| DM | It is the morning after
the reception. You have now been in Thyatis for 11 days and decide that now is
a good time to go home. After breakfast Berillia peforms a full blessing of
Valerias on the married couple with more fervour even than usual.
It is not more than half an hour before Patriarch Chen and his strange old
companion appear at the gates. |
| Chen | I see you've
handled everything nicely. You have the gratitude of the Church of Valerias.
|
| DM | After the bidding of
farewells, the old man regards you in much the same depressing way as before.
He mutters and waves a hand... |
| Chen | [Really Expensive
Effect] |
| DM | And thus you leave
Harren with more money, more knowledge of the world and, in one case, a
really obvious lovebite.
You arrive in the main square in Ansimont and suddenly remember that this is
considerably farther north than the place you left. In the early morning sun,
a light frost dusts the grain silos around the town. You all begin to shiver.
You re-establish youselves at the local inn, except for Rhea, who says that
she has discharged her duty to the church and is leaving immediately for
Alfheim. She buys a horse and is gone within half an hour.
Following her example, you all buy yourselves mounts, realising that Ansimont
is not exactly a hive of activity. You also buy fur cloaks to keep yourselves
warm.
After some discussion, you decide to leave in a few days time after you've
had time to get used to the new climate.
Evening, 28th Eirmont 1001
So here you are in 'The Bluebell', one of the less expensive local taverns.
Most of the people in Ansimont remember you and listen with varied expressions
to your stories of Biazzan (mainly Dreylin's stories of Biazzan).
You have a meal of corn on the cob and a wheat based soup. That's what you
get in the most intensive farming district in Darokin. It goes dark fairly
early these days, so you huddle into the common room nursing your honey ales
(or milk in Habib's case, cos he doesn't drink of course!).
While there, you hear some of the news that's been trickling through Ansimont
in the past few weeks.
Apparently the New Year celebrations in Darokin City should be well worth
seeing. There's talk of fire-eaters, jugglers and all the usual stuff
associated with a New Year. Of course, it won't be patch on last year's
Millenium celebrations. Imagine that, a thousand years since the first
Thyatian empire was founded.
There's talk of some friction between Ylaruam and Darokin. Something to do
with border taxation. Of course the Ylari are assumed to be in the wrong.
One of the more obscure rumours says that the Council of Princes in Glantri
has voted to allow clerics to enter the country, or maybe even to cast spells.
The sources disagree on the details.
There's some talk of war between Alfheim and Rockhome, but there's nearly
always talk of war between the dwarves and elves.
After a pleasant evening you retire to your rooms (very reasonable at 3gp
each including meals).
2nd Kaldmont 1001
It is the morning of your third day in Ansimont and, sadly, it's time to go.
You had all originally planned to go to Darokin City, and decide that you may
as well travel together (although the wilderness around these parts is not
very wild). Having packed everything on your horses and paid the inkeeper you
set off south for the city.
You intend to travel down the road, not the river. It's about 50 miles to
Darokin so, given the weather, the journey should take about four days. The
first day is generally uneventful. You ride and talk and relax, all the while
on the lookout for bandits or a place to stay. Since there are few inns in the
this region you spend the night in a barn in exchange for a morning's work at
a farmhouse.
3rd Kaldmont 1001
You spend from dawn till mid-morning shovelling manure and sealing buildings
against the coming snow. The farmer's wife, grateful for your not robbing them
as well as your help, presents you with a pie for your lunch. You set off
content.
It is toward evening when you find that the road passes through a small
hamlet where the Alfheim road splits off. The collection of houses, too small
to be called a village, is named Merisa and is really a place where several
farms meet and a small inn has been built.
As you enter a man comes out of the largest building (not very large) and
hurries over to you. |
| Man | At last, we were
hoping you would come. Please come in. |
| DM | He gestures toward the
inn. Given that sunset is not far off, you have no objections and, after
stabling your horses, join him in the common room. |
| Man | You may wonder why I
was expecting you. Hear me out and you'll understand. |
| DM | He then tells you a
curious story. Not too many miles from the hamlet (in a glade off the Alfheim
Road) a monastery stands. It is the Grey Hill Temple where the Siswa practice
their scholarly withdrawal from the world. Or at least they practiced it.
Contact beween the Siswa and the village was frequent but eleven days ago it
stopped dead. No one went to see what was happening as it was assumed that the
Siswa had cut themselves off for some reason.
Then, nine days ago, Sylvia, the daughter of a local farmer, disappeared
while walking in the woods. She was only fifteen but was showing signs of
magical talent. A search was made but she was not found. After a few days the
searchers decided that a wild animal must have attacked her. No one made any
connection to the Siswa.
Two days ago, a young elven girl arrived at the inn. She called herself Rhea
and claimed to be from Glantri. While at the inn she talked about her
adventures in Ansimont and Thyatis and said that the others would probably
follow her in a few days. She said that she didn't want us to worry if a group
of armed men appeared.
Yesterday morning, she went out to wash in the river and din't return. At a
similar time a group of Siswa attacked Rahasia, another young girl of the
village, who also has the Talent. She escaped and returned saying that the
Siswa must have taken Sylvia and Rhea. She claimed that the Siswa were under
some sort of control but could not be more specific.
Yesterday evening her father and fiance went to the Temple to see what was
happening. They have not returned and people are starting to worry. They fear
for Rahasia's safety as well as that of her family.
The man sits silent as he finishes his tale. Then he looks up. |
| Man | I fear for your
friend as well as my own. Will you help us? |
| Dreylin | [Stands]
Well, I'm certainly ready to get involved. I may not have seen eye-to-eye with
Rhea most of the time - she's a bit taller than me for a start - but she was a
companion. Besides, if they're after magic users, our party'll probably
encounter them anyway, so fore-warned is fore-armed as my father says. I'm
Dreylin by the way.
[Moves to offer the innkeeper his hand] |
| Man | [Takes Dreylin's
hand] |
| Narond | [Sighs]
Well since as Dreylin pointed out, we are likely to encounter the problem we
might as well help. I'm Narond. |
| Man | I'm Marton.
|
| Dreylin | So, Marton,
tell us more about these neighbours of yours, the Siswa. |
| Narond | And will we be
able to have a chat with the young lady who escaped? I would like to establish
a bit more about why she felt they were being controlled. |
| Marton | The Temple has
been there for as long as any of us remember, and with it, the Siswa. They're
an order of monks who withdraw from the world to study the texts contained in
the Temple. It's not a lifetime commitment. Most only stay for five years.
That's what's so strange. Some of our own family members are among the Siswa,
I don't understand how they could have turned on us.
They are easily recognisable as they all wear red brown robes. As for your
request master...
[Turns to Narond] I'll see to it immediately. |
| DM | He calls the innkeeper
over and whispers to him briefly. He leaves and Marton sits with his head
bowed.
When he returns he is followed by a young woman. She is probably no more than
17 and is clearly still quite upset. The sight of an armed party does not seem
to help. She wears simple clothes and a red band in her hair. She is pretty by
Darokinian standards, almost beautiful. |
| Rahasia | [Meekly]
How can I help? |
| Narond | [Kindly]
Hello, my name is Narond, we are trying to establish what is going on here.
According to Master Marton you felt the Siswa were being controlled. Perhaps
you could explain why you felt this, and in what way, since this would greatly
help us find the missing people. |
| Rahasia | [Looks at her
feet]
All right. They came from all sides while I was walking home. When I saw they
were armed I tried to scream but found that no sound came out. They made no
sound either. It was very strange. I started to run and I noticed a man in
black standing away from the Siswa. He started to come towards me and was
gesturing to the others. I kicked one of them and escaped through the river.
[Thinks for a moment]
The Siswa moved strangely. Not slowly, but like their bodies weren't doing
exactly what their minds were telling them. And they didn't blink often
enough. That, and the man in black, made me think that perhaps they were being
forced to act. It must be magic. |
| Dreylin | [Moves
towards Rahasia] It must have been a frightening experience for you, but
we would be greatly helped if you could remember any further details,
especially about the man in black who you said appeared to be controlling the
Siswa. Also, you said that you managed to escape through the river, do you
mean that they pursued you, but you outran them, or that you entered the river
and they stopped chasing you? |
| Rahasia | I outran them. I
heard them splashing through the river but I know these woods better than most
people. When I made it back to the village they seemed to have stopped chasing
me.
I can't really tell you more about the man in black. His face was covered by
a veil or maybe a shroud. I could only see his eyes and they were brown. His
skin was tanned where I could see it. He seemed to be wearing robes but not
like the ones the Siswa wear. Mainly his clothes looked like that.
[Points at Habib] |
| Narond | Well, from the
sounds of it I would bet on the method of controlling to be magic based. They
certainly ain't mercenaries or anything like that... I wonder why they didn't
continue to pursue you to the town. [Muses]
[To Marton and Rahasia] These Siswa, what else do you two know about
them? |
| Marton | They probably
didn't want to face us all. There are only about sixty Siswa in total so they
wouldn't have come into the village. I don't know much more about them. My
cousin is actually a member at the moment. I can only assume that he is being
controlled too, although Rahasia swears he wasn't among the group that
attacked her. That's all anyone knows, I promise. |
| Dreylin | Maintaining a
spell to control that many people must take some ability, someone capable of
that would surely be able to just enchant Rahasia here as well, rather than
trying to grab her. [Muses]
[To Rahasia] You said you were on your way home - if it's not an
impolite question, what were you doing out in the forest in the first place?
|
| Rahasia | [Blushes
slightly, glances at Marton and leans towards Dreylin]
Meeting my fiance. |
| DM | You decide she may not
be as provincial as all that. |
| Marton | So you'll help
then? |
| Dreylin | I think that I
can speak for everyone when I say yes, we'll help. |
| Shianara | Yes,
certainly that is my feeling. |
| DM | Thanking you for your
help Marton points out that, since it is dark, now is not the time to go
running for the temple. He offers you places at the inn, which is run by his
wife, free of charge. After a fairly weak meal of soup and a rather subdued
evening by the fire, you retire to your rooms (all three of them).
4th Kaldmont 1001
This morning you awaken and prepare to go to the temple. Marton and Rahasia
offer to escort you there. They claim that it is a short walk on foot and so
you leave your mounts at the inn. |
| Dreylin | I had a thought
during the night. Before we go running off to this temple with our swords
drawn, we mustn't forget that given the current evidence, in all likelihood
the Siswa are not responsible for their own actions. In which case, it's a bit
hard on them if we wade in and chop them up. I suggest that we equip ourselves
with clubs of some sort - that way we have a chance of simply knocking them
out rather than killing them. |
| Berillia | In that case,
it's probably worth bringing along some rope or such - otherwise we could get
into problems when they wake up... |
| Narond | Seems like a good
enough idea, though if our lives are threatened I think we should still be
willing to defend ourselves with deadly force. Though to start with, my
quarterstaff will make a suitable blunt instrument. |
| DM | You equip yourselves
with blunt weapons and rope.
The sun climbs above the trees as you start down the dirt track. At this time
in the morning the ground is still frozen so you make good time. After a few
miles you find a small shrine near the road.
Rahasia stops to offer incense. The shrine is ten feet wide and forty feet
long. It sits on a north-south line. The entrance is in the west wall (in the
centre). Rahasia has just passed through it. |
| Narond | [Examines the
walls of the shrine for anything unusual] |
| DM | The shrine is an
unmarked grey building. It may have been carved at one time but the rains have
worn it almost smooth. It looks pretty old. |
| Narond | Rather than
standing out here looking silly...shall we go in? |
| Dreylin | [Turns to
Narond] You don't think it would be more sensible to leave a few people
outside to make sure no-one sneaks up behind us... I'll stay here with Habib
and Shianara, while the rest of you have a look 'round the shrine. |
| Narond | Sounds reasonable
to me. |
| Habib | Sounds fine to me.
|
| DM | Narond, Berillia and
Leanna enter the shrine.
The shrine inside is a slightly different shape from the outside. The main
portion of it is a 10 by 20 foot rectangle which the door opens into. At
either end there is a 5 by 5 alcove.
There is mud on the floor. Rahasia stands in front of a statue of an old man
with a beard. The statue stands in front of the north alcove. |
| Narond | [Takes a better
look around the shrine, then walks over to have a better look at the
statue] |
| DM | The other alcove is
empty. The statue is of a strong looking man. He has a long beard. |
| Narond | [Looks behind
the statue] |
| DM | The statue is at the
front of the alcove. Behind it is a space, but there is nothing in it.
|
| Narond | Rahasia, can you
tell me who this statue is of? |
| Rahasia | [Touches her
lips, and then the statue's hand]
It's Elyas. He was a mage of great power. Legend says that he built the
temple. Part of the philosophy of the Siswa is to follow his teachings and
investigate his writings. He disappeared a long time ago, before Darokin
existed I think. |
| Leanna | Disappeared? What
had he been doing, and in what way did he disappear? |
| Rahasia | [Turns to
Leanna] I'm not certain. The stories say there was a battle and he died,
or vanished. Different versions say different things. |
| Narond | So where do the
Siswa actually live, since this temple isn't really the most habitable of
places? |
| Rahasia | [Turns back
from Leanna] Well, I've never been to the temple myself but I've talked
frequently with the brothers and sisters. Apparently there are several floors
to the temple and there are living areas in some of them. |
| Narond | Well I wonder
where the actual entrance to these chambers actually is, since there does not
appear to be much else in this part of the temple. |
| Rahasia | [Laughs]
No no. You misunderstand. This isn't the temple itself. That's up on the hill
about half a mile from here. This is just a shrine to the old one. The law
says we cannot go to the temple without visiting here. |
| Narond | Ah I understand,
sorry about that, I feel a little silly now. [Looks a little
sheepish]
Well, shall we wander outside and join up with the others... [Walks
towards the door] |
| DM | Leanna and Berillia
leave the shrine, followed by Narond and Rahasia. |
| Dreylin | Aha, there you
are. Well, nothing much happened out here, what's the shrine like inside?
|
| Narond | [With lots of
sarcasm] Muddy. There was a very exciting statue of a bearded man, and
very little else indeed. Go have a look if you really wish.
Shall we move onto the temple itself then? |
| Dreylin | Nope, I'll take
your word for it. Let's get on. |
| Leanna | The temple's up
the hill, shall we go? Unless Rahasia has anything else for us to do first, of
course? Are there any alternative entrances to this temple, do you know?
|
| Rahasia | [Shakes her
head] There are none that I've heard of. |
| DM | Marton begins to walk
along the path and you follow.
After some time the path bends uphill. As you turn a corner a large building
appears. It is grey and squat, with no curves except for some domes set in the
roof. It's roughly 130 feet wide and sinks back into the hill itself.
|
| Marton | [Stops] We
won't go any further. To be honest I think this is too close for Rahasia.
We'll head back to the village. You know the way now, so if you need anything,
you can come back. Thank you again and good luck. |
| DM | You head to the large
gates which are set in the south wall.
The gates are silver double doors which are 20 feet wide. They are ornately
carved with forest scenes. The walls, close up, are carefully craved into vine
features. They are 20 feet high. At the corners of the south wall, delicate
domes rise 10 feet above the wall, from the inside. |
| Dreylin | [Hefts his
club] Shall we...? |
| Narond | Yes, let's.
|
| Shianara | [Examines
the domes] |
| DM | They're very old copper.
|
| Shianara | [Goes for a
look around the sides of the building]
[Appears from around the side of the building and heads for the other side,
muttering something about secret doors]
[Returns] Well I guess we'd better go through the main gate, since I
can't find any entrances, hidden or not, around either side. They go back
about 80', same style as at the front, before hitting bedrock.
Someone else could have a look if they want, however I think it might be
better to just try the gates. [Smiles and gestures towards them, but
examines the area around the gates for signs of recent activity] |
| DM | The gates are closed,
but there doesn't appear to be a lock. There are some footpronts around the
gate but they could be quite old. Ther are no other signs of activity.
|
| Shianara | [Looks
through the gates] |
| DM | You can't see anything
through them, they're big and silver. |
| Narond | Right then, lets
go through these... Shall we knock or just barge in?
[Looks around for a willing volunteer to either knock on or open the
gates] |
| Dreylin | Well, there are
sixty of these 'ere Siswa, I wouldn't want to offend them by barging in. On
the other hand, there are sixty of these 'ere Siswa and if we knock then
they're going to know that we're here, and if they don't like us, then we're
going to be seriously outnumbered...
[Smiles] I think that we should knock, it's more polite. |
| Berillia | Personally
I'd rather have them vaguely annoyed that we didn't knock, but with us inside
where numbers aren't such an advantage, than definitely aware that we're here,
with us outside. And if they're not hostile then it doesn't matter... so let's
try and sneak in. |
| Dreylin | Ah, but inside
could be large open areas where numbers are an advantage, whereas here they
would be restricted by the width of the gate. I think you're probably right
that it would be more sensible to sneak in, but I would prefer to knock.
|
| Shianara | Since we've
got no idea what it's like inside, that's irrelevant. We knock and risk
alerting the entire place to our presence, or we don't knock, get a physical
advantage, but a social disadvantage...
If we're worried about them running at us straight away, then we could just
pick the fastest runner, have them knock, then be prepared to run away. The
Siswa hopefully follow and the others get in with less Siswa present; just a
problem with the one who has to run away... I take it no-one can produce a
running-away illusion for us?
[Shrugs] What does everyone else think? |
| Leanna | Did you go up
onto the roof when you were wandering, Shianara? Given the building is set
into the hillside. Are there any windows or anything? |
| Shianara | The walls
headed north for about 80 feet before sinking into the hillside. They were
carved in much the same way as before. There were no openings that I could
see, whether obvious or otherwise.
Still 20' high: we could try getting up there before we go in? Those domes
look a bit solid, but there could be a skylight further across, or around the
side. |
| Leanna | Anyhow, let's try
just opening the door. We can always knock retroactively... |
| Shianara | Sounds fair.
Dreylin? |
| Dreylin | As I said, I'd
prefer to knock, but would go with the group's decision. |
| Narond | Looks like the
group's decision is to not knock, since I am going to go along with that as
well, especially since there have been others that have come to this temple
and not come out again. I am a bit suspicious about what is actually going on
inside. |
| Back to the final section of Palace of the Silver
Princess
Next section |
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