Asphalt

Elder Wyrm, There is no one here who could trod the path that ends with that beast. Vindsval looks to the two wolves behind him. It is said that legends live long among the beasts. Well it worked to gain the allegiance of Poe, who can say that they are not destined to walk by our side as well. The Half giant turns and kneels in front of the two wolf pups, he removes a potion from his bag along with a scap of leather. He lays it on the ground to form a shallow bowl. That done he empires a portion of the potion into the leather, kneels next to it, and recorks the vial. Once it has been returned to his pouch he extends a hand, palm up to the wolves. Slyph, translate for me please. Come young hunters, I know you feel the pangs of hunger. Drink from this and feel refreshed. We are to be allies now, I would have us be friends.

Aristune catches the staff, and is about to respond when he sees Keliim opening the western door. By the Seven Dunes, does he ever look before he plunges in. I told him I was fleeing those damnable Bore Beetles. Prepare for Battle Enemies Domesticated Bore Beetle Beast Type Level 7 SP-2 Health 80/80 Special 1: Experience of my master: Because of his domestic training the beetle attacks with damage equal to twice the characters level. Special 2: Mandibles of fire: the beetle ignites its digging fires and latches onto the character causing Burning -2 damage. Drops: Trainers whip: Whip wP 5, double damage against Beasts, Fireproof shell: The Insects large shell piece worth 20 gold at a magic shop. 40 Gold Wild Bore Beetle A Beast Type Level 6 SP-1 Health 70/70 Special: Mandibles of fire: the beetle ignites its digging fires and latches onto the character causing Burning -2 damage for two rounds or until remedied. Drops: Fireproof shell: The Insects large shell piece worth 20 gold at a magic shop. Ruby Wild Bore Beetle B Beast Type Level 6 SP-1 Health 70/70 Special: Mandibles of fire: the beetle ignites its digging fires and latches onto the character causing Burning -2 damage for two rounds or until remedied. Drops: Fireproof shell: The Insects large shell piece worth 20 gold at a magic shop. 20 Gold Spider A Type: Vermin Level: 3 Health: 15/15 Special: Web Spinner: The Spider spins a web around the character causing the Slowed Effect. Drops:Remedy Spider B Type: Vermin Level: 3 Health: 15/15 Special: Web Spinner: The Spider spins a web around the character causing the Slowed Effect. Drops:Remedy Spider C Type: Vermin Level: 3 Health: 15/15 Special: Web drop: The Spider drops from the ceiling trailing webs over the character causing the Bound Effect. Drops:Potion The Party The Party Kelim the Cruel (played by Mencot) Age 35, male human Level 8 Barbarian Power: 13 (8+5) Power Bonus: 0 Health: 15/15 (8+7) SP: 2 (4 against Free Hits) Gold: 19 Equipment: Dwarven Orichalcum one handed battleaxe (WP: 5), wolf fur coat(Prop) Heroic Helm (Headwear, SP:2, Helm's SP doubles on free hits) Inventory: Consumables: x4 Potion, Grand Potion, Smoke Bomb, Poison Artefacts: Order Imperial Longsword (WP: 5),Really Hard Helmet (SP: 2, Immunity to Rock) Misc: Shovel Calamity (played by Scubacarrot) 24 year old human Mage Level 4 Power: 7 (4+ 3) (Spells X2 against Humanoid/Luminous) Health: 8/8 (5+3) Ether: 1/8 (5+3) Gold: 17 Equipment: Skull-Topped Staff (WP: 3, staff), Inventory: X2 Potion, Tonic, Amethyst, Remedy Sapphire Portal Key (SP1, wind Elemental, Staff) Gloves of the Falcon Brotherhood (worth 15 gold to the right fashion forward collector.) Rethinal (played by Rconn0) 58 year old Were-Eagle cleric Level 4 Power: 7 (4+3) Health: 7/12 (9+3) Ether: 4/8 (5+3) Gold: 17 Equipment: Small hammer Inventory: Potion, X4 Remedy, 2X Tonic Tools: Chiton Pickaxe (Allows the user to dig through a breakable wall or obstacle.) Terry Yelnats (played by Endgame) Level 4 Mage HP: 8/8 (5+2) Ether: 8/8 (5+3) Power: 7 (4 +3) (Spells X2 against Flying and Vermin) Gold: 17 Equipment: Cattle Prod Staff (WP: 3) Inventory: X2 Potion, Remedy, Sapphire, 2X Bat Guano (can be thrown at an enemy to cause the Blind Effect) Misc: Bedroll Muradin Falstad (played by Cryos) 47 year old male dwarf Level 4 Barbarian Health: 9/11 Power: 7 (4+3) SP:1 Gold: 7 Equipment: Granite Hammer (WP:3),Chiton Breastplate (SP:1, suitable for barbarians, knights, rogues, rangers, beast warriors, cannoneers, dragoons, harlots, inflitrators, marauders, minstrels, regulators, skirmishers, vindicators and winged warriors; bodywear.) Artefacts: Inventory: X3 Potion, Mead, Shovel Aristune (NPC) 26 year old Human Level 6 Ranger Health 11/11 Power 6 SP 3 Gold 0 Equipment: Initiates Brigandine (SP 3 Bodywear, usable only by Aristune) Inventory: Magic Compass, Smoke Bomb, Bone Emerald Portal Key (SP1, Wood Elemental, Staff) Everyone please choose an action, and Party leader please post a battle order

Vindsval eyes the newcomer, slightly less comfortable about him being with them than the wolf pups. What isn't he saying. I am called Vindsval. If you have been here that long, than were you witness to what decimated the forest around the old watchtower?

As keliim moves the chest, and feels rather foolish for not doing it the first time they were here, he finds the second portal key sitting exactly where Aristune said it would be. Emerald Portal Key (WP 1, WOOD elemental, Staff) Aristune looks on as Keliim moves the chest away from the door. So you are meaning to say that you were in this room long enough to ransack nearly every container, and fight an extended battle, yet you didn't notice the gleaming magical staff? By the Dunes, I don't know if I will be making it out of this after all.

By pooling what they remember the party is able to make a sketch of where they have been and what they have encountered thus far.

It would not fit within a chest or barrel, so I put it against the wall, near the western facing door, then pushes a chest in front of it. I were in a hurry it is the best I was able to do while bleeding to death and being hounded by the seven hells know what.

I like not the idea of leaving the old man with the wolf, but as you say, it would seem we have no choice. Let us move quickly.

Note: Sorry Guys, I am away from my set pieces so I cannot update the picture for this room for you. Just imagine the chests and barrels scattered about more, rather than in their original arrangement. Followed by Aristune, Keliim moves back into the Barrel Room. Aristune takes in the signs of battle, the open chests, and the broken bits of giant spiders. It looks like quite the brawls took place here. Someone has ransacked nearly all of the chests and barrels, I hope they did not take the Key as well or we may be trapped here.

Through Slyph's animal speak, Vindsval relates the two tales in which he righted a wrong caused by others. First the tale of destruction of the necromancer on Tridentia which allowed the island and its creatures to return to their natural state, and then the tale of how he sacrificed his arm in order to make certain that an un-natural pestilence not be allowed to spread throughout both man and beast. He hopes that these instances of righting a wrong imposed upon the natural world will sway the beasts to see that he has their best interest at heart.

Keliim leads the party back to the Fountain room. You are starting to get the feeling that you may never clear all of the rooms in the parlor. As it did before, the Fountain statue of the Caliph has rotated to greet you as you enter.

Vindval moves up closer to Slyph, and stands hip to shoulder with him. "We cannot leave these two men to die."

Note: whoops autocorrect. Clean out your ears youngling, I said Laddy. If I haven't been completely turned around by this place is was one room past where the Altar of the Keys was is held. I believer we were traveling south at the time.

Nay Lady, while my men were being picked off one by one I did not take the time to draw a map.

Though out of the way, it would seem traveling here was to our benefit. Let us proceed North. Before leaving the tower Vindsval SEARCHES the room for anything of value or use.

Based on what we experienced with the first two staves it would seem each key requires you to pass a specific test or best an obstacle. In order to obtain the Sapphire key, which you now hold, we had to pass through the chamber of winds. The Emerald key was entangled within grasping vines that only the sharpest blade could cut, and then only working together. I would imagine that the other keys would be similarly guarded.

Shall we see what there is to see from this vantage? It would seem this place was built with a near singular purpose. Vindsval walks gingerly to the window, lowers himself to the floor, and looks through the Telescope.

There are no armories within the Parlor, one is to make it out with what they choose to bring with them. This place has taken so many lives already. I curse the very names of those who designed this prison. I want nothing more than to leave this place and return to my life. But to do so we much find the 5 keys. You appear to be the leader of the Cadre Keliim. I will follow your lead.

Ahh the Fowl has a temper, what would you have me call you then? I would if I but could, I am a ranger my friend, the sword was never my strength.

I have recovered from my wounds, but as far as weapons or gear I am as you see me. In these lands those who bear a staff such as yours my lady are known to be Death Worshipers, Followers of the Shade of Many names, a demon most powerful. Aristune (NPC) 26 year old Human Level 6 Ranger Health 6/11 Power 6 SP 3 Gold 0 Equipment: Initiates Brigandine (SP 3 Bodywear, usable only by Aristune) Inventory: Smoke Bomb, Bone

He reaches up and gently strokes Poes tiny feathered Head. Be still my friend, so long as we are careful, we are safe. Looking at the mysterious druid Sylvania's Thorn? One of your ilk Slyph? And one using potentially devastating weapons as toys? i think we may have found the cause of the flattened forest. A test run perhaps. I had not known Root-Binders to be such extremists. Vindsval watches with awe as Annienal solves the puzzle of the bomb with ease, and then with alarm as Warlen picks it up and begins playing with it as a newling would play with his fathers sword. Both too ignorant to know that they could be very near to losing a hand. He moves over to Warlen and places a hand firmly on his shoulder. Warlen, now is not the time to be foolishly reckless, put that down. It would appear that Annie has disarmed it, but we know that not for sure.

I am no sorcerer nor mystic. I wish I could tell you more. I wear the uniform of The Initiate. One who is worthy to be tested to enter the Brotherhood. I mean no disrespect to you, to any of you, but you seem an ill matched band. He gestures at the heroes. You are what? Mercenaries? How do barbarians, bird men, death worshipers, and simple children come to travel together, let alone be admitted entrance to the Parlor?

As I said, I am called Aristune. I came here with my cadre to prove worthy of taking the mantle of Falcon Brother. We the initiates were set with the task of obtaining the portal keys, defeating the denizens of the Parlour, and returning to the Caliph in glory. We began our trials admirably, we obtained the Emerald and Sapphire Keys. He looks at Calamity ​Which I see you now possess. And we continued our search for the remaining staves. But soon after obtaining the second key something changed. Something seemed . . . I don't know strange somehow. It was if the Parlor began to take on an intent of its own. We awoke in the fountain room to hear a terrible wail of torment echoing through the chamber. Then two of our cadre began acting strangely and ran off. After that those of who remained continued the search. It would not be the first time that initiates perished at the Parlor's hand. It is designed to separate the worthy from the unworthy. We continued to search but we soon lost another of our cadre to the darkness. How can there be darkness in this place? The lights are made never to dim. In the end it was only myself. I was injured by a battle with the Bore Beetles, and I could not carry both of the keys. I secreted the Emerald key in what we called the Storage Closet, and continued with the Sapphire key to the fountain room. There I waited, for what seemed like weeks. I could hear my former men calling to me through the doors, demanding that I release them from this cage. I dared not open them. After more time, how much I do not know as that is part of the Parlor's magic, I was shaken awake by a Falcon Brother. He said that he and his Cadre were sent to retrieve us as we had been deemed unworthy. I told him what I have told you. He scoffed at me and called me coward. Aristune looks down at the corpse at his feet. He calls no one such now. We had begun to continue the search for the remaining keys. we made it to this room when we were set upon by . . . I know not what to call them other than man-beasts. Two of his men fell quickly, he and his remaining officers tried to make a stand. He put me in the chest and showed me how to keep it from opening. After that I can tell you that heard only the muffled screams of battle, and then nothing until one of you began hammering on the chest. He kneels beside the dead man. He saved my life, and I will be forever in his debt.

I am called Aristune, but before I answer any of your question I need to know who YOU are and how you came to be here. You are not of the brotherhood, nor of the initiates. How do I know you can be trusted?

Keliim edges his face closer and peers over the lip of the chest. Inside he sees A very uncomfortable looking man. If you are indeed the friends you claim to be, and not under the control of that creature, would you mind getting helping me out of this thrice cursed box!?

A few moments after Keliim pronounces their non-hostility to the voice in the chest the lid shifts slightly and opens.