The Road to Luln.
Session 061025
SUMMARY INCOMPLETE
Outline: Around the campfire at the end of the first day: The group sat around the campfire, enjoying the deer that Ariston had caught. It was fresh and gamey but they thought back to their days on the island and the open sea and it seemed like a feast. Once Ariston brought out some wine, a full scale celebration seemed at hand. Even Syndylys began to loosen up and he began to talk about his home.
"To tell you the truth, I have never met an Alphatian," said Ariston, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Me either," agreed Kyri. "But I had met precious few Thyatians either before I left Alfheim. I wanted to see both empires when I left."
Syndylys looked at both of them. "Well now you have and I hope you are suitably impressed." He shyly grinned and the entire party laughed.
"But Syndylys, you have said that you came with your mentor. Why come all the way to the mainland . . . excuse me . . . our continent? It seems like a terribly long way and as you discovered, a dangerous journey." Orin stoked the fire while he spoke. He was also thinking that the time was just about right for an after dinner pipe.
"I have asked myself that as well, Orin. But for that you must understand my teacher, Eridalun. He was not a traditional Alphatian but instead a Thothian. I don't suppose any of you has heard of Thothia."
The party shook their heads.
The mage continued, "Well, I have actually never been to Alphatia proper being from the Isle of Dawn. However, I grew up in a family of pure Alphatians amongst the many peoples of the area. Those are the people you normally think of when you talk about us. But in the center of the island there is a part of the empire known as Thothia. It is an ancient and mystical culture. The pureblood people of that kingdom are related in some way to the ancient Nithians. Have you heard of the Nithians?"
Orin spoke up. "Aren't they one of the tribes of the desert in Ylaruam?"
Syndylys nodded. "Yes and no. The ancient Nithians, it is said, are the ancestors to both the Thothians and the modern Nithians. However, they are said to be cursed by the gods to remember nothing of their former glory as the Empire of Nithia. Scholars have found that they were a widespread empire who built great pyramid tombs and huge cities of stone before even the Alphatians came to this world. They call their king a pharaoh and believe that he is a representative of the gods. The modern Nithians and the Thothians do not acknowledge each other as kin but they look the same and have the same traditions. There are two pharoahs as far as I can tell.
"Eridalun has always been interested in unlocking the past of his people. He taught me that they had great and powerful magics that could be rediscovered. We spent many days searching ancient tombs for clues and spells. I have seen the great pyramids in the Thothian desert and many very old, crumbling tombs on the edges of civilization. He told me of so many legends and pieces of tales of his people but he and other scholars like him have yet to put all the puzzle pieces together to find out truly who they were and why the have forgotten their history.
"One day, Eridalun found that there may be clues to be found in the western continent, your continent. He began a correspondence of sorts with several wizards in Karameikos and Thyatis who also sought out secrets from the Nithian past. They said that they were on the trail of something important concerning the ancient Nithians: several objects of power and truths about the past. Eridalun told me that he was not sure they could be trusted but he never told me their names. He said he did not want to curse the name of a man without proof. He wanted me not to judge them.
"Eridalun was convinced we had to make it to Thyatis and find out just what it was that they had discovered. We booked passage on a ship bound for Ochalea where we knew we could then find passage to your "mainland." It was the Silent Sea and an Ochalean captained it. He was a mage himself and blew the winds into his sails.
Unfortunately, the ship was attacked by pirates. The captain tried to fight back, letting loose a lightning bolt from his fingertips that looked to kill several of the buccaneers but he was taken down by crossbow bolts in the first few seconds of the fight. His crew quickly surrendered and turned over us passengers in hopes to save their lives. In the confusion, Eridalun found me and cautioned me against fighting the pirates but instead said to observe and look for the right time. We were all taken as captives (including the ship's crew) and transferred from ship to ship. As the days went by, I noticed that they divided us and took some of the others to different ships. I lost track of Eridalun after the first ship. For a while, I was held in what could only be described as a prison. I was put aboard another ship and eventually the ship where we met.
"I do not know what happened to Eridalun but do feel he is still alive out there somewhere. I will find him. Only then will I return to the Isle of Dawn."