1995-07-01
Recovered original text · preserved verbatim
==========oOo==========
NEVERWINTER NEWS
Issue # 89
Week Ending 7-01-95
==========oOo==========
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
FRONT PAGE
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
Congratulations to Vallus for winning last week's News of the Realm contest.
Vallus has earned choice of 4 Pearls or Access to the GOH (Guild of Heroes)
WTG!
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
Due to the first Tues of the month being July 4th, NWN Trivia will be
postponed until Tuesday July 11th. Enjoy your holiday and see you the
following week. ; )
NW Baldor and NW Strahd
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
Congratulations to Ldy Spawn, for excelling in the trials of Spirit, Fire,
and Ice in the second of this months GOH booths. Ldy Spawn took a total of
37 damage from the slay, fireball, and ice storm cast upon her, the only
player to take under 40 in the contest. Also, thank you to the GOH members
who took the time to show up for the contest.
NW Kishpa
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
Well this weels GOH access winner for tavern role play is..GLDENSWORD
He's quite the player.. Hope ta see more of 'im around.. ;>
Hobbsie
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
I heard of disease and death in some fields of unknown location in
Floodblest, once again I required the aid of an adventurer to find this
place! Stepping forth to share knowledge of its location was Shade187!
Congratulations to Shade187, winning 4 pearls and 1 free hour
-NW Strahd
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
Lazily wandering into Strider's after a long stint on guard duty, I walked to
the bar and waited to be served. The very thought of a large cold ale after
patrolling the streets of Neverwinter on this hot day made the gold pieces I
carried jump from my pockets onto the bar. As I waited for the busy barkeep
to wander towards me , I overheard a young warrior telling a tale. It seems
he was travelling from Long Saddle and took that least travelled path through
the Neverwinter Woods. As he left the woods and followed the path to
Nightsedge, he heard a tremendous noise come forth from the underbrush to the
East.
He stretched out prone to the ground and crawled cautiously toward the
din. Peeking over some brush, he looked ahead only to see four dragons
discussing something, though he could not quite make out their words. Seeing
they were preoccupied, he turned and crawled back to the path, stood up and
ran along the trail to the inn in Nightsedge. At this point, Lorse looked up
and saw that I was listening and invited me over to his table with a motion
of his right hand.
"Thorn, good sir !", he shouted as I took the empty seat beside him. "I
have been telling my friends here of a den that I found just outside the
village of Nightsedge. It was home to several Black Dragons, and from what
little I witnessed, I could tell they were plotting great evil ! I have come
to town seeking commrades that would be willing to follow me back to the den
so that we may perhaps catch them unaware and destroy them before the could
harm any who may be travelling those woods." Being one who enjoys a good
quest and always looking to aid those who seek help, I graciously volunteered
my services.
Lorse and I , along with his friends KevinB1100, Kendrix IV, BIF Pepper,
Drexelgot, and Ning Ti, set out to the location he described. We reached the
path that leads from Nightsedge to the Neverwinter Woods at nightfall and
Lorse led us to the spot where he had heard the great noise. All was quiet. I
headed into the brush towards the East as the rest of our party waited on the
path. Quietly stepping throught the brush, I soon came upon the the entrance
to the Black Dragon's den. It was dark and unusually quiet. It's residents
were not at home. As I turned to leave I noticed a crudely drawn map which
had been painted in blood on the south wall of the den.
______
| X
|
| X
-------
t t t t t
t t t t
t t t
t t t t t t
t t t t t t t t
t t t t t t t t t
t t
t t t t ___
I quickly memorized the drawing and returned to where they others were
waiting.
" I think that our quarry has plans to meet allies and form a large
party with which to venture out. And I think I know where they might be
meeting." I offered my thoughts as my fellow adventurers listened. If I was
right, we would confront a group of adversaries heretofore unseen in the
entire realms. After planning our strategy and preparing for anything that
might attempt to bar our path, we set out in search of adventure and
treasure.
We entered the Neverwinter Woods and headed to the south, over a wide
and sturdy bridge. We walked along a little traveled path until we came to a
great gate which barred our way. Reaching into his backpack, Drexelgot
produced a fine crafty rope which had a large hook attached to the end.
Throwing the the hook toward the top of the gate, we heard it as it hit the
other side. Pulling on the rope we saw it draw taut. It had secured itself
and was safe to climb. We scaled the gate and dropped to the other side.
We made our way further to the south and in the distance saw a great
building looming up from between the trees ahead. We also began to hear
sounds, sounds made by the beast known to those to travel the realms as the
Black Dragon. Our prey was ahead. After casting a spell to make us invisible,
we walked headlong into the beasts makeshift camp. With hearts of fire,
swords brandished and spells filling the air we attacked with a fury. We had
caught the beasts by surprise. Three fell quickly as a fireball burst over
the heads of the large huddled group. Then a fourth fell from the swipe of
Ning's sword. Alarmed by the swiftness of our attack, the dragons who still
stood filled the air with corrosive acid, snorting the vile fluid into our
midst. Beseiged with wounds we continued on and two of the remaining four
fell from a well placed lightning bolt. As the two survivors attempted to
escape, they were felled from behind with several well placed blows.
We stood in silence and surveyed the carnage as the last of the Black
Dragons breathed his last breathe. Scurrying about quickly, we retrieved what
treasure we could find, shoved it into our packs then headed north towards
safety. We travelled undisturbed back over the gate and to the bridge which
lay just before the path to Nightsedge. At this point we parted company.
Lorse and his friends headed East toward Long Saddle. I decided to crawl down
under the bridge and find a place to rest. As my eyes closed and my thoughts
turned to more relaxing things, I could have sworn I heard a voice shouting,
"Come on in Doc, try to take our woods"
NW Thorn
<><><><><>
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
NEVERWINTER CALENDAR
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
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
July 2nd, Sunday 7:00 PM ET - Join NWA Storm for a tour of the Realm.
Those interested should keep an eye out for the banner telling where to
meet!;D
New Player Tour:
July 7th, Friday 10:00 PM ET - Join NW Tempus for a tour of the Realm.
Those interested should keep an eye out for the banner telling where to
meet!;D
New Player Tour:
July 8th Saturday 7:00 PM ET (Sat night)- Join NW Triel for a tour of the
Realm.
Those interested should keep an eye out for the banner telling where to
meet!;
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
A poem inspired by a tense meeting...when a simple bard encountered a
Demi-god of incredible power...written by this bard in ancient times, and
once shared by an alter ego...long since deceased. We are powerful warriors
indeed, but there is greater might still... ;>
Shades of Might
Our presence has been felt for ages
So subtle most have never known
Several faces, so many forms
While ancient oaks have died and others grown
Some are good and some are evil
Others somehow fall in between
Sharing certain bonds few will admit
Strands of thoughts, strands of dreams
Illusions and maneuverings surround us all
These intricate webs cover the land
We move in the darkness and welcome the light
So many skills are in demand
Flames of disintegration have howled around us
Fueled by a razor edged magical power
We have stood alone with vampires in the dark
And laughed as they averted their charming eyes
Kings and queens speak to us in shadows
With royal respect and clandestine fear
Our gods are close to us, we all have favor
Spirits sing songs only we hear
Now we relax as the dark sun sets again
Knowing that we shall rise tomorrow, even as it will
Fearsome new powers emerge as others wane
And through it all we still remain...
by Morngrym Verigost
Knight-Commander
Bard of KORT
THE CROSSING - Part One
(Submitted by Lywnis)
The crumpled note sprang into flame and was instantly consumed. Around
me, the company of the common room laughed and reveled in tales of great
adventure. Mirth, however, was not upon my mind this eve. Turning away from
the blazing hearth, I returned to my corner table. Settling into my seat, I
once again pondered the message:
Meet me in Longsaddle.
- Shadow Walker
Longsaddle! Of all the places he could choose, did he not realize that
I was but a newcomer to the lands of Neverwinter. Admonishments from
adventures met during my travels floated in my head. "Beware the Lost Hills!
Do not attempt to cross them until you have perfected you craft." Perfected
my craft? Certainly I had grown strong in these last few months, but my
craft was far from perfect. Still, the tales of fell beasts, great
treasures, and heroic deeds to be done in the East intrigued me. "If the
Lost Hills must be crossed, then they must be crossed!", I resolved. Draining
the last of my glass (A Floodblest vintage, hastily aged, but not bad for
mortals) I toasted the health of the company, and departed.
Returning to my chamber, I surveyed my gear, and began gathering
together the items required for the journey. Given the nature of the journey
ahead, I quickly decided that my best chance lay in spead and stealth. With
reluctance, I laid aside my stout suit of platemail and arrayed myself in a
simple leather jerkin. To my back I strapped a longbow, quiver of arrows,
and a small pack. A pouch at my waste held some coin and spell components
that I hoped I would never need. Finally, I took up my scabbarded sword and
belted it around my waste. Drawing the blade, I examined it with great care.
Forged long ago for some unknown war, this mighty weapon had fought countless
battles. The blade, however, showed no blemish or imperfection. Deadly it
was to my foes. Returning it to its scabbard, I uttered a brief blessing
upon the noble Sir Albion for gifting it to me.
Suddenly, my reverie was broken by a knock at the door. "Beggin you
pardon, kind sir", came the voice of a servant, "but a letter for you has
just arrived." "Hmmm..", I thought to myself as I opened the door to reveal
the young mortal. "Uhm..here sir", she stammered as she handed me a wet
bundle covered in muck. "These kinda got dropped in a puddle..sorry".
Bidding her depart, and slipping her a freshly minted gold coin, I closed the
door and regarded the packet. Wrapped in a rough hide and bound by a leather
thong, it did not look overly water tight. Slitting the thong, I unwrapped
it to find a soggy mass of paper and ink. Setting each piece on to the bed,
I was able to determine that they were originally maps and a note. Taking up
the note, I was able to make out the following:
Lyw....
Maps o. ... ...lms. These should ... you ov.r ... ...t H..ls. See y.. i.
...g..ddle.
Sh.... Wa...r
"WORTHLESS", I cursed. How unfortunate, for these maps would have proven a
great boon in the journey ahead. Turning from the remains of the maps, I
slipped into the hall. "Just gonna have to do this the hard way", I grimaced.
Pausing at the end of the hall, I drew my cloak around me, opened the window,
and dropped to the street below. From a crouch, I survey the street. Not a
soul in sight. Smiling, I headed East.
(Continued next week)
The Emerald Brooch - Part 1
(Submitted by HG Renik)
The mid-day heat was stifling, and the air seemed to radiate in shimmering
waves as the sun beat down on the dusty streets of Triboar. Renik, the
Harpers new Cleric-Mage, slowed his trusted steed Silvermist to a slow, but
steady walk thru the quiet streets. "Where could he be?", Renik muttered
softly, he was sure Wigleaf's urgent request for help had come from Triboar.
Holding Silvermist's muscular neck for balance, Renik leaned far over the
Lightning steed's right side, as he keenly scanned the deserted streets for
the injured Ranger's tracks. "There!" he almost shouted, as he jumped from
the well-worn, brown-leather saddle to take a closer look at a bit of
rusty-red fabric dangling from one of the weathered bricks of a nearby wall.
Removing the tattered fragment of cloth from the ages-old mortar, Renik could
easily see that the actual color of the small strip of cloth was blue, the
red color coming from the semi-dried blood, which caked the fabric's closely
woven threads.
Using his long, slender fingers, Renik traced each small line in the ancient
wall, desperately searching for a seam, a hidden latch, any means of passage
to the forest beyond. "Ack!" he cried, "Silvermist, we must go around the
long way, I am sure this is the work of the Evil Sorceress that has been
rumored to be enslaving the local townsfolk!" "And, from the looks of it 'ol
girl" he said to his silver-gray mount as he bounded back into the saddle,
"We had better hurry!" Silvermist needed no further prompting, turning her
sleek silken-mane head south, the worn and weathered buildings of Triboar
were but a blur as she, and her Harper rider, streaked south towards the Lost
Hills.
Their passage thru the desolate hills , aided by the magical speed of a
Lightning Steed, had been swift indeed. Scant minutes had passed since
finding the torn, bloodied bit of cloth, as Renik reigned Silvermist to a
halt outside the concealed passage in the Northeast section of the Lost
Hills. "Return to the stables Girl", Renik whispered, as he softly chanted
the special spell to return Silvermist to her stall in Longsaddle. As the
steed de-materialized behind him, the Harper Cleric-Mage turned east, and
whispering a litany to Tyr, stepped into a seemingly impassable, vine-choked
passage, back into Triboar.
The sky seemed to darken, and took on an almost purplish hue, as Renik
emerged from the secret passage into the Centaur Wood. Lying still, soaked
in a darkening pool of his own blood, lay the critically wounded Ranger,
Wigleaf. Renik rushed to his side, and kneeling down, cast the first, of
many, healing spells on the torn and tattered Ranger. "Methanks Renik"
Wigleaf weakly murmured, as he slowly sipped on the Ale flask the Harper had
found in the injured Ranger's backpack. Wiping sweat from his brow, Renik
drained his own mug, and smiled at the fast recovering Wigleaf. He had spent
the better part of the last hour, casting what seemed like thousands of Heal
spells on the near-death Ranger. Standing up slowly, head dizzy from the
spell-cast effort, Renik tells Wigleaf "Now, we must see if we can find the
good and honest Centaur, so's we can work our way out of this evil infested
wood." Smiling, eager at the prospect of more adventure, the noble Ranger,
and faithful Harper carefully work their way north thru the thick scrubs of
the Centaur Wood.
To be Continued....
SMIM Conclusion
(Submitted by YKSS)
With Opoto dead his army quickly disintergrated. There was a great riot in
the big hall. Most of his creations died within a week of their master's
death. However some of the army, especially the "normal" monsters like orcs,
spread out into the forest and caused much trouble in the years that
followed.
The commotion that Opoto made in felling the trees and the brawl of the army
brought Dert back. The antidote was given, and then the group traveled to
the former location of Old Eeum. It was now a dome shaped hill with trees
growing on it. The magi recovered their half of the key. After much
digging, the energy dome that enclosed the city was uncovered. The magi
inserted the two halves of the key into the dome, and it collapsed, dumping a
load of topsoil on the city.
As far as the resident of the city were concerned, no time had passed since
they were put in suspended animation all that time ago. The ailment was
quickly cured. The dirt was taken from the streets and carted away, and life
went on. There was one problem: how to get Ater, Smim, and Dert home? The
magi really didn't know where Neverwinter was, or even in what direction.
Ater found a good market for his products, as the residents of the city were
fond of mixing machines with magic to produce results. He was partly
responsible for the invention of the magic tent, which affored protection
from non-magical attacks. Smim started out in the direction he thought would
take him home, but on the way he met a woman he decided to marry, so he
settled down. He too found a great demand for his services because of all
the monsters from Opoto's fortress that had escaped. He was made the head of
the newly formed guard of the town of Seriel. Old Eeum was not exactly the
trading capital of the region, which had always been sparesly populated.
Dert went off to search for better places to rob and was never heard from
again.
Calling to Myrkul (Part 2)
(Submitted by UDL Diablo)
With the coming of sunlight, Diablo decided to rest, his spirit drifting
beneath a large asp, it's branches overhead providing relief from the bright
rays of light beating down on the road. As he slept, his mind turned to
dreams of power, visions of the glory that he would receive in service to
Myrkul. There were many new faces in the dream, the new squires that were
flocking to Myrkul and the Undead Lords. The guilds power growing with
increasing numbers of followers of Old Lord Skull. Throughout the day, the
dreams came, and when he awoke with the coming of dusk, he was even more
confident that his choice of guilds was a wise one.
Looking about, the road was quiet, as he still was more than one hundred
miles from the City of Splendors. Without sound, he once again continued his
journey down the road towards Waterdeep and the appointment he had with one
of the lords there.
As he traveled his mind thought of those who the guild now had, and how he
thirsted for more blood of his enemies. The Fountain of Souls needed to be
filled with fresh blood, preferably the blood of rival guilds. But alas, on
this journey he knew he would not find any of the guild members he sought, as
they stayed close to Neverwinter. Besides, not many of them could survive
the trip through the Lost Hills, he thought to himself, the thought followed
by a long wicked laugh. Yes, Slayer was a good guild master, having declared
the Lost Hills the territory of the Undead Lords, and few, if any, could
change that.
Then a sound of horses approaching on the road ahead. He was now only five
miles from Waterdeep, so a patrol was a likely cause of the traffic he heard
on the road ahead. Silently he drifted behind a large tree and waited.
Perhaps a few more souls could be taken this night in service to Myrkul. The
grin that crossed his face was huge, as he prepared the spells that would
bring more glory to Old Lord Skull, the God of the Dead.
Stepping back behind a tree, Diablo waited until the patrol rounded the turn
in the road, twelve of them, mounted, riding abreast, six rows deep. He
smiled and started the incantation that brought a noxious cloud into being
that engulfed the road around the first four riders. Before they could
react, the next rank of two had ridden into the cloud. All six riders and
mounts died quickly from the poisonous gas.
Moving quickly out into the road, Diablo started another incantation and four
of the riders found themselves held fast atop their mounts, leaving but two
to contend with. Diablo felt the power of Myrkul flowing through his spirit
as he pulled out the mace and started to close with the riders.
The two that were left seemed to be a bit shocked by the quick actions of
this spirit that now confronted them, one turning back toward the city, the
other unsheathing his sword. The one that was running felt the surge of
electricity that hit him, enhanced by the armor that he was wearing, he died
quickly, leaving but one for Diablo to contend with.
"By the Lords of Waterdeep", the rider spoke as he spurred the horse forward,
around the cloud and charging quickly towards Diablo. The Undead Lord held
his ground, measuring the distance between himself and the charging rider.
The incantation was directed this time at the horse, fumbling it so the rider
atop fell forward, breaking bones as he crashed into the earth before the
clumsy horse. Diablo put away the mace and walked over to the downed rider.
"Today you shall serve a higher glory", Diablo spoke as he cast another hold,
the magic stiffening the rider that lay before him. But conscious the rider
was, and Diablo just grinned as he started to slowly cut away body parts,
enjoying the meal Myrkul had provided him this day.
With the meal finished, the rider having died a gruesome death, Diablo
continued the short way to the City of Splendors, Waterdeep. The last five
miles taking but a short time as the spirit floated effortlessly along the
road. As he approached his gaze fell on the city that many called the jewel
of the west.
He looked up at the watchtower where the banner of Waterdeep proudly flurled
in the breeze. The banner was a rich royal blue, flat topped shield bordered
in silver, on the shield was a silver crescent moon, horns uppermost, and
below, an area of purple hue, representing the light of the city at night
which ended in a straight horizontal line, representing the sea. Below this,
reflected in the water, was a wavery upside-down crescent moon matching the
one at the top of the shield, and in a semi-circle around it, nine silver
stars of many points.
Diablo just grinned to himself as his spirit flowed unnoticed past the guards
at the gate and down the main street of the city. He glanced at the
travelers, merchants, beggars and others that crowded this street of the
city. Each and everyone with their own story to tell, their own needs to be
fulfilled. Diablo just continued on, heading for a location well known to
him. A location he frequented often as Zoquar, when he was an apprentice to
Halaster.
His memory was true as he made his way down street after street, finally
coming to a stop in front of a dingy, blue tapestried building of smoothly
carved wooden pillars and paneling. The sign above the door read, "The
Yawning Portal", and Diablo knew that this inn held entrance to the ruins
below Waterdeep. This place he would have to visit once again as he pursued
this personal quest. The sounds of water crashing into the docks nearby was
all Diablo heard as he stepped into the shadows of an ally nearby.
In the darkness of the ally, Diablo cast a seldom used incantation, and once
again took on the physical form of Zoquar, mage in service to the Lords of
Waterdeep. He would check into tavern, and there, plot his revenge against
the lords who had held him in servitude.
An HR Adventure
(Submitted by Mystic SD)
We were sitting around the table at the local inn, fresh from the ceremony
welcoming Rudder into the rank of Lord, enjoying our ale and mead when a
slightly inebriated Lord Teylas proclaimed his intent to wrest control of the
Islands from the evil Krakens. They had established a base there and had
been terrorizing the good people of the area. Feeling somewhat brash from
the effects of our merrymaking, we thought this a grand idea and immediately
rushed to get our tickets for the next boat out.
We met at the Neverwinter Docks later that night and boarded for the trip
across the sea. Outside of Lord Avlahos's bout with seasickness (which left
him quite green), we made it with no untoward incident. The party formed up
and we headed to where we thought the Krakens had established there base.
Much to our horror, we found the countryside rife with all manner of foul
beasts and evil monsters. They could not stand before our might this day. We
slew many, leaving what remained of the goodly farm people at peace, for at
least a little while.
The horrors we encountered in the countryside were nothing compared to what
we found when we finally entered the Kraken's bastions. Fighting our way
through in two parties (our group was much too large for the narrow tunnels
the Krakens's used to connect various parts of the fortress) we encountered
horrific 11 eyed monsters who floated in the air, unholy undead dragons from
the netherworlds, skull juggling fire giants and iron creatures from some
demented mages nightmares. Despite suffering many wounds, fortune smiled on
us and we cleared the fortress without any losses to our own party. Finally,
we made our way to the center of this evil place and secured the highly
coveted badges held by the Krakens.
It is hoped that the Kraken's have learned their lessons and will never again
trouble the fine poeple of the islands. For certain, they will forever
remember the Order Of The HR's and will cower in fear of our passing.
However, I hear rumours they have already moved back into their old haunts
and even now scheme further mayhem. Perhaps we shall have to visit them
again...
Lord Mystic SD
HR Events
Soldiers Of Tedenon
Part 1 - Shenathon's Treachery
(Submitted by Whiiplash)
The room was small, lit dimly by several candles placed around the room.
In the center, drawn on the rough stone floor, were intricate runes within
large, perfect circles. They all circled around a small, blue circle drawn in
the very center of the room, in which an old, withered monk meditated. He
chanted softly, his body actually suspened above the stone floor and legs
crossed awkwardly. Arms were out wide, with fingertips touching. Where they
did, a soft green glow was givin off, giving the overall appearance that the
monk was weaving some deadly magic or other.
So far into his meditating, the monk did not notice the tall, dark
Archmage slip into the room. "Ashranon. . ."
The monk continued to meditate, still unaware of the Archmage.
"Ashranon!" The word seemed almost a command, and the monk's eyes snapped
open, and he returned to the surface of the floor.
"What now?"
"The king summons, the time for war has come." The Archmage being a man
of few words, the monk didn't expect him to elaborate. He let it be until
they met with the king, even though he had heard nothing of war.
When the Archmage and Monk arrived in the king's hall, all of the high
council (not including the Archmage and monk) and most of the lower council
had already assembled. At the head of the main table, the Warlord (also
Commander of the Elite Guard) had already spread out a huge map with battle
plans drawn out and prepared. As soon as the rest of the lower council
arrived, he began his practiced speech.
"The time for war has come, we must strike fast and hard. Spies have
learned of treachery planned by one of our neighboring strongholds,
Shenathon. Scouts have already been deployed, and are gathering information
on our enemies' forces. Both of our spies in this stronghold have been found
out, and are awaiting execution. A small commando force of sorts will attempt
a rescue just before our main forces strike."
The monk watched as heads bobbed, agreeing with the Commander. Practiced
was his speech, and he paced about the room, building up his enthusiasm like
a tidal wave. Already people were grinning, ready for battle.
"The first wave of attack will come from our finest mages, who will
summon beasts to take down the major parts of the castle. Golems will be
summoned to take down the gatehouse, while griffons, blue dragons and winged
minor demons will attack the upper castle and archers. Once the golems have
succeeded, they will probably have been destroyed by the few minor mages and
perhaps catapults of Shenathon. So, the blue dragon will provide cover for
our troops, who will advance and storm the castle, looting it for
possessions. Finally, the mages will unsummon their remaining creatures and
move in to help decimate Shenathon's meager forces."
"Shenathon and its weakling lord shall fall before our might!" The king
said, slamming a fist down on his throne arm. He motioned for the single
guard to open the door. "Prepare, rest, visit the privy. . . War commences at
dawn, be in the courtyard before then!"
The old monk was swept out of the room with most of the others, for few
stayed to ask questions and view the map.
The lead scout crawled backwards through the thick foliage, silently.
Night was giving way to day, and he was to report back to his masters before
the sun broke the horizon.
Valion, Captain of the Blue Soldiers (also known as the Pikemen)
assembled his men near the designated area outside the courtyard walls. His
plate armor was enchanted so it shown blue in the sun, and it did as the sun
crested the mountains. He donned his heavy, open faced helmet, a blue plume
stuck in the top, and turned to his men (and women). Raising his heavy pike,
he called for them to fall into double file ranks and form up next to the Red
Command. Beyond them the Balck Knights perpard to lead the charge when the
time came, and finally, behind the others, the Green Archers tested bows and
praticed hitting targes at over 70 yards.
Silence lay over the stronghold of mighty Shenathon, but the forces
assembling (secretly, of course) beyond their sentries' perimeter dwarfed any
defense Shenathon could raise.
Bannon, the old, withered (but hardly harmless) Archmage slowly added
his magic to the circle of wizards, and soon they were ready for the
summoning of the higher beast, the blue dragon (otherwise known as frost
dragon).
With a huge KA-BOOM the dragon tore into this plane and thundered
overhead. The soldiers of the colored companies (not to mention the soldiers
of Shenathon!) gaped in awe as the dragon, with graceful, powerful beating's
of its wings, spiraled upward around the stronghold's main castle. Opening
it's huge maw, a blast of nearly absolute zero freezing air blasted out, to
explode amongst the terrified people below.
As the dragon wreaked its havok, the wizards continued their summoning.
Golems were magically constructed from the earth underfoot, their huge,
lumbering footsteps slowly taking them toward the gatehouse. Griffons,
demons, elementals, enlarged spiders, poisonous insects. . . all were
summoned to aid in the attack against Shenathon.
Within but seconds the golems had crushed the walls and breached the
outer wall. Elementals had been redirected by the mages to destroy the slimey
moat monsters cleverly concealed in the swampy moat, and the golems had been
sent on to clear a path through the second and third the walls, the last the
innermost one surrounding the stronghold proper. The dragon continued to
circle, blasting freezing jets of cold down at the still chaotic city, and
the other creatures moved in to dispatch the first soldiers of Shenathon.
With a glorious war-cry of "TE-DENON!", Captain Rueno of the Red Command
ordered his red swordsmen forward.His war-cry was taken up by each of the
other four companies, blue, green, black and brown. The last were the
cavalry, riding atop brown mounts and thundering in behind the soldiers. They
leveled lances and shouted "TE-DENON, BROWN RIDERS. . . HOOOOO!!!" The Red
Command grinned and shouted "RED COMMAND, TO VICTORY!"
The Green Archers stopped and unslung bows. "GREEN ARCHERS, SHALL OUR
ARROWS FLY TRUE! FOR TE-DENON!!!" Their arrows streaked through the air and
struck the few soldiers filtering past the monsters. Some were enchanted, and
streaked through the air in beautful colors, but deadly power. One soldier,
hit twice with enchanted arrows, had his chest blown out and charred, and one
leg severed off completely.
The blue soldiers, led by Varion, shouted "TE-DENON, BLUE PIKEMEN TO THE
DEATH!!!", and rushed forward, pikes lowered.
Strangely, the Black Knights refrained from saying anything. But, it
became clear to the other companies why when several enemy fighters ran
screaming about more demons.
The lord of Shenathon, a tall, dark woman weilding magic superior to
even the Archmage of Tedenon, weaved her hands together and grinned from ear
to ear.
"Oh my!" Gasped Bannon as the blue dragon exhaled one last time then
winked out of existence. The golems, elementals, griffons, demons, insects,
and spiders shared a similar fate. "This woman is a powerful User indeed!"
He quickly recovered from the shock of losing their valuable fighters
and quickly organized his wizards. "Quickly, I sense her in the tallest spire
to the North. We must open a door and attack her there." Heads bobbed in
agreement and they all locked hands.With a rushed chant, they opened a
shimmering door and stepped through.
Reuno formed a wedge with his soldiers, himself at the tip. The tight
formation advanced toward the assembling fighters of Shenathon and shouted
their war-cries all over again.
The soldiers of Tedenon began intermixing as full war broke out. Black
knights thundered about, skewering enemy soldiers on the black-painted
lances. When those gave out, swords were drawn and heads lopped off as they
careened through enemy forces inspiring fear in the hearts of the enemy.
Blue and red fighters teamed up, blue pikemen stabbing at enemies with
thier pikes while the reds hacked at the few who slipped through. Brown
riders slashed at enemies with curved blades, lopping off heads and arms.
Horses stomped and kicked when the fighters began to swarm over a brown
rider, and somehow they always came out alive and shouting battle-cries.
Within seconds of their arrival at the tall spire they found where the
lord of Shenathon was 'hiding'. As the wizards pushed through the doorway, it
exploded in a massive fireball and two-thirds of the wizards were dead before
the lord had even been seen.
De'gorath, a centuar and captain of the brown riders, shouted and
galloped forward. Surrounded by dead red and blue soldiers stood the
commander of Shenathon's small army, and De'gorath gritted his teeth and
thundered ahead. Lance lowered, he drove it straight through the throat of
the enemy commander. Pulling his lance free, he whirled and skewered another
axeman. Dead crowded the streets, their bodies already attracting scavengers.
Most of the blue and red company was now inside the castle, looting it
probably, while the brown, black and green companies cleaned up the remaining
soldiers of Shenathon.
The remaining third of the wizards collectively fired a single, last
bolt of lightning into the scorched body of the lord of Shenathon. Her form
lay crumpled on the floor, burned and steaming, getting attacked by poisonous
insects. Blood lay spilled across the floor, and she managed to mutter a
final spell before she died.
De'gorath turned in time to catch the full of the light from the blast.
The entire main spire of the castle exploded, sending peices of metal and
stone raining down upon the whole town. De'gorath gaped in awe as more of the
castle collapsed, and finally everything tumbled down in a massive heap or
rubble.
A young soldier, also a centuar and a brown rider, trotted up with a
look of dread on his face. "They must have all died in there. What treachery
did they commit, why did we have to stage this attack on them? We have lost
far more than we have gained, in my opinion."
"Sear'noth, our lord sorely misjudged our enemy. And have suffered for
it. Her evil. . . " The captain of the Brown riders snorted. "And being seen
as a ruling stronghold in the area, yet not truly being the most powerful, is
treachery enough in this blasted and evil land which we live."
To be continued...
...*Part 2 - Rebuilding*...
...Coming next week...
Tales of the Undead
(Submitted by UDL Nexus)
It was another dark and cold morning in Neverwinter..as all the mornings
seemed as a small party of Paladin's geared up for there expedition to
Triboar...But this would be no simple trip.They proceeded to take the
shortest route they knew...through the Neverwinter sewar area...a fateful
ground which so many brave warriors had perished at.They quickly began
feeling an errie sensation in there bones..as if a cold hand had touched
there shoulder.They proceeded to move there way through the sewars battle
after battle they fought but during that time they became lost.So they worked
there way around the sewars.Finding thereselves lost even deeper into the
sewars they came across a door...a door that led under the neverwinter
cematary..which so many warriors feared.They carefully made there way through
the long twisting tunnels as the eerie sensation hit them again.A low moan
suddenly erupted and echoe'd down the passage.The moan made the paladins skin
crawl.They proceeded even further into the unknown until they came across a
crypt that was slightly open.Not knowing what they would find they entered
the crypt.Coffins lined the walls covered with dead flowers and small
trinkets left for these fallen warriors.Step by step they made there way past
each coffin when suddenly one of they cried out in horror.As the others
turned to see what was wrong all they saw was there fellow warrior being
pulled into one of the coffins.The paladins brandished there weapons as each
crypt opened .These fallen warriors were not at rest as skeleton
warriors...liches and mummies came crawling from there resting places.The
paladins began to fight them off but it did no good as for every undead they
killed...another would rise and take his place.Feeling that they could not
win this fight they fled deeper into the crypt.They reached its end in
minutes as they took a short rest.Just as they were preparing to leave an icy
wind hit them as a Lich appeared before them.Still dressed in his plate mail
and brandishing his long sword.The paladins fell silent as they thought of a
way to get out...but before they could the lich slashed a razor sharp claw
across the paladins shoulder.The paladin screamed out in pain as he fell to
the floor shaking.The paladin that was leading looked at his fallen comrade
and lunged at the lich..but it did no good.The lich quickly slashed out at
him turning the paladin into the same fate as his friend.The lich looked at
the warriors and gave a hair curling laugh for as when he looked down again
the paladins were standing up..but not as themselves...as two skeleton
warriors..now doomed to the fate as those who had killed them...to be forever
undead.
The Story of the Bracelet
Chapter 23: The Vicious Villain
(Submittted by Vallus)
In his emerald castle, the evil wizard Mozenrath gazed into his massive
emerald as his familiar, a floating eel named Xerxes, looked on. "So," began
Mozenrath "those ruby rubes think they have the power to stop me?" The
emerald showed a picture of the newly landed flying ship The Phoenix "Think!
Think!" came the cry from Xerxes "Yes Xerxes, they only think they have the
power to stop me. That wizard has nowhere near the power to stop me and the
other one is a mere woman!" at that Mozenrath laughed along with Xerxes "That
pitiful Princess Jasmine, it was mere luck that allowed her to trap me last
time." "Luck! Luck!"
"Yes Xerxes," said Mozenrath "However, we must think about what to do
about that Genie of the Lamp." "Lamp! Lamp!" "That's it Xerxes! Should that
Genie come after me, I'll use my new power to trap him in his lamp. But that
hero Aladdin is the real threat, I'd better destroy him now." "Destroy!
Destroy!" came the cry from Xerxes as Mozenrath walked to a window. He raised
the hand with the magic glove on it and the emerald ring on his gloved finger
glowed. A ray of green energy shot into the sky towards distant Agrabah.
Meanwhile, in Agrabah, within the bridge of The Phoenix, Leoster,
Crystal, and Jasmine gazed into the crystal ball situated between the 2 helm
chairs, their artifacts glowing. The sphere showed an image first of
Mozenrath's castle and then of Mozenrath firing a green energy beam towards
Agrabah. "That beam is heading straight for us!" exclaimed Leoster
"Specifically, straight for a precise point on deck!" "Aladdin!" cried
Jasmine as she ran up on deck. She arrived just in time to see the green
energy heading straight for her boyfriend and instinctively fired a bolt of
blue energy from the sapphire in her headband.
The 2 beams came together with a violent explosion that occurred only a
few feet above Aladdin and knocked him to the ground. "Aladdin!" screamed
Jasmine as she kneeled down over her boyfriend's immobile body. Leoster and
Crystal came up on deck and examined Aladdin. "He'll be OK," began Leoster
"it would've been a lot worse if that beam had actually hit him. Those things
can leave less debris than a Disintegrate spell and all that leaves is dust.
Soon, Aladdin was resting in a bed in the palace, his wounds from the
explosion having been treated. Genie, Jasmine, Leoster, and Crystal were with
him. "Don't worry Al!" began Genie "I'll teach Mozenrath a thing or two for
doing this to you!" "And I'll help with the lesson!" said Jasmine "Rest up
Aladdin, we'll stop Mozenrath." "Good..Luck." came feebly from Aladdin's
lips.
In his castle, Mozenrath was communicating with a decidedly feline
female. "Mirage, you will use the power emerald I gave you to destroy the
so-called heroes who stand in our way." ordered Mozenrath "You do not give
orders to evil incarnate mortal! I will only destroy those heros because I
want to destroy them." "It does not matter why you do it so long as it gets
done. I sense that very soon now, a certain would-be witch in Agrabah will
cast a spell that can be twisted to our purposes.
At that moment, Sadira, a thief turned Sand-Witch, began casting a
spell, not knowing that it would be a conduit for evil.
A Grand Adventure... Part 5
(Submitted by Ringerlon)
The beholders were resistant to magic, so our best chance was to be
able to attack them as many times and as quickly as possible. I opened one
of my pouches, took out a few shavings of licorice root, and casted a haste
spell. Quickly, I opened a small vial of holy water and sprinkled it at my
friends and me while evoking the bless spell I prayed for earlier. Next, I
took a piece of a turtle shell, and casted a spell that would protect us from
normal arrows. The Zhentarium usually work for the beholders and they use
crossbows. Then, I took out a crystal bead and casted a minor globe of
invulnerability. I knew the spell wouldn't protect me from the magical
powers of the beholders, but, at least, it would protect me from my own
fireballs. Dragonklaw and I spent a few more minutes casting more protection
spells. Then, we were ready.
A Grand Adventure... Part 6
I unsheathed my sword and charged into the room. The cavern was
filled with Zhentariums, cyclops and two eye tyrants. The Zhents went for
their light crossbows. I wasn't worried about their arrows. I was more
worried about the beholders. I could only stare as the twenty small eyes
slowly turned to me. "Lady Tymora aid me" was all I could say when a barrage
of magical attacks sailed towards me. I braced myself as the various magics
hit me. The beholders' hollow laughs filled the chamber which abruptly ended
when they realized I was still standing before them. Praise Tymora! My
companions cheers replaced the dying laughs of the beholders. Dragonklaw
threw a fireball which didn't affect the beholders, but, wiped out the Zhents
and cyclops there were in the blast. Khaymara showed the Zhents how to
really shoot a bow. Khaymara's arrows pierced her target's eyes. Wisps of
smoke were still rising from my robes when I charged at the nearest beholder,
two-handed sword held high. I wickedly grinned at my target. Still under
the influence of the haste spell, I slashed at the eye tyrant. Three deep
gashes lined the floating globe. The beholder's lifeblood flowed freely as
it drifted to the ground, never to rise again. Lord Tempus would be pleased!
The cyclops charged at Dragonklaw and Khaymara, but, my friends had not
trouble avoiding their clumsy attacks. The remaining beholder attacked me
again with its magical fury, and once again, I came out of it victoriously.
I retaliated. One swing, slice all ten eye stalks. Another, produced a deep
cut on the beholder's side. On the third and final thrust, my sword skewered
the beholder's central eye. I let got of my sword as the beholder slowly
fell to the ground. I turned to see what was left of the battle. Just then,
both of my companions finished a cyclops of their own leaving only three. I
casted a hold monster spell, and paralyzed the last of our enemies. The
creatures didn't stand a chance against our formidable party for the Gods
were with us!
We collected as much treasure as we could and left for the inn.
At the inn, a few tankards of ale were downed during our
celebration. We bid each other a good evening and retired for the night.
- - - - - Just one of the many adventures anyone of us might have - - - - -
Everyone....
Well here it is, the (almost official) festival results for Summer Fest 1995.
Sorry for the delay but calculating pearls for 200 players takes a bit of
time :)
I'd like to start off by saying Congrats to Sagx for winning the most pearls
during the festival. Sagx has his choice to purchase that new to the realms
(he would be the first of owner of such item), Ring of Cold Resistan ce
(regular value 60 pearls) for the 28 he won! Congrats!
If you see any problems in your pearl total (you thought you won more or
less), you have until July 8th to email me. Please send other pearl
corresponces to NW Events. Keep in mind that if your pearl total changes by
any chance, I will notify ya. (e.g. Lessay I credit Newbie 1's pearls to
Newbie l's :).
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Festival, especially to the
masochistic ones who showed up at my booth ):>
Thanks,
NW Elladan
The Pearl Guy
(PS Forge...stuffy eh?... )
Summer Fest 95 Winners
apoth -10
archeo -9
astr0sun -15
augststorm -16
autiker -12
bbw lover1 -6
berrun -25
blackcoral -9
blacque -2
blukn1ght -4
boshiro -15
brazzt -10
bron sunho -3
brytondail -18
burough -3
c plunkard -2
calisandra -3
calvinnn -11
chaos way -7
chrisleif -10
christoffx -3
clockworkr -2
cpa sun -13
cwolf666 -13
cyrgon -2
da wook -15
dam1on -10
dantbh1 -6
darkuth -5
dersiden -3
dfoehammer -8
dolphin990 -7
dragn fang -5
dragonklaw -2
drax0n -4
drenyn -10
dwyvyrn -18
eklypz -5
eldivan -5
eljin -4
elslar -6
escher fen -2
ewulf -2
fendar -8
gallium -5
galwylin -8
garett jax -5
ghalador -3
gilegrim -12
gk power -16
greyshrike -7
guthwolf -9
gyellejr -8
haldor -16
hardhild -7
hedron -5
hg renik -6
hotshield -2
illiad52 -2
ingenjeger -22
itb dawg -5
itb mohawk -5
itb scythe -17
itb xavier -11
iz ilven -9
jaraxcel -12
jasmine9 -3
jecele -3
kalie myst -6
kef fury -5
kef galtar -19
kef lance -6
kefgandalf -10
keglord -6
kendrix iv -3
kephara -12
kgrac sun -5
kholari -24
kid storm -8
knothus -9
kymil nimn -17
l0rd kane -8
ldy spawn -17
ldy talia -2
ldypainstk -3
leviath0n -8
llewdoc -8
lord cirus -3
lord keser -5
lrd feanor -16
mac junzun -2
mad drunk -6
mag1master -11
malakar -10
mech rasta -4
mech rebel -5
mech slick -2
mech talon -10
melkor2711 -13
men0sis -9
metr0n -6
mhaverfiel -3
mirai -2
mod quake -9
modar -2
morngrym -5
morrolan -3
mortessa -8
mrtime888 -5
mustang10 -3
naergoth -12
nei skye -6
nemesis az -11
neoptolemu -5
nickfire -6
obers lek -10
odysseusdg -15
ogs bannor -19
onebad sun -5
phantra -11
pit vyper -14
plasmaburn -3
ppijohn -10
pyrrhic -4
pyuna -5
quicksteel -2
rathoman -2
red avatar -5
red sin -3
ringleron -7
riverswift -6
rome -2
rosepike -6
***** sagx -28 ******
sangdraxx -17
sao borja -5
shalfial -2
shdwhntr -2
shinshoba -8
shurg -20
sigfreed -4
sinjon x -3
sir dorvan -17
sir grumpy -16
sir rellik -22
sir roger -2
sir trynet -5
sirfin -3
skarrak -6
skribbles -9
slen star3 -3
slyck -6
smsuchops -16
sol abysss -9
sol asp -16
sol ent1ty -7
sol epic -15
sol kitty -9
sol laeral -9
sol missy -2
spellsrus -5
stalkersun -12
starkn1ght -11
sten kiria -9
stilicho -3
stormkngt -6
stormmastr -9
sun poison -5
swiftsun -8
syphonsoul -19
t graywolf -11
tarcil -5
tatyana ii -2
teresami9 -2
tha gymp -20
thinkdrunk -3
thorandur -17
tigguhr -6
tmptation -3
tp express -7
tp silver -8
tryssa -3
tuvor -2
tyranthrax -15
v alaric -2
v khayman -8
v lucian -3
v mekella -3
valdarian -3
varala -6
varlos -3
vecna -11
verhanna -2
viridium -3
void3 -3
vycron dyz -9
walkndeath -16
worluk -2
xarenth -3
xo2 zeus -4
zanas man -10
zasmodean -12
Well that's it! Lemme know if I ya think your totals aren't right, your name
is spelled wrong or whatever!
Thanks,
NW Elladan
<><><><><>
<><><><><>
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 Access to the GOH (Guild of Heroes) ! 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!
<><><><><>
<><><><><>