August 24, 2002

Hook

There is an explosion...

Plot Synopsis

In Rougtero, there was a large explosion that was felt for mets around. The home and business location for Phil the Sage, nephew to the renowned Raymond the Sage, was completely destroyed in the blast. Citizens came to help with water buckets, and magical efforts, to douse the blaze. The building couldn't be saved, but none of the neighboring buildings were severely damaged.

Our heroes enter the scene from different directions. Synergy was detained by the soldat on the scene after multiple citizens identify her as the cause of the explosion. While the citizens establish their case to the young soldat, Synergy herself aids in the firefighting efforts with a few well-placed Quench spells.

Joorn and Beri enter from different directions just as the blaze is brought under control. Joorn adds a Spray to the efforts, while Beri attempts to scan the growing crowd for likely suspects.

Saidi is interrupted from her work by the noise of the blast, and is immediately surprised she isn't the cause. Her curiosity draws her to the scene.

More priests of T'or have arrived to investigate the cause of the fire, since it is obviously arson. The heroes also investigate the site, and find the entrance to the underground work area. (it wasn't hidden, it was just overlooked in the rubble of the two-story building). The four adventurers go downstairs to investigate. They find Phil's work room intact, and discover his notes and resource material for his latest endeavor.

Phil is looking for an item called the Stone of the Magi. It is a large translucent white crystal about eighteen inches long and five inches in diameter. There are many different accounts describing its ability and its history, and almost none of them corroborate another story. According to Phil's notes, the only common fact about the crystal is its latest known location.

The adventurers begin to sift through the research in earnest. Synergy goes back to the surface to check on the investigation. So far, no one has found a body in the rubble. Indications are that no one was home at the time of the blast. Synergy heads to the Mages' Guild in Rougtero to find out more about the Stone, whilst Saidi copies important portions of the research. They find evidence that Phil had gone to Galeia to visit the last known location of the Stone, only to find that others had been there only days before and taken it away.

After a few hours of investigation, the priests of Anubis, who had also sent a delegation to investigate, determine that no one died in the fire. The group Synergy collected the rest of the group, and bring the cellar/study to the attention of the T'orites on the scene. They post a guard to protect the belongings until certain facts could be determined. A runner is sent to the docks bearing a message. The message is to be carried to Raymond by dolphineers, to Karfelon, explaining the events of the afternoon. Then they went home to await replies to their dispatches.

Information arrives the next day from the Mages' Guild. Their initial search proves the location of the Stone on a small island two days southeast of Galeia. The adventurers decide to trek to the site and check it out. They travel four days to the Portal Farm and use the portal to travel to the isle of Galeia. From there, they hire a boat to sail out to the small island, circle it, and land so they can search. They find the manor house completely ransacked. Nothing of value remains. They trek back to Galeia and take the portal to the Portal Farm, and take another to Centralia to consult the Mages' Guild there.

They discover that the Stone had recently been researched there by a mage named Decker. The adventurers recreate the research of Decker, and determine that the Stone was there at the island. They surmise that Decker has the Stone now. But where's Phil?

The party stops at the Wizard's Guild in Rougtero to investigate Decker, and their info leads them to a shack on a small island just north of Lojem, about 205 mets due north of Rougtero. They travel four more days to the shack, which they have been told is some kind of magical research station that Decker uses in his work. They find the door locked. As one of the party tries to open it, it is opened for them from the inside by a large, brutish human. Violence erupts, but the party successfully subdues the man.

During the fighting, an older elf keeps Synergy from entering the shack, and locks the door. After some time and effort, the door is opened and the party enters. The small shack is really just a protective shelter housing a stairway down into a large lab. The party reaches the bottom of the stairs to find the way blocked by a large creature. They fight for a few moments, and the creature vanishes. The first glimpse of the room beyond revealed a group of magical circles drawn upon the floor, and an empty bookcase. There was one book open on the floor.

They found Phil bound and unconscious in the corner. They woke him, and got him up and around. The group traveled to the Portal Farm in an attempt to follow Decker. After contacting a mage at the Guild near the Portal Farm, they had a discussion about their next course of action. They came to the conclusion that trying to follow Decker without more information would not be advantageous. They then returned to Rougtero.

Noteworthy Postgame Events