Hey Readers,
Yes I know that I am late again with the post. I have the kind of job that has the propensity to get really busy with almost no notice. Anyway it was a fun session this past week. It was on Thursday instead of our normal Wednesday nights do to my hectic work schedule. It was fun despite the fact that our campaign map program decided that it didn't want to work, but every once in a while doing everything by imagination isn't a bad thing. So.... without further ado, away we go...
As the wizard finished his casting, Ulemon and Namsuri saw him fall from the carriage and watched as two soldiers picked him up and with a blast of snowy air bundle him into the carriage. For a moment, the defenders at the wall thought that the wizard had failed. That the spell had fizzled away and that he had fainted before its completion. But when the sky quickly turned black, the defenders knew that the wizard had succeeded. The first of the flaming chunks of debris came down on its own, a single flaming meteorite that strike the ground and a thump and and crash and a burst of flame. Hopefully the defenders thought that perhaps that was it, but then the skies opened up, and flame rained down upon them. No one knows who was the first at the wall to break and run, but after the first it was a full rout to get back into what seemed the relative safety of the city. Ulemon, Namsuri and Tariel were all at the wall, and they all fell back in disarray with the rest of the defenders. Namsuri quickly picking his way through the throng and down back alleys and dodging debris as he made his way towards, what seemed, the relative safety of the Tower of the Sun, which even during the "bombardment" seemed to still rise pristine among the buildings surrounding it. Meanwhile Tariel and Ulemon were having trouble, tripping into craters left by debris, running into other fleeing soldiers, and just all around having no success getting off of the major streets that just seemed to be killing fields for the masses. Somehow, broken and bloodied however they made it, with the rest of the survivors, deeper into the city, and along with the thin crowd, in the direction of the Tower of the Sun. Raistlin on the other hand had been allowed, due to need, to stand with the elven mages in their hastily constructed watch tower. From here they planned to cast spells to assist in the defense of the city. But farther back from the main line, it made a great headstart towards getting away from all of the falling debris. The mages as well saw the safety that the Tower of the Sun provided, and thus when Raistlin arrived with the mages and the first of the defenders, he was able to find Namsuri among the first of those to arrive. Quickly walking through the crowds pouring in they find Ulemon and Tariel, and through some finaggling managed to find a cleric to do some quick healing to take them off of deaths door. Ulemon, even before healing however, was the first person to try to corral the masses that had crowded into the Tower's attrium. Thinking quickly, and bringing all of the survivors down into the safety of the underground catacombs, the adventuerers decided to quickly return to Volunthus to report on the fate of the Elven capital. So leaving the Tower ahead of the Black Army's advance, stole some horses from the south side of the city, that had been spared from the horror of the north side, and rode as quickly as possible for Volunthus.
Pushing their horses, the party arrived in Volunthus a mere nine days after the attack on the Elven capital. Reporting ot Commnader Sandoval the adventuerers delievered the chilling news. Momentarily caught in thought the party had a moment to ponder themselves what should be done about this threat that had seemed to materialize out of no where. It was decided, that the group would go Chrysanthus, Weipo, Vin-Yhoi and the Desert of Fire to recruit allies in the war that was sure to come. The Commnader for his part was going to contact the Tower of Wizardry and Seaward and warn them of the threat as well. Commnader Sandoval offered the group accomadations fro the evening as they rested and repared for what what would be a long and hard road ahead. The next morning, when they awoke, the party made its way to Commnader Sandoval's office, but along the way they were sidetracked by a pair of dwarves, who introduced themselves, with quite a flourish, as Donovan and Davin. They told the party that they would be assisting them in getting to their destination. Both of the brothers pulling wands, the party was prepared to be teleported, but as the spell was being cast, Raistlin realized that something was wrong. Before he could say anything however th spell was finished, there was a flash of light, and the party found themselves in the brushland that overlooked the southern mountains. After a group look at their surroundings, landmarks and the position of the Sun, the party realized that they were in Vin-Yhoi, just outside of the capital city of Deng Wei. The party decided that traveling to Deng Wei would be their best option, and so off they set, on foot, to the capital. After only a half day's walk the party came within sight of the city. It was then that Raistlin and Namsuri saw that something was very wrong. The great Tower of Vin-Yhoi was under construction. The Tower, which had stood for some 200 years, which had been built after the War of Magic, was still only halfway through construction. The party, quickly leaving the road, made camp and discussed what they would do with this new said knowledge. Looking back toward the city, and watching people along the road, and between their various intellects, the party estimated they had been sent back in time 198 years. Immediately they thought that it had been either a mistake or sabotage. But then they all remembered the conversation they had with the dwarves right before they sent them back, the dwarves had given Namsuri a list of names of people for them to contact, and as Namsuri pulled out the list and read the names, Raistlin pointed out that all of the names, were those of rulers who currently, 198 years in the past, ruled the nations that Commander Sandoval had instructed them to visit. They quickly re-evaluated the position that they were in, maybe it was neither a mistake, or sabotage, maybe there was something about "when" they were that was the key to fixing things in the "future". They quickly decided that they would follow their original mission parameters, but that they would have to be careful. The "past" was very differnt from the "future" where they lived. For example, in Vin-Yhoi, especially in Deng Wei, Namsuri would have to remain in human form, with some additional disguise elements as well, otherwise he might be taken as a slave. Seeing as how Vin-Yhoi was the largest slave nation in the realm, and their love of taking Kitsune into slavery. Also, they did not know how to "fix" the problem, but in this time Raistlin's robes would mark him immediately as someone not to be trusted. Although in their time the black robed mages had gained back trust that had been lost during the War of Magic, in this time they were trusted almost less then Goblins and Orcs. With this knowledge in hand, and after Ulemon had quickly adjusted their clothing to appear more "period" they entered the city of Deng Wei.
Passing through the gate of Deng Wei was itself a mild challenge for the group. A guard stood at the gate stopping everyone who entered. The guard would question the traveller, and then an assistant would right up entrance papers for the visitor. The party did not have any trouble getting in, but they had a few tense moments between Raistlin and Namsuri (in human form) as they both talked theri way past the guard. After everyone had entered the city, the party split up to find what information they could before speaking with the person whose name was on the list, Vin-Yhoi's Emperor, Emperor Woo. Namsuri got caught up with pair of thieves, but managed to extract himself and his possessions from the situation. When the entire party came back together for the evening in the vacinity of the market is when everything decided to go downhill. Namsuri was revealed by a slave as a Kitsune and was immediately set upon by the town guard. Since their entrance papers were also "a bit off" the rest of the group was taken as well. Being held in the city prison, they were questioned as rebels from Western Vin-Yhoi, but the party successfully evaded those questions as they tried to tell the truth about the situation. Of course when no one believed them they were beaten and then left by the guards in their cells. However do to the mistaken identity that they were accused of working for the Western Vin-Yhoi rebels, they were sprung from jail by a sympathyzer, and led through a secret passage out of the prison, out of Deng Wei infact, and under the mountain range into Western Vin-Yhoi.
This is where we left it for the night. The party was VERY confused, but they were excited with the twist.
I would again like to apologize. Although the session was itself a bit weird do to the lack of our campaign tool, I still should have been able to put together a better update then this. Also the fact that it is even later then it should be. So I am sorry, and I will try to make sure it doesnt happen again.
On a happy note though, we have a session tonight and I will try my best to have the update up tomorrow. :)
Until next time readers, may your axes dig deep and your arrows fall heavy.
-DM Eraser
