Category:Wicked Times (storyline): Difference between revisions

Wicked Times took place during GemStone III in the year 2000, and was revisited on the Officials in 2008.

Poem

Posted by DRUMPEL 2 May 2008

1
Find a blade that's known no blood.
And cut the wood, soft and light.
Find the plant that heals the head.
Gather the blooms, bonny and bright.
Fetch the water that burns so nice.
Bring the vat to hold the soup.
Fire it all with the purest flame
To make the wand that saves the group."

2
"What's wrong with baby? She looks so still.
The white one comes and eats its fill.
What's wrong with grandad? Screams and moans.
The white one comes and cracks his bones.
What's wrong with momma, what's wrong with son?
The black one comes, eats everyone."

3
"Beneath a tree that grows too fast
Gather the few, gather the few.
Follow the root to the distant past.
The beast pursue, the beast pursue."

4
"Light soft wood, good good good.
Virgin blade on the branch is laid.
The stalk that heals a new side reveals.
Blossoms yellow, that's a good fellow.
In a big old pot, make it nice and hot.
With the water of life it could clear the strife."

5
"Sunny morning, sunny day.
The children go outside to play.
Day so pretty, sky so blue
Mom and dad so proud of you
Something happen to your head.
Something come and kill you dead."

6
"Where do they go, the taken ones?
Away from the sun, away from the sun.
Where do they take the sweetest fruit?
Find the root, find the root.
Where do they go, the old and slow?
Down below, down below."

7
"Danger, danger underfoot
Kiss the child goodbye
Gammy, gammy, gammy's gone
Wonder wonder why
Nobudy here?
They all dissappear!"

8
"A blade clean as new cuts a bough from a tree.
A pot that's shaped like the hive of a bee.
A head-healing herb joins a golden flower
With the water of life to save the hour."

9
"Tree, tree newly seen
Razor blade, razor keen
Juice, juice ,very mean
Weed, weed fresh and dirty
Bloom, bloom very purty
Pot, pot oh so sturdy
Mixing them and hopin
Eyes and mind wide open."

Dramar's Explanation of the Feithidmore

Posted by CARABELE 18 November 2000, and reposted by BLAHR 27 July 2008

I was passing by and noticed this thread again.

Below is a posted log by Carabele in Nov of 2000. Dramar's explanation of the feithidmore:

This log contains only Dramar's words. None of the questions and answers are included. Others may post what they feel is relevant from those, but thought the majority would wish to hear Dramar's words.

(Sorry for the repost, but I realized I cut one line he said, so reposted.)

You see Dramar Aleandron the Sylvan Lorekeeper.
Age has taken its toll on the wizened scholar, for his white hair has receded to the point of leaving just a bushy tuft above each ear. A pair of thin gold spectacles rests on his nose, doing little to hide his tired, dark eyes.
He appears fatigued, but in otherwise good health.
He is wearing a carved ivory cloak clasp depicting the image of a modwir pine, some long linen gold-trimmed robes, a pendant suspended from a long vaalin chain with a large golden topaz in its center and seven curved vaalin rays encircling the gem, an incised leather belt with symbols tooled in gold covering its length, a thick brown woolen cloak with a deep gold-edged hood, a pair of tall brown leather boots with lacing up the sides and a tooled leather sheath worked with an over-all pattern of interlocking branches and accented around its edges with small tree-shaped studs.

Dramar says, "We face a danger that none of you in your lifetimes has yet faced."

Dramar says, "And pray that should any of you survive, you never again witness these events."

Dramar says, "Before I explain what is happening to your city, let me introduce myself to those who have not yet seen me."

Dramar says, "My name is Dramar Aleandron, a Lorekeeper sent from the Council of Elders in the city of Ta'Illistim to investigate the odd occurences you have seen these past weeks."

Dramar says, "We were sent to investigate your town because Ta'Illistim began to see the same occurences as you have."

Dramar says, "Our children began reciting unusual chants, seemingly in a state of possession."

Dramar says, "Upon awakening from this state, they did not recall what they said or did."

Dramar says, "This was most alarming to us, for it reminded us of the very thing we once were sent to Ta'Illistim to study."

Dramar says, "Many of you have observed that we are sylvankind living in a city dominated by the landwalking elves."

Dramar says, "You have keen observations."

Dramar says, "Long ago, the events that you now face we believe struck the world."

Dramar says, "At the time, my ancestors - our ancestors - in Yuriqen survived the event."

Dramar says, "They did not recall exactly what happened, but knew that an alarming event struck the world."

Dramar says, "Voluntarily, they left the safety of Yuriqen, headed to Ta'Illistim."

Dramar says, "Since then, a group of sylvan Lorekeepers have lived there, studying histories of all sorts."

Dramar says, "Our ancestors left shortly before the closing of Yuriqen, of their own free will. They hoped to spare the world the horrors of what once occurred."

Dramar says, "It is my hope that I, my associates, and all of you live to succeed in this purpose."

Dramar says, "Before I continue about the danger we face, I must give a warning..."

Dramar says, "If you remain in this town, it's very likely you will die."

Dramar says, "You may have no control over this grisly fate."

Dramar says, "If you fear for your safety, you may head to Icemule. This town remains safe from the threat we face."

Dramar says, "You have seen appearances of the banaltra already."

Dramar says, "Fierce beasts that have claimed the lives of children..."

Dramar says, "So many children..."

Dramar sighs.

Dramar says, "As well as adults."

Dramar says, "It is my belief these appearances will continue, and increase in duration."

Dramar says, "And although they pose a serious threat, they are not going to be your true concern. For you see, they are only a harbinger of what is to come."

Dramar says, "The true problem we face is the feithidmor. Let me explain a bit about this creature for you."

Dramar says, "First, understand that what I tell you today is in good part speculation."

Dramar says, "As none who have lived through this event in the past could recall it occurring..."

Dramar says, "We have an idea of what is to come, but cannot say our every belief is fully accurate."

Dramar says, "The feithidmor are ancient creatures that have a very unusual life cycle."

Dramar says, "We know that they live underground, and that they are self-reproducing."

Dramar says, "Each feithidmor in its lifetime will lay one single egg, after which it will die."

Dramar says, "This egg will eventually grow into a feithidmor identical to its parent."

Dramar says, "During which time they are cared for by colonies of banaltra."

Dramar says, "During this time the banaltra live off small creatures that live underground, for the most part."

Dramar says, "You will not see these creatures on the surface."

Dramar says, "As the egg begins to quicken and eventually hatches..."

Dramar says, "The banaltra must then begin to gather food for the young feithidmor."

Dramar says, "This is what you are witnessing now."

Dramar says, "The feithidmor feeds off the decomposing flesh of dead children and adults that the banaltra kill."

Dramar says, "The banaltra then feed off the remains - the bones."

Dramar says, "You have likely heard a thrumming sound emmanating from the earth..."

Dramar says, "This is, and will continue to become, the root of your problem."

Dramar says, "For you see, the feithidmor emits a thrumming sound that can travel through soil and stone."

Dramar says, "This sound is extremely dangerous to sentient beings, for it can block all mental activity."

Dramar says, "Those afflicted by the thrumming sound may find themselves entering a fugue state at best..."

Dramar says, "Or find themselves a victim of brain death, at worst."

Dramar says, "For those of you who may not be familiar with the term I just used, I will explain this fugue state."

Dramar says, "During this time, the victim will be fully concious, but will be completely incapable of thought."

Dramar says, "When this state passes, they will regain their senses, but have no recollection of what may have happened during their fugue state."

Dramar says, "Some of you have become a victim to this already."

Dramar says, "I myself have also."

Dramar says, "This sound the feithidmor emits will only become louder as the feithidmor claws its way to the surface."

Dramar says, "Currently, it is at its weakest state."

Dramar says, "Those most afflicted by the fugue state are children, elders and those who study the magical arts."

Dramar says, "Children because their minds are still weak and easily susceptible to outside influences..."

Dramar says, "Mages and elders because they depend more on their mind than their wits."

Dramar says, "Eventually when the feithidmor surfaces, no one can escape."

Dramar sighs.

Dramar says, "Now perhaps you understand why my associates and I cannot give you all the answers you seek."

Dramar says, "None who live through this occurence will have ever had the capability of recalling the horrors they witnessed."

Dramar says, "Those who resided within the afflicted cities either died outright, or entered the fugue state - hapless victims awaiting the banaltra."

Dramar says, "Large populations would be destroyed before the banaltra and feithidmore were finished feeding."

Dramar says, "When the feithidmore were finished in each location, they would again burrow into the earth, lay an egg, and die."

Dramar says, "Naturally any survivors would then awaken from their state."

Dramar says, "They would certainly know something terrible happened, but it was most often chalked up to an attack by a large force or a plague."

Dramar says, "None ever knew what truly happened."

Dramar asks, "How did Yuriqen and other sylvan communities survive?"

Dramar says, "We are an arboreal race, and although we suffered from the sound of the feithidmor as land-dwellers..."

Dramar says, "Due to the safety of our trees, they could not feed upon us."

Dramar says, "This was how our ancestors knew something dreadful happened - they did not know exactly what, but they were determined to find out."

Dramar says, "These rhymes you have heard lately..."

Dramar says, "We believe that they may hold vital clues in how to deal with the feithidmor that now rests under your city."

Dramar says, "Although survivors of the past feedings could not conciously recall what occurred..."

Dramar says, "We believe that somehow the horrors they witness seeped into their unconcious, collective memory."

Dramar says, "These memories lie just beneath the surface of the mind - but they cannot be reached while concious thought occurs."

Dramar says, "The fugue states that many of you have seen block these concious thoughts."

Dramar says, "And it is from here where the chants and rhymes are brought forth."

Dramar says, "Passed on unconciously from generation to generation, none ever knowing they possessed such knowledge until afflicted by the feithidmor."

Dramar says, "Remember, this is only speculation as of now - but from the little we have heard of the rhymes."

Dramar says, "I believe they hold vital keys."

Dramar says, "There are two ways to survive the coming feithidmor..."

Dramar says, "Leave town and live off the wilderness until after it strikes."

Dramar says, "The banaltra require a rich source of food - this makes cities ideal for the feithidmor."

Dramar says, "The wilderness does not offer this convenience, thus those who leave on the outskirts of civilization are spared the horrors."

Dramar says, "We also believe Icemule to be safe from this threat."

Dramar says, "We have not seen any indication of an odd linden tree growing in their city in the past weeks."

Dramar says, "It may be due to the climate, I do not know."

Dramar says, "But one commonality we have noticed is that every city across this continent that is experiencing these rhymes and oddities"

Dramar says, "Also found a sapling linden tree appear unexpectly."

Dramar says, "We do not know if the tree has anything to do with the feithidmor, or what it may represent."

Dramar says, "But it is a peculiarity that is worth further study."

Dramar says, "If you remain to try and solve this impending problem, you have my thanks."

Dramar says, "If you choose to leave for safety, I do not blame you for exercising common sense."

Dramar says, "Not many are willing to face certain death."

Dramar says, "Myself, I have lived many years already. I will do my ancestors proud and remain here, studying for a way to solve this problem."

Dramar says, "If you remain, I would have your help in these coming weeks."

Dramar says, "When we discover a way to confront this feithidmor, I will seek out volunteers to aid in this cause."

Dramar says, "I am NOT seeking volunteers currently, as I do not even know if there is a way."

Dramar says, "I believe it is vital we stop the feithidmor before it surfaces..."

Dramar says, "For if it reaches the surface, we will either instantly die or enter a fugue state."

Dramar says, "And all will be lost."

Dramar says, "I was not able to share this knowledge with you upon my arrival."

Dramar says, "The Council of Elders required that we know for certain what is happening before we share it with you."

Dramar says, "I will now try and answer some of your questions, but will likely not be able to answer them all tonight."

Dramar says, "If I do not, you will surely see me in town this week."

Dramar says, "Please spread the word of what I told you this day."

Dramar says, "To any who may not have attended."

Dramar says, "It is imperative all in this city know what they face."

Having finished addressing the assembly Dramar sits back down.

Linden Tree Adventure

Posted by Drumpel 2 May 2008

I like to post this log every once in a great while. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Here's the log of the Trip in Solhaven. This log as been cleaned up a lot...it has taking me sometime to do this clean up, so I hope you enjoy it. Anything in () is me summarizing up the situations we were in and what we've done. I also tried to show all the rooms that we came across, for those that would like to see the inside of the underground area.

go crack
Motharan says, "Go kurut"

[Linden Tree, Roots] 
The thick roots of the linden tree intertwine to form a sort of canopy. Worms and grubs wriggle deeper into the dirt and centipedes scurry under stones and root ends. Loose dirt seeps down from above. The smell of fresh, rich soil pervades the area. A large, jagged stone leans against two of the larger roots. You also see a narrow crack high in the wall between the roots. 
Also in the room: Lady Lyranni, Lady Songie, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: none. 

(The group slowly gets through the crack and we await for one more member for a while. Also, visions through my familiar show me of the battle taking place outside the tree, people dying and fighting and such)

[Linden Tree, Roots] 
The thick roots of the linden tree intertwine to form a sort of canopy. Worms and grubs wriggle deeper into the dirt and centipedes scurry under stones and root ends. Loose dirt seeps down from above. The smell of fresh, rich soil pervades the area. A large, jagged stone leans against two of the larger roots. You also see the Stefinn disk and a narrow crack high in the wall between the roots. 
Also in the room: Charna, Lord Paole, Stefinn, Dannielle, Lady Lyranni, Lady Songie, Lord Anterrio who is kneeling
Obvious exits: none. 

You crawl through the crevice, being careful not to scrape yourself on the sharp rocks that surround you.

Roundtime: 3 seconds.

[Linden Tree, Roots] 
The roots of the linden tree create a low, narrow tunnel that inclines slightly. Loose dirt filters down from the latticework of roots overhead. The sound of the softly cascading dirt is reminiscent of the rasping breath of a dying man. A small, angular stone juts up through the floor. You also see a small crevice. 
Also in the room: Lord Paole who is kneeling, Charna who is kneeling, Dannielle, Lady Songie, Lord Anterrio, Lady Lyranni
Obvious exits: down. 
Stefinn comes crawling in on his hands and knees. 

You smile.

(Finally, all grouped together again, I?m still seeing visions through my familiar of the battle outside)

[Linden Tree, Roots] 
The roots of the linden tree create a low, narrow tunnel that inclines slightly. Loose dirt filters down from the latticework of roots overhead. The sound of the softly cascading dirt is reminiscent of the rasping breath of a dying man. A small, angular stone juts up through the floor. You also see the Stefinn disk and a small crevice. 
Also in the room: Stefinn who is kneeling, Lord Paole, Charna, Dannielle, Lady Songie, Lord Anterrio, Lady Lyranni
Obvious exits: down. 

(We try doing stuff with the angular stone, but it does nothing. Behind the roots in this room is a centiped that bites you and poisons you. Nothing else, it does)

Lord Anterrio's group just went down.

[Tunnel, Chamber] 
The tunnel here is wide enough to be considered a small chamber. The sloping, uneven floor is a jumble of scattered rocks and stones, making footing uncertain. The roof is formed by an intertwining latticework of roots. The soil is very black and moist, almost muddy. The sound of water dripping can be heard from somewhere in the darkness ahead. 
Also in the room: Lady Lyranni, Lady Songie, Dannielle, Charna, Lord Paole, Stefinn, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: up, down. 

(In this room, if you look at the soil, you see something moving under it, and then if you look under the soil, you see a mole, it did nothing. There were also some scattered rocks about that did nothing.)

Lord Anterrio's group just went down.

[Tunnel, Abyss] 
The floor of the tunnel is uneven and strewn with rocks and clods of loosely packed dirt. The sound of water trickling on stone echos weirdly through the gloom. The chamber ends in a deep, jagged abyss. You also see a hanging root. 
Also in the room: Lady Lyranni, Lady Songie, Dannielle, Charna, Lord Paole, Stefinn, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: up. 

glance root
You glance at a hanging root.

snif root
You CAN'T be serious. The root is too far away to even touch!

l abys
You ease slowly up to the edge of the deep abyss. Despite the gloom of the tunnel a ledge is barely visible across the abyss. A thick white root dangles above it. A stress fracture in the stone forming the side of the abyss looks like it might be traversed by a strong climber.

Anterrio eases cautiously to the edge of the abyss and peers into the gloom. 
Songie eases cautiously to the edge of the abyss and peers into the gloom. 
Dannielle eases cautiously to the edge of the abyss and peers into the gloom. 
Charna eases cautiously to the edge of the abyss and peers into the gloom. 

clim abys
Very creative idea. Silly, but creative.

Think
You rub your chin thoughtfully.

clim root
You CAN'T be serious. The root is too far away to even touch!

(Ok, so there?s this root hanging there..We just can?t figure out what to do with it yet...So, we turn our attention to the stress fracture in the abyss.)

You tap a stress fracture.

You say, "climb it"

You point at a stress fracture.

Charna cautiously approaches the fracture in the rock and slowly begins to work her way down. Before she gets very far a look of shock passes over her face.

Charna tries to scrabble back onto the ledge...but fails! Charna slides down into the abyss!

Stefinn cautiously approaches the fracture in the rock and slowly begins to work his way down. Slowly, he descends down into the stress fracture in the side of the abyss.

<<A slight scratching noise makes you look up at the linden tree. Peering back at you is a small chipmunk, studying you with a quiet intensity.>> 
(This is a sight from my familiar...right, like a chipmunk would really be in the tree during all the fighting and everything else going on right next to it...sorry, I just had to point that out)

Paole cautiously approaches the fracture in the rock and slowly begins to work his way down. Slowly, he descends down into the stress fracture in the side of the abyss.

You cautiously approach the fracture in the rock and slowly begin to work your way down. With great skill and infinite care you manage to descend into the stress fracture.

[Abyss, Narrow Chute] 
This stress fracture in the rock forms a sort of narrow chute. The rock is striated in such a way as to afford small handholds. The abyss, just inches away, gapes menacingly. One slip, one wrong move and disaster awaits. You also see the Stefinn disk. 
Also in the room: Lord Paole, Stefinn, Charna, Lady Lyranni
Obvious exits: up, down. 

(Ok, we go up and down in the abyss for a while, looking for a way to go. The Solhaven group happens to run into a few other folk from the RR and the Landing group that have fallen into the abyss and died or were injured. They end up disapearing and aren?t seen by me or my group after we get back up-top the abyss and try figuring out that hanging root...oh yeah, I'm still seeing killing and fighting and so on through my familiar here and blah, blah, blah...you know)

You feel a sensation of loss as you lose contact with your familiar. 
(Damn, there goes my watching entertainment...)

(During our investigation of the lower area of the abyss and the spot with the hanging root, we found out that the person holding the Baton could not drop it, put it in a container or use it for anything else...however, we could hand the baton back and forth with each other. So, while looking around, we are at the same time, trying to figure out how to get that baton out of the holders hand to free up both hands for climbing.)

l
[Abyss, Bottom] 
Jagged, dagger-sharp rocks, barely visible through the gloom, are strewn about the uneven floor of the narrow abyss. The air is thick with dust. Far above, remotely distant, is a soft halo of faint light. 
Also in the room: Dandee who is lying down, Lord Paole who is lying down, the body of Lord Sammeal who is lying down, the body of Lord Frijthof who is lying down, the body of Armundia who is lying down
Obvious exits: up.

(See, Sammeal, Frijthof, and Armundia also, Dandee joins us. And Dandee and the others are not part of the Solhaven mission team, the come from RR or the Landing...oh yeah, this is the bottom of the abyss. You get here from either falling from top, or from climbing and walking down safely. I found myself down here the first time, falling the last part of the climb down here.)

Charna offers you a dark gnarled baton. Enter ACCEPT to accept the offer or DECLINE to decline it. The offer will expire in 30 seconds.

You accept Charna's offer and are now holding a dark gnarled baton.

You carefully examine the gnarled baton and determine that the weight is about 2 pounds. 
Roundtime: 5 sec.

prep 405
You concentrate on the Elemental Detection spell... 
Your spell is ready.

cast baton
You gesture at a dark gnarled baton. 
The essence swirls as it flows in a fog of chaotic patterns around the baton. You can't make any sense from the patterns. 
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds. 

put baton in my cloak
Magical forces surrounding the a dark gnarled baton prevent you from doing that!

Think
You rub your chin thoughtfully. 
You ask, "dare i wave it?"

put baton in stefinn disk
Magical forces surrounding the a dark gnarled baton prevent you from doing that!

wav baton at root
The room you're waving the baton in isn't the right one! You need to be in a room with one of the linden trees in it!

(Ok, the baton can?t be used for anything, we finally figured that out. It is just to be held by one person that is leading the group.)

Anterrio says, "breeze again charna"
The hanging root settles back into place.

You ask, "what i miss?"

Charna gestures. 
A strong breeze suddenly picks up and begins to blow around in different directions through the area!

Songie says, "that root"

The breeze causes the root to begin swaying.

Lyranni says, "Breeze blows the root "

Stefinn says, "How bout cast Tonis at it"

prep 505
You concentrate on the Hand of Tonis spell... 
Your spell is ready.

cast root
You gesture at a hanging root. 
You CAN'T be serious. The root is too far away to even touch!

(At this point, we realize that we need to make the root swing by casting breeze or call wind. However, we cannot seem to grab hold of the damn thing when it swings our direction!)

The root swings towards the south end of the abyss.

The root swings towards this side of the abyss.

go root
You CAN'T be serious. The root is too far away to even touch!

jump root
You CAN'T be serious. The root is too far away to even touch!

(We try for like 9 or 10 minutes with the swinging root, and take a break to check out this boulder that is in the very first room we entered when we came into the crack in the tree. When looking behind the boulder, you could see a small crevice, so we push on the boulder)

Lyranni leans into the jagged stone and pushes with all her might. With a groan, the stone gives way and tumbles from its resting place. The roof supported by the stone begins to give way, and spreads to a full cave in. Rocks begin to fall all around you. 
Lyranni is crushed by the falling stone... 
... 15 points of damage! 
Blow to chest causes Lyranni's heart to skip a beat. 
She is stunned! 

Rocks continue to fall around you.

One of the rocks strikes Paole... 
... 1 point of damage! 
A feeble blow to Paole's left arm! 

One of the rocks strikes Dannielle... 
... 1 point of damage! 
A feeble blow to Dannielle's right arm! 

One of the rocks strikes Songie... 
... 1 point of damage! 
A feeble blow to Songie's right arm! 

One of the rocks strikes Anterrio... 
... 5 points of damage! 
Jarring blow to Anterrio's back. 

One of the rocks strikes you... 
... 1 point of damage! 
Blow nicks your right hand. 

(Can we say, damn...tough break. That boulder pushing did nothing except give us a few scratches from a small cave-in. Ok, back to the root!) 

(On our way to the root, we stop to play around with the centiped and mole some more to see if they do do anything, but they don?t from what we found. Ok, finally, someone gets the correct command down when the root was swinging towards the side we were on.)

Songie leans forward, gets a running start, and tries to jump the deep abyss.
About a quarter of the way over, it appears Songie is not going to make it. With a little quick thinking and a lot of luck Songie manages to grab a root hanging from the ceiling, but her grip appears unsteady at best.

gawk
Your jaw drops.
Anterrio coughs.
Lyranni blinks.
Charna gasps.
You ask, "how?"

Anterrio exclaims, "cast wind!"

prep 912

Songie asks, "Jauckha whats your CM?"

You concentrate on the Call Wind spell...
Your spell is ready.

Cast
You gesture.
A gust of wind tugs at your sleeves. Suddenly, a fierce wind rips through the area, scattering everything in its path and making it difficult to remain standing.
The wind then subsides.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

The wind forces the root to begin swaying.

l
[Tunnel, Abyss] 
The floor of the tunnel is uneven and strewn with rocks and clods of loosely packed dirt. The sound of water trickling on stone echos weirdly through the gloom. The chamber ends in a deep, jagged abyss. You also see a root with Songie hanging from it and the Lyranni disk. 
Also in the room: Lady Lyranni, Lord Paole, Jauckha, Charna, Wakim, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: up. 
The root swings towards this side of the abyss with Songie still clinging to it. 

(Ok, if that show of Songie, a 91 trained cleric, hanging from the root isn?t a funny sight, I don?t know what is...hahahaha!)

The root swings towards the south end of the abyss and Songie manages to release the hanging root at just the right time to make it to the other side.

(Finally, after swinging on the root for a minute or two, like it was a play thing, Songie finally gets to the other side. Ok, at this point, I?m wracking my brains like mad cuz I wanted to swing on the roots, too! I cast call wind a few times to keep the root swinging and finally, I too, figure out the correct command to jump to the root!)

(this attempt for the root, is when it was on the other side, but at the moment I was still trying to figure out how to jump to the root)

jump abys
You gather up your courage, get a running start, then just as you reach the deep abyss you stop suddenly, overcome with fear.

The root swings towards this side of the abyss.

jump aby
You gather up your courage a second time, get a running start, then try to leap over the deep abyss. 
About a quarter of the way over the deep abyss you realize you're not going to make it. With a little quick thinking and a lot of luck you manage to grab a root hanging from the ceiling, but your grip is unsteady at best.

l
[Tunnel, Abyss] 
The floor of the tunnel is uneven and strewn with rocks and clods of loosely packed dirt. The sound of water trickling on stone echos weirdly through the gloom. The chamber ends in a deep, jagged abyss. You also see the Lyranni disk and a hanging root. 
Also in the room: Lady Lyranni, Lord Paole, Jauckha, Charna, Wakim, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: up. 

Charna says, "How"

You say, "jump abyss when the root come this side"

The root swings towards the south end of the abyss and you manage to release the hanging root at just the right time.

[Tunnel, Abyss] 
The tunnel floor here is mostly stone covered with loose dirt and clods of mud. One wall of the tunnel is formed by a massive boulder which leans precariously overhead. The face of the boulder has been shattered, leaving three large slabs of rock heaped at the base. Water trickles down the face of the boulder and runs into a natural cavern to the east. To the north is a deep abyss. 
Also in the room: Lady Songie
Obvious exits: east. 

Songie points at a rock slab.

Songie seems to be trying to figure out how to turn a rock slab.

l slab
It must have taken tremendous supernatural forces to shear this massive slab of stone from the boulder.

push slab
That would accomplish nothing.

l boulder
This immense wall of stone has been recently shattered. The face of the boulders glistens as a thin sheet of water trickles down from above.

clim boulder
You can't do that.

clim slab
You can't do that.

Songie leans into the rock slab and gives it a good shove. The slab rocks unsteadily for a moment, then topples over, finally resting across the abyss. 
Songie exclaims, "ha!"

(Ok, I didn?t realize there were more then 1 rock slabs, but Songie did, and she created the bridge over the abyss. Now, everyone comes across and we group back together)

Songie points at a small fissure.

l fis
You see nothing unusual.

(Under the first rock slab is a fissure, which is the correct way to go, but we didn?t realize that at this point)

go fiss
You crawl through the fissure, being careful not to scrape yourself on the sharp rocks that surround you.

Roundtime: 3 seconds.

[Tunnel, Small Fissure] 
This fissure is nothing more than a wide crack in a massive boulder, riven by the formidable magic that created these tunnels. Craggy, cold stone looms oppressively on all sides, above and below. Tiny cracks and fracture lines appear everywhere in the stone. To the south is a high stone ledge. 
Also in the room: Lord Anterrio who is kneeling
Obvious exits: none. 

l led
This formidable stone ledge is quite high, beyond the reach of all but giantkin.

clim ledge
You grab ahold and climb the stone ledge.

(Ok, says just out of reach except for Giantkin...then damn, I sure am one tall fricking dark elf, cuz can reach the ledge and climb up)

[Tunnel, Ledge] 
This is a tall, narrow band of dark stone, dropping off sharply on both sides. To the north it descends into a small fissure. Toxic fumes rising from stress cracks in the fissure disturb the air, making it dance and shimmer. To the south the ledge plummets into a bowl-shaped pit filled with sand and dirt. You also see a large root. 
Obvious exits: none. 

l root
You see nothing unusual.

pul root
I'm afraid that you can't pull that.

clim root
[Tunnel, Small Fissure] 
This fissure is nothing more than a wide crack in a massive boulder, riven by the formidable magic that created these tunnels. Craggy, cold stone looms oppressively on all sides, above and below. Tiny cracks and fracture lines appear everywhere in the stone. To the south is a high stone ledge. You also see the Lyranni disk. 
Also in the room: Jauckha, Lady Songie, Wakim, Charna, Lady Lyranni, Lord Paole, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: none.

Anterrio exclaims, "get out!"

Anterrio taps a small fissure. 
Songie gestures at Anterrio. 
Anterrio's skin takes on a more pinkish tint. 
Lyranni says, "Can't"
Anterrio kneels down.

ra eye
Anterrio just crawled through a small fissure. 
You give your eyebrow a little workout. 
Paole gestures and utters a phrase of magic.

You ask, "what you doing?"

Songie says, "go out"

You ask, "why?"

A hissing sound escapes from the cracks.

You feel lightheaded and dizzy. Bright spots flash before your eyes. You are seized by a fit of deep, lung-wracking coughing. 
Songie sways slightly and staggers. She is suddenly seized by a fit of deep, lung-wracking coughing. 
Wakim sways slightly and staggers. He is suddenly seized by a fit of deep, lung-wracking coughing. 
Lyranni sways slightly and staggers. She is suddenly seized by a fit of deep, lung-wracking coughing. 
Paole frowns and coughs roughly.

(Ok, out we all go...damn, now me and everyone else in my group is poisoned! Stupid gas! So, now we avoid that area for now, but we come back to it)

You crawl through the fissure, being careful not to scrape yourself on the sharp rocks that surround you.

Roundtime: 3 seconds.

[Tunnel, Abyss] 
The tunnel floor here is mostly stone covered with loose dirt and clods of mud. One wall of the tunnel is formed by a massive boulder which leans precariously overhead. The face of the boulder has been shattered, leaving three large slabs of rock heaped at the base. Water trickles down the face of the boulder and runs into a natural cavern to the east. To the north is a deep abyss. You also see the Lyranni disk and a large slab of rock bridging the abyss. 
Also in the room: Lady Lyranni who is kneeling, Jauckha who is kneeling, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: east. 

Health
You seem to be in one piece.

Maximum Health Points: 82
Remaining Health Points: 67
You are feeling pretty good. 

Maximum Spirit Points: 10
Remaining Spirit Points: 10

Poisoned! Taking 14 damage per round. Dissipating 1 per round.

(Now, we leave that area and head east, instead of back into the fissure)

Lord Anterrio's group just went east.

[Cavern, Stalactites] 
Hundreds of pale, ivory-colored stalactites droop from the roof of this natural cavern. They hang so thickly that one is forced to wind between them. The floor is slick with water and the air is heavy with the sour smell of minerals. The sound of the gurgling water is like a thousand cruel whispers. 
Also in the room: Jauckha, Lord Paole, Wakim, Charna, Lady Lyranni, Lady Songie, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: west, southeast. 

(Nothing special in here, we move on.)

Lord Anterrio's group just went southeast.

[Cavern, Stalactites] 
Some peculiar essence in the soil or stones above has caused swirls of bright crimson to form in the pale stalactites. It's almost as if the cavern itself is bleeding. The flowing water, now tinged with red, follows a downward southwestern track. To the southeast is a narrow passageway from which emanates a putrid smell. 
Also in the room: Jauckha, Lord Paole, Wakim, Charna, Lady Lyranni, Lady Songie, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: northwest, southeast, down. 

(Still nothing special in this room...So, we continue on)

Lord Anterrio's group just went southeast.

[Cavern, Narrow Passageway] 
This narrow, twisting passageway is piled high with the decaying carcasses of small subterranean and burrowing creatures--moles, shrews, rats, snakes. The stink of decaying flesh is powerful. A high-pitched chittering sound comes from a small hole in the southeastern corner of the passageway. 
Also in the room: Jauckha, Lord Paole, Wakim, Charna, Lady Songie, Lady Lyranni, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: northwest.

l hole
You see nothing unusual.

l in hole
There is nothing in there.

go hole
You will have to climb that.

(Me, having to uphold my crazy status (Krazy Kurut!) climbs down the hole by himself...I?m not called crazy for nothing. There could have been anything down that hole, but I didn?t care.

clim hole

[Cavern, Banaltra Nursery] 
This small room is jammed with newborn and young banaltra. The floor is littered with cracked bones. Older banaltra kill and crack open small mammals and rodents to feed the young. The heat from so many bodies is oppressive and the high pitched chittering is deafening. The only exit is a small hole. 
Obvious exits: none.

(Damn, nothing special in here either! Others come down, look around, we leave)

(Ok, back a few rooms, now we go down, instead of se) 
  
Lord Anterrio's group just went down.

[Cavern, Dark Pool] 
A dark, inky pool dominates the area. The pool reeks with the stink of strong minerals. Looming menacingly overhead are long, thin, black stalactites. Water drips into the pool from the overhanging stalactites, but the drops make no sound as they strike and leave no ripple on its surface. 
Also in the room: Jauckha, Lady Lyranni, Lady Songie, Lord Paole, Wakim, Charna, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: up.

l pool
The surface of the pool is absolutely still. Water from the black stalactites falls into the pool, but makes no sound and leaves no ripple. The stink of rotten eggs is appalling in the small room.

Anterrio taps some black stalactites.

l stala
These glistening, black stalactites hang overhead like giant stilettos.

clim stala
You can't do that.

(Ok, after checking out the area se of the fissure, we find nothing useful. To the fissure! Again!)

You crawl through the fissure, being careful not to scrape yourself on the sharp rocks that surround you.

Roundtime: 3 seconds.

[Tunnel, Small Fissure] 
This fissure is nothing more than a wide crack in a massive boulder, riven by the formidable magic that created these tunnels. Craggy, cold stone looms oppressively on all sides, above and below. Tiny cracks and fracture lines appear everywhere in the stone. To the south is a high stone ledge. 
Also in the room: Wakim who is kneeling, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: none

A hissing sound escapes from the cracks. 
Paole frowns and coughs roughly. 
Jauckha frowns and coughs roughly. 
Charna frowns and coughs roughly. 
An irritating tickle in your throat makes you cough. 
Wakim frowns and coughs roughly. 
Anterrio frowns and coughs roughly. 
Anterrio kneels down.

(HA! This time we all have purify air and poison resistance on. No one?s getting poisoned this time around)

(back up the ledge with me and a few others. Now, Anterrio is holding the baton, so he is unable to climb the ledge with his hands full, cuz he can?t put the baton in any containers...he?s forced to be holding it at all times.)

clim led

You grab ahold and climb the stone ledge.

[Tunnel, Ledge] 
This is a tall, narrow band of dark stone, dropping off sharply on both sides. To the north it descends into a small fissure. Toxic fumes rising from stress cracks in the fissure disturb the air, making it dance and shimmer. To the south the ledge plummets into a bowl-shaped pit filled with sand and dirt. You also see a large root. 
Also in the room: Lady Songie, Wakim, Lord Paole
Obvious exits: none. 

l pit
You see nothing unusual.

kick root
You stub your toe trying to kick the root!

l root
You see nothing unusual.

examine root
You see nothing unusual.

pul root
I'm afraid that you can't pull that.

push root
You give the large root a shove and it falls to the room below.

Beam
You beam!

dan
You dance around the room to music only you can hear.

(Damn, if only I'd pushed the root the first time we were here...oh well. Now, with everyone up on the ledge, we regroup and spell up. We prepare for the worst and are still hoping for the best.)

(Anterrio crosses his fingers.) 
Paole slowly empties his lungs. 
Songie exclaims, "anterrio we can do this!" 
Lord Anterrio's group climbed down a bowl-shaped pit.

[Tunnel, Pit] 
The stark and forbidding walls of this pit rise steeply. The bottom of the pit is filled with fine-grained sand and dirt. Loose dirt skitters down the sides of the pit making a sound like lizard claws on stone walls. You also see some sheer stone walls. 
Also in the room: Lady Lyranni, Jauckha, Wakim, Lord Paole, Charna, Lady Songie, Lord Anterrio
Obvious exits: none.

Sand begins pouring in from overhead. 
The sand begins to pile up around you.

l wal
The walls of this stone pit are tall and sheer, offering no handholds. Loose dirt, sand and grit drifts down the sides of the walls.

Lyranni exclaims, "Oh no!" 
Charna exclaims, "ack!"

Wakim says, "climb out"
Sand continues to pour into the room from overhead. 
The sand buries you a little further.

Lyranni exclaims, "Climb the wall quick!"

Anterrio exclaims, "can't climb it!"

(Ok, we search and search and search for a way out, we cast call wind on the sand, hand of tonis and breeze...Hoping to blow the sand out of the pit to keep us from getting covered in sand and to hope we won?t die! But all of a sudden...!)

Sand continues to pour into the room from overhead.

Lyranni lets out a last gasp of horror before disappearing under the sand. 
Jauckha lets out a last gasp of horror before disappearing under the sand.

Much to your horror you are buried in the sand.

You feel yourself falling through the sand...

[Tunnel, Feithidmor's Nest] 
The stench of decay in this area is appalling. The bodies of children and old people in various stages of decomposition are scattered about. Some are partially eaten, some are virtually nothing but denuded bone and bits of putrefied flesh. Those bodies that still have faces reveal expressions of absolute and unrelenting horror. In one corner of the room is a dark pool of inky, viscous water. You also see a feithidmor. 
Also in the room: Jauckha who is lying down, Lady Lyranni who is lying down
Obvious exits: none. 
Wakim falls from above! 
Paole falls from above! 
Charna falls from above! 
Songie falls from above! 
Anterrio falls from above! 
A feithidmor claws at Paole! 
AS: +750 vs DS: +438 with AvD: +35 + d100 roll: +70 = +417
... and hits for 113 points of damage! 
Incredible strike pierces heart and runs Paole clean through! 

* Paole drops dead at your feet!

Paole seems slightly different. 
The misty halo fades from Paole. 
The light blue glow leaves Paole. 
Paole returns to normal color. 
Paole begins to breathe less deeply. 
The wall of force disappears from around Paole. 
The air about Paole stops shimmering. 
The deep blue glow leaves Paole. 
The very powerful look leaves Paole. 
The white light leaves Paole. 
The silvery luminescence fades from around Paole. 
Paole becomes solid again. 

The feithidmor howls with vicious delight!

(Can we say, ?Ouch! Damn, there goes our empath!?)

prep 917
You concentrate on the Boil Earth spell... 
Your spell is ready.

Jauckha swings a rhimar-edged black alloy balta at a feithidmor! 
AS: +0 vs DS: +500 with AvD: +23 + d100 roll: +82 = -395
A clean miss. 
Not even close.

Anterrio sings a melody. 
In response to the soothing melody of Anterrio's song, your surroundings become calm and still.

(Ok, at this point, we are grabbing blue crystals, pure potions, anything that will help with AS and DS and we?re all rubbing away and casting away to up AS and DS in any way we can. After all that, the fight continues for a little.)

Songie gestures and utters a phrase of magic. 
Songie gestures at a feithidmor. 
Strands of webbing shoot forth towards a feithidmor. 
Nothing happens. 
A feithidmor avoids the webbing.

l fei
You see a fairly typical feithidmor. 
It appears to be in good shape. 
It has nothing at this time.

You hear the ghostly voice of Paole say, "I dead"

prep 501
You concentrate on the Sleep spell... 
Your spell is ready.

cast fei
You gesture at a feithidmor. 
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

(What? I cast sleep on it, and not a god damn thing happening...<roar>. Ok, I?ll shorten this up more. TD based spells don?t work, can?t be slept, boiled, bound, webbed, calmed...you name it, it doesn?t work if the spell or attack of whatever type isn?t based on AS)

Jauckha says, "neck is weak point"

Jauckha says, "neck is weak point"

describe feith
The feithidmor is large, the size of a hut. Its insect-like body is protected by black chitinous armor made shiny by a coating of oily beads of liquid. Four very small, red eyes seem almost lost in the creature's large head. A fat, fleshy neck can be seen through a tiny chink in the armor.  Goblets of flesh hang from its long pincers.

(If that?s not gross, I don?t know what is...YUCK! It hurts my eyes to just look at it!)

Jauckha swings a rhimar-edged black alloy balta at a feithidmor! 
AS: +379 vs DS: +500 with AvD: +23 + d100 roll: +53 = -45
A clean miss. 
Not even close. 
The guiding force leaves Jauckha.

A low thrumming sound emanates from the feithidmor, gradually rising until it becomes unbearable. 
... 40 points of damage! 
Charna stunned by strike to hand. 
She is knocked to the ground! 
She is stunned! 
Lyranni is knocked out of hiding. 
... 30 points of damage! 
Lyranni stunned by strike to hand. 
She is knocked to the ground! 
She is stunned! 

Songie gestures and utters a phrase of magic.

Wakim gestures and utters a phrase of magic.

Wakim gestures at a feithidmor. 
Nothing happens.

Songie gestures at a feithidmor. 
Nothing happens.

prep 910
You concentrate on the Major Shock spell... 
Your spell is ready.

cast feith
You gesture at a feithidmor.

You hurl a powerful lightning bolt at a feithidmor! 
AS: +266 vs DS: +500 with AvD: +33 + d100 roll: +53 = -148
A clean miss. 
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Jauckha swings a rhimar-edged black alloy balta at a feithidmor! 
AS: +379 vs DS: +500 with AvD: +23 + d100 roll: +72 = -26
A clean miss. 
Not even close. 
The guiding force leaves Jauckha.

A low thrumming sound emanates from the feithidmor, gradually rising until it becomes unbearable. 
... 35 points of damage!  
Strike to lower back stuns Charna. 
... 30 points of damage! 
Strike to arm spins Lyranni like a top. Lyranni is stunned.

prep 910
You concentrate on the Major Shock spell... 
Your spell is ready.

Lyranni stands up.

cast feith
You gesture at a feithidmor.

You hurl a powerful lightning bolt at a feithidmor! 
AS: +360 vs DS: +500 with AvD: +33 + d100 roll: +40 = -67
A clean miss. 
The guiding force leaves you. 
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

A feithidmor notices Lyranni botch an attempt at concealing herself.

A feithidmor stabs at Lyranni with its stinger! 
AS: +750 vs DS: +444 with AvD: +19 + d100 roll: +65 = +390
... and hits for 39 points of damage! 
Slash across right eye! 
Hope the left is working. 
She is stunned!

(stuff happens between these two attacks, nothing worth seeing...)

A feithidmor stabs at Lyranni with its stinger! 
AS: +750 vs DS: +434 with AvD: +19 + d100 roll: +90 = +425
... and hits for 50 points of damage! 
Strike pierces calf!

Wakim gestures and utters a phrase of magic. 
Wakim gestures at Lyranni.

The glazed look leaves Lyranni.

Songie waves the twisted wand at a feithidmor. 
Nothing happens.

Jauckha swings a rhimar-edged black alloy balta at a feithidmor! 
AS: +304 vs DS: +500 with AvD: +23 + d100 roll: +22 = -151
A clean miss. 
Not even close.

A feithidmor tries to bite Lyranni! 
AS: +750 vs DS: +212 with AvD: +24 + d100 roll: +69 = +631
... and hits for 239 points of damage! 
Awesome slash severs Lyranni's left arm! 
A jagged stump is all that remains! 

* Lyranni drops dead at your feet!

Lyranni seems slightly different. 
Lyranni begins to breathe less deeply. 
The misty halo fades from Lyranni. 
Lyranni becomes unbalanced for a second, then recovers. 
The bright luminescence fades from around Lyranni. 
The brilliant luminescence fades from around Lyranni. 
The light blue glow leaves Lyranni. 
The guiding force leaves Lyranni. 
The deep blue glow leaves Lyranni. 
Lyranni becomes solid again. 
Lyranni returns to normal color. 

The feithidmor howls with vicious delight!

(Damn! Two down, 5 more to go and the replacements for the ones down aren?t here yet! <wails>)

(Songie waves the wand till it goes away, still nothing happened from it)

>Charna swings a longsword at a feithidmor! 
AS: +34 vs DS: +500 with AvD: +17 + d100 roll: +34 = -415
A clean miss. 
Not even close. 
The scintillating light surrounding the longsword fades some. 

(I LKed Paole and Lyranni)

A low thrumming sound emanates from the feithidmor, gradually rising until it becomes unbearable. 
... 35 points of damage! 
Strike to arm spins Anterrio like a top. Anterrio is stunned. 
He is knocked to the ground! 
He is stunned! 
... 30 points of damage! 
Blow to the eye dazes Charna. Charna struggles to recover. 
She is knocked to the ground! 
She is stunned! 
... 35 points of damage! 
Strike to solar plexus stuns Jauckha. 
She is knocked to the ground! 
She is stunned! 
wav bat
The room you're waving the baton in isn't the right one! You need to be in a room with one of the linden trees in it!

(Dern baton still does nothing except protect the holder and those in that person?s group...the holder must be the leader for it to work on the group)

(Ok, I don?t blame the feithidmor, after standing in the room with us for about 10 minutes cuz the room is sancted by Songie, no one can do anything to the feithidmor {not like we were doing anything to it while there was no sanct, but that?s not the point} and the feithidmor can?t do anything to us. So, it just ups and goes)

A feithidmor makes an ear-splitting screech! It skitters to the wall and begins to burrow upward. Rubble falls and dust fills the air as the creature disappears.

(At this point, the 6 that didn?t die plus two new members in the group, all ran around the underground area, looking to see if perhaps the feithidmor was still down here, but it wasn?t. A few thoughts and needs from Voln showed me that the feithidmor was indeed, in Solhaven. We drag the dead bodies of Paole and Lyranni into an area that allowed us to fog out into town.)

Songie asks, "all joined?" 
Charna says, "'aye"
Songie gestures and utters a phrase of magic. 
Anterrio says, "we joined..." 
Jauckha nods. 
Songie gestures.

Your surroundings blur for a moment . . .

[ Vornavis, North Gate] 
The sounds of the beast pens and other caravan noises to the north echo off the immense blue granite walls that surround Vornavis. From within the walls come the familiar noises of city life that, in turn, combine with the animal noises to make an odd mix of sounds. A guard stands at the gate into the city, watching carefully all who enter. You also see a guard. 
Also here: Charna, the body of Lord Paole who is lying down, Fumblina, Jauckha, Severius, the body of Lady Lyranni who is lying down, Lord Anterrio, Wakim, Lady Songie
Obvious paths: north.

That was the exciting travels of myself, and 7..errr..9, no wait..11 other souls that I was lucky enough to travel with. I hope you enjoy.

-Krazy Kurut, still the craziest wizard in Solhaven.

See Also

• http://zilal.byondhome.com/gs3/culture/gembanaltra.html
• Something Wicked by Jullius VanDelta