PAXLAIR - June 20, 1999 - Winfield

Sshanshos enters the Mage Tower

In the early Sunday evening, an old man walked aimlessly into and through the town of PaxLair, eventually stopping in front of the Mage Tower. He admired the newly planted flowers that framed the doors when one of the people of PaxLair climbed the front steps.

Greetings there, can you help me? I need to talk to the people of the town.

Kitty Hawk answered that it would be best to talk to the mayor first and proceeded to lead the old man inside. There, Mayor Winfield and Rhyssand, Healer of PaxLair were chatting about town issues. They welcomed the old man warmly and listened closely as he greeted them with the words:

May the Great Serpents watch over you!

Rhyssand asked if he meant the Serpents of Balance. The old man in the green-tinted robe replied an excited but weak "Aye! And the Chaos and Order Serpents too, although that is something different." The mayor explained that PaxLair sought balance, yet many in town did not understand the true meaning and history of the Serpents. After resting a bit, the old man continued:

I need your help.

As the old man asked to meet a good fisherman, Rhyssand ran to the Ladies of the Lair Tavern to see who was around. Many a traveler stops into the Lair for a drink. Rhyssand returned shortly and said no fisherman was present, but several people were in the tavern. Opening the Mage Tower doors, the three walked slowly towards the Ladies of the Lair Tavern. Upon arrival and finding a soft seat, a respectable crowd gathered to listen to the old man's tale:

The Tale is told at the Ladies of the Lair Tavern

As I am approaching death, it is time for me to do my last duty. Behold my story, citizens of PaxLair, for I am Sshanshos, sole surviving follower of the Great Earth Serpent from a great war where Order pitted against Chaos. There are others that escaped and may live in hiding; I am pretty sure they did. No war kills all the children of the land. But I am alone, although I brought with me the daughter of... a great man, along with her unborn child. They never ought to know their true roots, for the lands they came from are scorched. When the last stronghold of Balance fell before the marching armys, I took the daughter of... this friend, the chest with the holy books and ran for a ship. We sat sail and passed through the Serpents Pillars.

Then something strange happened: all sounds ceased, the crashing of the waves silenced and time itself seemed to come to an end. Every movement stopped, except the drawing of the ship, it was drawn forward. I had the expression of being a fly trapped in amber... but it was more transparent like... glass than amber. This seemed to last for eternity, but then the world around us shifted and stretched. The ship passed throught the mirror-like surface of the trap and the we were finally free. But what a freedom it was! *sighs* We emerged right into a huge storm that shook the ship to its bones and crashed its masts.

With the last bit of my strength, I grasped my protege and got hold of a piece of wood. I awoke on the shores near Minoc and left the woman with a local family, setting off to accomplish two things: the recovery of the chest and the return to my homelands. I succeeded neither in the first nor the latter. I did find the Serpent Pillars on this world, but they didn't lead me back to my homeland, nor did the strange happenings from my first voyage reoccur. Instead, I always came to what you call the "New Lands".

I tried it many times thereafter, but as it seemed hopeless, I rather put my time into the search of the shipwreck and the chest in which is contained the only thing that remains from the wisdom of my ancestors: the Holy Books of the Ophidians. Within these books is told the story of my land and the knowledge about Chaos, Order and Balance. And now, finally, I found a lead to the shipwreck, *sighs* yet I am too old and too weak to fullfill my last duty...

This is why I came here, to beg your help and to entrust you with these precious books, should we find them. Pray, help me and let us set sails toward the Pillars. There, we'll find the hint to the shipwreck.

Frodo went to fetch his large ship for the voyage and seemed to take the longest time since it was in Cove. Frodo had to sail clear around the continent of mainland Britainnia. Mayor Winfield commented that PaxLair needed a fleet of vessels someday docked to the west.

While the people waited for Frodo and his mighty ship, Sshanshos told the people of the nature of Order, Chaos and Balance, good and evil, light and darkness. Winfield asked where the serpents came from and Sshanshos explained they came from the Void since the beginning of time, and that some say the world was created by their struggle.

It was then that Frodo set foot back into the Lair and announced he had docked his boat to the west. All then headed out the door, with Brother Derlic holding up Sshanshos; Sshanshos kept muttering that his time was very near. The party stepped through a gate to the shoreline near PaxLair and boarded the vessel.

The Party sails for the Serpent Pillar

The ship was crowded with all the people: Frodo, Rhyssand, Brother Derlic, Garzaia, Justice, Gohan, NightzAngel, Justice, deneer, Grimworm, Winfield, and Sshanshos. Frodo commanded the obedient, but somewhat obnoxious, tillerman to raise the anchor and set sail on a heading out of the bay to the great northern ocean. The trip was quite enjoyable, despite some turbulent waters, some water elementals, and Brother Derlic falling overboard. Gohan reached over the side of the boat and hauled the Brother of Empath Abbey out of the saltwater; Brother Derlic was drenched from head to toe and all had a good laugh at the sight as the Brother tried to wring his soaked robe out in the cool ocean breeze.

The vessel and party passed through the great divide from north to south and headed northwest of Jhelom. Using a spyglass and a sextant, Frodo navigated the boat through the rough waters. Off in the distance on the horizon, Frodo exclaimed, he could see a pillar of some sort. Sshanshos nodded, leaned against the mast holding up the huge sail and simply said with a distant look in his eyes,

Aye, tis the Serpent Pillar we seek. We are almost there.

Arriving at the Serpent Pillar

Suddenly the mighty Serpent Pillar came into clear view and all exclaimed at its beauty and its obvious mystery and power. Several in the party threw out their fishing lines in hopes to find a clue which would lead to Sshanshos' wrecked boat and the treasure within. Mayor Winfield asked Sshanshos to explain more about this Serpent Pillar while the party fished deep within the ocean.

Sadly, this pillar, and another just like it, only seem to lead to the so called "New Lands". The Serpent Pillars of my home were different. There were two of them side by side forming a passage. I tried in vain to get back to my homeland, from one of these pillars here, but to no avail.

After a time, someone pulled up a crusty old bottle with a water-stained message inside. Sshanshos exclaimed it must contain an indication of the location of his lost ship. The message was hard to read. NightzAngel, an exceptional reader of old tomes and inscriptions, took the bottle and keenly read the message, declaring the location inscribed was 52 12 N by 88 44 W. Frodo held his sextant up to the sky and determined the boat was currently at 145 27 S by 63 08 W at the Serpent Pillar. All sighed a bit at the distance they must obviously sail to the treasure, yet when they looked at Sshanshos who was obviously becoming weaker by each passing hour, they renewed their strength and courage to help the old man carry out his last and final duty.

Frodo had the tillerman raise anchor and the ship set sail at a rapid pace to the north. Suddenly a magical gate opened on the boat and Sir Kyle, Knight of PaxLair came through right onto the boat! He must have called upon a great mage to put his self right onto a boat in the middle of the ocean. Sir Kyle brought word that all was peaceful in PaxLair, but many were worried about the party that had set sail some time ago into the dark oceans.

Pressing forward through the rough ocean waves, not even stopping for the party to rid the waters of elementals and sea monsters, the party saw Sshanshos' health deteriorating quickly. Rhyssand placed a damp cloth on his head and healed him as best she could. The old man was not long for this world, the party saw as they sailed in silence. Night then came quickly as the sun set in the west and the air became a deathly chill.

The Party pulls up an old, ornate chest

Grimworm, an experienced fisherman and sailor, helped Frodo navigate the boat to the exact location on the message from the bottle. When at the proper coordinates, Grimworm cast his line deep into the ocean depths. Down and down his sturdy hook went, passing beyond sight. The hook hit the ocean bottom and the line stopped paying out. The hook dragged a bit and then suddenly it stopped. Grimworm gave it a mighty tug and reeled up a very old and ornate chest. NightzAngel and Sir Kyle helped pull the chest aboard and it set safely on the deck. Barnacles covered the surface and Grimworm cracked open the old rusty lock.

Opening the chest, the party searched through the massive treasure of gold, scrolls, gems, bottles, and other items. Under a magic shield, Grimworm found a second chest! He pulled it out and placed it on the deck. Sshanshos walked slowly to the second chest and recognized it immediately.

This is it!

Sshanshos exclaimed while coughing a bit. His eyes sparkled but his breath was ragged and coarse. Sshanshos opened the ancient chest and the party gasped as they saw not a few, but eleven books!

The chest of Holy Books

Ah, the Holy Books! Finally! Now I can live out my life in peace knowing that our heritage will live on.

Gohan started reading some of the books' titles as the party peered over the edge of the chest.

The Shrine of Balance, What is Order?, Doctrine of Chaos....

Sshanshos continued,

For in these books is written the knowledge of my ancestors. The teachings of Order, Chaos and Balance as brought to us by the Great Serpents from the Void. Although, I must admit, the Followers of Chaos were never much of writers... they hardly penned down their beliefs, but rather lived them. *sighs*

The party secured the priceless chest of books into the hold of Frodo's ship and Mayor Winfield suggested to give the old man a chance to say a final goodbye to his homelands. So the party sailed back to the mysterious Serpent Pillar. All in the party were ecstatic at recovering the books, but humbled in the presence of the old man, the last of a dying breed. Soon, the boat dropped anchor once again at the Serpent Pillar. After a short vigil for Sshanshos' loss of his homeland, Sshanshos revealed to the party the lesson of his life:

My duty is done, thanks to you and I want to reward and warn you with the tale of my lands. 'Tis a sad tale I have to tell you. Endless battles to gain the power of total domination. Such is the torment of my homeland. The destruction of my home left me with one lesson. Power must never again be allowed to be settled in just one of the forces. As they remain balanced, the destruction will never happen. There is no stopping the passage of time. But no sooner than one realizes this, a new chapter begins.

The heavens trembled as the armys of Order and Chaos clashed. The land wept and the sea boiled. Their perpetual battle ensued. In the end, each side met in a great battle that echoed to the ends of the earth. When it was over the last flame of the seemingly invincible forces flickered and died away. In the end, Chaos and Order were each split into three Forces. But Order and Chaos, Light and Darkness are equal. So where one exists, so too must the other.

Order fell to the Anti-Forces of the Forces of Chaos:

The final visit to the Serpent Pillar

Ethicality without Tolerance brought about Prejudice and disrespect for the beliefs and rights of others. Discipline without Enthusiasm fostered a spirit of hopelessness and Apathy. Logic without Emotion lead to self-advancing actions and Ruthlessness.

Balance was subdued by the raging armys, I fled my home, my land and my people to save what wisdom they had lost in this great war: that the scales may never be tipped to just one side. Heed this tale, my friends, heed it well.

You have guilds that follow Order and Chaos without the knowledge of the true meanings of the Principles. This might prove equally destructive as the fanatism of my people... One cannot master what one does not understand. So spread the word and teach them about Discipline and Enthusiasm, Logic and Emotion, Ethicality and Tolerance. These are the Principles of Order and Chaos. Teach them how to Balance them into Dedication, Rationality and Harmony. *coughs* Please, let us sail back to PaxLair, I am tired...

The trip back was uneventfull, except for the passing of a sea-serpent that seemed to hail the last pilgrimage of the last survivor of a lost land. The old man's health and mind deteriorated further and he stuttered about returning home. All were relieved when they hit land west of PaxLair again. They guided the old man back to the town, where he was carried up to the roof of a newly built tower behind the Pizzeria. Resting in a comfortable chair, he looked out upon the vastness of the land and the town. He rose suddenly and tried to rush to the edge of the tower roof. Standing there, Mayor Winfield asked what he saw.

At the new tower behind Luigis in PaxLair

And although Sshanshos' answer seemed to be born out of a feverish dream, his eyes were clearer than ever since he arrived in PaxLair:

"I see a Column of Fire and a Column of Ice towering over there, and the Earth in between...",

and then, growing more excited,

"What is this? Over there, this white shimmer near the walls of sand?"

He pointed to the south.

"Do you mean the arena?" Mayor Winfield asked.

The old man shook his head that one could fear it would fall off.

"Clashing Serpents... we must go there!"

And with this he set off toward the place with renewed strength.

As he reached the grounds west of the arena, he looked around in every direction, growing more confused and weakening.

"Ohhh, I feel death nearing. *coughs* The light... could it be?"

The Mayor and the gathered crowd tried to help and comfort him with healing and blessing, but nothing seemed to help... There is no stopping the passage of time...

"Yes, yes, I am finally home! *coughs* The Wall of Lights is opening... I can see it, I see the Temple! *coughs* Oh Great Earth Serpent, unto thee I cast my soul, welcome me...

Sshanshos dies in the center of PaxLair

With these last words, his life drained out of his body and he died at the very same spot that excited him so much.

Although everyone knew that Sshanshos was not to live long, his sudden death shocked the people deeply. They stood in silence for a long time, honoring Sshanshos and laying out flowers around his body, waiting until the earth would take it into its arms again. Tears streamed from everyone's face and all bowed in prayer. The Mayor cast a final flower onto Sshansho's body and then stepped off to the Mage Tower to set up the recovered books on the roof.

The mayor searched for some books to inscribe copies, so to preserve the original books within the library's vault. Kitty Hawk spoke up and offered to travel quickly to the nearest sage shop and purchase eleven ornately bound books. Mayor Winfield thanked Kitty Hawk for such kindness and generosity. Upon Kitty Hawk's return, the Mayor placed the books upon the northern wall of the mage tower roof and Artemis, a well known scribe, inscribed each book very carefully. The Mayor satisfied with the work done gave the original books to Dene, the Librarian of PaxLair, to store in the vault.

As people gathered upon the tower to read the Holy Books, a shining light could be seen overhead and the people knew they had fulfilled the old man's last will: that the heritage of his lost land shall never be forgotten so that a great war would never be repeated...