More stores from the Lands (by Peraego)

[Qoith]

Well, I have certainly been hearing some interesting stories in recent weeks. Dwar will be complaining soon that I am wearing out that chair beside the fire in his tavern ... but it certainly is a comfortable spot from which to listen to adventurers tell me their tales ... and the mead that Dwar serves is a good drop ...

One day recently I saw Magai wandering the Lands, when he inquire whether I had heard of his recent encounter with "Seven". Well, Trigoron had told me that a return visit to the werewolf lair was being planning, but I had no idea that they were all so brave as to return there so soon after their first visit. I was pleased that he was able to share his tale with me and not long after, I came across Erill who also happily shared his version of their adventure. I must say, at this juncture, that the overriding feeling I got from listening to their stories was that exploring the werewolf caverns is NOT for the faint-hearted or the unprepared. These people knew what they were up against - a very powerful foe - and they understood the risks and the dangers. So young adventurers, beware!!! Now let me relate their story to you ...

Last time you may recall me telling of how Magai lead a party with Jagg, Anubis, Erill and Trigoron. Well this time Anubis was not around but Meglaz was keen to accompany them, so the group of five brave souls met at the shrine along the Cliff Road. Trigoron, the least experienced in the group, offered to lead this time and they all agreed. Well, I can see the advantages in this - his strong armour (and thick hide) was better able to bare the brunt of the initial attacks as the party encountered resistance. Despite this, however, shortly after entering the caverns, the party was momentarily split and Meglaz found herself fighting a large beast alone ... Jagg hurried back to help her, but not before the beast managed to infect her. She bravely limped from the caverns, declining offers of assistance for the whole group to sit with her as the disease ran its course. The group continued further into the caves clearing the way to the sections of the lairs that sparked interest during their last visit. Magai explained how caves and tunnels seem to stretch for miles and that there are quite distinct communities living in different areas within the cavern complex. Some of the wolves were "puny" compared to the party they were attacking ... others were fearsome, dangerous beasts that took extreme effort and care to defeat. Shortly after Meglaz recovered and returned to caves to met up with the group, they all noticed an entrance of sorts leading down. However before they had the chance to step that way, they were attacked by a pack of wendigos - the end result being that Magai was badly infected. This time the whole party went back to the shrine and waited for him to recover. Magai's description of his illness made me feel unwell myself ... he was very relieved to have friends to watch over him as his body heaved while the disease ran its course. It took a time for Magai to recover, but eventually the group were ready to once again enter the caverns. They returned to the newly discovered entrance and stepped through it. They took great care as they descended down the tunnel, only to find it opened out into more caves they had discovered last time. It sounded to me like the caves are interconnected in many ways and it was lucky that some had made detailed maps during their last visit.

As they worked their way out of that cavern, a large werewolf managed to bit through Erill's gauntlets and he began bleeding. Although he was relieved not to be diseased, all attempts to mend the wounds failed ... with blood dripping down his hand, his grip on his weapon became circumspect and he began to sweat a lot. At one point, he was forced to lean against the wall and somehow this managed to open yet another tunnel entrance. This lead to another cave, only partially explored on the first visit. Magai spoke of finding a hidden treasure in this cave .... Strangely Trigoron did not mention it when we spoke about their first expedition. Reading between the lines, I think the beasts the party was encountering now were getting fiercer. The mages, quickly exhausting their magical powers and unable to wield suitable weapons to defeat the wolves, began to stay invisible to preserve their magic for the more dangerous of the foes. They were able to cast several spells during the harder battles then quickly return to an invisible state to prepare for the next encounter. Of course, they were able to ensure the others in the group were fully healed as well. ... Sounded to me like the mages were the "secret weapon" that gave the group a mighty advantage. The bite on Erill's hand continued to bleed and I got impression everyone was keeping an eye on him as they travelled through a rough tunnel to finally enter Seven Claws Den. The three who had never laid eyes on her before were in awe of her size but Jagg and Meglaz assured them that they could defeat her ... which they did. After collecting the spoils, they headed out feeling very relieved. Meglaz was again diseased on the way out and Erill's hand continued to cause him problems. Meglaz has taken to Tendrum's Wyvern Room to recover from her illness while Erill staggered alone to the White Castle. Once Meglaz recovered, she slept and the others went looking for their paladin friend. They found him collapsed outside the castle chapel, so Jagg and Trigoron carried him back to the medic centre in Coral where he fell asleep under the watchful eye of a vicar. Erill told me he slept for many days, tended to by the vicars until at last he awake, his hand mended fully...

I also managed to finally catch up with two new travellers in the Lands, Fontane and Quantum. These young alchemists rarely seem to be seen without each other, and when I met up with Quantum recently, he implored me to wait as he expected Fontane to awaken at any time. Just when I was about to leave, she finally arrived and together they told me their sad tale of their escape from their hometown after a massive explosion ...

They had lived in a large, bustling town in some distant lands. Their fathers are brothers who work in the advanced area of the alchemy in an experimental research lab at a university. Their work was top secret so the young alchemists didnt really know what exactly they were working on; experimenting with ... Their families are close in many ways. They live close by in the outer surburbs of the town; all the cousins attended the same schools; Quantum and two of his sisters attended the upper school along with Fontane; Quantum's younger two sisters and two brothers attended the lower school with Fontane's younger two brothers. Fontane also has a baby sister. The young humans hope to follow in their father's footsteps which is why they have been studying at De Bruiderain Alchemy School since they arrived in these Lands. They have found the study very easy to date, so I can see they offer great promise to one day become mechanicians.

They told me of the day of the disaster. One day when they were at school, they heard a deafening explosion. Then the ground started shaking, the buildings fell down all around them and when they each mananged to struggle their way out of the rubble, they looked up to see this strangely shaped cloud ... the ground continued to shake ...everyone was screaming and shouting and running away and each of the young humans ran as well ... they had no idea where they were running ... but they felt the need to flee ... as if their lives depending on it ... they followed the crowds running ... out of the town ... traveled for many days and nights ... seeing no-one they knew ... just compelled to continue moving ... finally they each entered Dapetan and passed through immigration and entered Amethyst.

They told of their delight and joy when soon after arriving, they found each other. This explains why they are so rarely out of each others sight - they can't bear the thought of losing the only member of family they still have. Although they sent details of whereabouts to be posted on the survivors information noticeboard at their hometown, they have never heard from other members of their family. They have both pledged to return one day in the hope of finding more of their family. For now, they have each other ...