You prepare to get on your earthrocs to go.  Adaran is circling above.  He pulled away in anger after Grung's attempt to borrow the sceptre to revive the slain orc king.

It takes a few minutes to gather your things, and Naj is carefully putting out the fire and prepping his bags.

Harak stands there, not sure which earthroc he will ride on.

13 days to revive the orc king
1 day until the demons arrive at your camp by foot

OOC: The earthrocs can handle up to 2 passengers.  Grung brought an extra one from the north.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:24, Wed 18 Apr 2012.

"Jump up and let's go!"

Borimer keeps his hands on the reins and his eyes on the horizon, wary of any incoming danger.

"Wait.  First take this." Harak reaches in his pack and extracts a beautiful blade.  "The Sword of Chianta, as promised.  The Shadow Regime is grateful."  With that, Harak will get on an earthroc with Kahan (or anyone) or alone, if there is an extra one and no one objects.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:33, Wed 18 Apr 2012.

Borimer reaches down and accepts the ancient weapon. He takes only a moment to feel the sword's weight before sheathing it.  He and Harak take off into the air.

The sword is exquisitely carved but not adorned by rubies or gems.  Its hilt is fashioned from ivory, its crossbar from a dark steel.  It is much lighter than Borimer would expect, and that's when he realizes the blade is not made of metal at all, but some shiny obsidian-like substance.  It is sharp as glass honed to a razor's edge.

Stats:

Sword of Chianta:  Treat as longsword +3.  (May have magical properties not yet detected.)

Borimer can have a closer look at it later.

* * *

You take off into the air on the earthrocs, with Harak taking a place behind Kahan.  Once in the sky, you notice the following:

To the west, it appears that the ocean has invaded the lands.  Though you see only its edge, it should be far out of sight.  And then you realize this is a result of the tsunami caused by the fall of the mountain at the Temple of Ashmere.  Far, far to the west, you see a blackening in the sky that is the continued spread of cloud and ash from that volcano.  It should not be visible from here, not unless it has spread hundreds and hundreds of leagues since you left.

Harak takes you generally south down the Ogawa River and main road.  A village to the south has been totally demolished by what appears to have been earthquakes, with fissures and stony ground pressing out where none have ever been.  Even further south and to the east, a vast farmland has been flooded by what appears to have been flash floods or storms, wiping out crops and livestock.

It is nearly the end of the day when Harak points out the chateau.  It is a beautiful mansion on a hill surrounded by a 15 foot high wall.  Trees shield most of the chateau from view, creating a carapace of green, as yet untouched by the Kuvla Tah.

You set down near the entrance gate.  There is a pull-string there attached to a large bell above the gate.

A sign reads:  "Trespassers Beware."
Another sign reads:  "Attack Dogs on Premises."
Another sign reads:  "Welcome Friends."

OOC: Some of you may have forgotten (or weren't here) when Azaron told you about Syrissa.  Here is what he said (taken from the Final Battle in the Temple of Ashmere, post 1):

He spreads his arms.  "You have also earned the right to know a secret or two.  Some of you may have guessed that I am the wizard Ashe.  My great specialty is creating portals.  I prefer to call them tunnels because they are breaks in what I call the time and space continuity.  Anyway, I made a great error and opened a portal that could not be shut.  I was shunned and hated by some, but I was doing the king's work.  Always, I was doing the king's work."

He turns to Adaran.  "I know of the price on my head by the thieves' guild, but believe me, if you cut off my head and gave it to them, they'd laugh you out of the guild.  They seek the head of an old man with an eyepatch, and I am far too young.  At least, so I appear."

He hands the rings to Borimer to pass out.

Then he says, "Soon, you will want to speak to Syrissa.  I have writt--  I have read the Allevian Annals, and now I have read key portions of the Xren Codex.  There will be a great devastation upon the land, but if you speak to Syrissa and tell her I sent you, she can see you through and preserve you.  If my calculations are correct and the writings on these walls are accurate, and I believe they are, you have 60 days from today to do what she says or you will all die."

Borimer slides off of the earthroc after it lands and ignores the pain in his back from riding.  He strides forward and raps his knuckles on the door with five loud knocks.

"Before we go in," says Adaran, readying his silver mask, "I should warn you, rumors say that Syrissa is guarded by deadly wolves and that she keeps a demon who appears as an old blind man as a bodyguard." After putting his mask on beneath his cloak's hood, the mask's appearance shifts and changes into a hideous, disfigured face with sunken eyes and a broken, hawkish nose.

"Borimer, wait. This might be important..." Kahan says hurriedly, hoping to stop the warrior from touching the door before he can figure out what significance the bell and signs have.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:14, Thu 19 Apr 2012.

Borimer pauses with his fist inches from the door, having just heard Kahan's warning. The warrior lets his hand drop to the hilt of his sword and he steps back.

"I would be intersted on the opening of portals, If your willing to share some of your knowlegde perhaps I have something that would be of value to you as well"