

                          The Diary of Mara and her Party
                          -------------------------------

        The council have bestowed upon me the greatest of honors and the
greatest of tolls. I will lead the party that wil reclaim Eriosthe for
the light. Our strength is mighty, yet I know the task will not be an
easy one. The dark lord Uukrul has taken control of Adron's Palaces, and
we must protect the beacon from evil's hand. This diary will stand as a
record of our endeavors.

6th day of Summer
        We entered Eriosthe on the aniversary of the first founding:
Good Luck! We came in through the old gates, fighting two black orcs
that were guarding the passage. Uukrul has replaced the old entrances
with his own construction work. The marble walls have been lined with
iron and are heated from within, making them infernally hot: no doubt
his creatures are used to the flames. Uukrul has not been expecting us,
as he has few guards between his palaces and the entrance.
        We have made good progress through the atrium of the beacon, and
used teh Ancient's teleporter to enter the palaces where we know he has
hidden. Tonight we shall rest in the sanctuary and tommorrow we will
start our search for the master of darkness. The soul Amulets seem to be
working, as we had no problems entering the sanctuary.

7th day of Summer
        The area around the sanctuary here is unrecognizable. Our maps
have been useless. Uukrul has bent the fair mountain city with his evil
will, and now eventhe passages seem to serve him. I have not recognized
the path to the crown rooms, and I have a dread that Uukrul has stopped
the access and passage to them.
        We have met and vanquished many foes, but they have been
inconsequential. It seems that the Council's plan to send in a strong
party was well chosen - We are much stronger than all those who stand
against us.

8th day of Summer
        These passages twist upon themselves and hide their secrets
well. We have found many strange markings on the walls, but cannot make
sense of them.

   ...it was on a wall in a strange room protected by a panel on the
floor; there are so many tricks in these passages...

        We fought a large battle today. Perhaps Uukrul has heardof our
arrival and marshalled some of his evil minions. They were powerful, but
Kiriya called forth a powerful elemental which fought well. The spirits
may be proud and hard to summon, but they are mighty when their will is
strong. Now we are resting in the sanctuary to regain our strength.

9th day of Summer
        I have decided that Uukrul has changed the palaces greatly; it
appears that he has stopped up many passages between the old halls. We
have reached the coronation halls, but cannot find any path past. There
are many strange markings on tthe floor, in the design of die faces, as
though someone were gambling in the halls. We have seem no explaination
of these.
        Uukrul is hiding from our presence, no doubt assembling a force
which he hopes to use against us. He will not find us so easily
overcome. Although we spent the day searching, we found little evidence
of secret ways connecting these passages with the rest of the Palace.
Perhaps tommorrow will bring better fortunes.

10th day of summer
        We are now fully rested from our battles two days ago, and have
made a much more strenuous effort. I think I have found the meaning of
the dice faces: They control movement throughout the Palaces. There is
enough of the Magic of the Charioteer about them to draw their menaing
from the shadows. Unfortunately, though we now understand their intended
use, we hva no way of making them activate for us.

12th day of Summer
        Today was a day of fair fortunes. We surprised and defeated one
of Uukruls' captains. Though he cursed us with his dying breath we took
from him the knowledge of Uukrul's location, and better still, the item
that activates the dice squares. without delay we moved through into the
rest of the Palaces. Our spirits are high as we move forward after such
a long delay.
        We have managed to make it into the huge ring of rooms that is
underneath the reception halls. Uukrul does not seem to have prepared
any defense against our entering, though he has hidden traps and snares
in some locations.
        Although we have searched for Uukrul where his captain told us,
he seems to have fled our coming. there are signs of his hasty retreat:
he is so afraid of us that he did not take with him his maps, but left
them in a chest for us. With this information, we can see his
modifications to the original palaces. Little indeed remains of the
halls and passages of the kings.

13th day of Summer
        Uukrul himslef stood briefly against us today, but was easily
defeated. Before we could capture him however, he cloaked himslef in
darkness and disappeared from our grasp. His power was not great against
ours, and the fight was easy. Once we entrap him, he will be ours like a
child.
        We continue to make use of the dice squares to move around, and
have fought a number of small squirmishes with Uukrul's minions. All
have been simple battles, and none have afforded us harm. I begin to
think that Uukrul has built around him an army of penny players - not
fighters.

14th day of Summer
        We have found no trace of Uukrul and indeed his servatns even
seem to be hiding from us. It is as though they have left the palaces
and have fled from Eriosthe. I feel that Uukrul is hiding, and will
remain in the shadows until we find him. His fear is so great that he
cannot face up to us.

18th day of Summer
        I fear for teh West. Uukrul is much more cunning than any had
given him credit. He arranged an ambush for us and drew us into it
unsuspecting. We had thought we were chasing him, that we were truly
stronger than him, yet all this time we were walking unsuspectingly into
his snare. Even wielding the hammer we could achieve nought; against
it's mighty power Uukrul stood unscathed. When it struck him the hammer
was cleaved into two pieces, and it will never challenge him again
divided.
        I hjave failed, and in my failure have lost all but Kiriya,
Esal, Nalusi, and myself. We are trapped on the far side of the palace.
His forces are too strong for the four of us, and we will not be able to
pass back to our entrance. He has the keys to the dice squares as well,
which Orial clutched as she fell under a titan's blow: The artifact will
now live with Uukrul in his dark hold.
        Uukrul commanded a force greater than we had thought still
walked in light. Where he summoned such creatures of dark I know not,
but I know that should he command the beacon the western lands will pass
into darkness. We have failed. The council has failed, and now all will
fall.

19th day of Summer
        We are trapped. Uukrul has sealed all the passages back and is
forcing us far from our entry. We have fled to the carriageway. Kiriya
has been very badly wounded, and poisoned by some subtle device. His
strength has waned terribly and he can hardly walk. I have drawn it from
him, but he has little awareness of what is happening and cannot fight.
Fortunately, Nalusi and I are strong and can protect him.
        Our only chance is to flee back west to the far end of Eriosthe.
Uukrul will trail behind us and hopefully lose us in these passages. The
carriageway works - amazingly for such an ancient device. The control
rooms are empty, but the hidden mechanisms still work and are in good
order.
        I have hidden the hammer here and protected it from Uukrul, for
I cannot carry it any longer. Though he may find it, he cannot touch it
or harm it further. It will serve to finish him, should we ever wield it
again.

21st day of Summer
        It has been another day of ill omen. We have passed through an
area where Uukrul has constructed prisons and areas of torture. The area
proved treacherous for Nalusi. foolishly I let him stand guard alone
While I tended the others. A creature of hidious form took him before he
could react and drew him into it's lair. We had to listen to his cries
for a long time, but were unable to reach him. We haved tried all we
can, but are powerless against the strength of these walls. I know that
Nalusi is alive and will be captured by Uukrul, so I must return to free
him when I have escaped from Uukrul.

I have failed Nalusi. I have failed all.

        This area has many of uukrul's lesser servants: Necromancers and
other followers of the arcane arts. Although he seems to have sent word
to them, they do not stand up to us, even though we are few.

28th day of Summer
        I have not written for many days. They have been dangerous. We
have escaped several traps Uukrul has set for us, but I am not sure
whether we will escape the one he has prepared for us ahead. Uukrul has
cast mgihty spells of magic upon the walls and passages, and they appear
twisted as though they could not be carved from this earth. I have never
seen such devilry in magic.
        I can sense an evil presence waiting, a dark shadow at the
center of a web. We are lucky that our pursuers have lost our trail, but
I fear it will not be long before they take up our spoor once more. We
must strike this trap before it is fully set. We must strike it hard.

   ...how many of these infernal rooms are there? Our maps lie and are
confused...


If only we were not so tired, so weakened.

29th day of Summer
        I fear it was the final battle. uukrul had come far from his
palaces to face us once more. Whole against such evil we would have had
little chance, weakened as we were, we had none. Kiriya fell in battle
against the dark one. Uukrul laughed as he killed kiriya, boasting that
he could never be slain while his heart laid protected. Esal was
poisoned by the dart of Uukrul as she cast the spell that banished him,
and lies waxen in my care. I, who deserve the death that has been given
to all who have followed me, have taken little damage. I see now that
Uukrul's plan is to take me alive and unharmed so that he can taunt me
with our failure.

We have won this battle but will win no other.

        Esal has recovered a little, and talks. She is not long for this
world though, I fear. Her last spell cost her more than she will tell
me, and I feel that her contact with the dark lord has left her
critically wounded.

We have lian Kiriya under stone. He may rest now.

30th day of Summer
        I realize that we have been in Eriosthe for a whole month now.
Outside the sun will be shining on fields of crops, and the council will
already know of our fate. I wonder if I will ever see the sun again.
        Esal is worsening, I fear she will not last much longer. We have
made it to the caverns. If I can take her just alittle farther, I know
there is a marketplace used by the villagers. the hospice there will
heal her wounds. I do not know how far it is, but my fears are dark and
their shadows deepening.

31st day of Summer
        Uurkul does not chase us himself. Perhaps Easl hurt him fatally.
I have thought on his boast though, and I think that nor blow nor magic
nor prayer can harm Uukrul while his soul and heart are hidden. If I had
known that. If the council had known that, would we have suceeded.

32nd day of Summer
        Esal died today. I have no strength to carry her body, and no
strength to secret her corpse. I have laid her out and placed an
invisibility spell on her. She will rest now.

I am the last one.

I am the prize that Uukrul wants.

I am the jewel, but he shall not have me.....


36th day of Summer
        I have found the marketplace. The people are good, but
frightened of Uukrul, though they see little of his works. Some
grey-clad figures walk amongst them tehy say, but nothing more evil. I
pray that they see no even drawn by me.
        I dare no rest now, for I know that I am near the western exit,
and I cannot wait lest Uukrul catch me. Yet I hesitate. What if he is
ahead of me? I know that he is cunning, and that he enjoys my pursuit. I
see that he has toyed with us, that he was always more powerful, that we
were lead into ambush after ambush.
        I shall try to reach the exit, and escape to warn the council of
his power, but I must get this diary to the Council, even if I should
fall. I will place it in a small underground stream which flows out to
the west, and hope it will be carried to the council.If it is in your
hands, read it's wisdom, and divine it's secrets.

If you read this, think of Mara who gave her life for the light.

I am afraid to go on....



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