The
Encyclopedia Lorica

Salami to Shell
7th Edition

Salami - a "Tribal Orc" town on the coast of the Riverine area visited by the Tim and Werner Group where they were sidetracked from the search for Diomachus Maximus in order to go to the Fire Dwarven Necromantic Research Facility. Despite being inhabited by "tribal orcs" the town had a notary public, and it seemed to be the last outpost of civilization on the journey northeastward before the Arnsata mountains.

Salas - an oily, self-deprecating, fawning, sycophantic, lying little weasely bastard. On Vorn in 3207, the Sword Group found him claiming to represent Magos Hamilcar. He assured them that he was in contact with Magos. This was quite a trick since Magos asked the Alliance Grand Council for some men and supplies three years ago to go set off and find the black box and never came back. Evidently, Salas is holding back info from the Council. He also said that there was a possibility of Magos returning the group to EOW (which also doesn't add up, since if Magos could take people between worlds then there's no reason he should have lost his seat on the Council, even without the box - unless he had some crooked scheme requiring the kind of exclusive control possible with the box.). Salas wanted the group to take The Captain on their next mission (dictated by the Council) and make a slight detour to somewhere where Magos would be waiting, give him the sword, and then Magos would make them happy. Something like that.

Samson, Thomas (Ben) (10017-10035) Human, male. Political thinker. Aspiring Universalist Knight. Supported 11% tithing. advertised this belief by writing it up on origami swan's and distributing them where ever he went. Died on Uchebnik soon after the triangle maze.

Samson, Thor? (Jen?) - Member of Omnico. Blood-thirsty, split-personality male great axe fighter. Was accidentally ported through the Abraxian Shrine Portal and never heard from again. Missions: Ilmenite Mine.

Sankwich Explorations - Explorers for hire (not mercenaries) working out of Jacketz. Started by Aleph Roterisk with some old friends to investigate strange incidents on Shang Island.

From a meeting during training for Shang II - We are scheduled to leave for a job on Shang Island at the end of this month. There have been some grumblings about wanting to know who our "employer" is. A man named Chausable is who hired me. He has never told me who he works for, and I have never felt the need to ask.
Known or suspected members: Robert Indiana, Aleph Roterisk (Chad), Mitsu Suki (Lisa), Mallory (Chris), Hed (Gooch?), Sebastian (Matt?).
Mission 1: Left Jacketz aboard the Sososterus with Flubbus in order to go to the center island of Shang, open up a box to take readings (ostensibly, atmospheric samples) near the center of the island and get back to the ship within approx. 7 hours. The team was made up of Aleph, Mallory, Mitsu, Hed, and Sebastian. They were dropped off after dark on Nov. 17, 10042, at 10:00 pm. They navigated to the outer island, and made a cursory inspection as they carried the boat across and set out for the waterway on the main island. Along the way, their craft was "attacked" by some aquatic creature or creatures, perhaps sharks or some type of medium sized squids. After getting to the center island, they walked across to the center of the island and started their readings. The experiment needed to be run for one hour during which time, a putrid smell started to rise, adding to the general anxiety. Upon completing the experiment, they headed back to the cliff face and Aleph cast a detect. Looking back, he saw about a dozen glowing figures, so he began hurrying the team to get down the cliff. The creatures in the water did not want them to leave, however, and tried to take the watercraft, but some quick reactions saved the boat. The return trip to the pickup point was much slower due to the fact that they had lost an oar on the trip in (Darn water monsters.) They arrived back in Jacketz on Nov. 24, 10042.
Mission II: Upon arriving at the drop off point they proceeded along the north side of Kursk, across to Shang, and down the coast to the waterway. The trip was uneventful until they came to the point where it opens up to surround the island. Sebastian spotted what appeared to be a log. As they navigated around it, it began to follow and close in. As it came into position behind them, two long skeletal arms came out of the end and attacked. Hedonius received a wound which rendered his right arm nearly useless. A very small head appeared out of the top of the log. Suddenly Hed took a nasty blow to the throat. Mitsu attended to him, while a dispel arrow to the small head ended the foe's existance. They proceeded down the fingerlet towards the stairway leading to the alter. Upon landing there they setup camp on the island. After dark, the next evening, they sailed to the center island. Upon arriving at the ruins, they were approached by an orcish female (obviously animated) her hands had no flesh and where her fingernails should be, there were metal "claws". She was offered a gift. After she took it, she placed one of the claws against Aleph's throat, ever so slowly applying more and more pressure. After drawing a small amount of blood from his throat and receiving no threatening response, she turned and left. At this point, the group took a little time to survey the ruins. After approx. thirty min., the animated orc returned. She motioned for Mallory and Mitsu to join her. Mallory accepted - Mitsu did not. She proceeded to drag Mallory away. The next ten minutes were the most surreal - attempting to find out whether or not Mallory really wished to go with the orc or not. At the end she left - waving as she walked out of view. The trip back to the pickup was completely uneventful.
Mission III: They took the same route to the island. The trip up the waterway was again uneventful until the waterway started widening. The aquatic lifeform made an attack on the dinghy. This time it hovered in the water inches below the surface. It attacked again and was dispatched with a paralyzation arrow. Upon arriving at the center island, they noticed latern signals on either side of the waterway. Mitsu and Sebatian stayed near the cliff to protect the boat, while Jordan, Robert, and Aleph quickly returned to the ruins. This time they were met by two animated orcs and a weird looking Mallory. As they were returning to the cliff, they caught glimpse of a signal from Mitsu's lantern. They rushed back to the cliff. There were two rafts coming from the stairway area. Both contained 5 orcs, well-armed and seemingly ready to battle. They all climbed down (except for Mallory who jumped.) They took off for the pickup point pursued by the orcish vessels. They traded arrow shots with them and a well placed lightning bolt arrow to the bow of the orc boat ended the boat pursuit. The next obstacle was the archers on the cliff walls down the waterway. There were two injuries, both to Jordan in nearly the same spot on his leg. The noisy exit alerted Captain Flubbus who was on the lookout.
Notes by Aleph on future plans - It is completely possible that the ruins are the "gate" to a huge underground complex. In fact, I would expect it. As far as returning to take a long hard look at it....we work under the time frame set forth on us by the lich. It would be complete idiocity to expect to be able to just walk in and take it for ourselves. That would require large army of troops and wizards. (Not to mention a small number of artifact quality items) I feel that the diplomatic approach of sharing knowledge and resources is the best line of attack in this situation for all concerned. (Especially as far as peoples individual health is concerned) However I do agree that we should be back as soon as possible. What this will entail however is many more short jaunts to see the lich. Our biggest problem now becomes handling the Delta Force rather than dealing with the lich. We no longer have the secrecy we once had. We would be fools to think that our next trip to the island will not be met with huge resistance. The Delta Force has a huge advantage on us though. They are able to stay on the island with the natives. We are not. So, any trips they take are a matter of jumping across the waterway and back. Any trips we take require a high degree of stealth, or a huge degree of speed and offensive power to combat them with. I don't see them worrying about stepping on anyones toes when the spoils of victory are so large.The one advantage that we will have is the fact that we wish to share things with the lich(es). Most others will want to just take anything in the complex, and will not care whether or not the lich likes it. (That is until they get a few people crispy curled.) One thing I have learned about people is that they are incredibly power hungry. This "greed" will usually always be their undoing.

Santa Claus - deity worshipped by Tico Puente.

Sarbinnes, Jeannette Mistletoe (Geoff) - female elf? Killed in Skeleton Battle (resurrected). Had to rest so did not go to Ilum Alpha/Persand. Jailed in Delmarintha for being unemployed. Member of Delmarintha Dig Group and the Order of the Ring. DD Missions: Falconry, Night Attack, Skeleton Battle, Unemployment. O.R. Missions: Yarisuto.

Sarin Tree - if it's the tree who's bark the Order of the Ring was looking for to heal Kendra's soul - it's a rare tree growing on the Uchebnik peninsula near The Patville. The trees are very rare, and have been quite ill lately. The O.R. planned on stripping two feet of bark off of one to heal Katie/Kendra's soul from a wraith attack. (She was soul-cleaved.), but a woman in the town had a small business of selling bark potions to people. See also chinquin sap.

Satellite, the - an object that was being built on Amstrix Island. In 10016, terrible fires and magical fallout were associated with a possible flying object that was thought to have landed in the glacier north of Iceland.

The group that went to track the satellite on the northern glacier included Geronimo (or Gilgamesh, whichever had the extra thumb), and Ididerod.

Sato (NPC?) - Sudebin. Member of Order of the Ring (?) and Sword Group. Died in Abraxian Shrine Adventure.

Sayadhapuram - There is speculation that the Evil has purposely created barriers of evil creatures to keep mortals from getting to valuable things on Todtham and Vorn - Sayadhapuram and Diomachus Maximus, respectively..

Scarlet bee honey -

Schur, Lyman (NPC) - Member of Anthraco Mining. Contact for the first Omnico Abraxian Shrine mission. 1 Kendronplatz, Hematite, Allotrope.

Schutz, Heinrich () - masonry, geology and mining expert. Member of Second Bridge Mission.

Scimitar of Evil Cleavage -- improves attack score of user. From the Friendship Temple.

Scimitar of Fire (Flames and Quickness?) - found by SOAK in the sewers of Trangle in the possession of an animated skeleton (given to Trangle authorities).

Another was in the possession of SOAK (or OMNICo?) until Aug 26, 10040 when it was sold to the Kendronic league. It was dedicated to Abathor, command word "deluge," with 10 charges/month and had a tendency to toast elves, etc. (?) who tried to use it.

Scorpio, Agent (Chad) - wields throwing knife, and long sword. An El Ouhd agent since November 10043. See also Jonathan Gillette. Killed by poison gas under Tower of Treachery (resurrected). Since his return to life, he felt "better, cleaner, more studly" than ever before. Missions: Taniger Rescue, Mock Turtle.

Scorpion dude - giant scorpion thing complete with poisonous sting, but with a human head and arms. A bitch to kill. Found in the caves under Persand Island.

Sean (NPC) - guide, scholar, or "college kid wuss" according to Seven. (Sean and Seven did not get along well.) He considered the other four original commandoes barbarians, and he was probably right. An original member of Bysshe Commandoes.

Serengeti, Sara (MattA) - female Vornish tribal gnome from Shudar Sorak's village. Has a serious crush on Grey Armstrong.

Sergei (NPC) - a border patrolman for Krasgorod. Encountered by the Greymar Grendling Group. He questioned their intentions and seemed unhappy with them for not telling him more than they did. He stared hard at each of them, including the donkeys, either memorizing their faces, or sending them elsewhere. Either way, they parted with him on basically friendly company. (His concern seemed to be mainly for the well-being of his lands.)

Serpent. See SNAKE.

SETCo. Southern Expanse Trading Company. The organization is interested in Ayer's Rock and in the Sprinal Tap and has hired adventuring groups to: (1) Determine and describe the dwarvish/gnomish presence. (2) Determine the average levels of magical radiation as a function of latitude and distance inland. (3) Procure samples of flora. (4) Procure sizable and pure samples of the following flora and fauna: wyvern horn, moonflowers, dedekind bulbs, slather beast scales, whispering ferns, purple algae, yellow algae, terebinthium crystal and Lander's fungus. (5) Examine any phenomena relating to necromancy, demons or spirits. (6) Describe to what extent the Sprinal Tap appears to consciously protect itself from invasion/exploration without engaging in any offensive maneuvers and while respecting whatever property rights have been delineated by various corporations. Has also been deeply implicated in Water Cure incident.

Known or suspected members: Eric Bledsoe, Richard Caldwell, Marcus Cranmer, Michael Ferroln of the Clockwork Orange, Balsam Firth, Pancrace Genet, Gennifer Guaneri, Gurney, Albert Hourani, Port Authority Sargon Kropotkin, Greer Jameson, Lander Jones, Victor Josephson, Captain Silas Lapham of the Artaxerxes, Roger "Hemp" Meade, Camille Monsinge, Peter Pawngrubber, Ernie Roberts, Thalidomides Sine, Ronald Sonol, Xavier Synephild, Harold Tappman, Argon Teritak, Juble Tokenfall, Matthew Tolkien, Angus Torville, Mick Watts, Hogan Windmiller.
The organization may be reached at: Port Authority, Southern Expanse Trading Company, KDP West, Re. Also has a base on Allotrope (?), offices in Carthage. Missions:
  • Sprinal Tap employing OMNICO - April 10038. See OMNICO.
  • Ayer's Rock employing OMNICo - September 10038. Cancelled. The plan was to leave Carthage not after October 9, 10038, and covertly travel to Ayer's Rock on the eastern coast of Vyrica, just south of the Vyrican mountain and 1) investigate and map the region. 2) free prisoners from the complex including SETCo Mission Specialists Erik Bledsoe, Ernie Roberts, Pancrace Genet, Harold Tappman and Camille Monsinge. 3) destroy the shipyards and slay as many workmen as possible, even impressed labor. 4) destroy an underground magical research laboratory performing biomantic research. 5) destroy the captured UDC Naval vessel Covenant and determe the current location of its cargo and destroy the cargo if present at the complex. (6) Capture of as much magical research equipment and notes as possible.
  • Diplomatic Mission employing OMNICo- July 10039. With the recent maritime investment of the Western ocean, reliable transport of equipment and personnel had become nearly impossible. Despite the danger, it was imperative several negotiating parties get together in July 10039. SETCo was to organize the meeting and to guarantee the safety of the participants. See OMNICO.
  • Sprinal Tap - Sept. 1 to Nov. 1, 10039. Group of twelve people, including nine humans, two elves and one orc led by a Victor Josephson, disappeared while exploring the area.
  • Sprinal Tap employing SOAK: See SOAK.

Seven (Blaize Agueva y Arcas) - a huge, brawny orcish fighter who lacks the slightest glimmer of intelligence in his eyes. "I, Gar Pike, have never in my line of work met a character as strange as Seven... Seven is... an orc of the tribe of the 'Flying Toad' who eats the cooked spleens of his conquered foes with a passion... In combat, he is... fearsome, dealing out death with his greatsword and ignoring all personal wounds until all of his opponents have stopped moving. Then he sticks his claws into their chests and rips out their spleens for later consumption. Although Seven participated a lot in... discussions... most of it was simply growling and interjecting the word "Kill!". Melvin Findley and Seven got along great; Melvin yelled "Turnip!" all the time, which Seven counterpointed with "Kill!". Sean and Seven, on the other hand, did not get along well at all." An original member of the Bysshe Commandoes.

Shadow - nick-name of Jonathon Gillette.

Shakar, Agent (Chad) - biocorpromancer, electromancer, staff fighter, psionicist. An El Ouhd agent since November 10043. See also Taniger Falcon. Missions: Taniger Rescue.

Shang Island - island in the western ocean inhabited by xenophobic Viking Orcs. Shang Island is actually made up of three islands: the main island, and two smaller islands. One of the smaller islands is situated in the center of the main island surrounded by water, with a waterway extending out to the sea. The waterway is inhabited by some creature or creatures that interfere with small watercraft (and swimmers) that try to get to the center island. The creatures will attempt to steal boats left unattended on the shore of the center island. The shore of the center island is a 25 ft cliff. The island itself is the scene of very odd phenomena. Adventurers are advised to keep their eyes open, use detect magic generously, and have a ready escape route when things start getting strange - foul smells, magical figures, rising mist, animated female orcs. The other island is approx. 1/4 mile away from the main island at the mouth of the waterway and doesn't seem to hold anything of interest.

Notes on Shang Ruins by Robert Indiana: The above ground structures found on the inner island of Shang date to approximately 1,200 years ago, in the Middle Gnomish period. The rock was quarried elsewhere. According to knowledge of other Middle Gnomish structures, it is extremely likely that there is a vast underground substructure and that the ruins (apparantly once pentagonal in shape with a tower at each point) could be simply a fort to guard the underground entrance. The Middle Gnomish period was not known to be very advanced magically, so it seems very unlikely that they would be able to produce a lich. [When I asked Rob about whether the lich could possibly be middle gnomish, he said something like "What about Ghenjar?" When I asked him what that meant by that he said to ask Matt. I don't know anything except what's in the encyclopedia.]
This leaves us with the following possibilities: 1. The structure seen is the rebuilding of a previous Ancient Gnomish structure with the lich being left over from that. Problem: Would a lich actually be around a regularly populated (rebuilt) base? 2. The lich is actually Middle Gnomish. The Middle Gnomes had greater magical abilities than we know about (or there happened to be one fairly knowledgable Middle Gnome on Shang). 3. The lich is Ancient Gnomish and has been imported to the island. This seems to me to be extremely unlikely. Needless to say, if the lich is Middle Gnomish, then it can be deduced that they indeed did have a large and powerful knowledge of magic.
Explored by Sankwich Explorations and SOAK.
Big ass gnomish thing. What we need is to take a party of gnomes in there. *IMPORTANT* Protection from pyromancy has been tried already-- it doesn't exist at levels high enough to protect us from that thing. What we need is a party that the thing won't be so inclined to incinerate.

Shangri-la - Followers wear ruby-child pendants and maroon/purple robes. See Shangri-Theory.

Shangri-laists - 27 November 10037: About midnight, Stephan Bolger and Lantelle Svorak were surrounded by orcs, questioned, then taken a day and a half through the mountains to a high valley encampment where they met a gnome, and a human in maroon Shangrilaist robes who said they could call him 'Luke'. Luke explained that they were a guerilla band fighting against the invaders and took a great interest in the ring Lantelle wore, saying that it was a signet (description? Gooch?) of the druids that had gone over to fight on the side of the Ecks. He said that the druids had a prophecy saying that a 'wave' would begin in central Vyrica and overwhelm all and that the ecks coincided their invasion so that they would seem to be that wave. Most of the druids believed the ecks to the the fortold 'wave' and went over to their side. When Lantelle asked him why he wore the Shangri-laist robes, he said that he was one of them. "Shangri-laists," he said, "study every religion to understand them fully."

Members: Theresa Troost.

Shangri-land - name given by SOAK to a spit of land left exposed by the southern glacier near Gailinea (?). No plant life to speak of, inhabitted by giant lemmings which are relatively harmless except for their large numbers and their affinity for adventuring rations. SOAK encountered Brids and alleged Shangri-la-ists there.

Shangri-Theory -

The Theory 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 Vahoraun? 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?

Shard, Agent (Ryan) - physomancer, wields a warhammer,an El Ouhd agent as of November 10043. See also Baeraman Stonesplitter. Missions: Taniger Rescue, Mock Turtle.

"Keep the faith! Remember the virtues! Keep Commie butt! Ave', El Ouhd! Te morituri saluten!" - Agent Shard

Shariff, Omar () - medic gypsy elf member of the Western Wind.

Shedd, Cyprius () - associated with Copper Hull and Olive Ol.

Shefield, Jerald () - naval engineer. Member of Order of the Ring. Killed on O.R. rescue mission by egyebrech on unknown island in western ocean. Missions: Rajendra Rescue.

Shele (NPC) - lovely female Vornish tribal gnome from Shudar Gert's village. Was given to the Sword Group to be a bride for Shudar Sorak and cement an alliance. Protected by Lam.

Shell -

Shell Puzzle - Found by OMNICo in the Sprinal Tap in a shell found on some petrified dwarves in the basilisk cave. (SETCO returned the seashell without comment to OMNICo.) Commander Isabella Cardinoff found it so interesting that she (once or twice) even forgot to snap at Jean-Paul Marat for calling her "sir". Mme. Cardinoff explained that instead of sounding like the sea (as do most seashells), this seashell played music- a sequence of sixteen musical selections, possibly a clue to some hidden treasure, possibly even a horde left by the infamous Beigebeard.

All of the selections came from periods two hundred years ago or more. Many of them sounded rather Dwarven or Orcish. One of them was known to belong to a school of Elvish clavecinists, although the actual composer was obscure (Pancreas Royer? Pancake?). One sounded like a later specimen from the Elvish Impressionist school, but turned out to be the work of an Orc (Sergey Rachmanyinoff) who had traveled to the Ehrengard World Exposition and met with some of the impressionists. Yet another was a comical waltz by Camille Saint-Saens. Luckily, Cmdr. Cardinoff had studied music, and was able to use the scores available at the KDPW public library to find the composers and titles of all sixteen pieces, which are reproduced below, with the titles translated into the Common Tongue of the Humans.
[1]  Camille Saint-Saens	Carnival of the Animals:  The Elephants
[2]  Modest Mussorgsky	A Night on Bald Mountain
[3]  Modest Mussorgsky	Pictures at an Exhibition: With the Dead
[4]  Modest Mussorgsky	Pictures at an Exhibition:  The Gnome
[5]  Ludwig van Beethoven	"Moonlight" Sonata (Op. 27, No. 2)
[6]  Pancrace Royer	March of the Scythes
[7]  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	Symphony #30 in D major: Minuet
[8]  Richard Strauss	Also Sprach Zarathustra: The Funeral
[9]  Modest Mussorgsky	Pictures at an Exhibition:  
	Catacombs- An Orcish Grave
[10]  Aram Khachaturian	Sabre Dance
[11]  George Friedrich Handel	Water Music:  Overture
[12]  Sergey Rachmanyinoff	The Rock
[13]  George Friedrich Handel	Royal Fireworks Music:  Overture
[14]  Johann Sebastian Bach	Suite in D for Orchestra:  Air
[15]  Edvard Grieg	Peer Gynt:  In the Hall of the Mountain King
[16]  Richard Strauss	Also Sprach Zarathustra: The Night Wanderer's Song
Now, we knew that the only place in the world where elephants [Song 1] are found was Ilum Gamma, owned by a Mr. Chopin, (who, as the sole supplier of ivory to the world, has grown fabulously wealthy). We were not absolutely certain what the significance of the other songs was (although there was a promontory on the island called 'Scythe Point'), but we guessed that once we found our way to one of the three mountains on Illum Gamma, more would become clear to us. See Illum Gamma.
(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)
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