The Great Sealing
It has been 20 years since the great battles of the extermination of the dwarves. The war was a great success for Surma, Gruumsh, and the Horde. The dwarven capital and towns were all destroyed. There were no survivors. These lands are once again free of their strange ways and morality. Evil once again rules all these lands.
Clearly the Horde was behind the great extermination, beginning
among the giants in secret, then breaking out in a great onslaught
against all those do-gooders who refuse to see … .
other races, including Gruumsh and orcs, Valp …
caught dwarves by surprise. Their tow … . .
Since that time, there have been lingering effe …
that we are still trying to understand. Is it … .
revenge by the Heroes or just a coincidence? … .
leaders from across Tobian are seeking answers… .
A summation of our efforts is … …
Effects of the Great Sealing:
1. Sea travel has become very perilous, and no contact has occurred with the mainland. Sightings of great sea monsters, sudden winds and storms, and other strange effects have kept any of our people from traveling safely, and no one attempting to reach the mainland has returned. Something has taken up residence in our calm waters, but whether from the Horde or from the Heroes, no one knows. The different races on different islands are losing contact with each other as few are willing to brave the waters. Trade has become almost nonexistent, and we lack quality iron.
2. Magical transportation, such as teleportation and plane shifts to anywhere outside these islands fails. The portal to Fire on Kaufle Island still feeds the volcano, but no beings have visited from beyond.
3. Magical communication with other locations also fails. This includes scrying and sending spells and effects to other humanoids. Commune/contact spells aiming at direct communication with deities and other planar beings also fail for no known reason. Even the simple augury spell fails.
4. Normal effects, such as granting of clerical spells, seem to be unaffected. Summoning of constructs is unaffected, but summoning any intelligent being fails. The quasit residing in the temple here claims not to be able to return home.
5. Several attempts to … .
. . new islands, which they called the Star Islands, were . .
… … unable to tell what they saw there…
… … scroll, which could not be opened… .
… … to the great Temple of the Rattle . .
Experiments with Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy was first recognized among us almost 5 years ago, and since that time it has spread. Truskell appears to be the first infected. Now, over 30 … .
A great controversy has arisen over the presence of lycanthropy among us. Some welcome the disease, lauding the merits of increased strength and combat ability, protection from many kinds of damage, while others worry about the lack of control young infected orcs have over their passions, especially during the full moons. Many innocent lives are often destroyed by a rampaging youth… . .
It seems impossible to make everyone a lycanthope, though, since babies born with lycanthropy often kill their mothers during the birth process, whether that mother is infected or not. We have hopes that …
… fighting has broken out …
. . many deaths, but slowly we …
… leader died, making …
The last of those infected by lycanthropy have been eliminated, or so the people believe. A small number of young ones hove been transplanted to an isolated island. There, a few of us hope to breed a more controlled form of lycanthropy that coul… . .
Daily Journal
- Lacknor
Lacknor has been apprenticed here since age 10. He was "found" by Master Oberon, educated, and trained. No longer officially "apprenticed", he still lives here and gains from the Master's guidance while now helping with many of the duties here. He can cast level 3 spells, and is one of the better sorcerers around. He hopes to take up Master Oberon's duties as he is getting quite old.
a description of Master Oberon.
— casts level 5 spells
— creates magic weapons and armor
— is known all over the island and beyond
— repected by every orc and hobgoblin
— is the only "leader" among them
— fought at the battles of Fort Dargeroth and the Mines of Dunharrow.
The collapse.
It was horrible. The cave entrance collapsed on Master Oberon and we can't get him out. He is mostly unconscious, over half-buried in the rubble. We have to save him, save his mind and knowledge, but only we two apprentices are here and there are no exits. It has been half a day since the collapse and we are getting desperate. We have used the only two healing potions in the lab on Master Oberon and they have just managed to keep him alive. He has only hours to live if we don't do something.
We have one desperate idea, but fear to do it. We aren't really sure how well it will work. We know that some undead retain their memories and powers beyond death. I can summon shadows. If they kill Master Oberon, he will become a shadow under their control. If I then kill the shadows, he regains control of himself. We don't know what will be left of his mind, though. Shadows are fairly weak undead, driven more by raw emotion than intellect.
Unless we find a better solution, we will have to try this soon. Trasst is reading through spellbooks now, desperate for some other answer. We've agreed we must do something within the hour.