Orhan 2 Day 20 TE 6059

We are fed and taken to the long path up the mountain to the fortress. Ask if we want to walk or fly, we are provided with a pair of flying carpets. Yay!

We fly up. There's a castle and keep and fishing villiage down on the island, but up we fly.

There's a house built into the side of the mountain next to a creek running down the mountain. It's 2/3 of the way up and we stop there and find a couple of Erlin there. We get off our carpets. They are the keepers, but bid us enter. Yay!

We are brought before the man in charge (he has grey hair). He tells us to come and sit. The keepers bring us glasses of wine. Yay! Voorig has a big silver chalice. He introduces himself as Voorig Kye.

He asks us of our travels to the East. We present him with our gift, the Orb of the Heavens! We introduce ourselves, and he impresses each of us gently with knowledge of our homeworlds as he goes around the circle.

We tell him about the trip to the "Eastern Hemisphere" and the moral inversion, etc. He's more interested in the physical details than we expected and not so concerned with the people.

Sadly, he does not believe we were actually in the East. Very few have been able to go to it and tell about it. The Walll of Darkness constrains all but the most powerful. Only those of his stature and that of his siblings possess the power to cross over. The East is not an anti-universe as we and others suspect. It's just the other side of the planet.

"Two Ages ago, when the lords of essense were seeing their time on this world end, Utha placed the Eyes, as many know, or think they know, to keep Kulthea where it is in the doorway. The wall of darkness is a side effect. But few know that the wall of darkness was not an accident. The East is a prison for the surviving followers of Kadaena. So you see, if the Eyes fail, not only will catastrophes occur across Kulthea, but the followers of Kadaena will be free to rule that galaxy. Ondoval thinks to use the army to defeat the former lords once the wall is gone, but he is mad."

"It is hard to fathom his motive, but we can not allow this to happen. I will not allow this to happen. Your feeble Loremaster will not act until too late. Your Navigators are too wrapped up in their own interests. Even in the Halls of Darkness, few will listen."

Haeraan asks for clarification on the "Halls of Darkness" and we are told, "Your heroic activities have not gone unnoticed; you will find out for yourselves soon enough."

"I have monitored your little group since you started making wave in Sel-kai. I believe you are a group of action. I have need of those who might be discreet and yet capable of action."

Alynna asks for clarification as to what he needs a group for. "Preserving the wall and other things. I believe our goal conincide in these things." "Your friends Gireg Jan and Anton have trained you well."

"The risks will be considerable. The rewards will likely be beyond any you have seen before. So. We have an understanding, yes?"

We nod.

"Very well, there are a number of tasks that need to be done, not all of them in any particular order. But, when you are ready, there are two things: First, my brethren and I are able to penetrate the barrier, but I can not go myself at the moment. We need a scouting report to the Eastern Hemisphere. The other task involves the retrieval of a certain object... It is The Heart of Aggoth!"

(It's a large black crystal that is part of a larger artifact that was separated into three parts. Elor Once Dark stole it from Voorig Kye. It was stolen again more recently from the the capital of Lankonok, Kenazon (still not sacked). Sigh.)

He can give us a method of sending a signal back from the Eastern Hemisphere, so he can reopen a hole to get us back out. It's been several years since any report has come from the other side. Several lords of essense have carved out several empires with many slaves and armies. We must know if they have any plans to assault the southern Eye themselves, and what preparations they are making. If the wall goes down, we must attack immediately to have any hope of winning. I warn you, their technilogical prowess is beyond any you have ever seen. Starships and blaster rifles it seems.

"If you wish, return to Selkai and send a message when you are ready."

He reaches out and hands each of us a silver amulet with a curled dragon motif. Show this to any who work for me and they will render you aid.

Before we leave, Kyrik asks about "The Storm Wizard". Voorig Kye says he wasn't paying much attention at the time. He's an elusive one who lives in an enchanted floating castle. I doubt you could pin him down sufficiently. About your only hope would be to attact his attention.

The Keepers come down and clean everything up and escort us to our ride back down. As we are leaving, Imre says goodbye in the Dragon toungue. Voorig Kye seems annoyed. "Those wizards deserved what they got. Be very careful who you speak that to; there are those who will roast you where you stand for uttering those words."

Voorig Kye turns into a giant dragon and flies up the mountain.

We fly back down the mountain on our flying carpets.

Orhan 2 Day 30 TE 6059

We return to SelKai to consider our options. Arriving home, we find there is a visitor for us up in the conference room. Hmm, we head up there and find at the head of our conference room, our old friend with the violet eyes.

I assume the dragon has told you... "Now that the Eyes are threatened, I will not allow them to escape their prison. If necessary, I will destroy this world first." But you don't want me to do that, so let's chat. He's insane.

"Voorig Kye has you on the right path, but be warned, he has his own interests at heart. We will speak again sooner, but know this, when Ondoval took the Northern Eye he was gravely wounded. Even now he recovers and when he is ready he will strike again. There are also tasks for others, and you may need to aid them, but that will become clear in time."

Now that you know, there will be more instructions in the future.

Orhan 2 Day 32 TE 6059

Haeraan spends some nights running divine background checks on the people we've run into of late.

We head off to talk to Veriak.

He sees a whole bunch of Lugraki sitting around a big fire and bowing. They take some wood and stick it in the fire and march off with blazing torches. When he looks for the heart he sees a reddish glowing crystaline beating heart. There are several shadowy figures looking for it.

Orhan 2 Day 33 TE 6059

Veriak reports that there's a conjunction of the planets coming up and he senses a competitive convergence of forces.