The Harvest Moon Consortium

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:30 (GMT) -- Malkryad

[Editor’s note: If you haven’t read Randyl Vail’s epic report. Please take a moment now to read it. There are some pertinent details in that report that may not be repeated here.]

[Editor's note part II: Also, Seryne’s recollections may vary slightly from what actually happened. I’ve therefore taken liberties with the dialogue and a few details of the battles.]

[Editor's note part III: Since I can't figure out how to makes things show up in italics, and I used italics to represent things Seryne was thinking when I wrote this, I will instead enclose these thoughts in brackets]

[Second Editor's note: Editor's note part III has been fixed ]

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:32 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Prologue

The only sound Seryne Vail could hear was the slowly metered roar of her own breathing. In the silence she floated in, it was deafening. If she strained her senses, she could barely feel the low rumble of the volcano beneath her. She stared at the rocky ceiling of the chamber, alone with her loss. And so she began cataloging the day – her failures, her triumphs. She closed her eyes, and her mind wandered…

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:35 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 1 – A letter from an old friend.

Seryne sat on a log at the camp just outside Lapis Port, and watched the light show before her. The wizard, Lomeland, seemed lost in his spell. She leaned over towards her brother, who was perched on the log next to her, his face a stone wall as he watched the wizard.

“Bet you can’t do that,” Seryne said quietly, allowing herself to sound just the slightest bit impressed with the theatrics before her.

“Give me time” was her brothers only reply. Seryne grinned. Yeah, he’s jealous.

She looked over to see the expression of the two dwarves sitting across the camp, but was defeated by their helmets. Lagnar was Seryne and Randyl’s near constant companion, and after many adventures she had learned to read his body language. He seemed a bit on edge this afternoon, and she doubted the magic was helping. Not that I blame him, I’m a bit on edge as well.

The other dwarf… Theyan, he said his name is Theyan… seemed to be paying close attention. Seryne had only met him a short while ago. He had delivered the letter that started all this. It occurred to her to wonder how he knew who she was. But then again, I suppose I’m not that hard to find. Just look for the young woman with the huge sword and the red wings. He seemed friendly enough, though. And he was willing to help. It sounded like she was going to need a lot of help.

The letter was from her swordmistress, Amilielia Hener. Seryne’s father, Jonathan Vail, was her idol. Her mother, Anjaiyi Vail, was her protector. Her brother was her strongest ally. But Amilielia was her hero, her mentor, and her first real friend. She had taught Seryne to fight. She had crafted Seryne’s greatsword, and even swung by to make improvements to it now and then. And now she needed help. Her letter had been short and to the point. She needed six perfect gems to complete a spell that would allow her to go home. So, I will find them.

Her musing was interrupted as Lomeland began to speak. As he listed off the locations of the six gems, Seryne made hasty notes on Amilielia’s letter. When the wizard was done, Seryne briefly studied the list she’d made. When she looked up, she found her companions looking at her expectantly. Right. Guess I’m leading this little expedition.

“Alright, I say we start with the lair of the black dragons. ‘Cause I know where that is, at least.”

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:37 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 2 – The perfect ruby

The ancient black dragon, mother to the entire brood, loomed above Seryne and her companions. Almost immediately after sighting the invaders to her home, she launched a fireball that exploded at Seryne’s feet. Seryne didn’t even blink. She hasn’t looked close enough. She doesn’t realize I’m a red.

Seryne charged forward, her greatsword flashing in its deadly arc. Despite the dragon’s thick skin and tougher scales, blood was soon oozing from multiple wounds. The dragon roared in defiance and buffeted Seryne and her companions with her wings in an attempt to knock them down. Seryne didn’t budge. Beside her, Theyan’s axe bit deep into the dragon’s underside, and Lagnar weathered a blow from the dragon’s forelimb and buried his axe in the dragon’s side. A storm of missles pounded the dragon from five directions at once - Randyl’s work. The battle was over in just a few intense minutes.

As the others moved to look through the dragon’s horde in search of the first of the perfect gems, Seryne allowed herself to feel a moment of regret. She touched the still very warm neck of the dragon. I’m sorry. But we do what we have to do.

Seryne moved over to a strong looking chest that the others hadn’t searched yet. A quick use of her magic lens disarmed the trap on the chest, but it was locked. With a shrug, Seryne swung her greatsword with all her considerable might. The chest was not even scratched.

“I found it.” Randyl handed her an exquisite ruby. If he had noticed Seryne’s failure to even dent the chest, he made no mention of it.

Seryne looked at the stubborn chest before her, and then turned to her companions. “Good. Let’s go.”

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:38 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 3 – The perfect emerald

“I thought we were going to make a point of staying together” Seryne admonished her brother as she killed several of the vipers that had surrounded him when he rushed ahead. Around a corner behind her, she could hear the two dwarves cursing the vines they had become entangled in.

“Just trying to find our way through this jungle maze, dear sister” her brother replied patiently.

“Right. You’re sure you know where the Altar of Dasif is?”

“Yeah. Absolutely. It’s right around here… somewhere.”

Once the dwarves caught up, they continued through the steamy jungle. After a few more detours, Seryne spotted a large group of humanoids, their forms somewhat obscured by the fog and foliage of the jungle. They had apparently spotted Seryne as well, for soon water elementals began to appear, summoned by the druids that guarded this place. Everyone is just so friendly today.

“So, um, the altar is that way” Randyl said quietly behind her.

Seryne didn’t even look back to see which way her brother was pointing.

“Right. Through them.”

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:41 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 4 – The perfect sapphire

Seryne had thought they had gotten lost in the jungle. She was wrong. In the land of the Proscadors, the party had gotten truly turned around.

“Are you sure we haven’t been this way before?”

Theyan seemed to pause a bit in his steps and studied his surroundings again. Then he nodded. “I told you that I knew where the land of the proscadors was. I also told you that I don’t know where this supposed king is. But I’m fairly sure we haven’t gone this way yet.”

Seryne suppressed a sigh and nodded, trudging forward. This place is vile. She had never felt the presence of evil quite so tangibly before. It hung in the air, permeating the thick red fog that marked this wretched place.

Before long, they were attacked once again by insane elves and their wretched human slaves. The slaves had a frightening aura about them, but while Seryne held the sword Amilielia had given her, she felt no fear. They cast death magic on her, but the protection her magic ring gave her held true. Seryne and her companions cut them to ribbons.

I hope we find this place soon. This land is truly depressing.

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:42 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 5 – The perfect topaz

Despite all the debate about which possible entrance into the underdark Lomeland had been referring to, the topaz was found surprisingly quickly. They had entered the Underdark below Rodon’s temple. Drow assassins had fired arrows at them from ledges above them, but Seryne had simply flown up and cut them down. They had met relatively little resistance as they entered one of the buildings, killed a drow that Seryne assumed was the garrison commander that the wizard had mentioned, and took the topaz from his office.

This is going really well. Just two more gems to go. Seryne glanced at her obviously pleased friends. The four of us are nigh unstoppable.

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:44 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 6 – The perfect fire opal

Seryne stared at the rocky ceiling of the goblin caves and despaired. A duergar spell had her paralyzed, and the mages around her had obviously figured out that while fire based spells could not harm her, spells of any other elemental type definitely could. A goblin was finding every little vulnerable point in her excellent armor and sticking a dagger into it. The pain was terrible, but Seryne ignored it. She was focused on her failure.

This is all my fault. We got impatient. We got overconfident. I allowed us to start splitting up in multiple directions rather than moving carefully through these caves the way we had with the other places we’ve been today. And now it is quite possible that we are all going to die. Some leader I am.

The presence of the duergar had caught her by surprise. She hadn’t been in these caves recently. There were a lot more mages here than she had expected. And separated as they were, her group had been quickly overwhelmed.

I’m sorry Amilielia. Seryne Vail fell into darkness.

She woke staring at that same rocky ceiling. As her disorientation faded, she could hear the careful but heavy footsteps of a dwarf moving away from her and the sounds of the enemies around her obviously looking for him. She turned slightly to see Lagnar suddenly return to consciousness nearby. Theyan then. Guess those scrolls I gave him came in handy. Smart dwarf.

Her enemies noticed her. Seryne sprang back up, her greatsword flashing towards the nearest grey dwarf. She began to dance, her greatsword an extension of her own body. Everything else fell away: her doubts, her fears, her regrets. She could hear her brother’s chanting somewhere behind her, but it barely registered. There was only Seryne Vail and her enemies. And her enemies would fall.

She was engulfed in flame, but she didn’t even flinch. An old trick on Randyl’s – let Seryne get surrounded by enemies and then drop a fireball centered right on her. Her enemies slowed. Seryne did not. She cut them to pieces.

Around her, Lagnar and Theyan were enjoying similar success. Randyl had turned himself into a dragon and was smashing goblin and duergar alike. They had turned the tide. We might just survive this after all.

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:46 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 7 – The perfect diamond

Compared to the mishap in the goblin caves, the frost giants had fallen relatively easily. Lagnar and Seryne noticed the diamond in the center of the room at the same time, and they raced toward it. Lagnar got there first.

“I got it.” The triumph in his voice was clear.

“Then we just need to find Amilielia.” Seryne allowed herself to sound truly satisfied.

[rdjparadis]

Posted 02/24/07 01:48 (GMT) -- Malkryad

Chapter 8 – A Farewell

“This is the finest sword I have ever crafted, next to my own.” Seryne picked up the greatsword and examined it. She was speechless. The sword was long and thin. It seemed lighter than it should, but it was also impossibly sharp. Electricity and cold bathed the edge. It was simply awe-inspiring. But it was no replacement for Amilielia herself.

“Do you really have to go?”

Amilielia simply nodded.

“You can’t both exist in this same time indefinitely, can you – the baby Amilielia and you?” Randyl sounded thoughtful. Seryne could hear the grief in his voice, though.

“That’s part of it. But it is also time that I faced Vitrial.”

“Did you say goodbye to our parents?” Leave it to Randyl – Seryne hadn’t even thought of that.

“I wasn’t able to.”

“Then we will have to say goodbye for you” Seryne said solemnly, trying not to allow any of her sadness color her voice.

Amilielia stepped into the circle and Seryne and Lagnar place the gems in there proper places. As Amilielia faded from sight in a blaze of light and sound, Seryne felt a single tear escape her eyes.