by sslash
The library torches had given way to early morning light, Myshii and Mooshi had fallen asleep at the research tables after an all night session. Sslash was nowhere to be found. A creak at the door alerted Mooshi and he awoke. He reached across the table and shook Myshii. The Shaman looked up at the entrance to the library and relaxed at the sight of Sslash walking in with his backpack over his shoulder.
"Good to see you two awake." Sslash teased. "I couldn't sleep after we finished so I went and brewed some of my famous bog juice to celebrate, I also picked up some muffins in West Cabilis."
'Sounds great." Mooshi exclaimed. "Come on Myshii, you can't turn down a celebration drink."
"I don't know if we should be partying just yet." The Shaman got up and walked over to the table that held the deciphered text. "This document might be a hoax, I think we should try to find the other six jars before we tell anyone."
"Are you kidding me?" Mooshi questioned. "That couldn't be a fake because of where I found it. No one else disturbed that site since it was put in that pillar. I think we should call a concleve of all the guilds and tell them what we have found."
Sslash set his bag on the table and portioned out the contents. "Maybe Myshii is right. I don't think it is a hoax but my gut tells me that we should find the other jars so we will have something more solid to stand on." The three opened their bottles.
"Okay, but I want to get the Reptilian Empire started as a guild so we can recruit as many friends to help us as possible. A toast." The warrior lifted is bottle and was met by his friends'. "To the Empire."
The rest of the morning was spent toasting to all the future would bring.
The Field of Bone was alive with activity that afternoon. All sorts of vermin were patrolling the dry, hot land searching for food and water. Scorpions usually were thick as a carpet in the midday heat, but todaywasn't bad. A Necromancer was paying well for stingers and everyone was clearing the field. Further out in the Pit more experienced fighters were fighting banditsand marauders.
Myshii and Mooshi were in the giant area known as The Pit. They were looking for a map that was listed on the parchment. There were many large bones and skulls to what looked like some sort of an enourmous animal. Sslash had always believed The Pit was a large arena that held large reptilian monsters that were used to dole out justice for criminals. And that Kurn's tower was the abode of the snake-like race that held the Iksar in slavery. All stories pieced together from what the elders in all disciplines had told him.
The clue to the map was a riddle. It said, "To guide your path to all the jars, you must first seek this simple map. It can be found in the Arena of Trials, inside a judge's gavel." Mooshi was sure it was the Pit and the judge was one of these large monster's remains, but wasn't quite clear on the gavel part. So Mooshi and Myshii packed equipment and headed out, Sslash had to report to the Monk's guild for special training and would meet them at Kurn's tower tonight. Hopefully, with the map.
The two combed each crack and cavity for some sort of hole or resealed pocket. Nothing. As they worked their way to the back of the carcass a greater scalebone skeleton jumped them. Mooshi drew it around to the side of the remains to get a clear space to swing his lances at the apparition. Myshii began casting a frost rift spell as the warrior hacked away. The greater skeleton weilded a Shan Tok sword wildly. Mooshi barely dodged all the strikes and was beginning to tire.
The skeleton lunged at Mooshi and forced him to fall back, tripping on a finger bone of the giant remains with a loud snap. He kicked up with both feet at the breastbone of his attacker and as it was thrown back, Myshii smashed through it with his staff and it fell into a heap of bonechips.
"That was close." Mooshi said, a bit winded. "I was thinking that we were goners."
"LOOK!" Myshii shouted, Behind you."
"What the..." the warrior turned to see that the cracked finger bone had a scroll inside it. He pulled it out and unrolled it. It was the map!
"Of course!" Mooshi exclaimed, "The judge's gavel would be it's fist. This is a great find!"
"Yes it is, we are about to uncover our past, and remold the future to reclaim our right to Norrath!" Myshii added. "As long as we can find all the jars. We must contact Sslash and have him join us in Kurn's as soon as possible.:
Kurns tower was a huge castle that rose many levels above the rim of the Pit on the Northwest end, it also had many floors below the ground where large badger-looking animals took residence. A ramp spiraled up from the back to the entrance on the Pit side. As Sslash got to the top, he saw his two friends sitting and examining a map on a scroll.
"I got here as fast as my legs would carry me." Sslash said. "I trained with Master Raska and learned a couple new combat moves that will help us in our quest. Also she informed me that our guild name has been submitted and should be approved in the next week."
"The Reptilian Empire will be reborn!" Mooshi averred.
"I talked to Tode and Drzzite on the way here. They are ready to help out in any way. I asked them to go try to find more ruin sites in The Swamp of No Hope."
The Monk sat down to look at the map. "We finally have finished our search."
Myshii looked up from the scroll. "No, this is only the beginning."
