The
Encyclopedia Lorica

Drogo to Dwarves
7th Edition

Drogo - ?

Drow - As a people, great evil has been done to them; the injustice they have suffered combined with their general isolation have intensified and magnified evil in the nature of Drow culture. Not all Drow are evil, but within the experience of their history few could succeed in rising above an evil nature, and these few would certainly be renegades within Drow society. Put another way: the statistical incidence of evil, necromancing, arrogant sh!tbags in the Drow population is quite high.

Drow Spell Component Hunters - Vis d'Argent's entrepreneurial band of spell component seekers from Syllabus

Known or Suspected Members: Juusto mitta se Aika, Louis Dammond, Vis D'Argent, Kessaro de Keroon, Frommage du Jour, Kakola-Tikica-Koca, Xiktiki Kakola, Bobbi Kekkonen, Vis Marjaana, Verde Mettre, Tomar.
Missions:
  • Dead Gnome Puzzle - Found the Dead Gnome Puzzle in the Sprinal Tap (18 Feb-25 Mar 10038). On 3 April 10038, Vis d'Argent's entrepreneurial band of spell component seekers from Syllabus returned home from the Sprines with money, an unsolved puzzle, a troll and high hopes for the future. The group excited the suspicions of the island's security forces due to Kakola-Titica-Koca's presence (the troll). [LD, VD, KdK, FdJ, VM, KTK, T]
  • ???--late 10043, early 10044? - The mission was to first, investigate the teleporting cave that SOAK explored on its telemancy mission and, second, to investigate the Dead Gnome Puzzle. They used a military drow boat to sail for the Sprines. The missions failed when the gnomes wouldn't allow the team to land and an uxor and trolls attacked the party. [JA, LD, XK, KdK, BK, VMa, VMe, T]
    •

    Druids - Known or suspected members: Juliette Naturas, Jubal Tokenfall.

    Lantelle Svorak - "I couldn't help but feel some guilt and shame as I left Carthage. I was leaving behind not only my leadership position in OMNICo, but possibly putting my comrades in deep risk. (Well, all except for the bastard that informed SETCO I had this ring.) Something tells me... that those [ancient orcish?] liches really wouldn't want some random idiot holding onto their magical devices, so why not take the logical choice and let this idiot carry it around... It saved me once.
    [After Castle Vaheran], we returned to KDP-W, and reported to SETCO, but we told them nothing of the ring or the dagger officially. Yet soon after they asked for the dagger... I will not let them have this ring, I will take it to the High Druid myself, I will return it to them, and perhaps they will allow me to join them, allow me to learn from them. It is a risk I must take...
    Who are these druids that put a doom on the party? A doom to find this Orlando the Red, a traitor, and bring his soul to the central plains of Vyrica to lay it before the feet of the High Druid... Do the druids hide in all orders in the world? Jubal was apparently one of them, yet he hid himself and worked for SETCO... "
    A Shangrilaist, Luke, met by Lantelle Svorak and Stephen Bolger in November 10037 in the mountains of Vyrica with a band of guerrillas said that the druids were in league with the ecks... He took a great interest in the iron ring Lantelle wore, saying that it was a signet of the of druids that went to fight with the Ecks. He said that the druids had a prophecy saying that a 'wave' would begin in central Vyrica and overwhelm all. The ecks coincided their move so that they would seem to be that wave and most of the druids fell for it. Jubal Tokenfall was apparently included. Luke also mentioned that the wearer of the ring had once been his teacher. (Jubal?)
    A hypothetical scenario: Long ago, the druids were looking for a secure place to build a secret temple that had to remain undamaged for "The passing of a thousand moons". They, in their infinite wisdom, know of a small, uninhabited area of sea out across the glacier. There are a few small islands there. They also know (they're so smart) that there is a sub-glacial tunnel connecting it to EOW. The place is safe from intrusion, so they go there (how, I don't know) and build their stonehengeish temple thingy. Now, after "a thousand moons", or whatever, something major is going to happen there and someone has to be there when it happens. Just to make sure that the right person will be able to get the island without the difficulty of crossing the glacier or something, they create a magic item that commands a sea-snake with a long life span to shuttle people back and forth. One thing leads to another, and Beigebeard winds up with that whistle. He figures "huh, another worthless druidic keepsake... I think I'll put it in one of my easy-to-get treasure chests in the stash I'm building on Ilum Gamma." He does just that. A group of hapless PCs (Omnico), several of whom just happen to be DOOMED for a druidic quest, stumble into the Beigebeard hoard and leave with the snake whistle. Abner Strumpet has his initial crazy ride, and the whole SOAK situation comes up. The party finds the temple, etc... They are caught by the elvish military. They spew forth most of the truth about their situation, and are not believed. The notes of the confession however make their way into the hands of a member of the higher command who has druidic connections. He recognizes what is going on with the snake, grabs the Brid Island dagger from the party's possessions as evidence, and sees that the party is released. It is possible that he even knows about Abner's involvement and the DOOMING. It just might not be El Ouhd that got us out of prison...
    One Theory is that the Shangies are the split of the druids. The druids seem to have an extreme amount of knowledge (remember knowledge *is* power), but refuse to use it. Instead, they supposedly just "sit back and watch". The Shangies, as the theory goes, are the split faction of druids. This is frightening. Didn't The Shangies, at one time, have a prophecy that the destruction of the world as we know it would happen in 10020 or so? I believe that their faith has been ridiculed for the false calculated prediction. Maybe they are pissed off by this ridiculing. Maybe they have decided to use the knowledge they have to gain the upper hand.
    What did we find at the end of the two person maze under castle Vaheraun? Maybe the druids don't directly act on anything, but I bet that they do exert a certain directional flow to many different events. Honestly, how "powerful" are all of these different groups?

    Du Jour, Frommage (Geoff) - member of the Drow Spell Component Hunters. Changed name to Juusto mitta se Aika before the 10043 mission so it would sound more drow. Killed (?) by uxor and trolls on 10043 Mission. Missions: 10038, 10043.

    Dukas, Colonel Abraham (NPC) - prominent member of the Dun Cess military whose tomb is the focus of the Dukas Puzzle.

    The Burial of Colonel Dukas - April 19, 10030 (Local)--As one family today, the whole of Forsythia, pooled their sorrows and cried together at the funeral of Colonel Abraham Dukas. The Colonel was a longtime resident of Forsythia and one of its greatest citizens. He was buried in a gorgeous neolenevestic mausoleum of his own construction in Chestnut wing of the municipal graveyard claiming that his ties to the people of the town were greater than his ties to the military despite his thirty years of service to the Dun Cess army, ensparkled by distinguished service during the Second War of Ilican Succession. Colonel Dukas established the Forsythia Zoological Gardens and contributed handsomely to the martial displays of the Museum of Culture. He also established the prestigious Dukas Fellowships at the University of Dun Cess and the Martial Academy of Neorome. No epitaph adorns the marmoreal, monumental grave of this fine citizen. Dukas was succeeded [sic] by his wife of fifty-five years, Eleanor, and three children: Lionel (45), Obidiah (41) and Rachel (39). Colonel Dukas was born in 9958 in Urbandale, Iceland.
    The Tomb: There are 2 "dots" in the front and a round hole on top. Like a die. It is 25' high. There is a gargoyle on each corner of the roof. There is a 6-inch thick by 4.5 foot octagonal slab of stone on top of the "1 dot" hole. It is very heavy. Compare with description of tomb in Dukas Puzzle Group, below.

    Dukas, Lilongwe -- Vice President for Salvage and Repair, Mickelgarth Commerce. Contracted SOAK to investigate a sunken ship and possible basilisk on Gateway Island in the summer of 10043. Relation to Col. Abraham Dukas unknown.

    Dukas Drow Group - We had five days before we needed to leave Jacketz to join the old Drow Spell Component Hunter group to run a mission for the Alliance, so the four of us (Bobbi Keikonen, Gooch's Drow [who?], Chad's Drow [who?], and ern Trannar) hopped on a boat to Forsythia to spend a day at the tomb. Heading off with blazing optimism, we hoped that simply reading off the solution would be adequate. After getting off the boat in Forsythia, ern and Bobbi were strip searched. Next, when we went to the tomb, we were followed by some fellows who demanded to know what we were doing. Since Chad's Drow had had the good idea to pick up flowers on the way, we simply stated that we were paying honor to such a fine man and the fellows backed off extremely bewildered.

    We read off the solution. Nothing happened. Then someone suggested that we might need to be _inside_ the tomb. Since we couldn't sneak in the top during the day, we decided to come back at night. We left and that's when Bobbi mailed SOAK the letter.
    We returned that night. Bobbi didn't really want to go back in. The Forsythia cemetary is the official cemetary for the Dun Cess military. Anyway, Chad's Drow scaled the wall, and the general (or at least my) impression was that if he was caught, we'd all get it. So everyone piled over the wall and headed for the tomb.
    We get to the tomb. We realize that it's too tall for us to climb up on top of. We have no rope. We flee.
    As we're leaving, the cemetary guards catch us. They sic the dogs on us, and one of the guards gets a 00 with his bow, popping Bobbi in the head. She goes into a coma. The other three are rounded up. They are questioned, and are held until such time as Bobbi comes out of her coma for her questioning.
    Bobbi Keikonen "solved" the first part of the Dukas Puzzle, so the only person in EOW who knows the solution is now in a coma. Should she ever come out of that coma, she could very well be hanged or imprisoned for life.
    On 13 Dec 10042, SOAK received the letter Bobbi mailed just before her arrest.

    Dukas Puzzle - Published in the newspaper on the death of Colonel Abraham Dukas. Partly solved by using clues from his tomb in the Forsythia Cemetary.

    Dice Puzzle - The translation of the dice code is: Below the thunders of the upper deep, far, far beneath the abysmal sea, his ancient dreamless uninvaded sleep the kraken sleepeth. Faintest sunlights flee about his shadowy sides. Above him swell huge sponges of millennial growth and height and far away into the sickly light from many a wondrous grot and secret cell unnumber'd and enormous polypi winnow with giant arms the slumbering green. There hath he lain for ages and will lie battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep until the latter fire shall heat the deep. the slumbering green. There hath he lain for ages and will lie battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep until the latter fire shall heat the deep. Then once by man and sailors to be seen in roaring, he shall rise and on the surface die." (punctuation guessed)
    This is Tennyson's poem "The Kraken" (differences underscored): Below the thunders of the upper deep,
    Far, far beneath _in_ the abysmal sea,
    His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
    The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
    About his shadowy sides; above him swell
    Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
    And far away into the sickly light,<
    >From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
    Unnumbered and enormous polypi
    Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
    There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
    Battening upon huge sea worms in his sleep,
    Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
    Then once by man and _angels_ to be seen,
    In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.
    It has been mentioned that a hint has appeared on the tombstone since the last time that group has played. Perhaps they should wander back and look at it. Time is running out for that poor girl.... [what girl?]

    Brid Puzzle - The message I [who?] received today [from whom? when?] contains eight slips of paper representing the eight sides of the raised octagonal pedestal. The slips went clockwise (I assume looking down from standing on top of the pedestal--any other way would be counterintuitive and a rather nasty way of screwing the players over) around the pedestal. A paperclip marked the "up" side of the slips.
    The way these carvings are written down here would not be the way they would be read, i.e. the end of 1 does not hook up with the start of 2--rather, the end of 2 hooks up with the end of 1, since they would be read left to right around the pedestal. I don't know where the start would be (presumably at one of the cardinal directions) but it could be anywhere.
    I've filled in what few letters I know or can guess at based on Juliette's farewell note. Using ASCII approximations of phonetic symbols for vowels: i=beet ^=but o=boat I=either aj=bite or I=bit (Juliette's message used it for both) Vowels in the brid system are symbols with a *. Here are the symbols: 
    Slip 1.
_______________________________
|_____|\   /|   | |_____| |   |
|     | \_/ |   | |     | |   |
|  *  | / \ | * | |  *  | | * |
|     |/   \|   | |     | |   |
-------------------------------


Slip 2.
_______________________________
|     |_____|     | |   |  |  |
|     |     |  |  | |   |__|__|
|\    |  *  |  |  | | * |  |  |
| \   |     |     | |   |  |  |
-------------------------------
               t     o     s

Slip 3.
_______________________________
|   \ |_____| /   |\    |     |
|    \|     |/    | \_  |     |
|     |  *  |     |   \ |    /|
|     |     |     |    \|   / |
-------------------------------
   n

Slip 4.
_______________________________
|     |   \ |\    |     |     |
|  *  |    \| \_  |     |     |
|_____|     |   \ |  *  |  *  |
|     |     |    \|     |     |
-------------------------------
   I     n           ^     ^

Slip 5.
_______________________________
|     |     |     |_____|     |
| \_  |  *  |  *  |     |__|__|
|   \ |_____|_____|  *  |  |  |
|     |     |     |     |     |
-------------------------------
   g     I     I           t

Slip 6.
_______________________________
|  |  | |   |     |   | |   | |
 _______________________________
|  |  | |   |     |   | |   | |
|__|__| |   |_____|   | |   | |
|  |  | | * |     | * | | * | |
|  |  | |   |     |   | |   | |
-------------------------------
   s     o     v     i     i

Slip 7.
_______________________________
|  |  |  |  |_____|     |\   /|
|__|__|__|__|     |  |  | \_/ |
|  |  |  |  |  *  |  |  | / \ |
|  |  |  |  |     |     |/   \|
-------------------------------
   s     s           t

Slip 8.
_______________________________
|_____|     |     |     |  |  |
|     | \_  | \_/ |  *  |__|__|
|  *  |   \ | / \ |_____|  |  |
|     |     |     |     |  |  |
-------------------------------
         g     r     I     s
    Read from 1 to 2, proceeding 1-8-7-6-5-4-3-2, this is how it reads (using -for unknown symbols): "------grIsss-t-s-viigII-tIn-^^n------tos" Not pretty. Three "s" in a row, plus other ugly combos of vowels. So maybe it's not actually Brid writing.
    Now here's the funny part about all this. Bobbi Keikonen, exiled from the Republic, solved the puzzle and went to check out the new information, but got shot in the head before she could go back and look at the new pedestal. See the Dukas Drow Group. She sent a letter containing the dice puzzle solution to SOAK before she was shot, but they never got it because the mail was unsecure. SOAK looked at the pedestal to get the above "Brid Puzzle". More thoughts: Since it has been suggested that the inscription on the inside of the tomb is in Middle Orcish, I thought I'd post a few thoughts about the puzzle and Latin.
    The idea that the puzzle is Latin (Middle Orcish) came from the fact that there appeared to be the Latin word for die somewhere in the puzzle. The good thing about Latin is that... there are many words who have a declension ending in ii or uu. But there's still the problem of three consecutive s's in a row, and even with Latin dictionary in hand, I couldn't make more than a couple disjointed words.
    Karl comments: "I'm not sure what I was thinking yesterday (actually, I probably wasn't, and that was the problem), but this seems to be Classical Greek (Ancient Orcish), transliterated into the Roman alphabet. First, the original: Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
    Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
    One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,
    In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
    One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
    One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
    In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
    I should have become suspicious immediately when I saw enough diacritical marks to sink a ship that there might be a Greek influence on this bit of text. The first three lines have trei^s, he'pta, and enne'wa, which correspond to three, seven, and nine. So, I went out on the web and found the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon of Classical Greek (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/resolveform - I know, strange web address) and started hunting around a bit, which more or less confirmed my suspicions. So, why Classical Greek?
    Geoff responds: "Alph... Elf, lithi... Stone, anthroo'poisi... Man, Mordori... Mordor... contextually, Daktu'lioi must be 'ring', and Mo'nwos would be 'one' Interesting how lines 6 and 7 of the original have been morphed into three in this version.
    So, why Classical Greek? Well, there's the Ancient Orcs and the Middle Orcs. Middle Orcish has generally been represented to us players as Latin, and Ancient Orcish maps to Greek. What this tells us (not surprisingly) is that the stuff about the rings goes that far back... not a surprise, really, but we've focussed so much on the Middle Orcs (the virtue thing [ancient orcs?], the pacifism, the amazing temples, the fact that if the portals we've been using preserve time correlation, the Founding of The Temple in Vorn (from which Vorn years are numbered) lands in the Middle Orcish Period (and/or right around when the Water in EOW became contaminated...)), this reminds us that the whole danged thing goes back even farther. Any reason not to imagine that it goes back beyond the Ancient Orcs as well? Likely. Meanwhile, are there any ancient orcish sites we should investigate? What archaeological sites have formed the core of what is known about the ancient orcs?
    Thinking back to what must have been going on in Vorn and in EOW in the 6700's and 6800's, I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't a link to what's going down now. We know a little about it historically, but could there have been a larger force active, just as there is now? Three thousand years from now, history will have ample record of the current war-- but which of the current players will show up? Eckyebrech? (likely, but then again dimmed by that memory will our complacent successors merely assume that we were fighting against a subrace of very large orcs? Then again, is that so far from the truth?) Were Nazgul, ringwraiths, belryg, etc. involved with those events as well? How about Koh-i-noor?"

    Nam quod asset in agris incultis sale augiat. For (it) which might enlarge/augment/enrich would be in/within the untilled/neglected/uncouth territory/ground/fields at the sea/salt/soul. Chad thinks the answer is "Great Courage."

    Dukas Puzzle Group –

    “[Preceded by postings about the Dukas Puzzle] People were assembled, a party was created.
    It consisted of 3 gnomes, and two humans. The humans (Scott and Nick), the gnomes (Matt Willard, Chad, and Gooch).
    Having met while we were all in Forsythia for this-and-that reason, our group of fast-made friends found out from Scott that there was a woman he was interested in. A woman. Go figure. Anyway, it turns out she has some horribly nasty disease (that is contagious, by the way) that was going to kill her, and Scott wanted to see if we could help them get a cure. After Scott and the deaf gnome of Chad's went to visit the little woman, we found out that there was a cure that worked 50% of the time, only killed you the other 50%, and cost 50K silver for the dosages. Needless to say, the woman's family could not afford such a thing. Having little better to do than look around for gnomish beer, we decided to see what we could find out about the disease, it's cure, and how much of a price cut we could get from any other source could be... So, after visiting the less-than-hospitable doctors office of the woman (anti-gnome sematists), we eventually found out there was a Colonel that had retired from the Army that had the disease, and that the woman had contact with. (Probably where she contracted it...) Further inquiries about the now-dead Colonel were fruitless, except that he was buried in a big old cemetery, and had an ostentatious tomb.
    The tomb, in fact, was interesting. It was of ancient orcish design, and had one "door" which was more of a seamless wall set into another seamless wall. Very handy to keep vandals out. The group set to go to the top of the tomb to inspect it, and found 2 stone snakes coiled in the center. After fiddling with the snakes for a while, lightning struck down from the sky, colliding with four rods in the corners of the building, and arcing to the snakes, which then came to life and beat the party up significantly. Chad's character was knocked a good one, and didn't wake up for the remaining time. The snakes turned back to stone, and were vanquished by two bow shots into their eyes by Nick. They crumbled completely, leaving no trace of what they were before. After Scott had fallen into the darkness of the hole that was underneath the snakes, and wandered about finding absolutely nothing for a long time, Nick headed off to find a pick-axe of some sort. He was gone for quite a while. When he returned he noticed there was now writing on the front of the tomb. (What I assumed was previously called the "door") It was, of course, a cryptogram -- I'd love to post it, but I neglected to grab a copy before I left. At any rate, we solved it, but are still at a loss for what to do with what it says. (Gooch posted that later.) [Followed by posting of Colonel Dukas Funeral]”

    Dukas Tomb - tomb of Colonel Abraham Dukas in the Forsythia Cemetary. See above. Description?

    Dun Cess Archaeological Society -

    ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY EMPLOYEE ARRESTED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT ([20 Dec 43]) An mid-level business manager for the Dun Cess Archaeological Society was arrested for embezzling about 8,500 sc from the organization over the last year. Mr. Toddhue Gitlin maintained his innocence and is set to come to trial sometime in mid-February. Officials are unsure of where the money went; some suspect that Mr. Gitlin was involved in a smuggling ring for drugs and used his travels on government boats to ease the process of bringing substances into the Confederacy.

    Dunn, Fern (Lisa) - member of the Patville Diplomatic Corps (?).

    Du Nord, Phillipe (Ben) - male Viking Orcish Warrior. Had goal of developing competence with every major modern weapon. Present for last days of Roanoake colony, and friend of Roan and Oake, the two orcs whose names became accidentally associated with the failed settlement. Briefly owned the "Bottle of Wishes" and died of the incurable disease caused by using the words "I wish" after selling the bottle. Willed his wealth (~16,000) to the Jackets orphange .

    Dunston, Gregory (Ben) Human male. Demolitionist. Really likes coffee. Member of SOAK. Participated in drow glacial outpost mission and Second Bridge Mission. Killed 5/19/43 by Ecks.

    Durak, Paul (?) - combat engineer.

    Dwarves, Fire - a descriptively named group of dwarves from Allotrope. See Fire Dwarven Necromatic Research Facility.

    Dwarves, Grey - reside in mountains of Arnsata on Vorn.

    Werner speaks: Friends we are in the midst of events that will change to course of all that is to come. We must tread carefully on the treacherous road ahead, for our failure could mean the end of life as we know it. Our immediate objective is to locate and secure the sword known as "The Captain" [the King?]. We have only one clue in this quest, that an orcish lich "somewhere beyond the mountains to the north-east" was the last to see it. Unless any of you have proposals for another means of locating the sword, we will procede to the mountains directly. Within the mountains we will contact the Grey Dwarves at Arnsata. We will ask them for whatever information they might have of the terrain beyond their mountains. Perhaps they can supply us with maps. Perhaps they know of another ziggurat. Perhaps they will give still more cool magic stuff. At last word, the grey dwarves were beseiged by the Echyebrech, but a special force was sent from the Temple some time ago to see what could be done.

    Dwarves, mountain - a primitive group of dwarves encountered by the Mock Turtle Group in the mountains of Vorn some ?? miles from their port-in point. They use bronze weapons and armor, and highly prize iron weapons if they can obtain them, even in preference to gems.

    In a supposed ritual of greeting/peace (or perhaps just thievery) observed by the EO agents, two dwarves stand back to back, walk about 40 feet apart, turn and run at each other shouting. Pulling up short, they exchange weapons with each other, dig a hole in the ground, drop the axes into the hole and cover them. An EO agent performed this ritual with the dwarves, and during the night one of dwarves attempted to sneak down and steal the weapon that had been buried. The EO agents accidentally taught the dwarves a "ritual" of their own, a "handshake" that consisted of sticking right hand out, left hand out, right hand out, left hand out, then clapping hands.
    The EO agents followed the dwarves to a tower (see White Tower) that exceeded what the dwarves seemed capable of. The lead dwarf seemed to look reverently at the tower.
    They traded an intricately carved figure of one of the triceratops creatures for a couple of weapons. Actual bone had been used for the horns.

    (Aba-Al)
    (Am-Ay)
    (Bab-Bla)
    (Ble-Bri)
    (Bro-Bys)
    		 (Ca)
    (Ce-Cy)
    (Da-Dra)
    (Dro-Du)
    (Eck-Eu)
    		 (Evi-Exp)
    (Fal-Fri)
    (Gal-Glo)
    (Gno-Gren)
    (Grey-Gy)
    		 (Haa-HZE)
    (Ice-Jos)
    (Kaf-KVo)
    (Lab-Ly)
    (3M-Met)
    		 (Mey-Mi)
    (Mo-Mys)
    (Nat-Nut)
    (Obe-Omn)
    (One-Or)
    		 (Ot-Ox)
    (Pag-Pers)
    (Pert-Py)
    (Qua-Rub)
    (Sal-She)
    		 (Shi-Sou)
    (Spe-Swi)
    (Sword)
    (Swo-Sy)
    (Tac-Ti)
    		 (To-Ty)
    (Ube-Ux)
    (Va-Ver)
    (Vi-Vyr)
    (V.R.E.)
    		 (Wag-Wyv)
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