Revelations

cy 4862 May 14th - 18th

The Broken Anchor heads south on the Murgat Sound. The party are on deck in conference with Xira, the Eldrych killer / healer. She suspects that the hidden mind on board is one of the assassins sent to slay her. "I will act as bait and lure him into the open," she says.

"I’m coming with you," Malaras, the dwarven sorcerer says and the woman nods her agreement.

The two descend into the large cargo hold and Maharabel, the Marraq priest of Willowstar, casts fire trap on all the exits from the hold. Soon the shadows in the hold move and Xira and Malaras sense the killer is close.

"You have not told them have you?" the shadow intones menacingly, "they have no idea what is in store for them."

Xira’s hand is a blur as she launches a dagger at the unseen killer. Malaras cannot follow the blade but the sound of it striking an opponent is unmistakeable. The killer clutches his neck as his life blood erupts in a crimson fountain from his jugular. Xira calmly removes the dagger and something else. Malaras’s eyes are alert to her surreptitious movements and she storms off back to the captain’s cabin in silence.

Malaras winds the hands back on his mystical time piece and – sure enough – he finds the last moments of the assassin’s life replayed before his eyes. He studies the Eldrych woman and sees her hand reach into the dead killer’s chest and pull out a black gem.

Malaras dumps the body over the side and recounts the tale to his companions. Whilst Maharabel gets into her mind Katana leads his fellow travellers to the cabin; he wants answers. Maharabel senses a dark evil within the mind of Xira, an evil she struggles to overcome.

Katana opens the cabin door and Xira looks wretched. Tears cascade down her face and she sobs violently and uncontrollably. "Go away!" she tells them but the party remain.

With a sigh she tells them of her master although will not give them his name. "There were twelve of us at first," she says, "all trained and given specific targets on Grayhawk. These black stones are at the heart of our power…and our evil intent. Through them the master can control, communicate and locate us all."

Maharabel persuades her to hand him one of the black hearts. "It will do you no good," she says, "they are indestructible."

"You should have faith," the priest says with a warm smile.

Xira shrugs and hands him the gem. Maharabel casts dispel magic upon the Darkstone. There is a momentary darkening of the skies, the air around the ship is charged with awesome power as the full force of Willowstar is directed – through the priest – upon the Darkstone. It disintegrates into a black powder and is scattered by a sudden breeze.

Xira collapses at Maharabel’s feet, stunned by what she has witnessed. Her demeanour changes; for the first time since she came into the party there is hope behind her dark, brooding eyes. More tears, this time tears of joy as she clings to Maharabel.

"Take me to your goddess and show me salvation!" she wails.

"We take the rest of those evil stones to a temple," Maharabel says, "we head for Salik, a Kordian city on the edge of the Forest of Maldrick. We are bound to find a temple to our lady there."

Malaras hides in a quiet corner and studies the tome called the Timemaster.

The next day they see ships, mainly merchant vessels like the Broken Anchor, traverse the Murgat Sound. Xira spends every waking minute with Maharabel and the priest obliges with tales of Willowstar and the way of the great elven goddess.

On the second night on the Murgat Sound Malaras – whilst on guard – realises that the mist surrounding the ship is magical. He identifies it as Xenaril’s Mist of Hiding, a spell obviously created by their current enemy. He wakes his friends. Maharabel casts dispel magic and the mist vanishes!

Five ships can be seen in a semi circle around them, although they remain two hundred yards away. It soon becomes clear that Xenaril and his men were not expecting the removal of their cover and the party on board the Broken Anchor react quicker.

Pip, viscount Taymar, and Carshan wrap cloth around a few arrow heads before dipping them in a nearby barrel of oil. They light their fire arrows from one of the many torches around the deck and launch them at the becalmed ships. Their aim is excellent. After the first salvo four of the five ships are ablaze, the sails catching quickly. The crew and soldiers aboard hurry to extinguish the rapidly growing flames.

Maharabel launches two arrows at the remaining ship and he fells two in quick succession. The only resistance comes from the ship free of fire and soon the air buzzes with arrows. Deverrask is hit in the stomach but manages to survive but Pip is not so lucky. A stray arrow punctures his skull and slays him instantly.

Maharabel searches the remaining ship for the mind of Xenaril and soon he finds it; the Marraq launches one of his deadly shafts but Xenaril ducks out of the way. Carshan, however, studied the flight of the Marraq’s shaft and fires a shaft at the same figure on the deck. His arrow thunders into Xenaril who falls over and screams as the shaft puntures his side. Xenaril is still alive but Maharabel’s aim is better for the next shot; this arrow nails Xenaril’s head to the main mast!

Viscount Taymar concentrates on the last remaining ship and puts two fire arrows into the rigging. It catches immediately but before the crew realise the danger they have brought to the front a handful of longbowmen. Malaras casts protection from normal missiles on Carshan as some of his companions take hard cover against the oncoming salvo. Deverrask is unlucky. As the arrows rain down he catches one in the stomach and as he vomits blood and entrails onto the deck the dwarf dies.

Soon the five ships are beyond salvation. The crew and soldiers dive into the ocean and swim for their lives.

Next morning the Broken Anchor moors itself in the Kordian city of Salik. Viscount Taymar immediately dons his platemail and feels dressed once more! Maharabel hurries them into the city, a bustling place full of merchants and travellers. The spires of the Willowstar temple is what he requires and soon they can hear the choir within singing.

The high priest Gavir leads the service and the temple is full to bursting with eager worshippers. Before long Maharabel and the high priest meet; the two take Xira to the altar. The atmosphere is charged. All feel the presence of something profound as Xira deposits the five remaining gems onto the altar; within seconds they have gone.

But one amongst them cannot rejoice in the presence of the goddess’ spirit. Carshan, the strange paladin of an unknown religion, suddenly becomes enlightened. He feels he has to get out of the temple; not because he feels threatened or in danger, he leaves because he realises what calling he follows.

Carshan has no god. Instead his calling comes from the universe itself, a guardian of Nature, a protector of the universal laws; he suddenly feels at one with the universal heartbeat of Grayhawk - of all the planes of existence in the known universe.

Somewhere in the recesses of his mind he can see the old prospector in the mountains; the white haired man smiles and welcomes him into a very exclusive band of warriors…