Awakening Notes

[SilvaShado]

So here's a place for all of us to keep a track of what is where.

At the moment, we're working on the hallway of rooms that comes off the demon room. So the pespective is from the demon room. I'll edit this with info that people post so that it is all collected in one place. So if you see anything missing, please let me know. I'll also update this as stuff moves and things change.

1. On Left. Mess maker's room (Male). On the bed: bundle of arrows, three bottles(1 empty, 1 ? potion, 1 rum) on the silk shirt, gold paint pot, box with 6 sticks of incense which give off a sweet smell and a tiny gold brazier.

2. On right. Melissa's room. Melissa is resting. Box of jewelry on dressing table.

3. On Left. Mural room (Male). Detect Magic cast.

4. On Right. Rocking chair room (Male). Chest unopened.

5. On Left. Alchemist's notes room (Female). Detect Magic cast.

6. On Right. Magic window room (Female). Detect Magic cast.

7. On Left: Wards room (Male).

8. On Right: Mosaic room.

9. End of Hallway: Boss Room.

[LaFille]

Transfering that from the discussion thread (was searching for it not long ago)...

Date on which the characters talked with Zumir for the first time: Runeday the third of Hanover, year 1537.

Characters' last remembering date before awakening:
Rasidar: 521
Ash: 521
Homm: 521
Mao: 763
Cedric: 1025
Stelrein: 1132
Loriana: 1251
Leim: 1399

Yairn and Scim, unknown for the moment.

Location:

Our characters are all from the kingdom of Davor (except Leim who is from the far east, but travelled to Davor at some point).
They awakened in a place at the edge of the ruins of the ancient fortress of Davor-Sen, once home to the fabled Knights Of The Orb, in the kingdom of Davor itself.
From the window in room 6, we can see the city of Kalorine, the White City, capital of Davor (currently showing signs of recent war damages and, fluttering over the central palace, there is a the familiar symbol of rampant blue gryphon on a gold field - the same than on the insignas they found in the demon & battle rooms).


Currency rules: 100 copper = 10 Silver = 1 gold

[Glance A'Lot]

Correction to the above - I specified the last year of Cedric's memory to be 1025.

[SilvaShado]

There is also the city of Kalorine, that can be viewed through the magic window. It was a prominent city, but now is pretty ruined.

[nights]

Correction Leim is not from Davor.. nor has he ever been there...

[Elliot Kane]

Slight correction - Leim travelled to Davor. His last memories are of arriving there, IIRC. The what & why is up to you, Nights, but my one stipulation to his background was he had to end up in Davor somehow...

[LaFille]

Spells

Heal - lvl 1 - costs 10 mana, heals 5 Health
Heat Blast - Lvl 1 - costs 10 mana, does 5 Health dam
Cold Blast - Lvl 1 - costs 10 mana, does 5 Health dam
Detect Magic lvl 1 - 10 Mana. Will detect any magical items in a five foot radius from the spell's centre.

[Elliot Kane]

A request by Silva: The base so far.

[LaFille]

Here I copy-pasted Elliot's description of each room.
I have added the objects found in and notes as to what was checked in and found. The names between parenthesis are those of the players having the objects at current time; if you notice mistakes feel welcomed to point them out.


Corridor at the left from the demon's rooms

The crazy lights flickering along the ceiling of this ten foot high by ten foot wide stone corridor send shadows dancing across every surface, making it hard to discern the real from the unreal.

No breeze disturbs the still air, and no sounds come to your ears. The smell of chared flesh from the room you are in hides any other smells.

After a bit of careful peering, you manage to determine that the corridor extends for around eighty feet, with nine doors along its length; one at the far end, and the other eight equally spaced in pairs down the sides.

The nearest doors are a mere five feet from your own...


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1st room on Left: Mess maker's room (p. 1)

This twenty foot square room appears to be a bed chamber. There are four Light Globes in the ceiling, of which only two are working, but the give enough light to allow you to make out details.

The bed resting against the far wall is quite large, though still obviously made for use for a single person, and made of far better materials than the beds you all woke up on. The entire left hand wall is covered in shelves, some of which contain books but most of which are empty. A small wooden chest rests at the foot of the bed, and a large wardrobe stands beside it.

In the centre of the room rests a work desk of some kind, covered in papers. There is a basket close to the door which looks like it contains a pile of men's garments. From the unpleasant smell of sweat that reaches your nostrils, it would be reasonable to assume that this is the wash basket.

By the desk rests a small bin that is overflowing with crumpled papers.

The books are all basics on the understanding and handling of magic. Hidden under the pillow is a gold ring set with a single small diamond. The diamond seems to shine a little bit more than it should. (Rasidar; ring gives +20 mana)

The wardrobe contains a fairly large amount of men's clothing, most of it in dark red and dark blue.
There is nothing else of interest in the wardrobe. No personal items in the clothes, either.

[Leim] read all the crumbled papers inside taking them out and throwing them on the bed as he finish.
There is nothing useful in the waste bin.

There is nothing of interest in the wash basket, and far too much that stinks of stale sweat.

The writing desk is an absolute mess. Half the papers are clearly out of order, a few have been screwed up then flattened out again, and all are notes taken in a near incomprehensible hand. None of them are interesting or useful.

The writing desk has a single drawer containing a quill pen and some ink in a small bottle. (Cedric; along with blank papers)

Nothing under the bed. No secret things hidden in the desk that you can find.

The chest contains:
A small sack which clinks when moved. The bag contains 12 silver coins, 10 gold coins and 17 copper coins. (Leim)
Three glass bottles. One is empty, two contain some kind of liquid (bed of messmaker’s room). One of the bottles contains what smells suspiciously like whiskey. The other is certainly a magical potion of some kind, but without a proper lab you'd have a hard time telling what. The whiskey is in a slightly bigger bottle, but any of the three bottles could easily fit in your hand. They are designed to hold a single dose of a magical potion. Think roughly the size of a small perfume bottle.
A leather scroll case with a bone stopper. The scroll case is prrobably made from cow hide. There is nothing special about the scroll case. There are two scrolls inside the case. The two scrolls are written in the language of magic (This is partly what 'Spellcraft' is - knowledge of the tongue used to cast spells) and are spells: Heat Blast - Lvl 1 & Cold Blast - Lvl 1 (Mao)
A bag of sticky sweets, all stuck together
Three odd and not very clean socks. There appears to be nothing special about the socks. They don't match with each other.
A silk shirt, very rumpled. (bed of messmaker’s room) Silk is definitely not a common material in the world you remember. It has to be imported at great expense as there are no native silk worms in the (Rather European) climate of your home. It is not just nice to wear, but is used to filter a lot of chemicals in alchemy to strain out impurities.

You find no hidden compartments in the chest, and nothing under it. The sweets appear to be a single sticky mass. They appear to be nothing special.

Things that were on the bed (currently held by Stelrein) are:
- the 3 bottles found in the chest (empty, whiskey, unidentified potion)
- the silk shirt
- the gold leaf paint bottle
- the smaller chest found in the wards room with incense
- the 47 arrows collected by Homm in the battleground room

----------------------

1st on right: Melissa's room (p. 1)

The room across the hallway is fairly similar to the last, in that it is clearly a bedroom of some kind, with a bed, small chest and three wardrobes. There is a neat shelf above the bed stacked with books, and a dressing table against one wall. A make up case rests atop the dresser.

An attempt has clearly been made to make this room more homey, with the central writing desk holding two small frames that look like they probably hold paintings of some kind, though you cannot be sure of what as they are faced away from you. A somewhat threadbare teddy bear sits atop the desk, leaning slightly to the right and also faced away from you.

The wash basket by the door holds only a couple of items, neatly folded.

The wardrobe is packed with female clothing. The books are all primers on basic magecraft. Many notes have been written in the margins in a small, neat hand. The pictures are of a middle aged man and a woman who looks only slightly younger. Both are the work of a skillful painter, though not a master. The frames themselves are silver.

The wardrobe contains belts to match the outfits.

It would take you may hours to go through all the books. The note-writer was clearly very obsessive about every tiny little detail - which is not always a bad thing in a mage, you remember.
The books are more primers than anything, and far below your level. You will find nothing of interest in them.

No shoes in this wardrobe.

Among the papers on the writing desk you find a single spell, neatly written in the same hand as the notes on the books:
Heal - lvl 1 - costs 10 mana, heals 5 Health (Mao)
You can find a couple of hat pins in one of the wardrobes. (Leim) Nothing is hidden in teddy or frames of pictures.

You will find footwear in one of the wardrobes, bt nothing else of interest. The dressing table has hair brushes and combs, and some hair clips and hair bands. The make up case has a small hand mirror (Ash), lipstick, and rouge in it. All look rather well used.

Nothing seems to be hidden around the bed.

The chest opens easily to reveal three items: a scroll (Mao) neatly tied with a ribbon (Leim), a small jewelry box (on melissa’s dressing table), and what looks like a dagger that has been wrapped very carefully in velvet (Leim). You can't see the dagger itself, only the shape of it. The three items look to have been very carefully placed to be easily accessible.

The jewelry box contains a pair of emerald earrings and a simple gold chain which looks old and a bit worn. It looks like the kind of chain that might support a pendant or similar around a person's neck, but there is no sign of whatever the chain might once have held.
The emerald earrings are of quite good but not exceptional craftsmanship. The chain was once of good quality, but is now too worn to really be worth very much. The owner of the jewels would have to be quite well off, but not nevessarily rich.

The dagger is very well balanced for either throwing or hand to hand, and has a silver coated blade. It has no sheath. It shines in the light, and looks like it has been very well cared for. (Leim)

The scroll contains a spell: Detect Magic lvl 1 (Mao)


-------------------------

2nd on Left: Mural room (p.7)

Is still fully lit, and has beautiful murals drawn on each wall, the whole forming a picture so that if you were to stand in the centre you would seem to be standing at the top of a mountain and looking down upon the world laid out for many miles around you. There are Djinn at play in the clouds, and far off in the distance a dragon hovers over a fiery mountain. The part of the mural nearest the door does not appear to be finished yet.

There are a bed and wardrobe, as in the other rooms, but the wardrobe has been worked into the mural so well it takes you a moment to see it. The chest by the bed has been decorated with pictures of curling dragons, black and red, which intertwine in perpetual play.

The writing desk in the centre is covered with paint pots and a covered canvas stands by it.

The wash basket has been painted to blend in with the mural also, becoming a rocky outcrop.

The canvas is a nearly finished portrait of a beautiful young woman with an impish smile and sparkling green eyes [proves to be Melissa]. She is wearing the emerald ear rings that Leim is now carrying, and has a look of sweetness to her that somehow tells you she is a good person. She wears the worn gold chain around her neck, her hand raised to touch a small ivory Ankh that hangs down from the chain.

The desk is full of small pots of paint and numerous brushes of many sizes.

There is only paint & brushes in the drawers of the desk.

The chest contains:
- a small leather pouch that clinks softly when moved. The pouch contains 12 silver coins and 9 copper coins. (Leim)
- a bottle of gold leaf paint, carefully labelled. Gold leaf paint is quite valuable because it is made using flakes of real gold, which you would know from your studies of alchemy. (bed of the messmaker’s room)
- a rather odd shaped object wrapped in an old cloth. It is quite heavy, and may be a statuete of some kind. You are holding a beautifully carved statuette of a dragon. At first glance it appears to be made of jade, but you aren't sure that can be right. The eyes are a pair of glittering red stones that are not quite rubies. This thing has a sense of otherness about it, but you aren't sure why... The statuette is slightly warm to the touch, but you are not sure why. It could be magic, or something else entirely. Dragons are more legendary than fact, with no known sightings in your life time. They are not always antagonistic to humans according to legend, but there are no easily verifiable facts. You cannot tell what the statuette is made of. (Guarded by Zumir for Leim)


-----------------------

2nd On Right: Rocking chair room (p.

Contains a large bed - possible intended for more than one person, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, and a small chest similar to those in the other rooms. A pair of boots stand by the chest. This room is mainly dark, and illuminated by your bola more than any interior lighting.

The wash basket by the door appears to be empty, and there is no writing desk in this room, but a rather large and sturdy looking rocking chair instead.

The clothing in the wardrobe seems designed to fit a very large - probably very fat - man. The chest of drawers holds more clothing that only seems to confirm that guess. The boots are also men's, and have no hidden daggers. They are beautifully made, however, of some very supple-looking material you are unfamiliar with (Loriana; magic, +2 agility).

(after Lexie picked the lock:)
The chest opens quite easily to reveal a plain wooden cup and an equally plain wooden plate (Lexie).


----------------------------

3rd On Left: Alchemist's notes room (p. 14)

Opening the door reveals another bedroom. This one has the standard bed and wardrobe, and three free standing book cases, only one of which contains books. The others are piled with neatly stacked papers.

There is a small chest by the bed, and a writing table also covered with papers.

The wash basket contains a neatly folded sky blue dress.


The chest is locked, and you find only women's clothing in the wardrobe.

The notes appear to be mainly alchemical formulations judging from the notes scribbled into the margins. What the various symbols & things mean you can't even begin to guess. (Mao)

The chest contains:
- a small pouch. The pouch contains 13 silver and 27 copper coins. (Leim)
- a wooden box just over a foot long and very narrow that has been squeezed in diagonally from corner to corner. The wooden box does not appear to be trapped. It does, however, have a small lock on it. Leim can easily undo this, revealing a wand made of some white wood laid into a padded box. You can tell nothing about the wand. It is plain and undecorated. (Loriana)

Loriana looks around the bed, moving the sheets. She then goes through the wardrobe to see if anything is hidden in the pockets.
You find nothing of interest in your search.

---------------------------

3rd On Right: Magic window room (p. 15)

The walls, floor and ceiling of this room have all been coloured a light yellow, giving a slightly disorienting effect. There is a bed against the far wall, with a small chest by it, and a wardrobe standing close.

A white circular rug rests in the centre of the floor. There is no writing desk or book cases. On the right hand wall there is what at first glance appears to be a window, though you know it can't be because that wall backs onto a room you have already been in. Due to the poor and flickering lighting, you have probably mistaken a very clever picture of a city for a window, though you'd have sworn you caught the flicker of movement there for a moment.

The wash basket by the door holds a skirt and blouse that have tossed in carelessly, so that the blouse is hanging half out.

The window doesn't open, but now you are up close it clearly IS a window, looking out high over a large and beautiful white city. The city shows signs of recent war damage, though, and fluttering over the central palace is a by now very familiar symbol - a rampant blue gryphon on a gold field.

You almost feel as though you have seen the city before somewhere, and at last you work out why - it's changed a lot since your time, but you are sure it must be Kalorine, the White City, capital of Davor.

The rest of the room - nothing is under the rug, and the chest is locked.

You find nothing in the wardrobe but female clothing, and nothing of interst in or around the room, or under the chest.

The chest [opened in alchemist’s room] contains:
- a small money pouch. The pouch contains 17 silver coins, 3 gold coins and 11 copper coins. (Rasidar)
- a small golden bell (Rasidar). The bell has a single rune enscribed upon the side, but is otherwise unremarkable. The rune on the bell is a Rune Of Calling. WHAT it might call, there is no clue...

Nothing has been missed in the window room. The window itself glows when you cast Detect Magic.

The glass of the window - if it IS glass - appears to be very tough, and cooler than it should be. The window does not seem to open, and would require a lot of force to break, you think. The glass also feels oddly smooth to the touch.

The view beyond the window does appear to be normal however - if anything can be normal about a window in the middle of a wall that opens into a place that is far away...

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4th On Left: Wards room (p. 16)

Another bed room. This one has wards enscribed on every surface - walls, floor & ceiling. The lights are still glowing brightly, which is unusual. They are also tinged with a very faint blue colour, which is unique. The bed rests in the exact centre of the room, inside a protective circle. There is a large chest next to it that is still open and appears to contain clothes, and a small chest that is closed.

You [Stelrein] would know that most of the wards are to prevent detection and magical spying. Only the one around the bed looks a bit dodgy, and that appears to be there to keep demons out. None of them should be harmful to a human in your opinion.

The open chest contains:
- clothes, neatly folded
- close to the bottom you do find a single sheet of paper nestled neatly between two shirts. The paper appears to be a spell: Holy Fire - lvl 1 (Mao)

The smaller chest contains 6 sticks of incense which give off a sweet smell and a tiny gold brazier which shows signs of being for burning incense in. (on the bed in the messmaker’s room)


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4th On Right: Mosaic room (p. 20)

The door opens into darkness. None of the globes here remain lit, and only the crazy strobing of the corridor lights give any illumination at all.

The floor inside the room - or at least the part you can see - appears to be a mosaic of some kind. More than that you cannot currently determine.

(After entering further and lighting with a globe)

The room thus revealed is odd indeed. The entire floor, walls and ceiling are covered with an ornate mosaic. There are the normal bed, chest, writing desk and wardrobe, but the mosaic seems as though if it were only followed right it would tell a story, and the furniture is definitely blocking your understanding of that story. It seems to be about a small group of people who start their journey outside of a door in a mountain and set off on a bizarre adventure that involves monsters and treasure, armies and kings... And the rise and fall of nations. Either that, or your eyes are just playing tricks on you...

There is definitely something very odd about the mosaic. It feels a bit too smooth to the touch, and the pictures seem clear yet blurry at the same time...

With a bit of moving the light, you can make out that the room is standard bedroom size for this complex - 20 foot square with a ceiling ten feet up.

You find no traps and nothing suspicious in the room...

The chest contains a beautiful glass mirror wrapped in cloth. The metal surround seems to be some kind of silver alloy, though it shines too much to be silver. (Leim; proves to be the Mirror of Souls)

[Leim] flipped out the blankets and pillow cases of the bed.

The wardrobe contains only clothes.

The desk contains a lot of handwritten papers, all scrawled in a tiny, crabbed hand. Most of it is illegible, but what little you can make out speaks of 'knowing the truth'. What truth this may be, you cannot imagine. (Leim)

There is nothing of interest hidden in the bed.

The mosaic shows the story of a group of people who exit the foot of a mountain and go on a long journey that leads through many trials. Many times along the way, they seem to face other paths, but the one they follow leads to the building of a huge and impressive looking castle and the gathering of what looks like an army. The army is made up of a lot of races, if you are reading it correctly, but all are wearing the same uniform, though the details of what that uniform is are very hazy. The story ends just before you find out what they were building the army for.

Along the way are many strange and interesting creatures, including what might be a Djinn and what is certainly a huge green dragon. Other things may be demons or undead - or both!


----------------------------

End of Hallway: Lead Mage's Room (p. 23)

The door opens to reveal a thirty foot square room, obviously a bedroom. The lights spring to life as the door is opened, momentarily dazzling you, but you swiftly recover.

There is a huge and very comfortable looking bed in the centre of the room. The entire floor is carpeted in a plush red shag pile carpet. Against one wall stand a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. By the bed stands an iron chest.

Against the far wall stands a full length oval mirror, in which you can see the entire room reflected; yet the mirror does not reflect yourselves...

You find no traps, and there is nothing remarkable about the mirror except for the fact that it does not reflect you at all.

The carpet feels like what you think a very expnsive carpet might feel like, though you are not sure, never having felt one before.

[Leim] You are sure that if you were only a little more skilled, you could open the lock on the chest. So near - yet not quite...

The mirrror makes a 'clonk' noise when you tap it.

The pouch shows in the mirror. You still don't.

You hold the Mirror Of Souls up to the other mirror, and abruptly you are reflected in both, a steady procession of Ashs reflecting infinitely, each different to the last, each a new aspect of who you are, were, or may yet be...A thousand Ashs and more stare back at you, each moving independently. Some are embittered or broken, others wear the gowns of great ladies and carry a serenity you can only dream of. One, in dark clothing, looks straight out of the mirror at you and laughs, her fangs gleaming whitely, her eyes mocking upon your own. Just as you see her, so this other Ash can see you too...

There are no exposed hinges on the chest. It is a very solid piece of work that would certainly challenge a very skilled opener.

There appears to be nothing hidden in the bed.

[Cedric examinates it.] The mirror is incredibly well made, but you are unable to tell what it does.

There are no secret compartments in the chest of drawers, which contains a rather large collection of male clothing, much of which is underwear. Most of it is silk.

Nothing is hidden in pockets, seams or wardrobes.

[Ash looking with normal mirror in big oval mirror] You see nothing in the mirror, including yourself. Even Melissa's mirror does not show up.

The only thing under the carpet appears to be floor.

The floor seems to be very solid.

There seems to be nothing special about the ceiling.

[Ash says: "Mirror, mirror against the wall, show me where Lor drug Mr. Knight off to."] The mirror does not react to your words.

Notes: this room is a bit of a mess probably after Ash & leim jumped on the bed, made a pillow fight and ripped off of the carpet.

[LaFille]

The earlier rooms


Player Introduction (same for every player joining) (thread 1, p. 1)

You awaken in bed, your thoughts confused. For a moment, dizziness tries to claim you, and your thoughts swirl as crazily as the flickering globes in the ceiling that throw light and shadows alike around you.

Taking firm hold of yourself, you look around, and realise you are in a large area that could be some kind of dormitory or hospital, but like none you have ever seen.

You are laying on a straw matress, covered only by a single blanket, and in your underwear. All around you are other people, some of whom are moving, while others are still, and covered in an amber glow. Some of the glows are flickering, and the people beneath them stirring slightly, and you realise that you must have been under one of those fields!

The walls and floor of this immense room are made of stone, probably granite. The bed you are laying on is a simple wooden frame...

But these things - the aftershock of awakening - have hidden from you momentarily a terrible truth - you have no idea how or why you are here! Concentrating hard, you remember your name, but the details of your life seem washed out and almost unfamiliar - almost as if they happened to someone else, or happened so long ago that they are almost beyond recall.

Something dreadful has happened to you, and you know that you had better find out what and why...


Awakening room (thread 1, p. 1-13)

The room is large, about 10' high, maybe a little over. The lights appear to be globes of crude glass set into the ceiling, and lit somehow from within. They look pretty solid, but the light seems to flicker, die down, flare up, die down - all random. This is either somehing gone wrong, or the lights were created by a lunatic...

There are no windows, but the door is in a clear space on the East wall. A full circuit reveals that it is the only door. The door is made of wood. It shows little sign that it is even used.

The people still sleeping are covered in amber glow, including their beds. It would appear that the only useful furniture in this room are the pieces your group woke up on.

The surface of the amber field is solid and seems almost frictionless.

The amber field feels a bit like glass to the touch, but with none of the coolness of glass. Your fingers slide if you exert even a slight pressure.

The floor is fairly smooth .

There are upwards of two hundred people left, all under the same amber fields. Some are flickering, but most are still glowing constantly. It looks like every bed in the place was occupied.

It's actually quite easy to tell that the room has been carved out of solid rock - though by what you are not sure. Nonetheless, stone in its natural state is definitely not so smooth, nor so flat, you are sure. There are no seams; no brickwork or other signs of patched holes or irregularities - just smooth flat stone.

The door handle is wood, and could be removed with the proper tools. There was no sign of dust - but then the entire room is a remarkably dust free environment. You did get a sense of slightly cooler air around the door, but no breeze as such.

No smells or noises that are not made by the group.

Corridors after the awakening room (thread 2, p. 1-6)

The door reveals a corridor lit only by the Light Globes you are carrying. The corridor extends beyond the reach of your lights, though it looks like it might lead to an intersection some thirty feet away - an area more vague shadow than anything else at this point.

The stonework here is similar to that in the room you are currently in - smooth, worked by something that is either more than human - or less so.

The air is still, but beathable, and there is still no sound, no strange smell - nothing that would in any way indicate life...

Corridor is 10 feet wide, and about the same height. Wide enough for travel three abreast if you wish - with fighting room.

There are no globes lighting the corridor that are not carried by your group. Or none that are working, at least.

The corridor is just stone - no reflectiveness - and clean. VERY clean for a corridor. No soot or other dirt in sight at all.

The finger snapping doesn't get any real echo - but you'd have to be quite close to some other surface for that to work, I think.

The darkness is definitely total beyond the reach of your globes.

You can travel the first twenty feet quite easily without any further light than that which the others are shining from the doorway.

The floor is very even the whole way.

Now you have advanced as far as you have, you can see that after the twenty feet there is an intersection, with passages off to left and right, and the original continuing ahead of you.

There is nothing but darkness straight ahead, and the same to the right, but you think you might be able to see the faintest glimmer of light from the left, though it's too far away for you to be certain.

The darkness in all directions is very deep, and defeats your eyes.

Up the coridoor straight ahead: after what might be anywhere from 15 feet on, you feel a solid surface in front of you. There are no openings to your left.

Feeling over the surface, you discover a smooth stone surround framing what is probably a wooden door, complete with handle.

(after lighting with a globe)
In the ceiling above the door there is another Light Globe, but it is absolutely dead, and sheds no illumination whatsoever.

The door is roughly twenty feet from the intersection.

There is no air draft, and no sign of recent use - though there is no sign of anything that would indicate DISuse either. The door is solid wood, and almost identical to the door that led out of the room you first woke up in. You can hear no sounds from beyond the door. (The door opens to the tubes room.)

Corridor to the left: the corridor goes forward in a straight line for around twenty feet before you reach [Zumir's room].

There are no other off-shoots in the corridor, and nothing unusual except for the too-smoothness of the wall and floor.

There are no new smells other than that of polished wood.

The corridor smells of nothing, really. No dust or must, no smells of cleaning fluids... The smell combination makes no sense for any place that is either used or NOT used.

Corridor to the right: the corridor is possibly the same length as the one to the left, though it's hard to tell in the darkkness. There is no light, and the corridor ends in what is possibly a door.

It's a door, and all is quiet & dark within. No air stirs. You do smell a quite strong scent, though - something that might be some kind of rotted vegetation...

Wooden door with handle, just like the last. There is a completely dead globe above the door. There is a lock, but whether the door is actually locked or not you do not know.

No debris or dust, and the door seems as good as new. There's no sign of wear - or use - at all. (Door opens to the strore room

Zumir's room (thread 2, p. 8-15)

An Eight foot high blue man with immense muscles is looking right into your eyes as you open the door. He folds arms as thick as your thighs across his chest, and nods what looks for all the world like a friendly greeting.

He is dressed in a very odd fashion, the likes of which you have never seen, and has a cloth wrapped around his head and a neat black beard. His eyes are a very deep brown, and sharp with curiosity.

You can see an immense sword hanging at his waist. It looks like a sabre, but twice as thick and five feet long.

He appears to be the only thing of any interest in the room.

(from afar) You can see the light - it's brighter than your globes.

The Djinn seems to be alone in a bare room. There are no windows or doors, other than the one you came in by. The Djinn doesn't seem at all bothered by Stelrein entering the room. You are pretty certain that he doesn't see either of you as any kind of threat whatsoever.

In answer to Stelrein's question, he shakes his head, looking faintly regretful. "Nothing has yet disturbed me here," he says, and his voice is definitely a bit mournful.

The only item Zumir seems to have is his sword. It's basically a giant scimitar that would take a very strong man to even lift, let alone use. The Djinn pays no attention to it.

Careful searching will give you what you think might be some kind of hollow area on the wall opposite the door you came in by. It might well be a secret door, but if it is you can't work out how to open it...

There is a very slight discolouration on the otherwise smooth wall that could possibly be a concealed button of some kind. Further careful examination tells you that it will likely move if pushed firmly.

(When Homm spitted a pork strip piece on the secret door) There is a strange rippling along the wall, almost as if the wall had suddenly come to life...

The wall still feels like stone, but it's moving like ripples on a pond. You can't push your hands into it, though.

(When Rasidar wipes his hand on a wall) The ripples seem to gather around the stain that Rasidar left on the wall when he wiped his hand. For a moment there is stillness, then the ripples flurry over the stain in a sudden rush, and it is gone; the wall as pristine as it was before Rasidar touched it. The ripples smooth out to nothingness, and it is as if nothing had changed.

(When this secret door is opened, it gives on the demon's room)

Store room (thread 2, p. 11-15

It's absolutely pitch dark, and there are no traps you have set off. With the door now open, the scent is more recognisable - it is the smell of strong ale. You hear nothing in the darkness.

The air is cool, but not damp. You still set off no traps with your movements. As you inch slowly and carfeully forwards, light starts to enter the room from behind you...

You are in what looks like a storeroom, roughly 30 feet from right to left. Your door is in the middle of one wall. Stacked against the walls to either side are a large number of boxes and barrels, and hanging on the wall just to the side of the door is a rack containing a dozen empty water skins. You cannot make out how far the room extends away from you, as your light only gives any visibility at all out to about twenty feet, and the room is clearly longer than that.

The sharp scent of ale fills the air.

The room is 30 feet square, with four dead globes in the ceiling set in a sqare pattern that would give good illumination if all were active.

The barrels contain ale, and the crates contain enough hard tack, dry bread, salted meat of many kinds and other traveller-type provisions to feed a small army for months. It all seems pretty well preserved, but then this is the kind of food that does not go off very easily, and the cool, dry room it is in is pretty much ideal conditions.

Some of the crates are large enough to provide some nice lengths of wood. The store room is very well organised, with easy access to all of the food and drink stored here. There appear to be no traps, and you encounter no problems in your search.

The room appears to be nothing more than the storeroom it seems to be, with nothing hidden.

The crates all seem to hold food of various kinds. None of it looks particulary appetising, as it's all traveller's fare, but it appears to be edible, nonetheless.

No dust, dirt or other signs of decay. No insects or other signs of life. And no other doors.

The wineskins are roughly a foot in diameter - so big enough to hold enough drink for a while.

Note: there are no wineskins left in the store room now

Tubes room (thread 3, p. 1-8)

The door opens into darkness. You can hear a faint but constant bubbling noise, but nothing stirs as far as you can make out.

The air is slightly cooler, and a little fresher, but the difference is so slight you only notice it when you are consciously observing.

This is the largest room you have so far found other than the one you woke up in. In the light of Cedric's globe, you can see a number of seven foot high by three foot glass tubes that rest in metal rings in the floor. Each tube is open at the top, and filled with a strangely bubbling liquid that is clear but very slightly tinged with green. The liquid swirls slowly, but you cannot see why. The tubes are spaced evenly around the walls, with the nearest being right next to where Cedric is now standing.

The purpose of these tubes is something you can only guess at, as there is nothing else you can see in the room so far - though your light has not yet illuminated all of it.

(touching the tubes) The glass vibrates very slightly, though there is no visible sign of movement,. Neither it nor the liquid within reacts at all to you.

The glass is warm to the touch, but pleasantly so. You estimate it is only a little below your body temperature.

You have never seen glass of this high quality before.

The metal ring seems to sink into the floor, so there is probably more of it below the level you can see. It is definitely hotter than the glass, though not so hot as to be dangerous. It is quite possibly the source of the heat. The ring also vibrates, though less than the glass.

The liquid does not glow, but the way it moves means it must be pretty syrupy. It's like nothing you've ever heard of in alchemy, but you're certain it's no kind of potion. From the look of it, you can't even tell what went into making it. There are no obvious impurities or bits of anything floating in it.

Investigating the room further, you find it is fifty feet square, with the door you came in by in the centre of one wall. There are 15 of the tubes spaced evenly around the walls, none looking any different to any other. There seems to be nothing else of any interest in the room.

There is nothing in the centre of the room, though you notice that it is cooler there than it is closer to the tubes. If there is anything beneath the room, you find no way to access whatever it is. There are no devices or buttons or anything else you have missed.

There is a faint smell if you get close enough to the tube. You're not sure quite what it is, though.

There is a very, very faint air movement flowing out from the centre of the room in all directions. It takes a moment to detect, even with wetted finger. It seems to originate about five feet above the floor - which is about half way to the ceiling.

The ceiling itself is set with a grid of dead globes, each roughly five feet from the next. This room would have been very well illuminated if they were all lit.

There seems to be nothing unusual about the door or the wall around it.

It makes no difference to the breeze whether the door is open or closed.

Doesn't seem to be caused by any kind of convection... It's almost as though it is just appearing out of nowhere...

The stone of the ceiling iseems to be identical to all the other walls, floors etc you have so far found in this complex.

The hollow where the Light Globe you have taken rested is just that - a hollow in the stone. There are no fixtures or other things of interest inside.

No other ways out of the room, and nothing unusual about floor, walls, doorways etc.

The glass [of the tubes] is about an inch thick, and very strong looking. The smell from the liquid in the tubes is definitely stronger up close, though not overpowering. The liquid stops about six inches from the top of the tube, and the air above it shimmers slightly in a heat haze.

With great care, you can take some of the fluid without touching it. It seems to be quite heavy, and it flows at about half the speed water would.

Anyone [who was placed] in the tube would indeed be completely submerged.

The only thing in the tubes appears to be the green liquid.

The tube stops at floor level, though you do see what might be a hole in the base of the tube at its centre. It's slightly smaller than your fist, and looks like it's there by design, not accident. It doesn't appear to be doing anything right now.

(after dropping a globe from the top of a tube in it) The globe sunk pretty directly where you dropped it in. There seem to be no circulating currents in the fluid.

The green stuff on your finger up close smells a bit like beef, though not quite.

(after "dipping" a bola in a tube) The liquid does not put up much resistance, and you can easily pull the bola out.

No traps or other things that have been missed.
(after dropping pork stripps in a tube) The pork strip slowly sinks into the liquid, and drifts down to the bottom of the tube.

Putting a blobe in the source of the airflow stops it. The liquid in your water skin is obviously cooling slowly now it has been removed from the tube.

Blocking the air flow does not seem to affect anything else.

The liquid is slowly starting to congeal as it cools down.

The air flow comes out of a point in mid air. It starts up again when Mao removes her globe as if it had never been stopped.

(after he scrapes his finger and puts it in the liquid) Rasidar's finger seems to have suffered no effects whatsoever from being in the liquid, whether good or bad.

The hole at the bottom of the tubes is roughly two inches across, maybe a little more.

(other airflow experiments p. 11)

Note: Mao & Cedric gathered of the green goo in a wineskin. As far as I recall, it should still be in Zumir's room where Mao left it but I'll confirm it later.

[LaFille]

Demon room (thread 4, p. 1-12)

As Rasidar pushes the button, a section of wall slides smoothly back to reveal what looks like a scene from some ghastly nether hell.

The seventy foot square room has had a large pentagram inscribed in its centre, covering most of the floor. This pentagram has been broken in many places, and the huge and hideous being lying at its centre is obviously dead. Many wounds gape from its sides, and it is surrounded by a large number of dead people - or at least, they might have been people. Their wounds and the crazy lighting make it hard to be sure.

The ceiling of this room is twenty feet above, and you estimate that the dead creature, when it was standing, would likely have brushed the roof with its horns. Its head was strangely bat like, yet attached to an incredibly muscular red skinned humanoid body. Its hands have sharp black talons, but its legs taper into cloven hooves. Dead black eyes stare unseeigly at the ceiling above. From the sheer number of wounds, it is not immediately obvious what killed this creature.

The floor seems strangely free of blood and minor debris, despite the many corpses that litter the floor. Many of the bodies have been burned in a flame so intense that it has reduced them to cinders and their equipment to molten droplets or possibly even vapour.

From the way the other bodies are surrounding the large creature, it looks like it was attacked by a small army. Perhaps a hundred foes fell to its wrath, though it is very hard to estimate numbers amid such carnage.

There are three doors out of this room, not counting your own, one in each wall.

The smell is not so bad as you would expect. The smell of burnt meat is strongest, but there is none of the bitter-sweet scent of decay you would expect if the battle was more than a few days old.

From here you can see no useable equipment.

The light from the Djinn's room is actually bright enough that you have a good range of vision, and at least a few of the Light Globes in the pentagram room are still working, albeit in the usual flickering fashion. The overall lighting is not fantastic, but it does allow you to see most of the room, albeit not always very clearly.

The battle appears to be two or three days old, though the condition of the bodies make it hard to be certain.

There is something very weird about the pentagram. With your limited knowledge of magic you are not sure what, but it doesn't look quite like any pentagram you've ever seen.

It looks like anything useful left after the battle has either been removed or eaten by the floor.

There are a few unburned corpses. The ones that have been ripped apart...
There are no survivors.

A careful search reveals nothing useful on any of the bodies (Though I am assuming you are not touching the demon), Ash will find no traps anywhere in the room, either.

The bodies are mostly burned, but those who are merely clawed DO show some signs of wearing some kind of heraldic badge over their armour. The badge looks to be a gold griffin on a blue field, though you are not entirely certain due to the damage done to the uniforms and those that wore them.

There are only pieces, no complete badges.

You are pretty certain that the door would not show up from this side except under the most careful examination. If anything, it might be even more hidden than from the side you came in from.

(After Scim picks up part of the Demon remains from the floor and take some of the liquid out of the container place it on the floor and see if there is any reaction, dips the end of the flesh into the liquid, wait and see what happens, try again after the liquid has congealed and dip the end of the flesh into the top of liquid still in a container) You end up with a rather more slimy demon chunk, and a slightly cloudy tank where demon goo has oozed out into it. There are no obvious reactions.

The pentagram was enscribed into the floor with some kind of metal alloy. It looks a lot like gold, but doesn't feel like it.

Your skin crawls at contact with the demon. It's very touch feels wrong, and some part of you screams a warning inside that this thing is evil beyond your ability to comprehend. Dead or not, the thing reeks of the charnel house, and an unholy lust to destroy.

It has clearly been brought down by many wounds which have cut into its hide, each leaving a strange whitish burn in the beast's dark flesh. You find other wounds, too - clearly made by spells. From the way the creature is lying, it is probable that it succumbed to its wounds rather than falling to a single mortal strike.

The demon seems to have been thoroughly investigated - at least as far as it can be without turning it over. From the size of it, though, you would guess you need a lot more people than you have here to do that.

There are no tracks on the floor.

The Fire Demon has the head of a bat. From neck to waist, it is almost human, although with immense muscles and skin the colour and rough texture of charcoal. It has yellowed talons on its fingers instead of normal nails. From the waist down it is more like a goat, complete with hooves. Its legs are covered in coarse dark brown fur, and its hooves are the same charcoal colour as the skin of its upper body, but strangely shiny, as if they had been varnished. Because of its immense size and build, the demon weighs several thousand pounds and doesn't look like it is about to move easily.

No air drafts, and none of the doors appear to be locked as far as you can tell.

You can't really tell if there's anything under the demon. His flesh doesn't give very much when pushed, so it's hard to get even so much as a hand under him.

Note: The demon's head was turned and his leg was crossed in an attempt our characters made to turn him. Some badge pieces were gathered by Stelrein or Rasidar.


--------------------

Alchemy lab (thread 5, p. 8-10)

This 30 foot square room is clearly a Mage's supply room, containing many shelves covered in weird ingredients that have uses you could only guess at. There are also many other items of use to a mage, such as small sharp knives, pestles & mortars, etc. All look to be in a good state of repair. Quite a few of the bottles in here are empty.

The lighting is at best erratic, with over half the lights not functioning and the rest flickering madly, sending crazy shadows dancing up the walls and over the shelves in mad abandon.

A central table holds retorts, weird tubes and other items commonly used in alchemy.

The knives are thin and very sharp. Useless for combat, they look more like something a surgeon would use.

There are no traps in the room.

The room is now pretty well lit. (Cedric activated 4 globes)

A lot of the things are labelled, but that doesnt help as you know nothing of alchemy. To a wizard the contents of these shelves are little more than a useless collection of odds and ends.

There is a small shelf holding a dozen unlabelled potion bottles that looks quite important. Each bottle is filled, but what the contents are you cannot say.

[Cedric examinates] A lot of the things are labelled, but that doesnt help as you know nothing of alchemy. To a wizard the contents of these shelves are little more than a useless collection of odds and ends.

There is a small shelf holding a dozen unlabelled potion bottles that looks quite important. Each bottle is filled, but what the contents are you cannot say.


--------------------------

Battleground room (thread 5, p. 9-14)

Ash opens the last door from the pentagram room to reveal a 50 foot square by 20 foot high room that must once have been a mage's lab - before it was turned into a battleground.

Tables have been overturned, used as barricades, and then destroyed. Glassware has been smashed. The walls are blackened and burned, the wreckage peppered with broken arrows, and everywhere the dead lie in heaps.

The remains of three things that looked at first like suits of armour are strewn around the room, except that this armour was nine feet high and carried huge swords that no human could lift, never mind use.

A blazing globe of red light hangs close to the ceiling, illuminating all, and adding what looks like a sheen of blood to the area - as if it needed any more!

The room appears to have been hastily looted, but the bodies are too deeply piled and too maimed for anyone to have done a thorough job. Whoever won here, the cost was high indeed.

A single door leads out from the far side - or rather a single doorway, the door itself long gone. A corridor vanishes quickly into darkness beyond.

It would take you hours on your own to carefully check everything. There are bodies and bits of bodies everywhere, and a lot of sharp glass and other dangerous things to avoid, too.

As you step into the room, however, you do notice that the left hand corner nearest you appears to be where the defenders made their last stand if your knowledge of warfare has not entirely deserted you. A very fat man of perhaps middle years has been pinned to the wall by arrows, rather resembling a pin cushion. near him lie several other bodies that do not look like normal troops, and appear to have been left undisturbed.

As you approach the corner, you realise there are eight of the unusual bodies, including the fat man. Three of the dead were women, and all seem very out of place in the middle of a battle. They are just not dressed for it. They seem to have died in a variety of ways, none pretty.

It looks like the fat man died hard. His bulk seems to have absorbed a lot of damage. Most of the arrows went in enough to hurt but not to get as far as his vital organs. The arrow actually piinning him to the wall went through his neck, though, and probably killed him almost instantly. Yo would guess a few more shots were made afterwards to make sure he really was dead.

The body does not appear to be trapped.

The fat man is indeed pinned to the wall. All of the unlooted eight are dressed in normal civilian clothing rather than anything you would expect a soldier to wear. The woman with the odd blue glow [Melissa] has another body lying across her legs - that of a man whose head is missing - but is otherwise not covered.

Nothing in here would make a good stretcher. It's all far too broken up or splintered from sword or arrow impact.

(from p. 26 when Lor flees) Beyond that battleground, a corridor extends away into darkness, if you remember correctly.

The corridor is long, and extends into darkness. All the lights appear to be out in this part of the complex.

You see shadows curve in ways that might indicate a junction of some sort right on the edges of your light, but you cannot be sure.

Many of the arrows look to be reusable, and you can find a discarded mace (Stelrein), a short sword that obviously got too deeply lodged to be removed easily (Rasidar) and three throwing daggers (Leim, Homm, Mao). Most of the dead have been stripped of useful stuff, but you do find a few more Gryphon emblems, more or less intact.

The group in the corner are all unlooted, but it looks like they arrived in a hurry as none of them look combat ready. You can find a staff in that corner (Cedric) and a pendant that was hastily stuffed into a pocket rather than worn (Loriana; Pendant of Missile Deflection: +2 AR vrs missiles when worn).

You can collect a total of 47 arrows. (on the bed in the messmaker’s room)

The mace has a metal head with four flanges. It looks quite battered and has obviously seen a lot of use.

The staff is mainly wooden, but shod with iron at both ends and undecorated. it's clearly a combat weapon.

The pendant is a single clear crystal hanging from a steel chain. It doesn't look like it's worth much.

This search will take a lot of time as there are many bodies.

It looks like all the big and easily looted stuff is gone, which includes the armour.

You find 5 silver and 11 copper coins that have been missed in the less thorough search (Mao), plus a strange looking gold coin that seems to have been designed for something other than use as money (Homm; unidentified). It's far too intricately patterned to be simple currency.

Notes: Melissa was found in the corner where the 8 unusual bodies are. Homm displaced the bodies in his search, putting them all arranged in line, head to toe, & also in rows of three, some piled up. Stelrein made a barricade at the door leading to that room from the demon room with boxes/crates from the storeroom.

[LaFille]

The Demon War & the legend

(Thread 4, p. 7-9)

[Zumir] "We are at the edge of the ruins of the ancient fortress of Davor-Sen, once home to the fabled Knights Of The Orb. Deep within the kingdom of Davor itself."

"Know you what has become of the Knights of the Orb?" Rasidar asks finally. "Does the Order still exist?"
"What do you know of them and of these ruins? And why do you say "once fabled"?" Mao asks.

"The order was wiped out in a great battle around 500 years ago," Zumir says. "They saved the world from a plague of demons, but the cost was high. The Crimson Knights - formed to battle the Orb on behalf of the demons - still survive, if rumour is to be believed. But they have not been seen since the last battle, either. Perhaps they fear the legend."

What know you of these Crimson Knights?

"They serve demons," Zumir says, his eyes narrowing in hatred, his hand clasping his sword hilt by reflex. "What more need be said?"

What is that legend?

"That the last knight did not die. That Davor-Sen will be rebuilt some day, and the Knights Of The Orb will return to lead the people to a new golden age." Zumir shrugs dismissively. "These legends arise so easily, do they not? The last Knight died! I was there! I saw it with my own eyes! There is no lost knight, no survivor."

He clenches and unclenches the hilt of his sword, his eyes lost in memory. "A black day," he whispers at last.

"So you were a witness of these whole events," Mao says to Zumir. "How old are you?"
When he answered, she asks: "These demons, where did they come from and how did they come here and command such armies? What were the goals of the knights and the demons, and who else did they get associated to?"

Zumir sighs bitterly. "Older far than you might imagine," he says. "But the Demon War was the worst thing in my long life. I lost many good friends, yet we had to ally with the other races, else the demons would surely have taken over the world..."

"The demons are summoned by stupid or desperate wizards," Zumir continues. "But some fool summoned a Demon King - one who can perform other summonings himself. They are rare, but truly powerful. He summoned an army, then set out to make the world into a place only he could truly love... "

Zumir's eyes move to look at the dead Fire Demon. "After the Knights turned Holy Fire upon his horde, he decided he needed knights of his own. There are always those foolish enough to join with anything that promises them power..." He sighs bitterly. "The Crimson Knights came out of nowhere, or so it seemed. I hope they are no more, but they are no longer truly mortal, so I cannot say."

"How did the knights of the Orb defeat them; did they slay the demon king? And why do you say that the Crimson knights are no longer truly mortal?"
When he answered, she asks: "and what do the legend/rumors say about the last night of the Orb?"

"The Grandmaster of the Knights slew the Demon King with his last breath," Zumir nods. "So they won, but at dreadful cost. The rest of the mortals who survived were left to rebuild as best they could. Davor was badly weakened, and most of its fighting force destroyed alongside the knights."

Zumir frowns slightly, as if recalling distant memories. "The Crimson Knights... The Demon King did something to them. I know not what, but they do not age as mortals should." He smiles grimly. "They die when you kill them, though," he adds with obvious satisfaction.

"Legends..." he adds with a shrug. "There is no last Knight, so legends do not matter."

(after Rasidar tells who he is)

Zumir's mouth drops in shock, and he searches Rasidar's eyes for any hint that he is joking. "It cannot be!" he says at last. "If you are truly a Knight Of The Orb, describe to me the grand meeting hall of Davor-Sen, as it was when still it stood. And tell me of the arms borne by the Grand Master."

(Rasidar knows this. He's seen the Grand Master's sword - the Sword Of The Just - many times. Its hilt is made of wizard gold and its blade of mithril. It is the greatest artifact known to the Knights. It burns with Holy Fire when used against evil, but does no harm to the innocent)

Zumir continues to search Rasidar's eyes for a long time, then at last he nods, slowly. He believes now, perhaps, despite himself. "A Knight..." he murmurs softly. "You are the last Grand Master. You seek to re-create the Empire with these few? To raise Davor-Sen from ruins to greatness once more? Only a Knight may create a Knight... A closed circle. You are the group the legend speaks of?"

He laughs softly, shakes his head in disbelief. "A strange time you choose, Sir Knight. Yet perhaps not so strange after all..."

He catches himself, and frowns. "Bring me the amulet that holds me in thrall, and we will talk again," he says firmly.

"What happened, after the demon king was slain, did the Crimson knights continue their activities or did they retire somewhere? What of the knights and factions that fought them and survived?"
Then she remembers what the djinn said about killing the Crimson knights. "Is there anything useful one should know, should one come across those Crimson knights and have to fight them?"

"Demon war - war of demons - crimson knights, " Cedric murmurs while searching his memory. "Demons banned - the land purged of..." A thought strikes him, and he exclaims, "The Purge! That's what they called it at the monastery, when I was young!"

He continues, "It must have been at, or shortly after the turn of the millenium. I was a boy still, and I had lost my parents - in the Great Purge, yes, that's what they said. And I wanted to be a priest, to fight demons, but they wouldn't let me, because of my - erm - special complexion not going along with bright light. Said I was condemned to the shadows.." He breaks off.

"I remember now - the war was over, but the hunt for stray demons and their minions was still on. That's when I left the confines and the protection of the cloister, and travelled to learn other forms of magic. The holy men were stubborn, wouldn't see that there are other forms to fight the fire of demons than fire and light. Their books were full of it, but they ignored the knowledge they collected in their library because it didn't fit in their view of what they considered the only truth. Must have been a decade or so, that I wandered, searched - and found..."

"Would be about 1025 when I was taken off the world I knew, though I have no idea how - you of later times, what were the stories of your time from that period? There must be history, tales, legends of such dramatic events."

"The Crimson Knights fled," Zumir nods. "I know not where. The armies of Davor were devastated, and those of their allies also. Fighting Crimson Knights... Be careful. They are powerful, heavily armoured foes, their skills enhanced by Demon Magic. Fight them with Holy Fire if you can."

What is the present condition of Davor-Sen? Know you if it would it be safe for the party to return there?

"Davor-Sen is a ruin," Zumir says softly, his eyes far away. "We fought the last great battle of the Demon War there..."

"Know you of any immortals that may take active involvement in our world?" Rasidar asks. "Any that might interfere with the affairs of Davor?"

"It may be shorter to list those who do not..." Zumir answers. "How many weeks do you wish to spend upon the subject, Sir Knight?"

"What did the ruins become after the war? Has there been things going on there or around since?"

When he finishes to reply and answers to Rasidar's question that naming all the immortals that take active involvement in their world or that might interfere with the affairs of Davor, Mao says: "Who are the most importants and the the most accessibles among them, then?"

"The ruiins are abandoned," Zumir says, "Or at the least, I had thought so. I have not paid great attention to the human realms for much of the last five centuries. As to those immortals who most interfere - it would depend on how and why. Gods, elemental spirits, demons... All you might think are 'immortal'."

(Yes, you would all know who the gods are. But I haven't done a list yet, so never mind that for now )

"So you took part of the Demon War," Mao says to Zumir. "Please, tell us more about it and about that last great battle..."

"We all fought," Zumir says softly. "The Orc clans of the mountains, the Elves of the forests, the Dwarves from their halls of stone... Djinn and Efreet... Even other human nations, long fearful of the might of Davor, sent what forces they could. Old enmities were forgotten as we fought just to survive." He shudders, his eyes far away. "It was a dark time. The greatest of our forces were gathered here, and the demons came against us to destroy us at one fell swoop. They underestimated us."

He glances at Mao, meeting her eyes. "The fortress of Davor-Sen was broken to ruin, but we won." Dropping his eyes again, he adds, "It didn't feel like it though. It was a time of terror and blood. Nine in every ten of us fell..." His eyes drop to the floor, and tears glisten at their edges.

"Ask me no more," he whispers quietly at last.


(thread 5, p. 19-22)

(Melissa) "We never really recovered from the Demon War," she sighs. "Not in all this time. Too many people died, too much was destroyed... And the old knights were all dead. The Empire collapsed and..." She sighs heavily again.

"We saved this world," she tells Mao, her eyes almost pleading. "And our reward is Lord Gryphon. Truly the gods are unkind, sometimes. I was told Project: Awakening was our last hope of victory, but I guess that's gone, now."

Melissa's mouth drops open in disbelief when you tell her you are a Knight of the Orb, and she starts laughing uncontrollably. Your other questions seem lost to her laughter.

Melissa giggles, offers a half curtsey from her position on the bed, says, "Yes, Sir Knight!" and bursts into laughter again.

When she calms down, she says, "I'm sorry Rasidar, but I can't believe that. All those legends of the Knights being reborn when Davor needs them most is so much... well, legend! Only a Knight can create a Knight, right? Because only the Knights know the true name of their god? Or goddess? No-one was sure. And the Knighting ceremony needs that name, doesn't it? The perfect closed system. Only the Knights are all dead."

She takes a deep breath. "If you're really a Knight of the Orb, though, you'll have no trouble making that sword burn with Holy Fire, will you?"

She looks at you expectantly, her eyes half mocking, but the way her lip is caught between her teeth, and the way she is holding her breath, Mao at least can tell she wants to believe...

(GM Note: Rasidar will know that Melissa is entirely correct about how the Knights are created. He also remembers the true name of The Great Mana. He will know for certain that any person he dubs Knight with the blessing of that name becomes in fact a Knight of the Orb. He knows he SHOULD also be able to ignite his weapon with Holy Fire, but he can't quite recall how, though it should be instinct and second nature...)

Would he need to remember the holy fire spell to do that or just being a knight is enough?

“They just... do it! I think..." Melissa says softly. "It's some kind of magic, but one only the Knights know. That's what the history books all said..." She tails off uncertainly.

"What do the legend and the books say about the last Knight and so? Perhaps is it what that awakening project is about... it would not explain for the rest of us, but..."

"Doesn't matter," Melissa sighs, and she sounds very disappointed. "He's not a Knight. A real Knight could call Holy Fire into his sword." She casts her eyes down. "Not that I believe the legend anyway!" she says defiantly. "No ancient order of Knights is going to be reborn to save us. We're on our own."

(then Melissa faints after Rasidar makes his sword burn with holy fire)

(thread 5, p.36-)
"The legend..." Melissa says, her gaze turning inwards. She brushes a stray hair out of her eyes, and clutches her teddy bear a little more firmly, as if it helps her to think, somehow.

"The knights all died. Everyone said so. But there were rumours. A young boy, knighted by his Father... A new knight chosen by The Great Mana himself... A thousand rumours offering a thousand origins..."

She shakes her head, as if to clear it of dreams. "The knight would return when the demons did," she says matter of factly. "A new Demon King will arise and a new knighthood will end the threat. Forever, of course. Legends are like that. All neat and tidy endings."

She takes a deep, shuddering breath, and looks directly into Mao's eyes. "I stopped believing in legends when my friends died. I think I stopped believing in gods, too. And now my last memories of them are being sullied by... by whatever was really going on in this place. I don't know what to think anymore. What to believe."

Her head dips again. "I just hope my parents are alright," she adds with a whisper, hugging her teddy bear tighter than ever.


"We are in a special complex created beneath the old Knight citadel of Davor-Sen," she continues. "The ruins are haunted, so we thought we would be undisturbed. We were wrong." She hesitates, then adds carefully, "That's what I was told..."


"The ruins are far above," Melissa says. "We should be in no danger, here. Except at night, maybe. The ghosts stray, then. We're not sure what haunts the place, but we think the ghosts are left from the last great battle with the Demon King."

[Gray Lensman]

For general reference, I'm keeping a running log on Melissa and the things we learn from her. Because I'm thinking it could end up being useful.

First, though, the description of the amulet the genie needs to break...

"It is an amulet worn by the head mage," Zumir says softly. "It resembles a small bottle (GM note - fairly sure I said bottle - someone please correct me if I didn't . If you bring to me, I will destroy it with Cloudbreaker. It is very strong, and will resist most weapons."


On to Melissa...

(Melissa is 5'5" as per GM note. )

Descriptions:

The canvas is a nearly finished portrait of a beautiful young woman with an impish smile and sparkling green eyes. She is wearing the emerald ear rings that Leim is now carrying, and has a look of sweetness to her that somehow tells you she is a good person. She wears the worn gold chain around her neck, her hand raised to touch a small ivory Ankh that hangs down from the chain.

The desk is full of small pots of paint and numerous brushes of many sizes.

*

From this close to the other bodies, you notice that there is a faint blue glow coming from the neck of one of the dead women. Whatever is making it is hidden by her body, which lies face down in a crumpled heap. Her honey blonde hair is matted with blood, though you cannot see the wound that killed her. Another soft sob, barely audible, reaches your ears, and the shoulder of the dead woman trembles very slightly, as if she had taken a painful breath...

*

The fat man is indeed pinned to the wall. All of the unlooted eight are dressed in normal civilian clothing rather than anything you would expect a soldier to wear. The woman with the odd blue glow has another body lying across her legs - that of a man whose head is missing - but is otherwise not covered. She is wearing a dress that might have been yellow once, but certainly isn't now, being more blood than anything else. As you watch, her shoulder seems to twitch slightly, and you hear a soft sob, as of someone in great pain, or with difficulty breathing.

*

As Stelrein casts his first spell, the woman gives a sudden choking gasp, and convulsively lifts a bloody hand to clutch at her throat. As the second spell takes effect, she seems to relax as the pain recedes.

She turns her head, wondering green eyes staring straight up into Mao's. With a sudden shock, Mao realises she is face to face with the woman from the painting...

*

The Ankh is still glowing softly at the hollow of her throat, but less brightly than before. Whether this means the threat to her life is over or the magic is fading you cannot say.

She has been stabbed through the stomach and chest, and has wounds on her arms too, as if she tried to block a sword blow with them. By all rights, she should certainly have died, as even with all the healing spells and your own ministrations, she is still grieviously wounded. The rasping when she breathes would indicate some lung damage too, though the healing spells seems to have repaired the worst of it. From the angle of thrust, you think the chest wound must have at one time pierced her heart.

You think she could be moved now - but only with great care.

Physically she seems to be around the same age as the rest of you - for whatever that is worth in this place...

*

Q&A Sessions:

(When asked her name...)

"I... I'm Melissa," the young woman answers. She tries to lean towards you, her eyes wide with curiosity, but falls back again with a soft groan. "Who are you? You're not Lord Gryphon's people... Are you?" She looks suddenly frightened, her hand reflexively grabbing at the no-longer glowing Ankh.

*

None of you have ever heard of this 'Lord Gryphon' before.

Melissa smiles slightly. "I feel weak," she answers softly. "But I think I'll live. Thanks to you people. I heard the last of our armies was destroyed. How did you fight through to the complex?"

*

(Upon Mao asking what Melissa was doing there...)

"Project: Awakening," Melissa sighs. I don't really know what it is, only that it's our last hope against the invading forces. I was proud to be a part of it. Then they found us, and..." she shudders, tears springing to her eyes. "The complex is so well hidden, but they broke in so fast... There were so many of them. We had no chance at all."

*

(Upon being told the PC's are all from the distant past...)

Melissa's mouth drops open in absolute shock. "That's not possible!" she blurts. "I mean... The project is only five years old! I was told..." She pauses, blinks slowly as she starts thinking. "I wasn't told much at all," she admits at last, quietly. "Just that Project: Awakening was our only hope..."

She takes a deep breath. "I've only been here half a year," she adds. "My parents sent me. They thought I'd be safe. Safer. I was accepted because we were running out of research mages."

Her eyes tear up, and she swallows thickly. "I hope they're OK," she whispers.

*

"I am sorry," Melissa says softly. She looks as though she means it, too. "I had no idea you or your friends were even here. I can't imagine why anyone would... keep people like that! It sounds horrible!"

*

Melissa seems to be pretty fine after the move, and Loriana's healing spell helped her even more. She's still a long way from full health, but her injuries are definitely no longer life threatening. You've seen people survive worse, in the past.

"I'm... I'll survive," Melissa says softly, her eyes far away. "Did the others...? No. They didn't, did they?" she asks, shuddering. "There were so many of them..."

She takes a deep breath, trying to gather herself. "We never really recovered from the Demon War," she sighs. "Not in all this time. Too many people died, too much was destroyed... And the old knights were all dead. The Empire collapsed and..." She sighs heavily again.

"We saved this world," she tells Mao, her eyes almost pleading. "And our reward is Lord Gryphon. Truly the gods are unkind, sometimes. I was told Project: Awakening was our last hope of victory, but I guess that's gone, now."

She closes her eyes, though the pain of loss never leaves her face. "We tried to fight," she adds with quiet dignity. "When they invaded the complex, I mean. But we were research mages. We didn't know how. The golems held them for a while, but..."

Tears roll down her cheeks. "They died, didn't they? My friends? All of them. And I died, too. Or I should have. My Ankh... I... I took it from its chain and put it on like Grandfather told me I should if was really in danger, and..." A sob escapes her. "It hurt," she whispers. "It really hurt. But I'm alive."

The tears continue to flow, and you are not sure if she is crying for her friends, her family, herself or all three.

*

Melissa's mouth drops when you tell her the last date you recall. "That's impo..." she begins, then breaks off with a shrug. "I guess it is possible, huh? I can't imagine what that must be like..."

Her eyes are huge and wondering, but there is no doubt she believes what you have told her.

*

"High Mage Veryn ran the project," Melissa says. She smiles at Stelrein when they are introduced, but seems a bit shy of the rather large warrior.

*


"Project: Awakening... Well, the King was killed, and the Mage's Guild had to do something. He led the army out against Lord Gryphon, and you know how..." Melissa pauses. "You don't know," she corrects herself. "Our army was too small, too poorly trained and it got taken apart. We didn't really know how to fight in the way they did..." She tails off, her look haunted. "There's some resistance, but if we have even a couple of hundred professional soldiers left I'll be stunned. Our combat mages are all dead or fled. Our research mages..." Her eyes tear over again. "You're looking at her," she whispers softly, her eyes dropping. "I have no idea what we are going to do..." she whispers, her voice breaking. "We're lost."

*

(Melissa's reaction to relearning spells...)

Melissa sits patiently while you do, a deep frown on her face. "How can you forget spells?" she asks at last, when you are done, obviously very puzzled. "They burn themselves into your mind. It's just what they do. Even amnesiac mages who don't remember their own names can remember their spells..."

She looks at you with a deep unease on her face...

*

"I never asked what Project: Awakening got its name from," Melissa says guiltily. "I just thought it was the awakening of all our hopes or something. There was supposed to be some kind of secret area somewhere, but I never found it."

Her eyes widen in shock. "Were you...?" she half asks. Her face goes white. "Were we... experimenting on you?" the question is more horrified squeak than anything, and Melissa looks ill at the thought. "I was just on lab research! I didn't know!"

*

Melissa seems much better with the latest healing spell. "The project head's bedroom is at the end of this corridor," she says. "His study is past the... the battleground. There are corridors. Take the second right, and his is the first door."

"I never spent long in the demon room," she adds her voice lowering in a whisper. "I didn't like the way it looked at me. Horrid thing!"

"I was working on improving our Light Globes," she admits with a sigh. "Not exactly a glorious war-winning effort, I know. But they took a lot of power, and we couldn't keep refuelling them all ourselves... We needed the demon's power for..." She tails off. "They never did tell me exactly what for, but something!"

*

Melissa nods at your words, but seems more cautious than convinced by them.

"Lord Gryphon came from... somewhere else," she says. "We think from some land unknown to us across the seas. He came with an army, and right from the first he set out to conquer us. We were not ready; had no idea we even had an enemy. He is strong, powerful... His generalship is better than ours. We were used to fighting bandits, and our army was weak, ill trained and with no experience. He was in sight of Kalorine when I was sent here. It fell last week. The whole of Davor is now his..."

Melissa tails off, ducks her head in obvious distress. "They just came out of nowhere..." she whispers sadly. "We don't even know why they came. Not really."

*

Melissa hesitates. "He's ruthless when we oppose him," she admits at last, "But Lord Gryphon is no worse than any other king when we don't... I guess he knows that killing the farmers means none of us eat... But... He conquered our country, Mao!" Her fists beat against her knees in futile anguish, and she bursts into tears. "He conquered our country..."

She takes a deep, shuddering breath. "If the head of the Project is alive, he's fled," she says. "I don't know how he might do that. I'm only a beginner mage, really."

(Following awakening after she fainted...)

*

"Water?" Melissa asks in obvious surprise. "Um... Probably in the kitchens." She glances down at herself, the mess of blood and other detritus still coating her. "Good idea, though," she adds quietly.

She does not seem at all surprised by your addressing her as 'Lady Melissa'...

*

Stel: "The kitchens? Are they close?" He looks around the bed chamber. "Wouldn't bathing chambers be closer my lady?"

"Left at the first junction," Melissa nods. "After... After the place where..." She looks incredibly nervous for a moment, turning very pale. "I think I need to lie down again," she adds in a whisper.

*

Mao says: “All hope is not dead; there might be some people that could have escaped, too. Did the attack happen when everyone was there and working?”

"I'm sorry," Melissa whispers softly. "I'm just not used to this! I was... kinda sheltered I guess... I never even got in a fight before, let alone..." She makes a helpless gesture, then shudders. "The Ankh kept me alive alright," she says, her eyes gazing into the distance in horror. "But it did nothing to stop the pain, Mao. I had no idea it was possible to hurt so much! I... I know I'm lucky to be alive, but... but I think I'd rather die than face that pain again! I'm trying so hard to be brave, but... But all my friends are dead. There was only one way in or out of the Project, and... Well, we never had a chance." The tears start flowing again. "I'm not even a very good research mage," she snuffles. "If I weren't so useless, they might be alive! I... I couldn't do enough! They died! All my friends died!" Her shoulders shake, and she sobs uncontrollably.


*

Stel: "My lady please don't cry." He puts a hand on her sholder, "Perhaps if we talk through it, it may lessen the pain. Like, do you know what they were after?"

"What who was after?" Melissa asks blankly. "You mean Lord Gryphon's men? They must have heard rumours of this place... Or maybe they came here to loot the ruins above us. I don't know. But if we really were the last hope of Davor, I guess all hope is gone now."

Melissa sighs bitterly, but thinking about what might happen next seems to have stopped the crying, for a while at least.

*

(In response to Stel...)

Melissa looks hopeful for a moment. "Are you all Knights of the Orb?" she asks.

(In response to Mao...)

"There were a lot of attackers," Melissa answers. "Veryn wasn't with us when the guards were driven back to where... Where we fought. The lab defences were destroyed and..." she shudders. "The eight of us had no real idea what to do, so we just stood in a corner and threw spells. Everything happened so fast..."

Melissa's hand reaches unconsciously towards her teddy bear, but she snatches her hand back, blushing deeply once she realises what she is doing.

"A lot of the attackers died," she adds, "But there were so many... All eight of us..." She takes a deep shuddering breath. The guards. I guess they're all dead. Probably the servants, too. I don't know numbers. They didn't mix with us. They weren't to know anything, Veryn said."

*

Cedric: "My lady," he began slowly. "Perhaps we may talk of other things less troubling." He gestures to the open chest in her room. "We found a number of locked chests, yet despite all out searching we found no keys. Is there perhaps a magical way to open these chests?"

"They have command words that open and close them," Melissa confirms. "There are no actual physical keys..." Her eyes are calling you a thief, but her lips don't say it.

Mao: "Were you only eight persons plus high mage Veryn working on Project: Awakening?" Mao asks Melissa when she finishes answering to her question.

"Just the nine of us," Melissa confirms. "We weren't really allowed to talk about what we were doing much, though. Well, the eight of us weren't. Veryn knew it all, of course."

Melissa appears more than a little creeped out by Homm, and hugs her teddy bear more tightly.

*

"The lights in the ceiling ran on our power source," Melissa explains. "I couldn't believe it when I saw that... that demon there! But Veryn said that Davor had to come first, and we needed it..." She shrugs. "I don't know. I'm not used to any of this."

*

(When told of Zumir...)

"A Djinn!" Melissa exclaims in shock. "Is he... um... safe?"

*

She looks a bit startled when asked the date. "First of Hanover 1537," she answers. Well... I think. I'm not sure how long I was... injured." She shudders in recollection.

*

(Responding to Mao about the legend of the Last Knight...)

"The legend..." Melissa says, her gaze turning inwards. She brushes a stray hair out of her eyes, and clutches her teddy bear a little more firmly, as if it helps her to think, somehow.

"The knights all died. Everyone said so. But there were rumours. A young boy, knighted by his Father... A new knight chosen by The Great Mana himself... A thousand rumours offering a thousand origins..."

She shakes her head, as if to clear it of dreams. "The knight would return when the demons did," she says matter of factly. "A new Demon King will arise and a new knighthood will end the threat. Forever, of course. Legends are like that. All neat and tidy endings."

She takes a deep, shuddering breath, and looks directly into Mao's eyes. "I stopped believing in legends when my friends died. I think I stopped believing in gods, too. And now my last memories of them are being sullied by... by whatever was really going on in this place. I don't know what to think anymore. What to believe."

Her head dips again. "I just hope my parents are alright," she adds with a whisper, hugging her teddy bear tighter than ever.

*

(Answering Rasidar's questions...)

"I am not sure what to make of your friends, Sir Knight," Melissa answers. "The only two I am sure of are in this room." She pauses, colouring a little. "Sure of in a good way..." she admits at last, barely more than a whisper.

"We are in a special complex created beneath the old Knight citadel of Davor-Sen," she continues. "The ruins are haunted, so we thought we would be undisturbed. We were wrong." She hesitates, then adds carefully, "That's what I was told..."

Melissa will also indicate North.

"I am ready for general discussions," she says at last, though sounding very unwilling. "I'll have to be, won't I? The enemy can't be far away, and they'll certainly want to kill me if not you." She shakes her head in obvious dismay. "I guess I'm right at the top of their list if they ever learn I'm still alive. I doubt my Ankh will be enough next time."

She takes a deep breath, her face lifts, her chin firmed resolutely. "Ask what you must," she says.

"I have measures I can take if I am truly threatened," She adds, in answer to Rasidar's offer of protection. "I'd rather not take them if I'd end up having to fight your whole group, though. It's a rare mage who could handle so many people, and I'm nowhere near that good."

*

(After more questioning from Mr. Knight. )

"My Father is the Lord Mayor of Kalorine," Melissa admits. "If my parents are alive, they'll be in a dungeon somewhere by now." Fresh tears track down her cheeks, but she shakes her head angrily, trying to drive them away. "I have no more time for tears, do I?" she asks, though you are not sure if she is talking to you or to herself. "No more time to be Daddy's girl."

"The ruins are far above," Melissa says. "We should be in no danger, here. Except at night, maybe. The ghosts stray, then. We're not sure what haunts the place, but we think the ghosts are left from the last great battle with the Demon King."

"I'm not sure where we could go when we leave," she adds. "I'll tell you what I know about places when we're close, but... I wass pretty sheltered, Rasidar. I don't know that much. If there's any kind of resistance out there though, they'll know me. Or of me. I can be that much use at least..." She hugs her teddy bear tightly, looking very mournful. "The last research mage. One of the few nobles left they haven't caught. I might as well have a target painted on my forehead, mightn't I?"

"Veryn... I don't know where he might be. He was one of the most powerful mages in the whole realm, so I doubt he's dead, but he could be anywhere," she admits.

"I don't... like using my magic on people," she says reluctantly. "I never have. It's why I wanted to do research. But... I guess I'll help. I'll have to. I can't help thinking we should be watching our backs too, though..."

She takes a deep breath. "What if Veryn was doing something with mad people?" she asks worriedly. "It's possible, isn't it?"


*

Will add more if Melissa has anything more to say.

[janggut]

trying to outdo Fille, eh? ;D well good job!

[LaFille]

Zumir


An Eight foot high blue man with immense muscles is looking right into your eyes as you open the door. He folds arms as thick as your thighs across his chest, and nods what looks for all the world like a friendly greeting.

He is dressed in a very odd fashion, the likes of which you have never seen, and has a cloth wrapped around his head and a neat black beard. His eyes are a very deep brown, and sharp with curiosity.

The huge blue man stares at [Homm & Stelrein] both impassively, making no movement. As the gap widens, you can see an immense sword hanging at his waist. It looks like a sabre, but twice as thick and five feet long.

"uhh... sir, Zumir sir, know you not of how my companion & i end up here?" Homm asks, and being careful not to reveal the others. he cannot ignore the overly obvious weapon so massive by the giant's side.

"we mean no harm, sir," trying to assure the giant of their well intention, "we woke up to find ourselves here, with none of our possesions," as well as memories, Homm almost says but he decides to keep that one from escaping his lips.

"are u a guard, sir? know you of this place?" Homm questions without focus.

Zumir frowns as if in confusion. "You did not pass me," he says, "Yet I do not know you..." A shrug of huge shoulders, then, "You are not intruders, else would I slay you, for I am indeed a guard. All I know is this room - and that those who find it unbidden shall die."

then ..., sir, if we are not intruders, then who are we to you? if we are not intruders, then can we leave this place? know you, sir, of the room full of beds just beyond this corridor?"

Homm struggles to find the right questions to ask.

"uhm.. sir? are you guarding us ... to protect us from harm? or to prevent us from leaving?"

Homm cannot resist asking, "sir, if you may be so kind so as to entertain this poor beggar, ... what order are you from?"

Zumir frowns, as if he is faced with questions he does not understand, or a situation he wasn't expecting. Slowly, thoughtfully, he strokes his beard, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

At last, he says, "I... Guard. I was not told why. I was summoned into this room, and hear I remain. until I am released. You... Belong here. I think... So you may do as you wish." A huge shrug of shoulders.

"Order... I do not understand your meaning. I serve no order," he adds.

"errr... sir?" Homm tries to push his luck further, "when you refer to us as humans, then who ... or what are you? ... and ... and ... who commands you, sir?"

"I am of the Djinn," Zumir replies, "and as for he who summoned me..." He shrugs in disdain. "I did not think to ask his name, nor he mine. One's jailor is seldom of interest, I find."

"I know only this room," Zumir shrugs. "There could be food and clothing on the other side of these walls, and I would not know it. My senses are restricted by my summoner."

He frowns slightly at Stelrein. "I do not believe I am supposed to protect you..." he muses, "But then, I do not think I am supposed to harm you, either. I think you belong here, wherever here might be..."

Stelrein asks, "Have you fought anything since you've been summoned here?" Stelrein walks into the room, trying to get a better look at what's behind the Djinn. Stelrein puts himself in front of Homm, in case anything unexpected happens.

Stelrein continues speaking if he can, "My name is Stelrein. And I was wondering if you remember anything about your past before you were summoned here."

The Djinn seems to be alone in a bare room. There are no windows or doors, other than the one you came in by. The Djinn doesn't seem at all bothered by Stelrein entering the room. You are pretty certain that he doesn't see either of you as any kind of threat whatsoever.

In answer to Stelrein's question, he shakes his head, looking faintly regretful. "Nothing has yet disturbed me here," he says, and his voice is definitely a bit mournful.

The only item Zumir seems to have is his sword. It's basically a giant scimitar that would take a very strong man to even lift, let alone use. The Djinn pays no attention to it.

Stelrein asks, "When was the last time you saw the person who summoned you?" Stelrein looks at the door they came in, "If that's the only door into this room, and there's nothing in this room, what was the exact command that bound you here? You say you are guarding, but I see nothing to guard."

Zumir shrugs his huge shoulders indifferently. "Time..." he half muses. "Perhaps a moon's turning? Perhaps less. He seemed to be in a hurry, and told me merely to slay all those who did not belong here who entered this room. I know no more than this."

Zumir seems pretty uninterested in why he was summoned, from the look on his face.

"How long have you been in service here, good sir?" Rasidar asks. "And know you how long we may have slumbered here?"

"I had no idea you were here at all," Zumir rumbles. "I have been in this room a moon's turning, or perhaps less."


"Wow, you really are blue and huge too" she says staring up at him. "Bet you could smush somebody just by sitting on them, " she adds with a hint of a smile." That's a big sword you got there. Where did you get it? You don't happen to have a bow, do you? If you don't could you get me one? Someone took mine and I need one real bad."

Zumir looks at Ash with obvious fascination. He seems quite stunned to be on the end of all this conversation in one go.

"I have no bow," he answers slowly, "But I could create one... If I were free..."

"I thought you were a guard. Whatcha guarding? This room seems to be empty. You ever done anything else around here besides guard this empty room?"

"No," Zumir shrugs. "I guard the room. That is all."

"Can you sit down? I've never met a dji, uh genie before and I've got bunches of questions I want to ask and it would be easier if we were sitting cause I wouldn't have to be looking up to find you all the time. Come on, please,"

With a slight gleam in his eye, and just a hint of a smile, Zumir lifts his legs under him, and sits crosslegged in mid-air.

You know that guy you said summoned you here to guard this room, do you know what he looked like?

"A human," Zumir shrugs. "Strange pasty white skin, long grey beard, wild look in the eye and almost bald. Almost the only kind of human I ever see."

"Has the guy who summoned you ever been back to see you or has anybody else come to see you or been in this place that you know of?"

"I have been alone since my summoning," Zumir replies. "You and your friends are the first creatures I have seen."

"Hey, Mr. Zu, did you ever do anything here besides just guard this room?" she asks. "It doesn't look like it needs guarding to me. What's so important about it? You got any idea what this place is or what it is used for? There are magic globes all over the place. Alot of them aren't working though. Can you make them work? You do do magic don't you?"

Zumir shrugs. "All mages are unutterably mad," he booms. "I gave up trying to understand them milennia ago."

"I can make the globes work, which is why those in my room still burn. Somehow, the light is less boring than the darkness."

"Oooooo, I'm hungry. Do you have any food or do you eat and drink? Do you ever sleep? There's no bed in here and I don't see any food either."

"I require neither sleep nor sustenance," Zumir admits solemnly.

"Zu, can you leave this room?" she asks softly. "Would you like to come with us and see what else is around this place? You can if you want. You can be my friend and we can explore together."

If you can free me from this room, I shall fetch you a bow the likes of which you have never imagined..." Zumir promises. "I cannot leave by my own will, else would I be long gone. But with help..."

Loriana listens quietly to Rasidar and Ash, and Zumir's responses. She speaks softly, "Do you know the terms of your imprisonment? Or how someone can free you? We would be very willingly to help you, especially if you can help us in return." she pauses a moment, "Many of us have memory problems, do you have any problems recalling your past?"

She looks at Zumir floating in mid-air, "How do you do that, sir? I know I can do magic, but I cannot recall any spells. Do you know any, or do you do that naturally?"

"The mage who summoned me has a charm," Zumir answers. "Give that to me, and I will be released. As to the past... My own is complete and entire. I understand you humans to be forgetful creatures, however. Could your own forgetting not be natural?"

He grins broadly as Loriana mentions his mid-air floating, revealing strong white teeth. "A Djinn is an elemental," he explains. "The air is our dwelling place. You would need a spell for this, human, but I do not."

"I do know spells," he admits casually. "Though I am but a poor magus amongst my people."

Loriana looks at him hopefully, "Is there any way we could persuade you to teach us some spells? It would help us greatly in getting out of here and finding the mage who bound you."

"Bring me the charm," Zumir smiles, "and I will reward each of you according to the manner you wish."

Loriana pouts, but nods, "I understand. You have no idea whether we'll even suceed in getting the charm for you." she thinks for a moment, "Do you know what this charm looks like?"

Zumir nods. "It is a small blue bottle on a silver chain," he says. He's obviously trying hard to sound indifferent, but he's not succeeding.

Loriana notices Zumir's behavior. She asks hesitantly, concerned, "Um, sir, is that... is that your home?"

Zumir looks at you incredulously for a moment, and then bursts out laughing. "Lords of the Air bless you, human!" he roars in delight. "My home? Of course not! I live amongst the clouds and in the winds - free as nature intended!"

Confusion crosses Loriana's face, "Then... what's in the bottle that you are so concerned about?"

"It is a device that compels me," Zumir admits reluctantly. "Crafted long ago by an evil human. My brethren slew him in the end, but not before he had created a dozen of these horrible chains to lay upon my people. He liked bottles for some reason. I do not know why."

Loriana frowns, "That's just horrible! I hate evil people who would chain any creature to do things against its will. Can the bottle be broken? Would that release its hold on you?"

"It is very tough," Zumir nods, "But I can and will destroy it with my sword, Cloudbreaker." He smiles again. "If only you can recover it for me," he adds with a slight shrug.

Loriana nods, "I see. Only you can break it. Do you have any ideas as to where the mage might be. Or any more clues about him. Was there anything distinct about him?"

Zumir shrugs. "Human mages all look the same, to me," he sighs. "Slight stoop, long black robe... Though this one DID look like he was in a state of panic. I'm not sure that would help, though."

It is like someone or some thing took our memories away from us. Could it have been the old mage you told me about, the one who locked you in this room? Is there any way you could help us get our memories back? We are gradually beginning to remember bits and pieces. I know I lived in the forest, the animals were my friends, and they taught me things I would never have learned on my own. I also know my dad was an excellent archer and he taught me to use a bow. Other than that I don't remember much of anything. Do you have a family or did you have a family before that mean old mage took you away?

"It might have been the mage," Zumir shrugs. "I cannot say. Mages do many things."

He makes no answer to the question about family.

Can you make the globes in the hallway and other rooms work?" she asks. "If you can, will you light them for us? It would make it alot easier for us to see what is in the other rooms. and it would also make it easier for us to look for the bottle you told Lor about," she adds with a hint of a smile.

"With but a single touch," he replies ironically. "Unfortunately..."

"Mr. Zu, can you do anything at all that will help me free you or show me anything that will help me find the bottle? If there is will you do it or will you show me? I promise I'll get you out of here. One way or the other, I will get you out of this place and away from that mean old mage."

"Forgive me," the Djinn apologises, "But trusting humans has never been wise for one of my kind. Prove your good faith, and I shall do likewise."

"Tell me of the place you hail from, if you would," Rasidar asks. "I know little of the realms of Air."

Zumir sighs. "We build castles of cloud, and soar on the highest winds," he says wistfully. "When you are high enough, the land stretches below you like a great patchwork carpet, full of beautiful colours..." He tails off, and utters another sigh. "Such it is to be free."

(After Ash found the secret door in Zumir’s room) "Mr. Zu have you ever seen this door or whatever it is opened? Did the mage who summoned you leave through it?”

Zumir nods. "I am not supposed to discuss the door," he admits, "But the instructions were hurried and not exact." He grins in obvious pleasure. "The switch is well hidden," he adds meaningfully.

"Mr. Zu, do you know what is behind this door or where it leads?"

Zumir shakes his head. He looks quite curious himself.

a big piece of pork strip dislodges from Homm's throat & is sent flying towards the button & lands on Rasidar's hand.
Rasidar politely wipes his hand off a nearby wall.
GM: There is a strange rippling along the wall, almost as if the wall had suddenly come to life...
"Know you what this strange rippling is?" he asks. "`Twas not there a moment ago."

The wall still feels like stone, but it's moving like ripples on a pond. You can't push your hands into it, though.

The ripples seem to gather around the stain that Rasidar left on the wall when he wiped his hand. For a moment there is stillness, then the ripples flurry over the stain in a sudden rush, and it is gone; the wall as pristine as it was before Rasidar touched it. The ripples smooth out to nothingness, and it is as if nothing had changed.

"I haven't seen that before," Zumir remarks in obviour surprise.

Turning to Zumir, "Zumir what are they..." Stelrein blinks noticing Zumir is floating in the air. Regaining his composure Stelreing continues, "what are they talking about?"

Zumir shrugs. "They have found the door," he says, sounding a little puzzled at all the fuss.

"Would you mind pointing to the door in question?"

"I can't," Zumir admits grudgingly. "Part of my instructions are not to reveal the door. I would that I could..."

"Would be able to tell if anyone is scrying us, watching out movements?"

"You are unobserved," Zumir shrugs. Then he frowns slightly, adds, "At least in here..."

"Are all your powers confined to this room?"

"Sadly so," Zumir sighs. He really doesn't look happy about it, either.

"Would destroying the charm remedy this?"

"I will be free in allways with the charm destroyed," Zumir beams happily.

"Zu, you just said "at least in here." Does that mean we are unobserved only in this room or does it mean as long as we are in this place?" asks looking at him questioningly. "Do you have any idea who would want to watch us?"

"I mean within this room," Zumir sighs heavily. "I can project my own power no further." He looks very unhappy again.

"Know you what time it is presently? Have you any way of determining the passage of time in this place?"

"I know where the sun is, aye..." Zumir answers softly, after a moment.

Stelrein stretches. Turning to Zumir he asks, "Would you mind practicing with me?"

Holding up his fighting club, "One of my companions showed me a few moves, but I'd like to test them against a flying opponent.”

Zumir nods, drawing his sword from its sheath and whisking it about in a bewlidering pattern of deft movements. You have no doubt that he is a master swordsman.

"If you don't (Dodge) mind my (Dodge) asking, (Rolls clear) how would you suggest attacking a opponent such as yourself? I can't attack your legs since that would be only to irritate you. I can't truly attack your hands, at least not with this weapon because of your skill. I can't over power you for obvious reasons. My instinct would then be to go for your eyes, however they are a bit out of my reach and leaves me open."

Stelrein moves in, using his club to add momentum to Zumir's own swings to through Zumir off balance, "I would probably try to tire you out since you have the bigger weapon, unfortunately I think I will tire long before you. Any advice?"

"For fighting flying foes?" Zumir asks, his sword whirling a darting even as his brow furrows in thought. "Missile weapons are best, I feel. A flying foe has no cover."

He chuckles, his sword dancing in his hands. "You have friends. Use them!"

Remembering the halves of globes he still carried Stelrein called out, "here catch." He tossed one of the halves at Zumir's face as he once again attempted to hit the sword hand. He performed this attack just after attacking Zumir's feet meaning the sword might be near Zumir's feet when he threw the half.

You have definitely surprised Zumir this time, and though he dodges the half globe, you get a good hit in on his sword hand. Zumir laughs in obvious delight, and bows his appreciation of your cleverness.

"Is it possible to make these globes glow even brighter?"

Zumir grins. "The pleasure was mine, I assure you," he says. "A good spar is always worthwhile."

On the globes: Zumir nods. He reaches out a hand, and you can almost see the magic gathering around it. He touches the globe, which starts to glow as brightl as those in the ceiling of Zumir's room. This one is now equal to sunlight.

"I thank you for the light. Do you think I could duplicate the effect with another globe?"

"If you have a Recharge spell," Zumir answers with a shrug. "It's quite rare amongst humans, I am told. Magic works differently for the Djinn. We live and breath it."

Zumir, do you have any interesting stories to tell. I bet that sword has many to tell. Especially since I have never seen one quite so large."

Zumir chuckles softly, twirling his sword so that it catches the light and seems to glow along its whole length.

"Cloudbreaker was forged for my Father nearly six thousand years ago," he says softly. "It was made by the finest dwarven smiths then enchanted by my Grandmother, who is one of the greatest mages of our people. When I came of age, my Father gifted it to me." He looks up, smiles. "I try to be worthy of it," he admits, though he looks like he isn't sure that is even possible. "It is, perhaps, the greatest weapon ever forged for my people."

"Truly it is a marvelous weapon. If it is the finest blade from your people, then your family must have held some great rank amongst your people. Are you a prince, perhaps?"

"A warrior only," Zumir shrugs, resheathing Cloudbreaker with a last flourish. "My Father's house is an old one, but fallen on hard times. Rank amongst the Djinn requires an eye for politics that my family does not possess." He shrugs again, though he looks as though it bothers him a little. "I have not the interest, nor the skill, like my Father before me. My Grandmother cares only for her magic, and not at all for position."

He grins at Stelrein. "We Djinn are a proud and independent people, you see. We do not follow just anyone. Our leaders must persuade rather than merely shouting orders.”

(continuing in next post)

[LaFille]

"Good Zumir, `tis a strange airflow in another chamber," Rasidar says, describing the airflow in the tube room to Zumir. "Know you what might cause such a thing?"

Zumir nods. "I have heard of such," he admits. "I know not what Mages call them, but they draw air from the clean heights of the upper atmosphere. Mages sometimes use them to provide fresh air in places buried deep. Or to cool a place that might otherwise grow too warm. "

"`Tis intriguing. Are we presently below the ground, then? What sort of air might such a place get normally?”

"I can only guess," Zumir sighs, "But we are surrounded by stone. If we are not underground, we must be deep within some mighty fortress."

"You said your Grandmother studied magic as well as other subjects. Might you have ever seen her working with this particular substance?"he points to the wineskin with the green liquid [from the tubes in the tubes room], "And it seems to need to be heated to remain in a liquid state."

Zumir takes the wineskin, and looks inside it at the slowly congealing mess of once-liquid. He sniffs it thoughtfully, then slowly shakes his head. "It is like nothing I have ever seen..." he admits slowly. "I could not begin to guess at its purpose."

"Did you know this place is dying? It is. It doesn't eat stuff good any more like it use to. We've really got to get out of here before it dies completely, but I don't want to leave you all alone. If it dies before we can find your bottle what will happen to you? You said you couldn't leave here,"

Zumir sighs softly. "The magic slowly diminishes," he agrees. "Pushing it will cause it to die more swiftly." He frowns thoughtfully. "Perhaps if you can find the source you might renew it somehow?" he suggests, though he doesn't sound like he believes that might be possible.

(After pushing the button in Zumir’s room, opening the secret door to the demon room) "Hey, Zu, you just gotta see this," she calls looking back at him. "Do you know what that thing is?"

"Demon," Zumir says shortly, his eyes glittering with a very obvious fear and hatred. "Strong one, too."

"Zu, you OK?" asks Ash. "Are you scared of those things? Have you met one of them before? Did it hurt you?"
"Zu, do you think that mean old mage who imprisoned you could have summoned that..... uh, demon? Maybe that is why he put you in here to guard the door just in case the demon got loose and tried to break through to us. Did you ever hear anything from the other side of this wall?"

"They are no friend to my people," Zumir answers shortly. His hand grips the hilt of Cloudbreaker very tightly.

"Good Zumir, know you the precise function of the pentagram? What dimension would this demon have been called from?"

"I know little of your human magics," Zumir shrugs, thought his eyes never leave the body of the dead demon.

"Zumir if Ash leaves this room would she be able to return? Or will you be forced by your command to kill her?"
Noticing the broken pentagram Stelrein asks Zumir, "How would you suggest repairing such a mark on the floor."

"You all seem to belong here," Zumir says, frowning in thought. "I think you can leave and return safely... But if not I will warn you."

"I know nothing of pentagrams, nor of their repair," Zumir adds.

"Zumir, I must ask," Rasidar says, turning to the genie. "Would you have been bound to oppose the demon by the terms of your service, had he chosen to enter the room?"

Zumir hesitates for a moment, frowning deeply. "...No," he admits at last. "Like you, the demon belongs here."

"Zumir, did the rest of the people there belong here too? And how could that demon have been slain? Certainly not with conventional blows..."

Zumir frowns slightly as he looks out over the carnage. "Those who slew the demon did not belong here, no. I should have been forced to slay them had they entered here. I know not how the demon was slain. But you are right... No normal weapon could have destroyed it."

Almost by reflex, Zumir partly draws his sword, his eyes far away as if lost in memory. Slowly, he pushes it back down into its scabbard again.

"Zumir, what do you know about this kind of demon? And the fire damage must have been his doing, eh?"
"Haven't you been aware of something going on there? Such a battle is not exactly a discreet event, even through a stone wall..."

"Fire Demon," Zumir scowls. "The burning is certainly its doing. I did not hear the battle, but then if I were a mage, I would not want there to be any chance of a Djinn seeing a trapped Fire Demon. I may not leave this room, yet what I can see, I can strike! This battle is as new to me as it is to you. A shame for I coud have helped the invaders."

He grins at Mao. "I should have been wracked with pain for attacking the vile creature - for it belongs here! But it would have been worth it!"

Zumir is almost dripping hatred, and his hand grips the hilt of his sword so tightly that his fingers are a paler blue than usual. His eyes never leave the dead demon while he speaks.

"Zumir, does that opening constitute a doorway or an extension of this room? Likewise, if you know that someone were to attempt to enter your room, would you be able to attack through the walls to get to them?"

"The doorway makes it a separate room," Zumir sighs. "Would that leaving this blasted place were so easy! I can use my magics against all I see, though, be they in my room, or through the doorways."

(After Homm fainted) Turning to Zumir, he asks, "Can you provide a cool breeze to blow over Homm, to make him more comfortable, and maybe revive him."

Zumir gestures with a hand, and a cool breeze blows gently out from his palm, fanning Homm and making his hair ripple gently.

Zumir," he interjects, "is it conceivable that other Djinns could attack this place, and how would you react to such intruders?"

Zumir sighs bitterly. "If my brethren tried to pass this point, I should be compelled to fight them," he admits glumly.

"If I were to bring something into your room, would you know for sure if it belongs to this place or not? And can this object be alive or dead?"

"Only creatures," Zumir admits. "Living or dead matters not. If they are in my site, I will know."

"Sir Zumir, can you determine whether we have been affected by any sort of magic?" Rasidar asks. "We seem somehow different than we recall being, and our bodies appear free of blemishes."

"I know little of humans," Zumir says apologetically. "And I am no mage. I sense no magic on you now, but..." he spreads his hands helplessly. "In the past, who knows?"

Zumir shakes his head. "I was summoned into this room," he says. "I did not even know you were here until you opened the door."

"How long have we been in slumber?" Rasidar asks.

"How can I know?" Zumir asks, baffled.

"Know you what the present date is?" Rasidar asks.

"Of course," Zumir replies, obviously puzzled. "It is Runeday the third of Hanover, in the year 1537. Did you not know?"

Thiis comes as quite a shock to you all, considering that the youngest of you believe the year to be closer to 1400... And the oldest of you, who would be Rasidar, thinks it should be 521...

(After Ash recieved the magical arrow) "Zu, I know the arrow was made by the elves, but can you tell me anything else about it? When Mr. Knight gave it to me. I felt a tingle in my fingers that is why he is so worried."

Zumir frowns slightly. "I am unfamiliar with elven magics," he admits. "But this... I think more than elves have enchanted it. More I am reluctant to say, for I would only be guessing..."

Zumir doesn't look exactly worried, but the arrow is clearly a mystery to him.

"Have you any means of communicating with the outside world?" Rasidar asks Zumir. "Could you speak to others of your kind, if you so wished?"

"No," Zumir scowls. "The other Djinn are lost to me, here."

(See first part of previous post, “The Demon War & the legend” for following part of the conversation)

"Your words were precious and they'll be of great aid to us. We'll bring you that amulet so you can free yourself. Do you have any idea of where we should begin to search or where we would have the more chances to find the mage who summoned you?"

"I do not know where he is," Zumir sighs. "Truly, Mao." he hesitates for a moment, then adds, "I... thank you for your... compassion. I had not... expected it in a human."

"Zumir," she asks, "if we can pull the demon's body up to here, could you cut his horns with your sword for us? It would be way better weapons than this for us,"

Walking towards Mao, "I don't think we'd have enough strength to move that thing far enough," turning to Zumir, "If you would allow me to borrow your sword, and use it to remove the horns, I would much appreciate it. If that's not possible, do you think you can use magic to remove those horns?"

"If you could bring the body closer, I could certainly do that," Zumir tells Mao.

He scowls thunderously at Stelrein. "Cloudbreaker never leaves my side," he says shortly. Then adds more reluctantly, "I have no magic that could remove the horns from here."

"I meant no dishonor in asking for your sword and I understand that it should never leave you. I only wished to know if was a possibility."

Looking at the demon's body, then back to Zumir, "We may, of course, need to ask you to remove limbs from that beast as well as the horns because if we just bring the head in, it may trap our party by blocking the door. I hope you're willing to use your fine sword to help us with such foul work."

The look of hate Zumir directs at the demon's body leaves you in little doubt of his opinions of mutilating it.

(continuing in next post)

[LaFille]

Leim march in to the Djinn room and growled at the sight of the big blue creature. ”Look you weird monster I know you don’t like Me.” he tucks the dragon under his arm. “I don’t much like you magic types cause you just bring a bunch more trouble to people.”

He looked at the Djinn with very intense eyes. “But I need your help if you want me to leave here without coming in here everyday and robbing you every moment peace you have for the next 70 odd years I have last left.” he sat on the ground in front of Djinn. “I am told I have a lovely singing voice.”

He unwraps the Jade Dragon and shows the Djinn and stared at the mystic being. ”Now are you going give me readings on this thing or will you be my new special friend.” he started humming as he shows the dragon.

Zumir laughs, but the sound is not one of amusement, and his lips part in something more akin to a snarl than a smile.

"You have shown me neither courtesy nor respect," he says, crossing his huge arms, his words falling into ancient cadences. "Did I not need the aid of thy comrades to escape mine own fate, I wouldst not e'en deign to speak with thee; and glad indeed shouldst thou be that I consider thou art lackwitted churl rather than foe. Begone! Until thou art schooled in manners by thy betters!"

A swirl of air lifts Leim up, and deposits him outside the Djinn's room. Zumir pointedly turns his back, his arms still firmly crossed.

“Well I didn’t see why I should respect someone who has yet to show me reason to. “ He looked at the back of Djinn. “To make it simple to you Djinn I am hated and general wish death on by people on a daily bases.”

His green eyes focus on the back of the head. “You don’t act very enlighten for a being of the upper realm.“ he rubbed his hands together.

“You sound like another creature demanding worship or tribute. Must be hard on you being middle tier among the other creatures.”

He sighed a bit. “What have you done to earn your glory other than be stuck in a dungeon?”

"We do not know each other, Leim," Zumir says levelly, turning slowly to face you. "Is it normally the custom of your people to begin a new aquaintance with insults and derision?" He shrugs enormous shoulders. "I have offered you neither insult nor injury, and how have you treated me in return? I neither ask nor desire worship, but merely the common courtesy one stranger should give to another."

He regards you with curious eyes. "You seem to think I owe you favours, or perhaps that I am some exotic pet? I assure you, neither is the case. Were I to speak to you as you have spoken to me, without cause or provocation, would you feel obligated to help me? Or even to speak to me?"

He shakes his head in confusion. "The ways of your kind are strange indeed..."

“I wouldn’t be the one to ask about human behavior oh great powerful Zu-Kami.” He then acts if he waving the creature off.

”I have only known hate and spite from my kind due the matter of my hair and eyes being different than the rest of my people.” he laughed a bit not knowing the truth of his organs. “Tho I am sure it is hard on you being a immortal and looking like every other weird wind creature.”

“Being polite just to be polite is a insult. I rather be honest and lay my mistrust in the opening. “He pointed at Zu as he talked. “Adults who smile all the time and are polite normally are scamming types anyways. I rather be honest and rude. There is some friendly insight in to man for you to think about.”

“But I am not the subject here Zu-Kami. “ he tilt his head. “I think you aren’t tell us everything and I know you probly have your reasons. “

“But I want to go home now and if your not going to at least be honest and tell me something of use to get me out of here.” he stood and still looking in the Djinn eyes. “Then simply be of some use and examine this item.”

"There are many things I am not telling you," Zumir agrees equably. "I have no reason to trust or even like you humans. Your only use for my kind seems to be to enslave us and to make us fight your wars. When I am free, Leim, I will tell you what your dragon is and how to use it. Not before."

“Well more than likely tomorrow we will have a way out of here since we found that ankh girl.” he turn his back the Djinn.

“You probly start serving her when she wake anyways since she seems to live here and she probly summon you.” he started dusting himself off.

“You might get lucky and be give as a prize for saving her life to Stelrein.” he thought a bit. “I wonder what a gung ho soldier like Stelrein could do with someone like you.”

He picks his statue and walked toward the door. ”I sure if I make it out of here under Stelrein’s leadership someone on the outside will help with this item.” he looked at the Djinn and shrug.

“Do you know there this very beautiful painting of Djinn playing on clouds and having a good time with its kin.” he smiles a bit.

“Would like to show it to you if you weren’t stuck in here. It remind you what your giving up by being secretive and so damn proper.” he look down at his feet and shook his head.

Zumir turns away, his face like a thundercloud.

Leim look back the Djinn and he frown a bit “You know I am going find the item that binds you here and destroy it.”

He points at the creature with his free hand as he talked. “But I am going use it first to make you answer the one question that bugs me about you.’

“Why would a being who want freedom so much not give all the information it can to those that can free it.”

He shrugs as his hand dropped. “But I suppose the ways of your kind are strange indeed to some one like me.’

"Because I do not trust humans enough to believe you will help me without cause," Zumir answers.

Leim laughed out loud when he heard the Djinn reason but laughter wasn’t mocking or cruel it was it was very light hearted. ”Sorry!” his laughter died down.

“I just didn’t think we would share much in common.” he wiped a tear that was forming in the corner his eye from the laughter. “But it seems we are both creature of mistrust because of other peoples actions.”

He sat again in front of the Djinn. ”I am willing to bet as Djinn go you’re not that old.” he smiled again. “I think I will start calling ya Zu-kun after this.”

He sighs a bit. “Well okay since that done. What does this item look like and have you any idea where they may stash it?” he lend back. “Plus should I expect magic backlash for breaking the thing once its found?”

"It is an amulet worn by the head mage," Zumir says softly. "It resembles a small bottle (GM note - fairly sure I said bottle - someone please correct me if I didn't ). If you bring to me, I will destroy it with Cloudbreaker. It is very strong, and will resist most weapons."

“What do you know of the mage beyond the necklace was she a female or male?” he sat there and try to remember if any of the corpse he seen carry the necklace.

“The girl who was alive only had a ankh embedded in to her neck.” he made the symbol on the ground in front of the Djinn. ”It was glowing blue do you know anything about a item like that?”

“If the mage is dead can’t you just move on your own I mean no master no problem?” Leim said as he tries to mow over the problem.

"Old, long beard," Zumir shrugs. "Your mages all look the same to me. Even if he dies the magic will hold. Unless the bottle is broken..."

He sighs. "The Ankh. I have heard of such things. They keep life in for a while, but they do not heal. Whoever the girl is, she was lucky to be found in time

“Okay one last question Zu-kun if one of the attackers who flee here took the necklace as a prize would there be any other way to break the spell?” he look up at the Djinn.

“Because there a good chase that it may have been on one of the looted dead down there.” he put his thumb in the air and jester toward the doors leading to the corpse.

Zumir shudders visibly. "I can only hope you find it first," he admits.

“Would you mind watching that statue for me rather not have Sin-Drip accidentally summon a dragon or some in here…” he started out the room. “Give a shout if you need anything.”

Zumir seems shocked to be trusted with the dragon statuette, and is a little hesitant in taking it. "I... will look after it for you," he says at last.

***

"Hello Zumir. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about this crystal pendent," she holds it out to Zumir. She notices that he has a dragon statue, "Oooh, that's really pretty. It looks magical. What does it do?" She peers at it closely, then steps back, "I'm sorry. I'm asking too much. I understand if you won't help me."

Zumir nods a greeting. "The dragon is Leim's," he says. "I... am looking after it for him." He seems very surprised by this development. "Your pendant carries a minor charm," he adds after a moment of staring at it, his eyes glowing with a deep blue light.

Loriana would recognise this as Magic Sight, a high level version of the Detect Magic spell. Basically it would allow the caster to see the magic in anything he looks at for a duration.

"I think I know this one," Zumir adds slowly. "It should make it harder to hit the wearer with missile weapons."

"Zumir, I (Stel) was wondering..." he trails off when he notices that Zumir holds the Jade Dragon, "I don't recall that. What is it?" After a short pause, "If you don't mind me asking."

"A dragon statuette Leim asked me to keep for him," Zumir answers with a shrug. The look in his eyes says that the statuette is a considerable temptation, also...

"Anyway, the real question I wanted to ask you was this, how would one go about breaking magical wards from a distance. My first guess would be to use the blood of a magical creature to splash upon it. Do you think that would work?"

"Each ward would likely have its own trigger and its own key," Zumir says, though his eyes narrow a little in suspicion at the mention of the blood of a magical creature. "If a ward is aimed at specific creatures, it might not stop you in any case. Erasing a part of the ward will disable any ward, but it might also trigger it. Wards are tricky thngs."

"I was more thinking that the demon would be the source of the blood. Do you think it's blood would be sufficent to erase some of the wards? Also, do you think that a ward would simply keep the key thing out or might it try to kill the key thing?"
"Considering that the glyphs are in a bed chamber I don't think they would be terribly violent since it might kill the very person or thing it is designed to protect. Any thoughts?"

"I am not sure why you humans ward things," Zumir shrugs. "You may be right. Wards are not really a thing I know much about."

"Did you by chance see the woman on the stretcher?"

Zumir nods. "The woman on the stretcher belongs here," he says, "But I do not know her."

***

“Do those of your kind sleep as humans do? And if so, for how often? Depending upon your answer, I hope that you might assist me in a small matter."

Zumir responds, "I never sleep. I am spirit, human, not flesh as you."

"Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. If it does not trouble you further, would you object to guarding our spell scrolls while we sleep? The party must soon get some rest, and I would feel safer for my comrades knowing that our magic rests in safe hands."

Rasidar examines the ring that Mao gave him. Once he is done, he turns to Zumir again, showing him the ring.

"Know you what this ring is, by any chance?" Rasidar asks.

"Why not?" Zumir laughs softly. "As long as you don't mind me browsing them, of course..."

He glances at the ring, and shrugs. "It seems to attune its wearer to magic a little better," he says.

***

Cedric quickly thought of the best way to figure out what happened. With all haste he ran to Zumir's room.

"Zumir, did you see anything pass Stelrein's baricade?"

"Loriana took a look beyond the barrricade," Zumir shrugs. "I assumed this was part of some plan." He doesn't look very interested.

"I see you feel the same way as I. None of this is amusing at all.." It is then that Cedric notices the dragon statue Zumir holds. Cedric points to it. "I don't recall you having that before. What is it, if you don't mind my asking?"

"A statue of a dragon," Zumir smiles. It is clear from the look on his face that he intends to say no more.

"True, you did not say it was magical, but what is a plain statue to you?" Cedric seems a bit lost in his own thoughts, "Of course since you did not have it before someone must have given it to you."
"Did the person who gave you the item tell you not to let me see it?"

"I am guarding it for Leim" Zumir shrugs. "I shall return it to him, or give it to none. Until he asks for it, it shall remain with me." He looks very certain on that point.

***

"Zumir? What is the exact date today? Day and month if you are able?"

"Still the third of Hanover 1537, though not for much longer," Zumir replies with a shrug of his shoulders. "Another hour or two and it will be the fourth."

***

(When Leim flees in Zumir’s room after friction with Mao and is comforted by Ash: )

"It is hard to be alone and far from your friends," Zumir answers. "Especially in the company of strangers who are not like you. Can you trust them? And yet... Do you have a choice? These are troubling questions, young Leim. For all of us, I think."

He nods firmly. "Fate has thrown you together here for a reason. You should look upon it as a challenge, and answer it in the best way you can. Win or fall, there is no shame if you have done your best."

“The mage who bind you here and dragged us here probly ran like a coward when his people were being slaughter.” he growled. “But Zu-kun I swear on my life and my own dream you will be free and you will have this mages head to take with you as a prize when this all is done.”

Zumir nods. Though he makes no verbal response, it is obvious he accepts that you mean it.

“Zu-kin doesn’t like humans it go against some weird Djinn code.. He needs to seem all old and mature or someone might figure out he like a teenager in Djinn terms.” he teasing the Djinn he made sure the mirror didn’t catch the Djinn reflection not wanting to cross magic’s anymore than they had today.

“Can you tell us some sort of purpose for this damn thing other than being annoying Zu-kun?” he said as he looked at the mirror remembering he didn’t like it much.

Zumir takes the mirror carefully, and examines it.

"A Mirror Of Souls," he nods at last. "They are rare, and valuable. It will show you your true self. And it will show others..." he hesitates, frowns a little. "Insights...? Yes, I think that is the word... It does not lie young Leim, so be careful with it."

Zumir looks deep into his own reflection for a moment, and the ghost of a smile flickers across his face. "Some things are good to know," he says, then hands the mirror back.

"Zu, can we look in the mirror with you? You can tell me what you see and I'll tell you what I see," she asks hopefully. "Maybe it would show me your cloud home. That would be soooo cool. I've never seen anything like that before. Do you think I could visit you there some day?

Leim frown at the Djinn words and stared at the mirror his reflection again. He frown at the image of him even more deeply and sighed his eyes went up to the Djinn. “Is that general warning is that for me especially?”

"The Mirror Of Souls would not show you my home," Zumir replies, "And of all these humans, you are the easiest to understand, I think. Still, if it amuses you, let us gaze into it together."

He crosses his huge arms and waits.

“You say that the mirror gives insight in to a person and that it shows ones true self then why do I only see my true body and nothingness behind me. Why does Ash-chan see a crimson shadow that lurks just out of my sight..”

"Perhaps you do not know your true self?" Zumir suggests, though his voice is uncertain. "Truly, I do not know. You humans are strange to me. A blank background may mean much is hidden from you, or that you have no solid roots... Or perhaps your roots are not where you think they are, or..." He waves a large hand as if dismissing gnats. "I cannot know, I fear. Nor do I have the power to probe your mind or soul. I am strong in the ways of the Djinn, but a Mirror Of Souls is not a thing my people would ever build." He laughs softly. "Perhaps we are wise. Perhaps they create more questions than they answer."

Zumir thinks for a moment, then adds, "I am not sure that who you were matters. Know yourself for who you are."

“Oh yeah could you tell me if there magic in this..” He shows the sliver dagger to Djinn as well as pulling out his hidden throwing Knife. “I just would like to know if I stab something if it going to burst in to flames.” he said showing both to the Djinn.

"You humans are indeed a mystery to me," Zumir sighs.

Looking at the daggers, he quickly discards the ordinary one, but takes a long look at the silver one. "Magical," he admits at least, "Though the enchantment is minor, to make it sharper than it should be."

Stelrein and Loriana carry the 3 bottles (empty, whiskey, unidentified potion), silk shirt, gold leaf paint bottle, small box with 6 sticks of incense, tiny gold brazier, and 47 arrows to Zumir's room.

Stelrein says, "Hail good Zumir. I apologize for the intrusion." spotting Leim, "But I was hoping for your aid. Would you mind keeping these items safe until Rasidar comes to claim them?"

"I shall guard it for you," Zumir says firmly, "Until Rasidar should ask me for it."

At this point, Leim steps in the way (See Nights' post above). Stelrein cannot yet hand the items to Zumir, who looks rather surprised at this development.

(As Stel, Leim and Lor argue; thread 5, p.37)

"You humans baffle me completely," Zumir admits ruefully. "I have never understood your species, and I am no closer now than ever."

He shakes his head in utter bewilderment. "I am prepared to look after such things as your group would wish to leave with me as a show of my sincerity. This building of trust is, I believe, the way of humans."

He shrugs his huge shoulders. "I cannot advise when I cannot understand."

Rasidar, in Melissa’s room:

A wind seems to gently carress your ear, whispering in the voice of Zumir, "Come to me now, lest blood be shed."

(to be continued as the game advances...)

[Shan]

These are all the items that the group has found since entering the demon room and where everything is at the moment.

general finds

clothes
mess maker's room - men's clothing
melissa's room - female clothing
mural room - men's clothing
rocking chair room - men's clothing for a very fat man
alchemist's room - female clothing
magic window room - female clothing
wards room - men's clothing
mosaic room - men's clothing
books and papers on magic
mess maker's room, melissa's room,
alchemist's notes - alchemist's room
truth notes - mosaic room
2 picture frames - (melissa's room)
teddy bear - (melissa's room)
hair brushes, combs, hair clips, hair bands - (melissa's room)
makeup case - hand mirror, lipstick, rouge - (melissa's room)
paint pots, brushes - (mural room
canvas portrait - melissa - (mural room)

1st left (mess maker's room)

quill pen
small ink bottle
blank paper
gold ring set with a single diamond - +20 mana
pouch of coins - 12 silver, 10 gold, 17 copper
3 glass bottles - 1 empty, 1 smells like whiskey, 1 unknown potion
leather scroll case - 2 scrolls - heat blast and cold blast, both lvl 1
bag of sticky candy
3 odd socks - none match - dity
silk shirt

1st right (melissa's room)

spell scroll - heal, lvl 1
hat pins
dagger wrapped in velvet - silver blade (+1 dam)
scroll tied with red ribbon - detect magic, lvl 1
jewelry box - pair of emerald earrings, simple gold chain (returned to melissa)


2nd left (mural room)

pouch of coins - 12 silver, 9 copper
bottle of gold leaf paint
dragon statue

2nd right (rocking chair room)

boots - +2 agility
plain wooden cup
plain wooden plate

3rd left (alchemist's room)

alchemist notes
pouch of coins - 13 silver, 27 copper
wand made of some kind of white wood

3rd right (magic window room)

pouch of coins 17 silver, 3 gold, 11 copper
bell of calling

4th left (ward room)

sheet of paper - spell - holy fire, lvl 1
small chest - 6 sticks of incense, tiny gold brazier

4th right (mosaic room)

handwritten papers - "knowing the truth"
mirror of souls

head mage's room

silk boxers

*****************

demon room

demon teeth
demon blood
1 magic white elven arrow

mage suppy room

shelves with wierd ingredients
useful mage items - sharp knives, pestles, mortars, etc
empty bottles - quite a few
central table - retorts, weird tubes, other alchemy items
shelf holding - a dozen unlabeled potions
labeled things only alchemist would understand


battle room

melissa - ivory ankh fixed in hollow of her throat
47 reusable arrows
mace - att 2 dam 4
3 throwing daggers
gryphon emblems
staff - atts 2 dam 4
pendant - missle deflection, +2 AR vrs missles when worn
coins - 5 silver, 11 copper
1 strange coin - designed for something other than use as money
short sword - atts 2

******************

where is everything?

mr. knight

gold ring (+20 mana)
short sword (atts 2)
bell of calling
pouch of coins - 17 silver, 3 gold, 11 copper
mirror of souls
silver dagger (+1 dam) (melissa's)
1 throwing dagger
pouch of coins - 12 silver, 10 gold, 17 copper
pouch of coins - 13 silver, 17 copper
pouch of coins - 12 silver, 9 copper
red ribbon from scroll
hat pins
truth notes

stel

mace (atts 2 dam 4)
scroll detect magic - copy
scroll holy fire - copy


ced

staff (atts2 dam 4)
quill pen
ink bottle
blank paper
10 bottles demon blood


mao

leather scroll case with scrolls and copies
alchemy notes
1 throwing dagger
homm's money - 5 silver, 11 copper
demon teeth


homm

1 throwing dagger
a strange gold coin with intricate markings


ash

a magic white elven arrow (she can't get rid of it)


jacqueline

nothing


zu

dragon statue


in a pile in zu's room

silk shirt
47 reusable arrows
pot of gold leaf paint
small chest - 6 sticks of incense, tiny gold braizer
3 bottles - (1 empty, 1 whiskey, 1 unknown potion)
plain wooden cup
plain wooden plate
pendant of missle deflection (+2 AR vrs missles)
boots (+2 agility)
unknown wand made of white wood
weak club (atts 2)
flimsy shield ( +1 ar)
small glass shard
belt & two pouches
8 globes


chest in mural room

pouch of 12 silver, 9 copper coins