The Cave of Light and The Landshark

Lohar-an-Brokvar and Pascal Ador were sharing the hospitality of the Zy-Vel, a group of gypsy storytellers. The Zy-Vel have a power known as Shadowplay, in which they can ask the fire to tell a tale. In the fire, the Dwarf Lohar and the Bard Pascal saw themselves journeying to Queth-Azell to a hidden cave. With much wine in their stomach they set-forth.

Alone in the cave tranced the elf Yaeldrin, sent by the Monastery in the Stars to his destiny. He heard footsteps approach the cave from the pass below. He waited. Into the cave stepped the half-orc Wizard and Cleric, Rakab. Yaeldrin drew his sword, but listened to Rakab’s words. The wizard claimed to be searching for a Nexus of Power, one that is the primal magic of the land and nature combined, he says there are seven in the whole of Azarak. They shared stories for a time. Yaeldrin says he was sent across the stars to be here, the Cave of Light is his destiny, Rakab says he is looking for the Seven Nexus’ and knowledge to use them.

Shortly thereafter, Lohar and Pascal arrived at the Cave of Light. Threats, hilarities and introductions.

Then, a flash of light, and from the light appears Meridius, a soldier displaced across planets and time. He claims to be a Roman soldier, searching for two people who look very akin to him. Rakab casts a spell to discern whether evil is present, his spell discerns no evil, but perhaps different versions of themselves within the cave. Meridius is befuddled, and knows not where he is... but he does speak of a Chosen Child whom he must find to stop the worlds being brought to darkness.

Dusk dwindled and the Three Moons shone. The Third Moon was full, and encapsulated the cave in its magic light. The Cave of Light glowed blue, and illuminated the map of Azarak on the ceiling, carved with perfection. It details forests, lakes, mountain ranges, cities and even the small villages. Three spheres of blue light stand out on the map, rippling like a great pool.

1. The closest location is Elvere, a village on the border of Ter- travalle Forest.

2. The next is at the foot of the mountains in the north west of Vel-Azarak.

3. The furthest sphere of blue light is in the far north...the city of Lucidar itself. Lohar claims to be from there.

The moonlight also revealed five niches in the cave wall, with five altars upon which rest five symbols, one on each, and four candles upon each altar. The symbols seem to represent each character, and after a short discussion, the group choose their altar. Lohar chooses the hammer symbol-stone, and after voicing displeasure, the hammer changes to a knife.

1. Eagle - Meridius

2. Knife - Lohar

3. Star - Yaeldrin

4. Journeyman - Pascal

5. Book - Rakab

Rakab, Pascal and Lohar investigated the nature of the four candles and concluded that the singular black crystal candle is of Dark Elf make, the other three are of unknown make but seem to be connected to visions of the past, present and future of each person.

The group then debated whether to leave the Cave of Light and go on their quest to the three spheres or to stay here.

Pascal used psionic magic to force the fires to Shadowplay, a Zy-Vel ability. The Map seemed to be alive, willing them to leave, the Cave wished them to stay the night. They decided to stay and light a fire.The fires gave him a vision, but it is unclear... so he decided to go to the altar and light one of the normal candles. It showed him a vision... of the future.

A battle against the smoke and shadow, four heroes fight the darkness, one hero holds the hand of a child before it all, looking towards the battle...

A devilish creature writhes and struggles against a wooden lid in a box, it flickers a serpentine tongue and bats wings and scratches its horns against the box sides. Its horns number many and form the shape of a crown.

A village with farmyards, taverns, smithies and temples. A temple of each Yeoholmeish god. There is a beautiful mother, washing clothes in the morning, cutting vegetables in the afternoon and cooking broth in the evening at a tavern. Her son runs around the village doing various chores for her. He seems to be a simple farmhand. At night he goes under his bed and uncovers a locked chest hidden beneath. The three moons appear from behind the clouds and footsteps trample into the dirt... but with no figure or form attached to them, bootprints of more than ten people... the vision ends.

The heroes deliberated but shortly upon this and decided that it is a vision of the first location that the Cave of Light’s map details. They rested by the fire and got tipsy.

Rakab and Pascal got rather drunk. Pascal revealed that he has just broken up with his band and intends to have a great solo career, to write the greatest story the continent has ever been told. He believes this quest is the beginning of it. Rakab reveals his master Tazamahl, a great wizard, has banished him for believing that a god gives him power.

The heroes argued about horses for some time and set forth upon their quest to Elzeer. Lohar thinks stealing would be a fine idea, Pascal fought against this because the only horse-masters near here are the Zy-Vel, and he values them greatly.

By foot they are led beyond Rakab’s master’s tower, which is made of oily black stone, that is so deeply black, they began to see purple within its shimmering. They walked beyond and eventually find a band of Zy-Vel led by the Hermit Duke Poqorro atop his red horse, which Pascal informs them has a certain significance. The red horse may only be ridden by a Zy-Vel master storyteller, (Poqorro is a poet of integrating cultures), or a person the Zy-Vel deem to be worthy of such a horse.

With skilful magic and even more skilful bartering, Pascal convinced Hermit Duke Poqorro to give them five riding horses for the quest.

They set off with haste and arrive at the nearest village at midnight. They immediately hit the tavern and drank, conversing with the town crier who told them of a bounty upon a shelled-fish-clawed-creature that is stealing and eating horses. Lohar met with a criminal contact to pass a message to his crime family in Lucidar of what is happening, that he is part of greater events and that it will lead him to Lucidar. They decided to accept but only after Lohar, Pascal and Meridius bartered with one of the town elders, an old lady named Lady Gisela. They get the price up from 3 gold pieces per person to 14 gold pieces per person, 7 now, each, and 7 after the creatures head is placed at the doorstep of the hall.

Yaeldrin and Rakab questioned the villagers in the tavern and between them agreed that the creature the villagers describe is a landshark, a wizardly monstrosity, created, not born.

The heroes converged and went to the forest edges, and using Yaeldrin’s tracking abilities and the familiar of Rakab, a well-spoken raven named Quoth, they found the burrowed lair of the landshark.

They elected to use Rakab’s horse as bait, they tied it down and waited for the landshark to strike, and it did, tearing the horse asunder.

After a prolonged battle in which the heroes acted fast, with many magics and arrow shots and even close combat strikes, they finally defeated the tough, but slow, landshark, with a killing touch from Rakab the Wanderer.

They explored the burrows and found some treasure within the puddle it lay upon before they disturbed it. They found a smaller burrow where deformed dead babies of the landshark lay. Yaeldrin tracks and is certain there is another landshark somewhere near, using the forest to hunt for food, believing one used the forest and one used the village. They left.

Meridius removed the landshark’s head and carried it back to the village. They arrived just in time for the town crier and his drinking companions to stumble out of the tavern in disbelief. They awoke Lady Gisela in her dressing gown, and she paid them. She even allowed the tavern to be opened again, after the heroes complained, and they spent the night in revelry and jubilation.

So ends the first chapter...