Send a spelling or grammar correction to: Tracy Johnson
This site sponsored by Agenda Games LLC
Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
This is a first draft of a story set in the world of Greyhawk.
It is based on a home campaign so some of the people, places and things
may be different. Any helpful comments or suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks
Jason Zavoda
"These are the gibberling young." Telenstil said with interest as
they passed the small creatures piled in the hall.
"Yes," Harold said abstractedly and tugged the mages robe, "come
on we'd better find Talberth."
Telenstil laughed, unworried and amused at the thiefs actions.
"I will have to look at them closer, but I will do so later, yes, yes,
Harold you can stop pulling at my sleeve."
"He is toward the center of the chamber," Harold said as he
hurried Telenstil down the hall, "that is where we found the big pit."
They stepped quietly into the pillared hall, the glow of blue
that had shown from the sculptures was gone, only the light from
Talberth's amulet remained. Out past where Harold had seen the pit the
light drifted ghostly hovering above the floor and hiding behind the
columns playing hide and seek in the darkness.
The orcs were nowhere to be seen, Harold looked for Little Rat,
his head swiveled back and forth as he lead Telenstil toward the light,
but he noticed the absence of their unlikely companions. "Little
Rat! " he called out. "Talberth!"
The light came their way, they could hear Talberth's voice
calling back.
"Harold." Talberth called. "Harold, come get this little pest."
The young mage cast a chain of flowing shadows as he walked, his amulet
bright on his chest. Little Rat ran behind him, he practically danced
as he ran to keep up with Talberth's lengthy strides.
"Little Rat." Harold yelled at the young orc. "What are you doing
here?"
"Big bright magic." the young orc was wide eyed and grinning.
"Talberth," said Telenstil, the elf was smiling, enjoying the
sight of the orcs pleased wonder, "Talberth what is it you have found."
"Telenstil, this place is amazing. These are not mere carvings,"
the young mage told him, his voice controlled but tinged with something
of the excitement that gushed from the orc, "there are strong enchantments
laid upon these pillars, some still active though I know not what they do
or how to make them work."
"Let me see what you have found." said Telenstil.
"See these carvings," Talberth pointed to a column, "that
manticore..look at the style of the work, it almost breaths, and I think
it once may have done."
Telenstil put a long fingered hand on the stone and traced the
lines of the monsters back. "I agree, this is unlikely to have been
carved. An enchantment of some kind that turned the beast into a column of
stone."
"I have heard of such a spell that can make flesh into stone or
stone into flesh." said Talberth.
"This is akin to that," Telenstil touched the snarling face and
drew back his hand, "but it is something different, something more.
Perhaps the spell that is used today is a small part of the magic used to
create this."
"You mean these were living creatures," said Harold. "That
centaur, those giants, demons..." the halfling gulped. "Those dragons,
they turned those dragons into stone, they were alive."
"This place is old." said Telenstil. "There was a time when great
magics were used on Oerth, when mages held power that no one should
possess."
"There is some of it left." Talberth said eagerly. "Telenstil
look at these two here." he brought them to the carvings of an ogre and a
minotaur. Both had the look of living things, now hardened into rock but
frozen between the beating of a heart, unchanged since they last drew
breath.
The elf put out his hand again and placed his palm against the
ogre's stony chest. "Ap-Par-Ere" he said. The ring he wore, perhaps older
than the carvings or the pillared hall, gave off a white glow, a silver
line appeared and lit the column's base. Letters could be seen where none
had been before, a band of writing formed shining in the dark.
"Lat-At Cen-Til-Ul Vor-San" Telenstil spoke the words, they echoed
across the empty hall.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)