IronFort: MedievalGame2001Aug18

Ref: MedievalGame - 18th August 2001

Well, the group started off trying to research more ways from the secret library of despatching the spirit on the obelisk. At the end of a 2 day search, they had nearly all the information they needed, but not quite enough. They had also deduced that they may be able to place a warding of sorts by aligning new stones to set up a dampening pattern on the ley lines. Chl'Lak spent the two days working out what was needed and where to place the stones and eventually came up with three positions between Longroost and Sable's stone, forming a loose arc from north to south.

Meanwhile, Shy-Lone travelled further into the Empire to see if the demon had a farther reaching effect and to warn others of the situation. He came across a farmstead and approached cautiously. He was greeted by near-zombie like replicas of the owners, aged a hundred years and slow as heck. After a drawn-out conversation, the farmsteaders realised they were in danger and Shy set about organising the cart and horse.

From the yard they heard the clucks of chickens which raised to a squawk and then subsided rapidly back into muffled clucks. Shy looked across the yard and saw a ground-level finger of mist crawling across towards the house. The chickens were broiling under its surface, trying to escape, clawing frantically, but being dragged under, helpless. The mist withdrew to be replaced by another, thicker mist that rolled towards the farmhouse.

Shy ran to the family and carried the wife out first. He ran back and rescued the husband just in time as the mist tumbled up the three steps at the entrance and searched inside the house for its next sustenance. With the family on the back of the cart they sped further on to the next farm.

Arriving here, they found the owners to be in good health and not aged like the others. Shy relayed the tale, and the new farmstead sent their younger son off on horse-back to alert the next village in. The first farmsteaders began to move a little more freely and a glow began to slowly appear in their cheeks and by next morning they seemed on the road to recovery.

After a night's stay, Shy returned to the rest of the group who remained in Kalarell's house, researching and planning. Once they had gathered and planned the positions of the 3 ley points to be made they travelled to see Sable to gain passage to the Old Citadel.

Sable spoke with them of the old times when a people known as Druids first set the stones and consecrated the glades where they were set. It is this consecration that gives the stones and the glades their power on the ley points, and without this the planned new ley points would be useless. Tracebe began researching/guessing the way it could be done - it would take some time, but he would persevere while the rest of the group sought the remaining information about how to despatch the spirit demon.

After a brief stay, Sable transported them to Utu near the Old Citadel. He was more welcoming this time and wished them safe passage. The group travelled quickly on to the town and rowed across to the city. Fortunately, they made it safely without attack from Kir birds and set about finding the Brethren to help them.

Since Chl'Lak was one of their original members, he set off to find them while the group rested in the inner chapel (downstairs from where they had been sworn in to the order). The group was curious about Chl'Lak and asked Tyr to follow unseen ...

Chl'Lak went first to the old church and descended the steps to the crypt below. Tyr followed, hidden and entered the church to see him descend one set of stairs. Tyr went down the opposite set. When in the dark of the crypt Tyr could see clearly and watched Chl'Lak walk about between the pillars, briefly stopping to utter something in Old Hemnat. Chl'Lak noticed Tyr watching and Tyr was surprised to see that Chl'Lak could also see in the pitch black. Chl'Lak shouted at Tyr - "Hey" - and Tyr bolted up the stairs. Val relayed this to the rest of the group.

Chl'Lak proceeded very cautiously after this and made sure that nobody was following him. Despite his keen eyesight, he did miss the trickery of the faery and was unaware of his witness. Chl'Lak moved over to the old bell tower to find the gate once more locked and barred (after Tracebe's previous visit where he blew the lock apart). Not having a key, Chl'Lak looked around to make sure nobody was watching (but unfortunately Tyr was nearby and invisible) and then climbed rapidly up the outside of the tower.

Once more surprised, Tyr flew upwards to observe from a distance but there was no sign of Chl'Lak at the top. Cautiously entering the top of the bell-tower, Tyr heard faint, almost whispered Old Hemnat coming from above. Looking up, he saw the familiar inky blackness rippling softly like the surface of a calm lake. Tyr hovered just outside the tower and waited. After a short while, Chl'Lak dropped out of the darkness and opened the trap door in the bell-tower floor, descended the stairs and came out through the locked gate with a new key in hand. Tyr zipped round the back alleys and returned to the group before Chl'Lak returned.

Chl'Lak said that he had spoken with the Brethren and they would help with the research. The group mentioned nothing of their observation of Chl'Lak and he remains unaware ...

Later, the Brethren joined the group and they all chatted for a while. The group then began the long study for the answers to dismissing the demon and of how to achieve ley point consecration. The Brethren revealed to them some secret rooms off the main library and everybody brushed up on their training.

After 4 months, Tracebe finally finished his researches and understood how to perform Druidic Consecration, the group had learned much and improved many skills and were a step closer to banishing the demon. They also discovered that the huge gem stone that was in the mouth of the mountain lioness headdress was in fact one of the items required to unlock the gold sphere that held the Stone of Arialla. The last item was suspected as being held by Kal, wherever he was.

: Oh, and remind me to tell you about that legacy ... I forgot to mention it last time but there was a few words in the library ... and it's connected with the last item ...