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2005-07-09

Page history last edited by Azeari 13 years, 3 months ago

Opening Gambit

 

Lord Martok Atronan was standing in the kitchen of a rustic cabin, chatting with the girl of his dreams. Well, she appeared to be saying something, but he wasn't really listening. He was distracted by the view through the window of an enormous mountain. It towered over the tiny cottage, its peak lost in the clouds. There was something up there, Martok knew: something malevolent. Its shadow had once stretched across the entire world, in a time so ancient that not even elves nor dragons remember. Soon it would return and claim him as its own.


It had all began the morning that Lukwind called his friends to a meeting at the Panashina Tearooms. It was the first time that Martok had met most of these people. He was vaguely acquainted with the Lady Elsa Mielet, since they had both attended the same elite boarding school. Lukwind had tutored them in elocution and diplomacy. Hui-Jin, a young orphan who had been raised by warrior monks from the far east, was Lukwind's roommate. The brooding half-elf sitting in the corner was Garyn. Just as the introductions seemed to be finished and Lukwind was about to start, there was a knock at the door.

 

"Bloody druids," Garyn muttered, "never on time."

 

 

"I'm sure that most of you would recall, three nights ago, when an unholy cacophony split the night with crashes, screams and wails of the damned. The next morning when the watchmen investigated, they were shocked to discover that the cathedral in the center of town had been completely demolished. The Abbé is presumed dead, and although some of the Templars survived, they will say nothing of what transpired.

 

What some of you may not know is that that very same night heralded the return of our right honourable Lord Mayor Frederick Kemp. Rumour has it that the recent troubles in the Entwood - and the Qualinesti closing their border - are somehow related to the Mayor's mysterious disappearance and abrupt return. I anticipate that the occasional skirmishes between the Thieves' Guild and the Templars will be nothing compared to the unrest as the Mayor reasserts his power.

 

As if that were not enough, dozens of peasants were discovered dead this morning in the area of the slums near Sudgate. It was clear from the terrified expressions on the faces of their corpses that they had died of fright. Nobody really knows for sure what happened, but it is pretty safe to assume that some kind of undead is to blame.

 

I have reached the conclusion that we need to leave town soon, before civil war breaks out or undead kill us in our sleep. Unfortunately, many wealthy & influential people have already made the same decision. Since we are neither, we need to take whatever means are available to us, to travel to another city that is hopefully less frought with danger. I have made enquiries, and a riverboat captain has agreed to give us passage in return for 15,000gp or like value of goods. Although the price is exorbitant (some might say extortive), I believe it represents our best chance of reaching our destination in safety. I propose that we form an adventuring party, and take on whatever quests are necessary in order to raise the money we need. Who is with me?"

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