BOOK 1 | CHAPTER 2: ELWALD AND GAULWITH

The Party was Arthund, Ferthelm, Masym, and Symund. They went down the gentle hill of grass into town. There was a Wide Street. An Old Man stumbled into the street from an alley on the side. The Old Man had long, white hair. He had a long, white beard. He was naked. His expression was of fear. He looked behind him in the alley. He saw The Party and winced.

Three Large Rodents came from the side alley. The Large Rodents were as long as a dozen handwidths. They Large Rodents chased The Old Man. 

There were Two Young Men walking down The Wide Street toward The Party. The Old Man approached The Two Young Men. The Two Young Men shoved The Old Man on the ground. The Large Rodents began to bite the leg of The Old Man. The Two Young Men laughed. The Two Young Men looked at The Party and gestured toward The Old Man on the ground and laughed.

Symund fought The Large Rodents. Masym covered The Old Man's ribs with a food spread to incite The Large Rodents. The Party slew The Large Rodents. They heard string instruments from a nearby alley. They saw a crowd of people gathering in a square ahead.

The Party helped The Old Man to his feet and moved toward the string-instrument sounds.
The Old Man could not remember who he was. But The Old Man said the townsfolk called him Elwald.

The alley lead to a circular area. The floor of the area was covered with cobblestone. The area was surrounded by the backs of residences. In the center of the area was a fountain. The fountain was empty and dry. Beyond the fountain were three women. The women wore long, red dresses. They wore broad-brimmed hats.Veils hung from the hat brims. The veils hid the women's faces. They play stringed instruments with bows.

Arthund cast a spell to make Elwald remember the past. Elwald remembers he was a treasurer of a stronghold of Ob'libburock. But they took his mind and he was cast out. He does not remember why. He would take The Party to The Stronghold of Ob'libburock. They would steal gold and he would have his revenge. Arthund asked where The Stronghold was located and Elwald pointed toward The Mountainous City in the distance.

Three Hooded Swordsmen in Red Robes entered the circular area from the right side. The Party left the area. They heard the string instruments stop their sounds. They heard screams. They heard an animal roar.

The Party walked down the Wide Street toward the crowd in the square. The crowd faced a platform in the square. On the platform were people hung by their wrists to a wooden beam. There was an Executioner. The Executioner broke the bones of one person hanging by their wrists. The Executioner decapitated the person. The head went into the crowd and the crowd cheered.

The Party went to an abandoned building in the South area of the town. There were many abandoned buildings there. An old fire destroyed much of the area. Night fell. The Party saw another figure in the room they occupied. The figure lit a small stick and approached them. The figure was Gaulwith. Gaulwith was dressed in fine attire. Gaulwith invited The Party to join him. He traveled to The Mountainous City. He was going to a banquet. The Party agreed.

In the morning The Party saw that Gaulwith's fine attired was ragged. In the darkness the clothes appeared kempt. Gaulwith lead The Party to a healer. He lead them to a street corner. They waited for his carriage. Gaulwith spoke of "The Council." The Party was confused by the mention of "The Council."

The Carriage of Gaulwith appeared. The Carriage looked like an upside-down mushroom. The Carriage was pulled by Walkers. Arthund attempted to kick one of the Walkers in between the legs. Arthund was trampled by the Walker.

The Party entered The Carriage. The Carriage was piloted by two human men. The two human men were Wulfa and Adnorn. They were bare-chested. Wulfa carried a great sword. Adnorn carried a great axe. The Carriage left the town and traveled East toward The Mountainous City.

The Carriage traveled on an elevated road of clay. The road ran through a low-ceiling forest. The forest gave way to a giant briar patch. The elevated road wound through the thicket of briar vine trunks. The road emerged from the briar patch to an empty field of dust. Across the field were hundreds of thousands of crucifixes. It was The Field of Crucifixion.

The Carriage stopped. The Party went to The Carriage Pilot Tower. The road was blocked. In the road were two posts. Between the posts was a thin sheet of cloth. Beneath the thin sheet of cloth was a figure. The figure lay on its side on the road. Gaulwith, Wulfa, and Adnorn were stunned by the image.

Gaulwith explained to The Party that this is the iconography of "The Abomination of All Things Created." The Abomination was the forbidden member of The Council. From The Field of Crucifixion The Party saw riders approaching The Carriage. The riders bore blades. The riders' heads were obscured by plants. The plants seemed to grow out of their necks.

BOOK 2 | CHAPTER 2: STATUARY

The Ones Who Remained were The Party: Handsome Carl, Widow, Robin, Brol, Shem and Tundra. They looked at one another and saw they were deformed from the touch of The Crystal Sword of the Lesser Traveler, Combined. They walked around the small island. They saw subtle movements on the ice beyond their vision. At the other side of the small island they found a Cave.

Tundra attempted to identify the subtle movement on the ice. An object hurled toward him. The object burst into flames and hit Tundra in the chest. Tundra was wounded. The Party went into The Cave.

Inside The Cave was a Drawing. The Drawing was of a large animal with a large mouth. The large animal was as tall as two people and as long as a dozen. The large animal was cylindrical in shape. There was also three people in the drawing. The three people held spears. On the ground, in The Cave was a blunted spear. Shem took the spear. The Cave was cold and Tundra died.

The Cave divided into two tunnels. A low growl emitted from the left tunnel. They could hear the scraping of flesh on ice. They moved down the right tunnel. Behind them they saw a great mouth from the side. The great mouth was as tall as a person. They saw a giant, pink tongue come from it. The tongue was searching. Shem threw the spear to it but missed.

They slipped on the ice and slid down a slope. At the bottom of the slope they found steps hewn into rock. The steps lead upward. They went up the steps and saw a small village under the hill. There was a Young Man Covered With Hair, playing a stringed instrument to their left. His hair was iridescent. The Young Man Covered With Hair made jests about their appearances and sang songs.

The Party went into The Small Village Under The Hill. They saw Residences, an Abandoned temple, a General Store and an Inn. They went inside the Inn and another Man Covered With Hair sat in a chair. His hair, too, was iridescent. Beside him lay a shell. He asked them if they were here for The "Event." They asked the man about the shell. He said it was to ward off daily attacks from the bat swarm. They went to the General Store to acquire shells.

The General Store was maintained by a Girl Covered in Hair. They asked the Girl about The "Event." The Girl said it was an unveiling of a statue by Humbald. Humbald was from The Small Village Under The Hill and was a famous artist. Humbald gave his money back to The Small Village Under The Hill. The people of The Small Village Under The Hill loved Humbald. Humbald lived on The Big Island. The city on The Big Island was called Column. The Party bartered for shells and Robin stole a healing salve. They left the General Store and heard screeching from above. They saw a cloud of bats. They ran to the Inn.

The Party went into the basement of the Inn. There was a long hall made of petrified wood. At the far end was a Crowd of Townspeople covered in hair. The Crowd faced a sheet. The sheet covered Humbald's statue. To their right was a bar. They drank at the bar. At the end of the bar was a human. The Human Man had long black hair and black beard. He had black, scaled armor. The armor looked like lobster scales. In the corner was another human. He wore a cloak. The cloak covered his face.

Shem went to the human in the corner and talked to him. The Cloaked Man signaled for drink. They drank. Shem asked The The Cloaked Man of The First Star. The Cloaked Man recognized the term. He heard it in Column. The Cloaked Man said he could bring Shem and her friends to Column in his cart by the Underbay Road.

The Crowd of townspeople cheered. The sheet was removed from the statue. The Crowd blocked The Party from seeing the statue. The Party moved to see the statue. They saw Humbald off to the side. Humbald looked like the other townspeople, covered with hair. But Humbald wore decorative clothing. Humbald wore a wig of long hair. The wig was flaxen.

The Party moved to the front of The Crowd. The Statue was made of hard, white stone. The Statue was a representation of Children. The Children were attached to one another to form a single figure. The figure had many arms, several heads, and a multitude of legs. The statue Children looked like the Children of The Party. Brol was upset and went to drink at the bar.

The Human Man from the bar, with long black hair, beard, and black-scaled armor, moved toward the statue. He struck the statue with a hammer. The Crowd was surprised. He struck the statue with the hammer and broke the statue. Humbald yelled. The Human Man yelled against The First Star. He ran from the Inn. The Crowd shouted at him.

The Crowd turned toward The Party. The Party was human like the man who attacked the statue. The Crowd began to yell at The Party. The Crowd moved aggressively toward The Party.

BOOK 3 | CHAPTER 3: THE GOD IN THE TOWER

Daron Vega, sent Metis to the Straggler Room. The Straggler Room was a single-room caravan building in the back of The Caravan. The building was on wheels and was pulled by four Walkers. In The Straggler Room were kept the caravan passengers without tickets. They were The Stragglers.

The Stragglers stood on the front porch of their room. They heard screams and saw plumes of smoke rise from buildings on the Eastern side of the caravan. Caravan Guardsmen riding Joggers left to investigate. Other Caravan Guardsmen stayed by The Stragglers and murmured.

Fig. 1

There was a dust cloud at the Eastern edge of The Caravan to the right of The Stragglers. A Meccate Addict mounted on a Jogger rode out of the cloud. The Meccate Addict held a blade. The Caravan Guardsmen confronted The Meccate Addict and their sword steel met.

The Stragglers saw more fires from buildings up ahead. The Stragglers planned an escape. Metis cut the harness of the Walkers. Other Stragglers protested. The Stragglers climbed on the harnesses to the Walkers pulling The Straggler Room. Some of The Stragglers fell and were crushed by the wheels. Some traversed the harnesses and stood on the Walkers. Some fell and avoided the wheels. They ran alongside the Walkers. They used the cut harness to climb up on the Walkers.

Fig. 2

The Meccate Addict was slain by The Caravan Guardsman. The Meccate and The Addict fell from the Jogger. From the dust cloud came a floating figure. It was a man in robes with a black pyramid on his head. His face was slack and his eyes were rolled back. He was a Floating Slave Wizard. Behind The Floating Slave Wizard was a vehicle. It had a large fan mounted to the front. It was The Fan Vehicle. A Walker pushed The Fan Vehicle from the back. A pilot turned a crank which spun the fan and steered. The fan created wind. The wind pushed The Floating Slave Wizard forward. The Floating Slave Wizard shot a lance of flame from the black pyramid and slew The Caravan Guardsman. The Jogger of the Caravan Guardsman was unmounted.

Buildings in the font of The Caravan toppled. Many plumes of smoke became one giant column. The Stragglers saw to the East Caravan Guardsmen fighting a large creature tied to a large cart. The large creature spat bile onto the Caravan Guardsmen and they died.

One of The Stragglers had a Falcon. The Straggler Falconer sent the Falcon to lure an unmounted Jogger to The Stragglers. The falcon guided the unmounted Jogger to The Stragglers standing on the Walker. Some of The Stragglers got on the Jogger. They rode the Jogger to the other unmounted Jogger. The Floating Slave Wizard shot them with a lance of flame. Two of The Stragglers were slain. One Straggler survived. He was called Junior.

The Floating Slave Wizard shot The Stragglers on the Walkers with a gout of flame. Some of The Stragglers perished.

Junior rode the Jogger over to The Fan Vehicle. He boarded and killed the pilot. Junior controlled The Fan Vehicle. Junior steered The Fan Vehicle and The Floating Slave Wizard away from The Stragglers on the Walkers.

A Meccate Addict mounted on a Jogger rode from the buildings in front of The Stragglers. He swung a blade at The Stragglers on the Walkers and missed. Metis held The Crystal of Horgelon aloft. A pink hand emanated from The Crystal of Horgelon. Beams of pink light shot from the fingertips of the hand. The beams of pink light vaporized the Meccate Addict.

The Stragglers on the Walkers leapt onto The Fan Vehicle controlled by Junior. They drove West into The Desert Wasteland.

The Stragglers saw a tower on the horizon. The Tower was impossibly thin. The Tower's height was deceptive at a distance. A small wall ringed the base of The Tower. The Stragglers climbed the wall and saw six trees. The trees each had fruit of a different color. The trees stood in green grass. There was a Dwarf Warrior reading a scroll under a tree. When The Stragglers called out to the Dwarf he ran to the far side of The Tower. He returned with a Tall Human Warrior. The Tall Human Warrior spoke words and the surrounding wall became translucent and The Stragglers passed through.

The Tall Human Warrior brought The Stragglers inside The Tower. He said their God lived above in The Tower. He would not give the name of the God. The God was The Unnamed.

The Tall Human Warrior lead The Stragglers down stairs underneath The Tower. There was a wide hall. To the right were arcade walkways above a large courtyard. In the courtyard were crops. Across the hall were arcade walkways around another large courtyard. In this courtyard there were livestock.

The Tall Human Warrior invited The Stragglers to eat their food and become followers of The Unnamed. The Stragglers ate the food of The Followers of The Unnamed and became Followers themselves.

The Tall Human Warrior said The Stragglers must perform a rite of passage as new Followers of The Unnamed. The Stragglers must go to the neighboring society and convert them to Followers of The Unnamed. The Tall Human Warrior lead The Stragglers to a staircase in a deep cavern. The steps went down into darkness.

The Stragglers walked down the stairs. They felt their bodies grow lighter. Their feet barely touched the ground. They fell a few spans and then felt their bodies grow heavier. Their footfalls carried their weight on a new staircase. It was made of white marble. The staircase lead upward. They saw light above where the staircase crested. At the top of the staircase was a field of green grass. At the edge of the field was a massive temple. A golden orb glowed high above.

The Stragglers went inside the temple. There was a single, giant room. Along the walls were columns. There were hundreds of people enjoying a party. The people wore elaborate dress. At the far end of the room lounged The Slender Giant on a sofa.

The Stragglers attempted to convert the people of the party to the worship of The Unnamed. They were brought before The Slender Giant. The Slender Giant was annoyed at their behavior. The Slender Giant summoned one of his Champions. The Champion was armored in black and wore a mask. The Champion held a black axe. The Slender Giant said The Stragglers must duel his Champion.

The Stragglers said they wished for a Contest of Dance. The Slender Giant acquiesced. For the four Stragglers, The Slender Giant summoned four Champions. The Stragglers defeated the Champions in The Contest of the Dance and successfully converted the people of the party.

The Stragglers left the temple to return to The Tower. On the field of green grass they were confronted by the four Champions.

Fig. 1 "A Meccate Addict Mounted on a Jogger," Benjamin Marra

Fig. 2 "A Floating Slave Wizard," Benjamin Marra

BOOK 3 | CHAPTER 2: BEYOND THE CRATER

Fig. 1

 The ears of Metis, the Halfling Wanderer, had shrunk and folded back. He sat up on The Stone Glyph at the bottom of The Giant Crater. He could "hear" psychic voices emanate from the jagged, metallic crystal next to him. The voices were arguing. Metis addressed The Crystal and "heard" the voice of Horgelon Thunderegg, the Wizard. Horgelon was confused. Metis recognized few words. 

Fig. 2

Metis took his short sword and attempted to cut the unconscious Despairer next to him. The blade could not find an opening in the exoskeleton of The Despairer. The Mount of The Despairer was a Giant Maggot and Metis cut it open. The Giant Maggot Mount screeched. Its insides spilled out onto The Stone Glyph.

Metis took the jagged crystal with him and climbed out of the giant crater. Metis caressed The Crystal. Thunderegg, within The Crystal, recognized Metis. Thunderegg said, I am trapped and there is constant psychic battle with Dufnarl and Selloc Dur.

Metis looked at his surroundings. There was The Wasteland around The Giant Crater. In one direction were rolling hills covered with grass. In the other direction was The Large Stone Structure. In another direction were The Five Mountains.

Metis walked toward The Five Mountains with The Crystal. It was near evening when Metis arrived at the Five Mountains. Four smaller mountains circled one larger mountain. Each mountain had eight sides and was identical to the others, but the largest mountain had a staircase. The staircase wound up the mountainside to the top.

Fig. 3

Metis heard a snarl. A Wingless Scalewolf approached. The head of The Scalewolf had a snout and was covered with fur. It's eyes were red. It had a long body covered with scales. There was a ball covered with spikes at the end of its tail. The Scalewolf told Metis to leave for he would disturb The Ritual. Metis asked about The Ritual. The Animal said The Order would resurrect The Conqueror, Chamast Marghast. Metis said he would join The Order. The Scalewolf presented Metis with a token and said to go to the top of the mountain. Metis walked up the staircase.

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

On top of the mountain were Four Warriors kneeling around a hole. Metis presented the token and the warriors welcomed him into their order. The Ritual required The Four Warriors, and Metis, to give up their flesh so Chamast Marghast could use it on this plane. The four warriors, and Metis, would take the place of Chamast Marghast in the Ne'errealm. Metis told the four warriors he did not want to be in The Ritual. The Four Warriors armed themselves. Metis fled down the staircase.

The Scalewolf bit Metis at the bottom of the staircase. Metis struck at the The Scalewolf with his short sword. The Scalewolf bit Metis again and Metis fled across the wasteland.

Fig.6

Metis walked toward The Rolling Hills as the night descended. Then he was in darkness. Metis saw many strings of lights. The lights bounced in the darkness. Metis walked toward the lights and saw The Caravan. The Caravan was a series of buildings on wheels pulled by Medium Walkers. The buildings could be connected by gang planks.

Metis told A Caravan Guardsman he was a boy separated from his parents who were on The Caravan. The Caravan Guardsman brought Metis to The Healers of The Caravan who cared for Metis's wounds and they would find his parents in the morning.

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

A Woman came for Metis in the morning. She hugged him and said he was his Mother. Metis didn't know The Woman. The Woman took Metis by the hand and crossed The Caravan to a decrepit, four-story building. The Woman took Metis to a room on the second floor and locked the door. In the room was A Man in patched, brown clothes. The Woman was Esther and The Man was Edger. Esther and Edger told Metis, You will help us steal the gold from The Caravan Company. Metis threatened, I'll stab you and laser you with my crystal. Esther ignored him, We will sell you to the slavers. She told him they would steal the gold that night.

Metis sat on a stool by the window. Esther and Edger played cards at the table. Metis took the chamberpot, sat over it and made noises with his mouth as if he were evacuating his bowels. Then Metis opened the window. He threw The Crystal out the window and followed. Esther and Edger drew their weapons and came after Metis. Metis ran to the front of the building and got the attention of A Caravan Guard. The Caravan Guard took Metis to Daron Vega, the Caravan Leader.

Fig. 1 "Metis, The Halfling," Benjamin Marra 

Fig. 2 "The Consciousness of Horgelon Thunderegg Trapped In The Psyche-scape Of The Crystal," Benjamin Marra

Fig. 3 "A Wingless Scalewolf," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 4 "Chamast Marghast, The Hated, Wielding The Bone Sword of Ep'curthulon, with Followers," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 5 "The Four Warriors from The Order of Marghast," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 6 "A Caravan Building Pulled By Medium Walkers," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 7 "Esther," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 8 "Edger," Benjamin Marra 
 

BOOK 3 | CHAPTER 1: HORGELON THUNDEREGG

Fig. 1

Horgelon Thunderegg was a retired wizard and built a Tower on a slight hill. The Tower contained the wealth and artifacts of Thunderegg. Thunderegg was benevolent and a town grew around The Tower. The Tower and the village were near an excavation site. The excavation site unearthed an ancient building. Thunderegg studied relics discovered at the excavation site.

Fig. 2

Thunderegg protected The People of the Town. In The Tower, Thunderegg taught The People of the Town about artifacts in his collection and relics from the excavation site. The People of the Town who learned from Thunderegg were The Students. The Excavator arrived with the Half-Human worker who carried a large satchel. Thunderegg was angry at the interruption. The Excavator spoke excited words. Thunderegg became excited.

The Students gathered around the table. The Half-Human worker emptied the satchel on the table before Thunderegg. The satchel contained a large wooden box reenforced with iron studs and bands. Thunderegg spoke strange words and moved his wing. The air in the room was difficult to breathe. There was the sound of metal twisting and a loud noise. The air became as normal. Thunderegg lifted the top off the box.

Fig. 3

Inside the box was another box. The box inside the box was made of unknown metal. Thunderegg spoke strange words and the air became hot. The Students could not breathe. There was the sound of metal tearing. The air returned to normal and The Students breathed. Thunderegg lifted the top off the box.

Fig. 4

Within the box were The Three Spheres. The Spheres sat on a bed of broken swords. The Spheres were made of gleaming black glass. They were opaque. The Students thought they could see faint light in the center of the spheres. Horgelon lifted the largest Sphere. The light inside the sphere glowed. A bolt of blue electricity sprung from The Sphere and struck the forehead of Horgelon. The bolt of electricity flowed between The Sphere and Horgelon. The Sphere hovered in the air next to Thunderegg. The Sphere possessed Thunderegg.

Fig. 5

When Possessed Thunderegg spoke his voice was different. He said he was imprisoned but now possessed a tool on this plane. He said he would dominate this plane. The Excavator tried to flee the room. The Sphere shot The Excavator with a ray of light in the shape of a screaming demon. The ray of light went through The Excavator's chest.

Fig. 6

Sithi, of The Students, spoke words of distraction to Possessed Thunderegg. Sithi said she would serve The Sphere Who Possessed Thunderegg. Metis, of The Students, stole the other two Spheres and put them in his pants. Metis was careful not to let the Spheres touch his flesh.

The Sphere Who Possessed Thunderegg spoke through him and said unknown words. A ball of light formed in the room. The ball of light grew and a tear in reality opened in its center. The Students could see beyond the tear's threshold a purple sky over ground of gray mist and gray dirt. A shape appeared in the mist. Through the tear came The Despairer.

Fig. 7

The head of The Despairer was covered in fur and had a long snout. From the mouth of The Despairer protruded two segmented antenna. Its body flesh was covered in a black exoskeleton. The Despairer was mounted on a large maggot. The Despairer stabbed The Students with its antenna and they died. Other students were afraid.

Sithi said again she would serve The Sphere. The Sphere determined she was lying. The Sphere swung itself at the head of Sithi and missed. Sithi and The Students ran out the door and down to the ground floor of The Tower. The Sphere Who Possessed Thunderegg and The Despairer pursued The Students. The Despairer spat liquid from its snout and the liquid cut a hole in the flesh of a Student. The Student bled to death.

The Students ran into The Gardens. In The Gardens was shrubbery sculpted in the shapes of strange creatures. The creatures were likenesses of creatures Horgelon encountered on his adventures. Matis the Halfling Student, hid behind a sculpted Wrather. Sithi, the Human Student, hesitated. The Sphere Who Possessed Thunderegg and The Despairer killed her.

The Three Cubes exploded out of the side of The Tower above. The Largest Cube was The Cube of Dufnarl. The Cube of Dufnarl confronted The Sphere Who Possessed Horgelon which was The Sphere of Selloc Dur. The Sphere of Selloc Dur said to Dufnarl, You could never defeat me.

Fig. 8

For it was Dufnarl, an ancient hero of might, trapped the consciousness of Selloc Dur, The Seventh Dominator, in The Sphere to sleep for all time. The minions of Selloc Dur, Rumlocknov and Ness'r, were also cast in Spheres. Dufnarl and his comrades, Symkar and Allywave, volunteered to have their minds placed in The Cubes. Spells were woven so Dufnarl and his friends would awaken in their Cube Form should the mind of Selloc Dur ever emerge from its slumber.

The Spheres of Symkar and Allywave confronted Metis, who carried The Spheres of Rumlocknov and Ness'r in his pants. Metis presented The Spheres.

Fig. 9

The air around The Cubes and The Spheres bent. The Cube of Dufnarl collided with The Sphere of Selloc Dur. The Cubes of Symkar and Allywave collided with The Sphers of Rumlocnov and Ness'r. The area was enveloped in energy.

Metis, the Halfling Student, awoke on a stone glyph. On one side was a jagged piece of crystal. On the other was The Despairer, unconscious. The stone glyph was at the bottom of a giant crater of fossilized magma. The clouds above were purple and pink. Above the clouds were shadows of flying creatures. The flying creatures were like snakes.

Fig. 1 "A Young Horgelon Thunderegg Battles an Orc," Benjamin Marra

Fig. 2 "A Retired Horgelon Thunderegg," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 3 "The Spheres Revealed," Benjamin Marra

Fig. 4 "The Sphere Who Possessed Horgelon Thunderegg," Benjamin Marra

Fig. 5 "The Death of The Excavator," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 6 "Sithi Swears Service to The Sphere of Selloc Dur," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 7 "A Despairer, with Mount, Arriving from The Plane of Dysphoria," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 8 "Dufnarl Battles Selloc Dur, The Seventh Dominator, In The Penultimate War," Benjamin Marra 
Fig. 9 "The Final Confrontation of Cube and Sphere," Benjamin Marra 

BOOK 2 | CHAPTER 1: STEPPETREE

Fig. 1

The Lurkers arrived in Steppetree in groups of three. They wore collections of dark robes. They were strangers to The People of Steppetree. Some of The People of Steppetree heard The Lurkers were rebels from the West. Others thought they were assassins sent to kill Cuthway Hane.

Fig. 2

Cuthway Hane came from Landing, the capital city of Firstborn. The First Star was kept in Firstborn. The followers of the First Star took over the government recently. Cuthway Hane was a follower of the First Star but was unfavored by his superiors. Cuthway Hane was sent to Steppetree. Cuthway Hane wanted the favor of his superiors. Cuthway Hane taxed The People of Steppetree. The People of Steppetree could not pay the taxes.

Fig. 3

Steppetree was a town by the sea. The buildings of Steppetree were nestled in the roots of a giant tree. The tree was hundreds of thousands of spans tall. A thousand people holding arms might circle the giant tree trunk. The town roads wove under, over, and between the giant roots. The buildings were protected in the elbows of the roots or carved into the trunk of the giant tree. The upper branches of the giant tree blended into the blue sky. The land around the giant tree was unforested. The People of Steppetree were traders, farmers, fisherfolk, hunters, and craftspeople. The People of Steppetree didn't follow the First Star. They heard rumors the First Star was a stone from the night sky. They heard the stone bled.

Cuthway Hane called The People of Steppetree to The Town Hall. The Town Hall was the biggest structure in Steppetree. The Town Hall had exposed wood beams supporting the high roof. The wood beams were painted black. The windows were made with iron frames. The windows kept out the wind. The iron chandeliers were crude and thick candles high above. The People of Steppetree murmured. There was a cage cart full of The Children of The People of Steppetree on the tall dais. Cuthway Hane was on the tall dais. Cuthway Hane said he took The Children because The People of Steppetree did not pay the taxes. Two Town Guardsmen pushed the cage cart full of The Children into the tunnel in back of the stage. The tunnel lead beneath the giant tree.

Fig. 4

The People of Steppetree were angry. The People of Steppetree shouted. Cuthway Hane ordered The Town Guard to control the crowd. Cuthway Hane went into the tunnel after the cage cart full of The Children. Town Guardsmen entered the hall on either side. The Town Guard were townsfolk who wanted to please Cuthway Hane. They used their polearms on The People of Steppetree. Some of The People of Steppetree died. In The Town Hall there was a slaughter. 

Fig .5

Some of The People of Steppetree broke away from the slaughter and charged the dais. The People of Steppetree wanted The Children. They slew the Town Guardsmen who stood in their way and went into the tunnel. They found the wheel tracks of the cage cart, which held The Children, and entered a corridor. The corridor was lit by torches on the walls. The floor was stone. Out of the shadows of the far end came Helox Gringe. Helox Gringe, worked for Cuthway Hane and collected the taxes. Helox Gringe had a sword. Helox Gringe used the sword on The People of Steppetree when they didn't pay the tax. The left arm of Helox Gringe did not work. It angered Helox Gringe. He was known as Helox the Cripple. Two Town Guardsmen were with Helox Gringe.

Fig. 6

The Town Guardsmen, charged the crowd with their polearms. The People of Steppetree slew the Town Guardsmen with blades. Helox Gringe brandished his sword to The People of Steppetree. The People of Steppetree hit Helox Gringe in his head with a club and slung rock and he died. The People of Steppetree continued down the corridor.

The corridor lead to a cavern under the giant tree. In the cavern was Cuthway Hane and a crater. Cuthway Hane's back faced The People of Steppetree and he was looking at the crater. In the crater was The Viscous Liquid. The Viscous Liquid was blue. There was a ramp which lead up to the lip of the crater. Two Town Guardsmen pushed the cage cart filled with The Children into The Viscous Liquid in the crater. The cage cart sank slowly into The Viscous Liquid. The Blue Viscous Liquid came over the top of the crater and went slowly down the sides of the crater. Cuthway Hane raised his fists over his head. Cuthway Hane called out, For the First Star.

Fig. 7

Two Women of Steppetree ran up the ramp. A Woman of Steppetree pushed a Town Guardsman into The Viscous Liquid. A Woman of Steppetree jumped into The Viscous Liquid to save The Children. She sank slowly. A Woman of Steppetree put a pitchfork into Cuthway Hane and he died. A Man and Woman of Steppetree went up the ramp and killed the Town Guard.

A Man of Steppetree had a grappling hook. A Man of Steppetree threw the grappling hook to A Woman of Steppetree in The Viscous Liquid and she secured it to the cage cart before she drowned. The People of Steppetree pulled the cage cart from The Viscous Liquid. The Children in the cage cart cried. Some of The Children were covered in The Viscous Liquid. They were The Children Covered In Viscous Liquid. The People of Steppetree broke the lock on the cage cart and removed The Children from it. A Woman of Steppetree was The Healer. The Healer examined A Child Covered In Viscous Liquid. A Child Covered In Viscous Liquid lay motionless. It's eyes were wide and unblinking. It's mouth, agape, the interior covered with The Viscous Liquid, like a lacquer. A Child Covered In Viscous Liquid rose and grabbed at her. The Healer moved away.

Fig. 8

The Children Covered In Viscous Liquid moved. Their arms moved quick and grabbed The People of Steppetree. The Children Covered In Viscous Liquid bit The People of Steppetree. Some of The People of Steppetree fled. Some of The People of Steppetree attempted to save The Children who were not covered in The Viscous Liquid.

The Three Lurkers prevented the escape of The People of Steppetree. There were always three Lurkers. The Lurkers wore collections of dark robes. The Lurkers shed their collection of dark robes. Underneath they wore human skins. The Lurkers pulled off the human skins. Some of The People of Steppetree were frightened. 

Fig. 9

The forms of The Lurkers were dark gray, like some stones. Their bodies moved quick. Their bodies fell toward each other. Electricity grew in the point where their bodies joined. Blue electric bolts shot out and felled some of The People of Steppetree. The Lurkers' bodies formed The Lesser Voyager, Combined. The Lesser Voyager, Combined, had two legs. Each leg was twice the span of a human. The legs were covered with long hair. The legs were attached to a humped body. The human head of The Lesser Voyager,  Combined, was on a stalk. On the humped back of The Lesser Voyager, Combined, were three arms. The tail of the Lesser Voyager, Combined, was a long, thin appendage with many knuckles. The knuckles were covered with delicate skin. The Lesser Voyager, Combined, pulled a tube from a pouch. From the end of the tube unfolded The Crystal Blade. The Crystal Blade unfolded in sections. The Crystal Blade was three times the span of a human. The Lesser Voyager, Combined, struck The People of Steppetree with The Crystal Blade and The People of Steppetree disappeared.

Fig. 10

 

The People of Steppetree woke. They lay on a rock. The rock was a glyph. The sky above them was gray. Flecks of snow fell. They saw they were on an island of ice. Dark blue water surrounded the island. In the distance was another island made of stone. The island was a wide column. At the base of the column, at the shore, was a city. The column rose into the clouds. Among the clouds large rocks floated. The sky at the horizon was orange as flame.

Fig. 1 "The Lurkers Travel In Threes," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 2 "Cuthway Hane," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 4 "Town of Steppetree," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 4 "Massacre at The Town Hall," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 5 "Helox Gringe," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 6 "A Town Guard of Steppetree," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 7 "The Death of Cuthway Hane," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 8 "The Children Covered in Viscous Liquid," Benjamin Marra
Fig. 9 "The forming of the Lesser Voyager," Benjamin Marra 
Fig. 10 "A Lesser Voyager, Combined," Benjamin Marra 

INTERMEDIARY MUND | BOOK 1 MAP 1

Fig. B1M1