Adventure night in PaxLair went to the depths of the ocean this week (with our fishing lines at least), recovered many items of value, and even helped an author to finish a book!  Scheduled by accident at the same time as a shard-wide festival meeting, the turnout actually wasn't bad!  Zog, Nastasia (baksheesh!), Grimlar Mithrax, Mayor Minsk, Lodori Lockheart, Tyrone Trevor, Gremore, David, Sheesa Ho, Cross Macleod, Neo Of Lothlore and a wandering scribe all made it and helped fish for fun!

The Group Sets out to Buccaneer's Den

At around ten past nine, we headed out to Buc's Den, where we met Sheesa Ho, who provided us with around 40 nets to cast.  Lining up, Sheesa passed two nets to each of us, and set the rest on the ground for anyone who needed more.  We were careful to only toss around two or three at a time, and avoid a situation that would kill us all!  After many lines were cast, a few of us died, a few of us lived and many nice objects were recovered from the krakens and sea serpents.  Mayor Minsk gathered a bunch of horned leather, while others stored dozens upon dozens of sea serpent scales, within our packs.

The Group Meets the Wandering Scribe

Soon after we tossed a few nets in the water, we were greeted by a wandering scribe who had run out of ink to finish his book on a recent encounter he had.  The scribe showed us the incomplete book, which proved to be quite a tale, and urged us to find items from the sea monsters that could be used to produce more ink.  Entrusted with a quest, we fished and fished, and pulled up several items.  Among the list were chicken bones, skulls, candle wax, flesh, serpent scales, horned leather, and even some old wine!  The scribe was quick to make the ink after all the necessary items were recovered, and then, quill-in-hand, finished the book!

Strange Shifting

Once the book was complete, the scribe set it upon his table for us to read, here is the complete text of what was found in the book:

Strange Shifting

by a Wandering Scribe

 

I wandered one day in a lost land and quickly felt a tremor.  Quickly, I grabbed hold of the nearest boulder to steady myself.  Dust flew up around me, the sun blocked out.  My nose twisted in it wrinkled from the dust and, oh, a strange smell.  I coughed.  A pungent, decaying odor leaked into the air froma  dark hole near me.  I strained to look, but the hole sparkled and hurt my eyes.  Then there was a flash, and I closed my eyes.

 

When I opened my eyes before me stood a beautiful woman.  A woman of dark skin and clear blue eyes.  I lifted my head and my jaw dropped in awe.  The nasty odor changed to the sweet smell of violets.  Tears filled her eyes as she opened her arms toward me as if to greet me.  Her red lips parted slightly as if she would speak, then closed in a smile.  She nodded and lowered her arms.

 

I felt a tingling on the back of my neck and did not know if it was because of the beautiful lady's presence or something else.  I tried to look deep into her eyes and tried to speak, but my throat was swollen from the dust.

 

Then her eyes looked towards the sparkling hole and her lips formed a frown as steam came out with a ghostly presence of some kind.  The presence ascended from the hole and turned in her direction without paying any attention to me.  It spoke a strange word which I could not hear clearly.  Then, the woman screamed an awful blood curdling scream.  She fell to the ground and vanished into a shimmer.

 

I was severely shaken as the ghostly presence turned to me.  I cowered behind the boulder, but it drew closer.  I was compelled to rise as if the presence controlled me.  I could not move my legs nor arms as the presence approached.  Fear struck into my heart and soul.

 

The ghostly presence made a gesture over my forehead, said strange words which sounded like "Atra Sopor".  I quivered before the presence, tears thrust forth from my eyes, and I fell behind the boulder.  The presence stood over me.  I looked up and saw the most strange sight of my life.  A moon.  Then I passed out.

 

Not sure what to make of it, a few of us pronounced it an "interesting tale", but the author insisted that it truly happened!  Still confused by the mystery surrounding the details of the book, and the author, I pointed out the word "Atra Sopor", and instantly the Gatekeeper appeared beside the author!  The scribe was quick to say, with almost absolute calmness, "He's been following me around for some time", while the rest of us shrieked at the sight of the notorious spirit!

The wandering scribe then thanked us for helping him make more ink and presented us with a copy of the book.  Soon, he gathered up his belongings, bid farewell, and left, saying that he was off to seek more adventure for another book!  Not sure how to place the circumstances, the remainder of us headed back to PaxLair where we placed the book in the library, and talked a bit about the tale.

It's obvious that the Gatekeeper has some involvement in this, and the "Strange Shifting" sounds much like what the he mentioned about the underworld shifting during a previous task we took care of for him!  Will the author return with more tales, the Gatekeeper with more happenings of the underworld, and will the mantra LRU ever be put to use?  One only can wonder!

OOooOoOOoOooOoooO

Neo Of Lothlore

Links to Recent Articles Concerning the Gatekeeper

• Gatekeeper Visit and New Mantra Learned on Adventure Night (March 4th, 2004)

• Gatekeeper Speaks at the PaxLair Meeting (March 8th, 2004)