jj@rabbit.UUCP (06/05/84)
Contrary to appearances, TFQ is alive, if somewhat behind times. ========================================================= Well, after a bit of negotiation, an interpreter is found in the Ljosalfar party, and she, along with Bjarney, recount the following story as the party rides off (a bit cautiously, given the recent events) toward the Ljosalfar's camp. (This is one of the leader-type Alfar speaking. His title and name are unclear at the present.) As you are well aware, the weather on Ban has been both strange and uninviting for the last few years. In addition, there have been reports of strange (and unhappy) sightings of creatures that are travesties of true men and Alfar. We have contacted you in the hope that you will be able to help us find the reasons for these changes. We can offer some information to you, but I fear that it is neither complete nor unquestionably accurate. A few years ago, we became aware of a gradual weakening of the fibre <he sounds unsure of the word, even to those of you who don't speak the language> of the island, or something like that. Near the northwestern coast, we found ourselves separated from the lives of men, like you, in that we found all traces of your existance obliterated or missing. We didn't notice anything else wrong, but we have heard, through our agents of the problems along the north coast. What we have seen is the following: 1) The north coast/east coast weather is better than it has been in recorded history, except for the surprising abscence of man. 2) The areas where we perceive the better weather are the same areas where you men generally perceive traumatic/cold/violent weather. 3) We have developed, through a bit of research, a method of transferring between these two seemingly separate realities, part of which you have witnessed during the singing, etc, that brought you here. It was a lot more than singing, though, and the animist and mage among you will have to learn to cooperate with the bard in order to learn the methods. They aren't very difficult right here, but we haven't managed to use them at all in the far northeast. 4) The demarcation between the two ?worlds? seems to be at or about the landward gate right now, and if we move south of that, we are both in the same reality, just as we have learned to expect. The problem seems to arise when we all cross that line headed northward. We head into the reality that you see now, and you are diverted into the stormy/cold reality. It is, of course, possible that we are the ones diverted, and you are not. 5) When we cross at this point, and head north, we become ill, in some odd sense. When the individuals who tried this finally became unconcious, they passed back into this ?reality/world? and healed. They were VERY cold, and seemed nearly exhausted of all essence and presence for a short time. We have brought you across to compare notes, exchange information, and ask for help. While we are not currently endangered, we feel that this separation of realms or whatever may eventually backlash, or something of that sort, and endanger us. We have attempted to deal with this disruption, but it seems to lie in the part of your plane/world that we cannot penetrate at the present. We were very suprised at the difficulties that you encountered while trying to reach Erinsfell, and we did our best to protect you. In any case, you are now in Erinsfell (you have been travelling west) and you are welcome to stay for enough time to rest yourselves and restore your supplies. Your mission to gather healing herbs is, as you suspected, a ruse, and you may complete it if you wish, but your basic mission, as we have discussed with Ravenslock, is to aid us in gathering information, and combating the menace or whatever it is, that is endangering us all. We would enourage your animist, bard and/or healer, and mage to hasten to learn the basic transport mechanisms that we have devised, and we are willing to teach them to you as fast as you are able to learn. We hope that this situation will be resolved, and we further hope that it is resolved in a manner that is not to the detriment of man or Alfar. Thank you, we must now eat. =========================================== The party is encouraged to communicate among itself, via net where possible, and to decide what course of action to take in the light of this information. Needless to say, I will expect some new moves. The pace of this game has slowed greatly, partially due to the DM, and partially due to decreased participations, and I would like to get it going a bit faster. We will not, for the nonce, approach anything like a move/week, but I would like to establish at least a move/month or so. Thank you JJ -- EVEN TEDDY BEARS HAVE SECURITY BLANKETS! "But I burn, Mr. A! So do I, Mr. J! John? Indeed! Who would have thought?" (allegra,harpo,ulysses)!rabbit!jj