Rowan’s Journey
Having grown up in Britannia and spent my entire life there, I had heard the stories about this other land called Ilshenar. Those stories always seemed just fairy tales to me, until I was given a special mission in service to Marrach Faol. I was not given many details, but this land of Ilshenar evidently did exist and some members of the clan had actually traveled there. They told of a vast land that was mostly empty of everything but monsters of many kinds, some never seen before.
These brave explorers had also seen evidence of a great civilization that had once existed in Ilshenar. There were ruins everywhere and great caverns carved from the very mountains themselves. Most are now infested with foul and evil creatures, but their ancient splendor can still be inspiring. During the exploration of one particularly dark and dank dungeon, a mysterious artifact was stumbled upon. It appeared to be a piece of a stone tablet upon which had been carved letters and words of some long-dead language. The travelers brought the tablet back to the castle and had some of our most learned archaeologists study the stone and the carvings on its face.
Court Archaeologist Lady Mya gave her report to Guildmaster Aedilwulf and it was decided that another traveler needed to return to Ilshenar to search for more pieces of this stone tablet. As luck would have it, I was chosen for this journey. This tale is a record of my mission. It was thought that I should first become familiar with the land itself and thus I was not permitted to bring anything with me on my trip except my clothes, a single runebook, and another single item of my choice. Being a musician of sorts, I chose to bring a tambourine with me.
Thus it was that I took my first steps in Ilshenar with virtually nothing but a small musical instrument and my wits. With great trepidation I set out to complete my set task. I spent the first few days hungry and cold and tired. I found and tamed a fine horse that I found in the forest near a shrine of some type and the animal carried me for a couple days until bravely dying in an attempt to defend me from a band of brigands that attacked me just outside a small town of strange catlike people.
With no spellbook and no reagents, I was virtually helpless but luckily I was able to avoid most of the surly monsters that crossed my path by playing a soothing song and quietly slipping away. Not far from the spot the brigands overtook me, I came across some thick trees and discovered a family of grizzly bears. After speaking with each one, I convinced them to join me in my quest and we traveled together for several days. With their help I was able to return to the brigands’ camp and thoroughly rout them and all their like-minded friends. This was my first big break and I was able to arm myself and acquire a small amount of gold.
Not far from this place, a band of gypsies had parked their wagons and they gladly bought some of the extra items I had found on the bodies of the criminals I had slain. They also sold me an empty spellbook and a selection of basic spell. One of their elders was a mage of sorts and sold me some reagents. Finally I felt as if I could defend myself. By now the grizzly bear family had wandered back home, so I enlisted some wolves I found in the forest and continued to roam the area killing any evil monsters I came across. Eventually, my spellbook had all the spells from Levels 1 to 4 and I had enough supplies to travel for several days at a time.
Aedilwulf and Lady Mya had entrusted some secrets to me as to the suspected whereabouts of more pieces of the stone tablet. The pieces were spread out the length and breadth of the land and each had a guardian that jealously held their little piece of the tablet. I was to find each guardian and slay them and obtain the pieces in their possession. These were no ordinary beasts, my friend, they were some of the most fierce inhabitants of this strange land. Yet I had to slay them and take their most prized possession.
First on my list was a certain nightmare. This guardian held a single shard of the tablet and I knew exactly where he could be found. After some planning and plotting, I returned to the forest where I had met the grizzly bear family and once again recruited them to help me. I traveled on foot, so that I might take 5 of the family with me. The journey to the small valley where this nightmare lived was long and arduous. We lost one grizzly to a gazer along the way during the first day. When we came upon a dark and fetid swamp, we lost 2 more members. With no time to grieve for our lost friends, we traveled through a village of evil lizardmen, down a narrow valley in the mountains, and across a forest of dead trees. The trees hid elementals and imps and before we knew it they were upon us. By the time we made it safely into the cavern where the nightmare lived, our company had dwindled to me and a single member of the grizzly family. This was the father of the family and he was the greatest and strongest member.
We quietly entered the ruins that the nightmare called home and spotted him at the very moment he spotted us. I quickly played my calming music and he forgot all about intruders into his home.
Father bear took full advantage of the nightmare’s enchantment and before I could have ever believed possible, the evil black beast was dead and I held in my hands the shard he had kept hidden so long. I bandaged Father bear and thanked him for his help. We then had some time to eulogize the other members of our party. After a time, we parted and I made my way out of that place and back to relative safety. Father bear’s fate remains unknown to me, but I hope and pray that he made it back home.
The remaining guardians were much more difficult to dispatch. I needed stronger spells and I must admit that I obtained some in the village of the cat-people. Their mages were reluctant to sell or give me any scrolls, so I confess that I had to take some by force. For this I have asked the gods for forgiveness. I also found useful items on the bodies of some of the cat-people that were killed by a band of warriors that were in the town at the same time. Finally I had about 56 spells in my spellbook, including some of the highest level spells. Fortune was with me and I felt greatly strengthened. I set out in search of the remaining guardians.
Earth elementals are amazing creatures and I had never before appreciated their strength and loyalty. With their aid, a rotting corpse, lich lord, balron, succubus and various other creatures, including an ancient wyrm….all the remaining guardians were found and killed and the pieces of the tablet were confiscated. A remaining task that I am not at liberty to describe was completed and finally my mission was accomplished. I have returned to Britannia and our clan has been given the knowledge obtained from Ilshenar. I am truly honored to have been successful in this service to Marrach Faol.
Rowan of Napa Valley