20060603 Aishapra01

<H1> Aishapra's Talisman: Jumping the Shark </H1>
<H2> Role Call </H2>
<TABLE>
<TR>
 <TD> Thorfinn </TD>
 <TD> 15th Human Bard </TD>
 <TD> Jim Yonemura </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Auric </TD>
 <TD> 15th Wemic Druid (ECL 22) </TD>
 <TD> Keith Farrar </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Paxus </TD>
 <TD> 10th Human Cleric </TD>
 <TD> Ray Chiang </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Grackle </TD>
 <TD> 10/6/4/2nd Half-Elf/Half-Invevitable Fighter/Thief/Divine Seeker/Planar Champion (ECL 27) </TD>
 <TD> </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Deluwen Seradrake </TD>
 <TD> 3rd/3rd/5th Grey Elf Wizard/Psionicist/Cerebremancer </TD>
 <TD> John Speck </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Kill'Dar </TD>
 <TD> 19th/3rd Elf Wizard/Fighter </TD>
 <TD> Rick DiRicco </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Travian </TD>
 <TD> 22nd Human Paladin </TD>
 <TD> Robert Giedt </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Kha'Narek </TD>
 <TD> 11th Githzerai (CL13) Monk </TD>
 <TD> Matt Miller (Full Risk, Full Reward) </TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<H2> Session Summary </H2>
<H2> Preparations </H2>
Auric has had a repeated dream. He is raising the standing stones in a forested region that has no sky. It is completely dark above (black). There are no stars or other heavenly bodies. All around, there is lush greenery. He is wounded and he feels an intense time pressure. And he knows that his friends are in intense danger. It feels like he is undergoing the ritual to raise the stones. This dream has repeated three times over the course of a week. The stones being raised are an amalgam of ice, blood, stone, and metal. During the process, there are softly whispered voices tempting him to turn, but he remains focused on the task at hand.
Kill'Dar is in the elven lands organizing his stronghold. He recieves a summons to the ancient grove.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Ents:</B> There is a darkness at the source. There is an unnatural thing that poisons our roots.
<B>Ents:</B> There is a darkness at the source. There is an unnatural
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> As people?
<B>Ents:</B> Our roots as trees. Your roots as people. All reach back to Arborea.
<B>Ents:</B> There are few who can travel to Arborea and return. You needed to know. This is all we know.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Is it growing stronger?
<B>Ent:</B> We have just begun to feel it. Things take time...
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> You are wise. I thank you for the warning. I will investigate it.
<B>Ent:</B> It is a poison at the roots. It cannot help but one day kill the tree. If Arborea should become twisted and fall, your lord and your people might vanish. We of the trees owe much to Arborea.
<B>Ent:</B> We do not know the source of the poison. We can just feel it.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> I will look into it.
<B>Ent:</B> In your usual hasty fashion.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B>
<B>Ent:</B> This may require haste.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> Word has reached me as well. We are concerned and more or less powerless.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Do you have any othe rinformation about this?
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> The only answers we have recieved from Correlon are less than helpful. He generally refers to us as his hands and arms. He says: "The journey requires effort." And various other diviniations which we take it to mean, "Handle it yourself."
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> There is a concern with Home and Aishapra going to the Abyss through a portal? Do you know of any connection between those two?o
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> I have no such information.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> It does seem awfully coincidental.
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> They may have noticed it 10 years ago.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> I was hoping to prove...
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> I suggest that you gather as much information as possible and see what you can do. Since you have to travel to at least two planes, I suggest you gather a team to determine.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> 
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> Just so you know. Since Gorath's arrival, incursions, teleportations, assassinations, have increased every day.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> 
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> The world is full of rising evil and we must all do our part.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B>
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> It sounds as if you have s
<B>Thrasylvan:</B> Good luck to you and your mission. It sounds as dire
 as ours.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> 
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Kill'Dar uses the Crown of the Elves to contact the past leaders.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Marden:</B> I assume you're here about the Talisman.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B>
<B>Marden:</B> I know where it is.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> I assume this is from your previous stay?
<B>Marden:</B> More accurately, I could say where it *was*. The talisman moves on its own. It was forged by the demonsmith Gakagal as both a talisman and a war machine. It is a type of war machine gone awry, often referred to as the Anaxim. It is incredibly powerful and dangerous. Aishapra wanted a talisman she didn't have to hide, so that none could possess it.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Can it be destroyed?
<B>Marden:</B> Theoretically.
<B>Marden:</B> It is forged entirely of infernal iron. Blades cover its surface. It's only the size of a large man. 
<B>Auric:</B> Is it in the form of a large man?
<B>Marden:</B> I don't know, I haven't seen it. 
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Do they know where it is?
<B>Marden:</B> It moves. They would also know where it was. I believe it fell into The Whispering Labyrinth.
<B>Marden:</B> That's as much as I heard.
<B>Marden:</B> Every one of my torturers, even up to the demon lord, feared it.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Does it have a will of its own?
<B>Marden:</B> No. It was designed to be a weapon of war, but it went awry. This amused Aishapra. This one was powerful enough that it would have tipped the balance of the Blood War had it been controllable.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Any weapon that would tip the balance in the Blood War...
<B>Marden:</B> It is powerful enough, but it has no will.
<B>Marden:</B> I believe Norc has found a way to travel it.
<B>Marden:</B> Why don't you talk to him? Since you like him better anyway...
<B>Marden:</B> Let me know when you kill Aishapra. I would like a demon heart's sandwich.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Let me know if you would come with us.
<B>Marden:</B> No, I'm tired of travelling. Too much risk...
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Norc:</B> I have been hard at work.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> What have you found out?
<B>Norc:</B> I have touched the Talisman.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> WIth your mind?
<B>Norc:</B> No, physicially.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> How did you do that?
<B>Norc:</B> Infiltration. I have the skill to go palces sometimes. I possessed entities and transferred to other entities. I touched the talisman before the body I touched was slain. I knew that I could not touch the talisman, but once I had, I could find it. Any time.
<B>Norc:</B> When I first found it, it was in Acheron on Klanget. It was a goblin body when I touched it. Seven days later, it was in Ysgard in heroes blood canyon. Four days after that it was in Gehenna. Now, it is in Arborea. In everycase, it's position was The Whispering Labyrinth. In the Infernal tongue, it is called Shoth Nagoth.
<B>Auric:</B> Tell us more about The Whispering Labyrinth.
<B>Norc:</B> It is sometimes called the Sister of Nimicri. 
<B>Auric:</B> Who or what is Nimicri?
<B>Norc:</B> It is outside my area of knowledge.
<B>Thorfinn:</B> (37 Bardic Knowledge) Nimicri is a small moon on the plane of Gehenna. It is about 2000 feet in diameter, it floats above the Burning Mountain. It is a city of polite citizen. Nimicri is a large entity mimicking an entire town and people. If a drop of blood falls on any surface of the city, it can duplicate that person and all their knowledge up to that point.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
As the party does their research, they find out the following abilities of the Anaxim.
<UL>
<LI> Create iron golems on the fly
<LI> Sonic Weaopns
<LI> Many spinning blades
<LI> Has some means of hovering
<LI> Construct and all related immunities
<LI> It was able to vanish and reappear as needed
<LI> Killed stuff while invisible
<LI> Destroyed magical fields and effects with great ease
<LI> Shoots spikes and roars with devastating sonic power
</UL>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Norc:</B> Whatever this Labyrinth is, it has managed to consistently hold this talisman.
<B>Grackle:</B> So what would we do with this Talisman?
<B>Paxus:</B> Norc? What is typically done with a demon's talisman?
<B>Norc:</B> It it typcially used to permanently banish a demon.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Allocate special material weapons:
<UL>
<LI> Cold Iron Bastard Sword (Travian): 70 GP
<LI> Silver Bastard Sword (Travian): 215 GP
<LI> Adamantine Longsword (Kill'Dar): 3015 GP
<LI> Cold Iron Longsword (Grackle, Auric, Kill'Dar): 30 GP
<LI> Silver Longsword (Grackle, Kill'Dar): 195 GP
<LI> Quarterstaff. Banded in Cold Iron. Capped in Adamantine at one end and
 mithril at the other (Auric): 4001 GP
</UL>
Adamantine 15000 GP<BR />Mithril 9000 GP
<OL>
<LI> What plane is the best for accessing the labyrinth? Arborea
<LI> Who else have we not consulted on this plane about the Whispering
 Labyrinth? Garrick
<LI> Who else have we not consulted on another plane about the Whispering Labyrinth? Jehan
<LI> Which plane is Jehan on? The Outlands
<LI> Who else have we not consulted on this plane about Nimicri? Garrick
<LI> Who would be most helpful to us on another plane who knows about Nimicri? Gestric
<LI> How many days before Anaxim leaves Arborea? Unknown
<LI> What is the greatest weakness of the Anaxim War Machine? None
<LI> Who else have we not consulted on this plane about the Anaxim? Marden
<LI> Who would be most helpful to us on another plane who knows about the Anaxim? Jehan
<LI> Does the Whispering Labyrinth travel between the planes or connect to all of them? Travel
</OL>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Marden:</B> Don't know any Garrick. Jehan... What plane did you say?
<B>Marden:</B> There's a Mercain Storyteller by that name who lives in Sigil.
<B>Marden:</B> What did they send you to me for?
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> You're the common link.
<B>Marden:</B> (Repeats) What did they send you to me for?
<B>Marden:</B> There have been many creators. Many smithing gods have made mistakes in the process of creating the ultimate construct. SOme of thiese mistakes come to life. These are teh anaxim. They're horrific killing machines with spinning blades, sonic weapons, electrical power, and the power to assemble iron golems on the fly. And they come in the variety of sizes. There was one that stood 50' tall built by Hephastus to replace the flesh and blood titans.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Let's hope it's not hear.
<B>Marden:</B> It's on Acheron I hear. It's quite settled in there.
<B>Marden:</B> Who did you say built the one you're after? Gakkargal? He used to be a human smithing deity. He was worshiped by the mountain people, but when they became civilized they worshiped new gods. In a desperate bid to retain power, he did some evil things and the demon prince Kotsche (twisted hill-giant looking of ice and thunder in the Abyss). Gakkargal is now his personal smith. And to build machines that may someday tip the balance in the Blood War.<BR />There was one in particular one that got away from him before he could dismantle it. That is now the one that is the talisman of Aishapra. It is a formidble entity and contains a spark of divine energy. It is in some ways, more powerful than its creator. It was said that he was hoping to create a being that could overthrow the demon who controls him now and restore him to his place in the heavens as a God of the Forge. The primary failure of this one is that it has the inverse of Will. It is so resistant to direction, it does the opposite of what it percieves others to do. That said, it has near deific intelligence and is very difficult to fool. That said, it is the perfect talisman for Aishapra--it is the perfect embodiment of spite.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Any advice?
<B>Marden:</B> Stay away from the blades. Those are the most dangerous. This one creates iron golems by opening gates to the scrapheap where it was created. They're made entirely of hellforged blood iron, steeped in the blood of innocents and all. I believe they would technically be Abyssal Iron Golems.
<B>Marden:</B> It can be dismantled. I would bring Adamantine weapons, powerful warriors and lots of enhancing magic.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> 
<B>Marden:</B> I think warriors of the skill of Travian or Colin could do it. A truly Epic hero could face this. A party of truly Epic heroes could easily face this.
<B>Travian:</B> (Raises hands in victory)
<B>Marden:</B> Frankly, I think you could easily do this given an only target.
I think this Anaxim is the least of your difficulties. As powerful and free-spirited as it is. It has not left this labyrinth for two weeks. What does that tell you about the Labyrinth? It tells you that the Anaxim is not the strongest thing there...
<B>Bartender:</B> (Pulls Kill'Dar aside) Remember he ain't the most cheerful guy lately.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
After lots of discussion and debate, the party goes to Kennetar to get more information. Kill'Dar cast Mass Teleport to take the party there. As the party goes through the books, they find lots of information of Gehenna and Nimicri. Most book comments are positive about the moon. There is no hint of what Thorfinn tells the party of Nimicri.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kellian:</B> If you're looking for stories of living cities, and great dopplegangers. There's something over in the research section. There is one in fact of an entire demiplane consisting entirely of a mimic. It's the sheer size of it that was interesting. It was on the order of a mile across. And the fact that the entire surface of it was a single mimic, grown specifically for that space. It's apparently fed by multiple Bags of Devouring.<BR />The mimic knew who its master was. It was taken quite young and was given plenty of room to grow into. ("A goldfish with a very large bowl"--Rick).
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kellian:</B> There are a couple of Garrick's. One who is from the Imperium. There is a gnome who is an explorer in Delvondar. There is another who is a sea captain. And there is another who is a professional storyteller, but he hasn't been here in a while. These other subjects you ask about, we really don't have much on.
<B>Deluwen:</B> Can you give us physical descriptions of these gentlemen?
<B>Kellian:</B> Yes.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Paxus asks around for Bellairno. Apparently, he's been rebuilding inventory for a new store. Apparently, he's been travelling the bazaar for bargaining. Paxus asks which sort of extraplanar items would be useful for him. Bellairno suggests several things and Paxus buys a few items to gather materials in.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Do you know Garrick the explorer?
<B>Fingle:</B> That pest? Yeah, he's down here.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> 
<B>Fingle:</B> He's down here in Delvondar. Dwarves and gnomes only.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Fingle takes Kill'Dar and Auric to 
There is a gnome soldering a giant brass football shaped object (Fingle called it a submersible). There might be signs of portholes and doors.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Fingle:</B>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> 
<B>Auric:</B> I could use some help with something.
<B>Garrick:</B> First, I gotta fix this hole. Stupid Astral Dreadnaughts. Yeah, I gotta replace one of my levitators too. So, what do you need help with?
<B>Auric:</B> I'm supposed to extract something form the WHispering Labyrinth.
<B>Garrick:</B> (Laughs) I'd better get my favor now. Cause you ain't coming back.
<B>Auric:</B> It's that bad?
<B>Garrick:</B> Probably worse.
<B>Auric:</B> WOrse than Nimicri?
<B>Garrick:</B> Yeah. Nimicri is whereo You know the stories?
<B>Auric:</B> Oh yeah.
<B>Garrick:</B> Believe it. The worse the story, the truer it is.
<B>Garrick:</B> That's the thing. It never learns. So, the version that's there is a o
<B>Garrick:</B> It's kind of a wax museum now.
<B>Auric:</B> I heard the Whispering Labyrthing.
<B>Garrick:</B> Nimicri is just curious. It'll lure you in all nice and friendly. If you offend her, it'll defend itself. Shoth Anog is mean, malicious.
<B>Auric:</B> Anything you know that offends her?
<B>Garrick:</B> Dunno. She doesn't talk.
<B>Auric:</B> So, if you're talking to one of the clones, you're talking to her?
<B>Garrick:</B> Sort of. You'll be talking to one of them clone things.
<B>Garrick:</B> Shoth Anog is real mean. Just likes to trap and torture and kill. And it's still got that same streak of curiousity--it's what keeps her moving. The other thing is that she's got that copying thing too, but she does it for different reasons. She finds the deadliest things to copy.
<B>Auric:</B> Does she copy constructs or golems?
<B>Garrick:</B> She mostly copies living stuff. But she does food and drink.
<B>Garrick:</B> You know, I did see a construct in Nimicri. I didn't try to find out if it was real or not. The good news is that it can only make one copy of the same thing. But if you took the copy away, it would make a new one.
<B>Auric:</B> Is that true of Shoth Anog?
<B>Garrick:</B> I heard quite a bit of Shoth Anog. I talked to a lot of folks who know about Shoth Anog. I got the feeling that she wanted to get the word out of her mean sister. So, of course, I had to find out. I'm never going near that thing again.
<B>Garrick:</B> As I got closer, it grows. It gets bigger. The Whispering Labyrinth is moving and changing it's shape all the time. It looks like a big ball of black twine. And each string in that ball is a tunnel. And then all in there are knots, that are big chambers where the copies are. And it's constatly growing and strecthing. And when it lands, it spreads those tunnels and chambers over the landscape. And it pokees around and looks for new things to draw in. And when you find it, it looks like a door. And maybe you see a nice bit of treasure, and orc. And then you can't find your way out. And then you meet yourself. Once Nimicri meets you, it's happy to get what it needed--she'll feed you and and then let you leave cause she's greatful. But Shoth Anog, once she copies you, she won't need you anymore.
<B>:</B> What happened?
<B>Garrick:</B> I sent in some contraptions. Then some of my boys got curious. Fortunately, 
<B>Auric:</B> What happened to your constructs?
<B>Garrick:</B> I'd guess they got destroyed.
<B>Auric:</B> Well, we believe it has some means of travelling the planes.
<B>Auric:</B> It may have picked up a really nasty war machine.
<B>Garrick:</B> Do you know if it's still got it?
<B>Auric:</B> Yes
<B>Garrick:</B> One of two things. It may be too powerful to get killed. Then it would want to keep it like a souvenier.
<B>Garrick:</B> There is one thing you can do for me. There's a certain kind of glass that I can get from the optics maker at Sigil.
<B>Auric:</B> I may be heading to Arborea and then to Shoth Anog.
<B>Garrick:</B> (Pulls out a contraption). You can put something in here and it'll fly out and make it's way to me. On the same plane.
<B>Auric:</B> How many people?
<B>Garrick:</B> A full crew of 17 gnomes.
<B>Auric:</B> And how much cargo?
<B>Garrick:</B> We're more on a poke around and look mission. I've got a few extradimensional pockets to store cargo. About 10 barrels worth.
<B>Auric:</B> No room for passengers?
<B>Garrick:</B> We don't get too many passengers.
<B>Auric:</B> Do you go straight to your target plane?
<B>Garrick:</B> It's got an astral drill. Ethereal flippers. Then I can navigate to the other planes. It's pretty much resistance to all the elements. Limited teleportation. Flying and swimming. Powered by efficient power source as long as I can find enough combustable materials and magic items.
<B>Auric:</B> How far can you teleport?
<B>Garrick:</B> About 100 miles. Enough to get out of trouble.
<B>Garrick:</B> She's a great ship (Bangs it. A few bolts fall out) Dangit!
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> So, you been to the elemental planes?
<B>Garrick:</B> Yup.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> how about negative and positive planes?
<B>Garrick:</B> This thing is rock solid (Bangs it again. More bolts fall out).
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Kill'Dar and Auric rejoin the party to Kennetar. Deluwen examines the specifications that Garrick gives the party. There appear to be three lenses that go together to make. Kill'Dar opens a Gate to the area near the Sigil gate to Arboreal. The groups of elven guards who are very aggresive until Kill'Dar shows up.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> I'm looking for Jehan.
<B>Guard:</B> Oh, he's quite fun.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> I hear he gives private stories.
<B>Guard:</B> He's been performing down in the theater district. I think he just moved to a bigger auditorium. It's got a bit golden shark on top.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Can you tell me how to get there.
<B>Guard:</B> Do you want the long way or the safe way?
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> I'll go for the safe way.
<B>Guard:</B> If you go down that way... (five written pages of directions follow)
<B>Auric:</B> And to the glassmaker?
<B>Guard:</B> And that pond you're supposed to jump across? If you go straight, then the alley nearby has some glassmakers there.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
The party finds their way around (DC15 INT check). Paxus fails his. There are several crystalline beings. And guarding the shop are the same beings, but with their limbs sharpened to a fine edge. Auric takes the specifications and shows it to them. One of the creatures start vibrating. Thorfinn speaks Terran back.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Being:</B> So, squishy ones what do you want?
<B>Auric:</B> So Garrick, who has been here before needs some crystal created
 
<B>Being:</B> What are his specifications?
<B>Auric:</B> (Hands over sheet)
<B>Being:</B> Easy enough. And the means of payment? Flesh?
<B>Being:</B> Third tier slave. Or 1500 standard sized golden coins. Or a bottom ranked magical item.
<B>Being:</B> We can arrange delivery. It'll cost extra.
<B>Auric:</B> How much?
<B>Being:</B> 50 coins.
<B>Auric:</B> (Loads item and gives directions)
<B>Being:</B> Oh, so above ground.
<B>Auric:</B> Yes.
<B>Auric:</B> How about? In air above ground in the Westmarch.
<B>Being:</B> 200.
<B>Auric:</B> Done.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
The party goes on to the theather were Jehan is telling stories. It's called the Jump On In. There is a sign outside: "By special engagement, Jehan."
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Paxus:</B> Kha, is that the standard coin?
<B>Kha'Narek:</B> The standard coin is the same for 10 of the coins on your world.
<B>Paxus:</B> I see.
<B>Kha'Narek:</B> Usually you can exchange prisoners as well.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Jehan tells an excellent story. Some illusions. He tells a story where the the hero who travels from Sigil to a far-off land called Eberron. And there are far off machines that has embraced strange blend of magic and machinery. The hero goes through many interesting adventures, makes new friends, and returns to Sigil. And somewhere they supposedly still live in the city--if you can find them.
The city was once called Sinosure and another timestream crossed this city. There was nother time where this city was made of steel and occupied by giant living machines.
It's quite an entertaining story.
Kill'Dar talks to a guard.
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Guard:</B> Go over there. Pay to get in line.
<B>Travian:</B> I am looking for information
<B>Jehan:</B> I can tell you the story of the Whispering Labyrinth. And I can tell you the relationship between Shoth Anog and the Anaxim. That will be 10 (100 GP).
<B>Jehan:</B> The Anaxim seeks only revenge on those who have life and family and community. It is driver by terrible loneliness and rejection. It's creator throws it on the scrap heap. It is a child that face rejection and seekes revenge on those who rejected it all all those. It is spiteful and wracked by loneliness and pain. It is devastantingly clever. It would have been a great and powerful being of its kind, if only its master had been satisfied enough to let him live. But it was cast aside. But now it seeks to prove itself to its master. These motives have turned into into a deadly killing machine. It feels not remorse. It is sad and deadly, together.<BR />It is somehow fitting that this Anaxim should run across Shoth Anong. Also reject. Spurned by her only sister. Cast out. Tossed aside. Shoth anon seeks to show that she is greater than her sister could ever be. Shoth Anog will be the greatest. The greatest, the most feared, the greatest of her kind. Whatever it takes. The whispers of Shoth Anong--this is where she is more dangerous than her sister. The whispers lure, distract, entices. They draw you in. If you should ever hear these whispers run. The sirens song is trival compared to her whispers. Guard yoruself well. And if you should ever enter the Whispering Labyrinth, you will never return. I have seen the Whispering Labyrinth. I have seen the Anaxim. I have spoke to one who saw them meet. And if you have come to me asking of these two things and you seek these two. You are fools, fools, fools!<BR />Your 10 is up.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Auric:</B> Pay another 10.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Would you have a story of anyone who made it back or the story of those who saw them meet?
<B>Jehan:</B> If you wish to hear the story, it will be another 10.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> (Pays)
<B>Jehan:</B> The one who saw them meet was a scout for his goblin lord. He was the best of his kind. Invisible swift, the best of his business. He tracked the Anaxim as it's slew it's way across Acheron. Any being that can slay it's way across Acheron is deadly indeed. It tracked it and constantly reported it to Maglubient. He used this information many times, luring orcish armies inot its path. All because of this one scout tracking the Anaxim. He saw the Axaxim enter the dark valley filled with smoke. And something else that looked like a tangle of great black wire. Something that strectched out its tendrils. The tendrils were covered with caves, doors, and other openings that were not there before. And it entered, seeking to defeat those to prove its worth. The scout followed, but did not enter. Only followed and watched. There were sounds of battle. In fact, the Anaxim carved its way out of one of the tendrils and entered another tendril. For three days the battle continued. The whispers did not affect the Anaxim, for it has no mind to affect. At the same time, the Anaxim could not kill it. It could only kill two minor things. And after three days of battle, there was a peace. The tendrils withdrew and the labyrinth vanished. I have talked to this scout. We have shared stories before.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> The Anaxim was there?
<B>Jehan:</B> It was not outside when the labyrinth vanished. Your 10 is up.
<B>Robert:</B> (The door shuts)
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Are there any other stories?
<B>Jehan:</B> None that I think are true. And you seem like a man who is not seeking entertainment, but the truth.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Thank you for your tiem.
<B>Jehan:</B> If you will tell me your story when you are done, I will option it from you.
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> I can tell you plenty of stories.
<B>Jehan:</B> I know what plane you are from. I'm not interested in those stories. I wish to know what you will do with this knowledge and hear what happens.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<H2> Foes Fought </H2>
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<P>
<B>Base Experience:</B> 2300
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