The group returned, semi-trumphant and mostly dead from the island. All the
maps were burned along with Matt (most likely) so they didn't get any
payment. [MattW] took the ring to the magic shop in Jackets, where the
group learned that the magic shop owner worked for EO. [MattW] got a ring
back from him, but it wasn't the same one, and so it seems that EO took what
perhaps was one of "The Rings". ([MattW] was not 100% sure about where the
ring ended up, only that it was no longer in his posession after the game.)
Fish pools - one of the clues to the location of the King.
One thought on this: Once upon a time we came across a cave in the southern sprines, with an underground pool in it. This pool happened to have fish in it. We also discovered a tunnel just under the surface of the water that lead to another cavern. We never found anything, but it is a possiblity. Although, honestly, there are probably hundreds of such caverns in the sprines alone.
See also Fish, Sleep-inducing.
Fish, sleep-inducing - dangerous fish that lived in the pool below
the mouth of Grendel's Cave. Did not seem to be in evidence on the 10043
Greymar Grendling Group mission.
Fitzroy, Cardinal -- Cardinal of the universalist church living in Neo-Rome with whom SOAK members have spoken concerning our supply drops to Othniel. Quite. Serious. Mildly condescending.
Fizzt, Saladin () - a dwarvish veteran of the 2d war of Ilican
Succession. Member of Pike Group. Died in battle with scorpion dude on
Eck Temple Mission, probably due to poison from being stung. Missions:
Eck Temple Mission.
"Flame" - nickname given to the psionic fire-throwing entity that travels
with Peregrine Falcon's soul.
Flistersinger, Gerontius (Geoff) Member of SOAK. Died on Military
Black Tower mission. Missions: Omniventure V, Black Tower.
Flame Staff - magical staff that shoots fire. One was given to
Peregrine Falcon by Topelson.
Floppy X - human-like in shape, but made of gelatinous goo. They
are not caustic like gelatinous cubes. Some tend to be rather clumsy, but
others move with remarkable quickness. The major difficulty in fighting
them is that weapons get stuck in the goo. A fireball will take them out
of action. First encountered on Ilum Gamma in a Beigebeard horde. See
also Omniventure.
Flubbus, Captain (NPC) - Flubbus, Captain (NPC) - very helpful
captain of the Sososterus, the ship
used by the Aleph Group to go to Shang Island on all three of its missions.
Folger, Richard - member of Order of the Ring and the Sword Group. Captain of the Caliban. A man of resiliance, he fearlessly faced a wraith on Persand with the Persand Expeditionary Force. Did not come through the portal to Vorn with the rest of the Sword Group after fighting the demon balrog-thing in the Abraxian Shrine Adventure. He may have been seen by an erstwhile member of the Sword Group as an Abraxian prisoner on Vorn as the Abraxian Portal was being rebuilt. Missions: Persand, Sword Quest.
Footprint Archipelago - a chain of volcanic islands that arose north of Pavimentum about 2500 years ago.
From the 25 Sep 10042 issue of The Merchant Times: On 19 Sep 10042 the Mickelgarth Coast Guard reported enormous plumes of smoke emanating from an unknown source near the Footprint Archipelago. Two ships were dispatched to investigate the phenomenon. As of 20 Sep 10042 the plumes had grown to a staunch column of smoke and dust visible from Mickelgarth itself. Tephra and ash-fallout is expected to cake over Pavimentum for at least a week, perhaps longer.
Forfude, Willwerk (?) - a sailor hired by the Order of the Ring in
time for the Rajendra Rescue mission. Suffered an epileptic-type seizure
at the beginning of the rescue mission. Missions: Rajendra Rescue.
Fork Tree - a landmark located just outside of Trade City and used
as a meeting place.
Forsythia - the capital city of Chinmin province, south of the
Trenines and queen of the Bending Branch Bay. Home of the Confederacy
Museum of Culture and Civilization. Walking armed in civilized areas,
except at the perimeter or perhaps on the docks, marks one as a foreigner,
ruffian or partaker in illicit affairs. The local paper is the Forsythian
Flag. Classified ads exist and were very popular in March 10038, since
most of the available young men were away at war.
Forsythia Cemetery Exploration - a typical adventuring group.
Known or suspected members: Duncan Cramer, Peggy Eaton, Markus the
Magnificent, Marvin, Wyn Moran, Opheila, Bill Twait, Bobby Twait, Anton
Wilks.
Anton writes: "3rd [date? May? 10044?] We arrive and go to Bill Twait's
house. He isn't home, but his mother is. She tells us that Bill is at work
until around 7. We then go to the cemetery. It has been closed for about a
month. So we leave, get a hotel and eat. We go to Bill's. He is out
gardening. He says that he and his brother are now ok. An army wizard
magically healed his brother. The government has classified some of the
story. His brother is Bobby (Robert) and is 30 years old. His Bill is
acting some was odd, [? please translate?] like he was slightly gassed.
[while gardening?] The gas smelled like cooked fruit. It cost 600 silver
to have Bobby healed. [by the army wizard?] The body was the body of
Beigebeard's wife, Veanesa Morse. The odd thing is that it was only a
grave, not a tomb. Also it had only one word on the gravestone: Veanesa.
Bobby arrives. He looks like his brother.
The cemetery is open to recent mourners for only about a month. There is a
guy named Paul who gave tours.
Marvin goes to the mage shop and introduces himself as Ernist Philburt.
There is much babbling. Bill used the name Denis to buy a cure insanity.
He used an excuse that his brother had Scarlet Fever.
Ophealia and I go to the Museum. Ophealia leaves. I stay and look around.
Everyone else goes to the Naval Office. They meet with a man named Brubaker
who is in charge of the cemetery. Henry George is the new hired hand who
guides us. Says that he isn't to be confused with George Percell. He said
that he got hired because the last person just up and disappeared because he
went loopy. Another person working there also disappeared.
There is an old man, Zaren, who seems to be the head groundskeeper who is
playing the piano. He has some odd papers on his desk that have something
to do with higher math.
We decide that I should apply for work at the cemetery. However, it is
Saturday so I pick pockets for the weekend, then apply on Monday. Which I
get.
This is not what I had in mind when I signed up. I get to haul around
tombstones. I talk to Bill at work. He seems very nerves about working
with me.
The Excelsea Gravestone Company (EGC) of Gravesend was looking around near
where Veanesa was buried. They were the people who made Dukas's tomb. Bill
helped with 5 of the excavations. They were overseen by a few navy people
whose names they couldn't remember.
I walk by the Dukas tomb. I introduce myself to the dogs and then bring
bits of clothing from the other party members. A week of no training goes
by. On Sunday we decide to make our move. At 11:25 we reach the wall. At
12 we reach the tomb of Dukas. There is a slab of stone on top of the "1
dot" hole. We can't move it. So we look for Veanesa's grave, which I can't
find. I also see a small red light. We leave. Marvin tenders my
resignation.
We go to Jackets on the way home. We look around. Don't see anything.
However about two weeks before that the Jackets cemetery was shut down for a
day. We look around and find there are about 50 newish graves. And then
leave. Oh well. "
Nick continues: "We find that the Jackets cemetery was closed with the
excuse that last week storms did damage. We look at the Mac Duff mausoleum
that seems just kind of tacky. Nothing that would look too special if it
was in a bigger cemetery.
That night Win hears someone at the door. Win wakes up Duncan Kramer and
then me. Duncan runs after him. I run after him. I finally track him
down. Duncan finally catches up. Duncan tries to grab him and misses, so I
hit him. He says that he is from Gravesend and that we don't have the rights
to arrest him.
Then the same thing happens again. And again. Finally this bozo with a
two-handed sword lumbers up. So I jump on the kid and knock him out. Then
put the kid's dagger to his throat and tell bozo that I will kill the kid if
he doesn't back off. So we drag the kid off to the side and talk.
The bozo is Jim. He says they work for the Mac Duffs. He is lying. I take
the kid's boots since I didn't have a chance to put mine on. We decide to
part. I follow them. They head for the docks and onto a ship called the
Carrera.
Then we decide to call it a night and return to the hotel. 3 pairs of lock
picks, the knife, pliers, chisel, 25 GC, tweezers, file, skeleton key,
twine, smooth gloves, small mirror, jewelers glass. Small black pouch with
two rings. Detect magic shows the two rings (sorcery), one set of lock
picks(bio/sorcery). We then very carefully searched the room, with nothing
showing. . Also in the bag is a very nice architectural drawing of the Mac
Duff mausoleum." [Where did this stuff come from? The kid? Bozo?]
Nick continues: "17th of May [year?]: Transport to Forsythia costs 25
silver, taken out of the 25 gp taken from the punk. But we decide to stay
in Jackets for the day.
We ask about the Carrera which departed Gravesend on April 25th and arrived
here on the 10th. Its departure date was extended until the 24th. Owned by
the Excelsea Gravestone Company. Captained by Dewey.
We decide that sticking around for another day is warranted. I stay and
watch the boat. I miss seeing something. Then they get a delivery from
Adams Express Company. They leave their wagon, which is kind of odd. I
also seem to have spotted another person watching the same boat or one near
it. He is cleaning trash. He is older (late 30s) disheveled, looks
uneducated. Really looks the part.
Anyway after a while a man and a woman and the thug leave the boat. I
follow and they go to our hotel. On the way I spot a postman following
them. I try to drop back and he waves to me. I walk over to him and he
asks if I would like to join the post office. I say I have no real desire
to go postal right now. The three and Duncan walk out of the hotel. I
follow but can't find the postman or anyone else following. The man gives
his name as John Baliol who is an architect. They work for the EGC and
would like the equipment back from the last night. We ask if we can join in
to their mission. They are only interested in the equipment. Mainly the
two rings. They will pay up to 1500 for them. We talk a bit and they say
they are "interested in the new inhabitants of the tomb".
The EGC is interested in keeping the dead alive by keeping a memorial to
them. They were recently invited by the confederate government to make a
new memorial of the people who had been moved from Forsythia. For some odd
reason the have been prevented from seeing the coffins of the people. They
are currently kept in the Mac Duff tomb and the Mac Duffs are refusing to
let them see the coffins.
Duncan asks them about Veanesa (who Baliol calls the wife of "Bavea Beard"
(Not beige beard.)) Lithera Nasbe is the woman and an engineer. We choose
to meet them on there boat later that night and deal then. Everyone but Wyn
and Marvin go to the boat. The wagon is still there. Jerold is the
linguist. Tarquin is the brat. Hector is the bodyguard. We go into a back
room. We talk for a while. We want to go with them. They only seem to plan
to send in one person. They leave for a bit and then return. They say they
want nothing to do with us.
So we choose not to sell to them. We move to the north end of the cemetery
and then wait until dark. We approach the wall and cross it. We find a
nice hill and then move away from it to watch the tomb. [the Mac Duff tomb?]
Shortly after midnight we hear a wagon coming down the street. Around 1 am
we notice movement about 150 yards away from the tomb. We start to move.
Then we see someone else get up from a few hundred feet beyond Hector.
Tarquin is reaching in and looking up into the portcullis. He does it (?)
and then tries to lift the gate but can't. So Hector goes up and lifts it.
Peggy sneaks up to Hector and I sneak around the other side of the tomb.
Then Peggy distracts Hector and I sneak in. Hector sees Peggy and then
charges her down and knocks her unconscious. I find that Tarquin is inside
and of course can't lift the inside gate. We face off for a short while and
then decide to work together. We lift it about a foot and then it locks in
place. We enter.
In the middle there is a diamond pedestal. We turn it till it is even with
the walls. Then pull up a few floor panels. It smells of fruit. We slide
down. It is an octagonal room. We light another glow stick. There is an
invisible stalker (?) lying on the floor. I trip over it. We feel it and
then try to lift it. Poof a message appears. We both grab for it and push
each other at the same time. Which tears the message in half. Then I start
to feel bad. Tarquin goes up the rope. I follow and...
Outside Ophelia and Duncan see John sneaking. Then some guy in black charges
John. Oph fires on him. Then all hell breaks loose outside. People charge
in and flame strikes hit.
Inside I get to the top to see the inside gate drop but there is a really
nice looking woman at the gate. Then the gate rips open. I throw Tarquin
out into them and try to jump over everyone and fail. Then someone throws
me out the other gate. Someone else attacks me from nowhere which is
blocked by someone inside thought the gate. [?please translate?] I roll out
and "bump" into Tarquin regaining the piece of the puzzle. I run but then
get cut down, hiding the puzzle in my pants! Tarquin tries to get the
puzzle back from my pants, but gets shot twice from Oph. Then all this shit
breaks loose with explosions and super sword fighting. Tarquin gets the
puzzle and runs. There seem to be three other groups here: The EGC, the
people in black and the people fighting the people in black. Oph tries to
get me away, and is run down by someone who kicks the hell out of her and
then she drops him. She hauls me away. We hide. She checks me and finds
half the note.
Our moiety of the puzzle says:
We wait for two days and I regain conciousness. The EGC boat is under lock.
I find the rest of the puzzle in my pocket! Kick butt. Oph goes for
clothing for me. She gets caught by some guy and knocked out by some kind
of poison on a rag. I wait for about 3 hours then move to hide in a
different vantage point. I steal a shirt. Then get some paper and pen to
copy the letter. Damn SOAK for not getting in the who's'who and listing
their address. I cut my hair and get a clean shave.
I find an article in the post board that talks about two rival gangs going
at it in the cemetery in the night. There are also really nice drawings of
all 4 of the people involved.
Only have 2 days of food left."
Forsythia Flowers - Component for increase charisma (?).
Forsythia Municipal Hospital - In March 10038, hospital gossip
centered on the affair between the chief administrator and the chaplain and
on cutbacks of janitorial staff. People were also very concerned about the
war, because they didn't believe the hospital had sufficient staff and/or
supplies to serve as a wartime medical center, particularly since many of
the best doctors had already been summoned away to work at the Kissing
Dragon Pass army hospitals.
F.P. - initials found on Culebra Island by SOAK. Inscription on the
cliff (?) by the shipwrecks - "F.P. 10017." Inscription in the cave with
the skeleton behind the waterfall in the center of the island - "F.P.
10017" with three tally marks.
France - alternate name for Vorn.
Franz, Arthur (Brian). A dwarf who, with his warhammer Lars and
crossbow Detler, accompanied SOAK's mission to Blendon Island. Joined SOAK
after the mission. Died on Trangle Sewer mission, killed in combat with
bone colossus in Abedyam (Trangle?) sewers 03 June 10040. Missions:
Blendon Island, Trangle Sewer.
Friendship Temple - - The Temple is isolated in a patch of wilderness, traditionally unclaimed and unreached by any roads sounth of Pandoland on Vorn. It has been used as a neutral meeting- place for centuries, and no fighting or ill-will is supposed to happen there. See Swokowski Sine, the King, Diomachus Maximus, the black box, the Captain.
Visitors: Tim Da Reaper, Werner Gunthor, Donald Kagan, Twilight van der Rohe, Grey Group (twice as of 3219).
By Twilight van der Rohe: "I was selected for a highly secret mission for Wizard General Thorn, under the following briefing: a dangerous but extremely powerful man from Arboria named Magos Hamilcar had made a bargain with the Grand Council of the Alliance: in exchange for... membership on the council and certain other favours, he offered the use of a device... The council narrowly voted to accept his offer, despite great persuasive efforts on the part of those who viewed Hamilcar as too power-hungry and likely to betray the Alliance at any chance of profit. Our mission was to discredit Hamilcar and prevent him from carrying out his side of the bargain by removing the device (the "black box") from his possession.
The group was to be led by Wizard General Werner Gunthor, and included several of my comrades in the Pegasus Corps. We were to travel to the site at which the device was being kept, an ancient Ziqqurat known as the Temple of Friendship...
After collecting a few extra mission specialists (including Colonel Tim da Reaper, another native of Arboria...) we set out for the Temple of Friendship, hundreds of miles away.
We found a tremendous commotion. There were encampments from several major nations all around the temple, and each presented the impression that great wealth had been gathered. Only gradually did we learn the nature of the situation. Even though Hamilcar had promised to grant usage of the box by the Council, he had laid other plans as well. A representative of Mr. Hamilcar was conducting an auction... to bid on the use of the box, day by day. There were several... demonstrations of the device... and the parties present were deeply impressed. They were also highly impressed by our pegasi, and we had to fend off several offers to buy them.
We set out to explore the Ziqqurat and lay plans for the confiscation of the Box. Most of us checked our weapons at the door at the request of some personnel from Hamilcar's private militia (which Wizard General Gunthor and Colonel The Reaper referred to as "Netko") including Hamilcar's lieutenant, one Donald Kagan. They allowed us to view the box, although they requested that we refrain from touching it. After viewing the box, we went on to explore and map the rest of the temple.
{Include here: maps of ground level and first story of Ziqqurat}
On the second floor, we found an altar with an inscription in ancient Orcish. Since we happened to have Col. Tim handy, he read the inscription, which translates approximately to: "If you can read this, you're welcome here". As he read it out, the altar split in two and the two halves slid apart to reveal a secret passage. We would have been much happier about this except that Kagan and his officers were standing right there with us when it happened. We all scrabbled down the passage and found that it led to a labyrinth below the ground floor. We proceeded to map out the labyrinth with great haste, hoping to find whatever amazing secrets there might be before anyone else got to them.
It turned out not to matter; one of the things we found down there was a vapourous ghost balrog which allowed us to pass but seems to have attacked and eliminated everyone else who had come down, including folk from the surrounding encampments who had come in search of plunder. We heard many screams.
In the labyrinth we found eleven triangular boxes containing small oddly-shaped pieces of flat stone. Experimenting with them, we found that these little chits fit together and interlocked to compose a rectangular image. The image was an inscription of an ancient Orcish text which Wizard General Gunthor and Colonel Tim both recognised. They called it "Desiderata".
As we worked on the puzzle, we found ourselves passing in and out of trances where voices questioned us individually over moral and ethical matters. We were also tested in combat by a huge warrior-creature who pretty much wiped the walls with us, particularly since we were unarmed. Werner and Tim managed to defeat the thing, even though it fought about as fairly and honourably as a Sumo Lawyer. None of the rest of us were able to get anywhere against the thing. However, amazingly, after the trial was over we were all healthy and untouched; either the whole thing was a hallucination of some kind or else they healed, regenerated, and possibly resurrected us.
We also found several stone levers which, when operated together in a certain way, led us to yet another secret passage leading down, and here's where it starts to get weird.
We came to a vision of an open field, and an orc in princely garb holding a curved longsword [not a scimitar?!?] and standing over a dead balrog. We may be the first humans ever to see a dead balrog. Then we met an even more fabulously dressed orc with a jewelled crown, who spoke to us and was actually willing to answer questions. He presented to us, on the condition of our answering a puzzle about them, eleven amazingly amazing magic items. Our task was to match them correctly with the eleven Virtues and give reasons for our choices. The items are:
Cornucopia, Horseshoes, "Macht staff", "Bow of steadiness", Necklace of 33 Links, Dagger of Soul Slaying, Frog Box, Scimitar of Evil Cleavage, Chain of Strength, Hauberk of Healing and Protection, Ring of Spell Storing.
He also gave us lots of nice information: -> The King was last wielded by Diomachus Maximus, who exists to the Northeast, beyond the mountains, waiting. He knows where The King is. -> Long ago there was a battle between an evil far greater than that we face today and a far greater good than any extant today. The evil was defeated, but there was then another battle between the lieutenant of the first evil and a lesser good. The evil was again defeated, but later one of the servants of good became subverted by the evil, and this is what we face now.
-> The Evil right now is a Great Wizard, unmatched by any other. His home is no world, and he resides in one we have not seen. Only now has he been able to move forth in strength.
-> "Never despair, for you will find friends in strange places and power where there only seems to be reason."
-> Should we find any of the Rings, DO NOT USE THEM! You must be the source of all your power. [Tolkien Tolkien Tolkien!]
-> We have been judged worthy (just barely!) and virtuous enough to take posession of the Black Box
-> Magos Hamilcar has been judged unworthy in the extreme by the Ancient Orcs. They regard him as utterly within the power of evil, (and he's got two or three rings... hmmmm), and when he had The Captain, he did "nothing but evil" with it.
After this interview, we awoke mysteriously transported back to our camp, and no-one had any idea how we got there. Members of the other camps assumed we were dead. The next step seems plain: get the Black Box and get out of here, preferably in the direction of this Diomachus Maximus to get The King."
See the Tim and Werner Group.
Frog Box - Box decorated with lily-pads and containing 33 frogs of magic detection (the stronger the magic, the farther they hop!) Came from the Friendship Temple.
Frog World - another possible world in the multiverse, found by former members of SOAK aka There and Back Again.
Frog World Portal - seems to hjave been cracked open much like Grendel's Cave.
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