Strength Of A Soul
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Dear Rostam and Darakh’zan,
Part – 2: Getting underway from the visit to the Holy City of Haven we were set to go off to the Island of Y-oda and visit a place called the Bletherad. If you look on the map it is one of the islands on the far right but I don’t know which one exactly. I got the impression it was a fortress of some kind with a good library! It is probably very similar to the Library inside the Etrinan Fort. I wish it had not been damaged by cave in when the dwarves sealed our ancestors in just before the elves overrun the Dwarven Forces. Still I was excited to see this castle after everything I saw in the Holy city. I spent the time reading the books from King Hafton on Wisdom and learning about the exodus of some of the eastern New Kingdom armies and the rise of the Eastern Territories, the Dominion of Man.
When we arrived I could see a town but no large structure that made me think castle of knowledge this way! I checked and the group asked if I could “go unseen” until we were at the library.
Library? I thought this was a castle we were headed to, but after what I have seen I find myself waiting for it to get worse. Besides a “library” could not be that bad, some scrolls, few books, YAK! YAK! YAK! YAK! YAK! YAK!
I looked down to see what in Thoth’s beak was making that racket!
An infernal deevil minion! An Imp, the heralds of Dyval!
All I got out of it was that CrIsis was already responsible for helping to keep the Glaive of the Old Ones from its master’s control! Any weapon that refrences those that shackled us once in bondage can not be a good item. Apparently, the firery creature’s master, Ratel was his name, would be able to return in one year. This was the 9th of Selestra just for good measure I remembered the date. I was also trying to work in two names of Lady Isis with my prayers so at least in my prayers she could be with her husband.
After 5 minutes of going on about how we would suffer it disappeared to the nether realms and the area smelled like sulfur, disgusting! We cut quickly through the town despite the looks people gave Roggan’s iron body, and soon we I saw the fortress, I was again to marvel at the wonders of this age. A colossal tower of stone five stories high whose majesty is surpassed only by the smoking volcanoes that stand to either side, off in the distance.
Master Cava helped me out with 10,000 eastern gold and paid my way into the library, I read in the books of Entrinan about the Greatest Library the World had ever known, the Prime Incunabula, and this must be its descendant since the scrolls I have refrencing the Millenium of Purification talk of an attack planned on by a zealous group of Purifiers. I saw a sign at the entrance that read:
This was posted in all languages that I could read and many I could not without the spell: Eyes of Thoth. Oh I met my first Wolfen, whom look similar to the Ramen only with a canine look to them. After studying them for a moment I wondered how they have been so accepted despite what Hoomans call a monster seems to be anything bigger than they are. Some are as tall as Minotaurs and while the ones I am meeting have chosen a monk scholar’s life I am sure they make fascinating warriors! I wonder if they have wizards among them? This trip is exciting, but now I am still waiting for a demonic creature far larger than an imp to show and lay waste to a town trying to kill us.
I dropped the Invisibility Necklace’s enchantment and while the monk scholars looked very surprised to see me with a few gasps. No one raised their voice, no said a cross word, no one tried to stop me from going inside. There was some mention that it had been over two centuries since the last time one of my kind had been to the library. When I saw all the books on just the 1st floor I cried out, “Thanks be the Prime Incunabula did survive!” This caught the attention of a nearby monk scholar of this place known to me as “The Library of Bletherad” it looks so much like the what the books described the Prime Incunabula would look like. While I did not know it at this moment but that monk scholar was about to change my view of the world.
My friend, Roggan, hmmm…
…only knowing this Troglodyte warlock of earth for a few days and I trust him. Friendships must start somewhere and Master Overkill, Master Kel-ed and Brother Roggan are my first friends upon leaving home. When he tried to enter you would think someone was trying to invade the Library! This was an odd turn of events when I am not the scene maker in the room, HA! However, there was great concern the magic used to hold Roggan to his body would dissolve once he entered the foyer/entrance hall of the library. I did mention that while his mind did reside within the Golem he is a magical construct and may very well cease to be. Roggan countered it was his soul in the golem, but that couldn’t be! From talking to Saraph the Lightbringer Rune Staff given to Luur’na after my father’s passing if his soul is bound to the Iron Golem it smacks of concepts used in Rune Magic! I waited to see the outcome and Master Cava was forced to sign a scroll promising he would not seek retribution on the Library of Bletherad if the magic did not hold.
IT WORKED BROTHER ROGGAN IS THE FIRST GOLEM TO EVER MAKE IT INTO THE LIBRARY!
Roggan the Troglodyte turned into an “living” Iron Golem is the strongest soul I know, and I have gleaned some crude understanding of how a rune weapon is made! I unfortunately fear this may make other mages and elementals try and they did not have the great and powerful Ra helping them!
Just then the Wolfen monk scholar asked me if I wanted to learn more about the Prime Incunabula and I said yes so I was escorted into a room away from prying eyes. Once in the room the Wolfen was joined by an associate monk that looked like a well fed Hooman. When they asked about what I knew regarding the Prime Incunabula I told them about where it had been located within the New Kingdom of the Elves, and that it had been attacked by several bands of Purifiers after the war of the Fair and the Strong ended. I was asked to be taken to a secret area of the Library and the mentioned they would need to blind fold me. Knowledge will get me killed someday but the chance of finding out this information was to great to pass up, so I consented and never tried to undo the blind fold used.
I could feel the changes that told me I had gone underground but then a maze of down and up, left and right, and double backed I think twice. The monk scholars never tried to trip me and made sure I knew where to step if there seemed any doubt. When we stopped it had been almost two turns of an hour glass from being asked to be blind folded. Being underground felt strangely comfortable, home like in a way and the cavern was clean and had many mortal trappings inside. Once some candles were lit by an elderly elf scholar I met my hosts:
The Elf introduced himself as Brother Malkin
The Wolfen in bright orange and red robes introduced as Brother Rrgrllaph
A SPHINX! A creature I thought I would never see!! She introduced herself as Phlixt
They asked how I came to join CrIsis and got the complete run down of my life story. I only kept my true name a secret and simply stated I was named for my father’s honor. These three shared with me similar tails and we spent a day discussing how we became fascinated with knowledge! The Sphinx even hinted that she had met the Lord of Wisdom himself! I did not press her for confirmation because while I would love to meet him I know I would probably come accross as an annoying speck given my poor talks with She-of-Countless-Names. Food was brought down and I went over maps of the world, I learned where I am, where I had been plucked from and when I told them about our chosen tribal name the Elf, Brother Malkin nearly fell off his chair!
“You don’t mean Fort Etrinan, it was destroyed according to the records of the Great War,” he exclaimmed!
I informed him he must have been reading the records of his people because the Dwarves staged one of the engagements to hide the collapsing of the tunnel to their famed fort and Minotaur allies that had stood with them through thick and thin. They also had left the bulk of their rune weapon arsenal behind to prevent the Elves from acquiring it. Brother Rrgrllaph asked how many rune weapons and I told him the number was just over 30 which actually dropped all their jaws for a second.
Oh were I a bard the joke would start…
… a wolfen, elf, and sphinx are stunned silent…
…oh were I a bard, HA!
They let slip my use of the actual ancient word for “Dwarf” rather the common Elven word most people use is what was carrying weight to my words. I reached in my robe and handed them a small book of Elf poetry written in ancient Dwarf tongue predating the War of the Fair and the Strong. I handed it to them and said they could keep it. Brother Malkin examined it and exclaimed something about the paper and wooden covers of a tree that does not exist anymore! He mentioned something about the Guardians and I won’t convey the rest of that per his request. Mother, apparently, Etrinan was one of the repositories for the Prime Incunabula and during the Millennium of Purification our ancestor saw a band of Elves, Dwarves, and a Titan get attack in the Wasteland above our home by group of demons tearing the sky open! I think, but cannot confirm that they were suppose to be the new Monk scholars of the Etrinan seed library. When they heard I had learned all my spells in ancient Dwarven from the tomes of Dwarven wizards they exploded with questions and I asked them as many in return.
I know the Wolfen do not eat children, they have an Empire in the Northern Wilderness, there are over a million of them in the empire and they have hoomans, elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs, and giants living among them in peace. I cannot wait to visit the capital of Shadowfall, named for the ancient dragon the founders of the city slew. They have no Emperor, but are a republic of 12 tribes that govern the empire!
I spent 3 days with them and the amount of knowledge I gained was amazing but even I was wondering how my friends were doing. Soon I was escorted back to Matilda and it would appear that Brother Malkin has called in a favor owed by the group to him, and we are headed after a piece in the Baalgor Wastelands while having the group stop home we can set something up about the books, I think the monk scholars would like to study them.
Then I believe inadvertently hurt Master Terramore’s sense of pride when I brought up the Dwarven mage tomes and that I thought of them as the masters of magic now. While Master Cava went to bring him back and speak with him the rest of the group had a “Fireside Chat.” They got to talk with me about everything I told Brother Malkin, Brother Rrgrllaph, and the Keeper. Though because of their rings and knowing Isis vouched for them I shared my true name. I handed over to young Master Gavin one of my chains from my collections of dwarven war manacles used to shackle the prisoners during the War of the Fair and the Strong. I told him the same thing about why I kept the manacles and what they mean to me.
…I keep them as a reminder to never let the past chain us from what we can become…
We left on the night tide of the 14th of Selestra heading south from the Great Library, I stayed in my room pouring over books and was very gratefull for extra parchment I was able to get from the library. While I came out to eat I was uncomfortable on deck of this ship having been the second time I was on water and very excited for my spell Swim as a Fish! I was tasked with learning how to use a piece of siege weaponry on the ship that fired a beam of sunlight so hot it could burn metal. Over the next few days during some of my trials with the gun I ended up burning Master Tyvernos our other warlock among CrIsis. As luck would have it I ended pointing the gun and firing right when some pirates attack driving a sea serpent toward the ship! I managed to hit the serpent and one of their sails, while Master Tyvernos directed the air to fan the fire and set the ship ablaze. Master Terramore let loose with fire balls his walking could fire due to its enchantments! Everyone I traveled with was fairly amazing and Captain Overkill I learned had been a pirate and he kept the ship steady during the entire mess!
The following day which would have been the 21st of Selestra was the most frightning, horror filled and inspirational day with my new band of friends. I was trying to get better at shooting the Sun Ballista and I am still learning, only today I shot Captain Overkill! After regaining footing and getting healing applied to him while he was at his post everyone felt Matilda drift to one side and the was a sound coming through the hull like something or several somethings began to try and chew through Matilda! When the ship lurched I cast Fleet Feet so I could move twice my normal speed and then Swim as a Fish as I followed Sir Quixis overboard. Osiris bless good Tyrvernos for trying to save me but my foe was below the waves. As several of us were off to battle these weird looking crab-like people it looked at though the ship was going to tip over!
We left Roggan tied to the mast and I thought we would loose him if the ship tipped over and sank with his 20 foot tall iron body acting as an anchor. Then a miracle of magic occured right before me. I saw a hole in the side of the ship begin healing! HEALING ON ITS OWN! The crab like creatures were spooked and what was left of them fled as though the sip were some kind of demon. We acted quick and once back on board I help get water out the areas that had been taking it on and we saved Matilda but there was no sign of Roggan’s golem body! When we began to lament Roggan the WHOLE DAMN ship spoke to us and Roggan had taken his soul and bound it to the ship!!!!!!!!
It was no longer the Matilda but the Roggan from now on! He sacrifice himself so we would not drown out on the open seas. I started writing this on the 22nd of Selestra but I am only getting around to sending the missive as I look at the Floenry Island chain to the south of us. I do not know what the 23rd of Selestra will hold for us but I know as a team we can conquer anything!
With purpose,
Xerx’ses Goldenflail
>> Written by Xerx’ses Goldenflail,
Wizard on Selestra 22nd the year 111. <<
Library of Bletherad picture courtesy of Palladium Books.
Golem Roggan picture from Gaitkeeper.
Sphinx picture by Genzoman.