isions nd reams

Trimus woke early the next morning, the remnants of a nightmare melting away as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Even now he could remember little of the night terror that caused him to thrash and turn in his sleep. Silver masked figures standing over his bed chanting unknown syllables in horse voices. He shook his head to clear the last of the fog from his mind and walked to the open window.
"Strange." He muttered to himself. "I didn't leave the window open last night." He walked to the window and was about to shut it when a square of parchment jammed into the shutter grabbed his attention. He read the message upon it with horror.

Master d'Alberon,
You and your friends are marked for death, the bloodbeast hungers for your blood and the dwarf's life is not enough. Your repeated desecration of His temples has earned his undying hatred. Kharg's power is great and his hand wide. But there are other powers.

Remember the ninth sign.

The note ended with a crudely inscribed pentagram. Trimus could not help but look at his palm where a similar sign had been burnt not so long ago.
"Perhaps it wasn't a dream …" Trimus murmured to himself as a cold shiver danced along his spine.

Trimus, Darkhawk and Cain had almost finished a large plate of bacon and eggs with hot buttered buns before Ako arrived.
"Sit down Ako, I saved you some." Called Darkhawk before he noticed the sombre look on the cleric's face.
"I had a dream." He said after downing a glass of milk. "It seems that I have to visit Ardelphia and make my choice."
"Make your choice?" questioned Trimus, grateful for anything to take his mind off of the message he had received, a message he had chosen not to tell anyone about.
"Yes. I have to chose which road I am to follow." Ako replied looking into space. "At present I have not chosen to follow any one particular Immortal. Now the time has come for me to chose who it is I am to serve. Until I make that choice I may not be granted the power to cast spells."
"Why Ardelphia Ako?" Asked Trimus. "The place is ruined."
The cleric ran his hands through his hair. "I'm not sure." He said slowly. "I just know I have to go there. It has to be soon as well. No matter how hard I concentrated, meditated and cogitated this morning I could only memorise a few simple spells."
"That is worrying." Said Trimus frowning. "Ardelphia it is then."

They sailed that evening on the Misty Maiden for Bronsdale, the captain sailing well to the east of the mysterious Itheldown Island. They arrived in Bronsdale, a fishing village whose residents lived in constant fear of hit and run bandit attacks. Not surprisingly the people though friendly, were also edgy and a dark cloud of apprehension hung over the village.

After breakfast at the Great Pike the companions set off into the mountains once more. Nerves still raw from the last journey through terrain such as this the slightest sound caused swords to be drawn and spells prepared. Despite sensing a presence close by nothing was ever seen to account for it. Needless to say none of the companions got much sleep at night and tempers frayed as tiredness took over. The third day into the mountains Cain was sure he could hear a faint humming though he could not place the source. Signalling for the party to stop he and the others listened. Apart from the heavy breathing of their mounts and the soft jingle of their tack there was nothing to hear.
"Cain, you can probably move more silently then any of us. Why don't you go back down our trail a way? We will go on for an hour then make camp. Meet us there and tell us what you see." Instructed Trimus. Cain nodded and slipped away, vanishing into the rocks and stunted trees by the path.

The party moved on along the winding trail, now near the top of the pass that led down to Ardelphia. They had made camp and had lit a fire before Cain returned.
"Nothing." He said warming his hands by the fire. "Nothing at all. I heard a strange hooting sound that was nothing like any owl I have ever heard. But I saw nothing."

By the end of the following day they were out of the mountains and in the green wooded hills south of the city.
"Do you know where in Ardelphia you have to take the test?" asked Darkhawk.
"No." replied Ako. "But I will know the place when I see it."
Leaving their horses loosely hobbled in the woods they walked the last mile or so into the ruined city. Ivy clad walls leaned over rubble strewn streets. At a cross-roads Cain raised his hand and everyone stopped. "That humming sound is back." He whispered. All strained their ears but no one apart from Cain could hear it. They were concentrating so hard, trying to hear the sound that they did not spot the slow approach of a pair of whip weeds. The long acid coated leaves of the carnivorous plant glistened in the sunlight. Ako drew his weapon and swung at the lumpen gourd at the foot of the leaves and received a stinging, burning slap across the face as a reward. The plant in it's death throes wrapped it's leaves around Cain and Darkhawk who killed the plant at the expense of a few minor acid burns. Trimus crushed the other gourd with his staff but he two became entangled before Ako and Darkhawk could finish the plant off.

Cain climbed an ancient tree that had sprouted after the fall of Ardelphia and looked around.
"I can't see anything that even resembles a temple. Ruined or otherwise." The mystic said jumping lightly to the ground. "Near the centre there is a domed building …"
"That's it!" exclaimed Ako. "That is what I saw in my dream. That is where I must go."
They camped that night in a low building that may have been a workshop in the days when the city flourished but was now the lair of a few mangy wild pigs which Darkhawk and Ako chased off before settling down for the night.

They were woken just after dawn by a light rain shower and this encouraged them to eat a swift breakfast before moving on towards the centre of the ruined city. As before it was difficult to make headway. A road that looked clear soon twisted and became choked with rubble and plants before more than a few hundred paces had been travelled. Also strange beasts inhabited the ruins as they were to find before very long.
The companions had reached a wide boulevard paved with blue grey bricks across which a silvery grey trail snaked a serpentine course. Trimus reached down and touched the trail but quickly removed his finger and wiped the stuff off on a handful of leaves.
"It stings like the leaves of the whipweed." He commented. "It looks like a huge snail trail."
"Or a slug." Murmured Darkhawk looking over the mage's shoulder. The fighter grasped his amulet and changed into the Celestial Knight as Trimus frowned. Trimus looked over his own shoulder and gasped. Sliding slickly over the rubble of a nearby structure was a huge slug, easily 10 foot long glistening in the early morning sunlight. Before anyone could react a huge gobbet of phlegm was launched from the creatures maw and splattered on the ground a few yards to their left. Trimus had barely time to shout "That was close!" before a second bolt of phlegm struck Darkhawk square in the chest knocking him to the floor. Acrid grey steam rose from the armoured figure as he struggled to rise again. Trimus loosed a fireball at the slug but still it came forward, blackened and crisped around the edges. The beast edged towards Ako who was having little success pounding on its resilient hide. A long ridged tongue lashed out and rasped at the cleric drawing blood from his arms and legs. From nowhere a crossbow bolt thudded into the creature, just below its left eyestalk. This gave Darkhawk time to get to his feet and he dispatched the slug with his magic blast, sending fragments of mollusc all over the plaza.

They all turned to where the bolt had come from, a building covered with ivy and fragrant red roses. Atop the wall was a young man. Under a dark blue cloak a close fitting set of leather armour could be glimpsed.
"Greetings!" the young man said in a rich voice, with a heavy Darokovian accent. "Welcome to Ardelphia." He jumped down from the wall and walked towards Darkhawk.
"My name is Jodotha. I have been wandering these ruins for a few days and have seen no body but yourselves. I heard there were great wonders to be found, and riches to, truth be told, but all I have found is danger. My I travel a while with you? I have certain, skills shall we say, that may be of use." Seeing Jodotha up close Trimus realised he was much younger than he first thought.
"Certainly." Replied Ako. "We are trying to reach a large domed temple near the centre of the city. Have you scene it?"
"Yes." Replied Jodotha. "I was there a day ago. The door was locked and I could not, to my chagrin, unlock it. It seemed strangely untouched by the ravages this city has suffered. What do you seek there, brother?"
"My destiny." Ako replied cryptically. Shrugging off this comment Jodotha led the others through a mage of side alleys and narrow ways through ruined buildings. "Can we trust him?" whispered Darkhawk to Cain.
"Yes." Replied Cain. "He was part of my vision as well."
"Did you see Grabthroat's death in your vision?" asked Trimus quietly.
"No." Replied Cain in a tone that Trimus rightly judged was meant to stop him asking any more questions.

It was early afternoon by the time they arrived at the temple. As Jodotha had said, it seemed untouched by the forces that had rent the rest of the city asunder. The limewash on the walls still appeared fresh, the stained glass in the windows was still bright and gem like and the wooden door was still in place barring entrance to the temple's interior.
"That is very interesting." Mused Ako after they had walked around the building's perimeter. "Most temples are dedicated to a single Immortal. This one however appears to have all the Immortals represented. I lost count of the images in the glass before we had got half the way around."

They climbed the steps to the large set of doors under a white stone portico. Jodotha stood aside as Trimus cast a knock spell on the lock. The mage shook his head as nothing happened.
"The same happened to me Trimus." Commiserated Jodotha. "I tried all my picks but none seemed to fit."
Ako came up to the door and put his hand on the large bronze knob and twisted. To everyone's amazement the handle turned easily and the door swung open on silent hinges. The room beyond was a large, high ceilinged hall supported by graceful fluted pillars. The tiled floor was dusty and showed no footprints. In the wall opposite the door they had entered through was an even larger pair of doors. Stretching from floor to ceiling they were made of a pale wood and were so large they needed five pairs of large bronze hinges. Carved into the doors were numerous symbols and sigils. Ako walked towards the door and examined them. "These are the symbols of all the Immortals, every single one." He said awe-struck. As he spoke the doors swung open revealing an even more incredible sight. A huge circular room lit by uncountable tall lancet windows each filled with gem like glass. The most amazing part was that the room was filled with statues. Small statues of tortoises and scorpions, huge statues of dragons and giants. Numerous statues of humans, demihumans and monsters crowded the room like a dense forest of stone. At the very centre of the room atop a stone dais was a circular altar surrounded with a pile of treasure, gems, coins, weapons and other items. "Don't touch a thing." Warned Ako to no one in particular but his eyes did stray towards Jodotha who smiled back.

While the others stood or sat near the door Ako wandered amongst the figures searching for something. After a few moments he returned to the others. "All the Immortals are here. All of them. Even Kharg." He said at last. "I think I am meant to choose one of them."
"Which one?" asked Trimus.
"I don't know." Spat Ako. "There are so many." He turned on his heal and walked around the figures one more time.

There seemed to be no logic to where the figures were placed. Ixion upon his fiery wheel next to his deadly foe the sinister black robed elf Atzanteotl. Further round Thanatos stood beside Asterius who had destroyed the God of Decay's artefact of power. Stunned by the lifelike nature of the statues Ako let his feet guide him while he meditated on his choice. He was brought up with a shock at the feet of a statue of a slender, old man. Ako recognised him as Normanus, Patron of Wisdom. Ako bowed and then went to the altar to pray.

Suddenly from behind some of the statues six skeletons with green glowing horns, hands and eyes emerged and shuffled towards the companions. Cain had barely got to his feet before he was flattened by a bolt of green light from one of the skeletal creatures horns. Trimus cast a spell and it seemed that he now had two very lifelike shadows dancing beside him. Jodotha in the confusion had slunk away and was positioning himself to stab one of the creatures from behind. At the last moment his target turned and struck the thief with its claw knocking Jodotha's dagger to the floor. Yowling in pain he stood and clasped his hand which was covered in a greenish, weeping rash. Trimus moved to help his new friend and was felled by a bolt from the horns of another creature which dispelled his images and knocked the mage to the floor. Darkhawk waded into the fray laying about him with his sword. Cain was kicking and punching at the skeletons but was taking blows as well, his skin covered in bright green welts. Ako meanwhile was bathed in a soft white glow from the altar. Jodotha wracked with pain from numerous blows destroyed one of the skeletons then stumbled towards Ako. Ako distracted momentarily stopped praying and cast a cure disease spell on Jodotha. As he did so the light surrounding the altar dimmed slightly and the remaining skeletons fought more ferociously. Darkhawk finished the final skeleton off just in time as the remaining companions were sitting or lying in agony around him. Jodotha had returned to the fight and killed one of the foe swiftly but then had received a number of hits from the creatures that had almost paralysed him with pain. Cain had had to stop when his feet and hands had become covered by the green rash while Trimus could barely stand.

The light around Ako got brighter and brighter. They watched as if the cleric was in a trance or was listening to some mental commands. Ako took his staff of healing and placed it on the altar. The light grew brighter still and the staff disappeared. Ako then placed his favourite mace atop the altar. Again the light grew brighter and the mace disappeared, now they could barely see their friend and had to shield their eyes from the radiance. Ako then placed the recently acquired staff still wrapped in velvet upon the altar. The light flared briefly then went out. At first no one could see anything, then their eyes became accustomed to the darkness. Upon the altar was Ako's healing staff and a silver medallion on a silver chain. Inscribed upon the disk was a image of a oak tree. The symbol of Normanus, Patron of Wisdom. Ako had been accepted.

Ako plucked the symbol from the altar and placed it around his neck then using the staff to help him rise he turned to great his friends. Touching each with the staff he cured them of the pain and disease inflicted upon them by the skeletal beasts.
"We may take some of this treasure." He announced taking a ring and a potion bottle from the pile. Trimus took a scroll while Darkhawk hefted a sack of coins. Jodotha thought for a while before taking a pouch of gems for his troubles.

As they left the temple Ako touched the door with his symbol and the building blended into the others. It now appeared ruinous and defiled. The windows broken and the roof collapsed.
"It will still be there if any other needs to seek out their path." Said Ako mysteriously as he led the others back to their camp for a well deserved rest.

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