked at the Nossring with great curiosity and seemed impressed with her confidence.

“In my experience,” he said, turning toward Zesskess, “trouble-makers would not be as polite as this.”

Zesskess stiffened but before he could reply, Shwolan continued, “I believe the situation is in hand now, Zesskess, thank you.” With that and a slight wave of his hand the Crawns were dismissed.

Zesskess made no attempt to hide his fury and, with a suffered nod of compliance, strode away with his troops stiffly following.

“She is well-meaning,” said Shwolan. Hallsassring turned toward the Zweyjen who continued, “She is, after all, a Crawn. A good leader and bold. They are good enforcers of law and order, but can be somewhat inflexible at times.”

The Counselor moved on, “May I ask, Hallsassring, where in the Nossring lands you come from?”

Hallsassring hesitated. For the second time today her instinct for privacy warred with her need for allies. The decision was made when she realized that she was in Shwolan’s debt because of the aid he had just given her. “I am from Merring City, the capital of the Nossring Kingdom.”

Shwolan interrupted before she could say more. “Ah, yes, nice! I know Merring City. I visited many years ago.” Hallsassring got the impression that ‘visited’ did not include ‘was impressed by’.

“Of course Tarnath will be very different from what you are accustomed to in your lands. There is a great variety of folk in our fair city, and, of course, the press of so many will be much greater than what you would encounter in Merring City. And, of course, there is the grandeur of the city itself.”

Suddenly realizing where they were, Shwolan added, “Though this part of the city does not have the elegance of other sections..”

“No matter,” Shwolan said, quickly changing the subject. “May I ask if you are looking for any particular place here in Tarnath?”

Hallsassring was not sure why, but there was something about Shwolan that she liked.  “I am trying to find a place called Bill’s Bar. I have…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Shwolan swept his staff into the air and with a grand smile interrupted, “Of course! Why would you seek any other establishment!” He seemed not to have noticed his mild rudeness, or had no need to care (perhaps both). “I am headed that way just now, and would be happy to be your guide.” He paused, and seeing Hallsassring’s hesitation, added, “With your permission, of course.” Hallsassring got the impression that Shwolan was unaccustomed to asking for anyone else’s approval.

She appreciated the offer and admitted to herself that it would be helpful to have a guide and companion, especially one who seemed to know the city well.

“You are most generous, Counselor Shwolan, thank you. I gladly accept your kind offer.”

Shwolan was visibly pleased. Pointing his staff eastward he announced, “This is the way!”

As Shwolan led them forward Hallsassring discovered how pleased she was to have a companion, which in turn reminded her how much she missed her true companion, Alliss. “Soon I will find you,” she thought to herself, hoping it would be true.

Rhonda Floam’s Diaries: The Berimandry Sorcerers

Posted on by robinmcentire

Dollano 31, SP~4,909

Rhonda Floam

The Berimandry Sorcerers

The journey from the mountain-side down to the City of Berimandry was short and uneventful. After everything we’d just been through I was happy to have a slow, steady descent down the slopes and to see the sunshine on a clear day.

We arrived just outside of the city at midday. Donnessling wanted to stay hidden, as much as possible — carrying Sheshoffiss was not exactly inconspicuous — so he led us through a less-populated neighborhood. It was also a scruffy part of the city; not well-kept and a bit dangerous, though not to a party such as ours.

We soon entered a neighborhood filled with two- and three-story buildings mixed in with a hodge-podge of plain plaster and brick homes. It looked old, very old. I wondered if we were passing through the ancient core of the city, before it was a city.

Suddenly Tollerring pulled Donnessling aside. I happened to be in the front of the party so it was easy to eaves-drop on the conversation.

“Are you taking us to them?” Tollerring asked, with an emphasis on ‘them’.

“We have no choice,” replied Donnessling.

“We must! There are many healers in this city, and many good ones, including,” he said, interrupting Donnessling before he could reply, “including those we could trust.”

Donnessling looked away and up the street, to the destination he had in mind.

Tollerring waited patiently for his reply, and he eventually got it, though he was not pleased with it.

“This wound is not simply to Sheshoffiss’ body. It seeps into his very core, his soul, into the Energies that makes him a whole living being.” He looked Tollerring squarely in the eyes and said, “I would not go to them if there were any other choice. We must, or Sheshoffis will die, and in a manner that is terrible beyond belief.”

Tollerring nodded, not in assent, but in recognition that this must be Donnessling’s decision.

I wondered what all this meant, and I soon found out.

The walk was not much further when we reached a particularly disheveled stone building. The front door seemed little used. Donnessling pounded on the door three times. He waited and was about to pound again when it opened to reveal a small, elderly human who was clearly not happy to have the door knocked on so loudly, and seemed even less happy to have visitors.

“What do you want,” the human asked, not quite shouting.

“I am Donnessling and I have come to see Olladdowa.”

The human started when Donnessling spoke his name and could not hide the surprise, or fear, in his face.

“I will let him know that you …”

“No, you will let us in. Now!”

The human was unwilling to stand in Donnesslings way so he simply turned and went into the back of the house, seeking for help.

Donnessling led us into a large hallway and we closed the door behind us.

As the door clapped closed, two ishiri and an ushen approached us. The tallest ishiri led the three of them and the human trailed along behind.

“Donnessling,” said the lead ishiri. His tone was careful and his face controlled, as ishiri are good at; however, there was also menace in his voice and there was no hint of welcome.

“Olladdowa,” returned Donnessling and bowed his head only slightly. “We come to your house seeking your aid.”

Olladdowa said nothing for a long pause and then, “Did you expect to be welcomed?”

“I did not, but we have one with us who is deeply wounded.”

Olladdowa openly sneered and was about to reply when Donnessling cut him off, “He was attacked by an ancient thing that wielded the Eye of Mark against our friend, Sheshoffis.”

Donnessling was calm, almost casual as he said this, but as soon as he mentioned the Eye of Mark, Olladdowa’s stern demeanor was broken. He gasped in shock at this news, and then looked at Sheshoffiss who had been carefully laid down on a couch in the wide room. The two other sorcerers behind him were also taken aback, and a small group of others had begun to make their way into the hallway.

Olladdowa motioned for us to move into a large adjoining room and to place Sheshoffis on a couch.

Olladdowa leaned down to make a closer inspection of Sheshoffis, and when his eyes drifted to his, which still clasped the white stone, he abruptly straightened to look back at Donnessling.

“The Eye of Day is all that has kept our friend alive. His wound was deep. I have done what is within my power but I can do no more. Will you help this zweyjen who has committed no offense to you other than to be in my company?”

Olladdowa’s manner changed. He seemed to be considering his options. He stepped back from the couch, and the wounded zweyjen, and with a chilling indifference, he said, “This is not our concern,” and turned to leave the room.

I have never seen Donnessling so angry, “You would condemn this folk to death? Tell me how you can call yourself a healer, if that is the case.”

Tollerring placed himself between Donnessling and the head of the sorcerers, who had stopped at the shouting. Without turning around Olladdowa spoke again, “Tell me, Donnessling, in whose house do you now stand?”

Donnessling was struck by this statement. This time Tollerring looked like he would be the one to start the fight, but Donnessling recovered and held him back.

“My apologies, Olladdowa. This is your house, House of the Berimandry Sorcerers, whose wisdom is great and who have fought against darkness for many centuries.”

When Olladdowa turned, Donnessling bowed from the hip, and added, “I hope that you will not let your decision be guided by my discourtesy.”

“Your insolence can be forgiven. It is not altogether unexpected.” Donnessling gave no hint of the insult directed at him. With a villainous smile he continued, “We shall help, but, of course, we require payment. I am sure that you are willing to make a sacrifice for your friend.”

Donnessling winced. “Of course.”

“The White Eye will be sufficient.”

Donnessling did not move, but his eyes lit with an angry blaze. “The Eyes of Drawnwyn cannot be bartered. It is not permitted.”

“If this is how little your friend’s life means to you, then it can mean no more than that to us.” Olladdowa’s words were defiant and cold.

“I cannot give you something that is not mine,” Donnessling insisted. He hesitated and then continued, “I can, though, offer you something that is in my possession.” He held out his hand. In it was the shimmering green stone that I recognized from our encounters with the gray creature.

“The Eye of Darmyn,” said Olladdowa with a greedy glower on his face.

“Yes,” said Donnessling, “the Eye of Spirit Energy. This would be a welcome tool for a healer, would it not, Olladdowa?”

He choked back his obvious longing for such a treasure, and retrieved his composure.

“It does not have the significance of the White Stone.”

“And, yet you will receive only this and no more.” Donnessling motioned to us to gather Sheshoffiss’ body and prepare to leave.

“Wait! This will be acceptable, but you must first provide me with the Stone.”

“I swear it shall be yours, if you heal Sheshoffiss,” said Donnessling, “And you know that a nossring’s word, once given, cannot be taken back.”

Olladdowa smiled with an odd satisfaction.

“Yes, and so it is,” he said. Then, nodding to the human who had met us at the door, he continued, “ Follow Hespin. He will lead you to the room where your friend shall be healed.”

Turning to the two sorcerers who stood behind him he said, “Let us prepare,” and the three left the room.

Rhonda Floam’s Diaries: The Way Out

Posted on by robinmcentire

Dollano 30, SP~4,909

Rhonda Floam

The Way Out

A number of events from this day must be faithfully recounted.

First of all, the creature that had the gray stone in its possession, the enemy who pursued us for so long, is gone and, according to Donnessling, was hurt badly and won’t be coming back any time soon. Second, it’s not dead, also according to Donnessling. I trust that he knows.

The third thing is that Sheshoffis cannot be woken. The good news is that he’s not dead. Donnessling tried everything that he could, but the wound was simply beyond his abilities to heal, even if he had not been wounded himself and utterly fatigued as he tried. Tollerring had urged him to use the white stone, but he told us that he could not. Apparently each stone requires any new master to learn about the stone before they can use it. As Donnessling told it, the Stone and its user must bond with each other, and that process could take a good deal of time. Much more than what Donnessling had.

Note to Self: So, how is it that Donnessling could use the purple stone that he captured from Begkragk so quickly? There is more going with that than meets the idea. A good story to investigate if we live to tell the tale!

When Donnessling finally stopped his efforts to cure Sheshoffiss, he told us that he had been able to save Sheshoffiss from death, but just barely, and that the zweyjen required more skills than he could provide. He said he knew of a sorcerer’s cabal in Berimandry that could aid our friend.

Last thing, and the worst (but perhaps most expected) was that we could hear the moraktatha advancing toward us. They had clearly been frightened off by the gray creature, and then even more by the battle of lights, but at last they were regaining their courage. Or, perhaps their hunger was proving greater than their fear.

Whatever it might be, we had to leave and leave immediately.

Donnessling told us that we could not go back the way we had come. It was too dangerous, and, though no one said it, we were all relieved that we would not take that course.

The exit that we had originally sought only hours earlier was not far away and we made haste for that with several of us carrying Sheshoffiss’ unmoving form. I also noticed that Tollerring was helping Donnessling forward. They were trying to hide it from the rest of us, but I could tell. I’m sure Donnessling wanted none of his to know just how weakened he was.

The exit was not hard to find. It was a large opening and looked as though it had at one time been quite elegant. The remains of columns bordered the opening on either side and beneath there was a border trimming the doorway that had once been elegant and, I think, contained words in an ancient language. Once inside I could see that the tunnel walls were old and covered in grime. There were patches where well-fashioned tiles shone through.

I was sad to leave these mysteries behind, but time was of the essence, and I could already feel the tug of Emotion Energy from the mass of moraktatha approaching us.

As we made our way down the tunnel, I could feel the malevolent pull of those foul creatures lessen. It would seem they would not pursue us past the confines of the cavern. I could feel the fear leave me, and I could see the shoulders of my nossring comrades ease as they, too, could tell that we were now beyond their reach.

We marched through the passage for many hours. It would frequently turn one direction or the other and there were many passageways that we met and crossed, and sometimes took. Donnessling’s knowledge of this place was impressive. Even amazing, though there were a couple times when I thought I saw a quick flash from the green stone as he took a minute to consider a direction for us or a choice among alternative tunnels.

The first sign that we were near the end was the fresh smell of trees and some flowers. As the tunnel turned sharply to the left and veered steeply up we could see a bright stream of light ahead. Our pace quickened and the tunnel suddenly turned into a wide, tall cavern. At its end was a doorway that must have been at least sixty feet high, and the sunlight was now strong and clear. We covered the last few hundred yards in no time and emerged onto a wide, flat shelf far above the plains below. There, far below us, tucked into a pocket between two spurs of the mountain, was the City of Berimandry.

It was mid-day. We had traveled through the night, and had traveled and fought before that. Our exhaustion finally settled on us all. We would have continued if Donnessling had commanded it (that is how loyal his nossring comrades were to him, as was I), but he could see our state, and his was no better (likely worse), so he gave instructions for us to eat something and to rest. The words had barely left his lips when he lay down against a mossy covered side of the small plateau and fell asleep.

At that point Tollerring took charge to make sure everyone had food and he stood guard as the rest of us slept.

When he woke us, the sun was low in the sky. The last of our journey took us down the mountain and to the outskirts of the city. Donnessling led us to the house of a farmer who knew Donnessling and welcomed him with open arms, as did his family.

Here is where we will spend the night. The farmer, a man named Kellen, sent two of his sons to fetch the sorcerers who would, hopefully, help to heal Sheshoffiss from his deep wounds. They should arrive first thing in the morning.

And now my day is done. We are safe in this place and we were fed again, with an abundance of fresh food. That has restored at least some of our aches, and it gave me the strength to write this entry.

Now I will join my companions for a long night of needed sleep, and we will see what comes to us tomorrow.