1995-03-18
Recovered original text · preserved verbatim
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NEVERWINTER NEWS
Issue #75
Week Ending 3-18-95
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FRONT PAGE
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Congratulations to FF Hawke for winning last week's News of the Realm
contest.
FF Hawke has earned choice of 4 Pearls or 2 Free Hours of On-line time to be
credited to their account. WTG!
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GOH Slay Living booth
11 of the 15 preregistered showed up.
Winner of 5 pearls: Silvir Fox (who took 14 pts from 2 slays)
Honorable mention: MadogMclur, Iz ilven (15 pts ea. total)
3 Fatalities due to slays. ;) Congrats to Fox, and thanks to all the GOH
members who participated.
NW Kishpa
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Upon leaving NeverWinter City, we headed east through the Wharves and on into
Floodblest where we met up with some snakes and lizards. We quickly
dispatched them but when we got to the gnolls and cloud giant, we managed to
lose quite a few adventurers to the punt monster. Most returned to rejoin me
to continue in the search for the mage that, we heard, makes his home in the
well under Floodblest. We headed to the Inn in the city and after resting
and healing our wounds, we headed on east to the entrance to the well.
Well...with the help of this hearty band of adventurers, we managed to catch
sight of the wiley mage in the well under Floodblest. But he kept leaving
owlbears, minotaurs, gnolls and bugbears in our path, to make good his
escape. After searching all over the area, we came to the conclusion that he
did, indeed, make good his escape. With a heavy heart at not finding the
mage, we decided to return to the Inn and try again another day. Those
assisting in the search were Erik Red, Zigzag SS, RogerB1259, JK Johann,
Malor and MDVang (who punted right at the beginning of the adventure). Well
done adventurers and thank you for all the protection you gave me. Good
adventures, my friends and I hope to see you in the realms another time.
-NW Triel
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Our party gathered at the ancient tree in NeverWinter, Duke Or, Madhattere,
Neuromanc, and myself. Having received an urgent call to arms from the Royal
Guard Captain, we quickly gathered our belongings and headed North to Port
Llast. Apparently rumors made their way to the palace that a small group of
Dracolich's were holding the seaport at bay. We intended to search them out
and destroy them before they could last waste to the town.
We arrived at the Griffon Inn at midday, and decided to wait until
nightfall to explore the dungeons which branched out under the seaport's
streets. As night approached, we made our way under. A secret passage in an
abandoned residence near the center of town revealed a stairway, and we
descended to the cold damp dungeons below. After searching for several hours,
we heard strange rumblings come from behind a large oak panel. We prepared
for battle and pushed mightily against the panel that separated us from our
quarry. The panel gave way and we stood face to face with three of the long
dead beings. Charging forward, weapons unsheathed, we entered the fray. The
searing heat scorched our armor and caused our flesh to burn, but we
persevered. Round after round we slashed and casted upon the great beings,
and soon found ourselves exhausted and depleted. With one final cast against
the largest of the beings, he was clumsied, and became easy prey. With a blow
that took all he could muster, Duke Or slayed the foul beast and if fell at
our feet. Perhaps now Port Last can at last remain free of this evil plague.
NW Thorn
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Feeling lonely and friendless, I sent the word throughout the Realm. Riches
and long life to the one who best resists my charms!
Eight took up the challenge. The first round went:
Eileyana: 3 saves!
Dwyvern: 3 saves!
Drodeen: 2 saves
ITB Arioch: 1 save
Sirluthien: 3 saves!
Niro: 3 saves!
Stilb0rn: 3 saves!
Velvetrose: Succumbs to Zephyr's charm on the first try ;-}
Only five still remained! Zephyr combed his hair and beard, and chewed a
sprig of peppermint. The survivors lined up for the second round:
Eileyana: 3 saves!
Dwyvern: Falls to the first cast!
Sirluthien: 3 saves!
Niro: 2 saves
Stilb0rn: Fails to resist the ranger's charm!
Only two were left, the strong willed Drowess and the stoic Knight! Who would
hold out the longest? In the final tiebreaker:
Eileyana: 2 saves, then succumbs!!
Sirluthien: 3 saves!!!!
Congratulations to Sirluthien, who wins 4 pearls and one hour of online time!
And thanks to all who showed up ;-}
Zephyr the Charmer
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Dragons of Avokta-prologue
(Written by: JJ IllyV)
Jared smoothed the dirt with the head of his shovel and wiped the sweat from
his brow. The last grave had been dug.
Hundreds of graves were strewn about the hill. Men, women, children, the
elderly... none had been saved from the fiery breath of the great dragon.
It had descended on the town late one night, while all the villagers were
sleeping. Swooping silently above the main street, it came to the main
residential complex. With a terrible shriek and midnight scales flashing in
the torchlight, it tore into the buildings, bringing the walls down upon
those inside, then burning the mangled mass of wood.
The men of the town had pulled together a party, a small mob of men
wielding pitchforks, torches, and hoes. They approached the dragon bravely,
singing to the gods of the Realms for protection. The dragon killed all
of them with one unhurried breath of fire, then turned back to his task.
In just a few short hours, more than two-thirds of the townsfolk were
killed. And the few that were left were scarred, both mentally and
physically.
Jared had been out of town when it happened. He was a merchant, travelling
to all the busiest cities of the Realms. The rumors of the dragon had
reached him far away in the city of Neverwinter, several days' journey from
the town, and he had ridden back as quickly as he could.
He had told Lord Nasher of the deaths of the villagers. Nasher was
summoning all of the guilds to hold a council. Now, all he could do was
wait...
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In Neverwinter, the Crusaders of the Realms were packing their gear and
preparing to journey south. The tiny town of Avokta had been leveled by a
dragon, and of the guilds summoned by Nasher, only they had the resources
needed for the long trip.
All those going were lined up for inspection. Volant walked up and down
the line, deciding whether he had made the right choice of warriors.
Silvir Fox, JakWar, SlipC, and JJ IllyV... would they be able to handle the
task.
He knew they would.
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The four traveled down the road toward the village. The way had been easy.
The winter snows were melting, and good progress was made. They had only
another mile, and they would be in Avokta.
SlipC suddenly stopped and frowned. "Something is not right... look over
the hill, there! That red glow is not natural..."
Silvir Fox stared for a moment, then made up his mind. "Ready yourself,
and make double time to the town. I fear that we may have come too late."
JakWar and JJ silently agreed, and pulled out their swords.
Their view of the town was blocked by a small hill. Above it, smoke rose
into the air, forming huge, ominous black clouds. JJ suddenly stopped in his
tracks. "Look up the hill... does that red glow seem to be getting
brighter?"
JakWar cocked his head and looked. "You know, perhaps you are ri-"
He never finished the sentence.
The grass fire that suddenly flashed over the top of the hill interrupted
him.
In just moments, they were overtaken by fire.
<<>>
The Story of the Bracelet
Chapter 9: The Mission
(By: Vallus)
Crystal and Leoster woke to a day made bright by the recovery of the
Tome of Knowledge. As soon as they awoke they began studying the book which
grew large again when Leoster took it out of his pocket. Leoster found that
he could indeed read the strange writing as though it were the common tongue.
In his reading, he soon came to the section on the Emerald Evil which
Llomnauvel Olodrin had warned them of.
"Listen Crystal" he said when he found the section "The Emerald Evil are
creatures empowered by Power Emeralds which receive their energy from a
Master Gem relatively nearby. The powers of these Power Emeralds are usually
a magical shield, the ability to fire bolts of magical energy, and another
power which can be almost anything.
"Destroying the Master Gem will also destroy all Power Emeralds which
are fueled by it. It has been prophesied that the first manifestations of the
Emerald Evil to be met by the chosen one will be the embodiment of pure evil.
That's the Neogi all right. Power Emeralds can appear in many forms. They can
be in the shape of amulets, swords, or even a simple gem in a piece of
jewelry."
After a bit more reading, Leoster came to a section telling of artifacts
related to the bracelet. "At the time of the creation of The Bracelet of
Power and The Disc of Guardianship, 2 ruby weapons were made. For the Chosen
One, a ruby sword, and for the Guardian, a ruby dagger. These weapons would
be unusable but to those they were meant for. The ruby blades will be found
in the castle of the lord of the city where the Chosen One is to be found. We
must get those weapons to fight the Emeral Evil, but where do we find them?"
"Lord Nasher Alagondar, they must be at the castle, Leoster, bring the book,
we'll probably need it to convince Lord Nasher that those weapons belong to
us." said Crystal.
But as Crystal and Leoster set out for Castle Never, a spidery shadow
blocked out the sun as Umber Hulks and emerald empowered Neogi dropped to the
ground and proceeded to attack the castle, hewing through the guards with the
intent of capturing the ruby weapons and destroying them.
<<>>
Campfire Tales of the Origin and Beliefs of Jimbo9
Text Submitted by Jimbo9
With the last of the sun's rays streaking purple through the clouds, Jimbo9
pitched his camp in solitude. He was older now and sometimes he just needed
his space to think. As he broke branches and twigs to start the campfire,
the surroundings begin to feel like the times in the past when he had camped
with young Merkllund.
They had quested in many areas together before going their separate ways.
Waves of nostalgia swept over the maxxed CL/MU while he lit the fire and
settled back to gaze into it's burning embers. He had been at a respectable
9th level/Cleric when he and young Merkllund had started adventuring
together. A lot of water under the bridge since then.
He had eventually reached 10th level status as Cleric and dual-classed to
Magi. But then Jimbo9 was stripped of his armor and clerical spells and
prohibited from even using his Mace +3. Although he had retained the HP he
had gained as a Cleric, Jimbo9 still felt that he was now more of a burden
than a help to young Merkllund's progress.
Therefore, one morning Jimbo9 awoke and broke camp before young Merkllund
awoke. He silently departed, leaving the lad sleep. It was ok. The boy had
progressed wonderfully in their time together and would be able to take care
of himself. Better than having a fumbling first level Magic User along as a
liability. That too, was long ago.
Jimbo9 worked through his levels as a Magic User and eventually regained his
cleric powers and Mace +3, but not his armor. He could wear armor if he
wished, but at the cost of blocking off all his Magic User spells which left
only the Cleric spells to do battle with. Suddenly he didn't feel that
Clerics suffered such a weapons limitation, anymore. Now, with only darts
and daggers to hold in his hands, he felt naked.
Nevertheless, the double set of Cleric/Magic User spells were very powerful
and made the rise of his AC from -2 to 1 a moot point. He could pick and
choose his battles now. And now would be a good time to meet up and
adventure with young Merkllund again.
It had become dark now. Outside the glow of the campfire a twig snapped in
the brush and broke Jimbo9's revere. He stood, Mace +3 in hand, ready for
any confrontation this encounter might bring. Then a dark form moved from
the blackness of the night into the flickering campfire's light. Jimbo9
gasped in surprise.
The face that appeared was his own. The gasp was not emitted because of
that, however. Lots of players looked like Jimbo9. There had to be, given
the limited variations that one could accomplish altering battle icons. No,
that wasn't it.
It was the shock of realizing that he was looking out through two sets of
eyes and feeling two bodies simultaneously. In a single moment of suspended
time, he was Jimbo9 looking at... Jimb09. He was also Jimb09 staring back at
Jimbo9.
The two spoke not a word; instead, they mirrored each other's actions as they
both sat back down on opposite sides of the campfire. They both gazed into
the campfire as Jimbo pondered this newest experience. Two bodies. One mind.
A second set of experience-memories was there where it hadn't been before.
Jimbo reviewed these to find that Jimb09 was a first level Ranger. A Ranger
who had an identical previous-world experience of discovering that he was of
a line of Kings who had lost then struggled to regain the family birthright
(see the Campfire Tales story in Neverwinter News, Issue #55).
Jimb09, however, had just entered the world of Neverwinter Nights from there.
He was the Jimbo of an Alternative Universe where he had chosen to be a
Ranger instead of a Cleric at the beginning. But on this time-line he had
entered at a different location; furthermore, in the same universe as another
of his alternate beings.
Jimbo looked at his hands (4 of them) and grinned. It was like going through
most of your life with just one arm and right hand and not knowing the
difference; then suddenly discovering that you also had a left arm and hand.
But the left side was new and fresh and needed strengthening.
Eventually, the novelty wore off and Jimbo begin to feel the weariness of his
bodies. In silence, the two simultaneously prepared their bedrolls and ate
rations from their packs while staring into the campfire and pondering the
possibilities. Then they crawled into their bedrolls and closed their eyes.
Jimbo was still considering things as he drifted off to sleep. This was going
to be hard to explain to people unless they were familiar with the Teachings
of Seth. Better to give the impression that Jimbo9 and Jimb09 were twin
brothers, questing together. Now he had to max all over again.
Yet, this time, he was maxxed already and could help himself. The corners of
both his mouths turned up in smiles. Another decision has been made. Another
alternate universe is created. A new horizon of possibilities is opened up
to explore.
Onward! Through the Fog!
<<>>
Me tale begins anew
Having re-united with ReHarakhty
I decided to throw a party
We toasted to things we adored
Such as ale and two-handed swords
But having had our fill
I decided to pick up the bill
So we strapped mugs o ale to our shoulders
And decided to go after some beholders
But tiring of such easy kills
We sought some other thrills
And all the while we traveled
We drank our dwarven ale using ladels
And all the while we battled
I heard thoughts in me head a rattle
"Madog...Madog...where are you at?"
It kept a BUGen me, like some god foresaken GNAT
But it turned out to be the beautiful Kyla Starr
That COR maiden espen me from afar
She and DreamForge were in Neverwinter Woods
And I told her ReHarakhty and I would reach them if we could
So off we went, to meet up with our friends
Wonderen if our ale would last, Re said "it depends..."
For I knew both of us drank like whales
When travelen together and tellen our tales
But before we knew it, our bretheren we had reached
Watching their love ritual, they unbeknownst teached
Never before had I seen two so tight
As the four of us endured fight after fight
And it brought back me memory of the one I left
For the love of me ale, whose heart I had cleft
But me thought, 'tis a day of fun, not sorrow'
'Regardless of past and present, there's still tomorrow'
So we cheered our victories, throughout the night
Till the near mornig, and the dawning of the light
And as we departed our seperate ways
We knew again we'd meet and drink another day :)
COR SCRIBE AND DRUNKEN POET
MadogMclur ;)
Trebledeath
The dagger scraped noisily against the grinding wheel as the young knight put
finishing touches on the blade's edge. A quick, neat slice through a piece
of parchment satisfied Bleeduhard. He had always sharpened his own weapons,
unlike other knights who left it to the smithy. After applying a thin coat
of oil to the blade, he strapped the dagger to the back of his buckler. His
dagger had seen much use in recent days but he had found it necessary to
switch to a more powerful weapon due to the recent plague of undead in the
Realms. For some reason, they seemed somewhat immune to wounds from it.
Bleed had set up a meeting this morning with a Neverwinterian merchant from
one of the noble houses. He had got word at the docks that the merchant had
just returned from the far west and had quite a large inventory. Of more
interest to Bleed was that his informant revealed to him that there was
rumoured to be a magical flail of the greatest enchantment among his wares.
The tale was shaky but supposedly the flail was made by a high western priest
to combat the legions of undead that had existed in those desert wastes
thousands of years ago.
He approached the door to the merchant's noble house and was awed by the
woodcarving and polished look of the door alone. He shook his head at the
wealth these merchants possessed, enough to buy most any man in Neverwinter.
Bleeduhard lifted the huge door knocker that was in the shape of a ship of
some sort, and let it drop. He repeated this twice and soon the padding of
soft feet could be heard approaching the door. The door opened and a young
women in her early teens greeted Bleeduhard and the wizened sage he had in
tow with a smile. She was dressed in fine white silk and spoke in a musical
voice, 'G'day m'lord, how may the house of Ryann help you?'
'I have a private meeting scheduled with nobleman Ryann himself,' Bleeduhard
replied as he motioned with his hand for the sage he had hired to step by
him. 'Ah yes,' the young girl replied 'follow me.' She led the pair though
a series of hallways to a large set of oak double doors. After a knock and
permission to enter, Bleeduhard and his sage soon found themselves in a huge
room overlooking Neverwinter square. Stained glass windows stretched the
length of one wall, while mirrors covered the opposite.
At the far end of the room seated at a large desk was a heavy man dressed in
colorful silks and a funny looking hat. Bleeduhard made a mental note to
tell KEF Yunman about the hat when he returned to the keep. Beads of sweat
were forming on merchant Ryann's brow as he rifled through a mound of papers.
He motioned for them to sit in chairs opposite him without lifting his head
from his papers. After a few moments Ryann messily stacked the papers into a
large pile with a sigh and removed his reading glasses with one hand.
'So, Lord Bleeduhard, you are here to make me an offer on my recently
acquired prized possession?' the hefty merchant inquired. 'Let me tell you a
little of its history first. The magical flail that I now offer for sale was
owned by a strict religious cult called the Judicarsa. They inhabitated a
region far to the west, thousands of years ago. Their high priest, one
Jaskii, had his smithy forge a flail of the most powerful magics available at
the time. Due to a plague of undead that had risen in that land, Jaskii had
merged part of his essence with the flail to make it even more potent. With
this he was able to defeat the undead but not without personal loss. A few
days later he succumbed to a diseased wound delivered by an undead lord in
battle. The flail was buried within his tomb. How I came across it it none
of your concern but I will tell you that it was not easy nor cheap. With
that being said, I present to you the flail of Jaskii,' as the merchant
exerted himself to pull a large wooden box from a drawer, Bleeduhard shifted
in his seat.
Ryann placed the box in front of Bleeduhard and pressed a small clasp on the
large cedar box that opened the lid. As he drew back the lid, Bleeduhard saw
an ancient flail of exquisite craftmenship made of a dark blue metal
unfamiliar to him. Its handle was a large, perfectly fluted cylinder, its
end capped with a large blue gemstone. The destructive end of the flail
consisted of three large cubes attached to chains of the same blue metal. It
was an odd looking flail, clearly not one from these parts. Bleed nodded to
the sage he had brought along, giving permission to examine it.
The sage leaned foward and pulled the flail from its wooden box with much
effort, apparently the flail was heavier then it looked. He pulled a small
pouch from his robes and removed a looking glass which he ran over the flail
from end to end. He then removed an odd looking stone from the same pouch and
attempted to scratch the handle of the flail. Lastly, he placed one of the
flail's cubes on a small scale and submersed it in water. In a few moments
the sage was done, 'Aye, m'lord' he replied. 'This is indeed a fine weapon.
Tis made of an unknown type of mithril that is somewhat heavier then normal.
I cannot vouch for nobleman Ryann's history, but the enchantment is true.'
The sage then handed the weapon to Bleeduhard. The knight turned the heavy
weapon over and over in his hand, the cubes knocking against each other with
an odd clang. The handle felt warm as a small tingle ran through Bleed's arm
and he quickly placed the flail in its protective cedar box.
With the sages approval, Bleeduhard could now make Ryann an offer. 'Ryann,'
Bleed said, as he sat back in his chair. 'I am prepared to offer you 2000
jewels, a shield, and cloak of the most powerful enchantments as agreed
yesterday.' With that Bleeduhard produced the shield and cloak along with a
large wooden box containing the jewels. The merchant smiled as he flipped
opened Bleed's box and ran his ringed fingers through the jewels. 'Offer
accepted my young lord,' Ryann replied as he secreted the cloak and shield in
his desk. Bleeduhard picked up the cedar box and was soon on his way to the
KEF keep.
A few days later the flail still felt uncomfortable, but he was developing a
rythm to his swings. He had recently tested the flail out on some Port Llast
bugbears and found damage delivered by the flail was much more severe yet
more difficult to assess then his dagger had been. He felt an urge to name
this weapon, seeing how its name was lost long ago. He would call it
Trebledeath and would soon be introducing it to the UDL. He grinned as
visions of Trebledeath shattering dead bones and rotting flesh filled his
head, the undead hordes falling beneath his endless swings . . .
Submitted By Bleeduhard
Knight of the Eternal Flame (KEF)
<<>>
A Night in Nightsedge
(Written by: Taoist mnk
It was late morning by the time I woke up. I crawled out of the bed at
the inn and went downstairs to eat. While I ate, I inquired about my friend
Beanarr. I asked the innkeeper where he had gone. The inn keeper, with a
little persuasion, told me that Beanarr had headed out with Skribbles and
Magicstorm to the West Woods. They had heard accounts of Trolls guarding the
bridge, and had taken it upon themselves to investigate. I quickly dressed in
full armor, and started to head out to Nightsedge. I sent a scout out ahead
to inform Beanarr that I would meet up with him in Nightsedge.
The trip there was dangerous and I fought many battles till I arrived at
the gate to Nightsedge. I stopped to read the sign, yet paid little attention
to what it said. I pulled out my map and started for the town of Nightsedge.
I rested at a creek for a second to drink and thought about the sign at
the gate to Nightsedge. I laughed at the fact that I had seen nothing but
remains of battles. Then I heard it, the orc's war horn. The sound sent
shivers down my spine as I grabbed my sword and shield and attempted to
defend myself. They came out of the woods in hoards. I tried to run, yet
they over took me. They surrounded me quickly, and in distance I could see
their leaders coming straight at me with a blood lust. I fought hard, but
knew my chances were slim that I would survive. I cut down orcs left and
right as they ran towards me. It was the hardest I had ever fought. I must
have slaughtered a dozen of them as I grew tired. I could feel my muscles
growing weak as there swords started to hit their mark. Blood covered my
hands, yet I couldn't tell if it was theirs or mine. The Ogers' faces smiled
as the saw me weaken under the heat of the battle.
Then from out the woods came a light. It hit an Ogre and went right
through him. The smile on his face was still there as he fell over dead. Then
from out of the woods ran Beanarr. I felt a rush of relief as I saw him in
full armor smash another Ogre across the head with his Jo Stick. I could feel
my body getting stronger and quickly finished off the rest of the orcs as
Beanarr cut through the Orgers like they were target practice.
When the battle was over I started to search through the remains of my
opponents when Beanarr told me to hurry. He said that there were more on
there way to this location. I asked how he found me. He said that the scout
had barely made it to him, and he knew that I would need help. When he heard
the orc's war horn he followed it right to me. He caste a Haste Spell and we
traveled with great speed to the others.
The introductions were done with haste as we made our way to the town of
Nightsedge. We found the inn and rested for the night. In the morning we
awoke, and started our trip to the West Woods. It was mid-afternoon when we
stopped by the training grounds and armory. I was outside the armory when I
first saw them. Three mean powerful looking riders barreling down the street
on their horses. I barely got out of their way when I saw the insignia on
there armor "ITB". Those three letters had sent a cold chill down my spine.
As Beanarr and Magicstorm came out of the armory, I told them of what I had
seen. They stopped for a second, and consulted with Skribbles to see if she
had heard of any reason they would be heading towards the West Woods.
Thinking that they must be heading to L.S. we decided to continue on our
journey to West Woods.
Beanarr memorized a few Feeblemind spells just in case we met up with
them in the Woods. The trip to the West Woods gate was full of fights with
Gnolls. Beanarr joked about carrying Gnoll food in his back pocket. Though
we had many fights the spirits of my new companions Skribbles and Magicstorm
kept the trip interesting. They joked and laughed throughout the battles.
Even in the hardest fights, they still kept a positive outlook.
We finally arrived at the gate to the West Woods and rested just inside.
A traveler by the name of Sandman CC was also resting and we joined him. We
talked of battles and lore. Then it happened again, another rider just as
powerful and mean as the ones I had seen in Nightsedge passed by kicking up
dust and dirt all over us. The same insignia was on his armor as the other
three "ITB." We inquired to our new companion as to, what was going on. He
stated that the ITB guild was fighting another guild in the West Woods. We
expressed our concern about investigating the bridge, and he said that the
two guilds were probably busy fighting and would pay little attention to us.
We discussed in great depth about our journey and other possibilities. It was
starting to get late so we decided to head back to the inn, and continue our
mission another day.
As we headed back to Nightsedge we became lost. Night had fallen and the
sounds of all the monsters in Nightsedge filled the air. Somehow we had made
a wrong turn and was heading through brush. We kept our lanterns turn down
low so as not to attract every monster in a 5 mile radius. We stopped for a
second when Skribbles said that she smelled something foul in the air. We
continued on and the smell became stronger. Magicstorm began to sense that
something was not right. I was totally lost having never traveled out this
far from NW. Beanarr's face turned from curious, to concern in only a
minute. He quickly caste Haste and Enlarge on us. He told us of how he had
run into Black Dragons at one time heading back to Nightsedge. I laughed and
said," with my new strength and speed, I could kill anything."
(Con't)
<<>>
A Night in Nightsedge (Con't)
(Written by: Taoist mnk
As I pulled back the brush I sensed heat. I looked around but saw
nothing but blackness. Then I felt the ground shake, and heard a loud roar. I
looked up and was face to face with the biggest Dragon I had ever seen (not
ever seeing one before, but only hearing about them). I stood shaking in my
boats face to face with this beast. His mouth was bigger then my whole body.
I was scared stiff, I couldn't even get my feet to move. I heard Beanarr
yelling something, then a ball of fire shot out from over my shoulder and
exploded in the middle of the field. For the first time in the light of the
explosion I saw two Black Dragons and two Gorgimeras. The flames landed on
the Dragon in front of me and it arched it's head straight up and screamed in
pain. As it's head came down right in front of me, I stared straight into
it's eyes. It opened it's mouth wide and took a depth breath. I knew my life
was about to end. Then all of a sudden, from over my shoulder, Magicstorm
jumped in front of me and smashed the dragon's with his flail. The dragon
fell down with a loud thud dead. I was so shocked I didn't know what to do. I
ran fast and pulled out my bow. I turned around thinking the others were
behind me. I stopped for a second just to see a Gorgimera turn Magicstorm to
stone. As the other Gorgimera attempted to step on Magicstorm to crush his
stone figure, Beanarr stepped in the way. He quickly raised his hands and
shot a light into the Gorgimera. The Gorgimera staggered for a second and
then fell dead.
Skribbles shaking in her boots was trying to cast something. Yet, she
was shaking to much to get the incantation out right. The other Black Dragon
turned to face Beanarr, and hit him solid with his wing. I quickly shoot two
arrows into the other Gorgimera, yet they didn't even penetrate his skin. I
saw Beanarr's body fly half way across the field and land. He didn't move, so
I figured him for dead. Before I knew it the Gorgimera had turned Skribbles
to stone. I realized that I was alone with no one to help me against the
remaining Black Dragon and Gorgimera. The sight of my two companions as stone
statues and Beanarr lying there not moving enraged me. I grabbed my halberd
from around my back and stood ready to fight to the death. As the Black
Dragon charged towards me I thrust the Halberd as hard as I could into him.
It pierced right through his mid section and as I pulled it out the Dragon
feel dead. Then it was the Gorgimera's turn. I stabbed as hard as I could
into it, yet it I missed. It's Head smacked me hard and I fell against a log.
It's claws scrapped across my body shredding my armor. Blood poured out of
the new gashes in my armor. I stood barely able to move due to the pain.
Then from across the field I saw a globe strike the Gorgimera. The
Gorgimera shook it's head and it started to move slowly. I glanced from where
the globe had come from and saw Beanarr getting up slowly. He shook his head
and I saw the anger in his eyes. He yelled out another incantation, and
another globe hit the Gorgimera. The Gorgimera staggered and looked as though
it was in a drunken state. It tried to hit me, yet when it lifted it's claw
up it almost fell over. I stabbed my Halberd deep into, yet barely penetrated
the skin. It's head swung from side to side and then landed right on me. I
was literally crushed under the weight of it's head. I knew it was in deep
pain having been burned and now stabbed in the chest. I yelled out to
Beanarr, "Caste a Magic Missile on this thing, and put both me and it out of
its misery." Then it came, a blast of light hitting the Gorgimera right in
it's side and knocking it off me. It laid there for some time in agony till
it finally died.
I bandage up myself up as best I could, but could barely contain my
blood in my body. Beanarr and I grabbed our two stoned companions and made
for Nightsedge with great haste. It was morning by the time we arrived at the
temple. My two companions were turned back to regular flesh and we headed for
the inn. We spent days discussing what happened and retelling the story of
the fight......
<<>>
Talespinner
Before joining the priesthood, I played lyre for a troupe of minstrels; and
though now pledged to battling wickedness in all its various shades and
voices, I retain my relations with my former friends. One night, while
sharing tales and conversation just outside the Red Mage Inn, my friends and
I happened upon a figure dressed in shadow.
Hail, we called; come share our wine. He chuckled. Did I know him? Yes, said
he. Oh yes. Thoughts of my vile father flickered through my head, as they
have a want to do - but this man, tall as an oak, thin as a willow reed,
wrapped in thin red cloth, was from some other realm . . .
A tale, said he. One tale. For me, there is only the one.
Going to dampen our spirits, called Mephisto from the lamplight at my side,
adding port to his wine (gods save Mephisto). No dragons, even. No glory in
this shadow's tale.
Speak, said I. And here is the tale he wove:
ScritchScratch.
. . and I can feel you watching.
When I saw him in Neverwinter Square, I jumped - knocking over a peasant
woman dressed in a ragged trivial flag and nearly falling backwards on a
cross-leged beggar (mast, cried the beggar, mast mask masque) laughing
hysterically in the street. Yet there - there he surely stood:
Harrison Saliar, Talespinner. There, hunched against the green-veined
wall in Neverwinter Square, clutching his breast as if searching for
something, grimacing. He scanned the square like a bird: sharp, furrowed,
scarred beyond his magic and years.
I knew his work well; as, no doubt, do you. Talespinner was not the
first to collect and capture tales of the Realms on parchment; he was simply
the greatest. He created the Book of Duplication, a tome which magically
multiplies by two, and by two, by . . . the realms became rich with his
masterwork: Strings. And yet shortly after the appearance of Strings,
Harrison Saliar disappeared. Vanished. Still, the work prospered; its
beauty silenced cacophony, fought the blackness in dark creatures'
shadow-cloaked hearts.
Emerald eyes shot in my direction - magic. His eyes opened like twin
pools, or like dawn shifting in the facets of a gem . . I was captured.
Mesmerized.
Kept me waiting, he said without words. Kept me.
Ah, and that voice - power. Talespinner.
I . . . apologize?
Been searching, said he. His hand clawed at his chest. Been looking for
you.
My soul rattled in its cage. I nearly stumbled once more (Silk Sable
cackled in the background), but managed to save myself by stepping on the
bare foot of the unfortunate flag-wearing peasant . . .
Looking for me?
Forced to fend off the blows of the peasant woman, who had stripped
herself of the trivial nation's meaningless flag and was now whipping me with
all the skeletal naked might she could muster, I did not hear the
Talespinner's response.
He reached for the peasant with his opening-gem eyes. She froze. Fled.
Abandoned her flag on the street. The Talespinner clutched at his heart.
Follow, he whispered. Follow.
Who'd have suspected the Talespinner dwelt in Vilnask? Here, beneath our
wrinkled noses ever since his disappearance.
I couldn't contain a gasp: monumental towers of bookshelves blockaded
this room, rocketing to infinite heights, beyond my star-crossed vision.
Tomes, books, scrolls filled the shelves, papers and bindings of various
hues, dimensions, and aromas . . . here, I declared with a whisper, stood the
greatest collection of tales, magic, songs, and lore in all the realms.
Sit, he barked, shattering the reverie.
In the center of this library a table appeared, and one sagging chair;
he remained standing. He clutched at whatever threatened his heart.
You know me, said he.
Yes. Yes of course, sir; I study my duplicate of Strings again and
again, even now -
He threw his fist from his heart to table. Echoes flooded my head. Then
abrupt silence as he grimaced.
I know, he whispered. I. Know. You have taken more than . . . and you
must stop.
Stop?
Stop. I've sought you out to make you stop. Return to me your tome of
Strings.
What?
Better yet, destroy it. I will tell you how -
Destroy Strings? Whatever for? It did great goodness, Talespinner.
You will not call that name!
We studied each other, he in pain, I in perplexion.
When they read, he said, I feel them. Feel every one of them.Scratching
at my heart. ScritchScratch - he made the sound and raked a clawed hand
through the air. Words on paper, he said: Kill.
Ah.
Words on paper: Murder.
Ah.
Tales, beauty, song: these things are real. They were never intended for
paper. These things are real, do you see?
The man was crazy.
Help me recover all the copies of Strings, he said. Bring them to me. My
only hope.
The great Talespinner, merely crazy.
There is an infinite number, I reminded him.You designed each tome to
multiply by two.
He grinned, revealing crooked wholes in his smile.
You can't possibly hope to recover them all.
He lifted his hand to the shelves - I've found more than seven million
so far.
All of the works, despite their apparent differences in color and size,
were truly one and the same work. These were Strings.
You are crazy.
And I have the answer here, he said, reaching for the smallest, most
ragged of the scrolls; a soiled and bloodied paper folded and creased into
squares. His fingers fluttered at his heart. This is the spell, said he. This
is the spell to Duplicate the Tales. And to destroy them.
He began to tell me of his wanderings, of his time in Candlekeep, but
was forced to withdraw when attacked by a fit of coughing. Clutching his
heart, he retreated from the library.
I lifted the squared parchment from the sack. Pocketed it. Found the
door, and then the street . . . and smiled.
Quickly I achieved renown as a bard. I was a skillful tale-teller, to be
sure, but moreover I was well-known. Others, more skillful though they may
have been, I left behind; they had but one voice, one harp, one lyre: I had
the power to duplicate my tales on paper. They appear in books, in songs, in
carnivals, on screens that flicker in squares before my dear readers.
Harrison Saliar? The Talespinner met his end; the cause of death
remains mysterious. Seemed fine, I heard, looked well, but for the mark on
his breast. Something - a pack of wolves, or a gathering of something much
worse, like all the souls in Neverwinter - had clawed his heart to stringy
pulp.
As for me, I visited Cormyr, the King, traveled the Dalelands, even
Zhentarim threw gold at my feet . . . I, Kaxton Vyy, Dreamer of Tales, Master
of Lore.
But you frown, I can see . . . or are you musing, fishing for judgments
. . . no matter. For now I know. I know, you hear? I know. I know of what
the Talespinner spoke.
ScritchScratch.
. . . now I feel you watching.
The tale finished, our company shifted. Yet not even Mephisto uttered a word
- only coughed. We searched the shadows for the tale-teller, yet at some
point during the telling he had vanished. All that remained was the red cloth
he had wrapped about him. I lifted it to the lamplight: Ah; the fabric
unraveled to reveal the scarred insignia of a forgotten flag, utterly
trivial.
End
FF River
Voice of Milil
Haiku NW poem (5,7,5)
The goblins attack
A player versus player
Battling undead
---Zapyo
Verdina's Journal First Log
Log Entry 9503.12
In the cool blue light of a small oil lamp, a young blonde woman sat posting
entries in her daily journal. Sitting back in the well-crafted rattan chair
she brought with her from Mistledale, she put down the griffon feather quill
and massaged her jade green eyes.
"T'was a great day," she exclaimed shattering the silence of the room, then
clasped a delicate ivory hand over her lips and instinctively looked over her
shoulder hoping that her outburst did not wake the twins. But there were no
twins in the room, Verdina was alone. She was no longer in her small
mountain cottage overlooking the peaceful valley and town of Mistledale.
That life was gone, Valus was gone, and the twins . . . Shaking the thought
from her head she brought herself back to the present and began to write . .
.
It had been a great day for Verdina, who was now sporting the handle "II"
behind her name. A new name, for a new life. It was a good day for her
personally, and for OGS. In her new multiclass of Fighter/Magic User/Thief
she had advanced to Level 10 mage and Level 11 thief. Just one more level in
each class and she would max.
Verdina needed to max as quickly as possible so as to serve as a mentor
and trainer in the newly reorganized Admissions Section led by her good
friend, Ridgelake, Head of Admissions. In addition to advancing in levels,
Verdina had acquired a long sought after weapon, a +3 Trident in some shrewd
bargaining at the vaults.
The day had also brought gains to the guild. Verdina had the
opportunityof helping a young handsome cleric, Lord Addam, by providing him
with +3 Chain and a +2 Flail (the flail graciously donated to the cause by
Xavier II). Once equipped, she took hold of his muscular arm and they
proceeded north out of Neverwinter for training. Traversing the dense, dark
forest of Windy Cliffs, they arrived without incident at the old abandoned
gem factory. There, using tactics taught her by Master TrainerMelik NTCT,
they sought out the lair of the anthegs and rock lizards, significantly
reducing their number in the realms until Lord Addam was able to train from
Level 6 to Level 8 cleric. Upon their return to Neverwinter, Lord Addam
expressed his gratitude and they parted ways, he to seek adventure and
Verdina to the OGS Women's Barracks.
Verdina entered the quiet, almost empty barracks and thought to herself
that the guild is in dire need of more sisters. She examined the names on
the doors as she walked down the torch-lit hallway . . . Sioneva Darkstar, TJ
Henry, OGS Ariel, Lady Nyssandra, Lady Kalin, Lady Liana; until finally
reaching her own room. Without doubt, the barracks contained too many empty
billets, and even though some were assigned, they were rarely occupied.
Sioneva was now married and living withLord Zamroth, and Lady Nyssandra was
the wife of Gloriendl. Lady Kalin had mysteriously disappeared from the
realms and Lady Liana was new and not well known to Verdina. She then
remembered that Lady Alia, a new sister whom she recruited over the weekend
would soon be joining their ranks once accepted by Lord Kayn. But one more
still leaves the guild a bit unbalanced.
Verdina reached into her cloak and removed a scroll she had written
earlier in the day and posted it on the bulletin board.
HAIL SISTERS!
The billet assignment sheet needs to be updated.
Sisters of OGS are requested to leave a message in my
mail box (VERDINA II) so that proper recognition
can be made and room assignments completed.
I know there are some of you out there that I have
not met or excluded (forgive me) and wish to
correct that oversight.
VERDINA II
Verdina stopped writing, placed the quill down and yawned. The events of the
were catching up with her and she needed sleep. "One last entry," she
picking up the quill and dipping it into a small pot of ink on the desk.
"Heard from Master Kayn today," she wrote. "It seems that I have been
promoted to official OGS Guild Scribe. I'm not sure yet what that all
entails, but I look forward to contributing whatever meager talents I possess
for the cause of OGS and Neverwinter."
Placing the quill back in its holder, Verdina opened a small brass tin of der
and sprinkled it over the parchment before closing the hand tooled
leather-bound volume. Rising from the chair, she walked over to her cot
located in the corner of the room and began to undress. She carefully folded
and placed her cloak and red dress in the wardrobe and removed a sheer red
sleeping gown spun from the silk of purple worms. The gown flowed down over
her arms and head until it covered her, but hid little of her beauty. She
then reached into the drawer of her night stand and removed a jewel handled
+3 dagger which she placed under her pillow before turning off the oil lamp
and slipping under the blankets.
As she closed her eyes, the thoughts of the day quickly flashed before her
once again and she smiled. "Yes," she whispered groggily, "it was a great
day." She then fell quickly to sleep and dreamed about the coming dawn
and,an even better tomorrow.
Verdina II - Order of the Golden Staff
OGS Guild Scribe
<<>>
I am very pleased with this piece. Within each of us is a powerful spirit,
something that helps shape who we are and where we're going. These things,
and others, were on my mind as I wrote this one... ;>
The Spirit of Man
They say you cannot live in the past
Only cling to that which remains
But I have walked the ages of history
Under many different names
Through our world of what once was
I have stood tall and bled and cried
I have crawled, dying on my hands and knees
Only to wake again from the sleep
I was there when Myth Drannor did fall
When other powers rose in its place
I have seen armies of thousands crash together
And those of suspect burn at the stake
I have closed the gates and sounded the horn
And galloped wildly through the sleepy town
I have seen knights battle with steel and will
And mourning barbarians complete a mound
I have sailed and searched the deep blue seas
Under a beating sun, explored lost ruins
Labored on castles and weapons to please
And raised a scepter for ceremonies to begin
I have stood on guard as my queens were born
And fled as the town was set ablaze
Tolled the bells and spoken the prayers
Travelled through the sands for a hundred days
I have scratched what I saw into the cave wall
And lived under the boot of tyranny
I have rose triumphant as my enemies fell
And studied with the men of the monastery
I have painted scenes in the palace of Silverymoon
And ploughed the rock hard earth in the heat
I have thirsted for days and starved and wanted
Fought for my life and begged for peace
These things are mine and so much more
I am so many rolled into one
The human spirit has seen much and traveled far
But my journey has just begun.
By Morngrym Verigost
Knight-Errant
Bard of KORT!
Hellgate Keep-Chapter 5
The group leaves the shrine walking single file in silence towards
Silverymoon. Jak roams far out in front of the other four. His senses seeking
signs of ambush or traces of evil in the forest. JJ leads the others through
areas where they are least likely to leave clues of their passing.
At noon they catch up to Jak. He is sitting on the bank of a small spring .
During lunch a strong wind begins to blow from the northwest. Dark grey
clouds move in low over the trees. JJ finishes eating and looks up at the
storm clouds. "It'll be snowing before long. I'll start looking for some
shelter along the way." He moves off into the forest, switching places with
Jak. Silvir and WJP spend time praying for spells to resist the coming cold.
Near mid afternoon heavy snow begins blowing through the tress. The warriors
hold their cloaks tightly closed. High winds blast against their exposed
faces. Slowly the warmth of their bodies seeps away into the storm. An hour
later Silvir calls a halt. "I think it's time to use the spells." He steps to
Jak and begins casting. He uses a second spell on himself. WJP does the same
for Doe. The bitter chill is pushed aside. Silvir points to the north, "We
better find JJ and shelter within the next fifteen minutes." They double the
pace, all though of being tracked erased by the storm.
Ten minutes pass before they find JJ. He is huddled in the hollow of a
fallen log. Silvir drapes his cloak over JJ. "Double cloaks should get ya
warmed up. I want that back in about five minutes." "No problem," JJ points
to the east. "There's a small cave a couple of hundred yards away. The
entrance is on the southeast side and I was afraid you guys would go right
past me."
The cave is not much more than a hole. It is a tight fit to get all five
inside. Doe looks around, "I just hope the inhabitants don't come home
tonight." JJ rummages through his pack and withdraws a flask. It's passed
around the group. WJP declines, "I don't drink hard liquor." "It's not Old
One Eye." JJ hands the flask to him. "I bought it from a cleric. It'll take
the chill out of your bones." WJP takes a long swallow. The liquid burns
all the way down and immediately begins warming his blood.
Somewhere in the storm the sun vanishes. Snow continues to fall in the
darkness.
The group sits in the darkness warmed by cleric brew and body heat. Doe can
be heard searching through his pack. A small ray of light appears outlining
his face. He holds a silver coin laying on the piece of cloth it was wrapped
in. "A friend of mine gave this to me long ago. It's enchanted with a
continual light spell. At least we'll be able to see what we're having for
dinner." n "Like I don't have the sight of this stuff memorized." WJP lays a
pouch of trail rations in the middle of the group. "Well I like to see the
people I'm talking to anyway." "Welcome to the life of an explorer." Jak
shakes his head. "I only wish my Jhassel was alive to be a part of COR with
me. Every day I search the Realms for Macmordian. The debt for what he took
from me is long past overdue. So many have died. I used to think me heart
would turn to stone and one day death would no longer bother me. Time has
taught me a different lesson. A heart of stone can not love or care. Each
time evil takes another life from this world a tear comes to the corner of my
eye. Fortunately I am better at hiding them than JJ." A hearty round of
laughter echoes through the cave. Silvir gives JJ a shove. "Don't worry bro I
doubt they'll throw you out of COR for caring about people, even strangers.
After all thats why we're out here sitting in a cave. Not just to protect our
guild but all of the folk of the realms."
Jakwar gets that far away story telling look in his eyes. "COR, have ya ever
met such a bunch of people. I'll never forget that day when the message
arrived from Lightsedge. Probably set a new record for traveling from the
hills to Neverwinter. My armor was polished and I was ready to prove myself
to them. To my surprise it wasn't necessary. When I knocked on the door an
old lady told me to come in. She gave me directions to Lights office."
A smile creases Jak's face recalling the joyous day. "As I walked down the
hall people I had never met called me bro. Steve and Volant walked right up
to me and introduced themselves. Telling me if ever I needed them just
holler. I was in total shock when I reached Lightsedge's office. He must've
known the look I didn't even say anything. No trials, no quests, you're a
Brother of COR. Welcome to the family. When I think of how I was accepted I
feel the need to apologize to Doe once again for the way I treated him when
he applied." Doe reaches out and shakes Jak's hand. "It's ok bro, I know you
were looking out for your family. I'm just glad I got to become a part of it.
As long as we care and stay united there's no way evil will ever win."
"A toast to COR!" JJ pulls out a flask of ale and passes it around.
WJP takes the flask. "Even I'll drink to that. Now put that coin away so we
can get some rest."
"Oh what a miserable night." WJP rubs his neck "All I could dream about was
my bed back in Neverwinter. Well at least the snow stopped."
The group emerges from their cramped nights quarters. A chorus of groans
escapes as each person stretches tightened muscles. Rations are handed out
and breakfast is eaten on the trail. Jak looks up into the clear sky. "Well
as long as there aren't any clouds Jhassel can warn us of any danger. Looks
like we travel together today." The group continues toward Silverymoon. Every
so often the shadow of a large hawk falls across the path.
Around noon they stop in a large clearing full of tracks. The Rangers study
the area.
JJ returns to the group. "Patrol from Silverymoon, horses, tents, they
must've stayed here during the storm. They're not to far off, maybe we can
catch a ride."They jog down the path of horse tracks. Half an hour later the
patrol is glimpsed through the trees. JJ leads the group off the trail. After
motioning them to wait he moves ahead to get a better look. Minutes pass in
silence. Then a shout comes from behind them. "O.K you four move onto the
trail. Do it now or these boys'll fill ya full of quarrels." They move onto
the trail keeping their hands away from all weapons. Doekiller mentally
prepares a spell. Six men appear 20 yards away. Five hold loaded heavy
crossbows aimed at the group. The sixth shouts orders. "Anyone even whispers
and they shoot." The other six of the patrol circle back and come into view.
"Lower your crossbows." The leader introduces himself. "I am Lt. Wester,
Silverymoon militia and since you travel with Paladins I guess you are not
the evil we are guarding against." Thoughts of JJ run through everyone's
head. All eyes remain on Wester. He would appear when convinced all was safe.
Silvir walks over to Wester. Shaking the mans hand he gets no ill feelings.
"We are Brothers of COR, traveling to Silverymoon. If you are headed the same
way may we travel together."
JJ emerges from the woods behind the crossbowmen. "Glad to see everything's
peaceful." The soldiers jump. "Wasn't sure my fireball could get all six of
you and not the brothers."
Introductions are given all around. The group is given five spare mounts. An
hour later they ride into the city. The patrol is dismissed. Lt. Wester leads
them to Lady Alustriel.
Jakwar
COR HERALD AND EXPLORER
The Paladin
By: Talgar
The scene opens, with a man standing in the window of a high tower, in a
castle, perched upon bluffs above a large plain. He is a tall man, with broad
shoulders. He is lean for his height, and carries himself with a grace, that
belies his true strength. His long dark hair is pulled back and fastened
with a dark cord. His face while not overly handsome, is comely enough for a
second look. It is the eyes that draw the attention. Framed in long dark
lashes, they seem to pierce the soul in a glance. Right now his gaze out the
window seems to fixed upon a projection in his mind. He fingers a dark dagger
upon his belt, as he looks out upon the plain. Opposite the window of the
large room is a bed that is small for the room, and across from the bed is a
table with a candle and some writing materials and beside it a chair with a
stiff straight back.. There is a large cupboard against the far wall, and no
other furnishings in the room.. A stark room in contrast to the fine cloak
upon the bed. Leaning against the wall next to the door is a large
greatsword. Its weathered hilts showing signs of its much use.
The man suddenly turns from the window and paces to the table, and slides
into the chair with an easy grace born of an active life. He drops the
dagger upon the table and takes up the quill as if to write. He pauses,
quill poised above the ink, a deep thoughtful look upon his face. His face
darkens and he throws the quill down in disgust, and moves suddenly back to
the window, ignoring that his motion has thrown the chair down. He once
again takes up his stand in the window, his gaze once again focused on a
distance not measured in miles.
Upon the table, his motion had caused the inkpot to spill a few drops upon a
page where he had written some words. It was an unfinished letter. Looking
closer at the letter, one can see words written in a bold firm hand.
Dear Love;
Once again, events prevent us from seeing each other. It seems that with
each passing day, it grows harder to find the time. The demands on me are
great, and I in my position, simply cannot shunt them aside, as I so truly
wish to do. For a long time, I dreamed of becoming one of the Elite. One of
the High and Mighty. And now, years later, I have reached that goal, only to
find, it is not all fun and games. I am beset from both above and below, for
my skills. And I try with all my heart to fulfill those requests. At a
great cost, to myself. Had I known, the true price of Nobles Oblige, I may
have taken a different road, so many years ago. They say it is lonely at the
top, my love, and now, I am learning just how true that phrase is. Had I
known, when I was a young Paladin, with lofty dreams, questing out, and
playing at being at being powerful, I truly would have. For in my naive
youth, I simply did not know what was in store. I thought it would all be
the same fun and laughter, and questing to our hearts content. Stories in the
Inn, and quick trysts, and long walks and, time for fun. I cannot remember
when I last was able to just do one of those.
What troubles my heart the most, is the hardship it sets upon you. For I
know, that as hard as it is for me, to be away, it must be doubly hard for
you. And yet, you are always there. For that I am truly blessed.
Here the letter ends, unfinished. The Paladin, still standing at the window,
catches a flash of movement on the plain. He looks down, to see a small
group of young adventurers, questing out, from the town. Their laughter
drifts up to the window, as they frolic, carefree, down the road. Their bold
boasts, and playful flirting, slowly fade into the distance. And for a long
moment, the Paladin watches the road, now empty. There is a knock at the
door, and a voice calls out. "Milord, it is time to go". The Paladin, stirs
as if from a great sleep, and moves to the door and starts to buckle on his
sword. He calls out, "I shall be right there." Pausing, he whispers,
"would that we could be young again"
<<>>
Southwall's Temple of Bane
By: Simarin
Life was good, I thought as I drained a mug of ale. I had just completed
training and was now a level five ranger. As I finished off the ale I thought
how much I would prefer Frenzy, but I planned on going questing soon and
didn't think that going to fight evil dead drunk was a very good idea. I had
stood up and was heading for the door when LTT74 walked up to me. " Hail
Simarin," he said. "You going somewhere?" "Hail LTT74, and yes, I was just
leaving for Southwall." "Mind if I accompany you?" he asked. "The more the
merrier," I replied.
It turned out that LTT and I were at the same level and
had the same alignement (Neutral Good). He was a cleric of Mielikki seeking
to join the Brotherhood of Pathfinders, while I was a Pathfinder and follower
of Mielikki. We fought the dangers of Southwall, but between two level 5
characters, nothing was very difficult and we weren't gaining much
experience. "I've got an idea," said LTT as used the cloak of a dead Kraken
Spy to wipe the blood off his + 2 flail. "I think the Temple of Bane might
prove more challenging than this." I agreed, and we set out for the Temple
as fast as we could, cutting down everything in our way.
Before long we were just outside the Temple itself, and
I stood waiting as LTT cast prep spells on us. "It's sad that this horrible
evil can be so close to fair Neverwinter." "Well don't worry, we'll clean
the place out," replied LTT as he finished casting the last of his spells.
We unsheathed our weapons and crept into the unholy
temple. Luckily the outer hall was empty, but when we looked into the inner
room, we sae that it was was occupied by a large number of skeletons and
three zombies. "On three," I murmured to LTT. "One, THREE!" I kicked the
door down and we rushed the undead creatures side by side. LTT proved to be
a valiant companion, mostly attacking with his flail and sometimes casting
spells. I slew several skeletons and two zombies with my silver long sword.
Unfortunatly we weren't very lucky, with each of us taking a number of
wounds. Finally there were only two skeletons and a zombie left. After a
time I saw one make a mistake and lunged in, destroying the undead creature.
But the other one took the opportunity to strike at my carelessly unguarded
flank. LTT took him out with Cause Light Wounds. The remaining zombie was
overwhelmed quickly, and then the battle was over.
With the hurts and wounds of this combat added to
those we had recieved from other Southwall monsters, we weren't in very good
shape. Deciding to return to Neverwinter, we stepped into the outer hall and
walked into a group of six skeletons! There was a good chance they were
going to kill one or both of us. Praying silently to Mielikki, I grimly set
myself up in a guard position against the oncoming undead. "Oh, what a
bother. Not these things again." said LTT in an irritated tone. What was
the man thinking?! He was in worse shape then me and was acting like we had
encountered mosquitos instead of a swarm of sword-wielding skeletons. Seeing
the look on my face, he grinned. "Watch this."
He began whispering, then chanting, then
shouting out a series of strange words. Every single skeleton turned and
ran. "An advantage to being a cleric," LTT said with a smile. "Now I
wouldn't mind a drink, a hot bath, and a soft mattress." "Not a bad idea," I
said, looking at my new found friend. "But we're not going to any of that
standing here. Let's go."
<<>>
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NEVERWINTER CALENDAR
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Be on the look out for those Mini Booths that seem to pop up out of nowhere!
Can you be at the right place at the right time when the NW calls for a
location?
Keep your eyes and ears open for these events! Watch for the banners!
New Player Tour:
March 20th, Monday 9:00 PM ET - Join NW Elladan for a tour of the Realm.
Those interested should meet 2 steps east of NW Square
New Player Tour:
March 23rd, Thursday 9:30 PM ET - Join NWA Skye for a tour of the Realm.
Those interested should meet 2 steps east of NW Square
New Player Tour:
March 26th, Sunday 7:00 PM ET - Join NW Lenox for a tour of the Realm.
Those interested should meet 2 steps east of NW Square
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A single kobold can yield a lot of money...
Zapyo
To: The Citizens of Neverwinter
Subject: NEW ORLEANS.... BASH...!!! :-)
From: Augustus, Knight Commander of the Round Table
All are invited and encouraged to attend...!!!
Rooms have been blocked at a gorgeous turn-of-the-century hotel, Le Pavillon,
in the heart of exciting New Orleans... the hotel itself promises to be a
once-in-a-lifetime experience... Replete with stunning decor, first-class
service, and a rooftop pool with health club and jacuzzi...
Call (800) 535-9095 for reservations and information from the concierge
(hotel brochure, etc.)... be sure to identify as part of the KORT Bash to
receive a 50% discount off the normal room rates.
Banquet space has been set aside for the following:
** Early arrivals on Thursday, April 13 -
Relax in the hotel's "Medieval Suite" modeled on an ancient castle..
(sorry, I already reserved this one for myself... <grin>)
** Friday, April 14 - 7pm to 9pm - Orleans Room
Welcome reception!
Get acquainted over hors d'ouvres and cocktails. We'll decide at that
point exactly which of the city's exciting attractions we should put at the
top of our list (see list below for ideas..)
** Saturday, April 15 - 10am to 5pm - Bienville Room
"Brunch" and a visit to the Realms. We'll start the day right with a New
Orleans-style light Brunch and perhaps stop into the Realms to say Hi to
those not fortunate enough to be there with us. (Let me know if you'll be
able to bring a laptop so I can have enough phone lines available. Also, if
you'd like to rent a PC while you are there, contact the hotel concierge in
advance.
** Sunday, April 16 - (optional)
Fantastic New Orleans' style Champagne/Jazz Brunch in the hotel's "Crystal
Room" this annual event is not to be missed..!!(Individual reservations
are required. Call the toll-free number well in advance as space is very
limited. I'll talk to the Maitre'dabout getting us seated together. ;>
Among the possible activities are:
** the world-class Audubon Zoo and Aquarium of the Americas
** Flamingo Riverboat Casino... (or maybe a jazz cruise.. ;>
** Streetcar tour of the garden district and uptown ante-bellum mansions
** visit to New Orleans' famous above-ground cemetaries including the tomb
of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveaux
** Shopping the city's many antique shops and oddity boutique
** and of course... New Orleans' famous nightlife... ;> Clubs like the
House of Blues, Tipitina's, Snug Harbor. The list goes on and on.
** and much more.... ;>--> Call the hotel concierge if you'd like
brouchures on any of the items listed above or for a calendar of other
events in the city nightclub performances, etc.. ;>
(Note: Some have been concerned that they are not 21 and that they might
get left out of some of the fun... As a former resident of New Orleans, let
me assure you that is not a problem.. Things are.. sort of.... well....
"different" there ;> )
Anyway... so what are you waiting for..??? Call (800) 535-9095 now and
secure that room the deadline for reservations is right around the corner...
See you there...!!!!
Auggie of KORT ;)
P.S. Even if you're not sure you can go, book your room now to secure the
low rate... room reservations can be cancelled with 3 days advance
notice....
ATTENTION TO ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE GUILD FAIR!
Thanks to your help, the Guild Fair was a success! That fine NeverWinter
morning, the guilds of The God of Knowledge and Magic, Indian Warrior Nation,
Phaedrus' Men: Zen and the Art of Battle-Axe Maintenance, Noble House, the
Fighting First, the Border Legion, and the Pirates of NeverWinter gathered in
the Wharves to speak with players about guilds. Although both the Soldiers of
Light (rep called off to work at the last second) and the Player's Club
(miscommunication in scheduling) were not there, the event went off almost
completly smoothly. The guilds patiently sat in the Wharves for two hours,
most of the time surrounded by people asking questions. Many unique and
somewhat unexpected things took place during the Fair, making it even more
unique and interesting. The leading attraction was the Pirates of
NeerWinter's Magic Missle booth that they set up next to their area. Many
players went away richer and happier (including the PoN members, after
snaging quite a few new members for their guild). Afterwards, over the period
of a week, the results of the Guild Fair began to show. The guilds reported
anywhere from 2 to 7 new members and 5 to 20 (!) who were still deciding.
Also, there are rumors of several treaties and alliances between some of the
attending guilds (I mention no names on purpose). But most importantly,
everyone I spoke with had a great time and was looking forward to the next
time that a Guild Fair will be put on.
Lt. Tempest56, clerk of the FF and former Guild Fair Coordinator
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Gimme a Scoop! Enter the weekly News of the Realm contest by submitting text
for publishing. If your Announcement, Article, Helpful Hint, NW Abby
Question, Poem, Fiction, or Tidbit wins, you'll have won your choice of 4
Pearls or 2 Free Hours of Online time to be credited to your account! Submit
all text to screenname: NW NEWS.
Sanctioned Guilds who send the most "news worthy" articles in each month will
earn 3 Pearls to be credited to their Guild Account!
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