The protagonists (Grey Leaf, 1/2-Elven Fighter/Necromancer; Ash,
Sylvan Elf Druid/Ranger; Gyrinia, Elven Priest/Ranger; Derelyn; Human Conjurer;
Sawtooth, an escaped Orc slave with Shamanistic powers; and Darin, Fair
Elven Fighter) all boarded (forcibly or otherwise and for various reasons)
a Great Galley Ship bound for the New World across a massive ocean. On
the eleventh day of travel, however, a storm tore the ship apart and they
were marooned on an island. The island gave them strange dreams and was
inhabited by several fantastic creatures. They travelled to a tower that
grew as they approcahed to immense proportions. Inside they met Prospero,
master of the island who agreed to transport them to the New World in exchange
for the return of his daughter. After battling a witch and her half-demon
son, Caliban, they returned her. Prospero waved his arm and they disappeared.
Only to reappear on the ship in the midst of the storm. Again the ship
broke apart, and again they were marooned. They were caught in some kind
of magic. Thanks to the intervention of an unknown wizard referred to as
The Master, a creature known as the Dee-Goo-One, bearing a remarkable resemblance
to Dave Goodman, was able to enter the Dream magic and tell them how to
escape from Prospero's trap (why he wished to trap them was unclear). They
collected the necessary items from the dream and freed themselves. The
Dee-Goo-One, in more corporeal form, fished them from the ocean and sailed
them to the New World in a large ship.
Arriving in the New World, they were met by a group of black-robed
Kir Monks, part of an ancient Death Cult who greeted Derelyn, Ash and Grey
Leaf as the fulfilment of their millenia-old prophecy and teleported them
from the docks. The remaining three were arrested and taken before Governor
Ahab, the leader of the largest of the fundamentalist religious groups
colonising the New World. Governor Ahab questioned their involvement with
the Death Cult and pointed to them as worshippers of Shai'Tan and profaners
of the name of Yahweh. They professed ignorance and a shadowy figure, whom
Ahab trusted implicitly, pronounced them innocent. They left and Sawtooth
went into the nearby forest, followed by his two new companions. They entered
the enclave of the Archdruid and, after a while, were taken to see him.
He requested they aid him in recovering a ring that was stolen from him
by Duergar. They agreed and went to their cave lair. Having defeated them,
they found records noting its sale to the Kir Monks. They returned to the
Archdruid who was displeased and ordered them to go to the Kir Monastery
at once. As they travelled there, they came up behind a small army led
personally by Governor Ahab. Gyrinia was captured by them and secured,
but escaped in the confusion that followed. The army put the unresisting
Kir Monks to the sword and Governor Ahab killed what appeared to be their
other companions from the dream. The monastery was then torched, but the
fire spread very quickly and soon the surrounding forest was also on fire.
The army fled the destruction it had wreaked. Approaching the smouldering
ruins, Darin, Gyrinia and Sawtooth found a large hole burnt through to
a stone chamber where there companions, clearly unharmed, were languishing
...
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