Much has been achieved today
- You visited Methos’ treasure trove and learnt it had been plundered by adventurers. Then you managed to breach the inner chamber to find the real treasure trove (I will give out treasure just before next game, but if you want to send me five percentile rolls I can let you in on your big prize for the haul!) minus a staff of the psion. Will Methos hunt it down and wrest it from the hands of the God who thought it would better serve him? Perhaps he will invest in better defence and concealment of his cult artefacts… or perhaps… he did… perhaps… there is more in Methos tower than has currently been revealed…
- You visited the time shine and saved it from the assassin. Then you used the time chamber to get a vision of the arrival of the Tris (scholars for millennia will debate your account of this): a bright light like a shattering crystal streaks across a deserted land, and thousands of Tris arrive, battling aberrations. They quickly are victorious and set about building a civilisation. They have advanced crystallomancy (Methos was taking heavy notes here)
- You slew the assassin. Twice. But he’s not going to give up yet, and he seems to have a near endless supply of abyssal umberhulks, doesn’t he…
- You sent an embassy off to the beastmen, skylings and warlords to warn them off the future events, but have not yet had the chance to see them in person.
- Gerry finds out her pirates are bunkering down while the rest of the pirate lords begin a giant civil war. Things could get very much out of hand in a matter of only weeks.
- You met three of Lukats ‘daughters’ who offered her the first of seven pieces of a powerful artefact of the Mystic theurge. She may like to hunt it down or focus her attention on other options, it is up to her - such as a device to force the enemy to waste his attacks so you have a chance to cut him up. On the other hand, she may like to research the headband of the mystic theurge to see what it can do. ON the other hand, it may do just that…
- You, the first of your people EVER, have travelled and survived in the realm of light and seen the great City of Light when it once stood. Now you are legend.
- You met the current Emperor of the Tris as a young boy of extraordinary sorcerer talents.
- You learnt that if you can get a shrine of light set up somewhere in the time of the Tris, you can probably get Ikendri powered up to artefact level and pick him up 1000 years later in the present.
- You all receive one time smite attack (+cha to hit, +level to damage) as a blessing from being in the realm of light.
- There you met a being revered as a hero God – the mind flayer sorcerer Ka Sha Kahaknah. He blessed you with certain powers: Oma learnt how to speak with mind flayer larva, Methos gained the ability to imbdue weapons with psion bane ability (+2 hit, 2d6 extra damage) for a number of rounds equal to his charisma (these weapons can be taken from Methos and used against him). Others have yet to announce whether they have accepted the his gift – Ebon to have +2d6 v’s aberrations, Lukat to gain limited telepathy (can eavesdrop telepathic conversations, but cannot send or receive messages), and Gerry to become immune to mind blast. Karuch was not given any options, neither was the tiger or Scooby or C’ari. She’s still around.
- In three years time, Ka Sha Kahaknah will rise to lesser divinity by slaying the gods (and still no one tells you their names!) Yet he seems like a pretty good guy for now. (of course, that’s three years time in the far past, to you, it all happened a little under 10,000 years ago from your present time).
- Did I miss anything… what will you do now?
The place you enter in is perfectly bright, and yet your eyes can take in every detail with comfort. It seems you are in some kind of platform, surrounded by blue Sodalite pillars perfect for welcoming plane shifting travellers.
The majestic towers of gold and white light seem to stretch off infinitely into the distance. But at the centre of the city a pure while column of light pieces the city and extends unending above and below the city of light. It is the veil, through which only Gods may pass, and to pass though is to become a God - as did Great Enemy once, and may perhaps do again. The veil is as gossamer as a thin sheet of fabric, and feels just the same. Within, beings appear to be moving softly about, and occasionally their voices can be heard. It is a sacred place, an eternal place where all the past, present, and future is present as one eternal now. To dwell there would be to be able to travel to any moment in time in the universe, and thus to hold unimaginable power…
All around you in the City of light an overwhelming presence of peace, majesty and love overwhelms you. Never before have you felt more like you are in a place you belong – you are home. Whatever else happens to you, you know you will never be the same again…
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You know, I'm amazed that Lauresia and the sentient stones have managed to keep sane as long as they did, considering that they are used to time being more of a suggestion then an unbending law. We met The Enemy, and he is a really nice guy. Methos and I suspect the 13th dragon he goes to slay will corrupt him. The description of the dragon matches what we've known of the Enemy in this time.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the easiest way to clear up this conflict is to defeat the dragon before he does. Provided we can get there in Time. Alternatively, maybe luring him into a big exorcism could be beneficial.
And apparently I'm going to start an order mystic things, or something. They gave me a gem that belongs to a headband. Unfortunately they wouldn't tell me much, and I was so dazed that I forgot to ask what the headband does. I think it would be worthwhile keeping an ear out for it. Since Methos' tower was unfortunately raided, we are still needing to hunt down artifacts.
On plane shifting back to this plane, we arrived at Methos's tower, but the City of Light dumped us back in our own time without needing the time chamber. I guess we'd better teleport back to the Time Shrine to pick up our boat. Then we need to see the oracle and stop the pirate war. Maybe we should teleport to the Oracle, then to the Time Shrine... That would save time.
Cause that's really what it's all about.
-Tahkisis
"I can't stand it! is he testing us? Are we supposed to march up to him and say, 'This task is pointless, we quit', and then he reveals that that realisation is our first step to true wisdom?" The young druid got to his feet and stretched. His back made an audible crack. His companion scowled and put his head down, pointedly ignoring him.
ReplyDeleteThey were in the shade of a young oak in the druid grove. All around them the undergrowth was tightly packed, with bushes and shrubs giving them complete privacy. A clearing such as this one, breezy and near a little stream of clear tinkling water, rarely ever occur naturally. This is ideal plant real estate. But where druids needed to sit, plants tended to make themselves accommodating. Ferns and shrubs stretched outward to form this bare circle of dry ground.
In front of each of them was a small oak sapling, some sheaves of papyrus and two quills, generously donated from the local avian population. the papyrus was covered with equations and cross-sections of oaks, each and every one scribbled out or struck through. The second young druid bent further over his work, trying to filter out the noise of the first druid grunting and sighing as he stretched. He stared back and forth between the formula he had written and the little sapling in front of him. Finally he angrily struck it out and threw the sheaf aside.
"It's got to be one of those lame meditation problems," the first druid continued. "Does he expect us to reach enlightenment or some rubbish by working this out? What point could there possibly be to working out a formula that derives the location of the part of the adult tree that used to be the acorn?"
"Either it's a puzzle, a punishment, or it's a joke." The second one said. "But if you're going to complain, at least keep your voice down." He leaned forward and spoke softly. "Every tree here reports directly to him."
"Punishment?" As the first druid considered it, his expression became more and more terrified. "What did I ever do to him? What could I ever do to him?"
"I was kidding, settle down," the second said uselessly. His companion was pacing and fretting in the tiny clearing. He looked down at the tiny saplings, enchanted so that their tree-hearts glowed red. He looked at the discarded sheaves, each one covered in failed formulas.
And then he looked up. It was barely noon yet. It would be a long day.
Above them, a tiny bird sat in the young oak, watching them with un-bird-like attention.
...continued...
Ohma dismissed his officers as Lima entered the chamber. They left reluctantly, and only after he promised to attend to each of their reports personally.
ReplyDelete"How is progress?" He asked.
"Well, this season has been nice so far, warm, but not dry. The number of new druids has increased again from last quarter, and there hasn't been a single instance of bark-rot sinc-"
"You know what I mean!" He snapped, cutting her off. "Please don't waste my time, you know I'm only here for today."
Lima clenched her teeth tightly and said nothing. He stared at her. She stared straight ahead, like a soldier at attention, ignoring him.
He relented. "I'm sorry. Now please tell me how things has been progressing in my absence."
"Which things? Would you like to know about the dissent among the elder druids? The calls for your expulsion from the circle? We nearly faced a coup last council! Your secrecy and scheming drive more and more of your loyalists away from your side every day, and then you glide past like on a breeze, demand to know how your little pet project is going, and then jet off again to who-knows-where!" When she finished, she took in a deep breath, which she struggled to keep steady.
Ohma glared at the ground, waiting for his anger to dim.
"Would you like to know what the problem is, Ohma?" Lima asked. He didn't reply. "You're our leader. But you never lead us."
After a minute or so, Lima turned and left the room.
...
The next day the council erupted into disorder. Lima stood in the centre, having just finished her declaration. the elder druids on the lower seats, directly on the edge of the circle began muttering amongst themselves, with a lot of nodding. The younger members, up on the higher seats were calling back and forth and demanding answers. One shouted "Where is Ohma? Why is he not telling us this!"
"He is gone." Lima said.
"How do we know he supports you?" Another called. "Does he even know what you're doing?"
"He abdicated willingly. I have a formal letter in his hand, which I have submitted to the archives. I have his full support. I am now the high druid." Then, ignoring all further questions, she turned and assumed the central chair that had sat empty for countless councils.
what now for the druids of the city!!
ReplyDelete(and what diabolical plans of his could have driven such a wedge between Oma and the druids that raised him...?)
Diary of Methos Ignotus
ReplyDeleteI was there! The City of Light itself! It was magnificent! The power, the knowledge, the opportunities of observing time... wonderful. If only I had been able to take advantage of it all. We arrived and we immediately met with agents of the Enemy. We disposed of them easily enough, but the residents of the City seemed to not be troubled at all by them arriving or our fighting them. They also are not effected by Time spells. I believe this is significant; it brings to mind the Temproni who know not where they come from. Perhaps they are a remnant as well?
Lauresia is a suburb within the City, so we know know that we have originated here with certainty. I believe that we must needs talk with Lauresia again and gain more information. Specifically because while in the City, we met Ka Sha Kahaknah. For the purposes of my records, I shall refer to him as Ka Sha Kahaknah when talking about him pre-corruption, but as the Enemy if discussing him post-corruption.
Ka Sha Kahaknah is a great man. Very intelligent and of the kindest spirit. My fears, which are echoed by Lukat, are that his next plans will be what leads to him becoming the Enemy. He plans to take on an evil undead ghost great wyrmm. This wyrmm is of the most evil nature, thriving on pain and suffering. This is the exact description of the Enemy as we currently (ha!) know him. We believe that in his fight with this dragon, somehow, be it through absorption of his essence or just undead possession, Ka Sha Kahaknah will become the Enemy, and that the Enemy is actually this wyrmm.
As to the Enemy's need to kill us all, and specifically the little group that we make up, we are still uncertain. While in the City of Light, however, we did see the doorway into the realm of our Gods. The door was locked, but yet it needed our specific power stones to lock it further. I have thus begun to think an impossible thought, which I am hesitant to write down here for fear that it is the beginnings of insanity, or for the chance that those who come after me may disregard all my notes and instruction from my ludacris notion, but I am beginning to think that perhaps, somehow, someway, at some point in Time... we ourselves become the Gods of the City of Light. This would explain why the Enemy is trying to wipe us from existence, and why the residents of the City knew us, recognized us, and thought it funny that we would ask who the Gods were.
I feel because of this that my new goal will be to acquire as much knowledge and power as I can. I am going to attempt to become a legendary figure and start on my way to becoming a god. This may be the only way to take care of the Enemy permanently. Perhaps we can even restore Ka Sha Kahaknah to how we met him in the City.
My next step is inline with Lukat's thoughts... go to the Oracle, gain information that we can. Perhaps try to find out who the woman that Ka Sha Kahaknah is in love with is and see what she knows, if anything. Then, to the Time Shrine to assess the situation there and collect the Lightning. Then, we shall go and help Gerry put down the pirate uprising. After, (and during) which we shall be looking for artifacts to help us gain power.
On a side note... next time I am in the past, I MUST ensure that I put more security into the towers caches. It would appear that a lesser god found my Staff and took it before I could get it... perhaps I should make the first two chambers false ones...