© Lance J. Purple
While travelling though the kingdom of Lankst, in northern Ralios, the party stops in the town of Bracken Tor. There is not much to do, see, or buy here (the Issaries market is not until next month), but there is a resident sorceror and a small Orlanth shrine. There is a town guard (three initiates on horseback, with a Wind Lord available as backup), and they will question the party as they approach the town. Once the party explains that they are famous and important, they will bid them welcome and direct them to the local inn. A few hours later, the local sorceror will send a message inviting them to his house for the evening meal. Since the local inn is not currently serving meals (the kitchen burned down last week), they will probably accept. The sorceror's name is Yassazi, and he has a fairly successful trade here, casting various enchantments for the locals. He has several journeyman students who work monthly routes through nearby villages. He also has one apprentice, who is currently away on a trip to the southern city of Fiesive. His house is small, but well-built and has expensive furnishings. He has two servants, who prepare an excellent meal.
After dinner, Yassazi will explain the purpose of the invitation; he proposes to go on a minor Heroquest, and wishes the party to accompany him. He will give the party the information shown on the handout sheet, and explains that it is from a scroll he recently acquired, detailing a Heroquest made by one of Arkat's associates (Beolan of Naskorion) many hundreds of years ago. He is not certain what Beolan was seeking, but considering the power of the guardian they fought, it was certainly something priceless. Yassazi has even visited the great Lankhor Mhy temple in Velantia, and asked two questions of the servants of the god of Knowledge. The first question confirmed that the ford's guardian can be overcome by Iron, and the second question confirmed that the quest leads to a Truestone. He claims this stone as his only share of the treasure.
Yassazi will provide horses and supplies to reach the jump-off point. He will also fill any magic-point storage the party has, and can loan them two eleven-point crystals. He will not trade any spells, being impatient to go Heroquesting, and will not cast any long-duration spells on the party, since the spells will be lost anyway when they cross the threshold of Time and Death. Most importantly, Yassazi cannot outfit the party with Iron weapons or armor; the dwarves of the Nidan mountains have recently imposed an Iron embargo, and prices have shot skyward. However, he is confident that the party can overcome the Ogres of the Crystal Pass and take the supplies they need. He says this will also save the party from dragging heavy Iron gear across the Desert of Famine and Thirst, since he doesn't plan on taking the horses.
After a two-day hike into Hsunchen territory, the players will find the "Place of Darkness". It is an incredibly deep pit, twenty meters wide, and with slick, crumbling sides. Perhaps a hundred meters below is a pool of utterly still, black water. Yassazi will tell the characters to make camp nearby, while he studies the scroll to ensure that this is the right place. After about an hour, he will tell everyone to assemble at the edge of the pit with weapons, armor, and essential gear. He will tell his hawk familiar to Dominate the horses and lead them back to Bracken Tor, and will scribble a note for her to give his student. As soon as she is off, he will announce that it is time for everyone to take a flying leap into the pit.
If players balk at plunging one hundred meters into deep water, with armor and backpacks, and with no way to climb back out, Yassazi will explain that this is necessary to encounter Death. He will also point out that Beolan and his followers went this way without a moment's hesitation. If the brave warriors are afraid, he will go first, and they are free to follow or not. He will then leap into the pit, hit the water, and vanish into the depths.
As soon as the players take the plunge, they will fall for five heartbeats, and hit the water with a bone-chilling splash. The water is actually a pool of Darkness, and for five more heartbeats they will flounder in the icy dark. (Demand some swim rolls for drama, but ignore the results; they can't really drown in this stuff). They will emerge gasping and shivering in a chest-deep pool of Darkness, in the shadow of a large boulder. All temporal spells will be gone; they are now on the Heroplane.
At the edge of the pool stands a Humakti warrior, who immediately blocks anyone trying to leave the pool. "Mortals may not pass! Kneel before me and accept Death!" (Anyone stupid enough to kneel will have both head and spirit neatly severed from body. The Humakti will toss the corpse back into the pool, and resume his guard).
If the party members do not kneel, the Humakti will be amused. "Very well, brave ones! If any of you can defeat me, you may all pass." He will draw a line in the sand with the toe of his boot, and wait for attacks.
Humakti Guardian
STR 50 R Leg 20/9
CON 30 L eg 20/9
SIZ 20 Abdomen 20/9
DEX 20 Chest 20/10
INT 15 R Arm 20/7
POW 20 L Arm 20/7
WIL 30 Head 20/9
Move: 4
Hit Points: 25
Runes: Death 80, Truth 50.
Weapon SR att/par dmg pts
Greatsword 1 50/40 2d8+7d6 18
Dodge: 12
Assuming someone manages to defeat the Humakti, he will drop his sword and vanish, and his empty armor and robes will fall to the ground. His Iron Great Sword will slide into the pool and sink, unless someone makes a DEX times two roll to catch it. If a Humakti catches it, it will be instantly attuned, and hereafter it will be a shadow of that character who guards the pool.
The shadow pool, the large boulder, and the party are all in the midst of a vast desert in the Underworld. The sky is a hazy white dome overhead, and the hot sand burns their feet, even through their boots. Daga, the god of drought and famine, controls this land, and players will lose one point of CON for every subjective day they spend here. Food and rations from the normal world will not satisfy their hunger and thirst, but they might be able to Will primal water or plants into existance.
There is a faint set of horse tracks leading off into the desert, which the party MUST follow. If they stray more than a few meters from this path, they will find themselves lost in the desert. Unless they can invoke the Truth rune to show them the way back, they will be doomed to wander for all eternity. If they remain on the path, they will (hopefully) cross the desert in about nine subjective days. Due to God-Learner meddling elsewhere on the Heroplane, the events along this path are no longer in a fixed order, but the following shadows are likely (Roll 2d8 every twelve hours or so).
2d8 Encounter
2 Pack of Hyenas
3 Dead Horse
4 Weird Shape Flies Across The Sky
5 Giant Stone Hand
6 Dead Tree Near Path
7 Giant Stone Hand
8 Alkali Pool
9 Weird Noise Off In Distance
10 Empty Riverbed
11 Gnat Swarm
12 Sand Squids
13 Mirage
14 Vultures Circling Overhead
15 Thorn Bush
16 Whirlwind In Distance
Pack of Hyenas:a ravenous band of 3d6 hyenas attacks the party. These are intelligent, carnivorous, pre-Waha hyenas, and since there are no horses to eat, they will try to feast on the characters; They will flee as soon as one of them takes damage. Each has the following stats:
Hyena
STR 10 R Leg 0/5
CON 20 L Leg 0/5
SIZ 8 Abdomen 0/5
INT 8 Chest 0/6
POW 13 R Arm 0/4
DEX 15 L Arm 0/4
WIL 10 Head 0/5
Move: 12
Hit Points: 14
Runes: Beast 55.
Weapon SR att/par dmg pts
Spear 8 12/12 1d8+1 10
Dodge:16
Giant Stone Hand: This huge chunk of statuary crawls aimlessly across the sands, and is now headed straight for the party along the path. Unless they wish to leave the path (which Yassazi refuses to do), they must make two successful Dodges or be crushed for 10d6 points of damage, ignoring armor. (If the G.M. wishes to save an unlucky character, have Yassazi shove them out of the way and be crushed).
Alkali Pool: This is a Chaotic water spirit, who will inflict POT 12 poison upon any who drink his waters. Characters may use their World Lore to try and guess the Alkali Pool's true nature. Sand Squids - Tentacles erupt from the sand, one for each character! They have 25 hit points and 5 armor points each, and will use their 20 STR to try and pin characters to the ground, where sharp beaks thrust through the sand. Once again, they are after the horses that Beolan brought, and after tasting non-horse blood for three rounds (1d6 damage per round), they will toss the characters away in disgust.
Mirage: A bubbling pool of water, a party of frollicking nymphs, a tree laden with fruit, or some other fever-dream attacks one of the party, and unless forcibly restrained, he or she will charge off of the path. The Mirage has a 15 WIL and is 60% connected to the Illusion rune.
Thorn Bush: A prickly thorn bush grows right in the midst of the path, and unless characters can Jump over it, they will take 2d6 points of damage crawling though it. If anyone makes a Search, they will spot an eight-point Power crystal under the bush (1d3 more damage to retrieve it), where a god was scratched by the thorns.
Be sure to keep track of current CON and fatigue as the characters trudge across the endless sandy wastes.; anyone who drops to 1 CON will be a gaunt skeleton, incapable of walking any further. The stonger party members may soon have to choose between carrying vital armor and equipment or their invalid comrades.
Well into the eighth "day", the party will finally spot a blue haze on the horizon. A few scrubby bushes grow beside the path here. By the ninth "day", the ground slopes noticably downward, toward the base of an enormous range of blue mountains whose tops are lost in the clouds. After another twelve hours, the party will march over a low rise, to find themselves at the shores of a vast silvery lake. The track they have been following leads straight into the waters, and even if it did not, it would be difficult for the characters not to plunge into the cool waters (roll Will x 2 to resist).
The enchanted waters of this lake will restore health to CON or any other lost characteristics except POW, just like the Chalana Arroy rune spell. In fact, the lake is a sea of tears wept by the Goddess for dead Genert. The water is only chest-deep, and is a comfortable temperature; brilliant colored fish play in the waters (though always out of reach); and there is a refreshing breeze from the mountains. Characters will not be hungry or thirsty, and will not get tired or waterlogged, no matter how long they swim here. In fact, it is so pleasant that it will take a WIL x 9 roll to leave this place and continue the quest.
It takes three Swim rolls to cross the lake (failure merely means no progress; no one can ever drown here). When the party reaches the far shore, they will find a fresh set of Beolan's tracks leading from the shore. The land slopes sharply upwards here, and the path winds around rocks and across narrow ledges. A tall forest of evergreens blankets the path with soft pine needles, and the characters will catch many glimpses of woodland creatures, who will flee at high speeds if the party sets foot off of the path (see The Hobbit for ideas about what also happens if the party leaves the path).
After a day of climbing, the party will reach the tree-line. The landscape becomes foggy and cold, and the path slopes so sharply that the party will often have to cling to rocks and shrubs. It will take three Climb rolls for this day's travel; failure will cost 3d6 damage (ignore armor) as adventurers tumble down the rocky slope and slam into the tree-line. Orlanthi characters might be able to fly the party over the mountains; if so, skip to part IV below.
By the third day of climbing, the path leads across barren rock and snow. The land below is completely hidden by clouds, yet the peaks are still impossibly high above the party. The path is very steep here, and at one point it will take a Climb roll to progress a mere fifty meters. Just as the adventurers are about to give up hope, their path suddenly intersects a road. The road is two meters wide, paved with perfectly-cut stone blocks, and is only a twenty-degree slope. If the party follows this path, they will reach the pass by the end of the third day. If they elect to continue climbing, they will have to make three more Climb rolls, and will cross the road again twice.
The road abruptly levels off as it enters Ogre Pass. The pass is almost a cave, since it is only a hundred meters wide and is flanked by sheer walls several kilometers high; only a narrow strip of daylight is visible above. There are countless small caves dotting the walls (most of them leading to Krarsht dens or worse), but nothing will charge out to attack. The party will occasionally see flashes of light ahead in the distance, followed by faint thunder and minor ground tremors.
After several hours march, the pass makes a sharp bend and becomes wider on the other side. There is a sharp burning smell in the air. Everyone who goes past this point must make a Sneak roll or risk being seen by the ogres. It does not really matter if they fail, since the party will sneak around the bend to find hundreds of dead ogres. Some are still on fire; the rest are blackened skeletons. None of them have armor or weapons left, although there are a few melted chunks of Iron laying around (7 ENC). The leader's ghost (91 POW) is still bound to his corpse, and will beg to be released. If players interrogate the ghost, they will discover that a band of God-Learners, accompanied by a Brithini wizard, have recently been here. They took everything made of Iron, and left along the path the party is following.
Further down the pass, there is a hundred-meter wide pool of blood, which feeds a stream (if anyone wishes to swim in the pool, they will become Berserk until they have killed something). The God-Learner road follows the stream out of the pass and back down the mountains.
Part IV
After only a half day of travel, the adventurers will be back below the tree line, and will come to a ford. The river is now a swift torrent of blood and primal darkness, and it is almost impossible to cross anywhere else (it is effectively an undine with unlimited SIZ and hit points, 60 STR, and 40 POW).
In the midst of the ford stands a huge raccoon, armed with a staff. He will bow to the characters, and explain that he is not permitted to let them cross here. He will advise them that he is unbeatable, and that the river cannot be swum; therefore they should go back the way they came.
Mr. Racoon
STR 382 R Leg 17/49
CON 251 L Leg 17/49
SIZ 44 Abdomen 17/49
INT 25 Chest 17/59
POW 71 R Arm 17/37
DEX 49 L Arm 17/37
WIL 58 Head 17/49
Move: 8
Hit Points: 147
Runes: Beast 70, Law 50, Harmony 30.
Weapon SR att/par dmg pts
Staff 1 90/120 1d8+40d6 50
Unless the party is incredibly tough, they will not be able to defeat Mr. Raccoon (they should be glad they are not dealing with his predecessor).
If they do, he will be swallowed up by the stream and be swept away. They will be free to cross the ford, and will find that the road leads to the City on the Edge of Doom (skip to part V below). If the party concedes defeat, but fought well and honorably, or if they can Orate successfully, Mr. Raccoon will offer to make a deal. He will allow them to cross, and will even aid them in their quest, if they will aid him in return.
During the God-Time, Mr. Raccoon guarded Doctor Rock, a magical artifact sacred to Arroin and to Chalana Alroy. The greedy Raven of the Sunset Isles would come time after time to try and take Doctor Rock, only to be thwarted by Mr. Raccoon ( much like the Earth legend of Wiley Coyote and Roadrunner).
When the God-Learners wandered the Heroplane, they slew the raccoon-demon which guarded Tusunimmi Ford, and took its enchanted hide with them as a trophy. For a joke, a later group of God-Learners captured Mr. Raccoon and brought him here to stand watch over the ford.
Now Raven has stolen Doctor Rock, and Mr. Raccoon cannot go to rescue it.
If the players will swear to follow the path to the tower of the God-Learners, located in the City on the Edge of Doom, and bring back the raccoon-skin, Mr. Raccoon will let them cross the ford. Doing this costs Mr. Raccoon all of his Spirit, and he will not be able to make any WIL rolls until they return. The oath that the players must swear is a binding Oath upon the Harmony Rune. If they break their word, Chalana Alroy will never heal them again ( nor will Xiola Umbar or any other healing cult ).
Part V
The path winds through incredibly dense and tangled woods for two days, then emerges on the shores of a vast copper sea (the water really is copper, and is not good to drink). After marching along the beach for another two days, the party will see an ominous line of clouds on the horizon. The sand trembles underfoot, as the sea whips itself into huge waves that crash onto the beach. Abruptly the beach ends, on a narrow, rocky point. There is a chain of small islands jutting out to sea, and a frail set of rope bridges connects them. Off on the horizon, almost hidden by the swirling clouds, are the lighted spires of some doomed city.
The last rope bridge takes almost a day to cross. Many planks are cracked or missing, a squall of black rain makes the ropes almost too slippery to hold, and howling gusts of wind make the whole bridge dance and shake. The players are reduced to crawling an inch at a time, and must make four Climb rolls to cross. Worst of all, directly below the bridge is a maelstrom of whirlpools and rip currents. A kilometer away, the entire sea pours over a vast waterfall into a starry abyss. Anyone fumbling a Climb roll plunges 100 meters into the water and is quickly swept away over the edge of the world. They do not die immediately; see Part VI below for their fate.
If the players make it across the bridge, they now stand on a narrow ledge overlooking the cataract. A well-built road leads upwards to the top of the cliff, where a vast tower soars up into the swirling black clouds. Around its feet are scores of shabby huts, tents, and shacks. Fires blaze on top of huge mounds of trash, and armies of noisy, humanoid figures mill around. The tower is dark, except for a few lit windows almost a kilometer up.
This is the infamous City on the Edge of Doom. The tower was built by God-Learners and Brithini sorcerors, who discovered that here they could live forever in luxury and wickedness without aging or dying. In their tower they feast and fornicate and worship chaos, while the shabby city below fights over their garbage.
As the party advances toward the encampments, a load of trash and rubble pours from one of the lit windows. A crowd charges towards the tower, only to be buried under falling garbage. After a few minutes of fighting and frenzied looting, nothing but ashes are left in the pile; and even those are being shoveled into a cart.
The fine God-Learner road is abruptly buried in muck and gravel as the players reach the edge of the city. There is a vast market-place here, flanked by semi-permanent buildings and walls, where all sorts of fantastic and mostly useless trash can be bought for exorbitant prices. There are countless shabby taverns and bars, where players can buy all kinds of gross and sometimes poisonous food and drink. There are scores of dark alleys, where players can fight monsters and muggers of almost every race. Every few hours, there is a trash-dumping or an organized assault on the tower. Players can stay here as long as they and the G.M. wish. They will not be killed unless they are exceptionally weak or stupid, but they will not be able to get into the tower either.
If players want to assault the tower directly, it will take a Climb roll for every five meters, and the lowest window is 750 meters up (i.e. 150 successful rolls). Also, if anyone climbs or flies into the tower, the God-Learners will show up within 10 rounds, using as much Brithini magic as it takes to repel the invaders.
If players ask around, they will find many individuals who will swear they can get the players into the tower. Some offer maps of secret entrances, some have magic items which will let the players climb or fly inside with the greatest of ease, and some even claim to be God-Learners in disguise, who will gladly sneak the players in. They will all demand payment in advance, and will be extremely hard to find (make a Critical Search roll) afterwards.
Just when players are starting to give up hope, they will find the raccoon-skin. They might see it at the top of a freshly-dumped load of trash, just before the crowd gets there; they might spot it being tossed into a bonfire; or they might see a great-troll wearing it for a breech-cloth. After much trouble, they can finally retrieve the skin and leave the accursed City on the Edge of Doom.
The party must once again cross the dangerous rope-bridge over the Edge of Doom. Anyone falling into the water will be swept away and plunge screaming over the edge of the world. They will lose 1d6 POW and will fall through a terrifying curtain of blackness into Skyfall Lake, where a boat of trolls will fish them out of the water and take them captive.
If the party makes it back to Tusunimmi Ford with the skin, Mr. Raccoon will send them out into the forest to collect plants he needs for the spell (3 successful Search rolls and a Plant Lore roll). If they fail he can send woodland creatures to collect the stuff, but they will have to wait 1d6 days and each day a large, dangerous chaos creature will attack the ford.
Once the skin and the necessary materials are in hand, Mr. Raccoon can summon up the raccoon-demon. This takes several hours of uninterrupted ceremony, and players might have to fend off chaos-creatures while Mr. Raccoon performs the ritual. When he is done, a huge raccoon-demon will appear. "You have done well", it snarls in beast-speech. "You may leave now". It then wades out into the middle of the stream and resumes its eternal guard of Tusunimmi Ford. He will not let anyone or anything across, and will attack if the players even stand around too long.
Racoon-Demon
STR 442 R Leg 35/147
CON -- L Leg 35/147
SIZ 56 Abdomen 35/147
INT 11 Chest 35/177
POW 121 R Arm 35/110
DEX -- L Arm 35/110
WIL 63 Head 35/147
Move: 11
Hit Points: 442
Runes: Beast 70, Death 70.
Weapon SR att/par dmg
R Claw 1 50/40 10d10+30
L Claw 1 50/40 10d10+30
Bite 1 70/-- 12d10+70
At this point, players must decide what to do. Yassazi (if he is still alive) will have no clue; freeing Mr. Raccoon has completely changed the path. In fact, the path will begin to fade away within one turn. Unless the party decides to follow Mr. Raccoon, they will inevitably become lost in the woods. After a week of wandering lost, they will wake up one morning to find endless grasslands surrounding them. The woods will re-appear a few times as mirages on the horizon, then vanish for good. Later that day the party will be intercepted by mounted nomads, demanding to know what the funny-looking strangers are doing on foot in the Plains of Prax. (This could be very awkward if any of the party has acquired Chaos features or items).
If the party decides to go with Mr. Raccoon, he will lead them for days through incredibly dense woods and jungle, guided by the unseen call of Doctor Rock. The path will lead ever upwards, into a range of jungle-covered mountains, along the rocky spine of the mountains, and to a windy cliff. As they approach the cliff, Mr. Raccoon and the party feel themselves growing lighter and lighter, until they can no longer touch the ground. They drift along in the wind, over the cliff, and into a cloudy haze. Ahead is a group of dark flying rocks, silhouetted against a perpetual orange sunset. A vast black shape flaps its way toward the party.
Raven of the Sunset Isles
STR 230 R Claw(01-02/01) 29/33
CON 137 L Claw(03-04/02) 29/33
SIZ 124 Body(05-07/03-06) 29/44
INT 14 Breast(08-09/07-11) 29/53
POW 88 R Wing(10-13/12-15) 29/44
DEX 25 L Wing(14-17/16-19) 29/44
WIL 38 Head(18-20/20) 29/44
Move: 2/12 fly
Hit Points: 131
Runes: Beast 70, Air 50, Darkness 30.
Weapon SR att/par dmg
Peck 3 50/-- 2d10+30
R Claw 6 40/-- 6d10+20
L Claw 6 40/-- 6d10+20
Mr. Raccoon will defeat the Raven after 2d6+6 hours of battle, and will order the Raven to fetch Doctor Rock back to its rightful place. The Raven will fly back to the Sunset Isles, sink its talons into the smallest of them, and slowly lurch towards the party. As he approaches, they will see that he holds an enormous chunk of Truestone. Anyone with Mystic Vision will see that the stone is inhabited by countless bright spirits of healing magic.
Doctor Rock
SIZ 2800
INT 35
POW 1488
WIL 192
Runes: Harmony 80, Fertility 20.
Raven will carry Doctor Rock back to Mr. Raccoon's forest, along with Mr. Raccoon and the party. The party can hang out here as long as they want; As a reward for helping retrieve Doctor Rock, Mr. Raccoon will train the party as long as they wish in First Aid, Plant Lore, Animal Lore, and Staff Parry. When they tire of the HeroPlane, he will take them to either the waterfall (the path of Arkat) or the woods (the path of Pavis). They will emerge in Skyfall Lake or the Hidden Greens of Prax, and will henceforth be cult heroes in any Light Bringer cult. Anyone in the party who is not already a Light Bringer will be automatically accepted if they later wish to join one. It costs a nominal 15 MP's for every waterskin of Chalana Arroy's tears they return with.
Since Doctor Rock has been restored to its rightful place, the Chalana Alroy cult might also become more powerful. The G.M. may wish to add new spells, more worshippers or temples, or anything else that would be appropriate for the G.M.'s campaign. Alternately, the G.M. might wish to give some healing benefit to the party only, such as immunity to poison or disease, regeneration, or a related gift. The players should NOT be able to bring back Truestone (Doctor Rock will zap anyone who tries to take a piece away from it).
An overview of Beolan's Quest We bested the Wolfings and wild Men, and rode three Days in their Lands (1), and on the fourth Day attained the Dark Place (2) which Beolan sought. This was a fearful Place, and the Horses would not bear us within, until Adrah the Sorceror had cast the Spell of Mastery over Horses. Then Beolan hefted his Spear and charged within, and all his Retinue. Through the Darkness we rode, and came to a Warrior of Death(3), who would bar our Way, but Beolan bested him in fair Combat. Thus we came into the Otherworld. The Otherworld was a fearful Desert, and we were plaged by Hunger and Thirst, for our Provisions were not enough to sustain us. All save one of the Horses died of Thirst, and ravenous Beasts slew the last, and also wounded Adrah in the Leg. After nine Days we came to the glittering Mountains, and were refreshed by a Lake. We climbed two Days, yet so tall were the Peaks that it was as if we had not climbed. But we persevered, and the third Day of our climb we came to a Pass.
When we attained the Height of the Pass, we came upon a Band of many Ogres (4), and it would have gone ill for us, save that they were feasting and fighting upon the Carcass of a Giant. We were able to evade their Sight, and left the Pass unassailed. Some of us quarreled, saying we might have bested them, and taken their rich Mail and Swords of Iron, but Beolan silenced them, saying this was not our Quest. Down from the Pass ran a swift and black River of Blood, and we marched on its Banks until we came to a Ford. But a fierce Beast stood in the Midst and would not give us Crossing. All that Day we battled, yet did not pass. Our Swords would not bite its hairy Pelt, and our Sorceries would not match its Power (5), and at the last even Beolan lost all Hope, for the Beast had done aught but parry our Blows. Beolan bowed to our Foe, and gave him his Sword as a spoil of Defeat, and then we returned along the Way we had come.
Again some of us quarreled, saying we should have won if we had been arrayed in Iron, and that we might still conquer the Ogres of the Pass. But Beolan would not hear such Arguments, saying that we had been rightfully defeated. There was still quarreling, but Adrah made the Argument that he could cast no more Sorceries, and that many of the Party yet had grievous Wounds. This ended the Dissent, and we prepared to end our Quest. Adrah brought forth his True Stone and called upon the Djinn (6), which he commanded to bear us to Safelster. With a great rush of Wind we were transported to the highest Spire of the Tower of Sorcerors in Xud. Adrah swore many blasphemous Oaths, for he was yet too weakened to cast a Spell of Flight, and we had not even a Rope. Despite our Protests, Beolan climbed down the Wall of the Tower and found a barred Window, which he beat upon until the Sorcerors came. They would not let us enter their Tower, nor fly us down, until we yielded a thousand silver Coins. Beolan would not bargain, and resolved for us to climb the long Way down, but Adrah bargained for our Passage, granting them the name of the wicked Djinn who had put us in this Plight. We then descended the ten thousand Steps of their Tower, and made our way across the City to an Inn that Beolan knew, where we were refreshed by many Rounds of strong Drink.
Translated by Yassazi the Sorceror, Lankst
Hail the Invisible God and the Glory of the Creator
2 I, Yassazi, have located this "Place of Darkness" in the Hsunchen wilds, North of Lankst, using my sorcery, but have had difficulty in locating the actual cave. It appears to be a remanent of where the Uz fled to the real world when the Sun God died.
3 Likely a Humakti Death Guardian.
4 The actual text says man eaters, but I believe this to mean Ogres.
5 By my estimates the being proabley has Magical Power totalling five men, and is immune to normal weaponary. Iron should be use.
6 Probabley a demonic sylph bound into the truestone. I hope to find this as part of the quest.