Gnome Puck announcing Lady Violet, while Roland, Count Aramis, Rodin, and Trû-fik wait their turn.
Queen Silver presents her presents to Madam Zemanski, her protecting son Rodin, and an orc, Trû-fik.
MNLA IV opened with the Queen's birthday party. Gnome Puck had magically grown to human size and acted as the royal herald. Puck introduced each guest in the procession to the Queen and King. The royal couple personally welcomed each guest and the Queen presented a birthday gift of her own. (This was the booty bag loaded for the game.)
Raven and her band of archers.
Lady Aster gives the Queen her present.
Some of the guests presented the Queen with a present or two. The twin daughters of the royal couple had been in another country receiving schooling, They had received coded messages that on the surface invited them to the party. The secret message was to return home in disguise and to raise a group of warriors to conquer the Dragon Priest. Since they had been gone long enough, no one realized who they were.
Il Gato di Cacao meets Queen Silver.
Saffron, Sir Vladic, and the Invisible Jedi party.
Following the processional, the royal couple invited all to celebrate. The marketplace opened, guests shopped and some offered their own goods for sale. A jestor amused all he encountered. A forture teller offered sights into the future. Two women, very close to the animal world, offered delicious cakes, each produced with special skills.
Embereth returns to his roots--juggling
Pick a card, any card
Madam Zemanski offers to give a quick fortune telling to any who would draw a.card. The dragon priest, Pinyin, draws a card. He has drawn the Death card from the deck. He thinks, "This is silly, who believes the old hag." Notice the Invisible Jedi absorbingly watching the fortune teller. Is she right? Will the priest die?
Madam Zemanski shows the Death card to Pinyin.
"We bid you to aid the small folk of the forest in their collection of foods for the winter larder. A sun-dried grape or raisin is a fairy's sweet belly of mirth on a cold winter's day. Meat of a nut is like a slice of rich, fine bread with a gnome's evening meal. Please leave a small offering where you encounter signs of the dwellings or work places of the small folk of the forest."
Queen Silver gives an important task to the young players
"There you might also find the shield of that family--an engraved piece of leather or wood. We bid you to make a rubbing of these fine family crests in the parchment book you arre given. The most generous of ye, and therefore with the greatest collection of crests, will receive a noble reward."
VILLAGE MARKET PLACE
The marketplace came alive with activity as characters met and exchanged greetings and histories. As the evening wore on, like seemed to gather with like (good with good / devious with devious).
Even the Invisible Jedi became visible to eat and drink.
Journeyman wizard Embereth entertains the Dragon Priest, Pinyin, and the orc, Trû-fik with jokes and skills. Note the devious look in the wizard's eyes as he realizes that he put another joke past the orc.
Indian maiden, Sam, takes a turn selling jewelry and ribbons.
The dragon trainer, indian princess Lily shows off her latest young student to Embereth .
Norion shows off his country's wares--weapons and potions--one to hurt, one to heal.
Some are coming and some are going, or maybe they are all going or coming.
Lady Violet and Lady Aster exchanges greetings and stories while the indian princess, Lily, wonders why these ladies seem so much alike. Rodin tries to explain some joke or tale to Trû-fik and finds it a difficult task.
As the evening grew darker, an explosion was heard. Smoke and fire appeared beyond the village near Plum Creek.
More explsions, more smoke, more fire!
The fire and smoke turned an ominous red and grew.
Suddenly another explosion occurred in front of the village center. An evil presence appeared amidst smoke and fire.
The Dragon Priest is drawn to the Evil, seemingly supporting it with his staff of power.
The Evil presence reads a curse from his master. When he finishes, the paper bursts into flame and vanishes.
The Curse:
A Present from our Master,
He who revels in Disaster-
Good Magic be BANNED
And forever Damned
Mine is the Land
Alone you cannot stand.
This is our curse
Things will get WORSE!
The daughters of the King and Queen reveal their unicon horns as they join their mother and father.
The Queen replied,"
In this our good home.
The Unicorn spirit lives
And Power with Wisdom gives
The Good of Pan Tree WILL
That your curse be NIL!
With an evil laugh, the presence vanished into the smoke and fire. The dragon priest shook himself as if awakening from a trance. He asked those around him, what had happened, but they ignored him.
The King addressed the gathering.
The great Ent OakenSlash has passed to me a chronicle of woodland events that passed while we were away."
It seems the Forest Folk, being distressed over a sudden pollution of Glass Lake, called upon the Unicorn to purify the waters. The Unicorn agreed but upon approaching the lake he was challenged by a Red Dragon who seemed intent upon poisoning the waters. Three of our great Ents witnessed a blinding magical battle. In a desperate attempt to save the waters the Unicorn touched her horn to the shallows at the end of the lake at the same moment that the Dragon's claw touched water at the other end. Both beasts expended their magical powers to exhaustion whence the lake turned to solid glass.
For a moment Ent OakenSlash saw a perfect image of the land of Pan Tree in the watery glass. But a moment later each entity of power, in a thrust for domination, mounted the sparkling surface for the final battle. Upon touching horn to claw, the glass shattered beneath them and spewed throughout the land.
The fragments of this enchanted water bind the knowledge of regeneration. Find them all and center the power of the land.
The Queen upon hearing the Ent's message, cried out:
The icon of goodness hides in the land and must be coaxed home.
I bid you all, good folk, to search for this Relic and return it to our family."
The King and Queen departed the gathering, and as they left, the King declared, "The Queen needs rest, but you good folk continue the feast and party."
As everyone settled in and the party resumed, the ire of Lady Rose increased and her demon took possession of her. Plotting with the group of archers, they sent the young warriors to fetch the dragon priest to the Fairy Island. Though he wa leary of a trap, he went with the young warriors. As he crossed the bridge onto the island, the group attacked and slew the dragon priest.
Lady Rose's demon hasn't quite taken control, but she is working on it.
Raven and Pinyin converse (draw your own conclusions).
Pinyin, the dragon priest, chose to remain a spirit as he found that he could communicate with the two strangers, Roland and Count Aramis. With communications came control, but who was controlling whom?
Madam Zumanski reacts with horror upon learning of the death of Pinyin, yet reafirms her belief in the cards. For did not the dragon priest draw the death card?
Thus endth the opening night festivities. The next day is continued in More History!