-Opening Post-


No matter where you are….

During the night, as you drifted off to sleep you felt a heavy slumber come over you and you instantly began to dream. At first it was as if you were flying majestically through white fluffy clouds so high you couldn’t see the ground. The sun shone and warmed your body but you couldn’t see the burning orb, only the clouds that enveloped you.

You had the feeling that you were not alone, that others were flying with you though when you turned your head to look at them you could only catch glimpses of other fliers through the misty clouds.

You felt elated at the feeling, of soaring high and carefree above the world. Suddenly you each hear a voice through the clouds and even though it was a strong voice, it held a soft gentle tone much like a caring father speaking to his child.

“Listen brave adventurers, you have been chosen to fight a great evil that has come upon this land. You will travel far from home, and you will face trials and great dangers that you will have to overcome. In the end, I know you have the strength and courage to survive and defeat the evil you will face,” the fatherly voice explained.

The disembodied voice was so comforting and confident sounding that the thought of the approaching dangers it spoke of seemed to escape notice as the group soared through the heavens.

“You will go to a far off land, where things and places will be unknown to you. You will have all your usual accoutrements at hand with which to fight this evil, but be warned you will have to work together or you will not succeed,” the voice continued.

“Do not let the evil deceive you! He will attempt to sway you and tempt you but no matter what he offers remember, to accept will mean the doom of many thousands including yourselves.,” it warns., “He will know that you are after him, and he will know your strengths and weaknesses, just remember who you are and you will prevail in the end.”

“Our time is short, you are almost there,” it says as it starts to fade, “Upon the back of your right hand you will bear a mark,” you each look to the indicated spot and see a wide circle with four arrows coming from it, one pointed in each direction of the compass, “tbis mark will be bore only by those of your group. Trust no one who does not bear this mark.” The voice fades out completely and the last words are barely heard.

You each feel as if you are descending through the clouds and the light of day is slowly fading to night the lower that you go. Soon darkness fills your vision and you can still feel that you are getting closer to the ground which you can not see. Trepidation fills you as you wonder if you will crash into the ground which you feel must be somewhere below you.

Just when you are sure that you are about to die as you plummet to the earth, you startle awake from the dream and sit up as the sinking feeling leaves you.

~~~~~~~~~
Location: Unknown
Date/Time: Unknown/Several hours till dawn

As your eyes adjust to the gloom, you realize that you are not where you fell asleep, instead you appear to be laying on the ground under a star-filled sky. Looking around you see a small camp fire around which you see several other figures who, like yourself, are looking about in astonishment.

Almost simultaneously, all of you jump to your feet and gaze around speechless at first. You can see more of the surrounding land now. The camp appears to be atop a cliff which overlooks a large body of water that stretches away as far as the eye can see. The sky is filled with stars, the patterns unknown to you, and two shining moons, one large and one half the size of it’s companion trailing behind it. In the other directions you see groups of trees here and there, scattered across what looks like a small plain of knee high wild grass.

Staked to the side are several horses, as least one of which looks familiar to each of you. Your packs, bedrolls, etc. lay about the ground by your feet as if you all had come to this spot and camped for the night, though you all have no memory of such a trip, or of the companions with you.

Everyone around the campfire is looking at everyone else and the party consists of the following:

The first is a large barbarian-looking Human male standing nearly 7 feet in height and appears to be in incredible physical shape. He is clad in nothing more than a loin cloth and a large black cloak and strips of colored ribbon bound around his arms and legs; he is an most imposing sight. A long two-handed Greatsword makes him appear even more ominous and deadly.

Beside him stands a tall dark haired Human male dressed in a forest green cloak and a suit of black studded leather; a pair of scimitars rest upon his hips. He seems the type that is perfectly at home and comfortable in the great outdoors.

Next is a slender willowy young Elvin woman with Silver white hair and golden pale creamy skin. She is very tall for an elf and she wears a well cut, Traveling outfit in tones of grey, very fine darjker grey leather pants, and jerkin and a paler gray shirt. Her cloak is reversible dark green and the other side dark grey. She carries a longbow, and a fine belt is fastened around her waist holding pouches and a dagger. The only thing out of the ordinary in this woman’s fine garments is the fresh blood stains on the front of her jerkin and pants.

The shortest of the group is a strapping muscle-bound young Dwarven male with very dark brown hair cut short and a long beard braided in three braids adorned with decorations. He wears a gleaming breastplate and holds a large Dwarven war axe in one hand and a spiked Morningstar in the other. He gazes about at everyone with dark, almost black, eyes filled with suspicion.

The last one, an Elvin female with fiery golden-red braided hair wearing a simple diadem of silver about her forehead, stands tall and proud scanning the group with eyes of the brightest clear violet. She is wearing a dark green silk shirt under a short sleeved Elvin tunic of medium taupe gray with dark green embroidery of vines and leaves scrolled about its borders. Her loose fitting pants, knee-high boots, cloak and coif are also decorated to match. Belted at her left hip is a long sword and a long dagger sits on her other hip, both in scabbards that matches her outfit. On her back is a long bow in a case and a quiver of arrows.

(OOC: Here is where your posting begins, any order you wish as long as no initiative is needed for combat, then I will let you know the posting order. Remember I will be making all combat rolls and such, just state your intended actions and let me know what skill or feat you are using. Remember I am new to this 3.5 edition so be patient and help me out if I make a mistake. Know this, I am not a rule lawyer so I don’t follow all the rules to the letter, remember the DM is the final rule so if I decide to play something different because I don’t think it makes sense please don’t quote rules on me. I will expect a post from everyone at least once a week, sooner would be better, and if after 7 days there are people who didn’t post then I will post at my discretion. If you can post for some reason, please let me know. Well hope this gets off to a good start. Hope you have fun.)

Siliwen looked around as she sat up. Many dreams she had had in her life, some where she had flown like a bird or run like a horse but never ever had she dreamed a dream that had become reality, unless she was still dreaming. However the pain in her side from her unhealed wounds seemed to confirm that this was not dream.

When she stood up she noticed others doing the same. What was strange was their silence while they all first took in their surrounding. The Dwarf looked on the others with a lowered brow. He kept his weapons firmly gripped in his hands. Siliwen did not blame him for being suspicious of what had happened to him. The circumstances of this occurrence were certainly beyond what was normal in life. Siliwen herself had looked around her surroundings verifying that this was not the place she had fallen asleep, which it wasn’t, and that further confirmed her thought that something unusual had taken place this night, As for the how and the why, those were still unknowns. Siliwen also looked for her pack that she had used as a pillow early the evening when she had laid down to sleep. It had everything important to her in it.

The silence was broken with a sharp crackle of a log in the fire. Siliwen decided to be the first to say something; hopefully to put others at ease and also to gain more information about what had happened to them. Siliwen believes that their experience was not too different for them. “Hello my name is Siliwen. I do not know what has happened only that it has. I know what I experienced but I do not know what any of you experienced. I went to sleep in the woods near a small town called Mayberry Dale. Then I dreamed or thought I dreamed of flying in the clouds with others near me. To me the voice spoke in High Elven, a fatherly voice telling me that I was to be part of an adventuring group and we were to face great evil in a far land. Even more important was that we would all have to work together or we would not succeed and thousands might die also because of your failure.”

Siliwen did not bother to say that this last bit made their working together and being successful of vital importance. For herself it meant a heavy burden to bear when she did not feel at all ready to undertake such a mission. The lost of Joriel was so fresh and she had held herself responsible for it. That weighed on her soul and her spirit.

“That is all that I perceived until I woke and sat up just as all of you did or so it appeared to me. I have never woken from a dream and found my reality changed as this appears to have happened.”

Alea stopped deat and looked about taking in the fire, the picketed horses, including her own elven warhorse, and the strangers about her. Politeness kept her from moving away from the unwashed scent eminating from the big barbarian. She did, though, pull up the edge of her cloak to help divert it.

She remained still and just watched for now. Much could be learned when one observed how others reacted to a situation, and indeed there was a situation at hand. One look at the facial expressions of the others was enough to alert her that they, like her, had come unknowingly to this place where the stars this night were different than the stars that were in the night sky, just before she went to sleep. These stars belonged to another season at home.

So far no one acted violently, and with a silent prayer to Corellon she waited and watched, her right hand going to the pommel of her sword and her left to her holy symbol.

Thordinal awakes from what at first seemed as a dream, but as he looked around he at once realized that there was more at work here than just a dream, for he was not at the spot where he laid his head for sleep. His first order of business was to be sure that no one here posed a threat, and he gripped his weapons tightly as he took in each of the others who now all stood around the fire with him. To him non of them seemed to be a threat even the huge Barbarian standing near him.

Then one of the two female elves spoke up.”“Hello my name is Siliwen. I do not know what has happened only that it has. I know what I experienced but I do not know what any of you experienced. I went to sleep in the woods near a small town called Mayberry Dale. Then I dreamed or thought I dreamed of flying in the clouds with others near me. To me the voice spoke in High Elven, a fatherly voice telling me that I was to be part of an adventuring group and we were to face great evil in a far land. Most of what the elf said was pretty much the same for Thordinal, the flying through the clouds, the fatherly voice speaking of a great evil, a adventuring party of strangers, travel to a far of land, all this sounded the same then he remembered something that would probably be of great importance and possible put all of them here at ease at least for a start. The voice he heard spoke these words to him ““Upon the back of your right hand you will bear a mark,” “tbis mark will be bore only by those of your group. Trust no one who does not bear this mark.”

As he remembers this he steps forward and speaks to the group in his rather gruff heavily accented obviously dwarven voice. This elven lass probally has the right idea for she speaks as if we have traveled here together, for my memories of getting here are very much the same as hers.So my name is Thordinal or just Thor for short He can't help but chuckle just a bit even in their situation at his own little pun for as he looks at the others around him they are all quite a bit taller than he is.However I do recall something else this fatherly voice said as I flew through the clouds. Each one of us that has been somehow chosen for this battle against evil would bear a mark on the back of their right hand, so I suggest to put ourselves at ease at least with each other that we each show our right hand and this mark. We will then at least know we all have been chosen, for what and by whom I know not, but we can work on that once we are not standing around wary of each other.
So he slips his war ax into it's place on his hip and strolls up to the camp fire for better light he then holds his hand out in the light of the fire so all can see the mark on his hand a wide circle with four arrows coming from it, one pointed in each direction of the compass. He will stand and wait to see if any of the others will follow suit.

Riddle wakes from a from a dream staring at a group of people he has never seen. A little unnerved by this he slowly slips back into the shadows as the one of the elves begins to speak

”“Hello my name is Siliwen. I do not know what has happened only that it has. I know what I experienced but I do not know what any of you experienced. I went to sleep in the woods near a small town called Mayberry Dale. Then I dreamed or thought I dreamed of flying in the clouds with others near me. To me the voice spoke in High Elven, a fatherly voice telling me that I was to be part of an adventuring group and we were to face great evil in a far land.

Riddle still a little unnerved by the circumstances begins staring at the back of his right hand as the dwarf begins to speak

This elven lass probally has the right idea for she speaks as if we have traveled here together, for my memories of getting here are very much the same as hers.So my name is Thordinal or just Thor for short.
As the dwarf chuckles at his own joke.

However I do recall something else this fatherly voice said as I flew through the clouds. Each one of us that has been somehow chosen for this battle against evil would bear a mark on the back of their right hand, so I suggest to put ourselves at ease at least with each other that we each show our right hand and this mark. We will then at least know we all have been chosen, for what and by whom I know not, but we can work on that once we are not standing around wary of each other.

Riddle just sinks back into his forest green cloak and waits for another to make a move

Billy scratched his head as he looked around. He was quite sure he had not gone to sleep in a glade next to a fire. Further he was certain he had not packed his gear. Just to be sure he smacked himself on the chek, the resulting sting told him he must truely be awake and his eyes were not playing tricks on him.

As he looked around he saw a number of others, some who introduced themselves and one who wanted to see each person's mark as fortold in a dream. Wait, that is right I had a dream about being marked he thought. Looking at the back of his hand he did indeed see the mark described.

With his hand held flat in front of him, Billy moved closer to the dwarf by the fire. Dropping to one knee so the shorter dwarf could see he showed his mark. "Looks like they are the same." Whether he was talking to himself, the dwarf or the group was uncertain. "My name is Billy. I remember havign a dream much like the one the young lady described though I am certain the voice was in common not elvish. Either that or I can understand evlish in my dreams." Billy glanced around again at the others and waited to see if anyone else would join them at the fire.

A strange rumbling sound something like "graaack gruuup brooowl" eminated from his stomach, reminding him that it was time for breakfast.

Thor continued to stand at the fire waiting to see if any of the others would join him and break the ice. At first no one moved then the largest of the group ( I hope I got this right Billy is the barbarian) the barbarian made his way forward to the fire, dropping down on one knee so Thor could see he puts his right hand out and speaks "Looks like they are the same." he says. Then he continues"My name is Billy. I remember havign a dream much like the one the young lady described though I am certain the voice was in common not elvish. Either that or I can understand evlish in my dreams." Then the large mans stomach growls.

Thor can't contain himself when the large mans stomach growls, he breaks out in a heary chuckle. You and me both Billy I wouldn't mind a little chow right now myself along with a good slug of some fine Dwarven ale.He looks around and can see that not only was he transported here but it seemed that all his gear was also here and he could see that his heavy war horse with everything he carried on him was also here. Once again he turns to the rest of them and speaks.
Look I know we are all a little in shock right now, for we all laid down to sleep somewhere not here and now we awake to find we have been somehow transported away from where we where,and not only us but all our gear and from what I can see also our horses and riding gear. Then to top that off we have all been marked somehow with this emblem on our right hands. Now I am not one to be real trusting of magic but I would have to think that who or what ever did this must be very powerfull in the use of magic, so if it wanted to harm us I think that would have been very easy. So I truly think we must come togeather maby each one tell who they are maybe where it is they where before this and maybe we can get some idea of what has happened to us, or maybe while we are talking our host will show themselves and tell us what is going on.

Siliwen also quickly checks her hand. and the mark ws their right where the voice had said it was. she reached out towards the fire. The heat coming from that was real too. She fet a comforting wamth against her skin. Reaching down she added a few more branches to the fire to build it up. Siliwen looks into the heavens again just to make sure their are no constellation she knew in the skies above her. Perhaps she was just was seeing them at a different angle. She looked for the brightest of the stars, the elves called the Archer's eye, but she could not see it above her anywhere.

"I do not wee the Hunter's eye, which is the brightest star. It should be up to the north. Though, I am not sure where north is from here, without the sun as reference."

Siliwen looks around again noticing the one man in green backing away. From the group she would like to reassure him she meant him no harm but actions speak louder than words alsone so she plans to give everyone something they can do or think about. "We are here now by someone or the other's hand. We are not hurt. All our things were brought with us. Whoever told us we would have to trust each other. I know it is a little to soon for us all to do that but I suggest we do what we can, considering the situation. What we can to is gather enough firewood to last the night through and set watches. Some can rest for now while others watch and then we can switch. Though I do not know how much of the night is left. If I watch the movement of the stars for a while then I may be able get an idea of where the North or South may lie. The stars near the north and south axis move very little throughout the night. Stars in the belt region rise and set in the much the same path as the sun.

"Now, if someone has bandages and can give me a hand I would appreciate it. I can't quite reach some of the wounds I sustained. I will take the first watch who will stand with me?"

"We are here now by someone or the other's hand. We are not hurt. All our things were brought with us. Whoever told us we would have to trust each other. I know it is a little to soon for us all to do that but I suggest we do what we can, considering the situation. What we can to is gather enough firewood to last the night through and set watches. Some can rest for now while others watch and then we can switch. Though I do not know how much of the night is left. If I watch the movement of the stars for a while then I may be able get an idea of where the North or South may lie. The stars near the north and south axis move very little throughout the night. Stars in the belt region rise and set in the much the same path as the sun.” came Siliwen’s response to Riddles move ments

"Now, if someone has bandages and can give me a hand I would appreciate it. I can't quite reach some of the wounds I sustained. I will take the first watch who will stand with me?" came

“I will galdly help with your wounds forgive me im am not to partial to people see I have spent most of my time in my woods only coming out when I need a new blade or something of the likes” riddle says as he looks in to Siliwen’s eyes

“ I don’t recognize any familiar formations in the stars either, but perhaps if we both watch we can find something. I will take first watch... how about food does any one have any it seems are big friend here is hungry. Oh and forgive me for being too forward my name is Riddle,” this time speaking to the whole group.
" If not i will also gladly go find some, im not too sure that i could catch anything live tonight so that means mostly berries but perhaps some other night with a little more preperation" came Riddle's reply once again

Alea hols out her hand to show the mark that they all bore. (So what does it look llike?)

"My greetings to you all, I am Alea'isilmaren, cleric of Corellon, I can help you if your wounds are in need of more than just first aid and bandaging. I have healing spells available."

She waits for Silwen's reply and will deal with her wounds as needed.

"I will take a watch for now, Silwen, you may eat, or rest now and then take over for me later. I too have an interest in the stars and wish to watch them, later I will confer with you on what I have observed."

Turning to the man who melded with the forest, "Master Ranger will you also take a watch for now, and I would appreciate hearing your name."

Then she turns back to the others, "You may all call me Alea, it is easier to say."

"If you take this watch then I will have Riddle help me with the bandages. IF I do need healing after that I will wait until your wwatch is overe. My wounds feel better now than when I went to sleepp so perhaps bandages and salve will be enough."

Siliwen moves towards her lack and picks it up and goes back near the fire. SHe sets down her pack and removes a few items. a small bowl, waterskin, a small cloth and a jar of salve. She sets them out carefully on a square yeard of canvas Then she pulls out a clean dark green tunic. Unfastening her belt she begins to strip off her tunic so that her wounds can be clean and dressed.

Examining her other bandaged wounds Siliwen saw not fresh signs of bleeding, they seemed to be closed now so she wouldn't remove the bandages covering them yet. She had that to be thankful for since she was now who knew where. One the force or power that had brought them all here to this place. One thing she ws sure of that it ws not Corellon that had done this. It was not his way-not like this.

“I will take a watch for now, Silwen, you may eat, or rest now and then take over for me later. I too have an interest in the stars and wish to watch them, later I will confer with you on what I have observed."

Turning riddle and stating, "Master Ranger will you also take a watch for now, and I would appreciate hearing your name."

Then she turns back to the others, "You may all call me Alea, it is easier to say."

“My name is Riddle and I will gladly join you in the first watch shortly after her wounds are attended too, Perhaps you would be more adept at it that I. I can handle basic cleaning and dressing of a wound nothing further.

Siliwen moves towards her lack and picks it up and goes back near the fire. SHe sets down her pack and removes a few items. a small bowl, waterskin, a small cloth and a jar of salve. She sets them out carefully on a square yeard of canvas Then she pulls out a clean dark green tunic. Unfastening her belt she begins to strip off her tunic so that her wounds can be clean and dressed.
Examining her other bandaged wounds Siliwen saw not fresh signs of bleeding, they seemed to be closed now so she wouldn't remove the bandages covering them yet. She had that to be thankful for since she was now who knew where.

Billy shook his head when he heard the word "magic". "It figures that magic would be involved in a bad thing happening to me." He drops his pack and begins to rummage through it, pulling out some cheese and bread. "It isn't a fest and I am afraid I hve only water not dwarven ale but you are welcome to eat with me if you wish." He offered a piece of cheese to the dwarf beside him.

As he ate he listened to the others speak about stars and watches. "Dad always said that no matter where you find yourself; there you are." He gave a look that implied he thought his statement was very profound. "If you want me to take a turn at watch just let me know."

Alea moves around the permeter of the camp checking the lay of the land, its defensible position, and the picket lines of the horses. Then she draws her bow, strings it and notches an arrow. With this ready she takes up a slow patrol around the camp stopping at the same set of trees where she had laid out a broken branch to mark where to stand and sighting along 2 trees to mark the movement of the stars.

Riddle walks up and offers Siliwen a hand in redressing her old wounds, and offering her a hand with the ones she cant reach.

“Forgive me if I am to forward but how did you get all of these scars, since its obvious that I am a ranger as a profession, what is it that you do.”

Came riddles voice in an effort to get some conversation started

Billy shook his head when he heard the word "magic". "It figures that magic would be involved in a bad thing happening to me." He drops his pack and begins to rummage through it, pulling out some cheese and bread. "It isn't a fest and I am afraid I hve only water not dwarven ale but you are welcome to eat with me if you wish." He offered a piece of cheese to the dwarf beside him.


“Perhaps its best that we eat cold tonight anyways, we really don’t know were we are and who or what surrounds us.” Riddle stated as he heard Billy’s offer to the Thor. “Granted we have a fire but I don’t think we should make it any bigger.”