(Early Sea Season 1615)
…It was not to be. Somehow the Lunar soldier made it to safety, and although Aransar, Orstenor, Callum and Brand successfully made it back into New Pavis, the others were not so lucky. By next morning the city was in lockdown, and all exits were closed. Rioting had broken out on the streets of Pavis as people began to fear for their supply of food and water. Whilst observing this on the streets, the party were able to see the bodies of their erstwhile comrades, crucified above the main gates of the city. Having some knowledge and a lot of fear of Lunar inquisitorial magic, the party began to quite reasonably fear for their lives. They once more sought the counsel of Krogar Wolfhelm, who was certain that whatever the mystery words were, the Lunar interest alone spoke volumes for its importance. Realising that both the party and the document had to escape the city, he used his contacts within the local Lanbril cult to help the group to escape. Here they were reacquainted with Aransar and Callum’s old companion Sethra, who was daughter of a local Riverside underworld figure. She led them through a secret tunnel and away from New Pavis as fugitives. Krogar had instructed them to head west for the Jonstown Lhankor Mhy temple to seek out Minaryth Purple, the renowned Grey Sage. He would be able to translate the parchment and was sympathetic to the cause.
The characters fled westward trying to avoid all contact with others in order to dissociate themselves from the events in Pavis. Callum went back to his hometown of Garhound, and Aransar, Brand and Orstanor headed west. They eventually left the dusty plains of Prax and returned once more to their homeland of Sartar. Heading past Orstanor’s homeland and evading apparent pursuit by Lunar patrols from the west, the reached Jonstown in a few days. Brand chose to depart for Whitewall. It was in Jonstown that Aransar and Orstanor met Minaryth Purple, one of the greatest Gray Sages of his age, who gave them lodgings at the temple by virtue of Krogar’s recommendation. He took the document and used a translate spell to reveal its message. The translation of the script gave an obscure verse: “When Emperor binds Windsword, and Winds die in the Skies, when that which was becomes once more, the Empire will arise.” This prophecy was a cause for some alarm what with references to the dying of the Winds, and Minaryth took counsel with other Grey Sages.
The party were able to catch up on a lot of the news from the region. Orstanor discovered that the lands of his tribe had been overrun by the forces of the Lunar puppet Harvar Ironfist from Alda-Chur, his people relegated to the status of ‘Undertribe’. They heard of the treachery of King Blackmor of the Colymar who had joined the Lunar religion to supplement and reinforce his powerbase. In the years since Starbrow’s Rebellion, it was obvious that the Lunar Empire had tightened its grip on Sartar.
The party were summoned by Minaryth who told them that he deemed the prophecy of vital interest to the Orlanthi cause. He further admitted that he feared that the translation, even as offered by his magic, was not as accurate as might be desirable, especially in an apocalyptic prophecy. The language was Auld Wyrmish, a dead language spoken by the elite of the Empire of the Wyrms Friends. The price paid to speak this tongue was to have one’s tongue split, in the manner of dragonkin. Minaryth told how brilliant scholars were able to create a semblance of the tongue which rendered it able to be written, but ambiguities were inevitable. Only a natural speaker could offer a more linguistically correct translation, since for the uninitiated the translation could have erased many nuances and subtleties. However, if the translation was at fault, then the Lunars may be making the same mistake. However, at this time too little was known. He offered a possible solution, however. It was alleged that the famous but reclusive sage, Forang Farosh was actually the ghost of a former citizen of the EWF in possession of another’s body. He, as one of the last surviving members of the Empire may have been able to offer a more accurate translation.
Furthermore, Minaryth was able to enlighten the group about the reference to the Windsword in the prophecy. It was wielded by none other than Alakoring Dragonbreaker when he slew Drang, the Diamond Storm Dragon. The sword vanished from history after Alakoring’s death, but his slayer, the Elf King Torasta Greenbow was from the region around the Elf sea, now known as the Elder Wilds. If the sword was taken from Alakoring at his death, then…
Minaryth introduced the group to several new party members, Kenstral, a Grey Sage, Kulbrast, a mysterious warrior from far Ralios, and Orlkensor and Branduan, two fugitives from the citadel of Alone, and tribal kinsmen of Orstanor. These individuals would join the group for the quest to find the meaning of the prophecy and perhaps the fabled Windsword…