The
Encyclopedia Lorica

Mobius to Mystic
7th Edition

Mobius Ring - see Abraxian Ring.

Mock Turtle - Code name of an ambitious, multifaceted El Ouhd operation on Vorn that was initiated on Arborea in 10044.

3 January, 10044 - Twenty-three people assembled in a secret complex... El Ouhd speaks: "It has become clear that there are multiple planets. At some point in the past these worlds were joined and all life stemmed from one point." With the impending advance of the enemy forces it is time for our organization to take a huge gamble - We will send teams of agents into a world called Vorn through an ancient portal structure to accomplish four very specific goals... One is to explore and map a temple southwest of the port-in point. Constructed about the time of the ancient orcish period of EOW, it is apparently populated by liches who claim to hold great magics to help fight off the invasion. The group will then meet with the other teams and, if it is possible to accept the liches' demands, return to fulfill them.
5 January, 10044 - It was decided to travel under the guise of merchants. The weapons will be passed off as belonging to the "brute squad" that protects the merchandise. The route will be to the northwest from the port-in point in an attempt to find a friendly ship for passage to the Pandoland area of Vorn, since it is closest to the Krimic area, Obah, and the Ziggurat. Time will be spent training in Krimic and in other necessities. The departure date was set for 3 March, 10044.
3 March, 10044 - The teams leave the secret encampment. 8 March, 10044 - The teams arrive on Pavimentum on a Thiverol boat, and head for the mountains.
12 March, 10044 - The teams arrive at the mounts and begin to ascend. 14 March, 10044 Night - The teams head through a small cave. Zakath says it will be a three day trip.
16 March, 10044 - The teams climb up a sharp cliff and spend the rest of the day descending the other side.
17 March, 10044 Midday - The teams are wandering through a grassy river valley. On the left is a lower, flatter mountain - a volcano. The teams climb up into a a lava tube somewhat covered in a rock slide and wander through criss-crossing lava tubes until they come to a place where sunlight comes down in the crater tube. The procession stops some distance on where there is an octagonal black spot mounted with stone and some metal. Suddenly Agent Tanor's demeanor changes and in a strange voice he starts shouting something about "home" and pushing his way toward the portal. He is knocked unconscious and when he regains consciousness he is back to normal. Zakath pulls out the key and moves it around within the blackness. World invasion ensues.
The teams come out in a cave. On the back wall a rock encasement similar to the one in the lava tube had been built to house another octagonal portal. The cave is about eight feet above a river that splits around the island the cave is on. The river is about 100' wide on the left and almost twice that on the right. The cave exit points roughly sixteen degrees south of east and substantial mountains fill the horizon. A good deal of time is spent shuttling across the river, and with wishes of good fortune the various groups split off in separate directions.
Day 1 (17 Mar 44) - Travel commenced. The nights were cold at this altitude.
Day 2 - The mountains were getting steeper.
Day 5 - The team got 3 or 4 miles north (total travel ~30 miles). During second watch a creature about 1.5 feet in diameter that resembled a jumping spider attacked. Dispatched with few difficulties.
Day 6 - Headed northeast along a high ridge looking for a place to pass it. The wind died down midway through the second watch and eleven of the jumping spiders attacked. Scorpio was hit three times by their venomous stings. Agent Tanor was taken over by "Flame" and after throwing enough fire to scare off the creatures he shouldered his pack and disappeared ahead of us.
Day 7 - (23 Mar 44).
Day 8 - Agent Shakar got an image of Agent Tanor needing help at a waterfall to the southeast. Ten miles to the southeast Villon spotted smoke. Shakar got a vision of a hand lying across rocks a short bit to the northeast. Arriving at the scene there was a small copse of twisted and burned coniferous trees. Plate-sized footprints littered the rocks, and behind them lay Tanor. Casting "detect Vorn magic" showed nothing. During third watch a triceratops-like creature attacked, but was repelled. Tanor injected himself and fell asleep.
Day 9 - The creature was tracked for use as food. Moving northeast about 4 and 1/2 miles they found the creature.
Day 10 - The curing process provided 120 days of food. 6 more miles traveled.
Day 11 - Approximately 11 miles to reach the foot of sharp hills.
Day 12 - 12 miles of travel due north led to a 100'-wide river running northwest-southeast. During 2nd watch a much larger triceratops attacked. As it was subdued another crossed the river. Eventually, the creature was forced to retreat. Camp was set up for the next week so downed fighters could recover.
Days 13-17 - (29 Mar to 2 Apr 44)
Day 18 - A light snowfall was a novelty, not a terrible inconvenience.
Day 19 - 10 short figures appeared to the west. Attempts to communicate via spoken language failed. They appeared to be some form of dwarves equipped with bronze weapons and armor, and appeared to want meat from the dead triceratops. Trading went badly, two of them seemed to want to trade a bronze axe for Scorpio's longsword. Tanor handed them a gem, but they got upset. They retreated and set up a camp of their own. They were given a package with vodka, a pipe, tobacco, fish hooks, ten feet of line, and a harmonica wrapped in a silk scarf. Not long after, 2 dwarves came down the hill, stood back to back, walked about 40 feet apart, turned and ran at each other shouting. Pulling up short they exchanged weapons with each other, dug a hole, and buried the axes. Nutmeg performed the ritual and buried her very-good mace. During the night one of the dwarves attempted to sneak down and steal it. Tanor caught him, did the "handshake" and he left. (The "handshake" consisted of sticking right hand out, left hand out, right hand out, left hand out, then clapping hands - more customs confusion.)
Day 20 - The dwarves broke camp and motioned to the team to go with them to the southwest. The leader sketched some zigzags in the snow:
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        /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \       /  \  /  \
       /    \/    \/    \/    \     /    \/    \
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This seemed to mean a pass, so the team followed the dwarves southwest for a few hours and then turned south and continued.
Day 21 - The team traveled almost due west. At midday they approached the beginnings of the mountains. They traveled through a wide valley and then turned west again, although it looked like they could also have gone southwest around the spur. Mid-afternoon they saw a tower (Tower of Treachery) looming over the pass to the southwest that exceeded what the dwarves seemed capable of. The lead dwarf pointed west and made a valley like gesture. He looked slightly reverently at the tower. Midgard wrote out: "Can you read this?", but the dwarf did not seem to understand. He kept it anyway. A small group of three dwarves approached and pointed at Nutmeg's mace and Scorpio's longsword. The second one opened up a padded case that had an intricately carved figure of one of the triceratops creatures in it. Actual bone had been used for the horns. Midgard traded them an average axe and eight gems for it and took Scorpio to examine the tower. It was clearly very old. Casting detect anti-magic revealed nothing interesting about the door or the tower.
Day 22 - A group of five dwarves who looked considerably better off approached. The leader did "the handshake", and looked relieved to have that out of the way then pointed at the base of the tower, pointed at the top of the tower, and then pointed south.
The team followed the dwarves, passing into the southern pass. 1/3 of a mile south the valley opened to the southeast, but they traveled southwest, starting to go up a trail leading behind the tower to a somewhat narrow cave mouth. The dwarves proceeded in and the team followed into a tunnel that presumably led under the tower.
As the team was led into a room inside, a scraping sound emanated, and the floor slid from the passage and the team fell into a 25' pit. One of the stones did not completely slide into the wall (apparently broken) and Shakar and one of the dwarves struggled above, ending in the dwarf falling into the pit and Shakar jumping after. Potions were shattered all over, making it impossible to use magical regeneration. Lit by the glowing light of the ooze from their broken glow sticks, the party watched the floor above close over them.
Within minutes, Agent Scorpio, who'd been knocked unconscious, started to breathe poorly, and appeared to be dying. After some frantic moments, the agents lifted his body off the floor on the hunch that there was some poisonous gas down there. This seemed to bring him around.
A few scruffy, gaunt dwarves emerged from a tunnel slightly above the party. They had apparently been trapped as well. A tentative enemies-of-my-enemies-are-my-friends truce was reached and a couple of them clambered down and were curious but somewhat frightened.
After securing the fallen, exploration of the cave system ensued. Written in EOW characters on the entrance to the tunnel where the dwarves had been huddled was an apparently middle orcish phrase: Fides est et probitas tuum retinere. (See Tower of Treachery for a discussion.)
The team then attempted to find an exit with much discussion about whether to move in an upward direction or downward. It was decided that it was better to move downward where the lava would have escaped from the base of the range.
But the condition of the party quickly deteriorated due to an effect of unknown origin, most likely a gas. By the time they stumbled down a quick slope and out onto a ledge many were unconscious. Midgard awakened to find a huge char spot on the ground (from "Flame"?) and other signs of fresh battle from fending off a triceratops. Below the ridge was a pile of bones on which Tanor and Yarz (one of the dwarves) lay.
Sorties were made to retrieve equipment and fallen comrades. In a desperate attempt to save the life of Villon, Midgard used the regen ring (EOW magic) on his body, but it reacted violently and charred off his hand and left burns all over his body.
As she checked the bodies of the other agents, she counted among the dead Shard, Shakar, Labyr, Scorpio, Tanor and Villon and all but two of the dwarves The body of Tanor appeared completely dead and it had grasped the ankle of Yarz who was mostly unhurt. [Which is probably going to make a dwarf-owner very unhappy... ] Then, she noticed that Shard was twitching a bit, and realized that some of his vital signs were returning. Helping him out quickly she once again checked the bodies of the other dead, and found that Tanor (?) was also recovering. Villon and Scorpio were apparently still completely dead, and Labyr's body showed no signs of life but its ankle had now been grabbed by the unconcious dwarf Yarz.
Midguard waited for 2 hours to try to ensure that no magic reactions would ensue and used the cure poison ring on Scorpio and also gave him the ivory potion. She sat holding his hand, and just when she decided that the potion had not worked , she was told that someone was coming.
Four well-armed dwarves came around the corner, and looked extremely surprised to see anyone alive. Midguard shouted at them in Middle Common in a rage, and they fled. Then the commander heard a cry and ran to help Scorpio who had gotten himself too close to the cliff. After being pulled to safety, he promptly fell asleep again.
Tanor, Labyr and Villon were still down. By all guesses, Tanor had switched bodies with his cohorts into the body of Yarz, and probably had sucked the soul of Labyr as she lay dying.
It was decided to resurrect Villon since the mission required someone who knew ancient orcish, and to wake up Yarz to see if Tanor (and possibly Labyr) were in his body. Attempting to resurrect Labyr was considered as well, since she had AO knowledge and wilderness survival, but due to strange psionic occurances...
During the third watch Cinder heard footsteps and so the team stood at the ready when three dwarves charged around the path with a battle cry. The might of Cinder's greatsword quickly convinced them to flee.
Day 23 - More time was spent healing, but two of the seven spells went bad. Since the group had only twelve days of food left it was decided to travel back to the river area with Yarz and Chuk, the new dwarf companions. Six dwarves moved cautiously towards them with weapons bared, but a lighting bolt cleared them.
Day 24 - Only three person days of food, but the team reached the river.
Day 29 - 58 person days of food gathered, Villon and Scorpio up, travel resumed.
Day 30 - Shard slipped on a rock stopping travel until day 34.
Day 34 - (19 Apr 44).
Day 35 - The team found a fork that led northwest into an apparent unbroken ring of mountains or else northeast along the river valley. Northeast seemed to be the easier route. But frustrated by the huge range of mountains and the limited time frame the team turned once again to the south to reach the forested areas and take a more direct path to the Ziggurat.
Day 49 - The team reached the great waterfall in mid-morning and continued onward, keeping the great ridge to their left. Down in the lush valley the meandering path of the river was visble among the trees. It took the rest of that day and two more to find a suitable place at which to descend the cliff.
Day 52 - A fourth day to was required to ensure that the climb occurred without further accident. Thankfully, Agent Villon's composure had almost fully returned although he was still in pain. In contrast, Scorpio seemed to feel better than ever. Agent Cinder continued nearly deaf. [Consequences of participating in resurrections.] The party camped near the base of the cliff after its descent and confirmed the decision to go to the river and try to make better time rafting.
Day 53 - At the end of the day they reached the shore of the roaring river.
Day 54 - The party continued to labor through most of the day to produce two flimsy, makeshift platforms - Agent Shard complained that wood wasn't hard like stone, Agent Midgard complained about hurting the trees, Agent Cinder didn't hear the call of "Timber" and was very nearly crushed, Yarz ate a bad toadstool and had to throw up, Agent Villon nearly hacked his hand off before giving the axe to a more dextrous fellow, and so forth. The only redeeming moment of the day came at the end when Yarz plunged into the river and the horrified agents rushed to haul him out not 20 seconds later. It was only as the cure disease was about to be forcefully administered that they remembered the purity of the streams on Vorn. The agents looked at each other and, moments later, the forest was alive with ringing laughter of the weathered travelers splashing around with joy.
Day 55 - The rafts were loaded and the team departed. They made about 45 miles the first day, traveling primarily southeast about 30 and then south for 15.
Day 56 - The second day saw only 35 miles traveled as the group chose to camp near a great confluence some 25 miles east and then 10 miles southeast of their departure point, where another vast river flowed into theirs from the northeast with the combined waters heading south amid vast tumult.
Day 57-61 - From here the relative speed of the river and the inexperience of the crew combined to make each day's journey a lengthy, if largely uncontrollable one. There was a general fear of river monsters but there were no attacks. Five more days of rapid travel elapsed, averaging 50 miles a day. It was generally to the east, but the last two days were directed more to the southeast.
Day 62 - It rained in such a downpour as they had never before seen.
Day 63-65 (18 May 44) It rained a lot so it was decided to spend some time foraging for food while the river's swell decreased.
Day 66 - The team acquired 52 person days of food. Intermittent showers had continued, but not the torrential downpours. Travel resumed. Best estimates were that they were about fifty miles south and 200 miles east of where they started.
At midday they became aware of something noisy on the river ahead. Taking the craft to the side and pulling it out of the water the team set off to investigate. 3/5 of a mile ahead the river they'd been on joined with a river flowing from the northeast.
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Villon spotted three figures moving from the north, and after taking cover in the forests they realized the figures were on the other side of the river. They decided that they would re-board the raft and cross the river to attempt to communicate.
They were guerilla fighters and after a discussion in halting Krimic they were suitably impressed when Agent Shard destroyed a boulder with a lightning bolt. They decided to guide the team to the south, warning of the enemy encroachments and the army that was moving north up the river to the north. (The river the team had been traveling on up to that point.)
Day 67 - The team mistakenly lets the raft go without crossing the river. With the help of the new companions they build another one.
Day 68 - Traveled downstream on the raft.
Day 69 - Spotted an enemy patrol on horses on the other side of the river. Two of them turned around and left, presumably to bring reinforcements. The team left the river and took to the forest to hide.
Day 70 - The team was approximately twenty miles north and east of the beginnings of the eck army. A small patrol passed by.
Day 71-72 - Cautious travel continued, heading west with plan to move southwest the next day.
Day 73 - (28/29 May 44) Foraged for food and traveled under cover of darkness. That night the team was attacked by nine animated skeletons with glowing yellow eyes. They were easily dispatched and including a larger one that tried to hide in the darkness. Their heads were filled with a gelatin substance that suspended a crystal of terebinthium. The crystals were carefully extracted and safely put in lead. (Were they mithril in EOW, they would be worth near 1 million silver...)
The party continued to travel west another 1/4 mile and, as they were about to head southwest again, horses were heard to the south, apparently moving west. The team waited for them to pass and then continued on. After another hour, Villon waved the group to a stop before a rough wooden palisade about eight feet high. It was protecting an apparent road the army had constructed between their mining operations and some unknown area. (Perhaps a town?) As the team scouted the area, they were attacked by three more of the skeletons, and in the battle the towers along the wall (spread at about 100' intervals) were alerted. There was no time for hesitation as the group sped to cross the road. On the other side of the road and its two walls, they were attacked by about fifteen ecks, nine of them cavalry, and all of them seasoned troops.
It became evident that the King of Rohan had taken residence in the body of Yarz as he swung down from a tree kicking one of the ecks in the head and smoothly replaced him in the saddle. The dwarf leaned low to the horse and began speaking in its ear, alternating between stroking and smacking the beast aside its head. The horse obeyed his commands and the possessed dwarf threw his hand axe through the head of another charging egybrech and smoothly picked up his sword as he charged more of them. But then he was thrown from the horse and wounded from the fall. (Presumably Yarz had regained control of his body.)
Meanwhile Nutmeg was apparently possessed with the spirit of "Flame" (an important fact, since it was assumed the entities that had been traveling with Peregrine Falcon's soul could not be separated) She shot flames at the incoming egybrech until, apparently exhausted, s/he dropped to one knee. As the fight progressed Nutmeg apparently regained control of her body and with the addition of a sheath of flame around her mace she continued the fight. Midgard was filled with calm as she accepted the destiny that was set before her, and in a moment of vision she saw a long rope (a timeline perhaps) and her team moving across a giant knot in it. Midgard felt this was a good omen, and shouted out that the sound of approaching horses heralded the approach of allies. With renewed vigor, the team fought on.
Agent Tanor was apparently also in the body of Agent Nutmeg and became apparent long enough to wield his staff and dissuade the enemy from braining our fallen brethren, though he seemed to relinquish control when it became apparent that his prowess with a staff would do him no good against three well-trained ecks.
In the end, however, it came down to Agent Scorpio and Midgard left standing, but as they cut down the remaining enemy forces, about 25 more cavalry rounded the bend and formed up for the attack. There was no choice, and Scorpio and Midgard unwrapped two of the Vorn PMA potions from their protective leather and put them in a bag, then put in an EOW cure disease ring. Scorpio then threw the bag into the center of the cavalry. From it erupted the most amazing explosion...
A leg hung from the tree above, a hoof lay on the ground... The explosion had annihilated the enemy, but it had also removed the bodies of Cinder, Chuk, Villon and Ariliano (one of the guerillas) from the face of the world. The team found only the twisted metal of Cinder's sword. Carefully the team marked which magic people had been healed with and limped into the forest to the south, fearing the display attracted too much attention. The forest burned, but that helped to obscure the team's escape.
Day 74 - Out of food - more foraging.
Day 76 - Malcom woke up. Yarz's broken leg slowed the team, but it was thought too dangerous to use magics for fear of the Nazguls or Balryg.
Day 77 - Cid woke up.
Day 78 - It rained, concealing movements. During second watch Malcom spotted two yellow points of light in the distance. Two more skeletons are spotted, carrying swords. A third joins them as Scorpio heads into the darkness to try to spot their 'leader'. No leader is found, but the three are easily dispatched and their terebinthium collected. (The other crystals were destroyed in the explosion.)
Day 82 - Shakar awoke asking where his brother was. He was warned not to use his powers to contact his brother.
Day 84 - More rain to hide the trail.
Days 99-100 - (24-25 Jun 44) It rained lightly.
Day 114 - Shakar suggested that they leave Yarz behind because he was slowing travel so greatly. The team discussed the honor of leaving this comrade and his extra souls behind, vs. not completing the mission. They decided to risk using the regen ring, hoping they were far enough away to avoid attention...
Day 116 - Yarz is up.
Day 121 - Shakar paused and said that "something is on the move looking for us." Soon after Nutmeg was apparently possessed by one of her traveling companions long enough to say "Something evil this way comes." Perhaps the decision to heal Yarz was a mistake.
Day 122 - It rained.
Day 124 - Good progress - about 20 miles east in three days in an attempt to disguise their direction of travel.
Day 125 - The team meets someone scooping something out of the dirt - an escaped miner named Amaranta. She joins the team.
Day 129 - Still traveled east. The enemy presence seemed to be getting closer according to Shakar. The party turned south. Shakar believed that a net of sorts was being cast for the team. On third watch Midgard glanced at Shard from the side and once again seemed to see his face withered. A disturbing omen of uncertain meaning... Then Midgard spotted a yellowish-golden owl that had appeared more-or-less right above our camp. She stuck out her arm and it alighted on it. Around its foot was a piece of old rope that looked like it had been some form of tether, apparently bitten through so it could get to her. She quietly tied an EOW cure poison ring onto the rope in a way that the owl could bite it off and sent it flying northeast. Midgard hoped that the moving magic would help to distract the trackers.
Day 130 - The team traveled southwest.
Day 134 - Shakar said the presence was still there, though he could not tell if it was closer.
Day 135 - It rained again. (30 Jul 44)
Day 142 - The last week was filled, luckily, with extremely rapid travel. Malcom (one of the guerillas) suggested traveling to Mariana to rest and resupply because the more direct route along the coast to Obah was heavily occupied. It seemed wise to go in from the back by going to Kieron and trying to cross where it's more likely to be friendly and closer to allied territory. Otherwise they'd have to go to Patmos to get passage. The team seemed about 50 miles from the coast, but planned to turn northwest to skirt the mountain range on its southern edge by the water to reach Kieron.
Day 148 - It's getting hotter, apparently indicating the end of spring.
Day 153 - The team is rapidly approaching the mountains.
Day 159 - The mountains loomed closer - taller than anything seen on EOW.
Day 162 - (27 Aug 44) The team moved southwest to stay in the lowlands for better foraging. During second watch footsteps were heard approaching from the west. Two nine-foot creatures charged into the camp and into combat, one wielding a huge pike-like weapon and the other a giant axe. Midguard struck the pike-wielder but then was hit solidly and sent flying out of camp.
Nutmeg was disarmed and Amaranta (the miner) was taken down. Shard bravely faced the two creatures as Nutmeg retrieved her mace and charged back into combat. Meanwhile Shakar cast a lightning bolt. Nutmeg stood between the axe- wielder and Shakar as fire surrounded her mace once again. Shard took a pike-shot to the chest and went sent down.
As Scorpio ran to regen Midguard and Shard, Nutmeg pummeled the axe-wielder without being touched and the creatures turned to flee. Suddenly the pike-wielder screamed and threw his hands to his head. Nutmeg, now possessed by another (Tanor/Peregrine?), dropped her mace and advanced on the creature which fell to the ground where it screamed until it knocked itself unconscious by banging its head on a rock while "Nutmeg" stood over it, a spectral wind blowing her clothing.
Midguard and Shard were badly damaged, and ought not be moved for a week or two, but it will be necessary tomorrow... after all of that noise...

Mogos (?) - rescued Krutch with Tym, etc. (?)

Momenchance, Bob (Swill) - Bob writes: "I had a truly bizarre dream last night. I dreamt that most of a farm was dependent upon a large supermarket (which was located on the farm) and that some kind of weird portal opened up in the middle of the supermarket and a HUGE gelatineous (sp) cube rolled out. When I say "huge" I mean it was about 30 feet on each side... "

Mondrian, Piet (Ben) Human male. Furniture-maker, hunter, and archer. Died in 3202 in the combat under the logger's camp in Vorn.

Monsoir, Gabrielle (Geoff) - female sea-elf swordsmistress. After receiving her medical discharge from the military (she has a complicated medical problem having to do with alcohol - aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency?), she joined the Verteux Loonies in October, 10039, however, she and Yanni claimed to have met The Pat before, several years ago in KDPW or E, in an uneventful street scuffle.

Monsters and mysterious creatures:

Animated logs - sprouted skeletal arms and a miniature head on Shang.
Animated maidens - on Shang, with metal claws, oh my.
Animated tree stumps - irritating attacking woody plant forms.
Ants, giant - 1-2 feet long.
Balryg - large, powerful, flying magic-using psionic eckyebrech allies.
Basilisks - large quadrupedal reptilians that turn prey into stone.
Black birds - large birds that ominously watch adventurers.
Brid - intelligent, winged humanoids.
Centaurs - died out when water was poisoned.
Dragons - rare flying, fire-breathing relatives of wyverns.
Elemental, water - magical water creature.
Grendels - large, bad-ass inhabitants of eastern Vyrica.
Golems - magically-animated artificially-created beings.
Ice bears - intelligent, culturally "primitive" inhabitants of eastern Glacier.
Liches - a special kind of ancient undead.
Lizards - large creatures recently found infesting parts of EOW.
Manticore - a large flying lion with a wickedly spiked tail.
Medusa -
Mindflayers - see Uxors
Minotaurs -
Nazguls - insubstantial, yet powerful allies of eckyebrech.
Owls - encountered by Marduk in the Sprines.
Pegasus - flying horses.
Pelicon - seem to carry mirrors.
Rats - moustached with thick tail, encountered in Gnomish Temple.
Ringwraiths - same as nazgul.
Skeletons - animated skeletons.
Snake - large sea serpent summoned by a magical whistle.
Scorpion dudes - half-man, half-scorpian creatures complete with sting.
Sleep-inducing fish - a danger of the pool below Grendel's Cave.
Tiger creatures/wyverns - large flying tigers, often with skeletal riders.
Triceratops or tri-horned lizards - large, fairly tough creatures on Vorn.
Trolls - irritating inhabitants of Sprinal Tap.
Trog - ?
Umberhulks -
Uxors - dangerous psionic humanoids.
Water monster - poorly known creature on Shang.
Water snake - hydromantic inhabitant of the Sprinal Tap.
Wyverns - intelligent, flying relatives of dragons with poisoned-spike tails.
Xorns - stony, cylindrical three-armed anti-magical creatures.

Unidentified monstrous attacks:

From Signy Trigg's diary during the Vyrican Reclamation Expedition: 40-04-09 "[That night] a piercing scream tore through the encampment. We raced toward the sound, only to discover a handful of tents which had been flung and tossed to the ground... Three horribly mangled bodies lay upon the ground, although one tenuously clung to life, and several other orcs moaned of shattered bones... one orc tremblingly claimed that a 15' tall beast, resembling a huge egyebrech, ravished the encampment... Cyrus the Tall gathered a force consisting of 24 of our finest warriors and departed immediately in pursuit... 40-04-11 "Around midafternoon... a battle-scarred Cyrus, along with only 16 of the original 24 fighters, straggled into the city.
10 Feb 10043 near Krasgorod on Vyrica:. The Greymar Grendling Group was chased down by three orcs. Their leader, Pavel of Guernica, told them that three of his companions had been assaulted by a vicious beast. That camp was a mess, with claw marks and blood littering the ground. One of the people who was injured was already dead, but Loretta Python was able to save the others.

Monterre, Gabrielle (Gooch). A female human longsword wielder who accompanied SOAK's mission to Blendon Island. She officially joined SOAK at the end of the mission. Killed by a dragon on the Sword Group's Flight accross Ilico. (When the smoke had cleared, all that was left of her was The Sword and the Abraxian ring of unknown healing magic that she'd worn since 10037.) Missions: Blendon Island, Trangle Sewer (co-commander), Sword Quest.

Moonflowers - foot-tall annual with satiny crescent-moon-shaped petals. Easy to see in the dark because the petals reflect the moonlight well. Component for light.

Moons - There are four moons on EOW. On Vorn, there is only one. (I know! Let's do some animations involving a planet and four satellites of the appropriate periods to see once and for all if it's possible for France and EOW to be the same world.)

Moonshadow (Ryan) - Member of OMNICo. Human. Information unavailable. Killed in combat with egyebrech on Ilum Alpha while investigating Keiko's message and made unresurrectable on 16 August 10040. Missions: Ilum Alpha.

Mopatio, Ervisk () - Grand Wizard of the Iron Fist League reachable at #1 Ferris Circle / Dun Cess // CDC. Sent hiring offer to SOAK.

Moran, Wyn (CarlS) - Linguist Pudwacker. Member of Forsythia Cemetery Exploration.

Morse, Veanesa - wife of Beigebeard. Her grave was apparently found by Forsythia Cemetery Exploration. They though it was odd that it was only a grave, not a tomb. Also there was only one word on the gravestone: Veanesa.

Mountain dwarves - see Dwarves, Mountain.

Mourning Glories - an opportunistic terrorist group. This group was encountered in Melanchthon by the Order of the Ring in July 10038 when the O.R. went to ransom Rajendra Thar from them for 100,000 crests worth of perfect emeralds.

Mowcrot - One of the major balrogs - #2 in the hierarchy and the most active. Fights with mace, bull-whip and fireballs.

Tried to follow Marocxy and the Captain through the portals in 10036, but ended up at the arboreal portal instead of Grendel's cave.
Attacked the Pike Group on the Dawn Treader after their Eck Temple Mission. Fortunately, they were warned by Keiko, who bore a message for "The Man of the Turtles". She was persuaded to reluctantly hand over the message to Marie Marat before Mowcrot took her. (She did not want them to read it, as the message was what the balrog was after, and if they had read it, he would have divined from their minds that they had it and would pursue them.) Mowcrot destroyed the Dawn Treader, which ran aground on Persand. Hugo Down with his Persand Armbands and a helm of protection from mental attacks, Marie Marat with her mighty staff (not!), and Keiko, who was getting studlier and studlier by the minute, were faced in combat with the thing, and if there had been a few more people, they could have gotten a few great attacks on Mowcrot from behind. Balrog or not, that death dagger shoved right up his ass would have been deeply inconvenient for him. He did take a couple of cannon shots from Alonzo Coatline, which he found rather troublesome. He flew away with Keiko, but she apparently got one last mind-blast off on him, causing him to reel visibly in the sky, and drop her 500 feet to her splattery death. Mowcrot came back to pick up a glop of brain and headed back off.
Fought Kendra on Persand during the Order of the Ring/Pike Group Persand Portal Mission. They both vanished during the battle.

Muffin, Marcus the (Joe) - human artist and member of the Western Wind. Thinks of himself as a horse expert, but may actually be an incompetant wannabe. Remarkable for his ability to make people amiable, whether they like it or not.

Multiverse, The - the multi-world universe of which EOW is actually only a part, along with Vorn, Todtham and wherever it is that the Ecks, balrogs, nazguls, etc. have come from.

The known or suspected worlds include:

1. EOW
2. Esperanto World
3. Vorn
4. Totham
5. The place GG went briefly
6. The place where Hugo Down went
7. The place where Pike went
8. Middle Earth (?!?)
Ben ponders: "I think we can safely say that items 1-4 are distinctly different worlds, whether that means different planets, or different sections carved out of the EOW glacier. Items 5-7 could easily be locations within 2-4 with which we are not familiar. Item 8 is a bit of a mystery. I feel confident at this point that Rob has incorporated Middle Earth into his mythos rather literally." [See Middle Earth.]
Ben ponders further: "[Epistle to Be Left in the Earth] has me thinking about our worlds, particularly ones with compatible numbers of moons, and so on. What if something like that were to happen? Or, slinking back towards regular science, could EOW lie in an ice age?
In a certain sense, the fact that the only way we'll ever be able to get from one world to another is through these portals made by another civilisation thousands of years old, limits the relevance of these world-related questions; Whether or not the portals move us through space, time, or through the wild, weird eighth dimension, we still do not and probably never will have any way to build portals of our own, or use our understanding of their real mechanics to improve our ability to navigate or destroy them. Still, I find it interesting."

According to a briefing by El Ouhd: "It has become clear that there are multiple planets. At some point in the past these worlds were joined and all life stemmed from one point." Discussion ensued about these portals and their magics: There are several entrances in the Sprinal Tap, and in fact, most of them seem to be in the Sprines. In April 10038 OMNICo spotted a "tiger wyvern" that is known to come from another world. At the present it is not possible to reproduce the Ancient Orcish magics that help control the portals. The links (portals) were made BEFORE the Ancient Orcs.
So far, EOW is the most technologically advanced world found. The Ecks have not quite reached (or have not been allowed to reach) the mastery of engines to be found in EOW. In every other world, the Eck seem to come up with just enough technology to best the natives, but in our world, rather than coming at us with better engines and better weapons, they relied on magic/anti-magic.
Vorn is a much larger world, with only one moon and a different solar cycle. Time passes at the same rate as on EOW, but the days in Vorn are minutes shorter. 365 Vorn days = 360 EOW days and day length ~23 hours, 18 minutes +/- 5 minutes. [This makes an EOW day about 23 hours, 37 minutes.]
On Totdham, Kip and Werner and Tim were out looking at the night sky. Kip recognized no constellations, but the moon was the same moon as on Pandoland, he said. So since the moon is the same as on Vorn, they may be on the same planet. While since the constellations are new the group seems to be at a much different latitude. Pando City is right near the equator, according to Kip. But in Totdhum, the sun is to the north at midday, (although Werner and Tim keep arguing the point) which would mean that Totdham is in the southern 2/3rds or so of the planet.
Serge Zemansky: Some of the alternative worlds have vastly different celestial features: number of moons, constellations, etc. It seems highly unlikely that this could be a function of global position and is more likely indicative of different planets. Or, less likely (why do I say that?) of different times for the same planet.

Astronomy of EOW - The seasonal year does not match the calendar year.

A day is 23:18 hours +/- 5min, a month is 30 days, and a year (calendar? solar?) is 365 days. What does this data tell us about the possible orbits of these worlds? [Editor's Warning: My notes were messed up on these items.]
Four moons.
1) Sun spends most of its time in the WESTERN sky. 2) Around Dun Cess, the sun averages about 60 to 61 degrees from the horizon at the noon hour. This varies by +- 11 degrees over a year. 3) The sun rises about 89.3 mins off between Parapanisades and the Southern Glacial Wall. (Sun goes from N to S?)
From this I (Brian) have made some rough calculations: 1) EOW has a radius of about 5,039 miles. 2) EOW has a circumference of about 31,700 miles at the equator. 3) DunCess has a latitude of about 29.5 degrees. 4) The planet's tilt is about 11 degrees off the solar plane. 5) If there's other habitable land on EOW, it probably lies nearer the equator, so head EAST young man!

Astronomy of Totdham -.

One moon.
Constellations do not match Vorn (or EOW?).

Astronomy of Vorn -

24 hour/day, 360 days/year. Compare with EOW.
One moon.

Mundos - see the Dead Gnome Puzzle.

Mystic Gnomes - Known or suspected members: Gadfly Gerontious G. Gore Garrison, Garbonza Gently, Girk Gently, Germaine Goldy Gladstone, Gladys Gleason, Gaul Gotha and Galigio Grazioso.

The following account is based on a letter by Gadfly Gerontius G. Gore Garrison [25 November, 10038].
"Well, there we were, seven mystic gnomes stuck in a pit. The adventure had started out grand enough... One of our archaeologist/ genius types had come up with a theory that major gnomish temples existed at the points of a huge regular pentagon, and that by excavating them we could recover powerful artifacts and resources to be used in the war effort. One of the vertices of this pentagon lay in the mountains of central Pavimentum, so we set out to investigate. The area, however, was occupied by filthy human ragamuffins, and in combat to cleanse the cave, we discovered a pit trap and simultaneously discovered ourselves at the bottom of it.
We sent Germaine to make the dangerous climb to attach a rope and a hook to the trapdoors above us, so that Gaul Gotha could climb up and dispel the magic which we assumed to be part of the doors' operation. The dispel seemed to be successful, but we still needed a way to lever the doors open, which meant sending poor Germaine climbing again. Meanwhile, we noticed another possible exit; a stream flowed through a (sewage?) tunnel at the bottom of the pit. We managed to remove a few of the bars, and sent Galigio down the tunnel to investigate. He came back somewhat bloodied by a large ratlike creature (with a moustache, he thought). Gaul borrowed Gadfly's dagger and went in to dispatch the rodent, and found that the tunnel led to another possible way up. However, there were those obnoxious humans there too, a few of whom he was able to improve by means of a fireball.
Eventually, we gave up on Germaine's climbing attempts. However, the humans above opened the doors for us, and then threw bricks at us - bricks and kerosene, followed by torches. So we all headed through the tunnel, and made a break for it at the other pit. This proved to be a garbage dump, but the pit was shallow enough that we could climb out. The human scum were there and ready for us. We mounted the best assault we could, but there were too many of them for us, and the strategic position of the pit was just too wretched. Germaine, Galigio, and Garbonza fought bravely but fell. Gaul and Gadfly also fought as best they could, but were unable to overcome the hideous, mishapen beasts. Gladys and Girk were unable to fight, due to injuries from the previous combats. We were finally driven away, even from our fallen, through the tiny tunnels out from the cave system altogether. In my evaluation, the conduct of our party was brave and true, but our number and means were insufficient to cleanse the caves of those human scum, which will be necessary before productive exploration of the complex can be undertaken.

The Play-by-Play - The gnomes are in a hole. From the illumination of Gladys' small candle we see a water grate blocking a small tunnel and a flat stone ceiling/door. We decide to break through the grate where the water is coming in - into a 1 ft wide tunnel.

Galigio Garisiomo goes to scout. Gol Gotha whines about being asked to try to reattach the hook to the pit trap.
Germaine tries to climb and fails.
Gol Gotha borrows a sword from Gadfly and heads down the tunnel. (Galigio came backafter getting scratched around by a big rat.)
We hear a muffled explosion so GArbonza heads down the tunnel followed by Gerontius. Gol had gotten into a wider spot, finished off the rat with the moustache and thick tail, then noticed some guy looking in through a hole at the top of the widened area. When another guy looked in too, Gol toasted them both.
Back at the pit, a pile of bricks is dropped in on the party, followed by a kerosene-like fluid dropped in by a shadowy human who throws in a torch after, and another, unsuccessfully trying to light the fluid. Everyone made it into the tunnel, more or less safely.
We move onto the dead rat room. The tunnel opens up in such a way that someone could hide to the left. Gol flushes someone out, whom GArbonza quickly dispatches. Garbonza then looks in the top as Gol toasts the people above nicely.
Garrigio tries to climb out as Gol has a spell prepared. He falls. The humans throw in bricks. Garrigio tries to climb again and throws himself over the top - to face a big mean-looking blond bearded human. Garbonza goes after him to try to help and gets a crossbow bolt in the shoulder as s/he gets up through the hole - s/he falls back down. Combat ensues.
All go down except GAdfly (now being played by Lisa), Gol (now being played by Chris), Gladys and Gurk. (Gladys and Gurk had gone on farther through the tunnel on the other side of the rat room rather than go into combat.)
They make it through the tunnel to the outside only to discover their packs have been taken so that the 4 survivors have 16 person-days to get their pick-up on the coast.
Oct 30 they arrive at the presumed pick-up point - and see a purple flare out on the bay! Gladys responds with a fireball and a longboat comes ashore to get the party. THey land at Urbandale, cross the mountains and go to Botnia - Nov 25, 10038, the same day Omico bought Nightwanderer.

From a letter to Gr Gladice Gleason [28 November 10038] from the Honorable G Gordo Giuliani, Senator Extraordinaire, Apulia; Grand Captain, Third Light Cavalry

The honorable deaths of your comrades G Gladstone, G Gently, and G Grazioso birthed many a tear of sorrow amongst the senators who remembered their vigor and vitality of two months past... What little may be regained through the confidence of the elders is welcome to you; the Senate has awarded gifts of 1,000 crests each to of the surviving members of your team and 2,000 crests each to the families of the deceased. In addition, we request that you consider returning to Pavimentum having made the proper sacrifices and continue your search for the graves and relics of our ancestors. The Senate is prepared to fund such an expedition in the hopes of discovering the treasure of our past. A sum of not less than 5,000 crests and the use of our brothers' boats in Iceland can be made available after the first of the year... Inquiries after the nature of this letter may be directed to me, G Gordo Giuliani at the Senatehouse of Apulia.

They could go explore the Gnomish temple thing on Pavimentum, check out the Gnomish temple thing on Shang or the Gnome-eating teleporter in the Sprinal Tap.

(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)
(Xav-Zum). Contents
Intro
Index
Corrections? Additions? lkies@jumpgate.net
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