Chapter 1: The mystery of Odlo Hillhouse

[AleBelly]

The forgotten urchin looks up with a dust covered face after almost being crushed by falling rocks. "My name is Ollyver!"

Maybe he will be easier to remember now.

He reaches for the last torch but stops when he sees everyone else leaving the room. "So, we aren't going to free this chap from the ice cube then?" He stands there with the last torch in hand, looking into the cube to see if the figure inside reacts.

Palmero looks over the spoils with a whistle. "That's a lot of riches. More than I ever seen in fact. I hope this doesn't change us."

He waits till the goods have been split up to see if there is anything leftover for him.

I apologize, OM. I realized I missed this earlier action. If I had played out Ollyver's next action the wizard would have just begged him for release and repeated that he meant the party no harm.

[Stirling]

Xerxes

Slowly rolls a boulder to the lip of the chasm, 'just in case' he needs to kick it crashing upon the Toadlipped mage's cranium, figuring that he may not be entirely friendly now released.

Zygmund goes to the neighbours, informing them of what we have discovered of Odlo, the caves and the mystery released prisoners.

[OGRE MAGE]

Ollyver the urchin is used to being ignored.

Palmero looks at the suddenly freed toad-headed mage with interest and confusion.

"Do you know where you currently are? And how you......and them, came to be here?"

[Marullus]

As the ice begins to recede, Hailey sta ds ready to pluck the wand from the outstretched hand before it can be used.

Llandrin continues to read the writing aloud until the ice is gone, otherwise waiting to hear the answer to Palmero's questions and thus illuminate his own fate.

[gurusql]

Duala & Elias

Duala says "How do you know how long you were in the ice, were you aware for more than a hundred years"

[AleBelly]

"We think he fell into a chasm and died at the bottom. We found remains that we think were a wizard that's clothing fits his description anyway."

You've never seen a ponderous toad, but you're pretty sure Varooth is wearing that expression now. "That explainth much" he replies. "I thought he forgot about me thomehow, but hith death ith a more reathonable explanathion. Thith ith good newth for all of uth, of courth."

"Do you know where you currently are? And how you......and them, came to be here?"

"How do you know how long you were in the ice, were you aware for more than a hundred years"

"I am in tune with the worldly tideth of magic" Varooth explains. "I could therefore count each thunthet. I counted fifty three thouthand, five hundred and fifthy four, to be prethithe." He moves his limbs about, perhaps stretching or just enjoying freedom of movement after nearly a century and a half of confinement. He looks at the erstwhile prisoners. "You mutht have been in a thtate of thtathis too, my friendth."

"Ath for where I am. I believe we are on the mundane plane of exithtenth. I...we live...lived in Pantano, part of a more magical plane of exithtenth. More dangerous than here. Magic more prevalent, and dithtributed. But here, filamentth of magic remain in the earth. Theth can be very powerful and utheful to we practionerth of the artth. Moldark wath thearching for thothe here" he points to the map that Duala is holding "and created or found a portal to thith plane. He would have hidden it thomehow...have any of you theen thomething like thith? I need to atone to my mathter to remove thith curthe" he says, pointing to his amphibian head.

Some of the adventurers will realize he is talking about the mirror you encountered earlier near the fountain room.

[Stirling]

Xerxes

I need to atone to my mathter to remove thith curthe"

Listening in from above, this comment gives him real cause for concern since his understanding is that his Master was some 'evil source of power'.

And then the other, Varooth Moss, changed his ways. Renounced the evil source of his power and became more friendly to the townsfolk. So we switched allegiance to Varooth. But near as I can tell, this pissed off the source of his powers something fierce. Lost some of his power, and his head was turned into a toad's!

So by his reckoning, any atonement (a religious act) to his master (evil power source) and repentance is surely a renouncing of his first renouncing, and a return to follow after evil.

He must be stopped.

[OGRE MAGE]

Palmero looks to the side and starts to whistle softly when the mirror is brought up.

Ollyver continues to listen to the claims of the wizard, unsure if he believes him or not yet.

"If this new home of ours is less dangerous, I am all for that!"

[Marullus]

Hailey turns the wand over in her fingers. "What does it do?" she asks the toadface directly.


"147 years... I am glad that I have not gotten older than I am," ruminates Llandrin the elf, offering a smile to Varooth. "Though, I suppose it matters less with a change in realms. The passage of time changes nothing I knew, as nothing I knew exists in this world already. I suppose I am this world's greatest sage on the history of things that never took place here at all. You have placed me in quite the pickle there, my friend."

"Tell me, though - more of the filiments of magic 'in the earth.' You mean they are physically underground? Or on this "earth" meaning the plane? Or mearly that they are contained in items? The mirror you're describing, did Moldark merely bind to it or is he its creator? What... purpose would you put it to? Could it be put to?"

[CAI4]

Radahn says “How were you able to maintain your sanity? 147 years immobile and alone… no matter the strength of your sorcery that would drive any being mad”

Radahn seems to be pondering the fact that this could be an elaborate trap set by the toad-headed sorcerer

[Rex]

Wenyld

Wenyld just tries to stay alert and ready for anything as she doesn't trust the toad sorcerer.

[Rex]

Irwin

"You are telling me I am not in the same place as before, I mean like another world different place? I don't even know what that means."

[gurusql]

Duala & Elias

Elias looks to Duala

Duala is very interested in the answer to the question that Radahn asked.

[AleBelly]

<<Llandrin>>:

"You have placed me in quite the pickle there, my friend."

"Thith was the work of Moldark, not I" Varooth chides gently.

"Tell me, though - more of the filiments of magic 'in the earth.' You mean they are physically underground? Or on this "earth" meaning the plane? Or mearly that they are contained in items? The mirror you're describing, did Moldark merely bind to it or is he its creator? What... purpose would you put it to? Could it be put to?"

Varooth smiles. "Ah, tho it ith a mirror Moldark uthed to hide the portal to our home plane. If true, the mirror hath no other purpoth than to hide the portal. Moldark would have guarded his thecret of the filamentth clothely, and wanted to hide it from otherth. It is betht for all of uth if you thpeak not of thith portal. It would be dangerouth for both worldth, but ethpethially yourth."

He addresses the questions of the "filaments." "My knowledge ith limited, but think of them as thourthes of conthentrated magical power. Perhapth they can be drained for magical energy, or enhanth effecth of thpellth. Theeth filamenth are powerful and probably dangerouth, and I thuthpect Moldark brought uth here to perform the dangerouth experimenth oneth he found it. If one could harneth the power of theeth filamenth they would be a powerful wizard indeed" muses Varooth. "Which ith why you mutht tell me where thith portal ith. Oneth I path the threthhold, block it off behind me."

Hailey turns the wand over in her fingers. "What does it do?" she asks the toadface directly.

"It produtheth flame to burn your enemieth" replies Varooth, looking directly back at Hailey. "But you mutht know the key word to activate it - Flambuth" he lisps.

Radahn says “How were you able to maintain your sanity? 147 years immobile and alone… no matter the strength of your sorcery that would drive any being mad”

Varooth licks his lips. "Pertheptive. I lotht my mind theveral timeth during captivity. But thanity alwayth returned. I had thome powerful visionth during theeth many yearth. My mathter revealed to me that I can become a powerful withard without opprething otherth...if I atone. Though my mathter doethen't underthtand why I would want to do that" he laughs.

Irwin

"You are telling me I am not in the same place as before, I mean like another world different place? I don't even know what that means."

"I would think not. Great mindth have thtruggled with the conthept. Thuffithe to thay, there are many very thimilar levelth to thith one, all thomewhat different. Thith world it thafe and thtable compared to the otherth. Thome are very thtrange, ath I've heard. Thome without any land, thome without any water, thome even thtranger. But I have only been to thith one and my home plane. Tho I can offer little perthonal experienth."

[OGRE MAGE]

Ollyver becomes disinterested in all the hard to understand magic talk, so he decides to climb up to the others to take his first look at this new world of his.

Palmero stands tall after hearing the next plan.

"I can stay behind and smash.....I mean cover the mirror once you pass through. If it needs to remain conceled, perhaps we can do more to prevent anyone else from getting to it."

[Rex]

Wenyld

"Good idea Palmero, I will help you cover the mirror."

[Rex]

Irwin

"So this place is like the previous one, just without crazy evil wizards. All my family will be gone with over a 100 years having passed I may as well stay here."

[gurusql]

Duala & Elias

Duala and Elias look at each other and then to Irwin.

Elias says "A 100 years has past, what! Did I missed something in all the 't-h's"

[Rex]

Irwin

"The wizard just said that it has been 147 years since we were imprisoned here. Some sort of evil magic."

[CAI4]

Radahn squints a bit at the toad man but proceeds to assume a more relaxed posture as if he has let his guard down. He appears to have at least some trust in Varooth due to his adequate supply of believable information.

Bilberta looks above at the golden runes circling the ceiling. Turning towards Varooth, “Sorry for all the questions sir, but do you have any idea what the significance or meaning of these symbols may be?”