A Maze Into The Past

I am writing this as a prayer because though magical spell pigeons cannot escape Wo’Elfenbrut, your powers still reach me inside here. Therefore my prayers and sermon be they verbal or textual will find the divine. Because all things exist for the work done to bring about the Age of Light from the Age of Chaos. While you walked the world in those days O’ She of Countless Names, those that built this place were directed or inspired by you to protect the future you hoped to craft. So I pray to Almighty Ra, creator of the heavens so that I may commune to you through his grace and guiding light.

Here in the caverns below Avramstown, yet above the library city of Wo’Elfenbrut did we defeat and kill two members of the Blessing. A Human disgraced knight formerly known as Ser Dio Regellant, and a Rahu-Man Giant formerly known as Tiakatha

The group decided that we would divide it up later but “Osiris’ Unyielding Strength” is the holder of eight human sized rings (seven are registering as magical), a magical amulet all from the late Ser Dio. From the Giant there was eight giant sized rings (all are registering as magical), another magical amulet and three giant sized clubs. “Khonsu’s Revenant” took possession of the clubs in his bag tied and/or strapped around his waist in bear form.

Then came the letter to Duke VasPasseon. Xerx’ses was able to identify as warded and bade us get back. We all retreated as I watch him stand there alone wielding forces that make most tremble and fear because a wrong move could kill you. He failed on his first attempt, and shouted for everyone to stay back he was going to try once more. We didn’t need a more poignant reminder than seeing the four rats in the tunnel ahead of us die as the sickly green wave of mystical energy washed over them. It dissipated about a foot from us and all of us sighed a breath of relief. Then a burst of golden light and a minute later Xerx’ses called out, “It’s fine, come read the letter.”

Realizing that this group broke nothing of the Agreement they were working with our enemy to defeat us and then they would descend upon the world to do their master’s bidding. I suspect it also means as Xerx’ses thinks you will be able to help us more against them. When we had made our way down the ladder to the second level of caves we had to pass through a portal of blackness, which dispelled all of our active magic! Grignak returned to his normal size and poor, poor Xerx’ses can’t get a break today. He changed back from being a Human to a Minotaur absolutely shedding his nice human sized outfit. He gathered up the pieces to be salvaged somehow. Just then through magic our newest member was returned to us! Rooster our mystically inclined bard appeared and starred, shaking his head, “Should I have brought wine and candles?” Our Minotaur clearly got the reference and smirked while tying the Teroshian Tabard of the disgraced knight around his waist. Before he finished tying he noticed two magical pigeons trying to get out the way we had come in, but the barrier was blocking them. One had a physical note and the other didn’t. There was some banter about how to get them but it was decided to let Xerx’ses try and paralyze them with magic. Aiming for the one with the verbal message he hit it with a paralysis bolt and unexpectedly it exploded! Our horned, war-mage seemed surprised that it exploded but he had mentioned something like that might happen. Ursus went up to capture the other bird and did succeed. It was a “real” bird which threw Xerx’ses off enough we had to remind him to cover up. The note was about reinforcements, asking for two new members. Well it seems they have a waiting list of people willing to die for their cause. Faith is a powerful tool of good and evil, I shudder at its abuse here.

It was as Xerx’ses was getting dressed following us that his runesword, Callandor, began to remind him that he had missed Overkill’s death anniversary because their bond had just finished. This began some concern for us because we entered here on the 8th of Kym-Nark-Mar and that anniversary would have been the 21st. However, when querried further the sword said it was the 8th of Pegasus?!?! Rooster even had a magically made picture from another world he had visited showing a blood moon which Ursus took to mean it was at least after the 28th of Kym-Nark-Mar.

Clearly this was similar to the time distortion within each of the Pyramids of Osiris. We had to get a move on clearly! I kept changing my place in the marching order to heal all of those needing such help. It was not long before we came upon a change and caves gave way to architecture that Xerx’ses had only seen before in the Etrinan Fortress his reconstituted tribe continues to live among now. A labyrinthine maze lay before us with traps and puzzles to obstruct those walking it for the secrets it held. From the alcoves at it’s entrance voices of doom and warning called out with no discernible source or sign of magic.

All I could think of was an old story about an Elven mage called the Goblin King…
…Through dangers untold. And hardships unnumbered. I have fought my way here to the castle; beyond the goblin city…
…he was a noted historical trickster and riddle smith, I could not help but think of him as we began moving through the passages and antechambers.

We survived this encounter so far because of the arcane powers of Dwarven Wall Magic known by Rooster! Apparently, the particular wall is called a “Wall of Radiance” and it’s translucent green form does not stop anyone from going through it. What it does do is inform the caster all about “who or whom” passed through it! Khonsu’s Reaper has the key from Grignak and is the one opening doors currently as he checks for secreted doors. When we had made it to a second antechamber Rooster informed us we hand incoming company due to passing through the magical wall! We began to prepare to make this room a death trap and Xerx’ses had been using his magic to see auras to let us know when to strike and surprise them. What none of us expected was seeing the war wizard break down and cry out as tears streamed freely, “Nooo! Not you! You said you wouldn’t betray Isis! How dare you abandon my brother’s memory and attack our father!”

With as much warning as the raising of his arm a flaming bolt ripped out from his open palm! Its fiery wrath tore into the door and it exploded! catching everyone on both sides by complete surprise and pain! Great Lady of the Heavens I am sorry I was not as quick to the fray this time, but Xerx’ses rarely gets angry and when he charges it is best to not be in the way. We nearly killed two more members of the Blessing – Seminold and the now dark priestess of Modeus, Luur’na the Minotaur! Now what he has been muttering about is how Saraph has been corrupted and both his mother and his father were its wielders before it became entrusted to her! She has corrupted it with the process of falling into the worship of Modeus! It was the first time I heard Oathbringer say that the bitch needed to die for corrupting a fellow Lightbringer Rune-weapon! Xerx’ses is out for vengeance on your behalf and to find a way to return this Dark Harbinger Staff to its Lightbringer status. She did nearly kill him in one blow with it were it not for a LUCKY shot at parrying her arm turning the strike away! She will likely not get another chance as both fled thanks to the hurt Ursus was putting on them.

We tried to continue on and came to a metal door! Given the curse about “That which melts” being unusable maybe we should have thought that it was a dead. Alas, we are mortal and fallible, Ursus thought he could open it because it wasn’t wooden and nearly fell to his death! The hand of heaven caught him and brought him back to worried friends and horde of questions that all went something like, “What The Hades Were You Thinking!?!?!” Xerx’ses destroyed it with lightning revealing a dead end. We went all the back to the second alcove where we found a puzzle we had missed before because we past it even though No Name offered to check it out. The text of the puzzle was in ancient Elven, and though one side led to another dead end the other side led to a stairway heading down to a third level.

There was another mystical translucent green wall we thought might be similar to the “Wall of Radiance” Rooster had cast earlier, but nope! It froze Xerx’ses and when we dragged his 600 pounds butt back it took a few minutes for him to come back. He explained he could see and hear everything but could not even move. So, Grignak offered to go this time if it affected monsters (but oddly had no effect on Ursus). Then everyone could wait the same amount of time while Xerx’ses and No Name waited at the top of the staircase. We sent word back to them that Grignak did not recover as we had hypothesized. No Name watched Xerx’ses make a resigned HUFF. Xerx’ses pulled out his spell book and found the correct page in the ancient Dwarven Spell Tome. He reached out his free hand and began to cast the spell to dispel the barriers of magic in the ancient tongue of his mystical training. Sweat poured from Xerx’ses face as he concentrated, causing the legendary magic to crack. Slowly at first, then the cracks propagate throughout the entire barrier and it shatters, dissolving into motes of magical energy. Grignak, still frozen from his passage into the magic, becomes freed as the spell which bound him dissolves around him! They both hurried down before the door closed on them.

It was sheer luck but Xerx’ses picked up the blood trail having grown up with his current threat to the quest and us. Ursus was able to track forward for enemies. Through more ancient hallways we came to a junction hallway of four options but No Name found the proper way. We made one more mystical leap when we found the same Elvish puzzle and were transported not only across space but time. Even Magos mentioned there bond had increased with Xerx’ses. Not that he could remove it to find out what exactly that meant – being metal an all. Xerx’ses somehow instinctively knew his birthday had passed and he was now 54! The best we could determine it was now the 9th of Od. When we arrived in a white marble room with a black marble circle inlay upon the floor as a warning one might say to the magical circle and three statues upon it.

An Elf, A Human, and a Wolfen! Surely you have known about this and my mind lacks the divine wisdom for not sharing this to stop the war. It’s as though all the races have forgotten the wonders of the Age of Light and what could be accomplished! I’m sure it is far more complicated than that but it feels like you want us to bring back that age as much as Osiris.

Blessings of Ra upon thee and thine husband O’ She of Countless Names,

Indaris Excellar, Seeker of Isis,

Written in a blank book among the art supplies given unto him by Xerx’ses on last Horus Day upon the 9th of Od in the 3rd Year of King Guy of Timiro.

Pictures by our own AZ Rune.
Fan Art at bottom submitted to AZ_Rune by Kennef