Michael Johnson 66 |
On the fifth night of the FOs' convalescence, a troupe of elven bards visits the Castle and performs a play about the elven hero Alandar Silverelm, culminating in the lead actor "slaying" a rather convincing illusion of the fabled ancient red dragon Glaumthung.... The performance is excellent and enjoyable until the very end, when a quartet of elven pipers begins to play.... In spite of the beauty of the elegant harmonies created by the interwoven melodies, the timbre of the notes is too reminiscent of the monstrous piping call of Yog-Sothoth....
Mikey Jay |
When the elven pipers begin to play, MJ feels the mad hilarity threatening to burst free inside him again, as it did when he heard the terrible piping in Babylon.... He rises from his seat in the great hall of the Castle and hurries out of the chamber, whispering apologies between barely-contained giggles....
Michael Johnson 66 |
On May 11th, at 4:00 PM, a meteor hurtles from the heavens over Alfheim and lands with a great explosion of steam and tidal waves in the Sapphire Sea, some ten leagues (30 miles) south of the Castle....
The coming of this falling body from the heavens was forecast several days earlier by elven astrologers, who have suggested to the council of Elflords and Elfladies that some valuable ore might be found in the fallen meteor, if it can be recovered....
The FOs, known to have magic that enables them to traverse aquatic environments, are recruited by the elves to recover any valuable ore, such as adamantine or mithral which might be present in the fallen meteor, presently resting in a crater in the seabed of the Sapphire Sea, approximately 200 yards off the coast....
Michael Johnson 66 |
A fine elven ship, shaped like a swan, sails over the sparkling blue waves of the aptly named Sapphire Sea, bearing the FOs to the location of the fallen meteor in a short time.... Dolphins and mermaids play nearby as the swan ship drops anchor....
Radsworth has occasion to call forth his giant seahorse from the coral figurine he keeps in his haversack, and Daisy casts water breathing on all of the FOs....
Diving into the blue depths, the FOs traverse the aquatic realm beneath the surface of the Sapphire Sea, passing schools of rainbow-hued fish and coral formations of unearthly beauty and grace....
The crater formed by the fallen meteor is not hard to descry once the FOs are over the area.... A great bowl-shaped depression in the seabed, with a gleaming, many-spoked body of some kind of star-born mineral resting at its center.....
Knowledge (alchemy) or Knowledge (nature) checks can be made to identify the lustrous metal of the fallen meteor.... DC 25....
Michael Johnson 66 |
Whatever it might be, the FOs soon secure the spiky metal, tying ropes around it on the seabed, and hauling it to the coast with little effort....
Once it has been dragged partially onto the beach, a copper dragon named Clonargaphaer flies down from the forested hills east of the Castle, answering the summons of a silver raven sent by the elven smith Weselain....
The dragon lifts the spiny star-metal aloft, beating its copper wings, and flies with it to the Castle, where it is set in the great crucible of the castle's foundry, and melted down with dragonfire....
Archduke Mephistopheles |
Telepathically, to Levinson (and Wormwood and Kepler):I hope you weren't thinking of cheating me of my prize by becoming immortal on the path of undeath, my sweet Circe.... That would make our bargain rather.... Stagnant.... Hollow.... I would indefinitely be delayed in receiving what you have signed over to me.... How is that fair, my sweet lady?
Michael Johnson 66 |
On May 16th, 2013, both Daisy and Dr Hoffmann turn a year older--Daisy 21, Doc Hoffmann 41....
A dual birthday feast is thrown by the elven staff of the Castle, with ornate cakes, music played by elven bards, and performances by jugglers (juggling gnomes--interpret as you will), and acrobats....
Of course, fine elvish ale, beer, wine, and mead flows profusely from the taps....
The Piper in the Hills |
Two days after the double-birthday party, on the evening of May 18th, a strange satyr bard named Troper visits the Castle and entertains with his weird stories, off-colored jokes, and bizarre songs in exchange for a hot meal and shelter for the night....
One of the stranger tales he tells, he swears to be true, and the elves who work in the Castle soberly attest to its veracity....
He tells of a magical hall built by the god Loki on the borderland between Alfheim and Fairyland.... Built to serve as a sort of testing ground for would-be mythic heroes.... It is called the Hall of Trials, and it is said that though many who have thought themselves daring, cunning, or strong in magic or arms have braved the Hall, only a handful have successfully passed all the way through.... Those few heroes that did so were said to receive a divine gift of power by bathing in a spring at the end of the Hall of Trials.... A brawny warrior hero had his strength inherently increased.... A cunning rogue had his dexterity increased.... A great wizard's intellect was magnified.... A priest of the gods was increased in wisdom....
Troper the satyr bard concludes this particularly intriguing tale with a hint that he might be persuaded to serve a band of heroes seeking the Hall of Trials by guiding them there in exchange for daily meals, protection along the way, and a dozen gold coins to weigh down his flappy belt pouch....
Marcus Greer |
Sorry, haven't been checking this. When you said "4 day break while we wait for Radsworth" I thought you meant you weren't posting anything. =p
"You know, I used to be a Troper myself, Troper. Well, before the internet went bye-bye anyway. I'd be happy to help out a fellow Troper with whatever he needs."
Mikey Jay |
A magic funhouse o' death where we risk life and limb against crazy traps and monsters, and wrack our brains solving zany puzzles, for a chance to take a magic bath that grants us super-powers!? Count me in!
The Piper in the Hills |
Perceiving a hint of growing interest in his tale about Loki's Hall of Trials, Troper gladly elaborates, absently strumming dramatic chords on his lute to accent his narrative....
Of the nature of the Trials proper, I've heard a thing or three.... It seems the first trial is always the easiest, and a bit of a jest, as I've heard it, a show of Loki's humor.... But don't let it lull ye into a false sense of security.... The Trials following the first are said to grow more arduous!
The old satyr strums some dramatic harmonies on his lute....
There be the added trouble of strange and terrible monsters set within the Hall, some by Loki himself to confound those facing the Trials, and some as have come at random to lair within the strange abode....
A crescendo of tension-building dissonance....
And not all of the trials will test one's might at arms, or brawn, or resilience to perils.... Some test one's wits.... One's cunning.... One's lore.... One's sense of humor, if you will.... Loki was a trickster-god before he met his end at Ragnorak....
Prof. Naomi Levinson |
Telepathically, to Levinson (and Wormwood and Kepler):I hope you weren't thinking of cheating me of my prize by becoming immortal on the path of undeath, my sweet Circe.... That would make our bargain rather.... Stagnant.... Hollow.... I would indefinitely be delayed in receiving what you have signed over to me.... How is that fair, my sweet lady?
"Relax, Mephy, a deal is a deal. And frankly, I would have expected you to be pleased over this arrangement. You still get my soul, only in a nice gift-wrapped box now. And I can continue being amazing all the while for all eternity. Really, it's a win-win."
Levinson spent much of her time in the home of the elves reading through ancient tomes and trying to uncover any more information she could about the construction of a phylactery. One night though, she vanished without a trace along with her imp and her possessions...
Dr. Allison Jones |
Home. She was home. Or something like it. It was Deutschland at least assuming the old man was who he claimed to be. And after the sights and horrors she saw the past several months, who was she to deny that it really was Merlin who came to save her.
Allison looked around the trees and buildings of Alfheim overjoyed to be somewhere without snow and ice for once. Merlin claimed he would be taking her a group of other heroes who were fighting the Old Ones just as she was back in Antarctica. But all she could think of was how the others in her group had died back in the city of snow and ice at the hands of the Elder Things... But maybe things would be different now. After all, she was different now. Much more than a young surgeon on the research opportunity of a lifetime. So much had changed since then. She was something more now. Something mythical in her own right.
She finished changing into clothes the elves provided as her arctic gear didn't seem quite suitable anymore. She then donned her enchanted doctor's coat (now altered to allow her wings to pass through the back) and headed out of the castle to meet the others... "Oh boy... here goes nothing..."
Sieg Alfbrecht |
Sieg cracks his neck to loosen it and takes a deep breath of refreshing air.
Been too long since I've been home. Nice to be here, in the unchanging Forest, instead of some warped and twisted city for a change.
"Though this is a bit different." he says out loud, looking at the portal in front of him, that he'd been told led to realm of the Aelfs.
"Never thought I'd see the day that even those old stories came to life, but here it is."
He steps through and is immediately struck by the beauty of the palace of Alfheim and the surrounding area.
"Well damn. I feel like I'm uglying the place up." he says, trying (and failing) to put on an unimpressed facade.
Here goes nothin'... he thinks to himself, unbeknownst to him echoing the thoughts of someone else who'd made this same trek not long before.
Merlin the Wild |
Merlin arrives back at the Castle on the evening of May 18th. With him are three new faces, apparently reincarnated hero-souls who have been battling against minions of the Old Ones and performing great deeds in different parts of the world over the past five months....
Merlin introduces the newcomers as fellow champions of humanity, and potential recruits to an auxiliary team based alongside the Fierce Ones at Pandora's Box in the Castle....
On hearing that some of the Fierce Ones are considering an expedition to the infamous Hall of Trials to test their mythic mettle and possibly win increased inherent ability, Merlin declares that such a venture, though seemingly a foolish and unnecessary risk, might actually serve as a useful test of the newcomers' personal capabilities, as well as their ability to work with the FOs as part of the team.... He also suggests that Fate might have placed this challenge in the FOs' path, and it might be unwise to ignore it....
Somehow, I sense more than mere chance in this tale of the satyr's.... Mayhap the Fierce Ones are meant to take up this quest.... Mayhap they are being invited by some great, unseen power.... Mayhap the ghost of Loki himself?
Merlin tugs thoughtfully at his gray, tangled beard....
Michael Johnson 66 |
On the morning of May 19th, the team going on the expedition to Loki's Hall of Trials assembles, rested, breakfasted, and equipped for adventure, in the Castle courtyard. Riding horses are available in the stable for those who do not already possess magical steeds or superior modes of overland travel....
At 9:05 AM, the expedition leaves the walls of the Castle through the postern gate on the north side, and Troper rides ahead on a borrowed mare, leading the party northeastward toward the border with Fairyland....
Mikey Jay |
Mikey Jay rides a brown and white mare, catching on reasonably quickly how to let his body rise and fall with the horse's gait, for someone without prior riding experience....
He makes friendly conversation with the German MMA fighter, relating his own experience cross-training with jujitsu practitioners during his years of training in Chinese Kung fu....
Man, I have to admit, since I was always training with expert grapplers with way more ground-fighting experience than I, for most of the time I just considered myself doing well not to get wrapped up like a pretzel! Heheh.... I'm pretty slippery when it comes to escaping holds, but it was all I could do most of the time.... I learned a lot to supplement my striking ability.... Learning basic principles of combat are what served me best in Kung fu class.... How to use weapons as an extension of the body, footwork, et cetera.... Especially now that I spend so much time chopping up monsters with this big sword on my back! Heheh!
Michael Johnson 66 |
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The journey through Northern Alfheim to the Borderland with Fairyland takes about a week of normal riding, during which time, the size and apparent prowess of the party discouraged attacks by common wilderness predators.... Only the most curious of woodland creatures make their presences known to the expedition during the journey....
The weather is mild and pleasant throughout the week, with only a few hours spent sheltering under the caps of giant mushrooms from transient Spring showers....
Michael Johnson 66 |
As the Borderlands draw closer, the terrain grows more erratic.... More dramatic.... Strange, moss-covered rock formations thrust up from the land, and ravines and terraces break up the countryside.... The going is somewhat slowed by the necessity to pick a passable trail through rugged and wild terrain at times.... Shallow streams are forded, and many waterfalls spill over mossy cliffs into fern-lush vales....
Michael Johnson 66 |
Where Troper leads the expedition through dark forest (the last four days of the journey), fungus growths of incredible size and stunning colors become increasingly common, as do insects, reptiles, and other woodland creatures of unusual size.... Butterflies the size of men, rabbits the size of horses, enormous (and thankfully lazy or well-fed) serpents basking in the clearings....
A few fey creatures are spied along the journey by sharper-eyed members of the expedition--nymphs, pixies, satyrs, a dryad--all shying away from contact with so large and imposing a band of riders as the FOs make....
Michael Johnson 66 |
On the seventh day of travel, as the Sun hangs overhead at noon, though the canopy of dense foliage filters the sunlight, the Hall of Trials first comes into view from atop a wooded bluff overlooking an open vale where the front of the fabled Hall gleams in the sunlight, colorfully painted and ornately graven with many anthropomorphic designs interwoven with intricate knot work typical of ancient Scandinavia....
Michael Johnson 66 |
Troper bids the expedition farewell at this point, wishing them glorious success in the Hall of Trials, and thanking them for their heroic company on the journey. He rides off northward for Fairyland, taking furtive paths now that he rides alone....
Leaving their horses tied to trees on the bluff about 200 yards south of the Hall, the FOs and newcomers march to the front of the Hall.
MJ approaches the huge door in the bright red maw of the dragon-face carved to form the doorway.... He knocks with the great iron ring in the wolf head knocker, rapping three times on the great wooden door, more as a joke than in expectation of an answer, but no sooner has he finished knocking than the great door swings inward with a groan, revealing a torch-lit chamber beyond....
Radsworth |
"Hmm. You fellows forward."
Radsworth had been incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of missing out on any sort of expedition, no matter how strained downtime was. He had recovered since his incident with Yog-Sothoth, and if anything it had taught him how much more he needed to learn. Besides, Koran had spent much time with him lately, and while he genuinely was comfortable around the Barbarian in peace time, it was getting hard to commit more magic to memory without seeming rude.
Now enter new companions. Koran and Levinson were real integers he could plug in anywhere he needed. He knew their value and what he could expect. Yet again, he found himself with new allies. Of them he knew nothing, so would dedicate this particular task to learning their capabilites, assuming Derrik didn't obliterate every enemy they encountered within the first 6 seconds of saying hello.
(I'll have a spell list up soon. )
Sieg Alfbrecht |
Mikey Jay rides a brown and white mare, catching on reasonably quickly how to let his body rise and fall with the horse's gait, for someone without prior riding experience....
He makes friendly conversation with the German MMA fighter, relating his own experience cross-training with jujitsu practitioners during his years of training in Chinese Kung fu....
Man, I have to admit, since I was always training with expert grapplers with way more ground-fighting experience than I, for most of the time I just considered myself doing well not to get wrapped up like a pretzel! Heheh.... I'm pretty slippery when it comes to escaping holds, but it was all I could do most of the time.... I learned a lot to supplement my striking ability.... Learning basic principles of combat are what served me best in Kung fu class.... How to use weapons as an extension of the body, footwork, et cetera.... Especially now that I spend so much time chopping up monsters with this big sword on my back! Heheh!
"Fighting a skilled grappler when you have little skill in it yourself is rough. I was humiliated constantly during my initial training, though I was told not to be discouraged that I couldn't simply beat up a Jiujitsu master like I could schoolchildren." he gives a little chuckle that ends abruptly as they arrive at their destination.
Michael Johnson 66 |
The space beyond the great door is a spacious chamber, about 50 ft square, with a 50-ft high ceiling supported by oak rafters and neatly thatched. The floor is covered with straw, and strewn with the skulls and bones of hundreds of dead humans and woodland animals....
Two inanimate objects are conspicuous among the straw and bones--a big war hammer, set head down and haft up, and beside it, a large (4-ft high) wooden barrel.... Both hammer and barrel are marked with the same rune, a symbol for progress or motion....
At the far end of the 50-ft chamber stands another door of impressive size, graven with interwoven patterns and anthropomorphic images.... This door has no knocker or other apparent way of opening it....
Most alarming are two aberrations that have taken up residence in this entrance section of the great hall, and are apparently eager to eat something besides fungus and the occasional deer or rabbit....
Roper of the Hall of Trials |
Sig has seen something of their like before....
The creeping Chaos of the outer worlds finds it's way into all sorts of corners and back alleys....
The column-like one with strands of thick, ropy substance forming limbs of a kind leers at the party with its single, great bloodshot eye, maw hanging open to showcase rows of shark-like teeth glistening with drool....
Sig seems to have a subconscious, almost genetically encoded suspicion that those strands can grow long to catch prey, and that they sap the vital strength from their struggling victims through those tendrils....
Sieg Alfbrecht |
"I'd be wary of these two, their capabilities meld pretty well. That weird rocky looking one likes to hit people with some gooey tentacle things, sapping people's strength, and the big froggy one is like me, but bigger...if he gets a hold of you and puts you in a lock, you're gonna have a bad time."