Vardian Log #18: A Healer's Story --- "And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision." --Luke 1:22 --- Season: Fall, 1202 Dramatis Personae: Antony Grog Arridere of Jerbiton Magus (Dave) Duke Bellorfen Elf Bolo Warrior (Dave) Demorar of Quaesitor Magus (Billy) Flamma of Flambeau Maga (Eric) Lamneth Healer (DougO) Luigi Grog Captain Marlon of Tremere Magus (Phillip) Mendem of Ex. Misc. Magus (Donald) Rupes of Bjornaer Magus (Shannon) Turelli Grog ** ** From the Chronicles of Salvadore, Autocrat of Vardian's Tomb ** Fall, 1202 At the Council meeting of Fall, 1202, a new Magus by the name of Arridere of Jerbiton was given entrance to Vardian's Tomb in accordance with the Agreement of 1197. Marlon of Tremere challenged him to a Certamen at once, forcing him to wear a red shirt for a week. A Certamen was also fought between Flamma and Rupes over some small irritation. Following the Certamens, Lamneth, a healer who is affiliated with the Covenant, rose to speak. He told all of a dream that he had had. He spoke of a noble man being hurt down in the Faerie Forest to the South East. He said that he had seen visions of many monstrous creatures infesting the lands due to this death. Taron acted as if he were quite concerned over this matter, and suggested that some magi should go and deal with it. Demoror, Flamma, Marlon, Mendem and Rupes all went, taking Lamneth, Luigi, Antony, Turelli and Bolo with them. With no more business, the Council meeting was adjourned. ** ** From Rupes' Book When Lamneth began speaking of his dream, I was preparing excuses for why I could not go and help out, for it seemed quite an unprofitable expedition. However, as soon as he revealed that the person that he saw hurt was down in the Faerie Forest just Northwest of Verdi, I became quite ready to aid him. I am always happy to save a fellow from the foul corruptions of nature that live in such places, and I figured that I might even be able to collect a good bit of vis from said corruptions while I was there. The trip down to the forest was pleasant enough. However, as soon as the forest was in sight, the fay began to make their presence known. At the edge of the forest, two men in green cloaks and silver chainmail waited, and as we approached, they began waving their bows at us menacingly. I was about to show the two elves what I thought of faeries, when I heard Flamma chant Creo Ignem. What followed was a frantic melee. Fortunately, I managed to keep the grog, Antony, between myself and the elves' arrows. Bolo managed to kill one of the beasts, and I almost got the other one. He would not have gotten away if he had not cast a hex at me, causing me to throw my morning star away. After the fight, we magi had to have a discussion with Lamneth, who had tried to heal the elf that Bolo had cut down. Sometimes mundanes just overstep their bounds. However, they do have their uses, as I saw while we were tending our wounds. Antony, who had taken two elven arrows, had become mute. It is quite fortunate that a mundane took those shots rather than more important magi. In any case, when our wounds were all tended we set off after the elf who escaped us. Together, Turelli and Bolo managed to follow the creature's tracks until darkness had descended, and we finally decided to give up for the night. The entire time, Lamneth seemed quite concerned that we were not searching for the noble who was wounded. He did not seem to understand that killing the escaped fay was the first priority. During the night, while we were resting peacefully, the evil elves who lived in this forest made plans to slay us. The next morning, we again began following the tracks of the wounded fay, and shortly walked straight into a faerie ambush. I saw elfshot hit Bolo, Flamma and Mendem before a Well of Darkness descended upon us, thanks to the Flambeau's quick thinking. Attacking from the darkness, we were able to cause the elves to flee, although we were unable to actually slay any as they escaped. After the battle, Demoror and Marlon wished to give up this wild hunt for the escaping fay. And thus, we had a long argument, and several Certamens resulted. During this time, Flamma killed a gnome, who was no doubt spying on us for the evil elves. Finally, when all arguments were ended, we decided no more than to wait until morning, and then decide what to do. Sometimes it seems that this order of magicians is as much a blessing as a curse, for so many of the magi in it are so stubborn that they will not listen to the opinions of others. The roar of a dragon awoke us during the night Bolo and Luigi both valiantly attacked it, and I tried to slay it with stones called down from the sky, but the dragon fled before we could give it a mortal wound. We were all quite sad over so much vis getting away. However, a short time later, a second dragon appeared, although this one was quite smaller, and really no more than a drake. We tried to fool this one into coming close enough for us to kill it, so that it would not get away as that other one had. As soon as it was in shouting range, I began to loudly yell how I was hurt and alone and helpless out here in the woods. Rather than flying down to eat me, however, the beast said it would go and get me help. The drake soon returned, saying that it could not bring me a healer, because the healer was trying to help Duke Bellorfen, the leader of the elves, who had become wounded recently. Realizing that it was not going to fly down and try to eat me, I was about to give up. Then, the beast became complaining that it was hungry, so we offered it Luigi, knowing that the grog captain could slay the drake, for he had killed such before. The drake was very suspicious, however, and so Luigi had to go off to a glade away from us before the drake would eat him. Luigi fought the drake very bravely, but the beast fled before he could kill it. I have never in my life known such cowardly dragons. While we ate breakfast the next morning, Lamneth deserted us. When he returned, he told us that he had determined that Duke Bellorfen was the person he had seen in his vision. He further stated that he could make a potion to cure him, but needed a certain herb that could only be found in a nearby cave that was inhabited by Unseelie Faeries. I had no desire to help faerie corruptions, but I did see a great oppurtunity here, for after slaying the Unseelie Faeries, and taking the herb from them, Lamneth could lead us to the elves, and we could slay them as well. The others had surely all made the same determination, for shortly afterwards, we set out towards the cave that Lamneth had described. As we approached the cave, I became determined to lead the warriors, for I felt quite sure that the unseelie faeries would drop like grogs before my morning star. Thus, I was in the lead when we stormed into the caves. As we entered the caves, Flamma tried to create a small light for us to see by. However she was unable to control her magic in the high Faerie Aura that we were in. Thus, she began smoking profusely, and fell down into a deep twilight. I was not prepared to wait well the others corrected her mistake, and thus I continued into the caves, with only Turelli and Antony with me. Unfortunately, Flamma had made enough noise with her botched spell to warn the Ogres who lived within the cave of our coming. Thus, when I stepped into a cavern, well within the cave system, I was ambushed by a pair of them. One of the beasts hit me with several lucky shots, and wounded me badly during the battle. Antony fought bravely and was wounded badly as well. The others finally arrived, having left Flamma behind, for she was still deep within twilight, and Bolo and Luigi managed to finish off the hulking creatures. We collected our vis, Lamneth collected his herbs, and we set off for the elven village. Unfortunately, our original plan had to be put aside, for many of us had been badly wounded in the fight with the Ogres, and we felt that we could no longer take out the village of elves. Thus, Lamneth made a salve, and healed the Duke of the poison that had been eating away at his life. The faeries then gave Bolo a pair of magical shoes, and Flamma a healing ointment, to offset problems that had been caused by arrows that they had been hit with earlier. And thus, we left the faerie forest. It seems unfortunate that we had to let so many faeries go, but then I suppose that I can't expect to clean an entire forest of them in one trip. Perhaps next time.