The Paltherian Herald 1/7/2000

The party concluded their business with the weaponmaster, discovering
from the weaponmaster that he was probably a titan, and that the gods
were divided as to whether the immortals should leave Paltheria/be
eliminated or not. The weaponmaster hinted that one faction (including
at least Zeus, Hera, Hades, and Ares) were pro-immortal and that another
faction (including at least Athena, Apollo, Hermes, and Poseidon) were
anti-immortal. The weaponmaster also told the party that when they left
the plane, they should not return until they had a solution, or else
they would be unable to leave again. His glass rod gift is a powerful
and unique artifact that makes the necessary sacrifices to the elder
gods to permit people to leave the sphere.

After departing his company, the characters returned to the bottommost
level of the Wyrm Lords dungeon to discover a "council" in complete
disarray. Darwin, Shamino, Iolo, Lord Greer and a company of knights
from Montoria, Lady Effiginia of the Elves, King Taragill of the
Dwarves, and others were arguing about how best to stop the attacks of
Mondain and Minax, getting nowhere, but making a lot of noise. The party
was able to persuade them all that they could solve the problem, if they
could get to the Isle of Fire. Many of the attendees, led by Manthrong,
immediately volunteered to help the party attack the island to "take the
war to Mondain". The party accepted the offers, and distributed seven of
the eight moonstones to the factions to give them some measure of
connectedness, keeping the eighth stone selected to be "most likely to
be used" by sages when the party arrived at the Isle of Fire.

Thomas attempted to become involved in several duels with Montorian
knights, a painfully easy process that was stopped before first steel
draw by Grimfang. Quansi discovered that the Gnomes of Chalcydia were
attempting to close the Doomsday Device Gap between Good and Evil by
creating their own doomsday device, probably a large, steam-powered
hammer suspended from the Moon that could split apart the world, or at
least knock it off of Atlas' shoulders and into the Sun. (How this would
actually assist with the war is probably a matter that only gnomes can
understand). Airlynn was instrumental (pardon the pun) in calming the
attendees.

The party traveled to Grey to recruit Captain Sydney's aid in finding a
ship in the Pirate Isles, then teleported to the port village of Efrain
in the Pirate Isles to hire a ship. Once there, they met an old "friend"
in Josie Wales, who agreed to transport them to Abala for an appalling
amount of money, bartered slightly lower by Airlynn. Rocky the margoyle
directed the ship into a Fjord, two days out from the Pirate Isles,
telling the party that he would have to fight for the right to escorty
non-gargoyles through the city. He chose Thomas as his second, and
advised Thomas that if he (Rocky) fell, Thomas would have to step up
immediately to his aid, fighting the margoyle and his gargoyle assistant
without weapons to submission.

In the Fjord, the party found that the Gargoyle city is defended by 2
fifty-foot tall gargoyle statues/golems that Rocky calmed into
quiescence as they docked. Rocky and Thomas fought against the dockyard
warlord Gemmel and his gargoyle second, with Rocky dispatching Gremmel
with some ease, then Thomas battling the gargoyle second to a
hard-fought submission.

The characters followed Rocky into the dank and musty passages of the
gargoyle city, peacefully for some time, until they were suddenly
confronted by a rival warlord who swiftly challenged Rocky's victory at
the docks - with his faction. The game ended there, with one margoyle
and two gargoyles facing each PC in the party - and no limitations on
how the ensuing battle will take place.

We will begin there on Thursday the 20th at 7 PM. See you then!
--
Robert Baranowski