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Encyclopedia Lorica

The Swords to Syrinx
7th Edition

Swords - the most famous are The Captain and The King, known together as The Swords, but other important and interesting swords have been found, including the "Sword of Marduk", see Marduk Uranti.

Nick remembers: The only other long sword we have found in Vorn before we introduced them. As always this is a big rambling train of though. I'm not sure who was playing at the time. I know Kaz was and I would guess that MattA was. I think that Britta and Jason Moore may have also played. Anyway we have a group playing for a while in EOW, when decide to gate into Vorn. I'm not sure why. I think that we use the arboreal portal. I think at the time it was the only one we knew about. We come out the other side, and we are some where on a plain near hills. We wander around for a while and come across a monk. He is wounded, so I heal him. Boom, magic necklace, antimagic heal, Pop, his head blows up. Lesson learned. I'm not sure how we find out, but it turns out that his monastery is being attacked by some kind of bandits. I think that maybe we where hired by a town or the army or something. Anyway we go to help. The monastery is just in the foothills near the plain. I don't think there where any mountains, but I could be wrong. I also had the impression that the hills ran north south, but that could have just been how I was sitting near the map. I also have some vague idea that there may have been a lake near it. After a while we find there is a big grotto in the monastery. In it there are a bunch of large stone statues. At this point I think one of the bandits runs by, or fires an arrow at us, then runs threw a big thick door. We couldn't get through it because it was magic, I think. So we hang a EOW potion on the door. Then get back and shoot an arrow through the potion and into the door. KaPow it's smoked. I cant remember if the guy is still around. It this point we realize that the statues are a puzzle. We move them around the room. After a while we get it right, and the floor of the room opens. I think we lower some one down. I have the idea that it looked like a bed room. It had a bunch of books and misc stuff. There was also a long sword and some plate mail (I think). I pointed out that this was a long sword in Vorn and that this was odd. Also that we should take it since if any of us broke a weapon we would be fucked. Anyway, someone takes something. I can't remember what. Thinking about it, it seemed like the sword would be the most useful thing to take. Then the lich appeared. I think someone tried to speak to it in EOW Common, but I can't remember what happened. I think that who ever it was died. At the time I think we knew that liches can use items as magic batteries. We had the idea this is what the lich was using the sword for. Anyway, the lich takes after us. We all haul butt out of the grotto. We then go though the door we blew up before. Then we find a door that leads outside. Kaz, in a stroke of genius hangs an antimagic cloak across this door. We head for the hills. When we are about 60-100 feet away the lich hits the cloak. The explosion totally destroys the entire monastery. It also kicks the hell out of the party. At this point I think the army finds us. For some reason they aren't pissed at us for smoking a local monastery. I'm not sure what happened after this. I remember we do go back to see if we can get any of the other magic loot in the room, but everything is just a crater. I really wish I could remember more about where it was. It was in a Krimic area. I also have the idea that we really came out of the cave. But for some reason I don't think it's really to close to there.
Gooch says: Yeah, I remember playing that adventure, but you've definitely got a better feel for the details than I do. About all I remember from that was moving the statues around and getting killed when the lich hit the cloak. I can't even remember what character I was playing... Kaz: Do you remember who had that magical cloak? Who else was with the party? Anything? I have to wonder if the armor was like the stuff we found under Terrarno (sp?) or whether it was just a stash of one of the other PC groups. ;-) Does anyone remember whether or not it was gold-hilted or not? (Remember, all swords with a gold hilt are hereby considered to be 'The Shit') (Since when have the Military ever minded too much about the destruction of a monastery? Think for a minute about the monastic ideal and the military ideal...) Were they really The Military and not The Bandits trying to cover their... assets? Or, on the flip side, were the bandits really bandits and not The Military taking some time out to whale on some wimpy pacifists and steal their food?
Kaz: Yeah, I believe my character was named Leah Al'Thor. He had the cloak that killed the lich (it was MY brilliant idea) ;-) Big explosions are cool. heh. Other party members Attrib Nosterbluc (britta), Jason had someone who I think was rather unimportant. Again, Nick has a better memory than I do on this. I also seem to remember I had a big female orc in Vorn, I don't know if it was before, during, or after this.

Swords, The - two seriously awesome magical swords (summoning elementals, fighting at 75% PPD plus background healing processes, controling portals, psionics, whatever). One is named The Captain and the other is The King - rulers of sea and land (?). The existence of the two swords and the power of their pairing is a legend in the religious mythology of Vorn.

Brian thinks we should destroy the swords. "Conquor, conflict, and kill." Who or what would speak such words? Is this the device we hope will save us? What have the swords brought? Conflict between should-be allies, hope of conquoring through force and death? Is this what we want? Is this who we are?
Geoff think we should re-forge them! What's the real evil? The wars! The Conquest! The power of the Swords in the form of Swords is our problem-- Even if the forces of darkness are not directly drawing on their sword-ness, the swords represent a consummation of their desire. They seek destruction-- destruction of life, human, eckyebrech, elvish, animal, whatever, death is the Nazgul's feed. As swords, they cannot conquer evil, because as swords they are really only good for killing, conquest, and conflict. When we hold them, we are filled with the same zeal for murder. This is *exactly* what the Captain meant when it said 'our power separate is only a fraction of what it is united'. They cannot heal the worlds as long as they are two swords. We need to re-forge them to what they were before. The Captain has tasted a fair amount of blood. We must hope that it has not been poisoned by its thirst. The real power that is now rent into two swords is undoubtedly far greater than that of the nazgul, or that which stands behind them. It cannot be merely physical: eckyebrech and human might are trivial before it. It is, as the ancient orcs knew, nothing more or less than Virtue.
From Monty: "As everyone knows, the "deadline" for the end of the world has long passed. Supposedly, the Ecks should have overrun EOW, or the world should have exploded or something, because we did not find the Captain and the King (the swords, if you don't already know), bring them together, and kick butt, etc. etc. Obviously the world has not ended, but it may be that the Ecks can never be run out of EOW now, that they will be around forever -- even with the might of the swords. My point is -- WE NEED TO FIND THE SWORDS!!!
We have been given enough info to find them -- we just don't know how to use all of it. I don't think that Rob would give us the mission to find both swords and then never give us the ability to do so. Maybe we just need to sail around EOW continuously asking the sword we have to locate the one we're looking for. Can anyone talk to the swords? The last time we asked the Captain about the whereabouts of the King, we were told "somewhere dark, with fish swimming by" We were in Vorn at the time, not EOW (does distance matter? probably) Question: Where can you hide such an obviously powerful sword so that no one can find it? How about location by magical means? If no one has detected magic and located it (big, bright beacon -- like the rings) then it must be in lead, or buried deep underground. Any Ideas?
Anyone remember where the sword came from originally? Perhaps both swords are there. If not, can we ask Kendra where it might be? Does she know of the existance of both swords?"
Chad responds to the above: The sword is currently in Vorn, with the remainder of Omnico and Order of the Ring. Folger and Kendra have both fallen. (Kendra in Persand battling the Balrog, and Folger at the Abraxian temple fighting the balrog like demon. Grey Armstrong and Duncan Idaho are the main "big guns" in that group, with Grey in command. Grey and the sword have developed a definite....um ....bond to one another. I believe this to be a product of Grey's personality and the swords bloodlust. "Can anyone talk to the swords?" - Not in the current party. It seems as though anyone with a fair amount of psionic ability can speak with the sword, if it is willing. I will attempt to find and repost the Falcon Brothers (Homer bless their souls) talk with Kendra about the swords and the rings, along with Maroczy's talk with the Captain.
"The last time we asked the Captain about the whereabouts of the King, we were told "somewhere dark, with fish swimming by" - We were in Vorn at the time, not EOW (does distance matter? probably)
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.
Another thought: Is there a lake, river, or some other body of water really close to gravesend? Maybe the theory of a ring being there was wrong. Maybe it is a sword. The other possibility is that it is the power that will be released when the druidic circle inscription comes to pass...
"Anyone remember where the sword came from originally? Perhaps both swords are there. If not, can we ask Kendra where it might be? Does she know of the existance of both swords?" She knows that they both exist, but was not willing to really share info on where the other sword was, or possibly had never bothered to ask. If she doesn't return "from the dead", we will never find that info out from her.
I am assuming that [the Swords] were not together, as their power is only fully shown when brought together. I would assume the ancients would have seperated them by a large distance, so not just any power hungry idiot could walk by and get them both. The most probable source of info will be the new GG group, that is forming in Crimson Tide. The plan is to visit the ancient orc dudes, and get some info and/or the black box. The problem is that the group is having trouble even getting to Crimson Tide let alone meeting up. I guess we will see what happens.

Symbols, Standards and other distinctive markings - many organizations employ symbols - as badges, jewelry, uniforms, flags, etc.

  • Black earrings - EOW
  • Black standard with a white circle and skull - on Vorn, carried by a "black rider" approaching the desert ruins near Shudar Barg's, in 3207 (?) and encountered by the Sword Group.
  • Blue, dark - NETCo?
  • Eleven - ancient orcs.
  • Maroon - Shangri-laists.
  • Mobius Strip - Abraxis.
  • Octagon - druids.
  • Pentagon - gnomes.
    • Symtheta - The center of the Extinct Volcano there was the location of the Burly Strong Adventure just before the End of the World.

    Syrinx - Assistant of King Astyanax of the Brids. Highly intelligent. Learned Common from Felissa Hayes-Hunter.

    (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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