Continuation

The sun dipped low in the western sky, almost touching the horizon. The shadows were long and dark in the forest. All was quiet, the calm quiet just before darkness descends on the land. Slowly, deliberately, a figure slipped from the shadows of the forest raising barely a whisper as he moved through the trees. Ademar Nightwalker was on the move again.

It had been several days since he had left the city. Many days since he fled the scene of his caretakers untimely demise. He was filled with grief and guilt but on a much more basic level he was hungry and tired. Since he had fled the city he had been running through the nights and most of the day stopping only when his body finally refused to carry him any further. The only food he had eaten were berries that he had found in the forest. His stomach churned in an ever-twisting knot of pain. He had to eat but he was ill equipped. Ademar carried only the tattered and charred clothes on his back, a dagger at his belt and his lock picks in a small pouch. No bow to hunt with, no sword to protect himself from the beasts that wandered the wild, not even a bedroll to keep warm in the cold nights of early spring.

He was running on the razors edge of his luck and he knew it would not hold out much longer. Ademar needed to find food and safety and he needed to find it soon. By the time he navigated through tangled roots of the giant oaks and maples in the wood darkness had settled completely upon the world. There was no moon tonight, only the dim light of the stars. Fortunately, the gods had blessed elves with extremely good vision and although it wasn't easy, Ademar was able to see well enough to make his way through the night. Now free of the forest he had traveled through for many days his pace quickened and he stayed his north by northeast course. He pushed himself hard this night despite the protests of his stomach and his cramping legs. There was a small farming community out here, he had heard about it in the market. Just outside the forest, as the hills gave way to the plains. At least that's what he thought he remembered.

On he marched for several hours but the hills seemed never ending. He looked to the sky again and again, checking the stars to confirm his direction. Was he going crazy? By his estimation he had traveled nearly eight miles in these lands with no sign of any civilization. He glanced back over his shoulder. The forest was no longer in sight. There was nothing out here. No trees for shelter, no food, no apparent water supply. What was he doing? Standing on a small hillock in the middle of nowhere, Ademar felt alone and insignificant indeed. Was this to be his punishment then? Would this be how the gods would bring his end? Starved to death, alone, in an unknown land.

Despair began to creep into the edge of his consciousness. Ademar sank to his knees as his strength began to fail. He had to rest for a moment and collect his wits. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. He focused on clearing his mind and centering himself the way his parents had instructed him decades ago in Kemmermere. For many minutes he sat quietly in meditation. He emerged steadier and slightly refreshed. It would have to do he thought to himself. Without a clear mind he would surely die and if he died there would be no retribution for the loss of Deedra Garnet. That, would not do.

Ademar stood again and surveyed his surroundings once more. The night was at it's mid point and clouds were gathering overhead with the promise of rain. He had to get moving and find shelter. Turning back to the north he thought he saw something. Something snaking up into the sky. He breathed in deeply. The very faint traces of smoke hung in the air. He was getting close. He might yet survive this night and get one step closer to his revenge on Kendrick Cwik. Ademar allowed his anger to build. He concentrated on the smug smile of his one-time friend who had betrayed him. Kendrick would die by his hand, he would make certain of that!

It took most of the next hour for Ademar to finally reach the outermost reaches of the community. The clouds were heavy now and light, even for an elf was becoming very scarce. He would have to move quickly. As he approached from the hills he had counted the buildings, eighteen in all. There were five large farm houses surrounding several smaller buildings at the center of the hamlet. One road, more of a well worn foot path, passed through the buildings on a fairly straight line east to west.

The wind kicked up, blowing through the surrounding field in great dusty waves as Ademar made his way to the door of the first farm house. It was a simple two-story wood building with a thatch roof. The residents would be sleeping upstairs. This should be simple enough, he thought. Get in and get out he told himself as he paused with his hand on the door catch to calm his nerves. In one smooth, practiced motion he pulled at the catch and pushed slightly on the door. It swung inward easily and quietly as Ademar slipped into the common room. A gust of cold, damp, wind followed him in whipping the glowing coals in the fireplace back into flames. He cursed under his breath as he swung the door back closed. It latched with a noisy “click” and he cursed himself again. He froze for a moment and strained to hear if anyone had been roused by the noise. When all remained quiet he turned away from the door and went straight to the pantry, found a sack and promptly stuffed it full of cheese, bread, and even some salted beef. On his way out of the building he lifted a cloak from a hook near the door then, slipped outside as quiet as death.

______________________________________________________________

Alas, I am out of time. There is more to come...

The History of Atalanxia Part III

After the coup in Vairlain it took the Emperor of New Atalanxia some time to time to organize and train his newly acquired militia fearing, rightfully so, that the other six kingdoms wouldn't fold so easily. In the meantime he sent many diplomats, some left over from the previous regime in Vairlain to the remaining six kingdoms. His message of peace through unity was largely ignored. Clearly no king warmed to the idea of swearing fealty to a supreme emperor. Especially one as young as the twenty year old who had inexplicably stolen the throne away from an either incompetent or indigent sovereign such as the venerable King Averus II simply must've become. King Averus was an affable King who was beloved by most but respected by none.

During this time Ent'Ara staid aggression, expecting no compromise from the six proud kings while vigorously training his army under the tutelage of his Warlord Champion, Ocara. After years of negotiation stalemate, Ent'Ara abruptly pulls his diplomats out of each country, waiting until the last possible moment to recall his foreign delegates from the adjacent Kingdom of Rafa Ben'Efre. On the last day the diplomats were stationed and once they were free from the borders of the capital, he struck. With war-machines the world had never before seen they laid siege, overrunning the city within the month. The Kings castle was raided by Ent'Ara's personal guard, as the Emperor himself had overseen this victory personally, the Rafa Ben'Efrean King's family and council were slaughtered. The king himself was disemboweled and hung from the castle walls by his entrails. Word of this gory display spread like wildfire throughout the remaining free kingdoms. The heads of the Rafa Ben'Efrean heirs and her king's closest advisors were sent to the five remaining kings as a warning. Ent'Ara used Rafa Be'Efre as an example of what consequences lay beyond the limits of his patients. The effect was exactly what Ent'Ara had intended.

To the other Kings, the boy playing Emperor had suddenly become a despot playing as a god among sheep. They realized after the easy sacking of two of the largest and most powerful kingdoms among them in less than a decade something must be done about this "New Atalanxia". In secret they convened, three councils over two years time. They came together but could not agree on how best to ally against the threat. The kings express a desire to preserve their lines, but know that alliance with the elves and dwarves seems like an inevitable certainty for Atalanxia. They believe staying to fight would take years and expend countless lives. All five sovereigns knew their time was short and that from Rafa Ben'Efre's geographical location, any of them could be the next domino to fall. Centuries of petty squabbling between former enemies could not be overcome in the short two years however. When scouts return to Elsinhor with word of eastward marching soldiers bearing Ent'Ara's crest, the Elsinhor King sends dispatches to Emberlynne, whose King sends dispatches to Shanericha and so forth. Enacting the plan they expected could be the only successful one given the amount of time they had.

They fled. All five remaining kings met at a secret and as yet, still unknown location. From there they headed northward with their heirs, families, closest council, personal guard and what artifacts and heirlooms they could suffer for the journey. Though it is looked upon historically as a cowardly act. Many, more reputable historians believe that they spared hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives to Ent'Aran slaughter and they still would've lost their crowns, and their lives.

Because of this self imposed exile, Ent'Ara was able to take the remaining kingdoms with little resistance. Some of the militia, as well as many common people still loyal to the kings who abandoned them fought various, unorganized skirmishes against the Ent'Aran military. They were quickly stamped out.

The Regal Pilgrimage as its is now known, took two years to complete and eventually settled in what is now The Dodanna Freelands, a marshy, swampy wasteland north of what is now Arcadia, just outside of Ent'Ara's reach. It is there that they officially form a union, calling themselves the "Sons of Sovereignty". They create a temporary republic, with the remaining kings acting as equal heads of state. From this region, they start their new government, its sole purpose to usurp Ent'Ara's power and restore each sovereign to his rightful place. Their dream required convincing the elves and dwarves of Ent'Ara's cruelty and true intention of ruling the entire continent as a despot, and uniting forming a joint force to invade. The hope being success in dividing and conquering his thinly spread army.

To thwart any attempt at redemption, Ent'Ara sends assassins from the many guilds of thieves residing across the southern part of the continent that he now controls. He expects the assassins familiarity with their former kings will allow them to find them more efficiently. They don't need much help, but Ent'Ara's gamble pays off. One by one, the kings' contingents are murdered during pilgrimage. Some of the assassins turn against Ent'Ara however, taking the gold he offers as well as the that of the remaining five kings (in exchange for not killing them and their families) and disappear. Many of those turncoat assassins are assassinated themselves.

Despite the assassination attempts all five monarchs reach their new temporary home. The kings individual guards unite in order to organize a counter to Ent'Ara's assassins. Without the permission of their lieges the warriors form the "Swords of Sovereignty" a contingent of nearly twenty-five elite soldiers. In a short time they become a powerful and respected mobile force through their intelligence and ability to rapidly adapt to a constantly changing environment. Something their Monarchs had great difficulty with. Over the two years they remained in their temporary home, which had gone officially unnamed as the kings didn't want any permanent attachment being made to the place, (but many had begun calling Nadalia, after an heiress of Emberlynne who had died of dysentery during the journey) only five more members of the new society fell to Ent'Ara's assassins. The Swords of Sovereignty became so successful in fact, that each of them were knighted by their respective monarchs and all transgressions pertaining to forming the group without permission were forgiven.

Assassins eventually began refusing Ent'Ara's gold and a new solution, a final solution, needed to be enacted. Ent'Ara, knowing the location of the Sons of Sovereignty fully the two years since their self-exile sent a strike force. The pompous King of Shanericha, tired of living in what he believed to be squalor, had been meeting with an Ent'Aran spy for nearly three months prior. He told the spy when and where the strike force should attack after making a proxy arrangement with Ent'Ara to be reinstated to his own throne. Believing his land, like Kemmermere, would remain sovereign once he returned to power. His betrayal cost the Sons of Sovereignty fully half of Nadalia's population and the life of the King of Emberlynne. The Swords of Sovereignty defeated the strike force eventually, but Nadalia was lost, routed by the Ent'Aran soldiers. Much of their transported riches, some artifacts and heirlooms were lost in the underground fortress they'd hastily created, some of it never recovered. Knowing they were compromised, and no longer safe in the marshes, the Sons of Sovereignty fled further north. Less than a thousand men, women and children made their second pilgrimage. Eventually landing far enough away that Ent'Ara felt they were no longer a threat. They emigrated to the flatlands between the frozen wastes of what is now Eldridge and the mountainous wasteland of what is now Manchrist.

King William Wright IV (known to his subjects as "Curly Bill" for his renown vanity) of Shanericka was spared by Ent'Ara's strike force, he and his court were allowed passage back to Atalanxia. When they returned to Shanericka's Castle Wright, Emperor Ent'Ara had them hung publicly. King William was not not given the luxury of a gallows separate from his common subjects although he was hung last. Ent'Ara's warning that a traitor, even one that worked for the benefit of Atalanxia, could never be trusted anywhere and therefore must die. The underlying message of all people other than the Emperor being treated as commoners was not lost on his subjects.

The three remaining Sons of Sovereignty and their subjects remained there, the first generation holding on to the dream to one day return to their homeland. The first city they created they called Sevenations, named for the "Seven Nations" that were usurped by the tyrant Attin Ent'Ara. A second city was formed nearly ten years after the original settlement, called Fivekings. Trade between the two cities made both flourish, soon other hamlets and small settlements began sprouting in the comparatively milder climated central region. After The First Dragonwar more common folk emigrated from the south to escape the war and Ent'Ara's influence, helping to populate all towns and villages of the new homeland. The dream of returning to Elsinhor, Emberlynne, Shanericka, Fehring'Ram and Ivalisse was sadly never realized by the first generation of kings. They were aged or nearing old age at the time of their usurping. One died, still angry at the hand dealt him by fate. The others however, were content in the knowledge that they had been able to save their families, their culture, some artwork and heirlooms and thereby securing the future of their legacy. The dream that their sons and daughters could someday return to their homelands out shined the darkness of the indignity of losing the throne.

Crowns were passed down from the first generation in symbolic coronations. The dying kings of Ivalisse, Fehring'Ram and Elsinhor bequeathed crowns which bore only symbols of a past dream that would never be realized. The new Kings understood very clearly that they were Kings Without Kingdoms, and from this knowledge comes the name of the Kingdom that would be formed, a literal translation of the phrase from an elven dialect, the word Ulygng'Uard. From this second generation the kingdom of Kings Without Kingdoms was born, The Kingdom of Ulygnguard.

Patch the Hole in My Heart *Sob*

In a short but eventful session we saw the birth of a new way to play and the death of a, uh, hmm... friend?

Recap: The session starts off with the PC's escaping the town of Snoam-Schlabach. The town is still feeling the effects of a recent two-day battle with their Schudlichton rivals and most are reeling with the anticipation of meeting them again. The outsiders go about their business basically ignored by those they don't deliberately interact with.

Before leaving they enter Fengis' warehouse and take the tobacco they left behind earlier along with some picks and shovels. They leave the doors open so Piter and his friends can pick through and freely distribute what they didn't already take of Fengis' goods. They then head to see the blacksmith who sells them a club, a quarterstaff and a heavy iron mace. After that, the group heads to Whitewall Camp and afterwards, the MacBrady(bunch) tomb.

On the way, less than a mile from town they are waylaid by a group of three dire wolves. With the exception of a brief period where Patch is pinned beneath one (reminding him of a scene from "The Two Towers") they are dispatched rather quickly and easily. They arrive at camp by nightfall. They rent rooms and put up their horses for the night and catch a restful sleep.

The next day they walk to the Olde Snoam Mine, traversing through sparse pine and thick snow. It takes half of the day but they arrive without incident. They rope themselves up the 30 foot incline and climb to the plateau. They enter the cave and inexplicably separate into three groups. Ademar remains near the entrance, Patch heads northeast and Cor'Nal heads southeast toward the downward stairs leading nearer the tomb. Patch runs headlong into a group of five darkmantles. He yells for help and is rescued by his friends but in truth probably could've handled the situation himself.

Eventually they make it to the tomb entrance but not before Patch manages to fall into Woofy's pit (now Woofy's tomb). He is brought up without further incident. Once at the entrance they spend the rest of the day and half of the next hacking through the clay wall that Cor'Nal previously created, bypassing the locked door. They walk down a short corridor and come to another locked door. An iron door taking up the whole of the east wall. It is locked, and twice trapped. They trigger it the first time filling the corridor with a strange mist that eventually ignites erupting the passage into natural flame. Patch takes minimal damage but Ademar escapes unscathed. The second attempt is successful.

They enter the tomb to find a large room, roughly 50'x50', it is filled with fifteen sarcophagi. The center one, also the grandest in appearance, holds the three dimensional effigy of a knight on the sarcophagus lid, it is made of a rare blue stone that even Patch does not recognize. They search the room. first for traps and then for secret doors. They find no traps but a secret door is located on the far east wall beneath a message written in an ancient form of the common tongue reading:

"We bury ye, and with ye, the ways of olde."

It leads to another tomb. It contains only one sarcophagus but its a big one. Fully eight feet long and five feet high, the name Pietrous MacBrady is carved out of the blue stone. Another cryptic message on the wall reads:

“Undisturbed may you lay in this tomb of the past, undisturbed as the days of old, deep with the last vestiges of the magic we’ve forsaken, and the ways we’ve chosen to forget.”

Patch decides against heeding the words of the wall and disturbs the tomb. He cracks it open with the crowbar, and slides the massive, heavy lid away from the sarcophagus. Inside he finds the surprisingly well-preserved corpse of a Knight of Ulygnguard (YOO-leen-gard), a Sword of Sovereignty in state dressed in full battle regalia. He is wearing a full set of Adamantite plate, bearing the Rampant Lion crest of the Swords of Sovereignty. He holds in his hands a magical longsword, upon which rests an Adamantite tower shield. Upon his head rests a magical helm. Cor'Nal suggests Patch close the lid. Ademar suggests the entire group leave while they still have their luck and their lives intact.

Patch decides to take the lot of it.

He dons the helmet, which seems to give him greater understanding of things around him. He puts the armor, which won't fit him anyway, into his sack. He dons the shield and takes the longsword in hand, temporarily replacing the dwarven waraxe he usually wields. He even takes the worthless, rotted boots the knight is wearing. Presumably just to anger his companions, or the gods themselves.

Ademar and Cor'Nal order him to put the stuff back. When he refuses they turn their backs on him and leave the tomb altogether. When they leave him, Patch just shrugs his shoulders and walks out alone. When he reaches the center sarcophagus in the larger tomb the door that Ademar and Cor'Nal pass through closes, and a spectre then rises up from the tomb. The spectre is facing Patch, it points to the armor he wears and hisses. Patch says, "Hey, whats goin' on?". The spectre hisses again and reaches for Patch. A battle ensues, Patch screams when he feels his lifeforce being stolen away by the ghostly spectre. His companions hear this and come back through the inexplicably closed door. They too battle the spectre. The battle is won but not before Patch has four effective levels taken from him in lifeforce which nearly kills him. Again the two elves tell the defiant, and now severely weakened dwarf to put back the knights belongings. He again refuses. Ademar socks Patch in the face and a fight breaks out between the two. Patch uses the flat of his sword in an attempt to subdue his friend (although using his fists would've worked just as well). Cor'Nal and the wolf soon join the fray when Ademar begins to lose the battle. They are playing for real however and do not pull their punches, so to speak. Patch rages when he becomes outnumbered and begins to do lethal damage to Ademar whom he eventually bests. When Ademar falls, the wolf and Cor'Nal also take their lumps for a time before Patch finally falls. When he does, Cor'Nal casts a cure minor wounds spell to stabilize him. He then brings Ademar out of unconsciousness. When Ademar comes to, they work together at stealing back the gear Patch himself stole and return it to the fallen knight. While they do this, Patch comes out of his rage and peacefully slips from this mortal coil. He dies, unconscious and alone upon the cold stone floor of a tomb of strangers.

It was unintentional, but it happened. And now the elves find themselves, yet again, without a brute to help protect them. They stood up for their principles, probably the only time either had done so thus far, and put down their traveling companion. Will they return to Snoam-Schlabach to burn him upon a pyre? Or send his body back to Thorak to have his body entombed with his ancestors?

Goodbye Patch. We hardly knew ye.

My Two Copper Pieces

First of all I want to say thank you to Candi and Mr. Nymberg for spending so much time on creating something that we three humble gamers and Mike had the privilege of being first to utilize. Thank you very much.

Now the review: I have to echo many of the things Ademar stated in his personal review, although there are a few things I disagree with. This isn't due to a misperception on his part as much as it is a mistake on my part in clarification.

Firstly, the detail level throughout was simply incredible. From the floor tiles to the wall relief to the runic writing on the sarcophagi to the little table and chair pieces that we (sadly) couldn't utilize in our short gaming session I was simply floored by the attention and time spent putting it all together. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the entire set was lovingly crafted by lifelong gamers who worked as professional craftsmen. Seriously, and with all due respect to my friend and her father, when I opened the box and went through its contents Saturday evening I couldn't find the appropriate words to describe it to my wife who was standing right next to me, I ended up settling for "It's a gamer's wet dream." and I meant it in the best possible way. If I had had this as a kid, oh man, I would've been a legend in my gaming circle.

Secondly, the scaling was just short of perfect. Our miniatures fit exactly as they should have on each 1x1 square. The sarcophagi were the right height and, had it come into play, would've accurately portrayed the necessary positioning regarding cover. (My gamer comrades will know what I mean). I wish I had realized that the wall sections with the circle of wire (sans chain) inserted were in fact wall sconces for the torches you provided. Would've made a nice touch, but I'm an idiot. I can't wait to use the chair and table pieces.

Thirdly, generally its been my experience that you have to suffer quantity when you create a quality product or vice-versa but this is certainly not the case here. Aside from what I believed to be a genuinely purchase-worthy product in quality I could not believe the sheer bloody volume of items you created and included. I estimated, probably inaccurately, that the equivalent of Dwarven forge materials would've costed nearly three thousand gold pieces based on what I know of them. It was an experience just removing the various pieces form the (excellently engineered) packaging provided.

Lastly, the working guillotine was freakin' sweet!

And now for the sake of critique:

I agree that the coals may be impractical but I still plan to give them a go. It will be interesting to see how much of the stuff remains after being used in game sessions a few times. As a suggestion, perhaps gluing some permanently to future fire pits/funeral pyres etc might be the more practical approach. It remains to be seen however as I plan to use what we have in the near future.

Also, a little variation in color would be nice. Not so much on the walls and floor tiles because I'm aware that it was created for something I specifically asked for, but (and I didn't even notice this until I tried to take pictures of it) a different shade on the sarcophagi or the giant skulls for the sake of contrast. Nitpicking I know, but just for future reference.

I understand that they are on the way, but I agree with Cor'Nal that large pieces (varying in degree of size) would help immensely especially if they're marked in delineated 1"x1" squares like the others, when it comes to prep time. The only true drawback to the set we have currently is the investment in time required to put it together. I have theories on how to greatly reduce this that I've yet to put into practice. Cor'Nal, I believe, actually suggested Sunday that when you begin selling these sets that you perhaps create place tops of various sizes with lids (like a cake holder) to hide the pre-created set-pieces the DM puts together pre-session in order to cut down on time and preserve the surprise factor. I'm taking that idea one step further and suggesting that if created, these concealers could be made from sturdy cardstock and painted on the outside with various fantasy images a'la our DM screens. Of course this would probably drive Mike insane and I'd have to hide a security guard to keep him from peeking during my restroom/cookie breaks but I digress.

I personally thought the sarcophagi were just fine with depressions but when Ademar mentioned it raised relief and opening lids on them sounds like a really good idea as well. But I wouldn't stop creating them as you did.

Getting to what Ademar had said: About the scale of the candles, they were actually exactly what I'd requested. Reason being: Have you ever been to a Catholic ceremony of any kind? The candles are friggin' huge! My vision was for the first set Candi and Mr. Nymberg made to be that of an underground temple/church for priests and worshippers of a dark order, where black sermons and sacrifices to the gods of murder and destruction could take place. So, in truth the candles are to scale. Probably not interchangeable with future instances, but correct for the specs I provided. I didn't mention this because, frankly, you guys aren't suppose to know yet. Sorry, my bad.

In Summation: All in all on the positive side I think this was a triumphant first run for your "prototype". I feel honored to have been a (admittedly small) part of its creation as well as the first DM to put it to use. I am ashamed to admit that it was more than I ever thought it could be.

The level of immersion that this holds the potential for creating is staggering. I speak for my entire gaming group when I say that we will be thrilled to playtest any and all items that you present us with in the future. Please keep it coming (and let us know when you're ready to sell!).

A Review

Well, last nights session was surprising on many levels. The most pleasant of which was a gift of sorts from people that few of us have ever even met. The dm revealed some awesome new eye candy for us to ogle over. 3-d dungeon tiles! Let me say on the record, these things looked very professional and extremely well built. The detail was incredible. If the dm had not said anything about their origins I would have thought he lost his mind and bought $1000 worth of stuff from The Red Dragon or something. It turns out that it was all scratch built to the dm's specs! Simply amazing!

The good:
-Very high degree of detail
-Tiles fit together very well
-The everburning flame rocked!
-Felt durable and solidly constructed
-Good variety of pieces
-The doors open!!

The not-so-good (I didn't see anything I would consider bad):
-The scale on the candlesticks was way off, too large
-Using the gravel for coals is a good idea but I don't think it will work well in practice
-Sarcophagi would have looked better with raised relief patterns not depressions
-I didn't see a use for the torches (no wall sconces) and they were a little large also

Suggestions:
-Removable lids for sarcophagi
-Curved wall sections (not every tunnel/corridor is straight)
-More "play testing" time!
-Floor tiles larger than 2x2 would speed up build time of larger rooms

As you can see most of this stuff is nitpicking, overall this tile set blew my mind, it was great! It looked like a ton of time and effort went into this project. A big thank you goes out to the R&D team behind this product!

The past to Cor'Nal Utharo

Cor'Nal was born August 2nd in the heart of Kemmermere during one of the worst rain storms the area had seen in centuries. He was the only child born to Legawyn and Nydia Utharo. His family lived in a small hovel outside of the towns. His father worked as a messenger, traveling between the larger cities of the great forest they called home, while his mother worked at their home doing the daily chores and raising a garden to support the family and earn a little extra coin.

As the years passed and Cor'Nal grew older his father started to take him on some of the shorter messenger runs and his mother opened a small store for herself in one of the great forests small cities. While out in the forest Legawyn taught Cor’Nal to live off what was available to him and not to waste anything. While on their messenger runs Legawyn noticed something strange happening. He noticed that there were more numerous animals nearer to where they would travel and make camp and unlike usual they weren't hostile, they seemed curious. As time went on he noticed that these events only happened when Cor’Nal was with him. He noticed that Cor'Nal could calm a horse with just a touch or tame a wild dog with but a few words and with that Legawyn and Nydia knew that they had no normal child but a child with great gifts that had been bestowed by Kutenai himself.

At the age of 70 Cor'Nal was trained by his father and mother not only in the ways of the wild but also in the art of sword play and the ways of their god. By the age of 75 Cor'Nal had exceeded his parents and was sent out for further teachings in the great city of Sanctuary where he was further trained by a man known as Lythalruil (Ly=wolf, thal=healer, ruil=noble) a close friend to his father and a man known as a fine blades man but a wild man. Over the next ten years Cor'Nal trained hard under Lythalruil learning that his gift was more than just to attract animals but he could calm them and call them to his aid. He also learned that like a Cleric he could heal small wounds and like a mage he could cause small amounts of harm if needed but he still couldn't control his powers.

On one late fall morning Lythalruil and Cor'Nal were surprised to see Legawyn standing before them bearing a message. The high Council was calling for Lythalruil to aid the great forest. So at the age of 85 Cor'Nal returned with his father as a skilled swordsman and man of the wild. It was a joyous event for Legawyn and Nydia to have there son back once more but they knew that it wouldn't last long. It was only a few months after his return that his parents noticed that Cor'Nal was restless and that being stuck in one place not using what he learned was taking its toll on him. So late one evening over their supper Cor’Nal's parents bid him to go out into the world and use the gifts Kutenai had given him to explore and to make a name for himself. So, with there blessing that is what he did that very next morning.

In the next 10 years that followed Cor'Nal hadn't made a name for himself or his family yet but he had been traveling and had traveled all the way east to the Vesbeeg forest. Once there he planned to travel north but stopped in the Twin Towns first, where there was a struggling farmer that he knew could use some help. For the next 4 seasons he stayed until Dorian Haysted the owner of the farm fell ill with a fever and passed away. Once again Cor'Nal was alone and back on the road heading north as he had planned.

Cor'Nal made it as far as the forest of Little Wood in the Halfling republic of Murgar in the next 6 years. While there he started to hear that the real adventures were up in the frozen north and that’s when he knew where he needed to be. Once again he headed out but this time he felt like he had purpose and a place to be. He abandoned the easy, slow, pace that he had been going at for so long and began moving more swiftly than ever before.

Cor'Nal also found that his powers were becoming more controlled and easier to focus upon; he even picked up an eagle he named Kordre (Kor=black, dre=charm) as a traveling companion for some time. In just a little over 2 years time Cor'Nal made it all the way back to the Dwarven kingdom of Thorak which was nestled in the same mountains that bordered the Great Forest of Kemmermere. It was from there that he headed north until reaching the Town of Goodale in just a years time which was a slower pace than he had wanted to go. His pace slowed greatly with home so close by, he was often tempted to return to his friends and family after 22 long years on the road. While in the town of Goodale Cor'Nal was still hearing the stories of the adventure to be had in the north and the stories of the people who said that they had been there and were planning to return there once the winter was over just as Cor'Nal was planning to do. The following spring Cor'Nal headed out alone once more only to get to the nearby forest before befriending a young timber wolf he named Besali (Bes=Oath, ali=shadow) and over the next couple of months taught it a few tricks like how to carry a pack and how to hunt as a pair rather than a pack as well as how to stay or move at Cor’Nal’s call.

After about 6 months, and while he was finishing up training with the wolf Cor’Nal Spotted something out of place in the forest he had been in for so many months. He and his new companion started toward what looked to be a sleeping elf, a strange sight this far north and all alone. Cor'Nal was paying more attention to the weird sight than to where he was walking and stepped onto an old dried branch that snapped and in that instant; the lone elf awoke and sprung up swinging around long sword in hand. In the same instant Cor'Nal had his scimitar in hand facing the unknown elf. After what seemed like a few minutes Cor'Nal and the lone elf seemed to recognize one another. It was Cor'Nal that spoke first asking if the elf was from the Great Forest of Kemmermere and with a couple of other similar questions found that this elf was an old acquaintance of his by the name of Ademar Helyanwë. After eating breakfast together and chatting it seemed as if Ademar was hiding something or searching for something that he didn't want anyone to know about. If it hadn't have been for Ademar saying that his last name was Nightwalker rather than Helyanwë Cor’Nal would have never questioned anything. It didn't matter much to Cor'Nal that Ademar didn't want to give him the truth about what he was doing so far north it was just good to have another companion of the same race again.

As the season got longer the pair decided to wait out yet another winter in the safety of the town of Goodale which meant another year passed without Cor'Nal beginning to make a name for his family. The very next summer the pair continued on traveling north when they stumbled upon a confused half-Orc, lost in the forest. After much debate, they approached the beast, attempting to discern his motivation. Although dim-witted, the half-Orc, Vrock, was extremely gifted physically and offered no resistance to the Elven pair in their questioning. Vrock only wanted out of the woods and the elves saw an opportunity to add a measure of protection to their small party. Now a trio, the group pressed out of the deep forests and onto well traveled roads moving more easily on their journey north.

Finally on his way north the feeling Cor'Nal had just a few years ago for adventure are returned anew and with new companions by his side he is more confident than ever that he's going to be able to make a name for his family.

The Magic of Polls II

Ok. Blah, blah, blah, more poll stuff.


What we know:

Everyone seems happy with our campaign balance: You guys heart your DM. Gay!

Some people think it would be cool if Vrock were to be resurrected, others aren't so keen: Yeah, as much as I liked Vrock I think he's best left as a crispy critter. He died a good, albeit senseless, death.

The DM isn't being stingy with loot: Yeah right, butt-kissing won't get you more magic stuff guys!

Not everyone voted but for those that did, Patch smacking Fengis with the iron pot was the funniest moment so far: I agree, I nearly peed myself over that.

Patch will kill Ryan MacBrady in three sessions or less: He says he's not a bloodthirsty mongrel. Maybe we'll soon see the sensitive side of Patch. Or, maybe not.

All three PC's want to go in a different direction: Seriously, everybody voted something different. I voted on going further north. My vote doesn't count.

I'm still the DM as you haven't decided to fire me: Are you sure Mikey isn't available?

Forward any poll ideas to my email. I'll be deleting the closed polls and posting new ones shortly.