Terna stared in awe as he
stood in the center of the Temple of the Elders, an ancient place he
was magically summoned to by an ancient pact his ancestors, the Tellasiens,
had made with the Elders of the world of Dondra.
He had come to this strange land, charged with finding the crystal
prism of Heheutotol and using it to destroy the vile being, Colnar and
the destruction he has brought to the world of Dondra.
In the center of the hexagon shaped room, was a smaller hexagon
with a small key inside of it.
Curious, Terna took the small key from the hexagon.
A sharp burning shot up through his arm and the Tellasien immediately
dropped the key on the floor in frustration. Seeking an alternate way out, without the hot key’s
help, Terna turned to the southernmost door and found that it was open. The inside, however, showed no exit,
only some puddles of water. It
was then, that Terna had an idea.
He returned to the center of the room and kicked the small key
into a puddle inside the southern room.
After a small cloud of steam emitted from the key, the Tellasien
went to retrieve the newly cooled key.
Immediately upon entering the room, Terna heard a rumbling which
startled him. He quickly took the key and fled the
room. As he left, the door
slammed shut with a loud clamor, filling the hero with a sigh of relief
as the sound of running water filled the room. It had been a trap set by Colnar to foil his quest, but it
failed, this time at least.
After reading the south door and west door, Terna noticed something
strange about the North door.
It had the phrase "Death to Colnar" written on it,
but above it was an illegible phrase.
It took the Tellasien a few minutes to determine it was written
in the sliding code, used in messaged to the Tellasien’s from
the Elders of Dondra. After sliding each letter by one, it read “Speak Ye
These Words: Death to Colnar.”
Following the instructions, Terna spoke the phrase and a keyhole
appeared in the door. Using
the newly cooled key he retrieved from the small hexagon, Terna unlocked
the door and entered into a large arena.
The arena appeared to be where the Elder’s held their council
and possibly various tournaments to entertain the populace of Dondra. As he was imagining the arena in its
glory days, he was rushed from all sides by a throng of living dead
and pinned down by multifarious hands.
A skeletal figure leered over the pinned Tellesian and beckoned
in a raspy voice, "Speak, mortal!"
"Death to Colnar!" shouted Terna cursing the denizens
of the arena who served the dark being.
The hands released Terna and the skeletal figure handed Terna
a sack which contained a gem and a glass vial which appeared to be empty
to the Tellesian.
"Chosen one, we are the dead of Colnar.
It is you who must deliver us from eternal rest. Take these items which will aide you
in your quest."
Leaving Terna alone in the arena, the living dead retreated into
the dark corners from whence they came and Terna walked north into a
temple. The walls were made of rough hewn stone
with torches burning brightly in their sconces on all sides. On the wall above an altar in the center
was a mural which Terna read with interest:
Oh,
unto us endless torture we seek truth and aid. All hail to he who cometh to our rescue,
for in his quest, he shall find fortune in many forms. Yet only one shall give him strength.
In the eyes of a mortal, it shall seem helpless, but to the dead,
it is all powerful. Proceed with extreme caution, and always
remember, to the west lies success.
Terna returned to the arena and heeding the words on the mural,
took the only exit out of the arena into the west and emerged outside
of the temple in a canyon.