Play by E-Mail Turns

<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="11200500dvldtc.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Soaring Blade</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Soaring Blade"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Magnus (3E)"><U>Magnus (3E)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id165.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Items (Normal and Magic) (3E)"><U>Items (Normal and Magic) (3E)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id166.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spell Abilities (3E)"><U>Spell Abilities (3E)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id175.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="History"><U>History</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aspects"><U>Aspects</U></A>   |   <B>Play by E-Mail Turns</B>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Magnus (2E)"><U>Magnus (2E)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Magic Items (2E) "><U>Magic Items (2E) </U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="2e3d2c00dvldtc.gif"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Play by E-Mail Turns</B></div> <div>   This section of the Soaring Blade web-site is meant to allow the players to keep up with what has been happening with thier e-mails without having to search the Egroups database. I have compiled all e-mails from the list here.</div> <div>   <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0099FF" FACE="Arial" >I am working on highlighting the player's messages in blue</FONT>. The DM's messages will be in grey. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="527" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Current DM mail will be highlighted in yellow and placed in an outline. </div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>   Note that this is a repost of all the avalible e-mails, not written as a story. Details may be a little choppy. Hopefully everything will be understandable. If you have any questions, please e-mail me!</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="24b6c5f0.jpg" border=0 width="108" height="95" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> As his first action, Marethorn can choose to purchase supplies, immerse himself in study, or travel looking for evidence of rumored Gates.</div> <bR> <div> ___________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> After the events during the Final War, Magnus will most likly spend the </div> <div> majority of his time studying - specificlly the 10th level spells discovered </div> <div> during the "war". He sees this as a second chance at a missed opportunity </div> <div> (Magnus was forced to read a 10th level spell directly from a tome to fend </div> <div> off an attack on his companions by one of the Lords of the Abyss- </div> <div> Mephisopheles (sp) I think it was -which naturally destroyed the spell. He </div> <div> was only a Lichnee at the time, having consumed the potion but not yet dead. </div> <div> This was an act that he has second guessed himself about many times but he </div> <div> still believes it was the right thing to do. When the new spells were </div> <div> discovered, he felt that it was too fortunate an occurance to pass up.</div> <bR> <div> If there are any supplies NESSESARY to studying and scribing these poweful </div> <div> magics, Magnus will purchase them. Other than study and research, however, </div> <div> the only other matter he might attend to is finding a post for the animated </div> <div> dragon brought back from the desert (assuming it was still guarding the ship </div> <div> when we emerged). That should help with the dark and sinister reputation!</div> <bR> <div> Oh yes, and as always, Magnus will spend time longing for the true </div> <div> friendship and companionship that seems to forever be denied him...</div> <div> --------------------------------------------------------------------</div> <div> Gates (knowledge) +2</div> <div> Hummanity -1</div> <div> Supplies +0</div> <div> Studies +1</div> <div> Wealth +3</div> <div> Reputation (meanicing) +1</div> <bR> <div> Magnus let his attention wander from his books for a moment. He had his "pet"dropped off near his tower, letting it "hide" in the light forest to the south. The question was, of course, what to do with an undead great wyrm? Should he display it openly, let it appear when the time was right (when people came near his tower), or program it to follow the instructions of the King of Llorkth?</div> <div>   Magnus pondered the question. he would need to decide.</div> <bR> <div> After some consideration, Magnus decides to keep the creature near his </div> <div> tower. An undead guardian of that size should be MORE than enough to keep </div> <div> most unwanted guests away and those that braved the creature and approached </div> <div> the tower would obviously be someone he would have to "face" eventually </div> <div> anyway.</div> <bR> <div> Of course, should the King of Llorkth or any member of the Blade need (for </div> <div> some unfathomable reason) the services of the creature, Magnus would be </div> <div> willing to send/(bring) it to their aid. The same can be said for all of </div> <div> Magnus'...minion.</div> <bR> <div> "Perhaps", Magnus thinks to himself, "the time has come to research a way to </div> <div> imbue my minion with a bit more intellect than they normally have." </div> <div> Remembering the lore, discovered during his imprisonment in the Domain of </div> <div> Dread, of undead who were granted greater intelligence by the Lord of the </div> <div> plane's core domain, Barovia, Magnus considers the possibilities. The </div> <div> legends said that the undead lieutenants of this Lord's ghastly guardians </div> <div> were possessed of a spark of the former intelligence that they possessed in </div> <div> life and therefor were better able to see to the protection of the seat of </div> <div> that Lord's power. "Is it possible", Magnus thinks to himself, "that spell </div> <div> could be recreated...?"</div> <div> ----------------------------------------------</div> <bR> <bR> <div>   Magnus decided to allow his "pet" to guard his immidate surroundings, knowing it would keep unwanted strangers away.</div> <div>   Now, he would begin his studies into the matter of creating undead with more intelligence than his current spells allowed. Such a task would not be easy; the commonly known spells were limited because no one known had discovered a way to create intelligent undead, and those that might have found a way were not revealing thier secrets.</div> <div>   Magnus gathered all of his books together, studying all the ways to create undead, none of them revealing anything close to the result he wanted. </div> <div>   Finaly deciding that his own library was too limited to gain the knowledge he needed to start constructing his spell, he decided instead to focus on where the knowledge he needed might be. </div> <div>   After considering all of the possible locations he knew of, he came to the conclusion that two places might offer some hope. </div> <div>   The first was Rashamen, to the farthest east of the Realms, a land north of Thay that was ruled by mighty witches. However, outsiders were not welcome there. the great witches would possibly know the answers he sought; their seas were patrolled by shipd commanded by undead servants. The witches were enemies of the Red Wizards, but they were also chaotic and unpredictable.</div> <div>   The second option was to try to contact the Phae, the small offset group of Phaerimm that had begun to try to make changes toward the way of good, if any of those rebels still existed. Magnus had had his fill of the great Desert where the creatures lived, but at the same time was intrigued by the vast amount of magical knowledge that was lost to the desert and that the Phae obviously weilded.</div> <div>   </div> <div> DM: Magnus must decide where to begin his search.</div> <bR> <div> Gates (knowledge) +2</div> <div> Hummanity -1</div> <div> Supplies +0</div> <div> Studies +2</div> <div> Wealth +3</div> <div> Reputation (meanicing) +4</div> <bR> <div> -----------------------------</div> <div> Magnus asked for help from the other members and decided to act on Artaylium's offer to share Thalenshade's books.</div> <div> ----------------------------</div> <bR> <div> Magnus replies:</div> <div> "I am most grateful for the chance, King Stenis. The information found </div> <div> therein may well prove quite useful to me. I will, of course, gladly share </div> <div> any of my findings with you and the rest of The Blade. If permissible, I </div> <div> will be making the journey to you palace shortly. Again, my thanks."</div> <bR> <div> With that (assuming Artaylium allows it), Magnus will teleport himself to </div> <div> the palace, eager to study the arcane knowledge in this mysterious mage's </div> <div> former lodgings. Perhaps some of the knowledge MAgnus seeks from the witches </div> <div> lies amongst the mage's belongings as well...</div> <div> --------------------------------</div> <div> Gates (knowledge) +2</div> <div> Hummanity -1</div> <div> Supplies +0</div> <div> Studies +2</div> <div> Wealth +3</div> <div> Reputation (meanicing) +4</div> <bR> <div>   Light cracked from the stone floor of Dragonrealm Castle, deep within it's lower tunnels. The darkened walls flickered with greenish yellow light as the fissures grew larger and larger, until skeletal hands reached fourth, grabbing one another until there was large mound of bone upon the rock below. Suddenly releasing their grip, they fell away back into the light, leaving behind a shadowy figure. With the last of the bony hands sinking back into the ground, the cracks of light disappeared, leaving no trace that they were ever there, save for the lone undead. Magnus the Lich had arrived at llorkth.</div> <div>   He sensed that the former mage of the kingdom, Thalenshade, had his tomes nearby, but he would have to be careful. Surly such a powerful mage did not leave his treasures unguarded.</div> <div> -------------------</div> <div>   There were no protections about Thalenshade's belongings, but Magnus assumed it was due to the fact that the mage had left nothing of real magical value behind. His spell tomes, magical devices and the like were all gone. His personal journals, if there were any, were also missing. Magnus found a cat made of volcanic rock that he thought at first to be magical, but it was just a statue.</div> <div>   Combing through the hundreds of books that were avalible, magnus searched for the information he required. The books were in a order of sorts, but many were left lying about as if the mage had used them and placed them down wherever he was finished. </div> <div>   Finaly, Magnus brushed the dust off the cover of a tome called "Thay and Rashamen". Obviously, the mage had been prepared to fight the red Wizards had they come calling to Llorkth. Luckily, Rashamen was just north of Thay, so this book did indeed have some information on that far away place. Magnus read:</div> <bR> <div>   "Rashemen lies north of the mysterious land of Thay and is easternmost of the established, civilized Realms. To it's east lies rocky, grassy wastelands, and the home of the Tuigan Horde and other, rumored dangerous peoples. The land of Rashemen is the home of a short, muscular race of humans who are primarily concerned with their herds, and who are adept at carving bone and sculpting rock. </div> <div>   The trade goods of Rashemen are wool, furs, and carved stone and bone, as well as much-prized casks of jhuild, or firewine. Firewine sells for 1gp in Rashemen, 15gp elsewhere, per pint. </div> <div>   Some refer to the land as the Land of the Beserkers, as it's warriors have turned at least 20 attacks from outside forces, including Thay.</div> <div>   A Huhrong, or Iron Lord, controls the forces of Rashemen. These lords are chosen by the Withches of Rashemen, who wear grey masks that show a woman's passive face. All the witches are female, and their main haven is in the city of Urling. Under Rashemen law, harming or disobeying a witch is punished by death.</div> <div>   No witch has ever been seen outside the lands of Rashemen. There are rumored to be sixty witches, but there are reports that their numbers are greater than 100.</div> <div>   When Thay has attacked in the past, they have encountered "witch-ships" witch attacked without pilots or sailors, not to mention monstrous beasts and poisionous gases that came across the waters."</div> <div> -------------------</div> <div>   After continuing his search, Magnus found no more information on the witches. he did, however, find some history on the city of Llorkth that he thought might hold interest for the king.</div> <bR> <div> DM: What will Magnus' next action be?</div> <div> -------------------</div> <div> Magnus will find Artaylium, waiting in the shadows until he finishes his </div> <div> conversation with Corshal Lander. HE does not do so in an attempt to eves </div> <div> drop but to be polite (he may be dead but he is a dead elf and has better </div> <div> manners that to barge in on a private conversation). When the king is </div> <div> finished, Magnus says (from the shadows):</div> <div> "King Stenis, I apologize for the interruption. I have completed my </div> <div> examination of your former mage's lodgings. My thanks to you for the </div> <div> opportunity to peruse the things he left behind. I was able to find only a </div> <div> few morsels of useable information but I did find this (presenting the King </div> <div> with the book about Llorkth) which you might find interesting.</div> <bR> <div> Perchance, do you know of any other place where I might acquire more </div> <div> information on these "Witches"? I need to be armed with all of the knowledge </div> <div> available to me before attempting to make contact with them.</div> <bR> <div> Magnus awaits the Kings response...</div> <div> -------------------</div> <div> Is there anything else Magnus will do? Will he look for more information or travel to see the witches?</div> <bR> <div> Magnus' slight smile at the Kings kind words is mostly hidden by the black </div> <div> mask he wears. His heart is lifted, knowing that despite his being an </div> <div> outsider among this group of old allies and friends, he is accepted by most </div> <div> of them. Acceptance being something that Magnus felt he would never have and </div> <div> he cannot help but think that perhaps, after all of the years he has lived, </div> <div> he has finally found his home.</div> <bR> <div> Magnus thanks King Stenis, sincerely, for his hospitality and kind words </div> <div> and adds that if there is anything he can do to return the favor, he needs </div> <div> only ask. He will then bid him goodbye and transport himself back to his </div> <div> tower.</div> <bR> <div> MAgnus will attempt to contact Shalamar. MAgnus is uncertain of how he </div> <div> should deal with this "Emerald MAge" that he hears the Blade speak of with </div> <div> such reverence. Having worked with the man few times and having had no real </div> <div> opportunity to converse with him, he is uncertain of how he will be </div> <div> received. Magnus' desire for the knowledge he seeks, however, is greater </div> <div> than any uncertainty he may feel and, dispelling foolish doubt from his </div> <div> mind, he contacts Shalamar.</div> <bR> <div> "Greetings to you Shalamar. As you may recall, I am Magnus, friend and ally </div> <div> to the Soaring Blade. I have need of information on the Witches of Rashamen. </div> <div> I feel that I will soon find it necessary to travel to Rashamen to seek </div> <div> certain pieces of arcane knowledge which I believe can be found there and </div> <div> very few other places. Any information that you are willing to provide me </div> <div> may well prove useful. I must determine in which way I should approach them </div> <div> for the knowledge that I seek that will meet with the most success. I thank </div> <div> you for giving me you time, which I know is quite valuable.</div> <div> -------------------</div> <div> Gates (knowledge) +2</div> <div> Hummanity -1</div> <div> Supplies +0</div> <div> Studies +2</div> <div> Wealth +3</div> <div> Reputation (meanicing) +4</div> <bR> <div>  Once back to the comfort of his tower (comfort to him anyway), Magnus decided it was time to contact Shalamar again. he wondered why the Emerald Mage had not answered his magical messages. Prehaps he was not as welcome with the mage as he was with Artaylium.</div> <div>   He felt a wind outside, a strong gush of air. Looking out into the twilight, he saw the form of Earanath, the great gold wyrm that lived in the south of the kingdom, flying overhead, back from whatever dragons do when they fly away for a time. he had been close to the tower to have made such a gale. No harm done, Magnus thought as the great beast disappeared from view, heading back in the direction of it's lair.</div> <div>   Approaching the greenish orb that had been given to him by the king (for he had many such devices in various parts of his castle), he waved a thin, white hand over it's top.</div> <div>  "<I>Shalamere, ve-an-saarkus</I>."</div> <div>   Magnus watced through the visual portal, a magical effect that allowed to people in diffrent locations to see and hear one another. It glowed with a soft light, and a figure appeared.  However, the vision that formed before the orb was not Shalamar, but a gaunt human with long, silver-grey hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was obviously aged, but seemed strong enough. Given just a little time, however, his body would begin to deteriorate and he would have to confront whatever god he worshipped, something Magnus would not have to worry about as long as he did not meet his doom by force. Not for a very long time, anyway.</div> <div>   "Greetings, Magnus. I am Silvenmane, high scholar of the Emerald Order. Shalamar is in leave to Aglarond to see the Simbul, and cannot answer your question. I, however, can. The witches are a very mysterious lot, but it is known that they are not tolorant of strangers. Proper etiquiette demands that if you come from anothr land you bring a gift of books that the witches do not have or magic scrolls with spells they have not seen; both hard to guess at. The witches will not make you do anything they do not feel is necessary, but in that land their word is law, and breaking that law is punishable by death. Thay and Rashemen had a small war in recent years over the fact that a witch told a red wizard visiting in that land that he was not allowed to carry his staff during his time there, but he was seen carrying it anyway and was put to death."</div> <div>   "I'm afraid that my knowledge is limited to that which I have told you. Not much is known about the place, even by the surrounding nations."</div> <div>   </div> <div> "Thank you, Silvermane, for the information that you have provided. Please </div> <div> give Shalamar my greetings as well." Magnus waves his slender, pale hand </div> <div> over the gem to break off contact and then places the same hand over his </div> <div> mouth in contemplation.</div> <div> "...books or spells they do not posses.... Magnus turns and strides to his </div> <div> library, searching for scrolls or books from his home plane. "Perhaps they </div> <div> will be interested in a greater knowledge of the outer planes as well...", </div> <div> Magnus thinks to himself.</div> <bR> <div> (Basically, I want to search my library for a book or books dealing with </div> <div> knowledge of the other planes that I have heard little of since arriving on </div> <div> this plane.... maybe any books I might have brought with me from Sarelorn-in </div> <div> the Domain of Dread.)</div> <bR> <div> Magnus will then proceed to his laboratory and open his magical tome. After </div> <div> some searching through the large, black book, Magnus finally makes a </div> <div> decision. Retrieving the needed materials from the various cabinets through </div> <div> the lab, Magnus sits in the blackened wooden chair at his desk and begins to </div> <div> inscribe a scroll with one of the "new" (dragon magazine) spells on it. (I </div> <div> want to inscribe the spell -the name of which I cannot remember- which </div> <div> creates a connection with the Negative plane to harm the living but which </div> <div> actually strengthens -heals- undead when it is used on them. It is on a </div> <div> photocopied sheet in my folder.)</div> <bR> <div> Once he is finished, Magnus rises from his seat, slides the scroll into a </div> <div> protective tube and begins gathering his supplies for the journey, including </div> <div> a map of the general area of Rashamen (if available). He will also contact </div> <div> Novid Copperleaf.</div> <bR> <div> "Novid, please forgive the intrusion, I'm sure you are quite busy but I </div> <div> wished to inform you that I have finally decided to make the journey to </div> <div> Rashamen in search of the knowledge I seek. I do not expect to be gone a </div> <div> great while but I feel it would be wise for others to know my whereabouts in </div> <div> case something...unfortunate should happen.</div> <div> Be well until next we meet." (a traditional Sivanesti way of saying good </div> <div> bye)</div> <bR> <div> Magnus then contacts King Stenis:</div> <div> "King Artaylium, I wish to inform you that I will be making my journey to </div> <div> Rashamen at last. I believe I have found what will make good barter for the </div> <div> information that I seek. I hope to return soon but I though it best that </div> <div> others know my destination in the event that I encounter difficulties. I </div> <div> shall be leaving my new draconian guardian to watch my tower but I was </div> <div> hoping that you would be mindful of it as well, in my absence. I do not ask </div> <div> that you do any more that be alert to any UNUSUALLY suspicious activity in </div> <div> the area. I thank you for your time, King Stenis. Be well until next we </div> <div> meet."</div> <div> ------------------------------------</div> <div> After speaking with his allies, Magnus prepares his spells for the journey </div> <div> and prepares to leave...</div> <bR> <div> LL: 500 words (25 exp x 20 = 500 exp) x2 rp = 1000 exp</div> <div> OTD: level 5 (average) = 500 x 2 = 1000</div> <div> Total Exp: 1000 exp</div> <bR> <div> Magnus telported into the outside areas of the city of Immilmar, the capitol of Rashemen. His first decision would be whether or not to see The Iron Lord or try to find one of the Witches of Rashemen.</div> <bR> <div> DM: I will need to know this before I go further with your turn.</div> <bR> <div> That would depend on proper etiquette. If it is not improper to seek </div> <div> immediate audience with the Witches, then Magnus would do so. If however, </div> <div> tradition or law demands that he speaks with the Iron Lord first, then that </div> <div> is what Magnus would do.</div> <bR> <div>   Magnus the mage pondered what to do next. He did not know the proper proceedure on how to go about seeing the witches. He walked into the city, carefully taking everthing around him in.</div> <div>   Magnus expected to find buildings similar to the ones in larger cities here. After all, this was a nation that had thwarted the Red Wizards on more than one occasion. But he did not. Instaed, he found that most of the buildings were small, thatch-covered homes, simple in make. The people here were dressed in animal furs and skins, and Magnus had the impression that they had little wealth. Still, children scampered about the streets and he could hear singing. the people seemed happy enough.</div> <div>   That is until he stepped into sight. Immediatly, the children ran toward their homes, and the parents scooped them up, quickly disappearing into their homes. </div> <div>   Down the street, Magnus could see a large man get up and approach him. he was not running, but he was swift about his walk, and had his hand upon the sword he carried. He was large, and obviously experienced. Magnus was reminded of the barbarian that was part of the party he ventured with into the Vault of the Forbidden, except this man had dark hair, and a medium-length beard. As he approached, Magnus could also see that there was a large scar that ran across his neck as if he had survived a massive wound to the throat.</div> <div>   "I am Ruthguard, champion of these people. Who are you and why have you come to this village? Strangers are not welcome here."</div> <bR> <div> Magnus took in the city as he walked into town, noticing the similarities </div> <div> between these primitive buildings and those of the humans of Krynn. The </div> <div> sounds of gaiety made Magnus remember back to the times of his youth, when </div> <div> it seemed as though nothing could darken his mood. The days spent playing </div> <div> with his sister and brothers. All brought to a tragic end by the blades of a </div> <div> tyrannical government that feared change! How could Silvanosti, the </div> <div> professed first born, perhaps the most advance peoples on the world of </div> <div> Krynn, allow such fear to control them? As always, thoughts of his murdered, </div> <div> no, slaughtered family made his heart and chest grow tight with grief. If </div> <div> only he had been there.if only he knew for certain the fate of his sister.</div> <bR> <div> Distracted by memories of the past, Magnus fails to notice the man until </div> <div> he was within earshot. Looking the man over, he felt pity for this </div> <div> "primitive" who feels so threatened by that which he did not know. The dark </div> <div> and grief tainted mood was in, however, was a bit satisfied by this </div> <div> reaction. "Perhaps he SHOULD feel threatened by my presence. How would he </div> <div> react if I showed him my TRUE visage...?"</div> <bR> <div> Dismissing those thoughts from his mind Magnus inclined his head slightly. </div> <div> "Greetings, Ruthgaurd", Magnus offered, his voice reflecting the chill in </div> <div> his heart and his touch. "I am Magnus the Mage and I seek audience with the </div> <div> Witches. Perhaps you can direct me to where they receive guests." A part of </div> <div> Magnus hoped that the man would simply direct him to the location he sought </div> <div> and leave him be. Another, darker part hoped that this "Champion" would feel </div> <div> threatened enough to act against him and he could... NO, Magnus pushed those </div> <div> thoughts from his head as well. Such trouble would only serve to impede his </div> <div> quest more that it already was and might make the Witches less that eager to </div> <div> trade with him.</div> <bR> <div> Magnus gripped his staff and watched Ruthgaurd carefully, his eyes </div> <div> unblinking. If the man tried anything, Magnus would be ready but with luck, </div> <div> Magnus' dark and foreboding visage would be enough to cause the champion to </div> <div> doubt his chance of success. As he noted the people peering out from behind </div> <div> curtained windows and doorways, watching the exchange with a mixture of fear </div> <div> and anticipation, Magnus waited for a response...</div> <bR> <div> EXP: 2000 (1400 + rp bonus + dm response bonus)</div> <div>   "Guests?!" Answered Ruthguard in suprise. "Nay sir, the witches rarely receive guests." Ruthguard looked at Magnus with a suspicious eye. "Yer a mage then, yes?" Ruthguard scratched his head, obviously not used to dealing with those who asked to see the witches. "Ye best bet is to see the Iron Master first, he can arrange a meeting with the witches. But I warn you, they do not take visitors well, 'specialy yer kind."</div> <div>   "My kind?" asked Magnus.</div> <div>   "Mages. The witches are women, y'know. We don't have many men around here practicin' magic. That's the right of women. 'Course, you must not be from around here, so they might not be mad or anythin'. "</div> <div>   "The Iron Master lives in Immilmar, the capitol of Rashemen. I can take you there, it's not far. Hope you don't mind a friendly escourt." The man looked nervous telling Magnus that he would have to bring him into the city under guard. Magnus noticed his hand was ear the pommel of his sword as well. Still, he took no action, waiting for Magnus' response.</div> <bR> <div> Magnus stared at the "Champion" of these people, unblinking, unmoving. After </div> <div> staring at the man in silence for a few more uncomfortable moments, Magnus </div> <div> replied, "Whatever puts your mind at ease...." His eyes never blinking and </div> <div> never moving from Ruthgar, Magnus waited patiently for the Champion to lead </div> <div> him to Immilmar.</div> <div> Finally, Ruthgar cleared his throat, "ahem...seein as how you don't have </div> <div> a horse an all, it'll be a mighty long trip..." Ruthgar's voice trailed off </div> <div> as Magnus began gesturing and incanting. After a moment had passed, with a </div> <div> hollow, spectral whiney, a black horse, almost skeletal in appearance </div> <div> galloped up from the earth. Stunned and a bit panicked, Ruthgar stepped </div> <div> back, unsheathing his blade and prepared to battle the creature.</div> <div> Magnus smirked, the darker parts of his psyche approving of Ruthgar's </div> <div> moment of fear. The more reasonable part of his mind took charge, however. </div> <div> "Do not fear, Champion. As you can see, I do indeed have a horse and we are </div> <div> ready to begin the journey, as soon as you fetch a horse of your own. Or </div> <div> would you prefer that I call up another such steed for you as well?" Magnus </div> <div> could not help but smile ever so slightly as Ruthgar visibly paled at the </div> <div> thought.</div> <div> "Th-there will be no n-need for that, it will take but a moment to get my </div> <div> on horse." Turning his head but never quite taking his eyes off of Magnus, </div> <div> Ruthgar called for his son, one of the few lad who had not fled the street </div> <div> when the Phantom Steed appeared, to bring his horse and be quick about it.</div> <div> The boy returned just a few moments after Magnus and, for the most part, </div> <div> gracefully mounted his steed. The boy brought his father's horse to a halt </div> <div> well away from Magnus. For a moment, he hesitated, terrified that he would </div> <div> actually have to approach Magnus and his spectral horse. Sensing the boy's </div> <div> fear and wanting to get on with his quest, Magnus turned his horse, moving a </div> <div> few paces away from Ruthgar. This encouraged the boy, who urged his father's </div> <div> horse on ahead and dismounted. Ruthgar quickly pulled himself into the </div> <div> saddle and checked to make certain the boy had remembered to put the </div> <div> necessary supplies in the saddlebag.</div> <div> "Be careful, father," the boy told Ruthgar as the Champion prepared to </div> <div> call to Magnus that he was ready. "I will, my son, give you mother and </div> <div> sister my love and tell them that I will be home soon." With that, Ruthgar </div> <div> scruffed the boy's hair and then turned back toward Magnus, who seemed to be </div> <div> staring at the two of them...but it was obvious to Ruthgar that the dark </div> <div> mage's mind was far from Rashamen...</div> <div> After a moment of uncertainty, Ruthgar spoke, "We should be on our way." </div> <div> The statement roused Magnus from his visions of a burned home in the treed </div> <div> and the charred and butchered bodies of it's owners.</div> <div> His voice cold and unforgiving, Magnus replied simply, "we should..."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Note to DM: I'm not sure where you intend to go with this or how far it is </div> <div> to where we are going so I'll let you take over here.</div> <div> Sorry it has taken me SO LONG to reply but with the holidays then the </div> <div> company meeting in GA & the whole moving thing, I just haven't had the time. </div> <div> Hopefully, after next week, I'll be able to respond in a timelier manner.</div> <div> -Scott</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="515" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1101 WIDTH="503"><div> Magnus rode slowly on his magical mount, his "escort" along side. The capitol, Immilmar, was not at all what he had expected. Other human capitol cities about Faerun's west were crammed with buildings of all sorts, and huge castles at their heart. But this city was diffrent. The homes and houses of these people were scattered far from each other, just a thatch hut here and there. Most homes they passed, built from clay with straw roofs, seemed poorly made and barbaric. Magnus saw no mounted men or guards of any type. It seemed hard to imagine that a land so seemingly poor could have warded off attacks from the well trained and equipped Thay to the south.</div> <div>   They traveled foward another few miles, until they reached a clearing. Ahead was a large house, similar to the ones Magnus had seen before. Again, Magnus was suprised to see such an influential human living in such a place.</div> <div>   "We have arrived, Magnus."</div> <div>   The door to the home opened, and a large, broad-chested man appeared. He was dressed in fine furs, and had pecies of armor dotted here and there that were well made. His face carried a large beard, which went wildly in all directions. He looked at Magnus, eyes narrowed, but as if to study, not to intimidate.</div> <div>   "I am the Iron Master, ruler of the forces of Rashemen. You wish to speak with me?"</div> <div>   "Yes," Magnus spoke, his voice a strained whisper. He did not mean to sound imposing, but he could not change how he sounded, not without casting a spell. "I seek an audience with the Witches of Rashemen. Is that possible?"</div> <div>   "Prehaps, said the lone fighter. Prehaps. First, however, you would have an audience with me."</div> <div> ----------------------------------------------------------</div> <div>   In the home of the Iron Master, Magnus sat across a simple wooden table from his host. The man gulped down a soup-like food he called halus from a simple bowl, without the use of a spoon. His beard was wet with the yellow liquid. Ettiquitte was obviously one of the court's highest ideals in Rashemen.</div> <div>   "I find it suprising that you do not have more forces about." said Magnus. Where are the warriors of Rashemen?"</div> <div>   "They are about", answered the Iron Master. "There is no need for them to have gathered, as we are not expecting battle."</div> <div>   Magnus thought about asking further about how the forces were gathered if there was a need, but decided against it. He did not want to make the Iron Master beleive he was a spy from Thay.</div> <div>   The Iron Master changed the subject. "I am Thorm Steelforger, of the clan of Steelforger. My father was Halabul, who died in battle against Thay. I was called to serve as the Iron Master ten summers ago, when the old Iron Master was taken by Bhaal."</div> <div>   Bhaal, the god of murder and death, was killed during The Time of Troubles, but Magnus thought it better not to bring the subject up. Still, he wondered why the clerics of that deity in the area would not have known that the god had met his destruction, thatnks to his own doing and the workings of Cyric.</div> <div>   DM: Throughout the night, the Iron Master asks Magnus some questions, and I would like to hear how he answers them.</div> <div> "Who are you really, and where do you come from?"</div> <div> "What kind of elf are you? I have never seen elven features such as yours."</div> <div> "What do you want with the Witches of Rashemen?"</div> <div> "Why do you wear a half-mask?"</div> <div> "What will you do with what you gain from the Witches?"</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>