Nerris Tralfaz
Age 14 began with many suprises, not the least of which was the discovery that Une and Shinjekei had been on punishment for 1 month following an incident with Ire. As the chilren sat at breakfast with their instructors Penara seemed troubled and withdrawn. She told Mywin that she had been having nightmares about a dark man and a dark tower somewhere far away. Mywin consoled her and breakfast went on. Issac and Lee Chun Su began to probe Shinjekei for information about his recent abstaining from mirror time. Shinjekei had not spoken to his father or anyone thru the mirror since the news of his mother's death, and was equally uncommunicative on the subject with Issac and Lee.
During mirror time, the first shock came when Lee Chun Su learned that the venerable Abbot of his order was drawing his final breaths. Lee's master, Chang Fe was chosen as successor and instructed Lee to take up the acetic vows come sunset in honor of the abbot's passing. He was to follow this vow 1 day for each year in the abbot's life, totalling 180 odd days of silence, meditation, solitude, and strict fasting.
The next suprise came from little Shinjekei who summoned the image of his father, Hotekei Ogammo, only long enough to deliver this terse message: "Father, as I will soon be a man grown I will expect my sword delivered to me before my 16th name day." The sword Shinjekei refers to is his birthright as a samurai and a priceless heirloom handed down thru his family from time immemorial. Typically, a son does not request this blade until the end of his father's days. To do so implies that the son feels the father is no longer a worthy warrior and that he no longer sees him as a real man. Shinjekei said no more on the subject after this.
Finally, Ire received a rude shock when attempting to contact his master Oltavan Sept. As the image of the ailing sorcerer came into focus, the link was suddenly "pulled away" by an unknown person who simply said: "Oltavan is ill. He cannt speak to you today." Ire was a bit suprised, but his disillusioned nature took over and he lapsed comfortably back into his apathy.
After a day's worth of training the students went to lunch, only to be disturbed by a visitor: A mysterious man called "Nerris", whom everyone but Baleron seemed to be happy to see. It soon came to light that Nerris was part of the Council, a mysterious group responsible for the building of The Academy, and that he was sent to bring one student with him for special training. Mendat, in absolute shock, seemed unsure of what to do as Nerris went up and down the ranks handing out insults and criticism to each student save Penara. He took a special interest in her, but found immediate opposition from Mywin. Mendat attempted to diffuse the situation by showing off to Nerris the "punishment tokens" he had invented.
Both Ire and Issac had only a second to notice that Nerris was casting a spell before it was too late. In a blinding flash Nerris put a punishment token on Mendat's forehead, snatched Penara, and headed for his carriage. Ire, Issac, and Mywin were hot on his heels and were able to overturn Nerris' cart before he could escape. As Mywin went to aide his sister, Issac and Ire began to battle Nerris. Using his dark magic Nerris summoned undead to help him fight off the students. The battle intensified as Nerris was aided by an unseen enemy and Penara, seemingly under a spell, began attacking her brother. Reinforcements arrived in the form of Une, Shinjekei, Bran, Baleron, and Hadrim. Hadrim got to show off his power of astral projection and we finally got to see Baleron's "Blood Armor" in action.
The heroes held their own for a while until a peculiar fear effect began to grip Nerris' attackers. With Baleron, Une, and Shinjekei calling for retreat, Mywin severely wounded and Bran blinded, morale began to wane. Nerris seized the upper hand and made a swift escape with Penara and a nameless boy who he called his "apprentice".
Once back inside, the group immeidately noticed that Mendat was not well. His magical power, Hadrim explained, is such a part of him that being robbed of it is a threat to his very life. Hadrim enlisted Ire and Issac's help in finding a counterspell. Mendat warned that Nerris, whose last name is Tralfaz was of part draconic blood and as such a very dangerous foe. He suspected that Nerris would seek to use Penara as a sacrifice in his bizarre magical practices. At this point, those who have played in the Galen Tur setting recognized the name "Tralfaz" as belonging to a powerful necromancer who assasinates a King and almost brings the entire country to its knees.
As night falls, Lee Chun Su takes the first steps in a new discipline called "Poison Animal Fist" only minutes before he begins his acetic devotions. Age 14 thus ends on an ominous and unsure note, with the students facing the fact that they may lose their beloved master and a brother fearing that he may lose his sister for a second time.
During mirror time, the first shock came when Lee Chun Su learned that the venerable Abbot of his order was drawing his final breaths. Lee's master, Chang Fe was chosen as successor and instructed Lee to take up the acetic vows come sunset in honor of the abbot's passing. He was to follow this vow 1 day for each year in the abbot's life, totalling 180 odd days of silence, meditation, solitude, and strict fasting.
The next suprise came from little Shinjekei who summoned the image of his father, Hotekei Ogammo, only long enough to deliver this terse message: "Father, as I will soon be a man grown I will expect my sword delivered to me before my 16th name day." The sword Shinjekei refers to is his birthright as a samurai and a priceless heirloom handed down thru his family from time immemorial. Typically, a son does not request this blade until the end of his father's days. To do so implies that the son feels the father is no longer a worthy warrior and that he no longer sees him as a real man. Shinjekei said no more on the subject after this.
Finally, Ire received a rude shock when attempting to contact his master Oltavan Sept. As the image of the ailing sorcerer came into focus, the link was suddenly "pulled away" by an unknown person who simply said: "Oltavan is ill. He cannt speak to you today." Ire was a bit suprised, but his disillusioned nature took over and he lapsed comfortably back into his apathy.
After a day's worth of training the students went to lunch, only to be disturbed by a visitor: A mysterious man called "Nerris", whom everyone but Baleron seemed to be happy to see. It soon came to light that Nerris was part of the Council, a mysterious group responsible for the building of The Academy, and that he was sent to bring one student with him for special training. Mendat, in absolute shock, seemed unsure of what to do as Nerris went up and down the ranks handing out insults and criticism to each student save Penara. He took a special interest in her, but found immediate opposition from Mywin. Mendat attempted to diffuse the situation by showing off to Nerris the "punishment tokens" he had invented.
Both Ire and Issac had only a second to notice that Nerris was casting a spell before it was too late. In a blinding flash Nerris put a punishment token on Mendat's forehead, snatched Penara, and headed for his carriage. Ire, Issac, and Mywin were hot on his heels and were able to overturn Nerris' cart before he could escape. As Mywin went to aide his sister, Issac and Ire began to battle Nerris. Using his dark magic Nerris summoned undead to help him fight off the students. The battle intensified as Nerris was aided by an unseen enemy and Penara, seemingly under a spell, began attacking her brother. Reinforcements arrived in the form of Une, Shinjekei, Bran, Baleron, and Hadrim. Hadrim got to show off his power of astral projection and we finally got to see Baleron's "Blood Armor" in action.
The heroes held their own for a while until a peculiar fear effect began to grip Nerris' attackers. With Baleron, Une, and Shinjekei calling for retreat, Mywin severely wounded and Bran blinded, morale began to wane. Nerris seized the upper hand and made a swift escape with Penara and a nameless boy who he called his "apprentice".
Once back inside, the group immeidately noticed that Mendat was not well. His magical power, Hadrim explained, is such a part of him that being robbed of it is a threat to his very life. Hadrim enlisted Ire and Issac's help in finding a counterspell. Mendat warned that Nerris, whose last name is Tralfaz was of part draconic blood and as such a very dangerous foe. He suspected that Nerris would seek to use Penara as a sacrifice in his bizarre magical practices. At this point, those who have played in the Galen Tur setting recognized the name "Tralfaz" as belonging to a powerful necromancer who assasinates a King and almost brings the entire country to its knees.
As night falls, Lee Chun Su takes the first steps in a new discipline called "Poison Animal Fist" only minutes before he begins his acetic devotions. Age 14 thus ends on an ominous and unsure note, with the students facing the fact that they may lose their beloved master and a brother fearing that he may lose his sister for a second time.
posted by Galen Tur DM | 9:27 AM
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