Mazes and Secrets -- White Harbor

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Jupiter
Posts: 379
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: The Mage Tower

Mazes and Secrets -- White Harbor

Post by Jupiter »

“In the second age of ages
It was bound in the mazes

Hedges of thorn, briar, and pricks
Cropped for one solitary purpose

It was vanity that led him
To feign such a power

As to master pure evil;
Spawn of sheer hatred

The bramble walls grew
As tall as his shame

Relvinian the fool
Cursed be thy name.”

Jupiter closed the pages and pondered silently. If this story was true, then the rumors he had heard around Skara Brae were indeed troubling. He shook his head; there was talk of daemons wandering freely in the woods and here he was wasting time second guessing ancient records. Of course the pentagram had been buried deep within the maze! He already knew that. It could be the only source for these daemons to find footing on this mainland so far from the infernal island.

He gathered together his satchel of runic stones and his trusty knotted staff. He departed directly from the Lyceaum; he would have no time to visit the Mage Tower for his path to White Harbor must be swift.

************************************************************

There is a presence near, The voice growled, Like the memory of a scent, tasted long ago. IT is familar, but strange too. Two words whisper to me...... White.......Harbor.....

Ascher had heard all he dared. Slowly, carefully, he crawled his way back from the clearing. As he made his way through the trees, there was a sudden flare of orange-red light followed by an ear-splitting crack.

The Lord Captain paid it little mind. He was focused on reaching White Harbor. There was news to report.... news the others would need to hear. The town was already attracting the attention of dark forces.


****************************************************

Ascher could hear it in the steed’s desperate struggles for breath; his trusty mount Stepper was quite near exhaustion. It was considered common practice of the time among the nobility to force even the most prized mare to be galloped to exhaustion and death. He knew that if he asked it, Stepper would willingly gallop into the land of greener pastures for him, but Ascher could never consider such a fate for his trusted friend. And now, despite his companion’s champion effort to flee his pursuers, he could still hear and feel the palpating reverberations of pursuit relentless and ever closer. He lifted his head from the ground and concluded had no choice but to face the minions of that essence which had been able to discern his presence despite his distance and stealth. He grabbed Stepper’s reigns and began to lead his friend to safety; he could at least prepare the area to give him some sort of advantage.

He returned to the clearing and to his amazement he saw another horse calmly grazing in the open. Did the fates mock him?! Worse, did this woefully unlucky traveler even realize he had stumbled into what would soon be a terrifying battle? When the horse’s master reemerged from the forest, Ascher was nearly dumbfounded with astonishment. It was none other than Jupiter; that old eccentric wizard from Verity Isle.

“You can bring Stepper out too friend. We’ve only got tonight to discuss our plans. After that I will need you to head back northwest,” Jupiter spoke tranquilly; either oblivious to the threat from Ascher had been fleeing, or in possession of some knowledge that yet eluded him. Ascher understood it was the latter. “You’re a hard man to overcome when you have Stepper at full pace; something I have rarely known you to do.”

“But what of those things, whatever they were,” Ascher clamored still a bit astounded.

“Oh I’m sure I don’t know what they were. But they shall be contemplating their own sanity within the dead marshes of the Fens for a while before they realize they’ve lost their quarry.”

Ascher grimaced, but then allowed the reality of his safety replace his frustration. This batty wizard was able to mislead their pursuers and for the moment they were safe.

“There are, as there always have been, many evils at work Ascher. It is but our humble duty to thwart them when and where we can. Unfortunately, at this time there is a matter which presses us more urgently than this sinister essence. I am sure that soon enough we shall be given the opportunity to face it. But I need for you to investigate the maze of hedges in the forest of Brae. I’ll need you to find us a way in,” Jupiter always seemed speak as if he had a plan, though sometimes Ascher wondered if the wizard made it up along the way.

“I’ll deliver your news to White Harbor, for I am headed there myself to muster a small force of your bravest warriors to defeat an evil which now seeks to escape the barrier of the hedges. Now, get some rest brave man,” Jupiter concluded.

Rest came as a welcome and almost forgotten necessity.

****************************************************

Eik’s raucous laugh was more a release of tension than mockery at the heavy red corpse. “So long as I wield this spear of mystical power, you daemons shall never dare depart from these hedges!”

“Aye! And I shall bludgeon you again if you dare come back!” chimed Junebug.

The warriors dared now to allow relief to enter into their thoughts for the first time in several days. They had followed the Grey wizard into the maze of hedges, which maze led them into the bowels of Hythloth. There were many times along the way that they wondered if they would ever prevail against these daemons and prevent them desecrating Skara Brae.

And now here they stood, everyone still alive, and mostly unscathed. Jupiter was impressed and glad of heart. The warriors of White Harbor had saved the world again; Very soon many would be chanting the mantra: THE WORLD HAS BEEN SAVED. WHITE HARBOR! HUZZAH!
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