My thanks, honored friends.
I am Rohezal of the Anvil.
Rohezal of the Anvil!
A living legend among magicians! What an incredible honor to meet you.
I and my four companions are on the trail of an evil from ancient times. We stumbled into an ambush, and as we did not want to kill any innocents, we allowed ourselves to be captured. I can see from your thoughts you are on a similar quest.
No, there is no time for long explanations. I can sense your good intentions. Trust me and aid us in our quest. To free my companions, we need the key worn around the neck by one of the officers of the guard. It is shaped like an amulet. Unfortunately, I am to weak to accompany you. Go get the amulet, I shall be waiting for you at the winding stairs.
What do you want?
I’ll call the guards!
Tell us what you know about Bosper and the urns!
Bosper?
I don’t know anything!
Maybe we should ask about those dresses under your bed?
You are right. Bosper and me used to be lovers.
But everything changed just a while back - he refuses to see me now.
A few days ago, I came into his bedroom as he was moving a chest. He gave me a terrible thrashing - he was a totally different person.
I’m certain he has found someone else.
Please don’t tell anybody about this.
I won’t mention seeing you to the guards, either, honest, I won’t!
Will you let the poor sap go,
or are you going to knock him unconscious?
Go on, beat it!
You overpower the cook and carry him to his room.
We have sensed you coming. Thank you for releasing us.
My name is Racalla of Horsen-Ravenbeak, and these are my colleagues Saldor Foslarin, Landor Gerrano, and Haldana of Ilmenstone.
Please excuse my being so curt, but we all have been treated the same way as has Rohezal of the Anvil.
Praise the Twelve for sending us such a powerful party of heroes! Unfortunately, we cannot leave the castle yet!
Bosper Jarnug is hiding three ancient urns in his chambers. They have been the cause of all the activity by the orcs around Riva lately. The urns must be found and destroyed. If not, this hellspawn will sooner or later draw us into another war for certain.
The castle’s cook seems to know something about the place the urns are kept. We have found out that much from his thoughts. But he doesn’t appear to consider that knowledge particularly important.
Question the cook and bring us those urns, but do not open them! We shall meet at the winding stairs. Later, at guild headquarters, we will have time to consider our further steps.
My name’s Horge Nassn. I’d like to welcome you in the name of the River Father of the Kvill. He thanks you for accepting his invitation.
Even though it wasn’t entirely of your own free will.
You are safe here. The nixes are a peaceful people.
We know you have been attacked by some of them, but that is in fact the very reason we have asked you here.
The king assumes you would like to know what I am doing down here. The answer is simple enough: During a boating trip, I saw a female nixie and fell in love. When she disappeared into the depths, I sprang overboard and followed her. Then I ran out of air and lost consciousness. When I came to, I found myself down here. Since then, I’ve been living here, at her side.
But now for the reason of your visit:We know you want to enter the ‘Even Star’. The king is prepared to help you, under the sole condition you do him a favour first. Should you fulfill his mission, for your reward you will receive a glowstick that will open doors inside the sunken ‘Even Star’ you wouldn’t be able to open otherwise.
Some months ago a young man of the nixes, Delfo by name, struck down and killed one of his fellows. That was a horrendous crime, as violence of this sort is quite unknown among this people. Delfo became ill-tempered and evil-minded, in fact, he was down right bloodthirsty. Now, as a sailor, I have heard of rum, brandy, and moonlight having such an effect on merpeople.
In his immeasurable wisdom, the River Father has banished the wretched Delfo. But our peace is shattered:
Increasingly, young nixes, men and women, disappear, only to be seen later among Delfo’s followers. But by then, those well-behaved children have become ferocious predators. They enjoy torturing and killing others of Efferd’s children.
The nixes themselves can’t do anything against these rebels, as any sort of altercation with their own goes against their very nature. So, we ask you to end this dreadful business. You will have to find out what turns these peaceful creatures into such ferocious monsters and put an end to this evil. And if at all possible, please spare any nixes that aren’t an immediate threat to your lives.
All your feelings are apparent to the Father of Nixes, and he has noticed a strong sympathy from your side towards one of his children. As our sister Zorka returns your feelings, she will accompany you. As Zorka is under the protection of the River Father, take good care of her and return her unharmed.
All your feelings are apparent to the Father of Nixes, and he has noticed a strong sympathy from your side towards one of his children. As our brother Zorka returns your feelings, he will accompany you. As Zorka is under the protection of the River Father, take good care of him and return him unharmed.
We can read in your minds that you are confident to have removed the cause of the dispute among the nixes, but before we can give you the glowstick, we must check on Zorka.
You have fulfilled your mission and demand the glowstick in return. But you are returning Zorka to us as a corpse. That is a tremendous sacrifice we had to bring for the unity of the nixes. Well then, take the glowstick, but do not show your faces here again. And hear this: You will not find what you are looking for inside the vessel, for the real power is here in the palace.
We can read in your minds that you are confident to have removed the cause of the dispute among the nixes. For that, you shall receive the glowstick. But take better care of Zorka from now on.
We can read in your minds that you are confident to have removed the cause of the dispute among the nixes. As you have been promised, for that you will receive the glowstick.
Because of this, we are very grateful. But you have recklessly thrown away Zorka’s life, and are therefore not worthy of the wand from the ship, which the River Father has been keeping in his private quarters since the time it sank.
Because of this, we are very grateful. As a reward for your courageous actions, the River Father is going to present you with the wand from the vessel. The River Father has been keeping it in his private quarters since the time the ship sank.
Now the time of decision has come for you. Zorka cannot accompany you to the surface, so you must either part now, or you must stay here below the waves. It would be a good choice if you did, for it’s a life full of joy and without sorrows.
So be it! We respect your decision. May our blessings accompany you!
As you are unable to guarantee Zorka’s safety, the time has come for you to say goodbye.
On your sign, the mages stop powering the shrinking spell. You grow back to your normal height, in the process destroying the queen’s hive.
You’ve barely had time to realize you’re back in normal surroundings, when suddenly a man materializes.
By the Twelve!
But that is Rohal.
I greet you.
You have accomplished what no-one else at this time could have done.
Another evil loosened on Arkania by Borbarad the Black has been obliterated.
None shall ever suffer from the Borbarad worms again.
At this very moment, all descendants of the worm queen are dying.
All who were enthralled by the creatures are recovering their own free wills.
But none of the wormspawn’s victims will be able to recall being enslaved!
No proof of your deeds remains.
No-one will ever believe your story. Mind that you are still wanted fugitives in this town.
Take my thanks as that of all righteous men and women, and be assured I shall not forget you.
Now leave this town. Bosper does not remember his deeds, so he will not act to countermand those orders.
We shall obey your advice - Master.
Just as Rohal the Wise advised you to, you leave the town as fast as possible, and nobody takes any notice of you as you do so.
The orcish tribes have lost their leadership.
Their armies fragment once again into smaller tribes, some warlike, others frightened, and all of them at war with each other.
The orc wars aren’t over yet, but the alliance of elves, dwarves, and men wins ever more battles.
It looks like the orcish advance will be stopped and, yes, reversed within some months without the guidance of the queen.
You have saved Arkania and proved yourself true heroes.
But Borbarad won’t rest until his evil plans come to their final fruition.
There is a witness to the crime. - I’ll write out a warrant. Go round up the suspects!
Allow me to introduce ourselves: I am Rohezal of the Anvil, a scholar of Dispell Magics, and widely known as an expert on and steadfast opponent of Borbaradism.
My colleagues here are Saldor Foslarin, Spectability of Beilunk and Head of the White Guild; Racalla of Horsen-Ravenbeak, Spectability of The Magical Armour at Gareth; Landor Gerrano, Spectability of Bethana Academy; and Haldana of Ilmenstone, Primate of the Church of Hesinde.
All attending gasp in shock - what horrible danger could have brought the five most powerful white mages in all of Arkania here to Riva, together? What power could be able to overpower and imprison them?
Allow me to address you, brave heroes. As you may have heard already, the fear of an orcish attack is spreading through town.
Many of our righteous citizens have been behaving very strangely indeed for some time now. There is a lot of talk, but no action.
For several decades, a clan of Holberkians, half elves, half orcs, has been living in the north of the city.
The Holberkians have suffered in this town solely because of their good contact with the orcs. On the other hand, many citizens believe them to be behind the orc uprising.
The Holberkians may have found a way to control some of our citizens as well. Couldn’t you, as strangers, try to find out more?
There’s a single man sitting all by himself at a table in the center of the room, despite all the other tables being full, not to say crowded. It is noticeable that all the guests at the tables near the man are talking in a whisper. No-one sits down with the man, people coming in prefer to stand at the bar or go looking for a familiar face at the crowded tables.
Elin and Jarnug fell out long ago, about the time the judge was laid low by that mysterious disease. But even so, you should watch what you tell him! He would like to meet you tonight after dark in the “Harbour Maid”. He might be a bit late, too. He says he is being followed and has been in hiding for the last few days.
What’s the deal with this disease then?
People feared for his life for days, but no-one could find the cause of his illness. All the healers were forced to leave without success, and in the end the judge recovered by himself. - Strange enough!
And who is supposed to be stalking this Elin?
Malmodir didn’t really come out and say. Either he’s paranoid, or Bosper Jarnug is busy getting rid of people who know too much.
Gorm is dead - murdered! There are several witnesses who saw you do it! - They’ve been bought, of course, but that won’t help you in court. You better not show your faces in town any more!
Lothur is willing to hide you. To be precise, he’s already waiting for you, because he needs your help as well.
Below the market square, in the cul-de-sac, there’s a secret entrance to the cellars of the old watchtower. The guild has established a new headquarters there. - Got to go. Don’t lose any time, stay low, and don’t get caught!
As long as you promise to keep your silence towards the guards, you’re free to move along the sewers. My people won’t bother you, but your mission draws my interest. The priestess is right, a lot of things have changed. I would like to aid you, but I don’t have the people for it. You may have heard that the pirates from Sorrek island are stirring up trouble again.
Still, I’d detail some men to assist you, if you do me a favor, too. The pirates have been trying to gain a foothold in town for some time, and they have people aiding them. We are fairly certain Adran Seahoff is in contact with the pirates. Seahoff lives on the westside of town, north of the temple of Travia. I’d like to find out the names and addresses of his other accomplices.
The girl’s parents were on a trading visit to the orcs a bit over two years ago, and part of that visit consisted of presenting gifts to the orc chieftains. The interesting thing about that is that those gifts were made on the orders of the merchant Gorm Doldrecht. - I have never heard of anything like it. Riva’s citizens trade with the orcs, but they don’t present them with gifts!
Two years ago the “Even Star” sank close to the Riva harbor entrance. The vessel was carrying a dangerous cargo, among which were sealed urns and a magic wand. Judge Bosper Jarnug had the flotsam salvaged and brought to his office. He opened one of the urns and in so doing freed what should have been kept imprisoned for all times, one of Borbarad’s creatures - a worm. A worm with the power to take over the body of another being, a human, for one.
“You have been witnesses yourselves of how a borbarad worm tried to gain control of me,” the mage explains. Then he continues. “Bosper Jarnug was the borbarad worms’ first victim. Inside his body the queen grew, spawned further worms, and afterwards left the judge. The queen has all the knowledge and experience of all her spawn’s victims. She knows what they are doing at all times.”
Soon it became apparent that most humans are able to resist domination by the worms. Thus she went looking for other victims. With Bosper Jarnug’s aid the queen had the naive Holberkians carry gifts to an orcish tribe that proved to be easier to influence. In this way, she brought its chieftains under her control.
Soon it became apparent that most humans are able to resist domination by the worms. Thus she went looking for other victims. With Bosper Jarnug’s aid the queen had the naive Holberkians carry gifts to an orcish tribe that proved to be easier to influence. Ruthlessly, she set out to dominate the most powerful orcs.