((OOC: Borun and Saxon are still interested in the game, but may be having problems getting on the internet or finding time to do so. I will drag them along just in case they find their way back.))


After a bit more discussion, it was decided that a cooperative casting of Teleport between Anira and Lady Isile would be the best course of action. While Anira could have taken Radagast and Saxon and teleported first, and then Lady Isile could have taken Eomund and Borun and teleported to Anira, there was no guarantee that it would work as intended, since they were teleporting into a map.

Not really, of course; the map was merely a gateway of some kind, though even Radagast was not privy to its nature and secrets.

A cooperative teleport, facilitated by Radagast, would assure that they all wound up together in the same spot. And so, that's what you did.

Forming a circle merely for convenience, Radagast put the map in the center, and then Anira and Lady Isile cast Teleport together while Radagast used his energies to blend the two castings together.

As near as you could tell, the spell went off perfectly as planned and expected, and everyone suddenly felt themselves falling, although, to Anira and Lady Isile it felt more like flying. As everyone landed light as a feather, there was a slight disorientation that passed quickly.

Whereas you'd left from the middle of the forest, you are now standing on an arched wooden bridge that spans a large creek of flowing fresh water. The creek seems to wend its way through grass-covered rolling hills liberally dotted with wildflowers.

While the scene looks quite peaceful, you detect something odd about it. At first, you chalk it up to having teleported through a gateway. But you soon realize that it isn't going away:

The grass seems just a bit too green, the sky has a slightly violet tinge to it, the wind seems angry, there's a sweet scent in the air, and you can hear birds singing.

"We're definitely not in the Shire any more," Radagast commented as he surveyed their new surroundings, "though I daresay the Hobbits would like this place."

"Now, let's look at the map again. If, as I've deduced, the Blue Wizards made this map, it could easily follow that they visited all these places in order to dissuade them from allying with Mordor."

"The real question is: did they ever return from this land? If they didn't, then, are they still here? Or did they move on to some place else."

"Any particular place strike your fancy, Lady Isile?"

Lady Isile was a bit interested in what she might see on the MAP now that they are in the proper area.

"May I see the map again Radagast? she asked.

When given to her she took a bit of time to peer into every nook and cranny the map might of possessed and she activated Detect Magic to see into it more.

Eomund would help look over the map after Lady Isilde, trying to take note of any realistic places the Blue Adepts could have gone.

Anira moved to where she could take a peek at the map as well, considering possibilities.


OOC:  Is there a pic of the map somewhere that we can view?  It's been so long I've forgotten and the only map I found was the main game map.  :/

The map had been a typical-looking map...monochromatic black ink on tannish parchment. The parchment, however, was clearly magical... probably something like a scroll... masterwork material with an enchantment put into it, which is why it could be pulled through itself... however that was done.

There were a few mountains and rivers indicated, and merely a dot for the places that were labeled.

Now, though, as you all look at the map again, the image begins to change. Details and color begin to 'fade in', appearing faint at first and slowly coming into clear focus.

Whereas the map seemed to indicate just a vast land... perhaps the source of the name... it now appears that the land is an island... or perhaps an island continent.

((OOC: Map is under Map 0.))

It was as Lady Isile had believed would happen once they were in the area where it was directing them to go.  She allowed herself to memorize the landscape as best as she could.

"Now were were we suppose to be heading? she said in a joyful tone.

"There was nothing more specific than just The Vast... whatever that was supposed to mean," Radagast replies.

"It's probably safe to say that the Blue Wizards came here. I'm looking at all those icons for towns and such that don't have a label. It might mean that they never went to those places. If we visit one of the named places, they might be able to tell us if the Blue Wizards were here, visited them, what they said and did, and perhaps where they went afterward."

"Obviously, the closest place is Emynar, but is that where we want to start?"

Nodding her head at his words.

"If we do start asking about them, we may need to prepare ourselves with some negativity.  Not all are fond of the Istari she replied with sincerity.

As she looked at the map "There is only two major cities marked here.  Balchoth and Kyhurain but I am more interested in the small island to the far West, Aricenthrel.

Anira was thoughtful as Lady Isle gave her opinions, nodding her head slightly in agreement that they would need to be careful.  "It's all new territory for us," she mused.  "What draws you most to Aricenthrel?" she asked curiously.

Looking at Anira "It is the name. Most of these cities have Elven names.  It that a coincidence?

"Good point, Lady Isile," Radagast replies.

"Exactly who do we say we are looking for? Did they identify themselves as the Blue Wizards? Does anyone here even know what an Istari is? And what if the Blue Wizards did something they didn't like? How then would they respond to our inquiries?"

"We should definitely scout out these places before we enter and reconnoiter within before we ask for  the Blue Wizards."

"Yes, I suppose this Aricenthrel place could be seen as something significant. So, do you suggest we got there first? I suppose it is up to you and Anira if you want to risk teleporting there. Otherwise, it will be several days' journey to reach it."

Looking at the map she had to wonder if it was wise to teleport there when there was so many differnet places to see and know before getting there.

"I would suggest we travel by land for a bit till we get a feel of the land and know how things are here. she said calmly as she then looked to Anira for agreement.

There was more to this new land and she wondered what she could learn and collect along the way.

"I gather, Eomund, that none of these places sound familiar to you, either?" Radagast asks.

"On the other hand, does any place seem to call to you? Sometimes, that's a sign. Sometimes, though, it might mean a lure."

"Neither of these places am I familiar with," said Eomund. "Neither place truly calls to me, I feel."

It seems that the group has all come to a new area of this world or a world they never been.  In either case, they needed to make haste in some direction and it was Lady Isile who started walking in the direction toward Aricenthrel.

"If the map is correct, the distance to Aricenthrel is about seven or eight days, barring any problems with the terrain as we go," Radagast said as stepped up along side Lady Isile.

"Do you sense anything strange about this land, Isile? I'm not feeling any connection with nature here. It's completely different than back home... I think. Is it because it isn't home? Or is it because it is different in some way that I can't sense?"

"Or is there some force at work that's... what? Blocking my senses?"

"If our assumption is correct, that the Blue Wizards came here to stop Sauron, then it follows, does it not, that Sauron knew of this place and came here, too?"

"I'm wondering if this Black Expanse is actually the presence of Sauron. Or, more likely, the forces of Mordor... not necessarily Sauron himself."

Grimfast wanted to take the lead, to protect Radagast and the ladies from any threat that might pop up, but he was pretty sure that they could all take care of themselves at least as well as he could... if not better.

"Yes, Mordor is here," Grimfast stated. "You can smell it in the very air. It is not that near at the moment, but it is here."

"Mordor we can deal with. It is that which we aren't familiar with that concerns me."

Lady Isile looked at Grimfast and wondered how was he able to know such things.  Was he able to tap into the world and discover its secrets and past.  In either case she began to head off to see what is in store for them as they walk through the new lands.

"Now that you've named it, I agree with you, Grimfast," Radagast responds.

"I was sensing it, too, but I was reluctant to put a name to it in case I was wrong."

"Still, it's... different... in some way. Perhaps, while it was attempting to corrupt this land, this land was corrupting it in return. That would be interesting. You would think that would be a good thing, though, right? How could it make Mordor worse?"

As they talk, Radagast follows Lady Isile's lead as she heads off to the east. As long as Anira had the Magnificent Mansion spell, he felt they were safe enough at night when they might choose to rest.

Unfortunately, the map details aren't good enough to let you know if there's one route that's better than another, so you can't really see any reason for going to the south. Instead, you just head east, which takes you between hills to the north and to the south.

After only seven miles or so, you come to a river. It flows to the south. It isn't that wide or deep, has a lot of rocks and rapids at this point, so it isn't a navigable river.

Across the river, you can see a town maybe another 7 miles away.

As you consider how you are going to cross the river, you spot what at first you take to just be odd shaped ripples or rapids or waves. After the third one, you realize that you are seeing a face in the water. It's only there for a moment before it vanishes.

OOC: Is the face that of a human size or something larger?

It appeared roughly human-sized. It wasn't a face under the water but rather made of water.

In reply to Azurak the Blue (msg # 23):

"What do you think that was?"

"It could be a selkie," Anira offers. "More likely a sylph."

"We should try to communicate with it. We can simply fly across the river, but there might be a taboo against that... or a toll for crossing which I don't recommend we try to cheat."

"Saxon, can you make a potion of water-breathing?"

OOC: Did the creature appear in any kind of pain?

Saxon shook his head, "Not potions but I can get the water to do us a bit of a favor if you like. When you are ready I can be at the edge of the water, as long as I can make contact we will all be able to breathe just fine." He smiled, "It will last most the day if push comes to shove."

No, the creature did not appear to be in pain.

"You expect us to stick our heads underwater and try to breathe?" Borun asks Saxon looking at him a bit askance.

"Oh, I get that it's magic, but only a practitioner of magic would do something so clearly foolhardy! And what if the creature we saw in the water attacks us? Will it affect her? For that matter, will it harm her? If we're in water and breathe like it's air, if she breathes water, will she then be able to breathe air?"

"I think Anira wanted to be able to talk to the creature... without killing it... her... whatever."

"I mean, it's not like we can't swim across. We just wanted to know if that was a good idea!"

"Way to go, Borun!" Grimfast agrees with the Dwarf's assessment.

"I say just let Lady Isile fly each of us across... one at a time... if she's amenable. I'll go first and be the advance guard."

"But, I also think talking to the first living thing we've run across is a good idea. Not counting the plants, Radagast. They might tell you a lot, but I don't think they'll tell us what we need to know. Make that what we'd like to know."

"You have a point as well, Grimfast," Radagast responds.

"The plants are... strangely silent. There is nothing threatening them, but there's no positive... feeling that they are giving off. It's kind of like they are waiting to exhale."

"I've been trying to call the woodland creatures, but they aren't responding either. They are there; I can sense them, but it's like they don't know me. They don't think I'm hostile, but neither are they prone to being friendly."

"I can't tell what's causing that, though. Is it me? Or is it this place?"

Saxon shrugged, "As you wish." was about all he had to say on the protest of magic. Explaining how it worked would be like he explaining the process of bearding to Saxon.

He looked at Radagast as he mentioned that his summons had not taken good effect. He snapped causing a bit of smoke to escape from between his fingers. He made the icon of water in the air just to see if he could get the spirits of the area to answer his own call. Afterall, Radagast and Saxon didn't even use the same types of magic.

Saxon tries to summon a water elemental, and, after a minute or so, a female humanoid figure made entirely of water rises up out of the river. It appears to have the same face as that which was seen in the water just a few moments ago.

"Why have you summoned me, Stranger-Not-of-This-Land? You do not serve the Dark One. Who are you?" the figure says with a kind of gurgling sound.

Saxon smiled, "Scarred by the dark one but not of the dark one." he bowed his head to her. "I am sorry to bother you but it seems my companions wanted to find out what was going on. All in all if there is a guardian to an area its best not to stomp oner her toes."

"Is everything alright? The animals are being very on edge, has something happened?" He gestured for the others to ask questions as well.

"The Dark One surrounds us, ever pressing inward. We still resist but it takes its toll on us. The Blue Ones have protected us so far, but I fear they are weakening."

"Have you come to help us?"

Saxon smiled and bowed to the water elemental. "Saxon the dead smith, alchemist master at your service. If my mentor here is up for it I am more than willing to help you. What alchemist would I be if I dont help the world around me to the best of my power?"

Stepping into view was a female Elf of unearthly beauty, surely a fey of her standard would call upon a Nymph to judge her.  But now wasn't the time or she might not of knew any Nymphs in the area.

"I will gladly assist in the matter as well.  I am Lady Isile

"We oppose the Dark One whenever we can, as best as we can," Radagast interjects into the conversation.

"We were not aware of this land and we do not know where it is or what it is called, but we came here looking for the Blue Ones. Can you tell us where they are?"

Saxon clapped, "Sounds like we have a nice little push to make the world a better place, even if just a little." Saxon pulled out a book to start writing down what was going on and what was going to happen.

"The Blue Ones are all around us. They protect us," the 'water elemental' replies.

"That is all I know. That is all anyone within the Vast knows, though the Elders may know more. They spoke with the Blue Ones. The last of the Elders still hold out against the Dark One in the Tower of Zanid in Aricenthrel."

Saxon nodded as he wrote it all down. The last of the elders holds out in the tower of Zanid in Aricenthrel

"Rada. does that sound familiar? Not exactly sure where that is myself." He smiled back at the elemental. "If the elders spoke to the blue ones we absolutely want to talk to them as well. That will be a large boon to finding them."

"Is there anything you feel needs attention on our way there? Areas that seem blighted or darkened in some way? Kinda wish I could give you a few of my reagents but they don't last longer than a day. There is the summoners pact that would empower you but I'm not so sure you'd be in for that." Not many who could summon often meet their summons in the world.

"Many towns have been abandoned as the Dark One's minions roam the countryside. Unless you can keep them away forever, there is nothing you can do." the 'water elemental' replies.

Saxon smiled, "One step at a time. Let's start with the elders and reinforcing whatever keeps it all at bay. Then we can see about giving the dark one a swift kick in places otherwise unmentioned."

"Yes, it sounds like boats against the current," Grimfast agrees. "Trying to defeat whatever dark creatures prowl the land doesn't stop them from returning. It's the source we need to defeat."

"So, can we just teleport to this Aricenthel now? Maybe not directly there, but somewhere nearby?"

Lady Isile looked at Grimfast "We are in uncharted lands and to teleport without knowing the land might cause one to be placed too high or too low.  I don't wish to find myself surround by dirt so soon.

Taking a moment as she thinks that that is the place where they were heading anyways.  How would she of known to head there.  Has her powers grown or was her Goddess giving her some guidance.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:37, Mon 04 May 2020.

Lady Isile knows that she has never been to this place, Aricenthrel, and the name does not conjure up any images.

Looking at the map, however, it is clear that the Darkness that surrounds the land has not engulfed the island and village of Aricenthrel. Whether or not that is where the Blue Adepts are, it must be a place of power... and possibly answers.

Perhaps, indeed, her Goddess had opened her eyes to what was right before her.

Lady Isile looked at the others and smiled "Shall we continue our journey to Aricenthrel then she begins to start walking again toward the city they was heading after all.

Grimfast starts walking with Lady Isile...until they get to the river. Just as they get to the edge, a bridge of solid water forms over it.

By now, he's come to trust his traveling companions, so even if the bridge doesn't hold his weight and he falls into the river, he knows he'll get rescued if needed. But he can swim, and his alternate form isn't bothered by the water.

He steps out onto the bridge of water and finds that it doesn't even seem to be wet. He walks all the way across the river without any problems.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:44, Sun 17 May 2020.

Everybody is able to cross the bridge of water without any problem. Their feet don't even get wet.

Once on the other side of the river, the group heads off to the east, eventually coming upon a trail that's almost a dirt road.

After about ten miles, you start to spot farmhouses... either abandoned or burnt down.

While they were walking she allowed herself to get a bit familiar with the land and the birds that lived here.  If any was near.

Casting Commune with Birds

Lady Isile casts her spell and learns that there are birds in the area, though perhaps not as many as she was expecting. Although she doesn't ask a question that she can get a specific answer to, she does sense that there's a general fear among the birds that goes beyond just the presence of people. She also senses that there are a few migratory birds that are 'out of sort'... apparently because there is nowhere for them to migrate to.

With this new insight she looks to the others "We must hurry, the Darkness is causing the birds to not migrate and if they don't then they may not survive much longer.

"That may explain it!" Radagast finally speaks up after contemplating his own impressions and those just told him by Lady Isile.

"Few ground animals are migratory the way that birds are, but there are some that migrate to where the food grows by season. Others roam a territory. If that roaming is being interfered with, the Land itself gets... well, discombobulated."

"And there are dark things roaming the land, too."

He hurries behind Lady Isile even as she picks up the pace.

The group has gone several miles without seeing anyone. Although there are birds in the trees, they keep their distance. Radagast can sense some small mammals... squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, birds... nothing larger, but they stay well away from you.

It isn't until you've gone a dozen more miles or so that you begin to catch glimpses of dark creatures that lurk and follow you just at the edge of your awareness. While most of the shapes seem to conform to the shape of a wolf, some seem to be larger or longer or winged.

Another few miles and you begin to find closer examples of the Dark. There are the dead carcasses of animals... cows, goats, foxes, even bears... but while the animals have been ravaged and half-eaten, they haven't begun to rot... and they are also blackened somehow.

A few miles farther you encounter the stones... if that's what they are. They are black roughly circular flat stones that litter the ground. They are between 12" and 36" in diameter. There appears to be no pattern to them, so it's not like they form a path or anything. The farther you go, though, the closer they are together... until you come to a farmhouse. The stones are all touching now and completely surround the house.

And then there are the statues: six of them--an adult male, an adult female, an adolescent female, an adolescent male, and two dogs. They appear to be made of the same black material.

So far, no one has stepped on a black stone, but you can't continue any farther without doing so. You'd have to circle around the farmhouse.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:48, Sun 28 June 2020.

"I suppose it's too much to ask that these statues weren't once living people and animals," Grimfast comments.

Without touching any of the black stones, he examines the base of the statues to see if they turned to stone after stepping on one of the black stones, or if they might have been place and posed there.

"Any chance that these people are still alive? For that matter, have they been turned to stone or are they just covered by this black stuff that holds them rigid, hopefully suspended? If it is a shell, it's rather thin, as it's preserved their features in fine detail."

"On the other hand, if it is just a shell, what condition are the bodies inside? Have they crumbled to dust? Or something else?"

"This is out of my depth, Radagast. Can you shed any light on this? Is this the work of Sauron? Or is this some other evil that perhaps allied with the Dark Lord?"

He keeps a watch on his surroundings. He's pretty sure those black creatures they glimpsed probably wouldn't be affected by the black stones. They might even spring up out of the stones for all he knew!

He paid particular attention to the nearby stones to make sure they didn't creep up on them.

"I've not heard of anything quite like this," Radagast replies to Grimfast. "But, you notice the stones closer to the house? They don't appear to be separate anymore. It looks like they've fused together."

"I have heard of something called essence, though, to be honest, it was always prefaced with the term 'black'. It was supposed to be the "distilled essence of magic" in a physical form. I don't believe it is natural to this world."

"However, I don't know exactly what that means. Are we in another world? Or are we on some other unknown land on this world? Has Sauron somehow formed an alliance with the source of this black essence?"

"If these statues are... were people, you are probably right, Grimfast. If they are still alive inside, then are best option for freeing them is to stop this darkness. Once again, we are back to finding the Blue Wizards to learn what is going on."

Saxon looked about and tilted his head side to side, if they wanted to try and save people he was more than willing to try and help. He crouched down and started inspecting the material. He was an alchemist through and through and removing a trait or essence was something that could be done with the right chemical bath.

He moved his box from is back to his front and pulled out one of his more expendable tools. With a simple mage hand he let go of it so he could start alchemical and summoners inspection of the material.

Not knowing if the statues were transformed people that touched the black material, Saxon uses tools to examine the material.

There's the Optical Test--examining it through various lenses does not reveal any grain, striations, occlusions or texture. It's perfectly smooth and featureless... other than the hexagonal shape, which would suggest it is a crystal.

There's the Flame Test--it doesn't burn, catch fire, melt, change color or even deform from the heat, though it's possible the flame/heat merely isn't hot enough.

There's the Reactant Test--none of the chemicals he has at his disposal affect it in any way; it appears to be completely inert.

Then there's the Poke It With a Stick Test--it doesn't do anything when poked, doesn't do anything to the 'stick' (twig, bamboo stick, metal probe) or shatter with the hammer 'stick'.

Finally, there's the Magic Test--it was a given that it was magical in nature, but this just confirms that... with a most peculiar result: it registers as 99.9% magical! However, it does not have an alignment, though he detects a taint of evil to it... about what you'd expect if a neutral sword had been recently used by an evil creature.

It does give off a faint energy.

In his considered opinion, the material probably has a resonance with magic. He can't confirm that the statues were once living people, but he doubts it. He suspects that when the people came in contact with the substance, it reacted to their life force and tried to 'duplicate' it. All it got was the statues... without life or animation.

This all was very odd indeed and while Saxon did what he does best, Lady Isile shape changed into a bird and she took flight over the landscape.  High and toward the farmhouse to see how close the black rock was to the farmhouse and if there was any signs of life inside.

As she flew over her eyes scanned for Magical Auras. (Detect Magic)

The black material--in the shape of hexagons--went all the way up to the house, but it wasn't so close together that you couldn't carefully step  your way to the house. Front door was blocked but a window would work, and the back door. There were some black hexagons to the sides and around back but not so close together than you couldn't reach the back door.

Lady Isile doesn't see any signs of life from the house, but she can see how the black stuff was progressing and encroaching on the house. And farther out around the whole area.

There appear to be several different 'sources'--she can spot a dozen--where the black has radiated/grown outward from a central point. It looks like something was dropped into those areas... or maybe fired from a catapult.


While she didn't spot any signs of life from the house, she does spot a track through the woods at the back. With a bit more flight, she spots a camp about a mile away from the house. She counts four people... and a dog.

Lady Isile took flight in the direction of the people and wanted to see if they were what the statues looked like.  When she got close enough she would take human form if she didn't spot any hostility.

Yes, they definitely look like the statues.

There's no sign of hostility, though the man is armed with sword and crossbow.

She also notices that the young girl seems to be injured or ill, being held in her mother's arms.

When she lands she took her human form "Greetings.  I mean you no harm but here to see if you can help explain what has happened here. she asking calming then she noticed the child.

"Is she hurt.  I'm a healer if I may assist.

"Greetings," the man replies. He seems a bit wary but is not immediately threatening.

"I am Jarson. The Darkness came and then the Black fell from the sky. No one knows why or what it is."

"My daughter Vanetta has been poisoned by the Black. It grows ever worse. If you are truly a healer, please save her."

Looking at Jarson "Come closer and hold on to each other.  Grab the dog too if you like but I'm taking us to some others that will also want to see this and help. 

If they all agree she will Teleport them to where the other party members are a bit away from the Blackness.

At first, they seem a bit leery, particularly Jarson, but after glancing at his daughter and the pleading look in his wife's eyes, he--reluctantly--agrees.

It only requires everyone to hold hands.

Lady Isile teleports them to an area she recalls where there were none of the black hexagons within 100 feet.

Grimfast is the first to sense Lady Isile's sudden reappearance... with the others.

Soon, everyone joins Lady Isile.

Holding up her hand to get everyone's attention and to speak.

"This is Jarson and his family.  His daughter Vanetta has been poisoned by the Black.

Saxon what all have you discovered about this Black rock? she asked before casting any spells upon the daughter.

Saxon looked up with his goggles on that made his eyes look absolutely massive. Like two giant coals looking out from a lantern before he lifted them up. "It's nearly pure magic with a nearly nothing amount of crystal to give it shape. It doesn't react to anything I do to it. But its entirely neutral, used by someone evil enough to imprint on the material."

"Best I can tell is that this stuff made contact with people and tried to replicate them. Fascinating material."

Nodding her head "Was you able to get a small sample that I can try to Dispel?  Let us see if that has any effect upon it first before I cure her and it still resides inside her.

Lady Isile will cast Dispel Magic on a small sample if Saxon can supply her with it.  If not then she will target some that is on the ground.

As near as Lady Isile can tell, her Dispel Magic spell has no effect on it, though she gets the sense that her spell simply isn't strong enough, by several magnitudes!

"I can't say I didn't expect that," Anira offers. "I can sense the magic. It's kind of like lodestone... it attracts other magic."

"If you are sure that your spell just isn't strong enough, we can probably boost it through a magic circle... with all of us joining together."

"We might only have one shot at it, though, as it will take a great toll on us. The magic circle will boost our power to the level of this Black essence... but not to the point it will kill us. If we get to that point, the circle will break on its own."

"If we put the girl inside the circle, it should dispel the Black. However, whether we are successful or not, it will not harm the girl any further."

It was good to hear Anira's suggestion and as she spoke Lady Isile looked over at the statues by the farmhouse and then at the family.  If it copied them all, what happened to the other dog and why is the girl the only one being effected if it touched them all.

Looking to Jarson "May I ask, did your daughter ever show signs of using Magic?

"Not in the way you would appear to mean," Jarson says. "She's a child still. She plays at casting pretend magic. It's never been real. Has it?" He directs this last to his wife.

"No, not that I know of," his wife replies. "She may have touched it, though, or maybe she got it from Rufus. He was our other dog. He barked at the stones, and when it started turning into us, he attacked it. We think that's how he got the poison. He died two days later as the blackness slowly turned him all black."

"Vanetta comforted him as it got worse."

Saxon looked at the two sorceresses with him and pressed his lips into a thin line. Dealing with people was NOT something he was good at. He wasnt even great at talking with kids. But all in all this seemed like a magical essence that had rules. He moved over and crouched near the little one. "Hi there. My name is Saxon... It is very nice to meet you." He nodded once, "Would you mind if I have a look there at what made you feel bad?" What was in her arm may differ from the stones as substances changed depending on what was interacting with them. Who knew? He may have a way to draw it out.

((OOC: So, Saxon had said he'd post, and then I was waiting for him to post, and then he posted... and I forgot that he posted and then I got 'busy' with RL stuff...))


Saxon examines the black areas on the girl and readily identifies it as magical, then recognizes it as necromantic (though nothing he's ever encountered before), and finally it's evil. To his senses, it smells of the Dark Lord.

While he can identify the various 'components' of the 'affliction', there's some sort of twist to the combination that--for the moment--eludes him.

((If we razed you about that then we would be some extreme hypocrites.))

Saxon took a moment to write down his findings and handed it off to the lovely ladies. He knew the strange stuff but they had a stronger hole on the lore of arcanum. He smiled at the family and sighed. "Any chance you saw someone with eyes like mine walking around before the black stuff showed up?" He had an odd idea. "Just on the odd chance we are way over thinking this..." He looked back at the mages. "Want me to try and command the material? It's a long shot but worth a try before we commit to a ritual but I submit to the wisdom of the group."

"Always hope for the best, but expect the worst," Anira said with a smile, recalling one of Radagast's favorite sayings.

"We know it's magical, confirming our ideas, but we don't know what kind of magic. Too many different categories... yes, it's necromancy, but what is the method of it!"

"Let me try a basic cantrip first."

She promptly casts Detect Poison on the little girl.

"Well, that confirms it! It's a poison! A magical poison. I think it akin to that which poisoned the Ent. It can be a toxin or venom, but I think it might be a disease because of the way it spreads."

"Okay, one more spell."

She now casts Diagnose Disease.
17:15, Today: Anira rolled 41 using 1d20+24 ((17)).

Per GM:

"Ah-ha! It IS a disease... a magical disease! I'm pretty sure there's a necromancer spell called Plague. I think that's it, but heavily augmented. It's going to take my most potent spell!"

"Radagast and Lady Isile, can you assist me? If this is the Dark Lord's work, it may need all of us to overcome it."

This time, she casts Greater Dispel Magic though she's prepared to still have to remove the disease itself once the magic driving it is (hopefully) gone.

When she said "If this was the dark lord" Saxon's lips drew into a thin line like he was beating back bad memories with a club inside his own head. "I have alchemy that can removed diseases and restore the damage done by corruption, however, I have nothing for a poison. I do have universal access to most lower forms of alchemy." Lower alchemy to Saxon was mid-tier magic to a mage.

He leaned over to rummage in his bag and pulled out a glowing blue vial with the words "dispel magic" written on its tag. He offered the bottle to Anira "I may not be a mage but every little bit helps right? Let me if you need a remove disease potion as well."

((OOC: Bleh. Don't know what happened. I think I was waiting for someone else to post.))


If Anira uses Saxon's Dispel Magic potion as a spell component, it will significantly enhance her own spell.

Once her spell gets rid of the Dark Lord's 'taint'--if it does, it'll be up to Saxon to remove the disease from the girl.

Saxon pulled a number of small vials from his bag and used a drop of this and a pinch of that. "And a touch of sugar helps the medicine go down." He offered the dropper to the girls family. "Far better if someone she cares about does it. Three drops on the tongue and it should be all right as rain and twice as nice. "

"I can assist you in the first part," Radagast responds to Anira. "We don't cast spells the way you do--we just focus the magic inherent to our natures."

"You've all seen orcs. They are the twisting of Nature, and Nature is my field of study. So i can add my energy to your spell."

"Alas, I doubt if it'll be enough to drive the Dark Lord's presence from this land."

"How exactly do you cast spells?" Eomund asks the wizard.

"Being Istari, I do not 'cast spells' as mortals must," Radagast replies to Eomund. "It is about focusing our personal energy. It is why, if we expend too much, we become weak."

"You see us wield staffs, sometimes other devices. These are items attuned to the energy we emit. We are more readily able to focus our energy through them to make the result more powerful and have a greater range."

"Through meditation, deep study and intense training, mortal can cast spells in a somewhat similar way. However, it takes years to master this. It is but one reason why the Istari look like old men. If we appeared young, you would think you could learn the magic in merely a year or two. Also, the energy of youth interferes with the spiritual energy. It's like aging whisky or wine. It takes time to get that good."

Anira does, indeed, use Saxon's Dispel Magic potion as a spell component for her spell, and the expected results happen. The blackness on the girl's arms seem to evaporate and disappear into the air.

The odd vein-like effect on her arms and legs is still there--it just isn't evil.

At Radagast's urging, her parents put the drops of liquid on the girl's tongue. Almost immediately, the veining begins to disappear. Within 5 minutes, it's all gone.

The girl wakes up with a start and starts crying, though it seems to be from fear rather than pain.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:40, Mon 05 Oct 2020.

Lady Isile looked at Anira and nodded to assist in any way she could.  Her spells were limited but what she could do was heal wounds if needed.

Saxon smiled and closed his eyes before backing away from the child. He knew he was more than a little scary to most kids. It was still very nice to see that she was going to be doing just fine. "Can't say that we can handle the stones, do you all have a place to go away from here?" Saxon always loved mobile so it was beyond him to tell if people could uproot quickly or not.

"No, we don't have any place to go, but if you can't stop this blackness, I guess we don't have any choice," Jarson answers.

"I'm not sure there is any place safe any more."


"We can stay with the Saunders for a little while," his wife says. "These great people are going to get rid of the darkness, aren't you?"

Lady Isile looked to the lady and then to the man for a moment she wondered if what they were asking even possible.  For she didn't hold the powers like the Istari.  But they did have one with them but was he strong enough to overcome such dark magic.

"We will do our best to rid your lands of such blackness. she said with a smile and looked down at the child who now was getting better.

She thought if they were able to save her, then they may be able to save these lands.  But it was a risky try what they did to the girl.  The land would need more Power.

"That isn't why we are here, but it seems as if the people we are looking for may have been here and their efforts may have slowed down the spread of this darkness," Radagast replied.

He was never all that good with people to begin with; he much preferred animals and plants.

"Yes, we will drive this darkness from your land!"

Should he have said that? Was that the same as a promise? They seemed to need to hear that. Would they live long enough to be disappointed if he didn't succeed?

"Dang it! Just give me something to hit!" Borun added. "I'll drive it from this land, this world, this universe!"

It was a good thing Dwarves were a patient people. They'd already spent way too much time palavering.

Saxon nodded, "Give it time, I've got a scent so I do have a tiny idea of what we are dealing with. However, later, If you want I can provide you a bit of experience at what it is to deal with the big names on the other side."

OOC: Where are we exactly on the map?

You walked between the first row of hills to reach the river, then crossed the river and, having passed the town, walked through the next set of hills. You are now at the base of the mountain at the west end of the range that seems to form a line eastward.

You'll be walking along the base of those mountains.

When you come to the stream between the first two mountains, it'll probably be time to make camp, unless you plan on walking all night. You don't actually know that it'll get dark, but the sun has been moving across the sky and presumably it will set.

The next day should take you to the end of that mountain range.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:39, Mon 19 Oct 2020.

"I could walk all night if there's a need to do so," Radagast says. "I can't quite decide if making camp would be more or less dangerous than walking on into the unknown in the dark. I can get no sense of the wildlife here. That would normally give me some idea of any creatures that might also live here."

"I suspect Grimfast and Borun can go all night. What about you, Anira and Lady Isile? Do you need to rest?"

Saxon nodded, "No rest means no time to regain myself. Cant go chatting up the elements or mixing tonics without replenishing myself. And if my nose knows right we will need as much of our power at hand. More than just basic evil in that little plague there." He smiled wide, "And although it may look like I can see in the dark, I will go backside over tea kettle over a cliff in the night only alerted by the ground no longer being under my feet."

Lady Isile smiled to Radagast "I am Moriquende.  We can go days without rest.

Looking to the others she didn't want them to be without their full strength if danger would arise.

"That was my assessment, too, but I could always be wrong, and I did not wish to speak for anyone else," Radagast replies.

"We shall make camp, then. This creeping black ground does not appear to move very quickly, but for all we know, it could accelerate due to our presence. Therefore, we should move as far away from it as possible before choosing a campsite and perhaps keep watch."

"Anira's mansion may not be proof against this blackness."

With that said, he heads off in what appears to be due east direction. The family had left already, heading to the southeast.

Lady Isile seemed to change form again and took off to the sky, keeping an watchful eye out for any spots that may be clear of the blackness so that the group can make a safe campsite.

She also wondered if the blackness was traveling underground and that it would be much harder to detect.

As Lady Isile once again takes to the skies to scout the land below, she can soon see that the blackness apparently came from outside this land. She can't quite tell if it's a large island or perhaps a small continent, but, then, scholars have always had a hard time making such distinctions.

From her perspective, it seems as if there are spots where the blackness is... avoiding? Or perhaps just not strong enough to move against that spot quickly. It certainly appears as if distant Aricenthrel is one of them.

On the other hand, the blackness that affected the family seems to be sporadic, like it was dropped from the air in places and began spreading out from there.

Whether the mountains just to the north are one of the 'strongholds' or not is unclear, but there are certainly none of the creeping black spots there, nor does it look like any of the ones she can spot are close enough to 'creep' up on the spot she selects for the camp.

Once she selects a spot, she flies back and informs the others, then leads the way.

When the others get there just at dusk, they find a reasonably flat clearing with a mountain spring. It's not a particularly defensible area, but that shouldn't be a problem.

"Whew!" Anira says. "Not that I was getting tired, but there's a... miasma... that hangs over this land. It's kind of like an impending thunderstorm. You can feel it in the air. At least with a thunderstorm, it passes quickly. This miasma never goes away."

"Did you notice it was thicker in the area we arrived? It's gotten slightly less oppressive as we moved away from there, but it's still tiring having to fend it off all the time."

She sets about conjuring her Mariposa's Magnificent Mansion once again. She'd only recently come to realize that Mariposa's spell differed from the standard spell. Mariposa, the wizardess she'd learned the spell from, had also taught her that there were ways to augment, enhance and just plain tweak spells to make them more personal. She'd said that the basic spell was too austere for her tastes. She needed more color and art and decorations, so she crossed the spell with Secret Chest in order to have the same mansion show up each time she conjured it.

Anira has always thought that was 'normal' until the others had pointed out the... difference.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:19, Wed 25 Nov 2020.

"Something had certainly felt off before, but I couldn't exactly explain what it was that felt off." Eomund took a swig from his waterskin before following the others

Saxon blinked for a moment, "You're feeling some kind of Miasma?" He looked absolutely oblivious to the dark feelings. "I remember a place of fire and darkness before. The mountain would often throw rock and fire. The place I remember is not this place but all rivers run, who knows, they may have a fire-spitting mountain here too."

"I've only ever seen it from a distance. The thrown fire and stone strikes and splatters on the land."

"If this is like the place I've been... There will be very bad things the closer we get. Spirits of air and stone, and not the kind kind." He closed his eyes but the glow of his ember eyes nightlighted through. "But that place did not have toxic rocks. So this could be entirely new."

"... I could try to break the rocks down to their base components to see if we cant learn mor if you like."

"It's not the rocks themselves that are the problem," Borun answers. "It's what's imbuing them... contaminating them, if you like."

"I wouldn't bring one in here anyway. Never know what kind of problems that might cause. It could contaminate Anira's mansion here."

Once Anira's mansion is conjured again and everyone goes inside, she seals the door. This still allows anyone inside to go out and come back in but nothing else from the outside can get in... supposedly, but with these shadow creatures, no one is sure that will work.

At several times during the night, you can hear something trying to get in through the door, while at other times, you hear creatures on the roof. The mansion seems proof against these creatures... for now. Who knows if that'll hold true if they grow more powerful.

Other than that, the night passes uneventfully. When someone ventures out in the morning, they are not attacked by anything nor are any creatures spotted.

When everyone is ready to move on, Anira dismisses the mansion and the group sets out east once more. The land at the base of the mountains is mostly rolling hills, with scattered rocks, but it's easy travel. As the end of the day approaches, you've crossed two other rivers, though they are really only streams still this close to the mountains, and moved out of the shadow of the mountains onto a small plain. Larger hills are visible across the plain and you manage to reach the junction of three rivers by nightfall.

Once again, Anira summons her mansion, and another night passes uneventfully.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:13, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

This new area is more to Grimfast's liking, though a few more trees would be nice. The mountains didn't bother him too much; it was just that he wasn't familiar with them, and he didn't have the time or opportunity to explore them.

He starts circling the area to see what he can find, mostly a difference between the night before when he did the same before settling in and what's there now. He doesn't really expect to find anything, but you never know.

A few hundred yards to the north, he spots tracks that weren't there the night before. They came from the north, went up to the river, and then disappeared.

He reports back to the others.

"Found some tracks that came from the north, apparently in the night, and disappeared at the river. It was a six-legged creature, cat-like paws, about the size of panther, I'd guess... it could have just waded into the water. Didn't see any signs of hesitation, nor any indication that it jumped," he informs everyone.

"What do you think it means?"

In reply to Grimfast (msg # 105):

Eomund frowns at Grimfast's assessment. "I don't know what sort of creature would have 6 legs. 8 I've seen, and 4 and 2, but never 6. And cat-like paws?" He shuddered at the thought of what sort of beast this was.

"Insects have six legs, so that's not as strange as it sounds," Borun suggests. "And I've only heard of Sauron-touched spiders getting as big as a panther... even bigger!"

"Cat-like paws makes it sound as it was a cat. With six legs. This is a strange land we're in, so who know what we might find."

"It could have leaped over the river. It could have, as you said, simply walked into it. Cats are alpha predators, so there's not much a cat would be afraid of, and probably nothing in the water. I've heard tigers like the water--the only cat that does."

"I'd suggest, before we head out, Grimfast does another look for the tracks around us. I wouldn't want the creature to be stalking us as we move."

In reply to Borun Redbeard (msg # 107):

"Well yes, I knew about insects, but a 6 legged creature with cat-like paws doesn't exactly sound like any creature I know of, unless it was carrying someone."