Back to Sharn, Again & a New Book, Again.

Barrakas, 1000 – Dravago, 1001 YK We made it back to Bloodcliff Bay and got a ride back to Zarash’ak. Our orc escorts had given us a fair amount of gold that they said should help us get back to Sharn. It was plenty, so I was surprised when the tickets Jhazaali got us were for an extended trip on a non-elemental ship. She made some comment about even Dhakaani needing the occasional break and so we had a very pleasant, if I do say so myself, journey back to Sharn. I did spend more than a year with Jhazaali…

Should I Stay or Should I Go

The next day was a full explanation of the trial. It wasn’t really going to take as long as I thought it would since it was a simple set of ritualistic spells of divination and divine fire magic. These would mark us as clean, and we were free to leave, or they would burn our heart out of our chest. Wait! What?!? By the Gods it would be nice to get info like that before you head off on an adventure. I guess that’s what adventuring is about though. Unexpected highs, unexpected lows, and unexpected, tortuously painful death. I guess…

Ghaash Dar: Stronghold of the Clans

The four Ghaash’kala clans normally don’t interact much but Ghaash Daar is an exception. The guardians and priests of the various clans make frequent pilgrimages here as part of their worship of Kalok Shash, the Binding Flame. Due to its importance, Ghaash Dar is also the most populous and best defended of the Ghaash’kala’s enclaves. It is a veritable city unto itself, connected to the Labyrinth by an astonishing number of smaller tunnels. Gort is a member of the Vaanka clan. Vaanka cover their Clan Hold in carvings which tell the story of the Ghaash’kala and extoll the virtues of…

The Creepiest Port on Khorvaire

Bloodcliff Bay. From here the Labyrinth of the Demon Wastes opens up. This is likely the closest thing to a “safe” harbor. The water, however, is tainted with a reddish substance the Ghaash’kala call taarik’urrva, which means “rosy molasses” in their tongue. Fitting because the stuff is viscous and sticky, like syrup, but deceptively dangerous, like a rose. Any creature falling into these waters is certain to exhaust itself and drown. Ships become mired here as if they ran aground, depending on the consistency of the “blood.” Some shipwrecks, decades-old, have not completely sunk, despite their crews being long dead.…

Another Boat Ride – Elemental but Not Lyrandar

Eyre – Barrakas, 1000 YK It’s late by the time the discussion is finished so we spend the night in Wroat and hop the first train back to Sharn in the morning. Gort and Jhazaali make plans for us to get on a ship headed to the Shadow Marches for a supply drop and pickup of dragonshards. I’m am blessed to be traveling with people with the resources for this sort of travel because I know I could never afford it on my own. It turns out to be an elemental galleon but not one owned or operated by House…

Off to Wroat

Gort wants to head out ASAP but I need to get my stuff and tell people I’m going to be gone. I ask him for two days. He’s not thrilled with the timeline but accepts it. Two days later we’re on the lightningrail to Wroat. It’s about a seven-hour trip but Gort had us on the 5 AM, so we get into the capitol early in the afternoon. During the trip, I convinced Gort to teach me a few conversational basics in Orc and I taught him a proper greeting for him to use when meeting this “great smith of…

Orcs? Yeah, I’m Interested

Therendor – Eyre, 1000 YK Gortigoth the Hand is one of the Ghaash’kala, “Ghost Guardians,” of the Demon Wastes. An Orc kala’sha (paladin) of Kalok Shash, the Binding Flame. To the rest of Khorvaire, it is more widely known as the Silver Flame. Gortigoth, or Gort, was looking for a Dhakaani smith who had been shown to him in a vision. He’d been to Darguun but had no luck there as the true Dhakaani were not very open about who and where they were and Lhesh Haruuc’s new nation wasn’t too keen on outsiders poking around to find groups that…

Some Brief Thoughts on the Volaar

I spent a little over a year with the Volaar and can attest to their incredible skill with stone, steel, and any number of rarer substances. The Volaar have been away from “our” world for many years but they have sages as intelligent as any I have found within Morgrave. They are fully devoted to their Empire and this goes beyond their families, their friends, and themselves as individuals. Within Kech Volaar, and the little bit I’d seen of Kech Shaarat (Bladebearers) this is unwavering and is true for each and every member. This differs from the general goblinoids of…

Off to Darguun

Zarantyr – Olarune, 998 YK It becomes apparent that Jhazaali has a good deal of resources. She gets us (Goth and Maasha included) to Zilargo on an elemental galleon at which point we’re to board a regular galleon to get the rest of the way to Darguun. The elemental galleon is called the Sea Tiger and its captain is Etrigan d’Lyrandar. I hear that they had last come from Xen’drik so I make a couple inquiries about Brook. As coincidence would have it, Captain Sora’vel was in Stormreach at the same time as the Sea Tiger and Captain Etrigan actually…

Darguun and My Time with Kech Volaar

I do go to Darguun with Jhazaali but not before getting things settled in Sharn first. Goodbyes to friends and professors proceed. I get my thesis plan put together with a very envious Prof. Galrith. And finally, I say my goodbyes to Kat. We spend as much time as possible together but it’s a tight timeline. I honestly don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and she’s set to graduate this next year with plans to return to Aerenal soon after. This could be the last we see of each other for a while, so we make sure to make…

Ja’shaarat—There ARE Better Vacation Spots

Zarantyr, 998 YK Getting through Malleon’s Gate and the Cogs with this crew was not a problem. A minor scuffle here and there but Goth and Maasha were Dhakaani stock with all the training that went with it and proved themselves completely capable against some of the riffraff that thought they might be able to take us. Once we were past that we really didn’t have any issues. We found Ja’shaarat, at least the outskirts, and managed to acquire some artifacts that I know Prof. Galrith would love to get his hands on, but was sworn to silence about them…

I Get a Degree and Then Get Convinced to Go for More

Vult, 997 YK With the end of my final semester coming up I was deep into studying for finals and had gotten a little put off my search for Ja’shaarat (it’s a wonder what getting stabbed can do to your resolve). I was thinking about finding Jhazaali but didn’t really have the time, so I just hoped she’d still be around after graduation. Finals went well and graduation night was a blast. Kat had another year left at MU but Jhanni and Sid graduated as well. The whole area of Upper Menthis Plateau (where MU resides) was opened up and…