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Fixed by Baser Evil/Dytec - The Courts of Chaos - 501-336-9661 /\ _ /\ \ _ __________/|\_____ _ _ / \ \/ \/ \ / | \ \/ \ / \ / \/ \ \/ |_/ \ __/ \/ \ / \ \ \ |/ _ \ _\ \ / /\__\ \ \ / |\ | / \ /\/\ / /_/________\_/\_/\__| \__|__/___/_/ \_/ (PRESENTS) - Dark Queen Of Krynn - Journal Entries - ++---------------------------------------------------+ | ANTHEM Boards: | | | | TerrorDome (WHQ) (416)619-1717 USR 16.8K D.S. | | (416)683-9848 USR 14.4K D.S. | | | | T.S.N. (HQ) (416)683-0982 USR 16.8K D.S. | | | | ANTHEM Members: | | | | - STINGRAY - DAREDEVIL - VISIONARY - CYNDRE - | | - SPARHAWKE - | +----------------------------------------------------+ Journal Entry 1: The Hag's Problem "My name is Eshalla. Not long ago. I was shopping in the Imperial City, just mind- ing my own business. All of a sudden, I looked down and saw this coin purse Iying in the street. I innocently picked it up and this brutish minotaur grabbed me by the arm and accused me of stealing his purse! I broke free and called him an ugly cow-faced spawn of a gnome. It was all I could do! He took this quite personal- ly, and roared in anger. He signaled to a mage who was in his attendance, and before I could run away . . . poof! I am as you see me, a withered hag, with bad teeth, and not a friend in the world." Journal Entry 2: Dragonmen Justice The elders of the dragonmen finish their council and the eldest approaches you. "Your talk, no money. Zarketh, no guide. No money. You talk, no money, truth talk?" His speech is hard to understand, but Zarketh translates for you: "You may give witness, but you will get no money in return. And they will not permit me to be guide, as I swore. 'Let the drylanders flounder and sink,' they say." Journal Entry 3: The Guard's Tale "Eons ago, before the minotaurs arrived on the shores o^f Kristophan and claimed the city for their own, my wife and I were member's of royalty. The minotaurs forced us into slavery, and we labored each day with barely enough food to survive. "With our children starving, my beloved wife stole some crusts of bread. An old cow caught her and we were both quickly sentenced to an etemity of agony. My wife was locked in this cell, where each day she perishes anew from hunger. I was condemncd to stand guard at the door, lest anyone try to rescue her from this misery, The only thing that will break the spell is the Heart-Shaped Key, which will unlock the door and unite us again. Alas, the key was hidden ages ago, somewhere in the depths of the Tomb." Journal Entry 4: Treachery You awake with Baldric's strange music still playing over and over in your heads. All of your money is gone, as are several of your magical items. Worst of all, the priceless dragon scale is nowhere to be found. Journal Entry 5: The Elevator Looking up, you see jagged pipes and cracked walls as light trickles out of dozens of hallways every ten feet up. Before you, where some sort of intricate platfonm used to be, sits a huge, hot air bag float- ing above a large basket. Two gnomes, dressed in jackets, caps and white gloves, come to attention at your approach. They awkwardly raise a hand to their foreheads and bid you greetings, Tas says "They're kind of new at this." Other gnomes squeal, "More people to test the new lift!'" The well dressed gnomes usher you in, then nervously climb in with you. The other gnome swings a large pipe over from the wall and sets the end under the bag floating over your heads. Ile yells, "Clear!" and all of the gnomes fall to the floor of the basket just as hot scalding steam gushes out, blasting you in the face. The bag rises, and you bump and crash your way up the shaft. You hear a voice below saying " . . . well, if they weren't so tall.... " Journal Entry 6: Tasselhoff Burrfoot "After the War of the Lance, I was bored and someone told me about the marak kender, here on Taladas, I was curious, and made my way over. There was this ship and such. But have you met the marak? They-they-they're as uninteresting as life gets. They worry and complain and it's hard to believe we're even related. Then a passing dragon mentioned the old elves here in Tualtin. So I came to visit." Journal Entry 7: Thenol King "Many come to tell me that my alliance with the draconians is a mistake. They rant how the draconians have some dark purpose that will kill us all. Balderdash! The power of Thenol is on the rise, and they wish to rush with us to glory. See how carefully they guard my own person and Trandamere, my valued councilor, in Hawkbluff. "These same people used to tell me that the priesthood of Hith was bad for Thenol. And see how wrong they were. Since the Cataclysm, we have been the most resourceful and adaptable of peo- ples. It is the great Thenolian gift." Journal Entry 8: Landed You followed the monsters that landed ashore. They killed and they burned, but also found friends. In the men who bring fact to the dire Sharkmen's Lore. Journal Entry 9: Mirror "We have something in common now, travelers, We are both among the very few to have foiled the careful plans of Raistlin Majere. For that you have my grudging respect, but no less hatred, of course. "You think you have defeated me, but of course you are quite wrong. You are mor- tals, do not dare to think more than mor- tal thoughts, lest you join Raistlin. "One day you will grow old, and weak, or foolish. Meanwhile my malice goes on and on, growing stronger, deeper, more subtle. Which is why I propose this bar- gain to you." Journal Entry 10: Fastillion Speaks "Hmm, well then, I suppose it's a good thing you came after all. There's evil at work in Thenol to the south, you know. Or I suppose you don't know and that's why you're here, isn't it? Well, yes, there's evil at work in Thenol, and Trandamere's probably behind it. He's sworn to conquer all Taladas, actually. Never was such a nice guy, that Trandamere. The draconi- ans are up to no good, and Thenol's involved, no doubt about it. "The Hulderfolk might help. Probably would in fact. You can find them to the east of Trilloman. But the price is high; the price is always high. And you ought to go find the Oracle of Tengur in the Tombs of Kristophan, You can't beat the Oracle for a good augury. And that's what you need most likely, a good augury. I had the keys to the inner chambers of the Tombs here somewhere." Journal Entry 11: A Saddened Captain Daenor "l kept my vow but slew Crysia in its keep- ing. My heart is heavy, for she was all in Krynn that I had. Forgive me, friends, for there is no greater tomment than failure." The captain's eyes rise darkly, "Let these draconians beware, for vengeance lurks within my heart!" Journal Entry 12: Shards - Broken Stone - -reetings.--The Thenol--an spies have---evidently been -uccessful. Trandame----ells us that---will have the Book of Amrocar he----a----wkbluff with---a day or so. With the Book.---e Theno--an generals sh-- be able to focus their eff--rts towan--bur--goals. Prepa--- yourselves to ---- come many---ore of our brethr--- out of the Abyss. Journal Entry 14: Shipwreck "One of our number spied your ship in distress and summoned others. We sped like arrows, but when we arrived the ship was already in pieces. We pulled all the landfolk out, cast spells upon them, and brought them to our city Naulidis. The ship's crew proved to be a superstitious lot, ill-suited to life undersea, and so we sent them back to Ansalon. 'Tis strange to me that they who spend their life on the sea should be so fearful of what is under- neath it, but so it is." Journal Entry 15: Staff Strike down the gnomes and hesitate not, Wield it's power, exert its might. Strike down the gnomes and hesitate not. Steel your nerve, you task is right. Journal Entry 16: Void You stand upon a vast undulating plain. It seems featureless, but as you look more closely, here and there, a bit of ruin juts above the sand. Suddenly, on a wave of despair, all the lore you've ever heard about the Abyss comes flooding back into your minds. You remember hearing about how whole houses, ships, and cities, doomed by pride, hate, or treachery, have been thrown into the Abyss. And how those doomed to sojoum here, end up begging others for death, a boon that is seldom granted. You recall hearing that the abishai, minions that dwell here, maniacally claw each other to reach the Red Gate of Wyrllish, where they are rein- carnated as draconians. You remember the immense price that the hero lluma made to banish Takhisis, creator of all evil, to this loathsome plane. And finally you recall the folk wisdom about the Abyss: "Easy to get into. Impossible to leave." Journal Entry 17: Tremor "You may think us cowards, but we are the noblest of creatures, toiling under our Burden. Because we chose not to fight . Takhisis' battles for her during the Wars of the Lance, she struck a scale from the chest of Kothar. our leader. and cursed away our confidence. Since then, the leader of the red othlorx has had Kothar's blemish, and our Burden shall remain until the scale returned. "But now the puny Thenolites invade our realm! If not for the Burden, we would drive them back in fear and ruin!" Tremor lowers his head. "lt is not just. Baldranous and the other othlorx defend us. as is only right, but the Burden is so great, we curse Takhisis every day!" As Tremor turns away, you notice a scale missing from his chest. Journal Entry 18: Air Shaft The sounds echo so much they are barely recognizable. Nloises of machinery blend with the clash of weapons and the bellow of fire creatures. Then the unmistakable shout of a kender taunting his foes rever- berates through the shaft. Tasslehoff Burrfoot is going into combat! Journal Entry 19: The Draconians Scrooll "Command Barath - You are hereby granted leave to make any and all arrangements with the Thenolian govemment necessary to acquire their full cooperation. Do not concem yourself with the particulars of promises made, as we have no intention of fulfilling them. Consider the Thenols a tool to be used and discarded when no longer useful. Pass this infommation on as necessary to subordinates, then destroy this message." At the bottom of the scroll is an impres- sive seal. Journal Entry 20: The Black Robed One The hood falls to the shoulders of the black robed figure. The pale mage smiles cruelly,"l see you have received my call. I am glad to see you, my fine champions. I need your help in order to succeed with my plan." He casually waves a thin hand before you. Suddenly, your vision begins to blur and you begin to feel dizzy. "My plan is to stop you before you can inter- fere with Her Highness' plan. I see you will not be a problem . . . not a problem at all." As you fall to your knees, you see the mage's face twist and stretch into the hideous countenance of a draconian. As its coarse laughter fills the chamber, everything goes black. Journal Entry 21: The Great Oracle "Centuries ago, a group of humans marched from Styrillia in search of a new home, Led by the great Kristophus, their trek brought them here, where they began construction of a city. But soon, the Minotaurs arrived from far off Ansalon and clairned this land for their own. "Eragas the Brutish became the new emperor and at his side was the human Oracle of Tengur. The Oracle led the emperor wisely in his conquests, and for this, some have called him a traitor. That is a lie! The Oracle used his position to win rights for the humans and the other conquered races. In exchange for his wis- dom, the Minotaurs swore to enslave only a fraction of those whose lands they annexed. This is a promise that is kept to this day. "When he died, the Oracle's spirit was hidden somewhere within the city walls, until it could be put to good use once again." Journal Entry 22: The Truth "Don't believe everything you hear," con- tinues Lord Trandamere, puffing on his pipe as he relaxes on the sofa. "Fastillion's had it in for me since I boot- ed him out of Thenol for counterfeiting coin of the realm. He made himself a size- able fortune passing around fool's gold, before we wised up to his tricks. Last I heard, he was hanging his hat in a light- house up in the League someplace, mooning after some mermaid doxy. Anyway, I could use your help, controlling these dragonmen which are making life miserable for folks around here. Interested?" Journal Entry 23: The Sensitive Minotaur "Superiority is clearly the right of all mino- taurs. But, do not let this great gift work against you! How easy it is to belittle, insult, or even trample our servants. It is indeed our right to do so, but it may be in our favor to show occasional restraint. "It is natural for other races to be resent- ful, or even to feel hatred toward their betters. These feelings may lead to ineffi- ciency and sloth. So next time, instead of flogging your human slave, try a gentle reprimand, or even a kind word, like, 'I am not angry at you, only at the result of your actions. This will instill more confi- dence in your slave, which may actually blossom into affection towards you. Remember, a happy slave is a productive slave.' "In these modern times, we must be more sensitive to the feelings of those beneath us. It may be time to put behind that old adage; 'If you weren't born with homs, you were bom to be scomed.'" Journal Entry 24: Anthela "We had been holding off the Sharkmen for months. But then the draconians came. They were well ammed and orga- nized, and they soon killed all who resist- ed. When the fighting was over, they went north. They said they would breed more draconians on the shores of the Lava Sea. It is a dreadful prospect. "After the draconians left, the Sharkmen began forcing us to build boats. Hundreds and hundreds of boats. I don't know why they want the boats; It makes no sense. We might have thrown off the yoke of the Sharkmen, but there are dragons in the woods to the north, and no one dares to oppose them. "You must not stay here! Go to the great gnome citadel of Aldinanachru on the northwest of the Lava Sea. The gnomes are enemies to the Minions of Hiteh. Perhaps they can stop the draconians. I love Bai'or dearly, but what is the good of fighting the Sharkmen if the draconians will soon conquer all the lands? Go now and warn the gnomes. Do not incite the wrath of the dragons to the north, or there may be no one left when you retum . . . no one left in Bai'or." Journal Entry 25: Lairs - MAP - See DQOK_Journal25.IFF - Journal Entry 26: Some Relief "And the gnomes really want to help, too. But the King said, "Help is completely out of the question at this point in time!!" Tas raises his head and mimics the King. "Our own situation is a parliament of importance!'" Captain Daenor begins to smile and chuckle, then, as Tasslehoff begins stumbling around the room wig- gling his head and crashing into things, Daenor bursts into hysterical laughter and says, "The good gnome peoples do not appreciate this unwarranted interruption in their daily schedules!" All of the past weeks of worry and frustration pour out of Daenor in waves of laughter. Journal Entry 27: Grunschka's Oath The she-dwarf grins crookedly, as she holds the glowing Grathanitch in her hand My mother once told me, 'Every man for himself!' and my time has come. The Dark Queen is dead, the draconians are all gone- You don't need me anymore or this either," The stone s power courses through the dwarf, filling her until she begins to swell. "It's mine! I feel myself growing stronger, bigger. Soon, I'll be unbeatable. I could be King of the World . . . I mean Queen." Journal Entry 28: Present Find the realm where Tremor is lord. Choose the right present to add to his hoard. Journal Entry 29: Ritual Words Limene: 'We will do that instantly.' Bilbara: 'We politely but firmly decline.' Shuwara: 'We block our ears to language of that sort.' Holbani: 'Your humour is our greatest ttreasure.' Gebene: 'We have peace in our hearts.' Journal Entry 30: First Temple The desolate valley is dominated by a towering pillar of rock-Hawkbluff! Beneath the crag are assembled the shops, offices, and other buildings that serve those who visit the abode of Lord Trandamere, For miles now, there have been a constant stream of zealous pil- grims traveling to the great Temple of Hith, high atop Hawkbluff. And amongst them were the rich and well-armed pro- cessions of Lords and Senators coming to consult with the influential Trandamere. But all on the road give wide berth to the undead legions. Led by Hith fanatics and necromancers, they patrol here and all over Thenol. Journal Entry 31: A Word Of Warning "Let's see, here is the village of Vinlans, and to the east are the Sikoni Mountains. The vast forest to the east of that is the realm of the Hulderfolk. As strangers to these lands, you must be wary of them. Every thief might not be of the Hulderfolh, but every Hulderfolk is a thief. They are renowned for stealing wagons from mov- ing caravans, horses from under riders, and even children from their mother's bosom. Stay far away, else these boons I give you will go for naught. You must use this key to enter the tombs of New Aurim through the temple. Tell the priest that I have sent you and you have come to receive a special blessing." Journal Entry 32: The Hideous Cavern The foul cavern is covered with mounds of filth, decay, and rotting corpses. Some of the corpses are those of enormous spiders and huge bats. Others are of humanoid form. The stench is overwhelm- ing. Torn and rotting flesh is mixed with something even fouler. The only illumina- tion is a pale green light which comes from all around you. By the light of this hideous glow, you suddenly see fomms ris- ing from the mounds of filth. Journal Entry 33: Talhook "I woke. Everyone was gone. Something was wrong! I hid under the bed. Soon some sea-devils came in. One was swim- ming around and around the room, pro- claiming to the others where he would place his possessions, when he came to rule. The others called him Lord Prince Talhook, Then a sea dragon arrived! I could not understand his talk, but Talhook could, 'You will get your eggs back when the elves are under my command,' he said, "Not before. Obey me, or I will cook your progeny.' After the dragon left, the sea-devils all snickered." Journal Entry 34: Friends A dragon you'll meet, more mighty than all. To stop its rampage, seek help from three friends: The black robed, the winged ones, and also the small. Journal Entry 35: Palace The first thing you notice is that like the rest of New Aurim, the Palace is decrepit. Pools of water stain what once were glossy marble floors. Cracks web the fine stone walls. The smell of decay is every- where. But ahead you see something solid and new. The way is barred by a guard station built of hard stone and gates of cold steel. Journal Entry 36: A Letter From Tandamere "It has come to my attention that the dra- conians being sent by you to their encamp ment at Hawkbluff have not been arriving. Your report that younger creatures are too willful for the Thenol Army is unacceptable. "I have discussed this with Yanorak and he will accept all returned draconians for discipline and indoctrination, In the inter- im, all of your warehouses, taverns, and farms should be regularly patrolled to col- lect these young draconian recruits and return them to the rear door of the palace. "In addition, you are to assign a squad of guards to escort each group of draconians to Hawkbluff to prevent them from wan- dering off. Hopefully this will greatly improe the size of our draconian army." Journal Entry 37: Advise "Travel north, my friends, and soon you will come upon an ancient lighthouse. For eons, the light has guided sailors through the dangerous shoals of the Tiderun. "Legend has it that the tower is deserted, except for whatever magic keeps it glow- ing. But I know that there is a keeper, and his wisdom is profound. Seek his aid and you will be richly rewarded. But be warned, strangers are not welcome in the ancient tower, and reaching its pinnacle may prove to be a dangerous task." Journal Entry 38: Martha Davik chatters incessantly through the grill of the locked door. "Betray my Trandamere, will you? No you won't. No you won't. I'll show you what happens to those who try to betray my Trandamere! I built this place so I should know. I should. Yes, I should. Now Martha here is very old, very nasty when she's hungry. And I dare say it's been many years since she last ate. Yes, I dare say so. But that won't be the case long now, will it be Martha dear? No, not long at all. Not long at all. Ha ha! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!" Journal Entry 39: Sensilan's Final Words Choking back tears, Daenor cradles the old man's head. "Sensilan, my old friend. It's all right now, it's almost over. Soon you'll be back at the town." "Daenor, it gives me great pleasure to see your face again. But, it is too late for me, I only have a few minutes left. Oteef and I tried to escape, but we became lost in the labyrinth. I pray that he has made it to freedom. Daenor, have you found Crysia?" The Captain bows his head in grief. "Yes, we have found her. She is with . . . them." Sensilan clutches his hand. "Daenor, Crysia is caught in a powerful charrn spell. She will flee from you and fight on the side of evil." The old man begins to cough violently, He wipes the blood from his lips and continues, "When you find her, you must break the spell or she will be lost forever." The old man begins to cough again and then he is still. His head slumps against Daenor's chest. The Captain begins to sob quietly. Journal Entry 40: The Bard Your first warning is the tinkling of silver bells, Then, who should walk up but a fat, cheery bard, strumming a strident chord on a Iyre. "Hello! I am Baldric. Pleased to meet you! I was just going out to look for work, but then I saw you. Perhaps I can entertain you? Oh, you may wonder how a mere bard can survive this swamp. Well, I have some small talent for sooth- ing the ruffled beast." With this, he strums another cacophonous chord. Journal Entry 41: Words The bright key opens the door to the crypt. Within you will find some words you should heed. Then find the Book that Amrocar wrote, Within its pages, words you must read. Journal Entry 42: The War Council The king's advisors file into the room and take their seats at the enormous table. King Telemandarklosminarus IV enters, wrapped from head to toe in blankets. "It's fr-eep- freezing in here!" Suddenly, the door bursts open and Baldric stonms into the room. "Friends! I come bearing grave news. The draconian ammy is even larger than we had feared!" Driven by this new inforrnation, the Council agrees to a threefold plan. The elite corps of gnome wan iors. the Company of the Dead, will ride the fire- fleets and attack the lower region of the Tower of Flame. The gnome army. accom- panied by Baldric, Tremor, and Tasslehoff, will march on the draconian camp to the south. Meanwhile, you will ride the wind- ships and infiltrate the Tower from the top balconies while the Dragons guarantee your safe entrance. Just then, a gnome bursts into the room. "The clouds over the Lava Sea have become the face of the dark goddess Erestem." There is no time to lose, the Dark Queen has descended! Journal Entry 43: Barber's Gossip Ah, your hair is long I see, but not as long as one of my recent customers. You see, I cut the hair of Temple prisoners, those prestigious enough to get a last audience with His Lordship Trandamere. Just the other day, I gave Davik the 'royal treatment,' so to speak. You don't know Davik? Why, he's the architect of the Temple. Quite a celebrated man until he, well, you know. Every so often, His Eminent Lordship forgets how to open a secret lock or where a particular passage goes, and hauls Davik out of the dungeon to demonstrate. Davik is a good cus- tomer, he sits still, and doesn't talk much. Well, there you go, fresh as can be!" Journal Entry 44: Glorious Thenol! After our arrny crushed the remains of the Annach invaders surrounded at Neul, the famed Thenolite anmy successfully repulsed the attack by the minotaur cows and their human toadies from across the Drungar Frontier. Gathering the carrion of our enemies, our beloved priests of Hith assembled a massive army of undead minotaurs and humans, Together with specially trained servants of Hith, our forces destroyed two ordines of the League overrun during our advance through the Spindle Gap. With the minotaurs in retreat, our armies are again victorious with the aid of Hith. Peace is at hand, all give thanks to Hid- dukel. You can help preserve the peace with a prayer at the Hith Temple. If you're down on your luck, ask for a special blessing The Church of Hith is always willing to help the less fortunate. Journal Entry 45: Eric Strongbond "Have you seen all the boats in our small harbor? To think that just a few short months ago. Bai'or was an insignificant little village Now just look at us! Why, it makes a man proud to be part of some- thing like this. Soon we'll have a boat for every man, woman, and child in Bai'or, and the gods will reward us with great riches. It just goes to show what can be accomplished when everyone pulls together and works as a team!" Journal Entry 46: Fastillion "One of those opens the inner chambers of the Tombs. That should help." He glances down at his models and seems lost in thought. Then he looks up. "I did notice that you've been fighting beholders. I can see the signs of it on your anmor. There weren't supposed to be evil things in my tower. The gorgons are supposed to keep them out. I bet they were working with the beholders weren't they? Hmff. I really should get around to training them. Oh well, time flies." Journal Entry 47: The Mayor's Story "Thank you. thank you, kind champions. Those monsters destroyed our beautiful town and then herded us on board a ship like cattle. They forced Aolan, a great sailor, to steer the ship, and to sail straight across the ocean. We told them there was nothing there. that they were mad. Then they struck us and told us not to ask questions. "While the monsters were busy fighting among themselves. Aolan steered the ship onto the rocks. hoping to give us a chance to escape. But fate was cruel. the ship did not sink immediately. The mon- sters were able to drag us ashore and into these accursed caves. As for Aolan. they rewarded his brave act by slitting his throat. He died a hero. "These monsters speak freely in front of us. They constantly complain about not being able to complete their great joumey to the other side of the world. They say the Dark Queen will be very displeased with them. I hope she strikes them all dead! "As for that wench, Crysia, I know her well. The traitor! They chose her from among us, and soon we saw her caring and grooming these disgusting monsters. Now they allow her to move around freely, as if she were one of them. She deserves to be sent to the Abyss, where she can spend etemity with her consorts." Journal Entry 48: The Tavern Song There was an old skeleton named Trey, Who comes to life when they pray. His handler cut down, while charging a town, He bounces 'gainst their wall to this day. Journal Entry 49: Teary Goodbye You overhear his wife saying, "You're going to get yourself killed! You've never even flown one of those stupid things before! How am I supposed to raise our children without you? "Perkelanamord whispers, "If I don't go, our children may never get the chance to grow up." On that note, he abruptly turns and crash- es headlong into the band drummer, who falls over, thumping the tuba player in the stomach with his mallet. With an echoing "Pphblaaaat-ooofff," the tuba falls forward knocking the band leader senseless with a thud. The leader falls. arms flailing for balance, and pokes the flutist in the eye with his stick. Grimacing with pain, the woman bites off the end of her flute and swallows it, gasping and wheezing for air. The marching song suddenly turns into a hideous cacophony of groans, wheezes, crashes, and thumps. Perkelanamord hunies away muttering, 'Oops, sorry, I didn't..., sony," as his wife falls screaming to the ground, tears blub- bering down her round, little face. Journal Entry 50: Instructions Of Preparation Of Black Pudding "Black pudding is considered a delicacy in the Fire Fleet, particulary after several months on the Boiling Sea. As black pud- ding is a ravenous cannivore, it first must be caught, before being prepared for con- sumption. Pages 2,976,341 through 3,123,882 of Volume LXXIII of Thrapskaddidlogrumpanaciouslaxzitinity's semi-authoritative study of monster hunt- ing, How people Try to Catch Monsters, contain some 8,647 methods for acquir- ing puddings, Many of these techniques are not recommended, as they leave the black pudding in an inedible fomm. Black pudding must be kept in secure ceramic containers prior to cooking, to limit dam- age to culinary personnel. Special long- handled asbestos ladles are ideal for transporting black pudding from these containers to the deck of the vessel. They are also used for cooking the black pud- ding. Black pudding is traditionally cooked by immersi^On in boiling lava. (Drikulomengrabaciflatorengulixfreibie, Navigating the Buming Sea, page 323, column 77), although the breath of a cooperative red or gold dragon may be substituted in a pinch. Four to five minutes of immersion per pint of black pudding is a reasonable cooking time; properly cooked black pudding will have a syrupy, gelatinous texture. Extreme Care must be taken not to serve undercooked black pudding; catastrophic cases of indigestion may result from improper preparation. After removing the black pudding from the boiling lava, it must be set aside for about three hours, until the coating of basalt has fully congealed. After chipping off the basalt, the black pudding should be seasoned liberally with celebdil, ground caradhras, and fanuidhol seeds, then served hot- One quart of black pudding should serve two to three gnomes, unless they are especially hungry. Leftover black pudding may be served for several weeks, although its consistency will suffer. Journal Entry 51: The Foethumper "The Foethumper is the weapon of a minoi warrior," says Benikobawoni, "not as random or clumsy as a broadsword- a complicated weapon for a complex era." Journal Entry 52: Things To Do List -Fix the light. [Checked Off] -Find more power. -Block doorway. -Train Gorgona. -Bribery? -Visit Library -Repair broken teleporter. -Install new doors. -Clean the basement. Journal Entry 53: Caramon's Quest "If you know where I can find Raistlin, please tell me. I must find him, something has happened. Without his help Tika will die. I . . . I couldn't go on without her, not after everything that has happened. I'm sure you know where I can find my broth- er. You must tell me!" Tears spring to the big man's eyes as he slowly unsheathes his sword and steps toward you. Journal Entry 54: The General "It has been but a short time since you so valiantly helped us crush the draconian army. Yet, such is the nature of these creatures, that to sever the head from the beast only invites it to grow another. My emissaries have reported that some dra- conian scum may have survived, and are again gathering to the south. We must know if this is true. Every day we wait is foolhardy. for the danger may be growing. "But, the good people of Palanthas deserve the hard-won peace they now enjoy. From time to time, I still see the shadows of old fears fleeting across their faces. I will not add to their troubles by letting this unproven rumor reach their ears. That is why I implore you, brave heroes, to hasten to Caergoth, and dis- cover what truth there is in these fearful reports." Journal Entry 55: The Strange Dragon "I am without hope. Sssuch a thing hasss never been done assss they did to me. Curssse them. "In the Tower of Flame they made my eg,g, by the Ssstone of Grathanich. They wanted a body for Eressstem. A perfect body for a god to enter the world. Ssso the draconiansss made me . . . but I wasss flawed, a missstake, a failure. Yet the foolsss continue. They will make oth- ersss. Finally they will sssuccsseed, and Ssshe will enter. Ssshe will become invin- cible. Ssshe will rule Taladasss, and then Ssshe will rule the world. Curssse them!" Journal Entry 56: Fable Of The Stone "The god Reorx taught the smart gnomoi art of the forge and machine, pleased he be. He taught them to some humans and not pleased he be. Stupid they were with their power so cursed they becamed into the stupid minoi soon. "But the god was good and gave a gift to King Aldinanachru. A stone he filled with the light and power of the big moon l.uminari. The Grathanich they were proud to own. "Then, the bad god Hiteh tricked some lit- tle minoi into letting the stone go. It drifted and burned, wreaked havoc to the west. So to punish these minoi, it was made so they must follow the stone from here to there. And there was the big island, far away, where one day the minoi stopped to live under a mountain. Nevemmind." Journal Entry 57: The Rescue The old woman's eyes light up. "You aren't monsters! You're people! Oh, than Paladine! I escaped from the monsters yesterday and fled into these lower caves, hoping to find a way out. But the draconi- ans pale in comparison to the monsters that fill these cavems, and I was afraid to go further. I found this wand and neck- lace on a body I stumbled upon. With them I was able to send many of these foul creatures back to the Abyss. If the draconians are no longer a threat, I'm sure I can find my way to the mouth of the cave. There is a small village not far from here, and I can take refuge there. Farewell, my friends." She turns to leave, but then adds, "Oh, here, why don't you take this.'" She removes the necklace and hands it to you. "You certainly look like you can handle yourselves, but you may be able to use this." Journal Entry 58: Tas's Final Words Tas grips your arm feebly. "This wasn't suppose to happen! I can't die, I have too many things to do . . . places to go." The kender coughs pitifully, and clutches his chest. "I always thought you could trust gnomes . . . they're just so trustworthy. under a tree, he's calling me . . . Flint . . . I'm coming...." The kender's frail body qoes limp, and quickly qrows cold. Journal Entry 59: Captain's Story "Hundreds of draconians invaded, pillag- ing the town and impounding the entire fleet of ships. Only those who could steer the ships were spared, everyone else either escaped or was slaughtered. "Once they took what they wanted, a horde of blue dragons leveled the build- ings and incinerated anyone trying to take refuge The monsters then sailed out to sea, leaving this village a charred ruin. "I can wait no longer! I must set sail and follow the loathsome beasts. My sister, Crysia, is among those kidnapped!" Journal Entry 60: Greeting From A Hith Temple Servant The man with a shaved head and loosely draped robes approaches you, carrying a large pointed stick in one hand and a bas- ket of flowers in the other. "Hale ye travel- ers from afar, would ye care to donate to the Church of Hiddukel in exchange for a special flower?" Journal Entry 61: Tasselhoff Explains "After you guys left, I had the best time with the elves But once, when we were playing hide-and-seek, I hid so well the elves never could find me! Then I found my new friend- You'll like him, he's look- ing for the draconians, too. He says we need the gnome armies and windships to stop these draconians but King Teleman- something-or-other says he's much too busy to be worrying about dragons. "You see, there are two different kinds of gnomes: the smart Gnomoi, gnomes who do all the inventing and designing, and the fun Minoi gnomes, like the ones in Ansalon, who get stuck doing all the work. Well, the King says he doesn't want his people to be separated into classes anymore, so he had all the gnomes just switch jobs. And, boy, are things crazy in there! And dangerous, too! "Come on, I'll show you where the lift is, or, um . . . was, I guess." Journal Entry 62: Another I see flames and a crack and a head, Then another, and another, and another, and more. She rises up, the Queen of the Dark, She conquers and rules leaving only the dead. Journal Entry 63: Amrocar's Book "The book is a worthless text written one hundred years ago by the wizard Amrocar. Obsessed with the mysteries of the ruins in Blackwater Glade, it is filled with use- less maps and such. "It had lain undisturbed for scores of years, when suddenly one of our most trusted librarians, Bovinus, was caught stealing it. A terrible fight ensued. In the end, three of our guards lay dead, and the librarian had disappeared along with the tome. "That is not all. I just leamed that Bovinus' body has been found in an alley- way with his throat slit. But, who killed him, and where is the book now?" Journal Entry 64: Naulidis, City of the Dragonesti - MAP - See DQOK_Journal64.IFF - Journal Entry 65: Rubble Before you lies the smoldering ruins of Caergoth. Everything is blasted and burned. once sturdy buildings are sagging and melted, their stone runs like candle wax, The sickening odor of bumt can~ion floats on the gentle breeze as vultures circle through the smoke, Then you notice the fuming pools of acid in the streets- Draconians have been here. The only consolation is that some of them paid for this abomination with their lives. Journal Entry 66: The Grathanich You quickly retrieve the small oblong box from behind the mirror. The box contains an oddly-shaped piece of gray stone, plain and unadorned, yet seeming to pulsate with hidden power. "The Grathanich!" gasps Tasslehoff, reaching out to the stone, "With this arti- fact we can end the threat of the Dark Queen right here-we can unmake the race of draconians forever," He grasps the stone and holds it up to the light. "But what fun would that be?", he continues with a crooked grin. Before you can react, he drops the stone into a pocket and scampers off into the darkness. Journal Entry 67: FlameWalls The walls of the Tower's inner core flare brightly, but there is no heat. Whatever mighty spell fommed these walls, holds the living flame trapped inside. After a moment, you see shapes among the dancing flames! You realize that the walls, ceiling, and floor swamn with fire crea- tures, and that they are watching you. Journal Entry 68: Othlorx "Back during the War of the Lance, Takhisis called all her dragon children to fight the forces of good. But here on Taladas, many evil dragons refused her call. Furious, she cursed each kind of evil dragon with a particular affliction. "When the forces of Takhisis stole the eggs from the good dragons, many traveled to Taladas to search for them. When it was discovered that the eggs were on Ansalon being corrupted into draconians, many of the good dragons retumed to Ansalon to fight in the War of the Lance. But not all thought it wise to join in a human's war. Those who stayed are shunned, quite unfairly, by the other good dragons. Over time, we outcast dragons have leamed to work together against common dangers. We call ourselves 'othlorx."' NOTES: This should give you a better understanding of the game. I think it's kind of hard to evaluate an adventure game without understanding the plot. The rest of the manuals are the standard ones included in all the rest of the AD&D games, so I decided not to include that info. here. -DD/ANTHEM- - R E M E M B E R - IF YOU LIKE THIS PROGRAM PLEASE BUY IT!!