First Glimpse to Verdant Heights
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 1:57 pm
Thump, thump, thump. Uuuuuggghhh. Everything hurt. Slowly, Riveit rose up toward consciousness. It seemed like a bad dream, a nightmare. The first crossing of the Lagoons of Loria had gone so easily. Watryk and Waerdan racing along with an occasional shot at predators. The Heretics Hovel was empty, deserted and silent but for the buzzing of insects and songs of birds. But time had run out and they went no farther. This second crossing of the Lagoons was far different. The party was far stronger but a swarm of kipestas hit them as soon as they walked into the lagoons. The whole party went down. Dalin respawned and revived the group with the help of a passerby, Sandie. They zigged and zagged across the landscape, avoiding predators. Finally, Arcana and Kiliane joined them, back from some mysterious conclave. The pace picked up and they started hunting the Lagoons. But the real horror began back at the Hovel. The Heretics were waiting in force. He was plastered and revived again and again and again. At last they blasted their way through only to find a hellish maze of dense forest and predators. It was all one long blur of blazing affliction and healing spells with Magnifico hacking away at the front. At the end, Riveit was knocked unconscious and had to be carried along as so much baggage. Thump, thump ... THUMP! Magnifico had dropped him unceremoniously on the ground by the Fleeting Garden Karavan altar. Riveit's eyes popped open to see the green grasslands of Verdant Heights for the first time. Kiliane leaned over him and asked "Are you OK?" He focused on Kiliane's lovely face looking down to him and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine", he lied and rose shakily. "Thank you all so much! Dalin, Daernan, Magnifico, Kiliane and Arcana. Thank you. At last I made it. Our Illuminati guild is the best, the very best. Sorry to pester you so much about going here and sorry to be dead weight at the end. You are all simply marvelous." After their protestations of 'no problem' faded away, Riveit looked over the hills of Fleeting Gardens and smiled. Out of the Lakelands and free to travel. It was an exciting time. Worlds were colliding. Kingdoms would fall. Dangerous times, but fortunes could be made and old scores could be settled.