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Assassins II: Eye of the Beholder
Assassins II- Eye of the Beholder
DAY 1 (12-Nerul-13733)
The Histories of The Forgotten Realms LXII: Chapter I- Azoun's Grand Quest Begins
And, on the 23rd of Faran in the nation of Cormyr, the Great King Azoun IV sent out a call for adventurers across the realms- petitioning powerful mages and barbarians from the Dalelands, Anauroch, and from locations as far distant as Calimshan and Luskan.
These heroes and adventurers, blackguards and fools gathered in the Court of Azoun- brought hither by promises of untold wealth should they accomplish their mission.
And yet, as they gathered in the antechamber, some began to wonder... "Why would Azoun not send his troops out into the caves themselves? Why would he hire adventurers to do the work for him... Were his troops not strong enough?"
Azoun dismissed these fears with a flick of his wrist and a shake of his head. "My dear friends." He began. "I send ye and not my army because of both the cost and the dangers."
The adventurers looked around at each other, puzzled. The reward was said to be great. How could the cost be less if they, and not the army were sent.
"You see," Azoun continued. "Only the survivors will be rewarded. And I cannot risk the decimation of my army. Nay, with the contested lands of Anauroch to the North and with the Dalelands foul predations, I have much to fear. Therefore, I asked you- all 300 of you to come to my side and travel into the Underdark to destroy Sschindyrlryn, the city of the Drow so that those foul creatures will no longer trouble our fair town and forest."
Those gathered nodded at Azoun's wisdom.
"You must understand." Azoun began. "You will be segmented into groups of 20 or so for adventuring. That way, no Drow Wizard will be able to destroy you all in a cave collapse."
The adventurers, gathered from throughout the Forgotten Realms (r) grumbled at that suggestion.
Azoun affixed them with a deadly glare and they fell silent.
Over the following days, Azoun's Lord Chamberlain divided the personages into groups.
The Times Of the Journey Into the Hated Drow Wastes
12-Nerul-13733
...The cave-in caught us all unawares. Methinks the blasted Dark Elves set the trap to trigger moments upon our entrance. Mealso thinks that the damned Halfling from Calimshan- that fiendishly evil Zopperoni with his tight fitting purple tunic and shining silver daggers was the idiot who triggered the slide with all his mindless darting ahead and searching for hiding holes and concealed areas.
Thankfully, more or less, all of us survived the collapse. Our adventuring party survived intact without so much as a lost arm or damaged foot between us- save that of the self-reknowned "Great" Wizard.
The ancient Tuberski Majere had held back safely behind the group, moving slowly along, accompanied by his assistants, the sturdy dwarven ranger- Urban Ranger and the helpful human monk Joncha. However, his very caution was his downfall as the rocks slid and his assistants scampered out of the way, leaving him to fall upon the ground and be struck by several large boulders, pinning his leg.
We all gasped, seeing the indemnity that he suffered. Then strong-bodied Gheneral Ludd and Ljube ljcvetko rushed forth to lift him from the ground. After clearing the rock with strong straining pushes, they each took an arm and pulled The "Great" Wizard to his feet.
The man was disoriented and delirious. Indeed, he seemed to have forgotten why he was accompanying us on our adventure.
With the exception of the strange Bard from Amn... Jon Miller, who was compiling odes to Gheneral Ludd and Ljube ljcvetko's fortitude and who, I believe, was perversely hoping that our "Great" Wizard would die so that he could sing an epic about the instance, we all prayed that Tuberski would improve.
-Siddiqui Il-Artir
Schematic Inventions and Drawings: Chaunk Makerofthings... Volume XII Edition I
12-Nerul-13733
... Unlike my companions who cursed it, I gave thanks for the cave-in. The accident itself presented numerous possibilities for my inventiveness to show forth.
Indade- after hearing the first crumbling of the rocks and the first painful screams, I immediately set about constructing a oracular device withwhich I could determine the injured persons' temperature of his mouth- for we all know as the great Gnomic Inventor Hewhoknowsmorethanyouknowandwhoinventedalotofstuff andwhosetruenamewouldtakenearlyfourteendaystorepea t... discovered in the year 13701 that the body of most mammalian animals sweat profusely through their mouths and therefore oracular infections have a way of causing gangrene- for if the mouth can not radiate excess heat, then the body is doomed, and if the body is doomed, then the soul is dead.
As I worked, I found myself under the watchful eye of Jonny, the Halfling Wizard from Sundabar. I don’t know why he would stare at me so, excepting that he is one of those old blackguard fools who remember the Great Miniature War between Halflings and Gnomes over the Smalllands across the oceans. No, I fear the man was eyeing me speculatively and watchfully, intent was he on stealing my invention.
Seeing this, I halted in my drawing of the schematics and retreated into a corner, by myself.
-Chaunk Makerofthingsblowingupanddestroyingalotofotherstuf fandusingfuselagestodestroydragonsandwhohaskilleda tleastonedragonalbeitasmallgolddragonbabyeggbuthed estoryeditandthatisnotwherethestoryendsbecausethen heattackedthemotherbutdidnotkillherbutdidsurviveth eflamesdartingaroundhimselfbecauseofthecraftedmagi calarmorwhichhewoninagamblingcontestwiththevenerab le-Destroyerofsmallobjectsofdubiousworthandwhodidsode stroythegreatgnomeslayertharallvaneusthebarbarian. .. etc.
From the Diary of Lady Anita Blake of Luskan City
The Lady Aluria sent me on this journey for Mardadril knows what reason. Sigh. I wish I had been accompanied by allies. But, the Lady was most adamant. One representative and only one. More might firghten Azoun.
And, as I hath come of age and reached my 120th year, I must needs be prove my worthiness to the blood.
Therefore, I must grit my teeth and gird up my- (blushes)- nevermind. I hath read tooo much male-dominated works of fiction, methinks.
But regardless, I must show fortitude and rectitude in this venture as in all else and do honor by my elven Matriage.
(signed in a flourish)
-The Lady Anita Blake
The Histories of The Forgotten Realms LXII: Chapter II- The Cave-In at the Forest of Cormyr
... As the heroes dragged the limp body of Tuberski Majere from the rock-collapse, the half-elven ranger, Octavius X started to search for some way out of this cave. Despite the exertion of his greatest tracking skills, the learnéd Octavius discovered nothing and sat down to brood.
Meanwhile, Sir Spacéd C’owboy, the loyal Helmite and companion of the Bard Jon Miller, approached the shattered body of Tuberski and laid his hands upon the man’s appendage, attempting to heal the shattered leg. Siddiqui Il-Artir, the Elven Druid scowled, watching the pitiful human attempt to cure the great wizard. He had little respect for the one who called himself Tuberski the Great, for as Siddiqui well knew, true knowledge can only be attained by Elven-kind, and that human’s puny lifespans limits them to only minimal achievement. Indeed, Siddiqui held a deep distrust of all human-born magic-users.
While Siddiqui watched the Paladin heal the Wizard, Trokair T’Shandbar, a Half-Elven Wizard, studied his spellbooks intently, and “Doctor” Spike leerily eyed the group’s jangling coin-purses.
Master Nuclearus, a spoiled brat from the docks of Calimshan, loitered about, leering at the Elven Lady and winking at her ever so often. She returned his leers with deathly glares. Siddiqui noticed this and rose to speak with the Master. After a few raised words, the Master retreated from the Lady and the Druid, and Siddiqui went to the Lady’s side to give her comfort. She testily shook him off.
DAY 1 (12-Nerul-13733)
The Histories of The Forgotten Realms LXII: Chapter I- Azoun's Grand Quest Begins
And, on the 23rd of Faran in the nation of Cormyr, the Great King Azoun IV sent out a call for adventurers across the realms- petitioning powerful mages and barbarians from the Dalelands, Anauroch, and from locations as far distant as Calimshan and Luskan.
These heroes and adventurers, blackguards and fools gathered in the Court of Azoun- brought hither by promises of untold wealth should they accomplish their mission.
And yet, as they gathered in the antechamber, some began to wonder... "Why would Azoun not send his troops out into the caves themselves? Why would he hire adventurers to do the work for him... Were his troops not strong enough?"
Azoun dismissed these fears with a flick of his wrist and a shake of his head. "My dear friends." He began. "I send ye and not my army because of both the cost and the dangers."
The adventurers looked around at each other, puzzled. The reward was said to be great. How could the cost be less if they, and not the army were sent.
"You see," Azoun continued. "Only the survivors will be rewarded. And I cannot risk the decimation of my army. Nay, with the contested lands of Anauroch to the North and with the Dalelands foul predations, I have much to fear. Therefore, I asked you- all 300 of you to come to my side and travel into the Underdark to destroy Sschindyrlryn, the city of the Drow so that those foul creatures will no longer trouble our fair town and forest."
Those gathered nodded at Azoun's wisdom.
"You must understand." Azoun began. "You will be segmented into groups of 20 or so for adventuring. That way, no Drow Wizard will be able to destroy you all in a cave collapse."
The adventurers, gathered from throughout the Forgotten Realms (r) grumbled at that suggestion.
Azoun affixed them with a deadly glare and they fell silent.
Over the following days, Azoun's Lord Chamberlain divided the personages into groups.
The Times Of the Journey Into the Hated Drow Wastes
12-Nerul-13733
...The cave-in caught us all unawares. Methinks the blasted Dark Elves set the trap to trigger moments upon our entrance. Mealso thinks that the damned Halfling from Calimshan- that fiendishly evil Zopperoni with his tight fitting purple tunic and shining silver daggers was the idiot who triggered the slide with all his mindless darting ahead and searching for hiding holes and concealed areas.
Thankfully, more or less, all of us survived the collapse. Our adventuring party survived intact without so much as a lost arm or damaged foot between us- save that of the self-reknowned "Great" Wizard.
The ancient Tuberski Majere had held back safely behind the group, moving slowly along, accompanied by his assistants, the sturdy dwarven ranger- Urban Ranger and the helpful human monk Joncha. However, his very caution was his downfall as the rocks slid and his assistants scampered out of the way, leaving him to fall upon the ground and be struck by several large boulders, pinning his leg.
We all gasped, seeing the indemnity that he suffered. Then strong-bodied Gheneral Ludd and Ljube ljcvetko rushed forth to lift him from the ground. After clearing the rock with strong straining pushes, they each took an arm and pulled The "Great" Wizard to his feet.
The man was disoriented and delirious. Indeed, he seemed to have forgotten why he was accompanying us on our adventure.
With the exception of the strange Bard from Amn... Jon Miller, who was compiling odes to Gheneral Ludd and Ljube ljcvetko's fortitude and who, I believe, was perversely hoping that our "Great" Wizard would die so that he could sing an epic about the instance, we all prayed that Tuberski would improve.
-Siddiqui Il-Artir
Schematic Inventions and Drawings: Chaunk Makerofthings... Volume XII Edition I
12-Nerul-13733
... Unlike my companions who cursed it, I gave thanks for the cave-in. The accident itself presented numerous possibilities for my inventiveness to show forth.
Indade- after hearing the first crumbling of the rocks and the first painful screams, I immediately set about constructing a oracular device withwhich I could determine the injured persons' temperature of his mouth- for we all know as the great Gnomic Inventor Hewhoknowsmorethanyouknowandwhoinventedalotofstuff andwhosetruenamewouldtakenearlyfourteendaystorepea t... discovered in the year 13701 that the body of most mammalian animals sweat profusely through their mouths and therefore oracular infections have a way of causing gangrene- for if the mouth can not radiate excess heat, then the body is doomed, and if the body is doomed, then the soul is dead.
As I worked, I found myself under the watchful eye of Jonny, the Halfling Wizard from Sundabar. I don’t know why he would stare at me so, excepting that he is one of those old blackguard fools who remember the Great Miniature War between Halflings and Gnomes over the Smalllands across the oceans. No, I fear the man was eyeing me speculatively and watchfully, intent was he on stealing my invention.
Seeing this, I halted in my drawing of the schematics and retreated into a corner, by myself.
-Chaunk Makerofthingsblowingupanddestroyingalotofotherstuf fandusingfuselagestodestroydragonsandwhohaskilleda tleastonedragonalbeitasmallgolddragonbabyeggbuthed estoryeditandthatisnotwherethestoryendsbecausethen heattackedthemotherbutdidnotkillherbutdidsurviveth eflamesdartingaroundhimselfbecauseofthecraftedmagi calarmorwhichhewoninagamblingcontestwiththevenerab le-Destroyerofsmallobjectsofdubiousworthandwhodidsode stroythegreatgnomeslayertharallvaneusthebarbarian. .. etc.
From the Diary of Lady Anita Blake of Luskan City
The Lady Aluria sent me on this journey for Mardadril knows what reason. Sigh. I wish I had been accompanied by allies. But, the Lady was most adamant. One representative and only one. More might firghten Azoun.
And, as I hath come of age and reached my 120th year, I must needs be prove my worthiness to the blood.
Therefore, I must grit my teeth and gird up my- (blushes)- nevermind. I hath read tooo much male-dominated works of fiction, methinks.
But regardless, I must show fortitude and rectitude in this venture as in all else and do honor by my elven Matriage.
(signed in a flourish)
-The Lady Anita Blake
The Histories of The Forgotten Realms LXII: Chapter II- The Cave-In at the Forest of Cormyr
... As the heroes dragged the limp body of Tuberski Majere from the rock-collapse, the half-elven ranger, Octavius X started to search for some way out of this cave. Despite the exertion of his greatest tracking skills, the learnéd Octavius discovered nothing and sat down to brood.
Meanwhile, Sir Spacéd C’owboy, the loyal Helmite and companion of the Bard Jon Miller, approached the shattered body of Tuberski and laid his hands upon the man’s appendage, attempting to heal the shattered leg. Siddiqui Il-Artir, the Elven Druid scowled, watching the pitiful human attempt to cure the great wizard. He had little respect for the one who called himself Tuberski the Great, for as Siddiqui well knew, true knowledge can only be attained by Elven-kind, and that human’s puny lifespans limits them to only minimal achievement. Indeed, Siddiqui held a deep distrust of all human-born magic-users.
While Siddiqui watched the Paladin heal the Wizard, Trokair T’Shandbar, a Half-Elven Wizard, studied his spellbooks intently, and “Doctor” Spike leerily eyed the group’s jangling coin-purses.
Master Nuclearus, a spoiled brat from the docks of Calimshan, loitered about, leering at the Elven Lady and winking at her ever so often. She returned his leers with deathly glares. Siddiqui noticed this and rose to speak with the Master. After a few raised words, the Master retreated from the Lady and the Druid, and Siddiqui went to the Lady’s side to give her comfort. She testily shook him off.
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