A figure silently appeared out of the ethers amongst the trees across the road to the east. Some immediately took notice and grew silent. Others, noticing the sudden quiet in the air quickly turned their attention to the advancing apparition. It was the GateKeeper.
For those who are unfamiliar with the GateKeeper, it is a being of unknown origin and, perhaps more menacingly, unknown intentions. Appearing to the untrained eye as yet just another disembodied soul, this one is quite different. It's physical form has never been seen, some even question whether it is the soul of a formerly living person or is an entirely different sort of being altogether. Unlike the apparation of the recently slain, this spirit exudes a palpable aura of what is best described as a silent presceince, a sort of unspeaking knowledge, almost as if it is watching but not commenting, observing but not reacting.
When first seen the preceding winter of 343, the GateKeeper spoke in the OoOooOo's typical of the dead, indecipherable to all but the most talented mediums. This time however, the GateKeeper, whether by choice or some other device, now spoke in the manner of the living, and quite fluently in the human tongue of the realm.
The GateKeeper was quite forthwith reagarding it's intentions this time. It offered to all those present an opportunity to gain knowledge of ancient and powerful words, or mantras. It did little to elaborate on their origin or purpose, merely intriguing everyone present with it's dark offer of mysterious enlightenment.
Several of those present boldly stepped forward, accepting the offer to achieve whatever tasks the GateKeeper might set before them to attain the knowledge of the proffered mantras. As the GateKeeper quietly waited, everyone armored up and prepared for the unknown. When all was ready, The GateKeeper said to attain the first mantra, the assembled party must prove it's worthiness by defeating fifteen blood elementals.
A blood elemental, for the uninitiated, is a swirling vortex of unholy blood, held together with poweful magics. The evil conglomeration supposedly posseses a vast intelligence given it's penchant for delivering lethal attacks of magic. It is also know for a powerful physical attack where portions of it's aqueous body momentarily form a hardened mass with which it strikes anyone foolish or brave enough to approach it. It is an evil creature which is more feared than almost all the other elementals known to appear in the realm and near-lands.
So many had quickly and eagerly volunteered to embark upon the GateKeeper's task, now eyed one another with concerned looks. The doubts were visible in their very eyes, but they soon strengthened their resolve and at once set out for the lands of Ilshenar where blood elementals are known to inhabit the dreaded blood dungeon. Tucked away amongst the ruins of a an ancient underground fortress in southeastern Ilshenar, the dungeon is also often haunted by poweful daemon-beings such as balrons, their attendant daemons, as well as the feared succubus.
After a hard ride, the assembled force did not even pause before the entrance to the blood dungeon before plunging into the darkness to confront their destiny. The GateKeeper traveled amongst the party, it's intent unknown, perhaps to observe the party for it's merits, perhaps to strike them down at their moment of weakness in battle or perhaps to steal away their souls when they were fallen and more accessible to it's native plane.
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The party soon found a host of the required blood elementals and slew the fifteen prescribed creatures but not without casualties. The GateKeeper merely watched with silent indifference, applauding neither triumph nor defeat.
Finally, after the fifteenth blood elemental lay slain upon the stone tiled floor, the GateKeeper spoke in a graven voice, revealing the first mantra as MUR. |
Once again, if you are a young lad or lass reading this parchment, it is important to point out here that a succbus is no trifiling creature. In fact, it is among the most powerful of the undead. A forsaken being, it is a special type of daemon-folk. Appearing as female, myth says it will steal away men's souls in exchange for offers of the flesh. Weaker men often fall prey to this empty offer, whereupon realizing their folly, it is too late as they have forsaken their honor and the succubus takes possession of their very soul for it's own evil purpose, often discarding the physical body as a simple corpse.
When not marauding about human places, it is found in a variety of places about the realm and near-lands, the blood dungeon among such places. Pushing deeper into the blood dungeon, the group soon found the lair of one - a giant blood spattered pentagram encircled by eternally burning candles, perhaps part of some evil rite.
Upon seeing the humans approaching, it eagerly rushed forward to slaughter the party. It was quickly met with a hail of steel and mana, making it's killing more difficult, but not impossible. Indeed, some of the party were killed outright, but after a hard-fought battle, the evil she-daemon was at last vanquished by the might of the warriors and mages.
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No sooner than her body lay motionless than another appeared apt to seek vengeance. Again the party prevailed after a heroic struggle. Soon, the sequence was repeated to the GateKeeper's satisfaction as five succubi lay about, destroyed, in the accursed place.
With a steady voice, the GateKeeper now revealed a second mantra, DUL. Unlike all previous experiences, the GateKeeper actually let slip a vague word of praise for the group's efforts, truly a startling revelation in it's own right. |
The oil in the lamps grew low and certainly no one wished to remain in the blood dungeon a single second longer than needed. As the group exited the dungeon and soon walked among the fresh air of the Ilshenar, the GateKeeper proffered a tantalizing offer - travel to the ruins of Montor and slay five each of balrons and succubi.
The sun was now hung low in the western sky. Trammel and Felucca were appearing in a pale yellow on the eastern horizon, common for that time of year. The party quickly deliberated it's options. The night was now approaching, and ruins of ancient cities were not places to wander about at night for the living. However, the GateKeeper's appearances were random and the knowlege of the ancient mantras certainly worth risking yet a bit more life and limb. Their purpose is yet unknown, but surely powerful when employed in the right circumstances. After some soulsearching the staring into one another's eyes, the party conceded to the GateKeeper's request and rode for Montor.
The ruined city of Montor lies in northeastern Ilshenar, surrounded by nearly impassable mountains, it is also bordered to the southwest by Termir Flam, "the Lake of Fire" an unnavigable body of water. The ruins themselves are inhabited by all varieties of deadly and terrible horrors - balrons, succubi, lava lizards drawn the heat of a nearby lava flow and even an ancient wyrm makes it's home there, perhaps in the most inhospitable place as far away from the race of men as it can find. Legend speaks of an act of treachery by man towards the dragon-race by which they will forever never speak to men again, but an ancient prophecy by the mythical Ahzimas also speaks of a reconciliation. Both the legend and the ancient prophecy are stories for another time however. For as long as any recordable history has known, ancient wyrms view humans as bothersome interlopers who best serve as a tasty morsel when denuded.
 | The party entered the ruined city cautiously. Making their way toward the shrine of the anti-Virtue of Chaos, they soon found battle with a balron known as the Collector of Souls. Swinging it's mighty, beclawed arms, it struck down a warrior with little effort, and quickly another. Incanting Forul Solum, many of the warriors surged ahead with their weapons drawn above their heads while the mages spoke their own words of power. The mighty super-daemon was soon defeated, but another quickly appeared. This scenario was replayed until the required five were all defeated.
The party then began searching for more of the evil succubi and after defeating five of their number in no less of a titanic struggle, the Gatekeeper stood silent and appeased by the group's efforts. After another few vague words of encouragement, the GateKeeper made another revelation, the second mantra is enhanced by appending "M". |