Danica Amandine stood staring blankly at the books in the Crux Ansata's Jhelom office. The toils of a military command over an entire nation had been taxing and her hair had begun to silver, far too early.
She turned towards the door hoping to find one of her Knights behind her waiting to hear her thoughts...
Are you there?
Thus began my journey over several days seeking out “Leads” for the Lady Danica Amandine. I had been directed to the Crux Ansata’s Headquarters by my good friend Hendall who was perplexed by the influx of visitors to the old Serpent’s Cross Tavern in Yew.
Certainly he was glad for the arrival of new patrons as he had just recently reopened the grand old establishment, but each of the travellers spoke of visiting old places. Places not known to most citizens these days. Places not spoken of in many years. I decided that I must follow the trail myself and presented myself to the Lady.
She bade me to seek out a creature at the Chaos Shrine in Ilshenar who might be able to tell me more about the criminal Bellatrix Adhara. Finding Bellatrix would give us an “Advantage” so my quest was to find this woman, dead or preferably alive.
I felt some dread visiting that particular shrine but after some rusty spells and a great deal of running I found a leprechaun named Quinn hidden in an alcove away from the other creatures that inhabit the ruins of Chaos. He was less than co-operative until I gave into his requests for small items that would mean his freedom from the certain someone he was waiting for. That certain someone he said was enslaving the weak with very old magic, forgotten hexes and curses. At last after a kiss on the forehead, I fulfilled all his requests and he directed to me to Moonglow to seek another broken man.
After much searching I made my way up to the old Telescope where in my youth there had been a free market out of the sight of the government tax collectors where I and many others learned to make gold mixing magical potions for sale to the town’s population.
Standing before me was an incoherent man named Selcius. His sobs and hiccupping identified him as the broken man of Moonglow. In the old days Selcius was an Astronomer of great renown. I had not seen him for many years and found him much changed.
When I asked him gently a few of the questions that I could think of, his demeanour changed and the words flowed as freely as his tears. Bellatrix Adhara had become his ward after the suspicious death of her parents. He had been the one to teach her the old hexes and curses.
His most shocking revelation that afternoon was explosive. The Lady Danica had left out one tiny detail when she had sent us all on this journey. Bellatrix Adhara had been known as Charlotte Admandine before a trip to this very telescope and was Danica’s own sister. Danica had survived the horrible tragedy because Charlotte aka Bellatrix had locked her in a cupboard.
I asked him about the day she came to the telescope and what it had set in motion. He said she had taken her new name from the stars. I listened intently while he spoke….
“Bellatrix (Gamma Orionis) translates from an ancient language called Latin as "the female warrior" and is sometimes called the "Amazon Star." Blue-white luminous Bellatrix certainly lives up to its grand name. It is one of the hotter naked eye stars. If Bellatrix has not already ceased hydrogen fusion in its core, it will soon, and is even now classed as a giant.”
Derived from Arabic عذارى ('adhara) meaning "maidens", this is the name of the second brightest star (after Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major. The ancient Arabs referred to this small three-star pattern as "The Virgins," to which the name "Adhara" actually refers (Adhara the westernmost of the three).
I wondered who the Latins and the Arabians were, having never heard their tales before. Selcius composed himself enough to tell me that Bellatrix had demanded an old school book that he had forgotten about and that I should check his house to the south.
I found a pile of burnt up papers in his home with the barely legible words “Claudia’s Cave”. I recognized that name and made my way back to Goodman’s Library to consult an old tome with most of the locations I had travelled in the old days. Sure enough it was listed in the pages and after carefully reviewing my supplies I cast the spell that would take me there. Claudia’s Cave is in the old lands and caution must be taken to avoid any bandits or murderers lurking about. It is very near the Dungeon Wrong and was a hot spot in the days of combat long ago.
I silently made my way through the cave, carefully checking for recent disturbances. Scribbled on a note tacked on a stalagmite were the words; “Collecting memories, Next to find Christine and Flint.” Who was Bellatrix that she would know of the Solace Warriors? I opened the pages of the old book I had brought and cast the travel spell on the spot marked Christine and Flint.
Leaves and vines were slowly attacking the masonry of the Memorial to Christine and Flint but it looked as though the start of a path was being created no doubt by the recent visitors before my arrival. Another note was hastily fastened to a cattail on the edge of the pond. More taunting words and another name from the past were scribbled on the note....Cromwell.
Cromwell’s home in Nujel’m immediately came to mind so that is where I headed next. His name was Jordan Cromwell and he was an archaeologist by trade. He specialized in searching out rare maritime artifacts in his day.
Two notes awaited me in his main hallway. One mostly more teasing and taunting, the other with a riddle….
She turned towards the door hoping to find one of her Knights behind her waiting to hear her thoughts...
Are you there?
Thus began my journey over several days seeking out “Leads” for the Lady Danica Amandine. I had been directed to the Crux Ansata’s Headquarters by my good friend Hendall who was perplexed by the influx of visitors to the old Serpent’s Cross Tavern in Yew.
Certainly he was glad for the arrival of new patrons as he had just recently reopened the grand old establishment, but each of the travellers spoke of visiting old places. Places not known to most citizens these days. Places not spoken of in many years. I decided that I must follow the trail myself and presented myself to the Lady.
She bade me to seek out a creature at the Chaos Shrine in Ilshenar who might be able to tell me more about the criminal Bellatrix Adhara. Finding Bellatrix would give us an “Advantage” so my quest was to find this woman, dead or preferably alive.
I felt some dread visiting that particular shrine but after some rusty spells and a great deal of running I found a leprechaun named Quinn hidden in an alcove away from the other creatures that inhabit the ruins of Chaos. He was less than co-operative until I gave into his requests for small items that would mean his freedom from the certain someone he was waiting for. That certain someone he said was enslaving the weak with very old magic, forgotten hexes and curses. At last after a kiss on the forehead, I fulfilled all his requests and he directed to me to Moonglow to seek another broken man.
After much searching I made my way up to the old Telescope where in my youth there had been a free market out of the sight of the government tax collectors where I and many others learned to make gold mixing magical potions for sale to the town’s population.
Standing before me was an incoherent man named Selcius. His sobs and hiccupping identified him as the broken man of Moonglow. In the old days Selcius was an Astronomer of great renown. I had not seen him for many years and found him much changed.
When I asked him gently a few of the questions that I could think of, his demeanour changed and the words flowed as freely as his tears. Bellatrix Adhara had become his ward after the suspicious death of her parents. He had been the one to teach her the old hexes and curses.
His most shocking revelation that afternoon was explosive. The Lady Danica had left out one tiny detail when she had sent us all on this journey. Bellatrix Adhara had been known as Charlotte Admandine before a trip to this very telescope and was Danica’s own sister. Danica had survived the horrible tragedy because Charlotte aka Bellatrix had locked her in a cupboard.
I asked him about the day she came to the telescope and what it had set in motion. He said she had taken her new name from the stars. I listened intently while he spoke….
“Bellatrix (Gamma Orionis) translates from an ancient language called Latin as "the female warrior" and is sometimes called the "Amazon Star." Blue-white luminous Bellatrix certainly lives up to its grand name. It is one of the hotter naked eye stars. If Bellatrix has not already ceased hydrogen fusion in its core, it will soon, and is even now classed as a giant.”
Derived from Arabic عذارى ('adhara) meaning "maidens", this is the name of the second brightest star (after Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major. The ancient Arabs referred to this small three-star pattern as "The Virgins," to which the name "Adhara" actually refers (Adhara the westernmost of the three).
I wondered who the Latins and the Arabians were, having never heard their tales before. Selcius composed himself enough to tell me that Bellatrix had demanded an old school book that he had forgotten about and that I should check his house to the south.
I found a pile of burnt up papers in his home with the barely legible words “Claudia’s Cave”. I recognized that name and made my way back to Goodman’s Library to consult an old tome with most of the locations I had travelled in the old days. Sure enough it was listed in the pages and after carefully reviewing my supplies I cast the spell that would take me there. Claudia’s Cave is in the old lands and caution must be taken to avoid any bandits or murderers lurking about. It is very near the Dungeon Wrong and was a hot spot in the days of combat long ago.
I silently made my way through the cave, carefully checking for recent disturbances. Scribbled on a note tacked on a stalagmite were the words; “Collecting memories, Next to find Christine and Flint.” Who was Bellatrix that she would know of the Solace Warriors? I opened the pages of the old book I had brought and cast the travel spell on the spot marked Christine and Flint.
Leaves and vines were slowly attacking the masonry of the Memorial to Christine and Flint but it looked as though the start of a path was being created no doubt by the recent visitors before my arrival. Another note was hastily fastened to a cattail on the edge of the pond. More taunting words and another name from the past were scribbled on the note....Cromwell.
Cromwell’s home in Nujel’m immediately came to mind so that is where I headed next. His name was Jordan Cromwell and he was an archaeologist by trade. He specialized in searching out rare maritime artifacts in his day.
Two notes awaited me in his main hallway. One mostly more teasing and taunting, the other with a riddle….