A new Adventure

"I can't believe we're here." The speaker of these few words was named Elashi. While lush of breast, she had the supple muscles and carriage developed by one familiar with hard work.

"Aye." This one was Chuc, a youth long of frame with legs firm from a life of much walking.

The other two said nothing. Val, the leader of the group simply spat upon the ground. Fredric had eyes only for the view. The cairn stood on a high peak but a league from the open ocean. It is said that in the ancient days this was an inland crossroads - the midsection of the evil mountains of the Shrek'n. But the Ravage had changed all that.

The Ravage - to hear the tale one would think it a fable, but it was all too true. The Dragon had conquered the lands, the people had either died, been enslaved or scurried into holes in the ground. What few humans survived the Dragon's evil lived as earthlings - digging holes; fearful of the sky, fearful of flame, fearful of gathering in large numbers. The other Beings - the gnomes and dwarves were skilled at such underground dwelling - but mankind found it nearly unbearable. As for the gnomes and the dwarves, they hated each other - something to do with property rights and inheritances, but the humans left them alone and did not learn much of what ailed them. The island continent which had no name, the great island which gave birth to such powers as A'laria, the Hes, and Aq'ilar, this island was quickly depopulated of any human or dwarve. Only the gnomes were able to survive (or allowed to, say some scribes), as well as other baser creatures.

But over a hundred years ago the Dragon's reign came to an end, as it had begun in fire so it ended. One night the sky filled with balls of fire, they descended upon the whole world as if the gods were angry, very, very angry. The Dragon had never built an empire, all it knew was how to destroy and cause misery. The creatures that served it did so out of self- preservation, but not out of loyalty. All fled before this cataclysm from the heavens. The Dragon, the very same reknown for biting the heads off of kings and drinking their blood, was slain by a molten sphere of pure flame. This was the Ravage. The whole world was changed. The oceans hissed with steam and rose in wave after wave crashing against the lands. The larger fireballs dug into the earth making even the dirt and dust to rise into the skies and to float thereon as if by magic. The sun was blotted out, the rains ceased altogether or came down in torrents of water that burned the flesh. Mountains were destroyed, plains flooded and islands swallowed whole. But new earth also rose from the depths, stones and rocks from the abyss were brought to the surface and new islands were given birth. The Ravage destroyed, it also created.

Afterwards and for many generations the few people there were rebuilt their homes, their families, and their lives. They tried to remember what had come before so as not to forget the old lessons. They built new towns and formed new kingdoms. One group in particular that had found life on the western shores of a large continent never forgot the tales of the Great Isle which floated upon the Ocean to the west. Their languages had changed, their memories of the old names faded some, but they did not forget the most important things. Nor did they ever forget the tales of the great wealth that the Dragon had taken and stored within the mountains of the Great Isle. The old Teachers spoke of it as a warning, but many of the youth listened to the tales with avarice in their hearts.

And so we have this group of daring adventurers today. They studied and plotted and prepared. They were able to gain a ship and set sail. They landed upon this strange shore, the shores of the Great Isle, and they began to explore. They have no map - only their stories - and the tales do not speak of details for these were destroyed in the Ravage. The land itself is warped and no one from the past - if such a thing as time travel could ever exist - would even recognize this place. In the past it was one stop along the Tumbar Road; today it is rocky clearing on a height overlooking a plain of stone and rock and sparse grasses leading eastward but a league to the waves of the sea.

1. The four, surprised to find this thing made of human hands, continue their search for a suitable place to set camp for the night.
2. Temporary camp is made here while the four discuss again how best to find the ancient horde of wealth.
3. While breaking their fast with drybread and water, the four sharpen their weapons, ready for whatever this new world may bring against them.

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