Faerie Powder, Star Dust, the Call of Oblivion - verily, the Dust of the free city of Al-Lazar is known by many names throughout the wide expanse of the known world. In measured quantities, the substance is known to confer great benefit, improving the health and sharpening the faculties of those who partake of it. But beware, for in larger doses, it grows to be a most-potent addiction. It is said that in the throes of its influence, one may reach the very heights of euphoria, and even catch a glimpse of the veil that separates our world from the beyond. The Dust grows only along the shoreline of Al-Lazar, where the briny sea meets the burning shore. It is the pollen of the Asixum plant, infused with the power of Mana, and is known in the local tongue as the Nabat Alasum, the Indulgence of the Gods.
- The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC.
The sound of hammers pounding away at steel, and the cry of a foreman exuding men to greater efforts stole me away from the last of my sleep. For a few short moments, I thought I was back in the slave pens of Ansan and hurriedly got to my feet. A little disoriented, I looked around and my mind finally caught up to the present. In one of the corners, Larynda was rubbing her eyes, and I felt the weight of a large meaty hand on my shoulder.
Turning around, I saw the ice-blue eyes of the man-mountain looking at me, with concern welling in their depths, and I was finally able to still myself.
“Peace, Gilgamesh of Uruk, and good morning,” he intoned in his rumbling voice. Using more than one word was a sign that the man was in a good mood. The large man rationed his words as if he had a limited supply.
I felt the panic leave me as I got myself together, my mind piecing together all of the events that had brought me to this point. I praised the lucky stars that we were finally leaving the lands of the Tides.
“Thank you, friend. For a moment I was trapped in a fragment of the past,” I uttered hoarsely, still slightly surprised by the sudden swell of my own emotion.
“All is well for now,” Kidu said simply, as Larynda stretched out her arms and yawned loudly.
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I nodded to Kidu, who was fully equipped with his panoply of war, and the wisp of a few days' growth of stubble about his face gave him a hard and rough look. He ran a hand across his chin, and in a sympathetic reaction, I touched my own face, but my fingers only met with smooth skin. Save for the accumulated scars that disappeared every time I cast Greater Heal, my avatar did not change.
Opening the door to the wagon, I was greeted with the dull gray light of dawn, and the sights of the caravan preparing to be on the move. Towards the center of the wagons, the cooks from the night before were already serving the day’s breakfast. Flat unleavened bread was cooking on sizzling hot iron griddles, the appetizing smell floating on the fresh morning air.
We left the wagon so the girl child could finish changing into her clothes. Moving into the camp proper, our group received our portions from the industrious cooks. The bread was plain, but with just a hint of honey. It was heavy and filling, and I could see how even small portions could fuel a day’s labor. We ate quickly as the cooks told us that the caravan would be leaving within the hour, once the beasts had been fed and watered.
As we were returning our used bowls and cutlery, I saw something that caught my attention. An old woman was walking towards where the large draft animals were corralled. She was rake-thin and moved with a willowy grace that belied her advanced age. One of the Xaruars, familiar with her presence, lowed in greeting, nudging her waist as she passed.
The woman’s face crowded in irritation as she looked at the draconian creature. Rubbing the large animal's head, she shooed it away, all her attention focused on what she had to do. She raised her hands, her face a rictus of concentration. She began to chant in a clear voice that cut through the noise of the camp. Wisps of blue energy played about her, drawn from the ground and the very air itself. After what felt like long moments, the spell ended and the workers around her paused their work and bowed their heads in thanks.
The woman was breathing heavily, the magic having taken its toll on her. She looked distracted and I thought it would be a good time to cast Identify on the magic-user. For a moment, a puzzled look crossed her face.
Ankhset Ulgen - Water Mage [Human lvl.16]
Health: 152/152
Stamina: 16/23
Mana: 4/16