Bards' Gorsedd 1105
Upon arrival at Norhault, I joined my travelling companions from the Lions and the Mage Guild Guards took us to the island in the Spine of Tebron recently discovered by Master Water.
We found ourselves in the midst of a war zone, between sea elves and sea hags (a kind of goblin apparently), and – as the latter assailed us also, in particular Master Water (a sea elf) – we sided with the more civilised elves.
The transport/ritual circle was unstable, and a magical obelisk set us 6 tasks to accomplish over the weekend to restore stability to the isle. These ranged from a sporting game of jugger to a hunt through the woodlands, chasing illusory prey. We were also assailed by sea hags and sea trolls (very nasty!), one battle in particular of which was a very near run thing.
There was also a box which held a rent to the void sealed, containing hordes of fiery demons. We were joined in our fight by the mysterious Void Lance of The Prince Bishop’s Men, missing in action for over seven years, who had been whisked away from plane to plane, doing battle with demonic minions.
The chessboard that has been appearing in the Bards Guild at the major gatherings reappeared, and later materialised as a giant board with life-size pieces and a spokesperson who urged individuals to play. Having seen the smaller board petrify a member of Void Lance, the Bards learned to say ‘No’ and the board eventually gave up and went away.
The sea hags performed a ritual that we could not interrupt, pulling the elements from the island and nullifying magics across the whole island – also protecting both them and us from the effects of spells. They seemed intent on destroying the circle and perhaps event the whole island.
The Bards' gorsedd went ahead fairly smoothly on the Saturday evening, Void Lance even managing to not vent their frustrations on the demonic Pyrites. Robin Ashwine won a prize for best gathering report, Ms Darkleaf (not Sheyna) won the open competition with her delightful drawing [our own Lio’Ara coming third for her excellent but misinterpreted illustration], and I was chosen as winner of the musicians’ competition through tight competition.
On the Sunday we finally managed to deal with the demon-box, performing a rite to seal it at least until the Mages can deal with the problem properly, after fighting off the fiery hordes. Which left the final challenge – a battle to test all our abilities and skills… and indeed it was.
Through waves of strange creatures, led by potent Mages and Illithids, supported by creatures that turned their victims to stone and even displacer beasts (not again!) we waded. The Lions shield wall formed the anvil upon which the skirmishers, spell casters and others repeatedly hammered the foul creatures. And, Lady be thanked, we eventually triumphed – and without loss.
We also laid a former Harper, turned Barrow-Wight, to rest - setting free the lass who had been trapped so long. The obelisk, in reward for our success, revealed itself as a key to a long-lost library which those who have earned the right may now visit.
Footnote:
The box was apparently Terwin’s, a Master Mage, and his reforging the lid into a shield meant that it no longer sealed the box properly. An imp with an unending supply of counter magics was also trapped in, keeping the demons within occupied by being fed off them and stopping their spells.
As this imp escaped also, we enacted a more agreeable solution of trapping an amulet of similar properties within, using a magic scroll as the lid – which we bound to the box in the rite.
Hopefully the mages will enact a more permanent solution before the magic of the scroll wanes, at the Gathering.
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