Emerald Ghosts and Wimpy Wolven

Wow. Now we’re glowing. And rich! And we’re wearing antique armor. And I’m carrying a large book, written in “American” in my own handwriting. After detecting a few intersecting ley-lines, leading up to two mountain peaks (both steaming), I create an observation ball and send it up (vertically) to scout our immediate vicinity. Shortly after, we depart and head up a trail, following both a set of tracks and a weak/indistinct ley-line… this leads us to a short, red-bearded dwarf, who, after some fumbling around settles on conversing with us in Dragonese, also the tongue of Elves.

Red Dwarf states that we’re on the Island of Zy. Definitely not Kansas. He wears the same ring as Bexx and myself, and seems to bemoan his fate, having just given up the pirate’s life for a fool’s quest on behalf of his god, Osiris. After nearly blinding Bexx (who’d psionically activated darkvision) with a globe of Daylight, we three bonny companions begin exploring the opening of a cave, leaving an orbital ball of light as a guide at the convergence of 4 passages. Choosing (arbitrarily) the left-most passage, we carry on down the route until it becomes apparent that noise and sound is being amplified in that passage. Fearing for our hearing, we retreat, and try the next tunnel over, but it leads to an apparently bottomless pit. This pit also connects the other 2 (unexplored) passages.

Ley line phasing my way down the path of Auditory Amplification, I find a throne-room, containing (duh!) a throne, a lever, and a bunch of gravel strewn upon the floor. Numerous holes pierce the ceiling. After preparing a battery of defensive spells, I teleport to the throne, sit regally, and pull said lever. Immediately the amplification quiets, and stalagtites descend from the holes in the ceiling. Also immediately, a pentad of invisible (but evil, according to my augmented senses) and hostile creatures assault us. After manifesting as dwarven warriors, the poltergeists attack our new-found Red Dwarf companion. Weakening him considerably before the two outlanders spring into action, they are then run-off with a combination of telekinetic force fields and a blanketing fog of fear, leaving the room clear. After Bexx psionically heals Master Red Dwarf, we regenerate our resources amidst the power of the ley line, and I finally expend a portion of my power into the huge emerald, revealing only that the “Echo Stone” has a message for me…

“hold to turn off the sound”

Awesome. Thanks. Message received. Loud and Clear.

Discussion now revolves around how to disguise the apparently notorious dwarf, seeing as we’re headed into a major port (where he is likely to be recognized?). Our destination: the Library of Bletherad. Try saying that with a mouthful of New Navy Oatmeal. Brefferaf. Barf-er-faf.

Well, after a New Navy haircut (no clippers, no worries! I can sharpen a spoon!), and a bit of fandanglery, our newly-made-up Red Dwarf feels confident in his outward appearance as we pull into port…
and into the warm waiting embrace of a ten foot tall Wolfen… and, as pops always taught me, “never pay an honest man’s wage if you can earn it with the sweat from your brow”. With this in mind, and having my newfound wealth secreted about me in various uncomfortable, discrete locations, I challenge the Wolfen to an arm-wrestle instead of paying the exorbitant price he demands for merely coming ashore on such hallowed ground. Of course I’ve trained a pup from nipple to grave (part of the New Navy’s “Loyalty and Caregiving” scheme to promote compassion within and amongst the ranks of the Sea Titans), so besting this 10-foot-tall canine should be simple…

especially with supernatural strength.

Chip: 1. Wolfen: 0. I get the sense that this contest is not over, however… there being only one Chip, and, from the looks, many times many Wolfen. Perhaps those obedience lessons will come in handy after all.

Chock up one 24-hour pass, and off the library we go.

Recorded by Chip on March 4th, PA 109.
The party is now Chip, Bexx, and Overkill