The Swan

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="0f800500dvldtc.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#6633FF" FACE="ForgottenUncial" ><B>Dark Kingdoms</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><B>    |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dark Kingdoms"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id197.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Search Begins"><U>The Search Begins</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id198.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Journey of Kerrick"><U>The Journey of Kerrick</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hard to Hide"><U>Hard to Hide</U></A><B>   |   </B><B>The Swan</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id201.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions Answered, Questions Raised"><U>Questions Answered, Questions Raised</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>ADVENTURES</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id197.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Search Begins"><U><B>The Search Begins</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id198.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Journey of Kerrick"><U><B>The Journey of Kerrick</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hard to Hide"><U><B>Hard to Hide</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id200.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Swan"><U><B>The Swan</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id201.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions Answered, Questions Raised"><U><B>Questions Answered, Questions Raised</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>The Swan</B></div> <bR> <div> Before he could leave the city, a fierce storm struck. Having no choice, kerrick waited for the storm to pass at the Red Dragon Maw, and there a woman named Velesa of the House of Hamar, a powerful trading family. She offered to him a bargin - if he could find the men from a missing caravan, he could keep anything he found from the goods, should he find them. If not, she would still pay him 100 gold. Kerrick accepted the job.</div> <div>   Another man also found Kerrick, named Murkas (at least that is what he called himself). He seemed very interested in Kerrick and followed him from the city, although Kerrick was able to lose him. </div> <div>   Traveling into the wilderness, Kerrick fought a Gnoll, then traveled on again until he reached the moutains to the northwest of Trader's Heaven. There he met a Swanmay, a Fey creature, named Larsania. She guided him to the remains of the caravan, but she was not able to leave her sanctuary or she would lose her powers. </div> <bR> <div>   Finding the captive men from the caravan (those that were left, including Relton, the soon-to-be husband of Velesa), Kerrick attempted a rescue, and almost succeeded, but was taken captive by the koblods responsible. Just as it looked as he would be killed, Larsania scared off the kobolds by pretending to be The Dark One, a monster from thier mythology. </div> <div>   Returning to the city, Kerrick refused the reward given to him, learning that it was sometimes better to do things because they are right instead of for the sake of greed. The house of Hamar seemed very thankful, and Kerrick made some strong new contacts. Larsania, now permanently detached from her home, decided to travel with Kerrick.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>