From: dparsons@jarthur.claremont.edu (Daniel Parsons)
Path: jarthur.claremont.edu!dparsons
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Navero XXVIII
Distribution: world
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711
Keywords: Navero, of the Correct and Unalterable Way


While we were in town, those who could train did so.

		Navero, male human cleric, 4th level
		Dania, female 1/2-elf MU, 4th level
		Kortul, male human fighter, 4th level
		Razuli, male human fighter, 4th level
		Arlor, male dwarf thief, 4th level
		Kory, male elf bard, 3rd level
		Topash, male elf druid, 3rd level

	Kory got training at Eristophanes' Lute Emporium in downtown Propyla;
he came back singing Purple Rain, for which he was severly reprimanded.
During this time, we went back to see the great wise sage to see if he had
any advice for us.

Kortul & Dania: (Enter Kilgurians' shop)

Kilgurian: (Sitting in the midst of the grand mess.) "Yes?  What do you want?"

Kortul: "Orb of Spheres."

Kilgurian: "You can't have it!  I've given your master enough of my goods!  I
            absolutely refuse to... wait a moment.  I don't have one.  Ha ha!
            Of course you can't have it!  I haven't got it!  Ha HA ha ha..."

Dania: "Uh, no, old master.  Yesterday, Kortul came in seeking information
        on the location of a magic item called the Orb of Spheres?"

Kilgurian: "What?...  Hm, well, let me see...  A very large, hairy man with a
            broken nose, smelled bad...  I do seem to recall..."

Dania: "Yea.  He looked a lot like this guy here."

Kilgurian: "By my soul!  The very picture of the man!  Well, how unfortunate
            for you.  Did you hear the latest on Princess Fytalior?"

Dania: "Yea.  Ug.  I'd think all the scales would feel wierd."

Kilgurian: "Scales?  Oh, no it was a Clay Golem designed long ago by a rogue
            Priestess of Aphrodite.  Terribly interesting what some people do
            in their spare time.  Now... Robe of Sears?"

Dania: "Orb of Spheres."

Kortul: "Anything?"

Kilgurian: "No need to shout, I can hear perfectly well.  Well, so, ah.  Hm.
            Ah!  Afraid I can't help you.  No information on it.  Terribly
            sorry.  You may have better luck at Paracelsus' Herbal Market, he
            keeps up on such things more than I do.  Whatever you do, don't
            go that young idiot over on Adamant Way!  He not only doesn't
            know anything useful, he is crass and boorish and a thief
            besides!  I know personaly !  I've seen him sneaking about where
            he doesn't belong, always getting into this and that; no honest
            businessman, he!  Called me a brainless old fidget, he did!"

Kortul: "Untrue.  Hardly fidget."

Kilgurian: "Thank you, young man.  Hmm... what is that odor?  I've only just
            now smelled it, I wonder what it could be..."

Dania: "Probably a rat.  Well, we must be going."

Kilgurian: "Sorry, sorry, payment for my services is expected."

Kortul: (Throws 5gp, leaves)

Kilgurian: "But, but..."

Dania: "Thank you!" (Quickly exits)

Kilgurian: "Oh, well..."

Dania: "Shit, now what do we do?  Think we can get into the city?"

Kortul: "No.  Some might, those not easily recognized."

Dania: "Which leaves you out.  Even that old fart remembered you."

Kortul: "Orb not near, or sages would have _something_.  Find another town.
         Should look west."

Dania: "Why west?"

Kortul: "Why not?  Besides, check out weather."

(Looking to the west, great black clouds could be seen near the horizon.
They looked ominous and brooding, and were obviously not natural.)

Kortul: "Something magical that way."

Dania: "Yuck.  Something big.  How long has that been there?"

Kortul: "Couple days."

Dania: "It's probably not the Orb causing it.  I don't see why that way is
        any better than any other.  In fact, we probably don't want to go
        riding into THAT.  It looks NASTY."

Kortul: "Dangerous."

Dania: "Yes...  Lots of magic, do you think?"

Kortul: "Obviously."

Dania: "Well, we can go in that GENERAL direction.  And ask along the way.
        Whatever's doing it probably has lots of cash and magic items."

Kortul: "Probably."

Dania: "Well, then..."

        The great clouds continued to bulid during our stay; they became
larger and larger, but were never accompanied by any rain or wind.  They just
spread like a shadow, blocking out the sun.  After about a week (during which
the aforementioned training took place) they had moved to cover one-quarter
of the sky.  Grim-faced messengers rode into town from the west; they never
stopping at the inns to rest, just rode straight into town as if on matters
of all-consuming importance.  Roumers abounded: the great witch Taya Haygo
had returned, and was reclaiming her lands; the World was ending; a great
Vampire was summoning monstrous legions to conquer all of civilization; the
God of the Sunset had the worst case of indigestion in recorded history.  No
one was sure, but everyone was willing to speculate.

	Topash returned to us after his stay in the woods and fields.  He
seemed most agitated, and collected the entire group together in a square for
a discussion.  Navero was still in the main city, and so was not present.

Topash: "Well, hello again.  I hope this city has been treating you well."

Razuli: "Druid, cut the crap and tell us what's goin' on."

Topash: "I wish I knew.  Something terrible is coming from the west."

Razuli: "No shit, Sherlock.  What's that got to do with us?"

Kory: "Now, now, calm down, give him a minute to catch his breath.  Can't you
        see public speaking doesn't come naturally to him?  Ok, you can go
        on now.  And stop sweating."

Topash: "Thank you o so very much.  Well, I think we should go investigate
         the disturbance to the west, seek out its source, and do whatever is
         necessary to aleviate the strain to the natural forces."

Arlor: "Besides, the DM wants us to go over there."

Kory: "Hush.  We're not supposed to talk about that."

Topash: "Well, I suppose that settles it.  Unless I hear objections?"

Razuli: "Why do we gotta go risking our necks in that mess?  Why not just go
         out and hunt trolls, or kill another dragon, or something easy?"

Dania: "You're forgetting the Orb of Spheres.  It might be in there."

Razuli: "Huh?  I aint heard anything about that."

Dania: "Well, the Orb of Spheres is a device allowing travel between the
        vibratory planes of existence, right?  And use is often accompanied
        by strain to the local continuum, right?"

Razuli: "Huh?"

Dania: "You'd know about these things if you had any education.  Suffice to
        say that the Orb could cause effects very much like those we now
        see, and the natural conclusion is obvious.  Q.E.B."

Topash: "There is no reason at all NOT to go there.  It will fulfill two of
         our purposes at once, and leave you free to go about your own
         business once again."

Razuli: "All right, all right!  Jeez, it's nothin'.  Ok, we'll go."

Kory: "Right.  I shall locate our dear lost Navero and we shall be on our
        merry way once again.  Oh, Dania: did I tell you I wrote a ballad?"

Dania: "Not interested."

Kory: "Oh, you SHOULD be!  It is `Dania and the Priests of Gothard'!  I put
        in a great deal of research, including lengthy interviews with many
        of those involved."

Dania: "If you dare..."

Kory: "I must remember to sing it to you sometime.  You'll LOVE it."

(Dania swings at Kory with her staff.  He avoids it and runs away laughing a
laugh I cannot describe in text.  You'd have to hear it; it's silly.)

Kortul: "Hmph.  Meet here, dawn tommorow."

Topash: "Agreed.  Let each prepare themselves in their fasion."

(Group disperses.)

Topash: "Oh, Dania... Q.E.B.?"

Dania: "Quite Elementary Bullshit."

Topash: "Ah..."

	The next day, our heroes set forth from the great city of Propyla
and rode westwards.  There was no sunset to ride into as yet, but we were
just starting out.  We were riding on a trade route, but there was very
little traffic going westwards; occasinally, a man on a fast horse would go
by, but little else.  Traffic from the east was completely composed of
people moving out of the area; there weren't very many of them, though.  We
were riding for about a week when the first real changes became noticeable -
all the brush and grass seemed to be dying, except for one tough, crabgrass-
like variety, and many framhouses had been abandoned.

	After 10 days, we reached Etheilia, the second capital as Propyla was
the third.  (Roumor had it they were named for the emporer's consorts, but
you know how reliable roumors are.)  The wall around the city had been only
partially completed, but work on it seemed to have stopped.  There were very
few people in town, and those who were there were very unfriendly, and seemed
preoccupied with something.  We stayed an uncomfortable and nervous night,
then left.  The clouds now covered half the sky, and looked blacker and
nastier all the time; there was never any lightning, or anything you would
associate with real clouds, but they did block out the sun VERY efficiently.
It was like ink dribbled across the heavens.

	One night out of Etheilia...

(Kortul on guard duty.  We had a bright campfire, and decided that since
there seemed to be almost no traffic, we should camp right in the middle of
the road where there were no trees or grass to hide in.)

Kortul: (Whole country feels rotten as a graveyard...)

Kory: (Starts awake) "whazzat?!"

Kortul: "Snake slid under your blanket.  Not poisonous."

Kory: "Yahh!" (Throws it away) "Jesus, why didn't you tell me?!"

Kortul: "I'm not Jesus."

Dania: "Kory, shut up and let us sleep..."

Kortul: (Gazes into darkness)

Navero: "Somethings wrong..."

Dania: "What?"

Navero: "I can't sleep.  It's all too wrong, and it got worse just now."

Dania: "Nav, what are you talking about?"

Kortul: "Shh..."

(Silence.  Everyone is awake and listening.  Then, rushing footsteps.  Many
rushing footsteps.)

Kortul: (Unsheathes Sun Sword.  Light shows many disgusting humanoids rushing
        towards the camp.)

Topash: "Ghouls, I believe.  They are a violation; Kortul, Razuli, stay back
         from them, they can paralyze humans."

Dania: (Magic Missiles a Ghoul(?))

Kortul: "Hmph." (Steps foreward, butchers one with Sun Sword.)

Navero: "By the Lords of the CorrecOOMPH!" (Ghoul(?) barrels into his gut and
         drops him.)

Razuli: "Shit, get up!" (Attacks Ghoul on Navero.)

Arlor: (Hides under a blanket)

Ghouls: "Gibber gibber gargle snort drool" (Claw Topash, Navero, Arlor;
         saves are requested of all.)

Topash: "Oh shit, they're Ghasts."

Game Master: You're paralyzed.  Shut up.

(Navero and Arlor are also paralyzed.)

Dania: "SHIT!!"  (Melf's Acid Arrow on a Ghast)

Kortul: (Butchers 2 more with Sun Sword)

Razuli: "This is another fine mess you got me into.  You really owe me,
         magic-user." (Slices a Ghast, wounding it.)

Kory: "Did you notice that a lot of these guys are dressed like farmers?"
        (Slices another Ghast.)

Ghasts: "Gibber gibber <obscene gerund> <racial slur>" (Flee)

Kory: "Hey!  Why'd they all run away?  I was having fun!"

Razuli: "Must have seen your face."

Kory: "Oh, come on!  I could play Dead Mans Party for them!"

Dania: "Oh, shut the fuck up.  Get the wounded cleaned and bandaged."

Kory: "YES, MA'AM!  Right away, o party leader extrordinaire!  Who elected
        you to the illustrious position of Queen of this chaos..."

Kortul: "Bandage wounded.  NOW.  Get poison out first."

Kory: "You're no fun anymore.  God, nothing around here is fun anymore."


Dan Parsons             "Do you know an interior decorator who does exteriors?
                                This place could sure use some brightening up."