The following is a letter from the Court adviser and Hierophant of the Life and Protection of Avanalae, Medhlorie Haensen to the Patriarch of Elinie, Assan ibn Daouta.
My Holy Patriarch,
Praise to you and may Avanalae bless us all. I write to you with my weekly report on affairs of the state. First I must advise you that early spring fighting has broken out between Alamie and Tuornen. Forces are skirmishing in the province of Tuor's Hold in Tuornen. Prince Avan has been increasing his forces as of late as well. There are reports of Mhoried fighting with the goblins of Markazor as well.
Speaking of Mhoried, Your Holiness should know that the nephew of your old adventuring friend Mhor Daerick Mhoried is in our great city of Ansien. You may remember that several weeks ago, I notified you that Regien had asked permission for Benedict Warcrow (the Mhor's nephew) and young Benedict's traveling partner, the halfling Lemmy, to travel to Ansien in search of a spell which Regien is hoping is in the Great Library of Ansien. You of course gave him your blessing.
It seems that young Benedict and Lemmy are every bit as adventurous as you, myself and the Mhor were at their age. By chance, Benedict and Lemmy uncovered invaders within our city. There is a forgotten basement beneath the old library. I checked our public records and discovered that about a century ago there was a great fire in Ansien, followed by forces from Ghoere trying to take advantage of our weakened state. It seems the librariens of the time moved all of the books to the basement, then sealed off the lower level. Its existence died with them.
While Benedict and Lemmy were at the library on Regien's behalf, they ended up investigating this lower level. It seems that some sort of spell caster had hired a gnoll, an ogre and four goblins to help him break into the lower level. The basement was accessed via a natural cavern several miles outside of Ansien. The opening of the cavern was later discovered to start at the basin of a narrow creek. Benedict and Lemmy defeated the small evil band, and in the process saved the lives of two library workers.
Benedict and Lemmy visited me at the Temple. They asked me of the fallen Temple of Elemental Evil. They did not state for what reason they were asking, but I believe that they have uncovered evidence that not all is as quiet as we'd hoped in that foul place. They showed me a symbol which they had recovered from the spell caster beneath the library. I identified it as a religious symbol marking the wearer as a worshiper of Elemental Evil. Benedict and Lemmy also expressed interest in the vile book Al-Azif-Azif. It is my conclusion that the evil creatures beneath the library had reason to think that this book was somewhere in the forgotten basement. However, as you all ready know, I destroyed the foul book twenty-five years ago.
On your behalf, I dispatched Dagger to investigate the Library basement and the cavern. They reported that the Librarian, Portia, told Dagger that Benedict and Lemmy had arrived to do the very same earlier that day. Our scout followed their trail. He did not make contact with Benedict and Lemmy, for such is his way, but he reports that the two followed the trail of the goblins for several miles. They did this the next day as well. Your faithful servant reports that on the second day, the two young, and perhaps too brave adventurers entered an old burial mound believed to be haunted. He then followed them back to the city. Your scout all so reports that the trail of the goblinoids leads North East, in the direction of Hope's Demise. He has asked your lordship's permission to follow the trail in earnest. On your behalf, I have granted him said permission.
Portia has told me that she had her scribes copy the spell which Regien requested. It is now in the possession of Benedict and Lemmy. One of my sources has confirmed for me that the two are staying at the Inn of the Grey Wolf. If your Holiness wishes it, I could summon Lord Warcrow and Lemmy to your court.
Two last thing my lord. One of my priests granted an audience to a loyal subject yesterday. He is a simple farmer by the name of Elmer. Elmer reports that while he was fishing in the province of Hope's Demise, he and his cousin saw a dragon. Elmer stated that he watched the dragon for several seconds and saw it fly off in the direction of the old moathouse used by Lareth the Beautiful during the second rise of the Temple of Elemental Evil. the Priest promised Elmer that I would advise you on his findings; however, I feel I should advise you that two years ago this same loyal subject came to us with reports that goblins from Markazor were stealing from his gardens. These "goblins" turned out to be children who were stealing his pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns. I do, however, keep my promises. So you are advised.
The last matter I have to report is of the prophet known as Zefran. I've had my people watching him. He seems harmless enough. He seems to be nothing more than a simple blind man, if perhaps a bit addled in the head. He preaches that Michael Roele will one day soon return to unite the Empire. He has gained a small following, but does not seem to have any evil intentions. I will continue to have my people monitor him.
May Avanalae Bless You and Our Great Kingdom,
Your Faithull Subject and Humble Advisor,
Hierophant Medhlorie Haensen
The following handouts were
found durring the first session
PC Handout
I
Master Dunrath,
Praise to the Elder Elemental Eye! My mission goes as planned. The gnoll Guggle and his ogre partner Pulcut have successfully led me to the forgotten basement of the library. We have been down here for three days, and thus far no sign of the Al-Azif-Azif.
I have faith that the Dark God will help me find the sacred text. I have faith that I will discover for you the mystery of the Altar and the secrets of the Doomdreamers.
The Elder God be willing, that our plan shall succeed. I will take back the Earth Temple and you will take back your rightful place in the Outer Fane. Praise to the Elder Elemental Eye!
Your servant,
Aaronth
PC Handout II
The following are excerpts from the book A Concise History of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Reading the book, you find little that you did not all ready know. All of the information found in the web page is present. The author does not name himself, but you are able to ascertain that the writer is male, and is a bard. The book is written in the first person as a journal.
These excerpts are the only new information learned from reading the book.
A Concise History of The Temple
of Elemental Evil
(excerpt i)
The province of Hope’s Demise
has been recaptured by Patriarch Assan ibn Daouta. Word of the heroism
of the heroes of the Temple are all ready being immortalized in song and
script. It is the modest hope of this author that this volume be put on
the shelf as a true and concise history of our age of heroes. Their names
are immortalized: Assan ibn Daouta, Paladin of Avanaela; Mhor Daeric Mhoried;
High Priestess Y’dey; The Wizard Regien; the strange Mole, and his sadly
fallen brother Otis. They will all be remembered as great heroes.
I was at the festival set in their honor. Scouts of Burne and Julius had reported the day before that the heroes had been spotted travelling to Hommlet with their prisoners in tow. With my own eyes, I saw them enter Hommlet. With them was a shadowy figure, lithe and cloaked. At first I took him for one of the cultists, yet they treated him as a comrade. I never saw his face, and he dissapeared almost immediately. Who was that person, why all the secrecy?
(excerpt ii)
Praise to Haelyn! The days of evil
are finally behind us. Just yesterday, the Patriarch ordered that the last
of the captured cultists be executed. Their bodies hang from the gallows,
a testimony that the evil has truly ended.
Appropriate rewards have been granted. Burne and Julius have named mole Captain of the Guard for Hommlet. The Hierophant has raised Y’dey to the title of Canoness. Regien and the Mhor have set out to return to Mhoried, but not before the Mhor gave public testimony that Lareth the Beautiful is dead, slain by the Mhor’s hand. Oh joyous day! His remains lay in the old Moathouse, and the Patriarch has declared public law, that none are to enter the moathouse. There the remains of the evil man shall remain to be eaten by the worms.
However, the Patriarch decided Lareth’s final legacy. The wise Patriarch issued justice to Lareth’s bride, Myrella, and their nine-year-old son. Many of the village residents wished for nothing less than to see the woman die at by burning along with the spawn of Lareth. Myrella Pelien is from a prominent family of the Realm. How could one willingly love and marry a man of pure malevolent evil? Her story proves that none will ever understand the mysteries of the heart.
Something had to be done. The Patriarch looked tired as he rubbed his temples in contemplation of her fate. Her life and the life of Lareth’s son were his for the taking. The Patriarch showed himself to be a merciful ruler. Her fate, by decree, was to be exhiled to a farm. There she must spend the rest of her natural days, never to leave. Mole has been given the duty of making sure this happens. She will be under watch until her last days. Not all were happy with the Patriarch’s decision. Some still call for her blood, but as the wise Patriarch himself stated: “Enough blood has soaked the Land”.
pc Handout
III
History of Al-Azif-Azif
Al-Azif-Azif, a word of ancient Basarji design in its simplest definition
is used to designate that nocturnal sound (made by insects) supposed to
be the howling of demons.
Abdul Alhazred,
a mad poet philosopher of Basarji, composed the vile book. He spent ten
years alone in the great southern deserts of old Basarji which is held
to be inhabited by protective evil spirits and monsters of death. Of this
desert those who pretend to have penetrated it tell many strange and unbelievable
marvels. In his last years Alhazred dwelt in the Shadow World, where the
Al-Azif-Azif was written, and of his final death or disappearance many
terrible and conflicting things are told. It is said he was seized by an
invisible monster in broad daylight and devoured horribly before a large
number of frightened witnesses. Of his madness many things are told. He
claimed to have seen the found the secrets of The Lost and read the writings
of a race older than the Sidhelien. In his last days, he mumbled nonsensically
to a being he called the Elder God.
Two hundred years
later, the Azif was secretly translated into Anuirien. For a century it
impelled certain experimenters to terrible attempts, when it was suppressed
and burnt by the Roeles. After this it was heard of furtively, but made
a translation in Brecht later in the same age, and this text was printed
twice—once again in Brechtur and another, probably in New Basarji. Both
editions were without identifying marks, and located as to time and place
by vague clues only. The Basarji original was lost early in this age (there
is however, an account of a copy existing in Elinie, but later perished
in fire), and no sight of the first Brecht copy. The New Basarji copy was
reported stolen, and later claimed destroyed, but no evidence exists of
either account.